With each song, Daniel Caesar reaches out and makes a connection. His debut album, Freudian, which will be released on August 25, is no different. It is a compilation of melodies tied together to amplify the R&B singer’s distinct, soothing voice.   It’s a deep connection in the classic sense of R&B/Soul and its transcendent power to affect the very core of our existence. His voice, songwriting, and presence immediately elicit feeling, especially on the pair of 2017 singles “Blessed” and “We Find Love”—which The Fader praised as “Gorgeous.” They further unlock his world and usher in the arrival of his hotly anticipated full-length debut out this year.   That level of connectivity is becoming a tradition for the artist. With jarring gospel undertones, heart-tugging guitar chords, and soothing harmonious vocals, his 2014 debut effort, Praise Break, earned critical acclaim and would be ranked in the 20 Best R&B Albums of 2014 by Rolling Stone. Caesar's follow-up project, Pilgrim's Paradise, was met with even greater praise, subsequently capturing the attention of both the Canadian and international music markets.   Conveying moody anecdotes about life's most pertinent lessons - love, loss, faith, desire and determination, Caesar tells a coming-of-age tale that is not only relatable, but genuine. With raw talent and an unwavering mystic, layer by layer, Daniel Caesar is writing a melodic story rooted in his authentic self — a story that has only just begun.

Kiana Ledé

- All Ages.- No pro/flash photography, selfie sticks or anything else that interferes with fellow fans' concert experience.- Large bags/coats may need to be checked. Please check with venue.- ADA assistance available. Inform venue staff upon arrival. Door times:5:30pm - P16:30pm - P27:00pm - P3 P1 ticket (VIP M&G)includes:- Exclusive concert lanyard- Photo with Jay Park in groups of 6- Earliest entry into the venue- Standing closest to the stage P1 ticket considerations:- Lanyard pick up begins 3:30pm- Must be in line by 5:25pm in groups of 6- If you are not in line with a group of 6, concert staff will put you into a group when entering venue- Late entry into the photo session will be at the discretion of concert staff- No photos/videos, autographs during photo session- P1 photos will be uploaded to kohai's Facebook page (facebook.com/heykohai) P2 ticket includes:- Early entry into the venue following the P1 group photos- Standing 2nd closest to the stage

It’s hard to believe that an artist with an output and reputation as strong as Mahalia’s hasn’t released an album yet. But having signed to Asylum Records via Atlantic at the age of 13, before taking the time to finish school in her hometown of Leicester and find her sound, Mahalia’s entire career has been an exercise in intuition and patience. A testament to the success of major label patience, even at a young age Mahalia, born Mahalia Burkmar, chose not to allow the pressure of signing to rush her process and growth as a young artist. She began releasing acoustic music in her late teens before moving down to London to pursue her career after high school. Appreciative of the relationships she’s been able to nurture with her record label, Mahalia once even joked that she’s a ‘label baby’ though she strives to maintain a level of creative independence at all times. Raised in a musical family, her confidence and prowess at the tender age of 21 is impressive but expected. “I grew up in a house where my mum would tell me if a lyric was shit. And when she said that, she meant, you can do better and she was right.”  Her mother hails from a singing background and was in a band called Colourbox in the 80s, while her dad was also a session musician and songwriter. She also shares her passion for music with all three of her brothers who she reckons instilled in her a deep desire to just be heard: “when you’re a girl among boys you just don’t get listened to.” All these details contextualising her love for connecting with others through her music and live shows, as well as her openness in her music. Despite her age, her journey to this record has definitely ebbed and flowed over the years. “When I got to 18 and I moved to London, I was confused because I thought that I was ready but I really wasn’t.” Mahalia bounced around the houses of friends and family for over a year, with very little money or motivation to create: “I was just finding life really difficult.” She details one particular low point when she called on her usual friends for a place to crash in London, but one by one the plans all fell through. She found herself at Paddington with her suitcase and nowhere to stay: “I remember jumping the barrier and getting a train back up to Leicester that night to stay at a friend’s house. It was just a mad time” she revels. It wasn’t until she decided to move back to Leicester in 2017 that she wrote and released breakout single ‘Sober’. “All of that was just me losing confidence and feeling insecure, watching other artists surpass me and I hadn’t even worked out who I was yet.” Fast forward to present day, via a viral COLORS session that travelled globally and “changed everything”, international tours - both support and headline - a string of infectious singles and collaborations with the likes of Little Simz and Kojey Radical, Mahalia has been back in London for over a year now and writing her debut album for just as long. Her jam-packed schedule of activity seems to go against the traditional album-mode exile that many artists practice these days - isolating themselves from their everyday lives and social media to focus solely on writing for prolonged periods of time. Instead Mahalia utilises the everyday to draw inspiration and energy from, explaining “I find that the busy periods away mean that when I’m back, I’m truly excited to return to the studio.” Inspired by Eartha Kitt, Mahalia’s debut album is titled “Love and Compromise”. Named after the clip of Kitt that resurfaced and went viral a few years ago, where she unapologetically addresses her views on relationship and the idea of compromise. Mahalia explains, “I watched that clip religiously and it was such a huge part of my growth and understanding myself in relationships with men.” In the 3-minute snippet, the iconic triple threat star who was a singer, dancer, actor is posed the question of whether she’d be prepared to compromise if a man entered her life. In response, Kitt cackles dramatically and proceeds to return the question repeatedly, asking the interviewer to unpack everything from exactly what reasons she would have to compromise, all the way to the meaning of the word itself. Her own signature blend of fascinating and empowering - something that Mahalia channels effortlessly through her own candid lyrics and refreshing outlooks. “The album talks about me falling in love, and falling out of love, breaking hearts and having my heart broken and me compromising for things but also at the same time being really uncompromising.” And it’s that back and forth that inspired a lot of the writing on this record, before eventually coming to the resolution that while we can choose to compromise on the material, there’s power in choosing to remain strong in your character and spirit. Musically, the record is surprising even to Mahalia, excitedly she admits “it’s not what I thought it was going to be!” Continuing on a distinct departure from her earlier stripped-back acoustic style for a more diverse and open sonic palette. “Every song is different, which to me is so much more exciting.” She cites Jill Scott’s Woman and Billie Eilish’s debut album as sharing a similar ethos: one where you’re able to feel something different in each moment. Mapping it out track by track, the record invites you on a journey through relationships of all kinds: exploring sentiments of confusion, addiction, rejection and infatuation before circling back to the search for love.  And her influences are as broad as her emotional spectrum. “I’ve been playing with the idea of putting out a playlist of songs that inspired the album, but I don’t know if people are going to get it.”  When considering who would occupy the playlist, she simply says, “Everything. Everything I heard in a restaurant, or coming out of someone else’s phone on the street, or while I’m watching TV.” More practically, she lists everything from Bon Iver and Carole King to Summer Walker and H.E.R and of course Lauryn Hill as artists that would make the cut. Drawing on the vulnerability of the Summer Walker that she endeavours to capture in her own art, the raw sentiment of Bon Iver and the intricate musicality of H.E.R, as well as the all round strength of storytelling on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Ultimately finding honesty and emotion at the heart of her music. And in this case, the openness Mahalia radiates in her art is nothing but a genuine reflection of her real life presence - effervescent and warmly familiar. A key factor that suggests this album will be the first in a long line of self portraits that she can paint authentically over her career. And though she cites her parents ability to follow their gut and talents through different career paths, when asked if she thinks she’ll make music forever she nods and smiles dreamily: “It just makes me really happy.”

Following Our Version of Events, Emeli Sandé MBE’s first album that sold over 5.4 million copies to date, as well as scoring the biggest selling album in the UK of 2012 and 2013, Emeli Sandé had arrived. But her new album marks a brand-new chapter, and with it, a new sound. This sound is one that is bold, confident and fearless, it’s extraordinary. But she’s had to go on a life-changing journey of self-discovery to get there.   Having initially made her mark as a songwriter in the UK urban scene via acts such as Wiley, Wretch 32 and Chipmunk, Sandé’s solo success saw her became a highly sought-after writer for an array of international acts. Sandé wrote and co-wrote tracks for everyone from Alicia Keys to Rihanna (alongside friend Naughty Boy), Katy Perry and Tinie Tempah. She performed on Jools Holland and the X Factor, supported Coldplay and played at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics and at the White House for Barack Obama. With over 340 million video views, 19 million singles sold including 3 x UK No.1 singles, 6 million albums including Our Version of Events being certified platinum 7 times in the UK and Ireland you’d think that she had it all together. But, while she dominated the music industry and captured the hearts of the nation, there was a disconnect with the way she was feeling. Sandé already has some of the most impressive stats in music to her name under her belt, though despite the success of the second album, Long Live the Angels,  four  BRIT awards (including Best female twice) and receiving an MBE for Services to Music in 2018, Sandé’s foundations were shaky, “I feel like with the second album there was kind of a mix of all that was happening. Dealing with a divorce that was going on and discovering who I was as a black female.” She says, “I wasn’t grounded, you know.”   Sandé had to step away and regroup, to allow herself to come back stronger. The last five years have been a time to build the self-esteem and the confidence she didn’t realise hadn’t been there, despite her previous two albums and her EP garnering the sort of critical acclaim that money couldn’t buy.   “I thought I was going to get married, settle down and my life was going to be perfect, no further questions. When really there was such a poverty of confidence. If you get famous so young, that becomes who you are and what you believe is your worth, and then you kind of forget that these songs are coming from you. And it’s such an incredible feeling to share them but that can’t be how you validate yourself.” She sighs.    This regrouping was necessary for Sandé as a black woman, as well as an artist. “I needed to learn I am beautiful’ she says, “Only now I’m beginning to accept the feminine energy.   It was taking the time to reach back into her heritage to find the foundations for the future that gave her the headspace to draw on her sound. Having grown up one of two mixed-race children in Alford, a tiny town outside of Aberdeen, her identity was split, “Growing up mixed race meant I identified with the side of the family I spent most time with, my mum’s side. But I knew I was different, and this became more apparent when we travelled with people staring.” Because of the identity split, she can truly understand those people who don’t have confidence because of who they’ve been told they are. She saw this through her father especially, “My dad’s frustrations, him as a black man, what he really had to go through and the kind of injustices he experienced… I always saw that it was difficult to be black.”   Going to Zambia and connecting with her father’s family was when she didn’t feel that question of identity.  It was a revelatory experience. ‘The strength of the women!” she laughs, ‘They were running the village, plus my grandma, she was a matriarch; the kids all came to her, it was really beautiful. It just made sense of who I was myself.”   And with this renewed sense of self, Sandé was able to create a long overdue message that people need to hear. Tapping into the tone of the disenfranchised state of the world, the main purpose of this album is to give people confidence, “Especially people who have been marginalised, or forgotten or kicked down by this invisible oppression that’s always there.” She says, “I just want to give people just this incredible superpower every time they play the album. Like a battery pack.” She smiles brightly. ‘They just plug it in and they know that however they’re feeling, by the end of the album, they’re going to feel better.”   Launching this new album is Sparrow, the perfect introduction to this record and the empowerment that this new, vibrant sound brings. ‘That one felt like a channeling song” she nods. “I want people to feel like there will be a struggle but there will be a release at the end, and that’s when you can breathe finally, when you’ve got through it.” Sandé believes that allowing love in is one of the most difficult things for a human being to do, “Well love is kind of mocked now. If you love, or if you’re kind to someone, it’s weakness.” At a time where the world seems to pivot on being ‘the best’ or where everything is so sexualised, especially for women, Sandé knows that our worth and our voices need to be heard now more than ever.  ‘Human’, a seventies sounding R&B tune, is a song Sandé wasn’t planning on writing, but one that spilled out when she heard the opening string chords of the track. It’s a song that, in the midst of knife crime across the capital, is a sobering and welcoming reminder of the humanity of us all. “It’s such a dark time” she says, “I think it’s dangerously dark for young adults at the moment. We talk about crime rates, but they’re having these conversations about it that aren’t getting to the depth of what’s going on. So much comes from self-esteem and what young people are shown they deserve and where they belong in society that dictates how little value their lives have now.”   Sandé found her community in music in the same London that has seen knife crime reach record numbers; it was through choirs that she found her sisterhood and met the black women that have allowed her to tap further into her identity. She sang with the London Community gospel choir before Christmas and understood the reality and strength and a sternness to it all, but also felt a ‘very palpable love, “It’s very real and it’s not going to be said all the time, but not growing up here, I feel privileged to be accepted into the community via music.”  ‘You Are Not Alone’, an anchoring gospel anthem that speaks to the loneliness of life, with Sandé’s stunning voice backed by a powerful gospel choir with rousing church beat running through it, acts as a reminder that whatever you’ve been told, ‘my friend, you are not alone.’ Words we all need to hear.   It was collaborating with producer Troy Miller that allowed for a unique recording experience. Already feeling like she had complete freedom over what she was writing, it was working with Miller at the back of his house that gave her the right vibe to create the best album she could, “Every day I’m walking through his family home and feeling the energy of love, you could really feel it. We were making this album and we wanted a pure message to be delivered to people.”   When asked how she felt writing and recording this album, the album that will remind people of the value of life and of love Sandé says, “I feel grounded. I know exactly what I wanted to say and do. I’ve came out the other side more confident, happier with more self-love.” Emeli’s new album is the sound of power; power of freedom, power of growth, and of authenticity. It was borne from the power of understanding who you are, and of finally being able to give to others what you’ve learned for yourself. Emeli Sandé is an artist who can finally say that she’s the best version of herself she’s ever been.  

070 Shake

Every pair of tickets purchased for this show includes one CD copy of Chris Brown’s new album, Indigo. You will receive an email with more details about this offer approximately 7 days after your purchase. US/Canadian residents only. Offer not valid on resale tickets.   Children age 3 and older require a ticket. A child under the age of 3 is considered a lap child and does not require a ticket. Tickets will go on-sale through AXS.com or over the phone with AXS at (213) 457-1647 on the first day of the on-sale. The Box Office at STAPLES Center will sell starting the next business day. Will Call is available at our venue 2 hours before the start of the event on the day of the show only. VALID PHOTO ID AND THE CREDIT CARD USED TO PURCHASE ARE REQUIRED TO PICK UP ALL WILL CALL TICKETS. Visit www.staplescenter.com for more information.

"I can see my name written across the sky," Raphael Saadiq sings on "Go To Hell," from his stunning new album, Stone Rollin', as a B3 organ swells, cymbals dance, and a fluttering string section spirals towards the heavens. "Victory is near... I can feel it getting closer, closer every day."   Since Saadiq's early days the Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and record producer has carried the torch for old school R&B. In addition to releasing critically acclaimed albums like Ray Rayand Instant Vintage (nominated for five GRAMMYs), for the last two decades Saadiq has worked behind the scenes as a celebrated producer, collaborator and sideman for big-time acts like D'Angelo, John Legend, Joss Stone, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Stevie Wonder, the Bee Gees, The Isley Brothers, Mary J. Blige, TLC, Whitney Houston, Snoop Dogg, Earth, Wind and Fire and the list goes on and on. Now, at the peak of his creativity, Saadiq is finally ready to soak up the spotlight alone with Stone Rollin'. A few years ago Saadiq signed a deal with Columbia Records. "When I first got the deal with Columbia they knew I had produced some records, but they didn't know me as a solo act," he explains. But when label guru Rick Rubin paid a visit to Saadiq's home studio, he was blown away by what he'd heard. "He told me to never box myself in," says Saadiq. "I just have to be myself. You've got to follow your own path. I've always gone down the road less traveled, but now I do it even more aggressively." His instincts have paid dividends. Saadiq's debut album for Columbia, 2008's The Way I See It, which boasted four Billboard R&B chart singles and was nominated for three GRAMMY Awards including Best R&B Album. "It's definitely surprised me how far things have come," he says.  Stone Rollin' - written and produced by Saadiq, who also plays bass, mellotron, keys, guitar, percussion and even drums on most of the tracks -- is even more powerful, urgent and bold than it's predecessor. The new songs are firmly planted in classic R&B, and nod to Saadiq's heroes like Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Little Walter and Sly Stone. However Saadiq offers his own contemporary spin, one born out of a combination of his recent touring experiences, as well as inspiration derived from indie acts that hold regular rotation in his ipod."I still want to be a throwback artist, but with a futuristic twist," he says. After a memorable powwow with Rick Rubin, Saadiq felt emboldened, vowing to pursue his solo work with no compromises. This is the reason, he feels, why The Way I See It struck such a universal chord. With that album's release, Raphael Saadiq truly made his mark as a touring artist. Fans, new and old, came in droves to see Saadiq perform at festival shows throughout Europe and the States -- including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, South By Southwest and Voodoo Experience, and a recent opening slot on the Dave Matthews Band’s amphitheater tour. Stone Rollin' was born on the road, and recorded at his studio complex the Blakeslee Recording Company  in Los Angeles, just around the corner from the Hollywood Bowl. "I damn near live in that studio," he says. Saadiq wrote the stomping opening track, "Heart Attack" while in France, inspired by Sly Stone jams like "Dance To the Music" and "M'Lady" (Saadiq also grew up in the East Bay, where the Family Stone was born.) "I wanted the album to start out with that sense of urgency, that global soul and rock & roll feel," he says. "After having so much fun out there touring, I really wanted to make an album that I could go out there and play." Stone Rollin' continues with the stunning standout track, "Go To Hell," featuring his studio squad of musicians who are melodically complimented by an angelic choir intoning the mantra, "Let Love Keep Us Together," and a vocal ad-lib by Saadiq that recalls Seventies Stevie Wonder. "I'm just screaming my feelings," says Saadiq.  Stone Rollin' does feature it's share of special guests. Robert Randolph dropped by Blakeslee to lay down some nasty steel guitar on "Day Dreams." Saadiq opens the track -- evocative of a Dixieland rag. Also guesting on "Just Don't" is one of Saadiq indie rock favorites, Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano, from the band Little Dragon. "She put some great vocals on top," he says. "On that song I also had the chance to play with one of my idols, Larry Dunn from Earth, Wind and Fire. He played piano and took a long, epic Moog solo. That's why the song is so long, because I wanted to give him the space and the respect on my record that he truly deserves." Saadiq had Chuck Berry's feel-good rock & roll on his mind when he wrote "Radio." "I always wanted to do something like Chuck," says Saadiq.  Another standout track on the collection is "Good Man," which brilliantly blends golden age Soul with a killer hip-hop hook, co-written and sung by upstart Taura Stinson. "I'm going to have a great time playing this album live," says Saadiq. Until then, he's spending every day in preparation. After he wakes up in the morning he bikes down to the local high school for some sprints around the track. "To get my wind up, ready for the tour." "I don't know where the title Stone Rollin' came from," says Saadiq. "It just came out of my mouth one day, but it just made sense with where I'm at right now. I feel like I'm stone rollin', like I'm ready to rock. I'm ready to go. Throw me anywhere and I'll make it happen. I feel really good about this album."

Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy-winning actor and musician, Common continues to break down barriers with a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles, and continued success at the box office. He appeared on the big screen in the Oscar nominated film, SELMA, a film centered around the civil rights marches that changed America. Alongside John Legend, he won the Academy Award and Golden Globe in 2015 for “Best Original Song in a Motion Picture” for “Glory” which was featured in the film. In 2016, he appeared in the David Ayer’s high profile comic book movie, Warner Bros’ SUICIDE SQUAD. The film broke box office records both domestically and around the world. He was most recently seen opposite Keanu Reeves in the highly anticipated sequel JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2, released February 10th. Common also executive-produced Netflix drama BURNING SANDS and performs the closing credits original song “The Cross” featuring Lianne Le Havas. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was released on Netflix March 10th. Common recently wrapped production on Judy Greer’s directorial debut A HAPPENING OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS with Allison Janney, as well as the action-thriller HUNTER KILLER opposite Gerard Butler, Billy Bob Thornton, and Gary Oldman. He will next be seen this Summer in Bleecker Street’s MEGAN LEAVEY alongside Kate Mara, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford and Edie Falco. The film follows the true story of Marine Corporal Megan Leavey, who forms a powerful bond with an aggressive combat dog, Rex. Common will soon begin production on QUICK DRAW, a new revenge action thriller to be produced by TRANSFORMERS producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Content Media. Common’s 11th studio album, BLACK AMERICA AGAIN, released November 4, 2016 on ARTium/Def Jam Recordings. The album includes socially conscious new single, “Black America Again” featuring Stevie Wonder and the anthem “Letter to the Free,” the end-title track to Ava Duvernay’s powerful Oscar-Nominated documentary 13TH.  

Keith Sweat (born in Harlem, New York), is an R&B and soul singer. Sweat once worked an ordinary 9-to-5 job for the commodities market in the New York Stock Exchange. He sang at nightclubs until he was discovered in 1987. On November 25, 1987, Sweat released his debut album Make It Last Forever, which sold four million copies. The biggest hit from this album was I Want Her.Sweat continued to chart well with his sophomore album I'll Give All My Love To You, which hit 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, and Keep It Comin debuted in the Top 20 of the album chart. Sweat released his fourth album Get Up On It in the summer of 1994. He followed with Keith Sweat, his self-titled fifth album, in 1996, which hit 5 on the Billboard 200. The single Twisted hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Nobody hit number 3. In 1992, Sweat discovered the group Silk, and helped craft their debut album, Lose Control, which hit 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album's single Freak Me hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1993. In 1995, Sweat discovered the Atlanta based female R&B group Kut Klose. Sweat also produced the group's debut album Surrender, which produced the hit single I Like, peaking at number 8 on Billboard's "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles". Sweat also formed the R&B supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill, and released their self-titled debut Levert.Sweat.Gill in 1997. That album featured the hit My Body, which became a huge hit single. Keith Sweat has produced songs for artists such as Men At Large (Don't Cry) Dru Hill (Love's Train, Share My World) Immature (Extra, Extra) Ol Skool - (Am I Dreaming (feat. Xscape)), The Isley Brothers (Slow Is The Way) and The O'Jays ft Keith Sweat (Baby You Know).