Judy Cheeks, Miami Soul Singer Who Found Global Fame in Europe’s Disco Era, Dies at 71

Judy Cheeks, the Miami-born soul and dance-music singer who was discovered by Ike & Tina Turner and rose to international fame with “Mellow Lovin’” before returning to her gospel roots, died Nov. 26, 2025, at age 71. (Photo Courtesy judycheeksmusic.com)

Judy Cheeks, the Miami-born soul and dance-music powerhouse whose gospel-trained voice carried from Southern sanctuaries to international dance floors, died the day before Thanksgiving after a long fight with autoimmune illness. She was 71.

The daughter of gospel legend Rev. Julius “June” Cheeks — whose fiery vocals with the Sensational Nightingales and the Soul Stirrers helped define gospel’s golden age — Judy grew up surrounded by voices that blurred the line between spirit and song. Mavis Staples, Sam Cooke, and members of the Caravans were family friends who dropped by the house. “When people say I sound like Mavis, it’s because being around gospel singers was like eating food and drinking water,” she told The Black Gospel Blog in 2013.

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By seven, she was leading hymns at church. By eighteen, she was discovered by Ike & Tina Turner, who produced her self-titled 1973 debut, “Judy Cheeks.” Touring as an Ikette gave her a stage presence and grit that set her apart from the smoother soul stylists of the era.

In 1977, she took a bold leap, moving to Germany with only $35 and a belief in her gift. A televised duet with Austrian crooner Udo Jürgens on “The Rudi Carrell Show” catapulted her to stardom in Europe, and her 1978 disco single “Mellow Lovin’” broke through internationally — hitting No. 10 on Billboard’s Dance Club chart.

 

Through the 1980s she recorded and toured across Europe, lending her unmistakable tone to artists including Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, Boney M and Amanda Lear. But it was the 1990s that cemented her second act. “Respect” and “As Long As You’re Good to Me” both reached No. 1 on the U.S. Dance chart in 1995, proving her voice could ride any era’s rhythm without losing its soul. Later singles — “Reach,” “So in Love (The Real Deal)” and “You’re the Story of My Life” — made her a club-culture favorite and earned her crossover respect from house DJs and gospel purists alike.

 

In her later years, Cheeks turned back to her spiritual foundation. Albums like “True Love Is Free” (2013), “Danger Zone” (2018), “A Deeper Love” (2019) and “Love Dancin’” (2020) blended testimony with groove. “There are more important things I want to say,” she told The Black Gospel Blog. “Though my walk with God has always been there, I wanted my music to be gospel this time. It felt good singing from my heart.”

A GoFundMe campaign launched earlier this year revealed her battle with a rare autoimmune disorder that required months of intensive care. Even as her health declined, friends said her faith and warmth never wavered. “She was the real deal,” one longtime friend wrote, echoing the title of her 1990s anthem.

Steve Cropper, Guitarist Who Defined the Stax Records Sound, Dies at 84

Steve Cropper, second from right, with Booker T. & the M.G.’s in 1967. The integrated Stax Records house band helped shape the sound of Southern soul and backed artists including Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett. 

Steve Cropper, the guitarist and songwriter whose clean, deliberate touch helped define the sound of Southern soul, died Thursday in Nashville at 84. His family confirmed the news, saying he passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones.

Cropper’s name might not ring as loud as the singers he backed, but his guitar did. As a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.’s — the integrated house band for Stax Records — he played on and co-wrote a catalog that became the backbone of American R&B. His rhythm lines cut through songs like “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Soul Man” and “Knock on Wood,” records that carried the sound of Memphis across the world.

Unlike the guitar heroes of his era, Cropper’s approach wasn’t flash or volume — it was precision. He understood space. His riffs were short, economical, built to leave room for Otis Redding’s rasp, Wilson Pickett’s howl, or Sam & Dave’s shouted harmonies. “I’m not listening to just me,” he once said in an interview. “I make sure I’m sounding OK before we start the session.”

 

At Stax, Cropper’s sound helped set the label apart from Motown’s polish. The Memphis sessions were grittier — bass up front, horns pushing, drums dry and close — and Cropper was the glue between rhythm and melody. When Sam Moore yelled “Play it, Steve!” on “Soul Man,” it wasn’t ego. It was acknowledgment.

Through the 1960s and early ’70s, Cropper quietly built one of the most durable resumes in popular music. He co-wrote “In the Midnight Hour” with Pickett, co-produced “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” with Redding — finishing the song after Redding’s death — and helped shape dozens of sessions for artists including Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd and Rufus Thomas. He rarely sought the spotlight, but he was rarely far from a hit.

His work carried into later decades through The Blues Brothers, where he and bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn brought Stax’s feel to a new generation. That exposure turned him into a cult figure — a sideman suddenly seen.

 

Cropper was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, though he often brushed off accolades with the same ease he brushed off solos.

Even in later years, his reach extended further than many fans realized. Hip-hop producers and soul revivalists sampled the grooves he helped shape; his rhythm lines became part of the DNA of American popular music. He didn’t chase influence — it found him.

“Every note he played, every song he wrote, and every artist he inspired ensures that his spirit will continue to move people for generations,” his family wrote in a statement. He is survived by his wife, Angel Cropper, his children Andrea, Cameron, Stevie and Ashley, and generations of musicians who learned that sometimes the most powerful sound is restraint.

Chance the Rapper, 50 Cent and Mariah Carey Lead Culture-Shifting 'Rockin’ Eve'

Chance the Rapper, co-host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2026,” will lead the show’s first-ever live Central Time Zone countdown from his hometown of Chicago, joining 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Coco Jones in a lineup that blends hip-hop, R&B and pop across four time zones. (Courtesy ABC / Dick Clark Productions)

The clock still drops in Times Square, but this year the sound belongs to us. For the first time in its half-century run, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve feels less like a network broadcast and more like a playlist — one where hip-hop, R&B and pop collide in real time instead of being boxed off by genre.

The 2026 lineup is its most ambitious yet: 50 Cent, Chance the Rapper, Ciara, Coco Jones, Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean and T.I. share space with Mariah Carey, Charlie Puth, Post Malone, and country star Maren Morris, while newcomers like Chappell Roan, LE SSERAFIM, and BigXthaPlug stretch the sound across generations and continents. Over 80 performances will air across four time zones and eight hours of live television — the show’s longest broadcast in its history.

Chance the Rapper hosting the first-ever Central Time countdown from Chicago hits different. For a city that’s given the world everyone from Common and Kanye to Chief Keef and Noname, seeing Chance lead a national celebration from home feels like a long time coming. Out east, 50 Cent returns as New York royalty — not the provocateur he once was, but a fixture of the same culture that built Times Square’s pulse.

And in a moment that says everything about R&B’s quiet resurgence, Coco Jones takes center stage with the same voice that made “ICU” one of the genre’s defining songs of the decade. Then there’s Mariah Carey — timeless, theatrical and inevitable — the connective tissue between every generation the show’s ever tried to serve.

But the real cultural moment comes when DJ Cassidy’s “Pass the Mic Live!” unites Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean, and T.I. for a run that’s part cipher, part celebration — the kind of thing that never used to make it to network TV. For a show built on pop polish, this year’s lineup finally looks like the culture it’s been chasing for decades: messy, electric, and unapologetically Black at its core.

Sure, pop and rock names like Goo Goo Dolls, OneRepublic, and New Kids on the Block will keep the nostalgia crowd covered. But what gives Rockin’ Eve 2026 its spark is the mix — a reflection of how people really listen now: crossfade to crossfade, mood to mood, vibe to vibe.

It’s not that the show suddenly belongs to hip-hop or R&B. It’s that television finally understands it can’t ring in a new year without them. Because when midnight hits, it won’t be the confetti that gets remembered — it’ll be the bassline that carried us into the next one.

For more information on the show and to view the full lineup click here.

Antone 'Chubby' Tavares, Lead Singer of R&B Group Tavares, Dies at 81

Antone “Chubby” Tavares, lead singer of the Grammy-winning R&B group Tavares, is pictured in a later-career promotional portrait. Known for his smooth falsetto on classics like “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel,” Tavares helped define the sound of 1970s soul and disco.

Before the Bee Gees made disco global, a group of Cape Verdean brothers from Massachusetts gave the genre its heartbeat. Antone “Chubby” Tavares — the frontman whose falsetto carried “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” and helped shape the sound of ’70s R&B — died Nov. 29 at his home in New Bedford. He was 81.

His son, Antone Tavares Jr., shared the news on Facebook, writing that his father “passed last night at home in peace & comfort” after a year of declining health. “Dad and his brothers touched many people and brought joy worldwide,” he wrote. “They were blessed to experience many places and things.”

 

Tavares’ surviving brothers confirmed the news on the group’s official Facebook page, asking fans for privacy and prayers. “We do know that he is now eternally with our Lord,” the post read. “We thank you in advance for allowing us to mourn privately as a family. We love you and God bless you all.”

Chubby Tavares and his brothers — Ralph, Arthur “Pooch,” Feliciano “Butch,” Perry “Tiny,” and Victor — first performed as Chubby and the Turnpikes before signing with Capitol Records and reintroducing themselves as Tavares. Their breakthrough single “Check It Out” launched a string of R&B and pop hits that helped define a generation of dance-floor soul.

The brothers’ clean harmonies and smooth arrangements drove classics like “It Only Takes a Minute,” “Whodunit,” and the era-defining “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel.” Their soulful take on the Bee Gees’ “More Than a Woman” landed on the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack — one of the best-selling albums in history — earning them a share of the 1979 Album of the Year Grammy.

 

While Tavares never sought the spotlight like some of their contemporaries, their influence stretched far beyond their chart run. Their grooves and melodies have been sampled and reinterpreted by generations of R&B and hip-hop artists — from LL Cool J’s “Around the Way Girl” lineage to producers shaping Beyoncé’s retro-soul moments — keeping the Tavares sound alive in modern music. Their harmonies remain a blueprint for any artist trying to bridge church, street, and disco with equal grace.

Tavares in 1977 — From left: Arthur “Pooch,” Ralph, Antone “Chubby,” Feliciano “Butch” and Perry “Tiny” Tavares. The Grammy-winning brothers behind “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” helped define the sound of 1970s R&B and disco. (Capitol Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Common)

He was preceded in death by brothers Ralph (2021) and Arthur “Pooch” (2024). He is survived by brothers Perry “Tiny” and Feliciano “Butch” Tavares, along with his children and extended family.

A proud son of New Bedford, Chubby Tavares was a pillar of the Cape Verdean-American community, representing an often-overlooked lineage in American soul. In 2024, the city honored the family’s legacy by naming a downtown street “Tavares Brothers Way.” “They’ve been around the world, and every time they were introduced, New Bedford, Mass., was attached to it,” Councilor Derek Baptiste said at the dedication. “They were at the forefront of a whole era.”

After decades of touring with his brothers, Chubby released solo albums "Jealousy" (2012) and "Can’t Knock Me Down" (2015), proving his voice still carried the warmth and sincerity that made Tavares a household name.

Super Bowl LX pregame show to feature Coco Jones, Brandi Carlile and Charlie Puth

Coco Jones performs during the Essence Festival of Culture at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on July 4, 2025. The Grammy-winning R&B artist will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at Super Bowl LX in February 2026. (Gabriel Brooks, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

The NFL announced Friday that Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, and R&B star Coco Jones will headline Super Bowl LX’s pregame at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Feb. 8, 2026. It’s a lineup that feels intentional — a mix of pop, Americana and soul designed to speak to a country still searching for harmony.

Puth will perform the national anthem, Brandi Carlile will deliver “America the Beautiful,” and Coco Jones — one of R&B’s brightest new stars — will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem that’s become a Super Bowl fixture since Roc Nation helped reframe the event as more than spectacle.

“Charlie, Brandi, and Coco are generational talents,” Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez said. “This moment embodies the best of culture, live performance, and our country — perfectly kicking off game day.”
NFL executive Jon Barker called the Super Bowl “the world’s biggest entertainment stage,” adding that the pregame show “spotlights artists who embody the best of music and culture.”

For Coco Jones, it’s a defining milestone in a rise that’s been impossible to ignore. The Nashville-raised singer, actress, and Grammy winner has quickly become the face of modern R&B — a genre that’s found its way back to the Super Bowl stage after decades of being left on the sidelines. Her debut album, “Why Not More?,” has earned eight Grammy nominations, and her platinum single “ICU” still sits heavy on radio rotations two years later.

Carlile, one of music’s few crossover icons who can move between rock, folk, and gospel without losing her soul, arrives fresh off the success of “Returning to Myself.” Puth, whose fourth album “Whatever’s Clever!” drops in March, remains pop’s consummate technician — the guy who can find melody in anything, including the buzz of a text alert.

The performances will be joined by American Sign Language artists Fred Beam, Julian Ortiz, and Celimar Rivera Cosme — the latter signing Bad Bunny’s halftime show in Puerto Rican Sign Language, another first.

It’s a quietly radical lineup: Black, brown, queer, pop, and country, all sharing the same space before the first whistle blows. And it’s no accident that Roc Nation is again in the producer’s chair, guiding the event from spectacle to statement. From Beyoncé’s “Formation” to Rihanna’s midair return, to last year’s Vegas-sized Usher celebration, the Super Bowl has become something closer to a cultural census — one that now sounds like the country it represents.

In 2026, it’s Coco Jones’ turn to carry that torch. Her voice, her presence, and her moment are all part of the evolution Jay-Z predicted when he said the partnership wasn’t about appeasement — it was about access.

Now, America’s biggest game is listening.

Federal Jury Rules in Favor of Megan Thee Stallion in Online Harassment Lawsuit

Megan Thee Stallion was awarded damages Monday after a federal jury found blogger Milagro Cooper liable for defamation and harassment tied to a deepfake video that circulated following her 2020 shooting.

Megan Thee Stallion didn’t cheer, didn’t gloat, didn’t throw a bar. She just looked tired and said, “I’m just happy.”

And that was enough.

A Miami jury ruled Monday that online blogger Milagro Cooper — better known as “Milagro Gramz” — defamed and harassed the Houston rapper by pushing false stories and promoting a sexually explicit deepfake video that spread across social media. The nine-member panel awarded her $75,000, later reduced by the judge to $59,000, but the number wasn’t the headline. The verdict was.

Megan Thee Stallion leaves the Miami federal courthouse after a jury found online streamer Milagro Cooper liable for defaming her, promoting a fake sexually explicit video of her and intentionally inflicting emotional distress by coordinating with Tory Lanez. pic.twitter.com/TYGI6yG10r

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 1, 2025

After years of being mocked, doubted, and digitally dissected, Megan finally got a courtroom acknowledgment of what she’s been saying all along: that the lies hurt, that the internet isn’t a free-for-all, and that even rap’s toughest woman can bleed from words.

The case traces back to the fallout from her 2020 shooting by Tory Lanez, when online conspiracy theorists tried to turn her trauma into clickbait. Cooper’s posts and livestreams fanned that fire, urging thousands to share a fake video built from AI and spite. Jurors heard how the content spread faster than the truth ever could, and how it nearly broke her.

“She’s been through hell,” one of Megan’s lawyers told reporters after the ruling. “This was about setting a boundary for basic decency.”

Somewhere in the middle of all this noise, Megan has found calm again — smiling in photos on her boyfriend Klay Thompson’s boat, the one he just renamed the “SS Stallion.” Maybe it’s coincidence, maybe it’s a love note, but after everything she’s endured, it’s hard not to see symbolism in a vessel built to stay steady through rough waters.

Because on this day, that’s exactly what she did.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation School Earns Repeat Billboard Spot, Stirs Debate Over Fine Print

Inside the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment’s new Dolby Atmos studio at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus. The state-of-the-art space, designed by Young Guru and modeled after the legendary Baseline Studios, is the first of its kind in Brooklyn and among the largest in New York State. (Photo credit: Long Island University / Roc Nation)

Long before he owned a label, a liquor brand, or an NFL halftime show, a sixth-grader from the Marcy
Projects stunned his teacher by reading at a 12th-grade level. That same prodigy, JAY-Z, would go on to co-found Roc Nation — and partner with Long Island University to create a college that now bears its name. The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at LIU-Brooklyn has again landed on Billboard’s Top Music Business Schools list, even as questions linger over what “debt-free” really means.

Founded in 2021 through a partnership between Roc Nation and Long Island University, the school was built to merge hip-hop’s creative DNA with the formal structure of higher education — turning hustle into curriculum. At the launch announcement, Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez said, “The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide unique insight, knowledge and experiences for students and will empower the next generation of leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.”

LIU President Kimberly Cline called the partnership “an opportunity to open doors for countless young people who might never have imagined a pathway into these industries.”

From the start, the vision was ambitious. Roc Nation stated that its Hope Scholarship program would “help students graduate without debt, ensuring that financial barriers don’t stop creative potential.” And JAY-Z’s guiding principle, quoted in the company’s early materials, set the tone: “Education and opportunity should go hand in hand. Our hope is to teach the business, not just the art.”

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That vision carried the school into Billboard’s national spotlight for a second consecutive year. The magazine cited its “Music Entrepreneurship” course — which trains students to pitch business ventures to executives from Universal Music Group and Live Nation — and its financial-literacy partnership with JPMorgan Chase’s Money Smart program. Together, they reflect an attempt to fuse cultural capital with real-world economics — something hip-hop has long practiced, but academia is only starting to teach.

The honor comes as the school faces scrutiny over its “Hope Scholarship” program, which promised to help a quarter of students graduate “without debt.” Some recipients told Black Enterprise and HipHopDX they were surprised to learn that while tuition was covered, housing and fees were not — leaving them with debts of up to $40,000. University officials maintain that the scholarships were always meant to cover tuition only.

Still, the Roc Nation School’s footprint is growing. Its first graduating class crossed the stage in May 2025, with alumni joining Roc Nation, Bob Elliott’s Music Makers Studio, and other music firms. The Brooklyn campus has also become a hub for industry events, including this fall’s MetaMoon Summit on Asian representation in entertainment, drawing executives from Live Nation, Roc Nation, the NBA, and Foot Locker.

 

This year’s recognition also lands amid a broader debate about education in hip-hop. When Juelz Santana went viral this fall for downplaying reading skills in favor of financial literacy, artists and fans pushed back — while Lupe Fiasco continued teaching hip-hop at MIT, proving the classroom and the culture can coexist. Against that backdrop, the Roc Nation School represents hip-hop’s evolution: the same ambition that once fueled mixtape grinds now fuels accredited degrees.

As Roc Nation summarized in its own 2021 mission statement, “From the studio to the stage to the front office — this school exists to make sure our culture owns every part of what it creates.”

For a generation raised on the idea of ownership, Billboard’s honor feels symbolic — a stamp of legitimacy from an industry that once kept hip-hop out of its classrooms. But as the “debt-free” debate shows, the culture’s next test isn’t whether it can build institutions. It’s whether those institutions can live up to hip-hop’s original promise: freedom, fairness, and financial truth.

50 Cent Takes His Feud Global With Netflix Doc 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning'

Promotional poster for Netflix’s “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” a four-part documentary series executive-produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The series, directed by Alex Stapleton, explores decades of sexual-assault and trafficking allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs and premieres December 2, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)

When 50 Cent trolls, it’s entertainment. When he warns, it’s prophecy. And this time, Curtis Jackson wasn’t joking.

The Queens mogul’s long war of words with Sean “Diddy” Combs has exploded into something bigger — a global event. Netflix just dropped the trailer for “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” the four-part documentary executive-produced by 50 Cent and directed by Emmy nominee Alex Stapleton, set to premiere December 2, 2025. It’s the project nobody in hip-hop wanted to touch — until now.

“They said I was capping 🤷 What happened?” 50 wrote on Instagram after posting the teaser. The clip opens with a voice, low and final: “You can’t continue to keep hurting people, and nothing ever happens.” Then the screen cuts to black, stamped with 50’s calling card — “GLG 🚦 GreenLightGang 🎥 G-Unit Film & TV.”

The message landed like a gavel. For years, 50 and Diddy have traded public jabs — one man the corporate kingpin of the “All About the Benjamins” era, the other a bulletproof hustler who built an empire off instincts and smoke. But what started as an ego clash has now turned into one of hip-hop’s most consequential reckonings.

The series pulls back decades of headlines, lawsuits, and whispers around Diddy’s rise — from “No Way Out” and Bad Boy’s platinum run to Cîroc, Revolt TV, and the empire that once made him untouchable. Netflix’s synopsis calls it a “complex human story spanning decades,” but the timing says more than the tagline ever could. The streaming giant announced “The Reckoning” just a week after Combs’ 2024 arrest on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals for prostitution.

50 Cent had been teasing this moment since December 2023, when he first revealed plans to produce a documentary on the mounting allegations, pledging to donate proceeds to sexual-assault victims. At the time, many thought it was just another viral 50 stunt. By the fall of 2024 — after raids, indictments, and settlements — nobody was laughing.

In a joint statement, 50 and Stapleton said their mission was to “give a voice to the voiceless and present authentic and nuanced perspectives,” while reminding viewers that Combs’ story “is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture.” It’s a take that shows how carefully this project is walking the line — a film that both calls out individual power and protects the broader culture it came from.

The rivalry itself is pure hip-hop mythology — born in the early 2000s, when 50 accused Diddy of exploiting artists and disrespecting the streets that made him. For years, their feud simmered through cryptic interviews and social media. When the lawsuits hit, 50 shifted from jokes to journalism, posting court filings and clips like he was running his own newsroom. His followers called it obsession; now it looks like documentation.

Alex Stapleton’s direction adds weight to the production. Known for “Reggie” and “Black Hollywood: They’ve Gotta Have Us,” she approaches the story like an autopsy of fame and silence — combining survivor testimonies with archival footage and insider accounts from inside Diddy’s once-impenetrable circle. Netflix insiders describe “The Reckoning” as “methodical, not messy” — a rare attempt to dissect power without glorifying it.

When the trailer hit social media, hip-hop stopped scrolling. Within hours, 50’s post hit six figures in likes. Comments split between applause and disbelief — some called it overdue justice, others called it opportunism. But either way, the same name dominated the feed: Diddy.

Fifty Cent’s greatest gift has always been timing — and this time, his timing might have changed the course of hip-hop’s accountability era. The streets remember the shine, the suits, the whispers, and the silence. Now, with “The Reckoning” set to stream worldwide, it’s all coming back under lights no bottle service can dim.

Watch the full teaser below:

Travis Scott’s ‘Circus Maximus’ Becomes the Highest-Grossing Solo Rap Tour Ever

Travis Scott performs onstage during his “Circus Maximus” World Tour. The record-breaking global trek grossed more than $265 million across six continents, making it the highest-grossing solo rap tour in history, according to Live Nation. (Photo courtesy of Travis Scott / Cactus Jack)

Travis Scott has closed the loop on a story few artists could survive.

The Houston rapper ended his globe-spanning “Circus Maximus” World Tour on Nov. 19 with a stadium blowout in Mumbai, India before more than 40,000 fans — the finale to a two-year run that’s now the highest-grossing solo rap tour in history, according to Live Nation and Billboard Boxscore.

By the numbers, the achievement is staggering: more than 2.2 million tickets sold, $265 million grossed, and stops on six continents from South Africa to Seoul. But behind the victory lap lies a harder question — what does triumph look like for an artist whose brand was once synonymous with chaos?

Scott’s partnership with Live Nation, the same promoter behind the 2021 “Astroworld Festival” that ended in tragedy, has quietly become one of the most scrutinized second acts in music history. After years of investigations, lawsuits, and public backlash, both sides were under pressure to prove that the artist and the infrastructure could coexist safely again. So far, they have. Eighty shows, no major incidents — and a narrative that’s shifted from controversy to control.

Still, Scott’s tour wasn’t without unease. The scale itself — a rotating stage, fire bursts, 475 performances of “FE!N,” and crowds topping 100,000 across India — rekindled memories of the dangerous synergy between fandom and frenzy that once defined his shows. The difference this time was choreography, not chaos. Stadiums were carefully engineered, capacity managed, and cameras tracked nearly every surge.

Fueled by his 2023 album “Utopia,” the production played like a global reboot of Scott’s mythology: part redemption arc, part empire expansion. The trek began in North America before spilling into Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East — bringing the rage, but also restraint, to audiences that had only watched it unfold online.

There were no public apologies built into this run, no explicit reckonings — just bigger venues, tighter logistics, and a setlist that reminded fans why his stage power was so coveted in the first place. At his best, Scott turned arena rap into cinematic theater. At his worst, he reminded everyone how thin the line between spectacle and catastrophe can be.

In Mumbai, as fireworks closed out the final show, Scott stood as both symbol and survivor — a Houston artist who turned a near career-ending disaster into an unprecedented global haul. Whether “Circus Maximus” represents redemption or simply reinvention depends on who’s watching.

Jimmy Cliff, the Voice Who Carried Jamaica to the World, Dies at 81

Jimmy Cliff performs at the 2012 Raggamuffin Music Festival in New Zealand. (Photo by Eva Rinaldi / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0.)

Before Bob Marley — before global playlists turned “One Love” into a slogan — there was Jimmy Cliff, the voice that made the world stop and listen to Jamaica. He carried Kingston’s hunger, rhythm and pride onto movie screens and record players everywhere with “The Harder They Come,” the 1972 cult classic that didn’t just soundtrack a movement, it invented one. Cliff died Monday at 81 from a seizure followed by pneumonia, his family confirmed.

“To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career,” his wife, Latifa Cliff, wrote on his official page, thanking friends, artists and the doctors who cared for him. “Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace.”

Cliff was the sound of rebellion turned spiritual. Born James Chambers in rural St. James Parish, he came up through Kingston’s rough, brilliant scene in the early ’60s, recording ska sides before reggae even had a name. By the time he crossed the Atlantic to the U.K., his writing — “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “Vietnam” — was already global protest music: hopeful, unbowed and honest about pain.

Then came “The Harder They Come.”

In Perry Henzell’s film, Cliff played Ivan Martin, the poor dreamer who cuts a record, gets cheated and turns outlaw when the system boxes him in. The movie’s grit, humor and tragic swagger mirrored Jamaica’s post-independence struggle and pushed reggae from local rhythm to international statement. Every artist who’s ever rapped, sung or filmed about hustle and betrayal owes something to it.

The film’s story — ambition, betrayal and survival against a rigged system — would later echo through hip-hop, the kind of hustler narrative artists from Jay-Z to Nas would identify with. Its soundtrack remains a cornerstone of global Black storytelling: defiant, spiritual, cinematic.

I don’t know if it’s possible for someone to be more alive than Jimmy Cliff is in this clip from The Harder They Come. I don’t think I can put into words what this whole record means to me. It’s overwhelming in so many ways, his positivity in the face of sadness… his incredible… pic.twitter.com/oHDG7Bb4bn

— Benny safdie (@benny_safdie) November 24, 2025

Film director Benny Safdie captured that energy perfectly in a post Monday: “I don’t know if it’s possible for someone to be more alive than Jimmy Cliff is in this clip from ‘The Harder They Come,’” he wrote. “His positivity in the face of sadness… his incredible performance here. He’s still here! JIMMY CLIFF.”

Cliff never chased Marley’s saintly myth; he stayed the restless craftsman. His 2012 album “Rebirth” — which earned him a Grammy and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction — sounded like a man circling back to first principles. “One has to go back to point zero to move forward again,” he told NPR that year, recording with the same live-band energy that birthed reggae itself.

Tributes poured in across the music world. Trojan Records called him “a true pioneer whose songs and spirit helped carry reggae across the world.” UB40 said he’d “finally crossed over the last river.” On social media, messages from African and Caribbean artists hailed him as a revolutionary who used melody as protest and rhythm as hope.

From Kingston’s studios to Burkina Faso’s revolutionary stages, where he once performed at the invitation of Thomas Sankara, Cliff’s voice became a vessel for resistance, unity and joy. Few artists balanced defiance and grace so completely.

Jimmy Cliff is survived by his wife, Latifa, and their children, Lilty and Aken. Further memorial details are expected.

Judge Sentences Fugees Founder Pras Michel to 14 Years in Federal Case

MiamiFilmFestival, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, the Grammy-winning rapper and founding member of the Fugees, was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in federal prison, closing a years-long foreign influence case that prosecutors said represented one of the most brazen political donation schemes in modern U.S. history. Michel, 53, stood silently as U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly delivered the sentence in a Washington, D.C. courtroom.

A federal jury convicted Michel in April 2023 of 10 counts, including conspiracy, acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, witness tampering and submitting false statements. According to prosecutors, Michel funneled millions from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho — the fugitive behind the 1MDB scandal — into Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign through a network of straw donors. Prosecutors said Michel later attempted to interfere with a Justice Department investigation into Low and lied repeatedly during the course of the scheme.

Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a life term. In their filing, prosecutors wrote that Michel “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.” They argued, “His sentence should reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed.”

Michel’s attorneys called the 14-year punishment excessive. Defense lawyer Peter Zeidenberg told reporters the sentence was “completely disproportionate to the offense,” reiterating the team’s position that a life recommendation was “absurdly high” and normally reserved for terrorists or cartel leaders. In a sentencing memo, they wrote that the government’s stance “would cause Inspector Javert to recoil” and illustrated how federal guidelines “can be manipulated to produce absurd results.” Michel plans to appeal.

Michel’s trial drew national attention, in part because of witnesses such as Leonardo DiCaprio — who testified about Low’s involvement in financing the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” — and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Low, who has lived in China since fleeing charges in the United States, maintains his innocence.

Prosecutors said Michel obtained more than $120 million from Low and routed a portion of it into Obama’s campaign. They also said Michel attempted to influence the government’s investigation into Low and tampered with witnesses to obstruct the case. His attorneys argued that Low’s goal was less sinister, writing that Low simply “wanted to obtain a photograph with himself and then-President Obama.”

Michel’s legal troubles have unfolded alongside a long and complicated legacy. As one-third of the Fugees — alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean — Michel helped define an era in hip-hop that blended Caribbean roots, political consciousness and mainstream success. The trio sold tens of millions of albums and earned two Grammy Awards, becoming one of the most influential groups of the 1990s.

The current case, however, has overshadowed Michel’s musical legacy. In August 2024, Judge Kollar-Kotelly denied Michel’s request for a new trial, rejecting his claim that his attorney’s use of a generative AI program during closing arguments constituted ineffective assistance of counsel. The judge wrote that, even if “ill-advised,” the AI usage and other alleged errors did not amount to a miscarriage of justice.

Michel, dressed in a suit, declined to speak during sentencing. He was taken into custody immediately after the hearing.

The sentence ends a remarkable fall for an artist once positioned at the center of one of hip-hop’s most celebrated groups. It now places Michel among the highest-profile musicians convicted in a federal influence case, closing a chapter that has stretched across more than a decade and leaving the future of his public life uncertain as he prepares to begin a lengthy prison term.

B2K to Reunite After Two Decades for National Tour With Bow Wow

Official poster for the “Boys 4 Life” Tour, the 28-city 2026 run produced by the Black Promoters Collective and headlined by B2K and Bow Wow. The tour begins Feb. 12, 2026, and features Amerie, Jeremih, Waka Flocka Flame, Yung Joc, Crime Mob, Dem Franchize Boyz and Pretty Ricky. (Image courtesy of Black Promoters Collective)

B2K will reunite for its first nationwide tour in more than two decades, a return that brings the group behind “Bump, Bump, Bump” — one of early-2000s R&B’s definitive hits — back into the spotlight after years marked by commercial triumph, internal conflict and public distance. The announcement arrives as part of the upcoming “Boys 4 Life” Tour with Bow Wow, reconnecting two acts whose ascents helped shape a formative chapter in millennial pop culture.

For fans who remember the group debuting with two albums in the same year, topping the Billboard 200 in early 2003 and igniting the hysteria of the Scream Tour era, the news reads not just as a reunion but as a re-entry into unfinished history. B2K’s run was brief — a two-year burst from 2002 to 2004 — but its impact reverberated far beyond its lifespan. Their polished harmonies, precision choreography and youth-centered R&B helped define the sonic and visual identity of the period. Their leading roles in “You Got Served” brought that blueprint to a wider audience, cementing the group as both chart staples and cultural touchstones.

The group’s dissolution was as public as its rise. In January 2004, their label, T.U.G. Entertainment, announced that Omarion would continue as a solo artist while B2K disbanded — a decision later complicated by disputes over management, finances and personal fallouts among members. Over the years, the fractured dynamics played out in interviews, social media exchanges and reality television, reinforcing the perception that a full reunion was unlikely.

That perception shifted in June 2025, when Omarion, J-Boog, Lil Fizz and Raz-B made an unexpected joint appearance at the BET Awards. Though the moment lasted only seconds, it was the first time all four had stood together publicly in years, immediately triggering speculation about whether their long-running divisions had finally begun to ease. The brief reunion circulated widely and reopened conversations about their legacy. Omarion later referenced the chemistry the group once had in a short Instagram clip, saying, “There was a certain level of authenticity that we all had. So in a way, we’re completing it.”

Bow Wow’s participation connects the tour to another central figure of the same era. Signed by Snoop Dogg as a child and mentored by Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow’s debut album Beware of Dog went platinum before he reached high school. Over the next decade, he delivered seven No. 1 singles, sold more than 10 million albums and built a parallel acting career that included “Like Mike” (2002), “Roll Bounce” (2005) and “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (2006). His tenure as host of BET’s 106 & Park solidified his role within youth-driven hip-hop culture.

The tour will open Feb. 12, 2026, in Columbia, S.C., with stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Washington, D.C., before closing April 19 in Hampton, Va. The lineup features Amerie, Jeremih, Waka Flocka Flame, Yung Joc, Crime Mob, Dem Franchize Boyz and special guests Pretty Ricky.

Both B2K and Bow Wow are expected to release new albums in February through BPC Music Group. The releases coincide with the tour calendar and mark a formal return to recording for both acts.

Nicki Minaj Calls for Global Action on Nigeria’s Religious Violence in Rare Diplomatic Moment

Nicki Minaj speaks at a United Nations event in New York on Tuesday, pausing at the podium between the U.S. flag and a United Nations backdrop as she delivers prepared remarks calling attention to violence against Christians in Nigeria. The rapper addressed diplomats, officials and attendees during the session, which highlighted reports of church burnings, displacement and religiously targeted attacks in several regions of the country.

Nicki Minaj is usually trending for explosive feuds, late-night livestreams, or the latest culture-war crossfire. But today, the woman who shook hip-hop with alter egos and internet smoke stepped into the United Nations with a tone no one associates with her anymore: calm, measured and deadly serious.

The rap superstar delivered a composed address about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, calling attention to burned churches, displaced families, and communities living in fear. “Religious freedom means we all can sing our faith,” she said, thanking Ambassador Mike Waltz for the invitation and acknowledging Donald Trump for elevating the issue — a detail that instantly raised eyebrows far beyond the U.N. floor.

Her message was straightforward and rooted in verified reports of violence across parts of Nigeria. But the moment wasn’t simple. It came in the middle of one of the most turbulent stretches of Minaj’s career, when her public persona has been defined less by advocacy and more by social-media battles, political backlash and nonstop controversy.

Nigeria’s Violence Crisis

Nigeria faces overlapping conflicts involving extremist militias, armed criminal groups, ethnic clashes and separatist violence. Attacks against Christian communities have been documented across parts of the Middle Belt and northern states, including church burnings and mass killings.

Muslim civilians are also victims, especially in the northeast, where Boko Haram and ISIS–West Africa have carried out deadly assaults on mosques and Muslim communities.

Conflict analysts agree the violence is driven by several factors: religious extremism, land-use conflicts, organized kidnapping operations, political instability and weak state security forces.

Across all sources, the consensus remains the same: the suffering is widespread and real, even if experts differ on the exact causes.

That’s why the optics hit so hard. A star known for turning timelines into minefields was suddenly standing in front of diplomats talking about universal human rights. And behind that microphone sat a political machine that also benefited from her presence. Waltz — a former congressman tightly aligned with Trump — has made Nigeria’s crisis a major talking point. Trump himself has used it to argue for more aggressive U.S. action. Minaj’s appearance didn’t just highlight suffering; it amplified a narrative already central to their agenda.

Online, the reactions split fast. Supporters praised her for using her platform for something meaningful. Critics questioned whether she was being used for a photo op. Nigerians asked why a celebrity was chosen to spotlight a crisis that activists say needs resources and strategy, not celebrity packaging. And longtime Barbz — especially those uneasy with her recent political alignment — wondered if this was sincere, strategic, or both.

Still, inside the U.N., Minaj didn’t posture. She didn’t provoke. She didn’t fight. She delivered the speech straight, without theatrics, ending on a note that felt almost like a vow: “For the rest of my life, I will care if anyone anywhere is being persecuted for their beliefs.”

Whether today was a heartfelt pivot, a carefully timed reset, or a calculated moment engineered by people around her, one thing is undeniable: Nicki Minaj added a new chapter to her unpredictable storyline — and she did it on one of the biggest stages on earth.

Watch the entire speech below.

Tory Lanez Fined $20K for Contempt in Megan Thee Stallion Defamation Case

Tory Lanez was found in contempt of court in Miami on Monday and sanctioned $20,000 after refusing to answer deposition questions in Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation case against online commentator Milagro Cooper.

Tory Lanez hasn’t said a public word in nearly a year, but his silence inside a Miami federal courthouse thundered louder than any defense he could have mounted.
The rapper — already serving a decade-long sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020 — was held in contempt of court this week and hit with a $20,000 sanction after refusing to answer basic, court-ordered questions in the defamation case Megan filed against online personality Milagro Cooper.

The moment snapped the courtroom into focus. According to federal filings and testimony reviewed by the court, Lanez repeatedly declined to engage during a deposition about his relationship and communications with Cooper — even after a judge ordered him to continue the questioning under supervision. His refusal prompted U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid to impose the monetary penalty and instruct jurors that they may draw an adverse inference from his silence, a legal way of telling them that Lanez may be hiding information that could damage the defense.

For Megan’s team, the sanctions confirmed what they’ve argued from day one: that the digital smear campaign she accuses Cooper of orchestrating wasn’t random internet chaos but a coordinated effort designed to undermine her credibility before, during, and after Lanez’s criminal trial. In a recent filing, they wrote, “Despite being sentenced to ten years for shooting Ms. Pete, Mr. Peterson continues to subject her to repeated trauma and revictimization.”

Cooper — who hosts a Stationhead show and has built a sizable following by covering rap culture with a street-level, provocative style — is defending herself against allegations of defamation, cyberstalking, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the willful promotion of an altered sexual depiction under a 2024 Florida law. Judge Cecilia Altonaga previously ruled she does not qualify as a media defendant, clearing the path for a standard defamation action without special notice protections.

The case’s paper trail has grown more tangled as trial week begins. Cooper was sanctioned earlier this fall for deleting thousands of messages — including texts with Lanez and Lanez’s father — after being ordered to preserve all communications. Those deletions now allow jurors to presume the missing evidence would have been damaging to her defense.

Lanez’s own role has only complicated matters further. Video excerpts of his earlier deposition will be shown to the jury, and his refusal to answer foundational questions this month turned what should have been routine testimony into a dramatic new legal blow. Legal observers say the sanction is significant: contempt fines in federal civil cases tied to disobedience of deposition orders are not common, and the adverse inference instruction could heavily tilt the jury’s view of the harassment allegations.

For hip-hop fans, the case represents more than a clash between an artist and an online commentator. It marks a turning point in how courts treat digital influence, viral narratives, and weaponized commentary — especially when it intersects with violence against women. It also cements the aftermath of Lanez’s criminal conviction as an ongoing story, one still echoing through the same culture he once dominated.

With trial testimony now underway in Miami, both Megan and Cooper are expected to take the stand in the days ahead. And Lanez — silent, sanctioned, and sitting in a California prison — now faces the reality that his refusal to speak may end up speaking loudest of all.

Cardi B Announces Birth of Her Baby and a New Chapter Focused on Reinvention

Photo Credit: Warner Music

Cardi B didn’t just introduce her new baby to the world Tuesday afternoon — she declared a shift in her entire life.

In a deeply personal Instagram post, the Bronx superstar confirmed the arrival of her fourth child and her first with New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, framing motherhood and reinvention as the driving force behind her next era.

“My life has always been a combination of different chapters and different seasons,” she wrote. “I brought new music and a new album to the world. A new baby into my world — and one more reason to be the best version of me.”

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The announcement closed weeks of speculation surrounding the due date, following both Diggs’ confirmation that the baby was a boy (she did not reveal the name) and Cardi’s own "CBS Mornings" interview in September revealing she was pregnant again. It also follows her recent rollout for her “Little Miss Drama” tour, which she said she was preparing for “while creating a baby.”

In Tuesday’s post, Cardi framed the moment not as a soft reset but a full transformation. “This next chapter is Me vs. Me,” she wrote, describing a season of healing, discipline, and purpose. “It’s me against all odds… getting my body right, getting my mind right. There’s nothing that’s gonna stop me from giving you guys the performance of a lifetime.”

Sources close to the couple — and Diggs’ own comments to People — have consistently described this pregnancy as grounding for both artists. Diggs told the outlet he was “100% team boy” prior to the birth and said he was ready for fatherhood “real soon.”

Cardi’s post arrives at a pivotal moment for her career. She released her long-awaited sophomore album this fall, marking her first full project since “Invasion of Privacy,” and opened the door for a new sonic era steeped in vulnerability, sharpened confidence, and hard-earned growth.

Cardi closed her message with a simple declaration that reads as much like a thesis for her next era as it does a promise to herself: “I’ve learned, I’ve healed, and I’m loving the woman I’ve become.”

Akon Detained in Georgia on Bench Warrant Linked to Suspended License Case

Akon, 52, is seen in a booking photo taken Friday after Chamblee police arrested him on a bench warrant tied to a suspended-license case out of Roswell, Georgia. He was released from the DeKalb County Jail later the same day. (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)

Akon was briefly taken into custody in Georgia on Friday after police flagged a vehicle registered in his name and discovered he had an outstanding bench warrant tied to a prior suspended-license citation.

According to the Chamblee Police Department, an officer was dispatched just after 11 a.m. to Tint World, an automotive styling shop along Chamblee Dunwoody Road, after license-plate cameras alerted authorities that a wanted vehicle — a white Tesla Cybertruck — had entered the area. When the officer arrived, they located the truck and saw a man standing outside who matched the registered owner’s description.

Police say the man identified himself as Akon, whose legal name is Aliaune Badara Thiam. After confirming the active warrant, officers informed him he was being detained. According to the incident report, Akon complied, remained calm and told officers he was already aware of the warrant. No weapons or contraband were found during a search.

He was transported to the DeKalb County Jail, booked early Friday afternoon and released later the same day.

The bench warrant stems from a Sept. 10 incident in Roswell, when police found Akon’s Cybertruck stranded after its battery died. Officers contacted the singer, ran his information and determined his driver’s license was suspended for failure to appear. The truck was impounded, and Akon was issued a citation.

Police records show he was later arrested on the related bench warrant in November, after being transferred from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office to Smyrna authorities, before being released again.

It remains unclear when he is due back in court or whether the Cybertruck has since been retrieved from impound. Police have not indicated whether further charges may be forthcoming.

Akon, 52, has not publicly commented on the incident.