NEWS
Stellantis Cuts Costs at Fiat by … Taking Away Bathrooms?
Cost-cutting is crappy business—but typically, that’s because it involves laying off workers, closing factories, killing off fun car lines, and so on. Right now in Italy, however, Stellantis is implementing a series of cost-cutting measures at several Fiat factories—including the one that builds the new 500—has workers and the unions representing them red-faced and clammy. Stellantis, you see, is a new automotive conglomerate born from Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group’s recent merger, and it is working to reduce labor costs at Fiat plants in Italy, an effort that’s close to clogging up as worker opposition piles up. And it’s not because those workers are losing their jobs, which Stellantis has promised to keep. But the company is looking to save nearly $6 billion annuall...
YoungBoy Never Broke Again in FBI Custody After Police Chase
Rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, aka NBA YoungBoy, was arrested on Monday afternoon and taken into FBI custody in the Los Angeles area, according to CBSN Los Angeles. The 21-year-old Louisiana native, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, was wanted for an outstanding warrant. Police attempted to pull him over, but wound up in a short pursuit ending in the rapper trying to flee on foot. According to TMZ, police reportedly found a firearm in the vehicle — although it’s unclear if it belongs to Gaulden. An alleged video of the arrest was shared with TMZ, which you can watch below. Baton Rouge’s ABC affiliate, WBRZ, reported back in February that Gaulden was under federal investigation following his September 2020 arrest on drug and weapons charges. In November 2016, Gaulden was arrested and...
Monster Magnet Announce Covers Album A Better Dystopia, Share “Mr. Destroyer” (Poo-Bah): Stream
Heavy psych rockers Monster Magnet have announced a new covers album, A Better Dystopia, out May 21st. As a preview, the band has shared a ripping version of Poo-Bah’s “Mr. Destroyer”. The 13-song tracklist showcases Monster Magnet’s esoteric knowledge of obscure psych rock. They take on Hawkwind (“Born to Go”), cult NYC heavy psych act Dust (“Learning to Die”)”, The Pretty Things (“Death”), and The Scientists (“Solid Gold Hell”), among other relatively obscure gems. The idea for the covers album came after Monster Magnet’s European “Powertrip” tour was halted in February of 2020 when the pandemic hit. To occupy the downtime, the band set out to record a DIY album rather than play streaming shows or sell merch. “We all agreed that we would be bored out of our minds within a month of lockdo...
Royal Blood to Perform as Avatars at Virtual Bloxy Awards Show
Roblox VP Jon Vlassopulos added: “We’re thrilled to host Royal Blood as we celebrate the talent of our creators with the greater Roblox community in this immersive, out-of-this-world Metaverse experience.” Royal Blood’s third album, Typhoons, is due April 30 via Warner. Royal Blood’s first two albums, Royal Blood (2014) and How Did We Get So Dark (2017), both reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Both also cracked the top 30 on the Billboard 200. The duo consists of Mike Kerr, 30 (vocals, bass) and Ben Thatcher, 33 (drums). Their eponymous debut album was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize. Royal Blood won as best British group at the 2015 Brit Awards, beating One Direction, Coldplay, alt-J and Clean Bandit. They were nominated again in that category in 2018 but lost to Gorill...
Prince’s Ashes to Be Displayed at Paisley Park On Fifth Anniversary of Death
Paisley Park officials are marking the fifth anniversary of Prince’s death by offering fans free admission to pay their respects at the suburban Minnesota compound, where his ashes will be on display in the atrium. A custom-made ceramic urn shaped like Paisley Park with Prince’s symbol on top was originally placed in the middle of the atrium when the legend’s 65,000-square-foot studio in Chanhassen first opened as a museum in October 2016. At the request of Prince’s family, the ashes were moved to a less prominent spot in the atrium and eventually removed entirely from public view, disappointing his legions of fans. A total of 1,400 people fortunate enough to get reservations at paisleypark.com will be allowed inside on April 21 for 30-minute visits to the atrium. There will be 70 time slo...
Demi Lovato Breaks Silence on Overdose in Docuseries Premiere: ‘I Don’t Think People Realize How Bad It Actually Was’
The 2018 tragedy led Lovato to suffer a heart attack and three strokes and embark on a fight for her life: “My doctors said that I had five to 10 more minutes [to live].”In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dancing With the Devil helmer Michael D. Ratner, whose OBB Media produced the project, teased that whatever audiences think happened the night of her overdose and prior “is probably pretty far from what really did.” Added Ratner: “What hasn’t been documented is the details of her life that led to that night. … We provide that opportunity for you to have a whole picture here.” And now all will be revealed in the first two episodes of the docuseries as Lovato breaks down the moment she relapsed, what led to th...
National Recording Registry Adds Titles From Nas, Janet Jackson, Kool & the Gang and More
The addition of 25 recordings this year brings to 575 the total number of titles in the registry, which selects recordings worthy of preservation based on their cultural, historical and/or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage. Several artists and songwriters whose works land on this year’s registry roster spoke with Billboard about the legacy of their work. “A Soundtrack for Life in Queensbridge”Illmatic, Nas’ debut studio album, swept onto the scene in 1994 with masterful rhymes, sample-soaked production and lyrics that painted an unabashed portrait of life growing up in the Queensbridge housing project in Queens, NY, home to a bevy of rap and hip-hop luminaries. Producers, including Q-Tip, Large Professor, Pete Rock, L.E.S. and DJ Pre...
NBA YoungBoy Arrested By Feds, Tracked Down With K-9
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Rick Kern / Getty The Feds wanted to be sure they locked up NBA YoungBoy. The rapper was arrested after reportedly getting tracked down by a K-9 after he attempted to escape capture, allegedly. TMZ reports that Youngboy is now in FBI custody, but not before he tried to flee the scene after getting pulled over by LAPD on Monday (March 23). According to the authorities, there was a federal warrant for the rapper’s arrests. The feds and the LAPD tried to pull over the vehicle YoungBoy was travelling in but reportedly there was a short pursuit instead. When the car did finally stop, NBA YoungBoy tried to make a run for it on foot. Bruh… Apparently, YoungBoy didn’t get very far. The feds were able to set up a perimeter, and the K-9 unit sniffed the rapper out....
Amazon’s ‘Them’ Trailer Sees Racists Turn To Dark Forces To Harass A Black Family
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios / Amazon Ever since Jordan Peele blew up the spot with cult classic horror movies like Get Out and Us, the culture has had an appetite for Black-influenced horror stories as they’re more relatable and ultimately more entertaining than anything we’ve experienced in decades. Amazon must’ve got the memo because this April Amazon Prime will be premiering a new terror anthology, Them, which is 10-episode series centered around a Black family who move to an all-white neighborhood in North Carolina during The Great Migration of the 1950’s. Seemingly normal at first, the Black family of four finds themselves not just dealing with everyday racism in the south, but supernatural racism in the Tar Heel State. Y’all know when white folk turn...
The Ellen DeGeneres Show Has Lost Nearly 50% of Its Audience Since “Toxic” Workplace Scandal
Last year, The Ellen DeGeneres Show came under massive scrutiny after allegations of a “toxic” work culture surfaced. WarnerMedia investigated the claims, Degeneres wrote a letter to her staff apologizing for her supposed ignorance, and three high-up executive producers “parted ways” for good. Following a multi-month hiatus, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has finally returned to TV only to discover that its viewership has taken a huge nosedive. Over 110 episodes have aired since Season 18 kicked off in September 2020, and Ellen DeGeneres has spent them interviewing the biggest names in pop culture, as is normal for the series. According to The New York Times, however, these new episodes have drawn an average of 1.5 million viewers over the past six months — a 43% drop compared to the 2.6 million...
R.I.P. George Segal, Just Shoot Me! and The Goldbergs Actor Dead at 87
George Segal, the veteran actor who starred in countless movies and TV shows including Just Shoot Me! and The Goldbergs, has died at 87. He passed away due to complications from bypass surgery in Santa Rosa, California, reports Variety. Born in Great Neck, New York in 1934 to a Jewish family, Segal quickly fell in love with acting after seeing Alan Ladd in This Gun for Hire when he was nine years old. He spent his free time playing banjo and watching movies in high school before leaving for Haverford College. Segal then earned his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1955 and briefly served in the US Army. After landing a job as an understudy in a Broadway production of The Iceman Cometh, Segal started securing sporadic roles in a handful of ’60s TV shows and ca...
Jeepster Beach Concept Restomod Pairs Classic Looks, Wrangler Rubicon Capability
A few years back, Jeep produced a Jeepster Concept for the 2018 Easter Safari, and it was a subtle nod to the Jeepsters of yore. This latest take on the concept is, well, less subtle: the Jeepster Beach concept is basically a modified C-101 Kaiser Jeepster Commando body dropped on top of modern 2020 Wrangler Rubicon mechanicals. It’s a restomod, sure, but it’s done with the sort of craftsmanship you can only get from a factory outfit. And the mashup works better than you’d think … a careful use of color and texture, for example, lessens the juxtaposition of the vintage door cards with the modern dash and controls. The vintage Jeep logo on the steering wheel helps sell the whole thing, as does the bold red-and-white two-tone scheme and the low-back seats. Too bad a thinner...
