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Among Portland Trail Blazers supporters, the overwhelming points of optimism entering 2022-23 focused on their offensive potential. Supernova star Damian Lillard, back from injury, was healthy. Anfernee Simons asserted himself during Lillard’s extended absence and the two looked ready to form a prolific backcourt tandem. Jerami Grant, whose offensive prowess has expanded in recent years, was acquired via trade over the summer. Josh Hart made strides as a member of two separate teams in 2021-22.

Visions of a playoff revival were presumably founded upon a top-10 offense and struggling, albeit workable, defensive unit. Through 12 games, the Blazers are 9-3 with a 6-1 road record. They’ve knocked off the Phoenix Suns twice, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, and New Orleans Pelicans. Lillard has missed five games. Simons, Grant, Justise Winslow, and Jusuf Nurkic have combined to miss six more. And yet, here is Portland, nipping on the heels of the 10-3 Utah Jazz for the West’s No. 1 seed.

There is no explosive offense fueling this fast start. The Blazers are 16th in offensive rating, and Lillard’s hiatus unsurprisingly factors in there. He and Simons are also still discerning how to maximize one another together. Head coach Chauncey Billups’ offensive scheme keeps Lillard off the ball considerably more than he was under previous lead man Terry Stotts. That requires adjustments as well.

To make up for this, Portland is smothering teams defensively. Following three consecutive years of finishing 27th or worse, this team finds itself sixth in defensive rating. Only once since 1998-1999 have the Blazers ranked this highly (2017-18, when they finished sixth). Further, according to Cleaning The Glass, they’re third in half-court defensive rating (90.5).

Over the past few seasons, and especially since general Joe Cronin replaced the ousted Neil Olshey last fall, the Blazers have stockpiled multifaceted wings, all of whom are contributing to this stifling defense. Throughout much of the Lillard Era, that’s been a glaring weak point of the roster. They lacked wing-sized scoring juice and defensive versatility to complement Lillard and his former longtime running mate, C.J. McCollum. It is why Grant was brought in.

In 2019, Portland made the Western Conference Finals, due in part to the quartet of Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless, Evan Turner, and Rodney Hood. Four years prior, before Wesley Matthews tore his Achilles in early March, they were third in the West at 41-19, with the Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and Arron Afflalo trio playing a key role. Healthy forward depth has been integral to some of Portland’s most successful seasons with Lillard at the helm.

This year, the likes of Grant, Winslow, Hart, Shaedon Sharpe, Nassir Little, Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and Keon Johnson have all cast their fingerprints on the defense. The first five are the ones typically receiving rotation minutes when everyone suits up, but each player has had moments through the first three and a half weeks of the season, which speaks to the talent of the roster, even on the backend.

That eight-player grouping has allowed Portland to go small when it wishes and selectively deploy the centers, Nurkic and Drew Eubanks. On various occasions, the Blazers have elected to end games without either one out there. In their opening win of the season over the Sacramento Kings, Winslow closed at center and stymied All-Star Domantas Sabonis inside. This week, Winslow and Watford have served as the centers during crunch time in wins against the Heat, Pelicans, and Charlotte Hornets.

At any time, Portland can trot out four wings alongside Lillard or Simons. The entire team is physical, plays the gaps well in help, and operates bigger than their listed height, especially Hart and Winslow. Part of what’s flustering opposing offenses is the schematic flexibility these undersized lineups adhere to. Usually, small-ball opts to switch everything. That’s the Blazers’ most popular scheme, but they’ll throw out drop coverage or a zone.

According to Cleaning The Glass, in 160 possessions without Eubanks or Nurkic on the court, the Blazers tout a plus-12.6 net rating and 96.2 defensive rating. These quintets, led by a bunch of rangy, synergistic, brawny wings, fly around to cause havoc (93rd percentile turnover rate) and close off airspace.

The communications and off-ball rotations are highly impressive. They constantly talk, point, and move to cover for one another; Lillard is chief among those fulfilling the communicator role (similar to what D’Angelo Russell does with Minnesota). They’ll seamlessly switch to siphon off openings. They complicate post-ups on perceived mismatches. The guards embrace and initiate contact. The cohesion and attention to detail are stunningly vital.

They’re likely in line for some regression, given their deficiencies on the boards (19th percentile defensive rebounding rate) and beneficial shooting luck (45.3 percent effective field goal, 0th percentile). But these dudes are balling and are by no means merely thriving because of fortunes outside their control. The tape is a pleasure to watch.

When Nurkic or Eubanks is in the game, they’re playing lots of drop, often near the level of the screen. Nurkic is periodically showing or switching, but the foundation is for the point-of-attack defender to fight over and Nurkic to hover around the level of the screen. Whether it’s the corner or at the nail, they’re also prioritizing aggressive help in the gaps, even from the strong-side. Some defensive principles advise against this and suggest staying at home on the strongside; the Milwaukee Bucks and their league-best defense, for instance, practice such tenets.

The stunt-and-recovers, along with the backside rotations on tags, have been stellar. Note the connectivity on all these possessions. The entire lineup is operating harmonically to quell ball-screen actions. Opportunities for clean field goals are rare. The backline help behind Nurkic has drastically improved since last season. He’s not left on an island because someone, or someones, are around to support him.

Nurkic’s primary reinforcements are Winslow, Grant, and Hart, who all sit among the top five in minutes for Portland thus far. These are the pillars of the Blazers’ defense. They are tremendous.

Grant’s brought a blend of size, mobility, and length at the point of attack they’ve coveted for years. His activity as a weakside rim protection is as precise as it’s been since his final year with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018-19. Opponents are shooting 8.1 percent worse than their average within six feet of the hoop when he’s the primary defender, according to NBA.com. His ground coverage in a multitude of roles is enhancing the defense. He’s excelling as an on-ball stopper, off-ball chaser, and interior helper, all at 6’8 with a 7’3 wingspan.

Winslow, after a few seasons of unfortunate injuries, is back to wide-ranging and menacing defense. He’s the Blazers’ fun-sized 5 of choice, has assumed assignments from point guard through center and is a tyrant in the passing and driving lanes, the last of which is a particularly critical job in this scheme. He curtails post-ups against bigs, treats his arms like windshield wipers to deter jumpers, and is nearly impossible to move off his spot. He and Hart are the Bash Bros. with their penchant for contact, either absorbing it or inflicting it.

Speaking of Hart: he just flat-out rocks. The dude’s a gamer. Despite his condensed frame, he whirls around screens rather gracefully. He’s a heady interior helper. Much like Winslow, his help in the gaps and ability to close out effectively is integral to the defense; both rank in the 69th percentile or better in steal rate. Playing the 3 alongside Lillard and Simons, Hart’s rebounding (99th percentile in defensive rebounding rate) and brawn negate the challenges his 6’5 stature conceivably present. He plays bigger than his size, which enables some of these small lineups to work properly.

Each well-traveled wing is a heartbeat of the NBA’s sixth-ranked defense.

To augment the services of those three, along with all the other forwards on the squad, Billups is diagramming lots of zone. According to Synergy, only Miami (18.4 percent) dials it up more commonly than the Blazers (14.4 percent). They’re the lone teams to eclipse 7.5 percent. Portland’s 0.828 points per possession surrendered is fifth league-wide (Miami is third at 0.777 PPP, by the way).

Offenses are bewildered by this 2-3 zone because they Blazers get tricky with it. Rather than keep Lillard above the break, which is where guards tend to be, they’ll send a pair of long-limbed wings to engulf decision-makers up top. Lillard, instead, plays one of the corners and directs orders to his teammates — he seems to lead these efforts, along with Winslow and Hart.

The alignments are fluid, too. Depending on where the ball is moving and where offensive options are stationed, they’ll rearrange positions on the fly. Nobody is static, and that can make it tough for opponents to gauge whether they’re seeing man or zone and how to attack it. But the Blazers always know and that’s all that matters for them.

Sometimes, they’ll toss out a zone for a possession, earn a stop and revert back to man-to-man. The diversity to toggle across all these coverages is a hallmark of their early prosperity. Facing gangly wings and a center bouncing between the ball and the rim, cracking the shell of the zone is an arduous endeavor for offenses. The Blazers dare teams to flip the court via skip passes, but that’s a risky proposition with sprawling, attentive defenders lurking.

If not for Utah’s 10-3 sprint out of the gates, the Blazers’ 9-3 start would be the feel-good surprise of the league’s opening month. The case can be made that the way their start materialized warrants the top spot, regardless. This defense is legit good. They’re comfortable in an array of concepts. They can alter the rotation and lineups for different matchups. They’re physical. They shrink the floor. They operate in unison.

Teams are shooting an unsustainably low 34 percent from midrange against them. They’re among the bottom 10 in opposing rim and three-point frequency. That’s not an ideal recipe for a top-10 defense, though offenses are already capitalizing beyond the arc at a 37.1 percent clip. Gary Payton II, a malleable defensive whiz on the perimeter, has yet to even play, too, and will help.

But the Blazers have wiggle room to fall from sixth overall and remain a good team. A Lillard-led offense, given his resurgence (29-5-5, 66 percent true shooting), is too lethal to sit south of league average, as is the surrounding personnel. An upswing there will help mitigate some defensive drop-off, if it occurs.

Right now, though, the Portland Trail Blazers, thanks to their assortment of fruitful schemes, are a defensive-minded bunch giving teams nightly fits. The ship may still be captained by a pair of offense-first guards, but these Blazers are playing a brand of hoops not seen in Lillard’s tenure. And it’s working about as well as possible.

Rye whiskey is always changing and evolving. That makes tasting new releases, limited edition one-offs, and new batches a fun prospect. That’s right, folks! It’s time for yet another BRAND BRAND new rye whiskeys blind taste test. We’ve done a few of these of late, but what can we say — the market keeps growing!

For this blind tasting, I grabbed eight new bottles from my desk. I could have added a few more as three new rye whiskeys arrived at my door while I was tasting these ones (no joke). So keep an eye out for another one of these blind tastings soon.

Anyway, the rye whiskeys tasted below are all newbies either by virtue of being the latest release or batch from a known brand’s expression (Thomas H. Handy, Milam & Greene for instance); or they’re brand new whiskeys that we’ve never seen before (Nashtucky Small Batch, New Riff Aroostook, Uncle Nearest Rye for instance). The point is that these are new releases that you can track down this month.

Our lineup today is:

• Savage & Cooke Lip Service Rye Whiskey
• Nashtucky Nashville’s Finest Small Batch Rye Connected Spirits
• Leopold Bros Single Barrel Three Chamber Rye Whiskey 2022 Release
• Uncle Nearest Rye
• Redwood Empire Rocket Top Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond Batch no. 002
• Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey BTAC 2022
• Milam & Greene Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Casks
• New Riff Aroostook Kentucky-Grown Straight Malted Rye Whiskey Aged 6 Years Bottled In Bond

Okay, let’s dive in and find you a great rye whiskey to sip on this November!

Also Read: The Top Five Rye Whiskey from the Last Six Months on UPROXX

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The Winning Scotch And Bourbon Whiskeys From This Year’s Ascot Awards
• The Best Whiskeys In The World, According To The John Barleycorn Awards
• The Best Bourbons And Ryes From The 2022 American Whiskey Masters Awards
• The Absolute Best Whiskeys We Tasted At This Year’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of bourbon with cherry/vanilla notes that lead to orange rinds, gingerbread, and a touch of dark cinnamon, clove, and allspice. There’s a lush body to the taste that leads to a hint of white pepper and tart red berries with a touch more of that creamy vanilla with a slightly woody honey. The end has a hint of cumin with that white pepper but ends up pretty light and vanilla-forward.

This was fine. It felt more like a bourbon than a rye at the end of the day.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

There’s a big and deep nose of burnt orange and lime leaves next to black licorice ropes, wet cedar bark, and the faintest whisper of pine varnish with a twinge of lemon iced tea in there. The palate is slightly funky with oily mint and sage next to oranges sutdded with cloves over a cherry cream soda with a whisper of anise and allspice. The end lingers with a sweet herbal vibe — kind of like sugar-coated mint — next to a touch of woody tobacco leaves folded into an old pine box.

This was complex, full of herbal rye notes, and kind of fresh. It was inviting while offering serious depth. It also felt unique.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

There’s a crafty sense of rich grain porridge cut with maple syrup and rum-raisin next to creamy Nutella and salted peanut shells. The taste is luxurious and opens with a molasses-filled bran muffin crafty vibe that then leads to a deep bench of flavor notes that build: Apple cider, Cherry Coke, cloves, allspice, creamy eggnog, black licorice, cinnamon candies, nasturtiums, and apple-candy tobacco on the very end.

This is really good. It starts off super crafty with those sweet grain notes but then goes deep on classic rye funkiness, spiciness, and fruitiness.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This is a toffee bomb on the nose — in a great way — next to layers of rum-raisin meatiness, sour mulled wine, Almond Joy, and a spice matrix full of star anise, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a dash of root beer sharpness. The palate has a salted black licorice vibe that leads to a hint of sour rye bread encrusted with caraway next to gree fennel and a twinge of spearmint. The mid-point has a butterscotch sensation that leads to a finish full of almond horn cookies, marzipan cut with cherry, woody cinnamon sticks, and allspice berries layered into a soft pipe tobacco leaf.

Well, this was delicious. It’s funky, fresh, and very old-school with those sour rye, caraway, and licorice notes. We might have a winner right here.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This feels very bourbon-forward on the nose with a lot of dark fruit and old leather with a scattering of bitter orange, savory squash, and maybe some fresh sage. The palate leans into the bourbon vibes with cherry and vanilla foundations supported by red peppercorn, salted caramel, and cinnamon sticks. The end has a nice peppery warmth with a cinnamon-caramel tobacco feel.

This is pretty nice. It’s very bourbon-heavy which works.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This is tannic from the jump with a nutty sense of old almond cookie next to buttery biscuits with marmalade and a trio of old saddle leather, star anise, and lemon meringue pie with a flutter of dried flowers in the background. The palate lights on fire with high ABVS. Then, those florals pop on the palate as candied orange and spiced holiday cake lead to a dark chocolate brownie, some burnt orange, and sweet cinnamon with a peanut brittle sweetness. The end is piney and full of dried roses, orange rinds, and incense.

This was clearly a well-made whiskey but sort of overdid it on the floral side for me.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

The nose is sweet and fruity with grapes and maybe some blackberries next to dark chocolate laced with cinnamon and a light mustiness. The palate leans into lush vanilla with a strong and dark fruit cake full of clove, cinnamon, candied fruits, and nuts. The finish is shorter and a little light but delivers vanilla lushness beneath woody winter spices, roasted nuts, and a light sense of spicy chewing tobacco.

This was fine. The end was a little short.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sense of gingerbread dipped in vanilla frosting with toasted coconut and banana leaves next to a hint of sourdough rye crusts and caraway with a sprinkling of wild sage and huckleberry. The palate has a sweetgrass vibe with dark red berries next to mint chocolate chip ice cream and oranges studded with cloves. The end has a red berries feel to it that leads to menthol tobacco rolled up with whole dry red chili peppers and dry pine bark with a light sense of spiced winter cake.

This is pretty goddamn delicious too.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Milam & Greene Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Casks — Taste 7

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is made in Indiana (at MGP) and shipped down to Texas where it’s batched. That whiskey is then refilled into port casks imported from Portugal. After a final rest under the hot Blanco, Texas sun, the barrels are small batched, proofed, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was fine. It had a soft landing on the finish which can be covered up in a cocktail application easily.

7. Savage & Cooke Lip Service Rye Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $31

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts off by blending rye from Tennessee — 51% rye, 45% corn, 4% malted barley — that are at least three years old. Those barrels are batched and then refilled in California into wine barrels sourced from Maury, France. Those barrels are then batched after a short finishing maturation.

That whiskey is then cut with pure mountain water from the Alexander Valley in Northern California.

Bottom Line:

This was also perfectly fine. I would use it for mixing drinks before I’d use it as a sipper though.

6. Redwood Empire Rocket Top Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond Batch no. 002 — Taste 5

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This California whiskey was made back in the spring of 2017 with a mash of 87% rye, 5% malted barley, 5% wheat, and a mere 3% corn. Five years later, the juice was small batched from 55 barrels and bottled with a hint of water to bring it down to bottled-in-bond proof.

Bottom Line:

This is really nice, especially if you’re looking for a bridge between the world of bourbon and rye whiskeys. It’s also a nice sipper that works wonders in cocktails.

5. Leopold Bros Single Barrel Three Chamber Rye Whiskey 2022 Release — Taste 3

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

The latest release of Leopold Bros.’s famed Three Chamber rye is a stellar single barrel release made in a bespoke still designed by Todd Leopold specifically to make this whiskey. The 2022 release is made with Abruzzi rye and sourced from the best five-year-old barrels in the warehouse, according to Todd Leopold’s master-level palate. Once a single barrel is selected, the whiskey is then slightly touched with water before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was very good. The only thing holding it back on this list is the big crafty sweet porridge note at the beginning. Once you get past that, this is amazingly well-layered rye whiskey.

4. Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey BTAC 2022 — Taste 6

ABV: 65.45%

MSRP: $99

The Whiskey:

This year’s Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye was distilled back in the spring of 2016 with a mix of Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and North Dakota malted barley with some of the iconic Kentucky limestone water. The hot juice went into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds). Those barrels were racked in warehouses I, L, and M on floors 2, 4, 5, and 6. After six years and four months, 31% of the whiskey was lost to the angel’s share before these barrels were batched and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is very well-made whiskey. That big floral/potpourri note just isn’t my jam. That said, this is hot whiskey with a bit ABV buzz in the middle. If you’re looking for a big kick, this is the whiskey for you.

3. Nashtucky Nashville’s Finest Small Batch Rye Connected Spirits — Taste 2

ABV: 57.01%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

This new release from Nashville Barrel Company is all about master blending of very small batches (with a handful of barrels). This whiskey was made up in Kentucky. Once barreled, those barrels were sent down to Nashville where they aged for up to four years. Once the barrels were just right, the whiskey was batched and bottled 100% as-is.

Bottom Line:

This has serious depth and felt fresh. I’d lean towards sipping this on the rocks without hesitation. That said, I want to experiment with cocktails with this one thanks to that big and funky rye vibe.

2. New Riff Aroostook Kentucky-Grown Straight Malted Rye Whiskey Aged 6 Years Bottled In Bond — Taste 8

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

New Riff’s latest release is all about local malted rye. The rye for the mashbill is a Kentucky-grown Aroostook Rye that was malted just over the Ohio River in Indiana. Once distilled, the hot juice went into new American oak for six long years before it was small batched, proofed down to 100 proof, and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was delicious, new, and just the right level of funky. It was silky and so easy to drink while offering a serious flavor profile work going back to again and again. Overall, this is a great sipper.

1. Uncle Nearest Rye — Taste 4

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from Uncle Nearest — it’s only hitting shelves this week — is made from 100% rye whiskey made up in Canada according to U.S. straight whiskey laws. Those barrels were sent to New York where they rested for four years. Finally, the best barrels were sent to Tennessee where they were small batched, just proofed with local water, and bottled as-is otherwise.

Bottom Line:

This is a damn near-perfect rye. It’s soft and funky with a hint of woody spice and plenty of fruity vibes. It’s great neat, on the rocks, and will certainly make an amazing Manhattan.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Let’s cut to the chase. You’re not going to be able to get that New Riff unless you’re in New Riff’s club and in Kentucky to pick it up. You will find it on the secondary market, sure. But alas, it’s a fleeting release and will be hard to source.

The new Uncle Neartest 100 Proof Rye on the other hand is going to be available nationwide this month. It’s worth $60 for a holiday bottle to make amazing Manhattans or just slow sipping as the snow falls outside. There are a lot of great bottles on this list. But Uncle Nearest Rye is both great and attainable.

As we begin season 3 of Mythic Quest (with the first two episodes now live on Apple TV+ followed by a weekly rollout), the show’s writers and actress Jessie Ennis have created quite the challenge for themselves. Ennis’ character, Jo, is quite possibly the person most impacted by the events at the end of last season that saw Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) leave MQ to start a new company and Brad (Danny Pudi) wind up in prison. Now, with only David as a wobbly pillar of power in the office, Jo feels the need to be, gasp, dutiful. Something that is clearly destroying her as she waits to unleash chaos.

“(She) only has so much restraint,” Ennis told us when we spoke recently.

Still, the actress loves playing the twin extremes of Jo, the waiting game for Jo to unleash chaos, the confidence that playing the character has unlocked in her, and she seems excited about fans getting the chance to see her interact more with scene mates that she hasn’t had the chance to work with as much previously. Before we get to all that and Ennis’ VR experiences, however, we start with the tough questions.

How are you doing? Can you tell that this is a dragon on a mountain? I was doodling.

Ennis: Lift it up a little. (Ennis considers the work of art before her on the Zoom call.) Dragon would not be my first choice.

My wife said the same thing. I think you’re both wrong. But I sent it out on Twitter. Let’s see what they say.

I appreciate your confidence.

Art is… it’s all very…

Subjective.

Exactly. So, Jo is going through an interesting phase in her life right now. There’s a different kind of energy this season. She’s trying to change and there’s a lot of restraint. What sparks that and how that is to play?

We really established in season 1 that Jo has this terminal drive toward power. She’s ruthless. And then in season 2, we watch where that leads her, which is this obsession that eventually leads her to crash and burn. So season 3 we pick up where she’s trying to be reformed. She’s a bit more invested in the menial tasks that David needs her to complete. So she puts as much intensity into making a cup of tea that she once put into bullying a 14-year-old online. She is told to track down a rodent and she tracks it down like it’s a criminal. There’s a lot to play with Jo. Because we’ve established so much that it’s easy to just go wild with the whole thing.

She wants to break free though, obviously. I mean it’s almost like she’s waiting to be activated so she can get back to classic Jo mode and be really evil and a little scary.

Yeah. I think something I revel in about Jo is that there are two really strong modes. There’s like the sweet school girl who still hasn’t really grown into her adulthood. And then there’s a full-blown raging psychopath. And if I can eliminate as much of the middle ground as possible, I feel like it’s funnier. So this season we really, really see her lean on the like, “I’m just sweet.” And so, when the rage shows up, it’s like we almost miss it. And we’re so thrilled to finally see her cut loose again.

What’s more fun to play for you?

The rage. I love the rage. It’s great. I mean, it’s not something I’ve ever had to do before on camera. And not something I knew I could do until we started shooting the first season. I love it. And it’s not that common that you see a cute girl who gets to scream horrible insults at people on TV. So the fact that I get paid to do it is a plus.

Do you see a lot of other roles coming now that are in that mode that are trying to typecast you a little?

Yes, definitely. And I try to be kind of selective. Ideally, I’ll get to play a bunch of different characters and you’ll be like, “that’s the same person playing those two characters?” So I’ve been turning down some stuff that feels a little bit too reminiscent of Jo. But she’s also just clued me into a confidence in my own ability as an actor and my range. So getting to play on this show the way that I have has just kind of opened up a billion opportunities for me, internally and externally.

How has it been this season with everybody kind of scattered at the start of the season and not necessarily having the same people to play with as scene partners?

It did feel like we’ve really shaken up the dynamics. I don’t think I have many scenes with Rob. I have a couple of scenes with him this season, which were always fun. I remember at one point I was like, “Oh, your facial hair is different.” He was like, “It’s been different for three months. What’s wrong with you?” I was like, “Oh, I guess you’re usually wearing a mask is also part of it.” But yeah. I mean I have a lot of fun stuff with Rachel and with Poppy this season, which was fun and new. And I remember last year people kept saying, if you could pair up with anybody, who would it be? And I was like, “I’d love to see the women of this cast come together.”

So we have a couple of episodes where we explore what it would be like for those three to bond, which is deeply unnatural if it’s something they figure out how to do together. The girls take Jo out to brunch, which is really not an environment in which she thrives. And so she decides to bring them to where she feels most comfortable, which is a demolition yard where they crush cars.

That’s awesome. I imagine that was a lot of fun to film.

It certainly was. Also very dirty and very dusty and incredible. I mean I can’t imagine being more different than Jo. The things that thrill Jo are so far from the things that I’m interested in. But that’s part of why it’s so fun.

The VR rig.

Yeah. That treadmill thing.

Do you get a chance to play around with that at all this season?

No. We weren’t even allowed to touch it. It was a look. There was tape around it all the time saying, “this is too expensive for us, don’t touch it.” It reminded me a lot of my childhood. No, I never stepped on it. I never even touched it. I just looked at it. But it looks pretty fun and when I saw it on the show I was like, “man, if I was rich I still probably wouldn’t buy that.” But I could consider it.

Are you into VR? Have you played around with an Oculus?

Yes. The thing I like the most is watching YouTube on an Oculus. I’m like, I am at this Kacey Musgraves concert! It’s pretty intense. Also Beat Saber. I’m a big fan.

Do you have people in your life who have been fair to you when you’re on the Oculus? People who aren’t taking videos of you with the headset on (and mocking you)? Because I have people in my life who have done that. It’s very harming.

I haven’t had that. But I was at a friend’s house and they had a guest over who was on the Oculus and he broke a lot of stuff in that room. And I have a video of that. He broke the light fixture. He broke something that was on a bookshelf. And he didn’t realize. I think because the sound was so loud, he just was breaking stuff and turning around and breaking more stuff. It was a scene out of a really, really broad silly comedy. And he just had no clue. So I have a video of that. Oh, you know what? He’s famous. It was Nick Viall from The Bachelor. He broke so much stuff playing with an Oculus once and I was there for it.

I will say capturing video of somebody breaking stuff on an Oculus perhaps without them knowing, that’s kind of a Jo thing to do, no?

Sure. This was long before I was playing Jo. She definitely always has her phone like an inch away, ready to document someone’s most embarrassing moment.

The first 2 episodes of ‘Mythic Quest’ season 3 are now on Apple TV+

The Grammy Awards are the biggest night of the year in the music industry and the 2023 Grammys are right around the corner. This year’s yearly awards show is officially referred to as the 65th Grammy Awards and the nominations are set to be announced on November 15 by stars like John Legend, Olivia Rodrigo, Ledisi, and more. The awards will be taking place on Tuesday, February 5, 2023 and while the 2022 Grammy Awards were held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the 2023 Grammys will be returning to a familiar place.

Where Are The 2023 Grammys?

On February 5th, 2023, the 65th Grammy Awards ceremony will be taking place in Los Angeles, CA. The venue for this year’s awards show is the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center. This is the same venue where the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Sparks, and Los Angeles Kings play their home games. But it’s also a state-of-the-art concert venue, hosting shows from big-name artists like Post Malone, Roger Waters, and Taylor Swift. Swift actually owns the Crytpo.com Arena record for the most sold-out performances and a banner hangs up in the rafters to mark the feat, along with banners for each of the Lakers’ 17 NBA championships.

The 65th Grammy Awards ceremony will be broadcast on CBS networks on Tuesday, 02/05/2023 at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET and streaming and on-demand via Paramount+.

Some heroes wear capes. Others just have a decent Wi-Fi connection and $8 to spend to make their least favorite politicians and celebrities look all a fool. And there’s definitely been a lot of that happening on Twitter lately.

Case in point: the online hooligan (at least we presume) who brilliantly decided to set up a fake verified Twitter account for Rudy Giuliani, then tweet out all sorts of embarrassing things, Here’s just a taste of them:

While “I’d like to announce I shidded” was admittedly a good start, and “Helen Keller is a dusty fraudulent bitch pushed on us by globalist media” made us think, just for a second, that maybe it was the former New York City behind the Twitter wheel on these messages, the one post that had everyone talking was when “Rudy” addressed the elephant (smell) in the room, and broached the topic of a certain orange-hued president, Air Force One, and what might have been a bathroom in need of serious ventilation:

“I will neither confirm nor deny the reports I made a big stinky doo doo on Air Force One. All I know is after Roger Stone used a bathroom it would smell brazy in there.”

As Snopes reports, ever since Elon Musk begrudgingly purchased Twitter for a criminally overinflated $44 billion, the Tesla billionaire has attempted to quickly make his mark on the social media site — largely by trying to get people to pay for services that have always been free. This blatant attempt to nickel-and-dime the millions of Twitter users who have long relied on the platform as their primary (and primarily free) source of social media interaction has caused many to flee… and given others some pretty genius ideas of how to exploit the new rules.

(Via Snopes)

Even though Netflix is trying oh-so-hard to convince viewers that maybe their portrayal of the Royal family isn’t completely accurate, they still like to throw in fun bits every once in a while. The world was shocked by those first images of Diana’s “revenge dress” and just how much Elizabeth Debick resembles the iconic princess. The attention to detail is pretty thorough for a show that must be taken with quite a hefty tablespoon of salt.

It seems like Dominic West, who portrays Prince Charles in season five, wanted his own moment to shine, so, of course, they choose something that Prince Charles is so well-known for: breakdancing.

Wait, you didn’t know that Prince Charles, who is now a King, by the way, likes to dance in his spare time when he’s not being pelted with raw eggs? You’re not alone. But… the cast of The Crown found a video of him dancing at a club in 1985 and decided they simply MUST be historically accurate about that specific moment in time.

West explained how it all went down in a new interview: “Peter [Morgan] hadn’t written [the scene] initially and we alerted Peter to it—just, ‘You’ve gotta see this amazing video footage of Charles break-dancing,’” the actor told Vanity Fair. “So he put [the scene] over the credits and I’m really glad, because it actually says so much about him. He really has a go. He knows he’s going to look ridiculous, but you could see there’s a certain—especially when he was younger—a certain competitive streak in Charles, particularly when it came to sports.” Maybe you wouldn’t know from looking at him or hearing him speak or do anything really, but King Charles is an avid skier and horse rider (you can’t forget that the is Royalty, after all) so the moves just came naturally to him!

West explained, “He’s physically very courageous and you could see that coming out in the excruciating moment when he is in a club and he’s asked to dance with these brilliant dancers. So I love that moment. I thought it was very telling about him.” Courageous is definitely one way to describe Prince Charles’s dancing, but West really did his homework in order to learn the moves. “We did spend quite a bit of time with Polly learning the dance he does on YouTube, which is extraordinary,” West said, despite the fact that most of the dance didn’t make it to the screen. “I learned the whole thing but it doesn’t make the cut. Anyway, it was fun…. He has extraordinary moves. It’s fabulous actually.” To be fair, break-dancing was a lot more common in the ’80s before the internet made you realize how silly it looked.

Before you ask– Yes! There is a video, though it should come with some sort of content warning like “Caution: This video features a very rich guy dancing in a way that will make you want to look away but you need to watch it so you can blog about it” or something along those lines. But you can watch it here!

(Via Yahoo!)

We did not have the lead singer of The Strokes going postal on the CEO of Twitter on our 2022 bingo card, but does anything surprise anyone anymore these days? Julian Casablancas went fairly unhinged on Elon Musk, calling the tech magnate, “a typical ceo *sshole bottom-line hungry super-villain,” a “great symbol for 2020s pieces of sh*t,” and “elon tw*t,” in a series of since-deleted Instagram posts that seemed to be in response to Musk’s new blue checkmark verification policies.

The oft-erratic Casablancas took to his @minorbutmajor Instagram account and made two posts directed at Musk and an impersonator. The first of the two deleted posts featured an image of Saved By The Bell 90’s crush Kelly Kapowski (played by Tiffani Amber Thiessen) and it read:

“dear fake ‘verified’ twitter (thanks elon tw*at) acct person pretending to be me… hope ur good at hidingg, cuz imma cut your ugly ass throat when i find you. and i will. — Ana De Armas.

No idea why Casablancas attributed his words to Ana De Armas, but his second post was attributed to Ryan Gosling (again, no idea why) and it featured a photo of Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry. In the caption, Casablancas wrote:

“PS dear Rober Baron asshole who makes butt ugly ass cars and thinks billionaires show pay no taxes… (elon musk) maybe twitter could deal if you didn’t (like a typical ceo asshole bottom-line hungry super-villain) fire half your staff. what a great symbol for 2020s pieces of shit -Ryan Gosling”

It seems as though someone might’ve been impersonating Casablancas on Twitter and Musk’s new lax verification policies might’ve made it seem like it was the real singer. Anyways, just another day in the year of our lord 2022. And as we stated before, the posts were deleted, but the internet keeps receipts:

The SB Dunk may just be one of Nike’s most important sneaker silhouettes. With a few tweaks to the tongue, insole, outsole, and laces, Nike’s SB sub-brand turned the legendary Dunk — designed by the father of the Jordan I & Jordan II, Peter Moore — from a vintage basketball mainstay to a modern skatewear icon. It’s hard to imagine, but twenty years ago Nike wasn’t quite the billion-dollar company it is today and hardcore street skaters paid little mind to the brand, despite it being one of the most recognizable sportswear entities on the scene.

But with the SB Dunk, Nike was able to solidify itself as hands-down the coolest brand in streetwear. And pretty amazingly quickly.

With brands like Vans, Converse, Osiris, and D3 taking up all the oxygen from skaters looking for functional and stylish footwear, Nike was able to grab everyone’s attention by linking up with the right people and brands. First up was Supreme, who Nike teamed up with at the height of the brand’s popularity to release some of the SB Dunk’s greatest colorways of all time. From there, Nike rolled out custom colorways for respected skaters like Richard Mulder, Danny Supa, and Reese Forbes, the graffiti artist Futura, and streetwear icon Jeff Staple. They even teamed up with Diamond Supply Company.

Since the SB sub-brands launch in 2002, the sneaker continues to iterate upon itself to meet the shifting needs of skaters. Now, 20 years later, it has solidified itself as the ultimate skate shoe and one of the best silhouettes for collaborations. In celebration of the sneaker that helped put Nike on top, we’re shouting out the 30 best colorways in the label’s history. And if you want to see some plum-colored dunks made just for the legendary Styles P, check out his episode of Fresh Pair with Just Blaze and Katty Customs, below.

Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Cement, 2002

What a way to kick off the list. The Supreme Nike SB Dunk Low is still one of the greatest pairs of the sneaker’s eighteen-year history. This particular iteration is notable for its use of the textured “elephant skin” nubuck leather first introduced on the Jordan 3 back in 1988. When this sneaker dropped in 2002, it was the first time the “cement” colorway was used on another sneaker and Nike couldn’t have chosen a better streetwear label to break it out for.

Supreme Nike SB Dunk Low dropped in both a black and cement colorway with a crimson collar or the much brighter white and cement colorway, with the true blue collar. We lean more towards the black, but both pairs are wildly popular — selling for close to $10,000 on aftermarket sites.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Low Richard Mulder, 2002

The debut sneaker in Nike’s “Color’s By” series — a collection of Nike SB Dunks released in colorways hand-selected by Nike’s roster of team riders — the “Mulder” was selected by pro skater Richard Mulder who tried to recreate the colorway of his first pair of Nikes. The Mulder is one of the sneaker’s best colorways, thanks to its crisp leather upper with a simple bright blue swoosh. It’s minimalist, sure, but white leather sneakers have never looked this good.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Danny Supa, 2002

Another great colorway from the SB Dunk’s debut year, pro skater Danny Supasirirat’s New York Knicks referencing take on the SB Dunk was also part of Nike’s “Colors By” series, consisting of colorways hand-selected by Nike’s sponsored team riders. When Supa’s take dropped in 2002 it was a quick favorite amongst sneakerheads and holds up to this day as one of the silhouette’s best presentations.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Reese Forbes Denim, 2002

Say what you will about this pair of Nike SB Dunks, but credit where credit is due. When Nike decided to take inspiration from a pair of signature jeans that pro skater Reese Forbes had just dropped, art director Natas Kaupas struck on something that spoke to a lot of streetwear tastemakers.

The upper consists of midnight blue distressed denim with bright red accents. Despite the fact that you could make a strong argument for these being ugly, they fetch prices well above $5,000 in the aftermarket.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Buck, 2003

The Nike SB “Buck” colorway came straight from the mind of Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who stayed repping Oregon hard with this design that borrows the colors of the University of Oregon. Other highlights from the design include “PK” branding on the heel and suede paneling over the leather upper.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Futura, 2003

New York graffiti artist Futura has designed so many SB Dunks that we could probably do a pretty dope ranking of just his designs. The SB Dunk ‘Futura’ was a skate-shop exclusive release that dropped in 2003 and saw the sneaker outfitted with a tumbled leather upper in a steely Nightshade colorway with grey suede mudguards, and black mesh panels.

For a sneaker that celebrates a graffiti legend, it’s a shockingly understated design. That’s not a bad thing, it may just be the best SB Dunk to be associated with Futura.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Supreme x Nike SB Dunk High, 2003

We don’t blame Supreme for doing a complete 180 with their follow-up to the Cement SB Dunk — that’s a hard sneaker to follow. But the 2003 high-top SB Dunk isn’t without its charms. Featuring a varsity red and white colorway with a distinct star-patterned graphic beneath the swoosh, this design feels like a dope victory lap to kick off the second year of Nike SB Dunks.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Low Tokyo, 2004

Part of Nike’s City Series, the Tokyo SB Dunks swap out the leather upper for a canvas/muslin blend that gives the sneaker a sort of down-to-earth workwear vibe. The Tokyo was absent of branding on the heel and tongue, making this a favorite amongst DIY sneaker painters who treated the pair as a blank canvas.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Jedi, 2004

Unofficially dubbed the “Jedi,” this SB Dunk is rumored to be inspired by Yoda, inarguably the ultimate Jedi master. The sneaker features a worn brown leather upper, inspired by Yoda’s fit, with green paneling paying tribute to the master himself with bright green stitching, heel tabs, and laces, a reference to Yoda’s lightsaber color.

Adidas seems to have the Star Wars brand on lock, so Nike would never actually call this sneaker the “Jedi,” but it does give a glimpse into a world where Nike teamed up with Star Wars instead of Adidas.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk London, 2004

Another low-key subdued design out of Nike’s City Series, the London’s also played with the base upper of the SB Dunk, trading the leather for a full-suede makeup. The tonal panels of grey captured the foggy vibe of the city, and to round out the design an embroidered outline of the River Thames in midnight blue adorns the side heel panel.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Futura x UNKLE x Dunk High Pro SB, 2004

Known simply as the “UNKLE,” this SB Dunk was a cross-collaboration between New York City icon Futura and the British trip-hop producer Unkle and sees the high-top SB Dunk covered in graphics that recall UNKLE’s album Reign done in the style of Futura’s graffiti work.

The sneaker features a mix of black and white leather with pink overlays and a chalky white swoosh.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Low Paris, 2004

The best colorway out of Nike’s City Series, the Paris Dunk is just a beautiful pair of kicks. Made in collaboration with French painter Bernard Buffet, each pair of the Paris featured a totally unique upper, making the production run of just 200 pairs feel all the rarer.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Hemp Pack, 2004

Dropping in a red mahogany, bonsai, and cascade blue iteration the Hemp Pack featured uppers composed entirely of hemp. Not only do they still look dope 16 years later but it’s also proof that Nike is perfectly capable of making sustainable shoes.

Why they don’t continue to do so is beyond us.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk High FLOM, 2004

Made in collaboration with graffiti artist Futura, the FLOMs, or “For Love Or Money” Dunks featured a tile-based upper composed of different denominations of currency. In a strange way, they feel like a precursor to Travis Scott’s take on the silhouette from this year, providing that Futura has always been ahead of the game no matter what field he decides to dip his toes into.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk High Pro Sea Crystal, 2004

Sandy Bodecker was to the Nike SB what Tinker Hatfield is to the Air Jordan and one of his best iterations ever came about when Bodecker stumbled upon a color in Nike’s seasonal color palette selections in 2004 that reminded him of the washed-out sea glass that he once collected as a kid on the beaches of Connecticut.

Other notable variations to the SB design on this iteration include the use of Pig Suede which helped to bring out the sneaker’s unique colors.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Pigeon, 2005

Probably the most legendary sneaker on this list, the Pigeons came about at a time when sneaker culture was entering a new golden age. Made in collaboration with Jeff Staple, the Pigeon’s release was so hyped that a riot broke out over the sneakers in New York City, the city the sneakers were repping with their embroidered pigeon on the heel.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk De La Soul, 2005

How do you make one of Nike’s coolest streetwear silhouettes even fresher? By paying tribute to one of New York’s greatest hip-hop groups. If you’re a hardcore De La fan, you will instantly recognize this color scheme which takes inspiration from the group’s legendary debut, 3 Feet High and Rising complete with hand-drawn daisy graphics and a high-top cut.

The upper is composed of brown suede and is covered in contrasting accents of green and orange with an elephant print at the toe wrap. The sneaker was re-released in the low-top form in 2015, that release is dope as well but we’ve got to give props to the OG.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Stussy x Nike SB Dunk Cherry, 2005

A fan favorite to be sure, this collaboration with Stüssy sports a colorway of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla inspired by Neapolitan Ice Cream. Why Nike felt the need to add a cherry to the tongue (and name) when Neapolitan Ice cream doesn’t have cherry is a mystery we don’t care to solve because — inaccurate name or not — this pair is just too fresh.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Raygun, 2005

The Rayguns hold the distinction of being one of the first of the Dunks to feature the SB logo on the tongue. This mismatched colorway was inspired by a fictional ABA team called the Roswell Rayguns and features an alien — which would naturally be that team’s mascot — embroidered on the heel. It’s a silly concept, sure, but the colorway of orange flash, deep black, and bright white is one of the Dunk’s best.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Diamond Supply Co. x Nike SB Diamond Dunk, 2005

The Diamond Dunks look like they would be better utilized in a display case in a sneaker museum than getting beat up on a skater’s feet. Would that stop us from wearing a pair if we owned one of our own? Nah. Featuring crocodile-embossed leather, a shimmering chrome swoosh, and Tiffany Blue leather detailing, this collaborative kick designed by Diamond Supply Co. founder Nick Tershay is an undeniable entry on this list.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk SBTG, 2006

Designed by famed Singapore-based artist Mark “Sabotage” Ong, the Dunk SBTG featured hand-painted graphics and patterns by ONG and a screened lace flap. The lace flap hasn’t been seen on a notable pair of SBs since, making the SBTGs instantly recognizable amongst seasoned sneakerheads and SB Stans.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB What The Dunk?, 2007

Ironically, when Nike decided to design a Dunk cobbled together from 31 of the best SB Dunk colorways, the stated goal was to create a “Dunk to end all dunks,” and you’ll notice a huge gap between the years 2007 and 2019. Don’t get us wrong, Nike didn’t stop making Dunks in the intervening years, the designs just fell off pretty hard and the SB Dunk wouldn’t start to get its groove back until around 2017.

You’ll quickly notice how the upper of the What The Dunk takes on a sort of Greatest Hits quality. Unfortunately, the design turns into a mess. Still, it signifies the end of an era for the SB Dunk. Oh yeah, and owning a pair means you hold a small fortune — these are pricey on the aftermarket sites.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike SB Dunk Freddy Krueger, 2007

The Freddy Krueger is probably the rarest SB Dunk ever, it’s so rare that it was never actually released. The sneaker was inspired by and paid tribute to horror icon Freddy Krueger, of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and features blood splatters over the leather mudguard, a metallic silver swoosh meant to reference Krueger’s deadly gloves, and an upper that recalls his iconic sweater.

The sneaker was barred for legal purposes before it was released to the public and only exists in sample form. Still, somewhere there is a vault full of Krueger’s that’ll never be worn or see the light of day. That’s truly sad.

Comme des Garçons x Nike SB Dunk Hi, 2017

Released during New York Fashion Week in February 2017, this PVC upper high-top Dunk was made in collaboration between Nike and Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons. The sneaker sports a mixed upper of PVC and leather with dual branding and a breathable insole, because as cool as being able to see how fire your sock game is through your sneakers, nothing ruins a PVC upper like some sweaty toes.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Parra x Nike SB Dunk Abstract Art, 2019

Though not as cool as the Parra Nike Blazer that the dutch artist of the same name produced for Nike in 2019, the Parra Dunk was everywhere at last summer’s ComplexCon. Featuring a distinct soft chenille swoosh over whiter leather with red, pink, and blue accents, the Parra Dunk oozes serious 80s vibes, offering a different take on the SB Dunk and reinvigorating the brand.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

StrangeLove x Nike SB Dunk Valentine’s Day, 2020

Nike dropped this collaboration with StrangeLove skateboards just in time for Valentine’s Day in a special pink box with a heart-shaped window, a coveted gift amongst skater couples. Featuring an upper of red, pink, and white velvet, atop a clear pink outsole, the StrangeLoves are not just one of the best Nike SB Dunks of all time, they’re one of the best drops of this year.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Nike x Paul Rodriguez P-Rod SB Dunk, 2020

Before the SB Dunks got the “SB” in their name, they were just a simple 80s basketball silhouette intended for the court. Then they became the premier skate shoe for about 20 years in the new millennium, and now maybe they’ll enjoy a third life as a boxing shoe. Paul Rodriguez, aka P-Rod, designed this Mexican-flag-inspired leather take on the high-top for his signature SB Dunk, and it was a great way to start the year in which the SB Dunk became cool again.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Travis Scott x Nike SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack, 2020

Probably the most hyped SB Dunk since the original Supreme Cement, Travis Scott’s earthy take on Dunk perfectly reflects the rappers’ aesthetic. Featuring rope-style laces, a woodsy camo pattern, and Cactus Jack branding, Travis Scott’s iteration on the Dunk swaps out the tongue for an extra thick version and adds some paisley bandana patterning on canvas overlays.

When this shoe dropped in February, so many sneakerheads flooded the Nike site that it had to temporarily shut down.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

Ben & Jerry’s x Nike SB Chunky Dunky, 2020

The Chunky Dunky was the sneaker that proved that even a pandemic and an economy barreling toward depression wasn’t enough to stop sneakerheads from absolutely losing their mind over a pair of shoes.

What’s cool about the Chunky Dunky are all the small details — the cow print leather overlays, how the upper utilizes the Ben & Jerry’s logo, the psychedelic tie-dye collar that pays homage to Ben & Jerry’s crunchy hippie roots… It’s a sneaker for sneakerheads and a great reminder that the best sneaker designs come from a place of humor and fun.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

UNION LA x Nike Dunk Low Argon, 2022

Okay, it’s not technically an SB Dunk, but who cares, this is hands-down the dopest Dunk of the year and we had to include at least one gem from 2022. Made in collaboration with LA retailer UNION, the Argon was part of Union’s ‘Passport Pack,’ which paid homage to hard-to-find colorways of the early ‘00s.

The design featured a tearaway ripstop upper with sloppy orange stitching that reveals a blue leather underlay with dual Nike and UNION branding over a translucent rubber outsole. The whole sneaker has this beautiful glow about it thanks to a mix of hyper royal, white and psychic blue.

Pick up a pair at GOAT.

FX’s Atlanta, one of the best TV shows to premiere in the 2010s, came to an end last night. It’s hard to pick the single episode that best represents Donald Glover’s surrealist comedy, but it might be the one where Darius meets a bleached-skin, Michael Jackson-like weirdo while trying to pick up a free piano. It’s #1 on IMDb, at least.

Following the series finale, Rolling Stone published a series retrospective with Hiro Murai, who directed “Teddy Perkins” and many of the best episodes of Atlanta. He discussed the genesis of the Teddy Perkins episode.

“[Glover and composer Ludwig Göransson] were talking about either Michael Jackson or one of the musicians who’s had skin bleaching or other work done. And Ludwig just said something like, ‘Imagine how terrifying this would be if you turned around in a dark alley and he was just standing there.’ So it started from this one-off aside, and we took that and blew it out into this horror movie/existential character study on what it is to be in popular music as a Black man.”

Teddy Perkins was played by Glover, who stayed in character the whole time. “We referred to him as ‘Teddy’ the whole shoot,” Murai said. “[Lakeith Stanfield] didn’t know who Teddy was for the first three days of shooting, and nobody would tell him. He was so uneasy! He basically interrogated every crew member to figure out who he was. And every time he asked me, ‘Who is this dude?’ I go, ‘It’s Teddy. We got the real guy.’”

Teddy (no longer played by Glover under all that makeup) even showed up at the Emmys, where Atlanta took home six trophies over four seasons. It deserved a lot more.

I’ll miss you the most, Farmer Paper Boi.

(Via Rolling Stone)

Now that Marvel’s highly-anticipated Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever sequel is out, the super-hyped companion soundtrack is also available. It features songs from Rihanna, Tems, E-40, Burna Boy, Stormzy, and more. Of course, all of the buzz has been about Rihanna’s two tracks, “Lift Me Up,” and “Born “Again,” which serve as the Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever Soundtrack’s opening and closing tracks, respectively.

For Rihanna to be making new solo music for the first time since Anti dropped in 2016 is notable in and of itself. But the fact that her first new songs were part of the Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever Soundtrack raised questions as to why and how she came to be on the project to begin with.

Why Did Rihanna Make Music For ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?’

Director Ryan Coogler was asked point blank about Rihanna’s involvement in the soundtrack during a press conference for the film. He said that he couldn’t take “sole credit” for getting Rihanna involved in the project, citing both composer Ludwig Göransson’s reputation, as well as Roc Nation’s Jay Brown and Jay-Z for helping to make the connection to Rihanna. Before revealing what Rihanna saw in the project, he first spoke about why she was such a great fit:

“But the truth is, we were looking for a great artist who could tell the story of the film, and embrace the themes of the film, and present them to the audience in a different packaging. You know, that’s what Kendrick did for us so beautifully with the first film. And this film is different. You know, it made sense that it would be a woman, it made sense that it could be someone who could speak to, not necessarily the words, but the feeling of motherhood, because that’s a major theme in this film.”

Then, he explained that how the trailer was the driving force for piquing her interest:

“And I think it timed up, that she was in that kinda space in her life. And she was open and it was really the trailer I think that, when she saw the performances that everybody was putting down in the trailer, that was what kinda put her over the edge and she said, ‘Hey, I wanna see this film, I wanna see if I can figure this out.’ We collaborated with this incredible singer Tems. And she and I wrote the words, Ludwig made the music. The music was recorded on, like, three continents.”

No easy task, but the songs are beautiful. “Lift Me Up” serves as an homage to the legacy of actor Chadwick Boseman and the rest in now film, music, and Rihanna history.