DRAKE SHARES INSPIRATION BEHIND LAUNCHING HIS OWN TORONTO MUSIC VENUE

Drake is venturing into the live entertainment business with the launch of his own music venue called History. Partnering with Live Nation Canada, the 2,500-capacity venue is set to open in Toronto toward the end of 2021, serving as an alternative to much larger venues where fans are distanced from the stage.

 

Following Tuesday’s (June 8) announcement, Drizzy took to Instagram to share the inspiration behind the move and why it means so much to be able to open a venue in his hometown.

 “When I was younger in Toronto the biggest goal in the world to me was getting a crispy Iceberg or Girbaud fit from Jaydees Connections with @goldoildiamonds and trying to get into this legendary party called History Dance,” he said. 
“I never made it in but I always heard all about it in the days to follow.”

He continued, “Now thanks to this partnership with @michaelrapino artists from all across the world can come to Toronto and make their own History. See you in FALL 21 @historytoronto.”

History plans to “offer artists a versatile and intimate destination to perform and connect with fans in Toronto,” with 200 concerts and events intending to be hosted every year.

“Some of my most memorable shows were playing smaller rooms like History,” Drake said in a press release. 

“I wanted to take those memories and what I learned to create an incredible experience for both the artists and the fans.”

Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino added, “We saw an opportunity to bring Toronto a great new venue, and we have so much gratitude and respect for Drake teaming up with us to bring it to life in the best way possible.” 
Situated at 1663 Queen Street East in the Beaches neighborhood, History has been three years in the making with construction expected to be completed later this summer.

“History will offer guests up-close experiences with their favourite artists that are unrivaled in Toronto,” Live Nation Canada chairman Riley O’Connor concluded. “We take pride in and expect History to become an important part of the community.”


Tiwa Savage Stole “Lova Lova” From Me – Listen To Seyi Shay’s Side Of The Story

Nigerian singer, Seyi Shay has described her own account of the feud between herself and fellow singer, Tiwa Savage which led to a clash of words yesterday. 

Seyi Shay shared her own side of the story during a chat with Pulse Nigeria, which was posted on Tuesday, the 8th of June 2021. 
 The singer claims that she met Tiwa Savage in a salon and extended greetings which were duly returned. 
According to her, Tiwa came to meet her 20 minutes later and rained harsh words on her.

Seyi Shay says Tiwa Savage cursed her with barrenness and it hurt because she once had a miscarriage. 

She also claims that Tiwa stole “Lova Lova” from her, a song she co-wrote with Ceeza Milli;
 

Tiwa Savage and Seyi Shay were caught on video engaged in a war of words yesterday.

According to industry insiders and previous videos, it is obvious this has been going on for a while. We hope the two vocal powerhouses can sit down soon and settle their differences. 

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50 CENT, J. COLE + TRAVIS SCOTT TO HEADLINE ROLLING LOUD NEW YORK 2021

Rolling Loud New York has announced its 2021 festival with lineup featuring great minds like 50 Cent, J. Cole and Travis Scott. 

 Expanding to a three-day event, the giant Hip Hop festival will also see performances from Lil Uzi Vert, Gunna, Lil Durk, Gucci Mane, Jack Harlow, Polo G, Moneybagg Yo, Joey Bada$$, Pooh Shiesty, Lil Baby, Playboi Carti, Kodak Black, Rick Ross, Lil Yachty, Roddy Ricch, Lil Tjay, NAV, Rod Wave, The Diplomats, Griselda, Young Dolph and many other big names. 
 The event is scheduled to take place at Citi Field in Queens between October 28 and October 30, with tickets going on sale Friday (June 11) at 12.p.m ET.
 

Rolling Loud New York last took place in 2019 at the same venue, with Travis Scott, Meek Mill, Wu-Tang Clan, A$AP Rocky and Lil Uzi Vert among the headliners. 

50 Cent was brought out by Rocky as a surprise guest during his set, where he performed “What Up Gangsta,” “I Get Money” and his Power theme song “Big Rich Town.”
 

 

 Rolling Loud also has festivals taking place in Miami and California later this year, which both sold out in a matter of hours.

The Miami event is being headlined by A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott and Post Malone at the Hard Rock Stadium between July 23 and July 25, while Rolling Loud California is going down between December 10 and December 12 at the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino, with Kid Cudi, J. Cole and Future headlining.

EVER HEARD OF AN IDAHO RAPPER? KURTIS HOPPIE IS THE ANSWER – & THE TRUTH

 

With very little historical impact in Hip Hop culture, fans wouldn’t immediately pinpoint the state of Idaho to produce a credible rapper. 

 Enter Kurtis Hoppie, who lived his early days in Las Vegas but relocated to The Gem State where he found his craft, appreciation for music and most importantly for his trajectory, his faith in God.
 

 

 Formerly known as Triple Thr33, the tenured artist is feeling even more renewed these days. On Friday (June 4), he released Problem Child, his debut project with Derek Minor and Doc Watson’s RMG Amplify – Reflection Music Group, which made the partnership with his label One Vision Army (a Boise-based, tenured Christian Hip Hop label) something like a divine 

intervention.
 “I make music from the heart, my heart is filled with myself and a major influence of who I am is God,” Kurtis Hoppie tells HipHopDX in between fielding positive reactions from Problem Child‘s release.

“What it is, is up to the listener. Some would debate whether I’m a rapper at all anymore!” 

 Kurtis Hoppie’s music could be described as a hybrid between The Fray and Post Malone (one of his named influences), while still maintaining a bit of lyrical consistency and Hip Hop lifeblood in the music. 
The rhyme-laden “Vegan Burgers” cooks up organic love hymns while showcasing his melodic singing abilities as the chorus unfolds.

Ditto for the single “The Fall,” which narrates the fearlessness needed to navigate through life, across a downtempo, melancholic beat that can live in both rap and pop spaces effortlessly. 

 The accompanying music video depicts that exact fearlessness Hoppie wants to convey to his fans and followers, as he explains to DX his definition of plummeting his art outlines. 
 “Falling is running back to the things that you know you have overcome and should stay away from because of the effect it may have on your life and state of mind,” he explains, with emphasis on the record’s true meaning.

“The reason I am not afraid of the fall is because I know no matter how many times I fall God will always be there to pick me up and love me right back to where I am supposed to be.”

 

 Aside from Post Malone, Kurtis Hoppie credits his own label head Derek Minor, The Kid LAROI, as well as Logic’s artist Jon Bellion, Andy Mineo, Jon Keith and nobigdyl as the musicians who keep him active and competitive. 
He adopts the name of “problem child” while still injecting positivity and focus into his listener’s ears.

“I like to listen to music that moves me; I don’t listen to many artists that are super vulgar,” he continues, speaking of his raw yet clean lyrics. “I try to keep my mind on things above, and music really has an effect on my mind and the way my day goes.” 

 Get familiar with Kurtis Hoppie via his Instagram account as he preps the release of his video for “Eye Of The Storm.” 
 The Problem Child EP can be streamed below.
 

JAY-Z JOINS SQUARE, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS AFTER TWITTER CEO JACK DORSEY BUYS MAJORITY STAKE IN TIDAL

 

The yacht trip in the Hamptons JAY-Z took with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was a business move all along. On Thursday (March 4), Square, Inc. announced it’s reached an agreement to purchase majority ownership in TIDAL. 

 Square, the company founded by Dorsey, will be paying $297 million in cash and stock in TIDAL and in return, Hov will join Square’s board of directors. 
TIDAL will continue running as a separate company but will have a plethora of resources thanks to Square’s software technology. 
 The move comes two weeks after Hov sold half of his champagne company Armand de Brignac to LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in a historic deal.

Jay took to Twitter to share his excitement over the deal in a series of tweets, his first since 2018. 

 “This partnership will be a game-changer for many. I look forward to all this new chapter has to offer!,” he wrote. 
“Jack is one of the greatest minds of our times, and our many discussions about TIDAL’s endless possibilities have made me even more inspired about its future. This shared vision makes me even more excited to join the Square board.”

This partnership will be a game-changer for many. I look forward to all this new chapter has to offer!

— Mr. Carter (@sc) March 4, 2021

The Brooklyn legend then reiterated why TIDAL was so important to artists trying to bring their music to the masses, adding, “I said from the beginning that TIDAL was about more than just streaming music, and six years later, it has remained a platform that supports artists at every point in their careers. Artists deserve better tools to assist them in their creative journey.”

I said from the beginning that TIDAL was about more than just streaming music, and six years later, it has remained a platform that supports artists at every point in their careers. Artists deserve better tools to assist them in their creative journey.

— Mr. Carter (@sc) March 4, 2021

Rumors of a deal between JAY-Z and Dorsey started when the two were photographed hanging out in the Hamptons and again in Hawaii. There’s was no word on Jay wanting to sell TIDAL but according to a report from Bloomberg News, Dorsey wanted parts of the company

Hov bought TIDAL off Swedish Aspiro in 2015 for $56 million. In five years, the streaming service has subscribers in over 50 countries and reported they had three million sign up with the company in 2016, but there hasn’t been any word on those numbers since.