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After a promising 10-3 start, the Washington Wizards have struggled during a lengthy 13-24 stretch that’s brought them to 23-27 and a game back of a play-in berth. Amid all that, star guard Bradley Beal has grown less firm in his commitment to the franchise, according to a report from The Athletic’s David Aldridge and Joshua Robbins.

Beal is in the first year of a two-year, $70 million extension, though that second year is a player option, so he could decline it and become a free agent this summer.

Although there are “no indications the Wizards are seriously considering trading Beal” and his preference is to remain in Washington, “for the first time in a long time … he’s not rejecting out of hand the notion of a trade elsewhere.”

The primary source of Beal’s potential discontent is uncertainty “about whether the Wizards can surround him with difference-making talent that will make them a regular playoff contender,” Aldridge and Robbins wrote. Perhaps that worry is why the team is reportedly targeting All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis ahead of next week’s trade deadline.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller, Beal said another play-in tournament would be “a step back in a lot of ways.” Washington is currently the 11 seed, six games back of clearing the play-in altogether and securing a top-six seed.

“The team’s nosedive since its hot start has frustrated Beal, leaving him less sanguine about just taking the big bag next summer and staying in Washington,” Aldridge and Robbins reported. “His preference is to remain with the Wizards. Neither Beal nor his representatives, though, have officially asked for him to be moved with a week left before the deadline.”

Aldridge and Robbins also reported that Wizards governor Ted Leonsis is staunchly against a full rebuild, “which would begin by dealing Beal.” If Beal becomes a free agent, he’s eligible to sign a supermax deal with Washington worth $241 million across five seasons.

One of the biggest ways that amateur sports have changed over the last year or two has been the NCAA’s recent changes in name, image, and likeness rulings. While colleges still cannot explicitly pay athletes for the revenue they generate, athletes are now able to use the fame that they have achieved at such a young age to make some extra cash. This has trickled down to the high school ranks, where some athletes are able to build gigantic followings on social media and parlay that into getting paid handsomely once they get to college.

An example: Bronny James has been famous for quite some time despite 17 and a high school junior. With more than 6 million Instagram followers and a role with gaming giant FaZe Clan, LeBron James‘ eldest son is already a pretty big deal.

As such, James has, according to Sam Dunn of Boardroom, filed trademark applications in January as he prepares to enter the home stretch of his recruitment.

As noted by attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben Intellectual Property, James filed trademarks for “BJ JR,” “BRONNY,” and “BRONALD” with an eye toward entering the worlds of NFTs, video games, and apparel.

James — or, more likely, folks around him — is getting all of his ducks in a row as he’s getting closer and closer to a place where he can capitalize on his celebrity. As for his recruitment, 247Sports has James as its No. 34 recruit and the No. 6 combo guard in its 2023 composite rating, with Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina registering interest.

Would you believe that one of the trailblazing jazz musicians who have been leading the charge in getting hip-hop and indie listeners reconnected with jazz music in recent years, Kamasi Washington, has somehow never performed on a late-night TV show? At a time when seemingly every artist who’s gotten a fair Pitchfork review or been blogged about by East Coast music media gets tabbed to play for Fallon or Colbert or whatever, it’s a head-scratcher that Washington hasn’t gotten the call yet.

Not only does he have a decorated discography of some of the most accessible modern jazz albums since 2015, but he’s also been a go-to sax man appearing on albums by Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, and St. Vincent. He also even scored Michelle Obama’s documentary, no small task.

The above rant comes with a big exhale tonight, though, when Washington will perform his brand new single, “The Garden Path” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. In typical Kamasi Washington fashion, “The Garden Path” showcases his dexterousness as not only a star on the saxophone but as a composer and bandleader who empowers the talent around him. Breakneck drum beats, with big basslines and dizzying keys to boot, lay the groundwork for a collective explosion of sounds.

Washington only allows himself to shine once he’s given his players room to set the tone; he’s a selfless prodigy. He explained in a statement that the song’s furious rhythm is a function of our collective mind state: “The world feels turned upside down. There’s so much push and pull in every direction, from everyone you meet—no one knows what to think, who to believe, or how to approach life right now. No matter how smart you are, it’s hard not to feel blind.”

Listen to “The Garden Path” above and check out Kamasi Washington’s performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon tonight on NBC at 11:35 pm local time.

It’s been a few months since Illuminati Hotties‘ Sarah Tudzin dropped the absurdist and playful album Let Me Do One More. Now that she’s gearing up to hit the road for a lengthy tour, Tudzin offered fans a preview of her live show with the new single “Sandwich Sharer.”

Throughout the track, Tudzin sings of searching for someone to match her chaotic energy. True to the subject matter, the song teeters between slow and sparse and quick-tempoed and bombastic. Tudzin’s playful lyrical delivery is contrasted by a low, grumbling electric guitar and consistently crashing cymbals. Eventually, the song ends the way it started, with scarce instrumentals which leave room for Tudzin to conclude with wistful verses.

As Tudzin said herself, “Sandwich Sharer” was written while she was looking for someone special in her life:

“‘Sandwich Sharer’ was very much written at the precipice of unknowns – I was seeking a teammate at a time where I felt swayed by nostalgia for youth as opposed to the reality of the momentum of life. And it feels so good to be close to someone who knows you so well it’s like you finish each others’… sandwiches.”

Listen to “Sandwich Sharer” above and check out Illuminati Hotties’ expanded 2022 North American and European tour dates below.

02/08 — Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s %
02/09 — Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room %
02/10 — Palo Alto, CA @ Stanford
02/11 — San Francisco @ The Chapel *&
02/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ Highland Park Ebell *&
02/13 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon *&
02/14 — Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole *&
02/16 — Austin, TX @ Antone’s *&
02/17 — Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips *&
02/18 — Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge *&
02/19 — Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room at Third Man Records *&
02/20 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade @ Purgatory *&
02/21 — Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall *&
02/22 — Washington, DC @ Black Cat *&
02/24 — New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *&
02/25 — Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ^&
02/26 — Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ^&
02/27 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit ^&
02/28 — Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar ^&
03/02 — Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern ^&
03/03 — Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch ^&
03/04 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hal l^&
03/05 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room at Colectivo ^&
03/06 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry ^&
03/10 — Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret ^&
03/11 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos ^&
03/12 — Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ^&
04/25 — Berlin, DE @ Badehaus Szimplae
04/26 — Copenhagen, DK @ Ideal Bar (Vega)
04/27 — Stockholm, SE @ Kristallen
04/28 — Oslo, NO @ Krøsset
04/30 — Hamburg, DE @ HÄKKEN
05/01 — Oberhausen, DE @ Glub Gdanska
05/02 — Luxembourg City, LU @ Rotondes
05/04 — London, UK @ Moth Club
05/05 — Manchester, UK @ YES (Basement)
05/06 — Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
05/07 — Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint
05/09 — Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
05/10 — Southampton, UK @ The Joiners
05/11 — Oxford, UK @ The Jericho Tavern
05/12 — Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
05/13 — Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
05/14 — Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
05/15 — Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Bristol
05/16 — London, UK @ Moth Club
05/18 — Paris, FR @ Supersonic
05/19 — Brussels, BE @ Botanique (Witloofbar)
05/20 — Rotterdam, NL @ V11
05/21 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso

* w/ Katy Kirby
^ w/ Pom Pom Squad
& w/ Fenne Lily
% w/ Mini Trees

Let Me Do One More is out now via Snack Shack Tracks/Hopeless Records. Get it here.

For the first time, Jackass has added new cast-members for one of their movies. Rachel Wolfson, who has a background in comedy, got a message from practically out of the blue from Johnny Knoxville asking if she’d like to join the cast for Jackass Forever. Wolfson jumped at the chance to become the first woman to be in the cast of Jackass and, smash-cut, there’s Wolfson in a movie, licking a taser and, later, getting stabbed in the face by a scorpion.

So what’s it like to be the new person (and a woman) in a Jackass movie? Wolfson spoke with us recently to tell us all about it.

I always get weird talking about Jackass because these movies make me very anxious…

Oh, are you all right?

The question is are you okay?

Physically, I am okay.

This is the first Jackass movie where they’ve added new cast members. So how does the word get out? How does that get to you?

You know, it was a complete surprise. I remember in 2019, I noticed that Johnny Knoxville was liking a bunch of my content on Instagram, my jokes and my memes. And then not too long after that, I got a direct message from Johnny Knoxville, which when I first got it, I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was being pranked. And he was like, “Hey, do you want to hop on a call with me? I want to ask you something.” So I got on the phone with him and he said that they were doing some kind of anniversary special. So at first, I didn’t even know it was a movie. And he asked if I would be interested, and I was like, yes. Whatever Johnny Knoxville asked of me, I was like, “I am interested.”

If Johnny Knoxville called me, which he’s not going to, but if he did, I don’t think I’d have the same answer you did.

Well, for me, it just seems like a no-brainer. I mean, I grew up watching Jackass. And I’ve always been a fan of the franchise, and obviously, Johnny Knoxville and all those guys. So, for me, it was like, “Of course I want to meet you and Jeff Tremaine.” And so we had a meeting not too long after that. It was like, “Hey, do you want to come play with us?” That’s when they told me they were shooting the movie. But it’s still at that point I was nervous because I didn’t know what they wanted with me. But I just knew that I couldn’t pass up on this opportunity.

It’s human nature anytime someone notable “likes” something on social media you start thinking, oh, maybe they’re taking an interest in some of my work. And that’s mostly never the case. But this time it actually happened.

Right. It’s the modern-day getting discovered on the street. But you’re right. I mean, I’ve had plenty of experiences in the past where famous people liked my stuff and that was the end of the interaction. I mean, this was truly like, oh, this person notices me. They’re liking what I’m doing. It’s not weird or creepy. They’re genuinely liking my jokes. What are the odds?

So once you get this offer, there’s no soul-searching? Maybe thinking this could be very dangerous?

I mean, there were all of those thoughts. It was two things can be true: What am I doing? Am I going to get hurt? And also, I don’t care. I need to find out.

So how do you find out what you’re doing? Is it just like it is in the movies where he announces it and that’s when you find out? Or are you told before?

You don’t really find out what you’re doing until that moment. I mean, there are certain scenes that they might ask right before you do them, “Are you comfortable with this?” And I just wanted to always come from a place of yes. I told myself before I did Jackass that I was going to say yes to pretty much whatever they asked, as long as it wasn’t butt stuff. But I didn’t think they wanted that. And also that I wasn’t going to cry on site.

How many waivers from the good folks at Viacom do you have to sign before you’re allowed to do this movie?

I mean, there was definitely paperwork, for sure. But it’s like the standard paperwork that I feel like other movies do, you know?

I feel there’s more of a chance in this of you getting hurt than in something else?

I mean, look at what happened this past year. I feel like any set is kind of dangerous, you know?

Well, that’s true.

I feel like if I’m going to be on a set with dangerous things, I want to be on the Jackass set because it seems like they know what they’re doing.

So, you licked electricity.

Yes.

What does that feel like? I assume bad.

Yeah. I mean, it’s definitely uncomfortable. Imagine sticking your tongue into a socket.

I can’t. I can’t do it. I don’t know how you do this.

I mean, I was so nervous because, I mean, anytime you see the guys on set get tased, they seem to be in a lot of pain. And I had never really experienced anything with a taser before. So it was very uncomfortable. It was a very uncomfortable feeling.

You let a scorpion sting you in the face.

Yes.

They are evil-looking creatures.

I haven’t had much experience with scorpions before. That may come as a surprise to you, but my dad did get stung in the toe by a scorpion growing up and I think this one came back for revenge.

Did he lose his toe?

My dad kept his toe, but he had to go to the hospital and get a shot.

Is this like a scorpion that’s not quite as poisonous as another scorpion? Is it like snakes where some are more deadly than others?

I don’t know much about scorpions, but they used two different kinds on set. And one’s definitely more painful than the other.

You did both?

Yes. I’m not really sure what made it more painful, if it was the bark or the bite. But know that if you see a small scorpion, it is not less painful than the big ones. Size does not matter. Also, there’s always a handler and also medics on set in case I happen to be allergic. They had someone who had access to medical care.

Is there more you did we will see in the eventual longer version?

Oh yeah. There’s a lot of stuff that you guys didn’t get to see that will be in 4.5 and I’m very excited for that to come out as well.

Can you give a preview of one?

Oh, no. I know I can’t. Just because I don’t think I’m necessarily allowed to. But they got so much good content for this movie, that 4.5 will be such a great movie as well.

Well, one spoiler is you are still alive. We know that.

Yes. I’m physically still alive. Did you watch the whole thing or did you look away?

I looked away. I’m fine with the stunts. But the stuff involving male body parts, and that can go on for so long, I had to look away at times.

I told my dad and mom to bring a puke bucket.

‘Jackass Forever’ opens this week in theaters. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

I only have one Zoom meeting a week, and I find myself facing screen fatigue. I can only imagine the challenges that teachers have been continuously facing during this pandemic—overcoming tech issues, keeping the attention of multiple students from a distance, establishing a stimulating educational environment in a literally sense-less virtual space—all this with little help, and oftentimes even less appreciation.

But then again they don’t do it for the praise, they do it out of a genuine calling to help develop young minds. They certainly don’t do it for the pay.

Still, one group of students found the most heartfelt way to surprise their teacher, and it’s a powerful reminder of why education providers should get a “thank you” during this time.

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At first, the teacher thinks that none of his students have their cameras on in order to be “cool.”

“Is that the new cool thing to do-not turn your camera on?” he innocently asks during an online class. “I’ve heard that in some classes, nobody turns their camera on, including the instructor.”

Clearly not this instructor. He’s the only one whose face is visible in a sea of Zoom squares.

Trying to laugh it off, he can’t help but ask, “Seriously is it my fault that you have your cameras off?” he’s met with an awkward silence.

Finally, someone speaks up. A student says, “Dr. Brown, we actually kind of wanted to do something.”

The cameras turn on, and instead of faces, the screen is flooding with handwritten notes of gratitude for Dr. Brown.

One of the most visible messages says, “thank you for making a difference every day.”

Moved, Dr. Brown says, “Oh, you guys…you’re gonna make me cry.” And he does.

The video inspired other people to share their own similar stories.

One person wrote, “During the early days of remote learning, I heard my daughter’s history teacher trying everything in his power to just get the kids to respond to him saying “good morning, how are you?” Just….silence. Even if he’d call on them individually. All the cameras were off, despite him all but begging them to turn them on. And this was a teacher they LOVED during normal times…Teachers don’t have it easy even on normal days…I can’t imagine how hard it was trying to pivot to remote, then hybrid, then in-person….then remote….”

Another person added, “My husband is a teacher…Every day, he fights for his kids. Every day. He works longer hours than I do – even though my shifts are ten hours a day – and even as parents yell at him, the administration refuses to provide curriculum and instead gives busywork, and the pandemic makes it all but impossible to keep kids engaged, he keeps trying to give his kids the kindness, empathy, and understanding they deserve. Teachers are doing their utmost right now. Please, be kind to them.”

It’s hard out there right now, for everyone. But little acts of kindness like this really do make a difference. Here’s to a win for human connection.

As Brian Cox continues to promote his memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, the Succession star has been spilling all of the tea about his lengthy career in Hollywood. This time around, the actor talked to Vanity Fair about his time filming the 2004 sword and sandals epic, Troy. Cox played the Greek king Agamemnon alongside Brad Pitt‘s mythical hero, Achilles. However, despite being a seasoned actor, Cox could not get over how gorgeous Pitt looked in person. Cox made it a point to note that he’s heterosexual, but damn, if he couldn’t stop himself from marveling at Pitt’s smoldering looks.

Via New York Post:

“Brad walked on set and my jaw was down because he was so stunningly beautiful,” added the smitten Laurence Olivier award winner.

In fact, like with a metalhead appreciating Beethoven, Pitt’s hotness apparently transcended Cox’s sexual orientation.

“I’m straight but I thought, ‘Wow, my God! This guy is stunning,’” the “Manhunter” actor added of his bromantic feelings. “What chance does one have on the screen against this beautiful, beautiful man?”

While Cox couldn’t stop drooling over Pitt, there’s one (former) Hollywood heartthrob who definitely didn’t get the same reaction: Johnny Depp. Back in October, an excerpt from his memoir dropped in which Cox shared his opinion of the actor who adorned many a teen girl’s bedroom walls in the ’80s and ’90s.

“Personable though I’m sure he is, is so overblown, so overrated,” Cox writes in his memoir. “I mean, Edward Scissorhands. Let’s face it, if you come on with hands like that and pale, scarred-face make-up, you don’t have to do anything. And he didn’t. And subsequently, he’s done even less.”

(Via Vanity Fair)

The Washington Wizards are in a tricky spot with Bradley Beal currently out with a wrist injury, his future uncertain, and the team sitting on the outside looking in on the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture. With that in mind, the team reportedly have their eyes on a making a deal at the deadline to upgrade and make some sort of second half push.

Per Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Washington is interested in Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis, and there’s chatter around the league that Beal — who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season — would like to play with Sabonis. The Pacers are reportedly looking for a similar price to what the Orlando Magic got for sending Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls last season, which was two first-round picks, a former lottery pick still on his rookie contract in Wendell Carter Jr., and salary filler in Otto Porter Jr.

It’s easy to see why the Wizards would target Sabonis. Were he to end up with the Wizards, he’d give Beal the caliber of running mate that he really hasn’t had since John Wall’s injury issues began to mount up, save for the stretch he played alongside Russell Westbrook. While the team would presumably have to move on from some of its frontcourt talent — Thomas Bryant, Daniel Gafford, Montrezl Harrell, etc. — to make a move happen, Sabonis’ scoring and playmaking should fit in nicely.

If you had told me 20 years ago that the two main members of The Roots would be executive producers on a Disney animated series, I’m not totally sure I would have believed you. But here we are in 2022, with Black Thought and Questlove working on “Rise Up, Sing Out,” a musical series looking to inspire and empower children with uplifting messages and cultural affirmations. Variety reports the series will be streaming starting today on Disney Plus with the first episode also airing on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

Not only do Quest and Thought produce the series and the music in it (naturally), but they will also appear in it in adorable animated form offering themes of “diversity, inclusion, kindness, and self-expression.” Disney produced the show to address a growing demand for children’s entertainment that would help parents teach kids respect for each others’ differences in an increasingly diverse world. In a statement, The Roots’ frontmen tackled those issues head-on:

The ‘Rise Up, Sing Out’ shorts touch on a lot of real-world issues, especially for young Black kids, that just weren’t talked about when we were growing up. The beautiful thing about these shorts is that not only are they going to provide young kids the proper language to talk to their friends and family about some of the things that might be bothering them, but it’s also going to give parents the tools on how to respond.

We feel this is the perfect moment and the perfect time for us to put this project out into the world to plant a seed about kindness that will hopefully have a lasting impact for generations to come.

In addition, on Friday, February 4, Walt Disney Records will release the music from the series to streaming. It looks like the future is in good hands — who would’ve thought those hands would belong to The Roots?

Craig Robinson, known for his outspoken comedic roles in Brooklyn 99 and The Office, is returning to star in his own TV show, Killing It, which is set to premiere this year on Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform.

The official synopsis describes Killing It as a comedy about “class, capitalism, and one man’s quest to achieve the American dream. And also about hunting really big snakes.” Nothing goes hand-in-hand like snakes and America, right? The trailer shows Robinson lounging in a fancy robe on the deck of a lavish, beach-front hotel room, where he describes his wild life to his house cleaner.

Killing It is created by Brooklyn 99 producers Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici, who said the following about the new series:

We love all the ambitious, challenging, thematically-rich series that populate the current peak-TV landscape. We also love jokes. So, we tried to make a show that could deliver both. We wanted Killing It to explore America’s quasi-religious obsession with entrepreneurship and wealth, and we also wanted it to be funny. Really, really funny. Plus, we wanted it to have big snakes. It’s a daunting creative balancing act, but lucky for us, we were writing for Craig Robinson, aka the most likable man in the world. His hilarious, effortlessly charming performance grounds even the wildest comic moments in something deeply human and relatable.

Killing It debuts this April on Peacock.