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Drake is currently continuing his co-headlining tour with 21 Savage, but he also isn’t slowing down on the music front. Over the past few weeks, he’s increasingly teased that he has a new album, reportedly titled For All The Dogs, on the way.

The title was originally linked through a QR code that came with Drake’s poetry book. When users scanned it, it took them to a message that read:
“I made an album to go with the book. They say they miss the old Drake girl don’t tempt me.” Underneath, it had the “For all the dogs” phrase.

He then sported a dog mask while leaving his hotel — which marked an interesting choice of promo. Shortly after that, during one of his NYC tour dates in July, Drake told the crowd to expect the new album soon.

“Make new friends. If you drink, drink some liquor. If you smoke, smoke some weed. And if you like somebody, like my dad says, keep f*cking,” Drake said. “I will be back soon. I have an album dropping for you in, like, two weeks or some sh*t. But until then, just know, you’re always with me and I’m always thinking of you. Everything I do is for you. Every time I step in that booth, I hope I make you proud.”

Not much else is known about the tracklist or features yet, though.

Here’s hoping Drake lets For All The Dogs loose soon so fans can hear it.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has had a little bit of everything: lopsided wins, surprising underdogs, stunning individual wins, and even more unbelievable losses. It’s a tournament in which rankings are meaningless, no team’s legacy is assured, and anything can happen. It is, in essence, the perfect proof of concept that the women’s game has evolved and the world is just now catching up.

With all of group stage matches in the books, the surviving teams now look forward to the tournament’s knockout rounds, a collection of win-or-go-home matches that will whittle the field even further as we head toward a final that could very well make history. Ahead of the next nail-biting round of football, we’ve broken down the biggest matchups to watch out for and when to watch them. As for the where, every World Cup game is on FS1 and streaming on the Fox Sports app.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the Women’s World Cup knockout rounds.

Saturday, Aug. 5th

Switzerland (Group A Winner) vs. Spain (Group C Runner-Up), 1 a.m. ET

Switzerland is coming off a group win in which it posted three clean sheets, which is quite the achievement in a tournament that’s seen a whole lot of goals. Unfortunately, the Swiss scored a pair of goals in their opener against the Phillipines and have not scored since. They’ll need to defend better than ever to disrupt Spain’s possession-based attack and take advantage of whenever counterattacks arise. For Spain, which suffered a heavy defeat against Japan, La Roja need to pass with purpose and find a way to break down Switzerland’s stingy defense.

Japan (Group C Winner) vs. Norway (Group A Runner-Up), 4 a.m. ET

No team is putting the ball into the back of the net better than Japan. They’re scoring seemingly every time they move the ball into the opponent’s final third and they looked comfortable defending against Spain. Norway struggled in its group stage, losing one game, drawing another, and winning its third match. That inconsistency might hurt them against a Japan team that dominated its own group, but if star striker Ada Hegerberg is able to return from a groin injury that cost her the final two games of the group, Norway will have a shot.

Netherlands (Group E Winner) vs. South Africa (Group G Runner-Up), 10 p.m. ET

South Africa stunned Italy to win their match and advance out of the group stage for the first time in history. They’re the clear underdogs in this match, but don’t count them out. If they can shore up what has been a porous defense and lean into their physical style of play, they may give the Dutch problems in the midfield. Of course, Oranje are the favorites for a reason, so expect them to play it cool under pressure and create dangerous chances in the final third.

Sunday, Aug. 6th

Sweden (Group G Winner) vs. United States (Group E Runner-Up), 5 a.m. ET

It’s rare to get a game worthy of a World Cup final in the round of 16, but we’re getting exactly that between these two teams, which were drawn into one another’s group in the five previous tournaments. The U.S. struggled in their group stage play and will need to sort things out — in their first-choice XI, in their midfield, in their attack — if they hope to hold off a very motivated, very physical Swedish side. For Sweden, set pieces will be key. If they can find a way to get Amanda Ilestedt in the box and on the end of an aerial ball, it might be over for the USWNT.

Monday, Aug. 7th

Australia (Group B Winner) vs. Denmark (Group D Runner-Up), 3:30 a.m. ET

The Matildas pulled off a miracle Down Under to advance out of their group. If all goes right, their dominant performance against Canada gave them confidence and let star striker Sam Kerr rest to the point that she can put in some minutes on the pitch. They’ll have the home-field advantage here, but don’t count out Denmark and their defense that only allowed one goal in their group.

England (Group D Winner) vs. Nigeria (Group B Runner-Up), 6:30 a.m. ET

England’s Lauren James is having the tournament of her life and Nigeria will need to find a way to slow her down if they hope to beat a well-coached and talented English side, as Sarina Wiegman has done a spectacular job leading the Lionesses. But the Super Falcons have a great coach, too, in Randy Waldrum, along with a threatening presence upfront in Barcelona striker Asisat Oshoala. They’ll have to start scoring more goals though if they hope to test England.

Tuesday, Aug. 8th

Columbia (Group H Winner) vs. Jamaica (Group F Runner-Up), 4 a.m. ET

This match, more than any other knockout stage game, is the kind of thrilling toss-up you hope for in the do-or-die rounds. Jamaica is another team that has not conceded a goal during the tournament, while Columbia is still riding high from their win over Germany that ended up being gigantic in keeping the Germans from advancing. They faced a setback against Morocco, but their passing game is strong and they’ve got dazzling talent upfront. For Jamaica, getting the ball to the feet Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and letting her test Columbia’s backline will be key.

France (Group F Winner) vs. Morocco (Group H Runner-Up), 7 a.m. ET

Not only did France confidently put away a Brazil side that was looking to send star forward Marta out on a high note, they were also able to rest some of their star players like Wendie Renard in their final group stage match against Panama. France has the talent, but Morocco has been full of fight throughout the tournament. They bounced back after a crushing defeat in their match against Germany to make it out of the group in their first World Cup appearance. They’ve got the fans behind them and something to prove.

In a plot twist both ironic and completely unsurprising, one of the people responsible for making Sound of Freedom — the conservative Christian-courting drama about child trafficking that’s been blowing up at the box office — a hit has now been arrested for … child trafficking.

According to Newsweek, Fabian Marta was arrested on child kidnapping charges earlier this week. The 51-year-old Missouri native was one of the dozens of investors who helped crowdfund the film’s theatrical run. Marta’s name appears in the film’s credits as one of the “investors [who] helped bring Sound of Freedom to theaters.” He even bragged about his donations to the film on social media.

“The Sound of Freedom movie tackles a very tough subject, and took extraordinary effort to bring it to movie theaters,” read a screenshot of a since-deleted post obtained by Newsweek. “I’m proud to have been a small part of it. If you see the movie look for ‘Fabian Marta and Family’ at the very end of the credits.”

The film — which stars the deeply QAnon-y Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, the founder of an anti-child sex-trafficking organization known as Operation Underground Railroad — has dominated the box office, outperforming films like the latest Indiana Jones sequel and Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible entry. However, experts have warned it paints a very “white-savior” view of the issue that could be harmful.

Marta, who donated an undisclosed amount to ensure it would run in theaters after its release was stalled because of the pandemic, is now facing Class A felony charges which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

(Via Newsweek)

Joe Rogan might be reversing his stance on allowing Donald Trump on his podcast. Last year, Rogan made it abundantly clear that he has no interest in having Trump on his show despite the former president’s numerous requests. For starters, Rogan hates accusations that he’s a “secret conservative,” and more importantly, he’s not a Trump supporter.

“I’ve said no, every time. I don’t want to help him,” Rogan told fellow podcaster Lex Fridman, who argued that Trump would be an interesting conversation like Kanye West. Rogan shot back, “Kanye doing well, or not doing well, doesn’t change the course of our country.”

It appears much has changed in the year since. During Thursday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, political commentator Patrick Bet-David couldn’t help but notice that Rogan made an interesting face when he asked him about having Trump on.

“I don’t know – maybe,” Rogan admitted when needled by Bet-David about interviewing Trump. Rogan host also conceded that it “would be interesting to hear his perspective on a lot of things.” Are those things the nefarious-sounding “Deep State?” You bet.

Via Mediaite:

“When do you know the intelligence agencies are lying to you? Like when you decided to fire Comey? What was the thought? How much did you know? What’s the machine like? What is the deep state really like? Really like, because we have all these, you know, smoky room perceptions, like from the Bill Hicks joke or they show you the Kennedy assassination from an angle you’ve never seen before. You know, what is the machine that runs this country? Because it’s very clear that it’s not as simple as elected representatives that are doing the will of the people.”

However, Mediaite reports that Rogan quickly steered the conversation away from Trump despite gushing about the two of them possibly bro-ing out about the Deep State. Also, the logistics of getting Trump to sit still for three hours sounds, well, awful.

(Via Mediaite)

Anthony Davis entered this offseason with no more than two years left on his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time the 2023-24 NBA season starts, that will change dramatically, as a bit of news reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN indicates that Davis will remain a Laker through 2028.

Wojnarowski brought word that Davis, who officially became extension eligible earlier in the day on Friday, came to terms on an agreement to extend his contract with the Lakers. The extension will run for three years and cost $186 million on top of the remaining two years of his deal, which will pay him $40.6 million this season and $43.2 million next year. By signing this deal, Davis will decline the Early Termination Option in his contract, and this extension will go into effect at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

It’s a no-brainer decision for the Lakers, as Davis has been one of the most impactful two-way players in the league ever since he made his way to Los Angeles and has struck up quite the partnership alongside LeBron James. This also gives Los Angeles a little more security for whenever James’ time with the team comes to an end, as he openly floated retiring this offseason before deciding to come back for next year.

Davis had one of the most productive seasons of his NBA career last year. While he only appeared in 56 games due to injuries, the 8-time All-Star averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.1 steals in 34 minutes a night while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.

Today, August 4th, is Greta Gerwig‘s birthday. Happy birthday, Greta Gerwig! In honor of the big day, we all chipped in and got you a billion dollar movie.

Barbie will join the $1 billion box office club this weekend, or Monday at the latest. When it does, Gerwig will become the first solo female filmmaker to achieve the feat (Captain Marvel, co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck earned $1.1 billion).

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Barbie “cleared the $400 million mark at the domestic box office on Thursday, its 14th day in release (the fastest ever for a Warner Bros. movie).” It’s also the fastest for any movie this year, beating The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Mario and Luigi are no match for Barbie and Ken.

“Barbie has become a global phenomenon in ways the industry perhaps didn’t see coming as it reignites cultural discussions about femininity,” Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, told CNBC. “It’s launched an iconic brand onto the big screen in a way that fans feel is organic and embraces the right amount of nostalgia to tell a relatable and entertaining story in the modern world.”

Gee, I wonder what color frosting Gerwig’s birthday cake will have.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter and CNBC)

Later in the month, hip-hop will formally celebrate its 50th anniversary. The genre still has so much room to grow, and Eminem, alongside Dr. Dre, are doing the work to usher in the next generation of talent. Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment’s latest signee Ez Mil is the byproduct of their cultivation.

Ez Mil’s new single, “Realest,” is his bold debut on the label and Eminem lends his masterful lyrical abilities. On the track, both emcees aim at everyone that has ever doubted their standing within rap. Eminem clapped back at naysayers claiming he doesn’t belong on the top rappers’ list, including Melle Mel in his stanza.

“Guess I’ve really no right to complain much hip hop has been good to me huh / But when they say that I’m only top five ’cause I’m white why would I be stunned / My skin color’s still working against me (What) ’cause second I should be to none / Being white ain’t why they put me at five (Nope) it’s why they can’t put me at one (Whoot),” Eminem raps.

In the chorus, Ez turns his attention to anyone jealous of the co-sign he received from Eminem and Dr. Dre, rapping, “Cause I’m the realest in the business and everybody gon’ be envious of my beginnings / Got a circus for the sinners with bodies, so stop tryna be another addition.”

Listen to “Realest” above.

We’re not going to let go of grilling season until an actual rainstorm douses our grills! Or you know, it gets too chilly outside to reasonably want to cook in shorts and shuttle meat from the kitchen to the outdoors. Regardless, while we may be in the last full month of summer, we’re definitely not ready to let our hot dogs go gentle into that good night (the freezer).

So in the name of maximizing grilling season, we decided to run a little blind taste test. Who will be the wiener winner?

As with everything we cover, we want to help you only cook the absolute best. In that case, that begs a crucial question: Do you need to shell out for some high-quality expensive dogs? Or are you just as well off going with a no-frills market brand? At the end of the day aren’t hot dogs just unwanted meat trimmings pureed and pushed into a casing? How much better can expensive brands actually be?

We decided to find out by putting our favorite hot dogs against the major market brands in a blind taste test. My editor ranked a ton of hot dog brands in the past but I had a few problems with that ranking.

1. It wasn’t a blind taste test.
2. My editor boiled the dogs, which is a fine way to cook them but it’s grilling season, grilling imparts flavor so we can’t be sure his number one choice is the best for grilling.
3. My editor’s top choice was Olympia Provisions. Now, I love the guy, but he did once try to convince me that the Wendy’s Frosty was the ultimate milkshake, and… just no. His taste is officially suspect.
4. Also, this same editor is a Portland Oregon boy. Was it just a coincidence that his favorite brand also originates from Portland, Oregon? I’m not so sure.

So I took the #1 brand from our first big ranking and my favorite brand, Teton Grass Fed Beef Franks [LITERALLY THIS BESMIRTCHED EDITOR’S #2 PICK!], and pitted those two against a few dogs from multi-state market chains (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi), grilled them all up, and put them to the blind taste test.

Methodology

For this blind taste test, I had my girlfriend grill up each hot dog and serve each on a plate completely naked. No mustard, ketchup, relish, onions, nothing baby! Since at least one of these hot dogs sticks out like a sore thumb I ate each under the cover of a blindfold, recorded my tasting notes into my phone, and ranked them all.

For the most part, a lot of these hot dogs tasted strikingly similar, so it took a few bites of each to really start to experience the differences. Here are the brands we’re working with.

• Aldi’s Parkview Uncured Angus Beef Franks
• Aldi’s Simply Nature Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
• Olympia Provisions Uncured Pork Frankfurter (My Editor’s #1)
• Teton Waters Ranch Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Available at most market chains)
• Whole Foods 365 Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs
• Trader Joe’s Uncured Beef Hot Dogs

Part 1: The Hot Dog Taste Test

Taste 1:

Very juicy, my initial bite offered an explosion of zesty meaty flavors. There is a nice floral smokey quality here courtesy of the liberal use of paprika. The casing has a nice snap to it and the meat has texture, rather than tasting totally pureed.

Taste 2:

Wonderfully beefy, the casing isn’t quite as snappy as Taste 1 but the flavor of the meat is way more deep and savory. The paprika smokiness exists only on the aftertaste, unfortunately. It’s great if you’re after a beefy dog, but I like my hot dogs with some zest.

Taste 3:

The casing here is almost plasticky. It’s snappy to the point of being suspicious. It’s significantly less meaty than Tastes 1 and 2 but has a nice earthy paprika presence. Still, this dog left me wanting.

Taste 4:

I can’t with this one. The casing is completely tough and for whatever reason it takes a few seconds for the flavor to really activate the palate. It’s flat and boring, no zest, no savory meat flavors, bad casing, an all-around bad dog.

Taste 5:

Great casing, there is a nice satisfying snap to this one revealing a juicy and salty beef flavor with a really nice texture and pronounced paprika smoke. This one is by far the saltiest of all the dogs, but I don’t hate it. It comes across as indulgent in all of the best ways.

Taste 6:

Goddammit, my editor was right. I don’t need eyes to know that this is the pork frankfurter. It’s sumptuous, deep, a tad sweet, and offers a different sort of smokiness to everything else on this list. It’s hickory, noticeably. There is so much depth and complexity here it’s astounding, and that’s coming from a person who always prefers a beef frank to pork.

Part 2: The Hot Dog Ranking

6. Simply Nature — Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 4)

Price: $4.99

I don’t know how I knew Simply Nature would be bad, but given the branding on this dog, it doesn’t surprise me. This was by far the worst hot dog we tried today, it’s bordering on inedible. Simply Nature is an Aldi brand and is USDA-certified organic, non-GMO, and made with grass-fed beef. It has a lot of selling points which might lead you to believe it’s good, but it’s not.

Not even kind of good.

The Bottom Line:

The price is nice but avoid this one at all costs.

5. Whole Foods Market 365 —Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 3)

Price: $7.49

Rarely do I feel like hot dogs are a rip-off, you get what you pay for, but at Whole Foods I feel like I’m being straight-up scammed. Sure, this dog is organic, uncured, made with grass-fed beef, and certified USDA organic, but… so are a lot of hot dogs in 2023, so why is this one more expensive than so many other brands?

It certainly doesn’t taste better than the cheaper dogs, and it’s a lot thinner and less meaty than any other hot dog we tried today.

The Bottom Line:

This and sort of pathetic. It’s less meaty and less flavorful than the competition, but more expensive.

4. Teton Waters Ranch — Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 2)

Price: $6.49

This one took me by surprise. This is my go-to hot dog, it is made with Certified Humane Raised 100% grass-fed beef with no hormones or antibiotics, and nitrate and nitrite free. but those selling points are to blame for its slightly more expensive price tag.

From a flavor standpoint, this doesn’t stand far and above the rest. For that, we’re going to have to place this one squarely in the middle.

The Bottom Line:

Great selling points but it feels just a bit overpriced for what you get in terms of flavor.

3. Parkview — Uncured Angus Beef Franks (Taste 5)

Price: $3.99

Parkview is another Aldi brand and the cheapest hot dog we tried today. It punches way above its weight. It doesn’t have added nitrates or nitrites, like every other brand we tried, no by-products and no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, but it’s not certified organic and it’s not made with grass-fed beef. Luckily, it turns out that those things don’t really matter when it comes to flavor.

Parkview’s Angus Beef Franks taste great, they’re wonderfully beefy, the casing is nice, and the paprika is prominent.

The Bottom Line:

Cheap and delicious, the way hot dogs should be.

2. Trader Joe’s — Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 1)

Price: $7.49

Trader Joe’s has two hot dogs, this one and a grass-fed organic version. Considering my editor already reviewed the grass-fed I figured I’d give these dogs a try, which for whatever reason are a dollar more. I’m paying more for a hot dog that isn’t grass-fed and organic? What the hell is going on here?

Whatever is going on, I’m not willing to complain because this hot dog is nearly perfect. It’s meaty and savory, smokey, a bit sweet, and has a near-perfect snappy casing. I’ve had the grass-fed version and was unimpressed, but in today’s tasting, this Uncured Beef Hot dog was the best beef hot dog we ate, by a considerable amount.

The Bottom Line:

Don’t be tempted by Trader Joe’s grass-fed organic hot dog, this is by far the better choice, and the best beef frank we ate in this tasting.

1. Olympia Provisions — Uncured Pork Frankfurter (Taste 5)

Price: $15

Remember when I said how hot dogs are just unwanted meat trimmings pureed into a casing? Not at Olympia Provisions. This foot-long frankfurter is made with pure pork shoulder with a natural lamb casing and the difference is readily apparent. Yes, this dog is twice the price of what you’ll find at most supermarkets, but it’s so worth it.

Every element is absolutely on point, the snap is perfect, the flavor is complex and takes your taste buds on a journey, and considering each hot dog is a foot long, it’s satisfying in a way that the other hot dogs aren’t. If you would’ve asked me if $15 per pack was a sensible price for a hot dog, I would’ve laughed in your face, but with how good this hot dog is, I’m stunned into silence.

The Bottom Line:

Adding your favorite hot dog toppings will only further elevate this already remarkable flavor. This is a must-eat, and we wouldn’t suggest you close out summer any other way. If you want to have your mind blown by a hot dog (did you even think that was a possibility?) pick up a pack of Olympia Provisions ASAP.

But be warned, you’re never going to want to settle for the cheaper brands after this. You’ll be ruined when it comes to hot dogs.

The number one reason why there is a belief that Slovenia can make some noise at the 2023 FIBA World Cup is Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks star who always seems to find an extra gear when he suits up for his national team. But in a pre-tournament exhibition a mere 22 days before the Slovenians play their first game, Doncic suffered an injury scare.

Slovenia played Greece on Friday, and in the second quarter, Doncic ran into a screen set by Emmanouil Chatzidakis. The two appeared to bump knees, and while Chatzidakis was ok, Doncic came up limp and ended up needing to leave the game.

This would, obviously, be a gigantic problem for both Slovenia and the Dallas Mavericks. But fortunately for everyone involved, Doncic is ok. Marc Stein reported that the plan all along was for Doncic to only play in the first half of the game, and him hurting his knee with just over two minutes left in the second quarter simply expedited the process of getting him out of there.

Doncic played well prior to his leaving the game, as he scored 18 points in the first half. Greece would go on to pick up an 88-77 win.

Slovenia is in a group with Cape Verde, Georgia, and Venezuela at the World Cup, and will begin their tournament on Aug. 26. As of this writing, the team is tied with the third-best odds of winning it all behind the United States and Canada.

Busta Rhymes has undergone a major weight loss, shedding over 100 pounds. He spoke about his body transformation in a recent interview with Men’s Health, and when it comes to what prompted the weight loss, he says it was a asthma attack-like experience after sex.

Busta explained:

“One night I was getting ready to have, make, you know… I was getting ready to have an intimate moment with my ex. I had a breathing issue after the intimate interaction. […] I was having a really difficult time breathing, so I got up and I walked out of the bedroom so she wouldn’t panic seeing me trying to keep myself calm. I was trying to inhale, and it felt like it wasn’t working. I felt like I was having like an asthma attack — but I don’t have asthma. So I walked out of the bedroom and went into the living room, and I was forcing myself to inhale, to relax. That was scaring me so much that it was a mindf*ck, because I had to stay calm and make sure she didn’t hear me panic or hear me struggle to breathe. I’m butt-ass naked in the living room, trying to calm myself down.”

The rapper continued, “When I came back in the room once I got right, I laid back down next to her and she said something to me that really f*cked me up. She was like, ‘Yo, this is not who I fell in love with.’ She didn’t know what had happened outside, but she was looking at my body and the weight. She was like, ‘You gotta lose this weight. This breathing is scaring me. When I met you, you wasn’t like a musclehead, but you, you was slim, you was cut, you had your sh*t right. I need you to get back to who I fell in love with.’”

As for what caused him to gain weight in the first place, Busta explained, “That had to do with me never properly dealing with the loss of my father. My dad died in 2014 and I drowned myself in work. I just kept drinking, smoking, eating bad — the whole nasty — and recording a bunch of songs just to escape the pain.”

Read the full interview here.