State Champ Radio Blog
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A program promoted by President Donald Trump selling exclusive visas to give “very high-level people” a path to American citizenship is being brought to life. According to reports, engineers with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are working on the special immigration cards, nicknamed “gold cards.” The price of these visas is estimated at $5 million.The engineers are working in concert with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to create an application process and a website for those interested. Trump and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick voiced the idea in February, and Lutnick expounded on it during a podcast appearance last month. “So if you have a gold card — which used to be a green card — you’re a permanent resident of America,” he said, not explicitly saying that they would be full citizens. “They pay $5 million, and they have the right to be an American and the right to be in America as long as they’re good people and they’re vetted and they can’t break the law.” Lutnick claimed that he sold “1,000” of the visas, but a source close to the project said they’re not ready for monetary transactions yet.
According to CNBC, there’s another enticing element to the gold visa – a carve out that means that those who obtain one wouldn’t be required to pay taxes on their overseas income. Notably, the new program would make the U.S. among the most expensive in the world, with Singapore and New Zealand as the top two.
Trump and Lutnick said that this program would replace the current EB-5 visa granting green cards to foreign nationals investing $800,000 to a little over a million dollars in American business. That program brought in an estimated $4 billion for the economy last year. The project is being led by Marko Elez and Edward Coristine, two members of Musk’s DOGE team. Both have been embroiled in heavy controversy over their backgrounds. Corisitine, who is publicly referred to as “Big Balls,” had been fired from an Arizona tech company after “an internal investigation into the leaking of proprietary company information that coincided with his tenure.” Elez was fired after he was linked to an anonymous account on X, formerly Twitter, that posted heavily racist remarks and promoted immigration based on eugenics. He was rehired at the behest of Vice President JD Vance and Trump.
It’s time to drop the needle on another Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business. There’s been a fair share of news this week, so let’s get cracking.
Sony Music Entertainment named Kevin Foo as managing director for Southeast Asia, overseeing operations in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, effective immediately. Based in Singapore, Foo will lead efforts to expand SME’s presence in these rapidly growing music markets, focusing on artist development and audience engagement. He will report to Shridhar Subramaniam, president of Asia and Middle East, and manage a squad including general managers and a vp of international marketing for Southeast Asia. Foo brings a strong track record, having previously served as MD of RCA Records Greater China and GM of SME Taiwan. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he led a cross-border collaboration supporting Taiwanese artist Eric Chou’s charity initiative. Prior to joining the Sony family in 2022, Foo co-founded Umami Records, ran Beep Studios, managed artists through Foundation Music, and did some consulting for UMG. His appointment signals SME’s commitment to growth of local genres like P-pop and T-pop. “Kevin has a unique ability to connect artists, markets, and audiences in ways that drive both commercial and cultural impact,” said Subramaniam. “His deep understanding of the region, coupled with his passion for artist development, makes him an ideal leader to shape the next phase of our Southeast Asia strategy.”
Island Records elevated Matt Palazzolo from vp to senior vp and head of analytics at the UMG imprint. Based in New York, he’ll report directly to co-chairmen and CEOs Imran Majid and Justin Eshak. In his new role, Palazzolo will continue to enhance the label’s data capabilities and provide action-oriented insights to the organization, management partners and artists. Since joining Island in 2022 after a lengthy stint at Sony Music Publishing, Palazzolo and his team have excelled in using insights to support artist development. Eshak praised Palazzolo as “key to our culture of learning” at the label, adding, “he also has a real understanding of music and culture that’s indispensable to the delicate process of combining art and analytics.” Majid emphasized Palazzolo’s skill in integrating analytics into the label’s “DNA… He has an incredible ability to attune to what each department is doing and add value by way of his intensive and comprehensive research.”
Trending on Billboard
Big Machine Label Group hired Chris Koon as executive vice president of finance. Koon will report directly to BMLG president Andrew Kautz and HYBE America CFO Eric Holden. Koon has over three decades of financial experience across recorded music, distribution and publishing operations, holding financial leadership positions at Universal Music Group/Capitol CMG, managing business acquisitions and integrations. –Jessica Nicholson
Marc Eckō
Complex founder Marc Eckō is returning as chief creative and innovation officer, overseeing creative strategy and integrating technologies like artificial intelligence to boost audience engagement. Eckō founded Complex magazine in 2002, transforming how youth culture and streetwear are covered in media. Before Complex, he pioneered Eckō UNLTD., blending music and design. Complex, acquired by NTWRK in 2024 with strategic investment from UMG, Jimmy Iovine, Goldman Sachs and Main Street advisors, has expanded into e-commerce, revived its print magazine, and globally expanded ComplexCon. Additionally, Ray Elias joined as chief marketing officer, leading brand, growth and communications. Elias, with over 25 years of experience, has held pivotal roles at high-growth startups and market-leading brands, including CMO at HotelTonight and StubHub, driving significant business growth and industry disruption.
Smith Entertainment Law Group (SELG), known for its expertise in production counsel for awards shows, series, films, documentaries, and live events, named Lynn Elliot, Esq. as senior counsel. Based in NYC, Elliot brings extensive experience in film, television, music, live events, and new media, having worked on projects like Precious, Alive Inside, and The Rachel Zoe Project. Her clients include producers, writers, directors, musicians, and event promoters. Previously, she served as Associate General Counsel at Dayglo Presents, handling legal matters for ventures like Brooklyn Bowl and Relix Magazine. At SELG, Elliot will lead deal structuring, risk assessment, employment transactions, and business operations support. With a background in film, TV writing, and clinical psychology, she offers a unique blend of creative and legal insight. Kerry Smith, founder and managing partner of SELG, praised Elliot’s breadth of experience and noted “her passion for supporting creative visionaries will further elevate the comprehensive services we offer to our clients.”
Warner Music Nashville promoted Katherine Firsching to director of commercial partnerships and Blair Poirier to manager of commercial partnerships. Both will report to Kristen Williams, svp of radio and commercial partnerships. Firsching, who joined WMG in 2020 as an interactive marketing coordinator, later became manager of video strategy. Poirier joined WMG in 2022 as commercial partnerships coordinator after working at Pierce Public Relations. Williams praised Firsching’s ability to build relationships with partners and artists, highlighting her “driving spirit to learn and win,” while commending Poirier’s skills in DSP account management and her ability to manage workloads “while also building fantastic relationships with our premiere DSP accounts.” They can be reached at katherine.firsching@wmg.com and/or blair.poirier@wmg.com.
Berklee appointed Edward J. Lewis III as senior vp of institutional advancement, effective May 15, a role in which he’ll work with Berklee’s top leadership to drive global fundraising and engagement initiatives. Lewis brings over 20 years of experience in higher education and the performing arts, with expertise in fundraising and strategic planning. Previously, Lewis was president and CEO of the Caramoor Center for music and the arts, where he launched its first major gifts program and advanced diversity and inclusion efforts. As vice chancellor for advancement at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he led a $75 million fundraising campaign and doubled the school’s endowment. A professional violist, Lewis also held development roles at the University of Maryland. “[Lewis’] extensive leadership and fundraising expertise, coupled with his community-focused approach, will help us realize our ambitious institutional advancement priorities across our campuses,” said president Jim Lucchese.
5B Artist Management announced internal promotions and the launch of its new creative and marketing agency, Pink Motel. Brad Fuhrman has been promoted to senior vp, managing artists like Lamb of God, BABYMETAL and Stone Sour. Lindsey Medina joins as senior manager of business development, bringing experience from Danny Wimmer Presents and Live Nation. In the UK, Adam Foster has been promoted to general manager, working with acts such as Behemoth and Slaughter to Prevail. Pink Motel, led by Stephen Reeder and Audrey Flynn, will focus on music marketing, brand campaigns and digital strategy. The agency already partners with top clients including Sony, BMG and Live Nation, while Reeder and Flynn continue their roles at 5B.
Jay Ahmed has been promoted to head of promotions at London-based promo agency Your Army, where he’ll lead the DJ, UK Radio, international radio and third party playlist departments. Having joined the company seven years ago as a national radio plugger, Ahmed has played a key role in successful campaigns for artists like BICEP, Barry Can’t Swim, Sub Focus, A Little Sound, salute, LF SYSTEM and KILIMANJARO. In his new position, he will oversee all promotional operations, develop global strategies and strengthen ties with media, artist management and label partners. Ahmed expressed gratitude for the opportunity and praised the Your Army team and artist roster, stating his excitement for what lies ahead in his expanded role.
ICYMI:
Armin Zerza
EMPIRE Publishing appointed producer !llmind as senior vp of A&R. Additionally, Al “Butter” McLean was elevated to executive vp of global creative, continuing to co-lead EP with Vinny Kumar … Opry Entertainment Group named Tim Jorgensen as vp of operations for its Austin team, overseeing ACL Live, 3TEN and W Austin … Warner Music Group hired Armin Zerza as evp and chief financial officer, effective May 5, bringing extensive leadership experience from his previous role as CFO of Activision Blizzard. [Keep Reading]
Last Week’s Turntable: Orchard Veteran Breaks Out on His Own
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Another day another cup of tea out of the kitchen of Cardi B who is now accusing Offset of cheating on her during their marriage with Moneybagg Yo’s girlfriend, Ari Fletcher.
Earlier this week, online blogger 1goatalexis leaked some DMs that apparently shows Ari having a text exchange with someone saying “Coming to a woman as a woman or telling on a woman to her man gotta be top 2 corniest most miserable b*tches alive!”
Adding some of her own context to the screenshot 1goatalexis wrote “I kept it p, I ain’t tell the world she was talking about Cardi. I didn’t tell the world how she called Bagg tryna tell on Ari because of Offset.”
The second screenshot is apparently a DM from Cardi in which she states “Why you saying that I f*cked offset this weekend? Like b*tch idgaf who you support – lying on my pussy is crazy and he have not f*cked me neither,” she wrote. “Y’all truly gotta leave me the f*ck alone. We both move on. Tell him to tell you how he was f*cking Ari while we was together but yet I’m wrong from moving on huh? Leave me the f*ck alone!!!”
We swear it’s always something with these two. We wouldn’t be surprised if they’re twin flames destined to repeat this kind of drama in every single lifetime or something.
While their relationship has been toxic to say the least for the past few years, recently Offset said he was “happy” for Cardi B as she continues to step out with NFL star, Stefon Diggs.
Well, at least he’s putting on a good front if anything. While we don’t know if Offset is truly happy that his ex-wife is officially moving on with an NFL star, we do know that this won’t be the last cup of hot tea that we get out of this drama. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think about this latest twist in the soap opera that is the days of Cardi B and Offset’s lives? Let us know in the comments section below.
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After years of waiting, Lil Wayne is officially back with Tha Carter 6, and he just dropped the feature list.
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The album is set to release on June 6th, marking the first installment in the legendary Carter series since 2018’s Tha Carter V. That album gave us unforgettable tracks like “Uproar,” the wild collab “Mona Lisa” with the ops Kendrick Lamar, and the introspective “Let It All Work Out,” a song that still lives rent-free on social media timelines to this day.
Since then, Weezy hasn’t exactly gone quiet. He’s kept his day-one fans fed by re-releasing one of his classic mixtapes No Ceilings on all streaming platforms. Which is a major win for those who’ve been running it back since the DatPiff days.
Now, with Tha Carter 6 around the corner, the feature list has the streets buzzing. This time around, Wayne is flipping the script with an unexpected but stacked lineup of guests on his next LP, including Miley Cyrus, U2’s Bono, and opera singer Andrea Bocelli. The New Orleans rapper is also bringing in Machine Gun Kelly, dancehall legend Elephant Man, and even his 15-year-old son Kameron, making this one of his most diverse projects yet.
Wayne’s about to prove once again why he’s in a lane of his own. June 6th can’t come fast enough. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a new listener, Tha Carter 6 is shaping up to be a moment.
I’m not trying to force my truth on anyone,” Little Simz says firmly. “But I do need to talk about it, for me.”
She’s referring to the shocking dissolution of one of her dearest friendships, which has played out publicly throughout the year. Four months after filing a lawsuit against longtime studio collaborator Dean “Inflo” Cover for allegedly failing to repay a 1.7 million pound loan (roughly $2.2 million), Simz is ready to lift the veil on her side of the implosion. Lotus, out June 6, is her reclamation manifesto — a sonic rendering about ownership of her story, music and confidence.
In the two-and-a-half years since No Thank You, Simz’ fifth studio album and follow-up to 2021’s career-changing Sometimes I Might Be Introvert — which won the 2022 Mercury Prize and scored Simz her first top five entry on the Official U.K. Albums chart — she comfortably settled in among U.K. hip-hop heavyweights, performing at the BAFTA Awards and the Glastonbury festival.
Since launching her career in 2015, Simz had worked closely with Grammy Award-nominated producer Inflo and his wife, acclaimed R&B singer Cleo Sol, frequently joining the couple for collaborations under their Sault moniker. Simz and Inflo met at St. Mary’s Youth Club as children, and the two went on to conquer the U.K. music industry in the years that followed, with Inflo producing three of her albums.
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But in December 2023, according to legal filings, Simz allegedly fronted over $1 million to launch Sault’s first and only live show, during which Inflo and Sol were joined by Simz and Grammy-nominated artist Michael Kiwanuka. But when the debt left her unable to pay her tax liability the next month, according to her filing, something broke inside the rapper.
“I got to a point where I lost my sense of purpose,” she says, carefully choosing her words. “I’m quite an introspective person, especially when it comes to my music. But this time around, it felt harder. Making this album felt like a real breakthrough. I was led by God, my inner child and the Simz that was coming up and had this fire in her belly.”
Lotus — which Simz introduced with the Miles Clinton James-helmed track “Flood” in February — peruses the full spectrum of her emotions throughout her journey to rebuild after one of her closest relationships ended. And on the rambunctious, bluesy album opener, which has yet to be released, she spits: “I’m lucky that I got out now, it’s a shame I really feel sorry for your wife … This person I’ve known my whole life, coming like a devil in disguise.” The song is downright irate — her intonation has rarely been this ferocious — and Simz understood that it was a gamble. “I was really frustrated and hurt, and I wanted to scream,” she says. “But it’s tricky starting off on that foot sometimes.”
To temper the album’s unrelenting moments, Simz explores other relationship dynamics. On one conversational track that feels like a leaked private phone call, she weighs the impact of work and celebrity on family; on a more uptempo cut, she lists the ways her understanding of love has evolved. With more guest stars than any of her previous projects, none of whom she’s ready to reveal, there are a lot of voices on the album, but Simz undoubtedly remains at the center.
Lotus, which she says sources its title from “one of the only flowers that thrive in muddy waters,” prioritizes Simz’ catharsis, but that’s not the only reason it’s such a hard-fought achievement. She tried to complete four other albums since the 2022 release of No Thank You, all to no avail.
“They were great, but it’s more the situation of who I made them with,” she says somewhat wistfully. “In letting go of that relationship, I had to let go of that music… It’s like having a kid with someone; you might split with the person, but you don’t just stop loving the kid.”
Even if those albums are never released, Simz has plenty on the horizon. She will curate London’s Meltdown Festival, taking place June 12-22, which will include her first orchestra-backed live performance. The 11-day undertaking will further cement Simz’ U.K. superstardom, while her U.S. crossover is still taking hold. (Last year, she made her Billboard Hot 100 debut thanks to her feature on Coldplay’s “We Pray,” which hit No. 87.)
Could Lotus be the album to land that jump? Now that Simz has finally regained the confidence to narrate her own story, it very well could be. “I feel like it’s growing slowly but surely,” she says, “and I feel really honored to be a voice from the U.K. that people are taking to.”
This story appears in the April 19, 2025, issue of Billboard.
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Sinners, a new film from director Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan in a lead role, was released to the wider public this week, and the early returns are in. On X, many are praising Coogler and Jordan for delivering a wild, western movie-inspired vampire romp.
Sinners takes place in the 1930s in the Southern United States and features Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore. Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Buddy Guy, Saul Williams, and Omar Benson Miller also star in the film.
The plot follows the Moore brothers as they return home to Mississippi after living in Chicago, attempting to change their former ways. The brothers, realizing the North was just as racist as the South, steal money from some Chicago gangsters and head back home to open up a juke joint. However, arriving back home, they encounter a growing evil in the form of vampires in their hometown.
Jordan has received kudos for pulling double duty as Smoke and Stack. The film also touches on some of the racial tension of the times with Hailee Steinfeld playing the role of Stack’s love interest, Mary, who is passing for a white woman despite being part Black. Also, there is heavy emphasis on music in the film, in particular the Blues, and how it plays into the overall narrative is cleverly done.
On X, fans, including LeBron James and LeVar Burton, are saying that Sinners delivers the big-screen thrills, stating that Ryan Coogler has yet again delivered some movie magic. Of course, there are requisite criticisms, and we’ll try to share comments from all sides below.
Sinners is in theaters now. Learn more here.
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Photo: Sony Classical / Sony Masterworks / Sinners Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Billboard, Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical teamed up with comedian/musical improviser Reggie Watts to hit the roads of Palm Springs with the sickest show seen in the desert, “MuSick: Live from Reggie Watts’ Couch.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news On Saturday afternoon, April 12, amid […]
Stevie Nicks is working on her first new solo album in 14 years. The legendary Fleetwood Mac singer and solo star shared the news during her induction into the Pollstar Hall of Fame on Wednesday (April 16). “I’m actually making a record right now,” Nicks said in her induction speech.
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“I call it the ghost record. It just really kinda happened in the last couple of weeks because of, you know, the fires,” she said in seeming reference to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year, during which she was displaced. “I was sitting in a hotel for 92 days, and at some point during that last part of the 92 days, I said, ‘You know what? I feel like I’m on the road, but there’s no shows. I’m just sitting here by myself because everybody else is at the house, doing all the remediations and everything, and it’s just me, sitting here.’ And I thought, ‘You need to go back to work.’ And I did.”
Nicks, who was inducted by longtime friend and former producer Jimmy Iovine, said she’s already written seven songs for the album, a follow-up to her seventh solo LP, 2011’s In Your Dreams. She described them as “autobiographical, real stories where I’m not pulling any punches for probably the first time in my life. They are not airy-fairy songs that you are wondering who they’re about but you don’t really get it. They’re real stories of memories of mine, of fantastic men!”
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Nicks, 76, recently announced a run of summer and fall solo shows she’ll embark on in between stadium gigs with old friend Billy Joel. The tour will kick off on Aug. 12 in Boston and include shows in Toronto, Saint Paul, MN, Cincinnati, Columbus, Tampa, Phoenix and Las Vegas before winding down in Oklahoma City on Oct. 15.
The news about new music comes seven months after Nicks dropped the moving single “The Lighthouse,” a women’s empowerment anthem inspired by the Supreme Court’s overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.
Watch Nicks discuss the album below.
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe are teaming up for a hard rock destination festival in Riviera Maya, Mexico this winter. The legendary hard rock groups will set up shop from November 7-9 for the Rock the Tides fest, which will also include sets from Poison singer and solo performer Bret Michaels, Extreme, the Struts, Buckcherry, […]
The New Pornographers have “immediately” severed ties with drummer Joe Seiders after the longtime member of the rock collective was arrested in Palm Desert, CA for possession of child pornography.
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According to a press release from the Riverside Sheriff’s office, Seiders was arrested after officers were dispatched to investigate a report of suspicious activity on April 7 at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant, where an 11-year-old boy told officers that an unknown man had recorded him on a cell phone while he was using the bathroom. Two days later, police said an employee at the same restaurant reported that the man was seen entering and exiting the restroom with juvenile males.
“Believing the male was the suspect from the previous incident, law enforcement was contacted. Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Joseph Seiders of Palm Desert, and took him into custody,” read the release. After an investigation, officers served search warrants on Seiders’ residence, vehicle and cell phone, where they reportedly found evidence implicating Seiders in both incidents and “additional crimes,” which they said included possessing child pornography.
Seiders was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, CA for possession of child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy, and attempted invasion of privacy. At press time a spokesperson for the band had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional information on the incident.
In a statement on Instagram, the band wrote, “Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders — and we have immediately severed all ties with him. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions.”
Seiders joined the Canadian indie power pop supergroup — which formed in Vancouver in 1997 — in 2014, joining charter members singer Neko Case, singer/guitarist Carl Newman and bassist John Collins. He appeared on their 2017 album Whiteout Conditions, as well as 2019’s In the Morse Code of Brake Lights and 2023’s Continue as a Guest, as well as their recent single “Ballad of the Last Payphone.” The drummer is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility with bail set at $1 million and is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on Tuesday (April 22).
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
