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Kanye compares divorce to queen’s death
Michael Jackson wanted to open music schools in Africa before he died.
The late Thriller hitmaker, who passed away in 2009, had discussed the idea with his friend Akon, with the pair planning to help undiscovered talent on the continent by providing them with facilities and industry advice to improve their skills. But the King of Pop died before they could act on the idea.
Akon told TMZ: “It started off as a concept, me and Michael were speaking about creating music universities across Africa, giving them tools and knowledge of the business to help them polish up their skills.
“Africa’s got so much talent. One of the main motivations for going to Nigeria back then, young artistes for Afrobeat and things like this, I was aware of opening the door to create that opportunity.”
The Lonely hitmaker has vowed to make good on the plans one day.
He added: “The schools haven’t happened yet, it’s a conversation we had, but it’s something I do want to follow up on.” And Akon wants to do more to shine a spotlight on the Bad singer’s cultural impact.
He said: “Me, personally, if people knew who he was and the stories behind everything, that would be a legacy question. Like, do you know what Mike did for culture? It shouldn’t even be a question, but, ultimately, the powers that be in America work a little different when it comes to black and brown people.”
Kanye West has compared his divorce to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Stronger rapper split from Kim Kardashian, who is the mother of his four children, in February 2021 after six years of marriage. He claimed losing his own “queen” has given him an understanding of how British people feel following the death of the 96-yearold monarch earlier this month.
Shortly after Buckingham Palace announced the death of the Queen, West claimed the historical moment had given him a new perspective.
He shared photos of the monarch when she was younger and captioned his post: “Life is precious. Releasing all grudges today. Leaning into the light.”
Last week, the 45-year-old rapper apologised for causing his ex-wife any “stress”. West has often turned to social media platforms to discuss his issues with Kardashian, including repeated criticism of her then boyfriend, Pete Davidson, in recent months.
But the Bound 2 hitmaker rubbished the suggestion that social media is inherently negative.
Asked if platforms such as Instagram and Twitter are more “hurtful or beneficial” overall, West replied: “I mean, we can use a car to rush somebody to a hospital or we could use a car and accidentally hit somebody while we’re rushing somebody to the hospital. So it’s all in how we use it.”
Dr Dre “can’t wait” to see Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl Half-time Show. The Umbrella hitmaker confirmed on Sunday that she will provide the entertainment at the annual NFL showpiece game next year. While Dr Dre knows he and fellow performers Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, who were joined by guests 50 Cent and Anderson.Paak, “set the bar extremely high” when they performed earlier this year, he’s confident Rihanna can put on an equally spectacular show.
Speaking on Apple Music 1, Dr Dre told Ebro Darden: “I just like her and what she does, and her get down, and how she approaches her artistry and the whole nine. It’s fantastic. She has the opportunity to really blow us away.”
The 57-year-old star advised Rihanna to find the right creative team to plan the performance, and even suggested she use the same people that helped orchestrate this year’s hip-hop extravaganza.
Despite his years in the public eye, Dr Dre said that he was “extremely nervous” about the Super Bowl gig, but still had a great time.
He reflected: “I don’t know if I’ve ever been that nervous before. Not only that, I don’t know if I’ve ever looked more forward to a Monday morning.
“So it’s the preparation and making sure you have the right people around you. All of these people came through for me, and everybody was extremely enthusiastic about the show.”