GoneTrending

Paul Reed read The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure during his stint in the NBA G League Bubble earlier this year. The book conveyed the divide between people stating or writing down their goals and actually realizing them, emphasizing how much work is required to bridge that gap.

In response, Reed embraced journaling, which helped him establish and adhere to a daily routine. The goal was to stimulate him spiritually, physically, and mentally, facilitating the manifestation of his two overarching objectives from the Bubble: Win G League MVP and the G League championship. In 15 games with the Delaware Blue Coats, Reed, a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers, accomplished the former, averaging 22.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.9 blocks on 65.9 percent true shooting.

The tasks scribbled down in his journal gave him a daily sense of structure. Every morning began with prayer — Reed says he’s “always been a spiritual person” but connected more intimately that side of himself after being baptized last year. He’d then fire up YouTube for a core workout from Chris Heria’s “Get Shredded” plan, followed by conditioning exercises.

“My neighbors in the Bubble, they used to hear me like early in the morning,” Reed told Dime. “They used to be like, ‘What are you doing? You’re up early, making all that noise.’ But I was getting it out the mud, doing that ugly work.”

If there is one thing you need to know about Reed, it is that he carries a mindset and a mantra alongside him in his NBA journey: Fearless and Out The Mud. He will not be scared of anyone or anything, nor will he ever shy away from the grind and everything it encapsulates, particularly the unglamorous aspects that can make it easy to cut corners.

It’s why a G League MVP and title — the individual and collective apex of this season’s Bubble — were his goals as a rookie. It’s why every day is filled with a combination of core, leg, chest, and conditioning exercises, as well as prayer, meditation, reading, Bible study, and film sessions, the last of which is accompanied by diligent note-taking. It’s why he sought to complete 200 push-ups every day inside the Bubble.

Reed is transparent: He didn’t check off every task in his journal every day — “I was doing most stuff,” he’s quick to stress. But getting every single thing done wasn’t his main objective. He wanted to hold himself accountable and track his progress, at least ensuring he was reinforcing his words with definitive action and expecting more out of himself than anyone else.

“You gotta get out the mud. You ain’t gonna have nobody giving it to you,” Reed says. “And it’s like you gotta go and do some dirty work for it, some work work. It’s not going to be fun, but it’s going to be like ugly. That’s the reality. That’s what some of us got to do to achieve our goals. Do that dirty work, that ugly work that nobody wanna do.”

Those 15 games inside the Bubble provided Reed the opportunity to alert people of his basketball talents — “I feel like a lot of people didn’t know that I was actually good,” he says — while also reinforcing his self-confidence. In the times he’s seen the floor with the Sixers since returning from the G League, he’s visibly more confident in his own abilities.

The challenge for Reed, beyond the imposing duty of acclimating to the gap in competition level between the NBA and G League, is tailoring his game to fit what Philadelphia asks of him. With the Blue Coats, he was the offensive centerpiece, playing 31.5 minutes a night, launching 16.3 shots and averaging 22.3 points per game. With the Sixers, he is expected to embody the responsibilities of a role player, where he focuses on defensive communication and positioning — particularly in pick-and-roll coverage — while setting rugged screens and balancing discretion and aggression as a scorer.

“I try to make sure that I do anything I can to help us win, or making sure we do better when I’m in than when I’m out, just making sure I’m making a positive impact on the game. It’s an adjustment, for sure, (from) being the focal point on offense,” Reed says. “Now, you’re with the team, with everybody that can score and that’s good, so you gotta be more of a team player. I think that’s what (Sixers coach) Doc (Rivers) is looking for in me.”

His Sixers tenure has seen him bond with a bevy of veterans and team leaders. Tobias Harris advises him on how to handle money and connects him with the proper people or resources for further help. Mike Scott pays for his haircuts. Danny Green takes him shopping. Dwight Howard teaches him the ropes of life on the road and how to manage time. He and Ben Simmons often eat out together — specifically at their go-to spot, Steak 48 — and the former No. 1 pick enlightens Reed on how to stay discreet in public areas.

“That’s my guy,” Reed says of Simmons. “All the vets are just looking out for me.”

After Philadelphia’s first preseason game back in December, Reed tweeted, “Finna have to get it out the mud again.” The tweet exploded, garnering over 1,600 likes and an outpouring of responses from Sixers supporters. It laid the groundwork for Reed to become a folk hero among the fanbase. His nickname, “BBall Paul,” a reference to his Twitter handle, is the primary way people refer to him.

The Sixers’ TV broadcast duo of Marc Zumoff and Alaa Abdelnaby call him Bball Paul, as does public address announcer Matt Cord. Despite playing fewer than 200 minutes during the regular season, Reed is carving out a niche within the organization and among Philly’s famously rabid fanbase.

“It gives me a boost of confidence, knowing that the fans like me. It’s a great feeling. I’m just grateful to play for a city that has fans that are so in tune with the teams,” he says. “It caught me off guard. I ain’t think that me tweeting ‘Finna get it out the mud again’ was gonna catch so many people’s attention.”

As a means of bonding with the Sixers community and expanding his personal brand, Reed launched an Out The Mud apparel line through PWRFWD to supplement his Fearless line of merchandise. PWRFWD collaborates with fellow professional athletes such as WNBA superstars A’Ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Liz Cambage, along with NBA peers like Duncan Robinson and Mo Bamba. The intention is “empowering athletes to connect with fans on a deeper level through their own custom-made products.”

That’s the entire inspiration for Reed: sharing his Fearless mindset and Out The Mud mantra with the general population. He will always carry those creeds throughout his basketball journey and PWRFWD is a platform to publicize them.

He says the Out The Mud slides are his favorite item, but the chance to select one favorite became two favorites and then three favorites — because no look is complete without coordination.

“Get you some Out The Mud slides,” he says. “And then, Out The Mud hoodie. … The Out The Mud socks are hard, too.”

Of course, with Reed, everything is always about getting out the mud.

TNT has landed The Great One for its new NHL studio show, as they look to turn their NHL studio coverage into something as beloved as Inside The NBA.

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Wayne Gretzky has agreed to a deal that will pay him around $3 million a year to be the lead face of their studio coverage. Gretzky will bring immediate name recognition for casual hockey fans, and the move comes just after Gretzky announced he was stepping down from his post as vice chairman of the Edmonton Oilers.

Per Marchand, Charles Barkley played a major role in recruiting Gretzky, who passed on offers from ESPN to headline their NHL coverage and will join Turner instead. Barkley and Gretzky are both avid golfers and friends, so Turner had a little extra inside access to tip the scales in their favor to land the biggest name in hockey.

Getting Gretzky is big for TNT, but as they know all too well with Inside The NBA, it’s not just about having big names. They’ll have to ensure they have plenty of personality alongside Gretzky to get him to be open and maximize the value that comes from having such a legendary figure on set. We’ll have to wait to find out who else they have in mind, but with the centerpiece in place they can begin that process of surrounding him with a host and other analysts that they hope can make their new NHL show a hit.

Mr Inbetween (FX, 10:00 & 10:30pm) — The third season begins with Ray’s life looking different, especially while mourning Bruce, raising Brittany, and caring for Bill. Of course, Brittany is growing ever-closer to discovering who Ray really is and what he does, which is doing the hitman thing while holding onto his own strict ethical code and balancing his family life. Meanwhile, severing ties with Freddy complicates matters when a criminal kingpin makes Ray’s struggle feel even more intense. Will he give up the life at any point? He’s starting to question matters.

The Flash (CW, 8:00pm) — A dangerous force descends upon Central City, so Barry and Iris must join forces to halt more destruction.

Mental Samurai (FOX 9:00pm) — Is Rob Lowe on every show now? Not quite, but Season 2 begins with Mr. Handsome and a fresh batch of contestants, including an NFL player who wants to prove his brains in addition to his brawn.

Cruel Summer (Freeform, 9:00pm) — This new series heads into Week Two. The story goes down in the 1990s and follows the aftermath of a popular teen going missing. When a seemingly unrelated shy student suddenly becomes massively popular, well, things look pretty strange. This week, Kate’s struggling to keep a secret or let it go while Mallory receives a surprise.

Mike Tyson: The Knockout (ABC, 8:00pm) — This documentary follows the boxer’s transformation from bullied child to boxing icon, for better or for worse.

Superman & Lois (CW, 9:00pm) — Lois looks for special help from Clark, who’s also attempting to help Jordan with his newfound power.

Chad (TBS, 10:30pm) — SNL veteran Nasim Pedrad takes on the title role, that of a 14-year-old boy, and this week, Chad must choose between popularity and truth when people believe he’s a hate-crime victim.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Gayle King, BTS

Jimmy Kimmel Live — Lena Waithe, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Allison Russell Feat. Brittney Spencer, Brandi Carlile

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Kevin Hart, Chrissy Metz, St. Vincent

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Jake Tapper, Paul W. Downs

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Andrew Rannells

In case you missed these streaming picks:

Army Of The Dead (Netflix film) — Zack Snyder’s pretty much the King of Streaming at the moment after Justice League scored big for HBO Max on the superhero front, and he’s spreading his love around over at Netflix while going back to his undead-loving roots. This zombie-heist movie follows a group of mercenaries who head into the Las Vegas quarantine zone to pull off the ultimate heist. Watch out for those intelligent zombies, through, and an undead tiger. Fortunately, Dave Bautista is aided by hot Tig Notaro (who replaced Chris D’Elia) — both good reasons to root for humanity.

Solos (Amazon Prime limited series) — This dramatic anthology series, which hails from David Weil (who also created Hunters), aims to explore the power of human connection while gazing through the eyes of seven individuals, who embody their own stories. The series stars Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Nicole Beharie, Anthony Mackie, Dan Stevens, and Constance Wu, and expect to witness stories that will illuminate the human experience, even during times of isolation.

Benny Blanco’s 2018 hit song “Eastside,” featuring vocalists Halsey and Khalid, is at the center of a new copyright infringement lawsuit, per TMZ. Musicians from the group American XO submitted the suit to a California federal court, naming Blanco, Halsey, Khalid, as well as co-writer Ed Sheeran, and Universal Music Group, Interscope Records, and Blanco’s Friends Keep Secrets label, as defendants.

None of the defendants have issued a statement as of this writing.

The plaintiffs are American XO songwriters Konstantine Lois and Shane Williams. The suit alleges that Blanco lifted the “Eastside” beat and central guitar riff from their song “Loveless,” which appeared on their 2016 album Pacific Coast Bloody Nose. The suit doesn’t have any definitive evidence that Blanco, or any of the defendants, encountered “Loveless” before writing “Eastside.” The suit quotes older articles, such as a Vibe interview from 2012, to highlight the possibility that Blanco came across the American XO song in his voracious music listening:

“I draw inspiration from everyone. I listen to every type of music. I try to expose myself to 10, 12 new artists every day. I’m listening to everything from Beirut to Wiz to Yo Yo Ma to Arcade Fire. I try to spread it around because you never know. There could be something in one of those songs that gives me an idea to do something like this or something like that.”

The plaintiffs, however, argue that the musical similarity between their song the Top-10 hit is undeniable. “Both the ‘Loveless’ riff and the ‘Eastside’ riff comprise of identical two-note dyads of identical note intervals played over identical beats,” the lawsuit stated. “Both riffs are played on guitar and require identical finger positions.”

The distinctive guitar riff in question is used in the introductions of both songs and repeated throughout. Listen to both songs below:

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

Seth Rogen has starred in and written some of the raunchiest films of the past fifteen years, so you wouldn’t be way out of line to assume he, like a number of other comedians in his shoes, is not a fan of “cancel culture” and that he might be happy to join them in complaining about being “censored.” Not so much.

During a Tuesday stop on Good Morning Britain, the always blunt and thoughtful Rogen had absolutely no complaints about “cancel culture,” which he doesn’t even think of a thing. Instead, Rogen easily acknowledges that jokes aren’t supposed to last forever, and his fellow comedians need to get over it when it happens.

“If you’ve made a joke that’s aged terribly, accept it,” Rogen said while explaining what should be the simple nature of comedy. Taking things even further, Rogen encouraged comedians to confront their prior jokes and emphasized that it’s a good thing to admit they screwed up. Via Mediaite:

“Saying terrible things is bad, so if you’ve said something terrible, then it’s something you should confront in some way, shape, or form. I don’t think that’s cancel culture. That’s you saying something terrible if that’s what you’ve done.”

Rogen’s words arrive just a few days after Chris Rock made headlines by unleashing a rant on cancel culture, which he feels is making entertainment “boring” and leading towards a lot of “unfunny” TV shows and movies. “Now you got a place where people are scared to talk,” Rock said. “Especially in America.”

Maybe Rock and Rogen should sit down and talk this one out. We’d pay to see that.

(Via Mediaite)

Guy Fieri was the recent subject of a profile in the Hollywood Reporter, where the celebrity chef and all-around good guy called out Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for not donating to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. (The karma is real, folks: Bezos was briefly the world’s second richest person last week. Poor guy.)

The piece also revealed that the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives host, who has been with the Food Network since winning The Next Food Network Star in 2006, “signed a new deal” to stay with the network through at least 2024. The Reporter didn’t include a figure, but Forbes did and, well, let’s just say that Fieri’s great-grandkids will be able to afford an Olympic-size swimming pool full of Donkey Sauce for their great-grandkids.

Guy Fieri signed a fresh contract with the Food Network for his popular Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and Guy’s Grocery Games. It will pay the celebrity chef $80 million over three years, a $50 million raise from his prior agreement. The eight-figure deal makes the 53-year-old the top-paid chef on cable TV. Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives generated more than $230 million in 2020 ad revenue for the Food Network, according to data analytics firm Kantar.

Fieri said that he’s been “treated pretty well” by the Food Network. “I got a chance of a lifetime, and I think I played it good,” he added. Here’s to the one mayor whose term limit should never expire.

(Via Forbes)

Back in 2015, Netflix helped usher in our current food TV moment when they launched Chef’s Table. The idea of creating a food docuseries that told the story of the people behind food wasn’t new by any stretch, but the quality and the depth of that genre remained relatively narrow. It’s made up a ton of ground in the past half-decade, with the Chef’s Table empire growing and encompassing a wider range of cultures and stories while new shows also seek to give food the prestige TV treatment.

On May 26th, Netflix is adding another essential food docuseries to the genre they helped build with High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. At its core, High On The Hog is based on the historical work of Dr. Jessica Harris and her book of the same name. The show takes four key elements of Dr. Harris’ book to create a four-part series, with Oscar-winner Roger Ross Williams running the show and chef, writer, and food historian Stephen Satterfield taking on hosting duties.

High on the Hog tackles how the African diaspora informed modern American cuisine and culinary regions through slavery, reconstruction, and the 21st century African American experience. To do so, it goes back to Western Africa — Benin, specifically — with Dr. Harris to dive into the food culture there, then ties those communities back to American foodways, especially in the South. In doing so, the series goes far beyond just drawing lines between West Africa and America’s South. It also walks the audience through how enslaved African chefs helped form the foundations of what would become modern Euro-American cuisine — from Thomas Jefferson’s mac and cheese and vanilla ice cream to the contributions of Black line cooks, farmers, ranchers, chefs, and street vendors since 1619.

The only real misstep with the show that drew my attention — as an Indigenous American who also works as a chef and is keenly interested in food history — was the lack of any connective tissue tying the core Indigenous American ingredients in African and African American cooking to their North American roots and the exchange between Indigenous Americans and African cultures that inform the food we eat today. Corn, tomato, chili pepper, peanut, and so many other Indigenous American dishes and ingredients have become staples in both the Beninese cuisines and African American cuisines specifically highlighted in the series. It would have been interesting to dive into those connections. Perhaps that irritation isn’t so much a shot at this show as it is a desire for more shows like it. I would love to see Dr. Harris and Satterfield dive into Indigenous food history and how it informs “American” foods to this day (topics near and dear to both Dr. Harris and Satterfield).

That issue aside, High On The Hog still plays out with a depth that feels truly important in our current social and political landscape while also retaining Chef’s Table‘s trademark of making food at all levels of the dining experience look genuinely beautiful. To talk through the origin, production, and takeaways of the series, we hopped on a call with chef and host Stephen Satterfield. Check our conversation, below.

Can you give us a little bit of background on how you came to look at food through a historical lens?

I would say that perspective came through the wine industry, and specifically from my education as a sommelier in my late teenage years and early twenties. That perspective is really based on this kind of founding principle in the world of wine called “terroir.” It’s a French word that basically speaks to all of the environmental conditions plus the human input that becomes the quality of the wine. It informs how they make acceptable quality, particularly in a historical context, to say that wine from a particular region should taste a particular way because it usually tastes like this from this place. And I found this perspective to be interesting.

I started to think about that for all kinds of food groups. For apples or Cavendish banana, for instance, why do we always see this model crop? I began to pursue an entire way of thinking about food from the perspective of origin or provenance and then developed a media company around that idea of a kind of “food anthropology.” So I think in some ways my casting for this show is in part connected to my work, deeply connected to the historical lineage, or historical framework.

You were working with Roger Ross Williams, who’s an Oscar winner. What was the process between you and the creative side of the show?

High on the Hog is based on the book by the iconic food scholar, Dr. Jessica B Harris, written in 2011. And so the rights were purchased by Fabienne Toback and Karis Jagger. And essentially through a mutual connection, I was approached by Bobby, one of the executive producers about the project. She asked me if I knew about High on the Hog, which of course I did, much of Dr. Harris’ work is similarly focused on what could broadly be called “food anthropology.” The book is a means of understanding, looking at our past, particularly of the African diaspora too, to make sense of our contemporary foodways and habits. She’s been hugely influential in my thinking, an incredible inspiration. And so I was just floored when it dawned upon me that I was actually being asked to host this series, in part alongside her.

As an Indigenous person from the Pacific Northwest, one of the things that I was curious about was that a lot of these dishes, especially African-American soul food but also in Western African cuisine are now based on ingredients that actually come from the Americas — whether it be chili peppers, corn, pineapple, peanuts, tomatoes, etc. Was there a conversation about looking at the Indigenous beginnings of these cuisines or dishes and the exchange between African and Indigenous cultures in the Americas?

Now you’re really kind of on my corner, personally. I would refer you to my company’s Whetstone magazines. We publish three times a year in print. We’re about to publish our eighth this summer. We also publish online and we cover kind of Indigenous foodways, culinary foodways, and really the migration stories around food from a global perspective. So that would be I think, a conversation for a ‘Whetstone’ interview.

As far as High on the Hog, I think the main impetus was to kind of stick to the script, but do it in a way that enlightens and breaks everything down on a new medium and to a new generation.

What surprised you on this journey while making the show?

I think what was humbling was riding with Texas trail riders, the colloquially named Black Cowboys, who have really done an amazing job of preserving their traditions. I was just floored to be in the presence of probably a hundred beautiful black people on horses as traffic pulled over and took pictures and honked their horns for us as we moved cattle. I mean, it was something I never want to forget or could forget.

I really learned that there are certain parts of our history that can only be understood in experiential ways. Even though I had read about the influence of Black Cowboys in Texas and read about the trail ride, being in their presence really made clear for me how much work and how much love went into preserving their culture.

Growing up in Atlanta, I think the way in which I understood Black culture or actually African-American culture, was really limited. It was humbling for me to see this completely new expression of a beautifully preserved iteration of Black history and culture that I had only read about.

Modern African cuisines are making an impact in American right now. You have wonderful West African restaurants in Portland and East African restaurants in Columbus and Minneapolis and many more. Where do you see the influence of those cuisines on modern American eating today? Is it becoming something that’s more tangible for the average eater or do you still feel like it’s a bit of a diaspora for the migrant communities rather than breaking through to the average American eater?

It’s more tangible than ever and will become increasingly more tangible. That’s the exciting part about the moment that we are in today. You may not see it in every town in the U.S.A. But what you very likely will find in every town is a young enterprising chef, probably in their twenties, doing a pop-up from a particular part of the world in your town, especially in the post-pandemic. And through that, more diverse foods are more accessible than ever. And if they are not financially accessible or geographically accessible, if you have a smartphone, you can find any food. I think it’s the main way that people follow food now.

As a graduate of culinary school, the curriculum is not exclusively rooted in French cuisine, but close. It’s so astonishing to think about our entire framework for restaurants in the United States, the way that we set up our kitchen, the way that we talk about it, or if its quality is based on that framework.

Fortunately, I think my generation is probably the last to fully buy into that. And I think the younger generation coming up now won’t because there’s access to so much information and so much inspiration out there that’s in our pockets all the time. We’re starting to see that knowledge exchange and specialization in the food sector. And I think that’s a really positive and exciting turn.

Absolutely. How would you go about introducing someone to, say, Ghanan cuisine or the core dishes of Benin’s food scene that we saw in the show?

Personally, I would not be making those introductions. I would be making an introduction to the proprietor at the restaurant or someone with a great deal more knowledge than me. I’m not an expert in those particular countries. And I think it’s a really important kind of intellectual diction. Context is extremely important and, all too often, what we do see are incredibly broad strokes. So, what I try to do in my work is very much not be an expert or to purport to be “the one.” But I do try to facilitate those introductions with people who have true genuine knowledge and ideally with the experience or cultural context of the things that they’re talking about, which I think is a much, much richer exchange and way better value proposition for whoever’s going to be joining that table.

Of all the dishes that you tried throughout the show, is there a single dish, food, or ingredients that you’ve brought back home with you and folded into your own cooking?

Wow, that’s so interesting. I will say one thing that wasn’t really focused on, on the show, but did change my life was the condiments. There were these hot green peppers that were pureed with garlic and some other spices that I don’t know. It was like a paste and it was on the table at every restaurant we went to in Benin for every meal, and it was hotter than hell. It was so flavorful and so good.

So before we left, our showrunner, Susannah Guy, went on this amazing expedition, calling friends of friends of friends who had relatives there so we could get this hot sauce by the gallon before we rolled out.

We really, really fell in love with that hot sauce. I’ve been trying to replicate this green, beautiful paste puree that was at every table, and I’ve not managed to do it. I think it has to do with the peppers and me. But, yeah, that really, really stuck with me.

All four episodes of ‘High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America‘ will be available to stream on Netflix on May 26th, 2021.

After his father’s second impeachment trial and removal from office, Donald Trump Jr.’s new brand seems to be having on-camera meltdowns over the most innocuous bits of news.

Case in point: Don Jr. threw a fit over recent media coverage that highlighted President Joe Biden’s exercise routine. Now, as the most powerful world leader and the figurehead of the U.S. government, it feels fair for journalists to inquire into Biden’s health. After all, former President Donald Trump’s staffers used to leak talking points about his diet of Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and that Diet Coke panic button. It’s kind of comforting for American voters to know their current president is more focused on healthy habits.

But apparently, it’s kind of triggering for Don Jr. to hear that Biden is committed to staying fit and healthy because the poor guy absolutely lost it in a video he uploaded to social media early Tuesday.

In the clip, Trump Jr. called out White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki after answered a question or two focused on Biden’s workout regimen. When a reporter inquired into the president’s practice of lifting weights, Psaki responded: “I can tell you traveling with him a fair amount, sometimes he’s hard to keep up with.”

Don Jr. seemed to take offense to the idea that Biden, who’s been in the grueling game of public service for decades longer than his own father, had a strong work ethic, and he made sure that America knew just how upset he was over this piece of news that really has nothing to do with him.

“Really, Jen?” Trump shouts in the video. “He can’t walk up the stairs of Air Force One without falling over! Now, if you said that he’s hard to keep up with because you have no idea what the hell he is saying when he’s speaking, that I would understand. But if you’re going to tell me that he’s hard to keep up with physically when we don’t see him doing anything early … you don’t see him doing anything late.”

You mean like trolling Saturday Night Live on Twitter and watching Fox News? Fair enough.

“I mean, does anyone really believe he’s hard to keep up with?” he continued. “You and I and any reasonable being with a brain has no idea what he’s saying. But these are the hard-hitting questions from the media. I mean, oh, we’re blowing it out. This is journalism. They’re asking all the tough questions! What the hell are you asking about?”

We think they’re asking about the fitness level of the man responsible for governing the free world, Don. Sheesh.

John Prine passed away in April 2020, and the legendary musician left behind a whole bunch of artists who he influenced. This fall, some of them are set to come together to honor Prine for “You Got Gold: Celebrating The Life & Songs Of John Prine,” a week-long series of tribute events that will take place at various venues across Nashville.

The series will feature tribute concerts at venues like the Ryman Auditorium (on October 6 and 7), CMA Theater at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (October 8), and Basement East (October 9). The week will culminate on October 10, which would have been Prine’s birthday. The roster of artists set to participate in the festivities has yet to be revealed.

Proceeds from the week will benefit The Hello In There Foundation a new foundation established by Prine’s family “to honor John’s memory, the work of the foundation will be inspired and guided by John’s simple song title, ‘Hello In There,’ and aims to identify and collaborate with individuals and communities where people of all ages are marginalized, discriminated against or, for any reason, are otherwise forgotten.”

More information about “You Got Gold,” including a more detailed list of festivities, can be found on the event website.

Pusha T is currently hard at work on the follow up to his 2018 LP Daytona. The rapper has confidently said the 12-track effort is his bid for the “best album that drops in 2021.” But the upcoming album isn’t the only project Pusha wants to be working on. In fact, he’s apparently always dreamed of becoming a children’s book author.

Pusha first shared the news in response to a fan’s tweet about playing his Clipse song “Keys Open Doors” for their two-year-old kid. The rapper replied with, “Thanx and I’ve been trying to write a children’s book for years…they won’t publish me…”

One fan offered a theory as to why Pusha has a hard time securing a book contract. “It’s because you’ve used too many regular items as drug references,” they wrote.

Pusha had a simple response, writing: “A simple metaphor can be the death of you…”

If Pusha T did in fact end up securing a book contract, he wouldn’t be the first rapper to write a children’s book. Earlier this year, Lil Nas X unveiled his illustrated ABC picture book C Is For Country. It featured lines like “S is for swag. Just ’cause I’m going to bed doesn’t mean I can’t look good!” and “A is for Adventure. Every day is a brand new start!” In less than a month, the book landed on the New York Times’ best-sellers list. So if Pusha really is committed to children’s literature, he already has some stiff competition.