Latest news with #VIBE
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kendrick Lamar Performs 'Not Like Us' In Toronto, And The Crowd's Reaction May Surprise You
Kendrick Lamar has been busy on the road over the last few weeks on his Grand National Tour with SZA, and fans have been especially curious what he will do when the trek touches down in Drake's home city. Last night, they finally got their answer. The GNX-supporting tour kicked off back in April of this year, so concertgoers had a good idea of which songs are part of K. Dot's setlist. The Toronto show went down as scheduled on Thursday (June 12) and will even circle back for round two on Friday (June 13). Lamar performed several Drizzy disses with the crowd rapping along to nearly every word. 'Euphoria,' one of the first few tracks from the summer 2024 rap beef, made its debut early in the evening and set the tone for what was to come. The Compton rapper also delivered 'Not Like Us,' his scathing chart-topping track where he calls Drake a pedophile, a colonizer, and more. When the now-viral 'A-minorrr' line was rapped, the attendees could be heard loudly singing along. View clips from the concert below. Fans online expressed split opinions about the footage, with people claiming Kendrick is 'milking' the moment and others saying the reaction isn't surprising and laughing along. 'Some people are from out of town but this is wild but expected,' one user wrote on X. 'What were people expecting to happen? Kendrick fans are singing Kendrick songs,' typed another. On Instagram, a top comment read, 'How are we still talking about not like us in June 2025' as another user echoed, 'Bro milking it so hard.' Speaking of shows in Canada, Top Dawg Entertainment artist SiR recently spoke about his Toronto show getting mysteriously cancelled last year and insinuated the Kendrick-Drake beef was the reason. 'So the venue in Toronto, which was partially owned by Drake, cancelled the show completely,' the singer revealed to the crowd last week in a now-viral clip. 'Then when we tried to switch venues, the next venue was like, 'Nah we ain't f**cking with it, I ain't taking no motherf**cking chance.'' He citied 'complications' that were 'too close to home for a lot of people.' Watch SiR's explanation below and read VIBE's recent review of the Grand National Tour here. More from Drake To Join Kai Cenat On Livestream And Host $300K Giveaway Kendrick & SZA's Grand National Tour Cements How They're Two Sides Of The Same Coin Keith Sweat Stands Behind "Entitled" Women Remarks With A Little Help From Kendrick Lamar
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rocsi Diaz, AJ Calloway Apologize For Their Absence During ‘106 & Park' Reunion At 2025 BET Awards
Rocsi Diaz and AJ Calloway have issued a public apology for their respective absences during the highly anticipated 106 & Park reunion segment at the 2025 BET Awards. The two former hosts, who helped define the show's legacy, acknowledged the disappointment felt by fans and provided an explanation for missing the star-studded event. According to AJ, he was stuck on a flight, as Rocsi was busy embarking on one of the 'biggest stages' of her career. 'When you're on a plane and your phone blows up because you missed a huge night for the best and livest audience in the world! I'm so sorry I couldn't make it tonight I'm literally still in the air,' the original co-host posted on Instagram with a photo of him smiling. 'I tried, honestly but it didn't work out. Much love to my BET family and I know we will do something where we all can make it and hopefully let everyone who wants to join us pull up as well!' Rocsi — who hosted the show alongside Terrence J after AJ and Free — wrote, 'I'm so sorry if I let you down. Just know I tried everything possible to be a part of the 106 & Park reunion it really meant a lot to me to be there with my fellow host. 106 was by far the best thing that's ever happened to my life.' She went on to explain how the cult classic show gave her the 'tools and foundation' to become the TV host she is today. Rocsi also took a moment to thank the show's fans who have 'kept her relevant' years after her tenure. 'Your love and support has been fuel for me to keep going and keep advocating for the culture on major platforms,' she continued. Excitingly, Rocsi explained that her absence was due to a new opportunity that she considers to be 'one of the biggest stages of [her] career.' She hoped for support from fans on her new project and promised 'more details' to come, as she can't speak on it currently. 'Just know it was because of an immediate job opportunity I was unable to take part in the reunion,' she added. 'Thank you for always being there for all my jobs.' The 2025 BET Awards pulled out all the nostalgic stops to celebrate its 25th anniversary, delivering a replica of the original 106 & Park set staged inside Los Angeles' Peacock Theater. The tribute brought back fan-favorite hosts Free, Julissa Bermudez, Keshia Chanté, Big Tigger, and Terrence J to honor the iconic music countdown show. The reunion was a full-circle celebration of the show that helped define a generation. 'BET and 106 & Park created this iconic culture,' Terrence J told VIBE last month. 'A brand. A legacy. And to sit here 25 years later, trading stories and realizing how many lives were impacted, it's surreal.' See the 106 & Park reunion from 25 Years Later, '106 & Park' Hosts Revisit Show's Iconic Role In Black Music And Culture Deitrick Haddon Takes Issue With GloRilla Gospel Win, Kirk Franklin Tribute At BET Awards Bow Wow Speaks On Ciara's Absence From "Like You" BET Awards Performance
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ab-Soul Speaks On Joey Bada$$ And West Coast Rap Feud: 'It's A Sport'
Ab-Soul has something to say. After a Red Bull Spiral freestyle cypher, which also featured Big Sean, amped up the rap beef between Joey Bada$$ and seemingly the entire West Coast, the Soul Burger performer explained that he knew what to expect from the moment. 'At the end of the day, I was going to be super cool but f**k it, man. I choreographed the whole sh*t,' explained the 38-year-old to VIBE on Sunday (May 18) ahead of the Red Bull BC One Cypher breaking competition in Denver. 'Because of the whole thing with Joey and a couple of the homies. I knew he was going to have something to say about that.' 'Me and Joey are really close, obviously. And so, we had to let the world know that we are just keeping it on wax. Hip-Hop is competitive, it's a sport. It's real healthy, but it's not…it doesn't have to be disrespectful or dangerous or anything like that…We can get busy and still shake hands.' He continued to explain, 'I also wanted to synchronize it to where if you listen, we're all kind of getting at each other. Everybody is competing against each other, but it's a sibling rivalry. It's a friendly competition… That's the point we were trying to make… And that's Hip-Hop, that's intelligent movement. It's competitive, it's a sport.' Since speaking with Ab-Soul, Joey Bada$$ has traded bars with Daylyt, AZ Chike, and Ray Vaughn with some assistance from Loaded Lux. In full, Reason, Kai Ca$h, Really Jaewon, and CJ Fly have all stepped up to the mic. 'I think when it's really love, it's really like that. If it's not love, then it's not like that,' explained Ab-Soul, of maintaining brotherhood through the noise of the industry. 'I don't walk around trying to make friends. I don't walk around trying to find love. You know what I'm saying? That got to happen organically, and it's a privilege when it does. You've got to cherish it…I don't know if you got brothers or sisters. Like you done fought with your brothers or sisters too, right? But y'all still love each other too, right? I done fist fought with a lot of my best friends, and I will fight for all them too. It's that kind of thing.' More from Joey Bada$$, Serayah Announce They're Having A Baby Boy Dee-1 Explains Dislike For Rap Battle Between Joey Bada$$, Ray Vaughn, And More Joey Bada$$ Taps Loaded Lux For "My Town" Diss As Rap Spar Against The West Continues
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ab-Soul Dishes Out Key Ingredients To ‘Soul Burger'
For Ab-Soul, rapping is not only his musical gift but a tool to honor his past, present, and future, while depicting life's highs and lows through metaphors, hyperbole, and personification. With each album release, the 38-year-old finds himself drawing inspiration from pockets of hope, lived experiences, pits of despair, and pursuits of solace, and that's all apparent in his most recent release. On his latest album, Soul Burger, he fuses his talents with the spirit of his close friend and collaborator, the late Armon 'Doe Burger' Stringer, who was killed in December 2021. Through 15 tracks, Ab-Soul ensures his brother's creative legacy lives on. While sitting backstage before his performance at Red Bull's BC One tournament in Denver, VIBE sat with him and explored the inspirations behind some of the album's stand-out tracks. The Carson native's smile was just as sharp as the fresh braids neatly fashioned on either side of a deep center part. Despite his dark sunglasses, worn due to legal blindness caused by Stevens-Johnson syndrome, suggesting a sense of mystique, one thing became clear: Ab-Soul is an open book for those willing not to judge its cover. For nearly half an hour, the father of two engaged in conversation. We laughed, reflected, hugged, and connected on the unique ingredients that went into Soul Burger, how he prepared for the Good Vibes Only Tour: Smoker's Edition with Wiz Khalifa, Dom Kennedy, Earl Sweatshirt, and others, and much more. VIBE: Congrats on the tour. How excited are you for that, and what cities are you most excited to hit? Ab-Soul: I'm always always excited. I'm always appreciative and always looking forward to going out and touching the people, and actually feeling a response from the projects because it's literally kinetic. It's a really strange energy, and it's so important to me versus just releasing me when I should be chillin. I actually be feeling the energy, so that was very important. I don't have any particular cities that I'm looking forward to, but of course I love New York. I lived in the Bronx for a couple of years. That's where they say Hip-Hop started…That's what I heard. But, yeah, definitely looking forward to it, man. It's a blessing. With this being The World Famous Soul Burger Tour, can fans expect the album top to bottom? Are you gonna bring some old stuff or new stuff? I'm planning to come to see you in Atlanta. What am I looking forward to when I pull up to this show? Expect the best, man. Prepare for the worst. The worst meaning I said the craziest. It became crazier and crazier and crazier. You said Atlanta, right? Yeah, you see it? You'll get it later. But you know, I got collabs all over the place. I've got a tour coming with Wiz Khalifa. We just hit Red Rocks for 4-20. Wiz is really cool, man. Real cool dude. This is personal because you were gone for a minute, and life was life-ing. But with your last couple of projects, that momentum is coming back. You're outside more. What does the last few years feel like compared to prior years? To be perfectly honest with you, at this point in my life, it's kinda like second nature. Like I said, man, I'm just grateful to still be alive, man. As you know, I done been through some sh*t. I've lost some important people to me. Like you said, life, lifing and all that. But Hip-Hop definitely keeps me going. It gives me purpose. To get up and keep trying and keep doing it and trying to be of service. Because no matter what I'm going through, I know somebody else is going through that. Going through something similar or worse. And if I can get up and keep going, then so can they. So I think that's the best way I could put that. I want to talk a little bit about some of the songs on Can you talk about some of the collaborations on the album and how some of these tracks came to be? The first one that comes to mind is '9 Mile.' That was very therapeutic for me. I wanted the album to come off sounding like Belly. The beat switch with the Eight Mile aesthetic was magical. It just happened. And that's how I like to let it happen organically. Come to find out, it's a Soul II Soul sample. Didn't think about that. And the song was about a near-death experience, and the album actually dropped on the same day as Eight Mile. [everyone laughs] That was planned. Absolutely not. I'm just a vessel. I'm like, it's not my fault. It was written… That's one of those that's one of those joints that just give me confidence or even faith in knowing that everything is as it should be. So it leads to 'California Dream.' Ninth Wonder, one of my favorite producers of all time. For sure. Shout out to the big homie. Hearing Vince [Staples] over Ninth Wonder was just crazy to me. Not that you haven't heard him over soul samples or anything like that, but that was just like a dope aesthetic for me personally. And he delivered as he does. And that was dope. The story behind 'Crazier' is that it was actually JID's record first. He asked me to get on it. Now what happened was, and shout out to the homie, Kal Banx. What happened was, Kal, I guess, just over time, I guess there was some kind of miscommunication, and he sold the beat to someone else. So JID's like, 'What's up with your man ?' [Ab-Soul impersonates JID]. So some time had passed, and then JID sent me another record to get on. JID, he goes so crazy, man. Shout out to the homie. The song he sent me didn't even need a feature on it. It was like, 'Yo, you sure you want me to rap on this as well?' He's like 'Yeah man, trust me.' So, I'm like, 'All right. Well, listen. If I do this, man, you gotta let me have Crazier.' He's like, 'Alright, say nothing.' And then sure enough, I link up with Kal later on down the line, and he played me this 'Crazier' beat. We recreated it, extended it, and just made it Crazier. So that's the story there. The beat was called 'Pakistan.' I be paying attention. You gotta pay attention to the producers too. You gotta pay attention to how they label their stuff too. Sometimes they'd be spot on. That's a crazy story. Funny thing. Are we getting a music video for it? We thought about it. It could still happen. You know what I'm saying? And I believe I'm on his upcoming album as well. So look out for that. Anything could happen. My favorite song from the album at the moment is 'Saudi Sweats.' What was your creative inspiration or your motivations behind that one? It's actually very simple. 'Saudi Sweats' is actually… Because Soul Burger is not me. It's a fusion of me and my brother, Doe Burger. And one of our favorite artists is this kid Asaad. One of his nicknames is Saudi. He's into fashion, he's a designer. And he has these dope sweats. I still ain't even got me none. I need to get me some. They're like a stack a pair, man. Get your money out [laughs]. So he's just amazing. I really encourage everyone to check him out. And he's a real hidden gem, I think, by choice. He likes to be a rarity. The last album we listened to was his album New Black History Month. That was the last album that we listened to together before he passed. And so it was important for me to channel Saudi. You 'stealing Saudi Money's whole flow.' That wasn't even me. Shoutout to Saudi. You know the movie The Pursuit of Happyness? I like how he pointed out the fact… He was talking about how it's life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Because happiness is not tangible. It's not something that you can hold in your hand. It's fleeting. And so you have to just have to enjoy your moments of happiness or peace with these things because they're momentous. You can't appreciate happiness without the journey. So anyway. I think I heard my auntie say, 'I ain't got time to be happy.' I think I actually got that from my auntie. 'I ain't got time to be happy right now. I gotta make you happy.' And it stuck with me. It stuck with me, too. See what I'm saying? You just got to… You can't chase it. You gotta appreciate it when it happens. Can you tell me a little bit about that 'All That' With JasonMartin and Thirsty P? It was very organic. I was in the studio. Lately, because I've been known to be so cerebral. I'm like Jackson Pollock right now, man. I just throw paint, and let it fall where it may, versus trying to be so meticulous, so specific, so calculated. I just really try to express myself in the most organic way. I don't even pick beats no more. I let the homies pick them for me. I tell all my guys, 'Yo, just send me three or four beats you need to hear me on.' Don't overwhelm me and send me 30 beats. I'm gonna get an aneurysm. Send me three or four joints that you need to hear me on. No. I don't have a vibe. No, I'm not on anything. I'm trying to find it. Help me.' And that was one of the joints my man Rascal sent me. I think he collaborated with Tae Beast on that one. I just went in there, just did my two-step on it, and it just sounded crazy. I think [my tour manager] Matt [Miller] walked in like, 'See, this is what I'm talking about. We need more beats like this. This is the sh*t that's gonna work, man if you're trynna win.' I think it is more so just about not thinking. It tends to happen when I stop thinking. I think even Jason said that when you start thinking, that's when you're forcing music. You're not even supposed to think. It's supposed to just happen. Quincy Jones said, 'Melody is the voice of God.' Find the melody, find the flavor, find that. And let the words or the poetry or the bars fall where they may. And I think that's the most important thing to me right now. More from DJ Akademiks Clowns Ab-Soul For Being Legally Blind In Response To Diss Track Ab-Soul Adds To Joey Bada$$ Vs. West Coast Feud On Untitled Track Ab-Soul Speaks On Joey Bada$$ And West Coast Rap Feud: "It's A Sport" Best of 10 Rap Albums Snubbed Of The Grammys' Album Of The Year Award 21 Black Entertainers Who Are Almost EGOT Winners 11 Black-Owned Games To Play At The Next Function Or Kick Back
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How To Watch 2025 BET Awards Online For Free
This year's BET Awards promises a stacked line-up of performances, recognition for the biggest stars of 2025, and tributes honoring the culture. If you're looking forward to tuning in but don't have cable, VIBE has you covered with several options to view the highly anticipated celebration for free online. Hosted by Kevin Hart, the legendary award show is celebrating its 25th iteration this year. In conjunction with the achievement, the night will feature a tribute to the 25th anniversary of legendary music video countdown show 106 & Park. Beloved former hosts AJ Calloway, Free Marie Wright, Julissa Bermudez, Keshia Chanté, Rocsi Diaz, and Terrence J will reunite on stage for the nostalgic celebration. The audience will be transported back to the early aughts with performances by Bow Wow, Amerie, B2K, Jim Jones, Mya, T.I, and more during the tribute. Another highlight of the night will be the the presentation of the BET Ultimate Icon Award, which aims to celebrate irreplaceable figures in the industry for their decades of groundbreaking contributions, influence, and community impact. Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, Kirk Franklin, and Snoop Dogg will be honored this year in the category. Check out some options for viewing the show for free below and VIBE's list of the most iconic BET Awards show hosts throughout the years here. The show will air LIVE from Los Angeles on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 8 PM ET/PT on BET. You can watch the BET Awards on TV with any cable package that carries those channels. Don't have cable? You can watch the BET Hip-Hop Awards online through Philo, a live TV streaming service that includes a live BET and MTV feed. Philo has a 7-day free trial that you can use to watch the BET Hip-Hop Awards online for free. Sign-up for the free trial and get instant access to a free stream of the entire broadcast. Continue on for just $28/month for 70+ live television channels or cancel before your free trial is up to avoid being charged. Another way to stream the BET Awards online is through DirecTV Stream, which gets you all the television channels of DirecTV over the internet. DirecTV Stream lets you watch live TV from your phone, tablet, computer or smart TV. Grab a 5-day free trial here to livestream the BET Awards online for the stage will be 5x GRAMMY Award-winning icon Lil Wayne, trailblazing multi-hyphenate Teyana Taylor with 'a one night only legendary performance unlike anything you've seen before,' certified hitmaker GloRilla, enigmatic superstar Playboi Carti, and GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Leon Thomas. Kendrick Lamar leads the pack this year with 10 total nods. Following that, Drake, Doechii, Future, and GloRilla are tied with six nominations each. Metro Boomin earned five nominations, and SZA and The Weeknd are tied with four noms. More from 2025 BET Awards To Celebrate 25 Years Of '106 & Park' With Massive Host Reunion And Tribute Will Smith's Comeback Single, "You Can Make It," Debuts On Billboard Charts Cam'ron Rocks O.J. Simpson Helmet, Jersey After Stephen A. Smith Slams BET Awards Inclusion
