Category: Worldwide

Nowadays, musicians and wrestling go hand in hand–at least over in WWE’s realm. Yesterday (January 27), that entertainment bridge continued during Monday Night Raw. When the beloved late night program made a stop at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, the city’s most popular rapper were sure to snag a ringside seat.

As the camera’s panned the audience, it quickly caught glimpses of hometown heroes Lil Baby, 2 Chainz, Quavo, Killer Mike, and Lil Yachty.

Throughout the night, many of the recording artists were incorporated into the show. For example, Lil Yachty found himself in a tense exchange with The New Day’s Xavier Woods after he was called out for trolling him wearing a “The New Day sucks” t-shirt. However, following the group’s not-so-nice remarks about fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, viewers consider it necessary retribution. For the most part, the taping kept thing family friendly.

However, the same could not be said of WW Monday Night Raw’s Netflix debut. The special guest for the evening was Travis Scott. Instead of hitting the ring himself, he decided to serve as Jey Uso’s match escort. Scott left some viewers at home hot and bothered when he decided to enjoy a few pulls from a blunt. But Triple H just laughed it off.

Last year, Pharrell Williams’ music festival Something In The Water faced several hurdles. After being forced to cancel the 2024 installment due to weather conditions, the team weren’t able to lock in a new date. Ultimately, Something In The Water 2024 was canceled but promised to return in 2025.

Today (January 27), based on a recent report Something In The Water 2025 is already on rocky grounds. On X (formerly Twitter), Brett Hall, a WAVY TV 10 reporter, claimed that the festival’s hosting agreement with the city of Virginia Beach was officially terminated.

“The City of Virginia Beach will be terminating the Something In The Water agreement,” he wrote. “Festival will not happen in Virginia Beach this year.”

To support his claim, Hall shared a screenshot of what appears to be an internal announcement sent to local media. Read the statement below.

While the City values the positive impact and visibility the Something In The Water festival has had on Virginia Beach in years’ past, regretfully organizers did not meet the cure notice requirements. In terms of next steps, SITW team will receive an official termination notice from the City.

If true this would not be the first time Something In The Water was held outside of Pharrell’s hometown. Back in 2022, the event was held in Washington, DC, which Pharrell credited to the Virginia Beach mayor and other elected officials’ “toxic energy” after his cousin, Donovon Lynch, was fatally shot by local police.

At this time Pharrell has not yet addressed the viral report.

It only takes one unauthorized shot to piss Eminem off–or at least part owners of his catalog. While the “Somebody Save Me” rapper often expresses his loves for Detroit, it appears one local business is misusing its hometown advantage.

According to TMZ, Eminem’s hit song “Lose Yourself” is at the helm of a copyright infringement lawsuit. The outlet reports that today (January 27) Eight Mile Style, a partial owner of Eminem’s catalog filed paperwork against a LaFontaine Ford St. Clair, Ford dealership, for unauthorized use of the track in its recent advertisement.

The dealer’s recent promotion of a limited edition Detroit Lions Ford F-150 pickup truck included both Eminem’s song and a lyrical reference in its caption: “You only get one shot to own a Special Edition Detroit Lions F-150.”

In the filing, Eight Mile Style slammed LaFontaine Ford St. Clair for circumventing the proper channels to license the track. Despite, Eminem’s longtime support of the Detroit Lions, Eight Mile Style is not willing to overlook the matter.

Within the document, Eight Mile Style made reference to a past Chrysler campaign in which the company did pay for usage of the track.

Eight Mile Style is seeking undisclosed monetary damages and have requested that the advertisement be taken down immediately.

If shoegaze, alternative folk, or fuzzy rock floats your boat, Dutch Interior is right up your alley. The Los Angeles-based act’s 2023 project, Blinded By Fame, secure Butch Interior a spot of many indie acts to watch list. Today (January 27), the group announced their long awaited follow-up.

On March 21, Dutch Interior’s Fat Possum debut, Moneyball, will hit streaming services. For now, the band (comprised of Jack Nugent, Conner Reeves, Davis Stewart, Noah Kurtz, and Shane & Hayden Barton) has released its first offering single, “Fourth Street.”

The Bewildering cross genre fusion record why Dutch Interior should have been included on any “artists that need to drop something new” in 2025 list. As heard in their discography, Dutch Interior’s supporting music video kicks fans on edge as they try to decode what is next.

In a statement, guitarist and vocalist Noah Kurtz discussed the creative origins of the record. “Starting off with a rambling recollection of feelings and personal anecdotes that come with living far away from loved ones,” they said. “The song eventually builds to a chorus that’s about finding your footing on your own.”

You can catch Dutch performing this song and more on the road as Frog, Lowertown, and Acetone’s supporting act. Watch Dutch Interior’s video for “Fourth Street” above. View the tracklist and artwork for Moneyball below.

Tracklist

1. “Moneyball”
2. “Canada”
3. “Sandcastle Molds”
4. “Wood Knot”
5. “Science Fiction”
6. “Sweet Time”
7. “Life (So Crazy)”
8. “Fourth Street”
9. “Horse”
10. “Christ on the Mast”
11. “Beekeeping”

Artwork

Moneyball is out 3/21 via Fat Possum. Find more information here.

Los Angeles County and its surrounding areas have been rocked by devastating wildfires. With community-based efforts ramping up, musicians are eager to get involved. Today (January 27), G*ve A F*ck LA, a benefit concert and auction, announced its star-studded lineup.

On February 5, Hayley Williams, Finneas, Lucy Dacus, and St. Vincent will take to Hollywood Palladium’s stage to raise money for the LA fires.

Other notable performers on the lineup (which is presented by Milk Makeup) include Fred Armisen, Perfume Genius, MUNA, and Courtney Barnett. John C. Reilly will serve as the evening’s host with Fat Tony and Harmony Tividad set to entertain the crowd with DJ sets. Following the benefit show and auction, attendees can kick the vibe going at the official after party with Rico Nasty and Dylan Brady.

All net ticket proceeds will go to local organizations Altadena Girls, Friends in Deed, One Voice, and Pasadena Humane Society. Live Nation and Ticketmaster have agreed to waive all venue and ticketing service fees for the event.

At each entry point of the venue, a donation bin for plant-based canned goods will be accessible for any wishing to contribute to the food drive in partnership with Support + Feed.

Tickets for G*ve A F*ck LA will go on sale tomorrow, January 29 at 12 noon PT. Find more information here. If you can’t physically attend the show, Veeps will livestream performances (a $5 minimum donation). Find more information here.

Long before Cardi B’s provocative music caused a stir within the industry, her viral posts online did the same. Today (January 27), the “Enough (Miami)” rapper shared yet another pot-stirring post.

Over on X (formerly Twitter), Cardi B revealed to fans that she treated herself to another body modification. But instead of going under the knife, Cardi B went to get a new piercing in her intergluteal cleft (more commonly referred to as the butt crack).

“Soooo, I got my butt crack pierced ,” she wrote.

Users online quickly chimed expressing confusion as to how it was possible. Others were creeped out by the declaration.

“How does that work? Asking for a friend,” wrote one user.

“Why are you telling us,” penned another.

However, many begged Cardi to share a photo of the piercing to satisfy their curiosity, which without hesitation she did (view it here).

“LMAO, no way!! Post a pic,” added one user.

Cardi B is no stranger to body art. Across Instagram, she often displays her tattoos, one continuous piece spans her back, butt, and thigh. She’s also been open about her older piercings, which include a multiple tongue piercings, an upper lip piercing, cheek piercing, and abdomen piercing.

Jimmy Butler has once again been suspended by the Miami Heat. According to multiple reports, Butler — who has made very clear that he would like it if the Heat trade him before the deadline in a week and a half — received an indefinite suspension from the team on Monday.

This time, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, Butler’s suspension comes after he walked out of the team’s shootaround on Monday morning before they play the Orlando Magic, as the veteran wing learned that the team would replace him in the starting lineup with Haywood Highsmith.

Miami previously suspended Butler two other times. The first was for seven games, citing “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks.” That came on the heels of Butler expressing doubt that he could find joy playing basketball in Miami, and expanding his request for a trade to any team after previously having a much shorter list of preferred destinations. The second was for two games after he skipped the team’s flight to Milwaukee last week. Butler was set to return from that suspension on Monday evening against the Magic.

In the most recent reporting that we have on how trade talks are going, Butler’s apparent wishlist for a destination is anywhere but Miami, with the sole exception being the Memphis Grizzlies. Butler purportedly wants a trade to the Phoenix Suns, in part because of their willingness to give him a contract extension after this season, but there are a few reasons why making that happen would be difficult.

Most fans would agree that Megan Thee Stallion is exceptionally tall, but she doesn’t necessarily see it that way.

In an interview with Mystery Fashionist’s Ajay Porter shared yesterday (January 26), Megan was asked for a common misconception about herself, and she said:

“People be thinking… I love my tall queens: We are stallions, we are long-legged, thick queens, but I feel like guys always be editing my pictures so I look bigger than everybody else. They be tryna make it seem like I’m really [tough]. I’m tough, but, like, b*tch: g*ddamn, I’m ain’t that damn tall.”

She added, “These men are small. A lot of your favorite rappers are tiny [laughs], so when they be by me, [they look up], and I be like, ‘Yeah’ [laughs].”

For the record, Megan actually is pretty tall, at least relative to the average height: Per the National Center For Health Statistics, the average height for an adult woman in the United States is 5 feet and 3.5 inches, while various sources (like Billboard) have Meg’s height at 5’10”. That’s actually taller than the average height for an adult man in the US, which is 5’9″.

As for those “tiny” male rappers, Meg didn’t mention any by name, but some notable hip-hop figures with reported heights that are shorter than hers include Big Sean, T-Pain, DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and Lil Wayne.

Last Friday, Central Cee released his debut album, Can’t Rush Greatness after a year-long rollout that proved the truth in the titular aphorism. Of course, now that it’s out, he’s putting the same amount of effort into his awareness campaign.

In the video for “Truth In The Lies,” Cee hits the Paris streets for some high-end shopping alongside the song’s featured artist, Lil Durk. From sharing lush meals to playing FIFA in a luxury hotel room, the two rappers enjoy their wealth, despite Durk’s ongoing legal troubles.

Central Cee kicked off the rollout for Can’t Rush Greatness in May with the release of his video for “Band4Band” with Lil Baby. He continued to promote the album through features with Ice Spice and Asake, as well as releasing “Moi” with Raye — although the song didn’t make the final album.

He really started promoting in earnest with some help from fellow Londoner (by way of Atlanta) 21 Savage, who appeared in the video for “GBP” and then dropped the video for “Limitless” just ahead of the album’s release.

Watch Central Cee’s “Truth In The Lies” video featuring Lil Durk above.

Can’t Rush Greatness is out now via Columbia Records. You can stream it here.

Spotify is the current leader among music streaming platforms, but if they get complacent, a competitor could find a way to claim some more market share. So, Spotify continues to be forward-thinking, as a new deal they just signed with Universal Music Group indicates.

As The Verge reports, the deal suggests Spotify is considering a new “super-premium” tear geared towards “superfans.” Potential features include “early access to new music,” “priority access to deluxe editions,” “listening party invites,” and “artist Q&A sessions.”

A press release days the two companies will collaborate closely to advance the next era of streaming innovation,” adding, “Artists, songwriters and consumers will benefit from new and evolving offers, new paid subscription tiers, bundling of music and non-music content, and a richer audio and visual content catalog.”

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said in a statement, “When we first presented our vision for the next stage in the evolution of music subscription several months ago — Steaming 2.0 — this is precisely the kind of partnership development we envisioned. This agreement furthers and broadens the collaboration with Spotify for both our labels and music publisher, advancing artist-centric principles to drive greater monetization for artists and songwriters, as well as enhancing product offerings for consumers.”

No word yet on what Björk thinks about this.