Music News
’90s Hip-Hop Duo Black Sheep Sues Universal Music Over an Alleged $750M in Unpaid Spotify Stock Royalties
A prominent ’90s hip-hop duo is suing Universal Music Group for withholding royalties tied to what they’re alleging is a “sweetheart” deal the label reached with Spotify in the late 2000s. Filed Wednesday (Jan. 4) in U.S. district court in New York by attorneys representing Andres Titus (Dres) and William McLean (Mista Lawnge), members of the hip-hop duo Black Sheep, the lawsuit claims UMG owes its artists approximately $750 million in royalties deriving from the company’s stock in Spotify. Under a licensing deal they claim UMG and the streaming giant reached in 2008, the label agreed to receive lower royalty payments in exchange for equity in the then-nascent streaming company. But Titus and McLean say the label breached their contract with Black Sheep and other artists by withholding wha...
At the 2023 Grammys, Viola Davis Could Become the 18th EGOT Winner
At the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, Viola Davis could become the 18th person to achieve the EGOT. The Oscar, Tony and Emmy winner is nominated for a Grammy for the first time for best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording. The other four nominees in the category are all past Grammy winners. Questlove, nominated for Music Is History, is a six-time Grammy winner. Mel Brooks, nominated for All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks, is a three-time Grammy winner – as is Lin-Manuel Miranda, nominated for Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. Jamie Foxx, who rounds out the category with Act Like You Got Some Sense, has won one Grammy. In 2001, Brooks became the eighth individual to become an EGOT winner. Davis has won a Primetime Emmy f...
Vic Mensa is Bringing Clean Water to Over 200,000 Ghanaians
Vic Mensa (and his dad) are bringing clear water to their homeland. Born Victor Kwesi Mensah, the Chicago-made rapper and creative remembers his roots, capitalizing on his success and resources to bring a better quality of life for his fellow Ghanaians through access to clean water. Mensa visited his ancestral village alongside his father who was born in Ghana and heads a non-profit called Let Them Drink Water, and bore witness to the community’s severe water contamination issue. The pair decided to develop a solution, by building a new Borehole — a manual pump which provide clean water, but are unfortunately rare across Africa. After one successful borehole that brought access to water for hundreds of thousands, Mensa decided to build two more in nearby villages. “We’re building 3 Borehol...
From Bad Bunny to Rihanna, Who Should Headline Coachella 2023? Vote!
We’re only three and a half months away from the 2023 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, which means this year’s headliners should be announced any day now. However, before that big reveal comes, we want to know who you think should take the main stage in Indio, Calif. this April. Frank Ocean is, obviously, the best bet for this year’s festival in the desert, considering he was originally supposed to headline the 2020 iteration along with Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott before it was canceled by the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. He’s also previously been announced as one of the main acts this April, so if that holds true, two other headliners will be joining him on the lineup. Both Bad Bunny and Rihanna are also strong contenders among Billboard‘s predictions. T...
Keke Palmer’s Boyfriend Darius Daulton Reveals Sweet Ultrasound Photo of Couple’s Baby
Following her beyond iconic baby reveal on SNL, loads of fans excitedly became unofficial aunties to Keke Palmer’s incoming bundle of joy. Now, we can collectively swoon over the carousel post Palmer’s boyfriend Darius Daulton Jackson posted to Instagram, featuring a sweet ultrasound photo of their baby. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “To 2022, thank you for giving me a family,” Daulton captioned the Instagram post, which also included photos of the happy couple sharing a smooch on the beach. Palmer even shared a celebratory year-end Instagram post of her own, showing the very pregnant 29-year-old resting surrounded by nature. “This baby moving thing is weirdddddd,” she said in the caption, referencing a selfie showing an uncomfortable...
Zach Bryan Scores His First Hot Country Songs No. 1 With ‘Something in the Orange’
Zach Bryan notches his first No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Jan. 7) with “Something in the Orange.” In its 36th week on the survey, the song ascends from No. 2 with 15 million official streams (up 2%) and 4,000 downloads sold (up 11%) Dec. 23-29, according to Luminate. “Orange” debuted on the survey dated May 7, 2022, at No. 11 and reached the top 10 in June. Being promoted to country radio by Warner Music Nashville, the song marks Bryan’s first entry on the Country Airplay chart, where it ranks at No. 31 in its 26th frame with 2.4 million in reach. Meanwhile, Bryan’s new live album, All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks), arrives on Top Country Albums at No. 14. Released Dec. 25, it earned 12,000 equivalent album uni...
Final Chapters of ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ Claim Singer Forced Aaliyah’s Family to Sign Non-Disclosure Agreement Following Annulment
The final two installments of Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docuseries series ended with a pair of bombshell revelations about the imprisoned singer’s controversial marriage to a then-underage Aaliyah. The two episodes that debuted on Monday and Tuesday, focused in on Kelly’s 2022 federal trial, which included allegations that the singer and his team allegedly forced Aaliyah’s family to sign a non-disclosure agreement in the wake of the annulment of the performers’ brief marriage. Kelly and Aaliyah were married in secret in August 1994 when the “Rock the Boat” singer was just 15, even though their marriage certificate listed her age as 18; the marriage was reportedly annulled by Aaliyah’s parents in Feb. 1995. Interviews with some of Kelly’s and Aaliyah’s entourages revealed some of the de...
J-Hope’s ‘New Year’s Rockin‘ Eve’ Mashup of ‘Chicken Noodle Soup’ & ‘Butter’ Is Here: Watch
For the BTS ARMY members who didn’t get a chance to watch J-Hope‘s performance on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve — or just want to see it again — you’re in luck. BTS’ YouTube page shared a video of the rapper’s performance — which took place leading up to midnight on New Year’s Eve — on Wednesday (Jan. 4) for fans to enjoy. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news J-Hope appeared on stage live from New York City’s Time Square to perform a trio of hit songs from his solo discography, as well as BTS’. The rapper eased into the performance with “= (Equal Sign),” which served as a touching and hopeful wish for the year ahead. “Hate’ll paralyze your mind/ Gotta see the other side/ It costs ya nothin’ to be kind/ Not so different you and I,” he sang, later joined by ...
Taylor Swift’s Cat Olivia Benson Is Reportedly Worth $97 Million
Unless you’re part of a microscopic global percentage of ultra-wealthy people, Taylor Swift‘s cat has a lot more money than you — and it’s not even close. In a recent report by All About Cats, the 33-year-old pop star’s fan-favorite feline Olivia Benson ranked as the world’s third richest pet, with a whopping estimated net worth of $97 million. The ranking was created based on Instagram analytics, with many of the top-earning furry friends having climbed the ranks of wealth through fame on social media. For A-list animals such as Olivia, however, involvement in outside projects was taken into account. “Olivia has found success outside of the world of Instagram influencing,” the listing read. “The Scottish fold earned her fortune starring alongside her owner in several music videos, has cra...
Lady A’s Charles Kelley Opens Up About Sobriety Journey: ‘It’s Amazing What Not Drinking Will Do’
As 2023 gets underway, Lady A member Charles Kelley has been looking back on 2022, which he called “a big year of change” in a recent Instagram post. In August 2022, Lady A announced they were putting their Request Line Tour on hold in order to support Kelley on his sobriety journey. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “We are a band, but more importantly … we’re family,” the trio wrote via a statement at the time. “We’re proud to say that Charles has embarked on a journey to sobriety. So, right now in order to be the healthiest, strongest and most creative band we can be, Lady A will take the time with the support of our families and team of professionals to walk through this together. It’s early on this road, but we are determined to do what will...
Which Snubbed Hot 100 Hitmaker Should’ve Received a Best New Artist Grammy Nomination? Vote!
Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 Songs chart included a total of 15 artists who were both entered and eligible for this year’s Grammy’s best new artist award, but only two musicians — Latto and Muni Long — were able to make this cut for 2023. One of the biggest Hot 100 success stories is Gayle and her breakout track “abcdefu.” Though she is not nominated for best new artist this year, the track allowed her to peak at the year end Hot 100 at No. 17, and earned her a nomination in the coveted song of the year category, but also has a series of fellow hitmakers who fans believed deserved a spot in the best new artist category at the Grammy’s this year. Former Disney Channel star Dove Cameron came into her own in 2022 — the singer release her EP, Girl Like Me, in December, which included hit ...
Cardi B Covers a Fall Out Boy Classic to Ring in the New Year
A loaded god complex, cock it and pull it! Cardi B celebrated New Year’s Eve on Saturday (Dec. 31) by covering Fall Out Boy‘s seminal hit “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down.” The superstar’s delightfully emo moment came during her performance at Miami’s E11EVEN nightclub to ring in 2023. With a drink in one hand and a mic in the other, Cardi excitedly launched into the 2005 single in a fan-captured TikTok video. “Anything you wanna hear/ But that’s just who I am this week/ Lying in bed/ Next to the mausoleum,” she wailed a capella as the crowd excitedly sang along. “Cardi b singing fall out boy first thing after midnight on new year’s day is exactly how i wanted to start my year,” the TikTok user wrote on the clip, which also features Offset on stage, playing to a different part of the packed crowd. ...
