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There have been a few teams that have been clearly identified as winners of the NBA offseason, improving their teams through trades, the draft, and free agency. You have the reigning champs in the Lakers who have taken a swing at beefing up their roster, the Philadelphia 76ers with Daryl Morey swiftly addressing their shooting needs and roster imbalance, and the Portland Trail Blazers adding some much-needed wing and frontcourt depth, headlined by a two-way star in Robert Covington.

Also on that list are the Phoenix Suns, a team that had high hopes for the 2020-21 season coming off of an 8-0 run through the Bubble that saw them fall just shy of qualifying for the play-in round. With Devin Booker continuing to establish himself as an elite guard in the league and a young cast of promising talent featuring Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, Phoenix was a trendy pick to leap into playoff contention this season even if they simply ran it back. However, the Suns pounced at the opportunity to pair Booker with the best backcourt mate of his career when they shuffled Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, and a 2022 first round pick off to the Thunder for future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul (and Abdel Nader).

It was a big swing, and in the week since they’ve added some more depth by signing Langston Galloway — a sneaky good pickup towards the end of the free agency rush — as well as Jae Crowder, E’Twaun Moore, and re-signed Jevon Carter and Dario Saric. The result is the deepest and best Suns roster of the Booker era, with some tremendous lineup versatility at Monty Williams’ disposal as he has some terrific talents on both sides of the ball.

The question is, with a number of teams in the West all looking to contend for the playoffs this season, how high can the Suns rise with Paul now operating as the floor general.

The West is a jumbled mess right now in trying to figure out exactly who should slot in where in the hierarchy of the conference outside of the two L.A. teams. You have teams that have effectively tread water in Denver and Utah, teams on the rise in Phoenix, Portland, New Orleans, Dallas, and Memphis, and a team still with stars that could blow it up at any moment in Houston. That would make for 8 teams vying for the 3-8 seeds (with the play-in tournament at the end of the season offering opportunity to 9 and 10), and doesn’t include the Kings or Spurs who are both competitive but feel like a step below these squads. As such, playoff positioning likely won’t tell the full story of how much better any of these teams have gotten, as we very well could have a year where a couple games separate a team playing at home in the first round from a team sitting out the postseason.

Still, the Suns expect to take the leap into the playoffs and have to feel as good about their roster as anyone in the league. Chris Paul may be 35, but is coming off of his second most efficient offensive season of his career and brings the Suns something they’ve not had since the Steve Nash era. Where Rubio brought the Suns a base level of competence at the point guard spot they’d desperately needed, Paul raises that even further to the point where teams will now have to contend with two elite playmakers and shotmakers in the NBA in he and Booker. We saw last year what having someone capable of taking some of that load off of Booker did for his efficiency last year, as he put forth a career-best 61.8 true shooting percentage, and playing with someone like Paul who will draw even more attention and create some easy looks for him should only further help his rise as not just an elite scorer but one who does so with precision.

It’s not just about what Paul can do for Booker that has Suns fans and the organization excited, but what it means for the rest of the roster. Paul is among the best pick-and-roll ball-handlers in league history and his partnership with the hyper-athletic Deandre Ayton in that area figures to produce some Lob City-esque looks for the young big man rolling to the rim. Around that pick-and-roll threat, the Suns have a bevy of shooters they can deploy in the two wing positions to maximize spacing and open up the floor for their three stars to operate at the rim and in the midrange where Booker and Paul are both lethal.

Bridges figures to slot into the starting lineup in place of Oubre (although it’s possible Crowder will take this place), as he’s coming off a tremendous sophomore campaign. Bridges was in the 90th percentile of wings in effective field percentage a year ago thanks to an uptick in his corner three percentage (41%) and his excellent work as a cutter, two things that should fit in very nicely with Paul’s addition, and his defense is already well above average. Dario Saric returns, as he likewise was an excellent shooter last year as an above the break shooter, hitting 39 percent of his non-corner threes last year creating even more space as a stretch four alongside Ayton. Cam Johnson had a strong rookie season, as his shooting more than translated at the NBA level, and they’re hopeful Jae Crowder will be able to carry his strong shooting from Miami to Phoenix. Moore, Galloway, and Carter were all tremendous corner three point shooters last season as well and all carry some defensive upside, allowing Williams to always pair his two star guards with a strong defensive presence and spacing on the offensive end.

What the Suns have done this offseason isn’t just take a swing on the Paul trade, but built out a strong supporting cast that offers some versatility on both ends of the floor. On top of that, they recognize that the best part of adding Chris Paul to your team is what he does to elevate everyone around him by putting them in the best positions to succeed. Guys like Bridges, Crowder, Moore, Saric, and Ayton are all heavily reliant on having opportunities created for them, and with Paul they should expect some of the best looks of their career.

For a long time there had been a question of whether Paul could be willing to cede the spotlight or some of the ball-handling load to another star, given how heavy-handed his impact had always been on the offense in New Orleans and Los Angeles. However, while they didn’t always see eye-to-eye, in Houston he was willing to let James Harden run the show more often than not, and then when he went to Oklahoma City he was happy to let everyone eat, as the three guard lineups with he, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schröder were some of the most efficient in the NBA, with all three sharing responsibilities. Those experiences tell you that him coexisting with Booker, who is well regarded for his work ethic on the floor, shouldn’t be a point of contention. Booker happily welcomed Rubio in and was thrilled to share some of the creative responsibilities with him, and it shouldn’t be a surprise to see he and Paul do the same.

Where Harden would stand 35 feet from the basket while Paul operated, Booker will be an active participant in the offense as a threat to catch-and-shoot or to create off the bounce should a closeout come to quickly, and vice versa when Booker is on the ball. The Suns still have to answer some questions on defense, but they certainly have the wing and backcourt talent now to take a step forward there and Ayton continues to take strides as a deterrent in the paint.

We saw last year what Paul’s presence can do for a team, as he lifted the Thunder to the 5-seed and nearly took out the Rockets in a 7-game thriller in the playoffs. This Suns team looks to be more talented than that OKC group, and their success is likely to come down to a few things beyond the obvious of health. For one, their wings have to knock down shots they way they showed they can a year ago, because Paul and Booker will create a number of good, open looks each game. The defense also has to coalesce in a way that sees them put forth consistent league-average output on that end, because the offense should be terrific, but the talent is there and we know how Paul significantly raises the floor of a team simply by being on the floor.

Phoenix has for years wandered aimlessly through the wilderness that is the bottom of the Western Conference, adrift without much of a real plan. Last year saw them lay a foundation to be competitive as they finally found some coaching stability and built a competent roster around their budding star, and this offseason they’ve built upon that. Paul brings instant credibility to the Suns, but it’s more what they’ve done around that move to build a roster that makes sense.For a team that’s lacked an identity for nearly a decade, it’s clear that they’ve decided on one, with Paul setting the tone. There’s a clear player type that they targeted this offseason that fits what Monty Williams wants, which is players that are tough and defensive-minded, without sacrificing offensive spacing, and they’ve filled the roster with guys who fit that description.

The West is extremely crowded this season, even moreso than last year, but a mid-seed, fighting for a top-4 spot is certainly not out of the question for a Suns team that finally knows what it wants to be and has executed an offseason plan about as well as they could’ve hoped.

Jimmy Fallon and The Roots kicked off the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this morning, and since then, more musical figures and entities have made their mark on the event.

There was an emphasis on Broadway shows this year and the cast of Hamilton participated in the festivities with a performance. Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted about the presence of Hamilton and other Broadway shows (like Ain’t Too Proud, Jagged Little Pill, and Mean Girls), writing, “It’s Hamilton’s 1st time performing at the Parade. Grateful to be among the shows performing, including @AintTooProud, @jaggedmusical, @MeanGirlsBway. Live theater is waiting on the other side of all this. The ghost lights are still on. Grateful for YOU. Have a happy safe day.”

Meanwhile, Bebe Rexha also performed her new Doja Cat collaboration, “Baby, I’m Jealous,” which she and Doja recently performed at the AMAs.

Beyond all that, CNCO, Ally Brooke, Brett Young, Sofia Carson, and AJR also made appearances during the parade.

https://twitter.com/Macys/status/133199458759914701

Given the restrictions the pandemic imposes, the parade was different this year that it has been in recent years. There wasn’t a crowd there and everything took place within a one-block radius. A lot of the parade was also pre-taped over the course of three days, and the number of participants was cut by about 88 percent this year, so there were far fewer people than the usual 8,000 or so.

Watch some clips from the parade above.

Free agency ends up being a lot of things, but it’s always a clarifier. League trends, whether via prominence placed on a specific position — like this year’s big man bonanza — or playing style, can turn into a full-tilt climate of desperation wrecking seismic fallout in either conference. A team’s future gaps, little rifts barely noticeable with a roster arranged just so, turn into chasms when players walk. Even the money can tell a story — front offices that load up on players to soar past the salary cap could be looking at midseason trades, or else figure paying the penalty is a fair price for a shot at a title.

The shape of the league for seasons to come starts to emerge.

It’s strange, then, to experience a team with an identity as fixed as the Toronto Raptors existing now, weeks before the season is set to start, floating in a novel kind of limbo. One that is half created by circumstances far out of the franchise’s control in its temporary relocation to Tampa, and half by two of its biggest — in mass and popularity — players walking. The departures of Serge Ibaka to the Clippers and Marc Gasol to the Lakers, while always in the realm of possibility, still feels surprising.

Through Toronto’s lens, last season feels at once abrupt and unfinished despite the fact it was the longest in league history. The first half of the year was marred by a string of injuries that could have derailed the team at each groaning prognosis, but through roster ingenuity and a next man up approach, the Raptors were riding a thrilling and resilient season right up until its suspension. In the continuation of play at Disney, the team appeared more together than most after the months long break, but couldn’t find the necessary gear to shift into when facing Boston in the conference semifinals without the propulsion of meteoric players like Pascal Siakam or the edge of reliable minutes from the bench. The end, in the end, came so regularly after a season that felt anything but.

It was that unfinished end that made it seem reasonable, even likely, that Toronto would run it back for another season. Fred VanVleet was the team’s central target, but considerations for Ibaka and Gasol existed in close proximity. While they were each an integral part of Toronto’s on-court structure and its identity off, there may have been the sense that both would come back on shorter deals. Before the Lakers put such a premium on size by using it to their advantage in every playoff series they won in the Bubble, league demand for traditional bigs was relatively normal, if not low, and the two international veterans might have opted for less substantial deals with the Raptors. But post Lakers title, and after both the Lakers and Clippers shuffled the deck on their frontcourts in free agency, Ibaka and Gasol, on serendipitously timed expiring contracts, became two of the best options out there.

A front office can’t necessarily know it’s going to enter a perfect storm of a league-wide demand for size the same offseason it has to evaluate contracts for two championship-caliber centers, but that Toronto got caught in such a lurch could’ve gone two ways. Faced with what’s been the Raptors ultimate target of next year’s Giannis Antetokounmpo free agency, the team wasn’t willing to offer Ibaka and Gasol more than one-year deals lest those contracts make Toronto less fluid when it came time to get Antetokounmpo to the table. Alternately, after the team’s earlier than hoped for playoff exit, this coming season looked even more like the start of a rebuild year. A season to lay the groundwork for its next iteration while relying on its mainstay of defensive ingenuity to stay competitive in the East. But both options still require either Ibaka or Gasol. To lure a star like Antetokounmpo, should he become available, a team like Toronto needs to be readily on track to another title as much as it needs the cushion of cap space.

Where the Raptors sit now, en route to a strange and transitory home in Tampa, mirage-like itself against the shimmering glint of the Gulf, is in a self-induced limbo. Toronto’s front office held out for as long as it could in the hope that the Canadian government would grant it an exemption to the ongoing border closure to the States, lifting the obligatory 14-day quarantine for those entering the country and making it possible for other teams to travel to the city. How COVID cases were trending in Toronto and nationwide, when negotiations between the team and federal and municipal levels of government started, was in stark contrast to where they currently sit. It’s a factor the team couldn’t account for, but in waiting so long to make a decision, they gave up some of what has always made the Raptors appear such an assured organization.

When asked if the team had a “drop dead date” in an interview with local media on Nov. 17, GM Bobby Webster said they did not, “it’s all based on our feel on when is an appropriate amount of time to obviously let everyone know, while at the same time making a decision that is best for the franchise.”

Webster acknowledged there had been “stops and starts in different cities” but that the team didn’t want to go “on a wild goose chase” of “leading people here, then there the next day.” But by then, a week and a half away from December and training camp, whatever location was ultimately chosen for the team to start its season in was going to feel less a chase and more racing to catch up. For the first time in a long time the franchise existed in a world where it did not make its own choices, often many steps ahead. As an entity it was simply bound as a business, its stake in Toronto, the city, equalized by the virus, the same as anything else. Now, as a team, the Raptors identity hangs in a similar, ephemeral balance.

Despite both their relatively brief tenures in the scheme of a team made competitive and successful under Masai Ujiri, Ibaka’s three seasons and Gasol’s one and a half felt formative. The title imprinted them both in Raptors history but their individual contributions helped carry the team forward, growing it in ability and aspiration.

Gasol, in his steadiness and stubborn drive, became the team’s anchor. His defensive reads are as nuanced as Kyle Lowry’s sixth sense of forecasting the floor, the kind of presence that would be felt in how Toronto’s most well-honed rivals like the Sixers or Celtics would avoid making drives at the paint if Gasol stood his ground in it, silently menacing, but would flow freely through it without him. There were rare times where Gasol seemed to revel in a win but mostly he was looking ahead, concerned with how to improve.

Pre-Gasol and pre-title, Toronto was a team that could, at times, seem in a perpetual state of improving, of almost there. Through his adamant but meticulous framework, Gasol gave the team a more circumspect approach to progress. With him, the ceaseless grind gained focus. Not everything had to feel exhaustive in order to get better.

Where Gasol thrived in the team’s workmanlike approach to play, Ibaka’s strength became drawing the team away from it, freeing his teammates up to let a little of the chip roll off their shoulders. As he grew more comfortable with every season, Ibaka brought a lightness the team had lacked since its underdog days. And while he could be easy, could be mischievous off court in feeding his teammates so many shock value body parts, could be immaculate in the looks he brought to the pre-game tunnel, it was because he backed it all up on the court. Ibaka lent a bravado and swagger to the team’s sometimes systematic defensive schemes. Even his dust ups, of which there were a few in his first two seasons as a Raptor, added punctuation. He was an enforcer not completely content to rely on his size or the traditional role of his position, if not punctuating his game with the occasional challenge to a player out to try something then with elements added over time, most recently a reliable three-point shot.

The Raptors have lost not just substantial size with Ibaka and Gasol gone — physical presence picked up now by new additions Aron Baynes and Alex Len, and in resigning Chris Boucher — but close and informing pieces to team chemistry, a crucial intangible Toronto has held onto through all of its last big shakeups. With the team out of its home market, it’s going to be difficult for these new additions, plus rookies Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris, to feel out the team’s identity by virtue of place. Even if there’d be no fans in-arena in Toronto, there’s a lot to be gained by the tactile recognition of the everyday, the osmosis of routine when taking in a new city.

There is a potential, stubborn silver lining in the team’s relocation to Tampa. With every player meeting for the first time to live, work, and compete on neutral ground, there aren’t any holdover attachments or unspoken elements of routine. It’s a completely clean slate for a team in need of reworking and reforging to cut to the heart of things, quick. The Raptors could form an identity separate from place built on the fundamental values of its core and in the process become even more internally resilient. There’s an opportunity for its next-in-line leaders of VanVleet and Siakam to step into an identity building role, catching the team’s free agency acquisitions up while instilling the kind chemistry and experience in their rookies that Lowry and DeMar DeRozan pressed on them.

If this free agency really was about setting the stage for Antetokounmpo to land in Toronto, then it behooves the Raptors to show they have the internal fortitude and framework to thrive away from home in a formative season. If the MVP is languishing in Milwaukee due to a stalling team chemistry and lack of clear plan, then Toronto would benefit by showing him they can stay competitive and revel, to a degree, in a bizarre season, no matter the backdrop.

Days after his record re-signing, VanVleet addressed Toronto media for the first time. When asked what his sense was of everything that had gone on with the roster and what it meant for Toronto’s upcoming season he said he was excited about what the team had.

“I think we’re kinda headed back in the direction of where we were pre-Kawhi [Leonard], where people are overlooking us again,” VanVleet said, “which is not a bad place to be in.”

Toronto does well out of the limelight and this season, relocated and reshuffled, some of its biggest personality pieces gone, there may not be more than passing interest to see how the north fares as transient snowbirds. After that, if the team can revert back to the kind of steadiness that got it ready to make a run at the title to begin with, will be when the work of this season starts. Without the familiarity of home court and its championship banner, a reminder trimmed in gold of who they were fluttering in the rafters, Toronto will have to look hard at a cut and condensed version of itself. If free agency’s a clarifier then its losses can be too. Free from the trappings, the belonging pin of place and those most familiar, the Raptors can decide if the way out of this lurch is along a circuitous road, eventually leading back to who and where they were, or forward, to put a stamp on something new.

Life during the pandemic has changed a lot of things, and that includes the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The show went on, though, and it was kicked off by Jimmy Fallon and The Roots.

It started with a pre-taped skit of Fallon making an opulent Thanksgiving dinner in his kitchen and calling for the parade to be saved. So, he texted Questlove to meet him outside, and from there, Fallon and The Roots launched into a spirited rendition of David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s “Dancing In The Street.”

The parade didn’t go how it usually does this year. No crowds were in attendance, and the proceedings took place just in the one-block stretch in front of Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. Additionally, much of the parade was pre-taped over the course of three days, and while about 8,000 people usually participate, that number was reduced by about 88 percent this year.

The parade’s executive producer Susan Tercero told the Associated Press, “Traditions like this are comforting and they’re uplifting. New York has always been a tough city. It bounces back. It takes its blows and then it continues on. And I think it’s extremely important for us to be that display this holiday season. Regardless of what’s happened, New York needs to be that beacon of light in the darkness and this parade, I think, is symbolic of that.”

Watch clips from the parade above.

More so than perhaps any year in recent memory, the new list of Grammy nominations is facing a boatload of criticism. Also more so than in recent years, the Recording Academy has actually offered responses to some of these criticisms. Interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. spoke about The Weeknd and Harry Styles’ snubs, and now he has addressed Justin Bieber’s concerns about his nominations.

Bieber racked up some nominations in the pop categories, but he considered his work to be R&B. He expressed complaints about the nominations, which Mason addressed in a new interview with Pitchfork, saying:

“We always want to respect the artist’s wishes. Art’s a funny thing because it’s so subjective, and at the Academy our goal is to honor excellence. At some point, decisions have to be made as to how to compare different things, and it is a very tough process and one I don’t think we get right every time. We use our best efforts to get people where they wanna be and where they should be and try to evaluate them as best as we can. If he felt that was that type of a record, then, you know… I’ll just leave it at that. We try really hard to make sure people’s art is respected and evaluated in the right category.”

Read the full interview here and find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees here.

Whether you’re having a solo meal this year (safest option) or you’ve teamed up with your quarantine cluster for a socially distanced feast (less ideal), your Thanksgiving 2020 will be significantly improved with a caballito [literally “little horse” but meaning “shot” in this case] of the finest tequila. There’s no better way to reward yourself for surviving the insanity of this COVID-filled year (and resisting the urge to gather!) than a high-quality añejo or reposado served neat.

To steer you in the right direction, we’ve curated a list of some of our favorite aged tequilas that will pair perfectly with fall favorites like roasted turkey, heavy doses of gravy, and all your favorite fixings. This list — populated with both smoky and vegetal tequilas; some sippers and some mixing expressions — will excite the palate, chill you out, and help you drift into a reflective state that pairs well with a holiday centered around thankfulness and food.

So let’s dive into the best aged tequilas to pair with this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Expresiones Del Corazón Thomas H. Handy Añejo

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Tequila San Matias de Jalisco
Average Price: $82.99
The Tequila:

If you’re the type that thinks only whisky is good for sipping, you need to try Expresiones Del Corazón’s Thomas H. Handy Añejo. To achieve the golden hue of this ultra-smooth tequila, Corazón’s blanco tequila is rested for 19 months at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Thomas H. Handy whiskey barrels, resulting in a complex tequila with a long and warming finish.

Tasting Notes:

You’ll never need a chaser with this bottle. A subtle, spicy bite makes way for sweet vanilla and rich caramel with a surprisingly bright, almost tropical character that will greatly enhance any dish flavored with citrus or pome fruits.

Bottom Line:

A high-quality tequila that combines the best of the whiskey and tequila worlds. Pairs amazingly with apple pie.

El Tesaro Extra Añejo

ABV: 40%
Distillery: La Alteña Distillery
Average Price: $100

The Tequila:

El Tesaro’s extra añejo tequila begins with Blue Weber agave harvested at peak maturity and fermented in old fashioned wood fermentation tanks in an open-air setting, then aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for up to five years, which gives the Tequila a vibrant and appetizing golden hue. The result is simply one of the finest tequilas on the market — sweeping the top honors across this year’s spirits tasting competitions.

Tasting Notes:

Peppery and herbal, with rich and earthy flavors of chocolate and roasted coffee with a tinge of oak courteously of those ex-bourbon barrels.

Bottom Line:

One of the finest bottles of tequila you’ll taste all year, worthy of a permanent place on your own personal top shelf. Pair with your bird and your side of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Hornitos Cristalino

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Tequila Sauza
Average Price: $29.99

The Tequila:

A budget-friendly Cristalino that utilizes Hornitos triple-distilled añejo tequila aged in American White oak casks and carbon-filtered into a crystal clear state, resulting in a spirit with a smooth mouthfeel and warm velvety tannins.

Tasting Notes:

Bittersweet notes of honey and butterscotch pave the way for a warm vanilla finish that lingers on the palate between sips.

Bottom Line:

Affordable enough to shoot and well-made enough to not make you wince.

Patrón Reposado

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Patrón Spirits Mexico
Average Price: $54.99

The Tequila:

Patrón Reposado begins with hand-harvested Weber blue agave that is distilled in small batches at Patrón’s legendary Jalisco distillery and aged for two months in American, French, and Hungarian oak barrels. The end result is an expression that features all of the bright vegetal flavors of Patron’s un-aged tequila with a smooth and luxurious oaky finish.

Tasting Notes:

Fresh agave flavors greet the palate and gently marinate into a floral mix of honey and citrus fruits. The finish leans into the oak, with some nice vanilla at the very end.

Bottom Line:

The best margarita you’ll ever have in your life starts with Patrón’s Reposado tequila. It’s complex enough to be worthy of drinking during a celebration but priced at that affordable sweet spot.

Patron Extra Añejo

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Patrón Spirits Mexico
Average Price: $89.98

The Tequila:

One of Patron’s finest bottles, this extra añejo is aged for 3 years in small oak barrels with a deep golden hue that will instantly improve the appearance of any tequila-based cocktail.

Tasting Notes:

A full-bodied tequila with subtle notes of crisp fruit and a deep roasted agave body, leading into a bold oak and vanilla finish.

Bottom Line:

The one añejo on this list we’d suggest tossing into a cocktail (a tequila soda, or something equally simple), Patron’s extra añejo is best served alongside a slice of homemade pecan pie or a side of sweet potatoes.

Espanita Reposado

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Impulsora Rombo
Average Price: $31.99

The Tequila:

To reach the resposado state, Espanita rested their blanco tequila in French oak and American white oak barrels for a light honey-colored expression with a velvety smooth finish and deeply complex flavors. This is the perfect base ingredient for a Mexican Mule or a Paloma — so grab this bottle if you’re looking for a mixed drink to sit aside your Thanksgiving feast.

Tasting Notes:

A highly vegetal and zesty flavor evolves across the palate, with notes of kola nut and creamy mashed walnuts with a sweet candied coconut finish.

Bottom Line:

A fairly priced bottle for those looking to take their cocktail making game up a notch without having to actually learn any new skills (palomas are incredibly easy to make!).

1800 Cristalino

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Casa Cuervo
Average Price: $54.99

The Tequila:

Aged in American and French Oak barrels for 16 months and then finished in port wine casks for half a year, this Cristalino serves as a great introduction to the expression for first-timers. Be careful with this one though, it is so smooth that it becomes dangerously easy to overdrink.

Tasting Notes:

The warm notes of roasted agave and white chocolate show up first on the palate and make way for a fruity lift of rich cherry and a vanilla caramel finish with absolutely no burn. Simply one of the easiest sipping tequilas you’ll ever drink.

Bottom Line:

Serve it up on a rock and let the bottle sit tableside with your dinner all night. Just remember to keep count of how many glasses you’ve poured.

Megan Thee Stallion’s ex-friend Kelsey Nicole just dropped a diss track aimed at the rapper. After the ferocious opening to Meg’s debut album, Good News, Nicole has been taking issue with some bars on the song “Shots Fired” which are reportedly aimed at her, along with Torey Lanez.

Things have been tense between the two former friends since Megan was shot back in July of this year. Megan said Torey’s camp was offering to pay her to keep quiet, and rumors began to circulate that maybe Kelsey had taken the money because she wasn’t speaking out on the incident. There were also rumors that Kelsey and Torey were dating, which was why she didn’t want to publicly address the situation. The Megan and Kelsey reportedly unfollowed each other on Instagram shortly after the shooting, a clear sign, in 2020, that a friendship is done.

Earlier tonight, Nicole also went on Instagram Live and addressed her side of things before dropping the track, claiming that Megan had been hooking up with someone Kelsey was seeing first:

In her diss track, Nicole claims that she’s been threatened with the release of a sex tape if she tells the truth, and says that Megan has been lying to her label about what happened the night of the shooting. For her part, Meg seems to have responded:

Listen to Nicole’s track above or on Apple Music here.

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

Berwyn has impressed many during his rise towards acclaim from his UK hometown. Fresh off his Demotape/Vega album, which he released in September, the Trinidadian-born rapper returns with his new “Vinyl” single and video. The track is a melancholy effort that finds him walking through the nighttime city streets as he reflects on his failure to be present for several important moments in his life. “I just pray that time is kinder / Never got to send my granny away,” he says in the song. “Never got to tell you everything was my fault.” He continues to show remorse later on in the song with lines like, “Sorry that I wasn’t there to clap at your graduation / And you wasn’t there to see as my life was changing.”

“Vinyl” is another great release from Berwyn after he fought long and hard to make to where he stands today. He pushed through “frequent cycles of homelessness and dead end jobs,” as mentioned in press materials. He contemplated a move back to Trinidad but opted for “sh*thole flat” where he lived “on a diet of toast, weed and insomnia” to record his Demotape/Vega mixtape. The video for “Vinyl” also arrives after he shared a visual for “017 Freestyle” from Demotape/Vega a song he said he “gassed” to share with fans.

You can watch the “Vinyl” video above.

Demotape/Vega is out now via Heritage. Get it here.

One of the most tiresome arguments about the NBA is the suggestion that players today are soft compared to previous generations. Old timers love to wax ecstatic about the glory days when men were men and a good hard foul was just and a rite of passage in your initiation to the “No Boys Allowed” league.

Over the years, however, the NBA has wisely cracked down on aggressive actions, imposing hefty fines and mandatory suspensions for anyone who crosses the line and throws a punch. It’s achieved the intended result, which has been far fewer incidences of skirmishes and shoving matches devolving into dangerous all-out brawls.

The other casualty of the new era has been the role of the enforcer, the resident tough guy who had everyone’s back and was ready to take one for the team when the situation called for it. There are few better examples than Kenyon Martin, who definitely earned his reputation as someone you didn’t want to cross (just ask J.R. Smith).

In a first-person essay on BasketballNews.com, Martin talked about what fed into his on-court demeanor and why he wasn’t worried about taking a fine and/or suspension if the situation called for it.

“If we’re just playing basketball and getting physical, that’s fine. When I was on the Clippers, we faced Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies in the playoffs and it was very physical, but there was mutual respect and no bad blood after each game. But if someone is being disrespectful, at the drop of a dime, I’ll slap the shit out of them. Then, I’ll deal with the three- or four-game suspension, whatever the consequence is. Years from now, I’ll forget about those three games I missed due to suspension, but you’re going to remember the time Kenyon Martin slapped the shit out of you.”

Martin’s NBA career spanned 15 seasons and five teams, including an All-Star selection in 2004 and back-to-back Finals appearances with the Nets in 2001 and 2002. His son, Kenyon Martin Jr., was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 52nd overall pick in the 2020 Draft.

This Friday will mark five years since Erykah Badu shared her But You Caint Use My Phone mixtape with the world. The project arrived after a five-year hiatus following her 2010 New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) album. It was also dropped without the knowledge of her Universal label as she released it straight to iTunes before adding it to other retailers the week after. With the anniversary rapidly approaching, Erykah took to Twitter to celebrate the project and announce the return of the phone line that debuted with But You Caint Use My Phone.

The singer made the announcement on Twitter saying, “‘But You Caint Use My Phone’ mix tape Is 5 today. Remember when y’all figured out my # & were FaceTiming me on the trap phone? Well in honor of BYCUMP anniversary and CONTROL FREAQ RECORDS, I’ll be opening up my phone line on Thanksgiving Day… stay tuned.” In addition to But You Caint Use My Phone, Badu also recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of her classic sophomore album, Mama’s Gun, earlier this week.

The announcement comes in what’s been a semi-active year for the legendary singer. Her highlight moment of 2020 came when she joined Jill Scott for a soothing Verzuz battle back in May. She also held a quarantine livestream performance from her bedroom and joined Teyana Taylor, HER, and Brandy for a BET Hip-Hop Award cypher this year as well. On the musical side of things, her only contribution in 2020 came alongside Slingbaum and D’Angelo for their “Behoove” track.

Check out Erykah’s tweet above.