If Kanye West’s love for the fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A wasn’t apparent enough from his song “Closed On Sunday,” the rapper has teamed up with the company to help those in need. After the fast-food chain showed their appreciation to the rapper for the lyrical shout out, the organization and the rapper are doing what they can to support LA’s vulnerable populations. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Kanye worked with a charity organization to provide over a quarter million Chick-Fil-A meals to food banks.
According to a report from Fox News, Kanye has been working with the fast-food chain for quite some time now. The rapper’s partnership has resulted in the donation of over 11,000 meals a day since March. But more than providing meals, West donated a hefty sum of money to the Christian charity organization Los Angeles Dream Center.
The charity’s founder Matthew Barnet said that thanks to West’s donation, the organization was able to scale up its philanthropic work. “The Los Angeles Dream Center has transformed into the Grand Central Station of food distribution and other basic essentials. I’m so grateful that our team has stayed healthy, and that we’ve found a safe way to meet the urgent needs within our community. I can’t say thank you enough to the various donors who’ve made this a reality,” Barnett said. “This is what a neighborhood, a community, and a church should always look like.”
Prior to the NBA season getting paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in a tricky spot. Already not living up to the sky-high expectations that some had for the squad, Philly lost star guard/forward Ben Simmons to a nerve impingement in his back. As is oftentimes the case when a Sixers player gets hurt, the team said that progress was being made but did not have a strict timetable for his return.
The ongoing hiatus has apparently been helpful for Simmons’ back. According to a new piece by Jackie MacMullan of ESPN, the time away from basketball has meant that Simmons has essentially recovered, and should the season restart, Philly expects him to be able to take the floor.
Via ESPN:
This is what Simmons must navigate, a cauldron of controversy — whenever play resumes. The hope of a mid-April return for the playoffs has been deferred, although sources tell ESPN that Simmons will be good to go as his lower-back impingement has all but dissipated. “If the season resumes,” says a team source, “we’re expecting to have him.”
A 100 percent healthy Ben Simmons changes things for the Sixers, as he’s served as the team’s best point guard and most versatile defender. Despite their 39-26 record, which puts them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, the talking point surrounding the team all year has been that their size and physicality would make them a tough out during the postseason. We’ll see if we even get a postseason at this rate, but if that happens, at least Philly can take some solace in knowing that Simmons would be able to take the floor without any major issues.
For many fans, their first exposure to Wale was through the DMV rapper’s 2009 Lady Gaga collaboration “Chillin’” but Wale says a sequel may never happen and explained why on Twitter. During another one of his infamous Q&A sessions on the bird app, Wale reminisced on an ill-fated meeting in which he tried to make a connection with a potential famous fan, but missed out on the opportunity. After one of his followers advised him to try to work with Gaga again to raise his profile, Wale explained why such a collaboration was unlikely — at least in the near future.
I rmemeber askin this brother who played for the _______ To check out my album . He looked through me.. that was the piece of humility I needed… so moral of the story .. I don’t know the moral of the story nvm
— Wale (@Wale) April 18, 2020
“Y’all got to understand these fantasy features work two ways,” he explained. “Pop people don’t wanna work wit us unless we sittin in that top 40 or unless it’s a white rapper.”
Y’all got to understand these fantasy features work two ways . Pop people don’t wanna work wit us unless we sittin in that top 40 or unless it’s a white rapper .. prove me wrong https://t.co/aYJh11PCto
— Wale (@Wale) April 18, 2020
While it’s true that pop-rap crossovers have become much more commonplace than they once were (Royce Da 5’9 was villified for working with burgeoning pop star Willa Ford, once upon a time), Wale may have a point. Most of the crossovers that have taken place in recent years often involve a rapper who’s charting highly — think Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Drake, or Kendrick Lamar — or a pop star who is either still on the rise or experiencing a decline in popularity — remember when Britney Spears employed Iggy Azalea for the failed “Pretty Girls?” Even at the time “Chillin’” came out, Lady Gaga wasn’t yet the massive international star she’s since become, allowing Interscope to A&R that connection between their two most recent acquisitions.
With regard to the other part of Wale’s assertion — look, Eminem had Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Kehlani, and Pink on Revival and it wasn’t even good.
There’s an obvious reason why these collaborations only ever take place between the highest-charting rappers and their pop counterparts. The only reason for either side to even collaborate outside of their genre is to increase their reach and if you’re going to gamble, wouldn’t you want the highest return on the investment — i.e. a large fanbase of potential listeners? Songs with features tend to be bigger hits, but only if both sides bring something to the table. So, sorry “Chillin’” fans, but you’ll probably have to wait for Wale to climb back into Billboard‘s good graces before Lady Gaga picks up the phone for a second take on their hit collaboration, which is a real shame.
For old times’ sake, press play on the “Chillin’” video above.
Wale is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Skullcrusher is attempting to find meaning in life’s mundane activities through music. The newest signee to indie label Secretly Canadian, Skullcrusher shares the track “Places/Plans” ahead of her eponymous debut EP.
Armed with an acoustic guitar and her soaring vocals, Helen Ballentine touts “Places/Planes” as “an exploration of the ways you become yourself when you aren’t looking.” Ballentine channels what she’s learned in her years of playing instruments into the 3-minute track, all while examining important questions. “Does it matter if I’m a really good friend? That I’m there when you call and when your shows end?” she asks herself on the gleaming track.
In a statement, Ballentine said she derived the song’s meaning from solitude. “I thought a lot about my self-worth during this period of uncertainty,” Ballentine said. “‘Places/Plans’ attempts to communicate the beauty and vulnerability of being alone and what it means to let someone else in to see that. It feels like the thematic core of the EP. It is a song for being alone in your room, lying on the floor with a book and the window open, but also for letting someone in to lie with you.”
Above, listen to “Places/Plans.” Below, find the Skullcrusher EP cover art and tracklist.
1. “Places/Plans”
2. “Trace”
3. “Two Weeks In December”
4. “Day Of Show”
Skullcrusher EP is out 6/26 via Secretly Canadian. Pre-order it here.
Although WWE has backed off from fully going back to a live broadcast schedule in the wake of being declared an essential business after a suspiciously timed pledge of political money, they’re still producing multiple weekly TV shows in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. There have been rumors that some people who work there are understandably unhappy with this situation. Recent news out of Orlando, where WWE is currently taping all their shows, seems to confirm that some employees are very concerned.
On Twitter, Orlando-based journalist Jon Alba posted a recording of a recording of Tuesday’s online Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting, where a public comment was read into the record from a WWE employee calling himself John, who had this to say to the board:
My employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, aka WWE, is forcing me to work the TV tapings for its weekly shows despite the Stay At Home orders for Coronavirus. I am unable to speak out as I need this job, and I know I will be fired if I approach my higher-ups. Despite sanitary precautions, we cannot maintain social distancing and have to touch other people. I request the government to shut down these tapings and enforce the Stay At Home order so my colleagues and I can maintain social distancing rules with fear or repercussions of losing our jobs.
At Tuesday’s Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting, a #WWE employee named “John” submitted public comment they’re being “forced to work” TV tapings despite stay at home orders. Says he’s unable to speak out and feels he will be fired if he approaches his higher-ups. pic.twitter.com/UJTvX1RGc7
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) April 21, 2020
As Alba acknowledges, it is impossible to confirm that this person definitely works for WWE, given their anonymity. If it is true, however, that anonymity is the only thing enabling “John” to keep his job while expressing this concern. Alba says that he has spoken to multiple WWE employees who expressed similar concerns about being made to work during the pandemic.
While there isn’t really way to verify this is 100% absolutely a #WWE employee given the nature of the complaint, it should be noted there have been several within the company who have expressed concern, many privately, over the tapings continuing.
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) April 21, 2020
Naturally a lot of wrestling fans are making half-joking guesses about which wrestler is actually “John,” but in truth it’s a lot more likely to be a non-wrestling employee. It takes a lot of people to put on a TV show even at the Performance Center, and a lot of those employees are required to get nearly as close to other people as the wrestlers do with each other.
Growing up in Brazil, Amanda Nunes knew she would one day become either a professional soccer player or a fighter. Nunes opted for that second path, and as a result, she has turned into one of the greatest to ever step foot in the Octagon.
Nunes still loves football, though, so it was only natural that she linked up with United States star and two-time World Cup winner Carli Lloyd as part of Cam Newton’s Iron Sharpens Iron series on Quibi, which pairs athletes from different sports with one another and focuses on the training that goes into becoming the best in their craft.
“We are two of the best girls in different sports,” Nunes told UPROXX Sports. “We trained together, laughed together and trained a bit in MMA. She learned some Jiu-Jitsu, striking, a little bit of wrestling and she did very well. She never trained, but was able to pick up some things. She’s very athletic and soccer players can easily learn.”
In the six-plus minute clip, Nunes and Lloyd realized just how similar their training is, from body positioning to the need for precise footwork. And for Nunes, working with a fellow champion brought an opportunity to reminisce on her illustrious career.
“We work hard for those moments,” Nunes said. “We worked smart with the decisions we made to get where we are now and be stable. We train smart in the gym. When I started, I wanted to train hard all the time. When I became champion, I became the one with the target all the time in training and in fights. Back then, I used to train a lot and I never gave my body a rest. Since I got in the UFC, I learned more about my body and how to be the best. Now, I’m going to stay here for a long time until I’m retired.”
Taking care of her body is of utmost importance for Nunes, who won the first of her two UFC titles in 2016. Since then, the soon-to-be 32-year-old has had her fair share of tests, taking three of seven opponents into the fifth and final round.
“I feel like I’m getting old,” Nunes said. “My body reacts differently. Every fighter has pain all over from the morning when you wake up. It’s hard. For me, the only problem right now is preparing my body. I really have to warm up when I go to the gym.”
Despite the aches and pains of Father Time, Nunes boasts the confidence of an all-time great. After all, Nunes finished the careers of Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. She was the last woman to beat Valentina Shevchenko, and she boasts round one knockouts of both Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm.
“I have two belts. All the girls think about me right now. I’m ready for all the girls in my division, 135 and 145. I’m way in front of all the girls. I know all the game plans for all the girls. As soon as I have an opponent, I know what she wants to do to me. I know what she’s going to look for, what she’s going to try to do,” Nunes said. “That has made me feel how I feel: secure, confident, strong and better than all of them.”
As for what’s next, Nunes plans to defend her featherweight title sometime in 2020. While her title fight hasn’t been booked yet, it won’t be May 9 as originally slated due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. For the double champ, whoever her opponent is and whenever that bout happens, there’s no question in her mind — she’ll continue to build on an impressive 10-fight win streak.
“Life always gives us something we’re looking for. I’m going to defend both belts and keep them. Life will show me something else. We will see, when we talk again, I’ll have a lot of gold,” Nunes said. “This is what I wake up every day to do. I never did anything else in life. I’m never going to lose again. Losing has stopped.”