COVID cases are on the rise in all 50 states, but the percentage of fully vaccinated Americans is still just below the 50 percent mark. And experts predict that if you’re an adult who has not yet been vaccinated, chances are good that you won’t be knocking down your doctor’s door to get a jab or two anytime soon.
Which, obviously, is a problem — especially for the White House.
So in a move that seems to be in the spirit of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, CNN reports that the Biden administration is attempting to make nice with Fox News in order to get the network to look at the big picture and realize that their hosts constant anti-vaccine propaganda could quite literally be killing their viewership.
Biden’s team and Fox News executives have apparently been communicating for a few months now, though it’s unclear if any steps have been taken by the network to pump the brakes on their whole oppression-by-vaccination agenda. When asked about the Republican-leaning network’s role in the slowdown of COVID vaccinations, and what measures the president has taken to address the issue, White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that the Biden administration is fully aware of “the importance of reaching Fox News’ audience about the COVID-19 vaccines and their benefits, and like we are with all of you here today we, of course, are in regular contact.”
New Liberty/Cedar Ridge/Limestone Branch/Still Austin/istock/Uproxx
Over the years, we’ve spent a lot of time writing about well-known American whiskeys. Especially hard-to-find bottles of bourbon, like Pappy Van Winkle, EH Taylor, Weller, and the like. But those brands are all so beloved, so sought-after that — frankly — they don’t need the hype. Even without us, they’d still be allocated, difficult to find, and have ridiculous secondary market prices.
You know who does need a little signal boost? Smaller American craft whiskey brands. We’re talking about the underrated, often overlooked craft whiskeys made right here in the United States. Many are delightful, nuanced, and even award-winning, but still don’t get the press or have the followings they deserve. And we’re keen on changing that.
Below, you’ll find eight of our favorite underrated American craft whiskeys. We know it’s hard to add a new expression into your drinking rotation, but give a few of these a try — you just might find a new favorite!
This award-winning (Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition), Austin, Texas-made bourbon has a mash bill of 70% white corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley. Every ingredient is sourced from Texas. It’s distilled in 42-foot column stills before being matured in charred American oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
The nose reveals hints of caramel apples, dried fruits, almond cookies, and shaved coconut. The palate is full of raisins, buttery caramel, vanilla beans, sweet corn, and baking spices. The finish is long, filled with warming heat and features notes of butterscotch paired with a slight bit of peppery rye.
Bottom Line:
This just might be the most underrated bourbon in the country. While it took home a prestigious award, it’s still not even close to as popular as any of the expressions from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, or even the smaller Kentucky brands. It ought to be.
Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye
Sagamore Spirits
ABV: 48.3% Average Price: $59.99
The Story:
This award-winning straight rye whiskey is first aged for four years in a charred American oak barrel before being matured a second time in a toasted American oak cask. It ends up maturing for 4-5 years in total. The result is a peppery, rich whiskey with a great sweet-to-rye spice ratio.
Tasting Notes:
Right away, you’ll be struck by the aromas of peppery rye, sweet cinnamon sugar, vanilla beans, and candied orange peels. The palate delivers notes of candied pecans, butterscotch, shaved coconut, and more vanilla. It all ends in a crescendo of sweet caramel and spicy cracked black pepper.
Bottom Line:
For the price, it’s hard to find a better craft rye whiskey. After one sip, this will become your new go-to sweet-meets-peppery summer sipper.
With the likes of Hudson, Black Button, Kings County, and Widow Jane, New York has become a leader in the non-Kentucky bourbon world in recent years. But one of the best is often even overlooked in the state. Coppersea Excelsior Bourbon is a high rye, 100% New York-produced bourbon that’s made using grain sourced from the state and even matured in charred Hudson Valley oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Before your first sip, take a moment to nose this whiskey — you’re sure to pick up aromas of caramel corn, brown sugar, cooking spices, and a nice wallop of peppery rye. The palate swirls with vanilla beans, maple candy, dried fruits, a gentle nutty backbone, and more spicy rye at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is an old-school, prohibition-style bourbon. It requires multiple samplings to reveal all of the different flavors. It’s definitely young, however, and should be treated as such — try mixing it into your next old fashioned or Manhattan.
Whiskey aficionados have heard of Laws, but many drinkers haven’t yet had a chance to appreciate these well-crafted, high-quality Colorado whiskeys. The brand’s flagship expression is its Four Grain Straight Bourbon. The corn, wheat, barley, and rye in the mash bill come from local farms and the distillate is aged for three years in charred oak barrels at high altitudes.
Tasting Notes:
This is a very herbal, citrus-filled whiskey on the nose. There’s also caramel, vanilla, and just a hint of peppery rye. Sipping it reveals notes of toasted wood, vanilla beans, pipe tobacco, candied orange peels, and gentle spice. The finish is warming, dry, and beguiling enough to be memorable.
Bottom Line:
If you’ve never enjoyed whiskey from Laws, start with this expression and work your way through the whole portfolio. At the very least, try this one and then the bonded version.
Philadelphia’s New Liberty is making some high-quality, underrated whiskey. The brand’s Dutch Malt Whiskey was made to pay tribute to the “Pennsylvania Dutch” who settled in the state after emigrating from Germany in the 17th century. It’s made with two-row barley from Deer Creek Malt House in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, aromas include sweet malts, vanilla, dried fruits, and gentle spice. The palate is loaded with chocolate fudge, cereal-like malts, buttery caramel, and oaky wood. The finish is warming, long, and ends with a mixture of sweetness and spice.
Bottom Line:
This is a different whiskey than you’re used to. It’s filled with hints of malts, grains, and a nice nutty sweetness you just can’t put your finger on.
We know what you’re thinking. Bourbon and Iowa don’t really seem to make sense together. But if you know anything at all about the state, you know there are a lot of cornfields there — why wouldn’t they end up with some bourbon?
Cedar Ridge’s flagship expression is its Straight Bourbon. This award-winning whiskey has a mash bill of 74% corn, 14% rye, and 12% malted barley. It’s aged for three years in charred, American oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
This 86 proof whiskey begins with scents of caramel corn, vanilla beans, oak, and gentle rye warmth. The palate features hints of raisins, apricots, buttery caramel, vanilla, and a nice minerality. It’s made with family-farmed corn, and it tastes like you’d expect a bold, rich bourbon from the Midwest to taste.
Bottom Line:
Cedar Ridge has gained in popularity in recent years due to its slew of awards. But it still doesn’t have the name recognition of many of its Kentucky counterparts — it deserves some shine.
If you pay attention to the American craft whiskey world, you’ve probably heard of Westward. But, in general, it’s still utterly underrated when it comes to single malt whiskey worldwide. While many drinkers don’t look to the US for single malt whiskeys at all, after one sip of this expression, they’ll have to expand their understanding of the genre.
Made with locally sourced malted barley, brewed using ale yeast, and matured in lightly charred American oak casks, this is a truly unique single malt whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
If you’re a fan of Scotch, you’ll recognize some of its notable aromas in this expression. There’s honey, dried orange peels, almonds, and caramel malts throughout. After nosing, your first sip will feature subtle ale yeast flavor, buttery caramel, toffee, gentle spices, and a nice malty backbone. It’s sweet, slightly spicy, and highly sippable.
Bottom Line:
While nobody is going to tell you to stop enjoying your favorite single malt Scotch. You should keep an open mind and try this excellent American riff on the style.
This whiskey from Lebanon, Kentucky’s Limestone Branch Distillery is made to pay tribute to America’s national park system (they even donate a portion of the proceeds to the National Parks Conservation Association). The straight bourbon whiskey is a blend of four and seven-year-old bourbons selected for their rich, sippable, mellow flavors.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is heaped with aromas of toasted marshmallows, rich oak, vanilla beans, and subtle spice. The palate drives forward dried apricots, raisins, toasted vanilla beans, sweet treacle, and butterscotch. The last sip is a nice combination of caramelized sugar and woody oak.
Bottom Line:
This is a great whiskey for two reasons. For one, drinking it helps conserve our National Parks. Second, it’s flavorful, sweet, and well-suited for slow sipping on a cool summer’s night.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
During a panel discussion on Idris Elba’s recent call for everyone on social media to be verified to prevent anonymous “cowards” from spouting racist rhetoric, Meghan McCain announced that she may quit Twitter the same day she leaves The View. While McCain makes some salient points about how anonymity shouldn’t be provided to people who threaten women, for example (“I think your employer should know about that”), ultimately she couldn’t help but steer the conversation towards her own online presence:
“I have a lot of followers on there,” McCain said. “It’s been an incredible platform to talk to people and read the news. Definitely, in the past year since the pandemic, it’s become a noticeably more darker, uglier place — even in the cesspool of social media that’s already been dark. I do think it’s disturbing to see the things lauded at everyone, anyone.”
You can see her remarks at the 1:25 mark below:
SHOULD SOCIAL MEDIA BE VERIFIED VIA ID? After racist online attacks on Black athletes during the #EuroCup, actor Idris Elba wants social media sites to make users prove their identities so they cannot troll people anonymously — the co-hosts discuss. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuikpic.twitter.com/Biiu1hUZ5S
McCain ended her portion of the segment by saying, “Stay tuned. When I leave the show, I may quit Twitter on the same day for this reason.” If this was supposed to be some sort of threat, Twitter users did not see it that way, and instead, celebrated McCain’s promised exit from the app.
— Sissy is Embarrassed By Shih Tzu Say (@sissyroxx) July 21, 2021
On top of the celebratory tweets, people also couldn’t help but notice that McCain is not exactly an innocent bystander when it comes to fueling Twitter’s dark underbelly:
Meghan McCain: “Twitter’s become a noticeably more darker, uglier place”
In fact, just 48 hours ago, she was blasting “assholes” who report on her almost daily The View rants:
“Some of you assholes who spend your pathetic [existence] writing and distorting what I say every SINGLE day on the view really better start thinking of an exit strategy on how you’re gonna get your clicks and hits when I’m gone in 3 weeks,” McCain tweeted on Monday.
Some of you assholes who spend your pathetic existing writing and distorting what I say every SINGLE day on the view really better start thinking of an exit strategy on how you’re gonna get your clicks and hits when I’m gone in 3 weeks…
The lake is calling it’s for you. Desert Daze pre-sale, exclusive to email subscribers, starts tomorrow at 10am PT. General onsale starts Friday, 7/23 at 10am PT. Limited Tickets + Camping Passes available. pic.twitter.com/mueNgegatY
Multi-Platinum singer Khalid has been serving up non-stop hits since his 2017 debut album American Teen. At 23-years-old, the singer boasts several chart-topping singles and a handful of Grammy nominations, so it makes sense that fans are anxiously awaiting news of his third studio album. The wait is officially over this week as Khalid has finally shared details about his third studio album, titled Everything Is Changing.
Khalid officially announced Everything Is Changing with the brooding track “New Normal,” which the singer actually debuted last week at Virgin Galactic’s “Unity 22” Spaceflight launch. Khalid hasn’t given an exact release date for Everything Is Changing, but press materials note it’s slated for a fall release.
The singer dropped “New Normal” alongside a video directed by Andy Hines, which sees him making his way through a futuristic city. About the song, Khalid said it was inspired by the difficulties of the pandemic and coping with the emotions surrounding the world reopening:
“‘New Normal’ was inspired by how I was feeling during the pandemic and the emotional toll that quarantine took on me and my friends. Everything Is Changing as an album really takes that a step further with all of the songs centering around trying to find a purpose and a sense of self in a world where everything is digitally connect but emotionally disconnected. As we all come out of quarantine and venture more into the world and try to reconnect with people we haven’t seen in over a year, I hope the messages explored within the album open up conversations and allow people to access their feelings in a new way.”
Listen to “New Normal” above.
Everything Is Changing is out this fall via Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records.
With the quote “I feel like someone handed me a ticking time bomb because they wanted to make sure a woman was holding it when it explodes,” — perfectly delivered by actress Sandra Oh, of course — the new trailer for the upcoming Netflix dramedy series The Chair has already solidified the show as a must-watch for the fall season. While the series has been in the works over at the streaming service for a bit now, thanks to the trailer we now know a bit more about just what The Chair is.
According to the synopsis accompanying the trailer, “The Chair follows Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh) as she navigates her new role as the Chair of the English department at prestigious Pembroke University. Ji-Yoon is faced with a unique set of challenges as the first woman to chair the department, and as one of the few staff members of color at the university.” In the trailer, we see Ji-Yoon face obstacle after obstacle as an Asian American, woman, single mother, and educator, all while trying to have a personal life as well.
In addition to Oh, the upcoming Netflix series also stars Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor, Bob Balaban, Nana Mensah, David Morse, and Everly Carganilla. Furthermore, The Chair also boasts some serious talent behind the camera, as it was created and written by actress Amanda Peet alongside a familiar duo: Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
While the synopsis, Booksmart vibes, and that killer cast already make the six-episode series seem cool as hell, we also can’t get enough of The Linda Linda’s newest bop “Oh!” taking front and center in the trailer. The Chair hits Netflix on August 20.
The rollout of Metallica‘s fascinating covers compilation albumThe Metallica Blacklist continues, this time with J Balvin’s Latin take on the band’s 1991 single “Wherever I May Roam.” While the original is a driving saga about a drifter who redefines anywhere he lays his head as “home,” Balvin’s cover snatches the saucy sitar loop from the beginning of the song, adds rumbling 808s, and Balvin’s own swaggering review of his impact on the music game.
“Ya son más de diez años metiéndole y todavía sueno como nuevo,” he boasts, roughly translating to, “It’s been more than ten years and I still sound like new.” The hook brings back the wailing guitars, with the buzzsaw ax-work and chorus of the original forming an aggressive bridge.
The previously released singles from the band’s cover album have included Miley Cyrus’s take on “Nothing Else Matters,” which also includes Chad Smith, Elton John, Robert Trujillo, Watt, and Yo-Yo Ma, and two wildly different covers of “Sad But True,” one from St. Vincent and one from Jason Isbell. Other artists expected to appear on the 53-track album include Cage The Elephant, Darius Rucker, Kamasi Washington, Phoebe Bridgers, Pup, Rina Sawayama, and Weezer.
Watch J Balvin’s “Wherever I May Roam” cover video above.
The Metallica Blacklist is out 9/10 via Blackened Recordings. Pre-order it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Over the past few weeks, Ariana Grande has been sharing a handful of Vevo live performance videos, like one she did with Ty Dolla Sign earlier this month. Today brings another, and this time, she has linked up with The Weeknd for their Positions collaboration “Off The Table.” The pair is joined by a band on a verdant stage, dramatically lit by blue light from a giant oval light fixture above.
Grande previously said of making the song, “I didn’t know anyone was ever going to hear it. I just kind of was sitting in my room during quarantine, towards the very beginning and I just had set up my little home situation and a friend of Matt Bennett’s, Shintaro, had sent me a little folder of beats. He’s a really brilliant producer and he sent me a pack of beats and I pulled it up and I wrote a verse and a chorus, and I sent it over to Abel and I said, ‘Is this OK?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna write the second verse.’ It was a very intimate moment and writing process between two friends.”
Watch Grande and The Weeknd perform “Off The Table” above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Netflix can’t stop (and won’t stop, thank goodness) cranking out the content, and a sparkling new set of arrivals will be here for August. This means that not only will you have a good reason to hide from the heat, but also that Delta variant. With that in mind, there’s so much coming that it’s worth listing the biggest titles to come, and that includes an installment in The Witcher franchise. Not only that, but Sandra Oh’s newest TV show (don’t worry, she’ll still wrap up Killing Eve with a fourth and final season for BBC America) will suck us into the surprisingly dramatic side of academia.
In addition, the charismatic Jason Momoa stars in his own Netflix movie while the latest The Kissing Booth effort sees the final (?) film of the trilogy. Narcos fans will be thrilled to see a new crime docuseries on the way that revolves around coke, coke, and more coke from two notorious stinkers who reveled in evading law enforcement. And there’s an offbeat series that will bring you Halloween vibes in the dead of summer, so get your bingewatching instincts ready.
Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix in August.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (Netflix film streaming 8/23)
To tide us over until The Witcher‘s second season arrives with more grumpy Geralt of Rivia, please set your calendars accordingly for this prequel anime film. The picture will go back in time to explore the early monster-hunting years of Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir, who appears to be enjoying himself a lot more than his successor. Theo James voices the character, who will be live-action portrayed by Kim Bodnia further down the line. At least we’ll know that, although the iconic Witcher baths only recently become canon, they’ve always been there, at least retroactively. Also, zombies.
The Chair (Netflix series streaming 8/20)
Sandra Freaking Oh headlines this show about the first woman of color to become chair at a prominent university. In the process of adjusting to her job, she confronts dizzyingly high expectations while one of the university’s cornerstone programs is tanking. Jay Duplass co-stars, and are we ready for Sandra Oh supremacy yet? This trailer also features the latest song (aptly titled, “Oh!”) from viral punk teen stars The Linda Lindas.
Sweet Girl (Netflix film streaming 8/20)
Sweet Tooth, this ain’t. Yet the wordplay will fall by the wayside when Jason Momoa’s hellbent upon revenge against the pharmaceutical company who he believes are responsible for his wife’s death. He’s searching for the truth and attempting to protect his daughter, and he’s flanked by The Hangover trilogy’s Justin Bartha, who’s not so funny here. Seriously, Momoa might be all over the streaming realm these days, but everything he does is worth watching, and this film might work a little social good, too.
Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (Netflix series streaming 7/4)
There’s so much blow in this trailer, which gives the documentary treatment to the excess-filled life of two childhood pals who transformed into powerful Miami drug kingpins over the course of decades. There’s a tiger and bullfighting and speedboats and money flying everywhere, it’s no wonder why “Los Muchachos” were so darn popular. They were also slippery fellows, due to their world-champ powerboat-racing status. A $2 billion empire eventually came crumbling down, but not without a valiant fight from the duo and their prosecuting opponents.
The Kissing Booth 3 (Netflix film streaming 8/11)
This objectively bad franchise can’t seem to quit, but this might be the end of the trilogy line. At least Joey King is doing well for herself here, although this installment sees her character wringing her hands over whether to go to college with her best friend, Lee, or dreamy-faced Noah. Yes, this is very silly stuff, but watch the clicks roll in regardless.
Brand New Cherry Flavor (Netflix series streaming 8/13)
This pulpy series caters to a niche audience but might find a devoted mainstreamish fanbase, too. There’s sex, magic, revenge, and felines on hand for an early 1990s filmmaker, who’s attempting to make it big in Hollywood, but things get very spooky. Halloween arrives early this year, and since time means nothing anymore, it’s all good.
Here’s the full list of titles coming to Netflix in August:
Avail. TBA Comedy Premium League
D.P.
Avail. 8/1 30 Rock: Seasons 1-7 Beethoven
Beethoven’s 2nd
Beowulf
Catch Me If You Can
Darwin’s Game
Deep Blue Sea
The Edge of Seventeen
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Five Feet Apart
Friday Night Lights: Seasons 1-5 Good Luck Chuck
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
Hunter X Hunter: Seasons 5-6 Inception
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Losers
The Machinist
Magnolia
Major Payne
My Girl
My Girl 2
The Net
The Original Kings of Comedy
Pineapple Express
Poms
Seabiscuit
Space Cowboys
Team America: World Police
Avail. 8/3 Pray Away
Shiny_Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord
Top Secret UFO Projects: Declassified
Avail. 8/4 Aftermath
American Masters: Inventing David Geffen
Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami
Control Z: Season 2 Car Masters: Rust to Riches: Season 3 Cooking With Paris
Avail. 8/6 Hit & Run
Navarasa
The Swarm
Vivo
Avail. 8/8 Quartet
Avail. 8/9 Shaman King
Avail. 8/10 Gabby’s Dollhouse: Season 2 Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang
Untold
Untold: Malice at the Palace
Avail. 8/11 Bake Squad
The Kissing Booth 3
La diosa del asfalto
Misha and the Wolves
Avail. 8/12 AlRawabi School for Girls
Lokillo: Nothing’s the Same
Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild
Avail. 8/13 Beckett
Brand New Cherry Flavor
Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Season 5: South Pacific Gone for Good
The Kingdom
Valeria: Season 2
Avail. 8/15 Mother Goose Club: Seasons 3-4 Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai: Season 1 Winx Club: Season 6
Avail. 8/16 Walk of Shame
Avail. 8/17 Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 5 Untold: Deal with the Devil
Avail. 8/18 The Defeated
Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes
Out of my league
The Secret Diary of an Exchange Student
Avail. 8/19 Like Crazy
Avail. 8/20 The Chair
Everything Will Be Fine
The Loud House Movie
Sweet Girl
Avail. 8/23 The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Avail. 8/24 Oggy Oggy
Untold: Caitlyn Jenner
Avail. 8/25 Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed
Clickbait
John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer
Motel Makeover
The November Man
The Old Ways
Open Your Eyes
Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes
Rainbow High: Part 2
Really Love
The River Runner
Tayo the Little Bus: Season 4
The Water Man
Avail. 8/26 Edens Zero
Family Reunion: Part 4
Avail. 8/27 He’s All That
I Heart Arlo
Titletown High
Avail. 8/28 Bread Barbershop: Season 2 Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Avail. 8/31 Sparking Joy
Untold: Crime and Penalties
Here’s the full list of titles leaving Netflix in August:
Leaving 8/1 American Assassin
Leaving 8/4 #cats_the_mewvie
Leaving 8/7 The Promise
Leaving 8/9 El Cartel: Seasons 1 & 2 Nightcrawler
Leaving 8/12 Safety Not Guaranteed
Scary Movie 5
Leaving 8/14 Mother Goose Club: Seasons 1-2
Leaving 8/15 Jericho: Seasons 1-2 Wish I Was Here
Leaving 8/20 Kill the Irishman
Norm of the North: Keys to the Kingdom
The Founder
Leaving 8/22 1BR
Leaving 8/26 The Angry Birds Movie 2
Leaving 8/27 A Princess for Christmas
Leaving 8/29 Strange but True
Leaving 8/30 Casino Royale
The Eichmann Show
Full Out
Quantum of Solace
Stranger than Fiction
Leaving 8/31 Adrift
Angel Eyes
The Big Lebowski
Chinatown
The Departed
Election
The Girl Next Door
Hey Arnold! The Movie
Hot Rod
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Love Actually
Love Happens
The Manchurian Candidate
Monsters vs. Aliens
The Muppets
Muppets Most Wanted
Nacho Libre
Moon Kingdom
Pootie Tang
The Prince & Me
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Extinction
The Ring
Road to Perdition
The Social Network
Superbad
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Rap gets compared to basketball a lot, but I think it’s probably because the sport provides some of the aptest one-to-one comparisons to the art form. For instance, a lot of practice goes into both, and the most skilled practitioners make each look easy, even though the average person might find what they do incredibly hard. For another, fans of both love to debate who the “best” of each is, even though we all use different criteria to determine what “best” means.
For me, the best rappers aren’t the ones who rap the fastest or drop the most explosive, tongue-tying cadences, although that’s part of it. Nor am always impressed by the cleverest punchlines, which are in essence just dad jokes that rhyme. They can be pretty amusing though. I like rappers I can relate to, but I also like the ones who give listeners something to aspire to. Storytelling and concepts are important, too.
Overall, though, the best raps give some sort of insight into the person reciting them, then use that insight to reflect something true about the world, something universal. It’s a quality that’s a little difficult to explain, but it’s a little like Ted Lasso’s description of the offsides rule in association football: You know it when you see it. Each verse here has that quality, that thing that makes your ears prick up, that sets off sparklers in your brain, that makes you reach for the rewind button because you know something special just happened. These are the best verses of the year so far.
21 Savage on J. Cole’s “My Life”
21 Savage returns the favor J. Cole once paid him on his own hit single “A Lot,” popping in with a verse that shatters the myth that he only has one mode. Sure, he starts out there, justifying his homicidal tendencies with the trauma of watching his friends lost to street life, but then he slings some wicked wordplay (“I disrespect you respectfully”) and juxtaposes his menace with a mean sense of humor (“I got a good heart, so I send teddy bears every time we make they mommas cry”).
Chika on “Save You”
The Alabama rapper’s March EP Once Upon A Time was shamefully overlooked, especially as a document that explains exactly why she is who she is. While the first verse is a masterclass in petty, it’s the second verse that impresses, summing up Chika’s sense of betrayal at one-way relationships and the dangers of her anxiety and workaholism. Yet, she still ends on a positive note, reflecting the steely optimism that sustains her — and setting the example for listeners to snap their own metaphorical chains.
Guapdad 4000 on “Stoop Kid”
This might be cheating, but from the extended “porch” conceit that extends throughout the song, I’m going to consider both verses here as one verse that was broken in half for song construction purposes. Taken in this way, it may very well be the best verse of the year — or at least my favorite kind, one that sets a scene in vivid, glowing detail. It’s a concept that is fully written through and contains every spectrum of emotion, from warm nostalgia to brokenhearted paranoia.
Jay-Z on “Sorry Not Sorry”
Maybe it just sounds cooler in contrast to Nas’s nerdy Bitcoin boss talk, but Jay’s verse is a study in casual intricacy as he weaves multiple meanings throughout its repeated opening lines, juxtaposes his rags to riches, compares himself to a Messiah figure, and advocates fad diets all over a glittering Street Runner production that evokes the luxuries settings and items he describes. I know we’re all supposed to frown at such materialistic delights (pandemic’s still on, y’all) but damn if he doesn’t make them sound cool.
J. Cole on “Applying Pressure”
Here’s a controversial take: I really like when J. Cole raps over old-school beats about regular-guy things. The character he describes here isn’t just a straw man; it’s him, it’s me, it’s every disgruntled late-’90s backpacker who thumbed their noses at the popular kids and the Hot 100 hits, thinking his condescension made him cool. Here, Cole subtly admonishes that jerk we all used to be (or still are), reminding him/them/us that hating is bad for their/your/our health.
Lil Baby on “Pride Is The Devil”
I know a lot of these verses are coming from the same album but when the whole point of that album was getting bars off… I mean, mission accomplished, right? Here’s where I make a concession to the mainstream; Lil Baby’s verse here provides a strong argument toward defending his current placement in the upper echelons of hip-hop royalty, which I frankly never really understood. But I got an inkling here. Anyone who can make “schedule” rhyme with “forever” and “negative” is thinking on a different level.
Megan Thee Stallion on “Thot Sh*t”
In a song full of gems (“I walk around the house butt-naked / And I stop at every mirror just to stare at my own posterior,” “I’m the shit per the Recording Academy”), it’s the third verse that really unloads and showcases all the traits that have endeared Meg to her legions of loyal supporters. There are the unsubtle boasts, the clever punchlines, the unabashed self-confidence, the assured sex appeal, and the sort-of wholesome kernel at the center (Meg’s kind of a good-girl geek, what with her collegiate ambition), and that’s just in the first eight bars.
Nas on DMX’s “Bath Salts”
The Queensbridge veteran redeems himself on this gritty cut from DMX’s posthumous album, switching from his Escobar persona (which has always been kind of corny) back to Nasty Nas (a mode he should find himself in more often) for a braggadocious, pseudo-intellectual spin through some of the slickest sh*t talk he’s delivered in a decade. “I’d still be this fly if I worked at Popeyes,” he boasts and for once, he sounds — and I cannot stress this enough — utterly, completely believable.
Skyzoo on “I Was Supposed To Be A Trap Rapper”
For the past decade, Skyzoo has been one of the most consistent, creative, and criminally overlooked rappers in hip-hop. Even so, longtime fans can’t help but hold out hope for a breakthrough, when music listeners at large realize there isn’t that much of a difference between supposedly high-minded lyricists like Skyzoo and the more straightforward appeal of the dominant trap rap genre. Sky makes as much plain on this standout from his latest, All The Brilliant Things.
Tyler The Creator on “Lumberjack”
Sometimes, it’s more the context than the content that makes a verse stand out. Ty is more confessional on “Massa,” more observant on “Manifiesto,” and more unhinged on “Corso,” but “Lumberjack” was the first indication of what his new album Call Me If You Get Lost would be and it was a world-stopper. It’s Tyler in his bag, utterly confident, totally self-possessed, swaggering, cool. Plus Jasper and DJ Drama’s ad-libs just accentuate some top-notch, traditional “look at me”-ass rap.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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