February has officially come to an end, meaning the annual March Madness tournament is just a few weeks away. But it seems as though ESPN may have been a little too eager for it to begin as they confused two very different rappers in a social media post.
It’s true that Future and 2 Chainz both have braided hair and released albums in 2020, but otherwise they’re two very different talents. But that didn’t stop the ESPN social media team from mixing up the two. ESPN shared a since-deleted photo on Instagram where they attempted to compare Wilt Chamberlain’s impressive 1960s stats to Future’s 2015 performance of his track “March Madness.” But rather than adding a photo of Future to the set, they instead confused him with a picture of 2 Chainz. ESPN’s page even went so far as to tag Future in 2 Chainz’s photo.
The post was up for only a few hours but that was plenty of time for it to be seen by thousands of people. Screenshots of the post flooded Twitter, and people began dragging ESPN over the confusion.
I just know ESPN aint put 2 Chainz face and tag Future talkin bout March Madness pic.twitter.com/KdAfzbl1tW
Last summer, I wrote a piece about rappers who moonlight as amateur basketball players based on their Instagram posts showcasing their workouts. When I interview Louisville, Kentucky upstart Jack Harlow about his upcoming B/R Open Run showdown with fellow rap ballers 2 Chainz, Lil Baby, and Quavo, I blame Jack’s absence from that list on the dearth of hoops-related content on his Instagram page.
Save for a post promoting the song celebrating his fellow cultural outsider, “Tyler Herro,” Jack doesn’t like to advertise his roundball prowess, despite hailing from one of the sport’s legendary basketball loci. In fact, one of the few posts depicting Harlow actually playing basketball is the oldest one on his page, a grainy photo from spring 2014 of Jack defending a brawny player in what looks to be a local gym. Despite his opponent’s choice of athletic apparel — it looks very much like he’s playing basketball in jeans — Jack is the one who looks out of place, with his curly hair, baggy gym clothes, glasses, and yes, because of that glaringly obvious difference between the two men. It’s one Jack isn’t shy about pointing out, either in his music or his interviews — again, see “Tyler Herro.”
He tells me the story behind the photo as we discuss his next upcoming hoops project. The Bleacher Report event will take place during TNT’s NBA All-Star pregame coverage airing Sunday, March 7 at 5 pm ET. Harlow and fellow rap-hooper Quavo will play a game of 2-on-2 against 2 Chainz and Lil Baby — first to 21 wins. The winners will choose an HBCU to receive a donation, while the broadcast will be hosted by Taylor Rooks and DJed by LVRN DJ Kitty Cash.
During our interview, Harlow accuses me of being biased for the other team, but like everyone watching Sunday, I’m just rooting for a good game. I also find out he’s never seen White Men Can’t Jump, what he brings to the court, and whether he and Quavo have a strategy for beating the 6’7 2 Chainz.
How did this partnership come about? Why did you want to participate in this two-on-two with Quavo, 2 Chainz, Lil Baby, and Bleacher Report?
You know I’m a basketball guy, so anything involving basketball I at least keep an ear open to, and I heard there was some money involved and I like money. So there’s a few incentives.
As far as how the teams are broken up, what made you want Quavo as opposed to one of the other guys?
Well, I didn’t choose my teammate, but I got to say, I’m very happy with who I got [Ed. note: Quavo has been NBA Celebrity Game MVP]. Out of the three other players, that would be my number one choice because he brings something to the game, based on everything I’ve seen on YouTube, that I don’t bring to the game. He’s a shooter, he seemed like a ball handler. I like his confidence on the court and I think I’m going to be complimenting him perfectly with my game and some of my grit. And I’m going to let him cut.
What would you say you bring to the team?
Grit, determination, anger, passion.
I feel like these are all euphemisms for you’re going to play hard and try to D-Up. Is that what’s happening?
They’re euphemisms for we’re going to win.
I don’t know if you’re an Uproxx reader, but last summer I did a listicle about rappers who play ball, but I based them off entirely on Instagram.
I noticed I was left out of that.
When I was researching, I kicked myself because I was like, “Oh Jack Harlow’s not on here.” Then I realized you don’t have anything on your Instagram about hoops, except for one thing. I scrolled all the way back to the very beginning, the very first picture is you and some guy, he’s playing in jeans. I need to know this story. I feel like the world needs to know this story.
That’s a classic image. Yeah, I think that might be my first picture on my IG. I used to go up to this community center where I’m from called Douglas Community Center. It’s in the highlands of Louisville, Kentucky. And it was kind of a place where everyone would meet after school, people from all over the city. It was just a good place to play because it was a gym that was open every day. You can’t get that everywhere. And this dude that was in the picture with me, started showing up and I think he had six, seven, eight years on all of us; we were all in high school, sophomores, juniors. And he would just come and destroy high schoolers, myself included. But he made me better because of it. I can’t even remember his name, but he was dominant.
He played in jeans, he had to be. You are not necessarily the typical person that you would look and be like, “Oh, he plays ball and he raps,” which is obviously something you reference on “Tyler Herro.” How often do you get called Billy Hoyle?
Literally not one time in my life.
Never?
I’d never heard that name.
I am so upset. I get called every light-skinned basketball player in the world, and you don’t get Billy Hoyle. Have you seen White Men Can’t Jump?
No. That’s one of the movies that the entire culture grills me for not having seen. And I’m doing my best man, I’ve seen Boyz N The Hood, I’ve watched all these movies, man. I can’t see them all.
You can, we’re in a pandemic. You have nothing better to do.
I need to see White Men Can’t Jump, just for the title alone.
Is that the name of the white guy in the movie?
His name is Billy Hoyle. It was Woody Harrelson. He’s actually a killer. He’s a sharpshooter from beyond the line. I think he might actually be part of where that “white boys are shooters” stereotype comes from. Have you ever played with any of these guys before?
The four we’re playing with? No, I’ve just studied their game.
Do you have a strategy?
I’ve watched the film. You strike me as a 2 Chainz fan, man.
I strike you as a 2 Chainz fan?
Yeah. You don’t have to tell me, brother. I just tried to figure out why you’re going for 2 Chainz and Lil Baby.
I’m not going for 2 Chainz and Lil Baby. I’m asking you if you have a strategy. I got to do my journalistic due diligence. What would you say is the most surprising thing about the leap that you’ve made over that period of time from Confetti to That’s What They All Say?
I haven’t been surprised yet.
Okay, I like that. That’s confidence right there.
I wish I could give you an answer, bro. I wish I could give you an answer.
What’s next for you, man? You’ve got your all-star thing. You’re doing basketball. What’s next on the music front?
I’m about to take over this whole sh*t, man. I got a lot of good music in the can, but I’m going to let my album cook for awhile. We got some videos to drop. We just going to keep doing this. The next time we talk, there’s going to be great things that have happened.
The next time we talk I’m going to ask you one question. It’s going to be, “Have you seen it yet?” And I better hear a yes.
Next time we talk, what you need to do is ask me how that million felt.
Watch B/R Open Run on Sunday, March 7 at 5 pm ET on TNT.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
J. Balvin made an appearance tonight to walk boxer Canelo Alvarez into the ring for his fight against Avni Yildrim at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. And what better walkout music for Alvarez than a brand new song from the Latin pop superstar? Balvin performed his new single “Ma G” before the fight for the first time, and a video to accompany the new song dropped shortly after, check that out above.
It’s good to see the Latin legend in good spirits and good health again, as last summer he contracted a bad case of Coronavirus and had to spend some time in recovery. Though he bounced back in time for a partnership with McDonald’s last fall, and has apparently been busy in the studio based on the new music tonight. This is the first thing the Colombian star has released since his 2020 collaboration “Un Dia (One Day)” with Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy.
Along with the new music, Balvin also announced a merch collection that’s a collaboration with 747 and La Plaga Invade, including a varsity jacket, mask, cap, hoodie, sweatpants, and music bundles. Shop that collection here and look out for more info on Balvin’s fifth album coming very soon.
Back in October, City Girls’ JT and Yung Miami joined DaBaby for a sizzling remix of Moneybagg Yo’s “Said Sum” remix. The song would birth one of JT’s most popular verses, as well as one of the most popular verses of 2020. Kash Doll is definitely a fan of the verse as she recently tweeted a lyric from the line with a slight change, writing, “All these n****s wanna f*ck KD.”
While it’s clear Kash was referring to herself as “KD,” there’s already a celebrity who goes by KD, and that would be Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. As a result, one fan replied with a meme of what Durant’s reaction to the tweet might be.
Kash held her ground and responded to them saying, “We argue all the time…. he know I’m the REAL KD.” Durant eventually caught wind of the tweet and issued a light-hearted warning to the rapper.
“You did not have to use those initials to get this tweet off,” he said. “U have to relax with the KD talk, your name is KASHDOLL.” The Detroit rapper seemed uninterested in Durant’s complaints as she replied, “I’m the real KD…. your name Kevin Durant act accordingly (red heart).”
Fans of both Kash and Durant caught wind of the exchange and shared a bunch of hilarious responses to it. You can read some of them below.
Last week, Meek Mill found himself in some hot water after some unreleased lyrics of his surfaced, in which he makes a joke about Kobe Bryant’s death, which came as the result of a helicopter crash. On the track, he raps, “And if I ever lack, I’m going out with my choppa, it be another Kobe.” The backlash was quick and plentiful, and now Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, has publicly expressed her discontent.
In an Instagram Story last night, Bryant addressed Mill directly, writing, “Dear @meekmill, I find this line to be extremely insensitive and disrespectful. Period. I am not familiar with any of your music, but I believe you can do better than this. If you are a fan, fine, there’s a better way to show your admiration for my husband. This lacks respect and tact.” Bryant also shared a post from Candace Parker, who wrote, “Dear @vanessabryant I’m sorry YOU and your GIRLS have to continually deal with SH*T like this. It’s not fair it’s not right! We love you and I continually am in awe in your ability to take the high rode. So I will follow suit and say to everyone #dountoothersasyouwouldhavethemdountoyou.”
Following Bryant’s posts, Mill shared what seemed to be a reaction to the situation, writing on Twitter, “I don’t think we on the same signal y’all .. I don’t see what y’all see… I be looking at the net laughing like I did whet. I say random sh*t all day on social … it becomes a trend to hate on me every once in a while but I feed off that sh*t ima beast literally.” He then more directly addressed Bryant’s posts, writing, “I apologized to her in private earlier today not to the public…Nothing I say on my page directed to a internet viral moment or the family of a grieving woman! If you care about someone grieving change the subject!”
I don’t think we on the same signal y’all .. I don’t see what y’all see… I be looking at the net laughing like I did whet I say random shit all day on social … it becomes a trend to hate on me every once in a while but I feed off that shit ima beast literally
I apologized to her in private earlier today not to the public…Nothing I say on my page directed to a internet viral moment or the family of a grieving woman! If you care about someone grieving change the subject!
Metallica played a concert to kick off BlizzCon on Twitch, but apparently not everyone got to actually hear the music they were playing at the online event. The first day of the annual Blizzard event streamed on Twitch on Friday night, and with it came a special performance by Metallica. But the actual audio that played on some channels got caught up in one of the music issues that often plagues streaming content.
On Friday, Twitter lit up with videos from the performance where, instead of Metallica classics, nondescript 8-bit music seemed to be playing instead.
the current state of Twitch: the official Twitch Gaming channel cut off the live Metallica concert to play 8bit folk music to avoid DMCA pic.twitter.com/sCn56So8Ee
And it wasn’t a dub; multiple people shared clips of varying length where Metallica is clearly on the Twitch channel but some other music is playing. Though that moment spread online like wildfire, it apparently wasn’t what happened on the main Blizzard Twitch page. Rather, it was the front page of Twitch Gaming which had to replace the music.
Apparently on Blizzard’s YT/Site/OfficialTwitch it was fine, this was front page TwitchGaming which probably didn’t have the rights to the music so nuked it ASAP. Hilarious seeing the chat reaction though
Still, it’s an interesting bit of irony at the complicated state of Twitch and the music copyright issues that often plague the platform. And as many people pointed out, DCMA takedowns are an issue in internet content creation that came directly from Metallica’s decades-old fight with Napster that set the tone for music copyrights.
The fact that metallica can’t even play their own music at the event they were invited to is fucking hilarious considering this is all literally their direct fault.
Right now the official Twitch Gaming channel is playing copyright free music over the top of Metallica’s live Blizzcon performance, so at to avoid copyright striking themselves.
The absolute state of music rights on the internet. My god.
Metallica not being able to play their own music live because of DMCA that came about in large part due to Metallica’s advocacy of it is a hell of a full circle.
No one seemed to have any sympathy for Metallica here, mostly because they’ve dealt with these sorts of issues in the past. Anyone who has streamed a video game that has original music in it has likely encountered takedown or muting issues, and game makers have had to introduce music elimination options to help streamers prevent their content from getting taken down.
I have a longer clip with Metallica playing and the Twitch production team transitioning seamlessly into the 8bit music but i’m afraid to post in fear of DMCA myself. good work music industry you bunch of ghouls
pic.twitter.com/KdAfzbl1tW
(@Creamox6) March 1, 2021
(@TheDonCoogi) March 1, 2021
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I say random shit all day on social … it becomes a trend to hate on me every once in a while but I feed off that shit ima beast literally 
(@cmclymer) 