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02 Jun 2023

Jacky Oh, Former ‘Wild ‘N Out’ Star, Dies at 32

Jacky Oh, a former castmember of Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out, has died at 32. At press time a cause of death had not been announced.

BET confirmed the news in an Instagram post, which read, “We, the BET family, extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jacky Oh and DC Young Fly,” referring to Oh’s partner, fellow Wild cast member and father of their three children. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jacklyn Smith, known to the world as Jacky Oh, a talented Wild N’ Out family member whose impact will be forever treasured and missed. Jacky Oh was a loving friend and beloved colleague of the Wild N’ Out cast throughout five seasons.”

TMZ was first to report the news on Thursday, revealing that Smith died in Miami and the Young Fly was in Atlanta shooting new episodes of the show when he heard the news of her death; at press time it was not clear when Smith died.

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“More importantly, she was a tremendous mother to three beautiful children,” read the statement. “The BET family extends our sincere condolences to the Smith family, DC Young Fly, B Simone, Nick Cannon, and all friends who loved and cared for Jacky Oh during this difficult time.” Oh was one of the “Wild ‘N Out girls” on the Cannon-created series, where she met Young Fly (John Whitfield), with whom she shared daughters Nova and Nala and son Prince, who was born in 2022.

Following her run on Wild, Smith launched a lip gloss line called the J Nova Collection and sold real estate.

See BET’s statement below.

02 Jun 2023

How Luminate’s New Music Data Platform Will Keep Pace With an Evolving Industry

Luminate has been the music industry’s data authority for over three decades. As the company readies the launch of a more sophisticated platform, its leaders discuss the past, present and future of the operation — and how they’ve kept pace with the evolving business.

PAST – Starting with the launch of SoundScan in 1991, Luminate “has continued to reflect changing consumption habits” — from the CD boom to the streaming age — says Scott Ryan, the company’s executive vp of commercial. In 2015, just as streaming was becoming a primary consumption format, Luminate launched Music Connect, designed “as a next-generation solution to SoundScan, which measured sales only,” says chief product officer Arnaud Retureau. But with more recent developments necessitating the ability “to pull deeper insights at a quicker pace,” Retureau adds, Music Connect began showing its age ­— calling for a new and improved platform to encompass the myriad ways music is consumed today.

PRESENT – Announced at the Music Biz conference in May, Luminate’s eponymous new platform, which is currently in beta, was built to reflect the rapidly evolving modern music industry. Improvements include a more customizable user interface that allows for sorting, filtering and grouping; enhanced search functionality; more comprehensive artist metadata; the addition of market-level data from specific countries; and support for such forms of consumption as short-form video and gaming. “The fundamental approach to our new platform was simple in theory ­— to accommodate new data sources and improve the ways in which users can see the data they need with improved insights,” says chief data officer Glenn Walker.

FUTURE – Given the platform’s “expansive capabilities,” chief commercial officer Stephen Blackwell says, “We are constantly engaged with new data sources to enhance our [analytic] sets.” Later this year, Luminate will welcome data partners Deezer, Melon and Styngr, with more slated to be announced. In the coming months, Luminate will also build film and TV metadata into the platform to “allow for a more holistic view of the entertainment landscape,” says Luminate executive vp/head of film and TV Mark Hoebich. Looking further afield, the explosion of artificial intelligence technology “holds the potential to amplify both the quantity of content and the volume of data by tenfold within a few years,” says CEO Rob Jonas — making a more advanced data platform a must.

Luminate is an independently operated company owned by PME TopCo, a PMC subsidiary and joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge. Billboard is an independently operated company owned by PME Holdings, a subsidiary of PME TopCo.

02 Jun 2023

eBay Launches Authentication For Streetwear Items

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BAPE BABY MILO PUSHA T CAPSULE

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eBay is broadening their scope of services in the apparel category. The platform has launched an authentication offering for streetwear items.

As spotted on Hypebeast, the global commerce leader will now be reviewing and inspecting new and pre-owned apparel priced over $200 dollars from brands such as Aimé Leon Dore, Fear of God, KITH, Supreme, Off-White, Palace and Stone Island. By the end of the year adidas, Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, Burberry, Cactus Plant Flea Market, Chrome Hearts, Comme des Garçons, Dior, Eric Emanuel, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Jordan, Louis Vuitton, Nike, OVO, Palm Angels, Prada, Rhude, Versace, and Visvim will also be added as brands that will be authenticated.

Each item will be vetted and verified by a professional team of authenticators by using “advanced technical equipment” at eBay’s new state-of-the-art facility in New Jersey. eBay currently offers authentication for sneakers, watches, jewelry, handbags, and trading cards. A representative from the company expressed their enthusiasm regarding the announcement in a formal press statement:

Per Hypebeast”

“eBay has pieces from nearly every notable streetwear drop that’s ever happened – whether in 1993 or 2023,” said Garry Thaniel, Global GM of Sneakers and Streetwear at eBay. “We’ve heard loud and clear from our enthusiast community that they want to be able to come to eBay to buy and sell apparel in the same seamless way that they can sneakers. With the launch of Authenticity Guarantee for streetwear, we’re delivering on that ask.”

Interested consumers can visit eBay.com/streetwear for more information on the process, pieces available for purchase and more.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsmJCR2s3Lk/

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02 Jun 2023

Rapper Pacho El Antifeka Dead at 42 After Being Fatally Shot in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican rapper Pacho El Antifeka died on Thursday (June 1) after being fatally shot in Puerto Rico. He was 42 years old. 

The artist born Neftalí Álvarez Núñez was found dead inside a black 2008 Infinity car near the Plaza Tropical shopping center in Bayamón, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico. Law enforcement responded to the location after receiving calls of shots being fired.

The rapper’s death was later confirmed on his official Instagram account with a post featuring a powerful drawing created by “Arte Cardé.” It shows the musician in the passenger seat of a car and God taking the wheel. 

“A great one has left us, but the most important thing is that he will be eternal in our memories and hearts because of those huge marks that he left, nobody will erase them. Impossible to forget someone so special and someone as friendly as Pacho was. Your legacy is still here, and your family and work team will not let your music die because we all know that you made music from the heart for your fans…because that was what you loved to do music,” read part of the caption.

With a career that spanned nearly 20 years, Pacho El Antifeka was known for hits such as “Como Soy” with Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny; “Pa Morir Se Nace” with Farruko; “Tu No Eras Asi” with Rauw Alejandro; “Triste” with Nicky Jam; and “No Te Veo” with Jay Wheeler and Wisin y Yandel, to name a few. Last year, Pacho went viral on social media for replying to Residente’s “Bzrp Music Session” aimed at J Balvin. Pacho was signed to the indie urban label Duars Entertainment. 

Many of his reggaeton colleagues including — Daddy Yankee and Hector El Father — reacted to the news of his death on social media.

“I am not the one to judge anyone’s personal life but I can judge the way people treat me; based on that judgment, I can choose my friends. I am aware that you have always treated me with respect, appreciation, honesty, sincerity, and loyalty,” Daddy Yankee wrote in an Instagram post. “For me those qualities are worth a lot because they are not easily found in these times […] And I assure you brother that you were a real person with me from our beginnings at an early age, dreaming of this career. I am glad to know that I was able to contribute to you in life.”

“Only God knows how much your departure hurts me,” Hector El Father shared, also on Instagram. “You always called me to ask for prayer and to take my services to the caserios (barrios). You always let me know the desire you had to get closer to God and all your struggles. I only ask God that in that last second of life, you have remembered what I always told you: ‘Cry out to God and ask him for forgiveness.’”

See more reactions below:

02 Jun 2023

Gunna Addresses Snitching Allegations & More In New “Bread & Butter” Track

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All Star WKND With Lil Baby & Gunna

Gunna became persona non grata in the aftermath of the legal woes suffered by Young Thug and others within the YSL camp which lead to him getting slapped with snitching allegations. Gunna returned to the scene this Friday (June 2) with a new track “Bread & Butter” and the rapper hits back at snitching allegations while also appearing to address Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and all anyone else he feels switched up on him.

Gunna has kept a rather low profile as the YSL RICO case in Georgia is still ongoing with his former Young Stoner Life mentor Young Thug and a host of codefendants pushing to clear their names.

The track “Bread & Butter” is the first solo song from Gunna since a heap of accusations came his way that he provided evidence to prosecutors in order to secure his freedom from the YSL RICO sweep. From what we gathered online, the “Bread & Butter” track doesn’t have a home just yet but does seem to signal Gunna is back in the mix.

Lyrics from “Bread & Butter”:

Never f*cked a n*gga, always stayed solid/Kept it real with n*ggas, never lied and always stay honest/Love my bro so much, I never change on ’em/Hunna Wunna go and do the work, bring you the damn profits/Hustled on my own, I always did know how to sеll product/They ain’t gave me sh*t, I grind so long, camе from the damn bottom/Every n*gga speakin’ on my name could have some real problems/We are not the same, ain’t in my lane, I got my own column, yeah/Peepin’ sh*t, I’m seein’ n*ggas fall back/You b*tch-ass n*ggas got me as the topic of the chat/You switched on me when you know you in business with a rat/And the boy that’s like your brother, and nobody speak on that

While names aren’t given, fans online are assuming that Gunna is taking shots at the likes of Lil Durk and his past collaborator Lil Bay specifically while also addressing others who put the snitching allegations on his jacket.

On Twitter, fans are commenting track and we’ve got the video for the song and those reactions listed below.



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Photo: Getty

02 Jun 2023

Big Loud CEO/Partner Seth England Wins Billboard Country Power Players’ Choice Award

For 2023, Billboard has introduced the Country Power Players’ Choice Award, a peer-voted accolade chosen by Billboard Pro members to honor the executive they believe has made the most impact across the country music business over the past year. Across three rounds of voting, Billboard Pro members have chosen Seth England, partner and CEO of Big Loud, for the inaugural award.

As a label head, England has helped lead the careers of Morgan Wallen, ­HARDY, ERNEST and Hailey Whitters (in partnership with Songs & Daughters). Wallen, whom England also manages, followed his 2021 record-breaking album, Dangerous: The Double Album, with One Thing at a Time, which has spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard 200. HARDY and ERNEST are opening for Wallen’s One Night at a Time international tour.

“I’m honored by this recognition. For this award to be peer-voted means more than I can say,” says England, who is also an honoree on Billboard’s 2023 Country Power Players list. “To my partners Craig [Wiseman] and Joey [Moi], and the unmatched staff across Big Loud, if this is for me, it’s for all of us. I’d like to say thank you to my support at home — my wife and son, Rakiyah and Theo, my amazing family.”

02 Jun 2023

Frank Ocean’s ‘Mutations’ Photo Book Is Definitely Something to Sneeze At

Frank Ocean seems to relish being hip-hop’s biggest enigma. The reclusive singer proved it again this week when he announced a new project that once again pushes the envelope. Ocean’s Homer company is offering up the 48-page booklet Mutations, which is described as a “retrospective of artwork from October 19 to December 22, 2022” featuring photos taken by Ocean.

The most intriguing part? The $75 book is described as being “offset printed on tissue-weight paper.” The cover image is of a shirtless man in yellow pants and a matching baseball cap in front of a series of blurry photos of another man wearing sunglasses.

The book announce is the first new project form Ocean since his controversial headlining set at this summer’s Coachella Festival, during which he took the stage an hour later than scheduled, did not offer up any merchandise and performed in a small space in front of a giant screen that rendered the singer hard to spot.

Following the confusing set, Ocean’s reps issued a statement revealing that he’d suffered a serious injury earlier in the week that led to a radically reworked production that did not invovle the full-sized ice skating rink he’d originally envisioned on stage.

“After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend 1, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity,” it read. “On doctor’s advice, Frank is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg.”

Ocean was replaced by the reunited Blink-182 on the second weekend. Ocean has not released a new full-length album since 2016’s Blonde; his most recent music came in the form of the singles “Cayendo” and “Dear April, which came out in March 2020.

02 Jun 2023

Keyshia Cole Talks Survival In Official Trailer For ‘This Is My Story’: Exclusive

What better person to star in and guide a biopic on Keyshia Cole than the R&B artist herself.

That’s how it’s playing out for Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story, an upcoming biopic on the Grammy Award-nominated artist, set to premiere June 24 on Lifetime.

Cole takes executive producer duties and makes her acting debut in the film, part of the channel’s celebration of Black Music Month.

But first, the official trailer which Billboard exclusively premieres today (June 2). In it, Cole explains, “as a young girl, I survived so many different situations.” She continues, “I always wanted to make a movie about my life.”

Helming the biopic is D’Angela Proctor (Line Sisters) and Manu Boyer (Girl in the Basement), while Cole’s musical collaborator and A&R Ron Fair supervised the music and Grammy winner Warryn Campbell composed the original score.

According to a statement, the dramatization traces Cole’s “early days in Oakland honing her musical talents to her rise to a multi-platinum selling recording artist and television personality, to her complicated yet warmhearted relationship” with her mom Frankie Lons, played by Debbi Morgan.

The film will also feature a new song recorded by Cole.

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“This is a story of a daughter’s love for her mother and although my heart remains broken from her untimely passing I am honored to be sharing it with the world,” she explains in a statement. “Playing the role of myself was a unique opportunity to re-live special moments in my life that also gave me the chance to process her loss in ways I did not expect. I miss her every day and even though she is not here, her presence was felt throughout this film. Mom, I love you.”

Keyshia Cole: This is My Story is produced for Lifetime by Swirl Films and Big Dreams.

Watch the trailer below.

02 Jun 2023

Watch Cardi B Get ‘Summer Jam Ready’ With Impressive Yoga Moves

Cardi B knows it takes stamina to headline a festival, which might explain why the “Up” rapper shared a video earlier this week of her prep for Sunday’s (June 4) Summer Jam festival at UBS Arena in New York. In an Instagram Story captured by HipHopDX, Cardi worked on getting her mind and body right with the help of a yoga instructor.

Doing a deep back bend on a mat while wearing a blue sports bra and grey shorts, Cardi listened as the yoga teacher said, “I want you to press your hands into the floor and I want you to move your butt back just a little bit. Don’t move your hands!”

Cardi will headline the Hot 97 festival in Belmont Park, N.Y. on a bill that also includes GloRilla, Ice Spice, Coi Leray, Fivio Foreign, French Montana, Lil TJay and Lola Brooke, as well as a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary featuring the Lox.

Last month, Cardi told Rolling Stone that fans can “expect a lot from me this summer,” as a tease about new music and other projects. She made good on that promise on Friday (June 2) when she teamed up with Latto on a remix of her single “Put It On Da Floor.” Cardi brings it in her verse, rapping, “Put a ribbon on me, I been actin’ brand new/ I ain’t smokin’ on no za’, lil’ b–ch, I’m smokin’ on you/ Put your bestie in a pack and now I’m smokin’ her too/ I been ballin’ so damn hard, could’ve went to LSU/ Got so many chains on, I can’t even see my throat.”

Watch Cardi get her yoga on below.

02 Jun 2023

2Pac To Finally Receive Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame

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Tupac Shakur Live In Concert

Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty

Hip-Hop is about to add another name to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. It has been confirmed that 2Pac will finally receive his star.

As per HipHopDX the late great will be getting one of the most prestigious decorations an entertainer can receive. Earlier this week Variety Magazine revealed that the All Eyez On Me rapper will receive the star posthumously at a ceremony slated for Wednesday, June 7. The event will be hosted by California radio personality Big Boy and Pac’s sister Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur will receive the honor on her brother’s behalf. It will be the 2,758th star in the iconic walkway. Naturally the organization instantly received some criticism that the honor was long overdue to which they responded saying “2Pac was selected in 2013, and we have been waiting for his family/estate to set a date.”

Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in Harlem, New York City in 1971 and would get his entry into the music business as a dancer and roadie for Digital Underground. He would soon leave the group to pursue his own solo career. In 1991 he released his first album 2Pacalypse Now. Within the next five years he curated some of hist most influential works including Me Against The World and All Eyez On Me. After leaving a Mike Tyson boxing match on September 7, 1996 at the MGM Grand he was shot multiple times in a drive by shooting. His murder has never been officially solved by police.

2Pac is considered one of the genre’s most influential talents ever and is often cited as an inspiration by today’s biggest stars.

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