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Dallas crooner Kaash Paige joins Chattanooga rapper Isaiah Rashad for a low-key day touring their adopted hometown in the lo-fi “Problems” video from her debut album Teenage Fever. Lyrically, the song explores Kaash’s self-destructive ways and the negative effect they can have on her relationships. “List all my problems,” she warns. “I’m inconsistent / If you text or called I probably missed it.” She also jokes that she spends too much money and time soul searching.

Kaash has become a breakout star on the rise since dropping “Love Songs” in 2018 at just 17 years old, drawing in fans with her raw honesty and relatable songwriting — songwriting that plays to both men and women (and everyone else) as she writes about relationships with both. As she told Uproxx earlier this year: “I thought of Teenage Fever because I’m 19 years old. It’s really my last year of being a teen. I just wanted to put every emotion that I went through in the lyrics and the songs. In the production, I feel like the songs and the energy just makes you feel either super excited or moody.”

Meanwhile, Isaiah Rashad has been plotting on a return, releasing “Why Worry” in April as part of Top Dawg Appreciation Week. However, he says he won’t be dropping a new album until he has a verse on it from his personal homestate hero, Young Dolph.

Watch Kaash Paige’s “Problems” video above.

The Freaks and Geeks cast is full of then-unknown, now-famous actors, including Linda Cardellini, James Franco, and Jason Segel. But the biggest name to come out of the high school-set cult series is Seth Rogen, who was all of 16 years old when he was offered the role of sarcastic “freak” Ken. Freaks and Geeks was tragically canceled after one season, but he quickly joined the nearly-as-good Undeclared… which was also axed after a single season. Since then, Rogen has done sporadic TV work, including playing Dirty Randy on The League and producing Preacher, Black Monday, and The Boys, but he’s mostly known for his movies. The same is true for Rose Byrne, even though she was nominated for two Emmys for her role on Damages (she should have been nominated for an Oscar for Get Him to the Greek, but that’s a wound I’m trying to heal).

Together, Rogen and Byrne played a married couple in Neighbors and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, both of which are funnier than a college frat movie made in the 2010s should be, and now they’re reuniting for a new comedy series on Apple TV+.

Platonic is described as a “10-episode half-hour comedy which explores the inner workings of platonic friendship. A pair of former best friends who met in their youth (played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen) reconnect as adults and try to mend the rift that led to their falling out. As their friendship becomes more consuming, it destabilizes their lives and causes them to reevaluate their choices.” Platonic was written by Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller, who directed Get Him to the Greek and both Neighbors.

Good things happen when Rose Byrne gets weird.

With the election just one week away, many musicians are using their platform to encourage fans to vote. Even international artists like Dua Lipa are calling on Americans to cast their ballots on election day. In order to further understand issues on the American ballot this year, Lipa sat down with Bernie Sanders to ask the senator questions about voting, racial justice, and universal healthcare.

Starting off the conversation, Dua asked Sanders if Americans had the chance to vote on issues of police brutality on this year’s ballot. “I personally feel very deeply about Black Lives Matter and seeing justice for police brutality,” Dua said. “If I’m American and I feel strongly about that, is that something that I can vote for or vote on with this ballot?”

Bernie responded, “Absolutely.” The senator said: “We have to deal with the reality that in America, we have more people in jail today, disproportionately Black, Latino, and Native American, than any other country on earth. We have more people in jail than China does, which is a communist authoritarian country four times our size. It’s about racism and it’s about poverty and that’s an issue that Biden and a Democratic Congress will deal with.”

Eventually, Dua turned the conversation to the topic of healthcare. The singer said that because she has grown up in a country that considers healthcare a right, she doesn’t understand why some Americans are against making it universal. “This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been devastating on so many levels,” she said. “All over the world, the one thing it’s done is really exposed the inequality in healthcare.”

To answer, Bernie turned her question back around. “When you get sick, or somebody in your family has to go to the hospital, how much does it cost for you to go?” he asked. Dua responded, “It’s completely free. For us Brits, we consider the NHS a right, just like having running water in our house.”

Watch Dua Lipa and Bernie Sanders discuss voting and universal health care above.

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

If Netflix is looking to become the top destination for adaptations of blockbuster video games, it’s on the right track. The streaming service has officially closed a deal with prolific publisher Ubisoft that will pave the way for several “live-action, animated, and anime” series based on the hugely popular series Assassin’s Creed. For over a decade, the franchise has launched one hit installment after another on an almost yearly basis, and now, that vast gaming world will be the groundwork for several projects headed to Netflix. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

“We’re excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multilayered storytelling that Assassin’s Creed is beloved for,” said Peter Friedlander, vp originals at Netflix. “From its breathtaking historical worlds and massive global appeal as one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, we are committed to carefully crafting epic and thrilling entertainment based on this distinct IP and provide a deeper dive for fans and our members around the world to enjoy.”

As fans of the hit series know, a live-action Assassin’s Creed film starring Michael Fassbender was released in 2016 with not-so-great results. However, Netflix has shown a deft hand at adapting video game franchises into live-action series. The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill, has been an international hit for the streaming service, and it’s clear that Netflix is aiming to replicate that success with not only Assassin’s Creed but also the recently announced Resident Evil series. As for anime adaptations, Netflix has received critical acclaim for its Castlevania series based on the classic, vampire-hunting video game.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Throughout the NBA’s Bubble season in Orlando, LeBron James kept an off-court focus on the issue of voter suppression and encouraging people, particularly in the Black community, to vote in this year’s election.

While millions of early voting ballots have already been turned in, either via mail or at early voting locations, there’s still a critical importance on the Nov. 3 election day and people showing up in droves. James, who launched the More Than A Vote initiative this summer, has partnered with a number of other major athletes to call attention to the importance of voting this year (and in future elections) as well as instances of voter suppression that happen around the country, often targeting Black and minority communities.

This week, James will make his final push to draw attention to push people to the polls when he sits down with former president Barack Obama for a special episode of Uninterrupted and HBO’s The Shop.

There will surely be some discussion of the Lakers and their run to a title in the Bubble, because Obama is a massive hoops fan, but the focus of the episode will certainly be on voting and this upcoming election. The episode will air on Friday, October 30 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max.

During a recent livestream performance, Kevin Morby debuted a new song called “US Mail,” and now he has shared the track as a standalone single. The synth-led track tells the story of a mother and daughter communicating via the USPS from within an inpatient rehab facility. Morby offered that explanation in a statement accompanying the track, in which he also shared his love for the USPS and noted that his PO Box address is on the single art.

Listen to “US Mail” and watch the original live performance above, read Morby’s full message about the track below, and revisit our recent interview with Morby here.

“‘US Mail’ is a song I wrote about a mother communicating with her daughter via the USPS from within an inpatient rehab facility. Restricted from any forms of electronic communication, the two must rely on postcards carried by the United States Postal Service to reach one another.

My PO BOX is featured on the track artwork — please feel free to write me a letter and continue sending mail to your loved ones to support the USPS. It’s service has been integral to my career and I have been passionate about both sending and receiving physical mail since I was a child. It is simply one of my favorite things. I will do my best to write you back, but even if I don’t, please know that your letters mean the world to me and that I read and cherish them all.

Though we had originally intended to record this song in studio while mixing Sundowner, when the lockdown went into effect and the session was cancelled we decided to do it remotely instead, with Brad recording the music and me recording the vocals from our respective homes.

This release is dedicated to mothers and their children — and all postal workers everywhere.

Xoxo
KM, Kansas City 2020.”

This year’s Masters Tournament will truly be a tradition like no other when the best golfers in the world descend on Augusta, Georgia from November 9-15 for the postponed major.

There will not be patrons on the grounds of Augusta National this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and between an empty golf course aside from the players and the azaleas not in bloom because it’s November, it’s going to look different than it ever has. The Masters and Augusta National are embracing that and plan to offer a variety of new, 2020-only looks at the course in partnership with CBS and ESPN, like new camera locations and shots on holes to showcase the entirety of the course.

Moving day at the Masters will also take place on a college football Saturday, and on Tuesday the club announced that ESPN’s College Gameday, which has still been doing its road show, just inside stadiums and without fans, will be coming to Augusta. They will be placed above the pond and 9th green on the Par 3 course at Augusta National, where they’ll do their show from a very different, but still iconic, location than usual.

It’ll be pretty cool to see the Gameday crew tucked away in the Par 3 course in the pines, and one can only hope that Corso takes some cuts off the 9th tee as part of his headgear pick.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

There is a long-running joke on social media about Ty Dolla Sign that refers to his laundry list of guest features over the past few years. Fans have labeled this collection as “sprinkled parsley” over his collaborators’ body of work and, well, this comparison is fairly accurate. Ty Dolla Sign, just like parsley, seems to be an easily accessible commodity as he’s appeared on more than 75 tracks in the past three years. Despite this frequency, his contributions and their influence should not be diminished. Parsley brings an added boost of flavor to a meal and Ty does the same with his appearances. It’s rare to hear that the Westside crooner “missed” on a feature and that is an undeniable gold star in Ty’s career.

However, in the three years since his last solo body of work, Beach House 3, Ty’s collective guest work has not only grown to overshadow the project but the bulk of his discography as well. Enough so, that grew to become a large part of his artistry and his identity, something he embraces fully on his new album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign. Here, Ty alters the way the average music fan perceives the word “feature” and aligns it to be adjacent with “headlining,” all to stress that his presence is worth noting whether he’s a lead or guest act.

The reason Ty is worthy of such notability is rooted in the fact that he knows exactly what to give and/or bring to every song. It’s the awareness that despite his consistency with hooks on a plethora of tracks, he opted to have Young Thug sing the hook on “Lift Me Up.” The track’s experience is — yes, I’m going to do this — uplifted as Ty opts to induce aural euphoria by harmonizing behind Young Thug’s levitating hook. It’s the knowledge to call on Kehlani for a track like “Universe,” one that perfectly fits her spiritual and well-grounded nature. Even Post Malone’s feature on “Spicy” gives the track an added rugged and smokey touch. The features on Featuring Ty Dolla Sign are perfectly placed, proving that Ty has become an expert at knowing what a song needs without using some type of written formula, like a chef that knows what ingredient a meal lacks without glancing at the cookbook.

While Ty’s collaborations with a large number of artists in a wide range of styles are golden, it’s not to say his solo work is lacking in any way. Featuring Ty Dolla Sign shows enough instances where the West Coast crooner shines in the spotlight with little help. Ty once again flaunts his undeniable sex appeal on the excellently constructed track, “Everywhere.” The track focuses on the quantity of Ty’s intimate interactions with his lone love interest rather than the number of women he could have these interactions with as his sonically-similar “Horses In The Stable” track from his Free TC debut professed. It joins the many B-side highlights that Ty holds to his name, a group that is unfortunately often overlooked by the masses.

The length of Featuring Ty Dolla Sign was a bit concerning before its release. A collection of 25 songs usually produces a project with a disruptive amount of skips that ruin the continuous experience. Ty somehow stays clear of this issue on his third album. Featuring Ty Dolla Sign only presents a few skippable tracks and a well-sequenced tracklist that portrays all the flavors Ty has to offer, from sultry intimacy to unwavering confidence. More specifically, the second half of the album is arguably the strongest section of his career. He brings listeners into the ideal Ty Dolla Sign experience, one that he has now perfected as he nears his industry vet status. He achieves this thanks to tracks like the hopeful and optimistic “Time Will Tell” and “Real Life” with Roddy Ricch and Mustard, as well as the braggadocious “Powder Blue” with Gunna that join the aforementioned songs in creating an irresistible string of music.

While Featuring Ty Dolla Sign might be a play on the narrative that’s surrounded his career over the past few years, it comes off more like an unveiling of a new show. This is Ty Dolla Sign’s stage, it’s his opening night and he’s here to execute everything perfectly, and you better believe he did. When Lil Wayne mocked rappers for needing a subject, a beat, a producer, and someone on the hook, he may not have expected someone like Ty Dolla Sign to come along. The West Coaster can provide all that and more in his work, making him more than worthy of the title of the game’s most multifaceted talent.

Featuring Ty Dolla Sign is out now via Taylor Gang/Atlantic Records. Get it here.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Rina Sawayama is a rising force in pop, and she put herself on many people’s radars in 2020 with the release of her exceptional debut album, Sawayama. She continued to build upon her sterling reputation last night with a performance of “XS” on The Tonight Show, which was her US television debut. Joined by a band and dancers, Sawayama began dramatically backlit before launching into the song that melds pop with metal and critiques modern consumerism.

Sawayama previously said of the track, “‘XS’ is a song that mocks capitalism in a sinking world. Given that we all know global climate change is accelerating and human extinction is a very real possibility within our lifetime, it seemed hilarious to me that brands were still coming out with new makeup palettes every month and public figures were doing a gigantic house tour of their gated property in Calabasas in the same week as doing a ‘sad about Australian wild fires’ Instagram post. I mean, I’m guilty of turning a blind eye, too, because otherwise it makes me depressed. We’re all hypocrites because we are all capitalists, and it’s a trap that I don’t see us getting out of. I wanted to reflect the chaos of this post-truth climate change denying world in the metal guitar stabs that flare up like an underlying zit between the 2000s R&B beat that reminds you of a time when everything was alright.”

Watch Sawayama’s performance above and revisit our review of Sawayama here.

The “Aim For The Moon” video from Pop Smoke’s posthumous album utilizes a time-honored hip-hop tradition to work around the loss of the Brooklyn rapper, employing a pair of pint-sized stand-ins for Pop Smoke and Quavo. Previously employed by everyone from Biggie to Macklemore, the “get child doppelgangers to perform these wildly inappropriate verses” schtick almost never fails, and Pop Smoke’s team sticks the landing here. The mini-Smoke and Quavo kids are given the run of a massive mansion and go cruising in a Maybach, all while perfectly lip-syncing the pulsating drill song’s boastful lyrics.

Both videos from Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon has had to employ some kind of workaround after Pop Smoke’s tragic death earlier this year (yes, this year. 2020 has been a decade long, at least). The video for “The Woo” featured live performance footage cut into 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch’s video appearances, while Pop Smoke’s features from other artists’ videos used old footage shot before his death. Thanks to his prodigious work ethic, though, there has been plenty of new material to go around. Not only were 50 Cent and Pop Smoke’s manager able to put together a deluxe version of his album, but he was also featured on a number of tracks from artists like Lil Tjay, Gunna, Nav, and Fivio Foreign.

Watch the “Aim For The Moon” video above.