Month: March 2025

Joe Budden lets it all hang out on his namesake podcast. But the “Pump It Up” rapper’s neighbors say that free spirit mindset sometimes seeps out of his recording studio.

Back in December, Budden was charged with disorderly lewdness following an incident where his neighbor claimed he was “completely naked” in front of his property. Although the case has seemingly been dismissed, the matter isn’t completely over. According to TMZ, Joe Budden’s Edgewater, New Jersey neighbors John and Yuliya Aksoy have now filed a civil lawsuit against the media mogul.

In documents filed by their attorney Thomas Mirigliano, the couple accused Budden, Joe Budden Podcast co-host Melyssa Ford, and the condo association of colluding in a “campaign of intimidation and retribution.”

The Aksoy say after both filing a formal compliant with the condo association and confronting Budden about “excessive noise” during filmings and weed smoking in common areas they were slandered as racists both on his show and in-person.

Nima Ameri, Budden’s lawyer, doubled down on those allegations. In a statement proved to the outlet, Ameri slammed the Aksoy’s lawsuit as nothing but “a money grab attempt by a person we believe to be a racist.”

A hearing date has not yet been set in the matter.

Sometimes resistance requires rest. For Laura Jane Grace that meant stepping away from the public eye for a month. During the “Park Life Forever” musician’s songwriting retreat, Laura Jane Grace penned a new body of protest tunes.

This summer those songs will be made available on their new studio album, Adventure Club. Today (March 25), Laura Jane Grace shared another track from project, “Mine Is Mine.” Similar to Adventure Club‘s lead record, “Your God (God’s D*ck),” “Mine Me Mine” goal it to unabashedly call out corruption in all the places it exists.

“They found a way, they found a way / To make more money than they’ll ever need / And know that they have found a way / They’re gonna charge you double for everything / We serve ourselves, we serve ourselves / We see our god in nothing else / A righteous war, a bitter end / The eternal is limited,” sings the group.

For Laura Jane Grace, “Mine Is Mine” is just the tip of their mission’s iceberg. In a statement they outlined the goal for Adventure Club.

“’Adventure Club’ is frequently a record about learning to take up space, about feeling free to be yourself as the bullsh*t of our ahistoric moment mounts,” said the group. “Protest songs and personal tunes have never been a binary for Grace, and she delivers some of her most profound — and, yes, playful — work ever at that particular intersection here. But the most prominent thread through Adventure Club’s dozen tracks is one of evolution, of letting yourself become something new.”

Listen to Laura Jane Grace’s new single “Mine Not Mine” above.

Tracklist

1. “WWIII Revisited”
2. “Wearing Black”
3. “I Love To Get High”
4. “Active Trauma”
5. “New Years Day”
6. “Mine Me Mine”
7. “Your God (God’s D*ck)”
8. “F*ck You Harry Potter”
9. “Poison In Me”
10. “Espresso Freddie”
11. “Free Cigarettes”
12. “Walls”

Artwork

Adventure Club is due out 7/18 via Polyvinyl. Find more information here.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Erykah Badu revealed that she’s working on her first album in 15 years, one produced by Alchemist and Frank Ocean teased new music with help from his rumored boyfriend Payton Talbott. Coco Jones announced the European dates for her Why Not More? Tour while Jorja Smith joined Major League DJz for the shimmering “Come With Me.” Elsewhere, Nija made her 2025 entrance with her new single “32nd Floor” and Joy Crookes turned into a joy-wielding assassin for her “I Know You’d Kill” video.

Here are the new music releases you need to listen to:

Leon Thomas & Chris Brown — “Mutt (CB Remix)”

Leon Thomas continues his run as one of R&B’s hottest singers with a new remix of his beloved single “Mutt.” Chris Brown joins Thomas on the title track from the latter’s sophomore album Mutt which will see a deluxe reissue in the near future.

FLO & Chy Cartier — “Get It Till I’m Gone (Remix)”

With Access All Areas still in rotation and their upcoming tour set to kick off next month, FLO gives one of the standout tracks from their album a boost with a remix to “Get It Till I’m Gone” alongside UK rapper Chy Cartier, who delivers a charismatic verse to close the song.

Destin Conrad — “Delusional”

Destin Conrad’s debut album should be arriving in the near future, but until then, we can enjoy the album’s latest single, “Delusional.” The sultry record captures Destin in a state of yearning as he pleads for another intimate moment with someone he desires, despite them being in a relationship.

Nija — “32nd Floor”

Nija makes her entrance into 2025 with “32nd Floor.” The sultry record finds Nija taking the seductive route as she looks to slip away with her partner, who find themselves in a large Vegas crowd. The singer desires a more private space for an intimate moment, and she plans to get it by all means necessary.

Leven Kali — “Pieces”

Leven Kali’s alluring new single is the next step towards his upcoming project, and boy is it a good one. “Pieces” finds a balance between bringing flair and a relaxing breeze to the track as Kali extends an invitation for a night of making love and getting high.

Jastin Martin & Timbaland — “You Or Nobody”

After kicking off the year with “28 Degrees In Houston,” Houston singer Jastin Martin returns with a new song and a major co-sign. “You Or Nobody” arrives with production from Timbaland, who offers his signature drums to Martin, who uses them to drive home her message about being focused on one lover and no one else.

Luck & Phabo — “Done With You”

Rising singer Luck, who grew up in Connecticut, Virginia, and New York before settling in LA, teams up with fellow Cali resident Phabo for their new single “Done With You.” On it, Luck expresses her frustrations with her partner, played by Phabo, and her desire to walk away of their relationship. Phabo responds by making one last attempt to keep her around, but to no avail.

TheARTI$t — “Ghost”

New Jersey singer TheARTI$t checks into 2025 with “Ghost,” her first single of the year. The lovelorn record questions a former lover for their decision to walk away from their relationship without any warning. Though she’s accepted the circumstances, TheARTi$t admits that their departure has had some effects on her life.

Lizzie Berchie — “Love Deep” Feat. Filah Lah Lah

British-Ghanaian singer-songwriter Lizzie Berchie teams up with South Africa’s own Filah Lah Lah for their new record “Love Deep.” The song is one for the romantics in waiting as it hones in on the feelings of yearning, longing, and allowing oneself to receive and accept love. “I wanted to create a song that felt classic and nostalgic but still modern and true to my sound,” she said about the song in a press release. “I loved the sound of ‘You Don’t Know My Name’ (Alicia Keys) and ‘Need U Bad’ (Jazmine Sullivan), so I tried to emulate that sound”.

Joy Crookes — “I Know You’d Kill”

Joy Crookes’ return to the spotlight continues with her latest single “I Know You’d Kill.” For her third single of the year, Crookes pens a love letter to her manager to celebrate the unwavering trust they have for each other. “I Know You’d Kill” strikes as a truly stunning and vulnerable record, making for another great piece to her upcoming project.

Jordyn Simone — Remember When (Deluxe)

LA singer Jordyn Simone is just getting started in her current era. After releasing her debut EP Remember When in February, she’s back with its deluxe edition which adds two songs — “BAD4U” Feat. Ben Reilly and “Static” Feat. Gemaine — for more stories about the highs and lows of relationships.

In February, Swedish singer Yung Lean released “Forever Yung,” the first single from his upcoming album, Jonatan. As fans await the May 2nd release of the album, Lean shared the dates for his upcoming tour, which is named after the single.

The Forever Yung Tour is set to begin in Detroit in October, then jump to Prague to start November. Tickets for the tour will go on sale on Friday, March 28 at 10 AM local time, with artist presale starting on Wednesday, March 26. You can find more info here and see the tour dates below.

Jonatan is due on 5/2 via World Affairs. You can pre-save it here.

Yung Lean Forever Yung Tour Dates

10/04 – Detroit, MI @ Russell Industrial Center
10/07 – Chicago, IL @ Fairgrounds at Salt Shed
10/09 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
10/11 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
10/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
10/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Brooklyn Mirage
10/16 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston
10/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
10/19 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
10/20 – Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
11/09 – Prague, CZ @ Forum Karlin
11/10 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
11/12 – Berlin, DE @ Uber Eats Music Hall
11/13 – Warsaw, PL @ COS Torwar Hall
11/15 – Milan, IT @ Fabrique Milano
11/17 – Barcelona, ES @ Hivernacle
11/19 – Tilburg, NL @ 013 Poppodium
11/20 – Offenbach am Main, DE @ Stadthalle Offenbach
11/22 – London, UK @ OVO Arena Wembley
11/24 – Paris, FR @ Zénith Paris – La Villette
11/26 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester

NCIS: Origins debuted last October to further spin off the JAG spinoff franchise. That prequel series explored early days for emotional enigma Leroy Jethro Gibbs in investigating Naval-associated crimes. The Austin Stowell-starring show was renewed for a second season, and procedural junkies can now look forward to watching the love story of Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David further evolve in the next spin off coming to Paramount Plus.

That European-set series has finished filming, but viewers could use more specifics on the “when.”

Does NCIS: Tony & Ziva Have A Premiere Date Yet?

Nope. However, CBS Studios will push out this show sometime in 2025, and there’s a good chance that the news could surface on star Michael Weatherly’s Instagram account. And as with his clarification that filming had finished, he might even make the announcement via a bubble bath, which is totally something that DiNozzo might also do.

Whatever the case, we will eventually see the unlikely romantic duo re-team while both (finally) being present for their daughter, Tali, portrayed by Isla Gie. Cote de Pablo has also been upfront about his this season will dig into the uncomfortable issue of “trust,” which is certainly a concept that has been lacking when one party fakes their death. For a good cause? Yes, but still.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva will eventually stream on Paramount Plus.

Chicken sandwiches want for sauce. Chicken breast, even when fried, tends to be a bit dry and fast food brands know this, which is why they almost always slather their chicken sandos with mayo, comeback sauce, or special sauce — and then there is Chick-fil-A. All of Chick-fil-A’s sandwiches are completely sauceless, but their chicken is so tender, juicy, and expertly cooked that you don’t need it.

Does Chick-fil-A make our favorite chicken sandwich? No, but they come close, so what would happen if they actually did release a sandwich that comes all sauced up? Enter the new Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich. This new seasonal sandwich contains your choice of Chick-fil-A’s original, grilled, or spicy filet topped with bacon, Colby Jack cheese, green leaf lettuce, and a thick layer of smoky BBQ sauce.

It sounds like it’s going to be the brand’s messiest and most flavor-packed sandwich to date, so we had to find out. We tried the Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich to see if it’s worth taking a trip to Chick-fil-A, here are our thoughts.

Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I’ve tried all three variations on this sandwich, and they aren’t different enough to warrant separate reviews for each, so I’ll just say — go with the spicy filet. It’s hands down the best choice. The spicy filet is tender, juicy, and well-seasoned with a mix of black pepper, salt, and a hint of garlic and onion with a strong cayenne-pepper-backed hit on the backend.

That strong rush of spiciness that lingers on the palate is further elevated by Chick-fil-A’s very good, very smokey BBQ sauce. The sauce is fragrant and appetizing and begins sweetly before the smokey notes take over. Coupled with the seasoning of the chicken, this sandwich takes your tastebuds on a journey of shifting flavors that is impossible to deny.

All of that would be enough to significantly elevate the experience of eating a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, but we haven’t even gotten to the bacon! The bacon here is dusted in coarse crushed black pepper and brushed with brown sugar. The bacon doesn’t do much to add crunch to this sandwich (it’s pretty floppy as far as bacon goes), but that blend of brown sugar and pepper further deepens a lot of the flavors that are already present in the sauce and chicken seasoning, and adds some additional sweetness, and ups the savory aspect.

This is a near-perfect sandwich, the only real change I’d make is subbing out that Colby Jack cheese in favor of Pepper Jack.

The Bottom Line:

Smokey, sweet, spicy and savory, Chick-fil-A’s Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich is hands down the best sandwich on the entire menu. It’s a must-pick up and we hope it sticks around for a long time.

Netflix has a knack for spotting the occasional gut punch of a TV series that destroys viewers, who also cannot stop watching. Last year, that was the case with Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer, and about a year later, Adolescence stands as a successor to that devastating crown. Netflix’s latest self-reported viewership count exceeds 93 million hours streamed for the four-episode series, and of course, even the “limited series” label hasn’t stopped people from wondering whether there could be more.

Will There Be An Adolescence Season 2, Despite… You Know?

The series, which revolves around 13-year-old accused murderer Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), doesn’t leave ambiguity surrounding his actions or fate. Questions have swirled, however, on whether the show might further explore the story of victim Katie Leonard. Series creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (who also stars as Jamie’s father) have both fielded questions on whether this show could continue, possibly while exploring Katie’s life.

Officially? Adolescence probably will not continue, but it sounds like the door isn’t 100% closed to an anthologized approach. From someone.

In an interview with ITV’s This Morning (via The Independent), Jack Thorne expressed that he had no intent on making a second season. He declared, “Jamie’s story is finished,” and “I don’t think we’re the right people to tell Katie’s story.” Also, “I think there are other makers out there that could tell beautiful dramas about Katie or girls like Katie, and that those shows should be made.”

Still, Thorne would “love to explore the one shot format in another way. We’d love to tell other stories with it, but I don’t think a series two of Adolescence is quite right for us.”

As for Stephen Graham, he admitted to enjoying the thought of further “possibilities,” as he told IGN: “I don’t think I could say anything, but I like that sentence of ‘like an anthology series.’ Let’s just say, ‘Mm-hmm!’ The possibilities of that are – yes, there are possibilities of that.”

Additionally, Graham divulged to Tudum how they decided early on that Jamie’s story would begin and end in his bedroom (where he digested propaganda), which adds to the sense of finality.

That is to say, Adolescence is currently streaming in full on Netflix with no plans to continue. Yet since so many other “limited series” have turned into anthologies (HBO’s The White Lotus and Netflix’s Monster being only a few recent examples) you can bet that there have been or will be discussions on the subject.

Charli XCX‘s most-played song on Spotify as the sole lead artist isn’t “Von Dutch” or “360.” In fact, it’s not anything from Brat. It’s “Boom Clap,” from 2014’s Sucker (and the The Fault In Our Stars soundtrack!), with over 483 million streams. Charli seemingly hasn’t performed the song live since 2023, and based on a new Prime Video series, maybe it will be permanently retired.

Charli appears at the end of the teaser trailer for the college-set comedy Overcompensating. “Do you think I want to play f*cking ‘Boom Clap’ in a f*cking college?” she yells. “Are you joking?”

The “Guess” singer is also listed as an executive music producer for Overcompensating, which is created by Benito Skinner. It follows closeted former football player Benny (Skinner), who becomes friends with Carmen (Wally Baram), “a high school outsider on a mission to fit in at all costs,” according to the official logline. “With guidance from Benny’s older sister (Mary Beth Barone) and her campus-legend boyfriend (Adam DiMarco), Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavored vodka, and fake IDs.”

Here’s more:

“Deeply funny and personal, the show explores the lengths to which we all overcompensate while on the path to finding out who we really are.”

Overcompensating, which also stars Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaia Gerber, Owen Thiele, and Nell Verlaque, premieres on Prime Video on May 15.

I’ve written this before, but with the 2025 Dreamville Festival being the last, the fest is going out with a bang. In addition to a lineup headlined by Lil Wayne and the Hot Boys, the festival is going to have its largest food lineup to dat. The festival’s organizers increased the number of vendors by 30%, with half offering diverse diet-friendly options, selected from across North Carolina.
The festival, which returns to Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6, 2025, still has a very limited number of ticketsremaining. You can find more info here and the full food and drink lineup below.

1115 Fried Chicken (Fried Chicken)
716ersfood (Wings) ##
Birrieria El Patron 323 (Tacos)
Blaze’s Hot Chicken (Fried Chicken) ##
Buje Lemonade *** (Lemonade)
Bulldog Burgery (Burgers)
Bun’d Up (Baos)
Buoy Bowls (Acai Bowls & Smoothies) ##
Caribbean Kicker (Caribbean)
Chirba Chirba Dumpling (Asian)
Coast2Coast (Mac N Cheese)
Corndog Inc (Corn Dogs)
Cousins Maine Lobster (Seafood) ##
Daddy’s Dogs (Hot Dogs)
Dank Dogs (Hot Dogs)
Dave & Fran’s Chicken & Seafood Café (Soul Food)
Dragon Banh Mi (Asian)
Dre’s Water Ice and Ice Cream (Desserts)
Emmanuella’s Cuisine (Southern Comfort)
Favor Desserts Bakery (Desserts)
Fistful of Tacos (Tacos)
Flaming Wok (Asian)
Fly Rice (Asian)
FreeWheelin Pizzeria (Pizza)
Get BAKED Stuffed Pretzel Rolls (Pretzels)
Heady Hibachi (Asian)
Hebros Cheesesteak, Tenders and THE Triple Dog (Cheesesteaks & Hotdogs)
Hebros Gyros and More (Greek)
Island Noodles NC (Noodles)
Jolly’s Catering and Events(Wings) ##
Jumbo Quesadillas & Street Tacos (Tacos)
King of Pops Huntersville (Dessert)
Kokomo Joes (Caribbean)
Let’s Eat Soul Food (Southern Comfort) ##
Lobster Rolls & More (Seafood)
Lumpia Bros (Filipino-inspired Street Food)
Mac n’ Me (Mac N Cheese)
Mama Churros (Dessert)
Mao’s Bao (Baos)
Mazz ‘a’ Mia’s (Pizza) ##
Mike Nice Empanadas (Empanadas)
Mordisco Empanadas (Empanadas)
No Good Burger (Burgers)
Oak City Fish and Chips (Fish & Chips)
Oink N Moo (BBQ)
Palm Treez Smoothies (Smoothies)
Pizza Nova (Pizza) ##
Privei Gelato (Desserts)
Pure Soul (Vegan & Vegetarian)
SameODameO’s (Southern Comfort)
Serving & Swerving (Seafood)
SmashCity SmashBurgers (Burgers)
Smoke Stacks House of BBQ (BBQ)
SpaceBunz (Burgers & Sandwiches)
Tania’s Kitchen NYC (Tacos)
Tender Love ## (Fried Chicken)
The Dankery (Wings)
The Local Charlotte (Burgers, Wings & Sandwiches)
The Misfit Chef (Bowls/Asian)
The Shrimp Truck (Seafood)
Tica’s Tacos (Tacos)
Top Wing (Wings)
Ultimate Eggrolls (Asian)
Vybez Kitchen (Caribbean)
## Multiple locations onsite

Outside Lands has become one of the biggest things to look forward to during summer in the Bay Area for nearly two decades. Now, the tradition continues, as today (March 25), organizers have announced the lineup for the 2025 festival.

The 17th edition of the fest is going down at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park from August 8 to 10 and will be headlined by Tyler The Creator, Doja Cat, and Hozier. Other lineup highlights include Gracie Abrams, Doechii, Jamie xx, Vampire Weeknd, and Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals.

Tickets go on sale starting March 26 at 10 a.m. PT via the festival website.

Check out the full lineup, listed alphabetically, below.

Outside Lands 2025 Lineup

Alemeda
Alex Amen
Alexandra Savior
Almost Monday
Amelia Moore
Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
Arcy Drive
Armnhmr
Artemas
Atrip
Avatari
Baalti
Bakar
Banksia
Bay Ledges
Big Freedia with San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
BigXthaPlug
Black Coffee
bLAck pARty
Bleachers
Blond:ish
Bunt.
Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso
Claptone
Claude VonStroke
Destroy Boys
DJ Koze
DJ Mandy
DJ Pee .Wee
Doechii
Doja Cat
Dombresky
Fcukers
Finneas
Flipturn
Floating Points
Fujii Kaze
Gesaffelstein
Girl Math (VNSSA b2b Nala)
Glass Animals
Good Neighbours
Gracie Abrams
Hope Tala
Hozier
Infinite Jess
Inji
Jamie xx
Jessica Pratt
John Summit
Jorja Smith
julie
Julien Baker & Torres
Kate Bollinger
Klangphonics
LaRussell
Levity
Lexa Gates
Ludacris
Luna Li
Mannequin Pussy
Marina
Mark Ambor
Matt Champion
Mayer Hawthorne
Midnight Generation
Midrift
Naomi Sharon
Neal Francis
NewDad
Nimino
Notion
Nourished by Time
Orla Gartland
Paco Versailles
Rebecca Black
Role Model
Royel Otis
Sammy Virji
Sarah Kinsley
Still Woozy
The Army, The Navy
Thundercat
TxC
Tyler The Creator
Vampire Weekend
Vansire
Vincent Lima
Walker & Royce
Wallows
Wasia Project
Wunderhorse
&friends
2hollis