Blur are an English rock band formed in London in 1988. The band consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Their debut album, Leisure (1991), incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegaze. Following a stylistic change influenced by English guitar pop groups such as the Kinks, the Beatles and XTC, Blur released the albums Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995). As a result, the band helped to popularise the Britpop genre and achieved mass popularity in the UK, aided by a widely publicised chart battle with rival band Oasis in 1995 dubbed "The Battle of Britpop".
Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. An influential figure in popular music, he has been credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip-hop artists. Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008), Drake began his recording career in 2006 with the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement (2006). He followed up with the mixtapes Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009) before signing with Young Money Entertainment.
Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009 and released two additional mixtapes: The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) to further critical acclaim as he garnered a wider following.
The Club Paradise Tour was the second headlining tour by Canadian recording artist Drake. The tour came following the release of Drake's second studio album, Take Care. The tour's name spins off from the 2011 song "Club Paradise", a promotional single released ahead of the release of Take Care, which, in turn, borrowed its name from a strip club in Toronto. An official poster for the tour was released along with the announcement of the venture, showing Drake in the same room as is on the album cover, expressing the despondent conflicting stance about growing wealth and fame prevalent in the album.
Would You Like a Tour? was the third headlining tour by Canadian rapper Drake. It began on October 18, 2013 in Pittsburgh and continued until March 5, 2015 with its final show scheduled in Brisbane, Australia. Scheduled for 66 performances across North America, Europe, and Oceania, the tour was produced by Live Nation in conjunction with his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same.
The Blurred Lines Tour was the debut headlining tour by American recording artist, Robin Thicke. The tour supported his sixth studio album, Blurred Lines (2013). The tour traveled to North America and Europe, playing over 30 concerts.
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known professionally as 21 Savage, is a British-born rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regional acclaim. His breakout project—the collaborative extended play (EP) with record producer Metro Boomin titled Savage Mode (2016)—peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200. Its lead singles, "X" and "No Heart" both peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, he saw further recognition for his guest appearance on Drake's single "Sneakin'". He then signed a recording contract with Epic Records in January 2017.
The Summer Sixteen Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by Canadian rapper Drake, and American rapper Future. It began on July 20, 2016 in Austin, and concluded with its final show in Toronto, Ontario on October 8, 2016. Scheduled for 60 performances across North America, the tour was produced by Apple Music in conjunction with Drake's fourth studio album, Views, Future's fourth studio album Evol, as well as their collaborative mixtape What a Time to Be Alive. Guest appearances included Rihanna, Fat Joe, 2 Chainz, Ty Dolla $ign, Young Thug, Kanye West, and more. The tour had a total gross of $84.3 million off 54 shows, making it the highest-grossing hip-hop tour of all time, until he broke this record with his own co-headlining Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour in 2018.
The Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour was the fifth concert tour by Canadian singer the Weeknd, in support of his third studio album Starboy (2016). The tour started on February 17, 2017, at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm and concluded on December 14, 2017, at RAC Arena in Perth.
Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Atlanta, he signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records in 2017. He formed the musical collective Spillage Village with EarthGang in 2010, and later formed the hip hop group Zoink Gang with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000. His fluent rapping style and usage of wordplay has been highly acclaimed by several music critics.
Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour, presented as Aubrey & The Three Migos Tour LIVE!, was a co-headlining tour by Canadian rapper Drake, and American hip hop trio Migos. The tour began on August 12, 2018, in Kansas City, and concluded on November 18, 2018, in Atlanta.
Quantavious Tavario Thomas, known professionally as Young Nudy, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, he is known for his collaborations with his cousin and fellow rapper 21 Savage, as well as record producer Pi'erre Bourne. Thomas signed with RCA Records to release his debut studio album Anyways (2020), which was followed by Dr. Ev4l (2021), Rich Shooter (2021), EA Monster (2022), and Gumbo (2023). The latter spawned the single "Peaches and Eggplants", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
The Off-Season Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American rapper J. Cole and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage, in support of Cole's sixth studio album The Off-Season (2021). The tour began on September 24, 2021, in Miami at the FTX Arena, and concluded on April 3, 2022, in Raleigh at his second Dreamville Festival.
The This Is Why Tour was the fifth concert tour by American rock band Paramore, in support of their sixth studio album This Is Why (2023). The tour began on October 2, 2022 in Bakersfield, California, before the release of the album, with several shows throughout North America, Europe, and Latin America. Elke, Bloc Party, Rozi Plain, Foals, The Linda Lindas, Genesis Owusu and Claud served as supporting acts on the tour. It concluded on November 30, 2023.
Janae Nierah Wherry, known professionally as Sexyy Red, is an American rapper and singer. She rose to prominence with the release of her 2023 single "Pound Town" ; its popularity spawned the remixed sequel "Pound Town 2", which marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Released in June of that year, her follow-up single, "SkeeYee", was met with similar success; both songs were included on her second mixtape, Hood Hottest Princess (2023). Her 2024 single, "Get It Sexyy", peaked within the top 20 of the chart and led her third mixtape, In Sexyy We Trust (2024).
For All the Dogs is the eighth studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released by OVO Sound and Republic Records on October 6, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, PartyNextDoor, Chief Keef, Bad Bunny, Sexyy Red, and Lil Yachty. Production was handled by Drake, Teezo Touchdown, and Lil Yachty themselves, along with 40, Sango, Oz, Bnyx, Southside, Boi-1da, Vinylz, Tay Keith, FnZ, Jahaan Sweet, the late DJ Screw, Stwo, Gordo, Justin Raisen, and the Alchemist, among others.
The We Trust You Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American rapper Future and American producer Metro Boomin, in support of their collaborative albums We Don't Trust You and We Still Don't Trust You. Consisting of 27 shows in North America, the tour began on July 30, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri, and ended on September 9, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards was held on October 15, 2024, as the 18th installment of the BET Hip Hop Awards, to recognize the best in hip hop music of 2024. The ceremony was taped in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 8, and broadcast on BET the following week on October 15. The awards was hosted by Fat Joe.
