State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
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Mario has made it clear, keep your hands to yourself when he’s performing.
A fan of the R&B singer completely disregarded his personal space during a recent performance in Detroit. As the Crying Out For Me artist was singing his heart out and interacting with the crowd, one fan went too far and began touching him in his manhood area. He immediately pulled back, clearly uncomfortable, and told the woman, “Stop playing with me.”
Many fans found it inappropriate and was violating the superstar’s personal space.
The Baltimore native has had a few interesting moments on stage this year. Back in October, he performed at the Big Fresno Fair, and if you’ve ever been to a Mario show, you know he loves to work the stage. While a videographer was filming him during the performance, Mario snapped and told him to “get the f*ck off the stage.”
The following day, the photographer, Ryan Hudgins, posted a statement saying that Mario and his team were respectful. He wrote, “How the night ended in comparison to how it began. Thank you to @bradjauriquepromotions for bringing me on to capture these amazing artists. Every single artist and their team were incredible and, most importantly, respectful towards my wife @nailsbymair21. Even @marioworldwide team and security were respectful.”
The Let Me Love You singer ended up apologizing after this incident and explained to non-artists why he was upset, “A cameraman is not supposed to be that far down stage unless he’s with you and shooting you that close for a reason. It really can throw you off.”
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It was 20 years ago this week (Nov. 29) that 16-year-old Chris Brown vaulted onto the scene with his self-titled debut studio album and triple platinum-certified Hot 100 No. 1 “Run It!” And in celebrating that anniversary, Brown — under the guidance of manager Anthony “Ant” Wilson of Tycoon Music — has achieved various other career milestones during what’s become an even more momentous year for the singer-songwriter.
Brown kicked off 2025 with the best R&B album Grammy for his latest album 11:11 (Deluxe) — his second win in that category after 13 years. He’s now closing out the year with two more nominations for the 2026 Grammy ceremony: best R&B song and best R&B performance for “It Depends” featuring Bryson Tiller, which peaked at No. 16 on the Hot 100. Prior to that in 2024, Brown picked up his first RIAA Diamond-certified single for “No Guidance” featuring Drake.
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Of witnessing Brown’s second Grammy win, Wilson — a 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players honoree — told Billboard in August, “Winning isn’t everything, but it feels good. And the consistent recognition of his artistry continues to solidify him as one of the biggest artists in the world.”
Between those Grammy bookends, Brown embarked on what’s since been logged by Billboard Boxscore as his highest-grossing live outing to date, the Breezy Bowl XX World Tour. Spanning 39 cities and 48 shows, his 20th anniversary and first-ever stadium run (June 8-Oct. 16) earned $300 million and drew 2 million fans across North America, Europe and the U.K. Accompanied by Tiller as a special guest through the run and Grammy-nominated artists Jhené Aiko and Summer Walker on select dates, Brown also welcomed pop-up performances along the way by Usher, 50 Cent, GloRilla, Tyga, Bow Wow, Sexyy Red and Davido during his three-hour, 56-song set.
It’s Brown’s indefatigable energy and love of performing that Wilson first focused on strategically when he became the global star’s manager 10 years ago after predecessors Tina Davis and Mike G.
“We started off doing club and spot dates,” Wilson recalls. “Then we got the Heartbreak on a Full Moon tour [2018 with H.E.R., 6lac, and Rich the Kid]. I just wanted to get him back to the touring part of the business because I felt he could touch the most fans there. That was my initial goal.”
Wilson also created the annual Tycoon Music Festival. Presented this year in association with Live Nation and 313 Presents, the festival marked its sixth anniversary on April 19 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Headlined by Brown, the lineup also starred Skilla Baby, Fabolous, Gucci Mane and Wiz Khalifa with surprise appearances from Sexyy Red, G-Herbo, Payroll Giovanni and Tee Grizzley.
Based in Las Vegas, as is Brown, Wilson recently spoke with Billboard about what’s next on the drawing board for him and his superstar client.
Chris Brown and Anthony “Ant” Wilson
Travis Colbert
What’s it like managing such a tireless artist as Brown?
We don’t sleep too much over here [laughs]. That’s because he stays up working in the studio he has in his house. He’s in that studio every day until we put out an album. And then the hard part before that is figuring out what songs are going to make the album. Chris also has a billion ideas about different things. So another hard thing is trying to get those billion ideas down to at least 10.
Talk about the rapport between the two of you, which is an important part of the artist/manager collaboration.
I met Chris when I was working with Bow Wow. that’s when Tina was involved. She’s a friend of mine as well. So I used to help out whenever she needed some assistance. Mike G was there too; we were all together then. But Chris is my brother first then it’s business, I don’t hope that he wins. He has to win because he’s my family. So that’s why there is no sleeping because I’ve got to make sure he does. I don’t know if there’s a blueprint on how to manage an artist. Every artist is different. But there is one key thing: understanding the artist and the fans of that artist.
Very few artists have made the successful transition from teen to adult star. Why has Brown been able to cross that bridge?
A lot of artists can do one thing; they can either sing or they can dance. But not a lot of artists can perform the way that he does: he’s singing, he’s dancing, he’s crying, he’s laughing, he’s flying, He’s doing everything he can to please fans. He’ll take less money just for the production to be what it is. He just wants [his performance] to stand out. Breezy XX was originally three and a half hours. I’m like, “Chris, come on. We’re going to run into overtime on every show. Like I said before, that’s the hardest thing … trying to get things down to where we’re both happy [laughs].
A new album coming before this year is out has been rumored given the 20th anniversary. Any hints about the next project?
There’s always an album. The name of it always changes. The songs always change. Even with the last album, we were in the studio putting another song together on the day before it came out. So I can’t say the name or a date for the album. I’ll leave it open because he could wake up and say let’s put it out next week. I’m ready though. I have it [the album] at the moment, but it changes every week.
Chris Brown performs in San Diego, CA, on September 18, 2025.
Acre Media
What else is next? A concert movie à la Taylor Swift and Beyoncé or a return to acting?
He loves and wants to act. There are acting classes, and he’s gearing up for that. I also think the Super Bowl would be a great place for him. I believe it will happen.
Have there been any overtures on that front?
We’ll just see.
How has it been navigating the negativity that he still encounters as you work to move his career forward?
It’s nothing that I’m not used to at this point. We just smile and keep going. I just try to show improvement with work over the words, you know? I think that’s the best way. But his kids ground him. He’s a great, involved dad. I also think Chris’ fans love him so much because they can relate. He’s a real person who’s gone through things that others have but he did it in front of the world. So I feel like that’s his legacy: going through life with everyone else.
Now that Verzuz is back, is the long-rumored Usher/Chris Brown match-up a stronger possibility?
It may. Usher and Swizz Beatz are friends of mine; Swizz recently spoke to me about it. I’m not saying no if it makes sense.
Beyond your ownership of the Tycoon Festival, what other projects are you shepherding?
I also work with 50 Cent in a company called the Green Light Gang. We have 40 TV shows [in the works] at the moment and a few movies. We’re also going to build a production company in Shreveport, Louisiana. So that’s my new baby, television.
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The Oasis Live ’25 tour is a bit like a iceberg: what you see above the water doesn’t always match up with what’s hiding under the surface. For evidence just look at tour video director Jon Shrimpton’s celebratory post on Monday (Nov. 24), when he reminisced about the globe-trotting outing that wrapped up in Brazil on Sunday (Nov. 23) after 41 sold-out show on five continents.
“And there it was…. gone!…. after 14 months of pre-production, lots of well kept secrets, and 5 months of some of the most incredible sights and sounds I’ve ever seen at a stadium show, here we are,” Shrimpton wrote, revealing that plans for the shows were well along on their way last September, just weeks after the group shocked the world by announcing that they were reuniting after a 16–year break.
While Shrimpton didn’t divulge what “secrets” he was referring to, he did rave about the results of the tour that brought out rapturous, bucket hat-wearing hordes who lustily sang along to every note and reveled in the chance to hear “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova” live again, or possibly for the first time.
“The last night of the … it would be fair to say; culturally and financially successful Oasis Live ‘25 world tour, tonight, in São Paulo,” he wrote from Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo, Brazil in the post featuring images of the tour’s crew and a wild behind-the-scenes peek at what the shows looked like from his perch featuring more than a dozen feeds he pumped out to the massive screens spanning the stage.
“A genuine career high point here, being the video director on this momentous event. Travelling around the world, in the eye of the storm,” Shrimpton wrote. “I’ve been genuinely honoured to work with the most incredible, talented, ego-free, happy crew that has ever been assembled, and there’s been nothing but love from everything I’ve seen written about the show…. even in the British press.”
And while Shrimpton hinted that the tour was in the works well before fans heard a peep about it, the NME noted that some enterprising fans on Reddit did the math and speculated that the 14 months of pre-production meant the plans for the reunion were in the works by May or June of last year, several months before the announcement.
One user even accused singer Liam of being even cheekier than usual when he went out on his June 2024 arena tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band’s debut, Definitely Maybe. “Thinking about all those interviews where Rkids [Liam] fooled me [into] think[ing] they still didn’t talk to each other… good actors,” read one comment about the singer’s continuation of the charade that he and his older brother were still not on speaking terms after their rancorous 2009 split.
Specialist music publisher Dynamite Songs has acquired certain rights and royalty streams from singer-songwriter Eric Turner, R&B producer and songwriter John “$K” McGee and electronic music creators TIEKS and Dan Harkna.
The three deals add nearly 150 tracks to Dynamite’s portfolio, including Tinie Tempah’s multi-platinum hit “Written In The Stars,” Avicii’s “Broken Arrows,” TIEKS’s summer anthem “Sunshine” (feat. Dan Harkna), and Trey Songz’s standout “Neighbors Know My Name” from his Grammy-nominated album Ready.
Specifically, Dynamite has acquired the publishing and songwriting rights, along with global publishing and performance royalties, for selected works from the Turner and McGee catalogs, while its deal with TIEKS and Harkna is understood to be limited to the track “Sunshine.”
Turner is best known for co-writing and performing on “Written In The Stars” (see below) and collaborating with Avicii on “Dancing in My Head” and “Broken Arrows.” McGee helped shape modern R&B with tracks like “Neighbors Know My Name” and cuts for Jacquees. TIEKS and Harkna created “Sunshine”, a global dance hit boosted by Fiat’s 500 campaign and BBC Radio 1 support.
These acquisitions mark the latest phase of Dynamite’s expansion since its May launch, bringing its actively managed catalogue to around 1,200 works. The deals follow Dynamite’s earlier acquisitions of works tied to Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar.
“What excites me most about these latest deals is how clearly they embody what Dynamite stands for – selective, high-quality acquisitions of music that truly matters,””” said Alan Wallis, CEO of Dynamite Songs. “With around 1 billion total streams between them, these catalogues have consistently demonstrated their commercial strength. We’re deeply grateful to John, Eric, Mark and Dan for entrusting us with these incredible works. As our robust pipeline of potential deals continues to expand, we look forward to partnering with even more creators who share our passion for timeless music and value our artist-first approach to dealmaking.””
Check out the rest of this week’s publishing news below, including Mushroom Music’s sub-publishing partnership with peermusic, 1916 Enterprises signing Chance Emerson, Karma Artists and Payday Music Publishing signing Benji, and Reservoir Media linking up with reggae publisher Abood Music.
Mushroom + Peermusic
Image Credit: Mary Megan Peer (credit: Melody Rae)
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‘Tis the season! It’s that time of year to deck the halls, put on some Christmas music and start buying presents for your loved ones. And if they are music enthusiasts, we have the perfect festive offerings to gift – under the tree or otherwise.
Ariana Grande, The Beatles, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Bleachers, Dolly Parton, Journey, the KPop Demon Hunters (although not technically a band), Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter all offer specific holiday or winter-themed merch that will thrill their fans.
From ornaments to wrapping paper, T-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, socks, vinyl, robes, pajamas, candles, hats and more, there are plenty of presents for the people in your lives. Some items are going fast – if you have a Swiftie in your life, act quickly. And while the KPop Demon Hunters aren’t specifically holiday themed, we know the kids will go wild for those items.
Of course, if their favorite artist doesn’t have specific Christmas merchandise, feel free to check out their online shops for inspiration. And if you’re looking for other ideas – peruse our gift guides: 20 viral gifts you should shop this season, gifts for Latin music lovers, affordable gifts under $10, gamer gifts, and more thoughtful gifts.
Here are 13 artists who dropped holiday merch below. As a bonus, we’ve added a song from each to set the mood – like Grande’s “Santa Tell Me,” Carey’s new classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Swift’s “Christmas Tree Farm,” Carpenter’s “A Nonsense Christmas“ – when you’re spending your money.
Ariana Grande
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Trending on Billboard Benny Blanco‘s mom, Sandra Levin, was the victim of a scary robbery attempt at her Studio City, Calif. home earlier this week. According to ABC7, police said Levin was unharmed after burglars smashed their way into her home while she was there alone. Authorities did not identify Levin by name, but neighbors […]
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In much the same way that Oasis spent more than a decade and a half swearing that they would never play together again, now it seems like they can’t wait to go back out on the road for another run. The group wrapped up their massive Live ’25 reunion tour in Brazil on Sunday (Nov. 23) after playing 41 sold-out shows on five continents.
The first gigs in 16 years from formerly battling brothers singer Liam Gallagher and guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher were rapturously received and left fans begging for more. So it’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride trying to figure out if there actually are additional shows in the offing. While the band has not officially announced any 2026 plans, Liam has been dropping Easter eggs that have begged more questions than they’ve answered.
Earlier this month he wrote “I know things you don’t” on X after earlier teasing that “it’s not even half time yet,” before admitting that there was a “few tuts and raised eyebrows” when he’d earlier told fans that he would see them next year. And then he was more succinct when a commenter asked for just one word on a potential 2026 tour: “No,” he answered.
That definitive shutdown seemed to be confirmed on Tuesday (Nov. 25) when the band posted a series of pics from the tour with the message “there will now be a pause for a period of reflection.”
And then Liam eased the door open a bit, again.
Responding to a number of X comments pressing him on when Oasis will tour again and if the first swing’s rigid setlist might loosen up the next time around, Liam spread a little holiday joy with another seeming hint of what’s to come. “There’s loads more classics we need to play for you when we go out again I mean happy Christmas,” Gallagher wrote on Tuesday.
When one of them proposed an alternate setlist with some of the favorites that were missing the first time around, Gallagher gave a thumbs up to a few of the ideas, writing, “Defo doing ‘Hindu Times’ ‘Colombia’ and ‘Go let it out’ I mean happy Christmas,” he said.
The hits kept coming, as a fan speculated that they felt like “a new album is coming and you’re just hiding it really well.” Liam wasn’t quite as jovial about that one, responding, “It’s not I honestly do t see the point it won’t be as good as the old stuff im quite happy singing the old stuff I’m not 1 of those WANKERS that need to keep pushing it forward or sideways or backwards in some cases NOSTALGIA forever.”
In case you missed his point, he added, “New music is for WANKERS.”
So, to recap: absolutely no new music, a definitely maybe setlist shakeup and more dates for sure, unless not.
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The team behind Together For Palestine, the sold-out OVO Arena Wembley gig that raised over £2 million ($2.6 million) for Palestinian causes in September, have announced a charity Christmas single.
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Brian Eno, Celeste, Neneh Cherry, Mabel and Bastille’s Dan Smith are among the names that will feature on “Lullaby,” released by T4P and distributed by global indie EMPIRE on Dec. 12 – the day the U.K.’s Official Christmas No. 1 race kicks off.
The single will see a group of U.K. and Palestinian artists join forces to rework “Yamma Mweel El Hawa,” a traditional Palestinian lullaby. All proceeds going to Choose Love’s Together For Palestine Fund, supporting three Palestinian-led organizations Taawon, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and Palestine Medical Relief Service in light of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Other acts involved include Amena, Kieran Brunt (Shards), Lana Lubany, Leigh-Anne, London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC), Nadine Shah, Nai Barghouti, Sura Abdo, TYSON, Yasmeen Ayyashi and Ysee.
The track is produced by Benji B, Kieran Brunt and Henri Davies, mixed by David Wrench and Valgeir Sidurðsson and mastered by Matt Colton, and was arranged and recomposed by Kieran Brunt and Nai Barghouti, with English lyrics written by Peter Gabriel. Together For Palestine are encouraging fans to pre-order “Lullaby” on BandCamp, iTunes and Amazon, or pre-save the single on their chosen streaming service ahead of its release.Palestinian musician Nai Barghouti said in a statement: “This lullaby from our Palestinian musical heritage has been with me since early childhood. Today, it returns at a much-needed time as a reminder of what Palestinians will never lose: hope, defiance, beauty, and dignity.”
Brian Eno added: “After a year defined by unimaginable loss, grief and injustice, we want to end with an act of love for Palestine’s children. Lullaby reflects their beauty, their longing and their hope. If we rally together and download it, we have a real shot at landing Christmas No. 1 – and turning that moment into vital life-saving support for Gaza’s families.”
Mabel continued: “The song holds a special place for many reasons, but mostly as it’s the first time I’ve sung with both my mum Neneh and sister Tyson, and for it to be a traditional lullaby in tribute to the mothers and children of Gaza means the world. I hope you feel the strength in our voices.”At the aforementioned OVO Arena Wembley gig in London, the likes of Damon Albarn, PinkPantheress and Jamie xx graced the stage in support of Together For Palestine. The event featured performances and speeches by 69 artists, actors, activists, and cultural figures, and was livestreamed to over 200,000 music fans worldwide, according to its organizers.
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The world’s not all bad. Consider, the holiday season is approaching. A brand new year is coming soon. And De La Soul have a new album out.
Cabin in the Sky is the U.S. hip-hop veterans’ ninth studio album, and their first since the death of David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, who passed away unexpectedly in 2023, and features previously unreleased vocals from the rapper.
On Tuesday night, Nov. 25, De La Soul stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live for a medley of cuts from Cabin in the Sky, the followup to 2016’s And the Anonymous Nobody, which opened and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200.
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Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer and Vincent “Maseo” Mason were in the house for a bouncing one-two hit of “Run It Back” and “The Package,” the latter complemented by a swinging brass section and visuals inspired by the LP’s heavenly cover art.
Pos and Maseo recently dropped by Billboard’s offices for a photo shoot, an interview and their thoughts on losing their bandmate.
“I’m feeling absolutely beautiful. I’m really happy and proud of this album, proud of all we’ve accomplished,” remarked Pos. “When you get to that finish line and you’ve realized things that you’ve had in your mind are now manifested — and I feel strongly about this album obviously because it’s the first album we’ve done without Dave — but it’s here in the physical and I can say without question [Dave] is here, his spirit, his energy, it’s very much a part of this album.”
Pos continued, “anything that he had placed in certain songs that we chose to use, all of that is felt. In that regard alone, that’s a success. But I really, really feel like De La fans are going to love this album.”
De La Soul will head out on the road next year, including a headline performance Feb. 27, 2026 at Droppin’ Science hip-hop night in Melbourne, Australia and a spot at Hamburg, Germany’s Old But Gold Festival July 26.
Watch the late-night performance in full below.
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Cody Simpson: pop star, elite swimmer, life saver.
The Australian artist and allrounder hopes to make a splash with his latest project, a campaign that encourages Australians to become ocean-safe before they dive in this summer.
Simpson, who earned a Billboard 200 top 10 album with Surfers Paradise, is the face of the Beach Passport PSA, which launched a year ago through Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) and the national airline Qantas.
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The beach safety exercise is a complimentary online training resource that, in its first season, organizers say, was completed by more than 37,000 beachgoers.
“Growing up on the Gold Coast, the beach has always been my second home and surf lifesavers are the unsung heroes who keep us all safe,” says Simpson in a statement.
The Beach Passport, he continues, “only takes 15 minutes and will give you the knowledge that could save your life or someone else’s this summer season.”
With over 198,000 members and more than 300 affiliated clubs, according to its latest data, SLSA is said to be the largest volunteer movement of its kind in the world.
The not-for-profit was established in 1907, with a mission to keep Aussies safe in the water, a national pastime in these warmer months. Since formation, more than 715,000 people have been rescued by its surf lifesavers.
Simpson has been a dedicated Surf Life Saving volunteer and member of his local surf club, Northcliffe Surf Club, since childhood, and he’s a medalist in a major competitive swimming, having collected gold as part of the Australian men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He came up short in his bid to qualify for the individual 100m butterfly and freestyle events for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but turned his disappointment into creativity with the publication of his first-ever kid’s book, titled The Sea In Me, and the tease of “exciting projects.” He’s also behind the eco-friendly fashion brand Prince Neptune.
