It’s been more than 30 years since the Soviet Union collapsed, but Rand Paul doesn’t seem to have time for semantics about how places like Ukraine are independent nations—or how hard they fought to achieve that sovereignty. Which, oddly enough, is kind of how Vladimir Putin views the world around him, too (much of which he believes is Russia’s for the taking).
As the New York Daily News reports, Paul and Secretary of State Antony Blinken (who also rocks out under the name Ablinken) got into a bit of a verbal scuffle on Tuesday when the Kentucky senator decided to place the blame for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine squarely on the Biden administration for “agitating” and “beating the drums to admit Ukraine to NATO.” Blinken wasted no time in clarifying that it wasn’t a case of “agitating for Ukraine’s admission” but of standing up for the right of independent countries to make “sovereign decisions.”
Paul, perhaps realizing that he was kind of echoing the reasons Putin himself has given for invading Ukraine, made sure to state that “there is no justification for to the invasion, I’m not saying that,” then added, “But there are reasons for the invasion.” Oh, Rand—nooooo!
He didn’t end there either. “In fact,” Paul continued, “had Ukraine been in NATO… we would now have troops in Ukraine.” Which is something Paul admits he “very much” opposes. But Blinken wasn’t about to let him get off that easy.
“If you look at the countries Russia has attacked over the last years,” Blinken explained, pointing to Georgia, Moldova, and of course Ukraine, he noted that “these were countries that were not part of NATO. It has not attacked NATO countries for probably a very good reason.”
Then came Paul’s cringe-inducing defense, which seems to have forgotten that the last 30 years have happened: “You could also argue the countries they’ve attacked were part of Russia… or were part of the Soviet Union.”
“Yes, and I firmly disagree with that proposition,” Blinken replied. “It is the fundamental right of these countries to decide their own future and their own destiny.” Still, Paul wasn’t about to back down—because, dammit, these countries “were part of the Soviet Union, and they were part of the Soviet Union since the 1920s.”
Blinken, understandably at a loss for words, reiterated that “that does not give Russia the right to attack them. On the contrary. They were liberated from being part of this empire by force.”
Wait until someone tells Paul, who seems to be stuck in the 1920s, that women can vote now and Prohibition is over.
The talk of the NBA world on Tuesday was the Brooklyn Nets getting swept by the Boston Celtics, with Jayson Tatum once again leading the way in Monday’s Game 4 win on the road at Barclays Center.
While Boston awaits the winner of the Bucks-Bulls series, with Milwaukee currently up 3-1, the focus immediately after the series ended was on Brooklyn’s failure given the championship expectations both coming into the season and into the playoffs. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving shouldered the load of that, but Durant in particular found himself being the most discussed in terms of falling short of expectations this postseason.
Durant struggled in the first three games before a 39-point effort in Game 4 that still wasn’t enough, and Charles Barkley made waves earlier in the series when he pointed out that Durant is seeing how different life is when you’re driving the bus and not a bus rider on a championship squad. On Tuesday, Durant responded by posting pictures of Barkley being a bus rider on the Sixers and Rockets as he chased a title late in his career, and unsurprisingly that is where Inside the NBA started on Tuesday night’s broadcast.
Barkley joked he could’ve posted pictures of Durant with James Harden and Russell Westbrook in OKC, but noted that he felt his point had been taken too far and that all he was trying to point out is that life is harder when you don’t have the infrastructure around you like there was in Golden State and that Durant struggling in that environment was notable. From there, Kenny Smith chimed in and it devolved into Chuck mostly yelling at Kenny, once again telling him he wasn’t part of this conversation and then getting mad when Smith, who was actually trying to defend Barkley, said he views him as a champion anyways.
Eventually, poor Ernie had to step in and move everyone on to the actual games happening that night, but it seems Chuck isn’t backing down off his point but does want to be clear that he’s not knocking KD’s greatness.
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.
The guys are at the forefront of new releases in the R&B world this week. Blxst leads the way with his second project Before You Go which arrives with 13 songs and features from Arin Ray, Grandmaster Vic, Rick Ross, and Zacari. Elsewhere, Arin Ray makes his long-awaited return with “The Mood” featuring D Smoke while Daniel Caesar also returns to the music scene alongside Badbadnotgood for “Please Do Not Lean.”
Blxst — Before You Go
Blxst cemented his name in this music industry with the release of his debut project No Love Lost in 2020. After gaining a spot in the XXL Freshman Class and releasing Sixtape 2 with Bino Rideaux, Blxst is back with his second solo project Before You Go and it features Arin Ray, Grandmaster Vic, Rick Ross, and Zacari.
Arin Ray — “The Mood” Feat. D Smoke
This fall would’ve marked three years since we last received music from Arin Ray. The LA singer’s last release was his 2019 EP Phases II, but it appears that he’s finally making his way back to the industry and it starts with his new single “The Mood” featuring D Smoke. The new effort is a sultry effort that accounts for him and his lover’s steamy actions in the bedroom.
Daniel Caesar — “Please Don’t Lean” Feat. Badbadnotgood
Another singer who’s gone a while without a release is Daniel Caesar. His last drop also came in 2019 with his second album Case Study 01, and after scoring a No. 1 hit with Justin Bieber and Giveon thanks to “Peaches,” Caesar is ready to step back into the spotlight. His new single, “Please Don’t Lean” with Badbadnotgood is his first move, and it’s a great one, thanks to the tender and elegant new release.
Elhae — “FYF”
After dropping Aura III in 2021, Elhae isn’t making his fans wait too long for new music from him. A little over a year after that project came out, Elhae returns with “FYF,” his second single since dropping Aura III. The new song, which is delivered with Elhae’s vocals pitched up, asks his significant other to disregard the advice of her friends as it’s not given with her best interest at heart.
Ravyn Lenae — “M.I.A.”
Ladies and gentlemen, we are finally getting a Ravyn Lenae album! Four years after she released her Crush EP, Lenae announced that his official debut album Hypnos will arrive in May and she shared the news along with her new single “M.I.A.” It joins her prior releases, “Skin Tight” and “Light Me Up,” as strong promises of what’s to come on Hypnos.
Nigerian singer Buju recently switched his name to BNXN and with it comes a new chapter in his career. He’s kicked it off with strong releases like “For Days” and “Finesse” with Pheelz, and now he takes things back to the past for a remix of “Kilometer.” The song originally appeared on his 2021 project Sorry I’m Late, and now, it receives a fresh look thanks to a new verse from fellow Nigerian singer Zinoleesky
Kwesi Arthur — Son Of Jacob
Next up in the world of afrobeats is Ghanaian singer Kwesi Arthur who arrives with his new album, Son Of Jacob. The 15-track effort invites names like Joeboy, Teni, Adekunle Gold, Vic Mensa, and more to contribute to the project which lands as a vibrant and truly authentic release, one that will surely be remembered in the afrobeats world at the end of the year.
PJ Morton — “Be Like Water” Feat. Stevie Wonder & Nas
In a few days, PJ Morton will release his ninth album Watch The Sun. So far, he’s released “My Peace” with JoJo and Mr. Talkbox and “Please Don’t Walk Away.” Next up on the singles list is “Be Like Water” alongside Stevie Wonder and Nas. The track lands as a graceful and free-flowing number that preaches about being as pure and natural as possible.
Justine Skye — “What A Lie”
After releasing her Timbaland-produced album Space And Time last year, Justine Skye returns with “What A Lie” as her first release of 2022. The record, which samples Beyonce’s “All Night,” is an honest and lovelorn release that unloads her feelings toward discovering her ex-lover’s (possibly Giveon) infidelity during their relationship.
Ye Ali — Dangerous (Deluxe)
Ye Ali’s 2021 year concluded with the release of Dangerous, a ten-track release that was one of the stronger bodies of work in his discography. Five months after that project arrived, Ali updates it with seven new songs and two of them are new versions of tracks that originally appeared on Dangerous.
Boj — Gbagada Express
Nigerian singer Boj earned a highlight moment in 2021 thanks to his appearance on “Lazarus” from British rapper Dave’s sophomore album We’re All Alone In This Together. In 2022, Boj’s standout moment will come through his third project Gbagada Express. It presents 16 songs with help from Buju, Fireboy DML, Enny, Davido, Mr Eazi, Tiwa Savage, and many more.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
You could argue that Justin Lin saved the “Fast Saga.” After a big start, the franchise was treading water for years until he breathed new life into it via Fast Five. The solution? Go bigger and more ridiculous. (Mind you, Lin also helmed the previous two outings, which both underperformed. But he still helped steer the ship right.) He returned to the series with last year’s F9, and he was set to do the same for its follow-up, Fast X. But now, as shooting is already under way, that’s no longer to be.
On Tuesday, less than a week after shooting commenced, Lin released a statement that was shared on the franchise’s social media account.
“With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of FAST X, while remaining with the project as a producer,” Lin wrote. “Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases. On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the FAST family.”
The news was confirmed by Deadline, who revealed that the shoot will take a brief pause while a replacement is found.
The Fast Saga has seen its share of behind-the-scenes drama, most notably between actors Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson. Their feud got so bad that Johnson dragged supporting player Jason Statham over to their own spin-off wing of the franchise. When Diesel offered an olive branch, beckoning him to return to the main wing, Johnson refused.
Fast X is currently due in theaters on May 19, 2023.
People are still reeling from news on Monday that Elon Musk was set to purchase Twitter. It was a hot topic the next day on The View, where the ladies did not seem to buy the world’s richest man’s claim that he was strictly trying to protect “free speech.” One big worry is that Musk may reinstate former president Donald Trump, who was permanently banned shortly after helping foment the Jan. 6 riot. But when guest Amber Ruffin argued that that wouldn’t entirely be a bad thing, her hosts weren’t buying it.
— Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) April 26, 2022
“I think Trump is going to come back to Twitter and it’s going to be horrible, but also very hilarious,” Ruffin told her hosts. “We forget how hilarious Trump is.”
Mind you, Ruffin wasn’t saying Trump is a funny guy, like, on purpose. She meant that he has a peerless knack for saying and doing things so bizarre that one reaction — often the most therapeutic reaction — is to laugh at, not with, him. She brought up a recent example: Trump saying he calls “nuclear” the “n-word,” which is the kind of inventive insanity only his very weird brain is capable of creating.
“And I’m sorry, but Trump is very horrible,” Ruffin said amidst giggles. “We all dislike him very much. That man is hilarious. That’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard.”
But her hosts weren’t laughing along with her. “You know, I used to think he was funny,” said Joy Behar. “But, no, he’s about as funny as a herpes sore. I don’t think he’s funny.”
Ana Navarro, noted “Never Trumper” Republican, agreed. “To me, he’s as serious as a heart attack,” she said.
And yet Ruffin’s point stands. After all, remember the trucks? Or the orb? Or his recent Easter message to all the “radical left maniacs”? On the other hand, Behar and Navarro aren’t wrong either.
Sometimes all it takes to get your song noticed is a tweet from Cardi B. Well, it’s not like Lil Shordie Scott didn’t already have a pretty sharp single out with his Cardi B-referencing “Rocking A Cardigan In Atlanta,” but once Cardi herself is acknowledging the song on social media, and her husband Offset is jumping on the remix, things start happening fast.
I wanna take a pic with Cardi B inside my cardigan
Three months ago, the Atlanta rapper uploaded his “Rocking A Cardigan In Atlanta” song to Youtube, and it’s racked up about two and a half million views since then. The song starts off with what Scott himself describes as a long intro, where three friends debate what celebrity they’d most like to take a photo with. Doja Cat and Rihanna are both thrown out as ideas, but Scott is set on Cardi B, who he thinks has a great “big sister” vibe. Then, the home video vibes of the clip shift to a drip genie rather magically making his way to their hang, and setting Scott up with a fresh cardigan. That’s when the song kicks in, and well, it was enough to catch the attention of Offset and Cardi.
Check out the original video below, and the remix with Offset up top.
For his part, Scott is pretty excited to get that Cardi B acknowledgement:
Congrats Shordie, this might well be the beginning of a viral hit, and even if it isn’t, having the subject of your song acknowledge it is still a huge win.
Time was — for well over a century — people made movies then played them in theaters so as to turn a large profit. It worked out pretty well for them. Then Netflix decided to try something different. Since 2015, they’ve been spending blockbuster bucks on big movies with big stars — Red Notice, Bird Box, The Irishman, The Adam Project, etc., etc. — then dumping them on their streaming service, free to anyone already paying a subscription. Now they’re mysteriously having financial problems. But perhaps there’s someone they can turn to: people who run movie theaters.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, John Fithian, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners (whose acronym, NATO, is not to be confused with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), has offered Netflix the chance to make extra money off their expensive original motion pictures. (It would also help them recoup losses accrued during the pandemic, which got so bad they spent a fortune on an ad in which Nicole Kidman begs people to return.)
“We love those guys [at Netflix],” Fithian said at a presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. “Ted Sarandos [its co-CEO] knows movies and TV better than anyone in Hollywood. Our doors are open to give broader play to Netflix movies. We’d love to play more of their movies.”
Fithian also pointed out that the day-and-date release strategy adopted by some major Hollywood studios, such as Warner Bros., during the pandemic is a proven failure. Simply look at how films like Dune, The Suicide Squad, and The Matrix Resurrections underperformed in theaters or worse.
“I am pleased to announce that simultaneous release is dead as a serious business model, and piracy is what killed it,” Fithian told the crowd. “When a pristine copy of a movie makes its way online and spreads, it has a very damaging impact on our industry.”
For the record, Netflix hasn’t entirely skipped theaters. They have a deal with Cinemark to give some of their films a limited theatrical release. How well has that worked for them? Red Notice, one of the streamer’s most-watched films, made a total of $178,143 in theaters off a reported budget of $200 million.
Will you one day be able to watch the threatened Red Notice on a big screen with loud sound and strangers and everything? Netflix has always been stubborn about that option, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Watching things play out with the censorship of books in schools and public libraries across the country has been a wild ride. Whereas one day you can grab a copy of “Catcher in the Rye” as you peruse the shelves between classes, the next it’s banned. (Though, I think Salinger’s Holden Caulfield escaped being tossed into most burn piles, but I imagine that foul-mouthed teen makes several lists.) The books that are being banned are the ones that promote diversity in any form. At first glance you can almost see the legitimacy of banning these books, but once you actually look at their titles and contents, it’s clear that they’re pretty consistently displaying themes of diversity and inclusion.
It’s peculiar that books that depict what it’s like growing up in a world with two moms or living in America with brown skin would be removed from libraries at schools. Libraries are there to transport us into a different reality than our own. For some people living in small towns with not much diversity, there is little exposure to people that look or think differently than they do, and this can lead to a narrow view of the world. Libraries provide a bounty of free books, some taking you to giants in faraway lands and others showing you what it’s like to grow up feeling like you exist in the wrong body. There’s no limit to the worlds that books inside a library can expose you to, and they can bridge the gap between lived experiences and empathy for others you only read about.
When some states began banning books from their local schools and libraries, in some cases, people took notice and protests started to happen. Four librarians in Texas formed #FReadom Fighters and created a website to sell merchandise to support the larger movement of teachers, students, authors and parents fighting against the banning of books across the country. Now the New York Public Library is joining the fight against censorship by allowing children as young as 13 who live in states where certain books are banned to check them out via its app through the end of May. Typically only residents of New York with a valid library card can check out books, not people from out of state.
Vandergrift student Banned Book club speaking at Spring into #FReadom rally in Cedar Park this morning.pic.twitter.com/OT3KjHcf61
Tony Marx, president of the New York Public Library, told NCPR, “The recent instances of both attempted and successful book banning—primarily on titles that explore race, LGBTQ+ issues, religion, and history—are extremely disturbing and amount to an all-out attack on the very foundation of our democracy … Knowledge is power; ignorance is dangerous, breeding hate and division … Since their inception, public libraries have worked to combat these forces simply by making all perspectives and ideas accessible to all.”
.@aaslpresident Jennisen Lucas tells @WBUR’s @anthonygbrooks: The more we talk about the book bans happening in libraries, the more people who don’t believe in censorship will stand up. #UniteAgainstBookBans #aaslslm #SchoolLibraryMonthhttps://wbur.fm/3uZ1Sis
— American Library Association (@American Library Association) 1650464461
Books are far more than pieces of paper bound together to look pretty and they serve a larger purpose outside of teaching math and science. Books help the reader understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. They can teach tolerance, acceptance and critical thinking. Banning books is so much larger than not wanting your individual child to learn about the world around them, it’s telling a child with two dads that there’s something wrong with them. It’s telling students that they’re not important enough to have themselves represented in the stories their class reads.
New York Public Library’s mission to combat the banning of books is admirable. Finding ways around this ban can help more students feel seen, as they watch the communities around them and far away fight to represent all students.
Before there was BTS, there was “Gangnam Style.” Yes, it was only a few short years ago that K-pop superstar Psy was breaking Youtube records and paving the way for K-pop to become the international force that it is now. “Gangnam Style” might’ve been dismissed by many as a tongue-in-cheek gimmick track, but they’d be underestimating the wide-ranging appeal of Psy’s playful pop style.
His newest single, “That That,” might have a cowboy feel based on the cover art he shared on Instagram announcing the track’s release — it’s also produced by none other than Suga of BTS. He also shared a brief snippet of the video, and perhaps the song itself, which you can check out above.
The song will lead off Psy’s new album, Psy 9th, which will come out this Friday (!) As for the single though, both Suga and Psy talked about how working together on it brought them together.
“At first, because he’s many years my senior and someone who’s well-respected in the business I was quite nervous,” Suga said in another clip shared to Instagram. “It felt like working with a childhood friend so it made the songwriting process that much more fun. We became besties in a way.”
“I don’t want to be someone who’s hard to approach,” Psy says. “He just wasn’t my junior in the business but also he truly feels like a friend. It was hard to feel any age gap. If he thinks of me as a bestie, that’s great for me.”
The single and the album drop this Friday, so keep an ear out for new music from Psy.
Fans of the HBO series Winning Time might be enjoying the throwback outfits and John C. Reilly’s hairstyles, but people who were actually there are not huge fans of the basketball show, which is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime.
Though the show is a fictitious telling of Lakers’ history, the real people who are being portrayed on screen haven’t been happy with it. Last week, Lakers legend Jerry West demanded an apology from HBO over his“false and defamatory portrayal” in the series.
HBO didn’t buy it! In a statement made to The Hollywood Reporter, the network insists that the show is not a documentary, and there are creative liberties that were taken for the drama of it all.
HBO has a long history of producing compelling content drawn from actual facts and events that are fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes. Winning Time is not a documentary and has not been presented as such. However, the series and its depictions are based on extensive factual research and reliable sourcing, and HBO stands resolutely behind our talented creators and cast who have brought a dramatization of this epic chapter in basketball history to the screen.
West isn’t the first person to critique the series: basketball great Kareen Abdul-Jabbar also slammed the show in a personal blog post (that’s how you know it’s real), saying the show is not only inaccurate but “dull” and “bland.” He did have some pretty solid research to back it up too! Either way, it doesn’t seem like HBO will care. They already made the show, after all.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
