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Though live concerts have become a temporary thing of the past for many artists, NPR’s Tiny Desk Home series has been a solid way for rappers to hone their performative chops. Following concerts from 2 Chainz, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, and more, Jack Harlow has officially come through to run a setlist of hits complete with a live band arrangement. 

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With a total runtime of eighteen minutes, Harlow works in a solid six-song setlist, boasting a slew of That’s What They All Say standouts in “Rendezvous,” “21C / Delta,” “Funny Seeing You Here,” “Same Guy,” “Creme/ONCE MAY COMES,” and of course, “What’s Poppin.” For the performance, Harlow is backed by a live band, complete with a three-deep choir of backup vocalists. It’s refreshing to see each song reimagined with an acoustic arrangement, as the intricacies of the production are given room to truly shine.

Nowhere is that more evident than on the live version of “What’s Poppin,” which kicks up the infectious piano and throws in a slick delayed guitar for added emphasis. There’s clear chemistry throughout the entire setlist, the refreshing sight of musicians in sync, fronted by Harlow at the top of his game. We can only hope that once he is able to engage on a full tour, he brings a live band of this nature along for the ride. 

Check out the NPR Tiny Desk At Home concert, as well as the roster of people bringing it to life, below. 

MUSICIANS

Jack Harlow: vocals
O’Neil “Doctor O” Palmer: keys
Rico Nichols: drums
Joe Cleveland – bass
Rob Gueringer: guitar
Erik B: vocals
Chimera Patrice: vocals
Porcha Clay: vocals

Months after the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, authorities are reportedly concerned that another attack may be heading to Capitol Hill.  After receiving “concerning intelligence” related to a viral far-right conspiracy theory, Capitol police are boosting security at the Capitol in anticipation of any potential attacks on the building.

According to Complex, the conspiracy theory in question states that March 4—a date which held inaugurations for many years prior to the 1937 ratification of the Twentieth Amendment—is the “true Inauguration Day,” when Donald Trump will apparently regain his position in the oval office. In a security bulletin sent to CBS News, House Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett revealed that his team was working with Capitol police to keep an eye on possible demonstrations and other potential acts.

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Below is a quick collection of Twitter reactions to the March 4 conspiracy theory. Several people have expressed uneasiness leading up to March 4 while other Twitter users don’t even take any of it seriously.

With beefed-up Capitol security in place ahead of Thursday, all we can do is wait to see if the conspiracy theory is a legitimate coup or simply a rumor blown out of proportion.

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A Brooklyn woman, known publicly as Zendi, has made allegations against rapper Fivio Foreign, claiming that he sexually assaulted her at a party. She made the claims during a live-stream, saying that Fivio forced himself on her and stuck his finger inside of her without her consent.

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Instagram blog @gossipofthecity_ has shared videos of the woman recalling her alleged experience with Fivio, saying, “I’m in a room, he comes in the room, he locks the door. This sh*t is not funny. We’re laying down and he starts touching me. I’m like, ‘get off of me’. I’m screaming but the f*cking music is so loud, I was screaming my friend’s name, but the music was so loud nobody could hear me. He sticks his fingers up me, I’m like, ‘yo, this feels like rape’. He’s like, ‘b*tch I will rape you right now.'”

The woman says that after Fivio’s friend and her friend entered the room when the music was shut off, the rapper got off of her. 

Zendi’s friend reportedly also shared her side of the story, corroborating her claims in the post below.

People have been commenting on the allegations on social media, reacting to the claims made against Fivio. Thus far, the rapper has not issued any public statements on the allegations. We will keep you posted on any updates.

One does not get to the level of Kanye West by neglecting to put in one’s ten thousand hours. And while many have grown slightly weary of Kanye’s larger-than-life declarations and unapologetic nature, it’s impossible to deny that the man’s impeccable catalog of beats is one of hip-hop’s greatest. Yet as longtime Yeezy collaborator Cyhi The Prynce explains, his production craft was well-honed, complete with self-appointed homework assignments.

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During an extensive interview with Adam 22 on No Jumper, CyHi marveled at Kanye’s meticulous training regimen. “Even when he’s doing beats, he’s going through every sample,” explained The Prynce. “I heard every album that came out from ’91 to like ’99, he redid every beat on every Hip Hop album ever. He would get the whole Nas album and do every Nas song one through sixteen — every beat to a T. Nas album, Biggie album, DMX album. Everybody who came out before him.”

“He redid their album just to teach himself how to make beats,” he continues. “If he gon’ be that studious with beats, he’s going to be that way with everything. And that’s how I learned you really make sure you win, you have every option on the table.” It’s certainly an interesting revelation, which reveals something even more impressive about Yeezy’s process. Despite having gone the extra mile to recreate the classic rap canon, he still managed to bring his own original style to the table when he finally introduced himself as a producer.

Check out the complete interview below, and sound off if you think Kanye deserves more credit as a beatmaker.

Fans are still waiting for Migos’s next studio album which they insist is on the way. In the three years since the release of Culture II, Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff have released solo projects, and expanded into other business ventures. Offset, for example, got deeper into the worlds of fashion and gaming. 

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Quavo’s star-power has landed him a spot in the upcoming major motion picture, Wash Me In The River, alongside veteran actors Robert De Niro and John Malkovich. He said that he plays a “ruthless killer” named Coyote in the film. “It’s just an honor to be on the screen with Robert De Niro, Jack Huston, and John Malkovich. I’m just blessed and I can’t wait for y’all to see it,” he told Billboard, adding that it’s an action-packed film that was shot in Puerto Rico.

Even for someone like Quavo, who’s been an A-Lister for years, interacting alongside De Niro, Malkovich and Huston was admittedly a surreal experience for him. He said that he did chop it up with De Niro off-screen who shocked Quavo when he said he knew who the Migos were. “I said what’s up to him. I told him I said a line in one of my new songs about the trip I just took, and he was just like, ‘For real. M-I-G-O-S, right?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s finna go home and look me up.’ It was too hard,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to tell my Mom dukes that I’m gonna be on the screen and kicked it with him. He’s a nice dude.”

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In terms of new music from Migos, Quavo provided a promising update for fans, especially if you’re hoping they really take it back to their roots. A large portion of the project appears to have been recorded at their Los Angeles compound but Quavo said, “We always on them times mentally.”

“We always on them time when we away from each other and together back on the North. I just feel like it’s going to all be in the music,” he said.

Are you excited for Migos’ next album? 

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Following his speech this past weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), many people are convinced that former President Donald Trump will undoubtedly run for president once again in 2024. The infamous politician has not yet officially announced a campaign for the 2024 election, but that hasn’t stopped the American Independent Party from throwing its support behind the 45th President of the United States.

According to TMZ, the American Independent Party is eager to nominate Trump as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election, especially if he parts ways with the Republican Party. Despite his tumultuous relationship with the GOP, Trump would probably still be hesitant to completely cut ties with Republicans and latch on to an independent party, considering how third-party candidates typically fare in national elections. 

However, the American Independent Party could actually be a good fit for Trump if he decides to go that route. The far-right political party is historically tied to former Alabama governor and segregationist George Wallace, who ran for president in 1968 under the AIP and was also the last third-party candidate in American History to earn any electoral votes. If Trump was to make another go at a historical presidential campaign without the GOP’s support, the AIP may just be his best bet.

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TMZ alleges that AIP chairman Markham Robinson confirms that his party is dead set on nominating Donald Trump as its presidential candidate for 2024, stating that he “is the perfect guy to lead their party.”

What do you think is the best political strategy for Donald Trump moving forward?

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