Month: May 2024

For the second time in their last two playoff runs and for the first time since March 29 of this year, the Nuggets lost a basketball game in Denver. The Minnesota Timberwolves walked into the Mile High City on Saturday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, and managed to knock off the defending champions, 106-99, behind one of the more Michael Jordan-esque performances of Anthony Edwards‘ ascending career.

The Wolves began Game 1 on fire, as the team opened things up by scoring the first nine points. Eventually, their lead got up to an 18-4 margin, which forced a timeout, took the crowd at Ball Arena completely out of the game, and made Denver look like it had no clue what hit them. This was thanks in large part to the play of Edwards, who took it right to them and had 16 in the first quarter.

And then, the championship meddle the Nuggets possess reared its head. Denver caught fire to end the quarter, as the team responded from that timeout by ripping off 13 points in a row. With Reggie Jackson providing a shot in the arm off the bench, the Nuggets were able to take a 25-23 lead into the second.

While the first quarter was defined by both teams throwing major haymakers and going on lengthy runs, the second featured both of them settling in a bit. This, in turn, led to a bit of a slog, as neither team scored 20 points in the period or was able to open up a lead that made them feel comfortable. Ultimately, the teams went into the locker room with Denver holding onto a 44-40 lead.

The story of the first half was the play of Edwards, who very much rose to the occasion in his first conference semifinal game. While the rest of his team struggled, Edwards scored 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting with four rebounds, a steal, and a block. Denver, meanwhile, was led by the 1-2 punch of Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. — the former had 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, and a steal, while the latter scored 13 points with three boards and two steals.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Mike Conley started to answer the bell in the third quarter. The duo combined to go 9-for-9 and give Edwards — who hit the 30-point mark on the night in the frame — some much-needed support. And as a result, the Timberwolves were finally able to take the lead, as they ended the quarter up 73-71.

Neither team was able to create much breathing room early on in the fourth quarter, as they passed the lead back and forth over the opening few minutes due to some incredible shot making.

There was even a quick Naz Reid takeover (he scored 10 points in a row for his team) to give Minnesota a 6-point lead.

With Reid and Edwards spearheading the effort, Minnesota was able to go on an 18-7 run to open up an 11-point lead. And while Denver showed its resiliency to start battling back and make things interesting down the stretch, it was Edwards who slammed the door, as he broke their full-court press with less than 30 seconds left and got a layup.

Edwards was nothing short of brilliant on the night, as he scored 43 points on 17-for-29 shooting with seven points, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. Towns went for 20 points, while Reid scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. While Jokic stuffed the stat sheet — 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, three steals — he had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers, too. And while Porter (20 points) and Jamal Murray (17 points) hit the double-figure mark, no one else on Denver’s roster had more than nine points.

Game 2 between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves will take place in Denver on Monday night. The game is scheduled to tip at 10 p.m. EST on TNT.

Cinco de Mayo is upon us. The great underdog’s holiday is most often celebrated in the States with a healthy amount of tacos (the “healthy” amount is as much as you can eat until you fall over), plus your favorite Mexican beer or spirit — be it mezcal, raicilla or our personal favorite, tequila.

Whether you’re looking for something budget-friendly, or prefer the high-end sip-worthy bottles, there are great bottles to be had in both camps. To help point you in the right direction, we’re naming five (get it? five, cinco, the 5th of May) of our favorite bottles of tequila right now for a guaranteed great Cinco de Mayo.

Because this is a shorter list than usual, there were a few bases I wanted to cover in building it out:

1. The tequila has to be relatively easy to find — that means something that you don’t have to hunt for.
2. The tequila has to be comfortably under $70.
3. This year we’re going additive-free.

I think with those parameters, we can guarantee that wherever you land on this list, you’re going to get a great bottle. But we went ahead and ranked ‘em all anyway just for fun. Happy Cinco de Mayo, let’s drink.

• We Put The 10 Best Selling Tequilas On The Market To A Blind Test
• Tequilas Under $100 That Are Perfect For Sipping Straight
• The Absolute Best Bottles Of Tequila For Taking Shots, Ranked
• Additive Vs. Additive-Free Reposado Tequilas, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Best Tequilas For Whiskey Drinkers, Power Ranked By A Whiskey Pro

5. Don Fulano — Blanco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $47.99

The Tequila:

Call me crazy but I like my tequila agave forward, and bright (I’d just call this good taste), and Don Fulano delivers on those fronts. It has everything I love about tequila, without being wince-inducing or harsh. This tequila is produced at the famed NOM 1146, Tequileña, from highland-sourced agave that is slow-roasted for 28 to 32 hours, extracted via a low-pressure autoclave, and fermented with proprietary yeast in open tanks between 72 and 96 hours.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Roasted agave and earthy peppery notes jump from the glass, it’s almost sneeze-inducing. Once you get a good enough smell some mineral notes will form on the palate.

Palate: Tropical pineapple and zesty citrus dominate the palate with some chili spice, pepper, and herbaceous notes keeping things from coming across too fruity.

Finish: Oily with supple butter flavors and some gentle sweetness on the backend.

The Bottom Line:

Bright and agave forward with a spiced fruit vibe.

4. Tequila Ocho Reposado

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $55.99

The Tequila:

In my book, Tequila Ocho is a brand that just doesn’t miss. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see this brand on more and more store shelves and restaurant menus. It’s readily available, relatively affordable for what you get in bottle, and above all else, delicious.

Produced at NOM 1474, Tequilera Los Alambiques, the agave here is slow-cooked in brick ovens, extracted via a roller mill, and fermented in open-air wood vats before being twice distilled in a copper pot. Finally, the tequila is rested for 8 weeks and 8 days in American white oak, old whiskey, and used barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: You get a lot of the oak character on the nose mingling with rich caramelized agave, crushed black peppercorn, zesty orange rind, and earthy rainwater.

Palate: A light sense of vanilla hovers over a green and grassy flavor with hints of warm caramel, rosemary, citrus, and some minerality.

Finish: Dry and oaky contrasted with tropical coconuts and a slight creaminess.

The Bottom Line:

Zesty, earthy, and oakey, with a nice creamy finish that is a true pleasure to sip.

3. Siete Leguas — Añejo

ABV: 38%
Average Price: $62.99

The Tequila:

It was hard to balance this list between blanco, reposado, and añejo tequilas, but I knew going in that if I had just one añejo, it was going to be Siete Leguas.

This añejo tequila is produced at NOM 1120, Tequila Siete Leguas. That’s right, the bottle is the namesake of the distillery. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is. The agave is cooked in stone ovens, tahona extracted, proofed down with natural spring water, and open-air fermented in stainless steel tanks before being twice distilled in a copper pot before being aged in American white oak barrels for 24 months.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A really delicate, gently spicy nose. I’m getting a gentle waft of cinnamon, caramel, and oak, all hovering over a roasted agave base.

Palate: Surprisingly fruity, I’m tasting some rich plum notes, some juicy ripened citrus, a bit of coffee bitterness and a bright white peach vibe.

Finish: The barrel comes out on the finish, I’m tasting oak, more of that cinnamon from the nose, and the slightest hint of grassiness.

The Bottom Line:

Fruity, spicy, and grassy, with a light barrel influence.

2. El Tesoro — Blanco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $46.99

The Tequila:

The stuff of legends, if you’ve never had El Tesoro, you need to pick up a bottle at least once. I think the blanco serves as the perfect introduction.

Produced at NOM 1139, Tequila Tapatio (La Alteña), the agave is cooked in stone ovens, tahona extracted, and fermented in open-air wood tanks before being twice distilled in a copper pot. That is four steps every great bottle of tequila goes through.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Juicy raw and warm caramelized agave in equal balance with a hint of fruity mango interest.

Palate: Rich agave, cracked black pepper, fresh flowers, baking spices, a hint of salt, grass, and minerals. The flavor shifts between sips, always leaving something new to latch onto.

Finish: Remarkably clean. Agave and grass with no lingering flavor.

The Bottom Line:

Agave forward and surprisingly fruity.

1. Volans — Tequila Reposado

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $66.99

The Tequila:

Of this list, Volans is the newest brand and bottle to me, and it’s quickly becoming a favorite of mine due to its mix of natural earthy flavors and smooth dessert-like mellow flavors.

Volans is produced at NOM 1579, El Pandillo Distillery, and what sets this brand apart from others is that before it even starts cooking the agave it goes through a steaming process for three hours to remove impurities. One purified, the agave is slow roasted for 19 to 22 hours, rested for 24 to 36, and then crushed by a tahona. After being proofed down with well and rainwater, it is fermented in stainless steel tanks and then twice distilled through a copper pot.

Finally, to reach the repo state, Volans is rested in American White Oak bourbon barrels for just under a year.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A rich mix of caramel and roasted agave with a strong oak character and the slightest hint of wet grass.

Palate: Cinnamon, caramel, and vanilla mingle with lots of minerality, a bit of salt, and wet soil quality. It’s earthy and warm, but rich and luxurious. A real bouquet of experiences here.

Finish: A mix of dessert-like sweetness and black pepper with an oily buttered mouthfeel. It leaves the tongue wanting more.

The Bottom Line:

Well-balanced between natural earthy flavors, and sweeter pleasing-to-the-palate sensations.

Ever since around the All-Star break, the officiating in the league shifted towards letting more go and allowing defenses to play with more physicality. The result was fewer foul calls and lower scoring games, and that has carried over through the first round of the playoffs.

While there’s been some frustration from players about not getting calls they once got, it’s made games far more enjoyable to watch from a game flow perspective. The increased physicality also raises the intensity, which is what playoff basketball is all about, and one would think the willingness to swallow the whistle would extend to players showing their emotion in playoff games.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in Game 1 of the Western Conference semis between the Nuggets and Timberwolves, as Anthony Edwards got hit with a technical from Courtney Kirkland for staring down Reggie Jackson after blowing by him for a bucket on the baseline. Reggie Miller, who knows a thing or two about taunting, was on the call and could not believe what he was seeing from Kirkland.

Reggie said what everyone at home was thinking, as there was not a single non-Nuggets fan that would side with that call. Edwards himself was in sheer disbelief at the whistle on the court, because he hadn’t even jawed at Jackson and probably tried to restrain himself by simply giving him a stare and still got slapped with a T. Hopefully the league will rescind this one upon review tomorrow, but that won’t take that point off the board for Denver in a tight opener to this series.

Drake’s tension with nearly half of hip-hop caused dozens of rumors to begin floating around online. It is hard to tell if Metro Boomin, the architect behind “Like That” (the track that kicked it all off), knew just how messy things would get. But he surely has provided the instrumentals for others to air out their grievances with Drake.

To quickly recap the mounting allegations made against Drake; Rick Ross accused him of undergoing several cosmetic procedures, including a rhinoplasty (more commonly referred as a nose job). The Weeknd alleged that his label, OVO Sounds, stifles the careers of its signees. Asap Rocky claimed to have been sexually involved with the mother of Drake’s son Adonis. With the exception of The Weeknd’s comments, so far Drake has addressed each remark in some way or another.

For starters, Drake seemingly denied getting a nose job. He also confirmed that Asap might have been involved with Adonis’ mother, but it doesn’t matter because in Drake’s eyes he had Rihanna (who so happens to be the mother of Asap Rocky’s two sons, RZA and Riot) first.

But on Kendrick Lamar’s latest lethal diss, “Meet The Grahams,” he pulled what fans are dubbing “a Pusha T.” Essentially, Kendrick challenged Drake’s parenting skills and manhood as he believes his foe is “hiding” another child – this time a daughter.

So, Does Drake Have A Daughter As Kendrick Lamar Claims On “Meet The Grahams?”

According to Drake’s post on May 3 via his Instagram Stories, the answer is no.

“Nah,” he wrote. “Hold on. Can someone find my hidden daughter please? And send her to me? These guys are in shambles.”

However, users online are having a hard time accepting Drake’s rebuttal as fact. Some have even taken him up on his research challenge. Based on Kendrick’s third verse, the child in question is supposedly no child at all but rather a preteen (approximately 12 years old).

With that nugget of information, users on X (formerly Twitter) dug up Drake’s post from January 15, 2012. For users, Drake’s “Baby girl” upload was all the proof they needed.

It doesn’t help that when Pusha T claimed Drake had a secret son (which turned out to be true), Drake behaved similarly. So, stick around long enough and things could change.

Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s full track below.

Drake has enemies. If you’ve been keeping track as Uproxx has he actually has a quite a lot of enemies. Over the last few weeks, the public has learned that the “First Person Shooter” rapper has had several dust-ups online and on record. But heavy is the head that carries the genre’s record-breaking, charting success.

Between The Weeknd and Nav to the estate of Tupac, Drake has taken several shots across the industry. Asap Rocky claimed to have intimately been with the mother of Drake’s son Adonis. Rick Ross accused his former friend of getting a nose job to combat his “racial insecurities.” Even, Ye (better known as Kanye West), questioned the true nature of Drake’s 2022 deal with Universal Music Group.

Slowly, but surely, Drake has begun to chip away at each record’s rumors. So, on Drake’s latest response track, “Family Matters,” he used a mixture of pet names and legal names to clapback at his opposition. Here you can learn who about Fring. But, that still leaves Leland Wayne to be revealed.

Continue below for answers.

So, Who Is Leland Wayne From Drake’s “Family Matters” Diss Song?

Sandwiched between lines, Drake fires off rounds at Kendrick Lamar, Ross, and The Weeknd. But there are some names listeners did not immediately recognize, including Leland Wayne. So, who is Wayne? Let’s just say it isn’t a family relative of Drake’s mentor and longtime friend, Lil Wayne.

The mystery man in question is none other than Metro Boomin. While the world may refer to him by his stage name, the producer’s family simply know Leland Tyler Wayne. For whatever artistic reason, Drake decided to go with Boomin’s legal name, according to KBIA (an outlet near Boomin’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri). Could it be an intimidation tactic? Possibly. Or it might have been creative way to include his archenemy into his witty lines without the need for any metaphoric heavy lifting.

After reading the stanza below aimed at Metro Boomin, the latter seems to be the best bet.

Pluto sh*t make me sick to my stomach / We ain’t never really been through it Leland Wayne, he a f*ckin’ lame, so I know he had to be an influence / These n****s had a plan and they finally found a way to rope you into it / Two separate albums dissin’, I just did a Kim to it, n****, skim through it

As users online pointed out, the last thirty days in hip-hop culture have mirrored Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Civil War. This can all be traced back to Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s bubbling stock pot of problems.

Every few days another one of rap music’s stars have either been reluctantly drafted into the war of words (Snoop Dogg and the estate of Tupac) or willingLu enlisted into the conflict (Ye, better known as Kanye West).

But the musicians’ latest round of diss tracks seem to be riddled with insider knowledge, which has left fans confused about several references. On Drake’s new track “Family Matters,” he cryptically named drop a few folks including one Fring, leaving listeners scrambling to decipher his lines.

So, Who Is Fring From Drake’s “Family Matters” Diss Track?

Outside of his ongoing feud with Kendrick, Drake admittedly has a lot of enemies. Instead of dedicating yet another track to the Compton native, Drake took jabs at another foe, Asap Rocky. When Drake rapped: “Ask Fring if this is a good idea the next time you cuddled in that bed again / She’ll even tell you leave the boy alone ‘fore you get your head split again.”

If this line was clear enough, the preceding bar, “Smokin’ Fenty ‘bout it, should’ve put you on the first one / Try get it in,” shoud’ve provided you with all the context you needed. On “Show Of Hands,” Asap joked with Metro Boomin and Future that he should have been included on the duo’s first joint project, We Don’t Trust You.

The most obvious reference in Drake’s lyric is Fenty, as it is Rihanna’s last name. Rihanna having dated Drake in the past and as Asap’s current partner as well as children’s mother for anyone who needed further assistance piecing everything together, there it is.

But exactly is Fring anyway? Well, Fring’s is a restaurant in Drake hometown of Toronto, Canada that he has publicly supported over the years. It might also have served as a pet name for Rihanna according to his 2015 conversation with New York Times’ T Magazine.

Given what Asap Rocky revealed about his past entanglement with the mother of Drake’s son Adonis, many find Drake’s remarks about Rihanna to be fair game.

Listen to the full track below.

So far, Drake and Rick Ross’ brewing beef hasn’t expanded beyond the studio. However, the “Champagne Moments” rapper joked that his foe might have taken it to the friendly skies.

Yesterday (May 3), on Instagram, a Drake fan page revealed that Ross’ private jet made a crash landing in Dallas, Texas. Initially, users online were hesitation to believe the claim made by Keep 6ix Solid, given the long list of allegations tossed around by the two entertainers. However, the jet covered in Ross’ personal and record label branding made it difficult to refute.

With the outlet’s post gaining traction, Ross took to his social media pages to confirm the story. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he managed to find humor in the traumatic incident.

“My jet just crashed,” he wrote. “Drake’s OVO F16 fighter jet just shot us down.”

Ross’ joke pointed out the irony in the situation after he spent the last few weeks clowning Drake for supposedly having a relic aircraft. He also alleged that Air Drake wasn’t intended for human passengers making it unsafe to travel in. So Ross’ jet being temporarily grounded is a sick twist of events.

Fortunately, no one was injured during the crash. Well, that’s not including Ross’ ego. He continued the unsavory joke in a dramatized and factually inaccurate recounting of the moments leading to the crash. View the full clip originally shared to Instagram below.

All roads were supposed to lead to Sin City. However, if you were ready to shuffle between performance sets at Lovers & Friends Festival 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada, you just crapped out.

Yesterday (May 3), while practically the entire world was focused on Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s diss exchanges, the budding live R&B event announced that it was being forced to pull the plug. On X (formerly Twitter), organizers revealed that due to inclement weather and warnings from weather experts, they decided to cancel the jam-packed day out of safety concerns.

“The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning, including dangerous 30-35 mph sustained winds with gusts potentially more than 60 mph,” read the statement. “Following advice from the National Weather Service and in consultation with local public officials, we must make the safest decision for our fans, artists, and staff, and cancel tomorrow’s Lovers & Friends Festival. This was an incredibly heartbreaking decision to make as we are aware that fans have traveled from all over the world to enjoy this incredible lineup of superstars and have been looking forward to this event for several months.”

With acts such as Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, Brandy, and of course Usher on the lineup, festivalgoers were livid and didn’t mind airing out their grievances online. Following the news, Usher took to his personal X page to express his frustration.

“Mannn…I’m just as disappointed as you are,” he wrote. “We were getting ready to turn up and celebrate today. I have to follow the orders of city officials and the National Weather Service for everyone’s protection and stand strong in my belief that everything happens for a reason.”

Without providing specifics, Usher went on to tease that he would make it up to ticket holders very soon. “I’m sorry we won’t get to see each other today,” he wrote. “But know that I am always working on something to express my heartfelt gratitude for each and every one of you who continue to support me. I’ll see you soon.”

Whatever he has up his sleeve fans surely hope it is an even larger 20th anniversary performance of his critically acclaimed album, Confessions. Online Usher shared behind-the-scenes footage of what would’ve been his headlining set at Lovers And Friends 2024, but unfortunately the public won’t have the chance to see it.

In the note issued by the festival, refunds for those who paid via Front Gate Tickets will be processed within the next 30 days. Find more information here.

Chickens bursting out of chests. Butcher running out of time. Homelander offering “a creamy, delicious milkshake” before pulling off choreographed ice-skating maneuvers. What is happening in The Boys‘ fourth season?

“Chop chop, m*therf***ers.” That’s the best explanation on tap from the most levelheaded presence of the bunch: Mr. Mother’s Milk.

The Boys has managed to keep the overboard-energy flowing consistently for three full seasons, and this trailer suggests that showrunner Eric Kripke will continue to walk the finest of lines with the fourth outing. As always, there’s too much going on, and a viewer must pick and choose what wildness to hone in on, but long story short? Butcher’s running out of days on the calendar, and he must use what he discovered in that Gen V finale to make his grandest effort at making Supes go extinct.

Meanwhile, Homelander has moved on from that show-stopping cameo to rally The Seven (with two new members, Firecracker and Sister Sage) to be “wrathful gods” while Ashley has pulled in the newly crowned Guardians of Godolkin (Kate and Sam) for an unknown plan. Let’s hope that Antony Starr enjoyed ice skating more than understandably losing his cool on stunt wiring.

Let’s do the synopsis thing:

…the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.

Don’t forget that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will makes his appearance this season. As well, the main cast of The Boys includes Starr, Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty, Jack Quaid, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Jessie T. Usher, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti.

Amazon’s The Boys gets busy in Season 4 on June 13.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake — two of rap’s biggest heavyweights — turned up the temperature in their beef this week by trading disses at rapid speed. Kendrick returned fire with “Euphoria” and doubled back today with “6:16 In LA.” Drake answered back with “Family Matters,” but before most could even digest that track, Kendrick clapped back with a scathing diss titled “Meet The Grahams.”

Listen below.