Music news

• Alicia Keys to go head-to-head with John Legend in ‘Verzuz’ battle

  13-06-2020 23:51 via nme.com
  
  Alicia Keys and John Legend are set to go head-to-head in a Verzuz battle next week.
  Read more: Timbaland and Swizz Beatz on ‘VERZUZ’ battle series: “We want to celebrate the architects of good music”
  The battle series began on Instagram at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and was initiated by producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland.
  Verzuz battles see two producers, songwriters or performers face-off against each other, playing through their own catalogue. A winner isn&
  
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• Lilly Wachowski and Abby McEnany on the Power of Showcasing ‘Unpalatable Queers’ on TV

  13-06-2020 23:19
  Lilly Wachowski and Abby McEnany — stars, writers and producers of Showtime’s LGBTQ-centered series Work in Progress — participated in Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit on Saturday. During their live-streamed discussion, titled “Work in Progress: Being Your Authentic Self in This Business” and sponsored by Wells Fargo, the talented duo spoke about the power of showcasing “unpalatable queers” in 2020.
  But first, Wachowski and McEna
  
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• Wilson Cruz and ‘Visible’ Team on LGBTQ Representation In 2020: ‘There Is a Lot More Work to Be Done’

  13-06-2020 23:14
  
  Actor Wilson Cruz, producer Jessica Hargrave and director Ryan White participated in Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit on Saturday. During a live-streamed panel — titled “Apple TV+ Presents: Visibility” — the team behind Apple TV+’s docuseries Visible: Out on Television discussed the importance of LGBTQ representation in a time of unprecedented divisiveness.
  According to Cruz — an executive producer on the project — uplifting marg
  
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• Petition launched to replace KKK leader’s statue with Dolly Parton

  13-06-2020 22:58 via nme.com
  
  A petition has been launched to replace a statue of a former KKK leader with one of Dolly Parton.
  Read more: George The Poet on Black Lives Matter: “This is our opportunity to reassess our story”
  The monument to former grand wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest is currently located in the Tennessee Capitol building.
  In the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter protests and global conversations about systemic racism, both protestors and authorities have begun taking down statues of Confedera
  
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• Lena Waithe, Jonica Gibbs on How Lesbian Representation Creates a ‘Space of Understanding’

  13-06-2020 22:54
  
  Lena Waithe, the award-winning Master of None and Queen and Slim scribe, said that while she feels accepted as a Black, gay woman in the entertainment industry, she believes audiences need to see even more Black queer representation.
  “If you look at how many people that are known and that are Black in the industry, and then if you can count on like maybe one or two hands how many of them are out? The numbers just don’t add up,” Waithe said at Billboard and The Hollywood Reporte
  
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• Alicia Keys & John Legend to Face Off in Juneteenth ‘Verzuz’ Battle

  13-06-2020 22:47
  R&B superstars Alicia Keys and John Legend will face off in a Verzuz battle on June 19.
  “Let’s celebrate Juneteenth with a special edition #Verzuz! @AliciaKeys vs @JohnLegend,” the popular online battle series announced Saturday (June 13) on Instagram.
  The Verzuz Instagram battle series — co-helmed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic by legendary hip-hop producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland — has seen showdowns between such all-stars as Nelly and Ludacri
  
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• Trixie Mattel Dreams of the Beach With Acoustic ‘Malibu’ Performance at Billboard’s Pride Summit

  13-06-2020 22:14
  This summer, people everywhere are stuck inside and wishing that they could get out and enjoy the sunshine. Lucky for them, Trixie Mattel is here to give them a taste of what they’re looking for.
  The RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 winner appeared during Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit for a special performance, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, of her song “Malibu.”Dressed in a rainbow vinyl jacket and her classic big blonde hair, Mattel appe
  
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• Bobby Lewis, ‘Tossin’ and Turnin” Singer, Dead at 95

  13-06-2020 22:11 via rollingstone.com
  
  1961 hit spent seven weeks atop Hot 100 and sold over 3 million copies
  
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• Todrick Hall & Steven Canals on the Uphill Battle Toward Representation

  13-06-2020 21:47
  
  As detailed in Todrick Hall’s Billboard cover story, the wildly versatile actor/singer/choreographer/TV personality has spent years fighting an uphill battle to carve a lane for himself as an entertainer, pushing back against racism and homophobia. As part of Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit & Pride Prom on Saturday (June 13), Hall and Steven Canals (co-creator and executive producer of FX’s Pose) sat down (digitally, of course) to speak about their res
  
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• DMA’s announce UK “album release” show for October

  13-06-2020 21:41 via nme.com
  
  DMA’s will return to the UK to play a new “album release” show in October, it has been confirmed.
  Read more: The show must go online: inside the rise of virtual gigs during the coronavirus crisis
  The band are currently set to release their latest record ‘The Glow’ on July 10 after it was postponed from its original April release due to the coronavirus pandemic.
  Earlier today (June 13), Kingston-Upon-Thames’ Banquet Records announced they would host a gig with
  
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• The Killers share preview of new single ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’

  13-06-2020 21:16 via nme.com
  
  The Killers have shared a preview of their next single, ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’ – scroll down the page to watch it now.
  Read more: The Killers’ 11 best songs – they’re all wonderful wonderful!
  The track is set to feature on the band’s upcoming album ‘Imploding The Mirage’, which will be their sixth studio album.
  “I’ve tried going against my own soul’s warning/But in the end something just didn’t feel ri
  
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• See Christine and the Queens Bring ‘I Disappear in Your Arms’ to ‘Fallon’

  13-06-2020 20:31 via rollingstone.com
  
  singer Héloïse Letissier delivers track from stage within empty La Cigale venue in Paris
  
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• Bobby Lewis, ’60s Singer and ‘Tossin’ & Turnin” Hitmaker, Dies at 95

  13-06-2020 20:29
  
  Bobby Lewis, singer of “Tossin’ & Turnin’,” died on April 28 after contracting pneumonia. The news — initially reported but not widely circulated in late April — was announced by his granddaughter Sabreen LaRae Simmons on Facebook, and has been confirmed to Billboard by his son, the author Zain Abdullah. He was 95.
  Lewis was born in Indianapolis and raised in an orphanage, eventually moving to a foster home in Detroit at age 12. When he was 14, he ran
  
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• Boy George Gets Real About Global Protests, Pronouns & More at Billboard Pride Summit

  13-06-2020 20:09
  
  Boy George doesn’t understand how people can look at the protests over the death of George Floyd taking place around the world and not sympathize with the protestors. “If you’re a human being and you see these things, you cannot be not affected,” he says. “I mean, if you’re not affected, you have no soul!”
  George joined Billboard staff writer Taylor Mims for Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit on Saturday (June 13) to
  
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• Patrisse Cullors Urges White People to Stand Up for Black Lives: ‘We Need Everybody Right Now’

  13-06-2020 19:53
  In kicking off the Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s second annual Pride Summit and Prom on Saturday (June 13), Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors described herself as a “proud, queer Black woman” who has been out since she was 16 years old.
  She noted that the first Pride march was “actually an uprising” at Stonewall [in 1969]. “It makes me really remember and believe,” said Cullors, noting that racial intersectionality is important to u
  
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• Shea Diamond Sings Bone-Chilling ‘Don’t Shoot’ at Pride Summit

  13-06-2020 19:49
  Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit and Pride Prom opened with a strong call for “every single one of us” to stand up against racism and police brutality, with Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors reminding participants in the digital summit that Stonewall was started by black queer and trans activists, and the “police played such a terrible role” in the landmark uprising that kickstarted the modern LGBTQ equality movement.
  After Cullors&rs
  
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• Rex Rebel Calls for Trans Rights & Performs ‘Big Boy’ at Billboard’s Pride Summit

  13-06-2020 19:37
  Rex Rebel was just starting to hit their stride when the COVID-19 pandemic came to a head — just two days before worldwide lockdowns began taking place, the band made their live debut in Europe.
  “To say this put a damper on our momentum is a huge understatement,” the band’s frontman Sam Bettens says. “But this is not a temporary side project, and we will continue to push until we claim our spot on the world stage.”
  That was how Bettens introduced Rex Rebe
  
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• Music at Home: Essential New K-Pop Tracks

  13-06-2020 19:33 via rollingstone.com
  
  BTS, Monsta X, NCT 127, and others show why it's never been a better time to catch up on K-pop
  
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• Stars of the entertainment world react to far-right riots in London: “These lot have proven how backwards our country can be”

  13-06-2020 19:18 via nme.com
  
  Stars of the entertainment world, including actor John Boyega and Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds, have reacted to the far-right riots that took place in London today (June 13).
  Read more: How to support Black Lives Matter and anti-racist organisations if you can’t protest
  Far-right demonstrators headed to the city’s Parliament Square to “protect statues” such as one of Winston Churchill after it was defaced. Other monuments of problematic figures in the UK have
  
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• Blues Singer Lady A Speaks Out Against Lady Antebellum’s Recent Name Change: ‘It’s Not Right’

  13-06-2020 18:05
  A Seattle blues singer who has performed under the name Lady A for the past 20 years is speaking out against Lady Antebellum over the country trio’s recent name change in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
  Anita White, a 61-year-old black woman who plays under Lady A, says she was blindsided last week after learning that Lady Antebellum had officially shortened its name without reaching out to her first. On Thursday (June 11), in the wake out nationwide protests surrounding the d
  
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• Taylor Swift calls for permanent removal of statues of “historical racist figures”

  13-06-2020 17:57 via nme.com
  
  Taylor Swift has called for the permanent removal of statues of historical racist figures that are still standing across Tennessee.
  Read more: An exclusive essay from Bristol City Poet Vanessa Kisuule: “Edward Colston does not represent us”
  The pop star asked the Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission to “consider the implications of how hurtful it would be to continue fighting for these monuments” in a series of tweets.
  “As a Tennessean, it
  
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• See Margo Price Cover Bob Dylan, Talk New Album on ‘CBS This Morning’

  13-06-2020 16:32 via rollingstone.com
  
  Singer also performs "Letting Me Down" and "Drifter" as part of "Saturday Sessions"
  
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• Black Eyed Peas announce new album ‘Translation’

  13-06-2020 16:31 via nme.com
  
  Black Eyed Peas have announced that they will be releasing a new album next week called ‘Translation’.
  Read more: will.i.am tells us what’s next for The Black Eyed Peas – and how Virtual Reality is the future of music
  Following 2018’s ‘Masters Of The Sun Vol.1’, will.i.am and co. will release their eighth studio album on June 19 through RCA.
  News of the new album was accompanied by ‘No Mañana’, an energetic new collaboration
  
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• 5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (June 13)

  13-06-2020 16:00
  
  From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week:
  A message from Becky G:The “They Ain’t Ready” singer took to social media to just check in on her fans earlier this week. The quick check-in comes after Becky G has been vocal on social media about her solidarity with the black lives movement and amid na
  
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• Grey Daze share video for ‘B12’ featuring Chester Bennington and Korn

  13-06-2020 15:58 via nme.com
  
  Grey Daze, the band formed by a pre-Linkin Park Chester Bennington, have shared the video for their new single B12 which features their late frontman.
  Read More: Chester Bennington Obituary: 1976-2017
  Bennington left the band in 1998, but had reunited with them and was in the middle of re-recording music for a new album when he died in 2017.
  The visuals premiered to kick off Download TV, a virtual edition of the UK’s biggest metal festival Download designed to take the place of 2020&r
  
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• Gwar back campaign to replace Robert E. Lee statue with monument of frontman Oderus Ungerus

  13-06-2020 15:48 via nme.com
  
  Shock-rock band Gwar have lent their support to a campaign wanting to replace a statue of Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate States of America’s forces during the American Civil War, with one of their late frontman Oderus Ungerus.
  Read More: How to support Black Lives Matter and anti-racist organisations if you can’t protest
  A petition was launched yesterday (June 12) to change the statue in Richmond, Virginia, where the band were formed. At time of publication it has over 3
  
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• Taylor Swift urges Tennessee officials to remove statues honouring racists

  13-06-2020 15:30 via music-news.com
  
  The singer wants the statues of Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forest removed.
  
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• John Legend shares artwork and tracklist for new album ‘Bigger Love’

  13-06-2020 15:19 via nme.com
  
  John Legend has shared the artwork and tracklist for his upcoming new album ‘Bigger Love’.
  Read more: Raye: the pop whisperer talks new EP, writing for John Legend and using her platform for good
  The follow-up to 2016’s ‘Darkness And Light’ is executive produced by Raphael Saadiq, who oversaw Solange‘s critically acclaimed ‘A Seat At The Table’ and released his latest album, ‘Jimmy Lee’, last year.
  The official tracklist contains 16 tra
  
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• YG shares video for new protest track ‘FTP’ following death of George Floyd

  13-06-2020 15:00 via nme.com
  
  Rapper YG has shared the video for his new song, ‘FTP’ – which stands for ‘Fuck the Police’ – amid continuing protests in the US following the death of George Floyd. You can watch it below.
  Read more: How to support Black Lives Matter and anti-racist organisations if you can’t protest
  In the wake of Floyd’s death protests have erupted across the US and all over the world, while a large number of well-known artists have expressed outrage over his de
  
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• Hear Ice Cube on the Origins of ‘Fuck tha Police,’ N.W.A’s Founding and More

  13-06-2020 15:00 via rollingstone.com
  
  On the latest episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, Ice Cube looks back at his early days
  
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• Watch Metallica’s 2017 ‘Rock On The Range’ performance as part of new online series

  13-06-2020 14:37 via nme.com
  
  Metallica‘s headlining performance from 2017’s ‘Rock On The Range’ event has been shared as part of a new online series – watch the full concert below.
  Read more: Metallica’s new album – everything we know so far about the band’s 11th
  Concert organiser Danny Wimmer Presents launched ‘Offstage With DWP’ on Friday (June 12). It will feature never-before-seen festival performances, interviews, exclusive acoustic performances, and more
  
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• Rage Against The Machine re-enter US charts in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests

  13-06-2020 14:23 via nme.com
  
  Rage Against The Machine have re-entered the US charts following worldwide protests for racial equality in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
  Read More: “It’s a cry out for justice”: on the scene at London’s Black Lives Matter protest
  The band’s 1992 self-titled album has appeared at number 174 in the Billboard 200. It has also reached number eight in the iTunes album chart.
  The album’s Billboard chart peak came in 1994, when it reached number 45. In
  
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• Bruce Springsteen shares haunting performance of ‘Reason To Believe’ from 2005 live show

  13-06-2020 13:29 via nme.com
  
  Bruce Springsteen has shared a performance of his track ‘Reason To Believe’, recorded at a show in Stockholm in 2005.
  Read More: Bruce Springsteen – ‘Western Stars’ review
  The recording comes from Springsteen’s solo acoustic tour ‘Devils And Dust’, and has been shared as part of an ongoing series of archive performances he’s sharing as downloads online. You can take a listen below.
  ‘Reason To Believe’ originally appeared as the cl
  
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• Prince guitar thought to be lost expected to fetch over £1 million at auction

  13-06-2020 12:49 via nme.com
  
  A guitar used by Prince on his ‘Purple Rain’ tour is expected to fetch over £1 million when it goes to auction next week.
  Read more: 20 things you didn’t know about ‘Purple Rain’
  The custom electric blue instrument was one of four ‘cloud’ guitars used between 1984 and 1985 in support of the ‘When Doves Cry’ hitmaker’s seminal sixth studio album.
  It was also used throughout the ‘Parade’ tour in 1986, the ‘Sig
  
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• Liam Gallagher says he almost burnt down to Noel’s home

  13-06-2020 12:27 via nme.com
  
  Liam Gallagher has claimed that he once almost set fire to his brother and former bandmate Noel‘s home in Ibiza.
  Read More: Liam Gallagher – ‘MTV Unplugged’ review: live record offers warmth, hope and a sense of unity
  The singer was appearing on footballer Peter Crouch’s TV show Save Our Summer, where he discussed the incident which took place before Oasis‘ acrimonious 2008 split.
  “Our kid had a house [in Ibiza] once, years ago, which I nearly set fire t
  
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• Liam Gallagher says he almost burnt down Noel’s home

  13-06-2020 12:27 via nme.com
  
  Liam Gallagher has claimed that he once almost set fire to his brother and former bandmate Noel‘s home in Ibiza.
  Read More: Liam Gallagher – ‘MTV Unplugged’ review: live record offers warmth, hope and a sense of unity
  The singer was appearing on footballer Peter Crouch’s TV show Save Our Summer, where he discussed the incident which took place before Oasis‘ acrimonious 2008 split.
  “Our kid had a house [in Ibiza] once, years ago, which I nearly set fire t
  
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• Listen to Neil Young’s fiery new track ‘Vacancy’

  13-06-2020 11:19 via nme.com
  
  Neil Young has released a new song called ‘Vacancy’, the latest to be taken from ‘Homegrown’, his previously unreleased album due out next week – listen to it below.
  Read more: Neil Young and Crazy Horse – ‘Colorado’ review: loved-up ballads and doomsday reckoning
  The 12-track record, which Young describes as “the unheard bridge between ‘Harvest’ and ‘Comes A Time’, was recorded in 1975 but has never seen the light of
  
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• Aaron Carter engaged

  13-06-2020 11:00 via music-news.com
  
  The engagement news comes just days after the Aaron Carter confirmed he had reunited with Melanie during a livestream chat.
  
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• Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’ voted ‘The Ultimate 90s Album’ in BBC listener poll

  13-06-2020 10:57 via nme.com
  
  Radiohead‘s 1997 album ‘OK Computer’ has topped the BBC’s ‘Ultimate 90s Album’ listener poll, beating the likes of Oasis, Nirvana and R.E.M.
  Read More: We listened to all 18 hours of the ‘OK Computer’ leaks, and picked out these hidden gems
  Listeners of Fearne Cotton’s show ‘Sounds of the 90s’, broadcast on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, were asked to vote from a shortlist of albums compiled by a panel of music industry figures including
  
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• Ted Nugent says “Donald Trump was sent here by God”

  13-06-2020 10:32 via nme.com
  
  Ted Nugent has said that he thinks US president Donald Trump was “sent here by God.”
  Read more: Trump protest anthems: Our pick of the many, many anti-Trump songs
  Speaking in a new interview, the outspoken rocker explained why he loved Trump, why “hard-earned tax dollars” shouldn’t be used to pay for abortions, and he also called the director of the FBI “the biggest punk-ass crook in America.”
  “Donald Trump was sent here by God. Just like our
  
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• Kanye West celebtates Pharrell Williams's 'fearless' sense of style

  13-06-2020 09:40 via music-news.com
  
  Kanye West has credited Pharrell Williams with inspiring him to "break the mould" when it comes to clothes.
  
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• Alicia Keys always treats herself on her birthday

  13-06-2020 09:30 via music-news.com
  
  Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beatz always treat each other to luxury birthday gifts.
  
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• JAY-Z fighting to dismiss charges against peaceful protester

  13-06-2020 07:00 via music-news.com
  
  The rapper's lawyer Jordan Siev sent a letter to Charleston, South Carolina city officials a day after the arrest.
  
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• Blues singer Lady A upset with country trio's name change

  13-06-2020 07:00 via music-news.com
  
  Lady A is planning to take legal action to protect her business trademark for Lady A LLC.
  
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• Nicki Minaj Talks ‘Married Life’ & Being a Female in the Rap World With Lil Wayne

  13-06-2020 03:52
  
  Lil Wayne delivered another episode of his Young Money Radio on Apple Music Friday (June 12), featuring an all-star cast of guests including T-Pain, Nicki Minaj, Damien Lillard, Noreaga and Lil Duval.
  Weezy and his longtime pal, whom he introduced as “the First Lady of Young Money and the Queen of every f—ing thing,” delved into a chat about being a female in the rap game. Wayne recalled that when he signed Nicki to his label back in 2009, people told him not to sign
  
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• Bad Bunny Speaks Out in Support of Blacks Lives Matter: ‘Forgive My Silence’

  13-06-2020 02:56
  
  After going radio silent for a few weeks after he shared “bye, I left” on social media May 19, Bad Bunny has broken his silence and spoken out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
  In a poignant statement titled “Forgive Me” published in TIME magazine, the chart-topping artist asks his fans to forgive him for not speaking out sooner but, “I can’t even believe this is still happening. Maybe it’s because I’ve always seen people’s heart
  
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• Diplo, St. Vincent, Candace Owens, Don Lemon & More React to Dave Chappelle’s Netflix Comedy Special ‘8:46′

  13-06-2020 02:29
  
  Dave Chappelle had some raw but rigorous words to say about George Floyd’s murder in his Netflix comedy special 8:46 that was surprise-released on YouTube Thursday night (June 11).
  Titled after the amount of time former Officer Derek Chauvin spent kneeling on Floyd’s neck in Minnesota, the stand-up comedian discussed police brutality at length during his unrefined 27-minute segment. He also targeted some famous figures, including politically conservative commentator Candac
  
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• Lady Antebellum’s New Name, Lady A, Is Already Taken by a Black Blues Singer

  13-06-2020 02:17 via digitalmusicnews.com
  
  Yesterday, Digital Music News was first to report that Grammy-winning country band Lady Antebellum had changed its name to Lady A. However, it appears that the group failed to research the history of the title, which blues singer Anita White has been using for over two decades. The original Lady A – a 61-year-old African […]The post Lady Antebellum’s New Name, Lady A, Is Already Taken by a Black Blues Singer appeared first on Digital Music News.
  
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• Seattle Rapper Raz Simone Enjoys a Surge In Spotify Streams During CHAZ Takeover

  13-06-2020 02:07 via digitalmusicnews.com
  
  During his brief — and controversial — reign as a leader of CHAZ, Seattle rapper Raz Simone has enjoyed a surge in Spotify streams. Many hip-hop fans already knew about Raz Simone before Black Lives Matter protests took over American cities starting in late March.  The rapper enjoyed a touring stint with Macklemore, collaborations with […]The post Seattle Rapper Raz Simone Enjoys a Surge In Spotify Streams During CHAZ Takeover appeared first on Digital Music News.
  
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• Seattle Rapper Raz Simone Enjoys a Spotify Surge During CHAZ Takeover

  13-06-2020 02:07 via digitalmusicnews.com
  
  During his controversial reign as the ‘warlord’ leader of CHAZ, Seattle rapper Raz Simone has enjoyed a surge in Spotify streams. Many hip-hop fans already knew about Raz Simone before Black Lives Matter protests took over American cities starting in late March.  The rapper enjoyed a touring stint with Macklemore, collaborations with well-known rappers like […]The post Seattle Rapper Raz Simone Enjoys a Spotify Surge During CHAZ Takeover appeared first on Digital Music Ne
  
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