NEWS
LETSGETFR.EE unveiled the lineup for its inaugural festival on Tuesday (March 1), and it includes Missy Elliott, Wizkid, Jhené Aiko and more.
The fest, which organizers are calling “a conscious carnaval,” will take place Aug. 20 and 21 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. Additional performers on the lineup include Jorja Smith, Major Lazer Sound System, Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, Ozuna, Kali Uchis, Flatbush Zombies, Beenie Man, Tiwa Savage and more, with additional artists to be announced soon.
“Carnaval is the world…And the world resides in Queens. Get ready for a real diverse lineup and show that breaks the mold,” LETSGETFR.EE captioned the post announcing the lineup and revealing the colorful poster on Instagram.
According to a press release, the mission of the event is to “close the equity gap for Black, Brown, Asian, and other underrepresented people in the entertainment industry, with the aim of achieving a diversified workforce across all levels in the industry by 2030,” as well as to “drastically shift and empower the advancement of the next generation of…thinkers, artists, activists, and innovators.”
Tickets for the two-day festival go on sale to the general public March 9 at 10 a.m. ET via ticketing platform DICE. Meanwhile, local residents of Queens can register for an exclusive pre-sale beginning March 1 through the event’s official website.
Back in December, Timbaland teased that he was working with Elliott on a new album, which would serve as the artist’s first full-length studio set since 2005’s The Cookbook. Wizkid, meanwhile, is also set to take part in the in-person return of The Roots Picnic this June with Mary J. Blige, Kirk Franklin and more.
NEWS
There is no question that Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out made a serious impact and continues to hold weight. The project showed that hip hop is not limited by age and proved that a long-awaited return can still land in a major way regardless of the time away.
If you need a reminder, the Virginia duo’s fourth studio album debuted comfortably within the top five of the Hot 200. It secured the number four position and moved an impressive 118,000 units in its first week.
On top of that, it picked up a win at this year’s Grammys, earning Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips.” The album also received four additional nominations, including Best Music Video, Rap Album, and Album of the Year.
It is hard to believe the project will officially hit its one year mark this summer on July 11. Even so, Pusha T is making it clear that both supporters and critics should not be overlooking it anytime soon.
While performing at Coachella yesterday, King Push told the crowd that LGSEO still sits at the top, regardless of genre.
He said, “‘Let God Sort Em Out’ is still the album of the motherfckin year. Whole new year, still album of the year,” per Kurrco. “Album of the motherfcking year until we drop again. We don't care who dropping. It don't matter.”
That is a strong statement for obvious reasons, especially considering the recent claims surrounding Push himself.
Over the same weekend, hip hop social media lit up after several alleged reference tracks connected to Quentin Miller and Push began circulating. Three tracks surfaced in total, but one that drew the most attention was an alleged record titled “Real Gon’ Come.” It is said to come from the DAYTONA era, around 2017 to 2018.
The situation gained traction because fans remember the past tension between Drake and Pusha T before Drake’s clash with Kendrick Lamar. During that feud, Pusha accused Drake of using ghostwriters on tracks like “Infrared,” which appears on DAYTONA. On that song, he raps, “The bigger question is how the Russians did it /
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.”
Reactions have been mixed. Some people argue it is not a major issue since Miller’s alleged contributions were limited to hooks. Others point out that the songs were never officially released, so they see no real problem. Meanwhile, critics view it as clear hypocrisy on Pusha T’s part, a perspective that DJ Akademiks has also supported.
