State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
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To celebrate 30 years of steering the Korean entertainment sphere, SM Entertainment hit Los Angeles with its star-studded SMTOWN Live 2025 concert. Boasting 68 individual artists, representing 13 different groups, all on one sprawling stage at the Dignity Health Sports Park, the showcase brought out a range of K-pop talent that showcases SM’s expansive impact […]
05/12/2025
Twin Cities musical landmarks, concert venues, record stores, festivals and more.
05/12/2025
San Francisco’s Portola festival has announced the lineup for its fourth edition this fall. The bill is led by LCD Soundsystem, The Prodigy, Underworld, Dom Dolla, Peggy Gou, Mau P, Chris Lake and Chris Lorenzo performing under their Anti Up alias and, in the festival’s continued tradition of delivering a marquee pop moment, Christina Aguilera. […]
05/12/2025
These are the strongest bonds in rap.
05/12/2025
A modern iteration of Grammy-winning band The Kingston Trio is suing a Los Angeles music attorney for fraud, saying he lied about having an “inside track” to book the folk group at the Greek Theatre last summer.
The lawsuit was filed in California federal court on Friday (May 9) by Trident Concert Productions LLC, a concert promotion company for the lineup that performs as The Kingston Trio following the death of all the legendary folk band’s original members.
The new Kingston Trio claims it retained music lawyer David A. Helfant back in 2023 to help the group secure concert dates at Los Angeles’ famed Greek Theatre the following summer. According to the lawsuit, Helfant promised that he had an “inside track” for booking acts at the venue.
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“Helfant did not have expertise or the inside track or any superior knowledge about how to secure concert dates at the Greek Theater,” writes the group’s current attorney, Konrad L. Trope. “Instead, Helfant created an overinflated bill, along with convincing Trident that it needed to retain a former Greek Theatergeneral manager who could provide inside access.”
The group claims Helfant fraudulently convinced them to pay a hefty $650 per hour billing rate, plus $10,000 to a consultant who supposedly could help “grease the wheels” at the Greek Theatre.
In reality, says The Kingston Trio, neither Helfant nor his consultant had any “inside track.” But that didn’t even matter; according to the group, the Greek Theatre actually has a transparent booking protocol that allows anybody to bid for dates online.
The group was eventually able to secure two August 2024 dates at the Greek Theater using this public bidding system. But the group claims Helfant’s misdeeds delayed the booking process significantly, giving them only seven months to promote the shows.
“Helfant did not help, but rather hindered plaintiff’s efforts,” the lawsuit says.
To make matters worse, the group claims Helfant also spent precious hours pitching his other clients to work as cinematographers on a concert documentary that was to be filmed during the shows, but the pitches lacked proper disclosures about the regulations around private film investors, the lawsuit alleges.
The Kingston Trio is suing Helfant for breach of contract and fraud and asking for at least $250,000 in damages.
Reached for comment on Monday (May 12), Helfant tells Billboard that the allegations in the lawsuit are “are completely without merit.”
“I am confident that when the facts come to light in this action, I will prevail,” says Helfant.
The Kingston Trio, established by Bob Shane, Dave Guard and Nick Reynolds in San Francisco in the 1950s, charted 17 folk songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammy Awards for its No. 1 hit, “Tom Dooley.”
All three original members of The Kingston Trio have died, with Shane the last to pass away in 2020. The group continues to perform under a new lineup that’s currently made up of Mike Marvin, Tim Gorelangton and Buddy Woodward.
Source: iOne / IG
The city of Philly stood still on May 11, 2025, after news broke that beloved rapper and community leader LGP Qua had been killed.
At just 25 years old, Qua wasn’t just another rapper, he was *the* voice of the youth, a real one who stood on positivity, upliftment, and pushing the culture forward in a city that’s seen too much pain. Known for his powerful, truth-filled bars and raw freestyles that went viral, Qua wasn’t rapping for clout, he was rapping for change.
His music always had a message. He spoke *to* the streets, not *from* them. Instead of glorifying the violence, he pushed young people to think twice, to do better, and to move smarter. Every freestyle felt like a sermon. Every verse had purpose.
We caught up with Philly media legend and radio host Quincy Harris, aka Q Deezy, who knew Qua personally and saw the impact up close.
“He (LGP Qua) was literally steering the youth of Philly not to go to the streets,” Harris said. “His nickname was ‘Voice of the Youth.’ He was always telling his peers, ‘Hey, don’t do this, this could happen.’ He didn’t just talk it, he lived it. He pulled up, he gave back, he spoke to the people, that’s all he was about.”
Q Deezy added, “Qua moved like a nonprofit. That’s the best way I can put it. He had the personification of a rapper that was a nonprofit, his whole energy was about giving.”
In a city like Philly, where the streets can swallow talent whole, Qua was different. He stood tall on integrity. He didn’t need gimmicks. His bars were full of pain, growth, and game, and the industry took notice.
Meek Mill gave him major love, seeing him as part of the next wave of Philly artists with purpose. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation tapped in, giving him game and a platform. Even Nas shouted him out, calling Qua “a voice the game needs.” LGP Qua’s life was cut short, but his impact? That’s forever. He gave a generation something to believe in, and even in his absence, his voice still rings through the city.
Rest in power to a real one, LGP Qua, the heart of Philly.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Host Drew Afualo gives flowers to Billboard‘s Women in Music 2025 presenters and honorees, including aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Doechii and more. She also asks them who they give their flowers to, shares fun facts, and so much more!
Who do you give your flowers to? Let us know in the comments below!
Drew Afualo:
Hey y’all it’s Drew Afualo and I am back, yet again, hosting, but this time for 2025 Billboard Women in Music Awards and we are backstage. I am inside the belly of the beast team. Here I’m talking to all of the award winners, the presenters, the performers, everyone and anyone and I’m going to be falling in love with many tonight, and I will catch you in a little. Bye! Here we are again, backstage with the iconic, the legendary Ángela Aguilar. Honored to have you, queen. How are you feeling tonight?
Ángela Aguilar:
I’m so happy. No more nerves. Tequila hit and the speech was good. I feel good.
Period. I could hear the mariachis in the air.
I know!
Stunning and gorgeous. And when they walked out, I said, ‘Period, period, period,’ as they were walking past. ‘Yes, thank you. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Work, it, work, it.’ Love that. I think you’re stunning and amazing. So actually, first I want to ask you, how does it feel celebrating other women in music tonight?
It feels amazing. You know, I’m very happy to be here, because my mom has always been behind the scenes, and she was always my momager, she was like, helping me since I was very little with like my dress and stuff,
That’s cute.
And they’re honoring her tonight as well.
Oh my gosh, how amazing.
The first awards ceremony that they honor me and my mom, and she deserves it more than I do.
Oh my gosh, that’s so sweet and amazing. What a milestone. Incredible. So for some fun things, I actually am going to give you some flowers tonight.
Keep watching for more!
All Swiftie eyes will be turned toward the 2025 American Music Awards later this month, as fans are absolutely convinced that Taylor Swift is planning to announce something major at this year’s ceremony.
There are several reasons for the detective-like fanbase’s latest hunch. Two of the biggest ones tie back to the pop superstar’s online store, which fans noticed now covertly spells out “AMAs” via the first letters of each word in a prominent four-option menu: Apparel, Music, Accessories and Sale.
Additionally, Swift’s site currently has exactly 12 items up for sale at 26% off, which fans have pointed out as two significant numbers. First, the 14-time Grammy winner’s last album — the 17-week Billboard 200-topping Tortured Poets Department — was her 11th studio LP, meaning her next project would be her 12th. Second, the date of the 2025 AMAs is May 26.
Trending on Billboard
That, of course, isn’t all. Taylor Nation recently reshared a fan’s post on X about voting for Swift at this year’s AMAs (she’s nominated in six categories in 2025) and wrote, “And our town, it looks so sMall from wAy up here.”
“Screamed, ‘vote for the chairman’ at the night sky!” Swift’s team added in the May 6 post.
On the surface, those lines appear to be a simple play on a lyric from Swift’s track “thanK you aIMee.” But you also might notice the randomly capitalized letters in the sentence; put them together, and what do they spell? “AMAs.”
With all of that in mind, Swifties are sure the “Fortnight” singer has something special planned for the 2025 awards. The repetition of the number 12 in her potential Easter eggs has a lot of people thinking that an announcement pertaining to her next proper album is in the cards, but some are holding out hope that she’ll actually reveal something about her long-anticipated Reputation or Taylor Swift re-records.
“Her store spelling out AMAS, 12 items on sale for 26% (the amas are on the 26th), TN capitalizing a caption to spell out AMAS…. guys… THESE ARE EASTER EGGS,” one fan wrote on X.
Another person added, “i think this enough reasonable clown material.”
If Swift does unveil something album-related at the AMAs, it would be far from the first time she’s used an award show for that purpose. It was at the 2022 VMAs that she announced Midnights, and while accepting best pop vocal album for that same LP at the 2024 Grammys, she announced Tortured Poets.
The Eras headliner also has a special history with the AMAs in particular. In 2019, she was declared the show’s second-ever artist of the decade, performing a medley of her biggest hits before accepting the honor on stage. She’s also the most-decorated artist in AMAs history, boasting 40 awards in her collection total.
Airing live on Memorial Day, or May 26, the AMAs will be available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. The upcoming show comes after Swift was recently spotted out and about with boyfriend Travis Kelce for the first time in months, dining at a Philadelphia restaurant on Mother’s Day (May 11) after mostly lying low following the conclusion of the Eras Tour in December.
See what Swifties are saying about the possibility of a big AMAs announcement below.
🚨| Taylor Swift’s official store currently features 12 items at 26% off in her store. —The site also spells “AMAs”, and the AMAs will take place on the 26th of this month. pic.twitter.com/qKxwDbXUnv— Taylor Swift Updates (@TSUpdating) May 12, 2025
the 12 stones in taylor’s earrings at the grammys, 12D’s in her instagram caption, her store spelling out AMAS, 12 items on sale for 26% (the amas are on the 26th), TN capitalizing a caption to spell out AMAS…. guys… THESE ARE EASTER EGGS— kaia! (@kaiamal13) May 12, 2025
first tayppearance in forever, website spells out “AMAS”, the taylor nation countdown, i think this enough reasonable clown material pic.twitter.com/GzTsQyRuqv— 𝙎𝙚𝙩𝙝⸆⸉ (@t4n00kl1ng) May 12, 2025
Taylor’s website spells out AMASAMAS are on 5/26 …5 + 2 + 6 =13 🤡what also happened on 5/26/23the karma mv…what if the 2 on the coffee cup meant 2 years from that date? which is also the AMAs…🤡🤡🤡 pic.twitter.com/sidWI9eo2M— g (taylor’s version) – heard idsb miami n2 🐍🖤 (@readyforittv13) May 12, 2025
Taylor Swift gave us three different Easter eggs for May 26th. Apparently we will have something at the 2025 AMAs. pic.twitter.com/s0yXLh35Zn— Taylor Swift Charts (@TChartSwift) May 12, 2025
i think i’m clowning for rep (taylor’s version) for the amas cause the first time she announced something at an award show was midnights and at metlife n1 we got rep and midnights surprise songs and the 1 part of the karma mv that was very rep coded— lily (taylor’s version) HEARD YOYOK (@lilys_garden13) May 12, 2025
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Charli XCX has put the final nail in the “Brat Summer” coffin with her latest outfit.
The “360” songstress was spotted in Los Angeles this week sporting Coach’s Brooklyn Bag in black. While unassuming, the chosen style is imbued with all the style of an Upper East-sider, offering a welcomed reprieve from Charli’s wild “party girl” style.
Coach Brooklyn Shoulder Bag 39
Retailing for $495, the hobo-inspired tote toes the line of bulky and utilitarian, able to carry the essentials (I.e. wallet, keys and maybe a water bottle) without looking too bulky. The bag is made of rich natural grain leather equipped with a plush feel and textured finish that can be tossed around without fear of wear and scuffing. Sturdy and thick straps give way to a roomy interior, large enough to carry a 15–inch laptop.
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Snap pockets allow easy access, making sure the essentials like lipgloss, sunglasses and gum are never out of reach. Finally, magnetized closures keep the bag shut tight. Coach’s Brooklyn Tote comes in a slew of unique colorways including “Honey Brown,” “Sage,” “Dark Stone” and “Bluebell.” The bag can also be customized for those looking to get a maximalist charm-laden look, like Jane Birkin.
Trending on Billboard
Given the tote’s minimalist design, the styling possibilities are virtually endless. Charli went the “it girl” route, embracing the warmer weather in a khaki-colored miniskirt and a cropped black baby tee — her go-to silhouettes. Accessories like her slouchy Coach bag and black 90s-inspired sunnies offered her look visual interest. Worn with classic denim and a breezy white button-down, the Brooklyn bag instantly transforms the wearer into a Parisian traversing the bustling French Riviera.
Paired with a tailored suit, the Brooklyn tote makes for the perfect work accessory. Classic silhouettes, like the Brooklyn, marry style and function seamlessly, creating a balance that’ll have the other totes collecting dust in your closet jealous. See more at Coach.com.
Dead & Company are planning a concert in Golden Gate Park to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead forming in 1965. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission will vote on issuing a permit for the anniversary concert this Thursday (May 15), paving the way for Another Planet Entertainment to promote the historic […]
