State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / TikTok
Following President Biden keeping his promise and signing the bill that could ban TikTok in the United States, the social media platform is suing in hopes of keeping that from happening.
Spotted on the AP, TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance sued the US Government, challenging the law and calling for the potential banning of the popular video-sharing app and most young adults’ source of “news” if it fails to find a US-approved buyer.
ByteDance has nine months to find a buyer and gets a three-month grace period if it finds a US-approved buyer.
The lawsuit claims the US Government’s law is an attack on free speech that has never been done before and unfairly singles out TikTok.
Per The AP:
In its lawsuit, ByteDance says the new law vaguely paints its ownership of TikTok as a national security threat in order to circumvent the First Amendment, despite no evidence that the company poses a threat. It also says the law is so “obviously unconstitutional” that its sponsors are instead portraying it as a way to regulate TikTok’s ownership.
“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide,” ByteDance asserts in the lawsuit filed in a Washington appeals court.
President Biden signed the law as part of a larger foreign aid package. This law is the first time the US has imposed a potential ban on a single social media company.
Advocates of free speech argue that the law is similar to the behavior of oppressive regimes like China, which is ironic because the US is trying to keep US citizen’s private data out of the hands of the Chinese government.
More Details From TikTok’s Lawsuit
The lawsuit states that ByteDance has no intention of selling TikTok, which aligns with reports that the company prefers a ban over a sale. However, if it did, ByteDance would need Beijing’s blessing to make that happen.
Another sticking point is TikTok’s algorithm, which has been the “key to the success of TikTok in the United States,” which the Chinese government “made clear” in its lawsuit would be part of any sale.
According to both entities, the new law would force them to shut down in the US by Jan.19 because operating in the US would be technologically and legally impossible.
The lawsuit also claims that a US-only version of TikTok would be technologically impossible because there would be no “operational relationship” between the US TikTok app and the Chinese company.
While we don’t know what TikTok’s fate will be, one thing is for sure: This will be a long, drawn-out situation.
Maya Rudolph loved her time on Saturday Night Live so much, she never left. The comedian is set to host this weekend’s (May 11) episode of the iconic sketch comedy series, and she revealed to cast members Andrew Dismukes and Chloe Troast that she’s been living in a closet at the studio in a new […]
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Source: Twitter / Twitter
A day after it was reported that a man was shot outside of Drake’s residence in Toronto, more bad news comes for the embattled King of the North. Word out of London is that Drizzy’s OVO flagship store was vandalized with a specific message for the Canadian crooner.
Just a few days after Kendrick Lamar released his scathing Drake diss/club record, “Not Like Us,” a fan in the UK apparently took the song to heart and decided to spray paint “They not like us” across the front window of Drake’s OVO store, HotNewHipHop reports.
More than just your average diss record, K. Dot’s “Not Like Us” accuses Drake of not only being a sexual predator, but also employing a team of pedophiles who reside in his multimillion dollar mansion in Toronto. To make matters worse for Drake, Kendrick turned the diss record into an actual catchy club cut complete with a bouncy beat and sing-a-long phrase towards the end of the track.
As we stated before, the vandalization of the OVO store comes after a security guard was shot outside of Drake’s mansion early Tuesday morning. Though the security guard is alive, according to NBC News, he remains in serious condition.
Per NBC News:
Officers found the security guard suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, Inspector Paul Krawczyk said at a news conference. The guard was standing outside a gate when he was injured.
Police said in a news release they believe he “was shot from a vehicle which then fled the scene.”
He remains in the hospital in serious condition, Krawczyk said.
Krawczyk said authorities do not know how many people were involved or what kind of car they were in, but he noted that the shooting was captured on video.
Yeah, Kendrick Lamar and Drake might have to hold a joint press conference at some point to calm things down if things like this keep happening because things seem to be getting out of hand and quickly. If 50 Cent and The Game were reluctantly able to do so in 2005 when their beef began to violently spill out on the streets, K. Dot and Drake can do so also. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think about the OVO store getting vandalized and one of Drake’s security guards getting shot? Let us know in the comments section below.
While Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s heavyweight battle has been a spectacle sweeping pop culture for the last few weeks, Questlove isn’t thrilled with the messy feud and its “mudslinging” antics. The Roots drummer scoffed at Drake and K. Dot’s war in a fiery Instagram post on Tuesday night (May 8) where Quest put fans on […]
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Source: Christopher Polk / Getty
Snoop Dogg and his liquor brand are the new sponsors of an NCAA college football bowl game, thanks to a groundbreaking deal.
The multi-platinum Hip-Hop legend Snoop Dogg is now putting his stamp on the college football landscape. The Arizona Bowl announced that it has entered into a multiyear sponsorship deal with the rapper and his premium spirits brand with producer Dr. Dre to sponsor the bowl game beginning this year. The game will now be called the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop, and the landmark deal will be the first time that an NCAA Bowl game will have an alcohol partner. Playfly Premier Partnerships, a division of Playfly Sports, will also be a partner in the deal. The bowl game is played between teams from the Mid-American Conference and the Mountain West Conference each year.
“College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal, and super conferences,” Snoop Dogg said in a video on social media. “So it’s time we get back to the roots of college football, what it was focused on — the colleges, the players, the competition, the community, fan experience and the pageantry. Being a fan, coach, supporter of all levels of the game, I’ve sent many players through my SYFL [Snoop Youth Football League] to colleges and the NFL, so it’s only fitting that I step up and help get this thing right.”
The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop will feature Snoop Dogg promoting a new line of Gin & Juice flavors before the game takes place in Tucson, Arizona, on Dec. 28. The days leading up to kickoff will also see special events being held in the city including charity functions and the SNOOPER Bowl, which will see the top youth football teams from Arizona and California compete for the title. It’s a natural move for Snoop, who founded and runs the Snoop Youth Football League, which has seen 40 kids go on to be professionals in the National Football League.
“We’re thrilled about our groundbreaking partnership with Snoop and Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop,” said Kym Adair, Executive Director of the Arizona Bowl in the press release. “This year, the Arizona Bowl is bringing sports, libations, and entertainment into a singular bowl game, and we are changing the definition of what a brand partnership is in the NCAA.”
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Source: Jordan Brand / NIke
At the end of last month, sneakerheads went crazy for Travis Scott’s first signature Jordan Brand sneaker, the “Jumpman Jack.” With the success of the silhouette (sold out immediately), Jordan Brand is ready to drop new colorways as heads seem to love what Travis and Jordan done cooked up in the lab.
According to Nice Kicks, a new black and mocha colorway of the “Jumpman Jack” is set to release later this year. Though sneakerheads were really hoping the black, sail and red version would be next, it seems like the mocha’s are next in line to get some play.
Per Nice Kicks:
Living up to its name, the upcoming Jordan Jumpman Jack features a predominantly dark mocha upper in suede with a black mesh base, black leather Swoosh, and a matching black midsole/outsole combination.
The Travis Scott x Jordan Jumpman Jack “Mocha” releases in 2024 for $200 via SNKRS and select retailers.
We lowkey would’ve rather have gotten the black, red and sail colorway. But it is what it is.
Are you going to be copping (or trying to at least) the new “Mocha” colorway of the Travis Scott “Jumpman Jack”? Check out pics of the other colorways, and let us know which one you prefer in the comments section below.
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. Next week (for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated May 18), the Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef that’s dominated pop culture for the past month sets its sights on also taking over the Billboard charts.
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Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (pgLang/Interscope/ICLG): Though it arrived as the fourth diss track in Kendrick Lamar’s anti-Drake campaign – fifth if you count “Like That” — “Not Like Us” appears on its way to being the rapper’s biggest single since at least that initial Future and Metro Boomin collab, which topped the Hot 100 in its first three weeks on the chart in April. Since debuting on Saturday night (May 4), the Mustard-produced banger has simply swept through pop culture, being played on NBA on TNT broadcasts and as MLB walk-up music and inspiring mash-ups and club chants and general West Coast fan hysteria.
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The public response has been overwhelming enough that even with its late Saturday release – meaning it will only have a little over five days of consumption in its debut tracking week – “Not Like Us” should still be a strong contender for a No. 1 Hot 100 debut next week. The song shot to the top of essentially every relevant daily or real time chart (including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Trending and iTunes) and is currently still gaining steam, with its eye-popping most recent Spotify U.S. total of over 6.8 million plays (for Tuesday, May 7) being its highest yet.
Trending on Billboard
Competition for the top spot will still be stiff in such a loaded period for new hits, including from other songs by Kendrick himself. But “Not Like Us” is outpacing the competition enough right now to likely be the frontrunner for next week’s chart – and regardless is certainly on pace to be one of the defining hits of this year, as well as one of the biggest songs of Lamar’s decade-plus hitmaking career.
Kendrick Lamar, “Euphoria” (pgLang/Interscope/ICLG): Before the arrival of “Not Like Us,” it still seemed like Lamar would have the inside track on the Hot 100 with the first shot from his recent attack wave, “Euphoria.” That track, a vicious six-minute assault on Drake’s character that also became a pop culture phenomenon upon its release two Tuesdays ago (April 30), managed to debut at No. 11 on this week’s Hot 100 (dated May 11) from just two and a half days of tracking.
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Following its first full week of release, “Euphoria” should also be a major contender for the top of the Hot 100, as it has been holding strong near the top of most daily DSP charts in the days since. (Both “Euphoria” and “Not Like Us” are just getting going on radio, each drawing a little over a million airplay impressions in the first four days of the tracking week, May 3-6, according to Luminate.) With “Not Like Us” lapping it basically across the board as the popular favorite from this back and forth, however, “Euphoria” might have missed its best shot at nabbing the No. 1 spot, and will likely have to settle for the silver or bronze on the chart next week.
Kendrick Lamar, “Meet the Grahams” (pgLang/Interscope/ICLG): Perhaps the nastiest of Lamar’s invectives against his rival, “Meet the Grahams” arrived on Friday night (May 3), a day before “Not Like Us.” The song doesn’t quite have the invigorating punchiness of “Euphoria” or the sheer club-readiness of “Us,” and so it hasn’t quite taken over the culture like those two certified hits. But its performance since arriving on all DSPs on Sunday (after a YouTube-only debut) has been notable enough – with the song currently ranking in the top 10 on both the Spotify and Apple Music updating charts, as well as on iTunes – that it should still be ticketed for a fairly high debut on next week’s Hot 100.
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There is of course a fourth Lamar song from song from the feud that was released the past weekend, in Friday morning’s “6:16 in L.A.” — but that song was an Instagram-only release, meaning its streams will not contribute to Billboard chart calculations, and it will not be eligible for the charts next week. However, “Like That” — the Future and Metro Boomin collab that kicked all of this off a month and a half ago — is also still hanging around the Hot 100’s top 10 (No. 8 this week, following its three-week reign), and is up in consumption following the brighter spotlight on the beef, so it will also certainly be in the mix for next week (if no longer a likely top-spot contender).
IN THE MIX
Drake, “Family Matters” (OVO/Republic): Don’t forget about the other guy in the beef! Though Drake is obviously trailing both in terms of public opinion and in overall streams/sales count in this back-and-forth – as well as in terms of total songs, with just two this past weekend to Lamar’s stunning four – his “Family Matters” is still on pace for a very high bow on the Hot 100, as the Friday night-released diss track is still ranking in the top 10 on both Spotify and Apple Music. (Sunday night’s follow-up “The Heart Part 6” has only been released on YouTube so far.)
Tommy Richman, “Million Dollar Baby” (ISO Supermacy/Pulse): You gotta feel for Tommy Richman a little: If not for the Kendrick-Drake showdown generating more drama and attention than the entirety of the NBA playoffs, he’d very likely be the biggest story in the music world right now. The little-before-known Virginia singer-rapper debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100 this week with his runaway breakthrough hit “Million Dollar Baby,” and the song has only been rising on streaming and in airplay and sales in its second week of release. But unless interest in the beef (or at least Kendrick’s musical part in it) tails off mightily in the last couple days of the tracking week, Richman’s likely gonna have to wait at least one more week to climb that last spot and take over the Hot 100’s apex.
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Source: Bad Boy Records / Bad Boy
Diddy is seemingly letting the world know he is keeping his head up regardless of all the scandals involving his name. He recently posted a video alluding to him enduring all his legal troubles.
As reported by Digital Music News, the embattled music mogul has kept a very low profile ever since he was accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct and more. On Saturday, May 4, he posted a video that opens up with a camera shot moving down a white hallway as audio of Bishop TD Jakes saying “not hysterical, not frantic, not anxious, not fretful…but steady in the storm” plays. It then transitions into footage of Diddy hugging an unidentified individual and joining a prayer circle with his family. The closing scene shows The Love Album: Off the Grid rapper at the beach while it is raining hard, with his arms raised to the sky; it appears he is embracing the moment regardless of the harsh winds.
Though he doesn’t speak in the video, it is safe to assume the inclement weather is symbolic of all the legal issues he has been facing. On April 26, Diddy’s legal team filed a motion requesting that a sexual assault claim be dismissed because it was “brought under statutes that did not exist at the time the alleged misconduct occurred.” The victim, Joi Dickerson-Neal, claims Diddy drugged her and filmed their romantic encounter then later showed it to one of his friends. In essence, her claim was filed nearly 30 years after she says the incident occurred, and the New York State Revenge Porn Law was not passed until 2019.
You can watch Diddy’s Instagram post below.
K-pop boy band ENHYPEN‘s dedicated ENGENE fan group will be the focus of an upcoming documentary film, FANMADE: ENHYPEN, from Hello Sunshine, the multimedia company founded by actress Reese Witherspoon. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news According to a press release announcing the project on Wednesday (May […]
Ana Bárbara and Kany García will be among the artists honored at the second edition of Latin Women in Music, Billboard and Telemundo announced today (May 8). The program will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9.
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Hosted by Jacqueline Bracamontes, the two-hour music special will celebrate Latina artists who “proactively work for positive change, inclusion, and gender parity in the music industry,” according to the press release. It will also stream on the Telemundo app and Peacock.
According to the initial list of honorees, the Queen of Grupera Ana Barbara will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her three decades of unparalleled influence in regional Mexican music and Latin pop.
Trending on Billboard
Throughout her career, which dates back to the mid-1990s, the San Luis Potosí native has not only conquered hearts, but has also shaped the regional style, earning a special place in the history of Latin music. “Ana Bárbara’s success has represented a powerful statement of female empowerment, struggle and resilience,” the statement said. “She managed to break down barriers, concepts and opened the way for other women in the industry, becoming an artistic inspiration, and a symbol of admiration and respect in the regional Mexican genre.”
Meanwhile, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García will receive this year’s Spirit of Change Award, which recognizes an artist who “drives positive change within music, society and beyond entertainment.” García — who just released her latest album, GARCIA — has used her talents and platforms to advocate for meaningful social causes, including support for LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality and social justice.
At last year’s Latin Women in Music event, honors were granted to those who’ve made significant contributions to Latin music and its industry. The recipients included included Shakira as Woman of the Year, Ana Gabriel as Living Legend, Thalia as Global Powerhouse, Maria Becerra as Visionary, Emilia as Rising Star, Evaluna as Tradition and Future and Goyo as Agent of Change.
In the coming weeks, Billboard and Telemundo will announce additional Latin Women in Music honorees in 2024.
