Month: April 2021

LONG LIVE DMX. These were the words written on the monster truck that carried Earl Simmons’ crimson casket from Yonkers to Brooklyn for his memorial service at Barclays Center on Saturday night. Scores of motorcyclists and the majority Ruff Ryders, took part in the late rapper’s funeral procession to the arena. They were met by hundreds of fans, which grew to thousands as the night wore on, who converged in front of Barclays, and on adjacent sidewalks, to celebrate DMX’s life. Motorcycles, four-wheelers, and dirt bikes zoomed down nearby streets; a handful of riders wheelies, while some rode standing up. The soundtrack was loud and raw, befitting a gravelly voiced rapper whose work confronted dark themes...

As the rest of the world isolates, New Zealand rocks! More than 50,000 people gathered for a massive rock concert in the island nation, which is free of social-distancing requirements after virtually stamping out COVID-19 with strict policies. The band Six60 has been playing to huge crowds across the county, and its Saturday tour finale in Auckland’s biggest stadium was billed as the largest concert in the world since the pandemic began. The band honored military musicians and invited Maori performers to join them onstage for music sung in the indigenous language. “We know what it’s like to be in lockdown. It sucked. And we didn’t know if we’d be able to play gigs again,” lead singer Matiu Walters said before the show. “But we are fortunate, for a f...