Month: July 2021

The old fashioned is a classic cocktail. I mean, it’s right there in the name. Around 1800, a cocktail was a mix of a base spirit (cognac, whiskey, gin, whatever) with bitters, sugar, and water. By the mid-1800s, bartenders were (already) over-complicating cocktails and folks just wanted an “old fashioned drink” without all the fuss. That’s when the old fashioned as we know it was born.

That simple recipe of base spirit, bitters, sugar, and water ended up standing the test of time. And that’s all an old fashioned is to this day — with bourbon and rye whiskey being the typical base spirit these days. But before we get into which bourbons to use in your old fashioned, here’s a quick recipe from our own bartender in residence, Zach Johnston:

Classic Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 3-oz. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon (see the editor’s pick)
• 1 barspoon demerara sugar
• 1 barspoon tap water
• 4 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Luxardo cherry
• Orange peel
• Ice

Method:

• Add the sugar, water, and bitters to the glass and stir until the sugar starts to dissolve, creating a base (five to ten seconds).
• Add the bourbon and stir until the sugar is dissolved (30 to 60 seconds).
• Fill the glass with ice and stir until the glass is ice cold to touch (about 60 seconds).
• Top up the glass with ice.
• Spritz the orange oils from the peel onto the cocktail and rub them around the rim of the glass. Drop the peel in the cocktail.
• Spear one cherry and drop it in the glass.
• Serve.

For us, the best bourbon for this drink hits on a combination of great value, high proof, and delicious, well-rounded flavor. To help you on your quest to create the best old fashioned, we decided to list eight of our favorite bourbons for this classic cocktail below. Make sure to click on the prices to try these bourbons in your own old fashioned at home.

Old Grand-Dad 114

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

The “Old Grand-Dad” on this bottle is Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr. The connections go beyond iconography, since both this bourbon and Basil Hayden’s share the same high-rye Beam mash bill. They’re both made 63 percent corn, 27 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. Where Basil Hayden’s is proofed to 80 proof, Old Grand-Dad is a much bolder 114 proof, making it a great mixer.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’re treated to strong, bold aromas of cinnamon, charred wood, and a whole lot of caramelized sugar. On the palate, you’ll notice bold vanilla beans, more sweet cinnamon candy, brown sugar, and a nice kick of pepper. The finish is long, brimming with heat, and ends with a nice final kick of spicy cinnamon.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

This is truly a turbo-charged whisky. It can be used as a sipper, but its bold, peppery flavor and high proof make it an ideal base for an old fashioned.

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength

ABV: 54% to 57%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

Maker’s Mark is reasonably priced, well-rounded, and always there. If you’re looking to turn its flavor up to eleven, grab a bottle of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. This uncut, non-chill filtered bourbon is pure, bold, and rich. The best part? No expression is the same, since the proof varies (from 108 to 114 proof) depending on the barrels chosen.

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of vanilla beans, dried fruits, subtle spices, and just a wisp of charred wood smoke greet you on the nose. On the sip, you’ll find brown butter, cinnamon, creamy caramel, vanilla, and raisins. It all ends with a seamless combination of spice and sugary sweetness.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

This cask-strength bourbon is surprisingly mellow for its high proof. Its high alcohol content and rich, candy-like caramel flavors work well in a straightforward cocktail like this one.

Four Roses Small Batch

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

When you buy a bottle of Four Roses, you can be pretty sure you’re getting a high-quality whiskey. Its small batch is made up of a blend of four different bourbon recipes. Each whiskey included was aged for six to seven years in new, charred American oak barrels and hand-selected by its master distiller in an effort to craft the most mellow, easy-to-drink bourbon possible.

Tasting Notes:

Scents of dried cherries, vanilla beans, caramel, and oak swirl around your nostrils. Sipping this whiskey reveals hints of raisins, sweet treacle, toffee candy, and subtle spice. The finish is mellow, warming, and ends with a nice kick of cinnamon sugar.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

This whiskey has a lower ABV, but that doesn’t mean its flavors are muted when mixed into an old fashioned. Bold dried fruit and vanilla flavors shine through very nicely when mixed.

Basil Hayden’s

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

There’s a reason Basil Hayden’s is one of the most popular expressions from Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection. As mentioned above, this and Old Grand-Dad are cut from the same cloth or mash high-rye mash bill in this case. This makes for a spicier whiskey that still carries the sweet caramel and vanilla notes bourbon drinkers expect. It’s also a very high-quality bourbon that’s still very affordable.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll notice memorable aromas of toasted vanilla beans, caramel corn, dried cherries, and wood char. On the palate, there are flavors of raisins, vanilla cream, caramelized sugar, and a nice hint of pepper. The ending is long, filled with pleasing heat, and finished with a nice combination of dried cherries and pepper.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

While many of the bottles on this list were selected for their higher proof, Basil Hayden’s is a great option simply due to its price and soft, mellow flavors. Usually available for under $40, this high-quality, high-flavor bourbon deserves a permanent spot in your cocktail rotation.

Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Bourbon

ABV: 45.7%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Michter’s takes the idea of “small batch” seriously. Its Small Batch bourbon is matured in fire-charred, new American oak barrels for an undisclosed time before being batched in a holding tank that contains no more than twenty casks. The result is a rich, fruity, subtly smoky whiskey perfect for sipping or mixing.

Tasting Notes:

Breathe in the scents of charred oak, sweet corn, cinnamon, and vanilla before taking a sip. Then, you’ll be treated to flavors of clover honey, caramel candy, toasted vanilla beans, and subtle, spicy cinnamon. The finish is light, dry, and filled with peppery rye and dried fruits.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

If you only buy one bottle for mixing into an old fashioned, make it this one. It’s well-priced for the quality and the deep wood and caramel notes meld perfectly with bitters and sugar.

Buffalo Trace

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

The flagship bourbon from famed Buffalo Trace Distillery is a bargain bourbon made with an undisclosed corn, rye, and malted barley mash bill. It’s aged around ten years in new, charred American oak barrels. The result is a complex, well-rounded whiskey perfectly suited for sipping or mixing.

Tasting Notes:

You’ll find notes of sweet malts, dried fruits, caramel, and subtle cinnamon on the nose. The palate is swirling with sticky toffee pudding, caramel apples, vanilla beans, and brown sugar. It all ends with a nice mix of sweet and spicy.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

Buffalo Trace deserves a spot in your whiskey rotation. It’s not only an exceptional sipper for the price, but the rich, classic flavors stand up well in an old fashioned.

I.W. Harper

ABV: 41%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

I.W. Harper is an old-school bourbon (made by bourbon pioneer Isaac Bernheim) that’s gone in and out of favor on the U.S. market quite a bit over the years. Now made by Diageo, the mash is a standard mash of 73 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and nine percent malted barley but doesn’t carry an age statement. That doesn’t keep it from being nuanced, rich, and memorable.

Tasting Notes:

Before your first sip, take a moment to breathe in the scents of charred oak, dried cherries, maple syrup, and vanilla beans. The palate opens you up to a world of buttery vanilla, caramelized sugar, cooking spices, and raisins. The finish is mellow, light, and ends with honey and dried fruits.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

Not remotely as potent in the alcohol content department as many of the other offerings on this list, I.W. Harper’s flagship expression carries distinct char and dried fruit flavors that pair well with the other ingredients in an old fashioned and contrast that luxardo cherry nicely.

Old Forester 100

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

Old Forester 100 is made to pay tribute to the high-proof bourbons distilled, matured, and bottled pre-prohibition. Its mash bill consists of 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. The bottle doesn’t carry an age statement. It’s bottled at 50 percent ABV, giving it a bold, full-flavored, and well-suited body for mixing into your favorite cocktail.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, aromas of wood char, brown sugar, licorice, and dried fruits are prevalent. Take a sip and you’ll find hints of caramel apples, charred oak, sticky toffee pudding, vanilla beans, and slight cinnamon sugar. The ending is mellow, long in length, warming, and finishes with a great combination of caramel corn and spices.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

When it comes to high proof, high quality, and low price, there’s no better choice for your bourbon mixing use than Old Forester 100. Its wood char, caramel, and vanilla flavors as well as its high proof stand up beautifully in an old fashioned.

Editor’s Pick: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is all about finding the best barrels in the Heaven Hill warehouses and letting that whiskey shine on its own. These are released three times a year (we’re offering tasting notes on the January 2021 release below) and the various expressions have been winning award after award. The whiskey in the bottle is generally at least 12 years old and bottled with no cutting down to proof or filtration whatsoever.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a real throughline of sunny berry brambles (blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry) next to orange oils and a touch of oakiness on the nose. That fruit and oak will carry through on the palate as hints of buttery toffee, rich vanilla, and peppery spice mingle on the tongue and set your lips abuzz. The end tends to be slow and velvety with the spice, fruit, oak, and vanilla all comingling nicely until the very last.

Why It’s Perfect For An Old Fashioned:

It’d be easy to just drink this whiskey on the rocks and that’s that. But this barrel-proof delight from Heaven Hill makes one hell of an old fashioned. That mix of citrus, red fruit, peppery spice really shines in the cocktail. The creamy vanilla and dried wood hold their own against the sugars and bitters with the ABVs holding up even as the drink waters down.

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The first thing to come to my mind (and palate) for a prime summer sipper isn’t Scotch whisky. However, I’m never opposed to toasting a premium beverage at home or while traveling, and the country tip-toeing toward normalcy offers plenty to be happy about. Need another cause to celebrate? The GlenDronach Cask Bottling collection became available stateside for the first time ever in March.

Out of 55,000 casks, only 18 casks, dating from 1990 to 2009, made the Cask Bottling cut and were personally selected by the distillery’s Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie. Whether they’ve previously held sweet and rich Pedro Ximénez, nutty Oloroso, or fruit-forward Port, each cask highlights a distinct character while remaining authentically The GlenDronach. The U.S. releases include cask bottlings from 1990, 1994, 2005, and 2008, bottled from Oloroso, Pedro Ximenez, and Port Pipe casks.

Global Brand Ambassador Stewart Buchanan described these exclusive casks to me as a “deconstruction of part of the core collection.” I think of them as the remix to a classic song – sometimes they’re better, sometimes not — it really depends on the person’s taste.

Ready to add to your special whisky vault? I break down the four cask bottlings released in the U.S., below.

2008 Cask 3017

ABV: 59.8%
Average Price: $120

The Whisky:

This expression was matured for 12 years in Oloroso casks with only 628 bottles produced.

Tasting Notes:

Oloroso translates as “aromatic,” and this expression fits the bill. Honey meets a touch of nuttiness on the nose for a delightful first impression. Upon rolling the whisky across the tongue, a rich blend of candied fruit, blackberry, and spice-drizzled oak enlivens the tasting even more, before its crescendo of leather and honey on the finish.

Bottom Line:

This has a robust palate with high proof, but it doesn’t punch you in the face (thankfully). Instead, it has a warm and creamy mouthfeel that makes for an enjoyable, memorable sipping experience.

2005 Cask 1928

ABV: 58%
Average Price: $150
The Whisky:

With only 612 bottles produced, this rare expression is 14 years old and matured in Pedro Ximénex casks.

Tasting Notes:

Harvest honey-gold hue is elegant and grabs you with an aroma of dark chocolate and delicate dehydrated orange. The soft and creamy palate reminds me of Black Forest cake drenched with dark cherry, blackberries, and more of the dark chocolate you experience at first whiff, but without being overly sweet. A chocolatey, spicy finish is an unexpected, but welcoming surprise.

Bottom Line:

Great, now I want a Black Forest cake to complement my dram! This makes for a lovely after-dinner treat (or if you’re me, an anytime treat).

1994 Cask 5287

ABV: 51.3%
Average Price: $415
The Whisky:

This 26-year-old whisky was aged in Port pipe casks, with only 638 bottles produced.

Tasting Notes:

The earthy and dense leather nose dances with sweet toffee and oak notes that I *almost* want to wear as a perfume. The palate has a velvety mouthfeel riddled with cacao and blackberries. There’s dryness and a slightly bitter kick at the back of the palate with nuttiness and deep richness of barley. The lingering warm finish is the perfect conclusion to one exceptional pour.

Bottom Line:

This one’s a rollercoaster ride of vivid, flavorful nuances. Only share if you must and, if you do, make sure it’s with the people you love.

1993 Cask 7102

ABV: 51.4%

Average Price: $600

The Whisky:

This amazing expression was matured in Oloroso casks for 27 years, with only 633 bottles produced.

Tasting Notes:

The color looks like a stained-glass window – absolutely beautiful deep amber. The seductive leathery notes on the nose lure you in for an equally alluring sip. Toasted cinnamon, deep and rich, more tannic on the tongue – a great sign of age and oak – with a hint of blackberry. The finish clings to dark cherry and a dash of spice.

Bottom Line:

The price is steep, so this is a bottle you’ll want to take time to savor. But I don’t believe in saving for special occasions because life comes at you fast. That said, I could enjoy a single glass of this for an entire evening – just nosing and sipping it while reflecting on blessings.

The Los Angeles Clippers saw their season come to an end on Wednesday, as Chris Paul carried the Phoenix Suns in the second half to a 130-103 Game 6 win. For Paul and the Suns, it was a jubilant scene at Staples Center, where the 16-year veteran got to put on that NBA Finals hat for the first time in his career.

On the other side, there was the typical disappointment for a team that just got knocked out of the playoffs, but there was also plenty of reason for the Clippers to keep their heads high. This was a team that had proven its resiliency all postseason, coming back from 0-2 deficits in both of their first two series and forcing a Game 6 after falling in the same hole in the conference finals. They had to complete that second round comeback against Utah and play the entire conference finals without Kawhi Leonard, which prompted others to have to step up in big ways.

Paul George was able to do that in a big way, putting to rest the narrative about him not being able to perform at his best in the postseason, but others took on bigger roles and provided needed lifts around him. No one did so more often than Reggie Jackson, as the point guard became the Clippers consistent second scorer — at time taking on the primary role — and was the playoffs’ most prolific three-point shooter.

Jackson, soon to be a free agent as his minimum deal runs up in L.A. this summer, proved himself in a way few anticipated and he seems set to receive a big payday come August. However, Jackson wasn’t thinking anything about that after the game, instead reflecting on how, in his words, this Clippers team saved him, saying he wouldn’t be playing if it wasn’t for this team embracing “my quirks and my strengths,” and thanking the team and the city for embracing him and giving him a home.

It is incredibly raw emotion from Jackson, offering a vulnerability we don’t often see from pro athletes. Jackson’s career has been a fascinating one, going from a talented backup in OKC to landing a lucrative deal in Detroit on a team that never found its way, to suddenly finding himself out of a job and with plenty wondering what he could bring to a winning team. The answer this playoffs was “a lot,” and Jackson is a tremendous example of how much fit matters for players — as does the way Cam Payne is thriving across the court in Phoenix.

Jackson felt fully comfortable being himself in L.A., and when that happens the abilities on the court often shine their brightest. As he enters free agency, that will surely be near the top of mind for Jackson, who clearly would love to find a way to be back with this Clippers team and his close friend Paul George. Whether that can happen money-wise remains to be seen given the potential offers that could be out there for him after this playoff performance, but for someone who has had the big contract on a team that wasn’t a fit, he might choose that comfortability over the biggest offer.

The Clippers will have plenty of reason to bring him back and pay him handsomely to do so. While Jackson says he feels the Clippers saved him, he was often the one saving the Clippers this postseason with his play and the offensive boost he brought L.A., particularly with Leonard out. It’s understandable why he would be grateful for what the team gave him, but he returned that in full with how he performed in this playoff run — the deepest in franchise history. Hopefully, the two sides can find a way to keep him in L.A. because it’s clearly a place that means a lot to Jackson now, and from a basketball perspective he’s a snug fit for the Clippers’ needs.

Every now and then we receive an unexpected collaboration from two or more artists and this new track seems to be one of those. DVSN, Ty Dolla Sign, and the late Mac Miller bring their talents together for their new song, “I Believe It.” It’s a reflective effort that finds the trio looking back on their past with a former lover who broke all the promises they once hoped to keep. Along with the song, DVSN announced a joint project with Ty Dolla Sign is “on the way” in a post to Twitter.

While the song marks the first time the three artists have collaborated on a song, it’s not the first time the individual acts have worked with one of the names on the song. Last year, DVSN recruited Ty Dolla Sign for “Dangerous City” off their third album, A Muse In Their Feelings while Mac Miller worked with Ty Dolla Sign back in 2016 on “Cinderella” from the late rapper’s album, The Divine Feminine. Prior to the song’s release, DVSN and Ty Dolla Sign both shared videos of them working on “I Believed It” with Mac Miller in the studio, confirming that the song was worked on and finished before Mac’s tragic death.

The song comes after DVSN shared a deluxe reissue of A Muse In Their Feelings and weeks after Ty Dolla Sign joined YG and Mozzy in the video for “Vibe With You.” As for Mac Miller, the late rapper has a book on the way comprised of stories from his friends and collaborators.

You can press play on “I Believe It” in the video above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

While collaborations between multiple artists have never been more common, not every artist is really on that page. Maybe that’s because he already has dueling alter egos to deal with? At least according to his brand new tour, “Dr. Ev4l Vs. Rich Shooter.” Anyway, in a recent interview with Young Nudy on the Big Facts podcast with DJ Scream and Big Bank, he talked about the sometimes challenging aspects of music industry niceties.

“You gotta go in there and fake smile with somebody in the motherf*cker,” he said. “They not just going to let you in the door.” Later on in the episode he doubles back down on the challenges of a sometimes finicky industry. “They will tell me they f*ck with me doe, but you know how that sh*t go,” he continue. “But, sh*t, I don’t know. I don’t really be, like, having nobody where I be like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m excited to work with this person.’ If you gonna do it, you gonna do it. If you don’t, I don’t get a f*ck. Imma finished that sh*t anyways… So I don’t know.”

Despite all that, on his latest project, DR. EV4L does have a few collaborations — with his cousin 21 Savage of course, and G Herbo and Lil Uzi Vert — but when it comes to artists who aren’t in his immediate circle, looks like they’re going to have to wait, or come totally real.

Chris Paul is headed to the NBA Finals, finally, in his 16th NBA season. The future Hall of Fame inductee has long been considered the best and longest-tenured player in the league not to have even tasted the NBA’s championship round, and after coming so close in Houston and coming up short over and over in L.A., Paul was able to make it in Phoenix.

On Wednesday night, much as he did in Game 4 in Denver, Paul was determined to put an end to the Western Conference Finals. He struggled in his first three games of the series after missing a week following a positive COVID-19 test, but he found his shot and found his rhythm back at Staples Center for what has to be one of his finest performances of his career, considering the circumstances. Paul finished with 41 points, eight assists, and zero turnovers in Game 6, shooting 16-for-24 from the field including a ridiculous 7-for-8 night from three-point range.

Most of Paul’s damage came in the second half, when he absolutely took over late in the third quarter after L.A. cut the Phoenix lead to seven. Paul scored eight in a row for the Suns — with some vintage flopping shenanigans in the middle with DeMarcus Cousins — as he lifted the Phoenix lead back to 14 going to the fourth.

That onslaught continued in the fourth quarter as he was able to get wherever he wanted and make whatever shot he wanted, inside or out, as he dismantled the Clippers to help the Suns pull away to a 130-103 win.

After that last three, he got the Clippers to finally break, as Patrick Beverley snapped and got ejected for shoving him to the ground from behind, and not long after the reserves entered the game as L.A. waved the white flag.

After the game, an emotional Paul would talk about how his mindset was simple: don’t lose this game. For someone who has seen 3-1 leads evaporate and been a part of the worst shooting Game 7 in NBA history in Houston, the last thing he was going to do was let this come down to one game where shooting variance could send him home again. He was hot and he was going to ride that hot hand to the Finals, achieving a career-long pursuit in the process.

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1410448132672872449

The Suns will now get to rest up for a week as they await the winner of the Bucks-Hawks series that is tied 2-2 on its way back to Milwaukee with at least two more games to play this week. With how they are playing defensively, and Paul and Booker finally getting right in Game 6 offensively, they’ll have a great shot at bringing Phoenix its first NBA championship against whichever foe they face.

From the early moments of his career to today, Drake has always offered a hand in spotlighting acts within the newer generation of both hip-hop and R&B. This includes ASAP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar, who he brought on to headline his 2012 Club Paradise tour before they earned their respective mainstream breakouts within the year that followed. Other names include Jhene Aiko, Migos, Lil Baby, and most recently Yung Bleu. The Toronto rapper’s streak continues with “Wasting Time,” his latest track alongside Brent Faiyaz.

He guests on The Neptunes-produced song that finds the pair pouring out their hearts to a special woman in their lives. While there might be issues in their growing relationship, Brent and Drake still desire to spend their free time with the respective women they have so much love for.

This song arrives after Brent grew to be one of 2020’s most popular R&B acts thanks to his F*ck The World project. The ten-track effort showed a more narcissistic side of the singer, one that often dipped into toxic habits within love. Recently, he’s kept fans happy with singles that include “Gravity” with Tyler The Creator and “Show U Off“.

As for Drake, the rapper continues to make his supporters wait for his upcoming sixth album, Certified Lover Boy. The project was supposed to arrive at the top of the year, but multiple delays have left fans with nothing but its lead single, “Laugh Now Cry Later” with Lil Durk, and hope that it arrives sooner than later.

You can press play on “Wasting Time” in the video above.

Three generations of hip-hop’s top technicians come together on “Life Is Like A Dice Game,” a new Nas release from Spotify’s Spotify Singles program in conjunction with the RapCaviar playlist. A&Red by Carl Chery of Spotify and produced by Hit-Boy, the single spawned from Nas’ 1993 sessions for his canon classic debut album Illmatic, where he freestyled the verse but never finished a song for it.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Spotify has completed the song, adding a beat from Hit-Boy and verses from two of Nas’s most clear-cut successors in Freddie Gibbs and Cordae, both elite MCs in their own rights, to finally put the freestyle’s portentous final line — “When I finish the sh*t, it’s going to be a hit” — to the test.

Nas explained how the track came together in a press release, saying, “Spotify pulled out a leak from the 90s that I did eons ago, and asked if I could resurrect it. I can’t remember where I recorded it, or who produced it – maybe Easy Moe Bee, he was killin’ the game at the time! Carl Chery from Spotify suggested we connect with Freddie & Cordae to bring the song new life and I loved it.”

July also marks the 25th anniversary of Nas’ follow-up to Illmatic, the criminally underrated It Was Written, which dropped on July 2 in 1996, as well as the 30th anniversary of Nas’ universally lauded breakout verse on Main Source’s “Live At The Barbecue,” which changed the rap landscape on July 23, 1991.

Listen to Nas’ “Life Is Like A Dice Game” featuring Cordae and Freddie Gibbs below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Earlier this year Justin Bieber released his new album, Justice, but he hasn’t stopped putting out new music since. Just today Bieber announced a new collaborative single with rising pop force The Kid Laroi. Their new track, called “Stay,” will be officially released very soon according to a new tweet from Laroi:

This will be the second collaboration between the two artists, they previously collaborated on “Unstable” off Bieber’s Justice. And Bieber isn’t the first legacy artist of late to want to hop on a song with The Kid — he’s already collaborated with Miley Cyrus on a remix of “Without You,” featured on a song with Juice WRLD that came out last year on the anniversary of his death, “Reminds Me Of You,” and more recently, teamed up with Lil Durk and Polo G on “No Return.”

Maybe this new collaboration is just what Justin needs to get the news cycle off his apparent rip-off of the French duo Justice’s logo for his new album. Will a feature with The Kid Laroi lead to another No. 1 hit for Bieber, something that can vie with the impact of “Peaches”? Maybe so. Stay tuned for the official version of the song coming very soon.

Patrick Beverley was a big reason why the Clippers were even in their Western Conference Finals series with the Suns, forcing it back to a Game 6 in L.A. thanks in large part to his defense on Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

However, things came unraveled for L.A. in the fourth quarter as Chris Paul absolutely torched them down the stretch, erupting for 41 points on 16-for-24 shooting including 31 in the second half, as he looked to turn out the lights on his former team and reach his first Finals. After hitting another three-pointer to force the Clippers to call timeout, Paul took a bit of a victory lap around his old stomping grounds.

As he returned to the Phoenix bench, he gave Beverley a look — it didn’t even appear as though he said anything to Beverley — and Pat simply snapped, running over and shoving Paul to the ground from behind.

He was swiftly ejected and rightfully so, and it was clear that the Clippers had finally had enough of this series after showing a ton of resiliency for so long this postseason. Paul would pop up and celebrate finally getting Beverley to snap — he’d been trying earlier to get DeMarcus Cousins to, leading to an all-time flop from CP3 to pick up a T on Boogie — by walking around with his hands raised, triumphant, as he was on his way to the Finals for the first time and got the job done by getting under the skin of Beverley as he sent his former team packing.