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30 Jul 2024

Megan Thee Stallion Performs ‘Mamushi’ & ‘Body’ at Kamala Harris’ Atlanta Rally

Vice President Kamala Harris held her first rally as the presumed Democratic presidential nominee in Atlanta, Ga., on Tuesday (July 30), and Megan Thee Stallion opened the show with a highly choreographed, super charged mashup of hits.

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”Now I know my ladies in the crowd love their bodies. If you want to keep loving your bodies, you know who to vote for,” the rapper told the crowd, as she and her dancers rocked blue pantsuits for the occasion. For her performance, she performed hits like “Body” and her Yuki Chiba collaboration, “Mamushi.”

Quavo is also set to speak at the event, where he will give remarks about Harris’ commitment to tackling gun violence and running the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention

Over a week ago, President Biden decided to step aside from the presidential race, giving Harris his nod and endorsement to compete against Trump. This pivotal moment was followed by a surge of support from celebrities, including Cardi B, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and more, who have joined forces to back Harris in her historic bid to become the first female president of the United States.

Following the endorsement, Harris released a campaign video featuring Beyonce’s 2016 “Freedom,” urging Americans to lean in and support her. “There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos, of fear, of hate. But us? We choose something different. We choose freedom.” 

30 Jul 2024

Amber Rose Says Ex-Husband Wiz Khalifa Urged Her to Go Public With Her Donald Trump Support

During an appearance on Candace Owens’ podcast, Amber Rose claimed that her ex-husband Wiz Khalifa encouraged her to endorse former president Donald Trump.

Around the 28:55 mark, the subject of Rose’s infamous photo with Trump and his wife Melania came up, and Owens asked when the model decided to make her political affiliation public. “My ex-husband actually told me to do it — Wiz,” Amber responded. “He told me to do it, yeah. Although, he’s not political at all and he’s not voting — he doesn’t want to be in that world whatsoever. He’s really one of my best friends, I love him so much, still to this day. He’s just such a great person.”

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She continued, “But I went to him and I was just like, ‘I feel like I’m living a lie.’ And it’s so much more than Trump, but just me as a person. I was just like, ‘I’m so unhappy. I’m starting to hate everyone,’ and I was never like that. I was always full of love. I just wanna be me and I don’t know how to be me.”

Rose added: “I told him I wanted to post the picture. He’s like, ‘Amber, post that sh–.’ … I’m like, ‘For real? I should?’ He’s like, ‘Do it. Who cares? You’re voting for Trump, is that what you wanna do?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m kind of really into it.’ … He put a battery in my back and I was like, ‘All right, I’m gonna do it.’”

Since posting that picture on her Instagram back in May, Rose has become an ardent supporter of Trump’s campaign. She gave a speech at the Republican National Convention earlier this month, where she claimed that the media lied about Trump and his supporters being racists and bigots.

“[I] care about the truth, and the truth is that the media has lied to us about Donald Trump. I know this because for a long time I believed those lies,” she said, later adding, “I realized Donald Trump and his supporters don’t care if you’re Black, white, gay or straight. It’s all love. And that’s when it hit me: These are my people. This is where I belong.”

You can watch the full podcast episode below.

30 Jul 2024

Musicians Supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election

Kanye West, Jason Aldean and Kid Rock are just some of the stars backing the convicted felon.

Donald J. Trump holds his first public campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Donald J. Trump holds his first public campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Eight years after he first became president of the United States, Donald Trump is once again running for re-election in 2024.

His latest campaign follows one term in the White House that began in 2016 after he defeated Hillary Clinton, plus another four years out of the job thanks to Joe Biden winning the race in 2020. This time around, the 78-year-old businessman-turned-politician faces a new opponent: Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee.

And while an outpouring of musicians have voiced their support for Harris, so, too, have a number of famous faces endorsed Trump ahead of the big vote in November. With Ohio senator JD Vance by his side as running mate, the twice-impeached ex-POTUS has received backing from artists of all backgrounds, from country stars such as Jason Aldean and Kid Rock to hip-hop hell-raisers like Kanye West and Sexyy Red.

His campaign has only grown more polarizing in light of his felony convictions in May, with a Manhattan jury finding him guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The same can be said about the apparent assassination attempt against him at his rally in Pennsylvania, an act of violence that was subsequently condemned by politicians on both sides of the aisle.

As more artists speak out, Billboard will continue to update this list to reflect all of the big names who are riding for Trump in 2024. For now, keep reading to see who in the music world has expressed support for the New York native’s third White House bid — so far, at least — below.

30 Jul 2024

Taylor Swift Reacts to Deadly Southport Stabbing | Billboard News

A stabbing attack occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event in Southport, U.K., leaving three children dead. See what Swift said about the tragedy.

Tetris Kelly:
Taylor Swift speaks out after the tragic death of three children and the wounding of 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event in the U.K. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer:
The events today are just truly awful. And I know the whole country is deeply shocked at what they’ve seen and what they’ve heard. 

Tetris Kelly:
According to the Associated Press, local police said a 17-year-old boy from Cardiff was arrested in the incident at the community center, and a knife was seized following the attack. The event was billed as “a morning of Taylor Swift-themed yoga, dance and bracelet making.”

Taylor posted on her Instagram story: “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock..” and “These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”

Police said the suspect was in custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Taylor’s fans have responded to the tragedy by raising money for the victims’ families. At the time of recording they’ve raised $230,000.

30 Jul 2024

Three Arrested in Fatal Shooting of Rapper Julio Foolio

The Tampa Police Department announced the arrest of three people on Monday (July 29) in connection with deadly shooting of rapper Julio Foolio last month. According to WFLA, three individuals — Sean Gathright, 18, Alicia Andrews, 21, and Isaiah Chance Jr., 21 — were arrested in Jacksonville and charged with premeditated first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

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The station reported that police have put out arrest warrants for two other people as well, Rashad Murphy, 30 and Davion Murphy, 27. Foolio, 26, born Charles Jones, was shot dead on June 23 while out celebrating his 26th birthday, with his attorney saying that the MC was ambushed by his assailants at a Holiday Inn.

WFLA said that Jones was trying to book a hotel room after getting kicked out of an Airbnb where he was celebrating earlier, with police noting that all three suspects are members of rival Jacksonville gangs who came together to plan and carry out the murder in Tampa. The police said that Foolio posted his location online multiple times before the shooting and that the suspects are believed to hav followed him from place-to-place before opening fire at the Holiday Inn; three other people were injured in the shooting.

At press time a spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional comment on the case.

Jones’ most recent project was Aprils Resurrection. Announcing the album, Foolio admitted there had been “multiple attempts” on his life, but he vowed to keep on pushing.

30 Jul 2024

Taylor Swift ‘Completely in Shock’ After Deadly Stabbing Attack at Dance Class Celebrating Her Music

Trigger warning: The following story describes details of violence against children.

Taylor Swift is “completely in shock” after the horrific stabbing attack at a dance class celebrating her music in Southport, England that left three children dead and eight others wounded. The singer posted a handwritten note on her Instagram Story on Tuesday morning (July 30) reacting to the incident.

“The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock…” Swift wrote. “The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”

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According to the Associated Press, Merseyside police said a 17-year-old boy from Cardiff was arrested in the incident a the community center and a knife was seized following the attack in the seaside town in Northwest England near Liverpool. Police said that the suspect was in custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “horrendous and deeply shocking.” At press time the suspect’s name had not been released and there was no information on a motive for the attack, though officials do not believe it was terror-related.

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Witnesses described a scene in which bloodied children were seen running from the center where the Swift-themed dance and yoga event for children 6-11 was taking place with the promise of “a morning of Taylor Swift-themed yoga, dance and bracelet making.”

According to CNN, two children died on Monday and a third died of their injuries as of Tuesday. “The nine-year-old girl died in hospital in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, 30 July. We can confirm that the children who died yesterday were girls aged six and seven years,” the police said in a statement. “Eight other children suffered stab wounds sustained during the attack, and five of them are in a critical condition. Two adults are also in a critical condition after being injured during the incident.”

Merseyside Police Chief constable Serena Kennedy said that officials believe the adults who were injured were “bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked.” King Charles and wife Queen Camilla released a statement saying they were, “profoundly shocked to hear of the utterly horrific incident in Southport.”

Following a mass shooting at a primary school in Scotland in 1996 that killed 16 students and a teacher, Parliament banned private ownership of most handguns and semi-automatic weapons; since then there have been no school shootings in the U.K., though attacks with blades remain a serious issue.

At press time Swift fans had set up a Swifties for Southport fundraiser for the families of victims that had raised almost $93,000. Swift is on the final run of European shows on her Eras Tour, with the next gig scheduled for Thursday (August 1) in Warsaw at the PGE Narodowy, where, after three shows she will move to a three-night stand in Vienna before closing out with five nights at London’s Wembley Stadium from August 15-20.

29 Jul 2024

Kamala Harris Slams Donald Trump With *NSYNC Reference on TikTok

Kamala Harris is gearing up for the presidential election in November, and she’s now a TikTok star.

The vice president took to the video sharing platform — on which she’s already accumulated 3.2 million followers — to share a clip on Saturday (July 27) featuring *NSYNC star Lance Bass. “Hey Kamala, what are we gonna say to Donald Trump in November?” Bass asks Harris in the selfie-style video.

“Bye, bye, bye,” the attorney-turned-politician tells the camera, in reference to *NSYNC’s 2000 hit of the same name. The track then begins to play as Bass does the well-known hand choreography for the “bye, bye, bye” line in the chorus.

“Ain’t no lie,” Harris captioned the post, another reference to a lyric in the song.

President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race against Donald Trump on July 21, subsequently endorsing Harris. Since then, countless party members, public figures and voters alike provided an outpouring of support for her last-minute campaign. “On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,” Harris wrote in a public response to the news. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”

Harris has also become engrained in pop culture. Charli XCX posted on Twitter, “Kamala IS Brat,” and the Harris campaign responded by swapping in the Brat album’s lime green color and font on its official account. 

29 Jul 2024

Swae Lee Faces Backlash After Telling Fans Not to Vote for Kamala Harris

Swae Lee doesn’t typically dabble in the political world, but felt compelled to speak out against Kamala Harris over the weekend, and is now facing the heat. The Rae Sremmurd frontman blasted the vice president while urging his fans not to vote for the likely Democratic nominee for president.

“Do not vote for Kamala !!! Do your research on that whole camp,” Swae Lee tweeted on Saturday (July 27). His message quickly went viral and currently boasts more than 86,000 likes.

The “Sunflower” crooner complained about the alleged millions of dollars in taxes he pays that he says is being sent to other countries such as Ukraine during the country’s war with Russia.

“I pay over millions in tax dollars every year this man Sent it to A whole nother country !!!!!!!!! Those lil dollars that come off your checks they gave it away !!!!!!! Think about that s-t,” he added.

Swae Lee believes that money would be better suited in the U.S. to help out struggling citizens.

“The money we sent away every American citizen could’ve got minimal 200 grand think about that but I guess we don’t need the s–t and yall standing for Kamala,” he continued. “My black people she don’t do nothing but sign off on things against yall ….(us) voting just cuz you think she’s black is not going to end in your favor.”

The 31-year-old also reposted a 2019 debate featuring Republican Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard shredding Harris’ time as district attorney of San Francisco. “Y’all better pay attention! And there’s a lot more,” Swae wrote.

Plenty of debate broke out on both sides in Swae Lee’s replies. Higher Learning podcast host Van Lathan believes rappers have too much influence over public opinion to be miseducated on political matters.

“We need a once a year Hip Hop political convention, I’m deada–. Non partisan, in a Black city, no media,” he wrote. “Rappers have far too much cultural influence to be so consistently misinformed.”

Another pointed out some of the inaccuracies in the musician’s tweets. “Kamala Harris has fought for criminal justice reform, healthcare, and economic equality,” responded a user named Maja Porter. “Voting isn’t just about race; it’s about who can bring real change. Let’s vote for policies that benefit all Black Americans and ensure a better future for everyone.”

“Actually, the Biden and Harris administration has been in office for a little over three years, not four,” Porter continued. “During this time, they’ve made progress on several fronts, including passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to improve roads, bridges, and public transportation, and taking steps to address climate change by promoting clean energy and reducing carbon emissions.”

“And the number grows of d-list ‘celebrities’ who want a Trump tax cut and are willing to sell us for it,” tweeted another user in response.

Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and quickly endorsed his VP on July 21; Harris is expected to be the Democratic party’s nominee. She’s already received numerous endorsements from artists as Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Questlove, Lizzo, John Legend, Demi Lovato and more.

See Swae Lee’s tweets about not voting for Kamala Harris below.

28 Jul 2024

Sinead O’Connor’s Exact Cause of Death Revealed One Year After Her Death

Sinead O’Connor‘s official cause of death has been revealed one year after her passing.

The “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer’s death certificate lists that she died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, the Irish Independent reported on Saturday (July 27).

The death certificate specifically noted that O’Connor’s passing was a result of “exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma together with low grade lower respiratory tract infection,” the publication said.

The certificate was reportedly registered by the late Grammy winner’s husband, John Reynolds, in London on Wednesday (July 24).

O’Connor died at 56 in her London home on July 26, 2023, where authorities said she was found “unresponsive.” The next day the police announced that they were not treating her passing as suspicious and had handed the investigation over to the coroner’s office to determine the cause of death.

In January, London’s Southwark Coroners Court announced that O’Connor died of natural causes and that the coroner had “therefore ceased their involvement in her death.”

At the time of her death, O’Connor’s family said, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

The Irish singer struggled with mental illness throughout her life, including PTSD, depression and suicidal tendencies. In 2022, her 17-year-old son Shane died by apparent suicide. She is survived by three children, including daugher Roisin Waters, aged 28.

O’Connor released her bracing debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, in 1987, featuring the alt radio hits “Mandinka” and “I Want Your (Hands On Me),” followed by her breakthrough 1990 masterpiece, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. The sophomore effort featured her global breakthrough hit, the No. 1 Prince-written smash “Nothing Compares 2 U,” as well as such enduring favorites as “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and the hypnotic “I Am Stretched on Your Grave.”

28 Jul 2024

Seven People Killed in Stampede at Concert in Congo’s Capital

Seven people were killed and many others were injured during a stampede at a music concert in Congo’s capital Saturday (July 27), authorities said.

The stampede occurred at the 80,000-capacity Stade des Martyrs stadium in the heart of Kinshasa where Mike Kalambayi, a popular Congolese gospel singer, was performing, Kinshasa Gov. Daniel Bumba said.

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State television RTNC said seven people were killed in the chaos and some of those injured were admitted to intensive care. Among those who died was a 10-year-old child, according to local media, the BBC reports.

Authorities did not comment on what caused the stampede, saying an investigation into the incident was underway. However, the local music management company that organized the event said the chaos erupted when “the security services tried to neutralize some troublemakers.”

An estimated 30,000 people attended the concert, which featured several other musicians and pastors, the management company Maajabu Gospel said in a statement.

Videos that appeared to be from the scene and broadcast of the event showed large crowds gathered outside the stadium in front of barricades as they waited to enter. Inside, people could be seen rushing to the center stage.

Stade des Martyrs, which is said to be one of the largest stadiums in Africa, is closed until further notice, according to the BBC.

Congo has witnessed such stampedes in past years, often blamed on poor crowd control measures such as excessive use of force. Eleven people died in a similar crush at the same stadium last October during a music concert.