The remaining members of De La Soul are planning to pay tribute to their fallen friend Trugoy The Dove with a concert at New York City’s Webster Hall. Thursday’s The DA.I.S.Y. Experience will transform the venue with “artwork from the group’s classic album, 3 Feet High And Rising” according to a press release, and will take place as the group’s catalog finally comes to DSPs.
Only 333 tickets will be available — since three is “The Magic Number,” after all — and you can reserve them beginning Wednesday (March) on the concert’s official website. And although that means that there will be plenty of disappointed fans, the De La Soul experience is for everybody; fans will be able to stream the concert live on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel at 8 pm ET, along with interviews with friends of the trio and other special guests.
The Dreamville Festival gets bigger and better every year and 2023 is no exception. J. Cole’s little label-that-could recently announced the lineup for its third iteration and it’s kind of a doozy. Not only will Usher headline the first night fresh off of his hot Las Vegas residency, but J. Cole has recruited co-headliner Drake to help him close out the festival — a connection that longtime fans of both will surely appreciate.
In addition to the usual gang — Ari Lennox, Bas, Cozz, Earthgang, JID, Lute, and Omen — the remaining lineup is a millennial dream come true, with plenty of Gen Z faves in the mix as well. Big-name stars of yesteryear like Mario, Sean Paul, and Waka Flocka Flame have been paired with contemporary heavy hitters such as Baby Tate, Burna Boy, City Girls, GloRilla, Jessie Reyez, Key Glock, Lil Durk, SiR, and Summer Walker. The fest also highlights rising stars like Arya Starr, Jordan Ward, Marqus Clae, Reuben Vincent, and Victony for a truly well-rounded experience.
The festival returns to Raleigh, North Carolina, on April 1 and 2. You can check out last year’s highlights below. Dreamville Fest 2022 was headlined by J. Cole and Lil Baby and featured performances from DJ Drama (with Jeezy, Lil Wayne, and T.I.), Ja Rule & Ashanti, Wale, and Wizkid.
Rap superstar J. Cole’s record label’s annual namesake music festival is back. After being canceled in 2020 amid coronavirus concerns, last year, the festival expanded much to the pleasure of avid supporters. The multi-day lineup continues this year, as Dreamville Festival 2023 will be held on both April 1 and 2 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This year’s festival will be headlined by Usher (on Saturday, April 1), J. Cole, Drake, and Burna Boy (on Sunday, April 2). Of course, Dreamville acts will grace the stage. Both Ari Lennox and JID’s respective tours will wrap up at the end of next month, giving them both plenty of time to prepare for their Dreamville Fest sets.
Minutes before dropping the lineup, Cole teased, “Bout to drop the hardest festival lineup ever @Dreamvillefest sheeeeeeeesh [crying laughing emojis].”
Bout to drop the hardest festival lineup ever @Dreamvillefest sheeeeeeeesh 10 minutes away
Whereas Bas is still in a full-on album preparation mood, releasing single, “Diamonds,” in late January. Fellow Dreamville Records signees Earthgang and Omen are slated to perform on the festival’s opening day.
Other notable acts on the lineup include Lil Durk, City Girls, Sean Paul, Sir, Summer Walker, Jessie Reyez, Baby Tate, and GloRilla.
View the full lineup below.
Dreamville / Twitter
Tickets for Dreamville Festival 2023 are on sale now. To purchase tickets, click here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Latto proudly sings about being every man’s fantasy, but in her latest TikTok video, she makes it clear her heart only belongs to one man. As the Grammy Award nominee enjoys some downtime before returning to the road on tour this spring, the “Big Energy” rapper put her cooking skills on full display. While preparing a soul food Sunday spread for her mystery man, fans flooded the comment section to inquire about her boo.
Some users even took it a step further to congratulate fellow rapper 21 Savage for locking down a partner that could prepare such lavish dishes. However, Latto chimed in to deny that she was dating 21 Savage, let alone cooking for him.
Latto isn’t the only party denying the claims, on a Clubhouse session back in December, Savage also denied he and the “Another Nasty Song” rapper were a thing, saying, “I’ve been hot for a long time. I don’t do all the antics and sh*t. I don’t got a celebrity girlfriend.”
The pair have maintained that they only have a professional relationship seen in their collaboration on Latto’s song “Wheelie.” However, fans aren’t buying it after Latto tattooed the word “Sheyaa” behind her ear earlier this month, which is 21’s legal first name (Sheyaa Bin Abarham-Joseph).
Lately, Kid Cudi’s music future has felt a little up in the air. Towards the end of last year, he hinted he was considering the end of making music as Kid Cudi, but he later noted he has another album in him. Later, he said he recorded 11 tracks in the span of just a week. Now, the pendulum continues to swing towards productivity, as Cudi is now laying out plans for a new album cycle to start later this year.
Today (February 27), Cudi tweeted, “Album this Fall. First singles this summer. The new chapter has begun… Ur not prepared man. We’ve reached a new level.” In response to a fan asking for a tour, he added, “World tour next year. Count on it [winking emoji].”
Album this Fall. First singles this summer. The new chapter has begun…
Towards the end of 2022, he also noted some of what he was looking forward to doing in 2023, answering a fan who asked what he was looking forward to, “Man, so much. My clothing line, directing my first movie that im starring in from a script I wrote, couple movies coming out, a lil tv, Im seriously the most hyped about it all.”
Man, so much. My clothing line, directing my first movie that im starring in from a script I wrote, couple movies coming out, a lil tv, Im seriously the most hyped about it all https://t.co/yQchCE5SkD
Gorillaz honored Trugoy more formally today, February 27. The famed animated band dropped a deluxe version of their new album, Cracker Island. One of the new tracks is “Crocadillaz” featuring Dawn Penn and De La Soul, and the first voice heard is Trugoy’s.
“Send a sentiment / Taste a destruction,” he raps over an upbeat loop. Elsewhere, Trugoy intricately balances the benefits of his hard-earned position (“Life is intoxicating, I need a beer”) with the potential pitfalls (“Hypnotized by the crocodile smiles / The exchange is brief but watch for the teeth”).
Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn first acknowledged Trugoy’s passing with an Instagram video on February 13. “A loop for Dave. I love you,” he wrote in the caption.
De La Soul was previously featured on Gorillaz’s Grammy-winning, ubiquitous track “Feel Good Inc.” in 2005.
An official cause of death has not been publicly identified, but as noted in Uproxx’s obituary for Trugoy, he shared he was suffering from congestive heart failure in 2018 and was hospitalized in 2020.
TheBasement returned to LA on Wednesday (February 22) with a stacked lineup including a surprise appearance by Atlanta rap standout Baby Tate and the return of burgeoning R&B star Maeta, who last performed at TheBasement in 2018.
The live showcase has been a premiere destination for some of hip-hop and R&B’s breakout artists; in November, Brooklyn native Lola Brooke brought her viral hit “Don’t Play With It” to the West Coast ahead of her ongoing world takeover, while a prior show featured GoGo Morrow and KenTheMan, both breakout stars in their own rights.
Get to know the show’s most recent performers, including Dylan Sinclar, Lil Vada, and Shady Blu, below.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Baby Tate
Baby Tate has been an Uproxx cover artist and a fixture on soundtracks from some of your favorite shows including Insecure. She recently teamed up with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds on his 2022 album Girls’ Night Out, joining him on The Tonight Show to perform their collaboration, “Don’t Even Think About It.” Tate’s latest mixtape, Mani/Pedi, dropped in September featuring records like “Slut Him Out” and “Ain’t No Love.”
Dylan Sinclair
Canadian singer-songwriter Dylan Sinclair was nominated for a Juno Award for his debut album Proverb in 2021. He’s a soulful presence in the vein of countryman Daniel Caesar, with a smooth vocal delivery and emotive, plainspoken lyrics that clearly evoke the wealth of feelings that pervade modern relationships. His most recent EP, No Longer In The Suburbs, is out now. “I’ve just started performing live shows and I’m enjoying this stage in my career,” he says. “Hope you do too.”
Lil Vada
Pronounced “Vay-dah,” this LA native has a gift for producing some of his hometown’s finest ratchet anthems. He’s been picking up steam over the past month or so as his high-energy reimaginings of 2000s club favorites have gained traction in the streets. He’s got a deceptively straightforward delivery that slots easily into the well-worn swing pocket favored by LA’s current crop of post-gangsta rappers and a sense of playfulness about his menacing boasts. “I want people to understand that my energy is different and my passion for music comes from hunger and the need to make my dad proud,” he says.
Maeta
Returning to TheBasement for the first time since 2018, Maeta wants listeners “to feel unapologetic about their sexuality, mistakes, and feel comforted through the uncertainty of life and love.” Since her last appearance at TheBasement when she was 17 (her first performance ever), she says she’s a “whole new girl” — and her resume since then can back that up. In just the past month, she’s appeared on Vic Mensa’s new single “Strawberry Louis Vuitton” after collaborating with the likes of Ambré, Beam, Buddy, Kaytranada, and more.
Shady Blu
Shady Blu is a walking testament to the power of shooting your shot. A cold email to famed TDE engineer MixedByAli led to a deal with his label getting advice from LA’s rap uncle Snoop Dogg, and a steadily rising presence in the rap game. Her unconventional style will certainly be a draw for fans of TDE’s woozy backpack rap influenced style but she’s also doing her own thing. She wants listeners “to really give the music a chance and listen openly” because “I may say something you feel too.”
Drake and Lil Yachty sat down for a 35-minute interview that served as the premiere episode of Yachty’s “A Moody Conversation” from his FUTUREMOOD brand. The conversation dropped on Friday, February 24. Within the first 10 minutes, Drake opened up about an eventual “graceful exit” from the rap game and which aspects of his music haven’t necessarily aged gracefully.
“I feel like I’m kind of introducing the concept in my mind of a graceful exit,” Drake told Yachty. “I feel like a lot of people that I’ve watched as the years have gone on, it’s a really addictive, competitive space, and oftentimes, you’re addicted to the competition itself. And so, sometimes it’ll baffle you. Like, why are these people still making attempts at trying to present in the space? And then you’ll realize, like, their needs and desires and their soul was probably fed for so long off of being a guy or the guy that they can’t let it go.”
He continued, “I guess what’s left for me is just to find a way to gracefully — like, I’m not ready now, but to gracefully continue making projects that are extremely interesting and hopefully cherished by people, and then to find the right time to say, ‘I can’t wait to see what the next generation does.’ I’ll still be around to work with people or do a show here or there, but I’m not going to force myself to compete.”
This reminded Yachty of Drake referencing his plan to retire by 35 years old on the 2016 Views track “Weston Road Flows. (Drake turned 36 last October.) The Toronto icon immediately cringed. “Nah, I hate hearing that sh*t. I heard it the other night when we were at the club,” he said before noting he thought 35 was “really old” back then.
Drake then elaborated on his two music-related regrets in hindsight:
“I think that and sometimes when I’ve said girls names in songs, maybe those are the two things that I look back on and I’m like, ‘Ah, maybe I could’ve done without sh*tting on people for age or disrupting somebody’s life.’ The lyrics are never with ill intent, but I had somebody say one time, ‘You know, it’s not necessarily what you’re saying about me; it’s the fact that you said it. Just in the sense of, ‘You don’t know what it does to me. You don’t know who my boyfriend is at the time. You don’t know what my family or doesn’t know, and if you express any form of [ill will] for me in a song and call me by name, then all of a sudden, I’m left to pick up the pieces of my own life that I’ve tried to build up for myself.’”
Drake added that he’s “tried my best” to stop naming his ex-girlfriends in songs, but his affinity for honest music makes it a “push and pull” balancing act. Yachty admitted that he used to think his friend was making girls’ names up, and Drake confirmed he doesn’t think he’s “ever made a girl’s name up, ever in life.”
Watch the full “Moody Conversation” premiere above.
Drake’s love of gambling has been well-documented over the years. The Toronto hitmaker is known for placing insanely expensive bets at various sporting events. Most recently, the rapper bet nearly half $1 million — $400k to be exact — for Youtuber turned boxing star Jake Paul to knock out Tommy Fury in their upcoming bout.
Paul and Fury will fight today (Sunday, February 26) at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia. “Knock knock @stake,” the rapper wrote in an Instagram post.
However, unlike his success in music, he isn’t always lucky when it comes to making bets. The last fighter he bet on, UFC fighter Israel Adesanya, cost him $ 2 million.
But in Drake’s case, it’s more than a case of bad luck. It’s been floated around that an alleged curse follows the rapper. The hilarious notion (but very accurate in some cases) has become its own phenomenon. It always starts the same. Drake ends up rooting for a specific sports team or individual, and they inevitably lose.
That doesn’t mean the “Rich Flex” rapper hasn’t had some big wins in the past. Following Super Bowl LVII, Drake won $1.4 million after placing a 700k bet that the Kansas City Chiefs would defeat the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lizzo declared 2023 would be the year of SZA, and it looks like she may be right. Not only did news break today (February 26), that the singer’s sophomore album, SOS, earned nearly 3 billion streams on Spotify, but it also is celebrating its tenth week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
When the album first reached the top of the charts, the recording artist took to Twitter to post about what the professional accomplishment meant to her. “I appreciate every milestone and accolade but this? As a writer means so f*cking much to me. I aspire to be a better writer every day. Thank you. Wow,” she wrote.
I appreciate every milestone and accolade but THIS ? As a writer means so fucking much to me . I aspire to be a better writer everyday thank you WOW . pic.twitter.com/uxPQyc7CuE
Last month, SZA joined Adele and Taylor Swift as the only women artists to have an album spend at least seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this century.
Meanwhile, SZA is currently on her album’s supporting tour with featured guest Grammy Award-nominated singer Omar Apollo. View the remaining tour dates below.
02/27 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena 02/28 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden 03/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center 03/04 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden 03/07 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena 03/09 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center 03/10 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center 03/13 — San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena 03/14 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena 03/16 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena 03/18 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center 03/19 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena 03/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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