genre hiphop
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That Mexican OT might be able to add bullfighter to his resumé. The Texas rapper served as a guest coach at the Ultimate Bullfighters Midnight Bullfight Saturday (May 10) at Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth, Texas, and decided to step into the arena to try his hand at freestyle bullfighting. Armed with just a […]
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura took the witness stand Tuesday (May 13) at the rap mogul’s sex trafficking trial, telling jurors that Combs “controlled a lot of my life” and subjected her to repeated “physical abuse.”
Ventura, an R&B singer who dated Combs for 11 years, is at the very center of the case against him — in which prosecutors say the superstar used his music empire “feed his every desire,” including by forcing Ventura and other women to have sex with male escorts — events allegedly known as “freak offs.”
Just a day after the trial began, Ventura took the witness stand to tell jurors she felt she had no choice but to participate in those sexual encounters — at times because she was in love with Combs and wanted to please him, but also because she feared blackmail, physical violence and other blowback.
“Sean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was career, the way I dressed — everything,” Ventura, visibly pregnant with her third child, testified. “I just didn’t have much say in it at the time.”
Sometimes emotional, Ventura testified that “violent arguments” with Combs “too often” led to “physical abuse” that included him punching, kicking and dragging her. She also offered more details about the freak offs, including that some lasted days: “The freak offs became a job,” she said, “where there wasn’t any space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel like normal again.”
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation aimed at facilitating the elaborate freak offs, in which Combs and others would allegedly ply Ventura and other victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex with escorts while he masturbated. Prosecutors also claim the star and his associates used violence, money and blackmail to keep victims silent and under his control.
It was Ventura’s civil lawsuit, filed in November 2023, that first raised those allegations against Diddy. Her case, which accused the star of rape and years of physical abuse, was quickly settled with a large payment from Combs, but it sparked a flood of additional suits from other alleged victims and set into motion the criminal probe that led to his indictment.
Once one of the music industry’s most powerful men, Combs is formally accused in the case of racketeering conspiracy (a so-called RICO charge), sex trafficking and violating a federal prostitution statute. If convicted on all of the charges, he faces a potential life prison sentence.
The trial, expected to last two months, kicked off Monday (May 12) with opening statements, during which prosecutors told jurors that Combs and his associates used “coercive and criminal” conduct to make the freak offs happen: “For twenty years, the defendant, with the help of his trusted inner circle, committed crime after crime,” prosecutor Emily A. Johnson told the jury. Prosecutors also quickly played a 2016 surveillance video of Combs beating Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel.
When it was their turn, defense attorneys told jurors that Ventura and other victims had consensually taken part in the sex parties. They admitted that Diddy committed domestic violence during “toxic” relationships with the women and that he certainly had unusual sexual preferences, but said those did not amount to racketeering or sex trafficking: “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case,” said defense attorney Teny Geragos.
Following Tuesday morning’s testimony, Ventura is expected to testify more in the afternoon and for several days after that. When prosecutors are finished questioning her, Combs’ attorneys will have a chance to cross-examine her. They will likely seek to cast doubt on her credibility and portray her as a willing participant in the freak offs.
After Ventura’s testimony is complete, prosecutors will continue to call other witnesses, including a second alleged freak off victim identified by the pseudonym “Jane” and an alleged employee victim identified by the pseudonym “Mia.”
Qidere “LGP QUA” Johnson was shot and killed in Philadelphia on Mother’s Day in what authorities are saying was a robbery gone wrong.
The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to ABC News that the 30-year-old artist, who was also outspoken about gun violence and promoted positivity, was shot multiple times a little after 4:40 p.m. in the Juanita Park neighborhood. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly before 5 p.m. Law enforcement is currently searching for three men who may be linked to the fatal shooting, and is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and a conviction in the case.
“His life will never be in vain with me,” QUA’s publicist, Nikki Bagby, told ABC 6 Action News. “I am heartbroken because people knew QUA as a rapper, but people didn’t know him as a community advocate. Literally, he was the voice of the youth.”
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The young rapper was known as the “Voice of the Youth” because of the honest way he approached street life in his music. The rapper decided to rebrand himself as a positive influence after spending time in prison.
Media personality Mina “SayWhat” Llona, who has interviewed LGP multiple times, spoke with ABC 6 Action News about Johnson’s death. “It’s heartbreaking, it’s just not enough words and I think people are just tired,” she told the news outlet. “You know, we’re tired of saying ‘rest in peace,’ we’re tired of it being the same story and the same narrative. We’re losing young people that are very talented.”
She noted that it’s unfortunate that even someone as positive as Johnson is vulnerable to gun violence. “A young guy not saying those things, being positive,” she said. “You know, giving people inspiration and even he is susceptible to some of the things that our youth are dealing with right now, and it’s just sad.”
Meek Mill was also disappointed when heard the news, taking to his Instagram Stories to make a statement. “Killing ambitious young bulls like this on Mother’s Day is a Philly type of thing,” the Philly rapper said. “S—t will make you different. Prayers to your family, and let’s collect some of them guns. S–t sad out here.”
In 2018, LGP QUA was honored by the city and state at his former school, Edward T. Steel Elementary, where he and Puma also donated $10,000.
“Whoever is looking at me getting these awards and certificates, is like, ‘There is hope,’” the rapper said at the event. “They see someone who was on the negative side change and is on the positive side now.”
The school’s principle Jamal Dennis added at the time, “It’s very hard to do a lot of things if you never seen it, Bringing someone in that they can actually see and hear from, that the road is going to be bumpy — things happen in life.”
Tory Lanez is recovering after being stabbed 14 times in prison on Monday morning (May 12), according to the statement shared on his Instagram. The positive update confirmed the singer, born Daystar Peterson, was “in good spirits” following the attack. “Tory was stabbed 14 times, including seven wounds to his back, four to his torso, […]
Dating rumors got a bit of a boost on Monday night (May 12) as Cardi B and NFL star Stefon Diggs enjoyed their first public date night cheering on the New York Knicks during the team’s game five win over the Boston Celtics. The two have been rumored to be an item on social media […]
“I don’t like saying it in my accent,” PinkPantheress timidly says of her mixtape title, which was later revealed to be Fancy That, during her late March visit to Billboard.
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Rocking a plaid top dress, dark navy jeans and black flats that could’ve been on an Aeropostale mannequin circa ’07, the U.K. native gushes about house artists like Basement Jaxx and early Calvin Harris influencing her nine-track mixtape.
“I feel like nobody’s really tapped into these fully since the eclipse of [their] genre. I was like, ‘Let me try to do it and see what I can do here,’” the 24-year-old says. “Just because I’m such a fan of it and I was very inspired by it. I haven’t felt really inspired in a long time.”
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Holed up in her London home, PinkPantheress got to work as the project began to take shape over the course of two months. After some back-and-forth file transferring and tinkering with producer Axsel Arvid, Pink’s skittering production met her plush vocals while still maintaining her signature DIY raw experimentation.
She dug through the crates while pulling on samples from the aforementioned Basement Jaxx to Panic! at the Disco and even Nardo Wick’s “Who Want Smoke??” for her most sonically potent work to date. “I made something that kind of incorporated my two projects into one super project,” the Billboard Women in Music 2024 Producer of the Year adds.
PinkPantheress is reserved yet charming in conversation as she opens up about learning she wasn’t “an arena artist” after touring with Olivia Rodrigo, being the subject of plenty of memes, her global crossover appeal and acting aspirations.
How did you end up in Jack Harlow’s “Just Us” video?
Jack messaged me and asked me if I could be in the video. I asked if I could hear the song and he was like, “No, you can not.” I don’t really do cameos or anything, especially not for bigger artists because I get worried and scared of public perception. But he was like, “You need to trust me that I’ll make you look cool.” Then I just did it and it was really fun.
How did you get in the zone for this mixtape? What did you set out to do?
I wanted to create a project that reflected my progress as a producer. I made something that kind of incorporated my two projects into one super project. I produced a lot of it in London in my house. I listened to a lot of U.K. music. A specific era, a lot of Basement Jaxx, a lot of Calvin Harris.
I created the beats on my laptop and then I sent them to this producer I was working with from Norway called Axsel [Arvid]. We went back-and-forth and made the beats and I recorded really quickly. It was done in like two months.
Being a perfectionist in the studio, do you have to go back in and tweak stuff or once it’s done, it’s done?
Figuratively and physically and always literal, I am a tweaker. I am always going back and [asking], “What can I do here that I want to change?” I was actually fairly chill on this project because the more you perfect something, for me as an artist, people definitely prefer when I sound more DIY and raw. So I was trying to keep it as raw as possible.
I love how you flipped Nardo Wick’s “Who Want Smoke??” on “Noises.”
I love that song. I really like Nardo Wick and 21 Savage. I wasn’t even trying to use it until I was writing my song. I was like, “Oh, it would be cool to have a break in the beat where it’s the bass going [hits table].” They do the same thing. I was like, I might as well pay homage and put his voice in it. I actually wonder if he’s heard it and I wonder what he thought. He probably thought it was ass. I wanna know what he thinks. I wanna personally find out what he thinks. Obviously, it’s drum and bass now. It’s a whole different genre.
What do you think about your crossover popularity? How do you gauge it as far as your fans in the U.K. and your fans in the U.S.?
Even though my music is more genre-based in the U.K., I’d say I have more fans in America. I think in a weird way, the U.K. is more hip to drum and bass and the music I make, so me coming out after we’ve had a history of women that I’m influenced by — like Lily Allen and Imogen Heap, that’s where they were most respected and adored. I’d say the majority of British people are more used to my sound, so it’s probably not as much, “Whoa, what is this!,” as Americans are. [American] People in general speak of me as more an innovator or pioneer, whereas people in the U.K. will celebrate the fact I’ve been able to cross over and get the features I have. America’s just different.
I feel like the internet has kind of united all nations. It’s not as clear to me these days who’s British and who’s American, because the culture is the same amongst the internet. We all watch the same streamers and listen to the same music, so there’s not much of a divide anymore. You’re big everywhere these days.
How does having hearing loss in one ear affect your creative process?
I can’t mix anymore. I struggle with the high end of some of the instruments. I have to get someone else to mix and master now, which I used to do myself.
Will Fancy That lead up to an album later this year, or does it exist in its own universe?
I feel like it’s [the latter]. I want it to exist, but it’s weird because I feel like any body of work these days [is overlooked]. For me, personally, a body of work is a body of work. I’ll call it something different, but realistically, I want it to do the same thing. I want it to impact the same — even though technically it’s not an album, I still want to treat it as such.
I saw a tweet going viral saying, “u a boy turn that PinkPantheress off.” What do you think about that? The guys can’t listen too?
Everyone can enjoy my music. Honestly, I need those streams, so I’ll take whatever gender you are.
u a boy turn that pinkpantheress off— nani (@charredapple) March 23, 2025
When you’re making music, is it ever toward a specific gender?
When I make music, I make music for people that look exactly like me. I’m not even just talking about being a girl. I make music for people that are East African, I make music for people that live in these cities who dress like me and have the same hairstyle as me. When I’m making music, I’m thinking of somebody that looks identical to me. I’m talking about the wig down to the clothes. Everything. I visualize myself listening to my music first before I think about anybody else.
I literally am so at my demographic of fans. There’s gamers, K-Pop fans, people that are full of themselves, street n—as and people who call themselves cutesy girls and emos. It’s really such a reach of people. I never thought to myself, “Oh, this is what my fans are gonna like.” When I go to my shows and I see a diverse crowd and different races, I’m very happy. I always felt when I was younger that I was always the only person of color in that room. I especially love having Black people in my crowd. It’s so important to me, because when you’re making drum and bass, people aren’t expecting certain people to enjoy it. When I see those people there, I’m like, “Yeah.” It got through. It’s really cool to see.
How was meeting André 3000?
It was really brief, but really sick. I was in Paris, and it was coming out of the Alexander McQueen show. Oh my God, he was with Laura Roach as well. I was like, “Oh my God, this isn’t real life.” I wasn’t gonna take a photo with him, but my publicist was like, “You need to do this for your future self.” It was very crazy. He didn’t know who I was, which is perfectly fine, but just the fact he still stopped for a photo was really nice. I thought he was gonna be like, “F–k off.” Him and his flute. I actually didn’t come out with words like, “Can I get a picture?” Just the fact that he was so willing. Someone like him doesn’t need to stop. He was with Laura Roach, but they were by themselves, no security.
I saw another photo of you at the Vivienne Westwood show at Paris Fashion Week next to Ice Spice and Chappell Roan. What are those conversations like? Was that the first time you’ve seen Ice in a while?
It actually was. When we both up like, “Oh my God, you’re here, yay!” When you see someone you’re friends with at one of these things, it’s like being back at school and being sat next to your friend that you really have fun with, because it can be so daunting.
That was the first time I met Chappell, and she’s so nice and cool. She’s really friendly. I actually think we’re quite similar in those situations. Being at the Vivienne Westwood show front row is one of the most magical things ever. There are some elements that can make it really daunting. Then you have photographers fighting over stuff. No one’s gagging to be part of that experience but at some point you have to get a bit stoic. I was definitely breaking into stoicness.
Could we ever get another collab with Ice Spice?
I’d do it for sure on the right song.
What did you think about Usher’s son taking his phone and DMing you?
He’s funny. I actually have met him twice now. He’s a really huge fan. He’s always at my shows. Whenever we’re close to Atlanta, he’s always coming. He’s really cute and when that happened, I don’t know what my reaction was. I was like, “Is this a joke?” I was sure of it. I kinda feel like I knew about him before I saw a message, but he’s a really funny guy. If your dad was Usher, I might do that, if I were a big fan of someone. I actually probably would. Usher’s so sweet, too. I met him on FaceTime.
You’re very online and adept with online culture. Do you see a lot of these tweets and stuff about you going viral?
Not always, but recently I’ve been really on top of it because I just downloaded Twitter. Only to speak with my group chats because that’s where they are. Sometimes I scroll the timeline. I feel like I’m now part of these and I get jokes now. Whereas before, I felt like I was alone.
How was opening up for Olivia Rodrigo, and what’s one thing you’ve taken from her and incorporated?
I did six or seven shows I think. It was definitely very difficult for me. I enjoyed it a lot — because, one I got to see her perform live, and she’s amazing. She’s an actual force. Watching her and how she combats an arena and how she actually does the arena, made me realize, “Wow, some people are arena artists and some people are not.” I’m not an arena artist. That’s something I learned about myself. What I learned from her is there are ways you can approach an arena and interact with people in the up theres or the far backs. She did that and is amazing at it.
What happened when I watched her was, I saw my own failing and my own incapabilities, and I was like, “I’m not an arena artist.” That’s not for a lack of trying. It just made me realize there are some things in life as an artist you’re told you should try one day — but for me, I think I’m one of those artists where I’m comfortable is where I always strive. When I’m pushed to do something because it’s the right thing to do as an artist, because it’s an arena, I feel like the opportunity is the most amazing thing I had and I’m so happy I did it. It made me realize like this whole thing is not for me to do. It’s for powerhouses like her. I’m not a powerhouse artist, I’m very much on my chill s–t. I’m not a performance-based artist.
So it made me realize that difference. It distraught me that there were any sufferings to that leg of the tour for her because of my shortcomings. I wish I could do have done it the whole way through, but I feel like I was gonna be detrimental to myself.
It was interesting you said you learned that about yourself, not being an arena artist. I don’t think I’ve ever heard an artist say that.
I’m not an arena artist, I’m not a stadium artist. I feel like there’s obviously ways I could make myself an arena artist. You can get the dancers, do the training, get the stage presence. I can go through training from now until two years later and see where I’m at. But I still don’t think my music belongs in an arena. I think my music belongs in a more intimate setting. As an artist, I think my fanbase appreciates more intimate settings.
Is there anything outside of music that you’d like to accomplish?
I’d like to do acting one day. I’m really meek, so we’ll see one day. I need to get more confident.
What do you hope fans take from this mixtape?
Sonically, I genuinely feel it’s my best work, so I hope that is the most obvious thing to come out of it. I think my fans are kind of divided about what their favorite projects are. I feel like a lot of people prefer my first project, while a lot of people prefer my second. This is kind of like a blend of both.
Irish hip hop act Kneecap will still be headlining Wide Awake Festival 2025 as planned, the festival has announced. It will mark the band’s first show since they performed at Coachella last month.
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The news arrives following a period of intense scrutiny on the West Belfast trio in the weeks after Coachella. At the end of their sets, Kneecap displayed messages on the war in Gaza, writing: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.”
The group went on to face criticism from a number of industry figures including Sharon Osbourne, who called for their U.S. visas to be retracted. A group of politicians, meanwhile, called for Kneecap to be removed from a series of U.K. festival line-ups this summer.
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Scrutiny continued when counter-terror police in London announced (May 1) an investigation into videos of band members allegedly calling for the death of elected British MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” The group have since gone on to issue a statement to their Instagram account: “Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay,” it read in part.
Consequently, German headline shows in Hamburg, Cologne and Berlin for this summer have been pulled, alongside previously-announced appearances at Hurricane and Southside Festivals. A night at the Eden Project, Cornwall, was also cancelled last month but has since been replaced with three new dates in the nearby city of Plymouth, south west England.
Wide Awake have now shared a statement across their social media platforms confirming Kneecap’s headline performance is still slated to go ahead next week (May 23). “After positive discussions with key stakeholders, Wide Awake Festival can confirm that, as planned, Kneecap will be performing at this year’s festival on Friday May 23 at Brockwell Park,” it began.
“Wide Awake has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene, and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent.”
The post also featured a lengthy signatory list of artists sharing their support for Kneecap and the “freedom of expression,” featuring names such as Pulp, Fontaines D.C., Primal Scream, Massive Attack, Self Esteem and Amyl and The Sniffers, among others.
Other acts set to perform at Wide Awake, which takes place in Brockwell Park, south London, include English Teacher, CMAT, Peaches, Fat Dog and more. Tickets and the full line-up can be found on the event’s official website.
Latto really needs “Somebody,” and she announced on Monday (May 12) that she’s dropping her new single with that name on Friday. “Greetings from Jamaica,” she wrote on Instagram under the island-inspired artwork. She first teased the single on X back in March with a one-minute clip of her playing it in the car. “I’m […]
Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem had a big influence on one of the biggest movies of the year. In a clip posted by IMAX on social media, Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier explained how going to see Christopher Nolan’s movie Tenet at IMAX headquarters while working on music videos with the two cousins during the pandemic […]
A slimmed-down Lizzo joined The Breakfast Club on Monday (May 12), and the “Truth Hurts” singer opened up about her “weight release” process, which began with cleansing her mind and clearing out the negative energy from her life.
“I think I had to start with cleaning out my mind and my energy and clearing out all of the negativity around me. And I feel like I released so much I was holding on,” she said. “I do call it a weight release because [when] it started, I got snatched here first. And then my body just followed suit so I do feel amazing.”
Lizzo credits workouts like pilates and yoga sculpting as well as pickleball and going on hikes as part of her exercise regimen.
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The Detroit native pushed back when co-host Charlamagne Tha God said he doesn’t consider her “big” anymore. “I am big,” she said. “What we talking about? Baby, I’m big.”
Lizzo added: “The Internet is like, ‘Oh Lizzo’s skinny now,’” she said. “I am well over 200 pounds, do you know what I’m saying? I’m 5-foot-9. I got double-numbered pants on now.”
While Lizzo said she reached her weight loss goal in January, a number she hasn’t seen on the scale since 2014, the singer still looks in the mirror and sees her 2023 self, and even at her heaviest, Lizzo says she still felt mentally skinnier back then compared to now.
“Put me next to any pop star right now, I’m still bigger than them,” she explained. “I didn’t realize how much my body changed until I was filming the ‘Love in Real Life’ music video. I was in shock. It shocked me, because the way that I’m releasing weight has been a long slow process,” she added. “People may not have seen me or been keeping up with me, but I’ve been posting about it, and I’m in a calorie deficit, so that’s the one that sneaks up on you.”
Lizzo continued: “When I was bigger, I felt skinnier than I do now. When I was in my string bikini and I was at my heaviest weight, I was like, ‘Skinny bi—.’ That’s when I realized skinny was a feeling and not a look.”
While she’s feeling “Good as Hell,” Lizzo is gearing up for a new album. She returned with her “Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad” singles earlier this year.
Watch the full interview with Lizzo below.