In a recent interview with The Guardian, I May Destroy You star Paapa Essiedu opened up about the appalling racism he experienced while taking a class at the prestigious drama school, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Essiedu’s co-star Michaela Coel, who also went to Guildhall, has been open about her experience in the past.
Essiedu described an incident where an improv teacher shouted the N-word during a class, and also said he didn’t enunciate clearly. The actor said the comment was “loaded.” He added, “It so clearly shows a lack of respect and understanding of what the experience is of someone who is in that position, in that skin, in that institution.” Essiedu graduated from the university in 2012 and noted that the syllabus was focused entirely on white actors.
After the incident, the actors didn’t know how to respond. “That was a real ‘time stops’ moment,” Essiedu said. “It was like, surely this can’t be happening. We were so shocked we just stayed in the improvisation, so we were like: ‘No we haven’t got anything behind us.’ We were shellshocked by what had happened and shocked that it had come out of the mouth of a teacher.”
After the telling interview, the school sent a statement to The Guardian, apologizing to the Emmy-nominated actors:
Guildhall School apologises unreservedly for the racism experienced by Paapa Essiedu, Michaela Coel and other alumni whilst they were studying at the school. The experiences he shares were appalling and unacceptable.We have since undertaken a sustained programme of action to address and dismantle longstanding systemic racism within the acting programme, including commissioning an external report into historic racism and a comprehensive and ongoing process of staff training and reflection
We have also undertaken a significant redevelopment of our acting curriculum, including a departmental staff restructure, so that our teaching and learning culture prioritises inclusivity, representation and wellbeing. We understand that this work is long-term and will require sustained commitment to build a culture that is inclusive and equitable for everyone.
Coel had previously opened up about her similar experience at the acting school, where she also experienced blatant racism. “I was called a [N-word] twice in drama school. The first was by a teacher during a ‘walk in the space’ improvisation that had nothing to do with race. ‘Oi, [N-word], what you got for me?’ We students continued walking in the space, the two Black boys and I glancing at each other whenever we passed.”
Hopefully, this will actually inspire schools to take responsibility for their offensive actions.
Ah, June. The month of graduations, weddings and summer break. Definitely one of the top three months of the year for joy.
It’s also a month to celebrate liberation, as Juneteenth and Pride remind us that all humans deserve to be free from oppression and that the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness belong to each and every one of us.
June means outdoor fun as well. Barbecues. Picnics. The weather in June is usually delightful as the days get longer and stretch well into the evening. By summer solstice, we’ll still see the sun’s rays at 9:30 p.m. where I live. All of that light makes bedtime a little tricky for the kids, but who cares. Long summer evenings are the stuff childhood memories are made of.
Yes, June is good.
This week’s roundup reflects a bit of June’s joy. We have heartwarming graduation stories, some delightful dancing, some cute doggos (of course) and some humans being hilarious. So whether you’re heading out for a weekend of fun or holed up in COVID isolation (yes, we’re still spreading that stuff around), take a few minutes and enjoy these snippets of delight.
1. High school grads showed up at their kindergarten teacher’s house to surprise her.
Clever and well-executed. (Popcorn and Anticipate are my faves.)
6. Apparently, it’s possible to use Instagram only as an ice cream flavor checker.
u201cwhen he found out I had been making tiktoks he opened tiktok profile and watched each of my tiktoks one by one, said, “these are really great babe” and then went back to never looking at or thinking about tiktoku201d
While we all struggle to not constantly get sucked into social media, Rachel’s husband is out here living a whole life, only checking ice cream flavors on Instagram once a month.
How, Rachel’s husband? How???
7. Try not to smile while watching babies smile at Borzah’s smile.
“White Smile Borzah” making babies smile
Nah, don’t try. Just go with it. No sense in resisting. He even got one kid to go from crying to smiling in 10 seconds! (Read the full story here.)
8. Master storyteller Elyse Myers shares a hilarious tale about “edible” wedding plates.
Is that hisjam or what? I love that they basically had to turn it off to get him to pick up the bat. And then he went straight back to ballin.’ Total icon.
Hope that brought some happiness to your heart. Come back next Friday for another roundup of smileworthy finds from around the internet!
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending June 10, 2022.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
YGTUT — In My Head
YGTUT
YGTUT’s In My Head combines a lot of different sounds. “Dolla Sign$” featuring Michael Da Vinci is a flex, “Conceited / Ego Talk” is moody, and “Smile” is a ballad loaded with hearty, soulful vocals and uplifting bars. Whatever doubts you have may very well just be in your head.
Sada Baby — Skuba Sada 2.5
Sada Baby
Sada Baby has a special charm, which makes Skuba Sada 2.5 an easy choice to listen to. He always has something funny to say, and a myriad of fun guest stars add to the experience: Snoop Dogg, Hit-Boy, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj for the popular “Whole Lotta Choppas” Remix.
Since99 — Punch-Ins & Parlays
Since99
The title alone captured me here. As a creator, I can relate to doing what I love to do but trying to make some extra bucks through FanDuel. Since99 opts to use no features here, rapping with aggression on “Mine 2” and even paying homage to former NBA Champion Norris Cole. If you can get past the funny voice, there’s some quality here.
Lil Darkie — The Small Dark One
Lil Darkie
Lil Darkie keeps things short on The Small Dark One but captures the ears right from the beginning with “Go!” If you have ever sought out a different type of rap than what is popular today, here are some screamo bars for you. “Bam!” is especially jarring.
Singles/Videos
Hit-Boy x Dom Kennedy — “Corsa”
Hit-Boy has been on the run of a lifetime, and certainly, his hotline continues to bling for beat requests. However, the multi-talented producer has also been trying to further his own rap endeavors. “Corsa” finds Hit returning to a familiar place, joining forces with Dom Kennedy to flex their jewels, eat a fancy dinner, and enjoy the company of beautiful women. Doing the most isn’t so bad when you’ve got it like them.
B-Lovee ft. Coi Leray — “Demon”
Coi Leray wants a man from New York and admits to being a demon while B-Lovee is chained up. Yep, the song is aptly named. However, B-Lovee can’t stay tied down for long. He gets his moments of freedom to spit his verse and inform people that he is, in fact, a sav age.
Rubi Rose — “Wifey”
Rubi Rose’s “Wifey” video opens with two women hating on her OnlyFans content only to be starstruck and request a selfie when the artist ends up on the same block as them. As if being a woman of the people isn’t enough, the rest of the visual is Rubi washing a car with a few twerk breaks spaced throughout the activity. People get married for less, she can claim “Wifey.”
Mike Dimes ft. JID — “Home” Remix
Mike Dimes and JID are the perfect storm on “Home.” Dimes takes a more laid back approach to the triumphant beat, while JID picks up the pace in the middle of his verse with a myriad of fun rhyme schemes. You’ll come for a calm flex, and stay for the lyrical gymnastics. You can’t lose.
27Delly ft. Cash Cobain — “Super Bizzy”
27 Delly has a knack for fun music videos and reinventing himself. In “Super Bizzy,” he plays a successful businessman attending the stock exchange. He raps about shots of D’usse and Ace Of Spades, displaying the duality within the New York rapper. Cash Cobain adds in a confident verse as well.
Ron Suno ft. Rowdy Rebel — “What They Gon Say”
It sounds like Ron Suno and Rowdy Rebel were watching Spongebob and challenged themselves to rap over a random sound from the show. In “What They Gon Say” the disjointed violin behind their rapid fire bars create a chaotic yet fun experience. This is genuinely some of the best rapping from Suno and Rebel.
Cochise — “Turn It Up”
In case it is unclear, Cochise wants you to “Turn It Up” here. A hair-raising drum pattern and extension of his vocals with the autotune backing makes this something perfect for the car ride to a pregame. Not to mention, Cochise has some shape-shifting flows here. Pretty impressive. The traffic light that appears here and there showing the walk sign is a nice touch.
Yung Gravy — “Betty”
Yung Gravy samples “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley for this bright track. “Betty” has a tinge of soul to it, but is also a bit humorous just due to how well the sample is executed. Those in the know are aware he has a knack for this, but “Betty” in particular of as fluid is Yung Gravy’s name.
Ease The Don ft. Steelz and Nikeboy — “Gotta Rep”
This week’s West Coast offering comes from Ease The Done, Steelz, and Nikeboy. “Gotta Rep” is anthemic, with the guys denouncing broke women, rejecting emotional attachment, and avoiding drama. There are bigger things to focus on for the trio.
Big Jade ft. Peso Peso — “Pesos”
You can’t have too many get money anthems. Big Jade and Peso Peso flaunt their earnings inside and outside of the trap. Their haters don’t matter as long as the dollar signs keep multiplying on this upbeat bop.
Kali — “FNF Freestyle”
It’s an FNF (F*ck N**** Free) Summer according to Glorilla and Hitkidd and many are joining the movement. We have seen Erica Banks and Renni Rucci take on the frantic beat, and this week it’s Kali’s turn. The video opens with a man being lambasted for women contacting his partner about what he’s been doing, and then the ladies form like voltron to live their best lives. Fellas, be smart and be safe.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s easy to forget that Chris Evans is from Boston, Massachusetts, probably because he doesn’t talk about it every other sentence like most people (Mark Wahlberg) from (Ben Affleck) Boston (all the other Wahlbergs). But the internet got a “hot as hell” reminder of Captain America’s Beantown roots at the Lightyear premiere this week.
A six-second video of Evans talking about mustaches went viral, because… obviously.
— eIena | kayden day (@evanschalamet) June 9, 2022
The clip is taken from a longer interview between Access and Evans, who was asked what it’s like to replace Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz Lightyear. “It is intimidating, it is a little daunting. You want to make sure you pay homage to Tim because he did such a good job, but you want to try to find a way to give to give it your own interpretation, but you know I put my trust in Pixar,” he said. The Boston accent pops out a little with his pronunciation of “Pixar,” but you really hear it once the mustache chat begins.
Somewhere, Tim Allen is fuming that Twitter isn’t thirsting for him — and somewhere else are “four major drug dealers” who are in prison because The Tool Man snitched on them. Anyway, enjoy!
This is the first time I have been actively attracted to Chris Evans, rather than merely acknowledging his good looks. Is it the Boston? It’s totally the Boston, isn’t it? https://t.co/re63ELyNsf
chris evans is a much better actor than i previously thought if he’s been hiding this thick ass boston accent the whole time lmaooo https://t.co/BJJN8bC5wl
The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, and unlike past years, there hasn’t been a ton of clarity about what is going to happen. The case can be made that as many as four players deserve to go No. 1 overall to the Orlando Magic, while the trade winds have yet to start blowing in the lead-up to June 23.
In his most recent newsletter, Marc Stein indicated that a pair of teams sitting in the top-10 of the Draft have their sights set on turning their picks into someone a little more established. Stein mentioned that the Sacramento Kings, which sit at No. 4, and the Portland Trail Blazers, which have the No. 7 selection, would be open to moves if a player who could help them win right away became available.
A rare NBA Draft rumble from your infamously draft-shy correspondent: Both Sacramento and Portland are widely expected to give serious consideration to trading the No. 4 and No. 7 overall picks, respectively, if they can concoct appealing win-now swaps. And now I’m told Washington is another top-10 team (drafting 10th overall) said to be weighing the same possibility.
It makes a ton of sense why the Blazers would want to turn this into a more established player, as the team has its sights set on a bounce-back year following a tumultuous 2021-22 campaign. Sacramento, meanwhile, has the league’s longest playoff drought and acquired Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline, both of which would appear to factor into whatever sense of urgency they feel.
If you like your cooking competitions served with a helping of cutthroat chaos, you need to catch Foodbeast’s Kitchen League: Challengers Vs Champs, which returns for its second season today on Amazon’s Crown Channel on Twitch. Challenges Vs Champs is the only cooking competition that uses live audience participation to create sabotages and protections against your favorite creators and chefs as they duke it out in the kitchen, which adds a layer of excitement and chaos that other cooking competitions just can’t provide.
It’s a bit sadistic to make anyone do anything in a kitchen while blindfolded or with a hand-tied behind their back but… it’s also a lot of fun. So, yeah, we’re all for Kitchen League.
Kitchen League
The new season will feature eight challengers assembled from the Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube universe clashing in a seven-week long single-elimination tournament which will see one challenger emerge with the title belt for the CVC, and a contract to enter Kitchen League to battle a previous Kitchen League champ of their choosing in the eighth and final week of the season.
In addition to some surprise special guests, this season will also include Hyper RPG Production CEO Malika Lim Eubank, Chef Leon C. Brunson, streamers Stanz, BBJess, Oxillery, and Jalon, Twitch chefs BBBubbz and AudreyEnjoys, Kharrii (aka Square Head Guy), and Uproxx’s very own Steve Bramucci. We’re obviously a bit biased towards Bramucci crushing the competition, so if you think that means he deserves some sabotage thrown his way when he competes, by all means, do that! I mean, he’s already out trash-talking.
This season promises to be even more unhinged than the lastm, with brand new game modes and unexpected surprises introduced with every episode — which is saying something, as every moment of the competition is pretty unexpected. One of the newest game modes will be called “Double Trouble,” a 2v2 challenge that includes swapping between gaming and cooking whenever the audience deems fit, which we’re sure will disorient the challengers in the best possible way.
Catch the first match of the second season of Challengers VS Champs today on Twitch.TV/Crown at 4pm PT and every Friday for the next seven weeks.
With a life as weird and wild as that, it kind of makes sense that one of the more talked-about movies premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival happens to be a documentary-musical hybrid based on Giuliani’s most famous exploits. No really, director Jed Rothstein — who previously helmed the popular WeWork documentary — is debuting his latest hyper-realistic nonfiction piece at Tribeca this year. Titled “Rudy! A Documusical,” the movie blends archival footage documenting Giuliani’s rise and disastrous fall with musical numbers performed by Broadway actors. The numbers have been written to narrate specific moments in Giuliani’s life, moments Rothstein said felt so outlandish, that they had to be set to music.
“Rudy is this very unique and mercurial character,” Rothstein told Variety. “He’s very operatic. His personal story is like an opera with these cartoonishly extravagant highs and lows. The songs add an important emotional perspective to a story of a person who has lived in the public eye for a long time and help us better understand why he did what he did.”
According to those who knew him best, Giuliani’s downward descent began when he married his third wife and got a taste for the high life.
“The people that knew him best and knew him longest, say that after 9/11 he had a choice to go high or go low,” Rothstein revealed. “For many years he was a public servant, living on a public servant’s salary. But after he re-married [third wife] Judith Nathan, they got a taste of the high life. They got a taste of owning houses in the Hamptons and Palm Beach and traveling on private jets. Once he made making money the yardstick of success, that’s when he became a cautionary tale.”
Giuliani declined to be a part of the documusical but here’s hoping the cousin-marrying act lives up to the hype.
In April, Phoebe Bridgers released “Sidelines,” which may or may not be her only new song of 2022. One thing about the song that stands out is its optimistic tone in comparison to other Bridgers songs, which are typically rooted in themes of sadness. It turns out that Bridgers shies away from happy songs because away from there is where her comfort zone lies. Now, though, she’s looking to get into creating more joy-motivated material.
In a new Variety interview, Bridgers says of “Sidelines,” “I’m striving to do more stuff like that. I think it’s more challenging to sound smart and write well about happiness than it is about sadness. In the interest of not seeming trite, I lean toward darker subject matter, just out of comfort. And I think a challenge to myself, now, is being articulate about things that are good [laughs].”
She also spoke in detail about how “Sidelines” came to be, saying:
“My drummer Marshall [Vore] and his girlfriend, Ruby [Henley], started the song, and I fell in love with it and was listening to it all the time when it had like a slightly different vibe and different lyrics. And then when I got the opportunity to make music for the show, Marshall was like, ‘Yo! ‘Sidelines,’ that idea is never going to come out. You should make it your own and take it on.’ There wasn’t that much I wanted to redo, and I thought it would be easy. Usually with my songs, even songs that Marshall starts, I’ll rewrite them like 10 times with lots of options. And this was the hardest thing. Everything I put into it felt corny. And what he had already encapsulated was so beautiful that I felt like I was going to ruin it, so it was such a big challenge.
My partner Paul [Mescal] and I were like going through the lyrics, and I was constantly punishing him with: ‘What about this? And what about this? And what about this? What about this?’ And then just one random day, Marshall and I were sitting at the piano and something flooded open, and I wrote some of my favorite lyrics right at the last minute. But it was cool to embark on that. My favorite thing is already loving an idea and not wanting to ruin it, so everything you put into it has to be great — instead of when an idea is still a baby, and there’s not that much compelling about it yet, so you can put anything into it. That’s a challenging way for me to write, because I can’t tell what’s good or not. Whereas if what’s there is already so good, then I don’t want to fuck it up. It just makes the whole thing way better.”
For many drinkers, the term “lager” conjures up images of crisp, clean, refreshing beers that you’d want to crush on a hot day while playing yard games. A simple, easy-going beer. Or maybe you envision maltier, richer tasting lagers. For those in the know, lager definitely more than just a light, crispy beer.
For those not in the know, lagers are brewed and conditioned at low temperatures. Its variations include the classic American lager that you likely imagine when you think of the term, as well as crisp, fresh pilsners (multiple varieties), the malty Vienna lager, bocks, Marzens, Helles, and a handful of others.
Since there is such a vast selection of lagers — way more than simply the domestic adjunct lager section in your neighborhood grocery store’s cooler — it can be difficult to find the right flavor profile for you. That’s why we decided to turn to the experts for help. We asked a few well-known brewers, craft beer experts, and brewing professionals to tell us the one lager they always drink. Maybe you’ll try one of their picks and get turned on to your new favorite lager.
Modelo Especial. I’ve never had a Modelo that I wasn’t happy to be drinking. A fine example of the Mexican Lager Style. Slightly sweet malt flavor with a crisp dry finish. A perfect beer for every occasion. It’s especially thirst-quenching on a hot summer day.
This is an easy one and it’d have to go to my friend Dan Suarez over at Suarez Family Brewing. Their Palantine Pils is just a perfect beer. The guy is a wizard and one of the most humble and genuine brewers I’ve ever met. It’s crisp and clean and has the perfect level of minerality to it that accentuates the delicate flavors of the noble hops used. It is just a perfect beer.
For me, I have to go with the Helles from KC Bier Company. They make a lot of classic German-style beers with traditional methods, but this one has always been my favorite in the summer. It’s light and easy to have more than one of, but still has some great sweet notes of honey and malt that makes it interesting.
Altstadt Lager
Altstadt Lager
Hector Cavazos, owner and head brewer at Rebel Toad Brewery in Corpus Christi, Texas
Altstadt Lager is great. All of their beers are made using German purity laws. This Munich-style Helles lager is known for its malt-forward, crisp, clean flavor that’s highlighted by the use of Noble hops. It’s a great, refreshing, easy-drinking beer for any occasion.
Von Trapp Vienna Lager is my go-to. It’s a bright and flavorful lager with cracker-like malt notes and a classic Noble hop aroma. At 33 IBUs, this lager has an incredible depth of flavor while also being light enough to enjoy several of.
I’d go for my favorite lager style of Vienna/Octoberfest and pick an Ayinger Oktoberfest. It’s the one beer I look for every late summer. From the quaint bottle cap to the rich, malty, and creamy goodness, it’s a beer I’ve loved for decades. It’s the perfect beer for the end of the summer.
Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff
Augustiner
Kevin Smolar, production and quality lab manager at Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis
Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff. We’re lucky to get a lot of great German lagers where I live, but something about the Edelstoff hits is different than the rest. It’s listed as a Dortmunder Exportbier which is a style that fits somewhere between a German pils and Munich Helles. It starts with a sweet, toasted grain aroma and progresses to a bright, spicy, and floral hop flavor that ends in a pleasant bitterness. Its dry finish just makes you want to drink more and is truly a perfect example of the balance found in traditional German lagers.
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils. If I see this beer on tap, I’m ordering it. The hints of lemongrass and overall herbal notes combined with the punchy hoppiness make it stand out from the crowd. It’s a great beer to introduce to anyone that throws a modicum of shade at pilsners.
Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils
Bierstadt
Chris Elliott, chief brewing officer at Wild Leap Brew Co. in LaGrange, Georgia
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
I love lagers, and most brewers that have experienced a Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils would rank it in their top five. I am no exception, having a pour from the brewery is an incredible experience. It is a crystal clear, perfect lager served in immaculate glassware. I recommend that every beer nerd traveling through Denver experience this brewery at least once in their life.
Harp Lager from Guinness Brewing Co in Dublin, Ireland. Harp Premium Lager is a typical European lager but tastes like it came from the UK. It is clean like a mainland European lager but has subtle fresh fruit aromas and tastes slightly bitter. It is a crisp and refreshing, smooth Irish lager.
Radeberger Pilsner
Radeberger
Marshall Hendrickson co-founder and head of operations at Veza Sur Brewing Co. in Miami
Radeberger Pilsner is my pick. This beer is such a versatile lager for me. It’s crushable if I’m looking for something easy to drink, but it’s also delicately complex if I’m looking to pair a beer with food. It checks all the boxes, and I’d be happy if it was the only lager I could drink for the rest of my life.
Fair State Pilsner from Minnesota. This is a great example of a finely crafted lager. It has all the makings of traditional domestic lagers that we are all familiar with but adds a bold malty flavor to the traditional light lagers.
Nigerian singer Mr Eazi will be unveiling his debut album soon, whose title is yet to be announced, to follow up last year’s Something Else EP as well as some collaborations he partook in. Today, though, he unveiled the promising lead single, “Legalize.”
Dedicated to his partner, actress Temi Otedola, “Legalize” is a kaleidoscopic, head-over-heels love song: “Even if you don’t know baby I go make you realize / I no go let you go baby na you be my wife,” he sings.
He shot the music video in Venice, Italy with Otedola, and figured it would be the perfect time to propose to her, so he did.
“I knew it would stand as a totem we always will look back on,” he said about proposing to her on the set of the music video. “No one on set knew what was going to happen.”
Of “Legalize,” Mr Eazi said, “I started the song in Michael Brun’s house on some edibles, freestyling. Later, I went to London and listened to what I’d recorded, and realized what the song was about. I’ve been thinking of asking Temi to marry me for a long time, so I guess it was in my subconscious.”
Watch the music video for “Legalize” above.
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