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Donovan Mitchell joined Kevin Durant as NBA stars who appear to be gettable in a trade. While the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets both have high asking prices, Mitchell’s future is in question on the heels of the Rudy Gobert trade, while Durant went to the Nets and asked for a move.

This led to a debate on First Take about which guy is more desirable, which turned into ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth dunking on Chris “Mad Dog” Russo for trying to compare himself to athletes who want a move after signing a contract.

“You’re Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo, you have a certain amount of value,” Foxworth said. “You are not no damn Kevin Durant. Your value is not that. You are not LeBron James, you ain’t none of them dudes. So, you have a certain amount of power — you have more power and leverage than I do. But I’m not gonna come up here and complain because Mad Dog’s allowed to do stuff that I’m not allowed to do, because I’m not as valuable as you. So, get out of Kevin Durant’s way, you ain’t him.”

Foxworth, the former NFLPA, then pointed out that athletes have their salaries “artificially suppressed.” When Mad Dog then asked why players agree to a salary cap, he decided to go at him one more time.

“Well, there’s something call negotiations,” Foxworth said. “This is a whole other, more complicated conversation, I can teach you about negotiations and leverage if you want to, or I could just cook you on TV like I’ve been doing for the last 30 minutes.”

Last week brought the death of Tony Sirico, the 79-year-old character actor best known for his role as Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri on The Sopranos, yet another beloved celebrity to pass on while Dracula-esque war criminal Henry Kissinger still insolently draws breath at the age of 99.

Aside from his work on the Sopranos, as Tony Soprano’s pathologically vain and sort of annoying but always loyal soldier, Paulie (in my opinion one of the greatest television characters of all time), Sirico was once a real-life gangster with the lengthiest rap sheet of anyone in the Sopranos cast — including a 20-month stint at Sing Sing for extortion, coercion, and weapons possession*.

That Sirico was an actual tough guy, but was nonetheless game to play a character who was the butt of almost every joke on The Sopranos (to a large extent Pauly was the Sopranos‘ Kramer) makes his performance that much more remarkable.

Professional thespian though he might’ve been during the Sopranos run, Sirico (pronounced suh-REE-co, according to costar Joseph Gannascoli) could still summon his old powers of intimidation when necessary. Robert Iler, the actor who played Tony Soprano’s son, AJ Soprano, explained as much during an interview on my Sopranos podcast, Pod Yourself A Gun.

In fact, as Iler, who was 12 or 13 when he started working on The Sopranos tells it, Sirico was a big part of the reason Iler never got “messed with” when he was working the entertainment industry.

“When all the molesting stuff gets talked about,” Iler told us, “and people always say to me, did anything happen like that on your set? And I’m like, you think Tony Sirico was standing around, if there were people eyeing me the wrong way, like ‘Oh, Rob looks really cute today,’ Tony Sirico is just gonna stand there and not do anything?”

“Once we did the second or third episode, Tony Sirico just came over to me and said ‘Hey, uh, if anyone ever… bothers you, or anybody says anything, you tell Uncle Tony, okay?’And that’s how I felt in f*cking school too. Like I was 13 years old and I was like oh, this kid thinks he’s gonna mouth off to me? I’ll have Tony Sirico come down. No matter how old you are, you see somebody that has like black hair here, and silver hair on the sides — and just the way he always had a handkerchief in his pocket — you go like this dude will f*ck you up.”

It’s a credit to Sirico that his performance on the Sopranos feels like it came from a seasoned comedic actor, not a real-life former tough guy whose *1971 sentencing transcript includes a lengthy speech by prosecutor Gerald Hinckley, who had this to say about him:

“The defendant was indicted for extortion, coercion and possession of a gun as a felony, Your Honor. Those charges consisted of various threats that the defendant made to Mr. John Addison. He was the owner of a discotheque at 59th Street in Manhattan. The defendant entered that discotheque on several occasions, refused to pay at the door, refused to pay for any services or products he received in the discotheque, and when he was confronted by Mr. Addison and asked to pay, and ordered to pay, he told him, Mr. Addison, that he doesn’t pay any place, that he’s Junior Sirico, and that Mr. Addison better learn how to give him the respect he deserves, otherwise he knows what to do with Mr. Addison. He told Mr. Addison that he knew how to take care of guys like Mr. Addison, ‘you hit them over the head with a baseball bat, and they come around.’”

The sentencing speech goes on to accuse Sirico of threatening to carve his initials in the disco owner’s forehead, before being arrested with a .32 automatic in his waistband, that the prosecutor alleged he planned to use on him (Sirico having blamed the disco owner for putting the cops onto him). So it sounds like he wasn’t just going to discos and playing tough for the free drinks! I wouldn’t have tried to molest Robert Iler with this guy around either.

The most earnest of RIPs to Tony Sirico, a brilliant actor who successfully turned his life around and who was, at one point, a pretty scary dude.

As a surprise to nobody, the Stranger Things train isn’t slowing down as of yet. The final episodes of season four dropped earlier this month, and the numbers have confirmed what we already know: people are really watching this show! In case that wasn’t clear by the sheer amount of tweets being made about this series.

The show remained at the number one spot on the Netflix Top 10 with a whopping 188.2 Million hours viewed for the week of July 4th. For those looking to put that number into perspective, that’s 257,807.93 months, or how long it takes to make the next Game Of Thrones book, probably. Of course, most people had that Monday off, so it makes sense to binge it all day while eating hot dogs.

This brings the show well across the 1 billion hours mark, which fellow Netflix show Squid Game reached after another 28 days. The show is still Netflix’s most-watched English-language series ever.

Of course, the fifth and final season will probably be a little chiller in terms of runtime. The Duffer Bros have confirmed that they are looking to make the last season more consistent with episode times. So, no more movie-length finales where you have to perfectly time your snack breaks during the boring parts (sorry, Joyce).

(Via Deadline)

Harry Styles is having the biggest year of his solo career so far. He just secured his ninth overall week at No. 1 on the singles chart thanks to “As It Was.” That song also became the first 2022 record to reach Platinum status, and it did so in barely a month. Elsewhere, Harry’s third album Harry’s House still holds the title for the biggest sales week of 2022 and it put forth two consecutive weeks at No. 1 when it was released. Harry looks to breathe new life into the project thanks to a new visual or “Late Night Talking.”

The new video is essentially a bed-hopping extravaganza. After waking up in bed by himself one morning, Harry dives into a portal within his bed that leads him to another bed filled with people laying beside him. This trend continues as Harry finds himself in varying beds, with one doubling as a vehicle that glides through London traffic. All in all, it’s a quirky video for a record dedicated to the early honeymoon stage of romance, one where you spend all day and night talking to a new love interest.

Prior to the arrival of the “Late Night Talking” video, Harry helped a fan come out during a concert of his at Wembley Stadium. “When this flag goes above my head, you are officially out, OK?” Harry said while holding a rainbow flag after he invited the fan onstage. “I think that’s how it works. When this sign goes over the head, you’re officially gay, my boy.”

Watch the video for “Late Night Talking” above.

Alex Jones‘ ex-wife really wants to talk to the January 6 committee. Shortly after the InfoWars host was prominently featured in a video clip shared during Tuesday’s televised hearing, Kelly Jones sent 40 tweets offering to share “insider info” with the congressional body investigating the January 6 insurrection. According to Mediaite, Jones’ ex-wife sent the message at least 40 times in replies and quote tweets all across the social media platform.

“I’m #AlexJones’ ex-wife, & I lost my kids for exposing infowars, even while he was under subsequent Federal Investigation,” Jones tweeted. “I have insider info that I believe is relevant to the #January6thCommitteeHearings. Pls share”

Kelly Jones is clearly striking while the iron is hot. In a new video shared by the January 6 committee, the InfoWars host is featured alongside other right wing media figures who were pumping up MAGA supporters with violent rhetoric ahead of the “Stop the Steal” rally that ended in the U.S. Capitol building being breached in a riot. Via Mediaite:

The committee played a clip of Jones speaking on January 5th at the Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C.

Jones said, “We have only begun to resist the globalists. We have only begun our fight against their tyranny. They have tried to steal this election in front of everyone.”

He added, “We declare 1776 against the new world order.… We need to understand we’re under attack, and we need to understand this is 21st-century warfare and get on a war-footing….”

The odds of Kelly Jones having damaging info are actually pretty high. During their divorce, she managed to overturn a ruling that gave the InfoWars host full custody of their children and only allowed Kelly supervised visits. Her lawyers were able to provide enough compelling evidence that Kelly won physical custody of the kids. In short, there’s a pretty good chance she’s got the goods.

(Via Mediaite)

After teasing clips from his upcoming Amazon Prime Video documentary Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby on Father’s Day, Lil Baby shared the official trailer today. In it, various important figures in the Atlanta rapper’s life from Drake to Quality Control CEO Pierre Thomas to initial benefactor Young Thug, give insights into the young rapper’s rise to stardom. But perhaps the most potent voice in the trailer comes from Lil Baby himself as he recalls his decision to give up street life for rap life.

“After I got locked up again, my perspective changed,” he explains. “America has a system in place and it’s designed for us to fail. It’s a trap. I couldn’t go back to prison, [so] I became an artist with something to say and people to stand for.”

Meanwhile, the above-mentioned influential people for Lil Baby point out impactful he’s been. Drake calls him a “super important part of this generation” and “the truth” to open the trailer while Young Thug remembers telling him “nothing comes out of what you’re doing but prison or death.” P Thomas says Baby “put it all on the line” to pursue his goal of rap stardom, and rapid-fire clips of his newfound life of fame and fortune flash across the screen ahead of the title card as Baby asserts that he’ll “never be trapped again.”

Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby starts streaming on Amazon Prime Video on August 26. Watch the official trailer above.

When KALI began recording the tracks on their sophomore EP Maltman And Effie, they became unintentionally attached to a beige, scaly slug mask. Wearing the mask, which appears on the Maltman And Effie cover art, first started as a gag to disguise social anxiety, but it soon became clear to KALI that it had another meaning. It helped them discover their music was also a mask of sorts; “I began to realize that the songs were more about myself, and my insecurities than they were about the physical circumstances that allowed me to reach this point of introspection,” they said.

But on its surface, Maltman And Effie exudes confidence, particularly for a 17-year-old musician. Lush soundscapes and rich, swirling melodies offer a backbone to KALI’s tender reflections on their teenage years and relationships. The slightly twangy and electrifying “Anybody Else” is a ripping anthem while the poppier and effervescent “Addicted” speaks to the euphoria of a crush. To celebrate the release of Maltman And Effie, KALI sat down with Uproxx to talk their love of Prince, Pixies, and cooking in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Ambitious, Dynamic, Meditative, Athletic.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

Rich with details and doesn’t get old. Every time you listen you remind yourself that it still hits as hard as it did in 2022.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Los Angeles.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

My three closest friends because I am intrigued by the way they each react to different sonic palates and lyrics, specifically when we listen to music in the car, which is probably my favored hangout. I reference my own experiences but also those closest to me when writing, I find that my friends and I are often connected through similar mindsets even when going through different things. Musically, I always have Prince in the back of my mind, he likes to make his instruments talk to one another with as little of them as possible. Although, I’m not sure that my most recent songs would be of his enjoyment, they’re a little dense.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

I have been vegan for 2 years now but when I was 8 or 9 I traveled to Berlin. A piece of well-oiled but toasted brioche with a heap of arugula, wild mushrooms and a runny or scrambled egg. I can’t remember.

What album do you know every word to?

Doolittle by Pixies.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Dr. Dog at the Hollywood Palladium.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Blazer and dress pants with a plain tee. Comfortable yet demanding and easy to move around in.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

Perfume Genius.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

“The King” by Sarah Kinsley.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

“Synonyms for transportation.”

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

In a bedroom sleeping next to a pair of pet mice.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I’ll get back to you in a few years.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Wilco, D’angelo, Beach House, John Cale.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Supported my making of music.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?

Don’t suppress your instincts.

What’s the last show you went to?

Snail Mail at the Palladium.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

The Squid And The Whale.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I’m a mean chef.

Maltman And Effie is out now. Get it here.

If you want a silk-voiced R&B up-and-comer to add to your playlists, Bren Joy is a better candidate than most. His profile has been steadily rising since signing with Warner Records in 2020 and at one point or another during the past few years, you might have even caught him opening for artists like Pink Sweat$, Jhené Aiko, and Megan Thee Stallion.

For Joy, it all started in his home of Nashville. Now, for his latest performance — as part of Uproxx and T-Mobile’s “Way Way Out Live” series — he’s leaving the city behind. Instead, he finds himself at Texas’ Cedar Hill State Park. Accompanied just by a guitarist, Joy turns in a smooth three-song set consisting of his “Insecure” (a collaboration with Sweat$, a previous “Way Way Out” performer), “Friends,” and “Henny In The Hamptons.”

Elsewhere in the video, he notes of leaving the pavement and skyscrapers behind, “Getting out of the city enhances my process by just being a palate cleanser. It allows me to really see things clearly and be as innovative and as creative as I want because nothing else is around you. It’s a clean slate. I think the audio that nature emits is just really, really special.” He also says of his creative wants and goals, “The only way I’m able to talk to people and share what I’m thinking is music. My page is like a diary and when I’m gone, I want people to be able to listen to my music and know exactly what I’m thinking.”

Check out Joy’s performances in the video above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

South Park‘s still got it, as The Streaming Wars Part 2 proved by taking aim at all of those celebrities who are taking the cryptocurrency money and running and ignoring the world burning around them. Most prominently, this refers to Matt Damon’s “Fortune Favors The Brave” utterance while pushing crypto in a Super Bowl ad that felt surreal enough when it aired. Months later, crypto plummeted in a severe way, which led to massive (and catastrophic) investor and job losses.

Damon, curiously enough, has stayed absolutely silent in the face of that crash. Surely, he’s hoping it will all go away, but South Park doesn’t let such things go quietly into night. In Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s newest movie (streaming on Paramount+), they roasted the heck out of Damon, who they reimagine as shilling for a wildly disgusting new beverage: urine. It’s not pretty, and that’s the point, as the below clip proves.

Damon’s pee popsicle and pasta recipe didn’t represent the only celebrity call out of the evening. As Decider further details (with a marvelous screenshot), Gwyneth Paltrow drank a tea cup full of pee and Reese Witherspoon went bobbing for apples in a barrel of that same liquid. Oh, and Larry David did not go unscathed for his own crypto ad that caused mass confusion on Super Bowl Sunday. Larry’s pee shower says plenty about the crypto-celebrity fiasco that still remains unresolved, unless this counts as the last word.

Don’t ever expect South Park to not go in hard. You can stream The Streaming Wars Part 2 on Paramount+.

Barbz, rejoice. It appears NM5 is imminent. Yesterday, Nicki Minaj took to social media to tease new music. In the video clip, shared on her social channels, she is seen dancing on a couch, twerking in all her glory.

Fans get a taste of new music with the video, as a new song utilizing a heavy sample of Rick James’ “Super Freak” plays throughout.

“I can lick it, I can ride it while you slippin’ and slidin’/ I can do all them little tricks and keep the d*ck up inside it / You can smack it, you can grip it, you can go down and kiss it / And every time he leave me alone he always tell me he miss it,” she raps.

This isn’t the first time Nicki has interpolated “Super Freak.” In “Wanna Minaj,” a cut from her 2008 mixtape, Sucka Free, she freestyles over “Freaky Gurl” by Gucci Mane, on the chorus of which, Gucci raps, “She’s a very freaky girl / Don’t bring her to mama.”

As of now, Nicki has not yet announced a title or a release date for her hotly-anticipated fifth studio album, but in a February interview with The Dana Cortez Show, she revealed that fans can expect the rap stylings they loved Nicki for during her mixtape era.

“There’s a little bit of full-circle-ness happening,” Nicki said, “because I’m creating music kinda like how I used to create music when I first started rapping on mixtapes. I just feel like that’s what’s needed right now… [writing] raps that connect with people, that make people want to sign a long and channel their inner bad bitch.”