4. Swae Lee’s Free Concert:
On March 20, Swae Lee held a concert on Instagram Live and seemingly began the growing trend of rap and R&B artists taking to the social media platform to entertain fans during quarantine.
Dubbed by the artist as “the first Instagram Live concert ever,” Swae Lee brought a fan on stage and even crowd-surfed during his 40-minute set – live from his recording studio.
At one point, as many as 20,000 people tuned in to the free concert, and Swae Lee thanked them for a “sold out venue.”
3. Wiz Khalifa’s Smoke Out:
On March 29, Wiz Khalifa announced his first Instagram Live “Smoke Out” of many.
The rapper/pot-head invited a multitude of fans to join his IG Live sessions and smoke with him while under quarantine. Anyone who didn’t smoke with Wiz was immediately kicked from his Live video: “Sorry, this is a smoke out! I would love to talk to you and be your friend – at my next earliest convenience,” he joked.
Wiz was also joined by his mom, Snoop Dogg, and Xzibit who all participated in the now notorious “Kush Up” challenge – which requires participants take 10 consecutive puffs of weed without exhaling.
Fans packed into the Live video(s) in hopes of smoking with Wiz and testing their lung capacity, while he laughed at them for failing his challenge. Listening to Wiz’s signature laugh for hours on Instagram was more entertaining than it should have been – for both him and I.
2. Boi-1da vs. Hit-Boy:
The new way many artists and producers are passing time while in quarantine is by battling their peers. Music makers take to Instagram Live and each play a song they had a hand in crafting – whether it be production, vocals, or writing credits – and let the viewers decide who won each round.
On March 27, super-producers Boi-1da and Hit-Boy hopped on Instagram to trade tracks they had produced in a beat battle. Boi-1da is responsible for producing some of Drake’s biggest hits including “God’s Plan,” “Best I Ever Had,” and “0 to 100.” He’s also produced “Work” by Rihanna, “F*ckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt” by Jay-Z, and “Lucky You” by Eminem.
Hit-Boy’s extensive catalog includes “N****s in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye, “Backseat Freestyle” by Kendrick, “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott, and “Bow Down” by Beyoncé – to name a few.
For over two hours, each producer spun their hits and even premiered new music. Boi-1da played two unreleased tracks from Drake, while Hit-Boy played an unreleased song from Big Sean and the late Nipsey Hussle, as well as unreleased music from Nas.
1. Tory Lanez’s Quarantine Radio:
“Quarantine, quarantine, quarantine!” Tory Lanez shouts into a microphone while smoking a blunt and shattering Instagram records. The rapper/R&B singer has been hosting frequent Instagram Live videos featuring wild antics, celebrity guests, and even a virtual strip club.
On March 31, megastar Drake joined Tory on “Quarantine Radio” to take shots and check in on how he was handling coronavirus. While doing so, the pair broke Instagram’s record for most viewers on a live video – as they amassed an audience of over 310,000 people. Other appearances on the singer’s makeshift radio show included Justin Bieber, DMX, Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller, 21 Savage, Tyga, The Game, Timbaland, and Swizz Beatz.
“Quarantine Radio” has been an unexpected but effective way for Tory to promote his album “New Toronto 3” which drops April 10.
Be on the look-out for that, but don’t hold your breath for any more episodes of “Quarantine Radio” – as Instagram has temporarily banned Tory for violating their nudity guidelines after his latest episode got a bit too raunchy.
One Stop Hip-Hop Spot 
I know some celebrities have come under fire for being out-of-touch during quarantine, but I still think it’s really nice how a lot of them are continuing to connect with fans and giving people things to look forward to. Art and music help us process our experiences and bring joy in dark times. Although a very different audience than the virtual strip club and smoke sessions, ABC recently had a celebrity Disney sing-along over video chat which was pretty fun. I wonder if the increase in virtual concerts and interactions will impact how celebrities will reach out to fans in the future.
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I couldn’t agree with you more! All of these artists coming together to do concerts and just goof around on Instagram have certainly been a highlight of quarantine. Personally, as an old school hip hop head myself, nothing filled my heart quite like watching RZA vs. DJ Premier beat for beat on Instagram live. It’s been a great trend to keep people entertained and give them something to look forward to while we exist in this void of uncertainty.
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I think this is such a great thing! I feel like music can be really uplifting during hard times so I think this is a great way for celebs to use their platforms.
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