Latest news with #LosAngeles-bred
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AZ Chike Wants To Collect 'West Coast Infinity Stones'
AZ Chike is 'one of them ones,' and when listening to his music, he knows it. The Los Angeles-bred rapper is rapidly rising after a breakout 2024 with an alley-oop from Kendrick Lamar after delivering a standout feature on the chart-topping GNX album. While the moment catalyzes his rap career, the Warner Records signee is not new to the game or even to mainstream rap features, as he was featured on ScHoolboy Q's 2024 Blue Lips album, signifying his support from Hip-Hop veterans. Now, as his star power expands, AZ Chike hopes to keep collecting 'West Coast Infinity Stones.' Being supported by the aforementioned Black Hippy members is seemingly fate for the 'What X2' performer — who shares with VIBE that he was given a figurative stamp in the womb from DJ Quik — as he explains his desire to link up with some of the industry's biggest pioneers from the Golden State, also naming Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre. 'The thing with DJ Quik is, my mama put me on all the gangsta sh*t growing up. She was like a dope girl in the '90s,' he explains. 'DJ Quik was one of her favorite artists. She went to one of his shows, and I don't think he ended up performing in the venue or something. Long story short, he hopped and started performing on top of the limo. At the time, she's pregnant with me. He's rapping, and he rubs her stomach while she's pregnant with me. I haven't been able to tell him that. But my manager sent me a video of him recording himself when Kendrick was performing 'Peek-A-Boo' at the Super Bowl, and it was like a full circle moment.' Further in the conversation, the rising rapper added the names of additional artists outside of California Hip-Hop with whom he'd like to connect creatively. 'Future for sure,' exclaims the 29-year-old. 'Teddy Swims, for sure. Oh, man. I like Smino a lot, too. His sh*t is very cold and he can rap. He can rap. Doechii, for sure.' AZ Chike's horizon continues to expand as he recalls, 'I got to get some UK artists in there too. I think Dave is dope from the UK…and honorable mention EST Gee, his sh*t got me in a chokehold right now.' Still, the 'Big Dawg' rapper remains loyal to his home turf, and makes it clear when explaining the unreleased snippet heard at the end of the 'Whatx2' music video. 'It was a flare being shot in the air,' AZ Chike declares. 'I wouldn't even say a fair warning because I'm not here to play fair.' He continues to boast, 'But it goes for everybody. Anybody who got something to say about what's going on now for the West Coast, just tread lightly.' Check out more from VIBE's interview with AZ Chike below. More from Pusha T Spotted Living It Up At Kendrick Lamar's Grand National Tour Joey Bada$$, Ab-Soul Trade Bars Amid Coastal Rhyme War With Ray Vaughn Kendrick Lamar Co-Signs Lefty Gunplay's New Album 'Can't Get Right'
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
FireAid benefit concert: Follow live performances
The wildfires that decimated parts of Los Angeles were historic in their devastation and cost. The FireAid benefit concert on Jan. 30 will go down in history not only because it features some of the biggest names in music taking the same stage, but for the message of hope and unity those artists spread. And, hopefully, their performances will raise a monumental sum to aid in recovery and rebuilding. So many musicians wanted to bring their spotlight to the cause, that what was initially set as a single event turned into dual concerts, both of which will be streamed for free on major streaming services, social media like YouTube and TikTok and broadcast stations. Performers at the newly opened Intuit Dome include Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRae and Earth, Wind & Fire. At L.A. landmark Kia Forum, Alanis Morissette, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, No Doubt, Pink, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes and John Mayer will perform. Contributions made to FireAid at will be distributed under the advisement of the Annenberg Foundation and all proceeds will go directly to the event's designated beneficiaries. Follow along as we take you inside the fundraiser concerts from inside the Intuit Dome. The Los Angeles-bred band, some of whose members lost homes in the fires, offered the apropos 'Time Spent in Los Angeles.' Following Dawes' ode to their hometown, frontman Taylor Goldsmith, who is married to singer/actress Mandy Moore, welcomed Stephen Stills and storied member of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers Mike Campbell to the stage. The whole crew ambled through 'For What It's Worth,' the Stills-penned Buffalo Springfield classic written during his time in the band. Stills and Campbell traded guitar licks during an extended outro to the '60s anti-war anthem. Another member of the folk-pop legends, Graham Nash, joined the team, giving a squeeze to 'my partner for many years,' Stills, as he walked to the microphone. 'Whenever Los Angeles gets into trouble, the musicians are right there and I'm proud to be one of them,' Nash said. With Stills at his right side, Nash strummed his guitar through a rendition of Crosby, Stills and Nash's 'Teach Your Children.' Sitting in her gilded throne in a black velvet pantsuit, black hat and sunglasses, the woman synonymous with Laurel Canyon music prompted goosebumps and teary eyes with a deeply felt 'Both Sides Now.' At 81, Mitchell's songs are imbued with the wisdom of age, and her reading of the lyric 'something's lost and something's gained in living every day,' augmented with tenor saxophone, was particularly poignant. The multitalented .Paak hit the drums for 'Put Me Thru,' his Koreatown hoodie showcasing his allegiance to the historic Los Angeles neighborhood. During the song, he and Sheila E. engaged in a drum-off, with the 67-year-old behind 'The Glamorous Life' high kicking atop her percussion setup. 'Our hearts go out to everyone,' Paak said. 'But as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the greatest nights in LA history.' .Paak and his soul-funk band bounced through 'Come Down,' leading the crowd in a wave-along, but The Forum audience really roared when Dr. Dre strolled out to 'Still D.R.E.' 'This year will be 40 years I'm in the business,' Dre told the crowd before a not-unexpected segue into Tupac Shakur's signature song, 'California Love,' Dre and .Paak simultaneously spitting rhymes while Sheila E. added a percussive undercurrent before tossing her cymbal stand across the stage. Green Day kicked off the Kia Forum FireAid show with a subdued version of 'Last Night on Earth.' As singer Billie Joe Armstrong, playing acoustic guitar, started the chorus of 'sending all my love to you,' Billie Eilish, wearing a striped polo and tie, walked out as a surprise (she is scheduled for the Intuit Dome show starting later). The two Billies shared the chorus in front of a backdrop of stirring photos of fire rescue efforts. Green Day's set also included 'Still Breathing' and the band's pop-punk favorite, 'When I Come Around,' featuring a blond Armstrong shouting out many of the California cities destroyed by the fires, including Altadena and Pacific Palisades. 'We are in this together,' he yelled. Sporting an 'I (Heart) LA' black T-shirt as she roamed the stage for 'Hand in My Pocket,' Morisette led the crowd in a singalong of her 1995 hit, waving her hands overhead in a peace sign to underscore the lyrics and playing harmonica throughout. 'The connections that have been born from this tragedy are deeply heartening,' she said, adding a thanks to first responders during the opening keyboard notes of 'Thank U.' In keeping with the song's title, the video screens behind the stage showed social media posts of people thanking firefighters for their efforts. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FireAid concert performances: Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish inspire
