Hip-Hop
The Fugees Shine at NYC Reunion Show, Despite Ms. Lauryn Hill’s Chronic Lateness
There was obvious excitement when The Fugees announced their long-awaited reunion earlier this week, along with understandable doubt that we would finally see it happen with our own eyes. Yet we did, at a secret pop-up show on Wednesday night (September 22nd) atop New York City’s Pier 17, as the three members of the Fugees (Yes, Lauryn Hill included) put aside their differences to celebrate one of the greatest albums of all time, The Score. It was a 25-year reunion, and with the time it took for them to arrive on stage, it was truly as if Ms. Lauryn Hill was time-traveling from the year 1997. Never one to be fashionably early, Hill, along with bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, sauntered on stage almost four hours past the scheduled start time. Advertisement Related Video It was clear ...
Jenifer Smith Now Heads Urban Tour Marketing at Live Nation Concerts
Jenifer Smith has been named head of urban tour marketing & strategy at Live Nation Concerts. Smith, who oversaw the global marketing efforts for the recently announced Fugees reunion tour, will supervise the team supporting the concerts division’s roster of R&B/hip-hop tours. Among the established and rising artists that Smith will be supporting across tours and key festivals are Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Drake, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, H.E.R., Young Thug and Jack Harlow. She will also be developing and building out Live Nation’s urban tour marketing team. In a statement announcing Smith’s new executive post, Omar Al-joulani, head of talent & touring for Live Nation Concerts, said, “Whether it’s artists or our own internal team, Live Nation is always inve...
Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish & More Urge Entertainment Execs to Demand Congressional Action on Climate Change
The artists have joined forces with the NRDC Action Fund in an effort to urge the CEOs to use their voices and call on Congress to pass the most ambitious climate change plan in U.S. history this fall, President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. In a statement, Cabello — who initiated the effort along with the NRDC — said, “Climate change is threatening our communities and future — the time to act is now to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Entertainment companies have the opportunity to show leadership and push Congress to enact bold action on climate. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect our communities, create a just transition away from fossil fuels, and create millions of new jobs.” Read the full text of the letter here. Other...
The Fugees Serve Satisfying NYC Pop-Up Concert In Preparation of Reunion Tour
A live band accompanied by a suit-and-tie-clad brass section and backup singers introduced the legendary trio with an electrifying rendition of “The Score” and “How Many Mics.” Fans cheered at the sight of Wyclef and Pras but erupted after seeing Ms. Lauryn Hill make her entrance in a red ruffle dress, black circular shades and a matching pair of platform boots. The crew wasn’t going to waste any energy the raucous crowd was giving them as they trailblazed their way through “Ready or Not,” “Zealots” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The crowd’s energy amplified when the thunderous Salaam Remi-produced hit “Fu-Gee-La” caused fans to shake the ground at Pier 17 with all the jumping. Wyclef took some time...
G-Eazy on These Things Happen Too and Demi Lovato Collab: “We’re Both Complicated Human Beings”
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS G-Eazy sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about These Things Happen Too, an album that sequels his 2014 breakthrough. The rap artist talks about the 436 songs that were written for the project, E-40’s influence, and his nostalgia for the past. Advertisement Related Video He also tells us about befriending Cage The Elephant’s Matthew Shultz, who guests on a track, covering David Bowie’s “Lazarus” on last year’s Everything’s Strange Here, collaborating with Demi Lovato on Breakdown and their shared experience as artists, and teaming up with Diane Warren and Santana on “She’s Fire.” Listen to the latest episode of Kyle Mer...
R. Kelly Says He Won’t Testify at His Sex Trafficking Trial
The short defense case has relied on a handful of former Kelly employees and other associates who agreed to take the stand to try to discredit allegations that he sexually abused women, girls and boys during a 30-year musical career highlighted by the 1996 smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly.” Most of the defense witnesses said they never saw Kelly abuse anyone. One went as far to say Kelly was “chivalrous” to his girlfriends. Another admitted he owed Kelly for his break in music business and wanted to see him beat the case. By contrast, prosecutors have called dozens witnesses since the trial began in federal court in Brooklyn on Aug. 18. They included several female and two male accusers to back up allegations that Kelly used a cadre of managers, bodyguards and assistants to systematically re...
R. Kelly Unlikely to Take Stand In Sex-Trafficking Trial: Lawyer
The prosecution’s closing arguments could begin as early as Wednesday afternoon. Kelly, 54, has repeatedly denied accusations that behind the scenes of a 30-year career highlighted by his 1996 megahit “I Believe I Can Fly,” he was a sexual predator who groomed and exploited his young victims. His lawyers have portrayed the accusers as groupies seeking to take advantage of his fame. On Tuesday, accountant John Holder was among the latest former Kelly associates to testify for the defense that they never saw him torment his alleged accusers. Holder described seeing Kelly carrying around a backpack full of cash — proceeds from concerts — to take the women and girls on shopping sprees. On cross-examination, prosecutors displayed for jurors a piece of evidence suggesting Holder’s contributions ...
J. Cole Drops Surprise Music Video ‘Heaven’s EP’: Watch
Cole, 36, was a star player at Sanford High School in North Carolina and was a walk-on for the St. John’s college basketball team, but he ended up bailing on college ball to pursue music He addresses his hoop dreams on his new song, with the rap: “Like the second time I got cut from the junior varsity/Fightin’ back tears, I promised to switch gears/And said to myself “Whatever you do, you won’t do it partially.” “Heaven’s EP” is accompanied with a Simon Chasalow-directed music video, which follows Cole on a trip to Las Vegas and can be seen in full below. Expect the North Carolina native to road test the new release on his The Off-Season tour, which kicks off this Friday (Sept. 24) at FTX Arena in Miami, FL., and runs through mid-November. You Deserve to ...
T.I. Drops New Song ‘F— Em’ After Sexual Assault Case Is Dismissed
He later says, “On my life, me and my wife run this city/ Can’t snatch these stripes, we don’t care what they talking about, f— them lies.” Ahead of the release, T.I. teased a clip from the new “F— Em” music video. “As promised our official msg dropped at 1pm @worldstar GO SEE IT‼️ S/O @liljon Every storm runs outta rain ‼️,” he wrote. In a statement issued to Billboard by T.I. and Tiny’s attorney, Shawn Holley, regarding the couple’s recent legal outcome, the lawyer said, “Mr. and Mrs. Harris are pleased, but not surprised, by the District Attorney’s decision to dismiss these meritless allegations. We appreciate the DA’s careful review o...
Snoop Dogg, Crypto Expert? Rapper Claims to Run Popular NFT Twitter Account
“Shortly, as promised, I will dox from my personal account,” the tweet from @CozomoMedici read. “As my fame is considerable, the tweet will no doubt be discovered. Those who are curious to know my identity will soon know it.” The owner of the @CozomoMedici account, which is only about a month old, had been promising to reveal themselves for several days before Snoop posted his tweet on Monday. It even ran a poll inviting followers to guess the owner’s identity, though interestingly, Snoop Dogg wasn’t one of the options listed. Since launching in August, the account — named after famed Italian banker and patron of the arts Cosimo de’ Medici, whose portrait is prominently featured in @CozomoMedici’s background photo — had garnered significant interest due to its owner’s well-docu...
Little Simz Announces 2022 North American Tour Dates
British-Nigerian rapper Little Simz sounds incredible on her records, but she will blow you away live. Americans who haven’t gotten the chance to see her perform before are in luck, because Little Simz has just announced a string of tour dates in North America for later in 2022. The tour spans 10 dates in total, all of which will take place in late spring. Little Simz will kick off the trek in Portland, Oregon on May 1st before stopping in major cities Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Finally, the tour will conclude on May 25th in New York City. Fans who score tickets will get to see Little Simz break out songs from her great new album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. It’s stacked with bangers like “Rollin Stone,” “Woman,” and...
Fugees Announce Reunion Tour
Ready or not, here they come: Fugees are reuniting for their first shows together in 15 years. The seminal hip-hop group of Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel have announced a 12-city international tour to celebrate the silver anniversary of their landmark album, 1996’s The Score. The first concert takes place tomorrow night (!) — September 22nd — at an undisclosed location in New York City. Further shows are scheduled in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Miami, as well as in France, the UK, Nigeria, and Ghana. “The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention,” Ms. Lauryn Hill said in a statement. “I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who apprecia...
