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Wiz Khalifa emerged as one of the brightest stars of the so-called Blog Era and now he’s a seasoned veteran with two dozen mixtape projects, seven studio albums, and a handful of EPs. Fans of the Pittsburgh stoner can rejoice after Wiz Khalifa teased a release for his highly anticipated Kush & Orange Juice mixtape.
Released in 2010, Wiz Khalifa made a huge splash with the Kush & Orange Juice mixtape, introducing the masses to his laidback delivery, bombastic hooks, and overall cool image. His last project, Wiz Owens, was framed as a mixtape project and reunited him with “Black & Yellow” producer Sledgren along with features from Sosamann, Young Deji, and 24hrs.
Young Khalifa has already dropped a quartet of tracks from Kush & Orange Juice 2, including the tracks, “Hit It Once,” “Bring Your Lungs” featuring fellow chiefing rapper Smoke DZA, Hide It featuring Don Tolliver, and “Khalifa’s Home.”
Although it’s been rumored online that Wiz Khalifa will drop Kush & Orange Juice 2 ahead on the weekend of 420, we scoured his social media pages for confirmation and came up empty. That said, we’re hoping that it does come soon as it’s been 15 years since that last drop.
The industrious rapper and businessman also just released his branded line of rolling papers via his Khalifa Kush brand. Learn more about the rolling papers here.
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The Podcast Academy, the professional podcast organization, has announced the nominees for its fifth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). Hosted by comedian Tig Notaro, the Ambies will take place on Monday, March 31 at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. The ceremony will be livestreamed by Twitch from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CT.
The ceremony will highlight 199 nominees across 28 categories with winners to be selected by voting members of The Podcast Academy — in addition to a Governors Award. Eligible new members will be able to vote to determine this year’s winners if applications are submitted by Feb. 20. Go to: www.thepodcastacademy.com/join-the-community.
Jon Stewart, Rainn Wilson and Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Wesley Morris are among the nominees for best podcast host or hosts. Bowen Yang, Jane Lynch and Tisha Campbell are among the nominees for best performance in audio fiction.
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“As we celebrate the fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio, we are excited to announce this year’s nominees, whose work continues to push the boundaries of storytelling and innovation in the audio space,” Christy Mirabal, chairperson of The Podcast Academy, said in a statement. “This milestone year for the Podcast Academy is a reflection of the incredible growth and creativity within the podcasting community.”
“I’m so excited to host The Podcast Academy’s fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio,” exclaimed Notaro. “It’s like being at the Oscars, only it’s celebrating those of us who are good at talking into a microphone while wearing sweatpants in our closets with pillows on our windows. Take that Meryl. And Meryl, while I have your attention, would you be a guest on my podcast?”
Here are the nominees for The 2025 Ambies in categories most relevant to the music and entertainment industry.
Podcast of the year
99% Invisible: Not Built for This
Beyond All Repair
Cement City
Dragon Age: Vows & Vengeance
Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD
Faraway
Fire Escape
Hot White Heist 2
Hysterical
Throughline
Best podcast host or hosts
Diallo Riddle and Blake ‘LUXXURY’ Robin – One Song
Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle – We Can Do Hard Things
Jon Stewart – The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
Rainn Wilson – Radio Rental
Ronald Young Jr. – Weight for It
Sam Sanders – The Sam Sanders Show
Wesley Morris – The Wonder of Stevie
Best original score and music supervision
Dan Leone – Ripple
Daniel Lloyd-Evans, Louis Nanke-Mannell and Toby Matimong – Extrasensory
Deron Johnson – Dungeon Masters
Jonathan Pfarr, Carson Graham and Bobby Mota – Celebrity Pets
Peter Nashel, Ross Hopman, Gio Lobato, Dana Hom, Brad Fischer, Jordan Lieb, Lucas Villemur and Lindsay Dievert – Hammerless: A True Crime Podcast in a Fantasy World
Skyler Gerdeman, Martin Lynabel, Nicholas Alexander, Max O’Brien and Caroline Thornham – Kill List
Stro Elliot and Eric Gersen – Historical Records
Best production and sound design
Casandra Tinajero and Andrés Bahena – Nocturno: Tales From the Shadows
Jeremy S. Bloom – Hot White Heist 2
Kenny Kusiak and George Drabing Hicks – The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi
Michelle Macklem – Girl v. Horse
Realm – Narcosis
Sagafilm and Skybound Entertainment – Impact Winter Season 3
Ted Bonnitt – Hindsight: The Day Before
Best entertainment podcast
Infamous
Lemme Say This
Rattled & Shook
Scamfluencers
Split Screen: Kid Nation
The Road to Joni
The Wonder of Stevie
Best society and culture podcast
Hysterical
In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett
Inheriting
Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong’o
My Divo
Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)
Weight For It
Best podcast for kids
Culture Kids
Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
Historical Records
Mysteries About True Histories
PJ Library Presents: Beyond the Bookcase
Skylar & Bones – Funny Stories for Kids!
Wow in the World
Best Spanish language narrative podcast
¡No Vengan!
Greal: El Secreto de las Ocho Llaves
Hechos Reales
HUMO: Murder and Silence in El Salvador
No quieren que sepas
Pantallas & Mentiras [Screens & Lies]
Pétrea
Best sports podcast
30 for 30 Podcasts
Broomgate
Good Game with Sarah Spain
Pablo Torre Finds Out
Shadowball: The Rise of the Black Athlete
The Raven
The Rich Eisen Show
Best comedy podcast
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Hot White Heist 2
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Scam Goddess
SmartLess
We’re Here to Help
Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? Joanne McNally Investigates
Best indie podcast
Sightings
The Insurgence: Sheriffs
The Man Who Calculated Death
The Nightingale of Iran
The People’s Recorder
The TMI Project Story Hour
What Happened in Skinner
Best indie podcast host or hosts
Dallas Taylor – Twenty Thousand Hertz
Deja Perkins and Purbita Saha – Bring Birds Back
Jill Jonassen – The Cost of Extremism
Kate McCoy and Kevin Corbett – Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
Lisa Phillips – From Now On
Lisa Woolfork – STITCH PLEASE
Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson – 80s TV Ladies
Best interview podcast
American Masters: Creative Spark
Apple News in Conversation
Overlooked: Women’s Health Can’t Wait
Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim
The Assignment with Audie Cornish
The Integrated Schools Podcast
Tomorrow’s Cure
Best performance in audio fiction
Bowen Yang, Cynthia Nixon, Shannon Woodward, Jane Lynch, Jesse James Keitel, Sarah Steele, Ian McKellen, Raul Esparza, Sara Ramírez, Joel Kim Booster, Bianca Del Rio, Cheyenne Jackson, Abbi Jacobson, Stephanie Beatriz, Katya Zamolodchikova, Trixie Mattel, Yvie Oddly, Jane Krakowski, Sandra Oh, and Tony Kushner – Hot White Heist 2
Caitlin Stasey, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, David Yow, Caroline Morahan, Guinevere Turner, Elizabeth Halpern, Travis Harmon, Brad Griffith, James Bacon, Jameson Cush, Jonathan Shockley and Ayla Glass – The Skies Are Watching
Fredi Bernstein, Cody Wilkins and Dana Domenick – The Box
Mikki Hernandez, Toby Meuli, Geri-Nikol Love, Rachel Kylian – Ominous Thrill
Ruth Righi – Winnie Taylor’s 4th & Inches
Sanaa Lathan – The Justice
Tisha Campbell – Snoriezzz
Mexican superstars Maná have made history by being the first Spanish-language act to receive a nomination to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The band, composed of Fher Olvera, Alex González, Sergio Vallín and Juan Calleros, has left an indelible mark on music, not only in Latin America but globally, through their career spanning more than three decades.
Since their formation in Guadalajara, Jalisco, the quartet has captured the hearts and minds of millions with their lyrics full of passion and their sound that mixes rock, pop and pan-Latin rhythms. With this nomination, they celebrate a milestone not just in their career, but for music in Spanish too. (Fans can cast a vote for Maná’s induction into the Hall of Fame here.)
The band made their debut on the Billboard charts in 1994 with their seminal album Dónde Jugarán los Niños, which reached No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Their success continued to grow and, over the years, they have managed to position 10 of their songs at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including classics like “Mariposa Traicionera” and “Labios Compartidos.”
These tracks, along with other timeless hits not on this list — such as “Oye Mi Amor,” “Rayando el Sol” and “Clavado en un Bar” — have solidified the Mexican rockers as one of the most influential bands in Latin music. Although the Hot Latin Songs chart, which started in 1986, is the barometer of success in the Latin market — combining data from radio plays, streaming, and digital sales — their achievements go beyond certifications and accolades. They have connected with a worldwide audience through their philanthropic efforts aimed at social justice and peace.
“We want to share this recognition with all Latinos everywhere, especially the immigrants who are suffering right now,” frontman Fher Olvera said in a statement about their nomination. “Don’t lose faith. Our people always find a way. Maná loves you. We’ll always be here standing with you.”
In honor of their nomination to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Billboard Español has compiled their 10 songs that have topped the chart, in chronological order.
“Mariposa Traicionera”
Image Credit: Bernardo Flores
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Saturday Night Live premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, with host George Carlin, and ever since, the variety show has become a comedy and cultural TV institution over the past 50 years. In fact, the very first episode will re-air on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.
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To celebrate its 50th anniversary, NBC has two events for SNL this weekend. The first is SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, a concert special that features the show’s legacy of musical performances on Friday (Feb. 14). It’s hosted by Jimmy Fallon. The second is SNL50: The Anniversary Special, a TV special that pays tribute to the show and its creator Lorne Michaels on Sunday (Feb. 16).
Old and new cast members, along with a number of celebrities, athletes, politicians, comedians and recording artists, come to Studio 8H in NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City for SNL50: The Anniversary Special.
When Does ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ Start?
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert airs Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. It’s available on NBC and Peacock live.
When Does ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ Start?
SNL50: The Anniversary Special broadcasts live on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The TV special airs on NBC, while it’s also available to stream on Peacock at the same time.
Who Is Performing During ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’?
The concert special SNL50: The Homecoming Concert features a number of recording artists performing throughout the evening. Here’s a complete of performers, below:
Arcade Fire
Backstreet Boys
Bad Bunny
Bonnie Raitt
Brandi Carlile
Brittany Howard
Cher
Chris Martin
Dave Grohl
David Byrne
DEVO
Eddie Vedder
Jack White
Jelly Roll
Lady Gaga
Lauryn Hill
Miley Cyrus
Mumford & Sons
Post Malone
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Robyn
Snoop Dogg
St. Vincent
The B-52s
The Roots
Wyclef Jean
Who Appears on ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’?
Since SNL has been a pop-culture touchpoint over the last 50 years, and SNL50: The Anniversary Special will be a star-studded event with the biggest stars in attendance. Below, you’ll find a list of just a few of the celebrities who will be in appearance.
Adam Driver
Ayo Edebiri
Bad Bunny
Dave Chappelle
John Mulaney
Kim Kardashian
Martin Short
Miley Cyrus
Paul McCartney
Paul Simon
Pedro Pascal
Peyton Manning
Quinta Brunson
Robert De Niro
Sabrina Carpenter
Scarlett Johansson
Steve Martin
Tom Hanks
Woody Harrelson
Where to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ for Free
If you’re a cord-cutter, you have a few ways to watch both SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special online — especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services — such as Hulu + Live TV — also offer a free trial so you can watch NBC for free.
Keep reading for more details on how to watch the TV special with Peacock, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ With Peacock
Both TV specials broadcast on NBC and livestream on Peacock for Premium or Premium Plus subscribers only. If you don’t subscribe to the streaming service, you can get access with a Peacock monthly subscription, which starts at $7.99 per month for the ad-supported plan, or $13.99 per month for the ad-free plan.
And right now, every episode from every season of Saturday Night Live from that past 50 years is streaming on Peacock.
Along with SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special, you can also watch the backlog of SNL starting with season 1 and going all the way through season 50 — that’s a whopping 50 seasons of TV with a subscription to Peacock. In addition, you’ll get access to original programming, such as Love Island USA, Laid, Bel-Air, The Traitors, Poker Face and others; hit movies, including The Wild Robot, Monkey Man, Abigail, The Holdovers, Oppenheimer and others; live sports from NBC Sports; live news from NBC News; and more than 50 streaming channels.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ With DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with NBC for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $74.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as CBS, ABC, Fox, and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ with Fubo
To watch SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special on NBC, Fubo starts at $59.99 for the first month, $84.99 per month afterwards (the streamer’s current deal) with more than 210 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers.
The service even gets you live access to local broadcast networks including Fox, CBS and ABC, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as ESPN, Bravo, CMT, ID, TV Land, VH1, TLC, E!, FS1, MTV, FX, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network and much more.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ With Hulu + Live TV
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special on NBC are available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $82.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one bundle. It also features many other networks, including ABC, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox Sports and more.
Where to Buy SNL50 Funko Pop! Figures Online
For SNL’s 50th anniversary, Funko has dropped limited-edition SNL Pop! figures of some of the most popular characters from the variety show’s 50 years, including Matt Foley (Chris Farley), Gilly (Kristen Wiig), Direct from Domingo (Marcello Hernandez), Debbie Downer (Rachel Dratch) and much more. Figures start at $12 and can be found at Funko.com.
Funko
SNL Pop! Matt Foley
Funko
SNL Pop! Gilly
Funko
SNL Pop! Direct from Domingo
Funko
SNL Pop! GuapLord
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special are both available to watch on NBC via DirecTV Stream or Hulu + Live TV, to stream on Peacock on Friday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 16, respectively.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Destiny’s Child reassembled this week for an important celebration: Kelly Rowland‘s 44th birthday.
In photos posted by Beyoncé on Instagram, Bey and Michelle Williams honored their former bandmate’s big day over a candlelit dinner. In one picture, the ladies — each of them modeling glamorous cocktail dresses — pose together in a row and smile at the camera. In another pic, Rowland looks emotional at the dinner table as the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer beams in the seat next to her, while a third photo shows the two women pulling each other in for a hug.
“Birthday bestie,” Bey captioned the carousel, adding a birthday cake emoji.
The Mea Culpa star turned 44 on Tuesday, and two days later, Rowland wrote on Instagram, “THANK YOU ALL FOR THE BIRTHDAY LOVE, I took it all in and felt overwhelmingly BLESSED and seen by God!”
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“Every person who took the time, to send me B-Day love, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart!!” she added.
The ladies’ reunion comes just a couple of days after Williams shared details about the Destiny’s Child group chat during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. After gushing that the thread’s vibe is “pure, it’s friendship, it’s all of those things,” the Broadway star revealed who in the group is the most talkative — and it’s a toss-up.
“Who’s the most talkative? Surprisingly me,” she said, laughing, before adding: “I don’t know, Kelly, now … Kelly can talk!”
It’s also not the first time the “Bootylicious” women have reunited for the sake of an important birthday. Last year, the trio assembled to celebrate Bey’s mom, Ms. Tina Knowles, and her 70th turn around the sun. The group even sang for the businesswoman, after which Knowles wrote on Instagram, “I just got spoiled to death this weekend! I even got serenaded by Destiny’s Child! How amazing is that?!”
Reggaetón icon Yandel has signed a worldwide publishing administration deal with Warner Chappell Music, the company announced on Thursday (Feb. 13). The hitmaker joins the publishing company after signing a recording deal with Warner Music Latina in September 2023, which marked his first deal with a major label after releasing albums via his own company, […]
After the global success of Boza‘s hit song “Orion,” featuring Elena Rose — which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart and remained on the tally for more than 17 weeks — the Panamanian artist is back with an exciting new musical venture. He has teamed up with Colombian singer Greeicy to release […]
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty / Marlon Wayans
We are positive no one had Marlon Wayans and Soulja Boy beefing with each other on their 2025 bingo cards.
Well, this is interesting. Rapper Soulja Boy and comedian/actor Marlon Wayans were engaged in a back-and-forth on X, formerly Twitter.
We can’t tell you why the feud between the two started. Still, according to XXL, Big Draco was BIG MAD about Wayans clowning him for tapdancing for Donald Trump at the Crypto Ball, one of Felon 47’s many inaugural celebration events.
“Marlon Wayans you a b***h and u not funny shut up ni**a keep selling ur soul and sucking the higher up d**ks,” the rapper said in one of the many now-deleted posts on X.
Wayans eventually saw the post and responded back sharing a photo of man grabbing Soulj Boy from behind with the caption, “I’m sorry, @souljaboy said what now? Lookin’ like you give up anything for some meth.”
“Hey @souljaboy you a grown man and still use the word ‘boy’ in your name,” Marlon added in a follow-up post. “Thats what they were calling you at that event huh? Hey there Boy, can you do that dance for me? I’ll throw u a meme coin f*** outta here slappy…Says the coon who jumped over the moon.”
https://x.com/MarlonWayans/status/1889811811815579912
Of course, Soulja Boy had to clap back, taking things to a violent level.
“You a b***h and I’ll slap the s**t out u,” the “Crank Dat” rapper wrote. “Speak on what u know b***h ni**a trump wasn’t even there it was a bitcoin event b***h ni**a u washed up pu**y…You a 52 year old black man that dressed up like a white b***h. Who really the coon? Broke a*s ni**a.”
The Jokes Got Dark
Things took a twisted turn as the insults got even worse.
“You molested lil boy. Go sit your lil a*s down on some uncle lap and stfu,” Marlon said to the rapper.
“Molested?” Soulja clapped back. “A ni**a ever touch me they gone die I don’t play that gay sh*t u sucked d**k for ur movie roles. I got my sh*t out the mud by myself no help just the internet.”
Soulja Boy took it there, insulting Wayans’ transgender child, and Marlon Wayans proceeded to go all the way in and kept the jokes coming.
https://x.com/MarlonWayans/status/1889786382995910791
You can see more responses and reactions in the gallery below.
1. Lol, damn
5. Never forget
6. Howling
Drake and PartyNextDoor are dropping their joint album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U on Thursday night, and one song title on the recently revealed track list stuck out: The duo named the project’s ninth track “Brian Steel” after the attorney who represented Young Thug during his much-publicized RICO trial. New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli […]
Music streaming company LiveOne saw its revenue drop 6% to $29.4 million in its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, the company announced Thursday (Feb. 13). Revenue in the audio division fell 1% to $27.1 million. The drop led LiveOne’s operating loss to widen to $5.1 million from $800,000 in the prior-year period.
In the nine-month period, LiveOne’s revenue of $95.1 million was up 8.7% from the prior-year period. Operating loss in the period more than doubled, however, to $7.3 million from $3.5 million.
LiveOne, which has both a Slacker-branded music streaming service and numerous business-to-business relationships, ended the quarter with 800,000 Tesla “subscribers” — 475,000 of which are ad-supported. The company used to have preferred status with Tesla, powering the in-auto music streaming app that was free to Tesla owners, but that relationship changed in 2024. Now, LiveOne is no longer free to Tesla owners, although the electric vehicle manufacturer will continue to pay grandfathered LiveOne accounts in perpetuity.
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Now, LiveOne sells discounted packages to Tesla owners. “The conversion opportunity has enormous upside by offering Tesla owners an opportunity to upgrade and have access on all devices at discounted priority pricing,” LiveOne CEO Robert Ellin said in a statement in October. “We’ll drive growth, unlock new revenue streams, own our data, and increase ARPU [average revenue per user].”
But the third-quarter decline caused LiveOne to lower its expectations for the full year. While announcing earnings, the company updated its guidance for full-year revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. LiveOne now expects revenue for the full fiscal year ending March 31 to be $112 million to $120 million, down from $120 million to $135 million. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be $6 million to $10 million compared to previous guidance of $8 million to $15 million.
The revised guidance caused LiveOne shares to fall 18.6% to $0.96 on Thursday. That put LiveOne’s share price 55% below its 52-week high of $2.15.
On Wednesday (Feb. 12), PodcastOne –which LiveOne spun off in 2023 while retaining approximately 72% of its outstanding shares — announced that quarterly revenue increased 22% to $12.7 million and net loss narrowed to $1.6 million from $2.6 million.