Music News

Drake Promises to Pay for a Fan’s Mother’s Cancer Treatment During Australia Concert

Drake has continued to bless fans experiencing financial hardship during his Anita Max Wynn Tour through Australia.

The 6 God took his generosity to another level earlier this week in Brisbane when pointing out a fan who was holding up a sign about his mother’s upcoming cancer treatment, and Drake promised to take care of the entire bill no matter how expensive it ended up being.

“I can’t ignore this right here,” he began telling the crowd. “Everybody’s been pointing to this man all night. This right here put this sign up, please, this is important… Make some noise for anybody in this world that’s fighting any disease, especially cancer that’s real soldiers — real gangsters.”

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Drake continued: “Let me tell you something, my man. I’m not even gonna put a number on it. Whatever you need for your mother’s cancer treatment, I’ma take care of everything for you. I promise you — anything.”

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The OVO rapper has taken his philanthropy across Australia. He previously handed out $20,000 to a pair of fans in Perth, gave $45,000 to some OVO faithful in Melbourne and upgraded a pregnant fan to VIP in Sydney and blessed her with $30,000 ahead of her baby’s arrival.

Even when the fans lose, they end up winning. Drake beat a fan in a game of rock-paper-scissors earlier this month during a show and still hooked him up with $20,000 in defeat.

The Anita Max Wynn Tour is taking a mini-break for the rest of February before returning in March with a few shows left in Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand.

Drake and PartyNextDoor’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U topped the Billboard 200 with 246,000 total album units earned while all 21 tracks hit the Billboard Hot 100.

Watch the clip of Drake promising to pick up the tab for a fan’s mother’s cancer treatment here.

Here’s How Jennifer Lopez Inspired Vanessa Lachey to Give Her Daughter ‘The Birds & The Bees’ Talk

For Vanessa Lachey, a bad cold, romantic comedies and Jennifer Lopez all led to giving her 10-year-old daughter “the birds and the bees” talk.

Vanessa and her husband Nick Lachey joined The Kelly Clarkson Show this week, where the Love Is Blind host recalled the moment. “This has been the craziest cold and flu season,” she explained. “It went through our entire house, and at the same time, my daughter Brooklyn and I were both sick in bed. We watch every romcom that a 10-year-old can watch, which is a little limiting because some get R-rated.”

At one point, they settled on watching 2010’s The Back-Up Plan, which follows Zoe (Jennifer Lopez), who conceives twins via artificial insemination. On the same day as her procedure, she meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin), whom she believes to be her dream man. “I was like, ‘Oh crap.’ I press play and I’m thinking I’m going to ease into it,” Vanessa recalled. “First scene, she’s in the chair legs up in stirrups, he comes in with the Q-tip. He’s about to artificially inseminate her.”

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She continued, “So, I pause it and I go ‘OK, so there’s a couple ways you can get pregnant. This is one.’ [Brooklyn] goes, ‘I’m going to look in the pillow when you tell me the other one.’ I go, ‘No, look at me. I’ll look at the TV.’ We had a whole talk, explaining the science of it.”

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Ultimately, Brooklyn deduced that to get pregnant, “you can opt for the Q-tip and not the guy,” to which Vanessa responded, “Absolutely.”

Watch the full interview — with Nick’s face in his hands throughout the hilarious story — below.

Tyler, the Creator Tells Fans to Stop Asking Him ‘Weird’ Questions in Public

Tyler, the Creator just wrapped up six Los Angeles shows on his Chromakopia Tour, but he has one request for fans who see him in public.

Tyler requested on X Monday (Feb. 24) that fans who see him out and about stop asking him “weird a– questions.” Essentially, he just wants them to say what’s up and keep it moving.

“Yo when you see me dont be asking questions like ‘ whY are you here in a major city….. are you renting a house here…where you going’ like n—a I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND, are you a cop? weird a– questions… say hi blah blah and keep it moving so i can finish my walk lol,” he wrote.

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Some fans took issue with his request, since, in the past, he allegedly told fans he’d prefer to have a conversation with them rather than take a photo together.

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“you’re the same dude who tells ppl you’d rather have a conversation irl than take a pic w them and then if they try to make small talk is that a problem too,” one person wrote.

Another replied: “Yeah I asked you where Frank was one time and you said ‘idk n word I am not his parole officer.’”

Tyler isn’t a stranger to making requests to fans, as he’s previously pleaded with them to stop throwing items on stage and get hip to Missy Elliott’s discography.

The Grammy-winning rapper is currently on the road as part of his Chromakopia World Tour. After running through his home state of California, Tyler heads to Portland, Ore., Vancouver, B.C., and Seattle in the coming week.

Chromakopia scored Tyler his third No. 1 album as the project topped the Billboard 200 in November with 499,500 album equivalent units earned in a shortened first tracking week.

My Chemical Romance, Blink-182 and Deftones to Headline 2025 Shaky Knees Festival

My Chemical Romance, Deftones and Blink-182 will headline this year’s Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park on Sept. 19-21. They will be joined by an eclectic roster of rock and pop acts including Lenny Kravitz, Sublime, The Marias, Pixies, Cage the Elephant, The Black Keys, Public Enemy, Vampire Weekend, Alabama Shakes, Lucy Dacus and Devo, among many others.

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The 12th edition of the fest will move from its previous home in the city’s Central Park — and from its typical spring slot in May to the fall — with a pre-sale slated to kick off on Thursday (Feb. 27) at 10 a.m. ET, with a public on-sale to follow if tickets remain; ticket information is available here.

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This year’s line-up also includes: Idles, Spoon, Inhaler, Joey Valence & Brae and the Lambrini Girls on night one alongside the Deftones, with The Backseat Lovers, TV on the Radio, The All-American Rejects, Johny Marr, The Beaches, Mannequin Pussy, Bilmuri, Cmat, Scowl and Michigander warming up the stage for MCR on night two.

Night three will feature Wet Leg, the reunited 4 Non Blondes, Franz Ferdinand, Stereophonics, The Stews, Fleshwater, Murder By Death, Mdou Moctar and special guest “Weird Al” Yankovic performing before Blink.

Last year’s edition was top-lined by Noah Kahan, Weezer and Foo Fighters, as well as sets by Arcade Fire, Young the Giant, Interpol, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, Royal Blood, Billy Idol, Portugal. The Man, Dinosaur Jr., Waxahatchee and many more.

Check out the Shaky Knees 2025 poster with full artist roster below.

Bonnaroo 2025 to Feature New Dance-Focused Stage With Sets by Of the Trees, Rebecca Black & More

Bonnaroo is building a brand new stage for its 2025 event.

Announced Tuesday (Feb. 25), the Infinity Stage will feature a collection of dance and electronic acts, including a b2b set from bass masters Of the Trees and Tape B, a DJ set from Big Gigantic, a DJ set from Rebecca Black, heavy hitter Mary Droppinz, indie dance producer Washed Out, Italian duo Parisi and a Friday stage takeover featuring artist’s from John Summit’s Experts Only label.

The Infinity Stage will be an open-air space composed of three domes, which together will form an immersive area being called “the world’s largest 360-degree spatial audio experience.” The stage is being produced in partnership with Polygon Live, which specializes in such immersive audio experiences, and which has previously hosted stages at festivals including Thailand’s Wonderfruit and MDLBEAST in Saudi Arabia.

“We want to keep it an intimate and truly engaging spatial experience for everybody, so we’re going the route of multiple circles moving forward,” Polygon Live’s David Lopez de Arenosa said at the Billboard Touring Summit in November, in terms of how the company’s multi-domed stage setups optimize sound.

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Elsewhere, the Bonnaroo 2025 lineup is heavy on dance acts, with headliners including Justice, Dom Dolla and John Summit, along with Sammy Virji, Green Velvet, RL Grime, Lszee, Barry Can’t Swim and many more. Outside of dance, 2025 headliners include Luke Combs, Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Glass Animals, Avril Lavigne, Queens of the Stone Age, Hozier and Vampire Weekend.

Bonnaroo 2025 happens in Manchester, Tenn., June 12-15.

See the complete Infinity Stage lineup below.

Bonnaroo The Infinity Stage Lineup

Chris Jasper, Isley Brothers Member & Rock Hall of Famer, Dead at 73

Chris Jasper — the award-winning Isley Brothers songwriter, producer and keyboardist — has died. He was 73 years old.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s family broke the news with a notice on Facebook posted Monday (Feb. 24), one day after Jasper’s death. “He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations,” it reads.

The message also noted that Jasper had been battling cancer following a diagnosis in December.

Born Dec. 30, 1951, and educated at the Juilliard School of Music, the Cincinnati native helped transform the Isley Brothers from vocal trio to full-fledged band when he joined the original lineup — comprised of brothers O’Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald Isley — in 1973 alongside Ernie and Marvin Isley. During his decade with the group, they scored numerous entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including top 10 hits “That Lady (Part 1)” and “Fight the Power Part 1,” both of which Jasper helped write.

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The Isley Brothers also charted a dozen albums on the Billboard 200 during Jasper’s tenure, including 1975’s No. 1 LP The Heat Is On. 1973’s 3+3, 1976’s Harvest for the World, 1977’s Go for Your Guns, 1978’s Showdown and 1980’s Go All the Way also all reached the top 10.

After the group disbanded in 1984, the pianist formed Isley-Jasper-Isley with Ernie and Marvin, and recorded hits such as 1985’s “Caravan of Love.” He would later go on to pursue a solo music career, becoming known for tracks such as “Superbad” and “The First Time.” He released his final album, It Started With a Kiss, in 2023.

Jasper’s contributions to R&B and popular music were recognized with numerous major accolades over the years, including with his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of his Isley Brothers bandmates in 1992. In 2014, the Grammys honored the group with a Lifetime Achievement Award, eight years after which the Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted the members into its 2022 class.

The icon is survived by his wife, New York attorney and author Margie Jasper, as well as his three sons Michael, Nicholas and Christopher.

Duke Dennis Reacts to GloRilla Asking Him Out on ‘ILBB2’

GloRilla has been in the gym fighting BBL allegations, and she’s feeling confident these days.

The Memphis rapper shot her shot at popular streamer Duke Dennis at the end of her feature verse on Jorjana’s “ILBB2 (Remix),” in which she raps, “Like my n—as tall and brown (What else?) And mixed with a little bit of ugly,” and straight up asked Dennis out at the top of the song’s outro. “Uh, uh-huh/ They say shooters shoot,” Glo proclaimed. “Uh, uh-huh/ Duke Dennis, what’s up with you?”

Over the weekend, he decided to watch the music video to see for himself, but was confused about the line about “being mixed with a little bit of ugly” before his name was mentioned. “Those two lines is separate, though, right?” he asked the chat as he had himself a laugh. “You weren’t talking about me — I think it was like ‘uh-uhs’ in between, you know, two different people. I don’t know who she was talking about.”

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He added, “OK, this is why my DMs flooded and everybody’s saying, ‘What’s up with you.’ I definitely get it now.”

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GloRilla has been hard at work getting ready for her upcoming Glorious Tour, which is set to begin in a couple weeks on March 5 in Oklahoma City, Okla., and will finish up in her hometown of Memphis, Tenn., on a soon to be determine date and venue. Not only has she been working out three days a week, but she’s also on a 30-day fast, and made a 90-day celibacy pledge.

So, we might have to wait and see if this power couple will ever come to fruition.

Marco Antonio Solís Electrifies With Kendrick Lamar ‘Not Like Us’ Mashup During Argentina Concert

Legendary Mexican singer Marco Antonio Solís wowed audiences over the weekend when he integrated Kendrick Lamar‘s hit “Not Like Us,” which has topped the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Hot 100 charts, into his repertoire during a concert in Argentina.

Known for his rich musical legacy with Los Bukis and impressive solo career, Solís incorporated the 2024 Drake diss track at Estadio Centenario (Resistencia) on Sunday (Feb. 23) night. Lamar’s viral hit recently gained further attention following the rapper’s eye-catching Super Bowl halftime performance in New Orleans on Feb. 9.

Decked out in a striking teal suit and cowboy hat, Solís first swayed to the Los Bukis mariachi song “El Celoso” with his troupe of vaquera dancers. The atmosphere electrified as the opening notes of “Not Like Us” filled the air, all while Lamar’s voice resonated through the venue. The performance took a whimsical turn as it shifted back to mariachi, leaving the audience in awe of what seemed like a vibrant musical fever dream.

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At 65, the “Si No Te Hubieras Ido” hitmaker demonstrated that his energy and agility defy age, performing a somewhat complex choreography with ease and proving he still possesses the dynamic flair of his Los Bukis days. Fans and celebrities alike — including Chiquis, who wrote “Amazing,” and Lupita Infante — took to Instagram to praise his performance, filling his posts with comments of admiration and emojis of approval.

Through this inventive mashup, Marco Antonio Solís not only bridged genres but also generations, confirming his enduring appeal in the ever-evolving music landscape.

Check out Marco Antonio Solís’ performance of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” below.

A$AP Rocky’s Attorney Says He Declined Looking at Diddy’s Case Due to His Own Jay-Z Ties

Coming off his legal victory representing A$AP Rocky in the rapper’s 2021 felony shooting case, where he was acquitted on all charges, attorney Joe Tacopina joined The Breakfast Club on Monday (Feb. 24).

Among the topics discussed throughout the interview were Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering case, and Tacopina revealed he was asked to look into Sean Combs’ case, but declined due to his ties to Roc Nation and Jay-Z.

“I represent Roc Nation; a lot of people in Roc I’m very close with,” he said. “Jay and [Roc Nation president] Desiree Perez, who’s the most amazing, like, bomb of a boss. Jay is amazing. You know, Jay Brown, all those people are just, like, they really are special, special people.”

Tacopina continued to claim that Diddy and Jay aren’t close these days. “That’s sort of family to me and I don’t think they see eye to eye with P. Diddy,” he added.

Host Charlamagne Tha God interrupted Tacopina to have him repeat his sentiments regarding the status of Combs and Hov’s relationship.

“Everyone wants a picture with P. Diddy, at one time or another when they went to a party,” he explained of the hip-hop moguls being photographed together over the years. “But when things got real, years and years ago.”

Billboard has reached out to reps for Diddy and Roc Nation for comment.

A civil lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Diddy was voluntarily dismissed on Feb. 14 after being filed in New York federal court in December by attorney Tony Buzbee.

A Jane Doe plaintiff had accused Hov and Combs of drugging and assaulting her during an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Jay-Z called the case “extortionate” in his initial response to the filing.

“The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” Jay-Z wrote in a message posted to the Roc Nation Instagram account following the case’s dismissal. “This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, my loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”

Combs was arrested in September and is currently being detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His lawyer Marc Agnifilo called it an “unjust prosecution” at the time, and added that the musician was cooperating with law enforcement and had moved to New York in anticipation of the charges. Said Agnifilo: “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

The disgraced music mogul is currently awaiting trial, which is slated to start in May. Prosecutors allege Combs was running a criminal enterprise looking to satisfy his need for “sexual gratification.” Diddy has also been accused of using violence and intimidation tactics to keep his alleged victims from speaking out against him. If convicted on all charges, Combs faces life in prison.

Watch the full interview below. Talk of Diddy and Jay-Z starts shortly after the 47-minute mark.

Gracie Abrams to Receive Hal David Starlight Award at 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala

Gracie Abrams is set to receive the Hal David Starlight Award at the 54th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 12, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The award, created in 2004, is presented to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs,” according to the announcement. The award was named after the late Oscar- and Grammy-winning lyricist and SHOF chairman emeritus, best-known for his long, hit-studded collaboration with Burt Bacharach.

Abrams, 25, has received Grammy nominations in each of the year two years. In 2024, she competed for best new artist. This year, she competed for best pop duo/group performance for “Us.” (featuring Taylor Swift, the 2010 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award).

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Abrams’ sophomore album, The Secret of Us, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It spawned a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” The deluxe edition of the album spawned a top 10 hit, “That’s So True.”

Abrams, the daughter of celebrated filmmaker J.J. Abrams, is a Universal Music Publishing Group writer.

The Hal David Starlight Award is meant as a balance to the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization’s top award, which is a career-capping honor. This year’s Mercer recipient has not yet been announced. (This is a reversal from last year, when Diane Warren was announced as the Mercer recipient on Feb. 22, nearly two months before SZA was announced as the Hal David recipient.)

Previously announced 2025 SHOF inductees are George ClintonAshley GorleyRodney “Darkchild” JerkinsMike Love, Tony Macaulay and three members of The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons).

Here’s the complete list of recipients of the Hal David Starlight Award:

  • 2004: Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty)
  • 2005: Alicia Keys
  • 2006: John Mayer
  • 2007: John Legend
  • 2008: John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls)
  • 2009: Jason Mraz
  • 2010: Taylor Swift
  • 2011: Drake
  • 2012: Ne-Yo
  • 2013: Benny Blanco
  • 2014: Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons)
  • 2015: Nate Ruess (Fun.)
  • 2016: Nick Jonas (Jonas Brothers)
  • 2017: Ed Sheeran
  • 2018: Sara Bareilles
  • 2019: Halsey
  • 2022: Lil Nas X
  • 2023: Post Malone
  • 2024: SZA
  • 2025: Gracie Abrams