Category: Worldwide

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. With Black Friday next week, you’d think that the sneaker brands would hold their best releases in reserve for the biggest shopping day of the year, but it’s quite the opposite. Black Friday isn’t for sneakerheads, it’s for the general public, meaning you’re going to get sales on a lot of tried and true classics.

The weird niche releases that only appeal to the most die-hard sneaker fans? They’re dropping this week.

Nike, to the surprise of no one, is dominating this week, snagging seven of our eight sneaker picks this week. On the slate this week is the LeBron 22 Token, a grip of collaborations between Nike and NYC retailer Awake NY, and the return of the Jordan 3 Black Cement. And we’re just scratching the surface!

Let’s dive into the best sneaker drops of the week.

Nike LeBron XXII Token

Price: $200

For LeBron’s latest, the GOAT teamed up with Monopoly, yes, the board game, for a sneaker that oozes royal vibes. The sneaker features laser etchings over a royal blue base, gold embroidery, metallic accents, reflective details, and subtle Monopoly branding.

The best part of this collaboration? At a passing glance, you’d never know Monopoly has anything to do with it. No graphics of Mr. Moneybags, no “Pass Go,” icons, just a great design with subtle branding. We never thought we’d say this about a sneaker board game collaboration but we’ll go ahead and say it: this is one of the best LeBron drops of the year.

The Nike LeBron XXII Toke is out now for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Zoom KD 4 Metallic Copper

Price: $130

A KD that has you looking like C-3PO? Sign us up! This Metallic Copper colorway of the KD 4 first dropped 13 years ago on Christmas Day, instantly becoming one of the greatest colorways the shoe has ever seen.

The sneaker features a lightweight synthetic leather upper with textile details, strap fastening, and Air Zoom cushioning, with a copper and black colorway. 13 years later, it still looks great!

The Nike Zoom KD 4 Metallic Copper is out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Awake NY x Jordan Air Ship Game Royal

Price: $150

The Air Ship (essentially the Jordan 1 prototype) has dominated 2024, and in what seems like a victory lap for the revitalized silhouette, Nike has teamed up with NYC retailer Awake NY for a Game Royal take on the sneaker.

The Game Royal features a leather upper in sail with royal blue snakeskin accents and a platinum swoosh. Rounding out the design is some co-branding at the tongue and Awake NY’s logo etched into the mudguard.

The Awake NY x Jordan Air Ship Game Royal is out now for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Antihero x Nike SB Funk High Wolf Grey

Price: $145

This week, Nike is dropping a couple of collaborations with beloved skatewear brand Antihero. First up, we’ve got the Wolf Grey SB Dunk. The sneaker features a mixed suede and tumbled leather upper, an exposed foam liner, and an Antihero branded tongue tag.

The colorway combines several different shades of white and off-white contrasted nicely with a black outsole.

The Nike SB Funk High x Antihero Wolf Grey is set to drop on November 21st at 7:00 AM for a retail price of $145. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Antihero x Nike SB Zoom Blazer Mid Rough Green and Amarillo

Price: $110
If you’re not digging the minimal vibes of the SB Dunk, Antihero is also offering a color-rich take on the Blazer Mid. Featuring a forest green suede upper with dashes of a warm yellow at the Swoosh and eyelets, and a chocolatey outsole, this Zoom Blazer Mid is a showcase for the power of a simple three-color design.

The Antihero x Nike SB Zoom Blazer Mid Rought Green and Amarillo is set to drop on November 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

New Balance Made in USA 998 NB Navy/Incense

Price: $209.99 (Navy/Incense)

The latest from New Balance’s Seasonal Collection sees the 998 receiving two colorways from the brand’s premium Made in USA studio. Both sneakers feature a mixed hairy suede, mesh, and regular suede upper over an ABZROB midsole.

The two colorways feature two distinctly different vibes, with the Navy offering something with cool blue tones and the Incense bringing in the warmth with earthy tones. Both sneakers look great!

The New Balance Made in USA 998 NB Navy/Incense is set to drop on November 21st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $209.99. Pick up a pair via New Balance.

Nike Air Max TL 2.5 Black and Metallic Silver

Price: $180

Nike is turning the clock back to the late ‘90s with the return of the Air Max TL 2.5. The sneaker features a black colorway with metallic silver accents, a mix of textile and synthetic leather for the upper, and reflective details throughout.

The Nike Air Max TL 2.5 Black and Metallic Silver is set to drop on November 22nd at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Air Jordan 3 Black Cement

Price: $220

The original Jordan 3 colorway returns this week. This sneaker was designed to feel, fit, and look just like the ’88 Black Cement Jordan 3 and features a smooth leather upper, elephant print overlays, and that iconic combination of red, grey, and black.

Owning this pair of sneakers isn’t just a great addition to your collection, it’s like owning a piece of sneaker history.

The Nike Air Jordan 3 Black Cement is set to drop on November 23rd at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $220. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Just days after being announced as an opener on Denzel Curry’s Mischievous South tour, Atlanta grunge-rap upstart Kenny Mason has released a new mixtape, Angel Eyes, along with a video for its song, “Intuition.”

The black-and-white video takes clear inspiration from Heath Ledger’s Joker in the 2008 Batman movie The Dark Knight, as Kenny hangs out the window of a speeding car on a late-night drive, rapping the eerie song’s introspective lyrics.

Angel Eyes is Mason’s second full-length project of 2024; he released 9 in March, touring on the new project throughout the spring on his Route 9 tour.

You can watch the “Intuition” video above.

Angel Eyes is out now via RCA. You can find more info here.

Kenny Mason 2025 Tour Dates: Mischievous South

02/21/2025 — Brisbane, AUS @ The Tivoli
02/22/2025 — Sydney, AUS @ The Hordern Pavilion
02/27/2025 — Auckland, NZ @ Shed 10
03/01/2025 — Wollongong, AUS @ Yours & Owls
03/02/2025 — Melbourne, AUS @ Palace Foreshore
03/04/2025 — Perth, AUS @ Metro City
03/31/2025 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
04/01/2025 — Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
04/03/2025 — Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
04/04/2025 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Haller Creek
04/05/2025 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory Deep Ellum
04/08/2025 — Tampa, FL @ Jannus Live
04/10/2025 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
04/11/2025 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
04/12/2025 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle
04/14/2025 — Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Springs
04/16/2025 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
04/17/2025 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
04/18/2025 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
04/20/2025 — Toronto, ON @ History
04/21/2025 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage Ae
04/22/2025 — Columbus, OH @ Kemba Live!
04/24/2025 — Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
04/25/2025 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
04/26/2025 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fillmore Minneapolis
04/28/2025 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
04/30/2025 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
05/02/2025 — Seattle, HA @ Showbox Sodo
05/03/2025 — Vancouver, BC @ Pne Forum
05/04/2025 — Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
05/06/2025 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
05/09/2025 — Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall
06/03/2025 — Amsterdam, NL @ Melkheg Max
06/05/2025 — Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/09/2025 — Prague, CZ @ Roxy
06/10/2025 — Munich, DE @ Theaterfabrik
06/11/2025 — Berlin, DE @ Huxleys
06/13/2025 — Porto, PT @ Nos Primavera Sound
06/18/2025 — London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
06/20/2025 — Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow
06/23/2025 — Dublin, IE @ National Stadium
07/01/2025 — Frankfurt, DE @ 200M
07/02/2025 — Cologne, DE @ Carlswerk Victoria
07/03/2025 — Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
07/07/2025 — Vilnius, LI @ Lukiskes Prison 2.0
07/09/2025 — Hamburg, DE @ Grosse Freiheit

Uproxx’s Fresh Pair is back with a new season, a new studio, and the same unique insight into the world of hip-hop and sneakers provided by hosts Just Blaze and Katty Customs. This week, they present New Orleans legend Juvenile with a pair of custom Reeboks he prices at $70,000 while reminiscing on the dominance of Cash Money Records in the ’99 and the 2000 — including how big of a hit “Back That Azz Up” has become on the wedding DJ circuit.

After revealing the kicks, Juvie details his experiences with Cash Money building New Orleans’ rap scene almost from scratch, recalls the importance of Soulja Slim to both that scene and Juvie’s own career (he did write “Slow Motion,” after all), and reveals his favorite Cash Money records. Just, Katty, and Juvenile also highlight the creative mayhem and impact of the label’s album cover art, which was notoriously meticulously (and sometimes ridiculously) crafted by in-house designers Pen And Pixel.

Juvenile ranks his albums toward the end of the discussion, after sharing his thoughts on the viral popularity of his NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert. Finally, he shares his advice to creatives, which you don’t want to miss, even if you don’t think that includes you.

Check out the latest episode of Fresh Pair above.

Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez seem about as happy as they could possibly be dating each other. It turns out that the start of their dating life was a surprise to Blanco, even as it was happening.

On a recent stream (here’s a clip), Kai Cenat was chatting with Blanco and he asked him how he initially asked Gomez out. Blanco responded, “She asked me out! It was crazy, it was crazy. She literally asked me out. We were just talking and then she was like, ‘Oh, you want to get dinner?’”

He then told Cenat he wasn’t nervous because he and Gomez had been friends for years before that. He continued:

“We were just talking, and then she was like, “Oh, let’s go get dinner tomorrow,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to this thing with my friends. Why don’t you come hang out with me first, and then we’ll go link for dinner.’ So we just went and we got a drink first, and I didn’t even realize we were on a date! And she was like, ‘I would have worn something different to this date.’ I was like, ‘Wait, what? We’re on a date?’ I had no idea! No idea we were on the date!

She left early ’cause she had to go somewhere, she had to film a video the next day, and then we hung out two days later, and then I was like, ‘Yo, I think she likes me.’ And then I literally just kissed her, and then the rest is history.”

He then gleefully described what their lives look like now, saying, “Every day together. Every day together. Like, as many days as we can. Every day. Yeah, she’s my best friend. Actual best friend.”

In the past few years, Tems has become known as one of the foremost ambassadors of the African pop scene. In 2022, she became the first African artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; last year, she and several of her countrymen performed at the NBA All-Star Game; and this year, she released her debut album, Born In The Wild, and went on her first headlining tour to promote it.

Today, she dropped the video for album standout, “Turn Me Up,” which combines her R&B-flavored approach to African pop sounds with Caribbean flair, adding a little dancehall styling to the already heady brew. For the video, she went straight to the source, shooting in Jamaica with director Loris Russier, highlighting the natural beauty of the island and the grittiness of its urban additions. Throughout the video, Jamaican rudeboys mean mug the camera to let viewers know that while the island is a gorgeous place to live, you’ve still got to be tough to survive there.

2024 continued to be a banner year for Tems, as she was also nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best R&B Song (“Burning”), Best African Music Performance (“Love Me JeJe”), and Best Global Music Album (Born In The Wild). We’ll see how she fares at the 67th Grammy Awards next year.

You can watch Tems’ steamy “Turn Me Up” video above.

Born In The Wild is out now via via RCA Records/Since ’93. You can find more information here.

How did Jason Bradley DeFord get the name he uses professionally, Jelly Roll? “My mother named me that whenever I was a little chubby kid,” the “I Am Not Okay” singer once explained on The Bobby Bones Show. “Been fat my whole life. I spent the next 30 years trying to grow into the name, I think I’ve done it. I obviously look the part.”

That’s beginning to change, however.

Jelly Roll has lost over 100 pounds this year alone, including 60 to 70 pounds since his Beautifully Broken Tour kicked off in August. “The battle was with the food addiction, changing the way I’ve looked at food for the last 39 years,” he shared to People. “I’ve never had a healthy relationship with food, so that was the hard part. But once you get into that discipline and commitment, it’s like an avalanche. Once that little snowball started rolling, it was on its way.”

He continued, “It’s cool because there was once a time in life that the culture I built on tour was the opposite. It revolved around alcohol and drugs. And now our tour culture is around good eating and around exercising and doing emotional check-ins with our crew every day… I hope I continue to lose this weight.”

Next year, Jelly Roll is hitting the road with Post Malone on The Big Ass Stadium Tour. You can see the dates here.

Top Dawg is for the kids. For the past 12ish years (give or take a pandemic shutdown), TDE, the South Los Angeles-based label that homes music from rap stars like Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q, R&B queen SZA, and breakout artist of 2024, Doechii, has held a holiday concert at the Nickerson Gardens housing project in Watts for the community. Top Dawg has announced the date for this year’s iteration (December 12), which will feature the above-mentioned artists, along with fellow TDE signees Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, Kal Banx, Ray Vaughn, SiR, and Ray Vaughn, as well as surprise guests.

In the past, that latter category has included stars like A$AP Ferg, Big Sean, Rihanna, and Travis Scott, as well as former TDE golden boy Kendrick Lamar. The best part about the concert isn’t that it’s basically free, though; it’s that the price of admission is an unwrapped toy, which will be distributed in Nickerson Gardens (where Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith grew up) the next day. So, if you want to see a great concert, all you have to do is something nice for the community! It’s a good deal!

In addition to the performances, the event also usually includes food trucks and other activities, while the next day will be Community Giveback day, with barbering services, family holiday photos, raffles, sports activities, and of course, the toy giveaway. There’s also a job fair with onsite employment opportunities. Top Dawg is for everybody.

You can find more information about the 11th annual TDE Christmas Concert + Toy Drive below.

Earlier this month, Tyla released a video for “Push 2 Start,” a new song from her deluxe edition of Tyla. Now she’s back with more new music, as today (November 20), she shared “Tears.”

On the track, Tyla wants to take on a loved one’s burden as she sings on the chorus, “Give all your tears to me / Give all your tears to me / If you try and you try and nothing works / Baby, you don’t have to hurt / Give all your tears to me / And I’ll cry them for you.”

Tyla released the song in collaboration with Coke Studio. She’s also set to perform the track live for the first time in a hometown concert (in collaboration with Coke Studio and Spotify) in Johannesburg, South Africa on December 4.

Meanwhile, after starting her 2024 by canceling tour dates, the year went on an upward trajectory for Tyla. She shared a video for her Travis Scott-featuring remix of “Water,” she collaborated with Becky G on “On My Body,” she unveiled her self-titled debut album and followed it with a deluxe edition in September, she connected with Spinall and Omah Lay on “One Call,” and she performed at the 2024 BET Awards.

Listen to “Tears” above.

Netflix does holiday season with no subtlety. You know they’re embracing that reputation when Sabrina Carpenter’s going to coyly drop her brand of innuendo underneath the tree a few hours before “Santa” begins to make his rounds. Likewise, a holiday-set spy series starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw will inspire a binge session that won’t last nearly long enough, which speaks to the enjoyability of the Black Doves worldbuilding. More Queer Eye, Squid Game, and Virgin River are also on tap, and Jamie Foxx will climb onstage to reveal more about his health scare earlier this year.

Here’s everything coming to Netflix in December:

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix special 12/6)

Starting at 9:00pm EST and 6:00pm PST, Sabrina Carpenter will top off her chart-topping year with a variety-sketch special full of seemingly random guests, although there’s been no confirmation (yet) of an appearance from beau Barry Keoghan. In keeping with her usual cheeky sense of humor, there shall be plenty of innuendo like a mysterious vibrating box under the tree. As she’s already warned the audience, “Christmas is coming early this year. I wouldn’t count on a silent night.” Listen to her.

Black Doves (Netflix series 12/5)

Keira Knightley joins the spy-series circuit in this lushly rendered series that follows her quest for vengeance after her lover is murdered. Sure, this sounds boilerplate, but the script reveals otherwise, and Keira’s plentiful action scenes were surely far more enjoyable to film than wearing corsets in her plentiful period-drama run. Voice of Paddington Ben Whishaw also more than holds his own, and it’s worth the price of admission to hear him (platonically) utter, “Darling.” Netflix has already renewed this thriller for a second season, thank goodness. Sometimes we can have nice things?

Squid Game: Season 2 (Netflix series 12/26)

Do I really need to explain the premise of this series? You’ve watched it, and you know how brutal this series is while satirizing the real-life circumstances of a several current generations. The question is whether the followup season can keep the phenomenon alive as Gi-hun resurfaces with a new agenda. Let the games re-begin.

Maria (Netflix film 12/11)

Angelina Jolie embodies Maria Callas in this awards-circuit offering that follows her Parisian retreat in her final days. The trailer (and reviews) do suggest parallels between Jolie’s more recent experiences with fame and how Callas persisted though a similar microscope to inspire operatic greatness for generations of singers who followed.

Avail. 12/1
Bunk’d: Season 7
Burlesque
Daddy Day Care
The Happytime Murders
Little
Midway
Project X
We’re the Millers
Zero Dark Thirty

Avail. 12/2
30 for 30: Bad Boys
30 for 30: Celtics/Lakers: The Best of Enemies
30 for 30: Sole Man
30 for 30: This Magic Moment
30 for 30: This Was the XFL
30 for 30: Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks

Avail. 12/3
Fortune Feimster: Crushing It

Avail. 12/4
The Children’s Train
Churchill at War
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Tomorrow and I
That Christmas
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On: Season 3

Avail. 12/5
BEASTARS: Final Season: Part 1
Black Doves
Compliance
Jentry Chau vs the Underworld
Subservience
Top Chef: Boston
Top Chef: Kentucky
Top Chef: Seattle

Avail. 12/6
A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter
Biggest Heist Ever
Camp Crasher
Echoes of the Past
Mary

Avail. 12/9
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 7
Rubble and Crew: Season 1

Avail. 12/10
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…
Polo
Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die

Avail. 12/11
The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga
Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World
Maria
One Hundred Years of Solitude: Part 1
Queer Eye: Season 9

Avail. 12/12
La Palma
No Good Deed

Avail. 12/13
1992
Carry-On
Disaster Holiday

Avail. 12/16
The Dead Don’t Die
The Equalizer: Seasons 1-3

Avail. 12/17
Aaron Rodgers: Enigma
Ronny Chieng: Love To Hate It

Avail. 12/18
Julia’s Stepping Stone
The Manny: Season 2

Avail. 12/19
The Dragon Prince: Season 7
Project Runway: Seasons 18-19
Virgin River: Season 6

Avail. 12/20
Ferry 2
The Six Triple Eight
During World War II
Umjolo: Day Ones
UniverXO Dabiz

Avail. 12/21
Flipping Out: Seasons 6-8

Avail. 12/24
Your Friend Nate Bargatze

Avail. 12/25
NFL on Christmas: Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
NFL on Christmas: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Avail. 12/26
Squid Game: Season 2

Avail. 12/28
Maestro in Blue: Season 3

Avail. 12/30
Mad Max: Fury Road

Avail. 12/31
Avicii – I’m Tim
Avicii – My Last Show
Evil: Season 3
Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall
The Millionaire Matchmaker: Seasons 5-7

And it’s your last chance to stream these titles:

Leaving 12/1
Ali
Battle Kitty: Season 1
Blood and Bone
The Boss Baby: Get That Baby!
Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile
Captain Underpants Epic Choice-o-Rama
Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal
Cat Burglar
Choose Love
The Devil’s Own
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Doing Hard Time
Escape The Undertaker
Frances Ha
Glengarry Glen Ross
Headspace: Unwind Your Mind
Hunter Killer
It Chapter Two
Johnny Test’s Ultimate Meatloaf Quest
The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You
The Little Things
National Security
Point Break
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure
Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout
To Leslie
Trivia Quest: Season 1
Triviaverse
Troy
We Lost Our Human
What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Leaving 12/2
White Girl

Leaving 12/3
The Commuter

Leaving 12/6
Reminiscence

Leaving 12/7
Trolls
Voltron: Legendary Defender: Seasons 1-8

Leaving 12/16
Darkest Hour
Mortal Kombat

Leaving 12/20
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Leaving 12/25
The Flash

Leaving 12/31
Royal Pains: Seasons 1-8

Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival is already one of the best festivals in the world. So, for the festival’s tenth anniversary, how could the rebellious Los Angeles native possibly improve what is as close to perfection as it gets? The only way he knows how: By focusing on the fans to give them the experience he would want for himself. While that includes top-down conceptualizing like the always-excellent curation of the festival’s lineup of artists Tyler actually enjoys, it also means ensuring that everything from the facilities to the food stands out, meeting the best-in-class standard Flog Gnaw has set for the past ten years — and will hopefully continue to do so for many more. Here are five takeaways from the tenth Flog Gnaw.

Getting To The Festival Is A Breeze

Tyler rarely puts out environmental messages or talks about civic duty — that would be at odds with his image as a devil-may-care, mischievous menace — but his priorities are plain from the moves he makes in support of the Flog Gnaw festivities. This year, the festival partnered with LA’s local public transit network to provide a free shuttle from the city’s historical Union Station to the festival grounds at Dodger Stadium, where the fest returned for the fourth year. While Metro itself sort of dropped the ball with this due to some needed improvements on one of the rail lines (specifically, the one I use to get to Union Station), necessitating an additional transfer, the shuttle service somehow managed to corral those hundreds of exuberant 20-somethings (and one grumpy 40-year-old) and keep things moving along fairly efficiently. There aren’t too many other local festivals as ideally situated, but I would love to see more of them duplicate similar services.

Dodger Stadium Is The Perfect Venue

In the four years since the festival moved to Dodger Stadium from Exposition Park, gradual improvements to its layout and grounds have made it the ideal venue for such an event. Last year, someone figured out that sticking all three stages in the north parking lots offered the best version of the layout, and this year, that stuck, with the Camp Stage situated in the center of the event space, flanked by the Flog stage to the west and Gnaw to the east. There’s still plenty of space to move around, and the landscape is dotted with even more rides and games, giving the festival a true carnival feel. While in line for the shuttle, I overheard nearby attendees discussing whether VIP passes were worth it, ultimately coming to the conclusion that there’s plenty of bang for your buck thanks to the VIP-exclusive rides, which had shorter lines — although only two stages have dedicated VIP sections (Gnaw is situated in such a way that it really wouldn’t make sense to add one there).

Themed Pop-Up Restaurants Even Make Eating Fun

While browsing social media posts about the festival, I saw quite a few posts responding to the MF DOOM’s MM..FOOD Diner menu with skepticism and derision. I assume most of these posts were just from commenters salty they weren’t at the fest and didn’t get to try the food for themselves. Consisting of items named after tracks from DOOM’s 2004 concept album, the menu was similar in price to the other concessions around it, and each item offered enough food to feed two people. My partner and I ordered the Rap Snitch Kniches, which turned out to be chicken and waffles with a twist — the chicken was INSIDE the waffle. This is momentous stuff. This needs to be a real restaurant, stat. Another artist-themed offering was Pusha T’s Grindin coffee, which cleverly tied into the artist’s persona in a similar way.

Meanwhile, even with the usual assortment of festival foods, we never waited in line for anything for longer than 10 or 20 minutes (the line for MM..FOOD was the longest, but the meal was in our hands almost as soon as we ordered it). The food booths are also ideally located to keep lines from overlapping any of the activations or stage crowds, so it was as close to a hassle-free experience as it gets. I would like to see more tables, but logistically, I understand potential safety hazards.

The Merch Is Enviable And Actually Looks Great

Flog Gnaw has always presented enviable merch options in comparison to a lot of other festivals. While it’s likely that not everybody in the fest’s target demographic can justify the cost of a $100 sweatshirt commemorating their attendance, the designs are undoubtedly among the coolest I’ve seen at the 20 or so fests I’ve covered in my time at Uproxx. My partner came away with one that cheekily reads “Save The Bees,” which doubles as both another ironic-but-sincere environmental message endorsed by Tyler and a reference to the cover of his 2017 breakout album Flower Boy. I still have yet to come away with a stuffed Tyler toy (there are all kinds of different ones, from his ski-masked Goblin alter ego to more recent album era-inspired looks), but perhaps next year will be my year. Meanwhile, even the general stores dotting the grounds had some unexpected treats; I haven’t seen another festival selling collapsible stools before, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they started showing up at more events in the future — and let me tell you, they are lifesavers no matter how old you are.

The Music Remains The Star Of The Show

The thing that makes Tyler so distinctive as an artist is that he’s such a huge fan of music, in general. Too often in hip-hop, there’s this cool-guy mindset: “I don’t really listen to music.” And I guess it’s an effort not to look cringe or like you’ve been inspired by someone else — you’re a one-of-one, completely original — which is why T not doing that is so dang cool (and kind of ironic, considering his seeming abhorrence of anything cringe or too sincere). He listens to everything; you can experience a sampling of his personal playlist by hanging around the Camp stage between sets. And he knows that just because you enjoy the jazz styling of André 3000’s latest album, doesn’t mean you won’t also get absolutely wrecked to Playboi Carti or Denzel Curry’s approach to thrash rap.

The same crowd that vibes out to Omar Apollo can get roasted by Vince Staples (do not, under any circumstances, forget that rap is Black music). Syd and Orion Sun can offer dreamy R&B, Raye can demonstrate her vocal virtuoso, Earl Sweatshirt can get deeply lyrical, and Mase can bring out the hits — some of which are older than half of Flog Gnaw’s attendees — and all of them can resonate with the diverse, eclectic crowd (some more than others, true). The weekend’s standouts, in addition to the above-mentioned names, were Doechii, who continued her campaign for rap’s upper echelons, and Sexyy Red, who made believers of even the most skeptical listeners, according to the results of my recap-related ear hustling. Oh, yeah, Tyler performed a bunch of his new songs from Chromakopia, and I can’t wait for that tour. “Sticky” is a hit.

Undoubtedly, the coolest part for me was seeing a full orchestra paying homage to the masked man who unexpectedly inspired so many of the artists who appeared on this bill, MF DOOM. There’s no way to describe it for those who weren’t there, but the vibes were immaculate — and elevated by an appearance from Erykah Badu, fresh off her main stage set, to reproduce the interpolation from his signature hit “Doomsday.” Also, yes, there was an actual accordion. For me, the set encapsulated the best thing about Camp Flog Gnaw: acknowledging the past, enjoying the present, and imagining a(n Odd) future where both can coexist and complement each other. That future is always on the way, thanks to Tyler The Creator.

Check out exclusive photos from Camp Flog Gnaw 2024 below.

Daniel Caesar

Denzel Curry

Doechii

Earl Sweatshirt

Erykah Badu

Faye Webster

Kaytranada

Kenny Mason

Laila!

Lithe

Mustard

Omar Apollo

Orion Sun

Raye

Sampha

Sexyy Red

Syd

The Marias

Wisp

Yves Tumor

Playboi Carti