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Giggs isn't just another rapper. Not many street artists can boast sales of 100,000 mixtapes over two years, and none can lay claim to owning their more...

August 2024

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Giggs & Diddy review – potent chemistry unites Peckham and NYC

Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London Flashy dad-dancing music mogul Diddy and growling south London rapper Giggs energise the crowd with a relentless string of hits and guests

I f you’d have predicted 15 years ago that Peckham’s Giggs and US rap mogul Diddy would one day share a stage in Shepherd’s Bush, you might have received some strange looks. Road-rap legend Giggs half-talks quintessentially British bars (“Walk in the party sporting Armani / half of the crowd’s all snorting my charlie”) sounding like someone who smokes 40 a day while driving through south London drizzle. Diddy, meanwhile, is all exuberance and flashy catchphrases, the shiny suit-wearing personality that helped launch the careers of everyone from Mary J Blige to the Notorious BIG.

Yet UK rap’s ascent to the mainstream is such that it feels natural for them to share a stage. “We could have done an arena, but we wanted it to be intimate and a real party, bruv,” reveals Giggs to the adoring sold-out crowd, whose ticket fees are donated to charity. The hyper-confident, black-tracksuit-wearing MC then launches into the hell-raising sirens of Whippin Excursion and his landmark verse on Drake’s KMT, its Batman punchline screamed back by the crowd. Giggs’s posture on stage is resolute, like someone taking a final stand.

In stark comparison, his friend Diddy (now 54 and recently releasing a surprisingly good R&B-inflected album ) is dressed, giddily dad-dancing, in opulent white. In-between rushed renditions of his most ubiquitous hits (including Bad Boy for Life) he barks hilarious instructions to the DJ: “Don’t play explosion noises when I say the word Love!” He endearingly admits to feeling nervous and, therefore, looks most comfortable when surrounded with unexpected guests (including Shyne, the former Bad Boy rapper turned Belize prime ministerial hopeful).

The show soars when Diddy and Giggs combine for their bass-heavy, euphoric duet Mandem. It’s a shame there aren’t more of these moments, because when Giggs briefly takes on a call-and-response bar during Diddy’s performance of Warning, by the late Biggie, it’s pure magic – but is cut off way too quickly. The show needs fewer solo moments and more of a focus on the pair’s unlikely chemistry.

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However, the hits and guests are so relentless – UK star Potter Payper also comes out – it’s impossible not to feel energised. Giggs standing with Diddy is a reminder of UK rap’s journey from British accents being openly mocked to universally embraced, and how the bridge between London and New York City rap now has foundations so solid that gigs like this feel anything but strange.

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Giggs, full name - Nathaniel Thompson, is an English rapper from South East London.

Giggs released his debut studio album  Walk in da Park  in 2008 and released a follow-up album  Let Em Ave It  the following year.

He released his 3rd studio album  When Will It Stop  in October 2013.

In 2016, Giggs released his fourth album  Landlord , which entered and peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart – becoming the highest-charting album of his career. His latest mixtape  Wamp 2 Dem  was released in 2017 and also debuted at No. 2.

Giggs is also the frontman and founder of record label and rap collective SN1 (Spare No 1), which includes, Gunna Dee, Joe Grind, Kyze and Tiny Boost.

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Giggs announces U.K. and Ireland tour dates

The london rapper is taking big bad on the road..

U.K. rapper Giggs has announced a headline tour of the U.K. and Europe. The tour follows the release of Giggs's latest album Big Bad . The album, released in February, features appearances from Swizz Beatz, Lil Yachty, and Jadakiss among others.

The 15-date tour, which takes in 8 countries, begins in Dublin, Ireland on November 7 and includes dates in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and France. The run of shows will conclude with a homecoming show at London's Wembley Arena on December 6. Tickets are available from Friday, August 30.

Read Next: Giggs drops surprise mixtape Now Or Never

Check out the schedule below.

07 Nov - Olympia, Dublin, Ireland 15 Nov - Kraken, Stockholm, Sweden 16 Nov - Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark 18 Nov - Bi Nuu, Berlin, Germany 19 Nov - CBE, Cologne, Germany 20 Nov - Melkweg Big Room, Amsterdam, Netherlands 22 Nov - Botanique, Brussels, Belgium 23 Nov - Nouveau Casino, Paris, France 25 Nov - O2 Academy, Newcastle, UK 27 Nov - O2 Academy, Bristol, UK 29 Nov - O2 Academy, Birmingham, UK 30 Nov - O2 Academy, Bournemouth, UK 03 Dec - O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, UK 04 Dec - Rock City, Nottingham, UK 06 Dec - The SEE Arena, Wembley, UK

View this post on Instagram THE GIGGS 2019 UK & EUROPE TOUR. TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY. ITS GONNA BE A MAAAAAAD PARTY EVERY SINGLE NIGHT😄😄😄 A post shared by GIGGS (@officialgiggs) on Aug 27, 2019 at 2:11am PDT

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Rakim tour dates 2024 - 2025

Rakim is currently touring across 7 countries and has 25 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Concert Hall, Kennedy Center in Washington, after that they'll be at O2 Ritz Manchester in Manchester.

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Upcoming concerts (25) See nearest concert

Concert Hall, Kennedy Center

O2 Ritz Manchester

O2 Institute

O2 Academy Bristol

Yoshi's

O2 Forum Kentish Town

Harlow's

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Karlstorbahnhof - Saal / Sommerbühne

Alte Kaserne

Uebel & Gefährlich

Skaters Palace

Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre

Rock the Bells Cruise

Indiana Farmers Coliseum

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The show was great! D.J John Blaze warmed us up with a bunch of late 80's, and 90's Hip Hop tracks. Rakims D.J followed with a 30 minute rush through great old school New York tracks, and then The God M.C hit the stage, and did a backwards run of hits, Starting with his solo album "The 18th Letter" and ending with Paid in full!!! He never slowed down, interacted with the crowd, and although it was just about 1/3 compacity of the room fulled, he gave all the Hip Hop heads in attendance a great bang for the buck show!!! Shout out to The R for a wonderful evening!!!

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The Rakim show at Newport Blues Cafe was amazing! It was truly an honor to open for the God MC along with my DirtyDurdie brethren, Lord Gremithy and Unk11. Rakim is definitely a master of what he does. Highly recommended if you have never seen him live before.

The Rakim concert was postponed to next Saturday. The promoter informed the audience a good 2+ hours after doors were open. He said that Rakim was involved in a motor vehicle accident on his way and while Rakim suffered no injuries he will not be able to make it to Washington DC.

I look forward to seeing Rakim next Saturday

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Giggs and Diddy announce “one-night-only” show in London

The musical friends and collaborators will be performing a one-off show for charity next month

Giggs and Diddy have announced a “one-night-only” show in London this November.

• READ MORE: Giggs – ‘Now Or Never’ review: surprise mixtape sees UK rap star step aside for the next gen

The rappers are set to perform an intimate gig at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London next Tuesday (November 7).

Fans attending will have the opportunity to choose their ticket price from a set range, with all proceeds due to go towards a soon-to-be-announced charity.

An O2 priority pre-sale is live now, with general tickets set to go on sale this Wednesday (November 1) at 10am GMT. You can purchase yours here .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by GIGGS (@officialgiggs)

This isn’t the first time Giggs has hosted a charity gig. Back in 2018, he performed at the Roundhouse in Camden in aid of the Sickle Cell Society and the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

The Shepherd’s Bush show will bring together friends and collaborators of Giggs and Diddy for a special performance after collaborating on the single ‘Mandem’ , which came out in August and featured on new album ‘Zero Tolerance’.

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The 18-track project also featured artists including Jadakiss , 21 Savage , Dave East , Popcaan , Potter Payper and Tiny Boost.

‘Zero Tolerance’ marked Giggs’ first full-length record since 2020’s ‘Now Or Never’, while ‘Mandem’ was released on the 15th of his 2008 debut ‘Walk In Da Park’.

The Peckham rapper has also announced his first-ever headline show in the US at The Bowery Ballroom in New York on December 6. Any remaining tickets can be purchased here .

Giggs recently returned to Fire In The Booth to perform a new freestyle ahead of the release of his new album. The new freestyle marked the fifth time the London rapper visited the booth for the Charlie Sloth Rap Show for the Fire In The Booth  segment.

“The landlord!!! The main man is back!!! An artist who’s never conformed and always stuck to his guns. A leader taking the sound around the world. Another legendary FITB,” said Sloth of Giggs.

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Sean “Diddy” Combs and Giggs electrified a sold-out crowd on Tuesday (Nov. 7) night at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London. The hip hop icons performed their collaborative single “Mandem” live for the first time, along with several of their respective hit songs during the fiery set.

The pair was joined onstage by an all-star lineup that included Shyne, King Combs, and NOVA WAV, among others. The first-mentioned gave fans a rendition of “Bad Boyz” and “Bonnie & Shyne,” while Love Records’ flagship artist Jozzy did her track “Homecoming.”

Notably, Diddy reunited with Giggs 15 years after the release of the British rapper’s groundbreaking debut album, Walk In Da Park . Meanwhile, “Mandem” appeared on the latter’s Zero Tolerance . It served as his first full-length project since 2020’s Now Or Never .

He was joined by several other U.K. artists, including Kyze, Dubz, Potter Payper, and Tiny Boost. They also presented Diddy with a birthday cake while the crowd sang to the hip hop mogul.

Tuesday’s concert supported two Black British charities: Sickle Cell Society and Black Minds Matter. The former funds those affected by sickle cell disease, and the second-mentioned provides mental health services to the Black community.

The event also highlighted Diddy’s enduring influence after 30 years in the music business. He recently topped the charts with The Love Album: Off The Grid , which dropped on Sept. 15. The 23-song LP boasted features from The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan, H.E.R, Summer Walker, Babyface, John Legend, Teyana Taylor, French Montana, Coco Jones, and more.

Furthermore, the music magnate performed a number of songs from the project during Howard University’s Yardfest in October. There, he also made good on his $1 million pledge , marking his second major donation to the college.

During a speech, HU president Dr. Ben Vinson III expressed, “This is such a tremendously meaningful gift to Howard University, and we are deeply grateful. Since his days here as a student, Sean Combs has always credited Howard for helping him become the groundbreaking entertainer and entrepreneur that he has become.”

In related news, Diddy also announced his upcoming film, OFF THE GRID , on Oct. 27. It’s inspired by the artist’s recent album and will star Ugandan model Eva Apio.

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Ryan Giggs and football: A very complicated relationship

The celebration was almost as glorious as the goal itself. The fuzz of chest hair, the twirling shirt, the body swerve to evade the Manchester United fans who had run on the pitch in their euphoria.

On Sunday, it is 25 years since Patrick Vieira, a genuine great of Arsenal ’s midfield, played a wayward pass amid the high drama of an FA Cup semi-final between the leading two English sides of the time.

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Ryan Giggs took the ball and then he was off and running, picking up speed from inside his own half, slaloming past opponents, one by one.

Vieira tried to get back but Giggs, crossing the halfway line, dipped his shoulder to get away. Lee Dixon was next to come across. He, too, could not get near him.

Arsenal had the most famously parsimonious defence in English football — yet Giggs had magic in his feet. He was on his own, with everyone to beat, under the floodlights of Villa Park. Martin Keown went to block him. Dixon was still in the chase. Giggs shimmied between them both and suddenly, with a sway of his hips, he was in the penalty area, sizing up David Seaman, the Arsenal and England goalkeeper.

His shot was still rising as it flew into the roof of the net. It was pandemonium in the stands and Martin Tyler’s voice, commentating for Sky Sports, seemed to have gone up a few octaves.

“He’s cut Arsenal to ribbons,” summed it up rather beautifully.

It’s a Thursday night in Radlett, a well-to-do village in London’s commuter belt, and a beery, boisterous crowd has broken into song.

Ryan Giggs, now 50, has wandered onto the stage of the 300-capacity Radlett Centre. The venue is not full, but there is a racket anyway. He is greeted with a standing ovation and a song that will be familiar to United fans of a certain generation. It is an adaptation of the old Robin Hood classic.

Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, running down the wing Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, running down the wing Feared by the Blues, loved by the Reds Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs!

It doesn’t take long, therefore, to realise that whatever else has happened in Giggs’ life in the last few years — most notably, the criminal trial that led to him relinquishing his position as Wales national manager — there is no shortage of people who regard him as football royalty.

He has already done Cleethorpes, Hull and Lincoln since being acquitted last year of being a violent and abusive boyfriend . There was a night in Belfast and an event in Chester. Another “Evening with Ryan Giggs” is scheduled in Northampton, plus two in Manchester alongside Paul Scholes, his former United team-mate. It is not quite Giggs on tour, but it does feel like a man putting himself back out there.

Is it what he imagined for himself at this stage of his life? Perhaps not, and the most decorated player in English football history will touch upon that when he is asked whether he is seeking a way back into management.

“There’s a bit of unfinished business,” Giggs tells the audience. “I was obviously enjoying coaching Wales . We had a pretty successful time. And yeah, I loved it. So I don’t see why not.”

Who is the real Ryan Giggs?

It is complicated, though, bearing in mind all the unpleasantness and excruciating detail that came out during the 2022 trial in which he denied subjecting his former girlfriend, Kate Greville, to three years of psychological and, at times, physical abuse.

It also seems to be understood why there are no follow-up questions. To go any further might involve having to explain why he had to stand down from the Wales job, why we rarely see him on television these days, why he does not tend to do interviews and why, it seems, potential employers might have reservations about taking him on.

To go further might involve having to ask why Giggs, a history-maker with an Order of the British Empire for his services to football and 13 Premier League titles, keeps being left off the competition’s Hall of Fame.

Giggs had been charged with controlling and coercive behaviour, headbutting Greville, 10 years his junior, and assaulting her younger sister, Emma. The jury at Manchester Crown Court could not reach a verdict. Then, shortly before the retrial was due to begin last year, Greville wrote to the court to say she no longer wanted to give evidence because she felt “worn down” and “violated” by the judicial process.

The judge issued not-guilty verdicts on all the alleged offences. “The position is, he has always been innocent of these charges,” Chris Daw KC, representing Giggs, told the court. “Going forward, he now looks to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man.”

And so, there are around 240 people in Radlett — just a few miles from Arsenal’s training ground — paying between £90 and £250 ($113 and $314) to see him, with the more expensive packages involving a meet-and-greet and a professionally taken photograph. 

Giggs looks tanned, relaxed, trim — a regular, apparently, at Barry’s Bootcamp gym in Manchester — and his Salfordian accent seems more pronounced in a room mostly filled by southerners.

It is a friendly audience and, right from the start, Giggs reminds everyone that he has always been a crowd-pleaser. “The bar’s been open, has it?” is his opening line, as the most boisterous members of the audience have to be shushed down.

He talks about watching United’s FA Cup defeat of Liverpool at his mother’s house (“she hates Scousers more than anyone”) and why he believes Erik ten Hag should keep his job as manager . United, he says, have suffered from “crap” recruitment in the post-Ferguson years and he hopes INEOS will put that right.

The compere asks him to wish happy birthday to a United fan called Nina, who is in the audience with a group of friends. It is her 61st birthday and Giggs turns the charm on full beam. “I met her earlier,” he says. “She doesn’t look it.”

But he is here to talk about his own United career, for the most part, and the evening opens with a video montage reminding the audience why they cherished him so much as a player.

The footage shows Giggs, at 17, making his United debut in a shirt that seems a size or two too big for him. In between the mazy runs and spontaneous skills, there is a clip of Best himself, analysing the teenager. “One day,” he says, “they might say I was another Ryan Giggs.”

The video moves on to the goal at Villa Park — April 14, 1999 — that would be voted in 2004 as the greatest FA Cup moment of all time. Vieira gives the ball away and the audience start cheering. They know what is coming. So does the compere, Alan Keegan, usually United’s matchday announcer.

“Oh, this is the one,” says Keegan. “Keep going, keep going, keep going Ryan… wow! That is extraordinary.”

It would end up being voted the greatest goal in 50 years of the BBC’s Match of the Day. Giggs was 25 at the time and, incredibly, still had another 16 years ahead of him in United’s team.

“I left the ground on crutches,” says Giggs, whose Achilles had been damaged after a tackle by Dixon. “I thought my season was over. As I was getting on the bus, a reporter asked me: ‘Was that the greatest goal you ever scored?’.”

His answer, he explains, was that, no, he didn’t think it was. But he hadn’t seen it back at that point. “In my head, I was 30 yards out and I had beaten only a couple of players. It wasn’t until I got home, watching it on the news, that I realised I was that far out and that I’d beaten that many players.”

Manchester United’s greatest goals: Giggs sets United on course to win it all

He leaves Radlett around 11pm and, by the following afternoon, he has made his way 190 miles north to watch Salford City take on Sutton United in League Two.

Giggs is the co-owner of Salford alongside Scholes, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and David Beckham. It is the fourth tier of English football and, at times, there have been some unexpected challenges for the group of ex-United players known as the Class of ’92. 

“It’s different, especially when you have been in football at the top level,” says Giggs. “When we first took over, the manager had booked a two-week holiday in pre-season. ‘I book my family holiday at the same time every year’. But it’s your job, isn’t it? ‘I’m not changing it’. So yeah, we had a few things we had to get our heads around.”

Sutton begin the day in the relegation zone, dangerously close to falling out of the EFL . It is 87th versus 91st at the start of play, in a ladder of 92 clubs. And it is a bad day for Salford, in a game of blood and thunder, a fair bit of thud and blunder, and not a great amount of skill. Salford lose 2-1 and the home fans in a crowd of 2,983 go home disappointed. 

Overall, though, it has been a story of near-unremitting success, involving four promotions, since the Class of ’92 took control of Salford 10 years ago, backed by the wealth of Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim.

“We love it,” Giggs tells the audience in Radlett. “Myself, Gary, Nicky, Scholesy. Phil and Becks are in America so don’t get to a lot of games. But the rest of the lads do. Roy Keane loves coming to home games. Steve Bruce comes because his son, Alex , is now assistant manager. So there’s a real United connection.”

The Athletic is there, too, though it is difficult not to get the feeling our presence is less welcome. Salford get in touch two days before the game to ask what we want to write about, which doesn’t usually happen. Giggs, we are told, is not expected to be there.

In the end, they approve our accreditation request. The only logical explanation, however, is that there are people at the club who are not keen on Giggs being the subject of interest.

A few weeks back, it was revealed that Giggs had been working for Salford all season as director of football . As well as going to all the home games, it means he is there for the majority of their away fixtures, too. So he has plenty to keep him busy, even if it is noticeable that his appointment was not announced at the time.

Nor is he afraid to make the hard calls, judging by the story Robbie Savage, director of football at non-League Macclesfield Town, told recently about Giggs ringing him in February “to warn me that Salford City were poaching my manager”.

Savage, who was once in United’s youth system with Giggs, recalled the conversation in his column for the Daily Mirror newspaper. “I thought Giggsy was calling to arrange a game of padel tennis , which we play occasionally, but this time he opened the conversation with, ‘You’re not going to like this’.

“He said Salford wanted to speak to Alex Bruce, who had guided Macclesfield into the Northern Premier League play-off places and quarter-finals of the FA Trophy, two steps from Wembley. Laughing, but disappointed, I replied, ‘First you take my place in the 1992 FA Youth Cup final team and now you’re taking my manager?’.”

Is Giggs actively applying for managerial jobs of his own? His brief spell as United’s caretaker manager in 2014 was, he says, the proudest he has ever felt. It also left him convinced he could do the job full-time. But it is far from straightforward when, unfortunately for Giggs, it is also clear that prospective employers would have to consider the damage to his reputation.

“George Best has a statue outside Old Trafford and his charge sheet off the pitch is much worse than Ryan’s,” says the writer and author Frank Worrall. “So if that’s the yardstick, Giggs should have one, too. Not that he ever will. Times and attitudes have changed. Best wouldn’t get one now, either — protest groups wouldn’t stand for it.”

In 2010, Worrall brought out a biography, Giggsy, that eulogised in the main about a player he regarded as “a personable guy away from the pitch and a genius on it”.

Worrall can vividly remember that epic semi-final against Arsenal when Keane was sent off, Peter Schmeichel saved Dennis Bergkamp’s 90th-minute penalty and Giggs’ wonder goal pushed United closer towards what was, back then, an unprecedented treble.

“The utter audacity of it,” says Worrall. “The interception, the dazzling dribble past bemused defenders, the hammer shot beyond David Seaman. The shirt off, twirling it in the air. The chest hair, the congratulatory hugs. The whole bloody miracle of a snatched glory in the face of 10-men adversity.”

Giggs, he adds, “is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend… a footballing legend”.

The Premier League 60: No 4, Ryan Giggs

Over the years, however, Worrall has had to get used to the idea that “the Bobby Charlton-style, clean-as-a-whistle family man” was not the person he thought him to be. And that can be conflicting — “Sir Bobby he certainly ain’t” — when Worrall counts Giggs in his top five United players from the 1970s onwards.

“Ryan contributed as much to United as anyone ever,” he says. “Thirty-four trophies from 1991 to 2013, the most appearances (963), the first and last of the Class of ’92 to play for the club and United’s most decorated player… a winger-turned-midfielder genius who tore the opposition apart, again and again.” 

Against that kind of backdrop, there are many people in football who think it is wrong, and certainly inconsistent, that the Premier League has excluded Giggs from the latest shortlist of possible Hall of Famers.

Yes, there are other stories about Giggs’ private life that will be held against him. And, yes, it only needs a cursory look through the internet to understand, for example, why his relationship with his younger brother, Rhodri, has suffered badly.

Yet the Premier League inducted Tony Adams into its Hall of Fame last year, even though the former Arsenal captain had previously served a prison sentence for drink-driving.

John Terry, the former Chelsea captain, is one of the 15 players on this year’s shortlist, despite being banned for four matches and fined £220,000 by a Football Association commission that decided he had racially abused Anton Ferdinand, then of Queens Park Rangers .

Perhaps the best way of summing it up is that Giggs may just have to accept that he is always going to polarise opinion but that, in football terms alone, his achievements are as solid as the foundations of Old Trafford itself.

“You cannot separate genius from Ryan Giggs,” Ferguson said after the 1999 semi-final against Arsenal that, 20 years later, was ranked No 38 in The Times’ 50 Greatest Football Matches.

That genius has been tarnished over recent years. In football, however, where there is genius, there will also be adoration. And, however complicated it can be in the rest of his life, Giggs will always be guaranteed that in a room filled with United fans.

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)

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Missy Elliott Announces First-Ever Headlining Tour with Ciara, Timbaland and Busta Rhymes — See the Dates!

"Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right," said the Grammy-winning rapper of the upcoming 24-city trek

Derek Blanks with crowdMGMT

Get ready to travel to another galaxy with Missy Elliott .

On April 8, the Grammy-winning rapper announced her first-ever headlining tour, billed as Out of This World — The Missy Elliott Experience, set to hit 24 cities throughout North America this summer with Ciara , Busta Rhymes and Timbaland joining for the ride.

"This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts.’ Being the FIRST female Hip Hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my FIRST headline tour," said Elliott, 52, in a statement.

"Fans have been asking me to tour forever," continued the "Get Ur Freak On" performer," but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family!"

Elliott's statement concluded, "So get ready to be taken OUT OF THIS WORLD with me, Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland! We can’t wait to share this experience with the fans!"

Most of the artists on the tour bill have worked together throughout their careers. Elliott and Timbaland are longtime tight-knit collaborators, having written and produced for each other as well as artists including 702,  Aaliyah , SWV and Total.

Ciara featured Elliott on her 2004 hit "1, 2 Step," and they reunited the following year for the rapper's 2005 hit "Lose Control" with Fatman Scoop. More recently, all three artists got back together for a remix of Ciara's 2018 single "Level Up."

Busta Rhymes has collaborated with all three tourmates, having notably provided several Timbaland-produced interludes on Elliott's albums in the past. Timbaland, however, hasn't yet released an official collaboration with Ciara — but maybe the tour will spark one.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage

Kicking off July 4 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the tour will make stops in cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, Detroit, Toronto and more before wrapping August 22 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

Tickets will first become available through a Verizon presale running from April 9 at 10 a.m. local time through April 11 at 10 p.m. local time, followed by additional presales before the general on-sale launches April 12 at 10 a.m. local time. VIP packages are also available via VIPNation .

See the complete list of Out of This World — The Missy Elliott Experience Tour dates below.

Thursday, July 4 — Vancouver, BC — Rogers Arena

Saturday, July 6 — Seattle, WA — Climate Pledge Arena

Tuesday, July 9 — Oakland, CA — Oakland Arena

Thursday, July 11 — Los Angeles, CA —  Crypto.com  Arena

Saturday, July 13 — Las Vegas, NV — T-Mobile Arena

Tuesday, July 16 — Denver, CO — Ball Arena

Thursday, July 18 — Austin, TX — Moody Center

Saturday, July 20 — Houston, TX — Toyota Center

Sunday, July 21 — Fort Worth, TX — Dickies Arena

Wednesday, July 24 — Tampa, FL — Amalie Arena

Thursday, July 25 — Sunrise, FL — Amerant Bank Arena

Saturday, July 27 — Atlanta, GA — State Farm Arena

Thursday, August 1 — Baltimore, MD — CFG Bank Arena

Friday, August 2 — Hampton, VA — Hampton Coliseum

Saturday, August 3 — Belmont Park, NY — UBS Arena

Monday, August 5 — Philadelphia, PA — Wells Fargo Center

Thursday, August 8 — Washington, DC — Capital One Arena

Friday, August 9 — Newark, NJ — Prudential Center

Saturday, August 10 — Boston, MA — TD Garden

Monday, August 12 — Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center

Thursday, August 15 — Detroit, MI — Little Caesars Arena

Saturday, August 17 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre

Monday, August 19 — Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena

Thursday, August 22 — Rosemont, IL — Allstate Arena

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Harper's Bazaar

Just a Few of the Biggest Concert Tours of 2024, from Olivia Rodrigo to Bad Bunny

Posted: April 12, 2024 | Last updated: April 12, 2024

Listening to your favorite musician at home is fun, but there's nothing quite like the experience of singing along with them, and tons of more fans, live. And as luck would have it, 2024 is shaping up to be a massive year for some of the world's top musical acts, so chances are your favorite performer might be stopping at a city near you soon.

Ahead, we rounded up some of the biggest concert tours of 2024, ranging from Taylor Swift's mega-popular Eras Tour to Drake and J. Cole's exciting It's All A Blur Tour - Big as the What?—set to kick off this winter. You can also expect tour dates from classic icons like Stevie Nicks, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and more.

1) Taylor Swift

Undoubtedly one of the biggest concert tours ever, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour will continue right through 2024. The international leg of the tour kicked off in Japan, where she played four shows in Tokyo. She'll also stop in Melbourne, Singapore, Paris, Madrid, London, Milan, and more before returning to the States to play in the fall.

There's nothing like seeing T. Swift IRL, but don't fret if you're unable to nab tickets—the Eras Tour movie is now available to stream from the comfort of your home.

2) Olivia Rodrigo

This is not a drill—"Drivers License" singer Olivia Rodrigo will be hitting the road on tour starting at the end of February. The Guts World Tour runs from February through mid-August and has dates in Nashville, Toronto, Chicago, and New York City, among others. Even cooler? Rodrigo will have a stacked list of special guests—like PinkPantheress, Remi Wolf, The Breeders, and Chappell Roan—with her.

3) Red Hot Chili Peppers

Did you hear the good news? The Red Hot Chili Peppers have extended their global tour through summer 2024. The buzzy stadium tour, which kicked off in June 2022, will now run until July 2024 and bring the California-based band to places like Los Angeles, Tampa, Toronto, and Salt Lake City.

4) Bad Bunny

It's fitting that "Monaco" rapper Bad Bunny titled his tour Most Wanted —it's slated to be one of the year's hottest tours. Planned to help promote his latest studio album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana , Most Wanted will kick off in Salt Lake City on February 21 and run through May 26.

5) Billy Joel

If you haven't yet seen Billy Joel perform live, there's still time! The Piano Man has added more tour dates to his schedule, stopping in cities like Tampa, New York, Denver, and St. Louis this year. Even more exciting? He'll share the stage with fellow iconic performers Sting and Stevie Nicks for some of these dates.

Mitski recently announced that she's expanding her North American tour dates , and we couldn't be more excited. The months-long tour, which supports her 2023 studio album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, has a long list of stops, including Miami Beach, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Paris.

There's nothing quite like a Madonna concert, that's for sure. The singer's Celebration Tour , which started last October, continues straight through the spring with dates in Seattle, San Francisco, Mexico City, and more. Besides her eye-catching sets, chart-topping songs, and impressive choreography, concertgoers also get a glimpse of the performer's fantastic costumes, which include looks from Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier.

8) Bleachers

The New Jersey-founded rock band, which is fronted by Jack Antonoff—known for producing albums for top acts like Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey—not only has announced a new album but a new tour , too. The tour will start in the UK in March, ending fittingly in the band's home state of New Jersey in mid-June. Check out their newly released music video for "Tiny Moves" if you need a Bleachers fix in the meantime.

9) Nicki Minaj

Nicki fans rejoice: the rapper and singer might be coming to a city near you soon as part of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour. The massive tour will include performances in Brooklyn, Oakland, and Baltimore, with stops at Dreamville Festival and Rolling Loud California along the way.

10) Blink 182

Live out all of your nineties and early aughts pop-punk dreams with one of Blink 182's One More Time Tour dates. The tour, which supports the band's ninth studio album, One More Time..., will bring the trio to cities all over the globe, including Sydney, Santiago, Portland, and Boston. The tour's supporting act is Pierce the Veil, which is also worth checking out.

11) Stevie Nicks

The oh-so-magical Stevie Nicks continues her touring streak with a bunch of 2024 concert dates . Set to begin in Atlantic City, NJ on February 10, Nicks will visit a dozen cities throughout the U.S. this year, such as New Orleans, Omaha, and Chicago. "Let's keep this party going in 2024," the singer-songwriter posted on her Instagram in September to announce the newly added tour dates.

12) The 1975

The 1975 is showing no signs of slowing down. The British band, famous for hits like "Somebody Else" and "Robbers," has extended their 2023 tour through 2024. Titled Still...At Their Very Best , the 22-date tour will open in Glasgow on February 8 and conclude in Amsterdam on March 24.

13) Drake and J. Cole

Rap greats Drake and J. Cole come together for the It's All a Blur Tour – Big As the What? which is guaranteed to be a good time. Drake, fresh off his 2023 It's All a Blur tour with 21 Savage, is set to hit dozens of cities starting in February, many of which J. Cole will also be in tow for. Scoop up tickets ASAP, as Drake's shows are known to sell out.

14) Janet Jackson

Superstar Janet Jackson is also extending her 2023 tour, Together Again , into 2024 with dates in Anaheim, Austin, New Orleans, and Hartford. Even cooler? Jackson's supporting act is the 2000s southern rap legend Nelly.

15) Rolling Stones

If you've ever dreamed of seeing the Rolling Stones perform live in person, now's your chance. The iconic rockers, who released their studio album Hackney Diamonds this past fall, are returning on the road for a 16-date tour with shows throughout the United States and Canada. Concertgoers can expect a mix of new tunes and Stones classics.

16) Bruce Springsteen

Famous for countless listenable hits like "Born to Run" and "Glory Days," Bruce Springsteen is set to embark on a massive world tour this year with his band, The E Street Band. The much-anticipated tour will take the Boss and his crew to cities such as Phoenix, San Diego, Dublin, and Madrid, from March through November.

17) John Mayer

Be sure to catch John Mayer's solo tour this year, which will bring the guitarist and crooner to cities throughout Europe. This leg, an extension of his popular 2023 solo tour, will kick off in Stockholm on March 13 and finish in Dublin on March 29.

18) Shania Twain

Okay, this one is technically a residency , but we're excited nonetheless. Shania Twain, most known for her incredible outfits (her hooded leopard print look, anyone?) and hits like "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is setting up shop in Vegas starting May 10. Twain's residency will take place at the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood on and off throughout December 2024.

All good things must come to an end. The Eagles, known for "Hotel California" and other amazing rock songs, began their final concert tour this winter. It launched in Phoenix on January 20, with March 16 as its last date in the United States. Eagles fans won't want to miss this one.

20) Alanis Morisette: The Triple Moon Tour

Alanis Morisette joins forces with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts for their 2024 Triple Moon Tour , which has dates in North America and Canada. This tour is a great one to catch this summer, as it's slated to run from June through August.

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Missy Elliott announces first headlining tour featuring Busta Rhymes, Ciara and Timbaland

Missy Elliott just dropped an "out of this world" announcement.

The rapper, 52, on Monday revealed she will embark on her first headline tour, Out of This World — The Missy Elliott Experience, which heads across North America this summer and will feature Busta Rhymes , Ciara and Timbaland .

"Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family!" Elliott said.

News of the tour was also shared in a sci-fi themed video , which was posted hours before Monday's total solar eclipse . In the clip, Elliott, Busta Rhymes and Ciara are seen outside of a spaceship realizing they have made a wrong turn and ended up on another planet. A press release announcing the tour also declared that Monday's "solar phenomenon was eclipsed" by Elliott's own "supernova announcement."

For Elliott, the tour comes after she made history last year as the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . She told "Good Morning America" in November that "words cannot describe" how much of an honor this was. "When you're in the hip-hop world, it seems so far out of reach," she said.

Between that induction and this tour, the "Work It" singer said Monday, "This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone 'firsts.'"

Missy Elliott's 'Miss E... So Addictive' turns 20: How 'Get Ur Freak On' changed the game

Her 24-city tour will commence on July 4 at Vancouver's Rogers Arena and conclude at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, on Aug. 22.

The rapper's manager, Mona Scott-Young, said in a statement, "Missy has always been an iconic groundbreaker and continuously pushes herself to be bolder and go where she has never been before – and surprisingly, one of those places is headlining her own tour!"

Rock Hall induction of George Michael, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott airs Jan. 1: Best moments

How to get Missy Elliott tour tickets

Tickets for the tour will be available via a Verizon presale on April 9 starting at 10 a.m. local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week, a press release said, with the general onsale scheduled for April 12.

Out of This World — The Missy Elliott Experience tour dates

According to Monday's announcement, Elliott's tour will be stopping by the following locations:

• Thursday, July 4 — Vancouver, British Columbia — Rogers Arena
• Saturday, July 6 — Seattle — Climate Pledge Arena
• Tuesday, July 9 — Oakland, California — Oakland Arena
• Thursday, July 11 — Los Angeles — Crypto.com Arena
• Saturday, July 13 — Las Vegas — T-Mobile Arena
• Tuesday, July 16 — Denver — Ball Arena
• Thursday, July 18 — Austin, Texas — Moody Center
• Saturday, July 20 — Houston — Toyota Center
• Sunday, July 21 — Fort Worth, Texas — Dickies Arena
• Wednesday, July 24 — Tampa, Florida — Amalie Arena
• Thursday, July 25 — Sunrise, Florida — Amerant Bank Arena
• Saturday, July 27 — Atlanta — State Farm Arena
• Thursday, Aug. 1 — Baltimore — CFG Bank Arena
• Friday, Aug. 2 — Hampton, Virginia — Hampton Coliseum
• Saturday, Aug. 3 — Belmont Park, New York — UBS Arena
• Monday, Aug. 5 — Philadelphia — Wells Fargo Center
• Thursday, Aug. 8 — Washington — Capital One Arena
• Friday, Aug. 9 — Newark, New Jersey — Prudential Center
• Saturday, Aug. 10 — Boston — TD Garden
• Monday, Aug. 12 — Brooklyn, New York — Barclays Center
• Thursday, Aug. 15 — Detroit — Little Caesars Arena
• Saturday, Aug. 17 — Montreal — Bell Centre
• Monday, Aug. 19 — Toronto — Scotiabank Arena
• Thursday, Aug. 22 — Rosemont, Illinois — Allstate Arena

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Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: Who You Got? The Case for Each Rapper in the Ongoing Beef

With Drake supposedly releasing his Kendrick Lamar response Friday -- the same day as Future and Metro Boomin's new album -- two Billboard Hip-Hop writers debate the feud's frontrunner.

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J. Cole or Drake: Who Needs to Respond More to Kendrick Lamar's Verse? The Cases for Both

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Kendrick Lamar

Why drake will win , trending on billboard.

It’s clear only one of the co-headlining rappers on the trek took that proverb to heart. With J. Cole bowing out of the bout, Drake and Kendrick Lamar appear to be headed for a blockbuster war that’s been over a decade in the making. 

While most have been afraid of stepping into the ring with hip-hop’s boogeyman hailing from Compton, Drake is the way more battle-tested rapper – a part of the rap repertoire that gives him the upper hand to defeat K. Dot in the main event.

The 6 God has sparred with a range of adversaries over the years. Whether he was scorching Common on “Stay Schemin,” knocking out Diddy with “4PM in Calabasas” or most notably putting Meek Mill in the ground for good on “Back to Back,” Drake has proven to be a formidable opponent amid his massive commercial success and pop crossover capabilities. 

“Man, we wrote the book on calculated thinking,” Drake reminded listeners while taking a Meek Mill victory lap on More Life ’s “Lose You” in 2018. 

There’s no doubt Kendrick and Drake are going to exchange potent lyrical haymakers, but when it comes to bringing the commercial appeal to a solo diss record – advantage: Drake. The OVO camp should be working overtime attempting to dig up dirt on the elusive K. Dot, and if the feud gets messy and spills onto social media, that’s a playground Drake will fare well in too, since Drizzy’s as petty as they come. 

Drake will always be a super calculated artist so it will be interesting to see if he focuses on strictly flaming Kendrick or raises the stakes by bringing his “Like That” hosts Future and Metro Boomin into the line of fire. That strategic decision would separate him from the pack, while redesigning the rap food chain and have collaborators in the industry forced to choose allegiances with a line in the sand dividing hip-hop’s elite.

Drake is rumored to be dropping on Friday (April 12) which is the same day Future and Metro Boomin’s We Still Don’t Trust You is slated to arrive. He teased being in the studio with a Vybez Kartel t-shirt earlier this week. The bold move would put him in direct competition with the Atlanta duo, where he could put a halt to their momentum and even top them on the charts.

Drake holding his own in a Kendrick battle would go a long way to making up for that legacy-tarnishing moment. And reining supreme over K. Dot, with Drake holding up the figurative championship belt in the battle of the “Big Three,” would give even the biggest OVO haters no choice but to bend the knee to the 6 God. — MICHAEL SAPONARA

Why Kendrick Lamar Will Win

Let’s get this concession out of the way: The only true battle-tested rapper in this entire ordeal is Drake. He’s the only one who has gone past sneak dissing and slick one-off verses, and made songs with the intention of causing career-ending damage. The highlight is, of course, 2015’s “Back to Back,” the song that sincerely made everyone relitigate a once-ascendent Meek Mill’s place in rap’s pantheon.  

That said: Kendrick’s got this.  

Yes, the well-worn joke is that Kenny appears like the Boogie Man and drops a verse that sends the game into a tizzy only to disappear again until he’s ready to drop his next project. That’s not untrue. But, to wit: What other rapper not named Shawn Carter could drop a verse every few years that makes every rap fan stop what they’re doing and pay attention? And, yes, fine — Kendrick has yet to really dig in for a full-on battle, though, if we’re being fair that’s more to do with his opponents than him. Regardless, if there’s any rapper working today who should get the benefit of the doubt in this regard it’s Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. Here’s why.  

While “f–k the Big 3, n—a, it’s just big me” is the bar from Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” that caught everyone’s attention, there are a bunch more on that verse that let it be known Kendrick is able to get it going. Bars like, “I’ll crash out, like ‘F–k rap,’ diss Melle Mel if I had to,” or, my personal favorite, “I hope them sentiments symbolic, my temperament’s bipolar, I choose violence.” Take your pick. Whichever door you choose ends up at the same place: Kendrick is ready.  

The last time we saw Kendrick this animated in song going at a rapper was back on 2017’s “The Heart Part 4,” when it’s believed he sent a bunch of shots at Big Sean who he was reportedly beefing with since 2013’s “Control” fiasco. (And, yes, all the shots being subliminals is a knock on Kendrick.) 

“My fans can’t wait for me to son ya punk-ass/ And crush ya whole lil’ s–t/ I’ll Big Pun ya punk-ass, you a scared lil’ b—h/ Tiptoein’ around my name, n—a, you lame/ And when I get at you, homie/ Don’t you just tell me you was just playin’.”  

The second half of the song was so scathing that Big Sean reportedly called TDE’s Top Dawg and asked him if Kendrick was talking about him. That lead to Top putting Sean and Kendrick together for a private conversation that resulted in Sean saying, “the respect is mutual.”  

“Big Sean keep sneak dissin,’ I let it slide/ I think his false confidence got him inspired/ I can’t make them respect you, baby, it’s not my job/ You finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme (boy).” He kept going, “Cute-ass raps, get your puberty up/ Then make you a classic album before you come at us/ Drake and Meek Mill beef might got you gassed up/ But I’m a whole ‘nother beast, I really f—k you up.” 

Sean, when asked, said the song was “ain’t no diss” and kept it moving. The track also mentioned Jay Electronica and French Montana, both of whom opted to just let it slide.  

That’s just what happens when Kendrick goes at rappers: They get quiet or start making excuses or just completely opt out altogether. There’s a reason for that — most, if not all, rappers know that Kendrick is, as he says on the Future and Metro track, “really like that.” He’s been able to disrupt the game multiple times with verses aimed at numerous targets, imagine what happens when he focuses his pen on one opponent. It’s silly to believe the results would be less devastating.  

We’re a long way from, “You underestimated greatly, the most No. 1s ever, how long did it really take me?” Kendrick doesn’t underestimate Drake. And the talk of chart success is seemingly null and void after his pre-emptive “Prince outlived Mike Jack” bar.  

But, we’ll see. The excitement is in the suspense. As Kenny said, “Let’s get it, bro.” — DAMIEN SCOTT

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