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Gap Taking ‘Immediate Steps’ to Remove Yeezy Product Over Kanye West’s Antisemitic Remarks

A month after Kanye West said he was splitting with The Gap after claiming that the retailer “just ignored” his planned Yeezy roll-out, the company said it is taking immediate action to remove all West-related product from shelves due to the rapper’s recent string of antisemitic remarks.

“In September, Gap announced ending its Yeezy Gap partnership,” the company wrote in a statement on Tuesday (Oct. 25). “Our former partner’s recent remarks and behavior further underscore why. We are taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores and we have shut down Yeezygap.com.”

The move comes as Ye (as the rapper is now known) has seen his once-thriving business empire begin to wither in the wake of the fallout from his barrage of hateful rhetoric amplifying anti-Jewish tropes and conspiracy theories. “Antisemitism, racism and hate in any form are inexcusable and not tolerated in accordance with our values,” the Gap continued in its statement. “On behalf of our customers, employees and shareholders, we are partnering with organizations that combat hate and discrimination.”

West’s recent media tour has found the rapper/fashion designer repeatedly making disparaging comments about Jews, including claiming in a new interview with MIT research scientist Lex Fridman that “Jewish doctors” conspired to medicate him in the wake of a mental health diagnosis.

West’s recent run of controversial interviews, as well as his promotion of his “White Lives Matter” T-shirt, has led to the crumbling of his business empire. Adidas is the latest former corporate partner to cut ties with Ye over his offensive comments, saying in a statement on Tuesday (Oct. 25): “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”

Ye was also suspended from Twitter and Instagram this month over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. His most recent controversial statements have led to talent agency, CAA dropping him, and MRC studio announcing on Monday that it is shelving a complete documentary about the rapper.

In addition, Women’s Wear Daily reported that fashion house Balenciaga cut ties with West last week, and his bank, JPMorganChase said they’ve ended their business relationship with Ye. The company said its move came weeks before Ye’s recent barrage of antisemitic slurs. Ye’s former wife, Kim Kardashian — and sister Khloe — have also condemned his hurtful rhetoric.

Here‘s Why Swifties Think Taylor Swift Is Teasing ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’

Taylor Swift unveiled the whimsical music video for “Bejeweled” on Tuesday (Oct. 25), and Swifties are convinced the visual hints at Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) being the next album in the superstar’s lineup of re-recordings.

The Easter eggs start even before the Midnights track kicks in, with an instrumental version of Speak Now album cut “Enchanted” playing on the violin. (It should be noted that Swift also chose to release her new visual at the stroke of midnight on the 12th anniversary of the 2010 album’s original release.)

However, the biggest hint came when Taylor-as-Cinderella enters the elevator to go to the prince’s ball and presses the purple button for the third floor.

“EACH BUTTON REPRESENTS AN ALBUM AND NUMBER 13 IS PURPLE. SPEAK NOW TAYLOR’S VERSION IS NEXT,” one fan wrote, pointing to the colors of each of the buttons — which happen to represent the aesthetic of each of Tay’s corresponding eras. (For example, both “2” and “10” are the same color yellow for 2008’s Fearless and its 2021 re-recording; “4” and “11” are both red for 2012’s Red and its (Taylor’s Version) counterpart and so on.)

But that’s not all. Later in the video, Swift steps out onto the parapet of the castle she now owns, and the balcony just so happens to be an exact replica of the flying rig she used during the Speak Now World Tour in 2011 to fly across arenas as she performed “Love Story.”

Then, the camera pans out to reveal the castle under siege by a trio of dragons — a lyrical reference to fan favorite “Long Live” (“I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you,” anyone?) — just in time for a stately instrumental version of the Speak Now closer to play over the video’s end credits.

Check out more Swiftie theories about the litany of Speak Now Easter eggs in the “Bejeweled” video below.

‘My Jesus’ Singer Anne Wilson Joins Matthew West’s Story House Collective

Christian music hitmaker Anne Wilson has inked a management deal with Matthew West‘s Story House Collective. The company has also brought in Crowd Surf, led by Jade Driver, as a strategic management partner.

During Friday’s (Oct. 21) GMA Dove Awards, Wilson won two trophies, including new artist of the year, while her hit “My Jesus” was named pop/contemporary recorded song of the year. Wilson wrote “My Jesus” with West and Jeff Pardo. The song proved to be a hit, and Wilson became the first female soloist to top Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart with a debut single since the chart’s launch in 2003.

“Our Story House team is thrilled for the opportunity to partner with an artist as remarkable as Anne,” West said via a statement. “I’ve been a believer in her since our very first writing session a few years ago. She’s the real deal. Her talent is undeniable, her story is powerful, and her mission is clear. We are honored to serve her artistic vision and beyond excited to help plot the course for even bigger and better things ahead for her.”

“I’m so excited to announce that I’ve signed with Story House Collective,” Wilson added. “I’ve been blown away by their expertise but also their love for Jesus. So grateful for their hard work and all that’s to come! God is good!”

West has served as a mentor for Wilson and is a co-writer alongside Wilson and Pardo on Wilson’s latest song, “Me on Your Mind.” They also released a duet version of the song earlier this year.

Piso 21, Kyle, TOKiMONSTA, Chesca & More Added to LA3C Festival Lineup

Penske Media Corporation revealed even more performers for its inaugural two-day culture and creativity festival LA3C. Piso 21, Kyle and Chesca were added to the star-studded lineup on Tuesday (Oct. 25).

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In addition, Grammy-nominated producer TOKiMONSTA was announced as the Sunday headliner for the Hot Import Nights Stage, which will also include performance sets by Accia, Cuco and Rosegold. Additionally, VIBE, the leading entertainment and lifestyle brand in celebrating Black culture, will host a special 30th anniversary set featuring LA native producer and DJ Linafornia.

See here for the full lineup for the two-day event, featuring headliners Maluma and Megan Thee Stallion. Food, fine artists and on-site experiences for the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Penske Media’s first-ever culture and creativity festival will take over the Los Angeles State Historic Park on Dec. 10 and 11, 2022. LA3C stands for Los Angeles the Capital of Culture & Creativity and aims to connect communities through the city’s music, food and art. Additionally, LA3C will support the next generations of creative talent in Los Angeles through partnerships with nonprofit arts organizations Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and Film Independent.

The festival and performance sets are slated to run from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT on the first day and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT on day two. All attendees must be over 21 years of age.

Tickets for LA3C are now available to purchase here. For up-to-date news on LA3C, be sure to follow the festival on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

Penske Media Corporation is the parent company of Billboard.

Kanye West Claims ‘50% of Black People’ Die Due to Abortion, Blames ‘Jewish Record Labels’

As his business empire crumbles due to a recent string of antisemitic comments, Kanye West continued to lean into hateful antisemitic rhetoric this week in a two-and-a-half hour interview with MIT research scientist Lex Fridman. The interview between the two men, who Ye (as the rapper/entrepreneur is now known) described as “friends,” included inflammatory, unsubstantiated claims about abortion, Planned Parenthood and what West described as a conspiracy by “Jewish doctors” to medicate and sedate him.

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“We are still in the Holocaust. A Jewish friend of mine said, ‘Go visit the Holocaust Museum,’ and my response was, let’s visit our Holocaust Museum: Planned Parenthood,” West said, echoing his past offensive claims about Planned Parenthood while once again amplifying his antisemitic commentary while speaking to Fridman, a Soviet Union-born Jewish podcaster who noted during the chat that some of his family members were killed by Nazis during the Holocaust.

West then appeared to downplay the atrocities of the Holocaust by noting that while six million Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis, “over 20 million have died by the hands of abortion,” claiming that the phrase “my body, my choice” is a “promotion” for Planned Parenthood.

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood had no comment on West’s statements at press time. While there is not verifiable support for West’s claims about abortion, a 2021 national survey from In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda reported that 80% of Black Americans say abortion should be legal, regardless of their personal views.

Undeterred, West added, “Fifty percent of Black deaths a year is actually abortion. It’s not the cop with the knee, it’s not Black-on-Black violence and gang violence, not heart attacks, it’s actually abortion. The most dangerous place for a Black person in America is in their mother’s stomach.”

Later, West repeated his unsubstantiated claim about abortion and Black deaths by adding in an antisemitic bent as well, saying, “It’s not racism; that’s too wide of a term. It’s genocide and population control that Black people are in today in America, that is promoted by the music and the media that Black people make, that Jewish record labels get paid off of.”

Fridman pushed back on West’s continued use of the phrase “Jewish media” — which the Anti-Defamation League reported has led to some antisemitic groups embracing the hate speech and “further[ing] their own agendas and [inspiring] new propaganda campaigns — by saying that the use of the term creates an “echo of a pain that people feel,” comparing it to statements made by Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. He also noted that any individuals who may have “f—ed over” West during his years in the music business are “individuals, they’re not Jews.”

West pushed back, insisting “They are Jewish,” as Fridman countered that they are “humans with opportunities, and they took those opportunities. I don’t care if they’re Jewish.”

Over the weekend, demonstrators in Los Angeles unfurled a banner on an overpass praising Ye’s antisemitic rants that read, “Kanye is right about the Jews.” Fridman also refused to accept West’s smiling claim that the phrase “Jewish media” is a “redundant statement,” comparing its use to that of the N-word, even as West again insisted that he is “Jew,” though not “Jewish,” which he said translated to “like that of a Jew.”

West also repeated his claim that he cannot be antisemitic because he is Jewish during a digression into the history of Jewish slavery in Egypt. “If Jewish people would accept that I’m a Jew, they’d hear it a different way,” Ye said as Fridman suggested that “the right thing is not to say there’s Jewish control of the media.” West, however, pushed further, blaming what he described as a Jewish conspiracy that led to his being diagnosed with a mental illness; in a 2018 interview, West, 45, said he was diagnosed with a mental illness, which ex-wife Kim Kardashian said was bipolar disease, and which the rapper then said is “not a disability, it’s a superpower.”

“There was a Jewish trainer that brought me to the hospital, and put in [the] press that I went to the hospital. A Jewish doctor that diagnosed me,” West said as Fridman again asked why he kept hammering down on the fact that the doctor was Jewish. “Because they were,” West told him. “Diagnosed me with bipolar disorder and shot me with medication. Then put it in the press… and every time, even if I wore a wrong-colored hat that a n—er is not supposed to wear, right, then they immediately say, ‘he’s off his s–t, he’s off his meds, he’s off his rocker.’ And it’s literally used as a scarlet letter control mechanism.”

West’s recent run of controversial interviews, as well as his promotion of his “White Lives Matter” T-shirt, has led to the crumbling of his business empire. Adidas is the latest former corporate partner to cut ties with Ye over his offensive comments, saying in a statement on Tuesday (Oct. 25): “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”

Ye was also suspended from Twitter and Instagram this month over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. His most recent controversial statements have led to talent agency, CAA dropping him, and MRC studio announcing on Monday that it is shelving a complete documentary about the rapper.

In addition, Women’s Wear Daily reported that fashion house Balenciaga cut ties with West last week, and his bank, JPMorganChase said they’ve ended their business relationship with Ye. The company said its move came weeks before Ye’s recent barrage of antisemitic slurs.

When Fridman suggested Ye stop amplifying false narratives about alleged Jewish control of the media, West responded, “That’s incorrect though! That’s a f—ing lie,” claiming that “they” bullied him in reference to Jewish people. In the midst of his recitation of antisemitic tropes, West lashed out at billionaire Democratic fundraiser and philanthropist George Soros — a frequent target of conservatives and Republican politicians — claiming that he would “use the Black trauma economy to win an election.”

The rapper — who is the founder of a private religious academy — also went on a bizarre conspiracy tangent about how history and race should not be taught in schools, because, “what schools are doing is exactly what the CIA does with Pixar films and Disney films: they make Bambi’s mom die at the beginning,” said Ye, who has recently noted in interviews his ire about being identified as a rapper and not also as a business mogul and entrepreneur. “And off that pain comes a purchase of ice cream. Off that pain comes, ‘I need some more toys’ … they put that pain in to make us … now we’re the orphans of capitalism, to make us be consumers and we need to be a community, not just consumers.”

Asked at one point what he loves the most about his ex-wife Kardashian, West said “she’s a mix of [late father] Robert [Kardashian] and Kris [Jenner] … two geniuses … certain people have high DNA … Ivanka Trump has high DNA.”

In light of his hate speech, Kardashian — and sister Khloe — have condemned that hurtful rhetoric, which West admitted to Fridman has cost him dearly.

“I lost my f—ing family. I lost my kids. I lost my best friend in fashion. I lost the Black community,” he said, jokingly adding shots at Coca-Cola and McDonald’s while claiming he’s able to speak his mind because he has “God’s protection.”

“People said I lost my mind,” he went on, accusing Ari Emanuel of “trying to take food out of my children’s mouth” after the William Morris Endeavor CEO wrote an op-ed in the Financial Times this week urging companies to split with West. “I lost my reputation. And I’m up here just like, I just want my family. But I don’t want my family to have to say what the left wants it to say, to have to say what China wants it to say. I want to be an American and protect my kids and protect my wife, and raise my kids as Christians, and have my wife be a Christian.”

Check out the interview below.

Lil Baby Tops Billboard Artist 100 Chart Thanks to ‘It’s Only Me’ Debut

Lil Baby jumps from No. 8 to No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Oct. 29), returning as the top musical act in the U.S. for a fourth total week, thanks to his new studio album, It’s Only Me.

The LP launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with 216,000 equivalent album units earned in the Oct. 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate. It’s the seventh-largest weekly unit sum this year, and the third-largest for a hip-hop album, after the opening weeks of Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (295,000; May 28) and Future’s I Never Liked You (222,000; May 14).

Lil Baby concurrently charts 25 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, the third-most in a single week in the chart’s 64-year history. Drake placed a one-week record 27 songs on the July 14, 2018 survey, concurrent with the chart debut of his LP Scorpion, and Taylor Swift sent 26 songs onto the Nov. 27, 2021-dated chart after the arrival of Red (Taylor’s Version), with both sets also having opened atop the Billboard 200.

Elsewhere on the Artist 100, Red Hot Chili Peppers re-enter at No. 2 thanks to their new album Return of the Dream Canteen. The set arrives at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 63,000 units, earning the group its ninth top 10, and No. 1 on Top Album Sales (56,000 sold). The group topped the Artist 100 for the first time in April when its previous 2022 album Unlimited Love began at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Plus, Bailey Zimmerman jumps 16-9 on the Artist 100, entering the top 10 for the first time, thanks to his new debut studio album Leave the Light On. The project opens at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top Country Albums (32,000 units).

The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

Listen to Idina Menzel‘s Moving Song From ’A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting’: Premiere

Four years ago on Oct. 27, a gunman killed 11 people after opening fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue. The deadliest antisemitic attack in American history is examined in the HBO Original documentary film,  A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, which debuts Wednesday (Oct. 26) at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

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The documentary, directed by Emmy Award-winner Trish Adlesic and executive produced by Michael Keaton, Mark Cuban and Billy Porter, looks not only at the horrible act of violence, but how the community and people of all faiths came together to rebuild and learn from the past through interviews with those who survived the shooting, local leaders and more. It also looks at how antisemitic groups feel empowered in today’s climate. 

The film features “A Tree of Life,” an original song performed by Idina Menzel, which she and her songwriting partner Kate Diaz, wrote specifically for the project. Premiering below, the song addresses the Pittsburgh shooting, but also expands to a broader embrace of humanity.

Adlesic approached Menzel about writing the song.  “When I saw [the documentary], the bravery of the attack’s survivors and family members in telling such a difficult and personal story moved me beyond words,” Menzel tells Billboard via email. “I immediately recruited my songwriting collaborator Kate Diaz, and we asked Trish to send us three words for inspiration in writing the song.  She sent: honor, tribute, unity.  I wanted to use my music not only to support and honor these courageous souls, but to make sure the film reaches across the globe to inspire action on anti-semitism and hate in all forms.” 

As Menzel notes, the horror perpetrated that day and the response goes far beyond the individual shooting. “I am Jewish and the film touched me in a very personal way,” she says. “However, I wrote this song because the film’s story is a human one.  The film starts out telling an American-Jewish story, then a Pittsburgh story, and now in its ultimate form the film is a universal story told through the voices of the family members of those so wrongfully taken and those that survived on October 27th, 2018.”

Menzel continues, “The question of how we respond to the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting and what actions we must take to ensure that it never happens again goes directly to the heart of America’s democracy.  If any one of us is truly to be safe and free, then we have to ensure freedom and safety for all of our neighbors, regardless of creed, race, class, gender, sexuality, or ethnicity.”

Following its HBO premiere, the documentary will be available to stream on HBO Max. 

Greeicy & Mike Bahia Announce First-Ever Amantes U.S. Tour Dates: Exclusive

Colombian power couple Greeicy and Mike Bahia are bringing their successful Amantes Tour to the U.S. for the first time, Billboard can exclusively reveal. 

The 2023 North American leg of the tour, which follows its successful trek across Latin America in 2018 and 2019, marks Greeicy’s return to the stage after giving birth to her first child, KAI, in April 2022. If the official poster is any indication, the couple also plans on taking their son on tour with them. 

In addition to each artist performing their biggest hits, they will also join forces to sing their beloved collaborations, including “Att: Amor,” “Esta Noche,” and “Amantes,” to name a few. 

Presented by Loud and Live, Greeicy and Bahia — who have been in a relationship since 2010 — will visit eight cities in the U.S., kicking off on Feb. 23 at the  Colden Auditorium in New York, and wrapping on March 5 at The Novo in Los Angeles. The couple will also visit select cities including Miami and Houston. Prior to visiting the U.S., the tour will make stops in countries such as Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, and Venezuela, among others. 

Tickets for the Amantes U.S. Tour go on sale Friday, Oct. 28, via Ticketmaster.com. Pre-sale tickets for American Express cardholders are available now, and pre-sale to the artists’ fan clubs will be available on Thursday, Oct. 27.

See the tour dates below:

  • February 23, 2023 – New York, NY @ Colden Auditorium
  • February 24, 2023 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live Orlando
  • February 25, 2023 – Miami, FL @ James L. Knight Center
  • February 26, 2023 – Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Hall
  • March 2, 2023 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theater Dallas
  • March 3, 2023 – Houston, TX @ Arena Theatre 
  • March 4, 2023 – Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Theater
  • March 5, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo

Grammys 2023: Michael Buble, Kelly Clarkson & More Artists Who Are Vying for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Michael Bublé, a four-time Grammy winner for best traditional pop vocal album, is in the running for another nomination in the category for his latest studio album, Higher. This would be Bublé’s ninth nomination in the category, a total surpassed only by Tony Bennett (17 nods) and Barbra Streisand (13 nods).

First-round voting closed on Sunday (Oct. 23). Nominations in this and 90 other categories will be announced on Nov. 15.

The Recording Academy introduced this category in 1991 as a way to honor the music that by that point had a hard time competing in the pop categories. The first winner was a single, Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable,” a duet with her late father Nat King Cole, but all subsequent winners have been full-length albums.

Here’s the description of the category from the current Grammy rules and guidelines booklet: “This category is for performances of a type and style of song that cannot properly be intermingled with present forms of pop music. This includes older forms of traditional pop such as the Great American Songbook, created by the Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley songwriter of the period between the 1920s and the end of World War II, as well as cabaret/musical theater-style songs and previous forms of contemporary pop. This would also include contemporary pop songs performed in a traditional pop style – the term ‘traditional’ being a reference, equally, to the style of the composition, vocal styling and the instrumental arrangement, without regard to the age of the material.”

A total of 78 albums are vying for nominations in this category this year. There will be five nominees (except in the event of a tie).

Here are 10 albums that are thought to be most likely to receive a nomination, listed in descending order of their perceived likelihood of being nominated — followed by a quick listing of eight more albums that could surprise us with a nomination.