There’s no love lost between Shepard Smith and his old stomping ground, Fox News. The current CNBC anchor spent 23 years there, mostly out of loyalty to Roger Ailes, who he paid tribute to as a “complicated” person following the ousted news network head’s death. A little while later — and after he’d continued to slam his colleagues’ handling of almost everything from the NFL to a Clinton controversy — Shep left the building. Fast forward a few years, and Shep began anchoring at CNBC while declaring that he has no idea “how some people sleep at night.” That was a statement to Christiane Amanpour, to whom Shep also stated that he’d hung at Fox News for as long as he could to provide a counterpoint to Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity’s far-right rhetoric.
Well, Tucker was listening, and he’s salty. After Shep covered a story of a Florida grocery store that was almost completely full of maskless patrons (during a pandemic), Tucker turned on his sarcasm faucet and let it flow. “Tonight we bring you the story of a genuine investigative journalist,” Tucker began. “A man who’s been forgotten. Cast aside like an Acosta when he should be an Edward R. Murrow. That’s an injustice we plan to rectify right now.” Yikes.
Tucker devotes an entire segment to mocking ex-colleague Shep Smith for reporting on a Florida grocery store going maskless:
“Maybe when you spend 30 years reading scripts about car chases everything seems like a car chase… Sorry, overheated news guy. That’s not actually news” pic.twitter.com/ow8hGOAyWX
That was only the beginning. “Last night, this same investigative journalist (now an anchor at CNBC) broke the story of a lifetime. If Pulitzer Prizes still mattered, and they don’t, this would get a Pulitzer,” Carlson said while comparing the clip to the Zapruder film and the moon landing. “We believed the hype, I guess. Maybe when you spend 30 years reading scripts about car chases everything seems like a car chase.”
Tucker then threw down his verdict: “The problem is, not everything is a car chase. Sometimes people are just smiling at each other in a grocery store. Sorry, overheated news guy. That’s not actually news.” So far, there’s been no reply from Shep Smith. Let’s hope he’s not listening anymore.
Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. Even if you’re still under full lockdown, it’s a great day to smash your “clean eating 2021” regimen, break out the classic Super Bowl party foods, and gorge yourself for a few commercial-filled hours. And as you indulge, you’re going to want plenty of good beer on hand to wash those salty snacks down with.
The Super Bowl parties might not be big in 2021, but you can still elevate the experience of watching the game with a little thoughtful curation.
Pairing Super Bowl party foods with beer should be simple and tasty. That’s all that really matters. You don’t want to spend all day Saturday finding one bespoke bottle that’ll cost you more than a copy of Madden. Don’t get us wrong, we’re still calling out a few special beers below, but really this is about good brews that you can grab without too much effort.
Hopefully, the ten pairings below will help your Super Bowl Sunday feel fun and light. Even in a pandemic.
As we highlighted this week, chicken wings don’t mean one thing.
They can be prepared and then dressed in many different ways. Generally speaking, you’re going to have a lot of umami, a lot of spice, and hopefully a lot of crispiness. You definitely need a beer that can stand up to those big and varied flavors.
The Beer:
This old-school icon from Oregon is just the beer for your wing-based gluttony. The brew is built upon five malts with chocolate and wheat malts forming a core. A touch of Pacific Northwest hops add a mild bitterness to cut all that umami. Plus, the ABVs are 5.5 percent, making this an easy all-day drinker.
The Pairing:
What you’re getting with Black Butter Porter is a counterpoint. There’s a clear sense of dark cacao and bitter and almost creamy espresso beans with a touch of sweet vanilla that’s all still somehow light and effervescent. And since sweet and bitter are the perfect reversal of spice and umami, this beer shines as a wing pairing.
Ah, Kielbasa. The spicy sausage from Central Europe is the grilling masterpiece. It’s thick, meaty, and should be full of herbal seeds and plenty of chili spice. They’re great on their own or sliced with some mustard powder sprinkled over the top. But throw a chunk of kielbasa in a crusty bun with some pickled onion and grain mustard … chef’s kiss.
The Beer:
Sticking with the Central European theme, why not go with a beer that was literally invented to be paired with this type of food?
Pilsner Urquell is the original Bohemian pils and is probably the most quaffable entry on this list, thanks to those bespoke Saaz hops and super soft spring water.
The Pairing:
Pilsner Urquell also has the uncanny ability to really calm down overly sharp spice on the tongue with its floral fizziness and light nature. Those hoppy florals are drawn back but present. The malts have an ever-so-slight sweetness. But the real star of the show is the ability of this beer to go down almost too easily with fatty and spicy sausages.
A big mess of nachos is never a bad idea. It’s a textural masterpiece of crunchy, crisp, gooey, soft, and bold. It’s also a flavor bomb — hitting some serious umami and savory highs while still touching on grainy corn and smooth dips. There’s a lot going on and it all works.
The Beer:
Modelo Negra is one of those beers that’s hard not to love. It’s light but not simple. There’s a dark, almost toffee, maltiness at the base with a slight hint of cinnamon next to real rye crustiness while also being easy-to-drink. Then there’s a hint of sour creaminess that sneaks in that really rounds this beer out.
The Pairing:
That last note of sour creaminess is what ties this so well to nachos. It creates a bridge of sorts between the sour cream that is likely on your nachos and the flavors of the beer. The malty sweetness with that light body is also a nice counter to the heavier and spicier aspects of a plate of nachos.
Meat on a stick over a fire sounds pretty simple. While it is — in theory — if you don’t marinate or season your kebabs well, they’ll be lackluster at best. You can marinate in yogurt and spices overnight, dry or wet brine for a few hours, or simply season well before they go on the outdoor fire. Just do something.
In the end, you should have a stick of juicy, crispy, and delicious meat (veg optional).
The Beer:
Since we’re talking about a fairly simple dish with kebabs, we’re going big with the beer. Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA is big while still feeling accessible. The beer is brewed to really amp up the piney hops while also providing a light counterpoint of bright citrus.
It’s not all dank. But you can’t miss the hop notes, either.
The Pairing:
All that evergreen, resinous nature really will suit standing outside under some trees while grilling up your kebabs. Then the spiciness and citrus of the hops will provide a nice check to the salty and fatty meat, kind of like spritzing the kebabs with lemon juice right after they come off the flame.
We wanted to branch this pairing guide out into guacamole, seven-layer dip, ranch, queso, artichoke, blue cheese, salsa rojo, pico, etc. But then we’d be here all day. So let’s just section this off. If you’re serving some sort of chip with some sort of dip or dips, you’ll need a beer that has a little something catchy to it.
A dip is either going to be an umami bomb or cheesy/funky or cut with plenty of citrus and herbs. We’ve got a beer that can work in all those scenarios.
The Beer:
Elysian’s Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale is a beer that can stand up to pretty much anything. The beer is a pairing of German and Pacific Northwest hops with actual blood orange peel and blood orange flesh in the making of the beer.
The Pairing:
The lightness and brightness of this beer will balance nicely with any overly salty treat. At the same time, the beer serves as a nice companion to tart or citrusy snacks. It’s the best of both worlds.
Look, everyone has their own chili recipe. We’re not here to judge you if that includes pintos and ground beef or venison and chili paste or steak and beer with paprika. Make the chili you love and pair it with a good stout, preferably one you can use to make the chili too.
Allagash’s North Sky hits that nice mark of being very drinkable while packing good flavors to counterpoint a killer chili with a clear sense of dark chocolate, roasted nuts, and an earthy dryness.
The Pairing:
All chili should pair nicely with stout. If you can’t find this one, look for a local craft stout that hits easy notes of dark chocolate and earthiness while still being somewhat creamy and light. The best bet will be to add a can to the chili with the stock to really dial in that pairing.
Burgers are one of those dishes that can be devilishly simple (bun, meat, cheese) or overly complicated (mixed patties, bespoke sauces, ridiculous cheese, one-off buns, random greens that you have to drive an hour to get — you get it). Both have equal merit but on Super Bowl Sunday, the former is likely the play. After all, a well-executed yet simple burger is one of the best delights in the food world.
The Beer:
Do you know what’s great with burgers that are either simply made or all cheffed up? Champagne. But since this isn’t a champagne pairing list, let’s pick a beer that errs close to that with Jester King’s Noble King. This is sort of like a dry and fruity champagne that’s been hopped. There’s a bit of fruity sourness that also holds a slightly creamy yet earthy and grassy funk.
The Pairing:
This works two ways. Either it’ll be a big and bold building block for a simple yet delicious burger with few accouterments and take that humble burger to new heights or this beer will be the perfect match to a burger with funky Stilton with home-pickled chili peppers and a garlic/truffle aioli that you whisked yourself on a bun that’s been toasted in your backyard firepit.
There are few things better than the humble hot dog.
It’s all good: grilled, fried, water bath cooked, beer steamed, smoked… topped with ketchup, mayo, mustard, kraut, onions, pickles, cheese, bacon, relish, chili, brisket.
Hell, pile a f*cking heap of poutine on top and the hot dog will still be amazing. It’s a gift and a joy (be sure to buy good ones.)
The Beer:
Let’s keep things simple. Coors Banquet really feels like the best hot dog beer there is. That Rocky Mountain water and Moravian malt come together to make a crushable beer that’s cheap and easy to find everywhere beer is sold. You can’t beat that.
The Pairing:
Banquet also feels like the beer that’ll live up to whatever you put on your hot dog. Bonus points, the beer isn’t going to look down its nose at you for your hot dog topping choices. That’s a win-win, folks.
A well-made brisket is hard to beat. Still, it takes time and effort to do it well — in an oven or in a smoker. The end result should be unctuous, juicy, savory, peppery, and full of beefy goodness.
The Beer:
A classic dish needs a classic beer. Sierra Nevada’s iconic Pale Ale is just that beer. The brew has the subtlety to really pair well with fatty meats — thanks to those light hop florals next to a slight caramel maltiness. The hint of pine and grain really help keep the taste balanced while the medium body reminds you that you’re drinking a well-crafted beer.
The Pairing:
Brisket is very fatty, juicy, and savory with, hopefully, a peppery edge. There’s a boldness to Sierra’s Pale that just works if you’re stuffing your face with fatty, smoked meat. It’s light meets dark — a flavor explosion.
Let’s face it, the majority of folks watching the Super Bowl are going to be eating pizza. This is another dish that can mean about a million different things. One person’s favorite pizza is likely loathed by someone else. In truth, there are no wrong answers. Eat the pizza you like and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
The Beer:
Birra Moretti’s La Rossa is a malty treat that has a slightly sour meets caramel sweet bready crustiness. That’s counterpointed by light and almost floral hoppiness with a touch of dried fruit. Really though, it’s the maltiness next to the effervescence that makes this beer shine as a crushable brew.
The Pairing:
Birra Moretti’s La Rossa feels like it was built to be paired with pizza. That initial maltiness feels like a pizza crust with a touch of sweet tomato. It’s also light enough that it won’t take away precious space for that extra slice you know you’ll want to have.
With both Marvel and Star Wars returning to the pop culture forefront thanks to their increasing presence on Disney+ with WandaVision and The Mandalorian, respectively, it’s fair to ask if the two massive properties will ever have a crossover event in attempt to absolutely melt nerds’ minds. Heck, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige is literally working on a Star Wars movie of his own, so it’s not like the potential isn’t there. However, when asked if the MCU and the galaxy far, far away might collide, the usually secretive Feige didn’t hesitate to shoot the idea down. Via Yahoo!:
“If you’d ask me if anything we’re talking about right now was in the realm of possibility 20 years ago, I would’ve said, ‘I don’t think so,’” Feige tells us during a recent interview promoting yet another one of his MCU coups, the Disney+ TV spinoff WandaVision.
But wait for the BUT.
“But I really don’t think so,” he quickly adds. “I don’t think there’s any reason for it.”
Naturally, Feige even entertaining the question surfaced on Twitter, where people couldn’t help but recall Patton Oswalt’s hilariously infamous filibuster scene on Parks and Recreation. Te spent eight full minutes riffing on an idea for a massive Marvel/Star Wars film saga. (In a prescient move, Oswalt predicted that Disney would get the rights back to the X-Men half a decade before it happened.) As a prolific Twitter user and Marvel junkie, it didn’t take long for Oswalt to see the Feige news, and he offered the only response he could: “Eh, I tried.”
On an interesting note, while fielding the MCU crossover question, Feige actually cited Oswalt’s epic rant during the Yahoo! interview and said, “That is probably as close as we’ll ever get.”
You can watch the full Parks and Recreation scene below:
Hayley Kiyoko made waves in 2018 for her debut album, Expectations, which catapulted her into the pop scene not just due to excellent songwriting but also because of her status as an openly queer artist. Following that album up with the I’m Too Sensitive For This Shit EP in 2020, Kiyoko has something else in store for fans this year. Instead of opening 2021 with new music, she’s announced the release of a new perfume called “Hue.” Designed as a gender-inclusive fragrance to double down on her commitment to inclusion in pop culture, Kiyoko remembers how much perfume meant to her when she was growing up and coming to terms with her own sexuality.
“Perfume has been a massive part of my queer experience, Hayley told Vogue. “I remember feeling famous in middle school because girls said that I smelled good. They wouldn’t date me. They didn’t have crushes on me. But they said I smelled good, and that was like a huge thing for me, and I’ve carried that throughout my life. I want to give that power and that armor to my fans, even if they’re sitting at home!”
Working with perfumer Constance Georges-Picot of Cosmo Fragrances with development support by Bart Schmidt, Hayley created a perfume that contains top notes of blood orange, watermelon and freesia, mid-notes of peony, lychee, rose and pink magnolia, and bottom notes of cacao blanc and musk. It’s available March 3 in collaboration with Slate Brands. Check out some photos of the perfume below, along with a look at the packaging design, which centers on Liz Hirsch’s portrait of Hayley that “signifies the variety of hues amongst every individual.”
In an interview on this week’s episode of Cari & Jemele (won’t) Stick To Sports, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was asked to respond to a recent comment from ESPN NBA analyst Zach Lowe on his podcast, in which Lowe called Mavs star Luka Doncic “one of the biggest whiners in the league.” Cuban took the bait and punched back at Lowe, saying that Lowe did not know what he was talking about before adding, “f*ck you, Zach Lowe.”
here’s the clip of mark cuban telling zach lowe “fuck you, you don’t know shit” in response to lowe talking about luka being one of the whiniest players in the league toward the refs. pic.twitter.com/GOttOiXe50
As Cuban says here, a fair bit of what Doncic is doing in these moments is the product of his competitiveness and, at the same time, a subtle acknowledgment that Doncic’s game is at its best when he’s able to use his physicality and size to score and make plays. Cuban admits “he’s got some sh*t to him,” but that it comes from a place of passion, not whining.
At the same time, those who watch Dallas know that Doncic spends a fair amount of time needling referees, too. Most importantly, all this stuff hits the fan when a team is losing, and the Mavs are in the middle of a 9-14 start to the season. In something that applies to basically every professional athlete, what is seen as competitive fire in huge wins becomes irritating in losses, so it’s understandable that Doncic is getting more heavily scrutinized right now, and it’s also fair for Cuban to take issue with perhaps the most prominent NBA analyst on the internet calling out his best player.
A time-honored tradition at Saturday Night Live is having the week’s guest host and musical guest join a cast member to film some quick off-the-cuff promos for the show. Phoebe Bridgers is set to take the SNL stage this weekend, so she, host Dan Levy, and SNL‘s Aidy Bryant got in front of a camera and did their thing.
In the first promo, Bryant hypes up Levy and Bridgers to put on a funny show, saying that she expects Bridgers’ songs to be “Weird Al-level” hilarious. Bridgers deadpanned in response, “They’re not,” which sent Bryant into a panic, which got Bridgers laughing under her mask. In the second clip, Levy suggests that Bridgers write a song for him since they’ve been bonding over the past week, but Bridgers shot that idea down, saying, “I think I’m good on that. Thanks, though.”
When it was revealed that Bridgers had landed the SNL musical guest gig, she offered a very Bridgers reaction to the news by sharing a photo of herself with running mascara. Bridgers has shown that she has a strong sense of humor, so hopefully she pops up in a sketch this coming weekend.
I’ve interviewed famous people before, even personal heroes of mine, but I’ve never found anyone quite so intimidating as Salma Hayek. She just has that mean girl energy about her. Not because she’s actually mean, per se, it’s just that she’s incredibly famous, talented, and rich. A cruel word from Salma Hayek has the kneecapping potential heretofore possessed only by random tweens (have you ever been owned by a tween? devastating).
Some of the things you may not know about Salma Hayek: she’s the daughter of a Lebanese-Mexican oil exec and a Spanish-Mexican opera singer. She was a teen gymnast who was approached to join the Mexican national team, though her father vetoed. She was diagnosed with dyslexia in her early teens but still managed to graduate high school at 15. She enrolled at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City to study international relations and political science, but dropped out halfway through to pursue acting. This proved relatively easy for her as well, given that, according to a 2019 profile in Town & Country, “She was so beautiful that casting agents often stopped her in the street and asked her to audition,” and soon she became a soap star.
Coming from anyone else, all this might sound a little like Hilaria Baldwin-style self-mythologizing (Salma on Hilaria: “We all lie a little bit.”). But you look at Salma Hayek and think, “Yep, that checks out.”
Currently, she’s married to French fashion magnate Francois-Henri Pinault (since 2009), a multi-billionaire and as of this writing the 26th richest man in the world. She won a humanitarian award from UNICEF in 2018 for her work in neonatal vaccination efforts. In a wild twist, she also starred opposite Owen Wilson in a movie called Bliss, leading to the surreal situation in which she found herself across a Zoom screen from yours truly, a man who hasn’t had a haircut in five months asking movie questions in front of a velvet painting of twin rottweiler puppies.
This dynamic actually mirrors the movie itself, in which Hayek plays a mysterious woman who may have magical powers, trying to convince Owen Wilson’s character that he’s not some schlubby drone but rather a scientist from a parallel utopia who has been living in a cruel simulation. Hayek-Wilson are a strange combination on paper, but in practice it works beautifully, and I was getting a first-hand illustration of why. Every time she paused before answering a question I started to sweat, convinced I was finally about to exposed as an impostor and a slob, a crude interloper into Hayek’s bubble of wealth and beauty.
But, you know, she was nice. When she clowned on Owen Wilson I laughed like we were at the same lunch table. When she waxed nostalgic about a bygone Mexico I actually felt sympathy for her. Me! For Salma Hayek! In the end, she even complimented my dumb dog painting. Don’t let her fool you, Salma Hayek is a pro.
—
Okay, basic question, tell me how you first got into acting.
I think I did a play. Well, I did a couple of commercials first. I know it’s not acting, but for me it was a big deal, you know? And then I played Jasmine in Aladdin, and this is when I discovered that I had stage fright. I knew it was an opportunity, so I did it anyway. And there was a lot of suffering being in front of all the people. I love the acting, I just didn’t like to be in front of the people.
So then I found television and then I became a soap star in Mexico. But I hated soaps! At some point, I got offered to be a singer. I could have done it, and it doesn’t look like I would be stage fright, but I am. Then I did acting with a camera, but in a genre that I never watched, the soaps. And so my dream was to do films, and this is why after becoming big soap star in Mexico, I came to the States. Because at that time the film industry in Mexico was practically non-existent. I came to the States and I started again as an extra, even though I was a big star in Mexico.
Little by little I paid my dues until I starred with Robert Rodriguez. And he practically discovers me. And then you know the rest.
Do you think the industries are still so separate these days? Do you think you’d still have to start as far down as you did?
Yeah, but I think that I would have arrived much faster because back then I encountered a lot of racism. Any sci-fi concept would have been way more easily digested by the industry than a Mexican having a lead in a movie. I was told, “You will never lead a movie because the minute you open your mouth, you will only remind people of their maids. Go back to your country. You’re a big star there. Here, you will only play the whore or the drug dealer girlfriend.”
Wow. Do you spend time in Mexico now? What do you miss most about it?
I miss the Mexico that no longer exists. That was fun, the most fun place in the world, and safe, and people were full of joy and optimism, and a lot of the beaches were virgin and the nature untouched and full of mysticism and contradictions. And so that Mexico. I go to Mexico, but it’s not the same Mexico. The Mexico I miss the most is the one that I hope we get to be one day again.
What’s so different about it now?
I guess the biggest aspect would be safety, and the lack of hope that has come through pain and that.
Okay, so switching to the movie, what are the quirks of working with Owen Wilson and what did you enjoy the most about it?
Hmm. We’re both very strange creatures and on paper it would never work. Actually, we spent most of the time bickering, but laughing about it. I had to play two characters that were very demanding in a universe that was very demanding and strange, with a director with a very specific view of things. And I had to keep the track of also two movies, because he wanted everything to work in two possible interpretations by the audience. Then Owen would add to that his own take on how I should do it and what I should add.
For example, crazy stuff. Like in a moment that it’s very important where I have to confront authorities, he thought I should dance and sing and turn it into a musical. And he had all these layout, strange logic, and he’s super excited about how I should do, that was just bonkers. But he’s so convincing that for some point you go like, oh my God, should I? No, stop it. I have enough to think about.
But it was always a joy to hear his insane… To have a window into his mind. And he’s a lot more relaxed in ways than [director Mike Cahill] and I, in certain aspects, and then he can be very intense in different ways.
Was his idea for this musical, was that something that he talked to Mike about, or was that just something that he sort of sprung on you on the day?
It was sprung on the day. Mike didn’t care, by the way. We were all enjoying each other. Because Mike knows that I’m not going to do something like that without telling him, or because Mike would’ve enjoyed it and laughed about it and said, “Okay, let’s go again. But I think…” Or maybe Mike would have gone for it. I don’t know. It was all free. He had a very specific vision. This is not a director that knows exactly what he wants, but he’s open.
I’ve heard you talk about this before and I always want to ask you things like this, but what are some of your favorite Spanish words or phrases that you don’t think there’s an English equivalent for?
Oh, God. I’ll tell you what would never work in Spanish. “We’re in a pickle.” If you said that in Spanish they’d go like, “What’s wrong with her?” You catch me off guard and in a daze.
[Editor’s note: “We’re in a pickle,” is a key line in the movie.]
What are some of the Spanish words? I can’t think of one right now. I told you one that is the other way around. I like your dogs in the back, by the way.
Oh, thank you. That’s all right. I guess I’m told I’m having to wrap. But thank you for talking to me. I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
‘Bliss’ is available via Amazon Prime on February 5th. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can access his archive of reviews here.
Black History Month got off to an auspicious start this week with the returns of some of our favorite rap heroes. Cardi B announced the release of her new single “Up,” Noname similarly teased a comeback, Meek Mill shared a snippet of his upcoming collaboration with the late Pop Smoke, and Freddie Gibbs connected with Schoolboy Q to throw up some “Gang Signs.”
Even with all those impressive teasers and releases, there was still plenty to be excited about from indie and emerging hip-hop artists, from Denzel Curry and JID’s long-awaited teamup to 03 Greedo’s improbable latest release from behind bars with Wiz Khalifa. Oh, and Megan Thee Stallion and Flo Milli, two of 2020’s biggest breakout stars, both released videos for fan-favorite singles. The best of the rest can be found below.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending February 5, 2021
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
Big Ghost & Conway The Machine — If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed
Griselda Records
The Griselda machine never stops churning. Big Ghost reconnects with Conway The Machine after last year’s No One Mourns The Wicked to bang out more haunting street music. By now, you should know what to expect from this duo; they deliver in full. Shout-out to the Predator quote as the title, as well.
D Smoke — Black Habits (Deluxe)
D Smoke
Last year’s surprise Best Rap Album Grammy inclusion certainly deserved his selection, as his album was a strong rumination on family, community, and self-realization. With the deluxe version, the Inglewood native adds verses from E-40 and Snow Da Product, but keeps things simple, only adding three new songs. They’re worth checking out.
Pooh Shiesty — Shiesty Season
Pooh Shiesty
The Gucci Mane-co-signed Memphian’s first full-length effort was preceded by strong singles like “Back In Blood” with Lil Durk, “Guard Up,” and “Neighbors” featuring his longtime friend Big30. He keeps it mostly solo, showcasing his confident flow and giving him space to shine as a songwriter, although Big30 makes multiple appearances and mentor Gucci stops by to deliver a verse on “Ugly.”
Singles/Videos
Beyondsonny — “Black Friends”
An ode to Black business, there’s a tongue-in-cheek lightness to the serious subject matter, and the jazzy beat keeps things flowing nicely.
BIG Naughty — “Girl At The Coffee Shop”
Seattle hip-hop fixture Jay Park signed this 17-year-old Korean rapper to his H1ghr Music imprint, and this groovy single proves it was a wise choice.
DBangz – “The Source” Feat. Jae Zole
If there’s one thing in common for many artists on this week’s roundup, it’s youth — and a precocious sense of artistic identity, which DBangz has in spades. He’s best known for the irreverent “Thick N****s & Anime Tiddies,” but despite the humor present in his style, he’s 100 percent a rapper’s rapper.
Fredo Bang — “Soul Cry”
Over the past several months, Fredo has proven to be one of the most solid purveyors of heartbroken but unapologetic, gospel-influenced trap.
Jahmed — “Wipe”
Scrunch-faced, Blood walk music at its finest. This IE native knows how to get the party started and keep it going.
Lil Moe 6Blocka — “Risky (Remix)” Feat. 22Gz
If you’re looking for drill-influenced, hyperviolent street fantasies, look no further than this 15-year-old spark plug. There may be a truly worrisome number of guns in the video, but so long as they keep the violence in the rhymes and not on the streets, this kid deserves a tentative green light.
Marlon Craft — “Get Off My Yard”
Marlon’s just a rapper. Point blank, period. He slyly self-deprecates his admittedly old-head-like mentality with grandpa makeup and the traditional call of grumpy retirees everywhere.
Morray — “Kingdom”
Morray’s vocals are right out of a Baptist church pulpit — if that church doubled as a dope spot. This Fayetteville native sounds very little like his city’s best-known hip-hop rep, but he’s on a trajectory that will ensure they cross paths at some award show or on the charts soon enough.
Page Kennedy — “Pain” Feat. Elzhi & Method Man
Page Kennedy may have risen to prominence as a Vine/Instagram comedian but make no mistake; he can rhyme with the best of them — the “best of them” being Elzhi and Method Man, who are both … pretty good, right?
Problem – “Just Outside”
My Compton compatriot never misses. A mellow, introspective track that finds him in his expansive mode (my favorite of his), “Just Outside” is the best kind of West Coast cruising music.
Smokepurpp — “We Outside” Feat. Lil Mosey
Smokepurpp, low key, has been so ridiculously productive, I’ve considered skipping his stuff just so he doesn’t become a weekly fixture of this list. And it’s consistently fun, low-stakes, and enjoyably catchy.
Wacotron – “Take Off”
Southside protege Wacotron is a new-ish name, but he sounds like he’s been doing this for years, balancing simplicity, interiority, and the confidence of an established vet.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
I know it’s only February, but I’m ready to call it: Mike Lindell’s three-hour election fraud movie is the best comedy of the year.
On Thursday, Lindell, a.k.a. the MyPillow guy, a.k.a. alt-right Mario, appeared on the Christian-leaning YouTube channel, the Revival Channel, to announce that he would be releasing a “documentary” on Friday that would prove, without a doubt, “the theft by China and these different international locations, this cyberattack on our nation right here, that took, that flipped votes.” Well, it’s Friday, and I have doubts.
Absolute Proof premiered this morning on OANN, which slapped a 80-second disclaimer to the beginning of the thing. “Michael James Lindell has purchased the airtime for the broadcast of this program on One America News (“OAN”) network. Mr. Lindell is the sole author and executive producer of this program and is solely and exclusively responsible for its content,” the warning reads. “The topic of this broadcast is the 2020 election. OAN has undertaken its own reporting on this topic. This program is not the product of OAN’s reporting.” We’re already off to a great start. But don’t worry, it gets better (much worse).
Here are some budget-busting graphics.
So far the MyPillow election fraud movie is just Mike Lindell narrating a PDF about how we should probably have a civil war. pic.twitter.com/ABarzx14rU
Anyone interested in watching Mike Lindell’s voter fraud documentary, “Absolute Proof,” can do so here. It features, among other things, an interview with Rudy Giuliani’s infamous witness, Mellissa Carone. https://t.co/YnVeHS7sOcpic.twitter.com/TQGxdG5wCu
it’s the guy who calls himself “INVENTOR OF EMAIL” even though he isn’t, and mike lindell didn’t even try to spell “ayyadurai” for the chyron pic.twitter.com/86N7aWVGnr
It will not surprise you to learn that he hasn’t been sleeping (those poor unused pillows).
The Mike Lindell “docu-movie” is a rapid run through every minor character from the post-election. Even famous Giuliani witness Melissa Carone is here.
Possibly relevant: Lindell says he’s been working 21-hour days on this and getting 3 hours of sleep a night. pic.twitter.com/QDk726lVHt
This is not Lindell’s first foray into film. He was the subject of the documentary The Mike Lindell Story: An American Dream, the page for which no longer exists. Five stars!
This may be one of the Mad Libs story of the year, and it begins with an appearance by Chelsea Handler on Literally!, the podcast of Rob Lowe. The story itself concerns a dinner party, Chelsea Handler, Katie Couric, and four men of some considerable ignominy: Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew, Charlie Rose, and Woody Allen, and also Allen’s wife, Soon-Yi Previn.
It more immediately concerns rumors that Chelsea Handler had once attended a dinner party held by Jeffrey Epstein. Handler confirmed that it was true. She actually went to the party with Katie Couric, of all people (George Stephanopoulos was reportedly also in attendance). The guest list included the above, in addition to publicist Peggy Siegal, who had invited Handler as a sort of setup for Prince Andrew. It was also “a long time ago,” and Handler did not stay very long.
“When we got there I was like, ‘What is this gathering?’” Handler told Lowe on the podcast. “We had dinner and it was so awkward and so weird. I was like what are we doing here? And then I asked Woody Allen how he and Soon Yi met, and that was when I left.”
“Wait a minute,” Lowe asked. “You asked Woody Allen how he and Soon Yi met?”
“At that point of the night, I was like this is such a ridiculous dinner party, who are these people?” Handler told Lowe, adding that Woody Allen was sitting next to her. “I really was curious! I had forgotten for a moment, but as soon as it came out of my mouth, I knew that it was too late.”
The kicker is that Woody Allen was actually amused by the question, because in the company of those men, of course he was! “And he loved [the question],” Handler said. “And Soon Yi, I don’t think she heard it and Katie looked at me and was like, ‘Let’s go,’”
And that was that. She never saw Epstein again. “I’ve never been onto the private island, and I’ve never been on his plane. I’ve met him one time and that was the time.”
Handler can be seen in her most recent stand-up specials, Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea on Netflix, and Chelsea Handler: Evolution on HBO Max.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
