Young Thug Takes YSL's New Generation on First Headlining Tour Since 2019

A promotional poster outlines the lineup for "The New Generation Tour." The 23-city international tour, beginning Sept. 1 in Rogers, Arkansas, marks Young Thug's first headlining run since 2019 and features special guest NAV alongside emerging Young Stoner Life Records artists.

Young Thug is taking YSL back on the road, and using his return to introduce the artists he expects to
carry the label forward.

The Atlanta rapper announced “The New Generation Tour,” his first headlining run since 2019. The 23-date U.S. and European trek opens Sept. 1 at Walmart AMP in Rogers, Arkansas, and closes Oct. 24 at Adidas Arena in Paris.

NAV will appear on all 19 U.S. dates. The tour also will showcase Young Stoner Life Records signees Tezzus, Diamond*, 1300saint, Iyrus, Yume, Biggs and Unky, placing a new YSL lineup alongside one of the most influential and unconventional rappers to emerge from Atlanta’s 2010s takeover.

The route includes a Sept. 20 homecoming at Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, followed by three Texas dates: Sept. 27 at 713 Music Hall in Houston, Sept. 29 at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving and Sept. 30 at Moody Amphitheater in Austin.

The U.S. leg ends Oct. 4 at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. Young Thug and the YSL lineup then travel to Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Germany; Łódź, Poland; and Paris.

Young Stoner Life Records presents

“The New Generation Tour”

Young Thug with NAV and the YSL roster

NAV is scheduled to appear on every U.S. date.

U.S. dates

Sept. 1Rogers, Ark.
Walmart AMP

Sept. 3Minneapolis
The Armory

Sept. 5Chicago
Aragon Ballroom

Sept. 8Sterling Heights, Mich.
Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre

Sept. 10Camden, N.J.
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

Sept. 11Boston
MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Sept. 13New York
SummerStage in Central Park

Sept. 15Washington
The Anthem

Sept. 16Virginia Beach, Va.
The Dome by Rutter Mills

Sept. 18Charlotte, N.C.
Bojangles’ Coliseum

Sept. 19Raleigh, N.C.
Red Hat Amphitheater

Sept. 20Atlanta
Lakewood Amphitheatre

Sept. 23Tampa, Fla.
Yuengling Center

Sept. 25Birmingham, Ala.
Coca-Cola Amphitheater

Sept. 27Houston
713 Music Hall

Sept. 29Irving, Texas
The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

Sept. 30Austin, Texas
Moody Amphitheater

Oct. 2Phoenix
Arizona Financial Theatre

Oct. 4Inglewood, Calif.
YouTube Theater

European dates

Oct. 14Amsterdam
AFAS Live

Oct. 17Düsseldorf, Germany
PSD Bank Dome

Oct. 21Łódź, Poland
Atlas Arena

Oct. 24Paris
Adidas Arena

Official dates and tickets

General ticket sales begin Friday at 10 a.m. local time through Live Nation, Ticketmaster and the tour’s official website. Artist and other presales began earlier this week.

The tour represents more than a return to buses, backstage rooms and nightly set lists.

Young Thug’s last headlining trek was the strangely titled Justin Bieber Big Tour, a 2019 co-headlining run with Machine Gun Kelly that did not include Justin Bieber. He has made several major festival appearances since returning to the stage, including Coachella this spring, but “The New Generation Tour” will be his first sustained headlining itinerary in seven years.

His formal return to live performance began at the Summer Smash festival near Chicago in June 2025, where Travis Scott, T.I. and Ken Carson joined him during his first public concert since March 2022.

Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, had spent more than two years in custody before his release in October 2024 ended his part in the sprawling Georgia racketeering case involving YSL.

Williams pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges. He entered no-contest pleas to another gang count and racketeering conspiracy, meaning he did not admit guilt but accepted punishment as though he had.

A judge imposed a 40-year sentence structured around five years commuted to time served and 15 years of probation. An additional 20-year prison term can be imposed if Williams violates the conditions of his probation.

That case kept the YSL name attached to court testimony, criminal allegations and debates over the use of rap lyrics as evidence for years. The tour places the emphasis back on Young Stoner Life Records — not simply as the company behind Young Thug, but as a label attempting to establish its next class.

Tezzus and Diamond* have already begun attracting some attention as part of Atlanta’s younger underground movement, while the rest of the touring roster gives Young Thug an opportunity to introduce developing artists directly to an audience that may know little about them beyond their YSL affiliation.

That makes “The New Generation Tour” both a comeback and a handoff.

Young Thug has already shown that he can return to a festival stage and command attention. This fall, he will find out whether that return can carry a full international tour, and whether the YSL name can again become known for what happens on records and stages instead of inside a courtroom.

Jay-Z Caps Three-Night Yankee Stadium Run With Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher and More

Jay-Z performs Sunday during the “Extra Innings” finale of his three-night run at Yankee Stadium in New York. The show began shortly after midnight following a security breach that temporarily halted entry to the stadium. (Photo/Roc Nation via Instagram)

Jay-Z’s final Yankee Stadium concert began with locked gates and thousands of fans waiting outside. It ended shortly before 3 a.m. Monday with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher and collaborators from across his career helping him close a record-setting three-night run.

A security breach outside the Bronx ballpark forced officials to temporarily stop anyone from entering or leaving Sunday night. A police source told WABC that a large group pushed and shoved its way through security checkpoints, prompting a full lockdown while authorities regained control.

Gates began reopening around 10 p.m. under heightened security and what sources described as a slow, methodical screening process. The concert had been scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., but Jay-Z did not take the stage until about 12:20 a.m. No arrests were reported.

Jay-Z apologized after taking the stage and said he chose not to begin while so many people remained outside, fearing that starting the music could cause a dangerous rush toward the entrances.

@abc7ny There was chaos at Jay-Z's third and final Yankee Stadium concert after a security breach delayed the show. #nyc #jayz #jayzyankeestadium #yankeestadium #concert #entertainment #music ♬ original sound - ABC7NY

“I had to make sure everyone was OK,” he told the crowd.

The Yankees, Roc Nation and Live Nation later issued a joint statement thanking the New York Police Department and Yankee Stadium security personnel for putting attendee safety ahead of other considerations.

Once the show finally started, “Extra Innings” became the broadest of Jay-Z’s three Yankee Stadium concerts. Unlike the first two nights, which centered on specific albums, Sunday’s finale moved freely through his catalog and the relationships that have followed him from Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects to the top of the music business.

Teyana Taylor joined him for “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” the opening song from his 1996 debut album, “Reasonable Doubt.” Jermaine Dupri appeared for “Money Ain’t a Thang,” while Jeezy performed “Seen It All” and “Go Crazy.”

🎤The show must go on! Jay-Z explains the delay behind tonights show at Yankee Stadium - says there were 10,000 people outside and had to close the doors pic.twitter.com/eqIhYdoaIr

— HipHopKlipz36 (@hiphopklipz36) July 13, 2026

Usher joined Jay-Z for “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love),” “Throwback” and “Part II (On the Run).” The-Dream appeared during “No Church in the Wild,” and Swizz Beatz accompanied Jay-Z through a stretch that included “On to the Next One.”

Rihanna delivered one of the night’s loudest moments when she emerged for “Run This Town,” then remained onstage for “Bitch Better Have My Money.” Pharrell Williams returned for a five-song run before Clipse joined them for “Grindin’.”

Beyoncé appeared later during a medley of “Drunk in Love,” “Tom Ford” and “Partition.” Fat Joe and Jadakiss helped bring the marathon show toward its close with “New York.”

The finale completed a weekend organized around two albums that marked different stages of Jay-Z’s rise.

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Friday’s opening concert celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt.” Beyoncé handled Mary J. Blige’s part on “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” Blue Ivy Carter played piano before “Feelin’ It,” and Nas, Jaz-O, Memphis Bleek and Alicia Keys joined Jay-Z during the night.

Saturday belonged to “The Blueprint,” released 25 years ago. Slick Rick joined Jay-Z for “The Ruler’s Back,” Eminem appeared for “Renegade,” and Pharrell performed five songs with him.

The show also established a Yankee Stadium concert record, selling 45,832 tickets and breaking the mark Jay-Z had set one night earlier.

The guests mattered because they were more than famous names added to a stadium bill.

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Jaz-O represented Jay-Z’s years before “Reasonable Doubt,” when the veteran rapper served as an early mentor. Nas stood beside the man he once battled in one of hip-hop’s most consequential feuds. Eminem’s appearance revived “Renegade,” a performance that has fueled rap arguments since “The Blueprint” arrived in 2001.

Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel connected the concerts to Roc-A-Fella’s peak. Dupri, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz and The-Dream represented different phases of Jay-Z’s evolution from street-level New York storyteller to crossover hitmaker. Beyoncé and Blue Ivy placed his family inside the story rather than alongside it.

The staging left room for those connections to carry the shows.

Creative director Willo Perron designed a largely bare stage backed by a massive outfield screen showing archival images from Jay-Z’s life and career. A 10-person band and an 18-piece string section supported the performances without overwhelming them.

“I think the statement piece in a Jay-Z show is Jay-Z,” Perron told Wired.

The Yankee Stadium run was originally announced as two concerts. Organizers added “Extra Innings” after the “Reasonable Doubt” and “Blueprint” shows quickly sold out.

Jay-Z will continue the “Jay-Z 30” anniversary celebration with stadium concerts Sept. 4 in London, Sept. 10 in Paris and Oct. 23 in Inglewood, California. Those shows are tied specifically to the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt,” not the full three-night New York format.

The final night nearly became a story about a security failure and a four-hour wait. Instead, after the gates reopened and the music finally started, Jay-Z finished a weekend that put his debut, his commercial peak, his family, his former rival and three decades of collaborators in the same ballpark.

The delay lasted four hours. The history took three nights.

Erykah Badu Announces ‘LIVE’ Tour With De La Soul and The Alchemist

Erykah Badu’s “LIVE” tour with The Alchemist and De La Soul pairs neo-soul, hip-hop history and underground production on a September run scheduled to open Sept. 10, 2026, in Highland Park, Ill., and close Sept. 29 in Los Angeles. (Live Nation/313 Presents)

After spending last year revisiting "Mama’s Gun," Erykah Badu has announced "Live: A September Tour," a run that pairs her with De La Soul and The Alchemist — a bill that makes more sense the longer you sit with it.

The title may tug at anyone who remembers Badu’s 1997 live album, "Live," the record that gave "Tyrone" its permanent place in the R&B conversation. But this is not being billed as an anniversary tour. It reads more like Badu using the stage as the center of the story again.

That matters with this lineup.

The Alchemist is not just a left-field name on the poster. Badu and the Beverly Hills producer spent 2025 building toward "Abi & Alan," a collaborative project that has already produced the June 2025 single "Next to You" and remains a vital part of their shared orbit. His presence keeps this from becoming a clean nostalgia package. He brings the dust, the tension, and the kind of loops that make a room lean forward.

De La Soul brings a different kind of weight. The Long Island group is no longer just a beloved catalog act finally freed from streaming limbo. Last year’s "Cabin in the Sky" gave De La Soul a new chapter after the 2023 death of co-founder David "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur, carrying grief, memory, and joy without turning the group into a museum piece.

That is where the bill gets interesting.

Badu’s catalog has always lived between soul, hip-hop, jazz, church smoke, and side-eye. "On & On" introduced her in 1997 as something more complicated than a standard R&B star. "Bag Lady" turned emotional baggage into a hook. "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)" made the connection plain for anybody who somehow missed it.

De La Soul helped build a version of rap that could be funny, strange, smart, wounded, soulful, and still fully hip-hop. The Alchemist has spent the modern era proving that a beat can still sound dangerous without raising its voice.

So no, this is not a random throwback package.

It is Badu, De La Soul, and The Alchemist standing in the same old conversation from three different corners: the singer who never separated soul from rap, the rap group that never separated jokes from depth, and the producer who still knows what to do with a dirty record.

The tour includes a Friday, Sept. 11, stop at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Michigan, according to venue promoter 313 Presents. The show begins at 8 p.m., with tickets scheduled to go on sale Friday, June 26, at 10 a.m. local time through BaduWorld.market.

Badu’s official calendar lists the run opening Sept. 10 at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois. It continues through Toronto; Cleveland; Uncasville, Connecticut; Forest Hills, New York; Washington; Indianapolis; Denver; San Diego; Berkeley, California; Highland, California; and Los Angeles.

Venues in Tampa and San Antonio Refuse to Block Kanye West Summer Stadium Dates

Rapper Kanye West is shown alongside the cover art for his album "BULLY". West is currently at the center of a major political standoff in Texas and Florida, where local officials have confirmed his upcoming summer stadium tour dates will proceed as scheduled despite intense public pressure and organized campaigns from lawmakers demanding their cancellation.

Kanye West is facing intense, organized political campaigns to cancel his upcoming stadium performances in Texas and Florida. However, local officials in both states have confirmed that the concerts are officially moving forward.

In Texas, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has spent the last week actively calling for the cancellation of West's scheduled Fourth of July concert at the Alamodome. The mayor publicly condemned the artist for his history of antisemitic comments. On Tuesday evening, however, Jones conceded that she had failed to gather enough support from the city council to block the performance.

"At this point, the only way to cancel this concert is if we have a public vote," Jones said Tuesday. "And we don't have the votes."

A joint statement issued by six members of the San Antonio City Council on Tuesday outlines their refusal to cancel Ye's scheduled July 4 concert at the Alamodome. The document strongly condemns antisemitism while arguing against government censorship and highlighting that the event is projected to generate $1.7 million for the city-owned venue.

A coalition of six San Antonio city council members released a joint statement outlining their refusal to break the venue's agreement. The group stated that "the City does not endorse his rhetoric by allowing the use of a public venue, just as a public library does not endorse every book's viewpoint simply by carrying it." The council members noted that they can condemn hate "without resorting to censorship, which could set a precedent toward limiting expression based on objectionable viewpoints."

The July 4 concert is projected to generate roughly $1.7 million for the city. The Alamodome staff stated the booking was treated as a standard economic decision based on public demand and facility revenue.

A nearly identical controversy is currently unfolding in Florida. U.S. Senator Rick Scott has launched a petition and directly urged the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel two West concerts scheduled for June 26 and June 28 at Raymond James Stadium.

"Floridians DON’T deserve to see their tax dollars go to give an antisemite a megaphone," Scott posted on social media.

Despite the pressure, internal communications reveal that the Tampa Sports Authority is locked into an agreement. According to the emails, the venue agreed to contract stipulations that prevent the organization from canceling the performances based on "artist identity," "public statements," or "political viewpoints." The organization stated that while they do not condone his remarks, they must "follow the principles of free speech in operating our venue."

Florida Venue Faces Backlash as Sen. Rick Scott Targets Upcoming Ye Performances

A promotional image advertises Ye’s scheduled June 26, 2026, concert at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., has urged the Tampa Sports Authority to review scheduled concerts by the artist formerly known as Kanye West, arguing that a taxpayer-supported venue should not give him a platform after years of antisemitic remarks.

A public stadium in Tampa has become the next test of how far Ye’s catalog can still carry him after years of antisemitic remarks turned his tour into a fight over speech, public money and institutional responsibility.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is pressing the Tampa Sports Authority to reconsider two scheduled Ye concerts at Raymond James Stadium, arguing that a taxpayer-supported venue should not help stage performances by the artist formerly known as Kanye West.

Ye is scheduled to perform June 26 and 28 at the Tampa stadium. Raymond James Stadium’s official events page still listed both shows Friday, with each scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

In a letter sent Thursday to the Tampa Sports Authority’s board of directors, Scott called Ye a “vocal antisemite” and urged the authority to carefully review the decision to host him.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., urges the Tampa Sports Authority Board of Directors to review scheduled Ye concerts at Raymond James Stadium in a June 4, 2026, letter. Scott argued that taxpayer-supported facilities should not give a stage to the artist formerly known as Kanye West after years of antisemitic remarks and controversy over swastika merchandise. (Office of U.S. Sen. Rick Scott)

“Kanye West’s consistent antisemitic attacks are an affront to the values of the people of the Hillsborough community,” Scott wrote.

Scott cited Ye’s past praise of Nazis, his claim that he was one and a 2025 Super Bowl ad that directed viewers to merchandise featuring swastikas. He argued that a stadium supported by public dollars should not be used to give the artist a platform.

“No taxpayer dollars should be used to give a vocal antisemite a stage in Florida,” Scott wrote. “What we spend public money on reflects our values, and using dollars from hardworking families to platform a hateful person pushing evil ideologies is not a Florida value.”

The Tampa Sports Authority manages Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one of Florida’s highest-profile public sports and entertainment venues. In its response, the authority did not indicate the concerts were in immediate jeopardy.

“We recognize the concerns and viewpoints being expressed about the upcoming events at Raymond James Stadium,” the authority said in a statement. “As a public agency, we follow the principles of free speech in operating our venue, although we do not condone remarks or actions from any artists that are offensive and divisive.”

That response places the Tampa shows in a different position from a private venue’s booking decision. Scott is framing the issue around public money and community values. The authority is pointing to the free-speech principles that come with operating a public venue. The result is a collision between a legacy rap star’s market power and the civic responsibilities attached to the building where he is scheduled to perform.

For audiences who watched West alter the trajectory of 2000s hip-hop, the Tampa dispute carries its own dissonance. The producer and rapper who once challenged the American political establishment on behalf of people left out of its priorities is now drawing government pressure over antisemitic remarks, Nazi praise and merchandise tied to swastika imagery.

That tension is part of why the story travels beyond a local concert fight. Ye’s early albums, including “The College Dropout,” “Late Registration” and “Graduation,” helped expand mainstream rap’s emotional and sonic language. Now, the same catalog that made him a defining artist of the 2000s is moving through a public reckoning over what institutions are willing to host after the artist has made himself commercially powerful and publicly toxic.

The pressure in Florida follows similar challenges overseas. Ye was recently barred from entering the United Kingdom over his remarks, while scheduled performances in Italy and Poland were scrapped. A Dutch court this week allowed two concerts in the Netherlands to proceed, rejecting an effort by a Jewish organization to block them on public order grounds.

In Europe, governments, courts and Jewish organizations have been forced to weigh Ye’s history of antisemitic statements against public order, censorship laws and venue decisions. In Tampa, the argument has moved to a publicly owned American stadium, where Scott’s demand and the authority’s response have turned two scheduled concerts into a broader test of speech, money and consequence.

For now, the shows remain listed. So does the pressure to stop them.

Young MC, the Commodores and Morris Day Back Away From Freedom 250 Concert

An editorial graphic shows Freedom 250’s throwback concert lineup after several announced performers publicly backed away from the Great American State Fair. The controversy turned names tied to “Bust a Move,” “Brick House” and Morris Day’s Minneapolis funk legacy into the center of a dispute over politics, consent and the cost of putting old-school stars on a modern political stage.

A celebration built around nostalgia has become a warning about what happens when old-school music, national symbolism and modern politics collide before the first note is played.

Young MC, Morris Day and the Time, the Commodores, Martina McBride and Bret Michaels are among the artists who have pulled out of or backed away from Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair, a 16-day event scheduled for June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall. The event was promoted as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration, with a lineup that leaned heavily on throwback acts, country crossover and patriotic spectacle.

Then the bill started falling apart.

Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, The Commodores, McBride and Michaels are among the artists who have since pulled out of or publicly backed away from the event. The rollout quickly turned into a public dispute over politics, consent and what some artists said they were told before their names appeared on the flyer.

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Young MC, best known for the 1989 hit “Bust a Move,” said he had informed his agents that he would not perform at the Freedom 250 event. In a statement, he said artists were not told about political involvement with the concert and said he hoped to perform in Washington in the future at an event that was not “politically charged.”

Morris Day made his position even clearer. The longtime frontman of the Time posted that he and the band would not perform at the Great American State Fair, adding a short caption that cut through the confusion: “It’s a no for me.”

The Commodores also said they would not appear. The group, whose catalog includes “Brick House,” “Easy” and “Three Times a Lady,” said its music had always been its voice and that it would not publicly affiliate with any single political party.

McBride said she initially believed she had agreed to a nonpartisan celebration of the states. In a statement to fans, the country singer said what she had been told was not what was happening and that she would not perform June 25. Michaels later stepped away as well, saying the event had become more divisive than what he agreed to join and citing threats and safety concerns involving his fans, band, crew and family.

Freedom 250 has described itself as a nonpartisan organization focused on commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. Its official event page bills the Great American State Fair as a national exposition running from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument, with live music, carnival rides and hands-on partner activations meant to showcase the states and territories.

That framing did not stop the backlash.

AP reported that Freedom 250 was launched by President Donald Trump late last year and that Trump appointed Keith Krach, a former under secretary of state, as the organization’s CEO. That connection became central to the controversy as artists faced questions from fans about whether their appearances amounted to support for a Trump-linked event.

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The confusion was still visible on the event’s own ticket pages. As of Friday, Freedom 250 pages continued to list McBride, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, Milli Vanilli, the Commodores, Morris Day and the Time, and Michaels even after several of those artists had publicly pulled out, denied involvement or disputed what their participation meant.

For legacy performers, the issue is bigger than one booking. Their names carry decades of audience memory. A listing on a public lineup can imply alignment, endorsement or participation before a performer says a word. In the social media era, that can become a reputational problem almost instantly.

The Milli Vanilli listing carried its own confusion because the name has a complicated history. Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were the public faces of the act during its late-1980s pop explosion, but the group’s recordings were performed by studio vocalists. Pilatus died in 1998. Morvan has continued performing and, according to AP, said he would appear at the Great American State Fair.

That does not mean everyone tied to the Milli Vanilli legacy is part of the event. Jodie Rocco, a singer associated with the Real Milli Vanilli side of the group’s history, told AP that she, her sister Linda Rocco and other current group members had not been asked to perform and were surprised to see the name on the bill. The distinction matters: Morvan represents the public-facing Milli Vanilli name most audiences remember, while singers tied to the group’s actual recorded vocals say they are not involved in the Freedom 250 appearance.

The C+C Music Factory listing also became complicated. Freedom Williams, the rapper whose voice helped define the group’s “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” era, publicly discussed the booking while distancing himself from Trump politically. Robert Clivillés, who co-founded C+C Music Factory with the late David Cole, has disputed Williams’ authority to represent the group as a whole.

Vanilla Ice appeared to remain on the bill, with a representative telling AP he was proud to help celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Flo Rida was also listed in the original announcement, though the status of the lineup remained fluid as artists continued responding publicly.

That uncertainty is the story now. A concert series marketed as unity became a test of how quickly nostalgia can turn political when the wrong context surrounds the stage.

Young MC, Morris Day, the Commodores, C+C Music Factory and Milli Vanilli are not just names on a flyer. They are part of the soundtrack of an era when rap, funk, R&B, dance-pop and MTV-driven spectacle crossed into the mainstream in ways that still shape old-school parties and throwback festivals today.

These artists built careers around movement, memory and mass appeal. Their records were made to get people on the floor, not to place them in the middle of a national political argument.

Freedom 250 may still hold the Great American State Fair. It may revise the lineup. It may continue presenting the event as a nonpartisan celebration. But the first wave of music announcements has already become a cautionary tale about transparency, artist consent and the risk of using familiar names to sell a complicated moment.

Before anyone could “Bust a Move” on the National Mall, the question became who knew what, who agreed to what and who wanted no part of the room once the lights came up.

Mary J. Blige Turns the Las Vegas Strip Into a Sanctuary for Survival Songs

Mary J. Blige appears in a promotional poster for "Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story The Las Vegas Residency" at Dolby Live at Park MGM. Following a sold-out opening run in May, the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" added 10 additional performances scheduled for August, September, and October to meet overwhelming fan demand. (Promotional image via Live Nation)

Mary J. Blige has turned survival into a stage language, and now the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul is extending that testimony on the Las Vegas Strip.

After opening her first Las Vegas residency with a sold-out weekend at Dolby Live at Park MGM, Blige has added 10 new performances to "Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story The Las Vegas Residency." The new dates will run Aug. 28-29, Sept. 2, Sept. 5-6, Oct. 23-24, Oct. 28 and Oct. 30-31, extending a production built around one of the most emotionally durable catalogs in modern R&B.

The residency, which opened May 1, is the first Vegas residency of Blige’s career. The show traces the arc of an artist who helped redraw the border between hip-hop and soul, moving through the pain, defiance and hard-earned joy that made records such as "Real Love," "My Life," "I’m Goin’ Down," "Family Affair" and "Be Without You" more than radio hits for generations of listeners.

The opening weekend also carried the feel of a New York family reunion, with appearances from The LOX, Method Man, Jadakiss and 50 Cent, according to MGM Resorts. But the larger story is Blige herself, standing in a Vegas spotlight after more than three decades of turning heartbreak, recovery and self-possession into communal release.

In an interview with Robin Roberts for "Good Morning America" that also featured footage on "Nightline," Blige described the residency as a milestone earned through endurance.

"The next chapter is just enjoying the fruits of my labor," Blige said. "This residency is the fruits. This is what I’ve worked for, this is what I’ve earned. And I’m here. I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. And I didn’t give up."

That sense of arrival has been central to the rollout. Blige framed the show not as nostalgia, but as proof of survival for a fanbase that has mirrored her own life's journey.

"My fans have seen me go through so much — good, bad, the whole thing," Blige said. "But what they love most — the true fans — is that I’m not bitter, I’m better."

Tickets for the newly added performances are available through Ticketmaster. A Citi/AAdvantage presale began May 7 through Citi Entertainment, with the general on-sale having opened May 11. All shows are scheduled for 8 p.m. at Dolby Live at Park MGM.

Beyoncé Grosses $407.6m, Wrapping 2025 as the Touring Industry’s Top Earner

Beyoncé performs to a capacity stadium crowd during a stop on her "Cowboy Carter Tour." According to finalized year-end Pollstar data, the genre-defying stadium trek officially closed out 2025 as the highest-grossing tour in the world, generating $407.6 million and selling nearly 1.6 million tickets. (Photo: Maryland GovPics via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0)

Cowboy Carter didn't just shift the cultural conversation; it completely monopolized the global box office.

According to finalized year-end touring data from Pollstar, Beyoncé’s sprawling, genre-defying "Cowboy Carter Tour" officially closed out 2025 as the No. 1 highest-grossing trek in the world, generating a staggering $407.6 million.

Moving 1.59 million tickets with an industry-topping average ticket price of $255.36, Beyoncé managed to narrowly edge out the highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour ($405.4 million) to claim the throne.

The tour was a masterclass in stadium-level world-building, transforming massive venues into sprawling rodeos and Southern juke joints before its triumphant final bow in Las Vegas.

But Beyoncé wasn't the only artist proving the sheer economic dominance of Black music on the global stage.

While Coldplay took the No. 3 spot overall, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s dual-headlining "Grand National Tour" locked in at No. 4 with a massive $358.7 million gross. The Live Nation, pgLang, and Top Dawg Entertainment-backed run sold 1.76 million tickets across 39 dates.

Lamar and SZA's run functioned as an international victory lap following Lamar's culture-shifting Super Bowl halftime show in February 2025. That performance weaponized the ubiquitous "Not Like Us" into an inescapable counter-culture anthem, perfectly setting the stage for a stadium trek that featured elaborate production marvels, including Lamar performing on a floating Pontiac and SZA riding a giant ant.

Together, the Top 5 rankings paint a vivid picture of the 2025 touring landscape: To compete at the absolute highest level of the live music industry, you either needed to be a legacy British rock band, or you needed to be pushing the boundaries of R&B and hip-hop.

Notably, while Lamar and SZA ranked fourth in total gross, their incredible $9.2 million per-night average was eclipsed by only two legacy monoliths: Oasis, and the Queen herself.

2025 Pollstar Year-End Touring Data

Highest-Grossing Global Tours | Final Locked Box Office Data

1. Beyoncé – 'Cowboy Carter Tour'$407.6M

1.59M Tickets Sold | Top Avg. Ticket Price: $255.36

2. Oasis – 'Oasis Live '25 Tour'$405.4M

2.22M Tickets Sold

3. Coldplay – 'Music Of The Spheres Tour'$390.0M

4. Kendrick Lamar & SZA – 'Grand National Tour'$358.7M

1.76M Tickets Sold | 39 Dates | $9.2M Avg/Night

5. Shakira – 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour'$342.5M

1.80M Tickets Sold

*Source: Pollstar Year-End Business Analysis (Dec. 2025)

Usher and Chris Brown Announce Joint Stadium Tour for Late 2026

R&B superstars Chris Brown (left) and Usher (right) look at each other inside an elevator in this screengrab from the official trailer announcing their 2026 "The R&B Tour: Raymond & Brown." The surprise joint stadium run, touted as a historic event by fans, signifies a definitive public reconciliation following widespread reports of a violent physical altercation between the two artists in Las Vegas in May 2023.

Three years after a heavily publicized physical altercation in Las Vegas threatened to permanently fracture their relationship, R&B icons Usher and Chris Brown are joining forces for a massive co-headlining stadium run.



The two superstars officially announced "The R&B Tour: Raymond & Brown" over the weekend, dropping a synchronized cinematic trailer across their social media platforms. The high-production teaser features the two artists riding motorcycles through city streets before entering an elevator together. As they prepare to walk out to a roaring crowd, the artists exchange the only official words spoken about the collaboration so far: Usher turns and declares, "It's time," to which Brown responds, "Hell yeah."

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For millions of fans spanning two decades of contemporary rhythm and blues, the announcement is the ultimate realization of a long-requested collaboration — a stadium-sized alternative to the Verzuz battles that have historically dominated R&B debates.

However, the pairing is equally notable for the turbulent history it seemingly leaves behind.

In May 2023, the relationship between the two foundational artists appeared severely strained following an incident at Skate Rock City in Las Vegas. During Brown’s 34th birthday party, held the night before Usher’s Lovers & Friends festival, Brown reportedly became irate over the presence of singer Teyana Taylor. When Usher, who was hosting the event, attempted to intervene and de-escalate the situation, the confrontation spilled into the venue's parking lot. Multiple witnesses at the time alleged Brown and his security team jumped the "Confessions" singer, reportedly leaving him with a bloodied nose.

Neither artist pressed charges, and both ultimately performed at the festival the following day without publicly addressing the physical confrontation.

Now, any lingering animosity appears fully resolved as they prepare to share the stage for what industry analysts predict will be a historic box-office run.

Both artists enter the joint venture with massive commercial momentum. According to Billboard, Brown’s 2025 "Breezy Bowl XX" stadium tour raked in a staggering $295.5 million, making it the highest-grossing tour ever by a Black American male solo artist. Usher, meanwhile, continues to ride the wave of his widely celebrated Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show and a multi-year Las Vegas residency that reportedly grossed over $100 million.

While official dates, specific cities, and venues for "The R&B Tour: Raymond & Brown" have not yet been released, the trek is expected to kick off in late 2026. The announcement coincides perfectly with Brown’s current promotional run; his highly anticipated new album is scheduled for release on May 8.

Representatives for the tour have not yet announced when official dates will drop or when tickets will go on sale.