Latest news with #VybzKartel
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How to get Drake UK tour tickets as rapper heads for Wireless residency
Drake has announced his UK and Europe tour dates, following on from his history-making three-night stop at London's Wireless Festival. The Canadian rapper, who has five Grammys to his name, last visited the UK in 2019 but is set to bring his Anita Max Win tour here in the summer. Here's all you need to know about where you can catch Drake in the UK and Europe, as well as why his Wireless appearance is so special. Drake is making a landmark appearance at London's Wireless Festival as part of his UK tour leg where he will, for the first time ever at the event, headline all three nights but with three different sets. He'll hit the Finsbury Park festival from 11-13 July to mark its 20th anniversary and will be joined by different support acts each night. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wireless Festival (@wirelessfest) On Friday, Drake begins his Wireless residency with PARTYNEXTDOOR, who he released a recent collaborative album with and who is joining him on tour. They'll also bring special guest Summer Walker. Saturday sees Drake return to the Finsbury Park stage with The Mandem, while on Sunday he'll wrap things up with special guests Burna Boy and Vybz Kartel. The full Wireless line-up is yet to be announced. If you can't make it to any of Drake's three nights at Wireless, there are still other options to see him on his tour in the UK and Europe. He'll travel on to the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on 20 and 21 July, followed by another double set of dates at Manchester's Co-op Live on 25 and 26 July. The tour heads over to Europe for the rest of the summer, where the rapper will perform in Amsterdam in July. He'll be in Antwerp, Zurich, Cologne, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Milan in August, before moving on to Paris, Berlin, Munich, and finally Hamburg in September. Singer-songwriter and rapper PARTYNEXTDOOR is touring with Drake after releasing their collaborative album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. Unfortunately for Drake fans who haven't yet snapped up Wireless tickets, most of the festival is already sold out with just the VIP Experience left. Pre-sale tickets for the UK and Europe dates became available on Wednesday, 4 June, but if you weren't lucky enough to get into the pre-sale there are still chances available to see Drake. There's another pre-sale on Thursday, 5 June and his tour dates will go on general sale on Friday, 6 June, with all ticket sales starting at 12pm and the waiting room opening at 11:45am.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How New York's UBS Arena Is Helping to Raise the Commercial Ceiling for Caribbean-Headlined Shows
While stadium shows dominate this year's live music headlines, there's another interesting trend occurring at the arena level that's signaling a new frontier for the live music industry – and it's steeped in the sweet riddims of the Caribbean. Vybz Kartel's victorious comeback has dominated most of the conversation around Caribbean music this year, but Worl' Boss' two-night stint at Brooklyn's Barclays Center came nearly a year after a string of historic headlining shows that have made Elmont's UBS Arena New York's hottest new venue for Caribbean acts. Elmont (a neighborhood that sits on the edge of Queens and Long Island) and Brooklyn are two New York City areas densely populated by Caribbean-Americans, which echoes the incredible impact of Caribbean immigrants across the city. You'll find Dominicans in Manhattan's Washington Heights; Jamaicans, Lucians and Trinis galore in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood; and at least one flag from every country in the West Indies along Eastern Parkway in BK. More from Billboard The Return of Vybz Kartel: After 13 Years in Prison, Dancehall's King Reclaims His Throne — And Reveals How He Made Hits Behind Bars Tory Lanez Is Being Transferred to a New Prison After Being Stabbed, His Dad Says Aaron Paul Opens Up About Tracking Down Tour Managers to Get Bands to Perform in His Living Room Last spring (April 14, 2024) — about eight months before he made history with NPR's very first Tiny Desk soca set – Machel Montano headlined UBS Arena for a 40-year career anniversary concert hosted by Caribbean Concerts & Sonjay Maharaj Events. Coming two years after the King of Soca teamed up with Jermaine Magras, president and CEO of Jay Upscale Marketing and Promotions, for Barclays Center's first-ever soca headlining concert, Machel's sold-out UBS show grossed over $885,000 from 8,350 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore. That show kicked off a head-turning run of Caribbean-headlined shows at the four-year-old arena. Just three months after Machel lit up Elmont, Grammy-winning reggae and dancehall legend Buju Banton mounted a pair of sold-out shows that served as his first U.S. concerts since his 2011 incarceration. The two shows grossed $4.5 million from nearly 30,000 tickets sold, setting the scene for a historic close to UBS Arena's 2024 run of Caribbean-headlined shows. 'Stepping into UBS Arena for the first time in my life was much more than I expected,' reflects Montano, who's previously performed at NYC's two other major arenas. 'I hadn't heard about the venue before, and I was in anticipation to see what the vibe [would] be. The production setup was wonderful, the backstage experience in the dressing rooms, the staff, everybody [and everything] was professional and on point to welcome soca music and the soca vibration.' A few days before the world rang in 2025, iconic Haitian konpa band Carimi reunited for its first live performance in eight years at UBS Arena. Comprised of founding members Richard Cavé, Mickael Guirand, and Carlo Vieux, Carimi is something like 'the Jackson 5 or the Backstreet Boys of the Haitian community,' says Magras. 'They're [their] R&B boy band.' In the nearly two-and-a-half decades since they formed in NYC back in 2001, Carimi has achieved international success through its blend of sociopolitical commentary and traditional konpa rhythms. Their 2013 Invasion LP reached No. 2 on World Albums, and their eight-album strong catalog continues to enamor konpa lovers across generations. While their Dec. 27 concert didn't launch a full comeback, the show did mark the first U.S. arena show headlined by a Haitian act – and the band completely sold out the venue. With over 15,000 tickets sold, Carimi's reunion show grossed over $2.4 million. The Carimi show is an interesting nexus point for many reasons, mostly because of the band's connection to the demographic breakdown of the Elmont neighborhood in which UBS resides. In Elmont, you'll find a large Haitian population that's even bigger than the already sizable number reported by the U.S. Census. The nature of cities like New York is that the census only tells a part of the story regarding the demographic breakdown of the city's residents. 'With the Caribbean community, a lot of people tend to look at the census — but if you're undocumented, you ain't trying to give the government your information. It's a benchmark, but it's not that accurate,' explains Magras. 'When we did a heat map of ticket sales for the Carimi show, a majority of people buying tickets came from Queens, in and around UBS [in Elmont].' Now that America's Caribbean population – spearheaded by a massive post-Civil Rights Era immigration wave, and, later, a 1980s and '90s wave — has established itself across several generations, they have the numbers and buying power to assert themselves as dedicated consumers in the live music space. Before his current position as senior vice president of programming at UBS Arena, Mark Shulman spent over 25 years promoting shows across New York, including storied venues like Hammerstein Ballroom and Kings Theatre – two spots with smaller capacities that Caribbean acts often frequent. While Caribbean acts still headline those venues, alongside newly renovated music halls like the Brooklyn Paramount, their graduation from theaters to arenas signals 'a maturing of the music and fan base,' according to Shulman. 'When we speak of the maturing of the audience, Caribbean shows were always late-selling events,' he explains. 'Now, we're seeing more advanced sales, and that enables the artist to plan better. They get to add a second show and plan accordingly, because the audience is being so proactive in their buying patterns.' The original fans of acts like Carimi and Machel Montano and Buju Banton are, by and large, in more favorable economic positions than they were two decades ago. They've gotten to root themselves in their new homes, and they likely have the disposable income to buy pricier arena tickets. But their maturation only tells half of the story of how UBS, in particular, has become such a hotbed for Caribbean headliners. For Valentine's Day 2025 (Feb. 14), Grammy-nominated reggae giant Beres Hammond, Billboard Hot 100-topping reggae icon Shaggy and Grammy-winning dancehall legend Sean Paul teamed up for a joint concert that grossed over $1.6 million from 12,980 tickets sold. The following month (March 28), WAV Music Fest – featuring Spice, Dexta Daps, Chronic Law, Kranium, Skeng, Kraff and Valiant – grossed over $1.2 million from 10,360 sold. With five $1 million-grossing Caribbean-headlined shows in eight months, UBS Arena has emerged as not just a go-to spot for Caribbean acts stopping in NYC but also as a key venue in the evolution of Stateside Caribbean music consumption. And the arena's management did it by embracing the existing immigrant population in an era where rampant gentrification seeks to stifle New York's quintessential diversity. Before UBS opened its doors in 2021, most arena acts across genres chose between performing at Midtown Manhattan's Madison Square Garden and Downtown Brooklyn's Barclays Center, which has only been around for 13 years. Prior to the turn of the decade, very few, if any, Caribbean acts were playing arena shows, period. Thanks to the increasing Stateside popularity of contemporary reggae, dancehall, soca and konpa music — and the opening of UBS — Caribbean acts are now getting an opportunity that they weren't granted in the past. Of course, NYC's Caribbean population doesn't exclusively attend Caribbean-headlined shows. If they wanted to see arena acts before 2020, those folks, who primarily live in Brooklyn (outside of downtown) and Queens, would either have to trek into the city to hit The Garden or waste away hours in downtown traffic. Thanks to its location, UBS is a venue that's comparatively more easily accessible for the city's Caribbean crowd. It's also the only NYC-area arena with its own parking lot, a key draw for attendees who would rather hop in their cars than deal with the subway. 'When you get [to Barclays], you gotta look for parking,' says Magras. 'The time that it takes me to [travel within] Brooklyn is probably the same time it takes me to jump on the belt and head to UBS. I think the customer weighs all those things out.' While consumers get to cut down on travel time, promoters and artists also get to save a few dollars when mounting shows at UBS instead of Barclays or The Garden. Promoted by George Crooks' Jammins Events, Banton's dual comeback shows, which cost around a million dollars each, would have been at least $500,000 more expensive had they gone up at The Garden. 'You're paying for the location and the brand, you can't take that away from [MSG],' he said. 'But it's very expensive. UBS is a lot more reasonable, and I hope it stays that way.' As the arena continues to grow in popularity, it's certainly likely that it'll become more expensive to mount shows there, which is probably why UBS banks on their accommodating nature to keep artists at their venue. Ahead of the Carimi show, Shulman 'personally got on a Zoom with all the band members [to] hear their thoughts and hopes for the show and how [UBS] could accommodate them in any way possible.' Magras, whose Jay Upscale company promoted the Carimi show, seconds that sentiment, noting how willing the UBS team was to educate themselves on the band via the decks he pitched. '[UBS] was more accommodating than probably any other venue that I've worked with,' he tells Billboard. 'It was never 'no' as a final answer — they always helped find a way to make things work. [To help promote the show, they helped secure] comedians, a conference with about five media houses, the Carimi guys, lights and everything.' Crooks also echoes those feelings, saying, 'Mark understands the business because he comes from doing business with a lot of Caribbean acts.' But it's not just Shulman's experience that helped UBS so quickly become a stronghold for Caribbean headliners; it's also the care he and his team take in listening to the arena's staff, a notable chunk of whom are local Caribbean-Americans themselves. '30% of our staff come from the local community,' Shulman says. 'I would have conversations with them about soca music and reggae and konpa, and it was great to hear from them. I can [call on] my music experience, but it's so much more validating when I can speak to members of the community who live with this music. That type of knowledge and experience can't be replicated just by doing some research.' UBS' open relationship with their staff also mirrors the dynamic they've fostered with local vendors, navigating the present-day live music venue ecosystem with a distinctly Caribbean and community-centric approach. When Caribbean shows visit UBS, the arena rotates its in-house food and drink vendors with items that correlate to the nationality of the headlining act; they also invite local food trucks and businesses to set up activations in their expansive parking lot. It's a relatively minor move that only makes the arena feel more 'of the people' than its competitors. (Crooks acknowledges that the venue's efficacy in this area still can vary between shows, saying he and his team head 'some interaction with local vendors [for the Banton shows], but not as much as [they] would have liked to.') And the arena's staff also understands the importance of not overstepping its bounds when it comes to engaging with the culture. 'When you look at Caribbean people, they're natural entrepreneurs,' notes Magras. 'Once we see that there's something big going on, we all converge and find [different] ways to make money. There [were] about 10 after-parties [for the Carimi show] — we [hosted] none. Why? Because we understand the ecosystem and what it means for other people to make money as well. We could have sold flags, but we allowed the flag man to sell his. We [also] brought in Haitian food vendors and liquors and barbeque brands.' With two additional Caribbean-headlined shows this year – Aidonia (May 3) and Beenie Man (May 24) – UBS is looking to continue its hot streak in 2025 as various styles of Caribbean music ride a crossover wave that's carrying the next generation of stars. From Yung Bredda's Zess-infused soca hit 'The Greatest Bend Over' and Moliy's Billboard chart-topping Afro-dancehall smash 'Shake It to the Max' to YG Marley's reggae anthem 'Praise Jah in the Moonlight' and Joé Dwèt Filé's globe-conquering konpa banger '4 Kampé,' the 2020s are offering up a slate of stars that could be the next Caribbean headliners to grace UBS – and arenas across the country. They could even make that jump in the next 12 months, according to Shulman, as the success of Caribbean legacy acts eases promoters' qualms about taking on younger stars – like Shenseea or Dexta Daps – looking to make the leap from support acts to headliners. In just four years, UBS has become a preferred New York tour stop for Caribbean headliners – so much so that scheduling conflicts were the only barrier stopping the arena from hosting Kartel's comeback shows – by leveraging its location, nourishing their relationship with the local population, and understanding the limitless potential of Caribbean talent. As the arena has established a distinct identity, it's also helped buoy an entire region's music, which was already creeping into a new era of Stateside crossover success. But what about arena stops outside of New York? Last year, Buju Banton announced his Overcomer Tour, which was initially set to visit 14 arenas across the U.S. Ultimately, three shows were outright cancelled while a further five engagements have yet to have their rescheduled dates announced. Of the seven shows that he did perform on the tour, Banton grossed an average of $1.5 million per show from around 10,800 tickets sold. Notably, those seven shows visited North American cities with sizable Caribbean populations – NYC, Atlanta, Tampa, Toronto and Washington, D.C. — signaling that future Caribbean tours might not yet have accrued the power to headline arenas outside of specific areas. Nonetheless, a Caribbean act headlining seven North American arenas on a single tour indisputably marks a new era for West Indians in the live music space. 'I think the sky's the limit [for Caribbean acts in the live music space],' stresses Shulman. 'I've seen the growth and I've seen the performances. The shows are energetic, the fans are enthusiastic, and there's an incredible vibe. It's hard to envision any limit to just how high it can go.' 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
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Burna Boy Co-Op Live review: The African Giant lived up to his name in a blockbuster show
Back in 2019, I couldn't contain my excitement when I found out Burna Boy would be heading to Manchester. Growing in popularity then, the Nigerian Afrobeats artist was booked for the Albert Hall. It felt like an intimate show thanks to its 1,800 capacity, but was injected full of the energy fans expect from the African Giant. Fast forward to 2025, where last night he played Manchester's newest venue with a 23,500 capacity - the Co-Op Live - as part of his 'I Told Them...' tour. It was an absolutely huge show by comparison; the arena was packed out, and the energy inside was completely unrivalled from start to finish. READ MORE: Oasis top list of Best British songs of all time - full 100 ranked READ MORE: Oasis fans speculate on possible 'pre-tour show' ahead of reunion for one reason Burna Boy's dates in the UK this year thus far are few and far between. Manchester is the only major city with an arena date, other than a planned appearance at London's Wireless festival later this summer, where he's set to play alongside Vybz Kartel. I missed the ticket sale for this one, but I'm going to find some, by hook or by crook. The solo arena date made Manchester as a choice all the more special, and I know our city did Burna proud. The crowd was warmed up by a DJ set. The DJ played a fusion of Afrobeats, Dancehall, hip-hop and R&B - fitting for Burna Boy's eclectic sound, which would be a theme throughout the entire night. People were up and dancing from the very start, which I find is always a good sign of things to come. There's nothing worse than going to a concert where you're one of the only people on your feet, but that certainly wasn't the case here. I do have to admit a bit of a pet peeve in the set though. As with many Manchester shows, Oasis was played, and it's something that grinds my gears a bit as it ruins the vibe. Yes, they're local, but that doesn't mean everyone in Manchester wants to hear them. Not every crowd is there to hear Indie pop - and there are definitely talented local artists from different genres more fitting to the occasion. DJs, please, no more Oasis for these events! Once the DJ had nicely warmed the audience up (Oasis aside), it was time for the main act. Burna Boy's set started with 'Location', much to the delight of the crowd, which erupted into huge cheers, as everyone began to sing along. The sing along continued for much of the concert, with huge hits like 'City Boys', 'Ye', 'Bundle By Bundle' and 'Last Last'. There really is nothing better than being able to sing songs you usually blast in the car at the top of your lungs with zero judgement. It's quite liberating, although my voice had pretty much gone by the end of the show. One of the things you come to expect from a show like this is a special guest appearance, and Burna Boy certainly didn't disappoint. Having heard London's Dave was brought out on stage for an appearance a few nights earlier for a show in Paris, speculation was high amongst me and my friend as to who would come out in Manchester. We thought it may be a more local artist, but got the complete surprise factor when Nigerian singer and rapper Shallipoppi appeared. What a treat that was! A nice touch throughout the show was the implementation of light up bracelets given to each audience member upon arrival. Partygoers were encouraged to put them on their wrists, and they lit up in different colours, flashed and glowed during the set. These bracelets, although small, made the arena look absolutely spectacular for the duration of the show. It really gave the feel of an even bigger space, and highlighted the sheer amount of people inside enjoying themselves. All in all, I can't give this show anything but five stars. A night indulging in many of my favourite songs, surrounded by people there to enjoy themselves and lap up the energy, really was unbeatable, and something I'll remember fondly for a long time. It was made all the more special by the fact it was a one-off UK arena show in our wonderful city. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long before the African Giant is back.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I would never bleach again,' Vybz Kartel reflects on past skin-bleaching and why he did it
Jamaican artist Vybz Kartel admits that his years of skin bleaching were the consequences of a struggle with self-love. This weekend, New Yorkers celebrated Jamaican artist Vybz Kartel's historic comeback performance at the Barclays Center. Leading up to his first show in the U.S. in over 20 years, the 'Worl Boss' appeared on Hot 97's 'Ebro In the Morning,' where he opened up about his past with skin bleaching. Just as he is known for his hit dancehall songs, Kartel, who was incarcerated for 13 years in Jamaica, was known for bleaching his skin. Now, the Jamaican artist proudly declares he's 'fully melanated' and is reflecting on his participation in the controversial beauty trend. 'I would never bleach again […] in hindsight, I think it was, it definitely had to do with self-love,' Kartel said. 'But on the other hand, while I was doing it, my mind wasn't telling me that. My mind was telling me, 'Oh, I'm doing this to show my tattoos because I got a lot of tattoos,' blah blah blah.' However, the 'Fever' singer wasn't as open to discussing the controversy associated with skin bleaching. In 2022, Kartel called out critics in a statement likening skin bleaching to Black women altering their hair. '99.99% of Black Women (1)cream their hair or (2)wear 'caucasian' wigs,' he said at the time, per Hot New Hip Hop. 'Question: ARE YOU BRAZILIAN? But u want BRAZILIAN HAIR! Or some other form of hair that is NOT African. As a matter of fact, BLACK PEOPLE CALL WHITE PEOPLE'S HAIR 'pretty hair.' BLACK PEOPLE CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CHECK SOMEONE ELSE.' Fast-forward three years, and the 49-year-old singer acknowledges the impacts of colorism around the world, but especially within Black communities. 'I mean, as Black people, we all have those issues [with] complexion-ism colorism. That Eurocentric look…Black people have always wanted to look like that I guess it has to do with slavery,' he noted. 'But looking back, I think it was just as a Black man, sometimes you have those issues.' On April 11 and April 12, Kartel performed two sold-out shows in New York City, a place he described as 'Jamaica outside of Jamaica.' With special appearances from stars like Spice, Busta Rhymes, Ne-yo, Shensea, and more, the self-proclaimed 'King of Dancehall' showed the world that he's back like he never left. More must-reads: Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson's legacy on 78th anniversary of breaking color barrier Prosecutor says Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers are looking for reasons to delay his May trial 'Raising Kanan' Season 4, Episode 6: The emergence of Jukebox the Diabolical
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vybz Kartel Announces First U.S. Concert In Over 20 Years
Vybz Kartel is making his official return to the states. The dancehall legend will be headlining a show in New York City in April, marking his first performance in the U.S. in over 20 years. The Barclays Center's official X account confirmed, 'JUST ANNOUNCED: Vybz Kartel comes to Brooklyn on April 11!' The accompanying flyer reads, 'Reggae Fest: The Return Of Worl Boss Vybz Kartel.' The pre-sale starts next Tuesday (March 4) at 10 a.m. and general sale begins Thursday (March 6) at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster or the official Reggae Fest website. Doors open at 7 p.m. The exciting news ignited Kartel's fanbase, particularly Caribbean New Yorkers who will felt lucky the event will be held in their city. 'Nah just imagine Vybz Kartel performing BROOKLYN ANTHEM at @barclayscenter. New York might levitate,' wrote one person. Another added, 'Vybz Kartel about to turn NY upside down!' The 49-year-old hitmaker has been behind bars for the last 13 years for his connection to the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams of Waterford, St Catherine, along with additional charges. He was released in July 2024 and has since made a slew of public appearances and performances, most recently at the 2025 MOBO Awards. Although he has released some music while he was incarcerated, the Jamaican superstar's time in prison allowed him to observe what was going on in the dancehall scene. He recently shared his opinion about the artists who are in today's game. 'They gotta find themselves,' he told The Face. 'Like, OK, come out in Jamaica, tear up Jamaica. But there's a bigger market. And sometimes you gotta fine-tune your style to tap into the larger markets. The talent is there and I always talk to them. I say: once you strike a balance between art and commerce, take yourself a little less seriously. Humble yourself to the music. Because if you're not a student of it, you can't be a teacher.' The 'Fever' artist also revealed the advice he received from fellow Jamaican music legend Buju Banton during a conversation in Manhattan in 2004. 'He told me: 'Once you slow it down and they hear you, you win.' That's when I started fine-tuning it. Then '05, the next year, I get my first Deejay of the Year,' he recalled of his victory at the International Reggae & World Music Awards. 'And it went uphill from there.' Revisit Vybz Kartel's hits below and see the details for his upcoming Barclays Center show above. More from Vybz Kartel Picks A Side In Drake-Kendrick Lamar Rap Feud Cardi B Defends Vybz Kartel After Comments About His Physical Appearance Vybz Kartel Prioritizing Health Following Prison Release: "Just Being Free Is Just An Amazing Feeling"
