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14 Aug 2024

Pras Takes Shots At Lauryn Hill In New Song “Bar Mitzfa”

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Ms. Lauryn Hill And The Fugees Performs At Oakland Arena

Source: Steve Jennings / Getty

Days ago it was reported that The Fugees had suddenly canceled their U.S. tour dates just days before they were set to hit the road. Now, it seems like one of their members has something to say to his fellow Fugees bandmate.

According to TMZ, Pras has just released a new record in which he takes direct aim at Lauryn Hill for who he feels is the reason The Fugees continue to be dysfunctional in the eyes of their fans. Dubbed “Bar Mitzfa,” the new song finds Pras immediately airing out his grievances about The Fugees situation spitting, “Still waiting for me to lose, don’t hold ya breath/They took a bite out of his ambizzy, I control the rest/Don’t blame me, blame her she made the mess/Not another f*ckin’ penny is what I told Clef [Wyclef Jean]…”

With word that the cancellation of the tour was due to lack of ticket sales, it seems like Pras isn’t too happy with the reputation that Lauryn Hill built for herself over the years such as arriving hours late to her own shows and canceling performances out of the blue.

TMZ reports:

We’re told the song was recorded sometime last week, when Pras needed to blow off steam … on the heels of low ticket sales shutting down the legendary hip hop trio’s reunion plans.

Remember, Pras agreed with fed-up fans that Lauryn’s reputation for being late and missing shows justified them boycotting the concerts.

You gotta think, Lauryn’s lateness also jams up his and the band’s schedule … not to mention any invited celebrity guests at the shows!!! After a while, everyone starts to treat the tour like a big joke.

As much as we love The Fugees, we know that copping a ticket to their shows is basically a 50/50 gamble on whether or not it will start on time or even happen at all. And we all know why that is (no shots).

That being said, Pras has skipped his own share of Fugees performances, but with all the legal setbacks he’s faced over the years, y’all know he might’ve needed this tour paper more than his fellow “Fugee-La” members. Just sayin’.

How or even if Lauryn Hill (or Wyclef) will respond to this cut is anyone’s guess, but had this been 1999, it would’ve been the talk of the town. Now, in 2024? Meh.

What do y’all think of Pras taking shots at Lauryn Hill? Sound off in the comments section below.

14 Aug 2024

Taraji P. Henson Visit To Russell Simmons In Bali Vexes Xitter Users

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Jordan Brand Presents The Fabulous 23 Dinner

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Taraji P. Henson’s recent visit to Russell Simmons in Bali has raised the ire of social media users, who pointed out other celebs who’ve done the same.
On Monday (August 12), former Def Jam founder Russell Simmons shared a photo of himself and Taraji P. Henson in a post on social media, thanking her for her friendship and for visiting his resort complex in Bali, Indonesia. “People when you have friends like this, you are truly blessed!!!! Everyone comes to Gdas for healing, some people exude healing energy. You are one of those,” Simmons wrote in the caption of the Instagram post. “You make everyone happy just with your presence. Love you baby girl, you are back home safe now and are already missed. Until we meet again darling, only love. PS, you mean so much to so many people, keep inspiring us all.”

A few who saw the post had mistakenly thought that Henson had passed, but other commenters quickly corrected them. But many more were upset that the actress was chummy with Simmons, venting their frustration in posts on X, formerly Twitter. One user, Kelezy Kae Graham wrote, “Yuh know they could take the picture and not post it? Like everything is not for the media.” Others were incredulous that she went there, and livid at other celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, MC Lyte, and Usher also making visits to Simmons at the Gdas resort.

Simmons is currently facing several lawsuits for sexual abuse, and the public perception that his living in Bali since 2018 is to avoid prosecution. He was “caught off guard” when served with papers relating to a defamation lawsuit from former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon in February. The 61-year-old has firmly denied that he’s hiding out, recently doing so in a statement in May. “People saying that I somehow can’t come home when I’m there all the time wears on you,” Simmons said. “It wears on me after a while to keep hearing the same narrative, which is false. I’m always in L.A., I’m always in New York and Miami. And I’ve never had any reason to feel unsafe in America.”

Check out the reactions to the latest Simmons post below.

1. Ishmael Mayhew

2. KeesSweat

4. Crooker T. Watchingthem

5. dejnextdoor

6. ChalibooYahh

7. HeyyDiva

8.

14 Aug 2024

Most Memorable Music Moments of 2024 Paris Olympics | Billboard News

The 2024 Paris Olympics were filled with some of the most memorable moments in music. From Céline Dion’s return to the stage to Snoop Dogg representing the U.S. at several events, let’s take you through our favorites.

Tetris Kelly:

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics have come to an end. The Olympics are a time when artists and athletes collide. We’re recapping the biggest moments between artists and athletes from the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. The Olympics kicked off with two incredible performances from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion during the opening ceremony. And after the opening ceremony, Queen Bey herself introduced Team USA with her ‘Cowboy Carter’ track “YA YA.”

Beyoncé:

Get a look at America, y’all. These hopes and dreams, these superstars that represent us.

Tetris Kelly:

Speaking of Team USA, Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles had plenty of music moments of her own. She did handstands with SZA, and her floor routine included the intro of Taylor Swift’s “…Ready for It.” We saw Flavor Flav become the biggest water polo fan, supporting and sponsoring the women’s team after their coach asked for some help.

Flavor Flav:

You know my girl on the water polo team. My name is Maggie Steffens, you know, she put out a story, you know what I’m saying, and my manager turned me on to the story. So when I read the story, I said to myself, “Let me try to help these girls out and get the glory.”

Tetris Kelly:

Even getting to hang out and support them with the first lady. Snoop Dogg has been everywhere during the Olympics, from cheering on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, from traveling with the U.S. men’s basketball team to performing at the closing ceremony with Dr. Dre. 

Keep watching for more!

14 Aug 2024

&TEAM’s ‘Aoarashi’ Bows at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

&TEAM’s “Aoarashi” debuts atop the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Aug. 14, giving the nine-member boy band its first No. 1 on the tally.

The title track from the HYBE LABELS JAPAN group’s second single dropped Aug. 7 and sold 461,863 CDs during its first week, more than its first single, to hit No. 1 for sales. The track also comes in at No. 16 for downloads, No. 45 for video views, No. 71 for radio airplay, and No. 78 for streaming.

Staying at No. 2 for the fourth straight week is Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac,” with downloads down slightly at 90% week-over-week, streaming at 99%, and video at 94%, while radio is up 198% and karaoke up 102%.

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Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” is back at No. 3, seeing increases in downloads, radio, and karaoke, while slowing down in streaming and video. 

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Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora’s “Supea no nai koi” bows at No.4. The title track off the girl group’s third single launched with 68,355 copies after dropping Aug. 7, surpassing both its first and second singles and debuting at the highest position on the Japan Hot 100 for the group.

Kocchinokento’s “Hai Yorokonde” continues to edge up the chart, this week moving 9-5 to break into the top 5. Debuting at No. 97 on the list released June 26, the viral hit has reached its current position after seven week on the tally. While views for the talked-about video is slowing down, downloads and streaming have increased 144% and 112%, respectively, from the previous week.

Perhaps due to the scorching summer heat in Japan, points for karaoke have increased across the board this week. The top 24 songs, including Vaundy’s long-running hit “Kaiju no Hanauta” at No. 1, held their respective positions while points increased for all.

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. 5 to 11, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

14 Aug 2024

J Balvin Reveals Why He Brought Out Will Smith at Coachella After Oscars Slap

It’s been more than two years since the Oscars slap heard around the world, and J Balvin believes in forgiveness.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the Latin superstar opened up about bringing Will Smith out onstage with him during his headlining Coachella set earlier this year. “Will Smith has always been one of my biggest idols. Period. I feel really connected with him. You cannot judge a person for some mistakes,” he told the publication, referring to the backlash Smith faced after slapping Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars ceremony, which led to a 10-year ban from the Academy. “A mistake cannot define who you are because if it’s like that, we all are bad.”

J Balvin continued, “[With] what happened with Will Smith, I felt his pain because I was going through a similar situation when I felt that some part of the world was against me for mistakes.”

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The incident occurred after Rock made an onstage joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during the Academy Awards ceremony. “Jada, I love you. G.I Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” the comedian said about her shaved head — which is caused by the actress’ struggles with alopecia.

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The King Richard actor then slapped Rock onstage, who attempted to continue his banter before Smith began shouting from his seat, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth.”

Balvin concluded, “My inner child was screaming to have him in my show because there was no one better than him […] I told him my vision. He said, ‘Give me a week.’ And I kept pressuring, man. I kept sending him pictures of me praying, until he called and said he was down, and it was a beautiful moment to see us together, man.”

During Balvin’s set, Smith made a surprise appearance dressed as his Men in Black character, Agent J, and proceeded to rap the iconic film’s theme song.

14 Aug 2024

Muni Long’s ‘Make Me Forget’ Is Her First No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart

“Make Me Forget” is one that Muni Long will always remember.

After two previous No. 2 singles, “Make Me Forget” becomes Muni Long’s first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The track ascends from No. 3 to crown the list dated Aug. 17 after a 21% surge in week-over-week plays made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the tracking week of Aug. 2-8, according to Luminate.

Before she secured her first champ this week, Long managed to earn a pair of No. 2 bests on Adult R&B Airplay. Her breakthrough cut, the Grammy-winning “Hrs and Hrs,” parked in the runner-up spot for six consecutive weeks in 2022, all behind Silk Sonic’s “Love Train.” The next time around, “Made for Me” registered seven nonconsecutive weeks in second place, from December 2023 through May 2024. The song’s unusual span between weeks in the upper region traces to two distinct runs: its initial success as an R&B radio hit in late 2023 before a TikTok-fueled viral moment lifted it to a second wind and renewed radio momentum in 2024.

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With the two prior hits laying the groundwork, “Make Me Forget” races to the Adult R&B Airplay summit in nine weeks, the fastest of any track this year. The last leader to reach No. 1 in nine weeks or less was Mary J. Blige’s “Still Believe in Love,” featuring Vado, which captured the top spot in the final week of 2023.

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Elsewhere, “Make Me Forget” drives 21-18 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, the single reached 5.4 million in audience, up 19% from the prior tracking week.

“Make Me Forget” is likely to appear on Muni Long’s forthcoming album, Revenge, which will arrive on Aug. 30. The set is her first in nearly two years, since Public Displays of Affection dropped in September 2022.

14 Aug 2024

Piso 21 Scores First No. 1 on Latin Pop Airplay With Wisin Collab ‘La Misión’: ‘A Double Triumph For Us’

Piso 21 can cross off a new career milestone thanks to “La Misión,” the group’s first collab with Wisin, which rules Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart. The song, released May 2 via Warner Latina, advances from No. 2 to top the Aug. 17-dated list.

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“Achieving a No. 1 on U.S. radio with a song like ‘La Misión’ is a double triumph for us: collaborating with Wisin was already a dream fulfilled,” Juan David Huertas, better known as El Profe, tells Billboard.

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“La Misión” takes the podium with 4.2 million audience impressions, up 10%, logged in the week ending Aug. 8, according to Luminate. Puerto Rico’s Univision station WKAQ-FM takes the lead among the song’s biggest supporters during the tracking week, while New York’s SBS WSKQ, comes in second.

As “La Misión” lands at the summit on Latin Pop Airplay, Piso 21 achieves its first No. 1 on the tally, and first ruler overall since “Déjala Que Vuelva,” featuring Manuel Turizo, crowned Tropical Airplay for two weeks in March 2022.

“Since ‘Déjala Que Vuelva’ in 2018, we hadn’t reached these heights, and we’re thrilled to be back at the top,” Pablo Mejía, aka, Pablito tells Billboard. “All good things take time, and this is proof once again.”

Back on Latin Pop Airplay, the Colombians previously secured three other top 10s from 13 total chart appearances, the highest being “Más De La Una” with Maluma for a No. 3 high in 2021.

“We’ve spent many years evolving Piso 21’s sound while staying true to its essence and soul,” David Escobar, who goes by Dim, adds. “‘La Misión’ is a testament to that effort.”

In addition to Piso 21, “La Misión’s” success also secures a Latin Pop Airplay achievement for Wisin, who despite being a reggaetón artist, has become a staple in the ranking with 36 total appearances. Among those, six reached No. 1. The Puerto Rican was last in charge through another Colombian partnership, as “Buenos Días” with Camilo ruled for one week in 2022.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported us in this endeavor; we couldn’t have done it without you,” adds Piso 21’s David Lorduy, known as just Lorduy.

Elsewhere, “La Misión” gains territory on the overall Latin Airplay chart, entering the top 20 for the first time, at No. 16. It’s the highest ranking for both acts in over two years.

14 Aug 2024

Post Malone’s Country Collaborators on What It’s Like to Work With the Superstar: ‘He’s the Real Deal’

As Post Malone prepares to release his country album F-1 Trillion on Friday, country artists who have worked with him on the album and other projects are singing his praises. 

“He’s the real deal,” says Keith Urban, who sang  Elvis Presley’s 1959 hit “Baby, What You Want Me to Do” with Post Malone on a 2019 NBC special in one of Post Malone’s first appearances with a country artist. It’s a sentiment shared by others who have worked with him.

The new Mercury/Republic set, produced by Charlie Handsome and Louis Bell, features duets with several country stars, including Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Brad Paisley, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen, whose collaboration, “I Had Some Help,” topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Country Airplay charts. Current single, “Pour Me a Drink,” featuring Blake Shelton, climbs to No. 14 with a bullet on Country Airplay for the chart dated Aug. 17, while the duet with Combs, “Guy For That,” is No. 36.

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HARDY, who duets with Malone on “Hide My Gun” and performed a Joe Diffie tribute with him and Wallen at last year’s CMA Awards, says the singer approached making a country album “the right way … He spent months and months of his time in Nashville and immersed himself into the songwriting world and put together a really great record that is  amazing.””

“I just want to hang out, have a beer, listen to your ideas,” Post Malone told the New York Times, describing how he approaches collaborations. “I feel like there’s a lot of people set in their ways. I just want to make the song work in the best way for the song.”

The only drawback for some of his writing partners? His late night hours. In a December interview, Wallen confessed that Post Malone’s studio hours were hard for him. “[He] likes to write really, really late at night — and I can’t do that three nights in a row. I can do that one night,” he says with a laugh. “I can start about 5 p.m., but starting at 10 p.m. — that’s rough.”

For the last several months, Malone and his collaborators posted photos from writing sessions and snippets of new songs. The Dallas native has also done a series of country-only gigs, including at Stagecoach, a Bud Light-sponsored event in Nashville and, this past weekend, at San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival. On Wednesday (Aug. 14), he makes his Grand Ole Opry debut. A 21-date F-1 Trillion tour kicks off Sept. 8 in Salt Lake City. 

At his Outside Lands set on Sunday (Aug. 11), Post Malone performed an endearing, if somewhat shambolic cover of Brooks & Dunn’s 1991 classic “Brand New Man,” where he forgot some of the words. Still, it met the approval of the original duo, who openly admit to being fans.

“We were going back and forth about it [Monday night],” says the duo’s Ronnie Dunn. “[Post Malone] goes, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I said, ‘You’ve killed it man.’ And he said, ‘I started reading some guy’s poster and got off on the track and eight Bud Lights didn’t help.’ He’s as cool as they come.”

Dunn notes what a number of country artists who have worked with Post Malone have observed: he’s a veritable country music jukebox. “You see him step out on stage — at The Bluebird Café and stuff — with his guitar and he sings every song verbatim. I’d have to have cue cards all over the floor, but he knows these country songs. He’s like a savant. He’s sincerely a country music fan.”

In addition to his Grand Ole Opry debut, Wednesday say Post Malone receive four nominations for the People’s Choice Country Awards, including song of 2024 with “I Had Some Help.”

14 Aug 2024

Kanye West Slapped With Lawusit For Allegedy Posting Pictures of Himself & Bianca Censori Without Persmission From The Photos’ Owners

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Source: Peter White / Getty / Kanye West / Bianca Censori

Kanye West is learning the hard way about posting photos of himself he doesn’t own.

Spotted on XXL, the Chicago rapper is being sued for posting photos of himself and his wife/mannequin, Bianca Censori, without permission from BackGrid USA, Inc. and Backgrid London.

Per XXL:

Documents obtained by XXL show that on Aug. 8, BackGrid USA, Inc. and Backgrid London Ltd filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Ye. They allege that the Yeezy mogul used photographs on his Instagram account without the company’s permission. One of the photos in question shows West in all black while Censori walks next to him in a sheer, nude outfit while holding a purple pillow. Another pic features West and Censori at Milan’s Nuova Arena Restaurant back in February, and a third features Censori going on a shopping spree with Ye at the Balenciaga store.

According to the website, the rapper, now known as Ye, violated federal copyright law by using 10 photos without permission on his website and social accounts.

Cam’ron Also Was Sued For A Similar Situation

If this incident sounds familiar, that’s because something similar happened to Dipset co-founder and It Is What It Is host Cam’ron.

Killa Cam was ordered to pay a photographer $50,000 for his unauthorized use of a photograph. The photo in question was the iconic photo of Cam rocking a pink fur coat and headband while using a pink flip phone.

The photo’s owner, Djamilla Cochran, sued Cam’ron and his company, Dipset Couture, in April 2023 for using the photo on merchandise without permission.

In that case, the judge ruled, “The court finds that a statutory damages award of seven times the licensing fee is sufficient to compensate the plaintiff for the infringement of her copyright and to deter future infringements by punishing the defendants.”

We won’t be shocked if Ye suffers the same fate.

14 Aug 2024

Luke Combs Becomes First Artist to Earn Three Diamond Country Singles Certified by RIAA

Luke Combs has made a habit out of making history during his near-decade in the spotlight since breaking through with his multi-week No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hit “Hurricane” in 2017.

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Now, the two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner has earned five new RIAA certification plaques. Most notably, Combs’ songs “When It Rains It Pours” and “Hurricane” have been certified Diamond by the RIAA, making Combs the first artist to have three Diamond country singles certified by the RIAA. These two new Diamond-certified songs join Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy,” which was certified Diamond last year.

The songs also join the handful of other country singles that have earned Diamond certification from the RIAA, including Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel,” Kane Brown’s “Heaven,” Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know” and Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise.”

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During a Grand Ole Opry appearance Tuesday night (Aug. 13) celebrating his five years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry (Combs was inducted as a member on July 16, 2019), Combs was also honored for his 2022 album Gettin Old earning Platinum certification, and for his 2019 album What You See Is What You Get being certified 5x Platinum. Additionally, Combs’s Grammy-nominated version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” was also certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.

Combs has been out on his headlining Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour for much of this year, and upcoming, has shows including festival dates at Country Thunder Alberta and YQM Country Fest, in addition to his own Bootleggers Bonfire, a special multi-day event just for Combs’s fanclub, set for October in Miramar, Florida.