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Prince’s Iconic “Purple Rain” Film To Be Turned Into Stage Show

Prince’s Iconic “Purple Rain” Film To Be Turned Into Stage Show

On Monday (January 8), theatre producer Orin Wolf confirmed the 1984 rock musical film is being adapted for the Broadway stage.

Source:  AllHipHop

The iconic film Purple Rain starring the late Prince is set to be turned into a stage musical. On Monday (January 8), theatre producer Orin Wolf confirmed the 1984 rock musical film is being adapted for the Broadway stage. The project will be helmed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, who recently directed the acclaimed show, The Skin of Our Teeth.

“It’s been almost 40 years since Prince’s legendary film, Purple Rain, took the world by storm and we can’t think of a more fitting tribute than to honor Prince and the Purple Rain legacy with this stage adaptation of the beloved story,” L. Londell McMillan, chairman of The NorthStar Group, and Larry Mestel, founder and chief executive of Primary Wave Music, said in a joint statement.

The musical will follow the story of an up-and-coming rock musician in the Minneapolis club scene. It’s set to feature a number of classic Prince tracks, including “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “I Would Die 4 U” as well as the titular song, “Purple Rain.”

The music icon’s film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and made around $70 million at the box office when it was first released. Prince, real name Prince Rogers Nelson, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. He was 57.

Representatives of the rightsholders to his music have confirmed they are supportive of the production.

 

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Rihanna To Reportedly Return With New Music For ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

Rihanna To Reportedly Return With New Music For ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

It’s been years since Rihanna has released new music, but that streak could be ending soon.

Source: HipHopDX

Per HitsDailyDouble, RiRi is slated to land a pair of songs on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

The Ryan Coogler-directed sequel is set to hit theaters across the country on November 11 with an accompanying soundtrack also arriving. The Marvel blockbuster’s soundtrack will hit streaming services via Marvel/Disney and Westbury Road/Roc Nation/Def Jam.

After giving birth and welcoming a baby boy with A$AP Rocky in May, Rihanna is ready to reassert her dominance on the music scene. She’s already been tapped to headline the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in Glendale, Arizona next year.

Earlier in October, HitsDailyDouble teased the possibility of the beauty mogul heading out on a stadium tour following her Super Bowl performance in 2023.

The singer has not released any new music as a solo artist since her multi-platinum 2016 album Anti, sparking an ongoing outcry for new material by her Navy on social media. Even as a featured artist, RiRi’s last appearance was on PartyNextDoor’s “Believe It” in 2020.

With the long break in between touring, Rihanna admitted she’s “nervous” to hit the grand Super Bowl stage.

“I’m nervous!” she told paparazzi while wearing a long-sleeve tee honoring the late DMX. “But I’m excited.”

JAY-Z’s Roc Nation is credited with partnering with the NFL as strategic entertainment advisors to put the Super Bowl halftime show together and Hov sang Rih’s praises after news broke of her selection.

For more information:
https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.74201/title.rihanna-new-songs-wakanda-forever-soundtrack

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‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio dead at age 59

coolio on enjoythebeatz.com

Coolio has reportedly died.

Source: XXLMag

Tonight (Sept. 28), TMZ has reported that West Coast rapper Coolio has died at the age of 59.

The “Gangsta’s Paradise” artist’s manager Jarez reportedly told the Hollywood gossip site that Coolio was visiting a friend at a home in Los Angeles when he passed. The rapper allegedly went into his friend’s bathroom, but never came out. Paramedics were called around 4 p.m., but Coolio was pronounced dead at the scene. Jarez reportedly said the veteran rhymer died of cardiac arrest, although an official cause of death has yet to be determined.

XXL has reached out to Jarez for further confirmation.

Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr, had major mainstream success in the 1990s, primarily with his 1995 hit single “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the same year it was released. “Gangsta’s Paradise” earned further widespread acclaim after being the main song featured in the 1995 film Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeiffer. The track won Coolio a Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance. It has since been certified double-platinum in the U.S., and also sold millions of additional units worldwide.

The song was the title track to Coolio’s 1995 breakthrough album, Gangsta’s Paradise, which also features two other successful singles: “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “Too Hot,” the latter of which features J.T. Taylor of Kool & the Gang on the hook. Gangsta’s Paradise is also certified double-platinum, with over two million units sold in the U.S. alone.

The MC released a total of eight studio albums, beginning with It Takes a Thief in 1994, and ending with what would be his final LP, From the Bottom 2 the Top, in 2009.

Outside of music, Coolio appeared as an actor in various films, including the 1997 adaptation of Batman & Robin. He also made cameos in TV shows Sabrina The Teenage Witch, The Nanny, Malcolm & Eddie and more.

Read More: Coolio, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ Rapper, Dead at 59 – Report – XXL | https://www.xxlmag.com/coolio-gangstas-paradise-rapper-dead/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral