the late show with stephen colbert

Andre 3000 Says Ludacris Took “Fast & Furious” Role He Auditioned For

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Turns out that one of the most profitable movie franchises of all time could’ve featured another Southern hip-hop legend instead. Moreover, when asked about why he hadn’t shown up in the Fast & Furious films, André 3000 recently revealed during his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he auditioned for franchise, specifically the original’s sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious. While he appeared on the show last month, the clip started to make social media rounds this week, and many people expressed curious surprise and some shock. “I think Ludacris took the role,” 3 Stacks remarked. I actually tried out, I tried out for Fast & Furious, and Ludacris actually took the role.”

Furthermore, when asked by Colbert if this upset him, Andre 3000 was quite honest in his response. “No, not at all, ’cause I wasn’t ready,” he shared. “No, I mean, I remember that audition, man. I was so nervous, man. Like, I wouldn’t hire me. Yeah, possibly [the door’s open]. If they watching, yeah, put me in Fast 30.” “2 Fast 2 Flute,” Stephen suggested in the clip below, which got an “Ooh” from the Atlanta multi-hyphenate and another potential title: “Flute & Furious.”

Read More: Andre 3000 In The Studio With Some Underground Rap Stars New And Old

Andre 3000 Tells Funny Ludacris & Fast & Furious Story: Watch

Of course, both of them went on to have incredible careers in what they aimed for, with Ludacris actually starting a TV show based on his radio days very soon. Plus, he also has a lot of love for Andre 3000, reciprocating the respect. “So, top five flows, man,” Luda began a list during a XXL interview in 2020. “Andre 3000 is going to be in there. I feel like he always challenges, always challenges.”

In addition, here’s what he told Lil Wayne in May of 2020 about Outkast changing hip-hop. “It’s also interesting how when you take it back in history and you think about how Andre 3000 was like, ‘The South got something to say‘ at the Source Awards when they beat Mobb Deep on that album,” Ludacris recalled. “All respect due to my Mobb Deep, but that was a moment in time, in history, where everything started going a different way because it created that conversation. The people that weren’t up on Outkast, they literally started listening and they were forced to listen to it.” For more news and the latest updates on these amazing artists, stay logged into HNHH.

Read More: Ludacris Recalls A Surprising Encounter With Justin Timberlake Backstage At The Grammys

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Here Are The Musical Guests For ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ This Week

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Boygenius
Matt Grubb

After 148 days, the Writers Guild Of America strike is over. The most immediate apparent change in light of that is this week’s return of late-night TV shows. That also means the return of late-night TV musical performances, so here are the artists taking the stage on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week.

Louis Cato — Monday, October 2

Cato, who took over as The Late Show‘s bandleader after Jon Batiste’s departure in 2022, was a natural choice to perform on the show’s first night back. He delivered a rendition of “Reflections,” the title track from his latest album.

Boygenius — Tuesday, October 3

This performance is perfect timing for Boygenius: The trio (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker) just announced their new EP The Rest and they’re playing at the Hollywood Bowl later this month.

Japanese Breakfast — Wednesday, October 4

Michelle Zauner became a literary star over the past couple years with her successful memoir Crying In H Mart. Her latest Japanese Breakfast album is 2021’s Jubilee, so a song from that feels likely for her Colbert performance.

Thursday, October 5

As of this post, there is currently no musical guest listed for the Thursday episode, per TV Guide.

Friday, October 6

As of this post, the guests for the Friday episode have yet to be announced, per TV Guide.

Robert Glasper’s Run Is Far From ‘Over’ As Shown In His Stellar Performance On ‘Colbert’ Along With Yebba

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Still basking in the glow of his Grammy Award win for Best R&B Album, critically acclaimed musician Robert Glasper made a guest appearance on The Late Show hosted by Stephen Colbert. With a full supporting band and featured vocalist Yebba, the musicians delivered a special performance of their track, “Over” off Glasper’s award-winning album Black Radio III.

Although the track wasn’t a featured single, (that designation belongs to “Black Superheroes” featuring Killer Mike, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Big KRIT), fans quickly latched on the song. Yebba’s buttery vocals and Glasper’s masterful skills on the piano, while providing clear sonic guidance for the supporting band, demonstrates just why he is so revered. Their performance of the track on The Late Show was nothing less than spectacular.

Black Radio III, as the title shows, is the third installment of the musical series Glasper began ten years ago. As an episodic project, Black Radio blends together elements of jazz, rap, hip-hop, and R&B a musical tightrope Glasper has walked his entire career.

When asked about the legacy of the musical series, Glasper said, “Black Radio was always intended as an ongoing project, evolving over time, perhaps never complete but anchored in its creative commitment to celebrating black music,” adding, “The supreme edition of Black Radio III brings more new songs that have deeply personal meaning to me and are too special to not share with the world.”

Watch the full performance above.

Nas Lists Billy Joel & Bruce Springsteen As Dream Collaborators

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In a recent interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Nas said that Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are among his dream collaborators. Also, the hip-hop legend said that he’d love to work with Sade or Al Green one day, as well. When answering Colbert’s prompt about hopeful team-ups, he emphasized the sheer star power in that list and spoke on Joel’s particular showmanship. In fact, these dream collaborations aren’t just dreams, as the Queens MC tried to bring some of them to light.

“There’s a lot,” he remarked to the talk show host when asked about his feature wishlist. “From Sade to Al Green to Billy Joel to The Boss, Bruce. I tried that at Billy Joel’s concert. I went to his show and it was incredible. He’s the king of the Garden.” In fact, the “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” MC recently performed at Madison Square Garden for a one-night gig this Friday (February 24). From all accounts, the show was a wonderful spectacle and yet another point on Nas’ board in GOAT conversations. Given his incredible career trajectory over the past few years, maybe he himself will become the next king of the Garden.

Nas Names His Dream Collaborators

Elsewhere in the interview, the 49-year-old spoke on why he doesn’t feel inspired by rappers his own age anymore. Instead, he explained, he tries to stack himself up to what the current generation is doing, maintaining that hunger for creativity. “I’m really trying to figure out what my next move is, and I feel like a lot of Hip Hop artists my age are not putting out a lot of material, so I can’t look to them as reference,” he stated. “They kind of slowed down — for whatever reasons, I understand it’s a tough thing — but I got bit by the bug, man.”

However, that doesn’t mean that the Mass Appeal mogul’s completely forgotten about older artists. In fact, 50 Cent recently revealed he’ll assist Nas and Hit-Boy on King’s Disease IV, which should entice 50 fans and doubters alike. While it’s been a while since the TV mogul was known primarily for music, it’s very likely that a more long-standing legend like Nas and one of the best producers right now like Hit-Boy could inspire him by comparing themselves to the present, not the past. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on the one and only Nas.

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Nas Says He’s Not Inspired By Rappers His Own Age Anymore

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One of the greatest rappers ever still deserves the title, even over twenty years after his career shook the world. Nas recently opened up about how rappers his age don’t inspire him anymore when it comes to new material. Moreover, he spoke candidly on the subject while on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday (February 22). When Colbert asked him which artists keep the New York MC competitive, he had a very interesting answer. Since his generation of rappers don’t release music often, he expressed that he has to match the newer generation instead.

“I’m really trying to figure out what my next move is, and I feel like a lot of Hip Hop artists my age are not putting out a lot of material, so I can’t look to them as reference,” Nas remarked. “They kind of slowed down — for whatever reasons, I understand it’s a tough thing — but I got bit by the bug, man.” Of course, that bug resulted in four excellent collaborative albums with Hit-Boy (with a fifth on the way). In fact, the albums made such a mark that they nabbed the Mass Appeal mogul with his first-ever Grammy.

Nas Speaks On Rappers His Age

“I collaborated with this cat Hit-Boy who’s like the best, and he’s produced all of those albums — King’s Disease 1, 2, 3. [Don’t forget Magic!] We’re kind of inspiring ourselves at this point. It’s really interesting.” When asked what he sees in the producer that he doesn’t see in himself, he responded cheekily with “Youth.” Still, their relationship is rooted more deeply than that generational divide, as Nas described them as a “perfect match.”

While their latest effort King’s Disease III didn’t have any features, Nas said that wasn’t the plan in an Apple Music interview. “Honestly, it was once we got deeper into the album because I definitely was thinking and conceptualizing on who could be a part of it,” he expressed. “I even pulled up some features that I had in my computer from different artists and we tried stuff, but nothing really connected on a level of what we was doing solo. This is, I believe, Nas’ first album ever with no features so that’s an ill thing in itself.” As always, come back to HNHH for the latest news on Nas and the greatness he’ll bring us next.

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Little Simz’s Performance Of ‘Heart On Fire’ On ‘Colbert’ Is Chilling Look At Mental Health Struggles

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Little Simz’s latest album, No Thank You, is the hip-hop gift that keeps on giving. After its surprise release late last year, the UK rapper has been tactic yet patient with her promotional efforts. Immediately following the announcement of the project by way of a supporting short film, the musician took to social media to share a poignant message: “Emotion is energy in motion. Honor your truth and feelings. Eradicate fear. Boundaries are important.”

Just days ago, Simz took to the BAFTA stage to perform the latest single off the album, “Heart On Fire.” Now, continuing her live performance run of the single, she stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to do the same. With The Harlem Gospel Choir, The B-String Quartet, and The Late Show band, Simz delivered a chilling rendition of the track.

Differing from her BAFTA set design, Simz focused in on the reclusive nature of the song. Seated in an antique wooden chair and dressed in an elegant draped white gown, Simz raps the song. As the camera pans out, it is revealed Simz is not just staring into the void, she’s been dictating these hard-hitting truths to herself as she’s emotionlessly staring into a framed mirror. After Simz transitions out of her depressive solitude, she walks into the light as she joins The Harlem Gospel Choir and The B-String Quartet center stage.

The opening lyrics — “It’s a setup and you’ll be next to those prior / The devil works hard, but the business works harder / I vowed from now to work smarter” — sting, especially given that the star has been open about her mental health struggles which caused her to cancel her tour last year.

But Simz wants to ensure fans that despite her struggles, she has a few guardian angels, as she raps, “They won’t do it like us, for the people, by us / Why they wanna fight? Our spirit on higher / God made truth of everything I desire / I ain’t need much, as long as I got my baby, he a rider.”

If that wasn’t enough reassurance the chorus drills it home, as Simz raps, “My life is a blessing / But it comes with the stresses / And I can take it all / Just don’t let me down when I’m in the fire.”

Watch Little Simz perform “Heart On Fire” on The Late Show above.

‘Colbert’ Made Perfect Use Of DJ Khaled Clips To Recap Kevin McCarthy’s Drawn-Out Bid To Become Speaker Of The House

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Over the weekend, Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker Of The House. It took four days and 15 votes to get here, but here we are. Now the late-night shows have gotten a hold of the news and run with it on their Monday (January 9) episodes, including The Late Show. Steven Colbert’s staff’s take on the situation made use of some choice DJ Khaled clips.

The brief segment is introduced, “And now, a summary of Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become Speaker Of The House, featuring DJ Khaled.” From there, a Khaled-style instrumental played under news clips about the McCarthy proceedings, and as the various anchors share news of each subsequent vote, a Khaled clips interjects with one of the producer’s classic catchphrases: “Another one.” The video ends with an anchor noting, “The concessions to the right that led to his victory could leave him the weakest Speaker in modern history.” To that, clip Khaled responded, “Congratulations: you played yourself.”

As for what Khaled has been up to lately, he was recently pretty happy after buying Eminem’s Nike Air Jordan 4 “Encore” sneakers. Meanwhile, looking forward, he’s one of the most-nominated hip-hop artists at the upcoming 2023 Grammy Awards.

Check out the Colbert segment above.

Jon Batiste Leaves ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ After Seven Years As Bandleader

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On September 8, 2015, the debut episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert aired. Aside from Colbert himself, a major part of the show’s identity was Jon Batiste and his Stay Human house band. Since early June this year, Batiste has actually been away from the show on a break, so band member Louis Cato has been filling in as leader. Now, that change has been made permanent: On last night’s Late Show, Colbert announced that Batiste is leaving the program after just shy of seven years.

Colbert shared the news last night, saying, “Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that Jon hasn’t been here this summer. Well, I have an update: Jon has decided to leave the show.” That got an “aww” from the audience and Colbert continued, “I know, I feel the same way, but it’s for all the best reasons, including to continue sharing his art with the world.”

He added, “We have been so lucky to have a front-row seat to Jon’s incredible talent for the past seven years, and will we miss him here? [Batiste voice] ‘Yeeaah! Yeeaah!’ But we’re happy for you, Jon, and I can’t wait to have you back on as a guest with your next hit record. I love you.”

Colbert went on to reveal that Cato is taking over as bandleader and that the house band is now called The Late Show Band.

Batiste has yet to offer a statement about leaving the show. He’s definitely in the midst of a career high-point, though: Earlier this year, he got five Grammy wins (including Album Of The Year for We Are) off a whopping 11 nominations, and he’ll soon be making his acting debut in a remake of The Color Purple.

Jon Batiste Breaks Down His Confused Reaction To Winning The 2022 Grammy For Album Of The Year

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Last weekend’s Grammy Awards were relatively tame when it came to surprises, as most of the award winners didn’t seem completely unexpected. Of course, there was one major exception, as Jon Batiste’s We Are won Album Of The Year over projects by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, HER, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West. Batiste himself looked surprised when he won, holding a confused expression and a shrug for a good while before approaching the stage.

The Late Show bandleader returned to his show last night for the first time since the Grammys, where he broke down his response to his big win in a conversation with Stephen Colbert.

He started with context, noting the day was busy for him, since he was nominated for 11 awards, both during the pre-show and the televised ceremony. On top of that, he performed during the broadcast, too. So, by the time the show as coming to an end, Batiste said he was ready to just chill out.

Colbert showed the clip of Batiste’s reaction and commented, “The most surprised person in that room might be you.” Batiste responded, “Oh yeah.”

Batiste continued by noting the people seated at the tables around him, including Billie Eilish and Finneas, had a good supportive energy, saying, “Well, at least everybody’s going to be on a good vibe. Whoever wins, we’ll be all just clapping for this person. It won’t be me. And then they said, ‘We…’ And the people were so loud. It was so loud that I almost didn’t really know it was me because they didn’t say my name until after the title. I was like, ‘Maybe that’s somebody else’s album that sounds like We Are [laughs].”

Watch the full interview above.

Genesis Owusu Delivers An Imposing Performance Of ‘Gold Chains’ On ‘The Late Show’

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Last March, 23-year-old Ghanaian-Australian singer Genesis Owusu released his debut album Smiling With No Teeth, which earned him great success in Australia as it landed him trophies for Album Of The Year, Best Hip Hop Release, Best Independent Release, and Best Cover Art at the 2021 Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards. After releasing a deluxe edition of the album, titled Missing Molars (SWNT Deluxe), last summer, Owusu is seeing some success in the US. Now he’s on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, performing his song “Gold Chains.”

The performance found Owusu standing in front of the mic in a regal bright red suit with a beautiful chandelier hanging above him and his band. In addition to being a standout on Smiling With No Teeth, “Gold Chains” also made an appearance on Barack Obama’s list of favorite songs from 2021.

The Late Show appearance comes after he shared a video for the remix version of “Waitin On Ya,” which features some help from Jagwar Ma’s Jono Ma. Owusu also revealed the dates for his first headlining tour in the United States. He’ll hit the road starting on January 13 in Los Angeles and continue for a little over two weeks before bringing things to an end on January 30 in Austin, TX.

You can watch Genesis Owusu perform “Gold Chains” in the video above.

Smiling With No Teeth is out now via House Anxiety / Ourness. Get it here.