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The Weeknd Donates Additional $500,000 to COVID-19 Relief

The Weeknd continues to give back to those in need to help combat struggles created by the coronavirus.

On Monday (June 29), Variety reported that the multi-platinum artist donated $500,000 to support COVID-19 frontline workers in his hometown of Scarborough, Ontario. The Weeknd’s contribution to the Scarborough Health Network comes from the sales of the singer’s XO COVID-19 face masks. The Weeknd donated 100 percent of the sales to his hometown to aid in the COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

“I was raised in Scarborough and felt it was important to give back to the community that raised me during the hard times of this pandemic,” said The Weeknd told the publication.

Abel shared his appreciation for fans supporting the line of protective facial masks via social media, writing, “Massive thanks to the fans for buying the xo masks and doing your part in helping fight Covid.”

As the Instagram caption continues, The Weeknd promises to keep doing his part.

“I promised to match what was sold. We need to keep fighting. Also a big shout out to everyone in Scarborough!,” he said.

This is not the first time The Weeknd has donated money to a worthy cause. Earlier this month, the “Blinding Lights” singer made a similar donation, giving $500,000 to bail funds across the United States.

At the time, the 30-year-old entertainer uploaded an Instagram post encouraging fans to keep supporting those on the frontlines protesting for the rights of Black people.

“Keep supporting our brothers and sisters out there risking everything to push for actual change for our black lives,” the post began. “Urging everyone with big pockets to give and give big and if you have less please give what you can even if it’s a small amount. #blacklivesmatter.”

On top of the $500,000 donation to his hometown, The Weeknd also donated another $500,000 to MusiCares, a charity that has provides health, financial and rehabilitation resources to musicians during their times of need. In total, he has given $1 million to charity in a matter of days.

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Celebrity

Meek Mill Draws Mixed Reactions With Drill Take on Nico & Vinz’s “Am I Wrong”

Meek Mill has released a couple of songs that leaked online recently, giving fans a proper way to hear the tracks after they popped up over the weekend. “Philly Heathens” has been praised for its attention to street culture and youth affected by violence, but his other new album, “Am I Wrong,” has received a much more divided response.

“Philly Heathens” has been praised for its lyrics about street culture and the young people who get caught up in violence. “Am I Wrong,” however, takes a vastly different approach, remixing the song of the same name by Nico & Vinz as a drill centric interpolation.

“Am I Wrong” is now 12 years old, and its connection to the EDM sound of the time makes it especially recognizable to those who grew up with it. So Meek’s take is built on a familiar musical reference, but the response has been far from universally complimentary. A lot of the criticism has been directed at the hook. The production has also been called dated, but the track was leaked, which may explain its sound. But the strongest reactions have focused on Meek’s chorus vocals.

Some of the responses have been good, though. Some listeners felt the track was a throwback to the blog era, while others thought the criticism targeted almost entirely the hook, not the song as a whole. One Reddit commenter wrote that the track was good, but the chorus was bad, suggesting that Meek’s performance on the rest of the song was better than the reception to the hook may suggest.

The different reactions demonstrate the contrast between Meek’s two new leaks. “Philly Heathens” has resonated with audiences for its subject matter, while “Am I Wrong” has sparked discussion due to its interpolation and vocal approach.

Both songs are now officially available on YouTube so that fans can decide for themselves. The response to “Am I Wrong” shows how difficult it is to reinterpret a well known song, especially when a recognizable hook becomes the centerpiece of the new version

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Celebrity

Drake Joins Karol G in Houston for First Live Performance of “Ahi”

Drake made a surprise appearance in Houston this weekend, joining Karol G on stage for the first-ever live performance of their collaboration, “Ahi.”
The surprise appearance took place during Karol G’s show in Houston, where Drake jumped out from the bottom of the stage to perform the song with her. “Ahi” is the latest from Karol G’s project No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto, and the Houston show marked the first time the pair had performed the collaboration together on stage.

Drake made his entrance to a loud reception from the crowd. The rapper popped out from under the stage, bowed to Karol G, hugged her, and launched into their collaboration. With “Ahi,” the performance was not over. Drake stayed on stage and carried on with the set, performing “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” and giving the Houston crowd a long set from the Canadian rapper.

The collaboration also sparked speculation about Drake’s upcoming music. A rumor started that Karol G was one of the collaborators on the project, along with Molly Santana and Future, days before ICEMAN is expected to drop. Future and Molly Santana were among the names on the rumored list, and Future ended up on “Run To Atlanta.”

Drake’s Houston appearance comes as he continues to promote music outside the traditional album release cycle. He released FOMO, a visual YouTube project featuring visuals for several songs from Habibti and Maid Of Honor nearly two weeks ago. The project also featured a couple of unreleased songs, including new material with Yeat and new unreleased music with Don Toliver.

Drake and Don Toliver have also dropped a remix of Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.” The remix has recently sparked speculation about the artists after re uploaded visuals allegedly erased all footage of Langley.

But the Houston show shifted the focus back to Drake and Karol G. The surprise appearance turned the stop into the first live showcase of “Ahi” for the audience, while Drake’s renditions of “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” extended his surprise time onstage. It also gave fans their first chance to see the two artists perform their collaboration together, adding a live chapter to the release of “Ahi. “

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