The Entertainment Weekend Recap: August 14th
Friday was a big day for hip-hop music as the genre celebrated its 50th birthday. What started on August 11, 1973, at a party in the Bronx has evolved into one of the most popular genres of music worldwide. A variety of celebrations took place in honor of the occasion, including the 5X5 Block Party series which featured three different parties held throughout the month in Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem and Staten Island. Other events included 50th Anniversary concerts with performances from talents such as Rakim, Rapsody, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Lil Wayne and many more.
Although rapper Lil Durk was not hosting a 50th Celebration concert for hip-hop, he did put on a solo show at Chicago’s United Center. However, the concert was interrupted over false reports of gunshots being fired. Saturday night’s show ended abruptly after police were dispatched to investigate the reports of shots fired. According to a United Center spokesperson, authorities determined that the reports were inaccurate but opted to evacuate the arena over safety concerns.
The Chicago native later posted to social media advising against believing the hype and he thanked his Chicago fans for their attendance.
August 11 is now even more significant to Beyoncé, as she was given her own day in Atlanta. The Atlanta City Council and the state of Georgia recognized the singer’s many achievements and proclaimed Friday, August 11, 2023, as Beyoncé Day. The announcement came as the Queen of the BeyHive kicked off the first of her three Renaissance Tour performances at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The city currently holds the crown for her “mute challenge,” where she sees which crowd can stay silent during a portion of one of her songs.
Former basketball star, Dwyane Wade, found himself being celebrated over the weekend as well. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame welcomed its Class of 2023 on Saturday and included Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and the entire 1976 Olympic women’s basketball team. The 2003 first-round draft pick went on to enjoy a career that lasted more than a decade.
Over the course of his basketball career, Wade has won three NBA championships and scored over 23,000 points.
While Dwayne Wade was being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, football star Damar Hamlin was making his return to the field. The Buffalo Bills’ safety returned after being out due to experiencing cardiac arrest on the field last season. Hamlin was cleared by doctors back in April and the following month he began participating in drills and training camp. The 25-year-old made his debut – which the Bills were successful in their preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
