This week, YG, Tyga, and Saweetie launch their Str8 To The Club Tour in Sacramento, before heading north to San Francisco then taking over arenas in Las Vegas, Tucson, Tacoma, Vancouver, and more. The trio will be joined by three openers: Kamaiyah, Wallie The Sensei, and DJ Vision. The tour will likely offer fans a preview of Tyga and YG’s upcoming joint album, as well as Saweetie’s long-delayed debut, along with a look at some of California’s hottest up-and-coming artists. So…

Who Is Opening YG, Tyga, And Saweetie’s Str8 To The Club Tour?

DJ Vision

DJ Vision is a Los Angeles-based DJ who has mainly supported OhGeesy as his tour DJ, accompanying him on his 2022 Geezyworld Tour, as well as touring with YG on The Red Cup Tour with OhGeesy, and YG’s 4Hunnid artists Day Sulan, and D3SZN. The earliest tour on his social media is YG’s F*ck Donald Trump Tour in 2016, which featured Kamaiyah, RJ (aka RJMrLA), and Sad Boy.

Kamaiyah

Kamaiyah is an interesting addition to the lineup because of the history between her and YG. After garnering a strong reception for her 2016 mixtape A Good Night In The Ghetto, she signed with 4Hunnid Records as one of YG’s first artists with distribution through Interscope. However, after her debut album was delayed multiple times, she left both labels in a rather contentious split. It appears the two are back on better terms now that Yaya is back independent. She has continued to release new music, dropping her most recent full-length album, Oakland Nights, in 2020, and an EP, Diving Timing, last year. She has released a steady stream of new singles in 2023, including “Shot Callin’,” “All Night,” and “Heat Warning.”

Wallie The Sensei

Wallie The Sensei is a newer artist from — where else? — Compton, who dropped his debut album, Golden Child, in 2021, following up in 2022 with Here 2 Stay. He approaches rap with the contemporary melodic flow popular with fellow Hub City natives like Roddy Ricch and Kalan.FrFr, crooning about the heartbreak of growing up knee-deep in hood politics. According to an early bio on local rap blog Rosecrans Ave. (what up, Vic!), his goal is to provide a positive outlook and guidance for those stuck in similar situations — hence the “sensei” in his stage name. On Instagram, he’s tagged himself a “Hope Dealer,” and his music certainly seems to offer a sliver of silver lining amid the emotional catharsis.

Pregnant.

There it was, clear as day, two blue lines staring back at me from the small pregnancy test I had just purchased.

I double-checked…

One line = not pregnant.

Two lines = pregnant.

Photo via iStock.

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Yup, I was definitely pregnant.

My heart was pounding.

My head was spinning.

My stomach was churning.

I was nervous, excited, scared, and ecstatic all at the same time.

This was actually happening! After years of dreaming, preparing for, and anticipating this day, it was finally here. I was going to be a mother.

Little did I know that in nine short months, I would begin the most exhausting, life-changing, heart-wrenching, but indescribably rewarding journey of my life.

In nine months, I would learn the price of motherhood firsthand. I would know exactly what it takes to be a mother. I would gain a whole new understanding of and gratitude for the beautiful woman I call Mom.

I would learn about things mothers experience that their children often know very little about.

Here are 10 things your mom never told you.

1. You made her cry … a lot.

She cried when she found out she was pregnant. She cried as she gave birth to you. She cried when she first held you. She cried with happiness. She cried with fear. She cried with worry. She cried because she feels so deeply for you. She felt your pain and your happiness and she shared it with you, whether you realized it or not.

2. She wanted that last piece of pie.

But when she saw you look at it with those big eyes and lick your mouth with that tiny tongue, she couldn’t eat it. She knew it would make her much happier to see your little tummy be filled than hers.

3. It hurt.

When you pulled her hair, it hurt; when you grabbed her with those sharp fingernails that were impossible to cut, it hurt; when you bit her while drinking milk, that hurt, too. You bruised her ribs when you kicked her from her belly; you stretched her stomach out for nine months; you made her body contract in agonizing pain as you entered this world.

4. She was always afraid.

From the moment you were conceived, she did all in her power to protect you. She became your mama bear. She was that lady who wanted to say no when the little girl next door asked to hold you and who cringed when she did because in her mind no one could keep you as safe as she herself could. Her heart skipped two beats with your first steps. She stayed up late to make sure you got home safe and woke up early to see you off to school. With every stubbed toe and little stumble, she was close by; she was ready to snatch you up with every bad dream or late-night fever. She was there to make sure you were OK.

She stayed up late to make sure you got home safe and woke up early to see you off to school.

5. She knows she’s not perfect.

She is her own worst critic. She knows all her flaws and sometimes hates herself for them. She is hardest on herself when it comes to you, though. She wanted to be the perfect mom, to do nothing wrong — but because she is human, she made mistakes. She is probably still trying to forgive herself for them. She wishes with her whole heart that she could go back in time and do things differently, but she can’t, so be kind to her and know she did the best she knew how to do.

6. She watched you as you slept.

There were nights when she was up ’til 3 a.m. praying that you would finally fall asleep. She could hardly keep her eyes open as she sang to you, and she would beg you to “please, please fall asleep.” Then, when you finally fell asleep, she would lay you down, and all her tiredness would disappear for a short second as she sat by your bedside looking down at your perfect cherub face, experiencing more love than she knew was possible, despite her worn-out arms and aching eyes.

7. She carried you a lot longer than nine months.

You needed her to. So she did. She would learn to hold you while she cleaned; she would learn to hold you while she ate; she would even hold you while she slept because it was the only way she could sometimes. Her arms would get tired, her back would hurt, but she held you still because you wanted to be close to her. She snuggled you, loved you, kissed you, and played with you. You felt safe in her arms; you were happy in her arms; you knew you were loved in her arms, so she held you, as often and as long as you needed.

Her arms would get tired, her back would hurt, but she held you still because you wanted to be close to her.

8. It broke her heart every time you cried.

There was no sound as sad as your cries or sight as horrible as the tears streaming down your perfect face. She did all in her power to stop you from crying, and when she couldn’t stop your tears, her heart would shatter into a million little pieces.

9. She put you first.

She went without food, without showers, and without sleep. She always put your needs before her own. She would spend all day meeting your needs, and by the end of the day, she would have no energy left for herself. But the next day, she would wake up and do it all over again because you meant that much to her.

10. She would do it all again.

Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs anyone can do, and it will take you to your very limits sometimes. You cry, you hurt, you try, you fail, you work, and you learn. But, you also experience more joy than you thought was possible and feel more love than your heart can contain. Despite all the pain, grief, late nights, and early mornings you put your mom through, she would do it all again for you because you are worth it to her.

So, next time you see her, tell your mom thank you; let her know that you love her. She can never hear it too many times.

This article originally appeared on 05.27.16

There’s an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There’s no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

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A team of researchers at UCI had been experimenting with nanowires for potential use in batteries, but found that over time the thin, fragile wires would break down and crack after too many charging cycles. A charge cycle is when a battery goes from completely full to completely empty and back to full again.

But one day, on a whim, Thai coated a set of gold nanowires in manganese dioxide and a Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel.

“She started to cycle these gel capacitors, and that’s when we got the surprise,” said Reginald Penner, chair of the university’s chemistry department. “She said, ‘this thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going.’ She came back a few days later and said ‘it’s been cycling for 30,000 cycles.’ That kept going on for a month.”

This discovery is mind-blowing because the average laptop battery lasts 300 to 500 charge cycles. The nanobattery developed at UCI made it though 200,000 cycles in three months. That would extend the life of the average laptop battery by about 400 years. The rest of the device would have probably gone kaput decades before the battery, but the implications for a battery that that lasts hundreds of years are pretty startling.

“The big picture is that there may be a very simple way to stabilize nanowires of the type that we studied,” Penner said. “If this turns out to be generally true, it would be a great advance for the community.” Not bad for just fooling around in the laboratory.

This article originally appeared 12.22.22

It doesn’t sound like peace will be forthcoming between Kevin Costner and Yellowstone creator and writer Taylor Sheridan, but the man who portrayed John Dutton has at least reached compromise elsewhere. TMZ is now reporting that Costner and estranged wife Christine Baumgartner have settled their monetary differences, four months after she filed for divorce from the actor and director.

Exact details on the settlement remain under wraps for now, but TMZ is suggesting that “Christine’s $850,000 fee request is off the table.” So, she won’t receive those massive attorney fees that she wanted, and TMZ also reveals that the prenup has mostly prevailed even though Baumgarner reportedly received more than the document stipulated “for the sake of settlement.” Costner had insisted upon a prenup after his first divorce (valued by People at $80 million), and here’s a hint of what happened this past weekend to spur on settlement:

The judge also made it pretty clear … the prenup would be enforced, and if Christine challenged it she would have to repay Kevin more than $1 million and pay his attorney’s fees for the prenup fight. Apparently, Christine saw the handwriting on the wall and agreed over the weekend to the terms of a 3-page settlement letter.

Previously, PEOPLE had revealed that this divorce battle had grown into an overwhelmingly complicated set of proceedings with “nearly 9,000 pages of forensic accounting documents” in the mix. Baumgartner did walk away with a hefty amount of child support (although not as much as she asked for) for their three children, and he accused her of using some of that cashfor plastic surgery. Whew, it sounds like they both must be relieved to have this battle behind them.

(Via TMZ)

Damian Lillard has, for the most part, kept quiet this offseason in terms of speaking publicly about his ongoing trade request from the Portland Trail Blazers. The star guard has not wanted to answer questions directly about his impending departure from Portland, likely in part due to the league making it clear that they will issue fines for players trying to direct themselves to a specific team in a trade.

However, everyone knows the reality of the situation and behind the scenes, Lillard and his agent have made clear that his desire is to end up in Miami alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. With training camp two weeks away, trade talks have restarted in Portland, as they look to find the best possible trade for their rebuild. As that stalemate continues, Lillard made an appearance on the It Is What It Is podcast with Cam’ron and Ma$e for his most forthcoming interview of the summer. They discussed whether he wanted to be in Portland, with Lillard tiptoeing around it by noting “in a perfect world” he would, before the conversation shifted to why his hometown team, the Warriors, wasn’t ever in consideration.

Lillard, as an Oakland native, has natural ties to Golden State, but has made clear he doesn’t have any interest in going there in his pursuit of a ring. He explained to Cam (52:00 mark above) that the reason is, even with the out of “going home” he couldn’t go to the Warriors and believe he was the one lifting them to a title because they already have a guy who has won four rings playing his same position in Steph Curry.

“As far as Golden State, I respect what they’ve been doing the last 8, 9 years or whatever and I’m from there – obviously that’s home – but I can’t go be a part of that,” Lillard says. “They done won 4 championships, what I look like going to try and do that saying “oh I’m joining my home team.” No, that’s somebody that played my position that’s behind LeBron as the best player of this era. To me, that don’t even make sense. I’d never do nothin like that. I’d lose every year before I go [to Golden State].”

He then got asked about Kevin Durant joining the Warriors and said what he’s said before that, if he was in that position personally, he wouldn’t have made the move KD did. It is interesting that Lillard’s top choice is a Miami team that’s made two Finals in the past four years, but there is a difference in feeling like you’re a player that can get a team that’s close over the hump rather than joining a team that’s already hoisted the Larry O’Brien. We’ll find out if Lillard gets his wish in the next few weeks or if there’s a surprise team that swoops in to land him, putting to the test the rumblings he might not report to camp if he’s not in Miami.

R.E.M. will be honoring the 25th anniversary of their 1998 album, Up, with a special reissue. The new version will include a live recording of the band’s 1999 performance from Los Angeles’ Palace Theatre. According to Pitchfork, they were intended to film an appearance on Party Of Five, but were actually doing a set.

As a preview to fans, they have dropped the live version of “Daysleeper,” which you can check out above. The release will be available on both CD and vinyl formats.

Continue scrolling for the complete tracklist for R.E.M.’s Up reissue.

1. “Airportman”
2. “Lotus”
3. “Suspicion”
4. “Hope”
5. “At My Most Beautiful”
6. “The Apologist”
7. “Sad Professor”
8. “You’re In The Air”
9. “Walk Unafraid”
10. “Why Not Smile”
11. “Daysleeper (Remastered 2023)”
12. “Diminished”
13. “Parakeet”
14. “Falls To Climb”

1. “Introduction” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
2. “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
3. “Lotus” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
4. “Daysleeper” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
5. “Country Feedback” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
6. “Walk Unafraid” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
7. “Losing My Religion” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
8. “Parakeet” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
9. “The Apologist” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
10. “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
11. “I’m Not Over You” (Live at the Palace / 1999)
12. “Man On The Moon” (Live at the Palace / 1999)

Up (25th Anniversary Edition) is out 11/10. Find more information here.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Mitski, Big Thief, Vagabon, Snail Mail, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Mitski — The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We

“When memories snow / And cover up the driveway / I shovel all those memories / Clear the path to drive to the store,” Mitski sings on the magical “When Memories Snow” from her new album The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We. Every moment towers over the listener as a colossus. “You believe me like a god / I destroy you like I am / I’m sorry I’m the one you love,” she lulls on “I’m Your Man.”

Vagabon — Sorry I Haven’t Called

Vagabon’s new album Sorry I Haven’t Called lives up to its clever title. Focused on feelings and textures, the music pulsates with the energy of a nightclub — especially on the euphoric “Lexicon” — and her silky voice only adds to the immersive, pleasant atmosphere. “Anti-F*ck” is an unexpected, gorgeous closer as she lulls against acoustic guitar: “Am I wrong to decide? / The last thing I want is unknown.”

The National — Laugh Track

Earlier this year, The National unveiled their ninth studio album First Two Pages of Frankenstein. Surprise, surprise: They’re back with a surprise LP called Laugh Track, which contains their previously released songs “Alphabet City” and “Space Invader.” With features from Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, and Rosanne Cash, Laugh Track is a sprawling record, as inspired and introspective as First Two Pages of Frankenstein.

Big Thief — “Born For Loving You”

Coming from the same 7″ inch as the polarizing “Vampire Empire,” “Born For Loving You” is the newest track from Big Thief. The two songs contrast each other; “Born For Loving You” is an upbeat, hopeful celebration: “Cause I was born for lovin’ you / Just somethin’ I was made to do,” Adrianne Lenker sings triumphantly.

Sufjan Stevens — “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”

Sufjan Stevens is back, preparing for Javelin, his first solo album since 2015’s iconic Carrie & Lowell. “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” follows “So You Are Tired,” and feels even more in touch with the fragile melancholy of Carrie & Lowell. His voice is heartbreaking against mesmeric strumming; it’s the perfect song to cry to.

Snail Mail — “Easy Thing”

“Easy Thing” is a delicate single from Snail Mail’s forthcoming Valentine (Demos) EP. The ballad finds Lindsay Jordan at her most earnest as she sings with palpable emotion: “Was there really something or were we just drunk?” she wonders aloud against a somber guitar.

Ian Sweet — “Emergency Contact”

“I stopped writing you down / As my emergency contact,” Jilian Medford intones at the beginning of the new Ian Sweet track “Emergency Contact” from her forthcoming album Sucker. The song bubbles with hypnotic synthesizers and an emotive atmosphere; it builds into a catharsis as she admits: “I cry cry cry in the shower.”

Wilco — “Cousin”

Wilco’s new album Cousin arrives later this month, and the title track is the newest taste. Despite handling heavy matter such as familial disagreements, the song is buoyed by a jovial rhythm. Jeff Tweedy navigates the complexities of blood relations: “Led by light / You can’t divide / When your red lines / Get crossed with mine.”

Cafuné — “Unchained Memory”

Cafuné supply idiosyncratic pop songs, keeping up the momentum since their TikTok viral hit “Tek It.” “Unchained Memory” bursts with their perfectly weird energy with their auto-tuned harmonies as they over a chaotic, sweeping beat: “I know I said nothing’s promised / In this life it falls upon us.”

Fidlar — “Nudge”

Fidlar are still kicking it because angsty teens always need punk music to headbang to. “Nudge” is a funny, ruthless track with a nursery rhythm that’s easy to learn and mosh to: “I got a nudge / From the judge / And he said / I’m not gonna budge.” It’ll fit for skate videos; it’ll go hard at shows.

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

After initially ignoring the Lauren Boebert groping scandal that went viral over the weekend, Fox News has finally addressed reports that the Colorado congresswoman was booted from a Beetlejuice production for inappropriate behavior.

John Roberts first addressed the Boebert fiasco while filling in for Bret Baier, things went predictably off the rail when Laura Ingraham entered the fray. After getting teed up by Raymond Arroyo who noted that there “have been many other politicians who have been caught in similar situations” — which seems like a stretch as more details emerge — Ingraham went straight to saying the now-infamous groping video was only released because Boebert is a Republican.

Via Mediaite:

“Raymond, it seems like they get the video out really fast when it’s a Republican, right? There is no hesitation about releasing or dumping video out when it’s some Republican who has done something goofy, stupid, or embarrassing but heaven forbid you have a Democrat doing something, it usually takes forever to get that video out,” shot back Ingraham defending her side.

However, Arroyo surprisingly took the ball even further by equating Boebert’s behavior to a wildly popular recording artist, who was just minding her own business.

“Look, I’m an equal opportunity reporter here on this stuff,” Arroyo said. “If we’re going to argue that you need a code of dress and I think you do, you need a code of conduct, too. You are the congresswoman of Colorado, not Megan Thee Stallion. So, slow your roll. Have some self-restraint. It’s going to be a very difficult re-election season for her, I think.”

(Via Mediaite)

Susmaryosep! Doja Cat’s been on a mission to annoy her fans lately, but her explanation of new single “Balut” may have gone a little too far. Plenty of fans were wondering about the song’s title, which refers to a Filipino street food dish, but her translation of just what that dish actually is has Filipino fans standing up for their culture, which they feel she misrepresented.

“I named the song ‘Balut’ because it signifies a bird that’s being eaten alive,” she wrote on Instagram. “It’s a metaphor for Twitter stans and the death of Twitter toxicity. The beginning of ‘X’ and the end of ‘tweets.’”

However, it appears that Doja misunderstood what balut actually is. While the dish does consist of a duck or chicken embryo being eaten out of its own shell, the bird is not alive when its eaten, which would be a little extreme for just about anyone, no matter how “exotic” you may think their culture is. Funnily enough, the majority of the backlash against the misunderstanding came on… well, Twitter (still not calling it “X,” you dork).

“Eaten alive?” one fan questioned. “Who eats balut alive? Girl you dont need to shame my culture if you dont understand it. Pahuya huya ka lang [a Tagalog expression meaning “shame on you,” albeit misspelled by the user].”

Another fan explained that “balut is not eaten alive. It’s already boiled.”

It seems Doja herself doesn’t quite know what balut is, even after trying it herself. Although she recognized that it is fertilized duck egg, she said it “moved around a bit,” which could be exaggeration on her part or even just a little bit of her imagination getting the best of her. “It wasn’t as whimsical as I thought it would be,” she said. “Like, the full… there’s feathers and it’s like, you know, you’re eating it straight up. It wasn’t like that at all.”

From personal experience: No, there are no feathers, but it is a full bird. The worst part is the toenails. They’re VERY crunchy. But who knows? Maybe you’ll like that sort of thing. Go ahead and try it.

In the meantime, you can listen to “Balut” now and check it out with the rest of Doja’s album Scarlet on Friday, 9/22.

Megan The Stallion has been talking spicy about her upcoming music. The “Bongos” rapper even shared a new twerk video, which left followers hot and bothered. So, the world of rap music is slowly but surely healing. The H-Town hottie’s extended partnership with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos is yet another degree of heat for the Grammy Award-winner.

Today (September 19), the pair have launched their new initiative, Flamin’ Hot University. Last year, Megan lent her likeness to the brand by appearing in their Super Bowl commercial. This go-round, she’s getting involved in their outreach work. Flamin’ Hot University has released an exclusive merch line created by streetwear designer Melody Ehsan, including a Stallion Varsity Jacket, Hot Girl Club Sweater, and more.

Proceeds from the collection will go towards establishing a scholarship fund of $150,000 at Megan’s alma mater, Texas Southern University (TSU).

In a statement, Megan talked about the campaign, saying, “I had an absolute blast bringing Flamin’ Hot University to life and tapping into my love for food and fashion. But more than anything, I’m extremely proud that we were able to uplift TSU students, establish an impactful scholarship fund, support the Pete and Thomas Foundation, and promote the importance of education.”

Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay, also said, “Everyone deserves to be their Flamin’ Hot self, but student loans can create a significant burden on college graduates — especially at HBCUs where students graduate with 19% more debt than those at non-HBCUs1. The Flamin’ Hot University scholarship fund at TSU was designed to ease some of the financial pressures student loans bring so graduates can focus on unleashing their hottest potential.”

Find more information here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.