Another full week in the books. Wu-Tang’s one-copy album finally got its movie, streaming services started sorting out AI music, the Air Jordan 5 “Halloween” landed, and Kawhi came back to Toronto looking like Kawhi. Here’s everything you need to know from the week of Oct. 11–17, plus what’s coming next.
The Week’s Biggest Stories
1. Wu-Tang’s secret album gets its movie. The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable tells the story behind Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the album that only one copy of was ever made. We broke down what works and what doesn’t. Read our review.
2. Hip hop is all over your screens. Beyond the Wu-Tang doc, 50 Cent is in the Street Fighter mix and Netflix dropped its four-part TYSON series. See what to watch.
3. Streaming draws a line on AI music. Deezer announced a switch that hides fully AI-made tracks from search, and a day later YouTube Music started labeling AI songs, while Auto-Tune gets a pass. YouTube Music | Deezer.
4. Don Toliver is up for Best New Artist. Five straight top 10 albums later, the Houston star is on the entry list for the 2027 Grammys’ Best New Artist category. Full story.
5. Playboi Carti goes dark for CR Fashion Book. Our Shoot of the Week: Carti covers Issue 29, shot by Gabriel Moses, and it’s anything but a standard portrait. See the shoot.
6. New music to catch up on. Joyce Wrice, Johnny Venus, Gunna and Cardi B’s GTA VI song led our roundup, and DJ SpinKing linked with Fetty Wap and DaBaby on “Beat Go.” New Music Roundup | “Beat Go”.
7. The Archive was busy. Xzibit’s At the Speed of Life and Jeru the Damaja’s Wrath of the Math both turned 30, The Game’s 1992 and Gucci Mane’s Woptober hit 10, and Prince’s Love Symbol album celebrated its anniversary. Xzibit at 30 | Xzibit & Jeru | The Game & Gucci | Prince.
8. Glow-in-the-dark week for sneakers. The Air Jordan 5 “Halloween” dropped Saturday, a day after the Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Glow in the Dark.” AJ5 “Halloween” | Foamposite Pro.
9. Kawhi’s back in Toronto, and Haliburton’s back in OKC. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 in his preseason debut as the Raptors beat the Knicks 148-98. Tyrese Haliburton returned to the building where he hurt his Achilles and dropped 24 in a half. Kawhi | Haliburton.
10. Kenneth Walker III is running the league in Kansas City. Months after his Super Bowl LX MVP run with Seattle, Walker leads the NFL in rushing yards per game for the Chiefs. Full story.
11. The Brian Flores memo. A recruiting firm’s one-page memo on Flores for the Raiders was unsealed, and his lawyers say it leaned on racial stereotypes. Read more.
12. Monday night chaos. The Bills outlasted the Rams 37-34 in overtime, then Alaric Jackson swung on Bradley Chubb. Shannon Sharpe’s take: trust Stafford, not the kicker. The game | Sharpe’s take.
Carolina Corner
Three NC acts in Who You Should Hear. This week’s spotlight on sosocamo, LesTheGenius, Cyanca and Samara Cyn features three North Carolina artists. Press play.
Homecoming Saturday. Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith held homecoming, A&T hosted in Greensboro, and UNC and Duke battled for the Victory Bell. Game Day guide | NC Weekend Guide.
Panthers get help at receiver. Jalen Coker returned to practice from a quad injury and is working toward today’s game in Philadelphia. Injury update.
Is Parker Washington the next Steve Smith? Marcus Spears compared the Jaguars receiver to the Panthers legend, and Tom Brady called him “an absolute dog.” The comparison | Brady’s praise.
DaBaby stays busy. Charlotte’s own jumped on DJ SpinKing’s “Beat Go” with Fetty Wap. Watch the video.
Coming This Week
Sun., Oct. 18: Panthers at Eagles, 1 p.m. Carolina is in Philly today, then hosts Tampa Bay next Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. (WCCB). Need picks for today? Check our Week 6 betting preview.
Tue., Oct. 20: NBA Opening Night. Celtics at Pistons (3 p.m. ET), 76ers at Knicks (7 p.m.) and Thunder at Spurs (9:30 p.m.), all on NBC (FOX Sports).
Wed., Oct. 21: Hornets home opener. Charlotte opens the season at home against the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. (WSOC).
Fri., Oct. 23: Anderson .Paak & Cordae, Heavy Is the Crown. The joint album arrives with J. Cole and 9th Wonder among the collaborators named, so Carolina is in the building (Ratings Game Music). John Legend’s Muse and Shabazz Palaces’ It’s a Style Sport are also on the Oct. 23 calendar (Metacritic). Dates can change.
Fri., Oct. 23: World Series Game 1, 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The Brewers swept the Dodgers and will host Game 1 against the American League champ (NBC Sports Philadelphia).
All week: sneaker drops. KD and Ant signature pairs and the NIGO x J-Hope Air Force 1 are on the calendar. Full release guide.
Through Sun., Oct. 25: N.C. State Fair. The fair runs through next weekend at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh (Visit Raleigh).
On deck: GHOE 100. A&T’s 100th homecoming game is Saturday, Oct. 31 against Elon at Truist Stadium in Greensboro (NC A&T Athletics).
Miss something? Catch every story on IAHHM.com and check back next Sunday for another Week in Review.
Sources
- WCCB Charlotte: Panthers 2026 schedule
- FOX Sports: 2026-27 NBA Opening Night
- WSOC: Hornets 2026-27 schedule
- Ratings Game Music: Cordae & Anderson .Paak announce Heavy Is the Crown
- Metacritic: Upcoming album releases
- NBC Sports Philadelphia: 2026 World Series schedule
- Visit Raleigh: 2026 N.C. State Fair
- NC A&T Athletics: GHOE date set
