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Latto Brought Her Big, Big Energy Courtside To Support Angel Reese In Her WNBA Debut

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Latto Pre-GRAMMY Gala GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons 2023
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Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, and Kamilla Cardoso headline a potentially trajectory-altering rookie class for the WNBA, and the 2024 season tipped off this week. Reese’s debut with the Chicago Sky came against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday night, May 15, and her magnetism was already apparent.

Latto sat courtside. When asked what brought her to the Sky and Wings’ season-opener, Latto plainly stated, “Angel Reese.” The multi-platinum rapper was also asked for her thoughts on the unprecedented attention surrounding the WNBA. “It’s the year of the woman, it’s the year of the female, it’s the year of the girl,” Latto said. “I’m here for the girl power, period. Let’s go, Angel Reese.”

Latto posted part of the clip on X (formerly Twitter), and Reese reposted it along with the message, “DUHHH!! THE BIGGEST [lips emoji]”

Roughly one year ago, Reese was fresh off capturing the first NCAA Division I basketball national championship in LSU history when she appeared in the video for Latto and Cardi B’s “Put It On Da Floor Again.” Reese also co-starred alongside Flau’jae Johnson, her now-former LSU teammate, in NLE Choppa’s “Champions” video.

Last month, Chicago drafted Reese at No. 7 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The 22-year-old star forward posted 12 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal in her W debut, a 87-79 loss to Dallas. The Sky will remain in Dallas to play the Wings again on Saturday, May 18.

Kehlani Narrated The Golden State Valkyries’ Announcement Video And Fans Are In Their Feelings

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Over the past few years, it’s become common practice for NBA and WNBA teams to kick off their seasons with hype videos, often narrated by hometown artists from the cities where the franchises are situated. For instance, GloRilla narrated a video for the Grizzlies a couple of years ago.

So, when the WNBA’s newest franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, posted a hype video announcing their launch, it only made sense they would tap a Bay Area artist to do the narration. Their choice, Kehlani, turned out to be perfect in more ways than one.

While Kehlani was already involved in the WNBA thanks to their 2023 All-Star Game performance, you may remember that the show inspired a certain amount of, well… thirst among both fans and players, as there is a lot of overlap between the target audiences of the W and Kehlani (“the girls, the gays, and the theys,” as the saying goes).

The response to the Valkyries’ launch video was no different. “Kehlani” trended on Twitter (which I am never calling “X,” sorry, Elon) as fans fell in love with the SweetSexySavage tones of Kehlani’s delivery and the possibility of seeing future draft prospect Paige Bueckers suiting up in the new franchise’s apparent black and purple.

“Sharing a name with a bisexual Tessa Thompson character and getting the announcement narrated by Kehlani??” wrote one fan. “That’s called REALLY knowing your audience.” You can check out more of the impassioned responses below.

Ice Cube’s BIG3 Lands $10 Million Deal After The Sell Of One Of Its Franchise Teams

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Ice Cube
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All eyes are on women’s sports—more specifically basketball from the collegiate level to the pros. But the WNBA isn’t the only sports league inking major deals, Ice Cube’s BIG3 is also getting in on the action.

Yesterday (May 10), Bloomberg revealed that the newest league on the block inked an eight-figure deal.

According to the report, investment firm DCB Sports has acquired the forthcoming Los Angeles franchise for $10 million.

“This is a historic day for the BIG3,” said Ice Cube. “We could not be happier to entrust part of our league to Gary [LaDrido, managing partner of DCB Sports] and this seasoned group of sports investors ahead of our most important season yet. We have all-star basketball talent, millions of loyal fans around the world, and we are one of the most viewed sports programs of the summer on CBS.”

Back when the BIG3 was founded in 2017, the league was a touring strong hold. Since rising in popularity, it has model has shifted to the industry standard “city-centric” with Los Angeles being one of its 12 teams.

In a statement, Ice Cube spoke about the transition. “Basing our teams in home cities allows BIG3 to engage local communities and fanbases,” he said. “Bringing in ownership groups each with their own sports expertise, business, and capabilities beginning in 2025 will allow BIG3 to grow exponentially. I know that DCB Sports will do right by the people of Los Angeles and together, we’ll continue to change the game.”

Although Caitlin Clark ultimately decided turn away the BIG3’s offer, given its latest expansion other stars are considering signing on the dotted line.

Metro Boomin Trolled Drake’s Latest Kendrick Lamar Diss With A Hilarious Chris Paul Highlight

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Metro Boomin 2023
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It seems far fewer people were impressed with Drake’s latest Kendrick Lamar diss than The Boy might have hoped. After he dropped “The Heart Part 6” last night, he may have seen it as a victory lap, but fans online appeared to view it as more of a white flag of surrender after Kendrick Lamar spammed Drake with nonstop diss tracks over the course of the weekend.

Metro Boomin, who pretty much started all this in the first place after inviting Kendrick onto his and Future’s joint album We Don’t Trust You, summed up his feelings with a Chris Paul highlight. Heading over to YouTube, he took a screenshot of the video title that best suited the moment: “Chris Paul hits a huge three to cut the lead down to 42.”

For those who aren’t into sports, the analogy likens Drake emptying the clip on “The Heart Part 6” to a heroic, but ultimately futile effort in a competition in which his loss is inevitable. In basketball, being down 42 points isn’t quite an insurmountable lead, especially in the first half of a game, but it’s also basically a war of attrition in which there have historically been very few winners. Digging out of such hole requires not only impressive levels of skill and endurance but also borderline miraculous luck — i.e. “an act of God.”

Unfortunately for Drake, it doesn’t look like any deities are coming to his rescue anytime soon. Meanwhile, fans are comparing him to another NBA star thanks to Metro, pairing Kyle Lowry highlights with Metro’s “BBL Drizzy” beat

Dave East Ranked His All-Time Best Ballers Who Rap, And Has A Very Short List Of Rappers Who Can Actually Ball

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There has long been a lot of crossover between the basketball and hip-hop world. We regularly see artists putting in work in the gym with top hoops trainers and even trying their hand at pro ball, while there is a long history of NBA players hopping in the studio to put out a rap album. As 2 Chainz — who played basketball at Alabama State — once eloquently explained to Dime, a lot of rappers and basketball players come from the same places.

“I know for a lot of Blacks, we thought that our only way to get out of the hood was either rappin’ or playing basketball,” 2 Chainz said. “So it has a common denominator for me and people who have a low socioeconomic status for a background. It kind of feels like you have to have a sport or some kind of other skill set, you dig, to get your mama a house. So that’s why we all want to play basketball, and that’s why all basketball players want to rap.”

However, there are levels to success in that crossover realm, and plenty of debate as to who has done the best when dipping a toe into that other world. On the most recent episode of Uproxx’s “Fresh Pair,” Dave East joined Just Blaze and Katty Customs and the conversation turned to hoops (5:00 mark of the above video). East played college ball at Richmond and Towson before becoming a hip-hop artist, and as such, he’s well-equipped to offer his list of the best ballers who rap and rappers who ball — noting there aren’t many that can really hoop.

“Ballers to rap? I would say, gotta throw Shaq in there. Shaq had a feature with Biggie, so you always gotta throw Shaq in. Shaq was hard, he was probably one of the first ones,” East said. “A.I. I feel like a lot of people don’t put Iverson in there, but I remember the “40 Bars” and all that. I remember Iverson, you feel me. Dame Lillard, to me now, in this generation right now, I think Dame got it as far as a baller that rap.

“Rappers to ball? Me. Yeah, I’m gonna put myself on the top of that list. I gotta get in shape. I feel like a lot of them rapper basketball dudes, they do it now. They got famous, they got a name, and that’s like their hobby in their free time. Like, I really used to play basketball. Before I ever wrote a rhyme or ever really thought about this, I was in the park or in the gym. I was really playing ball. When I see them lists, I laugh. I really used to do that. I need 30 days to get in shape. I got real footage on a real Division 1 program. Go find another rapper, I think 2 Chainz played D1. But it wasn’t too many of them that was. There’s a few of ‘em that nice. Salute the ones that are.”

It’s safe to say East isn’t very impressed by the videos of artists in the lab with Chris Brickley and other hoops trainers, but he does recognize he would need a month to train to get back in actual hoops shape.

Dave East Promises To Glass His ‘Fresh Pair,’ Then Talks Hoops, Nip, Dipset, Snoop, And More

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Fresh Pair — starring legendary sonic architect Just Blaze and sneaker-customizer-to-the-GOATs, Katty Customs  –is back in the studio, mixing up their sneaker magic for hip-hop’s finest. In the chair this time is Harlem rapper and actor Dave East, who took to his custom sneaker like a kid on Christmas.

East is known for his widely varied career — including a legendary run of mixtapes that is longer than most rapper’s whole careers, all released before his debut album — and impeccable sense of style, so Katty and Just had quite a challenge for themselves going into this one. Luckily, the team knocked it out of the park, gifting East a sneaker inspired by Nike’s game-changing multi-layered “What The Dunk?”

Like the What The Dunk, this custom sneaker features a wild-teetering-toward-chaotic mix of panels and colors. But unlike the original, this one tells the deeply personal story of Dave East. From panel to panel, East’s story unfolds like a comic book, touching on his b-ball origins, fallen friends, and entrepreneurial pursuits. We’ll hold off on divulging too many details here, but if you’re looking for a teaser here it is: East talks briefly about his project with Snoop, his relationship with the late Nipsey Hussle, his decision to portray Method Man in Wu-Tang: An American Saga, and which of his albums is the most personal to him.

Check out the latest episode of Fresh Pair above.

Shaq And Kenny Got A Laugh Out Of TNT Playing Kendrick Lamar’s Drake Diss ‘Euphoria’ At Halftime

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TNT

Wednesday night was a big one in the Mavs-Clippers series, as the two teams met in Los Angeles for a pivotal Game 5 (I’m legally obligated as a sportswriter to call it that) with the series tied 2-2. The first half was a back-and-forth battle until the Mavs went on a late second quarter run to pull ahead by 10 at the halftime break on TNT. Once the halftime buzzer sounded, it was time for Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson to break down that half of basketball in the studio.

However, before they could get to that, TNT’s production team decided to tap into the dominant story of the day in the world of pop culture, playing Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss that he released earlier in the day, “Euphoria”, in the transition from the booth in L.A. to the studio in Atlanta. Only half of the desk realized what was being played in the background as Ernie did his lead-in, with Shaq and Kenny both chuckling about how they were suddenly in the middle of the rap beef.

The least surprising thing ever is that Shaq (literally a DJ) and Kenny (a man who still listens to new music) would recognize the Drake diss playing while Ernie (old, white) and Chuck (listens to country) would be oblivious. Shaq and Kenny got a kick out of it, with Jet joking that they were inserting themselves in the middle of the rap beef and they needed to play Drake’s “Push Ups” to stay neutral in the battle between the Los Angeles and Toronto artists.

Angel Reese Was Asked To Choose Between Drake And Kendrick Lamar, And She Handled It Perfectly

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Angel Reese 2023 ESPY Awards
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Kendrick Lamar and Drake have a longstanding beef, as chronicled by Uproxx’s Aaron Williams, and it’s sizzling this week. On Tuesday, April 30, Lamar dropped “Euphoria,” the latest in a string of diss tracks between Drake, Lamar, J. Cole, and more that began with Lamar’s verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” The six-minute sprint of a song packs in myriad Drake disses, and everyone from Joel Embiid to Rick Ross is chiming in.

Angel Reese is not interested in entering the fray. The Chicago Sky posted a video on Wednesday, May 1, showing the WNBA team’s players answering a loaded question: “Drake or Kendrick?” Reese’s teammates each chose a side — the results were lopsided in Drake’s favor — but Reese knew better. “I’m not getting in this controversy because I’ll be on Twitter, The Shade Room, all that,” Reese said. “Nope!”

Last month, Reese was drafted seventh overall by Chicago after a decorated collegiate career at LSU, where she and the Tigers won the national championship in 2023. Anyway, Reese’s favorite rapper might be her former LSU teammate, Flau’jae Johnson. The two co-starred in NLE Choppa’s “Champions” video last year, and Reese was also featured in the video for Latto and Cardi B’s “Put It On Da Floor Again.”

Kendrick Lamar’s Drake Diss ‘Euphoria’ Is The New Best Way To Tell Someone You Hate Them, According To New York’s Post About Joel Embiid

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New York Knicks v Philadelphia 76ers - Game Four
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With the New York Knicks looking to close out the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, Sixers all-star Joel Embiid has been declared the “Most Hated Man in NY,” as declared by no less an authority than The New York Post’s front page. This hatred was confirmed by New York’s State Twitter page (I will NEVER call it “X”), which not only reposted the cover from a Knickerbockers fan page, but added some spice of its own courtesy of Kendrick Lamar’s new Drake diss, “Euphoria.”

The new song has no shortage of salt for the Compton rapper’s Canadian foe, but at one point, he dispenses with the fancy wordplay and heady metaphors to distill his argument down to its bare bones: “Now let me say I’m the biggest hater / I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk / I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct,” he snarls in the snippet posted by @NYGov. If the Sixers win, Embiid might need the National Guard to provide security (maybe they can take a break from beating up 20-year-olds at Columbia for exercising their First Amendment rights). Which just goes to show how serious it is — do you know how bad it has to be for the GOVERNMENT of the state of New York to quote a Los Angeles-bred rapper’s diss track?

Sports rivalries aside, it looks like Kendrick Lamar has given the world the best new way to tell somebody you dislike them: just send them a “Euphoria” snippet, and they’ll get the message, guaranteed.

Charles Barkley Apologized To Beyonce’s Mom For His Galveston Jokes (But Still Won’t Go There)

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TNT

Saturday night’s edition of Inside the NBA featured an all-time Charles Barkley roast, as the Hall of Famer had Shaq keeled over laughing as he torched the New Orleans Pelicans and the city of Galveston, Texas.

Chuck called out the Pelicans for quitting in Game 3 against the Thunder, and said they didn’t deserve a flight to Cancun and should instead drive down to Galveston to see “that dirty ass water.”

It really is some of Barkley’s funniest work in some time, and naturally it went viral and went far beyond just basketball fans. Among those who saw it was Beyonce’s mom, Tina Knowles, who was born in Galveston and got the clip sent to her by Jay-Z, issuing a funny response to Chuck on Instagram.

Barkley, being a wise man, issued an apology to Ms. Tina and asked for forgiveness from the Beyhive.

However, there was only so far he’s willing to go with an apology, and a trip to Galveston is not in the cards. He almost killed Shaq by saying he’d rather take a vacation to “San Antonio with them big ol’ women” than go to Galveston.

There is nothing guaranteed to get Shaq to lose it than a surprise joke about the women of San Antonio, and Chuck couldn’t resist dragging them into this with Galveston. The state of Texas, in general, seems to not be Barkley’s favorite and I doubt he’ll be taking any trips there any time soon on his own personal accord.