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Now that Donald Trump has decided to accelerate America’s path to a recession and implement unnecessary tariffs on every country and penguin inhabited island outside of Russia (of course), stocks have plummeted for every single sneaker brand as they make all of their merchandise overseas.
According to Complex, the new Trump Tariffs sent Nike stock plunging 13% as both China and Vietnam were hit with huge tariffs and as any sneaker head knows, their favorite grails are made in both the aforementioned countries. Unfortunately this was before China announced retaliatory tariffs in which they clapped back at the U.S. with a 34% tariffs on U.S. imports instead of “negotiating” as the “dealmaker” known as Trump had hoped they’d do.
How this will affect Nike’s stock going forward is anyone’s guess, but already there’s word that Nike will indeed be raising the prices of their sneakers due to the new tariffs and with the kind of 2025 sneaker lineup that dreams are made of (for sneakerheads anyway), one can only wonder if heads will continue to copp or pass on highly-anticipated releases given that we’ll more than likely be in a recession by the middle of the year, if not earlier.
Per Complex:
The plunging stock prices of Nike are a direct response to Trump’s tariffs of 10 percent for all imports taking effect on April 5, with steeper tariffs on imports from select countries being imposed on April 9. For the latter, the higher tariffs include 34 percent on imports from China, 32 percent on imports from Indonesia, and 46 percent on imports from Vietnam. Nike said in an SEC filing last year that factories made roughly 50 percent of its footwear in Vietnam, 27 percent in Indonesia, and 18 percent in China.
Nike isn’t the only sportswear company being affected by the news of the tariffs. Stock prices took a huge tumble for brands like Adidas (16 percent), Crocs (15 percent), On (15 percent), Under Armour (17 percent), and others on Thursday, with percentages expected to fluctuate throughout the day.
Well, at least grocery prices are down, right? Oh wait.
Though there is word that Democratic and Republican congressmen and women are working on a bill to reiterate that only congress has the power to implement tariffs, with the way MAGA Republicans bend to their orange overlord’s every whim and demand, we’re not sure that will actually happen anytime soon.
Get ready to pay an extra $20 to $30 for your favorite Air Jordans going forward as no way Nike is going to eat the cost of Trump’s tariffs. Don’t get us started on $2300 iPhones.
But hey, at least trans men can’t play in women’s sports anymore, right? SMH.
What do y’all think about Trump’s new tariffs? Let us know in the comments section below.
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We’re still a few months away from seeing what James Gunna has in store for us when he kicks off the reboot of his DCU with Superman: Legacy and though there have been rumors about test screenings of the film being everything from amazing to an utter disaster, best believe we’ll be judging for ourselves when Supes fly’s onto the big screen this coming July 11.
Looking to build more anticipation and hype for the film (as if that were necessary), Gunna has released a new teaser for the film which features a better look at Krypto the Superdog who drags a beaten and battered Superman back to his fortress of solitude. After getting diagnosed by his robotic caretakers, we learn that Superman has suffered 14 broken bones, and an array of injuries to multiple organs.
The only question is, which supervillain could have done this? While we know Lex Luger will be the main protagonist in the film (he can’t go toe-to-toe with Supes), there are rumors that Ultraman a.k.a evil Superman will be one of the villains in the film and might actually be played by, wait for it, Henry Cavill! While this would be a mind blowing development if proven true, we’ll have to wait and see if it actually happens as these kinds of rumors are always thrown around in the comic book world.
Check out the latest teaser trailer for Superman: Legacy below and let us know if you’ll be checking for it when it hits theaters this July 11.
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Media personality Wendy Williams has been on the offensive in trying to free herself from guardianship, and her latest move has been to secure the services of Joe Tacopina. Tacopina, a high-profile attorney, confirmed the news on Thursday (April 3) while appearing as a guest on the Banfield program on NewsNation.
“Yes, I am representing her, I’m her personal attorney right now. I will be entering the case one way or another, but it’s a convoluted process…the last thing they want to do is see my face in that courtroom,” Tacopina said, offering a chuckle. He first spoke about her situation while appearing on the 2 Angry Men podcast last month, revealing that she reached out to him about representing her. Tacopina was moved by the plight of Williams after seeing the Tubi documentary Saving Wendy, calling it a “true injustice,” adding that “Murderers have more freedom than Wendy.”
Tacopina has represented numerous celebrities in court, including current President Donald Trump, the late Michael Jackson, and former Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez. He recently represented A$AP Rocky in his trial for assault charges brought against him by former associate A$AP Relli and secured an acquittal for the rapper. The New York-based attorney has been a major figure in the Hip-Hop world, with clients such as Meek Mill, YG, and Swizz Beatz.
Wendy Williams is currently fighting to be released from a conservatorship overseen by Sabrina Morrisey, a court-appointed guardian, which was enacted in 2022. The situation was spurred by the bank Wells Fargo, which holds Williams’ accounts and called for it after questioning excessive spending from the accounts and her health condition. The former television host was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia.
Ginalisa Monterroso, Williams’ health advocate, told People that she initially was for the guardianship to protect her finances, but was unaware of the restrictions she’d face including not being able to travel without permission or to have her own bank account. “She kind of felt like, ‘Hey, I have the court,” Monerroso said. “They’re going to sign me a money person. I’m going to be good.’ In no way did she think that our whole life was going to be taken away from her.” Williams’ supporters held a protest in front of the assisted living facility she has been staying at in Hudson Yards on Tuesday (April 1).
Scooter Braun and Jermaine Dupri are together again.
On Monday (April 7), HYBE America, where Braun serves as CEO, announced it had struck a distribution partnership with Dupri’s legendary So So Def Recordings, serving as a full-circle moment for both music executives.
“Everything I learned about the music business started with Jermaine,” said Braun in a statement. “He gave me my first shot when I was just a kid with a dream. I was blessed to witness genius up close — and now, years later, it’s an honor to return to where it all began and stand beside him as a partner.”
Braun’s legendary career started when he was a 19-year-old club promoter working under Dupri’s tutelage. In the years since, he has risen to become one of the biggest names in the music business, previously managing A-list artists like Justin Bieber, Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ariana Grande.
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The deal will give So So Def full access to HYBE America’s marketing infrastructure, allowing the label to expand its artists’ global reach.
As one of the biggest powerhouse labels of the ’90s and early 2000s, So So Def’s roster has included superstars like Usher, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. It also recently launched rising star Muni Long.
“Jermaine Dupri isn’t just a legend — he’s one of the greatest producers and executives of all time,” Braun continued. “He changed the sound of a generation. This deal is about giving him the modern tools and reach his legacy deserves, and making sure the next generation hears what the last one already knows: Jermaine Dupri is a giant.”
Dupri echoed this sentiment in his own statement. “This isn’t just a business move — this is family,” he said. “Watching Scooter build what he has built has made me incredibly proud. He learned the game inside So So Def, and now he’s in a position to open doors the way I once opened them for him. That’s what legacy is about.”
So So Def and HYBE America will begin rolling out new music in the coming months.
One of the oddest couples in music was back at it over the weekend when Carrie Underwood hopped up on stage with her old pals in Papa Roach during the band’s show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday (April 5) in Las Vegas. With PR singer Jacoby Shaddix setting up the iconic refrain […]
Like gladiators entering the arena, 62 aspiring American Idol contestants survived the first round of Hollywood Week only to run into the buzzsaw of Sunday night’s (April 6) Showstopper rounds. Performing live for the first time in front of an audience at the Orpheum Theatre, as judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie worked to trim 38 aspiring stars from the roster, the singers had to turn things up a notch to make the cut.
In the end four made the first cut.
Gabby Samone wowed the room with her passionate, jazzy cover of Nina Simone’s “Four Women,” which showed off her towering range and emotional maturity on the powerful 1966 anthem that tracks four Black women’s journey from slavery to the present. “My skin is black/ My arms are long/ My hair is wooly/ My back is strong,” Samone sang over subtle piano accompaniment before climbing into a crystal-clear high note that had Richie up on his feet in amazement.
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The youngest singer in the competition, Eagleville, TN’s Mattie Pruitt, has rolled through the competition so far despite saying in her opening package that she sometimes has had trouble finding her place in a family with 12 siblings. Though feelings of self-doubt continue to creep in — “I’m not pretty enough, I’m not good at singing” — the high schooler said the Idol stage is the first time she’s felt truly comfortable in her skin.
She proved she belongs in the mix with a cover of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World,” making the 1966 soul classic her own by slowing it down to a funky stroll and luxuriating in the notes like a seasoned pro used to having crowds in the palm of her hand.
Another early favorite, 17-year-old aspiring preacher Canaan James Hill, also proved that age ain’t nothin’ but a number with his roof-raising cover of Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It.” The teen poured some Al Green grit on the gospel great’s 2007 ballad, again inspiring Richie to hop up and testify to some powerful vocals. “Go on man, go on do what you gotta do!” Richie said, shaking his head in wonder, with Bryan saying “he is one of the best singers I have ever seen!”
The last of the four to make it through was Zaylie Windsor, who squeaked by in an earlier round, only to prove that she’d definitely earned her spot with a mesmerizing cover of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever.” The Radiohead-like acoustic take featured Windsor’s emotional vocals, climbing from a near whisper to a roar, filling the theater with ecstatic joy as she wailed the final notes. “Welcome to the Zaylie show!” Underwood said afterwards.
While those four made the cut and will go to the top 24, Jmarie, Will Carter, Santina Madden, Isaiah Moore, Samantha Ray and Jazzy Mae were sent home and the remaining 42 singers will have to fight it out on Monday night (April 7) in head-to-head rounds; that round airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Check out the four performances below.
PinkPantheress has shared new details about her upcoming mixtape Fancy That, which is due for release on May 9.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday (April 6), the Bath-born musician confirmed the nine songs that would feature on the tracklist, including her recent single “Tonight.” Last month, she teased the May 9 release date in a cryptic Instagram post.
Responding to a fan who wrote “now PinkPantheress has to release Romeo,” in reference to a song first teased on her TikTok in April 2024, Pink replied “posting da tracklist early just to let you all know that it’s track NINE”. See the full tracklist to Fancy That below.
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Last week, PinkPantheress shared a first taste of the club-focused mixtape with “Tonight” and its regency era-inspired music video directed by Charlotte Rutherford. The song was the U.K. musician’s first solo release of 2025, and followed a team-up with Shygirl on the latter’s Club Shy Room 2 EP on the song “True Religion.”
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Speaking to Mixmag, the songwriter and producer revealed that the mixtape was influenced by the music of Fatboy Slim and Groove Armada, saying she specifically liked “the size of the music”. She added, “All the music sounds so big and grand and present, and I really wanted to make music where it sounds like a statement is being made with the songs. I feel like that was what appealed to me, and it’s something that I wanted to take on board.”
Fancy That will be her first full release since 2023 debut album Heaven Knows, which hit No. 28 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, and No. 61 on the Billboard 200.
In 2024, she collected the producer of the year prize at the Billboard Women In Music ceremony, and discussed her journey to the award: “As a woman of color in electronic music, specifically two-step, drum and bass, it’s taken a lot for the genre to be recognized on a wider scale. A lot of people didn’t expect me to look the way I did making the music I was making. And nobody, even now, people don’t want to take my music seriously, but I’m just happy that I have the opportunity to be recognized.”
PinkPantheress’ Fancy That Mixtape Tracklist:
1. “Illegal”2. “Girl Like Me”3. “Tonight”4. “Stars”5. “Intermission”6. “Noises”7. “Nice To Know You”8. “Stateside”9. “Romeo”
A couple is ready to “take it the next level” after a nice date in the “Making Love” sketch that aired on SNL Saturday night (April 5). Silk pajama-clad lovers-to-be (Jack Black and Sarah Sherman) turn the night into a musical performance, with a little help from Bowen Yang and Brandi Carlile — and with all four of them flying.
Black, the host of Saturday Night Live‘s latest episode, and Sherman are lifted up as they sing (and making swimming motions in the air).
“First we do things to me for a while,” Black sings, “and then we do things to you for not that long.”
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They try to incorporate some dirty talk, and get the champagne flowing — right into Sherman’s eyeballs.
“That was so romantic,” Sherman musters, to which Black agrees: “For me as well.” Together, they harmonize: “Because we’re making love.“
“Then without even saying a word, we both know it’s time to bring in a third,” they sing.
“Hello, I’m here to fix your problems,” croons Yang, who appears out of nowhere. “And this will definitely end well.”
Spoiler: Black panics, feels weird for inviting a guy from work to join them, and decides the way to make things all right and “dandy” is “to bring in a fourth … and the fourth is Brandi.”
Watch the “Making Love” sketch below to hear the always-cool Carlile croon her words of wisdom while mid-air.
Elsewhere on Saturday night’s show, the singer-songwriter fulfilled her duties as musical guest with Elton John, performing “Little Richard’s Bible” and “Who Believes in Angels?” from their new album released this week. Carlile and John’s collaborative project, Who Believes in Angels?, was released on Friday (April 4).
Dave Allen, who played bass guitar during influential British post-punk band Gang of Four’s early years — and who went on to found the group Shriekback — has died. He was 69.
Allen’s former Gang of Four bandmate Hugo Burnham shared the news of his passing on Sunday (April 6).
“It is with broken yet full hearts that we share the news that Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend, and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning,” Burnham wrote on Gang of Four’s Instagram, where the band featured several photos in a tribute to Allen. “He was at home with his family.”
“Dave had endured the early-onset of mixed dementia for some years which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children, and close friends. Our love and thoughts are with them,” he stated.The note continued: “Jon and I [Hugo] went to see him and spent a lovely afternoon with him and the family. We talked and laughed for hours, sharing rich and vivid memories of good times together. Adventures, careers in music, raising families, our interwoven lives spanning half a century. We’ve been so very lucky to have had the Ace of Bass in our lives. We know that Dave would have wanted nothing more than to step onstage with us again in Portland on our farewell US tour. But it’s now a bridge too far. Goodbye, Old Friend.”
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After joining Gang of Four with Burnham, Jon King and Andy Gill in Leeds in 1976, Allen made his mark as bassist on the band’s debut album, 1979’s Entertainment!, and their follow-up set, 1981’s Solid Gold. While neither were chart successes in the U.S., Gang of Four’s early work influenced the likes of Michael Stipe, Flea and Kurt Cobain, who included Entertainment! on his top 50 albums list (as published in the posthumous Journals).
In 1981, Allen formed Shriekback with Barry Andrews (XTC, The League of Gentlemen), and went on to record a number of albums with the group.
Allen rejoined Gang of Four for a reunion with the core lineup in the mid-’00s. He also performed with bands including The Elastic Purejoy and Low Pop Suicide.
Gang of Four bandmate Gill, the group’s founding guitarist, died in 2020.
Allen’s experience in the music industry went beyond the recording studio and stage. Most recently he co-founded and served as director of music relations at DinWorkshop, a consultancy, design studio and lab built to create alongside musicians.
Previously he held positions in artist relations and artist advocacy at Apple Music and Beats Music, was business development director in consumer digital audio services at Intel, and in the late ’90s was general manager at eMusic. Allen was a speaker and panelist on digital strategy, music and technology at SXSW, CMJ, SF Music Tech and more throughout his career.
The 2025 Tribeca Festival will kick off with the world premiere of Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a two-part documentary on Billy Joel featuring unreleased performances, home movies, personal photographs and in-depth, one-on-one interviews. The film, an HBO original, is described as “an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting,” according to an official announcement from Tribeca.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes will have its premiere at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 4, 2025, the first night of this year’s Tribeca Festival.
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Running from June 4-15 in NYC, the fest’s full lineup — featuring film, music, TV, audio storytelling, talks, games and immersive programming — is expected to be revealed soon.
“For nearly 25 years, the Tribeca Festival has celebrated the artists who give New York its heart and soul, and on the opening night of the 2025 Festival, we are thrilled to honor Billy Joel — an artist who has embodied that very spirit,” says Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Festival and Tribeca Enterprises. “Paying tribute to the legendary performer who captured the essence of a ‘New York State of Mind’ is a perfect way to kick off this year’s celebration of creativity and inspiration.”
Susan Lacy, director and producer of the documentary, says, “I and my co-director, Jessica Levin, couldn’t be more thrilled about our film Billy Joel: And So It Goes opening the esteemed Tribeca Festival. Our thanks go out to Jane Rosenthal and the Festival team and to HBO and the wonderful folks there who have supported us throughout in our efforts to bring an in-depth, honest and musically expressive portrait of this complex talent. We are beyond appreciative of Billy Joel’s trust in us to bring his story to the screen. There is no better place for this film to premiere than at the Beacon Theater, the venue for so many historic musical events for decades, and in the city so important to Billy Joel.”
Tribeca memberships and 2025 Tribeca Festival passes and ticket packages can be purchased at tribecafilm.com. Single tickets go on sale on April 29.
Ahead of the Tribeca announcement, the film and plans for its HBO release were first confirmed in late March. Following its festival premiere, Billy Joel: And So It Goes will debut on HBO and be available to stream on MAX some time this summer. A release date has yet to be announced.
Joel will also return to the stage this summer. Last month he postponed his tour in order to recover and undergo physical therapy following an undisclosed surgery, announcing that he will resume performing in July.