performance

Lil Kim Honors Michael Jackson During Tour

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Regardless of public controversy, the King of Pop’s legacy lives on, whether in people’s hearts or on massive stages. Moreover, Lil Kim made an impromptu appearance as a supporting act for Janet Jackson’s “Together Again” tour on Thursday (May 18) in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Specifically, the Brooklyn rap legend graced the stage as a replacement for Ludacris, another hip-hop icon, who was Janet’s supporting act save for that date. During her performance, she paid tribute to Michael Jackson with a dance and rendition of his classic track “Smooth Criminal.” Considering the gargantuan three-act set-up of the tour in massive venues, it must’ve been quite the show.

Of course, Lil Kim has gotten to that career point where she might receive similar tributes from other artists, or these artists speak on her profound influence on them. “My mom was a rapper, right?” Megan Thee Stallion expressed on the Hulu series RapCaviar Presents. “She was a female rapper, but I had never heard of women being rappers ever because my mom was listening to UGK, Three 6 Mafia. My daddy [listened to] Lil Wayne, like, we only listening to men in the house. But one day, my mom put on Lil Kim. Damn! She raps harder than a lot of these guys!”

Read More: Lil Kim’s Best Songs From Hip Hop’s Golden Era

Lil Kim’s Tribute To Michael Jackson On His Sister’s Tour

In addition, the 48-year-old recently treated fans to a fun and era-blending show at Usher’s Lovers & Friends Festival. Along with her backup dancers, Lil Kim gave her own spin on Lil Uzi Vert’s smash hit track and dance, “Just Wanna Rock.” However you felt about that performance, you can at least say that it was heartening and enjoyable to see the star pay tribute to the newer generation. In a time during which hip-hop seemed more divided than ever, it’s nice to see the old and new guards move past the SoundCloud rap mentality and move further into supportive coexistence.

Meanwhile, she will always honor one of rap’s most enduring and influential figures: Biggie Smalls. “It’s always important to honor the king,” she expressed on his 50th birthday. “He’s the king. The king lives on. He’s just an amazing person, amazing artist … his legacy. It’s just great. Like, I mean, look at the catalog. Look at everything that he’s accomplished, even at such a young age.” For more news and the latest updates on Lil Kim, log back into HNHH.

Read More: Lil Kim Then & Now: Her Transformation Into An Icon

Lil Wayne Declares Himself “The Best Rapper Alive” During Performance

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Of all the rappers who can say they’re the greatest MC on this planet right now, Lil Wayne is arguably the most deserving of that title. Sure, that debate is decades old at this point and will never fade, but who else is currently on Weezy’s level? Whether it’s due to his historic catalog or his most recent excellent singles and features, either category holds massive weight. Also, you have to take into account that when it comes to the current rap wave, few (if any) rappers laid its groundwork as consequentially as the New Orleans lyricist. Of course, Wayne knows this, and declared as such during his final stop of the “Welcome To Tha Carter” tour.

“I am the realest motherf***er in the game right now,” Lil Wayne told the crowd at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, California on Saturday night (May 13). “Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t give a f**k what you think you’re looking at, but you are looking at the best rapper alive.” The “Kant Nobody” rhymer gave fans a stunning set for his final tour stop of his trek, although it came as a disappointment to some. That’s because his team canceled the scheduled livestream of the event hours before.

Read More: Lil Wayne Net Worth 2023: What Is The Rapper Worth?

Lil Wayne Knows He’s “The Best Rapper Alive”

Regardless, we know that Tunechi thinks he’s the best rapper alive, but there’s no way that he’s his own favorite. During a recent conversation with Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne spoke on his love for her. “As a kid before Jay- this before I even knew a Jay-Z existed- I was into Missy Elliott,” he remarked. “You know it was because you were able to say things that I would want to say as I’m rapping. You not only made me like- you made me love it. And I became so interested in you. And what happened was I bought the album and did not know that you really was spitting like… you know what I mean. You know I spit that verse to you all the time. So, it was you and Cee-Lo Green was who I would listen to at the time a lot.”

Meanwhile, the 40-year-old also spoke on his legendary 100+ feature run in 2007. His insane work ethic, even if it impacted his consistency, is another argument in his corner. But the question remains: do you think he’s the best rapper alive, or is there another MC that holds more weight? Let us know in the comments and return to HNHH for the latest on Lil Wayne.

Read More: Lil Wayne Beefs: Biggest Feuds Of His Career

Anderson .Paak Shows Love For Snoop Dogg At Chanel Fashion Show

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Anderson .Paak shared a clip of himself dancing along to Snoop Dogg’s performance at the Chanel fashion show on May 9. The clip shows .Paak hyping up his fellow rapper as he performed the iconic track “The Next Episode,” originally performed alongside Dr. Dre, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg. The rapper seemed in great spirits as he supported Snoop Dogg, as the two have worked together in the past. The afterparty for the Chanel Cruise Collection fashion show took place at Paramount studios in Los Angeles. Other celebrity appearances included Tracee Ellis Ross, Lil Nas X, Margot Robbie and more.

.Paak has collaborated with Snoop Dogg several times in the past. The West Coast rappers teamed up with Busta Rhymes and DOMi & JD BECK for the track “PiLOT” early this year. Snoop Dogg .Paak and Snoop Dogg have also worked alongside The Last Artful, Dodgr and Dr. Dre.

.Paak Backs Snoop

.Paak worked alongside Cordae in the J. Cole-produced track, “Two Tens,” in January. Cordae shared with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 how .Paak is “[his] real friend, like [his] brother.” NxWorries, .Paak’s project with producer Knxwledge announced their first performance together in five years, in March. NxWorries will perform at the Prospect Park Bandshell in June. They will be joined by Lalah Hathaway & Bilal, Robert Glasper, and BJ The Chicago Kid. The duo teased more upcoming music after their first release in years last fall, but we have yet to see any new releases.

Snoop Dogg spoke as a panelist earlier this week at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference. He joined CEO and Gamma founder, Larry Jackson. He made his thoughts on streaming clear, saying, “[Streaming is] exciting but streaming gotta get their s**t together.” The rapper added that he “[doesn’t]understand how the f**k you get paid off that s**t.” Additionally, he spoke at the conference about his experience speaking with an A.I. model. He said the experience “[blew] his mind,” adding, “I got a motherf***in’ A.I. right now.” Snoop Dogg also recently appeared on the talk show Undisputed. He gifted the hosts, Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless, with chains featuring his label’s logo.

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N.O.R.E. Gives Rare Show At Lovers & Friends Festival, Hints That It’s His Last

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N.O.R.E. was one of many hip-hop legends that performed at the Lovers & Friends Festival last Saturday (May 6) in Las Vegas. However, he was perhaps the only act in attendance who teased that it would be his final performance. The Drink Champs host has obviously found a lot of success with that show, and he hinted at it being time to fully enter a new chapter. Regardless of that info, the Queens MC still played through many of his greatest tracks much to the excitement of the crowd. Still, it’s quite the bittersweet affirmation from the rapper, as fans are always going to want more.

With that in mind, it’s actually been quite rare for N.O.R.E. to perform these days. As such, maybe this revelation, as unofficial as it may be, shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to many hardcore fans. Even considering his increasing focus in the podcasting space and other media avenues, people usually go for a farewell tour. Just look at 50 Cent, who recently announced “The Final Lap” tour and hinted at his last hurrah in the trek’s title.

Read More: N.O.R.E. Links Up With 50 Cent And Nelly At Lovers & Friends

N.O.R.E. Hits The Lovers & Friends Festival Stage

No matter his seemingly relinquished performance duties, the 45-year-old is still very proud of what he’s built on Drink Champs. While catching up with HipHopDX at Lovers & Friends, he revealed that his interview with Nas was the most surreal for him to do. “That’s my brother and I never really wanted to interview him at all because he’s my brother, but the fact that he did sit down… it’s very weird to ask people questions that you don’t wanna ask them,” N.O.R.E. expressed. “I’m not the police, and they know I’m not the police, but at the end of the day, I wanna have fun and I wanna make them surreal.

“At the end of the day, all hip-hop stars is superheroes,” he continued. “But the thing is what makes Drink Champs Drink Champs is I don’t make ’em superheroes. I make them Clark Kents.” Considering that, N.O.R.E. might not hit the stage again, but he’ll surely continue contributing to the culture in a positive and influential way. For more news and the latest updates on the hip-hop heavyweight, check back in with HNHH.

Read More: N.O.R.E Says He And Cam’ron Are “Good” After Apparent Diss

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Missy Elliott Premieres New Song “The Greatest” During Lovers & Friends Festival Set

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One of the most anticipated sets at Las Vegas’ Lovers & Friends Festival on Saturday (May 6) was undoubtedly Missy Elliott. Not only did the rap legend run through her greatest tracks, but she previewed an upcoming song fittingly titled “The Greatest.” On Twitter, she posted a short clip of it, and though no Missy verse is found, the beat sounds infectious and energizing thanks to the beat and featured guest Ha Sizzle, a bounce artist. Also on the social media platform, she confirmed the song’s title and said that 2nd Line Shawty would also appear. Moreover, HipHopDX confirmed that Wili Hendrix, ReemixLoops, and Michael Aristotle helped produce “The Greatest.”

Of course, it’s a great time to be a Missy Elliott fan. Recently, the Virginia native sat down with Lil Wayne, who once again praised her as his favorite rapper. “As a kid before Jay- this before I even knew a Jay-Z existed, I was into Missy Elliott,” he stated. “You know it was because you were able to say things that I would want to say as I’m rapping. You not only made me like- you made me love it. And I became so interested in you. And what happened was I bought the album and did not know that you really was spitting like… You know what I mean. You know I spit that verse to you all the time.”

Read More: Missy Elliott’s Biggest Hits

Missy Elliott Teases “The Greatest,” Her Next Single

Furthermore, this new track would be the 51-year-old’s first solo single since “Cool Off” in 2020. In addition, this hype comes after her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I want to say this is HUGE not for just me but all my Sisters in HIPHOP,” Missy Elliott remarked on Instagram last week. “This door is now OPEN to showcase the hard work that many of us WOMEN contribute to MUSIC. I have cried all day because I am GRATEFUL thank you @rockhall & all on the committee & Supafriends.”

While she hasn’t specified when we should be expecting “The Greatness,” we’ll happily wait for more heat from Miss E. As such, many fans are likely hoping for a full-length project soon, as well. No matter the case, if you’re not a fan, now’s certainly the time to get into her catalog. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Missy Elliott.

Read More: Missy Elliott Reveals Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, Diddy, Salt-N-Pepa Mentored Her

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Lil Kim Puts Her Twist On Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock” Dance At Lovers & Friends

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Of course, the biggest story surrounding the Lovers & Friends Festival surrounds its host Usher’s alleged scuffle with Chris Brown. However, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t excellent performances at the event all around, such as Lil Kim. Moreover, the hip-hop icon graced the stage on Saturday (May 6) with a rundown of some of the most iconic points in her catalog. Still, she made some time to shout out the newer generation and add her own twist to it. At one point during her set, she danced along to Lil Uzi Vert’s massive hit “Just Wanna Rock.”

However, not every fan was happy with the performance, or reacted to it with the same enthusiasm. While many applauded her for doing her thing and having fun while doing so, others came through with more criticism, pointing out her dance moves or her body. Unfortunately, it’s pushback that Lil Kim always dealt with throughout her career, and brushed off each time. Whether it’s her legal issues or her place in the culture, the 48-year-old still garners a lot of conversation and discussion on her legacy.

Lil Kim Just Wants To Rock At Festival Performance

In fact, more recent teases point to that legacy facing off against another in a big way, especially considering past beef. Furthermore, Swizz Beatz recently led fans to believe that a Verzuz battle between Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj would be coming soon. “I can’t say, I can’t say,” he responded to questions on The Breakfast Club about the potential matchup. “So there’s still a possibility?” DJ Envy inquired. “Yeah, I can’t say. I can’t say,” the producer replied. “But just know if you’re going to wait this long for Verzuz, if we gone have you wait this long, it’s definitely going to be worth it. If I’m being quiet, things are happening. It was important for us to take a break and organize what we have and actually understand what we have.”

Meanwhile, the “Crush On You” MC will share her story on Audible’s hip hop series coming this summer. With that in mind, perhaps she’s now in a place where she wants to celebrate and look back on her illustrious career. Be it through a Verzuz matchup or another dance homage to a contemporary hit, her name is here to stay. Regardless, log back into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Lil Kim.

Chris Brown Still Performs At Usher’s Lovers & Friends Festival After Alleged Fight

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The more we hear from Chris Brown and Usher, the more people are skeptical on whether or not they fought. Moreover, Usher’s Lovers & Friends Festival recently took place just a day after Brown and his crew allegedly jumped his fellow R&B star, which sent fans into a social media frenzy. For one, people know that the two have a pretty close relationship and show each other love, so this was surprising from the jump. However, many also pointed out the “Yeah 3x” singer’s history of alleged brawls and other controversies, placing blame solely on him for this incident. Still, at least from what the stage indicates, they are both fine.

Not only did Usher perform at the festival as originally expected, but Chris Brown also put on quite the show at the Las Vegas festival. Performing through some of his biggest hits and bringing out special guests like Tyga, it seems like the whole alleged altercation between them went unaddressed from both parties. Despite every publication reporting on their supposed brawl, one would think that the Confessions star wouldn’t allow his assailant to perform at his festival. As such, either it didn’t happen at all or he just didn’t get it done in time.

Chris Brown Takes The Stage At Usher’s Festival

Regardless of many signs pointing to “no” on the rumor, others heard from reportedly close sources about what went down at the birthday party. Furthermore, it seems like Chris Brown was apparently mad at Teyana Taylor for attending after she skipped his Michael Jackson tribute performance at the VMAs, which was then canceled. Brown then told Taylor to leave the party, and a verbal altercation between the two ensued. Reportedly, that’s when Usher stepped in to ease tensions and allegedly caught a bloody nose as a result.

No matter what’s going on between the two, neither an actual fight nor rumors of one seemed to faze their commitment to performing. Of course, they are both stars in that department of the R&B world, with the “GLU” artist boasting a massive Las Vegas residency as of late. Until we hear directly from either source, fans will continue to debate this scuffle’s authenticity. On that note, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Usher and Chris Brown.

Usher Performs At Lovers & Friends After Chris Brown Fight

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Usher performed at Lovers & Friends Music Festival in Las Vegas on Saturday night, following a reported fight with Chris Brown over Teyana Taylor. Before the performance, he posted several videos of himself on Instagram backstage at the venue, seeming to confirm that he was uninjured despite rumors to the contrary.

Early reports from TMZ stated Usher’s nose and face were banged up in the fight. The outlet also published a brief video of the altercation, in which Teyana Taylor could be seen in the background at Brown’s birthday party. Brown was reportedly unhappy about last year’s scrapped AMAs performance. Sources tell TMZ that the planning of that performance was partially handled by Taylor. Taylor also recently served as the creative director for Latto’s performance at Coachella.

Usher At Lovers & Friends

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 06: Usher performs on stage during the Lovers & Friends music festival at the Las Vegas. Festival Grounds on May 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage)

For his appearance at the second annual Lovers & Friends Festival, Usher joins many other top artists including Missy Elliott, Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, Flo Rida, Nelly, Pitbull, Christin Aguilera, Lil Kim, Omarion, Bow Wow, JoJo, and more. While the event primarily celebrates hip-hop and R&B stars of the ’90s and 2000s, there are several more contemporary acts too such as Summer Walker, Jhené Aiko, Miguel, PartyNextDoor, and Bryson Tiller.

Usher’s appearance at the festival comes amid his highly-popular residency in Las Vegas. Kim Kardashian, Kimora Lee Simmons, Zendaya, and Tom Holland, among others, have all attended the shows in recent weeks. Usher discussed his love for performing with BET for an interview ahead of the residency, earlier this year. “That’s because of the time and passion I put into the art,” he said. “The art is the show, the music is the offering, right? Because everybody’s going to interpret what I’m saying maybe a different way because of their experience or what they feel. But the art of it and the time where I get a chance to give something to people that they’ll remember forever is in that moment. So that’s what I love about performing live for my fans.”

Usher Argues With Chris Brown

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Latto Twerks Up A Storm During Something In The Water Festival Performance

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Following two weekends’ worth of standout performances at Coachella, Latto is once again showing her skills and talent as a rapper and performer on the festival circuit. Most recently, she visited Virginia Beach to perform at Pharrell’s Something In The Water festival. During her set, she put her twerking skills on full display, accentuated by live instrumentation and a killer drummer. Along the way, she played some of her biggest hits and even brought a fan onstage to get a lap dance for her remix of YFN Lucci’s “Wet.” All in all, it’s been a great run of shows for the 777 MC.

However, that’s not all that Latto brought to the table recently as far as material. She just released a new single “Put It On Da Floor” that made headlines for her mention of Coi Leray, which she responded to negatively. However, since then, the two made amends and cleared up any assumptions of beef. In fact, things got so discussed online that a fake video of them fighting went viral after their reconciliation. Furthermore, fans of both artists are hoping that this can manifest into a collab between the two.

Latto Gives Yet Another Great Festival Performance

In addition, a lot of people thought that she photoshopped a picture of the crowd at her Coachella set to make it look bigger. After the 24-year-old shut down those claims, people quickly realized that it was just haters looking to hate. Unfortunately, the Ohio-born and Georgia-raised MC has to deal with that a lot. For example, people also criticized her body implants after a picture of her mid-twerk made rounds on Twitter. As always, she brushed it off with ease with a simple and carefree explanation: “Just a BBL mid-clap.”

Meanwhile, she recently opened up on her thoughts on plastic surgery with her sister Brooklyn Nikole on her Apple Music 777 Radio show. “I’m telling you… all the young girls listening, all the women listening right now,” the RCA Records signee began. “I’m telling you from someone who’s been there, done it, find peace within your natural state. Because you’re going to find a flaw and another flaw and another flaw and another flaw. Surgery, any of that stuff is not a permanent fix.” Regardless of what she’s done with her body, she always looks great on stage as she has a good time with fans. You can find more clips from her Something In The Water performance, with lap dances and twerking galore, down below. For the latest news and updates on Latto, keep checking in with HNHH.

Something In The Water Gets Lucky With The 777 MC