Category: Worldwide

Seeing raw artistic talent at work is always a joy, and when it comes from a child, it’s awe-inspiring. But when you combine prodigious ability with sparkling personality, the “‘it’ factor” comes into play, creating a universally enjoyable experience for all.

10-year-old drummer Nandi Bushell has all of that—natural talent, a clearly stellar practice ethic, and a delightful performance personality. She’s also got confidence oozing out her pores, as she publicly challenged Foo Fighters drummer Dave Grohl to a drum-off by knocking out one of the band’s songs.

But the best part is Grohl’s response to her battle request.

Here’s her original battle performance (which is simply fun to watch because it’s so obvious she’s having a blast).

Everlong by the Foo Fighters Drum Cover

www.youtube.com

Dave Grohl, widely acknowledged as one of the rock world’s nicest guys, responded in a video. He said he’d received at least a hundred messages asking if he’d seen her challenge, told Nandi that she is “an incredible drummer” and that he’s flattered she’s chosen his music to play, then challenged her to learn a more obscure song he played years ago called “Dead End Friends.”

“The ball is in your court,” he told her.

Challenge Accepted! Nandi Bushell reacts to Dave Grohl accepting her drum battle request!

www.youtube.com

And of course, she followed through not only with a fabulous performance, but even wore a shirt that matched Grohl’s. If the “Woooo! Checkmate!” at the end doesn’t leave you with a smile on your face, you may need to reexamine your life.

Dave Grohl VS Nandi Bushell EPIC Drum Battle – Dead End Friends – Them Crooked Vultures – Checkmate!

youtu.be

Grohl admitted defeat in a tweet on the Foo Fighters Twitter page, promising that he has “something special in mind” for round two. Can’t wait to see what comes next.

They won’t officially drop until October, but Damian Lillard’s signature Dame 7 sneaker will make its debut on Friday in NBA 2K21 where fans will be able to get a first look at the latest edition of Lillard’s popular adidas shoe.

Lillard, the cover athlete for the latest NBA 2K game, will be donning his own shoes when fans use him in the game, customized with the “I Am My Own Fan” colorway. Not only will Lillard himself be wearing the new shoe, but fans can outfit their MyPlayer avatar with the Dame 7s as well.

In addition, to celebrate “2K Day,” fans will be able to see an interview with Lillard in the newest episode of 2KTV, the in-game show that 2K produces. And for those who want to try and get their hands on a pair, throughout the day, fans can enter to win the exclusive 2K colorway of the Dame 7, a full month before they’re available to the public.

After winning MVP of the NBA Bubble’s seeding games and stealing a game from the Lakers in the first round, Lillard is celebrating his first cover athlete appearance on NBA 2K21 as well as the latest edition of his signature sneaker.

In The Comeback Trail, Robert De Niro and Zach Braff star as Max Barber and Walter Creason, two down and out movie producers who owe money to Morgan Freeman‘s no-nonsense mob boss Reggie Fontaine. The two hatch a scheme to pay back Fontaine, but it doesn’t exactly go as planned.

Going by the trailer, there’s also the matter of Tommy Lee Jones’ character, who isn’t the easy person to kill. The guy wakes up every morning and plays Russian Roulette, yet he’s easily pushing 70. He also seems to be impervious to fire and severe blunt force trauma, which should throw a kink in things. The synopsis clears up a few details:

To save himself and Walter, Barber has to sell the only great script he’s ever had to his former intern and, now, A-Movie producer, James Moore (Emile Hirsch). On the first day of shooting Moore’s lead actor dies in a stunt accident and lets him cash in on a huge insurance policy. That gives Barber an idea to do the same. They take a horrible script called The Oldest Gun In The West and hire a washed-up cowboy actor, Duke Montana (Tommy Lee Jones) to play the lead. Known for doing his own stunts during his prime, Montana is poised for an early demise allowing Barber to get away with his get-rich-quick scam. Only one problem… nobody told Montana.

On a film buff note, The Comeback Trail is the first-time reunion of De Niro and director George Gallo since their collaboration on the action comedy classic Midnight Run.

The Comeback Trail hits theaters November 13.

(Via Deadline)

One of the best parts of the second round of the NBA playoffs is that the players’ families have now joined them in the bubble, offering no shortage of opportunities for the “awww” factor as cameras cut to socially-distanced toddlers doing their best to stay awake for late tip-off times in Orlando.

Still, the Raptors had were in a rough place on Thursday night after going down 0-2 to the Celtics, and things weren’t looking much better toward the end of regulation when they found themselves trailing and facing what would almost certainly be an insurmountable 3-0 deficit.

Fortunatley, O.G. Anunoby came through at the buzzer for the win, in the process blessing us with a classic Kyle Lowry moment and breathing new life into a Raptors team that desperately needed it. Heading into Game 3 with a chance to tie the series, it’s all the confidence boost they needed, if you ask Fred VanVleet. Via Sam Amick of The Athletic:

Bedlam ensued, with Anunoby swarmed by his teammates as the executives, staff and family members all went wild. In the nearby hallway that leads to the locker rooms, Raptors president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster were in disbelief. And VanVleet, the Raptors guard who had finally finished a television interview on the floor where it all went down, walked briskly by his basketball bosses with a message that should concern the Celtics.

“They f*cked up,” he said of the Boston squad that was so close to being up 3-0 in the series. “They f*cked up now.”

Toronto will definitely need VanVleet playing like he did in Game 3 if they want any chance. He scored 25 points in the contest, including 17 in the second half, after starting the series ice-cold from behind the arc.

The Raptors will try to even things up when Game 4 tips off on Saturday at 6:30 ET on TNT.

It’s a GOOD Music connection in Big Sean’s new video for “Lithuania” with Travis Scott, from his newly released album, Detroit 2. The two former Kanye West proteges have both come into their own in recent years, topping the charts and building their legacies. After working extensively with the mercurial producer/Presidential candidate, Sean and Travis have begun cultivating their own sounds and taking diverging paths to superstardom.

Sean, who waited three years after the release of his last album I Decided to drop a new project, returned to one of his fan-favorite projects for inspiration, crafting a sequel worthy of the title of the original. In the run up to the album’s release, Sean teased videos for multiple tracks, including “Don Life” with Lil Wayne and “Body Language” with Jhene Aiko, but only released full videos for “Harder Than My Demons” and “Lithuania” so far. He also released his Nipsey Hussle collaboration “Deep Reverence” as a buzz single against his label’s wishes. It appears the gamble has paid off.

Travis, meanwhile, has followed more closely in Kanye’s footsteps, adopting his own supercrew of mentees in the form of Cactus Jack Records and getting heavily involved in the streetwear world. His next effort in that realm is apparently a collaboration with megacorporation McDonald’s, which supposedly includes a limited-run Travis Scott meal and a bunch of clothes featuring synergistic branding. Travis was also the first rapper to perform a virtual concert in a video game.

Watch Big Sean’s “Lithuania” video featuring Travis Scott above.

Detroit 2 is out now via Def Jam Recordings. Stream it here.

The Batman is attempting to re-start production after Robert Pattinson’s positive COVID test, and all fingers are crossed on that note, although the current situation in the U.K., where Matt Reeves is filming is… not great. However, filmmaker Tyler Perry — recently recognized by Forbes after reaching a $1 billion net worth — is keeping his usual tight ship running (the same one that cranked out what feels like a zillion Madea movies) with added pandemic precautions.

This week, as Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reveals, Perry’s time has included wrapping production on Ruthless, a BET+ drama series that spins off The Oval series. He then swiftly moved onto taping fresh episodes of his BET+comedy series, Bruh. This is all happening in Atlanta, which has wrestled with our current situation like much of the South, but it’s all happening because of a strict bubble:

Perry employs a quarantine bubble model, sequestering cast and crew on the lot for the duration of a shoot. The production follows a 30-page document that outlines the plan in great detail. It involves check-in testing as cast and crew arrive at the studio, with everyone staying in their rooms until test results come back.

Perry isn’t messing around! This plan hasn’t gone off without a hitch, however. Perry revealed to Deadline that initial check-in procedure for his Sistas series turned up four positive COVID tests (among crew members and extras), but since no one had been allowed to congregate at that point, the situation was swiftly contained. The key appears to be keeping people in rooms until they have an all-clear test, and while it sounds simple, there’s undoubtedly a lot of coordination involved. Much like the NBA model, this is probably the only close-to-surefire way to get things done on a Hollywood scale, probably for the rest of the year.

(Via Deadline & Forbes)

The Rundown is a weekly column that highlights some of the biggest, weirdest, and most notable events of the week in entertainment. The number of items could vary, as could the subject matter. It will not always make a ton of sense. Some items might not even be about entertainment, to be honest, or from this week. The important thing is that it’s Friday, and we are here to have some fun.

ITEM NUMBER ONE — Robot news

Background first, because history is important. In Rocky IV, the classic work of cinema in which Rocky Balboa avenges his friend’s death and single-handedly ends the Cold War by whupping a roided-up Russian superhuman on Christmas Day in Moscow, Rocky gifts his brother-in-law, the charming and perpetually unshaven grump Paulie, a talking robot. Like, a full-on robot, not a Roomba or one of those little robot dogs. Here, look.

It is, to be very clear, hilarious and extremely 1980s, in a way very few things are. People were obsessed with robots for a chunk of the 1980s and 90s. Robots popped up in all sorts of television shows and movies, and, except for your Terminators and such, were usually friendly and helpful. It was a very optimistic time. People had yet to discover what technology and algorithms had in store for us. They thought we’d have polite robot butlers that would make us pancakes and do our laundry; instead, we have tiny supercomputers that we refuse to put down for one single second and that feed our once-sweet aunts and uncles a steady stream of conspiracy theories and thinly-disguised propaganda. It’s not ideal.

Anyway, Sylvester Stallone is preparing a new director’s cut of the film for its 35th anniversary, and he announced it on Instagram, and everything was proceeding at a normal clip until we reached this section of the comments on the post.

I will get to the substance of this issue in a second, but first, take a minute to consider two things:

• Please say “The robot is going to the junkyard forever” in your best and/or worst Stallone voice, out loud, at least a dozen times throughout the day
• Please picture Sylvester Stallone wearing reading glasses and sitting at a laptop pecking out replies to comments on his Instagram with his two meaty index fingers

But yes, this all raises an important question: Should Sylvester Stallone cut Paulie’s robot from the director’s cut of Rocky IV? Let’s look at both sides of the argument.

THE CASE FOR KEEPING THE ROBOT

The robot is very funny and watching Paulie react to it cracks me up. I would be sad if it just disappeared. I would like more of the robot, actually. And there’s more of it there to give me, as Screencrush explained recently.

Removing Paulie’s Robot is particularly upsetting because there were additional scenes with him that were previously left on the cutting room floor. In one interview [the robot’s creator Robert] Doornick describes a scene that was cut where “Paulie and the robot had developed an odd couple relationship, with the robot complaining that Paulie always slept in the same t-shirt and made too much cigar smoke. The robot ‘found it offensive to [his] sensors.’” so then Paulie messes with the robot’s circuits and changes it from male to female “Most people in the movie don’t understand why the robot switched from a normal voice to a female voice,” Doornick said. “That’s why.”

I absolutely adore that Sylvester Stallone got three Rockys into this franchise and then decided, screw it, I’m throwing an entire robot subplot into my boxing movie about death and loss and ongoing Cold War tensions. I’m mad this much of it was cut already. I’ll be heartbroken if he cuts the rest, in part because it’s always a bummer when filmmakers go back and screw around with their works many decades later, and in part because, again, the whole thing is so cheesy and goofy and so aggressively 1980s that it just fits. It’s a time capsule. Leave it alone, Sly.

THE CASE FOR CUTTING THE ROBOT

Rocky is a Philadelphia icon and Philadelphia has a long and storied history of wiping friendly robots out of existence. And when I refer to this long and storied history, what I mean is HitchBOT. You remember HitchBOT, yes? If not, allow me to direct you to this CNN report, headlined “HitchBOT, the hitchhiking robot, gets beheaded in Philadelphia”:

HitchBOT, the cheerful hitchhiking robot that had made cross-country trips across Canada, the Netherlands and Germany, had intended to travel across the United States as well. Instead, it survived all of 300 miles on the mean streets of the U.S.A.

Two weeks after beginning its U.S. trip in Boston, the robot was vandalized in Philadelphia, the team overseeing the robot said in a statement.

It is fitting and accurate that Philadelphia’s most iconic fictional figure would eliminate this robot. Good riddance.

VERDICT

Sylvester Stallone should keep the robot in the director’s cut of Rocky IV but add a scene where a group of local toughs stomp it out on the street. A healthy compromise.

ITEM NUMBER TWO— Chadwick Boseman was good at everything

Chadwick Boseman passed away from cancer at age 43. Every part of that sentence is awful. He was so young and so talented and had so much more to do and to give. I’ve read every tribute to him by all of his co-stars and collaborators, and I’ve read every other story about him I’ve seen this week, too, including the one about how he thought he had it beat as recently as last month. It sucks. It sucks in every way. It would have sucked even if he wasn’t incredibly talented, but it sucks especially because of that.

A lot of the focus this week has been on his work in Black Panther, and in biopics as Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall. This is understandable, and correct, and good. He brought a kind of quiet power to those roles that leaped off the screen and brought them to life. He was so good in Black Panther. He was so, so good, even as he was playing against a charismatic and colorful villain in Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger. That’s not easy. It also shouldn’t be a surprise, because he was kind of great at everything.

For example, did you remember that Chadwick Boseman appeared in an episode of Justified earlier in his career? Because he did. He showed up in the second season as a character named Ralph “Flex” Beeman who could have very easily been one of many forgotten goons on the show. But he was great in the role. I remember watching it at the time and thinking “This guy kind of rules.” I was sad they killed him off at the end of the episode, for a few reasons, not the least of which being that he got to deliver one of the show’s best lines, which I will present here without context, because it doesn’t need it.

He was also terrific as a host on SNL, which I say both because it is true and because it will allow me to embed the Black Jeopardy sketch where he appeared in character as T’Challa.

Again, this all just sucks very much. I’m sorry I don’t have a more eloquent way to express myself here. It’s about as far as my brain will let me take things right now. It just sucks, a lot, and I’m sad.

ITEM NUMBER THREE — Something to think about regarding the new trailer for the upcoming James Bond movie, No Time to Die

Watch this whole trailer twice from start to finish. The first time, just take it all in. Then, the second time, use every ounce of power your brain can muster to replace Daniel Craig with Steve Buscemi every time he appears.

Much better, right? Here to help

ITEM NUMBER FOUR — Look, if we’re going to do this, let’s really do it

Back when Prince Harry and Megan Markle dipped on the monarchy and came to America, the strong suspicion among many people whose job or hobby it is to suspect these things was that they would end up in Los Angeles doing Hollywood things. It took a little while, but it did finally happen this week. The former royals signed a big honking deal with Netflix, which, between this and the big honking deal with the Obamas, is now very much in the business of making big honking deals with power couples who have recently left positions of power. Variety has the details.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved to California earlier this year, had been pitching movies and TV plans around Hollywood, Variety previously reported. Under their new, multi-year deal at Netflix, the couple will make documentaries, feature films, scripted television shows and children’s series.

This is interesting, but vague. It kind of checks off every box Netflix has, short of “Zac Efron learns about science from the world’s most patient scientists,” which is admittedly a very specific niche. Let’s get a little more specific. Tell me about some projects that are in development.

The couple will be focused on creating a wide variety of series about stories and issues that are close to their hearts, such as those that their newly formed nonprofit, Archewell, will highlight. Several projects are already in development, including a nature docuseries and an animated series centered on inspirational women.

Cool, cool, nice, nice. All fine and interesting and about what I think we all expected. But just hear me out here, Harry and Megan, if you’re reading this, which as of this moment I’m going to assume you are: A Suits spin-off. Megan Markle reprises her role as Rachel, who now lives in Los Angeles and his split from Mike and is a high-powered entertainment attorney. And, making his acting debut, Harry co-stars as bad boy rival entertainment lawyer Brix Montecarlo. Oh, they start out as hated adversaries (he hates her for being prepared and following the rules and being generally competent; she hates him for playing fast and loose and skirting the consequences), but eventually, baby, the sparks start flying. The tension builds until, finally, it pops like a balloon in a night of unplanned, spontaneous passion… on the eve of the big trial where they are going head-to-head.

You would watch at least one episode, just out of curiosity, just to see if Harry can act. Please don’t lie to me or yourself about this.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE — Hankso

Tom Hanks is a good man. This much we know or should know based on his long career in the public eye and the numerous stories about him being a sweetheart and the New York Times profile of him that came out when he was about to play Mr. Rogers, because who the hell else was supposed to play Mr. Rogers, you know? He’s also a smart, well-read man, as he proved yet again in a long feature about the legacy of WWII this week, also in the New York Times. And you are welcome to go read it if you life, but I am going to skip right past all of the words he wrote, all the way to the bottom of the page, to what is easily one of the two or three best corrections I’ve ever seen.

Okay, two things:

• I don’t know why, and I refuse to risk overthinking it in an attempt to figure it out, but this is the funniest thing in the world to me
• I promise all of you, right now, via words that are published online and cannot be taken back, that if I ever meet Tom Hanks, I will open the conversation by saying “Yo, Hankso”

Tom Hankso

TOM HANKSO.

I will never get over this.

READER MAIL

If you have questions about television, movies, food, local news, weather, or whatever you want, shoot them to me on Twitter or at [email protected] (put “RUNDOWN” in the subject line). I am the first writer to ever answer reader mail in a column. Do not look up this last part.

From Amanda:

Saw your excellent piece on The Great Muppet Caper, one of the nuttiest kids’ movies ever made. While reading it, I was struck by the similarity between it and 2014’s “Muppets Most Wanted,” a criminally underrated entry in the Muppet canon.

“Most Wanted” borrows a lot of elements from “Caper” — jewel thieves, Piggy being romanced by scoundrel who means her harm, celebrity cameos, etc. But there is one area in which “Most Wanted” sets itself apart, and that is with the jaw-dropping musical number “The Big House.”

Here is why “The Big House” is one of the greatest sequences to appear on film:
1. The song is written by the peerless Bret McKenzie, one half of the cherished folk comedy duo Flight of Conchords.
2. It is literally a song about the Gulag, done in a style that is part light pop, part doo-wop (think Manhattan Transfer).
3. The lead vocal is performed by Tina Fey. Yes, that Tina Fey, of “30 Rock” and “Mean Girls” fame. She’s wearing a Russian military uniform and singing in a Russian accent that comes and goes.
4. She is backed by a chorus that includes McKenzie’s fellow Conchord, Jemaine Clement, but also Danny Trejo, Ray Liotta and — somehow — Josh Groban.
5. The lyrics include the following “This is Russia’s premier state funded hotel/We’re very proud of our eclectic clientele/Excellence in service since 1932/Don’t believe what you read in the online reviews”

This performance is absolutely the most insane thing in a movie that also include Salma Hayek being chased by bulls, a dancing Ricky Gervais and Kermit being framed by a look-a-like with a heavy Russian accent.

The Big House is amazing. I think about it at least once a day, and we just don’t talk about it enough. Please help me in righting this colossal wrong.

Amanda has sent in a number of emails, all of them good, but this is my favorite one yet. It checks all the boxes:

• Compliments me in a way that allows me to link back to a thing I wrote earlier in the week
• Is informative and comprehensive to a degree that I really don’t have to do any extra thinking beyond block quoting it and doing these lazy bullet points
• Mentions the Muppets

Thank you, Amanda. I will gladly post this video.

And guess what: We have a second reader email this week. Another good one that I don’t have to elaborate on much. What a lovely development for me and you.

From AJ:

As a fellow Sixers fan, I feel the current bleakness of watching the NBA playoffs. Here’s a way I’ve been enjoying myself: just watch a Miami Heat game and wait for any mention of Duncan Robinson. The announcers always say his full name. Each time they mention him, I just repeat the name in a different vampire voice from What We Do In The Shadows. (“Get out of here, Duncan Robinson! *hiss*) He shoots like 12 3s a game, so you get a lot of opportunities to practice your various Nandor, Nadia, and Lazlo deliveries. Not so much a question as a suggestion for finding simple joy in these trying times.

Mentioning both my beloved Philadelphia 76ers and my beloved What We Do in the Shadows in the same email is basically a cheat code to get yourself published in this column. And yes, I will be saying “Duncan Robinson” with exactly the same energy as those three say “Colin Robinson,” but worse, because I am incapable of doing accents or impressions. Sometimes I forget this last part and start to do one and I realize one syllable into it what a horrible mistake I’ve made. You’d think I would know by now.

And yet!

AND NOW, THE NEWS

To Los Angeles!

Two pilots on two different flights reported seeing a man in a jetpack thousands of feet in the air above Los Angeles on Sunday, prompting an investigation by authorities.

Hell yes. I love this. I love a good jetpack story. I’m kind of mad we all don’t have jetpacks, to be honest. It’s 2020! Come on! I should be able to fly around with my own personal rocket backpack! Now I’m angry! Let’s move on!

An American Airlines pilot was approaching Los Angeles International Airport at around 6:30 p.m. when he called in the sighting to air-traffic control, according to an audio log. The unidentified flying person was at the plane’s altitude, the pilot said, about 3,000 feet in the air.

Damm. I wonder what the pilot said to the tower when he saw some dude in a damn jetpack 3,000 feet in the air.

“Tower, American 1997. We just passed a guy in a jetpack,” the pilot said.

“Only in LA,” an unidentified person said in the audio log.

This is tremendous. It’s almost exactly like what the pilot and tower guy would say in a movie about a guy who has a jetpack. Screw it, let’s make this movie. Let’s make a jetpack movie. Prince Harry and Megan Markle can star in it as part of their Netflix deal. You know Harry would love to play a jetpack guy. I get strong “way into jetpacks” vibes from him.

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office also confirmed it was aware of the sighting. A spokeswoman for the office said the FBI was working to determine what happened.

If there is any justice in this cruel and unforgiving world, the FBI will assign this jetpack investigation to Agent Doug from McMillions. I think he would really enjoy it.

The Confederate monument is unfortunately staying (for now), but Chadwick Boseman is getting his statue.

In the days following the Black Panther star’s death, a petition was created to honor Boseman’s impact by erecting a statue in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina. “Upon the release of his film Black Panther, Mr. Boseman took it upon himself to rent out a theatre in his home town of Anderson South Carolina to show the film for free. So that young boys and girls could be inspired by the film without the financial barrier. Mr. Boseman is without question an American treasure and his accolades go on and on,” it read. “It is only fitting that his work is honored in the same place that birthed him.”

TMZ contacted Mayor Terence Roberts’ office in Anderson and was told that “the city is enthusiastically working on a permanent public tribute to honor the late actor. We’re told the City has already contacted an artist and they’re brainstorming ideas on how best to honor the hometown hero who played legendary roles. We’re told the statue will include a mix of sculpture with mural and/or art elements.” As for tearing down the city’s shameful Confederate monument, that’s not the mayor’s call — it’s protected by the state’s Heritage Act, which “states that no historical monument can altered or moved without a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the General Assembly.”

A screening of Black Panther was held on Thursday night in Anderson, where one resident told the Independent Mail, “I have been crying, crying, crying. I’m here to show support to the family. A great young Black man, I came to celebrate him.”

(Via TMZ)

Conway The Machine truly lives up to his name — except in one respect. While it’d be easy to compare his ruthless efficiency — both within his gritty, lyrically convoluted individual songs and in his prolific release schedule — to a heartless automaton, there’s actually plenty of warmth behind his steely rap persona. The evidence is in his response to the death of his mentor and Buffalo hip-hop icon, DJ Shay. He pushed back the release of his latest album — From King To A God, his second of the year after March’s Lulu EP with The Alchemist — both out of respect for Shay and heartbreak over his loss.

“I’m so hurt right now idk how I’m gon pull thru unk,” he wrote in an emotional Instagram post after hearing the news. “I been struggling all day trying to understand and grasp all this king… I’m cryin tears while typing this shit man this is fuckin me up bad.” If that seems at odds with the ice cold killer that Conway portrays on records like “Lemon” with Method Man and “Fear Of God” with Dej Loaf — the first two singles from King To A God — you haven’t been listening closely enough over the past half-dozen or so releases the The Machine has churned out over the past two years.

But he’ll be happy to tell you himself about the things he’s done outside of rapping about bricks and wrestlers. In August, he organized a back-to-school supply giveaway in his hometown and he tells Uproxx by phone that he’s been working on giving back to the community by handing out food for the homeless. With From King To A God operating as an “appetizer” to his upcoming Shady Records debut, he broke down everything that’s happened since he released Lulu at the beginning of the pandemic, from keeping an eye on anti-police brutality protests from the “front lines” to working with hip-hop legends like Erick Sermon and Havoc on his latest.

I guess the most appropriate place for me to start is for me to offer my condolences for DJ Shay, I know that that was a tough one for you, man. I hope you’re holding up okay.

I appreciate that family.

What have you been up to since the last time we spoke? I know you dropped Lulu and then laid back for a little bit, let Lulu marinate. What’s been going on between then and now?

Just working on music and getting sh*t done. I started writing a book, I’m working on a documentary but really I just was focused on giving back to the community. Feeding the homeless, doing back to school giveaways, and sh*t like that. And just helping families throughout this whole pandemic with the COVID-19. I just been on that type of joint. Music kind of been secondary for me.

What’s the book about? Do you have a title for it yet?

God Don’t Make Mistakes.

Where do you get these titles from?

This sh*t just pop in my head, man. I don’t know where I get this sh*ts from. I start listening to songs hundreds of times. I just be zoning out.

From A King To A God is a heavy title. What was it about this album that kind of brought that from a king to a God transition into your mind?

I elevated, you know what I’m saying? My pen, man… it’s like I went from: You thought I was good before, I’m great now. It’s like going from good to great — from King to a God. I just felt I’m at a level with my pen that’s like I’m even surprising myself sometimes with some of the sh*t I’m writing.

I kind of liken rap skills to basketball skills. So the way a basketball player works on his handle or his shooting or his footwork, what is the aspect you added to the game? Is it more wordplay? Is it more storytelling?

Really, it was just off the court. I just had to just focus on every day on just being better, a better artist, a better father, a better man. And just want to make my next move my best move. I think it’s the shit that’s off the court that separate a great player from that God-like play.

I feel like I hadn’t changed nothing in what I do, when I go in the booth and I feel like my music and sh*t is pretty much even keel, but it was the sh*t that I’ve been doing outside of the booth that really don’t get talked about or get acknowledged. I don’t even post or speak about it because I don’t do it for clout. It’s me making the decision to just change my life and just do those types of things is what really personifies on this album from King To A God.

Yes sir. So looking at the track list, so many names jump out at me in this instance because they’re not names that I would have normally associated with the Griselda brand. But the one that jumped out at me was Erick Sermon because I’m a huge Erick Sermon head. How did that happen?

I’m super thankful that I’m even being checked for by dudes of this caliber. He reached out to me and we exchanged numbers and we kind of been touch, back and forth, for a minute. And I just went for it, like, “Yo man, send me a batch, I need to get a joint, I need you on this album, man.” He sent a batch and this was one of the first beats that I heard. I clicked on it and that was enough for me. That was all I needed.

Do you have a favorite EPMD project?

Strictly Business.

You have a track called “Juvenile Hell” and of course, it’s only right for it to feature and be produced by Havoc, but also Lloyd Banks is on there and that’s a little bit different but it makes sense.

I met Havoc while I was out in Wyoming, I was working on some music with Kanye. I was out on the ranch and Havoc was out there. So we kicked it and was around each other for a couple of days. And again, exchanged numbers and we spoke back and forth. Again, I just went for it like, “Yo, I need a batch man. I need value on the album.” And he sent a beat and I was the first beat I clicked on in the email.

And it was that one. That shit just felt like Queens, like the Infamous album or Hell On Earth or Murda Muzik. So that’s why I had him do the hook too because I wanted it to feel like an old Mobb Deep record. And I had Banks on there. I had Flee Lord on there. He’s from Far Rockaway Queens. So it’s a Queens thing.

The joint that really perked my ears up is “Fear Of God,” because I’m a really huge fan of Dej Loaf. But she’s also not somebody who I would have associated really with the Griselda brand. It’s one of the hardest songs that I’ve ever heard out from you. What made you want to go get her?

Dej Loaf is fire. When I got the beat from Hit-Boy and did the record, I really didn’t have no hook or nothing for it that came to mind from me. I’m like, “Yo, I need to send this shit to Dej Loaf. Listen, she’ll make this sh*t ill.” I texted her, sent her the record and she knocked that shit out. It was a sound I heard in my ear. I just knew that it had to be her on there — nobody else.

It’s a concise album. You guys are kind of known for putting out a lot of material, but when I compare it to a lot of what’s coming out from other people, it does seem like Griselda’s rate of release is a little bit faster, but you guys are a lot more efficient. It seems like you guys really know how to just compact an album and just go for density rather than like breadth or width of the album. Is that a conscious decision on you guys’ part?

Nah, man, we’re just that good. We don’t know how to explain it. We know when a project is ready. We know when to release, we know how often. We know how many songs. We wrote clear and we wrote methodical. Everything is a strategy and everything is thought through. It’s all a formula. So that’s why we’re in the driver’s seat of all our projects. None of our projects is, there’s no one in the driver’s seat of the sh*t. We do them.

I wanted to give you a chance to explain to people what DJ Shay meant for the hip-hop culture of Buffalo. To me, it seemed like what it would be for my hometown if DJ Quick passed away, or even when Eazy-E passed away. Am I right in thinking that that’s sort of like the same sort of impact he had?

The thing about it is he just believed in everybody so much that he really gave us all every second of his life. He had that same energy since for like 30 years. His only initiative was to get any of these talented artists from the city of Buffalo that don’t get the opportunity and don’t get the chance to really showcase. We were the first to do it, but he’s been heavily involved and just tapped into the whole hip hop scene in Buffalo, New York.

He was everybody’s engineer. Everybody recorded with him. There’s not too many studios in Buffalo so everyone had to go to Shay’s studio. He just had mad love for everybody. And it’s just f*cked up how he went out like that. It broke me up.

During the funeral you were handcuffed and detained. I won’t ask what happened because that’s how people get in trouble, but there was an interesting parallel there with the protests. Had you been following or participating in any of the protests?

Yeah, I’ve been following the protests. I’ve been a part of all that sh*t, on the front lines. You heard the record, “Front Lines,” that’s where we are.

How does From King To A God set the table for God Don’t Make Mistakes, the Shady Records debut, and what’s the status on that?

King To A God is just the appetizer, it’s getting the fans ready and prepared for the full entree, which is God Don’t Make Mistakes. I’m really trying to get that shit out in October. Both projects are done. All the people that’ve already heard it, they just say it’s probably one of the best albums and most complete albums they’ve probably heard in the last two decades. So, I’m excited for people to get that.

From A King To A God is due September 11 via via Drumwork/Griselda/EMPIRE.

Craft beer has never been bigger. Even in the current climate, it remains fairly strong as many of us look for an escape from, well, everything. The craft beer industry has been around long enough now that there are true classics on the shelf that are fairly easy to find nationwide. But what is the best craft beer to drink if you’re looking to move away from the macro brands? That’s a tougher question to answer.

Craft beer is a very wide net to cast. There’s a lot going on from the classic West Coast IPAs from yesteryear to the tart sours of the 2020s. It really comes down to what you dig. But, we’d also argue that it’s worth expanding your knowledge and palate with new things. So, maybe the best beer for you is one you haven’t even tried yet.

To figure out the best craft beers that people like to drink, we popped over to Ranker. The masses spoke and voted and a top ten list of craft beers emerged. Interestingly, most of these beers are throwbacks to the halcyon days of microbrewing.

10. Pliny the Elder

Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8%
Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA

The Beer:

It doesn’t get much more classic than this West Coast IPA. The brew is hopped with a matrix of Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, and Simcoe hops next to a fine malt. The result is the king of hoppy beers that’s surprisingly not higher on this list.

Tasting Notes:

Floral hops with a pine resin funk greet you. Notes of citrus cut through the resin dank as the florals support the light, bready malty underbelly. This is as dialed in as it gets.

9. A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’

Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.5%
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA

The Beer:

This Californian standard is brewed with half malted barley and half malted wheat. The brew is then hopped with (takes a deep breath) Willamette, Santiam, Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus hops. The addition of wheat gives the beer a velvety texture that edges it towards a hefeweizen while still sitting squarely in IPA territory.

Tasting Notes:

Hops, hops, hops. There’s a grassy nature with plenty of that West Coast pine resin dankness. The sip then veers into sunny California beaches with a nice and subtle citrus nature with pleasant florals. The beer ends dry and full of that resinous dank.

8. Grapefruit Sculpin IPA

Style: American IPA
ABV: 7%
Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, CA

The Beer:

This beer was a revelation when it dropped back in the day. The addition of actual grapefruit to an already fruity hopped beer added depth and accessibility to the often overwrought style.

Tasting Notes:

This is a fruit bomb in a bottle with tropical fruits, peaches, and citrus present throughout. The grapefruit is ever-present with a very distinct hint of saline. The beer ends with a rush of all that fruit, making it one of the most thirst-quenching beers on this list.

7. Boston Lager

Style: Vienna Lager
ABV: 5%
Brewery: Boston Beer Company, Jamaica Plain, MA

The Beer:

This is (kind of) the original craft beer. The brew is a simple blend of water, German hops, American barley, and Samuel Adam’s own lager yeast. The rest, as they say, is history.

Tasting Notes:

The ultimate airport beer opens with a clear hit of caramel malts next to grassy hops. The hops are an accent to the underlying maltiness and balance well. The end of the sip is dry and short but always draws you back for more.

6. Goose IPA

Style: English IPA
ABV: 5.9%
Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

The Beer:

This Chicago IPA was brewed with the origins of IPA in mind. Back in the day, the English used to overly hop their ales for transport to, you guessed it, India. The India Pale Ale was born. The difference with the modern version, however, is that there’s very little time between brewing and quaffing IPAs, so the hoppiness has no time to fade as it would back in the days of old.

Tasting Notes:

Earthy and resinous hops mingle with big notes of tropical fruits that lean more sweet than fresh. Those big notes of citrus fruits lead the way as the bready malts remain buried under the hoppiness. A note of bitterness arrives late on the refreshing and dry finish.

5. Arrogant Bastard Ale

Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 7.2%
Brewery: Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA

The Beer:

The Arrogant Consortia, an offshoot of Stone Brewing, has been brewing this bombastic ale since the late 1990s. It’s well-hopped and helped define the San Diego craft beer scene.

Tasting Notes:

You can almost smell the pine dank before you crack one of these open and that’s the point. There’s a toffee-esque sweetness to the malts that just balances all the dank, bitterness, and citrus of this West Coast classic.

4. Sierra Nevada Stout

Style: American Stout
ABV: 5.8%
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

The Beer:

It’s great to see Sierra Nevada’s Stout on this list and in the top five. This was the first beer they brewed all the way back in 1980. It’s one of the better stouts you can find in the U.S. to this day, making it the progenitor of decades of imitation.

Tasting Notes:

Roasted and bitter malts greet you with a sense of damn-near burnt espresso beans. The bitterness barely wanes as the hints of black licorice mingle with cacao nibs and velvety maltiness. The brew ends with a lingering sense of a full-bodied beer with serious depth (and milky chocolate).

3. Stone IPA

Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.9%
Brewery: Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA

The Beer:

This San Diego IPA is part of the reason IPAs are still brewed by pretty much every craft brewer, homebrewer, and macro brewer these days. Though there were plenty of other IPAs already hopping up the microbrewing scene for years before this one dropped in 1997, it definitely harkened in a new phase of craft brewing to the country. It’s also a solid example of the style that’s, thankfully, not overdone.

Tasting Notes:

This is the West Coast in a can. There’s a nice mix of pine dank next to sweet citrus juices. The juice leans more orange than anything else as the malts peek in with an almost sourdough crustiness. The bitterness from the hops is unavoidable through the juicy end of this beer.

2. Lagunitas IPA

Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.2%
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA

The Beer:

This is another great example of the ol’ West Coast IPA that helped bring the style to worldwide domination. This brew is crafted to balance loads of hops with a clean maltiness, making this a very crushable brew to have stocked in your fridge.

Tasting Notes:

The woodiness of the hops leans away from pine and into cedar territory with a citrus counterpoint. That citrus is more bitter grapefruit pith as the fruitiness gets a little peachy. The malts hold onto a caramelized sweetness with a bready edge that’s very under the radar. The sip ends with all that resin and fruit as the star of the show.

1. 90 Minute IPA

Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9%
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

The Beer:

And then there’s Dogfish Head, another powerhouse of the 90’s craft beer evolution. This beer is named after the fact that it’s hopped for 90 straight minutes, adding some serious hoppiness to the malty foundation.

Tasting Notes:

Pine, orange rind, and malty bread mingle on the nose. Toffee sweetness creates a base on which florals flourish and mix with bright citrus and grassy dankness. The sip ends briskly with plenty of juice, resin, and subtle sweetness.