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Stray Kids perform “S-Class” and “LALALALA” at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, giving “LALALALA” its debut performance at an awards show. Stray Kids are a finalist for Top Global K-Pop Artist and Top K-Pop Album at the 2023 BBMAs. The 2023 BBMAs feature performances from artists whose music dominated the Billboard charts between November 19, […]
Morgan Wallen accepts the awards for Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Tour, Top Billboard 200 Album for “One Thing At a Time,” Top Country Album for “One Thing At a Time,” Top Hot 100 Song for “Last Night,” Top Streaming […]
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Mario isn’t a stranger to showing new rising stars some love. The R&B singer behind hits like “Let Me Love You,” is from Baltimore, and you can hear that city’s vibe in his music. Growing up there, Mario mixed the city’s soul, street life, and real struggles into his sound. His music easily carried our childhoods and gave us the courage to walk up to our high school crush.
Mario helped put Baltimore on the map in R&B, showing the world that the city’s got talent that can compete with the best. Now the Milford Mill Academy alumni is showing love to a new artist coming out of the city. B-More native, Taylor Avontè has been making noise with her latest single ‘Gangsta Love’ making every baddie wanna slide for the love of her life.
Check out Mario reacting to Taylor Avontè’s latest single ‘Gangsta Love’:
#HHWexclusive: Mario [@OHYESMARIO] co-signs New Artist from Baltimore @taylor_avonte 🔥
Read more here: https://t.co/2FNqKK6u2J pic.twitter.com/LIQFnf8WWD
— HipHopWired (@HipHopWired) December 11, 2024
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Who is Taylor Avontè?
Baltimore R&B and soul artist Taylor Avonté found her passion for music at just three years old, inspired by the legendary Destiny’s Child. With a powerful and soulful voice, she embarked on her musical journey in high school, eager to make a difference. Drawing inspiration from icons like Etta James and Jennifer Hudson, Taylor aims to motivate others and uplift her community. She believes in showing that great achievements are possible regardless of one’s background. Keep an eye on Ms. Avonté; she has a lot in store as she rises in the music scene.
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A$AP Rocky will indeed be taking his main character energy to Hollywood. Spike Lee has confirmed he will have the main role in his new upcoming film.
As reported by Hype Beast the legendary movie marker recently conducted an interview with Deadline. During the Q&A the Brooklyn, NY native discussed reuniting with his longtime collaborator Denzel Washington on his forthcoming film Highest 2 Lowest. The project is inspired by the 1963 crime thriller High and Low. “This is not a remake, this is a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s great film” Spike says. The original follows a high profile executive who is extorted after his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for payment.
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“In Kurosawa’s film, Toshiro Mifune is a shoemaker,” said Lee. “In our film Denzel Washington is a music mogul with his own label and his reputation as the best ears in the business. So, this is the fifth film with the dynamic duo.” The two have worked on several iconic movies including Malcolm X, Inside Man, He Got Game and Mo’ Better Blues. When asked for further details on the plot Spike Lee didn’t elaborate further but did share that A$AP Rocky has the “the main role” in the film. Fellow rapper Ice Spice also has a part in Highest To Lowest.
You can see Spike Lee discuss the project below.
Trigger warning: the following story describes allegations of sexual abuse and illicit drug use.
An anonymous accuser who claims he was sexually assaulted by jailed music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs at one of the Bad Boy Records founder’s infamous White Party gatherings in 2007 has broken his silence to speak to CNN. The man — who the network ID’d as a John Doe to protect his anonymity –first filed a civil suit against Combs on October 14, claiming he was drugged and sodomized at the party in 2007.
The man said he kept the alleged assault a secret all these years, even from his then-wife due to the shame he carried from the incident at Diddy’s estate in East Hampton, N.Y., where he was hired to provide security. “The full gravity of it lives with me to this day,” the New Jersey man told the network, which obscured his voice and face in a video of the interview. “It affects every single thing you do for the rest of your life.”
CNN said that reps for Combs initially declined to comment on Doe’s allegations, noting that at the time of the original complain’s filing in October the rapper’s lawyers issued a blanket statement about that complaint and others filed that same day.
“Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman,” read the original statement. The Doe complaint was one of a series of similar ones filed by attorneys Tony Buzbee and Andrew Van Arsdale, who’ve said they represent up to 120 accusers who plan to file suits against Combs; to date the pair have filed 20 such lawsuits.
“At first he was incredibly friendly, very gracious,” the man said of Combs’ demeanor that night, adding that later in the night Combs handed him a drink that made him feel off. He said that feeling was intensified after a second drink, which he believes were spiked with the strong party drugs GHB and ecstasy. “Sadly, Sean Combs was waiting in the wings. He was watching from some sort of vantage point, and once I was in a helpless position and he was sure that he was in a position of power, then he took advantage of the situation,” the man said.
After the second drink, the man claimed in the suit that he felt “extremely ill,” at which point Combs allegedly approached him with what he initially “interpreted as concern,” before allegedly forcing the man into an empty car. Once inside, Doe’s suit claims that Combs held him down, ignoring pleas for help, and sodomized him.
“It was just an amazing level of incapacitation that I had never experienced before and I felt powerless,” said the man of the two spiked drinks that he said “felt more like 15,” leaving him unable to stand up.
CNN noted a number of inconsistencies between details shared by Doe in his interview with the network and the original complaint’s language, including discrepancies on the year the alleged assault took place and location and whether Doe had ever been married; Doe’s attorneys reportedly filed an amended complaint withe court afterwards, acknowledging mistakes made during the rushed filing.
Doe said that after the alleged assault he struggled to leave the party due to the effects of the drugs and the pain in his body, later allegedly reporting the incident to his supervisor, according to the suit. “I was screaming, I was telling him to stop. It was incredibly painful and he was acting like it was nothing… it was abusive beyond belief,” the man told CNN.
He was allegedly never asked to work for that security firm again. “He just dismissed it and said, ‘I’ll talk to him,’” Doe said about a conversation he recalled with his manager about the alleged sexual assault. “After that, he didn’t talk to me again, he cut me out of everything … I was totally blacklisted after that. I had to find a different field.”
Combs has been denied bail three times to date ahead of his sex trafficking and racketeering trial set for next year. The once high-flying music and fashion tycoon has been behind bars since his arrest in September following an indictment on charges that he ran a sprawling criminal operation predicated on satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.”
Combs, 55, has denied and pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years with the help of a network of associates and employees, allegedly silencing his victims via blackmail and violence that included kidnapping, arson and physical assault.
The allegations against Combs first began in November 2023 when former longtime girlfriend singer Cassie filed a lawsuit accusing him of years of sexual misconduct and abuse; that suit was settled in a private manner within 24 hours. That legal action unleashed a flood of more than two dozen similar sexual misconduct-related lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and coercion, allegations that Combs has categorically denied to date.
Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by Homeland Security in March and since then his once-formidable multi-media and fashion empire has begun to wither amid the avalanche of shocking claims about incidents that accusers have said ruined their lives and left them traumatized.
Doe told CNN that he no longer works security and that his marriage ended as a result of the alleged abuse because of the negative impacts of the trauma on his personal relationships. He also said for the first time that an unnamed “high-profile” celebrity witnessed the alleged abuse, claiming the person “saw what happened and found it amusing.”
“Nothing could give me back the person I was before that evening,” the man told CNN.
While Combs’ reps initially declined comment on Doe’s claims, they issued a statement following the airing of the CNN interview. “After Buzbee was exposed this week for pressuring clients to bring bogus cases against Mr. Combs, and after public records showed that — contrary to his allegations — there was no white party in the Hamptons in 2006, Buzbee amended this complaint to walk back the allegations and now claim a different day and wholly different year,” Combs’ attorneys wrote.
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: A shocking civil lawsuit against Jay-Z accusing him of raping a teen girl in 2000 alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs; a deep-dive into possible motives behind Drake’s legal actions against Universal Music Group; a threat of defamation lawsuits over “Y.M.C.A.” being labeled a “gay anthem”; and much more.
THE BIG STORY: Jay-Z Pulled Into Diddy Debacle
Three months after Sean “Diddy” Combs was indicted on sprawling sexual abuse charges, a new civil lawsuit claims Jay-Z participated in one of Diddy’s assaults – a shocking allegation against one of the music industry’s most powerful figures.
In a complaint filed Sunday evening in New York federal court, an unnamed Jane Doe alleges the star (Shawn Carter) raped her as a 13-year-old girl in 2000 alongside Combs at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards. The case was filed by Tony Buzbee, a Texas attorney who has filed more than 20 such lawsuits against Combs and has threatened dozens more.
“Another celebrity stood by and watched as Combs and Carter took turns assaulting the minor,” the lawsuit reads. “Many others were present at the afterparty, but did nothing to stop the assault.”
To say that Jay-Z has denied the allegations would be putting it lightly. In a forceful statement Sunday night, he called the lawsuit a “blackmail attempt” filed by a “fraud” attorney. Then, less than a day after the case was filed, his attorneys responded in court by calling the case “extortionate” and arguing that the accuser should be required to litigate such “heinous allegations” under her real name. And in yet another filing on Tuesday, they accused Buzbee of pressuring another client to lie – a claim he has denied and called “nothing short of defamation.”
Beyond the lawsuit itself, the allegations against Jay-Z have also sparked a broader legal war — pitting the star’s team and his attorneys at the prestigious BigLaw firm Quinn Emanuel against Buzbee and his prolific plaintiffs’ firm.
For starters, it turns out that it was Jay-Z who filed the mysterious extortion lawsuit against Buzbee last month, accusing him of concocting a “cynical” scheme to extract settlements from innocent celebrities by threatening to link them to Diddy. Buzbee, meanwhile, has fired back with a lawsuit of his own, suing Quinn Emanuel in Texas over allegations that the firm has been harassing him and his clients with “bogus” lawsuits and other “outrageous” conduct.
Jay-Z’s lawyers have already asked for a fast-tracked hearing on their motions, so stay tuned at Billboard for more developments as the case moves forward.
Other top stories this week….
DRAKE’S MOTIVES – What could Drake possibly be thinking? That’s the question Billboard’s Steve Knopper set out to answer in his excellent piece examining the possible motives behind the rapper’s widely-ridiculed legal actions against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar‘s savage diss track “Not Like Us.” Is Drake perhaps seeking leverage to “alter his existing deal” with UMG? Or is it just a “publicity stunt”? Go read Steve’s whole story to find out what industry attorneys had to say.
DON’T SAY GAY? Village People singer Victor Willis is threatening to file defamation lawsuits against news outlets that describe his iconic 1978 disco hit “Y.M.C.A” as a “gay anthem,” saying there’s “nothing gay” about lyrics that have been widely interpreted as a double entendre about gay life. But legal experts told Billboard that such cases that would face serious obstacles in court, thanks largely to the First Amendment and its robust protections for free speech: “Mr. Willis’ threatened libel claim would be a nonstarter for numerous reasons,” one media attorney said.
NBA YOUNGBOY SENTENCED – YoungBoy Never Broke Again was sentenced to 23 months in prison after striking a deal with prosecutors to finally resolve all of his various legal entanglements. The plea deal, which also included 60 months of probation after his release, could see him released as soon as next year due to credit for time he has already served in jail awaiting trial.
BASSNECTAR TRIAL LOOMS – A federal judge refused to dismiss a civil lawsuit accusing electronic music producer Bassnectar of sexually abusing three underage girls, sending the long-running case to a jury trial. Ruling on claims made by one alleged victim, the judge noted that she was “only sixteen” at the time and the DJ was “obviously able to observe her in person,” meaning a jury could find that he had “recklessly disregarded” that she was under the age of 18.
STEREOPHONIC SETTLEMENT – The creators of the hit Broadway play Stereophonic reached a settlement to resolve a copyright lawsuit claiming they stole elements of the show from a memoir written by music producer Ken Caillat about the infamous recording of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Caillat claimed that the play – widely seen as a winking reference to Fleetwood – was an “unauthorized adaptation” of his book.
YSL JURY VERDICT – After hearing more than a year of testimony, an Atlanta jury handed down a verdict that largely acquitted the final two remaining co-defendants (Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell) in a sweeping racketeering trial over accusations that Young Thug ran a violent street gang under his YSL moniker. Coming a month after Thug himself escaped the case by pleading guilty and receiving a sentence of only probation, the verdict marks the end of criminal trial that has captivated the music industry for nearly than two years – and a major loss for the Fulton County District Attorney filed it.
TIKTOK BAN RULING – A federal appeals court ruled against TikTok and upheld a law that could ban the service from the country, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform that has become a crucial music promotion tool in recent years. The Chinese-owned company argued that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and its protections for the freedom of speech, but the court was unswayed: “The government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.”
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Max B, a highly influential rapper who inspired the likes of Wiz Khalifa and Drake, has been behind bars since 2009 just as his star was on a meteoric rise. On the Wednesday episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Max B called one of the co-hosts and shared his impending release date.
Around the 1:07-minute mark of The Joe Budden Podcast, Max B dialed in to co-host Ice (also known as @OfficiallyIce across socials) from Northern State Prison in Newark, N.J. Sounding in good spirits, Max Biggavelli showed off his charm with rapid-fire jokes and announcing himself as the “Wave Daddy” and “Wave God” and letting the cast know that he’s “walking this thing down” in connection to his release date.
Ice and the crew inquired about Max’s state of being and he shared with the hosts that he’s keeping himself in shape and ready to return to the music. Most fans of the “Silver Surfer” are aware that his protege French Montana has kept the flag waving, no pun intended, and has spearheaded efforts to seek freedom for his compatriot.
Max B said that his release date will be November 9, 2025, getting a round of applause from the pod. Max says that he’s ready and willing to work but is keeping his sights set on the “A-List” as he referred to it. Maybe we’ll get that long-awaited Biggavelli and Wiz track next year?
Check out the podcast below. Hop to the 1:07-minute mark to hear the Max B portion. Salute to Wavey Crockett aka The Boss Don. We’re Making America Wavey Again.
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Photo: Instagram
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Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before 50 Cent got to talking about the rape allegation Jay-Z was recently hit with, and sure enough, he’s having a good ol’ time with Hova’s latest legal issue.
After teasing his thoughts by asking if the Super Bowl was still going down due to Jay-Z being accused of raping a 13-year-old at a 2000 VMA’s afterparty, 50 Cent decided to go a bit further with the jokes. According to TMZ, 50 Cent took another swipe at the Hip-Hop icon in a now-deleted post, which featured Jay, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy attending the premier of Mufasa: The Lion King with a caption that read, “Jay said they said I raped a kid, everybody get dressed we going to see Mufasa LOL.”
Y’all know 50 petty as hell.
To further throw some gasoline on that burning fire, 50 decided to post an AI-generated video of Jay-Z and Diddy getting arrested by the police at a fancy soiree and being led off in handcuffs with a caption that read, “I wanna post this but I’m afraid I’m gonna get shot. LOL”
While 50 isn’t necessarily accusing Jay of being guilty of any of the allegations, he does seem content simply roasting Jay for the time being.
While we doubt Jay will publicly say anything about 50’s posts, we wouldn’t be surprised if Hova or his team is reaching out to 50 to tell him to fall back from the situation. Then again, they probably won’t as they don’t want to give someone like 50 more material to work with on social media because 50 would let the world know that he’s hit a nerve with Jay and his peoples.
Jay-Z for his part hasn’t only denied the allegation but implored to have the lawsuit changed from civil to a criminal as he wants to go to trial to clear his name.
What do y’all think of 50 Cent taking swipes at Jay-Z like this? Fair or foul? Let us know in the comments section below.
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2024 has been a very busy year for Kendrick Lamar as he gave the Hip-Hop culture some new classic diss records and racked up all kinds of accolades as a result.
Looking to close out the year on a high and positive note, Kung Fu Kenny will be taking part in Top Dawg Entertainment’s 11th annual TDE Christmas Concert & Toy Drive along with some of his TDE family members such as SZA, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and up and coming sensation, Doechii amongst others. Going down on Thursday (Nov. 12) at 1:00pm, the concert is sure to have a horde of fans lining up as the entry fee will be an unwrapped present for the toy drive.
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People will certainly buy a present just to get to see some of their favorite artists do their thing on stage.
While we don’t know how many songs each artist will get to perform or which ones they’ll be, we’d be gobsmacked if Kendrick didn’t perform “Not Like Us” as it’s been the biggest hit of his career thus far.
Aside from the concert and the toy drive, the second day of the event (Dec. 13) will also feature some family friendly activities along with a raffle for gift giveaways, a job fair that’ll offer employment opportunities on site and free haircuts amongst other cool things.
TDE out here doing much good for the community. Props.
Will you be heading to the TDE Christmas Concert & Toy Drive this week? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Daniel Penny, the former Marine who placed Jordan Neely in a chokehold on a subway train last year, was found not guilty of his death after the jury had deadlocked on a manslaughter charge.
On Monday (Dec. 9), Daniel Penny, who choked fellow subway passenger Jordan Neely on an uptown-bound F train last year, was acquitted on the charge of criminally negligent homicide. The decision came after the jury had previously been deadlocked on a charge of manslaughter, which the presiding judge dismissed last Friday (Dec. 6). The verdict means that the former Marine is a free man.
Neely, a 30-year-old unhoused man, boarded the F train last May shouting loudly and behaving randomly. Penny, 24, managed to get behind Neely and placed him in a chokehold to subdue him, with other passengers assisting. Video footage showed Neely, who is Black, struggling to get out of Penny’s hold for several minutes. Neely would be rushed to the hospital after police arrived, where he died due to compression of the neck, which was confirmed by the medical examiner. Penny would be charged the next month.
The case would become a fiercely debated flashpoint locally in New York City and nationwide, with conservatives and right-wingers rallying around Penny, who is white. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called him a “Good Samaritan.” Observers compared it to the incident 40 years ago where Bernard Goetz, who was white, shot four Black teenagers on the subway claiming he was a target for being mugged by them.
“Jordan Neely was failed by the city’s social service system for years. He was failed by our city when Daniel Penny put him in a chokehold on the subway. And today, Jordan was failed once again, this time by the city’s justice system, following the jury’s decision to acquit Penny of criminally negligent homicide,” wrote City Council members Sandy Nurse, Shahana Hanif, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Carmen de La Rosa, Kevin C. Riley and Crystal Hudson in a joint statement condemning the decision. As Penny was ushered away from the courthouse by his lawyers, Neely’s father, Mr. Zachery, spoke to reporters about the decision while surrounded by supporters, including the Reverend Al Sharpton. “I just want to say I miss my son,” he said after struggling with emotion for several minutes, adding: “It hurts. It really, really hurts.”