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04 Sep 2024

From Lightning Rod to Promotional Must: Hitting Rewind on Billboard’s Coverage of the Music Video

This year’s MTV Video Music Awards will take place Sept. 11, a full four decades since the first VMAs helped the nascent cable network make a place for itself, as well as the music video format. Back then, some executives already had a crystal-clear picture of its possibilities, while others just saw static. Video eventually migrated from TV screen to mobile phone, cable to Internet. Billboard has been binge-watching the entire time.

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Monkee Business

Groups from ABBA to Queen had made videos since the 1970s, but it took one of The Monkees to see the future. A full year before MTV went live, the March 1, 1980, issue of Billboard reported on Mike Nesmith’s Nickelodeon TV series, Popclips. “The concept is to feature video images with songs separated by a videodisk jockey,” an article explained. Nesmith predicted that “every professional musician” would soon have to adapt. Was this “MTV see, Monkee do”?

Full Speed Ahead

Then came the new wave flood. Elektra chairman Bob Krasnow told Billboard in an Aug. 25, 1984, article that “MTV exposure for the accompanying videos” fueled The Cars’ Heartbeat City album. Others hit the brakes. “I think those people who are out spending, trying to cash in on new technology, will get their fingers burned,” predicted another executive in the same issue. A Sept. 1, 1984, op-ed shared a fear that video would kill the radio star: “How many of the superstars of yesterday… would be denied contracts in 1984 because of a perceived ‘lack of viability’ as video artists?”

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Ride the Wave

Fans wanted their MTV. “Our research shows that young record buyers are greatly affected by the channel’s airplay and promotional efforts,” reported the Sept. 8, 1984, Billboard, and “40.1% of those influenced by MTV” preferred new wave. That was reflected by the winners at the first VMAs, which took place Sept. 14, 1984, including The Cars, Cyndi Lauper and Eurythmics. But the big winner was the channel itself. “When MTV signed on in August 1981,” declared the Oct. 13, 1984, issue, “music videos changed the face of rock in the blink of an eye.”

Computer Love

With the new millennium came a new frontier. In the Sept. 4, 2004, issue, Billboard predicted that “two new mobile platforms hitting the market this year” — the Palm and Pocket PC — “represent what will become a powerful new way to distribute and consume music and music videos.” Handheld devices, it predicted, would “become a key part of the modern lifestyle.”

YouTube-ular

By the mid-2000s, industry executives longed for reruns of the days “when music videos, not longform reality and lifestyle programs, ruled the roost at MTV,” reported the Feb. 12, 2005, issue. “My biggest disappointment is that there’s no longer an ‘M’ for music in MTV,” said Clive Davis. And as the airwaves dried up, data streams began to flow. The Oct. 14, 2006, issue reported that “online sites such as MySpace, YouTube and Yahoo are pursuing [MTV’s] audience” for music videos. Seven years later, the Billboard Hot 100 began blending YouTube streams into its data pool.

This story appears in the Aug. 31, 2024, issue of Billboard.

04 Sep 2024

Daddy Yankee to Publish His First Book: Here’s What We Know

Daddy Yankee will publish his first book, titled ReaDY! The Power to Change Your Story. 

HarperCollins Publishers announced on Wednesday (Sept. 4) that it has acquired all languages rights to the inspirational work by the artist (born Raymond Ayala). The rights were acquired by Cris Garrido, VP and Publisher of Spanish. 

“Raymond has been inspiring and entertaining millions of people over the past three decades as Daddy Yankee,” said Garrido in a press statement. “We’re excited to partner with him in this new chapter of his life and career as an author. I’ve loved working with Raymond on the book — it reflects the same level of commitment and excellence that he brings to everything he does. The storytelling is rich and captivating, and he does a wonderful job of drawing from his own experiences and life lessons to show readers of all walks of life that we each have the power to change our stories.”

The book — “where music, resilience and faith converge in a story filled with trials, triumphs and transformative lessons” — is expected to publish in April 2025 in Spanish by HarperCollins Enfoque in the Americas, HarperCollins Iberica in Spain and in English by Dey Street Books with Carrie Thornton, VP and Publisher of Dey Street Books.

“Dey Street Books is proud to partner with our colleagues at Enfoque as the publisher of Daddy Yankee’s first book,” said Thornton. “Raymond Ayala Rodriguez is a pioneer in the music world and a cultural ambassador. As an author, he will have the opportunity to speak to his millions of fans, and a legion of readers, in a more intimate and in-depth way than he ever has before. As the publisher of the English-language edition of ‘ReaDY,’ Dey Street is excited to collaborate with Daddy Yankee and his team to reach new audiences and do what we do best, help launch cultural conversations.”

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Yankee opened up about his new life chapter during his four back-to-back farewell concerts in Puerto Rico late last year. 

“For many years I’ve tried filling a void in my life that no one could fill,” the global Latin urban star, known for spearheading the reggaetón movement with his 2004 breakthrough hit “Gasolina,” told fans at the time. “I tried finding a purpose — on many occasions it seemed as if I was happy, but something was missing for me to feel complete. I have to confess that those days are over, and someone was able to fill that void that I felt for a lot of time. I realized that for everyone I was someone, but I was no one without him.”

Daddy Yankee

Daddy Yankee

Courtesy Photo

04 Sep 2024

DJ Spinderella Says Salt-N-Pepa Was Warned They’d Be Arrested for Performing This Hit Song

Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” is a fan-favorite across the globe, but DJ Spinderella recalls how the “Let’s Talk About Sex” crew was nearly arrested for performing the top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit in certain venues.

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Spinderella recently joined Drink Champs for an episode, during which she claimed that venue executives threatened to arrest Salt-N-Pepa if they performed “Push It,” and it’s due to what they perceived were sexually explicit lyrics.

“It was not a sexual song,” she said. “We were literally talking about dancing on the dance floor. And people took that and took it the other way, and it actually worked for us.”

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The former Salt-N-Pepa member continued: “Being on stage and being told that, ‘If you play that song here, you can get arrested.’ So, there were times where that was almost the case. And somehow, we got to a point where we just had to convince everybody that this is not about what you think it’s about. And that is the truth.”

Sandra “Pepa” Denton detailed similar sentiments when explaining the controversy surrounding “Push It” to Page Six in 2021. “We were saying ‘push it,’; they thought we were saying, ‘Pussy, real good.’ So the police were waiting for us,” she recalled to the publication.

It’s not the first time an artist has run into trouble with venues when it comes to performing certain records. N.W.A. experienced this with their brash “F–k Tha Police” protest anthem at their summer of 1989 concert in Detroit and saw the Compton crew arrested.

“Push It” was released as part of Salt-N-Pepa’s Hot, Cool & Vicious album in 1986. The track was made a single in 1987 and peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 in ’88. Hot, Cool & Vicious is the first female album to earn gold and platinum certifications from the RIAA.

Elsewhere in the interview, DJ Spinderella provided some context behind her split from the group in 2019, which was due to not feeling respected. “You just grow up. You just get to a point where things will not be tolerated. And respect should be mutual. And when respect is mutual, we can move and do whatever,” she added. “But when respect is not mutual, then what are you here for? The bag. That don’t last because I can get a bag without it.”

Watch DJ Spinderella’s Drink Champs episode below.

04 Sep 2024

Sebastián Yatra to Make Broadway Debut in ‘Chicago’: ‘It’s Time’

Two years after making his acting debut in the miniseries Once Upon a Time… But Not Anymore, Sebastián Yatra is taking a leap to Broadway, where he will close out 2024 starring in the musical Chicago. The Colombian star will spend four weeks playing the charmingly corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn, from Monday, Nov. 25 to Sunday, Dec. 22.

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“It’s news that I’ve been eager to share for a long time,” Yatra tells Billboard Español on Wednesday (Sep. 4) from Medellín. “This is not only big for me but for Colombia, big for Latinos to keep doing these kinds of things.”

Set in the 1920s, Chicago —the longest-running American musical on Broadway after almost three decades— is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Ebb, it includes killer songs like “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango” and “Mr. Cellophane”.

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The role of Billy Flynn — famously played by Richard Gere in the 2002 film adaptation — will receive the Latin treatment from Yatra, who hopes to bring some of his contemporary and tropical flair.

“Latinos have something special even when we are speaking English, there is a lot of love within us, a lot of passion,” says the singer-songwriter, known for No. 1 hits on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart like “Tacones Rojos,” “Un Año” with Reik and “Robarte un Beso” with Carlos Vives. “I think I can offer a perspective from someone who is living in 2024 at almost 30, how he sees that world, also knowing that I could have perfectly been a lawyer and could be that person standing there. Thank God Billy and I don’t share the same values, because that would be messed up!” he adds with a laugh.

Over the years, Chicago has invited various Latin stars to join the musical for brief seasons. The list includes Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, who in 2009 played Matron “Mama” Morton, and Mexican singer and actor Jaime Camil, who in 2016 portrayed Billy Flynn.

Yatra says that he received the invitation to join the cast about six months ago via email, and, although he was very surprised, he did not hesitate to accept this new challenge immediately.

“Many times you get a proposal like this and it’s easy to get scared and say, ‘Oh no, I’m not an actor, better leave it for another time, in a couple of years’. But opportunities come when they come in life and if you don’t dare to take them, you don’t know if they’ll come again,” he says, adding that now, “it’s the right moment” as he is just starting working on his fourth studio album, whose first single, “Los Domingos,” was released last week.

The artist, who said he was fascinated 12 years ago when he saw Ricky Martin performing as Che in the Broadway musical Evita, has already received the endorsement of his Puerto Rican friend and colleague, who commented on Wednesday on Yatra’s Instagram post about his foray into the theater Mecca of New York: “That’s it ? We will be there, little brother. Absolutely. Congratulations.”

Currently preparing remotely, learning his lines and taking acting classes, Yatra is due to arrive in New York City to start in-person rehearsals a month prior to his debut. It’s an experience he is really looking forward to.

“Living in New York in December, with the snow, doing Broadway, is something I really want to live very much in the present, enjoy it, learn from it,” he said. “There are a million things to learn from all these people — the actors, the crew, the directors, the production. It’s impeccable. I was watching the play in New York City recently and it really runs like clockwork, so being able to adjust to become one more piece of that clock is going to be beautiful.”

Chicago is presented at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.) For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com.

04 Sep 2024

ME:I Hits No. 1, Naniwa Danshi Follows at No. 2 on Japan Hot 100

ME:I’s “Hi-Five” soars to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Sept. 4, marking the 11-member group’s first leader on the tally.

The digital version of the girl group’s second single dropped July 29 and debuted at No. 40 on the Japan Hot 100 dated Aug. 7. The track then slipped slightly on the list as downloads declined, but hit No. 2 in sales this week after the CD version sold 263,332 copies in its first week. The physical release boosted the song’s digital performance and it returns to the downloads tally for the first time in three weeks at No. 3, while also coming in at No. 79 for streaming (112% week-over-week) and No. 2 for radio (413%).

Bowing at No. 2 is Naniwa Danshi’s seventh single “Koisuru Hikari,” the theme song for the movie We Don’t Know Love Yet starring member Ryusei Onishi. The track launches with 432,018 CDs to top sales, while coming in at No. 5 for downloads and No. 16 for radio.

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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” rises a notch to No. 3 this week, with radio increasing by 121% from the week before and keeping the decrease in overall points to a minimum.

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“Natsu ga Kitakara” by ≠ME (“Not Equal Me”) follows at No. 4. Although the twelve-member group’s ninth single didn’t enter the lists for metrics other than sales, it debuts at No. 3 for the metric after selling 229,446 copies in its first week. ≠ME’s best chart rank so far on the Japan Hot 100 is No. 4, so the group’s latest single tied for the highest rank of its career.

Tsubaki Factory’s “Baby Spider” debuts at No. 5. The 12th single by the girl group sold 88,796 copies to reach No. 4 for sales and hit No. 38 in downloads, surpassing its previous single, “Yuuki It’s my Life!”

Elsewhere on the Japan Hot 100, Mariya Takeuchi’s “Uta wo Okurou,” the theme song of the ongoing drama Subarashikikana, Sensei!, debuts at No. 20. The latest single by the “Plastic Love” singer-songwriter tops radio and comes in at No. 14 for sales. Also, veteran band Mr. Children’s “in the pocket” bows at No. 33. The theme song for the animated movie The Colors Within rules downloads and comes in at No. 48 for radio.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

04 Sep 2024

Sade’s First New Song in Six Years Included in Sprawling ‘Transa’ Benefit Album Supporting Transgender Awareness

Reclusive pop chanteuse Sade‘s first new song in more than six years will be released in November when her track “Young Lion” appears on the TRAИƧA benefit album from the Red Hot organization. The 46-track concept LP is due out on Nov. 22 and features collaborations between more than 100 artists including: Sam Smith, Laura Jane Grace, Devendra Banhart, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Bartees Strange, Faye Webster, Julien Baker, Moses Sumney, Hunter Schafer, André 3000, Arthur Baker, Fleet Foxes, Teddy Geiger and many more.

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Sade has not put out a full-length album since 2010’s Soldier of Love and her most recent singles are a pair of songs from 2018, “Flower of the Universe” from the A Wrinkle in Time movie soundtrack and “The Big Unknown” from the soundtrack to the Steve McQueen-directed drama Widows.

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The New York Times described the vibe of the song featuring a soft piano riff and Sade’s iconic soothing vocals, pointing to lyrics “steeped in empathy and regret.” On it, Sade sings, “Young man, it’s been so heavy for you/ You must have felt so alone… I should have known/ Shine like a sun/ You have everything you need.”

The compilation of new songs, covers and exclusive tracks aims to support trans awareness and features trans, non-binary, genderqueer and cisgender acts and is dedicated to Sade’s son, Izaak, who identifies as a trans man. According to a release, the project began to come together in 2021 and marks one of the most ambitious projects ever from the Red Hot non-profit that has raised more than $15 million since 1989 to benefit HIV/AIDS relief and awareness. It is described as “a spiritual journey across 8 chapters and 46 songs, spotlighting the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today alongside contributions and collaborations from allies such as Sade, Sam Smith, André 3000, Clairo, Moses Sumney and many more. It softens the edges of the world we know, and invokes powerful dreams of the futures that might one day thunder from its cracks.”

It continues, “Trans people have always existed, with many different names across time and culture, often as spiritual healers and leaders. As global systems continue to fail humanity and all life on Earth, the journey taken by trans people – and all peoples who have been oppressed – is a blueprint of possibility. May this be a glimpse of our collective liberation, and the light inside all of us.” With more than three-and-a-half hours of music, the project is broken into eight chapters in a reference to the eight stripes on the rainbow pride flag.

Speaking to Variety, Red Hot executive director Dust Reid — who compiled the album with Massima Bell — said the idea was to celebrate all the “gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world… We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate. We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.”

Bell, a model and activist who is transgender, told the Times that Sade’s song was a revelation. “It’s amazing to hear a legendary musician like Sade sing about her heartfelt experience as the parent of a trans child,” Bell told the paper. “It’s incredibly powerful.” Reid added that the project was partly inspired by the death of beloved electronicmusician/producer Sophie in 2021. “Sophie was a boundary-pushing, generation-defining musician and one of the most important trans artists we’ve ever had,” said Reid.

The collection’s first single, a cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” from Lauren Auder and former Prince & the Revolution members Wendy & Lisa, is out now; listen to the song below and see the album announcement and full tracklist).

TRAИƧA tracklist:

1. “Midnight Moon Pool” – Mary Lattimore, Laraaji, MIZU and Jamal Shakeri

2. “You Don’t Know Me” – Devendra Banhart, Blake Mills and Beverly Glenn-Copeland

3. “How Sweet I Roamed” – Jeff Tweedy, claire rousay

4. “Same Train” – Heart Shaped and Christian Lee Hutson

5. “STAR” – Ana Roxanne and Nsámbu Za Suékama

6. “Please Tell Me” – Lightning Bug

7. “Make ’em Laugh” – Benét, Faye Webster

8. “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying” – Julien Baker and Calvin Lauber feat. SOAK and Quinn Christopherson

9. “Rumblin’” – Soft Rōnin feat. Frankie Cosmos

10. “Deeper Understanding” – Hand Habits feat. Bill Callahan

11. “Under the Shadow of Another Moon” – Hunter Schafer and Cole Pulice

12. “Blush” – Grouper and Lucy Liyou

13. “Is It Cold In The Water?” – Moses Sumney

14. “Know Who You Are At Every Age” – Anajah and Gary Gunn

15. “Is It Over Now?” – Niecy Blues feat. Joy Guidry)

16. “Something Is Happening And I May Not Fully Understand But I’m Happy To Stand For The Understanding” – André 3000

17. “Come Back Different” – Nina Keith feat. Julie Byrne and Taryn Blake Miller

18. “Song To The Siren” – Rachika Nayar feat. Julianna Barwick and Cassandra Croft

19. “Love Hymn” – Arthur Baker feat. Pharoah Sanders

20. “People Are Small / Rapture” – L’Rain feat. Voices from the NYC Trans Oral History Project

21. “We’ve Been Through So Much” – Jlin and Moor Mother

22. “My Name” – Kara Jackson, Ahya Simone and Dave Longstreth

23. “Point of Disgust” – Perfume Genius and Low’s Alan Sparhawk

24. “In Another Life” – Lomelda and More Eaze

25. “Pink Ponies” – Teddy Geiger and Yaeji

26. “A Survivor’s Guilt” – Yaya Bey

27. “Just Last Night” – Helado Negro and Eileen Myles

28. “Feel So Different” – Ezra Furman and Sharon Van Etten

29. “Mourning Dove” – Gia Margaret

30. “Feel Better” – Adrianne Lenker

31. “Any Other Way” – Allison Russell and Ahya Simone

32. “Down Where The Valleys Are Low” – Asher White, Eli Winter and Caroline Rose

33. “TM” – Fleet Foxes, Cole Pulice and Lynn Avery

34. “Querube” – AV María, SKY and Belina Rose

35. “Within Without” – Green-House and Kelela

36. “Aaron” – Cassandra Jenkins, Bloomsday and Babehoven

37. “Young Lion” – Sade Adu

38. “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” – Moses Sumney, Lyra Pramuk and Sam Smith

39. “Many Ways” – CLARITY feat. Clairo

40. “I Feel Free” – Sparkle Division feat. Pepper MaShay

41. “Get Free” – Nico Georis, KB Brookins

42. “Wolf Like Me” – Bartees Strange, Anjimile, Kara Jackson

43. “Surrender Your Gender” – Laura Jane Grace feat. Lee Ranaldo, Jayne County, Kathi Wilcox, Jay Dee Daugherty and Am Taylor

44. “I Would Die 4 U” – Lauren Auder and Wendy & Lisa of the Revolution

45. “Always” – Time Wharp, Elizabeth and Beverly Glenn-Copeland

46. “Ever New” – Sam Smith and Beverly Glenn-Copeland

04 Sep 2024

Here’s Why Lady Gaga Doesn’t Think of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ as Being a Musical

There may be singing, dancing and eye-catching numbers in Joker: Folie à Deux, but Lady Gaga wouldn’t call it a musical.

While speaking at the Venice International Film Festival Wednesday (Sept. 4) about the upcoming sequel — in which she makes her debut as Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck — the pop star explained why she doesn’t put it in the same category as something like A Star Is Born.

“The way that we approached music in this film was very special and extremely nuanced,” she told members of the press during a panel with Phoenix and director Todd Phillips. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is actually a musical. The way that music is used is to give the characters a way to express what they need to say, because the scene and dialogue wasn’t enough.”

Phoenix and Gaga previously revealed that they sang live vocals for a majority of their performances in the film, something the “Born This Way” singer elaborated on at the festival. “The pianist that was on set with us was sort of like an actor off camera in the scene with us,” she added. “For me it was a lot about unlearning technique and forgetting how to breathe, and allowing the song to completely come out of the character.”

The festival comes a month before Folie à Deux arrives in theaters Oct. 4. The picture will center around Fleck — awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker — meeting Quinn in an institution and embarking on a whirlwind romance soundtracked by their own delusions and musical numbers.

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And while Gaga may have had to dial back her own talents to make her character’s vocals sound more authentic, Phoenix was happy just to be able to keep up with the “Die With a Smile” singer. “I do seem to remember her spitting up coffee the first time I sang, so that felt good, that was exciting, and made me feel confident,” he told Empire magazine in a July interview. “Gaga was always very encouraging of just, ‘Go with what you feel, it’s fine.’ For somebody who’s not a performer in that way, it can be… uncomfortable to do that, but also very exciting.”

Watch Gaga explain why she doesn’t think of Joker 2 as a musical below.

04 Sep 2024

Rosalía Confirms She’s Working on a New Album: ‘It’s Been a Process’

It’s official: Rosalía is cooking up a new album! In an interview with Highsnobiety published on Tuesday (Sept. 3), the Spanish superstar confirmed that her fourth studio LP is underway.

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“It’s been a process. I’ve changed a lot, but at the same time, I’m still wrapping my head around the same things,” she told the German fashion and lifestyle magazine. “It’s like I still have the same questions and the same desire to answer them. I still have the same love for the past and the same curiosity for the future.”

The “La Fama” singer also discussed her new contract with Dior, her relationship with Italian fashion designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, how being in love feels like both “a disorder and a superpower” and more. She also mentioned that her biggest influences today are reading paper books.

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The 31-year-old artist has been hinting at a new album through a series of social media posts. She did so more directly when her merengue hit “Despechá” surpassed one billion streams on Spotify on June 9, and became the first solo Spanish artist to reach the milestone on that platform. “Hopefully life will allow me to share many more songs. For now I’m still working on the new album and I can only say that the wait will be worth it,” she wrote on the Instagram caption at the time.

The upcoming album will be her follow-up to 2022’s Motomami and 2018’s El Mal Querer, both of which earned her a Latin Grammy win for album of the year, becoming the first woman to win twice in that category.

Check out her Highsnobriety cover below.

Rosalía

Rosalía

Yis Kid/Highsnobiety

04 Sep 2024

Megan Thee Stallion Addresses Nicki Minaj Feud: ‘Don’t Know What the Problem Is’

Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj set the tone for a beef-filled year, with the reignition of their feud sparked by the Houston Hottie’s “Hiss” diss track back in January, in which she appeared to spray at Nicki, Drake, Tory Lanez and Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty.

The scathing “Hiss” would go on to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — her third chart-topping smash — and Minaj returned fire, punching back at her “Hot Girl Summer” collaborator with “Big Foot” days later.

Megan graces the cover of Billboard, and in her feature published Wednesday (Sept. 4), she addresses clashing with Nicki, and shares still doesn’t know what the root cause of the friction is.

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“I still to this day don’t know what the problem is,” she tells Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre. “I don’t even know what could be reconciled because I, to this day, don’t know what the problem is.”

Nicki and Meg joined forces when Minaj hopped on “Hot Girl Summer” in 2019, but things appeared to have gone awry since. Some theorize it’s because Thee Stallion has repeatedly teamed up with Nicki’s rival Cardi B.

Barbz chimed in on social media, speculating that the cause may be a time fans recalled Minaj on IG Live in 2019 with Megan, who allegedly continued to offer the “Super Bass” artist liquor while knowing she was trying to get pregnant.

With the Nicki relationship remaining icy, Megan is brushing things off and turning her focus to her plethora of lucrative endeavors going on in her busy career. If people are talking about her, Thee Stallion feels like she must be doing something right.

“I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing,” Megan added. “If people feel like I’m somebody to aim at, then I must be pretty high up if you’re reaching up at me. I must be some kind of competition. That makes me feel good. That makes me feel like I could rap because if I wasn’t the s–t, y’all wouldn’t be worried about me.”

“Hiss” served as the second single for the Houston Hottie and carried her into her Megan album, which arrived in June and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 64,000 album-equivalent units sold in the first week.

04 Sep 2024

Jelly Roll Shows Off His ‘Redemption Chain’ Featuring Diamond-Encrusted Jail Key & Handcuffs

Anyone who has heard a Jelly Roll song is familiar with the themes of struggles and redemption that flow through the lyrics of tracks such as “Halfway to Hell” and “Son of a Sinner,” and his fans are well aware of the former Billboard cover star‘s own redemption story of going from an incarcerated teen to Grammy-nominated, CMA Award-winning country star.

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So recently, Jelly Roll had some special jewelry made that symbolizes his journey. Having spent an ample amount of time in the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Tennessee, Jelly Roll was gifted a symbolic key to the jail by the Davidson County Sheriff. He commemorated the meaning behind the key by getting a replica attached to a handcuffs chain necklace and encrusted with 150 carats of diamonds. Each of the cuffs has a small plaque noting each time Jelly Roll had been behind bars.

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“The Nashville, Tenn., Davidson County sheriff gave me a key to the jail for all the work I do since I got out of there,” Jelly Roll said in the video shared by jewelry company Icebox, who designed the iced-out chain. “So I ended up with a key to the same jail that I was in.”

The company delivered the new bling to Jelly Roll ahead of the opening night of his headlining Beautifully Broken Tour, which launched Aug. 27 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“This is the redemption chain, baby, that’s what we’re calling this,” Jelly Roll said in the video. “A set of handcuffs for every time I’ve been in handcuffs.”

Watch the video below: