No, No, No Pt. 2 | T-Squared Social | The Naked Pig | Bedford Falls | YouTube Rabbithole
What’s Up @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is No, No, No Pt. 2 by Destiny’s Child featuring Wycelf Jean. It was on in the background at one of these fine drinking establishments.
SideNote: My favorite Wyclef Jean song is Sweetest Girl, love that tune, it sounds like a spring song.
No, No, No Pt. 2 was Destiny’s Child’s debut single so this was a huge deal in music history. In November of 1997, it debuted at #69 on the US Billboard Hot 100 before peaking at #3 in March of 1998. This version of Destiny’s Child was comprised of LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, and of course, Beyoncé Knowles. Queen B was only a princess at this point as she was only 16 years old when this song came out. The R&B girls sang soulfully since they were kids in Houston, Texas, and their group was originally called Girl’s Tyme before rebranding to Destiny’s Child. (Source: Billboard)
I’m unsure if they were in a jeep, but the first time Kelly Rowland heard herself on the radio was in 1998. The 4 girls were driving around to pick up Beyoncé’s younger sister, Solange, from school. Rowland told Radio.com, “We were like, 'Oh my God, Oh my God! We started running around the courtyard at Solange's school and she hops out of the school and is like, 'Why are y'all embarrassing me?’” Then once Solange heard it, she started dancing along with them, “It was a beautiful moment. We were just really happy." That’s a pretty cool story I read on SongFacts.
I promise there will be no bit of Tomfoolery going on under these lyrics. Beyoncé is of course married to Jay-Z and we at Week to Week Notes do not want to piss off the King of New York Hip-Hop in any way, shape, or form.
In this song, “no” really means “yes.” Women do be confusing the hell outta men sometimes. Especially in ‘24, that’s why we watch sports and drink proper pints. I’m going to shut the hell up now, but this reminds me of that Bill Burr bit so I’ll leave the comedians link and say less.
Imagine Jay-Z heard this song and was like “Shit, I gotta make the Blueprint.” You know what Week to Week Notes says, beside every good man is a greater woman. (Or partner, you know what I mean, don’t cancel me please.) Women do be motivating men since the beginning of time. By the way, the couple didn’t meet until Beyoncé was 18 and didn’t start to date until she was 19. Glad we got that sorted. (Souce: In Style)
Destiny’s Child was destined for stardom no matter what, but having Wyclef Jean on this track certainly may have helped. He had already been working in the Fugees for nearly a decade before so he was a bit more established at this point in the 90s.
Great tune! There is a Pt. 1 of this that’s a bit more soulful and without the beat, which is smoove.
On to the pints…
#GuinnessChallengeSeason
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, whom I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
Song On In The Background: No, No, No Pt. 2 by Destiny’s Child
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Daniel is the bartender. Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake own the bar, where the name comes from. Very cool golf clubs hanging on the walls. A bevvy of space, this place has a great modern feel but still a laid-back atmosphere with sports on every TV. It’s also located a few blocks from Times Square which also works with the name too. Behind the bar are shelves filled with awesome NY sports memorabilia. Sweet chili cauliflower and quesadilla are recommended. They have a T-2 Club. Frose and Lilly Blue cocktails are recommended as well. They have bowling alleys, golf simulators, and darts. Plenty of room for activities.
We at Week to Week Notes of course give honest assessments of Guinness. I can’t be swayed by stardom. All a man really has is his integrity, which is why if either Tiger or JT gives us a bit of an endorsement we may have to review this with a possible .5 bonus point or more. I’ll even bring a Guinness glass to perform the Guinness Challenge. Their people will talk to my people and hopefully, we can make it happen. Doubt it, but I mean it is the greatest golfer of all time and the Prince of Pop. Just putting it out there. After a round of golf down at Albany in the Bahamas, Tiger and JT started talking business that builds upon their passions. Boom, T-Squared was born. The two stars love competition, gaming, and sports so this place makes all the sense in the world. Between the great music they had on in the background like No, No, No Pt. to all the sorts of entertainment this place has to offer, it was easy to see their vision. Tiger & Timerblake are also partnered with NEXUS Luxury Collection along with Howard Milstein’s 8AM Golf. Awesome spot, I’ll check with our commish but could be a cool spot for the Rooster Cup Draft if we don’t have a locked-in place just yet. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at T-Squared again!
Song On In The Background: Too Good by Drake ft. Rihanna
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Gissel is the bartender. Big brunch spot. Bottomless unlimited drinks for $27 going on today. Cheddar biscuit Benedict and waffle sandwich are recommended. The Carmel French toast looks tasty as well. It’s In The Bag cocktail has a nice Instagramable presentation for the Swifties. Their fall special is the Kiwi Cucumber spritz. The Shrine of Pigs on the walls is pretty cool. The Ohio State and Penn State game is on TV. “A Guinness a day” poster behind the bar. It’s Halloween time and they have a ton of pig skeleton decorations. Cool stuff.
I can’t believe I just used “Their people can talk to my people” in regards to Tiger and JT. Does anybody want to pretend to be my agent? The Naked Pig is inspired by the owner’s summers spent at their grandmother’s farm in Ireland. She was said to be very quiet but witty. One day they passed a litter of pigs and she dryly remarked, would you look at those naked pigs? I had a grandmother from Ireland who was also pretty witty and don’t even get me started on great-grandma Nancy G! The Naked Pig was very lively with a cozy feel to the place. Located in the heart of Midtown East, it’s a great after-work spot for the weekdays and has an unbeatable brunch atmosphere on the weekends. It would be a great spot for corporate events or just a night out with the lads & ladies. I can also attest that they show sports. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at The Naked Pig again!
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: New York Sack Exchange on the brick wall. Mets retired numbers also up too. Bedford Falls is of course the town in the Christmas Classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.” I love that movie, might be in my top 10 of all time, and if you don’t like it or haven’t seen it don’t talk cinema. Very cozy and homey feel to this pub. Jonathan is the bartender. Beer Garden in the back, they also have a nice back room set up. Picture of Apollo Creed on the wall. (RIP Carl Weathers)
Since ‘15, Bedford Falls has been a neighborhood bar located in the Upper East Side. It would defintiely be the type of bar that George and Clarence would hang out at. Despite being such a homey place, they somehow have 20 TVs in there to watch sports. When I was there they had the College Football sound on with a ton of college football fans watching. You have a place to watch a ball game. An area in the back where you can dine or have a party. I’m sure their beer garden attracts plenty of people as well in the spring. They are 3 blocks away from the Saint Patrick’s Day parade so I’m sure they’ll have plenty of people drinking pints of Guinness in a few weeks. It’s A Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie and my favorite black&white film so if you haven’t sat down to see it, please don’t talk cinema. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at Bedford Falls again!