R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 148
Doja Cat has brought the Scarlet Tour to Europe, and things have been running smoothly until a wardrobe malfunction derailed a part of her Amsterdam show. The “Say So” singer got noticeably frustrated during Wednesday night’s (June 19) concert at the Ziggo Dome when a white dress got stuck and Doja couldn’t unhook it, keeping […]
A little over halfway through the Juneteenth celebration at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday night (June 19), an emotional T-Pain thanked the audience for being there.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“We rehearsed once,” prefaced the artist, who did double duty as headline performer and the concert’s co-curator. “This is nuts that this is going so well, right? This is the dream of so many people and for y’all to make this happen … this is far beyond anything. I’ll be so pissed off if I wake up right now.”
Indeed, the evening did go well, as a very appreciative Bowl audience — in keeping with the cultural significance of the Juneteenth holiday — was treated to the many facets of Black music by both established and emerging artists. Segueing from gospel to R&B, hip-hop and points in-between, the two-and-a-half-hour show under the stars was packed with memorable moments, beginning with Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell delivering a riveting performance of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Setting the Tone: Hosting something of this magnitude isn’t for the faint of heart. But comedian Affion Crockett proved he was up to the challenge as the crowd laughed right along. Skillfully keeping things moving throughout the evening, he set the tone early on with his opening comments, humorously acknowledging the makeup of the audience. “We love the bougies; I see the tablecloths and champagne [on the tables in the Bowl’s front rows]. “And at the top,” referencing those seated way further back, “you’re the ones that matter. You’re the ones whose bosses wouldn’t give you the day off. And I didn’t know I’d see so many white people in the audience. We’ve got company — and they come in peace.”
Trending on Billboard
Sisters with Voices: In addition to Campbell (who roused the audience with her latest, “Pray for Me”), Ledisi and Lalah Hathaway also showed out. Ledisi’s full-bodied voice and colorful riffs on her Grammy-winning song “Anything for You” commanded the audience’s attention. And after putting her own distinctive stamp on the Anita Baker signature song “Angel,” Hathaway and her sonorous vocals segued into father Donny’s 1973 classic anthem “Someday We’ll All Be Free” — a fitting exclamation point for the Juneteenth holiday celebration. Providing instrumental accompaniment throughout the evening was the Color of Noize Orchestra led by conductor Derrick Hodge.
Ones to Watch: Among the rising stars and newcomers also making their presence felt was D Smoke, who fired up the audience with tracks such as “No Commas,” “Black Habits” and “Common Sense” (even subbing for his brother SIR’s part on the song). Emerging female duo Flyana Boss also left a strong impression with their spirited performance of “You Wish” as did energetic Bay Area rapper LaRussell, who had the audience up on their feet after he jumped off stage and proceeded to walk up and down several aisles to high-five fans.
Blasts from the Past: Rounding out the evening were performances by fan faves from the ‘90s into the 2000s. David Banner, wearing shades and sporting a white goatee, rocked the venue with “Get Like Me.” Jordin Sparks stunningly reprised her hit “No Air,” while Lloyd pumped up the proceedings with his “Get It Shawty.” Then Tevin Campbell sparked a singalong to his enduring hit “Can We Talk.”
The Man of the Hour: T-Pain made his first appearance onstage after Ledisi’s performance. Wearing a raspberry-colored suit, the Grammy winner launched into a passionate interpretation of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” After wrapping the song to vigorous applause, he said, “This evening is special for me, for all of us and the culture. We’ve got to show respect for everything that came before us.” And that’s how the rest of the evening progressed: with T-Pain striding back onstage between performances by the other acts on the bill. And each time he did, he had the audience cheering, dancing and rapping/singing along to everything from “I’m Sprung,” “Up Down” and “Freeze” to “Buy U a Drank,” his rendition of Cee-Lo’s “Crazy” and Chris Brown’s “Kiss Kiss” on which he was featured.
Becoming emotional after Banner saluted him, T-Pain said in part to even more cheers, “In 2018, I decided I didn’t want a manager anymore, I didn’t want a label anymore. I’m doing everything independent. The only time I’ve seen this place [Hollywood Bowl} is in Tom & Jerry cartoons. So to be an independent artist and putting on a show like this is the wildest dream. So my No. 1 rule for everyone is believe in yourself; believe in that crazy thing. The only people that end up changing the world are the people crazy enough to think that they can.”
Remy Ma’s son, Jayson Scott, has been arrested on first-degree murder charges for a June 2021 shooting in Queens, New York. According to the New York Police Department, Scott, 23, was arrested on June 18 on charges of murder in the first and second degree, two counts of criminal weapon possession and reckless endangerment. Twenty-two-year-old […]
We witnessed a coronation last night.
Kendrick Lamar is now unequivocally the King of Rap, and has officially entered god status on the West Coast.
He walked on stage dressed in a red hoodie with a white tee underneath and an iced-out crucifix draped over it, blue jeans, white, silver and red Nike Shox, and a red baseball hat. Why is this significant? The outfit was eerily similar to the one 2Pac wore during the 1994 Source Awards when he performed “Out on Bail” with his rap group Thug Life.
Pac, who at the time was dealing with a bunch of legal issues in his personal life, hijacked the Source stage while A Tribe Called Quest were accepting their award for Rap Group of the Year. As the story goes, this performance wasn’t planned: Members of Pac’s entourage pressed the person in charge of sound and made him play the track. The rapper and the rest of Thug Life then went on stage, snatched the microphone from Q-Tip and started performing the song, which caused a brief rift between 2Pac and Tribe. Whether the outfit was intentional or not, we quickly understood the message Kendrick was trying to send.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
[embedded content]
The Compton emcee rose up from underneath the stage draped in red light and started his set with “Euphoria” — a song some said held little replay value. However, the lie detector determined that untrue, because the crowd at the Forum knew every single word and went bar-for-bar for the entire six-minute song. And, to circle back to the outfit he was wearing on stage, Kendrick added a new line to the song’s last verse: “Give me Tupac ring back and I might give you a little respect.” As if to say, “Hey, man, we can start to resolve this situation if you just return this West Coast artifact” — like a plot to an Indiana Jones movie. He also snuck in the first verse of “6:16 in LA”, and performed his “Like That” verse, adding insult to injury.
However, the highlight of the night wasn’t Black Hippy reuniting onstage or Dr. Dre whispering “I see dead people” after performing “California Love.” It was when Kendrick performed “Not Like Us” not once, not twice, but six times in a row. He held the crowd in the palm of his hand, like only a true MC could. They hung onto every word, even doing the rapping for him and finishing his verses at times.
Trending on Billboard
A crowd of people screaming “OV-Hoe” and calling you a “certified pedophile” already can’t be a good thing. But every time you thought things couldn’t get worse for Drake last night, they did.
When Dot and Mustard were in the middle of the third or fourth replay of the song, and NBA stars (and fellow L.A. legends) DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook went onstage and started doing their dance, that’s when I realized just how bad things have gotten for Drake. Every artist, celebrity and friend of Kendrick’s in attendance danced on the Toronto rapper’s proverbial grave in the name of West Coast solidarity. It seemed as if a big chunk of the culture chose a side.
I think some are underestimating the impact this can have on Drake’s overall appeal within the hip-hop community. I’m not talking about some kid in some suburban cul-de-sac, I’m talking about the kids in the streets. They’re the real tastemakers, and a lot of them who hold influence in Los Angeles were on that stage last night.
After the back-and-forth ended and Kendrick was crowned the de facto winner of the battle, many wondered how this would affect both artists’ careers. Would Drake still have the golden touch that he’s enjoyed for the past decade or so? Would he shake off this loss, much like he did with the Pusha T beef, and drop an undeniable hit like “God’s Plan?” Would he still be the top guy in rap? Would Kendrick take the W, but refuse the crown, and retreat back into his fortress of solitude until it was time to drop his next album?
Well, now we seem to have some answers: It’s too early to tell if The Drake Effect is truly a thing of the past, but his collaboration with Sexyy Red debuting at No. 44 on the Hot 100 and sliding from there is not a great look. Neither was the parody redo of “Hey There Delilah” that he hopped on for some reason.
Meanwhile, Kendrick has continued to do the opposite of what everyone, including Drake, thought he would do: Instead of vanishing, he stayed put and threw one of L.A.’s biggest rap shows in recent memory. Dot’s appeal in the hip-hop community was always A1, but after last night, it’s safe to say he’s now occupying the top spot in rap. Kendrick is the king. And he’s not the king because some critics and talking heads or kids tweeting from a suburban cul-de-sac said he’s the king. He’s the king because last night everyone — the streets, the music industry, the fans, the athletes — showed us that he is. They all popped out for their friend, their peer, their idol, their king.
“F—k that, this s—t making me emotional, man. F—k that, we been f—d up since Nipsey died, hold up. We’ve been f—d up since Kobe died, hold up,” he told the crowd as he wrangled everybody for a family picture. “Let the world see this. You ain’t seen this many sections on one stage keeping it together and having peace, hold up.”
Drake will be fine mainstream-wise, but he’s always wanted to be accepted by hip-hop, and right now he’s on the outside looking in. Last night proved Kendrick has more respect and cultural cachet than Drake can ever imagine having, and the must sting to an artist as massive and influential as Drake is.
Meanwhile, there’s not another artist in his generation that would be able to pull off what Kendrick pulled off last night. He had rival gangs on stage for L.A., for California, for Hip-Hop. Kendrick was running around like he was Pac fresh out on bail last night, and showed the rest of the rap game that no region is quite like the West.
Travis Scott is looking to turn his charges into cash. The Cactus Jack boss — born Jacques Webster — was arrested early Thursday (June 20) on disorderly intoxication and trespassing charges. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Scott posted bond hours later and he’s already unleashed merchandise […]
Kendrick Lamar unified the West Coast with his epic Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert celebrating Juneteenth on Wednesday night (June 19), which was one for the hip-hop history books with K. Dot performing his Drake diss track “Not Like Us” five times in a row to close out the show.
After performing the live debut of his nuclear guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” K. Dot welcomed his mentor and iconic West Coast rapper Dr. Dre to the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., as he rose from underneath the stage for one of the biggest surprises of the night. “I see dead people,” Dre whispered as Mustard’s signature Cali bounce on “Not Like Us” blared through the speakers.
In a red hoodie with jeans and a pair of Nike Shox (an outfit some fans compared to 2Pac‘s at the 1994 Source Awards), Kendrick had the 18,000-plus in attendance and rap world watching via Amazon Music at home in the palm of his hand.
Trending on Billboard
The raucous crowd sang along to every last word of the “Not Like Us” live debut. They held the “A-minor” Drake punchline for what seemed like an eternity while Lamar basked in what he curated.
But that wasn’t all. Kendrick ran the Drake kill shot back a second time and spun the block for a third round of “Not Like Us.” The fourth edition was the most special, as K. Dot proved West Coast unity about 15 miles northwest of where the Compton native grew up, while bringing various L.A. luminaries such as NBA stars DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook on stage, who essentially danced on Drake’s figurative grave.
Mustard, G Perico, Hit-Boy, Blxst, Steve Lacy, Big Boy, Westside Boogie and Lamar’s Black Hippy running mates joined the party alongside other gang members repping different sets across Los Angeles. Each took a turn dapping up Kenny on stage as he kept his breath control intact amid the distractions.
“This s–t making me emotional,” Lamar admitted while gathering the blended crew for a group photo moment that he wished could last forever “We been f—ked up since Nipsey died. We been f—ked up since Kobe [Bryant] died,” he poignantly declared. “This is unity at it’s finest.”
“Not Like Us” wasn’t the only Drake diss performed by Lamar for the first time as part of his explosive set. He kicked things off with the bristling “Euphoria,” which found him tweaking a lyric directed at the 6 God. “Give me 2Pac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect,” he spewed. Lamar also brought out Ab-Soul to perform his verse on “6:16 in L.A.” mixed into his run of greatest hits.
“Not Like Us” gave Kendrick his fourth Hot 100 leader as it debuted atop the all-genre chart on May 13 with over 70 million streams in the first week. The West Coast anthem sits at No. 6 in its sixth week on the Hot 100 while “Euphoria” holds at No. 47.
While gang violence and street politics have cut lives way too short, Kendrick Lamar united a city for one night where territory allegiances and banging sets didn’t matter in the name of hip-hop. “It ain’t got nothing to do with no back-and-forth records,” Kendrick said, dismissing his Drake feud. “It’s got everything to do with this moment right here. That’s what this s–t was about. To bring all of us together.”
Find more highlights from Kendrick’s memorable “Not Like Us” performance below.
Perhaps nobody in rap capitalized on the stillness brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic than Moneybagg Yo.
The CMG rapper posted four Hot 100 entries with the vengeful “Time Today” and the Debarge-sampling “Wockesha” powering his 2021 A Gangsta’s Pain album, which completed Bag’s transition to commercial stardom and gave him his first No. 1 project atop the Billboard 200.
Three years later, Moneybagg returned with his fifth studio album, Speak Now, released Friday (June 14). The 32-year-old feeds his core fan base with plenty of trap flossing, designer flexes and street motivation over thumping trap beats and hi-hats courtesy of Tay Keith, Turbo and more.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“I feel like I don’t got nothing else to prove,” Bag casually admits to Billboard during his visit to the Big Apple. “I got all these plaques, I got success. I’m just letting them know I really do this. Don’t play.”
Trending on Billboard
The Memphis stalwart does innovate on his latest LP too, which finds Bag getting more melodic testing out his vocal range while teaming up with Chris Brown for the infectious “Drunk Off U” [and there’s more where that came from]. He slides across the state to Nashville for the country-leaning “Whiskey Whiskey” featuring Morgan Wallen, a collab that was two-years-in-the-making.
Bag’s an open book with his chiseled rhymes, delving into life experiences behind his Prada shades, like having Denzel Washington rock his blinged-out AP watch while grabbing lunch at The Polo Lounge, or listing his entire wing order at J R Crickets when he’s in Atlanta.
There’s more heat in the stash, too — as Moneybagg Yo will deliver a project sequel, fittingly titled Forever Hold Your Peace, later this year, which will cater more toward the ladies. “I’m versatile,” he adds. “I feel like I can play in different lanes.”
Give our interview with Bag a read below, which dives into him meeting Washington, attending his first wedding, working with Wallen and more.
Billboard: What was your mindset heading into this album?
Moneybagg Yo: It was just trying to deliver a body of work for my day-one fanbase who been rocking with me since Federal 3x— that type of vibe. That’s kinda what I did. I also mixed it with a sequel, which is called Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s gonna be the more melodic vibes. It’s dropping a couple months after Speak Now. I did stuff like “Drunk Off U” with Chris Brown kinda singing.
How was that kinda singing on there and experimenting with your voice more?
Just trying different stuff like I got 80 of those type of songs before even Chris [Brown] got on it. I was experimenting and playing with the craft and the talent. It came out good and I put Chris on it. I got one called “I Feel It,” and the Morgan Wallen situation.
How did the Morgan Wallen relationship form?
He’s actually a big fan of me. We been locked in for like two or three years. We had the song when we first locked in off the rip. I had it for like a year and a half, or two years, and he’s been on me about putting it out. “When that song coming out?” And all this s–t. The perfect time is now.
Coming off of A Gangsta’s Pain, do you feel like you have anything left to prove?
I feel like it’s really about enjoying what I’m doing and expanding at the same time. I feel like that’s it. I feel like I don’t got nothing else to prove. I got all these plaques, I got success. Just basically coming off a two-year break. I’m just letting them know I really do this. Don’t play.
You had to remind everyone one time with that post [to Instagram] of all your plaques.
And I think I missed some, to be honest. It was like some s–t. It’s a blessing. All that is.
How do you feel your music’s been able to resonate with a wide range of people from different cultures and backgrounds?
Even with what you said — like, I’m kinda singing on “Drunk Off U,” it’s not forced. It’s like, “All right bet, he doesn’t sound too bad. He’s vibing on there. Can we get more of that type?”
“Gangstas Relate” with Lil Durk – talk about that record and him sending his verse back in less than 20 minutes.
How that came about — he hit me the night before I had to turn the album in. “You in L.A. let’s do something.” I’m like, “Boom,” sent him the record. He sent back all the snowman emojis and sent that motherf–ker right back, like he was sitting in front of the mic or something. It was good, though.
What’s the quickest you’ve ever sent back a feature?
It went so crazy. Money Mu, the “Hittin” remix. He’s from Atlanta and it made noise. I was rushing I had somewhere to be. I had my girl, Ari, she pulled up with me when we in the A. I’m like, “Take me over here to do this feature right quick.” I’m just thinking, like, “I’m getting some little money, I’ll just pull up in the joint.” I do it and leave. I didn’t know when he dropped it — I’m going in the clubs and it’s going crazy. S–t’s turnt up.
[embedded content]
As someone who’s had hits, what makes a hit record to you?
At this time in this generation, I feel like it’s impact. It’s gotta have impact. Everyone can drop records, just because who you is — but if you analyzing the game people who are very successful, you’ve been seeing records come out from these artists and they ain’t been ugh [snaps]. You got the more upcoming artists [hitting] [claps]. It’s just gotta be an overall good record.
On “Tryna Make Sure,” did you say that Pharrell sent you a Louis Vuitton bag?
I was saying, like, making a call and shouting him out. I was like, “Ay, send me the bag at Louis.” I was going in the Louis stores and s–t all the sizes be so skinny and little. They fit for him. So I’m like, “Send me the bag at Louis!”
I saw you and Quavo step in to help recruit this high school quarterback, Antwann Hill Jr., to [the University of] Memphis. That’s pretty cool.
Quavo actually hit me — like, it’s official, “My boy about to come through the city. I need you to take care of him.” I’m not a big fan of football — basketball is my preference — but I told Quavo I got him. I went back up with him. It was kinda like how we locked in with Ja [Morant]. We made him feel good and at home in the town.
Were you at a wedding last week with Quavo?
Two or three days ago, with the Gumbos. The couple got married so I popped out. It was an experience. I had never been to no wedding. The ceremony was boring, but after the ceremony it was [cool].
They try to give you a mic?
They ain’t do that, but they gave Quavo the mic, though. He grabbed it and just performed. It was crazy.
That was your first wedding? That’s crazy. Did you bring a date?
Nah, she was actually sick at the house. It was like [one] plus God damn five or six with us. It was a vibe though.
I was listening to a 2Pac interview and wanted to get your thoughts on this quote: “In this country, as a Black man, you have five years where you can exhibit maximum strength. Once you turn 30, it’s like they take the heart and soul out of a man.”
I feel like when you turning 30 and get in your 30s, this is when your eyes open. You really see life for what it is, and you start moving and different. You almost wish how I’m thinking at 30 when I was 25 or whatever. All that comes with timing. I’m just moving better and thinking clearer. I see s–t for what it is. I been dealing with so much crazy a– s–t. I was just listening to Pac.
What’s your favorite Pac song or album?
All Eyez on Me. What’s the [song] he got with Scarface? “Smile.” That’s the one I have to listen to to keep me going.
What kind of business ventures do we have going on?
Yeah, we got a tequila liquor we’re gonna start pushing. I got a water we’re looking for distribution for right now. This is my clothing line I got on right now. It’s actually called Lof. This is in Japanese. Doing a high-end fashion brand. I’m trying to expand that. I got a restaurant in Memphis called Cache 42. It’s a lounge with an upscale side to it. I got a strip club in Miami that I’m 50/50 with a partner. Taboo Miami by G5ive. Just marketing and branding the club, I actually dedicated a song to one of the tracks on this album, called “Taboo Miami.” I got a little something going.
Do you have any advice for younger artists when it comes to dealing with labels?
I tell them to stay independent as long as they can. You gon’ get to a certain level where you’re gonna need some help. Everybody needs somebody. If your dreams and aspirations where you want to be up there, you’re gonna have to align with somebody to go to that. We can only go so far. Second, whatever you’re doing and whatever your craft is, force it on the world. Everybody don’t get it when you first put something out. No shade, look at some of the artists that’s out today. To be honest, they’re not lyrically talented. It’s more dumb-downed music that’s taking over the world. Just don’t think too hard. Force it on ’em, they gon’ get it. It’s gotta be ear-candy.
We’ve seen a lot more people in hip-hop focusing on their health, and I feel like you’ve been part of that.
Yeah, s–t, I worked out last night and this morning. My bro said, “You coming like an athlete or something. Damn, slow down.” I just want to look good in my clothes. I want to try to create more opportunities. Get on some of these magazines. I need to be on the cover of Billboard with the shirt off with the Louis scarf. That’s the type of timing I’m on. I want to feel good anyway.
Before you go, how did you link up with Denzel Washington?
I was with my PR eating at the Polo Lounge chopping it. I was wrapping up a meeting with her, and he was sitting to my right and looking. I’m like, “I want to go over and say something to him.” He just sitting there looking. Poker face. When I was paying for the tab, I stood up, he told me to come here. I went over there, he got to sweet-talking. His son was a big fan. We got to talking. S–t turned from a “what’s up” to “sit down and have lunch.”
We really had lunch. He was telling me about the movies. Training Day. He was like, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different. That’s why I’m at the caliber I’m at. I know how to really do this.” I felt him, and we wrapped it up with a picture. I was like, “Yo, put on a watch!” He was looking like, “Man, you shining.” I was like, “Put the watch on!”
Hip-Hop has spoiled us. In the 50 years since a group of kids decided to throw a party in the Bronx, the genre has grown and blossomed in ways Kool Herc couldn’t have imagined. Hip-hop left New York and moved south to Atlanta, Miami, Memphis, and Houston, and west to Chicago and St. Louis. It […]
Ty Dolla $ign is defending his Vultures 1 collaborator, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West).
The “Or Nah” rapper is the latest Billboard cover star, and he opened up about working with Ye on their recently released joint album. When asked if he feared Vultures wouldn’t perform well due to Ye’s string of controversial behavior, Ty shrugged it off. “Ye is the best artist of this generation, besides me, and I don’t give a f–k about what people were talking about. I know my n—. He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met,” he said. “Just with my analysis of how it goes with him, he goes all the way to the top. And something may happen and he’ll say [something people find offensive] — and then people [get] right back, you know. Because this s–t is undeniable.”
Ye has had a long string of controversies over the past few years, making headlines at his Yeezy Paris Fashion Week show in 2022 for wearing a shirt with the phrase “White Lives Matter” on the back, in addition to featuring Black models wearing the shirt. The phrase is one that was adopted by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, and the rapper faced backlash from both fans and celebrities online.
He also came under fire after a 2022 tweet in which he announced he was going “death con [sic] 3 on Jewish people.” Ye then repeatedly shared antisemitic hate speech, even going so far as to praise Adolf Hitler, a main leader responsible for the systematic murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust. Ye’s controversies have since cost him several lucrative deals, including one with Adidas.
Elsewhere in the interview, Ty discussed the making of Vultures, which arrived after much delay in February 2024. “Japan was hotel rooms, Italy was hotel rooms. Then we got Sting to let us use his [Italian] villa. At first we were just recording in the living room, recording by the pool, setting up recording equipment out there, and then we found out that there’s an actual recording studio there. […] It’s a very expensive album, I will say that. It would make for a crazy documentary.”
The duo are currently gearing up to release the album’s delayed sequel, Vultures 2. “We got all the songs. Basically, it’s just like, ‘How can we get it there? How can we go bigger than the first album?’” Ty said. “Certain people will probably expect you to just do the same exact sound, but that sound’s already out.”
Read the full cover story here.
Megan Thee Stallion is coming back to Chicago this summer, as she’s been tapped to replace Tyler, the Creator at Lollapalooza 2024.
The Windy City-based festival announced on Thursday (June 20) that the Houston Hottie will be headlining Thursday night (Aug. 1) of Lollapalooza. The announcement comes on the heels of Tyler revealing that he’s pulling out of Lolla as well as Outside Lands 2024 this summer.
“Hot girl summer in Chicago Unfortunately, Tyler, the Creator will not be able to perform this year. See @theestallion headline Lolla on Thursday, August 1st,” the festival wrote to social media.
There seemed to be a mixed reaction in the Lollapalooza Instagram comments, with the headliner switch leading to some fans asking about a refund.
Trending on Billboard
“Bro tyler was carrying. who tf decided megan was a good idea,” one person asked while another wrote, “Why is everyone so mad tyler always headlines megan is such a good replacement.”
Megan is currently wrapping the North American leg of her Hot Girl Summer Tour this weekend with shows in L.A. and Las Vegas, before heading across the pond for a handful of European dates through July, which will give her time to make it back stateside to kick off Lollapalooza on Aug. 1.
Megan Thee Stallion will have plenty of new music in her return to Chi City, as her Megan album is slated to arrive on June 28. She previously headlined Chicago’s United Center as part of her tour run in May.
Minutes prior to Lollapalooza making Meg official, Tyler surprised fans when he announced that he’d be dropping out of Lollapalooza and Outside Lands in back-to-back weekends this summer.
“I hate saying this but i have to cancel lollapalooza and outside lands,” he wrote to X. “I made a commitment that i can no longer keep, and that bums me out knowing how excited folks were. That is not sexy at all. please please forgive me or call me names when you see me in person. love.”
Outside Lands also acted quickly when they revealed that Sabrina Carpenter would be replacing Tyler at the San Francisco festival on Aug. 10. Following the performance, the “Espresso” singer will embark on an arena trek this fall, with the Short n’ Sweet Tour slated to begin in September.
Find both festivals‘ announcements below.