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Hip-Hop is about to be celebrated like never before in The Bronx. Run-DMC is set to perform their final show at Yankee Stadium.
As spotted on The Grio the culture is to come alive for one magic night in the heart of the Boogie Down Bronx. On Friday, August 11 the genre’s biggest names will come together for a legendary, celebratory concert – Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium. The can’t-miss milestone event will feature Run DMC’s “Bottom of the Ninth…The Walk-Off” performance which is being billed as their last ever set as a group. Both MC’s expressed their enthusiasm at closing out their careers in legendary fashion. “I am honored to hit the stage in the Bronx, the birthplace of Hip Hop and celebrate all of my heroes,” said RUN. “Aug 11th is Hip Hop’s 50th birthday! So…’Up in the Bronx’ where it all started we will be celebrating this historic moment in history!” shared DMC.
Hip Hop 50 Live will also feature some other high profile artists including Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and theme sets including “Queens Of Hip Hop” which will feature Eve, Lil Kim, Remy Ma and Trina. “Pillars of Hip-Hop” will feature Kool Herc & Cindy Campbell, Grandmaster Caz, Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, Roxanne Shante, Scorpio and the Sugar Hill Gang, and the “Legendary DJ” set will have Clark Kent, Marley Marl, Mannie Fresh and Battlecat. Additional performers include: T.I., Fat Joe, Common, A$AP Ferg, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Lupe Fiasco and Slick Rick.
Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium is the latest announcement surrounding Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50 initiative – a massive cross-platform initiative that celebrates Hip Hop’s momentous anniversary in the most authentic and globally impactful way possible by acknowledging and recognizing Hip Hop as not only a genre but a movement that has impacted the worldwide community.
Tickets for Hip Hop 50 Live will become available beginning with presales on Thursday, June 8 at 10 a.m. EST until 10 p.m. EST before the general on sale on Friday, June 9 at 10 a.m. EST HERE.
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For the third and final night of Taylor Swift’s Chicago outing — which took over Soldier Field and the surrounding South Loop area — the superstar pulled out all the stops.
On her first night in the Windy City, Swift celebrated the start of Pride month by sharing a special, and urgent, message to the sold-out stadium. “I’m looking out tonight, I’m seeing so many incredible individuals who are living authentically and beautifully and this is a safe space for you,” Swift said “This is a celebratory space for you.”
“One of the things that makes me feel so prideful is getting to be with you, and watching you interact with each other, and being so loving, and so thoughtful, and so caring,” she continued, later adding, “I wish that every place was safe and beautiful for people in the LGBTQ community.”
For her second night, she welcomed country star Maren Morris to the stage for one of her surprise songs, the live debut of “You All Over Me,” a From The Vault track included on Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Following the long-awaited moment, Morris posted a black and white photo of the pair on Instagram, writing: “We finally got to play ‘You All Over Me’ and I won’t ever be shutting up about it. Love you Taylor Swift and love you always, Chicago.”
As for the third night (Sunday June 5), two opening acts the city had yet to see took to the stage: Gracie Abrams and MUNA (lead vocalist Katie Gavin, who is from the Chicago suburbs, noted the specialness of a hometown show). And while Swift’s set featured minor hiccups — from a mic malfunction to a surprise mid-set snack (the accidental swallowing of a bug) — Swift handled such moments with humor and grace, only making them that much more memorable. And proving that even a superstar like Swift, who can perform to tens of thousands of fans night after night, is also, somehow, still relatable.
Below are the seven best moments from her Chicago finale, of which Swift said: “When we have three in a row, there’s always a special reserve of energy we are saving for the third night… this is it.”
The Humorous Mishaps
Taylor Swift delivered a heartfelt speech in honor of Pride Month during her Eras Tour concert in Chicago on Friday (June 2).
Sitting in front of her piano at Soldier Field, the 33-year-old pop superstar gave a special shout-out to the “brilliant crowds of people who are living their authentic lives” and assured fans that her shows are a “space space” for the LGBTQ community.
“I’m looking out tonight, I’m seeing so many incredible individuals who are living authentically and beautifully and this is a safe space for you,” Swift said in the fan-captured video. “This is a celebratory space for you.”
She continued, “One of the things that makes me feel so prideful is getting to be with you, and watching you interact with each other, and being so loving, and so thoughtful, and so caring.”
The Grammy-winning artist also referenced her 2019 Lover track “You Need to Calm Down,” which features lyrics like “can you just not step on his gown?” and “cause shade never made anybody less gay.” The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2019.
“You guys are screaming those lyrics in such solidarity, in such support of one another, in such encouraging, beautiful, acceptance and peace and safety,” she said. “I wish that every place was safe and beautiful for people in the LGBTQ community.”
The Midnights singer then segued into recent legislation in the United States that targets members of the LGBTQ community.
“There have been so many harmful pieces of legislation that have put people in the LGBTQ and queer community at risk,” she said. “It’s painful for everyone, every ally, every loved one, every person of these communities, and that’s why I’m always posting, ‘This is when the midterms are, this is when these important key primaries are.’”
Swift added, “We can support as much as we want during Pride Month, but if we’re not doing our research on these elected officials — are they advocates? Are they allies? Are they protectors of equality? Do I want to vote for them?”
Swift was mostly silent on the subject of politics for her entire career up until late late 2018, when she endorsed Phil Bredesen, the Democratic candidate for Senate in her home state of Tennessee. Since then, she’s been outspoken about all that’s going on in the world. Click here for a full timeline of Swift’s political evolution.
Watch Swift’s heartfelt Pride Month speech in Chicago on Twitter below.
The Foo Fighters launched their first tour with new drummer Josh Freese on Wednesday night (May 24) at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook in Gilford, N.H. The bittersweet evening marked the band’s first tour in a quarter century without beloved late drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died last March while on tour with […]
Sam Smith wanted to put on a very special show for fans in Manchester, U.K. on Wednesday night (May 24), promising before the gig that “we’ve got a surprise for you this evening… ‘Unholy’ won’t be the last song.” Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and the singer had to cut the gig at Manchester’s AO Arena short after just four songs.
“Dearest sailors, I don’t know what to say honestly. I fought off a virus a few weeks ago and since then we have travelled across Europe and had such incredible shows,” Smith wrote in an Instagram Story reposted by the venue about the issues that have dogged them on the tour in support of their Gloria album. “Today in soundcheck I felt fine and was so excited to give Manchester an amazing show tonight, with a special surprise at the end.”
But, Smith said, during the third song, “I noticed something wrong with my voice. I prayed it was just my voice waking up for the show but into the fourth song I could feel something was really wrong. I came off stage and have tried everything to get my voice back in gear but it won’t. I am honestly heartbroken I couldn’t finish the show tonight for you all. I love you all. I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry x.”
A fan described the night in an essay for the Manchester Evening News, writing that they expected to see what they read was an elaborate production in three acts. The set opened with “Stay With Me,” followed by “I’m Not the Only One” and “Dancing With a Stranger.”
“Throughout the songs they did, Sam looked at ease, happy, and genuinely like they were loving life,” the fan wrote. “Their vibes were rubbing off on everyone else, and the whole room felt filled with love. Everything seemed to be going perfectly. That’s why it was such a shock when there was a sudden pause in the songs, with an overhead tannoy citing ‘technical difficulties.’”
She wrote that fans were not initially sure what was happening, but after 15 minutes they were told that the house lights would be coming on, as fans began making their way to the exits. “We sat for another ten minutes, hoping for good news, but the tannoy then notified us that due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ the show was cancelled,” she wrote.
Smith’s European tour was slated to continue on Thursday night (May 25) with a show in Glasgow at the OVO Hydro. On Thursday morning the venue announced that the gig had been canceled, along with a show in Birmingham on Saturday (May 27), with refunds for all three shows available at point of purchase. “Sam is heartbroken to have had to cancel these shows but they have been told by doctors that if they keep singing, they will do permanent damage to their voice. If they take some rest, they will be able to perform again,” read the statement. The next scheduled show on the tour is in Tel Aviv, Israel on May 31.
The bad news came just as Smith teased a mystery collaboration with Madonna earlier in the day on Wednesday. At press time no additional information had been released about what the project is.
See Smith’s statement below.
Sam is heartbroken to have had to cancel these shows but they have been told by doctors that if they keep singing, they will do permanent damage to their voice. If they take some rest, they will be able to perform again.— OVO Hydro (@OVOHydro) May 25, 2023
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You can add another notch to Kendrick Lamar’s already impressive belt. His most recent tour outing is now the highest grossing Rap tour ever.
As spotted on Hype Beast the Compton, California native has set another record within our genre. According to newly released report from the Touring Data website, The Big Steppers Tour is now the most highest earning concert series ever headlined by a rapper. This 73 show run sold 929,056 tickets and generated a whopping 110.9 million dollars. In addition the average price for a ticket throughout all the concert venues was just a bit over $100 dollars. Considering some of his peers are selling shows at $1,000 a seat; K-Dot might have just proved that keeping the price point affordable is the right way to go.
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These numbers now top Drake’s Aubrey & The Three Migos, Drake and Future’s Summer Sixteen and Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne. This outing was in support of Kendrick Lamar’s fifth solo album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers which was largely hailed as a brilliant effort and marked his last recording under his Top Dawg Entertainment record label contract.
Just a few weeks ago, the Jonas Brothers announced an upcoming performance at a very special venue: Yankee Stadium. Dubbed “One Night Only,” the demand soon forced a second show, both scheduled for August.
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But tonight, the band is keeping its promise: one and only one incredible night in Los Angeles. At least, for now. Nick teased at the end of the show the band would return in September, which was met with sky-high shrieks.
For the trio’s second show on this unofficial trek, which started in London earlier this month, the brothers came out swinging — perhaps practice for playing at a baseball stadium soon, with hits old and new receiving home-fun worthy roars.
After opening with current The Album single “Waffle House,” Joe addressed the crowd through deafening screams. “We’ve only done this one other time,” he cautioned before teasing, “We’re playing a good amount of songs from the new album.” Another promise kept.
The band performed several unreleased songs off its forthcoming 12-track project, including “Summer Baby,” “Montana Sky,” “Sail Away,” “Vacation Eyes,” “Celebrate” “Little Bird” and “Walls” (the lattermost earned a live debut during the band’s recent gig on Saturday Night Live.) And while that material made up the entire first act, following a brief intermission the Jonas Brothers returned for a hits-filled second set, treating the intimate 1,600-capacity room just the same as it would – and will – a 46,000-plus person stadium.
Check out the seven best moments from the show below.
Nick’s Early (and Epic) Tease
“It’s so good to be back,” Nick told the crowd while taking in the space. “We’re playing tonight at a venue we’ve never played in. This whole mini tour is just trying to check off bucket list items.”
“It brings me back to how this whole journey for this album started about a year-and-a-half ago,” he continued. “We were home, at our respective homes [in L.A.], and Jon Bellion walked us through a few songs,” all of which, he says, centered on what matters most to the brothers right now: family, fatherhood and love.
And finally, he delivered one final message before diving into the music. “We have a very special audience here tonight,” Nick said before delivering the best tease of the night. “We’re going to play some more songs from the album and then we’re going to step offstage and let you guys have a few drinks – looks like some of you already have – then we’re going to come back and play all the f—ing hits.”
The Brothers’ “Real Sexy” Moment
“This next song is a very special one to me,” said Kevin, introducing the sultry “Vacation Eyes.” “I know what it feels like to be in love, and it feels like you’re on vacation every single day – so this one is all about that.”
“It’s about to get real sexy in here, c’mon now,” added Nick before opening the track in his forceful falsetto over a groovy bass guitar lick. And later, fans are treated to a guttural growl from Joe, making the song even more unforgettable – and securing its status as a potential fan favorite off The Album.
Addressing Uncharted Territory
Three stools are placed on stage as Nick and Kevin took their seats on either end of Joe with their guitars in tow. “Now this is the moment in the show where we talk about something we’ve never talked about in our music before,” started Nick, which was met with whispered gasps. “Fatherhood.” He then dedicated “Little Bird,” the second-to-last song on The Album to “every parent in the room… and every child in the room.”
The Mind-Blowing Harmonies
It’s no secret Kevin, Nick and Joe can sing – and sound their best when harmonizing with one another. There was no stronger proof of this than on the set’s first-half closer, “Walls.” After live-debuting the song on SNL, it sounded even stronger now. Backed by a six-person chorus, the song’s powerful ending seemed to electrify the room, feeling much like a long-loved classic – thus serving as a perfect connector between the new album and the upcoming second hits-filled half.
The Seamless Transitions
The show’s second half, of course, operated like a well-oiled machine as the brothers churned out hit after hit, oftentimes without the music ever really ending or the stage lights fully dimming. Yet one of the best transitions occurred between the band’s 2020 single “What a Man Gotta Do” and its 2007-released “That’s Just the Way We Roll.” A pivot so seamless it managed to jump entire decades.
Nick and Joe’s Sing-Off
Much to the surprise of many, Nick suddenly appeared alone on stage. He then took it by storm to deliver his stirring solo single “Close,” making a strong claim for it to be a set closer. But not if Joe has anything to say about it.
As Nick took a seat to the side of the stage, Joe came out to perform the DNCE hit “Toothbrush” (backed by DNCE bandmates and Jonas Brothers touring musicians Jack Lawless on drums and JinJoo Lee on guitar). All the while, Nick howls along to the “awhooo” filled chorus as Lee later shreds during a solo of her own.
But wait – there’s more. Nick then stands to perform “Jealous” as Joe took a seat and Kevin returned to play and sing harmonies alongside Nick. Soon enough, Joe was back on his feet so the three can close out the song together before ending the sing-off with DNCE’s defining song, “Cake By the Ocean.”
The Time-Traveling Ending
“We’re gonna take it back a few years for ya,” Joe told the crowd before the brothers dig into “Lovebug” off its 2008 album A Little Bit Longer. With a quick head nod from Joe, they then go right into “Year 3000” (from the year 2006) and “Burnin’ Up” before closing the night with “Sucker” off Happiness Begins, the band’s last studio album that marked the end of an unofficial 10-years-long hiatus.
Thankfully, with The Album around the corner, fans went home certain of more on the way – and soon.
Sam Smith‘s shows in Glasgow and Birmingham have been pushed back due to illness. The singer announced to fans on Monday (April 24) that the Birmingham show — which was originally slated for tonight (April 25) at Birmingham Resort World Arena — will be bumped to May 27; tickets for the original date will be honored at the rescheduled one.
Smith wrote to their fans about the postponements in a statement shared by Resorts World Arena in which they said, “I am so sorry to let you know that my team and I are still really not well, so unfortunately we need to reschedule our Birmingham show to the 27th May 2023.”
The statement continued, “It’s so important to me that we give you the very best version of Gloria. I don’t want you to experience it at anything less. Thank you so much for understanding, I know how excited everyone is to see the show, and I feel the same about seeing all of you.”
On Friday (April 21), Glasgow’s OVO Hydro announced the rescheduling of Smith’s planned Saturday night show at the arena, also due to an unspecified illness; that show will now take place on May 25. In a Facebook post last week Smith revealed that the Glasgow show was off after they and “a lot of my team have been hit with a virus that’s made us really unwell.” Smith has not specified what illness befell the team.
The most recent gig on Smith’s Gloria tour was in London on April 19 at The O2, where the singer took time out to pay tribute to Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl who was stabbed to death earlier this year in Warrington, England. Smith wore a halo-shaped headband emblazoned with Ghey’s name during the tribute. Smith’s next scheduled show is slated for Saturday (April 29) at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen.
See the statement about the Birmingham show below.
Morgan Wallen fans had already entered Vaught Hemingway Stadium on Sunday night (April 23) when they were unexpectedly informed that the country singer would not be able to perform. According to WTVA, video boards inside the Ole Miss football stadium displayed a message informing attendees that Wallen had lost his voice and would be unable to play his show.
WLBT reported that the message on screens read: “Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, Morgan has lost his voice and is unable to perform tonight. Therefore, tonight’s show has been canceled. Please make your way safely to the stadium exits. Refunds for tonight’s event will be available at point of purchase.” The news came after a number of fans had already entered the stadium, including a number who posted pictures in which they eagerly awaited Wallen taking the stage.
The surprise cancellation came one night after Wallen played a show at the same stadium on Saturday night, the first major concert in the venue’s history. It reportedly also left some attendees who sat through the opening acts feeling aggrieved, with a number venting their anger on social media. “Completely disappointed in @MorganWallen!!” wrote one. “Been sitting in this stadium for 3 hrs and he just announced the show is cancelled!!! COMPLETE BULLS–T!!!”
At press time it did not appear that Wallen had posted about the cancellation of the show on his social media accounts. The scotched gig came just days after Wallen laughed off an onstage tumble during his Thursday night gig in Louisville, KY, when fog effects clouded his view and caused him to trip and fall.
The singer made history last week when he became the first artist with three songs in the Country Airplay top 10 when “Last Night” jumped to No. 8, right in between “Though You Should Know” at No. 7 and “One Thing at a Time” at No. 9.
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One of the biggest names in the culture is going on the road. Lil Baby has announced the “It’s Only Us” tour.
As spotted on Blavity the Atlanta, Georgia native is about to bring his discography to life like never before. This week the MC revealed that he will be headlining his own tour this year. On Monday, April 10 he released a promotional trailer of him contacting his supporting cast. “It’s Only Us Tour 2023🔥🔥🔥🔥 This Fasho Gone Be A Highlight Of The Summer !! I’m Bringing @thekidlaroi @rylorodriguez @glorillapimp @glittergirlgloss @hunxho !! Tickets on sale Thursday ….. #staytuned #IOU #newmusicotw” the caption read. The concert run will feature some of the game’s most exciting new talent including GloRilla, The Kid LAROI, Rylo Rodriguez, Hunxho and more.
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Soon after the announcement his fans were to quick to point out that a tour date in Atlanta was missing. In response he took to Twitter and requested his followers vote on what he should do. “Atlanta Y’all Want A Tour Date ? Or Baby Bash Like We Been Having The Last 3 Years ???” he wrote.
The current Lil Baby “It’s Only Us” tour dates can be found below.
May 19: Metro Metro Festival — Montreal
June 10: Governors Ball Music Festival — New York, N.Y.
July 26: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
July 28: Moody Center — Austin, Texas
July 29: American Airlines Center — Dallas, Texas
Aug. 1: Footprint Center — Phoenix, Ariz.
Aug. 2: Pechanga Arena^* — San Diego, Calif.
Aug. 4: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas, Nev.
Aug. 5: Crypto.com Arena^* — Los Angeles, Calif.
Aug. 6: Oakland Arena — Oakland, Calif
Aug. 9: Golden 1 Center — Sacramento, Calif.
Aug. 12: Climate Pledge Arena — Seattle, Wash.
Aug. 14: Delta Center — Salt Lake City, Utah
Aug. 15: Ball Arena — Denver, Colo.
Aug. 17: Enterprise Center^ — St. Louis, Mo.
Aug. 18: Fiserv Forum^ — Milwaukee, Wisc.
Aug. 19: Target Center^ — Minneapolis, Minn.
Aug. 23: Little Caesars Arena — Detroit, Mich.
Aug. 24: United Center — Chicago, Ill.
Aug. 26: Nationwide Arena — Columbus, Ohio
Aug. 31: Capital One Arena — Washington, D.C.
Sept. 2: TD Garden — Boston, Mass.
Sept. 3: CFG Bank Arena — Baltimore, MD
Sept. 5: PPG Paints Arena — Pittsburgh, Penn.
Sept. 6: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis, Ind.
Sept. 7: FedExForum* — Memphis, Tenn.
Sept. 8: KFC Yum! Center — Louisville, Ky.
Sept. 9: Bridgestone Arena* — Nashville, Tenn.
Sept. 11: PNC Arena — Raleigh, N.C.
Sept. 12: Spectrum Center — Charlotte, N.C.
Sept. 15: Amalie Arena — Tampa, Fla.
Sept. 16: Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena — Jacksonville, Fla.
Sept. 19: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, La.
Sept. 22: FLA Live Arena — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Photo: Prince Williams