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Sauce Walka mourned the death of his friend and artist Sayso P in a lengthy Instagram post after both rappers were shot in Memphis last week.
“Words or tears can’t explain the loss I feel!” he began. “Splatt, I wish your fat ahh listened to me and stayed in the room. I told you we could smoke that blunt after security and the rest of our familia pull up.. Sosaman told you, ‘F dat weed, wait til we leave an hit Superior first.’ You always so hardheaded blood, but you know I’ma ride wit you regardless. We come together, we leave together. Wish you just went [to] DR with Shimmy and shot off, and skipped this trip to Memphis, but you was to excited I finally agreed to come to da ‘M.’”
He continued, “It’s been 4 years since @tsf1punch_10100 brought you to the familia. Did everything I could to help you change your lifestyle. From Miami to all 50 states, we been mashing and splashing together. I learned a lot from you, young spilla and [I’m] thankful for all the loyalty and support city to city, hood to hood with them sticks rap hustling! You left earth as a rich young boss, you left this earth happy and successful. I’ma make sure the world knows who you really are.”
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He added, “But unfortunately, most our kings and bosses are at war with each other. I hope one day we all stop taking lives from our communities and actually start to enjoy and build better futures for our cultures. But the streets are the streets, so I accept what came with being your big brother. I love you, Splatt.”
Rumors swirled that Sayso P was targeted because he allegedly ran off with $200K; however, his mother tried to clear things up on Facebook. “This is the type of lies and sh– that keep mothers losing our sons,” she wrote. “My son never stole anything. Never ran off with anything. Didn’t have to. Haters set him up but not because he stole a dime. He would give you his last before he stole anything. Please stop spreading rumors.”
Adding, “Let me repeat that, he did not have to take sh– from anyone. Money wasn’t a factor. He was too loyal. Too loyal to the wrong people was his biggest downfall. Haters who were envious killed my baby but I won’t let y’all steal his legacy. People see him with a stack and say anything. That was his norm.”
Sayso P, born Latorian Hunt, was 27 years old.
Congrats are in order for MGK and Megan Fox, who welcomed their first child together on Thursday (March 27). Kelly revealed the birth of their daughter in a heartfelt post to Instagram with a glimpse of their baby girl. “She’s finally here!! our little celestial seed,” MGK (formerly Machine Gun Kelly) captioned the post with […]
Will Smith is gearing up to release his first album in 20 years with Based on a True Story, which arrives Friday (March 28). Before digging into the recording process for the project, Smith made two phone calls to a pair of rap titans, soliciting advice from Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.
Smith sat down with Sway in the Morning for a live SiriusXM interview on Wednesday in Philadelphia, where he revealed the guidance he received from Jay and K. Dot prior to starting his album.
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“Before I started, I made two phone calls. I talked to Jay and I talked to Kendrick. I was like, ‘Hey, I want to get back in music,” Smith said. “What’s the advice?’ Jay said, ‘Don’t fake your story.’ He was like, ‘You gotta say what’s true for you.”
The multi-hyphenate continued: “He’s like, ‘You’ll be looking at the younger rappers and you want that to be true for you, but you don’t live like that. He was like, ‘Be true to your story. Tell you story.’ That’s where I got the Based On a True Story from Jay.”
When Smith got a hold of Kendrick, he implored him to be brutally honest when it came to his music and “say that s–t you’ve always been f—ing scared to say” on records. “Basically the same thing, be honest. It was scary,” Smith added. “Make the record you want to make. Don’t try to make the record that you think people will like you for. Make the one that’s authentic.”
Based on a True Story boasts 14 tracks and features previously released singles “First Love,” “Beautiful Scars,” “TANTRUM,” “Work of Art,” and “You Can Make It,” as well as collaborations with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, his son Jaden Smith and Jac Ross.
Smith will also hit the road for a headlining European tour this summer in support of his first album since 2005’s Lost and Found.
Listen to the clip of Will Smith talking about the advice he got from Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar below.
Chris Hemsworth is a music fan, just like the rest of us. So much so, that he once asked for a selfie with a major pop star. The Avengers actor joined The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week, where he answered a series of deep-dive questions to get to know him better. One of […]
When Taylor Swift‘s The Tortured Poets Department dropped in April last year, fans were all but certain that a person mentioned in the album’s title track was supposed to be Lucy Dacus. And nearly one year later, the Boygenius star has finally officially confirmed that she was, in fact, the “Lucy” in question, revealing that the pop superstar actually reached out to her before its release to make sure the name drop was all right.
In an interview with People published Thursday (March 27), Dacus responded candidly when asked point-blank whether she was the “Lucy” referenced in the bridge of “The Tortured Poets Department.” “I think it’s fair game to say yes,” the “Night Shift” singer said. “She actually texted me and asked for my approval.”
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Widely believed to be about Swift’s short-lived romance with The 1975’s Matty Healy in 2023, “The Tortured Poets Department” finds the 14-time Grammy winner singing, “Sometimes I wonder if you’re gonna screw this up with me/ But you told Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave/ And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen/ Everyone we know understands why it’s meant to be.”
Fans determined at the time of the album’s release that the “Jack” referenced in the same stanza was likely Swift’s longtime producer, Jack Antonoff. Dacus and the Bleachers frontman aren’t the only stars who got shoutouts, though; a certain “See You Again” singer was also featured in the song’s lyrics, with the Eras Tour headliner proclaiming, “You smoked and ate seven bars of chocolate/ We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.”
According to Dacus, the ordeal of listening to The Tortured Poets Department — which spent a collective 17 weeks atop the Billboard 200 — and hearing herself referenced in the lyrics was “so crazy.” “This [was] the first Taylor record to come out since meeting her, and listening to a friend’s record feels so much different than a stranger’s record,” the Virginia native told People. “So I was like, ‘This is really weird. This voice that I’ve heard basically what feels like my whole waking life saying my name.’”
“It was definitely an experience,” she added. “I sat down and I was like, ‘Huh. Wow.’ But I think that that record of hers is super open-hearted, and I don’t know how many people at her level, if anyone is at her level, are writing from the heart that openly.”
The interview comes one day ahead of Dacus’ fourth studio album, Forever Is a Feeling. Earlier this month, the “Ankles” songwriter — who recently confirmed her long-rumored romance with Boygenius bandmate Julien Baker — spoke to Billboard about her most romantic LP yet.
“Once you focus on one thing and one person, it actually recontextualizes everything else,” she said. “You realize that every detail is its own universe.”
Billboard Women in Music is this Saturday, March 29, and with our celebration of Doechii as Woman of the Year, we’re taking you to Brazil and Canada where we celebrated Ana Castela and Charlotte Cardin. Are you excited for Billboard Women in Music 2025? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: As we get […]
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UFC is heading to Mexico for their latest battle. Two premiere flyweights are set to match in the octagon as the main event for UFC Fight Night. Brandon “The Assassin Baby” Moreno (22-8-2) faces off against Steve “Astroboy” Erceg (12-3-0) in a match on Saturday (March 29).
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UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg takes place at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, with a start time of 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. The main card is expected to begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
If you want to watch UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg (also known as UFC on ESPN 64) online, the MMA event livestreams on ESPN+ for subscribers only.
Not a subscriber? A monthly subscription to ESPN+ goes for $11.99 per month. However, you can go with an ESPN+ annual subscription for $119.99. This saves you 15% compared to the month-to-month subscription price.
Check out the complete UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg fight card below:
Main Card, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT — ESPN+
Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg (Flyweight) — Main Event
Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober (Lightweight)
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer (Middleweight)
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Vince Morales (Bantamweight)
David Martínez vs. Saimon Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Ronaldo Rodríguez vs. Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
Prelims Card, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT — ESPN+
Édgar Cháirez vs. C.J. Vergara (Flyweight)
José Daniel Medina vs. Ateba Abega Gautier (Middleweight)
Christian Rodriguez vs. Melquizael Costa (Featherweight)
Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri (Women’s Strawweight)
Rafa García vs. Vinc Pichel (Lightweight)
Jamall Emmers vs. Gabriel Miranda (Featherweight)
MarQuel Mederos vs. Austin Hubbard (Lightweight)
In addition, you can get the Disney Trio — which comes with ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ — starting at just $16.99 per month for both services in one package.
What Is Moreno vs. Erceg Walkout Music for UFC Fight Night?
While UFC has yet to announce each fighter’s walkout music for the main event of UFC Fight Night, the fighters usually go out to the octagon to the same songs during their matches. Brandon Moreno typically walks out to “El Corrido Del Bebe Asesino” by Ariel Macias, while Steve Erceg prefers to walk out to “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” by Jim Croce. So these songs will likely make an appearance during the MMA event.
UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg is streaming on ESPN+ on Saturday (March 29), starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. The main card begins around at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Posdnuos, founding member of hip-hop legends De La Soul, has the mind-set of a classic rock icon who continues to record and tour after most people that age opt for retirement.
Talking to Billboard‘s Behind the Setlist podcast after a session in the recording studio, Pos (born Kelvin Mercer) says that being mindful of his health is critical to the group’s longevity. “We’re in the gym, running, doing the cardio and staying healthy. I love to run around onstage like a fool. So I’m always in spin class and lifting weights so I can keep my cardio up, man. I want to be like [The Rolling Stones frontman] Mick Jagger, moving around until the grave.”
At this point, De La Soul is to hip-hop what British invasion bands are to rock & roll. The Stones’ debut album came out a quarter-century before De La Soul released its first album, 3 Feet High and Rising, in 1989. More than 35 years and eight more studio albums later, De La Soul is where The Stones were in 2000: respected elders and innovators with a historic catalog and an appetite to remain relevant.
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“I’m really happy that we have a brand that we can still put out there,” Pos says. “Whenever we raise the flag, people want to come in and partake in whatever we’re offering.”
De La Soul has remained busy since the death of bandmate Trogoy the Dove (born David Jolicoeur) in December 2023. After a long absence from digital platforms because of a legal dispute, the group’s celebrated catalog appeared at streaming services in 2023. “We carried on pretty well” while being absent from services such as Spotify and Apple Music, says Pos. “Did we not gain certain fans at a certain time? Definitely, because you gotta realize we missed the entire download era and streaming until about two years ago. But with us still putting out music, we saw how people were so engaged, and even younger people engaged in our music.”
In the Internet age, De La Soul is never more than a Google search away. The group found a new wave of admirers after collaborations with Gorillaz that produced the hit song “Feel Good Inc.” in 2005 and “Crocadillaz” in 2023. Thanks to an abundance of metadata about music, people curious about the musicians on the tracks could easily find information about group — although they got to know him as Kelvin Mercer. “I’m a government name with young people,” says Pos.
The interview focused on De La Soul’s Jan. 16 show at Lincoln Center in Manhattan and also covered the group’s album and EP reissues. Listen to the entire conversation with Posdnuous using the embedded Spotify player below or go to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, Podbean or Everand.
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On Tuesday (March 25), singer-songwriter Alice Merton filed a lawsuit against Ye fka Kanye West in a federal court in California for using a sample of one of her songs after she denied his request. In the documents of the lawsuit, Merton states that West sampled her 2022 song “Blindside” for use in his song “Gun To My Head” featuring Kid Cudi and Ty Dolla $ign. She states that the discovery left her “understandably shocked and humiliated” to be associated with West after he previewed the song at a Vultures listening event in Miami, Florida, in December 2023.
West would later release “Gun To My Head” as part of a deluxe digital release of Vultures 2 last August. The lawsuit alleges that West had requested approval from Merton’s publisher, BMG, to use “Blindside” through Alien Music Services. When denied, Kanye West’s representatives followed up by asking the reason for the denial. BMG responded that “the artist’s values are contrary to our values” and that Merton was “unwilling to compromise her personal beliefs and wanted not to be associated with Ye in any manner.”
The publisher further revealed that Merton has “close ties to the holocaust through Jewish family members who survived its horrors” and that West’s “antisemitic, racist remarks” were contrary to her beliefs. The lawsuit also shares that Merton sustained a barrage of online threats and abuse from fans who were upset over “Gun To My Head” not being on the initial edition of Vultures 2. BMG had sent a cease and desist letter requesting written compliance to stop further copyright violations to West, which were then ignored. The German singer-songwriter even expressed that she has stopped performing the songs at her concerts and decided against traveling to the U.S. “for fear of confrontation or potential violence against her.”
The lawsuit is the latest action against West for copyright infringement by other musical artists. The estate of Donna Summer sued West last February for sampling her song “I Feel Love” without permission, stating that it “wanted no association with West’s controversial history.” Legendary metal singer Ozzy Osbourne also threatened to sue the Bully rapper for trying to use a Black Sabbath sample after being denied, “because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many.”
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A recently filed lawsuit alleges new bombshell claims against Hip-Hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. According to TMZ, the Bad Boy founder is being sued by a male photographer who alleges that the embattled star forced him to perform oral sex by threatening his career.
In the lawsuit obtained by TMZ, the accuser is a photographer who claims Diddy invited him to join him in a trailer for an opportunity to advance his career. However, the unnamed accuser said that the Hip-Hop mogul began making sexual advances and unzipping his pants.
The allegations are disturbing, with the accuser alleging that Diddy told him “If you suck right I’ll make your career take off.”
The accuser, who identifies as a straight man, says that he complied.
He later said that Diddy allegedly told him to hold semen in his mouth “like a squirrel.”
The photographer said that the incident occurred in 2022 or 2023 and that it took place in Diddy’s trailer on the set of a commercial. He says that he did not have further contact with the mogul afterward.
He is suing for sexual battery and financial damages due to emotional and mental pain and trauma.
Diddy’s legal team sent a statement to TMZ writing, “No matter how many lawsuits are filed—especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims—it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
They added, “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”
Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since he was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024. He is being held without bond.
A new podcast, Bad Rap, from ABC Audio was recently released detailing the mogul’s ongoing sexual abuse and sex trafficking charges.
https://twitter.com/abcaudio/status/1904530774453555277