MNOTW: Watch Dave Perform Coachella 2022, Remembering The Inspiring DJ Kay Slay & More

This week’s news includes: a run-down on the weekend’s events at Coachella–including Dave’s indelible performance; an open-letter from Kendrick to his fans; new additions to ‘End Of The Road’ line-up; and the unfortunate passing of one of hip hop’s greats, DJ Kay Slay.

A Run-Down on What Went on at Coachella 2022

Dave’s performance at Coachella was one for the books. Once again showing he knows how to truly show appreciation to his fans, the rapper announced to the crowds that he wanted to “share the stage” with a fan and went on to slowly sing the lyrics to “Thiago Silva” so that he could see who knew all the words. An 18-year old named ‘Spike’ was picked out to join him on stage to perform and shocked crowds going bar-for-bar. It later became known that the randomly chosen person also just so happened to be Richard Curtis’ son, the screenwriter for the film ‘Love Actually’.

Dave’s performance was a moment which has left many people proud to call themselves a Brit. Temporarily, perhaps. But proud all the same. And it wasn’t just us, Stormzy was reportedly spotted savouring the moment seeing a fellow UK artist continue to take the world by storm, another display of the truly uplifting things happening in music right now.

Keem’s latest album, Melodic Blue, served up multiple charged-up bangers, perfect for engaging the crowds. This weekend at Coachella, chants of “beat ‘em up!” were belted during the break in “Family Ties”; a seriously it almost appears as though the ground beneath the crowds turned into some kind of trampoline as masses of people can be seen basically wind bourne in the mosh. Keem’s stage presence feels like the unforgettable kind–unwavering in his signature experimental flows and quite honestly, raising the stakes for many young artists following in his footsteps.

Isaiah Rashad’s opener… Nothing but admiration. That’s all we have to say really. While he personally didn’t comment on the video itself during his first performance, Zay let others do the talking.

Travis Scott also performed a surprise set at a Coachella after-party. After being dropped from the festival’s line-up as a headlining act following Astroworld 2021, it seemed unlikely we would see any live performance from the artist for a while. It was reported that Scott did a relatively low-key set around 3 AM on Sunday, performing five of his hits and taking over the decks. After Kanye promised to bring out Scott to his Coachella performance and then swiftly dropping out of the festival shortly after, it seems unlikely there will be another Coachella appearance this year.

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DJ Kay Slay Has Died at the age of 55 Following Months Long Battle with Covid.

The inspiring New York City luminary DJ Kay Slay, born Keith Grayson, died on Sunday following a battle with COVID-19, his family confirmed in a statement.

According to a quote from promoter Van Silk given to HipHopDX, Silk noted that both himself and Kay Slay had known each other for many years. “Hip Hop lost a real gem, my dear brother is gone. I’ve known him since he was 16 years old. He was my little brother. I introduced him to many and we did a lot of things together. We last talked December because we were finishing up the 200 rolling deep project. He was gonna do his video part with MC Sha-Rock.

“DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations. In memory of DJ Kay Slay, our family wishes to thank all of his friends, fans, and supporters for their prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve this tragic loss.”

An artist, figure and friend to many, who has seen hip hop at almost every stage of it’s growth. His legacy was no small feat and shall certainly never be forgotten.

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Kendrick Lamar Pens An Inward-Looking Letter Titled ‘Nu Thoughts’

Kendrick Lamar continues his well-earned mysterious ways, this time through the veil of Twitter and a seemingly out-of-the-blue tweet linking you to a website called oklama.com. The site contains two folders: one titled “Nu Thoughts” with an open-letter dated August 20 2021 and the second is a more formal statement regarding the release of his final album with TDE, dated today–April 18.

Twitter has inevitably gone crazy trying to decode this, but it seems like the letter says it really needs to say. Dreamville even came to Twitter to jokingly tweet “J. Cole’s has officially retired”, mimicking one of the popular threads following Kendrick’s post.

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‘End of the Road’ adds Moor Mother, Ross from Friends and Soccer Mommy to 2022 line-up

Alongside today’s line-up additions, End of the Road has released a limited amount of extra tickets for this year’s festival. Tickets are on sale now and available here. Head to the festival’s website for the full programme.