R&B/Hip-Hop
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Drake has officially announced his return to Australia for the Anita Max Wynn Tour, marking his first visit to the country in eight years.
The Canadian rap icon casually dropped the news during a livestream with gaming streamer xQc on Sunday night (Nov. 24), revealing that the tour will kick off on Feb. 9 and run through early March.
“February 9th for anybody that’s watching from Australia, I’m coming back to Australia for the first time in eight years. Coming back to Australia on tour,” Drake shared during the livestream. “Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast… February 9 ’til like… March something.”
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While specific dates and venues have yet to be confirmed, Drake teased appearances in key cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and the Gold Coast. However, the OVO rapper seemed to rule out visits to “other places.”
The announcement comes as a major moment for Drake’s Australian fans, who last saw him perform live during the Boy Meets World Tour in 2017. “Funny enough, it’s actually called the Anita Max Wynn Tour,” Drake told XQC during the stream.
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The timing of the tour’s launch is particularly noteworthy, as it coincides with Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show performance on the same day. The two artists have been engaged in a well-documented musical feud throughout the year, with the artists slinging diss tracks at one another, like Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Drake’s “Push Ups”. Lamar recently also surprised-released his latest album, GNX.
Anita Max Wynn is a nod to a viral moment from Drake’s December 2023 livestream on Kick. During the stream, he introduced an “alter ego” with the same name, a pun on the gambling phrase “I need a max win,” which refers to hitting the maximum payout on a slot machine.
The phrase, popularized by streamer Adin Ross, quickly became an internet sensation, inspiring memes, TikTok edits, and exaggerated depictions of Drake’s character. Now, the joke has come full circle, lending its name to Drake’s 2025 Australian tour.
Drake had previously hinted at a turn return to the country earlier this month, posting an old photo of himself in front of Sydney’s Opera House to his Instagram Story, writing, “It’s been like 7 years.”
In addition to the tour announcement, Drake also provided an update on his forthcoming collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, revealing, “Me and Party’s album is 75 percent done shout out to PX cooking right now. Album sounds incredible…This album is good; it’s the sound that people know and love us for.”
Drake and Party announced their joint album back in August while on stage performing together in Toronto.
Earlier this month, PND hopped on his Instagram Live as he wrapped up the European leg of his Sorry I’m Outside Tour and revealed his project with Drake is nearing the finish line. “Guys, I have one more show on this tour,” he told his followers. “Then the album is getting finished. That’s all I gotta say.”
SZA season is upon us, according to the artist herself. The four-time Grammy Award-winner has confirmed that fans will be hearing new music before the year is out, sharing the news as part of a recent appearance on Kai Cenat’s livestream alongside fellow guest Lizzo. Letting slip that a “whole new project” was up her […]
J. Cole’s packing on the nostalgia for fans before 2024’s out. The Dreamville boss followed The Come Up‘s DSP arrival with the release of his sacred The Warm Up mixtape to streaming services for the first time on Friday (Nov. 22). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
Playboi Carti continues to drop music on social media instead of streaming services. On Friday (Nov. 22), the Atlanta rapper released “Play This” on his @opium_00pium Instagram account to follow up his recent ComplexCon performance in Las Vegas. The strategy is an interesting one, as he’s dropped a bunch of songs this year, but most […]
Kendrick Lamar still has a couple axes to grind. The Compton rapper surprised everyone by dropping his sixth studio album, GNX, and he addressed a bunch of things. A couple of the most notable topics he broached were that of Lil Wayne and his friends being upset that Lamar was chosen by Jay-Z and the […]
11/22/2024
K. Dot surprised the rap world with his latest offering on Friday (Nov. 22).
11/22/2024
11/22/2024
Dot continues to shake up the game with this surprise album drop.
11/22/2024
In a setting designed to evoke a cozy, intimate living room, Maeta performed “Back” for a unique and behind-the-scenes Honda Stage and Billboard showcase. Directed by renowned creative, Child, the space is warm and inviting, scattered with vintage accents and dim lighting that creates an atmosphere of personal reflection, setting the perfect stage for a song rooted in raw emotion. Maeta opens the performance herself, seated at a piano in the corner of the room. She begins playing the tender, four-chord ballad, each note grounding her lyrics with soulful vulnerability. Her voice fills the space, warm and rich, as she brings listeners into her world.
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Reflecting on her journey, Maeta describes how her creative process has transformed over time, leading her to become an artist who now insists on emotional depth in every track she creates. Songs like “When I Hear Your Name” carry an emotional weight that lingers with her, reflecting her commitment to making music that resonates not only with her audience but also with her own experiences. In “Back,” she lays bare her struggles with self-sabotage and love, a theme that resonates deeply with her and one that she channels through every lyric and melody of the performance.
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As the song progresses, Maeta rises from the piano and transitions to center stage, allowing her pianist, Louis, to take over the keys. The two seamlessly trade roles, each adding new layers to the track. With Louis grounding the melody, Maeta is free to express the full force of her voice, which pours over the audience like a confession. Her introspective lyrics capture the complexities of self-doubt and love, her emotions palpable as she moves through the chorus, revealing her innermost struggles with striking vulnerability.
In the closing moments of the song, Maeta’s voice softens, winding down to a final, haunting note as the last chords fade. The set, with its intimate design, feels like an extension of her own heart, a private space where she shares her most personal thoughts with the audience. As she finishes, there’s a sense that Maeta has invited everyone into her living room, laying her vulnerabilities bare in a performance that captures her growth, resilience, and honesty as an artist.
About Honda Stage:
Honda Stage is a music platform that builds on the brand’s deep foundation of bringing unique experiences to fans while celebrating determined artists and their journeys of music discovery. Honda Stage offers exclusive, behind-the-scenes music content and inspirational stories from on-the-rise and fan-favorite artists, giving music fans access to the moments they love while celebrating the creativity and drive it takes to make it big.
Kendrick Lamar is ending 2024 with a bang.
The hip-hop heavyweight took fans by surprise when he unveiled his sixth studio album, GNX, without any warning on Friday (Nov. 22). The 12-track project features contributions from SZA — who appears on “Luther” and “Gloria” — Jack Antonoff, Kamasi Washington, Roddy Ricch and more.
GNX serves as Lamar’s official follow-up to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2022, which topped the Billboard 200 with 295,000 total units earned in the first week. In the spring, he contributed a guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s Hot 100 No. 1 single “Like That,” which launched a high-profile rap beef with Drake. The back and forth between the two ultimately culminated in Lamar’s anthemic “Not Like Us,” which not only served to end the feud but also became a longstanding hit, topping the Hot 100 for two nonconsecutive weeks.
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It’s gearing up to be an even more groundbreaking new year for Kenny, who will be taking the stage for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, set to take place on Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” he said at the time of announcement. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
The 17-time Grammy winner is also up for seven awards at the 2025 ceremony. “Not Like Us” is up for record of the year, song of the year, best music video, best rap performance and best rap song. Meanwhile, “Like That” is nominated for best rap song and best rap performance.
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With the release of GNX, fans quickly flooded social media with overwhelmingly positive reactions to the project. “Look me dead in the eyes and tell me Kendrick Lamar isn’t the greatest ever,” one user wrote on X, for example, while another added, “Kendrick just opened his mouth, someone go hand him a Grammy right now.”
See below for more fan reactions to Kendrick Lamar’s GNX.
Kendrick is the best rapper alive. Period.— Ray Vaughn (@rayvaughn) November 22, 2024
look me dead in the eyes and tell me Kendrick Lamar isn’t the greatest ever— SK⚡️ (@raptalksk) November 22, 2024
Redman couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the first six-figure publishing check for hopping on Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty” in 2002. The New Jersey rapper was blown away by the astonishing sum and revealed to Red Bull Spiral earlier this week that it was actually for more than $250,000, and it ended up being one […]