Month: May 2021

The recent struggles of the Los Angeles Lakers have meant that a showdown with the Golden State Warriors could come in the play-in tournament. Los Angeles is currently slotted into the 6-seed by a half-game over the Portland Trail Blazers, while Golden State is a half-game back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the 8-seed.

This means that LeBron James and the Warriors could, theoretically, reignite the rivalry that defined the latter part of the last decade during a new, gimmicky addition to the postseason that players on both teams don’t seem particularly stoked about. But as an added bonus, this matchup would give Steph Curry the opportunity to get a little revenge against Anthony Davis for something that occurred while the latter was streaming himself playing Grand Theft Auto Roleplay.

Davis was mid-mission and was faced with having to take out someone who was dressed in a Curry jersey. Before going on to do other things, Davis shot the dude.

It is probably something not worth reading too far into — Davis tweeted earlier this year that he’s amazed by Curry while the Warriors’ star was putting on a show in the All-Star Game. But as a general rule of thumb, Davis should learn not to do things that he could end up regretting, especially when the possibility exists that someone prominently involved in said thing could knock your team out of the play-in tournament.

Gucci Mane’s New 1017 Records roster is a man down after Foogiano, best known for his single “Molly,” was sentenced to five years in prison for fleeing house arrest, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. Foogiano, whose real name is Kwame Khalil Brown, was arrested in December of 2020 for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon but he was released on $50,000 bail with the condition that he remain in Georgia and wear an ankle monitor.

However, his ankle monitor was found on the side of a road in Barrow County and Foogiano was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee on March 11 after apparently melting the monitor and disappearing. US Marshall’s apprehended him at the funeral of fellow 1017 rapper Pooh Shiesty‘s brother, waiting until the service was over before making the arrest. According to Foogiano’s attorney Brandon Lewis, the rapper had cut his ankle monitor and fled in order to attend the birth of his son, who was due around the time he disappeared.

Foogiano learned that there was an arrest warrant out for him but decided not to turn himself in. His recently born son brings his total number of children to six. He was also named along with Gucci Mane in a wrongful death lawsuit after a woman was shot to death in a nightclub where the rappers were performing.

Foogiano is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Harry Styles was widely praised for wearing a dress in a photoshoot last year, although some folks didn’t care for it. Recently, Kid Cudi faced a similar reaction to a similar situation after performing in a dress on Saturday Night Live. Now, Cudi’s friend and SNL star Pete Davidson has come to Cudi’s defense, saying on the Breakfast Club that he was all for Cudi’s fashion choice.

“I loved it, I thought it was great,” he said at 24:46 into the interview, which was shared today. “I think, you know, when you get criticism like that, it’s just like, ‘OK, cool. Those are people I don’t really wanna associate myself with anyway, people that are that close-minded.’ I thought it was really cool and like a cool tribute. […] I thought he killed it. I thought it was great. It was also fun to hang with him.”

He then touched on making the sketch with Cudi about “that weird little flute” that pops up in rap songs, saying, “You know me: I’ve been a huge Cudi guy forever, so getting to do a music video with him was everything. […] Cudi did a great job and it was fun. I loved it.”

While this was Cudi’s first time as musical guest on the show, it wasn’t his first time on SNL: He made a brief cameo in the “A New Kyle” sketch from 2018, palling around with Kyle Mooney after Mooney changed his lifestyle to copy Davidson. Of course, Cudi and Davidson were also famously photographed having dinner with Kanye West and Timothée Chalamet in 2019. Back in 2016, Davidson also credited Cudi and his music for saving his life.

Watch Davidson’s full interview above.

The Indiana Pacers are trying to navigate tricky waters right now due to rumblings of discontent surrounding the job first-year head coach Nate Bjorkgren has done, to the point that reports indicate he might not get to coach the team once this season ends. The extent to which there are issues came to light in a new piece by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, which paints a picture of a franchise in a particularly tough place.

The most fascinating detail involves standout forward T.J. Warren, who caught fire in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble and looked set to have a monster 2020-21 campaign. There’s just one problem: Warren has only appeared in four games this year due to a foot injury that eventually needed surgery.

As Fischer’s report explains, Warren was not on board with hiring Bjorkgren from the jump, requesting a trade when the team named him coach. Then, Warren opted to get surgery on his aforementioned foot injury, and while it did include a practical reason, Warren also wasn’t especially keen about playing for Bjorkgren.

Nor did they consult with last year’s Orlando Bubble breakout player T.J. Warren—who played under Bjorkgren in Phoenix—according to sources. When news of Bjorkgren’s hire became public, Warren requested a trade from the Pacers, according to sources.

It’s believed that Warren even opted for an elective season-ending surgery in March, both to better serve his recovery from a stress fracture in his left foot and also to avoid playing for Bjorkgren for the remainder of this season.

Much of the reporting in recent days about Bjorkgren’s future has mentioned that his relationship with members of the locker room is not very good, but this would take things to a different level — players do not opt for season-ending surgery to avoid their coach unless things are particularly bad. Between all of this and the mid-game argument between one of Bjorkgren’s assistants and Goga Bitadze on Wednesday evening, Indiana appears set to embark on some major soul searching this offseason, whenever that may come.

Finding the world’s best Scotch whisky is no easy task. To begin with, there’s so much of it already out there — with vintages in circulation from decades ago. Couple that with the fact that more and more whisky comes out every year, including seasonal drops, rare releases, brand one-offs, collaborations… It can all be pretty dizzying.

That’s where awards come in. They utilize expert drinkers to separate the wheat from the chaff. And when it comes to the awards circuit, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is very highly thought of.

Because we review a lot of whisky around these parts, it’s always a little gratifying when whiskies we love get big medals. We definitely enjoyed a few of those moments this year. That doesn’t mean we’re never surprised, though. The great thing about these awards is finding new labels — some we’ve never even heard of — thanks to how vast both Scotch whisky as a style and the SFWSC are.

This year, a panel of expert judges adjudicated 1,276 drams of whisk(e)y. That’s a lot of nosing, sipping, and spitting to find a select few gems to anoint the “best.” The process is pretty straightforward and includes four days of blind tasting, a medal round of tastings, and a final round of tastings to pick the “Best in Class.”

Below we’re parsing the Double Gold medal-winning scotch whiskies from this year’s tastings that were also named Best in Class. To receive the much-coveted Double Gold medal, a whisky had to receive a gold medal ranking from every judge on the panel. Then those scotches were judged again to figure out which ones really rose above. If you want to give some of these whiskies a try yourself, click on their prices!

Best In Show Whisky/Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, 20 Years And Older — GLEN SCOTIA 25 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALT

ABV: 48.8%

Average Price: $445

The Whisky:

This year’s Best In Show Whiskey was from Scotland’s Campletown. The juice spent 25 years maturing in old bourbon casks before it’s vatted into first-fill bourbon barrels for a final touch of mellowing. The results are cut down with a little soft water and bottled at a very approachable 97.6 proof.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

Nose: Bracing Atlantic breeze gives strong maritime influence. Taste: Coastal air, red apple, and tangy orange peel with vanilla syrup and caramel sweetness. Finish: Long lingering sea salt with a spicy note of ground ginger.

Bottom Line:

At over $400 per bottle, we’re intrigued to find out if this lives up to the price (and hype it just received). That being said, Glen Scotia Victoriana — another multiple award-winning scotch — is a delight to drink. So we’re pretty confident this will live up to that “best in show” designation.

Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, No Aged Statement — HIGHLAND PARK CASK STRENGTH

ABV: 63.3%

Average Price: $95

The Whisky:

This yearly drop is part of a new line from the Orkney Island’s distillery. The juice is a blend of single malts that are aged exclusively in old American oak that previously held sherry. The barrels are married and bottled as is, to assure you’re getting all the nuance and flavor of their malts meeting that oak.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a light sense of wildflowers on the nose with a rich vanilla husk that leads towards a touch of peat. The taste is surprisingly silken (for a cask strength) with rich and buttery toffee next to honeysuckle, eggnog spices and creaminess, and a small dose of orange zest as a counterpoint. The end holds onto the creaminess and spices as the peat just edges in with a whisper of resinous pine smoke.

Bottom Line:

We’re already pretty big fans of this bottle from way up in Scotland’s northern reaches. It’s edging toward the pricier end, but 100 percent worth investing in to expand your whisky palate.

Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, Up To 12 Years — LAGAVULIN 8

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This expression was originally released to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The whisky was created to mimic the juice that was being bottled back in the 1880s, during a high point in Lagavulin’s history. The whisky became a modern hit and is now part of their core line.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sense of fried fish wrapped in newspaper that greets you on the nose, next to honey-lemon, dry and earthy malts, and a nod to chocolate-covered cherries. The taste brings a solid billow of campfire smoke with traces of dark chocolate, burning cinnamon sticks, dry mint, and burnt potato skins (yes, really). The end is long-ish and marries the tastes together, leaving you with the memory of drinking a dark mint-chocolate spiked espresso next to a smoldering backyard fire on a cold autumn night while somewhere in the distance the sea laps at the shore.

Bottom Line:

While this isn’t our favorite Lagavulin (that honor went to their recent Distiller’s Edition), we were kind of splitting hairs. Lagavulin remains one of the best introductions to both briny and mildly smoky whiskies on the shelf.

Best Distiller’s Single Malt Scotch, 13 To 19 Years — TALISKER 18

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $170

The Whisky:

Being called out as the Best of Class in 2021 by SFWSC is not too surprising for this amazing bottle of whisky from Talisker. This is a classic single malt that also happens to hold the title of “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” from the World Whiskies Awards. The iconic juice is rendered in Talisker’s bespoke stills and then spends nearly two decades resting in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels, like most of the true classic single malts.

Tasting Notes:

This is subtle. The nose has a light yet clear sense of ripe plums, orange oils, buttery toffee, and an almost sour apple next to a distant whiff of briny campfire smoke from one beach over. The orange oils remain on the palate as eggnog spices peek in gently, with hints of that butter toffee driving a rich silkiness. The smoke remains in the distance as the spices warm your senses and the meaty fruit takes the edge off on the slow and satisfying fade.

Bottom Line:

This happens to be our favorite Talisker, full stop. This is probably the one bottle we’d always argue is worth every penny of that high price. It’s a milestone on any whiskey drinker’s journey that’ll take you to new heights every time.

Best Blended Malt Scotch Whisky — MACNAIR’S 21 YEAR OLD LUM REEK PEATED MALT

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $140

The Whisky:

This single malt from the famed Glenallachie Distillery in Aberlour is probably better known for providing juice for iconic blends like Chivas. This blend marries peaty malts with sweeter Speyside malts to create a sherry and red wine-forward dram of whisky.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

Nose: Aristocratic peat smoke with dark chocolate and fudge. Taste: Tobacco, leather, cedarwood, and waves of peat reek with oodles of cocoa, vanilla, honey, and spices.

Bottom Line:

We often call out our love for a saucy dram of Chivas. Since this helps form the backbone of that scotch, we can’t see not digging this too!

Best Blended Scotch, No Age Statement — COMPASS BOX GLASGOW BLEND SCOTCH

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $40

The Whisky:

Compass Box Whisky is all about creating very sippable blends of scotch. This blend is Scotland in a bottle. It’s 67 percent Highlands, Speyside, and Islay married to 33 percent Lowland whiskies aged in first-fill and refill bourbon, first-fill and refill sherry, and finished in specialty French oak.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a plummy nature that’s counterpointed by a subtle yet clear peaty smoke on the nose. The taste really basks in the plummy and nutty sherry aspects, while touching on a lighter vinous note and plenty of berry sweetness. The end is medium-length, with hints of that fruit next to a dailed-in smokiness.

Bottom Line:

Compass Box consistently wows with its masterful blends. Usually, those bottles can reach triple-digits in price pretty quickly. That’s why we really dig this expression — it’s affordable without sacrificing any depth of flavor.

Best Blended Scotch, Up To 15 Years — DEWAR’S CARIBBEAN SMOOTH

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

Rum cask finishing is nothing new, but it is all the rage. This blend from Master Blender Stephanie Macleod is a marriage of 40 whiskies that are vatted and finished in Caribbean rum casks. That final maturation gives the whisky a smooth feel, making it the perfect cocktail base.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of burnt brown sugars and grilled pineapple on the nose, with hints of cloves and vanilla and maybe some dry grass. The taste edges towards a dark molasses rumminess with a touch of dried fruit, more cloves, and a slight mango sweetness. The end really embraces the rummier aspects while holding onto the tropical fruitiness on a fast fade.

Bottom Line:

This really is an excellent mixing scotch. It works wonders in a tropical fruit-centric highball or even as a replacement in Daiquiri or Dark ‘N Stormy. We know, blasphemous … but still delicious.

Best Blended Scotch, 16 Years & Older — DEWAR’S DOUBLE DOUBLE 27 YEAR OLD

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $100 (half bottle)

The Whisky:

Master blender Stephanie Macleod created another masterpiece through this “Double Double” four-step aging process. Step one: aging single malt and single grain whiskies for 27 long years. The malts are then blended, the grains are blended, and they both rest again. Next, all of that is blended together in a vat and rested. Finally, the juice is finished in ex-Palo Cortado sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

You can really tell this has an Aberfeldy backbone with a floral honeyed nose that imbues summer breezes full of fragrant flowers. That floral honey leads to an almost lemon-honey vibe with hints of cinnamon and cedar next to light pear tobacco and dry grass. The end turns into pure silk as the florals, honey, pear, and spice slowly … massage your tongue as it fades away.

Bottom Line:

This is a phenomenal dram of whisky that’s worth the hype and the price. It’s so easy to drink while also holding onto a real character that feels authentic to its Highland roots full of wildflower fields in the summertime.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

The return of in-person concerts is almost here. Music festivals have started setting their sights on late summer and early fall events, and Milwaukee’s Summerfest is the latest to unveil their 2021 lineup. Festival organizers unveiled their first wave of lineup announcements, including headliners like Chance The Rapper, Jonas Brothers, and Miley Cyrus.

Summerfest is scheduled to take place later this year, on the weekends of September 2 to 4, 9 to 11, and 16 to 18. Along with Chance The Rapper, Jonas Brother, and Miley Cyrus, other acts on the Summerfest bill include Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Wilco, Dave Matthews Band, Diplo, Fitz And The Tantrums, Bleachers, Black Pumas, Run The Jewels, Pixies, Rise Against, G-Eazy, Quinn XCII, Internet Money, Indigo Girls, Jai Wolf, and many more.

Jonas Brothers could not be more excited to finally perform in front of a live crowd again. Sharing the news of their headlining slot on social media, the group wrote, “We’ve really been looking forward to sharing lots of exciting updates with you guys and today we get to tell you the first! We said we would see you guys as quickly as we could and we’re so excited to announce we’re headlining @Summerfest in Milwaukee on September 8th!”

In a statement about this year’s lineup, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. Don Smiley said, “We could not be more excited to unveil the lineup for Summerfest and introduce a new festival format; more weekends and more headliners, promises to be a big hit among our fans. From first timers, including Chance the Rapper, Miley Cyrus, and Run the Jewels, to Fest favorites including Dave Matthews Band, T-Pain, Styx, and Chris Stapleton, our lineup continues to be one of the most diverse and unique in the industry.”

Check out Summerfest’s full lineup below.

Tickets to Summerfest 2021 are on sale now. Get them here.

Atlanta upstart Kenny Mason had a breakout year with his 2020 album Angelic Hoodrat and its Supercut deluxe edition, but like most artists over the past year, he wasn’t able to celebrate or build on the momentum by performing his songs live on tour. As a compromise, he used his “Strays” video as a stage to perform his songs when there weren’t any available live, demonstrating his passionate energy and hyping fans up for the return of live shows. Today, he released “Strays 02,” a follow-up featuring a medley of Angelic Hoodrat songs, just a day after sharing the video for “4ever.”

As in the “4ever” video, Kenny occupies a cavernous darkened space with only a spotlight and a mic — in fact, “Strays 02” looks a lot like an extension of that video, which was likely excerpted from this longer performance. He sports his trademark Atlanta Braves jersey and goes for broke, showing off the diversity of styles he utilizes on Angelic Hoodrat, with a setlist that includes “Rih,” “PTSD,” the album’s title track, “Chevron,” “4ever,” and “Pup.”

With these songs and guest appearances with fan favorites like IDK (on “Cereal” with JID) and Freddie Gibbs (on Kenny’s own “Much Money“), Kenny’s maintaining that momentum, which will almost certainly result in an explosion of attention and accolades when he returns to the stage for real.

Watch Kenny Mason’s “Strays” video above.

Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut is out now. Get it here.

Jimmy Kimmel celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style on Wednesday night: By taking shots of tequila with his sidekick Guillermo and guest Rob McElhenney. Then by getting McElhenney to share a story about the time he got high with Snoop Dogg.

McElhenney is best known as the creator and star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But he expanded his brand in 2020 with the premiere of Apple TV’s Mythic Quest, a series he co-created with fellow Sunny collaborators Charlie Day and Megan Ganz. When Kimmel asked McElhenney if he’s ever worked “under the influence” of alcohol or any other substance, the actor/writer confirmed that the cast of Sunny has undoubtedly been “known to partake.” But he then shared a story about a guest spot by Snoop Dogg on Mythic Quest’s second season (which premieres on Friday, May 7)… and you can probably imagine where this is going.

McElhenney was admittedly surprised that Snoop agreed to make a guest appearance on Mythic Quest—and even more surprised when he showed up early for a 7:30 a.m. call time. When Snoop requested a meeting with McElhenney shortly after his arrival on set, he assumed it had to do with the ridiculous motion capture suit that the rapper was being asked to wear. But that wasn’t it: Snoop (who was already wearing the costume) simply wanted to say hello, and ask Rob if he wanted to smoke a joint. Though it was a tad on the early side, McElhenney reasoned that “if Snoop comes to your place of business and asks you if you want to smoke a joint, you say ‘yes.’ So I said ‘yes.’” Which, in hindsight, might not have been the best idea.

Being that they were working, McElhenney made sure to be “responsible.” First, by going to Snoop’s bus to smoke, where he already had several perfectly rolled offerings. And secondly by not sharing a joint, as that would be irresponsible during the COVID pandemic. “So I smoked an entire one myself.” One has to imagine that Snoop doesn’t play around when it comes to quality, and the rest of McElhenney’s workday experience would seem to confirm that. The lesson learned here?

“It turns out if Snoop asks you to smoke at 7:30 in the morning on a workday, you say ‘no!’ Because by 7:46 I was hurtling through the atmosphere at 30,000 miles per hour directly towards Mars.”

While he was able to shoot a scene with Snoop with relative ease (it did, after all, only involve walking down a hallway and saying a few words), running the show for the rest of the day was a bit more problematic. When his assistant suggested they postpone a budget meeting that McElhenney had scheduled for lunch, he insisted on keeping it. “And apparently I had a blast, because I was just like: Sure, yeah, spend, whatever, don’t worry about it!”

You can watch the full clip—including Kimmel’s own “smoking with Snoop” story—above.

Will Jennifer Carpenter’s Debra really return for Showtime’s Dexter revival, as a possible set photo would suggest? An O.G. cast member may have thrown cold water all over that (quite strong) theory. Fans hoped that Debra, who obviously died at the end of the show’s eight-season run, would somehow make it back for the 10-episode limited series revival. Speculation has abounded that she will not be a zombie risen from the ocean-dead or anything but that she would be Dexter’s new Dark Passenger.

Well, the character that many viewers consider to be Dexter’s previous Dark Passenger (who dealt out murder-related advice to the title character), Harry, is definitely not returning (and he would know his status for sure, since filming recently wrapped). That isn’t too surprising, given the possibility that Debra would pinch hit in his place; however, the actor who played Harry, James Remar, is casting doubt on everyone else’s return, too. In a video that Remar apparently sent to a fan (who he mentions by name), Remar declares, “They didn’t ask any of the original cast back.” So… no one? Here’s more:

“I will not be back as Harry Morgan on Dexter Season 9. Thank you for saying that Harry is one of the best characters you’ve seen on a TV show. It’s one of the best characters I’ve ever had the chance to play. Especially season one. They didn’t ask any of the original cast back, so I don’t know what they’re doing… I really have no idea. It’s too bad because all of us wanted to go back. But, you know, it’s their show, so they’re gonna do what they wanna do.”

This seems… like a wet blanket, of course. Let’s think about what we know about the revival, though. We know that Dexter’s going to be an East Coast Guy again after leaving his temporary “lumberjack” occupation in Oregon, although he’s not going to be back in Miami. Instead, he’ll be headed to upstate New York, and that makes it totally possible for Dexter to replace Harry’s rent-free space in his conscience-hole with Debra while the rest of the O.G. cast is either dead or still in Miami. We still don’t know anything about poison-happy Hannah, though, since she ended the show in Argentina while caring for the son, Harrison, who Dexter decided to abandon.

In other words, we still know nothing concrete about Debra, and James Remar may simply be playing it safe because, yeah, the forensic evidence of striped shirts says a lot. Although I’m still holding out for Dexter’s son to return, all grown up, and face off with Dad, who’s back to serial killing and has a new job to help cover his tracks.

The Dexter revival will likely arrive in late 2021.

Things are not going particularly well in Nap Town right now, as rumors are swirling about the Indiana Pacers potentially making a coaching change after only one year of Nate Bjorkgren due to internal discontent about his style. Those emotions appeared to boil over on Wednesday night, when one of Bjorkgren’s assistants and a member of the roster had a public spat during a timeout.

During the third quarter of what ended up being an 11-point loss to the Sacramento Kings, Greg Foster and Goga Bitadze began jawing with one another, causing other players and coaches to step in to keep things from really getting out of hand.

It’s unclear exactly what caused the two to get after one another like this, but one day later, the franchise has handed down discipline for the incident. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Foster will receive a one-game suspension, while Bitadze is out an unspecified amount of money. Wojnarowski also noted that the pair have a good relationship despite this exchange.

The Pacers host the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night, so Foster won’t be on the bench for that one. Indiana’s place in the play-in tournament seems secure barring a total meltdown to end the year — they’re 30-35, good for ninth place in the East and 3.5 games up on the 11th-seeded Toronto Raptors — but between this and the reports about a potential coaching change, it’s not a stretch to say that things could be going better for Indiana.