Brooklyn-born artist D’Chrome Foster is making waves in hip-hop and R&B with his new single ‘Rain’ set for release in 2026. Born Serge R. Thony, he got his start in New York’s battle scene, trading verses at The Pyramid’s “End of the Weak” nights on the Lower East Side. That raw energy now mixes with acting skills he picked up at Esper Studios and during his MFA at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. He’s appeared off-Broadway in shows like Ethel Sings, In Bed with Roy Cohn, and Kansas City Swing, earning praise from The New York Times, which called him “young, cocky and ready to take over the world.” You can still hear the influence of Harry Belafonte and Michael Jackson in the way he delivers every line.
On ‘Rain,’ Foster glides effortlessly between silky melodies and crisp, rhythmic flows. The track weaves R&B’s inviting warmth, pop’s glossy sheen, and hip-hop’s swagger into a groove that feels authentic and lived-in. Like his previous single ‘Pack Yo Bagz,’ it drives forward with momentum, but this time Foster adds emotional clarity that makes every hook linger. Playful yet sincere, the song offers a jolt of energy with a crisp flow and an air of authentic 90’s hip hop charisma. Foster’s stage experience shows in how he handles the mic, making ‘Rain’ feel like a powerful mini-performance. Mixing classic soul style with modern confidence, he gives the song a unique feel while still tipping his hat to artists like Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, and Kanye West. With each new release, he gets better at balancing openness and control, showing he’s one of the most promising new voices out there.
Jairic, the renegade Detroit-born, Cannes-based musician, producer, and storyteller, has carved out a singular lane in experimental hip-hop with raw, self-produced tracks that fuse lyrical intensity, cinematic production, and genre-defying energy drawn from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Detroit’s underground, classic funk, 60s rock, and film scores. His latest EP, n=40, released December 5, 2025, and led by the explosive focus single ‘Yolo 2 Yoga’, has already earned strong support from Wonderland Magazine, NOTION, CLASH Magazine, EARMILK, and NPR Music, while pushing his total streams toward 2 million. Known for high-impact exclusive performances at Château Les Alouettes in Cannes, Villa Balbiano on Lake Como, and a featured live appearance at the Paris premiere of the short film Azur, Jairic crafts fully independent releases paired with cinematic visuals that marry modern luxury and underground grit.
In this exclusive interview, Jairic dives deep into the making of n=40, the personal war it channels, and what’s next for his unrelenting creative vision.
You grew up in a musical family in Detroit. Can you share an early memory that made you want to make your own music? Every family party meant live music at some point. Someone would grab a guitar, someone else would sing, and the whole room would shift. I remember the energy — people smiling, laughing, leaning in. Music wasn’t background noise. It was the center of gravity. I saw how it brought people together, and I knew early on I wanted to create that kind of feeling myself.
How did moving from Detroit’s underground scene to living in Cannes change your music and the way you think about it? When you step outside your comfort zone, you grow. Detroit gave me grit. Europe gave me space. Living in Cannes, traveling, performing overseas — it gave me a level of freedom I hadn’t felt before. Freedom to experiment, to take risks, to be fully myself without overthinking it. That shift shows up in the music.
You’ve mentioned Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, classic funk, 60s rock, and film scores as influences. How do you choose which parts of those styles to use in your songs?
I produce from experience first — love, loss, joy, pain, observation. Life drives the music. The artists and genres mentioned gave me an education in how to translate emotion into sound. But the foundation is always real life.
Which music or artists have inspired you most over the past year while you were working on n=40?
Honestly? My family. My kids. Watching them learn the world, take risks, fall down, get back up. That perspective changes everything. It makes you want to be sharper. Better. More present.
n=40 seems like your most focused project so far. What did you want this EP to say that you hadn’t shared in your earlier work? Let’s f***ing go.
That’s really the energy. n=40 is mid-war, not midlife. It’s about not slowing down. Not fading out. It’s controlled aggression. Discipline. Belief. It’s the sound of someone who refuses to coast.
‘Yolo 2 Yoga’ stands out as the bold centerpiece of the EP. What personal experiences or realizations inspired the lyrics and that powerful energy? I was wild in my younger years. About eleven years ago, I got really sick — nearly died. It was one of the hardest things my wife and family ever went through.
But there was growth in it.
I took that extreme low and turned it into fuel. It slingshotted me. Now I operate with enthusiasm, gratitude, and drive. “Yolo 2 Yoga” is that transformation — chaos refined into clarity.
The visuals for the n=40singles, especially the ‘Yolo 2 Yoga’ video directed by Vansh Luthra, are strikingly cinematic – can you take us behind the scenes on the locations, the concept of visiting past versions of yourself, and what it was like performing in those settings? Working with Vansh was a masterclass. He had a clear vision, and we locked in on it together. I wasn’t emotional on set — I was focused because I wanted to do the record justice.
Performing on the beach in southern France was surreal. Hundreds of beachgoers watching, taking selfies, sharing energy. It was raw and cinematic at the same time — which is exactly what the song is.
Krono is remixing one of your tracks soon. How did you start working together, and what made you want to add an EDM style to your music? Krono is super dope. We connected through management. I’ve always genuinely loved EDM — I’ve been to some incredible shows across the world with a close friend of mine, and that energy is unmatched.
Their remix took the record somewhere unexpected. It unlocked a different emotional layer in the song. It’s not just louder — it’s deeper in a different way. I’m excited for people to hear that version.
You’ve called n=40 “mid-war” instead of midlife. What personal or creative struggles does this project deal with, and how does it feel to share that intensity with everyone? You have to keep fighting. Keep believing in yourself. Keep showing up for your people. That’s the war.
It’s not always loud. Sometimes it’s internal. Discipline. Faith. Persistence. Relentless enthusiasm for what you’re building.
I’m humbled to share that intensity. The reception so far has meant a lot.
As you look ahead to the rest of 2026, what can fans look forward to? Will there be new music, more videos, live shows, or anything else you’re planning?
Everything.
A full-length album titled L’Americain drops this year. We’re filming heavily — cinematic visuals, global locations. There’s another n=40 remix coming with a major EDM artist. And we’re planning a European tour.
J. Cole just added more shows to The Fall-Off World Tour after fans snapped up tickets so fast that multiple markets sold out in minutes. The North Carolina rapper’s latest album The Fall-Off, widely discussed as a potential final Album, has turned this tour into a high-stakes event, with supporters treating every date like it could be the last time they’ll hear Cole unpack his life over beats in a live setting. A GRAMMY winner with a decade-plus run of platinum albums and sharply observed bars, Cole has built one of hip-hop’s most loyal audiences, the kind that lines up early and moves fast when tickets drop.
The rush hit during the February 17 pre-sale, wiping out inventory in several cities before the February 20 general on-sale even began. Social media quickly filled with fans venting about missing out on the original 50-date routing. Responding directly to the demand, Cole’s team has slotted additional concerts in Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, Toronto, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Dallas, giving more people a shot at experiencing the live intensity that has defined his shows for years.
Still set to launch July 11 in Charlotte, NC, the tour will hit major North American stops including Miami and Los Angeles before heading overseas to Europe, Africa, and Australia. These new dates underline the pull Cole still has in the genre, ensuring more fans can catch what feels like a pivotal moment in his career.
Across her R&B discography, Janet Jackson has consistently reshaped the genre’s possibilities. Control (1986) delivered assertive new jack swing production and a run of chart-topping singles that announced her as a standalone force, topping the Billboard 200 and R&B albums charts. Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) followed with hard-edged rhythms and socially conscious themes, spawning seven commercial singles that dominated pop and R&B airplay alike. Subsequent albums janet. (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997) explored deeper emotional and sensual layers, contributing to her five Grammy wins and lasting impact on contemporary R&B.
Now she’s added Japan to her 2026 calendar with four confirmed dates: June 9, 13, 14, and 17. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member, who turns 60 in May, is simultaneously celebrating the 40th anniversary of Control and the GRAMMY Hall of Fame honor for Rhythm Nation.
The shows build on momentum from her blockbuster 2025 Resorts World Las Vegas residency and teases of bigger plans ahead, keeping her live presence as vital as ever.
Jairic released the music video for ‘Still AF Gospel’ today, the powerful final track on his n=40 EP from December 2025. The Detroit native, now living in Cannes, started out producing for local rappers before going full independent, writing, producing, and performing everything himself. He pulls from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Detroit’s underground, classic funk, 60s rock, and film scores, building a sound that’s earned nearly 2 million streams. Recent shows at Château Les Alouettes in Cannes, Villa Balbiano on Lake Como, and the Paris premiere of short film Azur highlight his live pull, while n=40 got strong looks from Wonderland Magazine, NOTION, CLASH Magazine, EARMILK, and NPR Music plays.
‘Still AF Gospel’ hits with tight lyricism over aggressive, thrashing production and a delivery that doesn’t let up. Directed by Vansh Luthra, the video puts Jairic in a preppy outfit, moving from upstart and bratty energy to heavier adult party scenes and moments of reflection through classic cinematic metaphors through the use of mirrors and reflections, all driven by a performance that feels straight out of a sermon. The EP as a whole sharpens his approach, locking in off-kilter drums against thick bass and layered samples that keep the momentum tight without losing focus, making it his most controlled and rewarding project yet.
This release lines Jairic up with the bold independence of A$AP Rocky, Eminem, and Kanye West.
Jairic shared: “‘Still AF Gospel’ is a love letter to my children — a reminder to learn relentlessly, love deeply, and never lose the edge this world requires. It’s where my father instincts meet the principles I live by. These codes are my faith. Protect absolutely. Reflect honestly. Strike only when necessary. This is gospel — still as f**.”*
J. Cole has shared the tracklist for The Fall-Off, framing it as his eighth and final studio album. The North Carolina rapper posted the details on Instagram February 4, laying out a 24-track double-disc project split into “Disc 29” and “Disc 39.” After two decades of building from mixtapes to platinum releases, Cole is positioning this as a full-circle moment, returning to the thematic core of his 2007 debut The Come Up while reflecting on life at two pivotal ages.
The discs trace returns to his Fayetteville roots: titles like “Two Six” (nodding to the local area code), “Bombs in the Ville”, “The Villest”, and “Whole Wide World Is the Ville” all center the city that shaped him. The back cover shows a wall covered in posters of teenage idols including 50 Cent, Eminem, Canibus, Beanie Sigel, Ghostface Killah, and more, visualizing the influences he grew up studying. Ibrahim Hamad and T-Minus serve as executive producers, with no features confirmed yet.
Cole accompanied the reveal with a detailed note explaining the structure as a bookend to his career, contrasting the hungry 19-year-old who left for New York with the man he’s become at 39 and 40. The project promises introspection on love, craft, and home across the two ages, closing out an era defined by sharp storytelling and self-production.
Ari Lennox is back on the road with a full North American run supporting her third album, Vacancy. The R&B singer-songwriter has mapped out more than 30 dates, starting April 12 in Seattle and running through key markets like Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, Oakland, and beyond. This marks her most extensive headline trek yet and her first since the 2023 tour behind age/sex/location, which hit major U.S. venues and solidified her live reputation.
Vacancy dropped last month, entirely produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, two veterans who helped shape the album’s blend of classic soul structures and contemporary edge. The record picks up where her previous work left off sharp lyricism over warm, detailed arrangements, while pushing her vocal range into new territory. Coming off a two-year break from touring, Lennox seems primed to translate that studio polish into stage presence.
The routing leans heavy on urban centers with strong R&B audiences, giving fans across the continent a chance to hear the new material live for the first time. After the introspective run of age/sex/location shows, this cycle should feel like a reset bigger rooms, fresh songs, and the kind of setlist depth that only a third album allows. Passes are moving now for what looks like her most ambitious live chapter to date.
04-12 Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater 04-15 Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre Oakland 04-16 San Francisco, CA – The Masonic 04-18 Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live Sacramento 04-19 – Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan 04-21 Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre 04-23 Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater 04-24 San Diego, CA – SOMA 04-26 Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium 04-28 Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory 04-30 Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater 05-02 Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center 05-03 New Orleans, LA – Fillmore New Orleans 05-05 Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre 05-07 Miami Beach, FL – Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater 05-08 Orlando, FL – Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts 05-10 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium 05-13 Chesterfield, MO – The Factory 05-15 Milwaukee, WI – Landmark Credit Union Live 05-16 Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre 05-17 Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre Detroit 05-20 Toronto, Ontario – Massey Hall 05-22 Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre 05-23 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway 05-24 Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia 05-27 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount 05-30 National Harbor, MD – The Theater at MGM National Harbor 06-02 Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome 06-03 Raleigh, NC – The Ritz 06-05 Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center 06-06 Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
The Super Bowl weekend lineup just got louder: Cardi B has been confirmed as a performer at Michael Rubin’s invite-only Fanatics Super Bowl Party on February 7. The Bronx-born rap star will hit the stage days before the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks square up and right before she launches her Little Miss Drama Tour, making this a packed stretch for one of hip-hop’s biggest live draws.
Fanatics parties are notorious for keeping details under wraps, and this year is no different with multiple surprise guests being teased alongside Cardi’s set. She previously performed at the same event in 2019, a standout moment that aligned with the Patriots’ championship run. Expect a similar high-energy takeover this time, especially with Cardi reportedly planning to support her boyfriend, standout receiver Stefon Diggs, during the weekend festivities.
This quick-hit performance slots in perfectly as a prelude to her forthcoming tour, giving fans an early taste of whatever chaos and charisma she’s bringing on the road. The Fanatics crowd; typically packed with athletes, execs, and entertainers, tends to get the raw, no-filter Cardi, and February 7 looks primed to deliver exactly that before the Super Bowl kicks off.
Summer Walker is hitting arenas to close out her defining Over It era in style. The R&B singer has mapped out the 19-date Still Finally Over It tour, starting in Toronto this May before working through key U.S. markets and finishing up in England in August. Houston rapper Monaleo and British-Nigerian vocalist Odeal will handle opening duties on select nights, adding sharp contrasts to Walker’s introspective sound.
The trek follows the 2025 drop of Finally Over It, the third and final chapter after 2019’s breakout Over It and 2021’s Still Over It. Those records turned Walker into a central voice in contemporary R&B, blending quiet-storm melodies with unflinching takes on love and fallout. Going arena-scale now marks a clear shift—her material, once built for late-night headphones, gets translated to bigger rooms without losing its emotional weight.
Monaleo brings Houston’s aggressive, no-filter energy, the kind that exploded off tracks like her early viral hits, while Odeal layers in smoother, border-crossing R&B shaped by his Nigerian roots and UK base. The single “Heart of a Woman” from the latest album already picked up Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance, proof the trilogy ended on a high note. This run should let Walker air out the full arc live, from the initial hurt to the hard-won closure.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA pulled off a major upset at the 2026 Grammys, winning Record of the Year for ‘Luther’, their soulful update of Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 classic ‘If This World Were Mine’. The track, built on that warm, interlocking vocal sample, beat out a stacked field that included Bad Bunny’s ‘DTMF’, Billie Eilish’s ‘Wildflower’, Chappell Roan’s ‘The Subway’, Doechii’s ‘Anxiety’, Lady Gaga’s ‘Abracadabra’, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ ‘Apt.’, and Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Manchild’. For Lamar, the win cements back-to-back Record of the Year trophies after last year’s victory with ‘Not Like Us’. He also swept the rap categories tonight: Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album for GNX. This pushes his career total to 27 Grammys.
The acceptance was pure camaraderie. Lamar and SZA walked up together, flanked by GNX producers Sounwave and Jack Antonoff, plus Kamasi Washington. Cher, presenting the category, had everyone laughing when she flubbed the title as “Luther Grandoss” before fixing it. The song is a restrained, heartfelt flip with no cursing, as requested during sample clearance. Both artists layer their voices over the original’s groove while keeping its romantic core intact.
SZA had five nominations on the night, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her other 2025 Lamar collaboration ‘30 for 30’, which lost to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s ‘Defying Gravity’.
Kendrick Lamar shared: “This is what music is about. Luther Vandross. This is special. I gotta take my time cause it’s one of my favorite artists of all time, and they granted us the privilege to do our version of it. When we got that clearance, I promise you we all damn near dropped a tear, because we know how much young miss Cheryl Lynn poured into that record. And being able to put our vocals on it, it proves that we were somewhat worthy to be just as great as them individuals. They granted us that. They said ‘No cursing though. Can’t curse on it.’ That was our only thing, right? And we said ‘You know what, we’re gonna do just that. No cursing. We’re gonna make sure that this song represents love.’”
SZA added: “I just wanna say thank you to Kendrick for lifting me up. I just am a small part of this record, but what I really wanted to say is please don’t fall into despair. I know that right now is a scary time. I know the algorithms tell us that it’s so scary, and all is lost. There’s been world wars, there’s been plagues, and we have gone on. We can go on. We need each other, we need to trust each other and trust ourselves, trust your heart. We’re not governed by the government, we’re governed by god, and I thank you so much.”
![Jairic Talks “Mid-War, Not Midlife” Mindset and Refusing to Slow Down on n=40 [Interview]](https://8oh8.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/0L9A0944-e1763629588650-768x849.jpg "Jairic Talks “Mid-War, Not Midlife” Mindset and Refusing to Slow Down on n=40 [Interview]")
