Lil Baby Hosts 5th Annual Back to School Event
Atlanta rapper Lil Baby gives back to his West End community by hosting his 5th annual Back-To-School Fest, providing thousands of local kids with free supplies, haircuts, shoes, and more ahead of the school year. We discuss it here!
Lil Baby preparing himself before he hits the stage
Photo cred: Lil Baby Instagram
By: Joshua Martin
Lil Baby returns to his hometown right as the school year begins to host his 5th annual Back-To-School fest in Atlanta. Providing school-aged children a day of fun and excitement, as well as the necessary resources needed before returning to the classroom this fall.
According to multiple reports, nearly 4,000 people attended this year’s event. The 30-year-old even surprised his fans and families with a special appearance. Taking selfies and interacting with his biggest supporters.
“It means a lot to be able to come back and give back, because I know so much comes behind not having shoes and school utensils and stuff for school—because that be a lot of kids’ reason to steer off.”
The Back-To-School fest was hosted by the “Sum 2 Prove” rapper and his non profit, The Jones Project, in partnership with Jessie Rose Project, The Athlete’s Foot, Slim & Huskies, Fanatics, Dr. Bombay Ice Cream and Zaxby’s.
Kids ranging from kindergarten through high school seniors received free haircuts, braiding services, supplies, shoes, wellness products and more. Attendees also got to experience carnival rides and games.
Despite his world wide fame and celebrity, the Grammy Award winning artist consistently shows love and respect to the community he grew up in, the West End. Not just through his music but consistently giving back throughout the year.
“I love them like they love me.”
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It's Only Us Tour Recap: Lil Baby Lights Up The Stage in Los Angeles
We recap Lil Baby's "It's Only Us" Tour perfomance in Los Angeles featuring Hunxho, Big Gloss, Veeze, Rylo Rodriquez, Glorilla, Yung Miami and SZA, creating an unforgettable evening of music and entertainment. We discuss it here!
By: Adonis Armstrong
On August 5, 2023, Lil Baby led a dope night of performances which took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles where an incredible atmosphere was set by the dynamic DJs and captivating performers.
Hunxho ignited the stage with an energetic performance, presenting some of his standout tracks including "48 Laws of Power," "Lets Get It," and "Highly Performing," leaving a lasting impression on the crowd.
Next up was Big Gloss, whose charismatic presence and engaging charm had the audience hyped and dancing along. Her singles "Alone" and "Check" resonated with the crowd, turning the arena into a dance party.
Veeze blessed the stage before Rylo, showcasing his undeniable swag that proved his ability to command a crowd, as he delivered a set featuring songs from his recent album 'Ganger'.
Rylo Rodriquez took the spotlight, delivering hits like "Set Me Free" and "Equal Dirt" along with other tracks from his 'Been One' album. His performance had the crowd singing in unison, creating an unforgettable vibe.
A standout addition to the night was Glorilla, who stormed the stage with an electrifying presence, captivating the crowd with her red militant look and powerful performance. Every word she uttered during her set resonated with the audience, with tracks like "Lick Or Sum," "Tomorrow," and the double performance of "F.N.F." igniting a club-like atmosphere that got everyone moving.
The anticipation grew as Lil Baby graced the stage with a grand entrance from the arena's top, marking the beginning of a multi-chapter performance. With snow falling in the arena, the surprise engagement with the crowd elevated the excitement. Lil Baby's setlist was a hit parade, showcasing his numerous chart-toppers and engaging the audience at every turn. The addition of skilled background dancers elevated the show's energy and ambiance.
Lil Baby took a moment to celebrate and honor women in the industry, inviting Yung Miami and SZA to the stage. Their performances were met with enthusiastic cheers, with SZA delivering her hit "Kill Bill" and Yung Miami rocking the stage with "Act Up," leaving the ladies in the crowd thoroughly entertained.
In summary, witnessing the entire concert live was an incredible experience, providing a close-up view of the artists' talents. From the opening act to the grand finale, the concert proved to be an unforgettable event that showcased the performers' skills and left the audience in awe.
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Lil Baby Hosts Back To School Festival with Foot Locker in Atlanta
Lil Baby collaborates with Foot Locker for the Second Annual Back To School Festival in Atlanta, bringing joy and support to local youth. We discuss it here!
Lil Baby poses with the Foot Locker team in Westland Mall in Atlanta during his second annual Back to School Festival. (Footlocker)
By: Adonis Armstrong
Lil Baby teamed up with Foot Locker to host the second annual Back to School Festival, spreading joy among the youth in Atlanta before the upcoming school year. The event, which took place at the Foot Locker store in Westland Mall, saw Lil Baby and Foot Locker generously donating over $300k worth of sneakers and various products to support more than 1,500 students in the local community.
Beyond providing material gifts, the event offered much more to attendees, including complimentary haircuts by The Barber Shop II, thrilling carnival games, and engaging activations, ensuring a joyous and exciting atmosphere. In collaboration with Goodr, an Atlanta-based B Corp focused on combatting food waste and hunger, the festival served nourishing meals from American Deli to all participants, exemplifying a commitment to supporting the community in multiple meaningful ways.
A little baby poses at the second annual Back to School Festival in Atlanta. (Foot Locker)
Lil Baby, the hometown hero, once again demonstrated his generosity by giving back to his community during the back-to-school season. Recently, Lil Baby has made a significant contribution to Atlanta's restaurant scene, bringing new business opportunities. He recently launched The Seafood Menu Restaurant & Lounge in the city, paying tribute to musical icons like Prince, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, and others in its design. During the grand opening, the 28-year-old expressed admiration for restaurants' resilience during the pandemic, which inspired him to start his venture. Excitingly, he revealed plans to expand the concept into a franchise, with multiple locations across the area.
In the midst of ongoing challenges in his career, this recent community initiative at Foot Locker highlights Lil Baby's unwavering commitment to giving back to the people. While there were concerns and disappointments surrounding his tour due to date and supporting artist issues, the rapper is moving forward with a fresh creative team led by Teyana Taylor. With this positive development, it's hoped that his shows will be successful and enable him to connect with fans in even more meaningful ways.
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Lil Baby Calls For Change at Funeral of 16 Year Old Shooting Victim Bre’Asia Powell
Hip Hop star Lil Baby calls out for change at the funeral Bre’Asia Powell, a 16 year old girl who lost her life in a shooting in Atlanta. “What I do wanna say to the like the youth and the younger generation, as a we, because I’m with y’all. We gotta change.” We discuss it here!
Bre’Asia Powell
Credit: FOX 5 NEWS/YOUTUBE
By: Omar Cook
At a funeral held on Saturday, June 3, mourners gathered to honor the memory of Bre’Asia Powell, the 16-year-old girl who tragically lost her life in a shooting outside Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta. Among those in attendance was rapper Lil Baby, who used the occasion to advocate for meaningful change in the city. Lil Baby has consistently spoken out for necessary change in the city.
Fox 5 Atlanta reported that on May 28, early Sunday morning, tragedy struck when Bre’Asia Powell was fatally shot during a gathering outside her school at approximately 2:30 a.m. The 16-year-old, a junior at the school, was an active member of both the basketball and cheerleading teams. As of now, the police have yet to identify any suspects in the case, and Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of $10,000 for information leading to a resolution of this devastating incident.
Lil Baby gave a speech to the youth during the funeral of a 16-year-old girl from Atlanta who lost her life following a fight at a graduation party 🙏🏽🕊️ pic.twitter.com/fpuL5IjT5j
— No Jumper (@nojumper) June 5, 2023
Family and Friends Mourn The Passing of 16 year old Bre’Asia Powell Credit: Jenni Girtman
The service has held at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church where a number of people close to to Powell spoke at the funeral including Kamira Garrett, one of her coaches. “She was a very well-mannered kid. She was very special to us all,” Garrett stated. Atlanta City Council member Andrea L. Boone shared her condolences as well stating that she grew up in the same community as Powell and that she also “attended L.P. Miles Elementary School just like young Bre’Asia.” Atlanta rap star Lil Baby expressed that he wasn’t just there to speak on the incident, but that he wanted some real change to take place and that he would be a part of the plan to make it happen.
“What I do wanna say to the like the youth and the younger generation, as a we, because I’m with y’all. We gotta change” said Lil Baby as he opened up his speech. “I’m only here to not speak but—we gotta come up with a plan, and I’m here to help the plan.”
Last Sunday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens spoke on Bre’asia stating “This young lady was full of life.” He also stated that Bre’asia was set to work in Atlanta’s summer youth employment program which was set to begin Tuesday
“We’re always heartbroken when anyone loses their life in our city, but especially when it’s a young person the day after school lets out,” Dickens said. This is a tragic loss for the Atlanta community, but also a wake up call that there needs to be some real plans in place to stop gun violence, especially among teens.
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Lil Baby Announces 'It's Only Us Tour'
Lil Baby announces 'It’s Only Us Tour' a 33 city tour that starts this July. We discuss it here!
Detroit, Michigan- August 23 2023: Lil Baby at Little Caesars Arena
Credit: Jacob Giampa via Shutterstock
By: Adonis Armstrong
Lil Baby announced he is going the tour that will kick off this summer. The tour will start July 26th in Houston, Texas and will feature some other major cities including Los Angeles, Detroit, Baltimore, Tampa, and more. The tour will come to a close in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on September 29th.
“It’s Only Us Tour 2023🔥🔥🔥🔥 This Fasho Gone Be A Highlight Of The Summer !!”
Joining Lil Baby on tour will be GloRilla, GLOSS UP, Rylo Rodriguez, Hunxho, and The Kid LAROI. Back in October of 2022, Lil Baby released his third studio LP, It’s Only Me, which stamped him his third number 1 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum.
Tickets will go on sale this Thursday, April 13 at local time. You can see the promotion for the tour and the full run of dates on his instagram.
Lil Baby, Fridayy - Forever (Official Music Video)
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Who is the Greatest Rapper of this Generation?
Who is the Greatest Rapper of this Generation? Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Drake have to be at the top, right? We discuss it here!
By: Adonis Armstrong
If you had a poll to see who’s was the greatest rapper of this generation who would you vote for? The top of your list may look like this Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, or Drake? Some lists may look different when it comes to the topic. I say it depends on the person that is getting asked because everyone has their own opinion and catergories such as backpack, conscious, trap, drill rap, and even melodic rap .
Each Hip Hop catergory has a different vibe and element to it. Although you have some rappers that can step into any of the catergories and do well in each. The New York Times put a claim to Kung Fu Kenny aka Kendrick Lamar as this generations greatest rapper. I can agree too as Kendrick has dropped some classic albums for the culture such as good kid, m.A.A.D city, To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN, and of course Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. K. Dot has definitely put in some work to get such high praise.
On another hand you have J. Cole. The North Carolina native should be put in the discussion as well. He has done a lot for the culture since being heard on a mainstream level. Some of his most classic albums are Born Sinner, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, 4 Your Eyez Only, and The Off-Season. These alone put him in any type of discussion for the title for the generation.
Let’s get to one of the most loved and hated artists in the game, Drake. He has had the game on lock since 2009 when he dropped his classic mixtape, So Far Gone. Drake is a little different from the top too but hate it or love, it he has put in work to be at the top. Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, and Views are top notch albums from the 6 God from Toronto.
Honorable Mentions - Other rappers who should have a seat at the table in this discussion.
BIG K.R.I.T.
The Mississippi rapper has great quality work and is a house hold name in the game. He does majority of his own production such as J. Cole. K.R.I.T. also received high praise from Wiz Khalfa, stating he thinks Krizzle should win a grammy soon. Good albums to go listen to are Cadillactica, 4eva is a Mighty Long Time, K.R.I.T. IZ HERE, and Digital Roses Don’t Die.
Cyhi The Prynce
The Atlanta based rapper is very witty with the pen and what I mentioned earlier, can do all catergories of Hip Hop. Look no further than the Prynce. Although he only has one studio album, No Dope On Sundays, he has writing credits from major artists such Kanye West, Travis Scott, and more.
nba YoungBoy
The Louisiana rapper will probably have you scratching your head but he has the streets on lock for this generation. He has a unique sound that people in the south can relate to. His fanbase is the same or even bigger than some of the artist above. I can’t really say an album because YoungBoy puts out music literally every quarter of the year.
Lil Baby
This Atlanta rapper is becoming a phenom and has the hits to prove he can be at the table this generation. He had a special on Prime called Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby that followed a little part of his life in the music industry. Baby has became a voice especially when he dropped The Bigger Picture during covid, which had some meaning to it for the culture.
Yes there is more that can be at the table for the discussion, but these are a few artists I think are deserving for a shot at the title for this generation.
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A Look Into Hip Hop's Most Anticipated Artists And Projects In 2021
2021 is gearing up to be another dope year for Hip Hop releases. We take a look at some of Hip Hop’s most anticipated artists and projects for 2021!
By: James Teague
As we’re gearing up for an amazing new year (and yes it’s still going to be a great year regardless of everything covid-19 related), more new music is on the horizon for this new year to continue serving as our life soundtrack for the year. Even though there were some great gems that dropped last year, music 2020 was said to not really have a lot of impact due to the world getting altered because of COVID-19.
With everything going on whether it was with COVID, the presidential election, or the protests/riots that were all going on in America, I found lots of music lovers were not necessarily keeping up with all the latest new music that released each and every week. Hence why some of the albums released that I thought were going to do well actually didn't due to COVID-19. Luckily this year is a fresh start and we’re starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel with this entire living situation. Here are some of my most anticipated artists that I'm looking forward to releasing new music this year.
TDE
The current Best Rap Label Top Dawg Entertainment has had a very quiet 2020 for the most part but it appears since SZA dropped her singles, the label is getting up for another busy year. It wouldn't feel right for me if i did each artist alone so i decided to do the entire roster in its entirety in this section.
KENDRICK LAMAR - Between the numerous rumors surrounding his upcoming album, him moving in silence for the entire year and only popping out to the public on several occasions, there is no telling of what's going to happen with this next Kendrick album. What we can all say is that a lot has gone on since his last album DAMN, which was released in 2017, and everybody is wondering what he has to say for this next go round. This is one of the reasons why I'm going to always be excited for a new Kendrick release.
SZA - Just like Kendrick, SZA has also been under radar since her debut album CTRL and pops out seldomly. Her two brand new singles “Hit Different” and “Good Day” have me ready and anxious for SZA’s upcoming album. The people have been very very anxious for SZA to release new music and were to the point of frustration where they were taking things out on Punch through Twitter. Between that and watching SZA through her social media living and experiencing life, I expect the new album to be as amazing as her debut.
JAY ROCK - The OG member of the label Jay Rock has been quietly working since his last album Redemption dropped in Summer of 2018. Since the pandemic, he’s grown his hair out and looks like he’s been in the zone with making music and living life. I'm interested in hearing what he has to say this time around whenever it's time to release his new album.
SCHOOLBOY Q - Coming off his last album Crash Talk, Schoolboy Q has always been staying busy on the feature tip. It’s either the features or social media whenever we see him, whether it's playing the daddy role with his daughter or if he’s out playing golf. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Crash Talk as an album from front to back, I can also understand why some of the fans felt like they were let down by this album. Q has said sometime after the album dropped that he was already back to work on his next album. From what I’ve heard through the grapevine, I'm hearing that Groovy Q is back on his Blankface/Habits and Contradictions vibes for the next album.
ISAIAH RASHAD - I don't have a clue as to why Zaywop is taking forever with releasing his album but he is the only member on TDE right next to Ab Soul who hasn't released a brand new album since 2016 with The Sun’s Tirade. He’s been previewing brand new music here & there on his instagram live. Whether he drops an album this year or not, I'm looking forward to hearing from Zaywop musically soon. He has been away for far too long.
DRAKE
The anticipation for his new album Certified Lover Boy is at an all time high right now. Since last year between all of the Drake leaks and his last project Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Drake has really been in his bag on the music tip. It felt like since his last interview with Elliot Wilson on rap radar, it feels like he’s been more focused than ever making sure the new album is quality material. All of the leaks and his last project have shown me that we haven't seen anything yet for Certified Lover Boy. It’s supposed to be coming out sometime this month but we shall see and find out.
PARTYNEXTDOOR
It felt good hearing back from Party after releasing his album PartyMobile, after being on a hiatus from releasing new music. Now that we’ve had time to properly digest the new album, I think it’s time for Party to work on a brand new album and the reason that I say that is because since he was away for so long prior to Partymobile, it feels more appropriate that new music should start dropping.
G-HERBO
I've always been a fan of G-Herbo’s music since the beginning of his career back when he was calling himself Lil Herb. But ever since hearing his new song “Statement”, it’s become my 2021 song for the year. It makes no sense how many times I’ve had this song on repeat. Between the Dipset “I Really Mean It” sample and Herbo rapping forreal, the aura of that entire song sounds so refreshing and focused. I'm looking forward to 25 The Album , the title of his upcoming album. I don't know what's going to happen this coming album, but if he has more song quality sounding like “Statement”, then I'm very excited for this brand new album coming.
K-CAMP
After releasing Kiss 5, one of the better albums of 2020, K Camp made it clear that in 2021 he was coming for the number one spot. Every year, K Camp drops a new project and every year he always has a hit record kept in the tuck. I expect this year to be no different.
RODDY RICCH
I'm very interested to see where Roddy Ricch is going to go with his Sophomore Album. Coming off having such an incredible year in 2020 with his debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social, Roddy has kept himself busy with doing his features while also staying out of the way during this global pandemic. Roddy said earlier that he was in no rush to put out a brand new album and that he likes to take his time with creating his next album. He was able to win a lot of people over with the music that he was making but I'm interested to see what level is going to be able to take when it comes to the sophomore. He strikes me as a young man who is about his business and wants to make sure that he shows up each day as his best self. I'm looking forward to seeing what lemons that life will give to Roddy in order for him to tell his story on the album.
FUTURE
Instagram pictures surfaced of DJ Esco , Metro Boomin, and 808 Mafia all being back in the studio working together which prompted the rumors of Monster 2 possibly being in the works. Now as far as I know, I cannot say if that’s really going to be true. However, I did see that Future deleted all the pictures off of his Instagram page and whenever you see an artist do something of that magnitude, then that means get in formation because it looks like there’s going to be a new album due to us at any given day/moment.
YOUNG THUG
Even though Thugger is always active on featured guest tracks abd collaboration projects, it almost feels like forever since we've heard a solo album from him. So Much Fun exceeded my expectations and has been in my album rotation for a while still to this very day. It appears Thugger is getting ready for Slime Language 2 with the lead single Take it to Trial Featuring Gunna and Yak Gotti. This looks like this going to be a Young thug and friends album but i'm glad to hear that Thug will be releasing brand new music this year.
LIL BABY
Cheers to another rapper who had the best 2020 yet in regards to hip-hop music. Lil Baby has done enough hits, songs, features, all for the year to help him get to where he's supposed to be. Having said that, for some reason it feels like some people are still not giving Baby the respect he truly deserves. From the awards show not properly nominating him as one of the better artists whether the nomination is for the album or him as an artist. He’s already closed off on the features and is back in the lab cooking up brand new music from what i'm hearing. Even with all of the success coming to him, Lil Baby is still hungry to show and prove to the real ones that he’s here to stay.
NIPSEY HUSSLE
Word has got out through J Stone, one of Nipsey’s close friends and collaborators, confirmed that there will be a brand new Nipsey Hussle album that’s going to be released soon. J Stone had revealed on the The Bootleg Kev podcast that there’s so many verses Nip has done where he thought that he's heard everything. For me personally, as long as Nipsey’s team is involved in the process of making this album, then I'm all for this release. It was messed up knowing that he was in work already with his next album and the collaboration project with Meek only for him to pass away unexpectedly.
PUSHA-T
Daytona came out back in 2018 and yet it feels like it's been out for almost half a decade. There’s been rumors of a Pusha/Madlib project for a while now that haven't been confirmed yet. However in another interview, Pusha had confirmed his upcoming album so far is produced by Pharrell and Kanye West. He also said that it should be almost done very soon. We’ve only heard about Pusha’s music ever so often lately. The last time we heard from Pusha was about his drake diss verse on Pop Smoke’s Posthumous deluxe album, Shoot for the Star, Aim for the Moon. I'm already expecting the music to be very superior but I'm just ready for a brand new album coming very soon.
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Email: Joshua@247LCTV.com