Amber

Join the watch party for Ballet Hispánico's 'Con Brazos Abiertos' and catch a Q&A with choreographer Michelle Manzanales. View the full article

Opera singer Andrea Bocelli's Easter concert from an empty Duomo cathedral in Milan reached 2.8 million live and more than 10 times that afterward. View the full article

Cardi B and Bernie Sanders had a new conversation about coronavirus and Joe Biden. View the full article

The last thing we need is another Beethoven's Fifth Symphony — unless Teodor Currentzis is conducting. His new recording brings much-needed catharsis. View the full article

Paul McCartney, a longtime animal-rights activist, discussed the coronavirus pandemic and Chinese wet markets on Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show Tuesday. View the full article

Producer, arranger and songwriter Van Dyke Parks, 77, on working with the late Hal Willner, the upside of isolation and why his best work better be ahead of him. View the full article

Director Kenny Ortega enlists Vanessa Hudgens, Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel and Zac Efron for the 'Disney Family Singalong.' View the full article

Kevin Kline won a Tony Award for his hilarious romp through this Noel Coward farce. Here's how to see it online for free. View the full article

Kid Cudi has returned with his first solo song in four years. It's 'Leader of the Delinquents' and it clues fans into the ride that he's gone on. View the full article

There's a feud going on between O.T. Genasis and Keyshia Cole, however, the rapper seems to be the one instigating the beef. O.T. Genasis remixed her classic hit "Love" and turned it into the off-key gang-themed track "Never Knew." Keyshia made it clear that she wasn't enthused with the reimaging of her song, especially because the rapper didn't contact her to even make her aware of his plans. A war of words ensued, with O.T. Genasis trolling the R&B singer and calling her names. Recently, he even hopped on Live to serve a few more. “She ain’t sh*t. Keyshia Cole ain’t sh*t, I am," he said. "I’m the sh*. Keyshia Cole ain’t. Coochie smelling like fish sticks. That’s what’s going on. Coochie smelling like fish sticks. Keyshia Cole p*ssy smelling like fish sticks. Nah, I’m not gon’ talk about her.” Keyshia later took to Twitter to share a few insults of her own, albeit she didn't specifically name O.T. Genasis. Earlier today (April 13), Keyshia's sister Neffe shared a lengthy Instagram post where she called out O.T. for being rude. "I will never respect a Greasy disrespectful shadow of a man coming for a woman who has said nothing about you!" Neffe penned. "Men with Mommy issues trying to tear women down I know you got bullied in school and was always denied by the pretty girls clearly!" She then asked if this is the "new normal and threw in a jab at the rapper's ex Malika Haqq who just gave birth to their son. "We gonna sit here and let him do that and think it’s funny ? Sir continue to chase after the woman that is still trying to keep up with a kardashian!" Neffe said. "And you claim to be this gangsta... Crip walk yo ass to take care of that baby! maybe if some fish sticks was in your mouth you would would finally shut it!!!!!" Check out her message in full below. View the full article

With YS and Sada Baby on the same track, it's a shame we aren't allowed outside these days. The two rappers connected for their new single, "Mobsters" produced by Ron-Ron. Over a chilling instrumental that highlights the regional Detroit sound, YS and Sada Baby deliver vivid bars about their bleak reality as they strive to make a living off of rap. "I'mma get it out a rapper, I'm a whip in the kitchen," YS raps on his verse. Sada Baby, per usual, makes another great case why 2020 was meant to be his year. Through his abrasive and animated delivery, he drops ridiculous bars from everything surrounding the size of Eric Bledsoe's arms to his sex life. Check out Sada Baby and YS's collaboration "Mobsters" below. Quotable Lyrics Change the mothafuckin' topic 'cause I said so He got muscles for no reason, Eric Bledsoe He in the gym, working out to get a headstone Hit her from the back on the floor 'cause my legs long View the full article

Denver's Trev Rich has been putting in work for some time now. Though the Denver rapper previously found a home at Cash Money records, he's gone the independent route in recent times while still keeping his foot on the pedal. This weekend, he returned with his latest project, NOVA. Stretching for twelve songs in total, his latest effort only has a single feature from TheyCallHimAP who appears on the track, "Black Roses." The project was led by the single, "Knots" that's been catching a serious buzz online. "See the definition of a Nova is a star showing a sudden large increase in brightness and then slowly returning to its original state over a few months," Rich said about the project in a press release. "I honestly feel like that’s me. I don’t like fame. I don’t like clout. I come out to shine my light through dope music and disappear again. I come out to release some energy into the world and go back in hiding." Peep the project below. View the full article

The falsettos have been coming out to play as they've attempted to give their renditions of Usher's 2012 single "Climax." In a recent interview with Variety, The Weeknd sparked controversy after he mentioned the R&B icon. "I heard ‘Climax,’ that Usher song, and was like, ‘Holy f—, that’s a Weeknd song,'" he told the publication. "It was very flattering, and I knew I was doing something right, but I also got angry. But the older I got, I realized it’s a good thing.” Diplo, who helped craft "Climax," later tweeted that he wanted to bring "dark edges" to R&B, much like The Weeknd did with House of Balloons in 2011. The Weeknd replied that the media blew things out of proportion. "Usher is a King and always an inspiration so it was flattering to hear what him and Diplo did on climax. XO." Later, singer Brian McKnight's son, Brian McKnight Jr., added his two cents to the controversy. He shared a video of himself showing off his singing skills and wrote that truly, "Climax" leans more to his father's sound. "I always thought it sounded more like a Brian McKnight hook, personally, which is really just a Prince Rip off, at the end of the day," Brian Jr. wrote in the caption. "But that’s only if you ask me. . What do y’all think?" He then tagged Usher, The Weeknd, and Eric Bellinger before tossing in a few hastags including "#TheBestArtistsSteal." Check it out below. View the full article

Tory Lanez has been keeping us all entertained with Quarantine Radio. Each episode is filled with surprises, some less appropriate for work than others, but overall, Tory's kept the internet exciting. Earlier today, he returned to Quarantine Radio following the release of his new project New Toronto 3 which dropped on Friday. Things were equally exciting today with the rapper hosting three different competitions with a grand prize of $15K including a twerk-a-thon. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Now, at this point, we know that any lady that plans on twerking on Tory Lanez's Quarantine Radio must come with their A-Game. Women are seriously showing out, and sometimes it can get pretty wild. That being said, Strawberry Milk began trending on Twitter after the latest episode of Quarantine Radio and it's because no man has ever been as excited for strawberry milk as Tory Lanez in the history of mankind. One contestant blew the other competitors out the water by pouring strawberry milk on her ass while twerking. "This just in! Strawberry Milk 17 number trending on Twitter right now," he said in a separate Instagram post. "Strawberry milk, the ass was fat and you came with creativity." "QUARANTINE RADIO !!!!!! #STRAWBERRY MILK IS TRENDING AND SHE IS IN THE LEAD," he declared. Shout out to the head of Instagram for letting Tory Lanez out of IG prison. We can't post the twerk video since it's a bit NSFW so check out Tory's post below. View the full article

They were able to mend their differences and become good friends, but there was a point in time when Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were at odds. The "Shaq vs. Kobe" feud was one that entertained basketball fans, but that time made for some regrettable decisions. There were rumors of physical altercations and rap bars about the beef, but according to Isaiah Rider, Shaq even offered up cash to fight his former foe. Kevork Djansezian / Stringer / Getty Images Isaiah Rider spent one year with the Los Angeles Lakers as a guard from 2000-2001, and he told All The Smoke that his former teammate offered him $10K to fight with Kobe Bryant. “When I first get to the Lakers, Shaq tells me ‘If you and Kobe get into it, it’s 10 G’s in the locker,'” Rider recalled. “This is three days into practice... I’m like ‘Man, come on, you playing, man.’ [Shaq said] ‘There’s 10 G’s in one-dollar bills, man. If you ever get into it and you handle your business, grab that.'" Rider said he could believe it. “I’m coming to the Lakers, I’m like, ‘Man, these boys are crazy, bro,'" he added. "But this my thing: I would’ve been off the team so fast if somebody laid a hand on that man." Rider decided not to take Shaq up on his offer, and eventually, Shaq and Kobe became great friends before the late icon's untimely passing. Check out Isaiah Rider sharing his story below. [source] View the full article

The WWE will be making its return to television after the governor of Florida's office determined that it was, in fact, an essential service. That means the pre-recorded programming that they've been forced to air over the past few weeks, as well as WrestleMania 36, due to the coronavirus pandemic will be coming to an end with Monday Night Raw set to relaunch next week. Raw and SmackDown will be aired live from the Orlando, FL training facility. Though WWE confirmed the news on Saturday, despite the statewide stay-at-home order, the mayor of Orange County, FL revealed that the governor of Florida's office had switched their initial position. "I think initially there was a review that was done and they were not initially deemed an essential business," Mayor Jerry Demings said during a press conference. "With some conversation with the Governor’s office regarding the Governor’s order, they were deemed an essential business. And so, therefore, they were allowed to remain open." Demings did not detail any of the specific information surrounding this position. However, he did comment on the confirmed case of coronavirus among the WWE staff. "That’s like a little family. A small family of professional athletes that wrestle. And, if one of my family members tested positive in my house, that would be concerning to me," he said. "We would have to make some provisions in our house to make sure that the rest of us not get infected. So, I would assume that, from a business perspective, the WWE is doing that type of analysis of its own family." The WWE issued a statement over the weekend about their decision to return to a live format in the midst of the pandemic. They revealed that it'll only allow essential personnel at the venue during these times. "We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times," the statement said. "We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance." [Via] View the full article

It's unclear just how long we're going to be quarantined due to coronavirus, but the cases continue to stack up. There have been tens of thousands of people who have lost their lives to COVID-19, but there have also been families rejoicing for their relatives who have recovered from the illness. Black Ink Crew star Ceaser Emanuel recently took to his Instagram to share that he's been separated from his mother for a month because she was diagnosed with COVID-19. The pair recently reunited so the reality star wanted to share his story. "They finally released my mother @desiree_simpson from a month quarantine," he penned in a caption of a photo of his family. "I am not going lie this month was the scariest time in my life. To find out your mother caught Corona and watch her in a life threatening fight to get pass it. She is the STRONGEST WOMAN I KNOW IN MY WHOLE LIFE and if it was anybody else, they would have gave up." Ceaser also offered up a few words of advice. "In these SCARY times keep your FAMILY CLOSE.I pray that we all MAKE IT THROUGH THIS.... F*CK CORONA #ceaserblackink #ilovemymom." Check out Ceaser Emanuel share photos of his loved ones below. View the full article

E-40 has been blessing us with bangers for decades and he clearly has no intention of stopping anytime soon. Over the weekend, the Bay Area legend unleashed his latest single, "Go." The Hyphy bounce remains alive and well with an ascending angelic voice that builds the beat up until the verse kicks in. E-40 swiftly flexes his flow while making references to Game Of Thrones, wiretapped conversation and diamonds in a matter of bars. The new single serves as the latest single off of E-40's forthcoming project, The Curb Commentator which is due out later this month. This album is set to follow 2019's Practice Makes Paper that included the single, "Chase The Money." Check out E-40's new single, "Go" below and keep your eyes peeled for his new album. Quotable Lyrics Gotta stay polished and crispy and buttoned up Keep a 1911 Kimber, Michael 9 on the tuck Gotta watch your whereabouts, be on the hush They'll sneak you, dirt you, shoot up your truck View the full article

Young Chop simply doesn't give a f*ck. Over the past few weeks, he's turned into hip-hop's biggest trolling with the levels of sh*t talking he's been on. Meek Mill and 21 Savage have been his most consistent targets but he's also fired metaphoric shots at Jay-Z, Drake, and more. However, it's been the feud with 21 Savage that's sustained the longest throughout quarantine with the drill producer. Chop even went to 21's hood searching for him. Days later, a video was released warning Young Chop that he has 24 hours to get out of Atlanta. Chop shared this video to his Instagram page, writing, "pull up." However, he took to Instagram to further antagonize these individuals. "I posted that 20 hours ago. Y'all got four more hours to go, y'all," he said. "I got four more hours to go. I'll be waiting." A man of little words, he simply let the video run as he counted his money. Chop was recently arrested for reckless conduct after his hunt for 21 Savage went left. Earlier that day, as Chop went into 21 Savage's old neighborhood in Allen Temple apartment projects where he was eventually shot at and was on Instagram Live as it happened. The producer even showed that the window was shattered. Clearly, that wasn't enough to prevent Young Chop from continuing his tirade. Check out Young Chop's latest response below. View the full article

Los Angeles artist Pink Siifu breaks down his latest album, 'Negro,' including its genre-mashing origin and exploration, how he's been keeping his mind limber during quarantine, and his plans to transform it into a visual installation. View the full article

The L.A. Phil's Martin Chalifour performs a violin recital at home, a highlight of cultural events you can stream while in quarantine. View the full article

Julian Casablancas on the Strokes' prophetically titled new album, 'The New Abnormal,' and the moment he knew that Bernie Sanders was doomed. View the full article

Nafe Smallz has been making serious waves in the past year. Though he's become a prominent figure in the UK scene, he's made further strides in North America with the success of singles like "Greaze Mode" with Skepta and "Good Love" with Tory Lanez. Next week, the rapper will release his new project, GOAT WORLD and ahead of its release, he's unleashed a brand new banger. Teaming up with Wretch 32, the two rappers deliver an anthem that will ring off this summer titled, "Ocean Deep." The two rappers deliver an island-infused banger with strong dancehall vibes and an infectious hook. The new single arrives after Nafe's "Quarantine Freestyle" and "Home Run." GOAT WORLD is set to arrive next Friday, April 17th. Keep your eyes peeled for that. Quotable Lyrics Me, I'm from the ends still they know I'm fabulous We na keep no fake friends 'round me, everything blessed Smoking in the ends right back to Northwest This Cali smoke is giving me short breath View the full article

The long-awaited reunion of past collaborators Usher, Ludacris, and Lil Jon, as well as dvsn, Ty Dolla $ign, and Banju Banton linking up are just a few reasons that this week's "R&B Season" playlist is looking hot as hell. As usual, we've been keeping our specially-curated "R&B Season" playlist updated with the best R&B offerings, and this week we've racked up a few essential additions. Of course, the highly-anticipated "SexBeat" from Usher, Ludacris, and Lil Jon made the cut, marking the official reunion of the iconic trio behind 2004's "Yeah!" and "Lovers & Friends." Although fans were made aware that such a collaboration existed back in November, Jon built the hype way up during his beat battle with T-Pain over Instagram live last weekend when he played almost the entire track. In the days to follow, fans begged Usher to let Jon drop it as a single ASAP, since Usher had initially intended to release it on his upcoming album, Confessions III. However, we were officially treated to the raunchy yet romantic "SexBeat" on Friday, and it was well worth the 16-year wait. Dvsn also came through with a dope new single featuring the likes of Ty Dolla $ign and Banju Banton, titled, "Dangerous City." The single is the latest from the OVO duo as they gear up for the release of their album, A Muse in Her Feelings, their first since 2017's Morning After. We've also included another track from Kiana Ledé's new album, KIKI, this week, this time highlighting the Ari-Lennox-featured "Chocolate." And make sure to check out "On The Road" from up-and-comer, Young Rog. Get into our updated "R&B Season" playlist below and don't forget to follow our other specially-curated playlists. Follow HNHH on Spotify. Follow FIRE EMOJI on Spotify. Follow R&B SEASON on Spotify. Follow our freshly-updated Wake & Bake playlist here. Follow our G.O.O.D. Music playlist (for a GOOD ASS FRIDAY) here. View the full article

The YSL camp has grown over the years as Young Thug's platform is now one that also sheds light on up-and-coming acts. The rapper's introduced the world to many of our favorite acts of today such as Lil Baby and Gunna but there are many other artists that he's putting on such as Dolly White. She may have first come to your attention with her appearance on Thugger's Slime Language compilation, a project that highlighted many of the up-and-coming acts under his wing. This weekend, Dolly White teamed up with Gunna for her latest single, "Gotta Be Careful." A muddy instrumental with hypnotic flutes serves as the backdrop for both Dolly White and Gunna who use "Gotta Be Careful" as both a cautionary tale and a moment for the YSL artists to flex out the gates. Quotable Lyrics YSL, we keep giving you flavors If it's fuck you, then n***a I hate ya Love me now 'cause you gon' love me later View the full article