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The music video for “Smack That,” Akon‘s hit 2006 single with Eminem, danced its way into the Billion Views Club on YouTube, the video platform shared on Wednesday (Feb. 8).
The visual features a cameo from Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts and revolves around Akon getting a 24-hour hall pass from prison in order to help the police run an undercover sting operation in a gentleman’s club frequented by Eminem.
Of course, the whole plot is set to Akon’s irresistible earworm of a track, which finds the Senegalese-American star crooning, “I feel you creepin’, I can see it from my shadow/ Wanna jump up in my Lamborghini Gallardo/ Maybe go to my place and just kick it like TaeBo/ And possibly bend you over, look back and watch me/ Smack that, all on the floor/ Smack that, give me some more/ Smack that, till you get sore/ Smack that, oh!”
As the lead single off Akon’s sophomore album Konvicted, “Smack That” reached as high as No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, a career high at the time for the singer that was soon surpassed by his dual No. 1 hits “I Wanna Love You” featuring Snoop Dogg and “Don’t Matter.” Its video is the star’s second to achieve the major viewership feat on YouTube after his 2013 collab with David Guetta and Ne-Yo, “Play Hard.”
More recently, Akon mounted a comeback with his TikTok-fueled 2022 EP TT Freak. He also spoke out in December in defense of Nick Cannon having 12 kids with six different women.
Revisit the music video for Akon and Eminem’s “Smack That” below.
Drake has officially arrived to London — Madame Tussauds London, that is. On Wednesday (Feb. 8), the “Jumbotron S–t Poppin” rapper’s newest wax figure has taken residence at Madame Tussauds London location and largest museum, joining the likes of Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus and more.
The rapper’s wax figure wears an outfit fit for a star. So fit, in fact, that the clothes are styled after his outfit from the 2021 surprise appearance at the Wireless Festival in London: a camouflage shirt and matching pants, a bright green puffer jacket and fresh white Nike Air Force 1s. Drake’s tattoos and ear piercings are included on the wax figure, as is his signature facial hair and the heart-shaved into his hairline. According to Madame Tussauds, his likeness also sports replica pieces of Cartier and Van Cleef jewelry.
“Drake has shown his love for London on numerous occasions with his surprise appearance at Wireless Festival being just one example of this. With reports that he’s soon to call London home, we wanted to make sure we were able to give him a warm welcome to our streets and show that the love is reciprocated the only way we know how by immortalizing him in our famous attraction,” Tim Waters, general manager at Madame Tussauds London, said in a press release.
Drake at Madame Tussauds London
Madame Tussauds/Jonathan Short
Waters continued, “There is no denying that the Canadian rap superstar is a music icon, with countless awards and numerous nominations under his belt, including at this year’s Brit Awards. We know that our guests will be sure to ‘Take Care’ of Drake as he becomes ‘A Keeper’ at Madame Tussauds London.”
Fans looking to pay Drake’s wax counterpart a visit can find him in the museum’s Impossible Festival music zone.
If you’ve been trying to figure out the best strategy to score some tickets to Beyoncé‘s upcoming North American tour, don’t believe the hype. Specifically, don’t buy into the rampant rumors on Twitter from fans claiming that you can nab presale codes by buying a “Cuff It” remix from Bey’s official website.
“This is categorically false,” the singer’s longtime spokesperson, Yvette Noel-Schure tells Billboard.
“I JUST BOUGHT BOTH VERSIONS OF CUFF IT WETTER REMIX ON [link] AND I GOT THE PRESALE CODE TO THE RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR. BUY TO GET YOURS TOO!,” tweeted one fan, while another claimed they uncovered a similar cheat code in a tweet that read, “People who buy the cuff it remix are most likely to get a presale code and get chosen for lottery at the Renaissance tour. Go hive!!”
At press time it was unclear where the rumor came from or who started it, but it makes sense that the singer’s superfans would be searching high and low for any angle on tickets to the Renaissance Tour.
The first 40 dates of the tour were announced last week, followed by an additional seven shows in Toronto; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Houston; Los Angeles; and East Rutherford, N.J. If you want to be in the building for one of the most anticipated tours of 2023 the first step is to register for Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan, though registering doesn’t automatically secure you a spot.
According to Ticketmaster, a “lottery-style” process will be used to determine which Verified Fans will receive access codes to purchase tickets while others will be waitlisted. Citi cardmembers can get exclusive access to presale tickets upon registering here until Thursday (Feb. 9.); the first group of Verified Fan presale tickets went on sale on Monday.
Because of the new dates announced last week, the Verified Fan registration for Group A ended at noon last Friday. Registration for Group B will be open until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Group B registration includes shows in Boston, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis and Tampa. Group C registration ends Feb. 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET and includes shows in Charlotte, Detroit, Phoenix, St. Louis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Nashville and Kansas City, Mo. Tickets to the Renaissance Tour are also available on Vivid Seats.
Now the bad news.
“Fan demand already exceeds the number of tickets available by more than 800 percent based on the registration numbers in the Group A cities,” read a statement from Ticketmaster after the initial presale. “It is expected that many interested fans may not be able to get tickets because demand drastically exceeds supply.”
The 2023 NBA season is approaching its halfway mark, which means All-Star festivities are right around the corner. Billboard can exclusively report today (Feb. 8) that 21 Savage, Janelle Monae, Cordae, Ozuna, Nicky Jam, Kane Brown and more will participate in the 2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
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Set to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Feb. 17, two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo and Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn will serve as coaches and go against Houston Astros star Alex Bregman at this year’s event. Team captains will include Utah Jazz Governor Ryan Smith and Three-Time NBA Champion Dwyane Wade.
In previous years, the NBA has reeled in a bevy of musical talents to play at its celebrity game, including J. Cole, Jack Harlow, Common and Quavo. The Migos frontman dazzled in both of his appearances. In 2018, he scored 19 points and won the MVP award. The following year, he had a game-high of 27 points. Last year, the NBA recruited DJ Khaled to perform at the halftime show, and he brought out Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Migos, Lil Baby and Gunna. The NBA hasn’t yet announced its performers for this year’s game.
For fans interested in watching the Celebrity Game, it begins at 7 p.m. ET, and will air exclusively on ESPN. It will also be available to stream on the ESPN App.
Check out the full rosters for the game below.
2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Rosters
Team RyanTeam WadeRyan Smith (Utah Jazz governor and honorary captain) Dwyane Wade (NBA champion, Utah Jazz minority owner and honorary captain)Cordae (rapper, recording artist)Kane Brown (5-time American Music Award winner)Diamond DeShields (WNBA All-Star; Chicago Sky)Nicky Jam (Latin global music icon and actor)Calvin Johnson (former NFL player) Jesser (content creator)DK Metcalf (NFL player)Simu Liu (actor) Hasan Minhaj (comedian)Janelle Monáe (actress, singer, songwriter)Marcos Mion (TV host)Arike Ogunbowale (WNBA All-Star; Dallas Wings)The Miz (WWE superstar)Albert Pujols (MLB Player) Everett Osborne (actor)21 Savage (rapper, recording artist)Ozuna (rapper, recording artist)Ranveer Singh (actor and NBA Brand Ambassador for India)Guillermo Rodriguez (ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live correspondent)Frances Tiafoe (tennis player)Sinqua Walls (actor)Alex Toussaint (Peloton coach and Puma athlete)
Missy Elliott and Jack Harlow had a blast filming their Doritos Super Bowl LVII commercial. But according to the “Work It” legend, the hilarious 90-second spot just scratches the surface of the belly laughs they shared on set during their first-ever in-person meeting.
OK, sorry, that’s not true.
Missy realized while speaking to Billboard this week that they actually (almost) met before, but she just forgot. “I never met Jack before. Wait … lies,” Elliott laughed while recalling that she thought they had never crossed paths, but that Harlow reminded her on set that they were in the same studio years ago when he was an up-and-comer. While they didn’t connect then, she was blown away by how “sweet and kind” Harlow was during the shoot.
In a teaser ad released last week, Elliott chilled at her studio as Harlow called up looking for a collab, though Missy shot down the idea of a “love triangle” with the incredulous, “I don’t know about that.” Though the love triangle bit isn’t in the in the final cut, Missy said they “laughed as if we had met years back, especially when we had to keep doing those lines. It would be fun to do those bloopers of us doing the skit.”
The final product, though, has plenty of twists and surprises. Harlow said it was an honor to finally meet Elliott in person, describing her as someone who is “very special to me … super special. And, not for nothing, “completely down to Earth and an open book … she left me inspired.” He said they joked and laughed their way through the script about Jack discovering that the magic element his music is missing is a tasty triangle.
Of course that triangle looks like a Doritos chip, but in Jack’s mind, it’s transformed into a musical triangle, and when he threatens to quit hip-hop to pursue triangle greatness, Missy warns him that it’s a fool’s errand. “I gotta do me, Missy,” Harlow tells her in the ad titled “Jack’s New Angle.” Cut to Jack rocking an arena while hitting the ‘angle, teaching a room full of prodigies how to correctly strike the three-sided instrument and budding triangalists mobbing a music store that is suddenly sold out of the least respected percussion piece of an orchestra.
Thanks to Harlow, triangles become a worldwide phenomenon, and though he’s the pioneer, in the end Harlow loses out to none other than Sir Elton John — in a surprise cameo — for Triangle Player of the Year.
Harlow said it’s a “big honor” to be part of the big game for the first time, especially partnering with the maker of his favorite childhood snack on the ad. When reminded that Elliott played halftime with Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz in 2015 and then went on to star in a 2020 Pepsi SB ad, Harlow said he would feel “blessed” if he could pull a reverse Missy and play the halftime show in the future. “I look up to her so much, so it was very special to me,” he said of their collab.
“We were laughing and joking and having a good time, but I also just wanted to hear stories about some of the things she did and where her head was at when she was making music early in her career,” he said of the between-shots chatter; Elliott said their downtime also included discussions of possibly getting together to work on another project in the future. As for the surprise John cameo, Harlow called it the “cherry on top … that’s an icon that reaches everyone and adds even more legitimacy to the ad. He’s so iconic and accomplished, a genius. I was thrilled that he a part of it.”
Though they did not meet in person, Harlow said being in an ad with John was “a nice start” and he’s confident they’ll meet in the future IRL. Harlow, who will make his big screen acting debut in the upcoming reboot of White Men Can’t Jump, said he was challenged at times to come up with some “different energy” on the shoot promoting the sweet and tangy BBQ Doritos line, but he appreciated the challenge.
Neither would reveal their pick to win the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, with Harlow saying he’s “messy” and just loves “drama,” so he would like to see a thrilling, overtime game. Elliott added that she doesn’t “want to get on nobody’s bad side,” so she’s keeping her pick mum and just gearing up to watch the game, and the commercial, of course.
“I will be up early to watch [the commercial],” Elliott said of her plans for Wednesday (Feb. 8), when the full spot drops. “I don’t think there’s a bigger platform of people that are watching you.”
Check out the full ad that will air on Sunday (Feb. 12) during the big game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., above.
A family friend of the rapper XXXTentacion broke down Tuesday (Feb. 7) as he told jurors how he and the rapper were ambushed by armed robbers as they drove away from a motorcycle shop, how he fled in fear and then heard the gunshots that killed the rising star.
Leonard Kerr’s testimony highlighted the opening day in the trial of three men accused of fatally shooting XXXTentacion on June 18, 2018, inside his BMW sports car, which had been blocked by an SUV as Kerr and the rapper pulled out of the Riva Motorsports’ parking lot near Fort Lauderdale.
Two men jumped out with guns, Kerr said. He said the taller man pointed his weapon at him and told him not to get out of the car, punctuating his command with a curse word. The other man was trying to pull the rapper’s gold chain from his neck. Kerr said he could hear XXXTentacion asking, “What’s this for?” At that point, Kerr said, he decided to escape, pushing the button that opened the passenger door.
“If I run, I can get shot, but I can live. If I sit….” Kerr said, his voicing trailing off until he stopped to regain his composure.
Kerr said when he looked back, the taller man was pointing his gun at XXXTentacion, and he said he heard at least two loud bangs. The men then got back into the SUV and sped off, taking with them the $50,000 the rapper had in his designer bag.
Michael Boatwright, 28, is accused of being the shooter, while his friend, Trayon Newsome, 24, is accused of being the other gunman. Dedrick Williams, 26, is accused of being the driver. They could all receive life sentences if convicted of first-degree murder. A fourth man who prosecutors say was in the SUV, 26-year-old Robert Allen, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder and is set to testify against his former friends.
During opening statements earlier Tuesday, the jurors heard divergent theories about the shooting. A robbery gone awry, according to prosecutors. According to the defense, it could have been a feud between XXXTentacion and the megastar Drake, but they say detectives refused to investigate that possibility.
Prosecutor Pascale Achille told jurors that Boatwright, Newsome, Williams and Allen, set out that day to commit armed robberies. Allen and Williams went inside the motorcycle shop to buy masks, she said.
There, they happened upon XXXTentacion, who, according to Kerr, had the $50,000 he had just gotten from the bank hanging out of his bag. The pair recognized him, and the group seized upon the opportunity, deciding to rob him as he left, Achille said. Boatwright shot him several times “without any provocation,” she said.
To varying degrees, the defendants are linked to the shooting by surveillance video and cellphone locations, and all are implicated through Allen’s expected testimony, Achille said. Then there are the social media photos of some of the men flashing the money posted that night, she said.
“They go on social media and start bragging that they have this influx of cash,” Achille said. “They flash it like it’s Christmas Day.”
To the men’s attorneys, the defendants are victims of Robert Allen’s lies and the failure of detectives to investigate XXXTentacion’s feud with Drake — XXXTentacion once said on social media that if he ever wound up dead, the Canadian rapper would be the cause. He later retracted that. Another rapper had also made threats against XXXTentacion.
They said that with the rapper’s slaying coming just four months after the slaying of 17 people at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, the Broward Sheriff’s Office was under extreme political pressure to solve the case quickly.
“For Broward County, for everyone involved, this was a nightmare,” said Mauricio Padilla, Williams’ attorney.
That’s why they wanted no part with investigating a celebrity, he said.
Prosecutors say there is no evidence linking Drake to the shooting, and Williams is clearly seen in the store’s surveillance video, recognizable through his distinctive facial tattoos. He was also identified by one of the clerks. Padilla conceded Williams was present in the store but didn’t say how he would explain that.
Joseph Kimok, Boatwright’s attorney, also pointed the finger at a third man as the possible shooter — a friend Williams was seen talking to inside the motorcycle store just before the shooting who has the same build as his client. He alluded that the friend could have gotten into the SUV Williams was driving outside the view of surveillance cameras. He said the evidence will show that Boatwright was asleep at the home he shared with his grandmother at the time of the shooting.
“At no point (in the surveillance videos) will you see Mr. Boatwright, because he wasn’t there,” Kimok said.
Yes, a cellphone linked to him was near the store — but that was a community phone used by several men, he said. And yes, he “very stupidly posed” with money that night — but that money was Allen’s, not Boatwright’s, Kimok said.
Newsome’s attorney also denied that his client was present.
The victim (born Jahseh Onfroy) was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.
Hulu shared a first glimpse of its original docuseries based on Spotify’s popular RapCaviar playlist on Tuesday (Feb. 7).
RapCaviar Presents will tackle some of the most provocative issues surrounding hip-hop today through conversations with the genre’s emerging and chart-topping artists, including City Girls, Jack Harlow, Polo G, Roddy Ricch, Coi Leray and more. All seven episodes will premiere via Hulu on March 30.
In the nearly two-minute clip, Tyler, the Creator and Pharrell Williams separately sit down to discuss the impact they’ve had on one another. Tyler recalls meeting with his idol in the studio during his Cherry Bomb European tour in 2015 and the words he shared with him that instigated a significant “switch” in the rapper’s music. “Make something undeniable, and make it equally as infectious,” Pharrell advises in his own interview. “Why are you doing music? Is it just because you just want to look cool? ‘Cause that will burn out. When it becomes purpose-oriented, it can be as cool as the flashy sh–, but it will be much more meaningful.”
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“Oh f—!” Tyler exclaims in the next frame. “OK. No more being silly. … Music first. And at that moment, I went home. I just wanted to change everything. I just wanted to switch, and the switch f—ing happened.”
“Spotify continues to find ways to innovate and grow the influence of our playlist brands. We’re excited to expand the RapCaviar universe through this docuseries with our partners at Hulu,” said Carl Chery, Spotify’s head of urban music and creative director of the series, in a statement. “Using hip-hop as a vehicle to examine society, we’re revealing stories through the lens of visionaries like Tyler, The Creator, and the City Girls. Through RapCaviar Presents, we’re hoping to entertain and educate hip-hop fans and spark meaningful conversations about music and culture.”
Karam Gill serves as the executive producer of the series, with Steve Rico as the showrunner. Chery and Liz Gateley are both overseeing creative for the show on behalf of Spotify, with Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman handling on behalf of The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), a part of Sony Pictures Television. Av Accius, Jeremiah Murphy and Marcus A. Clarke serve as co-executive producers. Gill, Quan Lateef-Hill, Peter J. Scalettar, Wendy J.N. Lee, Farah X and Mandon Lovett will direct the episodes.
Check out the first clip from RapCaviar Presents below.
Two decades after breaking through on a national level, T.I. is still writing his legacy.
While Tip usually shies away from watching scary movies himself, the hip-hop polymath expanded his filmography by starring in the psychological horror movie Fear, which hit theaters in January. In addition to playing Lou in the Deon Taylor-directed independent flick — joining a cast that included Power’s Joseph Sikora, Terrence J, Tyler Abron, King Bach and Rudy Modine — T.I. also served as a producer and investor in the movie, which was filmed in the midst of the pandemic.
And he and DaBaby linked up in Charlotte in early January for a soundtrack collaboration, also titled “Fear.” DaBaby tells Billboard, “My guy Deon Taylor called me and I got to see the trailer for the film and I got to curate the song directly off that. [Deon’s] quickly become one of my mentors in the last couple of months. Ever since I ran into him at Draymond Green’s wedding, he asked me if I was interested in being on the big screen since he saw some of my music videos. I told him, ‘Absolutely.’”
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Will T.I. follow up that project with a Super Bowl cameo? The rapper has been rumored to make a guest appearance at Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII halftime show to perform their Hot 100-topping 2008 duet “Live Your Life.” T.I. caught up with Billboard to discuss the Super Bowl possibility, his ranking on Billboard and Vibe‘s greatest rappers list, Drake interpolating “24’s” on Her Loss, and more.
How was working with DaBaby on “Fear” for the Fear soundtrack?
T.I.: It was dope. Me and bro had a mutual respect for a long time. I always spoke about working together and working on film. He’s been picking my brain about it. With his videos, you can tell he’s got chops and he’s ready to evolve into another form of storytelling. I’m eager to assist the next generation however I can.
DaBaby and Deon Taylor attend “Fear” World Premiere at Directors Guild Of America on January 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Arnold Turner/GI for Hidden Empire Film Group
How did you feel about showing up on our greatest rappers list at No. 32?
There’s so many phenomenal talents, prolific artists and iconic figures that have passed through this culture. I ain’t got no time to hold no emotions about it. I’m just thankful to be here, thankful to be part of the collective that gets to do what we love for a living and inspire people on a daily basis. I’m just happy to be around the elite. The people I used to wake up not wanting to go to school and listen to. I’m on a list with them.
Now I became the person that little truancies used to get up and not want to go to school. It’s an honor and a privilege and a pleasure to be on that list. I think it’s some people that I came before I think that I should’ve went behind. What’s the process? So people just saying let’s piss people off? If you wanna piss people off and get instant engagement, make a list about anything.
What did you think about Drake interpolating your song “24’s” for “Rich Flex” on Her Loss?
I think it’s dope. I think it’s incredible, on the 20th anniversary of Trap Muzik this year, we’re still showing the relevance and the impact of the music from having the icons of today just still find value in it and I think it’s dope that he did it. I’m happy to be a part of it in any way possible.
Are we going to see you at the Super Bowl performing “Live Your Life” with Rihanna?
Zip it. Ay man, I will not confirm or deny any potential appearance. It’s an awesome opportunity. It was awesome to have the opportunity to work with such an iconic figure and such a prolific individual and such a beautiful spirit altogether. We’ll see what happens.
You’ve been a mentor to a lot of artists, and recently spoke about how 21 Savage thanks you every time he sees you for not giving him that first $1 million.
It’s amazing to be in a position where you enter into a whole new generation and be this institution of culture and see the new leaders of the generation pass through your studio and find their sound and start building, meeting each other, and learning the business. I teach the way I was taught, and I was taught you gon’ sacrifice something to gain something. Part of that sacrifice early on is that up-front advance money. Then you get some equity on the back end. That’s the model I’ve been preaching for a long time.
Young Thug was another one of those artists you mentored. He’s in an unfortunate situation right now.
I still have the utmost faith he’s going to come out better than ever. God has the last say, regardless of what I think. He’s going to be a better person and in a better position.
“What You Know” celebrated an anniversary last weekend. What do you remember most about making that record?
I remember how fast I recorded it — it was extremely fast. As soon as [producer] DJ Toomp came in and played some records, as soon as I heard that beat, I knew that was it. I just went in there and did it. Everybody knew this was the first single. That was probably one of the most obvious first listens I’ve ever experienced.
What was your response to RZA’s comments hating on the South taking over rap in 2007 at the time?
I had heard that. There’s gonna be some knee-jerk reactions when it comes to change. Things are being presented a little differently than you’re used to receiving, I can understand how it may take some getting used to. Personally, he never exhibited that kind of energy toward me, and I think that Southern lyrics as a whole are made in response to people in the South and the dialect is much different than the North. I can understand if you from up North, how you might feel a little left out.
Kill the King is your final album? The last one has to be A1.
It’s definitely a feeling of that. Perfection is necessary. I kind of have to put an exclamation point on this career that is taken me to heights that I never imagined and led me places that really surprised me. I never thought I’d be in some of the great positions that I found myself in. This would be the exclamation point, and I have to do it.
Justice for Renaissance! A skywriter appeared above the city of Los Angeles on Monday (Feb. 6) to remind Beyoncé exactly who she is after her loss at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Users across social media spotted the airplane’s message in the sky, which couldn’t be any more loud and clear: “BEYONCÉ, YOU MADE MUSIC HISTORY.”
Indeed, while the icon lost out on her fourth chance at album of the year after Harry Styles was named the winner for Harry’s House, she broke the record for the most Grammy win in history by adding four new gramophones to her collection of 32 wins out of 88 total nominations.
And while no one has yet to take credit for the BeyHive-approved message in the sky, Bey’s husband Jay-Z shrugged off the awards show jockeying entirely in an interview with TIDAL published after his wife’s loss. Calling the whole process behind the Grammys race “a marketing thing,” the rapper still lobbied that Renaissance was more than worthy of The Recording Academy’s top prize, saying, “Look what it’s done to the culture. Look how the energy of the world moved…Everyone’s inspired. It has inspired the world.”
Instead, Queen Bey did take home Grammys for best dance recording for Renaissance lead single “Break My Soul,” best R&B song for fan-favorite track “Cuff It,” best traditional R&B vocal performance for deep cut “Plastic Off the Sofa” and best dance/electronica album for the house-inspired studio set as a whole.
Check out the message to Beyoncé over L.A. below.
Roots drummer and bandleader Questlove was given a nearly impossible assignment in pulling together Sunday night’s (Feb. 5) generation-spanning, all-star tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary at the 2023 Grammy Awards. How do you represent a wholly American art form that has spread from coast-to-coast and around the globe without leaving out someone’s favorite MC?
Welll, according to a series of posts from Quest on the day after, he did his best, but there are some good reasons he couldn’t get everyone’s No. 1 in there. “general ?s answered about last night: (some are asking if we are playing erasure games so uh….yeah I don’t play that so—in answering the questions of “why wasn’t dada there?),” he tweeted.
The answer(s) were simple, he added, “1. already booked 2. declined our offer straight up 3. or a third option im not gonna get into.” A fourth reason, he noted, was that the team made the decision to wait for a two-hour taping of a special slated to take place in August that will give the team more space to fill in the blanks. “We decided to eschew those who passed away, & give flowers to the living — for starters I learned with VH1 Honors not all rappers are good MCs and bad karaoke is a danger slope,” he said. “And WAY too many legends passed so someone’s estate was gonna be heated.”
QuestloveThe Roots timekeeper said in an interview that his original cut for the special segment ran to nearly a half hour, something the Grammy brass said was obviously untenable. So he had to cut it down to around 12 minutes for the heart-racing final version. In the end, the impassioned, mind-bending medley roped in everyone from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim and De La Soul’s Posdnous (Kelvin Mercer), to Scarface, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Public Enemy, Outkast’s Big Boi, Method Mad, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Too Short, Swizz Beatz and the Lox, as well as new schoolers Lil Baby and Glorilla.
“This went through a crazy evolution. all my suggestions were 20 min presentations with Breakbeats/Graf Legends/Dancers/DJ/Beatboxers,” Quest continued. “You’ll be shocked how fast 25-40 secs goes by and you don’t even get the halfway mark of 1995l remember 1973 to 2023 was the goal… we were aware of playing our biases out (if it were me alone? idda just skewered to my teenyears). at one point I said ‘we should do ALL women!!’ —that idea didn’t get too …..far (we didnt have time to do a ‘Some Kind Of Monster’/Kumbya thing to make that a reality).”
The notoriously methodical drummer said he had some criteria he wanted to follow (“alive? harmonizing? turntablism? fighting shape? NYC? LA? BAY? ATL? NAWLINS? HOUSTON? MIDWEST [checkmark emoji] born before 1960? born after 1995? Superlyrical? Stylistic? Original? generally known by at least 2 generations?”). But if your pick wasn’t there there might be a reason.
One, he revealed, was that two “crucial” acts canceled 10 minutes before air. “Cancellations that mighta made it look like we were biased in our choices. but just understand we literally tried to SQUEEEEEEEZE everyone in,” he promised.
As for why there was not much representation from the new generation of 2010’s rappers, Quest explained that as well. “Because they said ‘no’, or they walked out… I’m sure there were all types of circumstances, but Ice-T as the Only L.A. representative, in Staples Center, in Los Angeles… is WILD!! Great performance otherwise.” Questlove answered, “welp: I asked like 10 legends so….sometimes you gotta go with the one who wants you. again might not be your preference but most of hip hop has side gigs. Acting was the main issue. lotta movies being shot.”
In a pre-show interview with the New York Times, Quest further detailed the crazed rush to get the set together, revealing that the two who dropped out at the last minute (Lil Wayne, Future) and the “damn near Jerry Maguire levels” of cajoling he needed to employ to get Missy Elliot — “world famous for the word ‘no’” — to perform. Plus, he noted, there are a number of major acts (Drake, Jay-Z, Public Enemy) who have for years accused the Recording Academy of not giving hip-hop its proper due at the awards.
See Questlove’s tweets and the full performance below.
general ?s answered about last night: (some are asking if we are playing erasure games so uh….yeah I don’t play that so—in answering the questions of “why wasn’t dada there?)1. already booked2. declined our offer straight up3. or a third option im not gonna get into— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
—we decided to eschew those who passed away, & give flowers to the living —for starters I learned with VH1 Honors not all rappers are good MCs and bad karaoke is a danger slope. And WAY too many legends passed so someone’s estate was gonna be heated.— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
this went through a crazy evolution. all my suggestions were 20 min presentations with Breakbeats/Graf Legends/Dancers/DJ/Beatboxers—-you’ll be shocked how fast 25-40 secs goes by and you don’t even get the halfway mark of 1995l remember 1973 to 2023 was the goal— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
we were aware of playing our biases out (if it were me alone? idda just skewered to my teenyears). at one point I said “we should do ALL women!!” —that idea didn’t get too …..far (we didnt have time to do a “Some Kind Of Monster”/Kumbya thing to make that a reality)— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
& this is NOT leading to a tired narrative that women don’t get along because there MORE concerns on the men side of things too (happiest moment seeing LL & Ice T just chillin—)—but yeah the most asked question was “who all gone be there?” which is understandable.— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
we had a criteria we wanted to follow: alive? harmonizing? turntablism? fighting shape? NYC? LA? BAY? ATL? NAWLINS? HOUSTON? MIDWEST☑️ born before 1960? born after 1995? Superlyrical? Stylistic? Original? generally known by at least 2 generations?— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
now granted they might not be your favorite (and there were 2 crucial 11th hour (more like 10 mins before taping) cancellations that mighta made it look like we were biased in our choices. but just understand we literally tried to SQUEEEEEEEZE everyone in.— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
