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For those unaware, mezcal is technically the broad term used to define all Mexican agave-based spirits. This means that all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila (get it?). The difference is that mezcal can be made using any type of agave and can be made anywhere in Mexico (though most of it is made in Oaxaca) while tequila has strict rules about which agave must be used (Blue Weber) and where it can be produced (Jalisco and a few surrounding areas), among other rules.

With summer coming on quickly, we figured the time was right to highlight some of our favorite sipping and mixing mezcals. These eight expressions will pull your palate in new directions and they’re (almost) all squarely in the affordable range. Check them out below and click on the prices to buy a bottle!

Amaras Cupreata

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $59

The Story:

This Joven mezcal was distilled using agave Cupreata grown and harvested in the mountainous region of Rio Balsas. Just awarded Double Gold, Best of Show in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Amaras Cupreata is fermented in open air before being distilled in copper pot stills.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find roasted agave, nutty sweetness, and subtle cocoa beans. The palate is swirling with freshly cut grass, cracked leather, and a nice mix of subtle smoke and fresh wildflowers. The finish is filled with vegetal sweetness and floral notes.

Bottom Line:

When it comes to mezcals, this one isn’t the smokiest. But what it lacks in the smoke department, it makes up for with bright, floral notes that reveal a new layer of mezcal’s complexity for the newbie.

Madre Espadin

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $55

The Story:

Finely crafted by Jose Ines Garcia Morales and his family (and two other families), this Oaxacan-made mezcal is made using both Espadin and Cuishe agave. It’s made traditionally by smoking the agave underground before stone grinding it using a horse-drawn tahona. This is as authentic as mezcal gets and you can taste it in every sip.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with roasted agave sweetness, a hint of minerals, and a nice wafting of smoke. Taking a sip will reveal vegetal sweetness, brown sugar, freshly cut grass, chili peppers, and more pleasing, rich smoke. The finish is subtly smoky and effortlessly sweet.

Bottom Line:

This is a perfect beginner mezcal. It’s well-rounded with a nice combination of sweet and smoky, but not complex enough to scare off mezcal newcomers.

Ilegal Joven

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $39

The Story:

This brand was launched in 2005 as an effort to make a legitimate business using the mezcals that founder John Rexar originally smuggled to his bar Cade No Se in Antigua, Guatemala. This unaged mezcal is made using Espadin agave. It’s known for its easy-to-drink, mellow flavor that works well in cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

Take a moment to breathe in the aromas of fresh peppers, citrus zest, pineapples, and a slight minerality. Take a sip and you’ll find flavors of bright lime, vanilla beans, vegetal sweetness, and smoky pipe tobacco. The finish is sweet, smoky, and complex.

Bottom Line:

For the price, this is a very flavorful mezcal. It’s the kind of spirit that requires multiple tasting before you discover all of the various flavors — that makes it a great pick for someone excited about developing their palate.

Montelobos Joven

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $39

The Story:

Montelobos means mountain of wolves and we think that’s a fitting name for such a cool mezcal brand. Its joven is an unaged mezcal made with Espadin agave that’s roasted for a week in an underground volcanic stone oven before being crushed with a tahona and fermenting naturally pre-distillation.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, expect scents of citrus rinds, green peppers, roasted agave, and slight smoke. Sipping this mezcal reveals flavors of toasted vanilla beans, vegetal sweetness, lime zest, and a nice kick of robust smoke. It all ends with a nice mix of sweet agave and subtle spicy smoke.

Bottom Line:

If you only buy one bottle of mezcal to mix with this year, make it Montelobos Joven. It’s sweet, smoky, and well-suited for crafting a smoky margarita.

Doña Vega Espadin

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $35

The Story:

Doña Vega makes two mezcals: Espadin and Tobala. Its Espadin is made in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca using only 100% Espadin agave. Made by a fifth-generation mezcal producing family, it’s roasted underground before being crushed using a tahona and distilled in copper pot stills.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with the aromas of fresh peppers, citrus peels, tropical fruits, and nice, earthy smoke. Drinking this mezcal reveals hints of roasted pineapple, caramelized sugar, vegetal sweetness, subtle pepper, and light smoke. The finish is smoky, sweet, and ends with a nice kick of cracked black pepper.

Bottom Line:

If you have the cash, we suggest buying one of each of Doña Vega’s expressions and comparing the flavors therein. That’s the best way to find out which one will become your new go-to.

Rey Campero Tepextate

ABV: 48%
Average Price: $115

The Story:

This expression from Rey Campero Mezcal is made using Marmorata agave that is harvested after maturing to around 18 years of age. It’s roasted, crushed, and open-air fermented before being distilled twice to ensure the highest quality and flavor possible.

Tasting Notes:

The aromas of citrus zest, wildflowers, vanilla beans, and slight smoke are most prevalent on the nose. From the first sip, you’ll be transported to a world of ripe, zesty peppers, fresh leather, subtle flowers, and subtle tobacco-like smoke. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a combination of sweet peppers and smoke.

Bottom Line:

This is a highly complex mezcal. It’s not the type of mezcal you’ll want to use as a mixer. It’s subtly smoky, peppery, sweet, and perfect as a intro to slow sipping.

Del Maguey Chichicapa

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $69

The Story:

If you’re a mezcal drinker, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve already heard of Del Maguey. This beloved brand makes a whole slew of highly-rated expressions, but we prefer its Chichicapa for the value and flavor. Named for the village it comes from, this is a sipping mezcal if there ever was one.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of roasted agave, caramelized pineapple, brown sugar, and pipe tobacco. On the palate, notes of buttery caramel, vegetal sweetness, toasted vanilla beans, and more campfire smoke are all evident. The finish is filled with tropical fruit flavors complemented by slightly roasted agave smoke.

Bottom Line:

The best way to enjoy Del Maguey’s line of mezcals is to work your way around them. Chichicapa is a great choice for mezcal beginners, but it’s so good you’ll keep it stocked on your bar cart for years.

Mezcal Vago Elote

ABV: 50.2%
Average Price: $55

The Story:

Every list deserves a bad boy and that’s exactly what Mezcal Vago Elote is. This 50.2% spirit is made from 100% Espadin agave. But instead of simply making a great mezcal using this popular agave, the master distiller adds toasted corn, also known as elote, after the second distillation. The result is a sweet, smoky, and highly memorable expression.

Tasting Notes:

Take a moment to breathe in the scents of sweet corn, roasted agave, slight minerality, and subtle bacon-like smoke. Take a sip and you’ll enjoy flavors of clover honey, roasted pineapple, and a subtle herbal, woody smoke. The ending is a nice mix of roasted corn and sweet, rich smoke.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a whiskey fan who’s new to mezcal, this is the expression for you. It has just enough sweet corn flavor to help you ease your way into this agave-based spirit.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

When my friend Jenny Levison told me she was launching what she called a “Kindness Tour,” in the middle of the pandemic last year, I thought she’d lost her mind.

Levison is a celebrity chef and the owner of five “Souper Jenny” restaurants in the Atlanta area. To say that she walks to the beat of her own drum is an understatement. Once she makes her mind up to do something, there really isn’t any stopping her. And she is someone who is committed both in her life and her work to giving back, paying it forward, and helping those who need it — even if that means renting an RV, covering it with peace stickers, and heading out on the road to give away free food for weeks at a time.

Levison tells me that the first “Souper Jenny Kindness Tour” was born out of a drive to help people having a rough time in 2020. Knowing how hard the restaurant industry was hit and all the people who were impacted by it, she launched a six-week tour from Atlanta to California last October.

“Everyone was struggling and frankly, I needed some hope as well. I called one of my besties and told her what I wanted to do. I wanted to hop in an RV, drive west and start to spread the word that hope and joy were still alive and kindness was the new cool.”

She says the first trip was “life-changing.”

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“We walked the bridge in Selma, which I’ve never done before and I could feel the weight of our history. We brought a wagon filled with quarts of soup and we handed them out on the bridge. Someone told us about some low-income housing in the area. So, we headed over. This white Jewish girl showed up in their neighborhood and I was welcomed with open arms by the community,” Levison says.

She and her friend, and co-captain on their wild adventure, Meg Gillentine Morris, stopped at local farms and bought out their produce. They’d use the produce to make soup and find ways to feed communities in need. They’d set up socially distant takeout tables and give away free soup in the RV parks where they stopped. They’d leave quarters for people to do their laundry in laundromats. They did a free grocery drive in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after a double hurricane hit the area. They fed firemen in Irvine, California, after the wildfires, visited a South Los Angeles cafe to help support their weekly free grocery drive, and fed the homeless in Skid Row.

“We not only wanted to touch those in need but also just random strangers that could use a smile that day.”

Fast forward to today — the Souper Jenny Kindness Tour 2.0 launched on April 26.

Levison and Morris made their first stop in Colliersville, Tennessee to meet a very special 10-year-old girl who started her own kindness journey this year. Levison says her name is Deontra and she shows up at her favorite places, like a hospital, fire station, Target, or a local restaurant, with snack bags and drinks and simply thanks people for their service. Levison supplemented her snack bags with quarts of soup.

While in Colliersville, Levison also handed out 50 quarts of Turkey Chili to bus drivers and anyone else they came across.

Levison has her own nonprofit called The Zadie Project dedicated to feeding Atlanta’s hungry children, families, and seniors. The name honors her father, Jarvin Levison who is known as Zadie (Yiddish for grandfather).

“He is my inspiration for cooking and my motivation for getting involved in my community. He also gave me my very first soup recipe, My Dad’s Turkey Chili. In our 18 year history, it is still our most popular soup.”

Their next stop was Nashville, where they scrubbed and filled two community fridges, and showed up at the local Waffle House and other local fast-food restaurants to thank workers with free gift cards.

But Levison and Morris aren’t just about giving away free food or money, they also take the time while hiking around and exploring wherever they’re staying to just bring a smile to someone’s face by complimenting them. “Kindness is easy. Kindness can be free,” Levison says.

When the two kindness queens landed in Washington D.C. they treated 50 to 60 vaccine workers to an afternoon of pastries and coffee — just because.

“People ask how I’ve funded this and let me tell you the answer — I’m prepared to figure it out! I may end up using my paycheck to spread the kindness gospel, but humanity has been incredibly generous. People hear what we’ve been doing and they want to get involved. Sometimes, you don’t have the time to do the deed and we can do it for you!”

There were people who have donated to make both of the Kindness Tours possible via a GoFundMe page, in addition to dozens in the Atlanta community and Levison’s close family and friends, and a significant donor in Sara Blakely and The Spanx Foundation.

The tour ends May 15, if you’re interested in following along you can just use @followingsouperjenny or @Meggillentine via Instagram or Meg Gillentine Morris or Jennifer Levison on Facebook.

Rebekah Sager is an award-winning journalist and author with over a decade of experience as a general assignment reporter and writer. She has contributed to the Washington Post, Hollywood Reporter, Playboy, VICE, and more. Her essay is featured in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage, and Hope,” available June 2021.

In recent months, celebrities have been urging fans to join them in getting vaccinated against COVID-19 by sharing videos of them receiving their shots. Dolly Parton, who helped fund the Moderna vaccine, shared a cheeky PSA that transformed her hit “Jolene” into a ballad about vaccines. Mariah Carey is also encouraging fans to get vaccinated, and she found a clever way to prove vaccine conspiracy theorists wrong.

Carey shared a one-minute video of her getting the shot on social media. The clip shows the entire process, from Carey picking out a hot pink bandage to singing one of her signature high notes. She admits that she was a little nervous at first, but everything went smoothly.

During the video, the singer also dispelled rumors that circulated after she posted a video of her first shot. Apparently, people had been saying that the needle used was retractable. Proving the shot was in fact real, she joked that getting her vaccine is the only way she’d agree to endure the unflattering florescent lights in her doctor’s office. “But we don’t care what they think. By the way, people were like, ‘Oh it’s a fake needle.’ You know,” she joked, “would I ever go into this lighting for no reason? No.”

If anyone’s in the mood for a diaper full of ’90s nostalgia, Paramount+ just released the official trailer for its upcoming revival of Rugrats, the classic Nickelodeon series featuring the adventures of Tommy Pickles and his toddler friends. Despite the obvious change in animation style that does its best to match the iconic look of the original series, the trailer shows Tommy and his pals getting all kinds of adventure (and trouble) in a way that feels, at the very least, familiar-ish.

While the kids are still voiced by their original actors, Paramount+ has brought in some heavy-hitters to voice the grown-ups, and it’s a pretty solid cast. Via Deadline:

Also joining the cast for the revival are Nicole Byer, Tony Hale and Natalie Morales, who will take on the adult roles in Paramount+’s revival. Hale will play Chuckie’s father, Morales as Phil and Lil’s mother and Byer, with Omar Miller, as Susie’s parents. Ashley Rae Spillers (Vice Principals) and Tommy Dewey, as Tommy’s parents; Anna Chlumsky and Timothy Simons, as Angelica’s parents; and Michael McKean, as Grandpa Lou Pickles round out the voice cast.

While Rugrats is one of the few to get a brand new revival series, it joins a rapidly growing list of Nickelodeon staples that includes the original Rugrats series, Hey, Arnold!, Doug, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rocko’s Modern Life, and a whole slew of other favorites from your childhood. And for those with more juvenile tastes, a new Beavis & Butthead movie is also heading to the streaming service.

Rugrats premieres May 27 on Paramount+.

(Via Paramount+)

Dwayne Johnson and Matthew McConaughey, who make millions of dollars by fighting large CGI wolves and smoking weed with Snoop Dogg, respectively, have both expressed interest in becoming politicians. “I’m actually trying to look at the idea and give it serious consideration,” the Interstellar star said, while The Rock wrote on Instagram that he doesn’t think “our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club – but if it ever happens it’d be my honor to serve you, the people.”

Props to Johnson and McConaughey for wanting to make a difference (although one could argue that Luke Hobbs flexing so hard that his cast breaks did more good for the world than any politician ever has), but Howard Stern has a question for both movie stars: why? Why give up acting to become politicians? “You know what it is with these guys is that they don’t understand, once you run for office, you actually have to give an opinion,” Stern said during Tuesday’s episode of The Howard Stern Show.

The SiriusXM host called Johnson the “most non-controversial human being you’ll ever meet,” which is part of his appeal. “People in the military assume The Rock is pro-military,” Stern said. “People in the police force believe The Rock is a law and order guy. People who are Trump-y believe The Rock really secretly loves Trump. The people who are liberals are going, ‘You know what? The Rock is with us.’” Johnson spoke at the 2000 Republican National Convention, but he endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

But according to Stern, once “lunkhead” Johnson has to double down on a divisive issue like abortion rights, “Oops! Suddenly people don’t like The Rock.” Stern said McConaughey would face that same dilemma when asked about school shooting and gun control. “As soon as he answers that, half of Texas is going to take him and throw him out a window,” Stern said.

A recent poll had McConaughey trouncing Texas governor Greg Abbott in a hypothetical election, but little is known about his politics. Everyone loves Matthew McConaughey as the shirtless bongos stoner guy, but when McConaughey the political shares his thoughts on the border, he risks alienating a large chunk of fans. Besides, as Stern said, “You’ve got to do a little public service before you get an important job like the governor.” He should know: he ran for governor of New York as a Libertarian candidate in 1994 before dropping out because he didn’t want to reveal his personal finances.

(Via the Daily News)

The music industry is a living and constantly evolving entity, as it proved last year by adapting to livestream concerts as the pandemic took over the world. Mitski is also breaking new ground for herself with her soundtrack for This Is Where We Fall, a graphic novel by Chris Miskiewicz and Vincent Kings. Today, she has shared a new selection from it: “The End,” which features narration from Miskiewicz. The instrumental has a huge anthemic rock sound to underscore Miskiewicz’s deep voice.

When the soundtrack was announced last year, Mitski offered a statement, saying, “It was exciting to make a soundtrack for a comic book. It allowed me to work outside of my usual songwriting form and try to approach it like a score, but without any of the cues that come with working alongside a moving image, which ended up being both freeing and challenging. I hope the end result helps to immerse you in the story!” Z2 publisher Josh Frankel added, “A project and partnership like this is the perfect marriage of a visual art form like comics, and music. Fans of Mitski’s music will not only get something new from one of their favorite artists, but a companion piece that completes the experience.”

The “innovative new science-fiction series” is described as delving “into complex questions on science, faith, mankind’s need to believe in something bigger than itself, while also questioning what defines the human spirit.

Listen to “The End” above.

This Is Where We Fall is out Now via Z2 Comics. Get it here.

Yasuke recently arrived on Netflix with striking visuals (from Japanese animation studio MAPPA) and a trippy score (courtesy of Flying Lotus), both of which help complete the experience of watching, but make no mistake: the story itself is consciousness-expanding. The six-part series dives into the mind of history’s first Black samurai and imagines what his life would be like after a nearly unfathomable trauma. Twenty years later, Yasuke’s attempting a quiet life in a feudal village, but he can’t shake the memories of his mentor, the warlord Nobunaga, committing forced suicide (by the ritual known as “seppuku”) in front of him. To somehow make matters even worse, Yasuke (voiced by LaKeith Stanfield) was tasked with cutting off Nobunaga’s head during the ritual, and let’s just say that all subsequent bets of a calm mind were out the door.

Following that trauma, Yasuke evaporated from the history books, which encouraged plenty of creative license in the writing department. That’s where Nick Jones Jr. (Hulu’s Casual) arrived as head writer alongside creator/director/producer LeSean Thomas (The Boondocks, Cannon Busters, and Black Dynamite). Together, they explored lingering fallout from Yasuke’s ordeal as a launching point for abundant creative liberties. So yes, that means magic and mechs were on the table, and it’s not too bizarre for a samurai to face off with a giant werewolf. In short, Yasuke picks up the sword again to protect a young girl from mysterious forces, and not all is what it seems. The series arrives in a compact package, but there’s still a lot to absorb, and Nick Jones Jr. was gracious enough to talk it out with us.

Nick, you recently tweeted about serving as a U.S. Marine in Japan and feeling “a bit of a full-circle moment” after writing about the first Black man to serve alongside Japanese forces.

Looking back, it’s just kind-of crazy knowing I was there and actually had the opportunity to work alongside Japanese military forces. It puts a lot of things in perspective, looking at Yasuke’s history of being a Black man and being in the same situation, working alongside Nobunaga and Japanese forces from the time, so it just felt right, like this full-circle moment, being able to look back and be like, “Yo, I was actually there, boots on the ground in my own way.” There was some synergy with things that I was able to do in my military career and the things that Yasuke did with his.

Not to take away from the way that Yasuke’s story hits hard culturally, but I was initially intrigued after hearing about this series because my grandmother was Japanese and married into the military, and that’s a whole mindset.

Yeah, this just hits people differently! And I think that this whole project, over the last couple of months, it’s come to a trip down memory line with us starting this process three years ago, and also to dive back into those emotions that I drew for in character development for Yasuke. This took me back to my military days and not just in Japan but while serving in the Marines altogether, and it’s tough, especially when you’re, in my case, a Black man that’s in a space that’s predominantly white, which speaks to the military experience as well. It definitely takes some maneuvering in a lot of places and for me, coming from the South, it’s crazy. It’s dope and took me through a lot of emotions that I’d had, and the honor that I had for serving my country in the military, which is probably the same feeling that Yasuke would have had, since he was given this purpose after being brought there and finding this new family and purpose and having honor and to fight for something. I don’t think there’s any greater feeling than having a purpose and finding something to fight for.

Why do you believe that Yasuke fell out of the history books?

There’s that quote, “The victors write the history books.” Obviously, with Nobunaga being the guy that he was and being progressive in a lot of ways, and Yasuke being a product of Nobunaga, the fact that ultimately he lost, it was a lot of “trying to hold onto traditions and the Old Way.” And in a case like that, someone like Yasuke, who was loyal to the losing side, I think that played more into it than anything else. Nobunaga wasn’t successful in the end, and a lot of things that Nobunaga stood for and people that he brought with him weren’t celebrated or hung onto in the way that they would have, had Nobunaga succeeded.

I was also thinking it could be along the lines of Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen, with history being resurfaced after certain parties, you know, intentionally buried it.

Oh, I remember watching that show and going on Twitter with people asking, “Did this really happen, is this real?” I knew about it, but that’s because it’s my history and not necessarily white history and history that people wanted to acknowledge, but Tulsa wasn’t the only place like that. They were doing it all over the United States. If there was a Black neighborhood, they were burning it down, and in Tulsa’s case, dropping bombs on it, literally. That’s a lot of the underbelly of a lot of the history that gets too mucky for some people to accept that it happened. Some people are like, “Nazis didn’t exist,” and I’m like, “Of course they existed, we fought them in a war!”

Well, during my review of Yasuke, I very classily wrote that I was wondering what you and LeSean Thomas were smoking when you wrote the show.

Ahhh yes, I laughed at that! You were like, “I don’t know what they were smoking when they wrote this stuff, but you should just go with it.” [Laughs]

So… were you smoking something or…. no?

Well, I can assure you that I wasn’t smoking something when I was writing it, but I can’t make the same promise as I watch it, soooo…. Obviously, LeSean brings in the anime pedigree with all of the stuff that she’s worked on, dating back to his time on Boondocks and how he brought in a lot of that flavor and style in the fight sequences in his show, Cannon Busters, so when Netflix brought us to together for this project, I was like, “Dope, dope, dope.”

And not only was there a lot of anime flavor, but a hefty emotional component to the writing as well.

One of the things that I wanted to infuse on my end was that military mindset that Yasuke would have, being that he’s a samurai and a general, and these forces in Japan, and also diving into some of the underlying emotions and trauma and PTSD, which I felt that he would definitely have, if we’re telling story twenty years down the line with the current storyline of him with Sake. Comparing that to my experience in the Marines and having friends that committed suicide, and having to personally carry their caskets at funerals, and knowing how that made me feel. You feel like you’re in quicksand and can’t move because any movement you make hurts, and knowing that pain, I felt like it would be like that plus some, being in a situation like Yasuke, where there are some that believe that he was Nobunaga’s Kaishakunin.

It doesn’t seem like anyone could shake that off, ever.

If you’re given that job, where someone commits seppuku, you have to chop their head off, how would you feel if your friend and mentor not only commits suicide in front of you, but you have to participate in the act? It would mess you up, and I wanted to start from that point and build the story out from there, emotionally. And it’s just like, what are the circumstances, events, and relationships that get you to that point, and then what’s the trauma and the emotion that lingers on after that point. And then after that, like I said, with LeSean bringing in that anime aesthetic, it’s like, great, let’s throw in the mechs, let’s throw in the mercenaries, let’s throw in the magic. And I was like, “Fuck yeah!” Oh wait, can I cuss?

Are you kidding? Go for it.

Yeah, and for me, just being an anime fan — I grew up and consumed as much as I could. Obviously, being in the South, I didn’t have a lot of outlets, but Cartoon Network Toonami saved my life, and I think USA Network had some anime on Saturday mornings at the time. That’s where I watched Street Fighter, but just being a fan of Dragon Ball Z and Gundam Wing, things like that. I think for me, it was obviously an opportunity and a dream to finally dive into the anime space and really do something that I felt would be a cultural event.

That anime space is so much more accessible in 2021 with Crunchyroll and every streaming service. Still, I think people are intimidated and don’t know where to start. Jim Belushi recently asked for recommendations on Twitter.

Tell him to start with Yasuke!

For when people want to dive in, do you have another go-to recommendation?

I’d say Akira and maybe Ghost in the Shell.

Not the movie with Scarlett Johansson, I take it.

Oh no no no, the original! And if you wanna jump into a series, Dragon Ball Z and Gundam Wing, that was one of my favorites growing up. Bleach is actually pretty cool. It’s out there, but it’s super dope, but there’s a lot of things Cowboy Bebop, but Akira and Ghost in the Shell, start there.

People wondered how Yasuke compares to Afro Samurai, which some believe was inspired by Yasuke’s legend. How would you differentiate the two?

Well, for one, I think there’s something to be said for Black creatives having the opportunity to tell the story about a Black man in Japan who was really there. And obviously, we’re diving off into alt-history and things of that nature, but to be rooted in fact with this particular historical figure. That sets it apart from anything else. This guy actually existed. He’s a real dude, and that’s the main point: we’re trying to shed light on someone real while telling a cool, trippy anime story on top of it.

What would you say about a Season 2? It seems like the story’s wrapped up in a nice bow, but maybe?

You know, I’d love to dive back in. I tried my best to seed in some stuff with prequels, and I think we’ve got some very cool supporting characters who could probably support their own side stories moving forward. And even with the nice bow we put at the end of it, I think there’s still an opportunity to continue on with Yasuke because, in the history books, he just kinda fades off, so we can write our own path for him like we did with this, where it’s twenty later, and what’s he been up to? Now that he’s been motivated to do what he does, I think there are a lot of avenues for him to move forward and to be this warrior that’s roaming Japan or maybe other places.

‘Yaskue’ is currently streaming on Netflix.

HBO Max announced earlier this year that a Sex and the City revival (titled, And Just Like That…) is coming our way, even though Kim Cattrall will not reprise her vampy Samantha Jones role. Whether the show can survive that omission remains to be seen, and given that Samantha is a fan favorite, there are definitely big heels to fill. TV Line is now reporting that, in addition to addressing criticisms about the original series’ lack of inclusivity by diversifying the writers’ room, there will be progression onscreen as well with returning showrunner Michael Patrick King in the driver’s seat.

TV Line reveals that the revival will be “dramatically expanding Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte’s social circle with roughly a half dozen new characters. And three of those newbies will be full-fledged series regulars and women of color.”

Additionally, it’s worth noting that HBO Max did not comment upon this tidbit upon request from TV Line, but the outlet did previously speak with HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys, who appeared to suggest that nothing terrible has happened to Samantha… and maybe she just moved onto a new circle of friends? “Just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave,” Bloys said at the time. “Friendships fade, and new friendships start. So I think it is all very indicative of the real stages, the actual stages of life.” He added that friendships in one’s 30s don’t always stick in one’s 50s, which is a fair point.

However, I will add that the confirmed return of Aidan Shaw, played by John Corbett, is not the most excellent news without further context. Nothing against Corbett’s portrayal, but he and Carrie were totally wrong for each other and went their separate ways (twice) for good reason. Perhaps Aiden will be in a non-Carrie-centric role this time around: much less drama that way, but who knows? Maybe they want that drama back.

(Via TV Line)

Over the past couple of years, LVRN has flown a bit under the radar in terms of labels that also function as rap crews. Where lots of attention is (rightfully) lavished on Dreamville and TDE for their tight-knit groups, Love Renaissance has seemed like more of a loose collective under one banner until recently. That changed last December when the label released its first compilation, which was, incidentally, also a holiday album showcasing the singing talents of its R&B roster. However, it looks like the rap unit is beginning to jell as well, as shown in the LVRN Cypher for Spotify’s RapCaviar.

For the first time, all of the group’s impressively gifted rappers come together on one track. While the better-known members 6lack and Westside Boogie may be the big draws, the track highlights the newbies as well, including OMB Bloodbath, who kicks things off with a breathless verse, BRS Kash, who shows he’s more than the “Throat Baby” crooner, and NoonieVsEverybody, who should increase the team’s trap appeal. The video sees the crew take over what looks like a bank lobby as DJ Kitty Cash spins from the concierge podium and the rappers do their thing in matching maintenance uniforms emblazoned with the LVRN logo.

It took a while for the Avengers to come together; now it looks like rap has a new superteam aiming at taking over, one verse at a time. Meanwhile, the team also released individual videos for each member with extended verses, ensuring even more content to hold fans over for whatever comes next.

Watch the LVRN RapCaviar Cypher above.

Despite experiencing massive success with both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that followed in the footsteps of The Mandalorian by dropping new episodes on Fridays, Disney+ is shaking things up when it comes to Loki. In a new video released by Marvel, the God of Mischief actor Tom Hiddleston breaks the news that not only will the Loki series drop two days early on June 9, but it will have its own unique release schedule as he declares that “Wednesdays are the new Fridays.”

As of this writing, there’s been no elaboration given for Loki‘s pivot from Fridays to Wednesdays, but much like WandaVision, the series seems rife for fan theories. Disney+ and Marvel probably won’t mind seeing discussions dominate social media for the back half of the week instead of getting lost in the weekend, particularly with summer approaching. The release date switch up also follows the series’ new Special Look that dropped during Monday night’s Warriors vs. Pelicans game.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Picking up immediately after Loki steals the Tesseract (again), he finds himself called before the Time Variance Authority, a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space, forced to answer for his crimes against the timeline and given a choice: face deletion from reality or assist in catching an even greater threat.

Loki premieres June 9 on Disney+.

(Via Marvel Entertainment on Twitter)