recap

Megan Thee Stallion Recaps Birthday, Shows Off Massive Ring As Gift To Herself

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Megan Thee Stallion turned 29 on Thursday (February 15), and she got up to a whole lot to celebrate her birthday. Moreover, she just posted the first of two parts of her birthday recap on Instagram, in which she narrates over a series of clips and pictures of the occasion. For example, the Houston rapper got a lot of gifts, including a massive diamond ring that she bought for herself as a little treat. In addition, she hung out with some high school friends, drank some champagne with her team, and overall seemed to have an amazing time, which is great to see.

Furthermore, Megan Thee Stallion also has a lot of other reasons to celebrate these days beyond just another trip around the sun. Her most recent single “HISS” continues to ring off in playlists and clubs, even if it saw a steep drop-off in the charts after its first week. For something like this, which people mostly saw only through the lens of rap beef with Nicki Minaj, it’s a pretty understandable outcome. The important thing is that the now-29-year-old made her mark for her next album in a more decisive and fiery way that got fans ecstatic for this new era.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s “HISS” Going No. 1 Wasn’t Organic, According To “The Joe Budden Podcast” Hosts

Megan Thee Stallion’s Birthday Recap: Watch

Not only that, but she is also venturing into other areas outside of hip-hop to establish her career, although this is nothing new. Megan Thee Stallion crashed her own website with her new Nike collaboration, one of many moves with brands over the years to cement her superstar status. These partnerships don’t make a star out of a nobody, and they are definitely the least important facet of one’s artistic growth and trajectory. But they are important nonetheless, and it’s at least great to see her build her skillset and resumé.

New B-Day Bling For Tina Snow

Meanwhile, as folks continue to dissect “HISS” and “Big Foot,” it’s clear that the Traumanize hitmaker wants to move onto other matters. There’s a lot of anticipation behind her next full-length, and a lot of pressure on her to impress and exceed expectations. Let’s see how the rest of 2024 pans out, although we have to admit that we’re pretty confident it’ll be something special. For more news and the latest updates on Megan Thee Stallion, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s Twerking Skills Compared To Jada Kingdom After “Hiss” Celebration Goes Viral

The post Megan Thee Stallion Recaps Birthday, Shows Off Massive Ring As Gift To Herself appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Did The 2024 Grammys Get It Right?

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Well, we said it was time for fans to roast “music’s biggest night” again, and the 2024 Grammys certainly did not disappoint in this regard. People are still fuming over Taylor Swift winning Album of the Year over the likes of SZA, boygenius, Olivia Rodrigo, and Janelle Monáe. Some stars like Doja Cat left with no trophies in their arms at all. However, this awards ceremony also brought us some great moments: a couple of wins for the SOS creative, a wonderful Stevie Wonder performance, and a rendition of “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” by Burna Boy, Brandy, and 21 Savage. As far as the Recording Academy goes, we can’t really complain too much out of shock this year.

Still, for the genres of hip-hop and R&B, this was a very interesting, often chaotic, and honestly conflictive time. Whether it was the awards, reactions to them, or extracurricular antics and show elements, it was a bizarre year of representation. Yet these genres hold onto their commercial stardom. Regardless of what the Grammys got right and wrong, this made us think of some key questions that always come up around this time of year, but that should be present more often. When have awards, especially the Recording Academy’s, ever nailed their takes in the public’s eyes, why does this history exist, and does the outcome even matter for artists?

Read More: Snoop Dogg Shades The Grammys In New Instagram Post

Grammys In Hip-Hop & R&B: Surprises, Surefires & Success

Call us corny all you want for caring about what talking heads behind an industry office boardroom think about music. We can’t deny that they rope us into the ceremony every year because of our fandom. With our previous predictions for these categories in mind, the results were mixed within hip-hop and R&B, but with no egregious outcomes in our eyes. As far as what we missed the mark on, the Grammys gave Best Traditional R&B Performance to PJ Morton and Susan Carol for “Good Morning.” We’re happy they got the award, as they had the best chemistry out of the batch. We’re also glad SZA’s “Snooze” won Best R&B Song despite our prediction, plus Best Progressive R&B Album for SOS as we expected.

But kudos to Victoria Monét, who we predicted would win in the Best R&B Song category, for winning Best New Artist and Best R&B Album for JAGUAR II -– as expected and deserved! Elsewhere, Coco Jones’ “ICU” won Best R&B Performance. While we thought SZA’s “Kill Bill” would win in this category, we’re happy that they picked Coco, who had the best performance in our eyes. As expected, Lil Durk and J. Cole’s “All My Life” beat out Burna Boy and 21 Savage’s “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” for Best Melodic Rap Performance. Shout out to Durk and Cole for getting the award, though, as it’s just as much a strong contender as almost all of the picks in these categories.

Read More: Ice Spice Meets Beyoncé At 2024 Grammy Awards

Killer Mike’s Hip-Hop Blowout & Immediate Brush With Bigotry

Similarly, all the rap categories at the Grammys this year had mostly great picks that we would’ve championed. We expected Killer Mike’s “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” to deservedly take the Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song categories. Rather than a legacy pick with Nas’ King’s Disease III, voters chose the Atlanta legend’s MICHAEL as the Best Rap Album for 2024. It’s 2023’s middle point between hip-hop purism and contemporary appeal. While it’s obvious in hindsight, we’re happy to have been wrong here. Folks are talking a lot about the other 2023 pick, Travis Scott’s UTOPIA, getting “robbed” of the award… but we’ll get to that soon. Unfortunately for Mike, the Recording Academy’s praise of his artistry was almost immediately followed with a small, since-resolved, but disgusting reminder of the biases artists of his skin color and culture face.

Authorities arrested Killer Mike for a misdemeanor right at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles after an alleged altercation with a security guard. Sure, folks should be held accountable for their actions, but the secretive and overtly punitive way in which they treated him is a worrisome reminder that Black creatives -– and people, for that matter -– will always have a narrative against them. Some people immediately clowned and mocked this incident from racist or uncaring points of view. This wasn’t the Grammys’ fault at all, but because of the timing and how security officials handled it, the perception of his success is tainted. For hip-hop fans, it isn’t. Thus, this doesn’t matter in the grand scheme. Nevertheless, rap’s unjust representation at the most mainstream level poses cataclysmic effects for its treatment moving forward. One current juggernaut represented this in a surprising way.

Read More: Ice Cube Explains Dr. Dre Absence From N.W.A. Grammy Acceptance

Travis Scott: The Perils Of Playing Both Parts

Travis Scott performed UTOPIA‘s “MY EYES,” “I KNOW ?,” and “FE!N” at the Grammys this year. He brought out Playboi Carti and called the Recording Academy out for snubbing him, causing a lot of ruckus. To be honest, we had our issues with this 2023 album, but its impact and accurate representation of rap right now warrant praise. It was just a very competitive year. But as always, “snubs” like these cause folks to question whether these awards matter. The answer’s been a resounding “no” for decades, ever since Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff boycotted the 1989 Grammy Awards, the first to acknowledge hip-hop as a genre. That year, the Grammys decided against televising the hip-hop awards… another problem we’ll get to later.

What is strangest about Travis Scott at the Grammys is the framing. They let him perform with no other recognition, knowing the backlash from snubbing ASTROWORLD back during the 2019 ceremony. In addition, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. gave a speech right after his performance that seemed oddly hypocritical. He lamented the loss of life at music festivals, and while the example he proposed resulted in over 300 deaths, it was bizarre to see this after the host of the Astroworld Festival performed. It seemed a lazy way to avoid criticism while revealing their true choice: platforming La Flame. We don’t think the festival’s fully his responsibility; we believe the Recording Academy made it impossible for folks not to discredit him for one reason or another and still profit off his appearance.

Read More: JT Salutes Nicki Minaj After Grammy Loss: “I Love You”

Jay-Z Aims At The Academy For Their Apathy

Along that same vein, Jay-Z’s acceptance speech for the Global Impact Award contained curious inconsistencies. He blasted the Grammys for never giving Album of the Year to his wife Beyoncé, the most awarded person in their history. Also, Hov said some of the nominees that night didn’t deserve it, and that these awards are subjective. But he emphasized that hip-hop wants them to get it right because it matters for folks to see that they can find massive reach and keep artistry intact. The 54-year-old even referenced Will and Jazzy Jeff’s boycott of the ceremony and his own boycott when DMX didn’t receive a nomination. Even though it’s wild to say, similar to 1989, no rap categories showed up during the CBS broadcast of the main event in 2024, either.

As such, 2024’s Grammys left us with a lot to think about. What does it mean when the industry’s most successful rapper calls them out and puts others down while doing so? Why put one of the world’s biggest rappers today on your stage just to sideline him in every other way, warranted or not? When SZA loses in the general categories, can R&B ever dominate critically as it has culturally for decades? We like all the picks and congratulate the nominees, but now we’re in a comedown. The hype cycle passed, and we left with a sinking feeling in our stomachs. With more pushback against the Recording Academy from these genres than ever on their stage, maybe rap and R&B should eschew validation from this organization, one uninterested in providing an equitable spot for it at the table.

Read More: Drake Calls Out Grammy Awards: “This Show Doesn’t Dictate Sh*t”

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“The Idol” Episode 4 Recap: “Stars Belong To The World”

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The Idol has been one of the most provocative shows released in quite some time. Overall, it is also extremely polarizing. The themes of this show are quite disturbing at times. Moreover, there seems to be no filter as it pertains to showing off these themes. Not to mention, The Weeknd’s acting has received much scrutiny. Throughout the first three episodes, fans have progressively been turned off by the show’s direction. This is especially true after it was revealed that Tedros would begin to abuse Jocelyn as a means of getting better songs out of her. In Episode 4, titled “Stars Belong To The World,” the show continues down its troubling trajectory.

Jocelyn’s Reinvention

Episode 4 begins with Mike Dean’s arrival at Jocelyn’s house. It is here where Tedros is able to attempt to deliver on his promise of some mega hits. In the last episode, Chaim made it clear that time is of the essence, and subsequently, Tedros is making an effort to deliver. However, while all this takes place, Destiny tells Chaim that she has found some information on the mysterious nightclub owner. Essentially, he has been to prison for kidnapping and torturing his ex-girlfriend. These details are provided to us as Joss continues to record a new song that speaks about her and Tedros’ relationship dynamics.

From there, Chaim asks Destiny to watch over the house over the coming days. There is a real sense that Tedros is spelling trouble for their star, and they want to grasp what’s happening. As soon as Destiny gets in the house, she becomes acquainted with Chloe, who lets it slip that she is underage. Furthermore, Destiny reveals that she is an incredible singer and even a vocal coach of sorts. This eventually leads her to give Joss some pointers on her latest song. Subsequently, we get the cringiest scene in the whole series thus far. Once again, this is another instance of us telling you to watch the show, as any description of these actions is NSFW. Amid all this, we find out that Dyanne got signed to Joss’ record label and is now being given World Class Sinner.

The Idol Becomes A Parody Of Itself

During these next few scenes, we get some truly ridiculous settings that are meant to shock the audience and really nothing else. While showering, Jocelyn’s creative director Xander begins to sing. Tedros was watching him the whole time and eventually asks why he never told anyone about his talent. We are subsequently told that Xander had a vocal chord injury and gave up singing. Tedros then convinces the young man to join Joss’ team of singers. Although due to Tedros’ suspicions that he is a liar, he forces Xander to wear a shock collar. Xander tries to escape, but Izaak and others pin Xander down. This then leads to an argument between Joss and Xander, who claims that the pop star’s mom made him sign a contract vowing never to sing again.

Of course, Jocelyn tells Tedros that Xander is lying and forces her new beau to shock her longtime friend. Eventually, Xander can’t take it anymore and says he won’t “lie” anymore. This entire passage just feels like the show becoming a parody of itself and does very little to advance the plot. The same can be said of the following scene in which Joss admits to Destiny that she knows Tedros has been to prison. However, she naively claims that it is because many women lied about him being their pimp. As you can imagine, Destiny is less than enthused by all of this.

Jocelyn Goes Public

In the last third of Episode 4 of The Idol, Tedros gets Jocelyn to go public with the abuse she faced. Joss does just that through an Instagram Live video in which she gets very emotional. However, that same night, she hosts a huge party at her mansion that eventually devolves into a complete mess. For instance, Tedros yells at Leia and embarrasses her. This finally gets Jocelyn to speak up, much to Tedros’s dismay. Things get worse for Tedros as Dyanne shows up to the party, and Jocelyn learns about her and Tedros’s history.

Jocelyn is clearly hurt by this information and texts her ex-boyfriend Rob, who is a famous actor. He shows up at the house, and Tedros confronts him with a “drink-off.” Rob wins the competition as Tedros becomes a jealous and pathetic mess. Joss then takes Rob up to her room, where they have sex. Tedros is standing outside the bedroom door, listening to it all occur. He has tears in his eyes, and it is the first time in the show that he genuinely cracks.

Finally, the episode ends with Xander and a woman trapping Rob in a compromising position. The woman asks to take a photo with Rob and makes the picture sexual against his wishes. He leaves the house, and Xander makes it clear to the woman that they will use the photo against him. Effectively making The Idol just Euphoria with grown adults.

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“The Idol” Episode 3 Recap: “Daybreak”

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**Trigger Warning: The following recap deals with themes of mental and physical abuse**

Throughout episodes 1 and 2 of The Idol, we were introduced to Jocelyn, a pop star who is gearing up for her comeback album. Following the death of her mom, she is learning to function again, to varying results. Moreover, we were introduced to Tedros, a shady club owner who takes a special interest in Jocelyn. The two are embarking on a relationship that is likely to be filled with toxicity and shenanigans. In Episode 3, “Daybreak,” it becomes clear that Tedros is an abuser who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Read More: “The Idol” Episode 3 Soundtrack: The Weeknd & Moses Sumney Share “A Lesser Man” And More

Tedros Makes “The Idol” Unsettling

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CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 23: Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye attends “The Idol” photocall at the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 23, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic)

Firstly, the episode begins with Leia driving Tedros and Jocelyn who are in the backseat of a convertible. The two begin to hook up in an explicit fashion in broad daylight, much to the chagrin of Leia. Subsequently, they get to the Valentino store where Tedros immediately begins to control the situation. He starts to pick out Joss’ clothes and even threatens one of the stylists. The stylist had looked at Jocelyn in a way that Tedros didn’t like, which ultimately led to the exchange of pleasantries. This all prompts Leia to call Chaim and Destiny, who are already sketched out about Tedros.

Additionally, this phone call leads to a flashback in which Tedros calls Leia an ableist slur over breakfast. Moreover, he gets mad at Jocelyn’s team member Andres, who compliments her body. Tedros makes vague threats toward the man and then forces Jocelyn to fire him on the spot. She goes ahead and does it, which fills Leia with existential dread over how Tedros has taken over the house.

Read More: “The Idol” Is Dominating Social Media, But Viewership Remains Uncertain

The Rebirth Of A Pop Star

After the shopping spree, Chaim and Destiny meet Tedros for the first time. It is here that we learn that Jocelyn has scrapped her entire album and only has a few weeks to submit something. However, Chaim is a huge fan of the song that Tedros and Joss recorded together. He is subsequently floored by the revelation that Mike Dean is coming over to help produce some records. Despite Leia’s efforts to get Joss’ managers involved, they come out loving Tedros, and the existential dread sets in, once again.

Tedros then has a conversation with Xander, Joss’ creative director. Xander reveals that he is creatively spent as Joss’ team doesn’t really allow for very much creativity. Furthermore, Joss herself has been very hesitant to take risks. He then suggests that they should make the sexually explicit photo her next album cover. Unsurprisingly, Tedros is absolutely in love with this idea and it leads to a bit of a bond between the two. It now seems like Tedros has found a “competent” person within Joss’ camp that he can trust.

As for Jocelyn, she goes to a recording session with Chloe, Izaak, and more of Tedros’ friends. Here, we get a sense that Joss has no interest in opening up about her mom. Izaak tries to pressure her and tells her that no one in Tedros’ camp can say “no.” This prompts her to ask Izaak to kiss her, but he ironically says no. Although, for good reason as he knows what the consequences would be as Tedros has proven himself to be maniacal.

Read More: “The Idol”: Sources Allegedly Call The Weeknd “Egomaniacal,” Not Renewing

“The Idol” Reaches Uncomfortable Territory

Things eventually get extremely dark as Jocelyn, Tedros, Leia, Xander, Izaak, and more sit at the dinner table outside. While speaking about her new music, Tedros reveals Xander’s idea about the sexually explicit photo. Joss seems enthused, however, it eventually leads to her admitting that the photo sucks and that she wants to be taken seriously. Subsequently, Tedros gets on her case about this and begins telling her that she needs to start taking risks. Joss isn’t so sure but Xander starts to gang up on her and it everything unravels from there. We then find out that the last song Joss actually wrote herself was called “Daybreak,” a year and a half prior, when Jocelyn’s mom was still alive.

This is where the upsetting nature of the episode kicks in. Tedros coerces Jocelyn into explaining why her mom was so pivotal in her life. That’s when she reveals that her mom abused her with a hairbrush. She would beat Joss with the hairbrush whenever she seemed “unfocused” or “unmotivated” and she learned to live with it. Consequently, when her mom passed away, she felt lost and as though she could not function without the abuse. Stunned, Tedros asks Joss if the abuse would be worth it should she create some of the best music of all time. A tearful Jocelyn answers affirmatively.

Read More: The Weeknd Speaks On Controversial Sex Scene In “The Idol”

A Sad Finale

Lily-Rose Depp appears at Cannes Film Festival for "The Idol" debut.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 23: Lily-Rose Depp attends “The Idol” photocall at the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 23, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic)

The episode ends with Tedros getting the hairbrush from Jocelyn, and beating her with it. It is made clear that Tedros wants to continue the cycle of abuse because he believes that’s how the music will get made. The following morning, Joss thanks Tedros for what he’s done, and the episode ends. Overall, it is a shocking, heartbreaking, and upsetting turn of events that may just turn a lot of viewers away from this show for good. It’s hard to fathom where The Idol goes from here.

Read More: “The Idol” TV Channel: How To Watch In The US And Canada

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“The Idol” Episode 2 Recap: “Double Fantasy”

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**TRIGGER WARNING** The following recap contains descriptions of self-harm that some readers may find upsetting.

The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp’s new show The Idol has certainly made an impression on viewers. Although the first episode elicited comments about both of their acting skills, people were intrigued enough to give the second episode a go. Last night, HBO premiered “Double Fantasy,” which went all the way with all of the allusions to sex from Episode 1. In fact, this could very well be the episode that makes people check out, or stick around for the long haul.

Evolution Of A Pop Star

Overall, a lot took place during the 50-minute runtime of “Double Fantasy.” Firstly, it begins with Jocelyn who is clearly ready to reinvent herself after taking Tedros’ critiques about her singing to heart. If you remember, he told her she sings like she doesn’t know how to have sex. This subsequently prompts her to re-record “World Class Sinner” with a whole bunch of moans and breathy cadences. She shows her management team the song and says that this is what she wants to release. Ultimately, they are mortified by the change in sound, and her manager lambastes her for being “ungrateful.” This is where we learn that Jocelyn had to have a tour canceled following the death of her mother. This was mostly spawned by the fact that she had a mental breakdown, which is something we heard a bit about in Episode 1.

Following this scene, Jocelyn calls Tedros and asks if he can come over to record some songs. However, he is currently in one of his clubs and reveals that he will be busy for a few days. Additionally, his friend Izaak is there. Although we will learn more about Izaak later, it is important to point out that he is in the midst of trying to get with Leia, Jocelyn’s assistant. Again, this is a plot point that returns throughout the episode.

Read More: The Weeknd & Suzanna Son Team Up On “Family” From “The Idol”

Music Video Time

Overall, the majority of The Idol episode 2 takes place on set during the music video shoot for “World Class Sinner.” However, it quickly devolves into a mess that brings Jocelyn’s mental well-being into question. First off, Jocelyn arrives on set almost three hours late. It’s here that her manager Nikki explains that she had cuts on her thighs and that they were being airbrushed. This is a very obvious allusion to self-harm, although we never actually see it take place. Throughout all of this, her team is scrambling to get information on Tedros, who they claim is from Hawaii, and owes a lot of people money. From there, Jocelyn is a bit taken aback by the strip club setting of the music video and it clearly isn’t to her liking. Despite trying to power through, she messes up her takes and continues to ask for new takes. Although the director is getting mad, Jocelyn keeps trying but continues to fail.

After asking to continue the shoot the next day, she is talked out of it by her other manager, Chaim. Throughout all of this, there is an absolute calamity on set. This leads to numerous jump cuts of various different people talking about Jocelyn and what’s going on. Clearly, there is a lot riding on her performance here, and she isn’t living up to the expectations. Finally, however, she nails her final take. The only issue is, the camera was out of focus. This leads to a mental breakdown on set where Jocelyn can be heard calling for her mom, all while her feet and thighs begin to bleed. Nikki then tells Joss that needs to go home and rest. She also promises that they can film the music video the next day.

Betrayal In The Works

However, during the music video shoot, Nikki realized that the best dancer in the room is Dyanne. Dyanne was the stand-in for Jocelyn during rehearsal. Ultimately, she was the one teaching Jocelyn how to do her moves. While Jocelyn was trying to collect herself during the shoot, Nikki was asking Dyanne to sing for her. Upon learning that she’s quite good, she has her lay down a track. Lastly, before moving on from the music video setting, Nikki tells the journalist from Vanity Fair that the story is about to get bigger. Presumably, this has to do with Nikki’s new obsession with Dyanne, and her realization that Jocelyn may not be cut out for being a Global sensation.

Read More: The Weeknd To Co-Write & Star In New HBO Show “The Idol”

“The Idol” Plot Thickens

In the next scene of The Idol episode 2, we find out that Jocelyn is actually broke and needs to make these songs happen. Otherwise, she could lose everything. This subsequently prompts her to call Tedros as she wants him to come over. However, the plot takes a turn as after their phone call, we see Dyanne with him. The show establishes that he and Dyanne are a couple. Moreover, he reveals that Nikki has called him personally about signing her. This is interesting as the rest of Jocelyn’s team has expressed fear about Tedros and his newfound influence on their star. Overall, this new revelation makes it seem like Tedros has some sinister plans for Joss.

Later that night, Tedros shows up with Izaak and a girl named Chloe. The latter appears extremely happy to be at Jocelyn’s house and immediately goes skinny dipping. Meanwhile, Izaak meets up with Leia while Tedros and Jocelyn do their own thing. Eventually, the show devolves into borderline softcore porn. Jocelyn and Tedros go off to the bedroom, as do Leia and Izaak. Meanwhile, Chloe is lurking in the shadows, watching Tedros command Jocelyn to do things for him.

Wrapping Up “The Idol” Episode 2

Lastly, The Idol ends with the following morning’s events. Chloe wakes up early and begins to play the piano beautifully. Moreover, she can be heard singing a song that impresses Jocelyn. She and Tedros then go down to the piano, as Izaak and Leia also arrive. That’s when Izaak begins to sing a duet, revealing that these two actually have a song together on Tedros’ label. Jocelyn begins to tear up at the song, and the episode ends.

From here on out, it is difficult to get a read on where this show is going to go. However, it is clear that there are some unique plot points on the horizon. That said, a lot of the dialogue and scenes can be a bit much to bear at times. Only time will tell whether or not this continues to be a success for HBO, or a horrendous flop. Let us know what you thought of episode 2 of The Idol, in the comments section below.

Read More: The Weeknd Discusses “The Idol” And His “Provocative” Nature In “Interview Magazine” Cover Story

The post “The Idol” Episode 2 Recap: “Double Fantasy” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Drake Recaps Dreamville Festival With Pictures & Bars On Instagram

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Fans are still raving about Dreamville Fest 2023, and will likely continue to do so for a while. One of the North Carolina festival’s biggest highlights for many was certainly J. Cole and Drake’s headlining slot on Sunday (April 2). Not only did both give great performances, but they brought out various special guests throughout their set. Lil Uzi Vert, GloRilla, Lil Wayne, and 21 Savage all had the Raleigh crowd hyped with their appearances. To commemorate the occasion and thank all his co-performers, the OVO kingpin shared an Instagram post with some pictures- and of course, some bars to match.

“I want more of THIS,” Drake captioned his post, whose slideshow begins with a picture of him and his mentor Weezy. “Years and years with the gang I’m talking plural, and to get there we’ll turn any weirdo to a mural,” he added. Not only did he look toward the future, but did so while acknowledging that it’s already been several “years and years” at the top for him and his gang. After all, his stacked setlist reflected recent hits, milestone releases, and a few of his classics for longtime fans.

Drake Thanks His Guests & Shares Some Bars On IG

All in all, the weekend in N.C. had many treats in store for fans, even though they came from sometimes unexpected places. For example, during his performance, Cole publicly asked Kanye West to clear a sample from his project Friday Night Lights. After performing the track “Villematic” (which samples the Chicago MC’s “Devil In A New Dress”), he shouted out Ye and made the request in front of thousands of fans. With that, many believe he aims to bring his 2010 tape to streaming services soon, which the Dreamville boss wished for on its tenth anniversary.

Meanwhile, other surprises were a bit less exciting, but only because the festival’s first day happened to land on the most untrustworthy day of the year. During Usher’s headlining performance, he suddenly invited Beyoncé to the stage, and fans went crazy. However, after a few moments of silence and confused looks from the R&B star, he walked up to the mic and sang “April Fool’s!” Regardless, along with Drake and every other artist involved, there was a lot for him and fans to be grateful for this weekend thanks to the incredible event. Log back into HNHH for more stories from the Dreamville Festival and the latest news and updates on Drake.