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17 Jan 2024

Vince Staples Recalls a Completely Chaotic Yet Totally Average Day in ‘The Vince Staples Show’ Trailer: Watch

How was Vince Staples‘ day?

Let’s see: He tried getting bailed out of jail, got stomped on by an amusement-park mascot, dodged bullets from a mystery shooter, shared lemon-pepper wings with Rick Ross, watched people beef with each other during a cookout and get recognized by a bank robber who started singing his song “Magic” in front of hostages. This is “just another day” in the life of the Long Beach rapper, which will be examined in the scripted comedy series The Vince Staples Show that Netflix announced on Wednesday (Jan. 17) by releasing the trailer.

Premiering Feb. 15, the five-episode limited series follows Staples as “he’s thrust into adventures while navigating life as a kind of famous, kind of rich, kind of criminal (but not really) rapper,” according to Netflix’s official site Tudum.

Vanessa Bell Calloway (Coming to America, This Is Us) and Andrea Ellsworth (#BlackAF, Gentefied) are part of the recurring cast, while Naté Jones, Arturo Castro, Scott MacArthur, Bryan Greenberg and Myles Bullock make guest appearances.

Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams, Corey Smyth and William Stefan Smith are credited as executive producers of The Vince Staples Show, while Edelman and Williams co-created with Staples. Barris co-wrote the 2023 remake of White Men Can’t Jump, which featured Staples in a supporting role. Staples also played the beloved fan-favorite recurring character Maurice in ABC’s hit sitcom Abbott Elementary, who was the best friend of Gregory Eddie (played by Tyler James Williams) and the ex-boyfriend of Janine Teagues (Qunita Brunson).

Staples previously teased that he was working on The Vince Staples Show with Barris in a 2021 interview with Interview Magazine. “We don’t have a formula yet. I just know that they’re like, ‘Do what you want to do.’ And with Dave and Atlanta, I’m trying to make sure that my thing is clear of what everyone else is doing,” he said at the time. The Ramona Park Broke My Heart MC later told Billboard that “it’s similar to the small skits I put out in 2019. That’s basically where we’re at and that’s going to be an elaboration of that.”

Watch the trailer below.



17 Jan 2024

Nick Jonas Shares Adorable Photos From Daughter Malti’s Elmo-Themed Birthday

Malti Marie Jonas is two years old! Nick Jonas took to Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 16) to share a series of sweet photos from the tot’s Elmo-themed birthday bash.

“Our little angel is 2 years old,” the Jonas Brothers star captioned the snaps, in which Malti is seen rocking red heart sunglasses, a pink tiara and a sweater dress with an adorable heart pattern. Throughout the photos, the toddler poses with mom Priyanka Chopra, as well as uncles Joe and Frankie Jonas.

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See the pictures from the birthday party here.

Jonas and Chopra announced the news of their bundle of joy, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, in January 2022. “We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate. We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family. Thank you so much,” Chopra wrote in a short note on her Instagram with a heart emoji. Jonas shared the same note on his own page.

On May 8 of that year, the couple revealed that their daughter was able to come home after spending “100 plus days” in the NICU. “Every family’s journey is unique and requires a certain level of faith, and while ours was a challenging few months, what becomes abundantly clear, in retrospect, is how precious and perfect every moment is,” Jonas wrote on Instagram. “We are overjoyed that our little girl is finally home, and just want to thank every Doctor, nurse and specialist at Rady Children’s La Jolla and Cedar Sinai, Los Angeles, who were there selflessly every step of the way. Our next chapter begins now, and our baby is truly a badass. Let’s get it M! Mommy and Daddy love you.”

17 Jan 2024

Pitchfork Hit With Layoffs, Restructuring Under GQ

Condé Nast announced on Wednesday (Jan. 17) that it is laying off staff at the music publication Pitchfork and that the website will be absorbed by another Condé title, the men’s magazine GQ.   

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Anna Wintour, Condé Nast’s chief content officer, said in an email to staff that “we are evolving our Pitchfork team structure by bringing the team into the GQ organization. This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork‘s performance and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive with the company.” 

According to the memo, Puja Patel will no longer be editor in chief after the changes; she’s been in the role since 2018.

“With these organizational changes, some of our Pitchfork colleagues will be leaving the company today,” Wintour added. “I want to thank Puja for her leadership of the title over the last five years.” 

Wintour’s email to staff — first reported by Semafor — did not say how many employees were terminated. When asked about the extent of the layoffs, a Condé Nast representative pointed Billboard back to Wintour’s memo. 

“After nearly 8 [years], mass layoffs got me,” longtime editor Jill Mapes tweeted. “Glad we could spend that time trying to make it a less dude-ish place just for GQ to end up at the helm.”

“It’s official: I was laid off from Pitchfork today, along with what appears to be half the staff,” Matthew Ismael Ruiz wrote. “While on parental leave.”

Like the tech and music industries, media has been ravaged by layoffs over the past 15 months. Axios reported last June that there were more than 17,000 cuts across media in the first five months of 2023, “the highest year-to-date [total] on record.” 

Roger Lynch, the CEO of Condé Nast, told staff in November that the company planned to cut 270 employees, or around 5% of staff. “We are prioritizing cost reductions through real estate/office space savings (for example, we are already in the process of bringing our teams in the UK together in one space), closing open roles and re-phasing certain long-term projects across the business,” he wrote. 

“However, these efforts alone won’t be enough to ensure we can continue to make the investments needed to grow our business profitably,” Lynch added. “We’ve also had to make the difficult decision to implement reductions among our dedicated teams.”

Pitchfork was founded in 1996 and grew to become one of the leading voice in indie music coverage. Condé Nast acquired it in 2015.

17 Jan 2024

Inside the ‘Road to AFRICON’ Roundtable: Executives From LVRN, YouTube, Beats by Dre & More Discuss the Future of African Music & Culture

African music has steadily been making inroads in the U.S. music market, with world music — which includes Afrobeats, K-pop and more — seeing the most growth compared to other genres according to Luminate’s 2023 year-end report that was released last week. The all-encompassing umbrella saw a 26.2% increase in U.S. on-demand audio streams, resulting in a total of 5.7 billion for the year.

Throughout the 2020s, so far, heavy-hitters like Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido have headlined stadiums, emerging superstars like Tems and CKay have earned radio smashes and skyrocketing acts like Rema and Tyla have scored Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits. Next month, the Recording Academy will give out an award in the best African music performance category for the first time, after the American Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards started giving out their own Afrobeats awards. And as much as genres like Nigeria’s Afrobeats and South Africa’s amapiano have been breaking out of the African continent, a lot more needs to be done for them to be fully integrated in the mainstream market.

Approximately 15 music executives from LVRN, YouTube, Spotify, COLORSxSTUDIOS and more — as well as creatives including filmmakers and music producers — came together at Florida’s Joy Miami Studios last Friday to discuss the future of African music and culture during a “Road to AFRICON” roundtable conversation, which was hosted by the media and entertainment brand Amplify Africa.

The hour-and-a-half-long discussion was the first pop-up event Amplify Africa hosted this year ahead of its fourth annual AFRICON, a multi-day conference and celebration of African culture, innovation and entrepreneurship held in Los Angeles that features panels discussing ways to achieve the brand’s goal of uniting the global Black diaspora as well as immersive experiences, from an all-Black marketplace to the AfroBall Gala.

Road to AFRICON 2024 Miami

Road to AFRICON 2024 Miami

Courtesy of Amplify Africa

Amplify Africa CEO/co-founder Dami Kujembola kicked off the conversation by asking about the challenges facing African artists who want to break into and thrive in international markets. Buku Ibraheem, music and culture global brand marketing manager at Beats by Dre, cited “translating their cultural impact to people who are not part of the culture. A lot of times, people who are not part of our culture, they see Black music as a monolith. They’re thinking about it through the lens of hip-hop and R&B, but Afrobeats has yet to really make sense to them,” she said.

Ibraheem argued that brands tend to focus on numbers, from artists’ Instagram followers to their TikTok engagement, and as she pitches African artists for major marketing campaigns, she’s proving that their “cultural impact supersedes that. You can’t necessarily put a number on that.” Added Adam McFarland, program manager, Black music and culture at YouTube: “The hard part is drawing a linear line from impact to culture, because it’s not a linear line. It makes sense to us because it’s a lived experience, and we’re able to quantify it based on what we’re seeing. But if it’s not your lived experience, and you’re not seeing that, then you can’t quantify that.”

Ibraheem led the launch of the 2020 Beats x AMBUSH campaign and pitched Burna Boy as the lead talent to Yoon Ahn, Korean-American fashion designer and founder/creative director of the Tokyo-inspired streetwear brand AMBUSH. “If I can prove to the company that not only can [the artists] draw awareness, but they can help us move units, then it gives them opportunity for us to do bigger launches,” she said.



Ibraheem also explained how brand partnerships should work in both parties’ favor. The November 2020 launch of Burna’s Beats x AMBUSH campaign arrived three months after the release of his fifth studio album Twice as Tall, and the clip spotlighted the track “Way Too Big.” “As a marketer, I hate using Black talent as mascots. How do you partner with talent in a real way and have them become brand ambassadors of your brand?” she said, adding that it’s more valuable for brands to “show up as an active participant” in an artist’s ecosystem, like assisting with their album rollouts, “versus just renting them out.”

Some executives compared the U.S.’ rather slow recognition of Afrobeats to the country’s gradual acceptance of one of its homegrown genres: hip-hop. Arising in the 1970s among New York’s Black, Latino and Caribbean inner-city youth, hip-hop transformed from a cultural movement into a commercially successful global phenomenon. In 2017, hip-hop became the most dominant genre in the U.S. for the first time since Nielsen Music started tracking sales in 1991. Hip-hop, which notably celebrated its 50th birthday last year, has maintained its position as the No. 1 U.S. genre since then. Similar to hip-hop’s ascent, Afrobeats has been steadily gaining traction from the global Black diaspora, and it’s only a matter of time until mainstream (read: white) audiences fully catch on.

“It took America a long time to fully give hip-hop the money that it was supposed to get. Now, hip-hop artists are cashing out. So I think it’s [up to] us [to be] a little patient, but also push forward and know that we’re going to have to kick some doors down,” said LVRN president/co-founder Tunde Balogun, whose company manages Grammy-nominated R&B stars like Summer Walker and 6lack as well as internationally renowned Nigerian acts like Davido and Spinall. “I tell my friends, my people at the labels and investment [firms], like, ‘Yo, you have to almost be willing to lose money to go into a new market and be first and really put your foot down, because you’re going to have to try some things out that other people aren’t.’”

COLORSxSTUDIOS, the Germany-based music performance platform, invested in the continent by hiring a fully local crew to work on multiple productions in Nigeria. That included Oxlade‘s viral “KU LO SA” performance in 2022 that played a pivotal role in transforming the song into a global smash, later receiving a remix from Camila Cabello. Oxlade previously told Rolling Stone that his COLORS shoot was originally supposed to be held at its main Berlin studio, but due to visa clearance issues, he was unable to travel. COLORS then flew to Lagos to shoot him as well as Ayra Starr, Victony, DBN Gogo, BNXN and more as part of its partnership with Spotify RADAR Africa, which aims to help African artists get discovered around the world and expand their audiences outside of their home markets. In his COLORS THREE SIXTY FM episode, Oxlade showed tremendous gratitude to the COLORSxSTUDIOS team — especially sound engineer Paul Lorton, whom he later tapped to mix the studio version of “KU LO SA” — for “taking out time to fly to Nigeria to come shoot Afrobeats artists. We Nigerians are forever grateful for putting us on the map.”



Jonas Weber, CEO of COLORSxSTUDIOS, explained during the “Road to AFRICON” roundtable discussion that one of the main reasons COLORS worked with Spotify on spotlighting African artists in their native continent was to avoid visa issues, like the one Oxlade ran into.

“Our studio, as many of you know, is in Berlin, and we have pop-up studios. But for us, it was always like, ‘OK, how can we be where stuff is happening?’ One of the things we believe in is you just have to be where [African music is] at,” he said, applauding the platform’s efforts in producing more “on the ground” performances. “I think our responsibility is, ‘Do we bring our own crew or do we work with local talent? How do we empower them? How does the money stay there? How do the rights stay there?’ That’s when you think of economic sustainability and making [Africa] less dependent on other continents. It’s definitely something we have always tried to commit to. For example, with Lagos, we had a full Nigerian crew. In Kenya, it was a full Kenyan crew. We don’t have to talk about it, we just have to do it. And I think if more do that, more money stays within the local hubs and more investment goes into creativity.”

Continuing to build up the infrastructure of the local African music industry to where it’s “self-sustainable,” said Amplify Africa COO/co-founder Timi Adeyeba, continues to be a long-term goal.

“The issue is we’re asking the European, American, Western world to take us in. Can we build Africa to the extent where an industry that has so much power and financial resources is going to an artist like Burna Boy first?” wondered London-based filmmaker Ade O’Adesina, who has helped artists elevate their storytelling through visual mediums and is credited as a consultant on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “Africa is going to become even bigger where we’re not begging the people on this side to take us in. It’s going to happen.”

17 Jan 2024

Shan Yichun Is Ready to Follow Her Own Path After Debut Solo Concerts & ‘Courage’ Album

On Dec. 22-23, Shan Yichun hosted her inaugural solo concert “Please Me” at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center. The tickets for the Dec. 23 performance were sold out within seconds, leading the organizers to announce an additional show on the 22nd. The fact that her debut concert was a sold-out success attests to Shan Yichun’s considerable popularity.

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Over the past three years, Yichun has amassed numerous impressive works and garnered a large following. From achieving the title of national singing competition champion to finally holding her own solo concert, this moment in time is opportune for Yichun. “Now is the perfect time for a concert. Compared to when I first debuted, my current state, including my abilities in various aspects, is more mature.”

Compared to other emerging singers who debuted around the same time, Shan Yichun is undoubtedly fortunate. She first gained acclaim on a national platform and subsequently released the critically acclaimed album Courage. In addition to appearing on various music variety shows, she has also performed theme songs for many popular TV dramas. Now, she has her own solo concert… Opportunities are always given to those who are prepared. Yichun worked hard and ultimately amazed everyone.

To reach this point today, the 22-year-old Shan Yichun has been preparing silently for a long time. From courageously stepping onto the stage of a singing competition to creating her own representative works, Yichun has gradually gained enough confidence to hold a concert that is entirely her own. In Shan Yichun’s eyes, the theme of the “Please Me” concert reflects her current true feelings — instead of pleasing the world, Shan Yichun now wants to please herself more.

“I hope that my state can be as self-consistent as possible and please myself first. This is the most important thing I want to accomplish at this stage. Because I know that my fans, family and colleagues at the record company, everyone has their own different expectations of me.”

The First Love & Attempts Are Unbreakable

In 2023, Shan Yichun encountered numerous unforgettable “firsts.” In addition to headlining her inaugural solo concert in December, she also made her debut as a special guest at Eric Chou’s concert in Shanghai in October. It marked the first instance in Shan Yichun’s life that she was featured as a guest for another vocalist. “I am genuinely honored. Eric Chou is a seasoned luminary in the realm of music, and performing with him on stage was an exceptionally memorable experience. Being a guest at his concert has provided me with a fresh perspective for my own performances.”

Singing Eric Chou’s “Unbreakable Love” in a singing competition was where many audiences first encountered Shan Yichun. From singing the song on a TV show to performing it alongside the original singer several years later, Yichun finds the “miracle of fate” quite remarkable. “‘Unbreakable Love’ is an emotional connection between me and my fans, and many of them got to know me through this song. I am grateful and cherish both my fans’ support and Eric Chou’s assistance.”

Her debut album Courage earned Shan Yichun the best new artist award at the first TME “Wave Music Awards”; this was also a unanimous affirmation from over a hundred music industry judges. “This award is a great encouragement for me because there is only one chance for a new artist award in a lifetime. I hope to make better quality music in the future and continue to uphold good music standards.”

Courage is an album in which Yichun strives to “please herself.” Singing theme songs for movies and TV shows pleases the audience of those productions, while participating in music variety shows pleases the audience of those online platforms, but only a complete concept album is what truly pleases the singer herself.

Courage has allowed Shan Yichun to understand more about the musical direction she excels in. When it comes to the style of her next album, Shan Yichun hopes to explore more diverse musical possibilities in terms of content expression.

Growing Freely, Moving Forward Together With the Audience

When participating in the competition, many viewers praised Shan Yichun’s singing voice, as if it were born with a soul. Everyone said, “Shan Yichun sings so well,” and the ethereal voice that strikes the soul is why so many fans wholeheartedly fell in love with Yichun. But in Yichun’s view, she doesn’t rely purely on her innate talent for singing. Even for the most acclaimed ballads, Yichun has undergone long periods of practice and learning to sing as well as she does now.

On Yichun’s personal Weibo, there is a tag called “#Shan Yichun’s Life Sketch#.” She will update her life segments from time to time and record some interesting life fragments. “I want to share some very beautiful moments in my life with my fans in the form of a life sketchbook. I am not someone who is particularly good at expressing love, but I just hope that I can establish some emotional connections with my fans through this method.”

Finding one’s own pace of life is important, just as Shan Yichun said to her fans in the comments section of her new single “Wonder”: “Everyone has their own rhythm; we are not in a hurry, take it slow.”

Shan Yichun once wrote a very touching message to her fans on Weibo: “Thank you for your love, which allows me to grow freely. I hope that we can always accompany each other in the future and bravely move forward together.” It is the unwavering love from the fans that supports Yichun to where she is today, allowing her to continue being herself completely. Don’t forget, the premise of “pleasing oneself” is first learning to “mutually please.”

The two-way love allows Yichun to never lose touch with her audience.

Shan Yichun

Shan Yichun

Tianyao Wang/Billboard China

–Written by Wang Jifan

17 Jan 2024

Luke Bryan, HARDY & Old Dominion Lead Washington’s 2024 Watershed Festival Lineup

Now in its 12th year, the Live Nation-backed Watershed Festival will return to Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, Aug. 2-4 for a weekend of music and camping, and boasting a lineup spearheaded by two-time CMA entertainer of the year Luke Bryan, reigning ACM artist-songwriter of the year HARDY, and current CMA vocal group of the year Old Dominion.

This year’s lineup marks a return for Bryan, who had to abruptly cancel his Watershed headlining slot last year due to illness. (Lainey Wilson had stepped into the headliner slot in Bryan’s absence last year.)

The three-day, two-stage festival will also feature performances from Maddie & Tae, The Cadillac Three, Terri Clark, Ashland Craft, Riley Green, Brian Kelley, Pecos & The Rooftops, Dee Jay Silver, Josh Ross, Dylan Scott, Cole Swindell, Zach Top and Koe Wetzel.

In addition to mainstage performers, the festival will also highlight an array of newcomers on its “Next From Nashville” stage. This year’s lineup includes Kassi Ashton, Graham Barham, Sadie Bass, Annie Bosko, Aidan Canfield, Jade Eagleson, Mae Estes, Zandi Holup, Greylan James, Meg McRee, Madeline Merlo, Meghan Patrick, Matt Schuster, Austin Williams and Jake Worthington. 

Since its inaugural year in 2012, the festival has grown to become a heralded end-of-summer bash, annually drawing nearly 30,000 music lovers to the area.

Last year, the lineup also featured headliners Keith Urban and Cody Johnson. The inaugural event, held in 2012, featured artists including Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert.

Festival passes will go on sale starting Friday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. PT at WatershedFest.com.

See the full lineup below:

17 Jan 2024

6 Men Convicted in the Murder of Rapper FBG Duck

Nearly four years since Chicago drill rapper FBG Duck was gunned down in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood, six men were found guilty of his murder by a federal jury on Wednesday (Jan. 17). The jury deliberated for two days, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

The daytime shooting took place in August 2020 when two cars pulled up and the gunmen stepped out and began opening fire around 4:26 p.m. ET, according to an incident report from the Chicago Police Department. Duck — real name: Carlton Weekly — was killed, while his girlfriend and another shopper were wounded in the attack.

Through their investigation, federal officers tied the shooting to a gang war between Duck’s Tookaville faction of the Gangster Disciples and the O Block group of the Black Disciples, the Chicago Sun Times reports. Charles “C Murda” Liggins, who was one of the alleged shooters, was found guilty on five of seven counts. The jury decided that he committed the murder, engaged in a conspiracy to murder Duck, wounded Duck’s girlfriend and used a gun in the incident. However, he was found not guilty of shooting the other shopper in the attack.

Kenneth “Kenny Mac” Roberson, one of the alleged getaway drivers, faced the same verdict as Liggins. Tacarlos “Los” Offerd, another alleged getaway driver, was found guilty of five counts; he was found not guilty of the counts for shooting Duck’s girlfriend. Marcus “Muwop” Smart, another alleged gunman, received the same verdict as Offerd. Christopher “C Thang” Thomas, another alleged shooter, was found guilty of three counts: Duck’s murder, using a gun in the murder and conspiracy to commit the murder. Ralph “Teezy” Turpin, who reportedly signaled the shooters to the location to kill Duck, was found guilty of two counts: murder and conspiracy to commit the murder.

All six men face mandatory life sentences.

“When stuff like that happens to a good person, regardless of what somebody else thinks of them, it ain’t gonna go unpunished,” the rapper’s mother, LaSheena Weekly, who was at the trial, told the Sun Times. “Knowing that they will not do that to another family brings me comfort, knowing they will not terrorize nobody else. They’re done, the whole crew. O Block and everything of it is done.”

17 Jan 2024

‘Trolls Band Together’: How to Watch & Stream Online

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The Trolls are back for another fun-filled adventure featuring singing, dancing and friendship. Trolls Band Together is the third installment in the animated franchise featuring Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick as the dynamic duo Branch and Princess Poppy. Together, the two are joined by an expanded star-studded cast including Camila Cabello, RuPaul and a highly anticipated *NSYNC reunion.

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If you weren’t able to watch it when it initially dropped in theaters, you finally have some streaming options to view every dance-inducing scene now that it’s available to purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV, as well as on DVD and Blu-ray.

Grab your karaoke microphone as Trolls 3 is officially available in a special sing-along edition to view from the comfort of your home. What can you expect this time around? When Poppy discovers Branch was once in a family boy band, she encourages him to reconnect with his brothers, but it isn’t until Branch’s older bro Floyd (Troye Sivan) is kidnapped that the two head out on an adventure to rescue him while also learning about Poppy’s long lost sister, Viva (Cabello), along the way.

Other castmembers you can expect to make an appearance include Kid Cudi, Eric André, Daveed Diggs, Zooey Deschanel, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, Zosia Mamet, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kunal Nayyar and Kenan Thompson.

Keep reading to learn how to watch the movie.

How to Watch Trolls Band Together

Trolls Band Together has yet to annonce a streaming date, but you can buy the movie in HD and standard definition on Prime Video and on DVD in Blu-ray, 4K and standard edition.

You don’t need to be a Prime member in order to buy the digital version of the movie, just click purchase and the film will automatically be digitally delivered to you to stream online at your leisure.

You can also get the movie through Apple TV, which is available on the app. You don’t need an Apple TV+ membership; just open the app or website and you’ll be able to purchase and watch it on your smart devices and TV.

Collectors can also snag the sing-along edition, which includes the 4K disc, Blu-ray DVD and a digital code to download online.

DVD cover of Trolls Band Together

Amazon

“Trolls Band Together” (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

$29.95

$39.98

25% off

$29.95

$29.95

$32.99

9% off

Check below to watch the trailer for Trolls Band Together.

17 Jan 2024

Wu-Tang Clan With Redman, Thundercat Headline National Cannabis Festival 2024 In DC

HipHopWired Featured Video

2019 National Cannabis Festival

The National Cannabis Festival, now in its eighth year, makes its triumphant return to Washington, D.C. for the upcoming 420 weekend with a pair of major headliners. Celebrated bassist Thundercat and the legendary Wu-Tang Clan alongside Redman will rock the RFK Stadium Festival Ground stages later this spring.

This year’s National Cannabis Festival lineup is the usual mix of internationally renowned stars along with local acts, while also serving as a hub of information for cannabis enthusiasts, advocates, patients, and the like. Hip-Hop Wired has attended the NCF in times past, and this is the first year that the festival will take place over two days, coupled with weeklong programming to support the NCF’s wider efforts of education and advocacy

“We’re really excited to elevate the National Cannabis Festival experience this year with our brand-new two-day format. Our core values of empowerment and education remain at the forefront, and in 2024, we’re taking things higher with an expanded lineup of exhibitors, educators, and passionate advocates championing the rights of cannabis patients and enthusiasts across the nation,” said Caroline Phillips, NCF Founder, and Executive Producer. “This year, attendees won’t just have an amazing time celebrating with the iconic Wu-Tang Clan and the incomparable Thundercat; they’ll also have the chance to dive deeper into the ever-evolving world of cannabis.”

As Phillips noted, the Festival Grounds will be packed with thousands of attendees from all walks of life, with some coming from far away to soak in the good vibes, energy, and information. The NCF team once more put together a lineup that will thrill a wide swath of listeners.

National Cannabis Festival 2024

Joining the aforementioned Thundercat and Wu-Tang Clan will be local talents such as Black Alley, one of the most talented bands across any genre. Cumbia Heights, a neo-cumbia band, will also grace the stages. Noochie Live From The Front Porch, who is rising in the ranks, is on the bill, along with the talented Dior Ashley Brown & The Filthy Animals.

National Cannabis Festival 2024

No cannabis festival is complete without some true culture vibes and Proverbs Reggae Band will be on hand to provide the backdrop. Local Go-Go music legends Backyard Band will be joined onstage by Devin The Dude. DJs Black Rave Culture and DJ Farrah Flosscett will provide sounds for the festival as well.

National Cannabis Festival 2024

Beyond music, the festival will once more host education pavilions, six in total, which will cover the topics of Wellness, Policy, Culture, Culinary, Grower’s World, and Psychedelics. Discussions will be hosted at each pavilion to educate attendees on the medicinal uses of cannabis, news on the legal front, and speak with insiders who grow and refine the product for the masses, along with much more.

National Cannabis Festival 2024

Keeping with the theme of true inclusion, the NCF will also play host to The LGBTQIA+ Lounge, the Seniors Lounge, and the Veterans Pavilion, making certain that all segments of cannabis consumers are covered, supported, and made to feel comfortable among old friends and new connections made on the grounds.

Tickets for the National Cannabis Festival start at $85 for the two-day general admission level. For Saturday (April 20) only, tickets are being sold for $55. Two-day VIP tickets start at $599 and include a gift box and entrance to NCF-connected events for the year. For VIP one-day tickets, the cost is $420.

Learn more about the festival, which also includes 420 Week, the Ultimate Weed Wedding by clicking here.

The two-day festival kicks off on April 19, 2024.

National Cannabis Festival 2024

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Photo: Getty/National Cannabis Festival/NCF

17 Jan 2024

How Did Noah Kahan Get Back to the Billboard 200’s Top 5 After 15 Months of ‘Stick Season’?

It may not officially be stick season anymore — the New England-area expression refers to the late fall, before the winter snow hits — but you certainly wouldn’t know it from looking at the Billboard charts.

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On the Billboard 200, alt-folk singer-songwriter Noah Kahan‘s Stick Season album climbs back up to No. 5, having previously hit No. 3 last June. Meanwhile, its title track climbs 18-14 on the Billboard Hot 100, resulting in a new peak for the set’s lead single, which was originally released back in August 2022.

How has Kahan continued to grow his breakout LP this long into its album cycle? And how much further should he keep trying to maximize its impact before he officially changes seasons? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. Stick Season returns to the top 5 of the Billboard 200 this week — 15 months after first debuting on the chart and six months after peaking at No. 3 with the release of its We’ll All Be Here Forever deluxe edition. What would you point to as the primary reason that the album is still doing so well this late in its run? 

Eric Renner Brown: The steady drip of remixes has kept Stick Season in the cultural consciousness, while exposing Kahan to new fanbases. Kahan’s prominence in the discourse only continues to grow, by way of his high billings on festival lineups and his December turn as Saturday Night Live‘s musical guest, putting him on the radar of still more consumers. And fall just ended – prime time for our autumnal alt-folk king.

Hannah Dailey: I can’t remember the last time another artist approached collaborations with as much consistency and volume as Noah Kahan has, but every month since September he’s been giving new life to songs from the album by inviting other musicians to duet on them – Lizzy McAlpine, Kacey Musgraves, Gracie Abrams, Hozier, and next up, Sam Fender’s remix of “Homesick,” set for Friday (Jan. 19). This draws new listeners from other fanbases into the album while keeping his own fans excited about the material.

Kyle Denis: I’d have to say it’s Noah’s commitment to working the album. A lot of his contemporaries tend to abandon albums and eras after 1-2 singles, and some of them pump out multiple LPs within a calendar year. While he’s kept a steady stream of new releases, they’ve almost all been additions to the Stick Season universe. His strategy of updating the album’s songs by way of duets with different artists is doubly effective: His core fans have another incentive to revisit the album, and listeners who may only be familiar with the featured artist have a reason to check out Stick Season. 

Lyndsey Havens: I can’t quite recall the last time an artist has done so well at staying spotlight-adjacent. It’s a fine line to walk between staying top-of-mind and over-saturation to the point of turning fans away, and Kahan has done it perfectly. Since the release of the album’s deluxe edition, he has continued to churn out clever collaborations. He’s performed on Saturday Night Live and his name keeps popping up on summer festival bills. All of that would be enough on its own, I think. But then when you also consider the time of year – winter, in many parts of the country – Stick Season was made for this moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a combination of holiday streams and the usual slow start to a new year in terms of major new releases that have helped push this album back up the chart.

Andrew Unterberger: Kahan has done the most valuable thing you can do as a singer-songwriter enjoying a breakout moment in 2024 — built a whole world around his project. Between the reissues, the remixes, the live performances, the social media posting and teasing and the coherent, specific recurring lyrical themes, Kahan has made Stick Season into something more than just an album. How many other alt-folk singer-songwriters have you ever talked about in terms of “album eras”? (Well, outside of You Know Who in 2020.)



2. The set’s title track also climbs inside the top 15 of the Hot 100 this week, reaching a new peak of No. 14 a full year and a half after its July 2022 release. Why do you think the song continues to grow, even after so many other subsequent singles from Stick Season have been released and promoted in the meantime? 

Eric Renner Brown: “Stick Season” is Stick Season‘s title track because it’s an encapsulation of the album and Kahan’s Whole Thing: The verses are intimate (and timely, given the COVID reference), the choruses are propulsive and anthemic, and, naturally, it’s about autumn. He knocked the song’s performance on Saturday Night Live out of the park, too. It’s fascinating to me that Kahan’s highest-charting Hot 100 success as lead artist is the one single he didn’t release a remix of with a famous guest.

Hannah Dailey: When a song is both catchy and well-written, there’s no limit to how far it can go. Noah is simply really talented at writing songs that stick in your brain without you getting sick of them, and that skill really shines on “Stick Season.” It also helps that the song is fairly cynical and self-deprecating, two traits that have become hugely trendy in pop lyrics as of late (as pointed out by our very own Kyle Denis).

Kyle Denis: Honestly, it’s probably the hook. Save “Dial Drunk,” there isn’t a hook as immediately arresting as the title track on Stick Season. Moreover, the song benefits from how different its sound is in comparison to the dominant sounds of the mainstream: Afropop, house music influences, Jersey club, etc. Of course, a years-long TikTok-focused marketing campaign also helped matters; Kahan first teased “Stick Season” back in 2020, finally released the track in 2022 and has continued to relentlessly promote the song even in the midst of subsequent releases. He’s been persistent in pushing the song in a way that has fostered a remarkably intimate relationship between his audience, himself and the song’s lyrics. 

Lyndsey Havens: I suppose it really is the season of the sticks right now. There are certain albums that have a cozy feel to them, and Stick Season definitely delivers – as does its title track. Yet, its genius is that it sounds just as much at home blasting from an amphitheater stage in the warmer months, too. And right now, we’re in that middle ground of wanting to nest while also looking ahead to warmer festival days.

Andrew Unterberger: “Stick Season” may have gone lightly viral back in 2022, but it never really got a full mainstream moment — not like it’s having now, with Kahan now firmly in the spotlight — and continued to plug away at streaming. So now it probably feels like a brand-new hit to a lot of people, and it’s perfectly situated to capitalize on the ground that “Dial Drunk” and its accompanying Post Malone remix broke in establishing Kahan as a top 40 proposition.

3. While many of the tracks on Stick Season have received new remixes co-starring big-name guests, its title track has not yet been so revised. If Kahan wanted to boost “Stick” to the Hot 100’s top 10, who’s an artist you’d advise him to reach out to as a new co-star? 

Eric Renner Brown: Kahan couldn’t have pulled this off earlier in the Stick Season cycle, but now that more people know who he is and he’s staked out some turf of his own: Marcus Mumford. You know you want to, Noah!

Hannah Dailey: Olivia Rodrigo!!! It feels pretty much written in the stars at this point, given how she’s already covered the song and they’ve both publicly said they want to work with each other. Besides her, I’d love to hear Noah’s voice collide with Jeremy Zucker or Bon Iver, or maybe get back in the studio with Chelsea Cutler for a “Crazier Things” sequel. I also think he could make something epic with one or all of the members of Boygenius, of whom he’s said he’s a big fan.

Kyle Denis: I think the obvious choice is Olivia Rodrigo. Her BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge cover of the song garnered millions of likes when it hit TikTok last October; I’d imagine an official duet would pull in some monster streams. 

Lyndsey Havens: Oh, it would have to be Olivia. She already knows the song, as evidenced by her cover for BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, and the two artists have made their fandom for the other clear. I’d say it’s only a matter of time. 

Andrew Unterberger: Rodrigo is no doubt the home-run choice — but if the busy (and traditionally remix-averse) Rodrigo is unavailable, how about going a little more old-school with Adult Alternative fixture Ray LaMontagne, arguably New Hampshire’s greatest musical export of the pre-Kahan 21st century? His voice would sound pretty mighty growling that chorus.



4. With the Stick Season era now being 18 months old and still gaining momentum, would you advise Kahan to keep going with its promotion and revising as long as the album continues to build its audience? Or would it be in his best interest to quit while he’s ahead in the near future and move onto what’s next? 

Eric Renner Brown: The Stick Season era may be 18 months old, but many people have been aware of Kahan for far less time than that. And many people still don’t know who he is at all! Stick Season is a juggernaut and has so many good and successful singles – I think he should continue to ride this wave for as long as he can.

Hannah Dailey: My instinct would be to move onto the next album as soon as possible, while he still has as many eyes on him as he does now. I can’t even imagine how big the hype is going to be for his next project. On the other hand, I think it’s really beautiful how committed he is to seeing Stick Season through with all of his touring, remixes, and social media activity. It shows how much he loves and believes in the album, and how genuinely he appreciates the reception it’s gotten.

Kyle Denis: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I would advise Kahan to continue doing what he’s doing. Nonetheless, if another album track isn’t showing signs of single potential by the time “Stick Season” hits its commercial peak, it might be time to start teasing music from a new project – even if it doesn’t actually materialize for another few years. 

Lyndsey Havens: I say keep going. I really do commend him (and his team) for how well they have balanced this predicament – if you can even call it that – and with festival season ahead, he should continue to lean in. But hey, if he were to toss some new music into the set I wouldn’t be mad.

Andrew Unterberger: This is always the question, isn’t it? It’s tempting to tell him to just keep extending Stick Season for as long as the weather allows, but there is something to be said long-term for pulling back before he absolutely has to, and before he gets forever pigeonholed as The Stick Season Guy. I wouldn’t mind him using 2024 as something of a quasi-gap year — closing out his Stick Season touring and writing intermittently, while maybe keeping his name out there by returning the karmic favor on a couple peer remixes and maybe dropping a one-off single or two. Then in 2025, return in full force with the proper Stick follow-up.

5. With Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan experiencing extended breakout mainstream success in back-to-back years, who’s another rootsy singer-songwriter you might expect to have a similar breakout in 2024?

Eric Renner Brown: Tyler Childers has already amassed a huge live following; he’s headlining arenas and amphitheaters this summer, including two nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden. But he hasn’t had Kahan-level crossover chart success yet – his sole Hot 100 entry, “In Your Love,” peaked at No. 43 in August, even if it did also rack up three nominations at the upcoming Grammys. Childers is a bit more traditionally country than Bryan, who draws on rock sounds, and Kahan, who channels Mumford and Lumineers vibes – but he’s prolific and could hit new heights soon with the right single. 

Hannah Dailey: It’s a band, but I think Mt. Joy could be poised to follow on Noah’s trail. Briston Maroney, too.

Kyle Denis: Yola!

Lyndsey Havens: I’m rooting for Brenn! this year. I think he is walking a similar path as Zach and Bryan, but with a touch more pop sensibility that could help sustain folk music’s resurgence while also widening the fanbase to an even younger demographic.

Andrew Unterberger: Not the boldest prediction perhaps — you can currently find his “Pretty Little Poison” just 16 spots below “Stick Season” on the Hot 100 — but Warren Zeiders seems on the precipice of something pretty major.