Category: News

The Western Conference Finals will get started on Tuesday night in Denver, as the top-seeded Nuggets play host to the 7-seeded Lakers for the right to play for an NBA championship.

On Monday, the two teams met with the media for the first time since the matchup was finalized with the Lakers beating the Warriors in six games, and naturally there was lots of talk about how each team would try and approach the opposing stars. For L.A., they will have to figure out what to do with Nikola Jokic, who has been dominant this postseason, averaging 30.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game through the first two rounds.

Part of what makes Jokic such a tough cover is he doesn’t have real weaknesses on the offensive end, as he is not only capable as a prolific scorer, but he’s also one of the best passers in the league, picking apart double teams by feeding open teammates. To this point, no one has come up with a functional game plan to slow down the two-time MVP, but Darvin Ham has been thinking outside the box and has finally cracked the code.

Unfortunately, this is a plan that would be illegal, but at least he’s considering all the options available to him (and maybe watched Celtic Pride on the plane ride to Denver).

The reality of facing Jokic and the Nuggets is that there are no scheme things you can do to take him away, you just have to execute as best you can on everyone else, make life as difficult as possible for the big man, and hope to end up on the right side of shooting variance from their role guys. However, what the Lakers can do is try to and make the big man work as much as possible on defense in hopes that, maybe, you can wear him down some.

Jokic, despite his appearance, doesn’t wear down easily, but if he’s tasked with dealing with Anthony Davis and the Lakers are willing to operate through AD consistently, they can at least test that endurance on both ends (and potentially put him in foul trouble). That still might not work, but Davis presents the biggest offensive threat inside the Nuggets have faced to this point and will represent Jokic’s strongest test yet.

When it comes to how to drink bourbon, there are too many opinions out there. Gatekeeping and the … let’s just call it pomposity of some whiskey drinkers, dominate a lot of conversations. You’ll hear people say things like, “Never add water or ice! You’ll ruin it!”* or “You can’t mix that into a cocktail! Are you crazy?” and “That is a sipping whiskey ONLY!” with bottles of bourbon whiskey seemingly arbitrarily (that’s because it is exactly that).

As a person who is deep in the industry, I’m giving you permission to tell anyone who tells you how to enjoy the whiskey you paid hard-earned cash for to indeed shut the f*ck up — in the politest way possible.

*The absolute best way to know if a whiskey “expert” is full of shit and has no idea what they’re talking about is if said “expert” says that you can never and should never add water to whiskey (or alter it in any way). This is how you know that they’re a fraud pretty much instantly. Adding water to even the most outrageously expensive whiskey is necessary to allow the profile to “bloom” in the glass — adding a few drops of (good) water releases more smells, deeper texture, and a wider array of flavor notes. It is a crucial step in the tasting/drinking experience. Moreover, every single master distiller and master blender proofs whiskey to 20% ABV or 40 proof (whiskey is bottled at 40% ABV and above/80 proof and up) in the tasting lab when sampling barrels for production because that is the ideal proof for optimal flavor profile absorption and appreciation.

First and foremost, enjoy your whiskey how you like it. But that only really works if you already have a preference. Everyone is on a journey, that journey starts at nil, and we all have to learn how to drink bourbon the way that we like to. None of this is inherent. It takes time and I’m here to mentor you along the way.

Here are the main ways to drink bourbon with a price range to keep in mind to help along that path.

• Shots — this is generally reserved for “rail bourbons” that cost $3-$5 per shot, and often come with a beer back so you can chase away the harshness. At retail, these bottles are under $20 but you can take a shot of absolutely anything you want from any level of bourbon. Though I will warn you, taking a shot of a high-proof bourbon (55% ABV and above) might burn your palate and throat something fierce. It’s never nice.
• Highballs — these are generally made with the same rail bourbons. You’re mixing fizzy water of sugary soda, juices, etc. with bourbon to mostly hide the piss-poor taste. Think bourbon and Coke, Jack and Ginger, whisky highballs, and so forth. At retail, these bottles range from $10 to $30. But if we’re talking solely whiskey and soda water highballs, stick to the higher end of the price spectrum as the whiskey does shine through in those cases.
• Cocktails — this is where things get interesting. Cocktail bourbon is the building block to greater whiskey-drinking heights. Use good bourbon. Always. At retail, expect to pay anywhere from $30-$500 for a great bourbon to make a cocktail with. There are great single barrels that make great cocktails for $20 and there are great ones at $300. And trust me, a Manhattan with Michter’s Single Barrel 10-Year-Old Rye is going to be phenomenal. And an old fashioned with a $50 bottle of Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon is going to slap too. It’s a wide-open field, folks. Don’t listen to people who say you’ll ruin good bourbon by making it a cocktail.
• On The Rocks — this is the bourbon you pour over some ice to slowly sip. The water from the ice will open up more flavor notes while the cooling aspects will mute others. Overall, it’ll make any whiskey easier to sip. Generally at retail, you can pay anywhere from $30 to infinity dollars for a good on the rocks bourbon. Focus on single barrels, barrel picks, and higher proof (the ice calms hotter whiskeys down nicely and makes them way more approachable). Note: The big cubes melt slowly and evolve the drink gradually, whereas a handful of half-melted ice from the well is going to add a lot of water and fast. If you’re paying a lot, you should ask for the big cube.
• Neat — this is a bourbon poured into a glass and sipped slowly. Always add a drop or two of water to help open up the nose and flavor profile — though it’s fun and adds intrigue to do it after your first sip. Overall, this is about sipping whiskey at room temperature in its most basic form — straight from the bottle with a drop of water. At retail, this also ranges from $20 to infinity dollars for a good to great neat bourbon pour.

Finally: Find the bourbon and vibe that suits you because at the end of the day, that’s the best way to drink bourbon. Cheers!

After Summer Walker announced the release date for her new EP Clear 2: Soft Life at Dreamville Festival last month, she’s followed up today, revealing its tracklist. In a video clip Summer shared on social media, the singer shares a conversation with raunchy rappers Sexyy Red and Sukihana, complete with a ’90s sitcom-style laugh track. At the end of the clip, the tracklist appears, containing nods to guest stars J. Cole — who Summer beat at pop-a-shot basketball — and Childish Gambino. In addition, the final track is produced by Solange and Steve Lacy, which has fans on Twitter sharing their excitement.

https://twitter.com/IAMSUMMERWALKER/status/1658150143336521729 https://twitter.com/mimitheblogger/status/1658157341194297345

Upon finding out that Solange is involved, Summer fans were flourishing. Solange hasn’t put out new music since 2019’s When I Get Home, so it’s understandable. And while she did compose a score for the New York City Ballet, that’s not quite the same as getting new music for public consumption.

In January, Summer celebrated reaching her goal of having “hella kids before 30.” Despite having three kids now with the birth of her twins, the Atlanta singer has still found the time to appear on tracks from Kali Uchis and Daniel Caesar and perform at Dreamville Festival.

Clear 2: Soft Life is out 5/21.

WARNING: Spoilers for Succession Season 4 Episode 8 below.

After putting Succession viewers through a stressful evening of television that brought back way too memories of 2020 election, Sarah Snook opened up about Shiv’s actions during the fraught episode that saw the Roy family’s ATN news empire call a presidential election for Justin Kirk’s ultra-right candidate Jeryd Mencken.

While the episode initially started with Mencken looking at a loss, the situation drastically turned when a polling center was firebombed in Wisconsin, which provided an opening for some election night chaos that Kieran Culkin’s Roman Roy was all too eager to capitalize on. Not only does he have a close relationship with Mencken, which could pay dividends if it makes it to the White House, but Roman is also waving around the fact that Mencken will stop Alexander Skarsård’s Lukas Matsson from gobbling up the family empire in a multi-billion dollar purchase.

However, Shiv is reluctant to aid Mencken’s rise to power, and on the surface, it looks like her justifications come from an ethical and moral place. It is wrong (and a legal nightmare) to tilt a presidential election because of a situation that Mencken’s own supporters may have caused. It’s bad news all around. But as Snook highlights during the official Succession podcast, Shiv’s actions aren’t entirely for the good of the nation.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

In her after-the-episode interview, Snook said not so fast to any viewers praising Shiv for standing up for the good of the country. “That’s convenient that it’s an altruistic side for her. Let’s remember, she’s not an altruist. But she does believe in Democracy and, like, dictators not being president,” she said, with a laugh.

Of course, Shiv’s true motivations are revealed with devastating results later in the episode. Unbeknownst to her brothers, she’s been secretly working with Matsson to keep the sale going and land herself a powerful position in the resulting media conglomerate. If Mencken wins, the deal goes away. It’s learning that his sister isn’t as benevolent as he believed that hurts Jeremy Strong’s Kendall the most, according to series creator Jesse Armstrong.

“Why do you do the good thing, because you want to be seen to be good? Because it serves your interests better? And that’s what particularly pisses Kendall off,” Armstrong said. “When he starts to feel that her professed liberalism is merely preening, that’s what blows his gasket.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

This Friday, May 19, Kaytranada and Aminé will release their joint album, Kaytraminé, after sharing a pair of singles, “4Eva” featuring Pharrell Williams, and “Rebuke.” The album follows Kaytranada’s Simple with IDK and Aminé’s TwoPointFive. While Aminé hasn’t been super visible lately — although he has been playing festivals in the two years since his last project — Kaytranada has been busy producing for artists like Anderson .Paak, HER, Joyce Wrice, and more. Here’s everything we know about their upcoming collaboration, Kaytraminé.

Release Date

Kaytraminé is out 5/19 via Venice Music.

Tracklist

1. “Who He Iz”
2. “letstalkaboutit” Feat. Freddie Gibbs
3. “4EVA” Feat. Pharrell Williams
4. “Westside”
5. “Master P” Feat. Big Sean
6. “Rebuke”
7. “Sossaup” Feat. Amaarae
8. “STFU3”
9. “Ugh Ugh”
10. “Eye” Feat. Snoop Dogg
11. “K&A”

Features

Kaytraminé features guest appearances from Amaarae, Big Sean, Freddie Gibbs, and Snoop Dogg.

Artwork

Singles

So far, two singles have been released: “4Eva” featuring Pharrell Williams and “Rebuke.”

Tour

Although Kaytranada and Aminé have yet to announce a tour, fans did get a preview of a potential live show thanks to Kaytranada’s Coachella weekend one set, when Aminé joined him on stage to perform “4Eva.” There’s also plenty of potential for solo sets from each encompassing tracks from past efforts like Bubba and Limbo.

Coming off of the 2022 WNBA title, the Las Vegas Aces enter the 2023 season somehow even stronger than they were when they lifted the trophy.

Candace Parker, a two-time WNBA champion, two-time MVP, 7-time All-Star, and one of the greatest players to ever grace the hardwood, signed with the Aces in the offseason, and they rounded out their bench with one of the best role players in the league in Alysha Clark. Off the court, the Aces are taking sizable steps as a franchise in building out their infrastructure. They just built and introduced a brand new state of the art practice facility, simultaneously pushing up the floor and ceiling of franchise expectations.

The Aces are expected to put all of their star pieces together quickly, thanks in part to the synergy Parker has with star point guard Chelsea Gray after a half decade together with the Los Angeles Sparks. That’s something they’ve picked back up quickly in camp, but Gray isn’t the only Aces guard Parker’s developing chemistry with.

Parker and 2022 All-WNBA First Team member Kelsey Plum have been quickly building a bond in camp that is helped by some of their work together off the court as part of Google’s NBA/WNBA “Okay I See You” shorts and, most recently, the “Greatest Watch Party” campaign.

We caught up with Plum ahead of the spot’s release to dive into her experience shooting the campaign, teaming up with Parker on and off the court, and more.

How did you first start working with Google and what has that partnership been like for you?

I’ve resonated a lot with them and the work that they’re doing particularly in women’s sports and growing the game. I’m just super grateful that they thought of me when they thought of a WNBA player for their partnership. I’m really proud to be a part of what they’re doing what they’re continuing to do.

It feels like you, Candace, or A’ja (Wilson) are on my TV screen every 30 minutes. What has the experience been seeing that star power from on the court play out and grow into this star power off of it?

It’s tremendous. To be able to be in a commercial with Candace, it kind of gave me goosebumps. I remember us filming and just laughing like “what is life?” and it speaks volumes to who Google is. They understand their investment, they understand the future is women and women’s sports and Gen Z. They’re kind of ahead of everyone else and it’s really cool to be part of it.

You’ve obviously been in a commercials before and been a brand partner, but this feels like kind of hitting a new height. Like this is running during the playoffs, it’s running constantly… what does that sort of gravity feel like?

It’s all about the partnership. Watching the commercial yesterday is just so cool, it’s very inclusive. Like, who doesn’t love watching the playoffs? Who doesn’t love watching exciting basketball? You’re bringing in Druski, and influencers, and Diamond (DeShields), Candace, and me… bigger than the commercial note, the partnership of what they’re doing to connect the game to fans. Like, I know 99 percent of fans that watch basketball are unable to go to games. So to feel connected in a different way is super important to grow the game and to make people feel like they’re a part of a player’s journey. A part of Google bringing easy access to fans through their technology and platform. It’s been really cool.

That’s such a great point in being able to showcase personality to people who aren’t physically there, I hadn’t thought of that. I have to ask, how do you know what dance moves you’re breaking out for the shoot? Are you running through like six or seven and settled on one or how’d that go?

I didn’t know it was happening! I kind of just got thrown into it at the last minute. I don’t even think it was part of the original plan and they were just like “hey, Kelsey, can you do this?” so I just went with the beat. I asked for Too Short, that kinda gets me going.

Wait, which Too Short song?

Oh man, what song was it? I can’t even remember.

It’s gotta be Blow the Whistle.

YES! It was definitely Blow the Whistle! The energy just kinda carried me, you had Diamond and Candace behind the Pixel helping me out, it was awesome.

What was the shoot process like? That environment seems so dope. Was the final product pretty emblematic of what it was like in person?

Nah, it was very real. What you see… the energy, the people, it was like a legit party. That’s what made it so fun. There was like this random grandfather dancing behind me in that scene. There were genuine W fans there. It was actually filmed in a house, so there wasn’t all this movie magic, this was genuinely like cuts being taken on a Pixel. Like, you see the clarity and the precision of the camera, and that’s all real because they filmed it in a way where it felt like you didn’t have to do anything other than be yourself.

What was your favorite part of the experience overall, even if it didn’t make the final cut?

Meeting Druski was cool, but being around the Google team, there’s so many people behind the scenes that make things happen and I don’t think they get the love that they should. From the content team to lighting, sound, and the guys behind the camera make my life easy, all I need to do is throw a couple of dances in there and smile.

Just from hearing you talk before, I know you’re very much someone who likes to talk to kind of anybody. What was it like connecting with everyone from Google at the shoot?

There’s a familiarity and that speaks a lot to Google and how they are as a company. Happy people make really good workers, our coach (Becky Hammon) talks about that all the time, happy players make good players. You see that in the way everyone is excited to be there, ready to work, and locked in. Just very present. I’ve shot with them multiple times and there’s plenty of familiar faces, but what stands out to me is that not only is everyone uber talented, there’s a lot of camaraderie there, which you don’t really see. That’s not something you can really fake. I think that’s a bit unique for such a massive company.

That’s really awesome to hear, I love that. Last thing I want to wrap up on; I know you’re a huge preparation person. I see the work and time you put in before games, I’ve watched your shooting routine. Do you do anything in routine or prep for a shoot?

Oh gosh, don’t take yourself too seriously, you know? This is all Cadillac problems in the moment. I just try to have a lot of fun, bring energy, have a lot of joy when I’m there and just continue to reiterate that any given day, these types of opportunities can be gone. So I have to enjoy it in the moment and make the most of it. It’s been a blessing, and hopefully we can continue to work together, because I’ve loved being a part of what Google has going.

As far as anyone can tell, Donald Trump listens to the same 20 songs over and over again, 10 of which are Broadway standards. Two of his favorite non-showtunes are “YMCA” and “Macho Man” by the Village People. It’s a one-sided relationship, as the kitschy group celebrated when he lost the 2020 election (“Thankfully he’s now out of office, so it would seem his abusive use of our music has finally ended”). But that didn’t stop Trump from hiring a Village Record tribute band to perform at Mar-a-Lago.

The best thing Trump ever did was make other tall gargoyles (like myself) look like smooth dancers by comparison. Anyway, the video went viral and caught the attention of the actual Village People, not the Florida imposters.

And according to TMZ, they’re not happy.

The wife of Victor Willis — lead singer of the Village People — fired off a legal warning to Trump, telling him to stop confusing people into believing they endorse him for president, which they claim Trump’s doing with his entertainment choices… The band says it’s not them in the video, but rather a bunch of impersonators dressed like them and they say they never gave Trump permission to use the group’s image and likeness at Mar-a-Lago.

In response, Trump’s more-like-macho-bland attorney, Joe Tacopina, told TMZ, “I will only deal with the attorney of the Village People, if they have one, not the wife of one of the members. But they should be thankful that President Trump allowed them to get their name back in the press. I haven’t heard their name in decades. Glad to hear they are still around.”

I, for one, would not enjoy if one of my favorite bands threatened legal action to prevent me from playing their music, but Trump’s different, I guess.

(Via TMZ)

As promised, Showtime and Lionsgate are looking to ditch their former TV model (original shows) by doing what everyone else is doing lately and focusing on building (and rebuilding) their current franchises for a wider audience. Does it work? Sometimes! Is it a good idea? Not sure yet! But history is pushing against it.

The company is looking to revive not one, but two classic Showtime shows from the mid-2000s: Nurse Jackie and Weeds. The former followed Edie Falco as a pill-popping nurse who had to balance her rough personal life with the demanding role of being a nurse, while Weeds starred Mary-Louise Parker as a single mother who becomes a weed dealer in order to make ends meet. Though who knows how the show will pick up a decade later now that marijuana has been legal in the state. Perhaps she will have to try another approach.

Deadline reports that Parker is in talks to return as a producer and star of the series, which will take place a decade after the original show ended, and be written and executive produced by Christian Torpe. But star Justin Kirk doesn’t seem sold on the idea. The actor recently told Variety, “I had heard rumors of various iterations,” he confirmed but was wary about returning to the story. “Even as a fan, do you really want to see us all old and coming back? By the time of Season 8, I don’t think the general idea was, ‘We should keep doing this!’” If you’re ever asking yourself that, the answer is almost always no.

As for Jackie, Falco is reportedly in talks to reprise her character in a new series, which will be written and executive produced by Abe Sylvia and Liz Flahive, who worked on the original. Maybe her new pal Pete Davidson will pop in for a little cameo. He loves doing that.

(Via Deadline)

The NBA Playoffs are going on right now, and since the Los Angeles Lakers are in the mix this year, celebrities have been flocking to Crypto.com Arena to watch LeBron James and company play. Bad Bunny and Kendall Jenner turned up to their May 12 contest against the Golden State Warriors, and while there, they pair inadvertently became a meme.

An image of the two has been making the rounds since then, a TV screenshot that shows Bad Bunny talking into Jenner’s ear while she sports an expression of confusion or disinterest. People immediately picked up on the fact that the image bears a strong resemblance to the 2011 “Bro Explaining” meme and its derivatives, like the Milk Edinburgh club photo, “John Silver Explaining to Anna Jay,” and “Girl Explaining.” In all of them, the idea is that it’s a photo of two people, one seemingly giving a passionate explanation about something while the other appears uninterested.

So yes, memes were made.

Merriam-Webster (the folks behind the dictionary) had a good showing here, coming through with, “‘IRREGARDLESS’ HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1795. ITS INCLUSION IN THE DICTIONARY IS NOT A SIGN OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FALLING TO PIECES, OR PROOF OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FAILING, NOR IS IT THE WORK OF CURSED MILLENNIALS. IT JUST MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE USE IT TO MEAN ‘REGARDLESS.’

Check out some more examples below.

This weekend, 88rising is bringing its Head In The Clouds Festival to New York for the first time, headlined by Indonesian singer Niki and Indonesian rapper Rich Brian. The Festival is set to take place this weekend, May 20 and 21 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. You can check out the set times below. The doors open at 2 pm, while the headlining sets will go on around 10 pm.

88rising continues to make its mark on the pop culture landscape as the first label dedicated to primarily marketing Asian artists such as Hong Kong rapper Jackson Wang, Thai rapper Milli, and South Korean singer-songwriter BIBI. 2022 marked the first year that the Head In The Clouds Festival began to put on overseas events, with one in Jakarta and another in Manila.

As 88rising founder/CEO Sean Miyashiro told UPROXX, “I never really think of us as a label, I think of us as a collective of artists. The label is just a function of putting out music. But before that, we are a collective of artists that want to put out good stuff. It’s about us all coming together, too. And that’s why Head In The Clouds Forever is so dope because that’s just a live, living, and breathing interpretation of what this company wants to be.”