entertainment blog
Barack and Michelle Obama’s Company to End Spotify Podcast Deal
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s media company Higher Ground is ending its exclusive podcast deal with Spotify, Bloomberg reports and Pitchfork has learned. The Obamas are reportedly shopping around for a different podcasting partner to replace Spotify when the agreement ends in October 2022. Spotify declined to make a new offer to the Obamas as they reportedly pursue deals with companies including Amazon and iHeartMedia. The multi-year deal was originally signed back in 2019. The Obamas’ podcasts for Spotify included Renegades: Born in the USA, a series of conversations between President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, and The Michelle Obama Podcast, a series of deep conversations between the former First Lady and loved ones. Revisit Pitchfork’s feature “The Presidential Su...
A$AP Rocky Posts $550,000 USD Bond After Arrest in Connection With 2021 Shooting
A$AP Rocky has posted a $550,000 USD bond after getting arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport due to his alleged connection to a November 2021 shooting. According to reports, the TESTING rapper is due back in court this August and has had his house searched by the Los Angeles Police Department, with officers supposedly leaving with a box that may contain evidence. The authorities earlier confirmed the arrest, releasing a lengthy statement naming Flacko as a suspect in the shooting that took place in the Hollywood Area on November 6, 2021 and confirming that he was arrested for Assault with a deadly weapon (firearm). Take a look at the Los Angeles Police Department’s official statement below and check back in for more updates on the case. 33-year-old Rakim Mayers, a Los Angeles ...
A$AP Rocky Arrested At LAX In Connection With 2021 Hollywood Shooting
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Sean Zanni / Getty Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky has more pressing issues to worry about instead of unsubstantiated cheating rumors. Multiple reports have confirmed that A$AP Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while returning from Barbados with the love of his life Rihanna. Rocky-born Rakim Mayers was detained in connection with a shooting in the Hollywood area in November 2021. “33-year-old Rakim Mayers, a Los Angeles resident, also known as music artist A$AP Rocky, has been arrested in connection to a shooting that occurred in the Hollywood area in November of 2021,” the LAPD tweeted. Related Stories Per the LAPD’s report, Rocky and two other males got into a heated exchange with the alleged victim Rocky allegedly shot. “The victim susta...
Actor Kaalan Walker Convicted Of Serial Rape, Intends To Appeal
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Kaalan Walker, an actor best known for his role in the Superfly reboot, was recently convicted of serial rape. Walker, 27, via his attorney, plans to appeal the conviction according to new reports. The Wrap reports that Walker was convicted of rapping six individuals and sexually assaulting another person. Walker’s attorney responded to the outlet’s inquiry into the matter and the response suggests that Walker, a native of Los Angeles, is angling to fight the charge. “Mr. Walker maintains his complete innocence to the charges and allegations,” Flier wrote in response to The Wrap. “The defense is very confidant [sic] that the convictions will be reversed.” This past Monday (April 18), a Los Angeles County jury found Walker guilty of th...
Smoke On The Horizon: Check Out This Quick Hit 420 Gift Guide
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: ANDREW HOLBROOKE / Getty The stoner’s favorite holiday of 420 is upon us today (April 20) and naturally, there are all kinds of goodies on the market for all. Below, we’ve compiled a “quick hit” of 420 goodies for the tokers and imbibers in your life. For over 150 years, Zig-Zag has produced rolling papers and other related accessories and it makes perfect sense that 420 figures prominently in their business. Below, we’re featuring their array of Hemp Wraps, skateboards, and its newest must-have item, the 1K Box. The brand offers three versions of its snazzy hemp rolling papers, coming in flavors of Natural, OG Purp, Blue Dream, and Island Vibes. Learn more by clicking here. For the skaters out there, Zig-Zag has a small but eye-catching array of skateboa...
Weedmaps Debuts New Docuseries ‘Tumbleweeds With Killer Mike’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Weedmaps / Wheelhouse Weedmaps, the leading service for folks looking to procure their cannabis products legally, launched a new original docuseries with one of Hip-Hop’s brightest minds. The four-part series, Tumbleweeds With Killer Mike, features the Run The Jewels star as he travels to four big-city locations to discuss the finer points of cannabis and culture. Working in partnership with VICE Media Group and created and produced by Wheelhouse, Killer Mike travels to Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago. While cannabis is definitely the impetus of the stops, Mike, birth name Michael Render, digs into local dispensaries and comedy shows while kicking it with the locals as they break down the finer points of the culture. “Tumbleweeds has ...
Wale To Re-Release ‘More About Nothing’ Mixtape on Streaming Services This Month
Wale‘s 2010 mixtape More About Nothing, which features guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Waka Flocka Flame and pop singer Sam Sparro, among others, is heading to streaming services on April 29. The 37-year-old rapper confirmed the news on Twitter on Wednesday, unveiling a trailer for the upcoming re-release. Nothing pic.twitter.com/OrLegdTgh5 — Wale (@Wale) April 20, 2022 More About Nothing was released two years following Wale’s breakout project The Mixtape About Nothing. Both mixtapes include themes and clips from Jerry Seinfeld‘s hit sitcom Seinfeld, and, as explained in the trailer, The Mixtape About Nothing‘s success led to Wale and Seinfeld’s meeting. “Thank Jerry Seinfeld,” Wale tweeted as a follow-up. “That guy made all the calls to clear so much stu...
Which Cities Listen to Bob Marley the Most?
I was almost not going to write this, because it felt a little too much like trying to force the cliché, but then I got an email from the Bob Marley online shop promoting its exclusive 4/20 merch with the subject line, “When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself,” so I decided we weren’t forcing anything after all. But I digress. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news It is 4/20 after all, the universally agreed-upon day where a bunch of people make jokes about stoners and stoners just continue going about their lives as normal. But where are those stoners — and, more specifically, where are those stoners in the U.S. who are listening to Bob Marley? In 2022 so far, Luminate, formerly MRC Data, has logged more than 308 billion on-deman...
Hardy Is the Big Winner at AIMP Nashville Awards
HARDY was the big winner at Tuesday night’s seventh annual AIMP Nashville Awards. Put on by the Nashville chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers at the Listening Room Cafe, the event celebrates the accomplishments of Nashville’s independent publishers and writers over the past year. While HARDY, aka Michael Hardy, is making his mark as an artist, he was heralded for his songwriting prowess Tuesday night, taking home the awards for songwriter of the year and for song of the year for “Sand in My Boots,” which he co-wrote with Josh Osborne and Ashley Gorley. HARDY performed the song with Morgan Wallen, who recorded it for his Dangerous: The Double Album project. Kobalt Music won publisher of the year. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and...
Record Store Day Returns: RSD 2022 Releases Worth Digging For
After two years of navigating fragmented drop days due to a pandemic that cared very little about your shopping agenda, Record Store Day once again returns to its rightful place on the penultimate Saturday in April. Granted, there will be a designated make-up day on June 18 that plans to serve as something of a retail safety net for those titles that couldn’t arrive in stores on the April 23. But the good news is that the lion’s share of these exclusive pieces will, in fact, arrive on the intended date, which also serves as the 15th anniversary of RSD as an international shoppers’ holiday. To commemorate the milestone, the RSD folks have appointed global ambassadorship this year to American pop queen Taylor Swift, who in the last 15 years has firmly established herself as one of the great ...
Interscope Promotes Tim Glover to Executive VP of A&R
Interscope Geffen A&M has promoted A&R veteran Tim Glover to the role of executive vp of A&R, the company announced today (April 20). Glover, who has been with the company since 2014, previously held the title of senior vp of A&R. During his time at Interscope, Glover has been the point person for the label’s partnerships with Dreamville — which includes artists like J. Cole, JID and Ari Lennox, among others — and LVRN, including Summer Walker and 6LACK, as well as working with Tierra Whack and more than a dozen other artists at the label. “Tim’s dedication to the artists and partners he works with, his consistency and discipline are perfectly matched with his intuitive knowledge of the current market and his proven ability to recognize talent,” Interscope’s executive vp/co...
ILLENIUM, TOKiMONSTA, Disclosure, More to Perform at Outside Lands 2022: See the Full Lineup
This year’s Outside Lands lineup will cover fans of almost any genre. Moving away from their Halloween weekend dates of 2021, organizers have shifted the 2022 iteration of the California music and arts festival to August 5-7. Now, they’ve announced who will be taking the stage this year at Golden Gate Park. This year’s fest will bring out a wild mix of talent spanning hip-hop, bass music, pop, punk roc, and more. Headliners Green Day, Post Malone and SZA will lead the charge, followed by ILLENIUM, Disclosure, Jack Harlow, Lil Uzi Vert, Polo & Pan, Phoebe Bridgers and Weezer, among others. Those who just want to enjoy some electronic music will find solace in the Soma Tent, which is dedicated to all things dance. This stage will feature performances from...
