Category: Viral

Thanks to the latest whiskey boom, there are always new and exciting bourbons to try. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean there are new “good” bourbons to try. A lot of the newer stuff — and, we must admit, much of the “super folksy label that would look great on a barcart” stuff — is gets stuck in the “fine” to “ugh” to “hard pass” brackets. Luckily, I’m here to take one for the collective team and weed out those lesser bottles so that you don’t have to waste your hard-earned cash on them.

To do so, I’m conducting a blind taste test of new bourbons that landed on my desk over the past couple of weeks. I pulled in bottles that fit many styles of bourbon from budget small batch bottles to unique mash bills with bespoke corn to limited editions to special finishings. Once I tasted through, I ranked each bottle according to the quality of the flavor profile. It’s as simple as “which one(s) actually tastes good?” and “which one(s) tastes the best?”

Our lineup today is:

• Monk’s Road Fifth District Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 6 Years Series 01 Barrel #23 Bottle #169
• Dragon’s Milk Origin Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years
• Off Hours Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Puncher’s Chance Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Great Jones Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch no. 001 Bottle no. 91808
• Kirkland Signature Small Batch by Barton 1792 Master Distillers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch no. 1124
• Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years Limited Edition National Parks No. 2
• Bloody Butcher’s Creed Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 4 Years 9 Months Batch no. 8

Let’s dive in and find you a new, exciting, and fun bourbon to add to your shelf.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
• We Tasted Bourbon Whiskeys ‘Double-Blind’ And Tried To Guess Each Bottle
• All The Double Gold-Winning Straight Bourbons From This Year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a hint of woody vanilla next to a hint of sour cherry, a dash of toasted coconut, a light note of leather, and some butter toffee underbelly. The palate leans into cola notes with plenty of clove and nutmeg next to a whisper of oatmeal cookie with sweet spices and plenty of vanilla. The end is lush and sweetens towards a Caro syrup with a bit of stewed apple that’s kind of woody and mildly spicy.

This is a nice place to start. This isn’t a mind-blowing bourbon but it is a pleasant one.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

A big chocolate malt note draws you in on the palate first before layers of winter spices, dark caramel malts, a twinge of orange oils, and a mild Vanilla Coke kick in. The taste has an almost Hershey’s Kiss feel to it alongside spiced chocolate powder next to a hint of lemon-lime that turns into a tangerine-laced maltiness (kind of like a tangerine White Claw) with a chocolate wafer in the background. The end holds onto the chocolate maltiness and mild winter spices the longest.

I can’t decide if I love or hate this. I imagine I’ll fall closer to the middle.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

There’s a good dose of wet straw and grains on the nose with hints of nutmeg and clove which eventually lead to some apple skins. The palate meanders through vanilla, wicker, fresh mint, and brown sugar with a whisper of dill buried in there somewhere. The end is full of a lot of sweetgrasses, grilled pineapple, and sour cherry with a touch of brown spice.

This was very much “fine.”

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This has a slightly tannic nose (think old, red-wine-soaked oak) with woody vanilla, nutmeg, and a lush vibe. The palate mixes up the sweet vanilla with sweet yet sharp spice, some dark chocolate, and a hint of orange zest. The end combines everything into a lush finish that highlights old oak, soft nutmeg, and a soft orange-chocolate vibe with a hint of clove and anise.

This was really nice, but not overly complex. It wasn’t arresting but it was super easy to drink.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a hint of dry cornmeal that leads to soft but worn leather and a throughline of rubber fishing lure (in a good way… I think) with a soft and sweet orchard fruit underneath it all. The palate is light but hits on vanilla cream, toffee, and cinnamon with a dash of white pepper. The end leans into vanilla and spiced tobacco leaves and a twinge of soft peppercorn.

This is a bit all over the place but kind of good and interesting.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Apple and pear open the nose up toward peach taffy with a hint of black licorice ropes, old leather, sweet winter spices, and a whisper of Nutella. The palate lets the vanilla linger while a sweet and mild Red Hot vibe mixes with classic cherry cola, dried sweetgrass, salted caramel candies, and apricot jam on a Southern biscuit with a drop of fresh honey and butter. The end stays pretty classic with a sense of spiced cherry tobacco, rich vanilla, and a few old oak staves.

This is a good pour.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Soft holiday spices mix with orange creamsicle, dry sweetgrass, old boot leather, a dash of dark chocolate powder, and a hint of cedar. The taste feels like you’re on a back porch on a sunny day with rich toffee, cherrywood, and vanilla next to buttery zucchini bread with walnuts and plenty of cinnamon. The end takes on this woody and sweet carrot vibe while lush marzipan brings a nutty sweetness with a hint of Earl Grey and walnut loaf with low notes of soft cedar and warm tobacco.

This is a really good pour.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

The nose on his one starts off with a stained deck board vibe that boils down to silver plastic Christmas garlands fresh out of the pack with old woody spices, dry raisins, and savory figs. Earthy vanilla and old porch wicker mingle with Caro Syrup and orange tobacco with a supporting cast of wintry baking spices. The end moves from woody maple syrup toward soft marzipan, a dash of chocolate, and a distant whisper of peppermint candy cane.

This is the most all-around Christmas-y bourbon, and I kind of love it. The nostalgia factor from the flavor profile is off the charts with this one.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Off Hours Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

This release from Off Hours Spirits is sourced from MGP of Indiana. The juice is a no-age-statement bourbon from MGP’s standard 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four percent malted barley mash bill. The whiskey spends about four years in the barrel before it is blended and bottled by Off Hours with a good dose of proofing water.

Bottom Line:

As I mentioned above, this was fine. I never in a million years would have guessed it’s an MGP product though. It tastes very crafty with that wet straw and grainy vibe. Still, this would work fine in a highball.

7. Great Jones Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch no. 001 Bottle no. 91808 — Taste 5

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This is a grain-to-glass New York craft bourbon. The grains in the mash bill — corn, rye, and malted barley — are all grown locally in New York state. The juice is then left for at least four years to age before it’s blended in small batches, proofed down, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This is fine too. I’d say this felt more like a cocktail base than a sipper (for sure). Overall, “fine” is good enough but not good enough to spend too much time seeking out.

6. Dragon’s Milk Origin Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years — Taste 2

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from New Holland Brewing up in Michigan marries craft bourbon with the brewery’s beloved Dragon’s Milk beer. The whiskey in the bottle is made with a high-barley bourbon mash bill. After five years in the barrel, the juice is blended, proofed down, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

I did like the chocolate malt vibe on this. I can see pairing this with a Dragon’s Milk Stout. Still, that chocolate note was a lot of the flavor profile to the point of almost pushing the whole pour to one-note status.

5. Monk’s Road Fifth District Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 6 Years Series 01 Barrel #23 Bottle #169 — Taste 1

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $125

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Log Still Distillery in Kentucky is run by direct descendants of the famed Dant family. The whiskey in the bottle is a single barrel bourbon that aged for six years before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is where we squarely get into the good stuff. This was distinct and flavorful. The only reason it’s this low is that it felt really “classic” but not a whole lot more — which is totally fine if that’s what you’re looking for. Had I known the price tag, I’d probably ranked this lower. $125 is a lot for something just “classic.”

4. Puncher’s Chance Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This is a celebrity-owned bourbon from UFC’s Bruce Buffer. The juice in the bottle is a blend of four to six-year-old bourbons from Kentucky that are touched with a little proofing water after blending.

Bottom Line:

This is a really easy-to-drink whiskey that offers a deep and distinct flavor profile. The overall vibe of this is just really good. This was the first whiskey on the panel that I wanted to go back to — still, it’s not quite as deep as the top three.

3. Kirkland Signature Small Batch by Barton 1792 Master Distillers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch no. 1124 — Taste 6

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $19 (1 liter)

The Whiskey:

This is the entry point to Costco’s new lineup of Kentucky Bourbons (along with a Bottled-in-Bond and Single Barrel release). The whiskey in the bottle is from Sazerac’s Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown with a mash bill of 74 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and eight percent barley. That juice is left to age for four to five years before blended, proofing, and bottling for Costco.

Bottom Line:

This was really good with a straightforward but deep flavor profile. If I was taking the price into the ranking (I rank these before I know the label), I’d have ranked it higher thanks to that amazing price tag. This swings way above its price tag.

Quality bourbon for a low price? That’s some serious value, folks.

2. Bloody Butcher’s Creed Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 4 Years 9 Months Batch no. 8 — Taste 8

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

This special edition bourbon from craft distilling darling Jeptha Creed is all about the heritage corn. The mash is 90 percent Bloody Butcher Corn alongside five percent malted rye and five perfect malted barley. The whiskey is left alone for nearly five years before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was both unique and delicious. It felt new and playful while still offering a foundation of great bourbon underneath it all. Overall, this is a great variation on the theme of bourbon, but might not be for everyone (hence, it’s second and not first).

1. Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years Limited Edition National Parks No. 2 — Taste 7

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This bottle celebrates our National Parks with each limited edition release. In this case, the release celebrates Yellowston’s 150th anniversary with part of the proceeds from each bottle sold going to Yellowstone Forever, which helps protect the park. The whiskey in the bottle is a special release from Wyoming grains — 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, and 12 percent malted barley — and water. After five years, the barrels are small-batch blended and bottled with a drop of proofing water.

Bottom Line:

This was the best pour of the day. It was complex, fresh, and deep. It also had a deep nostalgic pull for the winter holidays that felt like stepping into the time machine to my childhood. You just cannot deny that sort of power.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

There were eight quality bourbons on this list and each one had its charms. Eight through five weren’t my cup of tea, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be yours. Go back and read the tasting notes and make a decision.

Four through one were all stellar bottles you can’t go wrong with. I’d say four and three are the most accessible to the average palate with one and two hitting some big and unique notes that might be appreciated a little further down anyone’s bourbon tasting road. At the very least, buying a bottle of Wyoming’s new National Parks edition will help that park with real money.

Overall, the real winner is that Kirkland Signature Small Batch though. That price and the quality of the booze in the bottle are unassailable. $20 for that one-liter bottle of very good bourbon from a great distillery is the way to go if you can’t find anything else in the top three.

Last week, Tommy Lee stirred up social media when he shared a selfie on Instagram. Of course, this wasn’t the usual sort of self-shot photo, as it offered a clear-as-day look at the Mötley Crüe drummer’s uncovered penis. While the image has since been removed from Instagram, it’s still up on Twitter, which is more tolerant of nudity on its platform than is Instagram. (If you’d care to view the original, uncensored photo, it can still be found on Lee’s Twitter, here.)

Now, though, the Lee pee-pee pic is back on Instagram, albeit not in its original form. A few days ago, Lee shared a colorful, artistic rendering of the original photo, created by artist Ziva Barrett, wife of Cannibal Corpse guitarist Rob Barrett. In her own post of the image, she wrote, “When Tommy Lee ‘hands’ you a dick pic, you don’t ask questions, you grab a (big [smiling emoji]) canvas instead and get to work.” In another post, she noted that she’s giving Lee either the original painting or a black-and-white version of it she also made (his choice).

If Lee’s latest post is something you want to see, it can be found on his Instagram, here.

Lee’s member is familiar with the spotlight, as it is its own character in the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy.

As Black Adam finally nears its release date, The Rock is opening up about his, well, not quite superheroic yet not quite supervillainous turn. Announced all the way back in 2014, alongside the casting of Zachary Levi as Shazam, Black Adam has clearly spent numerous years in development hell. There were legitimate doubts that the movie would ever seen the light of day However, during that time, The Rock apparently kept very a watchful eye on the DC Comics character and even went so far as to stop Warner Bros. from using Black Adam too soon.

According to The Rock, Black Adam almost made his debut in the first Shazam! movie, which would’ve made sense given the two characters are arch-rivals going all the way back to the 1940s. There was just one small problem: The Rock wasn’t feeling it.

Via Vanity Fair:

“When the first draft of the movie came to us, it was a combination of Black Adam and Shazam: Two origin stories in one movie,” Johnson recalls. “Now that was the goal — so it wasn’t a complete surprise. But when I read that, I just knew in my gut, ‘We can’t make this movie like this. We would be doing Black Adam an incredible disservice.’ It would’ve been fine for Shazam having two origin stories converge in one movie, but not good for Black Adam.”

As Johnson explains, he personally called up Warner Bros. and told them that Black Adam deserves his own movie. “I said, ‘I have to share my thoughts here. It’s very unpopular…’ because everybody thought, ‘Hey, this script is great, let’s go make this movie.’ I said, ‘I really think that you should make Shazam!, make that movie on its own in the tone that you want. And I think we should separate this as well.’”

Obviously, it’s not hard to tell who won that argument: Black Adam, the solo movie demanded by The Rock, slams into theaters on October 21, 2022.

(Via Vanity Fair)

Snoop Dogg is a well-established hitmaker but lest we lose sight of just how impressive his career achievements have been, he’s just accumulated another. As of the most recently published Billboard charts, he’s now one of just three artists in history to have a top-10 hit in each of the past four decades. That’s right: The Doggfather has reached the top ten in the ’90s, ’00s, ’10s, and now, the ’20s thanks to his new collaboration with Benny Blanco and BTS, “Bad Decisions.” The only other two artists who can boast as much are Jay-Z and Mariah Carey.

Snoop’s top ten hits of the ’90s include “What’s My Name?” and “Gin And Juice” from his 1993 debut album Doggystyle. In the 2000s, his songs “Beautiful,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and “Sensual Seduction” all hit the top ten, with the second reaching No. 1. Finally, 2011 saw Snoop’s Wiz Khalifa collaboration “Young, Wild & Free” reach No. 7 on the Hot 100. Additionally, he’s popped up in the top ten as a featured artist on eight songs throughout the years, including Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” Chingy’s “Holidae In,” 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.,” The Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons,” Akon’s “I Wanna Love You,” Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” and Jason Derulo’s “Wiggle.”

What makes Snoop’s achievement even more impressive is that he’s done all this while diversifying his interests. He’s become a pop culture mainstay outside of music as well, with investments in cryptocurrency and NFTS, roles in Hollywood movies and video games, and even his own breakfast cereal and hot dogs.

On the Billboard 200 chart dated August 6, Bad Bunny’s album Un Verano Sin Ti extended its total weeks at No. 1 to seven. Then, Beyoncé happened: On the rank dated August 13, Renaissance dethroned Bad Bunny to take over the top spot. Now, it appears at least some of the hype surrounding the Beyoncé album has died down. At the very least, it subsided enough for Bad Bunny to reclaim the top spot: On the new Billboard 200 dated August 20, Un Verano Sin Ti is back at No. 1 for an eighth total week, with Renaissance slipping down to No. 3.

Bad Bunny is on top again thanks to 108,800 equivalent album units earned for the album, up 4 percent from last week. This is the third stint at No. 1 for Un Verano Sin Ti: It debuted on top on the May 21 chart, then left No. 1 for three weeks. Then, it returned to No. 1 again before falling to No. 2 for the next two weeks. After that, it enjoyed its first multi-week run, spending five weeks at No. 1 before being dethroned by Beyoncé and then returning to the top this week. This makes Un Verano Sin Ti the first album with four distinct runs at No. 1 since Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour also had four stays in 2021.

Meanwhile, debuting at No. 2 on this week’s chart is YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s The Last Slimeto, while Eminem’s new best-of compilation, Curtain Call 2, premieres at No. 6.

For quite some time now, Netflix has been going back and forth on the idea of releasing its original content in a digestible way. The streamer has dabbled with this concept, releasing some reality shows on a weekly basis, or splitting seasons in half in order to stretch out the content as much as physically possible (and to keep people making memes about said shows). Now, it seems like the site will actually try to implement some sort of staggered episode releases, beginning in October with some spooky fall programs.

Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming anthology series Cabinet Of Curiosities will premiere the first two episodes on October 25th, with two new episodes dropping daily until October 28th. It will be a part of the streamer’s Netflix and Chills Halloween event, which will feature a handful of new and old spooky titles.

Cabinet Of Curiosities is a collection of eight chilling tales, each by a different talented director. In the first look trailer, del Toro explains the inspiration behind the series, which features classically creepy tales. Via the synopsis:

With Cabinet of Curiosities, we set out to showcase the realities existing outside of our normal world: the anomalies and curiosities. We hand-picked and curated a group of stories and storytellers to deliver these tales, whether they come from outer space, supernatural lore, or simply within our minds. Just in time for Halloween, each of these eight tales is a fantastical peek inside the cabinet of delights existing underneath the reality we live in.

Del Toro served as creator and executive producer of the spooky series, which features tales from Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), Panos Cosmatos (Mandy), Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), along with many more. Here is a rundown of the current lineup from a Netflix press release:

Dreams in the Witch House: Rupert Grint (Servant), Ismael Cruz Cordova (The Undoing), DJ Qualls (Turning Point), Nia Vardalos (Love, Victor) and Tenika Davis (Jupiter’s Legacy) star in an episode written by Mika Watkins (Origin), based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen).

Graveyard Rats: David Hewlett (The Shape of Water) stars in an episode written, based on a short story by Henry Kuttner, and directed by Vincenzo Natali (In The Tall Grass).

Lot 36: Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen), Elpidia Carrillo (Predator), Demetrius Grosse (Fear The Walking Dead) and Sebastian Roché (The Man in the High Castle) star in an episode written by Regina Corrado (Deadwood), based on an original story by del Toro, and directed by Guillermo Navarro (Godfather of Harlem).

Pickman’s Model: Ben Barnes (Shadow and Bone), Crispin Glover (Rivers Edge), and Oriana Leman (The Whale) star in an episode written by Lee Patterson (Curve),based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, and directed by Keith Thomas (Firestarter).

The Autopsy: F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus), Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Luke Roberts (Ransom) will appear in an episode written by David S. Goyer (The Sandman), based on a short story by Michael Shea, and directed by David Prior (The Empty Man).

The Murmuring: Essie Davis (The Babadook), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) and Hannah Galway (Sex/Life) star in an episode written (based on an original story by del Toro) and directed by Jennifer Kent (The Babadook).

The Outside: Kate Micucci (The Little Hours) and Martin Starr (Silicon Valley) lead an episode written by Haley Z. Boston (Brand New Cherry Flavor), based on a short story by comic book author Emily Carroll, and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night).

The Viewing: Peter Weller (Robocop), Eric André (The Eric Andre Show), Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Charlyne Yi (Always Be My Maybe), Steve Agee (Peacemaker), Michael Therrialt (Locke and Key) and Saad Siddiqui (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) star in an episode directed by Panos Cosmatos (Mandy), who also writes, along with Aaron Stewart-Ahn.

While this isn’t the first time Netflix has been experimenting with its release schedule, it does signify a shift in how they are releasing new content that might keep more fans on board for longer. More fans mean more viral memes and more bizarre tie-in content! A win for everyone.

(Via Deadline)

video in question: https://www.instagram.com/p/ChNaQ00pZEm/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
timeline of “beef”: https://www.complex.com/music/2017/04/kendrick-lamar-drake-relationship-timeline
most recent kendrick mention of drake: https://uproxx.com/music/kendrick-lamar-drake-kanye-reunion-mr-morale/

Drake and Kendrick Lamar have both come a long way since Kendrick appeared on Drake’s second album, Take Care. At the time, Drake was an established star, coming off of a No. 1 debut in Thank Me Later and a string of Top 40 hits, and Take Care was set to be the confirmation of his superstardom. Kendrick, on the other hand, was about a year away from his own hotly anticipated debut album, but rising in popularity due to the strength of his independent mixtapes and co-signs from West Coast legends like Dr. Dre, The Game, and Snoop Dogg.

Since then, however, Drake and Kendrick’s relationship appears to have cooled. Despite collaborating twice more on Kendrick’s Good Kid, MAAD City single “Poetic Justice” and ASAP Rocky’s “F*ckin’ Problems,” the two seemed to distance from each other in the aftermath of Kendrick’s scorched-earth verse from Big Sean’s “Control,” a few apparent shots on songs like “King Kunta,” and during his 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher verse. Since then, fans have interpreted lines in both rappers’ songs as subliminal shots at the other, assuming that they had fallen out and couldn’t reconcile after so much supposed bad blood.

However, during Kendrick’s ongoing Big Steppers Tour stop in Drake’s hometown Toronto, The Boy himself was seen enjoying the show in a box to himself and his OVO compatriots. Fans who noticed him were excited to see him, getting and posting plenty of videos.

Meanwhile, Kendrick himself last made mention of his supposed rival on his new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, admitting that he realized that various rap feuds were petty and childish, but also expressed reluctance to let them go. “When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused,” he says on “Father Time.” Guess I’m not as mature as I think, got some healin’ to do.” Whether he’s since done that healing remains to be seen, but some fans have already interpreted Drake’s presence at Kendrick’s show as a good sign that the two could be reconciling — or at least, on good enough terms to enjoy each other’s shows.

Normally, when you think of a balanced breakfast, Snoop Dogg doesn’t immediately jump to mind (unless your idea of a balanced breakfast includes a different kind of greenery than the spinach some folks like with their omelets). But that might change soon, as Snoop adds a breakfast cereal to his growing portfolio of side hustles. Snoop Loopz, the new cereal, are like gluten-free Froot Loops, according to Billboard, which notes that Snoop’s fellow rapper-turned-mogul Master P made the announcement on his Instagram, promising that Snoop Loopz has “more corn, more flavor and more marshmallows” than their analog.

Snoop’s Broadus Foods brand (named for its founder, whose real name is Calvin Broadus) apparently already has a range of breakfast items under its Mama Snoop’s range, including grits, oatmeal, and pancake mix, and more. Snoop Loopz features a blue puppy mascot — naturally — and like all your other favorite breakfast cereals, a box adorned with games and even a box top sweepstakes to win a Nintendo Switch. To be honest… I’d give them a try.

As far as his day job goes, Snoop most recently collaborated with K-Pop megastars BTS on the Benny Blanco-produced “Bad Decisions.” Meanwhile, he’s also added another acting credit in the vampire hunter action comedy, Day Shift, now streaming on Netflix.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Megan Thee Stallion unleash her long-awaited new album and Nicki Minaj come through with a heater of a single. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters. Also find our Uproxx HQ Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly with the best new music, at the end of this post.

Megan Thee Stallion — “Red Wine”

Last week, Megan announced Traumazine, her new album. And on Friday (after a stint co-hosting The Tonight Show) it was out. One of the 18 tracks that immediately caught people’s attention was “Red Wine,” a particularly sensual new song that just oozes sex, even more so than most of Megan’s other music that already very much does that.

Nicki Minaj — “Super Freaky Girl”

New Nicki is always welcomed, especially when it includes a killer Rick James sample. The tune is “Super Freaky Girl,” which sees Minaj in top form, rapping about her various levels of excellence over a catchy beat.

Ronald Isley and Beyoncé — “Make Me Say It Again, Girl”

Beyoncé is on top of the world right now fresh off the release of Renaissance and she apparently can’t stop dropping new music. Following her many “Break My Soul” remixes is a collaboration with Ronald Isley, a soulful and modernized rework of the 1975 Isley Brothers track “Make Me Say It Again Girl, Pts. 1 & 2.”

Ari Lennox — “Hoodie”

Shea Butter Baby came out in 2019 and fans have been eagerly awaiting Lennox’s sophomore album ever since. News of that finally arrived last week (it’s set for release in September) along with “Hoodie,” a smooth and rhythmic tune on which Lennox flexes her superlative vocal abilities while asking to wear her man’s hoodie.

Rod Wave — “Yungen” Feat. Jack Harlow

After announcing Beautiful Mind in May, Rod Wave’s latest is finally here. Immediately, fans were blown away by the album’s gorgeous melodies, including on the LP’s standout Jack Harlow collaboration “Yungen.”

Anitta and Maluma — “El Que Espera”

Anitta’s profile is rising by the day and now she’s teamed up with another international superstar, Maluma, on “El Que Espera.” The collaboration has a warm, mid-tempo, summery, tropical rhythm that should serve as a chill (but still groovy) respite from this season’s more upbeat hits.

Cordae — “So With That”

It recently dawned on Cordae that in his opinion, his debut album is better than his latest one, this year’s From A Birds Eye View, and that he now “got sumn to prove.” He did some proving last week with two new singles: “Unacceptable” and “So With That,” with Uproxx’s Armon Sadler saying the latter “sounds like he took a road trip to the past, with a backpack rap-type beat laced with high-pitched vocal samples.”

JID — “Dance Now”

JID released DiCaprio 2 nearly four years ago, but we won’t have to wait much longer for its follow-up. That’s set to drop later this month, but what dropped last week was a taste of it in “Dance Now,” on which JID’s slithering and rapid-fire flow sounds fantastic over a hard-hitting beat.

The Dare — “Girls”

Here’s an exciting new face: Harrison Patrick Smith, who has previously toured with Porches and performed as Turtlenecked, just re-branded as The Dare and dropped his debut single. The song is “Girls” and it’s a delightful, punchy, electro-pop romp reminiscent of early LCD Soundsystem material, meaning it’s made for dancing and has a bit of a rock/punk edge to it.

Niki — “Keeping Tabs”

88rising up-and-comer Niki (who once upon a time opened for Taylor Swift in her native Indonesia) is forging a path after her 2020 debut album Moonchild. Last week brought her sophomore LP, Nicole, which is highlighted by tracks like the head-bobbing indie-pop of “Keeping Tabs.”

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

The Stranger Things creators, brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, have vowed to include fewer new characters in the final season of the Netflix series. “We’re trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess,” Ross said. It’s a good thing they waited until season five, otherwise we never would have been introduced to Eddie Munson.

The breakout character of season four (much to the delight of Metallica’s bank account) is played by Joseph Quinn, who comes across as a delightful person. The actor’s rise to magazine profile-fame seemingly came out of nowhere, but five years before making his Stranger Things debut, Quinn was on an even bigger show: Game of Thrones.

Quinn played Koner, a House Stark soldier, in season seven’s “The Spoils of War.” That’s the episode where Arya Stark returns after five years to Winterfell, where she receives a chilly welcome. “Arya Stark’s dead,” Koner tells the very much alive Arya, not realizing who she is. “It’s cold. We’re busy. So, you know, best f*ck off,” he adds. Eventually, Arya gets her way by intimidating Koner and the other doofus guard who’s supposed to protect Winterfell. If only the Watergate was that easy to get into.

You can watch the scene below:

(Via HBO/Instagram)