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Donald Trump has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to block the sentencing for the hush money case before it takes place at the end of the week.
On Wednesday morning (Jan. 8), Donald Trump made an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to block his sentencing in the hush money case in New York City. “This court should enter an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York trial court,” the application from his legal team read, “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government.”
Trump was convicted last May on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, whom Trump had an affair with. The payments were made through Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, in 2016 before his election to the White House later that year. Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday (Jan. 10) before District Court Judge Juan Merchan, 10 days before he is sworn in as president. Merchan has signaled that he may not give Trump any fines or jail time. Still, the sentencing would solidify Trump’s entering office with the dubious distinction of being a convicted felon.
Trump’s defense hinges on the polarizing ruling made by the Supreme Court last June that said that former presidents did have broad immunity for their past actions. His lawyers also argued that his status if fully sentenced would hinder his abilities as president. “In fact, the prospect of imposing sentence on President Trump just before he assumes office as the 47th president raises the specter of other possible restrictions on liberty, such as travel, reporting requirements, registration, probationary requirements, and others — all of which would be constitutionally intolerable under the doctrine of presidential immunity,” they wrote.
The Supreme Court has directed its prosecutors from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to answer the motion by 10 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 9). The previous appeal in New York was denied on Tuesday (Jan. 7), prompting Trump’s lawyers to file an emergency appeal to that state’s highest court and the Supreme Court simultaneously.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: Timothée Chalamet helps get Bob Dylan rolling on streaming, one of basketball’s Ball brothers goes supernova on social media, a late dance great sees streaming gains from a new documentary and more.
The Streams, They Are a-Boomin’: Bob Dylan’s Catalog Soars Thanks to ‘A Complete Unknown’
A Complete Unknown, James Mangold’s new Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, has spent the past few weeks scoring raves from critics, posting top 10 box office receipts and earning Oscar buzz, with Chalamet zooming into the Best Actor race thanks to his portrayal of the music icon during the first half of the 1960s. With the film going into wide release on Dec. 25, Unknown has helped Dylan’s storied catalog receive a huge spike on streaming services since Christmas Day, with listeners putting away their holiday playlists and picking up Highway 61 Revisited.
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During the week ending Dec. 26, Dylan’s catalog earned 11.6 million U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate; that number leapt to 20.2 million streams the following week (ending Jan. 2), in the first full tracking week since the film’s wide release. Compared to Dylan’s streaming numbers from one month earlier, in which his catalog earned 8.1 million streams in the week ending Dec. 5, A Complete Unknown has helped the legend’s weekly streaming numbers grow by roughly 150%.
Meanwhile, some of Dylan’s early classic songs (which Chalamet sings himself in the film) have gotten replayed since its release, with listeners wanting to either revisit or discover the original versions. “Like a Rolling Stone” earned 1.64 million streams in the week ending Jan. 2, a 232% increase from its streaming total five weeks ago (494,000 during the week ending Nov. 28). Meanwhile, “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” posted streaming jumps of 215% and 174%, respectively, from their weekly totals during the last full tracking week of November. With the Academy Awards nominations being announced next Friday (Jan. 17) and the Oscars scheduled for Mar. 2, these streaming numbers may stay boosted — or keep climbing — for a few more months. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
G3 Gelo (aka LiAngelo Ball) Scores 2025’s First Viral Smash
There’s hitting the ground running, and then there’s scoring the first viral track of the year just three days in. G3 Gelo, aka LiAngelo Ball, knows a thing or two about the latter.
After a snippet of “Tweaker” went viral in late December, Gelo – the second of basketball’s three Ball Brothers, along with guards Lonzo and LaMelo of the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, respectively — uploaded the full thing to WorldStarHipHop’s YouTube channel, with DSP uploads following soon after.
The early ’00s hip-hop-indebted track has increased in streams every day since its official release on Jan. 3. By its fourth day of release, streaming activity for “Tweaker” jumped a jaw-dropping 871% from where it was upon its debut. The song earned over 1.83 million official on-demand U.S. streams on Jan. 6 versus 188,000 streams on Jan. 3.
Already given the stamp of approval by sports teams across the country, a few hip-hop heavyweights are also co-signing G3 Gelo’s breakout hit; both Boosie Badazz and Moneybagg Yo have asked Gelo to send them an open verse. What’s more? A newscaster has already referenced “Tweaker” live on the air! With so much momentum and little competition from 2025 hip-hop releases at the moment, the coast is clear for “Tweaker” to reign in the coming weeks. – KYLE DENIS
Avicii’s Catalog Surges in Streams After New Documentary
The Avicii catalog experienced a significant streaming surge following the release of a new documentary about the late artist.
In the wake of the Dec. 31 release of I’m Tim on Netflix, global on-demand streams of the Swedish producer’s catalog increased by 63.9%, according to Luminate. The artist’s catalog had a total of 26.4 streams in the four days preceding the film’s release, Dec. 27-30, with this number rising to 43.3 million from Dec. 31-Jan. 3.
The streaming surge has been especially pronounced for three of Avicii’s biggest songs: 2013’s “Wake Me Up” (featuring Aloe Blacc) has experienced a 47.1% increase in global on-demand streams; 2015’s “The Nights” has seen a 27.6% increase; and 2011’s “Levels” has had a 68.2% increase. – KATIE BAIN
Read more about the I’m Tim documentary and Avicii’s related streaming gains here.
‘Mufasa’ Soundtrack Roars Into the New Year with Multiple Streaming Hits
After losing out to Sonic 3 in its debut week at the domestic box office, Mufasa – the Barry Jenkins-helmed prequel to 2019’s Oscar-nominated photorealistic remake of the 1994 classic – climbed to the summit, becoming America’s first No. 1 movie of 2025. Helping Mufasa sustain its box office pull: the stunning streaming success of its soundtrack, led by Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr., who are in the midst of a viral press tour.
According to Luminate, the Mufasa soundtrack pulled 1.02 million official on-demand U.S. streams in its first week of release (ending Dec. 19). That figure jumped 224% the following week (Dec. 20-26) to over 3.33 million streams. By its third week of release – the same week the film topped the domestic box office – Mufasa’s streams jumped a further 137% to 7.92 million streams.
The breakout hit of the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned soundtrack is the adorably protective “I Always Wanted a Brother,” performed by Pierre, Harrison, Jr., Theo Somolu and Braelyn Rankins. The Mufasa-Scar duet has consistently been the most-streamed song from the album, logging over 3.17 million streams last week (Dec. 27-Jan. 2). From family-centric TikTok trends to NOLA bounce “trip out” remixes and Pierre’s viral Jennifer Hudson Show spirit tunnel walk, “Brother” is quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon. Pierre also duets with Tiffany Boone on “Tell Me It’s You,” another breakout song from the soundtrack. Streaming activity for their duet has exploded 1,301% over the past two weeks, crossing 1.09 million official on-demand U.S. streams last week (Dec. 27-Jan. 2).
In addition to returning cast members from the 2019 film like Beyoncé and Donald Glover, Mufasa boasts some new additions, including Grammy winner Blue Ivy Carter and BAFTA-nominated actor Mads Mikkelsen. While Carter does not sing in Mufasa, Mikkelsen performs “Bye Bye,” yet another viral cut from the soundtrack, alongside Joanna Jones and Folake Olowofoyeku. “Bye Bye” has jumped over 120% in streaming activity for each of the past two weeks, earning over 1.25 million streams last week (Dec. 27-Jan. 2). – KD
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Source: Carmen Mandato / Getty
2024 was an absolute struggle year for Drake as Kendrick Lamar systematically tore down his reputation, credibility, and popularity all in a matter of weeks (just sayin’), and now it seems like 2025 might not be much kinder, as the King of the North is having trouble moving his home out in California.
According to Newsweek, the “One Dance” artist is currently trying to sell his Beverly Hills home, which he purchased in March of 2022 only to put it back on the market in May of 2023. Originally shelling out $75 million for the 10-bedroom, 22-bath mansion, Drizzy was hoping to get back a little something on top and listed it for $88 million. Unfortunately, for him, it doesn’t seem like it’s garnering much interest. And Drizzy might have to take yet another L and sell the estate for a little less than his original asking price even, as Redfin says that median sale price in Beverly Hills is up 19.4% year-over-year.
Per Newsweek:
Redfin estimates that Drake’s house is worth approximately $69 million—about $6 million less than what the rapper paid for the property in 2022 and $19 million less than the current asking price.
The 24,757-square-foot home was initially owned by British singer Robbie Williams, who purchased the property in 2015 for just over $32 million. While Williams made over $42 million in the sale, Drake may have to take a $6 million loss if the home sells at its current $69 million valuation.
“I think it’s a hard sell,” Scott Gorelick, realtor at The Agency RE in Beverly Hills, told Newsweek.
According to Gorelick, Drake’s mansion sits outside the confines of a “true” Beverly Hills location, and those willing to pay that high of a price tag are typically home shopping on Billionaires Row in Malibu, Beverly Hills Proper or Bel Air, California.
Drizzy didn’t even cop a crib in the “true” Beverly Hills?! We’re shocked.
While most homes for sale in Beverly Hills only last roughly two months on the market, Drake’s home has been sitting for 248 days and counting with no buyers in sight as of yet. If Drizzy wants to move that house, he may have to lower his asking price a bit more and take a loss on his original $75 million investment.
Scott Gorelick, realtor at The Agency RE in Beverly Hills, told Newsweek: “…I think the price is closer to $60M in that location. Most of the 20 acres is unusable hillside and the views are not the A+ views that many other locations in Beverly Hills Proper or Bel Air will have. The home is also dated and needs a renovation.”
That Canadian man just can’t catch a break in the States.
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Source: press handout / Mexico
El Chapo is being reminded that blood isn’t always thicker than water. The drug kingpin’s sons are allegedly negotiating plea deals with the United States government.
As spotted on Newsweek, the two offspring of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán are said to be working with the court system on agreements that will essentially lessen their jail time. Back in 2019, their infamous father was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years for overseeing a continuing criminal enterprise, the Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexican organized crime syndicate. Since then, federal prosecutors alleged that Ovidio Guzmán López, 34, and Joaquín Guzmán López, 38, took over the operation after their father was captured in 2016.
In 2023, the siblings were both named in indictments by federal prosecutors claiming they were principals in a fentanyl-trafficking operation. The “Chapitos” have since been arrested in 2024, both originally pled not guilty to various charges. On Tuesday (Jan. 7), attorneys confirmed the two are negotiating plea agreements. “We need a bit more time,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Erskine said in court. “We’re trying to explore whether there might be a global resolution.” The legal professional did not comment further.
Ovidio Guzmán López is due in court Feb. 27. Joaquin Guzmán López is due in court March 19. El Chapo is currently serving his time in a ADX Florence, a super maximum prison in Colorado.
No plea deal — yet — for El Chapo’s sons, per report from their court appearance today in Chicago… https://t.co/2oDNGIE1QV
— Keegan Hamilton (@keegan_hamilton) January 7, 2025
Billboard is ranking the Top 100 Artists of the 21st Century, and we’re giving you a look into the top three, and how many No. 1s they’ve claimed on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100. Who’s your No. 1 artist? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: Billboard has ranked the Top 100 […]
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Source: Eric Charbonneau / Getty / Allison Holker / Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss
Allison Holker, the widow of Stephen’ tWitch’ Boss, is facing a tremendous amount of backlash from both Boss’ family and social media after revealing the late dancer and Ellen Show DJ/dancer allegedly used drugs and made his family and friends sign NDAs to attend his funeral.
It didn’t take long for the backlash to surface after Allison Holker’s exclusive interview with People dropped, featuring her talking about her late husband’s tragic passing, which sparked Boss’ cousin, Elle, to air out Holker on X, formerly Twitter.
Per Page Six:
“He wasn’t an addict. He smoked weed and was actively trying to quit. He wasn’t some junkie,” she tweeted, adding that Holker has allegedly kept Boss’ three kids — Weslie, 16 (whom Boss adopted), Maddox, 8, and Zaia, 5 — from seeing his relatives.
“I’m so tired of keeping my f–king mouth shut bro. You did our family so mf dirty,” she added in a separate tweet, before alleging that Holker made Boss’ family and friends sign NDAs to attend his funeral.
“Yeah idgaf about an NDA. This crazy woman made me and his actual family including his mother sign an NDA just to even attend the funeral,” Elle claimed.
“She’s been trying to tarnish his legacy and refuses to let the Boss family see the children. Only to exploit and LIE on my cousin. Hell no.”
Boss’ Cousin Wasn’t Alone In Calling Out Allison Holker
Elle wasn’t alone; Courtney Ann Platt, a close friend of Boss and former New York Knicks dancer, also had time for Holker, calling her out in a lengthy Instagram post, confirming Boss’ cousin’s claims.
“This is by far the most tacky, classless, opportunistic act I have ever seen in my entire life,” Platt wrote in response to Holker’s interview with People where she is also plugging her memoir, This Far.
“We all had to sign some weird NDA to attend his funeral (even his own mother who you’ve treated like garbage this entire time and let’s just remember you wouldn’t have even had a husband if it wasn’t for her) not to share anything or ruin his name as if that was on anyone’s mind in the first place and here you go and write a book with all the dirty laundry smearing his name and attempting to dim the bright loyal, loving, light that was your husband, my friend,” Platt continued.
She added, “What a joke. Yes, he took his own life which is a fact all of us still can’t fathom and he was clearly having mental health issues, hurting so deeply and this is your example of empathy? Of your love?”
Boss’ brothers reshared Platt’s post in their Instagram Stories.
X users also got in on the action, calling out Holker for “tarnishing” her late husband’s legacy for bringing up his alleged drug use well after his suicide on December 13, 2022, at the age of 40.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
*If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.*
1. Holker’s own manager is not rocking with her
2. Choreographer Emmanuel Hurd also called out Allison Holker
4. Took off the ring and changed the last name with the quickness
5. Very vile
6. Allison Holker might want to stay off social media for a few days
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Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty
Looks like Nicki Minaj’s barbie mobile was green when luck was on her side to be denied for an arrest warrant. The warrant was denied due to a lack of evidence after the former manager pressed charges claiming she physically attacked him. TMZ stated, “A spokesperson for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office tells TMZ … they have reviewed the warrant request from the Detroit Police Department but have chosen to deny it due to “insufficient evidence” proving a crime had been committed.
Brandon Garret, Minaj’s former manager, states otherwise in his lawsuit. Garret explained, she went into an egregious physical episode toward him in Detroit back in April 2024 during the Pink Friday 2 tour because of an errand for her personal prescriptions. Garret stated that Minaj allegedly struck him so hard in the head his hat flew off! Garret also claims she knocked documents out of his hand as he was surrounded by her security. Garret explains he was fearful of his safety as Minaj promised him his life was over… In the lawsuit, Garrett claims that Minaj “angrily screamed” at him: “Are you f— crazy having him pick up my prescription? You have lost your f— mind, and if my husband [Kenneth Petty] were here, he would knock out your f— teeth. You’re a dead man walking. You just f— up your whole life, and you will never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.”
Garret proceeds to sue Nicki Minaj for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress according to TMZ… Minaj’s lawyer commented that this is a frivolous and false lawsuit, and all the allegations are false. Will the Queen get out of this conviction thing?
As dangerous wildfires continue to rapidly spread across Los Angeles County, a number of famous residents are among the thousands of people whose homes were affected by the tragedy. Songwriter Diane Warren took to Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 8) to reveal that her beach home was one of the properties that was burned down. Explore […]
Following a recent license review, London dance venue Drumsheds has been allowed to remain open but was ordered to enforce new safety measures at its events.
Located in Tottenham, a northern suburb of the capital, the 15,000-capacity venue was reported as being at risk of losing its license late last year. This followed a number of serious incidents on the premises and a subsequent investigation launched by Enfield Council.
On Oct. 12, 2024, a 27-year-old man died after attending a Drumsheds event, an incident believed to have been drug-related (as per The London Standard). On Dec. 7, a 29-year-old woman also died after a show by Belfast dance duo Bicep at the venue, with police stating the tragedy was also connected to drug usage. An emergency licensing review was called after the latter incident.
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In November, meanwhile, a man was stabbed inside Drumsheds, with emergency services called to the scene. No arrests have been made in connection with any of these three incidents. The stabbing was later confirmed by police to be non-fatal.
Following a meeting held by Enfield Council Tuesday (Jan. 7), it has been ruled that Drumsheds has permission to remain open, but will need to operate under specific safety measures going forward. The space — a repurposed IKEA unit — will now boast an increased police presence during events, and any serious incidents on the premises must be reported to emergency services immediately.
Issues with the organization of the venue were highlighted online last month, when a public petition was launched amid claims of “overcrowding” at Drumsheds events following a surplus of social media posts related to “unsafe queues.” This happened at the 15th anniversary celebration for U.K. bass label UKF, which took place on Dec. 13 and was headlined by Pendulum, Nero and Knife Party.
As per Mixmag, however, the review findings from the meeting have stated that the venue will not have to reduce its capacity, nor implement mandatory ID scanning and “bomb detection dogs.” It isn’t yet clear how the new measures will impact upcoming events at Drumsheds. The first scheduled event following the review, billed as Red Bull’s Culture Clash, is set to be held on Mar. 8. The line-up features London DJs Jyoty, Kenny Allstar and Teezee.
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Source: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
Newly released bodycam footage shows a pretty tense run-in between rapper/actor Ice-T and a cop during a traffic stop in Hudson County, New Jersey, last May.
Ice-T, known for his iconic role as NYPD detective “Odafin ‘Fin’ Tutuola” on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, was pulled over near a DMV office while driving his Porsche. The incident unfolded as Ice-T attempted to address registration issues with the vehicle.
According to the footage, the 66-year-old entertainer explained he was headed to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) following a system outage that occurred when he’d tried to update his paperwork before. Despite the minor traffic offense, things escalated quickly, with both sides becoming frustrated. At one point, Ice-T asked if he was being arrested before questioning the officer’s right to tow the car. Things became so intense they called for a supervisor, who helped calm things down.
Ultimately, Ice-T got four tickets for expired tags, no inspection, and other paperwork problems. But his car wasn’t towed, and he was allowed to finish with the paperwork at the DMV to bring the vehicle registration current.
The footage has caused some online debate, with many wondering how the stop was handled and others pointing out how hard it is to stay calm in stressful situations.
This incident adds to the ongoing conversation about law enforcement and how public figures are treated. Even though things got tense, it didn’t escalate further, making people think about the balance between authority and respect in these situations.
Law & Order Star Ice-T Goes Off on Cop During Traffic Stop pic.twitter.com/N8Xp1x0WVC
— Bodycam Videos 🚔📹 (@BodycamVideos_) January 3, 2025