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A federal jury awarded the family of Botham Jean nearly $100 million for his wrongful death at the hands of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger.
On Wednesday (Nov. 20), a federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas, found that former police officer Amber Guyger used excessive force in the death of Botham Jean in 2018, violating his constitutional rights in the process. The jurors awarded Jean’s family a verdict of $98.65 million. “Today is a day that I’m a bit consoled,” said Bertrum Jean, Botham’s father to the press afterward. “I’m still heartbroken over the loss of my son … but today I think justice was served and we are very thankful, and we pray that it will be a lesson.”
Jean, an accountant, was a native of St. Lucia who lived in the same building as Guyger. On the night of Sept. 6, 2018, the 26-year-old was eating ice cream on his couch (something his family said he enjoyed from childhood) when Guyger allegedly mistook his apartment for her own and opened fire on him, believing him to be a burglar. Guyger would be fired from the Dallas Police Department and go on to be found guilty of murder in a criminal trial where she was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was eligible for parole earlier in the fall, which was denied.
The breakdown of the monetary judgment included $60 million in punitive damages, awarded due to the jury’s finding of malice or heightened indifference to the rights of others. Guyger waived her right to participate in the trial, which Jean’s family said demonstrated a lack of accepting accountability for her actions. That was underscored by testimony that showed that Guyger didn’t offer medical aid despite having that training and a recording of the 911 call where she vocalized worry over losing her job. The city of Dallas also successfully filed to be dismissed from the judgment.
Jean’s family did not hesitate in expressing their disappointment with the city’s handling of the incident from the beginning but also expressed their appreciation for those in Dallas who supported them through the ordeal. “I feel the support of the Dallas community from the day I flew in on September 7th, there were already protests, vigils, all sorts of things,” Allison Jean, Botham’s mother said. “I feel the warmth of the city, of the community, but the institutions within that city that are supposed to do better, have not.”
Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” has settled in for its third consecutive week at the summit of the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart. Once again fending off competition from Gigi Perez’s “Sailor Song” and ROSÉ and Bruno Mars collaboration “APT.”, Abrams’ “That’s So True” remains at No. 1, while another Abrams single, “I Love You, I’m […]
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Meek Mill’s name has been dragged for months about his association with Diddy. He says he is ready to go to war once he finds out who started the rumors about the two.
As spotted on XXL, the Philadelphia, Pa., MC is fed up with the hearsay that he and the disgraced media mogul had romantic relations. On Wednesday (Nov. 20), he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to vent about the smut being put on his name by the media. “None of these publications are owned by black men posting things to destroy the names and brands of the culture!” he wrote with a video screen capture that shows all the news stories tying him together with Diddy when a search for “meek mill birthday 2014” is performed on Google. “Ima stand on this I know it’s somebody behind this! Ima start a war behind it too when I find out!!!!”
He went on to further detail his frustration. “Why nobody looking at the fact of who we consuming this news from,” he added. “I went to chat gpt none of these people are even Americans and not close to the black party. These weak a*s stories this wasn’t even puff party. It’s not nothing to be quiet about if you’re smart!”
This not the first time he has discussed this narrative on social media. Back in September, Meek Mill said he was willing to pay a sleuth to figure out who was behind the slander. “I wanna hire an investigative team 100k cash to find out every specific detail involving meek mill name to “Diddy” Case…. I also want them to look at who is powering the media involving ‘meek’ anything to do with buddy! ‘Something not right,’” his caption read.
Soon after, more questionable footage of Meek Mill and Diddy was shared on the platform. The “Going Bad” rapper has denied having any relations with Diddy.
Linkin Park has scored its fourth No. 1 LP in the U.K. with From Zero, their first full-length release since the passing of former lead vocalist Chester Bennington in 2017. The nu-metal band’s eighth studio album is also the first to feature new members Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain. It joins 2003’s Meteora, 2007’s Minutes […]
Redman couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the first six-figure publishing check for hopping on Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty” in 2002. The New Jersey rapper was blown away by the astonishing sum and revealed to Red Bull Spiral earlier this week that it was actually for more than $250,000, and it ended up being one […]
More than 100 million people around the world tuned in to the ultra-hyped boxing match between former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and YouTuber Jake Paul on Nov. 15. Well, that many people reportedly tried to watch it, but due to the crush of interest and tune-ins, many reported experiencing buffering problems and glitches that interrupted what turned out to be a surprisingly banal slugfest.
That got some pundits wondering if Netflix is fully ready to provide reliable streams during its upcoming Christmas Day NFL double-header over the internet’s point-to-point communication system, which at the moment is not always as reliable as traditional broadcast TV’s multipoint infrastructure when millions, or tens of millions of people try to stream an event at the same time.
In particular, the Beyhive is buzzing about whether Beyoncé‘s planned halftime show during the streamer’s first-ever Christmas Day NFL two-fer might fall prey to similar buffering issues as the at-times pokey prizefight. But when TMZ caught up this week with Bey’s mom, Tina Knowles, to ask if she’s sweating the streamer’s technique in advance of her daughter’s performance during the game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, Ms. Knowles said she’s confident the good lord will provide a strong, steady connection.
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“Everything’s going to be good. God is going to be there,” Knowles said of her expectations for the 4:30 p.m. ET game that will stream live on Netflix from NRG Stadium in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston. The spot will be Bey’s first live performance of tracks from her lauded country-inspired Cowboy Carter album, which gave the singer her eighth consecutive No. 1 LP on the Billboard 200, as well as topping the Top Country Albums tally.
Earlier this week, Netflix dropped a dramatic preview video of the special event featuring Beyoncé in which the singer was draped in red, white and blue Western gear and a white cowboy hat while standing on top of a tricked out vintage car covered in red roses. With an a cappella version of the Cowboy Carter song “AMERICAN REQUIEM” playing the background, Bey casually catches a football in the brief clip hyping the game.
NPR reported that a spokesperson said that Netflix is confident it has the infrastructure needed to prepare for the two games and is working to “optimize its systems and add more capacity” to make improvements based on lessons learned from the Tyson-Paul fight, including working with internet service providers to grows its “interconnection capabilities.”
According to The Wrap, Nexflix was sued this week in a class action complaint over the “streaming glitches” in the Tyson-Paul fight. “Sixty million Americans were hyped to see ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ versus YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul. What they saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on the Planet,’” read the lawsuit filed on Monday in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, Florida.
Though the massive tune-in was deemed a success by Netflix, in a statement the streamer said there was room to do better, according to Bloomberg. “This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” Netflix CFO Elizabeth Stone reportedly wrote in a note to employees about the event that the streamer said racked up 65 million live concurrent streams and 108 million total live viewers around the globe.
“I’m sure many of you have seen the chatter in the press and on social media about the quality issues,” she continued. “We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success.”
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” rebounds a spot to No. 5 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Nov. 30). In the Nov. 15-21 tracking week, the hit drew 22.9 million in audience, according to Luminate.
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Of the 30 weeks that the track by the Virginian has been on Country Airplay, 18 have been inside the top five, including seven weeks at the pinnacle beginning in early August. It ties Post Malone’s fellow 2024 crossover hit “I Had Some Help” (featuring Morgan Wallen) for the sixth-longest stay in the top five since the chart launched in 1990. Cole Swindell’s “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” holds the record (24 weeks, 2022-23).
Hubbard Broadcasting Seattle operations manager and KPNW pd Scott Mahalick says that “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has become entrenched at the format “because Shaboozey is so passionate about country music. At the end of the day, it’s an upbeat summer record that is fun and non-political. The listeners have spoken – they love it.”
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CMA Winners at Radio
After the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards were held on Wednesday (Nov. 20) in Nashville, here’s a look at some of the night’s biggest winners and how their latest singles are faring on Country Airplay.
Morgan Wallen, entertainer of the year: “Lies Lies Lies,” which led the Nov. 23 list, ranks at No. 4 (24 million impressions, down 21%), followed by “Love Somebody” (No. 12; 16.2 million, up 23%).
Lainey Wilson, female vocalist of the year: “4x4xU” (No. 20; 10 million, up 7%).
Chris Stapleton, male vocalist of the year, single of the year, song of the year (both “White Horse”): “Think I’m in Love With You” (No. 21; 10 million, up 2%).
Cody Johnson, album of the year (Leather): “I’m Gonna Love You” (with Carrie Underwood) (No. 27; 6.4 million, up 15%).
Megan Moroney, new artist of the year: “Am I Okay?” (No. 31; 4.7 million, up 4%).
In this episode Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Kyle Denis, Trevor Anderson and Damien Scott recap J. Cole’s Inevitable episode 1 and the fan reactions, what to expect from Beyonce’s Christmas halftime show, debate if celebrities were paid for their endorsements, monitor celebrity movement from X to Bluesky and more! Damien Scott:For someone like Jermaine, who is […]
On Oct. 26 and 27, HYDE performed HYDE [INSIDE] LIVE 2024 -EXTRA- at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe.
These shows were an extension of HYDE [INSIDE] LIVE 2024, the music club tour he kicked off at Tokyo’s Zepp Haneda (TOKYO) on June 22. As is clear from its name, this tour was in support of HYDE [INSIDE], his first new album in five years. In 2024, HYDE also played in numerous festivals across Japan, such as the OGA NAMAHAGE ROCK FESTIVAL and the DEAD POP FESTiVAL. Although a respected figure, always on the frontlines of the rock world, he also has many rivals. His constantly evolving live performances have captured the hearts of a diverse fan base.
The show began with a count-up. At 17:06 (or 16:66), the sounds of the show’s opening music filled the club, and then the band kicked things off with “LET IT OUT.” HYDE also performed this as the first song in many of the shows on last year’s tour, HYDE LIVE 2023, but the band’s stage reveal took things up a notch this year. HYDE stood atop a towering platform, looking down on the audience. He wore a military cap adorned with Swarovski crystals, and his piercing stare gave a premonition of the excitement that was to come. In the next song, “AFTER LIGHT,” the volume of the audience singing along to the chorus almost rivaled HYDE’s. The crowd was already clearly warmed up. The band then played “I GOT 666,” which had first been revealed on HYDE’s previous tour before being released roughly a year later on HYDE [INSIDE]. As the song reached its shouted refrain of “I’m aware!” the crowd began head-banging. The audience had reached a fever pitch.
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HYDE and Hiro
Hiroaki Ishikaw/Billboard Japan
HYDE then spoke to the audience for the first time: “Welcome to HYDE [INSIDE]! Let’s enjoy reality!” From the start, the show drew in the audience with powerful songs like “BLEEDING,” in which HYDE looked straight into the camera lens, a panoply of expressions crossing his face, and “ON MY OWN,” during which he sang while holding aloft a flag that waved in the wind. Then he smoothly shifted gears, with a mournful keyboard arpeggio naturally segueing into “THE ABYSS.” HYDE also performed a solo arrangement of “TOKOSHIE,” a song he wrote together with MY FIRST STORY as the ending theme song for the Hashira training arc of the TV anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The ever-changing drums were a perfect match for HYDE’s singing style, reminiscent of storytelling. The two blended their talents to open up the song and share its vision. It was a moment that made you keenly aware of HYDE’s expressive range.
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Towards the middle of the show, HYDE again spoke to the audience, saying “I’ve done a lot of shows here in Makuhari. I want today’s to be the most chaotic of them all!” In “6or9,” he had the audience take a seat, calling out “Sit down! We’re all going to join together.” He gazed at the audience, looking for the perfect timing, and then the band started playing and the audience leapt into the air as one. During the next song, “MAD QUALIA,” HYDE jumped into the crowd, one man facing off against 10,000. Strings of lights hung down from the four corners of the stage, like a circus tent, and against the back curtain was an electric signboard, brightly emblazoned with the name “HYDE.” It was as if HYDE was the ringmaster of the circus, and he had tamed the audience before him. Or, looked at another way, the audience was taking in the spectacle of a monster (HYDE) in a circus ring. HYDE showed the audience the pinnacle of entertainment, and he himself also abounded with excitement, telling the audience, “You’re on fire today! I can feel the heat coming off you!”
The deeply metal-infused “SOCIAL VIRUS,” the core of HYDE [INSIDE], featured one of the highlights of the show. As the bass boomed out during the long, heavy bridge, HYDE split the audience down the middle, separating it into left and right sides. Then, as he sang “I’ve gotta find a way, to see the light of day,” the audience slammed back together in a wall of death, combining with HYDE’s guttural growl and the band’s breakdown to create a chaotic spectacle. The final song of the set was the ballad “LAST SONG.” HYDE, face covered in blood, sang in the midst of a blizzard of red confetti, baring his heart and revealing the emotions deep inside.
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Hiroaki Ishikaw/Billboard Japan
The curtains fell, but then after some time, the guitarist took to the stage, playing a guitar solo. The movable drum set then appeared in the crowd, atop a stage erected in the middle of the dance floor. The audience called out “HYDE-!” and HYDE sprang from a massive Pandora’s box to perform the song “PANDORA.” The joy was evident on his face as he shouted “We’ve truly all come together!” He went on, “You need to live your life the way you want. I don’t want to worry about what others think, I want to do what I want. If you want to join me, be my guest!” The audience erupted in applause. “This world is just full of pain, isn’t it! It makes you want to wrap yourself up in an aura of joy!” he continued, and then called on a surprise guest: Hiro (vocalist for MY FIRST STORY), who had just announced his marriage a few days earlier. HYDE asked Hiro to hype the audience up, so Hiro spoke out to the audience, saying, “You guys are bright, so I’m sure you’ve already figured this out. If I’m up here on stage, that must mean…” and with that the band launched into “MUGEN,” the opening theme of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira training arc. HYDE put on the ultimate performance, not just in the way he and Hiro played off each other and harmonized, but also in the shouted part of the song, when he grabbed and held Hiro by the lapels.
“Thank you for your love of this insane art!”
HYDE kicked into high gear with “BELIEVING IN MYSELF” and “GLAMOROUS SKY” as the show drew closer to its end. He told the audience how many songs were left, and the crowd went wild, focusing intently on each song. This excitement was heightened by the last song, “SEX BLOOD ROCK N’ ROLL.” “Show me what you’ve got!” HYDE shouted, voice hoarse, joined by the shouts of the crowd. “We tore things up! Don’t forget it! And we’ll do it again! Just wait and see!” he shouted as he smashed the drum set and then left the stage.
The message that ran throughout the show was of the importance of the moment. It seems clear that this ties into [INSIDE], a reference to what lies in HYDE’s heart, but I’ll leave further interpretation up to the readers. HYDE is now in the middle of a world tour, so who knows what else he might have in store before the year is out.
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It was just another Friday, November 22. And then Kendrick Lamar dropped a new album, seemingly out of nowhere, titled GNX.
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The album was released at noon eastern time and features the Compton rapper getting busy over a dozen tracks for slightly under 45 minutes. Producting courtesy of Sounwave, DJ Mustard, Jack Antonoff, K-Dot himself and more. That Luther Vandross sample on “luther,” featuring SZA, is clutch. And “tv off” is a flip on that song everyone knows and that Drake surely hates.
Kendrick Lamar will be headlining the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, and just like that he has plenty of more material to perform, along with the mega-hit Drake diss “Not Like Us” (which as far as we can tell is AWOL from this project).
K. Dot is diabolical when it comes to this Hip-Hop ish. Peep the requisite hyperbolic reactions in the gallery.
This story is developing.