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28 Dec 2022

Jo Mersa Marley, Bob Marley’s Grandson, Dies at 31

The Marley family has lost one of their loved ones. Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley, the grandson of Bob Marley and son of Stephen Marley, has died at 31, a rep for Marley confirmed to Rolling Stone. A cause of death was not announced.

His family has not yet issued a statement, though aunts Sharon and Cedella Marley both shared white squares on their Instagram feeds, prompting followers to extend their condolences in the comments.

Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness extended his love to the Marley family in a Dec. 27 tweet, writing, “My heartfelt sympathies to Joseph’s friends and associates and to the Reggae music fraternity and fans everywhere. His untimely passing at the young age of 31 y.o. is a huge loss to the music as we look to the next generation.” In a follow-up message, Holness added, “May he find Eternal Peace as we mourn his loss during this season of goodwill when we celebrate with family and friends our love for each other.”

Born in his family’s native Jamaica in 1992, Jo arrived in the United States and settled in Miami at the age of 11. He often performed with various members of his family, including his father Stephen and Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which consisted of his uncle Ziggy and aunts Sharon and Cedella.

Jo’ solo music endeavors include his debut EP Comfortable, which arrived in 2014. By 2016, he featured on “Revelation Party,” a track on his father’s album Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life. In 2021, the musician released a full album titled Eternal, which featured figures in reggae and dancehall including Busy Signal, Black-Am-I and Kabaka Pyramid.

28 Dec 2022

“Legal Expert” Kodak Black Disses Jay-Z While Criticizing Tory Lanez Guilty Verdict

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Kodak Black Disses JAY-Z In Defense of Tory Lanez

Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty / Kodak Black

Another day, another rapper or celebrity sharing their head*ss opinion on Tory Lanez being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion.

Legal expert and frequent court visitor Kodak Black is the latest person with something to say about Tory Lanez being found guilty on all charges.

Like the ridiculous petition started by “fans” and Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, and other family members, Black also stupidly believes that JAY-Z and Roc Nation have something to do with the trial’s outcome.

Kodak Black Thinks JAY-Z Is A “Fck Ngga”

In an Instagram Live session, the rapper shared his unwanted opinion, chastising the victim in all of this, Megan Thee Stallion, for speaking on the matter while dissing the GOD MC, JAY-Z.

Via HipNMore:

Who advised this sh*t before Christmas? And Jay-Z standing behind this, you a f*ck n*gga homie,” Kodak said, dissing Jay-Z and believing the wild rumors that his company Roc Nation has a big role to play in the case. “And Meg, you supposed to be from the streets …. even it was a gunshot on your foot (and not pavement fragments) … I know a b*tch who got shot in the toe, too. I know a female who got shot in the toe. You don’t see her talking about sending n*ggas to jail.” He also called Tory a “good n*gga.”

“This shit aint right, homie. For real, bro,” Kodak continued. “And Tory Lanez a good nigga, bro…This shit fu**ing with my Christmas Eve. Everybody shit ain’t for me to speak on. But it’s like ni**as aint finna talk about that. Ni**as finna act like this shit ain’t never happen. I don’t know. I wasn’t in the courtroom. But at the same time, if it is some fu**ed up shit going on, ni**as ain’t gonna wanna say nothing because of the politics bullshit. And all of this Jay-Z shit. But I don’t like that shit nan bit.”

You can watch Kodak Black spew his stupidity below.

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Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty

28 Dec 2022

Club Fonograma Founder Carlos Reyes Dead at 34

For many Latin indie melomaniacs in the late 2000s to early ‘10s across Ibero-America searching the blogosphere, Club Fonograma was the Latin indie-music bible. Its founder, Arizona-based Chicano recluse and self-proclaimed cinephile Carlos Reyes, created an unlikely community of “Fonogramáticos” that outsized any expectations for what was supposed to be a tiny blog. He previously said that he simply wanted to show his friends the cool music he listened to. But on Tuesday night (Dec. 27), Club Fonograma’s official Twitter account shared the news that the website’s founder had died in 2021. He was 34 years old.

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“With deep sadness, the Club Fonograma family announces the passing of our site’s founder, Carlos Reyes. His spirit of discovery and kindness was the soul of Club Fonograma, which in turn changed the lives of so many people around the world,” the site’s account shared.

With deep sadness, the Club Fonograma family announces the passing of our site’s founder, Carlos Reyes. His spirit of discovery and kindness was the soul of Club Fonograma, which in turn changed the lives of so many people around the world. pic.twitter.com/HnCFNGf0wc

— Club Fonograma (@ClubFonograma) December 28, 2022

Billboard Español reached out to his family, but they declined to share further details. However, Ricardo Reyes, his twin brother, offered a statement to us:

“Dear Club Fonograma, with my heart in my hands, I want to inform you that my brother Carlos Reyes passed away last year. It has taken me time and emotional courage to write this message but I am writing to say, thank you. Thank you for sharing so much love, joy, knowledge, inspiration, growth, and creativity with my brother. Without a doubt, the work and family he found when creating Club Fonograma was one of the things that brought him the greatest happiness.”

With Club Fonograma, Reyes helped break underground music scenes, such as Chilean indie pop led by Javiera Mena, Dënver, and Alex Anwandter; Tijuana’s ruidosón movement, consisting of María y José and Los Macuanos; Spain’s indie rock explosion with Triángulo de Amor Bizarro and Los Planetas, and beyond. He, along with his camp of about a dozen writers, helped position Ibero-American singer-songwriters, electronic producers and indie rockers alike in a poetic light with gripping album and song reviews, back when Spanish-language indie-music criticism in English was nearly non-existent.

“When Carlos Reyes created Club Fonograma, he did something that critics do not usually do: Think of the Latin American music scene as a whole, each country with its own color, but united. Hopefully someday we will be able to recover that spirit of unity,” one follower tweeted in Spanish.

Cuando Carlos Reyes creó Club Fonograma, hizo algo que la crítica no suele hacer: pensar la escena musical latinoamericana como un todo, cada país con su color, pero unidos. Ojalá algún día podamos recuperar ese espírutu

— Juana (@juanagiaimo) December 28, 2022

The news of his death resulted in an outpouring of reactions on social media. Mexican singer-composer Julieta Venegas tweeted in Spanish on Wednesday (Dec. 28), “I am very sad to hear about this. Club Fonograma was a wonderful space for criticism and promotion of Latin and alternative music, I always remember it with great affection. May you rest in peace dear Carlos. A hug and love to his family and friends.”

Ecuadorian singer-producer Helado Negro tweeted, “I’m heartbroken. I want to share more but I’m brain is in shock. Carlos’ work passion and love through Club Fonograma meant so much to all of us.” Monterrey indie rock band Quiero Club added: “Rest in power, dear and admired Carlos. You have all our gratitude, admiration and affection. A big hug for your family and the family of the friends of Club Fonograma.”

USC professor Josh Kun tweeted, “Absolutely heartbroken to read the news of Carlos Reyes’ passing. With Club Fonograma, he created the first digital space for Latin indie, in many ways the site created Latin indie itself. He shaped a generation of tastes and built a community of fans, friends, & musicians.”

Former Club Fonograma writer and journalist Andrew Casillas also shared his thoughts: “It’s unfathomable how important Carlos is to the current state of Spanish language pop music,” Casillas tweeted. “He considered himself a cinephile first, but he had an ear that was 20 years ahead of its time. The world is lesser without him in it, but the art that he championed will live forever.”

Los Macuanos member and freelancer writer Reuben Torres also wrote on Twitter: “Reyes was a pioneer in every sense of the word. The amount of music journalists, artists and listeners that he influenced cannot be measured. Simply put, Latin music would not be what it is today without that tiny little blog he started over a decade ago. QEDP King.”

NPR podcaster Jasmine Garsd claimed on Twitter that “AltLatino would not exist without Carlos Reyes and Club Fonograma. His curiosity and respect for Latin music were a constant inspiration, and it was such a pleasure to collaborate with him. What a loss.”

As a tribute to Reyes’ legacy, the former writers of the blog created Old Fonograma, an archive with content from of the original website.

28 Dec 2022

Ariana Grande Sends Christmas Gifts to Children in Manchester Hospitals

Ariana Grande made certain that kids facing injuries or illnesses during Christmas this year still felt merry and bright. On Monday (Dec. 26), it was revealed that the 29-year-old pop star had sent presents to young patients at hospitals across Manchester, England, giving back to the city more than five years after it became the site of a horrific suicide bombing after one of her concerts.

“Thank you Ariana!” tweeted the official Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity account. “We were so excited to receive Christmas gifts for young patients across our hospitals from Ariana Grande.”

The foundation also shared photos of some of the gifts sent by Ariana Claus, each of them labeled with a tag reading “happy holidays! love ariana grande.” The presents were divided among “babies, children and teenagers” across Trafford Hospitals, Wythenshawe Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and the RMCH.

At the time of publication, Grande has not posted about her donation on social media. Billboard has reached out to her rep for comment.

The Wicked star’s Christmas surprise is just the latest way she’s honored the English city since the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 people and injured several hundred. The incident — later identified as a terrorist attack — took place as people were leaving the venue after Grande’s concert that night.

A couple weeks afterward, Grande and some of her famous friends organized One Love Manchester, a benefit concert for victims of the attack. In the years following, she’s gotten a tattoo of a bee (Manchester’s historic symbol) in remembrance, and released “Get Well Soon,” a song about her anxiety and PTSD struggles resulting from the bombing, with 40 seconds of silence added to the end of it, making its timestamp 5:22 — the date of the May 22 attack.

She’s also publicly spoken and posted on social media in honor of the victims several times over the years. “Manchester, my heart is with you today and always,” she wrote in a message on Instagram last year on the tragedy’s four-year anniversary.

“Although grief is ever-present and our relationship to it is constantly evolving and expressing itself in different ways every day, year round,” she also wrote. “I know that this anniversary will never be an easy one. Please know that I am thinking of you today.”

28 Dec 2022

Here Are Harry Styles’ Biggest Achievements in 2022

Harry’s house? In 2022, it felt more like Harry’s world. Harry Styles has spent the past 12 months traveling across the planet touring (much of it in support of his new album, Harry’s House), attending film festivals and premieres to promote two movies he starred in alongside A-list actors, and headlining one of the biggest music events of the year.

With all his milestones, awards and honors, Styles’ star power has simply never been brighter. It seemed like his dark curls and big grin were in the news all throughout 2022, be it for his dazzling fashion statements, videos of notable onstage moments from his Love On Tour concerts, and his headline-grabbing relationship with Don’t Worry Darling director and actress Olivia Wilde.

And if you weren’t reading about him, chances are you were at least hearing him on your speakers. His smash hit single “As It Was” was on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a whopping 15 weeks this year, becoming the fourth-longest running No. 1 in chart history.

Though his triumphs in 2022 mean he had pretty major year under his Gucci belt, it doesn’t seem like the former boyband star is slowing down any time soon. In August, he teased that he’ll keep climbing the ranks as an actor by returning as Eros in a future Marvel film (so far, he’s only made an end-credits cameo in Eternals), and shared that he’s already working on his fourth album.

“I’m always writing,” he told Rolling Stone. “I think all of us are so excited to get back to it, which feels insane because we’ve just put an album out.”

“Everything in my life has felt like a bonus since X Factor,” he added. “Get on TV and sing. I never expected and never thought that would happen.”

Keep reading to see all of Harry Styles’ biggest accomplishments in 2022.

28 Dec 2022

Danny Cortes’ Hip-Hop Scenes In Miniature Form Amazes Art World

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Source: YUKI IWAMURA / Getty

New York artist, Danny Cortes, has gained massive acclaim for depicting striking scenes from Hip-Hop & popular culture in miniature form.

For Danny Cortes, his artwork is an homage to the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn that he grew up in and all of the nostalgia that’s associated with it. The miniature collectibles he crafts by hand are a look at “the little things that we pass by every day” from the recreation of the nearby Chinese takeout restaurant Ho May Kitchen to one of his first creations – a white commercial ice box that’s often seen outside delis and bodegas in the city right down to the graffiti on its sides.

“If we take the time to notice we are surrounded by inspiration,” he says on his website.

Other works also include odes to The Notorious B.I.G. and the Wu-Tang Clan. For the 42-year-old artist, what began as a hobby from his childhood became more as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold in New York City and the rest of the country.

“We are adults, but we never stopped being kids,” Cortes said. “Who doesn’t like toys? Who doesn’t like miniatures?” He began to post his work on social media, which garnered him a lot of attention. That led to a commission by Mass Appeal, the artistic label that has partnered with Hip-Hop legend Nas.

That connection led to Cortes doing a model of a classic boombox radio for the cover of DJ Premier’s EP, Hip Hop 50: Vol. 1. In March of this year, four of his works were sold at a special Sotheby’s auction of Hip-Hop related items with one item selling for $2,200. The aforementioned restaurant replica? It was purchased by Joel Ortiz, for a price of over $10,000 dollars.

“He has really captured the grimy, gritty atmosphere that was the birthplace for a lot of the ’90s style of hip-hop music,” said Monica Lynch, the former head of Tommy Boy Records and a consultant on the Sotheby’s auction.

Cortes is pressing on with his art, aiming to document his beloved Bushwick where “there is a lot of change” occurring. As the neighborhood’s reputation as an artistic haven grows, so do concerns about gentrification having a serious impact. But he sees the changes as a good step. “I think it’s good, I think it’s safer, even though Bushwick is always gonna be Bushwick,” he said. “There are more opportunities.”

28 Dec 2022

Songs that Went Viral On TikTok In 2022: ‘Running Up That Hill’, ‘Despechá’, ‘Made You Look’ & More | Billboard News

28 Dec 2022

Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ Dominates Down Under

Mariah Carey isn’t called the queen of Christmas for nothing. The U.S. pop veteran lives up to her nickname as her enduring holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” rings in Christmas as the No. 1 single in Australia.

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Carey’s 1994 release bags a second consecutive week at the top Down Under, and a fifth year at No. 1 during the Christmas week, ARIA reports.

Although it’s peak summer in Australia, a time when Aussies head to the beach en masse, those wintry yuletide classics dominate playlists in these parts, a fact that’s reflected by both main ARIA Charts.

Four of the top 10 singles on the chart published Dec. 23 are Christmas numbers, including Wham’s “Last Christmas” (up 6-3), Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (up 11-5), Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (up 12-7) and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (up 15-8), while Bobby Helms’ ‘50s tune Jingle Bell Rock lifts 19-14. Also, Xmas singles from Kelly Clarkson, Andy Williams, The Ronettes, Band Aid, Sia, John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band and Burl Ives impact the top 40.

The highest debut belongs to British rapper Central Cee, whose sentimental song “Let Go” bows at No. 15. The song, which samples the 2008 track “Let Her Go” by English singer-songwriter Passenger, recently cracked the top 10 in the U.K. It’s the only new release to impact the Top 40 on either of ARIA’s main surveys.

Over on the ARIA Albums Chart, Taylor Swift’s platinum-certified 2022 juggernaut Midnights holds at No. 1, ahead of SZA’s sophomore album SOS and Michael Bublé’s Christmas, respectively, while Christmas-themed albums from the Bocelli family, Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes, Mariah Carey, and Vika & Linda appear further down the list.

27 Dec 2022

Carin León & Grupo Frontera Secure Second Top 10 on Hot Latin Songs With ‘Que Vuelvas’

Carin León and Grupo Frontera each land their second top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart as “Que Vuelvas,” their first team-up rallies 15-5 on the Dec. 31-dated ranking in its second week on the chart.

“Que Vuelvas” was released Dec. 9 via BorderKid/Sony Music Latin. The track traces its arrival to the top 10 on the multi-metric tally to a robust streaming activity, earning the Greatest Gainer/Streaming honors of the week.

On the streaming front, the track logged 7.2 million official U.S. streams, up 64%, in the Dec. 16-22 tracking week, according to Luminate. The boost yields a 16-5 ascent on Latin Streaming Songs, to secure León his first top 10 there. The song also sold 1,000 downloads holding at No. 2 on Latin Digital Song Sales.

Meanwhile, radio airplay also accounts for “Que Vuelvas’” surge on Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, streaming data, and digital sales. The song registered 3 million in audience impressions in the same period, up 38%, sparking a 44-34 lift on the all-genre Latin Airplay chart.

Both León and Grupo Frontera claim their second top 10 on Hot Latin Songs. For the former, it arrives a year and four months after the Mexican singer-songwriter secured his first top 10 through another partnership: “El Tóxico,” with Grupo Firme, reached No. 9 high in Aug. 2021. For the latter, it lands just a month after the Texas sextet scored its first top 10 with “No Se Va.” The track holds at No. 4 for a fifth non-consecutive week after its No. 3 high (Nov. 12-Dec.10). Notably, it pegged its first and only entry on the overall Billboard Hot 100 list (No. 57 high in Oct.)

“Que Vuelvas” was written by Edgar Barrera who wrapped 2022 at No. 8 on the year-end Hot Latin Songwriters chart.

27 Dec 2022

Fivio Foreign “Sicc & Tired,” Coi Leray “Wasted” & More | Daily Visuals 12.27.22

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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

Fivio Foreign started 2022 off with a bang when he released his first studio album, B.I.B.L.E., and though he’s since slowed down on visuals and guest appearances, he looks to close out the year on a high note with some new work.

Coming through with some new visuals in “Sicc & Tired,” the Brooklyn Drill rapper gives fans a few bars of how far he’s come in life as he spends some time with his kids and takes them to the movies before he attends a fancy GQ soiree shining like the star he’s worked hard to become. Props, homie.

Elsewhere Coi Leray has some trouble in paradise and in her clip to “Wasted” shows just how she deals with her man on both good and bad days. Chrisean Rock and Blueface, they are not (thank God).

Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend including work from Seddy Hendrix featuring T-Pain, Peso Peso and more.