Typically, a biopic is the closest movie stars get to depicting full-blown rock stars. As much as they might seem similar, the magic of actors and artists is a bit different. We’ve seen it in how they try to cross over into each other’s fields. Bruce Willis and Eddie Murphy didn’t stick it out in music for the long haul. Even though Mos Def was good at it, he preferred the art of rhyming instead.

But some actors didn’t even want to act at first. They wanted music stardom long before they ever heard ‘action’ behind the camera. Here are three full-blown movie stars who didn’t even come to Hollywood for acting at first. Instead, they showed up to the city of stars to blow up as singers.

Three Movie Stars Who Initially Had Visions of Being a Rock Star before acting

Jeff Bridges

It’s hard for a lot of people to imagine Jeff Bridges as anything other than The Dude. But instead of relying solely on acting, he wanted to make music. “I dug what an actor did, but it took me a while to feel it, to truly appreciate the craft and the preparation. Plus, I was still playing music a lot, and I guess I had a hard time choosing,” Bridges recalled to Guitar Aficionado Magazine (via Reuters). “Was I an actor or a musician, or could I be both?”

Although he wasn’t nearly as big of a singer, he still accomplished the dreams he had. He’ll frequently play guitar and even record ambient, spoken word albums in his spare time.

Johnny Depp

Before we knew him as Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp was your everyday guitarist. Because he’s actually great with the instrument, he’s been a part of some serious supergroups across his career. In the 90s, he was a part of P, a band with members of the Butthole Surfers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sex Pistols alike.

Then, in 2015, he worked with more rock & roll royalty by forming Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. Together, they’ve toured three world tours and released two albums.

Jason Schwartzman

Anyone who has ever watched a Wes Anderson movie has seen Jason Schwartzman. The characters he typically plays don’t immediately scream rockstar, but that was his love first. Before he found his calling on the big screen, he co-founded Phantom Planet in 1994. By 2003, though, he made acting his sole focus. Over time, he’s still tinkered around with music. He has appeared in TV series like Smallville and Slackers.

Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images for Illumination And Universal Pictures

The post 3 Iconic Movie Stars Who Originally Came To Hollywood to Be a Rock Star appeared first on VICE.

💾

For a long time, Li’l Romeo was just trying to follow in his father’s footsteps. When the old man Master P founded the No Limit Militia, what do you do besides try and be like him? That was the case for Romeo Miller, or as we know him, Lil’ Romeo. At the time, Lil’ Bow Wow was carving out a serious space for himself in hip-hop at just 13 years old. Rather than leave that lane of kids rapping unattended, Miller and his dad threw his hat in the ring.

Insert his eponymous debut album in 2001 with his hit single “My Baby”. Featuring his uncle Silkk The Shocker and others, the record did moderately well, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard 200.

Romeo Miller kept rapping, releasing a couple more albums and his fair share of EPs and mixtapes. But just like his father, he wasn’t satisfied with just rapping. While some fans might recognize him for his rapping career, older Gen Z adults will probably remember Romeo! on Nickelodeon in 2003. There, he played a fictionalized version of himself and leveraged his fame and attachment to Master P for 53 episodes across three seasons.

Romeo Miller Goes From Hip-Hop to Nickelodeon

Lil’ Romeo has continuously acted throughout his career, whether in Tyler Perry and Lifetime movies or in those infamous ICDC College commercials. Moreover, he kept tinkering with his many other talents. He never quite made it to the NBA like Master P, but he made it to USC on his basketball talent. At the time, he played alongside future NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, though not for long.

Romeo Miller also took up a little modeling and even launched his own clothing brand called College Boyys. The goal there was to provide something formal and nice without breaking the bank on clothes.

“I want to implant the same positive message to young boys as they dress themselves each day with a feeling of success. They can look in the mirror at themselves with a positive goal in mind for their bright future, knowing that going to college can make a big difference in their lives. College Boyys clothing style is classy, cool, and urban with a message: ‘It’s actually cool to be smart,” he said in 2010.

Turning 37 years old today, he’s just Romeo Miller, still making music, acting, and trying a litany of different things. He celebrated his birthday by sharing his upcoming album, New Lane, for pre-order.

Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images

The post Born 37 Years Ago Today in the Big Easy, the Rapper Who Followed His Famous Father Into Hip-Hop Before Becoming a Nickelodeon Star appeared first on VICE.

💾

Every first date has the same game plan: look for all the red flags. The quicker you’re able to spot all of them, the easier it’ll be to realize whether or not you should pursue something serious with someone. The last thing you want is to get surprised out of nowhere when a certain trait about someone sours the relationship.

Perhaps the easiest way to root out these issues is to ask them their favorite artists. In a sense, what they listen to allows you a deeper examination into their psyche. If they play a lot of old-school R&B, they’re probably a hopeless romantic. If they play a lot of emo, they might grapple with depression.

The same idea applies to certain red flags. How they talk about their favorite artists will likely determine aspects about them that will make or break any future dates. We’ve selected three that might help narrow down the process.

Three Red Flags That Could Be Explained Through Their Favorite Artists

Kanye West = Talks About Themselves a Lot, Massive Ego

Even Kanye West will admit to having an unparalleled ego. Frankly, with the catalog he’s built over two decades, it’s at least a little understandable. However, that does not apply to the Kanye stan who works an extremely ordinary job.

Anyone who lives and dies by Ye will probably echo a lot of his sentiments, posing as an innovator and will probably talk your head off at a date, all while not asking a single question about you. If you wouldn’t date Ye and his red flags, you definitely should avoid them with a regular person too.

BTS/K-Pop = Obsessive, Controlling

From the outside looking in, K-Pop fandom can get pretty intense. The BTS army jumped down the group’s throats for taking a picture with Chris Brown. These are their ‘idols’ after all, so they have to make a good impression at all times.

This mindset would absolutely poison any healthy relationship. It’s fine to have some level of expectations. But it’s another thing entirely when every waking moment is meticulously monitored. As loyal and devoted as they might be, it’ll inevitably prove exhausting.

Taylor Swift = Main Character Syndrome

I mean, it goes without saying that the pop star who literally made a song called “ME!” might be at least mildly self-absorbed. Ever since her first big hits, Taylor Swift has made music like she’s the only person in the universe. On “You Belong With Me”, she talks about the cheerleader like the most evil person in the world. If it wasn’t written by a teenager, it would feel a little insane.

So eyeball that woman who likes “You Belong With Me” a little more than everyone else. They probably have red flags hidden in plain sight.

Photo by Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

The post Relationship Material? 3 Red Flags Hidden in Someone’s Music Taste appeared first on VICE.

💾

Every artist needs a break, even the hardest-working ones. John Summit has been one of the most prolific DJs working today. But after a hefty workload this summer, he’s finally decided to take some time off.

In an August 2026 announcement made on Instagram, Summit shared with fans that he’s unfortunately canceling the rest of the summer festivals he was slated to perform. However, with his own tour on the horizon, he deemed it necessary to finally get some rest.

“After much thought, I have decided to take the rest of august off of touring to rest & get ready for my upcoming arena tour,” John Summit wrote. “I unfortunately will not be able to make it to pukkelpop, creamfields, radio 1 malta & touquet festivals. I rarely ever do this but there is so much work to do for the tour and I need to recharge my battery a bit before this fall. Thanks for understanding.”

Thankfully, it seems like fans are actually understanding of his need to rest. One fan commented, “Good for you John. Take a break and recharge for your upcoming tour: you have been touring almost nonstop for what feels like several years and coming up with new visuals, lightning concepts, and set lists all take time… Your Lollapalooza set was the best thing I saw all weekend and Chicago is proud of you dude.”

John Summit Takes a Long Overdue Break from Performing Ahead of His Tour

The EDM artist is set to embark on his CTRL ESCAPE Arena Tour starting October 1. Initially, his run was going to end with a show in Oakland, California. However, when faced with an opportunity to perform at the LA Coliseum in Los Angeles on December 12, he immediately hopped on board.

“Over the years LA has made some of the most special moments of my career,” John Summit told fans. “From the palladium to the shrine, then bmo stadium to kia forum.. we knew we had to end the album tour on the highest note in los angeles.”

Summit’s decision to stop performing for a while was clearly a difficult decision for him. In an interview with NYLON, he admitted the various obligations he has to fulfill can grow deeply exhausting. “It’s not just DJing. You also have to produce,” John Summit explained. “I have my own record label. I have my own events… my own festival, my own merch line. You have to run like 10 different social media accounts. You have to be a marketer, basically; you have to be a good influencer nowadays, too.”

Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images

The post EDM Star Abruptly Cancels the Rest of His Summer Schedule: ‘I Rarely Ever Do This’ appeared first on VICE.

We’ve heard of rappers starting beef with other artists countless times. The root of the beef could be literally anything. But have you ever heard of them beefing with the people who listen to their music? JPEGMAFIA will beef with just about anyone, and now his fans are on that list.

The Experimental Rap artist published a series of apologies on X, one of which addressed the wilder set of people in his fanbase. “Some of you are genuinely strange and think that because I rapped about anime 20 years ago, it means I’m an expert on whatever weird part of the internet you’re in. I’m sorry that you think this way, and I hope you grow up someday,” JPEGMAFIA wrote.

The people in his replies, fans and otherwise, were largely raising their eyebrows. One person said what many were probably thinking: why was this worth sharing? “All you do is be negative all [the] time and you expect to have some lovely fanbase?? Do you not see how your actions foster this type of fanbase?”

Similarly, non-fans who stumbled upon the tweet were joking that JPEG is always mad about something. “Every time I see a JPEGMAFIA tweet he mad as f**k about some s**t I dead never even heard of,” they shared.

JPEGMafia Randomly Made Fun of A lot of his fans one night

Additionally, amid the other apologies, the rapper delivered a backhanded comment reminiscent of old Kanye rants. “I apologize that a lot of you are so jealous and obsessed with me that my name is in your mouth 24/7. I’m really sorry that you’re all like that,” he added.

This all came on the heels of JPEGMAFIA randomly inciting a beef with LA and Odd Future legend Earl Sweatshirt. The former subliminally threw shots at Earl when talking about his own music and how other people aren’t truly “experimental.”

“Other people in this genre, they want to pretend and try to be cool and be like, ‘I don’t want to be experimental rap. I want to be something else, I want to f***ing rap like Lucki. I want to make songs that the young people make,’” JPEGMAFIA said. “I’m not having a midlife crisis, musically, so I don’t really need to do that. I can just be myself, and I let other people try to figure out who they are at 40 or whatever.”⁠

Earl Sweatshirt didn’t take it nearly as seriously as he could have. Instead, he engaged in an ultimate roasting session over JPEGMAFIA’s music. “Lmao leave me alone pls i make music with my friends that i have (derogatory),” he laughed in one comment. “Nobody copies cuh because his music is gnarled rough and ugly.”

The post This Experimental Rap Artist Is Rivaling Kanye With His Attacks on His Own Fan Base: ‘I’m Really Sorry That You’re All Like That’ appeared first on VICE.

The Fall-Off tour has proven to be an extremely emotional experience for J. Cole. He’s previously admitted to his most recent album as the last chapter to his story as an artist. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s retiring like we all initially thought. Instead, anything that he does in hip-hop is all in exhibition rather than the story of his life.

“It’s just lyrical exercise,” Cole said of some of his other albums. “It’s me practicing to get to ‘The Fall-Off’ which is the continuation of the J. Cole story. Jermaine’s life story in the form of this J. Cole character.”

Consequently, performing his story for his biggest fans has led him to have some deeply emotional moments. Most recently, Cole performed in Cleveland, Ohio, where he performed “Love Yourz”, an all-time favorite for his audience. The crowd had to do the bulk of the singing because the North Carolina legend choked up and came to tears hearing them.

Many of his fans in the comments for the video shared similar sentiments about the 2014 Forest Hills Drive classic. “J Cole might be going through the toughest times rn fr,” one fan wrote. “Bro has been so emotional throughout the fall off tour.”

J. Cole started tearing up during an emotional performance of ‘Love Yourz’ in Cleveland last night pic.twitter.com/Rv81kC5Rbz

— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) August 16, 2026

J. Cole Gets Emotional as the Crowd Sings One of His All-Time Best Songs

The 41-year-old MC getting emotional over “Love Yourz” makes sense given how closely he holds 2014 Forest Hills Drive to his heart. In a 2021 interview with SLAM Magazine, he admitted that releasing the album finally allowed him to relax for the first time in his life. Instead of stressing about his career and what next moves he needed to make, he allowed himself to slow down.

“It was after I got off tour, and I could breathe. I was like, ‘Damn,’” J. Cole sighed in relief. “For the first time, I felt comfortable in a good way. I allowed myself to just chill, watch TV, play video games. Simple s*** that n****s do, but I don’t do. S*** that before I wouldn’t allow myself to do, because it was like, ‘Yo, I got way bigger s*** to do, way bigger fish to fry.’ I wouldn’t even give myself the pass of watching a whole [TV] series.”

Once he finally unwound, then he was left with a nagging question: Now what? At the time, he seriously contemplated retirement but decided he still had more left to say.

“And when I asked that question, it was strictly from an ability standpoint, a fulfillment standpoint. Like, did you max out your skill? Did you max out your abilities, or did you leave s*** on the table in terms of pushing yourself? And at that time, I remember feeling like, ‘No, no, you didn’t.’ The truth was very clear,” J. Cole said.

(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

The post J. Cole Tears up While Performing One of His Most Beloved Songs in Cleveland appeared first on VICE.

From working with some of the biggest artists in hip-hop and R&B to living life for Christ. Cam O’Bi is one of the most underrated producers working today. He was instrumental in making classics for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Chance The Rapper, and SZA. He even won a Grammy for his role in Chance The Rapper’s massive mixtape Coloring Book.

Nowadays, O’Bi still makes music, but his relationship with it has changed a little bit. Instead of spending all his days making beats, he balances it with a newfound love for Christianity. “Hip-hop culture, what it is and what it has become, it almost stands in opposition to what I now live for,” Cam O’Bi told BCM in an interview. “But at the same time, I have a unique closeness to hip-hop.”

But how he got there is the crazy part. His wife was raised Catholic for the longest time, but had long stopped practicing. One day, though, she suggested they start reading the Bible together again. Then, he had a fascinating conversation with his acupuncturist. Apparently, long before they picked up that practice, they were a Catholic monk. Consequently, they referred O’Bi to watch The Chosen, a TV series about the life of Jesus Christ.

How a TV Show Recommendation From His Acupuncturist Led to Cam O’Bi Getting Baptized

Rather than let the recommendation brush off him, O’Bi sincerely dug into the show. In doing so, it allowed him a new perspective. “That show was my first time conceptualizing Jesus as a historical figure who really lived in our historical timeline,” he said. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Wait, this is real.'”

Then, the Bible study intensified. His wife started defending her Catholic background more, and they both found homes in their local parish. “They just took us in as their own,” Cam O’Bi recalled. “It was really, for me, unbelievable, because I had never experienced that kind of love from strangers in my life. Just that alone made me want to be Catholic, outside of even knowing that much about the faith itself.”

Nowadays, he’s fully ingrained in the Catholic Church, balancing it with his life as an artist. Cam O’Bi admitted that The Lord Of The Rings and how it navigated Christian themes became a big source of inspiration for his music. “[He] wrote a Christian story, but it’s not obvious right away,” he explained. “He created something that infiltrates and bypasses our conscious mind, exposing us to the deeper themes of the Gospel through beauty.”

(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella)

The post A Former Catholic Monk, an Acupuncturist, and a TV Show About Jesus Helped Lead This Grammy-Winning Hip-Hop Producer to God appeared first on VICE.

When Star Wars first came out, so many fans instantly fell in love with Carrie Fisher. There was something holy about how she presented herself as Princess Leia. Every nerd started daydreaming about one day romancing her the same way Han Solo did. There was only one problem, though: Fisher wasn’t exactly on the market. In fact, 43 years ago today, Star Wars nerds’ hearts were broken when their precious Princess Leia married singer/songwriter Paul Simon.

Star Wars fans weren’t the only ones heartbroken by their romance. In a 2008 interview with The Chicago Tribune, Carrie Fisher recalled the hilarious story of how actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd proposed to her. They nearly tied the knot until she went all in on Paul Simon.

“He was forcing me to eat because I was very thin in those days—no longer—and I inhaled a Brussels sprout, and I started choking. He thought I was laughing, and then he saw that I was dying, and he did the Heimlich maneuver, and then like 10 minutes later he asked me to marry him, and I thought, ‘I better marry him. What if that happens again?'” the actress told the publication. “We had rings, we got blood tests, the whole shot. But then I got back together with Paul Simon.”

Paul Simon and Carrie Fisher Broke ‘Star Wars’ Fans’ hearts On This Day 43 Years Ago

For what it’s worth, their romance was much more complicated than anyone thought. Fisher and Simon were only married for 11 months from August 1983 to July 1984. But even when they divorced, they still indulged in their fair share of romance. She described Paul Simon as a one-of-a-kind figure in her life that she was lucky to have.

“Years ago there were tribes that roamed the earth, and every tribe had a magic person,” Fisher wrote in her 2008 memoir Wishful Drinking. “Well, now, as you know, all the tribes have dispersed, but every so often you meet a magic person, and every so often you meet someone from your tribe. Which is how I felt when I met Paul Simon.”

Both Fisher and Simon went on to marry other people after they finally split for good. The former had many suitors before her death, most notably Bryan Lourd. She gave birth to their daughter in 1992. Meanwhile, Paul Simon married singer Edie Brickell before ending up in a domestic dispute.

(Photo by Robin Platzer/IMAGES/Getty Images)

The post 43 Years Ago Today, This Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Married Princess Leia—and Broke the Hearts of ‘Star Wars’ Nerds Everywhere appeared first on VICE.

For some artists, controversy could end up proving to be beneficial. With a devoted enough fanbase and talent, the bad publicity might not negatively affect them. However, for many, it can radically alter the trajectory of their lives. For Ryan Adams, it’s currently making him hit rock bottom.

In a since-deleted post on Instagram captured by The Sun and The Daily Beast, the North Carolina rocker announced that his European tour had to be cancelled. He shared that he was “wildly sick” and was even having to sell some of his most prized possessions due to being broke. Ultimately, Adams felt like he had simply run out of options, as life kept him in the gutter.

While he may not be going on tour any time soon, Ryan Adams did vow to continue making music for his fans. “I’m broke and sick and tired and defeated but my heart is blasting with hope and love and riff optimism,” he shared.

“I appreciate anybody who can give these treasured things a new life. I’m proud that I did this. That I remain transparent. This business is vile and full of snakes. But I’m proud to call it and man up to this. I’ll keep making records as long as I can afford to. Now I’m going to go sit in the sunlight with my cats and cry because I need to and I’m not sure how many more times I can hit this wall. When is it enough?”

Ryan Adams Cancels His European Tour Amidst a Sea of Controversy

Adams is best known for his debut album Heartbreaker in 2000. However, in 2019, several women, including indie rock darling Phoebe Bridgers and Adams’ ex-wife Mandy Moore, came forward with harassment allegations. In a report from the New York Times, they recalled how Ryan Adams offered to help artists with their careers before attempting to pursue them romantically.

When they would deny his advances, he allegedly retaliated, harassing them on social media and in personal texts. Moreover, they claimed he hindered their careers in a variety of different ways. Initially, Ryan Adams denied all of the claims before eventually pleading for forgiveness.

“There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career. All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple,” the musician wrote in a statement. “This period of isolation and reflection made me realize that I needed to make significant changes in my life.”

(Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

The post Controversial Rock Star Cancels Tour After Revealing He’s ‘Broke and Sick’ and Selling off Prized Possessions appeared first on VICE.

The BTS Army rides for their favorite artists unlike any other working in popular music today. K-Pop fans in general are deeply devoted to their favorite groups and singers, mobilizing to shut down any of their biggest critics. However, there’s a reason they’ve compared themselves to the military and not just some generic name for a fanbase. So you could imagine their disappointment when two members of the group met and took a picture with Chris Brown.

During one of the stops on his massive R&B tour with Usher, Brown shared a moment with J-Hope and Namjoon of BTS. Given the group’s stylistic influences, it makes sense that they might align with an R&B legend.

However, due to numerous allegations and run-ins with the law, fans were disturbed. They couldn’t envision their favorite artists aligning with someone who has a history of allegations involving domestic violence and sexual assault.

One fan highlighted the head of the group, Kim Namjoon, in particular. They expressed their frustrations about how the leader would make such a decision without thinking of their audience. “Honestly I expected better but most of all i’m very disappointed in Namjoon,” they wrote on X. “Like you’re their leader and supposed to set an example. But I’m also not shocked because his words and actions haven’t been matching lately.”

BTS Disappoints Fans Online After Taking Picture with Chris Brown

Additionally, another fan shrugged, arguing that this is why it’s impossible to “separate art from the artist.” “This is exactly why disgusting men keep thriving and getting away with crimes,” they tweeted. “’I have no moral compass. No ethics. Zero concern for victims. I want to make an atrocious man more rich and void of consequences.’”

While BTS fans may be particularly incensed that they’re taking pictures with Chris Brown, the R&B star has bigger visions. He and his manager are eyeballing one of the biggest stages an artist could perform: the Super Bowl. “I think it’s safe to say… they need me!” Brown exclaimed after Bad Bunny’s performance in February 2026.

Meanwhile, his manager Anthony “Ant” Wilson told Billboard that it’s an inevitability that he graces the stage. “I also think the Super Bowl would be a great place for him. I believe it will happen,” Wilson shared.

As for BTS, they may not abstain from taking pictures with Chris Brown. But they did withdraw themselves from the 2027 Grammys. The band cited the institution’s new category for ‘Best Asian Pop Performance’ as their primary reason. “We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” they told their fans. “We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us.”

(Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP via Getty Images)

The post K-Pop Fans Outraged With BTS Members Who Attended Chris Brown Concert: ‘Honestly I Expected Better’ appeared first on VICE.

Two of pop music’s biggest young stars united for a stirring duet that shows us the future of music. During a sold-out show in Los Angeles, Noah Kahan brought out Chappell Roan to perform “California”. The heartfelt ballad is from Roan’s breakout debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, with “Hot to Go!” and “Pink Pony Club” as the big hits. The song revolves around the pop star leaving her stomping grounds in Missouri to try to make a living from her music in LA.

As Kahan strummed his guitar to her singing, Chappell Roan expressed how much love and affection she has for the “Dial Drunk” artist. “Noah always stands up for me, he’s a good person, for real,” she told the audience, according to NME.

Naturally, all the fans who couldn’t make it to see Noah Kahan in person during the sold-out Los Angeles show are seething in jealousy. One fan on Instagram shared the intense FOMO they have for not getting to see the ballad live. However, there is a feeling that they’d turn into a puddle if they experienced it too. “omg i am so jealous. but i feel like if i saw this live i would never recover,” they wrote.

View this post on Instagram

Noah Kahan Brings Out Chappell Roan for the Stirring Ballad ‘California’

Currently, Kahan is embarking on his world tour in support of The Great Divide. According to videos online, it appears to be going great. However, he did have to beg his fans not to soil their pants while at his shows. Back in June 2026, he pleaded with his fans to just go use the restroom.

“If you have to poop at a show please dear god just go to the bathroom lmao,” Noah Kahan tweeted to his fans. “I’ve pooped my pants as much as the next 29 year old but you guys gotta understand there’s a venue worker out there with a 1000 yard stare after dealing with that. I s**t myself onstage in Charlottesville but that’s because I am dedicated to my craft.”

As for Chappell Roan, she was pretty silent before her performance with Noah Kahan. The last time she made major headlines was during her controversy in Brazil. At the time, a young fan was scolded by security for trying to approach her. What they didn’t know was that the fan was soccer star Jorginho’s daughter. Consequently, people throughout Brazil were incensed at the pop star.

(Photo by Sacha Lecca/Rolling Stone via Getty Images)

The post Noah Kahan Shocks Fans by Bringing Out Chappell Roan To Perform ‘California’ During LA Concert appeared first on VICE.

R&B changed significantly when Aaliyah dropped One In a Million in 1996. Jodeci producer and R&B icon Devante Swing was leaving his stylistic imprint on the future of the genre by mentoring the likes of Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and more. Through Aaliyah’s connection to them, we get her classic sophomore album that challenged our preconceived notions of music at the time. The drums were sexy, the samples were creative, and the vibe was sexy. After working with R. Kelly on her debut Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, Aaliyah desperately needed a change of scenery.

\Unfortunately, the R&B legend passed away far too soon at 22 years old in 2001. Now, 30 years after One In a Million, Missy Elliott is celebrating her close friend and collaborator. In a heartfelt tribute on X, she talked about how the album aged incredibly all these years later. Moreover, she highlighted how Aaliyah was one of one when it came to her stardom and presence on records.

“30 years ago, Aaliyah ushered in a new sound that was FUTURISTIC and DISTINCTIVE. She had her own sound,” Elliott wrote. “Her SMOOTH vocals & choreography complemented every beat. One in a Million wasn’t just an album; it was ART & a MASTERPIECE A BODY of WORK that, til this day, feels FRESH & NEW, & studied by many great artists today.”

Missy Elliott Honors Aaliyah 30 Years After Her Classic Album ‘One In A Million’

The Virginia rapper and singer similarly honored her late friend Aaliyah in 2025. It would’ve marked Aaliyah’s 46th birthday. “Babygirl the IMPACT that you have left in the years you spent here with the world is UNDENIABLE. Leaving generations to know your name ‘AALIYAH’,” she wrote. “They continue to learn of your UNIQUE Music ORIGINAL Style & GLOWING personality. You will NEVER be 4Gotten.”

Missy Elliott famously wrote a number of iconic records for Aaliyah, including “One in a Million” and “If Your Girl Only Knew”. Initially, Elliott and Timbaland recalled being a little nervous because they were still relatively unknown. Consequently, they thought Aaliyah might’ve been a bit standoffish towards them, questioning how legit they were. But immediately, all the worries about her being a “diva” washed away, likening her to a comedian.

“We were nervous when we first worked with her because nobody knew who we was,” Missy Elliott told MTV in 2012. “She came in and was so warming; she made us immediately feel like family.”

Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage

The post Missy Elliott Celebrates 30 Years of This Iconic R&B Album: ‘It Was Art and a Masterpiece’ appeared first on VICE.

Everyone who has ever suffered from addiction and beaten it has almost always had a profound wake-up call. There’s a moment in our lives where we don’t want to struggle with the things that slowly kill us. For Travis Barker, that moment happened after he nearly died in a fatal plane crash in 2008. The incident caused four people to pass away, while the iconic drummer and Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein survived with intense burns.

Admittedly, the plane crash kept him horrified from flying again for 13 years. But his near-death experience did help him realize he “never wanted to touch a drug again.” In an interview with the Associated Press, Travis Barker recalled his intense nerves about flying. Consequently, he found drugs were the only efficient way to calm him down. Additionally, he admitted that being away from his kids also screwed with his nervous system.

“I have no clue where that even comes from except for flying when I was a kid and I was with my mom and I saw her terrified,” Barker told the publication. “I don’t know if that really had an effect on me or what it was. But my drug use started from first being able to get on planes because they scared me so much. Then to not only being afraid of flying, but I had to leave my children for long periods of time to go on tour.”

Travis Barker Candidly Opens up About His Drug Addiction and Fear of Flying

Then, the drug habit became a full-blown addiction. It wasn’t until he had to endure dozens of surgeries and was placed on morphine that he realized he never wanted to be so low again.

“Instead of ever going to rehab or quitting, I got into a plane accident where I nearly lost everything and I was in a burn center for six months on morphine and I had 30 surgeries,” Travis Barker added. “70 percent of my body was burnt and I never wanted to touch a drug again in my life. So, I don’t know if that didn’t happen to me if I would still be using drugs in some way, shape, or form. But that was my wake-up call. That was my rehab.”

The aftermath was particularly difficult for Travis Barker. DJ AM was the only one he felt like he could confide in for a long time. However, once he died from a drug overdose, he vowed to never fly again. It wasn’t until his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, finally convinced the Blink-182 legend to try again. Nowadays, flights and turbulence don’t bother him anymore.

(Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)

The post Travis Barker Recalls the Horrific Incident That Made Him Quit Drugs for Good appeared first on VICE.

A lot of people don’t realize that tensions between Drake and Kendrick Lamar had been brewing for over a decade. Dating at least back to 2013, the pair have thrown shots at each other. The only reason things didn’t absolutely explode sooner was that Drake made an abundance of other enemies that took priority in the years since. Moreover, Lamar had different aspirations and grander ideas to exercise than bickering with the Toronto MC.

To properly document the years of beef simmering between the two hip-hop giants, we’ve collected four verses where the Compton legend threw shots at his biggest rival.

4 Kendrick Lamar Verses That Proved His Beef With Drake Long Before ‘Not Like Us’

“Control”

The funny thing about Kendrick Lamar’s infamous “Control” verse is that the “diss” in question was extremely tame. All he did was list his many contemporaries, including Drake, and challenge them to be the best rapper in the game. “I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you n***as/Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n***as/They don’t wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n***as,” Kendrick Lamar spit.

Still, it was enough to get Drake in his feelings and start a long cold war for the next decade.

“All The Stars”

Who knew that you could throw subliminal disses at your enemies in a song for a Disney soundtrack? Kendrick Lamar’s verse on “All The Stars” for the Black Panther soundtrack is largely subliminal in the shots fired. You might even think it’s too broad to apply to any specific person.

But knowing that Kendrick Lamar had constantly questioned Drake’s moral integrity in 2024, the shoe fits on “All The Stars”. He scoffed at ego and entitlement, wanting nothing to do with fake people. “I hate people that feel entitled/Look at me crazy ’cause I didn’t invite you/Oh, you important? You the moral to the story? You endorsin’?/Mothaf***a, I don’t even like you,” he rapped.

2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher With TDE

In the immediate aftermath of the “Control” verse, Drake threw some scattered shots and complained a little bit during interviews. Lamar largely scoffed at his reactions during the 2013 Hip-Hop Awards, dropping a sly reference to Drake and telling him to toughen up.

“Yeah, and nothing been the same since they dropped ‘Control’/And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes,” Kendrick quipped.

“King Kunta”

Ever since he battled ghostwriting allegations from Meek Mill in 2015, Drake’s legitimacy as a rapper started to come into question. Skeptics turned to full-blown haters, and pre-existing haters only had more fuel to argue Drake wasn’t that great.

Kendrick Lamar also indulged on “King Kunta”, wondering what happened to hip-hop for ghostwriting to be acceptable. Moreover, he even teased that he quietly knew about the allegations long before we did. “I swore I wouldn’t tell, but most of y’all sharing bars/Like you got the bottom bunk in a two-man cell,” Lamar rapped.

(Photo by Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images)

The post 4 Times Kendrick Lamar Subtly Teased the Start to His Official Feud With Drake appeared first on VICE.

💾

Artists only respond to critics when there is immense backlash to whatever they made. Mainstream acts, especially, never respond to a particularly thoughtful, favorable review. Instead, they’re merely in the business of amplifying the haters and making it look like it’s them against the world. In the case of Tyga, he released a record that the large majority of people are hating on. Even Doja Cat called him a “penis” for using AI on $TARFACE.

Naturally, Tyga’s first instinct was to deflect from all criticism. Talking to TMZ, he shrugged that he’s never even heard of the popular publication Pitchfork to care about their review. “I don’t know what Pitchfork is. All I know is the devil uses a pitchfork. Unfortunately, Gen Z can’t read,” he said.

Then, Tyga doubled down on how exactly he utilized AI in the making of $TARFACE, emphasizing its use as a tool. “I used AI-assisted things in the production. All the vocals are me. I wrote all the songs. When it comes to the 80s synths and the guitar solos, yes, I used AI for that. But I didn’t make a full AI album. I was in the studio for 3 months working on this,” he explained.

Tyga Claps Back at All The Hate Over His AI-Aided Album

In regard to Doja Cat, the Compton-bred rapper chuckled and pointed the finger back at her. “Listen, I love Doja, but she made a demonic album. But I still love her,” he laughed.

Pitchfork was especially cold towards $TARFACE, zeroing in on how, regardless of AI, Tyga is creatively bankrupt on the album. They rated it a devastating 0.0 out of 10, their first 0.0 in almost 20 years.

“But influence is a form of personal expression,” journalist Drew Millard wrote. “And it often elicits a feeling of connection in the listener, whether the reference is identifiable or subliminal. Not so with $TARFACE, an album that confuses loving music with prompt engineering.”

Tyga isn’t the only West Coast rapper intent on tinkering with AI. Fenix Flexin finally opened up about using Treblo for his song “RUBBERZ” after months of denying it. “Never said I didn’t use AI, I said it had nun to do with the recording process,” he replied to a fan on Instagram. “I didn’t even know what da app was till we mixed it and erybody started commenting. Ain’t nothing wrong with using new technology as a tool, keep up with the times or get left behind.”

Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images

The post Tyga Claps Back at Critics After Backlash Over His AI-Assisted Album: ‘I Don’t Know What Pitchfork Is’ appeared first on VICE.

The South has ruled hip-hop with an iron fist over the last 20+ years. When considering the genre and how it’s risen in pop culture, places like Atlanta were instrumental in the process. Starting with Geto Boys and 2 Live Crew, then Outkast, UGK, and others, the region carved out a space of its own amidst the infamous East Coast vs. West Coast beef. In a way, there was a harmony among Southern rappers that almost acted as an example for how hip-hop could be without all the turmoil.

Naturally, even with the South’s prominence, there’s still an abundance of underrated greats over the years. Consequently, in the spirit of celebrating the region’s contributions to hip-hop, we’ve selected five southern rappers who are criminally slept on.

5 Southern Rappers You Should Be Showing a Lot More Love

Young Dro

Young Dro should get a lot more credit for how innovative he was as a rapper. Few artists in any region were as imaginative with how he would describe colors or alter typical punchlines. Take “Rubberband Banks”, where he raps, “Mathematically with a pistol, I do trigonometry“.

Or on the same song, he’ll say his diamonds are the color of passionfruit, while his Chevy Suburban is the complexion of a Snapple. Instead of saying he has alligator-skinned shoes, he calls his feet “amphibian.” Young Dro is quietly one of hip-hop’s most skilled writers because of his knack for distinct details.

Trick Daddy

You can’t tell the story of hip-hop in Florida without Trick Daddy. Artists like Kodak Black take after his unabashedly country twang, distinct lingo, and trademark sense of humor.

“I’m A Thug” distills his entire essence, confronting bigots who judge him on the gold slugs shining out of his mouth or the baggy jeans that make him stand out. Then, in the second verse, he mischievously grins that his name alone could break up happy, healthy relationships. Although 2 Live Crew opened the doors for Florida to enter hip-hop, Trick Daddy was the image young rappers could look to emulate.

Phonte

Phonte is an all-time great everyman in hip-hop. He identifies with the common man and their social plight all while hilariously satirizing the state of art and culture in the same breath. This applies to his solo rapping and his Little Brother work as much as it does for his work in Foreign Exchange. There, he croons about relationships and sleeping on the couch after an argument with his woman.

Long before Drake became the all-encompassing superstar we know him as today, he was just trying to emulate Phonte first. Compare and contrast Drake’s first mixtapes next to Little Brother and Phonte’s singing, and you hear virtually the same artist.

Slim Thug

If you’ve heard a Houston rapper, you’ve heard almost all of them. They really capture the essence of hip-hop, staying true to the art of freestyling all while musing about riding slabs and sipping lean. But Slim Thug threw a slight curveball into the tried-and-true formula early in his career by taking his titanic voice and dominating a vast array of different beats.

For instance, Pharrell and Chad Hugo laced him with these booming beats that would devour any other rapper. But in Slim Thug’s hands, he would steamroll over them, flashing his diamond-encrusted grill in the process.

Curren$y

Few rappers are as effortlessly cool as Curren$y. But he’s not the kind of artist with preposterous boasts either. Instead, he lounges in his luxury, rolling up spliffs and making runs to the corner store in his vintage rides. Spitta Andretti has a million and one ways to describe driving his insane car collection.

For instance, on “Showroom”, he gives us a play-by-play breakdown of how the spoiler gets deployed from the trunk once he drives 70 MPH. The only reason we know this is that he bragged about studiously reading the handbook in his console. Hearing other people talk about it might sound a little sweaty and nerdy. But Curren$y’s chill demeanor makes it extremely addicting.

(Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images)

The post 5 of the Most Slept-on and Underrated Southern Rappers of All Time appeared first on VICE.

💾

Leaving behind a bandmate after 30 years is much harder than it seems. After countless rumors and an announcement, Slipknot is sending mixed messages on whether Sid Wilson is staying in the fold. The band briefly announced on social media that they were officially parting ways with Wilson. But before you could even read them wishing him the best in his future endeavors, the post was gone.

Then, an hour later, the same announcement resurfaces on Slipknot’s music festival Knotfest account. But why share the announcement there and not on their main social media account as they did before? Currently, there’s no word on why they deleted it in the first place, if the departure still holds true, or if this is just some odd publicity stunt.

This comes on the heels of bandmate Jim Root teasing that we shouldn’t believe all the rumors on the internet. Instead, he suggested that we should wait for Slipknot to formally address all the buzz around Sid Wilson. I wonder what he’ll say after the confusing social media debacle.

“Don’t believe everything you read. Stop. Think. Take a breath. Sit with it for awhile. Maybe. Just maybe even wait until there’s more information,” Root stressed to fans.

Slipknot Officially Breaks up With Sid Wilson After 30 Years… Or Not?

Allegedly, bad behavior is what caused the band to finally break things off with one of their original members. Reports suggest that Wilson was notorious for mistreating other bandmates and that the decision to fire him had been in the making for quite some time. Moreover, the band hadn’t planned on making the decision public so soon. However, once the information leaked and the rumors really started swirling, Slipknot had no choice anymore.

Perhaps what makes this most confusing of all is that Sid Wilson is yet to formally address the big split. In fact, he is still going around introducing himself as a part of the band. Making an appearance at the inaugural World Scratch Invitational, he was still identifying as “no. 0” from the band.

Wilson was one of Slipknot’s earliest members, serving as their DJ since 1998. He joined the group three years after percussionist Shawn Crahan, bassist Paul Gray, and original vocalist Anders Colsefni founded the group. Now, Crahan is the only one left from the first iteration of Slipknot, as countless band members have cycled in and out of the group over the years.

(Photo by Nigel Crane/Redferns)

The post Slipknot Reveals Then Deletes Announcement That They’re Parting Ways With Sid Wilson After 30 Years appeared first on VICE.

It’s rare enough as it is to get a performance from Ms. Lauryn Hill. It’s even rarer to get a proper Fugees performance today. The 2026 Diaspora Calling! festival in Milton Keynes, England, was the one opportunity to finally see Hill and Wyclef Jean reunite. However, in a horrible turn of events, a curfew cut history short.

In new footage from Diaspora Calling!, the event was cut short as the Fugees were performing. Because their set started a bit late and the venue had a strict 11 pm curfew, they only got to perform for an hour. They tried to address the audience about the sudden stop. However, their microphones were turned off, leaving everyone upset and in the dark about the circumstances.

Naturally, this made everyone extremely upset, including Dave Chappelle. He compared turning off the microphones for Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean to muting civil rights activists. Moreover, he vowed to hold onto his anger for the rest of his life.

“You’re f**king up history,” Chappelle exclaimed. “You turned off the mic on Martin Luther King … Man, y’all f**ked up, I’ll never forget this. Tell them, whoever’s in charge.”

The Fugees Get Cut Off From Their ‘Diaspora Calling!’ Festival Performance

Ms. Lauryn Hill addressed the unfortunate circumstances on social media, admitting it was their first time working a festival of such a scale. Consequently, complications arose, and she’s hoping to learn for future iterations of the festival. Moreover, Hill teased that they’ll have to make it up to the crowd and the special guests they had in store for the rest of their set list.

“This was our first time doing a festival of this size, and the learning curve was important. Every lesson, challenge and victory will be carried forward into the next time we come together,” the Fugees legend shared.

“This was never just about one day. Diaspora Calling! is a gathering to celebrate the collective power, passion, innovation, solutions, beauty and creativity that exists within us across the diaspora. Milton Keynes became a meeting point for this sentiment, and you showed up with unprecedented energy.”

Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill of the Fugees reunited in order to celebrate 30 years of their debut album The Score in 1996. Unfortunately, fellow member Pras wasn’t able to join them due to currently serving 14 years in prison for illegal political donations.

The post Dave Chappelle Compares Cutting Off This Hip-Hop Group to Cutting Off MLK: ‘You’re F**king up History!’ appeared first on VICE.

Hip-hop is more than just a genre of music. It’s a rich culture built by music, dancing, and art. However, the more successful hip-hop has become, the more people have looked to exploit it. Whether it’s media tactlessly handling the culture or rappers simply looking for another buck, there’s a lack of intention behind the music and culture that we love.

This is a sharp criticism that Rapsody posits on her upcoming album God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops. During a conversation on Effective Immediately with DJ Hed, she went over many of the bars tackling the state of hip-hop on her album. Ultimately, she shrugged that the mainstream culture has been given away to people who don’t have a sincere love for hip-hop.

“It’s a beautiful art form, and we haven’t projected it enough in that way… We’ve given it to the wrong people,” Rapsody argued.

The media aspect in particular feels like it hasn’t been protected properly. She highlighted No Jumper and DJ Vlad as two primary culprits that have sullied hip-hop’s reputation. Ultimately, she calls for a more intentional form of gatekeeping in order to keep the culture sacred.

Rapsody Opens Up About The State of The Culture in Hip-hop

“Why do we go sit down with certain people and give away a story that I don’t necessarily think is protected? I just love this culture too much, and there are people that really love it and care about it… [But] we won’t go sit down and have these long conversations with them. We’ll talk about things that we don’t like vs. the people that we do like. How are we being intentional with our art form and our story and our truth and who we give it to?” Rapsody questioned.

The 43-year-old North Carolina MC is slated to drop her upcoming album God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops on August 21st. She described the record to the Associated Press as a “divine download” in how it reflects modern society.

“I’m a truth teller through and through. There’s so much that’s happening in the world, so much that we’re feeling. There’s so much we want to escape from too. It was really divine,” Rapsody said, describing the album. “I had things to share, perspectives to give. God had things for me to say as well. I don’t follow friction; I follow attraction. If it was easy, that’s the way it should go.”

Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images

The post Rapsody Trashes the Current State of Hip-Hop Media and Calls out DJ Vlad, No Jumper: ‘We’ve Given It to the Wrong People’ appeared first on VICE.

Have you ever gotten the ick from someone’s music taste? Sometimes, the smallest things determine whether a person will get a second date. But if you can’t even remotely bear the music they love, it just might not be compatible. Imagine spending a lifetime with someone and each time you go in the car with them, you have to grit your teeth through the ride.

Additionally, their taste in music can often reveal a lot about the kind of person they are. If they identify with a certain artist too much, it might give away aspects of who they are. That’s why people nip matters in the bud right after the first date. That way, we’re not left with any surprises the next time we see the person we’re dating.

But what are the immediate red flags? We’ve selected four records that might be a dead giveaway that there’s something wrong with that guy at the bar.

Four Songs That Would Instantly Make Me Turn Down a Second Date

“Ordinary” by Alex Warren

Someone who likes “Ordinary” too much might be extremely milquetoast. Wedding songs used to have soul and romance. But “Ordinary” is frigid, stiff, and made for a generation of prudes who unironically argue there’s too much sex in movies.

“Jocelyn Flores” by XXXTENTACION

At best, an XXXTENTACION stan is extremely moody and doesn’t contain a ton of depth. At their worst, they have some extremely problematic views and are a little too defensive of their favorite artist’s allegations. Regardless, 17 is a general downer of a record that you shouldn’t want to hear all the time, and “Jocelyn Flores” is its centerpiece.

“Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone

This one is just a little annoying. Hearing Benson Boone scream on the radio for several months was maddening as is. Going to any store where they were playing the Top 40 hits without headphones was a nightmare. It would be even worse to carry that kind of misery beyond a second date. When he bellows “please stay,” it reeks of a desperation you definitely don’t want in a future partner.

The Hills by The Weeknd

A guy who is way too into The Weeknd tells you a few different things: he’s toxic, he’s grossly misogynistic, or he’s awful in bed. Or worse, all three at the same time. “The Hills” is probably the most overtly annoying of them all due to the constant overplay. The blaring 808s grow incredibly grating after the first dozen times we heard it in 2015. The worst guy you know loved this song, though.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

The post These 4 Songs Might Be Why You Never Got a Second Date appeared first on VICE.

💾