As you have likely caught wind of already, 2021 MVP Nikola Jokic will likely receive a fine or suspension from the NBA for his response to a foul in last night’s (Nov. 8) game between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.
In the middle of the 4th quarter, with the Nuggets leading 111-94, Markieff Morris stopped Jokic in his tracks on a fast-break with a tough foul. Jokic did not respond well to it, charging at Morris and striking him to the ground with his shoulder.
This caused players of both teams to merge in a scuffle and exchange words, as Jokic was soon ejected from the game. Morris had to leave the game on a stretcher, likely due to whiplash from the hit.
Jokic soon regretted his actions, saying: “I don’t know who showed me the clip but [Morris’] head snapped back. I felt really bad.”
But, Heat players did not forgive Jokic as Jimmy Butler pleaded with Jokic to meet him in the tunnel after the game, presumably to fight.
In fact, most of the Heat team actually waited to confront Jokic in the locker room hallway after the game ended to defend their injured teammate.
Along with that, Morris’ twin brother Marcus, of the Los Angeles Clippers, launched a shot at Jokic through Twitter saying: “Waited till bro turned his back smh. NOTED.”
Nikola Jokic’s brothers then decided to return the favor, creating a Twitter account for the first time to respond to Marcus: “You should leave this the way it is instead of publicly threatening our brother!Your brother made a dirty play first . If you want to make a step further be sure we will be waiting for you !! Jokic Brothers.”
Nuggets reporter Mike Singer confirmed this account was run by the Jokic brothers.
The brothers have a documented history of defending Nikola, as they almost started a fight from the crowd during a scuffle between the Nuggets and Suns in last year’s 2021 playoffs.
Markieff later addressed the incident today on Twitter, by saying even though Jokic’s hit was a cheap shot, he still won that round over him: “I love to see the hate! No doubt I took a hard foul which I always do but I’ve never hit a man with his back turned! Luckily we built different over here. I can take my licks and keep pushing. Joker 1 smooth 0 lol.”
Fans were intrigued by the possibility of a Jokic brothers vs. Morris brothers beef, and predicted the outcome of a potential tag-team style fight between the two families.
While Jokic will likely face hefty consequences for his transgressions against Morris, the backlash and response by the players’ families and NBA fans have made this the most intriguing story of the young NBA season.
50 Cent wants answers, and he wants them now. The executive producer of BMF mouthed off against the STARZ network after the latest episode of the series, which was only scheduled to go live next week, was accidentally uploaded on Sunday. The episode, which marks 50’s directorial debut on the show and features a cameo from Eminem, was available for a few hours on the STARZ app before being removed, and Fiddy wants to know why this happened.
He continues to voice his frustration with STARZ, most recently demanding answers from them and asking, “Well who is responsible for the glitch? Tell them to pack their shit up and change the pass codes, Raising Kanan the streets need a body.”
He preceded his posts about BMF by sharing new photos from the set of Expendables 4. 50 was confirmed to be starring in the upcoming film a few months ago, and now we’re getting the first glimpse of him looking like a total badass, posing for photos on top of a military tank.
“WAR what is it good for, absolutely nothing but n!66a’s keep fronting, fuck it then live like solider and die like solider WAR,” captioned 50 on one of the posts. “Yo this is my Movie everybody else just in it. #expendables4,” he continued. “I’m from South Side we always got something to prove. a lot of people know i’m good at what i do. i’m disciplined, so everybody will know i’m great soon.”
Are you excited to watch 50 Cent in Expendables 4?
In 2023, hip-hop will celebrate its 50th birthday. 50 years since DJ Kool Herc’s groundbreaking block party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx that’s been largely credited as the birthplace of hip-hop. In celebration of the milestone anniversary, Nas and Minya “Miss Info” Oh have formally announced their new podcast, The Bridge which focuses on the evolution of the culture in its 50 years. The first season is expected to launch on Nov. 16th with special guests including Jungle, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Cordae, Ice Cube, and more.
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images
Nas, who will be teaching a Masterclass on storytelling in hip-hop, explained that the Spotify podcast will detail the rich history that took hip-hop from block parties to the biggest genre in the world. “This is our opportunity to go deep and explore how hip-hop went from the microphones, turntables, and sound systems to big business and a worldwide cultural phenomenon,” Nas said in the trailer for the podcast.
“Of course, The Bridge brings our paths full circle as friends and colleagues, but the most special thing about this podcast are the conversations that listeners will get to sit in on,” Miss Info told Complex. “Our guests open up to Nas and I, about the way they approach life, the way they reconcile their pasts, and in many cases, the shared history between Nas and these fellow artists. We’re having a blast and I think it shows.”
The Bridge will debut new episodes weekly for free on Spotify. Check the trailer out below.
On Tuesday morning, London On Da Track gloated about the project’s success, joking that he’s the first person that will get paid off their own diss album. It was revealed that on ten of the songs from the new album, London has either a production or writing credit. While he did executive produce the entirety of Summer’s first album Over It, the LVRN-signed singer says he was barely involved in the new release, claiming that he simply stamped his name on some of the songs and called it a day.
Prince Williams/Getty Images
“He didn’t WRITE sh*t and he didn’t PRODUCE sh*t either,” commented Summer after London’s post about the album gained attention. “He just handpicked the n***as he wanted to do all the work and attached his name to it while he was out screwin hoes while I was PREGNANT. The most he did was sprinkle a wind chime effect on a song that was already done then put his name on it, the last album he actually did the work, and it was great project. He super talented, but for this album, lol no sir, but I guess guess the city boys is up, taking credit for ish you ain’t do and not actually having to take care of the kids you made. Lol ima go back to minding my business, this just triggered the hell out me [sad face emoji].”
Check out Summer’s response below, as well as London’s post underneath. What do you think about this? Listen to Still Over It here.
Longtime Wu-Tang Clan affiliate, Remedy, has announced his new album will hit digital streaming platforms on November 26.
Remedy Meets Wu-Tang, Remedy’s first solo album, boasts features from Wu-Tang members on nearly every track. And in following up the Inspectah Deck-assisted “Death Defying,” the first single off Remedy Meets Wu-Tang, the “Never Again” rapper is back with another album cut, this time dropping off “The Pulpit.”
With feature verses from Cappadonna and Ghostface Killah, as well as Conway the Machine, “The Pulpit” is a dark, grimy track reminiscent of hip-hop’s golden age. Connecting Buffalo to Staten Island, “The Pulpit” is another “Griselda-Wu” crossover for fans of New York hip-hop to hang over their mantle.
At just over three minutes, the record is a bar-spitting clinic, and a preview of what’s to come on Remedy’s Remedy Meets Wu-Tang.
Quotable Lyrics Hip-hop’s holiest gunning soloist Sun unloading clips The remedy you’re left with sudden loneliness My condolences
Check out “The Pulpit” below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Lizzo and SZA are undoubtably two of the most exciting pop/R&B stars in today’s music landscape. They have each maintained a fruitful friendship with each other, and Lizzo revealed they go back several years.
On Wednesday morning (Nov. 8), Lizzo took to Twitter to post a side-by-side comparison of a years-old selfie of her and SZA, next to recent picture of them, joining in on the “How it started/How it’s going” trend.
The first photo looks like it is taken off an early smartphone based on its grainy quality, and it is easy to see how much younger Lizzo and SZA are based on their hairstyles and fashion. Fans were stunned at how long they had been acquainted.
Lizzo posted this photo on SZA’s 32nd birthday yesterday, as she also got her a year of free jet ski rides as a gift. SZA tweeted how appreciative she was of the gift, and Lizzo responded by saying she loved her.
Lizzo and SZA friendship as always been strong and healthy, it was just such a surprise that they had been hanging out way efore being public about it.
Summer Walker has been busy with the rollout for her new album Still Over It but now that the project is out and reportedly doing very well, the Atlanta singer has time to address a recent report that accused Love Renaissance (LVRN), her record label and management company, of signing her to a bad deal.
Last week, Rolling Stone published a feature declaring Summer a “star” but remarking that she signed a “brutal” record deal. Citing a copy of the deal the publication had obtained, the feature described Walker as “effectively an indentured servant for a series of albums,” criticizing LVRN and Interscope Records for a deal that was “lopsided.”
(For what it’s worth, the terms that were described in the feature are pretty standard for a brand-new, unknown artist with little following and no negotiation leverage, and have been in the recording industry for a very long time. It’s probably fair to say that record deals, in general, are pretty bad, but it’s also probably unfair to single out LVRN for an industry-wide practice without holding all labels to the same standard).
However, according to Walker, who posted a text response to her Instagram Stories, not only were the terms cited out-of-date but that she’s sticking by LVRN, who she says gives her “full support.”
“I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter online,” she wrote. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted to stay focused on releasing my album. Yow let me clear the air. What that article said is not my current record deal. Over the years my deal has changed many times. I’ve always had my own representation and full support from LVRN. Thank you to my fans for always having my back and for all of the love ya’ll keep showing my new album. Appreciate y’all!!”
As of this week, 19 and counting lawsuits were filed surrounding the Astroworld incident, according to a report from Rolling Stone. One plaintiff is seeking nearly $1 million in damages from the festival and even alleged Drake was partially responsible for helping to “incite the crowd” to an “out of control” level when he took the stage as Scott’s surprise guest. The plaintiff claims they were stationed at the front of the general admission section and were “severely injured” in the “stampede” that happened when Scott took the stage at 9 pm. In a separate lawsuit, another plaintiff claimed they were “trampled, crushed, and lost consciousness” during the crowd surge that night.
Attorney Alex Hilliard is representing several people who are filing lawsuits surrounding the festival, saying he expects to file complaints for over 100 people by the end of this week. “There will be hundreds of plaintiffs by Friday, if not thousands,” Hilliard told Rolling Stone:
“I have one client who gave a stranger CPR for an hour before anybody even got to him. Obviously, by the time medical personnel got there, it was too late. He said, ‘I can heal from a broken arm, but I’ll never heal from this.’ This is such a unique, rare, and unprecedented case. […] We understand at least nine people on site had the ability to shut the concert down and didn’t. This is involuntary corporate manslaughter as far as we’re concerned.”
Following the lawsuits, Drake broke his silence about the tragic event. The rapper said he had been trying to “wrap [his] mind around the “devastating tragedy.” “My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering,” he continued. “I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can.”
We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover, and while the same thought can be applied to album covers, the rule becomes a bit harder to follow in this scenario. An album’s artwork is the first thing that grabs our attention — negatively or positively — before we can press play on it. Oftentimes, the cover art is used to promote a body of work before its official release which then opens the flood gates for fans to judge its appearance and rate how good the album may or may not be.
For better or for worse, there have been a number of memorable album covers in 2021. There’s Drake’s pregnant woman-emoji-laden cover for Certified Lover Boy that was considered a troll until he went out his way to confirm it. Ye kept things simple with a black square for Donda while Lil Nas X’s artwork for Montero finds him nude and suspended in the air. Yung Bleu appears as an astronaut in his Moon Boy cover and Lorde’s own for Solar Power was a bit… cheeky, wouldn’t you say?
With that being said, 2021 also gave us album covers with artists showing off their best looks. It’s always great to receive a quality collection of music that’s wrapped in a well-captured portrait of the artist. Without further ado, here are the ten most stylish album covers of 2021.
Ayra Starr — 19 & Dangerous
Mavin Global Holdings
Afropop singer Ayra Starr dropped off 19 & Dangerous, her sophomore project and second release of the year. The project delivers a tale of growth that arrives as the singer prepares to exit the teenager status for adulthood. For its cover, Starr sits on a blue bag dressed in what appears to be red stain pants and golden elbow-length gloves. She’s also surrounded by deep green walls to complete the truly colorful cover.
CKay — Boyfriend
Warner Music South Africa
Keeping things in the afrobeats world, Ckay delivered another sharp cover art with his Boyfriend EP. He released the project at the top of the year and it’s masked with a purple hue that is complemented by the car Ckay leans on, the night sky and flowers behind him, the scarf and fingernails on the arm of a woman that’s wrapped around him. Altogether, it makes for a sharp cover that captures the Ckay’s sensitive side along with the seven songs that appear on the EP.
Doja Cat — Planet Her
Kemosabe/RCA
There has yet to be a moment too big for Doja Cat to handle. So even when the pressure for her to surpass expectations with her third album Planet Her continued to rise, Doja stepped up to bat and hit a home run. The artwork for the album helped listeners envision the weirdo spectacle that she presented on the project. She lays on what appears to be a glittery body of land which neon shades of glitter covering her body from head to toe. Might I mention that the album is also one of the best releases in 2021? Long story short, Doja came through from top to bottom.
Kirby — Sis. He Wasn’t The One
Kirby
At the beginning of 2020, Memphis singer Kirby arrived with her debut project Sis. Nearly two years later, she returned with its sequel Sis. He Wasn’t The One in what also sports a very underrated cover. Kirby lays beside a man with her light brown hair tied up while wearing a red top that compliments the flowery blanket she lays on and the room she’s in. If you’re looking for a body of work that vents one’s struggles with love while expounding on a man’s failure to be a solid partner, Sis. He Wasn’t The One delivers that with an aesthetically pleasing cover to look at.
Little Simz — Sometimes I Might Be Introverted
Age 101 Music/ AWAL Recordings
Little Simz’sSometimes I Might Be Introverted is truly a beautiful body of work. It’s one of those rare projects where everything from the lyrics, the production, the sequencing, and more fall into the place so exquisitely. Its artwork is another notable point The London rapper sits nervously in a wooden chair while rocking a yellow and black checkered suit as his hair is tied up to a high altitude. The mustard yellow backdrop also pairs well with Little Simz’s look in what comes together as an eye-pleasing cover.
Masego — Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
EQT Recordings/Capitol Records
Masego ended 2020 with Studying Abroad, his first project since his pristine 2018 debut album Lady Lady. Studying Abroad received the deluxe treatment back in May as five more songs were added to the project to accompany highlights like “Mystery Lady” and “Silver Tongue Devil. The deluxe reissue also granted us a new cover that presented the already-stylish Masego in a salmon suit as he posed longing into the camera which captures nature’s beauty behind him.
Serpentwithfeet — Deacon
Secretly Canadian
Serpentwithfeet began the spring season this year with his Deacon project. It’s a release that was filled with music he described as “a lot softer, a lot more gentle than my previous work,” “something that felt very sensuous,” and “something that felt calm and restrained.” This tender approach comes alive on the project’s cover art as it presents Serpentwithfeet in a white button-up top and gold accessories on his fingers, neck, ears, and hair. He also holds another man in his arms who sports a similar white top as they both stand amid a hazy desert.
Symphani Soto — Under The Sun
Bizness Boi Music Group
South Florida’s Symphani Soto earned herself a nice career boost with her June project Under The Sun. Its 11 tracks make for a body of work ideal for an afternoon drive or warm evening at the beach. Soto appears relaxed and free throughout the project and if you need a visual for that, it’s available on the project’s cover art. The singer stands tall and free in a detailed and intricate bright orange dress as the slightly cloudy sky behind her helps to enhance her features and make her stand out.
Umi — Introspection Reimagined
Umi/Keep Cool/RCA
Umi breathed new life into her 2020 album Introspection and re-released it with a new dose of vibrancy and lucidity through eight songs. It also comes with a beautiful cover that sees Umi in an elaborate white gown. Captured from an aerial view, Umi stares closely into a mirror with her arms almost stretched fully apart over a rich red backdrop.
VanJess — Homegrown
Keep Cool/RCA
Nearly three years after their career-solidifying debut album Silk Canvas, VanJess returned with their Homegrown EP. Music aside, the project was presented with a flawless cover that captured the beauty of Ivana and Jess. Seated at a gold table and on golden chairs, VanJess stuns with clothing that ranges from cheetah print, bright red, shimmery gold, and lavish accessories. Oh, and the music on the project and its eventual deluxe edition are great too!
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The fallout from the Astroworld Festival incident over the weekend continues to settle as lawsuits emerge, performers respond, and investigations persist. Now, Live Nation and ScoreMore, the producers of the event, are working to ensure that the people affected will have support. The companies announced the establishment of a health fund to help injured Astroworld attendees with medical costs as they cooperate with authorities to determine the appropriate responses to the aftermath of the event, which left eight dead and 300 injured. The statement reads:
We wanted to provide an update on the steps that ScoreMore, Live Nation, and the Astroworld Fest team have been taking. Throughout the weekend, we have been working to provide local authorities with everything they need from us in order to complete their investigation and get everyone the answers they are looking for.
Our staff has met with local authorities to provide information, and we have also provided them with all footage from our CCTV cameras. Loadout of the site and equipment is currently paused to give investigators the time they requested to walk and document the grounds. Full refunds are being offered for all those who purchased tickets.
And most importantly we are working on ways to support attendees, the families of victims, and staff, from providing mental health counseling to setting up a health fund to help with costs for medical expenses.
Our entire team is mourning alongside the community.
We wanted to provide an update on the steps that Live Nation, Scoremore and the Astroworld Fest team have been taking. https://t.co/BsAHPSQXhK
Meanwhile, Travis Scott and Live Nation are already the subject of multiple lawsuits stemming from the injuries and deaths at the festival, with both pledging assistance to those affected.
