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Coachella concluded its first weekend on Sunday (April 13), and we covered Megan Thee Stallion‘s dazzling performance shortly after Hot Girl Meg exited the stage. Missy Elliott, one of the many standout performers at Coachella, delivered a powerful performance of her own and donned a Transformers-inspired suit during her set.
As spotted on TMZ, Missy Elliott was among the dozens of high-profile acts in California for Coachella, and the Virginia native put on an epic display of futuristic vibes and delivered some of her many notable hits.
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Megan Thee Stallion took to the Coachella 2025 stage and delivered one of the most dynamic sets of her career, and there were several surprises in store for the fans watching in person and at home. On X, the reactions to Megan Thee Stallion’s high-energy performance and the surprise guest appearances of Queen Latifah, Victoria Monet, and Ciara added to the excitement.
Megan Thee Stallion was one of the last two headlining acts for the first weekend of Coachella, and her set on Sunday (April 13) was one for the ages. Running through hits like “Star,” “Body,” “Big Ole Freak,” and dipping into earlier mixtape cuts like “Cognac Queen,” the Houston Hottie looked and sounded marvelous. But just when we thought Hot Girl Meg was all we were getting, Queen Latifah appeared out of nowhere to drop some quick bars.
Following that moment, Victoria Monet’s cameo was another shock out of thin air, and the chemistry the pair shared was incredible to witness. And just when the crowd was already worked to a frenzy, Ciara came out and showed off some of her legendary dance moves and solid vocals.
Megan Thee Stallion was the next to closing act, yielding the stage to Post Malone after briefly running over time as she exited the stage to her global smash, “Star,” and told the crowd she’ll be back to rock the Coachella stage next weekend. Some fans online were rightly upset at the Coachella stage crew cutting off Megan’s microphone just as “Star” was set to roll.
Not for nothing, the show could’ve ended there, no diss to all of Posty’s fans out there.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans are still processing what they witnessed tonight at Coachella, and we’re in the same boat. Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty
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Wallo, one half of the podcast Million Dollaz Worth of Game, went viral recently after a video surfaced of the broadcaster assisting a person in a dire situation. In the clip, Wallo is seen trying to talk a young man off the ledge of a bridge, with his podcast co-host ribbing his first cousin.
Gille Da Kid posted a video that features Wallo speaking to the young man who looks prepared to jump, although the conversation between the pair doesn’t show up in the clip. Because of their unique relationship, Gillie congratulated his co-host as only he can.
“He outside trying to stop people from jumping fake a&& negotiator @wallo267 good job Lo,” Gillie wrote in the caption of the video in question. It appears that Wallo stood alongside law enforcement officials and was assisting the effort to get the man off the ledge.
As it stands, this moment speaks to Wallo’s well-publicized image of being about bringing communities together after spending several years behind bars. In past interviews and on his podcast, Wallo has often expressed his passion for eliminating street violence and providing pathways for formerly incarcerated individuals like himself. He is also the Chief Marketing Officer for REFORM Alliance, which works on reforming parole and probation programs.
—Photo: Derek White / Getty
¡Bienvenidos a Mic’d Up! This exciting first episode is an exclusive and immersive behind-the-scenes experience of Billboard chief content officer for Latin and Español Leila Cobo’s life during Billboard Latin Music Week, a notable event in the Latin music calendar. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Viewers will […]
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Source: Drake / Youtube
To say that 2024 was a rough year for Drake would be an understatement. From taking the most devastating “L” of his career at the hands of Kendrick Lamar to being mocked for suing anyone he could for promoting “Not Like Us,” 2024 was less than a banner year for the King of The North.
Still, Drizzy isn’t throwing in the towel on his career and continues to press on with some new black-and-white visuals to “NOKIA” in which Drizzy seems to be enjoying his life regardless as he turns up with a gang of dancers while pulling out the old school cell phones that look like bricks but had the Hip-Hop world on fire.
T-Mobile needs to bring back the Sidekick with a touchscreen or something. Just sayin.’
Elsewhere, Big Sean keeps his reppin’ his city like no other and in his and G.T.’s clip to “FTW,” the Detroit duo put on for the Motor City and get some grub at the American Coney Island eatery before stuntin’ on the curb to show the drinks they ordered with their food ain’t packing any ice like them.
Check out the rest of today’s drops, including work from Zayaa, B$C Ziggy, and more.
DRAKE – “NOKIA”
G.T. & BIG SEAN – “FTW”
ZAYAA – “HOME”
B$C ZIGGY – “88”
JIZO MAN & BIG DON – “DOUBLE CUP”
SAINT JORDN – “PRAY FOR ME”
SEAN PAUL – “NAH FOLLOW DEM”
MONEY G – “LATE NIGHT”
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Sen. Cory Booker wrote himself in the U.S. Senate history books by delivering the longest speech in the chamber on record, eclipsing the record of Sen. Strom Thurmond’s filibuster by a good measure. As Sen. Cory Booker concluded his marathon speech, many on social media, especially X, are showing high approval for the New Jersey politician’s herculean effort.
Sen. Cory Booker, 55, took to the U.S. Senate floor on Monday (March 31) at 7 PM local time and begin his blistering marathon speech, using the time to voice the concerns of the American public who feel betrayed by the machinations of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the DOGE bros, and the gutting of longstanding federally funded government establishments and programs.
Booker’s time at the podium was partly a reading of letters from not only constituents he represents, but others on the other side of the aisle who have been casualties in President Trump and the GOP’s culture war. Speaking frequently in impassioned tones, Booker appeared weary at moments and used the podium to support himself. When he was alerted that he was nearing Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster record of 24 hours and 18 minutes, Booker quipped that he was near and kept going despite the obvious fatigue present.
Thurmond, the senator from South Carolina, used the filibuster to protest the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1957, which would give Black Americans certain protections and access to the democratic process. Thurmond, holding fast to antiquated views of Black Americans and an obvious allegiance to the memory of the Confederacy, represented a far different Democratic Party than we see today. Adding to this, Thurmond was dogged by rumors that he secretly fathered a daughter with a Black woman whom he allegedly helped by financing her education.
The late senator also voted against the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and 1965 and was a staunch segregationist who pushed for a ban on school integration. Thurmond’s resistance to granting equal access to Black citizens would follow him to the bitter end of his career as he cemented his legacy by being a raging racist.
What Sen. Cory Booker has done in contrast has been deemed symbolic by many, but it isn’t quite a criticism; instead, it is a fact. The United States is splitting apart on party line allegiance and the ever-present reality that this country still has yet to reckon with its past. This is happening at the Trump administration is attempting to sanitize history, do away with DEI, and eliminate social programs that benefited poor, working-class white Americans more than any other group in the nation.
On X, Sen. Booker’s historic feat is all the rage, and we’ve got reactions below.
Americans aren’t a line item in a budget to cut. Your story matters, your voice matters, this fight matters. pic.twitter.com/cDpXIZMtRe
— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) April 1, 2025
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Photo: Getty
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Kevin Hart is best known for his comedy specials and blockbuster films, but he has dabbled a bit in the world of Hip-Hop under his Chocolate Droppa persona. Chocolate Droppa, excuse us, Kevin Hart, showed up for NPR’s Tiny Desk series to drop some powerful off-the-dome bars with a backing band for April Fools’ Day.
NPR published the new set from Chocolate Droppa, aka Kevin Hart, on April 1, prompting many in the comments on the YouTube page to ponder if they were being pranked. From what we can tell, this was a serious production with Hart being flanked by a four-man band he constantly referred to as the Band of Brothers.
Throughout the performance and never breaking character, Hart/Droppa offered motivational words between the songs and boasted about being the first rapper to go strictly off the top of the head on the set. The improvisational performance was clear as Droppa did go into his classics bag to deliver portions of “ATL RAP” and the tracks “Love Song,” “West Coast” and ending with “Don’t F*ck With Dem.”
The good-natured performance and Hart’s super-serious speeches, coupled with him directing the band to give him some heat to rap atop of got more than a few chuckles from the Tiny Desk concert attendees. That said, we know why Kevin Hart is a comedian and a major movie star first, but we love the effort.
Check out Chocolate Droppa’s Tiny Desk set below.
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Photo: YouTube/NPR
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Following his very public fallout with Cam’ron and Ma$e, Jim Jones has been hard at work promoting his latest album At The Church’s Steps, and has basically released a new visual in support of the album every week since its release last month.
Continuing to stay on his grind, Jim Jones drops off some new visuals to the ALLSUMMERLONG-assisted “Fashion Killa” in which Capo delves into the world of fashion and shows how spiffy he can get with the attire but aside from walking the runway, Jones styles on the streets and in basically anywhere he lays his hat as he treats his entire life as one big fashion show. Can’t be mad at that.
From Harlem to LA, YG takes us on a trip down memory lane, and in his Buddy & The Gang featured “2004,” YG reminisces about his life growing up with flashbacks about his youth and interesting experiences.
Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend, including work from NEMS, Redman, Method Man, and DJ Premier, along with more.
JIM JONES ft. ALLSUMMERLONG – “FASHION KILLA”
YG FT. BUDDY & THE GANG – “2004”
REDMAN & METHOD MAN & DJ PREMIER – “LALALA REMIX”
NEMS – “GOD’S HANDS”
GINO MONDANA FT. FIVIO FOREIGN – “CRASH OUT”
G. DEP – “CHARGED WITH WINNING”
B.G. FT. FREDO BANG – “BEEN A DOG”
G PERICO & DJ DRAMA – “LA TAKEOVER”
CJ FLY – “GRIND”
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Kanye West, also known as Ye, has been on a weeks-long rant on Twitter discussing everything from his connection to Diddy, along with harsh critiques of the Jewish community and fellow artists. In a new interview with DJ Akademiks, Kanye West donned an all-Black KKK hood and wore a swastika chain during the meandering and bizarre chat.
On Sunday, Ye, aka Kanye West, was joined by DJ Akademiks, who traveled out to Los Angeles to meet with the Chicago native. As seen in Big Ak’s video that he shared on social media, the planning of the meetup with Ye didn’t go off without a hitch, and it appeared that West wanted Ak to perform the interview in China or Japan, as he claims not to feel safe in the United States.
Some 13 minutes into the video, Ak finally gets to Ye’s hotel room, where the producer is seen wearing a Black Sean John shirt with white lettering and the aforementioned bejeweled chain. At minute 16:10, Ye emerges with the KKK outfit and the pair launch into their chat.
There are far too many moments to highlight, but chief among them was Ye saying that he didn’t intend to have children with his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Kardashian and West are the parents of North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. Ye also stood on business regarding the comments he made about former collaborator Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and seemingly defended what he said about their children.
The conversation between Kanye West, aka Ye, and DJ Akademiks can be viewed below.
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Photo: YouTube Screenshot
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Big U, an alleged top-ranking Rollin’ 60s Crips gang member and community activist, was arrested and charged with other individuals this week in connection to a RICO case. Big U, who was formerly connected to the late Nipsey Hussle, is accused of running a Mafia-like criminal enterprise by authorities, claims that U say are overblown due to Internet chatter.
In a report from the Los Angeles Times, Eugene “Big U” Henley, 58, was a massive influence on the Hip-Hop scene in Los Angeles, and his involvement with the gang world was notable considering he spent recent times as a community leader looking to quell violence on the streets. Now, Henley is facing charges of murder, kidnapping, robbery, and more.
As the Times notes, Big U was instrumental in boosting the career of Nipsey Hussle, who was also a member of the Rollin’ 60s. His connection with the music scene and his reported position in the Crips operation was framed by federal investigators as that of a mob boss with people visiting Los Angeles being required to “check in” with Henley to move untouched about the city. Henley is alleged to have put the “check in” requirement toward musicians and professional athletes alike.
In the 107-page federal complaint, officials say that Henley ran his self-styled enterprise similarly to how the Mafia operates, using his “stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals” across the city, according to the complaint.
When authorities first announced their intent to go after Henley, they named him a fugitive in a news conference but Henley eventually turned himself in. As reported by TMZ, Henley recorded a video ahead of turning himself in, stating that he’s done nothing wrong and has contributed heavily to his community. Over a dozen other individuals connected to Henley were also taken into custody.
U.S. Atty. Joseph T. McNally spoke at Wednesday’s news conference and said that Henley’s image as a music executive and community leader was false.
“[Henley] has maintained the image of an entertainment industry entrepreneur running a music label and of somebody who gives back to the community here in Los Angeles,” McNally said. “The facts alleged in the complaint paint a very different picture. It is one of a murderer, a thief, a liar and a cheat and the criminals that enabled him.”
Henley is accused of kidnapping and killing a young rapper and discarding his body in the Las Vegas desert. FBI investigators say that the hit was carried out due to disrespect and ordering a robbery of an unlicensed marijuana dispensary over unpaid extortion payments. Henley is also alleged to have taken charity donations from the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Draymond Green, only to pocket the money for himself.
Sylvester Robinson, 59, allegedly Henley’s second-in-command, and alleged lieutenant Mark Martin, 50, are both accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Along with Henley, Termaine Williams, aka “Luce Cannon,” was charged with robbery, Armani Aflleje, aka “Mani,” was charged with transporting an individual to engage in prostitution, and Tiffany Hines was charged with bank fraud.
As seen in the videos above, Big U is claiming innocence.
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Photo: Leon Bennett / Getty