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After edging us for months, “Herogasm” has almost come.

Amazon Prime Video has released a teaser for Friday’s much-anticipated episode of The Boys, featuring a long list of content warnings. “WARNING: this episode depicts a massive supe orgy, airborne penetration, dildo-based maiming, extra strength lube, icicle phalluses, and cursing,” it reads (not cursing!). “It is not suitable for any audience.”

You can watch it below.

“Herogasm” is based on a notoriously raunchy six-issue arc of The Boys comic series, and according to showrunner Eric Kripke, the TV adaptation won’t disappoint fans.

“Those dailies are insane,” he said. “Like, if we showed everything we saw in the dailies, we for sure would be rated X. I can’t even get my head around what we’ve filmed. We’ll make sure that we’re walking the right line and that we’re outrageous… But anyone who is a fan of the books and that particular volume of ‘Herogasm,’ I can just tell you, you’re definitely going to get the full ‘Herogasm’ experience. There’s just no question.”

The episode, directed by Nelson Cragg and written by Jessica Chou (and caused this reaction from Kripke), even comes with an emoji that Twitter didn’t approve of.

Let the “sploogefest” commence.

Stormzy has accomplished a lot in a relatively short amount of time. In addition to rising to the forefront of the UK rap scene, winning Best Grime Act MOBO Awards in back-to-back years, earning the first UK Albums Chart No. 1 for a grime album in 2017 with his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer, winning British Album of the Year at the 2018 Brit Awards, and headlining Glastonbury in 2019, Stormzy has just reached an even rarer height, receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter recognizing his “outstanding achievements in the field of higher education philanthropy and widening participation”.

Stormzy has been an advocate for change in Great Britain since the beginning of his career, pushing against racial injustice and engaging in philanthropy and activism, funding the Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students at the University Of Cambridge.

At the ceremony where he was awarded his honorary doctorate and addressed the graduating class, Stormzy said:

“The journey I took to get to this moment has been considerably different to yours. You guys have the guts and the grit and the dedication that it takes to study for years and to finish your degree…whereas I got my AS results in my first year of college and said yeah, see you later. I didn’t have the same minerals that you guys have. A year later I took another swing at my A levels at a different college…until I sat down for my English exam in January and walked out after 10 minutes.

It took a hell of a lot for you to get here today. Your journeys to get to this moment were hard-fought. The road you took was not easy. And this is coming from someone who tried to walk that exact same road and failed. So from the bottom of my heart I say congratulations, well done and you should all be so proud of yourselves, what you have achieved is incredible. Don’t let anybody downplay it and don’t let anybody undermine it. If you are sat in this room today you are worthy and you are brilliant.”

You can watch Stormzy’s speech in the recorded ceremony above, at around 1:10:00.

If there’s one event that embodies the epitome of summer fun, it’s Splash House. Held bi-annually in Palm Springs, California — where sweltering temperatures in the desert sun + alcohol + legal weed = an abundance of fun — the pool party-music festival crossover offers an oasis of renowned music performances, festival vibes, and bikinis and boardshorts galore.

It’s basically the adult version of your favorite summer pool parties growing up.

Splash House just hosted its first event of the year, on June 10 through 12, where thousands of party-goers gathered for all-star acts like Diplo, Hayden James, Manila Killa, Chet Porter, Yung Bae, Duke Dumont, and Kyle Walker, among others. Between the stellar DJ sets, rowdy crowd, and non-stop partying in the sunshine, it was a good time, to say the least.

If you’re ready to kick summer off the right way, scroll through the photos from Splash House below. They’re sure to get you pumped for the season.

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On the heels of her latest EP, 3000°, Ambre has dropped a new visual for “Wild Life…” In the video, she and her lover embark on a queer journey as they ride through Ambre’s hometown of New Orleans.

The video, directed by Child (Doja Cat, HER, and Janelle Monae) contains vintage clips of people partaking in New Orleans traditions, including Mardi Gras, parades, and marching bands. Throughout the video, she and her lover embrace a beautiful level of closeness, as Ambre shares her world with the young woman.

Ambre’s latest effort takes inspiration from her fellow New Orleans idols, including rapper Juvenile, whose breakthrough album is titled 400 Degreez, and Lil Wayne, whose third album is titled 500 Degreez. On 3000°, Ambre shares anecdotes of her New Orleans upbringing through soft vocals and vivid lyrics.

“This body of work means so much to me because it reflects how I view myself, where I come from, and my loved ones…This is a love story set in the most magical city,” said Ambre in a statement. “New Orleans made me who I am; make no mistake about it. Hopefully, my fans and new listeners will also feel the heart of it and become immersed in the world I have created in this EP,”

Check out “Wild Life…” above.

3000°is out now via Roc Nation. Stream it here.

Janelle Monae is a Warner Music Artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Bartees Strange, Perfume Genius, Claud, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Bartees Strange — Farm To Table

Since the release of his 2020 debut album Live Forever, Bartees Strange has skyrocketed to center stage — and his ambitious new album Farm To Table shows why. The concise 10-track effort runs through an eclectic blend of musical genres from his hip-hop-inspired flow on “Cosigns” to pop-punk inspired guitar chords on tracks like “Mulholland Dr.”

Perfume Genius — Ugly Season

Perfume Genius returned with the dazzling album Ugly Season this week, which was written just weeks following his 2020 LP Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. One of his most collaborative works to date, which also includes an accompanying dance film Pygmalion’s Ugly Season, Mike Hadras created intoxicating atmospheres to layer his fluttering vocals over on tracks like “Pop Song!” It also includes several woozy mostly instrumental numbers that show off his experimental side.

Nova Twins — Supernova

UK duo Nova Twins, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South, dropped their anticipated stadium rock LP Supernova. Named “the best band you’ve never heard of” by Tom Morello, Nova Twins prove their hype is well-deserved with 11 electrifying tracks featuring ripping electric guitars, distorted bass, and confident, in-your-face lyrics.

Caregiver — Bathing In Yesterday’s Fire

Sacramento songwriter Caregiver breaks through her confines with sophomore album Bathing In Yesterday’s Fire. Blanketed in lush storytelling and heart-tugging reflections on identity and relationships, the album is a cathartic folk-rock exploration of womanhood and the modern condition.

Claud — “Go Home!”

After making a name for themselves with their buzzy debut album Super Monster, Claud shares the energetic “Go Home!” as their first single of the year. Featuring cascading chords and their earnest lyrical delivery, “Go Home!” is a sunny ballad arriving just in time for summer. “‘Go Home!’ is about falling into that hole of feeling awkward and uncomfortable in your own skin that all you crave is going home and sliding into whatever is familiar,” Claud said of the single.

The Beths — “Silence Is Golden”

Rolling out a new era of music around their recently announced project Expert In A Dying Field, New Zealand band The Beths share their propulsive track “Silence Is Golden.” One of their most ripping tracks to date, “Silence Is Golden” combines arousing hooks and fast-paced riffs, showing off the band’s refined songwriting.

MICHELLE — “Sea Shanty”

NYC-based collective MICHELLE released their project After Dinner We Talk Dreams earlier this year, but that wasn’t the end of new music from the band. Now sharing new music ahead of an upcoming tour, MICHELLE release the endlessly dreamy tune “Sea Shanty.” Featuring ethereal synths and a crawling beat, the song is described by the band as “a daydream, or a nightmare, the song soundtracks the calm before the storm – the moment before a journey, the moment after a sobering realization.”

Preoccupations — “Ricochet”

Announcing their fourth studio album Arrangements, post-punk group Preoccupations drop the discordant “Ricochet.” The song’s dark, new wave-inspired chords are mirrored by equally gloomy lines about destruction. It’s bleak lyrics have a point, though, as vocalist Matthew Flegel explains the track is about “the world blowing up and no one giving a sh*t.”

Julia Jacklin — “I Was Neon”

Continuing to previous her upcoming LP Pre Pleasure, Julia Jacklin shares the melodic and lulling track “I Was Neon.” Featuring a driving guitar, the song opens up space for Jacklin’s unique voice to shine through. “I first wrote ‘I Was Neon’ for a band called Rattlesnack, a short-lived much loved 2019 side project that I played drums in,” she said in a statement. “I rewrote it for my album in Montreal, during a time when I was desperately longing for a version of myself that I feared was gone forever.”

Dry Cleaning — “Don’t Press Me”

UK group Dry Cleaning put out one of our favorite albums of 2021, and they’re already preparing for their next release. Announcing the upcoming project Stumpwork, which is due out in the fall, Dry Cleaning fire off the new track “Don’t Press Me.” Laced with jangly chords and lead singer Florence Shaw’s deadpan delivery, the song is embedded with an understandable amount of existential despair.

Black Midi — “Men Eat Men”

Prolific and experimental UK trio Black Midi are back with another heady track, the rock and flamenco-infused single “Men Eat Men,” which arrives on next month’s Hellfire LP. The song, like most of Black Midi’s music, is highly conceptual — it tells the story of couple’s quest to overcome a militaristic mine captain over a slew of anxious instruments.

Whitney — “Real Love”

After dropping their wistful third album Candid in 2020, Whitey is back with a new, shimmering sound. With crystal clear production and quietly skittering synths, “Real Love” is Whitney’s bid for a move to more pop-leaning sounds. The song points to their upcoming album Spark and was written last summer as they experienced the anxiety and euphoria of the world re-opening.

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

Charles Barkley loves himself some playoff hockey. The Hall of Fame basketball player and current TNT basketball analyst has regularly declared that playoff hockey is far superior to playoff basketball, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that on Monday night he popped up at Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Lightning and Avalanche in Tampa.

Barkley joined the ESPN studio crew for the first intermission report, where Steve Levy had Chuck break down a Lightning goal by Ondrej Palat off an Avalanche turnover, which naturally set Barkley up for a joke about Jayson Tatum and the Celtics.

Chuck is referencing the more than 100 turnovers the Celtics star had in the playoffs, setting a new all-time record for turnovers by a player in a single postseason. Those turnovers from Tatum (and Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart and really the entire Boston team) became the most important metric for the Celtics success in the playoffs, as they lost every single game they turned the ball over more than 16 times. The Warriors defense took advantage of that, pressuring the Celtics ball handlers and jumping passing lanes to take advantage of sloppy play en route to a six-game Finals win.

With ESPN having the NBA Finals, Chuck wasn’t able to get off any jokes or takes about the Celtics play on TV so he couldn’t help himself when the opportunity arose on his guest spot on the NHL broadcast.

Young Thug’s currently incarcerated but if he never gets the chance to release another rap record, his impact on hip-hop will likely reverberate throughout the genre for the rest of his life and beyond. He’s influenced an entire generation — a generation that includes controversial Florida rapper and social media personality Bhad Bhabie of “catch me outside” fame, who called him the GOAT rapper in a new episode of Complex’s Goat Talk. The Florida rapper also gave her picks for sneakers, reality shows, movies, and more.

Pulling cards that asked for her GOAT in multiple categories, she enthusiastically used Thugger’s full government name when she came to the GOAT rapper card, leaning back to show off how she “got his f*cking lyrics tatted on the back of my leg.” “I’ll fight about it all day,” she vows. In addition, when the GOAT album card came up, she continued the Thug love fest, taking a moment to think about it before deciding. “I was gonna give it to Barter 6,” she admits, citing the 2015 mixtape named in homage to Lil Wayne. “But I have to give it to Slime Season 3, just because of ‘Worth It.’” Released the year after Barter 6, Slime Season 3 debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, which of course featured the fan-favorite Valentine’s Day anthem, “Worth It.”

You can watch the full episode above.

Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Umbrella Academy‘s third season is a rousing success. That shouldn’t be shocking, considering how the second round pulled off the twist-filled blast vibe after introducing these beloved misfit superheroes. Yet I’ll admit that I harbored a tiny bit of worry. This had little to do with anything regarding anything that already transpired on the show, which already surmounted all of the possible things that could have gone wrong while bringing the graphic novels (by Gabriel Ba and My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way) to your nearest streaming device. Rather, my trepidation sourced from the recent hot mess going on over at Netflix. Not the subscriber slump, the other one. Yup, that would be a not-great look from CEO Ted Sarandos, who botched his response when Dave Chappelle recently punched down (with a re-upped collection of trans jokes, which are nothing new for him) during his most recent standup comedy special, The Closer.

By now, you’re surely aware of that special, which led to Chappelle digging in his heels and then getting booed by high schoolers and called out by Billy Eichner in another Netflix special. And not too long beforehand, right as The Umbrella Academy began to fire up Season 3 production, Elliot Page came out as transgender. The show soon announced that Vanya Hargreeves would become Victor Hargreeves. The graphic novel-based show would rewrite the character accordingly for an incredible reason.

You can probably see where I’m going here, but my worry was for not. Elliot Page was vocal and supportive of those Netflix employees who expressed discomfort about the Chappelle fiasco, and I should have trusted that Elliot would not have signed onto any plan for Victor Hargreeves that wouldn’t have served the situation (and the trans community) in the most respectful way, and it feels fully organic in terms of story, too.

And that brings me to how this season — which goes to *many* other places with deep exploration of *many* other Hargreeves siblings, including the brand spanking new Sparrow Academy ruffians — never forgets what made this show a resounding hit in the first place. And I’m not talking about how this season immediately (less than 10 minutes in) launches into the batsh*t crazy mode (with an amped-up ensemble) that fans have grown accustomed to seeing. That’s great, but I’m referring to how this show’s appeal really has little to do with any superhero-ing feats. I mean, there’s nothing new to insane ability or strength or shooting laser beams or whatever. Any movie or show can do that and has done it countless times, and I like a good Evil Dead Marvel movie as much as the next nerd, but The Umbrella Academy makes spectacle secondary to substance.

The emphasis is on depth of character, and more specifically, how they cope and (to varying degrees) grow more resilient toward how they were brought into this life. Bad Dad Reginald Hargreeves (those mad billionaires are not to be trusted, other than maybe Mark Cuban) had apparently adopted 7 out of the 43 children who were born on the same day in 1989 to mothers, who spontaneously went into childhood despite not already being pregnant. But are there more Hargreeves kids, somehow? Yes. Season 2 ended after a jaunt to the 1960s (the show wove in some contextually fitting civil rights discussions), and then with a few apocalypse-vanquishing efforts under their belt (and a real RIP to Ben), the group arrived home, where they hoped to breathe a sigh of relief. Except that home’s now occupied by the Sparrow Academy, made up of another group of siblings in a new timeline.

Let’s just say that there’s a lot of conflict. The new group is chilly, the old group is salty, and formerly sweet Ben somehow exists in this timeline while both alive and an a-hole. There’s a new, world-ending paradox in the works, which forces the O.G. siblings to band together with Crazy Lila after being booted out of their childhood home. Things grow violent, hearts are broken, and amid all of the chaos, the show actually shines most during quiet, understated conversations between characters and during reflective moments. There’s a lot going on with Victor that must be savored (a few times, at least), and it flows well because (from the very beginning of this show) this character already did a lot of legwork in processing trauma from a hard-to-process place.

As for the rest of the Hargreeves siblings proper? They’re all struggling to maneuver through this new reality, which includes hostile Sparrows who can (to be fair) beat the stuffing out of most of them. Diego, Five, and Luther bear a lot of the brunt, but Allison’s arguably having the rough journey this season (it’s a heartbreaking progression of what she’s already gone through as a Black female in the 1960s). Granted, the competition of “who has it worst” is a rough one because Klaus might be “over” the trauma of communing with dead people, but the frequently drug-addled, sexually fluid character’s formative years led to a yearning for fatherly acceptance, which leans even more heavily into tragicomedy this season. Robert Sheehan goes through the paces again. He’s comedically gifted, and I can only imagine how exhausted he is after each day of work.

A nice little bonus this season: Cazzie David (daughter of Larry) as a Sparrow with one heck of a disgusting power. There are a lot of new characters to keep up with, but she certainly makes the most of her limited screen time. And yup, it must be mentioned that there’s an absurd number of pieces moving around this season, so some sidelining is to be expected, but some O.G. siblings (like Five) get the shaft to devote more time to the Sparrows. They’re a wild bunch whose fight training prepared them for intense battle, and they benefit from an impossibly dreamed-up assortment of powers that make the “I heard a rumor” ability seem tame. Also, there’s a telekinetic, floating blue cube in the Sparrow group, all anthropomorphized, too. He’s nuts. This show is nuts.

If you’re a fan of this show, already expect for your heart to break and rebuild itself at least a few times over the course of this season, but you’ll enjoy having those strings pulled. If you haven’t yet climbed aboard the madness, then know that this show’s a cure for superhero (and villain) fatigue while scratching the same itch as The Boys but in a very different way. That Amazon show’s a roaring success at satirizing the superhero genre, and The Umbrella Academy is more of a cathartic meditation (albeit an action-and-humor-filled one) on the humanity behind the abilities. Somehow, both continue to get better each season, so put on your dancing shoes: you’ve got a Netflix date.

The Umbrella Academy returns on June 22.

Dave Chappelle is one of those people who keeps pushing buttons past their breaking point, and on the subject of his most recent Netflix special, The Closer, he’s stirring up more controversy. It’s almost impressive. Now, he has decided against having his old school use his name for their theater, but the decision turned into a lecture while he was speaking at the school.

Chappelle spoke at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in D.C., which had planned on dedicating the theater to him. Instead, he decided against it. Students at the school loudly opposed the move, as Chappelle’s trans jokes and subsequent behavior caused them to have a heated Q&A with the comedian last fall.

This time, his visit consisted of him (via THR) telling the high schoolers that he wasn’t having his name associated with the school, encouraging them to go out and do stuff themselves, seemingly forgetting they that are all teenagers. “If you have more talent than me, display it. That is what our genre is about.”

According to HuffPost editor Philip Lews, Chappelle said “these kids didn’t understand that they were instruments of artistic oppression.” Adding that the criticism over his trans jokes made him want to double down. “The more you say I can’t say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it.”

The comedian added that despite how the students feel, his Netflix special is still praised. “No matter what they say about The Closer, it is still [one of the] most-watched specials on Netflix,” he said, adding that it was a “masterpiece.” Lewis then said that Chappelle described himself as “maybe a once in a lifetime talent.” He does have a talent for being unapologetic when it comes to his content.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Kim Kardashian wants what Ana de Armas has (to be Marilyn Monroe without everyone getting mad at her).

To recap the most controversial dress drama since The Dress, The Kardashians star walked the Met Gala red carpet in the same outfit that Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962, a.k.a. “the most iconic piece of pop culture that there is.” She also, according to the Marilyn Monroe Collection, permanently damaged the dress that was loaned to her by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Ripley’s would rather you didn’t believe it, because the company released a statement saying that the dress was damaged before they even acquired it for $4.8 million in 2016.

Kardashian also denied that she damaged the dress during an interview with Today on Tuesday. “I respect [Marilyn]. I understand how much this dress means to American history and with the [Met] theme being American, I thought what is more American than Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the President of the United States,” she said. Kardashian also claimed that she didn’t have time to damage it because “I probably had it on for three minutes, four minutes, and then I changed at the top of the stairs.”

When [host Hoda] Kotb, 57, asked Kardashian to address claims the dress was “ruined,” the Skims founder shook her head and said, “No… Ripley’s [and I] worked together so well. There were handlers and gloves that put it on me.”

Is it too late for Blonde to address all this Marilyn-related messiness?

(Via Us Magazine)