It’s shaping up to be an interesting offseason for Kyrie Irving. After a mid-season trade to the Dallas Mavericks, it looks like Irving is not sticking around to continue the great experiment alongside Luka Dončić. While the 31-year-old was at the center of some controversy this season, sharing a link to an anti-Semitic conspiracy film on Twitter, it was thought he would be something of a hot commodity. As the season wound down, multiple teams were rumored to be considering pursuing Irving.
However, recent news suggests that may be far from true. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the free agent market for Irving is “non-existent”, with the Mavs the only team currently pursuing Irving. Irving does not appear eager to return to Dallas. On the other hand, he has not publicly ruled out another stint with the Mavericks. However, a recent public sighting of Irving could be an indication of the point guard’s future.
Shared to Instagram by 2Cool2Bl0g, footage shows Irving, surrounded by friends, family, and some NYPD officers, pushing a stroller through Rucker Park. Rucker Park is an NYC institution located in Harlem. Players like Kareem, Wilt, Metta Sandiford-Artest, and Dr. J all played on its courts prior to their NBA careers. In 2022, Rucker Park was one of the sites used for The Basketball Tournament.
However, the bigger question is whether this means anything for Irving’s plans. Obviously, Irving is coming off four years in New York and probably still has major links to the city. Despite this, is there a story here? Could the Nets or Knicks be interested in picking up the free-agent guard? Or this is simply a social visit to a place Irving called home for a number of years? After all, Irving attended high school in nearby New Jersey. It’s not a region of the country he has no links to. Regardless, let us know your theories in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
Earlier this week, MMA fighter Conor McGregor was accused of raping a woman in a bathroom after Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami. The allegations were out in a letter from the woman’s attorney to the NBA, McGregor, and the Heat. She alleges that security guards separated the alleged victim from her friend and forced her into a men’s bathroom. McGregor was allegedly already waiting in there for her. The MMA fighter then proceeded to “violently kiss” the woman before forcing her to perform oral sex on him, Mitchell alleges. McGregor has denied the allegations. A representative for the fighter said, “Mr. McGregor welcomes the investigation, which he firmly believes will show the claims against him are false. After not responding to the demand for money made by claimant’s counsel, she turned to the media to apply pressure. This is no more than a shakedown.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JUNE 09: Conor McGregor is seen on the court during a timeout in Game Four of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on June 09, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Conor McGregor was seen out and about in New York on Saturday. It marked the first time that McGregor had been seen since the allegations surfaced. He was seen outside his hotel in both the morning and evening. Furthermore, he was swarmed by fans looking for an autograph. It appears that at least, fans are unbothered by the allegations.
It’s unclear what the next steps in McGregor’s case are. His alleged victim reported the assault to the police on the morning of June 11. Furthermore, police confirmed to TMZ that they were actively investigating the incident. However, that is a developing story and we’ll have any updates here on HotNewHipHop.
For the past week, social media users have been marveling — and fretting — over photos of the New York City skyline as a haze of smoke from Canadian wildfires has rendered the air quality a murky shade of orange (and not very safe to breathe). The tableau has been compared to the aesthetic of films like Blade Runner and Dune, with one post I saw today drawing an unhinged parallel to the Wes Anderson memes that have been going around online lately.
Not to be outdone, Twitter’s reigning queen of audacious statements, Cardi B, made a truly wild comparison for the eerie scene in the NY sky. “I kid you not the sky is literally yellow today,” the “Tomorrow 2” rapper wrote. “It’s giving smoking on opps.”
I kid you not the sky is literally yellow today …It’s giving smoking on opps
Meanwhile, other New York artists have also commented on the situation in their own ways. 50 Cent, internet troll extraordinaire, cracked “I’m headed to the store, if anybody need anything just call me,” on Instagram next to a still from Blade Runner 2049 from the scene where Ryan Gosling’s K enters the irradiated ruins of Las Vegas.
Questlove of The Roots, however, found humor in the world right outside his window. He posted a photo of a Diabo IV billboard reading “welcome to hell” and noted the “divine timing,” calling it “genius marketing.” In a separate post, though, he begged his followers to start taking climate change seriously.
So far, the poor conditions haven’t prompted New York-based events to shut down yet; Governor’s Ball is set to proceed as scheduled this weekend. However, some performers on Broadway reported difficulty breathing, halting shows due to the smoke, so it’s possible that performances could be affected at the festival as well.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The 2023 Governors Ball festival is currently set to go down this weekend, at New York City’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park from June 9 to 11. That sounds like a fun time, but at the moment, there’s a major problem: Smoke from an ongoing Canadian wildfire has made its way down to NYC, creating an eerie and dangerous environment. The skies are currently a hazy orange color and the city’s air quality has officially been deemed “hazardous.”
So, with that in mind: Has Gov Ball been canceled due to the wildfire smoke from Canada?
As of this afternoon (June 7), the festival has not been canceled or postponed and is set to proceed as scheduled. In a statement shared today, festival organizers said, “We’re closely monitoring the air quality with weather experts and are in close contact with city officials. As always, the health and safety of New Yorkers is our top priority. At this time, the festival is continuing as planned. We are hopeful that conditions will improve in the coming days and are looking forward to a great weekend!”
#BREAKING: New footage from the George Washington Bridge (connecting New Jersey and New York City) of the toxic smoke now enveloping the northeast, as dozens of wildfires burn uncontrolled across Canada. #BreakingNewspic.twitter.com/7HjdJwMaEG
As the festival approaches, interested parties should keep an eye on the Governors Ball social media pages for the latest status updates (here’s their Twitter and Instagram).
Assuming Gov Ball does go on this weekend, find the set times here.
Just last month, Jay-Z and Beyoncemade American history by purchasing the most expensive home ever in the state of California for $200M. Some Twitter users have been calling the property “ugly” and comparing it to a “prison,” but nevertheless it’s a huge step up from where Hov resided in the late ’90s on 560 State Street. As the NY Post notes, the father of three was both selling drugs and making music at the time, but ultimately gave up the former for a very successful pursuit of the latter.
“I knew something wasn’t right about the things I was doing,” Jay admitted while visiting the property in 2019. “My conscious was alive. So I just decided to let that street life go and just really focus on music. This is what I love to do. If I had my choice to be successful — to be successful in the street or be successful making music, it would be making music.” After letting go of the toxicity in his life, the New Yorker quickly found himself blowing up and achieving all his dreams in the industry.
His former residence, popularly known as “Stash Spot,” has been listed for sale for $1.4 million. It’s located in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighbourhood and boasts two levels. The main floor contains a living room, dining area, and powder room. Elsewhere you’ll find a primary bedroom with a large, custom-designed closet, as well as a second room that could fit a bed or function as an office/nursery. Other amenities to be enjoyed by whoever foots the bill include the building’s 6,000-square-foot shared courtyard, an outdoor kitchen, and a gas-fired barbecue pit.
Elsewhere in the news, Ne-Yo made an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast earlier this week, at which time he revealed that Jay-Z still teases him about giving “Let Me Love You” away to Mario. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
We’re a little under two months away from the launch of Drake and 21 Savage’s 2023 It’s All A Blur tour. It’s undoubtedly the most anticipated tour of the year as the two rappers hit the road in support of Her Loss. It marks Drake’s first tour since 2018’s Aubrey & The Three Migos with Migos. Within that time, he released four projects, including Certified Lover Boy and Honestly, Nevermind. Needless to say, it’s about time that we hear some of these records live.
Drake’s tour kicks off on June 29th, 2023 in Memphis. In July, Drake will host three shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on the 23rd, 25th, and 26th. Below, we’ve broke down everything you need to know about his upcoming New York City concerts.
Drake Tour 2023 New York City: Where To Find Tickets?
INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: Drake performs on the Coachella stage during day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival (Weekend 1) at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2017 in Indio, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)
Pre-sale tickets for Drake’s tour went live on March 15th for Cash App Card holders, while the Sprite pre-sale followed on March 16th. However, the general on-sale ticket prices went live on March 17th, 2023 on drakerelated.com. Though many of the tour dates sold out within minutes, there are tickets still available for the New York City tour stops on Drake’s 2023 tour with 21 Savage.
Ticket Prices For Drake’s 2023 Tour Date In New York City
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: Drake performs at the New Look Wireless birthday party at Finsbury Park on June 28, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
As of the time of writing, regular tickets are available on Ticketmaster for Drake’s final night in New York City (July 26th). Fans could get their hands on general tickets for $483.40 for section C at Madison Square Garden. However, there are tickets available from resellers that you could find on StubHub.
21 Savage will join Drake for his American dates on the It’s All A Blur tour. The Atlanta rapper will grace the stage alongside his Her Loss collaborator during their three nights at MSG. However, much like his back-to-back shows at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in January, it seems very likely that Drake brings out some guests, such as Dipset.
Drake’s Tour 2023 Dates – It’s All A Blur
June
Thu Jun 29 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
July
Sat Jul 01 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center Wed Jul 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center Thu Jul 06 – Chicago, IL – United Center Sat Jul 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena Sun Jul 09 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena Tue Jul 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Wed Jul 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Fri Jul 14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre * Sat Jul 15 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre * Mon Jul 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center Tue Jul 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center Thu Jul 20 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center Fri Jul 21 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center Sun Jul 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Tue Jul 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Wed Jul 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Fri Jul 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena Sat Jul 29 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena Mon Jul 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
August
Tue Aug 01 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center Thu Aug 03 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum Sat Aug 12 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum Sun Aug 13 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum Tue Aug 15 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum Wed Aug 16 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum Fri Aug 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center Sat Aug 19 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center Mon Aug 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena Tue Aug 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena Fri Aug 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena Sat Aug 26 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena Mon Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena * Tue Aug 29 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena *
September
Fri Sep 01 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena Sat Sep 02 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena Tue Sep 05 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena Wed Sep 06 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena Fri Sep 08 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena Mon Sep 11 – Austin, TX – Moody Center Thu Sep 14 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center + Fri Sep 15 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center + Sun Sep 17 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center + Mon Sep 18 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center + Wed Sep 20 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center + Fri Sep 22 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center Mon Sep 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena + Tue Sep 26 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena + Thu Sep 28 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center + Fri Sep 29 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center +
October
Sun Oct 01 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena Mon Oct 02 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena + Thu Oct 05 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena * Sun Oct 07 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena *
Not only is the first birthday of their son quickly approaching, but Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have also been busy preparing for the arrival of their second child together. While the average person might spend the months before giving birth putting in extra work to make sure their family is financially secure, the billionaire Bad Gal and her beau have other priorities – such as showing off their New York street style. We’ve been seeing plenty of noteworthy looks from the two artists as of late, as well as some solo styles from Rih that prove she’s a “Fashion Killa,” with or without her man by her side.
After serving up some futuristic, Game of Thrones-inspired garments for us last week, the 35-year-old and A$AP stepped out once again on Sunday (May 7). While she was born in Barbados, Rihanna is undeniably an NYC girl at heart, as she proudly showed off with her latest look. This one saw her layering a mesh bra top over a white bra, leaving her rotund baby bump on display above her baggy, mid-wash jeans. Seeing as there was still a spring chill in the air, she layered up with a black and brown fur coat, completing the outfit with a handbag and the ultimate east coast shoe – Timbs.
Rocky has been doing an astounding job of letting Rihanna shine beside him as of late. For their Sunday night outing, he donned black joggers and a zip-up hoodie with plenty of graphics printed across the front. Rather than trying to match her over-the-top energy, the Testing hitmaker simply subtly compliments it, giving his partner (and their growing baby) her moment in the spotlight.
While at the Met Gala last week, the “Where Have You Been” hitmaker gave a few pregnancy updates during her time on the red carpet. This time around she said she’s had “tons of nausea,” but none of the intense cravings that she dealt with while carrying her son. Do you think that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are having another boy, or a girl this time around? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in later for more pop culture/hip-hop news updates.
Just when you think Rihanna’s given us her most iconic maternity serve, she follows it with something even better. May has been a particularly busy month for the 35-year-old. She spent Monday with her man, A$AP Rocky at the Met Gala. Since then, the Bad Gal has been seen taking over the streets of New York City practically every night. We’ve seen her wearing everything from custom Chrome Hearts to her latest stunning ensemble, which radiates Game of Thrones vibes.
On Friday (May 5), she and the “Houston Old Head” rapper headed to an event at Cipriani in Soho. Rihanna’s upper half was decked out in decadent furs of various colours. Further down, her entire midriff was on display, showing that she’s at least halfway through her second pregnancy. The “Disturbia” songstress seems to be a huge fan of the mini skirt this season. She’s donned various colours and styles with her latest outfits. Last night’s, in particular, was a deep brown leather design with panels crisscrossing in the front to show off Rih’s thighs.
Are Rihanna and Rocky the Best-Dressed Celebrity Parents?
The “Fashion Killa”‘s heels, which appear to be snakeskin, were laced up around her calves, sitting just below the knee as she confidently walked with Rocky toward their final destination. For his part, the soon-to-be father of two wore casual grey cargo shorts under a white button-up and a leather jacket. Standing beside Rihanna, he looks far more dressed down, allowing his partner a moment to shine proudly in the spotlight.
She’s certainly more than happy to show off her baby bump for fans, but the ANTI artist is keeping details about her unborn child on the low for now. During her first pregnancy, the little one’s gender wasn’t publicly revealed until his birth. Nearly one year after his arrival, we also still don’t know the name his parents picked for him, though we have seen plenty of his adorable face. Do you think A$AP Rocky and Rihanna are the best-dressed celebrity parents? Leave a comment with your answer below, and tap back in later for more pop culture/hip-hop news updates.
At just nine years old, North West has a resume that some adults can only dream of. The young fashionista is certainly afforded with plenty of opportunities thanks to her nepo baby status, but that doesn’t mean the world hasn’t enjoyed watching every one of her creative endeavours. In the past, she’s been on stage with stars like Sia and Katy Perry, as well as her dad, Kanye West, and she’ll even be making her feature film debut alongside her mom in the coming months. Aside from all of that, speculation is now brewing that North will be in attendance at tonight’s (May 1) annual Met Gala.
Earlier this year, reports claimed that none of the Kardashian-Jenner sisters will be walking the red carpet for the 2023 event. Kim shut that down a few days ago with an Instagram post detailing her costume-choosing process. Now, she’s been hanging out in New York City with North. Rather than her famous siblings, the SKIMS founder brought Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian’s ex, along for the trip to care for his daughter, Penelope. Cameras caught the family members on Saturday (April 29), all wearing beautiful Chanel outfits while adventuring through the Big Apple.
North West Visits the Big Apple with Her Family
Kim Kardashian, Scott Disick, North West and Penelope Disick are seen in New York City. pic.twitter.com/LYQOjjZUfZ
It remains unclear if we’ll be seeing the Kardashian cousins along with hundreds of other famous faces at Anna Wintour’s function this evening, though they’re obviously still getting in on the Karl Lagerfeld couture fun. Penelope’s mom only attended for the first time in 2022, though Kim has been a staple since first attending with Ye in the early days of their relationship. It remains unclear which fashion house she’ll be wearing later tonight, though the double C’s on her weekend outfit may be an indication of what’s to come.
Others who have already confirmed their attendance include Rihanna, who took over NYC in a fuzzy Chanel outfit on Saturday, as well as Ice Spice, who’s being dressed by Balmain for her big debut. Who are you hoping to see at this evening’s Met Gala? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.
