NEWS
Busta Rhymes applauded GloRilla for her “unfiltered” authenticity during a recent panel talk, describing her energy as “a different type of beautiful.”
Last week, Rolling Stone held a ‘Musicians On Musicians’ event in New York City where the two rappers were a part of a talk moderated by music journalist Touré at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. There, the legendary Brooklyn rapper made sure to publicly praise the 25-year-old before she “evolves to her Beyoncé level”.
According to Revolt, Busta began by reflecting on his position in hip-hop as an authority figure wanting to “walk in [his] purpose” and “pour into the souls of the new artists and make sure that they get that information.”
He made it clear that he doesn’t do that with every rising star, stating they must be “worthy of the blessing” before explaining what draws him to the Memphis hitmaker: “Me and Glo connected. Her energy is a different type of beautiful.
“What I love about GloRilla – and I hope that we can hold on to this GloRilla as long as possible before she evolves to her Beyoncé level – but the GloRilla that we love is the GloRilla that we see ourselves in,” he continued. “Like, we see [ourselves] in her. She is unfiltered, she is not politically correct and she is the truth. And the beauty is, when you are untainted by the industry. Her music speaks to my soul like that.”
Busta Rhymes is the latest superstar to sing GloRilla’s praises. Last month, Rihanna said she would want the ‘F.N.F’ rapper to create the theme song for her lingerie line Savage X Fenty, calling her “a young lady who’s still grounded in who she is and where she came from, and I love that.”
The ‘Pon De Replay’ singer shared her support for GloRilla before by posting a video of her dancing to the rapper’s viral song ‘TGIF’ in front of her partner, A$AP Rocky. She ironically recited the track’s lyrics: “It’s 7 pm Friday / It’s 95 degrees / I ain’t got no n**** and no n**** ain’t got me.
Last month, GloRilla dropped her long-awaited debut album ‘Glorious’, earning three stars from NME. “As a body of work, ‘Glorious’ is uneven – there are a handful of certified hits and a bunch of questionable additions that suggest better quality control was needed here,” the review read. “But, with her undeniable energy and beautiful message of girl power, it’s still worth a listen, even if it doesn’t live up to the expectations that her attention-grabbing singles previously set.”
Pop-country megastar Jelly Roll expressed his interest in collaborating with Glo after the release of ‘Glorious’, tweeting: “Your album is amazing – please put me on the next one […] So happy for you and your success. You deserve all the good coming your way. Praying for y’all and sending love.”
The former President of the United States Barack Obama even added her and Megan Thee Stallion’s party anthem ‘Wanna Be’ to his 2024 Summer Playlist.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
