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13 Oct 2023

Officer In Elijah McClain’s Death Convicted, Other Acquitted

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Closing arguments in the trial of Aurora police officers in death of Elijah McClain.

Source: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images / Getty

One of the two officers involved in the death of Elijah McClain has been found guilty of homicide while the other was acquitted.

On Thursday (Oct. 12), Aurora, Colorado, police officer Randy Roedema, who was one of two officers who subdued the unarmed Black man Elijah McClain who was injected with ketamine by paramedics in 2019 was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide by the jury. Jason Rosenblatt, the other officer, was acquitted of all charges brought against him. 

The split decision by the jury comes after a three-week trial and 16 days of jury deliberation taking place over three days. Roedema is slated to be sentenced Jan. 5, 2024. “This is the divided states of America, and that’s what happens,” said Sheneen McClain, Elijah’s mother, to the press after the verdicts were reached. “This is not a victory for me at all. This is not a victory for the human race. This is not justice,” she continued. “They have an eternal judgment that they have yet to see. And no matter how they try to clean up their slate, they still have my son’s blood on their hands.”

The 23-year-old was walking home on Aug. 24, 2019, when he was confronted by the officers who subdued him by placing him in a chokehold. McClain was then injected with ketamine by first responders on the scene. He died in the hospital days later. The incident, which was partially captured on police body camera footage, sparked outrage among the Black community in Aurora and gained national attention after the killing of George Floyd in 2020 revived interest in the case.

“Everyone in Colorado, everyone in the United States, no matter who you are, is accountable under the law. Hopefully, today’s verdict can be a sign for healing for the Aurora community and for our state,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser after the verdict was announced. Roedema was suspended from the police force, and Rosenblatt would be fired in 2020 after mocking the massage therapist’s death along with other officers via text.

McClain’s death did spur the state to pass a new police accountability law, as well as to ban the use of chokeholds. The use of ketamine has also been restricted. Three more people – officer Nathan Woodyard and paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec are slated to go on trial in the coming weeks.

13 Oct 2023

Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis, KSI vs. Tommy Fury: Fight Schedule, How to Stream Live

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Back to the ring! Tommy Furry will face Olajide Olayinka Williams “JJ” Olatunji, better known as KK, in a co-headlining match at AO Arena in Manchester, England on Saturday (Oct. 14).

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The main card event includes Logan Paul vs. Dilon Danis.

Saturday will mark Fury’s first time back in the ring since his boxing match against Logan’s brother, Jake Paul, in February. Furry won the match in a split decision.  

Keep reading for ways to stream the KSI vs. Furry and Paul vs. Danis fights online.

KSI vs. Tomy Fury: When & Where to Watch

You don’t need cable to watch KSI vs. Tommy and Paul vs. Dilon. The boxing match will stream live on ESPN+ PPV for $75.98 in addition to your subscription cost. The ESPN+ membership will auto-renew at $10.99/month, but you can cancel anytime.

What time does the fight start? It starts at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT (7 p.m. BST). The main card event is scheduled for 5:50 p.m. ET/2:50 p.m. PT (10:50 p.m. BST). Preliminary fights start at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT on ESPN+.

You can download the ESPN+ app to stream on your laptop, phone or TV and other compatible devices.

The KSI vs. Tomy Fury and Paul vs. Dilon fights will also be available on Dazn ($54.99, plus the subscription $19.99 monthly fee). Dazn offers a Money Saver plan that allows you to pay just $1 for the first month when you subscribe to a 12-month term. There’s also a Flexible Pass option to pay $10 for the first month and an annual plan.

You can stream on the DAZN app via Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, iPhone, iPad, Androids, Roku, Xbox, Playstation and more.  

DAZN’s live coverage will begin with the KSI vs. Tommy Fury: Celebrity Countdown Show at 9 a.m. ET. Boxing fans can also stream the Official Documentary: KSI vs. Tommy Fury & Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis on the platform.

Where else can you watch? The fight will also be available to stream live on PPV.com for $64.99. Click below to order on PPV.com.

13 Oct 2023

Bad Bunny’s ‘Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana’ Is 2023’s Most-Streamed Album in a Single Day on Spotify

Bad Bunny‘s just-released album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, is already setting records. Spotify announced Friday (Oct. 13) that the project is their most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.

“We all knew Bad Bunny would break records with this new album,” reads a message on Spotify’s social accounts. “Congrats Benito.”

The Puerto Rican superstar was already a force to be reckoned with on Spotify, as the most-streamed artist globally on the app for the past three years, 2020-22.

Bad Bunny released the 22-track new album — whose name translates to “Nobody Knows What Is Going to Happen Tomorrow” — first thing on Friday the 13th. It’s his fifth solo studio album, following last year’s blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti. His 2022 album spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and topped the year-end Billboard 200 as well — the first Spanish-language album to do so.

Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana was led by the Jersey club track “Where She Goes” back in May and then “Un Preview,” which arrived on Sept. 26. Bad Bunny performed the two songs — along with “Moscow Mule,” “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Neverita” and “Me Porto Bonito” — in a medley at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Oct. 5 ahead of the album’s release. Benito also took home seven awards for the night, including artist of the year, tour of the year and Global 200 Latin artist of the year.

See Spotify’s announcement below:

13 Oct 2023

Kanye West Is Shopping a New Album to Distributors

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are shopping for a partner to distribute their forthcoming collaborative album — and sources tell Billboard they are considering five different offers. West “will make a decision soon,” says one source. And while sources say the album release was originally planned for Friday (Oct. 13), it was pushed back and is expected to land in the coming weeks.

The project has record industry executives weighing the risks and rewards of releasing what some who’ve heard the music say is West’s best music in at least five years, since 2018’s Ye, but at an especially fraught time as the conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies following the surprise attack on the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival on Oct. 7.

Some label leaders have passed on the opportunity to distribute the project given the antisemitic comments West began making almost exactly a year prior, beginning Oct. 8, 2022 — even though the music itself isn’t controversial lyrically, sources say. But there are a multitude of smaller distributors in fierce competition for whom such a release could be game-changing, given the two artists’ streaming histories. One such possible company is Too Lost, the music distribution and publishing company that launched in 2021 and currently represents West’s rights on YouTube. (When reached for comment, Too Lost CEO Gregory Hirschhorn declined to comment.)

The last time West and Ty Dolla $ign released a collaboration was “Junya Pt 2” on Ye’s 2021 album, Donda. Before that, they worked together on Ty Dolla $ign’s “Ego Death” (2020) and on West’s “Everything We Need” (2019), “Real Friends” (2016) and “Only One” (2014).

After releasing 10 albums on Def Jam, Donda was West’s last release with the label. His 2022 album, Donda 2, was exclusively released on the Stem Player, and later that year, following West’s antisemitic comments, a spokesperson for Def Jam parent company Universal Music Group denounced his rhetoric and distanced the company from the artist. “Def Jam’s relationship with Ye as a recording artist, Def Jam’s partnership with the GOOD Music label venture and Ye’s merchandise agreement with Bravado all ended in 2021,” the rep said.

West has not officially released any new music since then, and industry watchers have wondered what kind of route he might take when he decided to make his return. Owning all his copyrights, West also has the option to self-release his music through a do-it-yourself service such as Distrokid or Tunecore for a modest one-time fee, but may favor a boutique distribution service that would pay an advance for the deal, provide a more personalized approach and work directly with streaming services for promotion and editorial placements.

13 Oct 2023

Metro Boomin on His Role in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ Working With Future & More | Billboard News

Metro Boomin talks about how he got involved with ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ how he keeps topping the Billboard 200 with his albums, frequently working with Future, his iconic producer tags, and more on the set of his Billboard cover shoot.

Metro Boomin
I do strive to make every album that I do next better than the last one. Hey, what’s up, this is Metro Boomin, and you’re watching Billboard News.

Tetris Kelly
What’s up, it’s Tetris with Billboard News, chillin’ with Metro Boomin.

Metro Boomin
Bless. How you doing?

Tetris Kelly
Nice to meet you! We’re on the set of your Billboard cover shoot. Was this the dream, you feeling good about it?

Metro Boomin
Yeah it’s a blessing, man, it feels great to be here, still surreal.

Tetris Kelly
And at our Hip-Hop Power Players event, we gave you a plaque: three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. So let’s talk about it. What are you doing that’s so consistent that you keep topping our charts?

Metro Boomin
Just really, I feel like it’s caring, just like caring enough to take the time where it’s not difficult for me to just take a long time if I need to, to work on something.

Tetris Kelly
And when you put that much love and effort into each project, could you pick your three No. 1s? Which one is your baby?

Watch the full video above!

13 Oct 2023

Metro Boomin Recalls Losing 3 Beats He Made for Future During a Power Outage

Metro Boomin stopped by Billboard News during his Billboard cover story shoot to talk about working alongside superstars like Future, 21 Savage and more.

But the hitmaker encountered a slight hiccup when he was cooking up beats for Pluto, presumably for their highly anticipated joint album. “They was beats I was making for the next time I see him, and they was going crazy. Boom, boom, boom. And I just came from Atlanta, and there was a storm. One of my beat machines that I use…. It’s not like a computer, it’s old-school, so it’s plugged up. The power goes out, and you haven’t saved it, that’s it,” he told Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly. “Sometimes, if I’m so far into something and that happens, then I’ll just be like, ‘Alright, I just gotta do something.’ And that usually be a blessing in disguise, I’ve done learned, ’cause the next thing be like, ‘Oh man, I wouldn’t have had this if I hadn’t lose this.’”

Metro (real name Leland Tyler Wayne) tweeted about the situation in late August. “Just made 3 [fire] beats on my MPC 3000 and the power just went off at the crib I didn’t even get to record them in yet,” he wrote. “I’m finna go cry myself to sleep bye y’all.”

On top of his upcoming album with Future, Metro is also working on a joint album with J.I.D (“I’m really excited about that one, he beamed) and is producing A$AP Rocky and The Weeknd‘s next albums.

Watch the full interview above.

13 Oct 2023

Anghami Shares Jump 18% After Nasdaq Warning

Abu Dhabi-based music streamer Anghami led all music stocks this week after gaining 17.6% to $0.82. On Thursday, the company announced through an SEC filing it had received a written notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market regarding its closing share price being below $1.00 for the previous 30 days. The Nasdaq gives companies 180 days to regain compliance or face de-listing from the exchange. 

The warning appeared to spur a 16.5% gain on Thursday as investors saw signs the share price won’t remain under $1. In its SEC filing, Anghami stated if the share price remains under the $1 threshold it will “consider available options to cure the deficiency,” including a reverse share split (which would increase the share price by reducing the number of shares outstanding while the market capitalization remains unchanged). 

SiriusXM gained 5.7% on Friday (Oct. 13) and finished the week up 11.8%. Its $4.85 closing price was the highest for the satellite radio company since Aug. 9. The typically steady stock has fallen 17% this year as self-pay satellite radio subscribers stagnated at or around 32 million for eight straight quarters. SiriusXM will host a Nov. 8 presentation to unveil a new streaming app and preview upcoming in-car innovations and new programming. 

The 21-stock Billboard Global Music Index fell 1.3% to 1,355.65 this week as 13 stocks were in negative territory and only eight stocks gained ground.  Year to date, the index has gained 16.1%. Led by SiriusXM’s gain and a 7.6% increase from Cumulus Media, the index’s three radio stocks had an average improvement of 5.5%. Eight record labels and publishers had an average weekly gain of 0.3%. HYBE improved 6.8% while Believe climbed 3.6% and Universal Music Group added 0.6%. Streaming companies were, on average, flat this week. 

Live music stocks dropped an average of 4.8%. Shares of Sphere Entertainment Co. dropped 11.1%, effectively offsetting the 11% gain on Oct. 2 following U2’s debut performances at Sphere in Las Vegas. Live Nation dropped 3.9%, MSG Entertainment fell 3.5% and CTS Eventim shares fell 0.7%. If investors are curious what’s next for Sphere Entertainment, clues comes from an interview published Thursday. Executive chairman and CEO James Dolan said the company is “actively pursuing other markets” and “has six different kinds of spheres down to a 3,000-seater.” A Las Vegas-style Sphere may not work in London, where according to reports residents are concerned about the location and light pollution that could arise from a massive external display similar to the Las Vegas venue. 

Music stocks underperformed numerous indexes. In the United States, the S&P 500 gained 0.1% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 gained 1.4%. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index rose 2%. 

Stocks faded after the release of consumer sentiment data for October by the University of Michigan showed a decline from September based on “a substantial increase” in concerns about inflation. Expectations for inflation in one year rose from 3.2% in September to 3.8% this month. That’s the highest mark since May 2023 and substantially above the 2.3% to 3% range seen in the two years before the pandemic. 

Also a factor in stock prices, the U.S. Federal Reserve expects to raise interest rates one more time, according to minutes released from its September policy meeting. Interest rates have an inverse relationship with equity prices. Higher interest rates make borrowing more expensive and cut down on corporate profits.

13 Oct 2023

Diddy ft. Teyana Taylor “Closer To God,” Popcaan, Fivio Foreign & Vybz Kartel “Tequila Shots” & More | Daily Visuals 10.13.23

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Diddy The Love Album

Source: Bad Boy Records / Bad Boy

As of late P. Diddy’s been trending on social media for all the wrong reasons as many people such as 50 Cent blowing up his alleged and unsubstantiated ties to the murder of Tupac Shakur and Keefe D’s history of implicating Diddy in the situation. Still, the man isn’t letting rumors hold him down and will continue to do what he do regardless of circumstances.

Linking up with Teyana Taylor for his latest visuals to “Closer To God,” Brother Love (Diddy) takes to the desert with a golden clad Teyana and a horse where they walk the hot desert sands in search of Diddy’s verse. Seriously, how is this Diddy featuring Teyana Taylor and he not have a verse or even an adlib. He was the king of adlibs during Bad Boy’s heyday and he’s got nothing for his own song?! They must’ve told him anything he says can and will be used against him in a court of law or something.

From the desert to the city, Popcaan, Fivio Foreign and Vybz Kartel get together to get the party started and for their clip to “Tequila Shots” the aforementioned artists round up a gang of thick young women and get them to twerk next to the droptop whip outside the hotel while they get poured up before hitting the club for Popcaan’s birthday soiree. A little pre-gaming never hurt nobody. Least not that we know of.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from The Hoodies and Kid Capri, DJ Era featuring Beatking and Boosie Badazz, and more.

DIDDY FT. TEYANA TAYLOR – “CLOSER TO GOD”



POPCAAN, FIVIO FOREIGN & VYBZ KARTEL – “TEQUILA SHOTS”



THE HOODIES & KID CAPRI – “I’M HOT”



DJ ERA FT. BEATKING & BOOSIE BADAZZ – “CLAP”



GIGGS FT. DAVE EAST – “STARLETS”



SHORDIE SHORDIE & MURDA BEATZ – “CONTACTS”



CUBANK LINK – “WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO”



LIL SKIES – “OUT MY WAY”



TORAE & MARCO POLO – “RELOADED”



13 Oct 2023

Warner, Sony, Universal & The Recording Academy Release Statements Condemning Hamas Attacks in Israel

Following Hamas’ attacks throughout Israel this past weekend and Israel’s current bombardment of Gaza, the three major labels, along with the Recording Academy, have released statements condemning Hamas.

In a statement posted Thursday to X, the platform previously called Twitter, Warner Music Group wrote, “We condemn the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and the massacre of innocent lives. We oppose antisemitism and we stand with Israel and the Jewish community around the world. We’re against all all forms of discrimination and racism. We wish peace for all people.”

Warner’s statement then goes on to list four humanitarian organizations providing aid and relief.

Sony Music also released a statement Thursday: “Today we held support sessions for our teams around the world with anti-hate and counseling organizations to reflect on the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel,” it reads. “As we reminded our people earlier this week, Sony Music Group is committed to preserving human rights in the world as well as fostering respect for everyone and we have a long standing commitment to opposing hatred and bigotry including antisemitism. We deplore violence against civilians and we always hope for peaceful resolution of all conflict. We will continue to campaign for these causes.”

A statement from Universal Music Group also released on Thursday states that “there are no words strong enough to adequately condemn the barbaric acts committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel last week. Tragically, we recognize that these terrorist acts will cause violence and hate to spiral, with the rise of both Israeli and Palestinian civilian casualties and the anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry that will inevitably follow.

“We are music people, this statement continues. “Through the music we help bring to the world, we enable people of every background to grasp their shared humanity. We must therefore promote and encourage tolerance, empathy and understanding, and effort that begins at home and in the workplace. As we work to ensure the safety of our employees and artists in the region, we fervently support the global call for peace and urge those with power and influence to work toward that goal.”

A Thursday statement by the Recording Academy states, “As we see the violence continue, we struggle to find the right words. As an organization that promotes the unifying and healing power of music, we are shocked and heartbroken by the terrorist attacks in Israel, including the massacre that took place at a music festival where innocent civilians had gathered for a joyful night of music. We are praying for peace and protection for all who are suffering during this terrifying time.”

13 Oct 2023

Christina Aguilera Is Taking Her Talents to Las Vegas: Here’s How to Get Tickets

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Christina Aguilera is taking her act to Sin City for a series of intimate performances launching at the Voltaire Belle de Nuit at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on New Year’s weekend. Tickets went on sale on Friday (Oct. 13).

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“Las Vegas let’s get more intimate than ever before,” she tweeted on Friday. “Tickets on sale new for New Year’s Eve Weekend and Beyond. See you soon.”

The concerts kick off on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31.

Aguilera will perform in a “cozy” venue that seats only 1,000 people. The seating map includes general admission tickets and tables that seat 2-10 people. Tickets are currently available at Ticketmaster as well as Vivid Seats, StubHub and Seat Geek. Prices range from approximately $424 and up.

“I look forward to bringing Las Vegas a new show that fuses music, sophistication and art in ways I have never performed before,” the Grammy winner said in a statement announcing the shows via Billboard. “What I love about the intimacy at Voltaire at The Venetian Resort is how up-close-and-personal I can be with the audience…a truly modern twist on the performance experience.”

Aguilera has been busy over the last year between releasing a self-titled Spanish album and celebrating the 20th anniversary of Stripped in 2022. She’s slated to perform in Melbourne, Australia on Nov. 25.

On Thursday, Aguilera debuted a collaboration with Latto for Just Eat, a U.K. delivery company and GrubHub’s parent company. In 2022, Amazon partnered with the company to offer Prime members a free membership to GrubHub+ for a year.