Hip-hop has had a misogyny problem almost as long as it has been around. And yes, it’s a reflection of the larger society around it, but it’s easier to see it when everyone in the genre has a microphone and a platform from which to blast some of their most wrongheaded ideas.
In recent years, plenty has improved. More women than ever are charting and making their voices heard, and many more overt examples of sexism are being called out. That’s what happened when Timbaland, the veteran super producer responsible for some of pop music’s biggest hits, overstepped his bounds as he addressed Britney Spears’ recent tell-all memoir.
During an onstage discussion at the Afrotech Conference in Austin, Texas this past weekend, Timbaland was asked by an attendee if he’d seen the headlines coming out about the book, especially in reference to his “Cry Me A River” collaborator Justin Timberlake. In response, Tim joked, “I wanted to call JT and say, ‘Man! You gotta put a muzzle on that girl.’”
Timbaland says Justin Timberlake should have put a “muzzle” on Britney Spears, following the release of her memoir:
“I wanted to call JT and say ‘Man! You should have put a muzzle on that girl.’”
While the crowd in attendance laughed — because, again, the society around us is still rooted in sexism — fans online didn’t appreciate his comment, calling him out in replies to viral reposts of the video of the response.
“Timbaland is the one who needs a muzzle,” wrote one fan. “We didn’t forget about his gross Aaliyah comments. He’s still upset Britney didn’t want to work with him. A nasty man.”
Timbaland is the one who needs a muzzle. We didn’t forget about his gross Aaliyah comments. He’s still upset Britney didn’t want to work with him. A nasty man.
she has been silent for long enough. yall expect women to stay silent and accept all the terrible things you do. it’s time to wake up and realize nobody cares about protecting you. https://t.co/ldjabpJy8d
We don’t talk about the time Jay-Z had an intervention to put a muzzle on Timbaland because he was addicted to painkillers consistently talking crazy. Since he wants to talk about reckless behavior, lets start there… https://t.co/9ZFKSfpegU
Getting a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle is no easy task. That task becomes exponentially harder when you take into consideration the age statement of the bottle that you want to get. Yes, a ten-year-old Old Rip Van Winkle is way easier to get (and far cheaper) than a 15-year-old.
Today, that opportunity arrives with a nice bonus of doing good. Former University of Oregon star and NFL quarterback Joey Harrington just launched his second annual charity raffle, the Bourbon Barrel Benefit. For a $100 entry fee, you’ll be in a raffle to win five bottles from the Buffalo Trace Distillery — one Pappy 20-Year and four Weller Full Proof Wheated Bourbons that Harrington (and I!) picked to benefit his charity.
That’s an incredible selection of Buffalo Trace whiskey for a mere $100 raffle ticket (you can buy as many tickets as you want!). The Pappy alone is worth thousands and similar barrel pick single barrel Weller Full Proofs go for $500 easily. The point is, this is rare stuff that everyone in the whiskey-drinking world wants.
Before I get into what’s in these bottles, let me break down what your $100 will actually go towards:
The charity offers students $5,000 per year and up to $20,000 per student to assist them in chasing their collegiate dreams.
The Harrington Family Foundation also offers mentorship to selected students throughout their college careers and leading into their working adult lives with mentors coming from the highest echelons of business, law, medicine, education, and more.
Rather than just picking straight-A students, the foundation actively seeks out multi-talented leaders who are eager to benefit their communities.
Very long story short, your $100 raffle ticket will be helping kids afford to go to college. And you might get an amazing bottle of Kentucky bourbon in return. Let’s dive into those bourbons right now!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This is the Pappy that made “Pappy” what it is today. The wheated bourbon rests for 20 long years in Buffalo Trace warehouses without any meddling. The barrels that actually make it to the 20-year mark are batched and that juice is then proofed down before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Moist and spicy Christmas cake brims with walnuts and pecans, dried fruit and candied fruits, and dark molasses sweetness next to woody cinnamon bark, clove berries, star anise, and a hint of salted black licorice as soft woody maple syrup hint at a sourdough pancake griddled with brown butter on the nose.
Palate: The palate adds a sweet sense of vanilla creaminess with soft apple pie filling before heavily roasted chocolate-covered espresso beans pop in with a touch of bitter orange.
Finish: The end combines all of that toward an old tobacco pipe that’s burnt a century’s worth of rich tobacco flavored with all of the above.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent bottle and hyped for a reason. There are few whiskeys out there at this age that taste this good. Pour it neat, over a rock, or make the best cocktail of your life with it. Whatever path you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Harrington Family Foundation Single Barrel Pick
This bottle is a single barrel pick of Weller Full Proof that Harrington and I picked back in April of 2023. That whiskey goes into the bottle at “full proof” which is not “barrel proof.” The “full proof” this refers to is the proof of the hot juice when it goes into the barrel for aging. That whiskey will come out of the barrel somewhere around 57% but not right at it. So there may be a little proofing water involved. Hence, it is always 114 proof and not 114.7 one year and 113.1 the next year or 115.9 the year after that.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe and sour cherries lead the way with a thick vanilla underbelly, a hint of salted caramel, and woody cinnamon next to whole nutmeg bulbs on the nose with this slight echo of almost singed cherry bark.
Palate: The palate leans into the sharpness of the cinnamon and the lushness of the vanilla as a foundation as layers of buttery caramel cake frosting with a hint of sassafras and licorice next to dry cedar bark braids with a thin line of sweet grass and a whisper of sourdough fritters.
Finish: The end leans into creamy brandy butter cut with dark-chocolate-covered dried sour cherries sprinkled with salt and rolled in fresh tobacco leaves and stacked next to orange-laced marzipan in an old and slightly sweet cedar box.
Bottom Line:
Since this is a barrel-pick single-barrel product, there are only a few bottles out there. Winning four of them will be a huge boon for any whiskey collector’s vault.
After you’ve finished up your first run of Suits, you might be wondering which early-to-mid 2000s hour-long drama will be the next show to hold your attention. You’ve surely already seen and been haunted by every episode of Criminal Minds, and it’s too much of a time commitment to dive into all 400+ episodes of Grey’s Anatomy unless you began that journey over a decade ago and have no way out. So here comes Hulu deciding for you by adding all 177 episodes of House to the library! Have you seen House?! It might be time to watch House!
House stars Stuart Little’s Hugh Laurie as a grumpy doctor who is a major jerk but he’s good at saving lives so they keep him around. The show also had a star-studded cast, including Olivia Wilde, Jennifer Morrison, Kal Penn, Omar Epps, and Jesse Spencer. And Dave Matthews in one episode.
Every episode revolves around one medical mystery or a patient with confusing symptoms that Dr. House must try to dramatically cure. Laurie received six Emmy nominations for his ability to swap his British accent for a Central Jersey one, while also solving various ailments. Plus, every actor from the era has appeared on the show in some capacity, most of the time being very weird.
The series ran from 2004 to 2012 on Fox, or, if you were lucky, you could watch eights consecutive episodes on USA Network’s weekly Sunday marathons. The point is that it’s a good show…
Music is meant to be enjoyed with friends and family. This is the mission behind one of Apple Music’s newer features. Typically, near the end of the year, the focus is on year-end recap features. For Apple Music, that’s Replay, whereas Spotify has Wrapped. But if you plan to travel for the holiday season by car, Apple Music users will want to tap into Shareplay. So, what is Shareplay on Apple Music?
Similar to Apple Music Sing, Shareplay was invented as an interactive experience. Essentially, Shareplay, together with Apple Music, is a tool that allows multiple users to control the music in a capable vehicle. Instead of relying on one person, oftentimes the driver, to curate the tunes for a car ride, Shareplay grants several individuals the opportunity to contribute to what plays over the Soundsystem via Apple Play.
It is important to note that to access SharePlay within a vehicle, the driver that begins the music experience via their iPhone must be on the iOS 17 system or later. Also, you must have an active Apple Music subscription to host a SharePlay session.
However, according to Apple, for those joining an ongoing Shareplay session, you won’t need an Apple Music subscription to join a SharePlay session in the car. Find more information here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have not been happy with the officiating to start the season, particularly when it comes to the lack of calls LeBron James is receiving. James is averaging 5.7 free throw attempts per game, which is pretty much in line with what he’s averaged over the past five seasons, but the Lakers believe he’s getting contacted more often than it’s being called.
Tuesday’s game against the Miami Heat was apparently a breaking point for Darvin Ham, LeBron, and the Lakers, as Ham got T’d up for arguing a missed call, James voiced his frustration after the game, and according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers called the league office to voice a formal complaint, sending over videos of missed calls.
The Los Angeles Lakers contacted the NBA league office Tuesday about what they view as numerous missed foul calls in Monday’s 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat, sources told ESPN.
The Lakers’ main point of contention is how LeBron James was officiated, according to sources. The Lakers shared various clips showing what they believe to be clear illegal contact by Heat defenders against James that went unnoticed by the referees.
The other 29 fan bases, who all believe LeBron and the Lakers get preferential treatment from officials, will laugh at this, but what’s interesting is it highlights what seems to be an overall shift we’ve seen this season.
As a whole, free throw attempts are down among the stars that usually feast at the charity stripe. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, and Julius Randle were all top-10 in free throws attempted last year and all have seen their attempts per game from the stripe dip considerably this year. The only players from last year’s top 10 that have maintained or increased their attempts per game are Trae Young, Damian Lillard, and Paolo Banchero, indicating that calls are being let go more on the inside this year against bigger players.
What will be interesting to see is whether this continues, as it seems there’s a bit more lenience being granted to defenders for contact inside this year. We’ve seen points of emphasis for officials in the past often fade away as the season wears on, and if there is a directive to allow a bit more contact this year to improve game flow, we’ll have to see if officials and the league are willing to put up with the complaints from their highest profile stars to continue that as the season continues.
Spending a lot on a bottle of whiskey is no small ask — so let me help you find some great limited-edition bourbons that are worth the coin. To do that, I’m conducting a blind taste test of new limited-edition bourbons. Most of these were released in the last few weeks with a few coming in in the past month or so. They cover everything from special cask finishes to barrel entry-proof releases to bold craft whiskeys alongside some of the best small batches coming out of Kentucky right now.
Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse “Camp Nelson F” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Straight Bourbon Whiskey
After blind tasting each of these bourbons, I went ahead and ranked them based on taste. But taste is more than just “yum, that’s good!” I’m also looking at the depth of the profile, how balanced and complex it was, and how powerful those ABVs were. It’s a complex look at complex whiskey — let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Part 1 — The Limited Edition Bourbon Blind Tasting
Zach Johnston
Taste 1
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Freshly ground cinnamon drives the nose toward grilled peaches and pineapple before deep and oily vanilla arrives with a sense of fresh plums dusted with a hint of salt.
Palate: Those plums stay fresh on the palate as the vanilla really kicks up with a nice balance of old oak, a hint of leatheriness, and old tobacco dipped into mulled wine.
Finish: That mulled wine takes on an oakiness with more leathery tobacco on the finish as the plums are just stewed with winter spice barks and then folded into berry pie.
Initial Thoughts:
This has a great nose, a good body, and a cognac-like finish. I like this a lot but it’s very unique.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Your grandma’s caramel candies draw you in on the nose with a light sense of vanilla malts topped with whipped cream and cherry before the oak arrives with a sense of sweetness and light mocha espresso vibes.
Palate: The dark cherry takes on a mild cola feel before it drives toward rich vanilla buttercream cut with poppyseeds and nutmeg next to a hint of that sweet oak dipped in salted caramel.
Finish: Rich tobacco leaves wrap themselves around that caramel oak before a whisper of apple blossom and maybe some brandy-soaked pear round out the finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This opens with a soft nose that then gives way to a bold and very hot mid-palate with a warming end. A lot is going on with this profile and it feels like it needs a rock or some time to air before sipping more.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tart cherries and rich toffee rolled in roasted almond and dipped in salted dark chocolate drive the nose toward cinnamon spice cakes with a hint of dried cranberry, plummy sauce, and rich tobacco.
Palate: The taste leans into caramel-covered peanuts with a hint of red fruit leather, old spice barks, and a whisper of orange rinds next to a touch of Cherry Coke, old leather tobacco pouches, and the old beams from a whiskey barrel house.
Finish: The end leans into a lush vanilla buttercream with notes of old back porch wicker, almost sweet cedar kindling, smudging sage, and cinnamon bark soaked in cherry brandy with a touch of chili-cut dark chocolate.
Initial Thoughts:
This opens beautifully and then just gets more luscious as you go. This is a winner and it’s delicious.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a rush of sharp cinnamon bark wrapped up with old saddle leather, freshly fried apple fritters, walnuts, old cedar bark braids twisted up with dried wild sage, and a hint of dried yellow mustard flowers with an underlying sense of maple syrup over pecan waffles.
Palate: The palate leans into the spice with a hint of allspice and ginger next to apple pie filling with walnuts, brandy-soaked raisins, and plenty of brown sugar next to spiced Christmas cake dipped in dark chocolate sauce.
Finish: The end takes its time and meanders through salted caramel, stewed plums with star anise and sharp cinnamon, a hint of vanilla Dr. Pepper, and a mild sense of chocolate-cinnamon-spiced chewing tobacco buzziness with a warming Texas hug that’s part Hot Tamales and part chili-spiced green tea.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a big crafty Texas whiskey (the color is a dead giveaway). It’s very good but also extremely hot. This needs ice ASAP.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Perfectly toasted marshmallow gives way to cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven with a sense of real-deal sasparilla cut with vanilla ice cream and a hint of mint before an almost savory fruitiness arrives that’s part sandy pear and part yellow melon.
Palate: The vanilla takes on a lemon chocolate vibe (a very underrated combination) before the mint shocks the palate toward rich and chewy tobacco dipped in honey.
Finish: Sharp cherry cola drives the finish toward fresh honeycombs with a hint of nutmeg sprinkled in next to vanilla pound cake cut with poppyseeds and almond oils.
Initial Thoughts:
This was very light comparatively. There’s a lot of good stuff going on the profile but there’s no wow factor.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark brown sugar and cask warmth pops on the nose with a sense of deep and very real vanilla under a heat lamp and lashing the air with deep vanilla smells as caramel sweetens the rest of the air with bourbon-y vibes of oak, leather, and tobacco.
Palate: That deep and warm vanilla drives the palate toward a Kentucky hug from a grizzly bear as the ABVs warm toward sharp winter spice barks, dark cherry cola, and marzipan cut with dark chocolate and more dark cherry before the old oakiness arrives with a hint of warehouse floor.
Finish: The grizzly bear Kentucky hug only gets sharper and hotter on the finish as the brown sugar, dark cherry, and old oak lead to a creamy lush vanilla finish that’s just kissed with eggnog, marzipan, and spiced holiday cookies.
Initial Thoughts:
This is classic with a bold AF Kentucky hug. Again, this is begging for a big ol’ rock.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted vanilla beans and pan-toasted winter spices (nutmeg, clove, allspice, and cinnamon) mingle with lush and butter caramel sauce, brown-sugar rock candy, and a whisper of old wicker furniture with a hint of pipe tobacco.
Palate: That brown-sugar sweetness drives the palate toward woody and warm winter spices that create a nice buzz alongside a creamy eggnog edge next to vanilla sheet cake sprinkled with toffee chards and dried orchard fruits.
Finish: The end dries out a tad as the warm spices ramp up toward a holiday cake made with plenty of vanilla, brown sugar, buttercream, and toasted woody spices before being kissed with fresh pipe tobacco that was left in a cedar box for a spell.
Initial Thoughts:
This is nice and balanced with a very lovely (approachable) flavor profile. I like this one.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Deep and dark candied black cherry mingles with dry cedar bark, molasses, real vanilla beans, nutty brown butter, and old leather rolled in pipe tobacco and just kissed with smoldering sage and dry chili pepper flakes.
Palate: The palate opens with a full blast of ABVs, making the front of your tongue tingle, as floral honey, cherry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream, and brown butter streusel cut with nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove lead to a hint of dry orange tobacco.
Finish: Cinnamon sticks and clove buds floating in maple syrup arrive on the finish with a sense of old leather boots, the oak in an old rickhouse, orchard barks, and soft notes of vanilla and cherry cake.
Initial Thoughts:
This has a beautiful nose, palate, and finish. It’s warm but not hot. It’s pretty much a perfect pour of bourbon that actually goes beyond classic and into bourbon glory.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Wild Turkey’s iconic spiced cherry vibe is present in spades on the nose with a deep and dark cherry cut with anise, clove, allspice, and cinnamon next to rum-soaked raisins, black tea-soaked dates, and a rich and lush vanilla foundation.
Palate: The clove attaches to dried orange rinds as salted rich caramel drives the taste toward more dates, plum sauce, and leathery prunes with a deep winter spice bark vibe next to a dash of powdery white pepper.
Finish: Honeyed tobacco mingles with sticky toffee pudding, mincemeat pies, and sweet oak mixed with richly spiced tobacco rolled with cedar bark, sage, and old wicker porch furniture.
Initial Thoughts:
This is both classic and delicious. There’s a serious depth that shines brightly on quintessential Kentucky bourbon flavor notes.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with sticky toffee pudding that really amps up the cinnamon and nutmeg next to black-tea-soaked dates next to some stewed prunes wrapped in chili-chocolate-laced tobacco leaves and dripped in honey and then walnuts.
Palate: A savory fruitiness opens the palate with figs and pumpkin that leads towards an apricot jam with a hint of clove and cinnamon next to light touches of old library leather and funk.
Finish: A faint hint of dark berries arrives on the mid-palate before the finish luxuriates in burnt toffee, almond shells, more of that leather, and dried-out apricots.
Initial Thoughts:
This is really nice bourbon. It’s kind of funky and fresh with a killer essential foundation of bourbon iconography on the profile.
Part 2 — The Limited Edition Bourbon Ranking
Zach Johnston
10. Widow Jane The Vaults Aged 15 Years A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys — Taste 5
This year’s Widow Jane The Vaults takes the age statement up to 15 years. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of Tennessee and Indiana bourbons that rested for 15 years before batching and re-filling into Chinquapin oak casks for another three months of mellowing in Widow Jane’s Red Hook warehouse.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty good but was the lightest pour of the panel. It felt more like a base for a cocktail than a sipper today.
This year’s Cowboy Bourbon from Garrison Brothers is a blend of only 118 barrels of six-year-old Texas bourbon. 1,000 bottles of the crafty Texas whiskey will be available in mid-September at the distillery with an additional 8,600 bottles going out nationwide the first week of October.
Bottom Line:
Ah, that ABV is a lot. This presented as a hazmat whiskey and it was hard to get into the flavor profile with all of that heat. That said, this over some ice is usually magical.
8. Booker’s Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2023-03 “Mighty Fine Batch” — Taste 6
This new batch from the Beam team honors Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe’s old favorite phrase when a batch of bourbon worked out just right. The cask-strength batch of bourbon was pulled from prime barrels from prime spots across the Beam warehouses in Clermont, Kentucky. Once batched, the whiskey was bottled 100% as-is at barrel strength.
Bottom Line:
Again, this was so hot that sampling it neat was a lot to deal with. That said, I’ve been drinking this over a big ice cube and it’s fantastic. You know what to do.
7. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Limited Release Double Oaked Bourbon Whiskey Finished in a Second Oak Barrel French Oak — Taste 2
This is a four-year-old Starlight bourbon that was aged in French oak casks from the jump. Then that same whiskey was refilled into new French oak casks for a final maturation before batching and bottling to help with prostrate cancer research via bottle sales this year.
Bottom Line:
This is another really good bourbon that needs a touch of water or ice to let it bloom and cool a tad.
The latest Distillery Series from Woodford leans into the California oak. In this case, the whiskey in the bottle was made from barrels of bourbon finished in Sonoma County Pinot Noir, brandy, and red wine bourbon barrels. Those barrels were then batched and just proofed down before bottling for this special release.
Bottom Line:
Okay, now we’re into the easy-going sippers with solid depth. If you’re looking for a killer red wine pairing whiskey for a big dinner party, this is the bottle to have on hand.
5. Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 10
This sourced bourbon is built from 11 and 18-year-old bourbon barrels. The real star of the show with this whiskey is that those bourbons were finished in Armagnac, Cognac, and sherry casks before vatting and bottling as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is just nice AF bourbon that’s so easy to drink while giving you a deep and fun profile. It’s not classic and sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to change things up.
4. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse “Camp Nelson F” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 9
The second release from Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Collection moves to the Camp Nelson campus in Kentucky to highlight the terroir and aging happening in Rickhouse F. The whiskey barrels were pulled from the center cut of the warehouse — floors four and five (out of seven). Once batched, the whiskey was bottled 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that’s just excellent. Pour it over a big ice cube and you’re good to go.
3. Maker’s Mark 2023 Limited Release BEP Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Finished With 10 Virgin Oak Staves — Taste 7
This is the final chapter of Maker’s Mark “Wood Finish Series” before the next set starts dropping. The whiskey in the bottle is made from classic Maker’s that’s batched at barrel entry proof (BEP), which is 110-proof. Next, the whiskey is finished with ten bespoke wooden staves inside the barrel, all made from new (or “virgin”) oak. Those barrels are then batched and bottled without any proofing water.
Bottom Line:
This feels like a great digestif whiskey pour after a big holiday meal. Pour it neat or on a big rock and you’ll be set.
2. Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Series #11 — Taste 3
The latest release from Bardstown Bourbon Company is a full-on Kentucky bourbon blend. The whiskey is made with 73% 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon, 21% 10-year-old Kentucky bourbon, and 6% of Bardstown’s own six-year-old Kentucky bourbon. Once batched, the whiskey mellows before bottling 100% as-is at cask strength.
This is Buffalo Trace’s classic wheated bourbon. This year’s Weller BTAC was distilled back in the spring of 2011 and left to rest in warehouses C, L, M, and N for 12 long years. Those barrels were batched and this whiskey was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is a hallmark bourbon. If you want to get sneaky with it, use it for a Manhattan to really take your cocktail game to the next level.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Limited Edition Bourbons
Zach Johnston
Cards on the table, all of these are pretty great bourbons. They all offer something unique. Find the tasting notes that speak to you and the price that fits your budget and away you go! You’ll be in for a treat.
If you want to go all in on the best bourbons right now, anything from the top four or five are stellar choices. But as with all limited edition anything, they’re going to be hard to find and likely pretty expensive. Consider yourself warned.
Apple Music has rolled out a bunch of new features. However, nothing beats the gift of music. And now, Apple Music users can share their favorite music in new ways.
Back in June, Apple Music launched collaborative playlists, which allows two or more Apple Music users to collaborate on a playlist. However, as the feature is relatively new, some Apple Music users are still a bit fuzzy on how to create the collaborative playlists.
Not to worry. Uproxx has put together a step-by-step guide on how to create collaborative playlists between you and your music-loving friends.
First, open the Apple Music app on your phone. Secondly, go to the Library tab and select Playlists. You can then create a new playlist or open an existing one. After you’ve selected the playlist you wish to share — or created it — you can select the three-dot menu in the upper-righthand corner of the screen. From there, select To Collaborate. You can then activate the option Start Collaborating and tap Start Collaboration. According to Gear Rice, if you disable this option, anyone can join without approval.
Once ready, you can share a collaboration link with anyone from your contacts. Collaborators can then add new music to the playlist, change the sequencing, as well as the name and cover art.
It’s no secret that the MCU has found itself in a difficult place, which is predicted to reflect in the The Marvelsbox-office this upcoming weekend. The DCU isn’t doing splendidly either in that department, although James Gunn is striving to turn things around, and if anyone can do so, it’s the Guardians of the Galaxy maestro. Thinking about that trilogy harkens back to a simpler time, before the MCU became so complicated that it arguably began to wear out moviegoers with different timelines and a zillion references (or “homework”) that virtually required watching several TV shows before a new movie.
Don’t expect that to happen with The Boys and Gen V.
The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke discussed when The BoysSeason 4 takes place, and there’s excellent news on the way for those who appreciate a straightforward approach to telling a kickass story. Long story short: he and other producers see what’s going on in some comic book universes, and they won’t go there. So, after the Gen V finale when Homelander (appropriately for him) steals the show, and we find out that Billy Butcher (in a credits scene) is aware of the Supe virus shenanigans, only a few days will pass before Season 4 begins. Via Variety:
“In our minds, it’s only a couple of days after whatever the events are of ‘Gen V.’ We try to keep the timeline super simple because all that folding-in-on-itself timeline stuff that I think other comic book universes find themselves having to do is just bewildering for me as a viewer. So it’s all very modular. It’s like there’s Season 3 of ‘The Boys,’ and then after that ‘Gen V’ takes place, and then after that ‘The Boys’ Season 4 takes place. And then after that, ‘Gen V’ Season 2 takes place. It’s all more like cars on a train than it is a plate of spaghetti.”
Spaghetti (or angel hair) rules, yes, but not so much as a cinematic narrative. And it’s wonderful to know that The Boys and Gen V viewers can look forward to continued complexity in characters while not stressing about timelines. Whew.
The case for Halloween: Henry Selick’s stop-motion musical was originally released in October 1993. The case for Christmas: I mean, it’s right there in the title. Plus, it’s about a guy (well, a singing and dancing skeleton) who is so sick of spooky season that he gives Halloween Town a Christmas makeover.
The latest update in the Halloween vs. Christmas debate comes from the Billboard Hot 100, where the Danny Elfman-penned “This Is Halloween” charted for the first time. Billboard reports that “the song, on Walt Disney Records, debuts at No. 41 with 12.4 million streams (up 152 percent), 511,000 radio impressions (up 815 percent) and 3,000 downloads (up 58 percent) October 27-November 2.” That’s a higher chart placement than some Taylor Swift tracks on the Hot 100, including the re-recordings of “This Love” and “You Are in Love” from 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
It’s a big Halloween (not Christmas) time bump for a song that is definitely stuck in your head now. I’m sorry.
The song’s parent album The Nightmare Before Christmas jumps from No. 54 to No. 25 on the Billboard 200 with 25,000 equivalent album units (up 61 percent). The collection reached No. 22 last year, a new high. On the Soundtracks chart, the set rebounds for a fourth total week at No. 1.
So, is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? The correct answer: it’s a good movie.
As golf has grown in popularity over the last decade, including a big influx of players in 2020 with golf courses becoming one of the first activities to open back up, we have also seen an expansion in great golf destinations.
Despite being an individual sport, the social aspect of the game has drawn many to it and the golf travel industry stateside has seen a boom as well. From established destinations like Pinehurst and Pebble Beach to newer resorts like Bandon Dunes and Sand Valley, there are a growing number of places where you can go with a group and play golf at different courses to your heart’s content. One of the newer offerings in the golf travel world is Big Cedar Lodge. Johnny Morris’ outdoor resort near Branson (MO) has expanded significantly in the golf space over the last decade to now include three 18-hole courses and a pair of par 3 courses (with a third, Cliffhangers, being built currently).
In October, I got invited out to Big Cedar Lodge as part of a media trip with a pair of other writers to play all five courses and get a feel for what they’ve built as a golf destination with a tour of the new course under construction and play all five of their current ones. I love golf and it’s served as my escape for two decades now, but I’ve only ever done one real golf trip, when a friend and I drove from New Jersey to Pinehurst after covering the 2016 PGA at Baltusrol, playing six courses along the way. As such, I was interested to see what Big Cedar was like and play golf in an area of the country I’d never ventured to before.
What makes Big Cedar Lodge work as a golf destination is that its courses are all very different, both in how they look and how they play. Now, those differences also mean not every golfer will feel the same way about each course. Here, I’m going to give you my perspective as someone in his early 30s who has spent his life playing mostly public courses, is a 2.7 handicap, and needed my massage gun to keep the back loose throughout the trip because it was the most golf I’d played in a single week in at least two years — Pro Tip: Don’t be too proud to bring the Hyperice/Theragun with you. It’s a lot of golf.
Here, we’ll look at mapping out what courses to play and when. To start, here is the schedule we had for playing all five courses in four days, with an 11 a.m. arrival in Springfield on Monday and a 5 p.m. departure on Thursday.
Monday: Ozarks National (1:30 p.m.)
Tuesday: Top of the Rock (9:00 a.m.)
Wednesday: Payne’s Valley (9:00 a.m.); Mountain Top (3:30 p.m.)
Thursday: Buffalo Ridge (8:10 a.m.)
That schedule spaced out the rounds pretty nicely (which my back appreciated), and logistically it worked very well by keeping us from trying to make long pilgrimages from one course to another. We did have to push our tee time on the first day back a touch with some late arrivals, so that’s definitely something to be mindful of, but otherwise we weren’t ever pressed for time.
Now, you might not be worried about playing all five courses but still want to know a bit more about each of the courses to make your selection. Below you’ll find my thoughts on each course, as well as the price during peak season (April 17 – October 29), to help you figure out which courses fit what matters most to you as a golfer. While part of what makes Big Cedar a really good golf destination is the courses all play differently and have very distinct styles if you know there are certain course styles you’re not a fan of or ones you really love, it might help you figure out if you want to double up on one and skip another.
Ozarks National ($225 resort guest/$250 public)
This will likely be the favorite course of those who are really into golf course architecture, as the Coore & Crenshaw design presents the most challenges of the three tee-to-green. It is the course where you have to be really intentional in thinking your way around the most, with tricky sight lines, blind tee shots, fairways that run out into native areas and off the sides of the mountain, and plenty of well-placed bunkers — of all the courses, this is the one that I’d suggest getting a caddie for some course knowledge that goes beyond the cart GPS system. All of those challenges also make it the lowest rated by the public, as it is the most rustic of the Big Cedar courses (while still being in terrific shape) and is the one that brings big numbers into play most often (especially if the wind picks up) that can leave you very frustrated. I felt it was the most difficult of the courses (I shot an 80) because of how challenging it was off of the tee, but it’s also the one that I would be most excited to get another crack at.
Evan Schiller
Once you’ve played it, you’ll know where to go and where not to and will have at least a handful of shots you’ll want to have back with a different club in your hand. There are some great risk-reward holes and scoring opportunities if you can get the ball in the fairways, but also plenty of big numbers lurking and the gnarliest rough on the property thanks to fluffy Bermuda that engulfs golf balls. If you were going to double up on a course on a Big Cedar trip, I’d suggest Ozarks because you will be left thinking about what could’ve been. That’s part of why I think it should be the site of your first 18-hole tee time, with the other reason being once you’ve navigated around Ozarks, even if it’s not your cup of tea, the other courses will feel much friendlier.
Payne’s Valley ($350/$450)
The signature course at Big Cedar is Tiger Woods’ only public course on his (still young) design resume. It is an unmissable drive-in, with the massive green fairways running through the valley, making for a rather stunning view from the road up above. Payne’s is the public’s choice and for good reason. It is in unbelievable shape, as Tiger took a cue from Augusta National with perfectly manicured grass all over the course (there is no rough at Payne’s Valley, only various cut heights), as the Big Cedar agronomy team works wonders on the zoysia running tee to green. The fairways at Payne’s are very generous, and you are rarely having to use your imagination with where to go off of the tee. The challenge comes on the green complexes that feature large ridges dividing sections of the green, tons of sloping and big breaking putts, and gigantic bunkers framing almost every green to swallow up misses. However, the grass around the greens is so perfect you’re never left with a bad lie, and if you have the hands for it, you can create the spin to get up and down from pretty much anywhere.
Robby Kalland
The back nine is the stronger of the nines at Payne’s, as the front is fairly straightforward and didn’t make me feel like I had to plot my way around too much. The back had more character, in part because it brings you back up the hill (and for me, back into the wind as well) and presents more challenges off the tee while still giving you generous landing areas. Low scores are very possible if you’re ball-striking is on point and you take advantage of the pristine turf around the greens with your short game. I had my best round of the week at Payne’s (74) and, as is the refrain from all golfers, I think it probably should’ve been better if I hadn’t botched the three short par-4s and had a few putts drop in that burned edges.
Evan Schiller
For those that play top courses regularly, Payne’s Valley probably won’t be the favorite because a good bit of its value comes from the condition it is in. I talked to a friend who falls into that category who felt it was “overdone” and I could see how that would be the case because it is a lot and at times feels like it’s trying to be Augusta Light. However, for the majority of the public (including me), this will be the best-maintained golf course they will play all year and it really is a treat. I’m not a huge course architecture person so I’m not going to try and argue anyone’s points against it, but I did think the back 9 was pretty strong in presenting challenges that could still be overcome by good shots, which is all I really ask of a course. Beyond all that, even if the design isn’t your favorite, sometimes it’s just really fun to play a course that doesn’t have a single misplaced blade of grass, especially if that’s not available to you at home.
If you were making a return trip to Big Cedar, I could absolutely see leaving this off the itinerary once you’ve done it because it is the priciest of the courses and I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for preferring to double up Ozarks or Buffalo Ridge. That said, it is a stunning course visually and it’s a joy to hit off of perfect grass for every shot, so if you don’t get that type of experience often, it’s worth the price of admission.
Buffalo Ridge ($200/$225)
The oldest 18-hole course on the property is Buffalo Ridge, which Tom Fazio redesigned once it got purchased by Big Cedar, and it is aptly named as there are multiple spots where you might encounter some buffalo roaming or eating on the other side of the electric fence.
Robby Kalland
The front side is the more open of the two, almost easing you into the round (aside from a pretty tight driving window on the second) before putting your nerves and confidence off the tee to the test on the back. It’s not crazy tight, as the fairways are still plenty big, but the penalties for missing those fairways get much stiffer once you hit the back, with more trees and creeks lining the fairways as you wind through the hillside. It has the visuals you expect from a Fazio design, with cascading water features running along the fairway of various holes like the signature 15th hole, and it’s a really fun course to play.
Evan Schiller
The front is certainly where you want to get most of your scoring done, as the back nine is both tighter and longer. That said, I thought the back was the most fun, even as I found myself scrambling a lot just to get looks at par and bogey (I went 35-42 to limp home with a 77). There aren’t any blind shots, but it does force you to be more intentional with your tee shots and approaches, as there’s more movement from tee to green. The 18th is a particularly strong closing par 5, presenting an awkward, demanding tee shot in the form of a dogleg left with bunkers lining the left edge (left of that being a sharp dropoff) and trees and rocks all down the right.
Mountain Top ($80/$95)
Of the two par 3 courses currently open at Big Cedar, Gary Player’s Mountain Top was probably my favorite, especially factoring in the price. The 13-hole, walking-only course is totally exposed up on top of the mountain (hence the name) and it’s a really fun challenge when the wind gets blowing. We played in the afternoon after Payne’s Valley (they share a clubhouse) and by the time we got out the wind was steady at 15-20 with gusts near 40, and when that’s happening, the course demands great ball-striking and full commitment from each swing. The views of the Ozarks off in the distance make for a tremendous backdrop as you try desperately to figure out how far each hole is really playing with the wind and elevation changes.
Robby Kalland
Top of the Rock ($135/$150)
The first course built on the Big Cedar property is Jack Nicklaus’ Top of the Rock, which initially opened in 1998, closed for a while after a fire destroyed the clubhouse, and reopened in 2014 after a total redesign. The 9-hole par 3 features some absolutely gorgeous vistas with the lake in the background and a couple of wild elevation changes. It, like all of the courses, is in terrific shape and will make you hit six or seven different irons and wedges throughout the round — which is a must to avoid being stale as a par 3. The reason this would be the one I would skip if I wasn’t looking to do all five has little to do with the course itself (the view from the 9th tee is maybe the best on the entire property).
It is the only course not in the same area as the other courses, as it’s over by the main property, and it also is pretty pricey for a 9-hole par 3. That said, if you’re going to be over at the main property or Top of the Rock for something else, it is a gorgeous course with some outrageous slopes on the greens that can make for quite the challenge, even if the greens themselves are pretty generous in size.
Evan Schiller
How you plan your trip really depends on what you want to get out of it — and also how much other stuff you want to do at Big Cedar. One of the things that makes it different from other golf destinations is the alternative activities beyond just golf, but it’s also easy to make it all about golf. We’ll keep it to what the best four-day, three-night trip looks like (like the one I did) that is focused solely on playing golf in two different forms.
Some of this will depend on where you’re staying, as the Payne’s Valley cottages allow easy access (you can walk up the road) to Payne’s Valley, Mountain Top, and Ozarks National, while being a short drive to Buffalo Ridge. If you’re at the main property, you’ll have more of a drive to each course.
The “Hit Every Course” Trip
Day 1: Top of the Rock PM
Day 2: Ozarks National AM, Buffalo Ridge PM
Day 3: Payne’s Valley AM, Mountain Top PM
Day 4: Ozarks National AM
This gets you to all five courses, only asks you to play 36 holes in a day once, and lets you double up Ozarks — which is the one I’d definitely want two cracks at in one trip. Playing Top of the Rock would be a nice way to ease in off the plane and you can snag a little bit of a later tee time to avoid a rush from the plane to the course, although, you might want a breakfast ball off the first with no range at Top of the Rock. The Payne’s/Mountain Top back-to-back is particularly easy to do since they share a clubhouse, while the Ozarks/Buffalo back-to-back gets your 36-hole day out of the way on the first full day.
The “36 Every Day” Trip
Day 1: Ozarks National PM
Day 2: Payne’s Valley AM, Buffalo Ridge PM
Day 3: Ozarks National AM, Payne’s Valley PM
Day 4: Buffalo Ridge AM
Some groups aren’t about that par 3 lifestyle and just want to play as much 18-hole golf as possible. I can respect that, even if I don’t think my body would hold up. If you’re doing that, I’d go with this rotation that gets you to all three courses twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, allowing you to see the courses in, quite literally, a different light each time. I personally think starting with Ozarks is the best way to go at Big Cedar, because it presents the biggest challenges straight out of the gate, but I felt it focused my game and made me much more prepared and comfortable going to the rest of the property.
I will say, one of the biggest selling points for sticking to the 18-hole courses only at Big Cedar would be maximizing your opportunities to get the free bison dogs at the turn houses. They are delicious.
Robby Kalland
Beyond “get as many bison dogs as possible,” I do also want to provide some general tips for planning your golf trip with an understanding of the specific challenges that present themselves at Big Cedar. For one, book your rounds early if you’re staying on the property. Resort guests get first crack at tee times and can book months in advance, while non-resort golfers can book 30 days out for every course other than Payne’s Valley, which opens the tee sheet to the public 14 days in advance. As such, it’s vital to make golf plans first, get those tee times locked in, and then plan the rest of your visit around those — the easiest course to get on late is the Mountain Top par 3, if you have a sudden window of time free and want more golf.
The second thing is to be mindful of transportation. You are likely going to fly into Springfield unless you can afford to fly private or are flying from one of the few destinations that go to the Branson airport. If you are renting a car, be prepared for a fairly long line when you get in — especially at the Enterprise desk — and budget a little extra time for that on top of the hour-long drive before booking a round on your arrival date. You also could get a car service from the airport to the resort and then navigate via shuttles once there, but if you do that, you will want to make sure you’re on top of things. The shuttle system is solid if you build in time for it, but sometimes they’re light on shuttles and it might take 30 minutes to get one. They do have a shuttle app that you can check for how long it’d take to get one, but you do need to be aware that it won’t always be immediate and you’ll need to plan ahead to not have any issues with tee times.
The last thing is for those who are shipping clubs out there rather than flying with them, you’ll want to specify what course you’re playing first to ensure your clubs are at the right place for your first round. Ozarks National, Payne’s Valley, and Mountain Top share a cart tent, but Buffalo Ridge and Top of the Rock do not, and if the clubs aren’t going to be with you, you’ll need to make sure they have your name, the group name (aka, the person booking the rounds), and the course you’re starting at. From there, they do a great job getting clubs from course to course for you if you’d like, but the initial “where to ship” is something to be mindful of.
Overall, I thought Big Cedar presented a great golf experience across the five courses, with each presenting a different look and feel. I also know that my enjoyment of the courses was enhanced by finding my best form of the year, but I don’t think that was just a coincidence. Golf has always been a 2-4 hour escape from the real world for me, but having four days to be immersed in your game, particularly when playing on perfectly manicured courses, can do wonders. Big Cedar has a little something for every kind of golfer, and hopefully my experience can help you plan your own golf trip to the Ozarks.
Uproxx was invited on a hosted trip to Big Cedar Lodge for reporting on this piece. You can find out more about our policy on press trips/hostings here.
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