Category: News

As Sylvester Stallone continues to make the interview rounds to promote his new series, Tulsa King, the iconic action star has been getting candid about the days when he and Arnold Schwarzenegger would go toe-to-toe at the box office. While the two are close pals now, Stallone recently admitted that the musclebound stars genuinely hated each other during the height of their careers.

“We couldn’t stand to be in the same galaxy together for a while. We truly, truly loathed each other,” Stallone recently revealed to Insider while expanding on the anecdote about how Schwarzenegger tricked him into starring in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.

The Rocky star took things even further while talking to Forbes about the fierce competitiveness between the two that ultimately led to a friendship built on being Hollywood titans:

“We really disliked each other immensely because we were… this may sound a little vain, but I think we were pioneering a kind of genre at that time and it hasn’t been seen since really,” Stallone told me via Zoom Thursday while promoting his new series Tulsa King, which premieres on Paramount+ Sunday. “So the competition, because it’s his nature, he is very competitive and so am I… and I just thought it actually helped, but off-screen we were still competitive and that was not a healthy thing at all, but we’ve become really good friends.”

After spending two decades hating each other, you’re now more likely to see Stallone and Schwarzenegger showing up to each other’s red carpet premieres and exchanging hugs that would crush mere mortals. It’s like a thunderclap from the Gods when they slap each other’s backs. Good for them.

(Via Insider, Forbes)

Rihanna has been busy generating headlines this fall — confirming she will perform the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, contributing two ballads to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, and controversially selecting Johnny Depp to appear in her Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 show. But Rihanna is constantly resetting the bar, and she hit the headline jackpot by merely mentioning Beyoncé today (November 14).

The Fenty mogul was asked by E! News to name her “dream model” for a future Savage X Fenty show. “Beyoncé,” Rihanna said. “I mean, Beyoncé’s got body. That would just trump everything for me.”

Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 premiered on Amazon Prime Video last Wednesday (November 9). The featured models included Abbott Elementary‘s Sheryl Lee Ralph, Wakanda Forever‘s Winston Duke, Cara Delevingne, Lilly Singh, Simu Liu, Taraji P. Henson, Taylour Paige, and more. There’s an even more ambitious goal amongst Rihanna’s team than getting Beyoncé for a future installment.

“It would not surprise me if we had Vol. 7 on the moon,” director Adam Blackstone said, per Billboard. “If anyone can do it, it’s our Rihanna.”

Fans will likely take Rihanna’s mention of Beyoncé and run with it. (And who could blame them?) In the same vein, the natural assumption was that Rihanna’s Super Bowl announcement and return to music meant that her first album since 2016’s ANTI was on the way. Not so fast.

“Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing. Do you hear that, fans?” Rihanna recently joked to the Associated Press.

The best defense mechanism is to just stream “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again” until Rihanna’s next official move.

Nearly six months ago, word circulated that Vladimir Putin’s inner circle was maneuvering to find a successor amid concerns over his Ukraine war. Those concerns, if true, apparently fell by the wayside, and perhaps that can be best explained by the fact that Putin punishes any Russian who dares to speak against him. A few months ago, local Russian lawmakers were summoned by police, fined, and removed from office after they plotted to overthrow the president for damaging the Russian economy with his current military invasion. Perhaps that’s also why we’re seeing some apparent backtracking after a key Putin ally allegedly called for the autocrat to be ousted.

As the New York Times relays, Aleksandr Dugin (whose own daughter perished earlier this year in a car bombing) now sees this war as an embarrassment. Newsweek points out that Dugin’s unofficial position as “Putin’s brain” makes this criticism notable, and here’s how the NYT sums up Dugin’s Telegram-posted apparent reference to Putin and his subsequent denial:

The post did not name Mr. Putin directly, but made reference to a study of myths and religions that included the African tale of Kings of the Rain, slain for failing to make it rain amid a drought. Mr. Dugin later wrote on his page on Vkontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, that Western analysts were falsely portraying him as having turned on Mr. Putin.

That quick turnaround was to be expected whether or not Dugin specifically intended to criticize Putin with this Kings of the Rain warning. After all, Putin has (allegedly) left a trail of dead journalists in his wake and silenced his rivals, including Alexei Nalvany, who will probably never emerge from prison again after spending nearly a decade behind bars. In the meantime, Russian troops are continuing to abandon heavy artillery (including tanks) in Ukraine, basically handing victories to Zelensky’s forces. Despite a massive draft, Russia is still losing the numbers game with boots on the ground, so it seems like a matter of time before Putin really threatens to go nuclear in a desperate effort to win his war.

(Via New York Times)

Eladio Carrión‘s highly-anticipated sequel to his Sen2 Kbrn album is coming soon. On Friday (November 11), the Puerto Rican rapper revealed the release date and the tracklist for the second installment in the series.

Carrión has proven himself to be one of the top rappers in Latin music. He can work his knockout flow around any genre of music, including reggaeton and trap music. Last year, he experimented with the New York drill sound in the “Tata” remix featuring Bobby Shmurda, Daddy Yankee, and J Balvin. In May, he embraced elements of electronica music in “Sin Frenos” alongside Argentine acts Bizarrap and Duki.

In July 2021, Carrión released his Sen2 Kbrn Vol. 1 album where he let his rap flow run wild. The LP included the hits like “Problema” and “Paz Mental.” It also featured one of his signature freestyles under the title “Sauce Boy Freestyle 4.”

On Instagram, Carrión shared that Sen2 Kbrn Vol. 2 will be released this Friday, November 18. This second album will include 10 new tracks. The LP will follow last year’s Sauce Boyz 2 album that was released in December 2021.

Find the Sen2 Kbrn Vol. 2 tracklist below.

1. “Gladiador”
2. “Si La Calle Llama”
3. “Mbappe”
4. “HP Freestyle”
5. “Caras Vemos”
6. “Hugo”
7. “Te Dijeron”
8. “Friends”
9. “La Fama”
10. “Carta a Dios”

Sen2 Kbrn Vol. 2 is out 11/18 via Rimas Entertainment. Pre-order it here.

We’re big fans of the stoner and drunkard paradise that is Taco Bell. From a survey of all of their tacos to in-depth reviews on the Mexican Pizza, Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme, Chicken Wings (that’s a thing Taco Bell tried this year!), the very weird Crispy Plant Based Chalupa, and more — we love the chain. We’ve even taught you how to make your own Mexi-Melt and it’s way better than the original.

Over the course of this journey, we’ve formed many opinions on the Taco Bell menu. But we’ve never stopped to check in on what the masses are buzzing about. Taco Bell’s menu changes multiple times per year (they’ve dropped and brought back Nacho Fries more times than we can count, and they’re planning to bring them back again this month) so keeping up with it is a near-impossible task. So we looked to Ranker to find out what people are currently digging into when hitting the Bell. We did this three years ago and, to no surprise, the current ranking on Ranker has shifted a lot.

Below, we’re listing the 10 best Taco Bell menu items according to the masses, plus our take on each. Did the masses get it right or are there major menu additions that people are sleeping on? Let’s dive in!

10. Crunchy Taco

Our Thoughts:

The masses got this one wrong! Tenth? How? Why?! Look, we get it, the Crunchy Taco isn’t the most exciting Taco Bell option out there, it’s frustratingly simple: fairly seasoned ground beef, a crunchy corn shell, some shredded lettuce, and a handful of cheddar cheese that never melts, even if you nuke it. But simplicity is its strength. This is the sort of menu item you add to your meal no matter what you’re ordering, it’s the quintessential Taco Bell menu choice.

It is to Taco Bell what fries are to McDonald’s!

As we mentioned in the lede, Taco Bell is stoner food, but the Crunchy Taco is probably the only item on the menu that you can eat stone-cold sober and still enjoy. It pairs well with each of Taco Bell’s sauce packets but truly doesn’t need any additional ingredients to taste great.

The Bottom Line:

It should be number 1. Honestly, this is Taco Bell’s single best menu item, it has no faults.

9. Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Our Thoughts:

Snagging the ninth spot amongst the masses feels pretty fair, though if it were up to us this would be a bit higher in the ranking. The strength of this dish is that quintuple dose of cheese melding the flour tortilla to the shell. You get mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and cheddar, forming a range of flavors that are alternately salty, nutty, and sharp, plus a dose of that iconic Doritos’ Nacho Cheese via the crunchy shell. Combine that with some spicy ranch sauce, and Taco Bell’s ground beef and you get a cheesy mouthful of flavors with a spicy kick of heat at the aftertaste.

Truly one of Taco Bell’s best creations.

The Bottom Line:

9th feels a bit too low in our book but it’s hard to be mad at this one. The Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch is a must-order if you’ve never had it.

8. Soft Taco

Our Thoughts:

Again, this one is ranked way too low. It’s just a soft-shell version of the crunchy taco, so a lot of what makes the crunchy taco great is present here as well. That simple combination of ground beef, lettuce, and shredder cheddar never gets old and its lack of ingredients makes it easier to focus in on the savory meaty flavors of the ground beef while coming across as a lot more filling and satisfying than its crunchy cousin.

Simply add your favorite hot sauce (we suggest asking for the hot red sauce they have under the counter rather than a packet) and you have a near-perfect fast-food taco.

The Bottom Line:

It shouldn’t be ranked number 1 but this is way too low. The masses are sleeping on the simplicity of soft and crunchy tacos.

7. Beefy Five-Layer Burrito

Our Thoughts:

For a while, the Beefy Five-Layer Burrito has been a fan-favorite at Taco Bell and it’s easy to see why. The strength is in the simplicity, it’s just a burrito loaded with beef, beans, sour cream, and shredded cheddar with a layer of nacho cheese sauce smeared across the tortilla.

It’s hard to hate that, but Taco Bell has since dropped a lot of burritos that are a bit more interesting than this, including the Spicy Double Steak Grilled Cheese, The Beefy Melt Burrito, and later this month, the 7-Layer Nacho Fries burrito. So how do we make the ‘ol Beefy Five-Layer delicious? Simply ditch the beans (Taco Bell’s beans are horrible) and order it grilled.

That’ll give you more room for beef, and a crunchy texture that’ll provide a better mouthfeel.

The Bottom Line:

The Beefy Five-Layer is good but with a few tweaks you can easily make it something great.

6. Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco

Our Thoughts:

The masses got it wrong again, not only is the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos ranked way too high, it doesn’t even deserve to be in the top 10 of Taco Bell menu items. This taco is a great idea, combining the flavors of Taco Bell with Doritos is the sort of genius move that is born in college dorms but, like many ideas that are formed while heavily stoned, just because they seem good, doesn’t mean they actually translate. The Doritos Locos Taco is frustratingly redundant. Doritos has 14 different flavors, so why did Taco Bell choose Nacho Cheese over something that could’ve added some contrast to the mix of ground beef and cheddar cheese, like I don’t know, Cool Ranch or Salsa Verde?

By going with Nacho Cheese for the shell, Taco Bell is doubling down on the cheesy and salty flavor profile. The cheddar and beef are already cheesy and salty, adding a shell with the same qualities makes this taste like too much of a good thing. There is no balance. There is a form of this taco that works, and it’s on this list, but the Doritos Locos stock taco, is straight-up garbage.

The Bottom Line:

Taco Bell’s most overrated taco ever. It doesn’t even deserve to be on this list. The masses must be stoned.

5. Chalupa Supreme

Our Thoughts:

I’m not mad at this one, Taco Bell’s Chalupa Supreme is one of Taco Bell’s best chalupas (the Chipotle Cheddar Chalupa is slightly better, but it’s absent from this list) on the menu. It takes that classic Taco Bell salty beefy cheesy flavor combination and adds some sour cream for a bit of tang, tomato for a burst of freshness, and a sweet chalupa wrap.

A touch of spice would go a long way into making this a better dish, so we suggest you substitute that sour cream for chipotle sauce, but as is, it’s not bad.

The Bottom Line:

The classic Taco Bell flavors with a touch of sweetness at the aftertaste.

4. Quesarito

Our Thoughts:

Remember what I said about Taco Bell being a stoner’s paradise?

Dishes like the Quesarito prove that. Like its name suggests, this combines everything great about a burrito with a quesadilla, it’s the sort of menu item that exists for indecisive people who can’t choose between the two. Why not have both in one? The burrito build includes ground beef, rice, and sour cream, wrapped in a flour tortilla and then wrapped again in another tortilla smeared with melted cheddar cheese and nacho cheese sauce.

It’s beefy, cheesy, salty, and has a whole lot of texture. The idea of a burrito without beans sounds, well, like not a burrito, but considering Taco Bell’s beans are so terrible, this works surprisingly well. Don’t be tempted to add the beans.

The Bottom Line:

One of Taco Bell’s finest dishes. Does it deserve the number 4 spot? Definitely, if anything this should be ranked even higher.

3. Chicken Quesadilla

Our Thoughts:

This is ranked way too high, in fact, it shouldn’t even be on the list. Taco Bell’s chicken is awful, it’s dry, chewy, and almost completely flavorless. It’s more texture than anything else, and that texture isn’t anything good. The strength of this dish is everything else in it, the creamy jalapeno sauce is vegetal, spicy, and delicious, and the three-cheese blend combines cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella — it’s satisfyingly cheesy with a grilled flour tortilla that is crispy and has a whole lot of texture. But that chicken? Skip it. You’ll be saving a dollar and saving room in your stomach to just pick up a crunchy taco on the side.

The Bottom Line:

I don’t know how anything with Taco Bell’s chicken is appealing to the masses. Have ya’ll ever had chicken?

2. Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Our Thoughts:

How do you make Taco Bell’s already delicious crunchy taco even more satisfying? It’s simple, just wrap it in another tortilla with melted cheese melding it together. You get a double dose of cheese here, shredded cheddar on top of the taco, with the three-cheese blend between the crunchy shell and gordita wrap. In addition to that medley of cheesy flavors you’ve got spicy ranch, lettuce, and ground beef, making each bite a mix of complex cheese, and savory beef, with a spicy tangy finish.

But the Cheesy Gordita Crunch can easily be improved by ordering the Doritos Locos version. That’ll give you a triple dose of cheese with the gordita shell adding a sweet component to counterbalance the sometimes overwhelming nacho cheese shell. This is the balance of flavors that the Doritos Locos desperately needed.

The Bottom Line:

Being ranked as the second-best Taco Bell menu item is way too high for this dish, but we won’t deny that this deserves a spot in the top ten.

1. Crunch Wrap Supreme

Our Thoughts:

While the Crunch Wrap Supreme wouldn’t be my number one choice, it feels fitting that this is the favorite of the masses. The Crunchwrap is Taco Bell’s invention, it’s not a spin on a famous Mexican dish, it’s not a combination of famous flavors like the Doritos Locos Taco or a hybrid like the Quesarito, it exists as a pure invention out of the mind of Taco Bell’s flavor scientists.

It consists of a layer of savory beef and salty nacho cheese sauce, a thin layer of fried corn tortilla, and a fresh medley of veggies on top all wrapped in a giant warm grilled tortilla. Each bite is crunchy, salty, savory, fresh, and beautifully textural, it’s hard to hate this, it’s like a greatest hits collection of Taco Bell flavors.

Order a side of red sauce and dip each bite for a spicy lift that makes this already delicious dish even more elevated.

The Bottom Line:

The masses may have got a lot wrong, but giving the Crunchwrap Supreme the number 1 spot feels fitting. If somehow you’ve never had Taco Bell, start here, it’s a reflection of what makes the Bell so beloved.

November is historically a great time to go out to the abandoned mall in your local town and see a movie. It’s too cold outside to do things, but it’s obviously too soon to stay in and watch Christmas movies unless you’re Lindsay Lohan. Since those are your only two options, the choice here is simple: go sit in a dark room with strangers and laugh and cry alongside Nicole Kidman. And many people did just that last week!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has broken the record for the biggest box office opening in the month of November, a title that was previously held by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire nine years ago. Wakanda earned $181M on its opening weekend, which just so happened to be over a million more than Disney had projected. We all know how modest those guys are, so this is pretty big.

Earlier this month, The Rock’s Black Adam secured $143M globally on its opening weekend, though Mr. Rock is not at all mad about being dethroned by Shuri and Co.

In addition to being the 8th-best MCU opening, the superhero sequel also scored the 13th-highest opening of all time. Who knows where these stats will be in just another month from now when Box Office Darling James Cameron returns to rip the titles from those mean superheroes’ hands and hand them over to those blue alien guys.

(Via Deadline)

For the past two months, we’ve seen BIBI‘s range in acting as she takes on lead roles in her music videos for pre-release singles “Animal Farm,” “Sweet Sorrows Of Mother,” and “Motospeed 24.” Now she returns, and it seems like she’s seeking vengeance this time around.

Released today (November 14), the FeelGhood Music artist teased her upcoming single “나쁜년 (BIBI Vengeance)” in a 17-second cinematic trailer. Cloaked in white, BIBI is seen bowing and smiling at the ground as she pays respect to the deceased. The trailer cuts from her smirking scenes to protests being held outside of the funeral ceremony. Considering the title of the lead single, viewers can already assume BIBI is the mastermind behind everything that’s happening in the short clip. (After all, the literal translation for “나쁜년” is “b*tch.” And that’s how BIBI often depicts herself in her music — a badass b*tch.)

BIBI’s upcoming single “나쁜년 (BIBI Vengeance)” releases on Friday, November 18, at midnight alongside her first full-length album Lowlife Princess: Noir.

As BIBItans and Korean R&B fans countdown to Friday, the Feel Ghood Music artist is set to perform at 88Rising’s Head In The Clouds in Jakarta, Indonesia on December 3rd and 4th.

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

Let’s put it this way: Mo Brooks and Donald Trump used to be so close that Brooks’ name has been mentioned countless times in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building. However, Brooks realized he didn’t want to go down with that particular ship and soon began cooperating with the House select committee, which put him at odds with Trump. In retaliation, the former president blasted Brooks as “woke” and pulled his endorsement for a Senate primary race, which Brooks then lost.

However, now Trump is on the ropes following the midterm elections, and Brooks is relishing a chance to twist the knife. In a new interview, the Alabama congressman blasts the former president and urged his fellow Republicans to get behind Ron DeSantis as the future of the party. Via AL.com:

“It would be a bad mistake for the Republicans to have Donald Trump as their nominee in 2024,” Brooks said in an interview with AL.com. “Donald Trump has proven himself to be dishonest, disloyal, incompetent, crude and a lot of other things that alienate so many independents and Republicans. Even a candidate who campaigns from his basement can beat him.”

After the whole Trump debacle, Brooks is retiring from politics to spend time with his grandchildren. But on his way out the door, Brooks is doing his best to distance himself from the events leading up to January 6.

“I did not fight for Donald Trump after the 2020 election,” Brooks told AL.com. “I fought for election integrity. Donald Trump just happened to be the beneficiary of it.”

(Via AL.com)

Before today, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” was the biggest song in music history in terms of RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) certification, sitting at 16-times platinum. Now, though, there’s a new all-time leader: Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” was just certified 17-times platinum, making it the new record-holder.

Also worth noting is that Posty and Quavo’s “Congratulations” is now 14-times platinum, which is tied for fourth on the all-time list. His and Ty Dolla Sign’s “Psycho” was also just certified 10-times platinum, making it his fifth diamond song. That puts Malone in a tie for first all-time with Bruno Mars (unless you count Mars and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” in which case Mars is still up six to five).

Platinum certification isn’t the only place where Post Malone wins out over Lil Nas X. The original “Old Town Road” and the remix have a combined 2.2 billion streams on Spotify, while “Sunflower” has 2.4 billion. Similarly, the “Old Town Road” video and “official movie” have a combined 1.6 billion YouTube views, while the “Sunflower” video comes out ahead at 1.9 billion. “Old Town Road” wins, though, when it comes to the Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Old Town Road” was No. 1 for a record 19 weeks in 2019, while “Sunflower” enjoyed a single week on top that January.

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

Lionel Richie is getting all his flowers. On November 5, Lenny Kravitz inducted him into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Richie was joined on stage during the ceremony to perform with Dave Grohl. This Sunday, November 20, Richie will be back at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater for the 2022 American Music Awards. He is this year’s recipient of the Icon Award.

This morning (November 14), the AMAs shared that Charlie Puth and Stevie Wonder “will take the stage to honor” Richie by performing a medley of his biggest hits, while Ari Lennox “will also join the celebration.”

The Hollywood Reporter relayed earlier this month that Richie, a 17-time AMA winner, is “the only artist in history to be featured on the AMAs stage in every decade since the show’s inception.”

Richie also provided THR with a statement acknowledging his Icon Award honor: “I’m immensely grateful for a career that has taken me to places I never imagined that I’d go, from arenas worldwide to studio sets to the AMA stage. I can recall one of the first times I got to perform at the AMAs. It was to sing ‘We Are the World’ among the most iconic musicians of my generation, so it is surreal to be receiving this recognition 36 years later.”

The 2022 AMAs will air on ABC on November 20 beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

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