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As rising LA rapper Duckwrth inches closer to the release of his major label debut studio album, he flexes some experimental muscle on his latest single, “Coming Closer,” which features fellow LA rapper G.L.A.M. and indie singer Julia Romana. With G.L.A.M. producing alongside twin producers Two Fresh, Duckwrth and his co-stars glide over an electronic, dance-pop beat that glitters and sparkles behind his low-key boasts. Romana’s smooth hook anchors a glitchy chorus, while G.L.A.M. provides a chin-jutting counterpoint to Duckwrth’s swagger, matching him with her own deft rhymes tip-toeing over the instrumental.

In the year since his return from musical hiatus Duckwrth has been featured on the soundtrack to Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, released his The Falling Man EP, and released a string of singles that have slowly raised his profile from LA underground art-house rapper to potential star in-the-making. In May this year, he shared the single “Find A Way” after being featured on St. Vincent’s Shower Sessions podcast and popping up as the voice of a performer in League Of Legends‘ in-game rap group.

With his debut SuperGood releasing in August, now is the time to get familiar with the artist who will soon be offering backing tunes to all your favorite shows and movies and packing out concerts when it’s once again safe to do so.

Listen to Duckwrth’s ‘Coming Closer’ with G.L.A.M and Julia Romana above.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the hottest R&B jams that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

This week, we got releases from Tinashe who dropped off her new single “Rascal (Superstar),” Pink Sweats with The Prelude EP as something for his fans ahead of his debut album and Jhene Aiko came through with Chilombo Deluxe. Check out the rest of the best new R&B this week below.

Tinashe — “Rascal (Superstar)”

At the request of her fans, Tinashe delivered her latest single “Rascal (Superstar)” and a quarantine-inspired Jasper Soloff-directed music video to go with it. “When we initially created this record, I went live on Instagram from my home studio and played it,” Tinashe said via e-mail. “The vibes and energy were so infectious that It felt right to share, spontaneously.” It’s the first single fans have gotten from the singer since her 2019 project Songs For You.

Pink Sweats — The Prelude EP

Pink Sweats is gearing up to drop his debut album, but before he serves his first full-length piece of work to all his supporters the Philly crooner has dropped off a sweet short stack of songs in the form of The Prelude EP. The collection of songs includes his previously released tracks “17” and “Not Alright.”

Jhene Aiko — Chilombo Deluxe

The deluxe edition Jhene Aiko‘s Chilombo has arrived with nine unreleased sexually healing jams and remixes, including “B.S.” with Kehlani and “Tryna Smoke” featuring Chris Brown and Snoop Dogg. Jhene and her sister Mila J even connected for the freaky tale “On The Way.”

Radiant Children — “Mariposa”

Radiant Children has plans on releasing their new project in October and ahead of its release, the trio has been dropping off musical gems after musical gems. This week, “Mariposa” arrived.

They. — “Play Fight” Feat. Tinashe

Off The Amanda Tape, R&B dyad They. and the talented Tinashe unite for “Play Flight” accompanied by a very cool “relationship simulator” visual and now fans get to hear the song in its entirety. It’s a love song dripping in devotion and yearning.

Kara Marni — “Young Heart” Feat. Russ

British singer Kara Marni reflects on a fresh break-up with her latest single “Young Heart” featuring Russ. Along with the release of the song is a fun 8-bit video, created by renowned animator Ivan Dixon of Studio Showoff. “Young Heart” follows Kara Marni’s 2019 project Logic.

Tash Sultana — “Greed”

Tash Sultana really impresses with her latest release “Greed.” It’s all her playing multiple instruments, including the drums and guitar, with the grace of her soulful voice. The black and white visual was filmed at her Melbourne studio as she puts the finishing touches on her forthcoming album.

Boylife — Church/Boston EP

Boylife‘s recently released double single Church/Boston is really good. It’s moody, raw, and melodic while living in the vein of an emerging new sound that expresses vocal emotions in a fresh way. “Church,” really does take you to the pulpit and “Boston” has a spacey vibe that allows for listeners to marinate in its vibrant trance.

Your Grandparents — “So Damn Fly”

DaCosta, Jean Carter, and producer ghettoblasterman, also known as Your Grandparents, came together for a fresh R&B goodie titled “So Damn Fly.” The group describes the song as “an ode to the unapologetically beautiful, black, and bold youth of today.” It’s the follow-up to their eclectic breakout debut EP Been Cold.

Check out this week’s R&B picks, plus more on Uproxx’s Spotify playlist below.

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

Add comic book writer to Keanu Reeves‘ rapidly growing list of talents.

Debuting in October from Boom! Studios, BRZRKR is a 12-issue limited series from Reeves and co-writer Matt Kindt that features art from Alessandro Vitti. The story will focus on Berzerker, the half-human son of a war god who has lived for over 80,000 years and has reached a tentative deal with the government where he performs brutal mercenary missions in exchange for help in figuring out what he truly is. But, of course, there will be double-crosses and subterfuge along the way as the two sides slowly reveal their ulterior motives.

Naturally, Boom! Studios is excited to work with the actor on bringing his vision to comic book life, and it turns out Reeves is a damn good storyteller. Via USA Today:

Working with Reeves has been “immensely cool,” says Boom! editor-in-chief Matt Gagnon. “Spend five minutes with Keanu and it becomes clear very quickly why he’s earned all the success he has. Exceptional creative instincts, deep reservoirs of wisdom on story, the ability to consistently tap into the raw emotion of a moment, relentless commitment to quality and the task at hand – it’s all this and much more that make Keanu an inspiring force.”

In its exclusive preview of BRZRKR, USA Today can’t help but note that Berserker looks an awful lot like Reeves, and the actor didn’t even try to hide his enthusiasm when asked if the immortal warrior could become his next action character thanks to Boom! Studios’ first-look deal with Netflix. “I’d love to play Berzerker!” Reeves exclaimed during a Skype call from Berlin.

In the meantime, Reeves’ next creative endeavor is yet another foray into dominating all forms of media. This fall, the actor will appear in Cyberpunk 2077, the highly-anticipated new game from CD Projekt Red, the studio behind the award-winning The Witcher III.

(Via USA Today)

20-year-old songwriter Mxmtoon has only been out of high school for a few years but she’s already managed to make a name for herself with a catalog of introspective and lovelorn ballads. Following her debut full-length effort The Masquerade, Mxmtoon shared a handful of songs in the form of her recently-released EP Dawn. Because she can’t tour behind the project, the singer has gifted her fans more music through a handful of Dawn remixes including an alternate version of “1, 2” featuring rising singer Chloe Moriondo.

For the remix, Mxmtoon and Moriondo strip back the song’s layers and reimagine its instrumentals by replacing poppy synths with a warm-toned guitar riff. Moriondo inflects the track with her soaring back-up vocals, adding a shimmering edition to the refined number.

In a previous statement alongside her EP’s announcement, Mxmtoon said she practices being present through songwriting:

“My mind constantly runs rampant with questions about myself, my relationships, and my place in the world. One thing I’ve tried to be better at as the years have gone by though, is letting go. The ability to let yourself live in the moment rather than worrying all the time can be difficult, but to remember that each day is simply an opportunity to grow and learn is a lesson we all have to face. Life is full of teachable moments, and allowing yourself the space to make mistakes and to become better from those is vital.”

Listen to Mxmtoon’s “1, 2” remix above.

Dawn (The Edits) is out now via AWAL. Get it here.

Space is the next frontier in the action movie realm, with the Fast And Furious franchise seemingly headed to the outer reaches of Earth’s gravitational pull if you like to read the tea leaves of interviews with Ludacris. With Tom Cruise apparently headed to space to actually film a movie, it seems a genuine space race is on five decades after the United States won the first space race in reaching the moon.

But despite a very literal goal to reach space for another action star — Danny Trejo’s Machete — it doesn’t seem like he will win the Hollywood space race anytime soon. Trejo sat down with Discussing Film to, well, talk about the 10th anniversary of Machete and how our perception of time is increasingly warped in this reality. They also discuss the much-hyped but not very written Machete Kills Again… In Space, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to be making much progress right now.

The movie has been rumored to be in the works for years, and it was given the “Coming Attractions” treatment in the Machete sequel — 2013’s Machete Kills Again — but there hasn’t been much progress in the years since. In the interview, he joked that if director Robert Rodriguez “would ever get off his ass, he’d write Machete Kills in Space!” then joked again that he might just write it himself. So it certainly doesn’t sound like Machete is winning the space race. In fact, Rodriguez and his Machete haven’t even spoken in a while according to the movie’s star.

You know I haven’t spoken to Robert in a while. He’s been really busy and I’ve been busy. Maybe I’ll call him, see what’s up. But I haven’t talked to Robert for a while. He kind of dumped me I think… I got too big (laughs). He’s great. But he’s busy, he’s got six kids. That will keep you busy. His kids are wonderful too.

Hopefully he hasn’t really “dumped” Trejo, as fans are certainly eager for the final movie of what’s likely a trilogy. The rest of the interview is delightful, with Trejo reveling in killing Steven Segal in an already-existing Machete and working on the new SpongeBob SquarePants movie. For fans of his Grindhouse work, though, these are all just distractions until the real work can begin in orbit.

[via Discussing Film]

One of the main concerns going into the NBA restart was whether it would distract from the nationwide protests for social justice. After George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, citizens across the country took to the streets to demand justice and an end to police brutality. Many NBA stars have taken front and center in the fight for police reform over the past two months, and a vocal contingent even expressed their apprehensions about whether it was right to participate in the Orlando bubble amid the turmoil that was happening in American cities.

The vast majority of players eventually decided to join the restart, partially as a way of using that platform to promote the cause for social reform. The league itself is on board with bringing that message to fans, although they issued the final decision on what types of phrases could be worn on the backs of players’ jerseys when the games begin later this month.

Not everyone is impressed with that plan. Nuggets guard Will Barton, for instance, said Friday that messages on jerseys won’t go nearly far enough to contribute to the ongoing fight for social justice.

And Barton isn’t the only one who’s underwhelmed by the idea of messages on jerseys. Normal Powell, for instance, didn’t like the fact that the league had final say over what types of messages players could ware and criticized the “cookie-cutter” nature of the approved phrases.

LeBron James himself has decided to forego any of those phrases and just stick with his last name, hinting that, while he had considered wearing certain phrases on his uniform, he wasn’t part of the decision-making process of what would be approved. Still, many players will indeed wear messages on their jerseys when the games kick off in Orlando, and we can certainly expect the movement to extend well beyond that as the national television platform will offer numerous opportunities to make their voices heard.

The National vocalist Matt Berninger revealed he was working on a solo album about a year-and-a-half ago. The project remained relatively under wraps until May when he officially announced the record Serpentine Prison. Now, the singer follows up the album’s title track with yet another preview of the solo work, “Distant Axis.”

In a statement alongside the single, Berninger said “Distant Axis” was inspired by his collaborations with The Walkmen’s Walter Martin:

“I met Walter Martin fifteen years ago when The National opened for The Walkmen on a tour of sh*tty clubs in the American Southeast. On that tour I learned a lot about how to be in a band without ruining your life. I also learned a lot about Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. Walt and I have stayed friends and about three years ago we started passing ideas back and forth. ‘Distant Axis’ started from a sketch Walt sent me named ‘Savannah.’ I think it’s about falling out of touch with someone or something you once thought would be there forever.”

Serpentine Prison was produced and arranged by Booker T. Jones who previously said in a profile by the New York Times: “Berninger wanted someone who could corral nearly 20 guest musicians, and someone who could provide the late-night, timeless atmosphere.” Jones was successful in attracting a huge number of musicians to contribute to the project including Andrew Bird, Mike Brewer, Hayden Desser, several other frequent The National collaborators.

Watch Berninger’s “Distant Axis” above.

Serpentine Prison is out 10/2 via Book Records.

Veteran R&B singer and reality TV star Tamar Braxton was reportedly rushed to the hospital late last night after a suspected suicide attempt. TMZ reported the star’s hospitalization after her boyfriend, David Adefeso, called 911 Thursday night around 10pm saying that he’d found her unconscious in their room at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Downtown LA. TMZ’s sources further report that he told police that Braxton had threatened suicide earlier that day and that she may have overdosed on prescription pills and alcohol.

Braxton, who starred with her sisters Toni, Towanda, Traci, and Trina in the musical quintet The Braxtons, was also a fixture of the WeTV show Braxton Family Values since the show began airing in 2011. Tamar was the star of her own spin-off, Tamar & Vince, for five seasons. Braxton was also a host of the talk show The Real for three seasons and last year, was the winner of the reality competition show Celebrity Big Brother, making her the first Black person to win a Big Brother competition in the US.

Her last solo album was 2017’s Bluebird of Happiness and she and Adefeso costar on their own YouTube show called Coupled & Quarantined. Braxton was set to star in yet another WeTV show, Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life, at the end of the month. A sneak peek provided by WeTV teased a July 30 premiere, which is now uncertain.

See the sneak peek of the show above.

Of all the players on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster, J.R. Smith has the most experience playing with LeBron James, which gives him a fascinating perspective on what is similar or different about this incarnation of James.

In a media call on Friday, Smith explained a certain freedom and calm he’s noticed in James since joining the Lakers in the Orlando bubble, noting how being in the City of Angels may actually take pressure off James.

Smith called James’ ability to cede control to coaches and become comfortable not micro-managing each moment of the game “a testament to him growing.” The veteran guard played with James in Cleveland from 2015-18, and watched David Blatt come and go during a streak of four straight NBA Finals appearances. In Los Angeles alongside Anthony Davis, perhaps James is settling into a more loose back end of his career.

Without Rajon Rondo, who is out six to eight weeks with a hand injury, and Avery Bradley, who chose to sit out the NBA restart to be with his family during the pandemic, the Lakers may need to rely on Smith to contribute as spot-up shooter and defender, a role he filled capably with the Cavaliers. It’s a testament to James’ patience and brilliance that the Lakers are comfortable plugging Smith and Dion Waiters into the rotation heading into the playoffs, but it’s exactly the sort of growth Smith observes here.

By now, Cardi B is a pro at fielding most of the odd things social media throws her way. Slick comments from fans, political commentators, and rival rappers usually slide right off her. But every once in a while, something comes along that is so strange, even the normally unfazed Cardi has no idea how to react.

That’s what happened today when a fan shared a Cameo video of a Tiger King star singing Cardi’s song “Best Life” as a birthday message to the fan’s father. Cameo is an app that allows fans to request personalized messages from celebrities, and while the names available to choose from are recognizable, they are understandably not exactly A-listers. The fan in question must be a big fan of Tiger King, as she seems to have requested the show’s quasi-antagonist, Carole Baskin, to sing “Best Life” from Cardi’s debut album Invasion Of Privacy to a stuffed tiger before telling the addressee happy birthday with her signature “Hi, all you cool cats and kittens” greeting.

Spookily enough, Baskin also congratulates Claire’s dad on his recent divorce(!). Cardi B, who is a noted fan of the wild show, wasn’t quite sure what to make of the video, offering up a nonplussed “Wait a damn minute” response before hoping, “Ya better not be plotting on me,” a clear reference to Tiger King‘s titular Joe Exotic‘s constant insistence that Baskin killed her ex-husband and fed him to a tiger. It looks like even Cardi can be caught off guard and has a little paranoid streak of her own as a result of her love of the show.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.