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When rap fans decry the atomization of the genre, they usually focus on its negative aftereffects: a lack of crossover superstars, an irrevocable split between Gen-z internet kids and boom-bap old heads, and a surplus of ephemeral trends geared towards meaningless virality. But the emergence of solo auteurs like Aesop Rock is a reminder that there’s much to enjoy about this current, weird moment, too. The 48-year-old rapper is rooted in the underground “independent as fuck” of the late 1990s, and his music has more than a passing resemblance to skronk-y,...

Quick LinksWill Smith Gets His Chance to Play Neo... Sort OfKeanu Reeves Was the Best Choice for 'The Matrix'

Nearly three decades ago, The Matrix made its mark on the science fiction genre, utilizing groundbreaking special effects and storytelling that had moral and philosophical depth. The modern sci-fi classic would also become a defining role for beloved actor Keanu Reeves, with his bullet dodging skills and surprise at learning Karate becoming integrated into '90s pop culture. Yet, the film franchise could have had a different famous face attached to the project, as infamously, Will Smith turned down the role to instead appear in the box office bomb Wild Wild West (at least he got that one catchy single out of it).

While the lore of Smith's disastrous career choice was not enough to derail his career, the actor appears to have recently reflected on the missed opportunity.

Kathleen Hanna, Tegan and Sara, and Amanda Palmer are among the 300-plus musicians who have signed an open letter supporting the Internet Archive as it faces a $621 million copyright infringement lawsuit over its efforts to preserve 78 rpm records.

The letter, spearheaded by the digital advocacy group Fight for the Future, states that the signatories “wholeheartedly oppose” the lawsuit, which they suggest benefits “shareholder profits” more than actual artists. It continues: “We don’t believe that the Internet Archive should be destroyed in our name. The biggest players of our industry...

Building on the success of the 200 million minutes that listeners spent with Talkhouse productions in 2022, the award-winning podcast network has defied industry decline with another banner year of growth, expansion and increased production across a variety of mediums. In 2023, hit shows such as How Long Gone, Solicited Advice with Alison Roman and the brand new Odb: A Son Unique – which recently entered the Top 20 on Apple Podcasts – contributed to 148% increase in total listens across the Talkhouse Podcast Network. In addition, its unique audience reach soared by 148%, while ad revenue surged exponentially, further cementing Talkhouse as a leading partner for first-person, artist-focused storytelling.

From the Talkhouse Podcast Network to Talkhouse.com's daily digital publication, year-round Talkhouse Live events and a just-launched print zine called Talkhouse Reader, the company continues to prioritize authenticity, credibility and creativity with every step forward. Each Talkhouse production brings its audience deeper and more directly into the minds of its favorite musicians,...

David Jude Jolicoeur, who passed away on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the age of 54, helped revolutionize hip-hop and change the course of popular music. It’s why he’s being mourned so widely in the rap community today, and far beyond it as well. As one-third of De La Soul, alongside Kelvin “Posdnous” Mercer and DJ Vincent “Maseo” Mason, the Haitian American musician and producer who adopted names like “Jude,” “Trugoy the Dove,” “Plug 2,” and, finally, just “Dave” expanded the art form in ways not seen before or since. Many fans...

UTA has signed multi-hyphenate entertainer Hannibal Buress for worldwide representation in all areas.

While Buress is primarily known for his stand-up comedy and acting roles as well as his work as a writer, producer and podcaster, he also has strong ties to the music industry, where he goes by the alter-ego Eshu Tune. In April 2022, Buress released his debut self-titled EP, in which he wrote and performed all the tracks. In 2019, he launched Isola Fest, a three-day music and comedy event in Isola, Miss., with performances by T-Pain, Open Mike Eagle and more on the bill.

Honored as one of Variety‘s “10 Comics to Watch” in 2010, Buress’ lineup of stand-up comedy shows includes “Animal Furnace,” “Live From Chicago,” “Hannibal Takes Edinburgh” and “Comedy Camisado.” His most recent special “Miami Nights,” his first in four years, debuted in July 2020 via YouTube livestream.

In television, Buress co-hosted “The Eric Andre Show” from...

[This post originally appeared as part of Recommendation Machine, IndieWire’s daily TV picks feature.]

Where to Watch “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return”: Netflix

It doesn’t come until about a half-hour into the first Netflix original episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” but take a few minutes and just bask in “Every Country Has a Monster.” First off, the “What’s your deal? Why don’t you shave?” is the kind of non sequitur that Crow (an impeccable Hampton Yount) thrives on. Then, there’s the carvings, from the etched map to the parade of mythological creature standees that quickly pile up on top of it.

As for the song itself, it’s the linguistic version of “American Ninja Warrior.” That “Congo’s kongamato is a mondo flyin’ dino / I know I don’t wanna die, but when I do, he’ll be the guy” section is Jonah Ray doing the tongue/mouth equivalent of a one-handed salmon ladder.

Eve, Missy Elliott, and Ruff Ryders Entertainment co-founder Joaquin “Waah” Dean are among those who have shared tributes to Dmx after the rapper died Friday, April 9th, one week after a heart attack.

Eve — who was part of the Ruff Ryders crew along with Dmx that dominated rap toward the end of the Nineties — wrote on Instagram, “I know that you are in the place of peace you deserve. I will be forever grateful to have known you. You were one of the most special people I have ever met.

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix unveiled a trailer for “History of Swear Words,” and Fox released a trailer for “Call Me Kat.”

First Looks

Netflix unveiled a trailer for its upcoming series, “History of Swear Words,” set for release on Jan. 5. The six-episode series, hosted by Nicolas Cage, explores the origins, pop culture-usage and cultural impact of curse words through interviews with guests Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn and Isiah Whitlock Jr. It is produced by Funny Or Die and B17 Entertainment, an Industrial Media company. Watch the trailer below.

Lifetime released a trailer for its new documentary, “Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” set to air on Feb. 6. The two-hour movie zooms into the parallel lives of Houston and her daughter, who grapple...

Samuel L. Jackson isn’t the only motherf—er in Hollywood who has mastered the F-bomb. At the start of Netflix’s trailer for upcoming comedy series “History of Swear Words,” the show’s perfectly cast host Nic Cage just screams “F—!” literally at the top of his lungs.

Looks like a pretty fun gig.

In addition to all the jokes, the trailer for “History of Swear Words” pitches us a perfectly good application for the stuff that got our mouths washed out with soap as a kid.

Watch the video above — the Ice Bucket Challenge just got a bit more manageable.

The “loud and proudly profane” series, as described by Netflix, “explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words. Through interviews with experts in etymology, pop culture, historians and entertainers, the six-episode series dives into the origins of ‘F**k,’ ‘Sh*t,’ ‘B*tch,’ ‘D**k,...

It won’t take long for 2021 to get a bonkers new television series thanks to the debut of “History of Swear Words” on Netflix at the start of the new year. The six-episode series hosted by Nicolas Cage tells the origin stories of some of the most widely used curse words around the world, from “fuck” and “shit” to “bitch,” “dick,” “pussy,” and “damn.” Produced by Funny or Die, “History of Swear Words” looks like a riff on Comedy Central’s dearly departed “Drunk History” with an added dose of Cage insanity.

The official “History of Swear Words” synopsis from Netflix reads as follows: “An education in expletives: the history lesson you didn’t know you needed. ‘History of Swear Words,’ hosted by Nicolas Cage, is a loud and proudly profane series that explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science, and cultural impact of curse words.”

Joining Cage in the series...

You can’t help but smile every time you hear the words ‘Nicolas Cage’. So who better to host the new six-episode docuseries ‘History of Swear Words’ for Netflix!

The series will dive into the origins, pop culture usage, science and cultural impact of swear words with each 20-minute episode seeing Cage conduct interviews with historians, entertainers and experts in etymology and pop culture.

Comedians Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. all guest star.

Also in trailers – Full trailer lands for final season of ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’

The series will hit Netflix on January 5th. Here’s the trailer.

The post Nicolas Cage to host docuseries ‘History of Swear Words’ for Netflix appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Nicolas Cage is set to provide an education in expletives as host of the forthcoming Netflix series History of Swear Words (premiering Tuesday, Jan. 5).

Each 20-minute episode will provide a “history lesson you didn’t know you needed,” as the Oscar winner breaks down “the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words,” including “f–k,” “s–t,” “b—h,” “d–k” and “damn,” according to the official logline. The delightfully absurd teaser trailer (embedded above) sees Cage dwell on a word that can also be used to describe a .

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Nicolas Cage enthusiastically dwells on the word “pussy” in the first trailer for Netflix’s History of Swear Words, an upcoming series that examines the origins of the English language’s most beloved cusses.

“It is a thing of great wonder and mystery, quivering with complexity, strength, and resilience. However also, buried within, a delicate femininity and, dare I say, naughtiness,” Cage says of the word as his paintbrush attacks a canvas. “And a term for that kid too afraid to play dodgeball in gym class… it also can be a cat.

Nicolas Cage will host “History of Swear Words,” a proudly profane series about expletives for Netflix in January.

The six-episode series will dive into the origins, pop culture usage, science and cultural impact of swear words, such as “fuck,” “shit,” “bitch,” “dick,” “pussy” and “damn.” In each 20-minute episode, Cage will conduct interviews with historians, entertainers and experts in etymology and pop culture.

Guest stars on “History of Swear Words” will include comedians like Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

The series is produced by Funny or Die and B17 Entertainment, and Bellamie Blackstone serves as the showrunner and an executive producer. Fellow EPs include Mike Farah, Joe Farrell and Beth Belew for Funny Or Die and Brien Meagher and Rhett Bachner for B17 Entertainment.

The series marks...

Nicolas Cage is coming to Netflix for a new comedy series that explores the origins of swear words.

History of Swear Words is hosted by Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Nicolas Cage.

"An education in expletives: the history lesson you didn’t know you needed," reads the logline from Netflix, which adds:

History of Swear Words, hosted by Nicolas Cage, is a loud and proudly profane series that explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words.

Through interviews with experts in etymology, pop culture, historians and entertainers, the six-episode series dives into the origins of “F**k”, “Sh*t”, “B*tch”, “D**k”, “Pu**y”, and “Damn”.

Guest stars in the series of specials include Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

They will be...

Nicolas Cage continues to have one of the least predictable careers in Hollywood as he now moves to Netflix to host a new comedy series in which he will be exploring the origins of some of the most used curse words in the English language, from f*ck and sh*t to p*ssy and d*ck. Yes, you read that correctly. The streaming giant has announced “History of Swear Words,” hosted by Cage and debuting at the start of 2021. The comedy series is set to run six episodes, with each episode devoted to uncovering the history behind one curse word.

Netflix’s official synopsis for “History of Swear Words” reads: “An education in expletives: the history lesson you didn’t know you needed. ‘History of Swear Words,’ hosted by Nicolas Cage, is a loud and proudly profane series that explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words.

Netflix is catering to fans of both history and swearing with its latest series. The streaming service announced Wednesday that Nicolas Cage will host the six-episode “History of Swear Words,” which will explore the backstories of some of our favorite curse words.

The “loud and proudly profane” series, as described by Netflix, “explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words. Through interviews with experts in etymology, pop culture, historians and entertainers, the six-episode series dives into the origins of ‘F**k,’ ‘Sh*t,’ ‘B*tch,’ ‘D**k,’ ‘Pu**y’ and ‘Damn.'”

“History of Swear Words” will premiere on Netflix on Jan. 5, 2021.

Guest stars for the series include Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (we’re pretty sure we know which word he wants...

Nicolas Cage is continuing to lean into television – hosting unscripted comedy series History of Swear Words for Netflix.

The Con Air actor is fronting the show, which explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words.

It is the latest TV role he has signed up for following a scripted take on Joe Exotic in development at Amazon and voicing the lead in Highfire, which is also at the streamer.

Through interviews with experts in etymology, pop culture, historians and entertainers, the six-episode series dives into the origins of “f*ck”, “sh*t”, “b*tch”, “d*ck”, “pu**y” and “damn.” The show launches January 5.

Produced by Funny or Die and B17 Entertainment, History of Swear Words guest stars include Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn and Isiah Whitlock Jr....

Hannibal Buress will experiment with a new format on an upcoming music and comedy tour for drive-in theaters.

The “Let’s See How This Goes” trek — which features a “masks required, socially distanced” format, according to a statement — will run for five dates in late September: the 22nd in Cleveland; the 23rd in Butler, Pennsylvania; the 24th in Columbus, Ohio; the 25th in Indianapolis and the 27th in his hometown of Chicago.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 26th at 10 a.m. local time via the comedian’s website. The...

Funny or Die, which partnered with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle to produce Comedy Central’s The New Negroes, is reuniting with the pair and black millennial platform Blavity to launch Call & Response.

The web series will debut June 16 on Funny or Die’s and Blavity’s YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch channels, with fresh episodes debuting Monday through Friday at noon Pt.

On the new series, Baron and Mike will invite their favorite creators — comedians, musicians, actors, visual artists, novelists, educators, philosophers and more — to riff on current events, explore ways to utilize the momentum and speak about their respective professions, work and struggles.

The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle bowed on Comedy Central in April 2019. The stand-up and music variety series showcased a collection of new and established comedians and musicians, with the mission to highlight, promote and amplify talented black voices.

The...

With the proliferation of both talk shows and sketch programs, the TV academy decided to split the variety series category at the Emmy Awards into two separate categories in 2015 to better recognize achievements in both these genres. There were 17 entries for Best Variety Sketch Series that year. This rose to 20 in 2016 before falling to 18 in 2017 and 19 last year. This year, it has moved back up to 20 such shows on the ballot. And with six series reaping bids, the odds for each entry are pretty good.

All 22,000 plus voting members of the TV academy have until June 24 to cast their ballots for their favorite variety sketch shows. In the past, voters were limited in the number of such shows that they could put forth; this year that cap (which was usually 10 per category) has been lifted. Unlike at the Oscars, voters for the Emmys do not rank their choices and nominees...

Two black men walk into a bar. “It was a dark and stormy night,” Open Mike Eagle says in an old-timey British accent, setting the stage. “A man with a double-breasted blazer and a smoking pipe walks in,” Baron Vaughn says, picking up his friend’s story. Then the punchline arrives. The man, a TV executive, points at our heroes: “You, you come here. Be my new negro,” says Open Mike, mimicking a faux-white-man tone. He and Vaughn start laughing. This is not, they assure me, how their series The New Negroes (Fridays at 11 p.