Music News

04 Sep 2024

Tony Yayo Credits Drake for ‘Free Yayo’ Shirt Deal With Spencer’s

Tony Yayo sat down with DJ Vlad and revealed that he got a call from retail chain Spencer’s Gifts the day after Drake posted a selfie of him wearing a “Free Yayo” shirt.

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“Once Drake wore the shirt, I got the call the next day. ‘Spencer’s wants to do a deal with you,’” said Yayo. He also said the shirts will be available at every Spencer’s worldwide and that Crooks & Castles would be manufacturing them.

Drake posted the picture of him wearing the shirt after Yayo had told Vlad in a separate interview that he didn’t believe the beef was over between the two rap heavyweights. “I think the battle is not over,” he said. “Drake is Drake, Kendrick is Kendrick. They’re both two of the biggest artists in the world. … We can say what we wanna say, all Drake gotta do is… Every time we count Drake out he comes back with a f—ing hit, that’s all I’m sayin’. All he gotta do is come back with No. 1 record. The kids are gonna be dancin’ just like they are to ‘Not Like Us.’”

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The “Free Yayo” shirt was made famous by Eminem when the Detroit rapper wore it during the 45th Grammy Awards in support of the G-Unit member. Yayo was incarcerated for jumping bail stemming from a New Year’s Eve arrest in 2002. The Queens rapper was paroled in January of 2004, but was arrested the day after he got out for having a forged passport. He was then released a month later in February.

04 Sep 2024

The Black Keys & Two Memphis Rap Pioneers Added to 2024 Raised By Sound Fest

Musical worlds will collide at the 2024 Raised By Sound Fest in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 7. Billboard can reveal that the annual festival put on by Memphis radio station WYXR will feature an afterparty DJ’d by legendary rock duo The Black Keys – as well as performances from Memphis hip-hop pioneers Lil’ Noid and Tommy Wright III.

Lil’ Noid, whose 1995 mixtape Paranoid Funk has become a cult classic, features on the Black Keys’ latest album, Ohio Players, guesting on the track “Candy and Her Friends.” Wright, who began self-releasing music in the early ‘90s, is an unsung pioneer of the Memphis rap sound; live performances from either rapper are a rarity.

Now in its third year, Raised By Sound Festival is a fundraiser for WYXR, a nonprofit Memphis radio station that unpacks the city’s expansive, eclectic musical history and present. The first Raised By Sound Fest in 2022 featured an all-star salute to Memphis power pop icons Big Star, led by surviving founding member Jody Stephens. Last year’s fest saw Cat Power recreate Bob Dylan’s iconic “Royal Albert Hall” concert from 1966 in breathtaking detail (with Tenn. State Rep. Justin J. Pearson watching from the front row, no less).

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Raised By Sound Festival

Raised By Sound Festival

Courtesy Photo

This year’s headline event is a live score performance of Music for William Eggleston’s Stranded in Canton by J. Spaceman (of Spiritualized) and John Coxon. The 85-year-old William Eggleston is a Memphis-born photographer often hailed as the “godfather of color photography,” as he helped to establish color photos as a legitimate artistic form of expression in the face of art world critics who preferred black and white. In 1974, he shot an experimental video project called Stranded in Canton that J. Spaceman and John Coxon have created a new score for. (In another Memphis music connection, Big Star’s second album, Radio City, features an Eggleston photo for the cover art.)

Additionally, the festival will feature free daytime sets from Hurray for the Riff Raff (a solo set), Cut Worms, Heartbreak Hill Trio, fosterfalls and Blue Tom Revue, the lattermost group consisting of University of Memphis music students. General admission (for the non-free events) is sold-out, but VIP tickets (which include the Black Keys-hosted afterparty) for the fundraiser are available here. Raised By Sound Fest takes place at the Crosstown Concourse in Memphis on Dec. 7 from 1-11 p.m. CT.

Raised By Sound Festival

Raised By Sound Festival

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04 Sep 2024

Lady Gaga in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: What Critics Are Saying

There’s a new villain in town.

Joker: Folie à Deux premiered at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival this week, with stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as well as director Todd Phillips in attendance to celebrate the film, which officially hits theaters on Oct. 4.

Unlike the first Joker film, for which Phoenix won an Oscar for best actor and Hildur Guðnadóttir won for best original score, Joker: Folie à Deux follows Phoenix’s return as Arthur Fleck, a.k.a the Joker, who is now confined in Arkham Asylum. There, he meets Gaga’s Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, and they form a powerfully chaotic bond with the goal of causing mayhem across Gotham City. Unlike the first Joker film, the sequel includes a series of musical numbers, which is where fans see Gaga in her element.

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While critics generally applauded Gaga’s subtle yet conniving Lee, many were actually hoping to see her more in the music-filled film, deeming her “underused.” See what critics had to say about Gaga’s performance in Joker: Folie à Deux below.

“Gaga is smartly low-key, not the Harley Quinn we associate with Margot Robbie, but her own person, dressed down and believably showing affection and connection with Joker and, more important, the man behind the makeup.” – Deadline

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“The casting of Lady Gaga certainly sounded promising, because she’s a great actor, and was put on earth (among other things) to make musicals. But Gaga, who has a lovely unforced presence in Folie à Deux, is drastically underused. Her Lee never quite takes wing.” – Variety

“Lady Gaga brings a sly and manipulative malice to her role: Harley is secretive, smart and genuinely disturbed in a way that Arthur/Joker perhaps isn’t. Is she to be the Lady Macbeth of DC supervillainy?” – The Guardian

“Gaga is a compelling live-wire presence, splitting the difference between affinity and obsession, while endearingly giving Arthur a shot of joy and hope that has him singing ‘When You’re Smiling’ on his way to court.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Gaga looks as if she’s a Manson girl who’s wandered off the set of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and plays Harleen with an appealingly feline cruelty.” – The Independent UK

“Phillips’ decision to cast a generational superstar in a role that seems designed to maximize both her supreme talents as a singer and her all-consuming screen presence as an actress just so he can sit her in the background of a courtroom whenever he’s not cutting her musical numbers off at the knees… well, it’s a lot more criminal than anything Arthur Fleck ever does in this movie.” – IndieWire

04 Sep 2024

Young Thug Laughs Off Rich Homie Quan Question From YSL Woody During Trial

Lil Woody‘s run as the star witness of the YSL RICO trial came to an end as he was called to the stand yesterday (Sept. 3) for the last time.

While on the stand, the prosecution asked Woody (born Kenneth Copeland) about Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan‘s relationship. “Yes, no, I don’t recall. Did Thug have an issue with Rich Homie Quan bringing members of If Gang to his apartment?,” the prosecution asked. Instead of answering the question, Woody thought it was a good idea to ask Thug the same question again. “Thug, did you have an issue with Rich Homie… , ” he asked before being cut off. This exchange prompted the entire courtroom to let out a few laughs, Thug included.

Woody had previously admitted to shooting up Rich Homie Quan’s father’s barbershop located in the Atlanta’s Bankhead neighborhood. That clip, of course, went viral because before confessing on the stand, he turned to the judge and asked, “Your honor, you said nothing I say can be used against me?” After the judge confirmed this, “Me and Threat shot up Rich Homie Quan daddy barbershop on Bankhead,” he told prosecutors. “I don’t what know what happened with Threat and Rich Homie Quan, but I’ma ride with my brother and they was beefin’ and yeah, we pulled up and did that.”

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Prosecutors had hoped the former YSL member would help them make these RICO charges stick, however, his testimony has turned an already tumultuous trial into even more of a circus. The prosecution tried to ask him again if YSL was a gang to which Woody replied, “And it still ain’t a gang.”

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Keep it locked here as this case as the longest trial in Georgia history continues to drag along.

04 Sep 2024

Ben Platt & Noah Galvin Say ‘I Do’ in Brooklyn Wedding: ‘We Are Still Floating’

Mazel tov! Dear Evan Hansen stars Ben Platt and Noah Galvin are officially married.

In a new interview with Vogue, the couple revealed the details of their luxurious New York wedding. With the entire wedding taking place over three days across Brooklyn and Manhattan, the couple officially tied the knot in a ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 1. “We couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Galvin said in the interview. “We are still floating. And mostly we’re happy we get to keep hanging out forever.”

Held at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the Sunday ceremony saw the happy couple prioritizing one aspect of the traditional wedding festivities over all others: dancing. “We wanted the dancing to go off. We feel that all missions were accomplished,” Platt said. “Our greatest hope was to give everyone a joyful, low-stress weekend full of warmth and a window into our relationship and the life that we are building.”

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Both Platt and Galvin gained national recognition for their portrayal of the titular character in Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen. Platt originated the role during the show’s initial run in 2016, with Galvin taking over the role from his now-husband in August 2017.

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Platt and Gavin began officially dating in January 2020, and got engaged in November 2022. Speaking to Billboard in May, Platt explained how his latest album Honeymind was directly inspired by his relationship with Galvin. “[The album is about] that crossroads between what it feels like to arrive in your real relationship and have a partner who you feel really understands you holistically, and how do you need to work on yourself as a person to be ready for a relationship like that?” Platt said.

Check out photos from Platt and Galvin’s wedding here.

04 Sep 2024

Lady Gaga & Fiancé Michael Polansky Make Glamorous Red Carpet Debut at Venice Film Festival

Lady Gaga already had the ring, but now she’s got the red carpet photos with Michael Polansky to make their engagement official.

While at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival to support the premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux, the 38-year-old superstar faced cameras with her fiancé by her side, marking the couple’s red carpet debut after more than four years together. Gaga complemented a daring black Christian Dior Haute Couture gown with an avant-garde Philip Treacy headpiece, while Polansky matched her in a simple tuxedo.

The couple posed on the carpet with the entrepreneur holding the 13-time Grammy winner’s left hand — subtly showing off her enormous engagement diamond — and resting his other arm around her waist. Also at the premiere were Gaga’s Joker 2 costar Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the titular role, and director Todd Phillips.

The event comes over a month after the “Bad Romance” singer confirmed her engagement in a conversation with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at the Paris Olympics in July, a snippet of which was captured in a video that circulated online. “My fiancé, Michael,” she said as she introduced Polansky to the politician.

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Gaga and the businessman have been dating since at least early 2020, with Mother Monster making their relationship Instagram official with a post that February. In an interview couple months later, she referred to Polansky as “the love of [her] life.”

In addition to Folie à Deux, which hits theaters Oct. 4, Gaga is also gearing up to release new music. She dropped “Die With a Smile” with Bruno Mars in July to warm fans up for her upcoming era — the track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 — and she’s now begun teasing her seventh album, the first single of which arrives in October.

04 Sep 2024

Chappell Roan Cancels Scalper Tickets to Give Fans Another Chance: ‘This Is a Larger Issue’

Chappell Roan fans in Tennessee just got a little bit of good luck, babe.

After realizing that resellers had torn through a chunk of the tickets to her upcoming concert in Franklin, Tennessee, making it difficult for actual fans to nab seats, the 26-year-old pop star took matters into her own hands. “Scalpers and bots bought up all the tickets, so we went through and canceled all the scalper tickets we could,” Roan explained in a pair of videos via Instagram Stories on Wednesday (Sept. 4).

The “Hot to Go!” artist went on to announce that she’d be selling those same tickets back to fans in a limited quantity, directing followers to an online Ticketmaster form where they can request spots at Firstbank Amphitheater on Oct. 1.

“I want to make sure that tickets go to people who actually want to come and are fans,” she continued. “This is the best solution that makes sense to me and my team. I know it’s confusing and it’s so annoying, but I’m genuinely so pissed about the scalper situation and think that people actually deserve to get to my show. This is a larger issue, and we’re dealing with it.”

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“I can’t wait to see people who actually deserve to be here,” Roan added. “It means everything to me.”

Roan is far from the first artist to speak out against ticket scalping, a problem that’s reached a fever pitch in the past few years post-pandemic. Many stars — including Taylor Swift ahead of her Eras Tour — have tried out systems of vetting customers before conducting ticket sales, but one of the only proven ways of preventing bots from buying tickets and reselling them at inflated prices has been dynamic pricing, which poses issues of its own.

The Missouri native is currently on tour in support of her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which recently reached a new peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Ahead of her concert in Franklin, she’ll perform overseas in Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, London and Berlin, as well as New York and Maryland back in the U.S.

Amid her rise to stardom this year, Roan has been open about feeling overwhelmed at the speed of her own ascent and recently had to set some boundaries with fans. “I’ve been in too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions and I just need to lay it out and remind you, women don’t owe you sh–,” she wrote in a statement on social media in August. “I chose this career path because because I love music and art and honoring my inner child, I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”

“I am specifically talking about predatory behavior (disguised as ‘superfan’ behavior) that has become normalized because of the way women who are well-known have been treated in the past,” she added at the time. “Please do not assume you know a lot about someone’s life, personality, and boundaries because you are familiar with them or their work online.”

04 Sep 2024

Oasis Adds Two More Wembley Shows Due to Popular Demand

Due to staggering public demand for Oasis’ upcoming reunion tour, the band announced two additional dates for London’s Wembley Stadium, to take place on September 27 and 28, 2025.

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For these shows, to make “amends” for disappointment, skyrocketed ticket prices and missed tickets due to a frustrating ticket platform queue, a special invitation-only ballot ticket sale strategy has been created for the two new shows. Applications to join the ballot will be opened first to the many fans who were unsuccessful in the initial on sale with Ticketmaster.

Last week, the “Live Forever” band confirmed a tour in 2025, plus a promise of an extended international run. “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” the group wrote in a statement on social media.

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Oasis will hit the road for multiple dates across the British Isles, including Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, for what will be their “only shows in Europe next year”. The official statement added that “plans are underway for OASIS LIVE ’25 to go to other continents outside of Europe later next year.”

The Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, split the band in 2009, and became estranged. Both artists formed successful musical careers away from the band that made them household names. The duo fanned the flames on social media in 2022 of a possible reunion, as they last performed onstage together in August 2009.

Noel had stated he was willing return to the band for £100 million ($135 million), to which Liam responded that he would reunite the band for free.

See below for the current full list of Oasis tour dates.

JULY 2025

4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
16th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
30th – London, Wembley Stadium

AUGUST 2025

2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
12th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park

SEPTEMBER 2025

27th – London, Wembley Stadium
28th – London, Wembley Stadium

04 Sep 2024

Justin Bieber Is Working on New Music With Mk.gee

It’s been three years since Justin Bieber’s last album, and he’s finally back in the studio.

In a new interview with The New York Times, indie singer-songwriter Mk.gee revealed that he’s been in studio sessions with the “Love Yourself” singer. “He’s searching,” he said. “Anything that comes out of his mouth: That’s pop music. You can really do pretty wild stuff behind that, just because it represents something.”

After launching a world tour in February 2022 in support of his last project, 2021’s Justice, and his 2020 Changes album, Bieber revealed in June of that year that he’d been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which had resulted in “full paralysis” on one side of his face, leading to the postponement of some dates.

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Though he hit the road again, Bieber was forced to come off the road again in September after the Rock in Rio festival due to ongoing health issues. At the time, Bieber said that he needed to “make my health the priority now,” announcing that he would take a break from touring for an indeterminate amount of time to rest and recuperate, then he cancelled all the remaining shows originally scheduled through March 25, 2023.

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He appeared as a guest on a few singles since then, including Don Toliver’s “Private Landing” and an acoustic version of SZA’s “Snooze.”

However, Bieber has been busy with fatherhood lately. The star and his wife, Hailey Bieber, welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Jack Blues Bieber, last month.

04 Sep 2024

SheMadeIt Workshop for Women, Non-Binary People of Color Returns for a Second Year Following Successful Launch 

Everydaydreamer, a creative consultancy that specializes in creative production and direction, is holding its second annual SheMadeIt workshop in New York City.

SheMadeIt is a directorial workshop for women and non-binary people of color who are interested in creating short-form content like music videos, commercials and short films. The intensive three-day workshop includes programming like The Art of Business and Creative Panels, as well as an industry speed dating event, to name a few. It also offers mentorship experiences to attendees following the event. Among the mentors include panelists and industry tastemakers from Johannes Leonardo, Mass Appeal, Epic Records, Colombia Records, Live Nation, OVO Sound, Dr Martens, Grand Crew, Atlantic Records, Space Cowboys, and Roc Nation. 

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Billboard, Dr Martens, Topo, Chico, Hanni, Athena Club and Helo and among the partners for the 2024 iteration. The event’s founder, Shadeh Smith, was previously a Senior Creative Executive at Atlantic Records Los Angeles and Atlantic Records London. She created SheMadeIt to challenge the status quo in today’s media by offering educational opportunities for women and people of color who want to direct. 

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Last year, the event was launched in Los Angeles with big names like Beats and Kehlani joining their panels and events. Since then, they’ve held workshops on the east and west coasts with their aim to reduce inequities in film for POC directors. According to statistics from SheMadeIt, “As of 2023, of all Academy Award nominees, women of color were less than two percent.”

For more on this initiative, including requirements for entry, head over to SheMadeIt’s official website.