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24 Oct 2023

Shocking Details From Britney Spears’ Memoir, Megan Thee Stallion Teases New Music & More | Billboard News

We run down all the shocking details and bombshells from Britney Spears’ highly anticipated memoir ‘The Woman in Me,’ Megan Thee Stallion teases new music in a snake themed teaser, Kelly Clarkson kicks off the newest season of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ with a cover of Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter.” Rising new artist d4vd talks about how he connects with his fans through his music and being starstruck and then going on tour with SZA. GALE plays Fishing for answers backstage at Billboard’s Latin Music Week 2023.

Tetris Kelly
Megan Thee stallion teases new music. It’s Britney big book debut, Kelly Clarkson is back with more Kellyolke. D4vd stops by our studio, and Gale goes fishing for answers. Welcome back to Billboard News on Tetris Kelly it’s Tuesday October 24, aka the day Britney released her memoir, I got my copy and I’m here to let you know some of the biggest shockers, Britney Spears’ book “The Woman In Me” is out and not only did we celebrate the release with the creators of her movie, we’re discussing some of the books big revelations, and that’s if I can put it down it’s just so good. Fans packed into the Grove last night for a screening of Brittany’s 2002 film ‘Crossroads’ that she requested.

Tamra Davis
Yeah she really wanted to help with releasing her book, all to kinda look back at her life and see how she was over protected and you know and see it in the context.

Tetris Kelly
The movies creators Tamra Davidson and Anne Carli even spoke about how the label at the time wanted her to record music after Pepsi commercials and movie shoot days. And even Britney told them, “But I have to.”

Anne Carli
And I said guess what you don’t have to do.

Tetris Kelly
In the book also has its fair share of eye opening moments from our overprotected queen she details the now much discussed abortion she shared with Justin Timberlake and we also find out Spears’ paternal grandmother Jean whom the star gets her middle name from was sent to an asylum by her husband June and after Jean suffered abuse and committed suicide. Britney writes June would later send his second wife to the same asylum. She’s telling her story her way for more from the book hit Billboard.com.

Watch the full video above!

24 Oct 2023

Here’s Why ‘The Notebook’ Casting Director Wants Britney Spears to Have an Acting Comeback

Britney Spears could easily have a second career as an actor, says casting director Matthew Barry.

Earlier this week, Barry released Spears’ 2002 audition tape for the critically acclaimed film The Notebook, in which Spears is seen expertly delivering her lines and crying on que. Barry tells Billboard that Spears was “incredible” in her audition and, as Spears details in her memoir The Woman in Me, the decision came down to her and Rachel McAdams, who ultimately landed the role of Allie Hamilton opposite Ryan Gosling.

According to Barry, Spears took the audition very seriously and asked if she could work with him and his partner Nancy Green-Keyes prior to meeting with the director.

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“She wanted to get it right,” says Barry. “We really worked with her to guide her since we’ve worked with [director] Nick Cassavetes. I’d worked with him for 15 years and knew everything he was looking for.”

She was the only actress to request additional time with Barry and his partner, who also saw Jessica Biel, Mandy Moore, Claire Danes, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Bosworth and Jamie King for the role.

Spears work ethic following her feature film debut in the Shonda Rhimes-penned Crossroads was “phenomenal,” says Barry. “She was so determined. The thing I was most impressed with is that she came with no entourage, not even a driver. She just came in on her own, sat in our office and went over the scenes.”

According to Barry and Spears’s memoir, which was released Tuesday (Oct. 24), she very much wanted the role despite her reservations about acting again. “I think Britney felt she was not as trained as an actress,” says Barry, who explains that he decided to release the video now – after more than 20 years – to give her a “little more positive reinforcement” and to “show her fans that she was really fantastic.”

When Spears got the opportunity to audition with Gosling, Barry says the two hit it out of the park. They ran their scenes together, and it wasn’t until afterwards when the casting directors and Cassavetes were informed they were on The Mickey Mouse Club together years earlier. “It was a great reunion,” says Barry. “Ryan was part of the [casting] process and he was OK with either Rachel or Britney.”

Spears wrote in her memoir that her music career is on an indefinite hiatus: “Pushing forward in my music career is not my focus at the moment. Right now it’s time for me to try to get my spiritual life in order, to pay attention to little things, to slow down.”

With a break from music, Barry says Spears could easily make a creative comeback through acting. Given her Instagram videos of dancing, Barry believes “she still wants to perform. She’s trying desperately to express herself.”

As a casting director, he says it’s his job to turn over every rock and reach out to pop stars like Spears in 2002 (or Taylor Swift who he reached out to earlier this year to star in another Cassavetes film – he says her team turned her down with the international tour approaching).

“I honestly believe [Spears] can [make it in acting],” says Barry. “Come work with me, I’ll whip her into [acting] shape in a month.”

24 Oct 2023

Fela Kuti Estate Signs to WME Legends Division, With Unreleased Music & Biopic In the Pipeline

WME announced on Tuesday (Oct. 24) that the agency has signed the estate of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti for management worldwide under its WME Legends division.

WME Legends is focused on estate and legacy brand management, with the objective of growing the legacies of artists and brands for a new generation.

Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti) is a Nigerian-born musician, bandleader, composer, political activist and Pan-africanist who created the Afrobeat genre, a percussion-heavy fusion of funk, jazz, fuji and highlife music. That eventually led to the genre’s 21st-century polyrhythmic offshoot, Afrobeats, which has been steadily crossing into the mainstream over the last few years. Kuti died in 1997 after suffering from complications with AIDS.

The WME Legends team will manage Kuti’s name, image, likeness, life, IP, music and publishing rights across WME and parent company Endeavor’s departments and companies worldwide in partnership with the administrators of Kuti’s estate. All existing deals controlling his recordings and music publishing remain. Partisan Records will continue to distribute Kuti’s catalog in North America, while Universal Music still distributes it in the rest of the world. His music publishing is split between BMG and Sony worldwide.

WME Legends is focused on growing Kuti’s legacy for a new generation with various projects, including a definitive scripted biopic; an expansion of the Fela! stage musical franchise; previously unreleased masters and unpublished songs; licensing and merchandising; commercials and endorsements; and more. It has not yet been determined who will distribute and admin the previously unreleased material.

The Kuti biopic is currently in development. Notably, 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen was previously developing a Kuti biopic for Focus Features to star Chiwetel Ejiofor. In 2013, McQueen dropped out and was replaced on the project by Nigerian director Andrew Dosunmu, though McQueen told The Hollywood Reporter the following year that the project was “dead.” However, in the same story, producer Lydia Dean Pilcher told the outlet the biopic was still in development outside of Focus. It’s unclear whether any of the above-named players are involved in the current version of the biopic.

WME Legends also represents the estates of The Notorious B.I.G., Andy Kaufman, Eartha Kitt, Waylon Jennings, Peter Tosh and Charlie Sifford, as well as Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation and the iconic New York punk/new wave club, CBGB.

During the course of the negotiation, the Kuti estate was represented by Olajide Oyewole, a member of DLA Piper Africa. 

24 Oct 2023

Zayn Malik Is Now the Co-Owner of a Mocktail Brand: Where to Buy Mixoloshe Online

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ZayneMalik has a new job, and a new title. The singer-songwriter is now the co-owner and chief creative officer of Mixoloshe a women-owned and founded, non-alcoholic beverage brand, Malik announced on Tuesday (Oct. 24).

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The 30-year-old recording artists shared a picture of himself holding Mixoloshe’s Lychee Martini by Zayn on Instagram with the caption, “Proud to unveil my latest venture, @Mixoloshe. A blend of passion, craft, and joy. Now available at mixoloshe.com [in bio] and at Walmart stores near you & online!”

Mixoloshe was founded by entrepreneur Kristina Roth. The beverage brand carries a lineup of flavorful, non-alcoholic cocktails including the Lychee Martini by Zayn, which is featured in a black, 12 ounce can with illustrations of tigers, flowers and lychee.

The brand carries mocktails available in a range of colorful cans with tasty flavors such as Caribbean Mojito, Old Fashioned Orange, Tropical Smokey Margarita, Mango Chili Crush, Cosmic Bitter Spritz and Blueberry G&T. The products are low calory, low sugar and gluten free, company

A four-pack of Mixoloshe retails for $10 at Walmart, according to People. The 12-packs is $34.99 and available online at Walmart.com, Amazon and the brand’s website.

“The non-alcoholic beverage market is ready for disruption,” Malik said in a statement first published by People early Tuesday. “We see consumers already shifting preferences towards healthier and alcohol-free alternatives, which provides an opportunity for a brand like Mixoloshe to redefine this industry.” 

Malik added, “I could not be more excited about the chance to make some noise in the category of non-alcoholic beverages and build one of the most talked about drinks in the world.”

Mixoloshe is available at Walmart, Amazon and Mixoloshe.com.

Purchase below.

Mixoloshe

24 Oct 2023

DOJ Reportedly Investigating NBA For Allegedly Moving To Shut Down Ice Cube’s Big3 League

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BIG3 - Championship

Source: Todd Kirkland / Getty

United States Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the possibility that the NBA engaged in an intentional effort to tank the Big3 basketball league founded by none other than West Coast Hip Hip icon Ice Cube.

According to TMZ, the inquiry into allegations that the NBA used its power to curb the growth and progress of the much smaller league was actually launched months ago. Basically, the pro league is accused of pressuring sponsors, investors, TV networks, players and even referees from getting involved with Big3, which is basically David to the NBA’s Goliath and was never very likely to produce even remote competition for the multi-billion dollar basketball league.

From TMZ:

Some current players have expressed a desire to play in Cube’s league in the offseason, but we’re told, as the Big3 sees it, the NBA has prevented guys from doing so, putting arbitrary rules in place to stop players from hooping in Ice’s league.

FYI, the NBA and Big3 seasons do not overlap.

Of course, it’s a regular occurrence for NBA players, including some of the biggest stars in the world like LeBron James, to hoop in non-NBA games after the season ends … such as L.A.’s famed Drew League.

Big3 officials, according to sources familiar with the investigation, believe they’ve been unfairly targeted by the NBA.

We’ve also been told NBA owners have been discouraged from investing in the Big3 while simultaneously owning a franchise.

Referees haven’t been immune, either, according to a source … who says they’ve been told they cannot officiate for the Big3, despite some working for other organizations outside of the NBA.

Again, if these allegations are true, it’s a lot of effort to go through for an established league that generates billions in revenue and already has other, much smaller leagues to “compete” with that it hasn’t been accused of trying to kill. Still, sources told TMZ that Cube and his BIG3 co-founder, Jeff Kwatinetz, met with DOJ attorneys earlier this year, and that those lawyers have reached out to NBA officials as part of the investigation, which indicates that the inquiry is being taken pretty seriously.

In response to the allegations, NBA spokesman Mike Bass told TMZ that the “claims are not true,” and that the NBA has actually “been supportive of the Big3 since its inception, but we declined to invest.” Cube appeared to dispute that part on X Tuesday saying, “BIG3 never asked the NBA to invest, we just want them to stop pressuring individuals and corporations not to invest in the BIG3.”

24 Oct 2023

J. Cole Announces Dreamville Music Festival Returning In 2024

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Dreamville Festival 2023 - Day 1

Source: Paige Boyd / Paige Boyd

One of the culture’s most beloved outings is set to come back. J. Cole has announced that the Dreamville Music Festival is returning next year.

Digital Music News is reporting that the Fayetteville, North Carolina, talent and his team are bringing back the popular concert series. On Monday, (Oct. 23), the official Dreamville Records Instagram made the announcement. The caption read, “Raleigh, NC ? April 6 & 7, 2024 ? Be the first to get your presale password by signing up for fest info at dreamville.com.”

President Adam Roy expressed his enthusiasm in a formal statement. “Dreamville Fest 2023 was a major cultural moment for the spring festival season,” the executive said. We had amazing performances from some of the biggest artists of my generation, and we plan to bring that same energy in 2024!”

The two-day event will be returning to Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh’s largest public park. Ticket holders will be treated to performances and activities including carnival rides, food trucks, art installations, branded experiences and more.

J. Cole and Usher headlined the 2023 edition. You can sign up for more information on the 2024 Dreamville Music Festival here.

24 Oct 2023

Cash Money: Jay-Z Ends Debate, Says Take $500K Over Dinner

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The Notorious BIG & Jay-Z At A Party

Source: Nitro / Getty

Jay-Z settled the raging hypothetical debate that has dominated the web, advising folks to take $500,000 instead of having dinner with him.

The Hip-Hop icon recently sat down for an in-depth interview with Gayle King for CBS Mornings to air later in the week. During the conversation, King brought up the debate that has become a viral fixture on social media platforms. “If you had a choice between being paid $500,000 in cash or lunch with Jay-Z, which would you choose?”, she asked. “You gotta take the money,” Jay-Z answered.



King countered by saying that perhaps dining with the mogul would provide someone with wisdom more valuable than the money. “I mean, what am I gonna say? Everything that I’m gonna say — you got all that in the music, what, for $10.99? That’s a bad deal. I wouldn’t tell you to cut a bad deal,” Jay-Z responded with laughter. “Take the $500,000, buy some albums, listen to the albums, it’s all there. If you piece it together, if you listen to the words it’s all there.”

“Everything that I said was going to happen happened,” he continued, referencing one of his key hit albums in relation to his career. “Everything that I said I wanted to do, I’ve done. And there’s ‘The Blueprint’ — the blueprint, literally — to me and my life and my journey is there already.”  The immediate response after the clip aired showed some relief that the viral hypothetical debate was over. It was also noted that Jay-Z had already answered the question – via the TIDAL account on X, formerly Twitter back in 2021. “Take the money,”, the post said.

The interview – which will be aired in two parts on Thursday and Friday (October 26 and 27) – was conducted as King and Jay-Z toured The Book of HOV exhibit which is currently on display at the Brooklyn Public Library. The massive exhibit, featuring a recreation of the studio where Jay-Z’s first album Reasonable Doubt was made, made its debut in the summer and has been extended twice due to popular demand.

24 Oct 2023

Over 30 People With Alleged Ties To BMF Arrested For Drug Trafficking

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Bleu Davinci on Location for

Source: John Ricard / Getty

Even though Big Meech is behind bars the law thinks the Black Màfia Family is still very much active. Over 30 individuals with ties to the organization have been been arrested for alleged drug trafficking.

News One is reporting that nearly three dozen people have been booked on various charges in Missouri. This is a result of a four-year investigation conducted by a federal task force. According to press release by the Department Of Justice “the arrests by the U.S. Marshals, federal agents and local police follow a series of grand jury indictments.” The document would add “thirty-four people have been charged in connection with the investigation, most in the past few weeks. During the arrests and associated court-approved searches, officers and agents recovered a large quantity of fentanyl, pounds of methamphetamine, firearms and cash.”

On Thursday, October 19 detention hearings were held and prosecutors described the arrestees as BMF members or associates. “These indictments and arrests targeted an organization that did not just limit their crimes to drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “Others have been accused of laundering money for the organization or taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars in loans that were intended for struggling businesses and employees.”

Those indicted include Robert “Honest” Sims, Chad E. “JBo” Brown, Jeremy “Welo” Steele, Tiffany J. “Tiff BMF” Nelson, Carl Von Garrett, Samir Simpson-Bey and Robert L. Lewis. The DOJ says Chad Brown discussed his criminal dealings on various social media platforms. BMF was co-founded by Terry “Southwest T” Flenory and Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory. The two brothers would be sentenced to several years in federal prison for orchestrating a national cocaine distribution network. Southwest T was released on May 5, 2020. Big Meech remains incarcerated. Their story would be the basis to the popular STARZ series BMF. 

The aforementioned arrested parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

24 Oct 2023

UFEA Champions League: How to Watch Barcelona vs. Shakhtar Donetsk for Free

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UFEA Champions League 2023 is here! The soccer matches began on Sept. 19 with group stages and will continue on until the finals taking place on June 1, 2024. If you love to watch soccer, but were not able to score some travel deals to watch the matches live, then you still have some online options that’ll have you catching every score, penalty kick and more from your couch.

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Our suggestion? Use Paramount+ to watch all the games live and take advantage of their 7-day free trial to see the games for free. Click here to start your free trial.

The next game will take place on Wednesday (Oct. 25) at 12:45 p.m. ET with Barcelona vs. Shakhtar Donetsk. Taking place at the same time is Feyenoord vs. Lazio, which you can watch using the same streaming options. Other matches taking place this week include Newcastle vs. Dortmund, RB Leipzig vs. Crvena zvezda, Young Boys vs. Man City, PSG vs. Milan, Celtic vs. Atlético Madrid and Antwerp vs. Porto all on Wednesday (Oct. 25) at 3 p.m. ET.

Click here to check out the full UEFA Champions League schedule.

Keep reading to learn how to watch the group stage matches below.

How to Watch UEFA Champions League 2023 Online for Free

CBS Sports is the official English-language broadcaster for the U.S., which means you’ll need to tune into a CBS Sports or any of its affiliates. If you have cable, then you can view the games for free — just check with your provider’s channel guide to find out what channel CBS Sports is on. You’ll also be able to view it through CBSSports.com or the CBS Sports app (you’ll just need to log in with your provider’s info).

Don’t have cable? There are a few streaming options for you to choose from that offer free trials and promotions or you can try an HD antenna like one here from Amazon, which may also work.

Paramount+ is considered the streaming platform for UEFA Champions League 2023 as its plans include CBS Sports as well as exclusive content and original shows and movies. If you’re already subscribed all you have to do is login to your account to begin watching the games.

Not a subscriber? You can take advantage of the Paramount+’s 7-day free trial, which will allow you to watch the soccer matches for free. Once the free trial is over you’ll be charged the regular subscription price based on the plan you choose. There are two plans to choose from: Paramount+ Essential and Paramount+ with Showtime. The Essential plan is $5.99/month and includes some ads, thousands of episodes of Paramount+ Originals, movies, series and exclusives as well as NFL on CBS, UEFA Champions League and CBS News. Paramount+ with Showtime is $11.99/month and includes everything in the Essential plan except with no ads and access to the entire Showtime library, live TV, college football and the ability to download content to watch offline.

DirecTV Stream also offers a five-day free trial that you can use to stream the UFEA Champions League online for free. After your free trial is up, you can take advantage of DirecTV’s limited-time promo, giving you $10 off its plans for three months; after that you’ll pay as low as $74.99/month.

Want more affordable streaming options? FuboTV offers a 7-day free trial and gives you access to hundreds of live TV channels including CBS Sports. Once the free trial is over you’ll pay as low as $74.99/month.

Viewing outside of the United States? Make sure to use ExpressVPN which lets you watch the UFEA Champions League from Mexico, England, Canada and other countries around the world. ExpressVPN gets you a World Cup live feed in Spanish, French and dozens of local languages.

24 Oct 2023

Taylor Swift Teases Potential ‘From the Vault’ Lyrics Ahead of ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Release

Taylor Swift is just days away from releasing 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and she teased what appears to be lyrics from one of her “From the Vault” tracks on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (Oct. 24).

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The IG Stories snap featured handwritten lines in a notebook that read, “Let’s fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later / I see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters.” While Swift did not indicate what the words are from, Swifties on Twitter believe that they are lyrics from one of the Vault tracks.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out on Oct. 27 and will feature all 16 original and bonus tracks from the 2014 album, plus the previously revealed “Vault” tracks including “Is It Over Now?,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Say Don’t Go,” “Slut!” and “Suburban Legends.”

Surprisingly, there are no features on the current track list, shutting down rumors of a potential collaboration with Nicki Minaj or even Harry Styles.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be Swift’s fourth “Version,” since announcing her re-recording project in 2019. The previous three all logged time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) with one week in 2021, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2023.