Category: News

Lil Durk has been hyping the release of his next album, 7220, for a while now, sharing the dates for the album’s spring tour in late January and making himself as visible as possible on tracks like 50 Cent’s “Power Powder Respect,” Cordae’s “Chronicles,” Gucci Mane’s “Rumors,” and 2 Chainz’s “Lost Kings.” And although he hasn’t yet released an official single for the album, he did just reveal its release date — and his strategy for getting fans’ attention focused on it to ensure they stream it as much as possible.

“My album drop same day as YE 2/22/22,” he tweeted, revealing both the release date and subtly challenging his fellow Chicagoan. Although plenty of artists would likely loathe releasing their albums on the same projected day as Kanye’s hotly-anticipated Donda 2, it appears that Lil Durk is so confident in his own project, he doesn’t mind risking getting overshadowed. In fact, the tactic more or less takes a page right out of Kanye’s own playbook. In 2007, Kanye bet on his own album Graduation against the sales juggernaut named 50 Cent and 50’s impending release of Massacre.

Kanye and 50 both got into the spirit of the competition, which held seismic implications for the state of hip-hop at the time. When Kanye outsold 50 after their first weeks were tallied, it signaled a shift away from 50’s dominance (and, by extension, the gangsta rap genre in general) toward Kanye’s (and so-called “alternative rap,” which opened the door for successors such as Drake and J. Cole). While Kanye isn’t likely to repeat this tactic twice, especially standing in 50’s position this time around, a big streaming week for Durk could signal a similar end to Kanye’s own charts dominance in favor of a younger generation of rappers.

We’ll see how it all pans out — or whether Kanye even releases his album on the promised date — on 2/22.

Yellowjackets actress Melanie Lynskey’s not buying what Joe Rogan is selling when it comes to his latest apology amid his Spotify fiasco. It’s been quite a winding road, so let’s back up for a quick refresher.

The Joe Rogan-Spotify controversy (which has so far resulted in a “content advisory” warning on podcast episodes and Spotify pulling down 70 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience) shows no signs of slowing down. This is the case weeks after Neil Young and Joni Mitchell pulled their music from the platform in protest following hundreds of physicians asking Spotify to end Rogan’s fountain of Covid disinformation.

Rogan apologized after Spotify’s content advisories began, and then things heated up again over the weekend when Rogan found himself in more hot water. At issue was the Page Six-reported viral compilation of Rogan using the N-word on repeat, which led him to again apologize while describing the video as “the most regretful and shameful thing I’ve ever had to talk about publicly.” He did add that these moments were taken “out of context” over 12 years of his material, but he conceded that this “looks f*cking horrible.”

As one can expect, this generated tons of Twitter reactions, but a very well-circulated one (with 59,600 likes and counting) came from Lynskey. “I don’t think a word can slip out of your mouth unless it regularly comes out of your mouth,” the Castle Rock actress tweeted. “I’m not going around accidentally calling people Horace.”

It’s a fair point, although music producer Brad Walsh was quick to have a little fun with Lynskey. “You literally called me a dirty horace yesterday,” he tweeted.

To which Lynskey responded, “This is cancel culture!!”

Their exchange is on point, given that the complaints about “cancel culture” are flying every other week, it seems, largely from the far right, which is now defending Rogan. There’s no quick cure here, but hey, there are several cute dogs named Horace now sitting in Lynskey’s replies, so there’s that.

The Righteous Gemstones Halo Report is a weekly recap feature that assigns between zero and five halos to people, things, events, and general topics from each episode. There is very little to this beyond an excuse to highlight cool stuff from a good show and make jokes. And do crappy drawings of halos in MS Paint. We’re having fun.

ZERO HALOS

Getting gunned down by neon cycle ninjas

Three questions are important here, so let’s discuss them before we get into any other business:

• Is Eli dead?
• Who is behind the cycle ninjas?
• Shouldn’t the cycle ninjas maybe wear less neon so they’re not so immediately identifiable?

In regards to the first one, I… I don’t know. It sure didn’t look great. The man’s torso was riddled with bullets and his SUV had glided to a stop against various construction signage. That’s not ideal. It’s not how I hope to end any night. But my general rule with situations like this is to assume a character is alive all the way up until we see their body lowered into a grave, and sometimes longer, depending on what kind of show I’m watching. Am I implying there’s a scenario in which the ghost of Eli Gemstone sticks around and haunts his children like the spirits in A Christmas Carol? No. Maybe. I kind of hope so, now that I see it all typed out. I love ghost shenanigans.

Looking at the second question, we have two possibilities. The obvious one is Junior, the sleazy Memphis wrestling promoter who Jesse already suspects. The motive is there. And he looks shady enough that you can see it. Like, if I just described the character to you without you watching the show, you’d be like, “Yeah, I could see that guy ordering a motorcycle assassination.” The complicating factor here is that this all seems kind of… high-tech for him. He seems more like a “send a wrestler to issue a threat in a parking garage” guy, as we’ve seen. Which brings us to…

Is it maybe the Lissons, the Texas power couple whose plan to loop in Jesse and Amber and their money was spoiled by Eli’s iron fist? You can see it, right? Like, they called out the hit on Eli to grease the wheels on the deal. It seems wild at first, that this televangelist power couple would have teams of glow-in-the-dark shooters out of a Gerard Butler movie on staff, but… actually, no. It doesn’t seem that wild. I can picture Eric Andre making that call right now. I hope a full-on turf war develops. Give BJ a bazooka. I’m serious about this.

And finally, regarding the last question… let’s just go with “they do it because it looks cool.” That’s a good enough reason for me.

Kelvin

Tough go of it for Kelvin here. Broken thumbs, can’t dress or pee by himself, mopping the floor with little washie-mittens, had a bad conversation with his dad that might end up being their last. Keef is in a cage. He was deposed as leader by Torsten. It’s not entirely clear where or if he lives in his own house anymore, which is rarely a good sign for anyone, ever.

Kelvin had a bad week.

ONE HALO

Keef

Keef is such a tender soul. You saw him dressing Kelvin. At first, I thought it might have been a romantic thing for him, like he has a forbidden lust for Kelvin he can only satisfy through service. And it might still be that. But I think it’s more innocent than that. I think there is not a sexual aspect to it at all. It’s got some real “one of Jesus’ disciples” energy to it.

I felt so bad for him when he crumpled under the weight of that cross. If he had as much strength as he did desire to succeed he could rip the top off of a mountain with his bare hands. He’s a sweet man.

Jesse

Let’s check in with Jesse:

• Jealous and insecure about his wife picking off a cycle ninja while he sprayed bullets willy-nilly in the night sky
• Organizing secret men-only meetings where they discuss old-timey violence
• Rolling up on Memphis wrestling promoters and having his minions whip stones at or near their target with slingshots

Dude is just spiraling. Lots of bad vibes. Capable of going almost anywhere from here. It’s very exciting to me.

Judy

Everything you need to know about Judy can be discovered in the scene where she was both dismissive of Jesse’s story about the cycle ninjas (because he’s not “important enough to be assassinated”) and also deeply, pathetically envious of it (LOOK AT ME DADDY LOOK AT ME DADDY LOOK AT ME DADDY). She is a bottomless pit of need who might lash out at anyone at any moment. Give her a motorcycle and a machine gun. Let’s see what happens.

TWO HALOS

Aunt Tiffany

A sweet and simple hill person whose naivety and optimism is kind of admirable. She really thinks it’s more likely that Baby Billy — BABY BILLY — is coming home with a convertible filled with Funyuns than it is that he bailed on her and the baby. Bless her heart.

Slingshots, generally

There are hundreds of better weapons you can use, especially today, in 2022, and ESPECIALLY when you’re going after a man you suspect of having a fleet of slick assassins on speed dial. Have you ever tried to use a slingshot like that? It’s impossible. You’re better off just whipping the rock really hard with your arm. I get the symbolism of it all, I suppose (it’s cute that Jesse thinks of his multimillionaire family as David and the minor league wrestling promoter as Goliath), but like, no. You’re an adult. None of this Dennis the Menace business.

THREE HALOS

Chad

Chad is going through a lot. He’s getting a little too intense. I knew that was true before I saw him just shove this motorcycle onto the ground, but now I definitely, super know it. He has so much Divorced Guy Energy radiating off of him that he might open the next episode glowing like one of those hideous deep-sea fish that needs to illuminate its own body to navigate in the dark. I know we just did an interlude episode last week and need to get back to the actual business of the show, but I would at the very least watch a series of little webisodes about Chad’s day.

Smoothies

I love a smoothie but I have to be in the mood for one. Like, if someone showed up with a tray of smoothies as a peace offering, I don’t know how it would work out. They don’t store well. Put them in the fridge and they melt. Put them in the freezer and they go rock hard. A smoothie is a now-or-never proposition. Don’t foist that kind of pressure on me.

FOUR HALOS

Amber

One thing I love about this show is that it always sets things up before it pays them off. Just a couple of weeks ago, we saw Amber lighting up a target range on their property. This week, she goes half John Wick on assassins. She fascinates me. There’s a rage inside that woman. She’s like a scorpion in a church dress. I would rather swallow a thumbtack than cross her, mostly because I could see her getting angry enough to make me swallow multiple thumbtacks. Tread lightly.

A convertible filled with Funyuns

Been thinking about it ever since I typed it in the blurb about Aunt Tiffany. I kind of just want to see it, more than anything. It should be a prize you win on a game show, like Holey Moley. Not even in the packages, either. Just millions of loose Funyuns stacked up to the headrests of a Chevy Sebring. Something to consider.

Any show that lets a character played by Eric Roberts do cocaine off his hand in an alley

What a blessing, honestly. A perfect little touch, acted perfectly, by a man who was born to do it. I’m so proud of everyone here.

FIVE HALOS

BJ

BJ gets five stars for three equally important reasons:

• I love him
• Did you see his face when Eli shook his hand, and again when he told Judy about it?
• He is going to be inconsolable when he hears about Eli now, just when they’ve bonded

I worry. But five stars.

Torsten

I started doing this thing a couple of days ago — right after I watched this screener — where I just kind of mutter “Torsten… TORSTEN” whenever I attempt a feat of strength, which is funny both because it’s a stupid thing to do and because I’m disabled and my “feats of strength” are, like, lifting a jug of orange juice. Also, he looks kind of like if Phillies’ right fielder Bryce Harper had become a professional wrestler instead of a baseball player, which I appreciate.

Torsten.

Torsten.

TORSTEN.

Sonic the Hedgehog is considered one of the fastest characters in the video game universe. The blue hedgehog is supposedly able to reach the speed of sound and his games have always been built around the high speeds that he’s capable of reaching. If for some reason you were ever put in a situation where you needed to get in or out of somewhere very fast then being as fast as Sonic would be very beneficial.

Maybe that thought process went through this attempted robber’s head when he tried to steal money from a bank in Deland, Florida. The bank, Florida Credit Union, was put in sudden danger on February 3 when a man wearing a Sonic the Hedgehog mask entered with a hammer and demanded money. Their plans went awry and they quickly made a getaway before getting any money. Thankfully, everyone that was inside the bank at the time of the attempted robbery was safe and no damage occurred, via the DeLand Police.

When officers arrived on-scene, contact was made with witnesses who stated that a subject (believed to be a male by their tone of voice) wearing a “sonic the hedgehog mask” entered the bank displaying a hammer and demanding money from the teller. While demanding cash from the teller, the suspect then struck the teller’s window with the hammer as he continued with his demands. After being confronted by a bank employee, the suspect fled the location on foot traveling towards the west side of the building and then north on Woodland Blvd. The suspect was last observed wearing a black hoodie, black pants, carrying a black or grey backpack or duffle bag, and a mask resembling “sonic the hedgehog”.

If the attempted robber was trying to embody the spirit of Sonic then they succeeded because, while blessed with great escapability, one of Sonic’s fatal flaws is his fragility. Clearly, this robber exhibited the same characteristics as he bailed on his plans immediately once confronted.

While we can all find this story silly after the fact, we’re very happy to know that everyone involved in the incident was safe.

Even though it has been nearly three years since Cardi B last released an album (her Grammy-winning debut, Invasion Of Privacy), She remains as popular as ever as fans eagerly anticipate her next project, promised sometime this year. Part of the reason is that she remains so visible, still dutifully logging into her Instagram to share her thoughts with fans, which was a huge part of how she became so popular in the first place.

In her latest Instagram Live stream, she expressed her concern that “there is something wrong with the water in Atlanta.” In typical Cardi fashion, after saying something she knows could be outrageous (she even admitted that she “was afraid to say it”), she thoughtfully broke down the facts that brought her to this conclusion.

“I believe that there is something wrong with the water in Atlanta,” she said. “Because, while I was in Atlanta, my face just started getting so dry and irritated. I kept putting moisturizer to the point that it started getting so irritated that I started putting Vaseline on, the old school way.” After returning to her native New York, she said, her skin still has yet to normalize and asked viewers for their suggestions for a product that might fix the problem. “Do any of y’all have suggestions of what type of moisturizer I should wear?” she wondered.

“Because, bro, I feel like I’ve been trying everything. My face is so irritated, it just feels itchy and dry.” Check out her Live below.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The dominant story of last week in the world of sports was the class action lawsuit filed by Brian Flores against the NFL alleging discriminatory hiring practices by the league, citing texts Flores received from Bill Belichick prior to interviewing with the Giants that congratulated the wrong Brian on the job. It was the closest thing to confirmation of something that has been assumed by many for years, which is that teams often hold interviews with Black candidates simply to fill the Rooney Rule requirement when a decision has already been made.

That it was the New York Giants, one of the NFL teams to never have a Black coach, that was the lead example (with the Broncos as another in the Flores suit) made for even worse optics for the team. The day after the lawsuit was filed, Stephen A. Smith ripped the Giants organization (his claim that they were the only team to never have a Black coach isn’t correct as others likewise have not).

“There’s no one more incriminating than the New York Giants when it comes to Black coaches,” Smith said. “We are in the year 2022. All of these years, damn near a century for crying out loud, there is one single franchise that has not had a Black coach: That is the New York Giants.”

Over on WFAN, former Giants running back Tiki Barber responded to Smith, calling him out for not knowing anyone in the organization, and defending Giants ownership (via Sportscasting).

“I can’t sit here, with conviction, like Stephen A. — who doesn’t know anybody in the Giants’ organization — and claim that they’re a racist organization,” Barber said. “I would never do that. The only reason I would do that is because I’m trying to make a point, and my point is that Brian Flores is trying to make a point.”

Unsurprisingly, those comments eventually made their way back to Smith who took the close of Monday’s show to come after Barber, saying he didn’t know who Smith knew and also insinuating that he knew some incriminating things about Barber but wouldn’t say them on TV because he has “the decency not to.”

This is a tried and true Stephen A. tactic, as he once used this on Kevin Durant of all people, but the way he delivers the vague threat really makes it work. He is a showman above all else and no one else in the sports media comes close to him in that area, although I do hope Tiki keeps pressing his buttons because maybe we can find out what it is Stephen A. claims to know about him.

After previously sharing images of Amanda Seyfried taking on the role of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, Hulu has dropped the first trailer for the limited series, The Dropout, which tracks Holmes’ downfall after making a giant splash in the medical and tech worlds with ultimately false promises of her blood-testing device. Just last month, Holmes was found guilty of four out of 11 charges of defrauding investors as a jury deliberated whether she simply made mistakes in the creation of her startup or intentionally deceived patients and Silicon Valley.

As the trailer shows, not only does Seyfried capture Holmes’ signature look of a black turtleneck and red lipstick, but she also nails the weird, robotic (and almost definitely) fake voice that Holmes used to dupe Theranos investors. In addition to Lost star Naveen Andrews as Holmes’ alleged co-conspirator and lover, Sunny Balwani, The Dropout boasts an impressive cast of recognizable faces including William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, Sam Waterson, Anne Archer, and Stephen Fry.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Money. Romance. Tragedy. Deception. Hulu’s limited series “The Dropout,” the story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) and Theranos, is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye?

The Dropout premieres March 3 on Hulu.

The BTS link-up “My Universe” is the headlining collaboration on Coldplay’s album Music Of The Spheres, but it’s not the only one. They also teamed up with Selena Gomez for “Let Somebody Go,” and now they’ve reconvened in a new video for the song.

The black-and-white clip sees Chris Martin and Gomez yearning for a love to continue and eventually lamenting its loss. The video isn’t exactly rooted in reality, as it’s full of physics-defying, M.C. Escher-like environments.

Chris Martin previously told Apple Music of the song, “It’s just a really lovely ballad. And quite early on we realised it needed a female counterpart to the vocal. And we were very grateful that when we asked Selena to sing on it, she loved the song and was happy to do so. Collaborations in general are something that we’ve done more of recently. We never really used to do it before. When we were younger, we kind of locked ourselves in a room and felt we had to prove everything ourselves. But I think as time has gone on, it’s become more interesting for us to work with other people from different parts of the world, different genres. It just adds colour and character to the music.”

Watch the “Let Somebody Go” video above.

Coldplay is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The only silver lining about GLOW getting canceled by Netflix is that it freed up Betty Gilpin for other projects. (That said, I wish GLOW ran for 10 seasons.) The Emmy nominee is a talented actress and writer — in the press release for her book of personal essays, she referred to herself as “Windows 94 Jodie Comer,” which is not true, but it is very funny — who will appear alongside Julia Roberts in Starz’s Gaslit and reunite with GLOW creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch for the Apple TV+ anthology series Roar. Gilpin was also cast to play Anna Nicole Smith in Hurricana, a biopic about the Playmate of the Year model who died at age 39 in 2007 from an accidental overdose.

Hurricana centers on Smith’s devoted therapist, Khristine, who in an attempt to save her client’s life embarks on a 36-hour odyssey in which she unknowingly delivers the fatal blow. The film is described a story of the immense hurricane-like force that was Smith and the fateful string of events that led her to destroy everything in her path, including herself and those closest to her.

Khristine will be portrayed by Holly Hunter, while Killing Eve‘s Francesca Gregorini is attached as director. (Related: Gregorini is the daughter of a former-Bond girl and the step-daughter of Ringo Starr, and she dated Portia de Rossi during the pre-Ellen Arrested Development years, and she accused M. Night Shyamalan of ripping off her movie, and if someone made a biopic about her, I would watch.) Anyway, Betty Gilpin’s involvement makes Hurricana a must watch, and it will be interesting to see how the movie’s tone compares to the glorious trash of Pam & Tommy.

As for Gilpin’s book, it will reportedly be released sometime this year.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

There are tons of high-quality, flavorful vodkas on the market. We’re not talking about the harsh, chemical-tasting vodkas that come in plastic jugs and feel like they should be used to peel wallpaper. We’re talking about well-crafted vodkas that are created with as much care as any other spirit on the shelf. We’re talking about vodkas that you can still enjoy a shot of between gulps of your New England IPA or crafty lagers.

The contemporary vodka marketplace is diverse with vodkas made from various ingredients like potatoes, wheat, grapes, rye, corn, apples, and even milk. It ranges from low-end mixers to premium multiple-distilled, specially filtered vodkas that are so clean and pure you’d think you were sipping spring water with a boozy kick.

To find these shot-worthy gems, we asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best vodkas for shots. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks.

Belvedere

Eric Cohen, lead bartender at The Kimpton Sawyer in Sacramento, California

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $27

Why This Vodka?

Belvedere is what I recommend. It is very smooth and lacks that stringent taste you get from a lot of other vodkas. Additionally, there is a slight citrus hint. It’s hard to beat.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Alejandro Mendoza, restaurant and bar manager at Hotel SLO in San Luis Obispo, California

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20

Why This Vodka?

Tito’s Handmade Vodka is my pick. It goes down smoothly. It’s made from corn, making it sweeter with slight corn and peppery flavor. It’s great for a shot.

Wheatley

John “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick, spiritual advisor at Warren American Whiskey Kitchen in Delray, Florida

ABV: 41%

Average Price: $20

Why This Vodka?

If I have to do a shot of vodka I’m going with Harlan Wheatley all the way. This ten-time distilled, triple filtered vodka is known for its crisp flavors of vanilla and grains.

Grey Goose VX

Nick Gergen, beverage director of Juniper and Ivy in San Diego

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $95 for a 1-liter bottle

Why This Vodka?

I would enjoy either Belvedere Lake Bartezek or Grey Goose VX. The Grey Goose VX has a percentage of cognac blended into it and really rounds it out and adds much more complexity thanks to the cognac.

Absolut

Josh Curtis, bar director at Malibu Beach Inn in Malibu, California

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20

Why This Vodka?

Absolut Vodka is clean and substantial with flavors of a toasted baguette that finishes with notes of fresh cracked black pepper. The Swedish distillation process will leave you feeling not too shabby the next morning.

Hanson of Sonoma

Christopher Devern, lead bartender of Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $27

Why This Vodka?

Hanson of Sonoma is a small-batch vodka from California with multiple flavors to choose from. Flavors range from habanero, cucumber, mandarin, lemon, and of course classic. Keep an eye out for their seasonal releases which include boysenberry and espresso. With a neutral grain spirit like vodka for shots, I typically like to mix it with some sort of sweet and citrus. With these naturally infused vodkas, I find it is just fine neat or served chilled.

Russian Standard

Heather Buelna, lead bartender at Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay in San Diego, California

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20

Why This Vodka?

Shots are tricky, especially when it comes to vodka. Most people that are doing shots tend to want the alcohol to be masked, which is why you see so many fruity or sweet shots all the time. But, for those that do want to shoot straight vodka, I always push them toward a brand like Russian Standard Original, chilled. If you want to drink vodka, you might as well go to the experts, right? This one is clean and easy to drink.

Chopin

My Nguyen, general manager at I|O Rooftop at The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood in Los Angeles

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20

Why This Vodka?

I am not a vodka fan but if I were to choose one, Chopin on the rocks would be my go-to. I love how smooth Chopin is. It’s full of flavors like vanilla and green apple.

Ketel One Botanical Cucumber & Mint

Cassie Stockbridge, bartender at Lobby Bar at The Godfrey Hotel in Boston

ABV: 30%

Average Price: $20

Why This Vodka?

Ketel One Botanical Cucumber & Mint is my number one choice of vodka to drink straight or in a shot. With every sip, you taste crisp cucumbers mixed with slight notes of mint. It’s of the smoothest vodkas out there.

Writer’s Pick: Hangar 1

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $28

Why This Vodka?

This vodka is made from a blend of wheat-based neutral spirit and grape-based vodka. It’s known for its soft, sweet, easy-to-drink flavor. It goes down great as a shot with hints of fruit esters, lemon zest, and a slightly herbal, peppery flavor. The finish is warming, but there’s no harsh aftertaste.