Cameron Lee

Distractions are your true ops.

Audrey Baran, an accomplished Filipina-American dancer, choreographer, and educator who was selected for the prestigious Joffrey Ballet Academy’s Winning Works Competition, is redefining Charlotte’s contemporary dance scene through her company, Baran Dance.clture.org/baran-dance/

🏀GIVEAWAY🏀 Kon Knueppel has made the cover of the iconic SLAM Magazine, and we’re giving away a T-shirt in your size of choice to celebrate the moment. Just like, repost, or enter our Instagram contest for a chance to win: bit.ly/3Ob4Pst *The winner will be announced this Friday, April 3!* The Hornets will host SLAM Night on Thursday as they take on Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the Phoenix Suns, and SLAM Magazine will be on site selling Kon merchandise, along with select items and activations. Knueppel also has a chance to break the Hornets’ single-season record for most three-pointers on Thursday night, as he currently has 257 on the season, just three shy of Kemba Walker’s franchise-record 260 set in 2018–19. The Hornets have a long and storied history with SLAM Magazine, the basketball and culture publication that launched in 1994 with Larry Johnson on its first cover. In May 1994, a new era of the NBA was forming after Michael Jordan’s first retirement to play baseball, as several new stars emerged (including Johnson) while the Hornets were in the midst of making the playoffs in seven of 10 seasons and becoming one of the league’s most popular teams. Over the years, Baron Davis, Kemba Walker, and LaMelo Ball have all gone on to grace the cover of the magazine, and Charlotte’s own rising star, Kon Knueppel, now adorns the cover of Issue 261.

The Panthers arguably had the best free agency in the NFL, adding a pass rusher, acquiring the top available linebacker, and addressing their most urgent need, all while retaining the team’s core as they head into the draft. clture.org/carolina-panth…

USA Today voted Truist Field the No. 9 best Minor League baseball stadium based on atmosphere, amenities, and architecture — and quite honestly, it should be ranked a lot higher. ⚾️✨

Over the past four years in Charlotte, you’ve probably seen rapper-turned-DJ Tashara Bryant, better known as See Bird Go, vibing behind the decks at venues. She's one of the many artists performing at ASC's 'Midnight Marathon' April 17 at Carolina Theatre. bit.ly/3NQEqjw

It's going to be a really fun year.

Charlotte FC captain Ashley Westwood, a pro footballer since age 18, played in the top four tiers of English football before arriving in 2023. Entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, he's focused and wants to bring a trophy to the city. clture.org/ashley-westwoo…

Art, Beats + Lyrics, the country’s largest traveling art party returning to the city this week, helped redefine urban art, with Charlotte playing a pivotal role in its early growth and evolution. clture.org/art-beats-lyri…

Dell Curry, who grew up in the small town of Grottoes, Virginia, and is the longest-tenured Charlotte Hornet in franchise history as the first player selected by the team in the 1988 NBA expansion draft, has his No. 30 jersey retired and hanging in the rafters at Spectrum Center alongside that of the late Bobby Phills. The sharpshooter, who played 16 seasons in the NBA (10 with the Hornets), won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1994 after averaging 16.3 points, shooting 40% from three-point range off the bench that season. Curry has remained an integral part of both the franchise and the city to this day. He was present for the inaugural game at the Charlotte Coliseum, where the expansion team received a roaring standing ovation from more than 23,000 fans despite a 40-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was also part of one of the franchise’s earliest memorable moments at The Hive: a 103–101 upset win over Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls just two days before Christmas that inaugural season, sealed on a buzzer-beating tip-in by Kurt Rambis. Alongside teammates Rex Chapman, Kelly Tripucka, Muggsy Bogues, and Robert Reid, that victory helped spark a streak of 364 consecutive sellout home games that lasted through November 1997. Curry also played a pivotal role in one of the franchise's first major milestones, throwing the inbounds pass to Alonzo Mourning for the game-winning basket that clinched the Hornets’ first playoff series against the Boston Celtics. He was the first to embrace Mourning in that defining moment, which marked the beginning of four playoff seasons in six years for a Hornets team that rose to prominence as one of the league’s most popular teams in the ’90s behind Mourning, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues. Today, Curry remains a beloved broadcaster alongside Eric Collins, an ambassador for the game, as the father of NBA superstar Steph, Seth, and daughter Sydel, all of whom grew up in the city. His legacy in Charlotte is now firmly cemented with his jersey retired, making him the second player to receive that honor and forever immortalized in Hornets history. Congrats, Dell!

Dell Curry gets choked up talking about his family during the pregame press conference; they’re all expected to be in the building — including Steph and several former Hornets teammates.

Congrats to Pat Connaughton on hitting his 700th career three-pointer against the Heat. Connaughton, an 11-year veteran and NBA champion, embodies the “Hornets DNA,” and @British_Buzz recently had the opportunity to chat with him. clture.org/pat-connaughto…

In anticipation of her fourth solo studio album and major-label debut, 'When The City Sleeps,' R&B/soul vocal virtuoso Alex Isley will hit the road for a 14-date U.S. tour, stopping at The Fillmore in Charlotte on May 28. Isley, the daughter of Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers, has built a catalog that spans a wide yet cohesive spectrum of R&B, neo-soul, and jazz-inflected music, all tied together by her signature warmth and vocal precision. Coming off the release of her collaborative album 'I Left My Heart in Ladera' — named after the Ladera Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles — with multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Terrace Martin, the project delivers a lush, jazz-driven soundscape paired with Isley’s luscious, moody R&B vocals. While 'When The City Sleeps' marks Isley’s major-label debut following her signing with Warner Records last year, she has collaborated with a wide range of artists and producers across genres, including Robert Glasper, Masego, PJ Morton, 9th Wonder, SiR, Martin, and Jack Dine. Isley also earned a Grammy Award nomination for “Back to Love” with Glasper in 2024. 'When The City Sleeps' is a 15-track album includes all six songs from her 2025 'WHEN' EP, along with collaborations featuring Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and producer James Fauntleroy and Syd of The Internet. Citi cardmembers will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets on Wednesday, March 18 at 10 a.m. with tickets going on sale to the general public on Thursday, March 19 at 10 a.m. clture.org/alex-isley-tou…

Dell Curry’s jersey retirement, Hornets’ longest homestand of the season, No Man’s Land, ASÉ Wrestling, Boileryard Brunch, Science on the Rocks, R&B Lovers Tour, comedy shows, and a day party with rapper Fabolous in Plaza Midwood! clture.org/charlotte-marc…

Panthers’ Jalen Coker at the Humane Society in Charlotte today for a meet-and-greet and to share his new cold brew coffee in collaboration with Canal Coffee Company. clture.org/jalen-coker/

Charlotte's own Grammy-nominated gospel singer-songwriter Melvin Crispell III sings the "Star-Spangled Banner" ahead of tonight's ACC Tournament Championship game between the Duke Blue Devils and Virginia Cavaliers. 🙏🏽🎶✨

Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker will be at the Humane Society in Charlotte on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. for a special meet-and-greet and to share his signature Canal Coffee Company cold brew. We caught up with Coker to chat about preparing for his third NFL season and life in Charlotte: clture.org/jalen-coker/

West Charlotte High School won the 2026 NCHSAA 8A boys basketball state championship with a thrilling 70-68 comeback over Hoggard at Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum. Trailing 66–58 with under five minutes remaining, the Lions forced turnovers and secured the win on Sean Johnson’s catch-and-shoot layup with just 0.6 seconds left. It was West Charlotte’s first lead of the game after a hard-fought battle against Hoggard High School from Wilmington, powered by a balanced team effort led by Kaharri Coleman (17 points), Cha Cho Womack (13 points), J’Kai McManus‑Wade (12 points), and Carter Sullivan (12 points). Earlier in the regional playoffs, West Charlotte knocked off previously undefeated West Forsyth in overtime, highlighted by standout sophomore point guard Coleman’s 30-point, 10-rebound, 6-assist, 3-steal performance. The 2026 title marks West Charlotte’s seventh official NCHSAA state championship, adding to titles in 1986, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2011, and 2022. Including two pre‑integration championships, the school now recognizes nine total state titles. 🎥: qb4kontent (IG)

Earl Sweatshirt is hitting the road this summer with rapper MIKE and Harrison from the collective Surf Gang with stops in Charlotte and Raleigh. The influential alternative hip-hop artists will perform at The Fillmore on July 15 and at The Ritz on July 17. This will be Earl Sweatshirt's first performance in Charlotte since 2019. The announcement comes on the heels of news that Sweatshirt, MIKE, and the NYC-based hip‑hop/rap collective and record label Surf Gang are releasing a collaborative double LP, 'POMPEII // UTILITY,' due out on April 3. Both Sweatshirt and MIKE have also collaborated with Charlotte’s own Mavi on his latest album, 'The Pilot,' and toured with him last year. Earl Sweatshirt first emerged from the formative Los Angeles music collective Odd Future (Tyler, the Creator, Syd, Casey Veggies, Matt Martians, Hodgy, and Taco), gaining early attention for his intricate rhyme schemes and vivid storytelling. Over the past decade, his music has evolved toward a more experimental, introspective sound rooted in lo-fi production, abstract lyricism, and unconventional song structures. Albums like 'Doris' and 'Some Rap Songs' helped shape the modern alternative rap landscape and influenced a wave of underground artists exploring more minimalist and emotionally raw hip-hop. Sweatshirt released his fifth studio album, 'Live Laugh Love,' in 2025. MIKE has emerged as one of the leading voices in the contemporary underground rap movement, known for his warm, sample-heavy production and deeply reflective writing. Rising out of New York’s independent rap scene, he has built a devoted following through prolific releases and collaborations with artists in the experimental hip-hop sphere, including Earl Sweatshirt, Mavi, and Navy Blue. His 2017 breakout album 'May God Bless Your Hustle' and later projects like 'Tears of Joy' helped define the lo-fi, diary-like aesthetic now central to the underground rap scene. MIKE released 'Showbiz!' in 2025 and followed it with a collaborative project with producer and rapper Tony Seltzer in May. Artist presale begins Wednesday, March 11 at 10 a.m. (EarlSweatshirt.com).

If there is any doubt about the Charlotte Hornets’ identity and what ‘Hornets DNA’ means, Jeff Peterson says to just look at Pat Connaughton. clture.org/pat-connaughto…

USDOJ just cut a backroom deal with Live Nation and Ticketmaster - in the middle of our trial. The deal is terrible. We're not signing it. See you back in court, Ticketmaster.