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In this week’s episode of UPROXX Sessions, genre-bending LA artist Blvc Svnd (pronounced “Black Sand”) pulls a neat trick, strumming out his backing music on his electric guitar as he raps the raunchy, melody lyrics to “U Foine.” His wardrobe is pretty eye-catching as well; with his blue hair, pink spotted fur coat, and lime green aloha shirt, he’d be hard to miss in a crowd. All the elements combine to perform a quirky, unexpected performance that refuses to constrain itself to one vision of what music should sound like or what artists should look like.

Hailing from Los Angeles and spending extensive time in the Bay Area, the 22-year-old Blvc Svnd may not be on many radars, but he’s working hard to change that. He’s released over a dozen self-produced mixtapes and EPs beginning with 2015’s Nag Champa, pushing out the majority of his music on SoundCloud, much like rock-rap forebearers such as Juice WRLD and fellow Sessions guest Kamiyada. He also plays all the instruments on many of his projects himself, including bass, drums, and piano, while genre-hopping between electronic, pop, R&B, rap, and even metal.

Watch Blvc Svnd’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “U Foine” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Donald Trump, a man who has been shouting from the rooftops about how great press releases are and how he definitely doesn’t miss social media, just got caught trying to log back on Twitter with a different handle.

The disgraced former president was banned from nearly every major social media site, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter after he used the platforms to incite a violent insurrection on Capitol Hill earlier this year. Recently, Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the ban, agreeing to review the ruling in a few months’ time, but Twitter has permanently banned Trump, something the celebrity mogul seems to be having a hard time accepting. Not only did he launch a new social media site — and by that, we mean just a basic LiveJournal knockoff where he reblogs his press releases and rants about the stolen presidential election — to compete with Twitter, it seems his team (or at least the coalition that funds his new site) tried to create a handle that would circumvent Twitter’s ban.

The account @DJTDesk was shut down on Wednesday after it became apparent that the handle was broadcasting Trump’s missives and re-posting content from press releases on his blogging site, From the Desk of Donald Trump.

Obviously, this is a big blow to Trump’s team, whose main job right now seems to be trying to find some way for the former president to remain relevant while he holes up in Mar-A-Lago, crashing weddings and giving bizarre monologues about his loss in 2020. It feels like Trump might be just one embarrassingly obvious secret Twitter account away from becoming society’s weird uncle who retired to Florida where he regales strangers with tales of the “good ol’ days” when he almost carried out a successful coup.

Get a hobby, Don.

In an unusually thirsty moment for the typically conservative co-host, Meghan McCain didn’t even try to hide her lust for Will Smith while talking about the actor’s recent Instagram post. During a panel discussion on Smith declaring that he’s in the “worst shape of my life,” McCain made it very clear that she’ll Jazzy Jeff his Fresh Prince right here and right now.

“I love Will Smith and, I mean, not to be crass again but like, he can get it any time he wants,” McCain proudly announced (via The Wrap). “I love Will Smith. He is my long-term crush since I was like, 12, and I don’t care what his body looks like.”

McCain seemed to be particularly turned on by Smith’s embracement of “body positivity,” which is a topic that McCain has been very vocal about over the years. (Here’s McCain talking about Will after the 1:30 mark.)

Of course, it’s not everyday that Meghan McCain offers herself on a silver platter to one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. The uncharacteristically horny moment caught people off guard, which is rare for McCain who often gets perturbed when panel discussions start getting risqué. She’s repeatedly abstained from discussions about her sex life, but apparently, her lust for The Legend of Bagger Vance was too strong.

The Will Smith thirsting marks two days in a row of McCain not acting like her usual self. On Wednesday, the conservative co-host blasted the GOP, which she called a “sausagefest” for its recent moves to oust Liz Cheney because she won’t bend the knee to “Cheeto Jesus,” a.k.a. Donald Trump.

(Via The Wrap)

Thanos was so last year and Colossus was so last month — this week, the internet is thirsty for a new fictional character, Billy. Who is Billy? He’s the creepy, bike-riding clown puppet from the Saw horror movie franchise, of course. He’s also shockingly ripped.

Do you want to play a game? You shouldn’t. (I’m sorry in advance.)

“Do I have your attention now?” the tweet reads, along with the handle for Saw Quotes. The account, which launched in January, is to Saw as Emo Kylo Ren is to Star Wars, with tweets like, “Hey, listen, I know the news media is all ‘Jigsaw Killer’ and ‘murderer’ but like it’s actually like — you never hear about the people I helped. Nobody calls me the Jigsaw Guy Whose Traps People Survive. Don’t let’em get you discouraged, you could absolutely get through this.” The sexy Billy pic (which already existed as a meme) appears to be part of a marketing campaign for Spiral: From the Book of Saw.

“We apologize for our latest tweet, we believe our social media account has been compromised and we’re working on a solution,” the official Saw account tweeted after posting the pic (I can’t stop staring at the spiral nipples). Saw and Saw Quotes then started tweeting at (threatening) each other, which is not at all confusing.

The response to the photo was, let’s say, divided.

The hottest movie of the spring, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, comes out on May 15.

Kehlani has switched up her style several times since she began releasing music several years ago, but apparently some listeners aren’t okay with that fact. She began leaning more into form-fitting fashion after giving birth to her daughter in 2019, but Kehlani has since returned to wearing baggier clothes. The singer took to Twitter to call out the hate she’s gotten for her baggier looks, saying she feels as though her style versatility makes her all the more “powerful.”

In a pair of now-deleted tweets, Kehlani addressed the criticism she’s received since pivoting back to her previous style: “i feel like there’s a group of people who just started finding me attractive or paying me mind after i had a baby when my body changed and i was more ‘feminine’ and me putting back on the same baggy jeans i had all my life prior is….shocking y’all”

Following up on her previous tweet, Kehlani added that she received similar criticism after she started wearing more feminine clothing: “it’s ok tho cuz i distinctly remember this happening when i started getting long nails and lashes & wearing heels. people was like ‘this isn’t you’ ‘i miss the old you’ i’m starting to feel like this is perhaps POWERFUL”

Fans flooded to Kehlani’s support after seeing the hate she was getting online, pointing out how versatile the singer’s style has been over the years.

This isn’t the first time Kehlani addressed how her perception of her body has changed after giving birth. Earlier this year, the singer said she has since discovered that being a mom is the “sexiest thing ever” in an interview with Playboy. “I think something happened to me when I became a mom; I just became sexier,” she said. “I was this quirky little person before — not super in touch with myself, a super tomboy. Then I became a mom, and all of a sudden I got these mom hips. I got this mom sensuality and grown-woman attitude and in-touch-ness with my body that I never had before.”

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

The recent struggles of the Los Angeles Lakers have meant that a showdown with the Golden State Warriors could come in the play-in tournament. Los Angeles is currently slotted into the 6-seed by a half-game over the Portland Trail Blazers, while Golden State is a half-game back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the 8-seed.

This means that LeBron James and the Warriors could, theoretically, reignite the rivalry that defined the latter part of the last decade during a new, gimmicky addition to the postseason that players on both teams don’t seem particularly stoked about. But as an added bonus, this matchup would give Steph Curry the opportunity to get a little revenge against Anthony Davis for something that occurred while the latter was streaming himself playing Grand Theft Auto Roleplay.

Davis was mid-mission and was faced with having to take out someone who was dressed in a Curry jersey. Before going on to do other things, Davis shot the dude.

It is probably something not worth reading too far into — Davis tweeted earlier this year that he’s amazed by Curry while the Warriors’ star was putting on a show in the All-Star Game. But as a general rule of thumb, Davis should learn not to do things that he could end up regretting, especially when the possibility exists that someone prominently involved in said thing could knock your team out of the play-in tournament.

Gucci Mane’s New 1017 Records roster is a man down after Foogiano, best known for his single “Molly,” was sentenced to five years in prison for fleeing house arrest, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. Foogiano, whose real name is Kwame Khalil Brown, was arrested in December of 2020 for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon but he was released on $50,000 bail with the condition that he remain in Georgia and wear an ankle monitor.

However, his ankle monitor was found on the side of a road in Barrow County and Foogiano was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee on March 11 after apparently melting the monitor and disappearing. US Marshall’s apprehended him at the funeral of fellow 1017 rapper Pooh Shiesty‘s brother, waiting until the service was over before making the arrest. According to Foogiano’s attorney Brandon Lewis, the rapper had cut his ankle monitor and fled in order to attend the birth of his son, who was due around the time he disappeared.

Foogiano learned that there was an arrest warrant out for him but decided not to turn himself in. His recently born son brings his total number of children to six. He was also named along with Gucci Mane in a wrongful death lawsuit after a woman was shot to death in a nightclub where the rappers were performing.

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

Harry Styles was widely praised for wearing a dress in a photoshoot last year, although some folks didn’t care for it. Recently, Kid Cudi faced a similar reaction to a similar situation after performing in a dress on Saturday Night Live. Now, Cudi’s friend and SNL star Pete Davidson has come to Cudi’s defense, saying on the Breakfast Club that he was all for Cudi’s fashion choice.

“I loved it, I thought it was great,” he said at 24:46 into the interview, which was shared today. “I think, you know, when you get criticism like that, it’s just like, ‘OK, cool. Those are people I don’t really wanna associate myself with anyway, people that are that close-minded.’ I thought it was really cool and like a cool tribute. […] I thought he killed it. I thought it was great. It was also fun to hang with him.”

He then touched on making the sketch with Cudi about “that weird little flute” that pops up in rap songs, saying, “You know me: I’ve been a huge Cudi guy forever, so getting to do a music video with him was everything. […] Cudi did a great job and it was fun. I loved it.”

While this was Cudi’s first time as musical guest on the show, it wasn’t his first time on SNL: He made a brief cameo in the “A New Kyle” sketch from 2018, palling around with Kyle Mooney after Mooney changed his lifestyle to copy Davidson. Of course, Cudi and Davidson were also famously photographed having dinner with Kanye West and Timothée Chalamet in 2019. Back in 2016, Davidson also credited Cudi and his music for saving his life.

Watch Davidson’s full interview above.

The Indiana Pacers are trying to navigate tricky waters right now due to rumblings of discontent surrounding the job first-year head coach Nate Bjorkgren has done, to the point that reports indicate he might not get to coach the team once this season ends. The extent to which there are issues came to light in a new piece by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, which paints a picture of a franchise in a particularly tough place.

The most fascinating detail involves standout forward T.J. Warren, who caught fire in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble and looked set to have a monster 2020-21 campaign. There’s just one problem: Warren has only appeared in four games this year due to a foot injury that eventually needed surgery.

As Fischer’s report explains, Warren was not on board with hiring Bjorkgren from the jump, requesting a trade when the team named him coach. Then, Warren opted to get surgery on his aforementioned foot injury, and while it did include a practical reason, Warren also wasn’t especially keen about playing for Bjorkgren.

Nor did they consult with last year’s Orlando Bubble breakout player T.J. Warren—who played under Bjorkgren in Phoenix—according to sources. When news of Bjorkgren’s hire became public, Warren requested a trade from the Pacers, according to sources.

It’s believed that Warren even opted for an elective season-ending surgery in March, both to better serve his recovery from a stress fracture in his left foot and also to avoid playing for Bjorkgren for the remainder of this season.

Much of the reporting in recent days about Bjorkgren’s future has mentioned that his relationship with members of the locker room is not very good, but this would take things to a different level — players do not opt for season-ending surgery to avoid their coach unless things are particularly bad. Between all of this and the mid-game argument between one of Bjorkgren’s assistants and Goga Bitadze on Wednesday evening, Indiana appears set to embark on some major soul searching this offseason, whenever that may come.

Finding the world’s best Scotch whisky is no easy task. To begin with, there’s so much of it already out there — with vintages in circulation from decades ago. Couple that with the fact that more and more whisky comes out every year, including seasonal drops, rare releases, brand one-offs, collaborations… It can all be pretty dizzying.

That’s where awards come in. They utilize expert drinkers to separate the wheat from the chaff. And when it comes to the awards circuit, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is very highly thought of.

Because we review a lot of whisky around these parts, it’s always a little gratifying when whiskies we love get big medals. We definitely enjoyed a few of those moments this year. That doesn’t mean we’re never surprised, though. The great thing about these awards is finding new labels — some we’ve never even heard of — thanks to how vast both Scotch whisky as a style and the SFWSC are.

This year, a panel of expert judges adjudicated 1,276 drams of whisk(e)y. That’s a lot of nosing, sipping, and spitting to find a select few gems to anoint the “best.” The process is pretty straightforward and includes four days of blind tasting, a medal round of tastings, and a final round of tastings to pick the “Best in Class.”

Below we’re parsing the Double Gold medal-winning scotch whiskies from this year’s tastings that were also named Best in Class. To receive the much-coveted Double Gold medal, a whisky had to receive a gold medal ranking from every judge on the panel. Then those scotches were judged again to figure out which ones really rose above. If you want to give some of these whiskies a try yourself, click on their prices!

Best In Show Whisky/Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, 20 Years And Older — GLEN SCOTIA 25 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALT

ABV: 48.8%

Average Price: $445

The Whisky:

This year’s Best In Show Whiskey was from Scotland’s Campletown. The juice spent 25 years maturing in old bourbon casks before it’s vatted into first-fill bourbon barrels for a final touch of mellowing. The results are cut down with a little soft water and bottled at a very approachable 97.6 proof.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

Nose: Bracing Atlantic breeze gives strong maritime influence. Taste: Coastal air, red apple, and tangy orange peel with vanilla syrup and caramel sweetness. Finish: Long lingering sea salt with a spicy note of ground ginger.

Bottom Line:

At over $400 per bottle, we’re intrigued to find out if this lives up to the price (and hype it just received). That being said, Glen Scotia Victoriana — another multiple award-winning scotch — is a delight to drink. So we’re pretty confident this will live up to that “best in show” designation.

Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, No Aged Statement — HIGHLAND PARK CASK STRENGTH

ABV: 63.3%

Average Price: $95

The Whisky:

This yearly drop is part of a new line from the Orkney Island’s distillery. The juice is a blend of single malts that are aged exclusively in old American oak that previously held sherry. The barrels are married and bottled as is, to assure you’re getting all the nuance and flavor of their malts meeting that oak.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a light sense of wildflowers on the nose with a rich vanilla husk that leads towards a touch of peat. The taste is surprisingly silken (for a cask strength) with rich and buttery toffee next to honeysuckle, eggnog spices and creaminess, and a small dose of orange zest as a counterpoint. The end holds onto the creaminess and spices as the peat just edges in with a whisper of resinous pine smoke.

Bottom Line:

We’re already pretty big fans of this bottle from way up in Scotland’s northern reaches. It’s edging toward the pricier end, but 100 percent worth investing in to expand your whisky palate.

Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, Up To 12 Years — LAGAVULIN 8

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This expression was originally released to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The whisky was created to mimic the juice that was being bottled back in the 1880s, during a high point in Lagavulin’s history. The whisky became a modern hit and is now part of their core line.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sense of fried fish wrapped in newspaper that greets you on the nose, next to honey-lemon, dry and earthy malts, and a nod to chocolate-covered cherries. The taste brings a solid billow of campfire smoke with traces of dark chocolate, burning cinnamon sticks, dry mint, and burnt potato skins (yes, really). The end is long-ish and marries the tastes together, leaving you with the memory of drinking a dark mint-chocolate spiked espresso next to a smoldering backyard fire on a cold autumn night while somewhere in the distance the sea laps at the shore.

Bottom Line:

While this isn’t our favorite Lagavulin (that honor went to their recent Distiller’s Edition), we were kind of splitting hairs. Lagavulin remains one of the best introductions to both briny and mildly smoky whiskies on the shelf.

Best Distiller’s Single Malt Scotch, 13 To 19 Years — TALISKER 18

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $170

The Whisky:

Being called out as the Best of Class in 2021 by SFWSC is not too surprising for this amazing bottle of whisky from Talisker. This is a classic single malt that also happens to hold the title of “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” from the World Whiskies Awards. The iconic juice is rendered in Talisker’s bespoke stills and then spends nearly two decades resting in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels, like most of the true classic single malts.

Tasting Notes:

This is subtle. The nose has a light yet clear sense of ripe plums, orange oils, buttery toffee, and an almost sour apple next to a distant whiff of briny campfire smoke from one beach over. The orange oils remain on the palate as eggnog spices peek in gently, with hints of that butter toffee driving a rich silkiness. The smoke remains in the distance as the spices warm your senses and the meaty fruit takes the edge off on the slow and satisfying fade.

Bottom Line:

This happens to be our favorite Talisker, full stop. This is probably the one bottle we’d always argue is worth every penny of that high price. It’s a milestone on any whiskey drinker’s journey that’ll take you to new heights every time.

Best Blended Malt Scotch Whisky — MACNAIR’S 21 YEAR OLD LUM REEK PEATED MALT

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $140

The Whisky:

This single malt from the famed Glenallachie Distillery in Aberlour is probably better known for providing juice for iconic blends like Chivas. This blend marries peaty malts with sweeter Speyside malts to create a sherry and red wine-forward dram of whisky.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

Nose: Aristocratic peat smoke with dark chocolate and fudge. Taste: Tobacco, leather, cedarwood, and waves of peat reek with oodles of cocoa, vanilla, honey, and spices.

Bottom Line:

We often call out our love for a saucy dram of Chivas. Since this helps form the backbone of that scotch, we can’t see not digging this too!

Best Blended Scotch, No Age Statement — COMPASS BOX GLASGOW BLEND SCOTCH

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $40

The Whisky:

Compass Box Whisky is all about creating very sippable blends of scotch. This blend is Scotland in a bottle. It’s 67 percent Highlands, Speyside, and Islay married to 33 percent Lowland whiskies aged in first-fill and refill bourbon, first-fill and refill sherry, and finished in specialty French oak.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a plummy nature that’s counterpointed by a subtle yet clear peaty smoke on the nose. The taste really basks in the plummy and nutty sherry aspects, while touching on a lighter vinous note and plenty of berry sweetness. The end is medium-length, with hints of that fruit next to a dailed-in smokiness.

Bottom Line:

Compass Box consistently wows with its masterful blends. Usually, those bottles can reach triple-digits in price pretty quickly. That’s why we really dig this expression — it’s affordable without sacrificing any depth of flavor.

Best Blended Scotch, Up To 15 Years — DEWAR’S CARIBBEAN SMOOTH

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

Rum cask finishing is nothing new, but it is all the rage. This blend from Master Blender Stephanie Macleod is a marriage of 40 whiskies that are vatted and finished in Caribbean rum casks. That final maturation gives the whisky a smooth feel, making it the perfect cocktail base.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of burnt brown sugars and grilled pineapple on the nose, with hints of cloves and vanilla and maybe some dry grass. The taste edges towards a dark molasses rumminess with a touch of dried fruit, more cloves, and a slight mango sweetness. The end really embraces the rummier aspects while holding onto the tropical fruitiness on a fast fade.

Bottom Line:

This really is an excellent mixing scotch. It works wonders in a tropical fruit-centric highball or even as a replacement in Daiquiri or Dark ‘N Stormy. We know, blasphemous … but still delicious.

Best Blended Scotch, 16 Years & Older — DEWAR’S DOUBLE DOUBLE 27 YEAR OLD

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $100 (half bottle)

The Whisky:

Master blender Stephanie Macleod created another masterpiece through this “Double Double” four-step aging process. Step one: aging single malt and single grain whiskies for 27 long years. The malts are then blended, the grains are blended, and they both rest again. Next, all of that is blended together in a vat and rested. Finally, the juice is finished in ex-Palo Cortado sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

You can really tell this has an Aberfeldy backbone with a floral honeyed nose that imbues summer breezes full of fragrant flowers. That floral honey leads to an almost lemon-honey vibe with hints of cinnamon and cedar next to light pear tobacco and dry grass. The end turns into pure silk as the florals, honey, pear, and spice slowly … massage your tongue as it fades away.

Bottom Line:

This is a phenomenal dram of whisky that’s worth the hype and the price. It’s so easy to drink while also holding onto a real character that feels authentic to its Highland roots full of wildflower fields in the summertime.

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