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Snoop Dogg Has A Plan To Launch The ‘Hood Olympics’: ‘There’s A Lot Of Homies From The Hood That Could Run A 10.2’

Snoop Dogg 2024 Olympics
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Perhaps more so than Raygun and Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, the biggest star of the 2024 Olympics was probably Snoop Dogg. He was all over the place and did a bit of everything during the games. Now, it looks like he wants to get some games of his own going.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight recently at the premiere of 1992, Snoop said:

“One thing I wanna do is have the Hood Olympics. There’s a lot of homies from the hood that could run a 10.2, that could high jump, throw the javelin, backflip, swim good, jump over gates and hurdle, you know what I’m saying?

I just wanna make it available for the athletes from the hood that didn’t make it, that probably have certain ramifications, but they still were athletic and they still were good. So, I want to bring that component in and, hopefully, we’ll be able to make it make sense.”

Snoop certainly made out well at the non-hood Olympics: Last month, he re-shared a post that said, “Snoop Dogg, a top rapper, gets over 40 m rubles [about $447,000] daily for his presence at the Paris Olympic Games. Snoop also lives and parties in Paris for free, all to bring more attention to the Olympics. Almost every top broadcast features Snoop. He attends all major Olympic events. For 17 Olympic days, he’ll earn nearly $9 million.”

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‘Euphoria’ Season 3: Everything To Know About The Long-Awaited Season With Zendaya And Sydney Sweeney (Update For September 2024)

euphoria-sweeney-lg
HBO

There was a time when even the cast of HBO’s Euphoria had “no f*cking idea” what was going on with season 3. But it looks like the long — very long — wait for new episodes of creator Sam Levinson’s hit series is coming to an end.

Let’s sort through everything we know about season 3 of Euphoria, including plot details and which cast members are expected to return.

Plot

Earlier this summer, HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi confirmed that Euphoria will begin production on season 3 in January 2025 (nearly three years after the renewal was announced). “We could not be happier with our creative partnership with Sam and this incredible cast,” she said. “We look forward to bringing this new season of Euphoria to life for the fans.”

No plot details were given, possibly because there’s reportedly been a lot of behind-the-scenes drama about the direction of the show.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Levinson wanted to turn Zendaya’s Rue into a private detective, but that concept was rejected by HBO and the Challengers actress. Her pitch of playing a surrogate mother also went nowhere. Levinson and Zendaya have apparently found common ground on “an inkling of an idea” that works for both of them, but as a source close to the show put it, “Good luck to us. Who knows what the hell will happen.”

We do know there will be a time jump, however. HBO CEO Casey Bloys told Variety that “there’s been a lot of back and forth” between him and Levinson. He continued, “One of the issues I think that Sam is thinking about is that he doesn’t want to have it in high school anymore. That’s where it was set and what made sense then. So when you take it out of that, there’s a lot of back and forth about where to set it and how far in the future to set it and all that stuff. But I think he’s got a take that he’s excited about, and he’s busy writing.”

At least Sydney Sweeney is optimistic! “I’m very excited to jump back into Cassie. She is definitely one of the most special characters for me and I love my Euphoria family, so I look forward to it,” she recently told People. “I love crazy Cassie, so the crazier, the better for me.”

Meanwhile, Hunter Schafer is surprised it’s even happening. “I think people’s absence will be felt, and I’m a bit… I’m nervous for that,” she shared to W Magazine. “But I think, in another sense, it’s a beautiful opportunity to spend time in the world where you got to know and love those people.”

Cast

According to HBO, “all of the principal cast” of Euphoria will be back for season 3, including Zendaya (Rue), Sydney Sweeney (Cassie), Jacob Elordi (Nate), Hunter Schafer (Jules), and Oscar nominee Colman Domingo (Ali). Other cast members who are likely to return are Alexa Demie (Maddy), Maude Apatow (Lexi), Nika King (Leslie), Storm Reid (Gia), and possibly Dominic Fike (Elliot). Barbie Ferreira (Kat) is finished with Euphoria, and tragically, Angus Cloud, the actor who played Fez, passed away in July 2023. He will be missed.

Release Date

Euphoria season 3 will premiere on HBO in 2025, as will The Last of Us season 2, The White Lotus season 3, and Welcome to Derry season 1.

Trailer

There’s no trailer for season 3 yet, but can I interest you in the music video for “Swag It Out” by Zendaya? I thought so.

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Radhi Devlukia Shares The Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna You Need To Make Soon

Radhi_Devlukia(1024x450)
Uproxx

Radhi Devlukia’s Joyfull cookbook is a crash course in finding your inner veggie-forward eater and the joy that accompanies the light-footed feeling of healthy plant-based consumption. GMOs be exiled, corn syrup be gone, leave the animals in the pastures — not in Radhi’s pantry!

A well-educated nutritionist and dietician who spent most of her life in the UK learning to cook under the tutelage of an Indian mother and Grandmother, Devlukia has jumped the Atlantic to live in the United States and we’re all better for it. Her veggie-based dishes are a blend of the one pot cooking common in most culture’s comfort foods, dynamic spices found in Indian households and in many instances the efficient composition and cooking techniques of the never-having-time-to-relax US lifestyle.

We took time from Radhi’s packed promo schedule to learn about the Indian nutritional concept of Ayurveda, the optimal ways to harness the natural flavors of veggies, and the secrets behind how her Mexican Lasagna is animal protein-free but boasts enough dynamic flavor to satiate your hangriest carnivore friends and family.

Radhi Devlukia

Can you tell us a bit about your background and your history with cooking?

I grew up in an Indian family where food, like many cultures, was basically the center of pretty much everything. My Mom had a full-time job, but she would create fresh breakfasts, lunches and dinners for us every single day. I think that was a big part of it – she fueled my love for food. I saw how much love she poured into the food. I saw how excited she was creating it and experimenting in the kitchen and it really did leave such a deep impression on me.

I was thinking about what I wanted to do when I was going to university. At first I thought I wanted to be a doctor, like a lot of Indian people do, but I didn’t get the grades for that so I couldn’t do it. My Mom recommended I go into nutrition, at the time, I hadn’t really thought about that as a path or something I could have a job in. I kind of went into nutrition accidentally because I didn’t really know what else to do. It started just igniting my love for understanding the body and how food affects our bodies.

I ended up doing a second degree to be a clinical dietician. So I did my nutrition degree and I was like, this is amazing but I really want to work in a clinical setting because that has always been my dream. Then, I did a full other degree to become a dietician, so I am a nutritionist and a dietician.

I absolutely loved being able to help people through food. I would do everything from pediatric clinics for fussy eaters to diabetes clinics to FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) to helping people with IBS and gut issues. At the same time helping people who’ve been in surgery and have to be on drip feeds. I was doing such a variety of helping people get nutrition but in so many different ways.

I still felt like there was something missing because as much as I appreciated what I was doing, there was a disconnect; telling people what to do and helping people tune into their body to understand what they need versus me just regurgitating information. I had to leave the UK to go to New York for my husband’s work. When I got there, I couldn’t use any of my skills or my degrees since I didn’t have a work permit, so I ended up going back into study and came across Ayurveda. Even though I’d grown up with it because it’s part of my culture, it wasn’t something that I thought of as a practice.

“Ayur” means life and “Veda” means knowledge, it’s basically the most beautiful holistic health science to exist. It’s all about how nature can heal your body, but even more than that, how you can tune into your body to understand what it really needs.

When I learned about Ayurveda, it felt like home for health for me. Learning about it and doing the practices – I felt like I found a way to optimize my own health and I really wanted to share that with everyone. I took all of that and pulled it into a book where I share everything that I’ve learned throughout the years, plus all of the practices and rituals that have enriched my own life are weaved through the recipes that I’ve created.

You mentioned your family and your roots, how would you say that those elements of your upbringing influenced your cooking style?

My heritage is in every single part of this book. I was so happy I got to have my Mom and my Grandma be a part of the pictures because it would not have felt complete without people being able to see them. Everything from the spices I use, to the techniques that I use in cooking, it’s been through watching them cook.

Spices are my favorite thing to talk about and my favorite thing to use in the kitchen. I can’t imagine a dish without spice. I’ve gotten that from my Indian heritage because every single Indian person has a spice box. In English it translates to a seven compartment spice box and you have your essential spices in there, you do not cook without it, it’s the first thing that’s taken out when you start cooking. My Grandma has one, I have one, my Mom has one and my Sister has one. That’s where so much of the flavor in my food comes from, it’s a combination of my heritage but also where I’ve lived.

I was born and raised in the UK, so there’s so much influence from the UK. I’ve been in the US for about seven years now and I’ve spent so much time in India and other countries, the cuisines in this book are a mixture of all of that. Growing up we practiced specific things with food, my Mom would always pray before we ate, it was a part of my culture. I grew into appreciating it as I got older, at first I was like, “Can I just eat? I don’t want to wait to pray, I just want to eat” but I’ve learned how much it changes your perspective of the food you are eating by just having a moment of gratitude for it.

The way that you interact with the food that you are eating and consciously preparing so that it nourishes the people you are feeding. It’s not just throwing everything around and eating a burrito while you are working, it’s like, wow, this food has the ability to fully nourish my body, my heart and so much more than that. I think that it all comes from where I’m from, that’s what I’ve grown up with and I only realized it later on in life.

You mentioned spices and how that brings together a big part of the foundation of your cooking. What are some of your typical pantry staples?

Well, to start off with, I have three big drawers of spices in my house they’re all there. They are my favorite favorite drawers because they’re the most organized part of my kitchen. They are all in alphabetical order and I have so many. I find when people are starting off fresh with spices to really appreciate spice blends.

Instead of getting all these spices, you have no idea what to do with, what’s amazing is you go and buy a taco seasoning or a garam masala. Garam masala is one of my favorite go-tos. If I’m making a lentil dish or a vegetable dish, if I want to add a bit of flavor, I always lean towards the Indian flavors, just because there’s so much vibrance in it. I’ll just throw in a tablespoon of garam masala and it will elevate the dish so much.

I say, get yourself good spice mixes. There’s Chinese five spice, it’s incredible and I put that into some of my noodle dishes. You can also get one spice blend from each cuisine and then experiment. Some of my favorites at the moment are coriander, cumin, and fennel. One because I love the flavor, but also because in Ayurveda it teaches us how these three spices when mixed together are an incredible digestive blend. Adding in spices doesn’t just elevate the food, I mean the flavor of it, It completely changes the way your body digests it.

Spices are medicine. The way that spices are, they’re potent, they have so much nutritional benefit in them. They actually help break down and digest food.

I want to talk about your veggie forward cooking. Do you have any tips for picking out the best produce at the market?

If you are in a place where you have farmer’s markets or little farms that you can get things from you can really taste the difference. Think about the freshest ingredients, when you pick an apple from a tree, when you pick a tomato, when you pick herbs that have just come out, everything is at its peak flavor the second that it’s picked.

The easiest way to think about this is, how long has it been since this has been picked? The longer it’s been, the less flavor that it’s going to have, and the less nutritional benefit. I love to think of my food in that way.

The fact is organic fruit and vegetables are always going to be better. By the time apples have gotten to me, I know they have probably been around for over a month, sometimes two months, sometimes three months. A coating is put on them to stop them from going bad on the inside, and you have no clue about it. So the best thing is to try and go to little farms and farmer’s markets.

If you don’t have farmer’s markets, pick organic produce when you go to the grocery store. Pick things that are in season because it’s more likely that you’ll find better organic produce that is in season rather than not.

One of the tips that I love is when you’re trying to figure out whether an avocado is ripe. You can take off the little top nip – there’s a little round bit at the top of your avocado – when you take it off, if it’s got a green color, it’s not ripe, if it’s yellow, it’s perfectly ripe.

Do you find cooking and getting big flavors out of vegetables to be a challenge?

Yeah, I would say it is difficult. Since I came to the US, I noticed such a difference between UK produce and US produce. It’s so interesting because when you go to Italy, for example, when you taste tomatoes that are from there, the flavor difference is incredible. It’s incredible to see and it’s all dependent on the soil that it’s grown in, the climate that it’s in, all of that impacts it. Also, how much sun the fruit or vegetable is getting really penetrates the flavor.

Don’t overload a vegetable with flavor. Vegetables already have a flavor, and so using lighter seasonings and sauteing vegetables can bring out the flavor.

It’s the same with spices by the way. You may smell a spice and it smells great as it is, but then as soon as you saute it in a fat, it releases all the aroma and activates the health benefits too. Whether it’s veggies or spices, I really recommend activating them in some sort of fat. Also, they’re easier to digest when you end up cooking them or at least lightly cooking them. Raw vegetables can be quite difficult to digest, so I recommend lightly cooking veggies to get the benefit from them.

Camryn Eakes

Is there a vegetarian dish that you find particularly savory and satisfying? For example, we came across your Mexican lasagna, would that fall into that category?

Yeah, definitely. I always like a good balance of things. In the Mexican lasagna, there’s veggies, beans and layers of the tortilla wraps, which are your carbs. There’s a dairy aspect of vegan dairy, of the cheese. There are different textures.

I just think that it’s always nice balancing out the macros – making sure you’ve got a balance of all different types of ingredients that are providing different things for you. With one pot recipes you can throw whatever you want into them, right? When I make this Mexican lasagna, I’ve got a few veggies in there, I’ve got cabbage and I’ve got peppers, but sometimes I’ll look in my fridge and if I’ve got some zucchini lying around or some celery, I’ll chop up as many veggies as I can into every dish.

I think vegetables are actually really easy to make. When you’re blending it, you can add more veggies like in a sauce. You think it’s just tomato sauce, but you can add some celery into that. I’ve also added zucchini and spinach into things and no one’s even known.

I made zucchini brownies the other day and no one had a clue that there was zucchini in there. I think there are really beautiful easy ways to sneak in veggies. I recommend to people that if you see a dish and you’re going to make it and it doesn’t have vegetables in it, find a way to incorporate some. Chop them up really small or have some as a side dish.

I personally feel no meal is complete without having a vegetable in it.

What would you say are some of the elements that people love about your Mexican lasagna? Is it something that you would recommend to somebody that’s a novice cook or just getting into veggie forward cooking?

Yes, it’s super easy because you’re literally just layering. It’s a one kind of dish thing. You have to just put it into the oven. You’re making a filling, layering up the tortilla wraps, filling tortilla wraps, adding cheese and putting it into the oven. I’d say it’s a really good, easy dish.

People love the Mexican lasagna because it just feels hearty, it’s a solid comforting meal. You get all the bits that you want from it, and it tastes a bit cheeky, but it is not deep-fried. It hasn’t got any nasty things in it and still feels very comforting. For someone who’s looking for a filling meal, you’re getting some good nutritional benefit from it, from the beans and the veggies. It’s a good balance of both.

Do you think that people that are used to eating animal proteins will miss the meat, or is it something that’s pretty satisfying for anybody?

I think it’s pretty satisfying for anybody. That’s because a lot of people think when you eat vegan food or plant-based food, it’s going to lack flavor, that’s why I think I love spices. They are the secret to eating plant-based meals and being excited by them. I’ve had so many people eat at my house, and I only cook plant-based food.

Most of the people that come are used to eating meat and I’m sure they’re not going to tell me that they don’t like it, but from my experience, people say that they feel so satisfied by the meal because there are so many different textures and flavors. Your senses get excited by that and that’s what you really want from a meal. Even if something feels unfamiliar, if it’s exciting for your senses, you’re going to end up loving it anyway, even if it’s not a texture or a component of a meal you’re used to.

Do you think it’s possible to convert a carnivore?

I never really think of it as converting people. I feel like as people get introduced to plant-based food, let’s say somebody decides that they want to have a day, one day out of the seven days that they’re going to decide to have a plant-based meal. I think it’s more when you see the benefits of something and you feel the benefits of it. You naturally start going towards the thing that makes you feel good.

I totally value and get why some people find it really difficult to swap over or make those swaps, but always my response is to try it, see how you feel. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t do it but more often than not, people are like, “Wow. On that day, I actually felt so much lighter. I felt like I had more energy”. They start saying, “My skin looks so much better when I gave up dairy.”

There’s so many benefits to becoming plant-based that I think once you end up feeling it or seeing it, that’s usually how we end up changing, right? We either feel the benefit or we see something that’s beneficial. “Oh my gosh, my pain from my arthritis has gone down so much, my inflammation has gone down.” You end up changing based on what you see, what you hear and what you experience. As soon as people get that, I think it’s an easy win.

How To Make Mexican Lasagna

Radhi Devlukia

Ingredients:

Filling:
• 1 tablespoon sunflower or avocado oil
• 1 cup finely chopped or shredded cabbage
(about 1/2 small head)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 15-ounce can,
rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 15-ounce can,
rinsed and drained
• 1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (about 2 ears) or
thawed frozen
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped pickled or fresh
jalapeño (about 1 large pepper)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning (or 1 teaspoon
each ground cumin, paprika, and dried
oregano)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

LASAGNA:
• Olive oil cooking spray, sunflower oil, or avocado
oil
• 4 of your favorite 8- or 10-inch tortillas, cut into
• 1-inch-wide strips
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa or canned crushed
tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese or a blend
of cheddar and mozzarella

FOR SERVING
• Guacamole
• Vegan sour cream
• Tortilla chips (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

1. MAKE THE FILLING:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the black beans, pinto beans, corn, jalapeños, taco seasoning, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have come together and the seasonings are aromatic, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and set the filling aside.

2. ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA:

Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about one-third of the tortilla strips in an even layer across the bottom, trying to avoid any gaps. Add half of the bean mixture in another even layer, followed by another one-third of the tortilla strips. Layer with the remaining bean mixture and top with the remaining tortilla strips.

Finish with the salsa and cheese. Bake until hot and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

3. TO SERVE:

Cut the lasagna into squares and serve with the guacamole and sour cream, plus chips, if you like.

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Will There Be A Fourth ‘A Quiet Place’ Movie?

lupita a quiet place
Paramount Pictures

A Quiet Place: Day One showed the horrifying origins of the silent monsters that were introduced back in 2017’s A Quiet Place and the follow-up, A Quiet Place Part II. The prequel starred Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong’o as they find themselves at the center of the alien attack which takes over the planet.

Considering how the universe expanded and progressed over the years, it would not be unheard of for another story or standalone movie to be on the horizon. After all, we’ve really only seen how a very small subsection of the world handles the invasion. At the end of A Quiet Place Part II, the survivors meet at an island off the East Coast, and Day One writer-director Michael Sarnoski thinks there could be more stories to tell there.

“I mean, definitely a good portion of those people probably ended up on the island that we see in Part Two of A Quiet Place,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. This could mean more stories (and maybe more Frodo the cat?) He continued, “I think there’s a good chance that they’re there, and definitely there’s a good chance we’re going to see them again.”

While nothing is set in stone, Sarnoski sees the possibility. He told The Economic Times, “I think Paramount would be really happy to see where they ended up. I don’t think there are any super specific plans. But I would not be surprised if that happens. So that’s a very loose, unofficial sequel tease.”

A Quiet Place: Day One is now streaming on Paramount+.

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The 25 Absolute Best Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches, Freshly Ranked For 2024

The 25 Greatest Chicken Sandwiches(1024x450)
Uproxx

There isn’t a single dish in all of fast food more popular than the chicken sandwich. And yes, we’ve considered the cheeseburger. Look, no shade to the cheeseburger, we love it, and it has served us well, but it had its reign (here is a list of some of our favorites). Still, 2024 is all about the chicken sandwich. That’s probably why some of the fastest-growing chains in fast food — Chick-fil-A, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Popeyes, and Raising Canes — exclusively focus on chicken.

In 2024, we’re spoiled for options when it comes to a great chicken sandwich. But with fast food prices rising, it’s important to know which sandwich is the most worthy of your hard-earned money. Seeking out the very best chicken sandwiches in fast food is something we’ve been hard at work at for the last five years. We can trace our search back to when Popeyes first launched its chicken sandwich in 2019 and started the so-called “chicken sandwich wars,” (a phrase we promise to never use again after this year).

Being on the search for five years, you’d think we’d have an answer to the question: who makes the best chicken sandwich? But our answer changes almost every year, and while that might sound us being inconsistent is really just a sign that the chicken sandwich is the most steadily innovated dish in fast food. Every year there’s a new crop of sandwiches, which means every year we the consumers are treated to increasingly delicious food.

So who makes the best chicken sandwich of 2024? We set out to find out by tasting and re-ranking every fast food chicken sandwich we could get our hands on. Let’s eat.

25. Dairy Queen — Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich
Dairy Queen

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

I’m going to save you some time: don’t order a chicken sandwich (or any food that isn’t ice cream) at Dairy Queen. If you need to know the gory details, let’s talk about them.

The meat in this sandwich is spongey and highly processed. The filet has barely any crunch and is seasoned simply with black pepper. Atop the filet is a sad leaf of lettuce, an unripened slice of tomato, and mayo — pretty standard stuff, and yet this sandwich tastes absolutely brutal.

The Bottom Line:

The worst fast food chicken sandwich ever.

Find your nearest Dairy Queen here.

24. Sonic — Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich
Sonic

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

Sonic has some legitimately great menu options, but the Crispy Chicken Sandwich is not one of them. This chicken filet is spongey and porous — it makes me wonder how much of it is actually real meat — but well-seasoned with black pepper. The breading provides a nice crunch, but the texture of the meat is so off-putting that I find biting into this sandwich somehow offensive.

It’s an insult to everything else on the Sonic menu that actually works (the breakfast burrito comes to mind).

The build is pretty standard stuff: lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo on a buttered bun. But the quality of everything but the bun leaves a lot to be desired. When the bun is the highlight of your sandwich, you’ve got a problem.

The Bottom Line:

Order anything else on the menu but this! Need some suggestions? Here you go: jalapeño poppers, chili cheese fries, a hot dog, mozzarella sticks, or a breakfast burrito.

Find your nearest Sonic here.

23. Arby’s — Chicken Bacon Swiss Sandwich

Arby

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

This sandwich almost works. The black-peppered bacon has a great smokey and slightly sweet flavor. Unfortunately, every other element of this sandwich weighs it down. The chicken is bone dry and underseasoned, the lettuce is soggy, the bread is dry and dense, the tomatoes fall flat, and the honey mustard, with its tang and bitter finish, straight-up doesn’t work in this sandwich.

I’m convinced that Arby’s only has this sandwich on the menu so they can keep up with every other big fast food brand that makes a decent sandwich.

The Bottom Line:

Another skip! Order the Smokehouse Brisket, Roast Beef Gyro, or Corned BEef Sandwich instead.

Find your nearest Arby’s here.

22. Burger King — Bacon and Swiss BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich
Burger King

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

A couple of years back Burger King revamped its chicken sandwich to launch the Ch’King. It was an amazing chicken sandwich. One of the best! Unfortunately, because it was hand-breaded and made to order, it wasn’t sustainable, so BK simplified the recipe, and we were given this. Which is good, but pales in comparison to what once was!

The breading on the chicken filet is crunchy and nicely seasoned with a mix of salt and black pepper. Those flavors are supported by gentle smokey notes courtesy of the bacon with the cheese offering a slightly sweet and savory finish. It’s got a great crunch and flavor, two necessary ingredients for a good chicken sandwich, but the texture of the chicken filet is where it falls apart.

The filet is chunky and flakey — a sign that this chicken has been frozen — and the meat itself lacks any flavor whatsoever. The filet is frustratingly bland, which is a real disservice to everything else this sandwich has going for it.

The Bottom Line:

Good flavors are hampered by a flavorless and oddly-textured filet.

Find your nearest Burger King here.

21. McDonald’s — Spicy McCrispy

Chicken Sandwich
McDonald

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

McDonald’s will not stop trying to push its chicken sandwich on us. Every year it feels like they are trying to market the McCrispy in a new way as if the advertising is what’s keeping people from ordering this. Hey McDonald’s, it’s not the marketing, it’s the chicken!

The filet is just not very good. It’s bland, and texturally slushy, which is meant to sound disgusting. I’m trying to warn you here, this is a skippable sandwich.

What works is the spicy pepper sauce. It has a strong cayenne kick with a sweet element that balances out the heat. The pickles are wet and brine-y, and the breading is light, crispy, and airy.

It’s so close to being a decent chicken sandwich but not quite there.

The Bottom Line:

You’re better off just ordering chicken nuggets and some fries.

Find your nearest McDonald’s here.

20. Burger King — Fiery Bacon Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Dane Rivera

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

This is a slight improvement over the Bacon and Swiss build. It features a quadruple dose of heat via a creamy cayenne-based sauce and a cayenne-based glaze, pepper jack cheese, and cayenne-dusted bacon.

That heat helps to mask the sub-par quality of the chicken filet. Not much else to say though, if Burger King had better chicken, this would easily be ranked much higher.

The Bottom Line:

Currently Burger King’s best chicken sandwich.

Find your nearest Burger King here.

19. KFC — Chicken Little

KFC

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

This sandwich is kind of a joke. It features an extra crispy chicken tender sandwich between a sesame seed bun with pickles and mayo. The chicken is tender and crunchy, with a good flavor but it feels so minor.

It’s definitely not a meal, treat it like a snack and it won’t let you down.

The Bottom Line:

A fine addition to KFC’s menu. The only snack-sized chicken sandwich on this list.

Find your nearest KFC here.

18. Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s — Hand-Breaded Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Carl

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

This sandwich has a few things working for it. The breast filet is hand-breaded and well-seasoned with black pepper, salt, a bit of garlic, and onion powder. In addition, the Swiss cheese brings some nutty and salty notes to the flavor profile, while the bacon adds some smokiness and extra crunch.

Pulling all the flavors together is a spread of mayo over a squishy slightly sweet potato bun.

The only thing holding it back is that it’s a little bit dry, especially compared to what we’ve ranked above it.

The Bottom Line:

A good chicken sandwich but there are far better options out there.

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr here.

17. Jack in the Box — Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club

Chicken Sandwich
Jack in the Box

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

I’m actually surprised that I don’t totally hate this. Jack in the Box is a fast food chain that excels at sides, it doesn’t have a lot of delicious sandwich options save for the Smashed Jack and this Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club.

The chicken filet is well-seasoned with a mix of black pepper and garlic, enhanced by smokey bacon and further complemented by a tangy buttermilk ranch finish. The tomatoes — always a gamble with low-end chicken sandwiches — are surprisingly juicy and add some umami dimension to the palette of flavors. The weakest ingredients are the lettuce — which is incredibly bitter — and the cheese which is akin to melted plastic. It’s supposed to be Swiss, but it just tastes like salt.

While I think this sandwich is pretty good, again, there are far better options out there.

The Bottom Line:

Pick up this sandwich if its financially convenient, but if you’re looking for the best, look elsewhere.

Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.

16. Rally’s — Bacon BBQ Mother Cruncher

Chicken Sandwich
Rally

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

While still very far from the best, Rally’s Bacon BBQ Mother Cruncher is a huge step up from Jack in the Box’s Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club.

This sandwich provides a good crunch with well-seasoned breading that includes white pepper, garlic, and onion powder elevated by sweet and slightly smokey barbecue sauce. The fried onions, bacon, and crispy thin pickles help to accentuate the savory flavors of this sandwich while mayo helps pull it all together.

This sandwich’s secret weapon is that double dose of sauce which helps hide some of the dryness of the patty.

The Bottom Line:

A very good chicken sandwich, but the double dose of sauce is clearly being used as a mask to hide the low-quality chicken.

Find your nearest Rally’s here.

15. KFC — Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich
KFC

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

A spicy chicken sandwich from KFC? That’s kind of an anomaly, the brand doesn’t do spicy all that often, so when this first dropped last year we were pretty psyched about it. The results though? Middling at best.

This sandwich is close to being great though, the chicken is tender, meaty, and well-seasoned with a mix of garlic, onion, black pepper, and salt, with a spicy kick courtesy of the cayenne pepper sauce. It balanced heat and sweetness really well.

What needs work is the build. The pickles are soggy, the bun is greasy (when it should be buttery), and the chicken is so heavily breaded that it tones down the cayenne pepper sauce a bit too much.

The Bottom Line:

KFC has almost made a great chicken sandwich, but they’re still not quite there yet. A few tweaks and this goes from very good to great.

Find your nearest KFC here.

14. Raising Cane’s — Chicken Finger Sandwich

Raising Canes

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

This sandwich is frustrating. Raising Cane’s has the best chicken tenders in all of fast food. The tenders are so good that the brand doesn’t bother to make anything else, and this sandwich suffers from it. Rather than a chicken filet, this sandwich consists of three chicken tenders shoved between a dense and bready bun with some boring green leaf lettuce and Cane’s famously delicious Cane’s sauce.

Let me be clear, the tenders and sauce are a great combination, but the rest of the sandwich distracts from the flavor. And because the sandwich is made from three tenders rather than a solid piece of meat, you’re constantly fighting to keep the tenders from falling out while you eat it.

So skip the bread and just order some chicken tenders and dip them in sauce. If you really want the extra carbs, just order a side of Texas Toast, which is way tastier than the bread used for this sandwich.

The Bottom Line:

Save yourself some money and calories and just order the tenders. It’s essentially the same dish, only better.

Find your nearest Raising Cane’s here.

13. Church’s — Chicken Sandwich

Church

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

Church’s chicken sandwich does a whole lot with just a little bit. The build is painfully simple, you’ve got a huge chicken breast filet that is heavily breaded and topped with pickles and mayo. That’s it.

The chicken filet is pretty damn good, it’s tender and juicy and seasoned with a simple blend of black pepper, salt, garlic, and onion. The bun features a honey-butter glaze and the mayo helps bring all the flavors together. But it lacks the depth of flavor that its biggest influence — the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich — has.

The Bottom Line:

A great chicken sandwich, but if there is a Popeyes in the area, you’d be better served by getting that instead.

Find your nearest Church’s here.

12. Chick-fil-A — Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich

sando
Chick-fil-A

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

This sandwich was first launched in the summer of 2023 for a limited time and now it’s back, so I guess this is Chick-fil-A’s new seasonal sandwich. We don’t hate that, but we’ll admit that this sandwich isn’t for everyone. It’s going to come down to whether you like pimento cheese or not, if you do, this is great. If you don’t, this isn’t going to convince you that pimento cheese is worthwhile.

At first bite, your tastebuds are met with a mix of savory and salty flavors with some vegetal notes from the jalepeños, a mild heat that slowly builds, and a sharp tang and a sweet floral finish.

The Bottom Line:

A medley of flavors that take you on a journey from savory, to tangy, to sweet with a slow-burning heat.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

11. Wendy’s — Spicy Asiago Ranch Chicken Club

Chicken Sandwich
Wendy

This used to be my go-to Wendy’s chicken sandwich and while it isn’t my favorite anymore, I still think it’s pretty solid, so we’re including it! The flavor is a mix of spicy cayenne pepper heat with some black pepper, smokey bacon notes, and a tangy creamy ranch finish.

It’s a great chicken sandwich, but if you want something a bit more adventurous, see our next Wendy’s entry.

The Bottom Line:

One of Wendy’s best chicken sandwiches. An all-around great sandwich.

Find your nearest Wendy’s here.

10. Wendy’s — Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich
Wendy

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

This now holds the crown for the greatest Wendy’s chicken sandwich. It features a crispy tender filet heavily seasoned with cayenne and black pepper, topped with spicy ghost pepper seasoned fried onions, creamy ghost pepper American cheese, and Wendy’s greatest dipping sauce: ghost pepper ranch.

Lettuce and tomato help to reign in the spicy flavors, but are overall the weakest aspect of this sandwich.

If you have a low spice tolerance, don’t worry, this sandwich isn’t quite as spicy as it sounds. But the heat does slowly build in intensity as you eat the sandwich, so keep your favorite beverage on hand to cool things down.

The Bottom Line:

This sandwich features three different layers of strong but manageable heat that are a treat for your tastebuds.

Find your nearest Wendy’s here.

9. Jollibee — Original Chicken Sandwich

Jolibee

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

Jollibee’s chicken sandwich is a bit different than every other sandwich on the market. The breading here is cornstarch-based, giving it an airy crispiness that helps to keep the chicken juicy and tender without being dried out from over-frying.

In addition to the light texture, the breading is seasoned with garlic, onion, pepper, salt, and a slight hint of parsley. The complex umami-heavy mayo also stands out and helps to accentuate this sandwich’s savory qualities.
The Bottom Line:

A great umami-rich chicken sandwich. It’s not our favorite but it’s worth experiencing if you haven’t had Jollibee before.

Find your nearest Jollibee here.

8. Chick-fil-A — Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich

Chick-fil-A

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

The Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich takes everything that works about the non-spicy variant and adds a spicy element that wraps the flavors together in a more satisfying way.

Those vegetal jalapeño notes are further accented by a cayenne-forward spicy chicken filet, which makes the heat much more pronounced. That added heat helps to de-emphasize the tangy and floral sweet notes, which I think is a better complement to the pimento cheese.

The Bottom Line:

You still get that savory, tangy, and sweet flavor profile, with a bigger emphasis on the heat.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

7. Shake Shack — Chick’n Shack

Shake Shack

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

Shake Shack probably makes the best cheeseburger on the market, and because of that, people are sleeping on the chicken sandwiches, which are also incredibly delicious. The breading on this filet is wonderfully flaky and crispy, with tender and meaty chicken well-seasoned with onion powder.

The crispy exterior acts as the perfect sponge to soak up the herbaceous buttermilk herb mayo. The pickles are crispy and have a nice snap to them, and the bun is slightly sweet and spongey.

All in all a great sandwich, but Shake Shack has an even better version.

The Bottom Line:

Delicious. A great chicken sandwich. Not quite as good as a Shake Shack burger, but better than a lot of the competition.

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

6. Chick-fil-a — Spicy Deluxe

Chick-fil-A

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

During the 2010s, I would’ve said Chick-fil-A easily had the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food, but in 2024 we have a few options that top this delicious sandwich.

This sandwich features crinkle-cut pickles that have a nice snap to them and offer an earthy tang with some buttery green leaf lettuce, two succulent slices of tomato, pepper jack cheese, and a chicken breast filet seasoned generously with black pepper, garlic powder, floral paprika, and cayenne pepper.

The breast filet is fried in peanut oil which helps to give it a crispy exterior — due to the high smoke point of the oil — while still keeping the chicken inside juicy and moist.

The Bottom Line:

One of the best spicy chicken sandwiches in all of fast food, period.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

5. Popeyes — Golden BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Dane Rivera

Thoughts & Tasting Notes

Popeyes Golden BBQ is the newest chicken sandwich in this ranking and one of the best. The sauce used on this sandwich is sweeter than your typical BBQ sauce, with a mix of floral peppery notes and a mellow tang in place of the smokiness you might expect from BBQ.

That sweet and tangy BBQ helps to elevate the flavor of the chicken’s breading, which has a slightly sweet flavor that combines a mix of garlic, onion, black pepper, and a gentle hint of cayenne.

The Bottom Line:

Sweet, buttery, and tangy. A great chicken sandwich.

Find your nearest Popeyes here.

4. Smashburger — Mango Habanero Chicken Sandwich

Spicy Chicken
Smashburger

Why You Need To Try It:

If you need a little sweetness with your heat, the Mango Habanero Chicken Sandwich is the sandwich for you. The build features a fried breast filet tossed in a spicy, citrusy, and, sweet mango habanero sauce, lettuce, mayo, and Smashburger’s signature sweet and soft bun.

The breast filet is flattened out which helps the meat to retain a supremely tender and juicy texture. But the real highlight is the sauce, which begins with a floral sweetness and finishes bright and citrusy. Don’t expect too much heat though, despite the inclusion of habanero, this sandwich offers a very slow burn.

By the end of the sandwich, your mouth will be watering. Trust.

The Bottom Line:

A nice and fruity spin on the spicy chicken sandwich.

Find your nearest Smashburger here.

3. Dave’s Hot Chicken — Hot Chicken Slider

Dave's
Dane Rivera

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

Dave’s Hot Chicken Slider is another chicken sandwich that uses a chicken tender in place of a filet, but where the Raising Cane’s sandwich was made from three tenders, this one features just one. That might sound like a rip-off but this is the biggest, thickest chicken tender you’ll ever come across, so it works!

The build consists of a chicken tender topped with a mix of cabbage and kale, tangy savory sauce, and pickles (you also have the option to add cheese.) It’s simple, tender, and delicious.

My only gripe is that the chicken tender is so big that most of it extends out of our sandwich, which means half of your bites will just be chicken, no bread.

Weak point aside, this is legitimately the hottest sandwich in this ranking with seven different heat levels. Our pick is “hot,” which sports a strong heat that is strong enough to feel but not so strong that it ruins your meal or feels like a challenge.

The Bottom Line:

The spiciest chicken sandwich in all of fast food.

Find your nearest Dave’s Hot Chicken here.

2. Shake Shack — Avocado Bacon Chicken Sandwich

Shake Shack

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Avocado Bacon Chicken Sandwich has everything the regular Chick’n Shack has plus bacon and fresh avocado, so therefore, it’s better! Biting into this sandwich takes you into a wonderful world of texture and flavors.

The chicken and bacon combo provides a mix of crunchy textures with the avocado adding a nutty butteriness into the mix which pairs perfectly with the earthy tang of the pickles. The herb-mayo helps to bring all the flavors together, making the finish a mix of herbal, savory, and smokey flavors.

The Bottom Line:

A must-order chicken sandwich. It came so close to snagging the top spot but ultimately we went a different way for our number one pick.

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

1. Popeyes — Spicy Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich
Popeyes

Tasting Notes & Thoughts

Here it is, the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food. This sandwich builds on the foundation of Popeyes’ game-changing chicken sandwich by adding bacon and Havarti cheese.

Biting into this sandwich, you’re greeted with a pleasing crunch that gives way to a tender and juicy piece of chicken that is heavily seasoned with a mix of onion, garlic, and cayenne pepper. That cayenne is further accentuated by the gentle heat of a spicy sauce, which together with the bacon adds a nice smokey top note to the sandwich.

The pickles supply a nice brine-y tang while the Havarti cheese adds subtle nuttiness. This is a near-perfect sandwich. The only way to improve on this sandwich is by swapping out the bun for something a bit more elevated. But as it stands, it’s hard to complain about this sandwich. It’s a must-order and the only choice if you’re looking for the absolute best chicken sandwich in fast food.
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The Bottom Line:

The best-tasting chicken sandwich in all of fast food. Order it immediately.

Find your nearest Popeyes here.

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Nice Cave & The Bad Seeds Are Going On Their First North American Tour Since 2018

nick cave
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds just recently released their latest album, Wild God, their 18th and their first since 2019’s Ghosteen. Speaking of things they haven’t done in a while, the band also just announced The Wild God Tour, which will feature their first North American dates since 2018.

The run starts in April 2025 with shows in Boston and Brooklyn, with those two dates featuring special guest St. Vincent. From there, the band will hit Detroit, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, and more.

Ticket pre-sales start on September 10 at 10 a.m. local time, while the public on-sale launches September 13 at 10 a.m. local time. Find more information on the tour website.

Check out the tour dates below.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ 2024 Tour Dates: The Wild God Tour

04/15/2025 — Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena *
04/17/2025 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center *
04/19/2025 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple
04/21/2025 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
04/23/2025 — Toronto, ON @ Meridian Hall
04/24/2025 — Montreal, QC @ Place Bell
04/26/2025 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
04/28/2025 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
04/29/2025 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
04/30/2025 — Milwaukee, WI @ Miller High Life Theatre
05/02/2025 — Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
05/04/2025 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
05/05/2025 — Kansas City, MO @ Kansas City Music Hall
05/07/2025 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
05/10/2025 — Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds
05/11/2025 — Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
05/12/2025 — Seattle, WA @ The Paramount Theatre
05/14/2025 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

* with St. Vincent

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TWICE’s Tzuyu Lights Up When She Talks ‘AboutTZU’

tzuyu(1024x450) (1)
JYP Entertainment

All it took was a mirror selfie with a reflection of song lyrics posted on Bubble for fans to begin speculating Tzuyu would be the next soloist from TWICE.

“I don’t know how they kind of connected the dots, but that’s how— I didn’t mean to drop hints, but it just turned out to be that way,” Tzuyu explains with a smile, reminiscing about the reactions she received on the artist and fan messaging app. The thought of ONCE (TWICE’s fans) doing detective work, to create theories and conspiracies to unravel who would be the member to go solo, amuses her. “I’m always surprised by how intuitive our fans are and how good they are at connecting the dots. I kind of felt frustrated because I wanted to tell them about my solo album, but I couldn’t so it was actually so much fun.”

Speculations and fan theories aside, the decision for TWICE’s youngest to be the next soloist was actually made last year, while the actual recording and production began in February of this year.

Tzuyu follows Nayeon, TWICE’s eldest member, and Jihyo, the group’s leader, as the third member to release their own solo album. “Both of them reached out to me first to say whenever I need any help, they’re going to be there for me, and they will always be cheering me on,” she disclosed. Though she forever will be the youngest in the eyes of the other eight members and their fans, she’s blossomed into a young woman, ready to take the stage on her own.

“I couldn’t tell you then [in February],” the 25-year-old singer giggles on Zoom call, referencing our last encounter for another interview, when it was disclosed that Nayeon would release her second solo project in June.

Sure, many may have seen her take on a couple of solo schedules and stages for concerts or brand endorsements over the course of TWICE’s career, but this time is literally all about her — or all aboutTZU, the title of her debut EP. aboutTZU will be a six-track solo project consisting of a colorful array of genres that piques the singer’s interest, including “Runaway”, a disco-pop lead single produced by JYP Entertainment’s executive producer and TWICE’s creator, J.Y. Park; b-sides like “Heartbreak in Heaven,” featuring Korean hip-hop/R&B artist pH-1, and “Lazy Baby” featuring BTOB’s rapper Peniel; and a self-written track titled “Fly.”

“I think this album will be a good window for people to see a new side of me,” Tzuyu says. “It incorporates a lot of different inner emotions that I have, and this album shows the side of me that is more mature, a little sexier, and emotional, and also very quirky. Just a variety of sides of me.”

Known to be one of the quiet members of TWICE, with nicknames like Yoda (for her ears) or “Savage Maknae” (youngest in Korean, for her snarky one-liners and comebacks), Tzuyu is aware of the idol persona the public perceives of her. With her debut, though, she’s taking her solo promo to her advantage and weaponizing it to break out of her shell.

“I am coddled a lot because I’m the youngest, and I am kind of known to be quiet and shy,” she acknowledges. “But I think — I hope — that this album kind of gives the fans a chance to discover new sides of me. And it’ll be great if the fans can go, ‘Wow. Tzuyu had this side? Tzuyu could be this way?’ It’ll be great to get that kind of reaction.”

“As a TWICE member, I could lean on my members to compensate for what I lack,” she continues. “But with this, I am solely responsible for everything. And I have to do everything alone, so the process wasn’t so easy.”

She shares a schedule mishap as an example of the adjustment from having eight women and a number of managers around to just herself and a few staff members for this cycle.

“There was a time where we had to shoot additionally for the music video, and it was scheduled for 2 p.m. the next day. But because of nervousness, I mistook it for 2 a.m. So, I got ready for bed at 8 p.m. the night before. I even went down to the basement parking lot to wait for my manager, and nobody was there. Nobody came. So I messaged my managers and none of them answered. And that’s when I realized that I messed up.”

There’s a shift in the atmosphere as Tzuyu finishes telling her anecdote. She’s glowing, not because of the blurred background and lightning in the conference room she’s in, or her long light brown hair complimenting her simply glammed face, but from the confidence in how she eloquently answered the questions. She’s got the type of glow up that makes you happy for her and makes you want to keep cheering her on — as if she’s your own little sister doing big things.

But, really, abouTZU is really the culmination of Tzuyu’s idol life from the beginning. She’s been independent from the get-go. Hailing from Tainan, Taiwan and being the only member from there — in a group that consists of five Korean members and three Japanese members — Tzuyu’s a tough cookie who’s gone through it all: from moving to a different country at the age of 13 and entering a reality survival show in order to debut as a K-pop star, to promoting in three different countries as a member of one of the biggest girl groups of our lifetime.

“I don’t really have any particular regrets per se, but if I could speak to my younger self, I want to tell younger me to go ahead and pursue my dream without any fear,” she reflects. “I am just so grateful when I hear that, and it kind of becomes a great motivating factor for me to do even better than I already am..”

Growing up in front of the camera isn’t an easy feat, but Tzuyu’s entrance into idoldom has inspired the likes of aspiring young idols, not just in K-pop but in other countries as well. Her advice?

“As a person who thinks a lot before trying new things, I want to tell someone who is hesitant and in fear, if you love something you just have to go ahead. And any experience, whether good or bad, is helpful. It’s nourishing, and it’ll teach you a lesson. You will learn a lot along the way, so just go ahead and don’t be afraid.”

As cliché as it may sound, it’s very Yoda of her to say.

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Did ASAP Rocky Diss Drake On ‘Ruby Rosary’?

ASAP Rocky said he wasn’t going to worry about his Drake beef on future releases, but fans believe they’ve detected some shade in his new song. “Ruby Rosary,” the new ASAP Rocky song produced by The Alchemist and featuring J. Cole, has a few lines on it that some fans believe are references to Drake and the ongoing friction between the two former friends. So…

Did ASAP Rocky Diss Drake On “Ruby Rosary?”

In his second verse, Rocky raps, “Who dared me to die? / You a dead man walkin’, like you barely alive / Cut everything but the family ties / Cut the shit, cut the lies, word to the wise / Who in your top five? / I don’t get fresh to death, bitch, I’m buried alive / I heard dawg talkin’ funny, like it’s Family Guy.”

One of the more obvious potential Drake references is “Buried Alive,” the Take Care interlude on which Drake invited Kendrick Lamar to rap, increasing Kendrick’s popularity early in the Compton rapper’s career. Obviously, the two stars’ career paths diverged greatly, culminating in this summer’s beatdown, wherein K. Dot cooked Drake repeatedly over the course of several songs.

In some of those songs, particularly “Family Matters” and “Meet The Grahams,” the two foes expended several lines referring to each others’ families, hence, a potential meaning for the “family ties” reference in “Ruby Rosary.” Of course, all this is circumstantial and thinner than a toad’s toupee, but after Drake bowed out of his rumble with Kendrick, bloodthirsty rap fans have been grasping at whatever straws they can, hoping for a crumb of conflict.

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‘The Substance’: Everything To Know About Demi Moore And Margaret Qualley’s Blood-And-Nudity Drenched Movie (September 2024 Update)

Margaret Qualley Demi Moore
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Film festivals are no stranger to controversy via polarizing fare and lengthy standing ovations, but this year’s most sensational title happens to be Demi Moore’s first horror movie since 1988’s The Seventh Sign. In this case, a fear familiar to many will form the basis for this film’s extra-gory serving of body horror that arrives with hefty doses of nudity from Moore and her co-star, Margaret Qualley.

The film, written and directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge), serves as a parable about wish fulfillment with graphic Cronenberg touches, and the film contains very little dialogue but has plenty to say, so film’s title works in more ways than a few. Let’s dive into the gory details on what to expect from one of the most intriguing movies of 2024.

Plot

mubi

In The Substance, Demi Moore portrays Elizabeth Sparkle, an aging Oscar winner who has stayed relevant as a celebrity workout instructor until a TV exec named Harvey (that name is no coincidence, and he is portrayed by Dennis Quaid) has decided that she’s passed the age where being a commodity is possible. In frustration, Elizabeth decides that an experimental new product, which will create a younger version of herself and has a worthy selling point, which forms the film’s synopsis:

Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?
You. Only better in every way.
You’ve got to try this new product.
It changed my life.

THE SUBSTANCE.

There’s a twisted Cinderella spin on this promise, however. Sue is born in the image of Margaret Qualley, and before too long, she decides to ignore the agreed-upon condition of switching places each week. You can imagine how well that decision eventually goes.

In an interview with Indiewire, Moore addressed the film’s plentiful nudity, which is “about the vulnerability.” The Ghost star also discussed the approach that The Substance takes to the split bodies and personalities:

“If you imagine – let’s take identical twins, and maybe that’s not even a good example. We had a lot of discussions trying to figure out some connections, some logic, so we were all operating from the same thinking.The best way I can think of it was that while we share consciousness, that physical body [with] a cellular memory, [each] was creating its own experience. The longer Sue had her time awake, you can kind of see the lack of regard she starts to have for Elisabeth the more times she’s in her own body.”

And recently in a more SPOILER-LADEN DISCUSSION (including details on a scene with “30,000 gallons of blood”) with with LA Times, Qualley addressed her approach to working out for months ahead of the nude scenes:

“We’re representing perfect, right?” Qualley says. “And the movie has a pretty inspired message. So I also thought it was important for that perfect to be healthy, even if it’s unrealistic. I’m fortunate that the naked stuff was at the top because throughout the five months my ass was just slowly deflating.”

Moore, unfazed by “The Substance’s” ample nudity, all of it motivated, quips, “I did admire how round Margaret’s ass was.”

On a less appealing note, Qualley revealed that she did have at least one “panic attack” while shooting some of the more stressful scenes, and “had crazy acne for a full, long-ass time.” Moore added that “I got shingles… and I then lost, like, 20 pounds” due to the film’s intensity. And the show still went on, soon to be visible in a multiplex near you.

Cast

In addition to Demi Moore as Elisabeth and Margaret Qualley as Sue, Dennis Quaid (who replaced the late Ray Liotta) portrays a TV executive named Harvey. The cast further includes Hugo Diego Garcia and Gore Abrams.

Release Date

September 20 is when the fateful first injection will arrive in theaters.

Trailer

Admit it, you can’t stop watching this, but you don’t want to either.

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Flo Milli, Coop, And G’s NSFW ‘Wet Dreams’ Video Recreates Just About Every Steamy Fantasy One Could Have

Last month, Flo Milli starred in True Religion’s anniversary campaign alongside NLE Choppa (viewable here). However, clothing is completely optional in the “Never Lose Me” rapper’s steamy new music video.

Today (September 6), Flo Milli shared her first solo release since her Fine Ho, Stay album in March (excluding the Bad Boys 4 soundtrack song, “Duh!”). On “Wet Dreams,” which is dropped by Jasper Hellwig, Flo Milli alongside her collaborators Coop and G, the trio explicitly raps about their sundown activity.

But, in the track’s official video, director Leff brought that sensual fantasy to life. From cinematic recreations of Pamela Anderson’s slo-mo run across the hot beach in Baywatch to a mashup of Belly’s iconic bedroom scene with Taral Hicks, the ladies leave nothing to the imagination.

Dressed in laced numbers, at times filtered by blue light, it is clear that Flo Milli, Coop, G’s racy lines are not for play. Girls just want to have fun and their intimate partners are all happier for it. But as they shake their goodies on the glass encased patio, they don’t mind others looking in.

It is unclear if this is the first taste of a project Flo Milli has hidden in her négligée but who cares — just enjoy the show.

Watch the “Wet Dreams” video above.