On the latest episode of The Masters, Uproxx Style Editor Eli Morgan Gesner sat down with skate legend and HUF founder Keith Hufnagel for what would end up being his final video interview before dying of brain cancer late last month. Despite the sad news of Hufnagel’s death, the interview is full of all sorts of gems for true HUF heads and anyone passionate about skate culture and the streetwear scene. It acts as a bittersweet send-off of an icon, and it’s great to see Hufnagel smiling, joking, and reminiscing on his ascendance from NYC skate rat to world-famous pro to streetwear entrepreneur.
Across nearly twenty minutes, Hufnagel chronicles his early days growing up and exploring the cracked city sidewalks of 1980s New York City, how he stumbled into the streetwear scene after relocating to San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, and how he eventually settled on naming the brand after himself.
“HUF was my tag name,” Hufnagel explains. “I was a semi graffiti kid growing up in New York… When I turned pro I would put HUF on my boards and I was coming up with the fucking worst names for the store… I think I thought about it for weeks… everything on the paper looked like shit so I said ‘lets do it.’”
It’s no surprise that Hufnagel came up with the brand name so organically — every milestone in his storied career grew out of his authentic passion for skate culture. There was never any fakery.
“I just wanted to skate. And, of course, you love skate product because you want to represent and wear things… I’ve been traveling the world, going to LA, New York, Japan, London, all over and I’m like … ‘I love sneaker culture, I love skateboarding and I love streetwear, let’s do that.’”
Other highlights from the interview include an exploration of HUF’s weirdest products, from the HUF x TENGA masturbator to the ridiculous concept behind the now-legendary HUF “weed leaf” socks.
“The whole concept was you go to a party, you take off your shoes at someone’s house, you have these fucking weed socks on and chicks are going to come up to you like ‘I love your fucking socks.’ … It didn’t really take off in the beginning… it was just selling the bare minimum for years. We even talked about not doing it anymore, and then all of a sudden… the next season someone wore them somewhere, and now all of a sudden every kid has to have them… every high school kid wanted them, every girl wanted them… all of a sudden we couldn’t keep up with the demand.”
Watch Eli Gesner chop it up one last time with Keith Hufnagel’s above and catch the rest of The Masters episodes here.
A few selections for tonight before we tackle last weekend’s streaming hits:
Supernatural (CW, 8:00pm EST) — Dean and Jack take a road trip to finally beat Chuck with a master ritual. Meanwhile, Sam is digging for his own answers.
The Outpost (CW, 9:00pm EST) — Gwynn gets recruited for Yavella’s cause while Talon’s searching for information, and Tobin makes a difficult choice while Zed’s loyalty is challenged.
Star Trek: Discovery (CBS, 10:00pm EST) — Starfleet Lieutenant Ash Tyler is a prisoner of war, Harry Mudd’s an intergalactic criminal, and Lorca’s dealing with both of them during a mission while Burnham’s concerned about spore-drive fallout.
Jimmy Kimmel Live — Chris Evans, Perfume Genius
Late Night With Seth Meyers — Rosie O’Donnell, Shepard Smith, Sleaford Mods
Here are some leftovers from last weekend to tide you over until this weekend:
Barbarians (Netflix series) – Vikings and Last Kingdom fans can find a new fix with this series that revolves around the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, as Germanic tribes attempt to maneuver past the the Roman Empire’s evolution.
How To With John Wilson (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — This comedy docuseries launches with John Wilson dissecting the careful balancing act of making small talk, with all its ups and downs. Wilson also spoke with us about capturing the intimacy and absurdity of life in New York with a “psychotic amount” of footage.
The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix series) – This chess-centered drama is a surprisingly interesting and tightly paced show. It’s also a meditation upon addiction and danger and what it means to be a champion, all wrapped up in a coming-of-age tale about a boozy grandmaster in the making. As fictional prodigy Beth Harmon, Anya Taylor-Joy’s piercing gaze is here to demonstrate how a board game can look like a battlefield in Scott Frank’s adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel. The supporting cast (including Marielle Heller as a tragic 1950s housewife, Moses Ingram as a kickass childhood friend, and Harry Melling and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as gameplay rivals) also crushes the game
On The Rocks (Apple TV+ film) – Bill Murray’s back with his Lost in Translation director, Sofia Coppola, and this time, he plays a lifelong playboy who’s attempting to be a good dad to Rashida Jones. The movie’s a bit of a roadtrip, and it’s no Lost but still a welcome and pleasant diversion. Murray does what he does best here — lets his Murrayness shine through, even when his character’s not entirely likeable.
The Right Stuff: Episode 4 (NatGeo series on Disney+) – In the aftermath of a test malfunction, the holiday season becomes a home affair for the Mercury 7. Naturally, the change of plans leads to all kinds of family and romantic drama.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Prime film) – Sacha Baron Cohen’s most notorious character is back and still funny, even if racism in America isn’t nearly as shocking in 2020. With this followup, formally titled Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, the “victims” become the performers, and Borat’s “daughter” is along for the ride. You’ve heard about the Rudy Giuliani scene, so watch it now, and then check out Borat’s response to Rudy’s explanation, as well as Cohen’s out-of-character remarks.
After raising prices a year and half ago, Netflix is once again upping the cost of its most popular plans in the U.S. While its Basic Plan, which offers only one continuous stream and no high-definition content, will keep its monthly rate of $9, the Standard Plan will increase from $12 to $13 and the Premium Plan will make an even larger jump from $16 to $18. Netflix defended this latest round of price increases in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
“We understand people have more entertainment choices than ever and we’re committed to delivering an even better experience for our members,” a company spokeswoman said in a statement. “We’re updating our prices so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films — in addition to our great fall line up. As always we offer a range of plans so that people can pick a price that works best for their budget.”
While raising its price was inevitable, the move comes at an awkward time for Netflix. As it recognizes in its statement, the past year has seen the launch of Peacock, HBO Max, and the extremely popular Disney+. During that time, Netflix also lost two of its most-watched series when The Office and Friends jumped to Peacock and HBO Max respectively. On top of that, Americans are experiencing rough economic times due to the pandemic, which is currently trending toward a third separate surge in cases. Granted, that makes for captive audiences while practicing responsible social distancing at home, but will those same audiences appreciate being hit with yet another price increase at such a vulnerable time? Then again, with more films making the jump to streaming as theaters struggle with reopening, that extra dollar or two might not be so bad.
Ever since the rise of COVID-19, recording artists have had to step their music video game up, utilizing technology to make up for the dearth of in-person film crews and viable venues for shoots. Atlanta rapper Young Nudy joins the ranks of those artists with his latest release. Nudy’s video game-inspired video for “Vice City” sees CGI avatars of the Atlanta rapper and the song’s producer Metro Boomin making menacing overtures with automatic weapons and banging away of a grand piano.
Nudy was on the cusp of a breakout year before the pandemic took hold. After receiving his first-ever platinum plaque for his participation in Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III compilation, Nudy followed up with his Anyways mixtape in February, setting himself up for some major moves. And while his “Attitude” collaboration from fellow ATLien Deante Hitchcock’s debut album certainly helped increase his buzz, things seemed to have slowed down as a result of the entertainment shutdown.
But in recent weeks, Nudy roared back with a vengeance, dropping “Never” and “All White,” which have preceded his upcoming album Nudy Land 2. He’s once again picking up momentum headed into the fourth quarter of 2020 and another new year, which just might be the one that he gets to declare his.
Ahead of his appearance on HBO’s The Shop this weekend alongside LeBron James, a clip has been released of former president Barack Obama discussing how he believes the NBA’s activism inside and out of the Bubble this year fits into the lineage of Black athletes in America speaking out, and how the NBA is now leading the way in this arena.
“For a while there was a suspension of activism, because I think for a time, the African-American athlete started thinking in terms of contracts, money, shoe deals, et cetera,” Obama says to James in the clip. “To see this new generation without fear and speaking their mind and their conscience, I think you guys are setting the tone for a lot of young people coming up and a lot of athletes in other leagues.”
Obama goes on to reference the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to strike games in late August following the police shooting of Jacob Blake as an example. Reports since that period have suggested Obama himself was a big force in educating the players in the NBA on how to make the most of the spotlight they had at the time, while former first lady Michelle Obama played a big role as an advocate and partner for the players of the WNBA this summer as well.
Long known to be a basketball fan and an admirer of athletes, Obama has maintained a connection to the NBA since leaving office and clearly sees The Shop as a strong vehicle to speak directly to potential voters, as the episode will air just days before the Nov. 3 election.
Paulie Wets his Beak and Tony Doesn’t Trust Jack Kennedy in episode 307 of The Sopranos
In this week’s Pod Yourself a Gun, author of Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, and New York Times journalist Mike Isaac (@mikeisaac) joins Matt and Vince to provide a third opinion of “Second Opinion,” the seventh episode of season three of The Sopranos. You may know it as the one where Paulie sniffs Adriana’s panties, but that’s because you’re a nasty little freak just like Paulie. As pointed out on this week’s podcast, The Sopranos writers really missed an opportunity to name the episode “Paulie Wets His Beak.”
In another episode that emphasizes that The Sopranos is primarily a comedy, Junior is easily impressed by a surgeon because he has a president’s name, and Carmela’s search for a psychotherapist of her own ends with the therapist rejecting her “blood money” for payment.
The appearance of a Big Mouth Billy Bass leads to a discussion of the death of ubiquitous American novelty gifts, and a retelling of Matt’s sordid affair with a Billy of his own. “The skeleton was still singing,” is a phrase that will haunt me for years.
Rewatching this episode inspired Mike to rewatch The Sopranos, which should inspire you to leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts. (-Brent Flyberg)
After years of advocating for racial justice and calling out police brutality and seeing little change in law enforcement and our justice system, some people are rightfully fed up. When complaints are met with inaction, protests are met with inaction, and direct action is met with inaction, maybe it’s time to get specific in who needs to be held accountable for issues in law enforcement.
That’s exactly what Keiajah (KJ) Brooks did at a Board of Police Commissioners meeting in her hometown of Kansas City this week. The 20-year-old used her approximately four minutes with the microphone—and with the commissioners’ undivided attention—to unequivocally lay out her position to each and every one of the officials in that room.
“Fair warning, I’m not nice and I don’t seek to be respectable,” she began. “I’m not asking y’all for anything because y’all can’t and won’t be both my savior and my oppressor. I don’t want reform. I want to turn this building into luxury low-cost housing. These would make some really nice apartments.”
“Firstly, stop using Black children as photo opportunities, ’cause they’re cute now, but in 10 years, they’re Black male suspects in red shirts and khaki shorts,” she said. “Eating cookies and drinking milk with children does not absolve you of your complicity in their oppression and denigration…” she added, before looking directly at the police chief and pointedly calling him out by name, “…Rick Smith.”
She pointed out that Kansas City spends more on the police than on education, “and then try to encourage children to feast with their oppressors.”
“Y’all are really weird,” she added.
“It’s asinine to be called radical or a homegrown terrorist for not wanting government employees to kill people in any instance,” she went on. “So, I’m not here begging anything of soulless white folks and self-preserving Black folks. You get one life, and you all in this room have chosen profits over people. And that’s pathetic. So, I’m going to spend the next two minutes reading y’all for filth, something I’m sure nobody has ever done.”
And that’s exactly what she did. One by one, Ms. Brooks named and shamed each member of the Board of Police Commissioners, in a dragging for the ages.
She addressed the “former FBI Agent who exudes white privilege and is the epitome of mediocrity” who “spent most of this meeting looking away and holding his head in his hands.” She called out “another rich, and white, and out of touch, and disconnected old white person with nothing but pure apathy seeping through the bulging veins of his paper colored skin,” adding, “You age like trash when you are racist and subject others to violence.” She even took a pastor who preaches “a message of hope and faith through God’s Holy word in the building” while “subjecting Black people to terrorism and un-Christ-like behavior at the hands of KCPD outside of the building” to church.
Ms. Brooks did not come to play.
It was the benediction for me https://t.co/uvws6RQqs6
Finally, to Police Chief Rick Smith, Brooks said, “I don’t even care enough about you to start, but you will have to spend overtime in a chapel at the end of your life. You have blood on your hands, and while these idiots hold you on a pedestal, God does not honor injustice and murder.”
After she finished with the individual verbal takedowns, Brooks left the board—whom she referred to as “soulless, profit-driven, avaricious, greedy, God-forsaken humans”—with a Bible verse. Claiming that Jesus himself was an “unarmed Black man murdered by authorities,” she quoted Mark 8:36: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
Well then.
Whether you agree with everything Ms. Brooks said or not, it takes a great deal of courage to speak truth to power. It’s impressive to see a young woman speak her mind so clearly and boldly, not just publicly, but to the faces of the people she’s addressing. Ms. Brooks has obviously done her homework on the individuals she’s calling out, and while her speech may come across as harsh to some, her passion for and dedication to justice is palpable.
A video shared on Brooks’ Instagram shows the reactions of the commissioners as she was speaking, if you want to see it from another angle.
The video of her speech has been viewed more than seven million times on social media and has been met with resounding virtual applause from people who are tired of seeing calls for justice and action met with continuing injustice and inaction.
You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge, and Ms. Brooks is making sure acknowledgement is crystal clear.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Vanity Fair cover shoot and interview ruffled some right-wing feathers when she shaded Trump for paying barely any taxes for years. “These are the same people saying that we can’t have tuition-free public colleges because there’s no money,” AOC declared. “When these motherf*ckers are only paying $750 a year in taxes.” That somehow led to the New York Postdissecting what she wore and concluding that the 31-year-old congresswoman wore $14,000 of outfits during the Vanity Fair shoot. Fox News drew further attention by calling out AOC for the clothing, and host Laura Ingraham tweeted a link to the article: “AOC appears in Vanity Fair in outfits worth $14,000 to curse out Trump.”
AOC appears in Vanity Fair in outfits worth $14,000 to curse out Trump | Fox News https://t.co/6UlLQs9uCp
It’s perhaps the silliest “controversy” ever. AOC supporters quickly defended her, given that the clothes were borrowed from the magazine and vendors for the shoot, and now, the congresswoman has responded to Ingraham’s tweet. She declared that the shoot was “100% worth it, would do again.” She also called the smear strategy “sad” while urging the GOP to “get yourselves together” after pulling the “she wore clothes in a magazine, let’s pretend they’re hers” move. Here’s how she started her rebuttal:
The whole “she wore clothes in a magazine, let’s pretend they’re hers” gimmick is the classic Republican strategy of “let’s willfully act stupid, and if the public doesn’t take our performative stupidity seriously then we’ll claim bias.”
That was only the beginning. “Republicans are Very Mad (again) about my appearance. This time they’re mad that I look good in borrowed clothes (again),” AOC tweeted. “Listen, if Republicans want pointers on looking your best, I’m happy to share. Tip #1: Drink water and don’t be racist.”
Republicans are Very Mad (again) about my appearance. This time they’re mad that I look good in borrowed clothes (again).
Listen, if Republicans want pointers on looking your best, I’m happy to share.
Here’s a better look at the cover outfit that’s causing all the fuss.
Presenting our December cover star: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez! Two elections in, the congresswoman is still fighting the fight—and she’s as sure as she’s ever been.
In the Vanity Fair piece, AOC speaks to the challenge of dressing for a high-profile career and looking presentable while not having access to designer clothes in her everyday life. She also previously explained that she often rents clothing and shops at thrift stores. The white color of her cover ensemble has also been analyzed in a positive light, since the color often draws attention to resistance movements and symbolizes hope. Certainly, the U.S. could use all the hope it can get.
It seems insane to write, but we’re on the cusp of winter. The holiday season is mere weeks away. That means it’s just about time to start stocking up on winter beers. Especially since most of them are released in October, in anticipation of the holiday rush.
In the beer world, “winter beer” speaks to a broad-ish category. Winter warmers are an actual style that’s known for being malty, sweet, spicy, and packing big ABVs. But the term “winter beer” also includes aged stouts or porters, Belgian dark or strong ales, spiced ales, winter lagers, spicy IPAs, and really anything that’s brewed and released this time of year. (The funny thing about beer is that it can often be incredibly technical and sort of vague at the same time.) The point is to pack a wallop when it comes to both alcohol content and flavor and to be at least somewhat dark and full-bodied.
The nine beers below were named by serious beer experts. These are the folks who live beer every single day — whether they’re writing about it, brewing it, reviewing it on social media, or tasting it at the brewery. Most of the beers shouted out are easily sourced at specialty beer shops or online. Some may prove a little tougher to track down. In those cases, we recommend looking for something with a similar flavor profile from a craft brewer near you.
Style: Belgian Dark Strong Ale Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker, Mechelen, Belgium ABV: 10.5%
The Beer:
Gouden Carolus Christmas ticks all the Belgian Christmas Ale boxes. Obviously, it’s got Christmas in the name — an unsubtle wink to the beer style’s Anglo-Saxon origins. It’s got Santa Claus riding his sleigh across a blueish night sky above a snowy landscape. It is dense and strong — as Belgian Christmas Ales should be — with a liver-quivering 10.5 percent ABV. And it pours a beautifully deep, dark ruby hue in the glass, accompanied by a firm head of latte-colored foam.
Gouden Carolus is not as lauded as some of its festive rivals. But as a widely-available Christmas Ale, it’s truly hard to beat. It’s best enjoyed on a blustery, wintry Flemish evening in the surrounds of Het Anker’s on-site Brown Café in Mechelen — where you can sleep off the ill-effects of too many Gouden Carolus Christmases in the adjacent brewery hotel.
Tasting Notes:
Gouden Carolus is generously spiced with a blend of six different herbs and spices — from which aniseed notes predominate. It is a thick beer, warming, gummy, and sweet with little hop character (but that’s not what you’re looking for in a Christmas beer, is it?). It has the lightest note of roasted malt character in the finish.
Style: American Strong Ale Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA ABV: 10%
The Beer:
Every holiday I am excited to have Lagunitas Brown Shugga’! I also intentionally enjoy it while listening to D’Angelo’s “Brown sugar” — because, why not?!
Tasting Notes:
Brown Shugga’ is a beautiful reddish color with a creamy beige head. Instantly, it reminds me of red velvet cake! On the nose, you get sweet caramel, maple, and brown sugar. On the first sip, you’re hit with a deep sweetness and a bitter finish. It’s sweet, strong, and sassy, like me!
My absolute fav!
Old Greg’s Barleywine — Matthew Curtis, founder/editor in chief of Pellicle Magazine
The Five Points Brewing Company
Style: English Barleywine Brewery: The Five Points Brewing Company, London, UK ABV: 9.5%
The Beer:
Winter is coming, so you’d better make sure you’re ready for it. I don’t like to mess around when it turns cold outside, and like to make sure my cellar is full of big beers. When winter sets in, my style of choice is barleywine. I love the interplay between a thick, but not syrupy pale-to-golden beer and the snap of hop varieties like Fuggles and East Kent Goldings.
My favorite has to be Old Greg’s Barleywine from London’s The Five Points, named after its head brewer, Greg Hobbs. It’s brewed each year on New Year’s Day and released almost a year later. It ages well, too. I have a bottle of the 2018 brew that I’ll be opening this Christmastime.
Tasting Notes:
I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to stronger stuff — please keep that lactose and cacao out of my imperial stout. I want to be wrapped up in a blanket of toasty, sweet malts, feel a peppery dusting of English hops on my palate, and revel in that warming hit of alcohol as it works its way down my throat.
Style: Winter Warmer Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company ABV: 6.9%
The Beer:
My favorite winter warmer is Winter Solstice from AVBC. Not only do I enjoy it and think that it pairs perfectly with many traditional holiday comfort foods but this beer is pure nostalgia for me. When I was 21 … totally 21 … this was actually the beer that piqued my interest in craft beer. I remember drinking one with a roommate and instead of just drinking a beer to drink a beer, I started to think about what I was drinking.
Tasting Notes:
There are nuanced flavors of caramel and spice coming through. I remember saying to my roommate, “this tastes like Christmas!” I can easily say that this one beer completely changed the trajectory of my life.
Style: Doppelbock Brewery: Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg, Austria ABV: 14%
The Beer:
One beer I probably associate most with wintertime is Samichlaus. It’s a substantial beer: 14 percent ABV! Originally brewed by Swiss brewery Hürlimann and named after the local Swiss nickname for Saint Nicholas, this beer was actually discontinued in 1997 when Hürlimann was bought up and closed down. Fortunately, Austrian brewery Schloss Eggenberg was able to secure the rights for the brand, the recipe, and the special Samichlaus lager yeast in 2000.
It’s brewed only once a year, on Saint Nicholas Day, and then matured for 10 months. For me, it’s become a special treat during wintertime, especially around Christmas and New Year’s.
Tasting Notes:
Samichlaus pours in a dark amber color. The initial impression might be a bit disappointing: practically no head and fairly low carbonation. But on the nose, the beer starts shining: Sweet, malty, notes of brown sugar and vanilla.
When taking a sip, you will notice the beer’s intense sweetness that coats your tongue and the very smooth, warming alcohol, followed by an explosion of flavors: again that maltiness, brown sugar, some nuttiness, and a certain fruitiness.
This beer really has the complexity and elegance of a fortified dessert wine. Have it on its own, pair it with your Christmas dinner dessert, or just put it in your cellar and be surprised how it will have changed in a few year’s time.
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale — Miguel Rivas, host of the “Every Beer Has a Story. Every Story Has a Beer” storytelling series on IGTV Live
Miguel Rivas
Style: Quadrupel Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Watou, Belgium ABV: 10%
The Beer:
When I think of winter beers, my mind immediately goes to rich, flavorful, strong-yet-balanced beers. Something where I can take my time to drink, sip slowly, and enjoy all of the lawyers, nuances, and characteristics of the beer.
Traditionally, they come from British brewing — dating back to the 1600s, in the days before central heating. Technically speaking, a winter ale is just a heartier beer that is brewed with some extra ingredients, usually spices that are applied late in the brewing process that will add some extra calories and produce a nice and strong beer that would take some of that edge off from the colder months.
Tasting Notes:
It pours a mahogany-like color with a foamy tan head with good retention and spotty lacing. The aroma evokes Christmas spices, dark fruits, plums, grapes, raisins, and hints of cherry next to biscuits, bready malts, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and subtle hints of cardamom.
The taste highlights the rich, toasty and biscuit malts, moderate sweetness with a balanced and dry finish. Adding to the complexity, there are flavors of spices, light peppery phenols, a hint of chocolate, and a touch of earthy hops that provide a gentle bitterness. The alcohol is very well hidden. It’s medium to full-bodied, the carbonation is high yet the mouthfeel is smooth. It’s well-balanced with a really nice complexity of flavors that blend together well as the beer warms up.
Overall a really nice beer, reminded me of the ABT 12 with a twist — with all the spices adding some interesting layers.
Style: English Porter Brewery: The Five Points Brewing Company, London, UK ABV: 4.8%
The Beer:
A cold beer won’t warm me up, but the pub I’m drinking in will. And some Sunday afternoon pints of cask ale in a local pub is something that I love. Being in east London, the beer I’m seeking out is usually Five Points Railway Porter.
Tasting Notes:
When hand-pulled on cask, you get the most perfect-looking pint of very dark brown beer with a thick creamy foam on top. It’s pretty roasty for a porter, with lots of cocoa and the distinct flavor of roasted barley. It’s gentle yet also robust. It has a lush body for its relatively low alcohol content.
The first pint soothes (a hangover, usually). The second one… well, it turns out that a cold beer can warm me up, but it’s a warmth and a comfort that comes from being somewhere familiar, drinking a beer that I know very well.
Gouden Carolus Cuvée van de Keizer Imperial Dark — Breandán Kearney, founder & Editor-in-Chief of Belgian Smaak
Het Anker
Style: Belgian Dark Strong Ale Brewery: 11% ABV: Brouwerij Het Anker, Mechelen, Belgium
The Beer:
Every year — since the 24 of February, 1999 — Het Anker brewery have released a special beer to celebrate the birth of Keizer Karel V. “Charles the Fifth” ruled the entirety of the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th century from the Belgian city of Mechelen where the brewery is located. The “Grand Cru of the Emperor” was eight percent ABV when Het Anker launched the beer in 2000. Then they upped it to ten percent ABV in 2003 and then eleven percent ABV in 2004.
As a Winter Warmer, it does exactly what it says on the bottle. It’s brewed in the mold of other beers in Het Anker’s Gouden Carolus range. It’s the Cuvée van de Keizer. It’s imperial, and it’s dark.
Tasting Notes:
A chestnut brown ale with fine white foam, the Cuvée van de Keizer Imperial Dark offers plenty of brown sugar, molasses, and toasted malt aromas before giving way to some red fruit esters, juicy apples, and ripe plums. In the mouth, it’s the full-bodied, creamy, but balanced Belgian dark ale you would expect, complete with the sweetness, complexity, and warming alcohol you were hoping for when you chose it as your winter warmer.
Style: Belgian Dark Strong Ale Brewery: Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe, Belgian ABV: 10%
The Beer:
This is my nectar this time of year. I drink way too much of this stuff — to the point that for my 40th birthday last year, I bought an entire keg for the party. Yes, I bought a keg of 10 percent beer for a birthday party in a bar. It was a very fun night. This will always be my go-to for this time of year and I’ve already started stocking my fridge with bottles.
Tasting Notes:
The beer itself is a dark pour that leans into stew and Christmas spices. It’s got a lightness to the body that lets the caramel side of the malts shine while offering a dry nip next to a herbal note and a little acidic fruitiness. You really feel the strength of the beer but not in an alcohol-forward way. It’s more about bold notes of spice and malt that’s rounded.
There’s a faint hint of hops in the background that brings a mild bitterness, but it’s not the point of the sip.
The best new hip-hop albums coming out this week include projects from Busta Rhymes, Common, MadeInTYO, Trippie Redd, and more.
Get ready for a monstrous week after last week kept the tap all the way open. Not only are two of Atlanta’s rising stars in Deante Hitchcock and Lil Keed releasing deluxe versions of their well-received 2020 albums, but veterans Busta Rhymes and Common are also joining rising stars and blog rap favorites in dropping new projects to fill up those Halloween treat bags.
Busta Rhymes — Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath Of God
Calling back to his mid-’90s heyday, Busta’s tenth studio album looks to embrace his eclecticism at the same time as it bridges generational gaps. While he taps contemporaries such as MOP, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and Rakim, he includes younger artists like Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar, and Rapsody and traverses multiple styles from boom-bap to dancehall with Vybz Kartel.
Common — The Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 1
A year removed from Let Love, the confessional companion to his revelatory memoir of the same name, the Chicago veteran offers his thoughts on current events, with his signature optimistic outlook. While “A Place In This World” soundtracks a voting PSA, Com evokes far-thinking visionaries like Marcus Garvey — one of his favorite intellectuals to name-check — on “Say Peace.”
King Von — Welcome To O-Block
On the opposite end of the Windy City spectrum, King Von takes a grittier approach on his debut album. It’s only been seven months since his last project, LeVon James, but the Lil Durk-affiliated, post-drill spokesman still seems to have plenty to say about the conditions on the street level.
Lou Phelps — Extra! Extra! [EP]
Hailing from Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Lou Phelps is one of hip-hop’s true eccentrics, bringing introspection and down-to-earth relatability to his fearlessly experimental tracks — a trait he shares with his brother, Kaytranada. With a laid-back flair and plenty of wit, Phelps is one of a generation of rappers flying in the face of expectations to be 100% himself.
MadeInTYO — Never Forgotten
“Uber Everywhere” in nearly five years old, but MadeinTYO maintains that he was Never Forgotten after playing the years since his 2017 XXL Freshman Class appearance relatively low-key. He’s done some living and it shows on his latest effort, on which he shares his honest observations on life along with a whos-who of rap royalty including Cam’ron, Chance The Rapper, Smino, Young Nudy, and the late Chynna.
Ola Runt — Harder 2 Kill
Signed by Gucci Mane and working his way back from a recent stint behind bars, the Zone 6 rapper continues his push to the forefront of his city’s trap scene. With an appearance from the late Lil Marlo and a flurry of unforgiving, swaggering bars, Ola Runt looks to justify his trap pioneer mentor’s faith in him while converting new listeners with his high-energy flow.
$not — Beautiful Havoc
The South Florida scene that spawned thrash-rap adherents Denzel Curry, Ski Mask the Slump God, and XXXTentacion delivers yet another rebellious favorite in the form of Snot, who broke out in 2018 with the nose-thumbing deadpan of “Gosha,” has carefully cultivated his buzz over the past two years before offering his debut album. Forerunner singles “Revenge” and “Mean” prove “Gosha” was no fluke, with “Sangria” showing off his versatility.
Su’Lan — Baby Glock Gang
Not to be confused with the Compton rapper bearing a remarkably similar name, Su’Lan is a pair of rappers from Oakland who bonded over freestyles and became locked tight through their shared experiences. They’re braggadocious and uninhibited, joining the wave of women in rap who refuse to be restricted by men’s standards of respectability.
Trippie Redd — Pegasus
Long-awaited and leaked, Trippie Redd’s near-30-song opus includes appearances from Busta Rhymes, Future, Lil Mosey, Quavo, Swae Lee, Young Thug, and more. There’s more emo-rap of the variety that’s made him a favorite among younger millennials but balancing it out with appearances from the likes of rap icons like Busta Rhymes may just be the boost he needs to give him universal appeal.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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% worth it, would do again 
