Category: Worldwide

One of last year’s favorite tequilas on the awards circuit was the mysterious 818 Tequila from a company called K & Soda. Well, now we know where this much-lauded tequila comes from and who the “K” in K & Soda is. Kendall Jenner announced on her Instagram account yesterday that she’s been working for “almost 4 years … on a journey to create the best tasting tequila.”

The IG post is full of Jenner and friends testing tequilas while hanging out in Mexico alongside images of the brand’s look, a list of awards, and blurb citing the mysterious nature of the spirit from Uproxx’s Dane Rivera.

The tequila is from La Cofradia distillery in Jalisco, according to Tequila Matchmaker (a site that compiles where all tequila actually comes from). The distiller and warehouses make and age dozens and dozens of branded tequilas. It’s a pretty normal practice in tequila to do contract distilling and aging and then have a blender, or simply a distributor, come in with labels and marketing. It’s called “white labeling” and celebrities do it with weed, too.

This particular distillery is known for its brick ovens for roasting the agave pinas, a stone tahona for mashing the roasted agave hearts, several types of fermentation methods, and around nine types of barrels for aging. So the selection of a tequila from this distillery could result in endless permutations when it comes to flavor and texture.

Jenner joins a very long list of celebrities with their own tequila brands. George Clooney famously made a billion dollars on Casamigos (currently made at Diageo México Operaciones). Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is heading towards the exact same outcome with his Teremana Tequila shingle (made at the Productos Finos de Agave distillery). Even Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have got in on the action with Dos Hombres Mezcal (made by Gregorio Velasco Luis in Oaxaca).

That’s just scratching the surface. There’s a whole wide world of spirits brands created in tandem with celebrities and another subset of companies that have big-name celebrities as the face of their hooch.

Will Jenner score a billion-dollar payday as Clooney did? It’s likely, especially given her ravenous fanbase. Will she be the last celebrity to cash in on the current spirits boom? Hell no. Is there already a “cultural appropriation” backlash on Twitter? Yup.

Finally, will the tequila live up to the award’s circuit hype? Only time will tell.

In a moment rife with symbolism, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino was imploded Wednesday morning in Atlantic City just a few weeks after Donald Trump vacated the presidency following his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. While the two events are unrelated (the Plaza has been an eye sore that the city has been trying to get demolished for years), the timing couldn’t be more poignant. And like all things Trump, getting rid of him was an opportunity for improvement.

Case in point: no one was happier than Atlantic City mayor Marty Small, who was so excited about finally getting rid of the Trump building that he told the Press of Atlantic City that he woke up at 4:13 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. After the former president abandoned the deteriorating building in 2014, Small has been trying to get the building’s current owners to demolish it and bring in a new family-friendly attraction that doesn’t rely on gambling.

As for the rest of the country, people were definitely enjoying the symbolic moment of watching a building that once had Trump’s name on it crumble to dust.

After the pandemic significantly impacted the casino industry in Atlantic City, a major source of jobs for the local economy, the Trump Plaza implosion offered a chance to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club, which has been a much-needed haven for kids who don’t have access to remote learning tools. Unfortunately, a charity auction where you could bid to blow up the building was abandoned over safety concerns, and the hotel industry found others way to support the Boys and Girls Club by offering special room packages with a clear view of the building collapse, according to the New York Times.

The Times also spoke to people who witnessed the Trump Plaza being destroyed, and there was a recurring theme to the event. “For some people, it’s like good riddance,” a New Jersey woman said. “It’s like wiping all the memories, erasing everything with his name.”

(Via New York Times)

It’s been a while since a movie trailer took over the internet. Dune, maybe? It’s an unfortunate side effect of most of 2020’s biggest titles being pushed back until later this year, and no Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies to promote outside of Black Widow (the last trailer for which came out in March 2020). But Disney has heard our hungry cries for a new trailer and fed us not with Kanine Krunchies, but Cruella.

The Cruella de Vil origin story stars Emma Stone as Disney’s most famous dog-murderer, who dresses like if Harley Quinn and the Joker had a baby and says things like, “From the very beginning, I saw the world differently than everyone else” and, “The thing is, I was born brilliant. Born bad. And a little bit mad.” Twisted. If Cruella is two hours of Emma Stone hamming it up in fancy dresses and long cigars (not that Disney approves of smoking), it could be kinda fun. But the worst-case scenario, in which she’s given a tragic backstory that humanizes her, is unfortunately more likely.

Her name is literally Cruel Evil — let Cruella be Cruella.

But no matter what happens, at least we’ll have the trailer reactions.

The Harley Quinn and “Disney’s Joker” jokes are particularly good.

Cruella opens on May 28.

It was revealed yesterday that Cardi B’s new single “Up” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, behind Olivia Rodrigo’s unstoppable hit “Drivers License.” Cardi was thrilled with her second-place finish, though, since the song greatly outperformed her previous solo single, “Press.” Cardi took some time to celebrate on Twitter yesterday, revealing in the process that she really wants to fly out hundreds of fans to party with her.

Cardi tweeted, “When the world back open mark my words .I’m flying out at least 200 BARDIGANG and we finna have a party and laugh at all the times we had negative viral tweets & Everytime we proved motherf*ckers wrong .I don’t care about the cost I’m doing it .”

She also thanked her fans for helping the song get a high chart placement, writing, “I want to thank my fans with the bottom & top of my heart .Ya remind of me .The underdogs.So underestimated but show the f*ck out when it’s time .I really can’t believe this .I told a couple of yall I don’t care about a number 1 a top 5 is a big win for me.”

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If Republicans are serious about not being “the party of QAnon” — and that’s a big if — they might want to have a chat with Kayleigh McEnany. The former White House press secretary for Donald Trump dipped her toes into the QAnon waters on Wednesday night by twisting President Joe Biden’s words in a pretty disgusting way. Following Biden’s CNN Town Hall where he had a few grandfatherly moments while fielding questions from younger audience members, McEnany capped off the event by making a vile suggestion about Biden’s friendly demeanor with kids, which is something his predecessor lacked.

“Signing off with a final notable quote from Joe Biden during his town hall this evening: Everyone knows I love kids better than people,” McEnany tweeted with the thinking face emoji to put a little mustard on her gross implication.

It’s moments like this that explain why the new White House press secretary Jen Psaki has been greeted so enthusiastically. Right out of the gate, Psaki has pledged not to lie to the American people, which stands in stark contrast to McEnany’s tenure where she was repeatedly caught spreading misinformation from the podium and on Fox News where she often stopped by to defend Trump. McEnany’s questionable relationship with the truth got so bad that CNN’s Jake Tapper refused to even engage with her.

“[She] lies the way that, you know, most people breathe. There was no value in that,” Tapper told his colleague Brian Stetler. “She can’t acknowledge reality. So I am just not going to put somebody like that on air.”

(Via Kayleigh McEnany on Twitter)

After Rick Ross delivered a regal Tiny Desk Concert performance with a live band yesterday, his Atlanta trap compatriot (and 2020 Verzuz opponent) 2 Chainz had to step things up. He does so in more ways than one, performing a mellow set from his Pamper Nail Studio in Atlanta across from his Escobar Restaurant — while getting a pedicure. Talk about hardly working; it looks like 2 Chainz’s office doubles as a spa so he can work and play at the same damn time (no Future).

For the latter two-thirds of the set, Chainz relocates to a more traditional performance space, employing a live band and some moody lighting to perform stripped-down versions of “Good Drank,” “I’m Different,” and “Grey Area.” Unlike Ross, Chainz is well-accustomed to performing with his band, who gets some time to shine in sections of songs that normally feature guest verses. Naturally, much of the set is given over to songs from his new album, So Help Me God, which he’s been further promoting with videos for “Grey Area” and “Southside Hov.” He also plays the fan (and Joe Biden) favorite, “I’m Different.”

Watch 2 Chainz get a pedicure and perform with his live band in a “different” Tiny Desk Concert above.

Ex-President Trump can’t tweet, and he’s going through some serious withdrawals. That much is evident at his first attempt as an aspiring blogger who fired off a lengthy entry to trash former Sen. Mitch McConnell (who arguably lost his Majority Leader seat because of the damage that Trump’s done to the Republican party). Trump must have been incensed at McConnell taking a public stand (albeit a muted one) against Trump before and during impeachment proceedings and, finally, only telling his party that they should acquit Trump on a technicality (that he was no longer president). Trump should essentially be thanking Mitch for dragging his feet for so long on this proceeding, or the technicality wouldn’t exist, but nonetheless and as James Comey told the world, Trump demands absolute loyalty for his performance art.

Trump’s initial, Tumblr-esque statement aimed directly at McConnell — after growing even more incensed by the senator’s Washington Post op-ed that said acquittal was a lot more about the U.S. Constitution, not Trump himself — taking him to the woodshed for “business as usual, status quo policies” and calling him “a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack,” who makes Republicans lose. The argument was not only brutal but poorly written, but it seems that Trump had an editor of sorts. At least, Trump advisor and communications guy Jason Miller “took the lead” in shaping the blog entry’s final statement. Via Politico, things got ugly:

[A] source familiar with the situation said Jason Miller, a top Trump adviser, took the lead in writing the final version of the statement.

A person familiar with the crafting of the statement confirmed that it could have been far worse. An earlier draft mocked McConnell for having multiple chins, the person said. But Trump was convinced by advisers to take it out.

“There was also a lot of repetitive stuff and definitely something about him having too many chins but not enough smarts,” the person said.

Not good! Yet it’s everything that one would expect from a sitting president who used “Sad!” as a mantra and bullied his way through his job for four years.

(Via Politico)

Today, Time unveiled its second annual Time100 Next list, which Time editor in chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal describes as “an expansion of our flagship TIME100 franchise that highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future.” There is a strong musical presence on the list, led by Dua Lipa, who graces one of the six covers of the issue. Also included from the music world are Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Baby, Luke Combs, Chloe x Halle, and Doja Cat.

Kylie Minogue wrote of Dua, “Dua Lipa is a shining star, blazing a dazzling trail through the pop cosmos. Just under four years ago, she released the first of her two albums. Today, she is dancing hand in hand with the zeitgeist, having carved with laser-like precision her place in the cultural landscape. […] Her achievements are all the more remarkable given that she is 25 years of age. She’s kind, cool, and smart. She’s a bona fide pop behemoth. And I, like millions of others, look forward to more, and even more, from La Lipa.”

Killer Mike also offered his thoughts on Lil Baby, writing, “I learned about Lil Baby from my niece — when my nieces and nephews tell me about someone, I tune in. What a rich, bluesy voice. But I became a true fan after hearing Lil Baby in interviews. He spoke with the wisdom of an old soul that’s also apparent in his lyrics. […] Lil Baby will be the tip of the spear that drives Atlanta to the forefront of American — and global — music.”

Elsewhere, Lil Nas X penned some words about Doja: “Doja Cat is one of a kind: a rising superstar, an elite performer, and an insanely hilarious influencer. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, but you know she puts a hell of a lot of work into everything she does. She goes out of her way to be herself at all costs and that’s what truly makes an artist. […] The moment I knew Doja was here to stay was during her run of performances in 2020. It would have been easy for her to give the same treatment to every performance and award show, but no! Over and over, she reinvented herself, each time better than the last. And she kept releasing hit songs too — from ‘Say So’ to her recent feature on Ariana Grande’s ’34+35′ remix. She’s an inspiration to me, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.”

Find the full Time100 Next list here.

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

Nearly four million Texas residents are without power after a brutally cold winter storm blanketed the state with snow and ice, shutting down groceries, gas stations, and hospitals. There are numerous reasons for the outages that have left people without power since Sunday, including historically low temperatures, corporate mismanagement, and the state being isolated from the rest of the country’s grid (everything is more chaotic in Texas). But Governor Greg Abbott is only focused on one: wind turbines.

“This shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America,” Abbott told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday. “Our wind and our solar got shut down, and they were collectively more than 10 percent of our power grid, and that thrust Texas into a situation where it was lacking power on a statewide basis.” He continued, “It just shows that fossil fuel is necessary for the state of Texas as well as other states to make sure we’ll be able to heat our homes in the wintertime and cool our homes in the summertime.”

Except wind turbines aren’t the issues, and neither is the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez- and Bernie Sanders-backed Green New Deal. Everywhere from Wisconsin to Antarctica uses wind turbines, and they’re able to keep up with electrical demands when temperatures drop below zero. The real issue, according to the Washington Post, is “a financial structure for power generation that offers no incentives to power plant operators to prepare for winter. In the name of deregulation and free markets, Texas has created an electric grid that puts an emphasis on cheap prices over reliable service.” Also:

But while some wind generators did go offline as turbines iced over, the state’s largest grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said the shortage was driven by a failure not of renewable sources but of traditional “thermal” sources: coal, nuclear and especially natural gas. Energy experts said that gas lines supplying gas-fired plants may have frozen or that supplies to the plants may have been limited as gas was prioritized for homes that rely on gas for their heat.

In other words, the opposite of what Abbott — whose campaigns have been heavily funded by the fossil fuels industry — said. Cool. Speaking as someone who lives in Texas, I am currently warming myself to the roasting the governor is getting on Twitter.

“WAP” is a tough act to follow, but the way Cardi B sees it, with “Up,” she isn’t following “WAP”; While “WAP” was a collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, “Up” is her first solo single since 2019’s “Press.” Cardi hoped to top the success of “Press” with “Up,” and indeed she did, as the new song’s debut at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart eclipses the No. 16 peak that “Press” achieved, which left Cardi pleased with herself.

Sharing the chart on Twitter yesterday, she wrote, “Just landed and my wifi back poppin .I want to say thank you to all my fans and supporters this is BIG for me .I wanted to beat my last solo single number & I over succeeded.First time a female rapper debut top 5 since Lauren.This is pop girl sh*t but I’m not pop.”

She revealed the chart placement was a good pick-me-up after a bit of a low point, tweeting, “At the beginning of last week I was crying because one single post put my confidence down.She needs promo , she’s a flop, she needs help erasing the fact I been constantly winning.I had to brush it off remind myself I beat records wit my last record & now boom .Chart too high.” She went on to thank her fans, writing, “I want to thank my fans with the bottom & top of my heart .Ya remind of me .The underdogs.So underestimated but show the f*ck out when it’s time .I really can’t believe this .I told a couple of yall I don’t care about a number 1 a top 5 is a big win for me.”

Cardi apparently then faced some backlash over bragging, as she tweeted, “Naaaa naaaa Let me talk my big cash sh*t f*ck outta hereeeeee !!!Last Monday when I announced my single ya was in here clockin and talkin sh*t bout my twitter likes as in I’m not most hated on this app.Now that I prove motherf*ckers wrong imma brag on it on GANG !” She then responded to claims that she obsesses over he chart placements: “It’s obsessive when I do it but not when other people brag about it right ? When I win it’s a problem but when other artist discoun’t their sh*t and do hundred things to debut high it’s not chart obsessed.Artist should be happy ass fuk when they debut high ALL OF THEM !

She then concluded, “I was talkin my hot sh*t earlier but on some real sh*t THANK YOU EVERYONE .BARDIgang , GP ,music listeners ,people who listen on their stories ,tiktokers ,artist ,blogs, YouTubers EVERYONE who help my record go #2 billboard .I appreciate it more then ya ever think !”

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