Eminem Publisher Accuses AI Music Company of Copying 269 Songs in Multimillion-Dollar Lawsuit

Eminem performs at the Concert for Valor in Washington on Nov. 11, 2014. Music publishers controlling rights to 269 of his compositions have sued AI company Suno, alleging copyright infringement. (EJ Hersom/DoD News via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; cropped)

An artificial intelligence company accused of using Eminem's music without permission is facing a federal lawsuit that alleges its technology can reproduce the rapper's lyrics almost word for word — even as the company maintains that its safeguards prevent unauthorized copying.
Eight Mile Style LLC and Martin Affiliated LLC filed the lawsuit Friday in San Francisco against Suno Inc., the company behind an AI music generator that creates songs from text prompts.

The publishers accuse Suno of copying 269 Eminem compositions, including "Lose Yourself," "Stan," "Without Me," "Till I Collapse" and "The Real Slim Shady," to train its technology without obtaining a license.

But the 36-page complaint goes further than allegations about what Suno used to train its software. It identifies specific songs allegedly generated by the platform that reproduce existing Eminem lyrics.

One example, a Suno track titled "Lose Yourself By Eminem," is compared line by line with the original in the court filing. The publishers allege that the generated version reproduces the song's introduction, first verse and chorus with only minor differences in wording and punctuation.

Other examples cited in the lawsuit involve "Till I Collapse," "The Real Slim Shady" and "Houdini."

The publishers are seeking up to $40.35 million in statutory copyright damages, calculated at $150,000 for each of the 269 compositions. They also seek separate damages for alleged violations involving access controls and the removal of copyright ownership information.

Eminem, whose legal name is Marshall Mathers, is not personally a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

What Suno says

The company says its platform is designed to generate original music, prohibits unauthorized use of artists' work, blocks prompts naming specific artists or songs, and screens uploaded audio and lyrics. It says it is continuing to strengthen those safeguards.

Read Suno's statement to CBS Detroit

Suno disputes unauthorized use of artists' work.

In a statement provided to news outlets, company spokesperson Cat McCormack said Suno is designed to help people create original music and prohibits unauthorized use of copyrighted material.

The company says it blocks prompts naming specific artists or songs, uses third-party services to screen uploaded audio and lyrics, and continues to strengthen its safeguards.

The publishers challenge the effectiveness of those restrictions.

Their complaint describes online tools and tutorials that allegedly help users work around artist-name restrictions by substituting detailed descriptions of a performer's sound. It also cites examples of users requesting songs associated with Eminem through altered spellings and other prompts.

The lawsuit accuses Suno of using automated scraping tools to obtain copyrighted material from streaming and other online services, including methods the publishers say circumvented technological protections.

It further alleges that the company's data-processing methods stripped identifying information from copyrighted works, including songwriter names and publisher details.

Those allegations form three separate claims: direct copyright infringement, circumvention of technological protection measures and removal or alteration of copyright management information.

Inside the Eminem copyright lawsuit

Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated filed three claims against AI music company Suno:

1. Direct copyright infringement involving 269 compositions
2. Alleged circumvention of technological access restrictions
3. Alleged removal or alteration of copyright management information

The publishers seek damages, an injunction and an order requiring the surrender or destruction of unauthorized copies. Suno disputes unauthorized use. No court has determined liability.

Read the original 36-page federal complaint

U.S. District Court, Northern District of California · Filed Nov. 6, 2026

The publishers want a court to prohibit further infringement, order the surrender or destruction of unauthorized copies and require an accounting of the material Suno used to train its systems. The requested destruction would extend to copies allegedly retained in training datasets and other technical infrastructure.

The case raises two related questions: whether an AI company can legally use copyrighted music to train a commercial system without permission, and whether the songs it generates infringe the originals.

It arrives amid a broader legal fight between music rights holders and AI developers. Suno is already facing copyright challenges from other recording and publishing companies.

Eight Mile Style has also pursued copyright litigation involving Eminem's music against other technology companies, including Meta.

After Nipsey Hussle’s Death, Jay-Z Helped His Family Overcome a Business Crisis

During an appearance on the "One54 Africa" podcast, Nipsey Hussle's brother, Samiel "Blacc Sam" Asghedom (right), discusses how Jay-Z and Roc Nation helped The Marathon Clothing secure a partnership with Live Nation after the rapper's death in 2019. (Screenshot/One54 Africa)

Jay-Z's support for Nipsey Hussle didn't end when the rapper was killed in 2019. According to Hussle's older brother, it helped keep the clothing business they built together from being overwhelmed by orders in the aftermath of his death.

Samiel "Blacc Sam" Asghedom revealed how Jay-Z and Roc Nation helped connect The Marathon Clothing with concert giant Live Nation during a recent appearance on the "One54 Africa" podcast.

The family was facing a flood of orders it lacked the resources to produce or ship, Sam said.

"We had so many orders that we didn't even have a way to ship out or produce," he recalled.

Live Nation initially offered to help clear the backlog and keep the website operating, even if the companies never reached a formal business agreement.

That offer, Sam said, came through the involvement of Jay-Z and Roc Nation.

WATCH: Blacc Sam explains how Jay-Z, Roc Nation and Live Nation helped The Marathon Clothing respond to overwhelming orders after Nipsey Hussle's death. Watch on YouTube. Video: One54 Africa.

A partnership followed, with Live Nation providing a substantial advance and taking over merchandise operations. The arrangement gave the family access to the company's production and fulfillment network at a time when demand for Nipsey-related products had surged.

It also provided something Sam hadn't fully anticipated: legal muscle.

Live Nation's attorneys pursued counterfeit merchandise, unauthorized websites and other potential infringements involving Nipsey's intellectual property and the Marathon brand, he said.

Those weren't the only threats the family faced.

Sam described a separate effort by people attempting to claim rights associated with the Marathon name. He said attorneys who had previously assisted his brother helped challenge the claim, which was eventually abandoned.

He did not identify those involved.

With Live Nation's resources, Sam said, the clothing business was able to expand, recoup the advance and eventually move back toward operating on its own. He did not disclose the financial terms of the partnership.

Jay-Z's involvement continued a relationship that had drawn attention years before Nipsey's death.

In 2013, when Nipsey challenged conventional music sales by offering his "Crenshaw" mixtape for $100, Jay-Z bought 100 copies — a $10,000 show of support for the independent rapper's business strategy.

A relationship built over years

In 2013, Jay-Z bought 100 copies of Nipsey Hussle's $100 "Crenshaw" mixtape. More than a decade later, The Marathon Clothing and Jay-Z collaborated on merchandise for his 30th-anniversary concerts.

Forbes: Nipsey Hussle and the $100 mixtape (2013)

The Marathon Clothing: Official Jay-Z30 collaboration (2026)

That connection has remained visible.

The Marathon Clothing collaborated with Jay-Z on merchandise celebrating his 30-year recording career, including items tied to his October performances at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Sam said Jay-Z also surprised the family by appearing onstage wearing an official All Money In chain, paying tribute to Nipsey and the independent label he founded.

The gesture meant something to Sam, who said Jay-Z's longtime associate Emory Jones helped maintain the relationship between the artists and their businesses.

Nipsey was fatally shot March 31, 2019, outside his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles. He was 33.

His brother has since overseen the expansion of the family's ventures, including Marathon Burger, which recently opened a location at Los Angeles International Airport.

But Sam's account also reveals how vulnerable the business was in the early days after Nipsey's death, when the family was simultaneously protecting his legacy and managing demand on a scale it hadn't been prepared to handle.

The assistance, he said, reflected the relationships Nipsey had built while he was alive.

"We had a lot of help," Sam said, crediting those relationships and the support his brother continued to inspire.

Rude Boys Founder Melvin Sephus, Who Helped Shape '90s R&B, Dies at 61

The Rude Boys appear on the cover of their 1990 debut album, "Rude Awakening." The group scored two No. 1 R&B hits with "Written All Over Your Face" and "Are You Lonely for Me." Founding member Melvin Sephus died Oct. 28, 2026, at age 61. (Atlantic Records/Rhino)

Melvin Sephus, a founding member of the Cleveland R&B group the Rude Boys, whose hits "Written All Over Your Face" and "Are You Lonely for Me" topped Billboard's R&B chart in the early 1990s, has died. He was 61.

Sephus died Oct. 28, according to Gaines Funeral Home in Ohio, which has announced funeral arrangements. No cause of death has been publicly disclosed.
The singer, songwriter and musician was part of a quartet whose success grew out of Cleveland's thriving R&B scene and a chance encounter with Gerald Levert, the singer and producer who helped launch their career.

The Rude Boys — Sephus, Larry "Bingo" Marcus, Edward "Buddy" Banks and Joe Little III — came together in the late 1980s. Levert discovered the group performing locally and helped secure a recording deal with Atlantic Records.

Their 1990 debut album, "Rude Awakening," initially struggled to produce a major hit. That changed with "Written All Over Your Face."

The Rude Boys featuring Gerald Levert, "Written All Over Your Face," from the 1990 Atlantic Records album "Rude Awakening." (Audio: Rhino Atlantic)

The song, written by Marcus and featuring guest vocals from Levert, reached No. 1 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1991 and crossed over to No. 16 on the Hot 100. It spent 31 weeks on the R&B chart and finished the year as Billboard's top R&B single.

The recording prominently featured the voices of Little and Banks, supported by the quartet's harmonies and Levert's unmistakable presence.

The follow-up, "Are You Lonely for Me," also topped the R&B chart, giving the group two No. 1 hits from its debut album. Another single, "Heaven," reached the R&B top 20.

"Are You Lonely for Me," the Rude Boys' second No. 1 R&B single from their debut album. (Audio: Rhino Atlantic)

The Rude Boys arrived during the rise of new jack swing, but their music retained much of the traditional vocal-group sound associated with the O'Jays, LeVert and other soul acts from their hometown.

Sephus' contributions extended beyond singing.

On the group's second album, "Rude House," released in 1992, he received credits for vocals, keyboards, production and vocal arrangements.

That album produced "My Kinda Girl," another R&B hit with an unexpected place in hip-hop history. A remix by DJ Clark Kent featured a young Jay-Z, years before the Brooklyn rapper released his debut album, "Reasonable Doubt."

Sephus also maintained his musical relationship with the Levert family.

He contributed production and background vocals to "I Got Your Back," a song from Gerald Levert's 1995 collaboration with his father, Eddie Levert of the O'Jays, on the album "Father & Son.

The Rude Boys returned with a third album, "Rude as Ever," in 1997. Their commercial success never again matched the early Atlantic recordings, but the group's ties to Cleveland's soul music community endured.

Following Gerald Levert's death in 2006, members reunited to sing at his funeral, honoring the man who helped bring their music to national audiences.

The Rude Boys were inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2019.

Sephus was the third member of the group's best-known original lineup to die. Marcus died in 2016 and Banks in 2020, leaving Little as the last surviving member of that quartet.

His family has established an online fundraiser to help pay for funeral services, burial expenses, a headstone and a gathering in his memory.

"He gave the world his voice, his music, his talent, and his heart," relatives wrote in the appeal, organized by Maleya Johnson on behalf of the Sephus and Johnson family.

A public viewing is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Gaines Funeral Home, 5386 Lee Road in Maple Heights, Ohio.

A wake will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, with a celebration of life at noon at Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 11115 Kinsman Road in Cleveland. Burial is scheduled at Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.

Remembering Melvin Sephus

The family of Rude Boys founding member Melvin Sephus has established a memorial fundraiser to help cover funeral and burial expenses, a headstone and a gathering in his honor.

View the family's memorial fundraiser

Organized by Maleya Johnson on behalf of the Sephus and Johnson family.

Timbaland Accuses Former Managers of Taking Millions in Unauthorized Payments

Music producer Timbaland appears at the Collision technology conference in Toronto on May 21, 2019. The Grammy winner has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $15 million from two former managers, alleging financial misconduct and mismanagement. (Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Collision via Sportsfile, CC BY 2.0)

Grammy-winning producer Timbaland has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $15 million from his former manager and business manager, accusing them of taking unauthorized commissions, concealing financial transactions and mishandling his fortune.

One of the defendants says the producer has nobody to blame but himself.

The lawsuit, filed Oct. 30 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, names former manager Gary Marella and business manager Bruce Seckendorf, along with associated businesses.

Timbaland, whose legal name is Timothy Mosley, alleges that the executives exploited their control over his financial affairs, taking millions in payments and commissions while failing to protect the wealth he accumulated during his decades-long career.

The complaint accuses Marella of collecting at least $2.5 million in excessive or unauthorized commissions and using Timbaland's money for personal expenses.

It also alleges irregularities involving payments from Verzuz, the music-battle platform Timbaland created with Swizz Beatz, and the sale of his music catalog.

According to the filing, Timbaland received two $5 million payments from Verzuz in 2021. He contends Marella was entitled to $1 million in commissions but instead collected $1.5 million.

The lawsuit further alleges that Marella and his company collected $775,000 more than their authorized 10% commission from Timbaland's 2019 catalog deal with Hipgnosis.

Timbaland also accuses Seckendorf and his firm of failing to make mortgage and federal tax payments while continuing to distribute substantial sums to managers and other professionals.

The producer says he discovered serious financial problems in March 2025, when a foreclosure notice arrived at his home.

An independent review subsequently uncovered questionable payments, undisclosed credit-card arrangements and transactions he says he never approved, according to the complaint.

Marella disputes the accusations.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, he said Timbaland was already experiencing financial difficulties when they began working together in 2017.

Marella maintained that his management team generated approximately $75 million in business over nine years but that the producer continued spending beyond his means.

He also rejected the suggestion that he secretly paid himself, arguing that Seckendorf, rather than Marella, handled the producer's finances and management commissions.

Timbaland's attorney, Tynia Coats, challenged that explanation in statements provided Monday to Rolling Stone.

Coats disputed Marella's characterization of the producer's spending and alleged that financial records had been altered to conceal discrepancies.

She cited a consultant payment allegedly recorded as $16,000 despite an actual payment of $165,000. Timbaland and his attorney also alleged that an email was altered to make it appear he had authorized a $250,000 payment to an attorney rather than $100,000.

Those allegations have not been established in court.

The lawsuit also accuses Marella of mismanaging Beatclub, a music marketplace the two developed together. Marella has disputed those allegations, attributing the venture's financial difficulties to problems developing its technology.

The dispute involves business arrangements behind one of hip-hop and R&B's most influential production careers. Timbaland's work with Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake and other artists helped shape the sound of popular music in the late 1990s and 2000s.

The lawsuit seeks damages, an accounting of disputed transactions and a jury trial. It includes claims of fraudulent concealment, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and civil theft.

Yella Beezy Murder Trial Turns to Phone Evidence After Witness Recants

Rapper Yella Beezy appears in a 2025 interview with BOSS TALK 101. The Dallas rapper, whose legal name is Markies Conway, is standing trial on a capital murder charge in connection with the 2020 killing of fellow rapper MO3. (Photo: BOSS TALK 101/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

The prosecution's case against Yella Beezy has moved from a witness who says he lied to cellphone records that may be just as important for what they don't show.

An FBI agent testified Tuesday that phones linked to several people implicated in the 2020 killing of Dallas rapper MO3 traveled through overlapping areas and showed significant communication around the time of the shooting.

But the same records revealed no direct cellphone contact between Yella Beezy and two other defendants in the case.

Yella Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, has pleaded not guilty to capital murder. Prosecutors accuse him of arranging the killing of MO3, born Melvin Noble, who was chased down and fatally shot on Interstate 35 in Dallas on Nov. 11, 2020.

FBI Special Agent Taylor Page spent much of Tuesday walking jurors through historical cellphone records involving Conway, convicted gunman Kewon White and other people connected to the investigation.

Page testified that phones associated with Conway and White traveled through the same general areas during a trip to Houston over Halloween weekend in 2020, less than two weeks before MO3 was killed.

He acknowledged, however, that cellphone-tower information cannot prove who was carrying a particular phone or whether two devices were inside the same vehicle.

The agent also described a surge in communications between White and another defendant, Devin Brown, around the time of the killing.

According to Page's analysis, White's phone connected to towers serving the area of the shooting before the device moved away. Communications between White and Brown increased sharply around the attack.

Prosecutors also presented evidence concerning Conway's movements after the killing.

Page testified that Conway returned to Dallas from Los Angeles on Nov. 20 and withdrew $40,000 from a Chase Bank branch in Frisco. Phone records placed another man connected to the case, Jerry Johnson, in the Frisco area shortly afterward.

Prosecutors have alleged that money was paid to arrange MO3's murder, but the withdrawal alone does not establish that the cash reached White or was connected to the shooting.

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Toby Shook challenged the accuracy and completeness of the cellphone analysis.

Page acknowledged that the records did not show direct communications between Conway and either White or Brown. He also agreed that cell-tower information identifies general coverage areas rather than a person's exact location.

The defense pointed to gaps in the timeline, including an unanalyzed three-hour period on the afternoon of the killing.

The testimony followed another significant development Monday, when Conway's longtime friend Theodore Thomas, a rapper known as Jose Bodega, disavowed allegations he previously made to a grand jury.

Thomas said he invented statements about a feud involving Conway and MO3 and an alleged conversation about paying for the killing.

He testified that pressure from federal authorities facing him with serious criminal charges led him to provide false information.

Prosecutors challenged that explanation, suggesting that Thomas changed his account because of his longstanding loyalty to Conway.

Judge Chika Anyiam instructed jurors that Thomas' earlier statements could be considered when evaluating his credibility, but not as evidence that the allegations were true or that Conway was guilty.

White was convicted of capital murder in September and sentenced to life in prison. Conway is being tried separately.

Jurors were dismissed early Tuesday to allow them to vote in the election.

The trial is continuing, with prosecutors attempting to establish how the alleged killing was arranged and the defense challenging whether the evidence connects Conway to that arrangement.

Paris Jackson Challenges Estate Over $600 Million as Inheritance Battle Deepens

Paris Jackson performs at La Maroquinerie in Paris on March 5, 2022. Jackson is asking a Los Angeles judge to order $600 million transferred from her late father's estate to a family trust established for his children. (Photo: Eb59/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Michael Jackson left behind a fortune and a trust intended to provide for his children. Seventeen years after his death, his daughter says the trust still hasn't received the money it was supposed to hold.

Paris Jackson is asking a Los Angeles judge to order the transfer of $600 million from her father's estate into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, escalating a dispute over how the late superstar's wealth is being managed.

In a petition filed Oct. 29, Jackson argues that the estate has accumulated enough money from music deals, property sales and other transactions to begin funding the trust while preserving sufficient assets to meet its remaining obligations.

The filing points to an estate accounting showing approximately $850 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2024. Her attorneys estimate that roughly $600 million could be transferred after accounting for potential liabilities.

The request is not for an immediate $600 million payment to Paris personally. She wants the money placed in the trust established for her and her brothers, Prince and Bigi.

Under the trust arrangements described in the petition, the siblings were intended to begin receiving income from their respective shares at age 21, followed by portions of the principal at ages 30, 35 and 40.

All three have passed their 21st birthdays, and Prince turns 30 next February.

The estate disputes the suggestion that the children have been deprived of financial support.

In a statement to People, the estate said more than $200 million has already been distributed for the beneficiaries' benefit. It also denied allegations that payments to the siblings were withheld or reduced after Paris began questioning the estate's management.

The executors contend that unresolved legal and financial obligations, including a continuing tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service, prevent the trusts from being fully funded.

The IRS originally sought approximately $700 million in taxes and penalties, according to the estate. Although that amount was substantially reduced through litigation, the estate maintains that the matter remains unresolved.

Paris' attorneys argue that those uncertainties do not justify delaying a partial transfer.

Her filing cites proceeds from major transactions involving EMI Music Publishing, Neverland Ranch and a deal with Sony involving Jackson's music and intellectual property. Together, the transactions generated more than $1 billion in cash before taxes and expenses, the petition contends.

The dispute is part of a broader fight over the administration of an estate that was deeply in debt when Jackson died in 2009 but subsequently became one of the music industry's most valuable collections of assets.

Earlier this year, a judge ordered $625,000 in bonus payments made to outside law firms returned to the estate after sustaining an objection by Paris. The estate disagreed with that decision and emphasized that the payments had not gone to its executors.

John Branca is now the estate's remaining executor following the death of longtime co-executor John McClain in May.

A hearing on Paris Jackson's request is scheduled for Dec. 4.

Eminem Taps Wu-Tang Clan for Lions’ Thanksgiving Halftime Performance

Wu-Tang Clan performs at Accor Arena in Paris on March 11, 2026. The group will headline the Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving halftime show Nov. 26, with Eminem and Paul Rosenberg serving as executive producers. (Photo by ManoSolo13241324 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0)

Wu-Tang Clan is bringing Shaolin to Detroit for Thanksgiving, with Eminem and his longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg, arranging a national television appearance for the legendary hip-hop collective.

The Detroit Lions announced Sunday that Wu-Tang will headline halftime of the team's Nov. 26 game against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field.

The performance will air nationally on CBS during the Lions' 87th annual Thanksgiving Day Classic, which kicks off at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Eminem and Rosenberg, the president of Shady Records, selected the group as part of their multiyear agreement to oversee the team's Thanksgiving halftime entertainment.

The pairing brings together two defining forces of 1990s hip-hop: the Staten Island collective whose raw production and nine-member lineup helped reshape East Coast rap, and the Detroit superstar who followed that decade's underground rap traditions to worldwide fame.

It also comes at a major moment in Wu-Tang's history.

The group is winding down its “Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber” farewell tour and is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 14, less than two weeks before the football game.

WU-TANG'S THANKSGIVING HALFTIME SHOW

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026
Ford Field, Detroit
Kickoff: Noon Central / 1 p.m. Eastern
National broadcast: CBS

Read the Detroit Lions' official Wu-Tang announcement

Read the original Eminem-Rosenberg production agreement

See the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2026

The Hall of Fame announced Wu-Tang's selection in April, recognizing the collective's innovative recording style, extensive solo catalog and influence on hip-hop culture.

Rosenberg said the Thanksgiving booking reflects a shared admiration dating to the group's earliest recordings.

“Both Eminem and myself have been Wu fans since the early 90's,” he said in the Lions' announcement.

Rosenberg described a Wu-Tang performance in Detroit as both unexpected and fitting for the holiday tradition.

The Lions' partnership with Eminem and Rosenberg began in 2025. That year's halftime show featured Detroit rocker Jack White, with a surprise appearance by Eminem.

Whether the rapper will also perform with Wu-Tang this year remains unknown. The team has not announced any special guests, a set list or a performance by Eminem himself.

For Wu-Tang, the nationally televised appearance will introduce the group's sprawling catalog to an audience extending well beyond hip-hop's traditional fans.

Formed on Staten Island in the early 1990s, the collective broke through with its 1993 debut, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),” a landmark release built around RZA's spare, sample-heavy production and the contrasting styles of its MCs.

Songs including “Protect Ya Neck” and “C.R.E.A.M.” helped establish the group's reputation, while members went on to individual careers that produced such influential albums as Method Man's “Tical,” Raekwon's “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...” and GZA's “Liquid Swords.”

The group also challenged the music industry's traditional business model by allowing members to pursue separate recording contracts while maintaining the collective's identity.

The Rock Hall's 2026 class includes all 10 recognized Wu-Tang members, including the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004.

Its upcoming induction will put the group alongside fellow honorees including Sade, Luther Vandross, Queen Latifah and MC Lyte, although the latter two are being recognized in the Early Influence category.

Wu-Tang's Thanksgiving appearance is another milestone in a career that has already taken the group from underground New York clubs to arenas around the world.

Detroit Lions President and CEO Rich Haddad welcomed the booking, describing the group's participation as an addition to one of the NFL's longest-running holiday traditions.

Michigan native Antonio Cipriano, an actor and singer with Broadway credits, will perform the national anthem.

The Lions have not announced the length of Wu-Tang's halftime set or which members will take the field.

For now, the confirmed lineup promises a rare collision of Detroit football tradition and Staten Island hip-hop history, with Eminem helping make the connection from behind the scenes.

Ye’s Halloween Concert Draws Drake and More Than 80,000 Fans to Houston

Ye performs atop a globe-shaped stage at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 4, 2026. He drew a reported 80,210 fans to his Halloween concert in Houston, where Drake was among those in attendance. (Photo by @goodasssub via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

Ye drew a reported 80,210 fans to Houston's Reliant Stadium on Halloween, bringing Drake into the audience, Travis Scott and other guests into the spotlight, and a Texas lawmaker into a growing controversy over his decision to honor the rapper.

Concert organizers and stadium officials called Saturday's turnout a U.S. stadium attendance record for a rap concert. The figure, reported by the Houston Chronicle, has not been independently audited.

It would also put the show seven people ahead of the stadium's previous announced concert attendance record, set March 22 when country singer Cody Johnson drew 80,203 fans during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, performed for nearly three hours atop an enormous globe-shaped stage, backed by elaborate lighting and pyrotechnics.

The concert covered much of his career, from early hits including “Jesus Walks,” “All Falls Down” and “Gold Digger” to more recent material.

Playboi Carti joined him for several songs, including “Carnival” and “Off the Grid.” Ye's daughter North West appeared for three numbers, including “Talking,” according to the Chronicle's account of the show.

Houston rapper Travis Scott also made an appearance.

Drake watching Ye and Playboi Carti perform “Carnival” together in Houston last night. 🐐🔥 https://t.co/8qW8I1WljM

— yzyupdates (@yzyupdates) November 1, 2026

But one of the night's most talked-about guests never took the stage.

Fan-shot footage appeared to show Drake watching from a suite with Scott, who had accompanied him to a Houston Rockets game earlier that evening.

The sighting attracted attention because of Drake's complicated history with Ye, whose relationship has included public feuds, attempted reconciliations and a joint appearance at the 2021 Free Larry Hoover benefit concert.

Neither rapper has announced another reconciliation. Drake was not listed as a performer, and his presence alone does not establish that their differences have been resolved.

The biggest controversy surrounding the Houston show, however, emerged after the music ended.

Texas state Rep. Ron Reynolds, a Democrat representing part of Fort Bend County, presented Ye with a “Global Icon Award” and a Texas flag he said had flown over the state Capitol in Austin in the rapper's honor.

“This flag was flown over our Capitol in Austin for none other than Kanye West,” Reynolds said during the presentation, according to video reported by Chron.

Reynolds described the recognition as being presented on behalf of Texas, but it was not immediately clear who authorized the award or whether it represented an official action by the state.

Ye was presented with a Global Icon Award and a special flag flown over the Texas State Capitol by State Representative Ron Reynolds following his historic Houston concert last night 🏆 “This flag was flown over our Capitol in Austin for none other than Kanye West. We’re so honored to have him in H-Town where we’re showing him mad love and respect.”

— Kurrco (@Kurrco) November 1, 2026

The recognition drew criticism because of Ye's history of antisemitic and racist statements, praise for Adolf Hitler and use of Nazi imagery.

Those controversies have previously resulted in lost business partnerships and cancellations of planned performances.

Before the Houston concert, stadium officials warned attendees that clothing, signs or other displays promoting hatred would not be permitted. Holocaust Museum Houston offered free admission over the weekend as part of its effort to confront antisemitism through education.

Ye apologized for his past statements in a full-page Wall Street Journal advertisement in January, attributing his behavior to a mental health crisis and saying he was committed to accountability and change.

His return to American stadiums has nevertheless demonstrated considerable commercial appeal, including a July performance at San Antonio's Alamodome that drew more than 60,000 fans.

The Houston concert left two markedly different images of Ye's place in popular culture: a stadium filled with fans celebrating his music and a public official facing questions about honoring him.

With additional performances scheduled in Dallas on Nov. 7 and Phoenix on Nov. 21, that contrast is likely to follow him beyond Houston.

Juan Atkins, Founding Figure of Detroit Techno, Dies at 64

Juan Atkins, a founding figure of Detroit techno whose 1983 Cybotron recording “Clear” was sampled in Missy Elliott's hit “Lose Control,” died at 64. His death was confirmed Sunday by his representatives.

A sound that helped invent Detroit techno in 1983 was still moving dance floors more than two decades later, when Missy Elliott built one of her biggest hits around it.

The man behind that sound, Juan Atkins, has died at 64.

Atkins, a Detroit DJ and producer widely regarded as one of techno's founding figures, was found unresponsive in a Mexico City hotel room ahead of a scheduled Halloween performance. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead Sunday, according to Greensmith Artists, his agency, which confirmed his death to electronic music publication Resident Advisor.

A cause of death has not been officially established.

Atkins helped lay the foundation for electronic dance music through his work with Cybotron, Model 500 and his independent Metroplex label. Alongside fellow Detroit innovators Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, he became part of the Belleville Three, the trio credited with helping establish Detroit techno.

But his influence reached well beyond electronic music.

In 1983, Atkins and collaborator Richard Davis released “Clear” as Cybotron, combining a relentless electronic rhythm, synthesizers and an otherworldly sense of space.

In 2005, Missy Elliott sampled “Clear” for “Lose Control,” her hit featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop. The song became one of the defining dance records of the decade, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Missy Elliott's 2005 hit "Lose Control," featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop, samples Cybotron's 1983 recording "Clear," co-written by Juan Atkins and Richard Davis. (Missy Elliott/YouTube)

Atkins and Davis received songwriting credits on the recording, which also sampled Hot Streak's “Body Work.”

For listeners who knew the song primarily through Elliott's music video and its explosive choreography, the connection offered an introduction to an earlier generation of Black electronic music.

Atkins' musical education began in Detroit, where he absorbed the funk of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic alongside the electronic experiments of Germany's Kraftwerk. Radio personality the Electrifying Mojo helped bring those sounds together for a generation of Detroit listeners.

After moving to Belleville as a teenager, Atkins befriended May and Saunderson. Their shared interest in synthesizers, dance music and futuristic production eventually helped create a sound unlike the disco, funk and pop dominating American radio.

Atkins founded Cybotron with Davis in 1980. Along with “Clear,” the duo recorded influential tracks including “Alleys of Your Mind” and “Techno City.”

He later moved forward under the name Model 500, releasing “No UFO's” in 1985 and establishing Metroplex, a label that became central to Detroit's developing electronic music scene.

As the music spread overseas, particularly through clubs in Europe, the innovations of Atkins and his Detroit contemporaries helped shape a worldwide movement.

The word “techno” itself became closely associated with the sound through Atkins' music and the late-1980s British compilation that introduced Detroit artists to a broader international audience.

Saunderson, one of his fellow Belleville Three members, paid tribute to Atkins on social media.

“Juan was the originator of Techno, a true visionary who opened the door for so many of us, myself included,” he wrote, according to Mixmag.

Saunderson also recalled Atkins teaching him how to finish his first record, “Triangle of Love,” a gesture that helped launch his own career.

Other artists, including Kenny Larkin, Roger Sanchez and Fatboy Slim, joined the tributes following the announcement of Atkins' death.

Although techno became a global commercial genre, its origins in Detroit's Black music community have not always received equal recognition.

Atkins' recordings remain among the clearest evidence of that history: music rooted in funk and electronic experimentation that crossed continents, influenced generations of producers and eventually found its way into hip-hop and R&B.

More than 40 years after Cybotron recorded “Clear,” the beat that helped define his legacy still sounds unmistakably ahead of its time.

Judge Says Biggie’s Mother’s Trust Is Owed $12.5 Million in Faith Evans Estate Dispute

The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans are pictured on the cover of Tymaz's 2021 single “Biggie With The Faith Freestyle.” A Delaware judge has ruled that a trust established by the late rapper's mother, Voletta Wallace, is entitled to more than $12.5 million in distributions from the company Evans manages to oversee his intellectual property. 

The Notorious B.I.G. warned against mixing family and business. Nearly three decades after his death, a
Delaware judge has invoked that advice while presiding over a multimillion-dollar dispute involving his widow, his children and his late mother's share of his music empire.

The latest ruling gives a trust established by Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, the right to more than $12.5 million in company distributions, plus interest, rejecting an attempt to limit the amount to about $48,600.

Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled Tuesday that the Voletta Wallace Revocable Trust is entitled to $12,518,336 attributable to Wallace's ownership interest in Notorious B.I.G., LLC.

FROM THE COURT RECORD

Read the Delaware judge's rulings in the dispute over the late Voletta Wallace's ownership interest in Notorious B.I.G., LLC.

Oct. 27, 2026: $12.5 million distribution ruling (PDF)6 pages · Delaware Court of Chancery

Aug. 7, 2026: Original memorandum opinion (PDF)16 pages · Delaware Court of Chancery

The company, formed in 2007 by Wallace and singer Faith Evans, manages intellectual property associated with the late rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace.

Evans, Biggie's widow, became the company's sole manager after his mother died Feb. 21, 2025.

At the heart of the dispute is a distinction between when the trust formally became a member of the company and when it acquired the right to receive money.

The trust did not complete its admission as a member until Dec. 12, 2025. Evans and the company argued that it was entitled to only $48,612 in distributions associated with that later period.

But McCormick ruled that Wallace's economic rights transferred to her estate when she died and subsequently passed to the trust under her will.

That meant the trust's right to the money began months before its formal admission to the company.

The judge also awarded prejudgment interest at the statutory rate, compounded quarterly, beginning when the distributions became payable.

Court filings show that Wallace and Evans originally held equal ownership stakes in the company. A 2023 agreement gave each of Biggie's children, T'yanna Wallace and Christopher Jordan Wallace, rights to 25% of distributions, leaving Evans and Voletta Wallace with 25% apiece.

The dispute intensified after Voletta Wallace changed her estate documents Feb. 6, 2025, just 15 days before her death.

The changes removed her grandson Christopher Jordan Wallace and another previously designated successor from trustee and executor positions, leaving longtime Biggie associate Wayne Barrow as sole trustee and executor.

Barrow subsequently sought to establish the trust's rights in the company. Evans disputed its membership status and withheld distributions pending verification.

In August, McCormick granted Barrow's request for partial summary judgment, rejecting the company's opposing interpretation of its operating agreement.

The judge opened that earlier opinion with a reference to Biggie's 1997 song “Ten Crack Commandments,” citing his advice to keep family and business separate.

Tuesday's ruling settles the remaining questions over the trust's membership date and the distributions owed to it.

Evans and the company had pointed to a separate Pennsylvania proceeding in which her son, Christopher Jordan Wallace, is challenging Barrow's authority to administer his grandmother's estate.

They proposed placing disputed funds with the Delaware court while that challenge continued.

McCormick rejected the proposal, finding that the Pennsylvania dispute does not prevent the trust from receiving the distributions to which it is entitled.

The ruling concerns money attributable to Wallace's interest in Notorious B.I.G., LLC. It does not establish that Evans is personally liable for the entire amount.

The judge instructed Barrow's attorneys to submit a final proposed order within 20 days.

Drake at Center of Two Dismissed Lawsuits Involving Song Theft, Streaming Fraud Claims

Drake appears in a scene from the official music video for “Janice STFU.” A songwriter who accused the rapper of copying the song's chorus has withdrawn his federal copyright lawsuit. The dismissal came four days after a judge rejected a separate lawsuit alleging Spotify allowed fraudulent streams of Drake's music. (Drake/YouTube)

Two Drake-related legal disputes have ended in federal court within four days, derailing a copyright claim over one of his biggest hits and a lawsuit accusing Spotify of allowing bots to inflate billions of streams of his music.

Neither case produced a ruling on whether the underlying allegations were true. And while Drake was a defendant in the copyright case, he was never sued in the Spotify dispute.

The latest development came Tuesday, when songwriter and producer Aviel Calev Hirschfield withdrew his lawsuit accusing Drake of stealing the chorus of “Janice STFU,” the chart-topping single from his “Iceman” album.

Hirschfield filed the case Oct. 16 against Drake, OVO Sound and two Universal Music companies. Eleven days later, his attorneys submitted a two-page notice dismissing the entire action without prejudice.

The filing offered no explanation. Because the dismissal was without prejudice, Hirschfield remains free to bring the claims again.

The producer, who shares a songwriting credit with Drake on Beyoncé's “Heated,” alleged that he recorded the chorus in January over an instrumental supplied by producers FnZ, then sent it to people in Drake's circle.

READ THE COURT RECORDS

Two unrelated federal cases involving Drake's music ended four days apart. Read the filings behind the rulings.

Copyright case: Notice of dismissal (PDF)Oct. 27, 2026 | 2 pages

Spotify case: Federal judge's order (PDF)Oct. 23, 2026 | 16 pages

Hirschfield said he was stunned when the song was released in May and he heard what he believed was his work, performed without credit or compensation.

His complaint described the similarities as nearly exact. A recording purported to be his original demo later circulated online, with his legal representative confirming to Pitchfork that it matched an exhibit in the case.

Questions about the recording's origins and timeline followed. Hirschfield's representatives maintained that experts had examined the recording's metadata and found it legitimate.

Drake's representatives rejected the accusations, calling them a “manufactured and baseless attempt” to exploit his name. They maintained that Drake wrote the song and had no connection to Hirschfield.

The case ended before a court could examine the competing accounts.

The other dismissal came Friday in a separate lawsuit filed by West Coast rapper RBX, whose real name is Eric Dwayne Collins.

The Death Row Records veteran had accused Spotify of failing to stop artificial streaming that he alleged diverted royalties from legitimate rights holders.

Drake's official video for "Janice STFU," released May 15, 2026. (Drake/YouTube)

His complaint singled out Drake's catalog, alleging that a substantial portion of approximately 37 billion Spotify streams over a 48-month period was generated by automated accounts.

RBX estimated that streaming fraud had diverted at least $600 million in royalties from music rights holders. Those figures were allegations, not findings by the court, and Drake was not named as a defendant.

The case challenged Spotify's royalty system, which distributes revenue according to each recording's share of streams. Under that arrangement, artificially inflated numbers for one artist could reduce the share available to others.

But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton found that RBX had failed to establish the legal grounds necessary to hold Spotify responsible.

The judge ruled that the commercial relationship between the rapper and streaming company did not create the special duty of protection necessary for his negligence claim.

She also rejected his arguments that Spotify deceptively or unfairly enforced its anti-fraud policies. RBX had not identified a specific rule that Spotify applied selectively, the judge found, or established the consumer or competitor harm necessary to support his claims under California law.

Staton had dismissed the lawsuit once before, in June, while allowing RBX to revise his complaint. This time, she concluded another amendment would be futile and dismissed the claims with prejudice.

The ruling prevents RBX from simply refiling the same claims in that court, although an appeal remains possible.

“We are reviewing the order, but an appeal is likely,” attorney Mark Pifko told Rolling Stone.

Spotify has denied benefiting from fraudulent streaming and says it uses detection systems, royalty withholding and financial penalties to combat the practice.

The ruling did not determine whether any of Drake's streams were fraudulent.

Jay-Z Confirms Super Bowl Halftime Performance, Ending Week of Speculation

Jay-Z appears in a promotional video announcing him as the headliner of the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (Screen grab/Roc Nation and Apple Music)

Jay-Z has spent seven years helping decide who takes the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show. Next February, he'll be the one standing on it.

The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday night that the Brooklyn rap mogul will headline Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The announcement came during ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast, confirming reports that Jay-Z, whose company has helped oversee the halftime show since 2019, had chosen himself for one of music's biggest stages.

It also marked a significant change of heart.

When Jay-Z entered into his partnership with the NFL seven years ago, he said he had made clear to Commissioner Roger Goodell that performing at the Super Bowl was not the reason for the deal.

Now, after years of helping bring hip-hop and R&B's biggest names to the field, he's taking his own turn.

The announcement arrived in a black-and-white promotional video featuring Jay-Z, set to his 2003 track "Public Service Announcement." The words "GOAT's out of the bag" appeared as the rapper was revealed as the headliner.

Watch Roc Nation's official JAY-Z Super Bowl halftime announcement

Roc Nation and Apple Music announced JAY-Z as the Super Bowl LXI halftime headliner Monday.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Jay-Z reflected on the distance between his 1996 debut, "Reasonable Doubt," and the Super Bowl stage.

"This run continues to be a dream come true," he said.

The timing carries its own significance.

Just two days earlier, Jay-Z closed his JAY-Z 30 concert series at SoFi Stadium, the same venue where he'll perform at halftime. The anniversary run celebrated 30 years of "Reasonable Doubt" and 25 years of his landmark 2001 album, "The Blueprint."

His two-night Los Angeles finale featured a guest list that underscored the reach of his catalog and his standing in hip-hop.

Scarface, John Legend and DJ Khaled joined him during Friday's show, while his daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, appeared at the piano. Saturday's finale brought out Too $hort, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Those appearances offered a reminder of the musical relationships Jay-Z could draw upon in February, although no Super Bowl guests have been announced.

There is a certain symmetry to his return to SoFi Stadium.

The venue hosted the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar delivered a landmark performance centered on hip-hop and R&B.

That show was among the most visible examples of the direction the NFL's halftime entertainment has taken since Roc Nation entered the picture.

The partnership was controversial when it began in 2019, coming amid criticism of the NFL's treatment of Colin Kaepernick and player protests over racial injustice.

Jay-Z argued at the time that the agreement could provide opportunities for both entertainment and social change. His company went on to help shape halftime performances by artists including The Weeknd, Rihanna, Usher, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.

The question of whether Jay-Z would eventually headline the show himself never entirely disappeared.

Last week, Puck reported that he had selected himself for the 2027 performance. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declined to confirm the report during the league's fall meetings.

Monday's announcement settled the question.

For Jay-Z, 56, the performance extends a year devoted to revisiting his musical legacy. Along with the anniversary concerts, an eight-part documentary series has explored the songs and recordings that established him as one of hip-hop's defining figures.

He has not released a solo studio album since 2017's "4:44," but his influence over the industry — and particularly the Super Bowl — has continued to grow.

His wife, Beyoncé, headlined the halftime show in 2013 and returned as a guest during Coldplay's performance in 2016.

Jay-Z will follow Bad Bunny, who headlined the 2026 show.

For years, Jay-Z has helped decide what the world would hear at halftime.

This time, the catalog is his.

Chris Brown Spared Immediate Jail Time After Guilty Plea in British Court

Chris Brown performs at Jamaica National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, on Aug. 27, 2023. The R&B singer received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, Monday in London after pleading guilty to affray in a 2023 nightclub attack. (Pelpa Time Production/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

Chris Brown avoided immediate prison time Monday after a London judge sentenced the R&B singer to eight months behind bars, suspended for one year, for attacking a music producer with a tequila bottle at a nightclub in 2023.

Brown, 37, appeared at Southwark Crown Court, where Judge Tony Baumgartner imposed the sentence following the singer's July guilty plea to affray, a criminal offense involving unlawful violence or threats that cause people to fear for their safety.

The suspended sentence means Brown will not immediately go to prison but could be required to serve the term if he violates its conditions or commits another offense.

The case stemmed from a confrontation at Tape, a nightclub in London's Mayfair district, on Feb. 19, 2023.

OFFICIAL POLICE RECORD · OCT. 26, 2026

Metropolitan Police release nightclub security footage

Police released security video documenting the incident that led to the sentencing of Chris Brown and Omololu Akinlolu.

Content warning: The video contains physical violence.

View the original police video and media-use terms

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, London. Video duration: 1:37.

Prosecutors said Brown approached music producer Abraham Diaw on the dance floor and struck him twice in the head with a heavy glass tequila bottle.

The assault continued as Diaw attempted to get away, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. Brown's friend and vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, joined the attack, punching Diaw before he was pushed to the floor and kicked.

Diaw required hospital treatment for injuries to his head and knee.

Security footage presented during the proceedings showed the attack, which prosecutors said lasted approximately 20 seconds.

Judge Baumgartner described Brown's use of the bottle as "plainly dangerous" and emphasized that the singer's fame and commercial success did not entitle him to preferential treatment.

The judge also considered mitigating circumstances, including Brown's guilty plea, employment, charity work and recent conduct, according to courtroom reporting by the Associated Press.

Akinlolu, 40, received a four-month prison sentence, also suspended for 12 months. Both men were ordered to pay 1,500 pounds in court costs.

The guilty pleas resolved the criminal prosecution without a trial on the more serious charges the men had previously denied.

Brown had been arrested in Manchester in May 2025 after returning to Britain for a concert tour, more than two years after the nightclub incident.

British authorities said investigators had made repeated unsuccessful attempts to interview Brown and Akinlolu before arranging their arrests when they returned to the country.

In a statement released Monday, Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah of London's Metropolitan Police said investigators had remained determined to bring the men before the courts despite the passage of time.

The sentencing closes a criminal case that had threatened to disrupt Brown's touring career.

He has continued performing internationally and is scheduled to tour the United States with Usher.

Brown left court Monday without being taken into custody.

The Metropolitan Police also released security footage of the incident, providing a public record of the violence at the center of the prosecution.

Cassie Wins Dismissal Motion in Lawsuit Involving Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Singer Cassie Ventura is shown in a May 27, 2021, photograph shared on her Instagram account. A federal judge granted her motion to dismiss claims in a civil lawsuit involving Sean "Diddy" Combs on Oct. 21, 2026. (Photo via Cassie Ventura's Instagram)

A federal judge has granted singer Cassie Ventura's request to dismiss claims against her in a $35 million civil lawsuit involving Sean "Diddy" Combs, while allowing the broader case to continue.

U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang granted Ventura's motion Wednesday during a hearing in Los Angeles, according to court minutes reviewed by SuperThrowbackParty.net.

The Oct. 21 ruling was recorded in a one-page document filed in the Central District of California in the case brought by Clayton Howard, a man who says he was hired to participate in sexual encounters involving Combs and Ventura.

ORIGINAL FEDERAL COURT RECORD

Howard v. Combs et al. — Oct. 21, 2026

U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang granted Cassandra Ventura's dismissal motion and separately ruled on a motion involving Sean Combs and corporate defendants.

Central District of California · Case 2:25-cv-06031 · Document 181 · One page

Read the court's original ruling (PDF)

Howard filed the lawsuit in June 2025, alleging that he was subjected to sexual exploitation, coercion and abuse during encounters he says took place over several years.

The allegations have not been established as fact by the court.

Ventura's attorneys challenged Howard's claims, arguing that his allegations did not establish the necessary legal basis to hold her liable for sex trafficking or related misconduct.

The defense also pointed to Howard's own descriptions of Combs exercising control over the encounters, arguing that those accounts did not establish that Ventura had coerced him.

The court granted Ventura's dismissal motion, identified as document 163 in the record.

But the ruling was not a dismissal of the entire lawsuit.

The judge granted part of a separate dismissal motion filed by Combs and corporate defendants and denied other portions. The court allowed an amendment within 14 days and directed Combs to file an answer within the same period.

The written minutes refer to an oral ruling delivered during the hearing and do not specify whether Ventura's dismissal was with prejudice, which would generally prevent the same claims from being brought against her again.

That distinction could matter if Howard seeks to pursue additional claims.

The judge also denied Howard's request to substitute another proposed amended complaint and said the court would consider a separate request involving an additional response to defense arguments.

Howard has repeatedly revised his lawsuit as the court has considered challenges to its allegations.

The $35 million figure represents damages sought in the litigation, according to AllHipHop's reporting. It is not a court award, settlement or finding that any defendant owes Howard money.

The ruling comes amid continuing civil litigation stemming from allegations involving Combs, whose legal troubles have generated a series of overlapping but separate cases.

Ventura previously testified in Combs' federal criminal trial. The allegations and procedural outcome in Howard's civil lawsuit must be evaluated independently of that prosecution.

The latest court action establishes one immediate result: Ventura's dismissal motion was granted, but the broader litigation has not concluded.

A$AP Rocky’s ‘Shroom Clouds’ Draws Accusations of Using Artist’s Footage

A$AP Rocky's latest music video is facing allegations that its creators used another artist's work without permission, turning a brief psychedelic sequence into a dispute over artificial intelligence, ownership and credit.

The controversy centers on a scene roughly 2 minutes, 25 seconds into the video for "Shroom Clouds," released Oct. 19. It features a figure amid concentric rings in a grassy field, with the surrounding landscape appearing to bend into a tunnel.

The disputed visual sequence appears about 2 minutes, 25 seconds into A$AP Rocky's official "Shroom Clouds" music video. (A$AP Rocky/YouTube)

Visual effects artist Cache Bunny says the sequence came from a 2019 project he created with director Ari Fararooy and parkour athlete Jason Paul.

His allegation goes beyond a shared visual idea.

In Instagram posts circulated over the weekend, Cache Bunny accused Rocky's production team of taking the earlier footage, processing it with AI and replacing Paul with the rapper while retaining details of the original landscape.

The posts highlighted apparent similarities in the grass, shadows and camera perspective. The earlier work was published in April 2019, more than seven years before Rocky's video.

The original Instagram post remains publicly linked, and Rocky's official video contains the disputed sequence. The similarities have drawn attention from other creators, but the available comparison does not independently establish how the newer footage was produced or whether the original material was licensed.

The video's own credits, however, confirm that artificial intelligence was part of the production.

Rocky shares directing credit with Aisultan Seitov and Pietro Biz Biasia. North of Now is listed as the production company, with additional postproduction and visual-effects contributors. The credits identify Spike and Red, along with Ces, as AI artists.

The use of AI in a production does not establish that another artist's work was copied, and the credits do not identify which contributors created the disputed sequence.

On Monday, a statement attributed to AWGE creative director Robert Gallardo began circulating online. A screenshot and subsequent published reporting attributed to him an acknowledgment that a breakdown in reviewing AI-generated material had resulted in work associated with Cache Bunny appearing without attribution.

ORIGINAL SOURCE · APRIL 2019

Ari Fararooy's original video

The earlier visual work at the center of the dispute was published years before "Shroom Clouds."

View the 2019 Instagram post

The statement also described an effort to contact the artist to discuss resolving the matter. Its original Instagram Story could not be independently authenticated.

The controversy arrives at an awkward moment for Rocky, whose music videos have long been an important part of his reputation as a visual artist.

In an interview with Complex before "Shroom Clouds" was released, the rapper discussed artificial intelligence's place in music production while emphasizing his preference for hands-on creative work.

"I prefer to do things myself, practically," he said.

The song, featuring reggie and Jeremih, is part of the continuing rollout surrounding Rocky's album "Don't Be Dumb."

No publicly verified copyright lawsuit or licensing agreement involving the disputed sequence has emerged.

For now, the unresolved questions concern not simply whether AI was used, but whether another creator's work entered the production without permission, who authorized its use and what steps will be taken to address the complaint.

Soul Train Awards Return After Three Years With Chaka Khan Among Honorees

Chaka Khan is featured in promotional artwork for the 2026 Soul Train Awards. The Chicago-born singer will receive the Classic Soul Honor when the ceremony returns to her hometown. (Courtesy of BET)

Chaka Khan will receive the Classic Soul Honor at the 2026 Soul Train Awards, bringing one of R&B's most celebrated voices into the spotlight as the show returns to her hometown of Chicago.

BET announced the honor Thursday. The awards, last held in 2023, will be taped in Chicago and broadcast Nov. 27 on BET and, for the first time, CBS.

The homecoming brings together two pieces of Chicago music history.

Khan, born Yvette Stevens on the city's South Side, emerged in the early 1970s as the lead singer of Rufus. Around the same time, Don Cornelius was turning a local television dance show into a national showcase for Black music.

"Soul Train" debuted on Chicago station WCIU-TV in 1970 and entered national syndication the following year. For decades, the program gave soul, funk, R&B and eventually hip-hop performers a television platform that few other shows offered.

Khan's own career would cross many of those same musical boundaries.

With Rufus, she helped create funk and soul classics including "Tell Me Something Good," written by Stevie Wonder, "Sweet Thing" and "Ain't Nobody." Her solo career began in 1978 with "I'm Every Woman," but her 1984 recording of Prince's "I Feel for You" made an especially important connection between established R&B and the emerging sounds of hip-hop.

The song brought together Khan's vocals, Wonder's harmonica and a rap by Grandmaster Melle Mel, whose repeated introduction of her name became one of the record's most memorable features.

More than four decades later, Khan is still working that connection.

Her latest album, "Chakzilla," released in September, features Snoop Dogg on "Boogie's in My Soul." The rapper opens the track with another playful chant of her name, recalling Melle Mel's contribution to the 1984 hit. The album also features collaborations with Sia and Lenny Kravitz.

And this isn't Khan's first trip to the Soul Train Awards as an honoree.

At the 2009 ceremony, she received an Icon Award and was celebrated with a tribute featuring Erykah Badu, Fantasia, Ledisi, Angie Stone and Melle Mel.

"Chaka Khan is the embodiment of soul music," BET President Louis Carr said in Thursday's announcement, citing her work with Rufus and the generations of performers influenced by her solo recordings.

The latest recognition follows Khan's 2023 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year.

Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson will host the revived awards ceremony, which returns after a three-year absence with new fan-voted categories and an expanded television audience.

The Soul Train Awards will air Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. Eastern on BET and CBS.

Eminem's Former Engineer Admits Selling Unreleased Music for $50,000

Eminem is photographed at his Mom's Spaghetti restaurant in September 2021. A former studio employee pleaded guilty Thursday to selling the rapper's unreleased recordings. (Brendan_linden/Wikimedia Commons)

Joseph Strange helped operate the computer system that held Eminem's unreleased recordings. Now he has admitted selling music taken from that system for about $50,000.

Strange, 48, of Holly, Michigan, pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal copyright infringement in federal court in Detroit, admitting his role in a scheme that put music from the rapper's private studio into the hands of online buyers.

He faces up to five years in prison.

The guilty plea follows an FBI investigation that began in January 2025, when employees at Eminem's recording studio in Ferndale, Michigan, discovered unreleased songs circulating online.

Strange had worked for Eminem, whose legal name is Marshall Mathers, from approximately 2007 to 2021. His responsibilities included helping establish and operate the computer system used to store music in various stages of development.

That work gave him access to password-protected hard drives containing recordings that had never been cleared for public release.

EMINEM MUSIC LEAK | FEDERAL CASE

$50,000

Approximate sales

10+

Files copied and sold

8M+

Recorded accesses

$750K+

Estimated infringement amount

Sources: Justice Department and FBI criminal complaint. The infringement estimate is not the seller's profit or a court-ordered damages award.

According to the Justice Department, Strange copied at least 10 audio files without authorization and sold them to buyers over the internet during July and August 2024. The transactions totaled approximately $50,000.

The scope of the leak became clearer when FBI agents began tracing the music back to its source.

A criminal complaint filed in March 2025 described how investigators identified buyers, reviewed online conversations and followed Bitcoin payments connected to the sales.

One buyer, using the name Doja Rat, told investigators that a group of Eminem fans pooled money to purchase unreleased recordings from Strange. The buyer said the group acquired approximately 25 songs for about $50,000.

By the time the case became public, more than 25 recordings originally created between 1999 and 2018 had surfaced online without authorization, according to the FBI complaint.

Agents searching Strange's home in January 2025 recovered hard drives containing unreleased music and handwritten lyric sheets attributed to Eminem, the complaint said.

The leaked recordings were not necessarily songs Eminem intended to release.

Some remained works in progress, while others had undergone professional preparation, including studio mastering. Prosecutors said no commercial release was necessarily imminent or certain.

When the music first surfaced in January 2025, Eminem's longtime spokesperson, Dennis Dennehy, described the recordings to XXL as "demos, experiments and ideas" never intended for public consumption.

The exposure was considerable.

Streaming data cited by the Justice Department showed that the infringing audio files had been accessed more than 8 million times as of November 2025.

Prosecutors estimated the infringement amount at no less than $750,000. That figure is an estimated valuation of the infringement, not the amount Strange received from the sales or a court-ordered damages award.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said Strange had abused a position of trust, profiting from recordings their creator had not authorized for release.

Strange's attorney, Wade Fink, offered a different perspective on the circumstances surrounding his client's conduct.

"It is a far more complicated and nuanced matter than a man just unabashedly stealing," Fink told Reuters on Thursday.
Strange is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 27, 2027. The judge will determine his punishment after considering federal sentencing guidelines and other applicable factors.