Music

09 Aug 2024

André 3000 Says Drake-Kendrick Lamar Feud Made Him ‘Sad,’ Questions If Battling Is ‘Even Worth It’

André 3000 has weighed in on the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud. Three Stacks shared he was disheartened when looking back at the aftermath of the battle’s carnage.

“I got a little sad, at a certain point,” he told Crack Magazine in a new interview. “In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now. You got people with 100 employees. You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals — all of it can be jeopardized.”

With rappers serving as brands — and in Drake and Kendrick’s case, worth hundreds of millions of dollars — the Outkast legend questions whether the juice is worth the squeeze with that much at stake in battle. “If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it,” he said. “But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it any more”

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Drake expressed a similar sentiment on “4PM in Calabasas,” which arrived in 2016 and saw Drizzy sniping at Joe Budden, Diddy and more. “I got a lot to lose ’cause in every situation I’m the bigger artist/ Always gotta play it smarter,” he shrewdly raps about being militant in battle.

Elsewhere in the Crack profile, André 3000 gave his reaction to receiving a shout-out from Kendrick Lamar on the explosive “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin. “If he walk around with that stick, it ain’t André 3K,” K. Dot rhymes.

“As a 49-year-old rapper, you’re just happy to get a shout-out,” the Atlanta artist responded. “But as a rapper, I’ve noticed myself walking around with this stick. So it was a line for me, too, and I was trying to find a way to use it. But Kendrick used it, so I had to say ‘Yeah, he got it.’”

A trio of records Lamar was involved with that were integral parts of the battle with Drake are still holding strong on the Billboard Hot 100. K. Dot’s “Not Like Us” sits at No. 3, while “Like That” is in the top 20 at No. 18. Even the unnerving “Euphoria” is still on the chart at No. 78.

As for Three Stacks, he’ll be performing nine sets across three days at the Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience 2024, which is going down in the Estate Wine Cave at The Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, Calif., happening Aug. 30-Sept. 1.

09 Aug 2024

Green Day Releasing Huge ‘American Idiot’ 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition With Unreleased Demos, Rare B-Sides, Bonus Songs

Green Day will cap off the summer-long celebration of their Grammy-winning 2004 opus American Idiot by releasing a massive box set edition of the album this fall. The American Idiot 20th Anniversary deluxe edition is due out on Oct. 25 and will feature unreleased demos, rare b-sides, bonus songs and previously unreleased live tracks.

The limited edition super deluxe version will be available in 8-LP vinyl and 4-CD configurations, with each coming with two Blu-Ray discs, one of which features the 2015 Heart Like a Hand Grenade documentary about the recording of the album, along with a BBC: Top of the Pops “mini gig” and their Later With Jools Holland appearance. The second disc will contain the new 110-minute documentary 20 Years of American Idiot.

The collection will also be released in an 2-LP limited-edition colored vinyl edition, as well as an audiophile “one-step” version.

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You can listen to the first three tracks — an unreleased demo of “Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” the fan-favorite b-side “Favorite Son” and a live version of “Minority” — on streaming services now (see below). Both the limited-edition sets will feature the original 23-track concept album, as well as 15 previously unreleased American Idiot demos, a 15-track 2004 concert recorded at Irving Plaza in New York and nine previously unreleased live recordings from the era, including a take on Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” as well as 14 songs previously available only as b-sides and bonus tracks.

The set commemorates the album that became the groups first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on its way to rocking the chart for more than 100 weeks. It will also feature new liner notes from producer Rob Cavallo and Rolling Stone writer David Fricke and a 48-page book, enamel pin set, sticker sheet and cloth patch; the vinyl version has a 36-page book, a large Green Day flag and the signature American Idiot red tie.

To date, the album featuring such landmark songs as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Holiday,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Jesus of Suburbia” has sold more than 23 million copies, spawned a Broadway musical of the same name and earned spots on many “best of” lists.

Green Day are performing the album in its entirety — along with their breakthrough major label disc Dookie — on their Saviors world tour, which plays Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Friday night (August 9).

Listen to the first three tracks and see the full track list (slide 2) below.

09 Aug 2024

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Latto, Shawn Mendes, J Balvin and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, Latto keeps hip-hop fans on their toes, Shawn Mendes returns on his own terms and J Balvin brings a ton of friends to the party. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Latto, Sugar Honey Iced Tea 



Time and again over the course of her career, Latto has zagged away from expectations, lobbing out pop tracks as an underground star then turning in ferocious verses instead of catering to radio; similarly, new album Sugar Honey Iced Tea abides by Southern rap touchstones but refuses to be pigeonholed, as Latto offers up old-school bars while tinkering with her own image and that of popular hip-hop.

Shawn Mendes, “Why Why Why”



“I stepped off the stage with nothing left / All the lights were f–king with my head,” Shawn Mendes admits on “Why Why Why,” a highly compelling piece of folk-pop that finds the singer-songwriter vulnerable to the point of sounding haunted, two years removed from cancelling a tour due to mental health purposes — lucky for us, the next line goes, “But here I am, singing songs again.”

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J Balvin, Rayo 



Only four of the 15 tracks on J Balvin’s new album Rayo are solo cuts, with the guest-heavy project boasting visits from Feid, Carin Leon, Zion and Bad Gyal, among many others — yet Balvin never gets overshadowed as he hopscotches across genre exercises, keeping the tempo up and sounding at ease within trap, reggaeton, Mexican and electro-pop compositions.

Katy Perry, “Lifetimes” 



Katy Perry teased “Lifetimes” as a new single aimed at listeners who “want to rave,” and indeed, the follow-up to “Woman’s World” contains a more club-ready thump and outsized hook — but “Lifetimes” also marks the return of Perry’s emotional intensity, with her passion and undying devotion now directed at her daughter, Daisy.

Asake, Lungu Boy



Nigerian superstar Asake has put in quick work to become one of the biggest Afrobeats artists in the world, and Lungu Boy, his third album in three years, is designed to keep his momentum intact: the Travis Scott team-up “Active” is a deserving mainstream shot that will get plenty of party spins, but the quieter moments on songs like “My Heart” and the Wizkid collaboration “MMS” make for a more well-rounded project.

Ravyn Lenae, Bird’s Eye 



After grabbing hold of R&B diehards on 2022 debut HYPNOS, Ravyn Lenae has honed her approach on Bird’s Eye, which features Childish Gambino and Ty Dolla $ign but is defined by the airiness of Lenae’s melodies — from the excellent opener “Genius” onward, she sounds like a sorceress, conjuring hooks out of the atmosphere around her.

NIKI, Buzz 



88rising breakout NIKI has earned a large following with subtly drawn pop songs that swell up in front of sprawling festival crowds; Buzz, her latest full-length, tweaks her atmospheric approach and drills down on its personal touches, revealing more from the rising star even on instances in which her voice is distorted or evaporating.

Beabadoobee, This is How Tomorrow Moves 



Light years removed from her breakthrough thanks to Powfu’s “Death Bed (Coffee For Your Head),” Beabadoobee continues carving out a singular alt-rock path on third album This is How Tomorrow Moves, with Rick Rubin helming the new full-length and helping streamline the guitar chug and wistful hooks on songs like “California” and “Beaches.”

Oso Oso, Life Till Bones 



Whether he’s working in the emo, indie-rock or pop worlds, Jade Lilitri remains a towering songwriting force — and Life Till Bones, his latest Oso Oso project, may be his finest moment to date, an accessible update to the aesthetic that made 2019’s Basking in the Glow so essential while also reflecting on personal tragedy and the strength that can unexpectedly result from such sorrow.

Editor’s Pick: Amos Lee, Transmissions 



After settling into his skin on 2022’s Dreamland, Amos Lee continues operating in a winning mode — with even more introspection — on Transmissions, a collection of gentle, jazzy Americana-pop amalgamations that include some of Lee’s strongest songwriting to date, particularly the poignant self-examination of “Beautiful Day” and “Carry You On,” a lump-in-throat tribute to a fallen friend.

09 Aug 2024

Nikki Glaser Spoofs a Taylor Swift Song While Stuck in an Airport On Her Way to Canceled Vienna Shows

Nikki Glaser and her sister didn’t get to see Taylor Swift perform “Cruel Summer” at the pop star’s canceled Eras Tour shows in Vienna, so they had to improvise.

While stranded in an airport en route to Austria — where the pop star’s three previously scheduled shows were canceled after authorities discovered a terrorist plot targeting Ernst Happel Stadium — the comedian and her sister, Lauren Glaser, showed off their own spoof version of “Cruel Summer” while waiting for a delayed plane to Europe in a TikTok posted Wednesday (Aug. 7).

“We’re stuck at an airport gate/ On our way to Vienna on a flight that was late/ Planning outfits and singing songs/ We had no idea how things could go wrong,” they sang to the tune of Swift’s Billboard Hot 100-topping hit, taking turns with each line. “Then we get a text from our mom/ That the shows have been canceled ’cause a threat from a bomb/ And we screamed in a Hudson News / What the hell do I do with these sparkly shoes/ I dyed my hair pink for nothing, we’re f–ked!”

The comedian has previously shared that she’s a super Swiftie, revealing in an October 2023 visit to The Kelly Clarkson Show that she had spent $25,000 on tickets to the Eras Tour that year. “I just want to say that it was a conscious decision because I went to nine Eras Tour shows this year,” she told Clarkson at the time. “Like, when I’m not on tour, I go to her tour. It just fills my life up with so much joy.”

The Glaser sisters did eventually make it to Vienna, where a crowd of Swifties gathered in the streets Thursday (Aug. 8) to trade friendship bracelets and sing the 14-time Grammy winner’s songs together in place of attending the shows. At one point, Nikki joined in on the fan-led event, sharing a video on her Instagram Story of the crowd belting out “All Too Well” in unison.

“Sang All Too Well with thousands of displaced Swifties in Vienna,” she wrote, adding in another post that the other people in her group left to go shopping while she stayed behind to sing “about 7 more songs alone.”

The gathering occurred on the same day Swift had been scheduled to take the stage for the first of three back-to-back Eras shows at Ernst Happel. The performances were canceled one day prior when authorities took two teenage Austrian citizens into custody for allegedly planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue” with knives or homemade explosives. One 19-year-old suspect had previously pledged allegiance to the Islamic State after being radicalized online, according to officials.

The next day, a third suspect — an 18-year-old man — was detained in connection to the terrorist plot. Swift and her team have not yet issued a statement on the situation.

Watch Nikki and Lauren Glaser spoof “Cruel Summer” below.

09 Aug 2024

Snoop Dogg Gifts Simone Biles’ Dad a Death Row Chain for His Birthday

The 2024 Summer Olympics have given Snoop Dogg so much, and he’s returning the favor while spreading the love in Paris.

While Snoop was hanging with Simone Biles and her family on Thursday (Aug. 8), the star gymnast’s dad was celebrating his 75th birthday. Snoop Dogg came bearing gifts and gave Mr. Ronald Biles a new Death Row chain.

Simone posted a photo to her Instagram Story featuring her dad rocking the gold chain with a birthday cake, while her sister Adria also put up a clearer picture of the new ice. “Snoop gave him a chain now he don’t know how to act,” Adria wrote. “75 looks great on you! happy birthday I love you.”

Simone Biles was in attendance alongside Snoop for a track and field event, which she reveals is the first Olympic contest she’s ever gone to that wasn’t her own gymnastics competition.

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“I’ve actually never watched any other event before, so this is my first time. Yeah, ever,” she told Snoop Dogg.

Snoop has had a few viral moments with Simone and the Biles family throughout the Olympics. The celebrated gymnast and teammate Jordan Chiles noticed someone dancing in the crowd at a qualification round on July 28 and quickly realized it was indeed Snoop Dogg, who hit a few moves and showed off his Biles T-shirt, before the two athletes joined in the moves from the floor.

The Biles family doesn’t forget, and Simone’s mother, Nellie Biles, recalled a time in 2010 when they were visiting NYC and saw Snoop, who spurned them for a photo opportunity in Times Square. “We asked for a picture and you said, ‘Two minutes.’ One, two and you were gone,” she reminded Snoop during a chat with the rapper and Today show’s Hoda Kotb.

Simone Biles continues to add to her legacy as the most decorated gymnast in history at the 2024 Olympics, where she’s snagged three gold medals and a silver.

09 Aug 2024

Watch the Moment 2 Taylor Swift Fans Got Engaged in Vienna Following Eras Tour Show Cancellations

In spite of Taylor Swift canceling her Eras Tour stop in Austria due to the discovery of a terrorist plot targeting the concerts, two fans were able to find a moment of joy when they got engaged in Vienna among a huge gathering of Swifties Thursday (Aug. 8).

In clips captured by fellow fans who gathered in the city streets to trade friendship bracelets and sing the pop star’s songs in place of attending the canceled shows, a swarm of Swifties applauds as one man slides a ring on his partner’s finger, wiping tears from his eyes. After popping the question, he and his new fiancée hold up hand-hearts to the onlookers, most of whom immediately reciprocate.

According to fans online, the moment occurred as the crowd was singing “Love Story” — a song that has soundtracked countless other Swiftie proposals at the 14-time Grammy winner’s concerts over the years. “Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone/ I love you and that’s all I really know,” Swift sings on the 2008 hit, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress/ It’s a love story, baby, just say, ‘Yes.’”

The sweet exchange happened on the same day Swift had been scheduled to take the stage at Ernst Happel Stadium for the first of three back-to-back nights in Vienna. The shows were canceled one day before kickoff as authorities took two teenage Austrian citizens into custody for allegedly planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue” with knives or homemade explosives. One 19-year-old suspect had previously pledged allegiance to the Islamic State after being radicalized online, according to officials.

The next day, a third suspect — an 18-year-old man — was detained in connection to the terrorist plot. Swift and her team have not yet issued a statement on the situation.

See the moment two Swifties got engaged in Vienna below.

09 Aug 2024

H.E.R. To Perform National Anthem At Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony in Paris

The closing ceremony of the Summer Olympic games will feature a performance from H.E.R. The five-time Grammy winner will take the stage at the Stade de France on Sunday (August 11) to sing the U.S. National Anthem as part of the elaborate handover to the next host city, Los Angeles in 2028.

NBC’s most viral special correspondent, Snoop Dogg, announced the news on Thursday night (August 8), when he chatted up Olympics broadcast host Mike Tirico about LA28. “We got a lot of super talented people that’s going to be gettin’ down, doin’ what they do, makin’ it come true… for the red, white and the blue,” Snoop said.

Snoop then said he’s a fan of H.E.R. and he would love for her to perform the “Star Spangled Banner.” “Yeah, H.E.R. will also be performing the National Anthem,” Snoop said of the 27-year-old who is already just a Tony away from notching EGOT status.

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A statement from LA28 confirmed the news on Friday morning (August 9), along with the news that LA28 has revealed the new custom LA28 emblem that has been designed to celebrate the next host city’s vibe. The colorful logo features the Olympic rings underneath a bold black L and 28 with a purple guitar adorned with blue sunglasses making up the A portion.

“I can’t wait to bring this experience to Los Angeles,” said Long Beach native Snoop, who has been having the very best time in the City of Light learning the ins-and-outs of equestrian competition and fine French dining while hopping in the pool with Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps, carrying the Olympic torch and hanging with pal Martha Stewart.

“This was amazing, but I just feel like L.A. is gonna be a supersize version of what we just did,” Snoop said of the city’s third go hosting after first bringing the world to the west coast in 1932 and then again in 1984.

The closing ceremony begins at 3 p.m. ET live and will then re-run at 7 p.m. ET. Unlike the unique opening ceremony that took place along the Seine River with performances from Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and French metal band Gojira, the closing will be in the stadium that has hosted the track and field and other events. Team USA swimmer Katie Leadecky and rower Nick Mead will be the flag bearers at the closing, which will be heavily focused on the hand-over to the L.A. games.

The closing ceremony will also reportedly include performances from Snoop, as well as fellow L.A.-based stars Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a mix of live and pre-taped bits. Tom Cruise is also reportedly slated to rappel from the top of the Stade de France with the Olympic flag and skydive onto the iconic Hollywood sign in a pre-taped segment.

Check out Snoop’s announcement here and the LA28 logo below.

09 Aug 2024

Miles Music Kid, 8-Year-Old Prodigy, Releases First Single ‘You Can Be a Hero’: Listen

Miles Bonham, the 8-year-old Internet sensation known as Miles Music Kid, has released his first official single, “You Can Be a Hero,” through Republic Records: Kids & Family and Pocket.watch on Friday (Aug. 9). The song will be featured on the forthcoming soundtrack to Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure.

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Miles Music Kid has earned 2.7 million Instagram followers and 1.2 million TikTok followers by demonstrating a highly advanced understanding of musical composition and production. At 8 years old, Bonham fully wrote and produced “You Can Be a Hero,” playing all of the instruments on the recording himself.

“As soon as I saw the movie, I knew I needed to make a banger that would make not just kids, but everybody want to dance and inspire them to know that anyone can be a hero,” the young star says in a statement.

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Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure will receive a theatrical release next Friday (Aug. 16) as a big-screen adaptation of the popular YouTube channel starring Ryan Kaji and his family.

“We’re thrilled to have Miles Music Kid as part of the Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure soundtrack,” says Chris M. Williams, founder and CEO of Pocket.watch, the digital media studio that helped launch Ryan’s World. “It’s inspiring to see another young creative talent shine and bring their unique voice to this creator-driven film.” 

Bree Bowles, Republic Records: Kids & Family senior VP, adds, ”I have been watching Miles closely for years now, in awe of his exceptional talent well beyond his years. The Ryan’s World project presented the perfect opportunity to collaborate and my mind has been blown with what he has accomplished. Miles is the future.”

Along with “You Can Be a Hero” and original Ryan’s World music, the film soundtrack also features Pentatonix’s cover of Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder.” The soundtrack will also be released next Friday alongside the film.

Watch a behind-the-scenes clip of the making of “You Can Be a Hero”:

09 Aug 2024

Kellyoke Fans Rejoice! Kelly Clarkson Covers Now Streaming on SiriusXM Channel

Kelly Clarkson has turned the art of the bespoke cover into a staple of her syndicated daytime talk show. Whether she’s tackling Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees,” Tony Bennett’s “(I Left My Heart) In San Francisco, fellow American Idol alum Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” or the Last Dinner Party’s “Nothing Matters,” Clarkson’s fans know to tune into her NBC show every day to see what surprising song she’ll take on next.

Now you can hear those unique takes on Clarkson’s SiriusXM channel, Kelly Clarkson Connection. The singer announced on Thursday (August 8) that you can tune in to SiriusXM 12 to hear Clarkson’s stories behind the covers, why she picked the songs, as well as some of the feedback she’s gotten on them from the original artists.

“I’m very excited to share the Kellyokes because it’s the one thing I get asked the most, ‘Can you just, like, put them all out?,’” Clarkson said in an audio clip included in the announcement on Instagram in which she noted that the covers have been mixed and mastered for inclusion on her satellite channel. “Kelly Clarkson Connection was the perfect place to have this. It’s my station, so why wouldn’t we put them out here so my fans can listen to them?”

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During a five-hour Kellyoke segment on Wednesday, Clarkson gushed about Ariana Grande, saying, “oh my gosh, ya’ll, ‘Seven Rings.’ This is perhaps one of my favorite Kellyokes and I’ll tell you why. Because, after it aired, Ariana texted me and it was so sweet! She was like, ‘oh my God! That was so incredible!’ and I was like, ‘oh thank you!’ Because I love that song so much and I love how she took from The Sound of Music song. That was so cool and clever. And I love the song. And she’s very funny. I don’t think people know how funny and clever she is.”

Clarkson Connection launched in November as a dedicated exclusive year-round channel featuring Clarkson playing her favorite songs by other artists, music that inspires her and the stories behind some of her own hits, as well as appearances from members of her live band.

09 Aug 2024

Cardi B, Gunna, Victoria Monét & More Headline 2024 ONE Musicfest

Cardi B, Gunna, Jill Scott, Victoria Monét and Earth, Wind & Fire are the headlining slate helping ONE Musicfest (OMF) ring in its 15th anniversary. This year’s two-day celebration, presented by Proctor & Gamble in collaboration with Live Nation Urban, will take place Oct. 26-27 at Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

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Among the additional R&B acts performing will be Dru Hill, Fantasia, Keyshia Cole, Jeremih, Ari Lennox, Leon Thomas, Monica and Fridayy. Other performers representing hip-hop include Sexyy Red, Glorilla, Nelly, BigXthaPlug, Young Nudy, Bossman Dlow, T.I., Method Man and Redman. Also rounding out the bill: gospel star Koryn Hawthorne plus country artist and newly-signed LVRN Records artist Tanner Adell. The latter will be making her first Black festival appearance. Performing their own sets as well will be DJ Mustard, DJ Drama and longtime Usher associate DJ Mars.

“It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the 15-year mark,” said ONE Musicfest founder J Carter in a press statement. “We’ve grown into the longest-running and largest Black independently owned festival in the country and this journey has been a blessing. Our commitment to the community remains steadfast as we continue to bring the biggest and brightest performers in music and the best activations with amazing partners.”

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Nicknamed “the greatest homecoming on earth,” OMF has welcomed an array of artists over the years from Kendrick Lamar, Usher and SZA to Brent Faiyaz, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion. Additional festival highlights have included the reunion between the late Gangsta Boo and Three 6 Mafia, OutKast’s Big Boi and André 3000 joining The Dungeon Family onstage and Nas celebrating the 25th anniversary of debut album Illmatic.

In addition to title sponsor Procter & Gamble, OMF has partnered with Toyota, Sprite and Hennessy, among other brands. For more information about tickets and other event details, visit ONE Musicfest’s website.