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Gelo became an overnight rap sensation when âTweakerâ dropped, and today, he exclusively reveals to Billboard the star feature on the âTweakerâ Remix. He shares how his hit came to life, why he chose to sign with Def Jam, debuting on the Hot 100, album plans and more!
Michael Saponara:
So we gotta talk about âTweakerâ here. Itâs going crazy out here, walk me through how this came together. What was⌠When you started writing for it and then recording it? Paint that whole picture for us.
Gelo:
I had to, like, I always get, like, a little itch to write. If I feel like that, I go make some songs. Well, I wrote it in the garage, but I was feeling like, a certain way, and then I just got to thinking and writing and shâ. Thatâs what I came up with, though. But at the end of that, like, I knew that shâ was gonna be great. Like, I was like, wow.Â
So youâre like, âThis is a hit here.â Right?Â
I played it all the way home. Iâm like, yeah, âThis goes hard.â Like, itâs gonna be it.
So were you sending it out? Does LaVar get to hear it? Does LaMelo hear it? Does Lonzo hear it?
I sent it to Melo and Zo, like, two of my friends, like, nothing. Itâs not going to be spreading like that.
Gotcha. And they all thought it was out of here too?Â
I do that with all my music, though. I got other songs I like more than âTweaker,â but itâs coming.
And how long, I guess, before we heard it? Did you write the record and record it?
I wrote that, like three weeks ago.
Oh, wow, so this is all fresh.Â
Keep watching for more!
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Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty
President Donald Trump floated the idea of moving the Palestinians out of Gaza permanently after the United States took ownership of the region.
On Tuesday afternoon, (Feb. 4), President Donald Trump met with the far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. He would go on to stun reporters (and reportedly Netanyahu) by proposing that the United States should take over Gaza. âThe U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip,â Trump began. âWeâll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out.â
He would continue by proposing that the Palestinian people should âmove outâ of Gaza to be taken in by other countries, saying they live in a âhellhole.â Trump then said the Gaza Strip could be a âRiviera of The Middle East,â adding: âThis was not a decision made lightly. Everybody Iâve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.â Afterward, many pointed out comments made by Jared Kushner, Trumpâs son-in-law and former adviser discussing the opportunities of that kind of move last year: âGazaâs waterfront property, it could be very valuable if people would focus on kind of building up livelihoodsâŚI think that itâs a little bit of an unfortunate situation there but I think from Israelâs perspective, I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up.â
Trumpâs remarks at the press conference were met with outrage and firm refusals by the international community. âThis is out of the question,â Russiaâs Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenza, said in an interview. âThe Palestinians donât want it, the world community doesnât want it, and you cannot forcefully resettle someone, somewhere.â The Saudi Foreign Ministry, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Egyptâs Foreign Ministry have all rejected his proposal, reaffirming their commitment to Palestine having its own state within Israel as a bridge to peace in the Middle East.
The news was met with anger and defiance among those Palestinians who have returned to Gaza since the initial 42-day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began last month. âThis is my homeland and I have no intention to leave even if Trump provides me with the best of everything somewhere else,â said surgeon Nehad Ghonaim.
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Source: YouTube / CBS News/Cook County Sheriffâs Office
While the sneaker resale market is definitely not what it used to be, fools out here are still taking penitentiary chances to bag and move footwear merchandise in 2025. Case in point, authorities have just pinched another future felon who had enough kicks to make him a millionaire.
According to CBS News, authorities in Chicago busted 26-year-old Erick Lujano Bautista earlier this week after police discovered he was hiding almost $1 million worth of stolen sneakers in a warehouse on the West Side of Chiraq. Still, even with all those sneakers stashed in his hideout, Bautista has been hit with one felony count of theft. Meanwhile the sitting âPresidentâ has 34 felony counts on his recordâŚbut thatâs neither here nor there.
Apparently, police were tipped to Bautistaâs illegal operation and took action, which led to the massive discovery and the rest is history.
CBS News reports:
Cook County Sheriffâs officials said investigators executed a search warrant at a warehouse Lujano Bautista was subleasing in the 1500 block of South Western Avenue on Friday, after learning a large number of stolen shoes were being stored there.
Police found thousands of Nike and New Balance brand shoes believed to have been stolen inside the warehouse investigators determined Lujano Bautista was not an authorized seller of either Nike or New Balance brand shoes.
This was not the first time Lujano Bautista was tied to such a theft ring. He was arrested in another high-end theft ring in Lyons back in 2023.
Bautista appeared in court Sunday (Feb. 2) over the bust and though he was allowed to go home to await trial, he did have to hand over his passport and report to a probation officer until his trial date.
With the way things are going out here the man might get deported before that time comes, as the Trump administration is even rounding up American citizens if theyâre a shade too dark for its comfort. Just sayinâ.
The bust comes as police in Chicago have begun using the new Auror system, which alerts police of certain offenders in multiple jurisdictions.
âIt will certainly help, for example, someone in DeKalb who says: âWait a second, we just picked up someone who fits the MO of someone whoâs committing a crime in Belvidere, and someone who did the same thing in Naperville. Maybe thereâs a connection,’â Karr said.
The Auror system just went into use in Illinois.
âItâs certainly been successful in other states,â Karr said. âWe would expect it to be successful here.â
Big brother done got a new way of keeping their ever-growing eye on us. Yâall been warned.
Among the gold gramophones handed out at the recent 67th Grammy Awards was one for best reggae album: Bob Marley: One Love â Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe). Now in addition to the soundtrack and the global box office success of its accompanying 2024 biopic, the celebration of the reggae pioneerâs generational legacy continues in 2025 in honor of what would have been his 80th birthday (Feb. 6).
In partnership with the Marley family, Acoustic Soundsâ Analogue Productions label is announcing its reissue of seven of the late artistâs most iconic albums. With specific release dates to be announced, the album series will launch this spring and is centered around the theme of uprising â also the title of Marleyâs last studio project released during his lifetime. Reflective of his spiritual and prophetic vision, the 1980 set includes memorable tracks such as âRedemption Song,â âCould You Be Lovedâ and âPimperâs Paradise.â
The other six albums comprising the series are: 1973âs Catch a Fire (âStir It Up,â âConcrete Jungle,â âKinky Reggaeâ), 1973âs Burnin (âGet Up Stand Up,â âI Shot the Sheriff,â âBurninâ & Lootinââ), 1974âs Natty Dread (âNo Woman No Cry,â âThem Belly Full [But We Hungry],â âLively Up Yourselfâ), 1976âs Rastaman Vibration (âRoots Rock Reggae,â âWar,â âRat Raceâ), 1977âs Exodus (âThree Little Birds,â âJamming,â âOne Loveâ) and 1978âs Kaya (âIs This Love,â âSatisfy My Soul,â âEasy Skankingâ).
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Bob Marley, âKayaâ
Acoustic Sounds is reissuing the albums in a number of deluxe configurations, varying by title: 33rpm UHQR (ultra high quality record), 45rpm UHQR, 2LP 45rpm, SACD (super audio CD) and reel-to-reel tape (15 IPS on 1/4-inch tape). The UHQR and 2LP 45rpm releases will be sourced from the original master tapes and mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. Pressing will be handled by Acoustic Soundsâ Quality Record Pressing plant in Salina, Kansas.
âWeâre honored to be working with the Marley Family to give these records the treatment they deserve,â said Acoustic Sounds founder Chad Kassem in a statement. âThe experience of going to Jamaica, visiting Tuff Gong and meeting the people carrying Bob Marleyâs legacy forward was incredible, and we believe this series is a beautiful tribute to one of musicâs greatest innovators.â
More about Kassemâs time in Jamaica and the making of Uprising can be found HERE. Acoustic Soundsâ recent vinyl releases include Steely Danâs 1970s recordings, Buena Vista Social Clubâs self-titled album and Miles Davisâ Birth of the Blue.
Kelly Clarkson is heading back to Las Vegas!
The superstar announced on Thursday (Feb. 6) her new residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace called Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions. She previously hosted residencies at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in 2023 and 2024.
âIâm so excited to be back in Vegas,â Clarkson shared in a press statement. âWeâre bringing the studio to the stage this time with âStudio Sessions!â See yâall there!
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The series of dates kick off on July 4 and will continue throughout July and August. The âSince U Been Goneâ singer will then take a few months off before returning for four shows in November.
Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets staring on Friday (Feb. 7) at 10 a.m. PT via the Citi Entertainment program. See more information here. After that, fan club presale will begin on Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. PT. Presale for Caesars Rewards members, Caesars Entertainmentâs loyalty program and Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will begin on Feb. 10. Lastly, public onsale begins on Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. PT via the Ticketmaster link here.
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Itâs gearing up to be a busy year for Clarkson, whose popular daytime talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show, was renewed for a seventh season in December. Since the showâs launch in 2019, it has earned 22 Daytime Emmys, with Clarkson personally winning eight of those awards.
See the full dates for Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions â The Las Vegas Residency below.
July 2025: 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26August 2025: 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16November 2025: 7, 8, 14, 15
Nearly 35 years after making his way to Nashville from a small town in East Tennessee, then steadily ascending to become one of musicâs most reliable stadium headliners and amassing 17 No. 1 Billboard Top Country Albums chart leaders (and nine all-genre Billboard 200 chart-leading albums)âKenny Chesney is shining a light on the places, people and communities that have shaped his life.
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Chesney will release his first book, Heart Life Music, on Nov. 4, 2025 via William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Chesney crafted the book with his longtime friend and collaborator, award-winning journalist/author Holly Gleason, and according to a release, the book aims to capture the essence of âthe superstarâs journey from small town East Tennessee dreamer to commanding the largest stages across the nation will capture the sparks of creativity, venture to places long gone, make unexpected music in Jamaica, the Kremlin, New England and Cabo San Lucas, drift across the waters of the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, encounter and collaborate with heroes, engage with a coterie of singular folks, friends and inspirations, and always find the joy of being unabashedly alive.â
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In a statement, Chesney said, âThis is not my memoir, but something far better. It is almost a love letter to people who shaped and inspired me, the fans whoâve been there from tiny bars, radio stations who believed when nobody else did, a team who just kept coming back, legends who gave me wisdom and opportunities and all the friends whoâve been there along the way. To me, thatâs where the music came from â and this is the story of how it turned into the soundtrack for the way No Shoes Nation lives their lives, too.â
Chesney, who is a four-time entertainer of the year winner at both the CMA and ACM Awards, also noted in a statement, âI always said Iâd never write a book. Too many things happened almost to be believed, let alone lived, but I realized with the world moving in such fast forward motion, too much of what made Nashville, the music business and our lives great would be lost to the churn of the next click. To have been in a room as a kid writing with Dean Dillon, have Sean Payton call an NFL press conference to announce heâs drafting me to the Saints, be in Tuff Gong Studios with Aston âFamily Manâ Barrett and Alvin âSeecoâ Patterson or on a private plane with George Jones after opening for him defies logic. So, for everyone in No Shoes Nation, I realized: you deserved to share the magic.â
Kendrick Lamar and SZA are the latest stars to have this multi-platform triumph. Tony Bennett was the first.
Benson Boone is more than willing to suffer for his art. The âBeautiful Thingsâ singer who takes a huge risk every time he pulls off one of his patented backflips on stage also has a daring sartorial style. He showed it off once again at last weekendâs 67th Grammy Awards, when he took to the […]
Megan Thee Stallion and âGangnam Styleâ superstar PSY are teaming up for a new Apple TV+ reality music competition series called KPOPPED. According to a release announcing the eight-episode song battle show, each episode will feature âwestern icons reimagin[ing] one of their biggest hits, collaborating with top-tier K-pop idols to deliver spectacular battle performances, with […]
Spotify and Warner Music Group have signed a new multi-year agreement covering both recorded music and music publishing, following Spotifyâs similar deal with Universal Music Group earlier this year. The partnership, announced today (Feb. 6), aims to drive innovation and increase the value of music for artists, songwriters and fans.
The agreement focuses on advancing audio-visual streaming, expanding music and video catalogs, and, notably, introducing new paid subscription tiers with exclusive content bundles. It also reinforces âartist-centricâ royalty models that reward artists for attracting and engaging audiences. Additionally, the new publishing deal introduces a direct licensing model with Warner Chappell Music in several countries, including the U.S.
In a statement, WMG CEO Robert Kyncl emphasized the collaborationâs role in expanding the music ecosystem and delivering value to artists and songwriters.Â
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âItâs a big step forward in our vision for greater alignment between rights holders and streaming services,â Kyncl said. âTogether with Spotify, we look forward to increasing the value of music, as we drive growth, impact, and innovation.â
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek highlighted 2025 as a pivotal year for Spotifyâs innovation, âand our partners at Warner Music Group share our commitment to rapid innovation and sustained investment in our leading music offerings. Together, weâre pushing the boundaries of whatâs possible for audiences worldwideâmaking paid music subscriptions more appealing while supporting artists and songwriters alike.â
During Warner Musicâs August 2024 earnings call, Kyncl addressed the relationship between labels and digital service providers and refuted the notion that they are entrenched adversaries. âI know that investor attention has recently been focused on the dynamics between labels and DSPs, with some speculating that weâre adversaries playing a zero-sum game,â he said. âThatâs simply not the case. Weâre actively engaged with our partners around ways to drive growth for all of us.â
WMG announced its new pact with Spotify moments before reporting results for is fiscal first quarter, which saw a dip in revenue that it attributed to the termination of its distribution agreement with BMG, among other factors. The label group on Thursday also announced that it had agreed to purchase a controlling stake in Tempo Music Investment, a catalog company that owns rights to songs by Wiz Khalifa, Florida Georgia Line and others, in a deal sources say is worth several hundred million dollars.