NEWS
Former NBA Star Stephen Jackson Remembers His “Twin” George Floyd
Source: @_stak5_ / Instagram The senseless murder of beloved Minneapolis security guard and Houston, Texas native George Floyd is still sending shockwaves of rage throughout the nation. Former NBA star Stephen Jackson, a longtime friend of Floyd and someone he regarded as a brother, is among those who have expressed their anger and is demanding justice at all levels over Floyd’s death. Jackson, 42, who was born in Port Arthur, Texas, shared a series of Instagram posts in the wake of the news that Floyd, 46, died after a white Minneapolis police officer impeded his breathing by putting a knee to the back of his neck. The shocking images of Floyd’s violent arrest when he himself allegedly didn’t resist has sparked protests and anger in Minneapolis and across the nation. In an Instagram video...
In Photos: What If the Cadillac Escalade Was Designed in 1959?
Like ships passing in the night, Cadillac’s two most iconic nameplates barely shared dealership floor space. The two-door Eldorado—that symbol of mid-century American automotive glamour and luxury—was being put to rest just as a new E-named vehicle, the Escalade, was arriving to restore Cadillac to the forefront of automotive vogue. In only 20 short years, with no prior pedigree, the Escalade has come to dominate and define the luxury SUV space. But what if it had some existing lineage? What if Cadillac had first thought up the Escalade back in the 1950s when it dropped the Eldorado on an increasingly affluent, booming America? Great question, and it’s been answered by talented designer Abilemec Arellano, who imagined what a 1959 Cadillac Escalade might have looked like if the ...
Holy Batman Garage! Watch This Incredible Batmobile Documentary!
If you think you know the Batmobile, think again, Bat fans. Recently, Warner Bros. live-streamed The Batmobile Documentary, a film detailing the origins of the coolest comic-book car in the world, and its various iterations on the small and big screens. Rats, missed it? Don’t worry, you can watch the documentary for free below. And watch it you should. The film covers everything from the classic George Barris 1966 creation from the campy TV series to the tough-ass Tumbler that played its own starring role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. There is one hitch: The nearly one-hour documentary is from 2012, so it does not include the Batmobiles from Batman v Superman, Justice League, or the upcoming muscle car Batmobile actor Robert Pattinson will drive...
These ‘America’s Got Talent’ Contestants Performed Together for the First Time Ever During Their Audition
When an aspiring star plans to audition for America’s Got Talent, they typically spend weeks or months preparing a song or routine to perform in front of the judges. Not Broken Roots, though. In fact, their audition was their first time playing together ever. 44-year-old Austin and 37-year old Joey from Chicago, who both had jobs in law enforcement, met just six months ago. “In our jobs, we see things that, quite frankly, we don’t want other people to see, and our outlet became music,” Austin explained during AGT‘s premiere on Monday night (May 26), before Joey added, “We ended up playing the same circuit for quite some time and then, randomly, he came to a show, we ended up clicking.” The duo, now called Broken Roots, went on to deliver a roc...
Billie Eilish Takes Trolls to Task With ‘Not My Responsibility’: Watch
Billie Eilish’s latest project isn’t a typical pop number. It’s a message to the trolls, the haters and the body-shamers: their opinions aren’t her responsibility. The teenage alternative pop star’s creative juices have been flowing in lockdown, with the release of short film titled “Not My Responsibility.” On it, Eilish’s delivers a spoken word performance over a mesmerizing synth track. The “Bad Guy” singer is done with all the negativity. “If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman,” she says. “If I shed the layers, I’m a slut though you’ve never seen my body, you still judge it, and judge me for it. why?” In the clip, Billie strips down and dunks herself in black goo, not dissimilar to the stuff that streams from her face in the music video for “when the party’s over”. She e...
After Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande’s ‘Rain On Me,’ Which Other Superstars Still Need to Team Up?
Plus: In an era of wall-to-wall collaborations, why “Rain On Me” is an event record that breaks through the pop culture noise. Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s new single “Rain On Me,” and its dance-filled video, not only operates as the latest offering from Gaga’s upcoming Chromatica album, but also as a pop event record. As Billboard previously wrote, the clip is a “superstar video summit,” while the song is a “full-on diva showcase” and a “huge dance record” that “captures the enormity of these two voices.” In a time of wall-to-wall collaborations, where artists frequently team-up, what makes certain pairings break through the pop culture noise and elevate to an event record? On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast (listen below), the team discusses why a song like “Rain On Me” has event-rec...
Bucky Baxter, Guitarist Who Worked on Bob Dylan’s ‘Time Out of Mind’, Dies at 65
Bucky Baxter, an in-demand guitarist who performed on Bob Dylan three-time Grammy Award-winning album Time Out of Mind, died Monday (May 25) in Sanibel Island, Florida at the age of 65. No cause of death was revealed. Baxter’s passing was revealed by his son Rayland in a post on social media. “He is my everything and now he is an angel. My heart is broken yet I am blinded by joy,” he wrote. Born in Melbourne, Florida in 1955, Baxter was a founding member of Steve Earle’s backing band, The Dukes, and played guitars on a string of the rocker’s albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the international breakout album Copperhead Road. Baxter also worked on R.E.M.’s Green and cut albums with Ben Folds, Ryan Adams, Joe Henry and others, but it’s his years-long association with Dylan f...
Harbor Freight Jack Stand Recall Has Us Thinking About Lifting Safely
The terrifying Harbor Freight recall of jack stands that could fail due to a manufacturing defect is in the news right now, and it is as good a time as any to review the procedures and equipment we’re all using to lift our cars. But first, let’s take a look at the issues facing those particular Harbor Freight jack stands so you have an idea of why this is all so troubling. Harbor Freight’s recall covers some 3-ton and 6-ton “Pittsburgh” brand jack stands with item numbers 56371, 61196, and 61197. (View the PDF of the recall document here for more details.) These are pawl-type jack stands, with a pawl that engages with teeth on the lifting arm of the jack stand. A design flaw caused by old tooling in the factory that constructed them could cause the pawl to dis...
2021 BMW 5-Series First Look: Five for Fighting
We were left unimpressed with the seventh-generation BMW 5-Series back when it launched for 2017. It was more luxury and less sport than we wanted, and we yearned for the days the 5 had things the other way around. Now that a few years have passed, BMW has taken the wraps off the refreshed 2021 BMW 5-Series, and, guess what? It arguably looks more lux and less sporting than ever. That doesn’t mean the changes aren’t upgrades, though. The entire 5-Series lineup undergoes a thorough makeover for the 2021 model year. The most obvious changes are to its bodywork. The grille, unsurprisingly, swells slightly—now wider and taller than before. The design of the car’s standard LED headlights now brings its looks in line with those of the smaller 3-Series. All 5-Series models ...
Carl Cox Performs Nostalgic Two-Hour 90s Rave Special
Carl Cox‘s livestream series “Cabin Fever” took another 90s twist for its tenth episode. Last week, the iconic producer promised if his ninth episode, also a 90s-themed event, was well received, then he’d be back with with another full hour of old-school house music. Listeners got even more than they bargained for, though, as Cox returned with a two-hour throwback event, which was orchestrated by the expert tastemaker on three vinyl decks. Cox completed the setup by performing against a backdrop of 1990s rave footage. As one of house music’s most timeless tastemakers, Cox was well equipped as always with the deep cuts that seemingly transported his dedicated fans back in time. For some, the event was nostalgic as they recalled seeing Cox himself du...
Mercedes Made a Concept Car That Was a Convertible, a Pickup, AND a Wagon
When you’re shopping for a car, you must first identify your specific vehicular needs. If you’re buying it for work, where you’ll regularly need to haul things, then you’re probably looking for a truck. Need a family car? A sedan or wagon—or SUV, these days—might fit the bill. Or maybe this is a “treat yo’ self” occasion and you want a convertible. Those are all very different vehicle types, and rarely can you have the best of two worlds—let alone four—in one car. But in 1995, Mercedes-Benz challenged that notion with the transformable VRC concept. The Variable Research Car, or VRC, made its debut at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show. Its main gimmick was its interchangeable bodywork that allowed the concept vehicle to be configured in one of four body st...
Young M.A “Savage Mode,” Big Boi “Tremendous Damage” & More | Daily Visuals 5.26.20
It’s been a few years since Young M.A burst onto the rap scene and had the whole hood going “OOOUUU,” and though she’s fallen back since then she’s looking to make summer 2020 one for her books. With her surprise EP Red Flu making its way through the community, the Brooklyn hitter comes through with the visuals to “Savage Mode” in which she styles like crazy in the most thorough of boroughs with her ice drippin, Rolls rolling, and Henney pouring. Down South, Big Boi digs in the crates and pulls out some new/old visuals for his 2012 cut “Tremendous Damage” which features the OG ATLien taking in some natural surroundings while showcasing pictures from yesteryear. Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Gunna, 4Tyme and China Mac, and more. YOUNG M.A – “SAVAGE MODE” [embedded ...
