Latest news with #Dreamville
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 changes in Triangle nightlife, music and community gathering spaces
Stories by News & Observer journalists, with AI summarization Downtown Raleigh and the Triangle nightlife are evolving as long-standing venues like The Architect Bar and The Green Monkey close their doors. New concepts are emerging, like a planned garden bar in Hillsborough's former Hot Tin Roof space, aiming to provide more community and family appeal. On Franklin Street, businesses such as Playa Bowls and Starbucks are filling some vacancies, while the vacancy rate remains a concern for restaurants and entertainment spots. Music scenes are adapting too, with the end of major festivals like the International Bluegrass festival prompting calls for cities to support new events. Local leaders and business owners are working to renew gathering spaces and keep the region's nightlife and arts culture active and welcoming. A major face lift and vibe shift is planned for a longtime Triangle bar space. | Published June 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Drew Jackson Chapel Hill's downtown district has experienced a number of vacancies and high-profile business closings in recent years. | Published August 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Tammy Grubb 'Thank you for the love, laughs, and memories,' the owners said. 'We've loved connecting with each of you.' | Published February 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted Anna Roman Pour one out for this downtown Raleigh favorite. | Published March 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Drew Jackson Hopscotch and a reimagined bluegrass festival return this year. And people are talking about a festival in Dix Park after Dreamville. | Published March 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anna Roman The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Black America Web
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Ari Lennox Officially Parts Ways With Dreamville Records
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Prince Williams / Getty Ari Lennox has officially left J. Cole's Dreamville Records. Sources confirmed that the soulful songstress known for her authentic artistry and velvety voice has parted ways after years of label struggles. Read more inside. TMZ confirmed on April 23, 2025 that the D.C.-bred singer is no longer signed to the label that helped launch her career, marking the end of an era for one of Dreamville's standout stars. In a statement shared with TMZ, a rep said the split was mutual, describing it as 'amicable' and with 'deep respect on both sides.' The departure, while seemingly smooth on the surface, follows years of tension and public expressions of dissatisfaction from Lennox regarding her label situation. As early as 2022, the 'Shea Butter Baby' artist voiced frustrations over the way her career was being managed. In 2022, Bossip reported that Lennox opened up about feeling creatively stifled and unsupported. 'I want to be dropped from the labels. I'm done and tired,' she tweeted during a moment of visible frustration. The article noted her grievances stemmed from lack of control over her artistry and an unclear rollout strategy for her sophomore album. Though Dreamville gave Ari Lennox her first major platform and helped her find a devoted fan base with hits like 'Pressure' and 'BMO,' the artist's relationship with the label had become strained. Her critically acclaimed debut album Shea Butter Baby (2019) introduced her as one of R&B's most promising voices, but fans have long speculated that label politics may have slowed her momentum. TMZ reports that despite the split, Ari is planning to release new music independently and remains focused on her artistic journey. 'She's excited to explore new opportunities and have more creative freedom,' the rep added. Lennox's exit raises questions about Dreamville's future roster and the larger conversation about artist-label relationships in the music industry. J. Cole, who co-founded Dreamville under Interscope Records, has yet to publicly comment on her departure. Still, Ari's fans have expressed support for her reclaiming her career on her own terms. As the industry continues to evolve, Ari Lennox's departure from Dreamville reflects a broader trend of artists seeking autonomy and ownership. For Lennox, this new chapter may finally offer the artistic freedom she's been yearning for since she first spoke out about her struggles. We have a theory that with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings signing a new distribution partnership with Scooter Braun's HYBE America, Ari could find herself a new home with one of R&B's notable producers. Check out his post below: Comment your thoughts on Ari Lennox's newfound freedom. Where will the songstress go next? SEE ALSO Ari Lennox Officially Parts Ways With Dreamville Records was originally published on
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
At disciplinary hearing targeting Black Kansas lawmaker, ancient tropes and selective outrage
Kansas Rep. Ford Carr, D-Wichita, enters a hearing room on April 9, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) Rep. Ford Carr and supporters in the gallery for his disciplinary hearing must have felt as though Kehlani and Dreamville penned the lyrics of their haunting 2023 R&B hit 'Shadows,' about them. The hearing unfolded with painful familiarity and hypocrisy. Tropes, hundreds of years old. Ancient double standards. Selective outrage. Those there supporting Carr had decades of the Black experience in the workplace under their belts and, like him, have had to walk around with their defensive dukes up. Jobs are minefields, where your ability to clothe and feed loved ones often is arbitrarily threatened. The song opens: I can tell That there's something lurking in the dark I can tell That you're tryna catch me off guard Carr, a Wichita Democrat, isn't the most sympathetic symbol. Video taken at a Topeka pub in January captured a stream of bile and aggression rarely heard or seen away from a street corner. I've come to know Carr fairly well since he started at the Statehouse, and we've worked together on various projects. He's complex. He's an engineer and a martial artist. He revealed during the hearing how his father was killed. He was accused of a broad pattern of menacing behavior, but he's not the one denying people health care. He's not the one denying children summer school meals. He's not the one hellbent on destroying public education. Claims that he created a negative environment feel galling coming from his accusers. Supporters love Carr's pugilistic style but worry about his defaults to coarse language and physical confrontation. They also know he's on the right side of issues and that he won't show up to a knife fight with pom pons. Supporters also recognize the games his opponents are playing with his House seat, with his character and with his constituents. Like him, they've likely said: And I'm trying my best, my best to keep from going under And it's hard to forget All the rain when we keep hearing the thunder It just feels like shadows keep following me Carr's supporters had a larger concern: how Black people with strong, culturally authentic voices, from Malcolm X in the 1960s to Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett today, get policed. There's always a color tax. Whatever problem you have in this society, if you add Black, your situation worsens. Our mistakes cost us more. Our achievements mean less. Carr touched on this during the hearing. He said of the more than 6,000 people who have served as legislators, only 128 were Black, or 2.13%. That percentage represents more than 90 percent of legislators hauled into hearings like his. The hearing began with an explicit show of force from Capitol police positioned in the corners of the room. The police presence brought back a scene from the book, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, where police intimidated a client's supporters before a hearing with police dogs. Many remembered police unleashing dogs on peaceful civil rights protesters. Then, a condescending warning from Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Lewis. 'This is not a political rally,' Lewis said. Lewis controlled everything from meeting times (changed multiple times without concern for Wichita constituents), meeting rooms (changed multiple times) and what evidence he would allow. That exclusion also felt familiar. African Americans represent America's 'exceptionalism' because the rights much of the country sings about while wrapping themselves in the flag, apply to everyone — except us. It's why 'patriots' reflexively oppose civil rights. Whenever they exalt this nation, there sit Black people bearing the scars of America's worst impulses. That's why so many eagerly want to bury evidence of those misdeeds. It is not just that they don't understand. They don't want to understand so they can luxuriate in blissful ignorance of what others must confront daily. We occupy separate realities. Consider the presence of Republican Rep. Leah Howell, Carr's accuser. Howell is a small white woman. She appeared in the same hearing room as the towering Carr, a Black man. Her complaint reminded me of historical dog whistles, some made famous by the racist film Birth of a Nation. Rep. Henry Helgerson, the Democrat whom Carr pushed down during that bar fracas, didn't file a complaint. Howell did so instead. The same bar video showed Howell patting Carr's shoulder as tempers raged. It would seem difficult to claim fear after doing that, but Howell did so, saying tearfully that 'her conscience' compelled her to speak out, adding that she would have done the same thing had a Republican acted in similar fashion. Only, she didn't. In February, Republican Rep. Nick Hoheisel aggressively approached Carr, uttering profanity on the House floor. She filed no complaint. Howell also invoked racism, which felt appropriate given that many Black Wichitans know her district for its overt racism. During the past few decades, a cross was burned in a family's yard; residents protested the disciplining of a white child who had drawn a Confederate Battle Flag; parents hounded an educator for showing a diversity film; Black athletes have complained of crowds racially jeering at them. A mother there said bullying led her daughter to attempt suicide. Suddenly Howell's conscience is calling? Sounds more like selective outrage. Kansas Reflector reported in February for example, how Republican Rep. Patrick Penn joked — from the House floor — about shooting former Democratic Rep. Jason Probst in a conversation with freshman legislator Rep. Kyler Sweely, R-Hutchinson. I guess conscience comes and goes. Probst shared a story on his Substack blog about a racist joke told among a gaggle of Republican representatives. According to Probst, the members enjoyed the following: 'What's the most confusing holiday in Ferguson, Missouri?' Answer: 'Father's Day.' For the record, a 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found Black fathers were more involved in their children's lives than white or Hispanic fathers. Probst added in the blog: 'They (conservative leadership) actively legislate to silence any dissenting voice. They use the levers of the system they control to enforce compliance. They punish those who refuse to be controlled by the rules.' This is why they wanted to break Carr's will. I felt it in my spirit. I know they try to kill it … That two-faced sh– finished. Don't push me to my limit. And that's the game so many people have faced at work. And I'm trying my best, my best to keep from going under And it's hard to forget All the rain when we keep hearing the thunder I can remember a nugget of weather wisdom I received from a security guard at my first job. As we locked up and stepped out into a cloudy March night, we could hear thunder grumbling in the distance. 'That means spring is near,' he said, pointing into the sky. Maybe. Spring symbolizes renewal and rebirth. Even resurrection for some. A new reality. But for many of us, we only get rain. The thunder hovers like shadows, and our springtime never arrives. Mark McCormick is the former executive director of The Kansas African American Museum, a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and former deputy executive director at the ACLU of Kansas. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Axios
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Organizers unveil the future of Raleigh's Dreamville Festival
Raleigh's Dreamville Festival will continue in the city under a new brand, Sascha Stone Guttfreund, a promoter with Dreamville and Live Nation, said in a news conference Thursday with Raleigh officials. Why it matters: The news, which comes two days before the fifth Dreamville is set to begin, is welcome after North Carolina-born rapper J. Cole announced earlier this year that this festival would be the last in its current form. Cole will remain involved, but it's unclear whether he will perform in future festivals. Driving the news: The city has been in talks with Live Nation for months about continuing the festival. The pair signed an agreement Thursday that commits the festival to running in the city for another four years at Dix Park. Raleigh city manager Marchell Adams-David said the agreement does not include a financial subsidy from the city. The big picture: Since it launched in 2018, Dreamville has become one of Raleigh's signature cultural events and a serious driver of the local economy. It brings in tens of thousands of visitors who book hotels, eat at local restaurants and shop local vendors. In 2023, Dreamville visitors spent $122 million in the area, according to a report commissioned by festival organizers. Between the lines: But with J. Cole taking a step back, it has left the future of the festival, especially under the Dreamville name, uncertain. State of play: While no name has yet been picked for the new festival, Adams-David said she expects it to remain similar in content and style. "We're going to continue on the same path that's been successful for us," she said. "Consumers have told us what they like, and we're going to try to provide that to them for the next four years." What they're saying: Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad, president of Dreamville Records and J. Cole's manager, said Dreamville has always wanted to create something special for J. Cole's home state. "North Carolina is Cole's home. This is where he started ... so we always wanted to bring something back to the state," Hamad said. But in Raleigh, he added, it's found a helpful partner that is also strategically located on the East Coast. "The location is great because ... you can drive from Atlanta, you could drive from New York, you could drive from so many places because [North Carolina] is really right there in the middle," he said. "I always felt like there was a void of, you know, a big festival like this" in the state.
Axios
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Pop-up shops and parties: 19 things to do this Dreamville Festival week
Experiencing FOMO for not getting a ticket to the last Dreamville Festival or looking for things to do while you're in town? Here are 19 events happening in Raleigh so you can participate in the festivities all week long. Wednesday, April 2 🛍️ Scoop up some exclusive merch from a Dreamville Fest pop-up shop at 320 W Davie St. | Free | 12-7pm | Details Thursday, April 3 🗣️ Participate in a Q&A at Shaw University with the Dreamville staff discussing the music industry and how to run a record label. | Free | 3-7pm | Details 🕹️ Play games with Dreamville's Omen at Raleigh's Boxcar Bar + Arcade. | Free | 5-8pm | Details 🤣 Laugh the night away with a comedy session from a list of local comedians at The Venue in Raleigh and stick around for food and drinks. | Free | 7-10pm | Details 🎶 Listen to music sets from a list of popular national DJs as they battle at Union Hall near CAM Raleigh. | $23.18 | 8pm-1am | Details 💘 Meet other singles in a dating mixer at The Avenue Raleigh. | Free | 7-9pm | Details Friday, April 4 🎉 Pull up to Dreamville Public Access at CAM Raleigh for audio workshops, industry panels and discussions with DJs, producers and creatives. | Free | 11am-10pm | Details 🛒 See rapper Bas at Dreamville's pop-up shop (320 W. Davie St.). | Free | 12-7pm | Details 🎊 Pull up to Charlotte native Lute's block party at S. Harrington St., next to CAM Raleigh for food, drinks, car displays and more. | Free | 1-8pm | Details 🪥 Join Dreamville rapper Earthgang in community service by distributing clothes and essential care items at John Chavis Memorial Park. Stick around for giveaways, music, arts and crafts plus food and drinks. | Free | 2-5pm | Details 🏃♂️ Run with Mad Miles, Urban Run Club and Nike for a one-and-a-half or three-mile shakeout run starting at The Venue in Raleigh. | Free | 5:30pm | Details 🎶 Ease into the weekend with R&B sounds from Radio host Brian Dawson and DJ Problem at Marian Cocktails and Kitchen in Glenwood. Get there early for an industry cocktail hour from 7-10pm. | $0-$13.35 | 10pm-2am | Details 🥂 Block party hop to two different venues, including BrassTap at Kill Joy for cocktails, hookah and music from a live DJ.| $47.31 | Details 🎶 Warm up to the weekend at Split Raleigh with a musical set from a rotating list of DJs. | $47.53 | 5pm | Details Saturday, April 5 🎤 Grab a last-minute ticket to the final Dreamville Festival as it kicks off at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh. | Resale ticket prices vary | 12pm | Details 🥞 Eat brunch, drink from mimosas towers and vibe to music from a DJ at The Venue. | $24.86+ | 12-4pm | Details 🍾 Keep the party going after the festival at CAM Raleigh by dancing to music from a live DJ as a final farewell to Dreamville. | $47.53 | 9pm-2am | Details Sunday, April 6 🍳 Get your brunch fix at Wonderland Kitchen & Cocktails in downtown Raleigh with music, food and cocktails. | $12.51 | 12-6pm | Details
