LeBron James has played many parts in his more than 22-year — and counting — career. Before becoming the NBA's wise elder statesman, he was the "Chosen One," prophesied by sports analysts as the man destined to bring a championship to Cleveland, Ohio. The prodigal son would eventually fulfill that promise, though not before adopting the role of the league's bad boy by taking his talents to South Beach.

The pride and joy of Akron, Ohio,has meant many things to many people — an observation that playwright Rajiv Joseph wanted to explore. But rather than focus on the King, he turned his attention to his loyal Midwestern disciples.

George Street Playhouse's latest production, "King James," explores the budding friendship between two Cavaliers fans: Matt (Doug Harris), a bartender looking to offload his basketball tickets, who meets Shawn (Blake Morris), a recently successful writer eager to witness rookie phenom James light up Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Directed by Ryan George, the narrative tracks the 12-year journey of two ordinary people living in the shadow of an extraordinary figure.

Ahead of the play's March 18 debut, the cast and director spoke with The Daily Targum about the correlation between sports and theater, their basketball knowledge and how they've prepared for opening night.

Last month, Kendrick Lamar surprised the music world with the unexpected release of his sixth studio album, "GNX." As with any new project from the multiple-time Grammy winner, the album features collaborations with heavy hitters like SZA, Roddy Ricch, Jack Antonoff and Mustard. But, what truly sets this album apart is the inclusion of lesser-known, up-and-coming rappers.

Lefty Gunplay delivers a striking four-word outro on the hype anthem "tv off (feat. lefty gunplay)" while Wallie the Sensei joins Lamar on the catchy hook of the lowkey "dodger blue (feat. wallie the sensei, siete7x, roddy ricch)."

The most memorable collaboration, though, comes on the title track. After Lamar and Peysoh open with the chorus and first verse, Dominicke Williams, better known as Hitta J3, joins in.

Reflecting on the challenges he's faced growing up in California, he delivers an impressive verse with a smooth, effortless flow that aligns perfectly with the album's themes. While his appearance might confuse newer fans, those who have followed K. Dot's career from its inception will recognize that Williams has been a part of the journey.

In an interview with The Daily Targum, the West Coast rapper discussed his long-standing friendship with Lamar and how exactly he ended up on one of the most anticipated rap albums of recent memory.

Director Billie Mintz came into his newest documentary project, Making Manson, with a colossal task ahead of him: finding a new way to frame the story of infamous American cult leader Charles Manson.

Since the media frenzy that followed the Tate-LaBianca murders in the late 1960s and early 70s, Hollywood creatives have periodically revisited the crime, often with diminishing results. Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stands out as a rarity within this strange subgenre; often, audiences are subjected to the crime’s retelling in the form of low-budget B-horror films, such as The Haunting of Sharon Tate.

The question “What else is there left to say about this guy?” loomed over the docuseries and weighed on Mintz’s mind. He found his answer in over 100 hours of recorded conversations that Manson had with prison pen pal John Michael Jones during the last two decades of his life, prior to his passing in 2017. Over the course of a year, Mintz and his team painstakingly sifted through the never-before-released footage, trying to make sense of an incomprehensible man.

Of course, the research and storytelling couldn’t end there. While the team was eager to explore the controversial figure, they knew they couldn’t simply allow him or his friend to speak for themselves without oversight. To provide balance and multiple perspectives, they assembled a diverse roster of individuals with something to say about Manson—former members of the Manson Family, prosecutors, cellmates, journalists, and others who had direct knowledge or insight into his motivations.

In an interview with DECIDER, Mintz offered insight into the production process and his approach to integrating these new puzzle pieces to create a focused, more nuanced portrait.

There's a distinct energy that fuels Allegra Krieger's "Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine"— a swirling, 13-track exploration of philosophical dilemmas, with life and death functioning at its core. In just more than 30 minutes, the album thoughtfully examines heady themes without ever becoming bogged down by them.

Like the great folk artists and singer-songwriters before her, Krieger has mastered the essential qualities that define any truly impactful artist: vulnerability and intimacy.

Even as listeners engage with her music through a lens of detachment — the closest some fans will come to experiencing her work in its rawest form is the act of pressing her icon on their streaming platform of choice and hearing her voice crackle through headphone speakers — Krieger achieves the impossible. Reflecting on a tumultuous year, she taps into a space that not only deepens her bond with her audience but also serves as fertile ground for her own artistic evolution.

In an interview with The Daily Targum, the emerging indie-folk talent discussed the process of crafting her newest release and pulling from a variety of sources, namely the people she's crossed paths with and the roads she's walked.

This past weekend marked Homecoming and Family Weekend for the Rutgers student body and alumni, which meant tailgating, catching up with friends across campus and, of course, wheeled beds barreling down Sicard Street.

Last Thursday, the Rutgers University Programming Association (RUPA) held its 16th annual bed races competition, an open invitation for only the bravest student groups and organizations around campus to strap on their helmets and compete for glory and the $750 grand prize, but, more importantly, charity.

To take part in the races, 55 groups would fundraise for fidget toys and stress balls to be donated to Roosevelt Elementary School. Regardless of whether they came in first place or were eliminated in the first round, participants could take comfort in knowing that 4,350 stress balls and 8,649 fidget toys would be given to children in need.

It's been a little more than three years since Jordana Nye, known simply by her first name, teamed up with the band TV Girl to deliver "Summer's Over," a modern indie classic that explores the many sobering realizations of young adult life. Summer flings, unpaid train fares, dwindling parties — at some point, you have to leave it all behind and face the music.

But even with all the chaos and uncertainty, who says you can't dance along?

The Maryland-raised artist maintains this signature blend of upbeat production and poignant lyricism on her latest release, "Lively Premonition." It's another mature, contemplative moment for the artist, now 24 and living in Los Angeles. Yet, instead of the usual lo-fi fare, listeners are greeted with patient guitar strums, bouncy drums and a killer violin solo on the opening track, "We Get By."

It signals brighter days and marks the beginning of a whole new era for the artist.

In an interview with The Daily Targum, Jordana discussed the transition into folk and soft rock for her "L.A. record," as well as her personal growth within the music industry.

In the age of social media, where influencers are constantly searching for innovative ways to get clicks, creators like Anthony "Anthpo" Potero immediately stand out. Instead of relying on algorithms or increasingly dubious clickbait, the Rutgers alum cultivated a devoted audience by adopting a straightforward strategy — he makes the videos he wants to.

Potero's online presence has been defined by his singular vision and control over his videos, which is evident in his decision to stop creating content at the height of his popularity. After a year of radio silence, he returned to making videos, now imbued with a new, creative direction.

In an interview with The Daily Targum, Potero discussed his time in New Brunswick, the behind-the-scenes process of creating videos and his decisions to leave and eventually return to social media.

Last weekend, the College Avenue Players (CAP) transported Rutgers—New Brunswick to the Middle Ages with its annual sketch comedy show "Wacky Hijinks," this year's rendition themed to medieval times and fantasy.

While past productions, like the troupe's Halloween, "Five Nights at Freddy's"-inspired sketch show, may have alienated audiences and suffered from a lack of substantive source material, the return to a broader genre opened the creative floodgates. Whether it's 1975's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" or last year's "Dungeons & Dragons," medieval lore has always served as a rich tapestry for satire.

Upon entering Room 135 in Scott Hall on the College Avenue campus, which may as well serve as a residence for some of CAP's longest-tenured members, the first thing that caught most audience members' attention was the unmistakable anticipation filling the room. The room reverberated with the melodies of lutes and harps emanating from the speakers as patrons turned to each other, wondering what antics the cast would be up to this time.

Like many teenagers, David Burke, known by his stage name d4vd, spends hours playing video games like "Fortnite" and losing himself in internet rabbit holes. The only difference between him and his peers is that he's managed to turn it into a line of work.

In just a few years, 19-year-old singer-songwriter d4vd has already achieved things most artists spend their entire lives building toward. His songs have amassed more than a billion streams on Spotify, he has toured across the globe and become the voice of a generation on TikTok, all before releasing his first studio album.

This week, he sets out to conquer another milestone – performing his first college show.

Ahead of his performance at the College Ave Gymnasium on Friday, d4vd spoke to The Daily Targum about his expectations for this semester's "Beats on the Banks," along with the unconventional catalysts for his blossoming career.