Category: News

The Portland Trail Blazers may have been the team to watch heading into the 2023 NBA Draft. For weeks in the lead-up to Thursday night, there were questions about whether the Blazers would pull off a gigantic trade, whether that meant sending Damian Lillard to a contender and fully embracing a rebuild or moving the No. 3 overall pick to get help around Lillard right now.

Ultimately, Portland took the simplest approach and just used the pick to select Scoot Henderson, the G League Ignite guard who has the potential to be a future All-Star in the league. Naturally, that led to questions about what the future holds for Lillard, but in an interview with Taylor Rooks after he was drafted, Henderson laid out why he believes the best thing for Lillard would be to stay in Portland.

“Honestly, I think Dame should stay cause I think, if we combine our games, it’ll be over,” Henderson said. “We kind of complement each other’s games, we’re both fun to watch, ticket sales would go up, all that. All the good stuff would happen if he stays.”

Henderson went on to shout out Shaedon Sharpe, the team’s 2022 first-round pick who flashed during his first year in the NBA. For all the smoke around Lillard’s future and how he does not want to be part of a rebuilding team, he did say on a recent podcast appearance that he thinks he’s going to start next season as a member of the Blazers. But still, Henderson realized he had the chance to sell his Hall of Fame running mate on staying in Portland, so it makes sense he’d take it.

Coi Leray’s extended rollout for her second album, Coi, has included a string of singles including “Players,” “Bops,” “My Body,” and “Run It Up.” Now that the album is out, she’s keeping the party going with the video for “Get Loud.” The song is a bit of a poppy jock jam, and fittingly, the video takes place in a locker room, where Coi and her soccer team — which includes USWNT forward Trinity Rodman — turn up.

It’s fitting that Coi teamed up with another women’s athlete after collaborating with the WNBA on a new campaign featuring her song “Players.” It seems that the star really is all about sisterhood and solidarity, as she previously suggested with her idea to remake Lil Kim’s classic “Not Tonight” remix, “Ladies Night.” She reiterated the sentiment in an interview with Ebro Darden for Apple Music after Ebro asked her about her short-lived flap with Latto over “Put It On Da Floor.”

“My advice to the girls out there is moving forward, find a better way,” she said. “Rap beef is for the guys — and I don’t even think they should do it.”

Check out the “Get Loud” video above.

Coi is out now via Uptown and Republic. Get it here.

NPR Music wanted to celebrate Black Music Month off with a bang, bringing in Babyface and more for its beloved Tiny Desk Concert series. But that doesn’t mean the platform has forgotten about Pride Month. Muna made sure of that as lead singer Katie Gavin joked, “It’s very cool to see that everyone who works for NPR is gay.”

However, instead of their usual indie pop sound, they opted for a rustic country feel. The trio (Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson) is backed by fellow musicians Geo Botelho (on bass), Sarab Singh (drummer and percussion), Tia Allen (violinist), and Susan D. Mandel (cellist) gave a sample of what their full show consists of.

Muna’s setlist was short but impactful. The group started with their 2022 song “Loose Garment,” featured on their self-titled project, 2019’s
“Stayaway” off their album Saves The World and their 2021 queer love anthem “Silk Chiffon,” which originally featured Phoebe Bridgers.

Before closing out their set, Gavin was sure to tell the crowd, “We love being queer, and we find a lot of joy in it. We think, like, if the world is gonna change in the way that it needs to, it’s very important for our revolution to be based on joy, and what brings us joy, and chasing after that.”

Watch the full performance above.

The youngest Holocaust survivors are now in their late ‘70s, and the challenges that come with aging mean their needs have never been greater. That’s why the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany has agreed with the German Federal Ministry of Finance to provide $1.4 billion in direct compensation and social welfare services for survivors across the globe.

The agreement will bring the overall compensation that Germany has paid in Holocaust reparations to over $81 billion.

More than 128,000 Holocaust survivors will receive annual payments for the next 4 years of $1,370 per person for 2024, $1,424 for 2025, $1,479 for 2026 and $1,534 for 2027. The agreement also provides tens of millions for Holocaust education.

As the number of people who witnessed the Holocaust first-hand goes down every year, the greater the need to keep their memories alive to prevent it from happening again.

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The beneficiaries of these payments are primarily survivors from the former Soviet Union who escaped the clutches of the Einsatzgruppen, the mobile execution squads of the Nazis tasked with annihilating whole Jewish populations. These units killed over 1 million Jewish people, mainly through mass shootings of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people at a time.

Nearly $105.2 million in compensation will go to home care programs to address survivors’ increased needs through 300 social welfare programs in 83 countries. These agencies will provide in-home care, food packages, medical needs and transportation for survivors in need.

“Every year, these negotiations become more and more critical as this last generation of Holocaust survivors age and their needs increase,” Greg Schneider, Executive Vice President of the Claims Conference, said in a press release. “Being able to ensure direct payments to survivors in addition to the expansions to the social welfare services we are able to fund is essential in making sure every Holocaust survivor is taken care of for as long as it is required, addressing each individual need.”

The reparations agreed upon by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and the German Federal Ministry of Finance are a continuation of 71 years of the historic Luxembourg Agreements. The agreements were the first time in history that a defeated power compensated civilians for loss and suffering.

The atrocities of the Holocaust are beyond any measure of compensation, but the agreements highlight Germany’s commitment to take responsibility for Nazi atrocities.

“I am inspired that, as shown by the extraordinary results we have achieved this year, so many decades after the end of World War II, far from waning, the German government and its people continue to feel a deep responsibility to provide additional care to Holocaust survivors,” Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, Special Negotiator for the Claims Conference Negotiations Delegation, said in a press release.

“It has been nearly 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz and the need to negotiate for survivor care and compensation is more urgent than ever,” Eizenstat continued. “Every negotiation is a near-last opportunity to ensure survivors of the Holocaust are receiving some measure of justice and a chance at the dignity that was taken from them in their youth. It will never be enough until the last survivor has taken their last breath.”

Ted Cruz has had so many at-or-below-the-border adventures. Naturally, no one will ever let him live down his ill-advised decision to flee to sunny Cancun during Texas’ deadly 2021 ice storm. He has subsequently tried to be the comedian over Cancun, but people would not let that fly. Ted Cruz is not allowed to get away with Cancun jokes. Only other people can do that in a victorious way, and oh, their Cancun jokes will never die.

As well, Ted has been obsessed with the U.S./Mexico border situation, which he continues to insist is completely President Biden’s fault, as though it’s never been an issue before. The Texas lawmaker has even lurked in the bushes at the border in the dead of night while filming himself to attract attention for his cause. So naturally, these two sides of the Ted spectrum add up to quite a picture. This week, he bragged to Fox News, “I spend a lot of time at the southern border. I’ve spent a lot of time with our border patrol agents.”

Stephen King, who sometimes ignores Ted’s attempts to outwit the author, also does not waste fancy words when he does talk back to Ted. And this time, the horror maestro could not resist: “You’ve also spent a lot of time in Cancun. That’s pretty south, right?”

Well, it’s no “Dumbo,” but it will have to do. King must have used his supply of Dad jokes up last weekend, so it might take him time to replenish the supply.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse delves deep into various iterations of the iconic web-slinger thanks to its multiversal plot, but now, it appears the film itself has more than one version swinging around. Across the Spider-Verse editor Andrew Leviton has confirmed Twitter reports that audiences may see different scenes when watching the highest-rated film on Letterboxd.

Leviton responded to a fan who noticed that a scene with Miguel O’Hara, Spider-Man 2099 and his holographic helper Lyla now ends with a selfie instead of Lyla pointing at Miguel.

“I was wondering when people might start noticing…,” Leviton tweeted.

According to IGN, Leviton also shared the below tweet, which confirmed changes to The Spot’s dialog:

As for why Across the Spider-Verse has at least two different versions bouncing around theaters, the most likely explanation is the “update” that Sony Pictures sent out to fix an audio issue with the film’s opening scene. Some audiences were having issues hearing Spider-Gwen’s narration during her drum solo, which prompted the studio to push the update.

Via Variety:

While the sound issue was isolated to only a “handful of theaters,” a source close to the movie tells Variety that “all the prints” of the film have been updated, adding that it’s not entirely uncommon for distributors to send re-edited prints to exhibitors, “if the opportunity presents itself.”

Whether each theater had their copy of the film successfully updated, or when, could lead to audiences seeing slightly different versions of Across the Spider-Verse. Although, the dialog changes were something that wasn’t mentioned when the update was announced, but clearly, Sony did a little tweaking, which Leviton has now confirmed.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters.

(Via IGN, Variety)

Earlier this month, a report came out that the Chicago Bulls were “quietly gauging” the trade value of Zach LaVine, the team’s All-Star guard who just finished up the first season of a 5-year max extension that he signed last summer. While it’s unclear just how available LaVine would be in a trade, a new report indicates that those around would like to avoid sending him to one Eastern Conference team.

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, LaVine’s representation is against him getting moved to the New York Knicks. Bondy’s report largely revolves around the fact that LaVine is represented by Klutch Sports, while the Knicks are run by Leon Rose, a former agent at CAA.

Zach LaVine’s representatives would be against a deal to the Knicks, the Daily News has learned. The Bulls are reportedly gauging interest in the All-Star guard, which prompted speculation that the Knicks — who are strapped with future draft assets — would get involved. But a source said the LaVine camp isn’t interested in dealing with the Knicks, who have a reputation around the league of favoring clients of CAA, the agency that employed Leon Rose before his move to the Knicks front office.

It’s worth noting that this does not mean a LaVine trade to the Knicks is impossible, as his deal doesn’t include any sort of no-trade clause and if the Bulls determine the best package they could get for him would come from New York, they’re free to act how they want. Having said that, it’s fair to wonder if the Knicks would seriously engage with a team and part ways with anything from their war chest of draft capital for a player who isn’t especially interested in playing for them.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Peso Pluma has changed the game for Mexican corridos with his trap-infused twist on the genre. The Mexican superstar is now ready to make regional Mexican music go global with his new album Génesis. On his breakthrough LP, Peso Pluma teams up with his corridos contemporaries like Natanael Cano, Junior H, and his cousin Tito Doble P. He also pushes his sound into a new direction with Puerto Rican rapper Eladio Carrión.

In the past year, Peso Pluma has become one of the most-streamed Latin acts in the world alongside reggaeton stars like Bad Bunny, Feid, and Karol G. In a rarity for regional Mexican music, he has scored countless hits on all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado, “Chanel” with Becky G, and “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 55” with Bizarrap. Peso Pluma is proving there’s nothing regional about the music from Mexico.

“I’m happy to see how this project has grown in an incredible way in just a few months,” Peso Pluma says about his success. “I’m grateful for all the people who have supported me on this project since the beginning.”

Peso Pluma recently notched another Hot 100 hit with his breakup ballad “Bye” and is currently performing in concerts across the US on his Doble P Tour, which added arena shows due to popular demand. Over Zoom, he caught up with Uproxx about his LP, the big hits, and his thoughts on the future of corridos in our latest Q&A.

How do you feel to be representing regional Mexican music and corridos around the world with your music?

I’m very shocked to see how música Mexicana and corridos have reached such a level that people who didn’t like them at all are now the same people who are asking for corridos in the nightclubs. They’re the same people who are asking for this music everywhere. We’re very grateful that this has become something that’s global.

You made the word “bélico” popular with your corridos. What does that word mean to you?

To me, bélico means chingón [bada*s]. If I can’t use a vulgar word to describe it, I would say it means “flashy” in English. It’s standing out in a way that you like. It’s something that’s aggressive, but in a way that you like. I’m not the first person to do that type of corridos, but thanks to God, it’s been on me to extend this reach of this on a global level. I’m very grateful that now everyone is bélico.

One of the biggest songs in the world right now is “Ella Baila Sola.” What’s the story behind that song with Eslabon Armado?

It’s a very beautiful song that was written by my friend Pedro Tovar. He has his group Eslabon Armado. He invited me to a part of their album Desvelado on that song. Thanks to God it was the song that performed the best on the album. It’s the song that’s racked up all these numbers. I’m very grateful and happy that they had me be a part of this and that everyone has liked it. Now there are remixes of it in all genres. I’m very proud to be Mexican and to raise the Mexican flag high up.

Another big song this year is “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 55.” How would you describe the experience of working on a corrido with Bizarrap?

It was an incredible experience. Since I met Biza, we talked [about working together]. He is an incredible person. He’s a man who is very serious about his work. He gives his full attention to what he’s doing. That’s something that I like a lot when I work with artists. I was also very attentive to what the song needed. Above all, he let me offer my ideas and give my opinions about it. Biza is a monster. In terms of the production, he took care of that and made a huge song.

Why did you decide to name your third album Génesis?

I named the album Génesis because it means a new beginning. It’s a new beginning to this new era. Now only for us as a group or as artists, but it’s a new era for the industry. The Mexican industry is starting to break through and we’re the leaders of this [movement]. We’re the leaders that have made this happen, for música Mexicana to be heard everywhere. That’s why I named the album Génesis. It’s the genesis of this story.

On this album, you work with other corridos artists like Natanael Cano, Junior H, Gabito Ballesteros, and Luis R Conriquez. I love how there’s a sense of camaraderie among you guys.

It was very easy [to work with them] because we’re all friends. We all support each other. At different times, we’ve all spoken with each other and said that what we can do as artists who are raising the Mexican flag up high is come together and support each other on different projects. The most important thing is to come together as Mexicans and represent our flag very well. Like how they have collaborated with me, I’ve collaborated with them. I’m on Nata’s album [Nata Montana] that’s coming. We don’t fight over release dates. We don’t fight over who is going to release music first. What’s important is that we’re in this together. We’re all proud to be raising the Mexican flag up high.

You write your songs with your cousin Tito Doble P and he also features on a few of them. What’s the experience like to work on music together?

Making songs with him is something that I do daily. We can be in a hotel writing together the whole night. It’s a part of our lives to write about these cities we pass through, what we see, what we feel, and what we want to put out there. He’s like my brother. I’ve been with him since I started this project. Now I’m very proud to be able to say now he’s coming out as an artist. He released his first single, which is a dembow song [“Dembow Bélico“], and it’s something that’s very different for him. I’m very proud that each person on the Doble P team is finding their own space, their own path, and that’s what we want to do with my record label Doble P Records.

Eladio Carrión made his corrido with you in the song “77.” How did that unique collaboration come together?

It was something that was very different. We’re the first ones to be attracting people from different genres to make music with us. Eladio is someone who is very versatile. He is very talented. You can put on whatever kind of beat and he’ll hop on it. In fact, when I heard his verse, I was shocked about how he can rap to different tempos and different types of music. That’s what’s beautiful about it. It’s a mixture of cultures and genres.

What’s the inspiration behind your song “Lady Gaga” with Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H? Are you a fan of hers?

Yes, I’ve listened to Lady Gaga, but we really named the song that because there’s a verse that says that she wears sunglasses on her face like Lady Gaga. I remember Lady Gaga wore extravagant sunglasses at different types of galas. Like exotic [sunglasses]. It’s an exotic corrido and that’s why we called it “Lady Gaga.”

Some of your fans in the LGBTQ+ community were writing on social media about how they hoped “Lady Gaga” was a song for them and Pride month because it’s named after an LGBTQ+ icon.

Yes, she’s an icon for the LGBTQ+ community. I knew that. I was just talking with my tour manager about how the LGBTQ+ community is very excited about that song, but no, it’s not about the LGBTQ+ community. Well, I’m very happy that everyone is keeping an eye out. However you identify, my music is for everyone. Everyone can listen to my music. It’s a very diverse album that has a mix of cool cultures. The idea of Génesis is to bring everyone together.

What can we expect from you next that you can tell us?

You can expect a lot of fire. A lot of new music. Expect to see me jump into different genres. Expect a lot of very cool collaborations that we have coming soon. We’re excited to release a lot of new music. Expect my tour throughout all the United States.

What do you see for the future of corridos and regional Mexican music?

The future I see for música Mexicana is incredible. In this genre, it’s a genesis that’s just getting started. I believe what’s most interesting is when something gets started, we all have big expectations. I believe we’re all expecting very good numbers. We’re expecting to be received well by the public. It’s only the beginning. Expect everything that’s yet to come. We’re planting a seed for tomorrow’s young artists who are coming up next. The artists are not only Mexican. Now there are Cubans doing corridos. There are Puerto Ricans doing corridos. There are people in Europe listening to corridos. That’s what we hope for with this type of music.

Génesis is out now via Doble P Records. Listen to it here.

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

Dominic Fike recently announced his sophomore album Sunburn arriving next month. So far, the singles “Dancing In The Courthouse” and “Ant Pile” are out, and now he’s back with “Mama’s Boy.”

At less than three minutes, the track is an off-kilter, sputtering journey that offers an immersive atmosphere. This track also follows the release of “Mona Lisa,” his song for the deluxe version of the Across The Spider-Verse soundtrack.

Shortly after the unveiling of his new record, he’ll be hitting the road on the Don’t Stare At The Sun Tour, which kicks off in Indianapolis and stops by Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Austin, and more.

Fike is most known for his role as Elliot in Euphoria, though he flaunted his musicianship on the season finale with a five-minute song on an acoustic guitar that left watchers bewildered. “The last year and a half was kind of a rollercoaster, in a weird way,” he said in October. “A lot happened in my personal life, I think. I took a break from music and whatnot. And eventually, I kind of hopped back on … and started working again.”

Listen to “Mama’s Boy” above.

Sunburn is out 7/7 via Columbia. Find more information here.

Stormzy‘s new video for “Toxic Trait” uses art to reflect life, taking references and design cues from modern art museums to depict his struggles for self-improvement. However, he doesn’t sound like he regrets these traits so much as he confronts and accepts them, so let’s just call it “self-effacement” for now. Among the attributes he describes in the new song are an abhorrence for seeing people in the same jewelry (so much so, he’ll stash his away forever), an affinity for cannabis, and an unfortunately large carbon footprint.

Fellow rapper Fredo appears on the second verse does much the same, listing his materialism, ambition, and self-reliance as his own toxic traits (which they can be in excess). “She wanna link up, tell her, ‘Not today,’” he muses. “‘Cause I’m on the block till late (Late), still got this guap to make.” The beat is a skittering drill production crafted by Dave, who recently released a slick joint EP with Central Cee, Split Decision.

“Toxic Trait” is the second single from Stormzy’s upcoming, as-yet-untitled fourth album. It may take a while to arrive; he’s just eight months removed from his third album, This Is What I Mean, which he released in November last year.

Watch Stormzy’s “Toxic Trait” video above.