Newly-minted Philadelphia power-pop group 2nd Grade introduced themselves with the singles “Velodrome” and “My Bike.” Composed of members from Friendship, Remember Sports, and Free Cake For Every Creature, the group aims to make breezy pop-adjacent tunes. Further previewing the upcoming record Hit To Hit, 2nd Grade releases the carefree track “Dennis Hopper In Easy Rider.”

It’s not too hard to pick up on what exactly inspired the sound of “Dennis Hopper In Easy Rider.” A catchy guitar riff provides an open space for lead singer Peter Gill’s lighthearted musings where he recites his ABC’s and lists off the cast members in the 1969 cult classic film.

In a statement, Gill said the band has no ulterior motive with their debut record other than to make fun pop songs. “That’s one way I can see this whole thing now,” Gill said. “I wanted to write a bunch of really catchy songs and at the end of the day that would have been enough for me, just to put out an album with a bunch of great pop songs that doesn’t have to have some sort of deeper meaning.”

Listen to “Dennis Hopper In Easy Rider” above.

Hit To Hit is out 5/29 via Double Double Whammy. Pre-order it here.

Even without a hard release date for Run The Jewels 4, El-P and Killer Mike continue the rollout for their next album undaunted. After releasing their unprecedented party track “Ooh La La” with Greg Nice and DJ Premier last month, the duo dropped the video today and despite being a fresh look for the ordinarily aggressive partners-in-rhyme, they infuse it with every bit of their anti-establishment rebel spirit.

While “Ooh La La” is ostensibly a party song, just shooting a bunch of people dancing in a club would be too pedestrian for the Run The Jewels crew. Instead, the people dance in the middle of Wall Street in the aftermath of a hypothetical revolution, burning huge piles of money and passing out champagne bottle to celebrate the downfall of financial institutions and corporations — you know, the ones who just got a $500 billion bailout at the same time as 11 million Americans filed first-time unemployment claims.

The video came accompanied by a statement from the crew, which you can read below.

We shot this video only a few weeks before the pandemic hit with no clue as to what the future held. The fact that we got the chance to do it is damn near miraculous in hindsight.

In conceptualizing the video with our friends Brian and Vanessa Beletic we imagined the world on the day that the age old struggle of class was finally over –a day that humanity, empathy, and community were victorious over the forces that would separate us based on arbitrary systems created by man.

This video is a fantasy of waking up on a day that there is no monetary system, no dividing line, no false construct to tell our fellow man that they are less or more than anyone else. Not that people are without but that the whole meaning of money has vanished. That we have somehow solved our self-created caste system and can now start fresh with love, hope and celebration. It’s a dream of humanity’s V-DAY… and the party we know would pop off.

Love, RTJ

PS: We’d like to thank everyone who busted their ass to make this happen from directors Brian and Vanessa Beletic to line producer Cat Restrepo to editor Biff Butler to the wonderful folks at The Mill who handled post production, as well as everyone involved in shooting, prepping and executing this video. You guys gave us so much of your energy and talent during this crazy f*cking time to make it all come together and we are truly grateful.

Watch the “Ooh La La” video above.

In February, the Los Angeles Lakers were among three teams in the NBA valued at over $4 billion on the Forbes franchise valuation list, ranking second, only behind the Knicks, at $4.4 billion. While franchise valuation isn’t necessarily representative of the cash flow ownership has at any given time, the Lakers are always near the top of the most profitable franchises in the league and few would think of them as a business getting hit the hardest by the current pandemic.

There is no doubt that sports franchises are feeling the effects and hurting like so many others, but when the federal government launched the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, no one would have thought of the Los Angeles Lakers as an organization worthy of a cut. As it turns out, the Lakers did indeed apply and were granted $4.6 million by the PPP, but have since given the funds back after the coffers went dry amid various reports that large corporations and companies had received loans while many actual small businesses around the country struggled to get through the process, as they told ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz in a statement.

“The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the Lakers said in a statement to ESPN. “Once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”

The Lakers qualified as they are a business with 300 or so employees, but they certainly don’t operate or bring in revenue like what you would think of when you think of a small business. It’s not surprising that the Lakers and others looked into PPP funding and applied, and truthfully, it’s an indictment of the federal government’s planning and processing of the fund that they were given a loan while others were denied — and that there wasn’t enough set aside to help more businesses in need. Still, it’s the right move to give the money back, as many other larger businesses have, even if it shouldn’t have had to be their decision in the first place. The Lakers are surely being impacted tremendously by the current situation, but there are thousands upon thousands of businesses around the country that find themselves in far worse situations.

It’s easy to forget, but we’re right in the midst of spring. The weather is warming up all around the country, flowers are blooming, the sky is beautiful, gas is cheap, and… we’re all still inside. Roughly a month and a half into the COVID-19 shutdown, the evidence is mounting that the curve has been flattened — but we’re not out of the woods yet. Sure, things are beginning to feel a little less scary and people are becoming braver about walking through a market and not totally freaking out, but even as parts of the country begins to open up, many of us are still going to be living in this lockdown life for a while longer.

And we’re getting increasingly stir crazy. Often to our collective detriment. It’s important we not jump the gun, but once it’s deemed safe, rest assured we’ll be out there in the world again the second we can manage — eating at restaurants, hanging out at beaches and parks, and, if we’re really lucky, seeing the world beyond our borders.

With visions of future travel dancing in our heads, we linked up with travel photographer Eduardo Gato, who spent much of 2019 and early 2020 capturing photos of life on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao. Gato provided us with enough photos to offer a visual tour of the island and advice for how to ensure our (eventual) trips there look just as beautiful as his did. Follow along below and imagine what it would be like to chill on the beach of Cas Abao, to stroll the art-filled streets of Punda, and to get out into the crystalline sea. Instead of, you know, listening to podcasts with no pants on like you’re probably doing right now.

Gato: Curaçao measures 172 square-miles but boasts more than 35 cove-like beaches. Cas Abao Beach, one of Caraçao’s widest, softest, and most famed shorelines, is dotted with palaces and edged by rocky limestone cliffs and graduated levels of cacti.

Gato: Chef Helmi Smolders is a modern expert in Caribbean culinary cuisine. She shares her passion for the kitchen by creating unique culinary experiences like six-course chefs table dinners prepared with locally sourced ingredients.

Gato: Curaçao’s vibrant colorful culture is captured everywhere on the island; even on buses. Dushi Yu means sweet son/daughter.

Gato: This iconic waterfront strip of colorful buildings in Punda is one of the most photographed places in Curaçao and speaks to the Dutch heritage of the island. From sunrise to sunset, the beautiful pastels serve as the perfect backdrop. At night, the illuminated storefronts and rainbow of colors beaming from the floating Queen Emma Bridge create another stunning view.

Gato: The trendy Pietermaii district has blossomed over the last five years with boutique hotels, trendy cafés, and an eclectic lineup of bars and restaurants popping up onto the scene. Mundo Bizarro, an iconic Cuban restaurant in the area, transcends decades, taking diners back to old-time Havana.

Gato: Curaçao’s 83-degree year-round temperatures create the perfect environment for sunbathing iguanas seen all around the island. The cold-blooded reptiles are also said to be a delicacy…. and an aphrodisiac.

Gato: Explore all four of Willemstad’s districts, including this one of Scharloo, on a tuk tuk. It’s the fastest way to see the sights including the historic Governor’s Mansion and Wilhelmina Plaza.

Gato: Float along the turquoise waters, breathe in the salty air, and get a natural dose of Vitamin D with Curaçao’s resident yogi, Liberty Suares of Dushi SUP. She leads an ongoing series of SUP yoga classes on the east side of the island at Fort Bekenburg in Caracasbaai.

Gato: Liberty Suares is an island native and owner of the island’s first floating yoga studio Dushi SUP, utilizing Curaçao’s natural beauty as the backdrop to an unforgettable centering experience on the sea for locals and tourists alike.

Gato: Pull up a barstool and sink your toes into the sand at Mambo Beach. This central hangout spot, just five minutes from downtown Willemstad, is the capital of daytime and nighttime entertainment, best know for its lively bars, shopping, and restaurants.

Gato: Caña Bar and Kitchen is Curaçao’s first gastropub that serves up Latin-Caribbean small plates like tacos and local fish ceviches. Featuring a cocktail menu heavy on Pisco, rum, and tequila, it also provides suggestions on which complement each dish, and the option to craft your own highball with one of the bar’s homemade sodas.

Gato: One of the many murals in Otrobanda created by street artist Sander Van Beusekom of Blend Curaçao. ‘Bida ta un bunita lucha’ translates to ‘life is a beautiful struggle’ in the island’s local language, Papiamentu.

Gato: This piece by Venezuelan artist Jhomar Loaiza showcases the traditional head wraps worn by women in Curaçao. The style was said to signify modest and also protect their hair against the sun.

Gato: On the southeast side of the island lies Jan Thiel Beach where trendy beach clubs, boutique shops and international restaurants beg you to spend a day and night. On Wednesdays, locals descend on this popular spot for acoustic, “Unplugged” musical performances by local artists.

Gato: The Blue Room is a natural wonder where the water and its reflection within the cave are an impossible blue. Bring your sense of adventure, snorkel gear, and an underwater camera.

Gato: The Blue Room tops many snorkelers must-do lists as this mostly underwater cave is known for its beautiful, deep blue hue and school of fish that hover inside it. Best on days where the sun is bright outside creating an even stronger reflection.

Gato: At night, truk di pans (food trucks) open after 9 p.m., providing night owls with late-night eats after conquering Curaçao’s bustling nightlife scene. This one, in particular, is known for grilling and makes the popular Kapsalon, meat, fries, and cheese. What’s not to love about that?

Like The Mandalorian before it, Disney+ is forgoing Netflix’s “all at once” model and releasing one episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars per week. More shows should be put out that way, but there is a downside: if you’re waiting to binge the final season, Twitter is a spoiler minefield on (in the case of Clone Wars) Fridays, especially last Friday, when many of the day’s trending topics concerned the new episode, “The Phantom Apprentice.”

I am one of those people who’s waiting to watch the season (the final season!) all at once, but I was aware of the buzz surrounding “Phantom,” which is not only apparently a series highlight, it’s also one of the highest-rated episodes in TV history on IMDb.

As with all things voted on by anyone with decent wifi, you shouldn’t take IMDb’s “User Rating” metric too seriously, but it’s still an interesting indication of what fans consider to be the best episode of a series (like “Homer’s Enemy” for The Simpsons) and the worst (“Lisa Goes Gaga”). “The Phantom Apprentice” is currently sporting a near-perfect 9.9 rating, where it’s in a second-place tie with the series finales for Six Feet Under and Chernobyl; “407 Proxy Authentication Required” (Mr. Robot); “Mizumono” (Hannibal); and multiple episodes of Attack on Titan, Game of Thrones (“The Winds of Winter,” “Battle of the Bastards,” “Hardhome,” and “The Rains of Castamere”), and Breaking Bad (“Felina,” “Face Off”), among others. Speaking of Breaking Bad, it has the distinction of having the only 10.0 episode on IMDb: season five’s “Ozymandias,” where [spoiler] is killed and Walt [spoiler]. I probably don’t need to include spoiler warnings, as the episode came out seven years ago, but I wouldn’t want to ruin the “Ozymandias” experience for anyone. It truly is the best episode of Breaking Bad, and that’s saying something.

It’s hard to get two people to agree something is good on the internet, let alone 113,939. How many thumbs up do Saul and Kim give “Ozymandias”?

(Via IMDb)

Earlier this year, Jessy Lanza’s spacey lead single “Lick In Heaven” ushered in a new era following her 2016 record Oh No. The certifiable bop set the pace for Lanza’s upcoming dance-ready project. Lanza now returns with the shuffling single “Face” to announce her third record All The Time.

Crunchy synths and digital tones are at the forefront of Lanza’s off-kilter track. The accompanying video, directed by Winston Case, was filmed during their travels across the US. Hailing from Ontario, Lanza had an insightful journey across the US while on tour. In a statement, the singer said she drew inspiration for “Face” from watching the sea of people’s faces on the NYC subway:

“I was fantasizing about what everyone was thinking based on their expressions. I found myself projecting my own feelings onto the strangers I was looking at. I went home and wrote the lyrics imagining that the commuters were having telepathic conversations with each other. The questions I imagined them asking each other oscillated from sexual to confrontational: ‘Baby is it just enough? Tell me do you want it all? Baby are you feeling tough? Feeling tougher more than not?’”

Watch Lanza’s “Face” video above. Below find her All The Time cover art and tracklist.

1. “Anyone Around”
2. “Lick In Heaven”
3. “Face”
4. “Badly”
5. “Alexander”
6. “Ice Creamy”
7. “Like Fire”
8. “Baby Love”
9. “Over And Over”
10. “All The Time”

All The Time is out 7/24 via Hyperdub. Pre-order it here.

As much as times have changed in hip-hop, one name remains a constant when rap fans talk about the greatest MCs the genre has ever seen. The Notorious B.I.G. still appears on many fans’ all-time lists, a function of both the time-tested quality of his music and the manner of his untimely, still-unsolved death. You might think that with over 25 years passed since his debut album, we’ve all heard all there is to hear from the legendary rapper, but it looks like Biggie can still surprise us with new music, even decades after his death.

In this case, the new release came via New York producer Statik Selektah’s Instagram (what would Biggie’s Instagram be like, we wonder). After declaring himself “bored on a Sunday,” Statik — who has worked with Action Brons, Bun B, Freddie Gibbs, Joey Badass, and more over the years — posted the new verse with a question and a challenge in the caption, writing, “Some new Biggie for you? (Bored on a Sunday). Even the biggest Notorious fans prob don’t know this verse.”

Statik thanked Joe Lyons for the “reminder,” which apparently came in the form of a flyer the former DJ posted promoting his upcoming Instagram Live session playing rare and unreleased Biggie demos and freestyles. “If you are a huge fan and collector of Biggie’s music you likely have heard most of these tracks,” he disclaimed, “But tune in for a trip down memory lane to the early ’90s when #nychiphop ruled.”

You can listen to the “new” Biggie verse above.

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While most of the basketball world was focused on the latest episodes of The Last Dance on Sunday, Aaron Gordon is still stewing over what he believes to be a second dunk contest snub in his career. Gordon and Derrick Jones Jr. put on a legendary show in Chicago in February, with Jones winning amid some controversy in extra rounds.

Dwyane Wade, former Heat legend, was part of the five-person judges panel, and gave Gordon a nine for his dunk over Tacko Fall, leading him to lose by one to Jones Jr. — although two others gave Gordon a nine as well. Afterwards, other judges said the plan was to have the two tie with 48s, pointing fingers at Wade as the one that screwed up the plan. The immediate reaction of everyone else at the judges table when the scores flashed — including Wade casually getting up and removing his headset — made that seem like it was the case and a controversy was born.

Gordon, naturally, was furious about the result and has vowed to never do another dunk contest as he’s felt he was robbed in two now — although, both Jones Jr. and Zach LaVine likewise put on spectacular performances that are more than worthy of the titles they have. On Sunday, Gordon released a diss track aimed at Wade, with a video shot at his home, in which he calls out the future Hall of Famer for the 9 out of 10 grade on his final dunk.

This, of course, made it’s way to Wade, who offered a level-headed response on Twitter, saying Gordon should trademark “9/10” and sell merchandise to make up for the million dollars he lost out on by not winning the dunk contest.

Don’t expect Wade to hop in the booth to respond to Gordon anytime soon, and it’s a bit funny that this is still eating at Gordon this much that he shot an entire video (while drinking Wade’s wine) during quarantine for his song.

As we hit what would be the peak of music festival season, plenty of music fans around the globe are missing their live music fix due to social distancing safety guidelines geared toward stopping the spread of COVID-19. Since large scale events like festivals guarantee a crowd — and close proximity — it’s been impossible for these annual staples to take place, and the sadness is getting real. In an effort to both replicate the experience of seeing our favorite artists perform live, and help raise money for the organizations that are working hard to keep everyone safe, Warner Music Group launched a virtual festival this weekend: PlayOn Fest.

The digital event supports the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), powered by the UN Foundation, and features tons of the biggest artists on the planet, not performing in their living rooms, but by airing previously captured footage of some of their finest moments from the past.

None of these performances are available for streaming elsewhere, so there is a sense of exclusivity to the three-day extravaganza, and it brings together fans from all over the world by featuring shows at places like Texas’ revered Austin City Limits, and California’s gargantuan and beloved festival, Coachella. But what is any kind of festival without an official ranking of who did it best? Despite the performances happening across time and space, it’s still clear who had the most epic sets of the event, so we went ahead and ranked the top ten. Check out our picks below.

10. The War On Drugs’ 2018 Coachella Performance

Early on during quarantine, The War On Drugs’ frontman Adam Granduciel went live on Instagram to tease some early mixes of brand new songs from the band. While we wait for those to be polished up and released — hopefully later this year or early next — remembering the band’s epic Coachella set where they played lots of songs off their excellent 2017 album A Deeper Understanding is a good way to keep in mind just how great they are live. Yes, I really want to hear a new studio album, but that’s mostly so I can get out to a show and hear them wail live. Indie rock is not dead while this band is still doing the damn thing.

9. Paramore’s 2018 Bonnaroo Set

Hayley Williams has been focusing on her solo career so far in 2020, but she took some time to express just how much she loves her first band, Paramore. The iconic pop-punk group’s 2018 Bonnaroo set was a part of PlayOn Fest’s programming — and in such high demand that they showed it twice, once on Sunday evening and once very early this morning as an encore. The band’s propulsive energy has earned them a cult following, even when they took a long break between 2013’s self-titled release and 2017’s After Laughter. Though they’ve had lineup changes over the years, Williams’ impressive presence as a front person has never flickered even for a moment, and is on full display during this high-energy festival set.

8. Charlie Puth’s 2019 Rock In Rio Performance

The elephant in the room when it comes to Charlie Puth is that his first album wasn’t necessarily everyone’s favorite thing. But after his second record, Voicenotes, came out in 2018, the entire critical world changed their tune — it was one of the highest rated pop albums of the year, and proved once and for all that one fluke doesn’t have to define an artist forever. There is a sense of satisfaction and confidence that permeates Puth’s performance at Rock In Rio last year, knowing that he became the architect of his own sound and turned the narrative around. And it’s thrilling to watch a pop star perform at the top of his game, especially after going through so much to get there.

7. Ed Sheeran’s 2017 Austin City Limits Set

If you’ve seen Ed Sheeran live before, then you know his fans are some of the most passionate in the world. Haters be damned, the Ed heads just want to hear his clever guitar pop and sing along with the man who is arguably the most famous redhead in the world. When he played Austin City Limits in 2017, Sheeran was in his ÷ album era, you know, the album that had so many hits that when the single, “Perfect,” became one too, it was the fourth track off the album to do so. “Castle On The Hill,” the unstoppable force that was “Shape Of You,” and “Galway Girl” all lead the way, and Sheeran packs out his set with hits like these and many more to prove that even three years ago, he had the kind of songwriting chops that most artists dream about.

6. Lil Uzi Vert’s 2018 Lollapalooza Performance

I’ve never had the privilege of attending Lollapalooza, but watching Uzi’s set from 2018 has me kicking myself for not making it out sooner. Though his new Eternal Atake album dropped earlier this year, Uzi had plenty of hits to get the crowd screaming along with him, including the indelible hit “XO Tour Llif3.” That track became the lead single off his official debut, Luv Is Rage 2, which came out in 2017 and made up the bulk of his set at the epic Illinois festival. Fans will have to wait a little longer to see Uzi perform Eternal Atake tracks live, but in the meantime, watching this set was a nice reminder of just what he can do when he hits the stage.

5. Roddy Ricch’s “Trap Symphony” Performance

As the reigning champion of the No. 1 song in the country for most of 2020 so far, Roddy Ricch is riding high despite the current chaos. But this performance showcases the rapper like you’ve never seen him before, as he runs through “The Box” and plenty more hits from his discography accompanied by a live orchestra for a “Trap Symphony” concert. Put this one on for your friend who claims that pop and hip-hop has nothing on classical music, and watch their skepticism melt away as worlds collide. And yes, “The Box” and its signature chorus sounds excellent on violin.

4. Bebe Rexha’s 2019 Rock In Rio Performance

For those who might still be underestimating Bebe Rexha, tuning in for one of her legendary international festival performances is sure to set the record straight. Performing at last year’s Rock In Rio festival, Rexha ran through hit after hit, showcasing the breadth of her discography and how many bangers she’s already released, while never letting up for a minute in front of a crowd of thousands. She emanated pure pop-star energy, and established herself once again as one of our era’s top tier live pop acts. This set was so good I wanted to watch it twice.

3. Cardi B’s 2018 Global Citizen Festival Performance

As the above clip from Cardi B’s 2018 performance at the Global Citizen Festival illustrates, her political voice is just another reason to love the Bronx rapper. She’s got radio hits, deep cuts, a fiery stage presence, and still speaks to the most important thing we can do with our freedom — vote. We’d probably be in a very different situation right now in America if more young people exercised their political voices in general, so aside from seeing her twerk and spit bars, Cardi’s motivational political speech was an affirming reminder.

2. Lizzo’s 2019 Coachella Set

I was lucky enough to witness this one in real life, but rewatching with maximum camera angles instead of at the back of a packed, over-crowded tent is definitely a more ideal way to experience the full energy of a Lizzo set. If you were around on Saturday afternoon, then you had the chance to relive all the twerking, belting and pure joy that is a hallmark of every Lizzo show, and especially at her Coachella debut.

1. Nipsey Hussle’s 2018 Victory Lap album release performance at the Hollywood Palladium

Another show I count myself incredibly lucky to have attended, the album release party for Nipsey Hussle’s last album, Victory Lap was half coronation party, half homecoming for LA hip-hop royalty — oh, and Diddy was there, too. A rap king’s career was cut too short when Nipsey died, and never has that been more clear than onstage at the Hollywood Palladium that night. There’s no other set that aired during PlayOn Fest that better encapsulates how music can bring us together, and how much an artist can impact their community, even after they’re gone.

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