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Malcolm X is a revolutionary figure, and his influence still hits hard today, even in the world of Hip-Hop. Today marks 60 years since his death, and if he were still around, he’d be celebrating his 100th birthday.
His legacy is all over hip-hop, with rappers constantly referencing his name to highlight the struggles, resistance, and power of Black people. Here are five hip-hop tracks that mention the iconic revolutionary:
Public Enemy – ‘Fight the Power’
Public Enemy made Malcolm X a central figure in their anthem for social change. The lyrics shout out his name as part of a broader call to challenge the system of oppression, with his teachings resonating through the track’s rebellious tone. Public Enemy mention Malcom’s name saying, “They killed Malcolm X, they killed Doctor King (Doctor King) They gave us guns and dope, they wanna stop our kings” –
Ye (formally known as Kanye West) – ‘Good Morning’
In “Good Morning,” Kanye West pays homage to Malcolm X with the line: “I’m like the fly Malcolm X, buy any jeans necessary.” This line reflects Kanye’s confidence and individuality, channeling Malcolm’s unapologetic, self-assured attitude while challenging societal norms.
The Game – ‘Red Nation’
The Game references Malcolm X in the line: “‘Cause I’m Malcolm X before he turned Muslim, Red”
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Mortal Man’
Kendrick Lamar’s “Mortal Man” features a direct reference to Malcolm X: “When shit hit the fan, is you still a fan? / 50 million in the fire, I’m not a liar / I’m a mortal man, that’s a mortal man, the same man that is a fan of the same man / Malcolm X was a leader for the people.” This reference connects Kendrick’s own struggle for justice to Malcolm’s legacy.
Dead Prez – ‘Be Healthy’
Dead Prez references Malcolm X in the line: “Malcolm X said / You know I don’t eat no pork / I know that’s right, that’s the way I live / Don’t do drugs or mess with the pigs.” They draw from Malcolm’s message of self-care and resistance, tying it into their own philosophy of healthy living and conscious choices.
These tracks show how hip-hop continues to carry the torch of Malcolm X’s revolutionary spirit, using his words and legacy to inspire change, resistance, and empowerment.
02/21/2025
Clément Ducol and Camille have a chance to join this list for their work on Emilia Pérez.
02/21/2025
Eight years after she was forced to pull out of Rock in Rio due to severe medical issues, Lady Gaga is finally coming back to Brazil. On Friday (Feb. 21), the superstar announced a special Mayhem on the Beach performance at the capital’s Praia de Copacabana. “It’s a great honor to be asked to sing […]
Welcome to the latest Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business. There’s a full slate of personnel news this week, so let’s hop to it.
Long-time listener, first-time employee Rich Baer joined SiriusXM Holdings as the satellite radio giant’s new executive vp, general counsel and secretary, effective March 3. Baer, who replaces the retiring Patrick Donnelly, boasts over 40 years of legal and business experience, most recently serving as chief legal officer at Airbnb before hanging it up in 2023. “I failed at retirement,” he joked this week. His extensive career also includes roles as chief administrative officer and chief legal officer at Liberty Media, evp and CLO at UnitedHealth Group, and general counsel at Qwest Communications. Baer began his legal career as a homicide prosecutor in Brooklyn before leading the litigation department at a Denver law firm. He’ll report to SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz, who highlighted Baer’s background in counseling complex companies and said “his ability to navigate legal issues and balance the needs of a business will enable him to succeed here.” Witz also honored outgoing GC Patrick Donnelly, recognizing his nearly 27 years of dedicated service.
Partisan Records hired Nick Wagner as the indie label’s new chief financial officer, effective late last year. Based in NYC and reporting to president and co-founder Tim Putnam, Wagner will oversee global financial operations, strategic planning, team management and growth initiatives at Partisan, home to PJ Harvey, IDLES and more. Wagner brings extensive experience from his previous role as global vp of business operations at Endeavor, where he improved operational efficiency across the company’s portfolio. He also served as vp of finance at Warner Music Group, focusing on artist-driven growth in digital and social media. Additionally, Wagner led the North America Digital Media division at Vice Media Group, managing finance and operations for brands like Noisey and Vice.com.
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Sony Music Nashville has promoted Mallory Michaels to vice president of radio marketing & promotion. In the new role, Michaels will develop and implement strategic and tactical national radio promotion plans for rostered artists at Sony Music Nashville, supporting both Columbia Nashville and RCA Nashville imprints. Michaels will report to senior vp, radio marketing & promotion Dennis Reese. Michaels joined SMN in 2018 and previously held roles at Warner Music Nashville and Red Bow Records. –Jessica Nicholson
Mike Faul / Courtesy Photo
Dynamic Talent International appointed veteran marketer Mike Faul to lead its newly launched Brand Partnerships division. Based in New York, Faul will spearhead efforts to connect creative talent with top brands across industries like fashion, technology, luxury, lifestyle and media. The division will focus on sponsorship acquisition, co-branded content creation and immersive experiential activations, aiming to craft bespoke campaigns that amplify both brand identities and artistic expression. Faul brings extensive experience to the role, having worked with major names like YouTube, MTV, A24, The North Face and Taco Bell. In 2017, he founded Sub Rosa Curation, driving innovative marketing initiatives across sports and entertainment. Prior to that, he served as marketing manager at Bagavagabonds, curating festival programming for brands like Vans, Toyota and Anheuser-Busch. DTI, a leading talent management firm with offices in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York and Poland, is known for its forward-thinking approach in supporting artists. The firm recently celebrated Taemin’s sold-out show at the Kia Forum and announced new signings, including The Georgia Satellites and Hot 8 Brass Band. “This is an exciting opportunity to bolster what is already one of the most dynamic agencies in entertainment,” said Faul.
Legends appointed Chris Bray as president of Europe for its combined Legends and ASM Global business. Bray will oversee operations across the UK and Europe, managing venue operations and revenue generation for sports, entertainment, conventions and other industries out of the company’s office in Manchester. Previously president of Europe for ASM Global, Bray brings over 30 years of experience in commercial operations and development. Since joining ASM Global in 2022, he has driven growth, enhanced guest experiences, and sealed key contracts with venues like Utilita Arena and Olympia London. Bray also oversaw significant investments in venues, including a major glow-up for AO Arena in Manchester. Before ASM Global, he spent 15 years at Sodexo, where he boosted the firm’s Sports and Leisure division. Following Legends’ acquisition of ASM Global in August 2024, the combined company includes iconic venues like AO Arena and major football clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool. Legends CEO Dan Levy praised Bray’s leadership, adding, “With a strong presence across the UK and Europe … we’re in an incredible position to set new standards in sports and entertainment.”
Sony Music Publishing promoted Taryn Miller to vice president, IT global copyright and royalties, effective immediately. Based in Nashville, Miller will report to chief information officer Bill Starke. In her new role, she’ll oversee the development and management of SMP’s royalty and copyright systems, including the Tempo platform and client portal SCORE, while collaborating across departments on enterprise applications. With over 20 years at the company, Miller has been instrumental in advancing key systems like Tempo and SCORE. She began her career in North American Royalty Administration before becoming a Tempo migration specialist and later transitioning to the IT team, most recently serving as director, IT global administration systems. Starke praised Miller’s contributions, stating “her work has elevated our services for songwriters.”
Creative Artists Agency promoted five Elevate trainees to agent roles across its music, comedy and theatre departments. In the Music Touring group, Ethan Goldish, based in Nashville, was elevated after joining CAA in 2019 and progressing from floater to booking professional in 2022. Also in Nashville, Cam Jensen was promoted after starting as an assistant in 2022, later becoming a booking professional overseeing the Southeast club territory. In Los Angeles, Dom Valentyn was promoted to Music Touring Agent, having joined CAA in 2019 and previously working in artist management and playlist marketing. In the Comedy Touring department, Marissa Pisterzi in Los Angeles was promoted after starting at CAA in 2021, working with several agents before becoming a booking professional. In New York City, Kennedy Woodard was promoted to Agent in the Theatre department. She joined CAA in 2021 as an assistant to Justin Edbrooke and Ethan Kurtzman, and has worked closely with theatre pros to develop stage and screen projects. All five promotions reflect CAA’s commitment to nurturing talent through its Elevate program, which identifies and advances rising professionals within the agency.
Kobalt appointed Claes Uggla as general manager of Kobalt Scandinavia, overseeing operations from the Stockholm office. With over 25 years of A&R experience, Uggla has shaped the careers of many Scandinavian artists. He joins from RMV, where he worked with acts like Gustaf & Viktor Norén. Previously, at Universal Music Sweden, he licensed hits like Lukas Graham’s “Ordinary Things,” and at Sony Music Sweden, he earned a special A&R award for Alan Walker’s “Faded.” Jeannette Perez, Kobalt’s president, praised Uggla’s track record, saying his “approach to A&R, his deep connections to the creative community and his leadership skills will be an important asset to us as we continue to build upon our success in the region.”
Range Music elevated Jared Cotter to managing partner of the management company, the music division of Range Media Partners. Cotter, who joined Range in 2022 and co-manages Shaboozey, made partner last May and before that was vp of A&R for the company. Outside the Hot 100 juggernaut that is Shaboozey, Cotter manages Paul Russell, whose “Lil Boo Thang” reached No. 14 in 2023. Cotter came to Range after co-founding The Heavy Group in 2016, a management and production company where he first signed Bazzi several years ago. He also co-founded 3AM Entertainment, an indie label focusing on music from the South Asian diaspora.
Celine Hollenbeck and Jenna Akemi Kon are named partners at Carroll Guido Groffman Cohen Bar & Karalian LLP, a leading music and entertainment law firm. Hollenbeck, based in Los Angeles, and Kon, in New York, joined the firm in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Founding partner Michael Guido and Los Angeles managing partner Renee Karalian praised their dedication and industry acumen, adding that their “enthusiasm and passion for music and artistry continue to impress the firm’s clients and partners alike.” They join the firm’s growing partner group, including Paul Gutman, Ira Friedman, Leah Seymour and Dave Keady.
BOARD SHORTS: Grammy Museum Mississippi added three new members to its board: Betsy Aguzzi of Mississippi Limestone Corporation, music publicist and entrepreneur Zach Farnum, and artist manager Gaines Sturdivant. They’ve been elected to 3-year terms, starting last month. The board is responsible for governance, oversight and major decision-making at the Cleveland, Miss. museum … VPL, which licenses music videos for public and TV broadcasts in the UK, made key board appointments: Charlotte Saxe is now VPL chair, with Alison Wenham and Shamus Damani joining as new board directors. The VPL Board, consisting of eight directors, oversees all aspects of music video licensing operations for the PPL sister company.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum promoted five staff members to key leadership roles. Tess Pardee is now associate director of creative project management, overseeing creative projects and resources. Marshell Ruffier has been named associate director of food and beverage operations, managing the banquet team, the museum café, and sustainability initiatives. Alex Krompic has been promoted to director of production and technical services, leading audio, video and lighting for events. Emily Zirkle is now associate director of events administration and entertainment, managing revenue and public events in the CMA Theater. John Sloboda has been promoted to executive director of exhibitions and curatorial services, overseeing gallery exhibitions.
Red Street Records promoted Kelly King to vp of Red Street Publishing, while Patrick Waters joins as senior director of A&R country for the company’s country roster, which includes Chris Lane, Ryan Griffin, Neon Union, Ryan Larkins and Kaleb Sanders. King, known for discovering and/or developing artists and writers including Rascal Flatts, Brett James and Brothers Osborne, earned a partnership at Teracel Music and Good Girl Music (a co-venture with Sony Publishing), before launching her own King Pen Music (a co-venture with Warner Chappell Publishing) prior to joining Red Street Records in 2022. Waters has previously held roles at Red Light Management, Warner Brothers and Interscope. –J.N.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Gotee Records appointed Jess Loper as its new general manager. Reporting to Joey Elwood, CEO of Bell Partners Christian Music, Loper steps into this role following Gotee’s integration under Bell Partners. Previously, she was vp of brand management at Gotee Records and publishing at Emack Music … The International Bluegrass Music Association made three staff changes. Rebecca Bauer joins as marketing director after working as a marketing manager for City Winery; Elizabeth Dewey was promoted to communications director from administrative manager; and Haley Grimm, who’s in her final semester at Belmont University, took over Dewey’s former position … Publicist Jessica Nall joined Jonesworks, where her country clients include Zac Brown Band, Drake Milligan and Adam Doleac. She formerly was Atlantic director of press and media strategy … Paquin Artists Agency, a booking firm focused on Canadian country acts, hired agent/talent buyer Paul Biro, formerly president/operating partner at Sakamoto.
Killphonic Rights launched a dedicated label division, led by CEO Caleb Shreve and co-head of A&R Syd Butler. This follows the company’s executive expansion and a $3 million investment from Stilwell Creative Capital in 2024. The label’s first release, Heart Of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, is set for April 25. Butler emphasized the label’s “artist-first” approach, highlighting the team’s industry experience and commitment to artist development. He stressed the importance of community and fair profit sharing, aiming to provide essential support at a time in the industry when it’s being abandoned. We believe artists need a community and a label that has their back as they navigate their future in this business.”
ATC Live has two key staffing updates. Lucy Atkinson joins as a new agent from Earth Agency, bringing her 30-strong roster, including Sega Bodega, Alice Glass and Erika de Casier, to boost the live booking agency’s electronic music prowess. Known for her forward-leaning approach, Atkinson has secured high-profile brand collaborations, such as Deijuvhs for Versace Jeans Couture and Ecco2k with Bella Hadid for Marc Jacobs eyewear, among others. Additionally, Alice Hogg was promoted to head of tour marketing, a new role aimed at integrating tour marketing services within ATC Live. This move will strengthen the London-based company’s approach to live campaigns, focusing on cohesive fan engagement and marketing strategies. Hogg, who joined ATC Live in 2020, has 15 years of experience in the live music industry and has worked with artists like Black Pumas and Aaron Frazer. Her roster will continue to be represented by ATC Live.
Raw Power Management, which like ATC Live is part of the ATC Group, bumped-up Dan Brown to the newly created role of head of A&R. A key figure on the senior management team for over a decade, Brown is currently managing You Me At Six’s farewell tour. In his new position, he will lead talent acquisition, focusing on expanding Raw Power’s diverse roster and signing new acts. The company represents artists like Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet For My Valentine, Jordan Adetunji and Heartworms.
ICYMI:
Jodi Dawes
REPUBLIC Collective announced a big stack of promotions across various departments … Warner Chappell Music elevated Gabz Landman to senior vp of A&R … Fox veteran Nick Terranova joined Dick Clark Productions as its new senior vp of brand partnerships … Ole Obermann is out as TikTok’s global head of music business development … Publicity pro Jodi Dawes landed at Big Machine Label Group … and AEG Presents elevated Andrew Klein to lead its global partnerships division. [Keep Reading]
Last Week’s Turntable: Syracuse Grads Band Together for New Advisory Board
Justin Bieber had an uplifting message in an Instagram Story he posted on Thursday (Feb. 20) about growing up and taking responsibility. The 30-year-old singer shared the inspirational note in a post cued to John Mayer’s acoustic cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin.’” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts […]
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A federal judge held off ruling on the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams after a hearing.
On Wednesday (Feb. 19), U.S. District Court Judge Dale E. Ho held off on issuing a ruling on whether the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams and his legal team along with acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove were present for the hearing, which lasted a shade under 90 minutes. Attorneys who had prosecuted Adams in the past were not present.
“I’m going to take everything you said under careful consideration,” Judge Ho told Bove after hearing arguments from him and Adams’ lawyers. “It’s not in anyone’s interest here for this to drag on. I understand that.” Judge Ho would add, “To exercise my discretion properly, I’m not going to shoot from the hip here on the bench.” He promised to provide a ruling in writing, but asked for “patience as I consider these issues carefully.” The prior arguments from Bove denied that there was a “quid pro quo,” calling it a fabrication. “We offered nothing and the department asked nothing of us,” Bove claimed. When asked if the dismissal meant there would be no further investigations against Adams, Bove replied, “No.”
Mayor Adams has been under intense scrutiny since the Justice Department’s recommendations to drop the case against him, allegedly so that Adams can aid President Donald Trump further in his immigration agenda of deportations. The directive led to the resignation of a half-dozen attorneys from the DOJ, including Danielle C. Sassoon, the acting U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of New York who penned a stern letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying she was “baffled” by Bove’s decision.
While Adams seemed unfazed by the proceedings, even smiling and cracking a joke at one point, the situation has added more trouble to his future. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is weighing whether to remove Adams from his position. “In the 235 years of New York State history, these powers have never been utilized to remove a duly-elected mayor; overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly,” she said in a statement, adding: “That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored.”
The dream of the ’90s (and early 2000s) is alive and well in East Troy, WI. Rockers Nickelback and Creed will be joined by a host of fellow rockers for this year’s edition of the Summer of ’99 and Beyond Festival at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on July 18 and 19.
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The lineup for the second edition of the nostalgic fest will also include: Live, Daughtry, Tonic, Our Lady Peace, Lit, 3 DoorsDown, Sevendust, Mammoth WVH, Hinder, Vertical Horizon and Fuel. Two-day tickets for the event will go on sale at 11 a.m. ET on Friday (Feb. 21) here, with promoter Live Nation noting that they are a single ticket to be used for both shows; the ticket cannot be broken up into transferrable single-day tickets.
The shows will mark the first time Creed and Nickelback have shared a stage since 1999. Nickelback released their Live From Nashville album in late 2024, recorded during their “Get Rollin’ tour show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in August 2023, where they were joined by such Music City stars as Ernest, Josh Ross and Brantley Gilbert (on a cover of Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road”), Daughtry, Bailey Zimmerman and HARDY.
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In the windup to the Wisconsin fest, Nickelback will play a series of festival dates in April and May on the Rock the Country tour, which will also feature Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Travis Tritt, Aaron Lewis, Big & Rich and more.
Creed will warm up with an appearance at the Stagecoach Festival in April, followed by arena dates in Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Check out the official poster below.
Canadian pop icon Chantal Kreviazuk sent a subtle, but unequivocal, message to Donald Trump on Thursday night (Feb. 20) with her tweak of the lyrics to the Canadian national anthem at the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between the U.S. and Canada. “In true patriot love that none but us command,” she sang instead of the line, “true patriot love, in all of us command,” while performing “O Canada” before the game at Boston’s TD Garden; Canada won the thriller 3-2 in overtime.
In a lengthy Instagram post afterwards, Kreviazuk explained her motivation, writing, “i am sorry if my performance of our national anthem rubbed you the wrong way. if i was a little off pitch or if it wasn’t perfect in its tone. i am sorry if i messed up the french line i inserted to bring some balance to our nation’s history without losing those words ‘glorious and free’ in english,” she said.
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“i am sorry if you think that we’d be better off annexed. here is the thing. art to me is an expression of our truth. and in this very peculiar and potentially consequential moment i truly believe that we must stand up, use our voices and try to protect ourselves,” she added. “no – we should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power. i was raised in part by music that was inspired by brave voices committed to peaceful conflict resolution. Canada , not unlike ukraine is a sovereign nation. period. we have a culture individual to others. we are united in our values. we care. we’re kind. We are strong.”
The post included a picture of the singer’s hand with the lyric “that only us command” written on it in mascara with emoji of a Canadian flag and a flexed muscle alongside.
Former Canadian First Lady Sophie Trudeau applauded Kreviazuk’s statement, writing in the comments: “You stand in the beauty of your art, your presence and your love of humanity. We need MORE like you!”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — who has repeatedly and unequivocally shut down Trump’s obsession with annexing Canada — sent a clear message about the American President’s imperialist fantasy after the game in an X post where he stated, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
In a statement to the Associated Press, Kreviazuk explained her protest action by saying she did it “because I believe in democracy, and a sovereign nation should not have to be defending itself against tyranny and fascism.” Trump reportedly called the U.S. team before the game to wish them well and posted on his social media site that he would be watching, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying that he would be “watching for the United States to win.”
She added, “and we look forward to the United States beating our soon-to-be-51st state, Canada.” Trump has referred to Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau” in press briefings, suggesting that a U.S. takeover of Canada is a realistic agenda item during what has been a shock-and-awe first month in office in which he has once again flouted democratic norms. Both Trudeau and Canadian Public Safety Minister David McGuinty have thrown cold water on the bizarre notion, with McGuinty telling reporters before the game that, “Canada is a sovereign and independent country. It has been for over 150 years and will remain so. This discussion of 51st state is a non-starter.”
Earlier in the tournament, the crowd at Montreal’s Bell Centre could be heard booing during the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” in the first face-off between the U.S. and Canada. The unusually hostile action from our stereotypically polite neighbors to the north was another sign that they do not find anything funny about Trump’s repeated musings about incorporating their sovereign nation into the U.S.
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Trudeau said he did not think of Trump’s fantasies about incorporating Canada as a joke, but a serious threat as the American President continues apace with his attempts to disrupt what has for more than a century been one of the U.S.’s most stable, profitable international relationships.
“I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have, but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau told a group of business leaders in Toronto.
The White House appeared to lean into Trump’s imperial aspirations on Wednesday when it shared a fake TIME magazine cover altered to feature the President’s name with the caption “long live the king” alongside a picture of Trump wearing a crown. Since taking office, Trump has threatened to take over another sovereign nation, Greenland, as well as sparking serious concern in the Middle East with his musings about seizing the Gaza Strip and forcing out its Palestinian residents in order to turn the devastated territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” with no announced plan for where the region’s two million residents will live during or what he has described as a real estate make-over.
One way in which Trump has attempted to put pressure on Trudeau and Canada is by threatening to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S., a one-sided strategy that economists say will result in higher prices for American consumers at a time when inflation is beginning to rise again. Though Trump had promised to lower prices on goods immediately upon taking office, he acknowledged this week in a Fox News interview that inflation is rising again after former President Biden brought the rate down from a disastrous 9.1% in June 2022 — the highest rate in 40 years — to just over 3% when he left office in January.
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From celebrating a not guilty verdict in a recent shooting trial to Rihanna‘s 37th birthday, it’s been a wild week for A$AP Rocky so far. To pile on even more good news for the Harlem rapper, Rocky makes history by being appointed as the first-ever creative director of Ray-Ban.
Known for his trendsetting influence in both the music and fashion industries, A$AP will help guide creative projects, redesign retail spaces, and provide a distinct vision to the brand’s image and design going forward.
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His first order of business: a redesign of the core lineup of frames with a brand-new lens type. The release will be labeled as the “Blacked Out collection” and aim to blend classic elements with bold and modern influences. The frames will feature gold-plated details and brand-new ultra-black lenses. The first release of the collection will drop this April.
“Today, we are welcoming A$AP Rocky into our family; he’s a visionary artist and creator,” says Ray-Ban president Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio. “His ability to push the boundaries of the diverse worlds he explores, aligns with the Ray-Ban DNA. We are reinforcing the brand’s values of innovation, pioneering spirit, and courage. Let the future begin!”
Rocky is no stranger to the Ray-Ban brand: He’s been seen sporting classic Wayfarer frames for a while, especially recently as part of his courtroom ‘fits. A few of his go-to frames include the classic Wayfarers, the Mega Clubmaster sunglasses, translucent Wayfarer frames, and a pair of metal opticals.
“I’ve always admired Ray-Ban’s ability to stay true to its roots while constantly evolving,” A$AP Rocky said in a statement. “I’m excited to be part of the strong heritage and develop the next chapter for an iconic brand like Ray-Ban.”
While we wait for the blacked-out collection to drop this spring, shop his go-to Ray-Ban frames right now below.
Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Classic Sunglasses
Ray-Ban Mega Clubmaster Sunglasses
Ray-Ban RB3732V Optics
Ray-Ban RB0840S Mega Wayfarer Sunglasses
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Fontaines D.C. have dropped “It’s Amazing To Be Young,” their first slice of new material since the release of fourth LP Romance last August.
Produced by James Ford, the song will be available on limited edition 7” vinyl on April 18, alongside another new track entitled “Before You I Just Forget.” The release is available to preorder now via the Dublin band’s website.
“It’s Amazing To Be Young” was written in the presence of guitarist Carlos O’Connell’s child, the band have shared. “It sounded more like a lullaby or a music box then, but with the same lyric – ‘it’s amazing to be young’,” explained bassist Conor Deegan III in a press release.
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“The feeling of hope a child can give is profound and moving, especially for young men like us. That sense of wanting to create a world for them to grow up in happily,” he continued. ”It’s a feeling that fights against the cynicism that can often overtake us in the modern world. So we wanted to declare which side we were on – it really is amazing to be young.
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“We are still free, and want to make that feeling spread,” he continued. “We want to protect it for the others around us, and maybe in doing that, we can also help protect it for ourselves.”
The track precedes a huge summer of live activity for Fontaines D.C., who will perform U.K. outdoor shows in Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff and London, with the latter taking place at the capital’s 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park. The run will follow spring headline tours around Asia, Australia, South America and North America.
It arrives accompanied by a video from the BAFTA-winning filmmaker Luna Carmoon who previously directed the videos for Fontaines D.C.’s “Here’s The Thing” and “In The Modern World”. Watch the clip in full below.
“I love this new track – it’s one of my favourites Fontaines have done and I love that I got to complete the trilogy of videos for it,” Carmoon said. “It was all natural and kind of a surprise that the three videos came together. I’ve got to work with such a beautiful team and was really given the space and breath to create the worlds that automatically came to me when hearing the music.”Upon the release of Romance, Fontaines D.C. achieved their fourth consecutive top 10 studio album on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, while it landed at No. 97 in the U.S. – their highest entry to date on the Billboard 200.