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Cult Classic Comedy ‘The Wash’ To Get TV Series Reboot

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Dr Dre And Snoop Dogg In 'The Wash'

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It’s been more than two decades since the cult classic Hip-Hop comedy The Wash flopped at movie theaters, but it seems like the Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg film may get a new lease on life as a reboot is in the works.

On Friday (March 3), DJ Pooh took to Twitter to announce that The Wash would live on in this new era posting an orange The Wash water bucket and writing, “It all comes out in ‘The Wash’ Series Coming!” Well, we didn’t ask for this but now we’re curious to see who is cast to star in the series and how they’ll go about executing the comedy in the era of cancel culture.

The original film, starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, kinda bombed at the box office generating just $10 million dollars; it was made on a $7 million dollar budget. Though it was panned by critics and currently sits at an 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Wash went on to gain cult classic status as its popularity grew over the years. Aside from starring Dre and Snoop, the film boasts cameos from early 2000s Hip-Hop stars such as Eminem, Xzibit, Shaquille O’Neal and Ludacris, at a time when rappers and celebrities in films wasn’t exactly the norm yet.

Now that The Wash is experiencing a rebirth of sorts, it should be interesting to see which rappers (if any) will be partaking in the rebooted series and whether or not Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg will be involved in any capacity.

Are you looking forward to seeing The Wash as a new TV series, or do you think they should’ve just left the film alone? Let us know in the comments section below.

DJ Envy Disputes Angela Yee’s “Only Woman” On ‘The Breakfast Club’ Claim

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2022 InvestFest

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Months after departing The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee did an interview with Tamron Hall where she talked about her experience as one of the co-hosts of the popular morning show. 

“I was the only woman who worked there, too; I mean when it came to producers, camera people—and it wasn’t an easy room for me to be in,” Angela Yee said around the 7:50-minute mark, per Complex. “I feel like I did need more like backup you know because even things that I felt, as a woman… somebody can’t understand your point of view because they’re not coming from where you come from. So that was hard for me too, to be the only woman there.”

However, DJ Envy–one of Yee’s fellow hosts along with Charlamagne Tha God, pushed back against her remarks saying they were “just not true,” and claimed “there are plenty of women that work behind the scenes on [The Breakfast Club].” He punctuated his comments on Instagram using the “cap” emoji. 

Envy wasn’t the only one who refuted Yee’s version of her time on the show. Rapper Lil Mama who shed tears during one of her interviews on the show in a moment that went viral also weighed in saying, “Oh PLEASE. She was up there playing foul games too,” the artist commented. “She has helped make multiple women (of color especially) feel like the only woman in that room numerous times.”

Yee eventually took to social media to address her comments writing on Twitter. “Usually, I don’t comment or go back and forth with people but there’s too much spinning. ‘In the room’ referred to the people in the studio: the producer, board op, videographer, and hosts. Yes, they are men. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t amazing women who are execs, salespeople, interns, and in other departments.”

“I’ve said this on many occasions: that it can be hard when your viewpoint is different based on your experience. I didn’t anticipate that this would cause such a firestorm. Everyone texting me “are you ok” (which I appreciate!) and I know I don’t normally take the time to overexplain because it drags things out even more but that’s all,” the radio personality tweeted.

Yee is currently the host of her own show, Way Up With Angela Yee and also told Hall that one of the benefits of being on the air by herself is that she is only responsible for her own remarks–versus those of her co-hosts. 

“Sometimes I would feel like I got it harder than [Charlamagne Tha God] did for some things that he said. And so I also want to make it clear that we’re all three individuals. You say what you say, feel how you feel, and I do too. But it’s hard because people affiliate you with the whole group.” 

Envy also addressed the comments on the air this morning shouting out women who work on the show during the “Rumor Report” segment. Looks like the split between the long time co-hosts is getting messy. 



Adele Signs a Lucky Bride’s Wedding Dress During Las Vegas Show: Watch

Dreams do come true. A bride and groom who scored tickets to a date of Adele‘s Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace got even luckier when the star took a moment during the show to congratulate them on their recent nuptials.

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The moment took place as the 34-year-old sang “When We Were Young.” While passing the couple — who were still dressed in their wedding garb, Adele said, “Did you just get married? You got married today? Congratulations!” The groom had a marker at the ready, which the “Easy on Me” singer took to sign the bottom hem of the gown.

“Weekends with Adele. My world is made – found the love of my life and this man was determined to have Adele sing at our wedding… 7 years later all our dreams came true,” the bride wrote on Instagram, sharing video from the special moment. “Thank you Adele for creating the memory of a lifetime for us.”

The groom was equally excited about the moment and shared it on his Instagram as well. “@adele please excuse my clammy hands,” he wrote. This was my most major fan girl moment lol @gababouthair #3/3/23.”

Adele also gave a subtle nod to the newlyweds on her own Instagram, sharing a photo of her exchange with them in a carousel post from “weekend 14” of her residency.

Adele is slated to perform six more dates at her Las Vegas residency, which will conclude on March 25.

See the photos and videos from the newlywed’s sweet moment below.

Katy Perry Celebrates ‘American Idol’ Birthday with Cute Throwback Pic (and Story) From Her 21st

Katy Perry celebrated American Idol‘s 21st anniversary by posting a picture from her own sweet 21. The now-38-year-old singer shared the fresh-faced pic with fans on Sunday (March 5), in which she posed makeup-free in a tan, fringed-sleeve t-shirt while smiling into the camera.

#idol is celebrating its 21st bday this year. When I turned 21 I rented a roller skating rink ? and had McDonald’s ?? “cater” along w/ 2 kegs in the middle of the rink,” Perry wrote in the caption to the backstage snap. “And two friends broke bones but we had a lot of fun (so I was told idk I had just turned 21 ??‍♀️?) anyway watch #idol rn.” The singer also encouraged her fans to let her know what they did for their 21st, if they can remember it.

Their answers were hilarious, ranging from a dinner at Olive Garden with mom and dad and a first taste of wine (with the ‘rents, anyway), to a trip to the hospital for gallbladder surgery and a pregnant woman who went to see the Ramones. There was even the tale of a Hawaiian-themed party in snow-packed Vail, Colorado in Dec. 1985 where all the guests showed up in shorts and Hawaiian shirts.

Perry has been posting up at the Idol judge’s desk since 2018 with Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan and the trio kicked off the show’s 21st season on Feb. 19; Idol airs on ABC on Sundays at 8 p.m.

Check out Perry’s post below.

Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Announce The High School Reunion Tour: See the Dates

After reuniting on their new collaboration “Don’t Text, Don’t Call,” Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa join forces for their forthcoming High School Reunion Tour. Slated to kick off July 7, the multi-city jaunt will feature West Coast staples Warren G, Too $hort and Berner with special guest DJ Drama. 

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The 33-city tour will span the nation and touchdown in various cities including Brooklyn, St. Louis, Atlanta and Houston Tickets are available now for Citi card members through Thursday, March 9, 10 p.m. ET. The general on-sale will begin Friday, March 10, at 9 am ET on ticketmaster.com.

Snoop and Wiz’s storied friendship dates back to their 2011 smash hit “Young, Wild, and Free” featuring a then-burgeoning Bruno Mars. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and resided on the duo’s Mac and Devin Go to High School soundtrack. In February, the pair teased a possible sequel for the stoner comedy with a photo posted on social media by Snoop. “High school reunion comin summer 23 @wizkhalifa,” he captioned the pic. 

As for Wiz, he will be a busy man on the road this year. Aside from his upcoming tour with Snoop, he’ll also lead the way for his headlining effort, The Good Trip Tour. The seven-date venture will feature acts such as Joey Bada$$, Smoke DZA, Berner and Chevy Woods. It’ll begin next month. 

Check out the dates for the High School Reunion Tour below. 

Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa

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2023 High School Reunion tour dates: 

  • Fri Jul 07 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
  • Sat Jul 08 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
  • Sun Jul 09 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
  • Tue Jul 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
  • Wed Jul 12 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
  • Sat Jul 15 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
  • Sun Jul 16 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis
  • Tue Jul 18 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
  • Thu Jul 20 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
  • Fri Jul 21 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago
  • Sun Jul 23 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
  • Wed Jul 26 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
  • Fri Jul 28 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
  • Sat Jul 29 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
  • Sun Jul 30 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
  • Tue Aug 01 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
  • Wed Aug 02 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
  • Fri Aug 04 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
  • Sat Aug 05 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
  • Sun Aug 06 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
  • Tue Aug 08 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
  • Wed Aug 09 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
  • Fri Aug 11 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
  • Sat Aug 12 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • Tue Aug 15 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
  • Fri Aug 18 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
  • Sat Aug 19 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
  • Sun Aug 20 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
  • Tue Aug 22 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
  • Wed Aug 23 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
  • Fri Aug 25 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
  • Sat Aug 26 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
  • Sun Aug 27 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre

The Weeknd & Ariana Grande’s ‘Die for You’ Leaps to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” bounds from No. 6 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, after Grande joined for its remix. The song reigns after it was originally released on The Weeknd’s album Starboy in 2016, before it was revived in recent months thanks in part to interaction on TikTok, which helped spark new promotion to radio and streaming services.

The team-up marks each artist’s seventh Hot 100 No. 1 – and their second together, after “Save Your Tears” led in 2021, for two weeks, also after Grande was added on a remixed version.

Plus, Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” soars onto the Hot 100 at No. 7, marking the former’s first top 10 and the latter’s sixth – and second this year, following a nearly 16-year break from the region. The collaboration is from Karol G’s new album Mañana Será Bonito, which debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the first all-Spanish-language leader by a woman in the list’s history.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated March 11, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (March 7). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s a look at the coronation for “Die for You,” which becomes the 1,146th No. 1 since the Hot 100 began in August 1958.

Airplay, streams & sales: “Die for You,” released on XO/Republic Records, drew 81.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up less than 1%) and 32.4 million streams (up 181%) and sold 14,000 (up 1,170%) Feb. 24-March 2, according to Luminate. It doubles up with the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer and Sales Gainer weekly awards.

The track blasts from No. 22 to No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart (where it becomes Grande’s fourth leader and The Weeknd’s third); debuts at No. 3 on Digital Song Sales; and holds at No. 3 on Radio Songs, after two weeks on top.

The song was originally released by The Weeknd solo in 2016 on his album Starboy, with its recent resurgence sparked by interaction on TikTok (which does not presently contribute directly to Billboard’s charts). That buzz helped lead to the song’s current promotion to radio and streaming services. On Feb. 24, the song’s remix with Grande was released, with that version and an instrumental mix, both billed as by the tandem, discounted to 69 cents through March 2. Late on March 1, an a cappella version by the pair arrived, also for 69 cents. Those versions joined The Weeknd’s original solo version and its sped-up and instrumental mixes, also priced at 69 cents during the tracking week. (The instrumental versions, one billed as by The Weeknd and the other by The Weeknd and Grande, share audio and differ only in digital artwork; they were available during the tracking week only in the acts’ webstores.)

“Die” wouldn’t: As Starboy opened atop the Billboard 200 dated Dec. 17, 2016, “Die for You” concurrently debuted at No. 43 on the Hot 100. The song spent three weeks on the chart that month (and, promoted as a single to R&B/hip-hop and rhythmic radio, reached the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts in 2017-18). It returned to the Hot 100 dated Sept. 3, 2022. In October, it reached the Hot 100’s top 40 and this January it hit the top 10. It also topped the Pop Airplay chart for two weeks and reached a new No. 2 best on Rhythmic Airplay in January-February.

The song completes the second-longest trip to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in terms of time from a debut to scaling the summit – and the longest among non-holiday songs. Notably, The Weeknd and Grande claim two of the six longest such journeys.

Most Time to No. 1 on Hot 100, from Chart Debut:
19 years, 11 months, 2 weeks, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey (2000-19; originally released in 1994, the carol ultimately first led 25 years after its release)
6 years, 2 months, 3 weeks, “Die for You,” The Weeknd & Ariana Grande (2016-23)
5 years, 8 months, 2 weeks, “When I’m With You,” Sheriff (1983-89)
4 years, 8 months, 2 weeks, “Red Red Wine,” UB40 (1984-88; the pop/reggae classic and Sheriff’s love song above were revived, in part, by adventurous radio exec Guy Zapoleon)
1 year, 2 months, “Heat Waves,” Glass Animals (2021-22)
1 year, 1 month, “Save Your Tears,” The Weeknd & Ariana Grande (2020-21)
(Additional research by Billboard senior charts and social manager Xander Zellner)

Meanwhile, “Die for You” tops the Hot 100 in its 31st total week on the tally, the fourth-longest such climb. “Heat Waves” reigned when it wrapped a record 59-week ascent.

The Weeknd & Grande’s No. 1s: The Weeknd and Grande earn a seventh Hot 100 No. 1 each. Here’s a recap of their leaders.

The Weeknd’s Hot 100 No. 1s:
“Can’t Feel My Face,” three weeks at No. 1, beginning Aug. 22, 2015
“The Hills,” six weeks, Oct. 3, 2015
“Starboy,” feat. Daft Punk, one week, Jan. 7, 2017
“Heartless,” one week, Dec. 14, 2019
“Blinding Lights,” four weeks, April 4, 2020
“Save Your Tears,” with Ariana Grande, two weeks, May 8, 2021
“Die for You,” with Grande, one week to-date, March 11, 2023

Notably, Starboy now boasts two Hot 100 leaders, as “Die for You” joins the set’s title cut after over six years – a record for the longest time between No. 1 songs both originally released on a single album.

Ariana Grande’s Hot 100 No. 1s:
“Thank U Next,” seven weeks at No. 1, beginning Nov. 17, 2018
“7 Rings,” eight weeks, Feb. 2, 2019
“Stuck With U,” with Justin Bieber, one week, May 23, 2020
“Rain on Me,” with Lady Gaga, one week, June 6, 2020
“Positions,” one week, Nov. 7, 2020
“Save Your Tears,” with The Weeknd, two weeks, May 8, 2021
“Die for You,” with The Weeknd, one week to-date, March 11, 2023

Grande simultaneously adds her milestone 20th Hot 100 top 10. “Die for You” became The Weeknd’s 16th top 10 – his first such hit was also with Grande, as their “Love Me Harder” reached No. 7 in November 2014.

Dominant duet partners: The Weeknd and Grande become the latest pair of solo acts that have teamed up for multiple Hot 100 No. 1s. Here’s a look at the acts that might want to consider making their collaborations more frequent, given their repeat success rates. (Drake and Rihanna have achieved the feat thanks to two pairings apiece.)

Acts That Have Teamed for Multiple Hot 100 No. 1s:
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande: “Save Your Tears,” 2021; “Die for You,” 2023
Drake & Future: “Way 2 Sexy” (Drake feat. Future & Young Thug), 2021; “Wait for U” (Future feat. Drake & Tems), 2022
Rihanna feat. Drake: “What’s My Name?,” 2010; “Work,” 2016
Eminem feat. Rihanna: “Love the Way You Lie,” 2010; “The Monster,” 2013-14
Nelly Furtado & Timbaland: “Promiscuous” (Furtado feat. Timbaland), 2006; “Give It to Me” (Timbaland feat. Furtado & Justin Timberlake), 2007
Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule: “I’m Real,” 2001; “Ain’t It Funny,” 2002

‘Die for You’ deconstructed: Hit Songs Deconstructed, which analyzes the compositional traits of Hot 100 top 10s, notes that despite the 2016 arrival of “Die for You,” the song “fits in with the recent uptick of synth-heavy top 10s, which doubled between 2020 and 2022 to nearly one-quarter of such songs, and the continued popularity of R&B, which has held steady in half of all top 10s over the past two years.”

Speaking of R&B …

No. 1 R&B/hip-hop: “Die for You” concurrently hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs charts, which use the same methodology as the Hot 100. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, The Weeknd adds his eighth leader and Grande achieves her first. On Hot R&B Songs, The Weeknd claims his record-extending 11th No. 1 (dating to the chart’s 2012 start) and Grande notches her first.

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” descends to No. 2 after spending its first six weeks on the Hot 100 at No. 1. Still, it tops Radio Songs for a third week, up 7% to 102.1 million in audience. It’s the first song to draw over 100 million in reach since Adele’s “Easy on Me” (101.2 million; Jan. 22, 2022) and logs the highest sum since The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” posted six such weeks (reaching a high of 114.6 million) in April-May 2020.

SZA’s “Kill Bill” slips to No. 3 on the Hot 100 after seven weeks at its No. 2 high – although it takes top Airplay Gainer honors, up 13% to 81 million in audience.

PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” retreats to No. 4 on the Hot 100 from its No. 3 best; Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” holds at No. 5, after reaching No. 3, as it leads the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart for a fourth week; and Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” backtracks 4-6, after hitting No. 3.

Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” charges onto the Hot 100 at No. 7, with 29 million streams, 4.6 million in airplay audience and 7,000 sold. The song is from Karol G’s album Mañana Será Bonito, which debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making history as the first all-Spanish-language leader by a woman.

The track is Karol G’s first Hot 100 top 10 and Shakira’s sixth – and second this year, after her and Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” debuted at its No. 9 peak in January, following her nearly 16-year absence from the region, since “Beautiful Liar,” with Beyoncé, rose to No. 3 in April 2007.

While Shakira’s lengthy break from the Hot 100’s top 10 only to return with two such hits in relatively quick succession is rare, it’s not unprecedented: Elton John went over 24 years after 1998 before revisiting the tier with “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix),” with Dua Lipa (No. 7, 2021), and “Hold Me Closer,” with Britney Spears (No. 6, 2022). Plus, Billboard deputy editor Andrew Unterberger shouts out Santana’s wait of over 28 years after 1971 before bounding back with two No. 1s in 1999-2000 – “Smooth,” featuring Rob Thomas, and “Maria Maria,” featuring The Product G&B – along with two more top 10s in 2002-03. (All such examples reflect acts teaming with artists who followed in their footsteps, capitalizing on multi-generational appeal.)

“TQG” concurrently launches at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, where it’s Karol G’s sixth leader, all since 2018, and fellow Colombian Shakira’s 13th, with her run having begun in 1998.

Elsewhere in the Hot 100’s top 10, Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” falls 7-8, after it ruled for a week in October; Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” dips 8-9, following a personal-best eight weeks at No. 1 in November-December; and Beyoncé’s “Cuff It” falls 9-10, after hitting No. 6.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated March 11), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (March 7).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

Jin Reunites With Two of His BTS Bandmates in First Instagram Post Since Enlisting in Military

There he is! Jin returned to social media over the weekend to document a visit from two of his BTS bandmates while serving his mandatory time in the South Korean military.

In the photo shared on Saturday (March 4), the K-pop idol is flanked by none other than J-Hope and Jimin as he flashes the camera a peace sign in his camouflage military fatigues. “어서와,” he captioned the snap, which translates to “Welcome” in English. While the comments were turned off on the post, J-Hope did manage to leave a number of red hearts and heart eyes emojis beneath the photo with his pals.

Jin began his military enlistment at the close of 2022 with a sweet send-off from all six of his bandmates. Since then, he’s completed basic training, and has kept ARMY updated on his time in service.

In January, he shared an uplifting video that was filmed before he left, promising he’d “be back soon,” as well as a first look at himself in uniform. (“I’m having a good time,” he captioned the slideshow, making clear he was posting with permission from the military.) Jin also surprised ARMY with a special pre-recorded video for Valentine’s Day, macarons included.

Meanwhile, J-Hope and Jimin have both kept busy with new music as the start of their own military service looms. The former enlisted J. Cole — long known as one of his favorite artists — for their new collaborative single “On the Street” in the wake of releasing his new documentary J-Hope IN THE BOX. The latter, on the other hand, scored his first hit on the Hot 100 thanks to “Vibe,” his electric team-up with TAEYANG, and is currently prepping the release of his debut solo album FACE.

See Jin’s reunion with J-Hope and Jimin below.

‘No Snowflakes’ for Kid Rock: Shows Announced With Travis Tritt, Marcus King & More

Kid Rock has announced four arena shows for 2023 as part of his No Snowflakes Tour, with each concert featuring a different special guest.

The June 23 concert at the Moody Center in Austin will feature Chris Janson, while the June 24 show at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, will feature opener Marcus King. Travis Tritt joins for Kid Rock’s set at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on July 1. A final show on July 14 at Little Caesars Arena in Kid Rock’s native Detroit will feature Grand Funk Railroad.

On social media, Janson said of the upcoming Austin, Texas concert, “This is goin to be one hell of a show!! Tickets on sale Friday and #JansonJunkies presale starts Thursday! @kidrock

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Kid Rock — real name Robert James Ritchie — is currently based in Nashville and is known for hits including “Cowboy,” “Only God Knows Why” and “Picture,” a 2002 collaboration with Sheryl Crow.

In 2022, Kid Rock earned a chart leader on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart with “We the People.” The song marked his first No. 1 on that chart, following his No. 2 hit “Don’t Tell Me How to Live,” featuring the rock band Monster Truck. “People” also topped the all-format Digital Song Sales chart, Rock Digital Song Sales chart and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, marking his first No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales and Rock Digital Song Sales charts.

In addition to music, Kid Rock is known for his conservative politics. The No Snowflakes Tour takes its name from the derogatory phrase “snowflake,” which was popularized by the 1996 novel and 1999 movie Fight Club, which includes the line to aspiring fighters: “You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.”

The term “snowflake” later took on a political nature around the time of the 2016 election of Donald Trump, who opened the musician’s 2022 tour with a video message. Kid Rock also includes the term “snowflake” in the lyrics for “Don’t Tell Me How to Live.”

See his four-show announcement below:

U.S. Visa Hike Could Be ‘Deeply Damaging’ for Touring Artists

LONDON — A proposed hike in U.S. visa fees, which could take effect as early as this November, would have a “deeply damaging” effect on touring artists from other countries by more than doubling their costs, says a leading British music industry trade group.  

The proposal from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced in early January, would raise the rates for O and P visas for working entertainers in the U.S., including musicians playing festivals, concerts or label events. 

U.K. Music, which represents the country’s recorded and live music industries, is protesting the fee hike, including a $600 “asylum program fee,” a new charge USCIS has proposed adding for U.S.-based employers, which the U.K. group says would raise total visa fees by more than four times their current levels. The trade group, which says the U.S. visa process is “already long, complex and prohibitively expensive” for many musicians, has asked British officials to lobby against the increases.

“The visa process for U.S. musicians entering the U.K. to work is far simpler and less costly,” the group says in a statement, “and we believe that this should be reciprocated by the U.S.” 

Under USCIS’s proposed new rates, a concert promoter who employs an international musician qualifying for an “O” visa to tour the U.S. would pay $1,055, rather than the current fee of $460, an increase of 129% — or 260% with the proposed $600 asylum program fee. For the “P” visa classification for touring musicians, the U.S. employer’s fee would jump from $460 to $1,015, or 121% — plus the $600 fee, which would add up to a 251% spike. 

A USCIS spokesperson tells Billboard the increases would not affect musicians themselves, but rather their U.S. employers, including promoters, club owners, labels or festival producers. International artists reps say employers are likely to pass these fee increases onto the artists — and possibly to consumers as higher-priced tickets —making it more challenging to tour crucial American concert venues. 

“It leaves our artists in a state of paralysis,” says Courtney Askew-Conti of Verdigris Management, which represents U.K. bands Hot Chip and Jungle, adding that the fee increase “feels like the final nail in the coffin” after Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The U.S. government is proposing the new fees to allow USCIS to “more fully recover operating costs for the first time in six years” and to “support the administration’s effort to rebuild the legal immigration system,” the agency’s director, Ur M. Jaddou, said in a January statement. 

“For artists who are established, it’s an annoyance,” says Michael Lambert, whose management company A Modern Way represents Idlewild, We Were Promised Jetpacks and other Scottish bands. “There will be a lot of artists in that emerging to mid-level stage that just decide that they can’t afford to do it.” 

While “some cases might be reasonable, this gigantic increase seems unreasonable,” says Rita Sostrin, a Los Angeles immigration lawyer who represents international artists trying to obtain O and P visas. “It’s just not the right way, to do this broad-brush increase for everyone.” 

The USCIS rep stresses that the fee changes are not final, and the comment period is open through March 13. “If organizations have those concerns, that’s what they should be submitting,” the spokesperson says. “This is just a proposed rule.” 

U.K. trade groups are particularly concerned about how the changes will affect artists during a period when gas prices, supply-chain issues and other lingering COVID-19 effects are making it challenging for club-and-theatre-level artists to tour international markets, including the U.S. 

For U.K. artists, the U.S. is the second-largest touring market after Europe. Even before the proposed price hikes were announced, rising costs were already leading British artists to pull U.S. shows. In April, Mercury Prize-winning rapper Little Simz cancelled an 11-date U.S. tour, citing the financial unviability of the undertaking as an independent artist. 

A survey conducted by two other U.K. trade bodies, Music Managers Forum (MMF) and the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), found that 70% of their members believe the increased visa charges would mean they could no longer afford to tour the U.S.

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Gen X and Millennials hold a special place in their heart for ’80s cartoons such as Thundercats, Transformers and Voltron, so when fan favorite Autobot, Optimus Prime, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Kids’ Choice Awards over the weekend, everyone over the age of 40 certainly approved.

According to Variety, the star of the Transformers franchise was bestowed with the lifetime honor Saturday night (March 4), for giving children and adults a lifetime of memories both in cartoon and CGI form as the Transformers film franchise has been churning out movies for the past decade and change (for better and worse). Introduced by Pete Davidson, Optimus Prime appeared on the Jumbotron to thank his fans and called for unity during his acceptance speech.

From Variety:

Optimus Prime accepted his award via prerecorded statement, presumably because the Microsoft Theater does not have doors big enough to accommodate him. “Let this award seal the bond between humans, Maximals, and Autobots,” he said, “as we fight together to protect the planet.” Celebs always go political with their speeches. It’s the Stranger Things SAG win all over again.

That’s so Optimus Prime.

Check out the pretty cool moment below and let us know if you’re still a Transformers fan or if the film series done tired you out at this point in the comments section below.