Music

Tate McRae and Morgan Wallen will be appearing on a song together after several days of speculation from fans. Some fans notably had expressed their disappointment towards McRae for collaborating with Wallen, who has received criticism in the past for his use of a racial slur.

McRae will be featured on Wallen’s fourth album, I’m the Problem, which will be released on May 16, according to Variety. She appears as a feature and writer of the fourth track titled “What I Want.” The song will be Wallen’s first recorded duet with a female artist, according to The Cut.

Further details of Tate McRae and Morgan Wallen’s collaboration

Rumors of the collaboration between the two artists started circulating after McRae posted a photograph of an orange jersey featuring her name, “T8,” and Wallen’s “MW” merchandise logo.

Fans are disappointed that Tate McCrae would collaborate with Morgan Wallen

McRae’s fans have expressed their disappointment at the collaboration. 

“tate mcrae collabing with morgan wallen…… i’m actually so disappointed in her rn,” someone tweeted.

“tate mcrae when we said we wanted more collabs we meant with olivia rodrigo & that finished tyla scrap, NOT m*rgan w*llen,” another fan commented.

“me listening to tate mcrae this morning then getting on twitter to see the news,” a third person wrote.

Wallen was recorded on camera using a racial slur in 2021. A year prior, he had been set to appear on Saturday Night Live, but his appearance was cancelled after he was seen partying without a mask.

In March, Wallen appeared on SNL. He made headlines for exiting the stage as soon as the show wrapped and cameras were still rolling.

“Get me to God’s country” he wrote on Instagram afterward the bizarre incident, alongside a picture of a private jet, Blavity reported.

“The ‘God’s country’ of it all is strange because it’s like, what are you trying to say?” Kenan Thompson said shortly after the moment went viral. “You trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella? That’s not necessarily my favorite. But whatever. Moving on, we got a new show. We got Jack Black this week. We will be fine.”

“Saturday, I guess it was just different because it just felt so abrupt,” he added. “And it was already such a small grouping on the stage anyway. So it was just like, oh wow, that was pretty visible. You know what I’m saying? It was a pretty visible thing.”

Wale has never been one to shy away from poetic, deep-cutting lyrics that directly reflect his life, and his latest single, “Blanco,” is a clear indicator that he won’t be giving up that recipe anytime soon.

With 20 years in the game following his 2005 debut mixtape, Paint a Picture, the Washington, D.C. native has quite eloquently painted a picture of his life for fans through versatile and thoughtful lyricism. He explores everything from Black consciousness to female empowerment and personal growth—much like what’s on “Blanco,” as he gets vulnerable about using alcohol as a form of escapism.

Wale on his performance at the final Dreamville Festival

“Drownin’ in sorrow, I’m back on the bottle,” said Wale as he performed the song during the 2025 Dreamville Festival with an enlarged black-and-white visual of himself that almost looked as though he was looking in the mirror on the stage. 

Blavity caught up with the emcee just moments after he graced a lively crowd who sang along word for word, bar for bar, as he performed tracks like “Holy Matrimony,” “Clappas,” as well as his timeless verses on Waka Flocka’s “No Hands” and Rick Ross’ “Diced Pineapples.”

First, Wale admitted that performing “Blanco” a cappella without any music in the background was something that his team had to fight him on, but after seeing the crowd’s reaction, he says he’s happy that he obliged, as it was really fitting for a song that’s so deeply personal.

Released on March 19, 2025, Wale made it clear that this single is a nod to the fact that “we all fighting some type of…something.”

Although he decided to expose some of his inner thoughts and demons for “Blanco,” Wale said it’s not to be confused that he still possesses that boastfulness that makes him stand out among his peers in the rap game.

“I bring bravado when it’s time, and I bring the other s**t when it’s time, because I can be honest with everybody, and then when it’s time to get in the pit, I still know what to do when I get in the pit with everybody else,” Wale told Blavity. “When I’m making a song, I just be as honest as I can, tell my story, and when it’s time to do the bravado sh**t… This is [a] sport too. My gloves still work perfectly fine.”

What’s next for Wale?

The forthcoming album, which The Album About Nothing rapper said is 93.9% done in a post shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, is yet another release following Wale’s move to Def Jam in 2023.

His first release under his new label, “Max Julien,” was produced by D Woo and features a sample of fellow DMV legend, Baltimore’s Lil Mo. The intro has a more laid-back feel with soulful harmonies and a jazz feel. While “Blanco” has a similar melodic flow, Wale says that there’s more to come for the current era he’s in with the imprint that’s been home to some of the biggest rappers in the industry, including hip-hop trailblazers like DMX and JAY-Z.

“You gotta just get ready for what’s coming up,” he concluded. “We’re having conversations about what the release out of this thing [is], and there’s so many. Everything’s heavy. Everything’s really heavy.”

The fifth and final Dreamville Festival took place at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park on April 5 and 6 and featured performances by Wale, Ludacris, Erykah Badu, headliners Lil Wayne and the Hot Boys, as well as an electric performance by founder and North Carolina native J. Cole to close out the weekend.

Kartel turns Brooklyn into Gaza NationNot even the rainy, cold weather could dampen the energy outside the Barclays Center on Friday night as around 19,000 concertgoers packed the arena to witness a moment they had waited years for. Reggae Fest, founded in 2015 by concert promoter CJ Milan, is known for hosting parties and yacht fetes in major cities nationwide and also produced this historic event.
Multicolored glow sticks and Jamaican flags filled the air as attendees danced in the aisles to classic reggae and dancehall tunes courtesy of DJ Milan. The show began two hours after its 8 p.m. start, but the crowd stayed energized as they waited for Kartel to take the stage just after 10. He began his performance to roaring cheers as a remix of Akon’s “Locked Up” blared through the arena. “Look! 13 years inna prison, and mi come out a general!” Kartel told the crowd, marking the moment with pride.
The Gaza Emperor performed timeless hits from his catalog, including “Dumpa Truck,” ‘Benz Punany,” “It Bend Like Banana,” “You and Him Deh,” “Street Vybz,” “Come Breed Me” and “Turn-Up the F**k,” with several musical guest appearances during his set. Jamaican artists Jah Vinci and Blak Ryno entertained the crowd, singing alongside Kartel.
The second half of the show had BK’s own Busta Rhymes and Spliff Star surprising the crowd with an energetic performance, delivering hits like “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and “Look at Me Now” (showcasing Busta’s signature rapid-flow). Jamaican record producer and singer Rvssian joined Worl’ Boss on stage to perform their 2010 hit “Straight Jeans & Fitted.” The crowd erupted as the duo had everyone on their feet and chanting the hook, “Straight jeans and fitted, ina white T-shirt we did it,” setting the tone for the high-energy performances that followed.
The crowd went into a frenzy when the King and Queen of Dancehall reunited on stage. Kartel and Spice performed their 2009 song “Romping Shop,” prompting fans to sing along to the iconic track that helped define a generation of dancehall.

Dressed in a blue ensemble with matching waist-length blue hair, Spice showed off her twerking skills and signature flexibility during “Back Way” and “Conjugal Visit,” as she and Kartel displayed their decades-long chemistry on stage. She also had the crowd singing along to fan favorites like “So Mi Like It,” “Fight Over Man,” and her new single, “Eleven.” Their dynamic performance was a powerful reminder of their influence and legendary status in the genre.