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The long-awaited reunion of the Hot Boys has finally taken place.
On Saturday (Nov. 2), the iconic rap supergroup — featuring Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Turk and B.G. — performed together for the first time in more than 15 years at Wayne’s Lil WeezyAna Fest in New Orleans.
The group’s 22-minute set included songs like “Get Your Roll On,” “I Need a Hot Girl,” and “Neighborhood Superstar,” during which the act was joined by Big Tymers’ Mannie Fresh and Birdman, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Watch the performances here.
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This year’s Lil WeezyAna Fest also featured solo performances from Juvenile, who brought down the house with “Back That Azz Up,” and B.G., who delivered “Bling Bling.”
During his solo performance, Lil Wayne once again spoke about being snubbed for the Super Bowl halftime show, expressing his disappointment at being overlooked in favor of Kendrick Lamar.
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“I told myself I wanted to be on that stage in front of my mom, and I worked my ass off for that position. It was ripped away from me, but this moment right here… they can’t take this away from me,” the rapper told the crowd at the Smoothie King Center.
Wayne previously teased the Hot Boys reunion on X (formerly Twitter) in September. Earlier this year, rumors began swirling when Juvenile hinted at a performance at Essence Fest in New Orleans and mentioned the group was working on a new album.
“Hot Boys is back together, man. What you talkin’ about put the Hot Boys back together? Show y’all ain’t keeping up with sh–,” he said on Instagram Live in May. “Turk gonna be with me tonight, I’m gonna be with B.G. next week. Me, Wayne, Turk and B.G., all of us gonna be on stage in New Orleans with Mannie Fresh and Birdman. And we already done started working on a Hot Boys album. Any other f—ing questions? Keep on askin’ put the Hot Boys together. Have some f—in’ patience.”
Despite the hype, fans were disappointed when the anticipated reunion at Essence Fest didn’t occur; while Birdman, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, and B.G. took the stage together, Wayne opted for a solo set afterward, and Turk was absent.
The Hot Boys’ last album was 2003′ Let ‘Em Burn.
Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance during Saturday Night Live on Nov. 2.
With Election Day just around the corner, the vice president stopped by Studio 8H during the cold open of the episode, hosted by comedian John Mulaney.
Harris joined SNL cast member Maya Rudolph, known for her spot-on impression of the Democratic presidential nominee during the show’s 50th season, in a hilarious opening sketch.
Saturday’s episode launched with a parody of CNN, featuring Chloe Fineman as anchor Kaitlan Collins, who reports on a rally with former President Donald Trump (played by James Austin Johnson) and his running mate J.D. Vance (Bowen Yang). The scene then shifts to a conversation in Pennsylvania involving Rudolph’s Harris, Andy Samberg’s Doug Emhoff, Jim Gaffigan’s Tim Walz, and Dana Carvey’s Joe Biden.
Rudolph’s Harris later steps aside to prepare for her campaign speech, saying, “Well, this is it, the last campaign stop in Pennsylvania. Gosh, I just wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes — a Black South Asian woman running for president, preferably from the Bay Area.”
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She then sits down and looks into a mirror, where the real Kamala Harris is reflected back at her. “It’s nice to see you, Kamala,” the actual vice president says. “I’m just here to remind you that you got this because you can do something your opponent cannot: open doors.”
Rudolph delivers her signature Kamala laugh, saying, “Now Kamala, take my palm-ala.” The two then start finishing each other’s sentences: “The American people want to stop the chaos and end the drama-ala with a cool new step-mamala. Look, let’s get back in our pajamas and watch a rom-Kamala, like Legally Blonde-ala. And start decorating for Christmas, Fa-la-la-la-la.”
In other highlights from the Nov. 2 episode, Mulaney returned as host for the sixth time, while musical guest Chappell Roan made her debut, performing “Pink Pony Club” and premiering a new country song titled “The Giver.”
Watch SNL‘s “2024 Pre-Election Cold Open” sketch below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Chappell Roan debuted a new country song during her musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live.
The 26-year-old pop star launched the musical portion of the John Mulaney-hosted episode on Nov. 2 with a vibrant and elaborate performance of her popular song “Pink Pony Club,” from her 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The Studio 8H stage was decorated with a throne-like chair and a backdrop of digital galloping ponies, while the singer dazzled in a striking red wig with white streaks, heavy makeup, and a glittery white gown.
In her second dramatic performance, Roan premiered a country-infused song titled “The Giver,” where she confidently asserts her ability to “get the job done” and satisfy a female partner better than any man. During a spoken word segment of the fiddle-driven track, she remarked, “All you country boys think you know how to treat a woman right. Well, only a woman knows how to treat a woman right. She gets the job done.”
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Later in the song, Roan sings, “You ain’t gotta tell me/ It’s just in my nature/ So take it like a taker/ ’cause baby I’m a giver.”
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Saturday’s show marked Roan’s SNL debut. In late October, the singer appeared to tease her next music era in an Instagram post in which she shared some selfies and hinted at the follow-up to her debut breakthrough LP.
“Album kinda popped off imo but it is time to welcome a hot new bombshell into the villa,” she captioned the pics, in a reference to the Love Island catchphrase welcoming new contestants that led fans to speculate that she’s working on her sophomore project.
A potential album will follow the release of Roan’s debut, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. After a series of headline-making performances — including at Coachella and Gov Ball 2024 — the 14-track project earned a peak of No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Watch Roan’s SNL performance of “Pink Pony Club” below (“The Giver” was not available at press time). For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Jason Kelce came to Travis Kelce’s defense in the middle of a crowd when he heard someone verbally attacking his brother Saturday (Nov. 2).
After a heckler made a derogatory remark about Travis for dating Taylor Swift — the person called Travis a homophobic slur — the retired Philadelphia Eagles player grabbed the person’s phone, slammed it to the ground, and yelled it back to him.
The incident was recorded in several cell phone videos filmed by bystanders from different angles and shared on social media, where “Kelce” trended Saturday. Billboard reached out to Jason’s representative for comment.
“Hey, Kelce! How does it feel your brother’s a f—– dating Taylor Swift?” a voice is heard yelling to Jason in one clip in which the former NFL player is seen walking quickly past a cluster of people trying to get his attention.
Jason is seen turning, grabbing the person’s phone and throwing it to the ground in another clip; the harasser had seemingly been trying to film his reaction.
A third video shows Jason facing the person and repeating the slur to him, saying, “Who’s the f—– now?”
Jason’s brother, Travis, has been linked to Swift since 2023. The pop star first appeared at a Chiefs game on Sept. 23 last year, after Travis said on the brothers’ New Heights podcast in July that he’d tried to give his number to Swift via a friendship bracelet at The Eras Tour’s Kansas City stop.
Swift welcomed Travis to her Eras stage in London this past summer during “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” and she gave him a shout-out in her video of the year acceptance speech at this year’s VMAs, which she and Post Malone won for “Fortnight”: “This video seems very sad when you watch it, but it was actually the most fun video to make,” she told the crowd at the awards show on Sept. 11. “I would always just hear someone cheering, like, ‘Whoo!’ from across the studio — that one person was my boyfriend, Travis. Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic, so I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot.”
Jason talked about his experience attending one of Swift’s Miami concerts in October, on a recent episode of New Heights.
“This Miami show was incredible,” he told Travis, who had a game that weekend. “It was on another level. I texted you halfway through it like, ‘Dude, this rain. Tay is killing it.’”
“When Reputation came on and she came out in the new outfit and the rain was coming down, the place could’ve f—ing erupted,” Jason continued. “I mean, it did. The amount of energy was insane.”
Bruce Springsteen is hoping to inspire voters in a new advertisement for the Harris-Walz campaign.
On Friday (Nov. 1), just days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the Boss shared a minute-long video featuring his late October appearance during a rally for the vice president and Democratic presidential nominee at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
In the clip, titled “Hopes and Dreams” (a reference to his 2001 song “Land of Hope and Dreams”), Springsteen criticizes Donald Trump and explains why Americans should support Harris and Halz on Election Day this Tuesday.
“This election is about a group of folks who want to fundamentally undermine our American way of life. Donald Trump does not understand this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American,” Springsteen tells the Pennsylvania crowd. “I want a president who reveres the Constitution, who wants to protect and guide our great democracy, who believes in the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power, who will fight for women’s rights and a woman’s right to choose, and who wants to create a middle class economy that serves all our citizens.”
The iconic singer-songwriter adds, “There’s only one candidate who holds those principles dear, that’s Kamala Harris. At thats’ why on Nov. 5, I’m casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I urge all of you who believe in the American way to join me.”
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At the rally in Pennsylvania on Oct. 28, Springsteen shared the stage with fellow musician John Legend, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, and former President Barack Obama.
The E Street rocker launched his three-song acoustic set with a rendition of his 1978 single “The Promised Land,” followed by a performance of “Land of Hope and Dreams.” He closed the set with “Dancing in the Dark,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984, making it the highest-charting song of his career.
The Boss’s appearance at the Philadelphia rally came just days after he joined Harris’s rally in Georgia, where he told supporters that while the current VP is “running to be the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump is running to be an American tyrant.”
Watch Springsteen’s “Hopes and Dreams” Harris-Walz campaign ad below.
Cardi B shared her thoughts on Donald Trump during a Kamala Harris campaign rally near Milwaukee on Friday (Nov. 1).
Ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5, the “Bodak Yellow” rapper delivered a passionate speech at the Wisconsin State Fair Exposition Center in West Allis, voicing her support for Harris and criticizing Trump’s views on women’s rights.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” Cardi told the crowd, reading from her cell phone. “I take seriously the call to show up, to speak out, and to share a message that’s been on my heart for a while now.”
She continued, “Like Kamala Harris, I’ve been the underdog, underestimated, and had my success belittled. Women have to work ten times harder and still face questions about how we achieved success. I can’t stand a bully, but just like Kamala, I always stand up to one.”
Cardi noted that she hadn’t backed either Trump or Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential election until Harris entered the race and “changed my mind completely.”
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“I didn’t have faith in any candidates until she joined and spoke the words I wanted to hear about the future of this country,” she said. “I believe every word she says. She’s passionate, compassionate, empathetic, and most importantly, she’s realistic. Kamala recognizes that this country is at risk, and that we need to strengthen our economy and address the rising cost of living.”
Turning her focus to Trump, whom she referred to as “Donny Trump,” Cardi addressed the former president’s recent comment about protecting women whether they “like it or not.”
“Protection for women — especially regarding maternal and mental health care — is not about telling us what to do with our bodies. It’s about supporting us and providing the care we need for our choices,” the rapper explained. “People like Donald Trump don’t believe women deserve rights. When those rights are threatened, he disappears.”
She added, “If his definition of protection means restricting our choices and ensuring our daughters have fewer rights than our mothers, then I don’t want it!”
Cardi also labeled the former president a “hustler,” saying, “Hustling women out of their rights is disgraceful. Hustling Americans out of their hard-earned money by selling Trump watches, Trump sneakers, Trump Bibles… do we really trust this man with our economy? A man who only cares about getting rich and cutting taxes for his billionaire friends. I don’t even get a tax cut.”
Following the rally, Cardi continued her support for Harris and critique of Trump on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Donald Trump talks about having plans, but the only plan he has is to hustle YOU.”
Watch Cardi B’s nearly 10-minute rally speech for Harris here.
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are celebrating their first Halloween with son Jack Blues.
On Friday (Nov. 1), the 30-year-old pop superstar shared the first photo with all three members of the Bieber family. The adorable gallery on Instagram finds Justin and his wife, Hailey, 27, portraying Ron and Kim Possible from the Disney show Kim Possible, with son Jack Blues dressed as Ron’s pet naked mole rat Rufus.
In the adorable picture, Justin is seen holding his two-month-old son, who’s dressed in a pink onside, while Hailey dons a red wig and places her hand on the baby. The couple’s matching costumes included black T-shirts and cargo pants with a utility belt.
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In August, the couple welcomed their first child, Jack Blues Bieber, sharing the news in an Instagram post in which Hailey held her son’s tiny foot. The arrival came more than three months after Hailey shared the news on Instagram, confirming that she was then a little more than six months pregnant. Hailey then took fans along for her pregnancy, including opening up for a W magazine cover story.
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“I probably could have hid it until the end, but I didn’t enjoy the stress of not being able to enjoy my pregnancy outwardly,” she explained of announcing her pregnancy at the six-month mark. “I felt like I was hiding this big secret, and it didn’t feel good. I wanted the freedom to go out and live my life.”
She also admitted she was savoring the time with Bieber, 30, whom she married in 2018, before they expanded from a duo to a trio. “In the beginning [of pregnancy], it was super emotional for me,” she told W. “Like, ‘I love this human so much. How can I possibly bring someone else into this?’ I’m trying to soak in these days of it being Justin and me, just the two of us.”
While Justin continues to enjoy fatherhood, indie singer-songwriter Mk.gee recently revealed that he’s been in the studio with Bieber working on the singer’s first new album since 2021’s Justice album.
The “Baby” singer has been mostly off the musical radar since cancelling the 2023-2024 world tour in support of Justice after getting diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which resulted in “full paralysis” on one side of his face.
As marketing strategies go, The Cure aligning their long-awaited comeback record with the spookiest week of the year is proving to be a devilishly wicked one. In the build-up to the Friday (Nov. 1) release of Songs of a Lost World, the group’s first LP in 16 years, the band played an intimate set in London for the BBC, which aired on Halloween Eve on TV and radio. Their release day show at east London’s Troxy on Friday evening featured a performance of the new album in full and a further amount of greatest hits and fan favorites.
The goth icons’ show at the stunning Art deco building was not adorned with candle-lit pumpkins and fake spiders, but it was fittingly dark and ghoulish. The wares on the merch table came in one color only: black.
Even frontman Robert Smith knew he ought to cut through the gloom on a day of celebration like this. Prior to the show’s start and during the intermission, sound effects of a deluge of rain played out on the PA. “I’m begging you to not have the thunderclap just before we come back on stage again,” he joked with his team during one their return to stage following an intermission.
The 16-year wait since 2008’s 4:13 Dream has been the longest in the band’s history, but this has not been an entirely dormant period. The group have toured extensively, headlined Glastonbury Festival in 2019 and embarked on an accompanying promotional tour — notably their Shows of a Lost World run in 2023 — before the album was completed and released. There was even time for collaborations with Chvrches and Gorillaz, and a scrap with Ticketmaster (which our Bob won.)
The tune largely remains the same, but Songs of a Lost World confronts new challenges. Smith has said the songs on this record were influenced by the death of his brother and the collective loss through the pandemic. Keyboardist Roger O’Donnell was diagnosed with cancer, and bassist Simon Gallup, the longest-tenured member after Smith, briefly left the band in 2021 saying he was “fed up of betrayal” before returning months later. Life is fragile, but The Cure’s presence has remained a constant, even as they approach their 50th anniversary in 2028.
The record has been heavily delayed by Smith’s own admission. He is a perfectionist, but the best kind: everything that comes out is exact and impactful. Words are not wasted, nor are the enormity of the productions that envelope them. It’s been worth the wait.
This momentous release day show – which was live-streamed on YouTube – proved to be a celebration of a band still very much at the top of their game, and may go down as one of their most memorable of their storied career.
A Brooding Opener
From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Latin Grammys Premiere Ceremony Performers
The Latin Recording Academy announced performers and hosts for its premiere ceremony, taking place on Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and streaming live across Latin Academy platforms beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
The premiere ceremony will be hosted by Maria Becerra, Juliana and Luísa Sonza, and will feature performances by Ale Acosta, Valeria Castro, Alok, Fonseca, Leonel García, Grupo Niche, Draco Rosa, Rozalén, Vikina and Deorro.
“With an amazing lineup of performers, we will reveal the winners in 50 of 58 Latin GRAMMY categories, showcasing the diversity of our community of creators throughout Ibero-America,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said in a statement.
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Christian Nodal Gets Special Recognition at Harvard
Mariacheño star Christian Nodal received a special recognition from Harvard. Earlier this week, Nodal, accompanied by his wife Ángela Aguilar, was honored by Hardvard-Radcliffe RAZA, a student organization that creates “space, visibility, and community for Mexican students at Harvard University sine 1972,” according to an official description of the organization. The group awarded Nodal with the Hardvard-Radcliffe RAZA Trailblazer Award for “his impact in the globalization of Mexican Regional music, as well as his initiative to uniquely merge regional music with different musical genres.”
See the special moment here.
Carin León Breaks Record in Madrid
Mexican music star Carin León made his historic debut in Spain, where he performed at Madrid’s WiZink Center as part of his Boca Chueca Tour. The show on Thursday (Oct. 31) not only marked his first performance in Europe but it also broke records. With an audience of 17,426 people, it surpassed Metallica’s mark set in 2018, becoming the event with the highest attendance of the more than 1,200 concerts held at the venue.
Read the show’s review here.
Maluma Launches Athletic-Wear Line
On Tuesday, Maluma unveiled his new athletic-wear line, which he’s calling Remanence, during a fashion show in Colombia. The hitmaker serves as owner and creative director of the brand which was designed “100% in Colombia and focuses on responsible practices, using renewable energy and efficient processes in its production,” according to a press release.
“Music and fashion motivate me to move forward because that is where I can really be me, Juan Luis; they are different communication channels, but they really lead to the same thing, they go hand in hand and will continue to be, as long as I make music, I will continue making fashion and vice versa because it is what motivates me to get up every day,” Maluma said in a statement.
See the collection here.
When Taylor Swift first announced The Eras Tour on Nov. 1, 2022, she might not have guessed that, exactly two years later, she would still be on the career-spanning trek. Also, with just 27 dates announced on that first day, it might surprise her to learn that when the tour wraps in December, she’ll be […]
