While it is adorable to know that his mother and father firmly stand behind Drake, others such as NAV, Rick Ross, The Weeknd, Asap Rocky, and Ja Morant have all taken shots at him. Hell, following J. Cole’s apology to Lamar, supporters feel that he has even turned his back on Drake.
Following his set at Coachella 2024, fans believe Tyler The Creator has also picked a side. Yesterday (April 13), Tyler opened with an explosive stunt during his set. Viewers at home took to X (formerly Twitter) to rave about the stunt. After the clip went viral, others speculated that Tyler pulled inspiration from Metro Boomin’s 2018 album, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, cover.
Hip-hop editor Aaron Williams stressed the grandiose production in his review. “He shocked fans right at the outset with a high-flying stunt that saw him enter the stage like a human rocket blasting through the side of a camper van,” he wrote. “The move immediately set a tone that he somehow maintained through a procession of guests and a three-act set structure that demonstrated the thought and care he puts into all of his works.”
With Tyler The Recreator trending across the platform, others pointed out that he might have shaded Drake later in the set.
While performing alongside special guests Asap Rocky and Childish Gambino, users online claimed to have heard him say: “You know what’s sick? I used to hate that n****. I don’t know why; I gotta go to therapy to figure it out.”
However, it is unclear who Tyler was referring to. For now, Drake and Tyler’s friendship seems steady.
However the flip side of that is you will occasionally be forced to make choices. I had to contend with this obstacle more than once on Saturday, choosing between acts of both similar genres (future-of-R&B girls RAYE and Thuy, booked against each other in adjacent, overflowing tents) and ones that ostensibly have little in common (rap&B vanguard Blxst on the Outdoor Theatre stage vs. Sublime’s main stage Coachella debut with Jakob Nowell, the late founder Bradley Nowell’s son). The imperfection solution? To only catch a fraction of each, missing out on the signature hits in some cases.
Philip Cosores
There were also sets that had to be foregone entirely, like T-Pain’s slammed set at the redesigned Heineken House activation or Billie Eilish’s Billie & Friends set at DoLab. These minor stresses were more frustrating because they were absolutely avoidable. These are the sorts of moments you reserve for the big stages, with counter-programming of equally desirable acts all across the festival to prevent overcrowding, but as third-party activations responsible for their own bookings, they apparently underestimated the response either would have
Philip Cosores
T-Pain is as hot as he’s ever been, bouncing back from a career nadir that saw him become little more than a novelty act. And Billie Eilish JUST headlined the fest two years ago. Just because she wasn’t technically performing doesn’t mean any mention of her appearing wouldn’t equal a stampede (there is probably a conversation to be had about the very weird need to just share space with celebs, even when they are not doing the things for which they’re best known, but I’m not going to have it here. At least Billie let her fans listen to some brand new material, which hopefully made the intense situation worth it).
But ultimately, these really were minor problems in the grand scheme of things – and decent ones to have, insomuch as that can be true. You WANT excitement at the biggest festivals, and these were certainly moments that generated plenty of it. Likewise, every act my editor and I caught on day two brought exactly the right sort of energy to what will be the brightest spotlight for many of them.
Philip Cosores
From RAYE employing a 19-piece band to Blxst blowing out his late afternoon set, it seemed everyone was crystal clear that Coachella still constitutes a huge opportunity for any artist’s career, no matter what snarky commentators on Twitter may pretend for the amusement of their followers. Even the Billie & Friends and T-Pain sets, as cramped as they got once the word spread, created the sort of moments Coachella is famous for – and will continue to be famous for, apparently.
Here’s another prediction: Ice Spice will almost certainly headline Coachella in the near future if her trajectory continues. Phil, my editor, joked that going to the Sahara tent from other side of the polo grounds might as well be an actual trek to the Sahara (“pack a bag,” he said), but many braved the journey for Ice’s 8 o’clock set, looking for all the world like a human sandstorm stirred by the blustery desert winds on its way to take in the TikTok phenom. Again, this was despite social chatter that’d suggest that she shouldn’t even have been booked for the tiny Sonora tent (someone should do a study on the sheer bitterness of the remaining denizens of Elon Musk’s latest money suck).
Philip Cosores
The people danced. They rapped. Every word. Her mic was ON. She had immaculate breath control. Her set design, consisting of inflatable subway trains and a giant Ice Spice head, built a world. She is what hip-hop has needed all this time. Stop hating.
Philip Cosores
Speaking of mics being on, Gwen Stefani ‘s mic certainly was during her reunion with No Doubt, a moment she divulged she thought would “never happen.” Whether or not they actually thought that their reunion was truly an impossibility, they showed no signs of rust, providing the near-universal draw that brought the same (presumed) Sublime millennials together with the (presumed) Billie Eilish zoomers in an astonishing assemblage that didn’t have any competition for either – unless you count Coi Leray, who proved more than up to the challenge as she played the Mojave tent opposite the genre-bending Gen X rockers.
Philip Cosores
Another rapper I was surprised to discover in that time slot was multicultural lyricist Saint Levant. Hailing from Jerusalem, the Palestinian-Algerian rapper came correct with a set that drew from his multiple heritages (he’s also French and Serbian) and included a timely call for peace in Gaza. It’s actually a shame that such an important moment was confined to one of the smaller tents, Gobi, and played against the splashier appearance of No Doubt. There are several poignant metaphors there.
Again, I dipped out on an engaging and fascinating performance full of cultural set pieces and thoughtful statements to check out another artist. While Coi’s set was less politically timely, its energy was impressive. Coi’s choreo was on point, her conditioning was honestly jaw-dropping, and despite the obvious differences between them, she could have given Ice Spice a run for her money when she showed the crowd her twerking skills.
Philip Cosores
As Saturday’s headliner, Tyler The Creator didn’t really have any other acts to contend with, but if he had, he made sure that he would have stolen the show. He shocked fans right at the outset with a high-flying stunt that saw him enter the stage like a human rocket blasting through the side of a camper van. The move immediately set a tone that he somehow maintained through a procession of guests (ASAP Rocky, Charlie Wilson, Donald Glover, and Kali Uchis all joined him onstage to perform their collaborations with him) and a three-act set structure that demonstrated the thought and care he puts into all of his works. From playing the hits to reminding the nostalgic zoomers of his wild Odd Future days with a mini-set of classics in the middle, Tyler showed what a headliner is supposed to be. I hope the whole world takes notes — and that anyone who puts that much care into their Coachella set actually gets the room to be seen.
Halle Bailey and DDG just welcomed their first child Halo a few months ago, but fans speculate that there may be some trouble in paradise. Last week, social media sleuths noticed that the pair appeared to unfollow one another on Instagram, which prompted rumors to circulate that they had gone their separate ways. This was only compounded when the Little Mermaid star was spotted at Coachella this weekend, and DDG was nowhere in sight.
Halle attended her sister Chloe’s set, sharing various posts on social media in support of the songstress. #Chlochella was so amazing,” she captioned a photo of the two of them together. “I’m so proud of you @ChloeBailey.” She also posted a sweet clip of her cheering Chloe on from the crowd. Of course, the solo festival appearance alone wouldn’t seem too significant, if the duo hadn’t also removed all traces of each other from their respective accounts.
The breakup rumors come after DDG reflected on some of the rough patches he and Halle have experienced throughout their relationship in an interview with VladTV. He chatted about DMing Rubi Rose back in 2023, claiming it was done purely out of pettiness when he and the “Angel” singer weren’t on the best terms. “I did it in front of her. I had no intention of actually linking with Rubi Rose,” he explained. “She seen it. Imagine you’re arguing with your girl and you get mad at her for something. ‘I’m finna do this. Watch this,’ type sh*t.”
What do you think of rumors that Halle Bailey and DDG have gone their separate ways? What about her attending Coachella without him? Do you think this means anything, or are social media users overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comment section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
This year’s Weekend One of Coachella was a pretty interesting one: a great Tyler, The Creatorperformance, some notable celebrity cameos, and another excuse for casual homophobia to run rampant online. Moreover, this last phenomenon is due to a clip of Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith embracing at the festival. In the video below, you can see the former hug the latter from behind and sway around dancing, and then the Canadian superstar lands a kiss on his friend’s cheek. Of course, this led to a lot of pause-core reactions from users in the comments section below, many of which simply made fun of an innocuous public display of affection.
For example, here are some standouts: “That white n***a in front them looking like he can’t believe his own 2 eyes,” “i don’t care what anybody says i don’t just kiss my boys on the cheek every time i leave,” and “Why everyone moving gay now? Is it the new trend???” Sure, it’s a pretty suggestive and odd interaction, but more so because of the public TMI nature of it, not the act itself. However, others commenting on Jaden Smith’s hug drew a connection to Justin Bieber’s ties to Diddy amid his sex trafficking scandal, which has also elicited a lot of sexuality discussions. “Look what diddy done did to him lmfaooo,” one user wrote.
For those unaware, Jaden Smith and Justin Bieber have a pretty public and tight relationship as friends, going on tour together and performing multiple times across their careers. They’ve never really done much beforehand to elicit this type of reactions from social media users, though. Regardless of the nature of their intimacy or how they view it, it’s also just impossible to make a judgement call on this without knowing these people. Don’t we all know of some weird physical bond between two of our friends that’s hard to explain to others? Maybe we’re just digging the grave further at this point…
Regardless, raising these eyebrows in a way that mostly puts homosexuality down is not the way to speak on what’s simply somewhat cringe-inducing PDA between two pals. Also, they’re both very much taken right now, so maybe that’s what should be at the forefront of reactors’ minds. But what do you think about this whole gossip train? Let us know in the comments and keep checking in with HNHH for more news and updates on Jaden Smith and Justin Bieber.
Fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of Ice Spice’s album Y2K for months now. While she’s yet to confirm an official release date for the project, she’s been dropping plenty of hints here and there. During her recent Hot Ones appearance, for example, she explained that the LP has finally passed the “car test.” She also noted that she’s taking her time on the album, as she wants to be sure that it lives up to her listeners’ expectations.
Fortunately, the Bronx-born MC decided to give her fans a taste of what’s to come during her recent set at Coachella. She performed an unnamed, unreleased track, which will presumably appear on Y2K. Of course, the crowd went wild. Elsewhere during her performance, Ice Spice also performed hits like “Deli,” “In Ha Mood,” “Munch,” and more.
Fans weren’t the only ones who came through to show love to Ice Spice, however. During her performance, the 24-year-old’s “Karma (Remix)” collaborator Taylor Swift was spotted in the audience, cheering her on. As expected, she also brought along her NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce for the performance, which they attended after grabbing a bite to eat in LA earlier in the day.
The pop powerhouse was all smiles during the set, and Ice Spice was sure to make her presence known onstage. “Shoutout to Taylor motherf*cking Swift!,” she yelled. Other celebs like Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and more were also seen enjoying the show.
Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Support Ice Spice At Coachella
— Justins Tour Updates (@JustinsTourNews) April 14, 2024
What did you think of Ice Spice’s Coachella set? What about her previewing an unreleased track from Y2K? Are you surprised that Taylor Swift and her NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce came through to show her love? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Tyler The Creator continues to show why he’s among the best live performers working today, as his Weekend One set at Coachella this Saturday (April 13) was nothing short of incredible. He’s wanted to headline the festival for a long time, with his first performance at the event dating back to the heights of his Odd Future era in 2011 and another one taking place amid his blossoming as a more nuanced and mature artist in 2018. We won’t spoil the setlist here (just a small performance clip below), but it spanned the entirety of the Hawthorne native’s catalog and included tracks that even the most optimistic Golf Wang die-hards could never have predicted they’d hear again. Not only that, but there were many other reasons for why this performance definitely kept fans’ attention away from their phones as he had hoped.
First of all, Tyler, The Creator brought out four special guests for the occasion including Charlie Wilson, with whom he played piano and, on top of their performance, additionally covered an old R&B/soul classic for a brief moment that T sampled on one of his biggest hits. A similarly wholesome and gorgeous performance saw Kali Uchis hit the stage, who’s been collaborating with him for a long time. Also, fans rejoiced at the sight of A$AP Rocky joining his friend for two of their killer collabs. However, the most surprising guest of the night was Childish Gambino, and to see them dancing together on stage amid a whole lot of rap beef going on elsewhere was a truly meaningful treat. This is especially true considering that Tyler admitted to “hating” Donald Glover back in the day.
Nevertheless, this was also an amazing night for anyone who appreciates that extra mile that performers go to in order to truly make the most out of their stage and audience. For example, Tyler, The Creator burst out of a trailer in an explosive intro, and was later whisked away by the wind for the final song. On top of his consistently rapped verses, invigorating energy, charisma, and overall captivating performance, these stage set-ups and wiring tricks really set it apart from other shows from not just the Louis Vuitton designer’s history, but across Coachella as a whole. Maybe the fandom’s coming on a little too strong here, but go check out some of what Twitter’s been sharing and try to call it cap.
Meanwhile, what did you think of this headlining set? Are you excited to see what Wolf Haley brings next weekend, and what else might be on the way? Let us know in the comments section down below. For more news and the latest updates on Tyler, The Creator, come back to HNHH.
Tyler The Creator pulled out all the stops for his high-flying headlining set at Coachella 2024, opening with an explosive stage entrance and bringing out a slew of surprise guests, including ASAP Rocky, Charlie Wilson, Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover), and Kali Uchis. During the set, he reminisced about his first playing Coachella back in 2011 with Odd Future and how chaotic that set was in comparison. In his own words: “I didn’t even know what Coachella was.”
On Saturday night, he fulfilled a decade-long dream of headlining (which included an undercard performance in 2018 that presaged his eventual top billing), incorporating a park ranger motif with a set designed to look like a desert mesa. Over the course of the show, he brought flames, fireworks, and a UFO that hovered over him and Rocky as they performed “Who Dat Boy” from Flower Boy and the standalone “Potato Salad.” Meanwhile, Glover popped out to perform a smooth rendition of his 3.15.20 track “Time.” Kali Uchis naturally showed up to sing hre chorus from their collaboration “See You Again,” while Wilson sat at a piano with Tyler to sing his part from “Earfquake.”
Tyler’s set certainly lived up to the hype. Then, near the end, he was blown off one of the buttes surrounding him and yanked off stage in another masterfully crafted stunt. And just like that, in the words of his Call Me When You Get Lost collaborator DJ Drama, he was gone.
Coachella is one of the biggest stages in live music. Each year, the talent booked at the beloved desert festival aims to make a grand statement. For Coachella 2024, Lil Uzi Vert stole the show, and it started with the “Endless Fashion” rapper’s merchandise that delivered a unique spin on Eminem’s stage name.
However, online supporters are more impressed by Uzi’s latest dance moves. While on the main stage, Uzi showed off their voguing skills, a by-product of the ballroom scene. Although Uzi doesn’t identify as a member of the LGBTQ community by sexual orientation, as a non-binary person, Uzi maintains their queer gender identity.
Hip-hop editor Aaron Williams pointed this out in his review of Uzi’s set. “Lil Uzi Vert took to the big stage like a duck to water, complete with a headset mic like mid-’80s Madonna,” he wrote. “They put it to good use with some crowd-pleasing voguing, and while it would have been nice to see a little more world-building from Uzi‘s set, they pushed the boundaries of what future rappers could do with the big stage and proved worthy of the primetime set by sheer crowd draw alone.”
Uzi played up on the public’s confusion about their orientation. “Can I tell y’all a secret,” they said. “I’ve been holding this in for a very long time. I’m pretty sure a lot of you already knew this. What I wanna tell y’all tonight is… I love y’all, and I hope, no matter what, y’all love me the same way I love y’all.”
If Lil Uzi Vert truly intends to retire from music, maybe ballroom icon Leiomy Maldonado could teach Uzi one of her many legendary tricks. View users’ online responses below.
JT has come to the defense of her partner, Lil Uzi Vert, on social media, as they’ve been facing criticism for their viral dance moves at Coachella from Friday night. After praising the rapper in one post which reads, “UZI KILLED IT BIG STARRRR!!!! CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT!!!!!!!!!,” users flocked to her replies with complaints.
One user wrote: “Wait wait wait Lil Uzi was Voguinglast night and he did the death drop!!! Now @ThegirlJT we need answers now ma ma.” In response, JT fired back: “You actually need edges. Y’all obsession with someone you don’t have to deal with is spooky asf! What is it to you? Why do you need answers skint head?”
JT & Lil Uzi Vert Host “Pink Prom” Event In N.Y.C.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 27: JT and Lil Uzi Vert attend Lil Uzi Vert Hosts Pink Prom at Irving Plaza on June 27, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
The dance moves weren’t Uzi’s only antics from the event. They also sold merch featuring their pronouns mixed with Eminem. The black t-shirts went for $40 each with the word, “THEMINEM,” blasted across the front. Elsewhere during the set, Uzi told fans: “Can I tell y’all a secret? I’ve been holding this in for a very long time. I’m pretty sure a lot of you already knew this. What I wanna tell y’all tonight is… I love y’all and I hope, no matter what, y’all love me the same way I love y’all.” Check out JT’s response to the performance and the backlash from fans below.
JT Speaks Out On Lil Uzi Vert
UZI KILLED IT BIG STARRRR!!!! CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT!!!!!!!!!
You actually need edges. Y’all obsession with someone you don’t have to deal with is spooky asf! What is it to you? Why do you need answers skint head? https://t.co/r0H4bij1Gq
Uzi and JT have been dating since 2019 but only went Instagram official in 2021. While there’s been moments of drama, they’ve remained together and it’s even been theorized they’re married. Be on the lookout for further updates on JT and Lil Uzi Vert on HotNewHipHop.
Coachella is still the best place to discover music that you otherwise wouldn’t or couldn’t. For example: on Friday, the first day of this year’s festival, the handful of hip-hop acts that I saw were mostly by accident (as the hip-hop editor, I would normally prioritize those, right?). But on my editor’s recommendation – and as a function of most of the rap acts being booked at the far-flung Sahara tent – I spent as much time taking in pop and indie acts as I did rappers (a random sighting of Tyler The Creator at Faye Webster notwithstanding).
From the headliner, Lana Del Rey, to artists I had little to no experience with (hi, Chappell Roan!), my experience was younger, more melodic, and hey, let’s face it, whiter than in past years – though still surprisingly diverse. For what it’s worth, Sabrina Carpenter’s late afternoon set brought a level of storytelling that made her unfamiliar music that much easier to engage with.
Philip Cosores
And sets like that of The Beths’ certainly did remind me of adolescent Saturdays spent watching The Adventures Of Pete And Pete on Nickelodeon, while the Deftones kicked me all the way back to my mid-’90s skate rat days. I could feel my nostalgia for that era peaking along with my anticipation for more of that feeling at future sets from No Doubt and Sublime (Beach til I die, y’all).
Philip Cosores
Crowd-wise, you would probably be forgiven for thinking Beyoncé was giving a reprise of her memorable 2018 Beychella performance with all the country-western paraphernalia permeating the crowd. Cowboy hats and boots adorned just about every combination of ‘chella ensembles you could imagine – and a few that left almost nothing to the imagination. Those looks eventually gave way to “baked potato chic” thanks to the insane high winds as the sun fell and folks opted for the warmth of thermal foil blankets over trying to maintain the cute of cutoff shorts and mesh dresses.
Philip Cosores
Of course, there was still plenty of my usual wheelhouse to check out. Lil Uzi Vert took to the big stage like a duck to water, complete with a headset mic like mid-’80s Madonna. They put it to good use with some crowd-pleasing voguing, and while it would have been nice to see a little more world building from Uzi‘s set, they pushed the boundaries of what future rappers could do with the big stage and proved worthy of the primetime set by sheer crowd draw alone; the field in front of the stage was so empty at first, that my editor and I actually remarked on it. Three songs later I couldn’t move more than a couple of inches in any direction. Let that be a lesson to Coachella’s bookers…hip-hop is still a huge draw at the festival, even when it seems absent.
Philip Cosores
The trick to finding it this year was broadening horizons and checking for other cultures. Young Miko, a Puerto Rican rapper brought a surprising update to the traditional New York boom-bap sound, while Bizarrap found tons of space in his EDM-centric set for Latin trap and remixes of Travis Scott classics (and a surprise Shakira appearance). My Spanish isn’t as good as it should be for someone born and raised in Los Angeles county but even if I couldn’t catch every bar, I definitely caught a vibe – and so did the overflowing crowds at both sets.
Philip Cosores
Meanwhile, the award for “Most Dramatic Set” undoubtedly goes to Peso Pluma, who enraptured social media with a seemingly incongruous combination of traditional Banda music and hip-hop-influenced dancing. Bookended by verbal interludes by MORGAN FREAKING FREEMAN, Peso illuminated an oft-overlooked and misunderstood cultural artifact. What is more hip-hop than that?
Philip Cosores
However, if there was a runner-up on that category, I’d be more than happy to give it to Lana Del Rey for pulling up through the crowd on the back of a motorcycle at the head of a line of bikers who rolled in to the sounds of her unreleased song “Jealous Girl” (which is still somehow a hit). She even went all-out with a hologram of herself that ruffled a few unlikely feathers.
Philip Cosores
A lot has been made of whether or not Coachella has fallen off in recent years (it’s a circular discussion, one we’ve heard for the past decade). Friday proved that there’s still plenty of road ahead – and that the festival is still the best place to discover your new favorite music, as long as you keep an open mind.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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