News

15 Sep 2023

Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian Project Will Be Coming To A Theater Near You

HipHopWired Featured Video

Donald Glover's 'Lando' Is Coming To Movie Theaters, Not Disney+

Source: Laurent KOFFEL / Getty / Donald Glover

Donald Glover will be reprising his role as a young Lando Calrissian again, but it won’t be as a Disney+ series.

Lando Calrissian will be back, and his first adventure will be on the big screen. Originally supposed to be a series on Disney+, Donald Glover’s Lando will be getting his own standalone Star Wars film, the actor’s young brother and longtime collaborator, Stephen revealed.

Per Vulture:

Related Stories

Donald Glover is taking Star Wars back to its home galaxy — the cinema. In an episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, his younger brother, Stephen, spilled some tea about their joint Star Wars project, a spinoff following Lando Calrissian. The character was most recently embodied by Donald Glover in Solo, Disney, and Lucasfilms’ expensive box-office flop, taking the mantle from the original actor, Billy Dee Williams.

The Glovers took over the project originally directed by Dear White People writer-director Justin Simien. “It’s not even a show … the idea right now is to do a movie,” Glover told Torre during the podcast episode.

“Right now, because of the strike, it’s kind of like telephone, all of the information,” he continued. Initially, this news felt like a slip of the tongue, but per Variety’s reporting, Lucasfilm did confirm Stephen was telling the truth.

Well, yes to more Lando, and yes to it being in theaters. We hope it’s a much better movie than Solo: A Star Wars Story because that flick was very mid.

—

Photo: Laurent KOFFEL / Getty

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

15 Sep 2023

Rihanna Drops Fenty x Puma Avanti Sneaker: Where to Shop the Collab Now Before It Sells Out

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.

Rihanna’s long-awaited Puma collaboration is almost out of stock. The collection, her first sneaker collaboration under a new partnership with brand, was released on Friday (Sept 15).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Dat new new just dropped,” Rih Rih tweeted Friday morning, but the collection was nearly gone within 45 minutes of the tweet. The Fenty x Puma Avancti C dropped online and in select Puma stores on Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

The singer’s love of soccer was the inspiration for the collection, which remixes the iconic Puma Avanti sneaker for the whole family. The designs include a show-stopping metallic leather colorway and a tan/black colorway available in women’s, men’s, kids’ and toddler sizes. Prices range from $80 to $170.  

“I wanted to bring something iconic from the archives to the street, and the late great Pelé made the Avanti shoe so iconic,” Rihanna said in a news release announcing the collaboration. In addition to designing the collection, the mother of two also stars in the futuristic campaign shot by Dennis Leupold, and she’s wearing Fenty Beauty products including Shadow Stix Longwear eyeshadow stick in “Cumin Get It,” Diamond Bomb All-Over highlighter and Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara).

“It’s been such an exciting start to our partnership,” said Maria Valdes, chief product officer at Puma. “We spent time together opening up the Puma archive and identifying the right product that spoke to Rihanna. The Avanti is a Puma classic with a unique and iconic point of view on terrace. I’m very happy to see this project come to life and even more excited for what the coming years have in store for us together.”

The Fenty x Puma Avanti C collection sold out in adult sizes, but you can find the sneaker collab at resell sites such as StockX — although you’ll have to pay a little more than the list price.

Shopping for the kiddies? The collection is still in stock at Pumain toddler and little kids’ sizes ranging from 3.5-11.

Shop the collection below.

Puma

Fenty x Puma Avanti C Little Kids’ Sneakers

$100

Stockx

Fenty x Puma Avanti C VL Men’s Black

$196

StockX

Fenty x Avanti C Aged Silver Women’s

$230

15 Sep 2023

Warner Music Plants Creative Flag in Berlin

BERLIN — After introducing himself in German — a daring act for a foreigner — Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl said a few words about why he was so excited to be at the opening of the company’s new Berlin office. “The world is noisier than ever,” he said, just as the roar of nearby S-Bahn made it so, but there was considerable excitement about the music coming out of Germany. He shared one example: “Komet,” a recent hit by veteran rock artist Udo Lindenberg and rapper Apache 207 that has broken chart records. 

While the German music business has historically been divided among its major cities, Berlin is emerging as the country’s music capital, and although Warner’s German headquarters will remain in Hamburg, it celebrated the opening of its new Berlin office with a big party. (The new office is for both Warner Music Central Europe and Warner Chappell Music Germany.) Next week, during the Reeperbahn Festival, the company will have a second “hauswarming” party at its remodeled Hamburg offices.

“We see this new space, alongside our revitalised Hamburg headquarters, as a sign of our commitment to local players in the creative and cultural scene,” said Doreen Schimk, co-president of Warner Music Central Europe, who spoke in German. “It shows the importance of Berlin as a European metropolis and a location for the music industry.”

Fabian Drebes, also co-president of Warner Music Central Europe, spoke about how the new building would serve as a “new creative hub with possibilities for events, concerts and more to support our national and international artists.”

warner music berlin

Lars Karlsson, Managing Director Warner Chappell Music GSA & Nordics, Doreen Schimk, Co-President Warner Music Central Europe, Natascha Augustin, Vice President Warner Chappell Music Germany, Fabian Drebes, Co-President Warner Music Central Europe

Doering Agency

Warner occupies the top floor of the Schicklerhaus, a late-19th-century building near the Jannowitzbrücke S-Bahn stop, a block from the River Spree, not far from where the Berlin Wall once divided the city. These days, it’s about a mile from AEG’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. It’s a sleek, modern office, with prime roof space that overlooks the river. As about 500 partygoers mingled on the roof and a terrace, a drone hovered overhead taking photos. German artists attending included Peter Schilling, Katja Krasavice, and Shirin David.   

“The music industry is of increasing importance for Berlin,” said Franziska Giffey, a deputy mayor for business, energy and labor. Speaking in what she called “Berlinish” — a mix of German and English that’s increasingly popular in a city filled with newcomers from all over the world – she said that music business jobs increased by 700 to about 6,800 this year, and that Warner would add another 150.

“Without the scene of such a vibrant city, we wouldn’t be the No. 1 publisher,” said Natascha Augustin, vp of Warner Chappell Music Germany. Warner Chappell leads the German music publishing business partly because of Augustin and her signings in German hip-hop. She told a story about starting out with a small Berlin office, moving to a slightly bigger one, and ending up here.

“Berlin,” said Lars Karlsson, managing director of Warner Chappell Music Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and Scandinavia, “is one of the most important cultural cities in the world.”

15 Sep 2023

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Drake & SZA, Doja Cat, Demi Lovato and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

This week, Drake and SZA join forces for slime time, Doja Cat gifts us one more preview of Scarlet, and Demi Lovato lets those guitar solos squeal. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Drake feat. SZA, “Slime You Out”

“I’ma fall back and let SZA talk her s–t for a minute.” That’s how Drake concludes his opening verse on “Slime You Out,” a new high-wattage collaboration from his imminent new album For All The Dogs, and indeed, he’s made a wise decision ceding the floor: this atmospheric evisceration of fake lovers is dominated by SZA, who’s become one of the biggest names in music in the months since Drake’s last project, and sounds wholly engaged while crooning through a brush-off here. It helps that “Slime You Out” exists within the woozy, brutally honest R&B lane that SZA perfected on SOS, and instead of trying to compete with his co-star, Drake fires off a few capable similes before and after she highlights the track.

Doja Cat, “Balut” 

When Doja Cat showcased her Scarlet singles (“Attention,” “Paint the Town Red” and “Demons”) during a show-stopping medley at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards earlier this week, not only did anticipation for her Planet Her follow-up continue to heighten, but the performance also demonstrated to those who hadn’t been paying attention: Doja is one of the most exciting rappers alive. “Balut,” a more contemplative track from the imminent album, glides where her other recent songs slam on the gas, but her flow remains just as hypnotic — “Is it coke, is it crack, is it meth / What the f–k do she put in them hits?” she asks, her voice fluttering through every syllable with casual swagger.

Demi Lovato, Revamped 

Although Demi Lovato recruited some of rock music’s heavy hitters — Slash, The Used’s Bert McCracken and The Maine, among others — for a headbanging re-imagining of her pop hits, Revamped is led by Lovato’s own technical wizardry, as their vocal power is refracted through a different prism but sounds no less potent in the process. Songs like “Heart Attack,” “Cool for the Summer” and “Neon Lights” sound revitalized behind stinging guitar solos, while Lovato, whose underrated 2022 album Holy Fvck hinted at a rock makeover, giddily completes the transformation here.

Rod Wave, Nostalgia 

Nostalgia is Rod Wave’s fifth album in five years, and could potentially become his third straight Billboard 200 chart-topper — the Florida native has impressively expanded his fan base (an arena headlining tour kicks off next month) while remaining prolific with his heartfelt, ultra-melodic hip-hop. The follow-up to last year’s Beautiful Mind looks back on his journey (naturally, considering the album title) while also folding some unexpected voices into his emotive aesthetic, including indie-pop collective Wet and rising singer-songwriter Sadie Jean.

Diddy, The Love Album: Off the Grid 

Although the track list to Diddy’s long-awaited new project The Love Album: Off the Grid posits the hip-hop dynamo as something of a master of ceremonies — guests include Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Summer Walker, 21 Savage, Herb Alpert, The-Dream and Swat Lee, and that’s just on the first half of the full-length — the man himself is far more than just a curator, as present within the futuristic R&B ideas of the album as he was on Diddy-Dirty Money’s landmark LP Last Train To Paris. In fact, the back half of the project, featuring stars ranging from Teyana Taylor to Coco Jones to Jeremih, illustrates just how adept Diddy remains at bridging gaps between a new generation of stars and his own.

Thirty Seconds To Mars, It’s The End of the World but It’s A Beautiful Day 

“Stuck” and “Seasons,” the two hits that preceded Thirty Seconds to Mars’ sixth studio album It’s The End of the World but It’s A Beautiful Day, suggested a tightening of the veteran rockers’ long-running aesthetic, which has sprawled out in the past but was sanded down to compact hooks and concise sentiments on those singles. Indeed, Jared and Shannon Leto’s latest effectively simplifies the band’s appeal for its strongest work in years: songs like “World on Fire” and “Midnight Prayer” boast intricate electro-rock foundations without ever getting lost in the details, and over 33 minutes, the band explores themes of heartbreak, isolation and personal evolution with brisk confidence.

Editor’s Pick: Mitski, The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We 

Whether or not you’re invested in the context of Mitski’s latest release — following last year’s widescreen triumph (yet critically polarizing) Laurel Hell, as well as a greater profile, label contract negotiations and retirement thoughts — The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We is all-out gorgeous, a studio masterclass that’s grounded in some of the most arresting arrangements of the singer-songwriter’s career. Mitski’s incisive lyricism will always be a calling card, but these 11 lush, organic songs are worth getting lost in before her words help guide the listener back home.

15 Sep 2023

Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ Ties Records With 24th Week Atop Adult Contemporary Chart

Having sprouted on Billboard’s charts in winter, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” stood tall throughout spring and summer, and now ties a pair of records just before fall on the Adult Contemporary survey.

The single adds a 24th week at No. 1 on Adult Contemporary (dated Sept. 23), equaling the longest command for a song by a woman, first set by Adele’s “Easy on Me” in 2021-22.

Meanwhile, with both hits on Columbia Records, they now share the mark for the longest Adult Contemporary reign for a song released by the label over the chart’s history.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Adult Contemporary Chart:

  • 36, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5, beginning Nov. 10, 2018
  • 35, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd, Nov. 7, 2020
  • 28, “Drift Away,” Uncle Kracker feat. Dobie Gray, June 7, 2003
  • 24, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, April 15, 2023
  • 24, “Easy on Me,” Adele, Nov. 13, 2021
  • 24, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, May 6, 2017
  • 22, “Perfect,” Ed Sheeran, Feb. 24, 2018
  • 22, “Hey, Soul Sister,” Train, July 3, 2010
  • 21, “Hello,” Adele, Nov. 28, 2015
  • 21, “Breakaway,” Kelly Clarkson, March 12, 2005
  • 21, “A New Day Has Come,” Celine Dion, March 30, 2002
  • 20, “Memories,” Maroon 5, March 21, 2020
  • 20, “Just the Way You Are,” Bruno Mars, Feb. 5, 2011

The Adult Contemporary chart ranks titles by weekly plays on a panel of 85 adult contemporary radio stations. The tally began in Billboard‘s pages (as the “Easy Listening” chart) on July 17, 1961; once Luminate data began powering the chart exactly 32 years later (July 17, 1993; airplay is now provided to Luminate by Mediabase), lengthy reigns became much more common than before.

“Flowers” previously topped the mainstream top 40-based Pop Airplay chart for 10 weeks and the adult top 40-focused Adult Pop Airplay ranking for 17 frames – the most atop the latter list among songs by women.

“Flowers” launched at No. 1 on the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100 in January and ruled for eight weeks. It’s from Cyrus’ album Endless Summer Vacation, which debuted at its No. 3 best on the Billboard 200 albums chart in March, marking her 14th top 10.

All charts dated Sept. 23 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 19.

15 Sep 2023

French Montana Partners With CARE & Global Citizen To Donate $100K To Morocco Earthquake Relief Fund

HipHopWired Featured Video

2023 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals

Source: John Nacion / Getty

A lot of people tend to forget that although he reps the Bronx, French Montana is in fact Moroccan.  But luckily for the people of Morocco, he has not and after the nation suffered a devastating earthquake earlier this week, the Boogie Down rapper reached deep into his pockets to help with the humanitarian crisis they’re currently suffering through.

According to Complex, French Montana took it upon himself to set up an emergency fund to help his people overseas and donated a whopping $100,000 of his own money to get the ball rolling and help the people of Morocco with food, shelter and medicine as they are in dire straits. Partnering with Global Citizen and CARE for the initiative, French is hoping others will follow suit as a little bit of help goes a long way in helping those in need.

Complex reports:

“I want to spread some love and light to Morocco they’ve been hit with a big earthquake,” Montana said. “I’m setting up an emergency fund with Global Citizen.org/Morocco. and I will be donating myself.”

The emergency fund will assist the most vulnerable populations, including women and girls, youth, and disadvantaged groups. The money donated will also provide emergency relief, including water, food, shelter, and medical support. You can head here to donate.

This past Friday (September 8), Morocco was hit with a devastating 6.8 earthquake that left 2,901 people dead with many at least 10,000 more missing. Britain, Spain and Qatar are assisting the Moroccan military with rescue teams but with every passing day it seems like the number of dead will continue to grow as time is of the essence.

With French Montana spearheading the campaign, we can only hope that his celebrity peers lend a hand in the efforts to provide helps to the people of Morocco as it seems like they’re going to need plenty of it as they try to rebuild their home going forward.

Props to French Montana for taking on such an effort.

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

15 Sep 2023

Small Time: Tory Lanez Begins 10-Year Sentence After Bail Denied

HipHopWired Featured Video

Tory Lanez Trial Denied

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

Tory Lanez is off to jail to serve out his sentence after a last-ditch motion from his legal team to obtain bail was denied.

On Thursday (Sept. 14), Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford denied a motion for bail brought by a legal team representing the rapper. The filed action to stop the prison sentence Lanez received so he could live in the Los Angeles area with his son was filed by Crystal Morgan, an attorney with Unite the People Inc., a criminal justice non-profit organization.

“As an organization committed to promoting justice and equality, we firmly believe in standing by our clients and supporting them in times of need,” Unite the People said in a statement released after the hearing. “Mr. Peterson has been an integral part of our advisory board, contributing his time, resources, and expertise to further our cause. It is now our turn to stand by him and ensure that he receives a fair and just legal process.”

The Canadian artist was found guilty in December 2022 of three felonies in the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, leaving her wounded with bullet fragments in her feet after an incident in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood on July 12, 2020. After months of delays, the 31-year-old was sentenced to 10 years in prison with 10 months of credit for the time he has already served.

“This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved,” Tory Lanez wrote in an Instagram post two days afterward. “That’s it. In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I’m being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do.”

Tory Lanez, also known as Daystar Peterson, was previously represented by attorneys Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma from the outset of his trial including during his conviction and the Aug. 8 hearing where he received his sentence. Neither lawyer has answered requests for comment on the latest development in the situation. Unite the People CEO and co-founder Ceasar McDowell did state that they would seek to appeal to a higher court after the hearing.

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

15 Sep 2023

Goodbye Aquaman? Peep The Trailer To ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’

HipHopWired Featured Video

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Source: Warner Bros. / Warner Bros. Pictures

Though it’s rumored that studio execs over at Warner Bros. have absolutely no faith in Aquaman 2 and are said to be refraining from giving the movie a hard marketing push, the first full-length trailer actually seems like the James Wan directed epic could be an entertaining family-friendly film.

Starring Jason Momoa as the titular character, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom takes us back to the land (and sea) where Arthur Curry reigns as both king of Atlantis and head of his household as he’s now a father and husband to Mera (Amber Heard). Unfortunately for him the events of Aquaman come back to haunt him as Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II a.k.a Candyman) is out for revenge for the beatdown he took at the hands of the sea-loving superhero in the previous film. Armed with the magical Black Trident that puts him on the same power level of Aquaman (if not more), Black Manta is hellbent on not only destroying Aquaman’s home, but killing off his loved ones as well.

Someone must’ve said Black Manta’s name five times in the reflection of body of water or something.

Related Stories

Left with no choice but to turn to his brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) whom he had imprisoned for going against the throne, Aquaman and his big bro must now work together to take down this new threat as James Gunn made sure the Superman and Wonder Woman he knew no longer exist in this DCEU reality. Son literally had no other options.

Filled with pretty cool CGI underwater battles and some heartwarming family moments, the trailer to Aquaman 2 paint a pretty entertaining picture of what could be Jason Mamoa’s final performance as the King of Atlantis as it’s rumored he’ll be taking on the role of Lobo in James Gunn’s rebooted DCEU.

Check out the trailer to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and let us know if you’ll be checking for this when it hits theaters on December 20 in the comments section below.



HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

15 Sep 2023

‘Hocus Pocus’ & Fisher Price Dropped a ‘Glorious’ Collectible: 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.

It’s officially a “glorious day” as Fisher Price just released a collector’s set of Little People figurines featuring Salem’s favorite witches: the Sanderson Sisters. Don’t miss out on this spellbinding set that comes with all three sisters wearing their iconic dresses. No matter if you’re a fan of Winifred, Sarah or Mary Sanderson, you can own them all and display them next to your Hocus Pocus Lego set, of course.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Spooky season is practically upon us, which means it’s time start stocking up on haunting decor and collectibles. And, for fans of Hocus Pocus 2, you’ll want to make sure you have the movie’s latest bewitching drop on your radar.

The set is priced at $20 and you can grab it off Amazon and Entertainment Earth — though we recommend Amazon if you want to take advantage of the free next-day shipping for Prime members. (Psst: They’re offering a 30-day free trial if you don’t have a subscription.)

Keep reading to order the figurines below.

Sanderson Sisters mini figurines in and out out box

Amazon

Fisher-Price Little People Collector: Disney Hocus Pocus Figure Set

$19.99

Already, the Hocus Pocus collector’s set has gained the label of No. 1 bestseller in play figure playsets on Amazon. Each figurine stands at around 2.5-inches tall and comes inside a special-edition collector’s box, which features hidden details fans of the film can be mesmerized over. You can keep them in the box to display on your floating shelves or accent cabinets, or take them out of the box to pose and show off to friends and family.

Need more Sanderson Sister swag? Crocs also dropped a limited-edition style designed with purple, green and orange glittery shades and collectible Jibbitz you can snag here.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best mermaid tail blankets, media storage cabinets and Barbie Halloween costumes.

15 Sep 2023

Offset Channels Michael Jackson In Cover For ‘SET IT OFF’ LP

HipHopWired Featured Video

Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live - Concert

Offset is readying the masses for a new album and he’s taking some inspiration from one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Channeling Michael Jackson, Offset announced a new album, the cleverly titled SET IT OFF, and dropped a new video inspired by the late King of Pop’s “Thriller” video along with other classic MJ moments.

With the announcement of SET IT OFF coming by way of his social media pages, Offset upped the ante by also dropping a new video for the album’s first single, “Fan,” which is directed by the rapper. Joining him in the video is Everybody Loves Chris star Paige Hurd, who plays Set’s love interest.

The song also references the recent Kai Cenat incident in New York where a giveaway event led to riots and the arrest of the social media star and streamer. Cenat also makes an appearance in the video in several instances.

Much isn’t known about SET IT OFF but it will mark the second solo album from the Migos co-star. Recently, Quavo dropped his latest solo album, Rocket Power, dedicated to the memory of Takeoff.

SET IT OFF drops on October 13.

Check out the video for “Fan” below.



—

Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…