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Chipotle Makes a Hilarious Reference to Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl’ in New Post

Chipotle is grateful all the f—ing time that Olivia Rodrigo has some great lyrics in her new album, Guts.

So much so, that the chain restaurant referenced one of the album’s best lines in its new Instagram post over the weekend. In “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” Rodrigo laments that “everything I do is tragic / every guy I like is gay.”

However, Chipotle put their own spin on the lyric, captioning their post, “Every guy I like is guac.” The photo fittingly features the restaurant’s beloved chips and guac, along with a hand rocking rings that read “guac,” similar to the rings that spell out “guts” on the pop star’s album cover.

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“LMFAOOOOO THIS IS AMAZING,” Rodrigo commented on the post.

Guts debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 23), scoring the singer-songwriter her second No. 1 set, following her 2021 debut Sour. With both Sour and Guts having debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Rodrigo is the first female artist to start atop the chart with two first chart entries in nine years.

“I’m grateful all the f–king time???thank u guys for the most love filled, exciting week,” Rodrigo captioned a three-picture photoset following the news, referencing a lyric from “All American Bitch” off her new album. “Last slide is how I feel rn ??.”

Halle Berry Says Drake Didn’t Get Her Permission For “Slime You Out” Cover Art

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It seems Drake and his team have some explaining to do. Halle Berry claims that he did not receive permission to use her image for the “Slime You Out” cover art.

As spotted on Blavity Champagne Papi has left the actress very disappointed with the launch of his latest musical offering. Last week he announced his newest single featuring SZA via Instagram. The creative features the Oscar winning actress getting green slime being dumped on her at the 2012 Kid’s Choice Awards. Two days later Halle took to her Instagram with a post that seemingly was directed at Drake; it read “Sometimes you have to be the bigger guy…even if you’re a woman!”

Naturally, the post prompted her fans to ask if this post was directed at the “Started From The Bottom” rapper to which she responded “Hence my post today. When people you admire disappoint you you have to be the bigger person and move on !” Halle Berry went on to add that Drake’s people did reach out and but she respectfully declined. “He did have his people call my people call my people and I said NO. I didn’t like that image of slime all over my face in association with his song. And he chose to do it anyway ! You see…that is the disrespect. Not cool !”

“Slime You Out” is the first single to his forthcoming album For All The Dogs. The new LP is now slated for an October 6 release date. Drake has yet to respond to Halle’s claims.

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Russell Brand Hit With Multiple Sexual Abuse Allegations

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Russell Brand is under fire after multiple women accused him of sexual abuse and rape in California and the United Kingdom over the weekend.

A scathing new article released by The Sunday Times in the United Kingdom contains the allegations against the actor and comedian which are said to have occurred over a seven-year period. This represents the height of Brand’s fame in the UK

and in Hollywood. The allegations and their details include instances of rape, sexual abuse, inappropriate behavior, “grooming”, and emotional behavior.

Four women have come forward with the more serious of the allegations, beginning with one woman who claimed that Brand raped her without a condom in his Los Angeles home. Another area woman claimed that he sexually assaulted her, becoming super angry” when she made attempts to leave. A woman in the UK claimed that Brand sexually assaulted her after emotionally and physically abusing her. Another woman there claimed he “engaged in the behaviors of a groomer”, sexually abusing her since she was 16 and he was in his 30s.

The 48-year-old has gone on the offensive to deny the allegations, sharing a video online on Friday (September 15th) before the article was published to deny them. He would go on to say that all of his relationships were absolutely, always consensual”. Further allegations unearthed by the investigative article concern Brand’s reportedly controlling and abusive behavior in the workplace, where the Get Him To The Greek star’s attitudes toward women were known as “an open secret” during his time as a host. The article details how Brand would trash studios at BBC Radio, as well as display predatory behavior towards staffers at Channel 4.

The London Metropolitan Police have stated that they were “aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault” but haven’t received reports, urging those with accounts to come forward. The Los Angeles Police Department stated on Sunday that they were unaware “of any incidents, reports or allegations regarding Russell Brand or any of the accusers”.

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Nicki Minaj’s Husband Wants All The Smoke With Offset, Rapper Laughs Him Off

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Kenneth Petty

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It looks like the Nicki Minaj and Cardi B beef just went up another notch as the two women’s husbands are now squabbling on social media.

On Saturday night (Sept. 16), videos of Nicki’s hubby, Kenneth Petty, hit social media in which he and some of his goons were “outside” in New York City looking for Offset after the two got into a weird back-and-forth via Instagram DMs. It seems like Offset rubbed Petty the wrong way by sliding into one of Petty’s homie’s DMs and basically welcomed whatever smoke Petty and company had to offer by calling them “p***y” and saying they “don’t got money for war.”

Apparently, someone in Petty’s crew took to IG and threatened to slap up anybody at the VMAs if they dared to sit in their row of seats, and Offset had an opinion about it for whatever reason.

Feeling disrespected, Petty rounded up some of his peoples and took to the streets in search of Offset and posted a video of themselves calling him out as they stalked a location where Offset was supposedly laying up at. Talking about the situation and calling Offset out, the crew seemed like they were ready for whatever, but luckily, for everyone, nothing actually went down.

We’re not sure where they got their intel from but Offset wasn’t anywhere near that spot as the man was off on his grizzly living his best life. Responding to Petty and his crew’s video, Offset uploaded a video of himself laughing off the threats as he got off a private jet. “These ni**as is broke,” he said in the video.

Yeah, we’re not feeling how this situation is unfolding now. It’s one thing to have Cardi and Nicki throw shade and subliminals on records, but once their hubby’s begin to taunt each other on some street ish, that might turn into a tragic situation at some point. Cooler heads need to prevail for the sake of everyone involved.

What do y’all think of this situation? Sound off in the comments section below.

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Xzibit And Tammy The Cannabis Cutie Launching Cannabis Podcast ‘Lasagna Ganja’

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Xzibit is taking his talents to the podcast game. He and Tammy the Cannabis Cutie will launch their new series Lasagna Ganja.

As spotted on Deadline the West Coast legend will be lending his signature voice to a new venture that is set to entertain and enlighten listeners on the green leaf. According to a formal press release Lasagna Ganja will delve “into all the layers of the multifaceted cannabis world, from the complicated history and misconceptions of cannabis and the plant’s influence and impact on culture, music, entertainment and more, to the latest trends, scientific breakthroughs, and political issues.”

The “What’s The Difference” rapper detailed his enthusiasm in a statement. “Cannabis has been a major part of my life, in my professional pursuits and my personal consumption. This series is a powerful platform to educate listeners and unpack the many misconceptions about cannabis, and also a way to share my personal journey into the cannabis industry” he said.

This is not the first time Mr. X To The Z has dabbled in the cannabis industry. Back in 2020 he launched his flower brand NAPALM. The Lasagna Ganja podcast is set to premiere on October 5. You can listen to the audio trailer here.

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Watch Reba McEntire Preview Her First Season As a ‘Voice’ Coach: ‘They’re Real Mean, Especially Gwen!’

The gloves are about to come off. Another fall means another new season of The Voice, and the upcoming 24th installment of the singing competition series is already promising a slew of entertaining dynamics amongst the coaches.

In a new video uploaded to The Voice’s official YouTube page on Monday (Sept. 18), season 24’s coaches — John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire— enjoy their first day on set. For McEntire, the day was something of a crash course in how the coaches operate on The Voice, with season 24 marking her first appearance as a coach. She served as a battle advisor in seasons 1 and 8, and during season 23, McEntire acted as the overall Mega Mentor for every team, advising artists ahead of the knockout rounds.

“It’s day one of season 24 blind auditions, we’re back!” Horan announces at the beginning of the video. “The reigning champ is here. It’s like the first day of school, come on!” Last season, Horan won The Voice — on his first attempt! — alongside 19-year-old contestant Gina Miles.

In a relaxed roundtable discussion between the coaches, McEntire asks, “Am I supposed to like y’all? Be mean to you? Is there something that I need to know to let me win?” Legend quickly interjected that “you’re supposed to direct all the artists my way,” prompting an aghast “your way?!” echo from McEntire. Throughout its lengthy history, The Voice has become synonymous with the playful competitiveness that permeates every configuration of the coaches’ panel — from Blake Shelton and Adam Levine’s early friction to Horan and Shelton’s “father-son” rivalry last season.

On May 15, NBC announced that McEntire would be joining The Voice as a coach. Earlier this year, when asked if she thought she’d make a good replacement for Shelton — who hung up his cowboy hat at the end of last season — McEntire revealed that she was almost one of the original Voice judges. The country music icon told ET that she was originally offered a role on the show before it debuted in 2011.

After a few seconds of McEntire and Stefani gushing over how “cute” Horan’s Irish accent is, the “Can’t Even Get the Blues” singer got serious about her first day on set. “The blind auditions were so much harder than I thought they were going to be,” she said. “They block you, and it’s just so devious! But a lot of fun too!”

In a clip of her addressing the crowd, McEntire joked, “Everybody’s just as sweet and kind offstage as they can be. When they come on the stage though, they kinda change their personalities!” “They’re real mean… especially Gwen,” she teased before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

Season 24 of The Voice premieres on Sept. 25 on NBC at 8/7c. Watch Reba McEntire get into the groove of being a Voice coach above.

Travis Kelce Is Loving the Taylor Swift Jokes From NFL Commentators

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is a good sport when it comes to the ongoing rumors that he’s dating Taylor Swift.

During the game between the Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday (Sept. 17), NFL announcer Ian Eagle slipped in a few Swift lyric references as he called a play from Kelce. “Kelce finds a blank space for the score!” he said, a callback to Swift’s 2014 Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Blank Space.”

NFL Network’s Rich Eisen loaded in plenty of Swift references in his pre-game coverage, as he teased, “You saw it on Thursday night, when Travis Kelce wasn’t in there, it left a ‘blank space,’ but I think he returns today and proves to be the ‘anti-hero.’ Never goes out of ‘style.’”

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It was all in good fun, as Kelce himself later commented on Eisen’s medley via Instagram, writing, “Well played Rich…. Well played ???.” See the post here.

During a recent interview with NFL+ host Andrew Siciliano, Travis somewhat addressed the rumors. He confirmed his story about trying to shoot his shot at Swift via an Eras Tour friendship bracelet, but that’s as far as he’d reveal. “I said what I said. And I meant what I said when I said it. And you know what, it is what it is,” he said before shutting down further conversation about the pair’s relationship status. “I’m not gonna talk about my personal life.”

The tight end then teased listeners, saying, “I know what you writers wanna hear, and you wanna hear more about that and I’m not gonna give you anything!” When Siciliano asked if Swift had reached out to him, Kelce responded, “And that’s gonna wrap it up here,” thus ending the interview.

A ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Monopoly Game Exists & It’s on Sale: Shop It Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

You better werk your way over to Amazon as the the RuPaul’s Drag Race Monopoly game is currently 10% off. The drag queen-themed game brings the iconic competition show to your home as you and your friends take over the workroom and see who the ends up having to sashay away to jail and who wins the crown.

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If you’re a collector, you can display this next to your RuPaul Fisher Price Little People figurines, or bring it out during your next Friday game night as you watch RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Fans of the show will especially appreciate the locations and pieces inspired by the Emmy-winning show, including the ability to buy, sell and trade the Winners Circle, All Stars Hall of Fame, Judges Panel and more. The collectable tokens come in six different Drag Race-inspired shapes, including a chocolate bar, lipstick, roll of duct tape, checkered flag, purse and reading glasses. And did we mention this is all for less than $45?

If you’re a Prime member, you can take advantage of next-day delivery, which means you’ll get it in your hands without having to wait the standard seven-day shipping time. Not a member? Take advantage of Prime’s 30-day free trial here.

Keep reading to shop the deal below.

game board and play pieces

Amazon

Monopoly “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Board Game

$40.49 $44.95 10% OFF

Whether you’ve picked a drag name or not, you and up to five other players can take on the board and race to see who is the ultimate drag queen. This RuPaul’s Drag Race Monopoly game uses the same rules as the classic board game while infusing terms and moments most fans will recognize. Complete Maxi Challenges and collect RuBucks to ensure you don’t end up having to sashay away.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best music trivia games, vinyl record player accessories and tarot cards.

Watch 50 Cent Bring Eminem Out for a Surprise Performance in Detroit During His Final Lap Tour

As 50 Cent continues to truck through the U.S. for his Final Lap Tour, the G-Unit commander surprised the city of Detroit when he brought out Eminem for a performance. 

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On Sunday night (Sept. 17), 50 tantalized fans by reciting his verse from 2003’s “Patiently Waiting” before Eminem joined the mix. After Em sauntered onstage with his hoodie on, he spewed his classic lines to much of the crowd’s delight. Savoring the moment, 50 and Em continued their onslaught when they performed their GRAMMY-winning song “Crack a Bottle” sans Dr. Dre.

“Detroit, make some noise for one of the best friends I’ve ever known: 50 Cent!” Em said. “Make some noise for hip-hop’s 50th birthday, y’all — it’s still hip-hop’s 50th birthday. Detroit, I love y’all!”

Eminem signed 50 Cent to Shady Records before the latter’s 2003 release of Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Over the last 20 years, the rap tandem collaborated on songs such as “Gatman & Robbin,” “My Life” and “Is This Love.” 

During his cover story with Billboard earlier this year, 50 spoke on their relationship and how it’s evolved over the years. “Em’s not going to say the s–t the way I say it because it just is what it is,” recalled 50. “There’s his humble nature — he’d call me and ask to do him a favor and rap with him on a song. Like, ‘You know I’m on your label, right? Yeah, whatever you need me to do.’ He would always ask me, ‘Could you do me a favor? I always thought it would be dope if we did this together.’ I’m like, ‘All right.’” 

Watch clips from their joint performance below. 

Eason Chan, G.E.M. & Jay Chou Emerge Big Winners at China’s 1st Wave Music Awards

Initiated by the Wave Music Committee and hosted by Tencent Music Entertainment Group, the 1st Wave Music Awards ceremony was held in Chengdu, China, on Aug. 24. The Wave Music Awards handed out 35 awards, including song of the year, album of the year, best male artist and best female artist.

Eason Chan’s “Homo Sapiens” was selected as song of the year, G.E.M.‘s Revelation won album of the year, and Jay Chou‘s “Greatest Works of Art” was named record of the year. Qingfeng Wu and G.E.M. were recognized as the best male and female artists.

Additionally, six groups of performers, including Qingfeng Wu, Jia Lei and Vinida Weng, were invited as performers, putting on stellar displays of highly charismatic live shows for the fans.

This year’s Wave Music Awards were also livestreamed on the four platforms of QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music and We Sing under Tencent Music Entertainment Group, allowing more music lovers to witness the moment of the Wave Music Awards together.

The Wave Music Awards cover seven fields, including artists, creation & engineering, genres and languages, with a total of 35 awards. The Wave Music Committee, a group of hundreds of top Chinese musical professionals, worked together for several months to select the highest-quality Chinese music works in 2022.

At the awards, three major honors that were highly anticipated by the industry and music lovers — song of the year, album of the year and record of the year — were awarded to Eason Chan’s “Homo Sapiens,” G.E.M.’s Revelation and Jay Chou’s “Greatest Works of Art,” respectively. In terms of personal achievements, Qingfeng Wu stood out as the best male artist of the year, while G.E.M. shone as the best female artist of the year. Oaeen was named the best duo/group, and Yichun Shan was recognized as the best new artist.

Wave Music Awards for Billboard China

Oaeen

John Jiao/Billboard China

Meanwhile, this Wave Music Awards also included a selection of musical works in various genres like rock, folk, rap, jazz and world music. Accusefive walked away with the best pop song award for “You Are My Magic”; Jackson Wang’s MAGIC MAN was named best pop album; Lexie’s “3.14159” was recognized as best electronic song; GAI’s “Tales of Weiyuan” won best rap song; Dou Wei / Chao Jian’s XianwenXiayue was named best world music album; Julia Peng Peng won best dialect album with Living Room Dreaming; and Jia Lei’s contribution to the theme song of the same name of the TV series A Lifelong Journey won best film and TV song, and she also performed the song live.

Wave Music Awards for Billboard China

Lexie

John Jiao/Billboard China

As a way to recognize and encourage a wider audience of songwriters working behind the scenes in the music industry, this Wave Music Awards also included special music awards in the category of creation & engineering. Among these, “I Remember” by Lei Zhao won best lyrics, “Greatest Works of Art” of Jay Chou won best composition, Howe Chen snagged best song arrangement for “None of the Above” arranged for LaLa Hsu, and Penny Tai secured best album production award for The Passive Audience.

Wave Music Awards for Billboard China

Howe Chen

John Jiao/Billboard China

Wave Music Awards for Billboard China

Penny Tai

John Jiao/Billboard China

The 1st Wave Music Awards was staged in response to the increasing focus on quality-driven creation in the Chinese music scene, while also reflecting the Wave Music Committee’s long-term focus on maintaining the sustainable vitality of musical works. The innovative model of “Awards Ceremony + Songwriting Forum” has not only recognized the tremendous achievements of China’s top songwriters, but also paved the way for ideas and directions to further develop the music industry. Going forward, Wave Music Awards will remain focused on honoring annual outstanding music pieces, highlighting the industry’s quality content creations to fully unleash the value of good music.