While it might not be a huge surprise for an Airbnb host to show a guest around, no one would anticipate their local guide to be a friendly neighborhood dog. But this was a sweet, unexpected perk for Hannah Brown and her family.

Brown had booked a stay at Sail Away Cottages, nestled right along the coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Little did she know that a surprise amenity would be morning guided walks to the beach, led by Soldier, a deaf and blind dog who lived on the property.

Brown posted a video of their daily ritual to TikTok, showing Soldier confidently strolling along the stone path, effortlessly moving through the sand and finally making it to the water for a refreshing dip.

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Soldier quickly became famous online, as the video racked up over 12 million views with thousands praising his concierge skills.

“I would follow that dog anywhere it wanted to take me,” one person wrote.

Several even chimed in with their own experience of having Soldier as a tour guide. One person shared, “I took my family there in 2019…he hung out with us the whole time. Best Airbnb ever!” This pup has certainly earned a good reputation.

Watch Soldier in action below:

@notalabamahannah We get so scared that Soldier is going to fall off the front walkway every single time #airbnb #vacation ♬ Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison

Sail Away Cottages quickly hopped on Soldier’s virality to share his backstory, writing on their Instagram page that he arrived one afternoon with a pack of roaming feral dogs (as is customary for the area) on Canadian Remembrance Day, hence his name.

By the way—the mixed breed dogs found on the Turks & Caicos Islands are called potcakes. How adorable is that?

Although the other potcakes chose to leave the next morning, Soldier stayed. And in doing so, he gained not only a new home but a new brother named Skipper.

“This is how Soldier started his walks to the beach – he went every day after his morning walk with his brother Skipper for a quick cool down before the day starts 🐾” Sail Away Cottages wrote.

See on Instagram

Skipper has sadly crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, but Soldier continues their tradition with each new friend he meets through Airbnb. Sail Away Cottages playfully notes that in addition to accompanying folks to the beach, he even “guards” their stuff. As much a blind, deaf dog could, anyway. He’s also quite fond of sitting in his new friends’ lap while in the water.

Needless to say, guests adore him.

If you’d like to try to book this good boy host, you can do so through Airbnb or directly through Sail Away Cottages.

See on Instagram

To follow along on more of Soldier’s adventures, you can find him on Instagram.

Plus follow Potcake Place K9 Rescue to learn about other potcake dogs just like Soldier who are still looking for a home (a resource shared by The Dodo).

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Babyface Ray, Nas, and more.

Although it’s not technically a “hip-hop album” per se, the Barbie soundtrack stands out this week thanks to contributions from rappers like Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and Kaliii. Speaking of soundtracks, another movie which hasn’t received as much promotion but is equally worth your time is Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone. Its soundtrack is also stuffed with rap mainstays like Big KRIT, Kamaiyah, Project Pat, Saba, Ski Mask The Slump God, and Trinidad James. I recommend giving it a spin.

New releases this week came from the likes of Travis Scott, Ice Spice, Jay Rock, and NLE Choppa, along with the albums and songs listed below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending July 21, 2023.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Babyface Ray — Summer’s Mine

The Detroit rapper makes an ambitious declaration in the title to his latest project. Fortunately, he’s mostly got the chops to back it up.

Black Milk — Everybody Good?

The J Dilla disciple digs deep on this new project, drawing out the best in himself and collaborators like Mick Jenkins, Phonte Coleman, and Quelle Chris.

Big Boss Vette — Resilience

The “Pretty Girls Walk” rapper continues to find her footing with seven new tracks highlighting her determination to embed herself into hip-hop’s collective consciousness.

Ice Spice — Like…? (Deluxe)

Is it an EP? An album? Does it even matter what you call it when what it means to hip-hop — Ice Spice’s continued dominance of our attention — seems to be more important?

Nas & Hit-Boy — Magic 2

There will likely be plenty of fans who’ll say the dynamic duo has gone to the well one too many times. To them, I say: Whatever, man. Nas owes us this for forcing us to pretend to like Street’s Disciple and Untitled. The best part might be the newly hungry-sounding 50 Cent.

Valee & Hit-Boy — Virtuoso

The slurry Chicago MC has been released from the confines of his GOOD Music deal (and from the accompanying expectations), allowing him to make indulgent stuff like this. It’s much more suited to his loose style.

Singles/Videos

ASAP Rocky — “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)”

ASAP Rocky’s new Don’t Be Dumb single suggests a new direction for his upcoming album that strips down the experimental formula of his last one in favor of punishing bass and an increased focus on Rocky’s fully-automatic raps.

Bas — “Passport Bros” Feat. J. Cole

The past few months have seen more and more rappers embracing diaspora sounds, and Bas’ new single featuring J. Cole slips easily into that wave — which suits the globe-hopping theme of the song itself.

Denzel Curry — “Blood On My Nikes”

The Floridian rapper gets back to his roots on his threatening new single, pulling from mid-90s goth rap tropes and his own deft lyricism to forewarn foes of his looming sequel to 13lood In + 13lood Out.

Duckwrth — “Big Bewts”

With the ongoing trend of rappers blending hip-hop and house as strong as its ever been, it’s the perfect time for what of the torchbearers of hip-house — who has been doing it before and will likely continue to do it after — to return, and he picked the perfect song to do it with.

Sam Silver & Hefna380 — “Choppa”

Take the above statement and stretch it even more into the much more glitchy sounds of 2010s EDM.

Stormzy — “The Weekend” Feat. RAYE

Stormzy’s continued rollout for his follow-up to the vulnerable This Is What I Mean brings another example of the sort of diasporic genre blending that’s been making nights out this summer sound like tropical vacations.

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

While making Babylon, Margot Robbie improvised a kiss with Brad Pitt because, as she put it, “When else am I gonna get the chance to kiss Brad Pitt?” She had the chance to kiss her Barbie co-star Ryan Gosling, as well, but she didn’t take it. And her friends will never let her forget it.

When asked by People whether she was pleased she didn’t have to lock lips with Gosling, the Ken to her Barbie, Robbie replied, “Uh no! That didn’t feel like a win for me.” She continued, “All of my girlfriends were like, ‘Well you did a whole movie with him and you don’t kiss? What’s wrong with you? I thought you were kind of in charge on this one!’ I was like, ‘I know, I can’t check that one off [my list].’” Barbie is saving all her smooches for Allan.

It wouldn’t have made narrative sense for Barbie and Ken to romantically embrace, and Gosling doesn’t seem to mind that it was left out of the movie. “It was so funny trying to figure out what their idea of kissing might be,” he said. “I’m so glad all of that got cut out.” Besides, it seems like most people who owned Barbies as a kid made their dolls kiss other toys that were lying around. What a shame we’ll never get to see Ken make out with the Stretch Armstrong on the big screen.

(Via People)

Certain professions allow you to get a closer look at things that others may not be privy to. This insider knowledge can cause you to be skeptical or appear to be a bit of a buzz kill when someone is simply attempting to have fun.

No one wants to think about all of the terrible things that can go wrong every time they do something they enjoy, but maybe we should listen a little closer to the experts. Chances are high that the professional who has seen behind the curtain isn’t trying to ruin your fun, they’re only trying to help keep you informed and safe.

Recently, an ICU nurse took to social media to plead with people to stop riding motorized scooters. No, not the ones older people and people with limited or no use of their legs use to get around. The scooters she’s talking about are the ones that you see on the roads, sometimes holding up traffic because they can only go so fast. They look fun, but according to her, everyone should stay away.

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Chenedy, who goes by Nurse Chen on TikTok, uploaded a video after working a night in neural trauma, imploring people to stay away from scooters.

“I had a patient a little while ago, younger than me, I’m 26, on a motorized scooter. Fell, broke their back, now they’re paralyzed. Younger than me.” Chenedy says. “I had another patient, motorized scooter, fell. Traumatic brain injury with a midline shift. Had to go to the OR to get their skull removed. A craniotomy. A hemi-cranny.”

Chenedy shouted during several parts of the video but looking at the comments, it becomes clear that she’s not alone in her concerns.

“I’m married to an ICU RN. Nothing is fun anymore,” someone confesses.

“Am a dentist. Can confirm,” a dentist writes.

“As an EMT…I be trying to tell them,” another says.

But the support isn’t just coming from professionals or people married to health care professionals. Several people who have been in accidents are also lending their support to this message.

“As someone who had a helmet on and still got a traumatic brain injury, everyone please be very careful if you do decide to ride a scooter,” one person writes.

“I agree! I had two traumas back to back both motorized scooters,” a commenter shares.

The consensus is that while motorized scooters look like a lot of fun, they’re extremely dangerous. Some of the injuries described by medical professionals and others are a bit jarring due to the graphic images they can conjure. Seems like wearing a helmet and pads isn’t much protection when you’re traveling at a much higher speed than you would be when pedaling a bicycle.

If you’re going to ride a scooter, do so in the safest way possible, but maybe the opinion of professionals will help you weigh if it’s worth the risk. Check out her warning below.

@nurse.chen

Im literally begging you #icunurse #traumanurse #birdscooter #themoreyouknow #nursesoftiktok #foryoy #fyp

Young Thug has been awaiting trial on racketeering charges for over a year, but was once again denied bail today, making it the fifth time he was denied bond since being taken into custody on May 9, 2022. According to Rolling Stone, both Thug and his YSL signee Yak Gotti were denied bond at a hearing today despite numerous delays to the start of the trial, which was supposed to begin in January. However, jury selection has taken well over six months, during which time, Thug’s lawyers say the rapper has faced a torturous state of existence.

“Sleeping with bright lights all the time, if he can get to sleep, that is a form of torture which is not compatible with necessary restoration,” said his attorney, Brian Steel. “This lifestyle for the last 14-plus months has caused physical harm to Mr. Williams.” However, Judge Ural Glanville did not see it that way, siding with prosecutors who said Thug presents a danger to potential witnesses, citing one who claimed Thug threatened them in a prior case with a text reading, “Snitch hoes get murked. Them and their kids.”

Thug was one of 28 people indicted on 56 counts of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Since then, several defendants have accepted plea deals, pleading guilty to violating the RICO Act in exchange for their freedom, including Gunna, who has been branded a snitch by former collaborators like Lil Durk.

While the trial proper has yet to start, there have been numerous disruptions to the pretrial court proceedings YSL attorneys being arrested for bringing contraband to the courthouse to co-defendants making wild political claims. Young Thug recently released an album titled Business Is Business, but it looks like justice remains slow.

Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Donald Trump‘s outrageous behavior really shouldn’t come as a shock at this point, and yet, somehow, he still found a way to astound the Morning Joe crew on Friday.

Following Trump’s revelation that Special Counsel Jack Smith hit him with a target letter for his involvement in the January 6 attack, the former president has started going around saying that it would be “very dangerous” to put him in jail. He also said that his MAGA throngs are ready to go beyond what they did in 2020, a.k.a. the January 6 insurrection that’s about to land Trump his third indictment.

“I think it’s a very dangerous thing to even talk about, because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters, much more passion than they had in 2020 and much more passion than they had in 2016,” Trump told a radio show in Iowa this week via Mediaite. “I think it would be very dangerous.”

Joe Scarborough couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Via Raw Story:

“I don’t know if Donald Trump understands,” Scarborough said. “He’s talking like a mobster. ‘It would be a shame, dangerous for Jack Smith,’ and [his supporters are] more dangerous now than in 2020 or 2016. He’s just so stupid, he really is. He just doesn’t understand. He’s going up against the feds, he doesn’t understand that he can’t bully and bluster and threaten his way out of criminal charges that are coming, because he broke the law.”

After blasting Trump for not being smart enough to push his lawyers for a deal, Scarborough once again roasted Trump for thinking he could threaten Smith. The Morning Joe host also dropped a surprising Andor reference, which is a pretty awesome show. Definitely check it out.

“Has he not looked at pictures of Jack Smith?” Scarborough said. “This guy looks like the judge on ‘Andor,’ all right? He looks like the guy who takes the good guy from the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy and throws him into jail for life. He doesn’t understand. I’m scared. You just scared me by putting this picture up. Like, what does he think? Does he think Jack Smith is going to be intimidated by mob-like threats?”

(Via Raw Story)

There likely won’t be any new Migos music in the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean you won’t hear from the two remaining members, Quavo and Offset. Both rappers have been working on their respective solo albums for a bit, and now, it looks like Quavo’s, Rocket Power is soon to be released.

After releasing the single “Turn Yo Clic Up” with Future last week, today, Quavo shared an album trailer on his Instagram. Fittingly, it features Quavo facing off with a rocket shuttle in the desert, gripping Takeoff’s Migos chain (the album’s title is an homage to Takeoff, whose own solo debut was called The Last Rocket).

In the song playing over the scene, Quavo mentions Offset’s departure from the group (“my cousin jumped out the car, I had to keep goin’”) and recent comments about their familial relationship (“now he tellin’ the whole world that we ain’t blood”), which was foundational to the group’s mythology. However, he measures the lyrics by remembering that “it’s all love.” The trailer ends with the title displayed on screen, along with the imminent release date: August 4, 2023. You can check out the trailer below.

Rocket Power is due on 8/4 via Quality Control Music/Motown/Capitol Records.

Tributes to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary are far from over. Flo Milli is joining in on the flower giving on her new freestyle, “Flo Milli.” Simply put, the tribute is a lovefest on rap megastar Lil Wayne. From the signature deadlocks to the video’s original concept, Flo Milli aimed to honor the New Orleans native through his 2008 song, “A Milli.”

As Flo Milli borrowed the classic rap beat, she also takes some additional creative liberties by flipping several of the Young Money boss’ lyrics, including her stanza, “She’s a beast / She’s a dog / She’s a muthef*ckin’ problem / Claiming she want what but be running like a possum / You can’t stand ’em then you drop ’em / Hoes get messy imma mop ’em / hallucinogenic have ’em rolling when I rock ’em.”

The entertainer took to Instagram to share the record’s cover art in which she continued her praise of Lil Wayne, writing, “Lil Wayne is still the GREATEST RAPPER ALIVE,” in the caption. This sentiment is echoed amongst several other recording artists, including his protégés Nicki Minaj and Drake, to NLE Choppa.

Earlier in the month, Flo Milli also paid tribute to West Coast rap legend, Too Short with a remix of his song “Blow The Whistle” into “Flo The Whistle.”

Watch the video above.

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

( And Just Like That… spoilers will be found below.)

The Sex And The City revival series continues to push Miranda Hobbes to new lows while people wait for Samantha Jones to make her cameo. The Miranda path is odd, too, considering that it’s been framed as her self-discovery phase, but it truly seems as though Miranda has lost her former, ass-kicking self. She used to take garbage from no one, and she’s been reduced to fawning over Che Diaz and their “process” of making it in Hollywood. Granted, I thought Che was a fun character in the first season, but man, there’s just too much Miranda and Che on the screen.

The other characters almost seem like afterthoughts this season, and one guy who’s been shafted for awhile has finally had it up to here. Yep, Steve Brady and his revenge physique duly unloaded.

Miranda’s estranged husband has been through a pretty awful dumping process while she abandoned the building, and even though Miranda did come home when Brady needed her, Steve let all of his frustration fly this week when Miranda broached the subject of what to do about their marital home. And Steve was not having any talk of him leaving simply because he hasn’t been the breadwinner. He built what made this house work, dang it.

Let’s just say that people were here for Steve. He’s been treated pretty horribly by Miranda at various times during their relationship, and he deserves to pursue happiness. Also, yeah, Miranda never really wanted to be in Brooklyn, and Steve’s the one who made the house a home. I, too, hope he gets to keep it, but I doubt that Harry would step into this pile of conflicts of interest to represent Steve. Maybe he can give a referral though? #JusticeForSteve.

And Just Like That…‘s second season is currently unraveling on Max.

The Oreo Milkshake was once the ultimate milkshake flavor. When fast food brands were keeping it simple and playing it safe with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, Oreo emerged as an interesting alternative. Part chocolate, part vanilla, and featuring lots of textural elements, Oreo milkshakes represented something innovative in the fast food space.

Today, milkshake mix-ins are prevalent across the fast food landscape. At Five Guys you can mix anything from Oreos to bacon into your milkshake, Shake Shack has an ever-evolving roster of flavors that change with the seasons, Chick-fil-A has got the peach milkshake, and who could forget the Grimace Shake? It’s been the defining fast food event of the summer?

But just because milkshakes menus are more inventive than they’ve ever been, doesn’t mean you should sleep on the delicious power of the Oreo milkshake. So we decided to put our favorite Oreo milkshakes to the blind taste test to see which fast food brand makes the best. This summer we’ve done chocolate and vanilla, and now we’re doing Oreo! Why? Because it’s hot AF out and I’ll take any excuse to drink multiple milkshakes in one sitting for work. Even if it hurts my stomach!

Methodology

Blind fast food taste tests are tougher than they seem — in order for these tests to be fair we need to pick restaurants that are located close to one another so that we can pick up all the food while it’s still hot or, in this case, cold.

When I blind taste tested chocolate and vanilla milkshakes I had a strong system going and I could reliably pick up three to four milkshakes in a short amount of time, place them in a cooler, and find a shaded parking lot to taste test them all. But now we’re in July, the hottest month of the year in Los Angeles, which means even with the power of a cooler these milkshakes melt fast.

It took me two tries to make this Oreo milkshake taste test work, the first attempt was made around 2:00 pm, when drive-thru lines are their longest and the temperature is at its highest. This resulted in every single milkshake melting on me to the point of being undrinkable. In one case a Chick-fil-A employee handed me a milkshake that for some reason it exploded in my hand — with the lid popping the lid off and the shake running down my arm. To which the Chick-fil-A employee said “did you want some napkins?” not, “would you like another milkshake,” or “I’m so sorry we gave you a melted milkshake that exploded in your hand!”

It was at that point that I decided, this taste test wasn’t going to happen. So I went home and formulated a plan to pick up milkshakes at 11:00 am the next day when the weather is a bit cooler and there’s less traffic. Luckily, it was a success, I picked up Oreo milkshakes from Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, Jack in the Box, and Shake Shack, hit up a nearby shaded parking lot, put on a blindfold, and had my girlfriend pass me milkshakes at random.

Then we argued for about 10 minutes about which of the milkshakes was actually the best. Here are my tasting notes, and my ranking, which I still say is perfect (despite what my girlfriend says!). You may be asking why I didn’t include Dairy Queen’s Oreo Blizzard or McDonald’s Oreo McFlurry in this taste test. It’s for two reasons: 1) It’s too hot to round them all up without melting, and 2) Both are served with a spoon. They aren’t really milkshakes, so they’ve been disqualified.

Sound fair? Let’s dive in!

The Milkshake Taste Test

Taste 1

We’re starting right with this one, folks — this milkshake is luxuriously thick with a vanilla cream-forward flavor and a nice tasty Oreo cooking finish. The cookie crumbles blended into this milkshake are plentiful and surprisingly crispy, despite being soaked in a milkshake.

A lot of great texture here and a delicious flavor.

Taste 2

Not a fan of this one, it’s a bit too milky, it tastes like slightly spoiled soft serve ice cream, or at least what I imagine that to taste like. The texture is incredibly smooth and airy and the cookies are too thin and soft, offering no texture, no crunch, and a soggy mouthfeel.

Taste 3

Very smooth and loose in texture, it takes no effort to suck this one up through the straw. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it makes this shake come across as a little less satisfying and refreshing than something colder and thicker.

The flavor here is fantastic — it’s creamy and slightly chocolatey, with a perfectly balanced ratio of cookie to vanilla. The cookies provide a bit of texture, but are not as crunchy as Taste 1, instead, the cookies melt against the tongue, which helps the flavor to soak into the palate even better.

This just may be the winner.

Taste 4

Turns out I spoke too soon. I like a lot of what Taste 3 offers, but this milkshake straight-up tastes exactly like an Oreo. Exactly. I don’t want an Oreo milkshake to taste like a milkshake with Oreos blended into it, I want it to essentially be a liquified version of an actual Oreo.

This milkshake is perfect, it’s thick, cold, and supremely creamy which a strong chocolate cookie finish. It’s a bit like eating an Oreo inside out — it begins creamy and vanilla forward and ends with that strong cocoa finish. Without a doubt, this one is our winner.

The Milkshake Ranking

4. Chick-fil-A — Cookies & Cream Milkshake (Taste 2)

I used to be a big fan of Chick-fil-A’s Cookies & Cream Milkshake, at one point I even declared it the best fast food milkshake in the fast food universe. Boy was I wrong.. Once I put this one to the blind taste test all the flaws came to the forefront. It’s too indebted to that soft-serve flavor, I’m just not tasting enough of the cookies here.

What is there is way too soggy and soft, so not only does this milkshake suffer in terms of flavor, but texture wise it’s soggy, and cookies in a milkshake shouldn’t be soggy.

The Bottom Line:

Not enough cookie flavor and the texture is too soggy to be enjoyable. It’s almost as if cookies stain the flavor, not enhance it.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

3. Jack in the Box — Oreo Cookie Shake (Taste 1)

There was a time when Jack in the Box’s Oreo Cookie Shake was the only Oreo Cookie Shake in the fast food landscape. It’s the milkshake that started the trend and as it stands, it’s still a pretty good milkshake.

But it’s far from the best. It has a great texture thanks to all the cookies that are blended into this milkshake, but the base flavor is where it suffers.

The Bottom Line:

On any day this is a great Oreo cookie milkshake, but if you’re looking for the best, you will have to look elsewhere.

Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.

2. Shake Shack — Cookies and Cream Milkshake (Taste 3)

This is the decision that is tearing apart my relationship! Look, I love Shake Shack! On average, I think this is the fast food restaurant that is consistently making the best milkshakes and bringing the most inventive flavors to the table. But this Cookies and Cream Milkshake just ain’t it!

It’s not thick and creamy enough, and the flavors are great but it just doesn’t satisfy the way something thicker and richer can.

The Bottom Line:

A great milkshake, but with all the flavors that Shake Shack offers, this one feels like it’s missing something.

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

1. Five Guys — Milkshake With Oreos and Oreo Creme (Taste 4)

You could argue that Five Guys having both Oreo cookies and Oreo Creme as mix-ins is some kind of cheat, that this fact gives Five Guys an edge over the competition, but I’d argue — why are the other brands only giving us half of the experience? Throw a whole damn Oreo into the milkshake and blend it!

That’s what Five Guys seems to do apparently, and the result is fantastic. This milkshake tastes exactly like an Oreo, with the thickest and creamiest milkshake base out of all of the brands we tasted today.

I know my girlfriend doesn’t agree, but this is as perfect an Oreo Milkshake as I’ve ever tasted, and the only iteration of the flavor truly worth your time and money.

The Bottom Line:

Amazing, as close as you’re going to get to an actual Oreo cookie in milkshake form.

Find your nearest Five Guys here.