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Drake appears to be working on his next era, though he’s taken to social media to warn that it might not be for everyone.
The Canadian musician shared a post on Instagram on Monday (March 10), with its cryptic content swiftly generating much speculation as to what it might be referring to. “U know I grew up non confrontational and always treated this game as a sport where my pen won gold, but my these days the podium has been hard for all of us to ignore,” the post began.
Presumably, this could be in reference to the OVO rapper’s high-profile beef with Kendrick Lamar, which recently saw Lamar performing the incendiary “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, only days after it won record and song of the year, best rap performance and song, and best music video at the Grammys.
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Drake had previously promised another round in their ongoing feud was on the horizon, with Lamar later addressing the 6 God’s claim while announcing his halftime performance. “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship,” Lamar said. “No round twos.”
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As Drake continues his post though, he hints that whatever comes next may be uncomfortable for some, adding that an unidentified individual has been sending him texts. “I understand that this next chapter may leave you feeling uneasy, but I hope you see my honesty as clarity not charity that answers some questions especially about the unanswered texts you’ve been sending me,” the post concludes.
The cryptic nature of Drake’s latest message is continued in the choice of photos used in the post, which – alongside selfies, live footage, and a screengrab from the 2017 film Phantom Thread – also includes an image of two Zofran pills, which the Mayo Clinic notes are “to prevent nausea and vomiting that is caused by cancer medicines (chemotherapy) or radiation therapy.”
Specifics relating to Drake’s upcoming plans remain unclear currently, but his update follows the release of his $ome $exy $ongs 4 U collaborative album with PartyNextDoor on Feb. 14, and the postponement of a number of Australian and New Zealand tour dates due to a “scheduling conflict.”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are plotting a global live stream of their Bob Dylan-approved performance at Paris’ Accor Arena in November.
The performance, titled Wild God – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Live in Paris, captures Cave and his bandmates as they perform the final date of their U.K. and European tour in support of 2024’s Wild God. Taking place on Nov. 17, the 22-song show largely leaned upon the nascent Wild God album, peppered with tracks from the band’s extensive back catalog.
“With Cave’s electrifying stage presence and a powerful band featuring Warren Ellis, George Vjestica, Colin Greenwood, Jim Sclavunos, Carly Paradis and Larry Mullins, plus a four-piece gospel-inspired vocal section (Wendi Rose, T Jae Cole, Miça Townsend and Janet Ramus), Nick Cave led a high-intensity, emotionally charged performance in front of 20,000 fans,” a description of the stream reads.
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Notably, the November concert saw the band gaining a high-profile blessing when Bob Dylan took to his sporadically-active social media account to Tweet a message in support of the show.
“Saw Nick Cave in Paris recently at the Accor Arena and I was really struck by that song ‘Joy’ where he sings ‘We’ve all had too much sorrow, now it the time for joy’,” Dylan wrote. “I was thinking to myself, yeah that’s about right.”
Cave himself took to his own Red Hand Files website to respond to Dylan’s message, labeling it “a lovely pulse of joy that penetrated my exhausted, zombied state.”
“I felt proud to have been touring with The Bad Seeds and offering, in the form of a rock ‘n ’roll show, an antidote to this despair, one that transported people to a place beyond the dreadful drama of the political moment,” he wrote.
“I was elated to think Bob Dylan had been in the audience, and since I doubt I’ll get an opportunity to thank him personally, I’ll thank him here. Thank you, Bob!”
The Wild God – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Live in Paris concert will be streaming from April 7 via the ARTE Concert YouTube channel and their own ARTE.tv website. North American fans will be forced to wait, however, with the broadcast available from June 1. “We assure you that your patience will be rewarded!” ARTE guaranteed on social media.
Acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer has reflected on his inability to add another Academy Award to his shelf thanks to Dune: Part Two, noting his disqualification was simply due to a “a stupid rule.”
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The German composer has spent more than 35 years working on crafting scores for Hollywood films, with his efforts resulting in two Academy Awards for his efforts. From 12 nominations at the Oscars, Zimmer has taken home the best original score award just twice, once in 1995 for The Lion King, and again in 2022 for his work on Dune.
With director Denis Villeneuve releasing Dune: Part Two in March 2024, many fans could have expected Zimmer to add another feather to his cap thanks to the nascent entry in the franchise. However, in October, Variety reported that Zimmer’s score for the film was deemed ineligible for submission to the Academy Awards due to “surpassing the Academy’s limit on pre-existing music.”
According to the Academy’s rule: “In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, the score must not use more than 20% of pre-existing themes and music borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.” Due to Zimmer’s score for Dune: Part Two incorporating elements and key cues from the Oscar-winning score to 2021’s Dune, it was therefore deemed ineligible for submission.
Though Villeneuve and the film’s team were undeterred in their efforts for Zimmer to be recognized for his work, the score was ultimately disqualified and did not appear on the ballot for consideration. The film did however receive a total of five nominations, taking home best sound and best visual effects at the ceremony on March 2.
In a new interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Zimmer reflected on the small controversy when host Josh Horowitz asked if the disqualification was a “sore point” for the composer.
“It’s not really a sore point. It’s just such a stupid point – how can it be a sore point?” Zimmer asked. “I got disqualified because I was using material from the first movie in the second movie, but it’s not a sequel. It is the completion of the arc, both movies are one arc.
“So was I supposed to go and take all the character themes away and write new character themes and develop them?” he added. “It’s just a stupid rule. What I didn’t want to do is go and bitch about it.”
Zimmer’s recent comments also continue on from what he told Variety back in October, stating his belief that Dune: Part Two is simply a continuation of the narrative begun in the first film.
“It’s called Dune: Part Two, not Dune 2,” he explained. “The story starts the second we finish the first movie. We are still within that story, those characters, and it would be foolish and completely uncinematic to go and write new themes for the characters instead of enlarging the theme.”
Zimmer is planning to return for Villeneuve’s next film in the series, with Dune: Messiah reportedly set to begin filming in mid-2025.
An unexpected appearance by Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean was just one of the many riveting moments at the celebration of life honoring the legendary Roberta Flack inside Harlem, New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church on Monday (March 10).
Among the additional stars, executives, friends and family lifting up their voices in tribute to the pioneering singer-songwriter-musician-activist were Stevie Wonder, Valerie Simpson, Phylicia Rashad, Dionne Warwick, Alicia Keys, India.Arie, Peabo Bryson and Clive Davis. Flack died on Feb. 24 at age 88.
Before segueing into a beautiful and measured take on the Flack classic “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” an emotional Hill sniffled her way through reflections about her late idol. “We weren’t formally asked to do this because I think they were a little shy in asking us to attend,” Hill began. “So we kind of bum-rushed the service because it really wouldn’t be possible for us to just stand by and not participate.
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“The artistry of Ms. Roberta Flack was beyond trailblazing,” Hill continued in part. “Like Nina Simone, she carved out for me a pathway of soulful Black intellectual sublime beauty that not only spoke to Black resistance directly in lyric and statement, but was Black resistance to racism, bigotry and limitations by virtue of its existence. … She didn’t just write about the beauty; she was the beauty. She didn’t just write about resistance; her existence was a form of resistance. She wrote our stories in forms the established authorities of the time could not deny; compositions wrapped with graceful classical forms and nuances that would not nor could not be dismissed. … I thank my parents for introducing me to her masterful music. Thank you to our Father in Heaven, to our God on high for blessing and enriching all of our lives with her presence and undeniable gifts. Roberta Flack is legend.”
Met with resounding applause, cheers and a standing ovation inside the packed church, Hill and Jean — accompanied by a pianist and three backing vocalists — launched into a sing-along of the Fugees’ hit reinterpretation of the Flack gem “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Adding an extra touch to the performance: Wonder standing in the church aisle playing the harmonica.
Following next on the program, Wonder prefaced his musical contribution with insightful comments that touched on Flack’s artistry as well as her commitment to activism. “The great thing about not having the ability to see with your eyes is the great opportunity in being able to see even better with your heart,” he shared. “So I knew how beautiful Roberta was. I celebrate that because I see that so much of the world and yes, this nation too, must be blind at this point … and it breaks my heart. And Roberta, I want to just say to you in spirit, I thank you for letting me hear your voice, letting me know your spirit, letting me know your heart and letting me be able to share with you songs that I was writing.”
One of those songs was “If It’s Magic.” Accompanied solely by a harpist, Wonder delivered a piercing take on the track, which is featured on his award-winning double album Songs in the Key of Life. Joined afterwards by the harpist and a conga player as he sat at the piano, Wonder performed a song that he wrote for Flack, “I Can See the Sun.” Noted Wonder at the end, “She spread love all over this world.’
Songwriter Hall of Fame member Valerie Simpson (along with late husband Nick Ashford) also sat down at the piano for an improvised take on one of Ashford & Simpson’s signature hits “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” in salute to Flack’s artistic authenticity. Among the other memorable performances was famed backing vocalist Lisa Fischer’s searing and soaring version of “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us)” from West Side Story. Also sharing their reflections and memories were actress Phylicia Rashad, Flack’s cousin Carol Flack, Flack’s longtime manager/friend Suzanne Koga and family friend Santita Jackson. Jackson, a singer who once toured with Flack, said her father Rev. Jesse Jackson wanted her to remind attendees of one important fact: that Flack “was the perfect blend of soul and science; she put her ego to the side and just sang the song. A pure genius.”
Rounding out Flack’s celebration of life were video clips featuring reflections from a diverse range of artists and industry personages such as Clive Davis (“There will never be another Roberta Flack”), Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys, India.Arie, Peabo Bryson, Dionne Warwick, Les McCann and Yoko Ono. Letters from former vp Kamala Harris and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. were read as well. Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy; presiding over the memorial service was Abyssinian Baptist Church’s Rev. Dr. Kevin Johnson. The celebration program also noted that donations in Flack’s memory can be sent to the RobertaFlackFoundation.org.
When we say j-hope is comfortable on the stage, we mean from his head all the way down to his fuzzy feet. On Monday night’s (March 10) episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the BTS star will make his solo debut performance on the late-night show, joined by R&B singer Miguel for their […]
Benny Blanco turned 37 years old on Saturday (March 8), and Selena Gomez celebrated her fiancé’s birthday with an adorable Instagram post. “I’m not sure what I did to deserve you but damn am I glad you were born.. happy birthday baby,” the “Love You Like a Love Song” singer wrote alongside photos of the […]
J Balvin and Feid’s “Doblexxo” snags the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as the song climbs 6-1 for its first week atop the March 15-dated list. The song lands at the summit in its 13th week.
“I feel super excited to know that our fans have embraced this song in such a way,” Balvin tells Billboard. “Feid’s talent is undeniable and our chemistry when it comes to making music has always been amazing. I can’t wait to sing ‘Doblexxo’ live during my upcoming Rayo tour.”
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In the tracking week ending March 6, “Doblexxo” pulled 8.4 million audience impressions earned in the U.S., according to Luminate; that’s a 32% gain from the week prior when the song generated 6.1 million.
With “Doblexxo,” Balvin achieves his record-extending 37th No. 1s since the Latin Airplay chart began in 1994, opening a wider gap from his next competitor (Ozuna, 34 champs). Feid bags his ninth ruler. The latter last reached the top with “Si Sabe Ferxxo,” with Blessd, which spent a week at No. 1 in June 2024.
Except for 2024, Balvin has placed at least one champ every year during his decadelong No. 1 chart career, dating back to “6AM,” featuring Farruko (May 2014). He completed his most lucrative period in 2022, placing nine No. 1 hits between February and October then. The year before, Balvin reached his second-best run, with six No. 1s in 2019.
Good reception across Latin rhythmic stations also spurs its coronation on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, where “Doblexxo” jumps 3-1. There, Balvin also stands firmly ahead of the rest, with 37 No. 1s. (Daddy Yankee follows with 35.)
The song’s 13-week climb to No. 1 marks a longer stride to the top than Balvin and Feid’s past pair-up, “Porfa” — where Maluma, Nicky Jam, Sech and Justin Quiles are also part of the billing — as it ruled after eight weeks in August 2020.
“Doblexxo” is the fourth radio promoted single from Balvin’s sixth studio album Rayo, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on Latin Rhythm Albums last August.
All charts (dated March 15, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, March 11. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Alex Warren found his out of the “Ordinary” love with wife Kouvr Annon, and he took that feeling to the stage of Love Is Blind. The 24-year-old star delivered his newest hit on the Netflix series’ season 8 reunion, marking the first-ever performance on the show. Warren was introduced by Love Is Blind co-hosts Nick […]
50 Cent is speaking out after false rumors ran rampant on social media of him being the victim of an alleged Hollywood shooting, which he deemed to be “fake news.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Don’t worry I’m gonna make it, because this is fake news,” […]
Freekey Zekey is back to his hilarious storytelling ways.
This time he’s talking to The Art of Dialogue about one of the many situations that lead to The Diplomats wearing out their welcome over at Roc-A-Fella Records back in the early 2000s. Zekey alleges that he, Jim Jones, and an associate got into an argument with label executive Lenny S. over studio time.
“What really separated us was when the tensions was high — it was me, Jim and Snagz,” he began. “We called Lenny S. saying we needed studio time and Lenny was like, ‘Bet, come on.’ So, we went up there — I think it was a Sunday — we up to the studio, we called Lenny S. like, ‘What’s going on? You said you was gonna give us studio time.’ Lenny S. was like, ‘Kiss my ass, n—a, it’s Sunday. What you talkin’ about?’” Taken aback by the news, Zeke then starts to laugh like a maniacal cartoon villain and replies back, “Really?”
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He then explains how the next day they planned on confronting Lenny at the label office and rushed down an elevator when they figured out where he was before Dame Dash tried to get Jim and Lenny to shoot a fair to settle things and move on. “Next day, we up in Roc-A-Fella like, ‘Where the f—k this n—a at?’ We couldn’t find him,” he said. “So, I got on the elevator and then I got pushed in the elevator by my man Snagz and Jim, and they pressing the button like, ‘Hurry up, let’s go downstairs!’ I don’t know what happened, but I’m pretty sure somebody got slapped or something physical happened to Lenny S.”
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Adding, “We get downstairs and Jim shoots out the gate, Jim’s runnin’, Snagz gets outta there, I’m a little fatter so I’m running slow. Dame pulls up: ‘What the f—k’s going on, man?!’ I think he brought Lenny S. down, he got Jim and Snagz there, and he was like, ‘We gonna fight ’cause none of this stupid sh—t is gonna go on. If there’s a problem, let’s fight it out.’ And before that happened, a Jeep or a truck pull up and I don’t if it was [Memphis] Bleek’s brother, but it was his family.”
He continued by speculating that the drama surrounding that day was the beginning of the end. “That’s when we found something hard enough to start to break the diamond,” Zekey recalled. “Because it was like, ‘Hold on, this is Bleek’s people with Lenny S. and y’all n—as gonna ride?’ That’s where the divide came from. It was supposed to be just a Lenny S. and Jim Jones fight, but I guess Lenny S. called somebody from Bleek’s family. So, now it was like, ‘Word?’ And that’s what caused the tension right there. Nobody got it on that day; everybody ended up separating, but the people that we saw let us know like, ‘Oh, now it’s up,’ and there’s where I think the full turmoil came.”
Cam’ron and The Diplomats ultimately released four official projects under the Roc-A-Fella banner before going their separate ways around 2004.
You can watch the clip below.
