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03 Apr 2024

Emmanuel Acho Delivers Awful Take About Angel Reese, X Goes At His Manicured Fade

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LSU v Iowa

Emmanuel Acho, currently a sports analyst and a former professional athlete, is certainly qualified to speak on the happenings of the sports world. However, the former NFL linebacker delivered an awful take that he tried to dress up nicely regarding Angel Reese, and many of Acho’s peers are checking him while other fans are going at his well-manicured fade.

In a now-viral clip shared to social media, Emmanuel Acho, 33, appeared on his Fox Sports 1 program SPEAK to discuss Angel Reese and LSU falling to Caitlin Clark and Iowa during the NCAA Women’s Elite 8 games this past Monday (April 1). While Reese was doing her best while being reportedly hobbled by an injury, LSU fell to Iowa behind the scoring explosion from Clark.

In the postgame press conference, Reese, 21, tearfully explained that after her team defeated Iowa last year for the championship, the vitriol she’s experienced since that epic contest has been too much to bear.

“I’ve been through so much,” Reese said. “I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things.”

Despite this, Acho found it necessary to deliver what he framed as a “gender neutral and racially indifferent” —which doesn’t make any sense because you’re discussing a women’s basketball tournament contest featuring a Black woman who is a superstar opposite a white woman who is considered the next great hope for the game. That alone negates the low shot Acho took at Reese’s experience by comparing her tears to that of the animated character, Courage the Cowardly Dog.

People with far more access to Emmanuel Acho have checked him on his dressing down of Angel Reese and the accomplishments of her team. Others are dragging Acho’s name through the mud while others are muting his entire name from their feeds. What’s worse is that the MAGA nuts and closet racists loved the take because of course they did.

Check out the reactions below.

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Photo: Getty

03 Apr 2024

Endeavor Going Private in Deal With Majority Shareholder Silver Lake

Endeavor, the sports and entertainment giant that owns agencies WME and IMG, announced on Tuesday it will be acquired by private equity firm Silver Lake in a deal that values the company at $13 billion. The move arrives three years into Endeavor’s tenure as a publicly traded company and just six months since WME’s chief rival, CAA, came under new ownership.

Silver Lake is Endeavor’s largest shareholder, having made its initial investment in WME in 2012 and purchasing IMG two years later, and plans on acquiring 100% of the remaining shares by offering stockholders $27.50 per share in cash, representing a 55% premium to the unaffected share price of $17.72 per share. Endeavor noted that was the price of shares on Oct. 25, 2023, a day before the company disclosed a review of strategic alternatives that included going private.

The company, which went public in 2021 following pandemic-era delays, currently trades as EDR on the New York Stock Exchange, closing at $25.81 on Tuesday (April 2).

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In addition to WME and IMG, Endeavor’s portfolio includes live event hospitality firm On Location, marketing agency 160over90 and sports betting data firm OpenBet. Endeavor is also the majority owner of TKO Group Holdings, formed last year to merge its martial arts league UFC with World Wrestling Entertainment. TKO is not part of the Silver Lake acquisition, however, and will continue trading on the NYSE as “TKO” and “will continue to benefit from its connectivity to Endeavor’s expertise, relationships, and significant capabilities,” the company clarified.

Led by co-CEOs Egon Durban and Greg Mondre, Silver Lake’s $102 billion in combined assets includes a portfolio of companies like Oak View Group, Fanatics, TEG, Waymo, Stripe, Plaid, SoFi and Madison Square Garden Sports, among others.

Endeavor said the transaction is fully financed through equity from Silver Lake and additional capital from partnering investors, including Mubadala Investment Company, DFO Management, Lexington Partners, and funds managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Members of Endeavor’s leadership team, including chief executive Ari Emanuel, executive chairman Patrick Whitesell and president and COO Mark Shapiro, will also roll over their equity, and new debt financing was secured by Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bank of America and other institutions.

“Since 2012, Endeavor’s strategic partnership with Silver Lake and Egon Durban have been central to our evolution into the global sports and entertainment leader we are today,” said Emanuel. “We believe this transaction will maximize value for all of Endeavor’s public stockholders and are excited to continue to unlock and invest in the growth opportunities ahead as a private company.”

Stephen Evans, managing director of Silver Lake and a director of Endeavor, said: “The team at Silver Lake is proud of our longstanding partnership with Endeavor, marked by more than $3.5 billion of direct investment across six distinct transactions over 12 years. We are excited about what we can achieve together in this next phase, spearheaded by Endeavor’s visionary expertise across talent representation and content and ownership of truly special, marquee assets in sports.”

03 Apr 2024

Keityn, Feid, Carlos Vives and Yng Lvcas Talk Major Wins at 2024 Latin ASCAP Awards

It was a sultry Miami evening at the Premio ASCAP 2024 on Tuesday night (April 2), which celebrated top composers and publishers at Vizcaya Palace at the seashore in Miami. 

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Among the winners on site were Keityn, who won Composer of the year for the second consecutive year; Feid, who won composer/artist of the year; Yng Lvcas, who co-wrote “La Bebé,” the track he performs with Peso Pluma and which won Song of the year; and Carlos Vives, who received the coveted ASCAP Founders Award. 

Keityn’s win came as a result of working on some of the biggest hits of the past year, including “Monotonía” and “Acróstico” by Shakira and “Amargura”, “Cairo” and “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” by Karol G among many others.  

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When asked by Billboard which in the list of 10 of hits was his favorite, Keityn — who recently had a baby boy — paused for moment. 

“I’d have to say ‘Acróstico,” he finally said. “It’s an extremely personal song, and I feel it’s so important that it’s a song where everything she wanted to say felt genuine. Plus, when I was little, my mom used to make acrostics with our names. And ‘Acróstico’ is literally an acrostic with Sasha and Milan’s names. So, to be able to contribute such a personal song to Shakira is really a gem in my career.” 

Keityn’s countryman, and friend, Feid, spoke to Billboard about his soon to be released album with Yandel, which he says came together in a mere two months, after the two of them met at a radio show in Los Angeles. 

“I told him, ‘Let’s do an old-school album of five songs. I don’t want filler tracks,” Feid says. Despite the fact that he was on the road in the middle of his tour, the Colombian star found the time to finish. “I love to be inside the studio. It’s the first thing I do when I get up in the morning,” he explains. 

Picking up his award, Feid reinforced the team mentality that has been part of his success. 

“I may be the face of this project, but we’re a team behind this musical project,” he says. 

Vives was the last winner to pick up his award, given for his career trajectory. 

When he started as a singer in Colombia, Vives said, “Commercial music had pop music and tropical music. 30 years ago, we started to electrify the percussive patterns of that music, not Cuban style – which is a music we admire and with which we have many similarities, but also many differences. They called it tropipop, and it became the new Colombian pop.” 

On his end, 24-year-old Yng Lvcas picked up his award for one of the biggest bangers of the year. “La Bebe” topped Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 11 on the Hot 100. 

03 Apr 2024

Patrick Mayberry Takes ‘Lead’ on Christian Airplay Chart for First Time: ‘I Hope the Message Keeps Going’

Singer-songwriter Patrick Mayberry notches his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart as “Lead on Good Shepherd” rises to the top of the survey (dated April 6). The single, released on Centricity Music, increased by 7% to 5.9 million airplay audience impressions in the March 22-28 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Mayberry co-authored the song with Paul Duncan and Frankie Orella, and co-produced it with Jacob Arnold. Mayberry, originally from Chicago and now based with his family in Franklin, Tenn., rules Christian Airplay with his sixth charted song.

“I am truly beside myself with the success of ‘Lead on Good Shepherd,’ Mayberry tells Billboard. “To have a song of mine on top of the Billboard chart is a truly a dream come true. I hope that the message of this song keeps going to more and more people, reminding them that they have a good shepherd in Jesus who cares for them and is walking with them through the ups and downs of life.”

The song is from Mayberry’s album Wild Faith, released in September 2023. He is currently working on a new collection.

The new Christian Airplay No. 1, also Mayberry’s first top 10, follows his “Easy to Praise,” which hit No. 25 last April, and “Only Jesus,” with Chris McClarney, which opened at its No. 40 high in November 2022. Mayberry’s rookie entry, “Breakthrough Miracle Power,” reached No. 43 in April 2021, followed by “Holy Spirit Come” (No. 15, January 2022) and “How You Love Me” (No. 35, November 2022).

03 Apr 2024

Jonathan McReynolds & Marvin Winans’ ‘Able’ Tops Gospel Airplay Chart

Jonathan McReynolds collects his sixth total and consecutive No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart (dated April 6) with “Able,” featuring Marvin Winans, who adds his third leader.

During the March 22-28 tracking week, the song drew airplay on 34 stations that report to Gospel Airplay, tying for the most among all titles on the tally, according to Luminate. The 34-year-old McReynolds, from Chicago, co-authored “Able” with Winans, Major Johnson Finley and Dee Wilson.

“At this point I’m surprised when God does not surprise me,” McReynolds tells Billboard. “This is another chapter of my own hard work and His favor giving me something else to thank Him for.”

As McReynolds extends his streak to six straight Gospel Airplay chart-toppers, he ties Todd Dulaney for the longest run of No. 1s since the chart began in 2005. McReynolds’ prior five No. 1s: “Your World,” for five frames beginning in December 2022; “Grace,” for a week in August 2021; “Movin’ On,” with Mali Music, for one frame in October 2020; “Make Room,” for one week in December 2019; and “Not Lucky, I’m Loved,” for a week in September 2018.

Dulaney rang up his sixth uninterrupted Gospel Airplay leader (and seventh overall) last November with his most recent entry, “It’s Working” (with Bishop Hezekiah Walker), which dominated for two weeks.

Recording artist and pastor Winans, originally from Detroit, and a veteran of Billboard’s charts for over 30 years, last led Gospel Airplay as featured on husband-and-wife duo Juan & Lisa Winans’ “It Belongs to Me,” for a week in November 2020. (Marvin Winans is Juan’s uncle.) He first reigned, for four weeks in April-May 2012, as featured on Andraé Crouch’s “Let the Church Say Amen.”

03 Apr 2024

Nine Milestones Beyoncé Could Reach at 2025 Grammys

As has been widely critiqued here and elsewhere, Beyoncé has yet to win album of the year. She was previously nominated for I Am…Sasha Fierce in 2010 (lost to Taylor Swift’s Fearless), Beyoncé in 2015 (lost to Beck’s Morning Phase), Lemonade in 2017 (lost to Adele’s 25) and Renaissance in 2023 (lost to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House). The fact that she lost to a white artist in each case has not escaped notice.

On “Sweet Honey Buckiin’,” a track on the new album, Beyoncé addresses her album of the year (AOTY) track record. “A-O-T-Y, I ain’t win/ I ain’t stuntin’ ’bout them,” she raps. “Take that s—t on the chin/ Come back and f—k up the pen.”

In accepting an honorary award on the Grammy telecast on Feb. 4, Jay-Z “went there” and bluntly addressed her losses.

Looking at his wife, who was standing in the audience, he said, “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys, never won album of the year. That doesn’t work.”

He then doubled down by saying, “When I get nervous, I tell the truth.”

Jay’s calling out the Grammys, right there on the Grammy stage, was a moment of high drama. Never mind that many other artists with large numbers of Grammys have never won album of the year, including Jay himself (24), Kanye West (also 24), Vince Gill (22) and Bruce Springsteen (20).

Because of all the attention Beyoncé’s repeated losses for album of the year have received, Recording Academy voters may feel unspoken pressure to finally give her the big one. It will be hard for voters to be totally objective when they have so much Grammy history on their minds, but that’s how it often works with awards.

Should Bey win for Cowboy Carter, it would be her first win on her fifth try. No one else in Grammy history has ever won for the first time on their fifth nomination in the category. Seven artists won for the first time on their third nod – Frank Sinatra (who received two nods in the Grammys’ first year), The Beatles, Whitney Houston, Steely Dan, Ray Charles, Dixie Chicks and Beck.

If Beyoncé finally wins, Sting, Kanye West, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar will remain as the only artists to go 0-4 as lead artists for album of the year. Sting’s tally includes the final studio album by The Police. Gaga’s includes her second collab album with Tony Bennett. The tallies for West and Lamar include just solo studio albums. (Lamar’s tally does not count the Black Panther soundtrack, which was also nominated, but on which he was credited as a featured artist, not the lead artist.)

Why has Beyoncé’s 0-4 track record in this category attracted so much more attention than these four other artists’ identical records? Discuss amongst yourselves.

03 Apr 2024

Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla Tease Collaboration Before Hitting the Road on Hot Girl Summer Tour

Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla might have something even hotter in store than their upcoming Hot Girls Summer tour. The dynamic duo teamed up on Tuesday (April 2) for a preview of a collaboration due out soon.

“Too thick [crying laughing, peach emoji] glo dropping 4/5 !!! We getting activateddddd,” Meg wrote on Instagram alongside a brief video of the pair looking cozy in sweats in a recording studio. The playful video opens with Glo spinning around and showing her behind to the camera as she exclaims, “Damn!” and Megan laughs before putting a palm to the camera and changing the scenario completely.

When we return, both women are in string bikini tops as a thumping track plays and they take turns cheering each other on with the phrases “Go Meg” and “Get ’em Glo.” At press time the pair had not announced any additional information about the song due out on Friday.

Trending on Billboard

Megan’s first-ever headlining tour will his 31 cities and arenas in major markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Memphis, Atlanta and Philadelphia, as well as the rapper’s Houston hometown. After the U.S. dates end with a June 22 show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Megan will head out on an international trek beginning on July 4 in Glasgow, Scotland, with additional shows in England, France, Germany, and Ireland.

After Megan’s bikini-baring tour announcement got flagged by Instagram last month for running afoul of the media company’s decency guidelines, the “Not My Fault” rapper appears to be leaning as hard as possible into the cheeky campaign with a series of Instagram posts over the past few weeks in which she appears to be trying out some provocative stagewear, including a barely-there cowgirl outfit.

Watch the Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla collab preview below.

03 Apr 2024

Travis Kelce Says So Far This Year He’s the ‘Happiest I’ve Ever Been’

Travis Kelce has a lot to celebrate these days. In addition to coming off his third Super Bowl win with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year, the NFL tight end spoke to People about his awesome year, telling the mag that, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m a guy that some people say is glass half full, half empty, and my glass is all the way full. It’s all the way full.”

Kelce, 34, who recently returned from a Bahamian vacation with girlfriend Taylor Swift, said he’s “oozing” life right now, as he takes in all the new adventures he’s been offered due to his winning ways. “It’s just so much fun getting into when you win the Super Bowl,” he said after taking him his third NFL championship in the past five years in February. “All these doors open, and so I’ve just been going through all these open doors, experiencing life and just appreciating the people that have got me here and also staying high and meeting new faces.”

Though Kelce did not appear to specifically address his relationship with Swift — which included Travis recently flying to Singapore to take in one of Tay’s Eras Tour shows — the A-list couple’s busy schedules might once again be in the news next month when the tight end is slateed to start pre-season activities. In addition to his day job, this week Kelce also announced the lineup for his second annual Kelce Jam music festival in Kansas City on May 18, which will feature performances from Lil Wayne, Diplo and 2 Chainz.

Trending on Billboard

As if that wasn’t enough, Kelce is also among the co-producers of an upcoming documentary about late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat called King Pleasure and he and KC teammate QB Patrick Mahomes are opening a steakhouse in their hometown called 1587 Prime next year.

03 Apr 2024

Stability AI Launches Stable Audio 2.0 With Audio-to-Audio Generation Feature

Stability AI has launched Stable Audio 2.0, adding key new functions to the company’s text-to-music generator. Now, users can generate tracks that are up to three minutes long at 44.1 KHz stereo from a natural language prompt like, “A beautiful piano arpeggio grows to a full beautiful orchestral piece” or “Lo-fi funk.”

Stable Audio 2.0 also features an audio-to-audio generation feature, allowing users to manipulate any audio sample they want using text-based AI prompts. Its terms of service, however, requires that any audio uploaded to this tool is free of copyrighted material, with the tool employing a content recognition filter to ensure compliance.

Stable Audio 2.0 is the company’s first major music product to launch since its vp of audio, Ed Newton-Rex, resigned. To announce his exit, Newton-Rex wrote a lengthy post on social media saying, “I don’t agree with the company’s opinion that training generative AI models on copyrighted works is ‘fair use’… I hope others will speak up, either internally or in public, so that companies realise that exploiting creators can’t be the long-term solution in generative AI.”

Trending on Billboard

Unlike some of the company’s other models, Stable Audio and Stable Audio 2.0 are only trained on training data it licensed from the music library AudioSparx. The library contains over 800,000 audio files containing music, sound effects and single-instrument stems as well as text metadata. All of the musicians who created the works in the AudioSparx library were given the option to opt out of being used to train Stable Audio’s model.

Stable Audio 2.0 is now available to use for free on the Stable Audio website and will soon be available on the Stable Audio API.

03 Apr 2024

Adele Reschedules 2024 ‘Weekends’ Las Vegas Residency Shows Postponed By Illness

Adele has rescheduled a run of dates of her popular Weekends With Adele Las Vegas residency that were originally slated to take place in March. In a post on X on Tuesday, the singer announced that the postponed dates at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace will now take place on the final weekend of October, as well as every weekend in November.

“The postponed dates for Weekends With Adele at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace from March have been rescheduled to the below dates later this year,” Adele wrote, noting that ticket holders for the postponed dates will be sent an email about their new allocated date.

Back on Feb. 27, Adele announced that due to an unspecified illness she would have to press pause on her Vegas stay-put. “Sadly I have to take a beat and pause my Vegas residency,” she wrote in a statement. “I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break. I hadn’t quite gotten the chance to get back to full health before shows resumed and now I’m sick again, and unfortunately it’s all taken a toll on my voice.”

Trending on Billboard

At the time, Adele said her doctor had recommended rest, resulting in the final five weekends (March 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30) of the residency getting pushed to a later date. “I love you, I’ll miss you like mad and I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” Adele captioned the post.

The final run of Weekends With Adele began on Jan. 19 and was originally slated to run through a June 15 date.

Check out the rescheduled Weekends With Adele dates below.