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After years of competitive banter and cold feet, a date has reportedly been set for the epic Verzuz battle between music legends Diddy and Jermaine Dupri.
In a video shared over the weekend, Diddy confirms to Busta Rhymes that the show will take place on Sept. 8, at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. “We gon’ have you out the rafters flying out the sky,” he excitedly added.
While fans have been murmuring about a potential battle between the Atlanta mainstay and Bad Boy CEO since 2020, the two legends joined the conversation in 2021, after Dupri challenged Diddy in a tweet. Initially, Diddy turned his proposition down, declaring that Dupri didn’t have enough hits. “I’ll smash you with just Biggie n Mary [J. Blige]. But I do have the utmost respect on you as a musical legend,” he said, adding, “[Dr.] Dre the only one can get in the ring w me.”
The two even playfully argued during an Instagram Live with Fat Joe and Snoop Dogg about who would win, but in 2022 they said they’d go head-to-head in a “non-Verzuz” battle, after co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland filed a $28 million lawsuit against Verzuz parent company Triller. “We’re not f—ing with Triller until they take care of Timb and Swizz,” Diddy said in a now-deleted video. In September 2022, Swizz and Tim settled their lawsuit with Triller, now owning a larger share of the company.
While neither Timbaland nor Verzuz have yet to comment on the scheduled date, Swizz shared a number of posts to his Instagram Story confirming the battle. A number of memorable Verzuz battles have already taken place at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden, including The LOX vs. Dipset and Ja Rule vs. Fat Joe.
While many fans think Diddy will come out on top, others note that Dupri’s pen is untouchable, and that the So So Def founder is individually responsible for a number of diamond hits, while Diddy often collaborated with a team. Come September, all that will matter is the court of public opinion, as Verzuz does not declare an official winner to their battles.
Dupri has reached RIAA-certified diamond success thanks to his work on Usher’s Confessions and has achieved 11 career Hot 100 No. 1 records. Diddy boasts his own set of impressive achievements as a producer and artist, playing a pivotal role in the careers of icons including Mary J Blige and Biggie Smalls.
Kaytranada and Aminé are ready to get the summer started with their joint album KAYTRAMINÉ, which the new duo announced Tuesday (May 9) would be released next Friday, May 19.
The Canadian DJ/producer and Ethiopian-American rapper teased KAYTRAMINÉ and dropped the Pharrell-assisted “4EVA” single last month. But now they’re revealing more details, including the album artwork and track list. The 11-track project will feature more collaborations with Freddie Gibbs (“LETSTALKABOUTIT”), Big Sean (“MASTER P”), Amaarae (“SOSSAUP”) and Snoop Dogg (“EYE”).
Earlier this month, the two previewed new music at a Met Gala afterparty, and during Kaytranada’s weekend one Coachella performance in April, he brought out Aminé to perform “4EVA.”
Kaytranada and Aminé have worked on numerous songs together throughout the years, including “La Danse,” “YeYe,” “Not At All” (Aminé’s remix of Kaytranada’s “At All” from his 2015 EP At All / Hilarity Duff) and “Egyptian Luvr” from Rejjie Snow‘s 2018 album Dear Annie (that features Aminé and Dana Williams and was produced by Kaytranada).
Kaytranada teamed up with rapper IDK on the album Simple. last year. He also worked on songs with Joyce Wrice (“Iced Tea”) and Anderson .Paak (“Twin Flame”), as well as remixes of The Weeknd‘s “Out of Time,” Rochelle Jordan‘s “All Along” and, in 2023, Sam Gellaitry‘s “Assumptions.” Aminé hasn’t released a new project since 2021’s TWOPOINTFIVE, which came one year after his sophomore album LIMBO. Kaytranada and Aminé were both nominated in the best dance recording category at the 2021 Grammy Awards — for “10%” with Kali Uchis and “My High” by Disclosure featuring Slowthai, respectively (the former ended up taking home the trophy).
See their latest KAYTRAMINÉ announcement below.
Offset made sure his two daughters got the ultimate princess treatment Monday night (May 8) in Hollywood. With 4-year-old Kulture Kiari on one arm and 8-year-old Kalea Marie on the other, the rapper adorably escorted his girls to Disney’s world premiere of The Little Mermaid, where they got to wear beautiful ball gowns and feel glamorous walking the red carpet.
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Both Kulture (whom Offset shares with wife Cardi B) and Kalea (his daughter with ex-girlfriend Shya L’amour) wore black-and-white dresses adorned with flowers and lots of tulle. The Migos member — who’s also dad to sons Jordan, Cody and Wave — matched his dates in a princely, Michael Jackson-inspired white jacket and black slacks.
In tribute to Ariel’s famous locks, both girls also colored their hair red for the occasion. “Mermaid premiere with my princesses,” Offset captioned Instagram photos from a pre-premiere shoot with Kulture and Kalea.
Though Cardi skipped the premiere, she did post a video of Kulture getting prepped for the photo shoot. From behind the camera, the “WAP” artist can be heard coaching her daughter — who beams up at her — on how to smile for the pictures.
“My gal,” Cardi captioned the video, adding two heart emojis.
On the red carpet, Set opened up about why it was important for him to take his girls to see The Little Mermaid, which stars Halle Bailey in the lead role. “My daughters are very excited to see someone who looks like them as the Little Mermaid,” the musician said. “It’s a special moment in history, and it’s iconic.”
The live action Little Mermaid will be in theaters May 26.
BTS‘ Jimin takes center stage on the preview of “Angel Pt. 1,” the new single from the upcoming Fast & Furious sequel Fast X that also features Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, JVKE and Muni Long. The minute-long snippet opens with a wistful piano intro as Jimin and JVKE take turns crooning the track’s hypnotic chorus, “Angel, don’t fly so close to me/ I’ll pull you down eventually/ You don’t wanna lose those wings/ People like me break beautiful things.”
“Angel, don’t fly so close to me/ I’m what you want and what you need,” it continues. “You don’t wanna lose those those wings/ People like me break beautiful things.” The trailer version of the song then spotlights Black chiming in with his signature nasally delivery.
“I give it all up to ease your pain, yeah, I would do that all day/ I step back from the game and keep you out of harm’s way/ Would risk it all for the game, but it take more than one person/ Two people, one ’til I feel the same way you hurtin’/ I was still in middle school when Givens had flipped the whip/Bodies was droppin’ before we ever knew ’bout the drip,” he raps, before hitting the obligatory Fast familial reference with the line “We gon’ be family no matter what way this go, bruh.”
Fast X is due out on May 19 and features the usual gang of street racing thrill seekers tearing around the planet, including Vin Deisel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jason Momoa, Jordana Brewster and Nathalie Emmanuel, as well as John Cena, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, Daneila Melchior, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson and Rita Moreno.
The first single from the soundtrack was “Let’s Ride,” which dropped in February and featured YG, Ty Dolla $ign and Lambo4oe, followed by “Won’t Back Down,” which dropped last week and features YoungBoy NBA, Bailey Zimmerman and Dermot Kennedy.
Listen to the “Angel Pt. 1” preview below.
Lil Yachty announced the dates for his fall 2023 The Field Trip tour on Tuesday morning (May 9). The 39-date global tour is slated to kick off on Sept. 21 with a show at the Echostage in Washington, D.C. and make its way across North America with stops in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Indianapolis, Nashville, San Diego, Las Vegas, Denver and Minneapolis before winding down on Nov. 5 at the Fillmore in Detroit.
The outing is then scheduled to hop overseas for a late 2023 European run that will kick off on Nov. 22 at the Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway, with dates in Copenhagen, Berlin, London, Paris, Brussels and Barcelona before wrapping things up on Dec. 17 with a gig at the Gasometer in Vienna, Austria.
The Live Nation-produced tour in support of Yachty’s psychedelic Let’s Start Here album will feature support from a variety of as-yet-unnamed fellow Quality Control acts. The artist presale will kick off at 10 a.m.local time on Tuesday in North America and at 1 p.m. BST in Europe. Additional presales will roll out through the rest of the week with the general onsale beginning on Friday (May 12); click here for more ticketing information.
Check out the dates for Yachty’s Field Trip Tour below.
Sept. 21 — Washington, DC @ Echostage
Sept. 22 — New York, NY @ SummerStage in Central Park
Sept. 24 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
Sept. 25 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
Sept. 27 — Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
Sept. 29 — Wallingford, CT @ The Dome at Oakdale
Oct. 1 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre
Oct. 2 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
Oct. 4 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
Oct. 8 — Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Oct. 9 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
Oct. 11 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore
Oct. 15 — Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
Oct. 17 — San Diego, CA @ SOMA
Oct. 21 — Vancouver, BC @ UBC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Oct. 22 — Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Oct. 26 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
Oct. 27 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
Oct. 29 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
Oct. 31 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Nov. 2 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fillmore
Nov. 4 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
Nov. 5 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
European Dates
Nov. 22 — Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
Nov. 24 — Stockholm, Sweden @ Fryhuset
Nov. 25 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ KB Hallen
Nov. 27 — Berlin, Germany @ Columbiahalle
Nov. 28 — Cologne, Germany @ Palladium
Nov. 30 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse
Dec. 1 — London, UK @ OVO Wembley Arena
Dec. 3 — Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy
Dec. 4 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
Dec. 6 — Paris, France @ Salle Pleyel
Dec. 8 — Tilburg, Netherlands @ Poppodium013
Dec. 10 — Brussels, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique
Dec. 12 — Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz
Dec. 14 — Milan, Italy @ Fabrique
Dec. 16 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Komplex 457
Dec. 17 — Vienna, Austria @ Gasometer
A day after the shooting death of Young Lo at a Miami Beach nightclub, the 37-year-old rapper/producer is being remembered by his longtime friend, creative collaborator and Grammy-nominated producer Christian “Hitmaka” Ward.
Along with Chrishan “Prince Chrishan” Dotson, Hitmaka is a co-founder of Makasound Records, where Lo worked in A&R. During his career, the late artist had also collaborated with other label executives and artists on various projects. Young Lo’s credits include collaborations with Drake, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Ray J and Tyga.
“Lo has been a longtime friend of mine for like 15 years,” Hitmaka aka Yung Berg tells Billboard. “We go as far back to when Ray J and I were doing ‘Sexy Can I’ and all these different records. Lo was just a great people person who knew how to put the right people together and had the resources to where maybe a Chris Brown or such-and-such [artist] might be good for a project. Lo was always a great asset to me. He was just great energy. Everybody loved to have Lo around. He was also very selfless, putting a lot of people before himself.
“This is truly a tragedy,” Hitmaka continues. “I haven’t lost a close friend like that, so this has rocked my world. I’m just dealing with picking up the pieces, helping out his mother, his family and his son. I’m sending super condolences to his family and loved ones. And man, I want to preach to everybody to just stay safe. Tomorrow isn’t promised. Tell loved ones that you love them on a daily basis because you just never know.”
According to reports from the Miami Herald, CBS News and other outlets, Young Lo was among three people who were shot at the South Beach nightclub Gala early Sunday morning. Born Lowell Grissom, Young Lo later died at the hospital. Two women were hospitalized with gunshot wounds and are expected to recover.
As of this writing, no arrests have been made.
After making headlines over an allegedly heated altercation backstage at the Lovers & Friends festival in Las Vegas, Chris Brown took to the comments section to tell his side of the story.
“Yall been geeked all weekend, y’all dragging it now,” the R&B singer commented on a post showing fan-captured footage from the festival. “It was mad people backstage and security was trying to clear everyone off the stage. People started pushing back.. I INTERVENED To let them know MY CHILD WAS BACK THERE. So y’all can keep ya narrative.”
In the video, Brown can be seen shouting at multiple men who appear to be security guards as members of his entourage attempt to hold him back and de-escalate the situation. While he didn’t specify which child was with his at the festival, the star shares three kids with three different women: 8-year-old daughter Royalty, 3-year-old son Aeko Catori and 1-year-old daughter Lovely Symphani.
Fans replied to Brown’s Instagram comment in support of the “Under the Influence” singer’s reaction, with one writing, “You shouldn’t even have to explain! But you said your peace. Let them have it. They are literally trying anything [at this point]. Y’all really need to let him live his life! He’s not what y’all are continually trying to make him out to be! The real ones know the changes he’s made.” Another commented, “I don’t even see what was so ‘crazy’ about your behavior,” followed by a couple of shrugging emojis, while a third added, “It actually looks as if he is the one de-escalating the situation.”
Others, however, saw the footage in a different light, with one commenter pointing to Brown’s 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna: “Chris Brown has anger management issues and until he gets it under control he’s going to continue to be violent. We should know this from when he beat up Rihanna.”
Watch the footage and read Brown’s response in the post below.
Happy Monday! We’ve got ten fresh new tracks to get you pumped for (and help you survive) the new week ahead. From steamy singles by Phabo, BLK ODYSSY and Taylor Belle to uptempo anthems from JELEEL! and tobi lou, this week’s column has everything you need and more.
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And of course, don’t forget to share the wealth with our Spotify playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: JELEEL!, “COME HERE!”
JELEEL!’s energy is undeniable. The Rhode Island rapper has a knack for stage diving and doing back flips at his shows. His hyper attitude is also reflected in his music, as he’s found a pocket rapping over glitchy, chaotic beats to get his bars off. “COME HERE!” is one of the more cohesive tracks from his recent debut album REAL RAW!, where he spits about attracting women and his fast and furious cars.
Phabo, “Casamigos”
Phabo is on a mission when he’s in the sheets. His steamy, neo-soul new single is inspired by the freaky activities that often follow indulging in the titular popular tequila brand. The San Diego-born singer even practices his Spanish on the track, singing “Casamigos reposado/ Nos tiene comportando salvajemente (got us behaving wildly).”
BLK ODYSSY, “ODEE”
BLK ODYSSY oozes confidence on his spacey new single “ODEE.” The Austin-based artist sings about his extravagant lifestyle to impress women, saying his wrist and drip are “odee.”
OhGeesy feat. Bino Rideaux & 03 Greedo, “Games”
OhGeesy and his boo are “connected like a Bluetooth.” The L.A. rapper teams up with Bino Rideaux and 03 Greedo to rap about not playing games in a relationship and wanting to be held down by their shorties. Laced with spaced-out 808s, L.A. bounce sounds and bed creaks, “Games” is a mix of trap R&B with a West Coast flare.
Danielle Ponder, “Roll the Credits”
Emotion is at the forefront of Danielle Ponder’s new single “Roll the Credits.” “[The] song [is] about spirituality in all of its forms and our ability to find God in all things if we are paying attention,” writes Ponder in a press release. The singer takes to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the song’s video, where she channels nature’s spirits, letting her old-school, bluesy vocals ring in the forest and city streets alike.
Latir, “To My Dear Anxiety (Acoustic Demo)”
In the most stripped-back and vulnerable moment of his EP Daydreams & Desires, Latir writes to his own anxiety. Thickly layered reverb surrounds the poetic singer’s voice and guitar, as he unfolds sweet falsettos and belts filled with desperation. The deep cut presents his raw talent, invoking emotion throughout its three minutes.
Taylor Belle, “SAY MY NAME”
On “Say My Name,” Taylor Belle taps into nostalgia, with a camcorder-style visual and Destiny’s Child song title. But there’s nothing dated about the singer’s flow and production, presenting a sensual single that feels both current and classic.
tobi lou, “Sorry I’m Late”
Nigeria-born, Chicago-raised artist tobi lou has garnered significant buzz thanks to his hyperactive sound and playful energy. “Sorry I’m Late” is no exception, as the rapper delivers a single that’s perfectly chaotic for all of our summer shenanigans.
Kirby feat. Rapsody, “Eve Gene”
“Black woman/ Unprotected in this world/ Is she loved, is she treasured, is she hurt?” On “Eve Gene,” Memphis singer-songwriter Kirby eloquently unravels the power and pain of her identity, adding on social media that the track helped her heal, and she hopes it does the same for her listeners. “I hope my non poc friends & family listen to this song and are reminded to hold space for the black women in their lives,” she adds. Featuring neo-soul production elements and a raw verse from revered MC Rapsody, the cut carries a vital message and is essential listening for the week and beyond.
kwes. feat. Sampha & Tirzah, “Open Up”
The critically acclaimed U.K. film Rye Lane not only boasted a captivating storyline, but an equally striking soundtrack. On “Open Up,” musical savants Sampha and Tirzah team up, their complimentary tones and lyrics intertwining to capture the heartwarming humanity of the Raine Allen Miller-directed film.
Nick Cannon clapped back at the haters calling him a bad dad in a new interview published on Sunday (May 7) by sharing his yearly salary.
“I’ve been villianized,” he said in a sit-down with The Los Angeles Times regarding his decision to have 12 kids with six different women, including five new additions in the last year. “I hear all the time: ‘You can’t be present for all those children.’ So therefore I get this deadbeat dad title.”
The host of The Masked Singer used the interview to address a report from last fall that he pays $3 million in child support each year. “That’s not a lot of money. When you think about my lifestyle, I have to generate at least $100 million a year,” he countered, before confirming to the paper he brings in $100 million annually. “Everybody thinks Ryan Seacrest has tons of money. I do everything that he does times 10. Well, not times 10 — times three. Because he does a lot.”
Elsewhere during the chat, Cannon also maintained that part of the reason he fathered so many kids in the past year was due to his people-pleasing personality. He said of his partners, “A lot of them are in the same age group” and added, “I just wanted to give them what they desired. I kept saying, ‘I can handle it.’”
Though Cannon is currently juggling multiple projects including The Masked Singer, Wild ‘n Out and his new AMP radio show The Daily Cannon, he’s currently stepping in to guest host FOX’s Beat Shazam while his close pal Jamie Foxx recovers from his recent hospitalization.
Diddy kicked off F1 race weekend in Miami by bringing some special guests on stage during a private performance at Major Food Group’s “American Express Presents Carbone Beach” event on Friday (May 5).
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In front of guests like Venus Williams, Dak Prescott and Luis Fonsi, Diddy ran through a string of hits at the exclusive supper club pop-up, which featured specially-curated dishes from celeb chef Mario Carbone and his namesake Italian restaurant.
Diddy took to the stage shortly after dinner wound down, launching into “Bad Boys for Life,” before following with crowd pleasers “I Need a Girl” and “Been Around the World.” He soon announced that he had some “friends” joining him for the night, as the opening refrain to Fabolous’ “Make Me Better” played over the speakers. The Brooklyn rapper hopped onstage to trade lines with Diddy on the track before a solo performance of “Say Aah.”
Fabolous wasn’t the only surprise guest during Diddy’s set. Busta Rhymes came out shortly after (alongside Spliffstar), plowing through hits like “Pass the Courvoisier” and “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” before ending with his rapid-fire verse on “Look at Me Now.”
Diddy hopped onto a table in the middle of the room to close out his set, as the crowd sang along to “Mo Money, Mo Problems.” The rapper made sure to end the night on a positive note, reminding everyone that he was now going by the moniker “Love.”
“We in the Love era now,” he said, “and I want you all to be love, and show love, to everybody around you.”
Diddy’s performance followed a surprise set by Diana Ross during the first night of Carbone’s South Beach popup. The ultra-exclusive event has seen a number of celebrities come through, and Friday’s dinner included stars like Madelyn Cline, Lukas Gage, Chris Appleton, Mason Gooding, Madison Bailey and Nigel Sylvester, who joined Tommy Hilfiger at his table.
The designer (and celeb crew) were in town to celebrate the launch of the Tommy x Mercedes-AMG F1 x Awake NY collection, a new capsule designed by Awake founder Angelo Baque and inspired by auto racing and Miami. Timed to the weekend’s Formula 1 race, the collection of graphic tees, polos, baseball jerseys and rugby shirts are available to shop on Tommy.com.