Lil Jon Places Third at Muscle Beach in Fitness Debut

Lil Jon flexes with his third-place medal after competing in the Men’s Physique Masters Over 45 division at the Muscle Beach Championships in Venice, Calif., on Labor Day. (Instagram/@musclebeachvenice)

Monday. Lil Jon didn’t just show up at Muscle Beach on Labor Day — he stepped onstage. The Grammy winning “Yeah!” producer made his fitness-competition debut at the 2025 Muscle Beach Championships, placing third in the Men’s Physique Masters Over 45 division as fans packed the Venice Beach Recreation Center.

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The event — run with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks — is billed as “the greatest outdoor bodybuilding show on earth” and is open to amateurs only, a throwback SoCal spectacle where posing oil meets block-party energy. This year, the “King of Crunk” performed and competed, a full-circle Venice moment under the sun.

On camera, Jon framed the day as a lifestyle marker as much as a medal. “It’s been a lot physically — just in the gym, dedication, eating, focus. I’m winning just by being here and changing my lifestyle, mentally and physically,” he told ABC7. “One thing I hope is that I can be an inspiration to people who say, ‘I just don’t have time.’ If I can do it, you can do it too.”

His camp added a view from backstage. In an Instagram post, trainer Jay Galvin wrote, “My bro Lil Jon came straight off a plane to his first show ever @musclebeachvenice and took 3rd place,” a snapshot of what a podium day really looks like — travel, tan, macros and the nerve to be judged in a new arena.

 

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The pivot tracks with his wellness era. In 2024, Jon released two guided-meditation projects — “Total Meditation” and “Manifest Abundance: Affirmations for Personal Growth” — a deliberate downshift from one of hip-hop’s loudest hype men. And he hasn’t disappeared from the culture’s biggest stages: in 2024’s Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, he joined Usher and Ludacris for a ring-shaking run that moved from “Turn Down for What” into “Yeah!”

What’s next blends work and workout. Jon’s tour calendar continues to thread clubs and festivals — from TAO/Hakkasan dates to fairground stages — while his HGTV remodel series “Lil Jon Wants to Do What?” keeps him teaming with designer Anitra Mecadon on homeowner makeovers.

Not Liable: L.A. Jury Rejects $24 Million Claim Against Cardi B

Chrisallmeid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cardi B beat a $24 million civil lawsuit on Tuesday, as a Los Angeles County jury found her not liable over a 2018 hallway confrontation at a Beverly Hills OB-GYN’s office. “I would say this on my death bed: I did not touch the woman,” the rapper said outside the Alhambra courthouse after the verdict.

The plaintiff, Emani Ellis, a former security guard, alleged that Cardi B scratched her face with a fingernail, spat on her and verbally abused her — claims Ellis said led to lasting injury and the loss of her job. Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, denied any physical contact and testified the dispute began because Ellis appeared to be recording her while she was secretly pregnant.

"I did not touch that woman."

Cardi B spoke to reporters outside of court after being found not liable in civil suit. pic.twitter.com/kkliqL8Xip

— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) September 2, 2025

Jurors heard from Tierra Malcolm, a receptionist at the doctor’s office, who said she stepped into the hallway after hearing a commotion and saw Ellis cornering Cardi — not the other way around. Defense attorneys also emphasized that Ellis did not file a police report at the time and did not seek immediate medical care.

Cardi B was won her civil assault trial in California.

A Los Angeles County jury declared her not liable on all claims from a former security guard who claimed she assaulted her in 2018. pic.twitter.com/qaFp8MCQhI

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) September 2, 2025

Inside the courtroom, the exchanges were blunt. Asked by the plaintiff’s lawyer if she was angry, Cardi replied, “Yes, I was angry because I’m pregnant! And this girl’s about to beat my ass. Hello?” Pressed on whether she called Ellis “fat,” she answered, “No. I was calling her a b**.**” In closing, her lawyer attacked the injury narrative: “She claims that Cardi mauled her … cut her face, and this woman went home … She took a nap.”

After the verdict, Cardi thanked supporters and said the case pulled her away from family time. “Because of this, I missed my kids’ first day of school,” she said, adding a warning about future claims: “Don’t ever think that you’re going to file a frivolous lawsuit against me and I’m just going to give you my money … Next time, I’m going to countersue."

‘New Edition Way’ Unveiled as Boston Salutes the Group During for the Culture Week

Boston honored New Edition on Saturday with the unveiling of ‘New Edition Way’ in Roxbury and a proclamation of ‘New Edition Day’ during For the Culture Week.

Saturday. Boston didn’t just throw a party — it changed the map. As part of For the Culture Week, the city renamed Dearborn Street as “New Edition Way” and proclaimed “New Edition Day,” anchoring a four decade story of melody, brotherhood and Black Boston pride to a specific corner in Roxbury.

Mayor Michelle Wu led the ceremony at Ambrose and Albany — steps from Orchard Gardens, the housing community where the group first found its blend. “And now I have the honor of officially declaring today New Edition Day,” she said as the crowd cheered.

All six members — Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill — returned for the honor as neighbors and families filled the block. Latoyia Edwards of NBC10 Boston emceed; a community block party at the Orchard Gardens Boys & Girls Club kept the celebration going.

So much has changed in our lives and the world these past four decades, but New Edition have remained a constant — a source for joy, romance, and the soundtrack of our lives, loves and heartbreak.

They've made it possible to get through some of the toughest times in our lives.… pic.twitter.com/0VOTL7FMfP

— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) September 1, 2025

Onstage, the group credited the neighborhood for the discipline, style and support that carried them from talent shows to stadiums — and back to the corner where it began. “New Edition Way is the way life is for us and has been for us for a long time,” Brown said. Tresvant added, “Everything we learned … our attitude, our swag is from all of y’all, man. We got what we got from here.”

They also spoke to longevity. “One of the hardest things in this industry to do is to stay together,” Bell told the crowd. “We’ve been through so much together … and the thing that keeps bringing us back is we remember where we came from. Orchard Park Projects was the very beginning of New Edition.”

Gill offered a note of gratitude — and a reminder: “You’re looking at all six of us here … nothing lasts forever … while we’re here, we should learn to love on each other, appreciate each other, and know tomorrow’s not promised.” A final salute to the city followed: “There’s something about this place … we stick together, we rep together, and we’re always going to be one. One love to Boston.”

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley widened the frame, calling New Edition “a source for joy, romance, and the soundtrack of our lives, loves and heartbreak,” and reminding the city that Black history is American history. She congratulated the six members and longtime mentor Brooke Payne, and thanked the Orchard Park community, Mayor Wu and former Mayor Kim Janey for helping make the moment possible.

City paperwork matched the pride. The proclamation designates Aug. 30 as “New Edition Day” going forward; the honorary co-naming fixes “New Edition Way” on Dearborn Street; and the chosen corner — Ambrose and Albany — places the sign within walking distance of the group’s origin point. For neighbors who showed up with kids on their shoulders, that precision mattered.

It also tracks the arc. From “Candy Girl” in 1983 to solo careers, supergroups and reunions, New Edition wrote a playbook — tight harmonies, choreography, style — that still echoes in today’s pop and R&B. Putting their name on a street does more than celebrate six men; it tells the next crew exactly where excellence came from — and how close it still is.

Billboard Ranks Drake, Beyoncé as Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of 21st Century

Billboard’s quarter-century recap puts Drake first and Beyoncé second, reflecting cumulative R&B/hip-hop chart performance from 2000 through 2024. (Superthrowbackparty illustration)

In a year when Beyoncé bent stadiums around the world to her will and Kendrick Lamar owned the headlines with “Not Like Us,” Billboard’s receipts say something simpler: over the first 25 years of this century, Drake stacked the most chart points. The trade’s 2000–24 recap names him the No. 1 R&B/hip-hop act of the 21st century — a data-only verdict built from weekly “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” and “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.”

The numbers that power his case are blunt. Inside the 2000–24 window, Drake posted a record 30 No. 1 songs on the R&B/hip-hop songs chart and 15 No. 1 albums on the R&B/hip-hop albums chart, alongside a torrent of top-10 entries that kept him in constant rotation. He did it despite arriving late — he didn’t reach Billboard’s charts until 2009 — which makes the margin feel even more modern: singles that live forever on playlists, features that blur lines between rap, R&B and pop, and projects built to stream long after release.

Beyoncé lands at No. 2 — proof that two different blueprints shaped the era. Drake optimized for the feed: relentless singles, features, and algorithm-proof hooks. Beyoncé recentered the album as an event, from “Dangerously in Love” to “Renaissance,” turning surprise drops, world-building visuals and stadium scale into the new normal. Same scoreboard, different paths.

Billboard’s top tier for 2000–24 also includes The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Usher, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Eminem and Alicia Keys — a two-generation snapshot that stretches from the ringtone era to the streaming-services age. Kendrick Lamar, who dominated 2024–25 by any cultural measure, does not appear in this top 10 snapshot. That isn’t a referendum on artistry; it’s how cumulative, week-by-week scoring favors catalogs with longer runways inside the period.

Methodology matters. In 2012, Billboard rewired its genre charts to fold in digital sales and streaming alongside airplay — a rule set that boosted crossover smashes and has been debated ever since. Fans can argue philosophy; the charts track behavior. By the late 2010s, R&B/hip-hop had already become America’s most-consumed music. Within that ecosystem, Drake’s playlist-native strategy was rocket fuel, and Beyoncé’s album-first statements kept ambition at the center of pop.

Read as a time capsule, the list isn’t about “greatest ever.” It documents how Black music became the operating system of pop this century — from Usher’s “Confessions” to The Weeknd’s “Starboy,” from Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” to Drake’s “God’s Plan.” If you want the culture war, social media has you covered. If you want the scoreboard, this one says Drake. And it says the era — albums, singles, tours, memes, playlists — belongs to the whole ecosystem that got him there.

Billboard’s top 10 R&B/hip-hop artists of the 21st century (2000–24)

1. Drake
2. Beyoncé
3. The Weeknd
4. Chris Brown
5. Usher
6. Lil Wayne
7. Jay-Z
8. Rihanna
9. Eminem
10. Alicia Keys

Lil Nas X Freed on $75,000 Bail; Prosecutors Say 3 Officers Injured; Faces up to 5 Years

A video recorded in the early hours of Aug. 21, 2025, shows a Lil Nas X walking in Studio City, Calif. The encounter that followed left three officers injured, according to authorities; a not-guilty plea was entered on four felony counts. (Screengrab)

Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty Monday to four felony charges stemming from his arrest in Studio City last week, where authorities say he injured three officers while they tried to detain him.

The Grammy winner, born Montero Lamar Hill, 26, is charged with three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said. A preliminary-hearing setting is scheduled for Sept. 15 in Van Nuys. If convicted as charged, he faces up to five years in state prison.

🔥🚨BREAKING NEWS: Grammy award winning rapper Lil Nas X has been hospitalized after being spotted roaming nearly naked on the streets of Los Angeles at 4AM.

TMZ claims it could be a possible OD. This comes after Lil Nas X reportedly ‘ruined his career’ by intentionally and… pic.twitter.com/pyTHkFMKTo

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) August 21, 2025

“Attacking police officers is more than just a crime against those individuals but a direct threat to public safety,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in announcing the case. “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will face serious consequences, no matter who they are or how famous they may be.”

Prosecutors say the incident occurred around 5:40 a.m. on Aug. 21 in Studio City. Officers responded to a call and, during the encounter, Hill allegedly assaulted the responding officers, injuring at least three, before he was taken into custody.

New footage of Lil Nas X leaving jail after posting a $75k bail pic.twitter.com/RHrgyIAPIC

— She’s Fishy ➐ (@ShesFishy) August 25, 2025

A judge set bail at $75,000. The court also ordered outpatient drug treatment as a condition of release, according to multiple reports; Hill’s attorney told the court there’s no evidence of drug use.

Video published Monday showed Hill leaving a county facility in Van Nuys wearing a blue jail jumpsuit after posting bond.

Hill rose to global prominence with the hybrid country-rap hit “Old Town Road” and has been recognized for breaking barriers in country and pop — but he remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Bigxthaplug Booked in Dallas Hours After 'I Hope You’re Happy' Drops

Arlington Police Department

Hours after his country-rap album “I Hope You’re Happy” hit streaming services, Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug — born Xavier Landum — was booked into the Dallas County jail at about 2:20 a.m. Friday on two misdemeanor counts: possession of marijuana (less than 2 ounces) and unlawful possession of a firearm. He later posted bond.

An arrest-warrant affidavit says officers stopped the 26-year-old around 8:45 p.m. Thursday for not having a front license plate as he pulled out of a Williams Chicken in Dallas. When asked whether there was a weapon in the vehicle, Landum acknowledged one under the center armrest, according to the affidavit. Officers reported finding two firearms and a small amount of marijuana. The affidavit notes police referenced a listing for Landum in a law-enforcement gang database; the document ties that listing to a state handgun offense.

The booking capped an album-night sprint. Landum had just celebrated at a release party at Cash Cow in Deep Ellum; a second event planned for Friday at a Wingstop location was canceled after the arrest. He told local reporters he intends to reschedule.

“I Hope You’re Happy” blends trap percussion with country songwriting and features Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Shaboozey, Thomas Rhett and Ella Langley. A companion video with Jelly Roll, “Box Me Up,” arrived alongside the album.

Thursday’s arrest is Landum’s second in North Texas this year. In February, Arlington police arrested him after a traffic stop for an expired registration; officers said they smelled marijuana and found a handgun in the vehicle. Landum was booked on a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession and later released. That case was subsequently dismissed, according to local reports.

Dallas voters approved a charter amendment last fall to curb arrests and citations for low-level marijuana possession, but city officials paused enforcement in July after a court ruling in a separate case. Police have resumed enforcement while the legal fight plays out.

Jay-Z Stays Atop Music’s Billionaires as Forbes’ 2025 List Swells

The rapper ranked No. 6 on Forbes’ 2025 celebrity billionaire list — highest among musicians — poses with his partner in a Tiffany & Co. campaign portrait. (Photograph by Mason Poole. Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.)

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” Two decades after that flex, Jay-Z tops music’s money column on Forbes’ 2025 celebrity billionaire list — No. 6 at an estimated $2.5 billion — ahead of Taylor Swift at No. 9 ($1.6 billion), turning “Reasonable Doubt” and “The Blueprint” into equity that still compounds.

What puts him in front is ownership. Jay-Z sold 50% of Armand de Brignac to LVMH in 2021 and a majority stake in D’Ussé to Bacardi in 2023 — cash-and-equity deals layered on top of Roc Nation and the 2021 sale of a majority stake in Tidal to Block. Add a valuable catalog and blue-chip art, and you get a portfolio that grows even when the studio is quiet.

Rihanna sits at No. 13 (about $1.4 billion) on the strength of Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty — proof that brand and product can outrun any release calendar. Swift is the rare ten-figure artist powered primarily by music itself; her spot at No. 9 comes from catalog control, royalties and the “Eras Tour.” Tyler Perry lands at No. 11 ($1.4 billion), a reminder that vertical control — studio, library and lot — keeps the checks coming.

Sports reads the same, just in a different jersey. Michael Jordan ranks No. 3 ($3.5 billion), a sovereign brand whose Nike royalties still score in overtime. Magic Johnson is No. 10 ($1.5 billion) off team stakes, insurance and real estate. LeBron James is No. 14 ($1.3 billion), proof an active player can build a ten-figure balance sheet with salaries, SpringHill and ownership. Tiger Woods is No. 12 ($1.4 billion), the endorsement engine turned operator. Oprah Winfrey sits at No. 4 ($3 billion), decades of audience trust turned into durable media equity and heavyweight real estate.

Zoom out and world-building pays longest. Steven Spielberg leads the celebrity set at No. 1 ($5.3 billion) and “Star Wars” creator George Lucas follows at No. 2 ($5.1 billion) — iconic IP that compounds for decades. Vince McMahon is No. 5 ($3 billion) after the WWE–UFC merger rolled spectacle into TKO stock. Kim Kardashian (No. 7; $1.7 billion) and Peter Jackson (No. 8; $1.7 billion) round out the upper middle on Skims and the Weta Digital deal.

The newcomer class explains how money moved this year. Bruce Springsteen (No. 15; about $1.2 billion) crystallized decades of songs with a blockbuster catalog sale. Arnold Schwarzenegger (No. 17; $1.1 billion) and Jerry Seinfeld (No. 18; $1.1 billion) arrived via long-tail syndication and investing. McMahon’s rise reflects that combat-sports merger windfall.

All of it sits inside a record backdrop: Forbes tallied 3,028 billionaires worldwide worth a combined $16.1 trillion, with a record 15 people in the $100-billion club and, for the first time, three above $200 billion. Against that surge, the celebrity cohort totals roughly $39 billion across 18 names. Hits fade — equity doesn’t. In 2025, catalogs, companies and control still turn fame into generational wealth.

Whirlpool Teams With Big Boi for Crystal-Studded Washer That Sings 'So Fresh, So Clean'

Big Boi’s iconic OutKast anthem “So Fresh, So Clean” has found an unlikely new home — inside a limited-edition Whirlpool washer that plays the chorus after each cycle. (Courtesy photo)

Twenty years ago, OutKast had clubs chanting “so fresh and so clean” as the anthem of late-night swagger. Today, Whirlpool wants your socks to feel the same way. In one of the most unexpected hip-hop crossovers yet, the appliance giant announced a limited-edition washer and dryer set that plays Big Boi’s chorus from the 2001 classic after every cycle.

Yes, it’s real. The Benton Harbor-based brand revealed the machines Tuesday as part of a sweepstakes giveaway, complete with a matte black finish, hand-placed crystals, and a “certified fresh” badge signed by Big Boi himself. The first set has already been delivered to the Atlanta legend, who co-signed the partnership with a simple truth: “Now your laundry looks fresh, smells fresh, and even sounds fresh.”

 

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It’s the kind of headline that sounds like satire until you remember hip-hop’s ability to bend culture in ways nobody predicts. Sneakers, champagne, fast food menus — the genre’s influence has already spilled into every corner of consumer life. But this may be the first time a rap hook is hardwired into household appliances, cementing just how permanent the early-2000s South has become in the American imagination.

OutKast’s legacy looms large over the moment. While André 3000 reinvented himself in 2023 with a flute-driven jazz odyssey, Big Boi’s steady presence has kept the duo’s catalog alive in arenas, soundtracks, and now, washing machines. For fans who once blasted “So Fresh, So Clean” through car stereos on summer nights, hearing it while folding laundry is a reminder of both hip-hop’s absurd reach and its timeless cool.

The sweepstakes runs through September 23, and only a handful of fans will ever own one of the crystal-studded machines. But the cultural takeaway isn’t about how many units exist. It’s about what it means when a track once soundtracking parties is now soundtracking adulthood. Hip-hop doesn’t just move generations forward — it ages with them, growing from the streets to the suburbs, and now, to the laundry room.

OutKast made the world feel so fresh and so clean. Whirlpool just made it literal.