entertainment blog
Kendrick Lamar & Billionaire Ray Dalio Promote Financial Literacy In pgLang-Produced Video
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Jason Koerner / Getty Kendrick Lamar is the latest rap star to link up with Cash App for the financial services company’s “That’s Money” campaign. In the pgLang-produced video, the rapper translates a money-centered conversation between billionaire investor Ray Dalio and comedian ExavierTV. “He saved up his money to get a local barbershop,” Kendrick tells the camera. “He then made a friendly business wager [with his friend] in hopes to secure more money for this business. But he eventually loses it all with one roll of the dice.” Related Stories In the video, both Dalio and Kendrick advise ExavierTV on investing in oneself. He captioned the video’s release on Twitter, “invest in yourself tho.” The video is circulating on social media and...
Coca-Cola Launches EDM-Inspired Flavor, AR Experiences In Partnership With Tomorrowland
Inspired by EDM, a new flavor of Coca-Cola wants to transport you to a dreamworld. The fourth and final Coca-Cola Creations drop of 2022, “Dreamworld” incorporates surrealist themes with technicolor imagery that recalls the sights and sounds of raves. According to a press release, the company aims to” evoke the boundless creativity of the human imagination to the unmistakable taste of Coca-Cola” by marketing to Gen Z. “Coca-Cola Dreamworld taps into Gen Z’s passion for the infinite potential of the mind by exploring what a dream tastes like,” said Alessandra Cascino, Creative & Shopper Program Director, Coca-Cola North America Operating Unit. “Like the Coca-Cola Creations that came before it, Dreamworld plays with the unexpected and will no dou...
GRiZ and The Sponges Finally Release Funky, Fan-Favorite House Track, “Volume”
GRiZ and The Sponges finally released one of their most sought-after IDs. They’ve surprise-released “Volume,” a staple of their live sets which fans had been clamoring for since the moment it was debuted live. With a running start, “Volume” opens up with a steady beat to get you warmed up. A flurry of soulful vocal samples and scratching then gives way to a rhythmic house beat with funky bass and—of course—plenty of saxophone. The final product is sure to make you tap your feet at your desk and lay it all out on the dancefloor when you hear it live. For those wondering why they can’t find “Volume” on major streaming platforms, GRiZ said the track will not be distributed to DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music due to the song’s large amount...
Wynn Nightlife’s Ryan Jones On How He Landed Swedish House Mafia’s First-Ever North American DJ Residency
In a nightlife ecosystem as cutthroat as Las Vegas, clubs come and go like feathers in the wind. But Ryan Jones has always found solid ground. As the Assistant Vice President of Nightlife for Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, Jones has played an integral role cultivating one of the most formidable power-players in the entertainment capital of the world. Thanks in part to his disruptive marketing strategies, XS Nightclub, Encore Beach Club and the rest of Wynn Nightlife’s properties have long been considered a paragon of innovation in Sin City. However, Jones’ latest triumph is arguably the most impactful brushstroke of his gilded career canvas. He’s credited with launching the first-ever North American nightlife residency of legendary trio Swedish House Mafia, whose return after...
Drake Smashes The Beatles’ 55-Year-Old Record With Most Top Five Hits in Billboard Hot 100 History
Drake continues to rise to the top of the music industry, celebrating yet another milestone. The Toronto rapper recently debuted his new collaborative track with DJ Khaled‘s “Staying Alive,” which shot up to No. 5 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100. The stat has now landed Drizzy its 30th track in the top five singles on the chart, officially surpassing The Beatles‘ 55-year record of having the most top five hits of all-time. Billboard has reported that Drake has officially passed The Beatles, who had 29, securing his lead in the music industry. Drizzy now has 100 top 20 entries in the Hot 100 list, which is more than any other artist in the 64-year history of the chart. The Toronto mogul takes to Instagram to celebrate the big win commenting, “Ok I broke my records for the month now me and ...
Young Thug Sued Over Cancelled Concert Due to His Incarceration
Young Thug has been sued by Atlanta-based A-1 Concert Entertainment over a cancelled show due to his incarceration. According to reports, the company is suing the artist, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, for breach of contract after he supposedly failed to return half of the talent fee initially given to him upfront. The suit reads that Thugger was set to perform at State Farm Arena on June 18 and agreed to a $300,000 USD fee for a 45-minute performance. He was given $150,000 USD and would have received the other half after the show, but “[d]ue to his arrest and the nature of the felony criminal charges against Williams, it was immediately apparent in May 2022 that he would not be able to perform as required in the agreement.” Someone from A-1 connected with Young Thug’s YSL Tour...
Nicki Minaj’s ‘Super Freaky Girl,’ DJ Khaled’s Bee Gees Spin, Snoop Dogg’s Top 10 & More Nostalgia on the Billboard Charts
Everything old is new again on the Billboard charts, with a series of samples, features and remixes putting some legends back on top 40 radio. On Friday, Nicki Minaj released “Super Freaky Girl,” which prominently samples Rick James‘ 1981 top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Super Freak.” Plus, Snoop Dogg is back in the Hot 100 top 10, thanks to Benny Blanco‘s “Bad Decisions” with BTS (No. 10), marking his fourth decade with a top 10 hit on the chart. And DJ Khaled‘s new song “Staying Alive” (No. 5), featuring Drake and Lil Baby, samples the Bee Gees‘ 1978 Hot 100 No. 1 “Stayin’ Alive” and puts the Brothers Gibb back in the top 10 as songwriters. Oh, and did we mention that Beyoncé and Madonna’s “Queens Remix” of “Break My Soul” (which samples Madonna’s own 1990 hit “Vogue”) contri...
All the Acts With Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 Hits in Four or More Decades
Never mind 15 minutes of fame. How about four or more decades? An elite 11 artists have achieved top 10 placements on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in four or more decades, led by Andy Williams and Michael Jackson, with top 10 ranks in five decades each. Williams extended his top 10 Hot 100 run (1950s, ’60s, ’70s, 2010s and ’20s) thanks to his holiday perennial “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” while Jackson (1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and ’10s) most recently ranked in the region via his featured turn on Drake‘s “Don’t Matter to Me” in 2018. (Jackson also appeared in the top 10 for a week in the ’60s, although not as a soloist; The Jackson 5, with him as a member, first reached the bracket with “I Want You Back” on the chart dated Dec. 27, 1969.) In addition to Williams, four a...
7 Music-Themed Coolers for the Beach, BBQs, Tailgating & More
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Hitting the beach this summer? Some things that you should pack: sunscreen, waterproof makeup a beach towel, beach bag and a cooler to keep your drinks icy while you soak up the sun. For music lovers in need of cool gear, we’ve rounded up a collection of music-themed Igloo Coolers that you can take to a BBQ, the beach, tailgating, or maybe even an outdoor festival. Most of the Igloo Playmate coolers listed below measure 10.81 x 11.41 inches, weigh two pounds and are designed to hold up to nine, 12 oz. cans. Keep reading for a lineup of music-themed coolers t...
A Timeline of Snoop Dogg’s History With K-Pop
Throughout his decades in the music business, Snoop Dogg has shown love for music genres across the spectrum. From his hip-hop start with the Billboard 200 No. 1 album Doggystyle to charting on the Gospel and reggae charts, Snoop has proven himself to be a multifaceted music star. While the Korean pop scene may not seem like an obvious connection for Snoop Dogg, the rapper has been mixing it up with K-pop artists for more than a decade. Earlier this year, Snoop told viewers on American Song Contest that “K-pop is my guilty pleasure” while he hosted the NBC singing competition alongside Kelly Clarkson. From teaming up with girl groups like Girls’ Generation and 2NE1 in the ’00s to sharing his expertise with Korean rappers like WINNER’s Mino, Basick and Superbee, Snoop has continuously lent ...
Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson Says He Kept ‘Black Adam’ From Appearing In ‘Shazam!’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Warner Bros. / Warner Bros. Now that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is finally about to make his DCEU splash when Black Adam hits theaters later this year, fans are learning that he could’ve made his debut much earlier had Warner Bros. had their way. Vanity Fair is reporting that Warner Bros. had originally planned on Johnson’s Black Adam character to make his debut in 2019’s Shazam! opposite Zachary Levi, but the WWE Hall of Famer vetoed the idea saying it would be a “disservice” to the anti-hero. The original script to the surprise hit film was supposed to tell the origin stories of both Shazam and his arch-nemesis, Black Adam, but The Rock objected to it and the studio decided to honor his wishes and give each character a standalone film. Related Stories “W...
Oscar Winner Viola Davis to Play Lead Villain In ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Joe Maher / Getty The forthcoming Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, will star Academy Award-winner Viola Davis as deranged Head Gamemaker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul. The exciting announcement came from the film’s official Twitter account writing, “Meet your Head Gamemaker. Viola Davis has been cast as Dr. Volumnia Gaul in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – arriving in theaters November 2023.” The Hunger Games movie franchise grossed over $2 billion worldwide. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the prequel’s synopsis reads: “Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a ...
