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KQ Entertainment, the South Korean music company behind ATEEZ, signed a multi-year agreement with AEG Presents to oversee the production of all global tours for the K-pop supergroup. The partnership, the terms of which were not disclosed, will enable “both companies to leverage their core strengths to further promote K-pop on a global scale,” according […]
Nick Cannon already has 12 kids, but he’s still hoping for a baker’s dozen — and maybe even a few more after that. On the latest episode of his We Playin’ Spades podcast that dropped March 17, the actor shared his stance on getting a vasectomy (spoiler: he’s against it) and affirmed that if things […]
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Adan Manzano, a Telemundo reporter out of Kansas City, was in New Orleans in February to cover Super Bowl LIX. After crossing paths with Danette Colbert, Adan Manzano was later found dead, and now Colbert faces charges of second-degree murder.
As reported by local news outlet KHOU, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley announced at a Tuesday (March 18) news conference that Dannette Colbert now faces a second-degree murder charge after previously being booked on charges of fraud and theft after Adan Manzano was found dead at a Kenner hotel.
Colbert was seen on security video at the hotel in question alongside Manzano and leaving alone one hour afterward. Police say that Colbert reportedly used the reporter’s credit card after he died. Manzano’s cell phone and credit card were later found at Colbert’s residence in Slidell.
In addition, an accomplice of Colbert, Ricky White, was arrested in Florida on charges of simple robbery, purse snatching, access device fraud, illegal transfer of monetary funds, bank fraud, and computer fraud. White is currently awaiting extradition to Louisiana to face the charges.
Colbert, who has a lengthy criminal record, is currently jailed at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center.
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Photo: Dmytro Skrypnykov / Getty
Ben Stiller is ready to sit courtside with Taylor Swift again, and this time, Travis Kelce is welcome to the party. On the latest episode of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, the actor joined as a guest and recalled how he once attended a New York Knicks game […]
Less than an hour into February’s Grammy Awards telecast, one of the evening’s undeniable peak moments occurred. Doechii — the charismatic, lyrically dexterous Florida rapper who was up for three awards that night — won best rap album, making her just the second solo female rapper (and third overall) to win the honor. “Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud,” she declared in a tearful acceptance speech that instantly went viral.
For Billboard’s Woman of the Year, it was the culmination of a stunning rise, propelled by her acclaimed mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. But it was also just a beginning: The 26-year-old Tampa MC hasn’t even dropped her debut album yet.
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Doechii uploaded her first song to SoundCloud when she was just 16 and, in the following years, put out a pair of mixtapes, the latter of which included her first viral hit, 2020’s “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” In 2021, she guested on Isaiah Rashad’s “What U Sed,” and in 2022, she became the rapper’s labelmate after signing a joint deal with Capitol Records and Top Dawg Entertainment.
Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 — get your tickets here.
Her Kodak Black-featuring single, “What It Is (Block Boy)” — released in early 2023, around when she was named Billboard’s Women in Music Rising Star — became her highest-peaking entry on the Billboard Hot 100 at that date, but a fraught period followed; subsequent singles didn’t catch on, and Doechii was, as she later wrote on social media, “battling differences with [her] label and a creative numbness that broke [her].” To ease that tension, she turned to dance music. In March 2024, Doechii joined forces with Miami MC JT and DJ Miss Milan — the latter is now a fixture in her artist universe — to release “Alter Ego,” a vivacious house-rap track that served as a palate cleanser for the fans who hadn’t enjoyed her pop-rap swings from 2023, while also setting the stage for her “Swamp Sessions,” weekly drops of new music that led up to Alligator Bites Never Heal’s late-August release.
The mixtape featured many “Swamp Sessions” tracks, though it wasn’t an instant smash, debuting at No. 117 on the Billboard 200. But for Doechii, that was just a jumping-off point to let her singular vision and meticulous world-building — magnetic live and televised performances anchored by smartly assembled medleys and athletic, Bob Fosse-referencing choreography; proudly Black glam; idiosyncratic music videos nodding equally to ballroom culture, Westerns and telenovelas — blossom.
In the process, Doechii spun gold from one of the most painful periods of her life, and by late 2024, she was inescapable. In September, she featured on Katy Perry’s dance-pop single “I’m His, He’s Mine,” and the following month, she delivered a scene-stealing verse on Tyler, The Creator’s Chromakopia standout “Balloon.” In December, she mounted a pair of eye-catching performances that kicked her rise into high gear: first, a medley of “Boiled Peanuts” and “Denial Is a River” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert that featured her own choreography; and, just two days later, her thrilling NPR Tiny Desk set, which quickly dominated social media thanks to her fastidious storytelling and cohesive arrangements.
As her star has risen, Doechii’s commitment to exalting all parts of her dark-skinned, Black queer self has remained paramount. It’s why her first unaccompanied Hot 100 entry was “Denial Is a River,” in which she confides to her therapist that her boyfriend had been cheating on her with another man — just one example of how refreshingly honest (and unafraid to get messy on wax) an artist she is. The week following the Grammys, Alligator Bites Never Heal soared to No. 14 on the Billboard 200, and in late February, “Denial Is a River” peaked at No. 21 on the Hot 100, while the track “Nissan Altima,” which had been nominated for the best rap performance Grammy, hit No. 73.
“To be so fresh in her career, Doechii has incredible vision and focus,” Top Dawg Entertainment president Terrence “Punch” Henderson Jr. says. “She’s a true student of hip-hop and it shows based on how she’s being embraced in the culture. The future is wide open for her.”
Now, even as Alligator Bites Never Heal continues to find new fans, Doechii is already scoring hits outside of it. Her collaboration with Blackpink superstar Jennie, “ExtraL,” debuted on the Hot 100 in March, and her latest release, “Anxiety,” is also having a major impact. Originally a 2019 direct-to-YouTube track, “Anxiety” was sampled by New York drill rapper Sleepy Hallow last year, and after a February Fresh Prince of Bel-Air-inspired TikTok trend, audiences begged for a new solo version by the Swamp Princess, who quickly obliged in early March. (The track debuted at No. 13 on the Hot 100 — her highest-peaking hit on the chart yet — and Doechii recently added it to Alligator Bites Never Heal.)
She did so as she descended on Paris Fashion Week, where her spectacularly theatrical looks made her the event’s undisputed victor — just ask Anna Wintour or Thom Browne — and affirmed she’s more central to the pop culture conversation than ever. Case in point: An offhand quip she made on Hot Ones about straight men being one of her dating red flags set social media ablaze for a week straight.
Around the same time, Doechii made a surprise live appearance that proved why she’ll always rise above that noise: At a Miami festival, Lauryn Hill invited her onstage to duet on “Doo Wop (That Thing),” then yielded the stage for Doechii to perform her own “Catfish.” Rapping and singing alongside her “hero,” the raw talent that makes Doechii an especially bright light in an ever-precarious industry was on full display — a reminder that, as she said at the Grammys, she’s a true “testimony” to the merits of following a vision and trusting that the world will eventually catch up to you.
This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.
As the Grand Ole Opry celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, the revered country music institution is celebrating its essential role in country music.
What became the Grand Ole Opry launched as the WSM Barn Dance in 1925, and has broadcast as the longest-running radio show in U.S. history.
The Grand Ole Opry currently has 76 members — and for artists at any stage of their careers, from newcomers to those who have been in the spotlight for decades, entering the membership ranks at the Grand Ole Opry has stood as a coveted career milestone. Those invitation moments often mean tears and speeches of awe and gratitude from the artists who are extended the invitation to join the Opry’s ranks.
When Carrie Underwood was formally inducted as a member by Garth Brooks in 2008, he told her, “Nothing will last as long or be more important than this award right here tonight.”
Each year, the Opry’s management team extends membership invitations to a handful of artists. According to the Opry’s website, consideration involves a number of factors, including radio airplay, music sales, touring, and industry recognitions. But beyond simply career stats, the Opry also seeks “a musical and generational balance,” as well as those with a passion for country music, and commitment to the Opry.
“The decision to bring a new act into the Opry fold is a two-pronged one, based on a combination of career accomplishment and commitment,” the Opry’s website states. “But, really, it comes down to just one word: relationships. The relationships between performers and fans. The relationships Opry members have with each other, relationships that may last for decades. And, perhaps most importantly, the relationship between each artist and the ideal of the Grand Ole Opry.”
The Opry’s most recently inducted members are Lainey Wilson, Scotty McCreery, T. Graham Brown and Stephen Curtis Chapman (each inducted in 2024), while the Opry’s oldest living member is Bill Anderson who, at age 87, has been an Opry member since 1961. Beyond solely artists, those in Opry membership also include comedians such as Henry Cho and Gary Mule Deer (both inducted in 2023), and musicians such as Country Music Hall of Fame harmonica player Charlie McCoy, who has been a mainstay in Nashville’s recording studios for five decades, and who served as the music director for the television show Hee Haw for nearly two decades.
Below, we look back at 10 memorable moments of artists being invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.
The Oak Ridge Boys
Playboi Carti has responded to Ye (formerly Kanye West) after the embattled rapper bashed him about allegedly snubbing Ye from his Music album and then requesting vocals from Ye and Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West.
“YE STFU,” Carti replied on X early Wednesday (March 19).
West — who has been criticized over his repeated antisemitic hate speech — addressed the “Magnolia” rapper hours later. “SHOULD CARTI HAVE EVEN SPOKEN TO MY BABY MAMA AT ALL,” he seemingly asked his 33 million X followers.
Ye continued to take shots at Carti: “CARTI IS JUST A WAY MORE BASIC DUMBER VERSION OF VIRGIL FINESSING YE AND DRAKE CO SIGNS.”
Kanye is referencing whenKardashian posted a SKIMS shout-out on Music to her Instagram Story, and Carti replied by asking his “niece” North to send some vocals for a potential collab. The embattled Chicago artist had felt Carti crossed the line with his initial request for North to send some music, and declared that his daughter wouldn’t be working with the “All Red” rapper.
“I DECIDED NORTH WONT BE DOING ANY SONGS WITH CARTI HOW IT LOOK FOR ME TO GET LEFT OFF THE ALBUM AND THEN HE ASK KIM TO HAVE VOCALS FROM MY DAUGHTER,” Ye wrote earlier. “I DONT A F–K ABOUT NONE OF THIS INDUSTRY S–T AND HOW ITS A SKIMS LINE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND I DONT GIVE A F–K WHAT NO COMMENTS THE MAN HAS THE FIRST AND FINAL SAY OVER HIS KIDS.”
He went on to bring up Carti’s baby mother, Iggy Azalea, and their son, Onyx, in a separate tweet, seemingly trying to get the little boy on Ye’s own music. Azalea chimed in and requested that he keep her son out of whatever issues he has with Carti.
“Ye, I understand the point you want to make,” she wrote in part on X in response. “I say this with kindness & as a mother: Please, leave my child out of this.”
It’s been a turbulent week for Ye, who has fired away at peers such as Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Ty Dolla $ign, Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator, Pusha T and more already. He even released the self-directed short film version of his Bully album early Wednesday, which stars his son Saint West — whom he also shares with Kardashian — and was edited by Hype Williams.
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LaVar Ball first emerged on the scene as a larger-than-life figure who touted the basketball skills of his three sons as the next big thing in professional sports. Recently, LaVar Ball went through a medical procedure to remove his foot and explained in a new column piece that complications from diabetes led to the decision.
LaVar Ball, 57, penned an exclusive column for the April/May issue of SLAM magazine with Ball gracing the covers of the publications with his sons LiAngelo aka Gelo, LaMelo, and Lonzo. Ball’s relentless promotion of his sons and their athletic exploits made the Ball family one of the most intriguing names in sports and both Lonzo and LaMelo have flourished in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets respectively.
In the SLAM column, the patriarch of the Ball family gets candid about the complications from diabetes that led to the amputation of his foot, which caused him to face his mortality. However, he found strength not only in the success of Lonzo and LaMelo on the court but also in Gelo’s big hit “Tweaker” which he references several times throughout the piece.”
From SLAM:
When I was in the hospital and “Tweaker” was starting to become a global hit, I had a couple of FaceTime conversations with Gelo, but I was kind of slurring because I was all drugged up with all the medication they were putting in me. It was hard for me to really dial in on what I was trying to say. Even though I was kind of slurring with my speech, Gelo understood what I was trying to say. I remember just telling him, Keep doing your thing. And make sure you take care of your brothers. Just make sure all of y’all are together. Cause the more you guys are together, the better I feel. That’s all I kept thinking about when I was in the hospital—my boys being together.
Read the story in full here.
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Photo: Jacob Kupferman / Getty
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Source: Derek White / Getty / Jess Hilarious
Jess Hilarious didn’t bite her tongue when addressing her co-hosts on The Breakfast Club in an IG rant that had many people reacting on social media.
Angela Yee’s permanent replacement, Jess Hilarious, felt a type of way after returning to full-time duty from maternity leave. The comedian hopped on her Instagram account to express her grievances about her peers, especially one person in particular, Loren LoRosa, who filled in for her while caring for her newborn child.
While she did not mention Breakfast Club OGs, DJ Envy, or Charlamagne Tha God by name, she made it clear she had issues with both men.
She expressed to her Instagram followers that she felt she was left in the dark about her role opposite LoRosa, who quickly became a fan favorite in her absence.
Her comments also came after comedian Cory Holcomb, who has had issues with Jess Hilarious, took swipes at her, claiming that she was replaced by someone more “talented” than her after she got pregnant.
Jess Hilarious accused her co-hosts of not coming to her defense.
“We supposed to be a team, but not one person comes to my defense at all, ever,” Jess Hilarious stated. “With this online sh*t. I feel played with, so I’m gonna play with **gas. I’ve been quiet a lot.”
Immediately, many believed that Jess Hilarious got the boot, but that is not the case. She did reveal that even though she picked LoRosa to fill in for her, she was initially not fond of her, especially after she claimed they gave LoRosa her popular “Jess With The Mess” segment.
Jess Hilarious Admits To Not Initially Liking Loren LaRosa
She revealed that she initially overcame her insecurities during LaRosa but did not say that she was not a fan of how The Breakfast Club moves while mentioning that she understood why Angela Yee left the show.
“Nah it ain’t even you I don’t like,’ I’m realizing,” she said on Instagram Live. “It’s the way these n**gas is doing sh*t up here.”
She continued, “Angela Yee ain’t that motherf*cking crazy. Not as crazy as n**gas try to make her out to be. There’s a reason that lady wanted to leave that show… I don’t know how she did that sh*t for 13 years.”
Angela Yee left the show in 2022 and now has her own show, Way Up With Angela Yee, which she co-hosts with Hip-Hop star Maino and other rotating guests.
The following morning, The Breakfast Club addressed Jess Hilarious’s comments, and she further expounded on the situation. It was revealed that LoRosa was initially brought on to be a producer and not an on-air personality.
DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God reassured Jess Hilarious that she was still good, but they also told her to ignore the comments. Envy, in particular, was not fond of Jess Hilarious running straight to IG instead of talking to the team in private.
It seems like everything is cool again, but that’s not stopping social media from sharing their two -cents on the matter. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
BTS‘ j-hope is setting ARMY up for his latest masterpiece with a second tease of the upcoming solo single, “Mona Lisa.” The official 30-second teaser of the song due out on Friday (March 21) continues the fine art-theme of the previous sneak, which peeled back a nine-second taste of the tune’s smoothed-out R&B vibe.
In the new look, Hobi sits on a long white bench in a mostly blank-walled gallery space in bedazzled acid-washed jeans, black boots, a black leather jacket and backwards baseball hat, elbows on his knees as he contemplates the silence. The only action comes when he turns around to look at the series of five photos of a woman in various states of profile, each of which is being blown around by a fan behind the singer.
There is no music in the teaser, and the only action comes with j-hope stands up and an unseen hand smears his face with white paint as the song’s title pops up on screen.
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Last week, j-hope shared a brief preview of the song, containing a buzzy, glitched-out beat and wavering bass line with inaudible vocals. In a statement, the singer’s label, BIG HIT, described the hip-hop/R&B song as exuding his “smooth, laid-back charm… expand[ing] his musical spectrum, solidifying his status as one of the most dynamic and sought-after global artists.”
It continues, “‘MONA LISA’ is a love song that pays tribute to celebrating one’s unique beauty. It explores an infatuation towards a person whose beauty is one of a kind.” It was, of course, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic masterpiece of the same name with the legendary sly smile, with the track likening “the praise for the alluring person to the timeless masterpiece. It conveys that what truly moves someone is not external beauty, but rather the distinctive characteristics that make each person special.”
BIG HIT promises that the bouncy tune “seamlessly blends a groovy rhythm with a funky chord progression, creating an irresistibly refreshing sound,” noting that “as the song builds, the chorus toward the end invites an infectious sing-along, amplifying the uplifting, feel-good atmosphere.”
“Mona Lisa” is the follow-up to Hobi’s recently released digital single featuring Miguel, “Sweet Dreams,” which will debut at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated March 22.
Check out the official “Mona Lisa” teaser below.
