Drake has acquired backlash on-line for seemingly calling UK rap legends “the mandem” on the line-up for this yr’s Wi-fi Pageant.
This weekend noticed the Canadian rap juggernaut introduced as the only real headliner for Wi-fi 2025 – which can happen at London’s Finsbury Park this summer season, operating from July 11 to 13. He might be performing three totally different units – every with a novel, curated group of visitors – for the competition’s twentieth anniversary celebration.
Whereas the Friday might be devoted to R&B with the assistance of Summer time Walker and PartyNextDoor and the Sunday will see Drake pay homage to dancehall and Afrobeats by enlisting Vybz Kartel and Burna Boy as particular visitors, the line-up of the Saturday in between merely teases the headline slot “Drake and the mandem”.
Using the favored British slang time period will doubtless imply UK rappers would possibly be a part of him on stage, with many followers and figures from the music world taking to social media to share their upset that UK artists had been diminished to only “the mandem” of their residence nation.
IT’S BEEN A WHILE BUT THE BOY IS HOME 🇬🇧
For our twentieth anniversary.… @Drake will headline all THREE nights with three totally different setlists.https://t.co/TYiE06jNRA for pre-sale data.
Basic sale on Wednesday nineteenth Feb at 12pm GMT.@burnaboy @partynextdoor @IAMSUMMERWALKER… pic.twitter.com/CfmMGq0DnC— Wi-fi Pageant (@WirelessFest) February 16, 2025
“UK acts are being diminished to the ‘mandem’ in their very own gaff [skull emoji] – I’m wondering why Individuals take the piss out of us,” one X/Twitter consumer wrote.
One other backed them up, saying: “Day by day, ‘It’s not that deep.’ Now, they received’t even name you by title in your individual metropolis [sad face emoji]. A 20-year celebration of a homegrown competition… they usually’ve named you ‘The Mandem’ like a twerking collective… loopy. I’m so sorry. So Stable didn’t do ’21 seconds’ for this!!!”
Mega Man from history-making UK storage group So Stable Crew agreed – stating that, “Legends usually are not referred to as ‘the mandem’ tbh… we name them by their names or model.” He went on to share a string of tweets, additional explaining why the time period is absurd: “UK artist we see are usually getting used as props for outsiders to certify their look whereas right here. Know your price [and] stop being that UK artist they will name simply because it seems to be good or the cash is true. Construct your manufacturers and demand a excessive degree of notoriety.”
“So we’re okay with a UK Pageant slyly insinuating no UK act [or] artist was large enough for first reveal on their promo run,” he concluded. “Now we have over 21 high acts, males [and] girls. I can title them too from R&B to grime to rap to storage to jungle/DnB.”
Others in the meantime have defended the phrase, with some reasoning that “it’s not that deep” and “clearly, wi-fi simply don’t wanna put out all of the names but? Individuals cry on this app for nothing.”
Take a look at extra reactions beneath.
Uk acts are being diminished to the “mandem” in their very own gaff 💀 surprise why Individuals take the piss out of us
— SetGdNia🇯🇲 (@ShaniaJacko) February 16, 2025
“The Mandem” is so humorous. A bat sign to all of the 16 yr outdated boys within the shires if I’ve ever seen one
— martha (@mxmsworld) February 16, 2025
Legends usually are not referred to as “the person dem” tbh … we name them by their names or model. 🇬🇧
— So Stable Crew / Mega (@OFFICIALSOSOLID) February 16, 2025
UK respect yourselves much more
UK entertainers respect your self extra
UK Promoters respect yourselves & your cities
— So Stable Crew / Mega (@OFFICIALSOSOLID) February 16, 2025
So we’re okay with a UK Pageant slyly insinuating no UK act/artist was large enough for first reveal on their Promo run…
Now we have over 21 high acts, males & girls. I can title them too from R&B to Grime to Rap to Storage to Jungle/DnB
— So Stable Crew / Mega (@OFFICIALSOSOLID) February 16, 2025
UK artist we see are usually getting used as props for outsiders to certify their look whereas right here.
Know your price & stop being that UK artist they will name simply because it seems to be good or the cash is true.
Construct your manufacturers and demand a excessive degree of notoriety.
— So Stable Crew / Mega (@OFFICIALSOSOLID) February 17, 2025
20 years of Wi-fi and never a single UK artist headlining 🤣🤣 simply diminished to “The Mandem” lmao
— JC (@vernitosl) February 16, 2025
Massive up all “The Mandem” doing up aspect character for wi-fi this yr#OVHOESFESTIVAL https://t.co/bgKBdCo5gh
— Mr Livid™ (@MrFuriousDJ) February 16, 2025
I can’t imagine the uproar it’s prompted with Drake and this wi-fi situ 😂🤦🏼♂️ it’s not that deep
— Robertoo (@ImRobertoo) February 17, 2025
Individuals getting upset over “the mandem” when clearly wi-fi simply don’t wanna put out all of the names but ? 😭😭😭😭 individuals cry on this app for nothing
— 🇬🇩 (@T1Dread) February 16, 2025
There’s suttin on this British air that will get individuals mad for no purpose. Wi-fi has been dying for years and Drake makes individuals wanna go once more and man are complaining cos it says “mandem”😭 https://t.co/Can1f75WH3
— Mordzs (@Mordzs_) February 16, 2025
I believe you lot neglect that wi-fi is a enterprise and the primary goal of a enterprise is to do what makes cash, lots of u which might be lifting up your skirts for “the mandem” are forgetting that wi-fi brazenly mentioned they will’t e-book set uk artists no extra cos of the meat years in the past
— Uncle Wanda (@WandaMusicUk) February 17, 2025
Individuals are mad in regards to the ‘mandem’ within the wi-fi flyer….what else ought to they’ve put to get the purpose throughout of the theme? They most likely haven’t even booked anybody but. They may want the ticket gross sales to get the remainder of the cash. 😭
— tt🦋 (@tashxriene) February 17, 2025
Tickets to Wi-fi go on sale at 12pm GMT this Wednesday (February 19) and might be accessible right here.
Final yr’s Wi-fi was headlined by Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj and 21 Savage, though Tyla and Digga D dropped out and the competition ended early on the Sunday in time for England enjoying within the ultimate of the Euros.
In different information, Drake is at present on the ‘Anita Max Wynn’ tour – his first Australia and New Zealand tour in eight years.
He additionally launched his collaborative album ‘$ome $exy $ongs 4 U’ with PartyNextDoor on Friday (February 14), a group of sultry R&B-infused songs that sees the rapper tackle his feud with Kendrick Lamar and tensions with Future, Metro Boomin and Rick Ross.
The album additionally got here days after Kendrick Lamar took a number of photographs at him throughout his headline Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present final Sunday (February 9). Lamar even made gentle of the rapper’s ongoing lawsuit with Common Music Group for selling ‘Not Like Us’.
In the meantime, Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer lined Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ on the SNL 50 live performance this weekend. Throughout their efficiency, in addition they referred to as for Drake and Lamar to “hug it out” and finish their notorious feud.