Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Grammy-Nominated Givēon Sets Fall Tour in Support of Top‑10 album 'Beloved'

Givēon, pictured ahead of his “Dear Beloved” tour, returns to the spotlight with a cinematic new album and his signature baritone, marking a powerful comeback after three years away from the stage.
It’s been too long — and Givēon knows it.

After three years away from the stage, the Grammy-nominated baritone behind “Heartbreak Anniversary” has officially announced “Dear Beloved, The Tour,” his third headlining run and the long-awaited live counterpart to his sophomore album “Beloved,” released July 11.

The project debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and currently sits at No. 1 on Apple Music’s R&B chart and No. 3 overall. It marks his first solo album to debut in the Top 10 — a rare feat for a featureless R&B project in today’s streaming-heavy landscape.

Givēon's return to touring follows his 2022 “Give or Take Tour” and 2021’s “Timeless Tour.” Created through live jam sessions with longtime collaborators Sevn Thomas, Peter Lee Johnson, and Matthew Burnett, “Beloved” trades digital slickness for analog depth. Givēon helped write every track, leaning into his signature baritone and live instrumentation to craft an album that feels cinematic and lived-in.
 

“How this album is going to translate to the live show — I think it’s going to be magical because the album was made live, so it’s made to be performed live,” he told Rolling Stone earlier this month. He added that he plans to bring strings, horns, background vocals, and an eight-to-ten-piece band depending on venue size. “The album is really a movie,” he said. “I want the night to feel like that.”

Tickets to the tour, produced by Live Nation, go on sale to the public Friday, July 25 at 10 a.m. local time at 313Presents.comLiveNation.comgiveonofficial.com and Ticketmaster.com. Artist presales began earlier today. PT. VIP packages — including early entry, exclusive merch, and premium ticketing options — are available at VIPNation.com.

Givēon previewed his return to the stage during a surprise appearance with Drake at the Wireless Festival in London, a nod to their 2021 collaboration “Chicago Freestyle.” But “Dear Beloved” marks his full solo return.

On Instagram, Givēon told fans: “Dear Beloved, The Tour…. It’s finally time to take this show on the road. It’s been too long… ‘Beloved’ was made to be experienced live.. I cannot wait to see you all.”

His comeback has been met with acclaim — including a four-star Rolling Stone review — and renewed appreciation for an artist who continues to move differently. In an era often dominated by high BPMs and viral hooks, Givēon lingers in stillness. His music doesn’t chase moments. It creates them.

Critics from Variety, Uproxx, Hypebeast and the Associated Press have praised the album’s cohesion and maturity, calling it a standout in a crowded summer slate.

Givēon – Dear Beloved, The Tour (2025)
Select North American dates – full schedule at giveonofficial.com
Oct 1 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater
Oct 2 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Oct 4 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Oct 7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre
Oct 10 – Las Vegas, NV – BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau
Oct 11 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Oct 14 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Oct 15 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Oct 18 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
Oct 20 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Oct 23 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre with Charlotte Day Wilson & Sasha Keable
Oct 25 – Philadelphia, PA – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Oct 27 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum
Oct 30 – Washington, D.C. – The Anthem
Nov 1 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
Nov 4 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Nov 6 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden with Charlotte Day Wilson
VIP packages and additional details available at giveonofficial.com and vipnation.com. Tickets on sale Friday, July 25 at 10 a.m. local time.

Monday, July 21, 2025

Actor-Musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dies at 54 in Costa Rica Drowning Accident

Malcolm-Jamal Warner performs with his band Miles Long at a live show in Atlanta in 2022. Warner, who died Sunday in Costa Rica at age 54, earned Grammy recognition for blending jazz-funk bass lines with spoken-word poetry. (Screenshot via YouTube/Miles Long Live, “Spark & Tingle” performance)
Malcolm‑Jamal Warner — Emmy‑nominated actor turned Grammy‑winning bassist and spoken‑word poet
— drowned Sunday while swimming with relatives at Playa Cocles on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. He was 54.

According to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department, Warner was caught in a rip current and died of accidental asphyxia. News of his death was confirmed Monday.

Born August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Warner gained national attention as a teenager playing Theo Huxtable on the NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show.” His performance earned him an Emmy nomination and made him a cultural icon — but that role would become just the first act in a lifelong creative journey.
 

Off camera, Warner developed a parallel career as a musician, forming the jazz‑funk spoken‑word band Miles Long. Across multiple studio releases — including “The Miles Long Mixtape,” “Love & Other Social Issues,” “Selfless,” and “Hiding in Plain View” — Warner blended upright bass grooves with socially conscious lyrics and poetic monologues. His work drew on influences from classic soul, jazz, and hip‑hop, and earned respect across live music circles and underground poetry communities alike.
 


In 2015, Warner won a Grammy Award for best traditional R&B performance for his contribution to a reinterpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America,” recorded by Robert Glasper Experiment and featuring Lalah Hathaway. The track marked Warner’s deepening presence in music as both a collaborator and a creative voice.

“Hiding in Plain View,” released in 2022, received a Grammy nomination in 2023 for best spoken‑word poetry album. Warner’s delivery — intimate, urgent, and rooted in tradition — stood out in a crowded field and solidified his reputation as more than a former TV star.

Beyond the stage and studio, Warner remained active in television, with notable roles on “Malcolm & Eddie,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “Reed Between the Lines,” and “The Resident.” He also used his platform to elevate community dialogue through the podcast “Not All Hood,” which launched in 2023 and featured conversations centered around Black identity, mental health, and creativity.

🎸 SIDEBAR: Malcolm‑Jamal Warner’s Music Legacy

Band: Miles Long
Genre: Jazz‑funk / Spoken word / Neo‑soul
Role: Bassist, bandleader, spoken‑word poet


🎧 Key Albums:

  • “The Miles Long Mixtape” (2004)
    Warner’s first full-length musical release — a raw blend of funk basslines and lyrical poetry.
  • “Love & Other Social Issues” (2007)
    A concept project tackling relationships, politics, and social justice through groove‑driven arrangements.
  • “Selfless” (2015)
    Featured collaborations with Lalah Hathaway. “Spark & Tingle” became a standout track.
  • “Hiding in Plain View” (2022)
    Career-defining work nominated for a 2023 Grammy for best spoken-word poetry album.

🏆 Grammy Recognition:

  • Winner (2015) — Best Traditional R&B Performance
    With Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway on “Jesus Children of America.”
  • Nominee (2023) — Best Spoken-Word Poetry Album
    For “Hiding in Plain View.”

🎙️ Live & Beyond:

  • Performed at Blue Note, Playboy Jazz Festival, Indy Jazz Fest
  • Collaborated with Robert Glasper, Ledisi, Lalah Hathaway
  • Hosted podcast “Not All Hood” (2023), focused on Black identity & mental health

Legacy: Warner transformed a TV icon’s spotlight into a mic for truth — fusing rhythm, resistance, and reflection through every bar and bassline.

Friday, July 18, 2025

City High’s Robby Pardlo Dead; Singer Helped Propel 2001 Hit 'What Would You Do?'

Robby Pardlo — the New Jersey singer‑songwriter who co‑founded early‑2000s R&B trio City High — has died, friends confirmed Friday.

Public music bios list Pardlo’s birth year as 1977, which would make him 48 this year, though his family has not confirmed an exact date of birth.[1]

Terrill “Rellion” Paul, a longtime collaborator, announced the news in a Facebook post, calling Pardlo “one kind‑hearted person who would literally give the shirt off your back” and sharing recent photos of the two men alongside an early snapshot of the group. No cause of death has been released, and Pardlo’s family has yet to issue a formal statement.

Formed under Wyclef Jean’s Booga Basement imprint, City High — Pardlo, Claudette Ortiz and Ryan Toby — broke through in 2001 with “What Would You Do?,” an unflinching narrative about poverty and survival that reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for best R&B performance by a duo or group. The group’s gold‑certified, self‑titled debut also produced the Top 20 single “Caramel,” featuring Eve.

Behind the chart success, Pardlo wrestled with alcoholism. His struggle was chronicled in a 2010 episode of A&E’s “Intervention,” where he linked his addiction to the group’s abrupt breakup in 2003. Ortiz later alleged their teenage relationship had been abusive, telling Washington, D.C.’s Majic 102.3 in 2013 that she “had to choose safety over the group.” Pardlo did not publicly respond to those claims but credited the televised rehab program with a lengthy stretch of sobriety.


After City High dissolved, Pardlo largely retreated from the spotlight, surfacing for occasional writing sessions and small‑venue appearances. In his Facebook tribute, Paul said the two recently joked about “getting old together” and still “talking trash like Claud Banks and Ray Gibson,” the bickering cellmates from the 1999 film “Life.”

Funeral arrangements have not been announced. Paul ended his post with a promise to keep his friend’s legacy alive: “We were supposed to do life together… I will miss you so much.”

Sources
[1] Birth year appears as 1977 in AllMusic artist profile, Discogs database entry and A&M Records’ 2001 press kit; no family confirmation yet released.

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