Since the coronavirus pandemic forced President Donald Trump to declare a national state of emergency and impose nationwide social distancing guidelines on March 13, rappers across the U.S. have shifted their travel plans and re-allotted some of their energy to events broadcasted on the internet.
For his part, Diddy used Instagram Live to host a special fundraiser to raise money for coronavirus relief. Post Malone also decided to do some good when he delivered a special performance through a YouTube livestream to help pull in donations for coronavirus relief.
Other artists have used the internet to deliver fans a solid substitute for live concerts. Travis Scott joined that list when he teamed up with Fortnite to deliver virtual concerts for fans between April 23 and April 25. For the shows, the game developers created a virtual version of the rapper and brought him to their world as his Astroworld songs played for the "crowd."
Also making waves in the internet space amid this pandemic have been Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, who launched their Verzuz series after engaging in an Instagram Live beat battle on March 24. The series pits songwriters, artists and producers against each other in IG Live battles in which they play musical selections from their discography to see which songs fans like most. Folks from across multiple decades of hip-hop have participated so far.
With there being no real end in sight for the pandemic, which has affected rappers from all over, this list of artists facilitating or taking part in hip-hop events will only continue to grow. Today, XXL takes a look at some of the most notable. Peep what's been going on in the gallery below.
See Hip-Hop Events That Have Taken Place During Coronavirus Pandemic