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Two weeks ago, on May 8, the Trump Administration dismissed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden; then, two days later, Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, alarming rightsholders that the White House would try to make it easier for AI companies to train their software on unlicensed copyrighted material.
The Trump Administration hasn’t said much about this, and the situation has only become weirder. The following week (May 12), Wired reported that two Trump appointees were blocked from entering the Copyright Office, and left voluntarily after Library of Congress staffers contacted the Capitol Police. As recently as January 2024, remember, the New York Times referred to the agency — erroneously and rather obnoxiously — as “the sleepy Copyright Office.”
Now, amid disagreements about the process to replace Hayden and Perlmutter, the latter, who is on administrative leave, just filed a lawsuit (on May 22) claiming that the Trump Administration has no right to replace Hayden or dismiss her, and asking for an injunction to restore her role as Register. At the same time, the Trump Administration’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which passed the House of Representatives on May 22, contains language that would drastically limit enforcement of state-level AI regulations, including those that would protect artists’ name, image and likeness rights. If the bill passes the Senate intact, assuming the federal government has the power to limit state laws without making its own, this would represent a serious giveaway to the technology sector. Considered together with Perlmutter’s dismissal, it suggests that the Trump Administration may try to give AI companies a pass to ignore creators rights — along with those of other people.
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It’s tough to know this is true, of course, because the Administration still hasn’t said much about dismissing Hayden and Perlmutter — a White House explanation about Hayden “putting inappropriate books in the library for children” is absurd, since the Library of Congress is a research institution. Troublingly, the move to dismiss both officials seems to have been sparked by an April 17 American Accountability Foundation report on “Liberals of the Library of Congress.” (The organization is a political nonprofit run by Tom Jones, a former Capitol Hill staffer with a background in opposition research who did not respond to a request for comment.) The report makes for a thin meal. Both Hayden and Perlmutter are registered Democrats who each donated less than $15,000 to national candidates over the last two decades. Hayden, who is Black, “participated in a roundtable on DEI” and moderated a conference of the American Library Association, which is portrayed, with considerable exaggeration, as a group of far-left radicals. Perlmutter, who served in the US Patent and Trademark Office under the first Trump administration and is widely respected for her expertise, “is part of a left-wing family,” according to the report. If this makes her unfit for public office, so is Stephen Miller.
It is possible that the Trump Administration simply could not bring itself to tolerate a Register of Copyrights with siblings who criticized the president online. But it’s also possible that some of the technology companies that have influence in the White House want a Copyright Office that will be more compliant. In March, the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz responded to a request for public comments on the White House AI Action Plan by saying that “neither the Copyright Office nor any other government agency should release guidance related to this issue — or other issues critical to American competitiveness in AI — until the conclusion of the National AI Action Plan process.” In other words, we would prefer new rules to those that exist now.
Or perhaps no rules at all? Technology companies often push for legislation that allows them to avoid other laws or liability: The “safe harbor” from liability in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act; Section 230 of the Communications Act, which gives them immunity from liability for user content; and the Internet Tax Freedom Act. The current version of the “Big, Beautiful Bill” — which I can’t even type without laughing and crying at the same time — could be even worse. It would block enforcement of all current and future local and state laws on AI, including the Tennessee ELVIS ACT (Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act), which protects artists from AI imitations; and the California AI Transparency Act, which requires big AI companies to identify what has been created by AI tools. Music would only be the beginning, of course. Would this act also forbid the enforcement of laws preventing AI systems from engaging in illegal discrimination? (It’s not clear.) What about deepfake porn?
Although the moratorium on state AI law enforcement would only last for 10 years, laws to protect technology companies can stick around, as what was intended to be an initial boost for an important sector of the economy slowly becomes the status quo. Look at the Internet Tax Freedom Act, passed in 1998 to last a decade, then extended several times and made permanent in 2016. The issues involved in AI will be far more profound, of course, not least because some of those systems might be able to outthink their creators within a decade or two. Imagine creating systems that will soon become smarter than humans, then purposefully making them harder to regulate. This sounds less like legislation than the first act of a Syfy disaster movie. The third won’t be pretty.
Copyright has always been one of the few remaining bipartisan issues in Washington, and Democrats who champion the arts — and, often, the media business — join forces with Republicans who see copyright as a property right worth protecting. Opposing copyright, and online regulation in general, has become a bipartisan issue as well, though. Before Elon Musk had way too much power in the Trump Administration, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt had too much power in the Obama Administration. Now, with Republicans controlling all three branches of government, the political fight over the future of the Copyright Office will take place mostly within the GOP, with MAGA-friendly “tech bros” on one side and more traditional business-focused Republicans on the other.
That is, if Perlmutter doesn’t get the injunction she’s asking for in her lawsuit. Essentially, the President has the power to appoint the Librarian of Congress, who is then confirmed by the Senate. The Librarian then has the power to appoint, or dismiss, the Register. Without a replacement Librarian, Perlmutter argues, “the President’s attempt to remove Ms. Perlmutter was unlawful and ineffective.” This makes sense, but the Trump Administration has taken an expansive view of presidential power, to say the least, and we are now in uncharted territory. And not in a good way.
Even if Perlmutter wins, the Trump Administration will eventually appoint a new Librarian, who will in turn hire a new Register. The question is, who and when? And, more urgently, what happens until then — different people show up and say they have jobs, only to be turned away? That sounds pretty chaotic. Perhaps the chaos is the point, though. The more the Trump Administration interferes with the basic machinery of government — the endless list of federal agencies known by initials, rather than names — the easier it is to argue that all of this is part of a problem, not a solution. And that could be the biggest problem of all.
Skilla Baby (real name Trevon Gardner) was the victim of a drive-by shooting in Redford, Mich., on Thursday evening (May 22), Billboard can confirm. A press release from the Redford Township Police Department — who did not identify the Detroit rapper — said a male was transported to a local hospital to have his non-life-threatening injuries treated.
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The lead investigator on the case, Edward French, told TMZ that the suspect pulled up alongside the rapper’s car and fired an estimated 25 times.
The press release noted that he suffered three non-fatal gunshot wounds before crashing his vehicle into a building in the area of 8 Mile and Centralia around 7 p.m. local time. When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered a bullet-ridden vehicle, but Skilla Baby — who was alone in the car, according to the press release — was already being transported to a local hospital.
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Per FOX2, the rapper was grazed in the head and back, and also shot in the hand area. He was alert during his time in the hospital and is expected to recover.
Police are still searching for the unidentified gunman, who fled the scene.
Billboard has reached out to Skilla Baby’s reps for comment.
Last year, Skilla partnered with the Detroit City Council to produce a gun buyback event, aiming to reduce gun violence across his hometown.
“It was successful,” the 26-year-old told Billboard of the event. “We got 300 guns off the street. I think the underrated part of the gun buyback was that it was a job fair and we expunged a lot of people’s records. That was important to me, because I’m a felon, and to help people change their life and the trajectory of their future — people judge you, and it’s hard to be successful when you’re a felon.”
2024 was a busy year for Skilla Baby, who delivered a pair of projects with The Coldest to start the campaign, followed by Crack Music 3 in November.
Sheryl Crow unfurled her new single “I Know” on Friday (May 23) in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. On the tender ballad, the nine-time Grammy winner lays out the importance of empathy and connection as she sings, “But maybe I could hold your hand/ And count the teardrops as they flow/ And promise never […]
Morgan Wallen has scored his first No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart with his new 37-track LP, I’m the Problem, on Friday (May 23). The Tennessee-born country star first charted in the U.K. in 2023 with One Thing at a Time debuting at No. 40. The Official Charts Company reports that he joins […]
Alex Warren is closing in on chart history as “Ordinary” hits a 10th consecutive week at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Singles Chart dated May 23. By heading into double-figures, he now matches Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (2022), Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (2023) and Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter”(2023) as one of the U.K.’s longest […]
Miley Cyrus isn’t above making sacrifices for her art. While guesting on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Friday (May 23), the pop star revealed that she caught a “brutal” infection in her leg after filming a not-so-hygienic scene for her upcoming Something Beautiful film — resulting in a condition that was so nasty, even her doctors were grossed out.
As seen in some of the previews for Something Beautiful — the accompanying visual to Cyrus’ fast-approaching album of the same name — the musician at one point rolls around on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the film. But while breaking down the scene for Kimmel, Cyrus revealed that she didn’t have the budget to rent out the iconic strip, so she simply went and filmed there in the middle of the night — meaning there was no time or opportunity for her team to clean the ground on which countless people tread day in and day out, before she fully subjected herself to any germs and bacteria on the premises while shooting.
About a month later, the Grammy winner says she had to go to the ICU because her “leg began to disintegrate” around her knee. “The doctor goes, ‘Do you have any idea why you would have such a brutal infection on your kneecap?’” she said, noting that her mind immediately flashed back to writhing around on the unspeakably dirty Walk of Fame.
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“To have a surgeon look at you and say, ‘Yuck,’” Cyrus continued as audience members laughed. “Like, they open up cadavers, they see inside the guts of humans, and they’re looking at me telling me I’m disgusting.”
Fans can check out a snippet of the scene in question in trailers for Something Beautiful, but they won’t get to see the full thing until the film premieres in theaters for one night only on June 12 in the United States and Canada, and June 27 worldwide. The album itself drops May 30, with Cyrus unveiling the tracklist — featuring collaborations with Brittany Howard and Naomi Campbell — earlier in May.
Cyrus’ conversation with Kimmel comes just one day after her sit-down with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe went live, featuring the Hannah Montana alum getting candid about her sobriety. “I’ve learned this about myself over the years,” she said in the interview. “The sobriety is like, that’s like my God. I need it, I live for it. I mean that it’s changed my entire life.”
She also opened up about why winning her first-ever Grammys — best pop solo performance and record of the year for Billboard Hot 100-topping hit “Flowers” — in 2024 was a “healing” experience for her. “I think somewhere inside of me, I needed maybe to hold a trophy and just feel for a moment that I have something that I can hold in my hands that feels like a true achievement,” she told Lowe.
Also on Kimmel, Cyrus performed “More to Lose,” one of the singles off Something Beautiful. The album has also been led by “Prelude,” “End of the World” and its title track.
Watch Cyrus’ full Jimmy Kimmel Live interview above.
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union stopped classifying Pluto as our solar system’s ninth planet and demoted its status to “dwarf planet.” But 17 years later, Nigerian singer Shallipopi tells Billboard he’s “claiming it now” as his own domain.
He’s intimately familiar with that level of sovereignty, as Shallipopi – born Crown Uzama in Benin City, Edo, Nigeria – descends from a line of kingmakers, the Uzamas, who are the highest-ranking chiefs in the Benin Kingdom who appoint the new Obas, or traditional Edo rulers. And even though the 1994 Taiwanese kung fu comedy film Shaolin Popey that he grew up watching at home inspired his stage name, his self-appointed nickname Pluto Presido speaks more to his prestige — and the rule he has over his fans, the Plutomanians.
He’s even labeled his musical style “Afro Pluto,” a rousing fusion of Nigerian street-pop, Afropop, hip-hop and amapiano that’s littered with local slang with an infinite number of meanings and guided by a cadence that’s closer to talking than singing. And in just a few short years, it’s helped Shallipopi grow into one of the most in-demand up-and-comers from the continent. He says South African DJ/producer Tyler ICU texted him to hop on the remix of “Mnike,” the biggest amapiano record of 2023 that Rihanna claimed was one of her favorite songs that year. A week before the “Mnike” remix’s release, Shallipopi tag-teamed with Rema on their hometown hit “Benin Boys,” the first single from the latter’s Grammy-nominated album Heis. He’s also linked up with a range of other emerging and established Afrobeats acts like ODUMODUBLVCK on the chant-worthy club banger “Cast” and YBNL boss Olamide on “Order.”
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And two years after his 2023 breakout hit “Elon Musk” in honor of “the richest man in the world,” he says, Shallipopi strives for that level of astronomical wealth on his biggest hit to date “Laho,” which means please in the Edo language of Bini. While he name checks Italian footballer Mario Balotelli to prove the kind of prosperous company he keeps, “Laho” has attracted plenty of ballers in real life.
A month after the song’s release, Indiana Pacers power forward Pascal Siakam explained how he adopted the viral “Laho” dance, featuring pointed fingers and shuffling feet, to celebrate the team’s three-point shots in an interview with ESPN. “I just be playing it, and the guys, I think JJ [James Johnson] is the first one that saw me do it. And he was like, ‘Nah, I like that for a three-point celebration,’” said the Cameroonian basketball player, who added that he and his teammates “gon’ pull it out for sure in the playoffs.”
And while celebrating his team becoming Premier League champions again, Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott wrote “Minister of Enjoyment,” a phrase from the hit’s second verse — meaning someone whose main purpose is to find pleasure in life and enjoy it to the fullest — in his Instagram caption. Manchester City defender Rúben Dias posted the song on his Instagram post when his team qualified for their third FA Cup final (even though they eventually lost against Crystal Palace).
“Laho” has peaked at No. 5 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and has registered 11.5 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. While major leaguers quickly gravitated to it, the African Giant Burna Boy added his international star power to the song’s second version that Shallipopi doesn’t refer to as the “Laho” remix – because that’s still on the way.
Billboard spoke with May’s African Rookie of the Month about “Laho” becoming an international sports anthem, performing it on massive world stages alongside Burna Boy and Central Cee, and setting his sights on even bigger collaborations.
When did you know music was your calling?
Pretty young, like my early teenage years. We always played music at home growing up, a lot of reggae and Afrobeats, old Afrobeats. My parents played a lot of Fela [Kuti], Lucky Dube, Bob Marley.
Your younger brothers Zerry DL and Famous Pluto also make music. How did you guys come to share that interest and pursue your own paths in this business?
We all grew up in the same house by the same parents who listen to the same music. I feel like they’re following in my footsteps because they feel like they can do it too. And they’re doing it already.
Who are your favorite artists whom you’re currently listening to?
I listen to a lot of Billie Eilish and Ken Carson.
How did you actually start making music?
I went to the studio [when I was 15] and said, “Let me try something. Let me sing on this beat. Let me test this thing finally and see if it goes.” But before that, I had voice memos on my phone, playing free beats off websites and vibing off it. I was just freestyling, not really recording original, mastered songs.
What kind of sounds and styles does your music encompass? How would you describe your music in your own words?
I would say groovy, energetic, fun. Club bangers. It’s for having a good time and raising your mood from being unhappy to being happy.
You earned a computer science degree from Auchi Polytechnic in 2023. How did you balance your schoolwork and your passion for music?
That was not really difficult. I just take music as a hobby and I focused on my education until I was done. When I decided to study computer science, I didn’t think music was really a way to sustain an income. You have to go study a real course to survive. You can’t be studying music, we’re in Africa. I decided to go with science because you have to chase the bag. [Laughs]
It’s dope to see you turn music from a hobby into a career. Is that something you expected?
Honestly, I didn’t expect it. I didn’t expect it to come this soon. But it’s God’s blessing. I was thinking, “Oh, it’s going to take time.” Or the way everybody prays, “Let my time come.” It’s like, “Oh, my time is here.”
A common thread in your music is the local slang you use, from “Evian” in “Elon Musk” to “Oscroh” in “Oscroh (Pepperline).” Which are your favorite terms that you’ve used in your music?
“Evian,” just because it got so popular. It’s my family name.
Travis Scott is a huge fan of “Cast.” What was it like to link up with him, especially when he started singing the song to you?
He was feeling the energy of the song, I think he likes Pluto’s songs. [The video was taken] backstage at his concert in London.
“Cast” recently won best rap single at The Headies this year, while Zerry DL took home the rookie of the year award. That must’ve been a proud family moment!
It was lit. We celebrated together, I’m happy for him. We partied all night and chilled together as family.
You announced in a letter last December that you ended your agreement with Dapper Music and Dvpper Digital because they mishandled your finances. Three months later, you released your biggest record to date with “Laho.” What was going through your head during that in-between period? How were you feeling about the trajectory of your career?
The career of a man is not really in the hands of anybody except him. Your career is in your hands at the end of the day. Your fans are waiting for you to do something, so it’s really the only thing at the end of the day that matters. Nobody’s going to really stop you.
“Laho” has been heavily embraced by the sports world. Did you expect it to become an anthem for athletes all around the world? Why do you think this demographic has gravitated to “Laho” so much?
No, I didn’t expect that one. I’m still in shock. I watch and enjoy, it because they’re not from the same sports. Some play football, some play basketball. I just really f—k with that s–t.
When did Burna Boy get involved with the “Laho” record? He wrote on his Instagram Story that he was on the original version but he couldn’t clear it at the time because it “clashed with other releases that had to do with me.” So should “Laho II” not be considered the remix?
“Laho II” is “Laho II.” We were just in the studio [in Lagos], I was playing the album and he was like, “Yeah, I f—k with that. Let’s do this.” And he dropped a verse on it. Wait for the remix.
Can we expect other big guests on the remix?
Just wait and see. But expect fire.
You two performed the song together at Manchester’s Co-op Live and at Paris’ State de France. What was it like to bring your song to life in front of tens of thousands of people?
It was lit. I was feeling the energy of everyone singing it back to me. It was amazing.
Central Cee also brought you out during his show at London’s O2 Arena to perform “Laho.” How did the opportunity come about?
He just told me to pull up and come perform “Laho.” I told him, “Cool, bro — I gotchu.”
You started your own record label, Plutomania Records, in 2023. Why were Zerry DL and Tega Boi the best fit as the label’s first signees?
They’re my family, I had to support them first before I bring in all the others.
What is your hope for the future of Plutomania Records in the next five to 10 years?
I want us to expand, to grow more business-wise.
What’s been the biggest “pinch me” moment of your career so far?
Performing at the stadiums. I was like, “Oh my God! Ah!”
Were you extra nervous?
I’m never nervous, I’m just happy to be there.
Who would you love to collaborate with this year?
Maybe from the Latin side, like Bad Bunny. It has to be a very big artist or have a big fan base, like Drake.
What’s next for Shallipopi in 2025? What can fans expect?
Concerts, so they can come see live, and more good music.
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. Lorde just revealed a key item she used to write her latest album Virgin, and it’s kind of magical. The star […]
Young Thug called out Kid Cudi for testifying in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial on Thursday (May 22), and labeled the Cleveland rapper a rat on X. Thugger quickly deleted the polarizing message, but the toothpaste was already out of the tube.
“Dam cudi a rat lol,” Thug wrote before taking the post down minutes later.
Billboard has reached out to Cudi’s rep for comment.
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Thugger had been locked up for more than two years while fighting for his freedom as part of the YSL RICO trial. He eventually reached a plea deal on Oct. 31, 2024.
However, there is a connection between the YSL trial and Diddy’s, as Thug’s attorney Brian Steel is part of the Bad Boy mogul’s legal defense team. Steel cross-examined Cudi while he was on the stand.
Cudder briefly dated Cassie in the early 2010s, but the romance was ultimately short-lived. As part of his testimony, Kid Cudi recalled Diddy allegedly setting his Porsche on fire in his driveway with a Molotov cocktail. Cudi also tied a break-in of his home around the time of his relationship with Cassie to Diddy.
Cassie named Cudi in her 2023 sexual abuse lawsuit, which lit the fuse against Diddy, claiming Combs attempted to blow up the “Day ‘n’ Nite” rapper’s car. While on the stand on Day 3 of the trial, she explained why she cut the relationship with Cudi short. “Too much danger, too much uncertainty of what could happen if we continued to see each other,” Cassie said.
As for Cudi, he took to social media to reflect on the “stressful situation” after taking the stand, and the Ohio native said he’s “glad it’s behind” him.
“I’ve been seeing all the love and support and I just want to say thank you so much, man,” Cudi said in a video he shared to various platforms. “People been hitting me up the past week just checking in and even today, it really means a lot to me, man. You guys are the best. I love y’all. This is a stressful situation. I’m glad it’s behind me.”
On Thugger’s side, he’s been teasing his UY SCUTI album, which he’s hinted at a June arrival date for. He reunited with Future for his “Money on Money” single in April.
Billy Joel is canceling all of his upcoming shows due to a health issue affecting his ability to perform, the musician announced Friday (May 23).
In a statement shared to his social media accounts, he shared that the decision comes following a “recent diagnosis” of normal pressure hydrocephalus. “This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” his statement reads. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.”
“He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage,” the announcement continues, concluding with a message directly from Joel: “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”
Fans with tickets to any of the “Piano Man” singer’s scheduled shows will receive automatic refunds to their original payment method.
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According to Cleveland Clinic, normal pressure hydrocephalus is a condition that occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull, pressing on the brain. It can affect “several brain-related abilities, including thinking and concentrating, memory, movement and more,” with treatment involving implanting a shunt to drain the excess fluid.
Joel had several shows planned throughout the summer and fall of this year, as well as a few performances scheduled for the first half of 2026. His canceled appearances include his joint dates with Sting, Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks, as well as his solo gigs.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer previously delayed several of those tour dates by four months after revealing that he had recently undergone surgery. Joel did not disclose his medical condition at that time.
“While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first,” he said in a statement in March. “I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding.”
The five-time Grammy winner had been poised to make history on his trek, as his now-canceled shows at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y.; Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.; and Citi Field in Queens, N.Y., would have made him the first artist to play all three NYC-area stadiums in one summer. “Each [venue] holds personal significance to me,” Joel had told Billboard of the feat in early February. “There’s nothing like the energy of the crowds in New York.”
Joel’s health update comes shortly after it was announced that his upcoming two-part documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. Later in the summer, the project will air on HBO.
See Joel’s post below.
