performance

Lil Baby’s Team Clears The Air Over Booking For D.C. Pride Event Performance

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Lil Baby and his team recently responded to a bizarre incident involving his “booking” for a performance at a Pride event in late May in the District of Columbia. Moreover, the whole situation seems to have resulted from a scammer pretending to be the Atlanta rapper’s booking agent. Furthermore, they apparently booked him for a May 28 event at a local D.C. nightclub, but his team told The Neighborhood Talk that they not only hadn’t been notified of the booking, but that they never even heard of the event in the first place. Unfortunately, the initial confusion meant that many thought Baby was backtracking on the LBGTQIA+ community.

“He never even knew of this event and none of his team or agents were ever in contact with Pride In the District [the event in question],” his representative stated. “A scammer must have posed as a rep of his. Lil Baby never pulled out of anything with this as he was never booked or contacted in the first place.” In addition to this clarification, the organizers responded to the situation in an Instagram post on Wednesday (April 12).

Lil Baby Never Heard About Booking To Perform At D.C. Pride Event, His Team Says

“We have finally reached someone from [Lil Baby’s] camp and his agency WME were not aware of the PITD booking and have come to the conclusion that we were in fact scammed by someone posing to be a booking agent,” the statement read. “We would appreciate it if the individuals calling Lil Baby homophobic would stop immediately because that is simply a personal opinion and simply put, tasteless. Hopefully, one day we will be able to secure Lil Baby the correct way when his schedule permits. Furthermore, we would like to apologize to Lil Baby, his team, our customers, and anyone else for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Meanwhile, at least fans in D.C. will get to see the “California Breeze” MC on tour in the summer. Recently, he announced that he’ll hit the road on his “It’s Only Us” tour alongside GloRilla, The Kid LAROI, Rylo Rodriguez, Gloss Up, and Hunxho. With that in mind, hopefully this situation doesn’t blow back too hard on Baby, as it’s really the scammer who’s to blame in the first place. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Lil Baby.

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Frank Ocean Rehearses For Coachella Performance

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Frank Ocean was heard rehearsing for his upcoming Coachella performance in Indio, California on Sunday. The moment was caught in a clip that’s since been circulating on social media. In the video, Ocean performs his Blonde hit, “Nights,” in the distance. The Reddit user who uploaded the original video also mentioned hearing what he describes as “the most immaculate techno club music with Frank vocals.” Ocean reportedly also performed “Biking,” “White Ferrari” and “Nikes.”

News of the rehearsal comes after BMW has been teasing Ocean’s set throughout the week. In doing so, the company shared a video of the car featured on the cover of Ocean’s 2011 mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA. “The past meets the future this week,” one post’s caption reads. “As far as what comes next, we’ll let you guys prophesy.”

Frank Ocean At Coachella In 2012

INDIO, CA – APRIL 13: Singer Frank Ocean performs onstage at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival held at The Empire Polo Field on April 13, 2012 in Indio, California. (Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella)

As for the alleged new music, Ocean previously mentioned being interested in EDM during a 2019 interview with W Magazine. “I’ve been interested in club, and the many different iterations of nightlife for music and songs,” he said at the time. “And so the things I look at now have a lot to do with those scenes: Detroit, Chicago, techno, house, French electronic.”

Additionally, Ocean confirmed he’s working on a new album during a statement shared with the rerelease of his Blonde vinyl. He mentioned preferring “the singles distribution model” in recent years, remarking that the albums model is “outdated, and that releasing singles is more suited to modern consumption habits where people curate their own playlists which are then shared within private circles.” He concluded, however, that he “changed his mind about the singles model.” Instead, he “is again interested in more durational bodies of work.” Ocean will hit the stage at Coachella on Sunday, April 23. The performance will also be streamed live on YouTube. Check out the clip of Frank Ocean’s rehearsal for Coachella below.

Frank Ocean’s Rehearsal

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Chlöe Performs “In Pieces” Live For First Time

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Chlöe dropped one of the most anticipated R&B releases of the year with the album In Pieces. Moreover, she just performed it live for the first time, as she played the project’s title track on The Today Show and celebrated the occasion on Instagram. “Performed in pieces live for the first time today on the @todayshow,” she captioned the post with a piano and heart (no, the real heart) emoji. Donning sparkly necklaces and a simple red hoodie, she played on the piano for a tender and dramatic display of emotion.

However, this promotional rollout for the album (on top of critical and commercial success) involved a ton of gossip, public statements from the singer, and other notable extracurriculars from the music, which still deserves most of the attention. Some were lighter, like her rumored romance with Quavo. Others were more salacious in tone, with many criticizing her embracing her sexuality in a more overt way. Regardless of what you think of either of those, she drew a lot of flack for her Chris Brown collab, which many criticized given his history of abuse. While speaking on the V-103 podcast, she opened up about the backlash in a more detailed way.

Chlöe Debuts In Pieces Live

“I always just wanna let the music speak for itself,” she remarked. “And to be honest, no matter what I do, people always find things to say about it, so I’m used to it. I just choose to ignore it. People have every right to their opinions, freedom of speech, and it’s up to me to choose what I give my attention and energy to. Everything I’m doing is ordained by God, and I’m walking in my purpose, and anybody who has a problem with that can kiss my booty.”

Meanwhile, a less egregious example of backlash occurred over her sex scene in the series Swarm, which many took issue with. However, she responded in a similar fashion when asked about it by Big Boy, albeit concerning a much less damaging controversy. “So I’m an actress, you know?” Chlöe began. “And I feel like it’s about art. When I first received the script, it was just insane and gorgeous. I think people are actually forgetting the plot of that scene. It’s not about seeing me in the mirror of that scene. But I think because it’s me doing it, that’s what kind of makes it blow out of proportion.” Regardless of your takes on these topics, return to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Chlöe.

Lil Yachty Performs “The Black Seminole” & “Drive Me Crazy!” On “SNL”

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Lil Yachty took over Saturday Night Live, this weekend, performing two songs off of his new album, Let’s Start Here. For performances of “the BLACK seminole.” and “drive ME crazy!,” Yachty brought out Diana Gordon, who contributes vocals to the studio versions of both songs.

On stage, Yachty was backed by an all-women band in addition to Gordon. Speaking with Zane Lowe of Apple Music 1 in January, he explained his reasoning for going with just ladies. “I just feel like women don’t get as much respect as men when it comes to the music industry,” Yachty said at the time. “So I was like, ‘These songs are pretty badass, and I want to show women playing them.”

Lil Yachty At Rolling Loud

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 05: Lil Yachty performs during 2023 Rolling Loud Los Angeles at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 05, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/WireImage)

With his latest album, Yachty ventures away from his traditional rap genre and ventures for a sound more heavily influenced by psychedelic rock. Speaking about the decision to go in that direction, Yachty previously said: “I think I created it just because I really wanted to be taken serious as an artist, you know. Not just some SoundCloud rapper, not some mumble rapper. Not some guy that just made one hit. I wanted to be really taken serious because music is, like, everything to me. I respect all walks of music, not just rap and hip-hop, everything. So I think I wanted to make something to show the world just how great it was to me.”

Elsewhere in the episode of Saturday Night Live, Quinta Brunson served as the host. During her opening monologue, the Abbott Elementary star promoted her show by taking a jab at Friends. “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia and instead of not having Black people, it does,” she joked. The show also tackled Donald Trump’s recent indictment, featured an April Fools prank from Michael Che, and much more.

Lil Yachty On “SNL”

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Usher Pulls April Fool’s Joke On Dreamville Fest By Teasing Beyoncé Guest Appearance

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On the most dangerous day to trust headlines online, a headlining act had some fun with thousands of adoring fans. Usher just trolled Dreamville Fest during his set with an April Fool’s joke, claiming that he was about to bring out Beyoncé to perform. Of course, fans went ballistic when they heard the R&B singer say her name, but it clearly dawned on them that something was wrong when Usher looked back confused at his festival staff. After walking around the stage for a bit, beckoning for someone to come up, he stepped to the mic and crooned, “April Fool’s.”

Hilariously enough, it wasn’t the only prank scare that rocked the North Carolina event, although the other instance proved to be truthful (unless A.I.-generated content has really gone too far). Lil Durk said that he’s been collaborating with J. Cole during a sit-down interview at Dreamville Fest. When initial reports of the news came out, fans expressed skepticism until Internet sleuths posted the clip in question. As such, fans now anticipate a hard-hitting product from the two revered hip-hop storytellers.

Usher’s April Fool’s Prank Leaves Beyoncé Fans Fuming

Furthermore, the Confessions artist went on a bit of a hot streak promotionally recently thanks to a few factors. First, there’s his sultry and immaculate Las Vegas residency, during which he serenaded a fan with an intimate performance. To elaborate, he went into a crowd and danced with a fan as he fed her strawberries. Given his status as the “King of R&B” and the smoothness of his music, no one can deny it was quite the remarkable experience for a fan to get. Still, it’s not uncommon for Usher to engage with fans during his performances in a sweet and evocative way, and still gives a show for all to remember.

Meanwhile, he recently released the single “GLU,” which is a classic, buttery, and passionate R&B cut. With that, he fought back against common takes that the genre is “dead,” showing fans and detractors alike that he’s still got it. Apart from that prank, it seems like people were blown away by the sheer amount of hits that the 44-year-old played for fans at Dreamville Fest during his great performance. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Usher and this weekend’s Dreamville Fest.

LL Cool J Honors Hip-Hop With Bars At iHeartRadio Awards

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One of hip-hop’s most revered and influential figures just honored the genre yet again on the year of its 50th anniversary. LL Cool J shared a tribute to the rap world during the iHeartRadio Music Awards with some impactful and impressive bars. Moreover, the New York MC honored the art form that made him at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday (March 28). Furthermore, his content revolved around the power of the art form and that of his own career in an engagingly braggadocious set of lines. While it’s not the same clarity with which people talk about the genre, his metaphors, evocative imagery, and powerful phrasing shows what hip-hop can achieve more fully than a simple anecdote can.

“I just want to keep it real simple, alright?” he expressed to the crowd. “I want you to imagine what I’m saying,” and then proceeded to let the mic talk. “A crowd gathered ’round, throwing punches and elbows. Then his mama arose, and recited a poem. That’s a Hip Hop God, not rock’n’roll. She put the baby in the whip- that’s a car. There was a solar eclipse, then a spirit came down, wrote his name in hieroglyphs.”

LL Cool J Drops Bars In The Name Of Hip-Hop

“Break beats played, he had a speaker for a crib,” the Rock The Bells mogul continued. “She screamed ‘Jack the Rip!’ and ignited his gifts. To the parents, he’s a legend, to the children a myth. Here’s ya firsthand experience with Mr. Smith, alias Mr. ‘Killing-Every-Rapper-In-His-Radius.’ Ciphers like a stadium, bars is vibranium.” After all that barrage, he even managed to throw a Black Panther reference in. As expected, the crowd erupted into excited and passionate cheers.

However, as he closed out his stage time, he told the audience, “A new record is coming!” Moreover, excitement for LL’s next album revolves not just around his legacy, but the people he brought into the fold. For example, he remarked his excitement surrounding his work with fellow rap legend Q-Tip on his next project. Given the perfect storm of the genre’s historical 50-year milestone, this will be emblematic of a lot of hip-hop greatness. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on LL Cool J and hip-hop history.

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Megan Thee Stallion Gives Show-Stopping First Performance Since Tory Lanez Verdict

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Megan Thee Stallion is back, and gave a wonderful performance after taking a lengthy break since November. Moreover, she performed at her hometown of Houston at the March Madness Music Festival AT&T Black Party. Not only was this her first performance of the year, but also her first since her highly publicized case against Tory Lanez came to a guilty end for the Canadian star. While that case is still developing on his end, it’s clear that Megan is moving on to bigger and better things. For example, her collaboration with Doja Cat, “Taste Me,” is rumored to be released next Friday.

Furthermore, the “NDA” MC received a lot of love from her day ones while playing for Houston, both in person and on social media. What’s more is that her return even prompted some old wounds to heal up, albeit from her opponents. 1501 label boss Carl Crawford praised her for the comeback despite their industry feud and back-and-forths. Last month, the former MLB star issued somewhat of an apology to Megan Thee Stallion, and his latest message about the festival indicated a new album and world tour on the way.

Megan The Stallion Kills Her First Performance After Break

“Unfortunately, me and Megan haven’t talked since 2019,” Crawford remarked. “We been going through what y’all seen online. That’s unfortunate, too, because I never wanted to go have a situation where I was going back and forth with her on the internet. I never had problems with Megan Thee Stallion, but this social media stuff turned it really sour. You take this social media stuff out of it, and we won’t have a problem. You won’t hear me mention Megan Thee Stallion’s name unless it’s a big-time interview.”

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old is also making massive moves in the film industry, according to reports online. Moreover, the Safdie Brothers and Adam Sandler reportedly tapped Meg to star in their next film. While it’s far from her first acting role, the fact that she might link with the Uncut Gems team in a sports memorabilia-based flick is quite exciting. Still, there’s nothing quite like seeing the Stallion rock a live show. Check out another clip of her performance below and return to HNHH for the latest on Megan Thee Stallion.

Houston Shows Hometown Love To The Hot Girl

Drake’s Canceled Lollapalooza Brasil Set Prompts Fans To Get Refunds

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Drake unfortunately canceled his headlining Lollapalooza Brasil set, scheduled for Sunday (March 26), and disappointment quickly turned to anger. Moreover, fans expressed outrage that he was spotted hanging out at a Miami club with 50 Cent that weekend, although the official explanation of the canceled show tells a different story. Regardless, Skrillex replaced the 6 God as headliner, and the festival is now offering fans refunds for their troubles. Not only that, but with the cancelation coming just hours before he was set to perform, this left quite the sour taste in people’s mouths.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Drake is without members of his sound and production team, essential to the realization of the Lollapalooza show in Sao Paulo,” Lolla Brasil’s IG page posted on Sunday. “Drake was excited to perform for his fans in Brazil. Unfortunately, this is beyond his control. Apologies.” In its caption, they outlined refund policies, stating that fans could request one until April 5th and a variety of plans for each ticket category. Between his outing with 50 and his other performance controversies, Latin American fans aren’t happy at all with the “Rich Flex” MC.

Lollapalooza Brasil Offers Refunds For Canceled Drake Set

Direct translation: “Alert, important information! In view of this cancellation, we will liberally make available to the holders of the purchase of tickets for the Lolla Day, Lolla Comfort Day and Lolla Lounge Day modalities on 03/26 the possibility of keeping the ticket active and attending the event, or requesting a refund of the value of the ticket. To be entitled to the refund, the ticket of the modalities indicated above may not have been used for access to the festival on 03/26. The link to the Refund Policy will be available soon on the official website: www.lollapaloozabr.com/politica-de-ingressos“

Moreover, his Lollapalooza Argentina set faced a myriad of issues and controversial developments, although he at least performed. However, he apparently came out 15 minutes late for his set according to fan testimonies. Also, he reportedly retracted a previous agreement to livestream the show just minutes before emerging out to the crowd, which left fans at home confused and disappointed. Finally, it seems like his show lasted only about 45 minutes or so, which is far from the typical hour or hour-and-a-half slot many headliners use up.

Meanwhile in the States, a lot of fans blasted insanely high ticket prices for his tour with 21 Savage. In fact, Ticketmaster received a class-action lawsuit for allegedly boosting price ranges up to an absurd amount, likely due to demand. While Ticketmaster controversies are practically a given at this point, it’s odd to see Drake garner flack for his first few performances in quite a long time. One would think that he’d be excited and committed to performing at a high caliber for his massive audience. Hopefully these instances are due to bad luck and poor planning, and not the 36-year-old’s own carelessness and dismissal of his fans and agreements. Regardless, log back into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Drake.

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Drake’s Lollapalooza Argentina Set Cut Short, Fans Upset

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The 6 God might be going on a massive tour soon, but if his latest sets are anything to go by, fans might be disappointed. Drake caught a lot of heat on social media for cutting his Lollapalooza Argentina set short and falling prey to a few other logistical issues. Fans claim that his performance was only about 40 minutes long, which differs from the typical hour and a half that a headliner would enjoy. Not only that, but the Canadian star allegedly barred his performance from being live-streamed just minutes before he arrived late to his show.

Moreover, this news is all the more concerning for Drake fans in the States, because it potentially indicates how his upcoming U.S. shows with 21 Savage will be. People are already outraged at the insanely inflated ticket prices for these shows. In fact, they added additional dates to accommodate demand, bringing the date count from 29 to 43. Still, it hasn’t made $1,000+ tickets any easier to swallow. However, despite all the outrage and disappointment with Drizzy’s Lolla Argentina performance, many of these factors aren’t necessarily his fault.

Drake Cuts Lollapalooza Argentina Short

Translation: “Drake’s show should’ve lasted an hour and 30 minutes in Lollapalooza Argentina, but the artist unexpectedly ended it early. In total, he played for less than an hour.”

Given the sheer size and scope of the festival, it’s natural that maybe there were some behind the scenes issues that we don’t know about that Drake had to handle in the moment. What’s curious is that it looks like event organizers were also blindsided by Drake’s decision to not allow a set livestream. Furthermore, they replaced footage of his performance on their stream with a message for fans. “Drake decided, minutes before going on stage, to not permit the live transmission of his show, despite the formal agreement reached earlier,” the message read. “We regret the artist’s decision.”

Meanwhile, Drake also performed at Lollapalooza Chile this weekend, which seems to have gone by without much of a hiccup. At least on Twitter, though, people are also complaining about a short set time. However, many people appreciated the set list itself, with many hits across his catalog, but that seems like a given for Drake. One can only wonder as to why he dismissed his sets this time around. Hopefully he’ll give a longer set at Lollapalooza Brasil next weekend. Check out reactions to his Lollapalooza Argentina set below and return to HNHH for the latest on Drake.

Fans Respond In Outrage

“Drake leaving Argentina without allowing his show to stream on TV and having sung half an hour less at Lollapalooza”

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