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Calvin Harris honored Takeoff during his Coachella weekend one set, and Offset took notice.
Takeoff, one third of Migos, tragically passed away on Nov. 1, 2022 after being shot at a Houston bowling alley — but fans in the audience still got to hear his voice boom through the speakers at Harris’ Saturday (April 15) festival performance. That was thanks to the DJ’s incorporation of a featured verse recorded by Takeoff before his death into the set; according to People, the “One Kiss” hitmaker lifted Takeoff’s part from the pair’s 2017 Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 collaboration “Holiday” and mixed it into another track from the same album, “Slide.”
“Slide” originally only featured Frank Ocean, Offset and Quavo, so Harris’ augmented Coachella version made it possible for all three members of Migos to shine on the track for the first time ever. Harris also decorated his stage with a large portrait of the “Casper” artist as the song played.
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“This so hard, man, thank you,” Offset said, thanking Harris in a post about the performance on his Instagram Story.
Offset also shared a Takeoff tribute of his own on Saturday, posting photos of his brand new tattoo: an inked portrait of his late cousin, so large it covers his entire back. “Love you 4L & after,” he wrote in his caption.
A few weeks prior, Offset previewed a posthumous collab with Takeoff by posting a minute-long snippet of the track on his Story. In the sneak peek, Takeoff could be heard exchanging bars with Vezzo, who’s also featured, before Set takes the reigns with his own solo moment.
On Ebony Riley’s first visit to the Billboard offices, the up-and-coming R&B singer-songwriter felt a burst of emotion run through her in response to the staff’s positive reaction to the playback of her debut EP, ebony.
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Floored by the praise she received for tracks such as “Over,” “Deuce Deuce” and “Cry,” Riley gained the much-needed reassurance in knowing that her career was off to a great start, especially after only beginning this journey a year ago.
Before she hit the gas on her music career, Riley was a model, appearing on runways and in campaigns by lauded fashion houses such as Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Bottega Veneta, and more. She even landed a coveted spot in the fashion campaign for Beyoncé’s Renaissance album in collaboration with Balmain, featured in Vogue France Magazine last April.
Notching wins among several A-List celebrities would have any aspiring model craving more. However, despite her success in the industry, modeling failed to fill Riley’s cup — and that had to change.
“That was more something God chose for me,” Riley tells Billboard about her modeling career. “It wasn’t something I grew up thinking I was going to do. I just kept hearing people mention it, like my mama’s best friend, and I just took a leap.”
She adds: “But I feel like with modeling, it’s more us portraying [other people’s] dreams. As far as the stylist, the makeup artist, the photographer, and the creative director — we’re bringing their vision together. I needed something that would bring my vision to life, and that was music.”
The journey to the music industry has been long and winding for Riley, as she’s also pursuing self-love. Riley’s tears in the Billboard office were rooted in gratitude over people loving something she created. For Riley, self-love is part of her pursuit of becoming a full-fledged music artist, especially since that journey has been challenging.
“I’m still going through the ropes of making sure I’m completely loving myself,” Riley admits. “‘Cause I feel like you manifest and attract where you are. So not saying that I ain’t s–t, but I don’t feel like I put myself to a standard years before this, because of my own childhood traumas or whatever else. My unhealed child was looking for sympathy, and I’ve figured that out. Now, I’m empowering myself with my story and my vulnerability.”
Below, Billboard speaks more with Ebony Riley about chasing her music dreams, the differences between the modeling and music industries, hitting a level of vulnerability to share her pain with fans, and more. Check it out below.
With you stepping into the game with your music career, Detroit has produced yet another talent. What’s the secret?
I think it’s the pain and struggle that everybody goes through in the city. We are a bunch of strong, talented individuals, and we find an outlet through our music or whatever creative outlet that we get presented. There’s not a lot of opportunity out there, but the OGs that came before inspired us to keep it going.
What was growing up in the 313 like for you?
Detroit was booming at one point. From the car industry to the music industry, we had millionaires and billionaires all over — then they started pumping drugs into the street and threw a freeway in the middle of all the Black businesses. That negatively affected our community, and we’re still going through that struggle. My family was affected by it, and it wasn’t easy. I lost my mom when I was like nine and went through foster care. But I felt like everything I did go through built me up to be where I am today. I thank God that I don’t look like what I’ve been through, or portray it. I don’t let it overtake me.
When did music come into the picture for you?
My mom used to have her little cassette tapes playing around the house — from Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, Barry White. She had me on all the things, so it started really early for me. And then I think I noticed my voice when I was about seven and started playing around with it when I was, like, nine. My grandmother exposed me to even more music — and from there, my love grew more and more. I wanted an outlet where I could go through it and share my pain, and music was that for me.
When did you know that you could become an actual artist?
It wasn’t necessarily me waking up and knowing one day. It was more of me challenging myself, proving a point and letting go of my fears. Music is my love and my passion, but I let my insecurities and fears of what society thinks beauty is get in the way. Society told me we ain’t had nobody that looked like me that really had a career since, like, Whitney [Houston] — but I learned it wasn’t about that.
What were some of the differences between the modeling and music industries?
I struggled with the model industry so badly because it was too many things going on where I felt I was restricting myself and I couldn’t live like that. My blessing with that was to get in the door and lead me to where we at now. I’m grateful and blessed to have been in these rooms, campaigns and runways, but at the same time, I wasn’t expressing myself creatively. I wanted to move more on my terms and have my own creative input in it instead of me being a puppet and just doing what I have to do to make ends meet. My story is bigger than that. If I just shut up, nobody would know my story. I wouldn’t be able to inspire the girls the way I want to.
When you first visited us in our New York office, the response to your debut EP filled you with so much joy. What’s that feeling like with this essentially being your rookie year?
It feels amazing, because ebony is my baby. We’ve been working on this project for four years. So to hear it and finally share it, and y’all actually rocking with it, is like — wow. I’m grateful that it’s translating and people are connecting to it.
You’re talking about all facets of love on the EP, from flirting to heartbreak. What was your mindset going into ebony?
ebony is a love story gone wrong based around a very specific time of my life. When I was like 21, I was in a bad relationship where things happened, and a lot of stuff that I [hadn’t healed from] was still lurking around. I had spent so many years not expressing myself and holding on to my feelings. I wanted to be vulnerable, because it helps with healing, and I was just blessed to have a team of people who know and understand me.
Being this vulnerable also comes with a sense of self-love and understanding of who you are as a person. Is that type of love the most important to you right now?
Yes, and I’m still teaching myself that. I’m still going through the ropes of making sure I’m completely loving myself. I was in situations with men where there was no self-love. You have to love and respect yourself. If that man doesn’t get it, he got to go. Love for me is just loving yourself first and really loving yourself unconditionally. I’m not saying to go do a post on Instagram or get your hair done. It’s more of taking care of your mental, taking care of everything from your body to every part of you that keeps the motor going. You can’t do anything without having love for yourself because you won’t do things for yourself.
What’s the legacy you want to leave for yourself as you go deeper into your music career?
I want people to see I unapologetically went for my dreams and showed no fear. The legacy will be, she came, conquered and did what she was supposed to do. I’m doing this to give people a voice, but I’m also doing this for myself. This is me reassuring and reminding myself that I do have a purpose and that I love myself, my story and the journey that’s coming.
Megan Thee Stallion has broken her silence after Tory Lanez was found guilty on three felony counts in connection with his shooting of the “Savage” rapper in Los Angeles on July 12, 2020. In a new Elle cover story, Megan (born Megan Pete) addresses the “public humiliation” she endured and eventually overcame while the case — and attendant publicity — wound its way through the legal system.
“I don’t want to call myself a victim. As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable,” the as-told-to story begins. “Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see.”
Megan didn’t shy away from addressing Lanez’s social media comments and the harrowing effects they had on her emotionally. “For years, my attacker laughed and joked about my trauma. For years, my attacker peddled false narratives about what happened on the night of July 12, 2020,” she says of Lanez’s reported denials and obfuscations of the narrative of that night. “For years, my attacker tried to leverage social media to take away my power. Imagine how it feels to be called a liar every day? Especially from a person who was once part of your inner circle.”
Megan also addressed the false narratives behind the shooting, which resulted in her hospitalization after suffering a foot injury during the incident. “I could have let the adversity break me, but I persevered, even as people treated my trauma like a running joke,” she said. “First, there were conspiracy theories that I was never shot. Then came the false narratives that my former best friend shot me. Even some of my peers in the music industry piled on with memes, jokes, and sneak disses, and completely ignored the fact that I could have lost my life. Instead of condemning any form of violence against a woman, these individuals tried to justify my attacker’s actions.”
The ordeal left Megan in a depressive state as she struggled to create new music and had little interest in rapping anymore, she revealed. “The truth is that I started falling into a depression. I didn’t feel like making music. I was in such a low place that I didn’t even know what I wanted to rap about,” she wrote. “I wondered if people even cared anymore. There would be times that I’d literally be backstage or in my hotel, crying my eyes out, and then I’d have to pull Megan Pete together and be Megan Thee Stallion.”
Today, Megan acknowledges that she is in a better place, as prayer given her the much-needed solace she needed during her tumultuous past three years. “I’m in a happier place, but I still have anxiety,” she said. “Talking about being shot still makes me emotional. I’ve started journaling as a way to better process my thoughts, hopes, and fears. Prayer has also played a therapeutic role in my healing, because I can have honest and unfiltered conversations with God without any judgment.”
On Monday (April 17), Lanez’s sentencing was delayed again after his attorneys filed a motion to begin a new trial. The initial sentencing was for January following his December guilty verdict. The judge set a hearing for May 8, hoping that sentencing will occur within 30 days of the hearing if the motion for a new trial is denied. Currently, Lanez is facing a potential 21-year prison sentence.
By most accounts Frank Ocean‘s first live performance in six years and eagerly anticipated headlining set at Coachella was confusing at best and not really what Oceanographers expected. But one person who had nothing but high praise for the elusive singer’s live presentation was Justin Bieber, who posted an effusive Instagram tribute to the artist he said “deeply” moved him.
Next to an image of Ocean’s face blown up on the stage’s massive screens, Bieber wrote, “I was blown away by Frank Oceans Coachella performance. His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.. I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget! Thanks Frank.”
Bieber’s plaudit was a rare voice of support about the performance that reportedly confused and disappointed many fans when the livestream of the show was cancelled at the last minute, the artist offered no merch for sale and Ocean took the stage an hour late to sing what was described as a low-energy set of reworked songs from his catalog. Videos showed a seated Ocean and his band mostly obscured by a group of dancers walking in circles around the stage.
On Monday, Ocean’s team confirmed to Billboard that the enigmatic singer suffered an unspecified ankle injury during on-site rehearsals in the week before the show that required the last-minute scrapping of a planned on-stage ice rink that was built for Sunday night’s headline performance. The skaters cast for the show then still joined Ocean onstage and wore custom Prada puffer jackets, acting as impromptu backup dancers.
Ocean was originally slated to headline the 2020 Coachella, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unclear how the reported injury will impact Ocean’s weekend 2 performance on Sunday (April 23).
See Bieber’s post below.
Fans have been wanting new music from Doja Cat ever since the success of her 2021 album, Planet Her, and their wishes are finally coming true.
The 27-year-old superstar took to her Instagram Stories on Monday (April 17) to drop what looks like a 19-song track list for her upcoming album. Tracks include titles like “Attention,” “Love Life,” “97,” “Wet Vagina,” “Can’t Wait” and an “unfinished” song called “Ouchies.” She has yet to confirm if the post is actually a track listing for her upcoming project.
See her Story before it disappears here. Doja’s Planet Her peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated July 10, 2021, and produced a number of long-lasting hits including “Need to Know,” “Woman,” “Ain’t S—” and “Get Into It (Yuh).”
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Earlier in the day, Doja went live on Instagram, where she played one-second snippets of songs set to appear on her forthcoming rap album, tentatively titled Hellmouth, according to TMZ.
In other music news, Doja recently teamed up with her “Kiss Me More” collaborator SZA for a remix of the latter’s S.O.S. hit, “Kill Bill.” The original version of the track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, between January and the most recently published April 15-dated chart, and its parent LP has logged 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200.
A new song believed to feature AI-generated fake vocals from Drake and The Weeknd that went viral over the weekend has been pulled from most streaming platforms after their label, Universal Music Group, released a statement Monday (April 17) condemning “infringing content created with generative AI.”
Released by an anonymous TikTok user called Ghostwriter977 and credited as Ghostwriter on steaming platforms where it racked up hundreds of thousands of streams, the track “Heart On My Sleeve” features uncannily similar voices to the two superstars — a trick that the creator says was accomplished by using artificial intelligence. It’s unclear if the entire song was created with AI, or just the soundalike vocals.
By Monday afternoon, the song had generated more 600,000 spins on Spotify, and Ghostwriter977’s TikTok videos had been viewed more than 15 million times. A YouTube video had another 275,000 views, with an ominous comment from the creator below it: “This is just the beginning.”
Many music fans seemed impressed. One comment on TikTok with more than 75,000 likes said it was the “first AI song that has actually impressed me.” Another said Ghostwriter was “putting out better drake songs than drake himself.” A third said AI was “getting dangerously good.”
But the end could already be in sight. At time of publishing on Monday evening, “Heart On My Sleeve” had recently been pulled from Spotify, as well as Apple Music, Deezer and TIDAL before it.
Even if short-lived, the sensational success of “Heart On My Sleeve” will no doubt underscore growing concerns over the impact of AI on the music industry. Last week, UMG urged streaming platforms like Spotify to block AI companies from accessing the label’s songs to “train” their machines, and the RIAA has warned that doing so infringes copyrights on a mass scale. Last month, a large coalition of industry organizations warned that AI technology should not be used to “replace or erode” human artistry.
Representatives for Drake and The Weeknd declined to comment on Monday. But in a statement to Billboard, UMG said the viral postings “demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists.”
“The training of generative AI using our artists’ music (which represents both a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law) as well as the availability of infringing content created with generative AI on DSPs, begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation,” a UMG spokesman said in a statement. “We’re encouraged by the engagement of our platform partners on these issues – as they recognize they need to be part of the solution.”
UMG declined to comment on whether it had sent formal takedown requests to streaming services and social media websites.
Have you ever bet on an NBA Finals series against a friend? If the answer is yes, then you have something in common with E-40 and Joyner Lucas — who put up $50,000 each last year when their hometown teams, the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics, squared off in the 2022 Finals, with the Warriors eventually winning the best-of-7 series in six games.
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“The reason I was confident is because we’ve done this,” E-40, a longtime Warriors fan, tells Billboard. “We’ve got four rings, and these past 10 years, this decade has been ours.”
As confident as the Vallejo, California native was that his squad would emerge victorious from the 2022 championship, E-40 still tried to give Lucas multiple chances to call off the bet. The “Ramen & OJ” rapper admittedly made this wager with his heart and hometown in mind.
“I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, to be honest with you,” Joyner tells Billboard. “I think I was just trying to show the hometown some love. I was confident about how it started off [with the Celtics going up 2-1], that we were going to take it.”
The Worcester, Massachusetts MC, who recently dropped “Blackout,” the latest offering off his forthcoming sophomore album, Not Now, I’m Busy, watched his money slip away right before his eyes as he performed at halftime during Game 6 of the Finals last year. The Warriors were crowned champions that evening, and if you ask E-40, he wouldn’t mind betting on his hometown team again.
“I feel like we’re going to repeat, and once we win, I don’t know who’s going to step up and be like Joyner,” the West Coast legend tells Billboard. “I don’t know what rapper wants to do it. They can play with me if they want to. They can put a hundred up, they can put 200, whatever they want to do. I’m going with the Warriors.”
During Game 1 of the Western Conference Round 1 series between the Warriors and Sacramento Kings on Saturday night (Apr. 16), E-40 was involved in a verbal skirmish with security, resulting in his ejection from the arena. The incident stemmed from an earlier encounter with a heckling Kings fan, which prompted security to come and check on the matter. The West Coast veteran called out the Kings organization, citing “racial bias,” hoping those involved would be held accountable. The Kings responded with a statement and said that they are currently investigating the matter. A rep close to E-40 confirms to Billboard that he will not be attending Game 2 in Sacramento on Monday night (Apr. 17).
Prior to the incident over the weekend, Billboard caught up with E-40 and Lucas to discuss their friendly rivalry, the sources of their fandom, and their 2023 NBA playoff predictions.
When did you become a fan of your team, and what really drew you to them?
E-40: I always liked sports. Baseball, basketball, football. And I always represented my soil. I love California, period. But I love Northern California more, you know what I’m saying? And so, me being a Warriors fan since I was young watching Rick Barry shoot free throws, underhanded. Watching that, I’ve been loving it.
I did a big thing in Vallejo, in my city at Dan Foley Park, where it was called the E-40 Fun Day. And I had all the kids out there, I’m talking about the whole Vallejo. Free barbecue, games. Had hella games out there, jumpers, everything you need. I even had the Warriors, RIP to the mascot that they had back then, but he came to the thing. He set up the whole Warriors thing.
The time I’m talking about was like 1998, somewhere around twenty-something years ago. I’ve always been a fan of the Warriors, but any team around here I would try to support. It’s always Warriors, 49ers, and the [San Francisco] Giants are my first priority.
Joyner Lucas: [For me], just growing up and watching the games and having a team where you’re from. Naturally, you want to support where you’re from. As you grow up, and you want to support your team, where you from, and you know there’s a lot of legendary players that have played on the Celtics. And these players that are on the team right now will be legendary as well. I just think that that’s really what it is.
Last year, you guys made a $50,000 bet on the NBA Finals. How did that come about?
E-40: He wanted to bet me. He said, “Let’s bet.” I said, “Let’s bet a dollar, man. Let’s just do a little cool little gentleman’s bet, like $1. A dollar deal.” He wanted to big time me and just, “Nah, f–k that. Let’s bet $50,000.” He tried to punk me out, right? And he didn’t know I was trained to go, you feel me?
I say, “Okay, you sure?” Right? And he was like, “Hell yeah!” Even a day later, he posted it right away. He put it on Facebook and Instagram. I didn’t say anything. Maybe I re-posted what he put out or something, but he’s the one who started it. He wanted to talk Big Bronco. And I’m like, “Joyner.” A day later, I believe a day or two later, I say, “Man, it ain’t too late to back up out this bet.”
I’m throwing him a life vest and stuff like that, and he’s still talking Big Bronco. You know what the man said? That man said, “F–k that. I don’t want to hear no mother f—–g kumbaya.” You know what I’m saying? That’s what he said.
Joyner Lucas: I felt like Jayson Tatum and those guys really wanted it, but I didn’t really take into account how long the Warriors been really doing it, and how seasoned they are. And E-40 gave me a lot of chances to back out of the bet, even when the Warriors were leading, but I didn’t want to back out because I’m a man of my word.
In the end, I took a really bad loss, but I’m going to be real with you: I didn’t expect us to lose the night that I performed. I thought we were going to win that night. Thought it was a home game, I thought we were going to win. I thought it was going to be great, but they lost the night that I performed. It was crazy, because even during halftime, we were down. When I went out and performed, it was like nobody was trying to hear that s–t. Nobody was trying to see me perform, because nobody was really in a good mood that [because they] were down, so it was just all bad all the way around, man. It wasn’t really a good night.
E-40: He said, “Send me the wire information.” Right? And I was like, “Okay.” I sent it to him, and then he hits me … I think it was the weekend, but he hits me and say, “As promised.” And he showed me the wire info. Right?
I called him and I said, “That kind of hurt, didn’t it?” He said, “Hell yeah!” I said, “I know that would’ve hurt me no matter how much money I got.” It’s just $50K. That’s just a lot of money. He asked me what I’m going to do. “OG, what you going to do with the money?” I said, “I’m going to redo my swimming pool.”
40, being a season ticket holder, is there any player on the Warriors that you have a really good relationship with?
E-40: One of the people that I’m close with is Draymond [Green]. That’s my guy. I’m close to [Stephen] Curry too, but I’m super close to Draymond. Draymond is a great guy. We’ve played dominoes together. Before he moved to San Francisco, closer to the arena, he stayed out here by me.
And I would go over there, and his mom would be there. He used to say, “Mom’s making tacos today.” That’s our folks too. And we’d go over there, we eat tacos, play dominoes. And it’d just be nothing but just love. And we talk s–t to each other, especially on days off. We’d get a few glasses of wine, you feel me? And it’s just genuine love.
I was at his wedding. Everybody that was somebody was up in that thing. Even LeBron and all of them. He invited me and my wife to the wedding.
What are your thoughts on the overall playoffs this year? What are your predictions?
E-40: It’s going to be tough. We don’t know. This one is very unpredictable overall, because there’s so many good teams. The West is so tough, and all of these players are playing at a high capacity. Basketball has evolved. The players have evolved. I don’t know if it’s their workout plans, or technology, or how they eat. I don’t know what it is. But they didn’t play like this back in the days, good brother. Everybody’s good. You hear me?
Do either of you think your team can make it back to the Finals? And if they do, are you planning on putting another bet on it this time around?
Joyner Lucas: I’m never betting on a single basketball player or game in my entire life. Never again will I ever bet on another basketball game ever again in life, ever. That was it.
I would hope that they would be able to get back. I would like to see it go the other way this time, but at the same time, again, it’s the experience of the Warriors, man. They showed last year that they had that experience over the Celtics. I don’t know if one year is going to change that. I don’t know. Hopefully, if they get back, they can capitalize and they take it home. That would be amazing for the city, and I think everyone would love to see that. Jayson, he’s having a hell of a year, so I guess we’ll see.
E-40: Absolutely. I feel like we’re going to repeat, and once we win, I don’t know who’s going to step up and be like Joyner. I don’t know what rapper wants to do it. They can play with me if they want to. They can put a hundred up, they can put 200, whatever they want to do. I’m going with the Warriors.
After taking over Las Vegas with his sold-out residency in 2021, Usher looks to expand his dominance globally by announcing his new European mini-jaunt, Rendez-Vous Á Paris.
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Kicking off Sept. 24 in Paris at La Seine Musicale, the four-date festivity will include Hot 100 chart-topping hits “Yeah,” “You Got It Bad,” and more from Usher’s decorated 30-year career. European fans can experience never-before-seen costumes, state-of-the-art lighting and special effects. Fan presale starts on Wednesday (Apr. 19) at 10 am, while Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and venue presales begin Thursday (Apr. 20) at 10 am. General tickets will be available to everyone on Friday (Apr. 21) at 10 am. You can purchase here.
Earlier this year, Usher announced 15 additional dates to his sold-out My Way residency. The new shows will take place in June and October.
“I like the idea of what I’ve found in Las Vegas,” said Usher in an interview with GQ earlier this year. “It gives me an opportunity to settle. I have children now. I got a life, so [I like] being able to have a few days in certain places and being able to celebrate those places and enjoy them. At this age, you try to hold on to the moments.”
Usher recently released his new single “GLU” and is coming off a headlining performance at J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival earlier this month. With a potential new album on the way, Usher hopes to give avid fans great music, as R&B supremacy isn’t on his mind anymore.
“No. 1 is always going to mean a lot to everybody. But it doesn’t, and shouldn’t, change your passion,” he told Billboard in 2021. It hasn’t changed mine, whether I put out a record that hit No. 1 instantly or took time to get there. I have a record company that’s willing to fight for it and get it heard, to connect with my audience and prospective new fans. I’ve tried a lot of stuff. There’s a way to play in R&B where you can be as creative as you want. Don’t cut yourself off — don’t feel you need to be tied so authentically to one thing.”
Rendez-Vouz Á Paris at La Seine Musicale: September 24September 25September 27September 28
The Sacramento Kings are investigating allegations from a Bay Area hip-hop star that “racial bias” led to him being kicked out of his seat during a playoff game against the Golden State Warriors.
The rapper E-40 said in a statement that he was heckled throughout the game Saturday night and addressed one heckler “in an assertive but polite manner” before security guards came and ordered him to leave the arena.
“Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that — despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur — racial bias remains prevalent,” he said in a statement. “Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault.”
The Kings said they are investigating the circumstances behind the ejection.
“The Sacramento Kings take these claims seriously and are investigating the facts and circumstances regarding the situation, as we do anytime an accusation like this is made,” the team said in a statement.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that E-40, whose real name is Earl Stevens, was standing and blocking the view of fans behind him and was given a warning after several complaints. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because details of the situation weren’t released publicly.
The person said E-40 refused to comply and that security officials for the Warriors and Kings escorted him from his seat.
A second person familiar situation, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said E-40 was never given a warning by security about “excessive standing.” E-40 is a prominent Warriors fan and was even part of the delegation that visited the White House earlier this season.
“It’s unfortunate,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. “I love 40. He’s been our biggest supporter for years. I hope they right that ship because he deserves to be there by our bench. In my time knowing him, he’s always been respectful. He’s always been considerate of those around him. Very weird to see, and I hope it’s resolved.”
E-40 is known for his collaborations with other artists, including on songs such as “I Don’t (Expletive) With You” with Big Sean, “Snap Yo Fingers” with Lil Jon and Sean Paul of YoungBloodZ, and “U And Dat” with T-Pain and Kandi Girl.
Sunday night (April 16) wasn’t the first time Lil Wayne touched the famed Apollo Theater stage, but Weezy’s Welcome to Tha Carter Tour rumbled through Harlem to close out the seasonably warm weekend in the Big Apple in style.
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The curtain dropped around 9:15 p.m. ET at the intimate venue and the thick smoke clouds began to form as the New Orleans rap deity emerged with a Jesus piece chain dangling around his neck. Weezy opened with the JAY-Z-assisted “Mr. Carter,” which took fans back to when Wayne and Hov were jockeying for the best rapper alive title in the late 2000s.
Wayne went through his humbling concert routine letting the people know “I ain’t s–t without you” before reflecting on the first time he hit the Apollo stage.
“I don’t know if it was the last time, but I know the first time I stepped on this actual stage, [Showtime at] The Apollo was still an actual show that came on television and I was on that motherf—er,” he recalled. “I think Shemar Moore was hosting it, but I was there though.”
Flanked by DJ T. Lewis and a drummer, Weezy breezed through an array of tracks from his decorated Tha Carter series while jogging the memory of the 1,500-person capacity crowd with songs including “Fireman,” “Blunt Blowin,’” “Hustler Musik,” and the Kanye West-produced “Let the Beat Build” booming through the venue speakers.
The 40-year-old found a groove inside his colossal Tha Carter III album with a medley of the triumphant “3 Peat,” “Comfortable,” “Lollipop,” and “Mrs. Officer” as attendees were hit with a laser beam light show and a heavy dose of 2008 nostalgia, at time when Weezy sat atop the rap food chain at the peak of his powers.
Wayne pressed pause 45 minutes into his set and teased a few special guests, but instead of reuniting with Drake or Nicki Minaj, fans were greeted by Young Money rappers Drizzy P, Euro, Lil Twist, and Mellow Rackz.
The jubilant energy seemed to be drained during the 15-minute intermission, but in fairness to the YM artist cameos, it’s nearly impossible to be thrown into the fire in the midst of a set from one of the greatest catalogs in rap and keep the party rolling. But when Wayne returned around 10:15 the crowd perked up like they’d just collectively downed a Red Bull to get amped for the stretch run.
Mixtape Weezy took centerstage as Dedication 2‘s lyrical masterclass “Cannon,” DJ Capcom’s “I’m Going In” featuring a then-neophyte Drake, The Leak EP’s “I’m Me,” and No Ceilings cut “Shoes” were added as setlist surprises. All that was missing were the fan-favorites “Something You Forgot” and “The Sky is the Limit.”
With all of the Verzuz chatter surrounding the Young Money honcho battling 50 Cent, Weezy’s tour set served as a stark reminder that he can go 40-deep into different bags and eras of his hall-of-fame career to compete with anyone, whether it’s commercial hits, syrupy mixtape anthems that went diamond in the streets, or prolific features.
Wayne is one of the only artists that can have a competitive Verzuz battle with himself, having “Mixtape Weezy” and other memorable loosies that exist on the internet face-off against his own albums and primary streaming service catalog.
Cam’ron surprised his hometown Harlem crowd when the Dipset rapper made an unexpected cameo in a silver tracksuit to team up with Weezy to perform their 2006 “Touch It Or Not” collaboration for the first time ever. Even more impressive, Wayne remembered his verse from the raunchy tune like he’d rehearsed it for weeks.
“Weezy, I love you! It’s the first time we ever performed this, n—a,” Killa Cam stated to Wayne before exiting.
The finish line was in sight for Wayne heading into the final turn jumping from Young Money’s “Every Girl” to his feature on French Montana’s “Pop That” as well as “HYFR” and “The Motto,” sans Drake.
Weezy fittingly capped off the marathon 40-track set with the 8x-platinum “A Milli” and even took off his long-sleeve shirt to match the fervor of his wall-to-wall Tha Carter III anthem’s rhymes.
“F–king thank you, man! Every single one of y’all, man,” he said to the crowd before recognizing the droves of fans sporting his mug on their bodies. “I see people with my face on they shirts and s–t. I appreciate you!”
Wayne wrapped up around 10:45 p.m. ET with Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” serving as the outro music, but he couldn’t leave before going over his three rules one last time.
“I must let you know three important things about myself. No. 1 is I know that we all ain’t s–t without the love from above. No. 2 is I ain’t s–t without you. Ladies and gentlemen, what’s No. 3,” Wayne asked the audience who wasted no time shouting rule No. 2 right back at him in the midst of a standing ovation.
The Welcome to Tha Carter Tour continues Monday night (April 17) with a show in Philadelphia followed by stops in Silver Spring, Maryland and Charlotte.