Back in 2023, Pras Michel was found guilty of money laundering, campaign finance violations, acting as an unregistered agent for China, concealment and false record keeping, witness tampering, and more.

Since then, the famed Fugees member and producer has fought to be granted another trial. But according to reports, his legal team has taken another approach to secure his freedom.

In an exclusive piece, The Hollywood Reporter claims Pras Michel (real name Prakazrel Michel) could soon be granted a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Michel’s publicist Erica Dumas shared a statement with the outlet seemingly confirming the supposed plan.

“[Pras Michel’s legal team] is exploring all available options following his case. We remain optimistic about potential paths forward,” she said.

Although The White House, President Trump, nor Michel himself have addressed the report, supporters certainly believe it could be a possibility. During Michel’s money laundering trial many of Trump’s affiliated officials were named on the case’s witness list, including then chief of staff John Kelly, former national security adviser H.R. McMaster, former deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, RNC deputy finance chair Elliott Broidy, and several lobbyist.

Broidy pled guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent working for Chinese and Malaysian interests in 2020. However, he was pardoned by Trump the following year.

In the words of Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter is simply a Beyoncé album. However, that hasn’t quashed the debate around its genre classification. While the project, which features tracks like “Texas Hold ‘Em, ⁣” “16 Carriages,” and “II Most Wanted,” was notable missing from the CMA Awards nominations list it has been recognized in other industry spaces.

Tomorrow (February 2), Cowboy Carter will battle it out in several categories at the 2025 Grammys. But, not everyone is pleased with its nominations in the country music categories (Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album). Well, that does not include Kelsea Ballerini. During her recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Fierce: Women in Music hosted by Lori Majewski, the country music darling expressed her full support of Cowboy Carter.

When asked about the project’s nominations, Ballerini defended Cowboy Carter. “That category, to me, represents what country music has been this year, and that’s what the album of the year category should represent,” she said. “What has happened in country music and been successful in groundbreaking this year. I don’t really understand the other opinions other than like, it’s amazing to have huge, respected artists and other genres come in and celebrate ours.”

He added: “I don’t understand why that would be anything but great. You don’t have to be a country artist to make a country record. Those don’t have to exist in the same plane.”

Listen to Kelsea Ballerini’s full appearance on SiriusXM’s Fierce: Women in Music here.

Kanye West (Ye) appears to be closing the chapter on several longstanding legal fights. According to AllHipHop, the “Carnival” rapper has wrapped up one of his copyright infringement cases.

Based on documents obtained by the outlet, Ye and Bishop David Paul Moten have reached an agreement over their legal dispute surrounding the 2021 album, Donda. Back in 2022, Bishop Moten sued Ye for using a portion of his 2011 sermon titled “Thank God For Saving Me,” within the track “Come To Life.”

Bishop Moten called out Ye and his labels (Def Jam Recordings, UMG Recordings, Inc., and G.O.O.D. Music) lifted the religious teaching without his expressed permission. But after years of duking it out, on January 30, all parties have found a middle ground. Following that settlement, the presiding judge reportedly dismissed the case with prejudice.

At this time, details surrounding the agreement (whether there was a financial payout, apology, song modification, etc.) has not been disclosed to the public. However, sources say everyone involved is happy to put this legal matter behind them.

Although this courtroom saga seems to be over, Ye is still facing similar suits tied to other Donda tracks. Ye has not released a statement regarding the supposed “Come To Life” agreement.

Finesse2Tymes could be on the legal hook for a series of unfortunate events. According to TMZ, the “Back End” rapper (real name Ricky Hampton) is at the center of a new lawsuit by a former employee.

In a filing obtained by the outlet, Finesse2Tymes and others are being sued by the “Shiesty” musician’s ex-driver Ernest Flores. Flores claims that their failure to provide adequate security personnel resulted in him being shot in the head on June 18, 2023.

At that time, Flores says Finesse2Tymes and parties responsible for booking him as a featured performer at Hot 107.9’s Birthday Bash Weekend concert after-party ignored “the risk of criminal activity” and the venue’s (Atlanta’s Cosmopolitan Premier Lounge) capacity guidelines. As a result of the alleged dismissal of these concerns, attendees including Finesse2Tymes’ street team of employees were put in the cross-hairs of a tragic shoot out (viewable here).

Fortunately, Flores survived being struck in the head with a stray bullet shot in the head. However, in the documents he argued that the incident has left him permanently scared both physically and mentally.

Flores has supposedly sued Finesse2Tymes and others involved in the event’s planning for emotional trauma, pain and suffering, as well as financial reimbursement for the medical bills he incurred.

At this time, Finesse2Tymes has not issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit.

Black Doves isn’t simply a spy thriller set around Christmas. Sure, series creator Joe Barton wrote this show during the holidays, and he wanted to do something “spy-y,” but this spy-assassin story stands apart due to the framework of a gorgeous friendship. Helen (Keira Knightley) and Sam (Ben Whishaw) have an unconditional platonic love, and they share the special type of bond known to women with gay male best friends. Their bond also relies on shared secrets and a unique understanding of their double lives, and dammit, Knightley and Whishaw have superb chemistry together, too.

Netflix did renew Black Doves shortly before series launched in early December, so let’s get down to (spy) business on what we can expect next.

Plot

For starters, many instances of “hello darling” must happen.

We can also probably expect Black Doves to stick with a six-episode structure for the second season. Also, the first season finale saw Sam act out the vengeance on Helen’s behalf, and they were then (amusingly) seen enjoying Christmas dinner with her family. A second season, however, means that this peace will not last, especially with Sam having recommitted to a life of crime and Helen taking a gamble that Reed won’t try to have her killed again.

What next? Not so fast with assurances of safety, Helen. For starters, Barton confirmed fan suspicions (to Hollywood Reporter) that Helen and Wallace’s nanny, Marie, is an embedded spy for Reed, which suggests that Reed and her “machinations” can never fully be trusted. Additionally, Sam and Helen will remain in each other’s lives, which will be slightly easier now that Wallace has been introduced to Sam as Helen’s friend. That won’t make Helen’s double-duty less awkward while juggling family and espionage.

Keeping with that line of thought, Barton emphasized that Helen’s “look” in the finale revealed that “there’s still a duplicitousness about her … she’s still this other person and the two sides of her haven’t gone away.” And the “platonic love story” between Helen and Sam will remain central to this show’s appeal. Barton added, “There’s a specific relationship, I think, between a gay man and a straight woman, and that interesting dynamic, which you occasionally see,” and “the relationships were our way” into the overall story.

Barton also revealed to Netflix how Helen will also find herself “getting pulled deeper into the world of spies having been so close to leaving.” This will happen as Wallace’s career reaches new heights, possibly even at “10 Downing Street,” meaning that he could become prime minister, which would mean that Helen and Sam’s exploits would become more “dangerous and challenging” to pull off.

Release Date

A release date remains secret for now, but Joe Barton did tell Hollywood Reporter that he would prefer to make the second season a holiday story as well, but that there isn’t enough time to make it happen in late 2025, and it would “just be too long” to “make people wait two years for the Christmas after that.” As a result, “I think inevitably it’s not going to be a Christmas show” when Black Doves returns.

Ben Whishaw recently spoke with Collider, and what transpired suggests that mid-2026 seems probable. As Whishaw described the matter, second season filming is “six months, or seven months away, or something.” Furthermore, “It’s not written,” so he has no idea what will happen, but this actually sounds like what the plan was for the first season, too.

“[I]t wasn’t very written when we did the first season. I was quite terrified because there were not really scripts,” he admitted. “There were scripts, but this was particularly sailing close to the wire. So, somehow, it came together.” Yes it did, darlings.

Cast

Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw will return as Helen and Sam, respectively. Andrew Buchan (as Wallace Webb) and Sarah Lancashire (as Reed) will remain pivotal, along with Molly Chesworth (as Marie). Omari Douglas hasn’t been confirmed to be back as Michael, and the character likely will not be seen again after Sam’s choice to take a new job in the criminal underworld. Andrew Koji also probably will not return unless the series still needs a ghostly Jason to fuel Helen’s taste for vengeance elsewhere.

Trailer

In the absence of footage yet, watching Keira and Ben discuss the “hello darling” and juxtaposition of genres should satisfy those who love this show.

This year began with an array of returning and new TV shows, and guess what? February will be no different. Wilderness survivors, legal movers and shakers, and warring dojos are on tap with much more to offer from both the streaming services and networks.

Here are the must-see shows for February 2025.

Cobra Kai: Season 6 Part 3 (Netflix series 2/13)

This series mastered the practice of harnessing several generations like no other show on TV today. The story will also eventually lead into Karate Kid: Legends, but first, the dojos must reckon with the unresolved Sekai Taikai tournament after the death of Kwon. That competition is, of course, merely a framework for lingering beefs, and Daniel LaRusso has been distracted by the tarnishing of Mr. Miyagi’s legacy, but he had better get it together because Terry Silver’s villainy will not quit. In all seriousness, the heightened reality of this karate soap will be missed, as will the ensemble cast who gave us so much and enjoyed these warrior battles while always keeping a little something in the back pocket for the final showdowns.

Yellowjackets: Season 3 (Showtime series 2/14)

After that second season finale, adult Nat has met her end, which will add another layer after younger Nat received the Antler Queen crown back in the woods. That is to say, the stakes remain high in both timelines as Shauna, Misty, Taissa, Van, and Lottie continue their present-day struggles. No word has surfaced yet on the identity of Hilary Swank’s new character, but she really doesn’t look like she’s having a fun time in the above teaser. This survival series still hasn’t revealed secrets about the show’s opening scene, so fingers crossed that this will actually happen soon, but in the meantime, at least we know that the soundtrack will keep throwing out bangers.

The White Lotus: Season 3 (HBO series 2/16)

Well, this satiric series kills somebody every season, but this time, creator Mike White really means it. The show will head to Thailand for “a satirical and funny look at death and eastern religion and spirituality,” and of course Jennifer Coolidge’s character cannot return this year. Instead, this season’s connecting thread will be Natasha Rothwell, and characters who might or might not die will be portrayed by Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, and Parker Posey. Good luck, y’all.

Zero Day: Season 1 (Netflix series 2/20)

Let’s be honest. It’s an unspoken rule that if an allegorical movie or series is being made, and it involves anything slightly related to our current political situation, then Jesse Plemons must appear. That series checks this box and co-stars Robert De Niro (as an ex-president who helps trace a deadly cyberattack after it kills thousands of U.S. citizens) along with Lizzy Caplan, Angela Bassett, and Matthew Modine and hails from Narcos creator Eric Newman, who never compromises on delivering impactful stories with layers lurking behind their visual flair.

Reacher: Season 3 (Prime Video/Amazon series 2/20)

Alan Ritchson’s Big Guy will surface in Maine to go undercover this season (while adapting Lee Child’s Persuader novel), and sure, that sounds unreasonable for a 6’5″ character, but this show is always fully in on the joke, so we’ll just roll with it. Additionally, Reacher will get smacked around by an even Bigger Guy portrayed by 7’2″ tall Oliver Ritchers, known IRL as “The Dutch Giant.” Man, Neagley is going to have to whip out the arsenal to rescue our hero this time, but this crowd-pleasing adaptation hasn’t missed yet, and this season’s main baddie will be embodied by Anthony Michael Hall. Will Reacher have a new “love interest,” too? Naturally, and that role was scooped up by Sonya Cassidy.

Surface: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series 2/21)

Apple TV+ enjoyed Gugu Mbatha-Raw in The Morning Show so much that they gave her a show to lead. This psychological thriller will follow Sophie’s further unravelling of her past by embedding in the upper echelon of British social circles. This series co-stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who has been great in so many projects (including The Haunting Of Hill House, The Invisible Man, and heck, even Faster) but really should receive more attention, and this series is flat-out gorgeous to behold.

A Thousand Blows: Season 1 (Hulu series 2/21)

Yeah, I know. The Peaky Blinders movie cannot come soon enough, but while we wait, Steven Knight has a new gangster show coming. This series will dive into the underground boxing in 1880s Victorian London, but equally important will be a showcase for another historically reigning gang, the Forty Elephants. This entirely female crime syndicate shoplifted, blackmailed, and seduced to gather loot, which they sold while amassing riches, and considering how Knight crafted the gloriously bonkers Tatiana, watching his take on an entire gang of crafty ladies should be quite a treat. Again, plenty of testosterone will also be on display, including a slight Peaky crossover with Hayden Stagg actor Stephen Graham on hand as formidable fighter Sugar Goodson. Did Graham bulk up for the role? You’d better believe it, and one of the more promising aspects of Knight writing a historically-based series is that he will not sacrifice story for the sake of nitpicky accuracy. Because it was entertaining to kill Billy Kimber before his time, Knight damn well did it, and that same gleeful mayhem is guaranteed in this show, too.

1923: Season 2 (Paramount+ series 2/23)

The ranch is under siege, just like new-times. However, Jacob and Cara Dutton’s story has more to resolve in this second and final season. An especially harrowing winter will also hammer down on Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren’s characters while Brandan Sklenar’s Spencer becomes ever more important to both the plot and the Dutton family tree. Landman star Michelle Randolph will return as Elizabeth Strafford (looking very armed this season), and Taylor Sheridan’s most enduring prequel series will soon hand the reins to The Madison and perhaps another Yellowstone spin off starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser as Beth and Rip, respectively. We’re also currently sitting in the only time period in a handful of years that hasn’t had a Taylor Sheridan show currently running, so when this baby drops, expect Paramount+ to feel the streaming pressure.

Suits: LA: Season 1 (NBC series 2/23)

Thanks to Netflix and bingewatchers everywhere, Suits Fever will continue. This spin off will revolved around a firm led by Ted Black, portrayed by Stephen Amell (Heelz), and his partner, Stewart Lane, portrayed by Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead). The series will begin with the established entertainment-and-criminal law firm in a rocky place, and Ted will call in a trusted old friend to help make things right. That would be Harvey Specter, portrayed by the one-and-only Gabriel Macht. This spin off has paused production due to the LA fires (after recently moving their home base out of Vancouver), but all systems are still a go for the Feb. 23 debut and some IRL famous clientele coming in the near and more distant future. In other words, more legal dramedy will soon be upon us.

Invincible: Season 3 (Prime Video/Amazon series 2/6)

No rest for Mark Grayson. Steven Yeun’s superhero will enter his Blue Suit era (and possibly lean into darkness for real) this season while Walton Goggins’ Cecil will gain a backstory and completely lose Mark’s patience. This season should also deliver more of JK Simmons’ Nolan, and this series could grow positively cataclysmic ahead of the already renewed fourth season. The slow-burn aspect did drag the series down during the second season, and viewers will not be mad to see less teasing and more development. The same goes for House of the Dragon‘s pulled second season punches, so perhaps there’s a lesson there for the streaming future.

The New Orleans Pelicans came into the 2024-25 season with high hopes of building on a 49-win season a year ago that saw them finish seventh in the West. Unfortunately, they have become this year’s cursed team when it comes to injuries, as all of their top six players have missed at least 13 games already this season and they find themselves 12-37 and 14th in the West currently.

On Friday, the Pelicans faced the Boston Celtics and saw another one of their stars go down with injury. After eight minutes of play, Dejounte Murray was injured going for an offensive rebound and immediately left for the sideline with what turned out to be a torn Achilles that will end his season, as reported and confirmed by Shams Charania, Chris Haynes, and Will Guillory. Murray arrived in New Orleans this summer in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks and was averaging 17.9 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per game in his 30 appearances coming into Friday. Murray missed time to start the season after fracturing his hand in the team’s opener.

The Pelicans are already without Herbert Jones indefinitely due to a torn labrum in his shoulder and Brandon Ingram due to an ankle injury, and now add Murray to that list. Zion Williamson missed Friday’s game with a stomach illness and has only played in 13 games this season due to a lengthy absence from a hamstring injury. With the trade deadline approaching on Thursday, the Pelicans will have to figure out their long-term priorities and how those align with this season’s needs for a team ravaged by injuries and now without their starting point guard for the remainder of the season.

The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from EST Gee, Nardo Wick, and Will Smith.

Sounds like an odd combo, right? After all, Will Smith has largely been recognized as the paragon of wholesome, family-friendly blockbuster soundtrack rap, while those other guys often sound like rap is just something to do between various capital crimes. But that’s hip-hop for you; as a genre it spans a dizzying range of contexts and styles, many of which were represented this week.

For instance, here’s Latto teaming up with fellow ATLien Playboi Carti on a remixed version of her Sugar Honey Iced Tea song “Blick Sum.” They may be from the same city, but their styles form a sweet-and-sour blend.

Gelo Ball and his brothers continued to expand on the success of their throwback-sounding hit “Tweaker,” despite all of them being toddlers at the height of that style’s success.

Meanwhile, Nardo Wick, who is usually out for blood on his hits, shows his versatility with the tender “I Wonder.”

Larry June, 2 Chainz, and The Alchemist gave fans something to look forward to, announcing their upcoming joint album Life Is Beautiful with the video for “I Been.”

And hey, Will Smith, he of the Big Willie style and hefty Hollywood paychecks, revisits one of his few career missteps alongside Big Sean in the video for “Beautiful Scars,” showing he can still get serious — especially when it comes to showing off his rap chops.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending January 31, 2025.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

EST Gee — I Ain’t Feeling You

The Louisville native last released a full length project in 2023, with El Toro 2. In the year since, he’s laid low while building up an impressive arsenal of street rap anthems, which he unleashes here. All of the album’s features (Lil Baby, Rylo Rodriguez, Travis Scott, Veeze) are focused onto just two tracks, allowing him to hold court on his own.

Madlib & MF DOOM — Madvillainy Demos

Not so much a “new” release as a (mostly) unheard one, this compilation collects the demos for the groundbreaking collab album that leaked a few months before its release in 2005. Remastered and featuring the original beats and lyrical treatments that were later tweaked for the official drop, Madvillainy Demos is a peak behind the curtain at the creative process that led to one of the most beloved albums from two of hip-hop’s under-the-radar favorites.

MIKE — Showbiz!

Showbiz! is MIKE’s tenth album, and a testament to the enduring impact of projects like Madvillainy. Somewhere in the mid-aughts, a crop of young MCs inspired by DOOM’s murky abstractions took up the masked menace’s mantle and ran with it, turning DOOM-core into its own subgenre within the indie rap scene. Growing up alongside names like Earl Sweatshirt, ZelooperZ, and other adherents of “weird but lyrically adept” rap, MIKE displays the full range of his skills here.

Pink Siifu — Black!Antique

The itinerant producer takes a thrash metal approach to his beat making on his latest, which opens with a blast of distorted sound and whips the listener through a psychedelic daydream that occasionally drifts into the realm of nightmares (kinda like the experience of “being Black in America” amiright?). A slew of collaborators runs the gamut from thrash-rap band Ho99o9 to Dungeon Family poet Big Rube.

Vayda — Vaytrix Reloaded

Speaking of weird, abstract styles, recent years have seen the inception and ascension of what I like to call “motormouth rap” — a sort of adjunct/reaction to mumble rap. Instead of slurring and blurring their bars together into a soupy sing-song, these hyperverbal MCs spit as many words as they can in a cluttered, often-rushed, rarely-inflected jumble. It’s a little like watching jugglers do their thing but with knives and swords. Anyway, Vayda is just one of this crop, and Vaytrix Reloaded is an updated version of the project she put out last year. It’s a very punk approach, keeping rap’s rebellious edge intact by flying in the face of established mores.

Young Dro & Zaytoven — 10 Piece Hot

Before today, I didn’t even know this was in the works, but projects named after chicken wing combos have yet to let me down. It helps that this one is produced by one of Atlanta’s foremost trap hitmakers (isn’t weird how most of the guys you can say this about aren’t actually from Atlanta?), with the vocals handled by one of its most colorful and creative picture painters.

Singles/Videos

BabyDrill — “Wicked West”

The hard-charging Atlanta upstart continues to pick up steam this week with a sinister anthem that lives up to his name.

BabyTron — “Lunch Break Freestyle”

The witty Detroit jokester dropped a five-song EP, Song Wars, today, but this diversion from Lyrical Lemonade displays Tron at his best.

D Smoke — “I’m Winnin’” Feat. Davion Farris & DreTL

The Inglewood evangelist often works with his brothers SiR and Davion, but on his latest, he shines some light on the latest Rhythm + Flow winner, DreTL.

Driew — “Don’t Know” Feat. Ab-Soul

There isn’t a whole lot of information out there about this Long Beach-bred artist, but he’s been dropping music on YouTube for a few years, and it’s all pretty solid. The co-sign from Ab-Soul could do a lot toward getting his name out there.

Fly Anakin — “My N****” Feat. Quelle Chris, $ilkmoney & Big Kahuna OG

Richmond, Virginia is well-known for being a rap town, but Fly Anakin has been on a mission to change that, along with his Mutant Academy collective.

Lelo — “A&G”

I highlighted Lelo last week, and you sorta have to respect the drive for the kid to put out another video in such a short span. If he’s looking to flood the lane, it could help him overcome the shortcomings I previously noted.

OhGeesy — “Babygirl” Feat. Lil Tjay

The Shoreline Mafia standout has been working on his pen game, and it shows on this take on Fabolous’ 2003 hit “Can’t Let You Go.”

Sturdyyoungin, Ohthatsmizz & Zeddy Will – “Trippin”

Sometimes, a track is just fun. Sturdyyoungin and his friends seem like they’re having a ball here, and you have to hand it to them for convincing Fergie to appear in the video after sampling her for the New Orleans bounce-esque beat. Also, we need more charming, popular-kid rappers making party music — especially if OGs of the form like Will Smith and LL Cool J are refocusing on “BARS, SON!”

If you’ve been wondering what Solange has been up to since dropping her last album (2019’s When I Get Homeem>) and you’ll happen to be in the Los Angeles area between February 16 and May 4, you can check out her new film project, Shakersss, which she announced will be screening at Los Angeles’ Museum Of Contemporary Art. You can check out a preview of the film, which appears to be half documentary, half home movie, here.

If Solange’s latest effort feels like a sudden left turn, you haven’t been paying attention. The iconoclastic star has made a living of juking the musical establishment’s expectations, even when she’s writing new music. For instance, last February she revealed that she has been learning and composing for a new instrument: Tuba. “I can only imagine the eye rolls from people being like, ‘This b*tch hasn’t made an album,’” she joked in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.

She also scored the New York City Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala and premiered a four-act live performance at Volume Fest at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In other words, she’s still doing her thing, just unconstrained by the boundaries of the recording industry and “dropping an album.” She and Rihanna would probably have a lot to talk about.

Solange’s latest short film is part of a MOCA program called culture:LAB: Womxn in Windows / American Gurl: home—land and will also feature works from five other artists. You can get tickets and find more info here.

Earlier this week Lady Gaga announced her forthcoming studio album, Mayhem. Although the project won’t be released until March 7, the “Disease” singer found a way to sneak out a potential track from the body of work.

Yesterday (January 30), during the FireAid LA Benefit Concert, Gaga ended her headlining set with a song premiere. With her time on stage dwindling down, Gaga announced her new song, which has been referred to as “All I Need Is Time.” The record is precious to her not only because it is a fresh addition to her catalog, but it was also co-written with her finance Michael Polansky.

“Me and my friend Michael — my fiancé, my love — we wrote this song for you,” she said. “It’s just for tonight. It’s just for you. I think we all need a lot of things right now, but I think something we may also need is time. Time is a healer.”

While Polansky is known for his philanthropic work and business dealings, based on users online’s response to the track, he could have a successful career as a songwriter.

Watch the full stream of the FireAid LA Benefit Concert courtesy of Netflix above.

Mayhem is out 3/7 via Streamline/Interscope. Find more information here.