We’re positively hyped for our March round-up of artists to watch. This column looks at artists from across the cultural spectrum that are rising in unique ways. And this month, we’re jumping from indie pop to electro soul, to Chicago R&B and a rapper on the tip of The Weeknd’s tongue. Check it out.
Deb Never
You might’ve already heard the commanding Korean-American vocalist on “Push” from Slowthai’s album Tyron, or perhaps you peeped last year’s sneaky excellent Where Have All The Flowers Gone? EP. Now Deb Never just dropped her first new tune of the year, “Crutches,” a hopeful, happy-go-lucky indie-electro pop jam about embracing your individuality and channeling your inner-drive. “No matter what they say ya, better hold your head up. No way out,” the now LA-based Never sings on the anthemic track over a shower of effects, strings and thunderous drum and bass that invite you to express yourself.
Yeat
When The Weeknd was celebrating his birthday in Vegas earlier this month, a clip surfaced of him singing along to Yeat’s “Get Busy.” The track, with its syrup-soaked video game beat, features the now-viral lyric “This song already was turnt but here’s a bell,” followed by clanging church bells. Portland-raised and now LA-based, Yeat’s career was born from SoundCloud, and then blew up on TikTok with tracks like “Sorry Bout That” and “Money Twërk.” His latest album, 2 Alivë, came out on February 18th and features appearances from Young Thug (on the melodic drums and bells of “Öutside”) and Gunna (on the woozy keys-driven “Rackz Got Më.) Unsurprisingly, the album’s LA listening party prompted a shutdown for crowd control issues illustrating that the hype is real. Now signed to Field Trip/Geffen, all the elements for a continued breakout are here.
On both Classical Notions of Happiness and Something To Say To You, Jordana’s first two releases, we were introduced to a witty songwriter, with an intrinsic knack for cynical, tongue-in-cheek indie pop. Now the 21-year-old has announced her proper debut studio album, Face The Wall, (out May 20th on Grand Jury) and she’s armed with an even sharper pop music knife. “Catch My Drift” is a catchy, glitzy jam with buoyant vocals that she says is “about going back and forth with your feelings for someone when they make you question whether they are even reciprocated.”
Khazali
When we highlighted Khazali’s track “Passion Controller” last month, we called it “a good fit for both the dance floor and the afterparty.” And the deeper I dive into the UK electro-soul singer’s catalog, the more he feels like a worthy star student of Sampha and Sbtrkt’s breed of vocal productions. But there’s a far more rhythmic step from Khazali and his second EP, The Rush, is made up of pieces of his dream journals expressed in the sonic universe of the romantically-woven characters he’s created. His latest jam, “Dance In The Rain,” is a liquid groove that further builds the anticipation for the release of The Rush, out March 11th via Kitsuné Musique.
Kaina
A Chicago native of Guatemalan and Venezuelan descent, Kaina’s take on R&B celebrates love, lineage, and heritage. The silky-voiced singer recently signed with City Slang and her latest two singles, “Casita” and “Apple,” were both co-written and co-produced with fellow Chicagoan Sen Morimoto. “Casita” is a bi-lingual ode to being with family and friends in simpler times, with Kaina singing “I’ve always dreamt about a place, big enough for us all to stay, so that we could be together.” While “Apple,” with a video that links it to a linear story that begins to unfold on “Casita” — has an upbeat swing over Morimoto’s guitar and Kaina’s layered vocals. She’ll be joining Helado Negro on tour in May and we’ll be keeping tabs on more heat from Kaina no doubt.
The world of rapper-owned weed brands features more smoke and mirrors than a Miami megaclub. While there are some bangers in the genre, most of these “brands” aren’t really brands at all. It’s far more common for a rapper to work with a preexisting company and drop a limited line of products or bag up some janky shit in mylar through a white-label grow operation, than it is for them to launch an autonomous cultivation project of their own. Half the time when you search for brands owned by rappers, the websites are defunct, the Instagrams don’t exist, and the products aren’t available. It’s as if, aside from the press release, a handful of blogs, and a lone lavish launch party, the brand ceases to exist at all.
Why?
Most rappers launch weed “brands” for clout rather than wanting to actually enter the cannabis space. And who could blame them? The weed industry is an expensive headache for entrepreneurs. It is ironic, though, because rappers are the celebrities most likely to be accepted by the discerning consumers of the cannabis community. Not only were they some of the earliest vocal proponents of cannabis in mainstream culture, but some famously sold weed prior to fame (and have served time for it).
If any genre of celebrity deserves to be in the weed space, it’s rappers. Period.
So today, we’re checking out some rapper-owned brands that actually exist and don’t totally suck (I don’t like them all, but none are fully trash). From the many rapper-weed collabs, we’ve chosen five strains to smoke, rank, and rant about from the floor of my living room. Sound fun? Let’s get stoned!
Uproxx
5. China White Preroll from Saucey Extracts by Jim Jones
Uproxx
I attended the launch party for Saucey Extracts a few years ago. It was insane. At a Beverly Hills mansion, giant glass candy jars full of nugs dotted sprawling gardens to the pool. The weed literally overfloweth. I ran around with a celebrity stoner’s daughter stuffing branded tote bags to the brim with nugs. Jim Jones made an appearance. It was everything the launch party of a rapper weed brand should be. Wish I could say the same about the weed itself.
First of all, I always feel a little wary when an extracts brand launches flower, because that usually means they didn’t grow it themselves. White labeling is a huge issue in the cannabis community, a super common practice because the overhead of cultivation itself is so massive. Most brands, especially the big ones, don’t grow their own flower. That’s why they’re rich. It’s way cheaper not to. However, what you gain monetarily, you lose in quality.
For this test, I popped open the Supreme-esque plastic packaging of the China White pre-roll pack. Four joints of mechanically trimmed flower burst forth, smelling like hay. I took a dry hit, which is when you take a hit of an unlit joint to experience the flavor of the flower, known as the terpene profile. It was pretty mild, fruity, a little citrusy. Not mad at it, but it could have been more flavorful for sure.
I lit up. The flavor wasn’t bad. Delicate, citrusy, fruity, but overall pretty mids. I immediately felt upbeat, and definitely wanted to give them props for the integrity of the joint structure. These burned cleanly and evenly, not too tight or loose.
The high was upbeat, spacey, and a little trippy. I felt cerebrally invigorated while my body relaxed. Definitely a good daytime work weed, which is not usually the kind of flower that rapper brands deliver. A welcome change.
Bottom Line:
This weed is not bad, but it’s not great either. I think the price is a little high, but we love Jim Jones and will blindly support anything Dipset does.
Monogram is Jay Z’s weed brand. I’m not a huge fan of their sleekly packaged, overpriced mids. But some people seem to like them, so let’s check out their #3 strain.
The first red flag here is that this flower is 35% THC. Not only is that physically improbable, but it’s also just plain silly. No one needs that much THC, and when you get a number that high you are totally destroying the natural balance of the chemicals within the plant. I’ve always felt that this brand has a weird air of being out of touch due to the fact that Jay Z has never been part of the cannabis community. He doesn’t publicly smoke weed or advocate for its use prior to entering the legal space in the most corporate way possible. Maybe if he had, he’d know better than to jack his THC up that high.
Anyways, the flower looks pretty good. Chunky, green, orange with little violet leaves. It doesn’t really have much of a smell and seemed a little dried out, but often you can’t really blame the cultivator if the weed shows up a little dry — it’s often a distro issue.
Based on the THC percentage, I was afraid to smoke this at all and be rendered useless for the rest of the afternoon. But I took a bong rip anyway. For journalism!
The flavor wasn’t strong, but it wasn’t bad either. Fruity, a little floral, grape forward. Immediately my head became swimmy as I felt a wave of far too much THC sneak into my mind and crash over my eyes from behind. Relaxed, euphoric, the colors seemed brighter. It’s definitely very potent, but not a particularly nuanced high. That’s the problem with these absurdly high THC cultivars. They make you feel high on THC, but that’s about it.
Then, the stupor hit. Staring into the horizon beyond the window, limp, my mind moved slowly. Even in writing this single sentence, I drifted into a world unknown for about four minutes. Some people may like this kind of high, but it’s not for me, a high functioning, all-day stoner.
Bottom Line:
It’s not terrible, just overpriced and way too juiced up with THC.
I like Wiz Khalifa because he’s a fucking stoner. He’s so in the mix that it’s not uncommon to see him at weed parties around LA. Also, he has BDE, minds his business, and gets high on stage. Vibes.
Unlike most rapper weed I get sent, I was actually looking forward to trying Khalifa Kush because you can tell this man truly cares about flower. I imagined it would be good. And it was!
The dry hit was so impressive! Super mango diesel flavor, it had that kind of syrupy dry hit quality where you can taste that the terps and chemical compounds are alive on the plant matter. I lit it. There was a fantastic smell-to-flavor translation, which is another sign of good weed. It kind of had a fruity sage flavor that I was super into. Smooth smoke, great joint overall.
I was thinking there was not a lot of head change, and then BOOM BITCH that shit hit. And it hit hard. I got suuuuuuuper languid and dreamy feeling, and it made this difficult to write (again). This is high quality dreamy daytime weed — euphoric without being sleepy.
Bottom Line:
Perfect for taking the day off work to smoke weed in public like Wiz Khalifa.
Plane Jane is a strain collab by Fiore and rapper Roy Woods. Fiore was started by the owners and head cultivators at Cookies (rapper Berner’s megabrand) and is the only Cookies micro-business. So this is actually a rapper weed squared strain collab. And a perfectly executed one at that.
I popped open the bag, and was punched in the face by gas, pine, and tropical fruit. Though I’m not usually the biggest fan of indoor flower, Fiore fucking crushes it everytime. Unbelievably pungent, soft nugs were easy to break apart, unlike those mechanically trimmed balls of THC everyone seems to be hawking these days. This flower was beautiful in every way… so I smoked it!
The flavor was as pungent as the smell, but less gassy, with more notes of pine and fruit. Immediately I felt focused, dreamy and upbeat. This is the kind of weed you can smoke to calm down and beat depression or anxiety when you still need to get shit done. It’s actually really nuanced and vibey. It has a holistic healing effect, tingly in the body and the spirit, and the mind.
Bottom Line:
Elevating and exciting, it’s not the kind of indoor that gets you dumb for 30 minutes then tired. This weed is vibrant and alive, and really, really good. Definitely worth a cop!
And now, the love letter begins. I have been a massive fan of Insane by Cypress Hill’s B-Real since I first tried their flower a year or two ago. This dude has been in the weed game forever and facilitated a lot of what we know as modern cannabis culture prior to entering the industry. He was on Hits from the Bong, bro! Idk if there is a higher stoner accolade than that.
I think this Insane OG strain is some of the best and strongest weed on the market. When I say strong, I don’t just mean high in THC. This is a fully immersive stoner experience. You feel so much with this flower. It’s full-body, full mind.
The bag opens to a rush of powerful terpene smell waves. Diesel, pine, and lemon. Deep pine forest energy. The nugs are crunchy and sparkle with trichomes. Frosted and cute, I felt as if the nugs were staring back at me.
I took a large hit of the bong, as instructed. A rainbow burst of forest flavors overcame my palate and I felt filled with joy immediately. The high is cerebral and fun. The body high is euphoric and relaxing. Together it’s a balanced high that leaves you feeling floaty, elated, and ready for anything.
Bottom Line:
This weed is simply a must-have. It’s perfect in every way, and there is no one more qualified to sell it to you than B-Real.
The world watched, holding its collective breath as Russia threatened to invade Ukraine. For weeks, as Russia teased the sovereign nation with military exercises along the country’s border and the soldiers moved tanks this way and that, we saw Ukrainians preparing to defend their land. Citizens practiced aiming with guns made out of wood, while others learned to properly use knives in hand-to-hand combat. The citizens of Ukraine had no intention of allowing their country to be overtaken, and now, in the midst of the invasion, we get to see Ukrainians show who they really are.
People have fled to safety but many have stayed behind to fight, some you wouldn’t expect. A former beauty queen, Anastasia Lenna, Miss Grand Ukraine 2015, revealed on her Instagram account that she traded in her crown and sash for military fatigues and an automatic rifle. In one of her posts, she writes “everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed.” Lenna’s Instagram stories have been filled with calls to action, including praise for the men and women fighting to protect their country.
An 80-year-old man showed up to join the Ukrainian army carrying only a small overnight bag that contained two T-shirts, an extra pair of pants, a toothbrush and a few sandwiches for lunch. He was joining for his grandkids, he said. Another elderly person stood in front of a Russian soldier to confront him about why he was in Ukraine. The woman called the soldiers occupants and fascists, before offering the soldier sunflower seeds, stating “take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers will grow when you die here.” Sunflowers are Ukraine’s national flower.
While bombs are dropping, shots are being fired and sirens blare in Ukraine, nurses and doctors are caring for NICU babies in a makeshift bomb shelter. The babies, some of which look only hours old, were from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Dnipro in Eastern Ukraine. Some of them were having oxygen hand-pumped into their lungs by the nurses who were attending to them. The infants were taken to the bomb shelter as Dnipro was struck by missiles.
Newborn infants from the neonatal intensive care unit at a childrenu2019s hospital in Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, were moved into a makeshift bomb shelter on a lower level of the building on Thursday. https://nyti.ms/3JVlEQau00a0pic.twitter.com/kWud9ktt2P
— The New York Times (@The New York Times) 1645759206
While others are hunkering down in bomb shelters and basements, 13 Ukrainian soldiers tasked with defending a small island in the Black Sea stared down a Russian navy ship, refusing to surrender. Instead the soldiers defiantly barked “Russian war ship? Go f**k yourself,” before being killed. Though all 13 soldiers perished on that island, they exemplify the bravery and will of the Ukrainian people.
Ukrainian athletes are showing up to defend their motherland. Vlodymyr Bezsonov, a 63-year-old football legend, took up arms to defend Ukraine from Russia. In a short video, he explains that he’s joining his country’s fight. Two heavyweight boxing champions, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, both multimillionaires with the means to escape, stayed behind to fight alongside their fellow Ukrainians. Vitali, who is the mayor of Kyiv and the son of a former general in the Soviet Air Force, told “Good Morning Britain,” “I don’t have another choice, I have to do that.”
Former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, plans to take up arms to defend against Russia’s invasion along with his brother, Wladimir. nnMore: https://es.pn/3sg25vXu00a0pic.twitter.com/LVrvuthAna
Stories such as these are not limited to the handful here. There are stories of everyday heroes taking up arms, helping their fellow Ukrainians through whatever means necessary, occurring throughout the war-torn days and nights. Ukraine never had the idea to surrender, and the spirit of their people is no less than inspiring.
Greta Van Fleet has added fall dates to their sold-out “Dreams In Gold” tour. Kicking off August 16th in Quebec City, the band will perform in 42 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The tour is in support of Greta Van Fleet’s sophomore album, The Battle at Garden’s Gate, and the band will be joined by the likes of Metallica, The Pretty Reckless, Houndmouth, Durand Jones & The Indications, Fruit Bats, Robert Finley, Crown Lands, and Hannah Wicklund.
Pre-sale begins Wednesday, March 2nd with general on-sale beginning Friday, March 4th.
Check out the complete list of dates below.
03/10 — Kalamazoo, MI @ Wings Event Center
03/12 — Grand Rapids, MI @ The DeltaPlex Arena
03/13 — Saginaw, MI @ Dow Event Center
03/16 — Flint, MI @ Dort Financial Center
03/17 — Ypsilanti, MI @ EMU Convocation Center
03/19 — Huntington, WV @ Mountain Health Arena
03/22 —Madison, WI @ Kohl Center
03/23 — Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
03/25 — Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center Omaha
03/26 — Peoria, IL @ Peoria Civic Center
03/29 — Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Center
03/30 — Hershey, PA @ GIANT Center
04/01 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
04/02 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
05/03 — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil @ Qualistage
05/16 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Pepsi Center
06/05 — Stockholm, Sweden @ Grona Lund
06/11 — Theatre Antique de Vienne @ Vienne, France
06/14 — Cologne, Germany @ Tanzbrunnen
06/15 — Frankfurt, Germany @ Jarhunderthalle
06/23 — Dublin, Ireland @ Fairview
06/25 — London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
06/28 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
06/29 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
08/11 — Buffalo, NY @ Highmark Stadium*
08/14 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park*
08/16 — Quebec City, QC @PNC Park†
08/18 — Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell†
08/19 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena†
08/22 —Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre†
08/23 —Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre†
08/26 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome†
08/27 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place†
08/29 —Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place†
08/30 —Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena†
09/02 — Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena ‡
09/03 — Boise, ID @ ExtraMile Arena‡
09/20 — Fort Wayne, IN @ Allen County War Memorial Coliseum §
09/21 —Des Moines, IA @Wells Fargo Arena§
09/23 — Fargo, ND @ Fargodome§
09/24 — Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center§
09/27 — Toldeo, OH @ Huntington Center§
09/28 — Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Boling Arena§
09/30 — Charlottesville, VA @ John Paul Jones Arena§
10/01 — Allentown, PA @PPL Center§
10/04— Manchester, NH @ SNHU Arena§
10/05 — Albany, NY @ MVP Arena§
10/07 — Uncasville, CT @Mohegan Sun Arena§
10/08 —Bangor, ME @ Cross Insurance Center§
10/18 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena**
10/19 — Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena**
10/21 — Jacksonville, FL @Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena**
10/22 — Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena**
10/25 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live**
10/26 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena**
10/28 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center**
10/29 — Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at The BJCC**
11/01 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center**
11/02 — Little Rock, AR @ Simmons Bank Arena**
11/04 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center**
11/05 — San Antonio, TX @AT&T Center**
11/08 — El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center**
11/09 — Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Arena**
11/11 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center††
11/12 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center††
*with Metallica
†with The Pretty Reckless and Hannah Wicklund
‡ support TBD
§ with Houndmouth and Robert Finley
**with Durand Jones & the Indications and Crown Lands
†† with Fruit Bats and Crown Lands
Benzino has been going after Eminem for almost 20 years now. It starts with the former co-owner of The Source magazine giving the Detroit rapper’s 2000 album, The Marshall Mathers LP, a rating of 2 out of 5 mics. This beef was revived in late 2020 when Benzino took to Twitter to say, “Face it stans y’all will always be hip hop goofiest most out of touch fan base.” Collaborator and friend of Eminem Royce Da 5’9″ stepped in to defend him with a series of posts on social media.
Now, the saga continues. According to XXL, Money Man made a since-deleted tweet that said, “I ain’t never listened to no Eminem.” Benzino replied, “Nobody in my hood did.” As fans took to Twitter to get involved, Benzino viewed it as an opportunity to continue dissing Eminem. One fan wrote, “Say it to @Eminem face I bet you won’t your a poor excuse for a father and human being,” to which Benzino replied: “I’ll say it to his face but he’s scared coward p*ssy like his fan base.”
I’ll say it to his face but he’s scared coward pussy like his fan base
Per Complex, he also made some since-deleted tweets saying he “been left this sh*t alone but since the coward ass stans wanna talk sh*t and hide then it’s still f*ck Eminem and if you got a problem with me do something about it,” and threatened that he knows “how to fight and I got big sticks so pull up.”
If you still think tequila is only good as a shooter with lime or a building block for your college game day margaritas, you’re living in 1997. The agave-based spirit from Mexico has blown up commercially for more than a decade now and what’s on the shelf here in the US is increasingly refined (and pricey). Sure, it can be great for shots and mixing, but more and more sipping tequilas have hit the mainstream, too.
Long lede short, there are countless high-quality, flavorful, and delicious tequilas (aged and unaged) on the shelves and behind bars these days. Which begs a question: which tequilas are actually being ordered from those bars?
“The number one requested tequila shot is, and maybe always will be, Patrón,” Heather Buelna, head bartender at Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay, tells us. “And while this is a very solid pick for a shot of tequila with a very nice balance of agave, caramel, and spice, the biggest reason it’s the most popular request in the category is because of branding and marketing more than anything else.”
Popularity contest or not, asking your favorite bartender is generally the best way to learn more about what people are drinking right now. So we hit up a handful of notable bartenders and had them tell us the one tequila (as a sipper or shot) that guests order the most. While this might not reveal the best options (since hype is big in the tequila world), it’s an interesting launch pad as you enter the wider world of tequila drinking.
Avión Reposado is a big hit with customers neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a cocktail. It’s also great as a base for our margaritas. This tequila blends perfectly with our homemade sour mix. It’s sweet, vegetal, and has nice vanilla notes.
I always get guests who ask for Tequila Ocho Plata. Few tequilas can be enjoyed neat while also being versatile in cocktails. It embodies everything you want in tequila — fresh vegetal notes of agave, a smooth finish, and enough complexity to complement just about any cocktail.
Casamigos Reposado
Casamigos
Jillian Cooper, restaurant and bar general manager at Baker & Able in Huntsville, Alabama
Casamigos Reposado is a popular tequila with our guests. It’s a great choice for those who love tequila. The hint of caramel on the nose from aging in oak barrels balances nicely with the dried fruits and sweetness from the agave.
Don Julio Blanco is a big hit with our guests because of the great brand recognition they have built for themselves over the years. Flavors aren’t nearly as prominent when compared with other smaller producers in the tequila world, but great marketing and brand recognition do a great deal in the spirits business.
Patrón Silver
Patrón
Amanda Phelps, beverage operations supervisor at Frannie & The Fox in Charleston, South Carolina
Patrón is a big seller. We talk to our guests about how Patrón is 100 percent tequila with no additives and has smooth flavors for sipping alone. There’s a reason it’s such a big name in the tequila world.
Fortaleza Blanco
Fortaleza
Leighton Bagley, bar manager at Little Palm in Charleston, South Carolina
Fortaleza Tequila has grown in popularity over the past few years with newer agave fans. It makes sense that it’s a popular choice for guests. Fortaleza has insanely smooth tasting notes of citrus, vanilla, and cooked agave. It comes in at a great price point for either on the rocks or in a cocktail.
Clase Azul Reposado
Clase Azul
Lily Van Duyn, food and beverage manager at The Vinoy Renaissance in St. Petersburg, Florida
Clase Azul Reposado is aged for eight months in American whiskey barrels, creating a very smooth tequila that’s easy to enjoy over rocks with a slice of lime. With subtle hints of vanilla and cloves, plus an eye-catching blue and white bottle, guests are always requesting Clase Azul Reposado at The Vinoy.
Don Fulano Blanco is a popular choice. The fruit of five generations of agave farmers and a singular tequila-making heritage, Don Fulano brings together the highlands of Jalisco and the valleys of Tequila. The brand relies on three key elements to make the best possible Tequila, mature estate-grown agave, proprietary yeast, and volcanic spring water. It’s filled with flavors like citrus, vanilla, and subtle spices.
Espolon Blanco
Espolon
Samantha Seltzer, beverage and service manager at Royal Boucherie in Philadelphia
Espolon Blanco is the most often requested tequila. You can’t beat the quality and price point. Drinkers know they are getting a quality 100 percent blue agave tequila with no harsh bite. It’s smooth, sweet, with tropical fruit flavors and slight cracked black pepper.
Don Julio 1942
Don Julio
Subhash Sankar, head mixologist at Alaia Belize in San Pedro Town, Belize
Don Julio 1942 Añejo is a big seller for the sipping crowd. 1942 Añejo is exclusively distilled in the brand’s smallest still, pot still six, which produces three barrels per cycle. The aromatics of the 1942 are more complex than any other tequila. The fruit/pepper/menthol finish of the 1942 is reminiscent of an actual cigar finish. This tequila is best enjoyed neat. Its complex unctuous fruit note also lends it to creativity in cocktails.
“I just put some bath salts up my ass, and they are really starting to kick in” is probably something that you never thought you’d hear coming out of Hugh Jackman’s mouth, but you can think Netflix and the minds behind Big Mouth for this gem.
As this trailer also reveals, the Human Resourcesspinoff promises to be edgier (and maybe even grosser) than Big Mouth, and the show doesn’t shy away from Hormone Monsters but does dive into the inner workings of daily lives of those creatures, along with Depression Kitties and Shame Wizards. Expect to hear familiar franchise voices, including Nick Kroll, Maya Rudolph, David Thewlis, Aidy Bryant, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Keke Palmer, Randall Park, and more. And also, there’s an award-winning, all-star set of new names portraying both new creatures and humans:
NEW CREATURES:
● Helen Mirren as renowned Shame Wizard Rita St. Swithens
● Hugh Jackman as Dante the seductive Addiction Angel
● Lupita Nyong’o as Asha the Shame Wizard
● Chris O’Dowd as Flanny the Lovebug
● Harvey Guillen as Jose the Spider Receptionist
NEW HUMANS:
● Ali Wong as Becca
● Janelle Monáe as Claudia
● Mike Birbiglia as Barry
● Tim Robinson as Doug
Damn Helen Mirren as a Shame Wizard = We live in incredible times.
If you’re looking for a great Scotch whisky, this list is for you. Scotch whisky — blended or single malt — hits a pretty nice stride right under $100 per bottle. This is the point where you can start to find some truly special expressions that are also widely available. Granted, there is a long way to go when it comes to great scotch, but this is a pretty good place to be if you’re looking for a banger.
As for this list, I’ve pulled ten bottles of scotch I dig. I then ranked those bottles based on which ones I think are most worth rushing out to buy. That’s not to say “skip numbers ten through five” or anything like that — in fact, one of those might be a better fit for your particular palate. Since we’re focused on my particular palate though, I’ll say that these scotches only get better (and better) as the countdown ticks along.
Sound good? Let’s dive in and talk about some truly great Scotch whisky to drink.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This no-age-statement whisky has an interesting aging process. The whisky is aged in a combination of used barrels and re-charred barrels. Basically, they take old barrels, strip the charring, rebuild those barrels, and then re-char them to their standards. The process adds a new layer of depth by rejuvenating the staves. The whisky from those barrels is then blended into a darker, smokier, and deeper single malt.
Tasting Notes:
This sip amps up the peat a tad while bringing in the brine next to a clear maltiness, honey pears, and a touch of charred wood. The smoke at play here is more akin seaside campfire while the brininess is reminiscent of oyster liquor with a dry chili spice lurking in the background. There’s a hint of the berry leftover from the Talisker 10, with a touch more peppery spice by the end.
Bottom Line:
While Talisker 10 is the entry-point for this Skye whisky, their non-age-statement expressions serve that purpose too. Storm is a great mixing whisky if you’re looking to spice up your cocktails with a layer of smoke. I also really like it in oyster shooters.
This Scotch blend is a mix of Diageo single malt and single grain whiskies that are all at least 18-years-old. Those whiskies are aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before their married into this well-crafted expression.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of malt next to hints of orange zest, honey, and bright cherry. The palate really delivers on the cherry as the orange zest becomes candied and a nutty edge arrives, ushering in a subtle and almost sweet smoke. The smoke dries a bit as a note of pine arrives late, supported by the orange, cherry, and honey with a touch of warm spice.
Bottom Line:
This blend might not be as iconic as Johnnie Walker, but it offers a beautiful drinking experience. Drink this one of the rocks or layered into a cocktail and you will not be disappointed.
The Balvenie is renowned for doing everything in-house from growing grains to making their own barrels while also being the distillery that spearheaded the whole “finishing whisky in a different cask” movement. In this case, the juice spends 14 years maturing in ex-bourbon barrels. The whisky is then batched and transferred to barrels that The Balvenie aged their own blend of West Indies rum in.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a welcoming rush of buttery toffee up top with hints at brown spices, bright red berries, and a touch of sweet malts. The palate brings around creamy vanilla dotted with those sweet and slightly tart red berries next to a very soft and sweet oakiness. The finish is medium-length and full of soft wood, vanilla cream, and a touch of that spice.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the whiskies that’s just nice. It’s so easy-sipping, even neat, that you’ll be hard-pressed not to pour a second. It’s not overly complex, but that’s okay in an everyday sipper like this.
This is the same juice as the old-school Johnnie Walker Platinum. The blend is comprised of 18 whiskies from Diageo’s stables that are all a minimum of 18 years old. The primary distilleries in the bottle are Blair Athol, Cardhu, Glen Elgin, and Auchroisk.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rich and buttery toffee that’s counterpointed by a bowl of ripe and sweet fruit that really draws you in. The caramel malts mix with marzipan, creamy vanilla pudding, and a nice rush of juicy winter tangerines that have just been peeled. Adding a little water, those orange oils marry to a deep, dark chocolate nature, which leads towards a velvety and ever-so-lightly smoky close.
Bottom Line:
There are moments in this whisky that feel almost like a creamy old bourbon. It’s really enticing, especially in a highball with sharp fizzy water. It also works with just a single rock to let the whisky bloom a little in the glass. Either way, you’re in for a treat.
This Campbeltown whisky is distilled at the iconic Springbank Distillery. The whisky is a no-age-statement release that leans into the peatier end of the Springbank offerings. The whisky is bottled with a little water added to cut the proof down but without filtration or added color.
Tasting Notes:
You get a big whiff of vanilla pudding on the nose that leads towards singed marshmallow and a backyard firepit vibe with fresh, savory herbs growing nearby and fruit trees (think pear and peach) hanging overhead, adding a light fruity woodiness. The palate lights those fruity wood on fire and lets the soft and sweet smoke drive the taste as the creamy vanilla is counterpointed by a slight Ace Bandage note and an earthy dry clay. The finish takes its time and lets the sweet smoke slowly fade away while a hint of sweet vanilla lingers underneath the pall.
Bottom Line:
This is a great introduction to Springbank’s “other” whiskies. It’s definitely for the peat enthusiasts but, I think, the bourbon vanilla and fruity vibes can entice the peat-curious too. That’s especially true if you mix this into a highball with good soda water.
Caol Ila is a tiny Islay distillery that is more familiar to hardcore whisky fans than the casual drinker. This expression is the distillery’s entry-point whisky that highlights the subtle peatiness, gentle aging, and the soft lapping of the sea against the distillery’s outer white walls.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a matrix of dried roses soaked in water touched by orange oils, almonds, and a trace of classic Listerine buzziness. The sip has a savoriness that feels like olive oil speckled with coarse sea salt next to a distant billow of briny smoke, all counterpointed by sweet malts and fruits. The finish sweetens the smokiness with a fruity-yet-spicy tobacco edge while the end fades towards an almost salty-sour hint of citrus.
Bottom Line:
It was hard not to put this at number one. This is a stellar pour: Neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail. It’s so subtle and deep while still feeling 100 percent accessible. There’s nothing overdone or “loud” about this whisky. It’s a quiet whisper in your senses that’s very enticing.
This smoky Islay peated malt means “smoky two.” Well, that’s what “Toiteach A Dhà” translates to anyway. The whisky is a peated malt that’s matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and then married with an eye cast towards the sea and all that sherry wood.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of sweet and stewed plums with a focus on cinnamon sticks and an almost spicy smokiness. The palate shifts towards a savory fruit (think pumpkin) with flourishes of dark chocolate next to meaty dates and lightly salted sardines. The end leans back into the spicy and very briny smokiness as the malts ebb and flow between sweet and dry with a plummy texture.
Bottom Line:
I know, “sardines” and “dark chocolate” don’t sound like they go together. But trust me, they do in this format. This whisky really leans into the sea-meets-smoke aspects of a great Islay whisky with serious depth next to easy drinkability. While this is great neat, you really do need to add a little water to let it bloom properly in the glass.
The bulbous bottle from The Glenrothes is all about the sherry. The expression spends an undisclosed amount of years in first-fill sherry casks. When those barrels are just right, the whisky is then batched and vatted before being proofed down only slightly.
Tasting Notes:
You’re met with candied orange peel spiked with hints of eggnog spices and a touch of gooey pine resin. The taste holds on tightly to that candied orange, while adding in a velvety vanilla cream generously dusted with those eggnog spices and a softer touch of almost sweet wood. The finish zeroes in on the orange and nutmeg as the vanilla and oak fade away on the slow end.
Bottom Line:
This is comforting. You can drink this neat all day long. It also makes one hell of an old fashioned, thanks to all those sherry/wintry notes.
High up on the Orkney Islands, Highland Park is making whisky for modern-day Vikings. Valknut (a knot of three triangles honoring those who fell in battle) uses locally grown “Tartan barley” that’s malted with a bit of local peat. That whisky spends an undisclosed amount of time aging in American oak that held sherry. The juice is vatted, proofed with Orkney’s soft water, and bottled in a bespoke Viking-inspired bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Imagine vanilla pods warming up in a pan and just starting to release their oils and smoke next to a hint of black pepper and cedar. The palate holds onto that vanilla while adding a touch of black licorice and clove next to more cedar and maybe some fennel-crusted rye bread. The finish holds onto the spice with a chewy tobacco vibe next to an almost fatty smoke from a backyard salmon smoker and a touch of orange oils.
Bottom Line:
This is a whisky that may well make you say “wow” when you finish that first dram. There’s a lot going on and it all tracks from the licorice to the rye bread to the fatty fish oils. Again, add a little water to your glass (or a rock) to really let this whisky shine.
This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the juice is crafted expertly by the sea at Lagavulin. Then the whisky spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak.
Tasting Notes:
Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose. The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality. The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.
Bottom Line:
This is the best peated whisky you can buy for under $100, full stop. It’s smoky, sure, but there’s so much more going on. It’s truly an icon of the peated whisky world thanks to those layers of wood, sea, and peat coming together in every sip. Pour this one over some rocks, neat, or in a Smoky Cokey and you’ll never be disappointed.
While a pair of rare sneakers might seem to be a strange thing to go to war over, for Wale, they represent the difference between authenticity and appropriation. That’s the theme of his Folarin II track “Tiffany Nikes,” which turns the Diamond Supply Co. collaboration with Nike into a metaphor for the sort of cultural touchstones that get hijacked by outsiders looking to profit from hip-hop without putting in the time or appreciation to earn their spot within it.
Fittingly, the video is shot inside the Diamond Supply Co. store on Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles, where Wale, a massive sneakerhead from the days before apps and blogs, shows off the titular Tiffany Dunks. However, he’s also willing to change with the times; the video also doubles as a promotion for the NTWRK app, a “mobile-first video shopping platform” that blends webshows (like the ones on Snapchat and Instagram) with advertising and a marketplace similar to StockX. In addition, Wale and NTWRK are giving away a pair of Tiffany Nikes for $1 to encourage fans to sign up for the app for a chance to win.
Watch Wale’s “Tiffany Nikes” video above and catch Wale live as he wraps up his Under A Blue Moon Tour this week.
Folarin II is out now via Warner Records. Get it here.
Wale is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The WNBA is in the midst of a generational shift, one that sees new ownership groups coming in from elsewhere in the world of sports that see the league as a chance for investment in the future, not worrying about the balance sheets of today. The result is a power struggle at the highest levels of the league that has begun to play out publicly.
Earlier this offseason, Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis explained why he made Becky Hammon the first coach to make $1 million per year, saying that coaches salaries aren’t part of the CBA and he wants to make clear his investment in the team (and wishes he could pay players more). He did this in response to Liz Cambage, a former Aces star now in Los Angeles, calling out the discrepancy in Hammon’s salary and the max salary for WNBA players — as well as the travel conditions they face flying coach from game to game.
Davis also addressed that, saying he thinks the WNBA should allow teams to charter flights, something they currently aren’t allowed to because some teams can’t afford it and have it written into the CBA that it can’t be done to avoid a competitive imbalance. On Tuesday, we learned the battle over chartered flights is not something new to this offseason and that Davis’ statements follow a year-long fight behind closed doors about the issue.
Howard Megdal wrote a terrific, detailed report for Sports Illustrated about the situation, where Liberty owner Joe Tsai flaunted the league’s rules and secretly chartered flights for his players throughout the second half of last season, earning a $500,000 fine for doing so — one many owners thought wasn’t enough. Per Megdal, there is a division between the new big money owners and the longtime owners in the league, one that led to some contentious arguments during the early days of the offseason about chartered flights, with Tsai finding a way to get chartered flights sponsored by an airline for three years, but the Board of Governors shutting down the plan.
On Sept. 13, according to a source familiar with the call, the WNBA Board of Governors considered an unofficial proposal from the Liberty to make charter flights the default travel option for WNBA teams—the Liberty said they’d found a way to get it comped for everyone in the league for three years—but it lacked majority support. Some owners worried that players would get used to it, so there’d be no going back, and others wondered whether players might just prefer a salary hike instead.
Tsai eventually took his frustrations with the league’s refusal to engage in talks about chartered flights public, noting his plan to get airlines on board on Twitter in October.
League says you can’t fly charter because different owners have different financial circumstances. I’m working with Commissioner Englebert to find a charter sponsor. Conversations with airline CEOs going well. They get the idea of equity for women athletes.
The line that is drawing the most attention, rightfully so, from the piece is that “some owners worried that players would get used to it,” which seems to be the point that Tsai and Davis are trying to make with their comments — these players deserve to be used to that kind of treatment. This is a fight that only seems to be escalating within the BOG, and it will be fascinating to see what comes next because, at some point, the change is coming and owners unwilling or without the ability to spend are likely going to get muscled out.
While the charter flight issue is written into the WNBA’s CBA, there are other ways for new owners to shift the balance of power and push other teams to up their treatment of players in the process. We’ve already seen how the Aces and Liberty have upgraded facilities to be in line with their NBA counterparts. In a league where money is mostly the same from team to team, it’s things like that — facilities, support staff, etc. — that can swing free agency decisions, and it forces other teams to follow suit or get left behind. That’s the case across all sports, with the NBA seeing an arms race of sorts in recent years with new state of the art practice facilities, and it’s a signifier that the WNBA is on the right path in terms of increased investment in the players.
With all the talk of expansion for the WNBA and the need to add teams given the amount of talent coming into the league and just 12 teams to take all of those players in, one would expect new ownership groups to be more in line with the Davis’ and Tsai’s. A few more owners with deep pockets who see the league as a long-term investment vehicle in a growing industry rather than a business in need of turning a profit or coming as close as they can in the immediate might just flip the majority on the Board of Governors. When that happens, the influx of cash into the league figures to come quickly and concerns over travel conditions for players will become a thing of the past.
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