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It’s been an arduous-yet-fruitful journey for French Montana navigating the turbulent music industry since 2009’s Mac Wit Da Cheese. Fifteen years later, The Bronx-bred rapper has returned to serve up the fifth installment of his famed mixtape series as Mac & Cheese 5 hit streaming services on Friday (Feb. 23). French brought along an all-star […]
Booking agent Cara Lewis is once again representing Kanye West, working to revive his prosperous touring career that she architected in the 2000s and 2010s before he meticulously destroyed it after firing her in 2016.
Lewis has already had some early success, landing West and Ty Dolla $ign a headlining slot at Rolling Loud in Los Angeles March 14 to promote their new chart-topping album, Vultures 1. But in the long term, Lewis faces much more difficult odds undoing the damage West wrought on his own career, burning bridges with promoters, racking up multi-million-dollar lawsuits with vendors and production companies and making vitriolic and antisemitic statements that have gotten him banned by all the major talent agencies.
That leaves very little runaway for Lewis — “a self-described Jewish girl from the Bronx,” according to a 2023 profile in Pollstar — to relaunch West’s career. The saga is the talk of the town in both Los Angeles and New York, with more than six high-level booking agents telling Billboard that Lewis’ ability to produce business opportunities for West will be determined by West himself.
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“He’s still on his bulls—, which means he is still in self-destruct mode and can’t work,” said one prominent booking agent who spoke on the condition of anonymity but said their agency was approached about representing West and passed. “I don’t take anything he says at face value. He needs to go away for at least a year and get sober.”
Lewis did not respond to a request for comment.
“There’s not really any upside for Cara,” says another booking agent who was also pitched on representing West. “She’s going to spend most of her time being told ‘no’ by promoters who have been burned by Kanye in the past. And any gigs she does land for him are going to be nightmares to get through.”
West has recently posted on social media about his booking challenges. On Feb 6, he took to Instagram to complain about the lack of interest from major arenas in hosting a listening party for his new album.
“We just sold out the United Center in seven minutes,” he shared in a video. “It’s the only arena that I had access to in the past year. And when I call, people say there’s no [availabilities] for me, and you know why that is.”
West made the video shortly after the O2 Arena in London rejected a similar request. He followed up that video by asking followers to contact Lewis for booking opportunities, showing a text message Lewis had sent to West expressing confidence about his future prospects. The post showing the text message was later deleted by West.
Kanye first began working with Lewis in 2006 when she was at the William Morris Agency, which became William Morris Endeavor (WME) in 2009. In 2012, Lewis quit WME to join CAA, bringing with her high-profile clients like Eminem, Ne-Yo, T.I. and West. Together, West and Lewis developed a touring strategy that generated $160 million in ticket sales, including his Watch the Throne Tour with Jay-Z, which generated $75 million in sales and was the highest-grossing tour ever when it wrapped, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Had West not stopped touring in 2016, he could have easily generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from concerts and festivals in the years since. Even without any regular income from touring for the last seven years, West still ranks as the fifth highest-grossing hip-hop act in Billboard Boxscore history.
But instead of building upon their success, West fired Lewis and CAA and signed with UTA in March 2016. The Wrap reported at the time that West left CAA to expand his acting portfolio following the success of his cameo in Zoolander 2.
West returned to CAA a year later, but by then Lewis was already gone, working to launch her own boutique agency after she and CAA parted ways in November 2016.
While Lewis was setting up her new business, things really started going downhill for West. In October 2016, moments before taking the stage at the Meadows Music & Arts Festival in New York, West learned that his wife, Kim Kardashian, had been robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room. He ended up canceling the set so that he could fly to France to be with her.
The Paris incident also led him to cancel two dates on his Saint Pablo Tour, ultimately returning to the road five days later on Oct. 7 to perform a show at the United Center. Fans noticed that West had seemed withdrawn and erratic on the tour, which eventually ended 20 dates early in Sacramento on Nov. 19, 2016, when West performed three songs before launching into a tirade about Facebook, Jay-Z, Hillary Clinton and Beyoncé before walking offstage. West was hospitalized two days later following a welfare check conducted by the LAPD.
An investigation by insurance company Lloyds of London, which West had hired to insure the tour, alleged that he was abusing alcohol and marijuana on the tour. The two parties eventually settled the dispute, court documents show.
In 2022, West was sued by Phantom Labs, a company he hired to help produce the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert with rapper Drake in December 2021. Six months after the concert, Phantom Labs sued West, saying it was owed “$7 million by Kanye in outstanding fees for work on various projects over the past year,” including the Free Larry Hoover concert and his 2022 appearance at Coachella, which Kanye canceled days before he was to take the stage.
“While West’s history is well known, I wouldn’t say the curtain has closed on his career quite yet,” said one promoter who has followed West’s career and didn’t want to be named in this article. “I’m going to reserve judgment until after his Rolling Loud appearance. If he pulls off a big show and people view it as successful, that will buy him a lot of goodwill and time. Perhaps some of [his] former partners can be persuaded to work out an agreement with him. Or maybe he will blow the whole thing up again. Either way it will be entertaining to watch, and we can all say we were there to see it happen.”
Pharrell and Miley Cyrus have another banger on the way. Skateboard P teased a collaboration with Cyrus that appears to be titled “Doctor” on his Instagram on Friday (Feb. 23). Pharrell gave listeners a snippet of the groovy tune while driving but only hinted that the track would be coming “soon.” “I could be your […]
Normani is gearing up to release her long-awaited debut solo album, and opened up about the ups and downs of her past few years in a new Who What Wear profile. In the wide-ranging interview, the star revealed that while her solo hits like “Motivation” and “Love Lies” were taking off, her parents were privately […]
Druski went viral last year mocking those who claim to be “standing on business,” when in reality, they really don’t. Playing off the hilarious skit, Druski called on Snoop Dogg and DJ Drama for their own version of “Standin on Bihness.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The […]
Flavor Flav and Miley Cyrus shared a heartwarming reunion at the 2024 Grammy Awards, but that wasn’t always the case.
Flav joined the Just B With Bethenny Frankel podcast on Thursday (Feb. 22), where he recalled a time he mixed up Miley with Gwen Stefani and when he went over to apologize, she playfully slapped him to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.
“It came from a time that they looked alike,” the Public Enemy rapper said around the 28:30 mark. “There was a time a few years back when they both had the same exact haircut. That’s the thing that got me. When I ran across my Miley first time ever in my life I was like, ‘Oh my God, Gwen Stefani, Gwen Stefani!’ Miley didn’t say anything she just went along with it.”
It wasn’t until one of Flav’s friends alerted him of the mix-up that he realized had just met Miley Cyrus and not the “Hollaback Girl” artist.
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“I turned around and I ran back to her,” he explained. “‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Yo, Miley Cyrus, I know who you are now. Your dad Billy Ray Cyrus. I was like, ‘I’m so stupid.’ Smacked me in the face. She smacked me in the face. Miley Cyrus slapped Flavor Flav in the face and we laughed it off.”
Billboard has reached out to Miley Cyrus’ reps for comment.
Flav detailed how things went much better when they linked up at the 2024 Grammy Awards backstage. “That girl lit up like a Christmas tree,” Flav claimed. “Miley love herself some Flav.”
Footage of the unlikely interaction went viral on social media, as the “Flowers” singer was in shock Flavor Flav actually got her name right this time around.
“You know it’s me?! I made it,” Cyrus said to Flav. “You don’t think I’m Gwen Stefani anymore? You used to call me Gwen every time I saw you!”
“I know,” he admitted as the two went on to snap a few photos together. Miley added: “You know what time it is!”
Listen to Flavor Flav talk about Miley Cyrus on the Just B podcast below.
It’s been a minute since former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland released a full-length pop album. Way more than a minute, actually, more like over a decade. But on the Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday (Feb. 23) “Kisses Down Low” singer explained her long absence from the studio and why she’s gearing up to get back to it.
When Clarkson asked if there was any new music on the horizon, Rowland coyly answered, “coming… later,” as the host and audience broke out into applause about the tease of the long-awaited follow-up to 2013’s Talk a Good Game LP.
“I’m finally inspired,” Rowland explained. “I’m finally inspired, you can’t just be like writing about anything and I don’t want just another sexy song. I want to talk about so many different things and I’m really excited about the topic this album [unintelligible].”
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The singer was on the show to promote her co-starring role in the new Tyler Perry Netflix legal thriller Mea Culpa alongside Trevante Rhodes (Birdbox), and she agreed with Clarkson’s riff about the need to “break up the monotony” of the music industry grind to keep your inspiration and passion burning. That might explain why Rowland, 43, who also co-produced the film, has been off the music radar for a bit.
After releasing her debut solo album, Simply Deep, in 2002 and launching the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single “Dilemma” (feat. Nelly) and the singles “Stole” and “Can’t Nobody,” Rowland has been ping-ponging between music and film in the years since. She appeared in 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, 2012’s Think Like a Man, 2020’s Bad Hair and 2022’s The Curse of Bridge Hollow, while also dabbling in reality TV mentoring on Clash of the Choirs, X Factor UK (and U.S.), The Voice Australia and a guest spot on ABC sitcom Grown-Ish as Edie last year.
She followed up her solo debut with 2007’s Ms. Kelly and 2011’s Here I Am and then Talk a Good Game, on which she co-wrote all but one of the 12 tracks. Though her solo album output has slowed, Rowland has continued to drop one-off singles over the past decade, including “Conceited” (2016), “Crown” (2019), “Crazy” (2020) and “Black Magic” (2021).
Watch Rowland on the Kelly Clarkson Show below.
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Over the last few years, as multiple women have have blossomed into rap stars — with Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion as heavyweights, and talents such as Latto and Ice Spice leading the charge for the new generation — the WWE is concurrently experiencing a similar golden age. Superstar athletes like Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley have been leading the way with their winning performances and championship pedigrees.
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For the former, she hopes to live up to her nickname “The EST” — as in “the fastest, the strongest, the quickest, the roughest, and the toughest”– during her six-woman Elimination Chamber match this Saturday (Feb. 24) in Perth, Australia, for a crack at a title shot at Wrestlemania 40.
“We have a lot more women are shining, just like in female rap,” Belair tells Billboard ahead of her match in Perth. “There’s room for more than just one or a few, and everybody can showcase their talents. We have a video game cover with two females — the first time there’s ever been an all-female cover for a video game and there’s two! So, it’s showing you how big our roster is and how competitive it is.”
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Belair’s resumé speaks for itself: she’s a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time WWE Smackdown Champion and a Royal Rumble winner. She also headlined Wrestlemania 37 with Sasha Banks, as the two became the first Black women to ever headline “The Show of All Shows” during its 40-year existence. With Belair and Ripley gracing the newest installment of WWE2K24 with Cody Rhodes, “The EST” looks to regain her swagger, step into Wrestlemania 40, and remind viewers why she’s the ultimate needle-mover in the Woman’s Division.
“My goal this year is to have more fun. I feel like I was just grinding last year, I was so serious and stressed out,” says Belair. “This year, I want to have fun but still accomplish things and enjoy those things when I accomplish them.”
Billboard spoke to Belair about her road to Wrestlemania, the similarities between the women’s division and female rap, her love for J. Cole, and why she believes Megan Thee Stallion is WWE-bound.
Your path to Wrestlemania has been carved out over the past few years. This year, that road isn’t as definitive. How has that been an adjustment for you?
Last year, I was walking into Wrestlemania as champion. So, it was more so I had a guaranteed match — I just didn’t know who my opponent was. This year, it’s a little different, but I think most people would love to just have the comfort of knowing that they’re going to have a Wrestlemania match and — maybe it’s easier for me to say this because I’ve already had the opportunity to have three years of a guaranteed match — I kind of like it. I kind of like this year of not knowing, because it keeps me on my toes. It’s making me not be comfortable and not just go into autopilot like, “Okay. I’m just waiting for my ‘Mania match. I know I have one.”
It’s making me go back to that hungry phase of, “Let me figure out how I’m gonna get that. Let me figure out what’s gonna be my journey.” Now, I have to figure out Royal Rumble. Okay, now it’s Elimination Chamber. It’s kind of parallel to what [my husband WWE Superstar Montez Ford] was going through last year, but it keeps you hungry. It’s hard to get to the top, but it’s harder to stay at the top and it’s also very easy to get comfortable and complacent there. It’s interesting this year, switching things up, and I’m just excited.
Do you see a similarity with women in rap, in terms of that competitive nature?
Yeah, I think there’s a lot of comparisons between female rap and women’s wrestling, right now. If you look back in the past, there was the Nickis from my high school era and now there’s [multiple] artists. Of course, there were multiple [artists] before Nicki and same thing with WWE.
You had the Four Horsewomen, and now you’re starting to see new people come in. And because of them, they were able to open those doors and were able to have all of these fantastic matches and show that women can put people in the seats and sell tickets. They put the eyes on women’s wrestling. There’s more women coming in now. I feel like Rhea Ripley and I are on the forefront of a new generation of women’s wrestling and there’s even more coming in with the NIL program and WWE. They’re hiring more athletes and these girls are learning so quickly.
Our roster is so competitive. I think this is one of the first years, for me especially, where anybody can go to Wrestlemania, anybody can main event, anybody can go have a title match and we’re just kind of like, “Who is it gonna be?” Because there’s no guarantees. I think it’s amazing.
You and Jade Cargill shared a viral moment at Royal Rumble. Everyone is rooting for a singles match, but on the other hand, I would love to see you guys form as a tag-team. What’s been your reaction to that moment, and the possibilities?
When she first came on the scene, everybody was saying, “Dream Match. Jade Vs. Bianca,” and I was kind of feeding into it. Then, I started thinking, “Wait a minute. We could tag together, too.” If you put us together, we’re just gonna have the titles forever? Who’s gonna stop us?
I think it’s just amazing that the possibilities are endless. I think that’s what makes this so exciting and I don’t want to be the only one. There’s room for more than just one [superstar]. I think it’s cool that Jade’s coming in and making this huge splash before she even had a match. So to be able to step in at the Royal Rumble and us two being able to come face-to-face in the ring and the crowd goes crazy, just knowing the potential of what this can be, is crazy. Being in the ring with her and us having that moment, showcasing Black women and representation, but also being strong women, being unapologetically us and bringing our culture to the table, is really cool.
I’ve been very intentional since I came to WWE, ever since my NXT days and bringing my culture to the table and not apologizing for that. From having an HBCU band at Wrestlemania and to now having Jade here, she can bring even more to the table. It’s cool that we can do this separately and have this big moment with us competing against each other or we can do this together. I think it’s just amazing that either one can be just as big.
You said in a past interview that you would love to use J. Cole’s “K.O.D.” as your entrance theme. Your finisher is also the “K.O.D.” What is it about J. Cole and his music that resonates with you? I love J. Cole mostly for his storytelling and his lyrics. He’s so relatable, and I love the stuff that he raps about. Even with him saying he feels like he’s “The Middle Child,” and he’s stuck between two generations, I feel like I’m the middle child in wrestling. I feel like you have the Four Horsewomen, these legends in the making [that] have done amazing things. Then you have the new girls coming in from the NIL program and NXT, and I’m right in the middle between them. I’ve got to learn from the OGs, the Four Horsewomen, I know the culture and how to do things and then you have the new people coming in. It’s also evolving, things are changing and they’re doing things a bit differently. I’m just right in the middle.I just love [Cole]. He raps about real things, he raps about real-life situations, he raps about the trends that are going on, and I just feel like I can relate to his music so much. Every song, I feel like he just hits me in the soul. I remember talking to Liv and Raquel, and they said if they could choose anyone from the music industry to be in a match with, it would be Cardi B and Megan The Stallion. Who would you want to see in a singles match?Against who?Anyone. They can have a Bad Bunny kind of run. I’m waiting for a female to come and hit the ground, like Bad Bunny or Logan Paul. Where’s our female? A rapper? I think Meg could come in and cause some damage. She has the size, the height, and she did in an interview recently, where she said she could fight in real life, and I believe that [laughs]. I believe she can get in the ring and throw some hands. I met her in person and got to talk to her for a little bit, and she’s a stallion in real life. She’s tall, built, and on her fitness game right now. She’s in the gym. I think she’s ready.You, Meg and Jade.Can you imagine? And she has the Nike deal where she already basically has wrestling gear. So me and her walk in [together]. All you need to do is throw some WWE theme music over it and there’s her entrance.
What exactly was Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Vultures Listening Experience” at Milan’s Mediolanum Forum on Thursday (Feb. 22) night? Some sort of pagan mass where the audience celebrated his myth? A branch of the Milano Fashion Week where the important thing was just to be there? Or maybe a huge party where the fans themselves became the protagonists? Well, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s performance was all that and more.
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Some people expected something particularly crazy to happen, like a Vultures 2 spoiler or a short speech. But during the hour-long show, none of this happened.
Before the eyes of the audience was a completely empty parterre overlooked by only a floating cylindrical LED wall, the only illuminated part of the show. All around there was only smoke and, literally, nothing. An almost dystopian scenario, too minimal to be defined as apocalyptic, in which only silence dominated – that of the music (there was no selection accompanying the beginning of the show) and that of the audience waiting for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign who, once they arrived, positioned themselves at the center of the scene with their faces completely covered, without even a microphone in hand, moving to the rhythm of their latest album and approaching the crowd.
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With them there was a platoon of top-notch guests, the same ones from Vultures 1. Among these, Quavo, Playboi Carti, Freddie Gibbs, Rich the Kid and Jaden Smith.
Some people might have been taken aback by all this – as it was a gathering to listen to an album exactly as they could have done in their car or bedroom, with the difference of watching Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign and some of the spearheads of the U.S. rap scene vibe on their own songs without rapping. But true Kanye West fans know this: the only thing you can expect from him is the unexpected, and for many of them the thing that really mattered was just being there, regardless of the content of the show.
The public’s attention was entirely focused on Kanye – on his movements, on his progressive approach to them and then disappearing into the darkness like something elusive, very close and very distant at the same time.
At exactly 10:30 p.m. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign disappeared (not before having gathered everyone for the encore with “Carnival”), and West’s wife Bianca Censori left the bleachers, like the influencers and the fashion addicts of the Fashion Week.
Yet the show was not over — it entered its heart, in a way. There remained the kids who got excited like never before about Kanye’s older hit songs: “Runaway,” the 2010 single with Pusha-T, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and many others.
The audience became the true protagonist for the rest of the listening party – In front of an empty venue, illuminated only by the lights of cell phones. Will this be a new frontier of live performances? Or will it be a unique thing that only Kanye could do in Italy? The show will be replicated tomorrow in Bologna and on Sunday in Paris.
This article originally appeared on Billboard Italy.
Quavo has never been one to lack confidence in the booth, and he ups his swagger tenfold with his latest single. The braggadocios “Himothy” hit streaming services on Friday (Feb. 23) as Huncho delivered his first solo offering of 2024. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Migos […]