With our feet planted in the sand and some of the best weather Los Angeles has seen all year, iHeartRadio’s iconic 102.7 KIIS FM Wango Tango Festival, presented by Fiji Airways, arrived just in time.
Some of the biggest names in music and film stepped out on Friday night (Jan. 5) for the Los Angeles premiere of The Book of Clarence, the newest film from writer and director Jeymes Samuel.
Many of the film’s cast and crew were there, including star LaKeith Stanfield, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, David Oyelowo, and more. Much of the crew behind the scenes, like the legendary Jay-Z who is a producer on the film, were also in attendance.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 05: (L-R) David Oyelowo, RJ Cyler, director Jeymes Samuel, producer Jay-Z, Nicholas Pinnock, LaKeith Stanfield, Caleb McLaughlin, Babs Olusanmokun, Teyana Taylor, SAINt JHN, Anna Diop and Alfre Woodard at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
The Knockturnal was on the scene and got to catch up with some of the actors of the film.
“I think, more than ever, we need the opportunity to look inside ourselves and hopefully excavate something that can give us some answers as to where to go.” LaKeith Stanfield told The Knockturnal about the importance of putting out this kind of movie with this cast. “Hopefully we can provide a platform where people can see that…”
Caleb McLaughlin is playing a newer, more grown up role in the film. When we asked him how this film is different from the work he’s done, not only does he have a beard now, he also boasted that “the film is just so nuanced, it’s different, it’s engaging… I’m excited for people to see what [Jeymes Samuel] brings to the table.”
Besides those one and off screen of the film, many other stars attended the event like Angela Bassett, Karrueche Tran, Doja Cat, and more.
The Book of Clarence is in movie theaters nationwide on January 12, 2024!
Check out the gallery of iconic stars on the red carpet below:
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: James McAvoy at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Jay-Z at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Teyana Taylor at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Angela Bassett at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Nicholas Pinnock (L) and LaKeith Stanfield at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: L-R) Writer/Director/Producer Jeymes Samuel, Leni Klum and Seal at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: LaKeith Stanfield (L) and Alfre Woodard at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: (L-R) CEO of Legendary Entertainment Joshua Grode, James McAvoy, LaKeith Stanfield and RJ Cyler at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: (L-R) Micheal Ward, Anna Diop, Nicholas Pinnock, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, David Oyelowo, LaKeith Stanfield, Jeymes Samuel, RJ Cyler, Alfre Woodard and Babs Olusanmokun at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: (L-R) Omar Sy, Writer/Director/Producer Jeymes Samuel, Eric Kofi-Abrefa and Nicholas Pinnock at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Karrueche Tran at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: (L-R) Writer/Director/Producer Jeymes Samuel, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard and Babs Olusanmokun at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Doja Cat at the LA Red Carpet Premiere of THE BOOK OF CLARENCE at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
Get Into It (Yuh)
New York City was a bustling scene of parties on Monday, May 1, 2023, following the annual Met Gala in New York City, fashion’s biggest night of the year, this year honoring the late Chanel legend Karl Lagerfeld, however, one party seemed to stand out with star power and it’s late night draw.
As clouds hovered ominously over festival grounds, the goers of Liberty Jeffrey Park were anything but mellowed down. Day 2 of MADE IN AMERICA boasted an equally (if not more) impressive line-up of artists from Doja Cat, Roddy Ricch, Bobby Shmurda, Freddie Gibbs, and Moneybagg Yo, to the headliner Justin Bieber. For many of these artists, this has been the first major appearance in years, and the performances spoke loudly of how psyched they were to be back.
The rain shower did anything but falter Bobby Shmurda’s parade. With a grand reappearance since incarceration, Bobby kept the crowd moshing to the brims, at one point even hopping offstage into the photo pit. At the end of the set, he paid tribute to the anniversary of a friend’s death, to which he brought his friend’s daughter on stage.
Roddy Ricch, along with many other rappers, have clearly taken massive strides in their stage setup and choreography, these days bringing in elaborate set pieces and either a band, backup dancers, or often even both. Roddy Ricch used a centerpiece to kick off a stellar performance which saw him taking his audience through a medley of his top hits, including chart-topper “The Box”.
Doja Cat’s long-awaited performance was nothing short of electric. From every stage plant, back-up dancer, and flash of light, the performance was an impeccable demonstration of choreography that left the crowd wondering “is she even real?”. Doja bounced across albums, performing Juicy, Get Into It (Yuh), Kiss Me More, and Tia Tamera.
Justin Bieber put on an incredible show for his first headliner performance, bringing one after another surprise guest, from Chance the Rapper to Quavo. At the end of the night, the entire festival crowd gathered for one last hurrah, and the energy was unparalleled. Performed by Bieber for the first time in years, “Baby” set the crowd aflame like no other, as fireworks exploded above Rocky Stage in a glorious conclusion to the festival weekend.
As the 10th annual MADE IN AMERICA comes to a close, music lovers walk away rejoiced in the return of live performances and the afterglow of a euphoric release that could only be the product of a weekend of celebration.
On Monday, TIDAL hosted their annual benefit concert at Barclays Center in NYC and this year the streaming service has teamed up with Rock The Vote. As the 2020 elections draw closer and closer, big companies everywhere are making it a priority to urge Americans to get educated and registered to vote.