Tuesday's Culture Rundown
Miami approves alternative street names in Liberty City to honor hip hop legends, Kendrick Lamar's role in Los Angeles Olympic activities and more in this Tuesday's Culture Rundown.
DELEON’s “Bold Spirits, Rise” initiative has introduced the Opening Acts Pledge, with the ultimate prize being a chance to DJ on the red carpet at the BET Awards. The initiative is a collaboration with Andre Power’s “Link Up” and will roll out in major cities across the country including Atlanta, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. During each stop, DELEON and Link Up will partner for in-person events where DJs will perform for live audiences and receive mentorship from Power.
DELEON also has partnered with UnitedMasters to provide 1,000 DJs with subscriptions to United Masters’ SELECT tier which will provide access to distribution, brand-building tools and direct industry connections. DELEON also pledges to provide 500 hours of studio time in Los Angeles and New York City. If you’re a DJ, the age of 25 or older, enter HERE through April 14.
Jermaine Dupri’s docuseries about Atlanta’s Magic City has been picked up by STARZ. Deadline confirmed the 5-part series will debut in the summer of 2025 with Drake’s DreamCrew Entertainment signed on as a producer beside J.D. According to Kathryn Busby, STARZ President of Original Programming, Magic City: An American Fantasy is “a riveting behind-the-curtain look at one of the most unique places in Black culture.”
**My two cents. It’s fun to watch Dupri create a docuseries to pay tribute to an iconic strip club, when in 2019 I can recall him denigrating the pot of women rappers by saying, “I don’t think they’re showing us who is the best rapper. For me, it’s like strippers rapping.” It was a way for him to explain the lack of variation that existed amongst women in hip-hop at the time. In an effort to clarify his original comments he said, “My statement was about the three (Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B) that she asked me about.”
Casey Wasserman, Kendrick Lamar’s booking agent and the chairman of the organizing committee for the 2028 Olympics hosted by Los Angeles, told the Associated Press, “Fortunately, in my day job I represent Kendrick Lamar. He is truly an L.A. icon so I think it would be a pretty fair bet that Kendrick will be involved in the Olympics in Los Angeles in some way.” Wasserman went on to talk about how influential the spirit of rebuilding plays into the overall theme of L.A.’s hosting efforts. “The rebirth, the rebuild, maybe reimagining L.A. 2.0 - and the Olympics as a catalyst for all those things - we think is really part of our ethos.”
Lizzo, Lil’ Nas X and Flyana Boss will be front and center at the OUTLOUD Music Festival. The two-day event is a part of WeHo Pride weekend in West Hollywood. OUTLOUD Music Festival began in 2017 as a celebration of LGBTQI+ voices. Previous performers to grace the festival stage have been Keke Palmer, Big Freedia, Janelle Monae, Doechii and Lil’ Kim. This year’s return to WeHo Pride marks the festival’s ninth year.
The festival will take place May 31-June 1, 2025, in West Hollywood Park with the venue offering General Admission passes, VIP and even Super VIP Weekend Pride Passes which include access to an exclusive lounge, a swag bag and concierge services.
Some Liberty City neighborhood streets of Miami will be renamed in honor of the area’s most iconic hip-hop stars. District 3 Commissioner Keon Hardemon of the Miami-Dade Commission set forth a proposal to rename several Liberty City streets after hip-hop legends’ song titles and/or well-known phrases. The proposal was approved on March 18. The streets will not be completely renamed but will be labeled with alternative names.
While there was public support for the change, there were commissioners who voted against the idea. Commissioner Eileen Higgins voted yes only after Hardemon agreed to swap out “Grind with Me” Terrace, which would have been a nod to the Pretty Ricky hit. It will in turn be named “People Change” by Miami artist Jacki-O.