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Trending on Billboard Central Cee has said only one rapper has made him feel broke, and it was none other than the 6 God himself. The U.K. rapper was interviewed by Instagram channel Rambo Is Talking, and when asked if any rapper has ever made him feel broke, had only one answer in mind: Drake. […]
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SZA is coming to Cynthia Erivo‘s defense amid a wave of recent online bullying aimed at the Wicked star.
In the replies of a recent Instagram video calling out the onslaught of posts mocking everything from Erivo’s physique to the way she protected Ariana Grande from a red-carpet crasher in Singapore, the R&B hitmaker shared her two cents about why it shouldn’t be considered “too woke” to speak up. “It’s CLASSIC Misogynoir!” SZA wrote of the content targeting Erivo. “NOTHING ELSE !!!”
“can’t believe it’s openly a thing in 2025,” the singer continued in her comment. “everyone’s gonna have cognitive dissonance 2 years later like ‘remember when everyone attacked Cynthia for being black bald and nurturing?… that was crazy’ ..it could jus stop now lol.”
Misogynoir refers to the intersectionality of racism and sexism experienced all too frequently by Black women. Merriam-Webster defines the term as a “hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against Black women.”
And while both Grande and Erivo have faced ample amounts of criticism for their looks and mannerisms amid the rollout for Wicked: For Good this past fall, the hate geared toward the latter has been particularly upsetting, given the racist undertones lurking beneath much of it. Many online trolls have depicted Erivo’s body in an exaggerated, overly masculine light, a practice that ties into a long history of society treating Black women as less feminine.
It’s something Erivo has dealt with her entire career, with the star telling Billboard Pride editor Stephen Daw in her June cover story that she is rarely considered for sensual or sexual roles. “Honestly, you rarely get that opportunity as Black women anyway,” she said at the time. “So I was just like, ‘Well, if I don’t put it in my own music, I’ll never get to put it anywhere else.’”
Fortunately, Erivo has built a thick skin over the years, a protective measure that’s unfortunately necessary while existing as a Black, queer woman in the entertainment industry. “I can’t change a person’s opinion of me; if they want to feel some way, there is nothing I can do about that,” she added in her Billboard cover story. “But I was so excited about being able to at least be one more face where someone could say, ‘Oh, my God, she did it and can still do it. She’s still creating, she’s still making. So maybe I can also do the same.’”
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Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs have sent Netflix a cease-and-desist letter warning of litigation if the streaming giant follows through with plans to release the 50 Cent-produced docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
Set to drop on Tuesday (Dec. 2) on Netflix, the four-part documentary includes never-before-seen footage of Combs in the days leading up to his arrest last September. Combs’ attorney, Michael Tremonte, says in a Monday (Dec. 1) demand letter that the footage was recorded by the rap mogul’s employees and then “illicitly disclosed” to Netflix later on.
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According to Tremonte, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos first approached Combs about making a documentary back in 2023, but Combs rejected the idea when it became clear he wouldn’t have creative control. Netflix wanted to “punish Mr. Combs for refusing to play by its rules,” Tremonte says — so the company gave the producing gig and allegedly stolen footage to his longtime rival, 50 (Curtis Jackson).
“The evidence of Mr. Jackson’s vicious animus against Mr. Combs is overwhelming. He has been trolling Mr. Combs on the internet and social media for years and has made a career of attempting to defame, belittle and provoke Mr. Combs and turn the public against him,” reads the cease-and-desist letter. “Simply put, there is no one less able to view any aspect of Mr. Combs’s life and legacy through a fair and objective lens.”
Tremonte’s letter also complains about interview subjects being offered “problematic financial incentives” to speak negatively about Combs in the documentary. It warns that Combs may sue Netflix for copyright infringement or possession of stolen property if the series is released as planned.
“As you are undoubtedly aware, Mr. Combs has not hesitated to take legal action against media entities and others who violate his rights, and he will not hesitate to do so against Netflix,” writes Tremonte.
In a statement accompanying the letter, a spokesperson for Combs called the docuseries a “shameful hit piece” and slammed Netflix for “ripping private footage out of context — including conversations with his lawyers that were never intended for public viewing.”
Reps for Netflix and 50 did not immediately return requests for comment on Monday.
Combs’ legacy has been overtaken in recent years by numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse. The onetime music mogul is currently serving a federal prison sentence for arranging drug-fueled sex marathons between his girlfriends and male escorts, though he was acquitted of more serious racketeering and sex-trafficking charges at a blockbuster trial this summer.
Trending on Billboard All Time Low snags its third No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, rising to the top of the Dec. 6-dated list with “The Weather.” The ruler is the band’s first through Basement Noise/Photo Finish/Virgin, following previous appearances on the tally worked by Fueled by Ramen. Though All Time Low formed in […]
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Apple TV raised its monthly subscription price back in August of this year to $12.99 a month; however, you can sign up for the service for just $5.99 a month right now.
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That’s over 50% off on the first six months. This will give subscribers access to a slew of Apple TV classics like The Morning Show, Ted Lasso and Severance, in addition to live sports like Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer. Today, Dec. 1, is the last day you can take advantage of this deal before it’s gone for good. After the six-month promotional period has passed, your subscription price will go back up to $12.99 a month. We’ve never seen a deal like this before on Apple TV, especially one as affordable as this.
Some of our favorite music-related content that you can stream via Apple TV includes the drama-filled Love & Hip-Hop Miami, FX’s documentary on the Sex Pistols titled Pistol, films like School of Rock, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, George & Tammy, the musical hit Smash and the ever-popular K-pop-centric competition show where musicians reimagine their hits with K-pop idols and go head-to-head in song battles KPopped. With so much music content to stream, we think the service is a must-have for our readers, especially if you want to keep up on the “what’s what” of all things music.
Get Apple TV for $5.99
$5.99
$12.99
54% off
A streaming deal for Apple TV.
You can also take advantage of this $5.99 a month streaming deal via Amazon’s Prime. To tap in, you’ll want to subscribe to the Apple TV channel add-on within the Prime Video app to get started. That way, you’ll have access to a ton of Apple TV and Prime Video titles, all in one place at no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win situation. Other channels that you’ll find in the Black Friday Amazon streaming deal include Hallmark+, Acorn TV, Britbox, Vix, PBS Masterpiece and PBS Kids. You can also get streaming bundle subscription deals like BET+ and Starz together for just $3.99/month here (regularly $15.99).
Keep in mind, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of this Prime Video channels streaming deal. If you’re not a Prime member, you can use this link to get a 30-day free trial here. This will give you access to shop this Prime Channels deal, along with a plethora of the last of the retailer’s Black Friday deals.
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Megan Thee Stallion can put one legal hurdle behind her after a Florida judge sided with the popular rapper in a civil defamation lawsuit against blogger Milagro Gramz. Megan Thee Stallion brought the suit against Gramz, alleging that she acted as a stand-in for Tory Lanez and harassed her online with false statements and other attacks.
As reported by NBC News, U.S. District Court Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga oversaw the case of Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Pete, and Milagro Gramz, real name Milagro Cooper. A federal jury panel of five men and four women sided with Pete over material Gramz presented as facts after Tory Lanez shot the Houston entertainer.
The jury first awarded Pete $75,000; however, Judge Altonaga lowered the payout to $59,000. After the verdict, Pete elected not to speak with the media as she made her way out.
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Cooper said of the verdict, “I’m not ecstatic. Of course, you want things to go your way, but like I said, I respect the jury and what they decided.”
Gramz’s attorney, Jeremy McLymont, added, “We respect the jury’s verdict, you always have to right? Whether we agree with it or not, we respect it.”
Cooper reportedly shared a deepfake video of Pete involved in sexual acts, with Pete framing Cooper as a “mouthpiece” for Lanez to further harass and demean her. Pete reportedly checked herself into a facility to get help with depression after the faked video went wide online.
A source tells Rolling Stone that under Florida law, Cooper will have to pay Pete’s legal fees, which may total north of $1 million. However, that has not been confirmed by the court or any other media outlet.
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Trending on Billboard Portugal. The Man returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart as “Tanana” tops the survey dated Dec. 6. It’s the rock band’s fourth ruler and first since “What, Me Worry?” reigned for three weeks in 2022. In between the two leaders, the group reached the tally once, with the […]
After decades of supporting the fight against AIDS, Madonna is refusing to go backwards — no matter what Donald Trump‘s administration dictates. In a passionate post on Instagram on Monday (Dec. 1), the Queen of Pop slammed the president’s administration for shirking generations of precedent and refusing to observe World Aids Day, which has traditionally […]
As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to begin the annual review of the top music business stories of the year. To kick things off, we’ll start with the engine that helps music reach the world: the record labels, which have gone through yet another period of seismic change. Whether it was the overarching […]
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Toosii is trading platinum plaques for touchdowns. Following a slew of college visits, the 25-year-old rapper (real name Nau’jour Grainger) announced on Monday (Dec. 1) that he has committed to Syracuse University to play football next fall.
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“For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality,” Toosii wrote on social media to accompany a photo shoot in his new Orange threads. “God’s will is the way and no one can stop it not even the devil. I wanna thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for even giving me the strength to chase what I believed when so many people told me I couldn’t. Thank you to the people who supported me as well, it never go unnoticed.”
He continued: “To be born in Syracuse and move to North Carolina at age 12 and haven’t been back since. When Coach Fran called, I knew it was a sign from God. So with that being said, Cuse I’m coming home.”
Toosii starred as a wide receiver at Rolesville High School in North Carolina and retained four years of eligibility as a college athlete after graduating from high school in 2018. The rapper was also born in Syracuse, which could’ve played a role in his decision.
He revealed over the summer that he had plans to put music on the back burner and fully commit to training for a potential football career. After recently wrapping up supporting YoungBoy Never Broke Again on his North American arena tour, Toosii announced his plans to play for coach Fran Brown Jr. at Cuse.
Toosii reportedly had multiple options as he received an offer to play at Sacramento State while also making visits to North Carolina State University and Duke University, but ultimately decided to stay close to his roots in Syracuse, where he grew up before moving to North Carolina as a teen.
Toosii, who notched a top-five Billboard Hot 100 hit with 2023’s “Favorite Song,” received plenty of love from his peers and fans for making the pivot from rap to sports, looking to fulfill a childhood dream. DDG, Wallo and Seddy Hendrix were among those cheering him on in his comment section on IG.
Listed at 5’8″, 165 pounds, Toosii will look to help restore Syracuse football following a lowly 3-9 season in 2025. A representative for Syracuse’s Athletics department declined to answer Billboard‘s request for comment, citing NCAA rules prohibiting comments on prospective student athletes.
