Tuma Basa, the influential curator of Spotify‘s popular RapCaviar playlist, has left the music streaming giant. “Tuma has been an incredible asset to the RapCaviar team, and we thank him for his contributions,” the company said in a statement issued on March 1. “The RapCaviar team, which is rapidly expanding with boots on the ground globally, is committed to building the brand and giving its users the best hip hop experience on the platform.”
RapCaviar is the among the most listened-to playlists on the platform, with nearly 9 million followers, and Basa, who held the title of Spotify Global Programming Head of Hip-Hop, was recognized as one of Variety’s 2017 Hitmakers in November.
In recent months, Spotify has made efforts to brand RapCaviar beyond the audio platform to the concert stage. Now it plans to take RapCaviar Live on the road, announcing a tour featuring Migos, 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard and Lil Pump, among others, that will hit 13 U.S.cities including Los Angeles, Charlotte, Memphis, and Philadelphia, with more dates to be announced.
The trek kicks off March 27 at the Hollywood Palladium with 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard & Friends, Lil Pump, Rich the Kid and Jae Murphy on the bill.
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The tour is produced in partnership with Live Nation Urban.
Hip-hop is the most-streamed genre among Spotify users in the U.S. Says the company: “With the success of RapCaviar within the U.S., Spotify plans to expand the RapCaviar brand globally with local curators on the ground in an effort to highlight the power of different genres within the hip hop landscape.”
See the announced tour dates below:
Tuesday, March 27
Location: Hollywood Palladium. Los Angeles
Talent: 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard & Friends, Lil Pump, Rich the Kid, Jae Murphy
Tuesday, May 1
Location: Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC
Talent: Migos, Trippie Redd
Thursday, May 3
Location: Landers Center, Southaven, MS (Memphis area)
Talent: Migos, Trippie Redd
Saturday, May 19
Location: Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia
Talent: Migos, PnB Rock, Trippie Redd
