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2 Chainz remains one of the more prolific and consistent names in rap music, even after nearly 20 years in the game. While he’s had a couple of off years — including 2021, during which he did not release a new project — it always seems inevitable that he’ll return with a new collection of punchline-ridden trap jams with an elaborate title. It looks like this month will be his target for the previously announced Dope Don’t Sell Itself, as he announced on his social media.

“Hey how u been!?,” he wondered in the post. “ts been a min I know, but im back with something new & exotic. U know I ain’t been around this long w/o being a thinker and a constant student & teacher of the game… my album ‘DOPE DONT SELL ITSELF’ drops this month & single this week. Sincerely, Two Tone Toni.”

As he previously revealed, he expects Dope Don’t Sell Itself to be his last trap album. Just before the new year, he provided a glimpse at the future with “Mortgage Free,” a new single produced by DJ Premier. Tapping into a Golden Era-influenced sound, the track shows how he might evolve past the musical (ahem) trappings of his prior works such as 2020’s So Help Me God.

Adele’s 30 was the biggest album of 2021, as it was the only one last year to sell a million copies. It’s getting off to a cracking start in 2022, as well: It was the first No. 1 album of the year, and now it’s No. 1 on the Billboard 200 yet again for the sixth total week on the chart dated January 8, thanks to the 99,000 equivalent album units it earned from December 24 to 30, 2021.

Meanwhile, it was a major week for Michael Bublé’s 2011 album Christmas, as it shot up to No. 2 (just a spot away from its former chart-topping position). This is the album’s 100th week on the chart. Rounding out the top 5 are Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version), Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour, and Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album.

Beyond that, a couple of albums make their debut appearances in the top 10: There’s the Encanto film soundtrack, which jumped from No. 110 to No. 7, and the 1963 holiday album A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector rises from No. 11 to No. 10.

Speaking of holiday music, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart for a third straight week. It managed to retain its top spot despite a big week for Adele’s “Easy On Me,” which rose from No. 5 to No. 2.

We’ve said goodbye to 2021 and while there were plenty of incredible video games, there were so many more we didn’t get to play because of the sheer amount of delays. While that was an unfortunate part of 2021, this does give us the added benefit of having that much more to look forward to in 2022. This is set to be one of the biggest years in video games in quite some time with multiple major franchises anticipating a release. There is so much to be excited about and we’ve managed to break all of it down into five games, plus a bunch of honorable mentions, that we think are the most anticipated games of 2022 so far.

Why so far? Because we have no idea what the rest of this year has in store for us. There are likely games we haven’t heard about yet that will also be releasing later in 2022 as well as some games we’re expecting, but currently don’t have a release date, may suddenly be announced as an upcoming title for 2022. There is so much potential for this already gigantic year to get even bigger. So keep that in mind as we break down the five games that we’re anticipating the most in 2022.

Elden Ring (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – February 25

Elden Ring has the potential to be a massive game that brings in people who don’t typically play the kind of games that have this style. With Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki involved we’re all expecting a game that feels very similar in tone and gameplay, but the cross-cultural appeal is going to come from the author of George R.R. Martin’s involvement. As the creator of A Song of Ice and Fire, or Game of Thrones for everyone who watched the TV show, Martin brings narrative credibility that is going to have people interested well beyond the world of gaming.

Horizon Forbidden West (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – February 18

Horizon Forbidden West is a highly anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. This is one of those games that was supposed to come out in 2021, but a delay forced it into 2022. The first game was extremely well regarded for its world, character, and how fun it was to explore. Forbidden West appears to be taking all of those attributes and not only improving on them but turning this into one of the most visually stunning games we’ve ever seen. While it’s not always a good idea to buy into trailers, we can’t help but be excited every time we see new game footage. Everything looks gorgeous and we can’t wait to explore this world.

Starfield (Xbox Series X/S, PC) – November 11

For everyone that’s been wanting a new game from the creators of Fallout and Elder Scrolls, we finally have one with Starfield. This sci-fi adventure may end up being nothing more than another example of the tried and true Bethesda formula, but it’s a new world with new ideas and that’s exciting from a company like Bethesda. Not only that, but the new engine this game will be running on is supposed to be the engine that future Bethesda games like The Elder Scrolls VI runs on. A new IP, from one of the biggest developers in gaming, and it’s a sci-fi adventure? What’s not to be excited about?

God of War: Ragnarok (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – TBA 2022

God of War: Ragnarok is another game that was delayed into 2022. It was delayed for all the obvious reasons, but there’s reason why they would take extra care with this one. This is supposed to be the final chapter in the Norse story the series has been telling. With that we’re expecting some finality in this game and it would be a shame to rush it out just to meet an earlier release date. While we don’t currently know when exactly this year it’s coming out, we do know that everyone is eagerly anticipating to see how the end of Kratos latest story closes.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel (Switch) – TBA 2022

This is a game that everyone has been waiting years for at this point. The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was first teased to us back in 2019. Ever since we’ve gotten very little info about it beyond a follow-up trailer at E3 2021 with a release date. While the trailer was cool, and a reminder it exists, it’s odd to have a game that is coming out this year and we still don’t have an official title besides “Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” It makes us worried that this has the potential to be delayed at some point this year, but if that doesn’t happen then all of us can rejoice as we get another exciting adventure in Hyrule. This time in the sky.

The Best Of The Rest:

January

Rainbow Six Extraction (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC) – January 20

Pokemon Legends Arceus (Switch) – January 28

February

Dying Light 2 Stay Human (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – February 4

Sifu (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) – February 8

March

Gran Turismo 7 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – March 4

Triangle Strategy (Switch) – March 4

Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – March 18

May

Forspoken (PlayStation 5, PC) – May 24

August

Saints Row (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – August 23

TBA

Bayonetta 3 – (Switch) – TBA 2022

Gotham Knights – (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – TBA 2022

Hogwarts Legacy (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – TBA 2022

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) – TBA 2022

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Switch) – TBA 2022

River City Girls 2 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – TBA 2022

Marvel’s Midnight Suns (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – TBA 2022

Splatoon 3 (Switch) – TBA 2022

Sonic Frontiers (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – TBA 2022

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – TBA 2022

Tobias Harris’ tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers has not gone as well as either he or the team hoped when they acquired him from the Clippers in a trade in 2019 and proceeded to give him a max contract the next summer while Jimmy Butler walked to Miami.

For two years in Detroit and Los Angeles, Harris had become one of the league’s most efficient wing scorers, shooting over 40 percent from three and over 48 percent from the field, which is why he became a coveted trade target for both the Clippers in the Blake Griffin trade and then the Sixers the year after. His first two years in Philly were rocky, but he had his best season with the Sixers last year when he seemed to regain his form under a familiar coach in Doc Rivers, shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three. That produced optimism that he could be that second or third star next to Joel Embiid, but he hasn’t come close to replicating that so far in 2021-22.

Harris is shooting just 45 percent from the field and a woeful 28.7 percent from three, posting his worst effective field goal percentage (48.5) since his rookie year in Milwaukee. Unsurprisingly, that has not endeared him to the Philly faithful, who have let him know how they feel about his struggles in the form of boo birds at home. That all came to a head on Monday night when he got booed going to the locker room after a poor close to the half against a bad Rockets team, which led to Harris gesturing to the crowd to boo him louder.

In the second half, after the Sixers pulled away from Houston, Harris hadn’t forgotten the boos and after a made bucket in the fourth quarter you could see him on the broadcast telling fans “don’t f**king clap.”

It’s not what you want to see if you are the Sixers, and it’s clear that the response from the home crowd is frustrating Harris. Philly crowds are not shy about giving it to anyone struggling on the home team, but it’s pretty obvious that Harris isn’t feeling the love when it comes his way after a positive play when he’s getting lit up for bad ones on the same night.

Alana Haim’s collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson extend beyond Licorice Pizza. He’s directed multiple Haim music videos, including “Little of Your Love,” “The Steps” (the band’s best song imo), and “Man from the Magazine.” He also photographed the cover art for the Grammy-nominated group’s excellent third album, Women in Music Pt. III. The point is, PTA is a huge Haim fan — and Alana is a huge fan of his.

When asked by i-D to name some of her favorite movies, Alana listed There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love, and Phantom Thread, all directed by Thomas Anderson (she also gave props to Jonny Greenwood for his “insane” score in Phantom Thread). But her all-time favorite is A Goofy Movie. “People make fun of me, but my favorite movie is A Goofy Movie,” she said. “If you haven’t seen it, you need to watch A Goofy Movie. It’s the best movie of all time.” Name a better movie set at Lester’s Possum Park. You can’t.

A Goofy Movie doesn’t have the same reputation as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, or Beauty and the Beast (it’s not considered part of the hallowed Disney Renaissance because it was made by the former-Disney MovieToons, not Walt Disney Animation Studios). But I’d argue it’s one of the best show-to-movie adaptations ever, and it inarguably has a soundtrack full of bangers. Haim should cover “I 2 I” on their 2022 tour.

(Via i-D)

Does Jack Antonoff ever sleep? The New Jersey-born songwriter and producer behind Bleachers has been one of the busiest people in the music industry as of late, and he’s not stopping in the new year. A new Bleachers album is coming in 2022 and we heard it straight from the horse’s mouth, without any glitz or glamour: “i am going to put out a bleachers album this year,” Antonoff tweeted over the weekend.

I guess when you’re spending your days in the studio with Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, do you really have time to craft lengthy, cryptic tweets? Nah, dog. New Bleachers album, 2022. Mark it down.

In 2021 alone, Antonoff’s production credits are fairly insane. He was the primary producer on Lana Del Rey’s seventh studio album, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, which came out in March. He hunkered down in the studio with St. Vincent’s Annie Clark for the dashing ode to New York City that is Daddy’s Home. He took another stint behind the boards with Lorde, producing her third album, Solar Power, and also produced Clairo’s Sling — which along with Chemtrails, was one of Uproxx’s Best Albums of 2021. He also worked on tracks for Olivia Rodrigo, Sia, and oh yeah, claimed production on eight tracks from Taylor Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), including the famous 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

Pardon if this feels like reeling off an AllMusic credits page, but Antonoff is beyond prolific, especially when you consider the caliber of artists he’s working with in the studio. Of course, he’ll be up for Producer of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. And we didn’t even touch on how he somehow found time in 2021 to put out Take the Sadness Out Of Saturday Night, Bleachers’ third album, too.

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

Amidst turmoil in Trumpland, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle have confirmed that they’ve been secretly engaged for over a year. Guilfoyle kicked off the reports with a new Instagram post on Sunday that showed her clearly sporting a diamond engagement ring and explicitly saying she can’t wait to be with Don Jr. forever.

“Tonight was extra special celebrating @donaldjtrumpjr’s birthday,” Guilfoyle wrote. “Don, you are strong, smart, courageous, funny and the love of my life. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Love you.”

The engagement news was then confirmed by the Daily Mail:

‘Don and Kim got engaged on New Year’s Eve 2020 – which is Don’s birthday. They’ve been together for almost four years now and have been friends for 15 years.’

‘They’ve kept it private for the past year as they settled into life in Florida after moving from New York,’ the source added. ‘Both are focused on their children – they have six between them – and their work.’

Of course, people can’t help but notice the awfully convenient timing of the couple’s announcement. On Monday, Don Jr., along with his sister Ivanka, was subpoenaed by the New York Attorney General’s office as part of the fraud investigation into their father and the Trump Organization. As people on social media quickly noted, spouses can’t be compelled to testify against each other, which seems like a possible explanation for the engagement, in addition to true love. Although, there were plenty of other jokes, too, but in Don Jr. and Guilfoyle’s defense, there was some mention of passion. Passion regarding those other jokes, that is.

(Via Daily Mail)

Over the past few years, more and more rappers have received recognition from their hometowns for their contributions to the arts and their philanthropy in the community. Recently, such rappers as DMX, Travis Scott, and both Nases (the original and Lil Nas X) have been recognized with their own days in their hometowns and soon, Jack Harlow will join that list with the declaration of December 18 as Jack Harlow Day in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jack himself shared a copy of the city certificate on his Instagram signed by Louisville mayor, Greg Fischer, who made sure to drop in a “What’s Poppin” reference. The resolution reads:

“The City of Louisville honors Jack Harlow for answering, once and for all, that what’s poppin’ is Louisville when it comes to talent that makes it bigger than big, but doesn’t forget the ‘home’ in hometown or homegrown. The rapper’s way with words and beats has earned him untold fans, chart-topping releases, and an ability to give back in meaningful ways, and he does. Our city is excited and proud to observe December 18, 2021, as Jack Harlow Day in Louisville.”

Jack’s efforts to give back to his hometown have included donations to local nonprofits, a visit to his alma mater, and an in-city No Place Like Home Tour giving natives multiple chances to see him perform live at some of the city’s historic venues.

Due to the Omicron variant, Covid-19 continues to make the contagious rounds, even causing L.L. Cool J to pull out of his New Year’s Eve set among a sea of cancellations. Things will likely be very messy for awhile, considering that the holiday surge-and-backlog factor caused an unprecedented one-million U.S. infections to be reported in one day. The New York City subway’s down some train routes, businesses everywhere are attempting to keep operations going amid callouts, and so on.

Yet there’s one person who has no sympathy for anyone who does the right thing by not going to work while sick and infectious. That would be Fox And Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade, who began Tuesday morning with complaints that people won’t just “live with it” and spread that virus even further than it’s already going. And curiously enough, Kilmeade unloaded on the subject while broadcasting remotely, via Mediaite:

“It’s called ‘live with it.’ Go to work. Live with it. Get on a train. Get on a bus. Get on a plane. How do we live with it? We can no longer hide from it.”

Yikes, someone is really trying to outdo his colleague, Tucker Carlson, who’s now incredibly bored with this Covid thing. Well, Covid ain’t bored with people yet, but Fox And Friends has already lamented how “no one wants to work anymore,” so looking for logic here isn’t going to be a fruitful search. As Steve Doocy recently pointed out, though, the entire Fox And Friends trio is vaccinated, so at least there’s that.

(Via Mediaite)

On last week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart dated January 1, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was the first No. 1 song of the new year, making it the first song to top the Hot 100 chart during four separate years (2019 to 2022). Well, Christmas is over, but the reign of Carey’s timeless hit continues: On the Hot 100 chart dated January 8, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is once again No. 1 for the third consecutive week. This is especially impressive considering the tracking week reflected on the new chart (December 24 to 30) is mostly after Christmas.

Other holiday tunes remained high on the chart as well: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is No. 3, Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” is No. 4, Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” is No. 5, Andy Williams’ “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” is No. 8, and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” is No. 8. Meanwhile, Adele’s “Easy On Me” rises from No. 5 to No. 2, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” rises from No. 9 to No. 6, and a couple of non-holiday tunes re-enter the top 10: Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” (No. 7) and Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers” (No. 9).

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