Music

Last week, Jack Harlow announced that as part of his partnership with KFC, he’d be introducing a signature meal at the fast-food chain. Over the weekend, he personally made sure fans got a taste of the new menu item.

As previously reported, on Saturday, a KFC in Smyrna, Georgia was transformed into Jack’s Meal HQ, giving fans in the area the first crack at Jack’s combo of KFC Mac & Cheese, Spicy Chicken Sandwich with a side of ranch, Secret Recipe Fries, and lemonade. But Billboard reports that Jack himself turned up at the location, donned a uniform and surprised some customers at the drive-thru window.

The restaurant announced Jack’s presence with a massive KFC bucket in the parking lot adorned with the Kentucky rapper’s mug.

The “First Class” artist first teamed with KFC in December to donate $250,000 to the American Red Cross for Kentucky tornado relief.

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A massive collection of Hootie & the Blowfish memorabilia will now live at a very fitting location: the University of South Carolina Libraries.  The members of Hootie first met UofSC and founded the band there.

The memorabilia’s been donated by longtime fan Rick Noble, who’s been collecting Hootie stuff — CDs, t-shirts, ticket stubs, posters, banners, golf balls and more — since he listened to his daughter’s copy of the band’s 1993 EP, Kootchypop.

“I really liked the band and the music. I liked the way they handled themselves. I liked the fact that it was UofSC where they met,” Noble says in a statement.

Noble first met the band in 1995 when they agreed to do a benefit concert for an event he was organizing, and they started giving him merch. The rest, he said, “was just a treasure hunt.”

You can see some of the collection on the school’s Instagram: It includes more than 500 CDs, 45 t-shirts, 65 banners and 60 magazines.

“The support of fans like Rick Noble over the past 30 years is what allowed the dreams we had as South Carolina students to become reality on stages across the world,” Hootie frontman Darius Rucker says in a statement.

He adds, “It’s such a special, full-circle moment to see his collection come home to the UofSC library and we couldn’t be more thankful to him for supporting both our band and our university.”

“Hootie & the Blowfish have always been really special to the university and definitely have supported the university,” says UofSC Libraries Dean Tom McNally says. “So, what better place for their collection to be?”

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Tens of thousands of music fans filled Philadelphia’s Fairmount park over the weekend for the city’s Roots Picnic, hosted by legendary hip-hop band, The Roots. For the first time in two years, the entertainment and arts festival welcomed more than 50 podcasters and musicians, who delivered live performances throughout the picnic’s six stages and tents over the course of the two-day Black music showcase.

Mary J. Blige headlined Saturday’s show, delivering performances of popular new songs and beloved hits of the past such as “All Night Long” and “Love No Limit.” Blige was introduced by Roots co-founder and Philadelphia native, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, who, earlier in the day, drew fans close to the festival’s main stage with his performance alongside Rick Ross and Benny the Butcher.

Another Philadelphia’s native, Jazmine Sullivan, also rocked the Toyota Soundstage. While sporting her sparkly blue two-piece outfit, she encouraged fans to sing along to songs from her Grammy winning Heux Tales album, like “Bodies” and past hits like “Bust Your Windows.”

Under the cool shade of the Mann Center’s TD Pavilion, audiences enjoyed lively performances by DJ D-Nice, G Herbo and gospel legend Tye Tribbett, who brought his usual high energy with songs like “No Way” and “Victory.”

Sunday’s Mann Stage saw an electrifying performance from rising star Durand Bernarr as well as a soulful showcase of songs from Suzann Christine. Over on the main stage, up-and-coming singer Jordan Hawkins serenaded with his guitar.

The main stage rounded out on Sunday with performances by Musiq Soulchild with SWV and Keyshia Cole and Kirk Franklin who hyped up the crowd with “Melodies from Heaven” among other timeless gospel hits. Fans anxiously awaited Summer Walker who closed out the picnic with live showings of “Over It” and “Body.”

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Shaggy is now “Dr. Shaggy” after receiving an honorary degree from Brown University at the Ivy League school’s recent graduation ceremony.  And Shaggy says he was shocked that the graduating seniors not only knew him, but all seemed to be big fans of his, too.

“I was blown away in many ways [by] that whole experience,” he tells ABC Audio. “I was walking and people were just yelling, ‘Shaggy, Shaggy, Shaggy!’ Right as…the president introduced me, the whole auditorium was like, ‘Shaggy!’ She’s like, ‘Okay, I got to give the man his degree, calm down!'”

And the “It Wasn’t Me” singer says everyone at the after-party recognized him too.

“There was a commencement dinner afterwards — y’know, a lot of the honorees, including Nancy Pelosi and a whole bunch of Nobel Peace Prize winners and…congresspeople and senators and donors. And again, it was a huge reception,” Shaggy says. “I was like, ‘Wow, I really transcend through generations here with these songs!'”

According to Shaggy, that’s because he’s worked hard to try and make “timeless music” — and his new album is certainly that.  After teaming up with Sting in 2018 for a Grammy-winning album, the two reunited for Come Fly Wid Mi, which features Shaggy singing reggae versions of Frank Sinatra classics. Yes, Shaggy admits that the idea of him singing Sinatra was “freakin’ nuts,” but he was down.

“The thing that Sting and I have in common is that we are both allergic to boredom and we like to think outside the box…And so it wasn’t far-fetched for me,” Shaggy tells ABC Audio. “It was scary…singing isn’t something that I was very confident on.”

But Sting, who produced the album, says Shaggy did a great job.

“It just makes people smile,” he says. “And what does the world need more than a smile at the moment?”

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If you’re not on good terms with your former bandmates, then Three Days Grace is definitely not just like you.

Earlier this year, ex-TDG frontman Adam Gontier revealed that he had met up with drummer Neil Sanderson, marking the first time the two had seen each other since Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt Walst, the younger brother of founding bassist Brad Walst. As Brad tells ABC Audio, that goodwill extends to the rest of Three Days Grace, as well.

“It’s been 10 years,” Brad says. “Obviously, [Gontier’s] changed a lot, and so have we.”

“I think it’s good that [Gontier and Sanderson] got to meet up and have lunch,” the bassist adds. “Adam lives 20 minutes from me here, we often text and have coffee. So, it’s great. I’m glad he’s doing well and he’s happy. He’s got a good family going on, couple kids. Yeah, so everything’s good.”

In fact, the Walst brothers will see Gontier again when the three are honored at their old high school’s graduation this month.

“They want Adam, Matt and myself to be on their ‘wall of honor,'” Brad shares. “I contacted Adam and I contacted Matt, and I was, like, ‘You guys wanna do this?’ And they’re both in.”

Brad thinks the ceremony will be “pretty cool” for the trio, especially since he admits that they “weren’t the best students” in their later high school days.

“We were all rockers, and didn’t give a s***,” he laughs.

In addition to preparing to go back to school, Three Days Grace is getting ready for a U.S. tour in support of the band’s new album, Explosions. The outing launches in July.

Explosions, which features the singles “Lifetime” and “So Called Life,” is out now.

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Since Niecy Nash recently married her wife, Jessica Betts, the actress says she can now participate in June’s Pride Month events and festivities. In a recent sit-down chat with theGrio, the couple discuss Pride plans and the importance of LGBTQ+ representation.

“We’ve come a long way from how the music industry was then but I feel good about the visibility,” said Betts of her career as a singer-songwriter. Betts says she “gets to see herself” in fellow LGBTQ+ artists like Janelle Monae, Kehlani and Lil Nas X.

“You know, I get a chance to dream, I get a chance to dream big! That’s so important — as opposed to back then to when there really was no one to represent.”

As for “new community member” Nash, who recently starred in Betts’ new music video for “We Drip,” the 52-year-old entertainer says she’s looking forward to joining in on the Pride celebrations this year. 

“You know I’ve never been to a Pride parade, so maybe somebody will invite me,” she said. “I’m the newest member of the community, so I need my running routes! I don’t know when the parades are, I don’t know anything yet!”

Regardless of which of the many events the couple will make it to, they agree that what matters the most is the visibility they provide to other members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Me and my wife, we say all the time, representation matters, it really does,” Betts said. “Because now I know that little young girls or that [a] little young boy see themselves [in] someone who is like myself, someone who is like my wife, or anyone. It’s important to see yourself.”

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Almost Monday has premiered a new song called “Sun Keeps on Shining.”

The appropriately upbeat track finds the “Live Forever” trio trying to find the positives in difficult situations. After all, the sun keeps on shining.

You can listen to “Sun Keeps on Shining” now via digital outlets. Its accompanying video, which was filmed in Australia, is streaming now on YouTube.

“Sun Keeps on Shining” follows the single “Sunburn,” which dropped in April.

Almost Monday is playing a run of headlining and festival dates over the next month, including New York City’s Governors Ball.

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