Cardi B is trading headlines for turnstiles. After a summer that put her on the stand by day and back in rehearsal by night, the Grammy winner is taking “Am I the Drama?” to arenas with the "Little Miss Drama Tour" — her first headlining arena run, and her first tour in six years.
The trek launches Feb. 11, 2026, at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., and spans more than 30 North American dates, including Los Angeles, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Austin and Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena on April 8).
“HELLO!! … We putting the kids to bed early because the Little Miss Drama Tour is coming to a city near you! Sign up now thru this Sunday, September 21 at 10 p.m. PST for artist presale,” she posted on Instagram, pointing fans to the link in her bio and Stories.
Presales begin Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. local; artist presale registration closes Sunday, Sept. 21, at 10 p.m. PT. General on-sale opens Thursday, Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. local. Venue and ticketing pages are carrying market-by-market details. For more information click here.
The tour lands the same week as her long-awaited second album, “Am I the Drama?,” due Friday, Sept. 19, following 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy.” Announced guests include Janet Jackson, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Tyla, Kehlani and Summer Walker.
Cardi telegraphed the move days earlier on daytime TV. “I actually have an announcement coming soon… I’m already preparing for it. I’m at the gym, and I’m taking dance classes already,” she told “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
It caps a stretch of high-visibility moments — a televised courtroom appearance that ended in her favor, a viral clip where she admitted she briefly nodded off in court, and an album rollout built for spectacle — now crystallizing into a straightforward ask: show up IRL.
Mariah Carey finally got her MTV moment — twice. The singer accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at Sunday’s 2025 MTV Video Music Awards and, earlier in the night, won her first competitive VMA, taking Best R&B for “Type Dangerous.”
Carey marked the honor with a career-spanning medley that doubled as a reminder of her video legacy. She opened with her new single “Sugar Sweet,” then flipped through “Fantasy,” “Honey,” “Heartbreaker,” “Obsessed” and “It’s Like That,” closing with a string-kissed “We Belong Together.” Ariana Grande presented the Vanguard; onstage, Carey joked about the long wait for her first Moon Person and nodded to the show’s role in her career.
The telecast — hosted by LL Cool J at UBS Arena — threaded legacy and spectacle. Ariana Grande took Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead,” and Lady Gaga won Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration for “Die With a Smile” with Bruno Mars. ROSÉ and Bruno Mars earned Song of the Year for “APT.” New special honors expanded the frame: Busta Rhymes received the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and Ricky Martin was named the first Latin Icon. The show aired on CBS and MTV with streaming on Paramount+.
Also notable: Doechii won Best Hip-Hop for “Anxiety,” Tyla took Best Afrobeats for “PUSH 2 START,” and LISA’s “Born Again” — featuring Doja Cat and RAYE — won Best K-pop. BLACKPINK claimed Best Group; Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet won Best Album.
What lingered was Carey’s set — precise, playful and pointed. The cuts that once defined TRL afternoons and late-night countdowns felt newly present, and the acknowledgment finally matched the scale of that history. With “Here for It All” due Sept. 26, the night functioned as both celebration and reset: a Hall-of-Fame résumé met with hardware, and a new chapter arriving on schedule.
St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, where “Grace for the World” will feature Clipse, Pharrell Williams with the Voices of Fire Gospel Choir and other artists. The concert streams globally Sept. 13.
After reuniting for “Let God Sort ’Em Out,” their first album in 16 years produced by longtime collaborator Pharrell Williams, Clipse may be finally giving one of the world's most popular deities the chance.
On Saturday, Sept. 13 the duo will take the stage in Vatican City for “Grace for the World,” a live concert set in St. Peter’s Square.
For fans with the means to join the locals, attendance is free, but those without — whom Malice often strikes at with his verbal venom, no worries. It will also be streamed globally on Disney+, Hulu and ABC News Live starting 3 p.m. ET / noon PT (with a replay on Disney+).
The placement fits the arc of the year. Pusha T and Malice spent 2025 rebuilding the Clipse voice — reflective, surgical, grown — while Pharrell kept his hands on the wheel, shaping the new set with the same instincts that defined their 2000s run. Tracks like “Ace Trumpets,” “So Be It” and “The Birds Don’t Sing” reintroduced the duo’s contrast: Malice’s spiritual gravity in counterpoint to Pusha’s cold precision. Vatican City extends that tension in the most unexpected of venues.
The lineup underscores the scale. Organizers list Williams with the Voices of Fire Gospel Choir, Maestro Andrea Bocelli, John Legend, Karol G, Clipse, Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, Angélique Kidjo, and the Choir of the Diocese of Rome led by Maestro Marco Frisina, joined by an international choir under the musical direction of Adam Blackstone. Newly added performers include Jennifer Hudson and BamBam. Aerial drone and light work by Nova Sky Stories — with imagery inspired by the Sistine Chapel — is set to sweep the square overhead.
For a duo that once made stark minimalism feel like gospel, performing beside actual choirs is more than a stunt — it’s a clean through line. The same partnership that forged “Grindin’ ” matured into a record about memory, loss and resolve, and now it’s headed to a stage where the setting amplifies the message.
Montell Jordan in a photo posted on Instagram. The “This Is How We Do It” singer said this week his prostate cancer has returned and that he will begin proton radiation and hormone therapy; he’s documenting the journey in a forthcoming film, “Sustain.” (Instagram/@montelljordan)
Montell Jordan revealed that his prostate cancer has returned — less than a year after surgery — and said he’ll begin proton radiation alongside hormone-blocking therapy next month.
“I always imagined I would be telling my prostate cancer story from the other side,” the 56-year-old “This Is How We Do It” singer said on the "Today" show on Wednesday. “My prostate was removed. There were clear margins… Close to a year post-prostatectomy, I still need to go back and have additional treatments because it’s been detected that there is still cancer.”
Jordan said follow-up testing about nine months after his surgery found “tiny amounts” of cancer in lymph nodes on the left side of his body and in the prostate bed. He plans five days a week of proton radiation for about seven weeks, supported by medication to suppress testosterone, which can fuel some prostate cancers. “It’s a radiated treatment that is specifically focused on that lymph node part of my body,” he said. “It is a seven-and-a-half week interruption of life to make sure that I have a longer life.”
The R&B veteran first learned of the disease in early 2024 when a routine PSA screening showed elevated levels. He underwent a radical prostatectomy later that year. A pathology review upgraded the diagnosis to stage 2. By late 2024 he had told fans he was cancer-free, but new scans and bloodwork prompted the plan to resume treatment.
Jordan framed the update with optimism and a nudge toward prevention. “I’ve already had a fantastic quality of life even following my prostate removal,” he said. “I believe that even after this next treatment… it will eradicate the cancer from my body and [I’ll] still have a great quality of life moving forward.” He credited regular screening for catching the disease early enough to give him options.
For fans who met him through a No. 1 hit and a run of ’90s and 2000s singles — from “This Is How We Do It” and “Somethin’ 4 da Honeyz” to “Get It On Tonite” — Jordan’s second act has also included ministry work, touring and new storytelling. He’s documenting his health journey in “Sustain,” an upcoming documentary project, and has used recent appearances to encourage men — especially those with family history or higher risk — to talk with their doctors about PSA testing.
The next step, he said, is to complete treatment and get back to everyday life. “Seven and a half weeks,” Jordan noted, “for the chance at a longer life.”
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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."
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
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.
At the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Thursday, the spotlight shifted from celebrity to craft. The organization centered the people who decide whether a song lives on — the hook writer, the lyricist, the producer. T-Pain received the President’s Award, a formal nod to two decades of melodic language and digital vocal color that moved from controversy to common practice.
“Don’t let anyone dictate your time … Let yourself be your own time measurement,” he told the room — a plain credo from an artist whose once-debated sound is now shared grammar across rap and R&B.
The pipeline that powers today’s hits was front and center GloRilla accepted the Impact Award and — in a rare outcome — shared Songwriter of the Year with Tay Keith and Mike Dean after each co-wrote three of BMI’s 35 Most-Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the year. Those credits sketch three lanes: club-built anthems (“TGIF,” “Wanna Be,” “Yeah Glo!”), cross-format studio architecture (“One of the Girls,” “Popular,” “Type Shit”) and Memphis drum design made for scale (“First Person Shooter,” “Get It Sexyy,” “MELTDOWN”).
BMI named “Not Like Us” Song of the Year, crediting Kendrick Lamar along with the late Ray Charles, Sean Momberger and Sounwave. The organization said the track debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in May 2024 and spent 53 consecutive weeks on the chart — reported as the longest-charting rap song in the survey’s history. However you feel about the feud behind it, the run shows songcraft meeting moment.
The producer’s chair took a bow, too. Sounwave earned Producer of the Year for a stretch that includes Lamar’s “Euphoria,” “6:16 in LA” and “Not Like Us,” plus high-profile pop work — credits on Taylor Swift’s Lover and Midnights and Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift and Cowboy Carter. Same architect, different buildings.
On the business side, Sony Music Publishing was named Publisher of the Year, representing 23 of the year’s most-performed titles, including “Agora Hills,” “Not Like Us,” “MILLION DOLLAR BABY,” “Mmhmm,” “On My Mama” and “Saturn.” Even in a creator-first era, placement, licensing and long-tail stewardship still determine how far a song travels.
The show balanced established names with next-ups. BigXthaPlug opened with “The Largest” and his BMI-winning “Mmhmm,” followed by BossMan Dlow with “Mr Pot Scraper” and “Get In With Me.” A Know Them Now segment introduced Eli Derby (“Cadillac Dream”), TA Thomas (“Preach”) and Lekan (“Always”). BMI’s Mike Steinberg, EVP and Chief Revenue & Creative Officer, and Catherine Brewton, Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, hosted the private event at the Fairmont Century Plaza.
Taken together, the night argued for a simple order: honor the craft and the culture stays healthy. T-Pain’s toolkit is now the toolkit. GloRilla’s pen, Tay Keith’s stomp and Mike Dean’s engineering show how regional feel, studio detail and melody keep reshaping the mainstream. Sounwave’s trophy underscores the point — producers aren’t background credits, they’re architects.
Key honors President’s Award: T-Pain Impact Award: GloRilla Songwriter of the Year (tie): GloRilla; Mike Dean; Tay Keith Song of the Year: “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar, Ray Charles, Sean Momberger, Sounwave Producer of the Year: Sounwave Publisher of the Year: Sony Music Publishing Also recognized among top producers: Carter Lang; Metro Boomin; Sean Momberger; MTech
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
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.
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.”
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.
Busta Rhymes will receive the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award and perform at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. (Photo Credit: Derek Blanks)
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are setting the stage for a night that blends cultural celebration with high-voltage performances — and hip-hop icon Busta Rhymes is at the center of it all.
On Sept. 7, the rap legend will receive the first-ever Rock the Bells Visionary Award, honoring his groundbreaking career and enduring impact on music and culture, before hitting the stage for a performance expected to steal the night.
The recognition caps an extraordinary run for Busta, who this year also cemented his name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and remains a constant creative force. Across three decades, he has sold more than 20 million albums, earned 12 Grammy nominations, landed seven Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 and seen over 60 million of his records certified gold and platinum. Since his first VMA appearance in 1997, Busta has delivered some of the show’s most electric moments, including the rapid-fire medley that closed the 2021 broadcast. His return in 2025 underscores not just his longevity, but the way he continues to shape the conversation in hip-hop.
He won’t be the only artist honored. Ricky Martin will make history as the first recipient of the Latin Icon Award, marking a four-decade career that has sold more than 70 million albums and redefined Latin pop for a global audience. Martin, who first lit up the VMAs stage in 1999, will return on the 26th anniversary of that performance, bringing his legacy full circle.
LL Cool J will host the ceremony live from UBS Arena in New York. The Queens legend — a VMA veteran and pop-culture mainstay — anchors the night in his first solo turn as host. The show will air coast-to-coast on CBS, simulcast on MTV, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
The first wave of announced performers signals the breadth of the 2025 show. Breakout singer-songwriter Alex Warren makes his debut with his global No. 1 hit “Ordinary,” which has him nominated for Best New Artist, Best Pop and Song of the Year. Sabrina Carpenter, last year’s Song of the Year winner, returns with eight nominations including Video of the Year for “Manchild.” J Balvin, one of Latin music’s most decorated stars, will perform “Zun Zun” with Justin Quiles and Lenny Tavárez, before joining DJ Snake for the live premiere of “Noventa.” Rising artist sombr will also take the stage for the first time, fresh off nominations for Best New Artist and Best Alternative.
But the story this year is Busta Rhymes — a performer whose career has spanned generations, genres, and platforms without losing its urgency. From his early days with Leaders of the New School to his chart-smashing solo records and iconic videos, Busta has remained a larger-than-life presence. His recognition with the Rock the Bells Visionary Award is less a career capstone than a reminder that his influence remains present tense. On VMA night, the stage is his again.
Busta Rhymes holds up the Hip Hop Icon Award during Harlem Week’s Harlem Day celebration at St. Nicholas Park in New York. The Brooklyn-born rapper was honored for his three-decade career, global impact, and contributions to hip hop culture.
Busta Rhymes, whose rapid-fire flow and high-voltage performances helped redefine East Coast rap, was honored Sunday with the Hip Hop Icon Award during the finale of Harlem Week. The Brooklyn-born emcee received the recognition from the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce at St. Nicholas Park, where his son, Trillian Wood-Smith, also performed.
The honor came as part of Harlem Day, the signature closing event of Harlem Week, a 51-year-old celebration themed this year as “Celebrate Our Magic.” Harlem Day featured three stages of music and tributes to Congressman Charles B. Rangel, Dr. Hazel Dukes, and the late Harry Belafonte, along with a musical salute to Quincy Jones led by Ray Chew.
Organizers selected Busta Rhymes not only for his chart-topping hits, platinum albums, and Grammy-nominated career, but also for his enduring influence on hip-hop culture and his global representation of New York. Over more than three decades, he has collaborated across genres and delivered boundary-pushing music videos and performances that inspired generations.
On Instagram, Busta thanked Harlem Week’s organizers and the community, writing: “THE BLESSINGS DON’T STOP SO THE BLESSINGS WON’T EVER STOP!!! … AIN’T NOTHING BETTER THAN TO RECEIVE YOUR FLOWERS WHILE YOU CAN SMELL ‘EM IN ABUNDANCE!!!”
The award follows another milestone for Busta Rhymes earlier this month, when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, cementing his place among hip-hop’s most influential figures.
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