State Champ Radio nsfs
Page: 2
Zach Bryan opened up to his fans on Tuesday (Nov. 18) about some hard, deeply meaningful work he’s done on himself over the past few months in an Instagram post about his sobriety and mental health journey. Along the way, the 29-year-old “Pink Skies” singer also revealed that he hasn’t touched any alcohol in two months after confronting what he described as his “toxic” relationship with booze.
“Recently, I went on a motorcycle trip across the country. For 20 days I camped and rode looking for a solution,” he wrote in the lengthy post. “At the end of this ride, I was sitting in a parking lot in Seattle, Washington thinking, ‘I really need some f–king help.’” The singer said that after spending a a decade in the Navy before being “thrown into the spotlight” that he wasn’t fully prepared for, he realized the “subconscious effects” of that sudden fame had on him.
“I was not content but I also feared showing weakness because that’s not who I am or how I was raised. To charge forward and to never settle was the motto,” he said. “I was stuck in a perpetual discontent that led me to always reaching for alcohol, not for the taste, but because there was a consistent black hole in me always needing its void filled.”
Bryan described the anxiety of being “lied about and doxxed” on the internet, as well as helping a close friend following a severe mental break and tending to another best friend who was put into a coma following a motorcycle accident while touring the country and playing five or six nights a week. The resulting stress led to what he described as “earth-shattering panic attacks” and “paralyzing” anxiety. “I thought since I was successful, had the money I always longed for, and had great friends, that I could tough anything out,” Bryan wrote.
He found a therapist and made what he called a “conscious decision to do something about my toxic relationship with booze” and how he copes with major life changes. Bryan then revealed that he hasn’t touched alcohol for nearly two months, something he did in search of his own “personal clarity. I needed to see the world objectively.” The singer said his family supported him on every step of his journey, with conversations about his future, possibly having children one day, his health and girlfriend Samantha Leonard’s happiness pushing him to prioritize not just himself, but his whole family.
“I feel great, I feel content, I feel whole,” Bryan wrote. “There is nothing I need to get me by anymore. If you or any of your friends are too tough, too scared or too stubborn to reach out, know that the most stubborn dumbass on the planet did and didn’t regret it.” Bryan concluded by saying that he doesn’t believe in absolutes, and that one day he might learn to control his habits. For now, though, he wanted fans to know that “it is okay to be weak at times and need help.”
In addition to the stresses Bryan addressed, he also went through a very public, messy breakup with former girlfriend podcaster Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia last year and then got into a dust-up with fellow country singer Gavin Adcock in September following months of back-and-forth.
In the caption, Bryan stressed that he knows he’s one of the luckiest men alive and didn’t share his thoughts in a “greater than thou” effort, but because he knows there are many other people out there silently battling mental health challenges alone. “I hope it helps someone struggling to find words when they’re down on their luck,” he said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) is available 24/7.
Nicki Minaj took the podium to speak out against the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria at a United Nations event organized by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz on Tuesday (Nov. 18).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Minaj has voiced her concern with the alleged religious persecution taking place in the West African nation on multiple occasions in recent months on X, which drew the attention of Ambassador Waltz, who invited the Young Money rapper to speak at the event.
“I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue and his leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria and to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to express their natural right to freedom of religion or belief,” she began.
Minaj continued: “Music has taken me around the globe. I have seen how people no matter their language, culture or religion, come alive when they hear a song that touches their soul. Religious freedom means we all can sing our faith regardless of who we are, where we live and what we believe. But today, faith is under attack in way too many places.”
The Queens native explained that the religious persecution “demands urgent action” from the U.S. government, but she also made sure to clarify this isn’t about “taking sides or dividing people,” it’s about “uniting humanity.”
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart and entire communities live in fear constantly simply because of how they pray,” she explained. “Sadly, this problem is not only a growing problem in Nigeria, but so many countries across the world and it demands urgent action. I want to be clear, protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”
Minaj concluded: “I want to make it clear once again, this isn’t about taking sides. This is about standing up in the face of injustice. It’s about what I’ve always stood for my entire career and I will continue to stand for that for the rest of my life.”
Her comments come on the heels of President Trump designating Nigeria as a future addition to the list of Countries of Particular Concern.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump said in a video on Truth Social shared Nov. 5.
A Nigerian presidential spokesman previously told The Associated Press that the U.S. cannot “carry out any military operation” in Nigeria over the claims of religious persecution. Spokesman Daniel Bwala said that this is “Trump’s style of going forceful in order to force a sit-down and have a conversation.”
“There is no systematic, intentional attempt either by the Nigerian government or by any serious group to target a particular religion,” Information Minister Idris Muhammed told AP in October, and downplayed reports of Christian persecution.
Watch Nicki Minaj’s full speech below.
Over the years, Paris Hilton has been linked in various ways to many powerful men, from Jeffrey Epstein to Michael Jackson and Donald Trump. And in a new interview with The Times published Saturday (Nov. 15), the businesswoman addressed claims regarding all three.
Starting with Epstein, it has for years been rumored that his former girlfriend — the now-incarcerated Ghislaine Maxwell — once tried to “recruit” Hilton to date the late billionaire and convicted sex offender. It all started with the 2020 documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, in which Maxwell’s former associate Christopher Mason alleged, “A friend of mine was at a party and Ghislaine said, ‘Oh my God, who’s that?’ and was looking at this pretty, young, sort of teenage girl … My friend said, ‘Yes, she’s called Paris Hilton.’ And Ghislaine said, ‘God, she’d be perfect for Jeffrey. Could you introduce us?’”
“The rumors were Ghislaine was scouring New York finding younger girls to go on dates with Jeffrey,” Mason added in the doc, according to Rolling Stone. “At the time it seemed a bit naughty.’”
But what does Hilton, now 44, have to say about it? “I don’t even remember ever meeting her,” she told the publication of Maxwell, with whom she was photographed at the Anand Jon Fashion Show in 2000. “I’m such a good clickbait name.”
Epstein died by suicide while in jail awaiting trial in 2019, after being arrested on charges of running a sex-trafficking operation involving minors, to which he pleaded not guilty. He had previously spent 13 months in prison for the crime of soliciting prostitution from a minor under the age of 18. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The disgraced businessman’s name has continued to be a hot-button issue in the years since his death, especially in 2025. At press time, the House of Representatives is gearing up to vote on a bill that would compel the DOJ to release all of its case files related to Epstein and his alleged list of high-profile clients.
But while Hilton says she never knew Maxwell or Epstein, she was definitely close with the late King of Pop — who she says was “like an uncle to me” — growing up. For years, Jackson’s legacy has been clouded by accusations that he molested young boys, for which he was never convicted. His estate has continued to deny all such claims following his death.
“I never saw him date anyone,” Hilton told The Times of Jackson. “I never saw him be like that with anyone. I didn’t see him as that type of person. So I’ve never paid attention to any of that because I just — I’ve always loved him like family.”
“I just know the man that I knew my whole life, and I could never see him hurting a fly,” she added.
As for Trump — who was also photographed at the fashion show with Hilton and Maxwell in 2000 — the heiress says that she didn’t vote for the sitting POTUS in either 2016 or 2024, despite previously claiming to have voted for him the first time he ran, but recanting that statement in her 2023 memoir. During last year’s election, Hilton says she “didn’t have time” to vote for any candidate.
“My schedule is so insane,” she told the publication. “I was traveling — I think I was in London during all that … and I was, like, moving houses.”
6ix9ine’s Florida home was reportedly the target of a home invasion on Sunday night (Nov. 16). According to TMZ, Tekashi’s mother was held against her will as four masked gunmen ransacked the residence while looking for keys to his cars and cash around the house. Police officers responded to a robbery-in-progress call at 6ix9ine’s home, […]
Todd Snider, a singer whose thoughtfully freewheeling tunes and cosmic-stoner songwriting made him a beloved figure in American roots music, has died. He was 59.
His record label said Saturday (Nov. 15) in a statement posted to his social media accounts that Snider died Friday.
“Where do we find the words for the one who always had the right words, who knew how to distill everything down to its essence with words and song while delivering the most devastating, hilarious, and impactful turn of phrases?” the statement read. “Always creating rhyme and meter that immediately felt like an old friend or a favorite blanket. Someone who could almost always find the humor in this crazy ride on Planet Earth.”
Snider’s family and friends had said in a Friday statement that he had been diagnosed with pneumonia at a hospital in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and that his situation had since grown more complicated and he was transferred elsewhere. The diagnosis came on the heels of the cancellation of a tour after Snider had been the victim of a violent assault in the Salt Lake City area, according to a Nov. 3 statement from his management team.
But Salt Lake City police later arrested Snider himself when he at first refused to leave a hospital and later returned and threatened staffers, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The scrapped tour was in support of his most recent album, High, Lonesome and Then Some, which released in October. Snider combined elements of folk, rock and country in a three-decade career. In reviews of his recent albums, The Associated Press called him a “singer-songwriter with the persona of a fried folkie” and a “stoner troubadour and cosmic comic.”
He modeled himself on — and at times met and was mentored by — artists like Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark and John Prine. His songs were recorded by artists including Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver and Tom Jones. And he co-wrote a song with Loretta Lynn that appeared on her 2016 album, Full Circle.
“He relayed so much tenderness and sensitivity through his songs, and showed many of us how to look at the world through a different lens,” the Saturday statement from his label read. “He got up every morning and started writing, always working towards finding his place among the songwriting giants that sat on his record shelves, those same giants who let him into their lives and took him under their wings, who he studied relentlessly.”
Snider would do his best-known and most acclaimed work for Prine’s independent label Oh Boy in the early 2000s. It included the albums New Connection, Near Truths and Hotel Rooms and East Nashville Skyline, a 2004 collection that’s considered by many to be his best.
Those albums yielded his best known songs, “I Can’t Complain,” “Beer Run” and “Alright Guy.”
Snider was born and raised in Oregon before settling and making his musical chops in San Marcos, Texas. He eventually made his way to Nashville, and was dubbed by some the unofficial “mayor of East Nashville,” assuming the title from a friend memorialized thusly in his “Train Song.” In 2021, Snider said a tornado that ripped through the neighborhood home to a vibrant arts scene severely damaged his house.
Snider had an early fan in Jimmy Buffett, who signed the young artist to his record label, Margaritaville, which released his first two albums, 1994’s Songs for the Daily Planet and 1996’s Step Right Up.
A recently announced Limp Bizkit show in Tallinn, Estonia has been canceled, reportedly due to frontman Fred Durst’s resurfaced comments praising Russian president Vladimir Putin. According to Estonia’s ERR news agency, the show planned for May 31 at Unibet Arena was called off by promoter the Baltic Live Agency (BLA), which announced on Thursday (Nov. 13), “we inform you that due to circumstances beyond the organizer’s control, the Limp Bizkit concert planned for May 31, 2026 is canceled. Our apologies!”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Ticket pre-sales for the show announced on Nov. 7 were set to begin on Monday (Nov. 10) but were reportedly postponed. The announcement of the gig from the newly resurgent nu-metal band reportedly sparked concern in Estonia — which declared independence from former occupier Russia in 1991 — due to previous comments from Durst supporting Russia’s military campaigns.
Specifically, the site reported that the concerns were tied to Durst holding up a sign in 2015 that reportedly read “Crimea=Russia” and “welcome” after the Russian military annexation of Crimea in 2014. After the show was announced last week, ERR reported that the nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there was no place in Estonia for support of aggressor state Russia.
“Estonia supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the principle that every last centimeter of Ukrainian territory belongs to Ukraine,” ministry media adviser Brita Kikkas told ERR. Foreign Affairs minister Margus Tsahkna added, “My position is clear, and I will repeat it: Russia is the aggressor, and Crimea is occupied by Russia. Those who justify Russia’s aggression and the occupation of a neighboring country are not welcome in Estonia. They have no place on Estonian stages and should not be earning income here.”
At press time, spokespeople for the band and the promoter had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment. In addition, the show is not listed on the group’s official tour routing and no longer appears on the site for the Arena; attempts to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster takes fans to an error page reading “the page you requested was not found.”
Promoter BLA told ERR that it was aware of Durst’s sign and that the only explanation was that “at the time (until 2019), Fred Durst was married to a Russian Crimean woman and evidently living in a distorted information bubble.” TMZ reported in 2018 that Durst filed for divorce from his third wife, Ukrainian makeup artist Kseniya Beryazina Durst, after six years.
Durst was reportedly banned from entering Ukraine — which has been at war with Russia since Putin’s forces launched an unprovoked invasion in Feb. 2022 — for five years in 2015 after holding up the abovementioned sign and reportedly expressing interest in buying a house in Crimea a year after Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula widely recognized as part of Ukraine. The singer had earlier claimed that he planned to move to Crimea to produce film and TV content there.
ERR also reported that following Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula, Durst praised Russian dictator Putin, calling him a “great guy with clear moral principles and a nice person.” In 2023 the band dropped a video for “Out of Style,” in which Durst was deepfaked to appear as Putin, while DJ Lethal was mocked-up as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and guitarist Wes Borland portrayed a smiling President Biden.
50 Cent is sick and tired of airports in the United States being outta control. In recent posts on Instagram, the rapper shared his frustration with major delays and flight cancelations happening across the country due to the government shutdown.
His first post on Sunday (Nov. 9) was of a news montage of clips filmed at airports overrun with frustrated travelers, helplessly packing in like sardines. A headline attached to the video reads, “More Than 700 Flights Cancelled Across the Nation Due to Shutdown.”
“Man the airport is f–ked up, for get about traveling right now!” 50 wrote in his caption.
The G-Unit icon then followed up with a video showing his own POV on the situation, filmed as he deplanes a private jet that wasn’t allowed to take off — possibly due to the lack of air traffic controllers showing up for work as a result of President Donald Trump’s shutdown-mandated cuts to U.S. air travel. “It’s a wrap, man,” says 50, wearing a furry jacket and New York Yankees cap. “Can’t even take off in jets no more, they just said they’re not even letting the jets go.”
“Im headed back to Shreveport this ain’t it,” he captioned the clip. “Bad Travel day!”
Over the past few days, thousands of flights have been canceled across some of the biggest metropolitan airports in America. CNN reports that more than 1,000 departures were canceled on Friday (Nov. 7) alone, while 4,500 others were delayed.
The disarray comes amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which began on Oct. 1. One of the many effects of this pause has been a 4% reduction in trips flying to and from the 40 busiest airports in America, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.
With his travel plans on hold, it sounds like 50 is going to spend more quality time in Shreveport, La., where he opened his G-Unit Studios in April 2024. A New York native, the hip-hop legend also recently criticized another governmental change, taking issue with the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of the city earlier in November.
“I think his intentions are good,” 50 wrote on Instagram of the politician, sharing and deleting memes indicating his disappointment with the election results. “But his Tax plan is gonna run the big money out of the city and if he defunds the police they are gonna purge. @50centaction All Roads lead to SHREVEPORT !”
See 50 Cent’s video from his recent negative experience with air travel below.
Rod Wave has been arrested by the Atlanta Police Department on multiple weapon and drug charges.
The 27-year-old rapper-singer, whose real name is Rodarius Green, was taken into custody Friday (Nov. 7) in Fulton County, Georgia, and charged with possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, reckless driving, possession of a Schedule V controlled substance and possession of Schedule II controlled substance, according to TMZ.
Following his arrest, Rod Wave was booked into the Fulton County Jail, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. As of Saturday morning, he remained in custody. His attorney, Drew Findling, told TMZ that the artist had made his first court appearance and that bond had been set at $8,000.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Further details about what led to the arrest were not available at press time.
This is not Rod Wave’s first legal issue. In May, he was arrested in Georgia and booked into Fulton County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm. He later faced 12 additional counts, including aiming a pistol at another person, reckless conduct, criminal damage to property, obstruction of law enforcement, evidence tampering, conspiracy to commit a felony, and simple assault.
Court records show that the May arrest stemmed from an alleged April 21 altercation. The musician was released the same day after posting a $50,000 bond. “There is no truth to these charges,” his attorney Findling told Billboard at the time.
The “25” rapper-singer also faced gun charges in April 2024 in Manatee County, Florida, after being accused of illegally possessing a weapon or ammunition. Authorities attempted to connect him to a gang-related shooting at a St. Petersburg sports bar. In May 2022, he was also arrested on a felony charge of battery by strangulation, which was later dropped.
Aside from his legal troubles, Rod Wave released the singles “Westside Connection” and “Sinners” in 2025. The latter appeared on the Sinners movie soundtrack and played during the horror film’s final scene. His most recent album, Last Lap, was released in October 2024, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Do you get deja vu? Donald Trump‘s administration has once again been slammed by an artist for using their music without permission, this time receiving a comment from an unhappy Olivia Rodrigo after the White House and Department of Homeland Security shared a video set to one of her songs.
The controversial clip in question was shared in a joint Instagram post on Tuesday. Soundtracked by “All-American Bitch,” the opening track on the pop star’s Billboard 200-topping sophomore album, Guts, the video shows United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers forcibly tackling, detaining and deporting people.
It then cuts to a montage of supposed immigrants voluntarily boarding flights organized by the DHS, smiling and giving thumbs up as they go. “LEAVE NOW and self-deport using the CBP Home app,” the caption reads. “If you don’t, you will face the consequences.”
In the comments, Rodrigo wrote, “don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”
Billboard has reached out to the White House and ICE for comment.
It’s unclear why the government would want to use a song by the three-time Grammy winner. Not only has Rodrigo been vocal in her opposition to Trump, endorsing his opponent Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, but she’s also specifically called out his harsh crackdown on immigration by way of ICE raids this past year.
“I’ve lived in LA my whole life and I’m deeply upset about these violent deportations of my neighbors under the current administration,” she wrote on her Instagram Story in June. “LA simply wouldn’t exist without immigrants. Treating hardworking community members with such little respect, empathy, and due process is awful. I stand with the beautiful, diverse community of Los Angeles and with immigrants all across America. I stand for our right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest.”
That said, Trump’s administration is famous for using music without artist permission at this point. In the past few weeks alone, Kenny Loggins slammed the twice-impeached POTUS for pairing “Danger Zone” with an AI-generated video of himself dumping feces on “No Kings” protestors, and Swifties called out the White House for making a TikTok set to Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia.” (The pop star herself didn’t comment on the issue, but given her long history of clashing with Trump, it’s probably safe to say she didn’t give him the green light.)
Nicki Minaj showed love to Ye (formerly Kanye West) for taking accountability for his hurtful actions against the Jewish community after meeting with a rabbi.
West met with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto on Tuesday (Nov. 4), during which he expressed remorse and apologized for his previous antisemitic remarks about the Jewish community.
“So happy to see Kanye publicly take accountability for the pain his words may have cause to so many,” she wrote to X on Thursday (Nov. 6), praising West. “Standing with our Jewish brothers & sisters.”
Footage surfaced of West’s meeting with Rabbi Pinto when an Instagram account for Pintoposted the exchange on social media on Thursday.
“I feel really blessed to sit here and take accountability,” West began. “I was dealing with various issues. I was dealing with bipolar also, so I would take the ideas I had and forget about the protection of the people around me and myself. So I wanted to take accountability.”
Ye added: “So it’s like if you left the house and you left your kid at the house and your kid went and messed up the kitchen and messed up the garage and messed up the living room. Then when you get back, it’s your responsibility because that’s your job. That’s the way I look at it. It’s like I gotta go clean up the kitchen, I gotta clean up the living room, I gotta clean up the garage.”
West saw his meeting with Rabbi Pinto as the “first steps” in rebuilding “brick by brick” for the “strong walls” as far as his damaged relationship with the Jewish community goes.
Rabbi Pinto appeared to accept Ye’s apology. “A person is not defined by his mistakes, but by the way he chooses to correct them,” he replied in a translated statement. “This is the true strength of man: The ability to return, to learn, and to build bridges of love and peace.”
The Chicago rapper has been slammed for his repeated antisemitic rhetoric over the last few years, which includes a tweet saying he was going to go “death con 3” [sic] on Jewish people in 2022, and again praising Hitler on X in February this year.
As a result, just about all of his business deals vanished, as companies such as Universal Music Group, Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap ended their partnerships with the rapper.
