Latest news with #SquabbleUp
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Was ‘Shocked' by Kendrick Lamar's Homage to the Roots In ‘Squabble Up' Video
Questlove recently dropped by The Jennifer Hudson Show, sharing his reaction to finding out that Kendrick Lamar paid homage to the Roots in a music video for his monumental GNX album, which released last year. When discussing his influence on other artists, Hudson pointed out the scene from Lamar's 'Squabble Up' video that recreates the set for the Roots' 1999 track 'The Next Movement,' with both visuals sharing the same moss-green wall molding. More from Rolling Stone D'Angelo Cancels Roots Picnic Performance Over Medical Issue The Joey Bada$$ vs. Everyone Beef Is Fun, But What's It Really About? Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Announce Inaugural Future Ruins Fest Celebrating Film Music 'I was so shocked because the way that people told me — I woke up to 30 K. Dot texts,' Questlove recalled. 'I thought, 'Oh no.' He just dissed us. I thought it was something else. And they were like, 'No, he paid tribute to y'all in this video.'' The Roots drummer said that he was surprised because the Philly band is 'ubiquitous,' but 'not super mainstream, but we're niche, but we're not overexposed popular.' He continued, 'It's hard to tell where we fit in the scheme of things. It's an honor but it's also a surprise when you see people acknowledging you after all this time.' In reply, Hudson reminded the musician that his critically acclaimed band has been a 'blueprint to all artists and the music industry.' 'The Next Movement' featured on the Roots' breakthrough album, Things Fall Apart, a record that Rolling Stone listed as one of the 200 greatest hip-hop albums of all time. A review hailed the Nineties LP as 'a socially observant, profoundly musical thesis statement from the Philadelphia band that dared to play their own instruments,' while noting that the 'timeless' tracks 'are full of virtuosic verses from Black Thought and Malik B, along with fellow travelers like Mos Def and Common, and varied grooves from drummer Questlove, bassist Leonard Hubbard.' More than 25 years later, Lamar would release his sixth album, GNX, capping a historic year that packed in a cataclysmic feud with Drake, the announcement of Lamar's Super Bowl performance, and a swath of Number One singles including 'Not Like Us', SZA-collab 'Luther,' and 'Squabble Up.' In an Instagram post looking back at his work with the Roots and following the news of Lamar's homage, Questlove posted back in November an Instagram photo of a side-by-side screenshot from 'The Next Movement' and 'Squabble Up' videos. 'My number one love is the music I create in @TheRoots —that is the fuel to my fire & sometimes if you love something you must set it free. Then if it returns to you it's real,' Questlove wrote in the caption. 'That said I wanna thank @kendricklamar for acknowledging something I thought noone saw or cared about. Feeling seen is a great feeling and I dont take it for granted.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
D'Angelo Cancels Roots Picnic Performance Over Medical Issue
D'Angelo announced on Friday evening that he would not be performing at this year's Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. The singer shared his 'disappointment' in an Instagram post on the Roots Picnic's social media. D'Angelo wrote that due to an 'unforeseen medical delay' following a surgery he had earlier this year, he was advised by his specialist team that the weekend performance 'could further complicate matters.' More from Rolling Stone Questlove Was 'Shocked' by Kendrick Lamar's Homage to the Roots In 'Squabble Up' Video The Roots, Soccer Mommy, and More Lead 2025 SummerStage Concerts Across NYC Janelle Monáe, the Roots, Jacob Collier Lead Stacked Newport Jazz Fest Lineup In the same post, the festival captioned, 'Due to a longer-than-expected surgical recovery, @thedangelo won't be able to join us at Roots Picnic this year. We're sending love and keeping him in our thoughts as he continues to heal!' 'It is nearly impossible to express how disappointed [I am] not to be able to play with my Brothers 'The Roots,'' D'Angelo continued in his statement. 'And even more disappointed to not see all of You.' Thanking his fans for 'continuing to rock with me' and their support, the musician teased that he was 'currently in the Lab' and 'can't wait to serve Up what's in the Pot!' Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2015, after the release of his acclaimed third album, Black Messiah, D'Angelo said, 'I do want to put a lot of music out there.' He added, 'I feel like, in a lot of respects, that I'm just getting started.' D'Angelo was set to appear at the Roots Picnic returning to the Mann in Fairmount Park on May 31 and June 1. He was among the leading artists slated for the fest alongside Lenny Kravitz, Meek Mill, GloRilla, Miguel, Tems, Latto, Kaytranada, and more. In a separate announcement on Friday, the Roots Picnic revealed that Maxwell would be performing on May 31. Maxwell, whose track 'Pretty Wings' was listed among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century, earned his third Grammy for his most recent album, 2016's blackSUMMERS'night, winning Best R&B song for 'Lake by the Ocean.' The artist wrapped his 2024 North American tour back in October, which featured special guests Jazmine Sullivan and October of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Apologizes for Extreme Delays at Roots Picnic: ‘Today Wasn't Ideal'
Opening day of the annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia on Saturday was marred by long lines, muddy conditions, a scrambled schedule, and extreme frustrations for fans who flocked to the Mann Center to check out sets by Maxwell, Latto, Musiq Soulchild, GloRilla, and several other acts. Questlove took to Instagram at 3 am the next morning to share a video of workers dumping mulch onto muddy spots on the grounds and apologize for what took place. 'I know today wasn't 'ideal' for The Roots Picnic in this 18th year of 2025,' he wrote. 'This year has been particularly challenging to say the least. Transforming the Mann Center into our event takes about two weeks, but as many of you experienced, heavy rain from May 30th into the morning of the 31st caused significant damage (midnight to 7am).' More from Rolling Stone D'Angelo Cancels Roots Picnic Performance Over Medical Issue Questlove Was 'Shocked' by Kendrick Lamar's Homage to the Roots In 'Squabble Up' Video Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Announce Inaugural Future Ruins Fest Celebrating Film Music Things were so bad that they nearly cancelled the event, but they ultimately chose to delay doors by three hours. It was a chaotic time where much of the emphasis was on prepping the grounds, even as fans showed up in droves, and faced closed gates, a long, winding line, and little information. 'I got numerous messages from attendees, family, everyone in the tristate,' Questlove wrote, 'but we prioritized caution above all else…We managed to revise the schedule so that all artists, including headliners Maxwell (whom we ALL owe an incredible amount of gratitude for doing us a solid with seconds on the clock) and Latto, could perform without violating city noise curfews.' (Maxwell was a last minute substitution for D'Angelo, who was originally slated to make his first live appearance in years at the event.) Fans gathered outside the event eventually started to chant, 'Let us in.' 'We would see these staffers outside and ask them questions, but they would just say, 'I have no idea,'' South Jersey fan Lauren Brown told Philadelphia Magazine. 'So I have no idea what their purpose was. We weren't allowed to bring chairs, so there was nowhere to sit, and I have back and knee issues, and we didn't see any bathrooms or trash cans, so everybody was just throwing their stuff on the ground while we were waiting out there for hours and hours…There was no organization of any kind. Absolutely zero.' In his message, Questlove thanked all the fans for their patience. 'This year has shown our ability to adapt and overcome challenges, much like we did in past years,' he wrote. 'Tomorrow is a new day.' The second day of the Roots Picnic was indeed much smoother. It featured a complete performance of the Roots' 1995 LP Do You Want More in addition to sets by Lenny Kravitz, Funk Flex, and Meek Mill. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kendrick Lamar Leads 2025 BET Awards Nominees With 10 Nods
Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees for the 2025 BET Awards. The 'Squabble Up' MC notched 10 nods, including album of the year for GNX, as well as video of the year for his Drake diss 'Not Like Us' and three viewer's choice award notices for 'Not Like Us,' 'Luther' (feat. SZA) and 'Like That' (with Future & Metro Boomin). Right behind Lamar with six nominations each are Doechii, Drake, Future and GloRilla, with Metro Boomin snagging five and SZA and the Weeknd rolling up four each. More from Billboard Kevin Hart to Host 2025 BET Awards Prince Royce to Sing at TelevisaUnivision's Upfront in New York The Who Announce 2025 North American 'Farewell Tour' Dates Among Doechii's noms are album of the year for Alligator Bites Never Heal, as well as video of the year and viewer's choice award for 'Denial Is a River,' BET her for 'Bloom,' best collaboration for 'Alter Ego' (feat. JT) and best female hip-hop artist. Drake's nominations include album of the year for $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, video of the year for 'Family Matters,' viewer's choice award for 'Nokia,' best group with Drake & PartyNextDoor, as well as best male R&B/pop artist and best male hip-hop artist. Future is also in the album of the year mix for We Don't Trust You (feat. Metro Boomin), with other nods for video of the year for 'Type Shit' (with Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti), best collaboration and viewer's choice award for 'Like That' (with Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar), best group for his collabs with Boomin and best male hip-hop artist. GloRilla is in the album of the year mix as well for Glorious, along with a viewer's choice award notice for 'TGIF,' best collaboration for 'Sticky' (with Tyler, the Creator, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne), the Dr. Bobby Jones best gospel/inspirational award for 'Rain Down on Me,' best female hip-hop artist and BET Her for 'In My Bag' (feat. FLO). The 25th anniversary BET Awards, hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, will air live on BET from the Peacock Theater in L.A. on June 9 at 8 p.m. ET. Voting for the Viewer's Choice award will open soon. Check out the full nominations for the 2025 BET Awards below: Album of the Year$ome $exy $ongs 4 U — Drake & Partynextdoor11:11 Deluxe — Chris BrownAlligator Bites Never Heal — DoechiiCowboy Carter — BeyoncéGlorious — GloRillaGNX — Kendrick LamarHurry Up Tomorrow — The WeekndWe Don't Trust You — Future & Metro Boomin Best Female R&B/Pop ArtistAri LennoxAyra StarrCoco JonesKehlaniMuni LongSummer WalkerSZAVictoria Monét Best Male R&B/Pop ArtistBruno MarsChris BrownDrakeFridayyLeon ThomasTeddy SwimsThe WeekndUsher Best Group41Common & Pete RockDrake & PartynextdoorFloFuture & Metro BoominJacquees & Dej LoafLarry June, 2 Chainz, The AlchemistMaverick City Music Best Collaboration'30 For 30' — SZA feat. Kendrick Lamar'Alter Ego' — Doechii feat. JT'Are You Even Real' — Teddy Swims feat. Givēon'Beckham' — Dee Billz feat. Kyle Richh, Kai Swervo, KJ SwervoBless — Lil Wayne, Wheezy & Young Thug'Like That' — Future & Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar'Luther' — Kendrick Lamar & SZA'Sticky' — Tyler, The Creator feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne'Timeless' — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti Best Female Hip Hop ArtistCardi BDoechiiDoja CatGloRillaLattoMegan Thee StallionNicki MinajRapsodySexyy Red Best Male Hip Hop ArtistBigXthaPlugBossman DLowBurna BoyDrakeFutureKendrick LamarKey GlockLil WayneTyler, The Creator Video of the Year'3AM in Tokeyo' — Key Glock'A Bar Song (Tipsy)' — Shaboozey'After Hours' — Kehlani'Denial Is a River' — Doechii'Family Matters' — Drake'Not Like Us' — Kendrick Lamar'Timeless' — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti'Type Shit' — Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott & Playboi Carti Video Director of the YearAnderson .PaakB Pace Productions & JacqueesBenny BoomCactus JackCole BennettDave Free & Kendrick LamarDave MeyersFoggierawTyler, The Creator Best New Artist41Ayra StarrBigXthaPlugBossMan DlowDee BillzLeon ThomasOctober LondonShaboozeyTeddy Swims Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award'A God (There Is)' — Common & Pete Rock feat. Jennifer Hudson'Amen' — Pastor Mike Jr.'Better Days' — Fridayy'Church Doors' — Yolanda Adams feat. Sir The Baptist & Donald Lawrence (Terry Hunter Remix)'Constant' — Maverick City Music, Jordin Sparks, Chandler Moore & Anthony Gargiula'Deserve to Win' — Tamela Mann'Faith' — Rapsody'Rain Down on Me' — GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music Viewer's Choice Award'Residuals' — Chris Brown'Denial Is a River' — Doechii'Nokia' — Drake'Like That' — Future & Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar'TGIF' — GloRilla'Not Like Us' — Kendrick Lamar'Luther' — Kendrick Lamar & SZA'Brokey' — Latto Best International ActAny Gabrielly (Brazil)Ayra Starr (Nigeria)Basky (UK)Black Sherif (Ghana)Ezra Collective (UK)Joé Dwèt Filé (France)MC Luanna (Brazil)Rema (Nigeria)SDM (France)Tyla (South Africa)Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)Best New International ActAbigail Chams (Tanzania)Ajulicosta (Brazil)Amabbi (Brazil)Dlala Thukzin (South Africa)Dr Yaro (France)KWN (UK)Maglera Doe Boy (South Africa)Merveille (France)Odeal (UK)Shallipopi (Nigeria)TxC (South Africa) BET Her'Beautiful People' — Mary J. Blige'Blackbiird' — Beyonce feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts'Bloom' — Doechii'Burning' — Tems'Defying Gravity' — Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande'Heart of a Woman' — Summer Walker'Hold On' — Tems'In My Bag' — Flo & GloRilla Best MovieBad Boys: Ride or DieBeverly Hills Cop: Axel FLuther: Never Too MuchMufasa: The Lion KingOne of Them DaysRebel RidgeThe Piano LessonThe Six Triple Eight Best ActorAaron PierceAldis HodgeAnthony MackieColman DomingoDenzel WashingtonJamie FoxxJoey Bada$$Kevin HartSterling K. BrownWill Smith Best ActressAndra DayAngela BassettCoco JonesCynthia ErivoKeke PalmerKerry WashingtonQuinta BrunsonViola DavisZendayaYoung Stars AwardAkira AkbarBlue Ivy CarterGraceyn 'Gracie' HollingsworthHeiress HarrisMelody HurdThaddeus J. MixsonTyrik JohnsonVanVan Sportswoman of the Year AwardA'ja WilsonAngel ReeseClaressa ShieldsCoco GauffDawn StaleyFlau'jae JohnsonJuju WatkinsSha'Carri RichardsonSimone Biles Sportsman of the YearAaron JudgeAnthony EdwardsDeion SandersJalen HurtsJayson TatumLeBron JamesSaquon BarkleyStephen Curry Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lessons from Kendrick Lamar and ‘Not Like Us' — one year later
OPINION: I'm not sure any of us, Kendrick Lamar and Drake included, realized just how much nothing would be the same once 'Not Like Us' hit the late March of 2025—just over a month ago—I was asked to DJ a birthday party for a newly minted 7-year-old. When I asked the boy's mother if there were any special requests for songs, the only one she could think of was Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us,' a song that I think will indisputably go down in history as the song that defines 2024. There was a time in my life when a Kendrick Lamar song being requested by (all of the) kids might surprise me, but on the day that I'm writing this, my 10-year-old woke up and got dressed to the clean version of 'Squabble Up,' from Lamar's latest album, 'GNX,' an album the rapper is currently touring throughout the United States and Canada with SZA to sold-out stadiums. Kendrick Lamar is one of the biggest artists on the planet right now. In May 2024, my kids only knew Lamar by name; now they know his catalog and argue about who can name the most songs in it. A year after Lamar dropped 'Not Like Us,' one of the most scathing and danceable diss records of all time, anything is possible for Lamar. For Drake, the recipient of that scathing and danceable diss record…eh, not so much. Who would have thought it? 'Not Like Us' was released on May 4, 2024, and wasn't even the only song released by Lamar on that day. What started, more or less, with Lamar's guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin's 'Like That,' (March 22) led to Drake releasing 'Push Ups'(April 13) and then 'Taylor Made Freestyle,' (April 19) which was followed by what I believe is the actual best record in the entire back-and-forth, 'Euphoria' (April 30). Then came the flurry: Kendrick dropped '6:16 in LA' on May 3, followed by Drake releasing 'Family Matters' later that day. Very shortly after Drake dropped that record, Kendrick shot back with 'Meet the Grahams' (in the wee hours of May 4) the absolute darkest record of the bunch, before dropping his now chart-busting record, 'Not Like Us' later that day. What a difference a day makes. Drake would then drop 'The Heart Pt. 6' but honestly, nobody cared. The damage was done; Kendrick out-Draked Drake with 'Not Like Us,' a catchy bop with quotables lines, wildly repeatable accusations and a call-and-response section that, I mean, if you need a blueprint for how to diss one of the biggest acts on the planet, Kendrick popped out and showed (folks). That song, led to a whole concert, streamed on Amazon, called 'The Pop Out: Ken & Friends' on Juneteenth (June 19, 2024) where Drake had an entire night dedicated to his evisceration, aided by Dr. Dre and most L.A.-centric celebs, that also doubled as some sort of Los Angeles unity show. On July 4, the video for 'Not Like Us' dropped, taking the 'Pop Out' theme to new, Compton-heavy levels. That video has more than 330 million views, which seems…low. The success of the same song got him a slot performing at the Super Bowl…in February 2025. You saw it. I saw it. It's the most watched Super Bowl halftime show in history. And even if you didn't watch it in real-time, you definitely watched the video replay; performance on the NFL's YouTube page currently has over 120 million views. I think it's safe to say that 'Not Like Us' changed everything. Sure, prior to this beef with Drake (we'll get to him shortly), Kendrick was already one of the most respected artists in hip-hop, much less music. He is the only rapper to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize (so far), he's won 22 Grammy Awards—five of which he won in 2025 for 'Not Like Us'—there are, at least, two separate books written about him from an analytical perspective by two very respected journalists, and his song 'Alright' is the song of the Black Lives Matter movement…and on and on. He's successful beyond most rappers' wildest imaginations, but 'Not Like Us' turned Kendrick into a phenomenon in a different way. 'Not Like Us' turned him into a pop-star whose songs live at the top of the Billboard charts; currently his song 'Luther' with SZA is the number one song in the country and has been for 10 weeks. Kendrick is doing things that Drake used to do, except doing it without making songs that are obviously about to hit the top of the charts. To quote Jay-Z from his 1999 song 'Come and Get Me,' Kendrick didn't crossover, he 'brought the suburbs to the hood.' A year later, Kendrick Lamar is popping up in Gatorade commercials, a move that wouldn't have seemed shocking a year ago, but seems obvious nowadays. His back-and-forth with Drake and eventually releasing a song that took over the entire conversation leading to an album that has become an instant classic has turned Kendrick, a year later, into a certified pop sensation. Kendrick was always a transcendent artist, but now he's in the rare air of being both transcendent and a commercial sure thing. Then there's Drake, who I believe is still now and will always be one of the most marketable artists on the planet. He's having a down…year; much longer than I think he (or anybody) anticipated, but he'll bounce back. But for Drake to have his back against the wall for this long and in such a non-hip-hop way has been illuminating. Shortly after Lamar's 'GNX' dropped, Drake set in motion proceedings that would end up with him suing his own record label—Universal Music Group (UMG)—alleging that they effectively inflated 'Not Like Us' for profit at the expense of Drake. Mind you, Drake and Kendrick are on the same label. In a move that a year ago that never seemed plausible to me from the Teflon Canadian, he now feels like hip-hop's biggest Karen, and the very interloper that Kendrick accused him of being, a costume he can't seem to shake (yet). I've never had a problem with Drake's music because Drake has always made hits and like Kendrick, I like Drake that makes me dance in the club. But now I actually don't like Drake as a human; he seems small and petty and like a sore loser. I am not alone in this. Drake's cool is long gone. What remains is a guy who can release music — an album with PartyNextDoor on Valentine's Day that even he would have to admit hasn't hit the same — but doesn't move the needle anymore. He's Drake with all the accolades, none of the cultural footprint. He is, in essence, not like us anymore. I don't know what's next for Kendrick Lamar. Right now, he's on the longest victory lap of all time, reaching heights I'll bet even his own team didn't realize were available to him. Right now, he's Barry Bonds with the home run record; he was already going into the Hall of Fame, but now he's in the conversation with the best to ever do it, leapfrogging some of those who believed their slots were cemented. It's all subjective and that's what hip-hop is for, to argue about and to analyze and to enjoy and to dance to. No matter how you slice it, I'll bet nobody could have predicted how that one song could have made Kung Fu Kenny's career look a year later. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must run an errand while my son requests 'TV Off' over and over in the car, not just because he loves yelling 'MUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRD' but because he loves rapping, 'All I ever wanted was a black Grand National, bump being rational, give 'em what they ask for! Uh…it's not enough.' What a difference a year must-reads: Lovie Simone leads new series that adapts Judy Blume's 'Forever…' for TV Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview earns Emmy nomination amid Trump lawsuit Kandi Burruss speaks out after 'Othello' is snubbed by Tony Awards: 'Still beyond proud'
