The best new hip-hop albums coming out this week include projects from 6lack, 88Glam, Bankrol Hayden, IDK, MIKE, Reuben Vincent, and Yungeen Ace. After an uncertain few months, hip-hop has once again returned to its rhythm, with a heap of emerging artists taking a swing at stardom with new projects. In addition, established hitmakers such as Earl Sweatshirt and Lil Durk have announced deluxe versions of their own previously-released fan-favorite albums, Feet Of Clay and Just Cause Y’all Waited 2, respectively. And although his Everything’s Strange Here isn’t technically a hip-hop album, G-Eazy’s experimental side project is probably well worth checking out even if he doesn’t rap on it.

Here are all the best new hip-hop albums coming out this week.

6lack — 6 Pc Hot

Cleverly announcing the release of his new line of hot sauce, 600 Degrees, to go with his latest project, 6lack drops off a quick combo to celebrate his birthday before getting back to working on his third full-length album. After a positive reception for lead single “Float,” it looks like he may already have another hit on his hands.

88Glam — New Mania

Canadian hip-hop duo 88Glam was rumored to have parted ways with The Weeknd’s XO Records imprint earlier this year, but that didn’t stop them from going ahead with the release their latest mixtape — which will now be self-released, while their album Close To Heaven Far From God is delayed. With 19 tracks and only one feature, they have plenty of space to show what they can do.

Bankrol Hayden — Pain Is Temporary

Newcomer Bankrol Hayden is just 18 years old but already has a generous buzz behind breakout single “Costa Rica,” as well as some impressive cosigns on his upcoming Atlantic Records debut, Pain Is Temporary. Lil Baby, Luh Kel, Polo G, and The Kid Laroi all appear on the 11-track project, which he’s fastidiously promoted on his otherwise bare-bones social profiles.

IDK — IDK And Friends 2

Despite promising that his last IDK & Friends project would be his — well, last, IDK once again gathered up a few of his nearest and dearest for a quick hitter of raucous production and blazing, beat-’em-up raps. This time around, he’s recruited ASAP Ferg, Denzel Curry, Juicy J, Maxo Kream, Rico Nasty, Wale, and more for the EP, which doubles as a soundtrack to Kevin Durant’s Basketball County: Something In The Water documentary.

MIKE — Weight Of The World

The Earl Sweatshirt associate — who’s received heavy buzz in the past two for his affiliation despite his heavily underground sound and independent status — already released his latest album earlier this week, but it’s exactly the type of project that merits highlighting after the fact, even in a preview column. Earl appears here on the last track, but the focus is MIKE, his dense, heady raps, and the sparse, lo-fi production by DJ Blackpower.

Reuben Vincent — Boy Meets World

9th Wonder protege Reuben Vincent has been signed to the North Carolina producer’s Jamla Records since he was in high school. The time was well spent. Working under fellow Jamla signees GQ, Heather Victoria, and Rapsody has afforded the still-teenaged rapper a wealth of experience and development, producing a sound, work ethic, and worldly wisdom far beyond his years.

Yungeen Ace — Don Dada

It’s a wonder Yungeen Ace is still alive. The Jacksonville, Florida rapper was the survivor of a 2018 shooting that killed three men, including his brother, after serving a year in prison. However, he was able to parlay his fearsome past and emotive, melodic delivery into a rather sizable, regional buzz, which has afforded him a lifestyle diametrically opposed to his upbringing — one he clearly enjoys a bunch, judging by his social media posts. That doesn’t stop him from being “Heartbroken” on Don Dada‘s melancholy lead single.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Jennifer Aniston stars in The Morning Show. Lisa Kudrow is on Space Force (and The Comeback is an eternally underrated classic). Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc have all had their own shows, ranging from the good (Cougar Town) to the bad (Mr. Sunshine) to the Joey (Joey). Of the Central Perk gang, David Schwimmer has probably had the least exciting post-Friends career, although his 30 Rock episode is a classic and it was fun when he said “Juice” a lot on American Crime Story. But now he’s starring in a new show for NBC’s upcoming streaming service, Peacock.

Intelligence is a workplace comedy “set in the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters — a kind of weedier, geekier, more bureaucratic version of MI5 and MI6, where they tackle international and domestic Cyber Crime from a desktop. When a pompous maverick NSA agent Jerry Bernstein (Schwimmer) comes over from the U.S. to join the team, he enlists an inept and tactless computer analyst Joseph (Nick Mohammed) in a power grab that threatens to disrupt the team’s ability to combat cyber terrorism,” according to Peacock (it’s fun to say “according to Peacock”).

Intelligence, which was also created by Mohammed, debuts on July 15 on Peacock. You can watch the first trailer above.

Stumbling into a really good bottle of Irish whiskey at an accessible price range isn’t too difficult in the U.S…. yet. But as Irish whiskey becomes more and more ubiquitous on liquor store shelves, the chance for confusion as to what is and what isn’t tasty is increasing. That’s why you have us.

Speaking personally, I have a deep love for Irish whiskey. In fact, I’d say I prefer it to bourbon. Sorry Kentucky, I hope you’ll forgive me. The beauty of Irish whiskey is in the refinement of the triple distilling and the practice of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casking. For me, those flavors hit notes I deeply enjoy — brighter and lighter than bourbon’s honeyed sweetness.

The ten bottles below are all standouts in the $30 to $50 price range. Obviously, some of them are preferred to others — I ride-or-die for Redbreast — but they’re all perfectly drinkable, excellent value, and are readily available for delivery.

Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Eire Born Spirits, Old Bushmills Distillery, Ulster
Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

Conor McGregor’s tipple is not without controversy. That’s built into the brand of McGregor himself, at the end of the day. The juice here is a blend of 100 Irish whiskeys under the supervision of master distiller David Elder, who McGregor lured away from Guinness. Ex-bourbon barrels are used for the finish.

Tasting Notes:

This is a lighter dram, with a note of bourbon vanilla and oak on the nose. There are hints of orchard fruit alongside a bit of butterscotch alcohol burn. This isn’t the best sipper of the bunch but makes for a great mixing whiskey for cocktails or highballs.

Powers Gold Label

ABV: 43.2%
Distillery: Irish Distillers, Midleton (Pernod Ricard)
Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

Powers has a long, deep line of solid Irish whiskey expressions and this is the gateway to that label (and, I’d argue, the gateway to Irish whiskey overall). The bottle is made from a blend of single pot and grain whiskeys produced at the famed Midleton Distillery in County Cork.

Tasting Notes:

Wildflowers and honey with a sense of cereals greet you. There’s sourdough bread essence with salted butter and lots of jam. A mild alcohol warmth comes through the florals, fruits, and sour grains on the short finish.

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Irish Distillers, Midleton (Pernod Ricard)
Average Price: $37

The Whiskey:

Jameson aged in stout casks feels like the best possible finishing technique there is for Irish whiskey. Jameson sends used whiskey casks to Eight Degrees Brewing where they age their stout in them. Then those casks are sent back to Jameson so they can finish their whiskey in those same casks for an additional six months.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bit of a bourbon vanilla creaminess up front that lends itself to a bolder nose. The taste ebbs into dark chocolate, more vanilla, and a bit of spice. There’s a whisper of creamy stout on the end but it’s really the whiskey flavors themselves that shine through.

Roe & Co. Irish Whiskey

ABV: 45%
Distillery: Roe & Co. Distillery, Dublin (Diageo)
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Speaking of stout, Roe & Co. is the Diageo distillery built on the grounds of the Guinness Brewery in Dublin. The juice in the bottles is a blend of grain and malt whiskeys that are aged in former bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a creamy spicy pudding sense with a clear note of oak up top. Tart apples baked in cinnamon-spiked brandy lead towards a baked bread maltiness. The finish is long and keeps the spice, tart, and sweetness all toying with the senses.

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey

ABV: 46%
Distillery: Teeling Distillery, Dublin
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Teeling is the craft distillery that brought distilling back to Dublin after a century of quiet. The juice in this expression is unique in that it’s first aged using bourbon but then goes into Central American rum barrels, adding a new dimension to the tipple.

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey almost has a Tennessee whiskey feel to it with a note of banana and vanilla on the nose. There are hints of citrus next to dark spices as a hint of coconut milk rushes through the palate. Finally, the sip lingers as the fruit and sweetness fade, leaving a bit of oaky spice.

Tullamore D.E.W. Aged 12 Years

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Tullamore Distillery, Tullamore (William Grant & Sons)
Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This is a classic Irish whiskey expression. The juice is a blend of single malt, grain, and single pot still whiskeys that have been aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

Bourbon vanilla and fruit orchard florals dance together on the nose. The sip has a note of herbals and nuttiness that leads back towards a plummy vanilla essence. The end lingers as hints of spice warm the senses and a tiny wisp of smoke finishes things off.

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey Original

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Cooley Distillery, Cooley (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $47

The Whiskey:

If you love peaty scotch, then this is going to be your jam. This single malt uses malts dried over heavy peat fires to imbue a real sense of smokiness into the dram. The juice is still triple distilled and is then mellowed in former bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Yes, you’re going to get smokiness from the get-go alongside wildflowers and a little bit of barrel char touched by honey. The charred bitterness leans towards dark chocolate as the honey rises to the top of the palate. In the end, it’s the peat and honey that win the day as the taste slowly fades out.

Egan’s Vintage Grain

ABV: 46%
Distillery: P. & H. Egan Ltd, Tullamore
Average Price: $48

The Whiskey:

This is a new Irish whiskey operation that’s a heritage brand, or reopening, much like Teeling above. The juice is still being sourced for these bottles. But the single grain expression inside is quality whiskey that’s aged for at least eight years in ex-bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Single grains are a bit lighter than more robust blends. This one has a clear sense of orchard fruit and vanilla upfront, not unlike a young bourbon. Fruit, spice, vanilla, and a hint of malty sweetness carries the easy-drinking sip towards a short end with a note of barrel and a bit of alcohol warmth.

Bushmills Single Malt Aged 10 Years

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Old Bushmills Distillery, Bushmills (Casa Cuervo)
Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This Irish single malt is classically rendered. The mash is triple distilled in old copper pot stills before aging in mostly ex-bourbon barrels (though ex-sherry is used too). The end result is a masterful expression of Irish whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

Tart apples, fatty walnuts, over-ripe bananas, and a hint of bourbon vanilla lead the way. There’s an even spiciness that’s supported by a honey sweetness as the nuts, florals, and fruits mingle on the tongue. A bit of malt and oak come in late and linger as the sip fades out.

Redbreast Aged 12 Years

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Irish Distillers, Midleton (Pernod Ricard)
Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

This is a little above the $50 mark but 100 percent worth the extra couple of dollars. The juice is a mix of malted and unmalted barley that’s triple distilled in old copper pot stills. The juice is then transferred to both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for over a decade before they come together to make this exemplary expression.

Tasting Notes:

Soda bread baked with orange zest arrives first. Christmas spices in a candied-fruit-filled fruit cake mix with a vanilla pudding creaminess. The sip takes its time to fade out, as all of those spices, vanilla, and fruit fade away — tempered by the oakiness and malt.

Last week, country group Lady Antebellum announced they would be altering their band’s name to Lady A in order to sever problematic connotations with the Civil War era. The shift sparked brief backlash as the band’s newly-minted moniker was already being used by a Black gospel singer, but Lady A apologized and has reached an understanding with the singer. Now, iconic country trio Dixie Chicks are following suit and have elected to alter their name to The Chicks, sharing a protest anthem to announce their title change.

Upon deciding to change their name, The Chicks were faced with a similar situation as Lady A. There is already a group that makes music under the band name. However, unlike Lady A, The Chicks were aware of this issue and reached out to the New Zealand duo of the same name. In a statement given to Pitchfork, The Chicks thanked their New Zealand counterparts:

“A sincere and heartfelt thank you goes out to ‘The Chicks’ of NZ for their gracious gesture in allowing us to share their name. We are honored to co-exist together in the world with these exceptionally talented sisters. Chicks Rock!”

The Chicks, who are gearing up for the release of their comeback album Gaslighter, shared the track “March March” in tandem with their name change. The single aims to inspire fans to use their voice, and their vote, to make a difference. “Tell the ol’ boys in the white bread lobby / What they can and can’t do with their bodies,” they sing.

The Chicks’ name change has already been represented on the group’s Wikipedia page, as well as all of their social media handles. The reasoning behind the band’s title change is likely similar to that of Lady A’s. The term “dixie” was originally derived from the Mason-Dixon line and referred to the collection of Southern states that used to form the Confederacy. The term has since evolved to have connections to racism and white supremacy, as many Southern Democrats severed their ties with the Democratic Party and adopted the label Dixiecrat in the late 1940s in opposition to extending civil rights to people of color. While Dixiecrats are by no means an official party, the term “dixie” maintains racist connotations.

Listen to The Chicks’ “March March” above.

With the Atlanta Hawks missing out on the NBA’s bubble league in Orlando, 22-year veteran Vince Carter has decided to officially hang it up.

In a new episode of his podcast at The Ringer, “Winging It,” Carter announced he was finally retiring. Though the circumstances — a pandemic, an injury barrage for the Hawks — are less than ideal, Carter said he takes solace knowing all of what happened was out of his control.

Few players have reinvented themselves like Carter. The Tar Heel great entered the NBA as one of the craziest athletes the league had ever seen, a potential franchise player for Toronto alongside his cousin, Tracy McGrady. After a few years with the Raptors, Carter left for the Nets, where he was a top-three player for a perennial championship contender and two time NBA finalist. Carter maintained relevance playing on solid playoff teams in Orlando and Dallas the next few years before settling in as the NBA’s favorite veteran leader.

Throughout stops in Memphis, Sacramento, and Atlanta, Carter became a sage veteran for young, rebuilding teams and a media favorite. Carter has long been seen as one of the next big TV analysts, and a bidding war between ESPN, where he’s been a frequent contributor on The Jump and Turner, which could use an upgrade on its color commentary roster, should play out before the 2020-21 season.

More than anything, Carter will be remembered for his dunks and being a good dude. It also helped that he was, you know, a very, very good basketball player — he made eight All-Star teams, two All-NBA teams, and scored nearly 26,000 points in the league. Based on longevity alone, Carter will have a case for the Hall of Fame.

After going No. 1 with Nicki Minaj on her breakout Hot Pink hit “Say So,” Doja Cat returns with another new single from her 2019 album. In the video for “Like That” featuring Gucci Mane, Doja again breaks out some smooth choreography, colorful costumes, and a dazzling, dream-like aesthetic. She also channels big Sailor Moon energy, as her performance scenes are intercut with some slick animation that transforms Doja into an anime superheroine, complete with visual references to the moon princess (20-year-old spoiler alert?) and her Sailor Soldiers.

The video arrives as a much-needed reset for Doja’s brand — one she’s become adept at employing in her relatively short time in the limelight. A few weeks ago, video surfaced of Doja participating in a video chat that some observers noted contained racist content, while at the same time an old song of hers confronting her conflicted feelings on race reappeared. The combined incidents caused fans to lash out at the young star, who made her apologies in both written and video form before lashing out herself yesterday to defend her TinyChat friends from the accusations of bigotry.

Similarly, shortly after her song “Mooo!” took off and exposed her to a new fanbase, it also exposed her to some new internet dirt detectives, who unearthed some old, offensive tweets of hers in an effort to “cancel” her newfound stardom. In that case, it again only took a fun, colorful music video to win most folks back to her side. This appears to be the new cycle of stardom in the era of social media and stans, but it looks like Doja — who now has a No. 1 record to boast — has cracked the formula to staying on top.

Watch Doja Cat’s “Like That” video featuring Gucci Mane above.

Gucci Mane is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary or Warner Music Group.

Currently, Billie Eilish has 64.8 million followers on Instagram. The amount of users she follows back is not nearly as high, though. In fact, that figure currently sits at exactly 0, as she recently unfollowed everybody she used to follow on Instagram.

On June 23, Eilish posted an Instagram Story that read, “If I am following your abuser DM ME & I will unfollow them. I support you.” Eilish later deleted the Story, with some suggesting the post was erased after users brought up that Eilish was following Chris Brown, XXXTentacion, Justin Bieber, and Ansel Elgort, all of whom have been accused of abuse (in Brown’s case, he pleaded guilty to felony assault of Rihanna). After the post, Eilish reportedly started to gradually unfollow users until her following count reached 0, where it remains now as of this post.

Following the flurry of social media activity, Eilish has not provided a public comment on the situation.

Meanwhile, Eilish hasn’t released new music in a bit, but she has remained part of the musical conversation in other ways. She and a number of other artists recently shared an open letter about police reform. Her music was also part of the inspiration for a new batch of charts from Billboard.

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Four of music’s most prominent, groundbreaking producers have teamed up to form a supergroup. 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, and Terrace Martin are veterans of the hip-hop, soul, and jazz worlds, participating in some of the most important projects and collaborating with some of the biggest names in music. Now, they have come together as Dinner Party and released their first single, the powerful and profound “Freeze Tag” with Chicago singer and producer Phoelix.

The group formed during a tour on which Martin and Glasper both participated. Martin and Washington have been friends in the LA jazz scene since high school, and 9th Wonder, despite not being a traditional musician, is connected to all three through various endeavors and mutual collaborators like Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Rapsody, and others. They’ve all collaborated in some capacity in the past, but in 2019, linked up as a group to record an entire album as Dinner Party.

Phoelix is also a producer of some reknown, helping shape the new Chicago sound of rappers like Noname and Saba, and is an accomplished vocalist as well. He contributes impactful lyrics to “Freeze Tag,” speaking to the mood of the current moment in America. “They told me put my hands up behind my head,” he croons. “I think you got the wrong one.”

Watch Dinner Party’s debut video, “Freeze Tag” featuring Phoelix, above. The seven-song Dinner Party album is due 7/10 via Sounds Of Crenshaw/Empire. You can pre-order it here.