JANELLE MONAE

Janelle Monáe’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Training Is Going… Well?

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As a certified hoop junkie, I have to say: Hoop skills trainers have become a plague on social media. While many offer a useful, helpful, and arguably needed service, others have become a little too obsessed with engagement (which can lead to employment, fair enough) and begun incorporating some truly ridiculous drills, props, and suggestions into their videos.

And yet, somehow, Janelle Monáe would still have been better off with one of them than who she actually got for her NBA All-Star Celebrity Game training regimen. Cream E Biggums is a well-known basketball influencer whose humorous videos make excellent use of his roly-poly figure to juxtapose some truly goofy basketball form with what one might expect from a pro player.

Here’s Janelle showing off her training with Biggums in matching workout ensembles — right down to the probably not totally necessary goggles. Let’s just say if she tries to pull these moves in the actual game, nobody is going to be making Allen Iverson comparisons.

(In reality, Biggums is a side project of comedian Anthony “Spice” Adams, who actually was a professional athlete at one point, albeit in a different sport. He played three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and another four with the Chicago Bears prior to his flourishing comedy career.)

The whole thing’s pretty funny and a prime example of Monáe’s sense of humor, which is perfectly honed for social media these days. Let’s just hope someone gives her a pair of real hoop shoes before the game because those Air Max 270s are not it — although they are better than the big red boots.

Janelle Monaé Takes Some Time To ‘Float’ On Her Recent Successes With Seun Kuti And Egypt 80

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Janelle Monaé has been teasing her new single “Float” for some months and now, it’s finally arrived. The song, which features Nigerian musician Seun Kuti (the youngest son of Fela) and his band Egypt 80, is a fittingly airy joint, with thumping 808s, driving horns, and slight elements of reggae. Lyrically, Monaé shows off her rap skills, delivering a triumphant verse that dismisses haters and boasts her blessings.

Monaé, who has spent the past few years building her acting resume, most recently receiving accolades for her role in the Knives Out mystery Glass Onion, returned to music with all the fanfare that announcement deserved early this year. Initially teasing the track in social media posts, she threatened to withhold it after a fan’s tweet about her dressing like Mr. Monopoly gained a few too many Likes for her approval. However, she quickly relented, dropping another teaser and revealing the release date.

In addition to showing off her “triple threat” skills, Janelle is set to add to her all-around star power with an appearance in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game this Saturday. If her hoop prowess equals her social media savvy — she showed off her skills on social media wearing the viral red MSCHF boots when a fan questioned if she can really ball — she could prove that she can do even more.

Janelle Monáe Continues To Get In All Star Spirt, Compares Herself To Allen Iverson In Funny Meme

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Janelle Monáe seems ready for NBA All-Star weekend and has already compared herself to legends like Allen Iverson. The singer will be appearing alongside a bevy of celebrities and entertainers like 21 Savage and Cordae. The annual sporting event weekend will take place in Salt Lake City this year from February 17-19. Ahead of her upcoming game, Monáe posted a hilarious meme of her face photoshopped over Allen Iverson.

Before that, the singer and Glass Onion star shared her shooting skills on Instagram while sporting the infamous and now-viral MSCHF boots.

Monáe will be a part of former NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade’s team, alongside 21 Savage and Nicky James, while Utah Jazz governor Ryan Smith will coach the other team. Smith’s roster includes several stars as well, like Cordae, country star Kane Brown, and Latin trap singer Ozuna.

Other notable celebrities and professional athletes such as Albert Pujols, Calvin Johnson, DK Metcalf, the Miz, and WNBA stars like Arike Ogunbowale and Diamond DeShields are expected to participate in the celebrity sporting affair.

The All-Star Celebrity Game is scheduled for Friday, February 17, at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT (5 Mountain Time).

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

Janelle Monáe Proves She Can Ball Ahead Of The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game — While Wearing Those Viral MSCHF Boots, No Less

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A new era of Janelle Monáe is upon us. The singer and actress is set to play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which is set to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, February 17.

Today, a week ahead of the big game, fans have been asking about her abilities on the court.

“Whoa @JanelleMonae is in the celebrity all-star game?! That’s amazing. Can she ball?,” asked one fan on Twitter.

Shortly after, Monáe offered an iconic response. She quote-replied to the fan’s tweet, sharing an image of herself practicing on what looks like her home basketball court.

In the image, she is seen wearing a red pair of MSCHF’s Big Red Boots, which have been going viral on social media over the past week.

Next week is set to be a big week for everyone involved. On top of the game next Friday, Monáe will drop her new single, “Float,” the day before (February 16).

The boots themselves will also hit MSCHF’s online store.

Fans can watch the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game next Friday at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN, or stream it on the ESPN app.

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

Janelle Monáe Gave A Hilarious Nod To A Fan’s Joke About Their Old ‘Monopoly Man’ Fashion With A ‘Float’ Tease

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Janelle Monáe clarified their pronouns as “she/her, they/them, [and] free-ass motherf*cker” during their acceptance speech for the SheHer Award at last month’s Critics Choice Awards. Still, this week, one fan projected another identity on them: Mr. Monopoly.

“Janelle Monáe finally showing off how fine she is instead of dressing like the Monopoly Man,” a user named Kimber Henry tweeted on Sunday, February 5, presumably about Monáe’s 2023 Grammys outfit. “35.7k likes??” Monáe responded. “No new tour. hope it was worth it beloved,” with a kissy-face emoji.

Monáe had already teased “Float,” a trumpet-fueled anthem, on January 24, so fans were understandably concerned that Monáe would go so far as to withhold the new single. Those worries were seemingly put to bed when the Glass Onion star tweeted another teaser clip on Wednesday, February 8, along with the release date of February 16.

And in case you were concerned that Monáe can’t take a joke, they didn’t let yesterday end before tweeting out one more “Float” teaser video featuring Mr. Monopoly dancing — hitting the floss and BlocBoy JB’s “Shoot” dance.

“No, I’m not the same,” Monáe sings. “I think I done changed / See, somethin’ not the same / I used to walk into the room, head down / I don’t walk, now I / Float.”

In the wake of “Float” dropping, Monáe will attempt to drain floaters in the 2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday, February 17.

21 Savage, Cordae, And Janelle Monáe Are Playing In The 2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

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It’s that time of year again: NBA All-Star Weekend is almost upon us. And you know what that means: The rosters for the All-Star Celebrity Game have been announced!

This year, All-Star Weekend will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, so the teams will be coached by the Utah Jazz governor Ryan Smith, as well as minority owner — and former NBA All-Star — Dwyane Wade.

While Smith says he has no intention of playing, his team is stacked with talent — just maybe not the basketball kind. He’s got a ton of musicians on his team, including rapper Cordae, country star Kane Brown, and Latin trap singer Ozuna.

Not to be outdone on the music front, Wade’s tapped his own all-star squad of the musical variety, with 21 Savage, Janelle Monáe, and Nicky Jam all suiting up.

Of course, neither team is lacking for athletics. Albert Pujols, Calvin Johnson, DK Metcalf, and the Miz are all on rosters, along with WNBA stars like Arike Ogunbowale and Diamond DeShields. It should be a fun game all around — and really, isn’t that the point?

The All-Star Celebrity Game is scheduled for Friday, February 17 at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. (5 Mountain Time… thanks a lot, Utah. First, you don’t have internet, now this).

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

Janelle Monáe Reveals The Release Date For ‘Float’ After Threatening No More New Music: ‘Y’all Won’

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Earlier this week, Janelle Monáe threatened to withhold her new single “Float” after a fan’s tweet comparing her to the Monopoly man (aka Mr. Monopoly) went viral. Fortunately for all of us, she was just joking around and showing off her sense of humor, and it looks like the release is proceeding as planned.

Monáe finally shared the release date for the single after first teasing it in early January. Since then, she’s shared an extended, NSFW teaser and captioned all of her social media posts with the song’s title, but only today did she finally share when it’s actually dropping, including a cheeky reference to her earlier threat.

“Y’all won,” she wrote. “FLOAT. 2/16.” She even included an emoji of a little person in a suit, a reference to her early career’s monochromatic menswear looks (which inspired the Mr. Monopoly joke). A video clip of the song sees Janelle rocking a cozy look with a checkered, fuzzy bucket hat singing into a home studio mic (I’m pretty sure I have the same one!).

“Float” figures to be the triple threat’s first new standalone work since 2018’s Dirty Computer. While she’s released non-album singles for soundtracks and the like over the past three years, including “Turntables,” “Stronger,” and “Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout),” “Float” is the first new song that suggests a pivot back to music after spending the last few years building that impressive acting resume.

NBA and ESPN Announce 21 Savage, Cordae, Janelle Monae, Dwyane Wade for NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

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NBA and ESPN Announce 21 Savage, Cordae, Janelle Monae, Dwyane Wade for NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

The 2023 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will feature actors, comedians, Grammy® Award-winning musicians, athletes, and more, according to a press release from ESPN and the NBA. The game will air exclusively on ESPN and be streamed on the ESPN App on Friday, February 17, at 7 p.m. ET from the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ryan Smith, the governor of the Utah Jazz, and Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA Champion and a minority owner of the Jazz, will serve as honorary captains. Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP and captain of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, along with his brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo, and three-time Olympian Lindsey Vonn will lead Team Dwyane. Team Ryan will be led by Lisa Leslie, a two-time WNBA champion, rapper and actor Fat Joe, and Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman.

Playing in the game is 21 Savage, Janelle Monae, Cordae, actors Simu Liu, Sinqua Walls, Everett Osborne, Latin global music icon and actor Nicky Jam and reggaeton artist Ozuna, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, 11-time MLB All-Star Albert Pujols, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live correspondent Guillermo Rodriguez, tennis star Frances Tiafoe, WWE Superstar The Miz, Brazilian TV host Marcos Mion and content creator Jesser.

The current Celebrity Game MVP, Alex Toussaint, a Puma athlete and coach, will make a second appearance, while comedians Hasan Minhaj and Kane Brown, a five-time American Music Award winner, will make their third appearances in the Celebrity Game. Actor and NBA brand ambassador for India Ranveer Singh will make his first appearance. The Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale, a two-time WNBA All-Star, and the Phoenix Mercury’s Diamond DeShields, a WNBA champion, will both be on the opposing rosters.

This year’s innovation is the opportunity for each team captain to initiate “Ruffles Crunch Time,” which begins a two-minute period during which point values are doubled. A team will also be able to add a great NBA player to their roster mid-game in Celebrity Game’s “Unlock a Legend” feature when it returns in 2023. Visit the NBA Celebrity Game website to learn more about the occasion.

Ryan Smith and Dwyane Wade, the team’s captains, will compete during the game in gameplay activations to raise up to $100,000 for the 5 For The Fight Cancer Research Internship, which is a partnership between Howard University and Ruffles.

The post NBA and ESPN Announce 21 Savage, Cordae, Janelle Monae, Dwyane Wade for NBA All-Star Celebrity Game appeared first on The Source.

LeBron James Fans Drake, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, And Others Congratulated Him On The NBA Scoring Record With Videos

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On April 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored his 31,420th point in the NBA, which broke the league’s all-time scoring record previously held by Wilt Chamberlain. For decades, that record felt unbreakable, but in recent years, it became clear that LeBron James would likely eclipse the mark one day. Well, that day was yesterday (February 7): In the Los Angeles Lakers’ losing effort against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James made the record-breaking shot near the end of the third quarter and put himself atop the all-time list.

Now, the NBA icon has received congratulatory message from music stars like Drake, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar.

Various celebrities recorded videos congratulating James on his historic achievement, with Snoop saying in his, “In the words of the great Snoop Dogg: ‘La-da-da-da-da!’ It’s the one and only LBJ: LeBron James! Great work, baby. Appreciate the love. Love what you do, keep doing what you’re doing, more buckets, more points, more love.”

Drake said in his clip, seemingly filmed at James’ high school gym, “LeBron: what a legendary night in NBA history. You’re breaking the all-time scoring record, and to honor that, I had to come back to the place that it all started: Akron, Ohio. Every journey has its beginning and tonight…” As he spoke, though, the illusion was broken thanks to a green screen malfunction, revealing a club environment behind him. He continued, “I lied, I lied to you. I’m actually still at the club in Miami, but definitely all the girls say congrats, though, right girls? Congrats, right?”

In a more straightforward video, Lamar said, “To see you with this type of accomplishment, it always give a confirmation of, you can be great no matter where you come from.”

In her tribute, Rihanna said, “It is important to recognize greatness and great accomplishments. […] If course, you’re no stranger to breaking records, but this record, this is one to be more than just acknowledged: this is one to be celebrated.”

Bad Bunny didn’t record a video, but he was there in person to give LeBron a hug after the record was broken.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, John Legend wrote, “Congratulations @KingJames !!!! This man has been in the spotlight and burdened with the highest expectations since he was a teenager. And he’s done nothing but exceed those expectations and build a historic legacy. What an incredible accomplishment!”

Check out the videos above and find some other tweets about James’ accomplishment below.