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Lil Nas X has revealed that he almost collaborated with Taylor Swift.
During an interview at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday (March 27), the 25-year-old rapper shared that he was offered a chance to add a verse to one of the pop superstar’s songs but ultimately turned it down.
“We were working on something,” Lil Nas told E! News on the red carpet at the event. “She offered to let me try a verse on something, but I couldn’t catch a vibe for it, so it didn’t happen.”
However, the “Old Town Road” hitmaker hasn’t ruled out the possibility of working with Swift in the future. “When it happens… Global. World. Tay-tay and Nassy,” he said.
Despite the song not coming together, Lil Nas X expressed nothing but love for the “All Too Well” singer. “I’m proud of my girl,” he said. “I love the album. She’s been doing her thing. She’s at the very tippety top. I’m thankful that she even considered me.”
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Swift was nominated in six categories at the 2025 Grammy Awards in February, including album of the year for The Tortured Poets Department, which spent 17 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Although she went 0-6 at this year’s Grammys, the 35-year-old superstar had much to celebrate with her record-breaking The Eras Tour, which grossed over $2 billion from 149 shows worldwide.
Meanwhile, Lil Nas X has been busy putting out his own music. In recent months, the rapper has dropped a series of singles, starting with the dance-y “Light Again” and the energetic “Need Dat Boy.” In March, he ramped up the pace with a series of single releases ahead of the as-yet-unscheduled release of his Dreamboy album, the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2021 debut, Montero.
This flurry of activity culminated in the surprise drop of Days Before Dreamboy, an eight-track EP released on Friday (March 28). The mini album compiles all of Lil Nas X’s recent releases, including “Dreamboy,” “Big Dummy!,” “Swish,” “Hotbox,” “Lean on My Body” and “Right There!” It’s unclear whether all the tracks on the EP will also appear on his forthcoming full-length project.
Sean Kingston and his mother were found guilty of federal wire fraud charges in a Florida courtroom on Friday (March 28). The “Beautiful Girls” singer, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother, Janice Turner, were convicted on all five charges following a five-day trial related to over $1 million in wire fraud. A […]
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Source: YouTube / Youtube
One of the most popular online series is coming to Netflix. The streaming giant has ordered a season of Pop The Balloon.
As per Deadline, the viral dating show is being picked up by Netflix. Originally created by Bolia Matundu and Arlette Amuli, Pop The Balloon quickly became a fan favorite ever since premiering in 2024. Now fast forward a year later the series has produced 50 episodes that have amassed over 100 million views and several memorable moments. Singles are invited to find love by walking into a room filled with the opposite sex holding a balloon. Upon first sight they can pop it to signify they are no longer interested; when popped they are asked by the host on why they have declined. Reasons have ranged to style, looks, the way they speak and more.
The creators expressed their excitement about the deal in a statement. “We’re thrilled to see Pop The Balloon take on a new life on Netflix,” Matundu and Amuli said. “From day one, we’ve kept love and fun at the heart of the show, and watching it evolve and soar beyond our wildest dreams has been truly exciting. As executive producers, we’re proud to support this next chapter and can’t wait for both new and longtime fans to experience it.” The new interpretation will follow the original’s show format but will introduce actress Yvonne Orji as the new host and will stream live. Additionally, the production design will also be upgraded. Executive producer Matt Sharp added “this new iteration builds on the original’s core concept while pushing the boundaries of connection, chemistry, and unpredictability.”
Pop The Balloon LIVE will stream on Netflix starting April 10 on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
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Source: Albert L. Ortega / Getty / Sean Kingston / Janice Turner
The family that scams together ends up in jail together. Sean Kingston and his momma, Janice Turner, found that out the hard way on Friday.
TMZ reports a jury found Kingston and his mother guilty on all five charges in their federal wire fraud case. The “Beautiful Girls” singer reportedly cried and told U.S. Marshals to “protect my mother” after learning his fate, and she was remanded into custody and being taken away.
He and his mom are looking at a max of 20 years on each count.
Per TMZ:
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The “Beautiful Girls” singer and his mom, Janice Turner, were found guilty Friday on all five charges they were facing.
Sean reportedly cried as the jury returned the guilty verdict … and he told U.S. Marshalls to “protect my mother” as they remanded her into custody and took her away from the courtroom.
As we reported … Sean and his mother were accused of defrauding businesses out of more than $1 million in a fraud scheme involving jewelry, luxury vehicles, and other goods.The judge deemed Sean’s mother a flight risk, which is why she’s in custody … and Sean is now on home detention as they await their July 11 sentencing.
Federal prosecutors successfully convinced a jury that Sean Kingston and his mother “unjustly enriched themselves” by lying and claiming they sent payments for high-end items. Then they kept the items, and when it was discovered, they never sent the money.
Turner allegedly scammed her way to $1 million in property through the scheme. Federal prosecutors alleged she ripped off a car dealership for a $160K Cadillac Escalade and finagled $480K worth of jewelry from a jeweler without dropping a single dime.
The mother/son scamming duo were arrested after the feds raided Kingston’s Flordia mansion in 2024.
According to the celebrity gossip site, the judge reportedly described Kingston’s mother as the “fixer, the nerve center,” while Kingston’s defense team described their client as a “child” who didn’t know anything about his finances.
Yeah, okay.
Social Media Doesn’t Feel Sorry For Sean Kingston or His Momma
Social media had plenty to say on the matter; spoiler alert: no one feels sorry for Sean Kingston or his mother in this situation.
“Sean Kingston momma look like a scammer lmaooooooooo. I didn’t need a judge to confirm that broad is guilty of fraud,” one person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user jokingly wrote, “Sean Kingston is going to prison because he finessed a store out of a TV by telling them he was gonna get Justin Bieber to do promotional videos for them.”
Funny, if true.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
In a night of big moments, Afrojack helped deliver one of the very biggest when he brought out French titan David Guetta and one of history’s all-time singers, Sia, to perform their 2011 classic “Titanium” during the first night (March 28) of Ultra Music Festival 2025. The pair walked onto the festival’s mainstage hand-in-hand, a […]
From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
J.Lo Reunites With Edward James Olmos
In the 1997 Selena film, Edward James Olmos played Abraham Quintanilla, Selena’s father, and Jennifer Lopez gave life to the tejano music icon. Now, the two are teaming up once again in a new project, the “Let’s Get Loud” singer announced on social media.
“From ‘Selena’ to now, this journey has come full circle…SWIPE to see the big news,” J.Lo captioned the then and now photos of her and Olmos. “We’re thrilled to welcome the incredible Edward James Olmos to ‘Office Romance’!”
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See the heartfelt post here.
Viral Street Cleaner Debuts on Billboard Chart
Emerging Mexican folk singer Macario Martinez has made his Billboard debut through his collaboration with Eslabon Armado on the group’s set Vibras de Noche II, released last week. The 17-track set includes “Esa Noche,” the only collaboration on the LP, featuring the emerging 23-year-old Mexican folk singer. The song debuts at No. 50 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, scoring Martínez his Billboard debut.
The chart feat comes just months after Martínez, the young Mexican street sweeper who captured the internet’s attention, went viral on TikTok after sharing a heartfelt video in response for the support of his song “Sueña Lindo, Corazón.”
Gente de Zona and MLB
Cuban duo Gente de Zona scored a home run with its partnership with the Major League Baseball (MLB). It’s song “Cosas Bonitas” by Gente de Zona was licensed by the league to be used in the Spanish official tease for the Opening Day 2025 in the MLB Network. The track — part of its upcoming Reparto album — was used across all Spanish social media platforms and the network aired it during their broadcast program on Thursday. Check out the clip below:
Chasing Sueños
YouTube’s AJ Ramos has teamed up with Toyota and Sonoro to launch the new podcast, “Chasing Sueños.” The seven-episode series is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms. The original podcast “celebrates ambition, resilience, and cultural identity,” according to a press statement. The episodes, which feature in-depth conversations with Latin stars such as Maffio and Edgar Barrera, are recorded in a custom-designed Toyota Studio. The artists “delve into pivotal moments of each artist’s journey—from side hustles and setbacks to breakthroughs and success stories,” the statement further adds.
Check out the episodes here.
Shakira, Shakira
The Colombian superstar has announced additional shows in Mexico as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, including two more dates at the capital’s GNP Seguros Stadium on August 29-30, OCESA announced on Friday (March 28).
“Shakira continues to make history in Mexico! Due to high demand, another date of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour has been added at the GNP Seguros Stadium,” OCESA said in a statement. With the addition of dates, the Colombian superstar is set to break a record at GNP Seguros Stadium with eight performances at that venue over two separate phases of her tour – surpassing shows by other global stars like Paul McCartney, Metallica, Coldplay, and Taylor Swift.
The other recently-announced tour dates in Mexico will be at Estadio Corregidora in Querétaro on Sept. 2, Estadio Akron in Guadalajara on Sept. 6, and Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla on Sept. 12.
Latin Women in Music
Billboard’s 2025 Latin Women in Music executives list has been revealed. The exclusive list comprises 45 executives “whose purview is singularly Latin or Latin American-focused, whether they are based in the United States or abroad, and whose work has a significant impact on the U.S. Latin market,” Billboard’s Leila Cobo explained. See the complete list here.
Meanwhile, on April 24, the Mujeres Latinas en la Música gala will air on Telemundo, honoring artists who have made an impact in the past year and beyond. Mexican star Ana Bárbara is set to host the ceremony.
Young Scooter died Friday night (March 28) on the rapper’s 39th birthday, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and details from Atlanta Police.
Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith led a news conference late Friday night to share details about what reportedly led to the death of Young Scooter (real name: Kenneth Edward Bailey). According to Smith, police responded to a call about a dispute with a weapon at a home and then set up a perimeter outside the house after a man shut the door on officers. Two men fled from the rear of the house, Smith said, with one returning to the home and the other jumping two fences as he was fleeing.
According to the AJC story, Young Scooter was the man who jumped the fences, and Smith said, “When officers located him on the other side of the fence, he appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg.”
Atlanta Police say the man was taken to Grady Marcus Trauma Center and died there.
During the news conference, Smith denied widespread reports spreading on social media that Scooter had been fatally shot by Atlanta PD officers. “Just to be very clear, the injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene. It was when the male was fleeing.”
Young Scooter’s peers mourned the late rapper on social media, with Playboi Carti sharing the news on Instagram Stories with the caption “SMFH.” Quavo took to X with broken-heart and prayer-hands emojis, writing, “ion understand,” alongside a video of Scooter performing. The late rapper’s Instagram Stories shared dozens of posts wishing him a happy birthday throughout Friday.
While Scooter was born in South Carolina, his family moved to Atlanta when he was just 9 years old, and his music career has been based in the rap mecca ever since. He broke out locally with the song “Colombia” in 2012 before joining forces with hip-hop heavyweights Future, Juicy J and Young Thug for “DI$Function” in 2014. He hit the Billboard charts as a featured artist on Young Thug’s “Guwop,” also featuring Quavo & Offset of Migos, in 2016 (peaking at No. 45 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart) and on Future & Juice WRLD’s “Jet Lag” in 2018 (his only Billboard Hot 100 appearance, peaking at No. 72).
Billboard has reached out to the Atlanta Police and a rep for Young Scooter for further information.
Find Quavo’s X post about Scooter below:
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Source: Anna Barclay / Getty / Elon Musk / X
Elon Musk’s time as owner of X, formerly Twitter, is reportedly over, but before you celebrate, it sounds like his slimy tentacles will still be all over the platform.
Spotted on the New York Times, Elon Musk claims he sold X to xAI, the artificial intelligence startup the Tesla chief founded in 2023. Yes, if you’re wondering if there are potential conflicts of interest, you’re not far off in your thinking.
According to the website, it’s an all-stock deal, with xAI valued at $80 billion and the mess that is X worth $30 billion. This is $14 billion cheaper than when Phony Stark reluctantly acquired the platform, then called Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022.
“XAI and X’s futures are intertwined. Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent,” Musk wrote in his post on X. “The combined company will deliver smarter, more meaningful experiences to billions of people while staying true to our core mission of seeking truth and advancing knowledge.”
Both companies share resources. xAI’s intelligence models are trained based on the data it gathers from posts from X users. The companies also share engineers and the chatbot Grok.
Social Media Thinks Elon Musk Is Money Laundering
Social media has been very skeptical of this proposed deal. “He sold Twitter/X to himself. This is clearly money laundering in 4K,” one user wrote on X.
Another post read, “how do you sell your own company to your own company.”
“We can tell he’s bored because how do you sell your shit to yourself??” said another post.
Yeah, this deal is sketchy. We shall see how it continues to play out. Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Atlanta rapper Young Scooter was allegedly killed on his birthday, leaving fans and the rap world in shock.
Scooter’s career took off in 2012 when he signed with Future’s Freebandz label. He was one of the first artists Future brought on board, and that move helped him make his mark in the game. His Street Lottery mixtape was a game-changer, dropping bangers that got him noticed and helped him build a dedicated fanbase. He wasn’t just another rapper from Atlanta—he had that gritty, real-talk style that resonated with people from the streets.
Over the years, Scooter dropped projects like The Game’s Omen and Juggathon, staying consistent with hard-hitting tracks and dope features. He worked with artists like Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, and of course, Future, building his rep as one of the realest to do it. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the ATL legend;s family and friends.
More news to come as the story develops.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
We are sad to report that ATL rapper Young Scooter reportedly died today (Mar. 28) as he celebrated his 39th birthday.
WSB-TV reports that Atlanta PD responded to the shooting near the intersection of Luckie Street NW and Mills Street NW, blocks away from State Farm Arena, where the NCAA College Basketball tournament is taking place.
The shooting occurred around 6:45 pm. Scooter was rushed to the hospital, where police confirmed that he died from his injuries.
Fellow ATL rappers Playboi Carti and Ralo paid tribute to Scooter on social media.
Raised in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood, Scooter (real name Kenneth Bailey) was among the first artists to sign with Future’s Freebandz imprint in 2012. One year later, he jointly signed with Waka Flocka Flame’s Brick Squad Monopoly.
He first gained notable recognition with his Street Lottery mixtape (2012), led by the single “Colombia.” The track became a regional hit, with rappers Rick Ross, Birdman, and Gucci Mane hopping on the remix.
Scooter would later earn his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with his guest feature on Future and Juice Wrld’s “Jet Lag.” The track peaked at #72 and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
Scooter would go on to release 20 mixtapes within the course of his career, making a lasting impact on Atlanta’s Hip-Hop scene. His contributions to the game will never be forgotten.
This is a developing story.
Check Out Our Throwback Interview With Young Scooter From 2013
REPORT: Young Scooter Shot & Killed In Downtown Atlanta
was originally published on
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