Megan Thee Stallion calls Black Lives Matter protests “part two of the civil rights movement”

“I will always say what I feel,” she told NME

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Megan Thee Stallion says she considers the current wave of global Black Lives Matter protests to be “part two of the civil rights movement”.

The rapper has been vocal in her support of the anti-racism protests and has shared vital information on her social media accounts.

“Sometimes being a public figure, you don’t wanna say the wrong thing because you don’t want to be insensitive to people or get too opinionated,” she told NME during a new Big Read cover interview.

“But I will always say what I feel. I don’t speak on things that I don’t know about, and I won’t speak on things I don’t believe in.”

Megan Thee Stallion performs live. CREDIT: Getty

In the interview, Megan also discussed the pressures of the Strong Black Woman stereotype, which have come into focus again as the protests continue.

“Let me tell you, black women are strong,” she said. “We can be going through whatever and still put on a good face.

“I know there were times that my mother might have been going through things but I never knew, because she wanted me to feel safe and okay.”

A whole host of musicians and celebrity figures have shared their support for the Black Lives Matter protests, which continue across the globe after igniting following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

Speaking to NME about the protests, George The Poet called the action an “opportunity to reassess our story.

“For this recent outburst and outpouring of pain to be seen as ‘finally the moment’ is a complete fallacy. It’s a complete misrepresentation of how many moments have been won up to this point and just how futile those moments have been.”

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The UK’s first socially distanced music venue will open in Newcastle this summer

The Virgin Money Unity Arena will open at Newcastle Racecourse.

The post The UK’s first socially distanced music venue will open in Newcastle this summer appeared first on NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.

NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM

The UK’s first socially distanced music venue is set to open in Newcastle this summer.

The Virgin Money Unity Arena, which is set to open at Newcastle Racecourse, will allow fans across the North East to enjoy music for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.

The full line-up for the shows will be unveiled on Tuesday July 7, but organisers say that fans can expect a mixture of live music, DJ sets, family entertainment and comedy from a selection of household names.

Headed up by the team behind the city’s This Is Tomorrow Festival and SSD Concerts, the venue will be mapped out with a series of individual viewing areas, which are safely located at least two metres apart from one another.

Fans will also be able to pre-order food and drinks, while a one-way system will allow for the safe and full use of toilet facilities.

The venue will open at Newcastle Racecourse (Picture: Getty)

Steve Davis, the managing director of SSD Concerts, said: “Since all of our scheduled concerts have been postponed to later in the year and all venues in the city closed, the staff at SSD had a willingness to continue.

“We can’t be without music during these times so our only thought has been how can we bring music back to the British public safely and responsibly.

“We have been hosting loads of live sessions and DJ sets across our social media, supporting local artists and raising money for the NHS. Now, we’re taking it one step further as the UK slowly comes out of Lockdown.

“Working with our brand new partner Virgin Money has been exciting and we think even in these hard times the people of the north east will come out in their thousands to see the artists they love.

“Further announcements will be coming in the coming weeks, but we’re excited to say we already have several high-profile artists signed up.”

Newcastle City Council Cabinet member for Employment and Culture Ged Bell, added: “The city has a great reputation for hosting music and cultural events. While this pandemic has hit the sector particularly hard, the concert planned at the Racecourse is a brilliant innovation where people will be able to enjoy top bands in a safe, responsible and socially-distanced way. It is fantastic to see such a creative response to enable us to experience live performances once again.”

The shows come after the UK’s first drive-in gigs were announced last month. The likes of Dizzee Rascal, The Streets and Kaiser Chiefs will all play shows this summer as part of the new concert series.

The post The UK’s first socially distanced music venue will open in Newcastle this summer appeared first on NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.

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