GZA has announced the rescheduled dates for his UK tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ‘Liquid Swords’ album. The tour was due to begin this March but was forced to be postponed by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic to Britain. The run of shows will now take place next year, kicking off in Brighton on February 25. GZA will stop at seven other cities on the tour, including a newly-added date in Sheffield. Original tickets are valid for the new dates, while tickets for the Sheffield show are on sale now. Advertisement GZA CREDIT: Rick Kern/Getty Images GZA will play: February 2021 25 – Brighton, Concorde 226 – London, Electric Brixton27 – Bristol, SWX28 – Newcastle, Riverside March 2021 1 – Birmingham, O2 Institute2 – Manchester, O2 Ritz3 – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall5 – Sheffield, Foundry Advertisement The Wu-Tang Clan member released the acclaimed ‘Liquid Swords’ record on November 7, 1995, with it going on to be considered an all-time classic hip-hop album. In January, GZA was among the Wu-Tang rappers to pay tribute to the group’s mentor Popa Wu, who passed away at the age of 63. Meanwhile, last year it was reported that Jimmy Kang, the […]

The racial wealth gap in the US is immense, and despite recent increased patronage of Black-owned businesses, that gap has actually expanded in recent years. There are many factors that have gone into creating this gap, and many issues that exist because of it, but it is critical to the economic future of the US that we work together to close it. Wealth is typically accumulated over generations, which makes that accumulation incredibly difficult for the group of people in this country whose ancestors were enslaved for hundreds of years and are now plagued by mass incarceration and systemic racism. The lack of generational wealth has stymied growth that would fairly even the playing field. The quickest way to generate wealth and close the racial wealth gap is through business creation and liquidity events. However, there are systemic barriers that exist today that hinder Black business creation. Most businesses require a level of initial wealth that is not often seen in communities of color, with 57% of businesses relying on savings, and 38% receiving friends and family funding. Due to a devastating lack of access to critical initial capital, the entrepreneurial space is far more risky for entrepreneurs of color, […]

John Friedlander/Shift EV This 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow looks like it used to, but something’s different—for one thing, it’s less polluting than when Johnny Cash drove it. Since the original powertrain was shot, the anonymous owner decided to give the Rolls the ultimate upgrade. Putting the guts of a 2016 Tesla Model S into the older body wasn’t exactly easy, but Shift EV has a history of doing what other might find impossible. Like converting a helicopter to run on batteries. As the man himself said, if you’re gonna buy yourself a new car, you just better hope you’re lucky enough to get one made on Wednesday. Failing that, perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to get one converted to electric power. Yes, a classic long-wheelbase 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow once owned by Johnny Cash is back on the road with a new, zero-emission spirit, as first reported by Digital Trends. When the Rolls’s powertrain reached its end after 130,000 miles, its owner decided to convert the Man in Black’s ride (well, one of them, anyway) into an EV using a Tesla Model S as a donor vehicle. The work was done by Shift Electric Vehicles of Albany, Oregon, which has […]

A flagship artificial intelligence system designed to predict gun and knife violence in the UK before it happens had serious flaws that made it unusable, local police have admitted. The error led to large drops in accuracy, and the system was ultimately rejected by all of the experts reviewing it for ethical problems. WIRED UK This story originally appeared on WIRED UK. The prediction system, known as Most Serious Violence (MSV), is part of the UK’s National Data Analytics Solution (NDAS) project. The Home Office has funded NDAS with at least £10 million ($13 million) during the past two years, with the aim to create machine learning systems that can be used across England and Wales. As a result of the failure of MSV, police have stopped developing the prediction system in its current form. It has never been used for policing operations and has failed to get to a stage where it could be used. However, questions have also been raised around the violence tool’s potential to be biased toward minority groups and whether it would ever be useful for policing. The MSV tool was designed to predict whether people would commit their first violent offense with a gun […]

(Reuters) — Huawei will stop making its flagship Kirin chipsets next month, financial magazine Caixin said on Saturday, as the impact of U.S. pressure on the Chinese tech giant grows. U.S. pressure on Huawei’s suppliers has made it impossible for the company’s HiSilicon chip division to keep making the chipsets, key components for mobile phone, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Unit was quoted as saying at the launch of the company’s new Mate 40 handset. With U.S.-China relations at their worst in decades, Washington is pressing governments around to world to squeeze Huawei out, arguing it would hand over data to the Chinese government for spying. Huawei denies it spies for China. The United States is also seeking the extradition from Canada of Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on charges of bank fraud. In May the U.S. Commerce Department issued orders that required suppliers of software and manufacturing equipment to refrain from doing business with Huawei without first obtaining a license. “From Sept. 15 onward, our flagship Kirin processors cannot be produced,” Yu said, according to Caixin. “Our AI-powered chips also cannot be processed. This is a huge loss for us.” Huawei’s HiSilicon division relies on software […]

A sequel to Justin Timberlake‘s 2006 album ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’ could be on the way if Timbaland‘s recent social media activity is anything to go by. The acclaimed album, which was released on September 8, 2006, featured the hit singles ‘SexyBack’, ‘My Love’, and ‘What Goes Around… Comes Around’ and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Timbaland wrote and produced the majority of the album alongside Timberlake. He also appeared on the tracks ‘Chop Me Up’ and ‘SexyBack’. Now, he’s teasing a sequel to the album. Advertisement Posting a photograph of himself and Timberlake performing together on Instagram, he wrote: “FUTURE SEXY LOVESOUNDS pt [two],” followed by a pair of zipped lip emojis. While there was no further information shared, in the comments section of Tim’s post, Swizz Beatz wrote: “We need Justin vs Usher Tim,” suggesting a matchup for the pair’s online battle series, VERZUZ. VERZUZ is the popular go-to form of entertainment that pits producers, songwriters and artists against each other in a rap battle style format on Instagram Live and Apple Music. Competitors take it in turns playing a song from a list of 20 from their discography, as fans, friends and fellow artists watch on. A winner is later decided […]

INEOS owner Jim Ratcliffe once tried to buy the rights to keep building the original Land Rover Defender. JLR didn’t approve the deal, so INEOS went ahead with an alternate-reality version called the Grenadier. This week, a court dismissed JLR’s appeal of the U.K. Intellectual Property Office’s decision that not everyone knows or cares what the original Defender looked like. Turns out, Land Rover never trademarked the Defender’s shape, which gives INEOS the legal window it needs to bring the new 4×4 to life. Some things are too obvious not to point out. For example, the INEOS Grenadier shares more than a little of its looks with an old-school Land Rover Defender. It was clear to us when INEOS revealed its upcoming 4×4 SUV last month, and it was clear to Jaguar Land Rover, which filed a lawsuit against INEOS to prevent the Grenadier from coming to market because it was too similar to the original, now-defunct design. But that argument was not good enough for the U.K. courts, which this week dismissed JLR’s appeal of a decision by the U.K. Intellectual Property Office that declared that the Defender’s shapes were, well, not legally defensible because they were not distinctive […]

The startup Kitchen United calls itself the future of takeout and delivery, with stripped-down locations in Chicago; Austin; Pasadena, California; and Scottsdale, Arizona. It had hoped to open a shop in Berkeley, California. But CEO Jim Collins says city officials there wanted the company to create a more elaborate “front of house” setup akin to a typical restaurant. Kitchen United balked. Kitchen United is a virtual kitchen, playing host to 10 or so already-established restaurants in each facility. The businesses save money on rent and labor by operating from something like a WeWork for restaurants. Efficiency is the byword here. Customers generally use apps to order—maybe from more than one restaurant at the same time, if one person wants sushi and another wants a falafel sandwich. Each location is designed for app-based takeout and delivery, with space for delivery people to park their cars or bikes and wait for orders. Some virtual kitchen companies, like Reef Technology or Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens, sometimes build their facilities in industrial areas or abandoned parking lots, where rent is cheaper and room is abundant. But Collins and his colleagues don’t like that strategy. Instead, they seek real estate closer to the diners they want […]

When you own your own home, all of the repairs and renovations will fall to you. If you’re particularly handy, you can feel confident in knowing that you can take care of most repairs or maintenance tasks that your home needs. But if you’re not so naturally handy, you’re going to need some help, be it assistance from a professional or some other guidance, to ensure that any repairs you make are safe and sound. To assist you with this, here are three tips for doing your own home repairs and maintenance. Use Wise Resources As you do your own home repairs, you’ll probably come across something that you think you can do on your own but you may not have the knowledge of how to do it just now. In a situation like this, it’s good to know what resources you can depend on to give you the best advice. According to Teresa Mears, a contributor to LivingOnTheCheap.com, one of the best places to start for some free advice is to look online. You can find videos for all types of home repairs on YouTube. But, if you’re needing a little more individualized advice, you could also visit your […]

Courtney Barnett has shared a cover of Kev Carmody’s “Just For You.” The track appears on Cannot Buy My Soul, a tribute album of Carmody’s songs originally released in 2007 and set to be reissued with new tracks on August 21 via EMI Australia. Check out “Just For You” below. Earlier this week, Barnett appeared with Phoebe Bridgers to cover Gillian Welch’s “Everything Is Free” at the Newport Folk Festival’s virtual weekend. In April, she announced she would be soundtracking an upcoming documentary called Brazen Hussies, which explores Australia’s Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s and ’70s. Check out Pitchfork’s “In Sight Out” interview with Courtney Barnett here. [embedded content]

MTV and Barclays Center have decided to no longer hold the MTV VMAs 2020 at the Brooklyn arena, citing safety concerns, as Page Six reports. The event will now be held at “various outdoor locations” in New York City. In a statement to Pitchfork, spokespeople for MTV and the Barclays Center said the following: The 2020 VMAs will be held on Sunday, August 30th and pay homage to the incredible resiliency of New York with several outdoor performances around the City with limited or no audience, adhering to all state and city guidelines. In close consultation with state and local health officials‎, it became clear at this time that outdoor performances with limited or no audience would be more feasible and safer than an indoor event. The VMAs will highlight the boroughs in an exciting show and return to Barclays Center in 2021. MTV will continue to work closely with the Department of Health, state and local officials, the medical community, and key stakeholders to ensure the safety of all involved. At a June press conference announcing the event would take place at Barclays Center, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that “the event will follow all safety guidance, including […]

In another move destined to inflame tensions with the Chinese government, the Trump administration took aim Thursday at TikTok and WeChat. Citing national security concerns, the president signed a pair of executive orders that bar Americans or anyone subject to US jurisdiction from doing business with the social media apps. The orders take effect in 45 days, seemingly giving TikTok leeway to be acquired by Microsoft, which has said it is in talks to buy parts of the video platform from its parent company ByteDance. While vaguely worded, the orders could have far-reaching consequences, including for the future of America’s relatively free and open internet. WeChat, owned by China’s Tencent, is used by millions of people in the US to maintain personal and business relationships with people in China. Many American technology firms also have customers in the country, and could be hurt by any response from Beijing. “The US business community is really concerned. I mean, who would buy an Apple phone in China if you can’t use WeChat on it?” says Paul Triolo, an expert in global technology policy at Eurasia Group, a think tank. In a statement, TikTok said it was “shocked” by the orders. The company […]

Apple may now be the world’s largest or second-largest public company by market capitalization, but truly understanding the business requires a flash backwards to a different era: the mid-1990s, when Apple teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Founder Steve Jobs had no shortage of outside advice after returning to fix the sinking Apple ship, but ultimately focused on several strong values, including helping Apple to control its own destiny and develop fiscal prudence, each with the vigor of someone determined to learn from previous public and embarrassing mistakes. Initially, Apple restored its financial footing by cutting its product lines and inventories, but its resurrection was fueled by increasingly massive investments in design, unique components, and marketing. Under Jobs, Apple became obsessed with controlling its public messaging, even finding ways to downplay engineering mistakes (see: Antennagate) and recalls (“exchange and repair programs”) to prevent controversies from seriously impacting the company’s bottom line. As recently disclosed emails revealed, Jobs and his executive team decided to impose anti-competitive iOS store practices by acting unapologetically, as if saying it was doing no wrong would make everything hunky-dory with consumers and developers, while still making sure they were “paying us.” Apple has insisted that it prioritizes customers […]

Roger Waters has shared a video of a socially distanced performance of two Pink Floyd deep cuts from their 1979 LP ‘The Wall’. The band’s former frontman was joined by Dave Kilminster, Joey Waronker, Lucius-Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig, Gus Seyffert, Jonathan Wilson and Jon Carin for the performance. Waters sang about Vera Lynn, the World War II singer who passed away in June, in the song ‘Vera’. In a statement, he said: “The Vera in question is Vera Lynn. She was an English singer, songwriter, very popular during the Second World War. Advertisement “Her biggest hit was ‘We’ll Meet Again’. She was widely known as the ‘Forces’ Sweetheart’. Our Vera, who is very fondly remembered back in Blighty, died six weeks ago aged 103. So she had a bloody good innings, bless her.” During the short set, there was a transition from ‘Vera’ into a grand orchestral rendition of ‘Bring the Boys Back Home’. Watch it below now. [embedded content] During a break, Waters spoke to the camera to address President Donald Trump on recent events in the US. Advertisement Referencing the controversial deployment of federal officers in Portland he said: “Yeah, bring the boys back home, particularly from Portland, […]

Courtesy Last year marked the first time online retail sales exceeded those of brick and mortar shops, and that was before 2020 came along and forced everyone to stay home. Nowadays, we’re more inclined to click through a website than enter a department store. Whether you’re adding to cart via Instagram or you drunkenly bought a vintage Chanel jacket and a dolphin necklace from your bed at 2AM (no regrets), shopping online is so damn simple. While major e-commerce sites like Amazon and Nordstrom still dominate as shopping destinations, it’s worth bookmarking the unsung indie boutiques, direct-to-consumer brands, and little-known labels that offer something different from the normal retailer. Some of our favorites below. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below 1 Sincerely, Tommy Sincerely, Tommy is where all your cool Brooklyn friends flock. The IRL coffee and fashion store is decked out in concrete and decorated with modern sculptures and plants you can’t name. The shop sells its affordable in-house label alongside indie brands like Gauntlett Cheng, making it a one-stop shop for all your high-low needs. These days its website is more accessible than its Bed-Stuy storefront, but the experience is equally peaceful (you will, however, miss out on their […]

BMW‘s next-generation M5 sedan will come in two versions: electric or plug-in hybrid, the U.K.’s Car Magazine reports. The electric M5 will use three electric motors, producing around 1000 horsepower, and the hybrid will use a twin-turbo V-8 making around 750 horsepower, according to the report. BMW’s goal is to have 25 electric vehicles in its lineup by 2023. Porsche has the Taycan Turbo S, which is the quickest four-door we’ve ever tested. Audi is getting set to reveal the 590-hp e-tron GT, and of course there’s Tesla. But BMW, whose M5 Competition sedan rocketed to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds during Car and Driver testing, doesn’t have a gut-punching electric vehicle, at least not yet. It is working on electric versions of the 3-series, 5-series, 7-series, and X1, but, based on a report from the U.K. magazine Car, it could also be working on an electric M5 packing up to 1000 horsepower. 2021 BMW M5 BMW The next-generation 5-series sedan, which will have electric and hybrid models, is set to debut in the second half of 2023. The new M5, supposedly also with electric and plug-in-hybrid models, will follow in 2024, Car says. The electric M5 will reportedly utilize […]

Style Points is a new weekly column about how fashion intersects with the wider world. In the early evenings, Esther Povitsky heads outside to begin her meditation. This being Los Angeles, you might think that involves crystals or ashwaganda, but, she says, “‘Sit down, hold your back up, close your eyes and think about nothing’—that’s not on the table for me.” The comedian, actress and podcaster prefers to keep her hands busy with her contemplative new hobby: tie-dyeing. In fact, she loves it so much, she recently started an all-tie-dyed line of “24-hour basement wear,” Sleepover by Esther, that channels what her fiancé calls her “celebrity at the airport” signature style. (Or, as she captioned one Instagram photo of her full tie-dye look: “I dress like a person who hasn’t woken up before noon since the McDonald’s breakfast menu became available all day.”) This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Tie-dye has been trending in fashion circles for years at this point—from Kwaidan Editions’ cult-hit spiral T-shirt in 2017 to the fetishization of Grateful Dead shirts […]

“You were the one posting all those [Instagram] Stories, right?” It’s three days after Beyoncé’s jaw-dropping, feast-for-the-eyes Black Is King visual album dropped on Disney+, and I’m on the phone with her stylist, Zerina Akers, the woman behind the fashion fantasies that dazzle in the film and on Beyoncé in general. “You were on it,” she says, referencing my obsessive identification of key looks on social media. No, Zerina, you were on it. Akers, who got her start as an intern in the fashion closet at W magazine, has been working with Beyoncé for the last six years. Growing up in Landover, Maryland, she used to test her fashion knowledge by flipping to a magazine page and identifying the designer credits without looking. The W internship led to jobs assisting stylists like Camilla Nickerson, Lori Goldstein, and B. Akerlund. It was on a shoot with B. Akerlund that Akers first crossed paths with Beyoncé. A few months later, she heard that Beyoncé was looking for a full-time stylist, and after a one-month trial, Akers was in. A match made in fashion heaven, their first collaboration was on the Beyoncé’s Instagram editorials back in 2014, which have become part of Beyoncé’s […]

Brooklyn rap trio Flatbush Zombies have shared a new song, ‘Afterlife’, produced by James Blake. The new track is the first material released by the Zombies from a series of recording sessions with Blake, which started after Erick The Architect reached out to ‘I’ll Come Too’ musician upon hearing he was a fan of theirs. They all met in person after a Flatbush Zombies show in Los Angeles in 2018 and started collaborating on music shortly after. Advertisement The haunting record is broken up by a silvery piano arrangement as it hits the chorus. “My, oh my/ I’m just tryna catch the vibe (That vibe)/ I’m just tryna live my life (That life)/ All we know is sacrifice,” Zombie Juice and Meechy Darko spit on the hook. ‘Afterlife’ is released with a music video directed by Arnaud Bresson, which was shot pre-pandemic and sees the Zombies appear in x-ray form. [embedded content] “Today, there is no technology that x-ray films a living being without endangering it, so we worked hand in hand with a post-production company to develop a technical device that would allow us to achieve a similar effect,” Bresson said of the video. “We used multi-camera tracking, recorded the positions and movements […]