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24 Apr 2024

‘Just Kids’ by Patti Smith Delves Into the Woman Behind Taylor Swift’s Viral Lyric (And the Book Is On Sale)

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Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, hasn’t just broken records, but left Easter eggs scattered throughout its raw lyrics. It’s one lyric in particular though that has left fans curious, with the “Fortnight” singer comparing herself to the godmother of punk, Patti Smith.

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The title track features the line, “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith/This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots,” and for those new to the punk rock icon, you can learn more about the artist who earned a shoutout from the Grammy-winner through her book Just Kids, which is currently on sale for up to 40% off.

Smith’s book is a part of the growing list of bestselling female musician memoirs, even becoming a national book award winner in 2010. For a limited-time you can get the memoir for less than $15, and display the book at the top of your coffee table or bookshelf while discovering more about the woman who inspired the “Cruel Summer” singer’s lyrics.

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Keep reading to shop the book deal below.

black book cover with photo of patti smith

“Just Kids” by Patti Smith

$11.63

$18.99

39% off

$11.63

$11.84

$14.27

17% off

Read straight from the perspective of the “Gloria” singer in this official memoir, as she recounts her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Taking place in NYC throughout the ’70s, you’ll discover how a chance encounter led to a whirlwind romance filled with passion, art and desire to fulfill their dreams.

An illustrated edition of the book eventually came out, which features more photos from Smith’s with the photographer, which you can buy here.

In response to the “August” singer mentioning her name, Smith took to Instagram to share her gratitude where she posted a photo of herself reading the book Dylan Thomas: Portrait of the Artist As a Young Dog.

“This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Thank you Taylor,” she captioned the post.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Taylor Swift books, Taylor Swift recommended books and best Taylor Swift outfits.

24 Apr 2024

JD Sports To Acquire Hibbett Inc. For $1B

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German Retail Sales Increases Amid High Inflation

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Sneaker haven JD Sports is out here making big boy moves as they look to give Foot Locker Inc. a run for their sports apparel money.

According to Reuters, JD Sports is looking to take out more of their competition as they’re on the verge of purchasing Hibbett Inc. for a cool $1.08 billion dollars. The move comes as the sports attire field has been taking SNKRS-size losses in, and that includes the likes of juggernauts such as Reebok, Puma and Nike. Still, JD Sports is looking to expand their empire. After buying the likes of Shoe Palace, Finish Line and DTLR, JD Sports seem to be on a mission to corner the sports attire market out on these streets.

Reuters reports:

“Being part of a larger global retailer like JD Sports gives Hibbett more resources compared to its U.S. peers, Foot Locker and Dick’s,” said Cristina Fernández, analyst with Telsey Advisory Group.
JD Sports will pay $87.50 per Hibbett share in cash, representing a premium of about 20% to the U.S. firm’s last closing price.
Hibbett’s shares were up nearly 19% at $86.17 in U.S. noon trading.
JD’s acquisition of Hibbett, which has about 1,169 stores across 36 U.S. states, will extend its breadth in the country from “coast to coast”, finance chief Dominic Platt said in an analyst call.
It already owns Shoe Palace, which has a big presence on the U.S. west coast, and DTLR, which is established in the east.
“From a competitive standpoint, (the deal) puts incremental pressure on Foot Locker as JD Sports becomes a stronger player in the US,” Fernández wrote in a note.
How will Foot Locker respond to this power play? We have no idea but as long as sneakerheads get the grails that they fiend for, we riding with whoever gives us the best chances of copping. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think of JD Sports buying Hibbett Inc.? Is less competition in this field better for consumers? Let us know in the comments section below.

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24 Apr 2024

Concord Raises Offer in Fight to Take Over Hipgnosis Songs Fund

Concord Music raised its bid to take over Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) on Wednesday (April 24) to $1.25 per share, one penny higher than the competing offer that Blackstone floated on April 20 — further ratcheting up the fight for control of the music rights company’s assets.

Concord’s new all-cash offer values Hipgnosis’s assets — which include rights to songs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Christine McVie, Blondie, Shakira and Journey — as worth around $1.51 billion. It includes a plan to sell up to 30% of Hipgnosis’ assets within 18 to 24 months of an acquisition, according to a filing with the London Stock Exchange.

HSF’s board of directors unanimously recommended shareholders approve this new bid from Concord, a reversal from Monday (April 22) when those directors said they would support an offer from Blackstone equivalent to $1.24 per share if the investment giant made it official. Blackstone’s bid remains a “possible offer,” according to the company’s statement on Saturday (April 20).

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“Concord … remains committed to becoming the new owner of Hipgnosis,” the filing reads. “The Hipgnosis Directors believe that the Increased Concord Offer is in the best interests of Hipgnosis Shareholders as a whole, and accordingly unanimously recommend that Hipgnosis Shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions required to implement the Increased Concord Offer to be proposed at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting which are due to be held on or around 10 June 2024.”

The new offer presents a 42.6% premium over HSF’s closing share price on April 17, the day before Concord’s initial offer became public. Any offer will require the support of investors representing at least 75% of the company’s public shares at a court meeting expected to be held on June 10; until that date, additional new offers may still be lodged.

Concord plans to finance the acquisition through a combination of debt and equity, with the majority of the equity financing coming from Concord followed by “minority participation by Apollo Funds.” Apollo will also provide the debt, the amount of which has not been disclosed.

Blackstone floated a “possible offer” of $1.5 billion, or $1.24 per share, to buy Hipgnosis Songs Fund over the weekend. The private equity giant owns two other entities under the Hipgnosis name, including a private music royalty fund with its own catalog holdings worth more than $700 million. Blackstone has yet to file an official bid.

Last year, Concord acquired Hipgnosis rival Round Hill Music Royalty Fund for $468 million in the biggest catalog deal of 2023. Through that acquisition, Concord gained rights to over 150,000 songs, among them works by The Beatles and tunes recorded by Elvis Presley, Meatloaf, James Brown and Billie Holiday.

24 Apr 2024

Stream Wars? IShowSpeed Disses Kai Cenat In Rap Track, Leaks His Phone Number

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Kai Cenat looks as if he has a new enemy, as fellow streamer IShowSpeed has released a diss track directed toward him online.

In the current climate of rap beef that’s been present these last couple of weeks, another surprising feud has surfaced, this time between popular streamers Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed. The new track was released by IShowSpeed on Tuesday (April 23) during a live stream, where he rapped the denigrating lyrics directed at Cenat over the instrumental of Drake’s “Back To Back” track from 2015 as he stood in front of a green screen.

“Kai, you can’t pull Tyla/You dirty-a*s n***a you do not pull b***hes/I’m sending 5k to a f**king b***h, I never paid for p***y, n***a suck my d***k,” IShowSpeed spits out, referencing the South African songstress’ recent visit to the popular streamer which garnered a lot of attention and a claim by Cenat of extortion from an OnlyFans personality. “Adin leaked my number/B***h, here go your muthaf**kin number,” he continues showing a contact number on his smartphone purportedly belonging to Kai Cenat. “B***h, I really don’t care/Zoom in, take a good stare/N***a, I don’t give a f**k/You always on my d**k, n***a, suck my left nut.” Kai Cenat hasn’t commented on the track as of yet. The 19-year-old and IShowSpeed have had a turbulent relationship in the past, but have collaborated multiple times. But the new turn by IShowSpeed might be linked to Kai Cenat seemingly sending verbal barbs his way in a freestyle that he released over 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” which went viral last month.

As for IShowSpeed, he’s gotten into hot water for online stunts in the past involving other streamers who’ve blasted him for leaking personal information linked to them. The popular gamer and streamer Ninja called IShowSpeed out last November after deleting his Discord channel. He stated that the 23-year-old leaked the information to the channel to the public and his followers during a stream. “That Discord had Drake, Travis Scott, Marshmello, JuJu, every professional Fortnite player you could imagine,” he said at the time. All of the top OG streamers, like fucking everyone, and I had to fucking nuke it because Speed leaked it.”

24 Apr 2024

Travis Scott’s Jordan “Jumpman Jack” To Drop At The End Of The Month

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Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electrifies Los Angeles World Premiere - Inside

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Travis Scott’s signature Jordan sneaker line is finally about to hit the streets, and after a small shock drop went down a few months ago, the hype for the sneakers have only grown with every passing week.

According to Highsnobiety, the Jordan Brand “Jumpman Jack” is set to release April 30. Needless to say, these will be an instant sellout as the mocha colorway coupled with the reverse swoosh is basically a bank shot when it comes to sneakerheads these days. While there are a few colorways that are supposed to release in the near future, the white and mocha brown color blocking is up to bat first, and with pairs from the shock drop reselling for more than $700, you can expect these to be a hard cop.

Per Highsnobiety:

There’s also plenty of Scott insignia throughout the sneaker, such as his Cactus Jack motifs embroidered on the heels to the scribbled “Jack” on the translucent outsole, ready to wear away with time (or maybe even a single trip to the mosh pit).

The Jumpman Jack sneaker’s second biggest feature is the large strap over the forefoot, topped with raised co-branding and locking fans in for a raging ride.

Underneath these Scott-approved touches, the Jordan Jumpman Jack sneakers offer up a bit of nostalgia. The shoe’s overall shape evokes the feels of Nike’s old-school athletic shoes like the Mac Attack (Scott knows a thing about the model).

No word on how many pairs will be available come release day but given Jordan Brand’s history of only producing between 100,000 – 250,000 of their Travis Scott collaborations (millions of sneakerheads want these), we don’t have much hope that there will be enough pairs to go around come April 30.

Check out pics of the “Jumpman Jack” sneakers, and let us know if you’ll be trying to get a pair come the end of the month in the comments section below.

24 Apr 2024

CeeLo Green Hopes To Turn Rico Wade’s Home Into A Museum

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CeeLo Green is working on keeping Rico Wade’s legacy alive for years to come. He purchased his home with hopes of turning it into a museum.

As reported by HipHopDX, the Goodie Mob founding member is grieving the loss of his friend and collaborator, Rico Wade. On Monday (April 15), CeeLo shared a very lengthy social media post announcing he has purchased one of Wade’s homes. The house in question served as the second studio that the Dungeon Family collective primarily recorded out of after growing out of their original location.

“We moved into ‘the White House’ because by unanimous decision, Rico Wade was appointed commander [in] chief of Atlanta music culture,” CeeLo wrote on Instagram. “Our success bought us all homes of our own and the White House was an empty nest. Mr. Wade decided on something more domestic to raise his new family, which was his [quaint] and reserved taste in the first place.”

He would go on to reveal that the property would eventually deteriorate due to tenants who reportedly failed to keep up with the maintenance. “It was too important and invaluable to leave it be. The asking price was around 1 million, I would’ve paid more!” CeeLo said. “I’m proud to say me and my real estate partner… my sister did that for the family! My pleasure.” He would go on to reveal that he will be turning the home into an exhibit. “One day soon it will be a museum, archiving our rich musical history. You’ll be the first to know… and if you’re ever in Atlanta on the southside, come see us sometime and we will take good care of you, the way Father took care of us. #facts one time for Mr. Wade.”

Back in 2019, Big Boi purchased the crew’s original recording home aptly called the Dungeon. It is now available for rent via Airbnb. Rico Wade’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

24 Apr 2024

Rick Ross Drops New Video For “Champagne Moments” Drake Diss

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Rick Ross Champagne Moments video

Source: Vevo / Youtube

It looks like Rick Ross really wants all the smoke with the Canadian crooner/rapper known as Drake. The Bawse done went and unnecessarily made a music video for the diss track he released just last week.

After days of going back and forth on social media with accusations of BBL’s and getting mothers involved, Rozay has decided to give his Drizzy diss cut, “Champagne Moments,” the visual treatment just when it seemed like the feud had begun to die down a bit.

Sitting in an airplane hanger with an old-school Chevy Bel Air playing the background (an obvious reference to a bar in the song in which Ross asks Drake if he owns one) and his liquor brands next to his person, an iced out Ross drops his rhymes while puffing on some magic dragon; this is just another day at the office for him. Rick Ross really seems to be enjoying indulging in this drama. The man even showed off his belly when talking about Drake’s alleged six-pack surgery (which led to the “BBL” Drake nickname) before bursting out into laughter.

Will Drake respond with a video of his own for “Push Ups” or nah? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Peep the video for Rick Ross’ “Champagne Moments” below, and let us know your thoughts on the joint in the comments section.



24 Apr 2024

21 Savage’s ‘Redrum’ Shines at No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay Chart

21 Savage banks his seventh total – and second non-collaborative – No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart as “Redrum” charges from No. 4 to lead the list dated April 27. The single reigns thanks to a 13% surge in plays that made “Redrum” the most played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the tracking week of April 12-18, according to Luminate.

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“Redrum” — which references the film The Shining — takes the summit from Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me.” The previous champ crowned the chart for 10 weeks in three separate stints: It first ruled for six consecutive weeks in January-February, another two-week stretch in March and the last pair of weeks in April.

WHZT-FM, in Greenville, S.C., leads the charge among all reporting stations for the most “Redrum” plays in the week, while WKHT-FM in Knoxville, Tenn., ranks second. The largest weekly increase, meanwhile, belongs to KHTN-FM, based in Modesto, Calif.

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As “Redrum” advances, 21 Savage earns his seventh Rhythmic Airplay No. 1 and second of 2024, after he and Baby Tate featured on JID’s “Surround Sound,” a one-week champ in March. Here’s a summary of his seven leaders:

Song Title, Artist (if other than 21 Savage), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1

  • “Rockstar,” Post Malone featuring 21 Savage, six, Nov. 11, 2017
  • “A Lot,” two, April 20, 2019
  • “Jimmy Cooks,” Drake featuring 21 Savage, one, Oct. 8, 2022
  • “Rich Flex,” with Drake, two, Jan. 28, 2023
  • “Creepin’,” with Metro Boomin & The Weeknd, three, Feb. 11, 2023
  • “Surround Sound,” JID featuring 21 Savage & Baby Tate, one, March 9, 2024
  • “Redrum,” one (to date), April 27, 2024

With the Rhythmic Airplay crown secured, “Redrum” next looks to conquer Rap Airplay, where it ascends 3-2 and adds 3% in audience impressions. It also makes progress on Pop Airplay, holding at No. 37 for a second straight week, but with a 9% improvement in plays for the week at mainstream top-40 stations. Gains at the rhythmic and pop formats spur its 28-27 bump on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, where it added 3% in total audience to reach 20.7 million in the tracking week.

“Redrum” appears on 21 Savage’s latest studio album, American Dream. The set, released in January, topped the all-genre Billboard 200 for two weeks and posted three weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming the rapper’s fourth consecutive leader on each list.

24 Apr 2024

TV Soundtracks With the Most Weeks at No. 1 on the Top Soundtracks Chart

Hazbin Hotel is unique among the longest-running No. 1 soundtracks for two reasons.

HAZBIN HOTEL

HAZBIN HOTEL

©Amazon/A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

Hazbin Hotel: Season One has been No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Soundtracks chart for 11 consecutive weeks – its entire run on that chart so far. It’s already one of the 10 longest-running soundtracks from a TV show in that chart’s nearly 33-year history.

Hazbin Hotel is unique among the longest-running No. 1 soundtracks for two reasons. It’s a soundtrack to a property that is aimed at older teens and adults, rather than one aimed at tweens, young teens or families. And the show streams on Amazon Prime Video. Of the 10 TV soundtracks with the longest runs at No. 1 on Top Soundtracks, eight were from projects that aired on The Disney Channel. (The leader on our list is from a show that aired on a legacy network, CBS. Can you guess what it is? I think you’ll agree that it’s a worthy leader for a list like this.)

Hazbin Hotel is an animated musical comedy series that was created by Vivienne “VivziePop” Medrano.  The pilot episode was released on YouTube on Oct. 28, 2019. The first season premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Jan. 18, with its first episode also released on YouTube that same day for a limited release. The series stars Stephanie Beatriz, Alex Brightman, Keith David and Kimiko Glenn. You may remember that Beatriz topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in 2022 as a featured member of the Encanto cast with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

Here’s a look at all TV soundtracks that have topped Billboard’s Top Soundtracks chart for nine or more weeks. They are listed in ascending order.

24 Apr 2024

4 Top-Rated Drones That You Can Get for Less Than $100

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Drone use has skyrocketed since its integration into the market, with now more than 1.7 million drone registrations in the U.S., according to 2024 market research done by Gitnux. It might seem like businesses dominate drone use, but the report claims that 70% of its market share is actually held by consumer drones. With features such as cameras and sensors (and yes, propellers to fly), it’s one of those tech devices that can give you views from the air without you first having to score a travel deal to hop on a plane.

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Finding the best drone for content doesn’t require spending a fortune, though. Thanks to ongoing tech deals, there are plenty of drones for less than $100 to add to your arsenal. Amazon and Walmart are hosting some major savings that you can score right now to save you hundreds.

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Rather than wait for a holiday or big savings event, read on to find all the saving opportunities happening now.

What Are the Best Drones for Less Than $100?

ShopBillboard did the research and put together our picks of the best drones under $100 below, so you can enjoy the high-tech toy without burning a hole in your wallet.

black drone under $100 with blue lights and accessories

editor’s pick

JY03 Drone

$49.81

$174.99

72% off

For less than $50, you can snag the JY03 Drone, which can perform 360-degree flips and comes with an HD camera for capturing crystal-clear video and photos. The kit also comes with a USB charger, wireless remote control and two rechargeable batteries. A single charge can give users up to 20 minutes of flight time.

One shopper also loves how “the stability control and the one button take off and landing function helps make flying a breeze.”

black drone with lights and accessories

beginner pick

Velcase Foldable Drone for Beginners

$44.99

$249.99

82% off

Velcase’s drone aims to be easy to use, so beginners can become an expert in no time. The model uses a foldable design for easier portability and comes with a remote similar to a video game control to make learning how to fly simpler. You can choose from three flight speeds, and the stable altitude hold will help keep the device at the same level throughout its flight.

Amazon reviewers have rated the drone 4.4 stars, with more than 2,000 shoppers purchasing it in the past month, according to the retailer.

black drone with camera and accessories

camera pick

AUOSHI Mini Foldable Drone

$49.99

$179.99

72% off

If you want portability and high quality footage, then the AUOSHI drone is a worthy contender — especially for 72% off. The design comes with an HD camera to capture professional-grade content. You can also use voice and gesture control for hands-free use.

The device has already garnered a 4.5-star rating, with shoppers describing the camera quality as “exceptional” for recording video and taking photos.

drone with accessories and camera

longest flight time

RADCLO Mini Drone With Camera

$49.99

$169.99

71% off

RADCLO’s Mini Drone boasts a flight time of up to 30 minutes — the longest on our list — so you can capture a half hour of uninterrupted content before needing to recharge the battery. Other features include a built-in camera that can be adjusted 90 degrees, and you can choose from three speed modes to go from faster to slower.

Reviewers have given the mini drone 4.7 stars on Amazon (out of five), with shoppers praising its “crystal-clear photos and videos,” as well as how the “foldable body and thoughtful design make this drone highly portable.”

Are Cheap Drones Harder to Fly?

Drones under $100 may not have all the features of luxury models, but that doesn’t mean you can’t execute smooth flight patterns. Most of the more affordable drones will be likely be able to perform the basics, but if you’re looking to execute maneuvers that require more control, then it may be worth increasing your budget by shopping some 4K drones on Amazon here.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best tablet deals, TV deals and Xbox deals.