NEWS
6ix9ine has shared some of the wildest stories in hip-hop, leaving it up to fans to decide what’s real and what’s part of his trolling persona. He’s built a reputation as rap’s biggest provocateur, but this time, his claim might actually hold some truth. In a recent interview, the rapper recalled offering NBA YoungBoy a massive deal to collaborate on a song.
According to the Bushwick native, he was ready to pay $1 million for the guest verse. The conversation, which surfaced through DJ Akademiks, revealed that 6ix9ine wanted YoungBoy to feature on his 2022 single “GINE.” Instead, the track dropped as a solo release on April 15, 2022.
6ix9ine explained that their talks were serious and that they were close to hitting the studio together. However, it seems YoungBoy wanted to take the record in a more positive direction, something that didn’t align with what the “GUMMO” rapper had in mind.
In his own words, “I’m not on no positive sh*t. I don’t wanna be positive.”
YoungBoy may have decided to step back because of the real-life themes tied to the track. The song references 6ix9ine’s time with the Nine Trey Bloods, a chapter that’s well-documented and controversial.
The track also mentions Lul Timm, one of YoungBoy’s affiliates who was accused of murdering King Von.
Timm, who was seen hanging out with DJ Akademiks during one of YoungBoy’s tour stops, reportedly declined the song because of the allegations and legal issues surrounding him at the time. According to 6ix9ine, he only offered him “10 bands.” Kodak Black was also approached for the record.
Altogether, the story lines up with previous rumors about a potential collaboration between two of rap’s most polarizing figures. Discussions about a joint effort surfaced around four years ago and even lingered into 2024, though nothing ever materialized.
One collaboration that seems entirely off the table is between 6ix9ine and 21 Savage. During a recent chat with DJ Akademiks, 6ix9ine took aim at the UK-born rapper, claiming he’s better than him because he’s American-born.
21 later tweeted, saying that everyone seems to be “in a race to be the corniest alive,” leading fans to believe the message was directed at the rainbow-haired MC.
NEWS
Placebo have kicked off their 30th anniversary tour by dusting off some tracks for the first time in over 20 years, and also playing new single ‘Helen Keller’ live for the first time.
The new dates come as the band are celebrating the 30 years since they dropped their 1996 debut album. To mark the occasion, they have announced a huge UK and European arena tour, where they have vowed to predominantly play material from their first album and their sophomore record ‘Without You I’m Nothing’.
At the opening night at Krakatoa in Mérignac, France, Brian Molko and co. delivered a stacked 19-song set, which began with ‘Pure Morning’, and immediately went into the first rendition of ‘Come Home’ in 20 years.
Another rarity came straight after, with the first live performance of ‘You Don’t Care About Us’ since 2001, as well as ‘Without You I’m Nothing’ and ‘Allergic (To Thoughts Of Mother Earth)’ which were played for the first time since 2018 and 2014 respectively.
‘Drowning by Numbers’, ‘Bruise Pristine’ and ‘My Sweet Prince’ were all introduced into the setlist for the first time since 2001, ‘Brick Shithouse’ was aired out for the first time since 2003, ‘Scared Of Girls’ was played for the first time since 2010, and both ‘Lady Of The Flowers’ and ‘36 Degrees’ were broken out for the first time in nine years.
The rest of the set was made up of ‘Teenage Angst’, ‘Bionic’, ‘I Know’ and ‘Every You Every Me’, and the band wrapped up the performance with two covers: Depeche Mode’s ‘I Feel You’, and Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’.
It wasn’t until a later show at the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal, that Placebo broke out their new song ‘Helen Keller’ for the first time – playing it 13 songs into the setlist.
Check out more footage from the tour so far below, as well as the setlist from night one.
‘Pure Morning’
‘Come Home’ (First time since 2006)
‘You Don’t Care About Us'(First Time Since 2001)
‘Teenage Angst’
‘Bionic’
‘Without You I’m Nothing” (First Time Since 2018)
‘Allergic (to Thoughts of Mother Earth)” (First Time Since 2014)
‘Drowning by Numbers” (First Time Since 2001)
’36 Degrees” (Alternate Version – First Time Since 2017)
‘I Know’
‘Brick Shithouse’ (First Time Since 2003)
‘Scared of Girls’ (First Time Since 2010)
‘Bruise Pristine” (First Time Since 2001)
‘My Sweet Prince’ (First Time Since 2001)
‘Lady of the Flowers’ (First time since 2017)
‘Nancy Boy’
‘Every You Every Me’
‘I Feel You’ (Depeche Mode cover, live debut)
‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ (Kate Bush cover)
Placebo dropped the single ‘Helen Keller’ on September 28, and it sees them reach back to ‘H.K. Farewell’, a hidden instrumental from the era of their self-titled 1996 debut. In the track, they retain the eerie keyboard melody from the original, and push it to new dimensions with a heavier, more anguished feeling.
The title refers to the American author, who was also a disability rights advocate and political activist, who became deafblind as a young child and went on to become an internationally renowned writer and campaigner.
As well as the tour, Placebo also celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut by releasing a reimagined version of the record. For the LP, Molko and Stefan Olsdal returned to the original master tapes and reworked all 10 songs from the 1996 record – describing it as a “director’s cut” that helped them inject the original songs with three decades more experience.
The ongoing tour will reach the UK and Ireland in late November and early December, where they will play Nottingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, London and Cardiff. See all the dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
Dates will head to Latin America in 2027, beginning in São Paulo on February 20 and running through Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia before wrapping up with shows in Guadalajara and Monterrey in March.
Placebo dropped their last album of new material in 2022, with ‘Never Let Me Go’. That record was given a four-star review by NME, which described it as “a renaissance rock record with an experimental edge”, adding that it found Placebo “inspired and ready for a new era”.
