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Inside Skilla Baby’s The Price of Fame – Details on New Album
Peter A. Berry
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Detroit’s finest Skilla Baby speaks to XXL about the details of his new album. Continue reading…
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Arca’s ‘XXXXX’ is an ecstatic return to mixtape-era form
Tobias Hess
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Fans of @@@@@ and &&&&& will be happy.
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How T-Mobile’s MLB Partnership Became Essential
Philip Cosores
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In Philadelphia, the most common sound you hear at a sporting event is a boo. The fans will boo the opponents, they’ll boo opposing mascots, they’ll boo children wearing the wrong colors, or even their own team if they’re not playing well. So it was no surprise to hear the boos raining down on St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker as he took the plate in the finals of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. Every time Walker failed to hit a ball over the fence, the crowd roared with approval, thrilled that their own star, Kyle Schwarber, might take home the trophy along with a million-dollar prize and hometown bragging rights. In truth, that last one was probably most important to the Phillies faithful. Schwarber represented them all, and they wanted to win.
But as the round came to its eventual end, something unexpected happened. Still trailing by six with only three pitches left, Walker got hot. He hit one, then another, then another. Simple math said it wasn’t enough — but Walker had the Magenta Ball on his side. Here’s how it works: hit a home run on your final pitch — colored to match T-Mobile’s iconic hue — and you earn a bonus swing. Homer on that one, and you get another. And another. The bonus round continues until you finally miss — meaning that, like the sport of baseball itself, there’s always a chance for a comeback, as long as you don’t make an out.
So Walker continued to swing, hitting another home run, and then another, and finally winning the derby on his fourth consecutive Magenta Ball. The bonus ball hadn’t paid off much all night, but Walker made the opportunity count, defeating Schwarber and turning the fans’ boos into stunned silence as they quickly departed the stadium. Walker, who earns $799,400 in salary for the 2026 season, had more than doubled his yearly earnings in a single night. And for T-Mobile, it was yet another example of their MLB presence affecting not only the fan experience but the way the game functions as a whole.
When people consider sponsorships in sports or culture, it’s safe to say the vast majority think of them as purely transactional: a company pays a certain amount of money and they receive visibility within a given event. But what the recent All-Star Game highlighted was how T-Mobile’s approach goes beyond that and becomes something closer to a real collaboration — one that shows up both in the plumbing of the game and in the moments fans actually feel.
On the baseball side, T-Mobile has been hugely instrumental in the execution of the game’s new ABS system. Launching this season, ABS met a real challenge head on: how to use technology to improve the game without stepping on the human elements people love, or dragging out a sport that has long weathered criticism for being too slow. Pulling it off required the right infrastructure partner, which is where T-Mobile stepped in, using their 5G network to power the system. For those unfamiliar, the ABS implementation involves each team getting two challenges of balls-and-strikes calls per game, adding a new strategic layer to the sport. For it to work, the results need to be quick and accurate — and by the eye test, the system has passed with flying colors in this first half of the MLB season.
While T-Mobile is literally influencing the flow of baseball games and helping redefine how strategy plays out, its presence at the All-Star Game showed up in more attendee-focused ways too. Chief among them: T-Mobile’s proprietary Magenta Lounge. You might already be familiar with it from one of the other events T-Mobile shows up at, including Stagecoach, the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and Lollapalooza. But if you’re not, it’s essentially a hospitality space that can live either within an event’s footprint or adjacent to it, giving subscribers and their guests a place to relax, recharge, and connect without leaving the general vicinity.
At the All-Star Game, the Magenta Lounge sat just outside the stadium and featured multiple bars, food to order, plenty of charging stations, and giveaways. T-Mobile members pre-gaming before the action on Tuesday also got a chance to hang with a couple of Phillies legends in Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.
Walking up, I’ll admit I was a little skeptical — the lounge sits just outside the stadium rather than inside it, and I wasn’t sure how much use I’d get out of a space I’d have to leave to see the game. But the placement makes more sense as a pre-game destination than an in-stadium retreat, giving fans a chance to settle in, grab a drink, and hear from legends like Utley and Howard before heading over to first pitch. I was only there for a few minutes myself, mostly to catch that conversation, but it’s easy to see how it works for fans who plan their day around it. And for the events where the Magenta Lounge is in the footprint, the usefulness only grows.
These kinds of spaces have proven essential both in sports and at festivals, where there’s so much to do that a brief moment of exclusive access adds to the overall day. T-Mobile subscribers also received expedited entry to the Home Run Derby, and for those who couldn’t make it to Philly, they could watch on their devices, since T-Mobile includes Netflix as part of their plans.
Taken together, it’s a prime example of how brands can move smarter through their integrations in these spaces. In a world where these deals are common, the ones that rise above will be additive without intruding on the event. My mind immediately goes to how AmEx develops custom merch for Coachella and hosts exclusive concerts for their cardmembers, or how Heineken isn’t just the beer sponsor for many fests, but also runs its own stage takeover that can often feature some of the most packed, anticipated sets of the whole day.
That’s what made the All-Star Game feel so successful — how, even with T-Mobile’s name above the title and magenta coloring some of the most crucial moments, the night never felt like it was being stepped on. In fact, it was all the better for their involvement. Sure, I don’t think too many common fans are worried about who is powering the ABS system, or how the stadium infrastructure is running optimally — but they’d definitely notice if it didn’t run smoothly. That’s the real mission for brands like this: to be invisible in their utility while remaining visible in their presence. And when you’re giving them your hard-earned money on a monthly basis, being taken care of without interruption when you’re out in the world builds trust — and long-term relationships.
And in the case of the Home Run Derby, sometimes the stars align and the Magenta Ball winds up being the most important part of the entire event. Whether or not that’s a metaphor for brand partnerships as a whole, it made for one hell of a night in Philadelphia.
Uproxx was hosted for this story by T-Mobile. They did not review or approve this story. You can learn more about the Uproxx Press Trip policy here.
2026 XXL Freshman Bonus Cypher With Slayr, Chris Patrick & More
Trent Fitzgerald
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A surprise cypher to close out the 2026 XXL Freshman Class. Continue reading…
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Willow on ’The Thread,’ Big Tech, and her lifelong music practice
Steffanee Wang
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A conversation with the artist about music, tech, and the value of practice.
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ESPN intern Tatum Thomas discusses her journey to ESPN, Texas A&M roots, Bristol, CT experience, and LeBron’s move to Philly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The post appeared first on Andscape.
When Ice-T released his last studio album in 2006, Twitter had just launched, skinny jeans were the hottest fashion trend, and Yung Joc’s “It’s Goin’ Down” was the biggest hip-hop song of the year.
Over the next 20 years, the Godfather of West Coast gangsta rap grew distant from the art form he helped pioneer. His 1986 classic “6 ‘N the Mornin’” had once paved the way for N.W.A’s “F— Tha Police,” but Ice-T eventually stepped back from the genre that made him a legend.
“What happened with hip-hop is it hit a left turn,” says the rap icon and actor who spent much of the past two decades portraying Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on the long-running NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Ice-T has also written books and been the frontman for his Grammy-winning heavy metal band Body Count.
“It went to ringtone rap and to AutoTune rap. I didn’t know if hip-hop would ever come back to the way I knew it,” he said.
Which is why Ice-T’s official return is such a defiant gamble. Criminal Migraine, an audacious 24-track double album set to release next month, showcases an older, wiser — and at times — prickly rhyme pugilist. Ice says he was inspired by what he describes as an “OG rap renaissance” that has seen the likes of Killer Mike, Jay-Z and Nas all turn back the clock.
Still, there is the proverbial elephant in the room. What does a 68-year-old MC sound like in a youth-obsessed culture where podcasts and social media have become the new platform for hip-hop authenticity?
“I’m not here to drag the new generation,” the man born Tracy Marrow explains. “I’m more like trying to motivate them.”
The ever irreverent Ice-T has a lot to say.
Our conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.
You were 25 when you made your 1983 debut with “The Coldest Rap.” Did you ever think that decades later you would be one of the oldest rappers in hip-hop?
I never thought about it that way. I’m 68. If you are an artist, I don’t think you ever stop doing what you love. Smokey Robinson is still doing shows [at 86]. Miles Davis did it until he died [at 65]. Ozzy Osbourne was performing up until his last concert [last year at 76]. I recently had George Clinton over to my house. He’s 85! That man pulled up with a young thing. She was 52 [laughs].
There are people who actually believe a 30-year-old rapper is ancient.
And that’s crazy. Who becomes wack at 30? The thing about hip-hop is it’s only 52 years old. It’s a baby, so we don’t know if you really age out. Melle Mel is still performing [at 65]. Jay-Z just sold out Yankee Stadium [at 56]. But I’m the oldest rapper who is actually doing it … still making new music. I’ve sold over 20 million albums in my career. If Criminal Migraine is successful, I’ve reset the bar for hip-hop to where there is no age. So everybody in hip-hop should root for this album, because it extends their life expectancy in rap.
Twenty years is four lifetimes in hip-hop. What inspired you to get back in the booth?
It was Killer Mike winning a Grammy [for Best Rap Album in 2024 for MICHAEL]. I was like, “Hmmm…OK. Killer Mike raps.” I like Mike, and I like Run The Jewels. Then Nas dropped his albums, the Clipse released a critically acclaimed album, then Mobb Deep, Ghostface and Raekwon dropped albums. I’m like, “OK … n‑‑‑‑s are really rapping again.”
A while back, we had a conversation about how you never wanted to be known as the old guy in the club. Were you cognizant of avoiding that trap during the making of Criminal Migraine?
Yeah. At my age, I’m not supposed to be rapping about how I sell drugs or how I’m catching bodies. That would be corny for me. When I listen to a lot of rappers today, the wave again is coke rap. And I’m friends with a lot of the MCs who are the best at doing that, like Benny the Butcher. But at a certain point, when you hear a rapper say I’m the biggest drug dealer on the planet, I’m like, “Then why are you still rapping?” At a certain point it gets twisted.
Beyond hardcore Ice-T fans, who do you think is Criminal Migraine’s target audience?
People who want to get some game. That’s what they look for from an OG. Like, “OK, Ice, on your earlier records you were trying to get it.” We heard that hunger. But by all observations, you’ve made it out of that life. You did what you set out to do. You were able to stay out of trouble. We ain’t never heard about you getting arrested, getting caught with no goofy s‑‑‑. Tell us how to get there. You want to find out, go buy the album at IceT.com. F‑‑‑ streaming.
In recent interviews you’ve been pretty vocal about your disdain for streaming platforms.
I just think the labels sold the artists out. You need 330 million streams to make $1 million, right? Like who the f‑‑‑ can do that? Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and maybe a few others. So I was like, “OK, let’s go straight to the consumer.” All I need is 10,000 people to spend $100. That’s $1 million. You don’t need 3 million fans. You don’t need Drake fans. You just need E-40 fans. Everybody may not be a 40 fan, but he has a loyal fanbase.
On the track, “Shut The F‑‑‑ Up,” you take aim at the new generation of rappers incriminating themselves on social media. As a self-described OG, how alarming has it been seeing the birth of the podcast-to-prison pipeline?
It’s wild. The new drug is clout. All the OGs are sitting back like, “N‑‑‑‑, what are you doing? Why are you incriminating yourself?” These podcasts are interviewing people with no talent, so if you don’t have talent and you associate with that gangster lifestyle, the only thing you can do is talk about your criminal activities.
That’s become a cottage industry for the likes of DJ Vlad and No Jumper.
That’s what they do. It’s like an interviewer saying to me, “Ice, we heard you are fake.” And I’m like, “Nah … I got my gun on me right now!” [Laughs]. They bait you into proving you are real. You have kids cooking crack and showing off guns on the internet. But what they don’t understand is the No. 1 tool of law enforcement is social media.
During the “Cop Killer” firestorm that nearly ended your career, could you ever have imagined you’d spend nearly as long playing a cop as you have recording music?
How about that? This will be my 28th season on Law & Order: SVU, and I’m still playing the police. Now that’s what we call in acting a stretch [laughs].
The post Ice-T on aging, rap and why he’s back after 20 years appeared first on Andscape.
Andscape senior NFL writer Jason Reid speaks to coordinators leaguewide about what meaningful advancement looks like for Black coaches at the highest level of football
Authenticity is not separate from leadership. It is part of the foundation.
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard joins Andscape senior NFL writer Jason Reid for “Coaches Conversations” to explain how being himself shaped his rise from playing in the NFL to running Detroit’s defense seven seasons later.
Sheppard reflects on Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s advice not to change his hair for the profession, the trust that allows him to coach authentically, and the example he wants to set for his staff and players. He also discusses his Miami Dolphins head coaching interview, the affirmation it gave him, and how serving the Lions well in the present will prepare him for future opportunities.
The post Detroit Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard will be ready for head coaching opportunity appeared first on Andscape.
Ye Settles Sexual Assault Lawsuit From Former Assistant
Marisa Mendez
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The woman worked for Ye from 2021 to 2023. Continue reading…
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Brockhampton’s Bearface is back with a new name and solo music
Tobias Hess
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Ciarán is beginning his brand new artistic era with “K-Bar.”
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