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Despite Her Impressive Acting Resume, Janelle Monáe Doesn’t Consider Herself A ‘Serious Actor’

Over the years, Janelle Monáe has shown to be quite the multihyphenate. On top of an incredible music discography, Monáe has been quite the scene stealer in movies like Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and most recently, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Still, she thinks of herself as a musician first.

In a recent interview with W, Monáe revealed that she still feels as though she’s dipping her toes in the acting waters.

“I’m still not a serious actor,” she said. “It’s all about playing, being silly. When you see me in a film, I don’t want you to see Janelle Monáe.”

Still, she said the elements of a film, like characters and a storyline, come into play when she makes her albums.

“…my albums are all concept albums, so they center around characters like the Dirty Computer, the Electric Lady, the ArchAndroid,” she said. “It’s in my blood to play characters and to do world-building.”

Perhaps we’ll get to see these theatrics at work soon. Earlier this month, she shared a video on Instagram of herself in the studio, playing what sounded like a snippet of a new song.

Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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The ‘Uptown Funk’ Publisher, BMG, Is Now Facing Another Lawsuit Over Years Of Alleged Unpaid Royalties

BMG, the publisher behind Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ massive hit, “Uptown Funk,” is now facing a new lawsuit that was filed in Manhattan today. It claims that the company has failed to pay the royalties produced from the song to the families of the Gap Band members, according to Billboard. They are credited as co-writers on the song.

Specifically, Robert and Ronnie Wilson’s loved ones allege that BMG broke a 2015 deal that was made — as the song borrowed from their 1979 one, “I Don’t Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops Upside Your Head).”

“Despite its obligations to account for and pay to plaintiffs their share of all income received from the Uptown Funk musical composition, BMG has refused and failed to provide either the funds due to plaintiffs or an accounting despite plaintiffs’ repeated demands,” the lawsuit states.

Mars and Ronson are not the ones accused in the lawsuit. The publication also notes that BMG did not return a request for comment.

The Wilsons’ family attorney, Michael Steger, however, did respond with a statement. He noted that they’ve been “working for years” to receive proper credit and royalties for the song’s usage and are “left with no choice but to pursue litigation to protect their rights.”

Before this lawsuit, three other ones had been filed against “Uptown Funk” by different parties over using songs without permission — including Collage’s “Young Girls,” Zapp’s “More Bounce To The Ounce,” and The Sequence’s “Funk You Up.”

The article notes that while the three have all since been dropped or settled, it’s unclear what will happen with this latest fourth one.

Bruno Mars is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Bryce Hopkins Is One Of College Basketball’s Breakout Stars With A Bright NBA Future

The Providence men’s basketball team is off to a 14-3 start, a pleasant surprise for a team returning only 25.5 percent of its total minutes played a season ago. Creeping up to 19th in the most recent AP Poll, the Friars’ early season run has been punctuated by an undefeated stretch to open Big East play, which includes wins over ranked UConn and Marquette squads.

The play of sophomore forward Bryce Hopkins has propelled the team, as he leads them in points, rebounds, and minutes played. Hopkins, a transfer from Kentucky, has burst onto the scene in a sort of rebirth as a prospect after struggling to crack the regular rotation in Lexington last season. When he did play, there were flashes that reminded onlookers that Hopkins was such a highly regarded recruit.

But this season, those glimpses have been put on full display in a featured role on a new squad. Standing at 6’7 with a sturdy 220 pound frame, Hopkins possesses an incredibly intriguing blend of size, power, and skill. While this is not the case for every a high-volume wing scorer, it’s common for those sorts of players to thrive while running spread pick-and-roll. What makes Hopkins interesting instead is how and where he gets the ball.

As you can see in the above clips, Hopkins often starts without the ball and operates as a screener and mover within Providence’s offense before getting segmented scoring opportunities in the flow. It’s a rarity to see Hopkins start off possessions with a slot pick-and-roll or early ball screen. That’s not a bad thing — this team runs good stuff, and without a player who routinely generates an advantage out of initial ball screens, the Friars use ball movement and side-to-side actions to open up driving lanes.

While professional spacing could have more room for maneuverability, it stands out that Hopkins is not the shiftiest driver. He has a good handle for his size with some shake, but he lacks much burst with the ball in his hands. Having said that, Hopkins has a reliable spin move and is adept at using his shoulders and chest to create separation.

That’s empowered him to get to the line nearly seven times a game. He sits at 13th in total free throws attempted in Division 1 and is in first in the Big East. On one hand, the foul drawing craft is legitimate and sustainable. While his numbers are swelled by a few high variance games, it’s been a reliable boon to his scoring since the start of the season.

On the other hand, it’s worth noting that this is a hard mold to translate to the NBA. Against bigger, stronger, longer defenders, it’s generally more difficult to thrive with an offensive skillset predicated on strength. Hopkins has the benefit of being larger, which adds an extra level of difficulty for defenders. But when accounting for Hopkins’ finishing without dunks, some of the deficiencies are already notable.

He’s shooting 41.3 percent on layups, per InStat Scouting, which is a bit underwhelming considering his size. For reference, Kris Murray of Iowa, a likely first round pick, is shooting 56 percent on lay-ups this year on a near identical volume to Hopkins. Maxwell Lewis of Pepperdine, another potential first round pick with similar size, is shooting 48 percent on layups. Hopkins has, however, shown some really impressive driving ability with good footwork in the lane.

Hopkins is a very sound cutter, with agile change of direction ability at his size. He has a real knack for creating opportunities by how he moves in the offense. He sets himself up well with head and shoulder fakes and operates well attacking the lane from there. Having routine, easy ways to score via his cutting and how effective he is as an offensive rebounder shouldn’t go undiscussed.

While cutting and putbacks cannot comprise the entirety of a player’s scoring arsenal, having a baked in ability to generate offense without needing a play directly ran for you is a skill. This is something Keegan Murray was awesome at during his time at Iowa and that’s translated already for Sacramento.

Continuing to develop out that footwork, touch, and pacing on the in-between aspect of his game is an effective counter for not being an above the rim athlete. It just takes more time and a higher threshold to be as repeatable.

As noted already, pro spacing could be a difference maker for Hopkins, but one area for growth over the backend of the season is in his shot. He’s shooting 37.5 percent from deep, although it’s coming on a touch under two attempts per game. His shot overall is fine mechanically, albeit a little stiff.

He has a high release, but doesn’t typically get a ton of lift underneath him. It would be really interesting to see him attempt some movement threes as well, even if it’s just on relocation triples, as he doesn’t have many of those reps on film this year. Providence doesn’t run a ton of NBA-type movement sets, so the opportunities aren’t always there. But he has a tendency to pass out of some clean looks or drive a contested one due to a slower release and general shot preparation. Cleaning those up and making snappier decisions could be huge in helping improve his volume as a shooter.

Getting up more attempts, in general, would be a boon for opening up his ability to attack closeouts, which would allow him to leverage more of what makes him so exciting as a prospect: his playmaking potential.

Hopkins has good feel on delivering interior passes, finding cutters or roaming bigs with accurate dump-offs when he draws help on drives. His kick ahead passing in transition is timely. He has an acute sense for knowing when help has overcommitted, and is incredibly aware of his own scoring gravity.

He’s often deployed in the post after a clearout of some sort to get him one-on-one with space, a situation where we get to see him toy with drawing two to the ball.

This possession really stands out as he patiently feels out help, protects himself from it, attacks the middle of the floor to occupy another defender, and hits the open shooter above the break after the slot player cuts. The mold of a 6’7 player who can shoot, attack closeouts, and punish the defense with some potential secondary creativity as a live dribble playmaker is incredibly enticing. Every team in the NBA is looking for player that can develop into a multi-tooled forward.

Hopkins’ defense and how it’s perceived will play a key part in whether or not he rises up Draft boards. He’s in an odd mold of being caught between positions as a defender. He’s strong and can hold his own in the post. He shows good moments of verticality, although he shouldn’t be considered as a true help-side rim deterrent. He is capable of using his length and feet to ride out drives into rim protection/help.

Like any young prospect, he can be caught ball watching or get back cut, but neither are substantial problems. His overall feel as a defender just leaves you a little wanting. There are a lot of moments where he’s caught between doing something and not doing something, and is fine at doing his job, but you’d like to see him be more assertive as a help presence.

Who Hopkins can routinely defend and how well he executes schemes are imperative for opening up more pathways for playing time — if you can guard multiple positions, you get the opportunity to play offense at multiple positions. Unless you’re on a team that goes all-in on developing youngsters, there’s generally less leeway to figure yourself out on both sides of the ball when you’re on a rookie scale contract, especially as a role player.

With his ability to attack the basket with strength, crash the glass, rip and run in transition, and the potential for some secondary creation, Bryce Hopkins is a player to put on your radar. As he and the Friars look to continue their nine-game winning streak that started the first week of December, his continued growth and development is absolutely worth tracking.

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A Friend Of Elton John Shared A Cheeky Surprise To The Audience At One Of His Farewell Shows

An Elton John show is always bound to be over the top, but it was what was under this fan’s bottoms that shocked the audience during one of John’s farewell shows in Melbourne, Australia. While John was on stage, music critic Ian “Molly” Meldrum dropped his pants and flashed his bum to the audience, according to a report from New York Post.

John didn’t seem bothered by the cheeky act. In fact, he seemed thrilled.

“He’s quite honestly a national treasure,” John said. “I want to thank him for all the love and loyalty he’s shown me over the years. I love you.”

Meldrum then joined John on stage for a performance of “The B*tch Is Back.”

Over the years, John and Meldrum have maintained a friendship, however, the two did have their fair share of arguments. The two didn’t speak for years after what was thought to be an off-record chat about one of John’s peers managed to leak.

Meldrum wrote about the feud in his 2016 book Ah Well, Nobody’s Perfect that although John felt the leak was Meldrum’s fault, Meldrum never stopped caring for him.

“I’m tempted to quote a line from one of my favorite movies: ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,’” Meldrum said. “But the truth is, I do give a damn. I love Elton.”

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Craft Beer Experts Share The Best Baltic Porters To Drink This Winter

When it comes to wintry, dark, bold beers we often stick to stouts, imperial stouts, and classic porters. But when we really need an extra roasty, bold kick, we opt for a Baltic porter. For the unaware, a Baltic porter is cold-fermented and cold-lagered. The result is a higher alcohol, mellow, fruity, soft, creamy porter well-suited for the cold winter temperatures.

“A Baltic porter is like an interesting blend of the classic brown porter, the roasty schwarzbier, and an Imperial Stout — always a recipe for deliciousness,” says Joshua Bartlett, the founder and CEO of Learning to Homebrew in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Since this definition has probably made you as thirsty as it has us, it’s time to actually find some Blatic porters to drink. So we asked a handful of craft beer experts and brewers for help. They were kind enough to tell us their favorite Baltic porters to drink during the dark winter days ahead. Keep reading to see all ten of their picks.

Heater Allen Sandy Paws

Heater Allen Sandy Paws
Heater Allen

Ryan Schmiege, director of brewing operations at Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. in Redmond and Bend, Oregon

ABV: 7.4%

Average Price: $7.99 for a 16-ounce can

The Beer:

Heater Allen’s Sandy Paws is a great Baltic porter. Malty drinkable heaven. Deep, rich malt on the nose and tongue. Sandy Paws is a delight to drink. And has dogs on the labels.

Tasting Notes:

A hint of roast that doesn’t bite at all and just the right amount of dark chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit character.

Half Acre VIM

Half Acre VIM
Half Acre

Matt Lally, head brewer at Evil Genius Beer Company in Philadelphia

ABV: 12.7%

Average Price: $18.99 for two twelve-ounce bottles

The Beer:

Half Acre VIM is a can’t-miss Baltic porter. Woodford being one of my favorite whiskeys certainly helps with this one (as it’s rested in Woodford rye barrels), but it’s the chocolate and spice that make me love this one.

Tasting Notes:

Notes of chocolate, toasted marshmallows, vanilla, and warming whiskey give this beer an outstanding flavor profile.

Jack’s Abby Framing Hammer

Jack’s Abby Framing Hammer
Jack’s Abby

Jessica Eaton, assistant taproom manager at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 10%

Average Price: $11 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Framing Hammer Baltic Porter from Jack’s Abby. Named for the city in which the brewery calls home (the same one where we are located), this 10% ABV monster of a beer gets its bold flavor from the addition of oats and brown sugar as well as extended conditioning time.

Tasting Notes:

The silky mouthfeel makes for a smooth finish, which I really enjoy. Flavors of toast, dark chocolate, vanilla, and some fruit notes of raisin/cherry.

Brewery Techne Perkuno’s Hammer

Brewery Techne Perkuno’s Hammer
Brewery Techne

George Hummel, grain master of My Local Brew Works in Philadelphia

ABV: 8%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

Perkuno’s Hammer was originally brewed by pioneer New Jersey brewer Heavyweight Brewing Co. Brewer Tom Baker revived this tasty treat subsequently at his next projects, Earth, Bread + Brewery (sadly victim to COVID shutdowns); and currently at Brewery Techne located at Bar Hygge in Philly.

Tasting Notes:

It’s just a wonderful mashup of dark chocolate, licorice, and coffee. It has everything fans of bold, robust Baltic porters could want.

Alaskan Baltic Porter

Alaskan Baltic Porter
Alaskan

Bryan Donaldson, brewing innovation manager at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California

ABV: 9.8%

Average Price: $9.99 for a 22-ounce bottle

The Beer:

It only comes around every few years, so I haven’t had it in a while, but the Baltic Porter from Alaskan Brewing is an old favorite. It takes everything that is great about that style. It’s great fresh, but also after a few years in the cellar.

Tasting Notes:

It starts with a deep malt character, the candied fruit, and the vanilla and brown sugar, then layers in a light touch of oak that amplifies everything just a little bit.

Burial Ulfberht

Burial Ulfberht
Burial

Zach Fowle, Advanced Cicerone and head of marketing at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix

ABV: 7.8%

Average Price: $6.99 for a 16-ounce can

The Beer:

Burial Ulfberht is a tasty beer that references some cool history: The Ulfberht blades are about 170 medieval European swords dating back to between the 9th and 11th century, and they all have some variation of +VLFBERHT+ inscribed along the metal as a sort of bladesmith trademark—the Nike of its day. The beer, appropriately, has an appearance worthy of the Dark Ages: onyx-black, with a huge, pillowy khaki head.

Tasting Notes:

The aroma doesn’t cut but rather brushes the nose with notes of coffee, graham crackers, cocoa nibs, burnt molasses, and nougat before sweet prune and raisin arrive. The flavor does have some edge in the form of juniper and toast, but more profound is its heavy fig-and-currant character that morphs into molasses before the finish delivers chocolate syrup and chocolate-covered raisins. The body is huge and chewy. The alcohol is quite noticeable, The malt is heavy and roasted. It’s a beer worthy of a warrior.

Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter

Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter
Duck Rabbit

Joshua Bartlett, founder and CEO of Learning to Homebrew in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $16.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

One of my favorite (and easy to find) Baltic porters is by Duck-Rabbit Brewery. At 9% ABV, this beer is a bit high for the style, but the wonderful warming feeling of the alcohol is balanced perfectly with a rich and velvety soft mouthfeel.

Tasting Notes:

It’s filled with notes of raisin, chocolate, toasted bread, port wine, and just a hint of peat smokiness and herbal hops. A great sipper.

Incendiary Baltic Porter

Incendiary Baltic Porter
Incendiary

Rob Day, vice president of marketing for Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham. Massachusetts

ABV: 7.2%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

Incendiary Brewing Company Baltic Porter. It has a very pleasant and smooth coffee flavor from a good company. This cold-lagered Baltic porter is definitely warming, sweet, and robust on a cold winter day.

Tasting Notes:

Coffee, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, and gentle spices. This beer has everything Baltic porter fans crave.

Third Space Ice Bear

Third Space Ice Bear
Third Space

Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin

ABV: 9.5%

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

While my favorite Baltic porter is a dense, malty, boozy, and slightly smokey beer called Ice Bear from Third Space Brewing; it’s the fact the beer gets its own party that makes it my favorite of the season. Some beers make you want to hunker down inside, but Third Space makes sure this Baltic Porter gets people out of their winter hibernation for some fun.

Tasting Notes:

My favorite element to this beer is that it takes the essence of a campfire outside in 15 degree weather and puts it into the flavor profile with notes of toasted marshmallows, chocolate, and roasted malts.

Okocim Baltic Porter

Okocim Baltic Porter
Okocim

Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak & Yeti Brewpub and Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado

ABV: 8.1%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

Okocim Baltic Porter is nostalgic for me. Back in Chicago I’d go to the local butcher, pick out a handful of sausages, buy some Okocim Baltic Porter and we’d have a small social gathering every so often.

Tasting Notes:

I haven’t had it in a while, maybe there are better porters out there, but this one was quite smooth and drinkable, while still being complex enough to be interesting. Key flavors included roasted malts and freshly brewed coffee.

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(G)I-DLE Becomes The First Female K-pop Group From An Independent Label To Debut On Top 40 Radio Charts

In the past couple of years, K-pop has come a long way in getting airplay in the States. Acts like BTS, Lisa of BlackPink, as well as Blackpink themselves, have all had their fair share of radio play with their respective hits.

With the ongoing popularity of K-pop, chart-topping girl group (G)I-DLE lands themselves at no. 39 on Mediabase’s Top 40, while also debuting at no. 40 on the Billboard Pop Airplay Chart with their most recent hit single “Nxde.”

“(G)-I-DLE is the first Artist from an Independent label to enter the airplay charts on traditional top 40 with a non-English song,” a US radio promoter said, according to the official press release. “It is usually a difficult challenge to break through, but the group has a unique sound and lyrics that the audience can embrace in the rapid change of the music industry landscape.”

In addition, Top 40 radio host JoJo Wright of 102.7 KIIS FM praises (G)I-DLE for their accomplishments.

“This is a very historical moment for (G)I-DLE as a self-producing group in the American market since the song is predominantly in Korean,” he said in the press release. “On top of their ascending success, I believe that (G)I-DLE has a huge potential to bring something new with K-pop to the US market.”

(G)I-DLE is a five-member group consisting of members Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua signed under Cube Entertainment. The group’s most recent EP, I love, sold over 700,000 pre-orders and entered the Billboard 200 chart.

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People Are Testing GPT Chat AI And Sharing Their Hilarious Results On Twitter

For some, life’s starting to feel ominous, like that scene in The Menu where they lay out the tarp for “The Mess.” It also feels like that infamous moment in The Matrix when Morpheus offers the blue pill or the red pill. Those that have taken the red pill might know what I’m talking about — Chat GPT and the dawn of AI.

The smartest and soon-to-be most powerful technological entity ever to exist, right here in its infant stage, is available to everyone. With full access to humanity’s lexicon of knowledge before 2021, it’s able to summarize, elaborate, brainstorm, optimize, plan, code, and perform virtually any task that requires text. So naturally, what happens when humans have access to an all-mighty, versatile, obedient supercomputer assistant?

They test it by asking absurd questions. What they didn’t expect was to get funny and accurate answers generated in five seconds.

If you haven’t tried it out, definitely tinker around while it’s still free. From the launch of Chat GPT, version 3, on November 30th, millions have signed up and have taken to Twitter to show off some comically amusing answers they’ve gotten. This chatbot is what one might call, a “Jack of all trades, master of all.” Here are ten hilarious answers that prove it.

1. Scientific MC (The Quantum Fate – FT. Chat GPT)

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Getty Image

“Don’t be scared little homie.”

2. Deep AF Poet (Sinking Ego)

Twitter
Twitter

“A castle of sand that the tide will bring.” Damn…

3. Suspicious Wizard Consultant

Twitter
Twitter

“It’s important to not blindly follow advice, even if they are a wizard.”

4. GOAT Love Guru

Twitter
Twitter

“I promise to always be loyal, honest, and supportive.” Works every time.

5. A Model Student

Twitter
Twitter

“Whether it was volunteering at the soup kitchen or simply lending a listening ear” – Accepted

6. Political Philosopher (The Bounce House Theory)

Twitter
Twitter

“This would make the voting process much more exciting.” Genius way to get everyone voting.

7. LinkedIn Influencer

Twitter
Twitter

“As a LinkedIn influencer, it’s important for me to set an example.”

8. Rising Screenwriter

Twitter
Twitter

“That’s not good enough Morty.”

9. Social Climber

Twitter
Twitter

“Have you tried that new farm-to-table restaurant?” Pretty sure Chat helped write “The Menu.”

10. Biased Activist

Twitter
Twitter

As you can see by the last post, while Chat GPT is quite brilliant, it’s still got some tweaks to work out, such as being a two-faced gas lighter. But remember, this is only the beginning. If you haven’t checked out this new technology, get on it, and take the pill. This is here to stay and things are about to get nuts.

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These Photos Of ‘Day Zero, Tulum’ Make A Festival In Mexico Look Way Better Than Whatever The Hell You’re Doing Right Now

On December 21, 2012, as the sun disappeared one last time to end the Mayan calendar, many feared we had reached the end of life on earth. Well, that didn’t happen. Instead, it inspired the inception of one of the world’s most acclaimed and transformative parties, Day Zero.

And on January 9th 2023, the enchanting jungles of Tulum were once again alive with some of the most hardcore partiers and artists on the planet. Day Zero founder, Damien Lazarus, chose the Yucatan Forest as the perfect stage to kick off the twenty-year anniversary of his always evolving, genre-defying label, “Crosstown Rebels.” Looking at the photos below, it’s no wonder why one of house and techno’s most prolific outfits arranged things this way.

The festival tapped into a unique usage of production and performance — splicing together ancient Mayan mythos with contemporary music. Authentic cultural performances with costumes and fire paired with lights bursting through the tree canopies offered Lazarus’ entourage of forward-thinking artists an incredible opportunity to send their audience off into another dimension of sonic experience. The fact that the lineup featured the likes of Sidartha Siliceo & Gajda, Paradise and Hot Creations founder Jamie Jones, desert house duo Bedouin, global trio Major Lazer Sound System, Joseph Capriati, and NYC house veteran Danny Tenaglia certainly helped too.

The extravaganza concluded with a performance from Damien Lazarus himself to signal the start of his label’s new endeavors. It was all smiles and the perfect place to strut some memorable fashion while howling and chirping through the night. A great balance of environmental sustainability and unrestrained excitement made this musical experience truly something memorable. This is one you really need to see firsthand to fathom, although these photos below certainly strive to do it justice.

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We’re Reviewing The Two Biggest Bourbon Drops This Month

January is a slower month for bourbon releases. Still, there are two drops that absolutely dominate the discourse this month thanks to Heaven Hill dropping their barrel-proof expressions from Larceny and Elijah Craig. And we were lucky enough to get each for a bourbon review.

Below, I’ll be giving you my professional opinion on both Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A123 and Larceny Barrel Proof A123. Don’t get put off by the numbers here. Heaven Hill — which makes these brands — puts out three editions of these bottles every year. “A” denotes the first release of the year. “1” stands for January. “23” refers to the year, naturally. The next releases of these two whiskeys will come in May and September.

Generally speaking, these are two of the most sought-after bottles of bourbon in January of any given year. High-proof bourbon heads love these bottles for their bold flavors that truly do ebb and flow flavorwise with each release. So do they live up to the hype this season?

That’s what I’ll tell you below.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

Larceny Barrel Proof A123

Larceny Barrel Proof
Heaven Hill

ABV: 62.9%

Average Price: $69 (MSRP)

The Whiskey:

This year’s first Larceny Barrel Proof is made with Heaven Hill’s standard wheated bourbon mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. The batch is made from a combination of six to eight-year-old barrels from Heaven Hill’s rickhouses. The final blend is bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Chili pepper spice and almost damp masa come through on the nose with a hint of mustiness next to nut loaf cut with a twinge of apple cider juice and some orchard tree branches with a hint of apple caramel candy lurking underneath.

Palate: Sweet vanilla cake leads to a hint of cinnamon bark and creamy eggnog with plenty of nutmeg before a light ABV heat rises and leads to apple cores and soft leather.

Finish: A sharp winter spice dominates the end with a sense of old apple bushels, broken-down used bourbon barrels, and a hint of caramel vanilla creaminess.

Bottom Line:

This is a subtle and warming bourbon. It’s on the sweeter side but really benefits from the sweet/hot balance. It feels like something that’d make an amazing Manhattan.

Ranking:

88/100 — This is a solid B+ bourbon. It’s a nice sipper but really feels more like a cocktail base.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A123

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Heaven Hill

ABV: 62.8%

Average Price: $69 (MSRP)

The Whiskey:

This year’s first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is hewn from Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. That hot juice is loaded into charred American oak barrels and left to rest for 12 long years before batching and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a classic nose that leans towards toasted chocolate beans, dried chili pepper flakes (and maybe even some fresh green chili), burnt vanilla pods, singed cherry bark, and old leather dipped in caramel.

Palate: Bold! The palate opens with a sense of sweet stick toffee pudding (dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, salted caramel sauce) before hitting a high note on the ABVs with a spicy heat that’s immediately countered by a rich cherry syrup and caramel sauce.

Finish: Another wave of heat arrives late and ushers in a light sense of old oak staves and cinnamon bark with a mild sense of apple tobacco and maybe some cedar kindling with a fleeting sense of leather and cherry stems.

Bottom Line:

This is a classic bourbon dialed up to 11. It’s brazen with the heat but balances nicely with the deep and dark caramel and cherry notes. This is really good bourbon. This will certainly benefit from a little water or a rock to let it bloom a little more in the glass as a sipper.

Ranking:

90/100 — This is a very solid and quintessential bourbon with some serious heat.

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Rap Legend Big Daddy Kane Called J. Cole His ‘Hero’ And Explained What He Loved About Migos

Rap fans might be used to older artists finding fault with contemporary stars, but at least one of hip-hop’s early pioneers had some high praise for rap’s reigning hitmakers. Big Daddy Kane, who is often credited alongside Rakim for sparking one of hip-hop’s earliest stylistic shifts, introducing complex, multisyllabic rhyme schemes and punchlines into slower tempo grooves, called out two names in particular when he was asked about the modern class of artists by Houston radio station 97.9 The Box: J. Cole and Migos.

Calling J. Cole his “hero,” he also gave credit to Kendrick Lamar and Rapsody, as well as battle rapper Lady Luck. He then laments the loss of Takeoff, saying, “I was so hoping to see another Migos album.” He explained his enjoyment for Migos, comparing them to some of his own peers. “Their style reminded me of The Funky Four Plus 1 More with their in-and-out thing. I’m a fan of their music and their fashion.”

Kanye previously praised Cole in 2021, calling him his favorite MC. “This is the brother right here that makes me feel like hip-hop is still alive and it’s here to stay when I listen to this here brother spit and listen to his music,” he said.