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08 May 2023

Rapper Young Lo Killed in Miami Nightclub Shooting at 37: ‘He Was Just Great Energy,’ Hitmaka Says

A day after the shooting death of Young Lo at a Miami Beach nightclub, the 37-year-old rapper/producer is being remembered by his longtime friend, creative collaborator and Grammy-nominated producer Christian “Hitmaka” Ward.

Along with Chrishan “Prince Chrishan” Dotson, Hitmaka is a co-founder of Makasound Records, where Lo worked in A&R. During his career, the late artist had also collaborated with other label executives and artists on various projects. Young Lo’s credits include collaborations with Drake, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Ray J and Tyga.

“Lo has been a longtime friend of mine for like 15 years,” Hitmaka aka Yung Berg tells Billboard. “We go as far back to when Ray J and I were doing ‘Sexy Can I’ and all these different records. Lo was just a great people person who knew how to put the right people together and had the resources to where maybe a Chris Brown or such-and-such [artist] might be good for a project. Lo was always a great asset to me. He was just great energy. Everybody loved to have Lo around. He was also very selfless, putting a lot of people before himself.

“This is truly a tragedy,” Hitmaka continues. “I haven’t lost a close friend like that, so this has rocked my world. I’m just dealing with picking up the pieces, helping out his mother, his family and his son. I’m sending super condolences to his family and loved ones. And man, I want to preach to everybody to just stay safe. Tomorrow isn’t promised. Tell loved ones that you love them on a daily basis because you just never know.”

According to reports from the Miami Herald, CBS News and other outlets, Young Lo was among three people who were shot at the South Beach nightclub Gala early Sunday morning. Born Lowell Grissom, Young Lo later died at the hospital. Two women were hospitalized with gunshot wounds and are expected to recover. 

As of this writing, no arrests have been made.

08 May 2023

Gucci Mane ft. Roddy Ricch & Nardo Wick “Pissy,” Dave East & Young Chris “Naughty” & More | Daily Visuals 5.8.23

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Gucci Mane hits the Z107.9 Summer Jam stage!

Source: Radio One Digital / @Stretchd_34 for Radio One Digital

While Gucci Mane remains one of the most recognizable artists in the game, the ATLien’s been keeping a relatively low profile for a while, but it seems like he’s readying a return to the forefront of the rap game as he comes through with some new work.

Linking up with Roddy Ricch and Nardo Wick for his visuals to “Pissy,” Guwop and company take the opportunity to show off some diamond encrusted pieces the size of dinner plates while some scantily clad young women pose up a storm in a yellow drop-top Chevy. Looks like yellow is the color of choice for this joint.

Back up in the Northeast, Dave East and Young Chris of the Young Guns take to the streets in a yellow drop top of their own and in their clip to “Naughty” politic in a banana yellow Huracan Lambo on the block where they twist up trees and entertain some sexy young ladies. Is yellow whips the new “In” thing for this summer?

Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend including work from That Mexican OT, Rowdy Rebel & Fetty Luciano, and more.

GUCCI MANE FT. RODDY RICCH & NARDO WICK – “PISSY”



DAVE EAST & YOUNG CHRIS – “NAUGHTY”



THAT MEXICAN OT – “SLIDE”



ROWDY REBEL & FETTY LUCIANO – “KNOW BOUT US”



SLEAZYWORLD GO FT. POLO G – “OFF THE COURT”



KAP G FT. PESO PESO & BRICK WOLFPACK – “POZOLE”



LIL GOTIT & MONEY MUSIK – “250”



BILLY WOODS & KENNY SEGAL – “SOFT LANDING”



08 May 2023

ILLENIUM’s Self-Titled Set Debuts at No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart

ILLENIUM bows at No. 1 on Billboard’s consumption-based Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart (dated May 13) with his self-titled set. ILLENIUM earned 17,000 equivalent album units, including 7,000 from traditional album sales, in the April 28-May 4 tracking week, according to Luminate.

It’s ILLENIUM’s second-best sales week yet, trailing only the debut frame of his first No. 1, Ascend (25,000 units; Aug. 31, 2019). ILLENIUM now owns three total No. 1s, as his new entry follows Fallen Embers (one week, 2021) and Ascend (eight weeks, 2019). All six of his chart entries have hit the top 10, a history that also includes Ascend (Remixes) (No. 5, 2020), Awake (No. 3, 2017) and Ashes (No. 6, 2016).

ILLENIUM’s start halts Beyoncé’s 24-week streak at No. 1, which began last November, with Renaissance (No. 2; 13,000 units, down 7%). Dating to the chart’s 2001 inception, no album has logged more consecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning with its debut week. Plus, 24 weeks in a row at No. 1 mark the most for any album, a feat also achieved only by Lady Gaga’s The Fame (December 2009-May 2010). The Fame leads all albums in total weeks at No. 1, with 175 since its 2008 release.

ILLENIUM yields nine new entries on the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, led by “Eyes Wide Shut,” with Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker (No. 9). With those, all 16 ILLENIUM tracks have hit the chart, as the other seven tracks on the album debuted previously.

“Eyes,” however, is ILLENIUM’s first top 10 from the LP and the eighth in his career. It’s also his 57th total charted title since the chart originated in January 2013, tying him with Marshmello for the third-most, after David Guetta (78) and Kygo (62). “Eyes” marks the first appearance on the chart for Lavigne and the third (and first top 10) for Barker.

“Eyes” earned 2.2 million official streams and sold 500 downloads in the United States in the tracking week, also good for starts on the Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs (No. 18) and Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (No. 11) charts.

08 May 2023

Lily-Rose Depp Says These Pop Superstars Inspired Her Role in ‘The Idol’

Lily-Rose Depp is readying for the premiere of The Idol by spilling the tea on which pop singers influenced her role as Jocelyn on the forthcoming HBO series.

“Of course I’m a Britney [Spears] fan!” the Hollywood progeny told W magazine of the stars she was channeling during her audition for the series. “Who doesn’t love Britney? But I was also thinking about Beyoncé, Mariah [Carey], and every huge pop star of our time. I wanted Jocelyn to be the kind of woman who can dominate a room, someone who doesn’t ever shy away from their sparkle.”

Depp nabbed the role by singing an a cappella rendition of the 1950s standard “Fever,” as made famous by Peggy Lee and covered by Madonna in 1993 — which led to her filming for the series inside SoFi Stadium packed with 70,000 fans ahead of The Weeknd‘s Los Angeles concert last fall.

“I was a nervous wreck,” she said. “I was praying to all my guardian angels. I knew we only had two takes at SoFi. I felt like I was going to my wedding — I was so dolled up and in white!” However, she ultimately nailed the scene and later confessed, “It was quite addicting. I didn’t want to leave.”

The Weeknd, who originally pitched the concept of The Idol to HBO, will also star in the seedy musical drama along with Suzanna Son, Rachel Sennott, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Mike Dean, Moses Sumney, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Hank Azaria, BLACKPINK’s Jennie and more. The show will also feature the likes of Hari Nef, Tyson Ritter of The All-American Rejects and the late Anne Heche.

Following extensive reshoots of the entire first season, The Idol is set to premiere June 4 on Max (previously HBO Max). Read Depp’s joint interview with The Weeknd here.

08 May 2023

The Weeknd Joins Bid for NHL’s Ottawa Senators: Report

The star-studded bidding war over the Ottawa Senators is heating up, as The Weeknd has reportedly thrown his hat into the ring to purchase the NHL team.

The “Blinding Lights” superstar joined a group led by Toronto billionaires Jeffrey and Michael Kimel of the Harlo Capital Group aiming to make the purchase, according to a report from Ottawa Sun. The publication added that the Toronto native (born Abel Tesfaye) is a longtime hockey fan and has personal ties to Ottawa, Canada. Billboard has also reached out to The Weeknd’s reps for more information.

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Snoop Dogg and another famous Canadian, Vancouver native Ryan Reynolds, have also previously joined separate groups bidding on the team, which hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since they joined the NHL in 1992. The bidding deadline is May 15. Reynolds and the Remington Group are reportedly preparing a $1 billion bid. According to Ottawa Sun, there are seven groups currently bidding for the purchase.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman revealed during a SiriusXM interview last week that having a celebrity as part of an ownership group in Ottawa could be beneficial for the team. “It can be a plus for the franchise going forward,” he shared. “But the bids are going to have to stand on their own merit.”

08 May 2023

This Ballad Is Ed Sheeran’s Favorite Song on His New Album ‘Subtract’

Ed Sheeran is fresh off the release of his vulnerable, 14-track new album Subtract, and the 32-year-old superstar sat down with Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson along with his album collaborator, The National’s Aaron Dessner, to discuss their experience working on the project together.

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“It’s totally different to any way that I’ve worked before,” Sheeran explained of collaborating with Dessner. “He comes with a finished product and goes, ‘Write what you feel.’ And there’s no like, ‘Oh, that line sounds a bit weird,’ or this. You write brain to page and the song’s done. And then you go in and you basically form it. And if anything, we strip back more from the recordings that he sent.”

Dessner noted that the duo immediately “clicked,” adding, “There was like a little wildfire. When we got together, we thought we’d try a few things, and we ended up with 36 songs or something.”

With a slew of songs showcasing his masterful songwriting, it’s hard to imagine that Sheeran has a favorite song on Subtract. However, he has a special connection to the songwriting process of “No Strings,” which details an unconditional type of love. “It just came from Aaron being on piano and me singing. And then we put it down and it’s as if the song didn’t matter. And then coming back to it’s now my favorite song on the record,” he shared.

Listen to the full Apple Music interview with Sheeran and Dessner here.

08 May 2023

NewJeans Break Guinness World Record for Fastest K-Pop Act to Hit 1 Billion Spotify Streams

NewJeans and their Bunnies fanbase have a major achievement to celebrate.

Guinness World Records confirmed that the K-pop group — which consists of members Minji, Danielle, Hanni, Hyein and Haerin — has officially become the K-pop act (solo male, solo female or group) to hit 1 billion streams the fastest on Spotify, after just 219 days.

The feat comes less than a year after NewJeans made its formal debut in July 2022. The K-pop stars have a total of six songs on Spotify: “Attention,” “Hurt,” “Hype Boy,” “Cookie,” “Zero, “”Ditto” and “OMG,” with the last two charting at Nos. 82 and 74 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, respectively. “OMG” is currently the girl group’s most-streamed song on the platform, clocking over 320 million plays.

According to Guinness World Records, NewJeans has claimed the throne from BLACKPINK‘s Lisa, who previously held the title among all K-pop acts with a record of 411 days, starting from Oct. 26, 2022. (BTS‘ Jung Kook broke the solo artist record in 409 days on March 27.)

In addition to a performance at Lollapalooza this summer — which will make the quintet the first K-pop group to perform at the music festival, following BTS member J-Hope’s solo performance at last year’s fest — NewJeans are gearing up for a comeback this summer, which means new music for fans to devour.

“It was actually yesterday that they finished recording for the new album that is scheduled to be released this summer,” Min Hee Jin, executive producer/CEO of NewJeans’ label ADOR, told Billboard in early April. “I wanted to break the stereotype that only certain styles of music would be able to succeed in the so-called mainstream industry. In the albums going forward, NewJeans will continue to strive to present something new and unique to exceed the expectations of their fans. NewJeans members keep growing and growing, and we can’t wait to surprise the world again.”

08 May 2023

Viral Coachella Star Diljit Dosanjh Now Has a Hit Film in the United States

Diljit Dosanjh, the Punjabi singer and performer whose colorful, dance-packed set at Coachella became a viral sensation on the internet, has now also found success on the big screen with his new film, Jodi, Released by Rhythm Boyz Entertainment in the United States this weekend, the musical grossed $734,000 on just 125 screens. While modest compared to blockbuster U.S. releases, that’s a big number for a Punjabi film Stateside.

Written and directed by Amberdeep Singh, Jodi is a musical love story starring Dosanjh and Nimrat Khaira as two artists who set out on a painstaking journey to redefine the Punjabi folk music scene in the 1980s. In April, the film broke the record for the most viewed Punjabi trailer in 24 hours, with approximately 12 million fans watching on YouTube.

“He’s unique in that his overall presence, his attire, and his music are very traditional,” says Dosanjh’s manager, Sonali Singh. “He’s not trying to change to make himself into something that’s he not in order to reach out to a larger audience.”

Festival promoter Goldenvoice shared a reel of his first performance during Weekend 1 of Coachella. The clip garnered more views on Instagram than any other artist’s set posted from the official festival account.

“We knew that his performance was going to be appreciated, but the reception he received went well beyond our expectations,” says Singh. “And we also love the fact how his community and larger Indian audiences, along with other celebrities and media houses all across globe were able to come together for this moment and support Singh.”

Dosanjh’s mesmerizing set had called for 25 band members and 40 dancers, both of which needed to be reduced in size to accommodate time pressure and staging issues. Singh says that in India, Dosanjh’s performance was compared to an Academy Award win and was watched and commented on by most television outlets.

“It was a very proud moment for fans in India,” she says “Many back at home will never get to attend Coachella and his performance was very special for them.”

08 May 2023

HHW Gaming: PlayStation Showcase Reportedly Coming This Month, Konami Rumored To Drop Metal Gear Solid & More

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PlayStation Showcase Reportedly Coming in May, Twitter Reacts

Source: NurPhoto / Getty / PlayStation Showcase

Rumor has there is a PlayStation Showcase on the horizon.

There have been rumblings about a PlayStation Showcase happening, and according to one very reliable insider, it could be right around the corner.

Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb shared a schedule on Twitter on Monday detailing what gamers could look forward to in the form of gaming events filling in the void left behind by E3 after it announced it was not happening this year. 

On the list were several events we already knew were going down in Los Angeles, but to the surprise and excitement of many, PlayStation Showcase sat at the top of that list, and it’s expected to happen the week of May 25th, according to Grubb.

In a follow-up tweet, he added that it could happen before the 25h, but “that’s probably the latest that week it could happen.”

Grubb is not one to put out baseless information on his Twitter account, and because he is sharing a date means that he’s pretty confident the showcase is happening.

What Games Will Be Shown During The PlayStation Showcase?

Now, the main question is, what the hell will PlayStation show at this showcase? Unlike its smaller scale State of Play presentations that are usually just a collection of trailers and sometimes deep dives in the case of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, PlayStation Showcases are usually big events where Sony pulls out the bangers.

Many believe we could get our first look at gameplay from Insomniacs’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which is still coming sometime this year, and more gameplay footage from Final Fantasy XVI or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. 

Will PlayStation Drop A Konami Bomb?

But, rumors are floating around that Konami will boast a huge presence during the PlayStation Showcase showing off the Silent Hill 2 Remake, which we already know is a PlayStation exclusive, but new to the conversation is a Castlevania game and a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which might be exclusives on the PS5 for a period of time.

This all according to podcast host Nick Baker, so take this news with a grain of salt, but if true, this could be huge for PlayStation, and another sour note for Xbox owners.



Windows Central editor Jez Corden also said he “heard similar” news about Metal Gear Solid exclusivity to PlayStation. In a follow-up tweet, he wrote, “Just heard Sony landed a deal with Konami for Silent Hill, Metal Gear, and maybe even a new Castlevania.”

Again, we shall wait and see, but you know the video game Twitter is chatting about it. You can see all the reactions in the gallery below.

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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty

2. If these rumors are true, Sony wins the year again

4. A Spider-Man 2 date would be nice

7. Seeing some Wolverine action would be nice.

08 May 2023

Chris Brown Responds to Video of Backstage Scuffle at Lovers & Friends Festival: ‘Keep Ya Narrative’

After making headlines over an allegedly heated altercation backstage at the Lovers & Friends festival in Las Vegas, Chris Brown took to the comments section to tell his side of the story.

“Yall been geeked all weekend, y’all dragging it now,” the R&B singer commented on a post showing fan-captured footage from the festival. “It was mad people backstage and security was trying to clear everyone off the stage. People started pushing back.. I INTERVENED To let them know MY CHILD WAS BACK THERE. So y’all can keep ya narrative.”

In the video, Brown can be seen shouting at multiple men who appear to be security guards as members of his entourage attempt to hold him back and de-escalate the situation. While he didn’t specify which child was with his at the festival, the star shares three kids with three different women: 8-year-old daughter Royalty, 3-year-old son Aeko Catori and 1-year-old daughter Lovely Symphani.

Fans replied to Brown’s Instagram comment in support of the “Under the Influence” singer’s reaction, with one writing, “You shouldn’t even have to explain! But you said your peace. Let them have it. They are literally trying anything [at this point]. Y’all really need to let him live his life! He’s not what y’all are continually trying to make him out to be! The real ones know the changes he’s made.” Another commented, “I don’t even see what was so ‘crazy’ about your behavior,” followed by a couple of shrugging emojis, while a third added, “It actually looks as if he is the one de-escalating the situation.”

Others, however, saw the footage in a different light, with one commenter pointing to Brown’s 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna: “Chris Brown has anger management issues and until he gets it under control he’s going to continue to be violent. We should know this from when he beat up Rihanna.”

Watch the footage and read Brown’s response in the post below.