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Wait till he gets his money right. Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — claims he’s back in the billionaires club with an alleged net worth more than $2.7 billion. Yeezy took to his Instagram on Thursday (Jan. 23) to boast about the billionaire status allegedly done by business valuation company Eton Venture Services, […]
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The daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. Bernice A. King, condemned St. Louis rapper Sexxy Red for an AI photo post of her late father on the national holiday honoring his memory.
The 26-year-old rapper posted two AI photos of the Civil Rights icon on Monday (Jan. 20), to her X account. In one image, she is shown dancing seductively close to Dr. King while another shows her walking alongside King and other Civil Rights leaders. According to TheGrio, the posts garnered more than 50,000 likes before they were deleted.
Rev. King reacted to the images calling them “deplorable.”
“This is intentionally distasteful, dishonoring, deplorable, and disrespectful to my family and my father, who is not here to respond himself because he was assassinated for working for your civil and human rights and to end war and poverty,” she wrote in a reply on X the following day.
Within hours, Sexxy Red offered an apology to Rev. King, writing, “You ain’t wrong,” adding, “Never meant to disrespect your family my apologies. Just reposted something I saw that I thought was innocent.”
Rev. King, who is the CEO of The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, accepted the rapper’s apology writing on X, in part, “Thank you for your apology, which I sincerely accept. Please know that it was not my intention that you be denigrated. I value you as a human being.”
“I hope you understand my concerns about the image,” she continued. “I know that my father has become a bit of a caricature to the world and that his image is often used with no regard to his family, his sacrificial work, or to the tragic, unjust way in which he died (a state-sanctioned assassination).”
She added, “I earnestly wish that people would imagine what it would feel like to see their deceased, murdered father repurposed for party fliers, unjust legislation, etc.”
She closed the note writing, “All the best to you, young lady.”
Other social media users were not as forgiving with many blasting the “Pound Town” rapper calling her “ghetto” and “trashy” among other names. Rev. King pushed back against those remarks as well, writing in reply to a post, “Please don’t project your thoughts onto me. I don’t believe Sexyy Red to be a ‘degenerate,’ ‘ghetto,’ or ‘trash.’ I have spoken out in the past about the use of and comparison to either of my parents to denigrate other people,” according to TheGrio.
In other news, Rev. King recently shared a statement on news that President Donald Trump plans to declassify her father’s FBI files. The statement read, “Today, our family has learned that President Trump has ordered the declassification of the remaining records pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and our father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years. We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release.”
She added that at this time, the King Family is not taking any interviews as they await further information.
For 21-year-old singer/songwriter Karri, he didn’t choose to learn the piano — his mother made him.
“Filipino parents. They make you go to piano lessons, I’ll tell you that,” says the Bay Area star. “Dude, I had to do piano lessons until like eighth grade. [I’m] thankful, though, because I wish I would have kept going knowing what I know now.”
Now, Karri is a thriving R&B freshman with major-league co-signs ranging from Drake to Lil Baby and Kehlani. After his song “3 AM in Oakland” bubbled into a sleeper hit on social media in 2023, Karri received a phone call from Drake’s right-hand, Chubbs, and soon after, landed a deal with his imprint PFL.
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“I remember a mutual friend of ours texted me and said, ‘Drake and Chubbs heard your music,’” remembers Karri. “I was on the game, and I was like, ‘What are you talking about, bro?’ He was like, ‘Stay by your phone. He’s gonna call you.’ Chubbs called me, and that same night, I was at his studio playing music. From there, we just went to Toronto. Now Chubbs is like the big brother. I appreciate everything Chubbs has done for me so far. It’s only up from here.”
Karri adopted Drake and Chubbs’ disciplined approach and buried himself in the studio, sometimes for long stretches, until he pieced together his debut project, Late Night Slider Music. Released last month, the six-track EP is a seamless fusion of Karri’s Bay Area roots and his profound admiration for Toronto’s moody R&B sonics. His crown jewel, “Oakland Pt. 2,” is the sequel to his 2023 hit, “3 AM in Oakland,” where his slow-burning “Lo N Slo” sound thrives.
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“Late Night Slider Music just felt like the perfect collection of songs you can play in a whip, smoking late night and cruising,” he says. “If you wanna pull up on someone late-night, play this sh-t. You wanna just be driving in the city, play this s–t.”
Get more acquainted with Billboard’s January R&B Rookie of the Month, Karri, below, as he talks about linking up with Drake and Chubbs, his affinity for The Bay, his desire to grow as a songwriter, and more.
What has been the most enjoyable part about your journey so far?
Honestly, just making the new music and casting a vibe everywhere I’m at. I feel like every time I’m in a new place, it’s always a new vibe. I always make different vibes in different places. When I’m in the city, I make great music. When I’m in L.A., I make great music. When I’m in Houston, Toronto, or even the Philippines, everywhere I go, I make different vibes and curate them to where I’m at.
You haven’t done too many interviews, and there’s hardly any information about you online. How would you break down your come-up story?
I really wouldn’t be doing music if it wasn’t for my cousin Danny or my friend Joel. My cousin Danny used to pick me up from high school and I didn’t play basketball anymore. So he would pick me up, we’d go to my mom or auntie’s crib and he had the little recording setup in the closet. I would just go and record with him. It went from a hobby to “I’m kind of good with this. Let me keep going.”
Did you get full support from your family when you decided to pursue music?
At first, my mom was confused. I feel like she’s still confused. [Laughs.] She comes from the Philippines, so the way of life in the Philippines is a little bit different. She understands now. She’s proud. She just always worries about me, because she was a single mom growing up. Shout-out to my mom. She didn’t get it, but she does now.
When did that moment for her click?
Honestly, when I got the Drake DM. She was like, “OK.”
When I dived into your catalog and listen to your earlier tracks like “Rosetta” and “Kiki,” it sounded like two different artists versus now. It gave me Lil Mosey vibes.
I was still in high school, bro. I was trying to figure it out. You know what’s crazy? When I was 15, 16, I was at my homie Isaiah’s house and I remember I was like, “If he can do it at this young age, I can do it.” What’s stopping me from trying to pursue this? It’s kind of crazy that you say that.
Your big break came courtesy of your “3 AM in Oakland” record. When did you realize this had strong potential?
There’s a funny story with that song. Originally, it was a Bay record. I did it in Oakland. The reason why it’s called “3 AM in Oakland,” is because I couldn’t think of a name for the song. I was like, “We’re in Oakland. It’s 3 AM.” Then, we actually didn’t have that slow-down piano [breakdown in the song]. I was in the studio with P-Lo one day in San Francisco. I went into the piano in the live room, played that, sang that song over and I was like, “This is kind of fire.”
So I posted it, and the next video exploded. I was like, “Damn. I can finally do what I want in this R&B stuff.” I don’t have to worry. It was kind of cool. It just went.
You mentioned P-Lo and he’s a huge pillar down in The Bay. Who were some people who supported you early on from the city?
Growing up, HBK Gang. P-Lo, Iamsu!, [Kool] John, and Jay Ant. So them being my big bros now is kind of cool, because I grew up on their music — and honestly, it kind of inspires my sound. So for them to be the OGs — it’s kind of crazy calling them the OGs, ’cause they’re like 31 — it’s cool just having them support and really give me the green light in The Bay.
Toronto played a huge part in the sound and recording process for your debut EP Late Night Slider Music. What were you able to gain there versus when you’re recording back home in The Bay?
Being in Toronto, it’s all dark R&B, so I just embraced that when I’m out there. I really try to zone in on making that kind of sh-t versus when I’m out in the Bay. When I’m in Toronto, I’m in that mode. It’s just trying to find the balance between how do I make San Francisco and Toronto relate on a record. I could talk about San Francisco s–t in that dark Toronto R&B element.
What’s the best advice Chubbs has given you so far?
Stay in the studio. He called me two days ago and was like, “Don’t leave the studio. You’re pumping out crazy hits. Don’t leave.” He actually gave me a good example: He said when Drake is in that bag, he doesn’t leave the studio for three days. So I needed to start getting in that mode. I’m in the studio a lot, but the advice he gave me was just keep being in the studio. I love being in the studio regardless.
A song I enjoyed a lot from you in the past is “Chasing You,” because it’s you in a different kind of bag, which is pop / R&B and showed that you’re kind of limitless as a songwriter. Which song best reflects your potential as a songwriter?
That’s a good question. I would probably say “Oakland Pt. 2.” It just had a lot of little moments on that record where I was like, “This was a great, well-written song.”
Was it hard to record that record, knowing the success of “3 AM”?
Honestly, no. It just came to us. We were in the studio one day. It was me, [my manager] Blaise, Thomas and my homie, Matt. We were like, “Damn. This could be the Part 2 to ‘Oakland.’” I was like, “Damn. It actually can be.” I went back to the crib and played it on the piano and it just worked out.
When Drake DM’d you his suggestion, was that for “3 AM in Oakland” or “Oakland Pt. 2?”
That was for “3 AM in Oakland,” but it just felt right to let that fly. I kept that in for a year and then I was like, “Let me just let that fly.”
Have you been able to see Drake in the studio, and if so, what were some things you picked up from him?
Not yet, but I’m sure one day in the future.
When you think of the brotherhood that PFL has as a label, it isn’t at all competitive. So how do you guys push each other while still trying to make sure you get the job done from your respective ends?
It’s crazy. We can all get angry and mad at each other, and I feel like that’s just the best part about it — because we always figure it out at the end of the day. I feel like the best part of that is making sure we’re all aligned on s–t. That’s really how stuff gets figured out. It’s all family at the end of the day, whether we agree or not. We always figure out how to make s–t happen.
Your “Lo N Slo” sound is becoming a thing now. Is that something you plan to grow and nurture for the future?
I don’t know. I think it’ll just pop up in a random little places. I don’t wanna make it like the whole vibe.
What was the most challenging song for you to write and record on Late Night Slider Music?
Probably “Impromptu,” because that record took a month to finish. Usually, I’ll finish songs in like a week, but that just took like a month, because we had to put in a B-section. It was just a lot of moving parts to get that record done. It was a fun record to make, but it was challenging figuring out the structure.
How involved are you on the production side of things?
I’m very hands-on. I’ll literally touch everything. I don’t know. I just like being creative with people. I don’t wanna just sit back and kick it in the studio. I want to be present and a part of everything that’s going on.
What do you feel you’ve learned most on the production side during this recording process that you’re going to carry on with you for the rest of your career?
That space is the most valuable part of any record. Having space on any record is probably the best advice anybody has given me. Simplicity in a record is what makes a record. That’s what I feel like I’m gonna carry on with this whole process. Simplicity and not making s–t too complex.
Also, no features on the project. Why did you go in that direction?
I just wanted to come out the gate, showing people I can do it myself and not with any features. I’m sure in 2025 it’s gonna be a fun year. With this project, I just wanted to keep it me.
I think it’s impressive that you just turned 21, but you have grown-man subject matter in your music. How were you able to get to that level of writing at such a young age?
You know what’s crazy? I don’t really base s–t on my experiences — I base it off other people talking to me, and I’ll grab some s–t from there and put it in a song. I’m 21. I’m young. So I haven’t really experienced a lot, rather than what a 28 or 30-year-old has. Hearing them talk about what they talk about, I’ll just take it and put it in a song. That’s how some of [my] s–t gets made.
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The dating scene for the past few years has been struggle to say the least and if ya’ll thought things would be easier for celebrity couples expecting a baby, think again.
According to People, Coi Leray has taken to social media to fill the world in on how her baby daddy, Trippie Redd did her dirty while she was three months pregnant with their child. Taking to Instagram to break the devastating news the “Self Love” rapper wrote “💔 Nothing worst than being cheated on. I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy. 😢 God bless.” The news comes just days after Leray revealed that she and Trippie Redd were expecting.
Continuing to share her feelings on social media, Leray shared a post from X which read “I believe that people’s actions can make it clear that they have no respect or regard for you, regardless of what they say. Their actions clearly indicate that they don’t value you. When you notice this, take it for what it is. Remember, actions speak louder than words.”
People reached out to reps for both Coi Leray and Trippie Redd, but haven’t received a response as of yet.
Our only question is, why do women keep letting Trippie Redd smash? No shots. Just sayin.’
Interestingly enough Trippie Redd and Coi Leray did briefly date back in 2019 before calling it quits. Then things picked back up in 2024 after Trippie seemed to make his way back into Leray’s life.
People reports:
In August 2024, Leray and Redd seemed to rekindle their romance when the “Lemon Cars” performer posted a video call between her and Redd on X. “Sleeping on FaceTime, waking up on FaceTime,” she wrote in one post.
In September 2024, Redd confirmed to TMZ that he and Leray were dating again and he slid into her DMs in hopes of giving their romance a second chance.
You know what they say, sometimes God brings your ex back into your life to see if you’re still that [redacted].
Whether Leray will just continue on as a single parent given Redd’s infidelity or if she’ll forgive him in an attempt to make things work is anyone’s guess. But either way, we’re wondering if Benzino will get involved in this situation as someone done did his baby girl dirty.
What do y’all think about Coi Leray revealing that Trippie Redd played her while being pregnant? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sony Music Publishing has launched its new flagship office in Bangkok, Thailand to expand its development and promotion of Thai songwriters. To helm the new operation, SMP has appointed Tatchara Longprasert as General Manager of SMP TH. Longprasert will report to Carol Ng, President, Asia, Sony Music Publishing.
Kobalt has signed a global publishing administration deal with New Zealand singer-songwriter Tim Finn. As part of their agreement, Kobalt will administer Finn’s entire catalog of songs, including Split Enz’s “I Hope I Never,” “I See Red” and “Six Months In A Leaky Boat,” and Crowded House classics like “Four Seasons In One Day,” “It’s Only Natural” and “Weather With You.” The deal also covers Finn’s expansive solo work, including standouts like “Fraction Too Much Friction” and “Winter Light,” and his critically acclaimed partnership with younger brother Neil in The Finn Brothers.
Warner Chappell Music and Madfun Entertainment have signed a global publishing deal with Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Sam Ellis. He has co-written an impressive list of No. 1 hit songs, including Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You” and Ingrid Andress’s “More Hearts Than Mine.”
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peermusic has signed Peruvian rapper/songwriter Jaze to a global publishing deal. A collaboration between peermusic’s U.S. Latin and Argentina teams, Jaze’s deal encompasses both his existing song catalog and future works.
Wise Music Group has announced the sale of its music education division, including MusicFirst, Rising Software, Charanga, O-Generator, and Focus on Sound to private equity firm Achieve Partners. Robert Wise, chairman of Wise Music Group said of the deal: “We are confident that these brands will continue to thrive under their stewardship. At the same time, we can now fully dedicate ourselves to our core mission of music publishing with clarity and purpose.”
Tresóna, a partner to music publishers for licensing scholastic, community and professional organizations, has released liSynce, an easy-to-use synch licensing deal for memorial and funeral service videos. Though not many funeral and memorial homes are obtaining licenses for these activities to date, given previous licensing complexities and lack of enforcement, Tresóna estimates that the market is worth as much as $20 million a year.
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CNN is embarking on a massive round of job cuts, citing a new restructuring plan by its CEO to focus on a digital-based future.
According to reports, CNN has announced its plans for massive layoffs within the company. The news was delivered to employees in a memo from CEO Mark Thompson Thursday (Jan. 23), in advance of the network restructuring to be better modernized for a digital-based audience. It comes a year after the network, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, already enacted a round of layoffs leading to the exit of 100 employees. That represented 2.9% of the 3,500-member worldwide workforce at the time.
“I know that whatever the total number of job losses, the impact on the individuals involved can be immense,” Thompson wrote in the memo. “The process of change is essential if we’re to thrive in the future, but I both acknowledge and regret its very real human consequences.” CNN is laying 200 people, representing a cut of 6% to its workforce. The layoffs will not affect the network’s more recognizable names, as they are under contract.
Former Fox News host Chris Wallace and Alysin Camarota, who were prominent figures on CNN, recently left after their contracts expired.
The restructuring plan includes a goal to reach $1 billion in revenue by 2030. Part of that plan is to hire at least 100 people in the upcoming months to build a stronger digital presence focused on “new high-quality journalism and storytelling.” This will also include work on a “lifestyle-oriented digital product” in development by CNN. It follows the company installing a digital paywall on its website for the first time for consistently heavy users, who can access it at a monthly price of $3.99.
One outspoken opinion on the move was expressed by President Donald Trump, who mentioned it while bashing the MSNBC network on his Truth Social media platform Wednesday evening (Jan. 22): “MSDNC is even worse than CNN. They shouldn’t even have a right to broadcast — Only in America!”
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Sexyy Red is having a rather interesting 2025 so far, after clashing with the family of Martin Luther King Jr. over a poorly advised image use that she’s since apologized for. Sexyy Red is back to pushing the music once more and enlisted Bruno Mars for “Fat, Juicy & Wet” which has some fans wondering if the singer is in debt.
Sexyy Red’s brand of music is, in a word, southern-tinged “p*ssy rap” delivered in a raw, unapologetic fashion. So it begs the question of why a pop star of Bruno Mars’ magnitude would sign up to croon the words we’re sharing below.
The track opens with Mars singing the words, “Fat, juicy, and wet (Ah-ah)/I don’t even gangbang, p*ssy so good/Make me throw up a set (Ah-ah), uh/That good kitty-kitty, good kitty-kitty/Make it my pet (Ah-ah, ah-ah)/Pretty p*ssy type of pussy/You ain’t ever gon’ forget (Ah-ah)/Fat, juicy, and wet (Wet), wet (Wet), wet (Wet), wet (Wet).”
We’re not stating Mars is a saint or hasn’t cursed on a record before but to hear those words sung with such passion is almost comical. Then there is the business of the St. Louis rapper’s lyrics.
From Sexyy Red’s “Fat, Juicy & Wet”:
P*ssy like weed, p*ssy like dope
P*ssy like cocaine, put it up your nose
Ayy, slob on my cl*t, suck on my toes
Twenty-four karat, p*ssy drip like gold (Ooh)
Throw my legs back, eat my booty from the front (Mm)
Milk mustache on your face when I c*m (Yeah)
Hit it from the bottom, hit it from the top (Yeah)
Pop go the p*ssy ’cause the p*ssy say, “Pop”
Okay, then.
Produced by Bruno Mars and The Stereotypes, the track should get some requisite burn inside your classic shaky buns establishments but we’re not sure if this is going to chart beyond the strip club.
On X, folks are wondering why Bruno Mars joined Sexyy Red on “Fat, Juicy & Wet” in hilarious fashion. We’ve got those reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
2. Ageism and hate in one tweet.
4. Check cleared?
6. Comments for engagement type vibes…
9. That’s way too much sauce on it.
14. Mans really loved GNX.
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Snoop Dogg has received sharp criticism for performing at Donald Trump’s inauguration. Harry-O is now defending the MC for participating in the convicted felon’s event.
As spotted on TMZ, the man who is alleged to have provided Suge Knight the seed money to start Death Row Records is coming to the rescue of Snoop Dogg. While Suge Knight has always denied the claim a judge ruled in Harry-O’s favor back in 2005. Born Michael Harris, the former entertainment entrepreneur served almost 33 years in prison for drug charges. In 2021, he received a surprise pardon from then president of the United States, Donald Trump. Since his release, he has worked with Snoop Dogg in relaunching Death Row Records.
In an exclusive interview with TMZ, Harry-O explained Snoop’s appearance at the inauguration wasn’t a political statement but an overall show of support to the now POTUS. “Snoop is a non-political guy. He didn’t want to get mixed into the politics so he kept who he felt should be the president to himself,” he said. “And whoever became the president he wanted to support them.” While this sounds feasible, Harry-O’s portrayal of Snoop isn’t exactly true.
Back in 2017, he appeared in the “Nightfall Remix” video, which featured him doing a mock execution on a clown that had strong resemblance to Donald Trump. In 2018, during an interview with DJ Suss One on SiriusXM, Snoop Dogg didn’t pull any punches with his opinion about both Donald Trump and Kanye West saying “f*** you and f*** him!”
You can see Harry-O discuss Snoop’s appearance below.
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Future is keeping the momentum high in 2024, announcing another project on the way just months after his successful album dropped. The Atlanta rapper took to Instagram, posting a cryptic video with the caption “New Tape OTW,” sparking anticipation among fans. This comes hot on the heels of an impressive string of releases.
Future kicked off 2024 with We Don’t Trust You, his collaborative album with Metro Boomin. The project made waves not only for its hard-hitting beats but also for the infamous track “Like That,” where Kendrick Lamar took shots at the “big three” rap discussion, declaring “it’s only big me.” That song set off a firestorm of diss tracks, intensifying the already heated beef between Kendrick and Drake.
Pluto didn’t stop there. September 2024 saw the release of Mixtape Pluto, which quickly became a fan favorite. With standout tracks like “Plutoski,” “Too Fast,” and “South Of France,” the mixtape was hailed as one of the best projects of the year. The raw energy and innovative sound on Mixtape Pluto only fueled Future’s ever-growing reputation as a dominant force in hip-hop. Now, with a new tape on the horizon, fans are eagerly awaiting what’s next. Will Future keep the fire burning, or is this new project a curveball? Either way, with his track record this year, anticipation is at an all-time high.
The next time you think you hate someone because they seem rude or stand-offish, consider the Kane Brown/Jelly Roll conundrum. In an interview with Taste of Country to promote his new album, The High Road, Brown said the LP’s intense collaboration with Jelly, “Haunted,” came about after the two men reached a detent following years of misunderstanding.
“I heard of him before he had ever gotten in the country industry, because I was hanging out with some other guys that were in the world that Jelly was in. We had the same kinda background,” said Brown of the “Save Me” singer who began his career as an MC. Despite having mutual friends, the two men had never met or talked and Brown said one of his pals confirmed to him that Jelly “hated me.”
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The mutual pal, Taylor Phillips, told Jelly, “‘Nah, man, you don’t know him… he’s really quiet,” Brown said of the misunderstanding that may have been born of his quiet, subdued nature early in his career. So Brown, 31, reached out to Jelly Roll, 40, so they could settle their phantom beef and come together.
“Taylor ended up telling me the story, so I ended up reaching out to Jelly, I was like, ‘Hey buddy, this industry’s crazy. If you ever need to sit down and talk to me, or play COD’ — I play a lot of Call of Duty — ‘You can come and talk to me about it,’” Brown said. Jelly Roll responded, they played some COD and then were fast friends who now “text all the time,” including “random FaceTimes at 3 a.m.”
That peace pact spun forward to their duet on “Haunted,” which chronicles the mind game of seemingly having it all while struggling with crippling depression and dark thoughts.
“That song means more to me now than it ever has and it’s about to come out at the perfect time,” Brown told Billboard about the tune with the plaintive chorus, “‘Cause I’m haunted by the voice in my head/ I’m haunted by the taste of that lead/ I wanted too many times to jump off of the edge/ Thinkin’ I was better off dead.”
The slow-rolling single with skittering drum machine beats mashed against both mens’ drawling vocals is of a piece with Jelly’s frequent lyrical focus on mental health and his battles with substance use. In his recent chat with Billboard, Brown confirmed that the two men don’t just hang now, but they’ve actually developed a real connection.
“Hanging with Jelly is fun, and you never know what he’s going to say — and I’m not a big talker, so it’s cool,” Brown said. “He’s funny and honestly just a comedian. I love what he’s doing. My dad’s been in prison since ’96, so everything Jelly has been doing with prisons, just going and giving them entertainment, kudos to him. He’s a great dude.”
Check out the “Haunted” video here.