Spring is here. Around the country, spring break festivities are underway. So it’s time to name our official spring cocktail of 2023. Drumroll? Anyone gonna drumroll for me?

At least tap your keyboard…

This year…

Our spring cocktail is the smoky Mezcal Negroni!

The Negroni variation is a fantastic take on the classic cocktail. The earthiness and smoky nature of a good mezcal play very well with the botanical bitterness of the Campari and the floral sweetness of the vermouth. Add in a little orange oil and you’re in for a real treat that’s bright, refreshing, and very quaffable.

The best part?

This drink is so easy to make. As with any Negroni, you can build it in a glass, stir, and drop an orange wedge in if you want. That’s a good way to go, especially if you’re already on spring break and on the beach. But taking a little bit more time by stirring this one adds a nice velvety texture that helps it pop that little bit more. Sound good? Let’s get stirring then!

• It’s A Great Weekend For A Bourbon Old Fashioned — Here’s Our Recipe
• The Fall Old Fashioned Is The Perfect Weekend Sipper — Here’s Our Recipe
• This Smoky Negroni Variation Is The Perfect Backyard BBQ Sipper — Here’s Our Recipe
• The Wisconsin Old Fashioned Is Wildly Unique And Perfect For August
• The Revolver Is The Perfect Midwinter Cocktail — Here’s Our Recipe

Mezcal Negroni

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej Mezcal
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
• Ice
• Orange peel

I like using Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej. It has a great depth to it for a joven (unaged) mezcal. There’s an earthiness that’s slightly sweet with a mild smokiness that never overpowers, even when poured neat. The next essential is the Campari. You really can’t skip this one.

Lastly, I’m using standard Martini Rosso Sweet Vermouth. It’s not fancy but it gets the job done and adds a nice floral sweetness that melds a bit better with the earthy mezcal than, say, a more syrupy and fruity sweet vermouth.

What You’ll Need:

• Rocks glass
• Cocktail jar/jug
• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger
• Barspoon
• Paring knife

Method:

• Prechill the glass in the freezer.
• Add the mezcal, Campari, and vermouth to a mixing glass. Add a handful of ice and stir until the glass is ice-cold to touch.
• Fetch the glass from the freezer, add a large cube of fresh ice, and then strain the cocktail into the glass.
• Express the oils from the orange peel over the cocktail and rub it around the rim and bowl of the glass and then discard. Serve.

Bottom Line:

Oh, yes, this is tasty. I’m hooked. The roasted agave comes through with a hint of sweetness next to deep and earthy smoke that’s muted by the Campari’s bitterness and botanicals. The sweet vermouth just works with the mezcal and they both pop. The texture is soft and lush.

The orange oils help brighten the whole drink up to the point that it almost feels sunny, kind of like sitting under a big shady tree on a sunny day in a crumbling brick courtyard with this drink in your hand. It’s a nice feeling and screams al fresco dining, which is what we should all be doing as spring warms up.

When Jimmy Kimmel takes to the street, you know you’re in for a good laugh at just how little we actually know about, well, seemingly anything. That goes for anatomy too. In this case, female anatomy.

In a segment called “What Do You Know About The Female Body?” men try—and hilariously fail—to answer even the most basic questions, like “does a female have one uterus, or two?” much to the amazement of some of their female partners.

Here are some of the very best bits of nonwisdom:

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Woman have LOTS of fallopian tubes and ovaries, apparently.

When asked, “how many fallopian tubes does the average lady have?” one man prefaced with “I know I’m gonna be way off,” before answering “four.”

He was right about being way off, indeed. Women usually have one fallopian tube on either side of the uterus, making that two fallopian tubes.

Another guy guessed that a woman has not one, not two, but six ovaries. Which, in case you didn’t know, is three times more than the correct answer (two ovaries, one on either side of the uterus). Where would a woman keep four extra ovaries? Her purse?

A mammogram examines the stomach.

The interviewer also asked: “What part of the body does the mammogram examine?”

“The lower half…” replied one man. Yikes.

And when asked to demonstrate where exactly the “lower half” is, he gestured toward the uppermost part of his belly, seemingly avoiding the actual area a mammogram covers entirely.

PMS is all in the mind, but only annually.

The next question up was “What does PMS stand for?”

One man shyly answered, “Post…mental…syndrome?”

One outta three ain’t bad. But the correct answer is premenstrual syndrome.

And it definitely happens more than “once a year.”

An IUD is a “mammogram device.”

Oh, and a NuvaRing is a “pap schmear,” and a speculum is the actual “IUD.” Holy moly, if you thought IUDs were uncomfortable before…

Things really took a turn once the graphics came out.

And men were asked to point to where the cervix is. Plenty of things were pointed at—like the uterus. But sadly, no cervix findings.

Changing gears, the interview instructed the men to “point at something you know.”

To which one man replied (inaccurately) “uh…that’s a baby?”

Unless the woman is giving birth to a colon, that was incorrect.

Later in the video, a man is asked “where does the baby go?”

“In there,” the man answers after pointing to the ovaries. (Spoiler alert: It doesn’t go there. A fetus grows in the uterus, which this man thought was the cervix.)

His wife, a gynecologist no less, chuckled “I’m mortified…I’m apparently not a very good educator at home for my husband.”

Though this is just for pure fun, it is food for thought.

A woman’s autonomy over her own body has been the subject of much controversial discussion lately. And I can’t help but wonder how certain politicians/leaders would fare if given the same questions. Perhaps it is unwise to try to govern that which is not fully understood, just saying.

You can catch the full segment here:

This article originally appeared on 01.14.22

The world would be a much better place if humans weren’t so … human. We all fall short of perfection. Common sense is, sadly, not too common. And there’s one guy out there who always manages to screw things up when things start getting good.

Call it Murphy’s law. Call it the great “reason we can’t have nice things.” Call it entropy. It feels like a whole lot of pain could be avoided if we all had just a little bit more sense.

But what if there was one rule that we all agreed to follow to make everyone’s life better? What would this magical rule be?

A Reddit user who goes by the name P4insplatter came to this realization and asked the AskReddit subforum, “What simple rule would fix the world if everyone actually followed it?” They received dozens of simple rules that if everyone got behind would make the world drastically better.

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It’s no shock that most of them felt like a variation of the Golden Rule. It’s funny that a lot of folks believe the world would seriously improve if we could just abide by a simple saying that we all learned in kindergarten.

Also known as the “ethics of reciprocity,” the Golden Rule is so innate to humans that versions of it have been found in religions and cultures throughout the world.

Here are 17 of the best responses to P4insplatter’s simple, but world-altering question.

1. Let go

“Let go or be dragged” an old zen proverb I heard at a meditation class. Really changed the way I let myself worry about things.” — civagigi

2. Simple, but true

“Don’t be a dick.” — WuTangLAN93

3. The Golden Rule

“Treat others how you want to be treated.” — AlbanyGuy1973

4. It starts with you

“I read somewhere that if you want to change the world, you have to change the community, to change the community change your relationships, and to change your relationships change yourself.” — cagibaxii

5. Simple Earth math

“Don’t use more resources than what the Earth is capable of renewing.” — DaethSpiral321

6. Bill and Ted’s rule

“Be excellent to each other.” — pnotar

7. The law of Lebowski

“Fuck it, Dude. Let’s go bowling.” — Bonhomme7h

8. Signal

“Use your turn signal(s) properly.” — futilelord

9. The principle of non-agression

“Simple, the non-aggression principle. You don’t do, initiate or threat any harm unto others, unless acting in true self defense.” — ufrag

10. It works for everything

“Leave it better than you found it.” — Narcoid

11. Generosity and humility

“Be generous and humble. Being generous and kind encourages us to perceive others in a more positive light and fosters a sense of community. Humility teaches you to improve and make a positive impact on the world.” — SuvenPan

12. STFU

“If you are not educated on the subject, sit down and stfu. Let the experts with years of education and experience talk.” — Ch3m1cal420

13. Fairness first

“Everyone gets a chance at one [thing] before anyone gets seconds.” — ehsteve23

14. Permanent daylight

“Obviously making daylight savings permanent.” — ObviousINstruction18

15. Two ears, one mouth

“Listen more, talk less.” — TryToHelpPeople

16. Turn off the lights

“All empty buildings should not have any lights/ac/heating on at night or after business hours depending on the nature of the work. their ac/heating and lights if necessary should only be turned on before the start of the day. This will not only help with energy costs but also with light pollution.” — hadrainsgate

17. Don’t tread on anyone

“You cannot do ANYTHING without consent.” — DeepCompote

This article originally appeared on 03.17.22

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

Single dad Patrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.

The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.

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“I got an email a few days ago from my 9-year-old son’s teacher that he had done a ‘prank’ to a fellow classmate and it ended up embarrassing the classmate and hurt his feelings,” the video begins.

At this point, Forseth doesn’t split hairs. “I don’t care who you are, that’s bullying,” he said. “If you do something to somebody that you know has the potential end result of them being embarrassed in front of a class or hurt—you’re bullying.”

So, Forseth and Lincoln sat down for a long talk (a talk, not a lecture) about appropriate punishment and how it would have felt to be on the receiving end of such a prank.

From there, Forseth told his son that he would decide how to make things right, making it a masterclass in taking true accountability.

“I demanded nothing out of him. I demanded no apology, I demanded no apology to the teacher,” he continued, adding, “I told him that we have the opportunity to go back and make things right. We can’t take things back, but we can try to correct things and look for forgiveness.”

@thehalfdeaddad Replying to @sunshinyday1227 And then it’s my kid 🤦‍♂️😡 #endbullyingnow #talktoyourkidsmore #dadlifebestlife #singledadsover40 #teachyourchildren #ReadySetLift ♬ Get You The Moon – Kina

So what did Lincoln do? He went back to his school and actually talked to the other boy he pranked. After learning that they shared a love of Pokémon, he then went home to retrieve two of his favorite Pokémon cards as a peace offering, complete with a freshly cleaned case.

Lincoln would end up sharing with his dad that the other boy was so moved by the gesture that he would end up hugging him.

“I just want to encourage all parents to talk to your kids,” Forseth concluded. “Let’s try to avoid just the swat on the butt [and] send them to their room. Doesn’t teach them anything.”

In Forseth’s opinion, kids get far more insight by figuring out how to resolve a problem themselves. “That’s what they’re actually going to face in the real world once they move out of our nests.”

He certainly has a point. A slap on the wrist followed by being marched down somewhere to say, “I’m sorry,” only further humiliates kids most of the time. With this gentler approach, kids are taught the intrinsic value of making amends after wrongdoing, not to mention the power of their own autonomy. Imagine that—blips in judgment can end up being major character-building moments.

Kudos to this dad and his very smart parenting strategy.

If you ask most teachers why they went into education, they’ll share that it had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with their passion for teaching. Even with rapid changes in curriculum and policies, teachers who remain in the classroom are lovers of education and are doing their best to help kids learn.

Hope Carrasquilla, the former principal of Florida’s Tallahassee Classical School, was one of those teachers who simply enjoyed teaching. As the principal, Carrasquilla was required to teach two classes. During her sixth grade lesson about Renaissance art, which is also a requirement of the school, Carrasquilla showed a picture of Michelangelo’s “David” statue.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, three parents complained about their children being shown the picture. Two of those parents were mostly upset that there wasn’t sufficient notice given before the photo of the sculpture was shown. The third parent reportedly complained that the statue of the Biblical figure was pornographic.

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Michelangelo’s sculpture wasn’t the only source of the complaint. It was essentially the entire lesson, which also included “The Creation of Adam,” another Michelangelo piece, and Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” These are classic works of art that are easily recognizable by just about any layman, even if they can’t name the artist.

Carrasquilla admitted that there was a bit of a kerfuffle with notifying parents of the lesson, which is a new policy implemented just two months ago. The policy requires that parents receive written notification two weeks prior to teaching potentially controversial content, according to The Independent.

Shortly after her lesson, Carrasquilla was called into an emergency school board meeting where she was forced to choose between resignation or being fired. She chose to resign, leaving the school less than a year after starting her tenure there.

While three parents were upset over the lesson, others were blindsided by the termination of the school principal. Carrie Boyd, who has a third and a seventh-grader at the school, told the Tallahassee Democrat that the principal’s abrupt resignation was shocking to her and other parents. Boyd also voiced concerns over the “non-secular” direction the school appeared to be taking.

Tallahassee Classical School is a private charter school that has only been open for three years and is affiliated with Hillsdale College, a private conservative college located in Michigan, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Barney Bishop, the school board chair, told HuffPost, “Parental rights trump everything else.”

But it seems Carrasquilla is gaining support across the internet. Comments range from frustration to people comparing it to a “Simpson’s” episode about censorship that remarkably also depicted the statue of “David.”

“Heavens to Betsy, a body part depicted in one of the most famous pieces of art in all of history! What next?!?,” David Weiss wrote.

Another commenter pointed out that the statue is in Animal Crossing, which is a video game that children play.

The greatest confusion seemed to stem from classical artwork being considered controversial enough to require parental notification when the school markets itself as a “classical school” and Renaissance art is a requirement. Renaissance art isn’t exactly known for its elaborate depiction of clothing; it’s quite the opposite.

Surely, the ousted principal will find other employment, but for now, she and the rest of the internet are left feeling a bit flabbergasted by the seemingly drastic response to classical works of art.

One of the oldest frauds in the book is the “your loved one is in trouble” scam. Scammers call posing as a grandchild or loved one in distress who claims they’ve been kidnapped or are in jail. The scammer may also impersonate a nurse, police officer, lawyer or other authority figure representing the loved one.

The scammer claims that the loved one needs money wired to the fraudster immediately to bring them to safety.

The scam is effective because the victim is under pressure to get them money quickly, so they don’t have time to consider the fact that it may be a scam. All the while, they imagine the torment the loved one is going through. The urgency of the scam makes it much more likely that the victim will hand over the money.

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The FTC is warning people that scammers have given this scam a new technological twist by faking the voice of the loved one by using voice cloning powered by artificial intelligence.

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— (@)

“Artificial intelligence is no longer a far-fetched idea out of a sci-fi movie,” the FTCs warning reads. “We’re living with it, here and now. A scammer could use AI to clone the voice of your loved one. All he needs is a short audio clip of your family member’s voice—which he could get from content posted online—and a voice-cloning program. When the scammer calls you, he’ll sound just like your loved one.”

All fraudsters need to clone someone’s voice realistically is a 30-second clip of audio that they can easily rip from Facebook, TikTok, podcasts, commercials or Instagram. The voice-generating software synthesizes what makes a person’s voice sound unique and then finds similar voices by searching vast databases. This allows them to replicate someone’s voice in real-time to create a phone call that sounds authentic.

It’s terribly difficult to detect the scam because voice-cloning software has become increasingly accurate. As AI technology improves, avoiding being fooled by the scam will become harder.

“It’s terrifying,” Hany Farid, a professor of digital forensics at University of California, Berkeley, told The Washington Post. “It’s sort of the perfect storm … [with] all the ingredients you need to create chaos.”

FTC officials say that in 2022 Americans lost $8.8 billion to fraud, with imposter scams being the most common, and there’s usually no way to get the money back. Scammers usually demand payment through cryptocurrency, money wires, or gift cards, so tracing it is impossible.

The FTC wants people to think twice if they receive a phone call from a loved one in distress or someone claiming to be their representative, especially if they ask for money.

“Don’t trust the voice,” the FTC warning reads. “Call the person who supposedly contacted you and verify the story. Use a phone number you know is theirs. If you can’t reach your loved one, try to get in touch with them through another family member or their friends.”

If you are targeted by one of these voice clone scams, report it to the FTC immediately. You could prevent the next person from being scammed.

Joseph Foreman, better known to music fans as rapper Afroman, had his Ohio home raided by Adams County Sheriff’s deputies last August. The deputies were acting on a warrant claiming probable cause that drugs, drug paraphernalia, and evidence of drug trafficking and kidnapping would be found on his property.

Afroman wasn’t home at the time of the raid, but his wife captured footage of it on her phone.

The deputies found nothing, confiscated over $5,000 worth of Afroman’s hard-earned money, bashed in his front door, broke his front gate and destroyed his home security camera system. No charges were filed after the raid. The money was later returned to the “Because I Got High” rapper.

“They come up here with AR-15, traumatize my kids, destroyed my property, kick in my door, rip up and destroy my camera system,” he said in August, according to Fox 19.

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Afroman got hilarious revenge on the sheriff’s deputies by turning the security camera footage into music videos for two new songs, “Will You Help Me Repair My Door” and “Lemon Pound Cake.” The videos have nearly 4 million views on YouTube combined.

“Will You Help Me Repair My Door” tells the story of the raid using security footage.

“Lemon Pound Cake” is a song about the officer who eyed the delicious confection in Afroman’s kitchen with his pistol drawn.

Afroman also created merchandise featuring images of the deputies involved in the raid.

The deputies have now filed a lawsuit against Afroman, claiming that he used their personas for commercial purposes without permission. The deputies claim the attention caused them to suffer “embarrassment, ridicule, emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of reputation.”

The complaint adds that Afroman “created dozens of videos and images of Plaintiffs’ personas and posted them on various social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Snap Chat, TikTok and Instagram.”

The deputies believe they are entitled to all the profits from using their personas, including concert ticket sales, music videos, and all products associated with the Afroman brand, including beer, marijuana and clothing.

So Afroman got his house trashed, his kids traumatized, and his money taken, and now the officers involved want to sue him for appearing in the video recorded on his property? The rapper believes that the deputies’ activities were criminal.

“The warrant put the Adams county sheriff in a position to attempt to kill me,” he wrote on Instagram. “After the Adams County Sheriff. Burglarized vandalized and destroyed my property. They became thieves and stole my money. After they stole my money they became criminals. After they became criminals they lost their right of privacy. My house is my property, my video camera films, everything on my property as they begin, stealing my money, disconnecting plus destroying my video camera system, they became my property!”

Afroman’s attorney has released a statement claiming he will countersue.

The attorney statement shared by Afroman shared on Instagram says that they are waiting on public records requests from Adams County. “We are planning to counter-sue for the unlawful raid, money being stolen, and for the undeniable damage this had on my client’s family, career and property,” it adds.

Afroman is right to feel that he’s the victim in this story. He was wrongly accused of multiple crimes and took retribution by making a video of the raid, which was conducted by public officials. In Ohio, it is legal to film police interactions, and it’s an important right that holds law enforcement accountable.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B and Afrobeats column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Victoria Monet and Lucky Daye ducked off for a sexy excursion on their new track “Smoke” and Chlöe puts an unreliable man in their place with “Body Do” while also sharing her In Pieces tracklist. FLO touched the sky with Missy Elliott on their new collaboration “Fly Girl” and Daniel Caesar shared the tracklist for Never Enough and announced the Almost Enough: The Intimate Sessions Tour. Elsewhere, SZA concluded her SOS Tour with an LA show that saw appearances from Adele and Justin & Hailey Bieber, Bryson Tiller announced the Back And I’m Better Tour, and Davido announced his new album Timeless.

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

6lack — Since I Have A Lover

It’s been four and a half years since 6lack graced us with his masterful second album East Atlanta Love Letter. While he gave us his 6pc Hot EP in 2020, fans have truly craved a new album in the time since. Finally, 6lack fulfilled their requests with his third album Since I Have A Lover. It presents 19 songs, features from Don Toliver, Quin, and a surprise one from Wale, as well as new and improved 6lack thanks to a solid love.

Phabo — “Scorpio Moon”

Phabo has plenty in store for fans this year, but for his next move, he takes a trip to the past. Six months after debuting the song on A COLORS Show, Phabo returns with the official version of “Scorpio Moon.” The silky smooth song reflects on a past relationship while showcasing one’s hope for the love to be re-established.

Destin Conrad — “Switch”

There’s no stopping Destin Conrad. Just a few months ago, he released his luscious Satin EP and now he’s back with a record for the summer. “Switch” arrives with a bounce perfect for dancing under both the daytime sun and the nighttime lights. It’s infectious and addictive, just like Conrad’s music as of late.

Rimon — “I Choose U” Feat. RINI

Ethiopian-born, Amsterdam-raised singer Rimon has enjoyed plenty of success recently, from touring with Giveon to landing a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She looks to continue it with her lush new single “I Choose U” alongside RINI. The song’s accompanying video captures the pair on the streets of New York blissfully in love.

Nonso Amadi — “Lock Up” Feat. Zinoleesky

In a couple of months, Def Jam signee Nonso Amadi will release his debut album When It Blooms. Amadi says the upcoming project “embodies my creative and personal growth, reflecting on my journey up until this point,” adding that it’s “best represented in the growth from seeds to a flower, uncoiling naturally for you.” His latest single “Lock Up” with rising afrobeats star Zinoleesky is a perfect example of that.

Victony — “Soweto (Remix)” Feat. Don Toliver, Rema & Tempoe

The latest afrobeats record to get a boost thanks to social media is Victony’s “Soweto.” The afrobeats singer originally released the song as a part of his Outlaw EP back in 2022, but after it went viral on TikTok, Victony used the opportunity to give the song a new boost with a remix featuring Don Toliver and Rema.

Omarion — “Big Vibez”

It’s been a little over a year since Omarion last released a single, but the singer is back with “Big Vibez.” The bass-heavy record is one Omarion uses to share his thoughts and feelings about an unexpected spark with a new woman.

Lavi$h — “We Make Sense”

Ahead of his upcoming debut EP, You Made A Big Mistake, singer Lavi$h returns with “We Make Sense.” The somber record captures Lavi$h as he watches an old love move on from their past relationship. Despite feeling down and out, Lavi$h promises to fight for their love so that they don’t miss any more moments together.

Yaya Bey — Exodus The North Star

Almost three years removed from her last project, singer Yaya Bey returns with her new EP Exodus The North Star. It checks in six songs and a long feature from Exaktly for a project that she says is an ode to the ways in which she sees joy and love in the world.

TeaMarrr — “PutItInACoffin”

Following last month’s “Stunt Double,” TeaMarr returns with their tough-talking and punk rock-leaning “PutItInACoffin.” She looks back at a now-extinct relationship and questions how they can be so happy despite their equal share of mistakes during it. Nonetheless, all she can do is move on.

Nia Sultana — “Some Feelings Never Go Away”

Brooklyn singer-songwriter Nia Sultana touches down with a sizzling new single, “Some Feelings Never Go Away.” The song targets an ex and takes them down with a well-blended mix of grace, sass, and sultriness. While the song’s contents are entertaining, her velvety vocals on the bass-heavy track make it an ear-pleasing affair too.

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

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Hit-Boy, Danny Brown, Jpegmafia, and more.

What a week. In addition to new releases from Baby Tate, Coi Leray, EST Gee, Freddie Gibbs, IDK, and Lola Brooke, we also got to see Quavo (sort of) cover “Get Low,” Logic show off his dad bob to a cover of “Weed Song,” and Big Sean spit to his first Alchemist beat ever.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending March 24, 2023.

Albums / EPs / Mixtapes

03 Greedo — Halfway There

Fresh out of prison and consigned to a halfway house until September, Greedo still finds a way to keep up his superhuman level of productivity. Although he warned fans “I’m not inna rush to talk after damn near 5 years,” it’s clear he’s got a lot to say after five years away, resulting in 33 new tracks that he’s been cheerfully explaining for fans on Twitter.

Hit-Boy — Surf Or Drown

Hit-Boy might be primarily known as a producer, but he’s always been more than capable of holding his own on the mic. Taking a break from his ridiculously productive King’s Disease recording sessions with Nas, the California beatmaker steps in front of the board for a 21-track (!) project featuring guest spots from Nas, Big Sean, Dom Kennedy, and Jay 305.

Hunxho — 22

Atlanta rapper Hunxho follows up his 2022 album Xhosen with a new project full of personal meaning. “22 is a big part of me,” he told HipHopDX. ““I named it 22 because I’m talking about everything we was going through on the block… They’re going to remember 22.”

Jasiah — 3

Second-gen thrash rapper Jasiah had a lot to prove coming into his new project. In 2021, he captivated fans with the viral single “Art of War” featuring fellow part-time punk rappers Denzel Curry and Rico Nasty. In the year since, the Dayton native grown in repute, adding collabs with the likes of Travis Barker and Jeleel. 3 could be his breakout moment.

Jpegmafia & Danny Brown — Scaring The Hoes

Rambunctious rap rebels team up for an exhibition of slightly unhinged punchline-slinging, sample-smashing, avant-garde rap shenanigans. They might be “scaring the hoes,” in the parlance of skeptical rap fans who are a little too tempered to the usual club-friendly fare, but they are also certainly entertaining fans of left-field hip-hop.

Kota The Friend & Statik Selektah — To See A Sunset

Reprising their union on 2021’s To Kill A Sunrise, Brooklyn indie rap stalwart Kota reunites with Boston producer Statik and their chemistry remains as strong as ever.

Quando Rondo — Recovery

Georgia boy Quando Rondo has earned a loyal and vociferous following in his home state through a steady diet of woozy, stone-cold street bangers. Recovery marks his second full-length studio album, with 20 tracks of his signature soulful but wounded reflections on the trials and tribulations of life at the bottom.

Rucci & Bankroll Got It — Notorious

Inglewood’s own Rucci has already established himself as one of the more compelling voices of the young West Coast scene. Bankroll Got It provides him with some of the most fitting production of his career, allowing him to perfectly embody the evolution of the G-Funk sound that once defined the region’s contributions to rap canon.

Singles / Videos

Atmosphere — “Bigger Pictures”

Underground hip-hop mainstays Atmosphere returned this year with the announcement of a new album titled So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously due in May. If that title sounds a little Everything Everywhere All At Once, that’s no accident; neither is Slug’s intention to convey similar uplifting messages to the film, saying, “I wrote this while wanting to remind my loved ones and myself that regardless of the external conflicts happening around us, we are here for each other.”

BIA — “I’m That Bitch” Feat. Timbaland

Missy Elliott’s influence continues to permeate the fabric of rap. With drill music reaching into the genre’s rich history for inspiration (and samples), it makes perfect sense that it would settle on one of the most innovative voices the culture has ever known. Even the video looks like something Missy and Hype would have come up with 20 years ago — and it still looks like the future.

Kali — “Area Codes”

Atlanta rising star puts her own spin on a concept from one of her hometown’s most recognizable voices. Switching up the G-Funk of Luda’s original, Kali’s version opts for a bass drum and snap combo that subtly bridges the gap between them and stands as its own thing.

Lloyd Banks — “101 Razors” Feat. Method Man

Method Man has become something of an ageless wonder whose pen only gets sharper as he gets older. Of course, he’s constantly testing it against characters like Lloyd Banks, who has garnered praise for his barwork through his 20-year career, so it makes sense.

NLE Choppa — “Ain’t Gonna Answer” Feat. Lil Wayne

It’s hard to dislike Choppa. The kid’s charm doesn’t exactly excuse his goofiness but it certainly makes it more palatable. When he sticks to fun, club-centric fare like this, he’s genuinely enjoyable. That he incorporates a verse from Lil Weezyana himself on a Cash Money Records/Mannie Fresh-inspired booty shaker like this makes me root for him all the more.

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

“Death and destruction.” That’s what Donald Trump believes will befall America if Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg does indeed indict the former president for activities surrounding his hush money payment to former adult star Stormy Daniels.

While most of America was sleeping soundly in their beds, as Raw Story reports, Trump was sounding off like a chicken running from a razor-wielding farmer about his pending legal troubles, and making what sounded to many people — including the hosts of Morning Joe — like thinly (and poorly) veiled threats against the DA. In addition to posting a truly unhinged photo of himself holding a baseball bat to a photo of Bragg, Trump spit out an alphabet soup of typos, which seemed to be a call to arms for his diehard supporters:

“What kind of person can charge another person, in this case a former President of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting President in history, and leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country? Why & who would do such a thing? Only a degenerate psychopath that truely hates the USA!”

Early Friday morning, the folks of Morning Joe dissected Trump’s messages and determined that he is off his rocker. “I think that he is very nervous,” said Al Sharpton, who has rubbed elbows with Trump for decades in New York City. “We are looking at a man that is becoming unhinged…. He is hearing footsteps and they’re getting closer.”

Joe Scarborough was much less diplomatic in his assessment, saying:

“The guy is shaking in his boots. Now, of course, he’s threatening the lives of other people… But you read these tweets — or whatever you call it on that failing platform — and this is a guy who, you’re right, he’s out of his mind scared. He is melting down. Now he is threatening riots that will lead to death and destruction if he is charged with a misdemeanor.”

As of Friday, The New York Times reports that the grand jury is not expected to resume discussions about Trump’s case until at least Monday. Which should give the former — and wannabe future — president several days to post more disturbing rants.

(Via Raw Story)