SZA Tops Billboard 200 for Sixth Consecutive Week

SZA, 33, has only released two studio albums in her short career, but the Grammy Award-winning artist's recent performance on the Billboard album chart has her name being mentioned alongside some of music's greats.

"SOS" sold the equivalent of 119,000 units in the United States last week according to music data tracker Luminate. It was enough to keep "SOS" on top of the Billboard 200 for the sixth consecutive week since its Dec. 7 release — a feat matched only by icons Adele and Taylor Swift in the last decade.

Janet Jackson's 1993 release "Janet" was the last R&B release by a woman to top the chart for its first six weeks according to Billboard. SZA's run at the top is the longest for an R&B artist since Usher’s “Confessions” spent nine weeks atop the chart in 2004.

Born Solána Imani Rowe in St. Louis, Missouri, SZA's art takes unique inspiration from a childhood spent in New Jersey, where she was raised by her devout Muslim father and a Christian mother.

Citing Ella Fitzgerald and Lauryn Hill among her key musical influences, the artists whose acronym — taken from the Nation of Islam's Supreme Alphabet — stands for Sovereign (modified from Savior) Zig-Zag Allah, self-released her first EP "See.SZA.Run" in 2012.

After signing with RCA Records she released her critically-acclaimed studio debut "Ctrl" in 2017. It premiered at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned SZA four Grammy nominations. Time magazine gave it the nod over rapper Kendrick Lamar's equally praised release, "Damn," for best album of the year.

BMG Sues Bratz Dollmaker for $10 Million, Alleging it Ripped-off Black Eyed Peas to Promote Pooping Unicorns

The company that owns the rights to one of the Black Eyed Peas' biggest hits is suing MGA Entertainment Inc, maker of the once pervasively popular Bratz dolls, for $10 million dollars. 

BMG Rights Management filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court on Thursday alleging the toy company ripped off the group's Grammy Award-winning song "My Humps" to promote the dancing and slime-pooping unicorn dolls from its "Poopsie Slime Surprise" toy line.

The suit, which describes the Black Eyed Peas as "arguably the most popular and recognized pop music group in the past 30 years," states that MGA's toys sing a song called "My Poops," a thinly veiled unauthorized homage to the group's 2005 posterior-focused hit.

In addition to having its toys sing the song, BMG said MGA placed a sticker on the packaging of the dolls that "excrete sparkling slime"  directing consumers to dance to the song and a company-made video for it that was posted on YouTube.

The video features animated versions of the toys dancing and singing along to "My Poops," while a singer whose voice bears a strong resemblance to former Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie belts out the tune.

BMG, which owns 75% of the "My Humps" composition copyright, has asked the court for at least $10 million in damages, alleging that MGA earned tens of millions of dollars in part because of it use of the double-platinum booty-based Billboard Hot 100 (No. 3). hit. 

Click here to read a copy of the full complaint. 

Flo Rida Awarded $82.6M for Breach of Contract Case

Screengrab from "My House" video via YouTube

Flo Rida is celebrating after being awarded $82.6 million in damages on Wednesday by a Florida jury that agreed with his claim that energy drink maker Celsius violated an endorsement deal with him.

"I just want to say God is good in Jesus' name," said the rapper at a press conference outside the courthouse moments after his legal victory, before taking a sip of one of the company's signature beverages.

Flo Rida, 43, whose real name is Tramar Dillard, added that he sued Florida-based Celsius Holdings Inc. because he played a significant role in its rise from an obscure beverage company to an industry powerhouse.

“I carried them on my back,” he said. “I put them in my videos. They were with me everywhere I played.”

Rapper Flo Rida sips from a Celsius energy drink moments after winning a lawsuit against them and awarded millions. @nbc6 @official_flo pic.twitter.com/V89VVkcAWz

— Sheli Muñiz (@SheliNBC6) January 18, 2023

Flo Rida was a brand ambassador for Celsius from 2014 to 2018 according to the civil complaint originally filed in 2021. 

During that time his lawyers argued the musician was integral to the company's growth, noting that it was $50 million in debt when the deal began and had grown into a multibillion-dollar company with his help, as he introduced millions around the world to the brand.

In return for his endorsement, which included prominent product placements in his videos — his 2015 Billboard top 10 platinum single "My House" was shown in court as an example —Flo Rida was promised a percentage of stocks and bonuses worth millions once Celsius achieved a benchmark in sales revenue.

His attorneys argued that Celsius had met those key sales metrics during the five-day trial and that their client was entitled to additional stock amounting to a 1 percent stake in the business, which was worth at least $75 million in their estimation.

Celsius' lawyers said the benchmark was reached only after its endorsement deal with Flo Rida expired and attributed the company's increased sales to internal moves.

The argument did not seem to hold much sway with the jurors, who awarded him the victory on the second day of deliberations.