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Jesus Guerrero, a beloved celebrity hairstylist who has worked with a slew of high-profile clients including Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, ROSÉ, Rosalía, Katy Perry, Camila Cabello, Charli xcx and many more, died over the weekend at age 34.
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While no cause of death has been revealed, his family noted on a GoFundMe page that he died “very suddenly and unexpectedly.” The fundraiser has earned more than $96,000 for the costs of bringing his body home to Houston, Texas, as well as funeral costs — though Guerrero’s younger sister later revealed that Jenner has offered to cover the funeral. “Donations raised through this fundraiser will go toward the costs associated with securing his belongings home. As well as other unexpected expenses to settle his assets,” the GoFundMe now reads.
Following the devastating news, a number of stars took to social media to mourn the loss of a friend and fellow creative. “The sweetest angel when I needed one the most,” ROSÉ wrote on her Instagram Stories. “I love you so much.. and i miss you already. Rest in power. You will always be remembered for your incredible work.”
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Lopez, who was with Guerrero just a few days prior to his death in Dubai, also shared a touching tribute alongside a black-and-white photo of the artist. “It’s no surprise your mother gave you the name Jesus. You were gentle and kind and loving, quiet and unassuming, but so powerful, and your presence was felt the minute you walked into any room,” she wrote. “You never demanded the spotlight. You never needed to make a sound to be recognized, your heart and your talent did that as effortlessly as you artistry did. I’ve been having trouble putting the words together the last few days.”
She continued, “The truth is I’m still in shock that such a beautiful young life has come to an end. It seems senseless and unfair. I know your family is brokenhearted as am I and everyone else who knew you. Your spirit moved on to the next phase beyond this life but I know wherever you are there is beauty and light. And the beauty and light you left here will live on forever. Rest in peace, sweet angel…”
See her post here.
Jenner wrote a similarly heartfelt post about Guerrero on her page, along with several photos of the duo smiling and working together. “Jesus was more than my friend – he was a light in my life, a source of laughter, comfort, love, and unwavering support. I don’t know how I would have made it through the last almost decade without him by my side. He had a way of making even the heaviest days feel lighter,” she wrote.
“Thank you, Jesus, for always being there for me, for lifting me up, for being my friend,” Jenner added. “The pain of losing you is just unbearable and i don’t know how to move forward without you but I know great grief is born only of great love. and I loved you so much. You were the best person, with a talent that was unmatched. a true artist. You inspired so many, and you always will.”
See her post here.
Several country music songwriter heavyweights will be taking the stage in Las Vegas in August, when the inaugural Las Vegas Songwriters Festival takes place at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
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Presented by MGM Resorts International and Entersong Entertainment, the event will take place Aug. 21-24, 2025. The festival will feature 50 award-winning songwriters, and 100 live performances, as songwriters perform at venues throughout the resort.
The event will feature Bob DiPiero (Kathy Mattea’s “Walking Away a Winner,” the Oak Ridge Boys’ “American Made,” Tim McGraw’s “Southern Voice”), Dean Dillon (“Tennessee Whiskey,” as well as George Strait’s “Ocean Front Property,” “Marina Del Rey,” “The Chair,” and more), Liz Rose (Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Taylor Swift’s “Fearless,” “White Horse,” “Tim McGraw” “All Too Well” and more) and Victoria Shaw (Garth Brooks’ “The River,” John Michael Montgomery’s “I Love The Way You Love Me”).
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The event will be hosted by Matt Warren, who has crafted songs for Darius Rucker, Gary Allan and others), and was founded by Entersong’s Rob Hatch and Mike Every, in collaboration with MGM Resorts.
More performers include Billy Montana, Jesse Lee, Justin Wilson and more, with each songwriter blending music with storytelling, discussing the inspirations behind their songs. Some writers will also host select Q&A sessions.“For years Mandalay Bay has been one of the leaders in delivering memorable entertainment experiences for its guests and we believe the Las Vegas Songwriters Festival (LVSF) will continue this tradition,” said Paul Davis, Senior Vice President of Booking and Development, MGM Resorts International, via a statement. “LVSF will provide a platform for songwriters to celebrate their incredible artistry and storytelling that has shaped the industry’s greatest hits and resonate with music fans everywhere.”
Entersong’s Hatch said, “The Las Vegas Songwriters Festival brings together some of the most prolific songwriters of our time – artists whose words and melodies have shaped the soundtrack of our lives. It’s an intimate opportunity to hear the stories behind the songs, straight from the voices that wrote them.”
Fans can purchase either general admission or VIP tickets, and have the option to purchase a room-and-ticket package. Artist pre-sales will run Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. PST to Thursday, Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. PST. Members of MGM Rewards will have pre-sale access Thursday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. PT to 10 p.m. PT. Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. PST via LVSF at Mandalay Bay.
Las Vegas Songwriters Festival at Mandalay Bay
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A Missouri woman has pleaded guilty to mail fraud for her role in an alleged scam to steal the Elvis Presley family’s ownership interest in the famed Graceland mansion. Lisa Jeanine Findley, who has gone by various aliases including Lisa Holden and Lisa Howell, initially pleaded not guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft […]
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Elon Musk / Donald Trump
This hilarious stunt will definitely make Donald Trump feel some type of way, and in *Trump’s voice* it definitely won’t be good.
Hackers finally put their talents to good use, hacking a television at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday morning and playing an AI-manipulated video of puppet Donald Trump kissing and carressing the real president, Elon Musk’s feet.
The stunt was first reported by Vox journalist Rachel Cohen, who said the video with the message “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING” was being played on TV at the agency that Trump considers to be a “Black job” because any Black person who is linked to Trump lands that position.
If you guessed it, the current HUD Secretary, Scott Turner, is a Black man; Trump’s last pick for that position was Ben Carson.
The video plays on the current sentiment amongst people who can’t stand both Musk and Trump. They have taken to calling the Tesla Chief the real president while calling Trump a puppet because Musk seems to have so much influence over the president.
It also comes after Trump shared an AI-generated TIME magazine cover with himself on it with the caption “Long Live The King” after he claimed to have killed New York’s congestion pricing.
The Hackers Are Getting Love On X
Reactions to the stunt from those on the left are what you should expect; they loved it.
“Not all heroes wear capes,” a post on X from the Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee account read.
Another post added, “He must have found out Musk’s net worth.”
HUD spokeswoman Kasey Lovett commented on the incident, saying it was “another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources” and that “Appropriate action will be taken for all involved.”
This video clearly indicates how much of a joke this administration is.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
Rhiannon Giddens is joining a number of other artists in taking a stand against Donald Trump‘s Kennedy Center takeover, with the singer-songwriter announcing Tuesday (Feb. 25) that she’s relocating her upcoming show to a different venue amid the president’s controversial changes. Rather than performing May 11 at the famed Washington, D.C., auditorium as planned, Giddens […]
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, has a new album with The Alchemist on the way called Forensics, but that doesn’t mean he’s still playing the game.
The Brooklyn MC and actor sat down with The Guardian during Paris Fashion Week to talk about his latest project and the state of the music industry as it has to do with streaming.
“I was so disillusioned,” Bey told the outlet when looking back at when he first started. “You start out with idealism and passion, and then you encounter the kind of conduct and values George Orwell called ‘inanities’. And they do this sh– to everybody, it’s not even personal, it’s systemic.”
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The convo then shifted to music streaming companies, where he lamented about the current pay model. “That sh– is gross, paying people part of a penny for their music,” he said. Those motherf—ers are cold blooded, man, like Scrooge McDuck, lickin’ his lips as he jumps into a pool of gold coins.”
Adding, “The music industry of now makes the one I started out in seem charitable. It’s completely exploitative.”
There’s no release date yet for Forensics, but it’s expected to drop sometime in the spring. For now, you can head over to Bandcamp to purchase a lanyard or a hat that feature a BUMP tag where fans can access the album and special benefits with their smartphone via blockchain.
The description of the tech and special features reads as follows: “BUMP technology allows purchasers to ‘bump’ their smartphone on the sewn-in tag, taking them to a private website where they can input blockchain registered ownership details and access additional content and benefits. Initially, this will include the album art and one of the audio tracks from the FORENSICS album. Later, it will include live-stream replay, other exclusive content, discounted merchandise offers, and ultimately, discounted access to the full Forensics project for digital replay upon its official release. Additional content will be added periodically up to and beyond the release of the full Forensics project.”
Yasiin described the release strategy as, “lo-fi, hi-tech high art.”
Billboard is relaunching our ‘Billboard Live’ series that’s full of exclusive, intimate performances with up and coming talent that are the next big thing in music. The first episode goes live tomorrow, 2/25 at 1PM PST/4PM EST. Who do you think our first guest is? Drop your guesses in the comments below! Tetris Kelly: Billboard […]
The second season of Netflix’s XO, Kitty makes major waves on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for January 2025, led by Jung Kook’s “Seven” at No. 1.
Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of January 2025.
Jung Kook’s “Seven,” which features Latto, enjoyed a synch in the eighth and final episode of XO, Kitty’s second season, which premiered alongside the other seven episodes on Jan. 16. In fact, it’s one of two songs from that eighth episode; ENHYPEN’s “XO (Only If You Say Yes)” bows at No. 9.
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“Seven” earned 12.5 million official on-demand U.S. streams in January 2025 en route to its Top TV Songs coronation, according to Luminate. The tune became Jung Kook’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 when it reigned for a week in July 2023 (it’s also Latto’s lone ruler to date).
In all, XO, Kitty boasts half of Top TV Songs’ 10 positions for January 2025. Chappell Roan’s “Picture You” is the next biggest at No. 3 (10.1 million streams), followed by Dua Lipa’s “Illusion” at No. 5 (5.9 million streams, 1,000 downloads).
Stay tuned for more potential XO, Kitty entries on the chart; the show was renewed in February for a third season.
The top non-XO, Kitty entry for January 2025 belongs to Apple TV+’s Severance, which returned for its second season beginning last month, with one episode premiering each week. It’s The Who’s “Eminence Front” that appears on the survey, entering at No. 2 via 3 million streams and 1,000 downloads after being heard in the third episode (Jan. 31).
“Eminence Front” peaked at No. 68 on the Hot 100 in January 1983.
See the full top 10, which also features music from Will Trent, The Recruit, Landman and High Potential, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)1. “Seven,” Jung Kook feat. Latto, XO, Kitty (Netflix)2. “Eminence Front,” The Who, Severance (Apple TV+)3. “Picture You,” Chappell Roan, XO, Kitty (Netflix)4. “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover,” Paul Simon, Will Trent (ABC)5. “Illusion,” Dua Lipa, XO, Kitty (Netflix)6. “BILLIE EILISH.,” Armani White, The Recruit (Netflix)7. “Blue Collar,” Drayton Farley, Landman (Paramount+)8. “Pretty Wings (Uncut),” Maxwell, High Potential (ABC)9. “XO (Only If You Say Yes),” ENHYPEN, XO, Kitty (Netflix)10. “Got Me Started,” Troye Sivan, XO, Kitty (Netflix)
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T-Pain, the legendary rapper-singer who changed the game with his Auto-Tune sound, just made a major move by selling off his publishing catalog and some of his select masters to Harbour View Equity Partners.
The decision comes as a way for him to secure and protect the legacy of his music, something he’s poured years of hard work, creativity, and unforgettable moments into. But don’t get it twisted—T-Pain’s not done. He made it clear that he’s just getting started, promising that more music is on the way for his fans. From the moment he dropped hits like “Buy U a Drank” and “I’m Sprung,” T-Pain changed the way hip-hop and R&B sounded, and his influence is still felt today.
Recently, he’s made a big splash with his feature on GloRilla’s track “I Luv Her,” reminding the industry that he’s still got it. It’s clear T-Pain’s been making moves, and this recent chart climb shows he’s far from fading out. By partnering with Harbour View, T-Pain’s securing his music’s future while keeping the creative freedom to drop more bangers. His legacy is locked down, and now he’s focusing on the next phase of his career.
With more music coming, you can bet T-Pain’s influence is going to stay strong for years to come, and he’s only getting started.
With Trinidad and Tobago’s 2025 Carnival set to kick off this weekend (March 1), Machel Montano has gifted his island — and the whole world — a new album full of soca bangers and international collaborations.
On Tuesday (Feb. 25), the King of Soca dropped One Degree Hotter, his first full-length offering since 2021’s Wedding Album. Titled in reference to both his sizzling soca catalog and newly earned Master’s degree in Carnival Studies from the University of Trinidad & Tobago, One Degree Hotter boasts an impressive roster of collaborators, including Grammy-winning R&B star Ne-Yo (“Truth & Balance”), Nigerian Afrobeats megastar Davido (“Fling It Up”), Trinidadian vocalists Drupatee & Lady Lava (“Pepper Vine”), Vincentian soca superstar Skinny Fabulous (“Fallen Fetters”) and fellow Trini soca giant Bunji Garlin (“Home Is Where the Heart Is”).
One Degree Hotter also includes a special “road mix” of “Pardy,” Montano’s latest smash, and a top contender for the highly coveted Road March title at Carnival this year. Should he pull off another victory, Montano will tie the legendary Lord Kitchener for the most Road March wins of all time (11).
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Montano’s new project arrives just two months into what’s already been a banner year for the soca icon. Last month (Jan. 13), he brought played the very first soca set in NPR Tiny Desk history, delivering spirited renditions of classics like “Famalay,” “One More Time,” “Fast Wine” and “Like Ah Boss.”
Over the weekend (Feb. 22), Montano found himself in a bit of hot water with Nicki Minaj and her Barbz. During a performance of “Good Spirit,” Montano exclaimed, “Nicki Minaj, stop fighting meh down,” which some took as an accusation that the Trinidadian-American rapper was working against Montano by linking up with Trinidad Killa for their new “Eskimo” collaboration. Minaj promptly responded via her Instagram page, threatening to “cuss [Montano] very stink.” Montano then shared a formal apology via social media, saying, “It was a misunderstanding – a mistake on my part – and I’m a big man and I will say that. Nicki, you know I respect you and you know I love you and I did not try to jump out there and attack you and I didn’t want any of your fans or you to feel that you have ever done anything to fight me down. You did the opposite. You always lift me up.”
All is well between the two artists now, with Montano even proposing a collaboration between himself, Minaj and Trinidad Killa. In 2023, Montano and Minaj joined forces for “Shake the Place”; last year, Minaj brought him out as a special guest at one of the New York shows of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour.
Machel Montano has earned three top 10 Reggae Albums: 2015’s Monk Monte (No. 2), 2016’s Monk Evolution (No. 5) and 2019’s G.O.A.T. (No. 1).
Stream One Degree Hotter below.