Since 2008, Roots Picnic has been hosted annually by The Roots in their native Philadelphia. Last year’s edition marked a triumphant return as an in-person concert after two years away, and it returned with a boom.

The momentum will carry into this summer. Today, February 20, the 2023 Roots Picnic lineup was revealed. The Roots Picnic Weekend is slated for June 2 to 4 at Philadelphia’s The Mann in Fairmount Park. The headliners are Ms. Lauryn Hill — “celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill — Diddy with The Roots, and Lil Uzi Vert.

Dave Chappelle is billed as providing “Friday Night Comedy” at Wells Fargo Center.

The 2023 Roots Picnic will also stage such prominent musical acts as Ari Lennox, City Girls, Maverick City, DJ Drama, Saucy Santana, Uncle Waffles, Lucky Daye, Syd, Glorilla, Black Thought, Eve, Busta Rhymes, DVSN, Kindred, The Family Soul, and Spinall.

The “Soulquarians Icons Set” will be performed by the Isley Brothers and Roy Ayers, while Adam Blackstone is expected to perform with special guests Mary Mary and Coco Jones.

The podcast stage will feature Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Akademiks’ Off The Record, Angela Yee’s Lip Service, Questlove Supreme, Don’t Call Me White Girl, People’s Party With Talib Kweli, and more.

“We’re partnering with @livenationurban to bring you three days of black culture, music, comedy, and podcasts in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!!!!” The Roots Picnic’s Instagram post reads, noting that presale begins Tuesday, February 21, at noon ET.

Additional ticketing information can be found here. See the official lineup poster above.

source https://uproxx.com/music/roots-picnic-2023-lineup-lauryn-hill-diddy-lil-uzi-vert/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-roots-picnic-2023-lineup-is.html

There were a lot of musical moments this past NBA All-Star weekend, whether it was Janelle Monáe putting in work during the celebrity game or Burna Boy, Rema, and Tems highlighting the halftime show. One that stood out most to some people, though, was the pre-game performance of “O Canada” by Canadian R&B icon Jully Black. Her vocal performance went without issue, but it was what she sang that got a reaction.

The opening line of the song usually goes, “O Canada! Our home and native land!” However, Black instead sang, “O Canada! Our home on native land,” seemingly a nod to the Indigenous people who lived in the country before European settlers came over.

People enjoyed the change. One Twitter user wrote, “Today in #popculturehistory @JullyBlack sings the Canadian anthem at the #NBAAllStar and seamlessly made the lyrics more inclusive while reminding us all, we are indeed on native land.” Another tweeted, “Jully Black just changed the words to the Canadian national anthem by singing ‘Oh Canada, our home ON native land’ and I thought it was beautiful [Canadian flag emoji].”

Chuck D dug the performance, too, as he tweeted, “My girl @JullyBlack just kicked the most soulful O Canada i ever heard at 2023 #NBAAllStar game.”

Before the performance, Black spoke some about how she was going to approach her rendition:

source https://uproxx.com/music/jully-black-o-canada-nba-all-star-game/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/jully-black-made-subtle-but-powerful.html

The NBA has become more and more global in the past few years, incorporating a greater volume of international players from Asia, Europe, and especially Africa. In celebration of African contributions to the league (and the league’s partnership with FIBA in creating the Basketball Africa League), the 2023 All-Star Game Halftime Show featured three of Africa’s most prominent Afrobeats/Afropop performers: Burna Boy, Rema, and Tems, who were all introduced by the Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam, who is from Cameroon.

The show opened with Burna Boy, who played his hits “Anybody” and “It’s Plenty,” followed by a truly exuberant performance by Rema, who got the crowd hyped with energetic renditions of “Calm Down” and “Holiday.” Tems came out last to close things out with a huge set of her own featuring “Crazy Tings,” “Free Mind,” her verse from Wizkid’s “Essence,” and her verse from Future’s “Wait For U.”

They were all accompanied by dazzling visual effects, a dance team that incorporated both traditional and modern African dances, and a band that kept the vibe lively. And just when it appeared that things were winding up, Burna Boy returned for renditions of his megahit “Last Last.”

You can watch the performance above.

Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

source https://uproxx.com/music/nba-all-star-game-2023-halftime-burna-boy-rema-tems/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-nba-celebrated-africas-global.html

Nicki Minaj may rep hard for Southside Jamaica Queens, New York, but the “Super Freaky Girl” rapper’s first home was the Caribbean country of Trinidad And Tobago. The record-holding recording artist shares her home country pride every chance she gets in her international music collaborations, most recently being on the 2022 FIFA World Cup anthem “Tukoh Taka” featuring Maluma and Myriam Fares.

However, her pride for her native island hasn’t stopped there, as the musician was spotted arriving at the country’s international airport today.

It would make perfect sense that Minaj would be visiting the country considering yesterday (February 19), the songwriter took to Instagram to share that she had collaborated with Trinidadian soca singer Machel Montano and musician Destra Garcia for a new song titled “Shake The Place,” just in time for the country’s annual Carvinal celebrations.

“If you f*ck with island girls, rep your flag for me in the comments. Trinidad Carnival is about to #ShakeThePlace shake up di whole place. It’s an honor @machelmontano @destragarcia. We’ll talk soon, barbz. Promise. Love you,” wrote Minaj.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Barbie (@nickiminaj)

Well, this isn’t the first time the superstar has visited the country to celebrate Carnival; it still does hold a special significance as this would be the first time she’s collaborated with Trinidadian musicians. It is unclear if she will perform as part of the country’s special celebrations, but that would be quite a treat for her fellow Trinidadians.

source https://uproxx.com/music/nicki-minaj-trinidad-carnival-celebration/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/nicki-minaj-spotted-in-trinidad-and.html

Travis Scott’s highly-anticipated fourth album, Utopia, will be coming soon, according to the Houston hitmaker. However, not before his Cactus Jack artists, Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, SoFaygo, and DJ Chase B, drop their upcoming projects.

In a clip that has surfaced online, the rapper and producer can be seen on stage sharing the announcement with a crowd of fans, who were more than excited to hear the news.

Travis Scott hasn’t said much about his upcoming project but did note that it would be out sometime this year. The rapper has been slowly creeping back into the public’s eye since the tragedy at Astroworld, his annual music festival, in 2021. Recently, Scott made appearances on both Metro Boomin’s Heros & Villians as well as SZA’s SOS album that was released last year.

Aside from new music, the rapper is expected to perform at Rolling Loud and the Wireless Festival alongside acts like Cardi B, Playboi Carti, and more.

Don Toliver will be the first Cactus Jack artist expected to drop this year. The “After Party” rapper’s third album Love Sick will be released on Friday (February 24). In the meantime, the rest of the Jackboys are hard at work on their upcoming projects.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

source https://uproxx.com/music/travis-scott-utopia-album/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/travis-scotts-utopia-album-is-coming.html

Drill rapper Ice Spice’s growing popularity isn’t just causing a frenzy during her pop-up concerts at New York Fashion Week or even for a flash mob performance to promote her EP Like…? in Time Square. The Bronx native’s latest collaboration with British singer PinkPantheress on the song “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” is not only all the buzz on TikTok but has now secured the No. 1 position on the Apple Music charts.

The irresistible dance track has dethroned Morgan Wallen’s song “Last Night” to lock in the top position on Apple Music’s US charts, according to Pop Base.

Despite both PinkPantheress and Ice Spice being fairly new acts within their respective genres, that hasn’t stopped them from garnering a huge fan following across social media, earning the respect of some of music’s biggest names, or finding their music on the charts. In fact, last month, Ice Spice landed her first placement on the Billboard charts with her single, “Gangsta Boo,” featuring Lil Tjay.

“Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2” not only occupies the top spot of Apple Music’s charts but, according to Pop Base, it has also retained the No. 1 spot on Spotify’s US charts for a second consecutive day bringing in a total of 2.33 million streams.

PinkPantheress is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

source https://uproxx.com/music/pinkpantheress-ice-spice-boy-s-a-liar-pt-2-no-1-apple-music-charts/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/pinkpantheress-ice-spices-song-boys.html

Whether it be music or business, 50 Cent has never been one to hold back.

Recently the Queens-bred mogul stopped by MSNBC to chat about his career and the new deal with FOX, the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and more. During the conversation, the host talked with 50 Cent about his thoughts on Billboard’s list of the “Best Rappers of All Time,” where he placed 17th. While flattered at the nod, the rapper noted how flawed countdown lists can be and that “music marks time,” speaking to the generational rift between the OG rappers and younger ones.

50 Cent said for today’s music consumer, Future, is the more prominent artist right now compared to an older rapper like Jay-Z.

“[He’s] way bigger,” 50 said, “Like, there’s consistent music from him that didn’t chart that, huge records that people love and appreciate. Later, it may not have the same things to hold onto that you have at points.”

But not everyone seems to agree with the Power creator. Fat Joe agrees with the list and believes that Jay-Z— who earned the No.1 spot— is more relevant now than ever. While on Instagram live last week, Joe noted that many emcees who were the “gods at the time” with “flows like nobody else” fell off, whereas Jay-Z has remained consistent.

source https://uproxx.com/music/50-cent-way-bigger-rapper-than-jay-z/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/50-cent-says-theres-one-rapper-way.html

The internet is abuzz over the NBA Celebrity All-Star game this weekend. Several notable entertainers have hit the court over the past two days to show up their skills on the court, including Simu Lu, Janelle Monáe, and 21 Savage.

Today (February 18), the “Rich Flex” rapper accomplished a rather fateful feat. At one point in the game, 21 Savage scored the 21st point in the Celebrity All-Star Game.

Surely, this accomplishment marks another milestone in 21’s career, making his hometown of Atlanta all the more proud.

Last year, 21 was granted his own holiday in the state of Georgia. In a recent interview with Complex, 21 said he only wants to keep his accomplishments on an upward trend.

“I just want to drop a good ass album that everybody loves so it helps solidify me,” 21 said. “I want that level-up album. You know how everybody has those moments in their career where it’s like, ‘He was doing this and this and then he dropped this.’ I feel like I’ve had those albums for every stage of my career. I had all my mixtapes, then Savage Mode came, and that was a pivotal moment. Then Issa Album built up, “Bank Account” built up, and then I Am > I Was was another pivotal moment, with “A Lot” with J. Cole, the Grammy, all that sh*t.”

You can see the clip from the NBA Celebrity All-Star game above.

source https://uproxx.com/music/21-savage-21st-point-nba-all-star-game/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/21-savage-fatefully-scored-his-teams.html

Lil Wayne will be making an entryway into the virtual gaming world very soon. The New Orleans rapper has been revealed as a new playable character in NBA 2K23. 2k Games, the video game’s publisher, made the announcement late last week. The latest installment of the basketball simulator will be released on February 24.

The Young Money rapper will be available as a Crossover Card in “MyTEAM” mode for a limited time only. Players will be able to unlock the “A Milli” hitmaker after finishing the Lil Wayne Spotlight challenge. The Grammy award-winning rapper’s character captures him perfectly, complete with his locs and tattoos, and has been given an 89 overall rating.

2k Games has plans for more updates in the future including an array of apparel and extra content, the will be released before the end of the month.

With a career spanning nearly three decades, Lil Wayne has certainly earned all the recognition he gets. Aside from being apart of the new season of NBA 2K, the rapper was honored by the Recording Academy —along with Missy Elliot and Dr. Dre— with the Global Impact Award.

Last year, “Lollipop” arguable one of Weezy’s biggest hits, was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Additionally, the rapper has teamed up with Rolling Loud for the Welcome To Tha Carter Tour, which kicks off at the Fillmore in Minneapolis in April.

source https://uproxx.com/music/lil-wayne-character-nba-2k/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/lil-wayne-is-getting-his-own-character.html

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” has proven itself quite a success. The pair’s 2021 single is now the most streamed song in the 2020s, dethroning Drake and Future’s 2020 smash hit “Life is Good.” The track, which appeared on Lil Nas’s debut album, Montero, debuted at No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 before finally reaching the top spot a few months later and earning the duo a Grammy nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance.

.@LilNasX and @jackharlow’s “INDUSTRY BABY” is now the #1 most on-demand streamed song released in the 2020s in the US, surpassing @1future and @Drake’s “Life Is Good,” Chart Data reported.

Don’t worry, though, Drake’s commercial success isn’t ending anytime soon. Earlier this month, the Toronto rap star surpassed 75 billion streams on Spotify— he’s the first artist in the streaming platform’s history. The “Rich Flex” rapper also won big at the 2023 Grammys despite not submitting any music, earning himself four nominations, including one for best melodic rap performance, that he won for his guest appearance on Future’s No.1 hit, “Wait for U,” which also features vocals from Nigerian singer Tems. The chart-topping single appears on Future’s album, I Never Liked You.

In 2019, Drake was named one of the most streamed artists of the decade, alongside other commercial juggernauts like Eminem and Ed Sheeran. It seems like no matter what he does, Drake can’t stop winning.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

source https://uproxx.com/music/lil-nas-x-jack-harlow-industry-baby-drake-future/

source https://trapbeats2023.blogspot.com/2023/02/lil-nas-x-and-jack-harlow-reach-major.html