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Rudy Giuliani was “America’s Mayor,” the (fabled) savior of post-9/11 New York City. He was named Time‘s Person of the Year, knighted by the freaking queen (not to be confused with Queens; the Yankees fan isn’t welcome there), and appeared in an Adam Sandler movie, the greatest honor of all. But now and forever, Trump’s personal attorney, who once revealed confidential information after butt-dialing a reporter, will forever be known as the guy who got into a feud with Borat. Not Sacha Baron Cohen, but Borat.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, out this Friday, features a scene where Giuliani gets duped by Borat’s daughter, played by actress Maria Bakalova. As described by the Guardian, “The pair retreat at her suggestion for a drink to the bedroom of a hotel suite… After she removes his microphone, Giuliani, 76, can be seen lying back on the bed, fiddling with his untucked shirt and reaching into his trousers.” That’s when Baron Cohen, as Borat, barges in and says, “She’s 15. She’s too old for you.” Giuliani, who called the encounter a “hit job” on WABC radio, tweeted about the incident on Thursday. It’s… something!

“Today show features Borat’s false description of me. Anything Trump. But they censor Biden’s partner saying Joe Biden is THE BIG GUY getting money, 10% of millions, from Chinese Communists. I got the cops on Borat. And I finally got the FBI on the #BidenCrimeFamiily,” Giuliani tweeted. It has since been deleted. I have no idea what the hell he’s talking, because a) it’s gibberish, and b) “I got the cops on Borat” broke my brain. Does Rudy think Borat is a real person? It’s a question many people are saying.

Rudy Giuliani, Borat, Trump — it’s somehow 2001, 2006, and 2020 all at once.

Usually, when Black Thought appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, it’s as a member of house band The Roots, a position that lets him riff with the host and show off his impressive rhyme skills in funny sketches. Last night, though, he received the opportunity to appear on the show as a musical guest, performing a medley of songs from his upcoming Streams Of Thought, Vol. 3 EP. The Roots frontman was joined by guests The Last Artful, Dodgr and Portugal. The Man to perform “Quiet Trip” and “Nature Of The Beast.”

Naturally, Thought employed a framing device that was fitting for the current social climate, presenting the performance as a Zoom call between himself and his featured artists, overlaid on a cleverly-designed desktop. Black Thought, Dodgr, and the members of Portugal pop up in windows, then as a multi-paneled chat with Streams Of Thought producer Sean C. making a cameo appearance with his MPC as Thought ruminates on the “Nature Of The Beast.”

The road to the third volume of Streams Of Thought has hit its fair share of bumps and curves. After sharing “Thought Vs. Everybody” in July, he was forced to delay the release in the wake of the death of former Roots crew member Malik B. However, he’s been pretty visible all year, joining Public Enemy for a remix of their seminal hit “Fight The Power,” giving a Tiny Desk Concert from his home office, and sharing the single “Good Morning” featuring Killer Mike and Pusha T.

Watch Black Thought’s Tonight Show performance above.

Netflix released their second volume of Unsolved Mysteries revival episodes earlier this week, and authorities are already following up on progress that’s finally being made in a decades-long case. It was an installment that I found particularly chilling, given that convicted killer Lester Eubanks was somehow allowed to leave an Ohio prison (where he sat on death row but had his sentence commuted to life when the Supreme Court declared the death penalty to be unconstitutional in 1972) to go holiday shopping. Naturally, he went on the lam and decided never to return, and an on-air investigator pointed out that there weren’t even warrants out for his re-arrest, 20 years later.

The details of the case read like a bad horror movie. Eubanks had been convicted of killing a teenage girl, Mary Ellen Deener. He raped and beat her, shot her twice, and then bashed her head in with a brick to finish her off. Yet someone still believed that it was a wise idea for Eubanks to take an out-of-prison break (while unguarded) because of “good behavior.” The justice system dropped the ball and repeatedly declined to pick it up again, but now, authorities believe their trail to Eubanks is getting warmer.

USA Today relays word from Brian Fitzgibbon of the U.S. Marshal Service, who said that Eubanks is not only “alive,” but “I feel like we’re getting closer.” Fitzgibbon also revealed that tips are pouring in, and as more people watch Unsolved Mysteries, hopefully that trend will only increase, and at least a few of those tips might lead somewhere concrete. Fitzgibbon insisted that all tips are valued, but mainly, “We’re looking for any information to his life on the run or the history of his life on the run.”

Eubanks would be 76 years old now. Yet as the capture and sentencing of Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo (now 74) proved, it’s never too late for citizen detectives to help lead authorities toward nabbing a murderer. Eubanks was 5-foot-11 and approximately 175 pounds when he embarked upon that “holiday shopping” adventure and evaporated without a trace. Unsolved Mysteries is circulating an age-progression sketch (from the National Center For Missing And Exploited Children) that depicts how Lester Eubanks might look today.

(Via USA Today)

A UK musician named Matt Grant found himself at the wrong end of an unfortunate situation recently: He was busking in Edinburgh, Scotland, as he does regularly, when somebody decided to smash his guitar. He started a GoFundMe campaign to help replace the damaged instrument and wrote, “Today the worst thing that could have happened happened. Someone came up while I was busking and smashed my guitar. The lady was a drunk. Often I don’t rise to people coming up and talking nonsense but this lady was pushing it too far. She was in my face swearing and shouting at me. I told her to go away and she wasn’t having any of it. She grabbed my guitar and smashed it over the ground. I got grabbed by The police intervened she was arrested. But now I’m out of a guitar to busk with for the time being.”

Grant didn’t need the money from the GoFundMe, though (he raised £4,196, about $5,500): When Jack White heard about Grant’s story, he decided to help by buying him a new guitar worth £3,600 (about $4,700).

The incident occurred on October 20, and after that, White’s management contacted Grant. White apparently spotted the page and felt bad about what happened, so he found the music store Grant shopped at and arranged to pay for whatever six-string Grant wanted.

Grant told the Daily Mail, “It’s just amazing. I was in the guitar shop and the manager had been trying to get hold of me all day on the GoFundMe page, but I had closed it as I already had more than enough donations in. He said: ‘Jack saw what happened, bud, and he wants to get you a guitar.’ I said I already had one now because I had been in and bought my new acoustic one and he said, ‘Keep that one and get another one. Jack really wants to help.’ I was like a kid in a sweetie shop, going around trying out all the guitars until I picked the one I wanted.”

Grant went with a Fender Stratocaster and wrote on Instagram, “Absolute once in a million lifetimes thing happened today and I cannot thank Jack enough for his absolute generosity. Apparently he saw what happened and hit up his manager just this morning, who then amazingly tracked me down to the guitar shop just in time for me to walk out with this absolute beauty. Thanks Jack. I’d love to thank you personally one day, you’re a legend. ”

Find more of Grant’s posts about the situation below.

During a recent live stream for the Adobe MAX 2020 Creativity Conference, Tyler The Creator revealed a creative video in which he reveals his favorite films and albums to a very special interviewer: Himself. The interview, which was edited by D’Anthony Hamilton on Adobe Premiere for a discussion on “thought leadership” — a category Tyler knows a bit about, as his pioneering vision behind endeavors like Odd Future, Loiter Squad, and The Jellies!, as well as the innovative artistry attached to his own music, has opened doors for other DIY successors like Brockhampton.

The interview video finds Tyler subtly mocking the cultural gatekeepers of hip-hop, adopting a very Funk Flex-ish, New York old head demeanor to grill himself about movies and albums. After running down a list of NY hip-hop “legends” including Fabolous, Jim Jones, and Papoose, “NY Ty” asks “What’s your five favorite albums? And I know you one of them weird, eclectic n****s that be like, ‘Ehhh, Korg,’ and all that.” It’s definitely reminiscent of the way establishment hip-hop heads received Tyler during his initial rise to fame after “Yonkers.”

Tyler reveals that his five favorite albums include Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP, Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun, NERD’s In Search Of…, and Pharrell’s In My Mind. He can’t come up with a fifth. Meanwhile, the movies are easier: 20th Century Women, The Cat in the Hat, Napoleon Dynamite, and Scary Movie 2 all top his list. He also reveals advice he’d give to his 18-year-old self, his favorite places to visit, and which artists he’d want to work with.

The whole thing is hilarious and insightful. Check out his answers above.

In 2019, Thom Zimny and Bruce Springsteen co-directed Western Stars, a meditation of sorts based on Springsteen’s album of the same name. Springsteen’s thinking was he didn’t want to embark on a tour promoting that solo album, especially with plans for a new, full E Street Band album on the horizon the next year, with a whole huge tour attached. So, instead, the film would serve as the tour.

Well, hey, welcome to 2020. And guess what? That Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band world tour to promote the new album, Letter To You, didn’t really pan out, as how most things really didn’t pan out this year. Luckily, Zimny has a new film that documents Springsteen and the band recording the new album at Springsteen’s home recording studio in New Jersey. It’s a look inside how this band, which in this incarnation has been together (with a couple of exceptions) for over 40 years, gets together and creates something pretty special. And the thing is, now, this documentary (which will premiere on Apple TV) is pretty much the only “live” performance we’re going to get anytime soon.

Ahead of the film’s release, we spoke to Zimny, who didn’t know it when he made Letter To You, but now, his film will once again have to do double duty.

Letter To You almost feels like a direct sequel to Western Stars, stylistically.

I think the style of filmmaking on Letter to You is drawing on just the challenges that I’ve watched Bruce do over the years. Which is, I didn’t want to repeat myself…

And I don’t think it does because it’s about the process, but it still has Bruce’s voiceovers, which is almost poetry, like the last film.

Sure. I think what I try to do with these films is, there are certain things of Bruce’s narration and score that really give you an opportunity to expand on what the songs are. So, it kind of gives me this opportunity to step away from it being just a studio film, or behind the scenes kind of thing, or a concert film with Western Stars. What I’m doing is straddling many different genres. I’m not quite sure what it falls under. It’s not typical documentary; it’s not narrative film. It’s a thing that is a combination of many filmmaking genres that I like to play. And at the same time, tying Western Stars to this film does make sense, but I also tie it back to Bruce from the Broadway show and the book.

Oh, for sure…

Reflective pieces and narration. So, I get it. There’s a tone in there that he’s been using since Broadway, of reflecting on his life and music and certain themes. And that is reminiscent in some of the voiceover of Letter To You.

He’s also said this is a continuing conversation with his fans, which I always kind of interpret as starting with the book, then the Broadway show. And then into Western Stars and then to this. It’s almost like the only person that’s going to deconstruct Bruce Springsteen is Bruce Springsteen.

One hundred percent. I think it’s a great point. And I think I live with that understanding. And that’s the kind of place where the art conversation happens in the filmmaking process. where I’m really taking cues from lyric writing, or taking cues to a score. And letting myself feel for this music, and trying to convey visually, a narrative that is aligned and in sync with the emotions of making of this record. And the space itself, the studio was an amazing space to film in.

Oh yeah, I’ve been in that studio. It’s incredible.

It’s an amazing space. And something was happening there that I’ve been wanting to get an understanding of: what happens in the studio? And what is this thing, exactly, when a band like E Street and Bruce come together in a room. And can the cameras capture that lightning in a bottle?

The first film you did with Bruce was the Born to Run documentary, right?

The very first one was Live in New York, but the very first film was the first documentary I made, Wings for Wheels. Making the Born to Run record. In that, I saw the struggles of the studio.

In Wings for Wheels, Bruce is so meticulous you almost get the impression that version of the E Street Band was just like, “Who does this guy think he is?” How is Bruce different today watching him put together an E Street recording, versus the archive footage you have gone through?

Yeah, that’s a great question. I think as a filmmaker that I could look at the archive footage and see similarities of some of the moments of Bruce standing behind the board. And there are certain gestures that are just the same. But the difference in this current situation of recording Letter To You is that you see, after working on films where the studio session was, at times, really intense — like the making of Born to Run, or The River, or Darkness — you see the opposite with this. And this film is, it’s a master class of sorts because they walk in and there’s not a sound that they’re chasing. They’re really out of place, that the studio is in control.

It did feel like in the past Bruce was chasing a sound and, here, they’d finish a song and Bruce would kind of just say, “good enough.”

I don’t want to speak for Bruce, but I think what the film reflects is that there’s an acknowledgement of a E Street sound. And in Letter To You, I did see a band come in at the height of their powers where Max Weinberg’s playing is just unbelievable on this record. There was a mission. And I just feel like that’s the beauty, which is an awareness of who you are and what you do. And some of the voiceover, Bruce, I think says it best of the power of E Street, but also the power of that awareness at this chapter.

Does he seem more open today than when you first started working with him?

Well, I think when I look back at the 20 years of working with Bruce, there’s always been a path on pushing the films forward. There’s never the feeling of relying on any sort of formulaic approach to telling any stories, whether it’s music or film. So, in a way, the basis of this collaboration, I see it as time and trust, and he’s giving me those two gifts. And the trust is to explore. How are we going to tell the story of the band playing in a barn? Is it a concert film? Well, maybe it’s not, that’s not enough.

With Western Stars, Bruce didn’t want to tour for that album and that film was what he did instead. With Letter To You the plan was a big tour, that obviously isn’t happening now. So have you thought about how this film really has to do some heavy lifting for this record? And did that change how you presented it?

Oh, as a filmmaker, I’m really aware, with the band not going out, it has a place to live alongside the album and also the history of E Street. But also more importantly, the energy of this band recording in the studio, though it’s not a live event, it has an energy that I think, as we all hunger for the next E Street tour to arrive, this is a satisfying moment to witness. And it’s just a great companion. I hope it’s a great companion to be with the record and the listening experience of the record, because you see the band play this music in such an energetic way and full of life. And those are the elements that I see as a filmmaker, but also as a fan, when I go see Bruce and the band live. So I’m grateful that this thing was made on many levels, but one of the key things is that, in this current time with people not being able to tour, I love the idea that this film can live in that space. And fans can connect with this new music this way, which is as close as we can get to a live event until things change.

So, did that change how you edited it?

No. I don’t think the current situation influenced the way the film was edited, but I do think that there’s a bittersweet sadness when they toast to the road. And they’re so excited about this new music. And they’re at a place of talking about going on the road. And we’ve come to realize that’s not a reality. So I think it would be wrong to not say that the outside world doesn’t influence the work. But in that way of, I made this in an apartment during pandemic, so the outside forces are there. But there wasn’t a moment of, now let’s make this the tour, psychologically. I just wanted to make the best film possible. And tell a story that engages the fans in a way that felt new, and also represent the power and the beauty of this new record.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

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.

Blackstarkids started small when they were searching for a label partner to release their upcoming album Whatever, Man. But all of labels based locally in the trio’s Kansas City hometown, for whatever reason, were ghosting them. “It got to the point where I emailed maybe 30-40 people,” Ty recalls over a Zoom call sitting next to his bandmates Deiondre and The Babe Gabe. “It’s not even like people were rejecting us, they just didn’t care.” Finally, Ty decided to throw a Hail Mary and send a cold note to the general email address on listed Dirty Hit’s website, label home to The 1975 and Beabadoobee.

Within a day, the group was on the phone with a representative from the label’s A&R department. “We have a cool conversation, but I’m still thinking I’m never gonna hear from them again,” Ty remembers. “[The rep is] like, ‘we’ll be in touch.’ An hour later, the owner DMs us and was like, ‘Yo, I want to sign you guys.’ Dirty Hit were the first people to give us a chance, and no matter what, I really appreciate them for giving us a chance when there was nobody else giving us a chance.” In a modern record label economy that often puts aside gut instinct about a new artist in favor of analytics and trends, the group’s signing sight-unseen to a major indie label is a story more or less of the past. It’s a testament to the instant power that you can feel emanating from the speakers when you click play on “Acting Normal,” the opening track on Whatever, Man, the trio’s first release with Dirty Hit.

The group presents a unique blend of sounds informed by the influences brought to the table by each of its members. When asked about who they were listening to while writing Whatever, Man, they bounce back and forth between genre, era, and aesthetic, name dropping artists like Tame Impala, The Smashing Pumpkins, Clairo, Mac DeMarco, and many more. But, as with many young artists who are making music in the late 2010s, no group was more impactful in the formation of Blackstarkids than Odd Future. “Seeing Black kids make that kind of music, it was like, wow. You can really do whatever you want and create whatever sound you want,” recalls The Babe Gabe. Ty adds, “I just liked the creativity and their expression. And of course, the aesthetic that they had and how much music they put out.” Needless to say, it won’t be long before there is a Blackstarkids sketch show á la Loiter Squad. “It’ll most likely happen,” Deiondre explains with a laugh. “We come up with so many skits as jokes and reenact skits.”

Although they are fresh out of high school, the trio has been making music together for the better part of three years, their collective output prolific and consistent. Ty was first drawn to the aesthetic appearance of his future bandmates: Deiondre’s Instagram presence struck him as impressive, while it was one of the outfits that The Babe Gabe wore to school that caught his attention. Initially, Ty was making music with both Deiondre and The Babe Gabe separately, before they collectively realized that they could combine all their strengths into one project to capture all of their individual talents in one place. Thus, Blackstarkids was born. “There’s a picture of all three of us from before we started the group, too,” Ty remember. “We had no idea we were gonna be a group when the picture was taken.”

The new album Whatever, Man, the trio’s third release in the span of year, feels like a culmination that incorporates all of their influences into one coherent and focused piece of work. The LP is impressive in its scope, and executed with the grace of a veteran group as the members seamlessly flip between melodic vocals and spitting rhymes, with most songs built upon a foundation of hip-hop beats and accented with reverb-soaked guitars and modulated vocals. While the single “Britney Bitch” shows the group’s knack for catchy hooks and more pop-centric song structures, tracks like “Beatrix Kiddo” reveals a more debaucherous undercurrent that will surely come through in the group’s live show when they are able to finally tour behind the record.

All told, Whatever, Man is an album about throwing caution to the wind and having fun with your friends. It was written during what Deiondre calls “a really good time in our lives,” a reflection of the moment when you look around and realize that the people you’ve surrounded yourself with can all be parts of a bigger equation to create something beautiful together. It’s an album best understood and experienced in an active setting, ideally when you are (safely) spending time with friends. In fact, the group has a specific request for listening parameters. It’s important “not to take it too seriously,” Ty instructs. “Don’t just sit all stiff and try to form your opinion.” “Go take a walk and listen to it!” The Babe Gabe adds.

For Blackstarkids, the most important aspect of Whatever, Man — and all of their music — is the listener’s ability to find comfort in the music and lyrics, and relate to the stories being told. Collectively, the group hopes that their growing profile can have the same effect on others that Odd Future had on them, to inspire creativity and serve as inspiration for other young people. “Even if it’s not relatable to me, if I just feel like it’s relatable to somebody because you’re just being real, I respect that,” Ty explains. “You’re necessary to somebody. I think that’s cool. That’s what grabs me.”

The music industry is full of gatekeepers that have held their job for decades, making decisions based on what’s worked in the past. But the definition of success in the music industry is beginning to evolve in a way that it hasn’t before, increasingly defined and dictated by the internet, and young people who take the music and run with it in new and original ways. Things are changing, and the kids are ready to take control. Inspired and invigorated, Blackstarkids will be right there to lead the charge.

Whatever, Man is out October 23 on Dirty Hit. Get it here.

Dave Grohl and the rest of Foo Fighters have been performing live for decades now, so they’ve done a number of radio appearances over the years. One of their earliest was for the Rockline radio show in 1996, and now the band has released that session as an Amazon Music-exclusive EP, Live On The Radio 1996.

Ahead of the release, Foo Fighters shared a photo of an original DAT (digital audio tape) of the session from producer Scott Weiss, who recorded it. The band wrote, “Might have to get our hands on that DAT…,” and they linked to Weiss’ website where he wrote:

“I was cleaning my garage and came across this DAT tape in an old box. I thought “Oh yeah, this is from that time I recorded the Foo Fighters for a nationwide radio broadcast!”

In 1996, I was working at a small recording studio in Seattle. The studio took a booking to do a radio interview session with the Foo Fighters and I was booked as the audio engineer. It was a really fun night. Putting this tape in and giving it a listen after all these years was such a flashback! It’s a unique recording and I don’t think Foo fans often get a chance to hear Dave sing like he did that night. And the Watershed improve was a show stopper! Thanks for the memories guys!”

Then, early this morning, the band formally announced the EP by sharing the post again and adding, “‘Alexa, play Rockline from March 18th, 1996.’”

Weiss also shared a statement about the release, saying of the alternate version of “Wattershed” that details a trip to Canada, “The band laughed and then dove in and started to work up the idea. The show would cut away for commercials and [Foo Fighters] would practice the new ‘Wattershed’ idea. The version of Wattershed that would soon be known as ‘Water Fred’ was born.”

Listen to the EP here or stream it below.

On Wednesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jimmy Kimmel introduced Eric Andre as “the weirdest talk show host there is.” He’s also one of the weirdest talk show guests, as evidenced by The Eric Andre Show creator sitting on a lifeguard station during his interview with Kimmel (who’s had an interesting week). “I have to be safe,” he explained. “I have to keep my distance. You’re known as the most diseased man in Hollywood.”

Later in the chat, Andre discussed an Eric Andre Show stunt with John Cena that went horribly wrong. Cena, a professional wrestler, did everything right, but “we prepped for the stunt wrong. That metal shelf came over and clocked me on the head, and I got concussed. I went to the hospital.” Andre compared his injury to Fred Flintstone or Bugs Bunny get clocked on the noggin with a comically large mallet, “and I haven’t been able to speak English since. I memorized this interview phonetically actually.”

Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show returns for season five this Sunday, October 25, at midnight EST with Tyler the Creator, Wiz Khalifa, Chance the Rapper, Henry Rollins, T-Pain, Judy Greer, Blake Griffin, Luis Guzman, and Lizzo in the Bird Up outfit.

And as always, #Investigate311.

Last night’s CMT Music Awards honored the best in country music, but there were plenty of crossovers into the pop world as well.

At last year’s CMAs, Halsey popped up to join Lady A (then known as Lady Antebellum) for a rendition of their “What If I Never Get Over You” and her “Graveyard.” She approved of the “Y’allsey” nickname that was bestowed upon her, and now Y’allsey has made her return at the CMT Awards. This time, she joined Kelsea Ballerini to perform “The Other Girl.” The performance was filmed in a pub set, with Halsey getting up on the bar for a bit of Coyote Ugly action.

Aside from those two, other artists who performed during the broadcast included Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay, Gabby Barrett, Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs and Brooks & Dunn, Maren Morris, Morgan Wallen, Sam Hunt, and Shania Twain.

Meanwhile, some other pop folks popped up as presenters. Taylor Swift made a virtual appearance to give Gabby Barrett the Breakthrough Video Of The Year award, an honor she won herself 13 years ago for “Tim McGraw.” Demi Lovato also made a brief appearance to introduce Dan + Shay’s performance.

Other presenters included Brandi Carlile, Diplo, Idina Menzel, Jessica Chastain, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Rob Thomas, and Tanya Tucker.

Check out the highlights above.

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