Wisconsin

Backstage with Yung Gravy at State Fair: His new album, his time in Madison and his friendship with Shania Twain

Published

1 year ago

August 4, 2024

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Backstage with Yung Gravy at State Fair: His new album, his time in Madison and his friendship with Shania Twain

It was only a matter of time before an artist with “Gravy” in his name would take a detour down an old country road.

Rapper Yung Gravy (aka Matthew Hauri) dropped his new album, “Serving Country,” Aug. 2 and headlined the Wisconsin State Fair’s Main Stage the next day.

It was a homecoming of sorts for the tongue-in-cheek rapper. He’s a University of Wisconsin-Madison alum who hails from our neighbor to the west, Minnesota.

“It feels great. It feels greaaat,” Gravy told the Journal Sentinel as he lifted up a Spotted Cow, his drink of choice at the show. “I miss this place. The weather’s great in the summer. I wish we were here longer.”

Gravy and his crew were off to Sioux City, Iowa, early Sunday morning for another show later that night.

A newly-injured wrist didn’t stop Gravy grooving across the stage and throwing out goodies to an energetic audience (More on that later). And, a handful of attendees reciprocated … by throwing their bras on stage.

We caught up with Gravy in a backstage trailer post-show to talk about his new album sprinkled with some of country music’s biggest names, his time in Madison and more.

Why did Yung Gravy release a country-inspired album?

Essentially, Gravy was inspired by country music and his friends in that world, including queen of country pop Shania Twain, HARDY and Shaboozey, he said.

“Everything that I enjoyed about Nashville, the south, I kind of combined it and put it on this project,” he said. “I wanted to try something new.”

That “something new” was originally going to be a country-ish EP with three or four songs “because of Shania Twain.” But, after diving in, the project turned into an entire 14-song album that took a year and a half to write.

“I actually did try pretty hard on the album and I learned a whole new genre and how to sing and all this stuff,” Gravy said. “It’s not country. It’s not rap. It’s Gravy with some seasoning.”

“A lot of true stories” made the album, he said, like actually being arrested in Georgia, which he’s openly spoken about before.

“I don’t know what the definition of country is, but I rap about real life things that I do and I’m using instruments that are, you know, common to country music,” Gravy said.

With a lot of references to his exes on the tracks, he wanted to clarify that some of that was “a bit dramatized.” The cheating that happened to him was back when he was in 10th grade.

“Keep this as evidence, that my more-recent exes — whether they pissed me off or not — they didn’t cheat on me.”

Yung Gravy on working with Shania Twain, Zac Brown

One of the big-time country artists featured on “Serving Country” is Twain, a five-time Grammy Award winner and the legend behind hits like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”

Her song with Gravy is an ode to the hard seltzer people love or love to hate on: White Claw.

After “randomly” meeting Twain — and thinking she was a good looking “older than myself” woman — the unlikely duo would go on to make “a lot of music” together, Gravy said.

Gravy also bonded with Twain’s husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, who’s become like “a father figure” to him.

“It’s very actually wholesome,” Gravy said.

The family even invited Gravy to Geneva, Switzerland, around Christmastime to go skiing, Gravy shared, but he couldn’t make it due to a family obligation.

When Gravy made an Instagram post about his new album earlier this week, Twain gushed with support:

“The gravy to my fries and cheese curds 😜😂 Congratulations on a fantastic album @yunggravy !! 😘” she commented.

Gravy’s buddy is the one who connected him with Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band because he thought the two of them would get along. He was right.

Gravy said Brown invited him over for a sleepover at his place They wrote four or five songs, two of which made the album: “My Garage (with Zac Brown)” and “Love You For Leavin’ (with Zac Brown). Plus, Gravy’s song “Clementine” samples the Zac Brown Band’s wildly popular “Chicken Fried.”

Gravy’s album also has songs with Brantley Gilbert, Juicy J and Dylan Marlowe.

Is Yung Gravy permanently going country?

While Gravy’s had “so much fun” putting “Serving Country” together, he said it’s simply an “excursion.”

He compared it to the “detour” he took as Baby Gravy with bbno$, which ended up becoming “one of the biggest parts” of his career thus far.

“You never know what’s going to happen with something new you try,” he said. “And, we’ll see. But, I guarantee there’s at least going to be a pretty big deluxe version.”

Yung Gravy’s Wisconsin State Fair audience was the first to hear one of his new songs live

While Gravy’s been previewing some of his new country-flaired songs at shows, his Wisconsin State Fair audience was the first that got to hear him play “Cop a Truck” live.

“It felt really good when they were excited, felt dumb when I forgot the words, but overall it was great because the love was there,” Gravy said. “Honestly, I had a fear about some of the singles that maybe they didn’t love ’em. But, when we played ‘Clementine’ and ‘Lone Ranger’ — and a number of other songs that aren’t even singles — the love was crazy.”

It was. One bra hit the stage. Then, another. And, another. Gravy’s become known for donating them to women’s shelters.

And, the love was mutual.

Before Gravy hit the stage, Tiiiiiiiiiip — the DJ for Gravy — threw out Zebra Cakes. Once the show got going, Gravy and his crew threw out dozens of water bottles to the crowd. At another point, he signed lunchables and launched those out, too. Oh, and also cereal.

This was all done with a bum wrist, which posed as an inconvenience to him at times. He sat on his wrist weird for hours during his flight in, he said, and could barely move it. A makeshift splint — made out of food tongs and gauze — supported it during the show.

During said show, Gravy took his audience down a winding road of his greatest hits — including “Oops!” “Betty (Get Money)” and “Gravy Train” — and many of his new tracks. And, along the way, he had lots of chats —some funny, some heartfelt — with his fans.

And yes, he pulled his signature move: Tossing out red roses at the end. One lucky lady walked away with two souvenirs: The final rose — she jumped around in circles after snagging it — and a cereal box.

After all these gestures, Gravy’s audience was probably left wondering: What are we?

Yung Gravy’s favorite things about Wisconsin and his former hangouts

“The people, the lakes, the food — and I’m not going to say the cheese ’cause that’s obvious,” he said. “The attitude of people.”

During his first week in Madison, Gravy recalled opening up a box of Captain Crunch at a party at 7 a.m. and “some dude” pouring a full beer into it as a substitute for milk.

He questioned it — and the guy got mad at him, he said.

“He was like, ‘What do you mean milk?’” Gravy recalled. “I just love the energy. Love Wisconsin.”

He could “go on for days” about his favorite Madtown hangouts, including Nitty Gritty, The Double U, State Street Brats, Mondays and the “beautiful” Ivory Room Piano Bar.

“There are a lot of great bars there,” he said.

When Gravy spent a summer in Brew City, Oakland Gyros and Bradford Beach were two of his go-tos.

He made sure to give a shout-out to “Andy,” a gentleman who used to throw parties all the time in “that little rich neighborhood” up from the beach.

Yung Gravy maps out where he made music in Madison

While a student at UW-Madison, Gravy started rapping. He wrote his first two tapes when he lived on Gerry Court in the “sophomore slums,” he said.

He uploaded his first Yung Gravy EP to SoundCloud in 2016, according to a previous Journal Sentinel report. Most of his recording in those days was done at a house by Mifflin Street, he said.

When Gravy was living at the Palisade Apartments, he started “popping off.”

Before graduating in December 2017, he signed a deal with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records (the label behind Taylor Swift, the Weeknd and other A-listers).

“(Wisconsin is) a big part of my life,” Gravy said. “I wouldn’t be the same without it.”

Where you can listen to Yung Gravy’s ‘Serving Country’

You can find “Serving Country” pretty much wherever you listen to music, including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

When Yung Gravy will be bringing his ‘Grits & Gravy’ tour back to Wisconsin, where else to catch it

When Gravy travels, he said, he’s very proud to rep the Great Lake States, including Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“The Great Lake States are the best and I’ll never change my mind about that,” he said.

Gravy will return to Wisconsin on Sept. 5 to play the La Crosse Center. Other Midwest shows will include the Radius Chicago on Oct. 10, The Fillmore Detroit on Oct. 12 and The Armory in Minneapolis on Nov. 29.

He’ll also be taking the tour overseas to Europe, including stops in Germany, Poland and France.

A full list of his tour stops can be found at yunggravy.com/tour.

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Wisconsin

What Curt Cignetti Said After Indiana Football’s 31-7 Win vs Wisconsin

Published

33 minutes ago

November 15, 2025

Press Room

What Curt Cignetti Said After Indiana Football’s 31-7 Win vs Wisconsin

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti met with the media after the No. 2 Hoosiers (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) took a 31-7 win over Wisconsin (3-7, 1-6 Big Ten) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Here’s what Cignetti said in his 11-minute press conference, with the transcript courtesy of ASAP Sports.

CURT CIGNETTI: Sixth game in a row at the end of the year and it showed, I thought, in the first half. We looked kind of tired and a little bit lethargic. But I do give Wisconsin credit for playing with a lot of energy, winning at halftime.

What’s always worked for me in these situations and worked today again is instead of going in there and kind of rip-snorting at halftime, just telling everybody to take a deep breath, relax, have fun, go out there and play one play at a time.

I thought we played a good second half, and we had a lot of great individual performances. It’s our 11th win in a row, one more than last year and one more than this staff had the year prior to that.

But it will be great to enter an off-week now and get the players some rest. The coaches too, really, the assistant coaches. I may even adjust what I normally do. We don’t do much on off weeks, just stay sharp. But we need some rest.

We’ve got to get some guys back. Got a lot of guys out there playing that are banged up, and we’ve got to get healed up as good as possible.

Questions?

Q. When you took over, you talked about making Memorial Stadium a more formidable place to play. How important has that been to your transformation as a program?

CURT CIGNETTI: Oh, I think our crowd — our fans are the best in America. I know everybody says that that’s got it going and packs the house, but I love our fans. I know where we started and where we are now, and they are over the top. I can’t say enough good things about them.

We feed off of their energy. I really think that us playing at home is at least a 14-point advantage.

Q. Number one, just kind of what’s up with Mikail? It seemed like he started and had to come out for something injury-wise. Number two, you talk about the bye; especially in a season where guys are going to understand what you’re chasing at 11-0, how much is the mental rest as much as the physical rest valuable at this time of year?

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, it’s huge, and Mikail Kamara has been dealing with kind of a shoulder nerve stinger issue, which is pretty common for a football player. Those things tend to show up a lot more this time of year, a culmination of all the banging.

We have seven, eight guys in that same boat. But Kamara’s had been a lingering issue, and he’s another guy that needs rest and needs to get away.

Q. Obviously Fernando Mendoza, “Heismandoza” as everybody has been calling him, sets the record, touchdowns in a single season. Your thoughts on him getting to that level?

CURT CIGNETTI: I can’t say enough about the job that he has done in terms of dedicating himself to the process of improvement and that Chandler Whitmer has done also in accelerating his development. He’s come such a long way since we got him from Cal.

But I still think that he’s barely scratched the surface of his potential. I think that much of him.

He’s a little bit new to the position, really, when you look at him and his background and growing up in terms of his opportunities to get snaps in whether it was junior high or high school even.

I thought he was great today, 22 of 24, four touchdowns, broke the school record for touchdown passes, 30, and of course that’s a team effort. It doesn’t happen all by yourself.

But I thought he was very poised. Very poised, yeah.

Q. Can you talk about the execution on both sides of the ball? You had one penalty, no turnovers, that type of execution, to sustain that?

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, and I think we’re No. 1 in the country in turnover ratio, if I’m not mistaken, which leads to points. It’s huge. Penalties to an absolute minimum. 1 in 30 is our goal on offense, defense and special teams. Now, they only had one, also. Look at the tape, and you never know, we may have our hands outside every other play, I don’t know.

But we talk about that a lot. Before you win a game, you can’t lose a game. How do you lose a game? You lose a game by turning the ball over, pre-snap penalties, undisciplined penalties, right? Like 4th down, for instance, today; you think I liked punting the ball 4th and 1, 4th and 3 in minus territory? I didn’t like it at all. But the way that game was going today in the first half, the only way you lose that game is if you start to do things that are not good football decisions, and they backfire on you because they weren’t going to score that many points on us.

But I’ve been proud of our team all year long in terms of the discipline. Got to keep it going.

Q. Coach, you talked last week that you kind of let Penn State hang around. Was there a point in this game, especially after that fumble and scoring a touchdown that you stepped on their neck and started to put them out of striking distance?

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, I thought the second half was really clean. Final score was 31-7, and it was 10-7 at halftime, so we won the second half 21-0. It was a little bit of a different first half for sure. I don’t think anybody was really satisfied. It is one of the things I talked to the team about this week and before the game was playing four quarters because I didn’t feel like we did that the week prior.

Q. You just mentioned the offense was much more effective in the second half. In the first half were they doing things that you didn’t expect or was it more about execution? What changes did you make at halftime to kind of get it going?

CURT CIGNETTI: Well, you know, I think sometimes it’s just the momentum of the game. They get the ball first, and they haven’t been scoring a lot of points, but they go on an eight-minute drive, convert a couple 3rd downs, and you just don’t have that many opportunities. Then all of a sudden in the second half we get the opening drive and we go down and score a touchdown and the place is rocking, we’re getting the momentum, and next thing you know we’re getting a turnover on defense, great field position, another touchdown.

Sometimes momentum plays and circumstances of the game play a lot into it rather than the Xs and Os. You may run the same play in the second half three times that you ran three times in the first half and all of a sudden you do it better in the second half because guys are doing their job and doing it better.

Q. You said instead of going into half and ripping them a little bit, you eased up a little bit. I don’t think you were being sarcastic, but is that a lesson you’ve had to learn throughout your career?

CURT CIGNETTI: It’s just something that worked for me I think my second year at IUP too. I remember we were playing a team that had set the record for losses in a row. This team was 12-1 at the end of the regular — really good football team that I had. At home, 7-7, halftime, and it was just, hit me, and I’ve done that ever since, and it’s always worked.

Q. This core group of seniors that’s played such a big role the last two years, how bittersweet was it to see them play their potentially last game as an IU player here?

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, it’s hard for me to look at it that way because we all understand what we’ve accomplished together and what’s down the road. We don’t know for a fact that it is our last game here at home. We hope it is. It’s kind of weird to say; I get it.

We’ll see what happens. We’ve got a rival game coming up in two weeks, and then hopefully we’ll see what happens after that.

Q. Today when the Wisconsin player got hurt and was down for quite a while, you gathered your entire team around. What were you saying to the entire team in that moment?

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, that’s another one that I’ve learned from through the years. We’ve had a couple of those. The great news is this particular individual has feelings in his extremities. They’re going to continue to test. But I had a couple football teams that had big leads and were in that same situation, and after that ended up losing. They happened later in the game, too, late in the game.

It’s hard there because you’re not trying to be callous; you’re not separating the football from the human element. We prayed — first thing we did was we took a knee and we prayed. Then we kind of refocused everybody for the game. It’s great to hear the positive news up to this point on that individual, the running back from Maryland.

Q. You promised a winning program and suggested you could turn this town from a basketball town into a football town. What does that mean to you?

CURT CIGNETTI: Well, I don’t know if it’s like a basketball town to a football town. I don’t know what it is, but like this staff, a lot of us have been together a long time, and we’ve got a pretty good track record, and we just came here and the same things kind of happened, even more so. I think it’s got everybody’s attention because it’s a bigger stage.

I think I mentioned this last week. When you look at my journey and all the things and the changes in college football, it all kind of came together. Like the transfer portal — this doesn’t happen 10 years ago. A big reason this happens is because we’re in free agency right now, and a big part of my training was not only coaching but being a GM or recruiting coordinator or evaluator.

It’s really hard for me to step back sometimes and think about what we’ve accomplished here. But it takes people, the right coaches and the right players in the locker room, properly led, and got to have a blueprint plan, standards, expectations, and just improve daily and create the right mindset, and we’ve been fortunate to have great people.

The head coach and the quarterback get too much credit and too much blame, but it’s been fun, and let’s have more fun.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s Underrated City For Shopping Is A Quaint Spot With Tasty Eats Near Milwaukee – Islands

Published

19 hours ago

November 14, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin’s Underrated City For Shopping Is A Quaint Spot With Tasty Eats Near Milwaukee – Islands

From nature-rich retreats like Antigo to vibrant, artsy cities, there’s plenty to discover across the Badger State. And Whitewater, an under-the-radar town with a population of around 15,700 people and home to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is undoubtedly one of Wisconsin’s best gems. Tucked just a few miles outside Kettle Moraine State Forest, one of Wisconsin’s most scenic landscapes, Whitewater is brimming with charm, and it’s perfect for travelers seeking a scenic getaway filled with local shops and enticing restaurants.

Located just an hour outside of Milwaukee, a lively Midwestern gem with plenty of beaches and breweries, Whitewater is a convenient addition to your Wisconsin itinerary. Fly into Dane County Regional Airport, which offers flights to many destinations across the country and is about 50 minutes from Whitewater. Alternatively, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is another option that’s around an hour away by car or an hour and a half by public transportation. You’ll find a handful of hotels in Whitewater, but consider booking a room at the highly rated Fairfield by Marriott Inn and Suites Whitewater — it offers amenities like complimentary breakfast and parking, as well as a pool.

A Wisconsin shopping destination

If you’re looking for an under-the-radar shopping destination in Wisconsin — and especially if you’re in the market for antiques — Whitewater is the place to be. For an array of clothing, jewelry, costumes, and theatrical accessories, start off your shopping haul at Reflections of the Past. For Space Age and cyber-inspired clothing from the ’60s and ’90s, head over to Stellar Vintage. The shop also hosts regular flea markets — check out the store on Instagram for updates. To peruse repurposed furniture, antiques, and other home goods, Apple Butter House is a Whitewater mainstay that’s been around since the ’70s.

The Book Teller is a hidden gem tucked into a historic city bank offering an assortment of used books and locally-made crafts. And don’t miss a stop at the Fuzzy Pig, either. Originally a barn, the space has been transformed into one of Whitewater’s top shopping destinations, as the sprawling complex houses everything from home goods to clothing. But this Whitewater institution is also so much more than a shopping destination. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can even catch some live music, and don’t skip enjoying a wood-fired pizza or sandwich from Whiney’s, the Fuzzy Pig’s restaurant and bar.

Where to eat in Whitewater

Speaking of dining, Whitewater also has plenty to love for foodies, whether you’re in the mood for American comfort classics or international cuisine. Start your day at Jessica’s Family Restaurant, a top spot in town open for breakfast and lunch, where you can find a range of cozy breakfast dishes, sandwiches, burgers, and more. Then there’s Bingg’s Farmstead Restaurant, where you’ll find globally inspired fare like Korean bulgogi and Greek gyros, as well as steak, burgers, and shared plates. Fanatico — rated a 4.8 on Google with over 1,600 reviews — is a Whitewater go-to for authentic Italian, with an array of mouthwatering pasta, chicken, and seafood dishes on the menu.

If you’re in the mood for beer on tap and a burger, head to 841 Brewhouse, one of the city’s best eateries, while travelers craving Mexican food should head to Cozumel Mexican Restaurant. Rick’s Eastside Pub and Grill is another Whitewater staple that’s been around since the ’80s, and it’s become a beloved spot for watching the game, playing darts, and enjoying a local atmosphere alongside hearty burgers, sandwiches, and specials like the “Friday Fish Fry.”

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Nov. 13, 2025

Published

2 days ago

November 14, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Nov. 13, 2025

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 13, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 13 drawing

Midday: 1-2-3

Evening: 7-9-1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 13 drawing

Midday: 8-2-4-3

Evening: 8-0-9-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Nov. 13 drawing

Midday: 03-05-09-13-14-15-16-17-18-20-22

Evening: 01-04-07-10-14-16-18-19-20-21-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Nov. 13 drawing

04-08-15-19-25

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Nov. 13 drawing

11-17-22-27-30-35, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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