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18 Jul 2023

Travis Scott’s ‘Utopia’ Egypt Concert Reportedly Canceled by Authorities Due to ‘Safety & Protection of the Audience’

The road to Utopia has gotten bumpier for Travis Scott after Egyptian government officials canceled his July 28 concert at the Pyramids of Giza on Tuesday (July 18), according to multiple reports. 

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The news comes after The Egyptian Syndicate of Musical Professions reportedly cited myriad issues about Scott’s forthcoming performance. The Syndicate, which ultimately approves concert permits, is said to have concerns about ensuring “the safety and protection of the audience.”

Dr. Mohamed Abdullah, in a statement on behalf of the Musicians Syndicate obtained by Egypt Today said: “Regarding the concert scheduled to be held on 28th July at the Pyramids area in Giza by American rapper Travis Scott, the Musicians Syndicate, as the entity responsible for issuing licenses for music and singing concerts in Egypt, in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture represented by the Censorship Authority for Artistic Works and the Ministry of Labor, emphasizes the necessity of considering security aspects and obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities as a top priority when organizing concerts. This is to ensure the safety and protection of the audience.”

The statement also cites Abdullah as saying that the group welcomes various art forms, “it has set conditions and regulations to safeguard the customs and traditions inherited by the Egyptian people.”

In addition, Egypt Today quotes Abdullah as saying that social media played a part in the decision to cancel the concert’s license. “After examining social media opinions and feedback, as well as the news circulating on search engines and social media platforms, which included authenticated images and information about peculiar rituals performed by the star during his performance, contradicting our authentic societal values and traditions, the Syndicate’s president and board of directors have decided to cancel the license issued for hosting this type of concert, which goes against the cultural identity of the Egyptian people,” he reportedly said in his statement.

Billboard has reached out to Scott’s reps for comment. 

In 2021, 10 people died and many more were injured at Scott’s Astroworld Festival due to a crowd crush. After 19 months of police investigation, a grand jury ultimately decided that no one should be criminally charged for the disastrous event. In a statement to Billboard, Scott’s attorney Kent Schaffer said the grand jury’s decision proved that “Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy.”

“This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators and contractors — not performers,” Schaffer said. “While waiting patiently for the District Attorney’s decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding. Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important — stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like Astroworld from ever occurring again.”

Utopia marks Travis Scott’s fourth studio album and drops July 28.

18 Jul 2023

Drake Drops Visuals For Young Thug’s “Oh U Went”

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Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

As Young Thug continues to await his day in court from behind bars, the man is keeping his music legacy out on these streets going and with the release of his latest LP, Business is Business, Thugga proves that he isn’t letting a little thing like prison slow up his rap career.

Today, the incarcerated rapper got a big assist from his homie from up north, Drake, as Drizzy took it upon himself to make a new visuals for Young Thug’s Drake assisted “Oh U Went,” in which Drizzy traveled to the South to shoot the clip. Using his own personal family reunion as the backdrop for the video, Drake has multiple people spit Thugga’s verse before he himself takes center stage at the reunion and gets in on the bar dropping bonanza in front of his friends and family.

Everyone must’ve been excited to be a part of the video, especially the kids. Just sayin’.

Check out the visuals to “Oh U Went,” and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.



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18 Jul 2023

Carlee Russell’s Boyfriend Reveals She Fought “For Her Life” For 2 Days

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Carlee Russell

Source: Hoover Police Department / Hoover PD

As Carlee Russell recovers after going missing last week and being found in Alabama, her boyfriend expressed how she spent two days fighting for her life.

The country was riveted as word spread of the disappearance of Alabama nursing student Carlee Russell after she made an emergency call to help a toddler on the side of a highway. Many social media users, eager to help find the missing young Black woman, helped to spur the search for her afterward until late Saturday night when Russell arrived back at her home. Her boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, wrote a Facebook post shortly after expressing his relief and also shedding some light on the ordeal.

“She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment,” he wrote.

The post created Sunday (July 16) contains pictures of Simmons and Russell together. He continued: “I have been going nonstop since I received the call that she was missing on Thursday night. I know she would’ve done the same for me, so I wasn’t going to give up until I saw her face again!”

Simmons expressed his thanks to all of those concerned including family and friends who helped with the search and even addressed those skeptical of Russell’s disappearance or speculating he had a hand in it. “I was straight tunnel vision, even when I would get on social media on my downtime & see some of the false allegations & assumptions about me having something to do with her abduction would have me discouraged at times I didn’t give up & kept my faith!” he wrote.

Carlee Russell was taken to UAB Hospital from her home in Hoover after she arrived for a medical examination. Authorities say that the investigation will be a “tedious process,” and Russell’s parents have declined to talk about where she was for those 48 hours. Talitha Russell, Carlee’s mother, did express annoyance over those skeptical of her daughter’s disappearance and return in an interview with the Today show. “I just didn’t know people could be so evil,” she said. “She’s having to deal with the trauma of people making completely false allegations about her.”

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18 Jul 2023

A Timeline of Anuel AA, Yailin La Mas Viral and 6ix9ine’s Feud

There was much buzz about Anuel AA and Yailin La Más Viral’s relationship, which they made Instagram official in January 2022 and married six months after, tying the knot in June of that same year. Five months later, the Puerto Rican artist and Dominican newcomer announced they were expecting a baby.

But the fairytale-like story quickly took a turn — and, in a twist of events, Anuel confirmed during an Instagram Live in February that he and the Dominican rapper had called it quits. Since, it’s been a whirlwind for the two artists — who are not only going through the divorce, but are in the middle of controversies surrounding their own relationship and Anuel’s past relationship with Colombian superstar Karol G. While on his Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren tour, Anuel tried to win Karol back by making direct comments about missing her, flaunting her merch, and releasing songs dedicated to her.

How does 6ix9ine come into play in all of this? The New York-born rapper, who’s been collaborating with Latin acts such as Grupo Firme and Lanier, has become Yailin’s defacto spokesperson taking her side against Anuel AA, whom he’s bashed on since-deleted social media posts. It’s worth noting the two were friendly at one point: In 2018, the pair released “Bebe,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, and “Mala.”

Just last month, Yailin and 6ix9ine released their first-ever collab together: “Pa Ti,” which peaked at No. 37 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. It marked Yailin’s third entry on the tally. The other two are the Anuel-assisted “Si Tú Me Busca” and “La Máquina” with Jowell & Randy and De La Ghetto.

Below is a timeline of Anuel AA, Yailin and 6ix9ine’s feud, from the beginning to the latest clap backs.

18 Jul 2023

Woman Who Miranda Lambert Called Out Over Las Vegas Selfie Says She Was ‘Appalled’ By Incident

The woman who was called out by Miranda Lambert for taking a selfie during the country star’s Las Vegas show on Saturday night said she was “appalled” by the reaction from the “We Should Be Friends” singer.

Vegas influencer Adela Calin told NBC News that she couldn’t believe it when Lambert paused in the middle of singing the ballad “Tin Man” after she eyed the woman and five or her friends posing for a mid-show selfie. “It was 30 seconds at most,” said Calin, 43. “We took the picture quickly and were going to sit back down.”

The moment was captured in a TikTok video in which Lambert had just started to perform her 2018 ACM song of the year winner during her Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas residency show. “I’m gonna stop right here for a second, I’m sorry,” Lambert told the audience at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino at Zappos Theater. “These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song.”

Lambert was clearly irked by the distraction, adding, “It’s pissing me off a bit. Sorry, I don’t like it. At all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country d–n music.” She then motioned for the women to put their phones away and asked the crowd, “Shall we start again?” before re-booting the song to the crowd’s cheers. A spokesperson for Lambert had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Calin’s interview at press time.

In the wake of a recent rash of incidents in which Latto, Lil Nas X, Bebe Rexha, Kelsea Ballerini, Harry Styles and Drake have been hit by objects thrown at them during recent concerts, Calin said she believes Lambert’s reaction may have had something to do with a heightened sensitivity around phones at show. And while she said she understood the concern for artist safety, Calin was disappointed by Lambert’s comments.

“It felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down back in my place,” she said. “… I feel like she was determined to make us look like we were young, immature and vain. But we were just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture.”

According to Calin, the group — who were seated close to the stage — tried to take a few shots before the show, but said the lighting was not good enough. She then asked a woman seated behind them to take a picture of her and her friends near the end of the set. “We just couldn’t get one good picture,” Calin said. “We were so excited because I think we had the best seats in the house in the whole theater.”

18 Jul 2023

Warner Music and TikTok Ink Major Licensing Agreement

Warner Music Group and TikTok struck a multi-year licensing deal allowing creators on the short-form video app to use WMG music on Tuesday, marking the first publicly announced deal between a major music company since the popular social media platform since licensing renegotiations began about 18 months ago.

The companies said in a joint statement that the multi-platform agreement licenses the full repertoire of Warner Recorded Music and Warner Chappell Music to TikTok, TikTok Music, CapCut, and TikTok’s Commercial Music Library.

It is the first sizeable deal struck since WMG’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Kyncl took over in January, and it marks the cooling of what has at times been tough negotiations between TikTok and the music industry establishment.

Kyncl and TikTok’s chief execurtive Shou Chew said the agreement would benefit artists.

“We are very excited to partner with Warner Music Group to create a shared vision for the future in which artists, songwriters, music fans and the industry can all benefit from the power of discovery on TikTok platforms,” Chew said.

While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Kyncl described the deal as an “expanded and significantly improved partnership for both companies. We can jointly deliver greater value to WMG’s artists and songwriters and TikTok’s users.”

TikTok has been engaged in ongoing negotiations for roughly the last year over remuneration to the 100-plus rights holders through whom it must license music played on its app. Billboard reported that TikTok had struck short-term licensing deals in 2020 with most major music companies–shorter than the 18-24-month licenses common between the music and tech industries–to use 30-second clips of songs.

But negotiations to reach more permanent agreements had been fraught, with the music industry pushing for greater incentives for rights holders and TikTok exploring what music was really worth on its platform.

Kyncl’s WMG being the first to announce it struck an agreement with TikTok comes after he signaled a friendlier tone during comments he made at a banking conference in March. Kyncl expressed empathy for executives at TikTok at the Morgan Stanley conference, who he said are at “a company that’s kind of embattled today with lots of different institutions around the world.”

“That’s all I look for, fair setup on both sides and to grow a business together,” Kyncl said in March.

18 Jul 2023

Morgan Wallen’s ‘Last Night’ Tops Billboard’s Songs of the Summer Chart at July Midpoint

What will be the No. 1 song of the summer of 2023? We’re halfway to the answer, per Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart.

The 20-position Songs of the Summer running tally tracks the most popular titles based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100 chart from Memorial Day through Labor Day (this year encompassing charts dated June 10 through Sept. 9). At the end of the season, the top song of the summer will be revealed.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” ranks at No. 1 through the first half of this year’s Songs of the Summer tracking period, having led the list all seven weeks so far. Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” ranks at No. 2, followed by Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” (No. 3), Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (No. 4) and Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole (No. 5).

While all five hits above have appeared on Songs of the Summer each week this season, two titles not on the survey at summer’s start are currently climbing (on the chart dated July 22): SZA’s “Snooze,” up 14-13 in its fifth week, and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” new at No. 16. The latter, introduced on Swift’s 2019 album Lover, has been gaining momentum in recent weeks, as Swift has been performing it on her current The Eras Tour, her first in which she’s been able to spotlight songs from the set, which was released shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The song is now being promoted as a single by Republic Records.

(“Cruel Summer” is also the first song with “summer” in its title to reach the Songs of the Summer chart since Calvin Harris’ “Summer,” the season’s No. 8 hit for 2014.)

Conversely, one hit has endured enough to rank on this year’s Songs of the Summer chart after also making last year’s final tally: Wallen’s “You Proof,” at No. 19, after finishing at No. 17 for 2022.

Harry Styles’ “As It Was” wrapped at No. 1 on the 2022 Songs of the Summer chart, joining the lineage of BTS’ “Butter,” the leader for 2021; DaBaby’s “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch (2020); Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (2019); and Drake’s “In My Feelings” (2018).

Check out the top 10 summer songs every year throughout the Hot 100’s history (from the chart’s start in 1958) and the latest Songs of the Summer chart in its entirety.

18 Jul 2023

Travis Scott Will Not Perform At Giza Pyramids, Music Union Is Responsible For Cancellation

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The Idol - Cannes Film Festival 2023 - Red Carpet

Travis Scott was slated to debut his latest studio album Utopia via a livestream event at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt near the end of the month. However, the event was called off after a music union in the African nation determined that the image Travis Scott presents doesn’t line up with tradition.

As seen in Egypt Today, Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate issued a statement on Tuesday (July 18) by way of Dr. Mohamed Abdullah, which highlights that the union observed imagery they found disturbing in their research of Scott.

From Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate:

Regarding the concert scheduled to be held on 28th July at the Pyramids area in Giza by American rapper Travis Scott, the Musicians Syndicate, as the entity responsible for issuing licenses for music and singing concerts in Egypt, in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture represented by the Censorship Authority for Artistic Works and the Ministry of Labor, emphasizes the necessity of considering security aspects and obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities as a top priority when organizing concerts. This is to ensure the safety and protection of the audience.

While the Musicians Syndicate has welcomed various art forms and concerts in recent months, it has set conditions and regulations to safeguard the customs and traditions inherited by the Egyptian people.

As the Musicians Syndicate is part of the fabric of our beloved country, it works towards its stability and security and rejects any tampering with the societal values, customs, and traditions of Egypt and the Arab world. After examining social media opinions and feedback, as well as the news circulating on search engines and social media platforms, which included authenticated images and information about peculiar rituals performed by the star during his performance, contradicting our authentic societal values and traditions, the Syndicate’s president and board of directors have decided to cancel the license issued for hosting this type of concert, which goes against the cultural identity of the Egyptian people.

What isn’t known are what rituals the syndicate observed but there were earlier reports of pushback against hosting Travis Scott at the pyramids due to the Astroworld tragedy.

A scan of Scott’s social media pages does not indicate a response to the move.

—

Photo: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty

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18 Jul 2023

Ana Torroja, Soda Stereo & More Among Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Special Awards Recipients

The Latin Recording Academy announced on Tuesday (July 18) that artists Ana Torroja, Mijares, Carmen Linares, Arturo Sandoval, Simone and Soda Stereo will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as part of its annual Special Awards Presentation. Additionally, Alex Acuña, Gustavo Santaolalla and Wisón Torres will receive the Trustees Award.

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“We are extremely honored for the opportunity to recognize these great figures of Ibero-America, whose musical legacy continues to inspire new generations,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating their virtuoso careers during Latin GRAMMY® Week in Sevilla this coming November.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award, according the Academy, is presented to performers who have “made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music and its communities.” Meanwhile, the Trustees Award is given to individuals who have made “significant contributions to Latin music during their careers in ways other than performance.” Both are voted on by the Latin Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees.

The honorees will be celebrated at a private event on Nov. 12 at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Seville, Spain during Latin Grammys week. In May, the Latin Grammys announced that the 24th edition of the awards ceremony will take place in Spain on Nov. 16 at the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones — marking the first time the ceremony will be held outside the United States. As in previous years, Latin Grammy Week will include Person of the Year gala, the Special Awards ceremony, a Leading Ladies of Entertainment luncheon, among other events.

The nominations for the 2023 Latin Grammys will be announced on Sept. 19. 

18 Jul 2023

Jason Aldean Reschedules Hartford Show Cut Short By Heat Exhaustion

Jason Aldean didn’t waste any time re-scheduling his scotched Hartford, Connecticut Highway Desperado Tour date. The second show on the singer’s summer tour on Saturday night was cut short due to Aldean’s reported bout of dehydration and exhaustion, but on Monday (July 17) Xfinity Theatre announced he’ll be back in the building later this month.

“JUST ANNOUNCED! In keeping with his long-standing dedication to his fans, @Jason_Aldean is returning to Hartford’s Xfinity Theatre on Sunday, July 30th. All tickets from the July 15 show will be honored for the rescheduled July 30 date,” the venue tweeted.

The Hartford date was the second show on the outing 31-city headlining tour featuring guests Mitchell Tenpenny, Corey Kent and Dee Jay Silver. Aldean posted a video message to fans on Sunday, telling them, “I’ve had a lot of people checking on me today after hearing about what happened last night at the show in Connecticut,” Aldean said.

He told fans that he was “doing fine. Just one of those things. It was hot, I was playing golf all day yesterday and then got to the show. There was a combination of dehydration and just heat exhaustion. I’m hearing a lot of stuff going around, ‘heat stroke,’ all this stuff. I don’t think it was quite that serious, but it was pretty intense last night at the show. Anybody that was at the show knows how hot it was.”

Aldean also described the moment he realized he had to leave the stage: “I knew it was coming. I was trying to get through as much of the show as I could, and eventually I knew it wasn’t going to happen and I was trying to just get off stage and figure out what was going on,” he said, noting that he was given IV fluids to treat his symptoms. Aldean performed his next scheduled show in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on Sunday night.