Month: February 2023

SOURCE SPORTS: NBA Announces STARRY to Takeover NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest

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NBA Annoucement

The NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League in North America will now serve STARRY, a recently released lemon-lime beverage from PepsiCo. Utilizing the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest, which will be broadcast live on TNT at 8 p.m. ET on February 18, STARRY will capitalize on the leagues’ successful collaboration with MTN DEW by using the platform of the largest weekend in basketball to create a splash.

On the court and on the big screen, STARRY is present for the greatest plays in sports, including buzzer beaters and the best deep shots. Just in time for the NBA All-Star 2023, STARRY makes its debut in normal and zero sugar varieties. It offers the crisp, energizing flavor fans want in a lemon lime soda. STARRY will debut its brand-new ad at NBA All-Star 2023, which will feature a cast of prominent actors as well as a few exciting surprise cameos.

NBA Annoucement

“STARRY Hits Different. It has an attitude that embraces the irreverent optimism of our consumers and basketball fans alike. We believe that a dose of the unexpected creates a little more fun, and that’s why partnerships with the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League, and specifically the 3-Point Contests, are the perfect fit for STARRY,” says Michael Smith, senior director of STARRY Brand Marketing. “STARRY will bring a fresh perspective to the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League and help elevate the game’s most exciting moments.”

“We are thrilled to welcome STARRY to the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League as the leagues’ new official soft drink,” said Tara Mulcahy, head of marketing partnerships at the NBA. “The NBA family and PepsiCo have a tremendous track record of finding new and meaningful ways to engage our fans, and bringing the success we’ve built with PepsiCo’s portfolio of brands to STARRY through NBA All-Star is a fitting way to introduce the product to the public.”

“The WNBA is proud to continue its relationship with PepsiCo as STARRY becomes the latest member in our lineup of world class partners,” said Colie Edison, Chief Growth Officer at the WNBA. “PepsiCo has been a strong supporter of the WNBA, helping grow the league through its activation around WNBA All-Star events like WNBA Live and the 3-Point Contest, and we look forward to being part of this special launch.” 

STARRY arrives with the new STARRY Range, which is the most electric shot during State Farm NBA All-Star Saturday night. The STARRY 3-Point Contest is the ultimate test of range featuring the NBA’s best sharpshooters.

A player may shoot a maximum of two (2) Wilson STARRY basketballs from a distance of 29 feet and nine inches, which is six feet beyond the present 3-point line’s deepest point. The “STARRY Range” baskets are worth three points apiece, for a total of forty points per round. On Saturday, February 18, at 8 p.m. ET live on TNT, the State Farm NBA All-Star Saturday Night will feature the STARRY 3-Point Contest in Salt Lake City.

Some of the biggest stars in the game will start endorsing the STARRY brand. Players like 2x NBA All-Star Zion Williamson, 2x NBA All-Star Zach LaVine, 2x WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, 5x NBA All-Star and 4-time NBA Champion Klay Thompson are among those who are making shots, making plays, and shaping culture.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: NBA Announces STARRY to Takeover NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest appeared first on The Source.

Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary With February Return To All MSPs

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Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Streaming Re-Release

egendary 7X GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning artist/producer Dr. Dre celebrates the 30th anniversary of his magnum opus, The Chronic by announcing the album will be re-released by its original distributor, Interscope Records which worked The Chronic in 1992 via its relationship with Death Row Records. The Chronic, which is not currently available on streaming services, will again be available to fans on all major DSPs today, February 1, 2023. The re-release of the acclaimed work will be accompanied by a special Chronic merch collection which will be available on www.interscope.com. 

“I am thrilled to bring the Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records. Working alongside my longtime colleagues, Steve Berman and John Janick, to re-release the album and make it available to fans all over the world is a full circle moment for me,” said Dr. Dre. 

Steve Berman, Vice Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, said: “Dr. Dre is without a doubt one of the most iconic and groundbreaking artists in the modern era. He has also used his platform to fuel some very impactful philanthropic efforts that will ensure his legacy is felt for generations to come. Dre’s solo career all started with the The Chronic, one of the most celebrated recordings of all time. To have this album at Interscope once again where we work with Dre and his amazing team at Aftermath day in and day out is incredibly gratifying for me personally and all of us at Interscope.” 

First released on December 15, 1992, on Death Row Records/Interscope, The Chronic peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has spent 97 weeks on the chart since its release. The album also spawned three top 40 hits on the Hot 100, including top ten records with “Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang” (No. 2) featuring Snoop Dogg and “F— Wit Dre Day” (No. 8). The Chronic topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for eight weeks, while “Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang” hit No. 1 for two weeks on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Last June, Rolling Stone placed The Chronic on its 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time List, boasting how the album “redefined the West Coast Hip Hop sound.” Pitchfork also holds the seminal album in high standing, saying The Chronic lives on as a “timeless show of strength” and “gave shape to L.A.’s present and future.” Videos from The Chronic are also available on Dr. Dre’s official YouTube channel.

The post Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary With February Return To All MSPs appeared first on The Source.

What Is Smino’s Setlist Of Songs For The ‘Luv Is 4Ever’ Tour?

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Smino
Getty Image

Smino is currently out on the road playing shows on his Luv Is 4Ever Tour alongside JID. Both unveiled new material last year, with Smino’s album Luv 4 Rent and JID’s EP The Forever Story. Opening for them are emerging artists SwaVay and Jordan Ward.

While JID’s setlist for the gigs is widespread, Smino’s can be found through resourceful playlists on streaming apps like Tidal and Spotify. They show the rapper opening with “Klink” and closing with “No L’s”; it’s heavy with new tracks, but still has classics.

Check out the full setlist below, and find the rest of the tour dates underneath.

1. “Klink”
2. “Curtains”
3. “Flea Flicka”
4. “Rice & Gravy”
5. “Spinz”
6. “Z4L” feat. Bari & Jay2
7. “90 Proof” feat. J. Cole
8. “Blu Billy”
9. Tequila Mockingbird”
10. “Matinee”
11. “Netflix & Dusse”
12. “Defibrillator”
13. “Louphoria” feat. Cruza
14. “Pro Freak” feat. Doechii & Fatman Scoop
15. “Pizano”
16. “No L’s”

02/02/2023 — San Diego, CA @ SOMA San Diego
02/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
02/08/2023 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
02/10/2023 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
02/13/2023 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
02/14/2023 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
02/15/2023 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
02/16/2023 — Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
02/18/2023 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
02/21/2023 — St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
02/22/2023 — Miami, FL @ Oasis Wynwood
02/24/2023 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
02/26/2023 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
03/01/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
03/03/2023 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
03/07/2023 — Wallingford, CT @ Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theatre
03/09/2023 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
03/12/2023 — Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
03/15/2023 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
03/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
03/18/2023 — Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
03/21/2023 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
03/23/2023 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
03/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis
03/25/2023 — Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
03/28/2023 — Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
03/29/2023 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works

YoungBoy Regrets Violence In His Music, Wonders How Fans Will Accept Him

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We’re entering a new era of YoungBoy Never Broke Again as the chart-topping rapper is ready to reveal another side of himself. Undoubtedly, he has gone through a transition for some time—much of which has been brought on by fame and legal troubles. His time under house arrest in Utah has been an eye-opening experience for the Baton Rouge star. He sat down with Billboard at his residence and shared insight into his career, including his compulsion about releasing music.

He told the outlet he has over 1,000 songs in the vault, which is believable if you consider just how much music he shares. “It’s a disease,” said YoungBoy about releasing music. “Literally, I cannot help myself. I tell myself sometimes, ‘I’m not going to drop until months from now,’ but it’s addictive.”

Read More: NBA YoungBoy Says He “Terrified Of People,” Calls Them “Cruel”

YoungBoy added that he wished he had been aware of “how unhealthy this was for me” when he was younger. “Whatever type of energy I had inside me, I would’ve pushed it toward something else,” he also said. “The music is therapy, but I can’t stop it when I want. And the lifestyle is just a big distraction from your real purpose.”

Additionally, It seems that YoungBoy will be—or already has begun to—make a shift in his music. He’s straying away from violent content and revealed that he felt as if he was being used by the industry. “I’m at a point now in my life where I just know hurting people is not the way, and I feel very manipulated, even at this moment,” he shared. “I was set on being the greatest at what I did and what I spoke about. Man, I was flooded with millions of dollars from the time I was 16 all the way to this point, and I woke up one morning like, ‘Damn. They got me. They made me do their dirty work.’ Man, look at the sh*t I put in these people’s ears.”

ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 14: Gucci Mane and NBA YoungBoy attend Keyshia Kaoir’s Birthday Celebration at Gold Room on January 14, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.(photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Read More: YoungBoy Never Broke Again Considering Mormon Baptism

“I think about how many lives I actually am responsible for when it comes to my music,” YoungBoy further said. “How many girls I got feeling like if you don’t go about a situation that your boyfriend’s bringing on you in his way, you’re wrong? How many people have put this sh*t in their ears and actually went and hurt someone? Or how many kids felt like they needed to tote a gun and walked out the house and toted it the wrong way? Now he’s fixing to sit there and do years of his life that he can’t get back.”

Further, these days, YoungBoy is facing criticism for his painted nails of goth makeup. It’s something that both he and wife Jazlyn Mychelle enjoy doing in their solitude, but the social media world has been unforgiving. “I’m very curious to see how the world goes about me now,” said the rapper. “They listened because of who I supposedly was or showed I was and what I rapped about. Now it’s nail polish and face paint, and the music is not the same.”

“What if they don’t like me now?” YoungBoy also questioned. “You can’t be on top forever, you know? Because I’m not changing. I will not be provoked, I will not be broken, and I’m not going back to who I used to be. Accept it or not — I ain’t going back. I’m only going to get more groovy from here..”

[via]