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05 Dec 2022

Cardi B Claps Back With Her Million-Dollar Paycheck for Half-Hour Art Basel Concert

She came with the receipts!

After a Twitter troll posted a video of Cardi B‘s performance at Miami’s Art Basel over the weekend with the caption “Not the Grammy winner performing in someone’s backyard,” the rapper responded that she had scored a seven-figure payday to perform at the private party.

“I got payed 1 million dollars to perform at this elite bankers private event for 400 people and only for 35 minutes,” Cardi responded in a since-deleted tweet to the now-private Twitter account (see screenshots below). “THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU TYPE ABOUT THIS GRAMMY WINNER,” she wrote, punctuating the sentiment with a gold trophy emoji.

Screenshots of the tweet show she also attached an invoice from WP Touring Inc. that shows the million-dollar payout from her brief time in Miami.

Later on Twitter, the rapper confirmed she wore a sequined nude illusion bodysuit for the 35-minute set, telling a fan who questioned the revealing outfit, “it’s a custom Jean Paul Gaultier look and it represent the purest form of women bodies.”

During last year’s Art Basel, Cardi launched her boozy Whipshots brand with a raucous party at The Goodtime Hotel. This year, she helped close down the annual event by performing at the party thrown by Tequila Don Julio 1942.

Last week, she called into Angela Yee’s final day hosting The Breakfast Club to tease her long-awaited follow-up to her 2018 Grammy-winning debut album Invasion of Privacy. “I gotta put it out next year,” Cardi said, after revealing it’s still “missing something” despite having “like, a couple of songs that are, like, definite.”

Check out fan-captured footage of Cardi’s Art Basel performance (and receipts) below.

05 Dec 2022

Jennifer Hudson & Amber Riley Talk ‘Dreamgirls’ History, Duet on ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’

Jennifer Hudson and Amber Riley are bonding over their mutual experience of starring in Dreamgirls.

On the Monday (Dec. 5) episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, the Glee star and the EGOT winner bonded over both playing Effie White in the musical and its movie musical rendition, and gave the audience in attendance a taste of their vocal prowess by duetting on the bombastic track “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” originally performed by Jennifer Holliday.

During the pair’s sit-down, Hudson — who starred as Effie in 2006’s Dreamgirls movie and won an Oscar for best supporting actress — revealed that she “made it a point” to see Riley during the 2016 run of the play on London’s West End.

“Playing Effie and you know that — I’m sure you became very close to that character like I [did]. Having her story be this gift and not being able to be out in the front, and I felt that,” the Glee actress said, adding that “Doing things like The Masked Singer, Dancing With the Stars, I get to triumph, be triumphant for those stories. I get to be the winner for those stories and it’s just full-circle for me.”

Following their discussion, Hudson and Riley gave a live rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” belting the song’s endless high notes with ease.

“And I am tellin’ you I’m not goin’/ You’re best man I’ve ever known/ There’s no way I can ever go/ No, no, there’s no way/ No, no, no, no, way,” the pair took turns singing. “I’m not livin’ without you/ I’m not livin’ without you/ I don’t wanna be free/ I’m stayin’, I’m stayin’/ And you, and you/ You’re gonna love me.”

Watch Hudson and Riley’s performance in the video below.

05 Dec 2022

Musicians at Art Basel 2022: Photos From Miami Art Week

As November melted into December, musicians and other celebrities flocked to the warm weather of Miami for Art Basel 2022. Over the course of a week, the annual art festival became a hotspot filled with exhibits, A-list performances, parties and more.

One of the most popular locales to spot a famous face during Miami Art Week was Meta House, where everyone from Doja Cat and GloRilla to TOKiMONSTA and Elena Rose hit the stage for thrilling performances, while Becky G, SAINt JHN and more could be found checking out the space’s combination of virtual art galleries, interactive murals, a VR sculpting workshop and other “mixed reality” experiences.

Other high-profile soirees included Wayne and Cynthia Bioch’s Art Basel Party, where 50 Cent served as the evening’s entertainment, MAXIM‘s party at Hyde Beach to celebrate their December 2022 issue with a performance by Trippie Redd and nft now’s The Gateway closing block party, which was DJ’d by Anderson .Paak.

Art Basel was also the site of many a launch and collaboration over the week, whether art lovers could spot John Mayer at the event for Audemars Piguet Starwheel on Nov. 30 or Justine Skye and A$AP Ferg rubbing elbows at the EDITION Hotel in Miami Beach for the launch for D’USSE XO x Dr Woo Glass Set. Mark Ronson also stopped by the exclusive Tequila Don Julio 1942 x OJAS Speaker collab launch, while Diplo hit the celebration thrown by Burberry and W Magazine.

Click through Billboard‘s gallery for all the action from Art Basel 2022.

05 Dec 2022

Hilary Duff Shares How She Overcame ‘Horrifying’ Battle With Eating Disorder: ‘I’m Appreciating My Health’

Hilary Duff is the January cover star of Women’s Health Australia, and in the accompanying cover story, she and her personal trainer Dominic Leeder discuss how the superstar shifted her focus to being strong above all else.

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“Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, ‘I am on camera and actresses are skinny,’” the How I Met Your Father actress shared, adding that she battled a “horrifying” year-long eating disorder when she was 17.

However, her perspective is different now. “[I’m] appreciating my health, doing activities that make me feel strong instead of just bettering the outside of my body,” the 35-year-old admitted. “Spending time with people that make me feel good and share similar views on health and body positivity and getting enough sleep and balance in my diet.”

Leeder also added his own perspective of Duff through working with her. “I don’t feel like she’ll mind me saying this: yes, her fitness and health are hugely important to Hilary,” he said of his celebrity client. “What’s more important to her is her family and work. When she comes home from work, she wants to spend time with her family because she spends very little time with them when she’s hard at work, so every moment counts.”

05 Dec 2022

Ground Control Touring Announces Abortion Access Benefit Concerts in NY, LA, Chicago

Independent booking agency Ground Control Touring has set up a series of concerts in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago to benefit abortion funds.

On Jan. 23, the Lodge Room in LA, Bowery Ballroom in NY and Schubas in Chicago will all host a special night of music and festivities dubbed Ground Control Touring Presents: Abortion Funds Benefit Series. One hundred percent of proceeds will go to Noise For Now, a non-profit specializing in reproductive justice, which will allocate the funds raised to local independent abortion clinics and abortion funds in each region.

New York’s Bowery Ballroom will host Anysia Kym, Beach Fossils (DJ set), Discovery Zone, Downtown Boys, Duendita, Hannah Jadagu, Horsegirl, Ian Sweet, Katy Kirby, Liz Cooper, Mary Jane Dunphe, Weeping Icon, Wet (stripped down) and Yumi Zouma (DJ).

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In Los Angeles, fans can check out Ah-Mer-Ah-Su, Automatic, Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor (DJ set), Charlie Hickey, Current Joys (solo), Dummy, Fashion Club, Hunx and His Punx, Maral, Mary Lattimore, Riki, Tatiana Hazel and Warm Drag, with visuals by Zack Rodell.

The Chicago performance will include Akenya, Bnny, Finom, Godly the Ruler, Grelley Duvall, Post Animal (DJ set) and V.V. Lightbody.

Each show will also feature raffles, while LA and NY will have special guests. Additional artists are also expected to be announced soon. Tickets go on sale Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. local time and can be found here.

Launched in 2017, Noise For Now enables artists and entertainers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of reproductive justice. To date, it has worked with 340 artists and entertainers to raise $1 million for partner organizations, with $500,000 distributed in 2022 alone.

05 Dec 2022

Man Who Shot Lady Gaga’s Dog Walker Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man who shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker and stole her French bulldogs last year took a plea deal and was sentenced to 21 years in prison on Monday (Dec. 5), officials said.

The Lady Gaga connection was a coincidence, authorities have said. The motive was the value of the French bulldogs, a breed that can run into the thousands of dollars, and detectives do not believe the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the musician.

James Howard Jackson, one of three men and two accomplices who participated in the violent robbery, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Jackson and others drove around Hollywood, the city of West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley on Feb. 24, 2021 “looking for French bulldogs,” prosecutors said previously. They found Lady Gaga’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, with the pop star’s three pets.

Jackson shot Fischer during the robbery, during which two of the dogs were taken. A nearby doorbell camera recorded the dog walker screaming “Oh, my God! I’ve been shot!” and “Help me!” and “I’m bleeding out from my chest!”

Fischer later called the violence a “very close call with death” in social media posts. The dogs were returned several days later by a woman who was also charged in the crime.

Jackson also admitted the allegation of inflicting great bodily injury and to a prior strike, the DA’s office said Monday. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

“The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for perpetrating a coldhearted violent act and provides justice for our victim,” the office said in a statement.

Lady Gaga’s representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.

05 Dec 2022

Guns N‘ Roses Sues Texas Firearms Retailer Over ‘Guns and Roses’ Name

Guns N’ Roses has an appetite for litigation.

The iconic ’80s rock band is suing a gun retailer that’s using the name “Texas Guns and Roses,” arguing that the name infringes the band’s trademark rights — and that they especially don’t want to be associated with firearms or “polarizing” political views.

In a complaint filed Thursday (Dec. 1) in Los Angeles federal court, GNR said the Houston-based retailer — operating under the corporate name Jersey Village Florists LLC — is clearly using the name to dupe consumers into thinking the band had somehow endorsed the business.

That would be bad no matter what the company was selling, but GNR’s lawyers said it was “particularly damaging” to the band “given the nature of Defendant’s business.”

“GNR, quite reasonably, does not want to be associated with defendant, a firearms and weapons retailer,” wrote the band’s lawyers, hailing from the law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. “Furthermore, defendant espouses political views related to the regulation and control of firearms and weapons on the website that may be polarizing to many U.S. consumers.”

According to GNR’s lawsuit, Texas Guns and Roses claims to sell actual roses on its website, but the band says it’s all a ruse: “This is a contrivance to purportedly justify defendant’s wholesale appropriation of the ‘Guns N’ Roses.”

In addition to trademark infringement, the band accused Texas Guns and Roses of so-called trademark dilution — a form of legal wrongdoing where someone uses your trademark in such a way that can “tarnish” its value. Linking a brand name to undesirable associations like a dangerous product or offensive views can form the basis for such claims.

Jersey Village Florists could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

It’s not the first time Guns N’ Roses has taken legal action over its name. Back in 2019, the band filed a similar trademark infringement lawsuit against Colorado craft brewery Oskar Blues after it launched a “Guns ‘N’ Rosé” ale. (The case quickly settled.) And in 2020, the band successfully petitioned the U.S. trademark office to block the grocery chain Aldi from registering “Sweet Cheddar of Mine” as a trademark for cheese.

05 Dec 2022

Taylor Swift-Signed Guitar Up for Auction to Aid Veterans & First Responders

A Taylor Swift-signed guitar could be all yours while supporting a good cause.

Raven Drum Foundation’s second annual 12 Drummers Drumming auction is running through December 12, bringing together a list of music’s most influential artists to raise vital funds for veterans and first responders who are dealing with PTSD, trauma and suicidal ideation.

Along with Alvin Taylor’s sticks used to record George Harrison’s 33 & 1/3 album and Def Leppard limited edition, signed Hysteria Funko Pop! Figures, among the top items up for bidding is an acoustic guitar signed by none other than Swift. The instrument, donated by the multi-Grammy winner herself, features a photo from the singer’s Midnights shoot, in which she’s seen laying on a couch in a neutral-toned living room.

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At the time of publication, there are six bids on the guitar, with a week left before the auction wraps up. You can bid on the guitar here.

Founded by Rick Allen of Def Leppard and his wife Lauren Monroe, Raven Drum Foundation’s mission is “to serve, educate and empower veterans, first responders and trauma survivors with a focused effort to prevent suicide through innovative wellness-support programs,” according to press release.

05 Dec 2022

Jill Scott Re-Embarks on ‘Who Is Jill Scott’ 23rd Anniversary Tour

Here’s a holiday gift that Jill Scott fans have been waiting for: The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter announced Monday (Dec. 5) that the tour on behalf of her Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 debut album will resume beginning Feb. 28, 2023. Launched in 2020 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Scott’s critically acclaimed July 2000 bow, the anticipated tour was cut short owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“My band and I were so excited three years ago,” said Scott in a statement, “but that d–n COVID shut us down. Now we outside! Come see me. Come feel again. Relive your favorite moments. Ya’ll ready to settle down and get with this?!? It’s a lot of love here.”

As with the initial tour launch, Scott will perform all 18 tracks from the debut album. The double-platinum project includes career-defining hits and fan faves such as “A Long Walk,” “Gettin’ in the Way,” “He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)” and “The Way.”

Now celebrating the album’s 23rd anniversary, the 20+ market Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 tour is being produced by Live Nation/Shawn Gee. It will play in auditoriums, theaters and music halls across the country. Pre-sales begin on Dec. 6; tickets become available to the public on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. local time. Visit missjillscott.com for more details.

Here is the tour itinerary, with additional dates to be announced:

  • Feb. 28 — Augusta, GA — Bell Auditorium
  • March 2 — Macon, GA — City Auditorium at Macon Centreplex
  • March 4 — Columbia, SC — The Township Auditorium
  • March 7 — Jacksonville, FL — Moran Theater
  • March 16 — Philadelphia — The Met
  • March 18 — Philadelphia — The Met
  • March 23 — Brooklyn, NY — Kings Theatre
  • March 27 — Newark, NJ — New Jersey Performing Arts Center
  • March 29 — Boston — MGM Music Hall at Fenway
  • March 31 — Detroit — Fox Theatre
  • April 1 — Cleveland — MGM Northfield Park
  • April 23 — Nashville — Nashville Municipal Auditorium
  • April 26 — Memphis — Orpheum Theatre
  • April 28 — Chattanooga, TN — Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium
  • May 3 — Savannah, GA — Johnny Mercer Theatre
  • May 5 — Greensboro, NC — Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts
  • May 6 — Atlanta — Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
  • May 11 — Washington, D.C. — The Theater at MGM National Harbor
  • May 14 — Washington, D.C. — The Theater at MGM National Harbor
  • June 22 — Los Angeles — The Hollywood Bowl