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On Thursday (Dec. 12), Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) hosted its annual charity concert and toy drive in Watts, California, marking the 11th year of this heartwarming tradition at the Nickerson Gardens Public Housing Projects.
This event takes place in the very neighborhood where TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith and other label members, including Grammy-winning artist Jay Rock, grew up. The evening brought together some of TDE’s biggest stars, like Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Doechii, and more, for a celebration of music, community, and giving back. With the event taking place in the heart of Watts, it also highlighted TDE’s ongoing commitment to its roots and the neighborhood that helped shape its success.
The buzz around the event was heightened by the recent success of Kendrick Lamar’s album GNX, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. As a result, this year’s concert drew thousands of fans from across Los Angeles, many of whom lined the block with unwrapped toys and donations in hand to gain admission. These contributions were collected to support families in need within the Nickerson Gardens and surrounding areas, cementing the event’s importance as a charitable staple for the local community.
With his GNX album continuing to dominate the charts, Lamar’s involvement in this year’s concert felt even more special, as it marked a moment of connection and giving back to the community.
However, the giving doesn’t stop on day one. Day two of the event, held on Friday, (Dec. 13), shifts focus to TDE’s annual Community Giveback. This part of the event includes a toy giveaway, raffles, youth sports programming, barbering services, and a family holiday photo opportunity — all free to attendees.
Here are the 7 best moments from the 11th annual TDE Christmas concert.
SiR Performs “John Redcorn” During Sunset
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Westside Gunn’s 4th Rope Pro Wrestling brand is making big moves with his latest event, Heels Have Eyes 4. The show took place at Center Stage in Atlanta and featured appearances by The Hardy Boyz, Conductor Williams, and many more.
This event was the perfect blend of Hip-Hop and wrestling curated by Griselda’s own, Westside Gunn’s. Through the night you got to see some amazing wrestlers like Josh Alexander, Mustafa Ali, & Tiara James hit the ring. In between, of course, some real Hip-Hop performances from Onyx & a live DJ set from Conductor Williams.
Ending the night out with the 3-way ladder match for the 4th Rope Tag Team Championship between The Hardy Boyz, Violence is Forever, & The Infantry. Just when you thought the night was over Westside Gunn’s snatched the mic and announced two more special guest performances by Big Krit and Benny The Butcher.
Westside Gunn has always loved both hip-hop and wrestling, and he’s found a way to mix them together. As a rapper, he often drops wrestling references in his music, using the bigger-than-life vibe of wrestlers to inspire his lyrics. The Buffalo NY rapper made a project called Still Praying a hip-hop album that mixes his love for rap and wrestling. The cover of the album even looks like something from a wrestling event, with visuals that shout out to classic wrestlers and moments. The album has that signature gritty sound Gunn’s known for, and he drops wrestling references in his bars, making it feel like a nod to both worlds. For fans of rap and wrestling, Still Praying is like a dope mashup that shows how Gunn blends his two biggest passions into one project. It’s raw, creative, and full of energy.
Check out the full recap of Westside Gunn “Heels Have Eyes 4” Pro Wrestling Event:
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s anticipated Missionary album was released on Friday (Dec. 13) and the West Coast icons delivered an accompanying short film to live alongside the joint LP. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The cinematic mini-movie is bookended by a pair of explosive visuals for […]
A behind-the-scenes look at Megan Moroney’s BBMAs performance for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards. Jessica Candage:The vibe on set has been such a buzz. People are really excited to be here with Megan, being outside of the city of Nashville, just kind of seeing it from a distance is really beautiful, and seeing her just […]
Larry Mullen Jr. may have spent his career drumming, but that doesn’t mean it all comes easily to him. In a new interview with Times Radio published Thursday (Dec. 12), the U2 percussionist revealed that he has long struggled with dyscalculia — a learning disorder related to mathematics — that sometimes interferes with his ability to play.
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While speaking to the publication about his work on the soundtrack for Anna Toomey’s Left Behind documentary, which tells the story of five mothers working to establish New York’s first school for dyslexics, Mullen Jr. said that he’s “always known that there’s something not particularly right with the way that I deal with numbers.”
“I’m numerically challenged,” he continued. “And I realized recently that I have dyscalculia, which is a sub-version of dyslexia. So I can’t count [and] I can’t add.”
According to Cleveland Clinic, dyscalculia interrupts the areas in the brain that process skills related to numerical comprehension, similar to how dyslexia complicates the brain’s ability to read. For Mullen Jr., the disorder makes it difficult for him to count through measures of music while he’s playing alongside bandmates Bono, the Edge and Adam Clayton.
“When people watch me play sometimes, they say, ‘You look pained,’” he told Times Radio. “I am pained, because I’m trying to count the bars. I had to find ways of doing this — and counting bars is like climbing Everest.”
Featuring music written and produced by Mullen Jr., Left Behind first premiered at Woodstock Film Festival in October. The documentary’s story hit close to home for the U2 band member in more ways than one, he says, as one of his sons also struggles with a learning disability.
“Making the music through the eyes of my dyslexic son felt personal and visceral,” shared Mullen Jr.
The interview comes just a couple weeks after the Nov. 22 arrival of U2’s How to Re-assemble an Atomic Bomb, a special release celebrating the 20-year anniversary of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb that features previously unreleased tracks from the 2004 album’s recording sessions. In September, the rock band premiered V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas, an onscreen playback of the group’s historic residency at Las Vegas’ The Sphere.
U2’s most recent album was Songs of Surrender, which arrived in March 2023. The project reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
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Fresh off of their Billboard Music Awards wins, Kendrick Lamar and SZA are gearing up for their highly anticipated Grand National tour. Presented by Live Nation, pgLang and Top Dawg Entertainment, the duo are setting off on a North American stadium tour beginning in April 2025. Luckily, affordable tickets are already making their way online through Ticketmaster and other resale sites to shop now.
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The Grand National tour will kick off in Minnesota on April 19 and make its way through major cities across the country including Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, the New York area, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Detroit, Chicago and even Toronto before wrapping up in Washington, D.C., on June 18. Tickets initially went on sale on Dec. 6 through Ticketmaster.com, but if the venue or seats you are looking for are not available, there are plenty of cheap ticket options through resale sites to browse through.
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To help secure tickets to their Grand National tour before they sell out, check out our guide for affordable ticket options below.
How to Get Tickets to Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour
Ready to sing “Luther” in a packed crowd at the top of your lungs? Secure your cheap tickets to Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National tour through these ticketing sites below.
StubHub
Starting at $148, you can find cheap Kendrick Lamar tickets on StubHub. The site lets you use filters to sort options by price, venue, and number of tickets needed to make sure experience much easier. Your ticket purchase will also be protected by StubHub’s FanProtect, which you can learn more about here.
Vivid Seats
Shop more great options for affordable Kendrick Lamar and SZA tickets at Vivid Seats. With tickets as low as $136, you can save big with $20 off orders of $200+ when you use the code BB2024 at checkout. Make sure to use the sites filter options and interactive map to choose the exact venue, seat location, and number of tickets. Purchases are backed by Vivid Seat’s Buyer Guarantee that promises valid and authentic tickets delivered to you by the time of the event or your money back.
SeatGeek
At SeatGeek, cheap Kendrick Lamar tickets start as low as $118, and if this is your first-time purchasing through the site, you’re eligible for $10 off orders of $250+ when you use the code BILLBOARD10 at checkout. SeatGeek also gives the option to see ratings for each deal labeled on a scale of 1-10, so you won’t have to worry about dealing with any questionable deals. Tickets given a one are considered the worst deal while options labeled a 10 are the best.
Gametime
Looking for cheap last-minute Kendrick Lamar tickets? Gametime offers last-minute verified tickets for a more budget-friendly cost. You can find tickets as low as $121, and if you use code SAVE20 at checkout, score $20 off purchases of $150+.
Ticketnetwork
Ticketnetwork is another great site to secure affordable Kendrick Lamar and SZA tickets. With tickets as low as $150, use the interactive map to guide you through each section of the venue to see how many tickers are left. You can also snag $150 off purchases of $500+ when you use the code BILLBOARD150 at checkout or you can save $300 off orders of $1,000+ when you use the promo code BILLBOARD300.
To help plan your concert outing, take a look at all of the Grand National Tour dates below.
April 19 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ U.S. Bank StadiumApril 23 – Houston, Texas @ NRG StadiumApril 26 – Arlington, Texas @ AT&T StadiumApril 29 – Atlanta @ Mercedes Benz StadiumMay 3 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Bank of America StadiumMay 5 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Lincoln Financial FieldMay 8 – East Rutherford, N.J. @ MetLife StadiumMay 9 – East Rutherford, N.J. @ MetLife StadiumMay 12 – Foxborough, Mass. @ Gillette StadiumMay 17 – Seattle @ Lumen FieldMay 21 – Los Angeles @ SoFi StadiumMay 23 – Los Angeles @ SoFi StadiumMay 27 – Glendale, Ariz. @ State Farm StadiumMay 29 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Oracle ParkMay 31 – Las Vegas @ Allegiant StadiumJune 4 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Dome at America’s CenterJune 6 – Chicago @ Soldier FieldJune 10 – Detroit @ Ford FieldJune 12 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada @ Rogers CentreJune 16 – Hershey, Pa. @ Hersheypark StadiumJune 18 – Washington, D.C. @ Northwest Stadium
The longtime collaborators and TDE duo have been making waves recently as the two partnered up on Lamar’s surprise album, GNX. SZA is featured on two songs off the record: “Luther,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album-closing “Gloria.” GNX also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The first-ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards (BBAMAs) lit up the stage on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This landmark event celebrated the incredible talent shaping Arabic music, honoring artists who dominated Billboard Arabia’s charts throughout the year, alongside several honorary awards, including Icon of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and the Cultural Impact Award.
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This event underscores the growing significance of Arabic music on the global sound map, as it joins K-pop, Latin and African music among the fastest-growing music markets worldwide. Arabic music is echoing across the globe through a surge in international concerts, cross-cultural collaborations and a celebration of its rich and diverse sounds—all under the trusted Billboard umbrella.
Winners of the BBAMAs were determined based on their performance on Billboard Arabia’s diverse charts: the Hot 100, Artist 100, dialect-specific charts (Khaleeji, Egyptian, Levantine and Magharebi) and genre-specific charts such as Arabic Hip-Hop, Arabic Indie, Shelat and Mahraganat. These categories reflect Billboard’s signature approach to celebrating music that resonates globally.
Sherine’s music and voice continue to leave an undeniable mark on the Arabic music landscape, as she swept five awards, reflecting her continued ability to resonate with fans across the region. Not far behind was Al Shami, who claimed four awards, and ElGrande Toto, who took home three trophies, while Abdul Majeed Abdullah was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, in addition to Artist of the Year – Khaleeji Dialect and Top Male Artist – Khaleeji Dialect. Meanwhile, the Cultural Impact Award was posthumously presented to the late and iconic singer Etab by Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Saudi Music Commission, honoring her enduring legacy and profound influence on Arabic music.
The evening was marked by electrifying performances from regional and global superstars. Elissa delivered an unforgettable medley of some of her greatest hits against a cinematic, visually stunning set design, proving why she took home the coveted Icon Award. Tamer Ashour performed his chart-topping anthem “Haygeely Mawgoa,” which earned Song of the Year, while Elyanna dazzled the audience with a vibrant medley, including her hit “Ganeni.” Elyanna’s remarkable year was further celebrated as she took home Top New Artist and Top Arabic Indie Female Artist.
The coveted Top Dueto of the Year went to Ahmed Saad and Assala for their heartfelt collaboration “Sab Farhety.” Saad also set the stage ablaze with performances of his fan-favorite hits, including “Wasa Wasa” and “El Youm El Helw Dah.” The Khaleeji medley was another highlight, featuring breathtaking performances from Hams Fekry, Ayed and Oumaima Taleb. Ayed’s standout track earned him Top Khaleeji Song, while Oumaima was crowned Top Female Artist – Khaleeji Dialect.
Adding to the night’s significance, the BBAMAs coincided with Saudi Arabia’s historic announcement of winning the bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. In a special segment, Ayed, Ghada Sherri and Fahd Bin Fasla debuted the first official songs for the World Cup, making the awards’ debut ceremony truly unforgettable.
Who else made their mark at the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards? Check out the full list of winners below to see who’s shaping the future of Arabic music.
Billboard Arabia
Song of the Year
“Haygely Mawgow” by Tamer Ashour
Artist of the Year
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Male Artist
Amr Diab
Top Female Artist
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Band
Cairokee
Top New Artist
Elyanna
Highest Gainer
TUL8TE
Top Arabic Dueto of the Year
Assala Nasri and Ahmed Saad – “Sabb Farhety”
Top Khaleeji Song
Ayed – “Lammah”
Artist of the Year – Khaleeji Dialect
Abdul Majeed Abdullah
Top Male Artist – Khaleeji Dialect
Abdul Majeed Abdullah
Top Female Artist – Khaleeji Dialect
Oumaima Taleb
Top Egyptian Song
Tamer Ashour – “Haygely Mawgow”
Artist of the Year – Egyptian Dialect
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Male Artist – Egyptian Dialect
Amr Diab
Top Female Artist – Egyptian Dialect
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Levantine Song
Al Shami – “Sabra”
Artist of the Year – Levantine Dialect
Al Shami
Top Male Artist – Levantine Dialect
Al Shami
Top Female Artist – Levantine Dialect
Nancy Ajram
Top Magharebi Song
Saad Lamjarred, Shreya Ghoshal and Rajat Nagpal – “Guli Mata”
Artist of the Year – Magharebi
Dystinct
Top Male Artist – Magharebi Dialect
Dystinct
Top Female Artist – Magharebi Dialect
Manal
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Song
ElGrandeToto – “Blue Love”
Artist of the Year – Arabic Hip-Hop
ElGrandeToto
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Male Artist
ElGrandeToto
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Female Artist
Khtek
Top Indie Song
Al Shami – “Sabra”
Artist of the Year – Arabic Indie
Cairokee
Top Arabic Indie Male Artist
Muslim
Top Arabic Indie Female Artist
Elyanna
Top Mahraganat Song
Eslam Kabonga – “Aywa Ya Habibty Wahashtiny”
Artist of the Year – Mahraganat
Essam Sasa
Top Male Mahraganat Artist
Essam Sasa
Top Shelat Song
Abdullah Al Farwan – “Jamalek Gheer”
Artist of the Year – Shelat
Mohammed Bin Garman
Top Male Artist of the Year – Shelat
Mohammed Bin Garman
Best Composer
Amro El-Shazly & Mehdi Mzayen
Best Songwriter
Aleem
Best Music Producer
Tareq Hjeily
12/13/2024
The Saltburn soundtrack, Kylie Minogue’s dance pop Grammy and electronic music at the Paris Olympics make up some of the biggest dance stories of the year.
12/13/2024
Myles Smith’s “Stargazing” caps a triumphant 27-week trip to No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, rising a spot on the tally dated Dec. 21.
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“Stargazing” reigns with 4.7 million audience impressions, up 15%, on alternative, adult alternative and mainstream rock reporting stations in the week ending Dec. 12, according to Luminate.
The song wraps the lengthiest rise to No. 1 by a solo male, and ties for the fifth-longest overall, since Rock & Alternative Airplay began in June 2009.
Longest Rises to No. 1, Rock & Alternative Airplay:33 weeks, “Out of My League,” Fitz and the Tantrums (reached No. 1 in 2013)30, “First, “Cold War Kids (2015)29, “Running Up That Hill,” Meg Myers (2020)29, “Trampoline,” SHAED (2019)27, “Stargazing,” Myles Smith (2024)27, “All My Favorite Songs,” Weezer (2021)26, “Way Down We Go,” KALEO (2016)24, “Broken,” lovelytheband (2018)24, “Tighten Up,” The Black Keys (2010)
“Stargazing” is Smith’s first Rock & Alternative Airplay ruler, earned with the British singer-songwriter’s first entry on the ranking. He’s the third act to score an initial leader on the chart this year, following The Offspring (“Make It All Right”), Hozier (“Too Sweet”) and Pearl Jam (“Dark Matter”). He’s the first to achieve the feat with a maiden hit since Giovannie & the Hired Guns, with “Ramon Ayala,” in 2022. Before Smith, Alice Merton last achieved the feat among soloists as a lead act, with “No Roots” in 2018.
Along the way to its Rock & Alternative Airplay coronation, “Stargazing” led the Alternative Airplay chart in September. (It ranks at No. 5 on the latest tally.) It also leads Adult Pop Airplay for a second week, following a week atop Pop Airplay. It becomes just the eighth song to have hit No. 1 on Rock & Alternative Airplay, Alternative Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay, joining Hozier’s “Too Sweet” earlier in 2024, Panic! at the Disco’s “High Hopes” (2018-19), Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” (2017), Twenty One Pilots’ “Stressed Out” (2015-16), Lorde’s “Royals” (2013), fun.’s “We Are Young,” featuring Janelle Monáe (2012) and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” featuring Kimbra (2012).
“Stargazing,” which also reached No. 4 on Adult Alternative Airplay, ranked at No. 3 on the most recently published Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart (dated Dec. 14, reflecting the Nov. 29-Dec. 5 tracking week), with 53.4 million audience impressions across all radio formats, 6.3 million official U.S. streams and 1,000 sold.
“Stargazing” is on Smith’s EP A Minute…, which debuted at its No. 25 high on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart dated Nov. 23.
All Billboard charts dated Dec. 21 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Dec. 17.
Will Smith is fed up with the jokes. The rapper turned actor was performing in San Diego this week, addressing the crowd as he tried to distance himself from the embattled Sean “Diddy” Combs by referencing alleged social media memes that he’s seen since the mogul was arrested for sex trafficking charges in September. “Some […]