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Jamie Foxx Remains Hospitalized a Week After ‘Medical Complication’

A week after Jamie Foxx‘s daughter revealed that he 55-year-old actor/singer had been hospitalized for an undisclosed “medical complication,” Foxx is reportedly still in hospital. CNN reported that Foxx remains in a Georgia hospital getting treatment for an as-yet-unnamed medical issue, an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation told the network.

Last week, the Oscar-winning actor and singer’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, shared in an Instagram post that her dad “experienced a medical complication” and that he was “already on his way to recovery.”

At press time there was still no additional information available about what sent Foxx to the hospital or what treatment he received and a spokesperson had not returned requests for comment . But CNN reported on Friday that that Foxx was still in hospital and undergoing undisclosed tests. Foxx has been filming Back in Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta and the source told the network that the medical incident didn’t take place on the set and Foxx was not transported to the hospital by EMS. It was unknown at press time if Foxx had wrapped his portion of the shoot before the incident.

Corinne Foxx has not posted an update on her father’s condition since her initial comment. Foxx’s most recent social media post came just days before the revelation of his illness and it included a short video cued to Rick Ross’ verse from Nicole Bus’ “You” in which he was seen chilling on a megayacht. At press time it did not appear that Foxx had commented on his health issue on his socials.

Fugees Rapper Pras Launches Defense in Campaign Finance Trial

A Fugees rapper on trial in a multimillion-dollar campaign finance and foreign influence case was trying to reinvent himself as he entered the political arena, not break any laws, defense attorneys said Monday (April 17).

Prakazrel “Pras” Michel became a best-selling, Grammy-winning artist with the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees, but in the years after its breakup was looking for his next chapter, attorney David Kenner said as he began making the defense case.

Michel surrounded himself with people to help with his transition to politics and eventually entered the orbit of a wealthy Malaysian “playboy” but didn’t engage in “James Bond … cloak and dagger stuff,” he said.

“There was no agreement to do anything in an unlawful way,” Kenner said.

Michel is charged in political conspiracies under two different U.S. presidents. Federal prosecutors say he funneled money from the fugitive Malaysian financer through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. He’s also accused of trying to squelch an investigation into the businessman and persuade then-President Donald Trump’s administration to return to China a “vocal critic of the government.”

The Justice Department says Michel conspired with Low Taek Jho, usually known as Jho Low. The fugitive financier is accused of masterminding a money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered billions from the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB. Low has maintained his innocence.

Looted money paid for jewelry and luxury art and helped finance Hollywood films like The Wolf of Wall Street. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio testified that Low had appeared to him to be a legitimate businessman and had mentioned wanting to donate to Obama’s campaign.

When Michel first met Low at a nightclub in 2006, the businessman “appeared and acted as though he had unlimited amounts of money,” Kenner said. Michel would later make money himself through his association with Low, but “making money, even if you consider it greedy, is not a crime.”

Prosecutors, on the other hand, say Low directed millions to Michel, who funneled the money to straw donors to give to the Obama reelection campaign in 2012. He later tried to lean on the donors to keep them from talking to investigators, prosecutors said.

In 2017, prosecutors say, the Grammy-winning rapper worked with a Republican “fixer” to try and shut down a U.S. investigation into Low and embezzlement from the Malaysian fund. He’s also accused of pushing the Trump administration to send a Chinese person who had fled to the U.S. back to China.

The defense says he tried to set up a meeting on that issue, but no one ever told him he should have registered as a foreign agent before doing so, Kenner said.

“What he was trying to do was go through the proper channels,” he said.

Bad Bunny Team Clarifies Apparent Harry Styles On-Screen Diss During Coachella Headlining Set

Bad Bunny‘s team had a simple message for upset Harry Styles fans on Monday: no se pretende faltar al respeto. After Benito appeared to shade Harry during his historic headlining Coachella set on Friday night, the reggaeton superstar’s team said a tweet that appeared behind Bunny during the performance was not what it seemed.

The tweet stated: “goodnight benito could do as it was but harry could never do el apagaon.” The latter is a reference to the song “El Apagón” from Bunny’s acclaimed Un Verano Sin Ti album and the former was just confusing. On Monday (April 17) a rep for Bunny told Rolling Stone that the singer had no comment, adding that Benito did not approve of the message in the tweet.

The visual content company that produced the images for his set, Sturdy.co, also reportedly confirmed that Bunny did not approve the Styles-dissing tweet and said it also did not intend to throw shade at the British singer/actor.

“Our intention is to create light hearted designs that embody Bad Bunny’s personality and amplify the experience he presents as a performer,” Sturdy.co reportedly said in an Instagram Story statement on Monday. “The request from the artist during the visuals for ‘El Apagón’ performance was to use the image only and not text from the tweet, which we take responsibility for and correct it for [this] Friday’s performance. These visuals are a celebration of Bad Bunny and his dedication to empowering his native island, Puerto Rico.”

While Bunny has not reacted to the viral tweetstorm set off by the apparent Harry shade, fans speculated that it suggested he could easily have penned Style’s hit “As It Was,” while there was no way Styles could have written “El Apagón”; Bunny’s Un Verano album was up for record and song of the year at this year’s Grammy Awards and was bested by Styles’ Harry’s House for album of the year.

Bad Bunny became Coachella’s first-ever solo Latino headliner on Friday, during which he shared a poignant message about life in the celebrity bubble. “Humbly speaking, people think they know the lives of famous people, but they don’t,” he told his crowd. “They don’t know what we feel, what we live through,” he continued. “They will never know what a heart can feel. Don’t believe everything you hear. You won’t get to know the real me through a video on Instagram, an interview or a TikTok.”

At press time it did not appear that Styles has reacted to the tweet’s display during Bad Bunny’s action-packed two-hour set, which included special guests Jhayco, Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow, Post Malone and a jet ski.

Justin Bieber Sends Supportive Message to Frank Ocean After Divisive Coachella Set: ‘His Artistry Is Simply Unmatched’

By most accounts Frank Ocean‘s first live performance in six years and eagerly anticipated headlining set at Coachella was confusing at best and not really what Oceanographers expected. But one person who had nothing but high praise for the elusive singer’s live presentation was Justin Bieber, who posted an effusive Instagram tribute to the artist he said “deeply” moved him.

Next to an image of Ocean’s face blown up on the stage’s massive screens, Bieber wrote, “I was blown away by Frank Oceans Coachella performance. His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.. I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget! Thanks Frank.”

Bieber’s plaudit was a rare voice of support about the performance that reportedly confused and disappointed many fans when the livestream of the show was cancelled at the last minute, the artist offered no merch for sale and Ocean took the stage an hour late to sing what was described as a low-energy set of reworked songs from his catalog. Videos showed a seated Ocean and his band mostly obscured by a group of dancers walking in circles around the stage.

On Monday, Ocean’s team confirmed to Billboard that the enigmatic singer suffered an unspecified ankle injury during on-site rehearsals in the week before the show that required the last-minute scrapping of a planned on-stage ice rink that was built for Sunday night’s headline performance. The skaters cast for the show then still joined Ocean onstage and wore custom Prada puffer jackets, acting as impromptu backup dancers.

Ocean was originally slated to headline the 2020 Coachella, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unclear how the reported injury will impact Ocean’s weekend 2 performance on Sunday (April 23).

See Bieber’s post below.

Wé Ani Goes Full Rock Star on ‘American Idol’: Watch

When Wé Ani rolled into Disney’s Aulani resort, she wasn’t there to chill and take snaps.

The Harlem native is, of course, one of the top 26 contestants in American Idol 2023. On Monday night (April 17), as the performances rolled on in Hawaii, Ani left nothing to chance.

With her dad watching on from the audience, Ani nailed her performance of “Edge Of Midnight,” Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts number from 2020.

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By fusing rock energy with her big, bluesy vocals, Ani had the house jumping.

Earlier in the season, Ani stunned the judges with her audition, when her high-pitched speaking voice turned to creme brulee with a performance of Demi Lovato’s “Anyone.”

“You are amazing,” Lionel Richie said afterwards. “This class is shaping up to be ridiculous. And I don’t want to put you into the ridiculous category, but that was ridiculous.”

With the element of surprise apparently gone, she caught judges off guard once more. During Hollywood Week, she hit an original song, “Good For”.

The 24-year-old singer has amassed a TikTok following upwards of 700,000, found a wave of supporters on Idol, and she’s already delivered moments of the sublime and ridiculous on this 21st season of Idol.

Watch her latest performance below.

NOIVAS Puts a Spell on ‘The Voice’ Knockout Round: Watch

Blake Shelton has his eyes on the prize. And by that, extending his unassailable run of The Voice season wins into double figures, with 10. And, just maybe, going out with back-to-back wins.

NOIVAS could get him there.

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During the Battle Round, Shelton stole the 30-year-old Hutto, Texas singer from Chance The Rapper. As the Knockout Round rumbled on during Monday night’s episode (April 17), it appeared to be another shrewd move by the country star.

With his fate on the show hanging, and the bright lights glaring, NOIVAS impressed with a rendition of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I’ll Put A Spell On You.”

The soul man put a spell on the audience, wielding the mic stand like he meant business and throwing in some measured maniacal moments.

NOIVAS, coach Niall Horan enthused, “you’ve got to pay for a floor cleaning bill… You just scraped up that stage with that mic stand. Every time you just bring it — dude, you’re impressive.”

Shelton also liked what he saw. “I thought there was a chance that you took the word knockouts literally,” he said at the end. “Got a little bit wild, and it scared me, and I like that. Your talent is shocking and it’s fearless.”

Tasha Jessen, the 21-year-old from Colorado Springs, can also tick the “talent” and “fearless” boxes.

When her turn came, Jessen turned it up with a cover of Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” — peppered with high notes, power, control and all the good stuff.

Shelton had a tough decision to make. He tapped NOIVAS as winner of the Knockout Round, but the action wasn’t done there. Horan swept in to steal Jessen, keeping her in the contest.

Everyone’s a winner.

Metallica Heading to U.K. Chart Summit With ’72 Seasons’

Metallica season is here, and the veteran metal band is coming in hot on the U.K. albums chart.

Based on midweek data published by the Official Charts Company, the Bay Area legends are on track for the chart crown with 72 Seasons (via Vertigo), their 11th studio album.

If it holds it form, 72 Seasons will give James Hetfield and Co. a fourth leader, and first in nearly 15 years.

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The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band previously led the chart with 1991’s Metallica (aka The Black Album), Load (1996) and Death Magnetic (2008).

British fans won’t have to wait long to hear Metallica belt out live tracks from 72 Seasons. The European leg of their M72 World Tour 2023/4 will detour into Download Festival at England’s Donington Park for two mid-year shows, June 8 and June 10.

Sliding in at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update is WaterparksIntellectual Property (Parlophone), the Houston, TX pop-punk act’s fifth studio album. Waterparks will almost certainly nab a new career high when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published this Friday (April 21); their only other top 40 appearance was with 2021’s Greatest Hits, which peaked at No. 37.

Meanwhile, U.S. blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa could nab a sixth U.K. top 10 with Tales of Time (Mascot). It’s new at No. 10 on the chart blast.

Further down the list, U.S. alternative rock artist Natalie Merchant is shooting for a top 20 debut with Keep Your Courage (Nonesuch), her first studio album in nearly a decade. It’s new at No. 14 on the chart blast.

Also eyeing top 40 berths are British indie rockers Amber Run with How To Be Human (No. 25 on the midweek chart via Tripel) and British rapper Avelino’s with God Save The Streets (No. 34 via More Music Oddchild).

Over on the midweek U.K. singles chart, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding‘s “Miracle” is on target for a third-straight week at No. 1, while new releases from David Kushner (“Daylight” via Miserable Music) and Lewis Capaldi (“Wish You The Best” via Vertigo) look set to complete the podium.

All will be revealed when the OCC publishes its national charts this Friday.

Erykah Badu & Yasiin Bey Announce 25-City ‘Unfollow Me’ U.S. Tour

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Music And Cultural Icon Erykah Badu's “unfollow Me” tour

Erykah Badu and Yasiin Bey are quintessential figures when it comes to the intersecting cultures of Hip-Hop and high art. The creative Dallas artist and the talented Brooklyn MC are joining forces for the Unfollow Me tour with 25 stops across the United States.

Erykah Badu X Yasiin Bey Unfollow Me Tour

Credit: Tony Krash

Erykah Badu and Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) will kick off the tour in San Antonio, Texas and will end the 25-city tour back in Dallas. While they’ve carved out their careers in somewhat differing lanes of expression, the pair have worked together in the past on Mark Ronson’s Re:Generation documentary released in 2013.

Erykah Badu X Yasiin Bey Unfollow Me Tour

Credit: Yasiin Bey

The tour was announced under Badu’s BaduWorld, Inc. entity, and will be produced by Outback Presents with the aim of bringing forth the artful and futuristic vision of Badu. While Badu last released music in 2015 with the But You Caint Use My Phone mixtape.

Bey has been active in recent years, reuniting with his Black Star partner Talib Kweli for the group’s No Fear Of Time album in 2022 which was fully produced by Madlib. Madlib also recently shared that he’s working on new music for Erkyah Badu.

Tickets for the Unfollow Me tour launch on April 20th at 2:222 local time. Learn more about the tour and purchase tickets by following this link.

The dates are listed below.

June

11 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX

13 – Desert Diamond Arena – Glendale, AZ

20 – Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA

21 – Oakland Arena – Oakland, CA

23 – WaMu Theater – Seattle, WA

26 – Ball Arena – Denver, CO

28 – Enterprise Center – St. Louis, MO

30 – Xcel Center – St. Paul, MN

July

1 – United Center – Chicago, IL

2 – Little Caesar’s Arena – Detroit, MI

7 – TD Arena – Boston, MA

8 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

9 – TD Pavillion at the Mann – Philadelphia, PA

11 – Prudential Center – Newark, NJ

13 – Capital One Arena – Washington, DC

15 – State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA

16 – Spectrum Center – Charlotte, NC

18 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN

19 – Legacy Area at the BJCC – Birmingham, AL

21 – Fedex Forum – Memphis, TN

23 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX

Photo: Erkyah Badu/Yasiin Bey

CMT & mtheory Reveal New Members of Equal Access Development Program

CMT and management services company mtheory have revealed the six new candidates selected to take part in the Equal Access Development Program, its yearlong artist and management training program designed to support underrepresented voices and communities in country music, including Black, Native and Indigenous, Latino, LGBTQ+ and women.

This year’s participants are artists Angie K, Camille Parker and Denitia, as well as music industry executives Ahsaki LaFrance-Chachere, Alex Evelyn and Roberto Martinez.

The Equal Access Program launched in April 2022, spearheaded by mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson and Tiffany Provenzano, as well as CMT senior vp of music & talent Leslie Fram. The program provides funding and training, as well as access to industry leaders, with the goal of creating a multifaceted pipeline of diverse talent in country music.

Angie K previously competed with Team Blake on NBC’s The Voice and is part of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2023. Her music often blends country with her Latin roots, such as her bilingual release “Real Talk,” which made her a Highway Find on SiriusXM. Parker, a member of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022, also recently competed on AppleTV+’s My Kind of Country. Parker is also currently recording her debut EP with producers Chris McClenny and David Phelps. Texas native Denitia is a multi-instrumentalist who has played saxophone, trumpet and guitar and has roots in a myriad of musical genres, including gospel, folk and alternative rock.

LaFrance-Chachere is a Diné (Navajo) tribal member and African-American woman, who aims to demonstrate that Native Americans/Indigenous people are diverse despite stereotypical depictions. Her LaChachere Management & Publishing represents country music artists Dzaki Sukarno, C’ing Jerome and Jay Brown. Evelyn is CEO/founder of management and development company Big Al Management, which includes clients YSA and Khrys Hatch. Evelyn also serves as radio/TV producer/show host at YoCo 96.7 FM in Nashville. Martinez has worked as a songwriter, producer and recording engineer. After a five-year stint at Warner Music Group, Martinez manages artists in multiple genres as CEO of The Exos Group and is partner in Coco’s Backstage.

Carlson, CEO of mtheory, said via a statement, “Research continues to show the enduring racial and gendered hierarchy within the industry, and its ripple effect throughout every facet of the business: radio airplay, songwriting, publishing, streaming, record label signings, artist development, touring and more. Only through deliberate, consistent efforts like Equal Access, will we begin to see stronger representation of underserved groups in the format, and we’re committed to helping this new group of exceptionally talented individuals successfully prepare for careers in country music, particularly in this current legislative environment that has become an increasingly prohibitive place for creativity to grow and flourish. Thank you to all of our supporters for making this program possible, particularly our title sponsors at CMT and across the Paramount companies.”  

Fram added, “CMT, along with Paramount Global and its Content for Change initiative, is proud to partner with mtheory once again and is committed to leading the industry in igniting systemic change. Equal Access accentuates our roster of groundbreaking initiatives including CMT Equal Play and CMT Next Women of Country, and contributes significantly towards leveling the playing field in country music. We look forward to collaborating with this amazing new group of artists and managers to amplify their work to CMT audiences and beyond.” 

The inaugural 2022-23 Equal Access cohort included artists Madeline Edwards, Miko Marks and Valerie Ponzio and music management professionals Charlene Bryant, Kadeem Phillips and Marques Vance.

Over the past year, the 2022-23 Equal Access class members have reached numerous goals. Edwards signed a publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing, a recording deal with Warner Music Nashville and has toured with Chris Stapleton and Ingrid Andress. Marks released the album Feel Like Going Home with music reaching the top five on the Americana Radio Albums chart, while her single “One More Night” reached the top 20. Ponzio released her EP Frontera and had her music featured on the Times Square billboard and on CMT. Marks and Edwards both made their Grand Ole Opry debut performances.

Bryant now manages artist Harper Grae and is a consultant for Universal Music Nashville. Vance began a full-time job with a major label and launched a website to feature his work as a manager and marketing consultant. Phillips launched the Empower the Block website to showcase his work as a manager, publisher, distributor and studio owner, and launched a monthly showcase, Spirit of Country, to highlight country artists of color.

SM Entertainment Artists to Join HYBE’s Weverse Platform Under New Partnership

HYBE announced Monday (Sept. 17) that a dozen solo artists and music groups on the SM Entertainment roster will join its global fan community platform, Weverse, in September. Those artists, who have not yet been named, will move to Weverse from SM’s own fan community platform, Kwangya Club.

In addition to connecting with fans via services including Weverse Live, the 12 SM artists will also be featured on the e-commerce platform Weverse Shop, where fans can buy albums and official merchandise.

The Weverse deal derives from a platform partnership struck between HYBE, SM and Kakao Entertainment in March after HYBE fell short of its mission to purchase a controlling stake in SM. HYBE, home to K-pop superstars BTS, was blocked in its efforts by rival bidder Kakao, a South Korean tech company that owns Monsta X‘s label Starship Entertainment and Korean music streaming platform Melon. The battle ended when HYBE agreed to sell its entire SM stake to Kakao; days later, it sold 1.66 million SM shares to Kakao for 248.8 billion won ($191.8 million), amounting to 44% of its total shares in the company and increasing the stake of Kakao Corp. and its subsidiary, Kakao Entertainment, to nearly 40%. HYBE retains an 8.8% stake in SM.

Later in March, SM appointed Jang Cheol-hyuk as the company’s new CEO, succeeding outgoing CEO Lee Sung-soo, and named a new board as the company vowed to improve corporate governance and its production system, which had fallen behind rivals like HYBE in recent years and led to investor scrutiny.

Weverse claims approximately 65 million subscribers across 245 countries and regions globally.