Featured Blog Posts – May 2017 Archive (103)

Russell Wilson will return to host Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports Awards this summer, Variety has learned. The annual award show will air on Sunday, July 16.

Along with announcing the Seattle Seahawks quarterback as host, the network unveiled the full list of nominees.

“Super excited and honored to three-peat and host Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2017,”…

LeBron James’ Los Angeles home was the target of a suspected hate crime, TMZ reported Wednesday.

According to the website, the LAPD and neighborhood patrol responded early Wednesday to James’ home, where the word “n—r” was spray-painted on the front gate.…

August Alsina says he’s struggling with a liver disease.

The 24-year-old hip-hop star says in an interview with Jada Pinkett Smith that he posted on Instagram that he has an autoimmune disorder affecting his liver. He says in the caption of the post that he’s “sicker than ever” and he’s having a hard time accepting what his doctors are telling him.…

Former Epic Records chairman and CEO Antonio “LA” Reid, who left the company amid accusations of sexual harassment earlier this month, has pulled out of his scheduled keynote talk at the MIDEM conference in Cannes, France, Variety has learned.

The industry confab, which spotlights the international music business, takes place from June 6 – 9; Reid’s keynote was to…

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Drake did not violate copyright law when he sampled a spoken word track from a 1982 jazz record.

The estate of musician Jimmy Smith filed suit in 2014, alleging that Drake had violated its copyright to “Jimmy Smith Rap,” from Smith’s 1982 album “Off the Top.” On the original track, Smith relates a bit about the recording of the album…

Kevin Hart might be small, but he certainly is mighty.

The 37-year-old comedic star is just 5 feet 4, but his dreams are much larger. Hart appears on the cover of this week’s Variety and opens up about his ultimate goal: to be the Oprah Winfrey of comedy. Over the years, Hart has befriended the iconic talk show host, Jay Z and Tyler Perry, all of whom the “Ride Along”…

Lauryn Hill and Nas will be taking their legendary sounds and infectious tunes on the road together for their North American tour. The Live Nation experience will begin on Sept. 7 in Chicago, and the tour will will feature comedian Hannibal Buress and reggae artist Chronixx on various dates.…

The hills have eyes. And a new set of them just moved in.

Singer-songwriter The Weeknd recently purchased a home in the posh enclave of Hidden Hills, CA, according to TMZ. The final sale price? $20 million.

The nine-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion is a massive 13,391 square feet and sits on a 2.94 acre lot. Once you step inside the estate, a 25-foot grand entry…

Lil Wayne’s daughter, Reginae Carter, plans on making a name for herself apart from her famous father.

The 18-year-old appears on “Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta,” but says having a famous dad is not all it is cracked up to be. “I had a friend, and I trusted her and everything, but she turned around and backstabbed me,” she said.…

One of Jay Z’s business partners, Juan Perez, is being sued by the landlord of the West 27th Street recording studio where Jay Z, Beyoncé, 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez and Kanye West have all made music.

Perez, co-founder and former manager of Jay Z’s 40/40 Club and now president of Roc Nation Sports, was the guarantor of the five-year lease that Roc the Mic LLC signed in…

Consider any beef between Ludacris and Drake officially squashed.

Ludacris confirmed he and his fellow big-name rapper are on good terms — a few days after Drake told the "Number One Spot" artist he has "a lot of love" for him during the Billboard Music Awards.

"Yeah, everything is good," Ludacris told the Daily News in a recent interview.

Drake brought…

Actor Jamie Foxx is under fire for mocking sign language during his recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

The Oscar winner was a guest on Thursday night’s show to promote the premiere of his new FOX game show “Beat Shazam.”

At point, while Fallon was throwing to a commercial, Foxx sat making gestures with his hands, like if he was…

Jaden Smith’s stay at Toronto’s Four Season hotel was anything less than comfortable, the actor ranted on Twitter.

“The Four Seasons in Toronto just made me want to throw up on myself,” Smith, 18, barked on Saturday in a short rant targeting the luxury hotel.

“I hope the Four Seasons in Toronto puts me on the no stay list,” he continued before giving details…

Jay Z’s music streaming service Tidal has confirmed the departure of Jeff Toig, its third chief executive in two years. “As part of Tidal’s continued expansion this year we will be announcing a new CEO in the coming weeks,” the company said in a statement to Billboard. “We wish [Toig] all the best in his future endeavors.”

Toig took over as CEO in January 2016 and has…

Previously featuring Kanye West, Mary J. Blige recruits a different rap star for her "Love Yourself" video. The newly released version of the track -- which appears on her 13th studio album, Strength of a Woman -- includes an assist from A$AP Rocky in the visual.

According to Complex, the clip was shot by directors Taj and Dre in both Los Angeles and New York City.…

PUMA and Coogi are back at it again, this time releasing two limited edition versions of the sneaker brand's classic Clyde sneaker in honor of The Notorious B.I.G. The two iterations feature Coogi's iconic Australian knit, known as the "Biggie Colorway", which is hand stitched so no two pairs are alike. The design was made famous in the '90s by the rapper himself.…

Though Ice Cube's hands are pretty full with the planning of his final installment of Friday and the inaugural season of his BIG3 basketball league, his love for music still remains a priority. On Thursday (May 25), Interscope Records announced the signing of the West Coast legend to their label.

"We are thrilled to announce that Ice Cube has joined the…

Future's monstrous year has just gotten even better. On Tuesday, (May 23) the Atlanta mega-star enlisted Kendrick Lamar for the remix of his buzzing single "Mask Off."

The Compton MC doused the Metro Boomin'-produced track with a fiery verse, while Future kept his original vocals intact. "How y'all let a conscious n---a go commercial/ While only makin' conscious…

A woman who said she was assaulted at rapper 50 Cent‘s Connecticut mansion in 2009 has dropped a lawsuit against him and his G-Unit Film & Television production company.

Court records show Vasti Ortiz withdrew the lawsuit in Hartford Superior Court on Wednesday. There was no settlement or payout.

Her lawyer did not return messages Thursday seeking…

It looks like Drake won’t be the only rap superstar gracing the stage at the NBA’s inaugural awards show. Today, Turner and the association announced Nicki Minaj will perform at the 2017 NBA Awards when TNT airs the event on Monday, June 26 at 9 p.m. EST.

Fresh off a dazzling, multifaceted performance at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, Nicki should keep the audience…