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Jay-Z’s The Book of Hov exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library last year was a huge hit amongst Hip-Hop fans. Now, anyone who missed out on the exhibition will be able to bring it home as The Book of Hov will be turned into an actual book.
The Associated Press is reporting that the exhibit dedicated to arguably the greatest rapper alive will now be available in print form as The Book of Hov: A Tribute to Jay-Z will be available Wednesday (Dec. 4), as Jay-Z celebrates his 55th year on this Earth. Available to purchase on Assouline, the 432-page book features what the 600,000 visitors of The Book of Hov exhibition saw first-hand at the Brooklyn Public Library divided into eight chapters with 675 illustrations.
Per the AP News:
“The Book of Hov: A Tribute to Jay-Z” unveils Jay-Z’s deep connection with the art world and his rising business ventures, reveals his unique method of composing rhymes mentally and his criminal and social justice activism. It offers a tribute to Baseline Studios where “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album” were birthed. The book also captures him articulating his vision and manifesting his future through a series of interviews spanning several years.
Some of the book’s other highlights include the guitar Jay-Z played at the Glastonbury Festival; Daniel Arsham’s sculpture of the iconic “HOV Hands”; his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame award; and hundreds of paper planes, which were created by New York City schoolchildren who wrote their dreams inside.
“The Book of Hov: A Tribute to Jay-Z” will be available in three editions: The classic version for $120, the ultimate for $2,000 and price upon request for five special limited- edition copies with a tri-fold each housed in a bronze slipcase artwork by Arsham.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the special limited edition will be donated to the Brooklyn Public Library.
We don’t know about y’all, but if we’re putting down $2,000 for a book about Jay-Z it better come with a chance to meet him in person or a golden ticket kind of contest or something. Just sayin’.
Will you be picking up a copy of The Book of Hov: A Tribute to Jay-Z? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
The internet knucked and Lil Scrappy most definitely bucked back. The ATL star just welcomed a new baby boy with hairstylist Shakira. During this joyful time, online trolls criticized Scrappy’s baby and his decision to have another child without being in a committed relationship. There’s only so much till you get Scrapp goin’ & he quickly made a video response saying, “To the people that be having negative stuff to say about a kid, a baby and me having a baby and I’m not with nobody. Like I’m a single man. Like that’s pretty dumb.You feel what I’m saying? That’s pretty dumb. That’s ignorant as f**k you feel me and I’d be like, dude, you can’t get mad at them because they probably not happy with their life. I’m happy with mine.”
Long story short, leave that man alone.
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
This all happened less than a month since Lil Scrappy’s ex-wife Bambi was showing off her promise ring from her new boo. Instantly, the Knuck If You Buck Rapper’s comment section was filled with L’s haters assuming that this bothered him. True to his style, Lil Scrappy responded by saying, “Hate is a strong word, strong word. I just don’t even have the energy for that s**t anymore. It’s about getting money and taking care of them kids, man. I don’t even look that way. I just keep moving, get my money. Do what I’ve been trying to do for the longest, like, I’m doing it.”
It’s safe to say he is healed from that breakup (allegedly).
As 2024 comes to a close, Billboard looks back at the most consequential music publishing stories of the year.
If you like it, then you should’ve put a ring on it — but a billion views isn’t a bad compromise. Fresh off of being named Billboard‘s No. 1 greatest pop star of the 21st century, Beyoncé‘s iconic music video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” has surpassed one billion views on YouTube […]
When you’ve been on the kind of career rip that Beyoncé‘s had for the past two decades, you get used to winning. That was the message from the singer’s mother, Tina Knowles, when TMZ caught up with her on Tuesday (Dec. 3), just hours after Billboard revealed that Bey was named the No. 1 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century.
Asked to respond to the honor, Knowles said, “that’s nice… very nice.” As for the follow-up question about whether the family ever gets used to the accolades heaped on their their daughter, Knowles offered up a succinct, “yeah.”
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The expectation of excellence was mirrored by Bey’s father Matthew Knowles as well, who boasted about the singer’s accomplishments in a loving post on X on Tuesday. “Beyoncé was shy growing up. But, as soon as she started singing, it was like a different person emerged and we knew from a very young age that she was destined to pursue her passion in music,” he wrote. “She turned everyone around her into a believer with her determination, work ethic, stage presence and talent.”
He also addressed his daughter directly, saying, “Beyoncé, I am so proud of you. This is another one of your many major distinctions, yet I sit here not surprised because I knew you were meant for greatness from the moment I held you in my arms for the first time!”
“While Taylor Swift is the century’s biggest pop star by the numbers — from album sales to streams to touring dominance — our editorial staff chose Beyoncé as our Greatest Pop Star of the Century, based on her full 25 years of influence, evolution and impact,” reads the intro to the essay about the Beyoncé.
The No. 1 slot placed Queen Bey over Swift (No. 2), as well as the rest of the top 10, which included Rihanna, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Drake.
Jon Pardi is set to bring his neo-traditional, honky tonk country sound to venues across the country on his headlining Honkytonk Hollywood Tour in 2025, with the 16-date trek launching April 25 in Lubbock, Texas.
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The trek will visit arenas and amphitheaters across the United States and Canada, with support from “Wild As Her” hitmaker Corey Kent on select dates, and Kassi Ashton, who earlier this year released her debut album Made From The Dirt.
Pardi released his most recent album, Mr. Saturday Night, in 2023, but since then he’s released the Luke Bryan collaboration “Cowboys and Plowboys,” as well as “Friday Night Heartbreaker,” which reached No. 34 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart earlier this year.
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To date, Pardi has earned five Country Airplay chart-toppers, including “Head Over Boots” and “Last Night Lonely.” Mr. Saturday Night earned a nomination for album of the year from the Academy of Country Music.
Tickets for the shows go on sale Friday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. local time. An exclusive, early-access presale begins at 9 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 5 at jonpardi.com.
See the full dates for Pardi’s Honkytonk Hollywood Tour below:
April 25: Lubbock, Texas @ United Supermarkets Arena
April 26: Las Cruces, N.M. @ Pan American Center
May 15: Tucson, Ariz. @ Tucson Arena
May 16: Prescott Valley, Ariz. @ Findlay Toyota Center
May 29: Toledo, Ohio @ Huntington Center
May 30: Indianapolis, Ind. @ Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
May 31: Evansville, Ind. @ Ford Center
June 5: Highland Heights, KY @ Truist Arena
June 6: Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Petersen Events Center
June 7: Allentown, Pa. @ PPL Center
June 11: Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre
June 12: Lethbridge, AB @ VisitLethbridge.com Arena
June 14: Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place
June 18: Idaho Falls, ID @ Mountain America Center *
June 20: Airway Heights, WA @ BECU Live at Northern Quest Amphitheater *
June 21: Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater *
TBA and Kassi Ashton
Our favorite albums from a big year for pop blockbusters.
By 
Katie Atkinson, Katie Bain, Anna Chan, Hannah Dailey, Stephen Daw, Kyle Denis, Angel Diaz, Frank DiGiacomo, Ingrid Fajardo, Josh Glicksman, Griselda Flores, Quincy Green, Paul Grein, Rylee Johnston, Elias Leight, Jason Lipshutz, Joe Lynch, Meghan Mahar, Heran Mamo, Gail Mitchell, Taylor Mims, Melinda Newman, Jessica Nicholson, Eric Renner Brown, Kristin Robinson, Jessica Roiz, Dan Rys, Michael Saponara, Damien Scott, Andrew Unterberger
Coldplay is set to perform on the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.
Hosted by actress and comedian Michelle Buteau, the 2024 BBMAs presented by Marriott Bonvoy is set to air on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 8 pm ET/PT on FOX and Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+, with performances also rolling out across Billboard.com and via @BBMAs and @Billboard social channels. Coldplay joins SEVENTEEN, Teddy Swims and Tyla, who were previously announced as performers on the show.
Coldplay is a finalist for two Billboard Music Awards this year: top duo/group and top rock touring artist.
In October, the band landed its fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 – its first in more than 10 years – with Moon Music. The album has spawned two hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – “Feels Like I’m Falling in Love” and “We Pray” (featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna & Tini). Coldplay has so far had two No. 1 Hot 100 hits – “Viva La Vida” in June 2008 and “My Universe,” a collab with BTS, in 2021.
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As previously announced, Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter are the leading finalists for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.
This marks the show’s return to FOX, which carried the show from its 1990 inaugural broadcast through 2006. In addition, Paramount+ will provide on-demand streaming of the show, while the free Fire TV Channels app will provide one-click access to fans using Amazon devices (Fire TV smart TVs and streaming media players and Fire Tablets).
The BBMAs will celebrate music’s greatest achievements with exclusive original performances, artist interviews, and award celebrations taking place from global locations and in the midst of sold-out tours. Shaboozey will deliver a special performance from W Hollywood, part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. Additional performers and special guests will be announced soon.
The BBMAs honors the year’s biggest artists, albums, songs, producers and songwriters across multiple genres, as determined by year-end performance metrics on the Billboard charts. The eligibility dates for this year’s awards are aligned with Billboard’s Year-End Charts tracking period, which measures music consumption from the charts dated Oct. 28, 2023, through Oct. 19, 2024.
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation. PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.
The show is presented by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s travel program and portfolio of more than 30 hotel brands. For more information, visit MarriottBonvoy.com
Sympathy is a knife, but Charli XCX and Ariana Grande are watching each other’s backs.
In a new interview with Variety published Wednesday (Dec. 4), the 32-year-old alt-pop star opened up about her bond with the 31-year-old Wicked singer-actress — whom Charli says gave her a lot of support on multiple career fronts as they were working on their October remix of fan-favorite Brat track “Sympathy Is a Knife.” “She had a lot to say,” the “Von Dutch” artist began of her collaborator.
Noting that Grande “gravitated” toward “Sympathy Is a Knife,” Charli added, “We went back and forth on the lyrics, talking about all the knives that we both felt in this industry.”
The “Yes, And?” artist also apparently encouraged Charli’s acting ambitions, which, in the near future, will include parts in Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating series, Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex film, Daniel Goldhaber’s Faces of Death remake and Julia Jackman’s 100 Nights of Hero graphic-novel adaptation. Grande, who hosted Saturday Night Live in September, also showed the “Apple” artist the ropes before the latter helmed a November episode of the comedy series.
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“She’d obviously just done [‘SNL’] and killed it, so I was getting tips,” Charli told the publication. “She was just like, ‘You’re gonna be amazing, just relax, it’s so fun.’”
Grande’s spin on “Sympathy Is a Knife” was just one of numerous remixes on Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat, a companion LP to Charli’s blockbuster sixth studio album. On the track, both women delve into their least favorite aspects of fame and the music industry, singing, “It’s a knife when you’re finally on top/ ‘Cause logically the next step is they wanna see you fall to the bottom.”
Billie Eilish, Lorde, Troye Sivan, Addison Rae, Tinashe, The 1975 and more were also featured on the Brat remix album, which dropped Oct. 11. The project served to build on the career-boosting whirlwind started by the original record, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in June — Charli’s first-ever top five album.
“Crash was me kind of playing at being a major-label pop artist,” the star told Variety, reflecting on her unexpected success with Brat. “It’s funny now to see how Brat has dwarfed it, because I was so prepared for this record to be just for my audience.”
The full nominations for the 2025 MOBO Awards have been revealed, with Central Cee, Jorja Smith and Sampha among the names leading the way with three nods each.
The 27th edition of the annual ceremony, which was established in 1996 and celebrates music of Black origin, is scheduled to take place in Newcastle for the first time. It’ll be held at the city’s Utilita Arena on Feb. 18.
The album of the year category features Bashy (Being Poor Is Expensive), Cleo Sol (Gold), Ghetts (On Purpose, With Purpose) Jorja Smith (Falling Or Flying), Sampha (Lahai) and Skrapz (Reflection). The former marks a return to music after 15 years for the London rapper, known otherwise as Ashley Williams, having built a successful acting career including his role as Jermaine Newton in hit Netflix series Top Boy.
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Elsewhere, Raye is up for best female act and video of the year (“Genesis”). Alternative artist Jordan Adetunji, who made his Billboard Hot 100 debut in July with viral single “Kehlani” peaking at No. 24, picks up two nominations for best newcomer and song of the year.
In the running for best international act are Asake, Ayra Starr, Beyoncé, GloRilla, Kendrick Lamar, Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Tems and Tyla.
“Each and every time we unveil the MOBO Awards nominations, I am taken aback by the sheer amount of incredible talent we have in the UK,” MOBO founder Kenya King said in a statement. “It inspires us all to continue pushing the industry to be more inclusive of a greater variety of Black music and culture. The music coming out of the U.K. this past year has been some of the best we have had in years. These distinct, uncompromising voices are not just soundtracks for our days. They provide healing and reflection, and also escapism in times of need.”
The major winners at the MOBO Awards 2024, which were held in Sheffield, included Little Simz, Dave, and Stormzy.
Here’s the full list of nominees for the MOBO Awards 2025:
Best male actBashyCentral CeeD-Block EuropeGhettsNemzzzSampha
Best female act Cleo SolDarkooJorja SmithLittle SimzNia ArchivesRaye
Album of the yearBashy – Being Poor Is ExpensiveCleo Sol – GoldGhetts – On Purpose, With PurposeJorja Smith – Falling Or FlyingSampha – LahaiSkrapz – Reflection
Song of the yearCentral Cee Feat. Lil Baby – “Band4band”Chase & Status, Stormzy – “Backbone”Darkoo Feat. Dess Dior – “Favourite Girl”Jordan Adetunji – “Kehlani”Leostaytrill – “Pink Lemonade”Odeal – “Soh-soh”
Best newcomerChy CartierElmieneFimiguerreroFlowerovloveJordan AdetunjiLenLeostaytrillMyles SmithOdealPozer
Video of the year Meekz – “Mini Me’s” (Directed By Kc Locke)Mnelia – “My Man” (Directed By Femi Bello)Raye – “Genesis” (Directed By Otis Dominique & Raye)Sampha – “Only” (Directed By Dexter Navy)Skepta – “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” (Directed By Steveo)Unknown T Feat. Loyle Carner – “Hocus Pocus” (Directed By Felix Brady)
Best R&B/soul act Cleo SolElmieneFloJaz KarisJorja SmithNippaOdealSasha KeableShae UniverseSinead Harnett
Best alternative music act ALT BLK ERABob VylanHak BakerKid BookieNative JamesSpider
Best grime act ChipD Double EDuppyKruz LeoneManga Saint HilareScorcher
Best hip hop act BashyCristaleHeadie OneNinesPotter PayperSkrapz
Best drill act163MargsCentral CeeHeadie OneKairo KeyzK-trapPozer
Best international actAsakeAyra StarrBeyoncéGloRillaKendrick LamarLattoMegan Thee StallionNicki MinajTemsTyla
Best performance in a TV show/filmAngela Wynter As Yolande Trueman In EastendersCaroline Chikezie As Noma In Power Book II: GhostDiane Parish As Denise Fox In EastendersDionne Brown As Queenie In QueenieGhetts As Krazy In SupacellJacob Anderson As Louis In Interview With The VampireJasmine Jobson As Jaq In Top BoyJosh Tedeku As Tazer In SupacellKingsley Ben-adir As Bob Marley In Bob Marley: One LoveTosin Cole As Michael In Supacell
Best media personality90’s Baby ShowAJ OduduChuckie OnlineCraig MitchHenrie KwushueMadame JoyceMicah RichardsSpecs GonzalezThe Receipts PodcastZeze Millz
Best African music act Asake (Nigeria)Ayra Starr (Nigeria)Bnxn & Ruger (Nigeria)King Promise (Ghana)Odumodublvck (Nigeria)Rema (Nigeria)Shallipopi (Nigeria)Tems (Nigeria)Tyla (South Africa)Uncle Waffles (South Africa)
Best Caribbean music actPopcaanShenseeaSkillibengSpiceValiantYg Marley
Best jazz actAmy GadiagaBlue Lab BeatsEgo Ella MayEzra CollectiveKokorokoYussef Dayes
Best electronic/dance act Eliza RoseNia ArchivesPinkpantheressSaluteShygirlTsha
Best producerCeebeaatsInfloJulsM1onthebeatP2jSammy SosoBest gospel act AnnatoriaImrhanLimoblazeReblahStill ShadeyVolney Morgan & New Ye