Category: News

Jack White has been keeping it weird for his current album cycle. Before the streaming release of No Name earlier this month, the album was quietly given away to customers at Third Man Records stores, as an unmarked vinyl.

The next question is when/if White is going to tour in support of the album. It turns out he sort of already has been.

In a post shared on social media yesterday (August 13), White wrote:

“Hello, and love to all the peoples of the world out there.

Lotta folk asking about when we are going to announce ‘tour dates’, well, we don’t know what to tell you but the tour already started at the Legion a couple of weeks ago. People keep saying that these are ‘Pop up shows’ we’ve been playing, well, you can call them whatever you want, but we are on tour right now. These are the ‘shows’.

We won’t really be announcing dates in advance so much, we will mostly be playing at small clubs, back yard fetes, and a few festivals here and there to help pay for expenses.
Shows will be announced as close to the show date as possible, some shows we won’t even decide to do until that morning. I also want to walk through orchard fields and grab apples off of trees at will and fill my belly full of that fruit if the desire strikes me. I’m looking for that cool breeze you know?

Lots of love and rock and roll to you all and you are blessed for giving that love to others, we hope that we see you out on the road soon, if not let’s get coffee and a slice of pie sometime? Music is sacred.

Johnny Guitar (Archbishop Harold Holm3s) III”

So, if you’re hoping to see White (rather, Johnny Guitar (Archbishop Harold Holm3s) III) live, the best advice might just be to pay close attention and be ready to make some last-minute plans.

First, Kendrick Lamar called Drake out for supposedly leeching off of Atlanta’s thriving hip-hop scene. Now, Sauce Walka is calling out the “First Person Shooter” rapper for not tapping into Houston’s local talent enough.

Yesterday (August 13), during an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Sauce Walka accused Drake of being a culture vulture, more specifically of the Houston sound. After host Charlamagne Tha God mentioned Drake (a longtime foe of Walka) the pair then examined his love for the city, which was recently highlighted with the purchase of a new $15 million estate.

“Why did Drake not have no bunch of records with Houston artists,” said Walka. “You been doing that with Atlanta? How did Drake love Houston so much at that time and not have music with artists that you are uplifting from this community? F*ck me. I don’t care. It’s bigger than me.”

Then Walka made it clear he did count Drake’s work with Bun B, Travis Scott, or Beyoncé as true support of the city. “It’s about fair exchange in business [for Drake],” he said. “If you are using the lineage and the culture of somebody’s city or somebody’s hometown and backyard, do something that helps not yourself and your notoriety for your own benefit with the ladies and the people a see in the city. Do something that actually makes the economy of their city and music and musicians bigger and greater. That’s all I was saying. Not just for me, this for anybody.”

However, users across X (formerly Twitter) are divided by Walka’s claims.

“Sauce Walka is full of sh*t here,” wrote a user. “But let’s agree he is right…Drake collabs with Atlanta artists = Colonizer. Drake does not colonize other state’s artists = culture vulture.”

While others agreed with Walka’s emphasis on Drake overlooking rising act. “Sauce said he wants Drake to help artists that are up and coming,” penned another user. “And you n****s keep screaming Travis, Beyoncé, and Bun B like they weren’t already who they were before Drake.”

Watch Sauce Walka’s full interview with The Breakfast Club above.

When Boygenius subtly announced their extended hiatus, fans were heartbroken. However, with the break comes space for solo work for each member, including Julien Baker.

In June, the “Faith Healer” musician rolled out a set of live performance dates for the fall. As expected, these performances quickly sold out. But supporters, based in the New York City area, are in luck. Today (August 13), Baker announced a residency at Webster Hall on Instagram.

“Adding three more shows at Webster Hall on October 5, 6 & 7,” she wrote. “A massive thank you to everybody who picked up tickets already. Truly cannot wait to see everybody at the FREAKING gig this fall.”

The presale for Julien Baker’s shows at Webster Hall will kick off on August 14 at 10 am Eastern time. The public onsale date is scheduled for August 16 at 10 am Eastern time. Find more information here. Continue below to view Julien Baker’s full tour schedule.

Julien Baker 2024 Tour Dates

09/23 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
09/24 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
09/25 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
09/27 — The Atlantis @ Washington, DC
09/28 — Columbia, MD @ All Things Go Music Festival *
09/29 — Forest Hills, NY @ All Things Go Music Festival *
10/01 — Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
10/02 — Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
10/05 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/06 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/07 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/21 — San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
10/22 — San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
10/23 — San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
10/25 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
10/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
11/19 — London, UK @ EartH
11/20 — London, UK @ EartH
11/21 — London, UK @ EartH

* festival date

2 Chainz could be heading to court. The “Kingpen Ghostwriter” rapper reportedly found himself at the losing of a business deal.

According to Law 360, 2 Chainz (real name Tauheed Epps) has filed a lawsuit against the cannabis company, Pineapple Express dispensary.

In the documents obtained by the outlet, 2 Chainz alleged that after investing $1.5 million into the business, it fell through on its promises to him. Within the filing, 2 Chainz claimed that he was guaranteed a dispensary storefront by April 2021, but several delays pushed its opening to March 2022. However, at this time, it is currently closed.

Another area of contention listed in the paperwork was dividend terms. 2 Chainz claimed that his investment would garner him a monthly dividend, which he would be allowed him to withdraw up to 110% with 30 days’ notice. However, when 2 Chainz attempted to request his funds in May 2022, the company did not pay out. By December 2022, 2 Chainz reached out to the dispensary’s co-founder, Vincent Zadeh. 2 Chainz alleged that Zadeh told him that their deal would no longer he honored.

With a plethora of successful business deals under his belt, fans are wondered how he found himself caught in in this legal mess. The document stated that the venture was introduced to 2 Chainz by fellow cannabis connoisseur, Snoop Dogg’s tour manager Damien Roderick.

In a statement provided to SFGATE, Pineapple Express’ co-founder, Matthew Feinstein clapped back at the claims made in the filing. Feinstein says, 2 Chainz’s lawsuit included “false claims,” including that he owed money. He also went on to say that this case would be handled privately, through arbitration.

In May 2015, the “Like This” rapper Chinx was tragically killed in his hometown of Queens, New York. Nearly three years following his death, local authorities formally made two arrests in the matter. Now, an official sentence has been handed out.

Yesterday (August 12), Fox 5 reported, that one man received a 23-year sentence in connection with the murder of Chinx (real name Lionel Pickens).

The alleged killer, Quincy Homere, will serve out the next two decades in a New York State prison after pledging guilty to the charges posed against him.

While addressing the court, Pickens’ widow, Janelli Caceres, relived the tragic moment. “I was told I had two minutes to say goodbye, holding his mother’s hand, watching his lifeless body praying and crying for him to wake up,” she said. “A mother has to bury her son. At the age of 28 I had become a widow. My children, who were 15, 11 and 4, are now without a dad.”

Following Chinx’s death, his past collaborators and friends Max B and French Montana expressed their condolences.

The Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz also shared a statement regarding Homere’s sentencing. Read Katz’ remarks below.

Quincy Homere was sentenced today to 23 years in prison for killing Lionel Pickens Jr., a successful rapper, husband and father who was mercilessly gunned down in 2015. Homere fired numerous rounds into Pickens’ car while he was stopped at a red light in Briarwood and then fled, leaving the young man for dead. Nothing can undo what happened, but I hope today’s sentence brings some solace to Pickens’ loved ones as they continue to grieve.

Sadly, the case is far from over. Homere’s co-defendant Jamar Hill hasn’t stood trial just yet, as he is currently incarcerated for an unrelated charge.

Women’s boxing at the Olympics does not typically end up on the front page of the news, but this year saw Algerian boxer Imane Kelif become a leading topic after she became the target of transphobic hate messages and intense online discourse after Italian boxer Angela Carini quite less than a minute into their quarterfinal fight after taking a Khelif punch to the face.

Khelif, despite being born female and identifying as female, became a trending topic as misinformation spread across social media over accusations she was a trans athlete — despite competing for Algeria, which has extremely stringent laws against the LGBTQ+ community. Many prominent voices joined in commenting on Khelif’s presence in the Olympics on social media, including the likes of J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, who pushed and amplified the (false) uproar over Khelif’s sexual identity.

After Khelif won the gold medal at 66kg in Paris, she went on to file a cyberbullying lawsuit in France, which Variety confirmed includes Rowling and Musk as part of the complaint filed against individuals that posted hateful messages and spread misinformation on X.

The lawsuit was filed against X, which under French law means that it was filed against unknown persons. That “ensure[s] that the ‘prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people,” including those who may have written hateful messages under pseudonyms, said Boudi. The complaint nevertheless mentions famously controversial figures.

“J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” he said, adding that Donald Trump would be part of the investigation. “Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution.”

The complaint was sent to France’s national center for combating online hate. It’s not immediately clear what leverage the French prosecutor’s office would have against people living in outside of France, although Khelif’s lawyer states the French can request legal assistance from other countries. If this should make it to court, it would figure to be a landmark case regarding hate speech on social media.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially over. Still, the worldwide celebration is far from done. But there’s one last minute decision that has dampened those Olympic parties—Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal stripping.

But thanks to Flavor Flav, Chiles has something special to add to her jewelry collection. Yesterday (August 12), the hip-hop legend made good on his promise to replace the medal she was stripped of with a bronze necklace in hopes to cheer her up. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Flavor Flav confirmed that Chiles’ iced out bronze clock necklace was now a permanent fixture for Chiles’ possession only.

“USA gonna Fight the Powers that be,” he wrote. “In the meantime between time, imma always a man of my word, Jordan Chiles.”

Users online quickly began to praise Flavor Flav over his swift actions. Others pointed out that this wasn’t the first time Flavor Flav stepped in to show his support for a Team USA Olympian.

Back on August 1, thrower Veronica Fraley expressed how her financial strain was impacting her mental health ahead of the games. After Flavor Flav caught wind of it, he offered and then paid for Fraley’s rent.

Flavor Flav will go down in hip-hop history as one of the greatest hype man ever. But is a cheerleader for many other causes.

Five nights. Four days. Three stages. A whole lot of house music.

Last weekend, Defected Records brought a lineup of world-class DJs, producers, and performers to celebrate its eighth edition of the international destination house music festival, Defected Croatia. This festival has always been one of our favorite destination festivals to highlight because each year all the coolest kids flock here for a mid-summer throwdown.

Set upon Tisno’s breathtaking Adriatic coast, Defected Croatia gathered a global set of 5,000 house heads into an inclusive atmosphere to shimmy through the salty air among dance music greats and the scene’s most-loved pioneers. Over 80 artists from the likes of DJ Holographic, Hannah Wants, Honey Dijon, Le Chev, LP Giobbi, Natasha Diggs, Purple Disco Machine, Sam Divine, SG Lewis, Todd Edwards, and more soundtracked this year’s festival across three stages that hosted sweltering parties during the day and lit up throughout the evening.

The daily boat parties combined with its wellness programming of yoga classes and mindfulness sessions places this festival in a league of its own, showing that while the United States’ festival scene is alive and well, it’s these curated events in Europe that should really be on your radar.

But it’s not just the festival or its programming that makes it a world-class event. Defected Croatia is a yearly gathering that celebrates Defected Records’ ethos: “In Our House, We Are All Equal.” Defected Croatia’s dance floor was a place where people came together to exist in the moment. That’s the true power of these events.

Scroll down to view a photo gallery of this year’s Defected Croatia and secure your 2025 tickets here.

The titular podcast of Only Murders In The Building turns into a misnomer in the trailer for the popular whodunit’s upcoming fourth season, but even without the building, its stars Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short still display their crackling chemistry.

This time, however, they’re headed to Hollywood, where a movie studio has designs on turning their grassroots murder show into a full-blown film production. As with past seasons, the trailer promises season four will be packed with guest stars galore — but this time, there’s a twist. Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, and Zach Galifianakis are playing themselves playing our intrepid trio, giving Gomez plenty of call for incredulous glances and Short and Martin a ton of opportunities to play out-of-touch (Short mistaking Galifianakis for Macaulay Culkin left me gasping for air).

Of course, those of us who caught the end of season three knew that the crew would eventually have to discover the latest murder victim, and this time, they’ve got their celebrity shadows in tow as they work to solve the mystery of the latest murder at the Arconia. While the trailer doesn’t quite give us any musical moments, we can only hope that the season 4 soundtrack gives us another cast member flexing their vocal chops, a la Meryl Streep’s “Look For The Light” or Steve Martin’s “Angel In Flip-Flops.” Perhaps this time, we can get the most musical cast member’s contribution as a treat, since she’s suppposedly quitting music soon?

You can watch the trailer for season 4 of Only Murders In The Building up top.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts Tour is rolling into LA tonight. When’s the best time to get to the Forum to make sure you don’t miss a moment? Honestly, if you’re not there already, you’re late. Just kidding, but getting there early wouldn’t be a bad idea… right? (Hint, hint, wink, wink.)

Fortunately, if you’re reading this anytime before 8 PM, you’re in luck; according to fans who attended the kickoff show in Palm Desert in February, Rodrigo doesn’t hit the stage until about 8:30 PM, at which point, she launches into a 90-minute set, finishing up right around 10 PM.

However, considering the traffic and parking situation around the iconic venue, you should probably be planning to get there a little earlier to find parking, hit concessions, grab refreshments, and use the restroom (one of the most overlooked parts of concert preparedness; nothing worse than having to run out to avoid a bursting bladder, only to return and find out you missed the best part).

Our longtime concert vets recommend giving all this at least an extra hour, but the Forum parking can take up to twenty minutes by itself, so if you’re pulling in around 7 PM, you’re in a good space. After that, you’re rolling the dice, buddy. Now, THAT takes guts.