As the NBA and WNBA prepare for returns to the court later this summer in Orlando and Bradenton, Florida, respectively, there are a pair of chief concerns of players getting ready to play in the two bubbles. One is health and safety, wanting the leagues to take more precautions, namely with outside employees from Disney and IMG Academy, to ensure they are subject to similar testing protocols to try and ensure the bubbles stay bubbles.

Another is concern that a return to the court will distract from the Black Lives Matter movement that continues to see protests nationwide against police brutality and systemic racism, which players from the NBA and WNBA have been extremely active in, either with feet on the ground or in using their platform to speak out. Some have expressed a desire to skip the bubble to keep focus on the movement, with Renee Montgomery of the Atlanta Dream recently announcing she will sit out the season to work on social justice reform as Maya Moore has done the past two seasons.

Others see the return as an opportunity to boost their platform to speak out on injustice and issues facing the Black community, provided the league offers their full support in elevating those voices. On Monday, WNBA star Angel McCoughtry, now of the Las Vegas Aces, announced on Instagram she was starting a petition to get the WNBA to allow players to wear the first and last names of people killed or injured by police brutality on their jerseys in place of their names, mocking up examples with Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

McCoughtry made it clear she was planning to play this season and continuing to fight social injustice, while announcing her petition to the league, which you can sign here.

I am currently working with the @lvaces and @wnba to use our voices, our uniforms, and our sport to continue to impact and create real change. I am creating a petition (LINK IN BIO) to allow players the ability to put the FIRST & LAST NAME of HUMAN BEINGS that who have been injured or KILLED in incidents involving POLICE BRUTALITY! ⠀ ⠀

Silence is an ally for EVIL and when sports resume WE WILL NOT BE SILENT.

The WNBA had previously stated “the WNBA 2020 season will include a devoted platform led by the players that will aim to support and strengthen both the league and teams’ reach and impact on social justice matters,” and this certainly seems like an opportunity for the league to follow through on that promise. One of the ongoing discussions has been how to allow players voices to be heard during games when the attention is the greatest, and this is certainly a step in that direction. There’s also precedent for such a move, after the Premier League restarted this weekend with players all wearing uniforms with Black Lives Matter written in place of their name.

This would go a step further, placing the names of victims of police brutality on uniforms and it seems like something that should be a pretty easy decision for the WNBA, which has a great history of supporting its players in speaking out for social justice and human rights.

Toss a coin to Netflix as they start to map out The Witcher‘s return to production. Eager viewers began clamoring for a second season immediately after the series launched in a crowd-pleasing way, but all TV and film productions worldwide have been on pause since March amid the pandemic. Studios are now feeling out the process of a safe return to filming, and news of cast member Kristofer Hijvu (Game Of Thrones‘ Tormund) testing positive for COVID-19 will only heighten the palpable need for precautions. Still, The Witcher is finding its way back toward the valley of plenty.

The announcement of the show’s return to production was made in the most Jaskier-Dandelion way possible, of course, with a so-bad-it’s-good poem that could have only been authored by the so-called humble bard:

I’m dusting off my lute and quill,
I have some news, some mead to spill:
After all the months we’ve been apart
It’s time for production to restart.
The Witcher and his bard – who’s flawless,
Will reunite on set 17 August.

Joey Batey will never escape this character, correct? And good luck on getting that earworm of a song out of your head anytime today. As people are aware, Geralt of Rivia can’t be beat, but the question remains: how many bathtub scenes will we see in Season 2? If the number’s on par with the first batch of episodes, fans of the loner monster hunter (and all the books and video games) shall be pleased.

This season carries a few more bonuses: (1) Geralt’s mentor and father figure, Vesemir, will be portrayed by Killing Eve‘s Kim Bodnia; (2) Far fewer timeline shenanigans are to be expected, which shall be a welcome change. That second point feels like a natural progression with Geralt and Yiri finally crossing paths in the season finale, but I can’t even begin to guess where Yennifer will fit into the entire equation. She and Geralt seem doomed as lovers, but one never knows what story tweaks shall arrive. As long as Jaskier’s back for good, the magic can happen, although The Witcher‘s official return date remains up in the air.

In less than two weeks, anyone with a DIsney+ subscription will be able to see the filmed version of the original stage production of the hit Broadway show Hamilton. For fans of the show, July 3rd cannot come fast enough. Those who haven’t seen it or listened to the soundtrack 800,000 times might take an “Oh, that’s nice,” attitude, but those people simply don’t know what they’ve been missing.

I’m embarrassed to admit I used to be a Hamilton doubter. I thought it seemed overhyped. I could not have been more wrong. The fact that millions will get to see it now from the comfort of our living rooms is a gift beyond measure.

The only bad news is that Disney + just quietly ended their free 7-day trial. Super crappy move, in my opinion. But you can sign up for just one month for $6.99—less than the cost of a movie ticket—and then cancel after the first month if you don’t want to keep the subscription. Seven bucks for a month’s worth of Hamilton is a freaking steal.

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Last night, a preview of the show dropped on all Hamilton social media pages, including Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Twitter. It’s just a minute-long taste, but the thrill is real. We don’t have to wait for it for much longer.

]Miranda, the literal genius behind the show, also answered a few frequently asked questions about the Disney + release on Twitter. People have been wondering exactly what time it’s going to be up so they won’t miss a second. People have also wanted to know if it’s going to be on the platform for a limited time. (Thank the holy heavens it looks like it’s going to be there to stay. As in, now we really can watch Hamilton 800,000 times if we want to.)

We need this. We all need this. Not just for the entertainment value of it, but for the lens through which the show views our country’s complicated history. The arts have a way of cutting straight to the heart of things, making us process reality in a new way, and Hamilton arguably does that better than anything else. Michelle Obama called it the “best piece of art in any form that I have ever seen in my life.” Agreed. And it’s perhaps more relevant than ever in this moment.

The show moves fast, and the more you listen, the better it gets. If you can’t wait til July 3rd or want more than that short preview, you can listen to the whole soundtrack on Spotify or for free on YouTube:

Hamilton: An American Musical FULL SOUNDTRACK

www.youtube.com

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As musicians cope with their new reality of drive-in festivals and virtual concerts, Idles’ Joe Talbot has cooked up a clever way to keep fans entertained while at home. His virtual talk show, Balley TV, brings together musicians on a surreal set to play games, joke around, and discuss current events. The singer just unveiled the show’s full programming schedule, and his upcoming guests include big-name artists like Sharon Van Etten and Kenny Beats.

Described as one part “free therapy” and one part “virtual pub,” Talbot’s Balley TV is filmed in isolation. The show’s first two episodes have already been released, featuring guests like Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry, The Streets’ Mike Skinner, and Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova. Balley TV airs every Friday, and its newly-unveiled schedule boasts interviewees like Arlo Parks, Kate Tempest, and Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament.

In other Idles news, the band just announced their third record Ultra Mono will see a September release. Before the album’s debut, the band announced they will be previewing Ultra Mono with a handful of upcoming singles, as well as two livestreams at the end of August.

Watch Episode 2 of Balley TV with Mayberry and Hak Baker above. Find Balley TV’s upcoming programming below.

07/03 — Episode 3 with Arlo Parks and Billy Bragg
07/17 — Episode 4 with Kate Tempest and Kenny Beats
07/31 — Episode 5 with Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Jehnny Beth (Savages) & Fern Ford (The Big Moon)
08/14 — Episode 6 with Ishmael Butler and Sharon Van Etten

As posts insisting that “all cops are bad” proliferate on Twitter, one of hip-hop’s premiere crime drama rappers, Pusha T, is being critiqued for appearing in a photo with a police officer at a community event. However, those critics are also being viewed with skepticism, as their method — juxtaposing Drake’s satirical blackface photo from a decade ago with Pusha’s seemingly hypocritical cop photo op — gets side-eyed for comparing apples to oranges.

The photo in question was taken at Petersburg, Virginia’s Feed Your City Challenge event, where Pusha T passed out food alongside fellow Virginians like former NBA star Ricky Davis, Suave House’s Tony Draper, and singer Trey Songz. Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote that the event was the second after Pusha debuted it in Norfolk, Virginia two weeks ago. The Times-Dispatch reports that “more than 3,200 gallons of milk; 25,000 pounds of meat and 7,000 pounds of vegetables, as well as canned goods and packaged foods like Pop-Tarts, were distributed.”

However, that didn’t stop Drake fans from calling out Pusha for flicking up alongside one of the local police officers at the event, in direct contradiction to both Pusha’s lyrical content and the general mood toward the police over the past month of protests. “This y’all favorite drug dealer!?” one fan questioned.

However, Pusha fans defended him by pointing out he had organized the food drive to help people. While Drake had honorable intentions, trying to use satire to draw attention to racism, that wasn’t readily apparent when Pusha used a contextless excerpt from the photo shoot as the cover to his “Story Of Adidon” diss record. The two rappers’ beef may be long over, with even Drake declaring Push the winner, but their fans will likely continue to duke it out on Twitter using any ammunition available for all time. Check out more responses below.

The second season of AMC’s NOS4A2 premiered on Sunday night with a true kicker: Charlie Manx may have “died,” but he’s still somehow kicking. Zachary Quinto returns to play the immortal psychic vampire, whose love affair with a supernaturally-powered car can reinstill his youth, if only he can devour a child-soul or two during his travels to Christmasland. Fortunately for viewers, this season (which continues adapting Joe Hill’s novel) is not only spookier but more focused than last year’s run. The tighter story also makes the horror personal while bringing the beef between Manx and his foil, Vic McQueen, to a proper head. And Manx is out for revenge, so watch out, world.

Of course, this role isn’t Quinto’s first villainous rodeo. Although his eyebrows would never let anyone forget his take of the beloved Dr. Spock in the reinvigorated Star Trek franchise, no one could forget his convincing portrayals of striking, unforgettable antagonists in Heroes and American Horror Story. While speaking to us in a phone interview, Quinto looked fondly back on his bad-guy roles while also hoping to pause them for awhile. Before that happens, though, he’s delivered one hell of a sinister comeback for Charlie Manx. It’s a demanding role that puts Quinto through the paces this season, both physically and otherwise, and he was kind enough to talk about deep-diving into a reprehensible character’s mind to trace the roots of his evil.

I’ve always wanted to “interview a vampire” or somebody who’s portraying a vampire-like character.

Fantastic! I’m glad I can fulfill your dream.

You’ve played plenty of likeable guys, so what does it say to you when people hear your name and instantly conjure up visions of your antagonists and villains?

It’s hard to say. I think I’m not afraid to look at the darker side of human experience in my own life and interactions with people. To me, it signifies the work that I’ve done on myself to be able to hold space for characters like this and for people to have reactions to characters like this. I think, in our culture, we need places to put our otherwise sublimated, kind-of darker energy, and if my creative process can help people identify those aspects of themselves in a character that excites or thrills them, or if they love to hate them, I’m happy to do that, to a point. I feel like, for me, my experience as Charlie Manx kind-of exists as a culmination of a period of work that I’ve done, starting with Heroes, moving to American Horror Story, and now with NOS4A2. So I’m actually really interested in exploring other psychologies and psyches moving forward and putting the “villain track” on pause for awhile to let it rest. But this has been a really great experience for me, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with such committed and lovely people and to bring this book, which is so phenomenal in its own right, to life.

Whenever I think about actors who are known for playing “bad guys,” I recall what Mayans M.C.‘s Emilio Rivera told us last year. After playing 40 normal guys and 140 bad guys, he said, “I remember all the bad guys, but I don’t remember the good guys too much.. [because] I put a part of myself into the bad guys, trying to find the good in them.”

Oh yeah, uh-huh!

Well, Charlie Manx believes he’s doing good, but is there any of that to grab onto while portraying him?

Well, I think the job of any actor who’s inhabiting the psyche of a character is to understand the origins of that psyche, so with Manx, he may think he’s a good person, doing good, but anyone who’s objectively looking at the situation sees that it’s entirely warped and untrue and a manipulation of reality. And where does that kind of manipulation of reality in someone’s experience usually generate?

Probably when they’re younger or at some sort-of pivotal point in life.

It’s usually at a point of real trauma in their development, whether it’s in their youth or adolescence. And I think one of the great things about Season 2 is that it does take that dive into what Charlie Manx used to be, and it’s something that I did from the beginning of this job — to really understand what created this monster, right? And where do we go? And when we go into his past… it’s a little bit in the book but more specifically in Joe Hill’s graphic novel, which is called The Wraith, which is entirely about Manx’s relationship with the car and how it comes to be in his life, and it really gives answers to those questions. So, I was doing that deep dive in Season 1, but the great thing is that the audience gets to do it in Season 2. I think that they’ll be really satisfied by the episodes we have that are more flashbacks and that are opportunities to see the origins of this trauma.

Without spoiling anything, he’s got real-life concerns at work in addition to the supernatural elements. And how do you think that his motive of revenge adds to his level of dangerousness?

I think that’s his main thrust in Season 2. Eight years have passed between seasons, and Manx is basically on the verge of death and eventually dies in that time, so when we meet him at the beginning of this season, he’s dead. And through a series of orchestrated and coincidental events, he ends up at the end of Episode 1 not being dead. I think he’s pissed, and the only person he has to hold responsible for his situation is Vic McQueen. It definitely ratchets up the conflict between them. We see that she’s in a different place in her life with a family of her own. She’s struggling in her own ways with shortcomings and very human foibles and vulnerabilities, and Manx exploits them. He manipulates them, and he goes straight for the jugular with her, using the most precious kind of leverage, which is her son.

There’s a very physically demanding episode after Manx comes back from the dead. It looks like you went through hell, but is it any easier to “be” Manx when you look evil as opposed to the younger version?

It’s pretty intense! Those were the first two episodes we shot, and yeah, it was pretty full-on to do that, physically and otherwise. But it was fun, I had a great team of people around me, people that were the top of their field and experts in special effects and makeup: Joel Harlow, Richie Alonzo, and Jules Holdren, who did my hair and makeup throughout the season. And that was really great because they’re incredible. They’re fun to work with and to be with, and we all got on really well. The work itself was pretty grueling, but it makes for good TV, and that’s mah job.

You recently detailed your quarantine life for the New York Times. Lots of meditation and old movies there, but I didn’t sense a horror obsession, so are you a fan of the genre? Did you draw upon any iconic performances?

You know, I don’t consider myself an avid horror fan. I like a good story, and if that story happens to be in the horror genre, and it’s well-told, then I’m certainly onboard. But I’m not like a rabid horror guy. And I tend to like horror that’s more grounded, like psychological horror. That appeals to me generally much more than gore or violence, so for me, especially with this project, all of the questions I had about the character were always in the book or the graphic novel or the script. I would rely on my connection to those things more than I would rely on anyone else’s work for inspiration.

I sure hope you get to do some lighter material soon.

Yeah, I’m ready!

You were a delight in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which only looked grueling for the wall-sitting competition.

Oh, thank you! [Laughs] That one was really fun to work on.

‘NOS4A2’ returns to AMC at 10:00 pm EST on Sunday, June 21.

Late Sunday night, despite the scheduled race at Talladega for that day being washed out by rain storms, NASCAR found itself at the top of the sports news cycle for horrific reasons after they announced they were launching an investigation into a noose found in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall at the track.

Wallace, NASCAR’s lone Black driver, has been vocal in recent weeks, speaking up about systemic racism, police brutality, and calling for change within the sport he loves to be more inclusive and welcoming. NASCAR, to its credit, finally was willing to listen and issued a ban of the confederate flag from races and events, unsurprisingly leading to backlash from some fans.

The noose found in Wallace’s pit stall was not from a fan, however, as garage access is extremely restricted right now amid the COVID-19 pandemic and, although 5,000 fans were allowed to the race on Sunday, none were in the infield or garage area. That means this was a threat from someone inside NASCAR, likely on a race team or possibly a track employee. Whatever the case, NASCAR has promised to “eliminate them from the sport” once they find the culprit.

Wallace issued a statement of his own, promising that he won’t back down despite the effort to intimidate him to be quiet, and he quickly got encouragement from LeBron James, someone that knows plenty about being told to shut up and dribble.

LeBron made sure to let Wallace know that while he might be NASCAR’s lone Black driver, he has plenty of support from athletes across all sports fighting for the same kind of change, and that James and others are proud of how he’s standing up for what is right. It is, as LeBron noted, “sickening” that someone would place a noose in Wallace’s garage stall, but hopefully NASCAR is able to quickly complete its investigation and root out whoever committed such a heinous act.

Slowly but surely, concerts are making a comeback, even if its not in the way most of us are familiar with. For example, New Zealand indie group The Beths are gearing up for a show in their home country next month. The US isn’t quite at that point yet, though, so we’ve settled for livestream performances and the new phenomenon of the drive-in concert. Electronic musician Marc Rebillet is in the midst of a drive-in concert tour, and now Live Nation has decided they want in on that action.

The tour promoter has announced “Live From The Drive-In,” a series of nine drive-in performances set to go down between July 10 and 12 in Nashville, Tennessee; Maryland Heights, Missouri; and Noblesville, Indiana. Brad Paisley will headline shows in all three locations, with Nelly also performing in Missouri and Darius Rucker and Jon Pardi joining the Nashville bill.

Concertgoers will have two parking lot spaces between each vehicle, giving them room to bring chairs, food, and drinks for a tailgating experience. Attendees are asked to wear masks when they arrive, but that will not be required once they are in their parking spot.

Paisley told the Associated Press, “I’m very excited to do this because I wanted to make sure, if we were going to do anything like this, that they had the important stuff worked out. My goal would be not to spread this virus to one person. There should be no spread from this. That’s key. I just don’t think it’s worth doing shows if we’re putting people at risk. The idea that we’re outdoors is a great thing. I just think it’s a fun way to watch a concert anyway. It’d be fun if there wasn’t a virus.”

Tickets are set to go on sale this Friday, June 26.

Hip-hop is moving as fast as ever. Luckily, we’re doing the work to put the best new rap music in one place for you. The roundup had a slight delay this week, but that allowed us to cover much more of the new music that came out this weekend. There were visuals from City Girls, Public Enemy, and Tory Lanez. There was also new music from Reason, Kamaiyah, Kyle, Lil Uzi Vert and Shy Glizzy, Trippie Redd, as well as Swae Lee. Here’s the rest of the best new rap music this week:

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Artist 2.0

Last Friday, A Boogie became the latest artist to capitalize off of the polarizing trend of deluxe albums with the newest version of his Artist 2.0 project. He followed up the February project with nine more melodic tracks, including an intro with his three-year-old Melody.

Tee Grizzley — The Smartest

Tee Grizzley served up another batch of raw rap with a Detroit bounce on The Smartest, his latest mixtape. The 17-track project has features from Big Sean, Lil Baby, Lil Keed, and Meek Mill, who featured on the surging “Lions and Eagles.”

Young Chris — “Yellow Flag” Feat. Wale

During the same weekend that Wale released his The Imperfect Storm EP, his collaboration with Young Chris also dropped. The two took turns rhyming skillfully over a gentle sample, veering from romance to their upbringing, and everything in between.

3OhBlack — “Hollup” Feat. MoneyBagg Yo & Tay Keith

3OhBlack has fun with the different connotations of “Hollup” on his latest track, where MoneyBagg Yo also drops some confident bars over fluttery keys.

42 Dugg — “Habit (Remix)” Feat. MoneyBagg Yo

MoneyBagg Yo also made an appearance on the remix to Detroit rapper 42 Dugg’s energetic “Habit” track, a track from Dugg’s Young And Turnt project.

Fredo Bang — “Receipts”

Fredo Bang calls out the phonies on “Receipts,” letting us know he’s well aware of everyone who talks up things they’re not about — especially his fellow rappers.

Casanova — “Red Light” Feat. Smoove’L

It’s a BK thing on “Red Light,” where Casanova and up-and-comer Smoove’L take turns crooning about the trials of the streets over moody 808-driven production.

Smokepurrp — Florida Jit

Smokepurrp delayed his Florida Jit album multiple times out of respect for the current social climate. The Florida rhymer finally released the album this week, right in time for the official start of summer. The project features Rick Ross, Denzel Curry, Young Nudy, and partner-in-thyme Lil Pump, who helps kick off the album right on the quaking “Off My Chest.”

Calboy — “Brand New” Feat. King Von

Chicago MCs Calboy and King Von have impressive chemistry that they once again displayed on “Brand New,” where they both had fun with their flows over a filtered, slinky production.

Rockie Fresh & Casey Veggies — “Demeanor” Feat. Currensy

Rockie Fresh and Casey Veggies are set to reprise their Fresh Veggies project. They offered a preview of what to expect with “Demeanor,” a smooth, interstellar production tailormade for both men to get luxuriant alongside Currensy.

Flo Milli — “Like That B*tch”

Flo Milli is preparing to drop her Ho, Why Is You Here? EP next month. She dropped her flaunty “Like That B*tch” single, where she displays her charismatic mic presence and lets the competition know they aren’t seeing her.

Vince Ash — “Vito”

“Vito” is a charging track where Hammond, Indiana MC Vince Ash shows off his domineering mic presence and lets us know, “I’m the company I keep but stand alone as a G.”

Xavier Wulf — “Don’t Touch The Remote”

Xavier Wulf is the latest entrant into the Adult Swim Singles canon. On “Don’t Touch The Remote,” he swags over a Marcelo production, and rhymes, “I watch Adult Swim b*tch turn that back.”

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