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The show must go on, even when your earring accidentally gets completely tangled in Beyoncé‘s hair. The superstar’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, found herself in this exact situation on the Cowboy Carter Tour stage earlier this week. Blue and little sister Rumi, 7, have been joining Bey on stage in concert, during the singer’s performance […]
Fans were in luck at Dua Lipa’s show in Lyon, France, on Friday (May 16). During the second of two nights at the city’s LDLC Arena, the 29-year-old pop star delivered a fiery cover of Daft Punk’s 2013 hit “Get Lucky.” Wearing a lacy red bodysuit, Lipa brought energy and flair to the funky track, […]
A fellow musician and friend of Chris Brown has been charged alongside the Grammy-winning singer on allegations they beat and seriously injured a music producer at a London nightclub in 2023, police said Saturday (May 17).
Omololu Akinlolu, 38, who performs under the name HoodyBaby, was due to appear in Manchester Magistrates’ Court on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Brown, 36, was jailed without bail on the same charge Friday (May 16), throwing his upcoming tour into question. He is scheduled to appear at Southwark Crown Court in London on June 13, which is the third day of his world tour.
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Akinlolu is a rapper from Dallas, Texas, who has collaborated with Brown and Lil Wayne. He also goes by the names Fat Leopard and Super Hood.
Police gave no details on what role Akinlolu played in the alleged assault but said he was charged in connection with the same incident as Brown.
Brown was on tour in the U.K. in February 2023 when he launched an unprovoked attack on producer Abe Diaw, striking him several times with a bottle at the Tape nightclub in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in London, prosecutor Hannah Nicholls said in court Friday.
Brown then chased Diaw and punched and kicked him in an attack caught on surveillance camera in front of a club full of people, she said.
Brown did not enter a plea and only spoke to confirm his name, birth date and gave his address as the Lowry Hotel, where he was arrested in Manchester early Thursday and taken into custody.
Brown’s representative has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Brown, often called by his nickname Breezy, burst onto the music scene as a teen in 2005 and has become a major hitmaker over the years with notable songs such as “Run It,” “Kiss Kiss” and “Without You.”
He won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for F.A.M.E. and then earned his second gold trophy in the same category for 11:11 earlier this year.
He is scheduled to launch an international tour next month with artists Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker and Bryson Tiller, opening with a European leg on June 8 in Amsterdam before starting North America shows in July.
In 2014, John Mellencamp signed a lifetime recording agreement with Republic Records. He demonstrated why that was a smart investment on Republic’s part with a winning performance at the second annual Grammy Hall of Fame Gala. The event was held on Friday night (May 16) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. — the site of the first Grammy ceremony in 1959.
Mellencamp performed as part of a salute to Republic Records, which was this year’s record company honoree. Conan Gray performed his 2020 hit “Heather” as part of that salute, though Muni Long, who had been announced as a third performer in the segment, did not appear. (Atlantic Records was the label honoree at last year’s inaugural Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, which was held at the Novo Theater at L.A. Live.)
The Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, presented jointly by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, was conceived as a way to elevate the stature of the annual Hall of Fame inductions, which had long announced with little more than a press release. The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academy’s national trustees in 1973, initially to honor recordings that were released prior to the inception of the Grammy Awards in 1959. The selection criteria was long ago changed to include any recording that is at least 25 years old.
The Grammy Hall of Fame used to be the only major institutional award to honor classic recordings, but the arrival in 2002 of the National Recording Registry, administered by the Library of Congress, means the Grammy Hall of Fame no longer has this field all to itself.
Though it’s not their stated purpose, the Grammy Hall of Fame serves as a second chance for the Grammys to honor recordings they may have missed when they were first released. Of this year’s 13 honorees, 11 were released since the inception of the Grammy Awards. Of those 11, only two — Santana’s Supernatural (1999) and Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball (1995) — had won Grammys when they were eligible. Only one other — Luther Vandross’ Never Too Much (1981) — had even been nominated.
Inducted recordings are selected annually by a member committee, with final ratification by the academy’s national board of trustees. Counting these 13 new titles, the Grammy Hall of Fame has 1,165 inducted recordings. The full list of past inducted recordings can be found here.
The artists could have as much or as little involvement in the Grammy Hall of Fame Gala as they wanted. Harris performed two songs from Wrecking Ball. R&B veteran Eddie Floyd performed his 1966 hit “Knock on Wood.”
Carlos Santana, honored for Supernatural, and Yusuf, the former Cat Stevens, honored for his 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman, accepted their awards with remarks on video. Santana thanked Clive Davis, who signed the band to both Columbia Records and, 30 years later, Arista Records. Of the Arista deal, which kicked off with Supernatural, he thanked Davis “and his belief that we could rock the world. Together we created a masterpiece of joy.”
JAY-Z, who is tied with Ye (formerly Kanye West), for the most Grammy wins by a rapper (25), didn’t even send in a video to acknowledge his Hall of Fame induction for his 1996 album, Reasonable Doubt.
The event attempted to serve multiple agendas. At one point, the proceedings were interrupted by a fund-raising drive for the Grammy Museum. That’s a worthy endeavor, but it undermined the program’s momentum.
Anthony Mason of CBS News hosted the event, with production led by Ken Ehrlich, who produced or executive produced the Grammy telecast for 40 years. Ron Basile, Lindsay Saunders Carl and Lynne Sheridan were also on the production team. Grammy and Latin Grammy winner Cheche Alara served as music director.
Here are eight highlights of the second annual Grammy Hall of Fame Gala.
John Mellencamp Honors Republic Records
Aubrey O’Day has confirmed she will not be taking the stand in Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ federal sex-trafficking trial.
The former Danity Kane member made the announcement on Friday (May 16) during the premiere episode of Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast recorded in New York City.
“I’m not here to testify for the Diddy trial, that I know of,” O’Day said, according to People.
The 41-year-old singer suggested her involvement could still evolve, revealing she had been “contacted by Homeland Security” and had a meeting with the agency, which led March raids on Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami.
Earlier in the week, O’Day — who appeared on MTV’s Making the Band under Diddy’s mentorship — sparked speculation about a possible court appearance after sharing a cryptic Instagram post from New York City.
“Hey New York!!! Where y’all think I should head first?” she wrote on May 14, including a scale emoji. Us Weekly also reported that a source claimed O’Day was subpoenaed to testify at the trial.
During the podcast episode, O’Day clarified the post’s intent. “I posted on my Instagram that I was here in New York and enjoying myself because I wanted to make it clear to everyone that I am not here testifying,” she said.
Diddy is currently facing multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. His trial is set to resume Monday (May 19). If convicted on all counts, he could face life in prison.
O’Day previously spoke out after Diddy’s September 2024 arrest. “The purpose of Justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing,” she wrote on X at the time.
Danity Kane, the girl group formed in 2005 on Making the Band, was signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. O’Day was removed from the group in 2008 and later claimed on the Call Her Daddy podcast in 2022 that her exit stemmed from her refusal to comply with non-music-related requests from the music mogul.
Hip-Hop music has long suffered from segmentation, pitting certain parts of the scene against one another in a foolhardy race for relevance. MIKE, one of the leading voices in the so-called underground scene, has managed to merge sounds that defy his designation via his brilliant new project with producer Tony Seltzer, Pinball II.
MIKE is an artist we’ve featured heavily in our CRT FRSH playlist roundups, and we’ve mentioned him in a few AOTY posts over the years. The depth, maturity, and presence of the artist born Michael Bonema are astounding when one learns he’s still in his 20s.
Looking back over MIKE’s discography, intentional listeners will recognize the growth from year to year, with the rapper-producer’s gruff voice conveying a bevy of emotions. As he rapped on “Tapestry” from his excellent Beware Of The Monkey mixtape, MIKE’s penchant for the “sad boogie” across his largely self-produced projects morphed into deeply analytical and often personal accounts of his journey in music, honoring his late mother, uplifting his family name, and making sure he’s a solid advocate for his associates.
PInball II doesn’t lean into the aesthetic that MIKE usually performs over and produces under his dj blackpwr alias. Giving Tony Seltzer the keys for a second time, MIKE allows himself to have fun, boast about his successes, and also celebrate his long climb into notoriety. Like their first outing, Seltzer, who has produced for the likes of Wiki, Ski Mask the Slump God, Princess Nokia, and more, gives MIKE a series of booming platters of backdrops that allow Big MIKE to flex.
The album opens with the stage-ready “Sin City,” which sounds prime for a marching band to replay. MIKE is in top sh*t talk mode, shouting out his 10k Global brethren Jadasea, Niontay, and redLee. This leads into “Dolemite” featuring Lunchbox, and the hazy, trap-influenced track is an abrupt shift in energy that feels purposeful all the same.
Seltzer warms things back up with “#71” with MIKE’s growling timbre sounding at home over the bouncy production. At one point, MIKE raps “These n*ggas hardly vicious, but got war paint” with all the sincerity in the world, and while there is a smile in his voice, it still sounds slightly menacing.
Pinball II is something of a roller coaster ride with slinky grooves like “Golden Dragon” and “Money & Power,” allowing MIKE to use his powerful vocal instrument and find pockets in the beat that most rappers would be lost trying to locate.
Features are kept to a minimum; however, 10k artist Sideshow shows up on the sinister “Hell Date” and once again, the Washington, D.C. rapper manages to pierce the soul with his grim outlook and his desire to break away from the streets but never leaving those elements behnd, a common theme in Sideshow’s music. The Ethiopian-American lyricist steals the show on the feature.
“Shaq & Kobe” once more pair MIKE with Florida’s Niontay, and their chemistry remains undeniable. Niontay raps in rushed, slurred bursts, and when juxtaposed against MIKE’s bass-heavy monotone delivery, the contrast in their voices over Seltzer’s heat rock helps the song soar higher.
If there is a song that has a sound similar to MIKE’s previous solo works, it would be “Jumanji,” featuring his friend and past collaborator, Earl Sweatshirt. Pinball II reaches its apex here as MIKE again employs a delivery reminiscent of what he did with Sweatshirt on the track “SENTRY” from the California rapper’s Voir Dire album, produced by The Alchemist. Sweatshirt, known to be a technician, allows himself to let his verses hang and float with little regard to the rhythm, making it one of the most refreshing verses we’ve heard from him.
Pinball II will lazily be called “trap,” or at least say it sounds influenced by that Hip-Hop sub-segment by casual listeners. Upon further listens, MIKE’s increased musical productivity has not dimmed his passion, considering this is his second release after the stellar Showbiz! album from earlier this year. As MIKE continues to establish his position in the scene he’s poised to lord over for years to come, corny as it comes off, the fans are winning as a result.
Find Pinball II at your preferred DSPs here.
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Photo: 10k/Instagram
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Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem is off to a blockbuster start. The country superstar’s fourth studio album, released Friday (May 16) through Big Loud/Mercury, is already breaking streaming records on Spotify and Amazon Music. On Friday afternoon, Spotify announced that the 37-track album had set a new benchmark as the most streamed country album in […]
Source: Getty Images / Drake / Tory Lanez
You can add Drake to the list of people who just can’t accept that Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion.
Drake shared a link to a petition calling for Governor Gavin Newsom to pardon Canadian Yosemite Sam, aka Tory Lanez, after he was stabbed 14 times in prison.
On Friday, Drake posted via his Instagram Stories, “@torylanez come home soon” along with the link to a Change.org petition “Pardon Tory Lanez: Urge Governor Newsom to Correct a Deep Injustice,” which now has over 236,000 signatures.
Source: Instagram / Drake
The petition first sprouted up on Tory Lanez’s social media accounts in the wake of a non-profit organization called Unite the People claiming that it has testimony from a bodyguard that would absolve Lanez of the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion.
Walter Roberts, who is the “lead consultant” of the group, claimed a man named Bradley James, who said he was the bodyguard of Megan Thee Stallion’s former best friend, Kelsey Harris, approached him claiming to be a witness to Harris admitting to shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
Megan Thee Stallion’s attorney, Alex Spiro, issued a statement on his client’s behalf: “Tory Lanez was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers, and his case was properly adjudicated through the court system. This is not a political matter — this is a case of a violent assault that was resolved in a court of law.”
Thee Stallion is also unbothered as she just recently announced her swimwear line.
Drake Is Getting Dragged On X
She doesn’t have to address the situation because social media has been dragging Drake and Chris Brown for yelling Free Tory. Brown was recently locked up abroad for an incident a year ago and denied bail on the matter.
“Drake was quiet for Kendrick, but real loud for Megan, a woman! #SIMP,” one post on X, formerly Twitter, read.
Welp.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Alex Warren has achieved a rare chart feat on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart with his song “Ordinary” (May 16).
With its ninth week at No. 1, he is now the longest-running U.S. male solo chart-topper in over 70 years, surpassing Elvis Presley in the process. The King had an eight-week stay at the summit in 1960 with “It’s Now or Never,” one of 21 No. 1 singles in the U.K.
Florida-born artist Slim Whitman earned an 11-week stint at the top spot in 1955 with “Rose Marie,” the title track from the 1954 western epic starring Ann Blyth and Howard Keel.
In its 13th week on the Billboard Hot 100, “Ordinary” is now up to No. 2, closely trailing Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” which has had a 12-week stay at the summit. “Ordinary” has also hit the top spot on the Global 200 for a second consecutive week.
Trending on Billboard
Speaking to Billboard in January, Warren discussed using challenging moments in his personal life, including the passing of both of his parents and his stint of homelessness, in his material.
“I recently started doing this thing where I write about those [experiences], and I try to take control in a way,” he said. “For me, something really beautiful is taking something so sad and dark, and what most would view as something that ruined their life, and turn it into something that can help people.”
The remainder of the top five remains relatively unchanged with Ravyn Lenae’s “Love Me Not” (No. 2), Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” (No. 3), and WizTheMC and Bees & Honey’s “Show Me Love” (No. 4) all maintaining their positions from last week.
Sombr’s breakout hit “Undressed” is in the top five for the first time (No. 5), up one place from the previous week, while his song “Back to Friends” also rises three spots to No. 12.
The week’s highest new entry comes from Calvin Harris and Clementine Douglas, as their collaboration “Blessings” lands at No. 8. The feat gives Harris his 45th top 10 hit.
Sleep Token has secured its first U.K. No. 1 Album on the Official Albums Chart with Even in Arcadia (May 16). The masked metal band previously hit the No. 3 spot with their 2023 LP Take Me To Eden, and have three songs in this week’s U.K. top 40 singles. In June, the band are […]
