Around here, much of yesterday afternoon was spent trying to keep up with WWE’s mass release of onscreen talent and furloughs of backstage employees, which came in the wake of a conference call from Vince McMahon to WWE workers, in which he announced major cuts across the board. It was a rough day in wrestling, and there may be more to come.

For now, things have slowed down a bit. There have been some releases from NXT, including Deonna Purrazzo, MJ Jenkins, Aleksandar Jaksic, Alyssa Miles, Jon Quasto, and Dan Matha, as well as on-air talent Josiah Williams, who was a featured player on the WWE PC YouTube page. Purrazzo’s tweet on the subject indicates that she’s been wanting her release, and doesn’t necessarily view this as bad news:

Jenkins’ tweet, on the other hand, is heartbreaking:

We hadn’t seen much of Jenkins since the 2018 Mae Young Classic, but she had a great look and plenty of potential, and it’s a real shame she lost her job under these sad circumstances.

NXT trainers Serena Deeb, Ace Steel, and Kendo Kashin have been furloughed and will hopefully be brought back. Deeb was re-hired by WWE just a couple of years ago after being released as a wrestler for questionable reasons almost a decade earlier, so you’d like to believe they’ll do better by her this time around.

Spanish announcer Jerry Soto and writer Andrea Listenberger have also been released, and it’s always possible that more backstage personnel have been released or furloughed without their names coming out so far.

According to Dave Meltzer on Twitter, these personnel cuts will save WWE about $703,000 per month, not the $4 million figure that’s been going around. That number, says Meltzer, accounts for other expenses that have been eliminated like the planned headquarters move.

There are still rumors of more talent cuts to come, although the Wrestling Observer says that any further releases are expected to come from NXT, not the Main Roster.

DaBaby and Westside Gunn headline a strong field of releases this week in hip-hop, along with a solid showing from the West Coast in the form of joint tapes from two Compton mainstays and a debut from Shoreline Mafia affiliate Bravo The Bagchaser. Meanwhile, newcomer Fredo Bang and veteran Tech N9ne round out the list, showing that hip-hop don’t stop — not even in the face of the current crisis which has forced us all to stay at home and six feet away from each other for safety.

Fortunately, streaming makes it easy to stay on top of the wealth of releases dropping from week to week. Whether that includes Tory Lanez, Rod Wave, or Sada Baby, we can use the quarantine free time to check out the leaders of the new school, while big-name stars push back releases hoping for elaborate rollouts.

Here are all the best new hip-hop albums coming out this week.

Bravo The Bagchaser — Born 2 Win

Los Angeles-based Bravo The Bagchaser turns just 19 years old this month, but he’s already built a solid hometown buzz around the ratchet energy of his turnt-up beats and the hilarity of his off-the-cuff punchlines. With a tracklist featuring appearances from AzChike and Shoreline Mafia’s Fenix Flexin, his debut album is a promising look at a young artist with plenty of potential — and room for improvement.

Buddy & Kent Jamz — Jank Tape Vol. 1

Buddy’s first full-length since 2018’s Harlan & Alondra is a joint project with Overdoz’s Kent Jamz. The two artists are longtime friends and their chemistry shows on tracks like lead single “She Think.” It’s a bright, bubbly album full of soulful grooves and sunny vibes well-worth checking out, even if you’re unfamiliar with either artist’s previous work.

DaBaby — Blame It On Baby

Jonathan Kirk’s breakneck rap game takeover continues with his third album in the last year. This time around, DaBaby is coming with revamped flows — as illustrated on the guitar-driven lead single “Find My Way” — and a year’s worth of highs and lows to address with his signature insight and wit.

Fredo Bang — Most Hated

Hailing from Baton Rouge, Fredo’s breakout single “Oouuhh” has made him a national star. His first mixtape under Def Jam, Most Hated brings the same fiery flows and bottom-heavy beats of his early mixtapes, adding some big-name guest features including Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, and Tee Grizzley.

RJ & Royce The Choice — Rich Off Mackin II

Another staple of the Compton underground scene, RJMrLA has been a fixture on the local party scene with a number of fan-favorite tracks to his name. Royce The Choice is a rapper from the Bay Area whose biggest hit was a collaboration with RJ. Both artists are signed to Mustard’s 10 Summers label and this album is the second installment of their Rich Off Mackin mixtape series — the first in four years.

Tech N9ne — Enterfear

If there was any rapper who wasn’t going to let coronavirus stop his grind, it’s Tech N9ne, the vertically-integrated independent pioneer who has been banging out hits since the 1990s. As with his plethora of prior projects, Enterfear highlights complex lyrics, complicated cadences, and finds Tech sharing his spotlight with special guests from his label, as well as with outsiders whose talents he respects, such as Flatbush Zombies.

Westside Gunn — Pray For Paris

The Griselda mastermind turned this EP into a full-fledged album as a mea culpa to fans for waiting so long between projects — a whole six months. This time around, he’s looking to turn some heads, with a few smoother songs than the gritty Griselda usuals, bringing Wale, Freddie Gibbs, Joey Badass, comedian Jay Versace, and the usual suspects (Benny, Conway, and Roc Marciano) along for the ride.

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

Matt Berninger has had an illustrious career as lead vocalist in The National. While the band released their latest record I Am Easy To Find last year, Berninger has not stopped making music since then, especially if it’s for a good cause. The singer recently released a cover of INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” to benefit the Australian bushfires. Now, Berninger appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to give a virtual rendition of a Mercury Rev cover (of “Holes”), which originally appeared on a 7 inch to benefit Planned Parenthood.

For the cover, Berninger performed the song with his friend Stephen Altman on keys. The two previously collaborated together for “All I Want,” their song with Julien Baker that raised funds and awareness for Planned Parenthood. Berninger gets creative for the virtual concert, using a harmonica to color the piano’s harmonies on the 1998 track. “Come to you as friends / All those endless ends / That can’t be tied / Oh, they make me laugh / And always make me cry,” Berninger belts with his signature smokey delivery. “Thanks, Steph, thanks, Stephen,” Berninger concluded the set. “See you in person soon, I hope.”

Watch Berninger cover Mercury Rev above.

7 Inches For Planned Parenthood, Vol. 2 is out now via 7-Inches For. Get it here.

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So many things I need, so few places to go.

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The man was tested for COVID-19 but said he hasn’t gotten the result yet.

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Time to drift back into a comparably better past.

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Social media companies have struggled to combat misinformation about the pandemic so far.

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While NBA commissioner Adam Silver repeatedly has said no firm decision about the NBA’s timeline for a potential return will be made until May 1 at the earliest, several key developments related to containing the COVID-19 pandemic have reaffirmed optimism across the NBA about the eventual completion of the 2019-20 season.

A new report from Sam Amick at The Athletic shows “widespread optimism” among people at all levels of the league that the NBA can get back on the court at some point this summer. Amick also reports that “internal conversations about finding a solution remain robust,” but that ultimately, “the virus will have the final say.”

Among the chief priorities for a return to play: Building a schedule that works for all involved, using consistent, rapid testing to create an environment that protects everyone from infection, and buy-in from fans and health experts.

According to Amick’s survey of NBA stakeholders, there is weariness in the league about the perception that in mid-March, as leaders within the United States quickly realized the scope of our outbreak, that NBA players were among the first and most high-profile people to procure diagnostic tests. While one could argue the public nature of players like Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert testing positive actually led to more awareness about the silent infectiousness of COVID-19, the NBA does not want to open itself up to any belief that they are stealing valuable medical equipment or personnel from the broader American public.

However, Amick also reports that new, 45-minute COVID-19 testing is one of the main factors in the growing optimism around the NBA toward a return. Recent support from the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, toward a so-called “bubble league” built around constant quarantining and testing will likely help the NBA’s cause as well. In addition, the involvement of pro sports leaders such as Silver himself in the White House’s coalition to help reopen the American economy ought to build support for pro sports’ hastened return.

As has been the case from the jump, no one in the NBA wants to get ahead of themselves and jeopardize the health or wellbeing of players. At the same time, a sense of urgency and optimism seems to be propelling the league toward a return to the hardwood.

Playboi Carti gets artistic in the NSFW video for “Meh,” the first official single from his upcoming album, Whole Lotta Red, which fans have eagerly anticipated for over a year. The video, directed by Carti and Nick Walker, is relatively simple: Carti poses in front of a backdrop like the ones you’d find at fancy photo studios while a pair of extremely scantily clad women twerk and preen for the camera. The simplistic premise is offset by dark lighting, a juxtaposition that would make pretty much any professional photographer chuck their camera in frustration.

The beat is a bubbly production from Jetsonmade, which features the Carolina-based producers signature rollicking 808s, but is a departure in the tinkling synths. The effect is perfect for the naturally buoyant Carti, who floats over the track with his usual strained yelp of a flow, talking sh*t with a repetitious chorus of “Them p*ssy n****s ain’t ’bout that sh*t.”

Whole Lotta Red has been shrouded in mystery since its announcement. While Carti promised in Fader that the album would feature appearances from Gunna and Trippie Redd and production from Pi’erre Bourne, that was nearly a year ago and the plan has changed up so many times since that the album has taken on almost a mythical status among fans.

Carti recently revealed the cover art for the project, though. Check it out here.