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Tag: Drake

  • DTC Brands Doing Incredible Numbers on Shopify, Says COO

    DTC Brands Doing Incredible Numbers on Shopify, Says COO

    Direct to consumer brands are doing incredible numbers on Shopify, says Shopify COO Harley Finkelstein. He says that Kylie Jenner has generated almost a billion dollars in sales on the platform and many other influencers such as Kanye West, Drake, and most recently Tom Brady are also doing very well.

    “Even if you go beyond just Kylie, you look at companies like Bombas and Allbirds and Tommy John and Fashion Nova, these are brands that didn’t exist five or ten years ago and they’re absolutely doing incredible numbers on Shopify with no slowing down in mind,” says Finklestein. “Shopify was built to help anyone that has an idea start a great business and sell to a global audience.”

    Harley Finkelstein, COO of Shopify, talks about the incredible numbers DTC brands are doing on Shopify, the huge success of Shopify Capital, and their quick acceptance of cannabis stores in Canada and potentially the rest of the world, in an interview with Jim Cramer on CNBC:

    DTC Brands Doing Incredible Numbers on Shopify

    We’re really happy with how we ended the year and certainly, the quarter was great and we’re really excited about our future. We’ve been at this now for almost 14 years. We’ve grown to 820,000 merchants up from 600,000 merchants a year ago. We have a big top of funnel with brand new entrepreneurs getting started on Shopify for the very first time. We also have some very large brands like the big CPGs and some big direct to consumer (DTC) companies all using Shopify to scale their businesses. We’ve got a really great business model and we’re having a lot of fun.

    It’s amazing. I think the Kylie story ($1 billion in sales) was surprising to a lot of people, not for us because we see so many stories like that all the time. Whether it’s Kanye West launching his Yeezy store on Shopify or Drake’s store or Tom Brady’s new store, we see all of these major brands and huge influencers using Shopify to create authentic products and sell it to the audience. I always sort of think back to if DTC and direct-to-consumer were around when Michael Jordan was creating the Jordan brand with Nike I think Nike would be a supplier and Michael Jordan would be the brand. He would own the entirety of his business as opposed to getting a licensing fee.

    We’re really excited about this. But even if you go beyond just Kylie, you look at companies like Bombas and Allbirds and Tommy John and Fashion Nova, these are brands that didn’t exist five or ten years ago and they’re absolutely doing incredible numbers on Shopify with no slowing down in mind. Shopify was built to help anyone that has an idea start a great business and sell to a global audience. We really do bend the learning curve to make it really easy to get started.

    Shopify Helping Democratize the Entire Business Process

    The ones that succeed, not all of them do, but the ones that do succeed they grow really large with us and over time we want to provide them with more services and more solutions. For example, we launched Shopify Payments a couple of years ago. We went to the payments companies and negotiated rates on their behalf. We launched Shopify Shipping and went to the shipping company and negotiated shipping costs on their behalf. We always are trying to find economies of scale to help democratize the entire business process for these small businesses.

    More recently we realized that a lot of these small businesses also need capital. Because we have so much information on them we’re able to make really quick and very effective underwriting decisions so we were able to go and offer them capital cash advances. We’ve given out hundreds of millions of dollars of cash advances to a lot of these small businesses who if it wasn’t for Shopify would not be able to get this money on their own.

    Entrepreneurs Want to Own Their Audience

    Etsy fundamentally is a marketplace. Etsy is a place where someone who makes a product can go to find an audience. But our feeling is that you know for an entrepreneur they don’t always want to rent the audience. They want to own the audience. They want to have a direct relationship with their customers. They want to own the entire to profit margin. They want to be able to sell and have long-term relations with the people that are buying their products.

    So companies like Etsy do a really good job of curating a bunch of products and renting those customers to those makers. We think the marketplaces are really great but we think ultimately makers and entrepreneurs and merchants want to have a direct relationship with the people buying their products. One of the things that is not well known about Shopify but one way to think about what we do is really this retail operating system. Merchants can start a store with us very easily and they can build a beautiful online store but they can also cross-sell to different marketplaces like eBay or Amazon.

    The idea is that it feeds all feeds back in one centralized back office which is Shopify. That’s where they can run the entirety of their business. Really the idea is let’s become the most important piece of software they use on a daily basis. The first thing they open every morning, the last thing they close every night. So obviously marketplace will play a role there but ultimately merchants want to find customers wherever those customers exist and more and more they want to sell direct to those customers.

    Shopify Facilitating Cannabis Sales in Canada

    The reason we started with Canada was there was clarity in Canada. The Canadian government, the legislature, they were very clear with how they were going to roll out the commercialization and the legalization of cannabis sales on the consumer side. We felt it was really important for us to act quickly and effectively to not only win as much of the Canadian market as we possibly could but also to show the rest of the world as they begin to think about cannabis sales that we are the first phone call that they should be making.

    Whether it’s the province of Ontario or British Columbia or most of the largest licensed producers like Canopy in Canada, Shopify is what’s powering those retail sales. We think that we can do a great job helping other countries and other regions do the same thing.

  • Meek Mill Returns To Twitter After Feud With Drake, Says He Lost His Account Password

    The feud between rappers Meek Mill and Drake has resurfaced once again.

    Mill had been missing in action on social media for about two weeks. His tweet, explaining why he was absent, said his camp changed his Twitter password to pacify the brewing dispute with fellow rapper Drake.

    Their feud started when Mill accused Drake of having a ghostwriter. Mill said Drake does not write his own lyrics and he wants people to stop comparing them.

    Drake came back with two diss songs “Back to Back” and “Charged Up.” Mill replied with his single “Wanna Know.”

    The dispute between the two hip hop acts has seemingly helped them sell more records.

    Drake’s “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” single became the first song released in 2015 to reach platinum in the U.S. It has sold over 1 million copies to date.

    Drake posted a photo on Instagram announcing his achievement. His caption conveyed his hopes for his next project Views From The 6 which is slated for release next year.

    Platinum off the tape. Views up next. Thank you once again. 💵💷💶💴6⃣

    A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on

    On the other hand, Mills’ single Dreams Worth More Than Money currently has sold over 313,000 copies in the U.S. alone.

    According to reports, Mill tried to stop his fight with Drake in a Twitter post that has since been deleted. However, Drake has not yet given any further reaction towards the issue.

    On the lighter side, since Mill’s tweet announcing his comeback to social media, Twitter followers began playing with the tag #MeeksPassword in an attempt to guess the rapper’s password. And of course, an onslaught of ridiculous tweets directed at Meek Mill have emerged.

  • Rita Ora And Madonna Reunite In Secret Music Video

    Good news for Rita Ora fans. The singer has reportedly filmed a secret music video with the “Material Girl” herself, Madonna.

    The “Vogue” songstress and the 24-year-old Ora were said to have developed a friendship after meeting at different showbiz events. An insider even commented there was a “real connection” there that went beyond the normal business-related relationships.

    Ora was one of the few people who came to 56-year-old music superstar’s defense after the incident with Drake and the two became closer after that.

    During a performance at Coachella, Madonna pulled Drake into a passionate French kiss that was typical of the “Like a Virgin” star. But Drake appeared to be disgusted by the kiss, and was seen making a face and wiping his mouth afterwards.

    The singer received a not so small amount of ridicule after the incident.

    But Ora came to Madonna’s defense, posting a steamy 90’s photo of the pop legend on Instagram that showed off her athletic body in pasties and a sheer leotard.

    A photo posted by Rita Ora (@ritaora) on

     

    “Thank you for fighting all these ageist battles, and paving a way, that just maybe one day, all of us ‘Younger’ Artists won’t have too in the future,” Ora’s message said.

    And it seemed that Madonna was appreciative of the gesture as well.

    A photo posted by Rita Ora (@ritaora) on

     

    A music video with an icon like Madonna might just be the extra push the “I Will Never Let You Down” hit maker needs to make it big in the US.

    “It’s an incredible coup for Rita to do a vid with Madonna and shows how big she is becoming in the States,” a source close to the singer said.

    And Ora was so excited that she even “changed her schedule to be able to do the filming in an instant.”

    This isn’t the first time that the two have worked together. The British singer has also been tapped to be the face of Material Girl, Madonna and daughter Lourdes’ clothing line.

  • Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly Destroyed Drake’s Spotify Record

    Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly Destroyed Drake’s Spotify Record

    Christmas came early to Kendrick Lamar fans late Sunday night when his new album To Pimp a Butterfly landed on Spotify a week early. The hype is real. It’s something else.

    If you felt like you and everyone in the world was streaming it Monday, that’s because they were. According to Spotify, the album was streamed an incredible 9.6+ million times on its first day of availability.

    Just last month Drake set a Spotify record with 6.8 million streams on the first day with If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Kendrick just shattered that. Drake also set a three-day record with 17.3 million streams. It appears that Kendrick will shatter that, too.

    Here’s the album. Listen to it. Then repeat.

    Image via Spotify, Twitter

  • Drake’s New Album Crushes Spotify Stream Record

    Drake’s New Album Crushes Spotify Stream Record

    Drake’s new album, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, has crushed a Spotify stream record – one previous held by Drake.

    The album, which dropped to many surprised fans last Thursday, garnered 17.3 million streams in its first three days.

    The previous record was also held by Drake. His album Nothing Was The Same had 15.8 million streams – and it took that one a full week.

    Spotify says the album was streamed 6.8 million times on Valentine’s Day.

    The mixtape has received mostly positive reviews, with the Telegraph saying it “sounds like the work of an artist who knows he is at the head of the hip hop pack, laying down a gauntlet to the whole of rap music.

    Drake would still like you to weigh in on it, though…

  • Drake 0 to 100: Song Reportedly Led To Club Fight With Diddy

    Drake’s “0 To 100” single may have been the reason behind his recent fight with famed Bad Boy Records CEO, Diddy.

    For those who missed it, the two rappers made headlines over the weekend for an alleged fight they had at DJ Khaled’s birthday bash at Club Liv in Miami, FL.

    Now, several media outlets are reporting why the fight occurred. Miss Info reported a detailed account about the controversial song, which was producer by one of Drake’s known hit-makers Boi-1da.

    “The beat that caused this whole dispute is actually “0 to 100″ by Boi-1da,” the site reported.

    “Apparently, Diddy was given that beat first, eventually sent it to Drake to put a verse on it, but as we all know Drake released “0 to 100″ as a freestyle using the beat instead,” the report explained.

    Surprisingly, the report also revealed even though Diddy covered the record first, he ultimately turned it down which is how it landed solely in Drake’s hands.

    According to TMZ, Diddy has even accused Drake of “stealing” the hit song. On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Diddy hit the stage for a performance where he addressed the rumors surrounding the infamous fight.

    “I gave this shit to this n—a, this n—a stole this shit from me,” Diddy said of “0 to 100.” He continued, “At the end of the day, this s— is still hard,” he said before playing the song and dancing around on stage.

    Although the allegations have yet to be confirmed or denied, Drake’s recent Instagram post may support the claims. The caption for the black and white picture read, “They’re either talking s— about you or stealing the s— you’re talking…either way the name been poppin.”

    A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on

    The controversy behind the song follows the announcement of a Grammy nomination the song received last week. The song has been nominated for Best Rap Performance.

  • Karrueche Tran: Did She Cheat On Chris Brown With Drake?

    Karrueche Tran and Chris Brown have called it quits – again!

    On Friday, Dec. 5, the “Deuces” singer made headlines for publicly announcing he is a single man. Now, several media outlets are speculating about what led to the demise of their relationship.

    For those who missed it, the 26-year-old model supported Chris throughout his rehabilitation stints and legal woes.

    So, many fans thought their relationship was rock solid since they survived so many pitfalls. However, the recent news shows that definitely is not the case. So, what could have led to their catastrophic downfall?

    According to Vibe Magazine, rumors have surfaced about Karrueche’s alleged cheating.

    Apparently, she wasn’t faithful while the Grammy Award-winning singer was in rehab. But, that’s not all!

    She has also been accused of cheating on Chris with famed YMCMB rapper Drake! Although the rumors have yet to be confirmed or denied, Chris and Karrueche took to Twitter and Instagram with allegedly subliminal messages about their break.

    Then Chris fired back with a jaw-dropping response to his ex-girlfriend’s post. In addition to taking credit for “changing and elevating” Karrueche’s career, he also accused her of having a threesome and taking trips with the “0 To 100” rapper.

    However, all of the messages have since been deleted. But, that doesn’t mean any accounts were hacked because Chris made the same announcement during his concert on Friday night.

    He definitely had no reservations about bashing his ex-girlfriend and made it quite clear that he is a single man.

    The shocking rumor only adds fuel to the fire because Drake and Chris aren’t exactly best friends. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time they’ve been involved in an alleged love triangle with a woman. Last time, Rihanna was the center of their dispute. So, did Karrueche Tran really cheat on Chris Brown? No one really knows. Only time will tell if she really did.

  • Ellie Goulding: Not Engaged and Working with Drake

    Ellie Goulding is not engaged to boyfriend Dougie Poynter. Instead, Goulding puts it all into her music.

    Fan frenzies ignite when female celebrities wear rings on their ring finger. People begin to speculate about their upcoming weddings. Usually, the celebrity immediately starts their “I’m not engaged” press tour. Goulding is the latest one to stop rumors about her engagement.

    McBusted member Poynter and Goulding confirmed their relationship in May. The two seem completely in love, but they’re not planning a wedding just yet.

    Photos showed Goulding sporting a sparkly gold ring on her ring finger. Fans speculated that she was engaged to Poynter. He officially confirmed that they were not engaged when talking to Mirror.

    “No. It was just a ring that fit on that finger,” Poynter revealed. He then added, “It didn’t really look like an engagement ring though, did it?”

    Supper club with these beautiful people @idougahole @jamieoliver @DexFletch

    A photo posted by elliegoulding (@elliegoulding) on

    His bandmate, Harry Judd, then jumped in to add, “That would have been a lame engagement ring Doug.” Goulding and Poynter are definitely not engaged, but Mirror believes that they might become it soon.

    Went out with my lovely lady to the GQ awards then posed in front of the washing

    A photo posted by Dougie Poynter (@idougahole) on

    They quoted a source from LOOK magazine who claimed that “If Dougie was to ask, I’m almost certain Ellie’s answer would be yes. Dougie’s seen all of his friends get married and he’d surely love to do the same, for both of them it seems they’ve found ‘the one’.”

    A photo posted by Dougie Poynter (@idougahole) on

    If Poynter does decide to pop the question, the wedding may have to wait until Goulding finishes her next album. She told Digital Spy at The Royal Variety Performance that “the only big thing coming up for me now is my third album, which won’t be out until next year. Everything is going into that.”

    Goulding recently worked with Drake and Calvin Harris. Drake sampled her song “Don’t Say a Word” from her second album Halcyon for his track “Pound Cake.” This gesture started a mutual admiration. Goulding revealed that she’s “done some stuff” for Drake’s new album. She may add vocals to another one of his tracks.

    Harris and Goulding recently released the video for “Outside,” their latest collaboration.

    Maybe Drake and Harris can lend their musical talents to her album as well.

  • Amanda Bynes Apologizes Over Recent Tirade

    Amanda Bynes recently ranted during a taped conversation about wanting to kill her parents, but now has apologized for the tirade.

    TMZ posted recordings of the former All That and Amanda Show star last week that were purportedly recorded by one of her roommates while the two were riding in a car.

    “If your father was my father…then you would understand why you’d want to slit his wrists…I haven’t decided how I want to murder him …I don’t believe in murder…He literally like is the worst person…Nothing would give me greater pleasure than like slitting his throat. That is what I would love to do,” Bynes allegedly said.

    Then she turned her thoughts toward her mother.

    “So like I’m not gonna like ever do such a thing, but like I call my mom and like I threaten to kill her, and I threaten to slit her wrist, and I threaten to like burn down her house and like I said a bunch of s— like that,” the voice on the recording says, later adding, “I’m gonna continue telling you guys I’m gonna murder my family like ’cause that’s the thing that like, they’re in control of my money, and that’s why I don’t have much money right now.”

    Amanda Bynes first acknowledged her inappropriate rant via Twitter.

    Today, an attorney for Amanda Bynes issued a statement to Access Hollywood. In it Bynes apologizes for what she said with regard to killing her parents.

    “I’m sorry I trusted people who clearly were not my friends and capitalized on my illness. I am doing my best to get better. I am truly sorry for the statements I made. I am sorry for any pain I caused my family and others,” Bynes said in the statement released by her attorney, David Esquibias.

    “I am thankful for everyone’s patience and understanding. I never expected others to take advantage and profit from my condition,” the statement continued. “I’m disappointed with those who lulled me into a false sense of security only to find out they really are only interested in selling my privacy to the media.”

    Amanda Bynes clearly needs way more help than she is presently receiving. Hopefully her parents have protection in case she does turn violent against them. This is a very frightening–and a very sad–situation.

  • Nicki Minaj Says, “I Never F–cked Wayne, I Never F–ked Drake” (New Single)

    If “Anaconda” got people talking about Nicki Minaj and her body parts, her latest track to drop called “Only” may get people talking about her sex life. Minaj isn’t afraid to dish about it in the song, especially when it comes to addressing rumors that she supposedly slept with her label mates Drake and Lil’ Wayne.

    In “Only,” which dropped on the morning of Tuesday, October 28, Minaj flat-out denies that she ever had sex with Drake and Lil’ Wayne. The first line that Minaj raps on the song goes, “Yo, I never f–ked Wayne/ I never f–ked Drake/ On my life, man/ f—k’s sake.”

    Far be it for Minaj to ignore the appeal of her rapper friends, because her next line in the song has her admitting she would jump at the chance to bed them if she could. “If I did I’d menage with ‘em and let ‘em eat my a– like cupcake,” she raps.

    Drake and Lil’ Wayne corroborate her story on “Only” with their own verses. “I never f–ked Nicki cause she got a man/ But when that’s over then I’m first in line,” raps Drake. Lil’ Wayne chimes in later with, “I never f–ked Nicki and that’s f–ked up/ If I did f–k she’d be f–ked up/ Whoever is hittin’ ain’t hittin’ it right/ Cause she actin’ like she need d–k in her life/ That’s another story, I’m no story teller.”

    Besides the hot topic of her sex life, Minaj also raps about people thinking her butt was fake and even references Beyonce in the song.

    The track contains a hook by singer Chris Brown and was produced by Dr. Luke, Cirkut and J Mike. “Only” is the latest single off Minaj’s upcoming third album The Pinkprint, which will hit stores on December 15 instead of the previously schedule November release.

    ‘Only’: Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil’ Wayne and Chris Brown (explicit lyrics)

  • Selena Gomez: Justin Bieber’s Rose?

    Selena Gomez: Justin Bieber’s Rose?

    Selena Gomez is the subject of a recent Instagram picture Justin Bieber posted to his account. Selena’s face isn’t visible in the shot. Justin was clearly focusing on her curves when he shot the photo. She is standing alongside a stunning garden of roses–leading Hollywood Life to suspect she is his rose, and to speculate if maybe Seal’s song “Kiss From A Rose” came to mind as he photographed his beauty.

    Things have been going remarkably well for Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber this time around. The two recently attended a Drake concert in L.A. They’ve also been spotted gracing the front row at Hillsong Church on Sundays.

    Selena Gomez made news on Thursday for what some believe is her prettiest selfie ever. She wore a gold temporary tattoo around her neck, similar to one Kendall Jenner was spotted wearing recently. Called a Flash Tattoo, they are said to remain in place for as many as six days.

    E! reports that Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were spotted out dancing at Bootsy Bellows in West Hollywood in recent days, where they were later joined by Cody Simpson in a VIP section of the venue.

    It’s easy to see why Justin Bieber wanted so desperately to win back his lady love, Selena Gomez. Why do you suppose Selena wanted the singer back, however? Might this mean that Justin has actually grown up and changed his ways? Selena always saw the good in him. Maybe when he humbled himself (or got caught) she was able to see that the good still existed?

    Do you think Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have what it takes to make it this time around? Is the former Wizards of Waverly Place star hoping to eventually marry Justin and start a family with him?

    Is Selena Gomez really Justin Bieber’s rose?

  • Kanye Booed At Wireless Festival After Another Epic Rant [VIDEO]

    Kanye West was booed by the audience yet again at the Wireless Music Festival in London on Saturday. A few weeks ago, West was also booed at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival after comparing himself to other great artists and shouting that he is the number one rock star on the planet.

    West entered the stage late, and after just 15 minutes into his set, he stopped the music and started ranting. “I’m very shy in real life. Because I’m too shy to put out some bu******. Sometimes it’s hard because I’m too shy to carry off a lot. I’m arrogant and shy and a little bit lazy,” he said.

    “They’ve taken the idea of celebrity and tried to make me seem like I was stupid or something,” he continued. The rant went on longer than his performance, which angered the audience.

    Snippet of Kanye’s lengthy rant

    The rapper went on to say that celebrities like himself need an off day, too. “The only reason I’m on this stage right now is because y’all my clique. You know I go to the studio til 3am so you can listen to the music in your car,” he said.

    The audience started chanting, “We want Drake!” Drake was supposed to headline the Wireless Music Festival, but he cancelled at the last minute, as he wasn’t feeling well.

    One furious fan took to Twitter and said, “If anyone is going to wireless tomorrow GET A REFUND! Kanye sings for 20 minutes then literally does a speech for 35 minutes!!” Another user said, “Kanye West!! Gimp mask on ranting about LV & Gucci whilst people stand in the pissing down rain at Wireless I can’t get down with that!!”

    Although there were reports that West was booed off the stage, he actually finished his set and went back to performing after his rant.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kanye West Booed After Onstage Rant

    Kanye West Booed After Onstage Rant

    Controversial rapper Kanye West was booed at the Wireless Festival in London on Friday, after going into a 20-minute rant in protest of the media during his set. West was filling in for Canadian singer Drake, who had fallen ill.

    West, wearing a studded face mask, went on to share his views on the culture of fame, consumerism and discrimination in the fashion industry, and took jabs at Nike and Louis Vuitton. Concert goers booed loudly, and began to leave in droves.

    The irascible West commented, “I’m not particularly angry but they’ve taken the idea of celebrity and tried to make me seem like I’m stupid or something. People keep looking at me like I got a problem or something, like I’m not doing something I’m meant to. The lies, the media, they want to make you feel like you’re less to them in their eye.”

    West added, “I’m not going to mention any names but, Nike, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Don’t discriminate against me ‘cos I’m a black man making music. Fuck saving face and what it’s supposed to mean, it’s about living my dream.”

    Here is a clip of West’s rant in its entirety:

    West was the headline act for the Wireless Festival, which included Ella Eyre, Foxes, Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars, Robin Thicke and Salt-N-Pepa (?).

    Fans who witnessed Kanye’s antics live weren’t too happy:

    West married professional celebrity Kim Kardashian in Florence, Italy in May. The couple has a daughter together named North.

    Image via Twitter

  • Lil Wayne, Drake Announce ‘Drake v. Wayne’ Tour and Scheduled Dates

    Lil Wayne and Drake are hitting the road together this summer.

    On Thursday, June 11, YMCMB released an official statement announcing the Drake v. Wayne tour.

    According to the press release, the 31-city tour will kick off at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, NY on August 8 and conclude Sept. 27 when they visit Woodlands, TX.

    The tour is also scheduled to make stops in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles.

    Presale orders for the tour dates can be made via Ticketmaster starting Tuesday, June 17. However, official sales won’t begin until Friday, June 20.

    In addition to Ticketmaster online and local outlets, fans will also have the option to purchase tickets at livenation.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

    Here is the full list with all of the confirmed tour dates:

    Here are the complete tour dates:

    Aug. 08 Darien Center, NY    Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

    Aug. 09 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center

    Aug. 10 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

    Aug. 12 Saratoga Springs, NY    Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    Aug. 13 Hartford, CT    XFINITY Theatre

    Aug. 15 Cincinnati, OH  Riverbend Music Center

    Aug. 16 Clarkston, MI   DTE Energy Music Theatre

    Aug. 17 Burgettstown, PA    First Niagara Pavilion

    Aug. 19 Forest Hills, NY    Forest Hills Tennis Stadium

    Aug. 21 Camden, NJ  Susquehanna Bank Center

    Aug. 25 Mansfield, MA   Xfinity Center

    Aug. 26 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center

    Aug. 27 Virginia Beach, VA  Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

    Aug. 29 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live

    Aug. 30 Charlotte, NC   PNC Music Pavilion

    Aug. 31 Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

    Sept. 03    West Palm Beach, FL   Cruzan Amphitheatre

    Sept. 04    Tampa, FL       MIDLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

    Sept. 06    Austin, TX  Austin     360 Amphitheater

    Sept. 07    Dallas, TX      Gexa Energy Pavilion

    Sept. 10    Morrison, CO    Red Rocks Amphitheatre

    Sept. 11    West Valley City, UT    USANA Amphitheatre

    Sept. 13    Ridgefield, WA  Sleep Country Amphitheatre

    Sept. 14    Auburn, WA  White River Amphitheatre

    Sept. 16    Mountain View, CA   Shoreline Amphitheatre

    Sept. 17    Wheatland, CA   Sleep Train Amphitheatre

    Sept. 19    Irvine, CA  Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

    Sept. 20    Chula Vista, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre

    Sept. 22    Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

    Sept. 25    Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion

    Sept. 27    Woodlands, TX   The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion


    The hip hop stars also shared information about the upcoming tour with fans via Facebook and Twitter. Fans have already begun sharing their reactions to the announcement via social media. Needless to say, fans are quite excited about seeing the multi-platinum hip hop kings on stage again.

    Fans should get ready! It’s going to be a hot summer!

    Image via Lil Wayne, Facebook

  • Amanda Bynes Shares Photos of Healthy Body

    Amanda Bynes shared photos of her wearing a bikini–showcasing her healthy new physique. Following the tumultuous events that plagued the young actress in 2013, it’s refreshing to see her looking so happy and healthy now.

    The former Nickelodeon star suffered from mental health and drug issues, and her behavior during that time was nothing short of bizarre. Bynes wore a series of odd wigs–even while attending court appearances–and she sent some very controversial and vulgar tweets–some of which went to rapper Drake and were accompanied by photos of her wearing almost nothing.

    Since her hospitalization and mental health evaluation, Amanda Bynes has been cared for by her family. When she left the rehab facility she returned home to her parents and enrolled in design school. She recently completed a successful semester at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in L.A. and her work debuted at an event attending by design professionals as well as students and their families.

    Most recently Amanda enjoyed Spring Break from her design school, and that’s when she took the photos of herself she shared via Twitter.

    These photos portray a much different Amanda Bynes than the one fans became accustomed to seeing in the media back in 2013, in the midst of her frightening health ordeal. It is definitely heart warming to see the 28-year-old looking more like the pretty young actress people had long come to love.

    Amanda began her TV career doing ads when she was only about 7 years old. She later was signed on by Nickelodeon where she starred in The Amanda Show and All That.

    Hopefully this transformation of body and mind indicates a new, healthier life for Amanda Bynes–one she will enjoy for many years to come.

    Image via Twitter

  • ‘Draft Day’: Drake’s Still The Man Five Years Later

    No, it wasn’t just some April Fool’s joke—Drake’s new song “Draft Day” is the real thing. In the single, the Canadian rapper shows off his knowledge of pop culture and current events, even though he claims he doesn’t read the news because “it’s garbage.” He also name drops a variety of celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence: “I mean for real, girl you know I had to do it for yah.” Sweet.

    The song pays homage to Texas A&M star quarterback Johnny Manziel, whom Drake mentions in the first line. The title, of course, is a dead giveaway: the player just had his pro day workout, during which some loud hip-hop tracks by none other than Drake were played, to the disapproval of some folks. Drake’s music isn’t known for its G-rating, and the new track exhibits the same NSFW language many rappers seem to live by.

    Could the new song be Drake’s way of thanking the football player for the added publicity? Perhaps, but few are aware that the two are also fast friends. Drake was one of the people the quarterback was seen hanging out with during his controversial 2012 offseason.

    Manziel’s party-filled lifestyle has caught the attention of NFL teams and he has been criticized time and again for his lifestyle. Drake’s shoutout to him on “Draft Day” may just cause another uproar—or amusement. According to CBS Sports, Manziel had nothing to do with the actual production of the song.

    Aside from his buddy Manziel, “Draft Day” also mentions basketball prodigy Andrew Wiggins (as “A. Wiggins”), who had announced Monday that he would be entering this year’s NBA draft. The other sports personalities that made it to the song (not in a good way, however) are former MLB slugger Jose Canseco and the Oakland A’s.

    Drake also raps that if he had left things to chance he would have “picked a name like Chance the Rapper” (no offense, Chance, but Drake says he doesn’t really know you). According to Drake, he is “focused on making records and gettin’ bigger—just hits, no misses, that’s for the married folks.” While there’s plenty of married folks out there who may be offended, relax. The rapper may just be taking a shot at his fellow contemporaries—Jay-Z or Kanye, perhaps?

    Here’s something that’s nice to know: if this were the Hunger Games, Drake says “I would die for my district.” What say you, Katniss?

    Drake: ‘Draft Day’ (Explicit)

    Image via YouTube

  • Jay Z Disses Drake In New Song: Will Drake Respond?

    In the world of hip hop, you can’t really say something about another rapper without that rapper saying something back, and in February Drake kind of dissed Jay Z and criticized his new interest in high-end art.

    It’s possible that you haven’t noticed yet, but it seems Jay Z raps a lot about paintings and famous artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol these days, and for some reason Drake doesn’t care for it, as he said this in Rolling Stone last month:

    “It’s like Hov can’t drop bars these days without at least four art references,” said Drake. “I would love to collect [art] at some point, but I think the whole rap/art thing is getting kind of corny.”

    Now, this isn’t the first time the Toronto rapper has taken a shot at Jay Z, but it’s usually within the confines of a rap song. This time, he hurled the criticism during an interview, which caught Jay’s attention and forced him to respond.

    Often times Jay Z will take a I’m-too-big-of-a-rap-star-to-respond-approach, but this time he couldn’t help himself and shot back at Drake in Jay Electronica’s new song We Made It.

    “Sorry Mr. Drizzy for so much art talk,” Jay raps. “Silly me, rappin’ ’bout s–t that I really bought/ While these rappers rap about guns that they ain’t shot/And a bunch of other silly s–t that they ain’t got.”

    Now it’ll be interesting to see if Drake responds to Jay Z or whether he leaves the comment alone, but either way, both rappers are the talk of the rap world today, because it’s not often that you see two majors artists go at each other like that, especially when they’ve worked together in the past and have alluded to the fact that they’re good friends.

    If you remember, Drake and Jay Z collaborated on the song Off That a few years ago, and most recently they worked together on the cut Pound Cake off of Drake’s latest album Nothing Was The Same.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Rihanna And Drake Are Ready To Make It Official

    Rihanna and Drake decided to give love a try earlier this year and it seemed like they were just meant to be together. They have been showing up everywhere together and although they seemed like a happy and perfect couple, neither of them would confirm that they were a couple or make the relationship official.

    The couple recently traveled to Europe together where things got serious fast. According to sources close to the couple, their time together in Europe made them realize how much they like being with each other and that they are both ready to get serious and commit to a relationship. The sources claim that they have decided to become exclusive and give the relationship a serious shot.

    Rihanna has told her close friends that Drake treats her better than anyone else ever has and that she wants to devote as much time to him as her schedule will allow. Drake has been touring in Europe for several weeks and Rihanna recently joined up with him there. The couple has spent every night together and they have been seen together on outings in Manchester, London, Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris.

    Rihanna isn’t the only one who is head over heels in the relationship. According to sources close to Drake, he is just as serious about Rihanna and making the relationship work.

    A source said “he’s in the best mood he’s been in a long time.”

    Rihanna has been in bad relationships in the past, including one with Chris Brown, which ended after he physically assaulted her. It’s easy to see why she would fall so quickly for a good guy who treats her well. It’s also easy to see how Drake could fall for the beautiful and exotic Rihanna.

    The couple seem like a match made in heaven and both seem to be really invested in each other.

    Do you think it will last?

    Image via YouTube

  • Amanda Bynes Says She’s Ready For A Boyfriend

    Recently, we reported that actress Amanda Bynes is on her way back to making a full recovery from the psychological issues she’s been suffering from in the past, because if you remember this time last year, it seems like she was in the press everyday–and it wasn’t because of a new role or her acting skills.

    Bynes was heavily in the press because she made several strange tweets, including one to rapper Drake that couldn’t be more scandalous or inappropriate, and she also had a run-in with police after allegedly throwing a bong out of a skyscraper in New York City–and that’s just for starters.

    But since that time she’s gotten help from a California mental facility, enrolled in school, and even joined Twitter again, which some might say is a sign the actress is doing much better these days. And according to reports, Bynes is ready to have a boyfriend, but her parents are watching her every move and helping her find one.

    “Amanda is in a state where someone could come in and take advantage of her,” said a National Enquirer source. “So her parents are trying to find dates through friends.”

    And obviously her parents, Rick and Lynn Bynes, don’t want their daughter dating anyone who could pull her back down or influence her to make bad decisions again, and it seems they want her to date a guy that’s more on the conservative side and not anyone who’s too rough around the edges.

    “Her parents are very protective,” said the source. “They won’t let Amanda date just anyone. Bad boy types need not apply.”

    Clearly, Bynes’ parents have been her saving grace, because since she left New York for California to live with them, they’ve been involved in every step of her recovery, which has definitely made all the difference, said Bynes’ lawyer Gerald Shargel.

    “This is an important step in her rehabilitation,” said Shargel. “I am optimistic about her future and pleased with the result.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Rihanna Takes Fashion to a Whole Different Level

    Rihanna is known for her risque fashion choices but lately we’re wondering if the singer has any limits when it comes to what she shoes-and doesn’t show?

    RiRi showed off her upper-half at the Balmain fashion show after-party in Paris on Thursday night. The top she chose consisted of fishnet and that’s about it. Her breasts and nipples were exposed through the black, netted fabric.

    Clearly the pop star didn’t worry too much about her bare chest, posing for pictures and happily greeting people as she made her way around the room.

    But if you’re wondering if the 26-year-old sported the see-through top to the fashion show, don’t worry. She didn’t. Instead, the musician opted for a top made of a fabric other than fishnet.

    However, Rihanna didn’t totally cover up.

    She flaunted insane cleavage along with some leg. The dress she wore had a high-slit skirt, clearly showing off the actresses sexy side.

    She was spotted in Paris on Monday while she was hanging out with Drake at the Soixante Dix Neuf nightclub. Drake and Rihanna celebrated the venue’s first birthday.

    Rihanna even joined Drake at his concert on Tuesday, taking the stage with him and singing “Pour It Up” and performing with him on their duet “Take Care.”

    The two have been rumored to be back together again.

    Image Via YouTube

  • Drake And Rihanna Dating Rumors Resurface

    Ever since reports of the fight between Drake and Chris Brown surfaced a few years ago, it seemed that everyone wanted to know if the rapper and Rihanna were an item.

    Drake even admitted last year the two did in fact have a brief fling when he spoke to Ellen DeGeneres. “Yeah, great girl,” he said. “We had our moment. [I] always support and have love for her.”

    But since that interview, most of the chatter and curiosity seemed to die down, but it’s sure to pick back up again, since Rihanna and Drake were spotted in Paris together looking quite cozy with each other.

    Reportedly, the two didn’t fly to Paris together, they were both there on official business, but that didn’t stop them from hanging out most of the time, as they caught dinner and went to a nightclub on two separate occasions.

    And during one of Drake’s concert nights, Rihanna snuck through a backdoor to be with him, which of course sent all who noticed buzzing with extreme curiosity.

    In a separate interview, Drake spoke about the rift between him and Brown, although they’ve since patched things up. However, prior to their reconciliation, the rapper said Brown was jealous of him and that’s what started all of their drama.

    “His insecurities are the fact that I make better music than him,” said Drake. “That I’m more popping than him and that at one point in life the woman that he loves fell into my lap.”

    The Toronto native also recently spoke about his problems with the Seattle rapper Macklemore. He said it was wrong for Macklemore to apologize for winning the Grammy for Best Rap Album.

    Unless you haven’t heard yet, Macklemore sent Kendrick Lamar a text to say that he should have one the Grammy, but when he made that text public it upset Drake.

    “That s–t was wack as f–k,” he said. “I was like, ‘You won. Why are you posting your text message? Just chill. Take your W, and if you feel you didn’t deserve it, go get better–make better music.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons