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First things first: Pras Michel wants to make it very clear that his recent hard-hitting track “Bar Mitzfa” was not meant as a diss on his Fugees bandmate Lauryn Hill after she abruptly cancelled their highly anticipated reunion tour.
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“You’re family, you have internal disagreements, but it’s not going to be on a level where I’m dissing her — that doesn’t make any sense,” Pras told Vulture about the song he dropped last week in which he appeared to lay the blame for the tour’s meltdown squarely on the trio’s mercurial frontwoman. “No one will remember: click bait beefs, how many Gucci bags you owned, bogus excuses/ People will remember: How you made them feel, if you kept your word, if they could count on you, if you come on Time!!!”, he rapped on the tune.
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The track came after the group’s planned tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hill’s groundbreaking debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, was scotched just before its August 9 kick-off date, with Hill citing “sensationalism” by the media over past cancellations as a contributing factor to what she said were low ticket sales.
“Artistically speaking, sometimes we say things because that’s how we express ourselves,” Pras continued about his musical response to the situation. “This track is me speaking my truth. When I was writing the record, those lines just came out. That was actually the last bars that came: ‘Don’t blame me, blame her, she made the mess.’ It sounded hot! I needed something to rhyme with mess, and I was like, Damn, do I put [third Fugees member] Wyclef in this?”
Pras said “everyone’s frustration has been building up” about the cancellation of the tour, noting that “this is not something that just happened overnight.” The MC added that his frustration was for the fans who bought tickets and were disappointed by the 11th-hour announcement.
“They are paying their hard-earned money to see you,” he said. For example, we did Global Citizen in 2021 and they were gracious enough to let us play at another location because they knew that Lauryn could be late and it’s live. They were like, go film it and then we’ll just inject it into whatever segment of the show that we’re projecting. She was three hours late. It was raining. We had fans whose cars were getting towed. The mayor had to reimburse some of the towing. He’s a fan of the Fugees too; he felt bad… We’re going on almost three decades of our existence, individually and as a group. To have people still interested in wanting to come see you, man, you have to be grateful.”
And though Hill has a history of taking to the stage late and calling off shows unexpectedly, given the group’s three-decade history together, Pras said there is undoubtedly “magic” when the three of them hit the stage. “No matter what we’re going through, individually or collectively, when we get on that stage and start performing, it’s euphoric,” Pras said. “It brings back the innocence of when we were kids. I’ve known Lauryn Hill since she was 11 years old, and Clef way before that. But there’s obviously reservation. We don’t even ask her if she’s gonna be on time anymore; we say, ‘How late is she going to be?’ It gets to a point that you say, is it even really all worth it?”
Pras said he was both “surprised and not surprised” the tour was cancelled after the 20 shows the reunited group were scheduled to play in 2023 were reduced to 10. The planned 21-date Miseducation Anniversary Tour was previously postponed in November after Hill said she was struggling with vocal issues. “As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month. I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “In order to prevent any long term negative affect on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely.”
Asked what the group’s friend dynamic is off stage, Pras said they communicate “sometimes,” describing himself as the “Bobby Brown of the group.” He noted that he communicates with Wyclef Jean more than Hill, but that they all talk on WhatsApp.
While the U.S. dates were cancelled, Pras was non-committal when asked if he was looking forward to the European dates, which at press time were slated to kick off on Oct. 7 with a show in Dublin, Ireland, according to Hill’s official site; Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s site currently list different European kick-off dates. “It’s a loaded question. I’m always going to love to perform. I feel like when we’re onstage, nothing can stop us,” he said. “The thing that I don’t want to do is be inconsiderate to the fans… I don’t want to be a part of something that’s not going to be able to reciprocate the appreciation and gratitude.” Vulture noted that Pras’ ability to travel outside the United States is currently limited due to his conviction in 2023 of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
If you haven’t learned it by now, Cardi B has no time at all for your ridiculous conspiracy theories and accusations. The “Bongos” MC proved it for the 900th time on Wednesday (August 21) when she clapped back, hard, at a comment on X in which a user asked, “Has Cardi been bleaching her skin?”
The question was in response to a comment on a previous post from Cardi in which former City Girls MC JT was shown cradling the rapper’s growing bump; Cardi recently announced that she’s expecting her third child with estranged husband Offset, who she has filed for divorce from for the second time.
“Bleaching while pregnant? [three sad face emoji] Why must yall be so dumb ?,” Cardi responded. “Actually NO ! I’m pregnant I’m slightly anemic ,this baby suckin all the energy off my body to the point I’m pale,eyes sunken ,veins green ASF,can’t tan under the sun cause I get hot super fast and dizzy ….PLEAE STOP THINKIN WITH YOUR A–HOLE!”
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According to the American Society of Hematology, anemia is a condition that may occur during pregnancy when the body does not produce enough blood cells. Women who are pregnant are at higher risk for the condition because their blood volume goes up and their body needs more iron to supply oxygen to the fetus. Among the potential symptoms of anemia are feeling tired or weak and a progressive paleness of the skin.
Even while swatting away the haters, Cardi also got a nice compliment from another X user, who praised the pic with JT, writing, “This is a beautiful picture @iamcardib. You have to really #trust and #genuinely care about someone to allow them to touch you and your child this way. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you post and label pictures of #real #friends,” they added about the pic that Cardi captioned “What about your friends.”
Cardi and JT got into a heated feud in 2022 in which the women went back-and-forth with some vicious insults in a squabble that eventually pulled Nicki Minaj into the fray as well. But based on the friendly caption Cardi put on the baby bump pic, it seems as if the JT drama has been squashed.
In other good news, Cardi recently revealed that she recently completed the cover shoot for her long-in-the-works sophomore album, though at press time there was still not title or announced release date for the follow-up to her 2018 debut album, Invasion of Privacy.
See the posts below.
Bleaching while pregnant 😒😒😒? Why must yall be so dumb ? Actually NO ! I’m pregnant I’m slightly anemic ,this baby suckin all the energy off my body to the point I’m pale,eyes sunken ,veins green ASF,can’t tan under the sun cause I get hot super fast and dizzy ….PLEAE STOP… https://t.co/S4IVLZ4WAv— Cardi B (@iamcardib) August 21, 2024
Miranda Lambert will receive The Country Icon Award at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards, which are slated for Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Lambert will be honored for her 23-year career (dating back to the release of her self-released debut album), “during which she’s built an authentic, female-forward brand of country that has shaped the industry,” in the show’s words.
Last year, an ailing Toby Keith received The Country Icon Award at the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards. He died a little more than four months later of stomach cancer.
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Lambert will receive award two weeks after the release of her ninth solo studio album, Postcards from Texas, which is due Sept. 13.
“A tour de force in country music for more than 20 years, Miranda Lambert’s groundbreaking albums continue to capture the hearts of fans around the world,” Jen Neal, evp, live events and specials, NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement. “We’re so excited to celebrate her career, fierce individualism and innovation in the industry with the Country Icon Award.”
Lambert has long been an awards magnet. She has won a record 35 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards (more than any other woman) and three Grammys.
She has also been a major force on the Billboard charts, with five No. 1 hits on Hot Country Songs, seven No. 1s on Country Airplay, seven No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums and one No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
She has conquered Las Vegas with her twice-extended “Velvet Rodeo” residency and blurred genre lines with her work with such varied artists as Leon Bridges, Enrique Iglesias, The B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow and Elle King as well as her inclusive anthem “Y’all Means All” for Netflix’s Queer Eye.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Lambert is a restaurateur, businesswoman, New York Times best-selling author and, perhaps most importantly to her, shelter animal advocate. She has raised nearly $10 million to date for rescue animals via her MuttNation Foundation.
Last year, the People’s Choice Country Awards presented a second special honor, the Country Champion Award, to Wynonna Judd. The show has not yet announced who, if anyone, will receive that award this year.
Hosted by Shania Twain, the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards will air live on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT across NBC and Peacock. Voting for the fan-voted show is open now and runs through Friday, Aug. 23 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fans can vote online at www.votepcca.com. A limited number of show tickets and VIP packages are available now at Opry.com.
People’s Choice Country Awards is produced by Den of Thieves. Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski will executive produce along with RAC Clark as executive producer and showrunner.
A pre-show, Live From E!: People’s Choice Country Awards, will kick off the night at 6 p.m. ET/PT on E! The pre-show is produced by Den of Thieves with executive producers Ignjatovic, Prager and Bialkowski.
Two weeks after Taylor Swift was forced to cancel a run of shows at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium after officials uncovered a planned terror plot, Coldplay‘s Chris Martin paid tribute to the singer by covering one of her most beloved songs during his band’s gig at the venue on Wednesday night (August 21).
Taking to the Music of the Spheres satellite stage on the floor of the 65,000-capacity stadium with opening act Maggie Rogers, Martin said, “If this is not good, please, please don’t put it on YouTube because I don’t want to get in trouble with Taylor.” He then asked the crowd to help him by singing along to an acoustic version of Swift’s “wonderful” 2008 Fearless classic “Love Story.”
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“We sing this song with so much love for Taylor, with so much love for Swifties,” Martin said after finding two “genuine Swifties” to join him on stage to help with the tribute. “And we sing this song with love for young people who are brainwashed into doing stupid s–t and we send them our love too.”
Strumming an acoustic guitar, Martin sang the swoony Romeo & Juliet-inspired lyrics as the stadium crowd provided vocal support, with Rogers joining him on the second verse before taking over the dreamy chorus. She even briefly handed her mic over to the pair of excited fans for a bit of vocal assistance during the special moment that came on the same day that Swift addressed the “devastating” terror threat for the first time in a statement.
“The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows,” Swift said of the foiled plot targeting the shows that were booked to take place on August 8-10. According to authorities, the main teenage plotter reportedly admitted that he’d planned to attack Swifties with knives and explosives outside the venue to inflict maximum casualties.
“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” Swift added. “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”
According to a fan video, Martin acknowledged the reason he chose to cover the song in the introduction, noting, “We haven’t mentioned that Vienna was in the news all over the world for all the wrong reasons. But what reached us was the beauty and the togetherness, and kindness of all of Taylor Swift’s fans. So we felt — of course Taylor is in America, she’s not here — but we’re here, so we have to do the best we can do. So, I don’t want to let you think that we don’t care about Swifties in our band.”
Last month, Coldplay dedicated a performance of their 2016 song “Everglow” to Swift while performing in Düsseldorf, just days after Taylor performed in nearby Gelsenkirchen. “This is for Taylor Swift because she left town,” Martin said during the gig at Merkur Spiel-Arena. “This is for all of you who feel sad today because Taylor had to go to the next city. So we sing this love song, this heartbreak song, and send it to Taylor wherever she is today.”
Swift wrapped up her five-show run at London’s Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, bringing and end to the European leg of her Eras Tour. Officials in Vienna said they’ve arrested three suspects in the case, the main 19-year-old suspect, who was reportedly radicalized online and had pledged fealty to the Islamic State, as well as an 18-year-old man who had also pledged allegiance to the terror group ISIS and a 17-year-old young man who was reportedly hired by a company providing services to the venue for the shows just a week prior.
Rogers shared a clip of the cover on her Instagram, writing, “From Vienna with love [three heart emoji] @coldplay @taylorswift.”
See a bit of the “Love Story” cover below.
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Fitness icon Richard Simmons, who passed away on July 13 at the age of 76, died from complications due to recent falls, with heart disease as a contributing factor, according to his brother, Lenny Simmons.
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The cause of death was confirmed by the LA Coroner’s office in a call to Lenny on Aug. 21, as detailed in a statement released to People by the Simmons family spokesperson, Tom Estey.
“This morning, Richard Simmons’ brother Lenny received a call from the LA Coroner’s office. The Coroner informed Lenny that Richard’s death was accidental due to complications from recent falls and heart disease as a contributing factor. The toxicology report was negative other than medication Richard had been prescribed. The Family wishes to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during this time of great loss,” Estey said.
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Simmons was found unresponsive at his Hollywood Hills home by his longtime housekeeper, just one day after celebrating his 76th birthday. Although there was no initial suspicion of foul play, the cause of death was deferred pending additional tests, which have now confirmed the circumstances.
Known for his flamboyant personality and relentless positivity, Simmons built a multi-faceted fitness empire that included 12 books, 10 CDs, and 22 DVDs.
Among his most famous works was his 1982 platinum album Reach, which spent 40 weeks on the Billboard 200. The album featured motivational songs like “What Are You Waiting For?,” “You Can Do It,” and “Wake Up.”
Reach was part of the early ’80s fitness craze, debuting on the Billboard 200 in the week ending June 5, 1982, just one week after Jane Fonda’s Workout Record debuted. Simmons’ colorful and energetic approach to fitness, combined with the era’s enthusiasm for getting fit, made him a beloved pop culture figure.
Simmons’ television career further solidified his place in the spotlight. He hosted The Richard Simmons Show from 1980 to 1984, which focused on personal health, fitness, and healthy cooking.
He also made frequent guest appearances on popular programs like Late Night with David Letterman and General Hospital.
The pop culture icon always seemed to be in on the joke, whether it was during his guest spots or in interviews, famously saying in a 2012 Men’s Health interview, “When the king gets depressed, he doesn’t call for his wife or the cook. He turns to the little man with the pointed hat and says to the court jester, ‘make me laugh.’ And I am that court jester.”
Simmons’ fitness journey began after he moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, where he opened an exercise studio called the Anatomy Asylum, later renamed Slimmons. His dedication to health helped him lose over 100 pounds, a feat he proudly maintained for over four decades.
His influence extended beyond fitness as he produced more than 50 workout videos, including the iconic Sweatin’ to the Oldies series, which sold over 22 million copies.
In recent years, Simmons retreated from public life, sparking rumors and concern from his fans.
Despite his absence, he remained active on social media, sharing messages of positivity. Earlier this year, he was portrayed by actor Pauly Shore in a short film called The Court Jester, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. However, Simmons made it clear he had not authorized the film, writing in a post, “I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read.”
Reflecting on his brother’s legacy, Lenny Simmons told People, “I don’t want people to be sad about my brother. I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives.”
Sabrina Carpenter has cranked up the anticipation for her upcoming single “Taste” by releasing a teaser for its music video, featuring a dramatic encounter with Wednesday star Jenna Ortega.
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The clip, shared on the “Please Please Please” singer’s social media on Aug. 21, immediately sent fans into a frenzy.
In the teaser, the 25-year-old pop star, dressed in dark attire, selects a knife from a bed filled with ominous weapons. The tension mounts as she prowls through a dimly lit house, building up to a tense confrontation with Ortega, who is caught in a compromising shower scene.
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Just as Carpenter rips back the shower curtain to see Ortega and an unnamed man canoodling, the screen cuts to black, leaving viewers on edge. The teaser wraps with Carpenter coolly using the knife as a mirror to adjust her lipstick, uttering the chilling line, “Oh, I leave quite an impression.”
“Taste” is the third single from Carpenter’s highly anticipated sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, which drops on Aug. 23.
Carpenter co-wrote “Taste” with songwriting powerhouses Julia Michaels and Amy Allen, with production handled by John Ryan and Ian Kirkpatrick.
The track dives into complex relationship dynamics, a theme Carpenter doesn’t shy away from. “I will write any song. It doesn’t mean I’ll put it out, but I’ll write it,” the singer revealed in a recent interview with Paper magazine
“I think the series of unfortunate events I’ve encountered in relationships are no secret to people who know me or think they know me.”
Directed by Dave Meyers, known for his work on iconic videos like Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” and Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.,” the “Taste” video is set to elevate the song’s drama with his trademark cinematic flair.
Sabrina has made a strong impact on the Billboard charts of late, with her single “Please Please Please” reaching No. 1 on June 29. “Espresso” also performed well, peaking at No. 3 on June 22. Earlier hits like “Feather” and “Skin” reached No. 21 and No. 48, respectively.
Short n’ Sweet is set to showcase Carpenter’s growth as an artist, with tracks like “Good Graces,” “Sharpest Tools,” and “Juno” exploring themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.
Check out the teaser video for “Taste” below.
Singer-songwriter beabadoobee scores her first top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart as her latest studio album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, bows at No. 6 on the Aug. 24-dated chart. The set, her third full-length studio effort, launches with her best sales week ever – selling nearly 9,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 15, according to Luminate.
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Also in the top 10 of the latest Top Album Sales chart, Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess hits a new peak, climbing 7-3; while King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard’s Flight b741 debuts at No. 7 and Logic’s Ultra 85 arrives at No. 8.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
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Of the nearly 9,000 copies sold of This Is How Tomorrow Moves in its opening week, vinyl sales comprised the majority of that figure – 5,000 sold. The album was available across six different editions (color variants and a picture disc). The set also premieres at No. 5 on the Vinyl Albums sales chart.
Tomorrow also arrives in the top 10 on a host of other Billboard album charts: Indie Store Album Sales (No. 2), Top Alternative Albums (No. 5), Independent Albums (No. 6), Top Rock Albums (No. 7) and Top Rock & Alternative Albums (No. 10). The set also launches at No. 34 on the overall Billboard 200 – her first top 40-charting effort on that tally.
Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums and rank, respectively, the week’s most popular rock and alternative, rock, and alternative albums by equivalent album units. Indie Store Album Sales measures the top-selling titles at independent and small chain record stores. Independent Albums ranks the most popular independently released albums of the week, by units.
At No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department captures an eighth non-consecutive weeks atop the list, selling 28,000 copies (down 67%). Stray Kids’ chart-topping ATE rises 3-2 with 18,000 (down 29%), Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess jumps 7-3 (a new peak) with 14,000 (up 71%), ENHYPEN’s former leader Romance: Untold is a non-mover at No. 4 with 10,000 (down 16%) and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft is stationary at No. 5 with nearly 10,000 (down 8%).
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard’s Flight b741 flies in at No. 7 on Top Album Sales, scoring the act its fourth top 10, and matches the band’s highest rank on the tally. The new studio album sold nearly 8,500 copies in its first week, largely from vinyl sales. Its two variants combined to sell 7,000 – enough for its No. 2 debut on the Vinyl Albums chart.
Logic logs his 10th top 10-charting set on the Top Album Sales ranking as Ultra 85 bows at No. 8 with nearly 7,000 sold. About 5,500 of that sum was from vinyl album purchases (across four variants), and the set launches at No. 4 on the Vinyl Albums chart. The album was only available to purchase as a vinyl LP or as a digital download.
Rounding out the top 10 on Top Album Sales: Charli XCX’s Brat bounces 12-9 with 6,000 sold (up 2%) and Twisters: The Album climbs 17-10 with nearly 5,500 sold (up 9%).
The Democratic National Convention continued on Wednesday night (Aug. 21) at Chicago’s United Center for the evening’s “A Fight for Our Freedoms” theme, and more music stars performed onstage to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris‘ presidential nomination. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Maren Morris delivered her protest […]
Dame Dash is back at it again.
The Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder went on Instagram Live to talk about selling his shares of the legendary rap label and wondered just how much Jay-Z is willing to pay. “I don’t expect anyone, just some average person, to come buy it — or a third of it, my third. I don’t wanna get sued again,” he says at the beginning of the clip. “I know, for some reason, nobody wants me to sell it, but I’m ready to just move on, do my thing. I had a lawsuit, I had a judgement, and I’m like, ‘Yo, that’s 800 grand. Go get it from over there. They not paying me neither,” he said in regards to the Aug. 29 auction that’s taking place in order to satisfy the $823,000 he owes to movie producer Josh Weber.
Dame then brought up the fact that Jay has the option to block potential buyers and brought up the emergency meeting he and Biggs had to stop him from selling his shares. “I’m sure there’s a little twist they put on things. I don’t know why. I do know why, but I don’t know why. I don’t know why about one thing, but I do know why about the other,” he said cryptically. “[Jay-Z] has the first right of refusal. They had some bum-ass board meeting and all of a sudden he gets first right of refusal. I don’t really care. It don’t slow nothing down for me.” Adding, “Now I don’t know how deep homie’s pockets is. I’m curious if he’s gonna match that. I put an offer on the table, lemme see if he’ll match it. But it was from other people.”
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Earlier this month, Billboard reported that although Jay and Biggs’ last minute attempt to change the company’s by-laws are unenforceable, there are still some stipulations. “Whomever buys Dame’s stake in Roc-A-Fella will be a minority owner without authority over any decision-making,” the source tells Billboard. “They won’t have the ability to sell the copyright or borrow against the master as all decisions require majority vote.”
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There’s also the fact that Roc-A-Fella Inc.’s crown jewel Reasonable Doubt will revert back to Jay-Z in 2031 because copyright’s termination right allows him to control the rights of the album 35 years after its initial release in 1996. “There’s also an expiration date on the master ownership for the company, which means revenue and the only asset doesn’t have many years left,” the source also told Billboard.
Dame has recently been in the news for offering up an original Roc-A-Fella chain to anyone who bids over $10 million for his third of the company. “So if you do wanna buy one-third of Roc-A-Fella Inc., you are gonna have to bring some bread,” he said. “And anything over $10 million, I’m gonna sweeten the pot: you get an original Roc-A-Fella chain from off my neck.”
Thursday, Aug. 29 is going to be a crazy day on Rap Twitter.
Taylor Swift officially wrapped the European leg of her Eras Tour on Tuesday (Aug. 20), and the superstar took to Instagram the day after to reflect on the special run, as well as break her silence on the canceled Vienna shows due to a terror threat.
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“We have officially wrapped the European leg of The Eras Tour. With it came the most passionate crowds I’ve ever played for, new traditions in the show, and an entirely new era added in. It was a more hectic pace than we’d done before, and I’m so proud of my crew/fellow performers for being able to physically perform that show and build our massive stage, take it apart, and make magic with so few days in between for recovery and travel. They’re the most impressive people I know and I’m so lucky they gave The Eras Tour their time, their energy, and their expertise,” she wrote.
She added that walking on stage at London’s Wembley Stadium was “a rollercoaster of emotions” after the “devastating” news that her Vienna shows were canceled. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows,” she shared. “But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives. I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”
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Swift also explained her reasoning for not speaking out until now. “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote. “In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that. And then London felt like a beautiful dream sequence. All five crowds at Wembley Stadium were bursting with passion, joy, and exuberance. The energy in that stadium was like the most giant bear hug from 92,000 people each night, and it brought me back to a place of carefree calm up there.”
See her full statement here.
In a statement on Wednesday (Aug. 7), Barracuda Music, the concert promoters for the Austrian shows said, “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety. All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.”
The person identified as the main plotter reportedly quit his job and “conspicuously changed his appearance and adapted to IS [Islamic State] propaganda,” despite his North Macedonian roots. Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, Austria’s head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said the suspect wanted to use knives or homemade explosives to attack Swifties outside the stadium at the event, which was expected to draw more than 195,000 fans.
Authorities also said that I.S. and al-Qaida materials were found at the home of a second, 17-year-old Austrian suspect, who was reportedly recently hired by a company that provides services at the venue. Both suspects are currently in custody.