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French Montana‘s story is an “Unforgettable” one. Now, it’s getting the documentary treatment.
The French Montana Story: For Khadija is headed to Paramount+ on Tuesday, Nov. 19, and Billboard has the exclusive first look at the trailer for the new feature.
“I’m a real immigrant, fresh off the boat. No access to nothing to become this dream I always dreamed about,” the three-time Grammy-nominated rapper says in the trailer. “They sell you the dream, they don’t show you the nightmare. The power of music and art … the story for a lot of immigrants out there is sacrifice — to better themselves, to better their family.”
Featuring appearances from Drake, Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Max B, Rick Ross, Harry Fraud, Funkmaster Flex, CokeBoy Zack and Chinx, The French Montana Story surveys the rise of French Montana, a Moroccan-born rapper with billions of streams to his name. From the moment his father abandoned his family — leaving his mother to raise three young sons in the Bronx on her own — to his own unique immigrant journey that took him through the streets of New York to the Billboard charts, French Montana’s tenacity, verve and grit are on full display in his new documentary.
“This is the best project I’ve ever worked on in my life,” Montana said in a press release. “It’s the first blueprint of an immigrant’s music dream, proving that anything is possible and it’s not about the awards, it’s about what we learn from the losses and sacrifices.”
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French Montana
Courtesy Photo
The French Montana Story is directed by Mandon Lovett and executive produced by Karim “French Montana” Kharbouch for Montana Entertainment, alongside Live Nation Productions’ Michael Rapino and Ryan Kroft for MTV Entertainment Studios. Additional executive producers include Drake and Sean “Diddy” Combs. In 2023, the feature-length documentary had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The new documentary isn’t Montana’s first major release in 2024. In February, he released his 23rd mixtape, Mac & Cheese 5, which reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and housed collaborations with countless hip-hop heavyweights, including Meek Mill, Westside Gunn, 41, JID, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne and Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West).
French Montana has landed eight projects on the Billboard 200, including 2013’s Excuse My French (No. 4) and 2017’s Jungle Rules (No. 3). On the Billboard Hot 100, he has scored 18 career entries, including the top 10 hits “Unforgettable” (No. 3, with Swae Lee) and “Loyal” (No. 9, with Chris Brown & Lil Wayne).
Watch Billboard‘s exclusive first look at the trailer for The French Montana Story: For Khadija below:
If a dog is really a woman’s best friend, then Kacey Musgraves‘ adorable Australian Cattle Dog Pepper is more like a guardian angel. The singer revealed in an Instagram Story on Sunday that Pepper “honestly saved me” when the “Deeper Well” star almost stepped on a rattlesnake with her bare feet while on a walk with friend recently, according to EW.
“Copperhead: 1, Pepper: 0,” she reported sadly about the snakebite the pup endured from a Timber Rattler — which is venomous and whose bite can be lethal to humans — while trying to protect her. “Got her to the vet quick” Musgraves added about the dash to get Pepper a dose of antivenom alongside a video of the dog with an IV line. “The bite made her lethargic. Those who have Blue Heelers know they ain’t ever this calm.”
“Pepper update: She’s home and sleeping a lot / on pain meds and getting lots of love,” Musgraves wrote. The post also reportedly included pics of Pepper snuggling in bed with her, clearly worse for the wear as evidenced by a red mark on the dog’s snout where the snake struck. “This is wild but the vet was showing me how the inside of her mouth and all down her neck is so bruised from that damn snakebite,” Musgraves wrote along with a snap of Pepper’s lip pulled back to show angry-looking discolored skin. “Thank God for good dogs,” she said.
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Though it didn’t include any action pics, Musgraves took to Instagram again on Monday (Oct. 28) for a photo dump of her month so far, writing, ” Here’s to seeing twilight more often – whether you get up for it or are already up , more sunrise rides (and coffee on said sunrise rides), fresh sourdough handmade by a friend, brave dogs that save you from stepping on a rattlesnake you didn’t see on your back porch, new songs, and all the other little sprinkles.”
The photo roll included snaps of Musgraves riding horses at sunrise with a friend, chilling with Pepper on her lap in the recording studio and giving the pup a nice pet on the head, working on a new song seemingly titled “Back on the Wagon” and, as mentioned above, baking sourdough.
Musgraves is in the midst of her Deeper Well World Tour, which will hit the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Nov. 7, followed by shows in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Brooklyn, Houston, Dallas and Austin through the end of the month.
Warriors, the star-studded concept album inspired by the 1979 cult film The Warriors, makes a splash on Billboard’s charts. The set, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, debuts at No. 1 on the Compilation Albums chart, and in the top 25 on both the Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales rankings (all […]
Donald Trump apparently wanted 50 Cent in da club. The Grammy-winning rapper appeared on The Breakfast Club on Tuesday (Oct. 29), and shared that he was offered $3 million to appear at Trump’s recent New York City rally held at Madison Square Garden.
During their chat, DJ Envy asked 50, “Is it true Donald Trump tried to give you money to endorse him one time?”
The rapper told his hosts that he got a call from the twice-impeached former president about “Sunday” (Oct. 27), with Jess Hilarious clarifying by asking whether he was talking about MSG, which 50 confirmed.
“They wanted you to perform ‘Many Men’ at the RNC too, right?” Charlamagne Tha God then asked. (The Get Rich or Die Tryin’ track soundtracked Trump’s entrance to Adin Ross’ stream in August.)
“Yeah. They offered me $3 million!” the “In Da Club” rapper shared. A surprised Charlamagne then asked if it was for the event at Madison Square Garden or the RNC, with 50 replying that it was indeed for the MSG rally. He also replied in the affirmative when Charlamagne asked whether he was offered payment as well for the Republican National Convention.
50 — who did not appear at the RNC in July nor at Trump’s NYC rally — went on to explain why he rejected the offers. “I didn’t even go far,” he told the three hosts of the offers. “I’m afraid of politics, you understand? I do not like it. … It’s because when you do get involved in it, no matter how you feel, somebody passionately disagrees with you. Look, if you say ‘I stay away from religion,’ I stay away from politics. Religion, that’s the formula for the confusion that it sent Kanye to Japan. He said something about both of those things and now he can only go to Japan. So you know I’m like I don’t want to get in that, man.”
Billboard has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment.
In recent years, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) has supported Trump, before declaring on July 4, 2020, that he was running for president as well. (He did not get far in his efforts, missing South Carolina’s July 20 deadline that year to get on the ballot.) Then beginning in October 2022, the rapper repeatedly made antisemitic hate speech, which resulted in him facing consequences that included losing brand deals, declines of airplay of his music catalog and more.
In 2020, 50 Cent supported Trump — who in May was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — before retracting his endorsement after former girlfriend Chelsea Handler called him out. “F–k Donald Trump, I never liked him,” the rapper later said when retweeting a video of the comedian — who preveriously referred the rapper as her favorite ex — on The Tonight Show in which she criticized her ex for his support of the business mogul.
Watch 50’s interview on The Breakfast Club below:
Beyoncé said on Tuesday (Oct. 29) that she is bursting with pride after her mom, Tina Knowles, announced that she is prepping a memoir for spring 2025. “Mama, I couldn’t be prouder. My love for you goes beyond what I can say,” the singer wrote on Instagram in a post featuring the colorful, gilded cover the the book entitled Matriarch: A Memoir, which is due out in stores on April 22.
“You put your heart into this book. I’m happy for you to share some of the stories that shaped you into who you are. To know you is to love you. But please don’t spill too much Mama Tea,” Bey wrote.
The post came after Tina Knowles announced the book on her Insta feed, revealing the cover that features the family matriarch seated in a flower-filled background in a yellow skirt and black top inside a gold picture frame.
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“I have always been a storyteller, and it’s something I learned from my mother. When I had a family of my own, I believed that my daughters needed to know where they came from in order to know where they were going,” Knowles wrote. “I’m now ready to share my story with all of you, so that we can all celebrate these themes of strength, motherhood, Black pride, and identity.”
Knowles — mother of Bey and her younger sister, singer Solange — said she called the book Matriarch because among things that inspire her are the “wisdom that women pass on to each other, generation to generation — and the inner wisdom we long to uncover in ourselves. Even at 70 I am still learning valuable lessons — revelations that I wish that I would have had at 40 or even 20,” she wrote. “I want to share this knowledge now, one to one with the reader, as we laugh and sometimes cry together through all the stages of our lives.”
A description of the book from Penguin Random House describes a memoir that will take the reader on a journey to meet Knowles from when she was a “precocious, if unruly, little girl growing up in 1950s Galveston, the youngest of seven. She is in love with her world, with extended family on every other porch and the sounds of Motown and the lapping beach always within earshot. But as the realities of race and the limitations of girlhood set in, she begins to dream of the world beyond. Her instincts and impulsive nature drive her far beyond the shores of Texas to discover the life awaiting her on the other side of childhood.”
It continues, “that life’s journey — through grief and tragedy, creative and romantic risks and turmoil, the nurturing of superstar offspring and of her own special gifts — is the remarkable story she shares with readers here. This is a page-turning chronicle of family love and heartbreak, of loss and perseverance, and of the kind of creativity, audacity, and will it takes for a girl from Galveston to change the world. It’s one brilliant woman’s intimate and revealing story, and a multigenerational family saga that carries within it the story of America — and the wisdom that women pass on to each other, mothers to daughters, across generations.”
Knowles and Beyoncé co-founded the clothing line House of Deréon and the spin-off brand Miss Tina and earlier this year the former hair salon owner helped create Cécred, Bey’s haircare line.
After spending four nights at New York’s Barclays Center during his Past, Present, Future Tour over the summer, Usher looks to recreate his magic at the Brooklyn arena this December with the announcement of two new shows there. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news After the Barclays […]
Pop superstars Olivia Rodrigo and Justin Timberlake are set to headline the 14th edition of the Pa’l Norte festival, the massive music party held annually in the Mexican city of Monterrey. The lineup, announced on Tuesday morning (Oct. 29), includes other major international acts such as Charli XCX, Green Day, Massive Attack, Kings of Leon, Black Keys and Caifanes.
This will be the first time that Rodrigo and Timberlake, who have previously visited Mexico, will participate in a Mexican festival. Timberlake has already performed in the country and has two upcoming shows scheduled at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City on Feb. 7-8. Rodrigo — who recently completed the 2024 dates of her Guts World Tour, which did not include Mexico — had not previously performed in concert in the country.
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The acclaimed festival will take place April 4-6 in Parque Fundidora in this city bordering the U.S.
SEVENTEEN, Garbage, Fall Out Boy, Benson Boone and electronic music stars Gesaffelstein, The Chainsmokers, Claptone, Sasha & John Digweed, and Deep Dish are also part of the Tecate Pa’l Norte 2025 lineup.
The 14th edition of the festival, one of the most acclaimed in Latin America, will feature more than 180 musical acts across nine stages, according to the organizers. The three-day event draws about 100,000 people per day, a few thousand more than the EDC electronic music festival, one of the most populous in the country.
In partnership with promoter Ocesa, acquired by Live Nation in 2021, Tecate Pa’l Norte has become one of the largest and most diverse festivals in Mexico. It annually attracts thousands of fans from around the world, with a capacity greater than other mega-festivals in the Mexican capital such as Vive Latino and Corona Capital, which gather about 80,000 people per day, according to their organizers.
Situated in Parque Fundidora, the festival’s lineup celebrates a rich fusion of genres ranging from rock and indie to regional Mexican music, reggaeton and electronic music, featuring some of the biggest international acts.
Its stages include Tecate Light, which hosts the main acts; Tecate Original stage, which embraces a mix of musical genres; Oasis Stage, dedicated to the popular genres of reggaeton, hip-hop, and trap; while Villa Maravilla offers the best in techno, afro house, and house music. The Club Social stage brings conventional sounds and EDM.
The Fusión stage is designated for Latin acts, and the Acústico stage offers a unique show with “unplugged” sets throughout the weekend, while the Sorpresa stage offers surprise performances and the Pilos stage, named after a legendary bar in Monterrey, has hosted the biggest stars of northern music since its inception.
In its 14 years of existence, Pa’l Norte has established itself as the “most important musical entertainment event in northern Mexico,” according to the Ministry of Tourism of Nuevo León.
In previous editions, the festival featured artists such as Billie Eilish, Foo Fighters, Caifanes, Maná, Tame Impala, The Killers, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and 50 Cent. The 2024 edition was headlined by Peso Pluma, Blink-182, Imagine Dragons, Maná, and Fuerza Regida.
The Morgan Wallen Foundation is helping music students across the country, donating a total of $500,000 in musical instruments through the “One Instrument at a Time” initiative, in partnership with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
The initiative is donating musical instruments to schools in need across 14 cities Wallen‘s One Night at a Time stadium tour has visited this year. Those cities include Arlington, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Denver; East Rutherford, N.J.; Hershey, Pa.; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Nashville; Oxford, Miss.; Philadelphia; Tampa, Fla.; and Virginia Beach, Va.
Over the past two years, 15-time Billboard Music Awards winner Wallen has donated $3 from every U.S. ticket sold on his 87-concert One Night at a Time World Tour to his nonprofit Morgan Wallen Foundation, which supports programs for youth in music and sports. $1.3 million was distributed to communities across the country in 2023 alone.
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“When I was a kid, access to music profoundly changed my life and gave me a sense of purpose. I want that for others, and I’m blessed to be able to provide instruments to these schools through my foundation,” Wallen said in a statement. “We really wanted to say a big thank you to these awesome communities that welcome us in and let us play for our fans.”
Donelson Middle School Band, led by teacher Laura Shepherd, receives multiple new instruments — including trombones, flutes, saxophones, keyboards, bass drums and more — from the Morgan Wallen Foundation and Mr. Holland’s Opus.
Courtesy of The Morgan Wallen Foundation
“Giving back is an integral part of who Morgan is and how he was raised. So launching ‘One Instrument At A Time’ in conjunction with this tour was incredibly important,” added Kathleen Flaherty, executive director of the Morgan Wallen Foundation. “Partnering with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation enabled us to utilize their expertise in securing quality instruments and identifying schools in local communities that need them the most. In turn, we hope to impact the lives of kids by giving them access to learn and play music, which is what set the stage for Morgan’s life.”
“Music education plays a crucial role in shaping the development of young minds, nurturing their artistic expression, and instilling a lifelong passion for music. We are grateful to the Morgan Wallen Foundation for their dedication to enhancing music education in our schools,” said Tricia Williams, president/CEO at Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. “Their generosity will make a profound difference in the lives of students, empowering them to unleash their potential and pursue their dreams.”
The “One Instrument at a Time” initiative is the latest way the Morgan Wallen Foundation is giving back. Last month, the foundation donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross to benefit relief efforts following Hurricane Helene. The Morgan Wallen Foundation also donated $140,000 to Gibbs Youth Sports, coinciding with Wallen’s record-breaking double-header of concerts at the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium.
Last year, the Morgan Wallen Foundation made donations that centered on revitalizing baseball parks in touring cities, donating to Chicago Cubs Charities, Atlanta Braves Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville, Boston Red Sox Foundation.
Shawn Mendes has clearly heard the constant buzz of whispers about his sexuality over the years and on Monday (Oct. 28) the singer addressed the elephant in the room during a quiet moment on his For Friends and Family tour at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver.
“I thought about this for a minute today, if I was gonna say something tonight at this part in the set,” Mendes told the crowd while seated on a stool noodling around on his acoustic guitar as seen in a fan’s TikTok video. After the crowd repeatedly shouted “We love you!,” Mendes, 26, continued by describing what it’s been like to grow up in the spotlight.
“I was really young when I started. I was 15 years old… The truth is that I didn’t get to do a lot of 15-year-old things and discover parts of myself that you do at 15,” he explained about going from being a high schooler to traveling the world. “Since I was really young there’s this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it so long. I think it’s kind of silly, because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.”
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Mendes has kept his dating life pretty private over the past decade, and though he’s been linked with a few other fellow stars, his most high-profile romance was his two-year relationship with Camila Cabello, which inspired a number of his songs, including “Summer of Love” and “Wonder” and their hit 2019 duet, “Señorita.”
“It always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me. Something that I was figuring out in myself, something that I had yet to discover and still have yet to discover it,” he told the crowd about writing the confessional new song “The Mountain,” which tackles the persistent rumors about his sexuality head-on with the lyrics: “You can say I’m too young/ You can say I’m too old/ You can say I like girls or boys/ Whatever fits your mold.”
“Writing this song felt really important to me because it felt like a moment where I could address it in a way that felt close to my heart. I guess I’m just speaking freely now because I just want to be able to be closer to everyone and just kind of be in my truth. The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone,” Mendes said to another round of supportive cheers. “I don’t really know sometimes and I know other times. And it feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that. And I’m trying to be really brave and just allow myself to be a human and feel things… And that’s all I really want to say about that for now.”
He then launched into the “You can say I’m too young” verse of “The Mountain,” which is slated for inclusion on the singer’s upcoming fifth studio album, Shawn, which is due out on Nov. 15.
Back in 2019, Mendes told The Guardian that the persistent whispers and speculation about his sexuality was “hurtful… I get mad when people assume things about me because I imagine the people who don’t have the support system I have and how that must affect them.” He said then that the rumors not only hurt him, but also the members of the LGBTQ community who admire him. “That was why I was so angry, and you can see I still get riled up, because I don’t think people understand that when you come at me about something that’s stupid you hurt so many other people,” he said. “They might not be speaking, but they’re listening.”
Mendes discussed the issue in that interview in the wake of a 2018 Rolling Stone cover story in which he addressed the talk head-on, saying, “I feel like I need to go be seen with someone — like a girl — in public, to prove to people that I’m not gay… Even though in my heart I know that it’s not a bad thing. There’s still a piece of me that thinks that. And I hate that side of me.” He later criticized both stories for not painting the full picture of who he is.
The life and legacy of esteemed artist Luther Vandross is the focus of a new exhibit at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance will open on Nov. 20 with an exclusive preview of the forthcoming documentary Luther: Never Too Much and a sneak peak of the exhibit. Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance is being presented in partnership with Primary Wave Music and The Luther Vandross Estate.
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The screening of the Dawn Porter-directed documentary will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers. Produced by Raindog Films and Foxxhole Productions for Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing, in association with Trilogy Films, Luther: Never Too Much will premiere on CNN, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and Max in 2025.
The exhibit and screening are also in tandem with the Dec. 13 release of the new compilation Never Too Much: Greatest Hits, which features Vandross’ new single: the previously unreleased cover of the Beatles’ “Michelle.” Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance will be on display through June 15, 2025.
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“The Luther Vandross Estate is excited to be sharing Luther’s musical legacy with the Grammy Museum and its visitors through this upcoming exhibit,” the estate said in the press release. “It is a special window into all of Luther Vandross’ talents — singer, of course, but also music producer, live performer, stage craft master, wardrobe designer and songwriter. Showcasing all of these amazing elements of Luther the artist via the long-cherished possessions of his personal archives is a treat for die-hard fans and new ones.”
“Luther Vandross is a cherished icon who defined the smooth, jazz-inspired era of R&B and whose timeless love songs have graced countless weddings, graduations, and family reunions for the past several decades,” said Grammy Museum curator Kelsey Goelz. “The Grammy Museum is thrilled to provide fans a close look into his incredible achievements in the studio and onstage.”
Exhibit highlights include hand-beaded suits and jumpsuits that Vandross and his background singers wore during his 1991 Power of Love tour; original fashion sketches of his tour wardrobe; handwritten lyrics and studio notes for the 1996 song “I Can Make It Better” plus an exclusive recording of Vandross crafting the song; original sheet music for “Never Too Much,” the No. 1 R&B hit and title track of his 1981 debut studio album; and six of the artist’s eight Grammy Awards.
Vandross died in 2005 at age 54 due to complications from a stroke.
“I Can Make It Better” Handwritten Lyrics.
Courtesy of The LV Estate
Bassist/songwriter/producer Marcus Miller was a longtime friend and creative collaborator who worked on Never Too Much and other recordings during Vandross’ career. “It’s incredible that with all the gifted singers out there, Luther was able to carve out his own totally unique space,” noted Miller. “No one could replicate Luther’s sound, his songwriting genius or even his covers of other people’s songs. Luther was a complete and utter perfectionist with a very specific vision of how he wanted things to be.
“His shows were theatrical masterpieces, and Luther was involved in every detail of their production: his vocals, his background singers’ harmonies, their choreography and even his background singers’ gowns! The gown beading had to be exquisite and authentic. The furs had to be real. I would say, ‘Luther, no one’s gonna know if the furs are real!!’ To which he would reply: ‘I will know!’ That was part of the magic of Luther, his unyielding commitment to excellence. It was truly an honor to have worked with my friend and big brother, Luther Vandross.”
For tickets and more information about Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance, please visit the Grammy Museum website.
