Keke Palmer, professional instigator and part-time spicy wing aficionado, teamed up with SZA and Issa Rae for an episode of Hot Ones Versus. This isn’t your typical “cry over chicken” episode; it’s a game of “Truth or Torture Your Taste Buds.” The rules? Spill the tea or eat a wing hotter than your ex’s new girlfriend’s Instagram selfies.
Naturally, Keke wasted no time diving into the deep end of the spice pool. Her target? SZA. Her weapon of choice? A question so bold it could’ve come with its own theme music: “Is Drake a good kisser?”
Let’s pause for a moment of context. SZA and Drake reportedly dated way back in 2009, aka the “childish” era of both their lives. While the world has moved on, Keke clearly hasn’t, and she was here to resurrect the ghost of relationships past.
SZA, realizing she was about to be roasted harder than the wings, groaned and preemptively hit Keke with a “f-ck you in advance.” (A valid response, honestly.) But Keke, ever the chaos conductor, doubled down, noting, “He must have been terrible,” when SZA hesitated to answer.
SZA, however, wasn’t about to feed into the drama (or maybe she just really didn’t want Drake texting her after the episode aired). Her solution? Munch on a wing that could probably melt a steel beam, declaring, “We were children,” before taking one for the team—and her taste buds.
But the fun didn’t stop there! Later in the game, SZA faced another scorcher: rank Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Kendrick Lamar from most to least talented. And if you thought she was going to risk the wrath of Rihanna’s Navy, Kendrick’s lyrical assassins, or Bieber’s Beliebers, think again. She gracefully opted to chomp down another wing instead, declaring they were all “equally talented.” (Diplomacy 101: Let hot sauce be your lawyer.)
Meanwhile, Keke and Issa were having the time of their lives watching SZA squirm, proving once again that the real heat wasn’t the wings—it was the questions.
Keke came for the mess, SZA dodged it like a pro, and Issa probably just came for the free wings. As for Drake’s kissing skills? Looks like that secret stays between SZA, the hot sauce, and the people who remember 2009.
