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Donald Trump, a man who thinks exercise will kill you, has received an honorary ninth-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

The ex-president was presented with the honor by Lee Dong Seop, the president of Kukkiwon, the world Taekwondo headquarters located in South Korea. He told Korean newspaper Dong-a Ilbo that “I heard that Donald Trump is highly interested in Taekwondo,” most likely because his buddy Vladimir Putin also received the same honor in 2013. Neither man has ever been known to practice Taekwondo.

Issued by Kukkiwon president Lee Dong-sup, Trump received the honorary belt at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Kukkiwon posted the exchange to its Facebook page, where Trump can be seen wearing a traditional taekwondo uniform, outfitted with a black dan belt. In taekwondo, the ninth dan belt is the highest level a person can achieve.

“It is my honor to receive Honorary Dan Certificate and I think Taekwondo is magnificent martial art for self-defense,” Trump was quoted as saying on Kukkiwon’s Facebook page. “I wish to see Kukkiwon Taekwondo Team’s demonstration.” The post comes with the disclaimer, “This ceremony is not related any other political issues.”

A ninth-degree black belt takes decades of training and “incredible devotion to the art, hard work, and consistent training for life,” and one must “also have to have overseen a significant number of black belts and/or other such accomplishments.”

The losers and haters out there might think Trump doesn’t deserve the honorary black belt. But I disagree: “watching Bloodsport a lot” counts as an accomplishment.

(Via the Hill)

With hundreds of millions of followers across her various social media profiles, there’s no denying Dua Lipa has a massive platform. While she is able to have direct communication with her fans through social media, the singer wanted a way to share more in-depth style tips, movie recommendations, and important news stories with her audience. That’s why she’s launching Service95, a new weekly newsletter that will give fans a way to get curated articles from the singer herself.

Service95 was born out of Lipa’s habit for making lists of her favorite things and sharing them with her friends and family. The singer describes herself as an avid reader who’s always up-to-date on the latest news. But she says she wants to create a way for people to read stories they won’t have access to on larger news platforms. Along with giving fashion advice and discussing pop culture, Service95 will invite activists from around the globe to share their perspectives.

Announcing the new newsletter in a video on social media, Lipa wrote:

“I’ve been wanting to tell you about this for the longest time, and now that it’s ready I hope you’ll let me guide you through some of my favourite things I’ve discovered around the world over the years.

Service95 is a free weekly newsletter that will cover everything from little-known hotspots to up-and-coming artists and travel tips. Service95 will serve up a considered curation of lists, recommendations, stories, information, thoughts, perspectives, and conversations you won’t hear, see, or read anywhere else. Powerful articles from the world’s most compelling voices will live alongside savvy social commentary, laugh-out-loud feature-writing, and left-of-center recommendations for anything from late-night snacks to the best in-flight music for long-haul trips. We’ll also be sharing the important work of activists bringing to light causes and complex world issues we should all be talking about.”

Service95 launches in January 2022. Sign up here.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

As Travis Scott and Live Nation continue to get bombarded with lawsuits stemming from the deaths at Astroworld Festival, one of the latest comes from some of the staff who actually worked the festival, rather than attendees or their families. According to TMZ, two of the fest’s security guards, Samuel and Jackson Bush, are suing the festival’s organizers, as well as security contractors AJ Melino and Associates, for $1 million in damages after being traumatized by personally witnessing some of the deaths that took place as a result of the crowd crush and inadequately equipped facilities.

Both men not only claim mental distress from watching CPR performed on unconscious people and personally pulling someone from the crowd who later died, but also physical injuries suffered while trying to help control the chaos of the event.

Despite the seemingly large ask of $1 million, the Bushes’ lawsuit is actually at the low end of the Astroworld fallout spectrum, with one of the over 20 lawsuits demanding $750 million in damages for over 125 Astroworld attendees. Another lawsuit filed by the family of a nine-year-old boy who was trampled in the crowd (and later died) also seeks $1 million.

The fallout from the Astroworld disaster has also begun to affect other events; the organizers of Rolling Loud have implemented an age limit policy on their upcoming event in California, perhaps hoping to mitigate the liability in the case of another crowd control failure.

Donald Trump may no longer get his Diet Cokes delivered to the Oval Office, but that doesn’t mean that the dangerous ideologies and deceptive practices he brought to the forefront of American politics aren’t still very much in play. On Monday night, Seth Meyers dedicated part of his “A Closer Look” segment to the people who have taken up Trump’s chintzy, gold-embossed mantle—specifically: Ted Cruz.

“Texas senator Ted Cruz was just on CBS this week, continuing to spread the lie that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election and defend his role in trying to overturn the results on January 6th,” Meyers said.

Meyers also shared a clip of that appearance, on Face the Nation, where Cruz claimed that “we right now have a substantial chunk of our country that has real doubts about the integrity of the election. And if we had had a credible electoral commission do an emergency audit, it would have enhanced faith in democracy. But instead, Democrats and a lot of the press decided to just engage in incendiary rhetoric rather than acknowledge voter fraud is real. It is a problem, and the allegations of voter fraud needed to be examined.”

It took a little effort for Cruz to get that last part of the sentence out, because host Margaret Brennan wanted to quickly shut Cruz down and make it clear—yet again—that there was no evidence of voter fraud.

Meyers took Cruz to task, too, noting that:

“First of all, over 60 cases did examine the evidence and not one found any merit in any of Trump’s claims. That includes judges appointed by Trump and the GOP-dominated Supreme Court. You think a judge appointed by Trump himself would turn down the opportunity to help out? They were probably getting nonstop texts from him begging for help like an ex who won’t go away.

Seriously, did you forget about all of that? How could you? Rudy Giuliani’s probably still standing outside the Supreme Court banging on the front door like a guy who just got evicted from his apartment for hoarding cats.”

Come for the Cruz takedown, stay for the Rudy imitation.

For a significant part of this year, Matthew McConaughey has been toying with making a run for Texas governor, but despite being a noted straight-shooter, the actor has been uncharacteristically non-committal about tossing his hat in the ring. (His policy positions have been even tougher to nail down because they essentially don’t exist.) However, McConaughey is bumping up against a deadline, and he’s now facing a sh*t or get off the pot decision that, to his credit, he’s not taking lightly.

While sitting down for a new interview after being named “Philanthropist of the Year” by The Hollywood Reporter, McConaughey explains why he appears to be unusually “indecisive” when it comes to entering the gubernatorial race:

It’s a whole new thing. I prepare for everything. I’m a big preparer. I am not until I am — OK? Is this something I’ve been thinking about for 20 years, and I know what I want to do, but I’m just holding on to my answer? No. It’s a new embassy of leadership that I have really been doing my diligence to study, to look into, to question what it is, what would it be for me. Not the question of, “Hey, do you think I could win?” No. Let’s talk about what Texas politics is. Talk about a policy statement.

As McConaughey explains, his concern is less about whether he could win (and according to a recent poll, he very well could) but whether it’s in the best interest of Texas for an actor with no political experience to become governor. However, he knows that December 13 deadline is fast approaching, and so is his decision.

“I’m a storyteller. I’m a CEO. But being CEO of a state? Am I best equipped for the people in the state, and for my family and myself? There’s great sacrifice that comes with a decision,” McConaughey elaborated. “That’s what I’ve been doing, and there’s no tease to it. There’s me doing my diligence, and I will let you know shortly.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

After posting his initial thoughts on the death of his mentor and friend Young Dolph, Memphis rapper Key Glock has followed up with a heartfelt tribute in which he describes the Paper Route Empire boss as his coach, comparing Dolph to the great Phil Jackson. Of course, that makes Key Glock the Michael Jackson of this analogy.

“Damn bro, I’m LOST,” he wrote. “My heart is torn my brain ’bout to explode. It HURTS when I breathe… Why you leave me so soon?? I’ll never be the same, you was my lefthand man, my brother, my cousin, my mentor, and drank partner. For the past 2 years I been taking LOSS AFTER LOSS and still can’t understand why… You was Phil Jackson and I was yo MJ.”

Key Glock had been signed to Dolph’s label for nearly the entirety of his rap career so far, truly taking off in 2019 when he and Dolph collaborated on the joint mixtape Dum And Dummer. Since then, he had flourished under Dolph’s guidance, dropping no less than four projects over the last two years, including his debut album Yellow Tape and mixtape Son Of A Gun, in 2020, Dum And Dummer 2 earlier this year, and Yellow Tape 2 earlier this month. He also contributed to the Paper Route Empire label compilation Paper Route Illuminati this summer.

With Dolph gone, the future of the label remains uncertain but for those who were closest to Dolph, the true loss is of their friend, mentor, and greatest champion.

It has felt like at least once every couple months or so, there was news about some chart record that The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” broke or set. The latest of those came in August, when the single officially became the longest-charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now, unsurprisingly, there’s more chart news for “Blinding Lights”: Billboard has declared that the single is the No. 1 song of all time, as it is now on top of the Billboard Greatest Songs Of All Time Hot 100 Chart. It dethroned the previous chart-topper, Chubby Checker’s 1960 hit “The Twist.”

Billboard notes, “[The chart] factors in total weeks on the chart as well as exact chart positions, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. (Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.)”

The Weeknd told Billboard, “I don’t think [the success of ‘Blinding Lights’] has hit me yet. I try not to dwell on it too much. I just count my blessings, and I’m just grateful.”

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Hot 100 in 2018, Billboard unveiled the full Greatest Songs of All Time Hot 100 Chart. At the time, the top ten featured, from No. 1 to No. 10, “The Twist” by Chubby Checker, “Smooth” by Santana featuring Rob Thomas, “Mack The Knife” by Bobby Darin, “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “How Do I Live” by Leann Rimes, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) by Los Del Rio, “Shape Of You” by Ed Sheeran, and “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John.

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

This week in pop music saw some buzzworthy releases. Adele returned with her first album in six years, Taylor Swift managed to make one of her sad songs even sadder, and Kacey Musgraves officially released a cover of a Coldplay classic.

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

Adele — “Woman Like Me”

This week was dominated by the release of Adele’s hotly anticipated album, 30, which encompasses a range of the singer’s emotions following her divorce. Adele’s track “Woman Like Me” became a quick fan-favorite on the album, as it’s an empowering survey of her self-worth after the breakup. Adele sings of being the best woman her former partner could ever find while calling him out for being “lazy” and complacent.

Taylor Swift — “All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version)

Taylor’s version of her album Red debuted at No. 1 this week. So to celebrate, the singer decided to lean into “sad girl autumn” by releasing yet another version of her song “All Too Well” after the internet was buzzing with her previous 10-minute rendition. The new version of “All Too Well” is also 10 minutes long, but trades in an acoustic guitar for a mournful piano, playing on the lyrics’ melancholia.

Kacey Musgraves — “Fix You”

Coldplay may have just released an album, but their 2005 track “Fix You” remains one of their most popular songs. This week, Kacey Musgraves put her own tender spin on the emotional track in order to bring awareness to the struggle of farmers in America in partnership with Chipotle. “I reimagined Coldplay’s classic song ‘Fix You; for [Chipotle’s] new film about the struggles facing the next generation of family farmers in America,” Musgraves said. “To be able to make music while supporting such a great cause means a lot to me.”

FKA Twigs — “Measure Of A Man” Feat. Central Cee

Returning with a new track following her well-received 2019 album Magdalena, FKA Twigs teams up with British rapper Central Cee for the cinematic tune “Measure Of A Man.” The song is touched with an almost theatrical playfulness as FKA Twigs leans on her far-reaching vocals before up-and-comer Central Cee fires off a swaggering verse.

100 Gecs — “MeMeMe”

Hyperpop duo 100 Gecs made a big splash with their 2019 debut album 1000 Gecs, and now they’re back with another genre-defying tune. “MeMeMe” pulls influences from genres like pop-punk, ska, industrial, and electro-pop for a wildly energetic anthem that sheds a little light on the musicians’ personal lives.

Fletcher — “Cherry” Feat. Hayley Kiyoko

Fletcher teamed up with fellow pop singer Hayley Kiyoko for the blissed-out anthem “Cherry.” The irresistibly seductive track is an ode to finding love in unexpected places. “It’s the curiosity you have about someone before you’re intimate with them and kind of wondering what it would be like,” Fletcher said. “When I was creating it I couldn’t get the idea out of my head of having Hayley Kiyoko on it. We then went into the studio together and made it a million times better. It’s a moment for the girls gays and theys.”

Kaytranada — “Intimidated” Feat. HER

After dropping a handful of singles over the last year, Kaytranada returns in an official capacity with his three-track EP Intimidated. The project’s shimmering title track is one of the stand-out numbers on the project and features vocals by Grammy Award-winning artist HER. The song’s clapping beat offers the perfect atmospheric backdrop to showcase HER’s heart-tugging vocals as she sings of making the most of night with her love interest.

Glaive — “Prick”

Rising hyperpop star Glaive fired off the honest new song “Prick” this week. The gleaming track is Glaive’s version of a breakup song. He gets honest about his shortcomings in a relationship while the airy instrumentals offer a juxtaposition to Glaive’s lyrics. “Sonically, this song feels like a step forward for me,” the singer said. “I recorded it in July and it’s since gone on to become my favorite song I’ve ever made.”

Alesso — “Somebody To Use”

With the soaring new track “Somebody To Use,” Alesso expertly combines a dance-ready beat with an emotional subject matter. The Grammy-nominated dance artist builds a glistening beat to perfectly accompany the singer’s honeyed vocals — creating a track that’s sure to be heard in clubs everywhere this winter.

Aldn — “M Box”

Anti-pop newcomer Aldn is fresh off a tour announcement with Glaive and has just dropped the brand-new EP Predictable. His gritty track “M Box” is an example of Aldn’s innovative sound. It couples a pounding, blown-out bass with Aldn’s reverberating vocals to create a song that shows the singer is definitely one to watch.

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

After the 10 deaths at Astroworld Festival this year, it was clear to many observers that music festivals as a whole would experience some big shakeups in response. While fests like Day N Vegas and Head In The Clouds were able to continue as (mostly) normal, it looks like the first of those expected big changes has arrived ahead of the touring hip-hop festival Rolling Loud’s latest LA edition.

Posting an update to social media, the Rolling Loud organizers advised the festival’s new safety precaution for the upcoming event: An age limit. The new policy limits attendees to 18 years of age and up in an effort to prevent a possible repeat of Astroworld’s crush, in which a nine-year-old boy suffered injuries that eventually led to his death a few days later.

We welcome everyone to experience our festivals, however, in light of recent events, we will be implementing AN 18+ policy specific only to our upcoming 2021 California festival. We will be giving all ticket purchasers who are under the age of 18 the option to either roll their tickets over to next year’s 2022 California festival or receive a refund.

Refund or rollover requests must be made through the original purchaser’s front gate account during the period beginning November 23RD at 9 AM PST and ending November 26TH at 12 PM PST. Additional information will be made available on our FAQs at rollingloud.com/help.

For now, it appears the change is temporary, but considering the fallout from Astroworld still has yet to completely settle, it’s possible we could see this change and similar ones become permanent for the foreseeable future. Rolling Loud is scheduled for December 10-12 at the National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino.

The announcement of Chris Pratt as the voice of nipple-baring Italian plumber Mario was greeted with an “oh no” by the internet. But Chris Meledandri, a producer for Illumination (the home of the Minions) who is working on the Super Mario Bros. movie, thinks everyone should hold their judgement until they hear Pratt’s first “yippee.”

“All I can tell you is the voice that he’s doing for us, and Mario, is phenomenal. Yeah I can’t wait for people to hear it,” he told TooFab. Meledandri said that as an Italian-American himself, he “understand[s] the comments” and backlash, but “Charlie Day, who’s playing Luigi, actually comes from Italian heritage. Yeah, so, that’s our nod.”

Meledandri hinted that the accent issue would be a self-referential joke within the film. “We cover it in the movie,” he promised. “So you’ll see we definitely nod to that.” He vowed that Pratt would not be leaning too heavily into the “It’s a-me, Mario!” “That’s not the tenor of the performance throughout the film,” he said.

And if it doesn’t work out, Pratt can always be re-cast with Matt Berry. Or another Chris.

The still-untitled Mario movie, which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and no one as Toadette (so far), is scheduled to come out on December 21, 2022.

(Via TooFab)