LINKED UP 103

The 30 Best Years Rappers Have Ever Had, Ranked

Kendrick Lamar’s career-redefining 2024 is among the greatest runs in hip-hop history. But whose résumé beats it? (The Ringer)

Chase 2024 Out the Door With This Pulling Weeds-Approved Playlist of the Year’s Best Songs

GQ columnist Chris Black compiles the music that stuck with him this year, from past column subjects Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman to Hovvdy, Doechii and Chanel Beads. (GQ)

Martha's Wreaths

Embracing spectacle, nostalgia, and magnolia leaves. (Dirt)

The Place to Be

For a few short years in the 1970s, New Times magazine punched way above its weight, tackling the big issues of the day while elevating a new generation of writers. (Air Mail)

Can You Ever Date a Person With Terrible Taste?

We’ve all dabbled in subpar aesthetics, but what happens if the person you’re dating has worse taste than a GCSE art Pinterest board? With cuffing season in full swing, Olivia Allen bares all. (Plaster)

Timeless Style Is a Lie

It will keep you confused about how to look cool. (Blackbird Spyplane)

A Vanguard of Cool Back on the Scene Again

David Bowie loved its couscous. Norman Reedus hung out there. It put avocado toast on the map. Thirty years later, and with a new book honouring it, Cafe Gitane is drawing a fresh crowd. (NYT)

How Gen Z Ruined Guinness

And the fetishisation of the mundane. (The Spectator)

The Extremely Offline Joy of the Board Game Club 

Hungry for in-person interaction, Gen Z and millennial players are joining old-fashioned chess, mahjong and backgammon groups. (NYT) 

De-Generations of London Graffiti

The story of 10FOOT, TOX and, FUME. (Juxtapoz)

Meet the 73-Year-Old Cleaning London’s Gallery Windows

For nearly three decades, Francis Lobo has been the go-to window cleaner for art galleries in London’s west end. Plaster met up with him at Pilar Corrias to find out why, and what he’s learned about the art world. (Plaster)

A Year of Los Angeles Dining

Wine bar food, the official Italian meat of 2024, and…brunch? (TASTE)

LINKED UP 102

The Year in Pop: Hits Without Stars, Stars Without Hits

Tommy Richman, Teddy Swims and Benson Boone had some of the biggest songs of the year. But Taylor Swift, Zach Bryan and Tyler, the Creator held strong without them. (NYT)

The 27 Best Rap Albums of 2024

From raw SoundCloud dumps and regional drill tapes to grown comeback records, these are the rap albums that moved Pitchfork columnist Alphonse Pierre in 2024. (Pitchfork)

RXK Nephew Rates Kanye, Chemtrails, and Hennessy  

RXK Nephew give his rating on Kanye West, Charli XCX, Thanksgiving, chemtrails and more on this edition of Over/Under. (Pitchfork)

High Vis: “Hardcore Was Always a Place to Escape”

High Vis know the world is fucked. But by melding hardcore with flourishes of post-punk and anthemic Britpop, and righteous rage with unflinching social commentary, they are giving more reasons than most to put up a fight. (Crack)

58 Jazz Luminaries Assembled for This Photo. Only One Remains

Art Kane’s Harlem 1958 gathered giants of the music. Sonny Rollins, 94, looks back at the historic picture. (NYT)

Sofia Coppola Is Launching an Imprint - and Her First Book Is a Dreamy Tribute to The Virgin Suicides

Coppola has partnered with MACK, the UK-based publisher behind Archive, to launch her own imprint: Important Flowers. (Vogue)

Tennis Reads for the Off-Season

As winter tightens its grip, a relative tennis-related depression sets in as the courts fall silent under the chill. To keep our tennis spirits high, we've asked our most obsessive tennis friends for their must-read tennis books to keep your mind in play during the off-season. (Palmes)

How Giant Robot Captured Asian America

The magazine explored Asian American culture, without dwelling too much on what that meant. (New Yorker)

On the Road: Grail Hunting Across America

Meet the Japanese vintage sellers who spend months scouring thrift stores and flea markets all over the U.S. in hopes of unearthing rare garments - which then become references for all your favourite brands. (SSENSE)

Exploring Some of London’s Next Great Independent Brands

A retail crawl of my favourite independent casual-to-formal clothing stores in London. (Sprezza)

Drake's at the Pub

A couple of pints at The Hero featuring our winter and perennial collections. (Drake's)

London’s Famous Regency Cafe Is up for Sale for £170,000

The British-Italian cafe is one of London’s most-loved restaurants. 

(The Standard)

Can Keith McNally Re-Create the Magic of Minetta Tavern in D.C.?

The New York restaurateur is expanding his empire to Union Market District. (WaPo)

How America Lost Its Taste for the Middle

TGI Fridays, Denny’s, and other restaurants in the country’s middle tier are struggling. (The Atlantic)

We Deserve Free Sparkling Water

Why more restaurants are making sparkling water free. (Eater)

This Is TASTE 508: Soy Boys, Chad Foods, and the Yassification of the Grocery Store With Snaxshot’s Andrea Hernández

Snaxshot, the curatorial and slightly mercurial grocery newsletter and community, has grown into an industry force, read by CPG executives and members of food media on a near-religious level. (TASTE)

Holy Smoke

Everyone knows the hazards of smoking, and still some members of the Erewhon set are taking up the habit. (Air Mail)

How Many Gift Guides Does a Person Need?

These days, everyone fancies themselves a curator of covetable items. Some find it exhausting. (NYT)

My Heinous Gift Guide for Sworn Enemies

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal. (¡Hola Papi!)

My Internet: Paul Skallas

The writer believes that social media and the internet have become an invisible leash for humans. (Embedded)

The New Rules of Media

20 lessons for digital media’s present and future. (One Thing)

NIKE BLAZER GLASSJAW SAMPLES

Inside Hanif Abdurraqib’s sneaker collection for Sotheby's.

MAISON KANOKOGI

Promotional shots for Tokyo-based jeweller Maison Kanokogi’s second collection.

EASTNOR CASTLE

Eastnor Castle photographed by Mark Anthony Fox for the FT's HTSI magazine. Read the full story here.

ADD TO CART

Family Style's holiday gift guide, captured entirely via iPhone 16. Check out the full selection here.

KENNEDY VINS

Illustrations by Athina Delyannis for Kennedy Vins, who have created a calendar celebrating their favourite restaurants, bars, and cafes. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A KIOSK

French newspaper kiosks might have evolved but they still play a key role in the life of Paris. And there’s one that has become a star in its own right - Le Kiosque de Paris, in front of Le Bon Marché. It’s run by the brothers Médéric and Nicolas Bogo, who are following in the footsteps of their great-grandparents, grandparents and parents. And it’s not just the line-up of titles that pulls in so many regulars - and passers-by - but also the siblings' rich knowledge about the titles that they sell and the time they take to talk to their customers.

(Via Monocle)

LINKED UP 101

May I Interest You in Le Merch?

A new Parisian start-up is bringing “Zizmorcore” to France, selling modern merch for old-school establishments. (NYT)

The Hard-Working Origins of the ‘Blue-Collar Jacket’ - and Other Workwear Classics

The humble barn jacket, chore coat and donkey jacket have all gone from functional workwear to “It-item”. As a trend, is it a betrayal of the garments' US and UK working-class roots - or does it “honour the grit and resilience” that they represent? (BBC)

Palmes’s Copenhagen Hybrid Space Merges Tennis Influences With an Industrial Aesthetic

Danish menswear label Palmes has unveiled a brand new location in Copenhagen’s vibrant Carlsberg Byen district. Dubbed, Palmes Center Court, the new-opened hybrid space spans 135 square meters, comprising an exhibition space, studio while also serving the brand’s flagship store. 

(Hypebeast)

The Internet Is Rigged Against Great Stores

Can they thrive by staying offline? A Blockbuster Spyplane Investigation. 

(Blackbird Spyplane)

The Revue: Alex Tieghi-Walker

The New York gallerist on personal style, classic design and where he’s a regular. (Drake's)

Fashion’s Last Great Weirdo

With a new store in Los Angeles, a Levi’s collaboration and a growing international presence, Kiko Kostadinov is building that rarest thing in fashion: an independent, family-run empire. (NYT)

“It Sorta Feels Like a Fresh Start for Me”: Sky Ferreira on Her New Song for Babygirl, Going Independent, and What’s Next (Vogue)

Tyler, the Creator Photographer Brick Stowell on Documenting the “Mystical” Lore of Odd Future and His Flog Gnaw Exhibit

Stowell’s show of photos and artifacts from his years shadowing Odd Future is a time machine back to one of the most heralded eras in contemporary rap. (GQ)

Inside Glokk40Spaz’s Shut-Down Homecoming Show

The Atlanta rapper rode his blistering hype into a night of pandemonium. 

(No Bells)

Cass McCombs, at the Beginning

Seed Cake on Leap Year, a collection of early recordings from the enigmatic songwriter, quietly reveals something essential about his creative instincts. (The FADER)

No One Does Ego Death Like Father John Misty

On Mahashmashana, Misty’s main-character-syndrome folk-rock uncovers shiny new pearls of wisdom. (Hearing Things)

‘Cinnamon Softcore Art Deco’? Spotify Wrapped Falls Flat for Some

The Sound Towns of 2023 have been replaced with features such as an A.I.-driven podcast about users’ listening habits and word-salad-like genre summaries. (NYT)

Piracy in the UK: The Failed War on Illegal Content 

Twenty years since the infamous ‘You Wouldn't Steal a Car’ advert, knock-off media is more rampant than ever. But can we justify our buccaneering piracy? (Huck)

When the Vans Team Went to Jail and Other Stories Told by TM’s

What happens on the trip, stays on the trip? We spoke to some TM's who know exactly what happens on the road. (Bubble)

Hanging Out With Andrew Huberman, Skateboarder Turned Neuroscientist

Curious what it would be like to hang with this guy outside of a stuffy podcast studio? Us too. (Jenkem)

Vivienne Westwood Gowns, Elvis Impersonators and Skye Gyngell Catering: Inside the Wedding of It-Couple Blondey McCoy and Jenn Murray (Vogue) 

The Whole World Has Gone Insane

The latest film by Curtis Kulig. (office)

ZEPHYR'S SCRAPBOOK

Scans from ZEPHYR's Graffiti Black Book/Scrapbook: 1978 & Beyond, published by Beyond the Streets. More info here.

(Via ANIMAL)