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22 Jan 2025

Soft On Crime: Donald Trump Gives Silk Road Drug Dealer Ross Ulbricht A Pardon, X Is Not Surprised

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Donald Trump Slammed For Pardoning Drug Dealer Ross Ulbricht

Source: JIM WATSON / Getty / Donald Trump / Ross Ulbricht

It didn’t take long, but Donald Trump is up in the White House doing absolutely abhorrent nonsense. Along with pardoning all of the traitors who took part in the January 6 Insurrection, Orange Mussolini also handed out a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, a notorious drug dealer.

So much for being tough on crime.

Felon 47 has been on a pardon spree, and his latest one for Ulbricht, who ran the dark web marketplace Silk Road under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” is a doozy.

Before he got his get-out-of-jail-free card from Trump, Ulbricht was serving a life sentence in prison without parole since 2015 after he was convicted of multiple charges, including the distribution of narcotics.

The Silk Road marketplace, which was only accessible through the Tor network, became a popular destination for early Bitcoin users for commercial use. Buyers and sellers traded in illicit drugs and forged documents, such as passports.

Like any white crook nowadays, Ulbricht’s case became a cause for Right Wing crypto bros who are now in favor of Donald Trump, who is now into the cryptocurrency market all of a sudden after dropping a meme coin.

Supporters of Ulbricht feel his life sentence was unfair, go figure, and have been screaming for him to be free,e pointing to others similar offenses that didn’t receive the same punishment.

Per The Verge:

Ulbricht’s life sentence is unusually punitive. Similar offenses have garnered much more lenient sentences — for instance, Blake Benthall, who operated Silk Road 2.0, was sentenced to time served and three years of probation. Ulbricht’s lieutenant, Thomas Clark, also known as “Variety Jones,” was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year.

Anyway, although Ulbricht’s crimes were nonviolent, the judge who slapped Dread Pirates Roberts with the life sentence took into account the multiple deaths that were a direct result of the drugs sold on Silk Road.

During his trial, Ulbricht maintained his innocence, but when he was arrested, his laptop was in his possession. It had been unlocked, giving law enforcement access to all his files, the website code, private messages between himself and Silk Road employees, and a diary with entries matching messages on OKCupid, exposing his real identity.

Now, he’s a free man, and it’s pretty rich for Trump to pardon a drug dealer because he is the same guy calling for the death penalty for drug dealers, but we guess he means the Black and Brown ones.

Social media has been reacting to this latest pardon, especially in the wake of former President Joe Biden issuing pardons to his son Hunter Biden, other family members, Dr. Fauci, and members of the January 6 committee to protect them from Trump and his cronies.

You can see those reactions in the gallery below.

1. Listen to this breakdown of what is the most ridiculous pardon ever

2. Exactly

3. Mmmmhhhmmmm

4. Donald Trump is a sick man

6. Make it make sense

7. Tim Kaine with a great observation

8. You know the answer to this question

22 Jan 2025

How to Watch FireAid Benefit Concert for L.A. Wildfire Victims

The FireAid benefit concerts are just around the corner, supporting victims of the ongoing wildfire crisis that has devastated the Los Angeles area.

The Jan. 30 event will take place at two venues, with Billie Eilish, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting and Tate McRae playing at Intuit Dome.

Meanwhile, Alanis Morissette, Anderson. Paak, Dave Matthews and John Mayer, Dawes, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, No Doubt, P!nk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks and The Black Crowes will be performing at the Kia Forum.

For fans who won’t be able to join the event in person, there are a number of ways to watch online. Amazon Music/Prime Video, Apple Music, the AppleTV app, Disney+/Hulu, Facebook/Instagram, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Max, Netflix/Tudum, Paramount+, Peacock/NBC News Now, SiriusXM’s exclusive Life With John Mayer channel, SoundCloud, Veeps and YouTube will all be streaming the concerts.

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Additionally, select AMC Theatre locations will host screenings of the event. Serving as the national audio partner, iHeartRadio will amplify the initiative and connect audiences nationwide via its hundreds of radio station and the iHeartRadio app.

Tickets to see the shows in person are on sale via Ticketmaster, starting at $99. All proceeds will go to benefit FireAid relief efforts, with all venue and ticketing service fees.

The FireAid benefit concert is being produced by Shelli, Irving and the Azoff family, in conjunction with Live Nation and AEG Presents. Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet is the executive producer and Rick Krim is the FireAid talent producer.

22 Jan 2025

Busta Rhymes ft. YG Marley “Treasure And Gold,” Central Cee & 21 Savage “GBP” & More | Daily Visuals 1.22.25

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Slick Rick 60th Birthday Soiree

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Over the past few years Busta Rhymes has been experiencing a resurgence of sorts as he’s been thrust back into the limelight and showing he hasn’t lost a step whether in his rap skills or entertainment persona. Still, the man is mainly focusing on his music career and continues to drop off new work to keep heads boppin’ and hips moving.

Linking up with YG Marley for the visuals to “Treasure and Gold,” Busta Rhymes takes to a Jamaican paradise getaway where the women are beautiful, the Maybach’s roll in packs and the ganja is abundant. Busta spittin’ his bars with that Jamaican accent was top notch. Way better than Method Man’s Jamaican accent in that flick The Wackness. Just sayin.’

From Jamaica to the UK, London’s favorite son 21 Savage links up with Central Cee to show everyone how they do in The Big Smoke and in their clip to “GBP” the two artists turn up and show that things can get just as litty across the pond as they can in the U.S..

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Roc Marciano, Quentin Miller, and more.

BUSTA RHYMES FT. YG MARLEY – “TREASURE AND GOLD”

CENTRAL CEE & 21 SAVAGE – “GBP”

ROC MARCIANO & THE ALCHEMIST – “RAUF”

QUENTIN MILLER – “WHAT IT TAKES”

STAKZ DEVITO FT. MILLYZ & JIM JONES – “LET IT BURN”

SKIPPA DA FLIPPA – “WE DON’T MISS”

BOLDY JAMES – “FLAG ON THE PLAY”

ONPOINTLIKEOP & SHEFF G – “BREAD”

22 Jan 2025

Lauren Alaina Reveals Pregnancy in Tender ‘Those Kind of Women’ Music Video

Congratulations are in order for Lauren Alaina, who is expecting her first child with husband Cam Arnold!

The country star revealed the exciting news with People, and showed off her new baby bump in her music video for “Those Kind of Women,” released on Wednesday (Jan. 22). In the clip, the 30-year-old American Idol alum watches in awe as her mother raises her, from pregnancy to present — ultimately revealing that she’s going to be a mom herself, cradling her growing belly. “I was raised by those kind of women/ Rocked to sleep on Dolly and Dylan/ Set ya straight with a fly swatter whippin’/ You can always smell love cookin’ in the kitchen,” she sings in the chorus with her characteristically sweet country twang.

Alaina told People of her pregnancy, “[I didn’t know] I can love something that I haven’t even really held yet. I feel the baby inside me, and it’s kicking me and doing all of the things. It’s like I was the Grinch or something, and my heart grew.”

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She added, “I’m looking forward to watching my husband be a dad. He is so obsessed with our animals; he’s a big nurturer in general. In fact, when I was getting ready to marry him, that was something that I knew would be one of the best things about being his wife, was being able to parent with him.”

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Watch Alaina’s “Those Kind of Women” music video below.

22 Jan 2025

Bruno Mars Teases ‘Strip Club Anthem’ With Sexyy Red: ‘Found Her’

On the heels of the Lady Gaga-assisted “Die With a Smile” remaining at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for another week, Bruno Mars has turned his focus to his next single.

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Looking to craft a new strip club anthem, Bruno made sure to give Sexyy Red a call as someone who knows a thing or two about turning the jiggle joints up with ratchet hits. It appears the Bruno x Big Sexyy collaboration is already on the horizon as the Grammy Award-winning superstar teased a snippet of the untitled track on social media on Wednesday (Jan. 22).

“Found Her,” he captioned the post which features a graphic of Sexyy Red hugging on Bruno while he brushes up against her.

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“Yeah! It’s Sexyy,” she can be heard calling out on the teaser clip. “Hey Bruno!”

It’s still unclear when the forthcoming hit is set to arrive but social media is speculating that the track is landing on Friday (Jan. 24) and is explicitly tentatively titled “Fat, Juicy & Wet.”

This all seemed to be part of Bruno Mars’ master plan. The pop supernova hopped into the Instagram comment section earlier this week celebrating “Die With a Smile” topping the Hot 100 for a third consecutive week where he revealed he was heading to the studio and trying to get Sexyy’s attention.

“THANK YOU ALL! I’m headed to the studio right now to make a strip club anthem so I can celebrate and properly act up this weekend,” he wrote to Instagram. “Someone please help me get in touch with Sexyy Red!”

He wasn’t kidding as Sexyy didn’t waste any time in getting in touch with Bruno. “You lookin for ah real bthc baby I’m right hur,” she replied in a since-deleted comment, per Complex.

The unreleased track is expected to be the first single of the year for Bruno, who is teaming up with the St. Louis native for their first collab as well. Listen to the snippet below.

22 Jan 2025

Mary J. Blige, Lisa Lisa & Gloria Gaynor Head Upcoming ‘Voices of a Lifetime’ Slate

Mary J. Blige, Lisa Lisa and Gloria Gaynor comprise the trio of icons who will be spotlighted when Lifetime’s 2025 “Voices of a Lifetime” platform returns this winter. The launch begins Jan. 25 with the premiere of the original movie Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair.

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Inspired by the Blige hit “Family Affair,” the premiere marks the third installment in the Queen of Hip-Hip and Soul’s music-inspired movie franchise that launched in 2023 with Mary J. Blige’s Real Love followed by Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman. The films chronicle the love story of central characters Kendra and Ben, with chapter three picking up with the pair’s move to a new town and the issues that ensue as they work to finally build a life together.  Kendra and Ben are portrayed by Ajiona Alexus and Da’Vinchi, respectively. Both also served as executive producers of the movie along with others including Blige and Davis Entertainment’s Jordan and John Davis. Troy Scott directed from a script written by Rachel Ingram with Front Street Pictures producing the project.

Coming Feb. 1 is Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story about the Latin hip-hop pioneer born Lisa Velez. The authorized biopic focuses on the singer-actress whose career took off as a member of the ‘80s group Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. The gold- and platinum-selling band’s Full Force-produced chain of hits includes “I Wonder If I Take You Home,” “Head to Toe,” “Lost in Emotion” and “All Cried Out.” Jearnest Corchado stars as Velez who, in turn, portrays her own mother and doubles as executive producer. Also in the cast: Bre-Z (Empire) and New York City radio personality Angie Martinez. Produced by Swirl Films, the biopic is directed by Tailiah Breon with a script from Rebecca Murga.

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Rounding out Voices of a Lifetime’s triple rollout on Feb. 8 is another authorized biopic, Robin Roberts Presents I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story. Gaynor, aka the Queen of Disco, is the force behind the ageless empowerment anthem “I Will Survive.” Featuring other memorable songs from the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter’s catalog, the film stars Tony Award winner Joaquina Kalukango, who is among the project’s executive producers and also starred in Roberts’ Emmy-nominated biopic Mahalia. Lance Gross plays Gaynor’s husband and manager Linwood Simon; their tumultuous relationship is among the personal challenges that Gaynor faced during her career.

Gaynor served as an executive producer. She also wrote and recorded an original song for the biopic, which Roberts and Linda Berman produced for Rock’n Robin Productions in association with Apex Content Ventures. Alicia K. Harris directed from a script written by Njeri Brown and Jane Espenson. After the premiere of Robin Roberts Presents I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story, Lifetime will present the world television debut of the documentary Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive. Produced by Storyville Entertainment, Sing Me Back Home Productions and Tora 9, the documentary — which initially premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival — was helmed by Emmy-nominated director Betsy Schechter; Gaynor is among its executive producers. For more information and additional updates, visit Lifetime.

22 Jan 2025

Weverse Users Up 19% in 2024 as Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa Joined the Superfan Platform

Artists such as Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion and Conan Gray helped Weverse, HYBE’s social media/fandom platform, grow its users by 16% in both the U.S. and Canada in 2024, the company announced Wednesday (Jan. 22). Weverse users also saw strong growth elsewhere, rising 21% in Brazil, 14% in Mexico, 22% in Japan and 54% in Taiwan. Originally a platform for K-pop groups, the platform has grown along with HYBE’s global expansion and posted 19% user growth across all territories.

Those statistics and more come from the new 2024 Weverse Fandom Trend Report, a recap of the platform’s tremendous growth and a testament to fans’ interest in their favorite artists. Joon Choi, president of Weverse Company, called 2024 “a transformative year” that expanded the platform’s artist communities, fan engagement and commerce activities. “Weverse remains committed to innovating its services to meet the evolving needs of artists and fans, solidifying its position as the center of global fandom culture,” he said in a statement.

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As much of the music industry begins to focus on better serving superfans, Weverse has already established itself as a money-making destination for fans of a select group of artists. The platform launched in 2019 and last year introduced a subscription tier that provides ad-free viewing, video downloads for offline access, high-quality streaming and language translation. “Digital membership, we believe, is the very first cornerstone of the future evolution [of Weverse],” Choi told Billboard in December.

Like a typical social network, Weverse allows artists to publish messages and content and gives fans an opportunity to leave comments. In 2024, Weverse Artists on the Weverse platform shared approximately 206,000 posts and fans generated 370 million posts. SEVENTEEN had the highest number of posts while ENHYPEN had the most comments. The platform also allows fans to send direct messages to artists — a perk for subscribers. Last year, artists sent 698,000 direct messages to fans and fans sent 96.36 million messages to artists. More than half (55%) of artists on Weverse send direct messages to fans at least every two days. Fans also sent 4.88 million personally decorated digital letters. Jung Kook received the most fan letters while LEEHAN of BOYNEXTDOOR responded to the most fan letters.

Weverse also hosted 5,787 live broadcasts on Weverse Live, the platform’s live streaming feature, totaling 4,779 hours of content in 2024 (artists don’t only live stream concert performances on Weverse Live and in fact usually opt for casual interactions and Q&A sessions with fans). Weverse Live videos were viewed 426 million times by 11.25 million unique Weverse users in 2024, while the top live stream of the year was “Missed You a Lot” by Jung Kook, which amassed 23 million real-time views.

E-commerce separates Weverse from a typical social network. Through Weverse Shop, Weverse sold 20.6 million pieces, a 13% increase from 2023. Physical merchandise such as albums and collectibles improved 10%, while Weverse Shop also sold 3.4 million pieces of digital merchandise, including artist memberships and online content, a 24% increase. Other than Weverse’s home market of South Korea, the United States and Japan were the top markets for merchandise. The top-selling digital items were artist memberships: BTS ARMY memberships were most popular in Oceania, Latin America and Europe while SEVENTEEN’s CARAT memberships were most popular in North America.

22 Jan 2025

Nikola Jokic Says ‘Maybe’ He’ll Perform 50 Cent’s ‘Many Men’ One Day After Declining to Rap It on TV

Nikola Jokic is apparently a big fan of 50 Cent, especially the Queens rapper’s song “Many Men.”

After Denver Nuggets teammate DeAndre Jordan recently revealed that the 2003 song is Jokic’s favorite, the NBA on TNT crew joked with the three-time MVP about him supposedly knowing every word and pleaded for him to rap the words during a postgame interview.

“No, no, no, I’m not,” Jokic laughed, refusing to rap. “D.J. is a bad teammate. I love the song, I love the song, but I’m not going to [rap it].”

“Peyton Watson is our locker room DJ, so anytime Nikola request a song, if it’s not, like, Serbian folk music, it is ‘Many Men’ by 50 Cent,” Jordan shared on the Run It Back podcast. “He knows the words from start to finish. … That’s his song, man, he loves it.”

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Jordan couldn’t confirm if the Serbian big man had ever seen 50’s 2003 movie Get Rich or Die Tryin’, but he said he’s going to get him a tape if he hasn’t. “You know what, I don’t know, but if he hasn’t, I’m going to get it for him on VHS.”

However, the Joker bashfully denied Jordan’s claim, but said he’ll learn the words and maybe perform the song sometime in the future.

“No, no, he’s lying. I don’t know the words. But I’m going to [learn] it. Maybe I’m going to perform, I think,” he said as they egged him on and suggested he do the performance during the upcoming All-Star weekend in February.

The highlight of the clip, though, is Adam Lefkoe rapping the hook and Shaq attempting to rap the words in Serbian (or French, maybe Creole, depending on who you ask.)

22 Jan 2025

Aaron & Nick Carter’s Sister to Open Up About Family’s ‘Deeply Disturbing Path’ in Documentary

Angel Carter Conrad is getting ready to tell her side of her family’s history — including her memories of famous brothers Nick Carter and the late Aaron Carter — in a new documentary titled The Carters coming to Paramount+ later this year.

As announced Wednesday (Jan. 22), the two-part project will give viewers a “deeply personal look at the extreme highs and tragic lows of a family propelled into the spotlight” by Nick’s boy band career with the Backstreet Boys and Aaron’s rise to solo pop stardom. Told through the eyes of Angel — Aaron’s twin sister — the doc will piece together the Carter family’s “deeply disturbing path” through never-before-seen home movies and exclusive interviews with friends Melissa Joan Hart and Scout Willis.

“The Carters follows bona fide American teen heartthrobs, Nick and Aaron, who seemed to have it all,” reads a description. “But behind their remarkable gifts was a family dealing with mental health struggles, drug addiction, and heartbreaking neglect.”

An exact release date has not yet been announced. Director Soleil Moon Frye said in a statement, “I feel morally responsible to create a safe space for others to share their truths … Angel’s courage in sharing her family’s journey of mental health issues, addiction, pain, unbearable loss, and at the core, love, is a profound testament to who she is.”

“This documentary is a labor of love for my family,” added Angel. “By sharing our true story — one shaped by loss, resilience, and healing — I hope to honor our journey and transform our past into a message of hope and purpose for others facing similar challenges.”

Aaron, Nick and Angel are three of five children in their family. They also had a sister named Leslie, who died of an apparent overdose in 2012, and another sister, Bobbie Jean, who died of an accidental overdose in 2023. Aaron died the year prior in an accidental drowning. The siblings also lost their father to a heart attack in 2017.

Seemingly uninvolved in the documentary, Nick Carter is currently embroiled in legal battles with three women who have accused him of sexual assault: Shannon “Shay” Ruth, Dream singer Melissa Schuman and an anonymous Jane Doe, who in August 2023 filed a complaint alleging Nick assaulted her multiple times in 2003 when she was 15. Ruth sued the “Now or Never” singer in December 2022 for allegedly raping her on a tour bus when she was a teenager, while Schuman’s suit came in April 2023 over claims Nick gave her drug-laced alcohol and assaulted her when she was 18.

In August last year, Nick countersued Schuman for $2.5 million. He also countersued Ruth before that; both times, a judge refused attempts to have the countersuits dismissed.

22 Jan 2025

From Broadway to Movies to Music, Oz Has Bewitched Audiences (And Billboard’s Back Pages) for 125 Years

Few American-made mythologies loom larger than L. Frank Baum’s Oz. His 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was an instant sensation that was made into theatrical productions and films, and later inspired songs by Elton John, America, ELO and even the Melvins.

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Now, Jon M. Chu’s blockbuster Wicked is taking audiences beyond the yellow brick road, thanks to bewitching performances by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. So put on your emerald-colored glasses for a look back at Billboard’s coverage of a story that transported people over the rainbow to another world.

Not In Kansas Anymore

Just two years after Baum published his book, a musical adaptation, The Wizard of Oz, opened in a Chicago theater. Thanks to vaudeville veterans Fred Stone and David C. Montgomery playing the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, respectively, the Jan. 3, 1903, Billboard raved, “It is one continuous case of laughter throughout.” The reviewer noted, however, that “the music isn’t so very catchy.” If they only had a Rodgers & Hart!

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If They Only Had a Brain

When the sixth silent film based on Oz opened in 1925, a Billboard critic wasn’t convinced it was King of the Forest. “No one ever expects logic in a film of this species and certainly no one finds any in The Wizard of Oz,” wrote a reviewer in the April 25 issue of director Larry Semon’s slapstick take. The good news: “You can safely invite the school committee and the clergy to view this film as it is wholesome and totally without objectionable features.”

‘What Happened Next Was Rich’

When MGM’s lush The Wizard of Oz premiered in New York, Billboard was there — as was star actress Judy Garland, who sang a few songs after the screening with frequent co-star Mickey Rooney. The “vaudefilmers” combo grossed $68,000 and broke “all house records,” according to the Sept. 2, 1939, issue. Two weeks later, Billboard forecast a bright future for “Over the Rainbow”: “You can count on its staying around for some time.” By Sept. 30, the song was a jukebox must: “No ifs and buts to it — it’s got to be in every machine.”

No Place Like Harlem

When The Wiz, a stage musical reimagining with an all-Black cast, opened on Broadway in 1975, a Jan. 18 Billboard review hailed its “sauce, moxy and innovation.” Sidney Lumet’s big-screen adaptation was “a wow” but “rather long,” according to the Oct. 14, 1978, issue. The same reviewer also said that Michael Jackson “excels as Scarecrow in several numbers,” including “a vibrant duet” with Diana Ross on “Ease on Down the Road” — which hit No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 the next week.

Age-‘Defying’ Appeal

A full century after Oz first hit the Gay White Way, Wicked debuted on Broadway. It was very “Popular”: When Billboard launched its Top Cast Albums chart in the Jan. 21, 2006, issue, the original cast recording was the first No. 1. Wicked’s broomstick flight to Hollywood was just as successful. “Ariana Grande is a revelation,” praised a Nov. 22, 2024, Billboard article, adding that Erivo’s Wicked Witch “feels real and relatable — even in a musical with talking goats.”