Kanye West Pulls Out of Rolling Loud Festival, Kid Cudi to Replace Him as Headliner

The artist formerly known as Kanye West seems to be doing his Kanye best not to headline a show.

Just a couple of months after pulling out of his headlining performance at Coachella, the 45-year-old rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, has done it again.

Rolling Loud announced that West will not be performing at this year's festival Sunday, tweeting on its official account, "Due to circumstances outside of our control, Ye will no longer be performing at Rolling Loud Miami 2022."

West was set to headline the first day of the festival, which runs July 22 through 24, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The festival announced that his protege, sometimes collaborator and muse, Kid Cudi, would take his place.

"Please welcome @KiDCuDi," continued the tweet.

Cudi's career owes much to West, who signed him as a producer in 2008 to his Good Music label. The imprint released his first three albums, and Cudi remained on good enough terms with his former boss that the duo released an eponymously named collaborative album as Kids See Ghosts in 2018.

Earlier this year, however, West seemed to distance himself from Cudi following the dissolution of his marriage to Kim Kardashian, allegedly due to the latter's friendship with Kardashian's new beau Pete Davidson.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Ye posted a photograph of a handwritten message that read in part, “Just so everyone knows, [Kid] Cudi will not be on Donda 2′ because he’s friends with you know who.”

Rolling Loud co-founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler said they "were looking forward to Ye headlining Rolling Loud Miami 2022,” but things just did not work out in an official statement about the lineup change.

“We spent months working with him and his team on the performance. Unfortunately, Ye has decided that he will no longer be performing," they said in a statement. "This is the first time a headliner has ever pulled off our show and though we don’t take it lightly, we wish him the best.”

Delfonics Lead Singer, William ‘Poogie’ Hart, Dead at 77

Photo Credit: Julius "Juice" Freeman, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 

Music fans are in mourning after it was revealed that William “Poogie” Hart, lead singer and songwriter for sixties and seventies R&B powerhouse the Delfonics, died Thursday at the age of 77.

His son Hadi confirmed the death of the Philadelphia icon to Rolling Stone, saying the singer died from complications during surgery after being taken to Temple University Hospital because he was having trouble breathing.

He added, “His body might not be here, but his music will live forever. He was a great man, he loved his family, he loved God, and he just loved people. Great heart, great spirit. That was my dad.”

Hart was a founding member of the Delfonics along with his brother Wilbert, Randy Cain, Ritchie Daniels and Thom Bell. The group was a prominent part of the Philadelphia soul scene in the late ’60s and early ’70s and gained national notoriety in 1968 with their breakthrough hit “La-La (Means I Love You) off their eponymous debut studio album.

R.I.P. William Poogie Hart of The Delfonics.He died today at the age of 77. What Delfonics song was your favorite. I loved ‘Didn’t I Blow Your Mind pic.twitter.com/GXh9xnhgWY

— Patty Jackson (@MsPattyJackson) July 15, 2022

The single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sparked a long run of success for the band that saw it release five studio albums — which produced 12 Top 20 songs on the Billboard charts —between 168-1974. They also scored a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental in 1970 for their hit “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),”

In 1975, the Hart brothers split up along with the rest of the group.

William started his own version of the Delfonics. His brother Wilbert and Major Harris (who replaced Cain in 1971) formed another with Frank Washington. In the following decades, the groups continued to tour separately, sometimes with members jumping from one iteration to another, before a 1990s reunion brought about by a surge in the popularity of their original catalog.

Extensive samples of the group's work by hip-hop legends like the Fugees, Missy Elliott and the Notorious B.I.G. on some of the decade's biggest hits, a cover of “La-La (Means I Love You)” by pop superstar Prince on his 1996 album Emancipation and having their music featured prominently in Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 movie "Jackie Brown" renewed interest in the Delfonics.

LeBron James and LIFEWTR Unveil Purpose-Driven Partnership to Inspire Communities

It's not on the same level as "The Decision," but LeBron James' move to PepsiCo in 2021, after nearly two decades with rival Coca-Cola, was a big deal. 

Now the basketball billionaire — who has already played heavily in marketing for PepsiCo brands Mtn. Dew and Ruffles — is expanding his alliance with the company.

Wednesday James and PepsiCo's premium bottled water brand LIFEWTR announced a multi-year partnership. 

The deal will purportedly support the Lakers star's passion for community empowerment, an initiative that holds true to the brand's mission to help people thrive.

"LeBron James' unwavering dedication to uplifting individuals and communities mirrors our mission at LIFEWTR to help people thrive," Zach Harris, Vice President, Water Portfolio at PepsiCo Beverages North America, said in a statement. "We are thrilled to work with him to further the LIFEWTR brand's commitment to helping underrepresented voices flourish."

Everything I do always has a bigger purpose, much like @lifewtr, which makes me excited for the work we’ll do together!! Inspiring and championing others. More to come! 💧💪🏾👑 pic.twitter.com/LcnjtZkzqu

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 13, 2022

"I've always loved LIFEWTR and how every detail – from the original art showcased on its bottles to the brand's efforts to champion diverse voices – serves a bigger purpose," James, 37, added. "LIFEWTR is all about inspiring creativity, and I want the kids in my I PROMISE program and people everywhere to be inspired by the exciting work we'll do together."

Specifics of the program were not provided, but LIFEWTR said the collaboration with LeBron will include the debut of dedicated programming that will be announced later this year. It added that the NBA legend and LIFEWTR will work together on such efforts as the LeBron James Family Foundation's mission to “support underserved communities across the U.S.,” and the I Promise School, which James established to “provide a new approach to urban education for underserved students and families in Akron, Ohio.”

The company said the partnership signals the next chapter in James' ongoing relationship with PepsiCo, describing LIFEWTR as having a demonstrated history of supporting diverse communities and the evolution of the partnership is in service of the commitments just like its parent company through The PepsiCo Racial Equity Journey.

According to PepsiCo, the initiative elevates diverse voices within the company, among supply chain partners, and the communities it serves, while helping to dismantle longstanding racial barriers for Black and Hispanic Americans through a $400 million and $172 million investment over five years.