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John Wall has only played 40 games of NBA basketball over the past three seasons, sitting out all of last year for the tanking Houston Rockets after they took Jalen Green second overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

It’s not out of the question that Wall will once again spend the entirety of the 2022-23 season seated on the bench for Houston as the former All-Star has picked up his player option worth just over $47 million to remain with the Rockets as they continue their youth movement, but Shams Charania reports the team and Wall will work out a “resolution” on his future this summer.

There was some buzz about Wall being swapped for Russell Westbrook (again) at the trade deadline, but with the Lakers unwilling to part with a future first round pick in the deal, that stalled out. That deal is still on the table for L.A., but all indications are they will be holding on to Westbrook and trying to run it back with better results under Darvin Ham, taking away one of the few potential trade partners for Wall.

Perhaps the Rockets will work out a buyout with the star before the season, or they can wait to see if a trade possibility will open up at the deadline to send Wall somewhere since he will finally be an expiring contract, as a hopeful contender might have a bloated contract of their own to send out in hopes that Wall, well rested, could provide a spark at the point guard spot. That feels like a long shot, but in the meantime Wall will ensure he gets paid handsomely for next season. How much of that is spent in Houston remains to be seen.

A decade ago, The Mars Volta’s Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala announced that they were breaking up. It marked the end of an illustrious run for the duo that merged the sounds of their Latin roots with the punk, noise, and math rock sounds that they grew up listening to. The band built a frenzied cult-following, yet besides last year’s career-spanning box set release, have remained dormant ever since.

But two days ago, a cryptic cube appeared in Los Angeles’ Grant Park, symbolizing the band’s return. Known as the “L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION,” the immersive installation played a preview of the band’s new music inside the cellphone-less environment. Now the fruits of that cube have fully materialized and The Mars Volta has not only released their first song in ten years but also announced their first tour since then as well.

Accompanied by a short film, “Blacklight Shine” is infused with distinct Caribbean rhythms. The clip looks as though it may have been filmed in Rodríguez-López’s native Puerto Rico as locals dance and drum to the beat of the lively and complexly-crafted tune. As poetic as ever, Bixler-Zavala explains that the song’s lyrics center around the idea of, “A wave of rolling blackouts washing memories onto shore, a heartbeat that still remembers everything.” It almost seems like a metaphor for the band’s hiatus and subsequent return, but with the way this has been rolled out, we can surely expect more from this story and as The Mars Volta continues to explore Latin roots, rhythms, and the world around them.

Watch the “Blacklight Shine” short film above and check out The Mars Volta’s tour dates below. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 24th at 10 am local time here.

September 23 — The Factory in Deep Ellum @ Dallas, TX
September 25 — Tabernacle @ Atlanta, GA
September 27 – The Metropolitan Opera House @ Philadelphia, PA
September 29 — Terminal 5 @ New York, NY
October 1 — MGM Music Hall at Fenway @ Boston, MA
October 3 – The Anthem @ Washington, DC
October 5 — Massey Hall @ Toronto, ON
October 6 — Royal Oak Music Theatre @ Detroit, MI
October 8 — Aragon Ballroom @ Chicago, IL
October 11 — The Mission Ballroom @ Denver, CO
October 14 — Moore Theatre @ Seattle, WA
October 18 — The Warfield @ San Francisco, CA
October 21 — Hollywood Palladium @ Los Angeles, CA

The Mars Volta is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

There’s a new Drake album out and as usual, it’s dominating the discourse online as fans parse what it means for pop culture at large. However, this time, there’s a whole new angle for that discussion, as Honestly, Nevermind eschews Drake’s usual mopey R&B and passive-aggressive raps in favor of a genre experiment in the vein of house music alongside executive producer Black Coffee. And as usual, Joe Budden has thoughts, which he shared on his podcast along with call-in guest Vince Staples.

While Joe wondered whether the album meant the elimination of rap music as a whole (because Joe Budden, again, is not a journalist and has no real frame of reference for such things), Vince’s response was more measured as he pointed out that such genre-hopping projects are nothing new in hip-hop — not even for Vince himself. “I did that in 2017,” he reminded the host. “N****s was on me… That Big Fish Theory, n****s was mad at that. ‘What’s up with this n****?’”

Vince expanded on his views (no pun intended), comparing music to Instagram: “Everything looks the same, everything moves the same, everyone dresses the same, everyone talks the same,” he explained. “So the genre sh*t is gonna have to go out the window eventually. It’s too hard to separate culture because the internet is kinda pushing everything in the same little bubble.”

He’s got a point: Besides himself, a number of artists have blended genres including dance genres like house and techno into hip-hop, with some artists distancing themselves from the “rapper” label altogether. However, the thing that hasn’t gone away is rapping as a lyrical style, and there are still plenty of artists — arguably way more of them, to be honest, who release music primarily in that mode regardless of trends. And considering some of the responses to Drake’s album, it doesn’t look like hip-hop fans were quite ready to make the switch — which didn’t stop it from topping Apple Music’s Dance chart on release day.

Basically, no rappers should be restricted solely to rapping or making music according to popular trends, but rap as a genre probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

You can watch the full episode of The Joe Budden Podcast above.

It’s obviously a great week for music — I mean, Drake dropped a surprise album and Beyonce released the lead single from her forthcoming LP. What more could we ask for? Along with that, we got new music from FKA Twigs, Chlöe, Santigold, and more. The amount of notable releases is plentiful, but the highlights are below.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Beyonce — “Break My Soul”

Beyonce is officially back with the single “Break My Soul” from her forthcoming album Renaissance, her first since 2016’s iconic Lemonade. The track is clubby and confident; the lyrics are upbeat and inspiring: “Now I just fell in love / And I just quit my job / I’m gonna find new drive / Damn they work me so damn hard.”

FKA Twigs — “Killer”

This new sprawling song from FKA Twigs is as hypnotic and serene as one would expect. Her vocals are evocative and the words are profound: “Since when did happiness become a sin? / Since when did hurt become deliberate?” she sings. It balances heartache and beauty, conveying the complexity of relationships.

Chlöe — “Surprise”

Chlöe’s “Surprise” is a nice dose of seductive, immersive pop. It’s all about pushing for a healthy, equal sexual relationship: “If you be good to me, then I’ma be great to you / If you stay down for me, then I’ll stay awake for you,” she sings, and she doesn’t hold back on any details.

Santigold — “Ain’t Ready”

Santigold is a one-of-a-kind artist, and this new track “Ain’t Ready” only reinforces that. It’s inventive and idiosyncratic, thumping and throbbing with skittish sounds. Her vocals are strong and shapeless, becoming an instrument of their own. The music video is unhinged and haunting, adding to the alluring feeling of the song.

Michelle — “Fool 4 U”

New York-based collective Michelle crafted a perfect love ballad with “Fool 4 U,” a brief spurt of romance that clocks in at a little over two minutes and makes every second worth it. The vocals are clean and earnest, singing poetic lyrics: “I’m a fool for your love / It’s stupid all the ways that you seduce me.”

Steve Lacy — “Mercury”

This jangly song “Mercury” from Steve Lacy thumps with an infectious rhythm that’s easy to get lost in. He sings with a soothing ease: “Love so fast and back out again / Speeding / When I should ease in.” It’s only two and a half minutes, but it’s worth a repeat.

Cautious Clay — “Puffer”

This feel-good track “Puffer” from Cautious Clay is great for whatever mood you’re in. It has a similar unhurried, breezy atmosphere to Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” His voice is soothing, singing carefree words: “Like a flower in the sun / I just wanna grow grow grow / broad and wide wide wide.”

Ego Ella May — “Miss U”

Ego Ella May is making glittering pop with “Miss U,” a groovy, trippy track that vibrates and gyrates. It’s mesmerizing and kaleidoscopic, sprinkled with beautiful vocals and harmonies that make the ambiance surreal.

Dana Williams — “Uncomplicated”

Dana Williams’ vocals are the centerpiece of the pulsating, bewitching “Uncomplicated.” Her voice sprawls and her words are wise: “Break my own heart / To put it together again / How did this start? / I’ve learned to be my own friend.” It’s a gorgeous track, and she’s an artist to keep an eye on.

Social House — “Bentley Coupe”

This catchy track “Bentley Coupe” is some really interesting, inventive pop-punk that eludes being generic or unoriginal. It bounces with an exuberant rhythm; the melody won’t leave your head.

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

To the surprise of Donald Trump‘s inner circle, documentary film director Alex Holder was apparently shooting just tons of footage during the former president’s failed 2020 campaign. That footage, which has never seen the light of day, has now been subpoenaed by the January 6 committee, causing Trump’s team to understandably freak out about what the heck might be on it.

According to Holder, who has “fully complied with all of the committee’s requests,” the unseen footage includes Trump, Don Jr., Ivanka, Jared Kushner, and even Mike Pence thanks to the filmmaker having “unprecedented access” that no one thought to warn the campaign about. In fact, they only just learned about it for the first time on Tuesday morning when Politico reported on the footage being subpoenaed. Via Rolling Stone:

In some of the highest ranks of the Trumpworld diaspora — including among several who testified before the Jan. 6 committee — news of the documentarian cooperating with the congressional panel (and also potentially having reams of behind-the-scenes footage of Trump’s crusade to nullify the 2020 election) came as a bizarre surprise. “What the f*ck is this?” a former top Trump 2020 official messaged Rolling Stone on Tuesday after seeing the Politico item.

Obviously, the committee is looking for any footage connected to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, which Holder was able to film thanks to his continued access during the final weeks of Trump’s presidency.

“When we began this project in September 2020, we could have never predicted that our work would one day be subpoenaed by Congress,” Holder wrote in a statement. “[We] wanted to better understand who the Trumps were and what motivated them to hold onto power so desperately.”

Seriously, only Donald Trump could let someone shoot a documentary about him in the middle of an insurrection without telling anybody that, hey, we’re recording (alleged) crimes over here. Incredible stuff.

(Via Rolling Stone)

A familiar face roamed the halls of the Lakers practice facility on Tuesday, as Shareef O’Neal, the son of Shaq, was in Los Angeles for a pre-draft workout with the Lakers — who don’t own a pick in the 2022 NBA Draft currently but are widely expected to buy a second round pick at some point and will need to fill out a roster spot or two with undrafted prospects.

Shareef, whose college career was delayed by needing heart surgery prior to his freshman season at UCLA, spent the last two years at LSU playing sparingly for the Tigers before deciding to make the leap to the pro level. That decision was not one made with the guidance of his father, as Shareef explained to reporters after his workout Tuesday, noting that they disagreed on him declaring for the draft, with Shaq wanting his son to stay in school.

That’s not a complete surprise given how often Shaq talks about the importance of getting an education, as the elder O’Neal surely wanted his son to finish his degree while also continuing his development. But for Shareef, he felt there wasn’t much more for him at LSU and with limited playing opportunity — 14 games a year ago at 9.2 minutes per game — he decided his best chance was to show what he can do in workouts. We’ll find out Thursday if any team feels he showed enough to get taken in the second round, but if not he could have opportunities to find a Summer League deal to show his skills in Las Vegas and earn a camp invite or G League deal.

It’s been a while since the seemingly-endless string of Jeopardy! controversies dominated the game show headlines. That’s because most of them were surrounding Mike Richards, the one-time Jeopardy! executive producer who was named the show’s full-time successor to Alex Trebek following what appeared to be some mild chicanery. Richards quickly exited in disgrace and two temporary hosts, Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings, got some less temporary roles with the syndicated game show.

Nearly a year later, though, not much has actually changed by way of an official announcement about the future of the hosting situation. Bialik is currently slated to host most episodes and some primetime events, with Jennings occasionally in the mix as well. But some fans think those a bit further on the inside know some news is afoot. One of the reasons they think this is a very cryptic tweet from Buzzy Cohen in response to who will host the forthcoming primetime Jeopardy! episodes.

Cohen parlayed viral fame during his run on Jeopardy! — including winning the 2017 Tournament of Champions — into a hosting career of his own when he served as a guest host during the first string of temporary roles following Trebek’s death.

He’s also appeared more recently on The Chase. The Jeopardy!-to-Chase pipeline is pretty well-established at this point, which is why Cohen saying there’s “another” host in the works for some episodes certainly turned some heads.

Some speculated that the “another” in question is, well, Cohen himself. And if you look around elsewhere on his timeline, you’ll see that he’s filming something other than The Chase these days. Earlier in the week, for example, he tweeted about an “as yet unannounced project” he’s got in the works.

Whether that’s primetime Jeopardy! episodes or something else is entirely unclear. But given what he’s implied about Jeopardy!, somebody knows something. And hopefully, we learn just what that something is sooner rather than later.

Florence Pugh has been keeping herself lately, up to and including aggressively making out with Harry Styles in Don’t Worry Darling. She will appear in the next Dune installment, has a starring role in an upcoming Christopher Nolan film, and most importantly, she will voice Goldilocks in the upcoming Puss In Boots sequel. Now, she has been cast in her next project: a Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel, East Of Eden.

According to Deadline, the adaptation will be a limited series where Pugh will both star and co-produce, alongside Zoe Kazan, who will pen the series. The story, which was first published in 1952, features a look at two American families throughout the early twentieth century. It’s often regarded as Steinbeck’s best work.

Kazan has familial ties to the story: her grandfather Elia Kazan adapted the novel into a film for Warner Bros. in 1955, which became James Dean’s first major screen role. Of the film, Kazan said:

I fell in love with East of Eden when I first read it, in my teens. Since then, adapting Steinbeck’s novel – the great, sprawling, three-generational entirety of it – has been my dream. More than anything, I have wanted to give full expression to the novel’s astonishing, singular antiheroine, Cathy Ames. Florence Pugh is our dream Cathy; I can’t imagine a more thrilling actor to bring this character to life. Writing this limited series over the last two years has been the creative highpoint of my life. I hope that with our partners at Netflix, Anonymous Content, and Endeavor Content, we can do justice to this material – and shed new light on it for a twenty-first century audience.

Pugh is set to play Cathy Ames, the main antagonist, who is described as a “Psycho Monster.” So that should be good. No director has been attached to the project yet, though Netflix is reportedly in the middle of casting the rest of the ensemble. So Harry Styles could still be cast if he is up for it!

(Via Deadline)

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists. Beyonce shocked the world and shared the release date for her upcoming seventh album Renaissance and Giveon announced the tour dates in support of his upcoming album Give Or Take which arrives on June 24. Elsewhere, Brent Faiyaz revealed that collaborators on his upcoming Wasteland album, Steve Lacy made his return with “Mercury,” Chloe brought the sultry vibes with “Surprise,” and Diddy and Bryson Tiller united for “Gotta Move On.”

Elhae — “Know”

Elhae is back with his second release of the year, signaling that a new project from him could be on the horizon. Following “FYF,” he returns with “Know,” an endearing record that he uses to show his appreciation and dedication for a new lover in his life.

Babyface — “Keeps On Fallin’” Feat. Ella Mai

Following the release of her acclaimed Heart On My Sleeve album, Ella Mai joins Babyface for “Keeps On Fallin.’” The new track interpolates Tevin Campbell’s 1993 hit “Can We Talk” for a song that Babyface and Ella both use to admit their growing feelings for a new person, despite their attempts to steer clear of it. The song itself is Babyface’s first since signing to Capitol Records and one that will appear on his upcoming project.

August Alsina — “Beautiful Way”

After beginning his year with “Shake The World,” August Alsina returns with “Beautiful Way.” It’s a tender record that sees the singer admiring the way that his partner has fallen in love with him and as well as the way that she made him feel when they’re together.

Chris Brown — “Call Me Every Day” Feat. Wizkid

At the end of the week, Chris Brown will release his solo tenth album Breezy. The project will be his first solo effort since 2019’s Indigo and his first project overall since 2020’s Slime & B with Young Thug. Ahead of the arrival of Breezy, Chris takes a trip into the afrobeats world with Wizkid for the “Call Me Every Day.”

Black Party — “On My Way”

Black Party’s third project Hummingbird is set to arrive next month, and after releasing “Hotline” to further the journey towards the album, he returns with “On My Way.” “The song is very close to my heart, it’s more autobiographical than you would think,” Black Party said about the song in a press release. “I’m always late but it’s important to me that the people I love know that I think of them while they wait for me.”

Ambre — 3000°

Ladies and gentlemen, Ambre is back and with her, she brings a new project for us to enjoy. After sharing the director’s cut of Pulp in 2020, Ambre arrives with 3000°. After a move to LA to further her career, Ambre uses the project to show love to New Orleans, the city that raised her and helped to make her the artist she is today. Through its eight songs, listeners will also catch appearances from Jvck James, Beam, Destin Conrad, and Jay Electronica.

Tempest — “Agua”

Of all the up-and-coming singers that have the potential to create a spotlight moment for themselves this year, Tempest is at the top of that list. Following excellent releases like “Not The Same” and “Sorry To Say,” she returns with the vibrant “Agua.” On the song, Tempest credits her appetizing qualities for her ability to keep a certain man around her despite him having another lady in his life.

Ckay — “Watawi” Fear. Abidoza, Davido & Focalistic

After initially connecting on “LaLa” back in 2020, Ckay and Davido lace another collaboration together with their latest effort, “Watawi.” The song also features Abidoza and Focalistic as continues the streak of strong releases Ckay has been a part of this year, a trend that began with this year’s “Emiliana.”

Tay Iwar — “Bad4u”

The next chapter in Tay Iwar’s career is seemingly underway. He received a big boost in 2020 with an appearance on “True Love” with Wizkid, and the following year, he released his Love & Isolation project. Now, he’s back with “Bad4u” which strikes as a steamy that anticipates some bedroom magic between Tay Iwar and his new lover.

Asake — “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY)”

Asake’s monster year in the afrobeats and amapiano world continues with “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY).” The new song is an epic record that’s carried by solid verses that build up towards a climactic chorus that explodes for an exciting moment on the song. “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY)” joins Asake’s “Sungba (Remix)” with Burna Boy and “Palazzo” with Spinall as his highlights in 2022.

Jada Kingdom — New Motion

Jamaican R&B singer Jada Kingdom steps forward with her debut EP, New Motion. Through the project’s four songs, Kingdom blends reggae, R&B, and pop music for songs that will absolutely make you want to dance. However, beneath the surface lays lyrics that discuss sexual assault, poverty, self-love, and femininity.

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

Last week, Bartees Strange released the explosive Farm To Table, his first album since signing to 4AD. The Washington D.C. rocker put together a hard-hitting collection of incredibly honest music that doesn’t just look at his own vulnerabilities, but also speaks to the greater Black experience in America. There’s not too many artists who can claim that within indie and punk music and it renders Strange undoubtedly unique and important.

Now he’s just announced his first every US headlining tour that will begin later this year. Pom Pom Squad is the direct support for Strange and this easily belongs on your list of must-see tours this year. Check out the complete list of tour dates below. General on-sale begins Friday, June 24th at 10am local time, while Spotify and venue pre-sales start Wednesday, June 22 at 10am local time. All over at Barteesstrange.com.

11/03 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird
11/04 — Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
11/05 — Columbus, OH @ The Basement
11/07 — St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club *
11/08 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall [In The Round] *
11/09 — Detroit, MI @ Loving Touch *
11/14 — Boston, MA @ The Sinclair #
11/28 — Houston, TX @ White Oak *
11/29 — Austin, TX @ Parish *
11/30 — Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co *
12/05 — San Diego, CA @ Music Box *
12/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ Regent *
12/07 — San Francisco, CA @ Independent *
12/09 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
12/10 — Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret *
12/11 — Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
12/13 — Salt Lake City UT, @ Urban Lounge *
12/14 — Denver, CO @ Bluebird *
12/16 — Oklahoma City OK, @ Beer City Music Hall *
12/18 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
12/19 — Nashville, TN @ Basement East *
* w/ Pom Pom Squad
# w/ Pom Pom Squad, Spring Silver, No They Hate Change

Farm To Table is out now via 4AD. Listen to it here.