A$AP Rocky’s Xfinity Mobile tour stop was a Hollywood-style production.

A$AP Rocky was always primed for stardom.

In his 2011 breakout “Peso,” the Harlem-bred rapper declared his love for Raf Simons and Rick Owens couture, but also flashed a sound that shed the regional barriers that once confined hip-hop artists.

The song’s Southern chopped-n-screwed coda over early cloud rap instrumentals, combined with the lo-fi distortion of Memphis’ underground ’90s sound, ushered a new wave of New York rap that favored nuance over boom-bap traditionalism.

Rocky also looked the part. His camera-ready smile, coated with polished gold grills, and his brash arrogance mirrored the likes of fellow Harlem rap legends Cam’ron and Mase.

That showmanship has remained unchanged, as was evident on Thursday night as the lights flickered around 9 p.m. inside Xfinity Mobile Arena on the Philadelphia stop of the “Don’t Be Dumb” tour. Fans jetted to their seats, pulling out their phones, and aiming it at the stage to anticipate Rocky’s arrival.

It was all a ruse. Rocky was never going to open his show on that stage.

Instead, he came down from a prop helicopter suspended in the middle of the arena, and landed on a makeshift helipad adorned with the Tim Burton-designed cover of his 2026 album, Don’t Be Dumb.

The mosh pit went into a tizzy as a crew of actors dressed in military gear stood as a barricade between Rocky and his fans at the arena’s center.

He kicked off the show with “Grim Freestyle” and “Highjack” in the crowd, then disappeared into an exit. He reappeared perched atop a platform hovering above the crowd, with a mic lodged inside a speakerphone, performing rave-fueled tracks like “Helicopter.”

He finally marched onto the stage, backed by his faux militia of ski masked guards, to perform “A$AP Forever” and “Stop Snitching,” before simmering things down with the slow jam, “Playa.”

During the slight break in the high-intense action, Rocky apologized for shoving one of his fans earlier in the pit.

“I got made mad because one of y’all was recording me, and I pushed you. My bad, little bro. You’re good,” he said.

Through the show, Rocky fully leaned into large-scale SWAT and military-themed theatrics, decked in all-black tactical wear, with zipper-lined cargo pants, an AWGE-branded puffer vest, and a ski mask. The stage’s LED screens acted as a live feed of his performance, and beaming search lights and chopping sound of helicopter blades added a menacing sense of being surveilled.

It’s a nod to the reality Rocky now faces.

His high-profile romance with Rihanna, Met Gala appearances, roles in blockbusters, and brushes with law enforcement have made his life a source of inescapable intrigue despite his attempts to maintain a veil of privacy.

To drive the point further home, he had banners that read “Big Brother is Always Watching” hanging from the stage’s wall.

Rocky is well-versed in the language of stardom, and the drawbacks that come with it, but he’s most comfortable when his artistry is at center. And Thursday’s show was a Hollywood-style production with Rocky in the director’s chair.

“I want to get to some turnt up s—. I love this energy. Philly, are y’all ready? Let’s start a riot,” Rocky ordered before performing “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n).”

While most of his performance focused on Don’t Be Dumb, the setlist included some tracks from his 2011 mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP, and some more recent creative undertakings.

The crowd, largely comprising teenagers and mid-20-somethings, rapped along to “Trunk” and “STFU,” and swayed to the smoother R&B cuts like “Stay Here 4 Life.”

His two-hour set was a marathon of solo favorites like “Goldie,” “F—’ Problems," and “Praise the Lord (Da Shine),” but he also snuck in posse cuts from his Cozy Tapes days in 2016 and 2017. He dove into A$AP Mob collaborations like “Hella Hoes” and “Yamborghini High,” a song that was followed by a moment of silence to honor Rocky’s beloved friend A$AP Yams, who died from a drug overdose in 2015.

A$AP Twelvyy joined Rocky on stage soon after.

Don’t Be Dumb comes eight years after the lukewarm response to 2018’s Testing, and seven years since A$AP Rocky last hit the road on tour. His fans have often questioned if Rocky still had music in his sights.

Thursday night’s show proved that his artistic ambitions have gone nowhere, but only magnified.

He made the entire night look effortless, except for the noticeable moments when his temper flared when “American Sabotage” was prematurely cut short. While the brief audio issues frustrated Rocky, who’s headlining his first tour since 2019’s “Injured Generation” tour, it didn’t halt the momentum or action.

Before the night ended, Rocky left the crowd with a M. Night Shyamalan-style plot twist.

He seemingly “ended” the show with a message of wisdom for his fans.

“Don’t have unsafe sex. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t be dumb,” Rocky said before performing his newest title track, “Don’t Be Dumb.” Even adding a “I’ll be back soon, Philly. I promise. I ain’t talking out of my ass or gassing y’all. I want to thank y’all for supporting me.”

As fans began walking toward their exits, Rocky pulled off his last trick.

“Oh, y’all didn’t think I was done, did you?”

He performed “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2,” sealing the show and proving that this wasn’t his hallowed return to form. Because he had never left.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

Review: J. Cole brings 'the Ville' to Xfinity Mobile Arena

What’s a “fall-off” exactly?

In the NBA, it’s when a player loses his burst or first-step. Eventually, the player’s statistics dip, injuries pile up, and the calls for retirement become unavoidable.

Rap superstar J. Cole, whose latest album is called The Fall-Off, loves the sport. His music is coded with basketball references, begging comparisons between an athlete’s dedication on the court to Cole’s in the studio. He, being a basketball player himself, understands how the game can force you to hang up your jersey, even when you feel there’s more to give.

The same rules don’t apply to the rap game, and Cole knows that. At 41, Cole made a brief pro basketball run in China in April, when most athletes his age have either retired or are in the twilight of their careers.

Sure, his new song claims “the fall-off is inevitable,” but unlike an aged NBA star, there’s nothing that points to Cole’s musical decline.

His first of two shows at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday night for “The Fall-Off World Tour” was enough proof.

Despite his initial claims that The Fall-Off would be his last studio album, the man isn’t showing signs of retiring. He’s relishing the moment, enjoying the ride he’s taken with his fans since 2007’s The Come Up, and occasionally taking personal detours along the way. And to his fans’ delight, he doesn’t let his foot off the gas.

Cole’s journey to the Xfinity Mobile Arena stage began amid the crowd. Dressed in an unassuming black sweatshirt, he appeared sitting in the stands, in the middle of an arena spotlight. . A video of him appeared on the stage’s LED screen; a title card identified Jermaine Lamarr Cole as the director of the show we were about to witness.

With “39 Intro” blaring in the arena, Cole walked through the crowd shaking hands with everyone in his path.

The battered Honda Civic that Cole has kept from his college days, and later drove across the country to promote The Fall-Off’s release, descended onto the stage.

From then on, Cole was in the driver’s seat.

With a replica of Fayetteville, N.C.’s historic Market House in the background, he transitioned to hard-hitting odes to his hometown.

When he performed “Two Six,” a reference to the 26th county in North Carolina where his city lies, the crowd swung their tour-branded towels in the air like fans at an NBA playoff game.

“We’re only a few songs in, and I can tell this [is] one of them ones,” Cole said less than 10 minutes into his setlist, before breaking into “Safety,” followed by a five-minute monologue about Disc 29, the first half of The Fall-Off.

These moments allowed Cole to delve deep into his creative choices and concepts, but it was at the expense of the show’s momentum. He halted tracks like “Life Sentence” to express how much he wants his fans’ marriages to succeed, all to little effect.

Those lengthy spiels aside, the sequencing of his songs provided a window into Cole’s mind. And with every changing record and shift in the emotional weight, the stage backdrop changed hues — from bright amber on “Two Six” to deep blues and violets on “Poor Thang.”

The smoke intensified as Cole bounced from 2014’s “A Tale of 2 Citiez” and “Fire Squad,” before pausing to ask the crowd for a quick favor. “Philly, I know y’all don’t play about your sports teams … Whether you’re from PA, Philly, or Jersey, can y’all pretend y’all from Fayetteville for this one song? Is that cool?”

It didn’t take much convincing.

He broke into “Old Dog,” and the crowd obliged – erupting as the booming record sprung into rotation.

As a note of thanks, Cole played a medley of one-off singles and collaborative hits, including “MIDDLE CHILD” and “a lot,” his Grammy-winning collab with 21 Savage.

He polled the audience to see which of his fans could spit his verse on Benny the Butcher’s “Johnny P’s Caddy,” and one lucky Altoona, Pa., native was handpicked to join him on stage.

Cole then moved to early mixtape favorites like “Lights Please” and “In the Mourning” before leaping to radio jams like “Work Out” and “Nobody’s Perfect,” all with seamless execution. .

The crowd rose to their feet for “Wet Dreamz” and hoisted their phone lights to “Love Yourz.”

Then, after singing “Power Trip” and “Planez,” Cole proceeded to spoil the show’s end.

“I can’t lie, I have two more songs left,” he declared. “The second is a selfish one. It’s for me.”

The first was “No Role Modelz,” a track accompanied with an AI video of Cole dressed as former President George W. Bush misstating a common proverb during his 2002 visit to a Nashville high school.

“Fool me once … shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again," Cole rapped, repeated the former president’s words. The obviously doctored video briefly amused the crowd (and Cole).

The final song of Cole’s performance was “Quik Stop.” Another personal detour, but a welcome one, no doubt.

“It’s not a hit record. So, if you want to leave to beat traffic, I get it,” he said. “I got to do this song.”

Fans barely budged as Cole closed the two-hour show with a record that encapsulates how one encounter with a fan reminded him of his musical existence.

That closing record was reflective of Cole’s delivery throughout the show.

He isn’t one for onstage theatrics, synchronized pyrotechnics, or elaborate LED graphics. It’s just him and a microphone, a direct exchange between him and his fans with a few monologues thrown into the mix.

As it stands, Cole hasn’t lost sight of that connection, and he certainly hasn’t lost his musical touch or command on stage.

There’s no “falling off” here, only falling forward. Cole is still commanding the rap game, as a great point guard controls the flow of offense.

And neither he nor his Honda Civic has met its last stop yet.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

What is the Camden bop, the region’s latest viral dance that's drawing millions of fans online?

Last week, just outside the Camden Waterfront walkway, stood a group of five men, ages 18 to 25. They were all decked out in embroidered hoodies with the words “Camden Bop” stitched on the front.

They were quiet at first before the sight of a camera and sound of an up-tempo beat grabbed their attention. They smiled and their motionless bodies kicked into action.

They shifted their hips from side to side, while their arms and heels bounced to the song’s drum kicks and chopped vocal sample. They added leg extensions and shifty pivots into the mix, creating a synchronized dance that flowed like water.

The words stitched across their hoodies took on new meaning.

This is the Camden bop. Viral TikTok videos and Instagram clips of the group, known as the Camden Bop Originators, have turned the move into a social media sensation.

The crew comprises Camden natives Ethan Tarte, Myles Thompson, Nafi Muhammad, Rodney Barge Jr., and Haleem Muhammad.

At 16, Tarte unintentionally created the Camden bop by trying to imagine what it would be like to circle the rink at Camden’s Millennium Skate World. Before he had skates, he practiced his moves barefoot in front of his mirror.

What emerged became the foundation of the Camden bop.

The influence of Jersey Club dances is present in the heel-toe slides, leg extensions, and quick pivots they add to the Camden bop over up-tempo club remixes of popular rap and R&B songs like Ryan Leslie’s “Addiction” and R. Kelly’s “Freaky in the Club.”

“We grew up Jersey Club dancing ... back when dancing was allowed,” Tarte, now 25, joked, “so it definitely comes from that.”

‘We’re more than what everybody thinks we are’

When the dance didn’t yet have a name, Tarte flirted with the idea of calling it the E Boogie Bop, after a nickname he had earned for his quick moves on the basketball court at Camden High School. But he opted for the name of his hometown, hoping the dance would change people’s perception of a city that was once among the nation’s poorest and most dangerous.

“I hear how people talk about Camden, and people are genuinely afraid sometimes to come through here,” Tarte said. “I was excited it was the Camden bop, so that everyone knew that there was something good that came out of Camden. We’re more than what everybody thinks we are.”

Not long after, Tarte started posting Snapchat videos of him doing the dance with his friends Thompson, Barge, and Nafi Muhammad. Haleem Muhammad, 18, joined later. Some of their peers called them corny at first, but the bop eventually caught on with others at Camden High.

“It really started from us having fun, and wanting to be us,” Tarte said. “People used to make fun of us, but it really comes from the love [of dancing].”

The same people who called the dance corny are now tripping over their feet to learn it, said Tyray Green, who graduated from Camden High with Tarte.

“People are insecure with themselves,” he said. “The whole time, they could have minded their business.”

“I feel like they’re doing it worldwide now,” Green said.

A fan in 2Rare

The dance shared among high schoolers has now drawn the attention of artists, athletes, and content creators from around the country.

Among them is North Philly rapper 2Rare, best known for his viral TikTok songs and dance videos, who featured the Originators in the video for his single, "Camden Bop," after seeing the group’s TikTok videos.

2Rare, born Naseem Young, reached out to the Originators so he could put a face and name to the dance that was taking over people’s social media feeds.

“I know how quickly people can steal a wave, and nobody will ever know who the dance was from, who started this or started that,” he said. “I’ve had it happen to me. People have stolen my dances and ran off with it, so reaching out to them was a big deal.”

He first considered shooting the video in Philly, but thanks to advice from Gillie Da King, he recognized the significance of bringing the production to the birthplace of the dance.

“I had to make it happen,” 2Rare said. “I want to really shed light on them, and Gillie said, ‘They will never forget about you for doing something like that,’ and he was absolutely right.”

For Green, the recognition proves what he’s always known: Camden has more than just athletic talent. For him, it’s a city with both grit and style, deserving of its own recognition.

“We get overlooked a lot,” he said. “To see [2Rare] who has eyes on him, stick their arms out to give our city notoriety is big.”

‘There’s love all over the map’

In April, the dancers joined 2Rare outside of Camden High School to film the music video, now sitting at 2.8 million YouTube views since its May 7 premiere.

“It’s humbling,” Tarte said. “This all happened for a reason. It all fell into our lap.”

Earlier this month, their performance on a New York-based music radio show, On The Radar, with 2Rare shined a brighter light on the movement. The viral clips from that performance have reached more than 3 millions views on Instagram, with hundreds of commenters lauding their performance and the homage to their hometown.

“Keep [putting] on for the city @camdenboppers 🙌🏾🕺🏾," one user commented.

Even Chance the Rapper followed the group’s Instagram page, and top streamer Tylil dropped a comment, giving 2Rare and the crew props for their performance.

Nafi Muhammad, 23, who started bopping as a junior at Camden High, said the reactions have been “overwhelming.”

“My nephew watched it on his tablet like a thousand times,” he said. “It’s been a lot of love.”

For years, Muhammad wondered where the group would be if they dedicated more time to promoting the dance back in high school. Now, with the millions of viewers they have reached, little is left to the imagination.

They are living it.

“If TikTok was jumping like it is now back in high school, we would have the dance in another stratosphere,” Muhammad said. “But we kept saying it, and then it happened.”

“There’s love all over the map, and it’s definitely only the beginning,” Tarte said.

The group has met criticism too, with online comments often ranging from “wild dance” to “horrible song.”

The criticism isn’t new territory for Tarte. “People used to call me weird in high school, and now I hear I’m too old to do the dance,” he said.

None of that has ever stopped him.

“Camden is a small city, but we’re making big noise right now, and we’re trying to keep that going,” Barge said, adding that he’s grateful for the collaboration with 2Rare.

The love is not one-sided. 2Rare said the collaboration has elevated his career, too.

“They are part of the reason I’m hot right now, so I could never not acknowledge them,” the rapper said. “If it wasn’t for the dance, it would have still been difficult. I had a quiet moment, but I had to pop out and show out. That was a big jawn.”

The rapper is already planning for a remix of “Camden Bop,” and wants to bring the Originators to Atlanta for Streamer University, a multiday workshop for growing and aspiring content creators.

As for the Originators, they want to continue spreading the joy that dancing has afforded them, and encourage others to absorb it as well.

That’s the Camden way.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

Benjamin Franklin’s oldest surviving letter is on display for the first time, thanks to a former Flyers president

In 1738, Benjamin Franklin wasn’t yet the revolutionary history remembers him to be. It had been 10 years since he had set up a printing house and nine since he began to publish the Pennsylvania Gazette, which often carried a list of his stock of imported books.

On June 2, 1738, he wrote a letter to John Ladd, a 17th century surveyor who helped fellow Quaker William Penn map out the city of Philadelphia, confirming Ladd’s book purchase. Ladd had bought The Ladies Library and the balance of a set of Cervantes, assumed to be John Ozell’s revision of Peter Motteux’s English translation.

Franklin also used the letter to advertise a “beautifully printed” five-volume set of The Odyssey.

“I send you the Ladies Library & the other two Vols. of Don Quixote,” it reads. “The Homers I have are done by Pope. The Iliads are in 6 vols. 12mo price 45/. The Odysseys 5 vols. 12mo price 37/6. They are beautifully printed and neatly bound. I will not part with them until I hear from you.”

This letter of receipt and everyday business, offering a glimpse into Franklin’s career as a prosperous Philadelphia bookseller and printer, belongs to the collection of Jay T. Snider, the former president of the Flyers and Spectacor.

For Snider, who purchased the centuries-old letter from a Los Angeles-based academic nearly a decade ago, Franklin is “an endlessly fascinating human being.”

Two hundred and eighty-eight years after it was written, that letter — along with other highlights from Snider’s extremely valuable private collection of Franklin memorabilia – will be displayed at Library Company of Philadelphia, the institution that the author of the letter founded in 1731.

“The Jay T. Snider Collection of Benjamin Franklin” also includes a first edition of Benjamin Franklin’s Experiments and Observations on Electricity, 347 of Franklin’s promissory notes for the Pennsylvania Hospital, and the mortgage register that Franklin made during his first government printing job in 1729, among others.

The 1738 letter to Ladd is one of Franklin’s earliest letters to survive, and the earliest to ever come to auction, per the auction house Sotheby’s which will be auctioning parts of Snider’s collection next month.

“It’s the earliest Franklin letter I’ve ever seen. There hasn’t been an earlier one in the market since I’ve been collecting,” said Snider, whose collection, Sotheby’s calls “the best assemblage of Frankliniana offered for sale at auction in over 120 years.”

“Franklin’s letters turn up with some regularity. But to find one from the 1730s is essentially impossible,” said Selby Kiffer, senior international specialist for books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s.

A childhood passion to an adult collection

Like many kids growing up in the late 1950s, Snider was enamored with stories of cowboys and Native Americans, a passion that carried over into adulthood.

After graduating from the Wharton School in 1979, he began to collect books about American’s Western expansion. He started with Astoria by Washington Irving, which detailed Germany-born, American businessman John Jacob Astor’s failed attempt to establish a fur trading empire in the Pacific Northwest.

He read through dense bibliographies and bought more books on the subject, eventually finding an interest in the nation’s formation.

“Philadelphia is critical to that [history],” Snider said. “Philadelphia was central to our revolution and also the history before that. And then of course, I’m from Philadelphia.”

He soon narrowed his collection’s focus to Philadelphia, and eventually Franklin, after meeting Martin P. Snyder, who was a life-long Philadelphian who collected rarities such as the first edition of William Birch’s Views of Philadelphia, and other 19th century maps, engravings, and lithography.

Snider purchased the late collector’s materials in 2004 and auctioned several artifacts from it in a 2005 Christie’s auction, but held back Franklin’s items.

“That really became the greatest passion I’ve had in this,” he said.

His collection, Snider said, has included items he purchased for $10, and others — like George Washington’s letter to Benjamin Franklin, introducing him to the French military officer, Marquis de Lafayette — that Sotheby’s sold for over $1 million earlier this year.

“And I love them both equally,” Snider said.

‘Not a checklist collection’

The Library Company exhibition will mark the first time this material will be displayed for public view in Philadelphia. It will then travel to New York for an exhibition at Sotheby’s between June 20-24 before the auction.

Kiffer said Snider’s isn’t a “checklist collection,” but traces Franklin’s story as a book and almanac publisher to his life as a civic leader and scientist, postmaster, and diplomat.

Given Franklin’s connection to Philadelphia, Kiffer said it was important to bring the exhibition to the city before the New York auction.

“Philadelphia was the only possibility,” Kiffer said. “[Franklin] is in the city’s DNA, and to have the sale and exhibition limited to New York City, Franklin and Philadelphia deserve more.”

While the ultimate goal is to attract buyers for the collection, projected to total anywhere between $3 to 4.5 million, Snider said he hopes the highlights from his collection rekindle visitors’ interest in American history, and show them a side of Franklin that isn’t widely known.

“It’s always been my feeling that too many things end up on shelves somewhere, or in drawers. Somewhere that no one ever gets to see again. I’m hoping people just enjoy connecting with Philadelphia.”

“Highlights of the The Jay T. Snider Collection of Benjamin Franklin” is on view from May 5-7 at the Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St. sothebys.com

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

A Penn State inventor brought the world’s first double Dutch machine to Philly

At 8 years old, Tahira Reid Smith drew the one thing she wished she owned: A double Dutch machine in never-ending motion.

As an only child growing up in the Bronx, Reid Smith dreamed of enabling someone to endlessly enjoy the the high-intensity jump-roping game.

“Jumping double Dutch is like being a part of a club,” Reid Smith said. “It’s culture. It’s a part of our history. It’s part of our heritage.”

For her school’s drawing competition, the then-third grader sketched two poles with three push buttons, and a girl jumping in the middle. Her drawing won first place in the competition, but decades later, she brought the invention she dreamed of as a child to life.

Nearly 40 years after submitting her class drawing, the mechanical engineer and Pennsylvania State University professor showcased a prototype of the world’s first automated double Dutch machine in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Reid Smith traveled from State College to bring the prototype of Jump Dreams to Awbury Park for Double Dutch Day, a community event led by Philly Girls Jump.

“It was important to be here,” Reid Smith said. “I love Philly Girls Jump’s mission, and what they are doing.”

It was another class project that rekindled her interest in double Dutch. While she was studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1997, her late professor Burt Swersey, who served with her as co-inventor of the machine, tasked her with a design class assignment that focused on sports and recreational activities.

It was then she thought about the double Dutch machine for the first time since making the sketch. After a long development, she has a prototype.

At Double Dutch Day, hundreds of participants, ranging vastly in age and skill, met at Awbury Park’s tennis courts to jump rope, dance, and enjoy local vendors.

Others stopped by Reid Smith’s booth to try out the app-controlled double Dutch machine.

Swan Fleming said, after a friend pointed her to the machine, “Well, I have to try it out.”

Fleming, who traveled from Atlanta to attend Saturday’s event, said the ropes moved a bit slower than she was accustomed to. But within seconds, she adjusted to the synchronized arms that whipped the beaded rope in motion.

“I think it’s great because sometimes it’s hard to find a good turner,” Fleming said. “And turners really matter. I think it’s awesome that this was so invented.”

Sarina Hudson, who jumped in to experience the mechanized double Dutch for herself, said it requires added skill to get comfortable.

“[The experience] was different,” the North Philly native said. “I’m used to turners who can adjust, but you had to adjust yourself.”

Hudson said she could see the invention being inside people’s homes, including her own.

“I want to see if I can buy it,” she said.

While the machine is not for sale, Reid Smith said the goal of having participants like Hudson and Fleming try out Jump Dreams was to get feedback for future iterations of the machine that could become widely available.

Among the current design’s challenges is the use of double-handed arms, which can lead to off-rhythm turns.

Reid Smith said a new version of her evolving invention, which she first constructed in 2000, will be easier to use for jumpers of varying skill. Not just experienced double Dutch athletes.

“The next design iteration is going to work out the kinks that we learned, and all the imperfections,” Reid Smith said. “The next iteration will make it so novices can do this.”

She’s hoping to launch the new design as part of a larger marketing push under her company Jump Dreams Inc. by February 2027.

Reid Smith said the aim is to place the double Dutch machine in schools, recreational facilities, and youth development centers. But she’s not ruling out other possibilities.

For now, she’s continuing to build up her early access list, expand her professional network, and market the forthcoming product at events like Double Dutch Day.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

How to lure the DNC into picking Philly for its convention? With Patti LaBelle, Rival Bros. coffee, and Tastykake treats

The stakes are high for Philadelphia’s bid to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention.

In a battle against other host city hopefuls like Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, and Boston, the city is pulling out all the stops, including tapping an iconic singer for its promotional push.

Last week, as reported first by Axios, Patti LaBelle made an appearance at the Democratic National Committee’s annual spring meeting in New Orleans. The “Godmother of Soul” joined Pick Pennsylvania, the city’s official host committee, to convince DNC officials that Philly is perfectly suited to take on hosting duties.

While the Philly native didn’t perform her soulful classics, she happily snapped photos and chatted with guests at the event.

Other host city finalists also sent contingents to the spring meeting, along with free merch, coffee, and treats central to the city ‘s identity. Among Philly’s offerings were Pick Philadelphia-branded hats and shirts, free cups of Rival Bros. coffee, and center pieces with Tastykake snacks.

“Everyone who had a cup of Rival Bros. coffee and a Tastykake loved it,” Aren Platt, a senior adviser for the city host committee, wrote in an email to The Inquirer.

It’s too early to claim victory, though. There are still several steps before DNC chair Ken Martin and other committee leaders decide which city gets to call itself the host.

“We have a lot more we’re looking forward to sharing and showcasing as the bid process moves forward,” said Platt.

After the city submitted a confidential proposal last month, which included details about the city’s hotels and the voltage capacity of Xfinity Mobile Arena, the DNC is preparing to conduct a site visit from April 29 to May 1 as part of the selection process.

If the city is selected, the convention would take place Aug. 7-10, 2028, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Philadelphia isn’t new to being at the epicenter of political celebration, discourse, or debate.

In 1948, the city hosted three major political conventions in a matter of five weeks: the DNC, the Republican National Convention, and the convention for the Progressive Party, a then-popular upstart group led by former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace.

It would be more than 50 years until the next political convention rolled into Philadelphia.

The Republican National Convention in 2000 marked Philadelphia’s return as a political convention hub. The city went on to host the DNC again in 2016.

While it’s been a decade since Philly last hosted a major political convention, the region has maintained a political presence for decades.

Philly and its suburbs were among the most visited regions for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential race. The two debated at the National Constitution Center in September 2024, then dropped into locations in and around Philadelphia.

With LaBelle — and local treasures like Rival Bros. coffee and Tastykake snacks — already impressing Democratic Party members, what more does Philly need to do to inch closer to landing the deal?

Platt said the next step is to show the Martin-led DNC everything the city has to offer, from Xfinity Mobile Arena’s technical capacities to the dining, nightlife, and other cultural experiences that make Philly special.

The story has been updated to reflect that Patti LaBelle’s appearance in New Orleans was first reported by Axios.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

Years before her Emmy-winning TV career, Quinta Brunson was inspired by a FOX 29 meteorologist

If West Philly native Quinta Brunson never became an Emmy-winning actor, writer, and TV producer, chances are she would still be a recognizable name and a much beloved face on the small screen.

During Tuesday’s appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, the creator and star of Abbott Elementary said her childhood dream was to follow the footsteps of longtime Fox 29 meteorologist Sue Serio.

“I did see myself becoming someone on screen. I wanted to become a weather person. There was a weather person in Philadelphia I loved, named Sue Serio. I thought she was the bee’s knees,” Brunson said.

South Jersey’s own Kelly Ripa, cohost of the long-running ABC talk show and Camden County native, instantly recognized Serio.

“You know she’s like a legend,” Brunson said, “and I wanted to be her.”

Since joining the Fox 29 News team as a weather anchor in 1997, Serio has been a fixture on Philadelphia TV screens. For decades, she has endured blizzards, thunderstorms, and the wild winds at the Jersey Shore to deliver weather reports.

Inside the studio, Serio has shared the green screen with famous actors to local children, supporting various nonprofits and going on to inspire a young Brunson.

“Imagine my surprise when I found out that the amazing Quinta Brunson — that’s right, the creator and star of [Abbott Elementary] shouted my out this morning on [Live with Kelly and Mark] !!!!! Thank you for the kind words [Quinta Brunson]. I would love to meet you next time you’re in Philly," Serio wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday.

Recognizing Brunson’s dream to be a “weather person,” Ripa and her husband and cohost Mark Consuelos directed the show’s producers to pull down a weather map for Brunson to flex her meteorology muscles.

Brunson then walked over to the digital screen, and leaned into her extraordinary sketch and improv skills. Within seconds, she transformed into a veteran meteorologist — broadcast voice, transitional phrases, and all.

“So, today in New York you might want to grab a jacket at 9 a.m. It’s going to be a little bit chilly. But don’t worry, at 3 p.m. it’s getting all the way up to 52,” she said, “But don’t get too excited though because at 7 p.m. it’s going to drop to 48. And you know what that means — You’re going to want to put that jacket back on.”

“At 9 p.m., you should be in, watching the playoffs so you don’t have to worry about it being cold. That’s the weather,” Brunson said at the end of her bit.

Along with displaying her weather anchor chops, Brunson also hinted at the season finale episode of Abbott Elementary‘s fifth season that airs on Wednesday night. The school’s teachers end up going on a trip to Florida, where they are informed that a new superintendent plans to shut down the school.

As for season six, Brunson said she hoped to shoot at Philly institutions that are particularly important to her. Her hope is to film inside Independence Hall or City Hall, but she said the chances may be slim.

“I feel like legally we shouldn’t be allowed to shoot there,” she said.

No harm in trying, we say. And there’s always the Fox 29 green screen if that doesn’t work out.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

Tired of X, rapper Meek Mill now has a LinkedIn account. We tried to find out why.

We’re not the only ones updating our LinkedIn profiles, scrolling through workaversary posts, and flying through “easy-apply” applications.

Last week, Grammy-nominated artist Meek Mill joined LinkedIn, and has already shaken up things on the world’s largest professional networking platform.

The “Dreams and Nightmares” rapper and North Philly native said he’s done with the saturation of AI bots, deepfake slop, and “gossip people” on X.

“We basically in a deep matrix trapped between Instagram, x …, TikTok, snap, etc. we have millions of fans, we can’t even get real data on them, that’s where the bots live, free to control narrative,” Meek tweeted.

So, he decided to join … LinkedIn?

That’s a surprise and perhaps bit of a disappointment for anyone who has followed his unhinged and unintentionally hilarious tweets, including his memorable rap beefs with the likes of Cassidy, Wale, and Drake. But the Dream Chaser Records CEO said he’s ready to showcase his “true potential.”

And he thinks LinkedIn is the perfect platform to do that.

“For too long, others have spoken on my behalf, but now I am taking the reins and speaking for myself, supported by a strong team,” Meek wrote in his first LinkedIn post, last week. “I will be posting more content and business ideas to demonstrate the strength of the brand and my process.”

In his bio, the rapper wrote he’s “looking to build out and make business connections that’s aligned with meek mill, dream chasers & bikelife brand.” He added that he’s looking to connect with criminal justice reform advocates, and that he’s “nice at creating tech ideas.”

From the looks of it, those connections are already happening.

Since joining the platform, the rapper, born Robert Rihmeek Williams, has made posts looking to explore business partnerships and collaborations with music labels, AI programmers, and video game developers.

Meek’s recent foray into LinkedIn, and his calls for business collabs and partnerships, comes months after he announced his musical independence and broke away from recording labels.

In a June 2025 appearance on Philly-based content creator Raud‘s stream, Meek talked about only receiving 13% of his earnings for the first 13 years of his career. Now, as an independent artist, he said he’s getting 100% but keeping an open mind about future partnerships.

“I’m about to do something else, something they’ve never seen before. I’ll talk about it when we do it,” he said during the stream.

Maybe that explains the LinkedIn pivot.

He is the cofounder of the nonprofit Reform Alliance, which launched in January 2019. Through it, Meek has advocated for legislation and policy changes around parole and probation laws. The inspiration, as he explained in a LinkedIn post, was the wrongful conviction of a childhood friend who, according to Meek, was sentenced to 20-40 years for a crime he never committed, and was released only three years ago.

Meek also expressed an interest in making a documentary, building a clothing brand, and establishing his own beverage company.

LinkedIn users have commented on his posts.

“Very inspiring Mr Mill, I have followed your career rather closely and look forward to seeing your impact on the platform. I strongly believe you can certainly make a difference in the community and strengthen the culture,” one LinkedIn user wrote.

“I’ll automate your whole business for you Meek give me a dm,” another user commented.

He has replied with a “let’s work” to several of these comments, but clarified on Monday, “Please ensure you have a proven track record.”

Seemingly, Mill’s not the only artist to have made the jump to LinkedIn. Last week, a profile claiming to be Claire Boucher, the birth name of Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes, also appeared on the platform.

Even on the new platform, Meek hasn’t abandoned his old social media ways of bringing folks to task.

In a Sunday post, he called out an unnamed group in Albany, N.Y. who he claims has mounted “a noticeable smear campaign against my name.” But, he insisted, he wants to “focus on the positive. I am eager to collaborate with tech and marketing companies to elevate my brand to new heights.”

As Meek gets used to the lay of the land on LinkedIn, he hasn’t forgotten his X account.

On Saturday, he wrote a post on X describing the connections he’s made on LinkedIn before issuing a caveat: “... I don’t want the gossip people to follow me to LinkedIn just business...”

Meek’s plans include everything from a documentary chronicling the DVD era, to implementing AI courses in public schools and underserved communities, to finding a “long term meek mill supporter” who’s invested in a future tech startup.

He even added a music collaboration with J. Cole to his wish-list.

“I need j Cole on my project wassup bro let’s get it in the studio!!!!!,” he wrote.

Meek said he’s been using AI platforms like Claude to organize his music and business verticals, all thanks to “some tech youngbull” he met on LinkedIn who gave him a template to use.

“It’s moving my business forward at a high rate!” he explained on X.

Beyond his calls for partnership, Meek also hinted at a possible project this summer. And that nothing, not even “algorithms,” are going to “stop the soul” in his music from reaching his listeners, he said.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer