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When Fivio Foreign says “viral” and “movie” one cannot help but believe him. He takes his cinematic disposition on the road in his new video for “London Freestyle.”

Fivio Foreign is coming off of an incredible last 12 months, starting with his alliance with Kanye West evolving into their Donda collaboration “Off The Grid” also featuring Playboi Carti. They joined forces once again, this time with Alicia Keys for NYC anthem “City Of Gods” which kickstarted the momentum for Foreign’s debut album B.I.B.L.E. The LP featured the likes of Quavo, Coi Leray, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Yung Bleu, and more.

Prior to B.I.B.L.E and much like his recent run, Fivio was primarily known for big collaborations and those remain to this day. Just this year he has linked up with Chris Brown for “C.A.B,” City Girls for “Top Notch,” and Nicki Minaj for “We Go Up.” One can only imagine if fans and Fivio himself could have foreseen such a banner year after his 2019 breakthrough single “Big Drip” and being one of the first to innovate the Brooklyn drill wave.

Drake surely took notice when he tapped the “bulletpoint rapper” along with Sosa Geek for “Demons” in 2020, but the Drake feature only puts artists under more pressure to sink or swim. Fivio Foreign has his breaststroke and freestyle intact, as shown in this new record.

Check out “London Freestyle” above.”

What would be more stress-free than getting together to share a vacation with another family?

Director Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil takes this not-at-all-fraught social situation and ramps up the anxiety to 11, testing the will (and social graces) of two parents as they try to co-exist with another couple who does things a bit differently. The horror film which shocked and delighted Sundance attendees will see theaters September 9th via IFC Midnight before streaming exclusively on Shudder September 15th. Just in time for Fall gatherings!

In the film, Danish husband and wife Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch) meet Dutch couple Patrick (Fedja van Huêt) and Karin (Karina Smulders) on a holiday in Tuscany. The Danes are a bit more conservative, and the Dutch a bit more wild, but they hit it off and soon reunite on Patrick and Karin’s home turf, where their children, Agnes (Liva Forsberg) and Abel (Marius Damslev), can run loose while the parents bond. Those expectations of a blooming friendship are blown up quickly, and both Bjørn and Louise must find the line between staying polite to welcoming acquaintances and getting the f*ck out of a scary situation.

Starting a trip by insisting a vegetarian take a bite of your wild boar because you’re the host? Chef’s kiss. Speak No Evil looks just as awkward as it does frightening.

Vacationing with other people, especially those who you don’t really know anything about, is a minefield even before you haggle over who’s going to Venmo whom. By all accounts, Tafdrup’s satirical horror has captured that social fear with pristine beauty and abject WTFness. Why not watch it with another family you’re just getting to know?

On the heels of her critically acclaimed album, I Blame The World, singer/songwriter Sasha Alex Sloan has dropped a new video for “Thank You.” In the video, she is seen doing an interview, however, her adorable dogs, Frida and Dory, can’t help but interrupt.

Over the course of the video, directed by David Od, Sloan pays visits to various people and their dogs, as the song plays throughout.

“Thank you / For loving me when you don’t have to / Right by my side when I get in my head / or have a bad day / You stitch me up / when you could walk away / So thank you / For loving me when I forget to,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

In an interview with CelebMix, Sloan revealed she began working on the album two years ago, when she had fallen into a deep depression.

“I knew I wanted it to talk about how I was feeling at the time…but I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to present it,” Sloan said. “It started off more folky, but as the album progressed I was craving tempo. My favorite songs are ones that feel happy, but are lyrically sad and that’s what I tried to do with this record.”

Check out “Thank You” above.

I Blame The World is out now via RCA. Stream it here.

JID is officially in album mode with the recent single “Dance Now” featuring Kenny Mason out now and the announcement that The Forever Story is looming. A sad reality for many album cycles comes in the form of difficulties clearing samples, which often hinders the inclusion of certain records entirely or the way the artist would like them to. Today (August 18), in lieu of sample issues on his upcoming album, JID shared “2007,” which was meant to be his album outro, featuring his father, labelmate J. Cole, and Dreamville President Ibrahim Hamad.

The Atlanta rapper primed listeners for the moment by requesting they turn on his post notifications for 8:00 P.M. EST. He then shared multiple promotional videos followed by the official link to “2007.” This is a special release for many reasons, namely the fact his father has a snippet on the song the very same day they are celebrating his birthday.

Additionally, Ib and Cole both speak about discovering JID and how he has evolved over the years. And, of course, JID has yet another impressive display of lyricism and storytelling. The wait for The Forever Story appears it may be more than worth it after this drop.

Check out “2007” above.

The Dallas Wings faced an uphill battle in their first round series against the WNBA’s 3-seed in the Connecticut Sun, as they were going to start the playoffs without star guard and leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale, who had core muscle surgery and was slated to miss, at minimum, the entire three-game series.

Without Ogunbowale, the Wings were going to have to get creative offensively, particularly against a very good defensive squad in the Sun. Allisha Gray, Marina Mabrey, and Satou Sabally, all double-digit scorers on the season, were going to have to pick up their production further with their star out, and Sabally did her best early on to fill that void in the most improbable of ways.

With the Wings down six in the closing seconds, the Sun missed a layup that came off the rim to Sabally, who turned up the floor and could only get just one stride past the Sun’s three-point line before needing to put up a heave to beat the buzzer, that somehow rattled home through the rim to keep Dallas within a possession after one.

It’s not often that a shot from that deep goes through without a kiss off the glass — particularly with how much rim that caught — but the Wings will absolutely take all the buckets they can get, and no matter what happens in the series, Sabally will always remember that playoff moment.

’90s R&B sensation Tevin Campbell has confirmed he identifies as a gay man. He opened up about his sexuality on an episode of People‘s Every Day Podcast, noting that although he doesn’t think of himself as a “sex symbol” for the ladies, he is proud of the hits he made.

“I didn’t hide anything about me. I didn’t try to act a certain way or anything,” he said, while indicating that in R&B, “You just couldn’t be [gay] back then.”

During his interview, Campbell also revealed that he had first come out to his loved ones ages ago, however, felt more comfortable as a member of LGBTQ+ community when he landed the role of Seaweed in the Broadway musical, Hairspray, as he was surrounded by other LGBTQ+ people.

“When I came out to my family and friends [at] about 19 or 20, that was it for me. And then I went on the road of discovering myself. I didn’t know who I was,” he said. “Being around people who were like me, LGBTQ+ people that were living normal lives and had partners. I had never seen that,” he says. “That was a great time in my life.”

Elsewhere in the interview, he praised Frank Ocean and Lil Nas X for being open about their queerness and expressed gratitude for the fact that children will grow up with those role models.

“It wasn’t like that in the ’90s, but I’m glad I get to see it. I’m glad that’s changing,” he said. “There are a lot of kids, especially young Black boys that need to see representation. They’re not being taught to love themselves because of who they are.”

Tevin Campbell is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

In 1978, Grease made a promise to all of us that we would be together forever. Chang chang. Changity chang shoo bop.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, AMC Theaters is making good on that promise by releasing the timeless musical about hair gel and sexual innuendos into 135 movie theaters this weekend. To honor Olivia Newton-John, who passed away earlier this month from breast cancer, the chain will donate $1 of the $5 ticket price for the special event to their charitable wing, AMC Cares. Those funds will be spent on breast cancer research.

Since her death, tributes have poured out for the singer/actor, including concert covers by The Chicks and Coldplay, and it will be nice to have the opportunity to see her croon and swoon on the big screen again. This also calls for a retrospective screening of Xanadu (are you listening, theater programmers?).

Fans who hit theaters to see Grease this weekend can marvel at Newton-John’s fantastic acting instincts and powerful pipes, even as they wonder what the film would have been like had Henry Winkler accepted the role of Danny Zuko. If you can’t make it to theaters, you can always donate to breast cancer research on your own at the national and local level. Wah-oooh, yeah!

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

Meechy Darko is gearing up for the release of his solo debut album Gothic Luxury, and what better way than a freestyle at one of the classic hip-hop stations in New York City? The Flatbush Zombies member stopped by Funk Flex’s Hot 97 show Tuesday (August 16) to lay some heavy bars over Pharoahe Monch’s “The Truth.”

Darko had no interest in long talking, and instead got right to the rapping with “Easy to turn from self-reflective to self-destructive/ But when you diss my sh** even the robbers love it/ B****es love my aura, then they hear my story/ If I f**k they mom’s right invite ’em to the orgy.” If the cover art and tracklist reveal a few weeks ago didn’t get the momentum going, this performance sure did.

Gothic Luxury will arrive August 26 via Durt Cobain and Loma Vista. The album, executive produced by Dot Da Genius, will feature Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, Freddie Gibbs, Denzel Curry, and more. So far, Darko has shared “On God” featuring Gibbs and A-Trak, “Get Lit Or Die Tryin’,” and “Kill Us All (K.U.A.).”

Check out Meechy Darko’s Funk Flex freestyle above.

Gothic Luxury is out 8/26 via Durt Cobain and Loma Vista. Pre-save it here.

It’s Awesome Animals Week at Upworthy! That’s what I’m declaring anyway, as nine out of 10 of this week’s things that made us smile include creatures being painfully cute or utterly hilarious.

It’s not surprising that our furry, feathery and leathery friends so often make these lists. Pets are constant and consistent sources of joy in our lives and wildlife can be wonderfully entertaining.

There are a few humans thrown in here for good measure, though. I considered totally leaning in and only including things that included animals this week, but there was one animal-free video I simply couldn’t not include. I saved it for last. You’ll see.

We’ve got wicked smart birds. We’ve got acrobatic elephants. We’ve got dogs and cats living together—”MASS HYSTERIA!” (A little OG “Ghostbusters” shoutout for my Gen Xers.) I just love this list and hope you enjoy it too.

1. A parrot named Kiwi gives his human the best kisses and “zerberts.”

@tamarasbluechicken

Blue Chicken’s 2nd Birthday is next week! Stay tuned for the surprise 🎂 🎉 #funnypets #parrot #irn #funnyanimals #talkingparrot #thebluechicken

Kiwi is an Indian ring-necked parrot whom Tamara (his owner) refers to as her “blue chicken.” He is so dang sweeeeet. “Thank you, baaaaby!” That third zerbert was an outright demand, but how could you say no to Kiwi?

2. When you’re terrified of the cat but you really really really want to sleep in your bed.

u201cso braveu201d

— what kind of dog is this (@what kind of dog is this)
1660741380

I love how you can hear everything the dog is thinking as he moves in while trying desperately not to make eye contact with the cat. “Don’t mind me…just pretend I’m not here…it’s okay, I won’t disturb…just let me squeeze…I won’t touch, I promise…please don’t kill me.”

3. Find someone who looks at you the way this dog looks at its human.

u201cDogs are the best.. ud83dude0au201d

— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden)
1660719968

The nuzzle at the end. That’s just pure adoration right there.

4. Cairo the grey parrot tries to make conversation with a Kewpie doll and holy moly.

@feathersandfriends

He had a lot of catching up to do with the doll! #parrots #cairothegrey #parrotsoftiktok #africangrey

Cairo made the 10 things list several weeks ago for saying hilarious things like, “Don’t be a gerbil” and “Smarten up, man!” to the cat who invaded his space. This bird is soooo smart. Look at how many different approaches he takes to try to get the doll to respond. “You talking or what? Yes or no?” Incredible.

5. Hamster picnics are far more adorable than they have any right to be.

@thehamsterstation

He absolutely loves to have a picnic ❤️ #fyp #hamster #hamsters #hamstersoftiktok #thehamsterstation #pet

First of all, this person has two hamsters and their names are Mr. Marshmallow and Mr. Crumpet. STOP IT. Secondly, I didn’t know watching a hamster eat a piece of spaghetti at a picnic table was a bucket list experience, yet here I am adding it to my list after the fact. Read more about the delightful lives of Mr. Marshmallow and Mr. Crumpet here.

6. A stranger gave a service dog her pillow on a flight to make him more comfortable.

See on Instagram

Come on now. How are we even supposed to handle such human kindness mixed with such good doggo-ness. That last image is just too much.

7. The Kiffness’ duet with an alugalugging cat is absolutely epic.

See on Instagram

Some cats do this weird “alugalug” sound when they’re ticked, and South African musician The Kiffness dueted this one to perfection. So good. Find more from The Kiffness here.

8. Mama elephant out here trying to teach her kiddo, who is apparently totally untrainable.

u201cMother: This is the last time I show you how to go down..nnSon:u201d

— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden)
1660778602

“Put one arm down first, then bend your knees, then bring down the other arm, then one back leg at a time. Got it?”

He don’t got it. Recovered quickly, though!

9. An old man introduced his 4-month-old puppy to the neighborhood cat and it was so wholesome.

@cheyennetylerberry

caught this pure moment and I haven’t stopped smiling since 💖💗💕💝💓💘💞 #viral #dogsofttiktok #catsoftiktok

The video went crazy viral and the man saw it. He made sure to let people know in the comments that he had approached the cat previously to assess its temperament before introducing Ted (the puppy) to it and that Ted had interacted with cats before. Ted’s dad didn’t want people to think he was endangering either animal. So sweet. Read the full story here.

10. The way this baby looks at Daddy while he’s reading is the purest love there is.

See on Instagram

See why I had to include that one? Gracious.

I hope you found some things in this list that made you smile! Come back again next week for another roundup of serotonin-boosting content.

The school year has already started for some students but for others it’s just around the corner. What better way to start off a new school year than with a wholesome song welcoming the new kindergarten class. A Chicago teacher named Dwayne Reed posted a video on Instagram singing a song he wrote called “Welcome to Kindergarten” for the new class of kindergarteners and teachers entering school this year.

This isn’t Reed’s first rodeo at viral fame. In 2016 he had another viral hit called “Welcome to the Fourth Grade.” He told Upworthy that after the success of his first song he was able to see the impact it had on students, teachers and parents so he wanted to duplicate that for kindergarten students. Reed said, “I don’t teach kindergarten but I think kindergarten teachers are angels. I wanted them to have something in their back pocket.”

The impact Reed has is not lost on him. “Representation matters. How many people can say they’ve had a Black teacher? A Black male teacher,” he said.

See on Instagram

Reed explained that “having at least one Black male teacher in school can cut drop-out rates and increase college attendance in Black boys.”

In a 2017 IZA Institute of Labor Economics study, high school drop-out rate of very low income Black boys in North Carolina who had at least one Black teacher in grades three to five were found to be 39% less than those who weren’t taught by a Black teacher. And college aspirations raised by 19% among both sexes by having at least one Black teacher in grades three to five.

While representation is important, Reed also just loves teaching. He told Upworthy that he thinks kids are hilarious and loves being able to work with people that keep him laughing. Honestly, the comedy gold that comes from children is so underrated and having a teacher like Reed that appreciates the hilarity of children’s antics is a reminder of the kind of person that should be teaching.

Reed is aware of the teacher shortage. He says he understands why it’s happening and doesn’t fault the teachers. He’s focused on the impact he has and using music to bring comfort to students, teachers and parents. You have to admit, his songs are pretty catchy and if you’re a kid entering school for a new school year they could be comforting.

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In both of his songs he prepares students for what to expect at school that year. Whether it’s the morning drop-off or what subjects that will be covered, kids and parents will know what to expect from that year thanks to his music videos. Teachers can also use his music to reduce fears about the unknown for their own students. Reed isn’t done. He told Upworthy that he’s working on more music for future release.

School is back in session for many students across America and Reed’s kindergarten anthem is just the song parents need. His next song is certainly going to be another viral hit. It’ll be amazing to see what Reed does in the future. One thing’s for sure—his school is lucky to have him.