AND THE PLOT THICKENS Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving remains a key figure in the team's Big Three, which includes LeBron James and Kevin Love, though that trio has had its difficulties coexisting in the first year and a half of its partnership Dating back to last year, I’ve been told that Kyrie Irving ain’t too happy being in Cleveland. The situation is not ideal for him. I don’t know the particulars, I haven’t spoken to him personally. It’s something that I’ve been hearing for months; that under ideal circumstances he would prefer to be someplace other than Cleveland. Irving, 23, is averaging 18.9 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game this season for Cleveland. The Cavs have lost three of their last four games, however, and while they still appear to be the top team in the Eastern Conference, they haven't dominated this season like the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs. The team's chemistry—or perhaps lack thereof—is certainly a factor. While the Cavs held a players-only meeting after head coach David Blatt was fired in January to hold one another accountable and air grievances, the team's biggest stars still have clearly struggled to coexist at times. Irving's style of play has been one of the factors in that struggle. While he has scored at an impressive clip, he hasn't distributed to his teammates as is normally expected of a point guard. As Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com noted, "Irving has to commit to sacrificing his scoring numbers to make his teammates better on a routine basis." Haynes added, "Behind the scenes, James has been growing livid about being the sole proprietor of making sure guys are involved, and in a rhythm. He's used to carrying such a workload, but on this team, he shouldn't have to. From top to bottom, this is the deepest team James has been a member of. He needs help." Thus, if Irving continues to distribute at a subpar clip and indeed wants out of Cleveland, the team may have to entertain dealing him in the offseason. While it's hard to imagine the Cavs giving up on a young player with superstar ability—and certainly they would need to get a star back in return for Irving—another failure to win a championship may be enough for the front office to determine he simply isn't the right fit for the roster as currently constructed.
Dead Pool Got Passion Much like the titular character, Deadpool just refuses to die. The film already became the highest grossing rated-R opening ever after raking in a whopping $150 million through the holiday weekend. Film experts predict that the comic book movie will once again reign supreme at the box office with a $56 million weekend. According to Deadline, the film is on track to beat out 2004’s Passion of the Christ as the highest grossing rated-R film of all time. The Mel Gibson flick follows the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as detailed in the New Testament. The film grossed more than $370 in the U.S. alone, which is still leaps ahead of Deadpool’s $180 million total so far. However, the Merc with a Mouth’s solo venture is grossing 10% more than the biblical tale did at the same period.
Time will tell on whether or not that record will be broken but it’s clear that moviegoers can’t get enough of the smart-mouthed mercenary in red and black. Deadpool gained popularity in the comic world for breaking the fourth wall with pop culture references while being unabashedly violent. It appears funny and gore are a winning combo for the Marvel character, whose movie was distributed through 20th Century Fox. WATCH NOW
By J. Morris Via. Complex Azealia Banks comes through today with her new single, "The Big Big Beat." The track is an unabashed banger as the rapper tears through a savagely good beat. Equal parts rowdy and infectious, the track lives up to its title as Banks seamlessly skitters across that backbeat courtesy of producer An Expresso. Banks previously described it to her fans on Twitter as "Detroit house vibes with major Diana Ross teas. U guys are gonna gag."
Rap-Up notes that shortly after releasing the song, Azealia tweeted, "OK NOW SOMEBODY SIGN ME, I HAVE ANOTHER HIT THAT NEEDS TO BE ON THE RADIO, PLZ AND THANK YOU. SIGNED, -AN ANGRY BLACK WOMAN FROM NYC." The tweet appears to have been deleted. Azealia is currently searching for a new label as she works on her forthcoming project, Slay-Z, that is reportedly due for release this month. According to Banks, the project will feature eight tracks and one bonus track from Fantasea II: The Second Wave. Check out "The Big Big Beat" below.
BY JESSIE MORRIS Recent reports surfaced that Kanye West had a major meltdown backstage of Saturday Night Live ahead of his performance over the weekend. In an audio clip obtained by Page Six, West lets us know how he really feels about his recent drama with Taylor Swift and calls her a "fake ass." He proceeds to yell at NBC staff, saying, "Don't fuck with me." He also threatens to not do the show and says, "I went through six years of this fucking shit." He goes on to say that he is 50 percent more influential than any other human being, "dead or alive." Recently, Kanye has been having similar rants on his Twitter timeline, including asking "white publications" not to comment on "black music" anymore. Following the Grammy Awards where 'Ye in fact did not win the award for Album of the Year that he was not nominated for, Kanye seemed to have a change of heart and began tweeting encouraging messages to fans. That positivity continued today where Kanye publicly acknowledged his ego and the fact that it has been his "number one enemy" for the first time ever. It's anyone's guess why Kanye has suddenly become much more positive online, but this latest meltdown and his wife's reported disapproval could have something to do with it. Listen to the audio above.
