As the weekend festivities surrounding the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa got into full swing on Saturday night, Dave Chappelle kept the party going until the wee hours. The legendary comedian stayed on the mic and kept the crowd at club Car Fax captivated for hours, but it wasn’t for one of his must-see stand-up shows. The entertainment icon hosted the “Dave Chappelle Pop Up Jam Session,” and celebrities such as Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry popped in and out of the experience.  Ed Sherman briefly sang, but the party was mostly about Dave and his crew, Frederick Yonnet and the Band With No Name.

“South Africa, you guys are outstanding host,” Chappelle said around 3am. “Shout out to me, muthaf***n Dave Chappelle. I’m not just a comedian, I’m a muthaf***n movement.”

Not only did the band play a litany of classics, such as Tupac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love” and Slick Rick’s “Mona Lisa,” Chappelle himself sang and rapped some of the tunes. And while he he may never give Johnny Gill a run for his money, this was not Chappelle’s stab at being a serious vocalist. This was more like what you and your friends do at party when your favorite jam comes on: loud, proud and possibly just a bit off-key.

“Strumming my pain with his fingers,” Dave sang, inspiring the crowd to join in. “Singing my life with his words./ Killing me softly with his song./Killing me softly with his song./Telling my whole life with his words./ Killing me softly with his song.”

Later Dave and the band brought in some Otis Redding with “Try A Little Tenderness.”

“You know she's waiting,” Dave and the audience sang. “Just anticipating./
For things that she'll never, never, never, never possess, yeah yeah./But while she's there waiting, without them./ Try a little tenderness.”

When the famous baseline from Dennis Edwards’ “Don’t Look Any Further” came on, Chappelle started spitting Rakim’s lyrics from “Paid in Full” which samples the beat.

“Thinkin of a master plan,” Dave rapped, “cause ain't nuthin but sweat inside my hand./So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent./So I dig deeper but still comin up with lint./So I start my mission- leave my residence./Thinkin how could I get some dead presidents.”

One of the spectators yelled up to stage and asked Dave where the afterparty was. The famed funny man replied “I’m going to bed, n***a.” He later told the gathering that the it was “Special for African Americans to be in South Africa” before heading to the bar.

The Global Citizen Festival took place yesterday at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg with extra joy as a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday. Jay-Z and Beyonce headlined, with Usher, Pharrell Williams, Chris Martin and Wiz Kid also on the star studded bill. Stay tuned for LiveXLive.com for more coverage of this beautiful event.

Sunday night we finally got to see the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which was taped nearly a month ago – with performances from Halsey, The Chainsmokers with Kelsea Ballerina, Rita Ora, and The Struts. But Halsey apparently has mixed feelings about her participation, following controversial remarks from VS’s chief marketing officer.

In an issue of Vogue, published November 8th – the same day the show was recorded - Ed Razek refuted the idea that the show should hire curvy or trans models for the televised fashion show, saying “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.”

Halsey took exception with his comments and posted a message to her Instagram feed last night reading: “I have adored the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show since I was young. Performing this year alongside other amazing artists, and hardworking models/friends was supposed to be the best night of my year. However, after I filmed the performance, some comments were made regarding the show that I simply cannot ignore. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have no tolerance for a lack of inclusivity. Especially not one motivated by stereotype.”

She tells fans that she has made a contribution to GLSEN, an organization that addresses LGBTQ issues in K-12 education, and continued: “If you are a trans person reading this, and these comments have made you feel alienated or invalidated please know that you have allies. We stand in solidarity, and complete and total acceptance is the only ‘fantasy’ that I support.”

Razek has since apologized, saying his comments “came across as insensitive”, and posting his own November 9th message reading: “I apologize. To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show. We’ve had transgender models come to castings… And like many others, they didn’t make it…But it was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are.”

But Halsey, and many other critics, don’t seem to feel that apology is enough.

If you’d like to learn more about GLSEN, or make a contribution, please follow the link above! And find out more about Halsey on Slacker’s Halsey: DNA Station!

Granger Smith can add film producer to his list of titles now that he’s produced They Were There: A Hero’s Documentary. It’s a tribute to fallen soldier and their sacrifices and legacies.

"This is about five fallen soldiers, and it's about the sacrifice they make that represents the life that I get to live," Granger says. "One of the stories of these five fallen soldiers is suicide. I learned a lot about PTSD and results of suicide, and the staggering statistics of that."

Granger calls the experience “eye-opening,” saying he learned right along with the viewer, and it changed some of his pre-conceived notions about war and gun control. But he didn’t necessarily make the film to change anyone else’s opinions. "We tend to forget that there are sacrifices being made every day and the purpose of this documentary for me is to try to live a life worthy of that sacrifice," he says.

You can watch the trailer now, and the full documentary beginning tomorrow, here.