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Duke Bootee, born Edward Fletcher, died this past Wednesday at the age of 69 following end-stage congestive heart failure. His wife Rosita confirmed the news as well as his cause of death to Rolling Stone. Fletcher was best known for co-writing and appearing on Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s classic record, “The Message,” a song that has been widely celebrated in the hip-hop world since its release in 1982. Two decades later, in 2002, it became the first hip-hop record to be added to the National Registry and a decade after that, Rolling Stones ranked it at No. 1 on its list of the 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs Of All Time.

Fletcher would speak about “The Message” during a 2013 interview with The Guardian. “The neighborhood I was living in, the things I saw — it was like a jungle sometimes in Elizabeth, New Jersey,” he said. “Even though we lived in a nice area, I’d sit in the living room and watch things happening across the street in the park. The lyrics were sort of cinematic: I tried to hold a message up to society.” He added, “Rappers then were in their late teens and made feel-good, upbeat songs to party to, so this was completely new.”

He would eventually step out of the music business in the 1990s and take up teaching. He began as a high school teacher and college professor in New Jersey before he moving to Savannah, GA, in 2007. There, he became a Critical Thinking & Communication lecturer at Savannah State University up until his retirement in 2019.

(via Rolling Stone)

The first game of Sunday’s Divisional round doubleheader saw the Cleveland Browns take on the Chiefs in Kansas City, but for millions of people in the northeastern part of the United States, they were treated to a blank screen when they turned on CBS.

As it turns out some technical difficulties led to many people in Browns country and the tri-state area being without coverage of the start of the game — which was maybe merciful for Browns fans as the Chiefs marched, almost unimpeded, to a touchdown on the opening possession of the game. Still, that didn’t stop there from being a lot of angry NFL fans on Twitter wondering why they were looking at nothing during CBS’ biggest game of the weekend.

The good news is there are some workarounds. ESPN Deportes has the Spanish language broadcast of the game and, for Fios customers and others, that broadcast is working, just sans Romo and Nantz.

Other options include streaming on the NFL app or on NFL.com as you can log in with your TV provider and watch the stream that way. It’s not the ideal setup and people who pay hundreds of dollars a month for cable are understandably upset, but you can still get your Browns-Chiefs fix, it’ll just take a touch more effort than usual.

Griselda is coming off an extremely strong 2020 thanks to projects like Westside Gunn’s Pray For Paris, Amani Caesar’s The Liz, and Benny The Butcher’s Burden Of Proof. The group is already off to a good start in 2021: They recently shared their film, Conflicted, which arrived after the movie’s official soundtrack that saw contributions from Westside, Benny, Caesar, Boldy James, Dave East, Lloyd Banks, and more. However, a noticeable omission from both projects was Conway The Machine, who was nowhere to be found on the soundtrack or in the movie. Now, thanks to a few comments from the rapper on social media, some fans believe he’s on his way out of Griselda.

The @HiphopPedia Twitter shared a tweet with two images on Sunday morning. One image came from an Instagram comment section that sees one fan seemingly under a post from Conway and saying, “Please tell me you haven’t left GRISELDA!” Conway offers a one-word response saying, “sorry.”

In the second image the Buffalo rapper tweets, “Tired of bein silent… then n****s not real as me, that’s why I’m ME f*ck them n****s.” Conway would respond to the tweet from @HiphopPedia, but didn’t deny that there were issues within the group. “No I still have 1 album left,” he said, signaling that a departure could be possible after his next release. Another supporter chimed in with a question and asked, “are you not gonna work with them after that anymore?” Conway then pushed rumors of a departure even further by replying with a gif that showed his uncertainty for a relationship with the group.

Elsewhere, in response to one of his tweets, a Twitter user mentioned Conway and said, “No mention of Conway in the movie, soundtrack or in the nfl promo .. n****s moving funny.” He delivered another short reply to the tweet and simply said, “I don’t exist.” It remains to be seen how Griselda and Conway himself handles the situation moving forward. You can see the interaction between Conway and his fans above.

Life in quarantine is tough for everyone, but for millions of Americans the extended time spent at home amid the coronavirus pandemic has brought a lot more hours to watch TV and movies they may have missed. Or if that sounds boring, they can simply tweet about movies and get their stars to defend them on Twitter.

The latter happened over the weekend when someone on Twitter derided Master and Commander and its star, Russell Crowe, hopped online to slam the critic and praise both the film and its director. The 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World starred Crowe as a seafaring captain during the Napoleonic Wars. The film, though a bit anonymous 17 years later, has a respectable 81 rating on Metacritic (and 7.4 on IMDB if you’re feeling that instead) but the tweet that got things started described it more as a movie that will put you to bed.

The original tweet was from January 8, but it tagged Crowe, who has 2.7 million followers on the site and hopefully isn’t checking his mentions too thoroughly like the rest of us. But he did eventually get back to Ian, defending the film and lavishing praise on director Peter Weir along the way.

Crowe called it a movie for adults, implying the man criticizing him was simply a child. Unfortunately, his distaste for the film isn’t related to any boomer-millennial strife.

But the moment immediately went viral, with a lot of people weighing in on the movie, the critique, and Crowe’s response to boot. There were also a lot of people praising the film despite the viral tweet.

A number of critics were quite literally cheering Crowe on.

There was something fun about seeing a random movie from 17 years ago pop up on Twitter, especially given we are just a few weeks removed from Bean Dad.

If anything, the viral moment is likely to get a few more people watching Master and Commander again, or perhaps for the first time. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime, if you need it.

There are two NFL Divisional Playoff games happening on Sunday but once again the dominant talking point of a playoff Sunday is the status of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s discontent with the Houston Texans.

Watson’s frustration with the situation in Houston has been widely reported, and a week ago, word emerged that he could consider pushing for a trade if the Texans don’t make some major organizational changes. Houston has apparently, finally, reached out to interview Chiefs OC Eric Bienemy, who is Watson’s preferred head coaching candidate, and it’s possible that should they hire him things can be smoothed over with the superstar.

However, things only got worse for the Texans this week when the best player in franchise history, Andre Johnson, called out the organization and specifically VP Jack Easterby for regularly “wasting players careers” and telling Watson to stand his ground. On Sunday, reports shifted from “Watson may look to leave Houston” to a growing belief that he has played his last game, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

It seems to be a matter of Bienemy or bust if the Texans are to keep Watson around, and as Schefter also reported, the job may not be all that appetizing to someone of Bienemy’s stature right now.

Mortensen and Schefter both went on Sunday NFL Countdown to note that Watson was likely done in Houston, with Miami still as a preferred destination, but what would be fascinating about a Watson trade sweepstakes is that nearly every team in the league would at least have to reach out to see what Houston is looking for. It should be noted that there is no reporting that a trade request is official and Watson hasn’t even spoken with the Texans brass about his future just yet, but the writing seems to be on the wall that barring something rather dramatic changing in the organization, this may be it.

As for trade possibilities, Miami fits the bill of being a team on the rise with an intriguing young QB that Houston could see as a long-term solution and tons of draft capital, but other teams can likewise make major offers. The Jets have tons of draft picks at their disposal as well, while teams like the 49ers could offer a QB swap with Jimmy Garoppolo as well as draft compensation. In total, you have to think two-thirds of the league, at least, would be putting in calls because it’s exceedingly rare that a quarterback of Watson’s caliber — a legit top-5 QB talent in the NFL — hits the trade market. Watson will have final say on the matter as he has a no-trade clause, but that also means other contenders might jump into the mix feeling they can convince him they provide the best opportunity to win now.

While it is the latest sign of dysfunction in Houston, it also presents them with the opportunity to remake their organization with one trade, and if Watson really is done with the Texans that will just have to be their viewpoint going forward.

Wednesday will mark two weeks since a failed MAGA coup saw people storm Capitol Hill in an attempt to undo Donald Trump’s election loss to Joe Biden and, according to some reports, cause harm to government leaders. According to Forbes, the FBI says it has identified more than 200 suspects and arrested over 100 suspects since the January 6 riot.

This includes Arkansas native Richard Barnett who was charged with unlawfully entering the US Capitol, disorderly conduct, and theft of public property. Initially, Barnett won permission from Arkansas-based U.S. magistrate judge Erin Weidemann to return home and await trial for his charges on house arrest with “very, very restrictive conditions,” but U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell would later block the release. However, before Judge Howell could overturn the ruling, Meek Mill took to Instagram to share his disappointment with the initial decision.

The rapper shared a screenshot of a tweet from Politico that announced Judge Weidemann’s initial decision to Instagram with a lengthy caption. “My whole race in jail for tryna protect themselves or some petty drugs! We living in the middle of a silent war! You can run in the state capitol and get house arrest?” Meek questioned. “Just pay attention to that part …ain’t no protest that can fix that! We have no protection in the system as black folks and it’s not no telling what’s next!!!! Didn’t people die in that sh*t ….we would of had conspiracy to terrorism or something they made up.”

You can read his post above.

Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Saturday night was a good one on the eastern shores of Lake Erie, as the Buffalo Bills beat the Baltimore Ravens at home to reach the AFC title game for the first time since 1994. Buffalo got a bit of luck and a huge play from Taron Johnson, who returned an interception of Lamar Jackson 101 yards for a touchdown and turned the game on its head late in the third quarter.

If you haven’t seen that, please watch it from the field level and enjoy how wild the 6,700 Bills fans went who were allowed in the stadium in Orchard Park.

That’s a good indication of how the entire city erupted during one of the biggest plays in franchise history. No, really.

And it served as a prelude to a wild party that was sparked in Buffalo after the game. As those listening to the scanners in Buffalo could tell you, the party caused a traffic jam outside of Buffalo city hall with people celebrating in the roundabout out front.

Even Griselda’s Westside Gunn was outside taking it all in, hopefully from a safe distance and with everyone wearing masks because we’re still in the middle of a pandemic.

A bit further north on Elmwood Avenue, the party was a bit more cliche. At the intersection of Allen and Elmwood in the Allentown region of the city — temporarily renamed Josh Allentown, of course — traffic was stopped altogether so an impromptu party could have someone leap through a folding table.

There were also a lot of fireworks going off in the city.

Back online, where social distancing was a bit more possible and things were safer, the Bills team Twitter account roasted a Ravens player for disrespecting the Buffalo origins of chicken wings.

Humphrey did own up to simply not knowing, which was a nice moment that can serve as a lesson in humility to us all.

There’s something to be said for restraint in celebrations for a number of reasons, starting with health and safety in a pandemic. And the Bills as a franchise have been here before: five times the Bills have made it to the AFC title game and they appeared in the Super Bowl four straight years in the 1990s. But that was a very long time ago, and the city’s sports fans have endured some real misery in the interim, not to mention losing all four of those Super Bowls. In a year like this, and with a team like the Bills have improbably put together, it certainly feels right to get excited about being a game away from another crack at finally winning it all.

The Boston Celtics moved atop the Eastern Conference standings with a thorough dismantling of the Orlando Magic on Friday, moving them to 8-3 on the season. It’s an excellent record for any team, but especially one that has been without the services of their All-Star point guard, as Kemba Walker missed the first 11 games of the season rehabbing from a procedure on his knee this offseason.

On Sunday morning, Brad Stevens announced that Walker would indeed be making his season debut for their game against the Knicks that afternoon, with the All-Star being restricted to playing 20 minutes in his first game back. The Celtics will be careful in bringing Walker along, particularly given how his issues with that knee last season lingered and caused him to be not his normal self in the Bubble. Still, getting him back in the rotation figures to only elevate what has been the league’s sixth best offense to start the season.

One would expect in games Walker plays that Payton Pritchard and Jeff Teague will see reductions in playing time, as they will not have to rely as heavily on their point guard reserves. We’ll find out on Sunday how quickly Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown can regain their rhythm and continuity together, but Walker’s return is a welcome sight for the Celtics.

Legendary music producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector died in prison at the age of 81. According to TMZ, Spector died of coronavirus complications after he was diagnosed with coronavirus while serving a 19-year sentence for the 2009 murder of Lana Clarkson. The platform reports that he tested positive about four weeks ago and was transferred to the hospital to be treated. After seemingly recovering from the virus, he returned to prison but his symptoms returned once again as he experienced trouble breathing. He was rushed to the hospital where, unfortunately, he died on Saturday.

Born in the Bronx in 1939, Spector grew to be one of pop music’s most influential names. One of his biggest accomplishments was creating the “Wall Of Sound,” a technique he developed to create a fuller sound in the studio, one that gave an orchestral aesthetic.

His career began in high school when he landed his first big record thanks to Teddy Bears’ “To Know Him is To Love Him,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. Spector would continue to have success in the music world thanks to records like “You Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” “Unchained Melody,” and “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” with The Righteous Brothers. He would later produce The Beatles’ last album Let It Be and some of John Lennon’s solo records including “Instant Karma” and “Imagine.” Spector was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

In 2009, Spector was sentenced to 19 years in prison following the 2003 murder of actress Lana Jackson. The trial for second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a crime charges began in 2007 but it was later declared a mistrial due to a hung jury. A retrial in 2008 produced a guilty verdict the following year. Spector was eligible for parole in 2024 prior to his death.

(via TMZ)

The music world was shaken when news arrived that Dr. Dre suffered a brain aneurysm earlier this month. It was initially reported by TMZ who revealed that the health scare occurred on January 4 despite fans learning about it the following day. Almost two weeks later, though, the hip-hop mogul is finally back home and he wasted no time getting back to work in the studio with some of his closest collaborators.

TMZ first reported that Dr. Dre was released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA before Ice T confirmed the news hours later on Friday with a tweet that read, “Update: Just FaceTimed with @drdre He just made it home. Safe and looking good.” Now we have an image of his return and seemingly improved health to go with the tweet.

One of Dre’s longtime collaborators, Grammy award-winning producer Dem Jointz, shared a picture of him, Dre, and a number of other producers sitting together in the studio. The image displayed the support system he has around him while the comments section captured the overall joy fans and fellow musicians felt seeing him in a better state. Names like Ghostface Killer, DJ Premier, and 2 Chainz showed love to him, clearly happy that he’s back home and improving.

Doctors are still unsure was caused Dre’s aneurysm and despite a return back home, they’ve ordered that he be monitored 24/7 as they look to find the cause. A few days after he was hospitalized, Dre shared a picture on Instagram with a caption that thanked fans for their support. “Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes,” he wrote. “I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars.”

You can check out the picture of Dr. Dre and friends in the studio above.