For the first time in his stint with the Chicago Bulls, there seems to be real momentum moving towards a Zach LaVine trade. A frequent target of trade rumors over the years, reporting from earlier this week indicated that both LaVine and the Bulls are open to trying to find him a new team amid the team’s sluggish start to the 2023-24 campaign.
LaVine’s contract makes it difficult to find a trade for him — he has four years and about $180 million left on the extension he signed last summer — but his skillset as an ultra-athletic, high-scoring wing is something that a number of teams can use. Trying to figure out exactly which team can afford to bring him on board is a bit of a question, but in a new report by Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, we learned a few of the teams LaVine would be opening to joining.
Via Yahoo Sports:
LaVine and his representation hold several preferred landing spots, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and each team has registered some level of interest in the Bulls guard. LaVine also has an eye on joining the San Antonio Spurs, sources said, in order to pair with rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama and reunite with head coach Gregg Popovich, who oversaw the 2020 Team USA outfit that LaVine helped win a gold medal in Tokyo. There are several other contending situations LaVine would welcome joining, sources said, one being Sacramento. The Kings signed LaVine to an offer sheet during his restricted free agency in 2018, albeit before this present front office regime took the reins in Northern California.
Those first three teams — L.A., Miami, and Philly — were on the list of teams that were expected to have interest in LaVine in the immediate aftermath of the news that he might be on the market. It’s hard seeing any of them making a trade right now, whether that be for CBA reasons (the Lakers have a bunch of guys they can’t trade until Dec. 15 at the earlier) or the fact that they’re playing well right now (the Sixers and Heat are second and third, respectively, in the Eastern Conference), but perhaps one of them can make something work, or another team that has piqued LaVine’s interest is able to figure something out.
Uproxx cover star Russ has allegedly been the victim of a home burglary, according to a report filed to Georgia’s Roswell Police Department that was obtained by TMZ. They claim that he had called into the station around 1 a.m. on Friday morning, after spotting the thieves through a safety camera.
It has been reported that they stole five guns, including “a pair of Glock 19s, a CZ Scorpion, and two Walther handguns.” A pair of Chanel handbags were also taken, with a pink one that was valued at $15,000 and a black one that was worth $9000. Finally, they also drove off with a 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG that belonged to Russ’ girlfriend.
By the time officers arrived, they discovered that the front door was open and the burglars had tossed the place looking for items to take. They entered the property at around 10:15 p.m. on Thursday, as at least two used the basement door to enter. The group then left with suitcases and bags around midnight.
Thankfully, Russ was not home at the time, and nobody was injured. While the thieves are still at large, the musician was able to communicate with the officers through FaceTime — upon the discovery that his house had been broken into.
Based on the footage, the police haven’t identified much about the suspects, but hopefully Russ can get his things back soon.
Spotify has started teasing that their annual Spotify Wrapped reveal is right around the corner for users to see. Just yesterday, the company took to social media to ask listeners who they think their top artist will be. “Tis the season for trying to predict our Wrapped results,” Spotify captioned the tweet.
Because of this, listeners could have questions about when the popular feature will be available. Here’s what to know.
When Will Spotify Wrapped Be Released For 2023?
Right now, it’s unclear exactly when Spotify will release the Wrapped feature for 2023. While they have hinted at it, it should be right around the corner, as the company timed it to the holiday season in past years. For specifics, last year (2022) Spotify Wrapped dropped on November 30. In 2021, it was released on December 1.
When Will Spotify Wrapped Stop Tracking For 2023?
While Spotify Wrapped has been an annual thing, it has typically followed the same tracking schedule. It keeps a count of each user’s listening history from January 1 through October 31. However, that seems to have changed for 2023. Spotify assured users that it would continue tracking beyond Halloween but didn’t give an exact stop date on when the cut-off is.
How Will I Be Able To See Spotify Wrapped?
Users will be able to see their Spotify Wrapped through using the app on either their phone or computer. If that doesn’t work, users can try the URL spotify.com/wrapped.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending November 17, 2023.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
2 Chainz & Lil Wayne — Welcome 2 Collegrove
2 Chainz & Lil Wayne
I debated not putting the album cover for this one — truly AI has gone too far — but there was no question it would belong on this list. The chemistry between these two has been solid for over a decade, resulting in an album that easily surpasses the sum of its parts (no easy feat when these are the parts). They also pay a little homage to their first meeting of the minds on “Duffle Bag Boy,” giving us all a reason to revisit that classic.
Danny Brown — Quaranta
Danny Brown
Even at 42, I’ve never been able to read Danny Brown as a grown-up. His giddy, hyped-up raps and goofy, poke-the-bear sense of humor have always lent themselves to a sort of Peter Pan syndrome perception of his music, even when he dropped the personal and poetic U Know What I’m Saying? in 2019. Now, post-pandemic, he’s older and wiser, with even more insights to share. With the quality of output he’s known for, it’s worth listening.
DijahSB — The Flower That Knew
DijahSB
In a case of admitted bias, I’m highlighting an acquaintance who’s flirted with the limelight and deserves much more. Hip-hop is a tapestry, and sometimes has a tendency to downplay or overlook the threads that aren’t as convenient (like, say, a non-binary rapper who sticks largely to Slum Village-esque soul-raps). I say phooey to all that. The Flower That Knew is a worthwhile spin no matter how you feel about Rhodes keys and smart raps.
Drake — For All The Dogs: Scary Hours
Drake
Is an EP? Is it the deluxe edition? Who knows, who cares? Drake is RAPPING again, people. Sound the alarm.
While its brevity could be held against it, it’s so rare that Drake raps for a full project that we’ll take what we can get — especially when so many of the raps are this good.
Lil Durk — Nightmares In The Trenches
Lil Durk
I admit, this quick hitter from the Chicago staple was nowhere near my radar before today, making its appearance a pleasant surprise, thanks in part to a bevy of guest verses from exciting rising stars like Rob49, Icewear Vezzo, and Durk’s OTF cohorts. Every Dodge Charger with tinted windows will probably be blasting this over the weekend, and I can’t say I’m mad about it.
Check out:
E-40 — Rule Of Thumb: Rule 1, Sada Baby — SkuBop, Babyxsosa – Babyxsosa, RXKNephew x Harry Fraud – Life After Neph
Singles/Videos
42 Dugg — “SpinDatBac”
42 Dugg is recovering nicely from his near fumble, picking up right where he left off prior to his recent stint in prison. “SpinDatBac” is a solid bounce-back track, sticking closely to the bass-heavy street anthem style that garnered the Detroit native so much attention to begin with.
Common, DJ Premier — “In Moe (Speculation)”
Lonnie Rashid Lynn and DJ Premier make for a magical combination for rap traditionalists and it’s a damn shame we’ve only really ever heard them together a handful of times over the past 30 years (in one case, the result of a Common feature alongside Royce Da 5’9). A vintage Premier beat and a pair of expansive Com verses — a simple recipe, but one that works.
The Alchemist — “Paint Different” Feat. Curren$y
In a similar vein to Common and Premier, Curren$y and Alchemist are one of those duos where when you see their names conjoined, hitting play is a must. Noodling saxophone and insistent bass back the pair’s latest collab, which comes from Flying High 2, a project that could never get too much attention.
Jay Rock — “Still That Way” Feat. Bongo ByTheWay
Watts’ finest continues the rollout of his long-awaited fourth album with a song that doesn’t push him too far outside of his comfort zone. It’s a bit reminiscent of his biggest hit to date, “Win,” with triumphant horns and forceful verses reiterating Jay’s hood certifications.
I’ll always accept some new Isaiah Rashad, but especially when it comes with a rare Kembe X single. The Chicago rapper tends to disappear for long stretches, but every time he does emerge, it’s worth keeping an ear to the ground. “Rolling Stoned” is a loopy, hypnotic easy rider that adapts to a variety of listening situations, from the club to the car to the smoke session.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
A new respiratory illness affecting dogs has popped up in several states, and vets are unsure of the cause. This sickness often starts with a cough that lingers for weeks. Even with antibiotics, the cough might stick around, and in some cases, it can lead to severe breathing problems and pneumonia.
The illness can even be fatal.
The disease was first recognized in Oregon in August after the state’s Department of Agriculture received over 100 reports of a mystery sickness. The disease has since spread and has been reported in Colorado, California, Indiana, Illinois, Washington, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire and the surrounding Northeast area.
The San Diego Humane Society has temporarily paused the intake of owner-surrendered dogs to stop the spread of the illness.
Dr. Lindsey Ganzer, veterinarian and CEO at North Springs Veterinary Referral Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, told Today.com that it has seen around 30 cases of the illness since October and that they aren’t “slowing down” with 2 to 3 coming in every day. She says that 4 or 5 dogs under the veterinarian’s care have died of the disease, but they all arrived with pneumonia.
There’s a mystery illness affecting dogs nationwide.
Co-hosts of National Geographic’s “Critter Fixers” Dr. Terrence Ferguson and Dr. Vernard Hodges have more on what pet owners need to know. pic.twitter.com/FkzWcV5Pon
“It seems to happen very, very quickly — to go from this cough that just won’t go away … and then all of a sudden they develop this pneumonia,” Ganzer told Today.com.
According to the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and eye discharge, and lethargy. Veterinarians at the Small Animal Emergency Service at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital warn that the disease is highly contagious and, in some cases, fatal.
“Instead of that dry cough where the dog felt good, it was now this wet cough where the dog felt sick,” Amanda Cavanagh, the veterinarian’s section head, told ABC News.
“Your dog will run a fever, and they won’t feel good, they’ll become lethargic—meaning they want to lie around more when normally they’d be wanting to play outside. And like you mentioned, the coughing part of it, if that becomes more productive, more of a wet cough, like a hacking cough,” Kevin Snekvik, the Executive Director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, told WFTV.
Family lives in ‘daily dread’ after dog dies from mystery illness https://t.co/1XhGaPExM9
— (@)
Although the disease is serious, dog owners should avoid panicking.
“I think concern is fine,” Dr. Kurt Williams, director of Oregon Veterinary Diagnostics Lab, who’s been researching the disease,” told Today.com. But it is not time to “be paralyzed with fear.”
Ensure all dogs are up-to-date on all their vaccines, including canine influenza, Bordetella and parainfluenza
For event organizers: Dogs should have a health check 12-24 hours before the event
Reduce contact with large numbers of unknown dogs
Reduce contact with sick dogs
Avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dogs
Ganzer stresses that dog owners who notice their pet coughing should take them to the vet immediately, especially if the animal has been in contact with other dogs at a doggy daycare, dog park, or kennel.
Though her car was completely burnt to a crisp, thankfully Danielle was okay—but it wasn’t just her that went unscathed. In her now-viral clip, she shows her still pristine Stanley cup, which she picks up from the center console.
Not only pristine, in fact, but still holding unmelted ice from the day before, which can be heard clinking against the glass.
“Everybody is so concerned if the Stanley spills but what else? It was in a fire yesterday and it still has ice in it,” Danielle says.
This inadvertently gave Stanley a free commercial, which people were very quick to note.
“Stanley better cut you a check after this advertisement,” one viewer joked.
Another quipped, “Never understood the Stanley hype until now so they better get you money for this free advertisement.”
Daniel’s video began racking up millions of views, even making its way to Stanley’s global president, Terence Reilly, who made a special response.
“We’ve all seen your video. Wow what an ordeal, and we’re all really glad you’re safe,” he says in a video for Stanley’s TikTok account. “I’ve seen a lot of comments that we should send you some Stanleys. Well, we’re gonna send you some Stanleys.”
“But there’s one more thing and we’ve never done this before and we’ll probably never do it again, but we’d love to replace your vehicle… yeah all of us at Stanley we’d really like to replace your vehicle.”
Going by the comments section, the gesture was well received—and might have even scored Stanley some more loyal customers.
“As a marketer the is exaaaaactly what I was hoping they would do.”
“This is awesome definitely buying a Stanley now!”
“Ngl love the honesty of ‘probably not gonna do this again’ and that alone might make me consider buying a Stanley.”
“They responded, that freaking awesome. I’m gonna have to buy a Stanley now.”
“Me on Christmas— YOU get a Stanley…YOU get a Stanley…we ALL get Stanleys!”
”Absolutely how you work a marketing opportunity. Take your moment in the spotlight and do good with it. Nice job, Stanley.
Danielle has since posted a heartfelt follow-up video thanking the millions of viewers for supporting her, a complete stranger.
“I think that is the best form of humanity,” she says. “As a person who’s gone through most of their life feeling invisible, you have made me feel incredible. And I can’t thank you enough. And I just want to say to anybody that maybe feels like that, like you’re not seen or heard…just give it fifteen seconds. Everything might change”
Life is too short to be wasting your time, money, or appetite on bad fast food. At its best, it’s a delectable indulgence — there are undoubtedly days when nothing slaps like a decadent bacon cheeseburger or a hot and spicy chicken sandwich — but at its worst it’s repulsive. And we don’t want that for you. Ever.
Point being, f*cking up your fast food order is certainly worse than ordering the wrong thing at a Michelin restaurant, where the standard remains high. So let us steer you away from the dregs and toward the stars of each restaurant’s menu.
Last week, we tackled the absolute worst meals in fast food. Yes, that was as harrowing of an experience as it sounds like. But while we were engaging in all that research we were also making note of the best menu items at each restaurant. These orders serve as the “Freebird” entries at our favorite chains. The jams. The classics. The icons.
That way, the next time you have a craving, you won’t go wrong. Let’s eat!
Arby’s — Smokehouse Brisket
Arby
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I know, I know “what about the Beef & Cheddar?” But just hear me out here — the Beef & Cheddar is undoubtedly a classic dish but the Smokehouse Brisket is next level. F*ck cheddar, here you’ve got gouda — all creamy and nutty — a layer of fried onion rings, and layers of tender smoked brisket with mayo and BBQ sauce on the bun.
The flavors of this sandwich are sumptuous and smokey, the mouthfeel is excellent, a mix of crunchy and tender texture courtesy of the onions and brisket. The sandwich begins rich and smokey and ends salty with a sweet top note on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Hands down Arby’s best sandwich. You’ve got smoke, salt, sweetness, crunch — it’s a really special dish to find in a drive-thru.
Look, I’m tired of being nice to Burger King. I’ve tried to give this chain a chance again and again only to be continually burned by the lack of quality in just about every dish they make. When they do have a dish I like, they get rid of it. The Ch’King sandwich was a real winner, but then BK decided the effort they put into it wasn’t living up to the sales so they reformulated (dumbed it down) it, and now it’s… not good.
Currently, the best menu item is the Ghost Pepper Whopper, a seasonal burger that is set to leave the menu any day now. This burger is great, it’s smokey, meaty, and savory, with a lot of vegetal spice courtesy of fried jalapeños with a ghost pepper-based cheese sauce that is creamy, bright, and spicy.
It’s a delicious bouquet of spicy sensations that dunks on everything else on the menu. So why isn’t it a permanent menu item?
The Bottom Line:
Do more of this Burger King and less of… literally everything else you do.
Carl’s Jr has a lot of great burgers, but nothing compares to this decadent monster of a burger. On this burger, you get two charbroiled meat patties, a layer of crispy bacon, fried onion rings, and a double dose of American cheese all pulled together by a sweet and smokey BBQ sauce.
The combination of bacon and BBQ creates a sweet, savory, and umami-rich flavor that complements the charred beef. Each bite is smokey and satisfying.
That alone would be a great burger, but Carl’s Jr takes it up a level by adding the onion rings which enhance the crunch of the dish, making every bite audible ecstasy.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet, smokey, crispy, and mouthwatering. If you’re going to Carl’s Jr, the Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger is a no-brainer.
The Spicy Deluxe is the Chick-fil-A sandwich, perfected. Instead of the boring stock build of chicken filet + pickles + bun, this sandwich swaps out the OG filet for a spicy version, adds leaf lettuce and juicy tomatoes to the pickles (it’s practically a salad), and a thick slice of pepper jack cheese.
While I wouldn’t say this sandwich is so spicy you’ll start sweating, it has a great sustained heat that gently simmers on the palate between bites. The filet is tender and thick with a delicious breading that combines black pepper, garlic, cayenne pepper, and onion powder.
What I like about this sandwich is it’s clean and simple, it’s not as overwhelming as Popeyes’ and sometimes that’s the vibe you’re looking for.
Yup, that’s right — we’re here to declare that the best thing you can order at Chipotle is our custom burrito build. You can chalk that up to arrogance but you’d be wrong, we actually put a lot of work into constructing the perfect burrito build and I still get emails from people telling me they tried it and loved it.
The build is simple: pinto beans, white rice, barbacoa, the salsa of your choice, cheese, lettuce, and guacamole. Yes, that’s all.
If you want to read our reasoning, hit up the full article, but I’ll break down what you can expect from this lean and mean build. Each bite has a touch of sweetness with a sizzling burn that ushers in earthy and creamy flavors. Because we didn’t add every single ingredient Chipotle offers, the mouthfeel is perfect, it never gets too mushy and it’s small enough for a Chipotle employee to easily fold without your tortilla ripping.
The Bottom Line:
A masterclass on how to make a structurally sound burrito. Also, it’s tasty AF.
If you’re rolling up to Dairy Queen, you better be getting dessert. I know your instincts might push you toward the Blizzard, and I’m not here to tell you that Blizzards aren’t delicious, but I think there is something great about the simplicity of the chocolate-dipped cone.
It still has that decadent vibe the Blizzard offers thanks to the chocolate shell, but it’s not overwhelming and has that winning combination of chocolate and vanilla flavors. You can’t go wrong with the dipped cone.
This year we named Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Chicken Strips the number one spot in our big chicken strip ranking. Here is why. A single bite of this chicken tender kicks your salivary glands into overdrive as they immediately begin to water and fight against the intense heat.
After the initial burn, subtle sweet notes take over and finish with a gentle smokey aftertaste. The journey of flavors one bite takes you on can’t be denied. If you haven’t tried Dave’s Hot Chicken yet, remedy that sh*t ASAP.
A lot of fast food brands have taken on birria but so far Del Taco has done it best. What makes the Del Taco Birria Quesadilla so good? The quality of all the components.
The shredded beef is tender and beefy, the green sauce adds some mild spice and tang, and the freshly grated cheddar is salty, nutty, and sharp. That alone is a great quesadilla, but add birria consomé to the equation and you have a dish that explodes with beefy chili-backed flavor.
The Bottom Line:
A new must-order menu item and the best birria dish in fast food.
I keep finding ways to promote this new protein option from Flame Broiler and I won’t stop — it’s that good! The chicken delivers an initial blast of chili spice that morphs into a savory sweet and satisfying flavor.
The chicken is tender but a bit fatty (it’s thigh meat) but the real trick is to douse the chicken in Flame Broiler’s Magic Sauce, which deepens the sweet and umami flavor of the dish.
The Bottom Line:
Currently, the best cooked-to-order chicken that isn’t fried in all of fast food.
I was originally going to go with the Famous Bowl because it is a greatest hits package of all of KFC’s best foods but I have to go with a classic here. No, it’s not the most exciting option but it’s hard to beat the classic combination of two pieces of chicken of your choice, a side (go for the Secret Recipe Fries, trust us), a biscuit, and a drink.
There is one hard rule here though, get Original Recipe, not Extra Crispy. Original Recipe has more flavor thanks to a combination of thyme, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. It’s the flavor that put KFC on the map.
Extra Crispy is going to give you that crunch, but flavor beats out texture here.
The Bottom Line:
It seems too obvious but the 2 PC Chicken Combo is all you need to walk away from KFC satisfied.
Your options are limited at In-N-Out so it shouldn’t be too hard to choose from this simple menu — so let this serve as a reminder that you should order a Double Double every time over a single cheeseburger.
The reason for that is the bread-to-meat ratio. In-N-Out’s patties are small and thin, when you get a single burger the bread masks too much of the flavor. A Double-Double allows it so that every bite is full of salty, juicy, and beefy flavors. The grilled onions help to enhance the savoriness and turn this burger from a delicious experience to a mouthwatering one.
If you want to mix it up a bit, ask for chopped chilies on your burger. It’ll add a tangy mild heat to the equation.
The Bottom Line:
The Double Double is simply one of the greatest cheeseburgers in fast food.
What I love about this burger is the combination of tangy, earthy, and sweet flavors. In this burger, you get American and Swiss cheese which imparts a soft creamy and salty flavor, layers of crunch smokey bacon, and an admittedbly forgettable beef patty.
Hey, we said it was the best menu option, not a great burger. As it stands it’s so-so. This and an order of curly fries will get the job done.
The Bottom Line:
The best burger at Jack in the Box, which isn’t saying much, but hey, it’s something.
It’s simple, McDonald’s French Fries are the best fast food french fries your money can buy. The best practice is to order this and eat it immediately, don’t let these fries rest for any amount of time.
The fries are a combination of salt, buttery potato flavor, and what I’m convinced is the tiniest hint of sugar which pushes the flavor over the edge into absolutely addictive territory.
The other food on the menu isn’t even half as good as these fries, so feel free to pair them with whatever is the most nostalgic for you. Be it nuggets, a Double Cheeseburger, or a Quarter Pounder. Or be smart and order a soft serve ice cream and dip your fries into it.
The Bottom Line:
One of the greatest eating experiences in fast food is a piping hot order of McDonald’s fries.
Believe the hype, the Popeyes chicken sandwich is as good as everyone says it is. But ever since it dropped I always thought it could do with some improvements. We got that this year, when Popeyes released the Spicy Bacon & Cheese version.
Biting into this sandwich introduces your tastebuds to a tender and crunchy filet of chicken that is well seasoned with garlic and onion powder with a gentle cayenne-based sauce that brings in some smokey spice, pickles that provide an earthy brine-y tang, smokey bacon, and my favorite detail, Havarti cheese — which ties all the flavors together with some sweetness.
The Bottom Line:
It’s not only the best chicken sandwich you can order at Popeyes, it is the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food.
I tried hard not to put “fries” as a choice at more than two places because it feels like a cheap and thoughtless option. But in the case of Rally’s and McDonald’s, credit where credit is due — the freaking French fries are amazing.
Rally’s lightly breads its fries in a mix of garlic, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and salt, resulting in a french fry that is as tasty as it is crunchy. Even when these fries get soggy, they still hit the spot, which you can’t say about McDonald’s.
The Bottom Line:
One of the best orders of seasoned fries in the game.
There is a reason Raising Cane’s is popping up everywhere. The chain does one thing — chicken tenders — and they do it well. Each tender is fresh never-frozen chicken that is marinated in lemon before being cooked, hand-breaded on sight, and fried to perfection.
The chicken here is so tender and juicy that it melts in your mouth. If Raising Cane’s could make a proper chicken sandwich (meaning a sandwich that wasn’t just three chicken tenders between a bun) they would even be able to take on Popeyes.
The Bottom Line:
You’re not going to find chicken tenders this fresh from any other major nationwide fast food chain.
Sonic is a weird fast food chain. It has never ranked highly in any of our fast food rankings, but it doesn’t rank low either. It’s a mid-tier fast food chain, so what’s the best thing to order here? Easy, avoid the burgers and sandwiches, and go straight for the sides menu. On that list, nothing beats the Mozzarella Sticks.
The breading on these sticks is crispy and well-seasoned with Italian herbs. The cheese inside is warm creamy mozzarella that is always cooked to order and provides a nice melty cheese trail when you bite into them. The marinara isn’t bad either!
The Bottom Line:
Sonic’s snack sides are the gold mine of the menu, and no single option glitters like the Mozzarella Sticks.
Right now, this is my favorite burger in all of fast food. The Spicy Shackmiester delivers an initial sharp spicy kick that slowly morphs into a sweet and savory bite that features a mix of bright vegetal flavors and mild spice, with rich meaty beef notes.
The burger patties here are dusted with a cayenne-based hot pepper blend with cheese, savory fried onions, cherry peppers, and Shake Sauce. Even if your spice tolerance is high, this burger is going to knock your tastebuds out.
It’s a drool-inducing experience and unfortunately, it’s only available for a limited time. It’ll be a sad sad day when this burger leaves the menu, so get it while you can.
The Bottom Line:
Fast Food’s best cheeseburger right now. Hands down.
When we published the list of “Worst Fast Food Menu Items,” my editor called me whining about how I put Nacho’s Bell Grande on the list. This is a guy who eats fast food rarely and has some sort of weird nostalgic allegiance to certain Taco Bell dishes. Lot’s of them. Too many, if you ask me. He texts me T-Bell receipts for $35 when I know he’s all alone.
That dish, for the record, is objectively awful. The Grilled Nacho Fries, however, are the real deal. On a bed of perfectly crispy and seasoned french fries is a layer of Taco Bell’s ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, and what Nacho’s Bell Grande should have: a three-cheese blend, and chipotle sauce.
The three-cheese blend adds a complex dimension that nacho cheese sauce just can’t provide. It’s nutty, creamy, and a bit sweet. The chipotle sauce ups the savory quality of the beat and adds a bit of heat. This is what Nacho’s Bell Grande should be — it’s also half the price.
The Bottom Line:
Nachos Bell Grande fans, try this dish and then tell me that Nacho’s Bell Grande deserves permanent menu status and these don’t.
It was incredibly simple to name the Baconator as Wendy’s all-time best menu item because it’s easily the best bacon cheeseburger in all of fast food. This burger is incredibly juicy thick 1/4 patties and two layers of smokey crispy bacon.
The combination of beefy flavors and slightly sweet and smokey bacon is incredibly rich and satisfying, and Wendy’s knows this, that’s why they don’t put anything else in the burger aside from some mayo and ketchup.
The star of the show here is the meat, and both the patty and bacon are great quality and perfectly cooked.
Apparently, a member of the department told TMZ that there is an open, restricted-access case under the name Sean Combs, which many took to mean that Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, was under criminal investigation. The timing of the account led to the natural assumption it had to do with Cassie’s lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday (November 16) in a Manhattan federal court.
However, TMZ now reports that NYPD denies such an investigation. A statement reads:
Yesterday, a member of the NYPD’s public information office erroneously told a reporter about the apparent existence of an active case file containing the name ‘Sean Combs.’ There is no such investigation, at present. Further, the release of such information is not consistent with the internal policies of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information. The NYPD always treats allegations of sexual assault and rape extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so that support and services can be offered to survivors and a comprehensive investigation can be conducted.
TMZ said it also contacted law enforcement in Los Angeles and Miami but reported that “no police report has been filed as it pertains to Cassie or Diddy, and no investigation has been launched.”
Cassie’s lawsuit alleged that Diddy not only raped her in 2018, but also beat her repeatedly throughout their 10-year relationship and even threatened to blow up Kid Cudi’s car after he found out the two were romantically linked. Cudi later confirmed his car really did blow up in his driveway.
Whenever Tyler The Creator and Nardwuar link up, there’s always going to be some gold to mine. In his latest interview with the Canadian host, which they shot at Camp Flog Gnaw recently, Tyler deplores the gimmicky state of music journalism while coining what is possibly the funniest description of the show Hot Ones ever. Sneaker Shopping also catches a stray in the interview, which you can watch in full above.
While talking about how much he loves talking about music, Tyler wonders at fans’ reticence to take in such conversation in comparison to interview shows with wild hooks. Lamenting that so much music journalism is about beef and gossip, he says, “We need to get back to talking about music. We need to stop going sneaker shopping or f*cking deep-throating hot wings for an hour. Talk about your album, talk about music, talk about the 15 songs you guys have spent time and gotten mixed and mastered and put your heart into and produced… when the album comes out and it sells 2 copies, everyone is confused – but they don’t want to talk about the music, they’d rather eat chicken wings and sneaker shop.”
Tyler, The Creator to Nardwuar on the current state of music journalism:
“We need to get back to talking about music. We need to stop going sneaker shopping or f*****g deep-throating hot wings for an hour. Talk about your album, talk about music…when the album comes out and it… pic.twitter.com/QNqWSgVlpI
Tyler’s passion comes from a genuine place; he legitimately seems worried that the devaluing of music could lead to a place where the music isn’t worth making or listening to. However, perhaps in an object illustration of just what he was talking about, only the comments above were broken out on social media, prompting him to hit his Instagram Story to clear a few things up.
“In the interview i shared a thought about the lack of journalism in music,” he wrote, “and used ‘hot ones’ as one of two examples.”
it comes off as having so much disdain towards the show which i dont, but really it was to be used as a broader example that popped in my head while trying to make the point. i could’ve said one of the (podcasts/ outlets that really pushes the more negative stuff but in that moment i didn’t. so sean [Evans, the host of Hot Ones] you didn’t really deserve the energy that comes off, wasnt my intention at all although “deep throating chicken” sounds hilarious to me. i am highly opinionated and outspoken so it comes off as my usual “complaining” ( like everyone else does, mines just gets shared more than the regular poster or comment, even if most of the video is me giving praise and showing gratitude to a multitude of things, that’s not what’s gonna get shared or spoken about). this will most likely get lost while the clip continues to get tossed around, but at least a few of you will see this. won’t change much since it’s out but yeah. really wish i used a different example, you seem like a sweet ol lady
Hey look, I don’t always agree with T, but in this case… He’s absolutely right (and I’m not just saying that because my job is almost entirely dependent on me writing about music and people actually LOOKING at what I wrote). Music fans complain (rightly) about the focus on gossip and poor sourcing in music journalism today, but then click on SayCheeseTV and TheShadeRoom for their music news. Seems counterproductive to me. We (journalists and artists alike) get into this because we love music and we love talking about music. The cynicism and commercialism that is slowly sucking the soul out of everything can be fought, but only if we all care enough (that includes you readers and viewers) to do it.
For many, many years now, one of the prime knocks against Drake — arguably hip-hop’s biggest superstar for at least the past decade — has been that he doesn’t rap enough. Every time he drops a new album, the complaint can be found on social media; this is cool, but why doesn’t he just RAP?
This is an understandable sentiment; after all, while Drake’s jump to mainstream attention came with the leak of his R&B-leaning “Brand New” and its simp-tastic follow-up “Best I Ever Had,” he was only in the position for such a tremendous breakout because of his freestyles and rapper’s-rapper projects like Room For Improvement and Comeback Season.
It’s equally understandable why Drake’s always tried to toe the line between serving those two largely separate fanbases. Sure, the fellas supported him early and his rap fan bonafides are undeniable (he’s a sponsor of Ultimate Rap League battles, for crying out loud), but his biggest commercial successes are largely due to support from the ladies.
That was a big part of the reason for the outcry against his most recent album, For All The Dogs. Despite its title suggesting music catering to the rough-and-tumble part of his fanbase that loves his intricately constructed bars, what he dropped instead was a mawkish collection of wounded crooning aimed squarely at MRAs and the women who despise them but date them anyway.
However, Drake’s often at his best when his back is up against the wall. Metabolizing the critiques of his latest, he went back to the lab, synthesizing his responses to those reactions into his third Scary Hours EP, released as For All The Dogs: Scary Hours, and doing exactly the thing so many of us have wanted him to do for so long: RAP.
Rap he does, selecting beats speaking clearly to his backpacker origins (Alchemist, what up!) and doubling down on the warm reception to his J. Cole collaboration “First Person Shooter” with another epic team-up, this one infused with the pass-the-mic chemistry exhibited by fan-favorite rap duos like Jadakiss and Styles and Clipse.
Since it’s such a short project, rather than doing a full-length review, I thought I’d just list my impressions of each of these tracks and why they hit the mark where the previous project didn’t.
“Red Button”
You know Drake is in that mode when he reminds fans of the short-lived backronym for his name. “Do Right And Kill Everything” Aubrey goes off for nearly two minutes and thirty seconds with no hooks, harkening back to his Nothing Was The Same intros. Keeping a rhyme pattern going for that long can be a challenge and the fact that Drake sounds so effortless at it just goes to show how much practice he’s put into his craft.
“Stories About My Brother”
Drake says “enough about me” throughout this track, but it’s still mainly a collection of boats about his status and wealth in comparison to his rivals and enemies. Mobster Drake is probably the least believable version of the superstar, but the number of metaphors he comes up with for putting out a hit on someone is borderline awe-inspiring. My favorite: “My brother put some holes in your top, you a Air Force.”
“The Shoe Fits”
This is the closest song on the EP to carrying over the spiteful spirit of the original album. For six full minutes, Drake recounts his experiences with a woman with a jealous boyfriend who spends his time hating on Drake from afar, only to ultimately lose his girl to one of the most washed-up NBA players in the league right now. You’re probably better off taking Drake’s advice at the beginning of the track and hitting skip.
“Wick Man”
Calling yourself a lipstick is … as questionable as a lot of what Drake’s said in recent years and your traction for the Pusha T jabs will vary depending on where you stood when they were openly beefing. But as an extended metaphorical threat of violence, it’s pretty well constructed despite its incredibility. Fans making the same goofy soccer joke about the song might wanna check their sources, though.
“Evil Ways” Feat. J. Cole
“Evil Ways” isn’t just the best track on Scary Hours 3, it’s also a better, more enjoyable conversation between the two rap titans than “First Person Shooter,” mainly because they’re both on topic and it sounds like they recorded it together (longtime readers will also know I’m just a sucker for trading bars). Around the 2:30 mark, I started hoping either Kendrick or Phonte would show up just to take it over the top but even without a surprise feature, I imagine this one will stay in rotation for me way longer than any of Drake and Cole’s prior collaborations. Also, shout out to Bushido Blade, an underrated late ’90s fighting game that gave me endless hours of entertainment for the brevity of its matches.
“You Broke My Heart”
Ugh. Even when Drake intentionally focuses on dropping Scribble Jam-worthy punchlines and reclaiming his hold on his corner of the “best rappers alive” triumvirate, he can’t resist one lazy lean back into the sadboy hum-singing about hating his ex that’s made him into a self-parody on his last three solo albums. We get it, man, girls have cooties or whatever. Go to therapy!
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