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As you’re probably aware, online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. Sure, those apps make it easier to meet people, but oh boy, it’s so often not worth it. Yes, there are success stories, but I can’t even count the number of horror stories out there. No one is immune to investing chat time, only to schedule a meet and find out that someone’s been hiding a marriage (or three) or has multiple restraining orders on their record. Fortunately, a lot of that stuff usually surfaces early on, but sometimes, a sociopath is afoot, and that person is really good at mirroring what their date wants to find in a mate. That’s where shows like the dramatized Dirty John act as cautionary tales, and in the case of Showtime’s Love Fraud, the warning factor is cranked up to eleven.

There’s also, unavoidably, a Tiger King feel going on here, which just goes to show you how 2020 is going because Love Fraud came first. The series debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim, but the rise of Joe Exotic’s dubious allure on Netflix has proven that people’s appetite for trainwreck-style trashiness cannot be quenched. Other weird and ridiculous documentaries now have an opportunity to seize some of those eyeballs, and Love Fraud is able to satisfy that craving and more.

Love Fraud is also here to showcase the truly wild feat by one man, who managed to swindle dozens of women and leave them in financial and emotional shambles. That stands in contrast to Dirty John‘s deep dive into one of John Meehan’s marriages, and that one only drew attention because it grew deadly. Whereas Love Fraud‘s central villain, Richard Scott Smith, left a much quieter trail as he grifted his way through dozens of relationships, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake. The level of deceit he pulls off — time and time again, the rushed sense of connection and commitment and the emptied bank accounts — are the work of a master con-man.

Strangely, Smith is using these expert-grifter skills in a rather lightweight way. The financial stakes are relatively low; he’s not pulling off bank heists or anything, which leaves questions that Love Fraud digs into on a deeper level:

– What is Smith’s true motive? He’s not walking away rich. Yes, he’s emptying bank accounts here and there, but he doesn’t zero in on wealthy women. In many cases, he’s going for single mothers and women living paycheck to paycheck. He’s also convincing women to purchase property as a sign of their commitment and simply walking away, leaving them wondering the hell happened. He moves onto the next city and the next target, almost like he’s truly in it for the thrill of ruining people’s lives.

– Why is Smith, a perfectly average looking guy who seems utterly unremarkable, so good at coaxing these women into love? He’s certainly nothing like John Meehan, whose unmistakable good looks and reportedly charismatic ways managed to convince a handful of women that he was a doctor, not a drug addict with a violent side. Smith, who we do hear speak at length, seems like an annoyance to endure in the same room, let alone during a romance. Yet he still managed to prey upon the affections of countless women who appear to have their heads on (mostly) straight.

– How broken is the justice system to essentially ignore these crimes for decades? It’s infuriating to see only weakly issued warrants for Smith’s arrest but nothing else, other than the suggestion that these women signed up to be manipulated and discarded.

– What’s going on with the strange things afoot at the Krab Kingz seafood restaurant in Wichita? You’ll find out in Episode 2, but be careful. You’ll be hooked.

Smith’s trail runs vast and wide. It’s almost mind-boggling to hear these women’s accounts pile up. Eventually, they figure out that they’re not alone, and they band together to help each other and, hopefully, stop Smith before he can rack up more victims. They seek the services of a “lady bounty hunter’ named Carla, and, well, it is on. She’s easily the best part of the series.

The most haunting part of the show, though, is how Smith represents a lot of what women are up against in society. He knew exactly how to cue-in to their wants and needs and fears (often of being alone), and then he’d deliver throw their fears right back into their faces. Truly, the cautionary tale aspect runs strong because, yes, this could happen to anyone. The series shines a mirror back toward the audience for every time a woman’s been left to hold up the fort or raise the kids or otherwise soldier on with responsibilities while their supposed partners dance away to the next adventure.

With Love Fraud, though, there’s a strength to be found in this ragtag group of women. Individually, each of their stories could have been viewed as simply tragic, but together, they’ve assembled into an army. They’re exhausted but unwilling to give up if it means stopping an insidious huntsman, and directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing do a fine job of illuminating the cause. The show feels like it’s got one episode too many in the middle, but overall, it’s a compelling glimpse into a bizarre long game from a predator.

Showtime’s ‘Love Fraud’ premieres on August 30 at 9:00 pm EST.

Blackpink takes one step further into their comeback with the release of their highly-anticipated “Ice Cream” single with Selena Gomez. The K-pop group first announced the single a little over three weeks ago but withheld the guest feature on the song, leaving fans to who would appear on the single. A week later the group returned to confirm that Selena Gomez would appear on “Ice Cream.” Staying true to their promise, the group shares the single with a colorful visual that finds both Selena and Blackpink in a fictional Candyland. Flaunting their goodies to the special someone in their lives, the singers call their love interest over to take a bite.

The new single should hold fans over until the K-pop group delivers their new album on October 2. Set to release via YG Entertainment/Interscope Records, the project remains untitled for the time being. Prior to the “Ice Cream” single, Selena celebrated the new collaboration with a brand new ice cream flavor. In partnership with Serendipity, the singer premiered a new pint, named Cookies & Cream Remix, that put a spin on the popular flavor as it combined pink-colored vanilla ice cream with fudge swirls and Oreo-style cookies.

“Ice Cream” touches down just two months after the group broke a YouTube record with their “How You Like That” single. The song’s video premiere saw 1.65 million people tune in, a YouTube record for the biggest video premiere ever on the platform.

Check out the video above to hear “Ice Cream.”

Last month, Black Thought announced the release of his upcoming EP, Streams Of Thought, Vol. 3: Cain & Abel, and shared its first single, “Thought Vs. Everybody” shortly after. Originally slated for a July 31 release, Black Thought pushed the album back citing the delay was “for a good reason.” Making the wait for the EP a bit easier, Black Thought returns with the EP’s second single, “Good Morning.” Calling on Pusha T and Killer Mike to add on to his lyrical warfare over the Swizz Beatz-produced track, Black Thought kicks things off before Pusha T appears to fly through his own verse about his usual topic before Killer Mike closes it out.

Black Thought’s upcoming Streams Of Thought, Vol. 3: Cain & Abel EP is the sequel to his 2018 effort Streams of Thought, Vol. 2 which featured production from Salaam Remi. The year has unfortunately been a hard one for The Roots rapper as he suffered the heartbreaking loss of fellow group member Malik B earlier this year. Following his death, Black Thought shared a powerful tribute to Malik in the form of an Instagram post that featured a photo of Malik, himself, and Questlove with a lengthy caption that honored his “beloved brother.”

Black Thought also performed alongside The Roots, Nas, Public Enemy, and Rapsody at the 2020 BET Awards for a remix of “Fight The Power.”

Press play on the video above to hear “Good Morning.”

Problem his been on a roll this year in and outside of music. Fresh off his Coffee And Kush Vol. 1 project from late May, the Compton native is readying Volume 2 with his new single, “Nothin.” Bringing fellow West Coast veteran Jay Rock and newcomer Jack Harlow from out east to the festivities, Problem’s new song finds the trio laid back in the driver’s seat with carefree bars that remind listeners of their nonchalant attitude to the competition. The song arrives just a week after he called on Snoop Dogg and Freddie Gibbs for a new video to their “Don’t Be Mad At Me” remix.

Aside from his Coffee And Kush Vol. 1 project, Problem also shared a short film earlier this year entitled A Compton Story featuring narration from Mike Epps and production from TDE’s Punch. As for the featured guests on the song, Jack Harlow recently saw his “What’s Poppin” track reach No. 2 on Billboard‘s singles chart shortly before he was included in the 2020 XXL Freshman class. Jay Rock, on the other hand, has been rather quiet. Aside from his appearance on Anderson .Paak’s “Lockdown” remix, the TDE rapper has not shared much as he continues work on his upcoming fourth album which he said was “80% percent done” back in March.

Listen to “Nothin” above.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ty Dolla Sign has been hard at work on his upcoming third album, Dream House, over the last three years. After holding fans down with songs like “Purple Emoji” and “Hottest In The City,” Ty takes one more step closer to the upcoming album with his latest release, “Expensive” with Nicki Minaj. On the track, Ty celebrates the materialistic woman in his life while Nicki Minaj labels herself as an expensive woman as well. Dropping the track with a video, Ty’s lady comes home from a shopping spree, one that leaves the singer drowning in pricey merchandise. Emptying his pockets for his partner’s desires, Nicki Minaj appears later to reinforce her own high-class taste.

The single arrives after Ty Dolla Sign kicked off the campaign this upcoming Dream House album with “Ego Death” featuring Kanye West, FKA Twigs, and Skrillex. The song marked the latest addition to a long list of collaborations between him and Kanye West that includes “Real Friends,” Guard Down,” “Wouldn’t Leave,” and the unreleased TikTok favorite, “New Body” which also features Nicki Minaj.

While the song is just Ty Dolla Sign’s second release as a lead artist this year, the West Coast singer has lent his voice to a number of songs this year including Murda Beatz’s “Doors Unlocked,” which they recently released a video for, Strick’s “Yacht Club” with Young Thug, Thundercat’s “Fair Chance,” Russ’ “3AM,” and more.

Listen to “Expensive” above.

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

Calvin Harris released his last album in 2017 with Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, arguably the strongest effort of his career. More than three years later, Harris returns with some more funk for fans in the form of his new single with The Weeknd, “Over Now.”

The song was originally teased last week when Harris shared a picture with The Weeknd that found the two posing with a few drinks backstage at a Coachella festival. After previewing the single shortly after the post, Harris and The Weeknd confirmed the single on their social media pages. On the funk-driven track, The Weeknd sings to an old flame and reminds them that their relationship is indeed over. “I need you to know that / We ain’t ever gonna go back,” he says on the song. Attached with a video, the visual presents The Weeknd as a large animated figure that travels the world — and outside of it — while voicing his frustrations with his past lover.

With his latest single, Harris may be working on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, but fans should not their hopes up too quickly. In 2018, sixth months after Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 was released, Calvin Harries sent out a tweet than said he would no longer be making “funk wav” music. “In 2018 movin on from Funk Wav sound thank u for joining me on my musical journey haha,” he said in the tweet. Harris had a rather quiet 2018 and 2019 following Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, before he returned this year. Operating under his Love Regenerator alter-ego, he’s released four EPs and a single with Steve Lacy.

The song also arrives after The Weeknd contributed vocals for Juice WRLD’s posthumous track, “Smile.”

Listen to “Over Now” above.

The final night of the Republican National Convention capped itself off with Donald Trump once again accepting his party’s presidential nomination. His speech largely fit into the theme of the evening — law and order and accusing Joe Biden of threatening law and order — and Trump patted himself on the back for how well he believes that the U.S. handling the pandemic (despite evidence to the contrary). The president then summed up Biden as taking “donations of blue collar workers, gave them hugs…. and even kisses, and told them he felt their pain – and then he flew back to Washington and voted to ship their jobs to China.”

Naturally, the tightly-packed crowd loved the “hugs and kisses” remark (while much of the crowd at home undoubtedly recalled Trump’s “locker room comments”). Oh, and people definitely noticed one strange moment when Trump first took the stage after an introduction from his senior advisor/daughter, Ivanka. Presumably, she and Melania exchanged smiles, and then the first lady’s expression appeared to turn ice cold.

Is everything… alright between the two of them? According to the recently published memoir from Melania’s former advisor Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania and Ivanka have been nursing a rivalry for years that was allegedly referred to as “Operation Block Ivanka.” Who knows if this is really true, but it’s easy to get carried away with imagination here and wonder if Ivanka secretly struck her tongue out at her stepmother.

Truly, this is a mysterious development, but one thing is certain: this “death stare” is so awkward. And as another Twitter user even joked, “This episode of Dynasty SUCKS!”

A Republican National Convention unlike any other concluded on Thursday night, with Donald Trump taking over the South Lawn of the White House for a series of speeches that concluded with him accepting the nomination of the Republican party.

The visuals were enough to make Jake Tapper chastise the scene in Washington, for the crowd at the White House caused him to worry about the still-ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the impact a crowded lawn has on public perception. Tapper called it a potential “super spreader event” and quoted a doctor who was worried about the scene portrayed on television before and during Trump’s acceptance speech and the various speeches held beforehand.

Wolf Blitzer set the stage for the scene on the South Lawn, saying about 2,000 people were expected to attend with little social distancing in mind. He then threw it to Tapper, who was aghast at the visuals of crowds gathering with few masks in sight.

“You remember a few weeks ago when president Trump finally wore a mask, and so many people in the White House and in the health community breathed a sigh of relief. Finally we were going to get a good example set by the president,” Tapper said. “Well I’ve been talking to health officials across the country who are just abjectly mortified by what they’re seeing from the South Lawn, which looks like a potential super spreader event.”

Tapper then quoted Dr. Ashish K. Jha of the Harvard Global Health Institute, who was also not happy with what they saw.

“This is deeply irresponsible,” Tapper relayed from Jha. “It goes against all that we know about keeping people safe. We should expect better from our national leaders.”

Tapper continued, pointing out that more Americans had died of coronavirus during the four-day convention than had died on 9/11 while Trump continued to minimize the virus and flouted social distancing rules amid the pandemic.

“The idea that 2,000 individuals with no mass testing, no social distancing, very few of them wearing masks, coming together. Forget the Hatch Act violations, we’re getting into a matter of life and death here. It’s really alarming and I have to say, the idea of this happening while this pandemic is going on and the president and the White House and trying to convince us that it isn’t is otherworldly,” Tapper said. “Since this convention began on Monday until 5 p.m. today eastern, 3,688 Americans have died of coronavirus. Just since the Republican convention we have had more losses due to this virus than were lost due to 9/11.”

The 2020 NBA Playoffs will resume, presumably in the near future, but the league’s Thursday night slate of games was postponed. With an open space on the television calendar, ESPN pivoted from the scheduled game broadcast to a special edition of NBA Countdown, with Maria Taylor hosting the show. As part of a discussion during the program, Taylor shared a story from her personal life, reflecting on what her father said to her brother about interactions with the police.

Taylor’s story is likely all too familiar to many Americans and, as she notes, the fact that her father was a member of law enforcement seemingly saved her brother from a charge that he did not earn. Her words also come at a time when many in the broadcast media are sharing what is on their hearts.

NBA champion Robert Horry recently spoke of fearing for his children’s lives, with TNT analyst Kenny Smith electing to leave the set in solidarity and support of NBA players, and former All-Star and current TNT analyst Chris Webber pleading for change in a moving statement of his own. While there are, unfortunately, many more stories and insights being shared both inside and outside the sports world, the willingness for on-air personalities to make themselves vulnerable in this setting can impact change, and it is admirable and needed at this important juncture.

The parole hearing for Bobby Shmurda was the subject of much anticipation for fans, though the week of August 17 came and went without any news of his status. A little over a week after the scheduled parole hearing, though, New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision revealed a new target date for his hearing with Complex.

“Ackquille Pollard’s Board of Parole interview is currently scheduled for the week of September 14,” a spokesperson for the department told Complex. If granted, the rapper’s earliest release date on parole would be December 11, 2020, making it a possibility he is home in time for Christmas.

The rapper’s sentence began in 2016 when the rapper plead guilty to weapons possession and conspiracy charges after authorities arrested Shmurda and his fellow GS9 squad members following a two-year gang investigation. In his trial, Bobby’s “Hot N****” and “Bobby B*tch” were used as evidence against him in court to convict him.

Either way a decision following the parole hearing will not be immediately made, as the board has up to two weeks following the hearing to make their decision on the rapper. If the board opts to deny Shmurda parole, the rapper will continue his sentence and be released no later than December 11, 2021. One the music side of the things, Bobby’s last release came as a feature on Tekashi 69’s “Stoopid.”

(via Complex)