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Thomas Rhett, Chris Tomlin, Lady A & More Set for Nashville Concert Honoring Victims of Covenant School Shooting

Many in Nashville’s music community are coming together for a night of music and to stand with The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville where six people, including three children and three staffers, were killed just over a week ago in a school shooting on March 27.

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On April 12, Belmont University’s The Fisher Center will host “A Night of Joy Celebrating the Covenant School” to honor the victims and their families as well as the church, staff and first responders, and bring an evening of music, hope and healing. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. CT.

Author/speaker Annie F. Downs will lead the evening, which will also feature performances from Chris Tomlin, Colony House, Dave Barnes, Drew Holcomb, Ellie Holcomb, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, Lady A, Matt Kearney, Matt Maher, Natalie Hemby, Sixpence None the Richer, Stephanie and Nathan Chapman, The Warren Brothers, Thomas Rhett, Trent Dabbs and Tyler Hubbard. Also on the bill are Brett Taylor, Luke Laird, Sandra McCracken, Dwan Hill, Jasmine Mullen and Sarah Kroger, with more special guests expected.

The six victims fatally shot by the shooter at Covenant School were identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all age 9; Cynthia Peak, age 61; Katherine Koonce, age 60; and Mike Hill, age 61. A 28-year-old suspect was killed during an altercation with police.

Tickets for the event go on sale Wednesday, April 10, at 10 a.m. CT at thefishercenter.com, with all ticket proceeds benefiting The Covenant School.

Previously, artists including Sheryl Crow and Margo Price performed at a vigil for the victims that was held March 29 in downtown Nashville, while Lauren Daigle postponed an album preview party that had been set for March 27 and instead hosted a prayer vigil for the victims of the mass shooting. In addition to the vigils, protests have been held at the Tennessee Capitol building in downtown Nashville, as students and adults pleaded with legislators to enact gun reform in the wake of the shooting.

Diplo’s New Country Album ‘Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 – Swamp Savant’ Is On the Way

Diplo‘s country era continues! On Tuesday (April 4), the musician revealed the release date of his forthcoming album, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 – Swamp Savant, along with a story of how the record came to be via Instagram.

“To prepare for this new Thomas Wesley project I went back to my father’s house in Florida. It all started in the swamps I was raised in and I spent six months learnin guitar, gettin in touch with nature, working his boat when the shrimp were running on full moons at the trailer park,” he said.

After calling in favors to rappers, attending Stagecoach for research, and befrending several Nashville-based A&R’s, the DJ confidently added that the new LP is “the greatest single piece of work I’ve ever done, I can promise you that. Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 – Swamp Savant… out April 28.”

While fans will have to wait until then to hear the project in full, the LP’s first single “Wasted,” featuring Kodak Black and Koe Wetzel, arrived in late January. And according to an official press release, there is “more music imminent.”

Swamp Savant serves as the official follow-up to 2020’s Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley Chapter 1: Snake Oil. The set featured the singles “Heartless” with Morgan Wallen, “Dance With Me” with Thomas Rhett and Young Thug, and “Lonely” with Jonas Brothers. The album peaked at No. 50 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

See Diplo’s album release date announcement below:

Trey Anastasio Band, Goose, Pretty Lights, Channel Tres & John Summit Lead Hulaween 2023 Lineup

Hulaween will once again unite the heady forces of dance music and jam bands with its annual soiree, happening in Live Oak, FL this October 26-29.

Leading the lineup are jam favorites The String Cheese Incident, Trey Anastasio Band, Goose, Dispatch and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. From the dance side, headliners include Channel Tres (who indeed recently told Billboard he’s ready for “that big stage type of energy”), along with John Summit, Elderbrook, BLOND:ISH, Manic Focus, Eprom and a headlining set from Pretty Lights, who on Tuesday (April 4) announced this show as part of his 2023 comeback tour. See the complete lineup, featuring more than 90 acts, below.

2023 marks the 10th anniversary of Hulaween, which is independently operated by Collectiv Events, the same company behind Chicago’s North Coast Music Festival and the Sacred Rose fest, which debuted last year in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview.

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“The festival and concert industry landscape continues to be bought up and homogenized by the majors, so staying the course as true independents and surviving through all of the highs and lows we’ve endured to this milestone 10 year anniversary, is incredible,” says Hulaween co-founder, brand manager and talent buyer Michael Berg.

“We think back fondly of all the people who have been part of the Hula journey with us, and how the team continues to learn and grow to elevate the experience and lineup every year,” Berg continues. “We’ve proudly stayed true to this community and culture we are servicing and hope to keep doing that for at least another 10!”

Hulaween

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Ice Spice Gets Celestial for Heaven by Marc Jacobs Spring 2023 Campaign: Shop the Collection

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Ice Spice landed her first fashion campaign. The “Boy’s a Liar” rapper models a celestial mini dress covered in stars, with a black shoulder bag and platform boots while climbing through barbed wire in an add for Marc Jacobs’ spring 2023 Heaven campaign.

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Also starring in the campaign are fellow recording artists Lil Uzi Vert, Yves Tumor and Ethel Cain, alongside French performer and designer Michèle Lamy, and M3GAN – the lifelike doll from the horror movie of the same name.

Ice Spice shared photos of the campaign on her Instagram and Twitter accounts on Monday (April 3). She also tweeted behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot wearing the printed mini dress while sitting on a mechanical bull and in a pink crochet coverup over a printed bikini with brown platform boots.

The Cuffz bag ($175) and Margaret platform boots ($595) that the Bronx native wore in the campaign sold out online, but there are plenty of other items to shop from the collection.

Playing on aspects of heaven and hell, the polysexual collection features raglan tees, baby tees, long-sleeve and short-sleeve shirts, sweaters, pants, dresses and skirts along with earrings, necklaces, rings and other accessories boasting heavenly and devilish designs.

Ice Spice is the latest female rapper to star in a Marc Jacobs campaign after Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj.

Shop items from the collection below.

Marc Jacobs

Heat Sensitive Baby Tee

$95

The shrunken ringer baby tee changes colors from grey to white when exposed to heat. The shirt features artwork by Shana Sadeghi-Ray and is available in sizes ranging from XS-XXL.

Heaven by Marc Jacobs Patches Tube Dress

$175

This tube dress is one of the more affordable dresses in the collection. Available in sizes XS-XL, the Patches Tube Dress features artwork from Come Tees and Elliot Shields.

Marc Jacobs

Star Girl Bow Tank

$95

Looking for a muscle tank with ribbon detail? This unisex tank top is available in size XS-XXL and styled with Margaret boots and a Stencil shoulder bag ($175).

Marc Jacobs

Puffy Nylon Shoulder Bag

$150

Puffy and portable! This nylon shoulder bag is available in black, white, green and orange. If you love a mini tote, you might also like this oversized tote ($295).

Marc Jacobs

Spike Longsleeve Tee

$150

This oversized, long sleeve tee features a layered collar with art work from the brand Come Tees centered on the front.

Runway Cargo Pant

$250

Cargo pants never really go out of style but they’re especially trendy for spring. If you can afford a splurge, why not try a pair of oversized polyester cargo pants? The photo above is styled with a tattoo baby tee, fairy wings, “Shove It” bracelet and Margaret boot.

Ben Affleck Calls Jennifer Lopez ‘The Greatest Performer in the History of the World’

Ben Affleck dished in a new interview on Tuesday (April 4) about his relationship with Jennifer Lopez and the songs she’s written about him over the years.

Appearing on an episode of the SmartLess podcast with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, the Air star raved about all the facets of his wife’s talent, saying, “Here’s this incredible actress and this incredible performer. And then we’re sitting in the car, you know, and I’m humming along, like I will, you know, to the radio. And then a professional singer goes ahead and sings along and you kind of feel like, ‘Well that’s embarrassing.’

“I do love her music, it’s brilliant and I know all of it,” he added. The Oscar winner also reflected on the tracks in her discography that bear his name, including “Dear Ben” from 2002’s This Is Me… Then and its 2023 follow-up “Dear Ben Pt. II” on the soon-to-be-released This Is Me… Now.

“The songs that have been written about me have been written by the greatest performer in the history of the world, Jennifer Lopez,” he said. “I don’t know if they are exactly about me, as maybe inspired by me because there are some negative things in there. She’s amazing.”

Just a week ago, the couple graced the red carpet for the premiere of Air, which Affleck also directed. At the time, he heaped praise on J.Lo for being by his side during the process, saying, “I love you. You mean the world to me. You’re fabulous, you’re amazing, you’re wonderful, good, kind, magnificent and I love you.”

Listen to Affleck talk about J.Lo’s music on the SmartLess podcast below.

What Is Your Favorite Latin Collaboration of March 2023? Vote!

March has officially wrapped, and as we welcome April, Billboard is asking our readers to vote for their favorite Latin collaboration released the past month. 

In true fashion, the fan-based poll features Latin collaborations that were either featured on our weekly New Music Latin playlist or as a new music release story. The list includes Feid and Younk Miko’s sultry reggaeton “Classy 101,” Becky G and Peso Pluma’s breakup corrido “Chanel,” Nicky Jam’s first Regional Mexican effort in “Como El Viento” alongside Luis R. Conriquez, and many more. 

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Also in the poll is “BESO,” Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro’s ultra-romantic collaboration, where in its sweet, homemade music video, the couple announced they were engaged. 

Additionally, you’ll find Los Ángeles Azules catchy cumbia sonidera “Tú y Tú” with Santa Fe Klan & Cazzu, Eladio Carrión and Bad Bunny’s “Coco Chanel,” as well as the latest “BZRP Music Session, Vol. 54” helmed by Bizarrap and Árcangel.

In February, Steve Aoki and CNCO won the poll with “Diferente” nabbing over 77 percent of the votes. What’s your favorite Latin collaboration of March? Vote below!

The 2022 winning collabs were Christina Aguilera and Ozuna’s “Santo” (January); Becky G and Karol G’s “MAMIII” (February); Sebastian Yatra and John Legend’s “Tacones Rojos (Remix)” (March); Bizarrap and Paulo Londra’s “BZRP Music Session” (April); Morar and Duki’s “Paris” (May); Blessd and Rels B’s “Energia” (June); Pablo Alboran and Sebastian Yatra’s “Contigo” (July); Anonimus and R3ymon’s “Santa Diabla” (August); Kany García and Christian Nodal’s “La Siguiente” (September); Juan Gabriel and Anahí’s “Déjame Vivir” (October); Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares’ “Tukoh Taka” (November); and Alejo and CNCO’s “Estrella” (December). 

Offset Is In A Legal Battle With Quality Control Over Master Recordings

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Cardi B and Offset at his Father Of 4 Album Release

Source: Prince Williams / ATLPics.Net

Offset is still not on good terms with his label. The Atlanta rapper and Quality Control are in a legal battle over his master recordings.

As spotted on TMZ the Migos band mate is trying his best to obtain ownership of his solo efforts. The celebrity gossip website is reporting that in 2013 he signed an agreement with the company to produce solo projects. Fast forward to 2015 to QC signing a distribution deal with Capital Records that in turn landed the Rap record label the rights to all of his solo works the Georgia native created from 2018 to 2023.

His lawyer Bryan Freedman claims things changed in 2021 when the MC and the label parted ways and eventually inked a new deal that gave the master recordings back to Offset. But Quality Control says that the new contract only applies to the music he has created since the move to Capital Records but not the records prior.

On Monday, April 3 he took to social media to preview a new “untitled song which seems to address his challenges with his recording home. “They can’t be too upset / I could of kept it to myself, they can’t be too upset / I done broke bread, cut checks, they can’t be too upset / I took that rope off my neck, they couldn’t be too upset / N****s still bite my style, they can’t be too upset / I done laid low for a while, they can’t be that upset / N****s lost all my respect, they can’t be that upset” he raps.

Quality Control has asked that the suit be dismissed.

Photo: Prince Williams

MAGA Mutt Kid Rock Makes Corny Threat Towards Dylan Mulvaney Over Her Bud Light Deal

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Dylan Mulvaney was in the world minding her business and celebrating an epic moment with Bud Light after the beer brand commemorated her 365 days of womanhood via her face on a can of the brew. Major league MAGA loser and former struggle rapper Kid Rock made a corny and spineless threat towards Mulvaney and Bud Light after shooting up a case of the beer with a semiautomatic rifle.

Before we get into the fake tough guy antics of Kid Rock, let’s center Dylan Mulvaney properly. Mulvaney is a TikTok star with millions of followers and rose to fame by way of her “365 Days To Girlhood” series on the social media network to the tune of over 10 million followers.

Taking notice of this, the great minds at Anheuser-Busch decided to gift Mulvaney some cans with her face on them, and she couldn’t have been happier as evidenced by the video below.

The backlash Mulvaney is enduring at the moment has been relentless, but something she’s certainly used to dealing with since everyone doesn’t know how to stay in their respective lanes like adults. Kid Rock joined the Goof Troop himself by uploading a video of him using some high-powered rifle to shoot up a case of brews and giving the finger to Bud Light and its parent company in the process.

Kid Rock looks like a gigantic fool by sharing this video and right on cue, the MAGA asshats who love this kind of empty rhetoric toward the LGBTQ community are supporting him. That said, plenty of people on Twitter are letting Kid Rock know that he has bigger things to worry about than Dylan Mulvaney living her life on her terms.

Check out the comments below.

Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty

Nordstrom Spring Sale: The 8 Best Deals on Men’s Sneakers

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

The Nordstrom Spring Sale is here! For a limited time, shoppers can save on shoes, clothes, beauty and grooming products, home goods and other spring essentials.

The sale offers up to 60% off bestselling brands, but if you’re looking for some of the deepest deals, you’ll need to hit up the men’s shoe department. Sneaker lovers can save up to 76% off tops brands including Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok and New Balance in addition to Fear of God, Givenchy, Raf Simons, Jill Sander, Alexander McQueen and other designer brands.

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To make things easier for you, we dug through the sale to find eight of the best deals on men’s sneakers. See the roundup below, and for more spring shopping recommendations, be sure to read our picks for the best music festival gear and can’t miss tech deals.

Adidas ’84 Forum Low Sneaker

$65 $100 35% off% OFF

With more than 2,000 customer reviews, it’s safe to say that Adidas’ ’84 Forum Low Sneaker has its own fan club. The ’84 Forum Low is on sale in blue and white colorways as well as purple and gold, and red white and blue. You can also find Forum ’84 Lows on sale at Adidas for $59.

Nordstrom

Fear of God The Essentials Tennis Mid Top Sneaker

$103.25 $295 65% off% OFF

Fear of God’s Essential Mid Top Sneaker is a sustainable shoe to cop during Earth Month and beyond. This casual shoe is made from pieces of recycled leather and available in cement, tobacco and warm taupe.

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An all-time classic. The ultra-comfortable New Balance 574 sneaker is on sale in four colorways including arctic gray (pictured) apollo gray, agave green and black/red.

Nordstrom

Vans U-Sk8 Hi-Sneaker

$39.98 $79.95 50% off% OFF

The walnut-colored Vans SK8 Hi-Sneaker is currently half-off at Nordstrom. This popular shoe has a  velvety-smooth upper with a padded collar and rubber waffle sole.

Sorel Explorer Waterproof Sneaker Boot

$91

Part sneaker, part boot. The Sorel Explorer Waterproof Mid Sneaker will help you take on cold and rainy weather in style.

Nordstrom

Nike Air Presto

$67.60 $130 48% off% OFF

With more than 20 years under its belt, the Nike Air Presto is officially vintage. This high-performance running sneaker first hit the market in 2000 and has been a hit ever since. The Air Presto is on sale in select colors including the teal design pictured above along with black, white and gray.

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Nike Air Max Terrascape 97 Sneaker

$129.50 $185 30% off% OFF

Another vintage shoe from the Nike catalog, the Air Max Terrascape ’97 sneaker features the signature ripple design inspired by Japanese bullet trains. This shoe is on sale in summit white and black/elemental and pink/lime.

Nordstrom

Alexander McQueen Court High Dunk Sneaker

$272 $850 68% off% OFF

Alexander McQueen‘s Court High Dunk Sneaker offers up one of the deepest Nordstrom deals that you can find on men’s shoes. Marked down nearly 70%, this high-performance dunk sneaker features an airy mesh, color-pop accents and an exaggerated rubber sole.

Yng Lvcas Scores First Top 10 on a Billboard Albums Chart With ‘LPM’: ‘It’s Something Else!’

Mexico’s latest trap and reggaetón interpreter, Yng Lvcas, makes his first visit to a Billboard albums chart with LPM as the set debuts at No. 8 on the Top Latin Albums chart (dated April 8).

“It’s something else, thank you!” Yng Lvcas tells Billboard. “First off, without my team and all those who listen and press play, none of this would be possible. I am beyond happy. What’s next? All great things. Onward and forward. We are not crabs; we just move forward.”

LPM starts in the upper region mainly supported by streaming activity, largely powered by a recently released remix of the set’s “La Bebe,” with corridos tumbados newcomer Peso Pluma, which arrived on March 17, while its official video dropped March 23. The album was released in 2021 independently, but has surged in recent weeks following the growth of “La Bebe,” which has flourished on TikTok with over a half-million videos on the platform. (All versions of the song are combined into a singular listing on Billboard‘s chart; TikTok activity does not contribute directly to the charts.)

“Working with el flaco is another thing,” Lvcas adds. “My respect for him and his team, and hopefully, just like this collab, we get to work on more tunes with Peso. This is basically my favorite one.”

During the March 23-30 tracking week, the eight-track album generated 9,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. That sum equates to 13.77 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs — with 98% of that sum from “La Bebe,” mostly from the remix.

On the multimetric Top Latin Albums chart as measured in equivalent album units, each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

The 23-year-old singer-songwriter scores his first top 10 on any Billboard albums ranking on his first try. He made his chart debut with “La Bebe” debuting at No. 38 on Hot Latin Songs (chart dated Feb. 25) with 2 million official streams.

Lvcas’ first top 10 album arrives shortly after he joined the Warner Latina family of artists. “Aside from ‘La Bebe’ there are two other tracks that have marked me, like ‘Déjame,’ which was dedicated to a girl, and ‘Pégame’ which is slowly escalating. It’s amazing how the numbers are growing…”

Alongside the album’s entrance on Top Latin Albums, “La Bebe” makes progress on Hot Latin Songs. It pushes 11-3 on the multimetric tally with nearly 14 million official streams, up 101%, from the week prior. The sum generates a No. 14 debut on the overall Streaming Songs chart and pushes 7-2 on Latin Streaming Songs, the highest ranking for Lvcas on any Billboard list.

“The complete recording process took around 15 days,” Lvcas recalls. “On Dec. 10, a spark ignited me to release a reggaetón album because I didn’t have one in platforms. Everything happened fast; I went into the studio with the tracks I had already written. I edited everything, including the covers artwork. Everything was released at once and in the heat of the moment, how we say in Mexico.”

Sales also contribute to “La Bebe’s” rise as it sold 1,000 downloads during the same period yielding a No. 4 peak on Latin Digital Song Sales.

Over on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, “La Bebe” rallies 77-34, taking the Greatest Gainer/Streaming honors of the week.

Elsewhere, LPM generates enough activity to earn a No. 142 debut on the overall Billboard 200 chart.