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15 Jul 2023

Young Dolph Shooting Suspects to Stand Trial in March

A judge on Friday (July 14) set a trial date for two men charged in the killing of rapper Young Dolph in a daytime ambush at a bakery in Memphis, Tennessee.

Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith are scheduled to stand trial March 11 in the fatal shooting of the Memphis-born rapper, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee said during a hearing.

Johnson and Smith have pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder in the November 2021 shooting of Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr. A motive for the killing has not been disclosed.

The 36-year-old rapper, label owner and producer was buying cookies near his boyhood home in Memphis when he was gunned down by two men who drove up to the bakery in a stolen Mercedes Benz, authorities said. The slaying rattled Memphis and shook the entertainment world.

Two other men have been charged in the killing.

Jermarcus Johnson, the half brother of Justin Johnson, pleaded guilty June 9 to three counts of accessory after the fact, and he could testify at the trial.

Jermarcus Johnson acknowledged that he helped the two suspects communicate by cellphone after the killing while they were on the run from authorities, and that he helped one of them communicate with his probation officer after the killing.

During questioning by prosecutor Paul Hagerman, he also acknowledged taking possession of car from Justin Johnson. The car was not the one tied to the killing, Hagerman said. Jermarcus Johnson also identified a photo in which Justin Johnson was wearing the same clothing as one of the two shooters accused of gunning down Young Dolph the day the rapper was killed.

After Jermarcus Johnson’s plea hearing, Hagerman said he had no role in the actual killing of Young Dolph, but that he was one of “multiple players” who did things connected to it.

Another man, Hernandez Govan, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and conspiracy in the case. He is accused of arranging the killing. Govan has been released on bond.

Young Dolph was known in Memphis for his charitable works and his success as an independent musical artist and businessman. Young Dolph had been in the city to visit a sick relative and hand out Thanksgiving turkeys at a church when he was killed.

After his death, Memphis named a street after him and the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA honored him during a game. Murals of the rapper have been painted around the city and a pop-up museum featuring him was opened earlier this year.

The bakery, Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, became an impromptu memorial site for the slain rapper. It was closed for months after the shooting, but has since reopened.

15 Jul 2023

Asake & Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Estate Announce ‘Work of Art’ Paint & Sip Event in L.A.

Nigerian superstar Asake, his label EMPIRE and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s estate announced on Friday (July 14) that they’re curating a special event filled with art, music and drinks in Los Angeles, Calif. next week.

The exhibition viewing of Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure, guided paint and sip session, and album listening party of Asake’s latest LP Work of Art will take place next Friday, July 21 from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Grand LA. There will be multiple guided paint and sips seated sessions, which are limited to the first 120 guests who register for each session upon arrival. Last entry is at 8 p.m., as gallery doors will close promptly at 8:30 p.m. The event is 21+.

The event celebrates the release of Asake’s sophomore album Work of Art album that he released last month via YBNL Nation/EMPIRE. Work of Art reached No. 4 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart and No. 66 on the Billboard 200. Highlight track “Basquiat” peaked at No. 9 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs.



Basquiat’s sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux serve as the executive producers and curators of the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibition, in collaboration with Ileen Gallagher and ISG Productions Ltd. The exhibition consists of nearly 200 rarely seen paintings, drawings, ephemera and artifacts from the late, great artist as well as recreations of his NYC artist studio on Great Jones St., the Basquiat family home and the Michael Todd VIP Room of NYC’s iconic Palladium nightclub, for which Basquiat created two large-scale paintings.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, July 15 at 9 a.m. local time here.

15 Jul 2023

Nardwuar Interviews Snoop Dogg During ‘High School Reunion’ Tour

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Snoop Dogg Performs At OVO Hydro Glasgow

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The Canadian entertainment journalist known as Nardwuar the Human Serviette interviewed West Coast Hip-Hop legend Snoop Dogg for what he said was the 11th time in 23 years. This time, Nardwuar caught the “Drop it Like it’s Hop” rapper backstage while he was on the High School Reunion Tour with Too Short, Wiz Khalifa and more.

Early on during the interview, Nardwuar honored Snoop by presenting him with a “1969 original ‘Dick Gregory for President’ poster.

“Dick Gregory is a hell of a man,” Snoop said when asked to comment on the iconic activist, civil rights leader, author and comedian. “He told the truth, he stood up on everything he spoke for. He was a righteous man. He was in Vietnam…like my father was, so shout out to the Vietnam vets.”

After that, the two reminisced over past interviews and encounters they had and the impact those interactions had on social media, as well as the commemorative gifts they’ve received from celebrities, fans and each other.

About midway through the interview, Nardwaur asked Snoop about the various magazine covers he’s graced throughout his career, such as his front-page features on Vibe magazine and The Source. When asked about the classic Deathrow photo shoot with Vibe that featured himself, Suge Night, 2 Pac and Dr. Dre, Snoop said it “felt like a mafia movie,” and, well, yes—the Godfather vibes were real on that one. 

You can watch the full interview below. It’s very wholesome.



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15 Jul 2023

Nicki Minaj & 21 Savage Rumored To Be Playable ‘Call Of Duty’ Characters

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Nicki Minaj

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

One of the most popular online games is about to get some Hip-Hop firepower. Nicki Minaj and 21 Savage are rumored to be playable Call Of Duty characters.

As spotted on HipHopDX the two rappers are speculated to be forthcoming additions to the acclaimed video game series. On Wednesday, July 12 data miner HeyImAlaix took to social media to break the story. “21 Savage & Nicki Minaj are supposedly coming to MWII/WZ2” he wrote. For those not familiar gamer culture the tweet specifically points to Modern Warfare 2 / Warzone 2; Activision’s most recent additions to the series.

Naturally the post quickly picked up traction online prompting him to provide more detail on Nicki and 21’s involvement. “Probably in a war track for season 05, definitely not operators” another account asked to which HeyImAlaix responding “100% operator.” In essence both will be playable characters versus just curating a song for the soundtrack.

Call Of Duty continues to be one of the most beloved shooters throughout Hip-Hop culture. Just earlier this month Lil Uzi Vert invited Nardwaur over to his house to play. “You could just come to my house and have dinner,” Uzi said to the Canadian journalist. “I’ll give you my number, and then I can teach you how to play Call of Duty.” Additionally, back in 2022 Snoop Dogg became a playable character for the game. “This time I’m in the freakin’ game,” Snoop wrote on Instagram at the time. “Excited to be working with the COD team to bring some fly features for you all to enjoy. It’s dope….. y’all can play as me and get these sick items that have Snoop written all over them.”

Activision has yet to confirm the addition of Nicki Minaj and 21 Savage into Call Of Duty. 

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15 Jul 2023

‘You Want Your A** Beat?’: Latto Goes Off On Fan Who Threw Object On Stage

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Spotify x Rolling Loud Miami 2022 - Day 2

Source: Sergi Alexander / Getty

Queen of Da Souf rapper Latto sent a clear “I an’t the one” message to a concertgoer who thought it was OK to throw an object her way while she was on stage during the Rolling Loud Germany music festival.

“You want your ass beat? Throw it again. Throw it again. I’mma beat your ass. Throw it again,” Latto said after she was allegedly interrupted by a flying object from the crowd during her performance of her hit song “Put It On Da Floor.”

Yeeeah—that might not be the “Big Energy” the festival attendee was expecting. Latto was giving major Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction “Say ‘what’ again” vibes in response to being disrespected by the out of control fan.

And just in case anyone (wrongly) thinks Latto overreacted in this instance, there have enough recent incidents involving fans throwing things at performers on stage to justify the “Fast Lane” rapper going all the way off on the person she said threw something at her.

From HuffPost:

Harry Styles appeared to get hit in the face with an object during a concert in Vienna, Austria, last week while Drake got hit in the hand with a phone days before as he opened his “It’s All a Blur” tour in Chicago.

Bebe Rexha was struck by a phone last month and was checked into a hospital after the object hit her in the face and bruised her eye.

Nicholas Malvagna, who was charged with assault in connection to throwing the phone at the singer, said he “was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be funny,” according to a criminal complaint detailed in the New York Post.

Some people might also find it “funny” if a fan got their teeth kicked in for throwing things at an artist while they’re trying to work.

People who don’t know how to behave at live shows need to stay home and throw things at their TVs.

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15 Jul 2023

Moriah Mills Accuses Zion Williamson Of Domestic Abuse, Twitter Reacts

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Moriah Mills Domestic Abuse Claim Zion Williamson

Moriah Mills is back in the headlines this week after being suspended on Twitter for abusing the terms and conditions of the site while centering her former romantic partner, Zion Williamson. In a new social media clip, Moriah Mills claimed that Williamson physically abused her but Twitter is casting some doubt on her accusation.

Moriah Mills took to her TikTok page on Friday (July 15) to share a video explaining that Williamson allegedly paid her hush money to keep details of the physical abuse she claims to have suffered from the public view. It is the first time Mills has made such a claim, this after she has maintained a hot and cold stance on the 22-year-old New Orleans Pelicans star.

Via her now-suspended Twitter account, Mills shared intimate details of her relationship with Williamson after the player and the mother of his child did a public gender reveal via social media. Mills says she was blindsided by the news and aired out Williamson’s dirty laundry while also attacking Concrete Rose, the woman carrying their daughter.

With the TikTok video making its rounds on social media, folks are calling into question the timing of Mills’ message, who also says she’s expecting a child with Williamson. While domestic violence claims are never a laughing matter and should be investigated as the crime that it is, many on Twitter think this is a ploy on the part of Mills to shame Williamson into taking responsibility for reportedly wronging her and misrepresenting their romantic connection.

On Twitter, folks are reacting to the new Moriah Mills video claiming that Zion Williamson physically abused her. We’ve got the reactions below.

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Photo: @thisismoriahmills / Instagram

15 Jul 2023

Lil Baby Opens Seafood Restaurant In Atlanta

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Fanatics x NBPA Summer Players Party

Source: Greg Doherty / Getty

Lil Baby is diversifying his portfolio. The Atlanta rapper recently opened his own seafood restaurant in his native Atlanta.

Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, said he wanted to open a spot, The Seafood Menu Restaurant & Lounge, that catered to his own tastes. According to TMZ Hip Hop, he had some notables in attendance during the grand opening, too.

Reports TMZ:

The Quality Control rapper was flanked by a huge audience of supporters as Atlanta City Councilman Byron Amos commended Baby for opening the establishment in his old neighborhood … which, if you’re in the ATL, is located at 880 M.L.K. Jr Dr. SW.

Baby was holding his son Loyal and nodded as others received their credit for enduring the construction obstacles that delayed and threatened the restaurant’s creation.

Baby’s said to have been inspired by many restaurants’ resilience to stay open during the trying times of the pandemic and created a spot custom to his tastes.

Reportedly, one of the restaurant’s draws is that it boasts 7 unique sauces that include Caribbean jerk butter and lemon pepper butter.

Let us know if you’ll be stopping in during your next stop in Atlanta in the comments.

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15 Jul 2023

J Balvin Shares Stage With Kids in Switzerland & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music 

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

J Balvin gets emotional in Switzerland

While on tour in Europe, the Colombian star was joined by three kids onstage during his stop in Switzerland to sing “La Canción.” The sweet moment was captured on video, which Balvin shared on his social media captioning it with a sweet message: “I’ll never stop being amazed. To see a kid who is 10 years old that doesn’t speak Spanish … Better said, the video speaks for itself. Thank you Switzerland. Latino Gang,” he wrote.

See the video here.

Shakira to receive special award

The Colombian superstar is set to be honored with the “Agent of Change” recognition at the 20th anniversary of Premios Juventud, Univision announced. The “Monotonía” singer — who with her Fundación Pies Descalzos has helped underserved communities in Colombia — will receive the award during the ceremony that will air live on Univision from the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on Thursday, July 20. Previous “Agent of Change” honorees include Maluma, Kany Garcia, The Jenni Rivera Foundation, Ricky Martin and Becky G, among others.

Peso Pluma is Billboard‘s latest cover

The “Bye” singer is the latest star to grace the cover of Billboard. Peso, Mexican music’s biggest star today, talks about leading the genre’s global takeover, his plans for the future and tells the story behind his now famous mullet-like haircut.

“I’m very happy to do what I love doing the most and to be able to share a message of perseverance with up-and-coming artists. Sometimes, as Mexicans, we put a lot of barriers on ourselves and we lack the confidence,” Peso said. “Today, I see that people are proud of our movement. Back then, they’d think that Mexicans couldn’t have a No. 1 song singing corridos and that regional Mexican music was only regional, not global. Today, all those barriers have been broken.”

Read all about “The Power of Peso” here.

Bichota season

Karol G‘s new single “S91,” which she dropped on July 13, is inspired by the Psalm 91 Bible verse. An emotional and ultra-personal release, produced by Ovy on the Drums, the Colombian artist sings about overcoming adversity over an EDM-meets-trap fusion.

The music video, directed by Pedro Artola and produced by WeOwnTheCity, is just as powerful as the lyrics, demonstrating Karol running away from a group of people backed by a pack of wolves trying to bring her down, but she’s protected by a lone panther. Karol also used the opportunity to announce that Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) is coming soon.

Watch “S91” below:



Best Latin songs of 2023

The 23 best Latin songs of 2023, according to Billboard‘s Latin and español editors, have been unveiled. The list is an eclectic mix of songs spanning a wide array of genres. From música urbana to regional Mexican, the choices were guided by multiple factors including memorable lyrics and standout melodies. (Worth noting that chart position was also considered.) From Bad Bunny’s “Where She Goes” to Yahritza y Su Esencia and Grupo Frontera’s first collaborative effort in “Frágil,” here are the 23 best Latin songs of 2023.

14 Jul 2023

Lauren Spencer Smith Details Lessons Learned While Writing Debut Album ‘Mirror’ & Meaning Behind Title

Lauren Spencer Smith‘s debut album, Mirror, has finally arrived. The singer released the project on Friday (July 14), and leading up to its release spoke with Billboard News about the meaning behind the project’s interesting title, as well as the lessons she took away from writing the LP.

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“Initially when I first wanted to title the album, I wanted it to be something about reflecting because everything that’s on the album is a personal experience to me,” she explained to Billboard staff writer Rania Aniftos. “Then throughout realizing no one had been by my side other than the mirror seeing every cry sesh, happy sesh, came back from the first date with my boyfriend and feeling excited, it was the only thing that was a constant throughout the rollercoaster of emotions that I had to go through to write the album, but it felt so fitting calling it Mirror.”

Smith continued, “When I first started writing the album, I would never have imagined that I was going to end the album with that title. I definitely think it was something that I randomly started thinking of one day, like ‘Wow, I literally would not where I am today if everything didn’t happen to me.’ And as much as sometimes I still look back being very annoyed and sad that things like that happened to me, it just has made me who I am. It’s the reason I written all the songs. I remember thinking one day to myself, ‘I think I should thank the person that hurt me,’ because they kind gave me this trajectory of a career at this point.”

Mirror features breakthrough singles “Fingers Crossed” and “Flowers,” “Fantasy” with GAYLE and Em Beihold, “That Part” and more. The 20-year-old will embark on a tour in North America, U.K. and Europe starting on July 14 to support the album.

Reflecting on Mirror, Smith also shared that writing the LP has allowed her to feel more comfortable within her craft: “Throughout songwriting I just realized to say whatever I want, it doesn’t have to have a bad intention to it, it’s just something that I want to say in the song and allowing myself to be honest in all of my songs and really be true to myself.”

Watch Smith’s full interview with Billboard News in the video above.

14 Jul 2023

SM Entertainment Leads Music Stocks This Week After Successful EXO Album Launch

Shares of SM Entertainment gained 11.8% to KRW 117,900 ($92.88) this week, making the K-pop company the greatest gainer on the Billboard Global Music Index. The home of groups such as NCT 127 and Red Velvet, SM got good news this week after boy band EXO’s latest release, EXIST — The 7th Album, sold over 1 million copies in South Korea on its first day of release. In the United States, the group currently has four of the top five songs on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart. Year to date, SM Entertainment shares are up 37.5%.

Led by SM Entertainment’s double-digit gain, 13 of the Billboard Global Music Index’s 21 stocks finished in positive territory this week. The index rose 1.7% to 1,355.35, its third-straight weekly increase and the sixth in the last seven weeks. Music stocks lagged behind many major indexes, however. In the United States, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite gained 2.4% and 3.3%, respectively. The United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 improved 2.4%. And South Korea’s KOSPI composite index rose 4%.

Spotify continues its hot streak by gaining 9.6% to $172.03, bringing the stock’s year-to-date improvement to 117.9%. The streaming giant got a boost this week after analysts at Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo increased their price targets to $185 and $250, respectively. Wells Fargo analysts are enthusiastic about Spotify’s prospects to improve its margins following the company’s layoffs and reduction of podcast content costs. Long-awaited price increases in the United States could improve Spotify’s gross margin by three percentage points and add nearly $727 million of revenue in 2024, according to the analysts.

Another K-pop company experienced the index’s largest decline this week: Shares of HYBE, home to BTS and Tomorrow X Together, fell 10.3% to KRW 256,500 ($202.08). The company was in the South Korean media this week following complaints of sexual harassment by security guards at an &TEAM singing event in Seoul. In a statement, HYBE apologized to the fans and explained that attendees at such events are searched to prevent recordings from leaking to the public.

Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd.’s decline of 3.9% to 0.74 pounds per share was the index’s biggest decline of the week after HYBE. On Thursday (July 13), Hipgnosis reported a $12.9 million improvement in pro-forma annual revenue million in calendar year 2022, although both gross and net revenue declined due mainly to two large, non-recurring adjustments. Still, investors remain wary of the stock, which has declined 14.3% year to date. As Billboard reported this week, Hipgnosis is shopping some assets that could help bolster its share price if sold. Shareholders will get a chance to weigh in on the fund’s future at the annual meeting in September by voting to change fund managers, liquidate the fund or stay on course.