Category: Worldwide

The 2020 MTV VMAs are almost a week away and to ensure the show goes on despite the pandemic, they’ve set up a livestream ceremony to be hosted by Keke Palmer. The initial list of performers was revealed at the beginning of the month, with Roddy Ricch, The Weeknd, and more added later. Unfortunately, Roddy Ricch has since revealed he will no longer be able to perform.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be performing at this year’s VMAs as announced,” Roddy wrote in an Instagram story post. “My team and I did everything in our power to make this work, due to COVID compliance issues at the last minute we had to call off the performance. My team and I are safe and everyone’s health is a main priority, as well as giving a quality performance. I appreciate MTV for the opportunity to perform and I hope I can see y’all next year. STAY SAFE.”

While Roddy’s cancellation may be a disappointment towards his fans, they have some reason to be optimistic: He revealed in a recent GQ profile that his upcoming sophomore album will be a “full-blown masterpiece.”

Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It may have grossed three quarters of a billion dollars, but 2016’s Suicide Squad was still considered something of a disappointment, enough so that a chunk of its cast — chief among them Will Smith’s Deadshot and Jared Leto’s Joker — wound up not coming back for the confusingly named sequel. But at least there’s plenty of new cast members to make up for that. In fact, the teaser dropped at this weekend’s DC Fandome showed nothing but its new Squad members, one after another for two whole minutes.

Of course, some of them were coming back: Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney’s Boomerang, plus non-good villains like Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag and Viola Davis’ government stooge Amanda Walker. But there were plenty of newbies — 13 to be exact. The biggest news was that we learned what characters will be played by three of its most famous additions: Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, and John Cena as Peacemaker.

Here, for the record, is the rest of the main cast, a number of them regulars for new director James Gunn, who replaced David Ayers:

• Michael Rooker as Savant
• Flula Borg as Javelin
• David Dastmalchan as Polka Dot Man
• Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher
• King Shark (actor not revealed)
• Mayling Ng as Mongal
• Peter Capaldi as Thinker
• Alice Braga as Solsoria
• Nathan Fillion as T.D.K.
• Sean Gunn as Weasel

Alas, you’ll have to wait almost a year to see them in action. The Suicide Squad is due to hit theaters on August 6, 2021.

You can watch the trailer in the video above.

James Gunn recently teased that no one had correctly guessed Idris Elba’s The Suicide Squad role. We already knew that it wouldn’t be Deadshot, since that supervillain’s hanging in reserve for Will Smith’s eventual return to the franchise, and Gunn suggested that he’d be revealing the Elba detail at this weekend’s DC Fandome. Well, that’s happened and more. Not only did we learn about Elba’s role but also that of Pete Davidson (whose role people actually accurately guessed awhile back), John Cena, Nathan Fillion, Peter Capaldi, and the rest of the new cast members. Let’s do this:

– Idris Elba as Bloodsport: Robert DuBois is an enemy of Superman, and a mercenary who wields high-powered firearms and weaponry that’s loaded with Kryptonite bullets. He’s a Vietnam War-obsessed, deranged supervillain who was employed in the comics by Lex Luthor to take on the Man of Steel.

– John Cena as Peacemaker: Christopher Smith is a pacifist diplomat who prefers using non-lethal weaponry and other combat mechanisms, which are consistent with his commitment to achieving world peace. That doesn’t work out so well, and he gradually becomes more violent in his vigilantism.

– Pete Davidson as Blackguard: Richard “Dick” Hertz has a super-criminal record but previously was a solo operative who gained powers after his recruit into the 1000. They eventually sought to execute him, but he escaped death and later joined the Suicide Squad, where he clashed with The General.

Here’s the rest of the gang, some returning and some new:

– Harley Quinn – Margot Robbie
– Amanda Waller – Viola Davis
– Colonel Rick Flag – Joel Kinnaman
– Savant – Michael Rooker
– Javelin – Flula Borg
– Polka Dot Man – David Dastmalchian
– Ratcatcher 2 – Daniela Melchoir
– Mongal – Mayling Ng
– The Thinker – Peter Capaldi
– Sol Soria – Alice Braga
– TDK – Nathan Fillion
– Weasel – Sean Gunn
– Captain Boomerang – Jai Courtney
– King Shark – Unknown

That includes one hell of a freshened-up Task Force X. (RIP Slipknot.)

Gunn also revealed that this film, which has been characterized as a franchise relaunch after David Ayer’s 2016 blob-filled extravaganza, Suicide Squad, will function as a sequel to the John Ostrander-written comic books. He also promised a ton of explosions, which feels like a given, but it’s still nice to hear, since we’re all missing the movies.

The Suicide Squad will release on August 6, 2021.

We’re deep into whiskey awards season. That means we’re also getting into more niche awards where small groups of experts gather to taste and award spirits their medals of honor. In this case, an industry publication, The Spirits Business, has gathered two expert judges to declare The American Whiskey Masters of 2020. Thie year they called out the best bourbons, ryes, and Tennessee whiskeys.

This year’s experts were The Whiskey Exchange ambassador Billy Abbot, who’s also one of the world’s leading voices in all things whisk(e)y. The second expert judge was The Spirit Business‘ editor and chair of their awards committee Melita Kiely. For us, this is what makes this particular list interesting. These are whiskeys that are judged by two people who live and breathe whiskey every single day of their lives. Their palates are dialed in and they know their whiskey.

The seven bottles below are the American whiskeys Abbot and Kiely agreed upon as the Masters of all the whiskeys they tasted from America (they also awarded gold and silver medals). Unsurprisingly, Buffalo Trace’s options dominated the high echelons of the awards. We also linked to some delivery options for these expressions. But, be warned, prices for several of these bottles are on a rapid rise and availability is not always nationwide.

Super Premium Bourbon: Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Master)

ABV: 45%
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company)
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Eagle Rare 10 is the Eagle Rare that you should still be able to find and enjoy for a fairly fair price. This expression is sourced from hand-selected barrels that are no less than ten years old. The resulting bottle is highly sought after for being a classic and refined expression of bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a deep sense of worn leather next to burnt orange peels, honey sweetness, charred oak barrels, and a rich toffee creaminess. Marzipan covered in dark chocolate ebbs as a slight herbal note lurks in the background. The sip lasts on the senses as a warmth edges in along with the leather, oak, and orange.

Bottom Line:

This is a great “impress my guests” bourbon to have on hand. It’s stellar with a little water or in Manhattan.

No Age Statement Bourbon: Legent Bourbon (Master)

ABV: 47%
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

This specialty bourbon marries Kentucky bourbon distilling, California wine country, and Japanese blending in a single bottle. The juice is made under the watchful eye of Jim Beam legend Fred Noe and partially aged in new American oak and red wine and sherry barrels. The juice is then blended by Japanese whisky blending legend Shinji Fukuyo of Suntory.

Tasting Notes:

The whiskey opens with a clear sense of vinous notes next to dried fruits and a mild creaminess. There’s a crème brûlée feel to the sip with a fresh vanilla pod foundation and light caramel. In the end, it’s the plummy fruit that really shines as the sip warms you up.

Bottom Line:

Check out our full review with a Black Manhattan cocktail recipe here.

No Age Statement Bourbon: Weller CYPB Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Master)

ABV: 47.5%
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company)
Average Price: $500

The Whiskey:

This is a fascinating expression brought about by Buffalo Trace asking the general public to “Craft Your Perfect Bourbon.” C.Y.P.B. was born out of the consensus of what bourbon lovers look for in their dram. In this case, that was a wheated bourbon that was aged around eight years on the highest floors of the rickhouse.

Tasting Notes (from Buffalo Trace):

“A light aroma with citrus and oak on the nose. The palate is well rounded and balanced, with a medium-long finish and hints of vanilla.”

Bottom Line:

This is a very limited release and a very lauded bottle of booze. It’s what I would deem as a bottle you should try at a tasting only. If you dig it, you do you.

Super Premium Tennessee Whiskey: Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey (Master)

ABV: 50%
Distillery: Nearest Green Distillery, Shelbyville, TN (Sourced)
Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Uncle Nearest is trailblazing the re-introduction of Tennessee whiskey as the powerhouse that it can be. The brand is also part of a re-awakening of the great influence Uncle Nathan “Nearest” Green had on American whiskey-making as the master distiller for Jack Daniel’s first distillery. That makes this an important whiskey while also being a damn tasty one too.

Tasting Notes:

Peaches baked in maple syrup meet a sense of freshly baled straw and a hint of county fair kettle corn up top. Those peaches dry out as the maple carries on with a hint of wildflowers and a whisper of cinnamon and nutmeg. There’s a mealy, vanilla-y depth on the warm end that lingers just the right amount of time.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid mixer that I like in a highball with nice, minerally water or as the base of a cracking cocktail.

Ultra Premium Rye: Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye Whiskey (Master)

ABV: 50%
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company)
Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This expression from one of the Buffalo Trace’s high-end lines is a standout. The mash bill is mostly rye with a small dose of malted barley and no corn whatsoever, making this a real spotlight for the rye on the palate.

Tasting Notes (from Buffalo Trace):

“The result is an aroma full of dried fruit, black pepper, and a touch of fresh dill. A small sip brings an array of flavors both sweet and savory with a terrific balance of dark spices and subtle caramel overtones. The finish is especially pleasing with an oaky dryness that lingers just long enough.”

Bottom Line:

This one is already topping out price-wise for casual consumers, so you might want to get your hands on some now … if you can find it that is.

Ultra Premium Bourbon: Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Master)

ABV: 63.2%
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company)
Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

This expression has been cleaning up awards this year. This bourbon is touted as being uncut, unfiltered, and aged for just shy of a decade. That un-fussing with accounts for high ABV, which adds to the love for this bottle.

Tasting Notes (from our own Chris Osburn):

“Right off the bat, there’s a sweet, caramelized brown sugar flavor that slowly walks its way into rich, well-aged leather. That’s just the beginning of the Stagg, Jr. flavor rollercoaster. Just when you think you’ve reached the depths of its flavor; you’re met with rich cocoa sweetness followed by subtle Christmas spices before finally ending in a crescendo of creamy maple candy and toasted oak.”

Bottom Line:

I love this whiskey as much as the next person and am a little saddened it’s about to become almost unattainable for so many. This is an excellent cocktail base or a solid sipper with a little water or a single rock to really open up those flavor notes.

Ultra Premium Bourbon: Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Master & Taste Master)

ABV: 50%
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company)
Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is all about how well-aged barrels can be blended into an ultra-refined final product. That refinement made this expression both a Master and this year’s Taste Master for 2020. This is also where you start on your Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. journey to get a baseline on the brand before you try the other, checks notes, ten expressions under the Colonel’s name.

Tasting Notes:

This sip starts off a classic with notes of bourbon vanilla and then immediately veers into different territory with a flourish of black licorice. That licorice runs through the palate as a sense of county fair kettle corn dripping with caramel is counterpointed by an ever-so-mild spice. That spice builds towards a peppery finish as the caramel edges towards vanilla laden butterscotch and a final wisp of fresh tobacco smoke.

Bottom Line:

This is advertised as a sipping whiskey and it certainly is great for that (especially with a little water to open it up). But I love using this one in a Sazerac or Boulevardier. That licorice and tobacco work well in bold cocktails.

James Ennis III and Marvin Williams were ejected during game three of the first round playoff series between the Orlando Magic and the Milwaukee Bucks following a tussle. During one play in the second quarter, Ennis and Williams collided under the basket while boxing out for a rebound, and as the play moved to the other end of the court, the pair got into a shoving match.

As the two forwards were being separated by officials and coaches, they exchanged words and Ennis appeared to swing his arm at Williams. It is unclear if he was trying to throw a punch or aggressively stop Williams from grabbing his jersey.

Following the incident, the referee gave both players double technical fouls and ejected them from the game.

The series between the Magic and the Bucks is currently tied at 1-1, but Orlando is already undermanned after injuries to Mo Bamba, Aaron Gordon, Michael Carter-Williams, Jonathan Issac, and Al-Farouq Aminu. It is unclear if either Ennis or Williams will face any sort of reprimand for this incident. As for the game itself, the first half didn’t go particularly well for Orlando, as Milwaukee swarmed them on both ends of the floor to take a 70-43 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.

On Thursday, Megan Thee Stallion confirmed what much of social media already assumed in an Instagram Livestream. She revealed that Tory Lanez was indeed the person who shot her last month in the Hollywood Hills. Megan’s words on the livestream arrived after the Houston rapper grew frustrated with rumors spreading about the shooting on social media, to the point where she posted the pictures of her bullet wounds on Instagram in response.

Extending a hand in support to Megan, Chance The Rapper called for justice for her in a tweet Saturday.

“I hope Meg really gets justice for what Tory did to her,” Chance began in his tweet. “And that we can all learn from this, how near and constant and serious, the threat of lethal violence and abuse is for every Black woman.” The justice that Chance calls for in his tweet may arrive soon as a report from TMZ earlier this week said the Los Angeles district attorney is reviewing the shooting incident and considering a felony assault charge for Tory Lanez on top of his possession of a firearm charge he received on the night in question.

Chance The Rapper’s tweet arrives after JoJo confirmed she would remove Tory’s verse from her upcoming deluxe album. This marks the second artist to do so, as Kehlani confirmed she would do the same with her deluxe re-issue.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music.

The Batman universe will get its latest video game release, even if it does not appear it will feature Bruce Wayne in any major capacity. WB Games Montreal announced on Saturday afternoon during DC Fandome that Gotham Knights is coming via a nearly five-minute trailer that highlights the games characters and setting.

A trailer wasn’t the only Gotham Knights content to get revealed to the masses during the event, as a seven-and-a-half minute clip showed off 4k gameplay, too.

The game takes place in Gotham. It’s unclear if this is a direct sequel to the Batman Arkham series, but it does occur after the death of Batman, and gamers are given the chance to play as the quartet of Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin. There’s also no word on whether there will be a main villain in these games, but the trailer does show that, at the very least, the heroes will need to battle Mr. Freeze.

An exact release date is unknown, but WB Games Montreal announced that Gotham Knights will come sometime in 2021. As for the consoles, there is a bit of good news: The game is set to drop on both current generation and next generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles. This isn’t the only video game news in the Batman universe that is expected on Saturday, as it’s believed that a Suicide Squad game will be revealed during DC Fandome.

Back in July, San Diego Comic Con bowed to so-so reviews and lackluster attendance, even though everything was available to anyone with an internet connection. One reason for the disappointment? It was lacking any Warner Bros. content. As it happens, the studio was saving everything for its own virtual con, namely this weekend’s DC Fandome. And the first thing out of the gate was a brand spanking new trailer for Wonder Woman 1984.

The sequel jumps from World War I to the Reagan era, pitting Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince against two foes: a media mogul played by Pedro Pascal and a nerdy archeologist played by Kristen Wiig. The former is reportedly modeled after Donald Trump while the latter eventually turns into Cheetah, a villain who first appeared in comics back in 1943.

Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor is also back, having apparently not died — or whatever! We’ll find out — in the 2017 original. While there’s plenty of fighting and golden lassoing and even a few glimpses of Wiig in her supervillain digs in, the trailer also finds room for Steve to try on some choice ’80s fashions.

DC Fandome will run all day Saturday, with panels on James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Aquaman, Shazam!, and of course that much-hyped “Snyder Cut” of Justice League.

You can watch the trailer for Wonder Woman 1984, which (allegedly) hits theaters on October 2, above.

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is the 2019-20 NBA Coach of the Year, the league announced on Saturday. The second-year head coach won the award for the first time in his career, becoming the first coach to be selected as Coach of the Year in both the NBA and NBA G League. Nurse also becomes the third Toronto coach in history to win the honor, following Sam Mitchell in 2007 and Dwane Casey in 2018.

On Saturday, Nurse’s high school basketball coach, Wayne Chandlee, appeared on TNT to personally give him the news. Nurse joined the Inside the NBA crew for an interview, but was surprised by the cameo and the news.

“Thanks a lot, man,” Nurse told the TNT crew after they showed Chandlee’s video. “That’s really cool. Coach Chandlee’s a great man. A great man, a great coach. Had him come to training camp just about every year for as long as I’ve been coaching back in in the States so it kind of all started with him. So that’s really cool that he got to come on here today.”

According to the voting results, the Toronto coach received 90 first place votes. Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Billy Donovan rounded out the top three, with five and four first place votes, respectively.

One year after leading the Raptors to their first-ever championship, Nurse has helped the team continue to succeed this year — despite the loss of Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason. This year, Toronto finished the regular season in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference with a 53-19 overall record. Early this year, Nurse led the Raptors to a franchise-record 15-game winning streak that culminated on Feb. 10.

Since arriving in the bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the Raptors have impressed and are currently leading the Brooklyn Nets 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

Sia has dropped her third release of the year, “Riding On My Bike,” which will appear on At Home With The Kids, a compilation album set to arrive on August 28. Comprised of both original and classic tracks, the album will see its proceeds going to the charity Save the Children. The song was once rumored to appear on Sia’s unreleased Ice Cream album, a nursery rhymes project composed by her and Larry Golding in the mid-2000s.

Sia’s new single arrives after the pop singer stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to deliver an at-home performance of “Together” with Maddie Ziegler back in June. This was the second time this year she performed a new song for fans via livestream, the first being the radiant debut of her “Saved My Life” single, which arrived during her livestream performance on Americares’ COVID Is No Joke benefit show in May. Sia also revealed that she has two albums “waiting to go,” which will arrive after the release of her upcoming film Music.

The upcoming At Home With The Kids compilation album will have 23 songs and include guest appearances from notable names such as Tove Lo, Chromeo, Portugal. The Man, and Midland.

Listen to “Riding On My Bike” above and check out the At Home With The Kids tracklist below.

01. Portugal. The Man –- “Tomorrow”
02. Sia -– “Riding On My Bike”
03. Royal & the Serpent -– “The ABC Song”
04. Shelley FKA DRAM -– “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”
05. Chromeo -– “Georgy Porgy”
06. Kyle -– “Pickle”
07. Anderson East -– “I Ain’t No Zebra I’m a Bumblebee”
08. Gnash –- “Night Night”
09. Christina Perri — “It’s a Small World”
10. Ema Jo Cobb -– “Hawaii”
11. Midland –- “Farmer John”
12. Ben Abraham -– “Eat Your Food”
13. Charlotte Cardin -– “Hush Little Baby”
14. Charlotte Lawrence -– “Lavender’s Blue”
15. IV Jay –- “Rock A Bye Baby”
16. Matt Maeson -– “Giants”
17 Chloe Moriondo –- “Oh My Darling Clementine”
18 A/J from Saint Motel -– “Big Ol World”
19 A Thousand Horses – “The Golden Rule”
20. Aaron Raitiere -– “If You Love Yo Mama”
21. The Knocks -– “Star Design”
22. Tove Lo –- “Buzz Buzz Hop Hop”
23. Winona Oak -– “Who Can Sail”

At Home With The Kids is out 08/28 via Atlantic. Pre-order it here.

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