Louisville’s Jack Harlow announced plans to donate to several hometown charities in a recent interview with Billboard, calling it “important to keep some positive energy flowing through the city.” The 23-year-old rapper’s career has been booming since releasing his 2020 single “What’s Poppin,” and it appears that rather than keep all that good energy to himself, he’d rather share the wealth and give back to Derby City.
He’ll do so by contributing to five local organizations: AMPED, Center for Women and Families, Grace M. James Academy of Excellence, Louisville Urban League, and Metro United Way. As he explained to Billboard:
I spent all my life fantasizing about being someone that could put Louisville on a pedestal. There’s a spirit and pride that runs deep, and it becomes more obvious to me when I travel to other cities and realize that that doesn’t exist everywhere. The city has always been special to me and I think we breed very unique, often laid-back people. It’s important to me to keep some positive energy flowing through the city. Everyone is living different lives and may be from different areas, but there’s still always a universal energy that everyone is aware of, and it’s important to me that there’s plenty of love in the mix. Things are not easy right now, I feel so privileged to be in the position I’m in and I feel a responsibility to give back and help pave a way for others. People need hope, they need love.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Particularly, when it comes to “Kiwi,” of course, a beloved fan favorite from his very first album that has become a rallying cry for fans and a frequent set closer for Harry. Just take a look below at the pit that opens up when this song comes on at shows:
I MISS GOING CRAZY IN PIT FOR KIWI WRFNJJ HIS NOTE CHANGES THE WAY HE DANCED AND PAYSED AFTER “CRAAAZYAAYY” what JS WRONG WITH HIM pic.twitter.com/ZLfEqCvhmM
I’m sure there’s even more that goes on, but the fans are too busy being in the moment to take more video. Still, this looks like one of the most joyful floor moments I’ve ever seen at a live show — and I attend shows for a living. Shout out to the Harry fans who make his concerts so special. Full tour dates here.
About a month ago, Texas passed new laws that place a bunch of restrictions on abortions in the state. The music world has largely not been thrilled with the development. Lucy Dacus, for example, donated proceeds from her recent Texas concerts to abortion funds. Now, Billie Eilish has used her on-stage voice to stand up for abortion rights.
Eilish took time during her Austin City Limits Music Festival set this weekend (on October 2) to passionately speak out against the new laws. As “Bans Off Our Bodies” was displayed on the screens behind Eilish, she said, “When they made that sh*t a law, I almost didn’t want to do this show because I wanted to punish this f*cking place for allowing that to happen here. But then I remembered that it’s you guys that are the f*cking victims, and you deserve everything in the world. We need to tell them to shut the f*ck up.”
Then, after calling for her fans to raise their middle fingers, she shouted, “My body, my f*cking choice!”
Billie Eilish speaks out against Texas’s new abortion law during her set at Austin City Limits:
“When they made that shit a law, I almost didn’t want to do the show, because I wanted to punish this fucking place for allowing that to happen here… My body, my fucking choice!” pic.twitter.com/U84pNYtN7G
Speaking of Eilish at festivals, it was announced this morning that she will be headlining Glastonbury in 2022, making her the youngest solo headliner in the history of the esteemed festival.
For 17-year-old Evan Bialosuknia, winning the crown of homecoming queen was more than a simple award. It meant being accepted, even celebrated, for who she truly is.
Sharing her journey in an interview with WESH2, Evan revealed she had only begun her transition a few months ago. But for her, it was the obvious choice. “Looking back it doesn’t even feel like that’s me,” she said. “I played football for like six to eight years and I remember during practices I would stare at the cheerleaders because I wanted to be with them.”
Orlando school elects its first transgender homecoming queen. https://t.co/FXNjpYUsJH
Evan didn’t quite know what to expect when she decided to run for homecoming queen. Despite having the love and support from her family, the teenager was afraid to be seen as a joke. And yet, she still desired to have “a moment of glory.”
And indeed her glorious moment arrived, as she received not only the coveted crown, but an outpouring of encouragement from her fellow students. Including the school’s nominated homecoming king, who, according to Evan, “made me feel like any other girl.” More so than the thrill of a win and excitement of applause, the real gift, according to Bialosuknia, was the welcome embrace from her community. As she put it, “It just made me realize I was not alone and don’t have to go through this alone.”
Evan proudly posted pictures of her win on Instagram. And it’s a collective victory for LGBTQ teens everywhere.
And hers is not the only story like this. There is an increasing number of students challenging the status quo of homecoming tradition, including the election of gay prom kings and queens, as well as some schools doing away with gendered homecoming titles altogether. And most reassuring of all, nearly half of the entire Gen Z population openly support gay marriage, with one in six Gen Z‘ers publicly identifying as something other than heterosexual. Though there is still much progress to be made in the name of inclusion, this data does tell us one thing: no one is alone.
The crowning achievement marked a brighter outlook for Evan’s future. Though she noted that “more change is coming,” she will always have this memory to look back on, to remind her that she belongs. Exactly as she is.
It’s been just over a year since Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman passed away following an intense and private battle with cancer, yet even now his legacy lives on and continues to do good and bring hope to those who need it. The latest way the actor is changing lives? An endowed scholarship fund created in his memory that will cover the full, four-year cost of tuition for select incoming students at his alma mater: the College of Fine Arts at Howard University.
According to The Wrap, Netflix — along with the support of Chadwick Boseman’s wife, Simone Ledward-Boseman — has officially established the Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship, a $5.4 million dollar program that will help ensure artists and talented thespians are given the chance to attend a four-year university without the piles of debt that tend to come with it. The scholarship will focus on “students who demonstrate financial need and who exemplify exceptional skills in the arts reminiscent of Boseman,” and is set to begin this Fall, with four awards being given out to represent one student of each graduating class. The scholarship will then continue to be distributed to one incoming freshman each year. According to Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick, M.D, the school is deeply grateful for the scholarship that “embodied” the late actor’s values:
“It is with immense pleasure and deep gratitude that we announce the creation of an endowed scholarship in honor of alumnus, Chadwick Boseman, whose life and contributions to the arts continues to inspire. This scholarship embodies Chadwick’s love for Howard, his passion for storytelling, and his willingness to support future generations of Howard students. I am thankful for the continuous support and partnership of Chadwick’s wife, Mrs. Simone Ledward Boseman, and to Netflix for this important gift.”
Howard University also announced the inaugural class of awardees: Sarah Long, a freshman in musical theatre; Shawn Smith, a sophomore studying acting; Janee’ Ferguson, a junior in theatre arts administration; and senior Deirdre Dunkin, who studies dance. According to the press release, these are students who have demonstrated “a drive for excellence,” “leadership,” “respect,” “empathy” and “passion” for the art of storytelling.
Boseman was an alumnus of Howard University, graduating with a BA in directing in 2000. The actor later returned to speak at the university in 2018 for a commencement address following the release of Marvel’s Black Panther. In addition to the scholarship fund, Howard University is also celebrating the actor’s legacy by renaming a wing of the school after him.
Fresh off her NDA win against Donald Trump, former White House aide, and Celebrity Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault Newman is dropping more bombs about the twice-impeached president — including that he might not be fit to run for office again.
Trump recently lost a three-year court battle to enforce a nondisclosure agreement with his former supporter after Omarosa authored a tell-all book, Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House, while he was still in office. The book contained some damning accounts of what life was like within the administration for Omarosa between 2017 and 2018 but now that she doesn’t have a lawsuit hanging over her head, the reality TV star is revealing even more insider information about her former boss which includes his questionable health status.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Rev. Al Sharpton, Omarosa warned that if Trump were to run for office again in 2024, he’d need to come clean to the public about his physical fitness.
“I don’t know if he will even be healthy enough to run in 2024,” she said. “I think he needs to come clean to the American people about where he is on that before deciding to get into a very stressful and strenuous race for the White House.”
Now, Omarosa didn’t offer any proof that the former president is ailing, just some vague statements about how she’s worried that he “hasn’t come forward and talked about his health” but, then again, Trump’s never been in the best shape, despite his personal physician claiming otherwise. He contracted COVID in October 2020 and spent three days at Walter Reed Medical Center. Much has been written about his fast-food diet — he loves McDonald’s and diet coke. And he had a pretty rough time of it when it came to publicly scaling the stairs to Air Force One during his presidency.
But the idea that his health might be so bad that it would disqualify him to even run for office again is probably pretty concerning for his party.
Matt Amodio’s Jeopardy! star continues to rise as he cruises through a new season of the syndicated game show. Friday’s episode saw the Ph. D student from New England cruise to his 33rd win, which surpassed James Holzhauer’s win total during regulation play.
That’s a big deal for a number of reasons, as Holzhauer was the current gold standard for outstanding Jeopardy! player. Consider that the sports bettor from Las Vegas was so good at the show and caused such a stir they literally invented a new tournament for him to play in, the Greatest Of All Time showdown that Ken Jennings won last year.
As Jeopardy! has pointed out with a video game-themed video, Holzhauer still holds several records that will ultimately be extremely hard to beat: the most money won per game and the highest percentage of answers correct during regular play and on Final Jeopardy. There’s clearly mutual respect between the two competitors, but they’ve also had a lot of fun ribbing each other on Twitter to get fans talking.
The latest round came amid Amodio’s surpassing Holzhauer in games won, as the latter used some gambling terms to essentially call Amodio very lucky, rather than good.
Still haven’t seen anyone hit one for more than $2.46MM though. Stay hungry!
That came just after Amodio actually poked fun at Holzhauer’s performance in the GOAT Tournament, responding to a tweet about potentially doing a weekend edition of Jeopardy! where people who got steamrolled by Holzhauer, Jennings, and now Amodio could potentially have a second chance.
Amodio did say something very nice about Holzhauer and his level as a player amid all the trash-talking, so it’s clear that both sides are just having some fun.
I am so proud that a cursory glance of the #Jeopardy record books can now yield a wrong conclusion about which one of us is the better player https://t.co/wj0TnctJco
But it certainly has been a blast to see Amodio chirping back at Holzhauer a bit, and maybe imagining a new GOAT tournament where Amodio gets a shot at showing how he stacks up against some very lofty competition.
Facebook is not having a great week (and it’s only Monday). On the heels of Sunday night’s 60 Minutes episode — in which former FB data scientist Francis Haugen identified herself as the whistleblower who produced internal research to the feds — the social media platform is down. Since Facebook owns Instagram, that platform, too, has crashed, and WhatsApp (which is very popular on the global chat scene) has bit it as well. The timing is wild, since Haugen claimed to have witnessed how the Mark Zuckerberg-helmed Facebook used its algorithm to prioritize profit over civic duty. This, arguably, could have helped spark the environment that led to the January 6 insurrection. Now, the Internet is chaos at this time because Facebook has been inaccessible for hours and tweeted that they’re (definitely) aware of the issue.
We’re aware that some people are having trouble accessing Facebook app. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
What, exactly, is going on? Journalist Brian Krebs (formerly of Washington Post) confirmed that the Facebook and Instagram DNS records appear to have completely evaporated from global routing tables. No one knows why; people have noticed.
Amid the ruckus, Twitter is still standing. And they want everyone to know that it. The main Twitter account even tweeted, “hello literally everyone” while the #DeleteFacebook hashtag increased in popularity.
CEO Jack Dorsey (who’s not at a silent meditation retreat at this time) definitely heard what’s up, too. Jack retweeted a user who remarked upon how the DNS records for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp got “nuked.” Here’s Jack’s take: “how much?”
Despite it all, the WhatsApp Twitter account did wave at Jack’s Twitter account, and he cheekily tweeted back: “thought this was supposed to be encrypted…”
We’re 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and there are still travel restrictions between the United States and Canada. The U.S. recently re-upped its ban on nonessential travel by foreigners despite Ottawa’s decision to open its border to vaccinated Americans.
Unfortunately, this meant that Karen Mahoney from New York wouldn’t be able to have her 96-year-old Canadian grandmother attend her wedding south of the border.
The grandmother would be able to fly into America; however, Karen thought that would put her at risk for catching COVID-19.
“She’s my only living grandparent, the only grandparent I’ve ever known, so it was very important for me for her to be there to watch the happiest day of my life,” Karen told CNN. “The most important part of the day for us was the promises we told to each other, and we wanted my parents and grandmother to witness that.”
But Karen wouldn’t let border restrictions get in the way of having her beloved grandmother be there for the big day.
Karen and her new husband, Brian Ray, have a friend who works for the border patrol. Previously, he allowed for a meeting between them and her father at the border. On that day, Brian asked for her hand in marriage.
The friend then stepped up a second time and arranged for the couple to have a wedding ceremony on the U.S.-Canadian border in Burke, New York on September 25. The wedding took place in a spot that didn’t resemble an international border. There were no markers or fences; it just looks like a quiet meadow.
When Covid-19 restrictions made it difficult for a Canadian bride to have her family at her US wedding, she did the… https://t.co/KBPkl1RRvQ
Karen’s family stood on the Canadian side while the wedding party and officiant were positioned in the U.S. Both parties were asked not to cross the imaginary line and break international laws.
“The minister asked them if they (my parents) acknowledge that Brian was vowing to love me the rest of our lives, and did they accept him into the Mahoney clan, and they responded, ‘We do’ and that was extremely emotional,” Karen said.
“I cried,” Brian said. “It was good for me, because I knew how much it meant to her to have her parents and her grandmother here and see us exchanging vows.”
COVID-19 restrictions kept her family from attending her wedding, so she got married on the Canadian border.… https://t.co/8ewimh2Y8Z
After the border wedding, the couple had another celebration in the States where they signed the official marriage certificate.
It has been a long trip to the altar for Karen and Brian. They met in 1985 when Brian taught her how to ski. They remained friends even though they both married other people. Both marriages lasted 19 years and each produced two boys.
The couple reconnected on Facebook when Brian was selling a car that Karen loved. They soon started dating and after a year, Brian proposed to her on a mountain in Vermont.
“Just an epic day of skiing and bluebird sky. It just was absolutely perfect,” Karen said.
“Forever and a day and then some. That’s our thing,” Brian said.
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.
This week, singles lead the way for new releases in the R&B world. SZA and Kali Uchis are at the forefront with a bilingual remix of “Fue Major” that even catches the TDE singer flaunting her Spanish-speaking skills. T-Pain also steps forward with a remix of his own as he calls on BIA to join Kehlani for a new take of “I Like Dat.” As for the album side of things, JoJo returns with 12 vulnerable and honest songs for her Trying Not To Think About It project.
Kali Uchis & SZA — “Fue Major”
While she may not be releasing music that brings us closer to her upcoming sophomore album, SZA’s music outputs have certainly increased over the past year. She recently shared “The Anonymous Ones” for the soundtrack of the Dear Evan Hansen film which came after she delivered “random thoughts” in the form of three songs in August. Now, the TDE singer is back with more and it comes through a remix of Kali Uchis’ “Fue Major,” a new take that finds SZA flaunting her Spanish singing abilities.
T-Pain — “I Like Dat” Feat. BIA & Kehlani
T-Pain has earned himself a comeback record of sorts thanks to “I Like Dat” with Kehlani. The singer shared the record back in May and this past weekend, he delivered a new take of with a help from rising rapper BIA. T-Pain lays a new verse on the song while BIA contributes one of her own that brings new flavor to the song and extends the track’s overall experience.
JoJo — Trying Not To Think About It
A year after giving the world her fourth album Good To Know and its deluxe version, JoJo returns to action with her latest project, Trying Not To Think About It. The new effort, which is labeled as a “capsule EP project,” comes equipped with 12 songs and from start to finishing, JoJo beautifully tackles issues surrounding her anxiety, depressioon, negative thoughts, relationship self-sabotage, and emotional immaturity with honest, vulnerability, and transparency.
Eli Derby — “Gaslight”
LVRN’s youngest act is finally stepping out on his own. Eli Derby first caught this writer’s attention with his rendition of “This Christmas” from the label’s 2020 Christmas album. Since then, waiting for more music was all that one could do and it finally arrived. The 18-year-old arrived with “Gaslight,” a record he says is about making a person feel “okay not knowing what to call their ‘situation.’” He adds “sometimes uncertainty can be exactly what you need in the moment.”
Ryan Trey — A 64 East Saga
Three years removed from his debut project August, an effort that project attention to the Louisville singer/rapper, Ryan Trey displays his growth and maturity with his second body of work, A 64 East Saga. Across 14 songs, Trey only calls on one guest, that being Bryson Tiller on “Nowhere To Run.” Altogether, a homegrown story of love, success, positive and negative changes, and more through Trey’s point of view.
Nija — “Finesse”
Back in August, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Nija took a step forward in developing her solo career with the release of her debut, “Ease My Mind (Come Over).” More than a month later, she returns with another taste of her artistry through her second single, “Finesse.” Compared to her first release, “Finesse,” flaunts a slower tempo while maintaining a bounce that makes for an enjoyable listen. This record is an emotional note for a past lover who continues to wriggle their way back into her life, despite her attempts to move on to something better and stable.
Mahalia — “Roadside” Feat. AJ Tracey
Two years removed from her career-breaking sophomore album, Love And Compromise, British singer Mahalia is back with a passionate groove with “Roadside” featuring British rapper AJ Tracey. The record finds Mahalia realizing a guy she once thought was better than the rest proved to be nothing but the same. A failed love left her on the side of the road with a bag filled with regrets and frustrations.
Tone Stith — “Something In The Water” Feat. Maeta
Tone Stith gave the world his first project in three years with FWM this past summer. The nine-track effort is a strong body of work from the singer, and it looks like he’s got more for his fans in 2021. With Still FWM? on the way, Tone Stith calls on Maeta for “Something In The Water,” a warm ballad that finds Stith reflecting on a past breakup while Maeta ponders a return to her ex or a journey towards something new. Both let their thoughts run over the piano keys of Carl Thomas’ 2000 classic track “I Wish.”
Samm Henshaw — “Chicken Wings”
British-Nigerian singer Samm Henshaw is just a few months from sharing his new album, Untidy Soul. The project arrives on January 28, 2022, and to build up buzz for it, Henshaw delivers his giddy new single, “Chicken Wings.” The track uses the fried meal as a metaphor for going after the things we love and satisfying life’s cravings.
Derrick Milano — “Die4It”
Last year, singer-songwriting Derrick Milano won a Grammy award for co-writing Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce’s chart-topping “Savage” remix. This year, he inked a deal with Epic Records and began a new journey as a solo act with his new single, “Die4It.” The melodic and airy track is described as a record about accepting “whatever comes with the risks we take” when it comes to relationships. He adds, “The heart of the song protects us from whatever doesn’t serve us well and when we do meet the right woman, it is our responsibility to protect her.”
Elujay & Serpentwithfeet— “Luvaroq”
In just under two months, Bay Area’s Elujay will release his debut album, CRKMVNT. it comes after years of solid mixtapes that have only elevated his status. To begin the campaign towards the release of CRKMVNT, Elujay taps Serpentwithfeet for “Luvaroq,” a track that finds comfort in nostalgia and easygoing corners of life through reggae and dub-style production.
RINI — “Need It”
At long last, RINI is prepared to deliver a full-length project to the world as the singer confirmed his debut album, Constellations, will touch down on October 8. Supported by 12 songs and a sole feature from Wale, RINI gives us another preview of what’s to come with “Need It.” Riding steady kick and upbeat production, the singer confesses his selfish desires and wants for a special woman in his life.
Butcher Brown & Alex Isley — “Remind Me”
Releases from Alex Isley come far and few nowadays, but man, when she does give us new music, it’s always a beautiful thing. The latest example of this comes through “Remind Me,” her collaboration with Butcher Brown. The song itself is a tribute to the legendary Patrice Rushen, a cover they originally debuted last year, but its addition to streaming services allows fans like myself to enjoy it on repeat for however long we desire to.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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