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The Game has planted himself on the front lines of Los Angeles looking for ways to help the community and get the city back on its feet ever since the tragic wildfires began blazing through L.A. County earlier in January.
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Following his inauguration, President Donald Trump paid a visit to California on Jan. 24, but Game took issue with Trump making a quick stop touring the Palisades Fire and not the other areas which were also left devastated.
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“Obviously Trump came to see the Palisades fire and everyone affected needs hearts, but these people are just as important,” Game told TMZ. “I think that President Trump and anybody else that is running the country need to come down here and do their due diligence here as well.”
The Compton native added, per HipHopDX: “I think President Trump went over to the affected areas of Pacific Palisades, but he didn’t make his way to Altadena. I’m not telling President Trump what he has to do or what he should do or nothing like that, but let’s not forget about Altadena.”
Earlier in the month, Game was boots on the ground helping Pasadena firefighters battle the blaze by delivering food, drinks and supplies like blankets.
“Me & my team have been down here with the brave men & women fire fighters on the grown day in & day out assisting anyway I can do make their days a little easier,” he wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post. “The hearts & level of humility in each & every soul down here is a beautiful thing to witness & be a part of. These fighters are coming from all over the city, state & country to help put an end to what has been a long week of catastrophic events caused by these fires.”
Game even shifted his focus to an animal rescue mission where he went around Pasadena and Altadena looking to find pets and reunite them with their owners.
L.A. radio legend Big Boy gave The Game his flowers for being outside during a time like this. “The Game is out there… I was reading the comments and it was so much positivity under that,” Big Boy said. “And if he can get someone else out there — just one more person out there, that’s beautiful.”
L.A.’s FireAid Benefit Concert took place on Thursday night (Jan. 30) with Billie Eilish, Lil Baby, Jelly Roll, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma and many more hitting the stages at Intuit Dome and Kia Forum. Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Balmer matched every dollar donated during the concert.
Those wanting to donate to Los Angeles wildfire relief funds are encouraged to visit fireaidla.org.
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Source: Ric Tapia / Getty
Ever since retiring from the NBA back in 2019, Dwayne Wade has kept a relatively low profile, as he’s been enjoying his post-professional life with his lovely wife Gabrielle Union and his children.
Now, he’s revealing that life took a tumultuous turn in 2023 when he had to have a cancerous tumor removed after doctors found a growth on his right kidney. In a recent episode of his show, The Why With Dwyane Wade, the future NBA Hall of Famer revealed that he felt strange symptoms during that year that included constant cramps and weak urination, which spurred him to seek medical attention, as his father Dwyane Wade Sr. had his own bout with prostate cancer.
After D-Wade’s doctor ordered a full-body scan to see what could be causing the health issues Wade was experiencing, they discovered the tumor. Having sought multiple medical opinions on the matter, Wade learned doctors couldn’t take a biopsy to see if it was cancerous and ultimately decided to go under the knife and have the tumor and 40% of his kidney removed before things could get any worse.
“I had a personal decision to make. And what it was was, if this is cancerous, if this tumor, this cyst, is cancerous on your kidney, you’re 41 years old. You probably need surgery, so it’s something that needs to be removed so it doesn’t spread. I made the decision to have surgery. I had surgery on December 18, 2023.”
The decision proved to be the right one. After the tumor was removed it was examined, and he later learned it was indeed cancerous and deadly.
Telling his co-host Bob Metelus that it was “the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life,” Wade went on to credit his family for holding him down and being right by his side as he battled his health scare.
“Fortunately for me, my family got in, they jumped in. And what I saw, in the midst of that, and me going through my illness. I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me. In that process, in my weakness, I found strength in my family, in my friends, in my group.”
Thank goodness for modern medicine.
Check out the interview in full below, and let us know your thoughts on the situation in the comments section.
Following Kurt Cobain‘s death by suicide in April 1994, the living members of Nirvana went their separate ways, with drummer Dave Grohl and guitarist Pat Smear teaming up in the Foo Fighters and bassist Krist Novoselic pursuing a series of solo and band projects. Over the years, most fans were resigned to the fact that they’d never hear the trio perform the grunge icon’s songs live again.
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But over the past 20+ years, Grohl, Novoselic and Smear — the latter a Los Angeles punk legend who joined the group in time for the 1993 In Utero tour and remained with them until Cobain’s death — have come together a handful of times to both honor Nirvana’s legacy and, seemingly, just to relive their lightning-in-a-bottle musical brotherhood again.
In light of their latest get back at Thursday night’s (Jan. 30) all-star FireAid relief fundraiser for victim’s of this month’s devastating L.A. wildfires — where they were once again joined by a handful of fierce female singers — check out a list of the times they’re performed together over the years.
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12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief
If you’re going to step back on stage for the first time in nearly two decades, it helps to have a Beatle around. In 2012, Grohl, Novoselic and Smear were joined by Sir Paul McCartney for the rollicking live debut of the raging new song they wrote together, “Cut Me Some Slack,” for the all-star fundraiser for victims of Superstorm Sandy.
The Grammy-winning song was featured on the soundtrack to Groh’s 2013 documentary about the legendary Los Angeles recording studio Sound City.
Saturday Night Live
They got FabVana back together again for a run through “Cut Me Some Slack” on Saturday Night Live in December 2012 when Macca was the musical guest.
McCartney II
The trio were on hand again in July 2013 when the members played their first hometown show in more than 15 years, joining McCartney at his Safeco Field show for another run through “Slack.”
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
When Cobain, Grohl and Novoselic were inducted into the RRHOF in 2014 in their first year of eligibility, the living members performed a searing four-song set with a group of female vocalists fans dubbed “HerVana.” Given the impossible task of recreating Cobain’s searing vocals and slashing guitar, they smartly played the set of the band’s classic tunes with guest vocalists Joan Jett (“Smells Like Teen Spirit”), Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon (“Aneurysm”), St. Vincent (“Lithium”) and Lorde (“All Apologies”).
It was the first time the trio had performed any Nirvana songs live without Cobain, but not the last.
Saint Vitus Club Show
After the four-song RRHOF reunion, the band had not had enough, so they hit Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s 350-capacity Saint Vitus metal club for a super-exclusive bonus session featuring Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis and Deer Tick’s John McCauley, as well as St. Vincent and Gordon, for a 19-song set that ended well past 4 a.m.
Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party
The music legend’s annual Grammy party is always full of surprises, but nobody was expecting Grohl, Novoselic and Smear to hop on stage with Beck in 2016 for a run through David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World,” with Beck on vocals and guitar; Nirvana famously covered the song on their 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York album.
Concrete and Gold Tour
Considering they were at Safeco Field in Seattle for a stop on their Concrete and Gold tour in September 2018 — and Novoselic’s Giants in the Trees roots-rock band were opening — it made sense that Grohl, Novo and Smear teamed up for a cover of the Vaselines’ “Molly’s Lips“; Nirvana frequently covered the song in their heyday and it was included on their 1992 odds-and-sods compilation Incesticide.
Earlier in the tour, Novoselic also joined them on the Concrete and Gold stop in December 2017 in Eugene, OR to run through the Foo Fighters’ 1995 hit “Big Me.”
Cal Jam
Jett and McCauley were back in the fold at the 2018 Cal Jam in San Bernardino, CA, where the punk legend took lead vocals on “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Breed” and “All Apologies,” with the Deer Tick singer handling “Serve the Servants,” “Scentless Apprentice” and “In Bloom.”
Art of Elysium
A “Dave Grohl & Friends”-touted set turned into another reunion at this 2020 gala, where Beck (“In Bloom,” “Been a Son,” “The Man Who Sold The World”) and St. Vincent (“Lithium”) again handled vocals on Nirvana standards, while Grohl’s then-13-year-old daughter, Violet, stole the show during the five-song set with a mournful version of “Heart-Shaped Box.”
FireAid
At Thursday’s night’s (Jan. 30, 2025) star-studded pair of shows for fire relief, HerVana rose again in an unannounced performance that mimicked the fierce female energy of the RRHOF induction. St. Vincent ripped “Breed,” Gordon crushed “School,” Jett howled through “Territorial Pissings” and Violet Grohl did it again with her confident vocals on the In Utero classic “All Apologies” as her proud dad pounded away on the drums behind her.
About a year and a half into Gimme Gimme Records’ existence in New York City’s East Village, a leak erupted from an upstairs tenant and landed directly on the only section of CDs. Shop owner and founder Dan Cook says he took the leak – supposedly caused by an upstairs tenant falling asleep while filling the bathtub – “as a sign from God.”
Cook admits that the CD section was quite paltry despite it being the mid-1990s, but he still decided to stick strictly with vinyl going forward.
Plus, he could stick with the tried and tested format since the small space he rented on East 5th Street was incredibly cheap. It was a small storefront, painted forest green with an overhang informing passersby that they both bought and sold records, that Cook shared with “an eccentric dude” who sold items he found on the street and taught piano lessons in the mornings.
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“The building was kind of crummy, honestly,” says Cook of the space he rented out a little over 30 years ago. “We were right next to the 9th Precinct, the police station, so kind of odd vibes for a record store. But for cheap rent, you put up with a lot.”
Despite the eccentric neighbors in the “old East Village,” as Cook puts it, the store was a legitimizing step up from the flea market where he was used to selling his collection. Growing up in Massachusetts, Cook was obsessed with vinyl and would buy records from yard sales and flip them at local record stores for albums he actually wanted. “Then, I moved to New York City and tried doing the same thing, and the stores were not as generous. It was just like, ‘here is 11 cents credit.’” he says, “So, I started saving them up and selling at the Chelsea flea market.”
Dan Cook
Jennifer Black
The store was only open Thursday through Sunday and served as a side business for Cook, who also worked at a bookstore and was the lead vocalist for the Matador Records-signed Lynnfield Pioneers, which formed in 1996 and disbanded by 2000. The band was self-described as “hip-hop-no-wave,” which seems fitting for Cook who calls himself and his store “generalist.”
“That’s something that used to set me apart in New York, being a generalist. I like all types of music. If I go through a box of country records or a box of hip-hop records, I know the good ones,” says Cook. “It broadens my opportunities to bring in stuff.”
The pre-streaming era was ripe with genre purists, but besides some questioning glances, Cook’s love for all kinds of music set him up for success whether it is purchasing new vinyl or sifting through used collections. A genre-agnostic store is more of the norm today and suits the pedestrian traffic of Gimme Gimme’s new location in Highland Park, a retro-leaning neighborhood in Los Angeles.
After 18 years in the New York location (and a rent increase of only $50 from 1994 to 2012), the owner of the East Village location sold the building and Cook decided to move the collection to Highland Park where he and his wife had moved in 2010. For two years, Cook had been assessing vinyl inventory over Skype with friends who were running the shop in New York. But once the building had a new owner, Cook found a 1,200 sq. ft. location on Highland Park’s York Boulevard. The street is full of vintage clothing and furniture shops, small cafes, a 100-year-old bowling alley and plenty of popular restaurants that keep the foot traffic steady in front of the new Gimme Gimme Records.
Gimme Gimme Records
Dan Cook
But the high concentration of vintage lovers also means there’s lots of competition in the area. There are six record stores within a half mile of Gimme Gimme Records, which Cook says both helps and hurts.
“Getting record collections is super competitive,” Cook explains. “I am not just competing with other record stores. There are people with Discogs or eBay and that’s their side hustle.”
On the bright side, having that many record stores in one area makes it a destination for folks visiting. The vinyl enthusiasts and foot traffic are especially valuable since Gimme no longer hosts live shows (they weren’t worth the effort) or sell much outside of its roughly 10,000-15,000 vinyl collection (Cook also collects and sells photography and art books that make up about 2% of Gimme sales).
With about 60% new and 40% used records and a hearty selection of all genres, Gimme is seeing Cook’s generalist tendencies paying off. When the store opened more than 30 years ago, Cook says the clientele was almost exclusively male, but now it’s not uncommon for him to look up from his back counter and see all genders and generations.
“When I first opened the store, it was just sweaty dudes. That’s a cliche, not everyone was, but now its teenagers coming in and grandma/granddaughter duos coming in,” says Cook. “It’s really amazing to see.”
More in this series:
Twist & Shout in Denver, Colo.
Grimey’s in Nashville, Tenn.
Home Rule in Washington, D.C.
Sweat Records in Miami, Fla.
Central Cee has secured this week’s No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart with his debut LP Can’t Rush Greatness (Jan. 31). The west London rapper outsold the rest of the top five combined to reach the summit; this album gives him his second chart-topper following 2023’s mixtape 23. There’s been a flurry of […]
Lola Young has bagged a second week at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart with her breakout hit “Messy” (Jan. 31). The song first hit the top spot last week after dethroning Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True,” which reigned for eight non-consecutive weeks. The London-based musician’s star continues to rise with the song hitting […]
In today’s episode of Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Trevor Anderson, Kyle Denis, Carl Lamarre and Damien Scott predict who will win big at the 2025 Grammys, discuss Snoop Dogg and Nelly performing during Donald Trump’s inauguration and more. Trevor Anderson: I don’t think Snoop needs a bag that bad. He was just getting paid a […]
A new report by the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) reveals that live music contributes billions to the Canadian economy.
That’s over $10 billion in GDP during 2023 alone to be precise. Hear and Now: Understanding the economic power and potential of Canada’s live music industry is the first-ever economic impact assessment of Canada’s live music industry, identifying the significance of live music in Canada at the same time as it emphasizes major challenges.
The study, which is led by research firm Nordicity and commissioned by the CLMA, notes that these numbers have been achieved largely without a dedicated fiscal policy framework incentivizing live music. “$10.92B in combined impact from live music and tourism spending… without trying.”
Erin Benjamin, CLMA president & CEO, emphasizes that these numbers show the importance of supporting music venues.
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“More live music activity — an increase in live music activity at every rung of the venue ladder — will mean more folks spending their income in that space. It generates the tax revenue, it generates the labour income,” she told Billboard Canada at a press launch for the study at Allied Music Centre in Toronto this week (Jan. 30). “Live music is the vehicle that stimulates that kind of economic activity.”
Though the Canadian live industry is a big part of the country’s economy, it faces serious challenges.
In Canada, venues are closing down. Toronto saw roughly 15% of venues close permanently during 2020-2021 alone. A venue shortage especially impacts emerging artists, who need a venue ladder — a scale of increasingly-large venues they can work up to — as they grow their career. “The critical shortage of small and mid-sized venues restricts access to local live music,” the report states.
Benjamin tells Billboard Canada that on a policy level, she would love to see more support for the sustainability and growth of small venues. “The first few rungs on the venue ladder are the most vulnerable. We want to make sure we’re not losing our incubator spaces and our discovery spaces.” She mentions CLMA’s pilot initiative with FACTOR Canada, the Promoters Program, which supports companies presenting live music in Canada. She hopes to see the program made permanent.
Musicians and industry members are also facing increasingly tough conditions when it comes to making a living. The report estimates that in 2023, the average salary for a full-time employee in the Canadian live music industry was around $31,000 — putting music industry workers below the poverty line.
Read more on the report here.
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Canadian Airplay Charts Find a Home on Billboard Canada
Seven charts are debuting on Billboard Canada.
The Canadian Airplay Charts, all of which track Canadian radio airplay, have found a new exclusive home at Billboard Canada’s charts hub.
They’ll be updated every Thursday and live alongside the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Billboard Canadian Albums chart.
The charts cover seven different types of radio airplay, diving into what’s performing well in adult contemporary, country and rock across Canadian radio.
“Billboard Canada is the official home for Canadian music charts,” says Mo Ghoneim, President of Billboard Canada. “Making these airplay rankings available on our platform is part of our commitment to providing deeper insight into what’s shaping radio and music across the country.”
Together, the new charts provide a snapshot of the radio landscape, which provides a new angle on music distinct from the Canadian Hot 100.
While Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars hold the top spot on Canadian Hot 100 with “Die With a Smile,” Myles Smith’s “Stargazing” holds the No. 1 spot on the Canadian All Format Airplay chart at launch.
The radio charts regularly feature Canadian artists, thanks in part to Canadian content regulation. In Billboard Canada‘s breakdown of the 2024 year-end charts, radio’s influence on Canadian pop was clear, uplifting rising Canadian artists like LU KALA, Preston Pablo, Josh Ross, Alexander Stewart and Jamie Fine.
Weekly analysis of the radio charts will now accompany Billboard Canada’s regular chart beat stories tracking the Canadian Albums and Canadian Hot 100 charts.
The seven charts include: All Format Airplay, AC Airplay, CHR Airplay, Hot AC Airplay, Country Airplay, Mainstream Rock Airplay, and Modern Rock Airplay.
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AI-Generated Album Appears On Nova Scotia Musician Ian Janes’ Spotify Profile Without His Permission
Nova Scotia musician Ian Janes is speaking out against music by Ian Janes.
Janes, a Music Nova Scotia Award winner, says an AI-generated album was falsely added to his Spotify profile, under his name.
He tells CTV that he found out when Spotify sent him a notification urging him to promote his new release — but he hadn’t released anything new.
When he went to his Spotify profile, he says, there was indeed a new album, but not one he had recorded.
“It’s AI-generated music that you would listen to when you’re on hold,” he describes to Global. The album was removed from his profile but remains on Spotify under a separate profile, also using the name ‘Ian Janes.’ Janes’ lawyer says that it’s not technically a copyright violation unless the music uses Janes’ likeness or his actual compositions.
The album bears the hallmarks of fraudulent music designed to score streams. It has a title that means nothing but seems poetic, Street Alone, and a large number of tracks (20). Several of the songs are named after popular hits but are not actually covers of those songs, like “Ho Hey,” “Summertime Sadness,” and “Give Your Heart A Break.” The music sounds like it could be made entirely within Ableton or Logic Pro.
Last year, nine Canada-based music streaming sites were taken down for streaming manipulation. IFPI, the worldwide recording industry association, and Music Canada had filed a complaint stating that the sites were selling fake streams to boost play counts.
It’s not clear how the distributor who uploaded Street Alone was able to gain access to Janes’ profile. But Janes’ situation demonstrates a clear risk for independent musicians as these tactics proliferate.
“If a name isn’t proprietary, and titles aren’t proprietary, what’s going to keep an AI music company from using the name of existing musicians and using the names of the songs they’ve released?” Janes says.
Last Week: How Music Companies Are Fighting the ‘Streaming Tax’
Lainey Wilson‘s career whirlwind will continue surging this year, when the 2023 CMA entertainer of the year winner launches her Whirlwind World Tour in March.
The nearly 50-date trek will feature openers Maddox Batson, Kaitlin Butts, Ernest, Zach Meadows, Drake Milligan, Muscadine Bloodline and Lauren Watkins at various shows. The Whirlwind Tour, which takes its name from Wilson’s 2024 album, will play across Europe, Canada and the United States, hitting London’s O2 Arena, Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and New York’s Madison Square Garden along the way.
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Wilson revealed the tour in a comedic skit with openers Ernest and Muscadine Bloodline’s Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton that plays with the tour’s title. Wilson portrays a meteorologist, who is telling viewers about a powerful whirlwind that is ripping through (tour stop) cities across the U.S., while Ernest and Muscadine Bloodline portray fellow newscasters/weathermen impacted by the whirlwind.
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Wilson’s album Whirlwind is currently nominated for best country album at the upcoming 67th annual Grammy Awards, which are this Sunday (Feb. 2).
See the full list of tour dates below.
March 4: Zurich, CH (X-TRA)~
March 6: Antwerp, BE (De Roma)~
March 8: Rotterdam, NL (Rotterdam Ahoy)
March 9: Berlin, DE (Uber Eats Music Hall)
March 12: Copenhagen, DK (Vega Main)~
March 14: London, UK (O2 Arena)
March 15: Belfast, N. Ireland (SSE Arena)
March 16: Glasgow, Scotland (The SSE Hydro)
March 18: Kingston upon Thames, UK (Banquet Records)
March 19: Paris, FR (Elysée Montmartre)~
May 30: Panama City Beach, Fla. (Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam)
May 31: Lexington, Ky. (Railbird Festival)
June 6: Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Carolina Country Music Fest)
June 20: Wildwood, N.J. (Barefoot Country Music Fest)
June 26: Milwaukee (Summerfest)
June 27: Cadott, Wis. (Country Fest)
July 12: Cavendish, PEI (Cavendish Beach Music Festival)
Aug. 14: Phoenix (Footprint Center) *
Aug. 15: Albuquerque, N.M. (Isleta Amphitheater)*
Aug. 16: Denver (Ball Arena) *
Aug. 21: Bend, Ore. (Hayden Homes Amphitheater)*
Aug. 22: Sacramento, Ca. (Golden 1 Center)*
Aug. 23: Los Angeles (Kia Forum)*
Aug. 28: Calgary, AB (Scotiabank Saddledome)*
Aug. 29: Edmonton, AB (Rogers Place)*
Aug. 30: Saskatoon, SK (SaskTel Centre) *
Sept. 11: Baton Rouge, La. (Raising Cane’s River Center) †
Sept. 13: Bossier City, La. (Brookshire Grocery Arena)†
Sept. 18: Austin, Texas (Moody Center) ‡
Sept. 19: Fort Worth, Texas (Dickies Arena)‡
Sept. 20: Houston (The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman) ‡
Sept. 25: Toronto, Ontario (Budweiser Stage) §
Sept. 26: Clarkston, Mich. (Pine Knob Music Theatre) §
Sept. 27: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena) §
Oct. 2: Nashville, Tenn. (Bridgestone Arena) ||
Oct. 3: Noblesville, Ind. (Ruoff Music Center) §
Oct. 4: Cleveland, Ohio (Blossom Music Center) §
Oct. 9: Columbia, Md. (Merriweather Post Pavilion) §
Oct. 10: New York (Madison Square Garden) §
Oct. 11: Mansfield, Ma. (Xfinity Center) §
Oct. 16: St. Louis, Mo. (Hollywood Casio Amphitheatre) ||
Oct. 17: Rosemont, Ill. (Allstate Arena) ||
Oct. 18: Saint Paul, M.N. (Xcel Energy Center) ||
Oct. 24: Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center) #
Oct. 25: Charlotte, N.C. (Spectrum Center)#
Nov. 7: Tampa, Fla. (Amalie Arena) #
Nov. 8: Orlando, Fla. (Kia Center) #
~with special guest Zach Meadows
*with special guests ERNEST and Kaitlin Butts
†with special guests ERNEST and Maddox Batson
‡with special guests Muscadine Bloodline and Drake Milligan
§with special guests Muscadine Bloodline and Lauren Watkins
||with special guests Muscadine Bloodline and Maddox Batson
#with special guests ERNEST and Drake Milligan
Fostering the next generation of music creatives while also supporting relief efforts for those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires were the twin themes of the Black Music Action Coalition’s BMAC x Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Music Maker Grants dinner/ceremony. The third annual event (Jan. 29) also doubled this year as the organization’s ReStore […]