Music News

19 Mar 2025

Eminem’s Former Employee Criminally Charged With Selling the Rapper’s Unreleased Music Online

A former employee of Eminem (Marshall Mathers) has been criminally charged in connection with the sale of unreleased music by the rap superstar, it was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck on Wednesday (March 19).

According to the criminal complaint, the FBI was contacted by employees of Eminem’s music studio in Ferndale, Michigan, to alert the agency that unreleased music created by the rapper was available for sale on the Internet. The FBI subsequently identified multiple people who purchased the unreleased music, all of whom identified Eminem’s former employee, Joseph Strange, as the person who was selling it. A press release states that the music “was still in the process of being developed by” the rapper.

If convicted on the charge of criminal copyright infringement, Strange faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A conviction on a charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

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Strange worked for Eminem from 2007 to 2021, according to the press release.

“Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals who seek to profit from the creative output of others,” said Beck in a statement.

“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists’ intellectual property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally,” added Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Thanks to the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio, FBI agents from the Oakland County Resident Agency were able to swiftly enforce federal laws and ensure Joseph Strange was held accountable for his actions.”

The case against Strange is being investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Wyse and Alyse Wu.

19 Mar 2025

Dua Lipa Covers Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’ During Second Melbourne Show

Dua Lipa is continuing her tributes to iconic Australian artists as she tours throughout the continent this spring.

Just a day after Lipa covered AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” during her Radical Optimism tour stop at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, the pop superstar continued the covers for night two at the venue.

On Tuesday (March 18), Lipa opted to perform “Torn” by Australian and British singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia. “Illusion never changed/ Into something real/ I’m wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn,” Lipa sings in the chorus, surrounded by her band and rocking a black lace jumpsuit with red shorts and a faux fur scarf placed over her shoulder.

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Watch a snippet of the performance via a fan social media account here.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Lipa sold out the Australian leg of her global Radical Optimism Tour. The singer will remain in the country for just two weeks, with five nights scheduled for the Rod Laver Arena, and a further three at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. Lipa will then jet over to New Zealand for two sold-out dates at Auckland’s Spark Arena in early April.

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The pop superstar also kicked off 2025 with a new collaboration, appearing as a guest on JENNIE’s “Handlebars,” off the BLACKPINK singer’s freshly released debut solo LP, Ruby.

19 Mar 2025

Alleged L.A. Crips Leader & Music Executive Eugene ‘Big U’ Henley Jr. Charged With Murder, Fraud & More

Alleged Rollin’ 60s Los Angeles Crips gang leader and music executive Eugene “Big U” Henley Jr. has been charged as part of a 107-page sprawling indictment that compares his “Big U Enterprise” to a “mafia-like organization,” the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday (March 19).

According to the DOJ, Henley, 58, remains at large and is considered a fugitive as he faces conspiracy charges related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. He and his associates are accused of racketeering, extortion, human trafficking, fraud and the murder of a 21-year-old aspiring rapper who signed to his Uneek Music label, among other charges.

Henley is credited with helping launch the career of rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was a member of the Rollin’ 60s in South Central Los Angeles prior to his death in 2019.

Two others named in the indictment, Sylvester “Vey” Robinson and Mark “Bear Claw” Martin, have been arrested on the same criminal complaint in which Henley was charged; both were expected to appear in U.S. District Court in L.A. on Wednesday afternoon. Overall, 10 Rollin’ 60s members have been arrested in the past 24 hours, while another four were already in custody. Law enforcement is currently tracking down five other defendants, “three of whom are expected to be in custody shortly,” according to the DOJ press release. In addition to Henley, one other unnamed defendant is considered a fugitive.

“The allegations in the complaint unsealed today reveal a criminal enterprise that engaged in murder, extortion, human trafficking, and fraud — all led by a supposed anti-gang activist and purported music entrepreneur who was nothing more than a violent street criminal,” said acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally in a statement.

McNally continued: “Eliminating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice’s top priority. Today’s charges and arrests target the leadership of this criminal outfit and will make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles safer. I am grateful for the work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.”

According to the DOJ, Henley was involved in the murder of rapper “R.W.” — the victim’s initials — who signed to his Uneek Music label in January 2021. While recording at a studio in Las Vegas, R.W. allegedly recorded a diss track taking shots at Henley. According to the DOJ, Henley and Robinson then confronted R.W. in Vegas, with Henley allegedly later shooting R.W. in the head and leaving his body in a ditch off Interstate 15. He also allegedly had the studio’s security camera footage scrubbed and ordered any witnesses not to speak with authorities following the murder.

The indictment states that Henley rose to prominence with the Crips gang in the 1980s and has remained a leader within the organization. The feds accuse him of leveraging his relationships with the Rollin’ 60s to the benefit of his Big U Enterprise, which allegedly used violence, fear and intimidation tactics to increase its power.

While associated with the Rollin’ 60s, Big U Enterprise is being treated as an independent organization tied to various crimes also including robbery, exploiting sex workers and illegal gambling.

Per the Los Angeles Times, athletes, celebrities and musicians were among Henley’s extortion victims, who were required to “check-in” for “protection” when visiting Los Angeles. He allegedly defrauded companies, donors, athletes and celebrities, including former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. Henley allegedly took donations from both men that were meant for charity and transferred the funds to his personal bank account.

19 Mar 2025

Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ Gets Streaming Boost After ‘Love Is Blind’ Reunion: Here’s the Team That Put the Collaboration Together

Alex Warren‘s career trajectory is anything by “Ordinary.” The rising superstar performed his latest hit on the Love Is Blind season 8 reunion on March 9 — marking the first-ever performance on the popular Netflix series — and the track has seen an impressive boost since the episode.

On Monday (March 10), “Ordinary” was Shazamed 56,000 times, up 306.8% since its release. Single sales spiked from an average of 180 a day to 420 on Sunday (March 9) and 577 the next day. Spotify global streams hit a career peak of 3 million daily on Tuesday (March 11), and the song hit No. 25 on the Spotify Global Chart. “Ordinary” also reached No. 5 on the iTunes Top Songs U.S. chart.

Meanwhile, on the Billboard charts, “Ordinary” jumped from No. 64 to 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated March 22. On the Global 200, it jumped from No. 37 to 26.

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“Alex is one of the most talented artists that I’m fortunate to work with, but he feels like he’s positioned to become part of the next freshman class of global superstars,” Kevin Weaver, president of Atlantic Records’ West Coast branch, tells Billboard, which is why Warren was the perfect artist in the Atlantic roster to pitch for a Love Is Blind performance.

“I actually pitched the song to [Love Is Blind‘s music supervisor] Jon Ernst before it came out, and I told him it’s going to be a massive record. Fortunately, it all worked out great,” Weaver recalls. “Very early on — I think was actually during the pandemic — I was watching the first or second season of Love Is Blind, and I was just hearing these massive music cues in the show, and it was all library music. Seeing that the show was becoming incredibly popular on Netflix, I had a light bulb moment where I was like, ‘Why isn’t there contemporary music on this hit show that uses music in such an important way?’ How do we help support Jon and the series with with great songs that also benefit our developing artists?”

He added, “With ‘Ordinary,’ it felt like it was a natural fit. I know the background of the song, and Alex wrote the song based on his own personal relationship [with wife Kouvr Annon]. Knowing what the show is, hearing the song, I was like, ‘This is perfect.’”

Michael Parker, Vice President of A&R at Atlantic Records, agrees. “These are the things we always wanted to do,” he tells Billboard. “Now the people know the real Alex, the musician, and now he’s getting those opportunities that we always wanted. We’re getting to do the collabs we always wanted with other artists, and we’re getting to do the shows he’s always wanted to be on. It’s all the things that when you sign an artist and you dream, those are all the things that are on the dream list. And now he’s reached the place where he gets to do all those things.”

He continues, “The beautiful thing about Alex was, you see his social prowess and you see his marketing prowess — but then, you listen to the music. You could take one listen to the music and know he was going to be brilliant, and then you add everything on top of it, it just made him a dream to work with.”

Over on the Love Is Blind side of business, the show’s creator and producer Chris Coelen, music supervisor Ernst and executive producer Ally Simpson were immediately thrilled at the idea of including not only a performance on the show, but also Warren specifically. “We’re just so flattered and privileged to have had Alex and his team want to come and participate. It was amazing to see,” Coelen says, noting that having the performance happen within the on-set pods was particularly fun. “The pods are a really cool, unique, one-of-a kind environment. So, why not actually have a performance there?

Coelen says that Love Is Blind is “just getting started” on incorporating music more in the series. “Music has always been a big part of Love Is Blind. It’s something that we’ve always enjoyed connecting to the action that’s going on in the in the show,” he explains. “We decided that with the fifth anniversary of Love Is Blind and going into this most recent season, that we were going to really go all out and and use commercial music and really be able to spotlight some of the amazing songs that have been out there over the years. Music can be such a mood changer and shifter. It’s incredibly additive to the show, and there’s no going back now.”

Rewatch Warren’s performance of “Ordinary” on Love Is Blind below.

19 Mar 2025

Jermaine Dupri Claims Drake Has Strong ‘Alliance’ With DJs: ‘Like No Other Artist I’ve Ever Seen’

Jermaine Dupri is in the news again, but instead of trying to have a conversation around independence, he’s having one about Drake’s relationship with DJs across the country.

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On Tuesday night (Mar. 18), J.D. tweeted about being impressed by the Toronto rapper’s influence with club DJs. “That boi Drake got a DJ alliance like no other artist I’ve ever seen,” he said. “But most of you n—as probably don’t understand what I’m saying cause [you don’t] be outside.”

As usual, folks on X misinterpreted what the record executive said, so he sent out another tweet a couple hours later clarifying what he was trying to say. “Okay, I see people saying ‘DJ alliance’ is crazy,” he followed up. “So, let me tell y’all what I saw. I walked in the club and the DJ was shouting out a group of people from the West Coast and they must’ve been like, ‘Play some West Coast sh—t.”

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Adding, “And before he dropped ‘Not Like Us,’ he said, ‘I might get in trouble for this’ and I was like, ‘Whoa!’

Last week, the So So Def founder posted a video clarifying a question he had about independent artists where he asked, “Can somebody tell me what the goal of being an independent artist is today because all of the things that people are chasing is sh—t major artist do, what’s the thing that indie artist do that make it special?”

Many fans jumped on him, assuming that he was speaking down on independent artists, but apparently he was legitimately trying to understand why some artists chose to not to sign with a major label and admitted that “you never know everything.”

In other Drake news, UMG has asked a federal judge to put a hold on discovery a day after requesting the case be dismissed. The record giant alleged that Drake and his team have been requesting “highly commercially sensitive documents.”

19 Mar 2025

Garbage Praise the ‘Wonderful’ Global Rise of Latin Music Amid Latin American Tour

Garbage, the iconic American alternative rockers who rose to fame in the ’90s, are in the midst of their first Latin American tour in a decade. The trek kicked off March 12 in Colombia, followed by stops in Chile and Argentina, before arriving in Brazil this Friday (March 21).

On April 6, after an 11-year absence from the country, Garbage will perform in Monterrey, Mexico, at the Tecate Pa’l Norte festival.

“It’s great to go back to Mexico, you know. And going to Pa’l Norte again is even better,” lead singer Shirley Manson tells Billboard Español about their participation on the festival’s second day, which will also feature stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Kings of Leon. “Each represents different generations, and their own music. We’re not the same side of the coin. Having many options at the same place is fantastic.”

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Since the band’s inception in the early ’90s, Garbage has been beloved among Latin American audiences. Tracks like “Stupid Girl,” “Only Happy When it Rains” and “I Think I’m Paranoid” have transcended the years, creating a strong bond with fans in the region.

When asked about the growing globalization of Latin music, Manson shares: “Latin music is developing and expanding so quickly. Now, listening to music in Spanish is something we are used to. That’s so great, it’s wonderful.”

The reunion with their fans has been overwhelmingly positive. At the Festival Rec, recently held in Concepción, southern Chile, the band shared the stage with acts like Los Tres, Suede and Julieta Venegas, along with 40 other talents that brought together an estimated 360,000 attendees, according to Chile’s Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Obras Stadium was packed with fans who had been waiting for the band since their last performance at the legendary Luna Park in 2014. Shirley Manson has a special connection with Argentina, particularly with its feminist movements; the singer even participated in a colloquium there in 2019.

For their performance at Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, where Tecate Pa’l Norte will take place from April 4–6, daily attendance is expected to reach at least 100,000 people. The eclectic lineup includes Green Day, Massive Attack, Justin Timberlake, Caifanes, Foster the People, Benson Boone, El Tri and Eden Muñoz, among others.

Garbage, comprised of Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker, has released several covers over the past two years, including David Bowie’s “Starman,” U2’s “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Cities in Dust” and Patti Smith’s “Because the Night.” Fans are eagerly awaiting new music from the band, as their eighth studio album, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, is set to drop on May 30.

19 Mar 2025

Spiritbox Snags Second Top Hard Rock Albums No. 1 With ‘Tsunami Sea’

Spiritbox earns its second No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, debuting atop the survey with Tsunami Sea.

The set bows with 22,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 13, according to Luminate. Of that sum, 16,000 units come from album sales, with 10,000 coming from a vinyl release, placing the album at No. 3 on the Vinyl Albums chart.

It’s the Courtney LaPlante-led band’s second ruler on Top Hard Rock Albums, following Eternal Blue, which reigned in 2021. Between the two LPs, Spiritbox also made the ranking with the EP The Fear of Fear, which peaked at No. 5 in 2023.

Concurrently, nine of Tsunami Sea’s 11 songs reach the Hot Hard Rock Songs tally, paced by lead single “Perfect Soul,” which re-enters the list at No. 9 thanks to 921,000 official U.S. streams and 857,000 radio audience impressions – a new peak, after previously reaching No. 19 in February. The album’s top debut, meanwhile, belongs to “Keep Sweet” at No. 11 (1 million streams).

It’s the most concurrent appearances on the chart, which began in 2020, by a woman or a solely woman-led act (Linkin Park, which boasted 10 appearances on four different charts in late 2024, is co-led by vocalists Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong). The previous best had been the Amy Lee-fronted Evanescence with four in April 2021.

“Perfect Soul” is Tsunami Sea’s lead radio single; its best on Mainstream Rock Airplay so far is No. 17 (March 15).

19 Mar 2025

Billboard Reacts to Playboi Carti ‘MUSIC’ Drop, Breaks Down Album & More | Billboard Unfiltered

In today’s episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered,’ Billboard staffers Carl Lamarre, Trevor Anderson and Kyle Denis are reacting to Playboi Carti’s first album in five years, ‘MUSIC,’ and sharing their thoughts on everything he delivered on the album. They also go into Lizzo’s X crash-out over ‘poptimism,’ the public’s reaction to Leon Thomas putting out the “Mutt” remix with Chris Brown and more!

What do you want to hear more of? Drop your suggestion in the chat!

Carl Lamarre: 

Yo, yo yo, yo what’s going on y’all and welcome to a fresh episode of Billboard Unfiltered. Gentlemen- what it do, what it do, what it do?

Kyle Denis:

Chilling man, how are you?

Carl Lamarre: 

I am good. No complaints, well rested. Not bad at all.

Trevor Anderson:

Okay? What got you so well rested out here?

Kyle Denis: 

I mean sleep, probably.

Trevor Anderson:

Well… that tends to be the number one ingredient.

Carl Lamarre:

It’s nice outside.

Trevor Anderson:

Yeah springtime is starting a little bit out here in New York.

Carl Lamarre: 

Concerts are picking back up outside shortly, we got a couple in NYC this week so…

Kyle Denis:

Had Jordan Adetunji at Mercury Lounge last week, it was a great show.

Carl Lamarre:

Bowizzle, Omarion, yeah you know I might have to bring it back.

Trevor Anderson:

That is some millennial sh– right there. 

Carl Kamarre:

I’m an old head, but you know in the midst of all this old head sh–, I’m trying to have some YN moments with this new Playboi Carti ‘MUSIC’ album. Whoo we are talking about this colossal 30-track project, which has some heavy-hitters with Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, we should say Kendrick Lamar thrice because we got three Kendrick Lamar records on there.

Keep watching for more!

19 Mar 2025

Sia Privately Had a Third Child Named Somersault With Her Estranged Husband

Pop singer-songwriter Sia has always been keen on keeping her personal life private — so private, that according to a new report, the singer welcomed her third child almost a year ago.

According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, Sia welcomed a baby named Somersault Wonder Bernad with her now-estranged husband, Daniel Bernad, on March 27, 2024. Somersault would be Sia’s third child, after the singer adopted two 18-year-old boys in 2019.

Billboard has reached out to Sia’s representatives for comment.

The documents in question are divorce filings, as Sia is currently seeking to end her marriage to Bernad. Citing “irreconcilable differences,” the “Chandelier” singer is currently asking the court not to award spousal payments to Bernard, while simultaneously seeking sole custody of her 11-month-old child.

While Sia has been reticent to speak about her personal life in the past, she has been outspoken about her decision to adopt her two sons in 2019, telling Vogue Australia that she saw one of her sons in a documentary about the foster care system and decided to adopt him and his friend. “I was like: ‘What? Like, he doesn’t have anybody. Oh my god. I’m going to find him and I’m going to be his mummy,’” she said. “And so that’s what I did.”

The singer also spoke in her interview about wanting to become a foster parent in the future. “The next thing I’m planning to do is foster actual infants. Maybe [their mother] is drug-addicted and then I could help look after them until, you know, their mum can get back on the wagon or an adoptive home is found,” she told the publication. “If I can do that then I think I’ll feel like I’m superhuman.”

Sia recently teamed up with her frequent collaborator David Guetta for “Beautiful People,” their newest hit dance single. The song quickly caught the attention of the pair’s fans, debuting at No. 8 on Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart this week.

19 Mar 2025

50 Cent Responds to Ye Calling Him ‘One of His Favorite People: ‘Ya Dangerous Right Now’

50 Cent is never one to shy away from just about anything these days, but even he’s distancing himself from Ye (formerly Kanye West).

While West sniped at plenty of his peers — from Drake to Playboi Carti and Kendrick Lamar — he actually showed some love to 50 Cent.

“50 Cent is one of my favorite people,” Ye wrote to X on Tuesday (March 18). “He will be one of the people who brings back Black economic independence.”

However, 50 was hesitant to associate with the rapper, who has been criticized for his repeated hate speech. “Damn it Ye ya dangerous right now, what you say about the kids man,” 50 replied with a repost to his Instagram hours later.

Fans had plenty to say about the interaction between the hip-hop titans. “50 the only n—a who Ye didn’t crash out on this week,” one person wrote in the “In Da Club” rapper’s comments section.

Another chimed in: “50 like ‘leave me out this ish ye, not the time.’”

During a 2024 interview with Billboard, 50 said nobody’s been through more or had as many reasons to crash as Ye, but credited him for powering through to have one of the most decorated careers in rap.

“I don’t think anybody’s been through more or have more reasons to fall apart than Kanye,” he said at the time. “The success of his project comes, and his mom passes away. So what you been praying for — the gift is a curse. You lose that, and he had real reasons to f–king be out of it. He did the right thing. He went to work.”

While representing different pillars of hip-hop, 50 and Kanye have been pop-culture fixtures for more than two decades. They famously matched up for a memorable 2007 sales battle, which saw them face off at the MTV Video Music Awards and join forces for the cover of Rolling Stone.

Kanye’s Graduation ended up throttling 50’s Curtis (957,000 versus 691,000 first-week album sales), which elevated West’s superstar status in music to another level.

“We made the highest sales week for hip-hop culture, doing that and being competitive,” 50 told Billboard when looking back at their battle. “People that were participating as fans were buying more than one copy of it, because of the competitive side of it. When you look at it… we had to stand together to face off, but we never had an issue.”

Cardi B also seemingly responded to one of Ye’s X messages, in which he broke down how he sees the hierarchy of female rap and claimed Megan Thee Stallion replaced the Bronx native. “WHERE CARDI B GONNA BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW THEY USED HER,” he wrote.

The “WAP” rapper appeared to respond on X, flexing her staying power even without dropping an album going on seven years now. “7 years 1 album… STILL being a topic and STILL being asked about my music,” she wrote. “I’m anointed and I have a real fanbase. They come and go but The Brim is still here and will stay!”

Ye has been embroiled in controversy again in recent weeks due to his repeated antisemitic rants and willingness to engage in beef with just about any of his collaborators outside of 50 and A$AP Rocky. However, he did drop his Bully album as part of a short film starring his son Saint on March 19.