State Champ Radio News
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T-Pain is ready to take on his third straight weekend in Indio, California, this time at Stagecoach. The beloved musician shares his journey of performing on the main stage at Coachella, discusses the new ideas he’s bringing to Stagecoach, reflects on Beyoncé, Shaboozey and other Black musicians breaking through in country music, talks about how Wiscansin Fest came to life and how he got GloRilla to join, and opens up about his resurgence and more!
Are you excited to see T-Pain at Stagecoach? Let us know in the comments below!
Tetris Kelly:
Out here in Indio, hanging out with my boy T-Pain, this is what? Weekend three of this for you?
T-Pain:
Weekend three!
Most people say Oh, weekend one, weekend two… weekend three. This is three for T-Pain, this is wild, man, I’m so proud of you, but you’ve been streaming the whole time, like, keeping people involved. So how’s that been to, like, have people along for this journey?
It’s OK, man, you know what I’m saying? It’s, it’s, it’s more frustrating than anything. Can’t get in the pool as much as I want to. That’s why I’m so ashy right now. Just got out the pool. So, you know, everything, I’m just ash. I’m just made of all ash.
Living the life. And I mean, how is it to, like, kind of have people in your personal space? Because, like, some people, I don’t know how many hours you do in sets, but like, when you got a shower, use the bathroom, you need some private time. Like, how was it to be doing that?
I don’t really have, like, personal time, you know what I mean? Like, I’ve grown up, like I got signed when I was 18. So I don’t, I don’t even know what personal life is like, you know what I’m saying? So it’s always been public. You know, going to the bathroom is pretty easy, set the camera just right above, right above the nipple, but no man, people know. You know people understand. Like, when you’re letting them into your life, you can leave them in places.
Keep watching for more!
JaQuel Knight came up with the choreography for Megan Thee Stallion’s iconic 2025 Coachella set, and we’re taking you behind the scenes of how it came to life.
What did you think of Megan Thee Stallion’s Coachella set? Let us know in the comments!
JaQuel Knight
It gets crazy. It gets really wild, and I’m happy we made it here today. It’s all feeling surreal. You know, I’m very numb in this moment because, you know, we’ve been birthing this thing. So we’ll see.
Tetris Kelly:
You said it’s been months and months and months of prep. So tell me, like, when is the first concept? What’s the first meeting like? What are you establishing there?
The first meeting is, like, what the hell are we doing? What do you say? What do you want to say? How can we say it? You know? Boom. She tells me everything. I take a beat, and then we come back, we look at photos, and we start to go from there, once we have a point of reference.
I’ve seen Megan at Coachella before, so when she’s already kind of been at the surroundings, how does she say, “I want to make this different.”
It’s her just being in a different space right now. She’s been through so much in the two years of like her last performance, so for me, it’s about just making sure she has a voice and something to say and something to bring to the table. And how does that voice feel elevated, feel like she’s grown, feel like she’s learned a lot in those two years.
You, as a choreographer, have a very specific style. How do you mix those two styles where you’re like, I gotta be me and I also gotta be Megan at the same time?
Keep watching for more!
Ye (formerly Kanye West) had four children with Kim Kardashian while they were married, but this week, he said he wishes he had kids with another celebrity instead.
While ranting on Digital Nas’ Twitch stream earlier this week, West said that in an alternate universe, he wishes he had children with Paris Hilton instead of Kardashian. Once upon a time, in the mid-2000s, Kardashian served as Hilton’s personal assistant before becoming a reality superstar in her own right.
“Kim was Paris Hilton’s assistant,” he said. “I should’ve had babies with Paris Hilton over Kim Kardashian. Could you imagine if I had kids with Paris Hilton? How many hotels I’d have now. Think about that — the Hilton. I think y’all staying at the Hilton right now. The Edition Hotels is a Hilton.”
Trending on Billboard
Ye went on to compare Kardashian learning from Hilton to the relationship he had with the late Virgil Abloh. “Paris Hilton had the vision, and that’s what happened,” he added. “Kim was like the Virgil [Abloh]. Kim was like Paris Hilton’s Virgil.”
West also brought up how Arnold Schwarzenegger cheated on his wife, Maria Shriver, and had a kid with his nanny, Mildred Baena, when his partner was out of town in the 1990s.
“If you’re like Arnold Schwarzenegger and you have a kid with a nanny, the nanny’s only power is to take your kids,” Ye continued. “So Kim’s only power is to take my kids. I had a baby with a f—ing assistant, bro.”
West and Kardashian began dating in the early 2010s and tied the knot in May 2014. They have four kids together: 11-year-old North, 9-year-old Saint, 7-year-old Chicago and 5-year-old Psalm. The former couple finalized their divorce in November 2022 after filing in early 2021.
Ye, who is currently in Spain, began dating Bianca Censori in late 2022 and got married shortly after.
As for Hilton, who is the great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, she married businessman Carter Reum in 2021, and the couple has two children together.
West has been under fire for his antisemitic rants and targeting peers like Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, J. Cole and more in recent months. He’s been teasing a new album, which will be titled Cuck or WW3, and is written entirely by rapper Dave Blunts.
Proving that the best way to get stock prices to rally is to first bury them deep underground, markets surged this week as President Trump eased his tone on U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and said tariff negotiations with China are ongoing (although China denied the claim).
The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index surged 6.1% to 2,595.95, marking its third consecutive weekly gain after falling 10.9% in the two-week period ended April 4. The spoils of a less chaotic global market were felt by nearly all music stocks. Of the 20 stocks in the index, 16 finished the week in positive territory, and two — Anghami and Sphere Entertainment Co. — had gains exceeding 10%.
Major indexes improved this week as investor sentiment regarding U.S. tariff policy improved and President Trumpsaid he would not fire Powell. The Nasdaq composite rose 6.7% to 17,382.94 and the S&P 500 gained 4.6% to 5,525.21. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 improved 1.7% to 8,415.25. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index rose 2.5% to 2,546.30. China’s SSE Composite Index rose 0.6% to 3,295.06.
Trending on Billboard
After investors’ confusion about the U.S. tariff policy put a damper on stocks in recent weeks, markets seemed to find comfort in reports that said the U.S. Trade Representative was quickly working with some trading partners under a streamlined process. Jay Hatfield, founder/chief investment officer of InfraCap, told CNBC, “We’ve reached peak tariff tantrum” and believes the worst of the uncertainty has passed. In fact, the market could have been due for a rebound. Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at GLOBALT in Atlanta, told Reuters the stock market “was oversold by virtually all measures.”
Sphere Entertainment Co. was one of the week’s winners, rising 13.8% to $28.88. On Friday, Sphere Entertainment subsidiary MSG Networks announced it had negotiated a $514 million reduction in its debt and lower fees to broadcast New York Knicks and New York Rangers games. The news sent Sphere’s share price up 9.1%.
Spotify, which reports first quarter earnings on Tuesday (April 29), rose 8.1% to $620.72, giving the streaming giant a 23.3% gain over the past three weeks. This week, UBS lowered its price target to $680 from $690 and Wolfe Research raised its outlook on SPOT to “outperform” from “peer perform.”
Live Nation gained 4.4% to $132.76. Wolfe Research lowered its price target to $158 from $165 and maintained its “outperform” rating.
Warner Music Group (WMG) improved 2.4% to $29.83. Morgan Stanley lowered WMG shares to $32 from $37 and dropped the rating to “equalweight” from “overweight.” Universal Music Group (UMG), which also reports earnings on Tuesday, rose 3.5% to 24.79 euros ($28.28), bringing its year-to-date gain to 3.7%.
K-pop stocks had an unremarkable week after performing well during the tariff-driven chaos. HYBE, which, like Spotify and UMG, reports first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, rose 0.9%. SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment improved 0.6% and 0.2%, respectively. YG Entertainment dropped 4.9%. Still, K-pop stocks are outperforming most music stocks this year. Collectively, the four South Korean music companies have posted an average year-to-date gain of 27.1%.
Cumulus Media shares dropped 16.0% to $0.21 after the company announced on Wednesday (April 23) it will de-list from the Nasdaq exchange on May 2 and immediately begin trading over the counter. The radio broadcaster’s shares are down 72.7% in 2025 and have fallen 92.2% over the last 52 weeks.
Billboard
Billboard
Billboard
Bad Bunny takes viewers on a heartfelt and surreal journey in a music video released Friday (April 25) for “BOKeTE,” a melancholic track from his Billboard 200 chart-topping album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. With a blend of cinematic nostalgia and haunting vulnerability, the Puerto Rican superstar’s video digs deep into the pangs of heartbreak, using […]
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Theo Wargo / Billy McFarland
Billy McFarland, for whatever reason, thought he could revive Fyre Fest, but now claims he is canceling the struggling music festival before attempting to make it happen.
Shortly after announcing that he is transforming Fyre Fest into a music streaming video-on-demand service, McFarland is now saying that he is officially canceling the festival.
The news comes after word of the Fyre Fest 2 postponement, with no new date of the festival’s return in sight. McFarland also announced that he is planning to sell the brand that is now synonymous with Ja Rule and struggle after poor festivalgoers found themselves stranded on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma.
McFarland announced the news via a statement he shared on Instagram:
“A new chapter begins. After two years of rebuilding FYRE with honesty, creativity, and relentless effort, it’s time to pass the torch. We’re officially putting the FYRE brand up for sale. To the right buyer: the platform is yours. Execute the vision. Make history.” On why he is selling the brand, McFarland shares that he the festival is becoming “bigger than any one person and bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own.” He added in the statement, “When my team and I launched FYRE Festival 2, it was about two things: finishing what I started and making things right. Over the past two years, we’ve poured everything into bringing Fyre back with honesty, transparency, relentless effort, and creativity. We’ve taken the long road to rebuilding trust. We rebuilt momentum. And we proved one thing without a doubt: FYRE is one of the most powerful attention engines in the world.”
Welp.
Billy McFarland Came Up With The Idea of Fyre Fest 2 While In Prison
McFarland claimed he got the idea to try again with Fyre Fest during a stint in solitary confinement while he was in prison serving out his term after being found guilty of financial crimes related to the festival.
It’s clear he didn’t learn his lesson if he was planning to do it all over again. Our question is who would be dumb enough to bankroll this idea, or even consider purchasing tickets after the last fiasco.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Theo Wargo / Billy McFarland
Billy McFarland, for whatever reason, thought he could revive Fyre Fest, but now claims he is canceling the struggling music festival before attempting to make it happen.
Shortly after announcing that he is transforming Fyre Fest into a music streaming video-on-demand service, McFarland is now saying that he is officially canceling the festival.
The news comes after word of the Fyre Fest 2 postponement, with no new date of the festival’s return in sight. McFarland also announced that he is planning to sell the brand that is now synonymous with Ja Rule and struggle after poor festivalgoers found themselves stranded on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma.
McFarland announced the news via a statement he shared on Instagram:
“A new chapter begins. After two years of rebuilding FYRE with honesty, creativity, and relentless effort, it’s time to pass the torch. We’re officially putting the FYRE brand up for sale. To the right buyer: the platform is yours. Execute the vision. Make history.” On why he is selling the brand, McFarland shares that he the festival is becoming “bigger than any one person and bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own.” He added in the statement, “When my team and I launched FYRE Festival 2, it was about two things: finishing what I started and making things right. Over the past two years, we’ve poured everything into bringing Fyre back with honesty, transparency, relentless effort, and creativity. We’ve taken the long road to rebuilding trust. We rebuilt momentum. And we proved one thing without a doubt: FYRE is one of the most powerful attention engines in the world.”
Welp.
Billy McFarland Came Up With The Idea of Fyre Fest 2 While In Prison
McFarland claimed he got the idea to try again with Fyre Fest during a stint in solitary confinement while he was in prison serving out his term after being found guilty of financial crimes related to the festival.
It’s clear he didn’t learn his lesson if he was planning to do it all over again. Our question is who would be dumb enough to bankroll this idea, or even consider purchasing tickets after the last fiasco.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Theo Wargo / Billy McFarland
Billy McFarland, for whatever reason, thought he could revive Fyre Fest, but now claims he is canceling the struggling music festival before attempting to make it happen.
Shortly after announcing that he is transforming Fyre Fest into a music streaming video-on-demand service, McFarland is now saying that he is officially canceling the festival.
The news comes after word of the Fyre Fest 2 postponement, with no new date of the festival’s return in sight. McFarland also announced that he is planning to sell the brand that is now synonymous with Ja Rule and struggle after poor festivalgoers found themselves stranded on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma.
McFarland announced the news via a statement he shared on Instagram:
“A new chapter begins. After two years of rebuilding FYRE with honesty, creativity, and relentless effort, it’s time to pass the torch. We’re officially putting the FYRE brand up for sale. To the right buyer: the platform is yours. Execute the vision. Make history.” On why he is selling the brand, McFarland shares that he the festival is becoming “bigger than any one person and bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own.” He added in the statement, “When my team and I launched FYRE Festival 2, it was about two things: finishing what I started and making things right. Over the past two years, we’ve poured everything into bringing Fyre back with honesty, transparency, relentless effort, and creativity. We’ve taken the long road to rebuilding trust. We rebuilt momentum. And we proved one thing without a doubt: FYRE is one of the most powerful attention engines in the world.”
Welp.
Billy McFarland Came Up With The Idea of Fyre Fest 2 While In Prison
McFarland claimed he got the idea to try again with Fyre Fest during a stint in solitary confinement while he was in prison serving out his term after being found guilty of financial crimes related to the festival.
It’s clear he didn’t learn his lesson if he was planning to do it all over again. Our question is who would be dumb enough to bankroll this idea, or even consider purchasing tickets after the last fiasco.
Doechii is clearly a fan of You. The rap star approved of Penn Badgley’s “Anxiety”-inspired dance when he hit The Jennifer Hudson Show this week, offering up an affirmative Instagram comment on his “spirit tunnel” appearance. On Wednesday (April 25), Badgley hit Doechii‘s signature “Anxiety” dance on his way down the backstage J-Hud spirit tunnel. […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
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Source: “Whenever” / Megan Thee Stallion
Hot Girl Summer is upon us, Megan Thee Stallion, the Queen of the Hotties, is back with a new single, “Whenever,” which also has a tantalizing visual accompanying it, and yes, her knees and twerking are still top-tier.
Megan Thee Stallion is back with some new music for the Hotties after rocking the Coachella 2025, letting us know that she is once again looking to take over the summer once again.
In her latest single, Megan Thee Stallion shows off her lyrical prowess while effortlessly floating over the Bankroll Got It produced track. In the visual directed by Zac Dov Wiesel, Thee Stallion rocks her signature cowboy hat while rocking a denim bikini before crashing her car into a doctor’s office reception area.
In other scenes, she poses on furniture in the office, including inside a fish tank, on a reception desk, a clock, and on a chessboard.
The chessboard scene is a standout moment for obvious reasons, as she straddles a chess piece while wearing nothing but lingerie and twerking.
“Whenever” will live on her next album, Act: III, which the Houston Hip-Hop star confirmed is “in the works” during a recent TikTok Live.
Megan Thee Stallion Talks About Her Upcoming Album’s Features
As for who will be on the album, Thee Stallion set down some ground rules for the artists she potentially wants on the project.
“I’m really just trying to figure out who do I want to do features with at this point in life,” she said. “I only want to do features with people that … one, I haven’t done a feature with yet, and two, that I listen to on my own time — people that I actually, you know, f— with.”
We’re going to have to wait and see who will be on Act: III, but until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
