It goes without saying that replicating Beyonce with wax would be a pretty tough feat. Recently, however, the Grévin Museum in Paris has earned a great deal of backlash for what fans think is a wildly off-base depiction of the icon. They unveiled the new wax figure earlier today. Social media users were quick to call them out, accusing them of whitewashing the multi-hyphenate.
“Baby that’s Addison Rae,” one Instagram user writes in The Neighborhood Talk‘s comments section. “That’s Becky not Beyonce,” someone else jokes. Others are questioning why the figure’s skin tone was made lighter than the actual Bey’s, and have been reminded of similar instances involving other celebrities. Last year, for example, the same museum unveiled a wax figure of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which some thought more closely resembled Mr. Clean.
The Rock himself responded to the uproar, revealing that he and his team planned to reach out to the museum to ask them to change some “important details,” including his skin color. The museum ended up fixing the wax figure, and acknowledging that it was “indeed whiter than it should have been.” According to them, the mistake was made due to the reference photo they chose to use, and how “tricky” lighting can be sometimes. It’s unclear whether or not Beyonce plans to do something similar. She’s yet to address the debacle at the time of writing.
Back in 2017, Madame Tussauds also displayed a Beyonce wax figure that led to a tremendous amount of criticism. Again, fans demanded a “re-do,” insisting that both her features and skin tone were not being accurately portrayed. The museum later announced that the figure’s styling and lighting would be “adjusted.” What do you think of the Grévin Museum’s new Beyonce wax figure? What about social media users’ reactions to it? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Each summer, we anticipate the biggest tours to come to our city. However, it seems that for a few artists, the demand isn’t high enough. Apparently, that’s the case for Future and Metro Boomin, who are coming off of the release of two joint projects, We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You. The first boasts the hit single, “Like That” ft. Kendrick Lamar and sparked a wild feud between Drake and basically, everyone else who appeared on either of the projects.
Both Metro and Future have strong collaborators within trap music for the better part of the decade. Their combined stardom would’ve presumably been a shoo-in for sold-out crowds worldwide. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. According to Journal Sentinal, the two have officially nixed their August 2nd show in Milwaukee, along with several other dates, from the We Trust You tour. Here’s what we know so far.
Fiserv Forum released a statement late Wednesday afternoon confirming the cancellation of the Milwaukee concert. “Future’s concert scheduled for August 2 at Fiserv Forum has been canceled. If you purchased your ticket from the Fiserv Forum box office or online via Ticketmaster, refunds will be automatically processed and returned within 30 days,” the statement read. Unfortunately, no additional information was provided regarding the reasons behind this decision.
Impact On Upcoming Performances
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 12: Metro Boomin and Future perform onstage during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for MTV)
Interestingly, the canceled Milwaukee concert was scheduled for the night before Future and Metro Boomin’s planned performance at Lollapalooza, the mega music festival in Chicago. According to the tour’s website, the Lollapalooza show is still on. This suggests that the artists are selective about which performances to cancel. If this were a one-off cancellation, perhaps, we’d be able to chalk it up to some sort of prior engagement or travel conflicts related to the two shows. However, Milwaukee isn’t the only city impacted by the recent decisions.
Several other tour dates have been reportedly marked as canceled. These include an August 6 concert in Nashville and an August 10 show in Columbus, Ohio. Moreover, it appears that the two were also expected to perform at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center (Aug. 20), but the show no longer appears on Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and the venue’s website. Other dates that have reportedly been canceled are Tulsa, OK (Aug. 25). The tour, initially announced in April, was set to cover 26 stops across North America, starting in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 30.
Why Are They Canceling Shows?
WE TRUST YOU, @1future & @MetroBoomin 177,318 Tickets Available (North America) 43.13% Percentage Sold (23/26 shows) 13.5K Estimated Average Capacity 04/19/2024 General Sales Date
Thus far, there isn’t any particular reason that’s been provided to the public. In recent weeks, there have been some rumors that they haven’t been able to move enough tickets in certain markets. There have been a few whispers that both Canadian dates in Toronto and Vancouver may have been impacted by initially gained steam surrounding the pair of Canadian dates in Toronto and Vancouver – largely connected to their ongoing feud with Drake. However, both of these shows seem to be still on their itinerary for this summer.
Ultimately, there hasn’t been any concrete data available that would suggest either Metro Boomin or Future aren’t selling tickets. Still, that wouldn’t necessarily be shocking as it’s been difficult for plenty of major-name artists to book full-blown tours as of late. Even outside of hip-hop, bands like Black Keys and even superstars like Jennifer Lopez have pulled out of cross-country treks. Though J. Lo’s team said she wanted to spend more time with the family, the announcement arrived on the heels of reports of poor sales. Black Keys, on the other hand, canceled their arena tour with promises to reschedule dates in smaller venues.
Conclusion
Despite having two consecutive albums reach the top of the Billboard 200 within a month and a half of each other – not to mention a chart-topping single – Future and Metro Boomin’s recent cancellations put a spotlight on the conversation surrounding the disconnect between the streaming world and hard ticket sales. This conversation has become more prominent, especially as we witness streaming giants fail to fill out arenas. Still, Future and Metro are much more than two artists who’ve grown popular on Spotify and Apple Music; they are pivotal forces who’ve transcended hip-hop in many ways. However, with inflation hitting hard and the cost of concert tickets running deep, the canceled tour dates probably aren’t related to a shift in cultural relevance but rather, the financial crisis impact millions of people. We’ll keep you posted on anymore updates surrounding their upcoming tour.
Recently, Birdman and Slim were honored in New Orleans with a street renaming ceremony, just in time for the 30th anniversary of Cash Money Records. The Saratoga St. and Erato St. intersection will now be called Williams Brothers Way to recognize the duo’s contributions to the music industry. Their mother operates a bar nearby, and the ceremony took place fairly close to the home they grew up in. They both were in attendance, alongside Juvenile, B.G., and more.
“As former mayor of New Orleans, I’m extremely proud of the street being named in honor of ‘Baby’ and ‘Slim,’ CEOs of Cash Money Records,” Marc H. Morial, National Urban League President and CEO explained in a press release. “Their contributions to the music industry and their impact on our community have been immense, shaping the cultural landscape and providing opportunities for countless artists that hail from the Crescent City.”
This isn’t the only way they plan to celebrate the label’s 30th anniversary, however. Birdman is also gearing up for a performance at Essence Fest this weekend. He’ll also be joined by various other artists from the label. He’s the only one confirmed so far, though fans are hoping for performances from Lil Wayne, B.G., and more.
“The most anticipated reunion goes down at this year’s ESSENCE Fest. You asked, and we delivered,” the festival’s official Instagram page announced earlier this year. “For the love of CULTURE, for the love of US. For the love of the 99’ and 2000 — The Takeover has begun. Your July 4th weekend plans have just been confirmed.” What do you think of Birdman and Slim being honored for their contributions to the music industry with a street in New Orleans? What about the upcoming Cash Money reunion at Essence Fest? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
J Cole and Moneybagg Yo have a couple of collaborations together, namely their solo track “Say Na” and their YG link-up “Scared Money.” With this collaborative experience in mind, it’s no wonder that the Memphis MC would have some fond memories of his time with the Dreamville boss in the studio. Moreover, he recalled a particularly impressive session with the North Carolina spitter during a recent HipHopDX interview at the 2024 BET Awards’ red carpet in Los Angeles last Sunday (June 30). Specifically, Moneybagg expressed shock and awe at how Cole was able to work so quickly, and how it’s very hard to create these “lightning in a bottle” moments even when you have one of the best rappers of this generation in the booth.
“”J. Cole gave me eight bars ASAP,” Moneybagg Yo remarked concerning their time in the studio. “I’m talking about, like, probably in 15 minutes. We was in there, he done it ASAP. Boom, boom, boom. It was God because he was stopping by, he ain’t know I was at the studio, I ain’t know he was pulling up. And it kind of just happened organically. You can’t ask for those, you can’t pay for those things.”
Previously, Moneybagg Yo had spoken on how Lil Durk also gave him a “classic” verse in record time. “Dat N***a @lildurk Sent Me A Verse Back In Less Than 20 mins Of Me Sending It To Em Da Night Before I Had To Turn My Project In And Its 1 of Dem Classic Day 1 Smurk Verses,” he wrote on Instagram earlier in the year. “Just Got A Crazyyyyy Feature In I Couldn’t Drop This Project Without. Now Everything Locked In Fasho sho Its Worth Da Wait.”
Of course, the project in question is Moneybagg Yo’s new album SPEAK NOW. Hopefully these fruitful and impressive interactions with both J Cole and Lil Durk continue to inspire him to put in more work with the pen and keep making great music. As fans, we often talk a lot about how our favorite artists captivate, inspire, and enlighten us in their own unique ways. But it’s always all the more special when that passion and craft inspires MCs’ peers above all else.
Chris Brown’s 11:11 tour has been a wild ride so far, even with some drama with PARTYNEXTDOOR getting in the way towards the tail end. Fans have had a great time during these performances, and he knows this a little bit too well based on what many die-hards have told him about his concerts. “I KEEP GETTING MAD REQUESTs TO TAKE MY SHIRT OFF. I like my clothes though [laughing emoji],” Breezy recently posted to his Instagram Story, ironically using this as the caption for a shirtless picture of him during one of his shows. After all these years (and controversies), folks still fall head over heels for him.
However, a recent report from various outlets, including ours, on Chris Brown’s wholesome interaction with a disabled fan was sadly inaccurate. A viral rumor spread that he refunded her ticket and paid her an extra $10K, claims that the fan was quick to disprove online. “What I’m not okay with is strangers on the internet using my face and exploiting my disability for likes and clicks while spreading misinformation,” they expressed on social media. “That, we not gonna do. Just like everyone else, I support Chris as a brand and as an individual so if you see me at a show or meet and greet, please know that I paid for my ticket. I paid to get there.”
Furthermore, the fan clarified that she and Chris Brown “built a great relationship” over various meet and greets at previous concerts, others of which drew controversy for other reasons. Despite his occasional offers to upgrade seats at certain events and get her free tickets, she said that this doesn’t happen often. Particularly, she took issue with how this false report suggests “that individuals with disabilities don’t have jobs, we don’t function well in society.” “This going around takes away from everything that I personally did to get there,” she added. “It takes away from the hours I work. It takes away from the things that I sacrificed to work the overtime, because I wanted to treat myself.”
With this mind, our sincere apologies go out to the fan for this false report. Hopefully Chris Brown continues to have fun on tour, avoid more stage malfunctions, and treat fans to some thirst-inducing showmanship. Will he ever go the extra mile and really lay it on thick with the sultriness and the stripping? We’ll have to wait and see…
Earlier this month, we saw the duo teaming with SETUP and Snapdragon to plan this monumental project for July 4, 5, and 6 at the Gorge. This installation will be the duo’s most technically ambitious project to date, paying homage to their groundbreaking career, the community they’ve built, and showcasing their unrelenting commitment to technology and jaw-dropping visuals.
The first video, “The Journey Begins,” shows the duo working out how their recursive design and themes with Jenny Feter, Creative Director of the project, and the team from SETUP will come to life, in collaboration with the groundbreaking speed and efficiency of a Snapdragon-powered PC.
“I think it’s going to be really cool, I haven’t seen anyone do something like this,” ODESZA’s Harrison Mills notes. “It’s going to be really special.”
Out today, the second episode (above) shows the duo working tirelessly with the Snapdragon and SETUP teams across multiple time zones in Berlin, New York, Australia, Chicago, and California to bring the once-in-a-lifetime installation to the fans to bridge ODESZA’s special moments and music together to close out with a bang.
With the support of Snapdragon, the team has taken on the impossible. Stay tuned to see the incredible end result.
Fans are still mourning the death of Foolio following a shooting at his birthday celebrations, but that’s been a very strange process so far. Moreover, that’s thanks to his Instagram account, which has still been active and posting stuff since his passing, leading many to believe wild conspiracy theories about him faking this tragedy. This latest post adds more speculative gas to that fire. “THE LIFE OF A DEMI GOD [purple devil emoji],” the account posted on its Story, showing someone (presumably the Florida rapper himself) flexing their jewelry. “You can NEVER KILL A DEMI GOD [purple devil emoji]. The power of VOODOO is real and the WORLD will be shocked VERY SOON mark these words. KNOW MOMMY.”
In addition, Foolio’s Instagram account also recently commented on a post featuring his alleged killer, and its language ties back to this most recent Story post. “Demi God [purple devil emoji],” the account commented. “I ain’t going nowhere, I’m a demigod. You can’t get me,” he had said during a No Jumper interview earlier this year, and he even captioned an IG repost of this clip with the caption: “I’ll Never Die I’m a DemiGod.”
“My grandma does VOODOO,” Foolio’s Instagram account captioned a video post featuring an old WWE wrestling match and a video of him rapping in a vehicle. “He’s here, going to shock the world when the time is right. Game over?? The game just begun,” it continued. It seems like many of these posts were promptly deleted, so either these are hacks that his team is following up on or there are some very bizarre choices and developments behind the scenes. Either way, it’s a very spooky social media presence that many fans see as disrespectful, disturbing, and distressing.
Of course, another part of Foolio’s online presence since his death has been the attacks that Yungeen Ace sent his way after the shooting. This resulted in a while lot of controversy as well, especially with some scathing diss tracks and videos. But this hacking or revival narrative definitely takes precedent now as the most odd thing to emerge out of all this. Hopefully all this slows down and we can let him rest in peace.
Rumors of a potential Hot Boys reunion album have been circulating for some time now, but according to Lil Wayne, he knows nothing about it. During a recent appearance on the Not Just Football podcast, the rapper was asked about it, prompting him to call some of Juvenile’s previous claims into question. In May of this year, Juvenile took to Instagram Live to announce that the group’s first album in over two decades was in the works.
“The Hot Boys Is back together, man,” he declared at the time, stating that he and other members planned to hit the studio in the coming weeks. “Any other f*cking questions?” For obvious reasons, his announcement had fans eager to hear what was to come, but it looks like the wait could be longer than they may have hoped.
It’s certainly possible that Juvenile linked up with some of the other Hot Boys, but Lil Wayne insists that he himself hasn’t done any work on the project. “That’s what he [said]? I ain’t been to the kitchen yet. I would not lie to you, I have not been in that kitchen yet,” he said, “I have no problem with going to that kitchen, but I ain’t smell it, it ain’t come through the window yet. I ain’t smell the food […] They ain’t told me nothing yet.”
Fortunately, it seems as though Lil Wayne is willing to take part in a reunion album, despite not knowing much about it at this point. Hopefully, he’ll touch base with Juvenile and the rest of the members soon to work out the details. What do you think of Lil Wayne revealing that he knows nothing about the previously announced Hot Boys reunion album? Do you hope he gets in the studio soon? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
YSL Woody has been a very controversial part of the Young Thug and YSL RICO trial recently thanks to his testimony in the court. Moreover, this situation became all the more complicated when one of Woody’s alleged affiliates was murdered in Atlanta, inspiring even more hate and trolling to come his way. However, he seems unbothered by it all, reposting a video of someone dancing amid a fake crowd and dollar bills with the caption “Me , Them: I can’t wait till he [skull emoji],” plus some crying-laughing emojis. Overall, it seems like no amount of online animosity can change Woody’s mood, but some court developments definitely might.
Sadly, this Internet practice also translated in the real world recently, as YSL Woody recently chastised fans for recording him in public. “Stop recording me when yall see me out don’t run up on me (for yall safety and mines) this internet is a joke im not a friendly person. And i don’t hesitate and for the police I ain’t hiding,” he wrote to his Instagram Story. Apparently, Woody’s fame already transcended past the courtroom, and he now has to deal with a higher public profile than ever.
Meanwhile, other folks looking at this whole case like 1090 Jake are theorizing on why Young Thug might not have paid for YSL Woody’s lawyer. Of course, a big part of this argument on Jake’s behalf is that Thugger might not want to help someone who cooperated with law enforcement authorities. Another proposition, though, is that Thug is unable to assist Woody monetarily due to terms set out for codefendants and trial participants. In either case, many believe that this case progressed in quite the chaotic way, and that a significant overhaul is necessary.
Still, at least YSL Woody got some vacation time to distract himself from all this, even if this freedom is likely what prompted a lot of hate and in-person fan harassment. All in all, this is just one aspect of a very complex and messy trial so far, so we’ll see what’s in store for Young Thug and YSL. But for Woody, it seems like he’s basking in folks’ vitriol, and is happy to provoke their ire. Hopefully things stay civil.
Kanye West is currently facing his fair share of legal woes, as he was sued by a group of alleged ex-Yeezy employees just last week. Reportedly, however, the hitmaker might need to work on finding new representation. According to MyNewsLA, his attorney Brian Brumfield recently asked to be removed from one of Ye’s cases. The case in question stems from a 2022 run-in with a fan who wanted an autograph, Justin Poplawski. Unfortunately, Ye allegedly punched Poplawski in the face as a result. Earlier this year, Poplawski filed a lawsuit against the Chicago MC for alleged assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more.
Brumfield alleges that Ye’s refused to pay him for his work on the case, and also claims he’s refused to speak to him. “Defendant … will not speak to counsel and defendant refuses to pay counsel as well,” he wrote in a court filing on Monday (July 1). A hearing on Brumfield’s motion is currently scheduled for later this month.
Kanye West is seen on October 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
As for the case itself, authorities investigated the incident and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office eventually decided not to press charges. Ye previously admitted to hitting the fan in an interview, claiming that he was trying to make money off of his autograph, and denying any wrongdoing. “It was 3 a.m. in front of the [Soho] Warehouse,” he said. “I’m saying, ‘You don’t know what I’m dealing with right now.’ I just finished these two songs. I came from the studio.”
“And this dude, he just had this real attitude like, ‘What you gonna do? And see that?’” he also added. “I’ma just tell you – that blue COVID-19 mask ain’t stop that knockout.” What do you think of Ye’s attorney accusing him of failing to pay him? Are you surprised? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
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