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In the mid-2010s, it was Skepta and Stormzy who seemed poised to carry British rap across the Atlantic as the sound of U.K. grime had its crossover moment in the States. However, their success proved to be more of a primer than a full-scale takeover. Grime’s production style — influenced by dance-music genres like jungle and dubstep — made its mark on American listeners’ taste, but it would be U.K. drill, a genre infusing the sonic textures of Chicago’s native sound with the electronic-leaning sensibility of grime,...

Central Cee is back with a brand new track, and he’s reflecting on his past.

The 26-year-old British rapper just dropped the music video for his song “Limitless” on Thursday (January 23), and fans are already eagerly exploring the lyrics.

The track is featured on his album Can’t Rush Greatness, out on Friday (January 24).

In the song, Cee reflects on his struggles and grappling with fame, as well as his painful history. He also acknowledges his present success, and the sacrifices he’s made and work he’s put in to get to where he is now.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I put up the bread for my broski’s funeral, that was my first time bookin’ a hearse,” he declares in the track, likely referring to friend Fernando Johnson (aka FDot) who was murdered in January 2023 near his home.

“How do I put this pain into words?...

A bunch of celebs stepped out for the Louis Vuitton menswear fashion show during Paris Fashion Week!

Bradley Cooper, Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, and Adrien Brody were among the stars who attended the fashion event on Tuesday afternoon (January 21) in Paris, France.

Callum Turner, Travis Scott, Shaboozey, and Squid Game‘s Gong Yoo were among some of the other celebs who attended the event.

Louis Vuitton creative director Pharrell Williams presented his new collection, which was a collaboration with Kenzo designer Nigo.

“I never dreamt when I first met Nigo that this is what we would be doing together,” said Pharrell told Wwd. “I wake up every day and I know that I got a brother, and I know that I got somebody that’s just taught me so much and continues to just be there for me, and we’re there for each other.”

Nigo said, “This...

Apple Music will let users ring in 2025 with Björk, Skepta, and Uncle Waffles as part of the streaming service’s New Year’s Eve celebration.

All three artists will appear during the second annual Apple Music Live: Nye event, with Björk delivering a rare DJ set, along with Apple Music’s Tim Sweeney and London-based DJ Naina. Skepta and Uncle Waffles will each share performances during the broadcast, which were recorded at London’s The Cause.

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The party kicks off 4 p.

Exclusive: Kedar Williams-Stirling (Sex Education), Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish), Keith Powers (Uglies), and Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) are in talks to star in Bloom, a coming-of-age romance marking the feature debut of Cole Swanson, who will direct from his own script.

The film is set against the enchanting backdrop of Tuscany, where a young and gifted Black artist named Ace (Williams-Stirling) embarks on a profound journey of self-discovery after moving to Italy on a scholarship for university. In his time there, he forges unexpected friendships and ignites a passionate romance, all within the captivating orbit of a defiant and opulent circle of wealthy young Black adults deemed “The Casa Rosa Kids.”

The film has been described as Love Jones in Italy, featuring super rich Black kids navigating a steamy love triangle. Dane Clarke II and Joel Poku’s Pineloft Entertainment developed it and will produce alongside Jolene Rodriguez of Broken English Productions.

Skepta will be the subject of a new documentary.H.wood Group - the hospitality company co-founded by John Terzian and Brian Toll - has branched out into multimedia production and a "stirring documentary" about the British grime rapper is one of their big new projects.The film will be co-directed by BAFTA nominee Hector Dockrill and produced by Terzian, Toll and Jeremy Allen for H.Wood Media, along with Dwight Okechukwu of 1PLUS1 Production.Terzian said: "H.wood media is about telling the stories behind the personalities who shape culture and Skepta is undeniably the perfect subject for us. "His story is one of modern identity, the immigrant experience of ‘growing up in a place that is not your home,’ mental health and finding one’s true self. His emotional and inspiring journey will resonate with audiences around the world, and we are honored he entrusted us to tell his story...

H.wood Group is making its next move in the film and TV space — and has enlisted Post Malone to direct it.

The company headed by John Terzian and Brian Toll — the go-to-guys for Los Angeles’ coveted tables at hot spots like Delilah, Bootsy Bellows and Bird Street Club — recently added a multimedia production arm to their hospitality company, touting a film and TV slate featuring projects with Kid Cudi and Machine Gun Kelly, among others.

First on the roster: a documentary about Skepta, the British grime rapper behind tracks like “Greaze Mode” and “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” from his upcoming LP, Knife and Fork. The project is described as “a stirring documentary about the artist focusing on themes of cultural identity and artistry.”

It’s set to be co-directed by Malone and BAFTA nominee Hector Dockrill and produced by Terzian and Toll along with Dwight Okechukwu of 1PLUS1 Production.

Get ready hip hop fans, an awesome new documentary is in the works! UK rapper Skepta is teaming up with award-winning director Hector Dockrill for a film that’s sure to be epic. They’re working with two companies – Skepta’s production group 1PLUS1 and LA entertainment company H.Wood Group – to bring this story to life.

The doc will dive into Skepta’s journey and what it’s like living between two cultures. It will also celebrate his talent and creativity as an artist. Producing the film are John Terzian, Brian Toll, and Jeremy Allen from H.Wood alongside Dwight Okechukwu from 1PLUS1. They hope to premiere it in 2025, so mark your calendars!

Dwight said he’s pumped about the partnership. “I’m so excited to work with the talented folks at H.Wood. They seem really cool and excited to make great stuff with us. I think this...

A documentary about U.K. rapper Skepta, directed by BAFTA nominee Hector Dockrill (“Post Malone: Runaway”), is in the works.

The project is the first from a new creative alliance between Skepta’s production company, 1PLUS1 Production, and the L.A.-based hospitality and lifestyle marketing company the H.Wood group. The untitled film promises to be a “stirring documentary about the artist focusing on themes of cultural identity and artistry,” according to a release. Producing the doc are John Terzian, Brian Toll and Jeremy Allen for H.Wood Media and Dwight Okechukwu for 1PLUS1 Production. The film is eyeing a 2025 release.

“I am thrilled and excited about our new partnership with powerhouse H.wood media, based in Los Angeles. As we embark on this collaborative journey, I am truly excited about the endless possibilities that lie ahead,” Okechukwu said in a statement. “I find Jeremy, John and Brian very inspiring and supportive.

For British rapper Skepta, music was just the beginning of his creative pursuits.

Earlier this year, the multi-hyphenate released his first short film, “Tribal Mark,” in the U.K., followed by a SXSW screening and premieres in L.A. and New York last month. The short follows Mark (Jude Carmichael), a teenaged Nigerian immigrant who is adapting to life in London when he is introduced to the world of the undercover Black Secret Service. Skepta appears in the film as an older Mark, once he has taken up his anti-hero alias of Tribal Mark.

Skepta co-directed the short with Dwight Okechukwu, his partner in production company 1Plus1, and hopes that it will draw attention to important social issues surrounding non-eu immigrants, including mental health and racial prejudice.

“Being the child of immigrants, when I come across other children of immigrants from around the world, I relate to them a lot.

Foals frontman and guitarist Yannis Philippakis has announced a new collaborative EP with Tony Allen, the late drummer who played heavily with Fela Kuti, under the name Yannis & the Yaw. He’s also shared the EP’s lead single, “Walk Through Fire.”

Landing on August 31st, the Lagos Paris London ft. Tony Allen EP has been in the works from the Foals frontman for over eight years. Philippakis first worked with Tony Allen in Paris in 2016, and began collaborating with the Nigerian Afrobeats pioneer as well as multi-instrumentalists Vincent Taeger, Vincent Taurelle, and Ludovic Bruni.

According to Philippakis, the two-day sessions culminated in an unfinished EP, and they occasionally regrouped to finish over the following four years until Covid isolated both him and Allen. Allen sadly passed in April 2020, and Philippakis felt a responsibility to carry the EP through to the finish line: “There was an imperative to finish it...

Nelly Furtado took to Instagram on Saturday to show off her battle scars following a particularly dramatic performance onstage at Coachella.

Fans at the music festival on Saturday saw Furtado trip and fall after joining Dom Dolla to perform their single, “Eat Your Man.” Furtado shared footage of the spill on her own Instagram story later that day.

Also on social media, Furtado shared a photo of her bloodied finger after the performance. “Literally left it all on the stage,” she wrote, “including my blood.”

In footage of the incident, Furtado is seen singing the lyric “movin’ my body like a nympho” just before falling to the floor. She recovers quickly, telling the crowd, “I say it right, now do what I say.”

In the video of herself stumbling, she quipped: “Eat your man…not the stage.”

Coachella began its first of two weekends Saturday on the grounds at the Empire Polo Club in Indio,...

Grimes took to social media Sunday to apologize for the technical issues during her Coachella performance this weekend.

The singer-songwriter struggled with equipment malfunctions throughout her show Saturday, with problems plaguing the programming of her tracks at the mixing desk that left her screaming into the microphone throughout the second half of her set.

“The cdjs were showing me bpms like 370 so I couldn’t even mix manually by ear and the front monitors were off so it was literally sonic chaos on my end trying to guess how stuff was sounding for u guys,” she explained on X (formerly Twitter).

Her statement also explained she outsourced certain aspects of the performance “to save time.”

“I wanted to come back rly strong and usually I always handle every aspect of my show myself – to save time this was one of the first times I’ve outsourced essential things like rekordbox...

Those who can’t make the trip to the Coachella Valley this year for the star-studded lineup at the annual music and arts festival: Don’t fret!

The festival is live streaming all the performances from its stages on the grounds at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, for both weekends, April 12-14 and April 19-20.

Apart from the headliners, which include Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat and No Doubt, other artists set to hit the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival stages are Peso Pluma, Blur, Ice Spice, J Balvin, Jhené Aiko, Lil Uzi Vert, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyla, Skepta, Suki Waterhouse, Sublime, Jon Batiste, Carin León, John Summit, Bebe Rexha, Reneé Rapp, Victoria Monét and more.

The music festival has also released the official schedule for weekend one, which will see Lana Del Rey performing on the main stage at 11:20 p.m. Pt Friday.

UK rap fixture Skepta and rising Nigerian singer Portable’s distinct personalities are on display in their surprising link up “Tony Montana.” The collaboration feels unexpected but not unwarranted, given that Skepta’s background is Nigerian as well, having even been made a chief in his parent’s home state of Ogun.

On the song, Skepta raps readily over African drums and shakers, with the beat by Jae5, the British producer who helmed key tracks at the center of Afroswing, the UK’s hip-hop/Afrobeats hybrid. In English, Pidgin and Yoruba,...

Editors note: This story originally ran with a photo that more prominently featured the rapper Skepta, with Wiley in the background. We regret the error.

British grime artist Wiley has been stripped of a national honour, after he posted abusive social media posts aimed at his Jewish critics and other figures.

The 45-year-old rapper from East London was seven years ago awarded the MBE – Member of the British Empire, presented by the monarch – for his services to music.

Within a few years, his followers had noticed many anti-Semitic comments on his social media platform, including a statement likening Jews to the Ku Klux Klan. He also wrote “Israel is ours,” apparently referring to the black community, and shared his opinion that Jewish people control global business interests, as well as the entertainment industry.

At the time, the musician was suspended from X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, while his manager John Woolf,...

Green Day, Sza, and Noah Kahan will serve as headliners at the 2024 Osheaga Festival, returning to Montreal this August.

The diverse lineup for the three-day fest also boasts Justice, Reneé Rapp, Skepta, Melanie Martinez, Labrinth, Brittany Howard, Hozier, Chappell Roan, and the Smashing Pumpkins, who are making their first Osheaga appearance since 2007.

Bladee, Rancid, Martin Garrix, Sleater-Kinney, the Linda Lindas, T-Pain, Uncle Waffles, Dominic Fike Tyla, Raye, the xx’s Romy, Denzel Curry, Mannequin Pussy, and dozens more are also on tap when Osheaga invades Montreal’s Parc Jean Drapeau from Aug.

The conversations that have surrounded the casting of a Black actor in the role of James Bond have been loaded, to say the least. While the wider conversation of race-bending characters has always been an ongoing debate in Western Cinema, James Bond is a character that has found itself at the center of this wider debate, and according to Skepta, it’s about time someone took matters into their own hands.

Skepta

Skepta has embarked on an endeavor to create his undercover secret agent, reminiscent of James Bond. However, since the artist has found himself turned off from the conversation about the new James Bond being Black, he has created a character who would essentially be a Black James Bond, to put the matter to rest.

SUGGESTEDHenry Cavill Reveals the Deciding Factor on His James Bond Casting: “Whether I’m ruled out of Bond because of this…”

Tribal Mark is for Black actors

Tribal Mark,...

The stars are stepping out for London Fashion Week!

Jonathan Bailey, Cara Delevingne, and Barry Keoghan attended the Burberry Fall/Winter 2024 Show held on Monday night (February 19) in London, England.

Photos: Check out the latest pics of Jonathan Bailey

The celeb guests, which also included Gabrielle Union, Callum Turner, and Olivia Colman watched Naomi Campbell and the other models debut the fashion brand’s new collection.

We pulled together photos of more than 20 famed actors, musicians, and models that attended the fashion show so that you can easily scroll and see who was there and what they were wearing!

Head inside to see the pics…

Keep scrolling to see photos of the stars at the fashion show…

Naomi Campbell

Barry Keoghan

Callum Turner

Cara Delevingne

Corey Mylchreest

Debi Mazar

Elizabeth & Georgia May Jagger

Eve

Gabrielle Union

Iris Law

Joanna Lumley

Joel Edgerton & girlfriend Christina Centenera

Jonathan Bailey

Jourdan Dunn

Liberty Ross...

The lineup has been revealed for this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The headliners set to hit the stage for two weekends, April 12-14 and April 19-21, are Lana Del Rey on Friday, Tyler, the Creator on Saturday and Doja Cat on Sunday, as well as a No Doubt reunion.

Other artists scheduled for Friday include Peso Pluma, Lil Uzi Vert, Justice, Bizarrep, Deftones, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyla, Skepta, Suki Waterhouse, Anti Up, Steve Angello and more.

On Saturday, those set to perform are Blur, Ice Spice, Sublime, Jungle, Dom Dolla, Bleachers, Jon Batiste, Purple Disco Machine, Grimes and Charlotte de Witt, among others

And finally, on Sunday, J Balvin, Jhené Aiko, Carin León, John Summit, Lil Jacht, DJ Snake, Bebe Rexha, Reneé Rapp, Victoria Monét and more will perform.

D.A.N.C.E

Register now for access to passes at https://t.co/qujCsdlTip. Presale begins Friday,...

U.K. rapper and producer Skepta took down an image for his upcoming single “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” after allegations that the artwork was in reference to the Holocaust.

On Monday, Skepta posted the artwork, made by artist Gabriel Moses, to his Instagram. The image featured a group of men with shaved heads and the words “Gas Me Up” tattooed across one of their heads. Some fans alleged that the artwork alluded to Jewish people during World War II in Nazi concentrations camps, while some drew comparisons to the track...

Skepta is facing backlash for the artwork of his upcoming single “Gas Me Up (Diligent).”

The U.K. rapper and producer shared the song’s artwork, created by artist Gabriel Moses, on his Instagram Monday. The single’s cover features what appears to be an over-the-shoulder photo of a group of men with shaved heads, all wearing the same uniform. The words “Gas Me Up” are also tattooed on one of their heads.

People quickly took to social media and the post’s comment section to criticize Skepta, alleging that he was making light of the Holocaust. Some fans were drawing comparisons between the artwork depicting men with shaved heads to the treatment of Jewish people in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Others drew parallels between the song’s title and the Nazi gas chambers that were used to kill prisoners.

Following the criticism, Skepta took down the...

Jessie Ware took the stage at the 2023 Mercury Prize awards ceremony at London’s Hammersmith Apollo last night to perform her vibrant single “Free Yourself.” Ware, a nominee for this year’s award, was joined by a band, horns section, and several back-up singers.

The ceremony, which ultimately awarded the Mercury Prize to London group Ezra Collective, featured numerous live performances from the nominees. Raye showcased her soulful, fast-talking track “The Thrill Is Gone” with an expansive band, while Shygirl performed her introspective song “Woe.”

Other nominees included Arctic Monkeys,...

It was three years ago that Avelino announced – his words – “the greatest rap debut in British history”. This Friday, the north-London-based artist’s album is released at last. So, what took him so long? “You can’t rush greatness,” he says with a cool shrug. In the event, God Save the Streets could hardly have been better timed. Out less than a month before the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, it is loaded with nuanced ruminations on poverty, mental health and authority, with the new monarchy serving as a dubious backdrop. The title’s obvious reference to the Sex Pistols’ 1977 single “God Save the Queen” is deliberate. “Rap is the new punk,” Avelino declares.

“You look back at [the Seventies] and that was the music of their generation, the music of the streets.” He captures its defiant spirit on single “Vex”, a sizzling concoction of trap beats and futuristic-sounding synths:...

Sumotherhood, the upcoming British urban action-comedy that marks the much-anticipated return to filmmaking for BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, is set to hit cinemas later this year following a major worldwide deal with Paramount, The Hollywood Reporter can reveal.

Paramount Global Content Distribution and Paramount Pictures U.K. have acquired the feature, now in postproduction and coming from Piece of Pie Productions, Deaconstructed and Belstone Pictures. Paramount Pictures U.K. is planning a theatrical release in the U.K. and Ireland later in 2023.

Sumotherhood features an ensemble cast, including Deacon (Kidulthood, Rogue), Jazzie Zonzolo (Anuvahood), Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous), Danny Sapani (Black Panther), Ed Sheeran (Game Of Thrones), Leomie Anderson (Glow Up), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Mary Poppins Returns, Paddington 2), London Hughes (London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck), Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick), Richie Campbell (Top Boy, Blue Story), Ella VaDay (Ru Paul’s Drag Race) and Jaime Winstone (Kidulthood), alongside several cameos

Written by Deacon,...

Alan Cumming has earnt the praise of fans as he revealed that he was the latest celebrity to return his OBE.

The Scottish star of stage and screen announced on Friday (27 January), his 58th birthday, that he had “recently” returned the honour given to him in 2009 for services to the arts and his LGBT+ activism in the US.

Writing on Instagram, Cumming explained that recent public conversations about the monarchy and British Empire had made him reconsider and return the prestigious honour he’d once been so proud of.

In doing so, Cumming joins a number of well-known individuals to have refused an honour for a variety of reasons, whether political, personal, or because they did not feel it was appropriate.

Here is a run-down of familiar faces who have spurned their honours:

Skepta

Skepta claimed he had turned down an MBE for the 2017 New Year's Honours via a new track,...

Alan Cumming has earnt the praise of fans as he revealed that he was the latest celebrity to return his OBE.

The Scottish star of stage and screen announced on Friday (27 January), his 58th birthday, that he had “recently” returned the honour given to him in 2009 for services to the arts and his LGBT+ activism in the US.

Writing on Instagram, Cumming explained that recent public conversations about the monarchy and British Empire had made him reconsider and return the prestigious honour he’d once been so proud of.

In doing so, Cumming joins a number of well-known individuals to have refused an honour for a variety of reasons, whether political, personal, or because they did not feel it was appropriate.

Here is a run-down of familiar faces who have spurned their honours:

Skepta

Skepta claimed he had turned down an MBE for the 2017 New Year's Honours via a new track,...

“Hijack” director Mo Ali has signed with CAA for representation.

Ali recently directed a number of episodes of the Apple TV+ series “Hijack,” which stars Idris Elba as a top negotiator who needs to step up and use his professional skills to save his fellow passengers when their flight to London is hijacked. The seven-part thriller will premiere on the streaming service later this year.

Ali previously helmed episodes of the British series “Cobra” for Sky, which stars Robert Carlyle and Victoria Hamilton and will soon begin its third season on the pay-tv operator. Ali is returning as director.

Ali made his directorial debut with the post-apocalyptic thriller “Shank,” set in a futuristic London. The film was released in more than 15 territories around the world. His second feature, “Montana” — an examination of life in London’s criminal underbelly — was also released in the U.K. The film played at the...

Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters has died aged 74.

Pointer died on Saturday (31 December) surrounded by family at home in Beverly Hills, her publicist Roger Neal said.

The singer was one of four sisters who founded the Grammy-winning pop and R&b group. The Pointer Sisters found success in the Seventies and Eighties.

Their hits include “I’m So Excited”, “Fire”, “Jump (For My Love)” and 1974’s “Fairytale”. The latter was covered by Elvis Presley in 1975.

Pointer’s family issued a statement, reading: “While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June and Bonnie are at peace.

“She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us.”

Anita’s death follows two years after her sister...

The 2023 New Year's Honours list has been revealed, with cultural figures including Stephen Graham and Brian May among those acknowledged.

This list marks the first published since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September and the first to be signed off by her son King Charles III. A total of 1,107 recipients, 50 per cent of whom are women, make up this year’s list.

Other high-profile names to have made the list include contemporary artist and broadcaster Sir Grayson Perry. The 62-year-old artist, known for his tapestries, ceramic works and cross-dressing, “is knighted for services to the arts”.

Sir Grayson was previously appointed Cbe in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to contemporary art.

Comedian and actor Frank Skinner is to receive an MBE, along with Countdown presenter Rachel Riley, who is being recognised for “her efforts to raise awareness of the Holocaust and combat antisemitism”.

However, there are always...

The 2023 New Year's Honours list has been revealed, with cultural figures including Stephen Graham and Brian May among those acknowledged.

This list marks the first published since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September and the first to be signed off by her son King Charles III. A total of 1,107 recipients, 50 per cent of whom are women, make up this year’s list.

Other high-profile names to have made the list include contemporary artist and broadcaster Sir Grayson Perry. The 62-year-old artist, known for his tapestries, ceramic works and cross-dressing, “is knighted for services to the arts”.

Sir Grayson was previously appointed Cbe in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to contemporary art.

Comedian and actor Frank Skinner is to receive an MBE, along with Countdown presenter Rachel Riley, who is being recognised for “her efforts to raise awareness of the Holocaust and combat antisemitism”.

However, there are always...

Every New Year’s Eve, everyone comesd to the realisatipon that they don’t know the words to “Auld Lang Syne”.

Belting out the song as the clock strikes midnight has become an annual tradition, but after confidently singing the first line, you most likely end up singing “la laaaa la la la” over the actual words.

For a song so popular, it’s quite funny how very few people can actually recite the entirety of.

The song derives from a 1788 Scots poem by Robert Burns – but the poet actually never intended the piece to act as a farewell to the old year.

After writing it, he sent the poem to the Scots Musical Museum accompanied with a note that read: “The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man.

Every year, the streets ring with the same lilting song. Sweet, nostalgic, hopeful; “Auld Lang Syne” has become an absolute tradition in New Year’s Eve celebrations.

And so, we sing. Or, at least, we sing the first couple of lines and politely mumble the rest into our champagne glasses. Despite its vast popularity, it’s a song that very few people can actually recite the entirety of.

The song, of course, derives from a 1788 Scots poem by Robert Burns; now set to the tune of a traditional folk song. Burns never intended his work to act as a farewell to the old year; it’s a piece which partially reproduces, partially originally pens an older folk tune.

He originally sent the piece to the Scots Musical Museum with a note: “The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even...

The 2023 New Year's Honours list has been revealed, with cultural figures including Stephen Graham and Brian May among those acknowledged.

This list marks the first published since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September and the first to be signed off by her son King Charles III. A total of 1,107 recipients, 50 per cent of whom are women, make up this year’s list.

Other high-profile names to have made the list include contemporary artist and broadcaster Sir Grayson Perry. The 62-year-old artist, known for his tapestries, ceramic works and cross-dressing, “is knighted for services to the arts”.

Sir Grayson was previously appointed Cbe in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to contemporary art.

Comedian and actor Frank Skinner is to receive an MBE, along with Countdown presenter Rachel Riley, who is being recognised for “her efforts to raise awareness of the Holocaust and combat antisemitism”.

However, there are always...

Singer Sam Smith has shared a number of revealing photos on Instagram.

The images included the star sailing on a yacht in animal-print bikini bottoms. Humorously enough, in one of the multiple photos, the singer appears to be nude. In the next photo, Smith reveals the thin bikini bottoms, still leaving little to the imagination. The singer showed off while standing on the bow of the boat, back to the camera revealing tattoos and even some cheeks for their 14.7 million followers.

In Memoriam 2022: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died This Year!

“Always wear sun cream,” the caption for the group of photos read.

Another message to their fans lovingly read, “Merry Christmas Sailors sending you healing and love today .”

Smith also shared a series of clips and pics via an Instagram story reel where they can be seen knee-deep in clear water.

The singer made quite a commotion while filming for...

Future released a new video for “712Pm,” the opening track off of his latest album I Never Liked You, on Monday. Directed by Travis Scott, the video offers slick visuals paired with all the makings of modern Hollywood as a Benz parade and a Maybach flash across the screen while Future, draped in fur, raps in front of a blazing fire.

The visual follows previously released I Never Liked You videos “Worst Day,” “Wait For U,” “Puffin on Zootiez,” “Holy Ghost,” “Love You Better,” and “Massaging Me.” Scott also collaborated with Future in September,...

Travis Scott and Skepta will headline a one-day music festival, Mirror Mirror, honoring late designer Virgil Abloh. It’ll take place in just a few weeks, on Dec. 3, at the Fpl Solar Amphitheater in Miami.

The Mirror Mirror lineup — curated by DJ and producer Benji B — also features Yves Tumor, Pedro, Venus X, Bambii, Rampa, and Acyde (Benji B will also perform). The festival, according to a statement, takes inspiration from old World Fairs and will aim to bring together not just people from music but art, design, tech, film,...

Nigerian crooner Wizkid is the king of unignorable dinner-party music: He makes melodic songs that become part of the background but make you want to put that salad fork aside and engage in at least one dance. His voice — a soft warble — is both bold and seductive, enlivening the chill lava-lamp vibes conveyed in his songs.

“Essence,” his spicy 2020 smash with Tems, was everywhere, thanks to its svelte riddim and tasteful modal drone. And throughout his career, Wizkid has refined his sound to a tuneful tee. Earlier projects were full of noisy anthems.

U.K. public service broadcaster Channel 4 is launching a new digital-first brand titled Channel 4.0.

Set to launch on Oct. 26 on YouTube and Channel 4’s social platforms, the brand will focus on 13-24 year olds.

The broadcaster has already tapped Gen Z content creators including Chunkz, Nella Rose and Alhan Gençay, to Spuddz, Mist and Dreya Mac to host a plethora of new series and “unexpected collaborations” based in youth culture and sprinkled with “playful mischief.”

Head of digital commissioning Sacha Khari and digital commissioning editor Evie Buckley are editorial leads for Channel 4.0, working with Channel 4’s social content and distribution studio 4Studio. Big Smoke Corporation, the creative collective founded by rap artist Skepta (real name Joseph Adenuga), advised Channel 4.0 on its launch with talent insight and strategic vision.

Among the series confirmed for the digital-first brand are “Secret Sauce Series 2” (pictured above) in which Chunkz competes against a celebrity...

Following Kanye West’s inflammatory White Lives Matter shirts at his Yzy Paris fashion show earlier this month, it was unclear where the graphic T-shirts would end up. But in a video posted by Ian Connor — a West associate and popular stylist who was accused of sexual assault by at least half-a-dozen women — it appears West’s team handed out the shirts for free in Los Angeles’ Skid Row neighborhood Sunday night.

“Courtesy of Kanye West,” a voice says in the quick video, with the camera panning around to show...

Robert Pattinson has curated a collection fit for Bruce Wayne.

The “Batman” actor partnered with Sotheby’s on an exhibit for the Contemporary Curated program, which runs from September 23 through 29 at Sotheby’s New York. A live auction will conclude the exhibit on September 30.

Pattinson selected six pieces from artists including Willem de Kooning, Richard Serra, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. According to Artnet, estimated values for the works range from 100,000 to 2.5 million. Pattinson, who is deemed a “passionate art collector” by a Page Six source, previously auctioned one of his own sketches for charity in 2017.

“What I look for is when a piece has its own language,” Pattinson said in a press release of his curation strategy, especially applauding artist Julie Mehretu’s portrayals of “magnitude and abundance” in her “Untitled” ink drawing.

“It doesn’t necessarily feel like it just exists for its own sake and has a presence that...

Harry Styles, Little Simz, Wet Leg, Jessie Buckley, and Sam Fender are among this year’s Mercury Prize nominees. The annual prize, Britain’s most prestigious music award, announced its initial shortlist of 12 albums earlier today.

The Shortlist for the 2022 Mercury Prize with @FreeNow_UK has been revealed!

After feuding with local officials in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Pharrell will take his Something in the Water Festival to Washington D.C. this year.

The fest premiered in 2019 but was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19. It will return this summer, taking place on Independence Avenue in D.C. during Juneteenth weekend, June 17 through 19.

The musician made the decision to pull Something in the Water from Virginia Beach last year, citing “toxic energy” in local government. Specifically, he criticized the narrative changes that surrounded the police killing of his 25-year-old cousin,...

Jamal Edwards, an English music entrepreneur known for founding Sbtv, a YouTube music channel dedicated to breaking emerging artists in the UK, died Sunday at the age of 31.

Edwards’ company confirmed his death to the BBC. No other details have been released about his death.

Edwards was born in Luton in 1990 and was raised in Acton, West London. In 2006, he founded Sbtv on YouTube, a channel focused on the discovery of emerging artists. The channel would help launch the careers of high-profile artists like Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Dave, Skepta, Rita Ora and Stormzy.

Many credit Edwards and Sbtv for helping popularize grime music in and beyond the UK. The channel currently has over 1.2 million subscribers.

After news broke of the music figure’s passing, tributes have been pouring in.

Lady Leshur wrote, “This man helped so many artists to become who they are today including myself. He gave me...

Wizkid and Tems appeared virtually on The Tonight Show to perform their joint single “Essence.” Performing in an empty arena, the pair offered a soulful rendition of the track, complete with sultry dance moves.

“Essence” is the hit single off Wizkid’s most recent album, Made in Lagos, which dropped in 2020. The musician told Rolling Stone there was no specific vision for the song. “I remember that day,” he recalled. “I had, like, six producers in the room. I was recording the last song on the album, and, yeah, Tems...

J Balvin has announced the release of his forthcoming fifth album, Jose, which arrives on September 10th. Accompanying the news on Thursday night, he dropped the video for the new LP single “Que Locura.” J. Balvin’s Jose is the follow-up to Colores, which was released in March 2020.

In the yearning Jose-Emilio Sagaró-directed “Que Locura” (which translates to “What Madness”) visual, J Balvin is on display in an art gallery, as are a number of other live people art installations. The stylish clip showcases a world where humans are put...

Just a few days after British rapper Skepta shared that he’s getting ready to drop a five-song EP called All In, he’s offering the first glimpse at the project with the new single “Nirvana.” The downbeat track sees Skepta sprinkle a little bit of Spanish into his lyrics before handing the mic to J Balvin for a guest verse.

Produced by beatmaker Jae5, the track was inspired by Skepta’s time in Latin America. The Klvdr-directed video plays out like a noir thriller as Skepta enters an opulent...

DaBaby has quietly vanished from the lineup of this year’s Parklife Festival in Manchester, England, following homophobic comments he made onstage at last week’s Rolling Loud festival in Miami.

DaBaby’s Flagrant Trolling Is Another Part of Hip-Hop’s Intensifying Culture Wars

DaBaby’s name originally appeared on the 2021 Parklife lineup card — sharing upper-tier status alongside Megan Thee Stallion, Disclosure, and Skepta — but is now absent from the version on the festival’s website. You can view the original poster below.

Parklife 2021 Is Here...

Grime great Skepta has announced a new EP, All In, set to arrive this Friday, July 30th.

The five-track project will feature collaborations with J Balvin, Teezee, and Kid Cudi. All In marks Skepta’s first solo release since his 2019 album, Ignorance Is Bliss, while it will also follow his 2020 collaborative album with Chip and Young Adz, Insomnia.

In the years since Ignorance Is Bliss, Skepta’s has also kept busy with a variety of collaborations and singles. He recently appeared on the F9 soundtrack cut “Lane Switcha” with A$AP Rocky and Pop Smoke,...

Nigerian singer Wizkid has announced a North American tour in support of his album Made in Lagos, released last October. The 17-date run will kick off in Boston on September 10th and conclude in Montreal on January 22nd, 2022. Ticket sales will go live on Friday, July 9th at 10 a.m.

Wizkid’s Made in Lagos features 14 tracks with African and Caribbean influences, and guests include Burna Boy, Skepta, Damian Marley, H.E.R., Ella Mai, and Terri, a signee to Wizkid’s Starboy Entertainment imprint. In April, Wizkid dropped the video for...