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Tony Sirico once made David Chase an offer The Sopranos creator couldn’t refuse. In a conversation with Vulture’s Matt Zoller Seitz about the late character actor, who passed away on July 8, 2022 at the age of 79, Chase painted Sirico—who rose to fame as mama’s boy mobster Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri on the iconic HBO series—as truly one-of-a-kind. And when it came to the series’ scripts, he really was.

When Zoller Seitz asked Chase what kinds of questions Sirico would most often ask him about his character, Chase admitted that he couldn’t remember the actor asking him a single question about how he should be playing the role of Paulie. “He wasn’t the kind of actor who had a lot of questions about his character,” Chase said, before adding: “But he was the only one who ever asked me to have a line changed. And I did it.”

The line in question wasn’t even Sirico’s to deliver; it was about his character. “Another character was talking about Paulie, and they said he was a bully. Tony didn’t like that. He asked me to take the word ‘bully’ out of there. And I did.”

While Chase doesn’t recall what he changed the word to, he surmised that “bully” was some sort of a trigger word for Sirico given his real-life Sopranos-like past. “I wonder if that had something to do with why he was so sensitive about it,” Chase said. “Maybe he had been a bully as a young man. I’ve seen a picture of him as a young man standing out in the street next to a parking meter with a tank top on. Flexing his muscles, you know. He looked the part.”

Before Sirico began acting in the mid-1970s—one of his first roles was an uncredited part in The Godfather: Part II—Sirico was deeply immersed in the New York City crime world The Sopranos fictionalized. The Brooklyn native was arrested more than two dozen times in his early life, with charges ranging from assault to robbery. According to The Smoking Gun, a judge once described Sirico as “a danger to society.”

“He told me some stories, oh my God,” Chase told Vulture.

In 1971, Sirico was convicted on felony weapons possession and sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison; he ended up serving just 20 months of his sentence and turned his life around when he found acting following his release from Sing Sing.

(Via Vulture)

Last night’s Better Call Saul episode spoke directly to Emmy voters:

You said it, Bob Odenkirk (and he has). Kim Wexler is one of the complex, fascinating characters on television, but Rhea Seehorn has somehow never been nominated for an Emmy — until that inexplicable streak ended this morning.

The nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 2022 Emmys are Patricia Arquette for Severance, Julia Garner for Ozark, Jung Ho-yeon for Squid Game, Christina Ricci for Yellowjackets, J. Smith-Cameron and Sarah Snook for Succession, Sydney Sweeney for Euphoria, and Rhea Seehorn for Better Call Saul.

That is the most impossible to predict category of the Emmys. Every nominee has a strong case to win, so it’s curious that Seehorn was submitted for supporting instead of lead. She might have a better shot in that category, where both Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh were nominated. That’s not a knock of them, they’re wonderful, but no one liked the Killing Eve finale — except the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, apparently.

But come on, Emmys. Give it to Seehorn. Based on Twitter, Better Call Saul fans agree:

The Emmys take place on September 12. You can find the full list of nominees here.

North London band Sorry has announced their highly anticipated sophomore album. Arriving this fall, the album, titled Anywhere But Herepicks up where their debut album, 925 left off.

Anywhere But Here was produced by the band’s Louis O’Bryen and Asha Lorenz, and Ali Chant, along with Adrian Utley of Portishead. The album will pay homage to the songwriters of the ’70s, like Carly Simon and Randy Newman, with Lorenz’s vocals emulating those of ’90s vocalists fronting bands like Slint and Tortoise.

Like their first album, Anywhere But Here, sees the city of London as a muse. “If our first version of London in 925 was innocent and fresh-faced, then this is rougher around the edges. It’s a much more haggard place,” said O’Bryen in a statement.

Ahead of Anywhere But Here, Sorry has revealed a new song, called “Let The Lights On,” a hypnotic, drum-driven track detailing gritting infatuation.

“It’s a fun love song for the club,” said Sorry in a statement. “A bittersweet track for us. It kinda touches on how you want to be honest and say things directly, but in the end that can also ruin them. If you’ve got a light don’t let it go out… sometimes you have to leave things behind but it’s hard to do.”

Check out “Let The Lights On” above and the Anywhere But Here album artwork and tracklist below.

1. “Let The Lights On”
2. “Tell Me”
3. “Key To The City”
4. “Willow Tree”
5. “There’s So Many People That Want To Be Loved”
6. “I Miss The Fool”
7. “Step”
8. “Closer”
9. “Baltimore”
10. “Hem of the Fray”
11. “Quit While You’re Ahead”
12. “Screaming In The Rain”
13. “Again”

Anywhere But Here is out 10/7 via Domino. Pre-save it here.

Now that the 2022 Emmy nominations have been revealed, there is enough outrage to go around for various shows and actors who didn’t receive the coveted nomination (Justice for Selena Gomez!) but there are also some monumental milestones being reached by the Television Academy.

Netflix’s groundbreaking drama Squid Games received a nomination for outstanding drama, and it is the first non-English language show to land that recognition.

Not only did the show get its nom, but lead Lee Jung-jae also secured a nomination for Oustanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Overall, the show got a substantial 14 nominations, including breakout star Jung Ho-yeon for Supporting Actress.

While other non-American shows have hit the Emmy jackpot in the past (Downton Abbey and Schitt’s Creek, for example) this will be the first non-English language show to receive the honor.

The show follows a group of nearly 500 players who risk it all for a grand prize, and it gets messy. The drama was praised for its social and economic commentary and spawned a million memes and Halloween costumes.

The series received widespread acclaim after breaking records last fall. A second season has been ordered, in addition to the slightly concerning real-life game show that is currently underway at Netflix. Don’t worry, they swear that they won’t be killing anyone.

(Via Variety)

Although Spotify is already the largest streaming service in the world with a market share of 31 percent as of 2021, the company has set its sights on becoming more interactive, with livestreams, podcasts, and new video content coming down the pike. Now, it’s adding gaming to its diversifying range of options, announcing today that it’s acquiring Heardle, the music trivia game inspired by the viral phenomenon Wordle. Wordle was acquired by New York Times in January of this year.

If you haven’t played Heardle yet, the gist is simple. It’s a lot like the TV game show Name That Tune; after the opening notes of a song are played, players are given six chances to guess the song. According to CNBC, the format will remain largely unchanged; starting today, though, an option will be added to allow players to listen to the full songs on Spotify. The game will still appear on its own website, and Spotify plans to expand from Anglophone countries like the US and Canada, the UK and Ireland, and Australia and New Zealand to more territories in the future.

A statement from Spotify promises integration into the Spotify app itself. “Further down the road, we are also planning to integrate Heardle and other interactive experiences more fully into Spotify to allow music lovers to connect more deeply with artists and challenge friends—and have some fun in the process,” it said.

For the third consecutive year, Blxst graced the world with a project. His latest release came during the spring with his Before You Go project, a body of work that followed 2021’s Sixtape 2 with Bino Rideaux and his 2020 debut No Love Lost. Before You Go checked in with 13 songs and features from Arin Ray, Rick Ross, Zacari, and Grandmaster Vic. Through the visuals that Blxst has released for songs from Before You Go, Blxst has built a narrative centered on his love life and hustle towards success that continues in the new video for “Couldn’t Wait For It.”

The video kicks off by picking up where Blxst left off in his “Be Forreal” visual. After walking out on his lover, Blxst is back to handling business and his latest task requires him to fly out and meet with Rick Ross, who also has a guest verse on the song. In the end, the Blxst and Ross sign a deal together and toast to their new business venture from the comfort of Ross’ mansion.

In addition to his strong Before You Go project, which appeared on Uproxx’s Best R&B Albums Of 2022 So Far list, Blxst has also contributed strong features this year. He’s worked with the likes of Kehlani, Buddy, and more on great records this year.

You can watch the video for “Couldn’t Wait For It” above.

Before You Go is out now via Red Bull Records and Evgle. You can stream it here.

For a few years, awards shows went into a strange pandemic phase where social distancing was the name of the game, and that didn’t help an overall staleness already at work. No one wants to host these shows anymore, given that things become political real fast, and old tweets tend to emerge with much trouble. That’s no good! So yes, these ceremonies became a dull affair, and then came this year’s Oscars. Chris Rock and Will Smith and the smack heard ’round the world made things interesting again. And here we are with nominations for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, where some form of boisterousness will hopefully continue.

What shows are not eligible this year due to air-date specificity? The Boys, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Crown, The Mandalorian, and more. That’s alright, though, because Succession, Stranger Things, and Better Call Saul are all likely to rack up multiple nominations. Will a nod finally go to Rhea Seehorn for her turn as Kim Wexler? One can only hope, but we should expect to see representation from Ozark, Barry, The Staircase, Only Murders In The Building, Killing Eve, Euphoria, Squid Game, Killing Eve, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and more of the usual suspects. And again, fingers crossed for Rhea Seehorn.

Here’s the complete list of nominees, and The Emmys will air on Sunday, September 4.

(This list is still being updated…)

Best Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Euphoria
Ozark
Severance
Squid Game
Stranger Things
Succession
Yellowjackets

Best Actor In A Drama Series
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Brian Cox, Succession
Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Adam Scott, Severance
Jeremy Strong, Succession

Best Actress In A Drama Series
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show
Zendaya, Euphoria

Best Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Best Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Best Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
Barry
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Hacks
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso
What We Do in the Shadows

Best Actor In A Comedy Series
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry
Nicholas Hoult, The Great
Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Best Actress In A Comedy Series
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning, The Great
Issa Rae, Insecure
Jean Smart, Hacks

Best Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Best Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Best Limited Or Anthology Series
Dopesick
The Dropout
Inventing Anna
Pam & Tommy
The White Lotus

Best Actress In A Limited Series, Movie Or Anthology
Toni Collette, The Staircase
Julia Garner, Inventing Anna
Lily James, Pam & Tommy
Sarah Paulson, Impeachment: American Crime Story
Margaret Qualley, Maid
Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout

Best Actor In A Limited Series, Movie Or Anthology
Colin Firth, The Staircase
Andrew Garfield, Under the Banner of Heaven
Oscar Isaac, Scenes from a Marriage
Michael Keaton, Dopesick
Himesh Patel, Station Eleven
Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy

Best Supporting Actress In A Limited Anthology Series Or Movie

Best Supporting Actor In A Limited Anthology Series Or Movie

Best Reality Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice

Best Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Late Night With Seth Meyers
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

On May 24, 2022, a teenage gunman walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and proceeded to kill 21 people, including 19 children. While what we have learned about how such an incident was able to occur points to multiple failures on the part of Uvalde police—plus brazen attempts to mislead and outright lie to the public—we do know that there is plenty of video footage from inside the school. To hear Texas governor Greg Abbott tell it, he’s just as fed up as you that we have yet to be made privy to this footage. The one big difference is that Abbott has every right to view those videos and release them to the public all on his own.

As Raw Story reports, Abbott made a big show of his disappointment surrounding how the Uvalde massacre has been handled, and vowed to local CBS reporter Jack Fink that something must change:

“Let me clear and let me be adamant. The full truth of what happened in Uvalde must be disclosed to the public, especially the people of Uvalde, and must be done quickly. The one other thing that must be done is the release of the more than 70-minute video of exactly what happened inside the school that day with only one thing eliminated: that is any images of those who were victims… I’m on the side of full disclosure.”

It’s a powerful statement, to be sure, but CNN reporter Shimon Prokupecz, who has been covering the events in Uvalde, called bullshit on Abbott’s empty promises. As Prokupecz tweeted, Abbott “has the full power to order the DPS to release whatever they want. They have certainly already released information. This makes no sense.”

In that spirit of “full disclosure,” Prokupecz also pointed out that if we truly want to understand what happened on that tragic day—and the full extent of what mistakes were made—”the release of information shouldn’t stop with the hallway video. Police radio transmissions from that day should also be released as has been requested.”

“Today is day 48 and we are still in Texas trying to sort of facts and figure out exactly what happened and why,” Prokupecz lamented, before reminding people that the mayor of Uvalde has expressed his fears concerning a cover-up and already asked Abbott to intervene.

(Via Raw Story)

Ahead of their upcoming third album, Hellfire, Black Midi has released their new song, “Sugar/Tzu.” “Sugar/Tzu” is a conceptual track, telling the story of two boxers in the far future, over a jazzy piano and speedy arrangement of horns.

“‘Sugar/Tzu’ imagines that in 2163 it’s possible to see a championship fight between two 600-pound men,” said Black Midi vocalist Geordie Greep in a statement, “albeit in a so-called ‘Leadweight’ division. The fight is between Sun Sugar and Sun Tzu; the latter being a fan of the Chinese general, hoping to channel his strength; and the former looking to continue the lineage of Sugar Ray Robinson, Leonard, etc.”

The song’s accompanying music video brings the story to life, as the fictional Sugar and Tzu duke it out in the ring.

“Sugar/Tzu” is just one chapter of a larger story Black Midi plans to tell with Hellfire. The album was written in isolation in London last year, following the release of their second album, Cavalcade.

“If Cavalcade was a drama, Hellfire is like an epic action film,” said Greep. Greep explained that over the course of 10 tracks, poignant anecdotes, dramatic monologues, and musical appeals to the listeners’ sense of right and wrong.

Check out “Sugar/Tzu” above.

Hellfire is out 7/15 via Rough Trade. Pre-save it here.

50 Cent is expanding his acting resume. Deadline reports the rapper-turned-actor has signed on to produce and star in a new horror movie about social media from the writer-director of Spiral. The film, Skill House, will include a cast featuring TikToker Bryce Hall and MMA fighter Paige VanZant. According to Deadline, the film will is in production at a Los Angeles influencer house, Sway House, and is intended to be the first entry in a franchise.

Proxima Media is also producing, with founder Ryan Kavanaugh saying in a statement, “This film is bursting with mavericks of entertainment, many of them spanning multiple genres and platforms. From a global rap and hip-hop music icon to a businessman, actor, writer, and producer – if anyone knows a thing or two about breaking the boundaries, it’s 50 Cent. I’m honored to work alongside him as we watch Bryce do the same with his career.”

The film will be 50’s first foray into horror, but his production credits are extensive. He’s the force behind Starz’s Power franchise, as well as the ABC series For Life, as well as an upcoming sequel to Den Of Thieves. However, 50 says he has been looking for a new home for Power due to his contract situation with Starz.