For months now, there has been buzz about a Chromatica remix album from Lady Gaga, and now, she has finally confirmed that Dawn Of Chromatica is in fact set for release this week, on September 3. She also shared the tracklist, confirming the involvement of artists like Arca, Dorian Electra, Charli XCX, A.G. Cook, and Mura Masa. Curiously missing from the proceedings, though, is Grimes, who said in July that she was going to appear on the album.
Grimes has spoken out about that, placing some blame on the project’s executive producer, BloodPop. The producer, though, has his own version of what went down.
Grimes explained on Twitter, “@bloodpop and I have sibling rivalry issues and our immaturity lead to the song not being completed – also he’s mad at me for taping a picture of myself above his bed and when he removed the picture the tape ripped off the paint. He shud have left it.” BloodPop then responded, “Not completed as in not started – she was too busy making Tik toks about the silence of mimes??? Very weird IMO – also it actually left serious dry wall damage as she used duck tape.”
@bloodpop and I have sibling rivalry issues and our immaturity lead to the song not being completed – also he’s mad at me for taping a picture of myself above his bed and when he removed the picture the tape ripped off the paint. He shud have left it
Not completed as in not started – she was too busy making Tik toks about the silence of mimes??? Very weird IMO – also it actually left serious dry wall damage as she used duck tape.
It’s been five years since Tom Holland and Zendaya’s first Spider-Man movie together — and five years of dating rumors.
They met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming, and like Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone before them, there was instant chemistry. But there was no proof of a possible romantic relationship until this year, when they were spotted kissing in a car. However, they still haven’t made it official. “They’re both not one to make their relationship public,” a source told Us. “They’re private when it comes to dating, so any photos that have come out would’ve just been them going about their business and not knowing photographers were around.” Another source added, “Zendaya and Tom started off as really great friends and stayed that way for a long while before things turned romantic.”
Today, September 1, is Zendaya’s 25th birthday, and to celebrate the occasion, Holland called the Emmy-winning Euphoria star “my MJ” on Instagram. “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your up xxx,” he wrote. That’s some canny wording — he’s being romantic with the “my MJ” and “xxx,” which sure sounds like they’re a couple, but the “gimme a call when your up” implies they didn’t spend the night together. We may never know if Holland and Zendaya are dating (they totally are).
Prior to a month ago, DaBaby had his eyes set on new music he planned to deliver to his fans. The rapper promised a new album was on the way, but all of that became an afterthought when he unleashed a homophobic rant targeted at individuals with HIV/AIDS during July’s Rolling Loud festival in Miami. Since then, DaBaby has found himself in a string of controversial moments and it continues with the release of his latest track.
On Tuesday, the North Carolina rapper delivers a remix of Wizkid and Tems’ summer hit, “Essence.” His take of the track completely alters the song’s original nature as Wizkid and Tems’ relaxed vocals are replaced by DaBaby’s quick-fire raps. He also uses the track to address the recent criticism he’s faced since his Rolling Loud rant. “I just feel like, you know, when situations like this present themselves, man,” he says on the track. “And people try to, you know, assassinate your character, man / And assassinate who you are, man / And everything you put that hard work in for, man.” He adds, “Sometimes you gotta demonstrate, you know, that’s how I came here / And I don’t mind demonstratin’ / I don’t mind exercisin’, you dig what I’m sayin’?”
The remix arrives after it was reported that DaBaby met with nine HIV/AIDS organizations after his Rolling Loud. As for the remix itself, most fans were not too happy with it and they took to Twitter to share their displeasures.
You can listen to his “Essence” remix in the video above and read the responses from fans below.
i want that Dababy essence freestyle gone by the time i wake up.
In the 2010s, Rick Ross seemed to be building one of the next rap empires with his Maybach Music Group imprint. The Teflon Don rapper had recruited names like Wale, Meek Mill, Omarion, Gunplay, and more to join him on the team. While their early days were bright, the MMG has been much quieter of late, with Ross, Meek, and Wale carrying most of the responsibilities for the label. Now, for the first time in years, Ross has signed a new artist: Boston rapper Smoke Bulga.
The two rappers have some history together, having previously collaborated back in 2010 on a track titled “We Made It.” More than a decade later and Bulga is the newest name to join MMG. To celebrate, he and Ross unleashed a video for their collaboration “Water Whip’n.” The track samples Black Rob’s “Like Woah,” and it captures a true celebratory moment between the rappers as they begin a journey as labelmates.
“It really feels like Draft Day because I’m teaming up with one of the best to ever do it in Rozay with one of the premier labels in hip-hop history,” Bulga said to Billboard about signing to Ross’ label. “MMG has long represented excellence and I look forward to representing the new generation of MMG starting with this new ‘Water Whip’n’ release.”
Ross, on the other hand, expressed his desire to help Bulga grow in the industry. “Smoke Bulga has potential to be a star,” he said. “I’ve seen him put in the work from afar and all he needed is the right opportunity, so I’m excited to welcome the homie to the MMG family.”
You can watch the video for “Water Whip’n” above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s been a decade since Bas’ released his first mixtape Quarter Water Raised Vol. 1., which he created music with help from J. Cole, who served as a mentor of sorts before they joined forces on the Dreamville imprint. That year was also when Cole released his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, after signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. During a recent conversation with HipHopDX, Bas recalled the first time he met Jay-Z, which occurred during a studio session with Cole.
“I’ve been in some rooms with Cole, where he was working with some people,” he said. “Then I did Revenge Of The Dreamers [III], where we had half the industry in the studio. You know what I mean? But the first time Hov pulled up to a Cole session, I was pretty star-struck. I can’t lie. I grew up on Hov.”
He added, “That was probably like 2011, 2010. It was the very early, early Cole days. I just said, ‘What’s up?’ He’s real cool. Hov’s mad down to Earth. Super down to Earth. But at that point, I didn’t know that about him. I just know him from what I seen.”
He concluded, “Since then, I just know that’s how he is. He’s just a chill dude.”
Bas also spoke about hitting the road for live concerts in the near future after spending more than a year at home due to the pandemic. “I’m super excited to get back on the road,” he said. “I miss it a lot. You got to find the pros and cons to it. Obviously, shows were taken from us and just human interaction in general. The adventure of life was also kind of taken away. Things got real settled, but there’s pros to that, too.”
You can read Bas’ full interview with HipHopDX here.
Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Suicide Squad, which HBO Max subscribers can still watch until September 5.
The Suicide Squad — which is to say the recent, Will Smith-less sorta-sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad — kicked off with a bang: It whacked a good chunk of the cast before the opening credits even started. Even Pete Davidson! By the end, writer/director James Gunn backtracked a bit. In the end credits we learned that both Weasel and John Cena’s fascistic Peacemaker weren’t quite dead. (The latter, after all, has his own show to tend to.) But now Gunn’s revealed they aren’t the only two.
Gunn took to Twitter Monday to point out one detail many may have missed. “Important to note if you look at the life signals in the Comms hub TDK isn’t dead,” Gunn wrote, referring to the character played by Nathan Fillion: a superhero whose power is…detachable arms. He’s arguably the most WTF of the Squad this round, based on one of the most WTF characters in DC history. (The acronym, which Fillion’s character is loath to explain, stands for The Detachable Kid, though he’s also sometimes known as Arm Fall Off Boy.)
Indeed, if you look closely at the digital read-out on Amanda Walker’s computer, showing the life stats of each Squad member, TDK is one of the only ones that’s still green. His arms got pelted with machine gun fire, but the guy’s fate remained unresolved.
One person who did catch this bit was Fillion himself, when he went to go see the movie.
Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle is still in progress, as the singer looks to not only remove her father Jamie Spears from his conservator role but also end the court-approved arrangement altogether. Britney recently hired a new lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, and while that case is ongoing, there’s been a new development. According toTMZ, Jamie is allegedly trying to extort his daughter ahead of his potential removal. Legal documents that were obtained by the publication say the singer’s father is asking for around $2 million.
TMZ adds that Jamie plans to use some of the money to pay his lawyers and former business manager Tri Star. Britney’s lawyer, on the other hand, is quite upset at Jamie’s alleged act and displayed his frustration in the court documents. “The status quo is no longer tolerable, and Britney Spears will not be extorted,” a statement from Rosengart reads. The singer’s team is requesting that Jamie step down from his conservator position instead of attempting to slowly pay his way out. She adds that the court should suspend him from the conservatorship starting on September 29 should he refuse to resign.
This new development comes after Jamie said he would only step down from the conservatorship role “when the time is right.” He added that the “transition needs to be orderly and include a resolution of matters pending before the Court.”
A month ago few knew the name Mike Richards. (Unless they were talking about Cosmo Kramer.) A lot has changed since. Now he’ll forever be known as the obscure executive producer who spent all of one day on the job as Alex Trebek’s replacement hosting Jeopardy!, only to resign amidst an avalanche of scandals, and then get fired from his executive producer job as well. Reports about his past behavior continue to pour in. And a new piece from The Hollywood Reporter has uncovered shenanigans that allegedly went down when he was at The Price is Right — claims that could have spelled a much-changed version of Jeopardy!, had he remained there longer.
THR spoke with more than a dozen former staffers at The Price is Right, where he was first a co-exec producer and then executive producer and showrunner from 2008 through 2020. Richards stepped in shortly after the retirement of longtime host Bob Barker, and the portrait that emerges is of a meddling micro-manager who really wanted to be host, and who dismantled the show by getting rid of the old guard.
Not all recollections are the same, and some of the former staffers interviewed have nice things to say about Richards. Others allege slimy behavior that gibes with the questionable things he’d say on his old, recently exhumed podcast. One claims he was dicey with the show’s many models, whom he would “parade” around the stage during rehearsals. He even, they say, “polled employees about their attire and gave preferential treatment to some.”
Others told THR that when Richards came in, he undersaw the “dissolution of the close-knit work family that that preceded his tenure on the show.” He “cleaned house” of the Barker-era staffers, including showrunner Roger Dobkowitz, who had been there for 36 years and had won five Emmys while creating 18 of the show’s iconic games. Dobkowitz coached Richards when he auditioned for host, believing that that’s the job he ultimately wanted. Instead Richards took his job.
Richards also get rid of announcer Rich Fields, who was there for seven years, underseeing the transition from Barker to current host Drew Carey. “I was shocked that after treating Mike Richards as kindly as I did during the Bob Barker replacement auditions, that he came in as executive producer just months later and showed complete disdain for me,” Fields told THR. “There was a dismantling. Anybody who worked with Barker was cleansed from the show.”
He also made the job a lot less fun:
During Richards’ tenure, many lost benefits and paid hiatuses as Fremantle took greater control of the series. The envious schedule in which five episodes were filmed over four days each week, with staffers getting Fridays off, were tabled as Richards mandated everyone to come in on Fridays even though it wasn’t a filming day. Paid hiatuses — a staple under Barker — were also taken away and lavish holiday parties with performers like Frank Sinatra Jr. and KC and the Sunshine Band went away.
“People were there for decades because it was a great job. You were getting paid 52 weeks a year and working 30 weeks a year with the taping schedule,” notes a decade-long former staffer who was among one of the multiple departments that were eliminated under Richards and Fremantle. Says another ex-employee who recalled a tenure that she says left her feeling traumatized and nearly prompted her to leave the industry altogether: “It was s*itty management.”
Staffers also noticed a pattern in the Richards era of Price is Right:
“The staff he replaced the older staff with were all under 27 and we called ourselves the Brat Pack,” says a source who was hired by Richards. “We loved our jobs and loved our mentors and when they became disillusioned, we became disillusioned. When people would leave, they’d replace them with people who were loyal to Mike. It became a vicious cycle.”
There’s much more in the THR report, including that he tried to get higher-end brands — ones the show’s middle class demographic could never afford. When companies like Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, and Christian Louboutin turned them down, Richards allegedly had the prizing staff find the goods at outlet stores, prompting a flurry of cease and desist letters.
Richards eventually moved over to Jeopardy!, where he was ultimately conquered by his own hubris. But considering how much he changed The Price is Right, even if it was mostly behind-the-scenes, imagine what he could have done to America’s favorite brainy game show had he stayed longer.
We’re in the midst of an alcohol renaissance in America. Fans of beer have over 8,000 breweries to choose from (compare that to a decade ago when there were less than 2,000). Spirits drinkers have over 2,000 distilleries, including more than 700 that primarily make bourbon and other types of whiskey. In the simplest terms — we have a lot of options when we drink.
This boom in whiskey — and even more specifically, bourbon — has led to states not normally associated with certain spirits surging to the forefront of the conversation. Texas is the perfect example, leading the craft spirits charge with the likes of Garrison Brothers, Firestone & Robertson, Still Austin, and Balcones. While Garrison Brothers was technically the first Texas bourbon, back in 2006, it’s hard to argue that Balcones isn’t the most well-known. Founded in 2009, the Waco, Texas-based distillery uses copper pot stills and often employs heritage blue corn to create Texas single malts and other award-winning whiskies.
With seven expressions on its “classics” collection (as well as the well-known Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon), Balcones has something for every whisky drinker. There’s a smoky whisky, a sweet single malt, a rye whisky, and some of the best bourbon made outside of the Blue Grass State.
So which should you try first? That’s where the blind taste test comes in. Today, I’m nosing, tasting, and ranking the following:
Balcones Baby Blue
Balcones Lineage
Balcones Texas Single Malt
Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon
Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon
Balcones Texas Rye
Balcones True Blue
Balcones Brimstone
Let’s get this Texas whisky party started! Click on the prices if you’re interested in trying any of these yourself.
There’s a fair amount of oaky aroma on the nose that’s followed closely behind by sweet corn, caramel apples, and slight spice. The palate revealed a nutty sweetness along with more oak, sweet honey, pipe tobacco, and more caramel corn.
Overall, this is a highly sippable, sweet, rich whiskey.
Taste 2:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
At first sniff, the nose is a bit bland. There are hints of raisins, wood char, and slight vanilla, but not much else. Tasting it revealed a surprising nutty flavor along with toasted marshmallows and more oak. It’s not a bad whiskey by any means, but not all that exciting either.
Taste 3:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
I’m going to assume that this is the one rye whiskey on the list, as I was immediately struck with fragrances of peppery rye on the nose. This was followed by caramelized sugar and vanilla beans. The palate proved surprisingly light with charred oak, cracked black pepper, and pipe tobacco.
Overall, this is an okay whiskey but nothing to write home about.
Taste 4:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this expression. I noticed hints of sweet corn, caramel candy, butterscotch, vanilla, and dried fruits. Upon sipping it, I found notable favors of dried orange peel, caramel corn, treacle, and just a hint of spice and oak at the finish. Overall, this is a very complex, highly drinkable whiskey.
Taste 5:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey’s nose is extremely fruity with hints of ripe berries, dried cherries, and raisins. There’s also a wallop of cinnamon and light corn aroma. Complex flavors of chocolate fudge, sweet corn, oaky wood, and vanilla are present on the palate. The finish is warming, fruity, and sweet.
Taste 6:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey has a potent nose. There are hints of candied pecans, butterscotch, wood char, vanilla beans, and raisins. The plate is loaded with sticky toffee, vanilla frosting, brown sugar, and slight cinnamon spice. It’s warming, sweet, and rich.
Taste 7:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Oh, boy is this an aggressive whiskey. The nose is like being engulfed in a campfire. That’s about it. There’s a little more going on with the flavor. Sure, the smoky flavor runs throughout, but there are also notes of caramel, vanilla, and dried cherries. The finish is all smoke.
Taste 8:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all sweet corn. There are hints of caramel corn and subtle spices as well, but not much else. There’s a little more in the palate with the addition of caramel candy, butterscotch, sweet corn, and dried fruits. Overall, not a very complex whiskey.
From my notes: “tastes more like moonshine than an aged whiskey.”
If you’ve only tried one Balcones whisky, it’s probably Baby Blue. The first Texas-made whisky to hit the market since prohibition, Baby Blue is made with roasted blue corn. It’s a very young bourbon (hence the name) and isn’t as nuanced and complex as many of the brand’s other offerings.
Bottom Line:
I’d be surprised if this isn’t the youngest whisky on this list. It wasn’t a bad sip by any account, it just didn’t taste as mature as the others.
If you’re a Scotch drinker, this is the closest you’re going to get in the Balcones range. This non-chill filtered whisky is made from 100 percent malted barley, copper pot distilled, and is aged for two years in American oak barrels. The result is rich, nutty, sweet whisky.
Bottom Line:
There’s a richness and nuttiness to this whisky that makes it pleasurable to sip, but it’s not as exciting as I would hope from such a renowned distillery.
Obviously, Balcones is most well-known for its bourbon so it should come as no surprise that it only makes one year-round rye. Distilled using Texas-grown Elbon Rye, this whisky was first produced to celebrate the distillery’s tenth anniversary. It’s aged in a combination of new and charred American oak casks.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a simple, easy to sip, subtly peppery sipper without much else going on, this is a great whisky for you. If you’re looking for something more potent with a more complicated flavor profile, try something else from the brand.
With a name like Brimstone, you pretty much know what you’re in for when you take a sip of this unique whisky. This smoked corn whisky is just that — supremely smoky. It gets its bold flavor from smoking using “sun-baked” Texas scrub oak. The result is a whisky that bridges the gap between Texas and Scotland.
Bottom Line:
If you don’t enjoy smoky whiskies, don’t open a bottle of this expression. It’s like sticking your head inside a barbecue smoker and taking a sip of the air. If you enjoy that (and some do!), you’ll love this.
This is an interesting bourbon. Made with New Mexico blue corn, Texas wheat, and Texas malted barley, this pot still distilled bourbon is matured on new, charred American oak barrels. It’s bottled at 92 proof and is well-known for its sweet corn and caramel flavors.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the most interesting whiskies on this list. It has complex yet simple flavors. Corn is at the forefront, but there’s enough going on to keep it from being one-dimensional.
One of the most sought-after expressions from Balcones, Texas Blue Corn Bourbon is an annual release from the distillery. It’s cask strength, bold, and rich. It tastes the way you’d expect a Texas-based bourbon to taste — potent and BIG.
Bottom Line:
This is a great sipper that’s so filled with flavors that it’ll take you multiple tastings to find them all. Subtly spicy, very smooth, and somewhat beguiling thanks to the blue corn, this is a truly memorable bottle.
This is a truly global single malt whisky. It’s made using both local barley as well as Simpsons Golden Promise malts from Scotland. It’s distilled in a copper pot still before being aged in a combination of new and refilled American oak barrels.
Bottom Line:
This whisky has everything you’d want in a nice, end of summer or early fall sipper. It’s rich, sweet, and has notable oak and nutty flavors that leave you wanting more.
This is like the ramped-up version of Balcones Baby Blue. It’s a 100 proof, bold blue corn whisky. Perfectly suited for mixing or slow-sipping, it’s fruity, slightly spicy, and filled with complex corn notes. It might carry the less-than-respected moniker of a “corn whisky,” but it’s so much more than that.
Bottom Line:
This is the richest, most complex whisky I’ve tried today. It has a nice kick of roasted corn that plays well with various other flavors like butterscotch and spicy cinnamon.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
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(@Grimezsz) August 31, 2021
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(@simplydebss) 
