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In April 2022, when The Kid LAROI headlined the March Madness Festival in New Orleans, the Australian rapper was at a “critical time in his career,” as one of his agents, Sara Schoch, recalls. He was on the brink of switching to a new manager and he was about to release a follow-up track to his smash single “Stay” with Justin Bieber. “He was rolling out new music and reframing how he was presenting to fans,” says Schoch, United Talent Agency’s co-head of global brand music partnerships.
The venue LAROI’s team chose was TNT Sports, for which he headlined a Coca-Cola-sponsored stage at the televised March Madness Music Festival in New Orleans and made a commercial for the soda brand containing original music. Within a month, his single “Thousand Miles” debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The connection led to a broader brand deal, including an alternative-reality-enhanced video that was part of Coke’s summer-music campaign. Then he sold out a tour of ballrooms and amphitheaters in minutes. “It was a big deal,” Schoch says. “The TNT team is artist-first and understanding of who’s going to break. They give [artists] media visibility. They have the infrastructure. I haven’t seen an organization bring all those things together, especially in such a consistent way.”
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Where rival sports networks mostly focus on fixed, one-time, widely viewed events — like the Super Bowl Halftime Show or Beyoncé‘s halftime performance during the NFL’s Christmas Day game last year, both on Fox Sports — TNT’s operations-plus-A&R-plus-brands skillset is unique. Known for its NBA and NCAA basketball coverage — and to a lesser extent hockey, auto-racing and tennis events — the network has spent the last decade and a half building makeshift stages in U.S. cities for free events, signing headlining superstars from Kendrick Lamar to Rihanna to Bruce Springsteen, helping to break new artists such as Doechii and Shaboozey and broadcasting all the copiously brand-stamped events on cable television. For this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game in the Bay Area, Chance the Rapper will headline an opening concert, broadcast on TNT, on Thursday evening (Feb. 13) at Pier 48 in San Francisco.
“We’re jack of all trades, I guess,” says André Plasiance, TNT Sports’ vp of live events, who acts as a sort of A&R man combined with a concert promoter. “We got a lot of things on our plate.”
One of Plaisance’s first events for the network, then known as Turner Sports, was to build a stage near the Mississippi River in New Orleans for a Jimmy Buffett concert as part of the three-day NCAA Big Dance Concert Series in 2012. Even Buffett’s people were confused about how Turner would basically create an entire city, including the stage, out of a park. One of them asked Plaisance, a New Orleans native, “Ever been there?” Plaisance replied: “Not really.” But the team pulled off the event, which also featured KISS and The Black Keys, before some 130,000 people.
Since then, Plaisance says, “There’s a level of trust that we could do that successfully. We’re able to build on that throughout the years.”
Basketball, according to Rick Faigin, executive vp of Acceleration Community of Companies, an agency that works with artists and brands, has a way of intersecting with music that other sports don’t have, even when they try — like Major League Baseball, which sporadically stages performers during its Home Run Derby, or the annual Super Bowl Soulful Celebration, starring The Isley Brothers, Yolanda Adams and others in recent years. Some of that may be “because TNT has made it that way,” Faigin says. He adds that the Super Bowl Halftime Show has exactly one sponsor — Apple Music — while TNT Sports’ various events surrounding NBA games and March Madness provide far more music-branding opportunities. (It must be noted that Chance the Rapper and The Smashing Pumpkins performed during player introductions and intermissions in a New Year’s Eve 2024 NHL game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, broadcast on TNT.)
“One thing [TNT’s team] are great at is delivering a high-quality production that rivals any of the major music festivals out there, from the staging to the overall production to the festival grounds,” says Byron Taub, vp of sponsorships and experiential marketing for Capital One, which has partnered with the network since 2011. “We want to create memories for our customers through these memorable types of events. We’re looking to create immersive experiences that tap into their passions — sports, music, dining, entertainment.”
For TNT, “the home run, or slam dunk, or three-point shot, whatever analogy you want to use,” according to Plaisance, is when the network can work with an artist to break a pump-it-up sports anthem. Examples include Muse‘s “Madness,” which became a March Madness anthem in 2013, licensed for TV promos and performed in a concert in Atlanta; and The Black Keys’ 2024 track “Beautiful People (Stay High),” used in Final Four promos last year around the time the band performed at TNT Sports’ Capital One Jamfest. “We’re constantly looking for those synchs to have that 360 tie-in, for the broadcast and the band live experience as well,” Plaisance says.
“It’s exposure you can’t pay for,” adds Dave Aussenberg, music brand partnerships agent at Creative Artists Agency, which represents Shaboozey, Mumford & Sons and others who’ve played TNT sports-and-music events. “These are some of the most desirable sporting events to attend. The more music events you attach to these weekends, it’s a huge win for fans.”
In a half-hour Zoom, Plaisance suggests his passion lies in building venues from scratch, beginning with the Buffett performance in 2012. For the NCAA’s annual March Madness basketball tournament games in San Antonio, “You’re basically building an arena in a downtown park, providing everything from the festival perimeter to the restrooms to the stage, every piece of infrastructure, generators,” Plaisance says. “You get to build a new arena every year.”
For Plaisance, a native of Southwest Louisiana, a lifelong obsession with live music began when his parents took him to Willie Nelson‘s concert at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. When the Superdome reopened in 2006, symbolizing the city’s post-Hurricane Katrina rebirth, U2 and Green Day’s performances showed Plaisance “what music can do to a building.”
“I get goosebumps, right now, thinking about that,” he continues. “You see how relevant music is with sports and the crowd. That made an impression on me.”
Village People frontman Victor Willis is clearing the air after he sent a cease and desist to Jim Jeffries, after the comedian joked on his At This Moment podcast that the 1978 classic “Y.M.C.A.” is about men “f—ing in showers in a hostel.”
Willis joined TMZ‘s 2 Angry Men podcast this week, where hosts Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos asked the singer about his song being a “gay anthem.”
“He went over the line when he got into saying it had to do with men having sex in the bathroom,” Willis said of sending Jeffries a cease and desist for what was described as an “obscene, derogatory and false description” of the track. “There is nothing in my lyrics that says anything about that. We approached him and he apologized and said he was going to rephrase what it was he said and say it differently, because the way he said it as worded was defamatory.”
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However, Levin then followed up by noting that a number of lyrics in “Y.M.C.A.” could be interpreted in different ways, including the chorus: “It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A./ They have everything for young men to enjoy/ You can hang out with all the boys.”
In response, Willis pointed out that the dual meaning was his intention. “That was something that I credited myself on is writing my songs with what is called a double entendre,” he said. “I would write a song to where you can take it any kind of way you wanted it. If you’re straight, you can take the lyrics for somebody straight or if you were gay, you could take it for somebody gay.”
When Willis insisted that “there’s like 10% of the gay community that have been coming to my shows and have been there over the past 10 years,” Levin and Geragos insisted that the number would be higher.
Last month, Village People performed at the Liberty Ball during Donald Trump’s inauguration celebrations, as both “Macho Man” and “Y.M.C.A.” were popular song choices at Trump campaign rallies during his 2020 and 2024 campaign rallies.
In December, Willis doubled down on why he chose to let the president-elect play “Y.M.C.A.” at rallies and events, saying he “didn’t have the heart” to block the usage — despite originally asking Trump to stop in 2020 — upon realizing that the politician seemed to “genuinely like” the track and was “having a lot of fun” with “Y.M.C.A.” Plus, as Willis noted, the dance tune has only “benefited greatly” in terms of chart placements and sales since Trump incorporated it into his campaign.
In the same post, Willis denounced the song’s status as a “gay anthem,” threatening legal action against news organizations that referred to the song as such. “Get your minds out of the gutter. It is not [a gay anthem] … such notion is based solely on the song’s lyrics alluding to [illicit] activity for which it does not,” he said.
There’s a new Mobb Deep album in the works. The Alchemist made an appearance on The Breakfast Club on Wednesday (Feb. 12) to promote his new album, Life Is Beautiful, with Larry June and 2 Chainz, where he broke the news after praising the late Prodigy‘s work ethic and writing skills. “They did so much […]
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Hip-Hop Wired is dropping an exclusive ‘I Got Questions’, and the upcoming episode is a must-watch for fans of 90s & 2000s hip-hop. The series features interviews with iconic artists like Juvenile and Ja Rule, and this particular episode dives deep into their thoughts on Irv Gotti and their untold stories about the legendary producer.
This episode of I Got Questions was recorded prior to Irv Gotti’s untimely passing
Juvenile opens up about how Irv Gotti was someone he always wanted to work with but never had the chance to. The Cash Money rapper expresses his admiration for Gotti, reflecting on what could have been. Ja Rule, who had a close relationship with Irv Gotti, reveals that he never knew Juvenile felt this way. He shares that Irv genuinely appreciated Juvenile’s style and movement, adding that there was potential for a great collaboration.
Juvenile also reveals that he had ideas for working with Irv and Ja, but Ja Rule admits that, back in the day, he thought Juvenile might not want to jump on his records. “Sometimes when you’re young and coming up, you (Juvenile) were 4x platinum, I’m thinking you didn’t wanna get on my little records until I got on myself. But man, I wish I would’ve known that,” Ja says, showing a deep respect for Juvenile’s career and the missed opportunities.
The full episode is set to drop on February 19th, and it’s sure to be a deep dive into the complex relationships behind the scenes in hip-hop.
Billboard‘s Deputy Editorial Director Damien Scott spoke with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (executive producer and director) and Joseph Patel (producer) of Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) about the film’s creation and the enduring impact of Sly Stone’s legacy, both historically and in today’s culture. Check out the documentary, available now Hulu. Damien Scott: What’s […]
EDC Las Vegas will host more than 250 dance acts at the festival this May.
On Thursday (Feb. 13), EDC Las Vegas producer Insomniac Events announced the festival lineup, which is once again stacked with the who’s who of the dance world. The bill features big names including Dom Dolla, Alesso, Afrojack, Alison Wonderland playing b2b with Kaskade, Illenium playing b2b with Slander, Sara Landry, Horsegiirl, Gesaffelstein, RL Grime, Martin Garrix, DJ Snake, Interplanetary Criminal, Rezz, Fisher, Eric Prydz and many, many more.
Happening at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on May 16-18, this year’s EDC Las Vegas will feature 16 stages, the most in the festival’s history. Two of the festival’s key stages, CircuitGrounds and NeonGarden, will feature new designs, with the festival also set to debut a new stage called Ubuntu.
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Created in collaboration with South Africa’s Bridges For Music Academy, which provides young people from underserved communities with access to programs focused on creative entrepreneurship, well-being and music, Ubuntu will feature Afro house, a genre that’s skyrocketed in popularity in the U.S. over the last few years. The stage will host performances from rising students artists and established South African acts.
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In a statement, Insomniac Events says that EDC Las Vegas 2025 is currently sold out. EDC moved to Las Vegas from its original home in Los Angeles in 2011, and in the 14 years since, has established itself as the country’s biggest dance music festival, drawing 125,000 attendees a day.
Get out your magnifying glass and check out the complete 2025 lineup below.
EDC Las Vegas 2025
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Jalen Hurts is clearly a leader on and off the field. Cameras caught him putting respect on Saquon Barkley’s name during their Super Bowl victory.
As per USA Today the world is getting some more insight on what makes Jalen Hurts the ultimate professional in the NFL. During their Super Bowl match against the Kansas City Chiefs he and Saquon Barkley were both wearing wireless microphones. At the tail end of the game where it was clear that the Eagles would be victorious, cameras caught the two expressing their excitement. Here we see Jalen telling Saquon to his face that he was the key their success. “Hey, man, that’s you. That’s you. I know it’s all of us, but you don’t understand the difference you made. You know, we right there. But you like that last piece, man” Jalen says.
The University of Oklahoma alumni is referring to the 2023 season where they originally faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVII but lost 38 – 35. In 2024 the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Saquon Barkley. Prior to signing he revealed he was his frustrations with his former team The New York Giants and referred to the negotiation tactics “a little disrespectful.”
You can see the footage below.
Following the success of his first project, Culture Jam with NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard, founder Essean Bolden returns with the second compilation, but with a twist: Enter 23-year-old NBA wunderkind Anthony Edwards. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “We are beyond excited to partner with Anthony [Edwards], […]
Macklemore is once again criticizing the United States government, this time taking President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to task in a scorching new protest song titled “F–ked Up.”
In the track posted to his YouTube channel Wednesday (Feb. 12), the rapper weaves his way through verses connecting racial injustice in America to the twice-impeached POTUS’ administration, which now includes the Tesla billionaire. Macklemore also calls out the United States’ financial support of Israel throughout the country’s ongoing war against Hamas, a conflict that has killed at least 45,000 Palestinians between the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks — which left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and about 240 people taken hostage — and the temporary ceasefire the two sides reached in January.
“New era ushered, but white supremacy is still in charge/ Talking colonizing Gaza from the White House lawn/ But the people mobbing, and we ain’t backing off/ Finally see the oligarchy and the men that control us all,” the Washington native spits over a dark, intense beat. “Tax breaks for the elite and then they taxing y’all/ Killing Palestinian kids and we getting hit with the cost.”
Macklemore paired the song with a video compiling footage of American and Palestinian protestors, including a clip of the rogue dancer who waved a combination Palestine-Sudan flag during Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show Sunday (Feb. 9). It also shows numerous clips of Trump, Musk and fellow billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos corresponding with lyrics about rich men in power suppressing the American people.
One clip the music video repeatedly comes back to is of the X CEO doing a Nazi-like salute at one of Trump’s inauguration events in January. “They got us f–ked up,” Macklemore rages in the song’s chorus. “And Elon, we know exactly what that was, bruh.”
Billboard has reached out to reps for the White House, Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos for comment.
“F–ked Up” is just the latest protest song the hip-hop star — who has been vocal in both his support of Palestine and his disappointment in the U.S. government — has released in the past year. In May 2024, he ripped into then-president Joe Biden while advocating for Gaza on a track titled “Hind’s Hall,” the proceeds of which went to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s assistance and protection programs for Palestinian refugees. The following September, he dropped a sequel to the song with assists from Gazan rapper MC Abdul and Palestinian-American singer Anees, featuring the chant, “From the river to the sea/ Palestine will be free.” (The American Jewish Committee has deemed the phrase antisemitic.)
When Macklemore performed “Hind’s Hall 2” that month at Seattle’s Palestine Will Live Forever Festival, he also led the crowd in a “F–k America” chant, after which Las Vegas’ 2024 Neon City Festival dropped him from its lineup. Later, the “Thrift Shop” hitmaker said in a statement, “My thoughts and feelings are not always expressed perfectly or politely. Sometimes I slip up and get caught in the moment.”
“I’ve slipped in front of the world before,” he continued at the time. “I’m sure I’ll do it again. But they will not silence my voice, and they will not close my heart. I’ve lost endorsements, I’ve lost shows, I’ve lost business ties. I am still here, unwavering in my support for a Free Palestine.”
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As more and more men and women come out of the woodworks to file new lawsuits against Diddy for his alleged predatory ways, the embattled music icon is swinging back, but not at his accusers but rather at those involved in exposing his supposedly horrifying history.
According to the Huffpost, Diddy has just filed a $100 million dollar lawsuit against NBC Universal and Peacock over the making of their documentary, The Making Of A Bad Boy for defamation as he claims that they falsely accused him of human trafficking, molestation and even murder. Saying that the companies prioritize profits over factual evidence, Diddy filed the claim in New York State Court this past Wednesday (Feb. 12) in hopes of getting a jury trial underway in order to prove wrongdoing on the part of NBC Universal and Peacock.
Per Huffpost:
Combs’ complaint says the documentary falsely accuses him of sex trafficking, molesting minors and murdering Porter and several figures in music, including The Notorious B.I.G.
“As described in today’s lawsuit, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Peacock TV, LLC, and Ample LLC made a conscious decision to line their own pockets at the expense of truth, decency, and basic standards of professional journalism,” Combs’ lawyer, Erica Wolff, said in a statement to HuffPost. “Grossly exploiting the trust of their audience and racing to outdo their competition for the most salacious Diddy exposé, Defendants maliciously and recklessly broadcast outrageous lies in ‘Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.’”
“In making and broadcasting these falsehoods, among others, Defendants seek only to capitalize on the public’s appetite for scandal without any regard for the truth and at the expense of Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial,” Wolff added.
For those who aren’t familiar with the documentary, The Making Of A Bad Boy features interviews with quite a few people who’ve worked with Diddy in the past including his former bodyguard, Gene Deal, artist Al B Sure!, and childhood homie, Tim “Dawg” Patterson amongst others. Needless to say, they didn’t exactly paint their former Bad Boy associate in the best light.
Though the documentary has been streaming for almost a month, Diddy decided now was the time to bring the case and with the brand new legal troubles that’s been thrown at him as of late (and probably going forward), it will be interesting to see what kind of evidence he’ll be able to provide to prove The Making Of A Bad Boy was false and all hearsay.
What do y’all think about P. Diddy suing NBC Universal and Peacock over The Making Of A Bad Boy documentary? Let us know in the comments section below.