We got through another summer everyone! Let the choir sing “Amen!” Although many are still reeling from the repercussions of the recent pandemic, it’s feeling like things are finally starting to get back to normal — maybe? Either way #BrooklynGirlCode was here once again for all the highs and the lows of Summer 2023! So sit back, relax, get those cozy Fall sweaters out and enjoy what’s to come in the new year! -xoxo
Renaissance World Tour 2023!
Welp, its official… Beyoncè is back! The reigning R&B/Pop queen returned to the stage this summer in her Renaissance World Tour and she bought out all the stars like only Miss Beyoncè can do! This tour marked the ninth concert tour for the Houston, Texas native and became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist in history bringing in over $461.2 million to date. Nothing major! Beyoncè never ceases to amaze us and she is proving that she can still move the crowd in her forties just as well as she did in her twenties! She even brought her daughter Blue Ivy in on all the fun this time around. We love it! You go gurl!
Hip-Hop Turns 50!
Hip-Hop is fifty years old baby! Who would’ve thought that a small music and dance trend from New York City would last this long? 2023 was the year Hip-Hop celebrated its Golden 50th! And all the rap stars were out during the summer of 2023 to commemorate this historic moment! The sold out Hip-Hop 50 Live concert that took place at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, N.Y. (the birthplace of Hip-Hop) on August 11th brought out all the hip-hop superstars including Run-D.M.C., Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill, Nas and many many more. Several hip-hop stars including Drake, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, 50 Cent and others all hit the road this summer as well to perform for their fans and bask in all the festivities. Vice President Kamala Harris event threw a party at her residence and invited a few famous rappers including Lil Wayne who she is pictured with below. Happy Birthday Hip-Hop. Here’s to fifty more years! We love you!
Sha’Carri Richardson Becomes A World Champion!
Sha’Carri Richardson was out to prove the entire world wrong! The young Baltimore track star did just that this past August at the World Athletic Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Richardson, who made headlines back in 2021 for missing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after testing positive for marijuana won her first world champion title this summer beating out every runner in the 100 meter race. While receiving her medal on the podium, Richardson made sure not to let one teardrop go wasted as she proved to the world that it’s possible to come back from any setback. We wish her the best!
Coco Gauff Wins the 2023 U.S. Open!
It was a sweet victory this summer for Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old tennis phenom from Atlanta, Georgia. Gauff secured her place in the history books by winning her first U.S. Open title at the Arthur Ashe stadium in Queens, New York on September 9th. Gauff had a bumpy road to this year’s U.S. Open finals beating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to take home the cup and win her first Grand Slam title! Gauff now joins the exclusive club of winners including Serena William, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and new mother Naomi Osaka. The tennis champ recently celebrated her win in her parents’ hometown of Delray Beach, Florida with all her close friends, too. Nice work!
Morocco and Libya Suffer Natural Disasters
Let’s take a quick break from national news to focus on world news from this past summer. On September 8th, in Morocco, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 caused more than 2,000 people to lose their livesa nd homes. Then just days later on September 11th, in Libya, more than 11,000 people lost their lives after massive rainfall and severe flooding caused two old, decrepit dams to break and literally wash away villages. These were two very devastating natural disasters and we’re keeping Morocco and Libya in our prayers.
Music News:
Sza’s “Snooze” is the song of the summer!
There were a lot of good tunes that got us through summer 2023. However, “Snooze” by Sza held a special place in a lot of people’s hearts. Snooze’s sultry lyrics and old school R&B beat (produced by Babyface) had everyone singing along like we were back in middle school crushing on our first love. “Snooze” eventually peaked to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 this past summer giving the legendary Babyface his first top 10 hit as a producer in over 23 years. The song also solidified Sza’s second studio album SOS as a top contender for a Grammy. Yeah Sza!
Celebrity News:
Rapper Young Jeezy and TV Personality Jeannie Mai call it quits!
This news story is one nobody saw coming! Popular Atlanta rapper Jeezy and popular television personality Jeannie Mai announced that they were splitting in September after just two years of marriage. Surprisingly, Jeezy is the one who served Jeannie Mai the divorce papers! There is a lot of speculation going on with this break up. Some are saying that Jeannie Mai may have cheated (with fellow TV personality Mario Lopez, yes… A.C. Slater from Saved by the Bell). While others are saying that Jeezy just couldn’t handle the stress of being married.
Whatever the outcome, the couple shares a beautiful one-year-old daughter by the name of Monaco Mai Jenkins. So, we do hope they can come to a cordial agreement for their baby’s sake. We wish them the best!
In Memoriam:
The summer time is a time for fun and good weather. However, it is also a time to say goodbye to our loved ones who passed away as well. In sad news, Irish Grinstead of the popular late 90’s and early 2000’s girl group 702 passed away at the age of 43 on September 16th, 2023. If you grew up in the nineties and were a fan of R&B then there is no way you didn’t find yourself grooving to a 702 song. Some of their top hits included “Get It Together,” “Steelo” featuring Missy Elliot and their most notable hit “Where My Girls At?” Rest In Peace to Irish Grinstead!
Until next summer, stay safe! Please don’t forget to keep coming back to the site to let us know what’s on your mind! -xoxo #BrooklynGirlCode™