the late show with stephen colbert
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Kamala Harris took part in major interviews with Howard Stern and Stephen Colbert, closing out a busy media day for her campaign.
Tuesday (Oct. 8) turned out to be a major media blitz for Vice President Kamala Harris, as she took part in interviews with Howard Stern and Stephen Colbert after appearing on ABC’s The View. The Democratic presidential nominee’s appearance on Stern’s Sirius XM show had a few key moments, beginning with Stern blasting former President Donald Trump for declining a 60 Minutes interview. “It just says so much,” Stern said. “He didn’t want to be fact-checked. This is madness. This is insanity. What do you mean, you don’t want to be fact-checked?”
Harris would jab Trump for his false claims about the 2020 presidential election, calling him a “sore loser” and taking him to task for his “dictator on day one” comments. “Understand what dictators do,” said Harris. “They jail journalists, they put people who are protesting in the street in jail.” She also commented on the bombshell report of Trump sending Russian President Vladimir Putin COVID tests at the height of the pandemic when he was in office. “People in America were struggling to get tests and this guy is sending them to Russia, to a murderous dictator for his personal use?” she said. Stern declared that he’d vote for her in November.
In her appearance on Late Night With Stephen Colbert, Harris opened up more, even sharing a beer – Miller High Life – with the host who expressed that he got advance permission to do so. Harris spoke about her Republican endorsements from Liz and Dick Cheney, praising them for putting “country over party.” Colbert asked her about her thoughts during her debate with Trump last month. “It’s family TV, right? It starts with a W, there’s a letter between it, then the last letter’s F,” she said, laughing and adding later on in the interview, “This is what happens when I drink beer.”
The appearances by the vice president were strategic in targeting key journalists supportive of her campaign, as many observers complained that she was ignoring traditional media outlets. Stern’s base, predominately composed of white males, is a key demographic for the Democratic party, evidenced by the “White Dudes For Harris” collective. Colbert has been a strong supporter of both Harris and President Joe Biden in the past, appearing as a host for fundraisers.
According to 50 Cent, marriage is good for thee, but not for he. The hip-hop mogul sat down with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show on Wednesday night (Sept. 4) to chop it up about his happily unwedded lifestyle, as well as doubling down on a vow of celibacy he claimed has allowed him to stay super-focused.
“Listen, when you calm down you can focus,” 50 said after Colbert read a recent magazine headline touting the near-billionaire’s sex-free lifestyle. “I’ve been good to me.” Colbert wondered what the money was for then if not to share with the love of his life, with 50 (born Curtin Jackson) explaining, “[Money is] when things start getting complicated, things start getting confusing, ‘cause people come in for different reasons.”
When Colbert asked the father of two if he’d ever been married, 50 snapped back with, “I’m safe. I’m not a happy hostage. I’m here. I’m free. I made some mistakes, just not that one.” Colbert, who often touts his endless love for his wife of 31 years, Evie, pivoted to asking what the life of an unmarried man is like, after explaining that his typically begins with the Wordle.
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50 said he goes to the gym or works out at home, while trying not to brag as he casually mentioned that he typically grabs 105-pound dumbbells. Colbert sweetly suggested that Curtis’ solitary lifestyle sounds, well, lonely. “I want you to have someone you can love in your life, Curtis,” Colbert said.
“I want someone I can love in my life too, just not right now, I’m fine,” 50 assured him.
Colbert also put up an adorable pic of 50 Cent chilling with his 12-year-old son, Sire Jackson, on the little man’s birthday this weekend. “What’s it like do you think to have 50 Cent as a dad?” Colbert wondered. “Great,” the rapper said with a wide smile, describing a special dinner at a steakhouse he had for his son that included a pop-in from Dr. Dre, which in typical tween fashion did not impress Sire as much as 50 thought it might.
The interview also featured 50 running down what the audience was like in Almaty, Kazakhstan when he performed there for the first time on his Final Lap tour last year. “They don’t know I’m not Michael Jackson… it was so cool. It was unbelievable,” 50 said, recalling how fans chased his car as if he was actually the late King of Pop.
Multi-hyphenate 50 was ostensibly in the house to promote his debut novel, The Accomplice, which the “In Da Club” MC said he essentially dictated to writer Aaron Philip Clark based on a rough outline he came up with. And, 50 being multimedia mogul 50, he said he’s already in talks with some TV networks about adopting the story about the first Black Texas Ranger on the hunt for master criminal Desmond Bell.
Watch 50 on The Late Show below.
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Nick Cave, the enigmatic frontman of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, opened up about his music, personal tragedies, and upcoming album during a revealing appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Aug. 13.
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Cave’s new album, Wild God, set for release on Aug. 30, marks a shift in his musical journey.
“It’s essentially a joyful, uplifting kind of record,” the Australian singer explained, adding, “This record is some years on from events that happened in my life that sort of required my music to be different in a way.” Cave was referring to the devastating losses he has endured – the death of his son Arthur in 2015, followed by the passing of his son Jethro in 2022.
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Reflecting on the power of music, the acclaimed songwriter described it as “one of the last legitimate opportunities we have for a transcendent experience.”
However, the music legend shared deep concerns about the impact of AI on creativity: “I think there’s forces out there that that are expressly designed to take the creative act away from us, especially with AI as it’s coming out at the moment, to purely industrialize it, to create music as simply a product and to take away the actual creative experience.” The frontman of The Bad Seeds emphasized, “That worries me a lot.”
The multi-award-winning artist revealed a profound experience of recording with Johnny Cash, his musical hero.
“When I got there quite early at the studio and when he arrived, he was not well at all,” Cave recalled. “He was a sort of terrifying apparition of a man.”
The influential musician vividly described the moment: “He sat down with me and he said, ‘Look, you know, I’ve had the flu, I’ve had laryngitis, I have no voice. I’ve never asked Jesus for anything, but I had to perform with you today. Last night I dropped down on my knees and I said, ‘Jesus, I got to sing with Nick. Give me back my voice.’”
Despite Cash’s frail health, Cave witnessed an extraordinary transformation: “He transformed from this sort of suffering individual into something really extraordinary, literally before my eyes.”
On grief and healing, the he reflected, “We must be able to turn ourselves the other way and look at the world and understand that we are part of the world.”
Cave added, “I saw the world not as a cruel place but as an extraordinarily systemically beautiful place to live in.” The Australian music legend offered a perspective on finding joy after profound loss: “There is joy and happiness in a way you never believed possible on the other side of grief. It’s a difficult, it’s a terrible truth about grief that ultimately you feel you can feel joy in a way that you never thought you could.”
The conversation also touched on the importance of small acts of kindness. The influential musician recounted a memorable interaction: “I went into a vegetarian takeaway restaurant… I gave her the money and she handed me back the change and just squeezed my hand as she gave me back the money. This I’ll never forget because it was so beautifully, quietly articulate.”
As for Wild God, the multi-award-winning artist described it as “a warm embrace,” suggesting that fans can expect a more uplifting experience when the album drops on Aug. 30.
Watch Nick Cave on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert below.
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Billie Eilish unwrapped the live debut of the soaring ballad “The Greatest” on The Late Show on Monday night (June 10), performing the Hit Me Hard and Soft album track accompanied by her brother/producer Finneas on acoustic guitar. The moodily lit performance opened with the singer shrouded in darkness sitting on a stool as Finneas […]
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André 3000’s last album, New Blue Sun, wasn’t exactly filled with rhymes and bars as it was with notes and sounds. While his day-ones were disappointed in his new choice of artistry, the man himself is more than happy with the new road he’s chosen to follow.
In a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the OG ATLien explained to the late night host how his love of the flute came about and why he decided to take his newfound hobby to the next level and make an entire album with it. “I discovered the flute and I started playing it over and over again for years,” André 3000 told Colbert. “And I felt like it would be great to share it so it kinda came in a natural way.”
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After Colbert interjected that he loved the flute because he felt like it sounded like a human voice to him, André agreed saying, “Yes! That’s why I love it. It’s the closest thing to singing… Like, vibrato is basically a human kinda thing… And you’re actually hearing a human’s wind. So on other instruments you don’t hear it.”
Well, if Kenny G can make a living off of flute albums, why can’t André 3000? The man said he has a pretty steep flute collection so y’all can expect a lot more flute songs coming in the future regardless of how y’all feel.
After the interview 3 Stacks took to the stage to perform “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned into a Panther…” and showed everyone he’s just as talented with a flute in his hand as he is with the mic. And we ain’t mad at the homie one bit.
Check out the interview and performance below. Let us know if you’re rocking with this side of André 3000 or if he should go back to rapping in the comments section below.
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For the latest stop on her Pink Friday 2 promo run, Nicki Minaj returned to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Wednesday (Dec. 20) to chat about her new album and trade freestyle bars with the Emmy-winning host.
“I’ll do the beat, you just be entertained,” Minaj quipped as Colbert clumsily attempted to make a lunchroom beat on his desk. “That’s not the beat I taught you last time I was here!”
Five years ago, when she was promoting her Queen album, Minaj showed Colbert how to make a simple beat and freestyle to it. Evidently, the Late Show host has spent the past half-decade honing his skills, because his retorts to Minaj’s bars shocked even the “Super Freaky Girl” rapper herself.
In a flow and rhythm taken from Pink Friday 2 breakout hit “FTCU” — lovingly renamed “F–k the Colbert Up” — Nicki spits, “High heels on for Stevie/ If I marry Stevie, he ain’t ever gon’ leave me.” In response, Colbert raps, “High heels or not, Nicki / You better hope you never meet my wife, Evie!” The hilarious comeback shocked Minaj into a few moments of silence before she and the audience broke out into uncontrollable laughter.
On the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated Dec. 23, 2023), “FTCU” was one of 14 Pink Friday 2 tracks to appear on the ranking — the most of any female rapper in history. Over on the Billboard 200, Pink Friday 2 became Minaj’s third No. 1 LP, making her the female rapper with the most chart-topping efforts. The new album is both the Queen of Rap’s long-awaited fifth studio album and the sequel to Pink Friday, her Billboard 200-topping 2010 debut album. The ever-expanding 24-track set sports collaborations with Drake, J. Cole, Lil Uzi Vert and more. Recent singles including “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” “Last Time I Saw You” and the Hot 100-topping “Super Freaky Girl” also appear on the tracklist.
During her interview with Colbert, Minaj revealed that she’s “still working” on the album. “I put more songs that entire week,” she said in reference to late-stage additions such as the 50 Cent-assisted “Beep Beep.” “My entire label looked like they were about to have heart attacks!”
With the promise of more new music, it looks like Minaj is prepping for an extended stay in Gag City — the A.I. kingdom her fans created in anticipation of Pink Friday 2. According to Minaj, who presumably is the head of state in Gag City, everyone is entitled to “a free mansion, free car and free canned goods” in her kingdom.
The “Super Bass” rapper’s conversation with Colbert also touched on her 3-year-old son, affectionately nicknamed Papa Bear. Minaj spilled about being a first-time mom, watching her son grow right before her eyes and, in turn, growing as a person herself. “My life was so selfish before he came here,” she gushed to the comedian. “Since this little human came onto Planet Earth, I can’t do anything without thinking about him first. There’s this thing that happens every day when I see his face, which is more than anything money could buy in the world. So, I’m really happy I pushed him out!”
Check out Nicki Minaj and Stephen Colbert’s hilarious rap battle above, and more clips from her interview below:
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If it’s not already cold enough for you out there, Olivia Rodrigo served up some serious pop chills on Monday night (Dec. 11) during a performance of her soundtrack song for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, “Can’t Catch Me Now.” Fresh off a cake-smashing Saturday Night Live performance and a trip […]
A lot of things happened on Monday (Nov. 20) when President Biden participated in one of the weirdest annual White House fall traditions: the National Thanksgiving Turkey pardoning ceremony. As you’ve probably already read, Biden — who was also celebrating his 81st birthday that day — pardoned the cluckers named “Liberty” and “Bell” and then […]
Like the NFL and its broadcast partners, late night show hosts could not resist going all-in on everything Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce related when the returned from a five-month strike-related lay-off on Monday night (Oct. 2). Chief among them was Stephen Colbert, who celebrated the reboot of The Late Show with a cold open bit in which he played a bearded Earnest Hemingway-esque sea captain crooning Jimmy Buffett’s “Son of a Son of a Sailor” while getting the latest news from a dolphin.
“Really? She’s dating Travis Kelce?” Colbert said in response to a series of squeaks breaking the celeb love affair news to him. “I think this is the one.” And while Colbert knows a lot of things, at this point neither Swift nor Kelce have publicly commented on or confirmed the rampant speculation that they are dating. The loud whispers, of course, have been stoked by Swift’s appearance at the last two Kansas City Chiefs games, where network cameras have cut to her dozens of times cheering on two-time Super Bowl champion tight end Kelce.
The proper monologue opened with Colbert hinting that a “major world leader” had come to New York the night before… of course he meant Swift being in town to watch Kelce. “At the game, Taylor drank some dranks, hung out with Blake Lively, while injured Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sat alone in the Sadness Box,” Colbert said over footage of Swift living it up and injured Jets QB Rodgers glumly texting while watching his new team keep it close in what was an eventual loss to the Super Bowl champs.
If nothing else, Colbert said it’s all great publicity for the NFL. “Mere rumors that Tay-Tay might be at last night’s game-game sent ticket prices surging more than 40 percent,” Colbert joked. “It used to be that you couldn’t afford to watch Taylor Swift. Now you can’t afford to watch Taylor Swift watch something. The Swift Lift is not limited to tickets,” he added, noting that “maybe-boyfriend” Kelce’s jersey saw a 400% sales spike over the past week, while the denim shorts she wore to the game have sold out everywhere.
“Everything she touches is instantly revitalized,” Colbert said while getting an idea for another possible Swift target. “Taylor: If this relationship doesn’t work out, is there any way you can start dating one of our nation’s crumbling bridges?” And because every celeb couple needs a clever portmanteau, he suggested “Traylor Swelce.”
Colbert and fellow late nighters Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers all played a bit of catch-up on Monday, hitting the high (and low) points they missed over the summer, from former president Donald Trump’s quartet of indictments to Rep. Lauren Boebert’s viral Bettlejuice musical hand jive and jokes about the The Golden Bachelor, as well as heartfelt thanks to their returning writing staffs after a long, hot strike summer. Plus, Traylor jokes, of course.
Fallon also performed a tiny song recapping the strike summer that opened with him singing, “First things first, there’s Taylor Swift. Wonder if she’ll write a song about meeting… Travis Kelce’s mom.”
Watch Colbert’s bits below.
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Valentine’s Day is the perfect holiday for couples to get a little steamy… or not. Once kids, a mortgage and chronic back pain are involved, spontaneity and romance don’t come as easily. Luckily, Boyz II Men and Stephen Colbert have updated the boy band’s sensual track “I’ll Make Love to You” to be a lot more relatable for couples who are welllllll past the honeymoon phase.
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The R&B trio made a special appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Tuesday (Feb. 14) with a reimagined song and music video for their 1994 hit, which spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. To be more representative of the track’s updated lyrics, an addendum was added to its title, in parentheses: “I’ll Make Love to You (But We Don’t Have To).”
“It’s our 15th Valentine’s Day, we’re gonna celebrate once this house is clean,” sings band member Nathan Morris, tenderly stretching on a pair of rubber cleaning gloves.
“Are the kids finally asleep?” croons Shawn Stockman. “Said we’d do it once a week/But we don’t have to, babe, let’s see what’s on TV.”
“I’ll make love to you if you want me to,” Wanyá Morris sings. “Unless you’re too tired, because I’m tired, too.”
The “End of the Road” musicians shared the music video to their Instagram page in a joint post with Colbert, who also performed a featured verse on the revamped track. “It’s time that Valentine’s Day made room for those couples among us who are still deeply in love — but also love being deeply asleep by 9 p.m.,” reads the caption.
Watch Boyz II Men perform an updated version of “I’ll Make Love to You” below.