News

20 Mar 2023

Bad Bunny’s Ex-Girlfriend Sues Him Over ‘Unauthorized’ Use of Her Voice on ‘Bad Bunny Baby’ Tagline

Bad Bunny has been hit with a $40 million lawsuit by an ex-girlfriend who alleges he used a voice recording of her uttering the now-famous catchphrase “Bad Bunny Baby” in two of his songs without her consent.

The lawsuit, filed by Carliz De La Cruz Hernández in Puerto Rico, claims that she never legally agreed for her voice recording to be used in Bad Bunny’s songs, live performances, radio, television or any other form of media. She alleges that his use of the recording constitutes a violation of moral rights under U.S. copyright law — under which sampling any amount of a sound recording requires a license — and a similar law in Puerto Rico known as Ley de Derechos Morales de Autor. She also claims that it violates the Ley del Derecho sobre la Propia Imagen, or right to self-image, with De La Cruz Hernández arguing that the unauthorized use of the recording commercially exploits her voice and identity.

According to the filing, De La Cruz Hernández and Bad Bunny (born Benito A. Martinez Ocasio) began their relationship in 2011 when they both worked at the Econo Supermarket in Vega Baja, Benito’s hometown in Puerto Rico. At the time, the then-aspiring artist was constantly churning out tracks — and according to De La Cruz Hernández, he often asked for her opinion on his music. She would offer feedback in addition to helping him organize his performances, rundowns and contracts, according to the complaint.

In 2015, at Benito’s request, De La Cruz Hernández says she recorded the phrase “Bad Bunny Baby” via the voice memo app on her phone. The future tagline first publicly appeared on the 2016 track “Pa’ Ti” featuring Bryant Myers, on which De La Cruz Hernández argues that her voice was used without her legal authorization and without credit. Her voice can be heard at the start of the Latin trap song and again at the 2:40 mark.

De La Cruz Hernández’s voice is again featured on the track “Dos Mil 16″ off Bad Bunny’s blockbuster 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti, also without her authorization, the complaint states. She claims that Bad Bunny’s representatives sent her a contract on May 5, 2022, the day before the record’s official release, offering her $20,000 for the use of her voice. The next day, before reaching any settlement, the album dropped with “Dos Mil 16” on the tracklist, she alleges.

“Dos Mil 16” peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 16 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. The track has more than 60 million views on YouTube.

De La Cruz Hernández is also suing Rimas Entertainment, the label that released both “Pa Ti” and Un Verano Sin Ti.

Billboard reached out to Rimas and Bad Bunny for comment but did not hear back at press time.

20 Mar 2023

Chlöe Bailey Unveils Track List for Debut Album ‘In Pieces’ Featuring Chris Brown, Future & More

Chlöe Bailey revealed the track list for her upcoming album In Pieces on Monday (March 20).

The 14-song track list boasts previously released singles like “Pray It Away” and “How Does It Feel,” featuring Chris Brown, as well as additional collaborations with Missy Elliott (“Told Ya”) and Future (“Cheatback”). Noticeably missing from the back cover are singles like “Have Mercy,” “Treat Me,” “Surprise” and the Latto-assisted “For the Night.”

Last week, the elder half of Chloe x Halle showed off the whimsical artwork for the album, which depicts her holding a colorful, crystalline version of her heart. In a message written to fans, she shared, “I saw a porcelain doll 3 years ago, holding her heart just like this and from then, I said this will be my album cover…”

She went on to explain that even the red tint of her hair is symbolic of the most difficult period of her life, when she dyed it red, about a year and a half ago. “IN PIECES is for the ones who behind closed doors are breaking and don’t know how much more they can take,” Bailey continued, in part. “I hope this project brings healing to those who listen, as it’s been completely therapeutic for me and I can’t wait to share my heart with you, literally.”

While In Pieces is due March 31 via Columbia Records and Parkwood Entertainment, Bailey’s younger sister Halle Bailey is gearing up to show the world her role as Ariel in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, out May 26.

Check out the full track list for In Pieces below.

20 Mar 2023

Yung Brooke ft. T.I., Killer Mike & Skooly “The A (WHTA), French Montana ft. Benny The Butcher “RZA” & More | Daily Visuals 3.20.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

Atlanta may not have the rap game in the chokehold it did back in the day but it’s influence and prominence is undeniable and some OG’s are here to remind y’all of that fact.

Linking up with Yung Brooke for his visuals to “The Real A (WHTA),” T.I., Killer Mike and Skooly give listeners a quick history lesson on how life in the A used to be back in the day and use stock footage of everything from the Atlanta Hawks game to Tupac Shakur flipping off the world to drive home their point. Respect the ATLiens, b.

Related Stories

Back in the North East, French Montana decides to get digital with it and for his Benny The Butcher assisted clip to “RZA,” Montana uses CGI created avatars of himself and Benny to stand in for them and do all the work for once.

Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend including work from Doechii featuring Kodak Black, Big Boogie, and more.

YUNG BROOKE FT. T.I., KILLER MIKE & SKOOLY – “THE REAL A (WHTA)”



FRENCH MONTANA FT. BENNY THE BUTCHER – “RZA”



DOECHII FT. KODAK BLACK – “WHAT IT IS (BLOCK BOY)”



BIG BOOGIE – “ENOUGH TALKING”



DC YOUNG FLY – “HATERS”



EST GEE – “BALL LIKE ME TOO”



ZAYTOVEN & YELLA BEEZY – “OLD ME”



MELLO BUCKZZ FT. LATTO – “BOOM, PT 2”



20 Mar 2023

Madonna & Max Martin Are in the Studio Together: ‘When in Doubt, Go to Work’

Madonna is letting the creative juices flow.

The Queen of Pop took to social media on Monday (March 20) to share a photo of herself writing in the studio with lauded music producer Max Martin. “When in Doubt go to Work,” she captioned the post. “Nothing shuts Down the Noise or the Naysayers More then being in the Creative Process.”

Madonna’s most recent studio album was 2019’s Madame X, which topped the Billboard 200 albums chart dated June 29, 2019. She also released a remix album, Finally Enough Love, in 2022.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Madonna is gearing up to head out on a global tour this year, and the massive Celebration Tour — which will honor her four decades of hits — is set to span from July 15 all the way through Dec. 1.

Last month, the iconic superstar shut down haters who criticized her appearance at the 2023 Grammy Awards, accusing the “Vogue” singer of botched plastic surgery. “Many people chose to only talk about Close-up photos of me Taken with a long lens camera By a press photographer that Would distort anyone’s face!!” she wrote on Instagram. “Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny That permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women pass the age of 45 And feels the need to punish her If she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous.”

Madonna went on to note that she has “never apologized” for her appearance, and she’s “not going to start,” before referencing Beyoncé’s Renaissance hit, “Break My Soul.” “I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career but I understand that this is all a test and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come,” she wrote.

20 Mar 2023

2023 Rolling Loud New York Has Been Cancelled

HipHopWired Featured Video

2022 Rolling Loud New York

Source: Astrida Valigorsky / Getty

The Big Apple will have to find another festival to turn up to this year. Rolling Loud New York has been cancelled.

As spotted on Hype Beast the popular Rap concert outing has been put on ice for the foreseeable future. On Friday, March 17 the organization released a formal statement to their social media channels announcing the cancellation of the 2023 festivities. “For the last few years, we’ve made some legendary moments happen in Queens,” the organization’s representatives wrote in a statement that was placed on the visual.

Related Stories

“Sadly, due to logistical factors beyond our control, Rolling Loud will not return to New York in 2023. But don’t worry, this isn’t ‘goodbye,’ more like ‘see you later.’ We’ll be back in New York when the time is right. In the meantime, we invite all of our New York fans to meet us in Miami July 21-23 for our biggest, best festival of the year. Love you all! Rolling Loud forever.”

The first Rolling Loud took place in Miami, Florida in February 2015 and featured artists such as Schoolboy Q, Juicy J, Curren$y, and Action Bronson in the one-day event. It took place at Soho Studios in the Wynwood district of the city, though the venue was temporarily flooded during the event due to rain.

You can purchase tickets for Rolling Loud Miami here.

20 Mar 2023

Megan Thee Stallion Returns To World In Her Natural Glory, The Hotties Love It

HipHopWired Featured Video

CLOSE

2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party - Arrivals

Source: Variety / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion took an understandable break from the world, but now she is back and putting us on notice.

The Hot Girl’s leader is back. Megan Thee Stallion ended her social media hiatus during Oscars weekend, showing up at Vanity Fair Oscars Party looking G O O D. Still, she wasn’t done blowing our minds and tantalizing our senses.

She followed up her Oscars Party glam by dropping a series of Instagram photos of herself in a bikini, showing off her killer, toned curves while sporting a more natural look, rocking the hair she was born with and a makeup-less fresh face.

In the first photo, the 28-year-old Houston rapper is rocking a hot pink bikini top while showing off those beautiful natural burls and a fresh face to match.

In the second picture, she is sitting on a bed wearing a colorful cutout Miaou one-piece bathing, giving her fans a very inviting look.

She comes in hot in the third photo in the gallery, rocking some Nike athletic gear while it begs the question, what waist? While showing us that while she was gone from social media, her mental health was not the only thing she was working on during her time away from the limelight.

The Hotties React To All Natural Megan Thee Stallion

The fourth photo is another jaw-dropper as the “Savage” rapper rocks a similar bathing suit while looking gorgeous on a beach.

The hotties immediately noticed the theme and began showering their favorite rapper with compliments.

“Megan thee stallion really disappeared for months and had the audacity to come out looking that fine. The hair .. the dress .. the face.. the body. She slapped me in the face so hard,” one user wrote on Twitter. 

Another tweet read, “no one told me megan thee stallion looked like TAHT i never seen her without makeup damn she’s stunning.”

No lies detected.

You can see more reactions to no-makeup, natural-hair Megan Thee Stallion in the gallery below.

—

Photo: Variety / Getty

2. Step into the greatness

20 Mar 2023

Jennifer Lopez Dazzles in Disco-Ready Metallic Gown With Thigh-High Slit

Jennifer Lopez officially celebrated the launch of her shoe partnership with Revolve on Saturday and turned up to the Beverly Hills house party in a gown fit for a disco queen.

The “Waiting for Tonight” singer dazzled in a gorgeous floor-length gown made of a metallic gold, silver and copper ombré fabric complete with dramatic pleating. The singer’s dress featured one very striking feature — a sky-high slit that extended to her upper thigh. To accessorize the attention-grabbing ensemble, Lopez wore gold chandelier earrings, a larger-than-life gray feathered coat and metallic copper platform shoes.

In a video posted from the event — where the superstar celebrated her new JLO Jennifer Lopez for Revolve shoe capsule collection — Lopez posed for photos alongside sister duo Chloe x Halle and was seen chatting it up with Christina Millian. As for the party itself, several decor finishes made a nod to her forthcoming studio album, This Is Me … Now, which is inspired in part by her reconciliation and marriage to husband Ben Affleck.

Affleck spoke about how Lopez supports him in a recent feature with The Hollywood Reporter, saying, “[She] tells me today, ‘Relax, be yourself. Have fun. You’re actually a fun guy who is real and genuine and you just seem so serious.’ Do I seem serious? But as in many things, she’s really right. And she loves me. She’s looking out for me. She’s trying to help me. So it’s like, maybe I ought to f—ing listen to her.”

See photos of Lopez’s captivating dress below.

20 Mar 2023

Billie Eilish’s ‘Swarm’ Character Was Based on This Real-Life Cult Leader

Billie Eilish made her acting debut over the weekend in Donald Glover’s new series Swarm, and apparently her character was based on a real-life cult leader.

Eilish’s character, Eva, crosses paths with Dre, played by Dominique Fishback, in episode 4, after helping the protagonist — who happens to be murderously obsessed with a Beyoncé-like pop star name Ni’Jah — out of a jam with a racist cop on her way to Bonnaroo 2018. From there, Eva invites Dre to her “female empowerment” group, which turns out to be more like a cult.

Janine Nabers, who co-created the series with the artist otherwise known as Childish Gambino, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday about why the “Happier Than Ever” singer’s pivot into acting feels eerily ripped from the headlines. “There is a cult that existed in the world that was very prominent during that time,” the co-executive producer said, speaking of NXIVM. “And that is the kind of true-crime element to that episode.”

Led by Keith Raniere, the NXIVM cult presented itself as a type of multilevel marketing company based on human development, but in reality, women were groomed by the likes of Smallville actress Allison Mack to be exploited by Raniere. In 2020, the disgraced guru was sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking, racketeering, wire fraud and more.

“I think that when people think of the idea of artists or celebrities, there is this idea of thinking about the cult of Taylor Swift, or the cult of The Beatles or whatever,” Nabers continued. “What we were really interested in was just seeing someone who worships at the altar of ‘something,’ and [exploring] this idea of what is the cult of the mind.”

Read Nabers’ complete chat with THR about all things Swarm here.

20 Mar 2023

Demi Lovato Is Putting a Rock Spin on This 2013 Track

It’s been 10 years since Demi Lovato unveiled their power-fueled pop hit, “Heart Attack,” and now that the 30-year-old superstar is thriving making rock music, they’re revisiting the older hit with a fresh update.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Lovato revealed via Instagram on Monday (March 20) that the rock version of “Heart Attack” will be arriving this Friday (March 24). “Heart Attack, but make it Rock,” they captioned the post, which features a short, guitar-centered snippet of the new track.

Upon its original release in early 2013, the song peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated April 27, 2013.

The Grammy-nominated Disney alum’s latest record marked a stark shift in image and sound from their revelatory 2021 album — Dancing With the Devil… The Art of Starting Over. Led by the singles “Skin of My Teeth,” “Substance” and “29,” 2022’s Holy Fvck took on a more rock, edgy sound. Holy Fvck features collaborations with Royal & the Serpent, YUNGBLUD, and Dead Sara, as well as writing and production credits from Warren “Oak” Felder, Michael Pollack, and Lovato themselves.

In early 2022, Lovato hosted a “funeral” for their pop music days, sharing an image to their Instagram page posing with both middle fingers up, joined by music executives from Island Records and manager Scooter Braun. Every person in the picture wore all black. “A funeral for my pop music,” Lovato captioned the image. 

20 Mar 2023

Sir Mixxy Lot: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Attends Son’s Album Release Party

HipHopWired Featured Video

Jordan Coleman's Album Release Party

Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty

The Big Apple’s leader is a man about town. Mayor Eric Adams was spotted attending his son’s record release party.

As spotted on Page Six the politician is back outside. This time he was in the house for his son’s big day. On Friday, March 17 Jordan Coleman hosted friends, family and music industry professionals to drinks, bites and sounds at Manhattan hotspot Sei. According to sources tapped in with the celebrity news outlet the rapper rented out the entire Asian fusion restaurant for the affair.

In the house was his father Mayor Eric Adams who was said to be in “full dad” mode to support his son’s aspirations to be a music star. He was said to be in a great mood and made sure to engage with the invited guests. Jordan is his only son with former girlfriend Chrisena Coleman. He is currently dating Tracey Collins, the Senior Youth Development Director for the New York City Department of Education. Since being sworn in on January, 1 2022 Eric Adams has gained the nickname of being the city’s first ever “Nightlife Mayor” due to being spotted at nightclubs on the weekends.

You can check out Jordan’s music below.



Photo: