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At the SNL50 anniversary festivities over the weekend, a lot of beloved Saturday Night Live characters returned to the show for the first time in years — including Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer’s Marty and Bobbi Mohan-Culp, who performed a memorable rendition of Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” during the concert special Friday (Feb. 14).
But in an interview with People published Monday (Feb. 17), the actress revealed that she and her duet partner weren’t initially certain whether they should incorporate the Billboard Hot 100-topping Drake diss track into the skit. “We went back and forth,” Gasteyer told the publication.
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“We were like … it’s song of the year, obviously,” she continued, referring to Dot’s recent song and record of the year wins for “Not Like Us” at the 2025 Grammys. “The thing about the Culps is they’re just trying to stay current and they want to reach their students where they are. So, song of the year.”
The fictional married couple indeed got the crowd laughing as Ferrell performed Lamar’s famous rap nearly word for word while Gasteyer sang its repeating four-note string hook opera-style. During the sketch, the Culps also put their own spins on songs by Doechii, Britney Spears, Megan Thee Stallion, Chappell Roan and more.
After finishing “Not Like Us,” the Elf star asked the crowd in character, “Are Kenny Lamar and Drake Graham in the house, by the way? Maybe you two can hug it out tonight in the name of love and fellowship.”
“We always kind of start with the premise, which is Valentine’s Day and love, and then naturally, because of the feuding, it was sort of like, you have to have the contrast,” Gasteyer added of the cover. “So, it was just fun to write, and ridiculous.”
The concert kicked off a weekend full of 50th-anniversary celebrations for Saturday Night Live, with the musical show also featuring performances from Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Ms. Lauryn Hill with Wyclef Jean, the Backstreet Boys and more. Two days later, SNL hosted a red carpet and live special, which saw Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Rachel Dratch, Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler and more all-stars return to the 30 Rock stage for skits and music, and included appearances from musicians such as Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter.
Of sliding right back into her iconic character alongside Ferrell, Gasteyer told People, “It is just the most comfortable, familiar — I wish I had better words to describe it.”
Drake is performing in Australia as part of his Anita Max Wynn Tour, and during the Monday (Feb. 17) Sydney show, a fan launched a DeMar DeRozan basketball jersey on stage, which Drake threw down in disgust.
A clip from the show went viral, which saw Drizzy performing Her Loss standout “Rich Flex.” The OVO rapper unravels the camouflage Raptors No. 10 jersey and immediately spikes the DeRozan jersey like a football after realizing whose name was on the back before getting back to the show.
DeRozan was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2009 and spent the first nine years of his career north of the border. The Compton-bred baller and Drake were tight throughout his tenure in the 6, and even appeared on the cover of Slam Magazine together in 2016.
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“No matter what, when it comes to him, he’ll forever have a friend in me and loyalty out of me because he cared,” DeRozan said of Drake in 2021 after leaving the Raptors. “He was there for me when everything was kind of going crazy.”
The relationship appeared to go sour when DeRozan made a cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video after K. Dot shouted out the hooper on the track. DeRozan also made an appearance at Lamar’s Pop Out concert on Juneteenth, where Kendrick performed “Not Like Us” for the first time live.
Even after the “NLU” cameo, DeRozan attempted to show love to Drake and play it down the middle.
“We love Drake, we always can play him,” he said during an interview last summer. “Kendrick been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while. We’re from the same city, we grew up damn near in the same neighborhood … It’s always been there. It hasn’t always been publicized, but, you know, that’s basically family.”
Drake wasn’t going for it and blasted DeRozan along with the idea of the franchise ever retiring his No. 10 during a Toronto Raptors broadcast in November. “Unfortunately we’re playing this goof tonight,” he said at the time. “If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.”
The Sacramento Kings star brushed Drake’s comments off during a postgame presser. “He’s going to have a long way to climb,” DeRozan quipped. “Tell him good luck.”
G-Eazy is entering a new chapter and finds himself rediscovering who he is with new music on the way. He talks about finding a kindred spirit with Demi Lovato, working with Britney Spears, his upcoming tour and more!
Are you excited for G-Eazy’s return? Let us know in the comments!
Michael Saponara:You guys ready to play a little Beat the Buzzer? So in this game, jeez, he’s gonna have 60 seconds and to answer as many questions as he can in rapid fire style. I think he’s ready for it.
G-Eazy:Let’s go.
Oakland or New York City?
Man, it’s always gonna be Oakland, but I do love living in New York.
Blonde or brunette? Both.
Kanye or Jay-Z?
Both. Watch the Throne.
LiAngelo or Lonzo Ball?
Oh, man, LiAngelo, man. He got that song going. That song is really good. I’ll say … I would say him, yeah. I mean, if Lonzo played more, yeah, but like, you know, it’s tough.
You’re going with Gelo.
The best ability is availability.
Right. Jalen Brunson or Steph Curry?
Steph all day. Come on, man.
Airbnb or hotels?
Hotels. I’m banned from Airbnb.
Recording at home or in the studio?
I’ll often like, record at home, get an idea done, and then like, like, cut it through in the studio.
Bacon, egg and cheese or chop cheese?
Sausage, egg and cheese.
‘90s or 2000s?
Oh, man, 2000s.
All right, vanilla or chocolate?
I’m a vanilla baby.
Shout-out, missionary Jack. I had a few questions. I had about “Freak Show” I wanted to get into. You talked about being raised by ‘Pac, Amy, Bob Dylan, Jay-Z and Wayne. I know you have a record with Wayne already, but out of the other ones, if you could choose to collaborate with any of those, who would you have gone with?
Keep watching for more!
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It looks like Travis Scott is once again in a legal pickle as he’s just been hit with a new lawsuit from a man claiming to have had hands put on him by Cactus Jack’s personal security.
According to TMZ, Omar Muhanna is suing Travis Scott after he says that one of his security guards “violently injured him” near a concert venue in which La Flame was performing at in Manhattan back in August, 17, 2024. In the lawsuit Muhanna claims that he did nothing to provoke the security guard to put hands on him that left him with “serious and permanent injuries.” Though we don’t know the extent of the injuries he’s suffered, Muhanna felt it was enough to bring a case against the “Highest In The Room” rapper.
Per TMZ:
A rep for Travis tells TMZ … Travis was not present because he was inside a restaurant and the alleged incident happened outside.
The suit doesn’t allege Travis did anything wrong here other than hiring a security company that employed the security guard at the center of the dispute … and Travis’ reps are blasting the lawsuit as “frivolous.”
Muhanna claims the security guard has a “propensity for the type of behavior” that resulted in his alleged injuries. He says Travis never should have hired the guy and he’s seeking damages.
We’re not trying to choose sides on this one but suing someone for hiring someone else seems like a bit of a stretch even if that hire left you in life-long pain, but hey, to each his own.
Naturally Travis Scott’s team is denying any responsibility for the incident and is hoping to get the charges against the popular rapper dismissed. Whether or not they’ll be successful in their attempt remains to be seen.
What do y’all think of Omar Muhanna’s lawsuit against Travis Scott? Should Travis have to pay for something one of his security guards did to the victim in this case? Is the lawsuit a bit of a stretch? Should Jordan Brand finally release any of those dope Air Jordan IV’s that they made for Travis Scott and his fam? Let us know in the comments section below.
Back in 2018, Paul Simon performed the final show of what he called his farewell tour. The gig at Queens’ Flushing Meadows Corona Park in September 2018 came after Simon, 83, revealed that he was suffering from significant hearing loss, a situation that ramped-up significantly during the sessions for the singer’s 2023 song cycle, Seven Psalms.
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“Quite suddenly, I lost most of the hearing in my left ear, and nobody has an explanation for it,” he said at the time. “So everything became more difficult.” Simon said he thought the issue wold “pass” or “repair itself,” though it did not and he conceded back then that he would likely never tour again.
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Then, surprisingly, there Simon was on Sunday night (Feb. 16) opening the three-plus hour SNL50 Celebration special singing a duet with Sabrina Carpenter on his song “Homeward Bound.” And on Tuesday (Feb. 18), Simon announced that he’s hitting the road this spring and summer for a run of North American dates on the “A Quiet Celebration Tour.”
The shows that will have the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer playing multiple nights in a row in most cities, and it’s slated to kick off on April 4 at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans, followed by stops in Austin, TX, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Dallas, Nashville, Milwaukee, Chicago, Toronto, Vienna, VA, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Long Beach, CA, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver before winding down with three shows at Benaroya Hall in Seattle; see the announcement poster here.
The gigs in smaller rooms than Simon has typically played, will allow the singer to perform the songs from Seven Psalms live for the first time. According to a release, the settings are “in intimate venues where the acoustics are optimal in consideration of the severe hearing loss that he incurred over the last few years.”
A presale for select shows on the tour will kick off on Thursday (Feb. 20) at 10 a.m. local time, with a public on-sale slated for Friday (Feb. 21) at 10 a.m. local time here.
Check out the dates for Paul Simon’s 2025 A Quiet Celebration North American tour below:
April 4 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger TheaterApril 5 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger TheaterApril 8 – Austin, TX @ Bass Concert HallApril 10 – Austin, TX @ Bass Concert HallApril 11 – Austin, TX @ Bass Concert HallApril 14 – Denver, CO @ Paramount TheatreApril 16 – Denver, CO @ Paramount TheatreApril 17 – Denver, CO @ Paramount TheatreApril 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum TheatreApril 22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum TheatreApril 23 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum TheatreApril 26 – Kansas City, MO @ Midland TheatreApril 28 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel TheatreApril 29 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel TheatreMay 7 – Dallas, TX @ AT&T Performing Arts CenterMay 8 – Dallas, TX @ AT&T Performing Arts CenterMay 11 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman AuditoriumMay 13 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman AuditoriumMay 14 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman AuditoriumMay 17 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside TheaterMay 18 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside TheaterMay 21 – Chicago, IL @ Symphony CenterMay 23 – Chicago, IL @ Symphony CenterMay 24 – Chicago, IL @ Symphony CenterMay 27 – Toronto, ON @ Massey HallMay 29 – Toronto, ON @ Massey HallMay 30 – Toronto, ON @ Massey HallJune 6 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf TrapJune 7 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf TrapJune 10 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center, Wang TheatreJune 12 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center, Wang TheatreJune 13 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center, Wang TheatreJune 16 – New York, NY @ Beacon TheaterJune 18 – New York, NY @ Beacon TheaterJune 20 – New York, NY @ Beacon TheaterJune 21 – New York, NY @ Beacon TheaterJune 23 – New York, NY @ Beacon TheaterJune 26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of MusicJune 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of MusicJune 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of MusicJuly 7 – Long Beach, CA @ Terrace Theater, Long Beach Performing Arts CenterJuly 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Disney HallJuly 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Disney HallJuly 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Disney HallJuly 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Disney HallJuly 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Disney HallJuly 19 – San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony HallJuly 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony HallJuly 22 – San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony HallJuly 25 – Vancouver, BC @ The OrpheumJuly 26 – Vancouver, BC @ The OrpheumJuly 28 – Vancouver, BC @ The OrpheumJuly 31 – Seattle, WA @ Benaroya HallAugust 2 – Seattle, WA @ Benaroya HallAugust 3 – Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall
Kendrick Lamar takes over the top 10 of the Hot 100, but will he hit No. 1 again? Tetris Kelly: The Grammys followed by the Super Bowl see some influence on the charts. This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated Feb. 22. SZA and Kendrick are up to 10, “Pink Pony […]
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Source: TheStewartofNY / Getty / Tom Hanks
Hit dogs are hollering on social media after Tom Hanks put on a MAGA hat to portray a racist Donald Trump supporter during a skit on SNL 50.
Tom Hanks is feeling the wrath of MAGA Republicans for what they are saying is a “racist and disgusting” portrayal of Trump supporters on Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) 50th-anniversary special.
For the special, NBC spun the block on some of the more popular sketches, including “Black Jeopardy,” featuring Kenan Thompson, Leslie Jones, Eddie Murphy, and Tom Hanks.
For the hilarious skit, Hanks brought back his character Doug, an accurate depiction of Donald Trump’s core base of supporters who have no clue about what is going on in America outside of the right-wing echo chamber.
The Forrest Gump star first portrayed Doug in 2016 during Felon 47’s first failed presidency. In that original skit, he pointed out the differences and similarities between those who proudly support Orange Mussolini and those who give him the middle finger every chance they get.
In this new skit, Doug is the only white contestant on Black Jeopardy and refuses to shake hands with Kenan Thompson’s character, Darnell Hayes, before reluctantly agreeing to complete the gesture.
MAGA world took it as an insult, basically crying that it’s wrong to label the group of people who are proudly rallying behind immigrants being rounded up and deported and an administration on a mission to remove all DEI policies geared towards evening the playing field for Black and Brown people to “make America great again.”
Social media has been sipping on MAGA rage tears over the skit because Tom Hanks nailed the performance.
Welp.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
3. Nailed it.
5. We’ll wait
6. Never forget
7. So delicious
10. He sure does
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Chelsea Reject, a talented rapper out of New York who has worked alongside several underground acts such as the sprawling Beast Coast collective and others, has died. A GoFundMe for Chelsea Reject has been established by her partner to help with the costs of funeral services.
Chelsea Reject, real name Chelsea Alexander, as seen in The Express Tribune, worked alongside the likes of Mick Jenkins, Kota The Friend, Dirty Sanchez 47 of the Pro Era collective, CJ Fly, also of Pro Era fame, Joey BadA$$, AKTHESAVIOR of The Underachievers, and Raz Fresco among other underground notables.
Hip-Hop Wired has featured the Brooklyn native’s music in our CRT FRSH (Certified Fresh) playlist music roundup in times past. Reject’s last recorded project, Rogue alongside former Pro Era member T’Nah, was released in August of 2024. She also featured on Mahogany Jones’ “GO (Ma$terPiece Remix 2)” last year.
T’Nah shared a loving post in honor of CR via Instagram that we’ll share below in the gallery:
Haha we were so enthused and ready and everything was gonna change this year. She was my battery pack – we were JUST about to get back in the gym next this week. She would love that some of yall been in the gym on her behalf. Keep going. It’ll help.
Gon be so hard. To muster up the energy without you Chelsea. But yea. Not gonna take anything you taught me for granted!!!!
As seen in the Tribute piece, CR’s partner, Brian Harris, established a GoFundMe that, of this writing, has raised over 85% of its $15,000 goal.
To show your support for Chelsea Reject’s family, please follow this link. Keep scrolling to see some of CR’s past collaborators and recording partners share their condolences.
May Chelsea Reject rest powerfully in peace.
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Photo: Getty
With the NBA All-Star Game returning to The Bay Area for the first time since 2000, Saweetie — a proud Bay Area native — is booked and busy throughout the weekend’s festivities.
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Saweetie shined as part of DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! Bay Area celebration during the NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 16) alongside fellow Bay dignitaries like E-40, Too Short and En Vogue.
A day earlier, while wearing a flashy top made of metallic keys, Saweetie rocked Chase Freedom’s Cashback Courts with a 20-minute set of hits from “My Type” to “ICY GRL” and “Best Friend.” Hundreds of San Francisco fans filled the City View Metreon with many little girls representing younger versions of Saweetie in the audience gawking at their hero.
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“I love that I’m able to reach out to girls who are able to identify with me because I remember what it felt like looking up to some of my favorite artists and finding a common denominator and making it that much closer to them,” she tells Billboard in her green room following the performance. “I love seeing my Filipina queens and princesses. It always feels like a magical moment.”
With the calendar turning to 2025, Saweetie says she still has her sights on finally dropping her long-awaited, much-delayed debut album. “Yeah, it’s coming this year,” she promises. “I feel like it will really encompass who I’ve grown into over these past couple of years. Lots of stories to tell.”
Elsewhere in our conversation, Saweetie recalled working with Sabrina Carpenter in 2019 on “I Can’t Stop Me,” whom she championed a “magical woman” and detailed the full-circle moment of collaborating with LL COOL J for his The Force album last year as her mom once starred in one of his videos.
Check out the rest of our All-Star Weekend interview with the rapper who touches on her hopes for more acting roles, getting the Jill Scott co-sign and why she can’t stop playing Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off.”
It’s dope to see a lot of the little girls that look up to you out here. To live that out is cool. Are you used to that?
It always feels like the first time because you never know what kinda response you’re gonna get when you come out.
What’s it like partnering with Chase and having it come full-circle with The Bay having All-Star Weekend for the first time in forever?
Lots of full-circle moments because I’m from The Bay and participating in such a global activation is phenomenal. We just had rehearsals this morning and it felt like a surreal moment. And to be part of the Chase Cashback Courts is another full-circle moment too because I had a college card with Chase. It was my first debit card. I opened it on my own and went into the bank and sat and did the whole process myself. Lot of full-circle moments happening in my life right now so this whole weekend feels surreal.
Your bank account’s looking a little different nowadays I think.
Very different.
What’s next for you musically?
Me and OhGeesy just dropped. I love collaborating with West Coast artists. I was in Africa for some time and I did some collaborations out there, one with ODUMODUBLVCK. It’s nice to tap into different communities. I can see myself more international with my features this year.
How was linking up with LL Cool J?
That was so amazing. You know my mom was in her video? I think “Luv U Better.” All these full-circle moments. I showed him. That was really cool too, and the video was super hot. His team felt like family and it’s nice to be welcomed by a fellow icon. You never know how those moments are gonna go, but it was so much fun.
Another one is a throwback with Sabrina Carpenter. How did that come together?
She’s always been a magical woman. When we did our collaboration, we met and she’s full of light, talent and energy so to see her blossom into something bigger than life has been such a joy to see this past year.
I think you’re the only rapper she’s ever worked with.
Oh, wow! Well, shout-out to her — we gotta do something else.
How was getting the Jill Scott sample cleared? Did you end up talking to her?
Absolutely, she is such an icon. It took some time and I had to work for it. I’m happy that we’re here now and I’m able to gladly say that she blessed me with an opportunity to make something into my own and I’m really grateful for that.
You had a cameo in BMF — more acting on the way? What’s the dream role for Saweetie?
A lot of more acting. I want to play something with action — like sci-fi/action. Something fantasy. Like a superhero or supervillain.
How many Saweetie meals did you eat at McDonald’s?
I lost count. I’m happy you liked my concoctions.
What’s your favorite Zaytoven beat?
Personally, my song “Expensive.” I don’t think it made streaming platforms, but I remember falling in love with that beat to write over it so effortlessly.
Why is your Instagram profile picture Stewie Griffin giving the middle finger?
That’s my mood. It’s facetious.
What’s one song you’re rocking with right now?
I’m telling you this, if you’re in my car and “TV Off” comes on you’re getting a full performance. The volume is high — it gets a little crazy, so put your seatbelt on.
ROSÉ isn’t slowing down any time soon. Just over two months after she dropped her debut solo album, the BLACKPINK star revealed that her girl group also has new music coming out soon in a new interview with The Cut published Tuesday (Feb. 18), in which the Aussie performer also opened up about her relationship with collaborator Bruno Mars and her thoughts on K-pop trainees needing therapy.
Fans already knew that BLACKPINK was heading for a comeback in 2025, with the group announcing earlier this month that a world tour was imminent. But in the new interview, ROSÉ went another step further and confirmed that the band will soon have fresh songs to perform once they take the stage, telling the publication straightforwardly, “We will be coming out with new music soon.”
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Of the group’s reunion, the “Toxic Till The End” singer added, “We just knew there was no reason for us to stop it, right? As much as we all needed some time to go out and explore and be our own people, we still have business left to do. We’ve got to do some more damage.”
Whenever the new music does drop, it’ll follow 2022’s Billboard 200-topper Born Pink. After touring the album across the world throughout 2023, ROSÉ and bandmates LISA, JENNIE and JISOO temporarily paused group activities to focus on solo projects for about a year.
And in ROSÉ’s case, that year “off” has seen her drop her first-ever solo LP, rosie, featuring Billboard Global 200 No. 1 single “APT.” with Bruno Mars, with whom the “On the Ground” artist says she’s grown “very close.”
Detailing how the Silk Sonic star helped her finish rosie track “Number One Girl” when she was struggling, ROSÉ shared one of the most valuable lessons she’s learned from Mars: You can’t rush the songwriting process, no matter how much you might want to. “I’d always feel like, ‘It’s my fault, I should have an idea by this time,’ or, ‘Maybe I’m just not good enough,’” she told the publication.
“Bruno showed me that, as a creative, you have to listen to your intuition and your timing, and you’re allowed to trust in it,” she continued of her duet partner. “I’ve become more confident in what feels right to me and in doing whatever it takes to have that come to life.”
But before she was a chart-topping soloist or part of the world’s biggest girl group, ROSÉ was a teenager training for future superstardom at YG Entertainment. While reflecting on her career start, she shared her thoughts on whether young signees should have built-in access to therapy as K-pop trainees — echoing what Ariana Grande recently said about young stars needing counseling in their record label contracts.
“Oh yes, please,” ROSÉ said of the idea for mandatory mental health resources. “I think toward the end of my training, there was. But now if I were to do an academy, I’d give them a therapist. Once a week.”
See ROSÉ for The Cut below: