NEWS
2021 Lexus LS First Look: The Flagship Sedan Gets Touchier
As a flagship luxury sedan, the Lexus LS should impress us more than any other passenger car in the brand’s lineup. But in some ways, it’s the more mainstream midsize ES and sometimes the even smaller IS sedan that commands more of our attention. With a mid-cycle update for the LS, Lexus aims to shove its full-size four-door to the front of your mind and remedy the key issues we have with the large luxury sedan, including its ride quality and interior usability. These changes were previewed earlier this year for Japan, but Lexus has finally released U.S.-specific information and confirmed that the 2021 Lexus LS hits dealerships in late November, with hybrid models arriving early next year. 2021 Lexus LS: Suspension Updates We’ve long complained that the LS sedan’s ride is rougher than it s...
The Future of Festivals? Ticketmaster May Require COVID-19 Vaccination Proof to Attend Concerts
Will verified vaccination speed up the return to traditional live events? While we all drool over the safe return of live events, Ticketmaster is hard at work trying to make it a reality. One idea underway involves verifying fans’ COVID-19 vaccination status before allowing access to future concerts. The news arrives after reports of the potential efficacy of the vaccine—developed by Pfizer and BioNTech—which allegedly has a 90% prevention rate, according to the preliminary analysis. The vaccine was tested on 43,500 people in six countries and so far no safety concerns have been raised. In order to have it ready by the end of the month, the two companies will be applying for emergency approval. Mark Yovich, the president of Ticketmaster, spoke to Billboard t...
The Bass Music Scene is Coming Together to Raise Funds for YAKZ’s Emergency Surgery
A GoFundMe has already raised over $14,000 and a livestream fundraiser featuring SVDDEN DEATH has been planned by Space Yacht and Halcyon. As is the case with many musicians in 2020, bass music mainstay YAKZ has lost his main source of income due to restrictions contrived by the COVID-19 pandemic. That already makes day-to-day life tough for artists who rely on income from live performances and touring, but unfortunately YAKZ is facing even more difficulty than most. The famed electronic producer and DJ has been diagnosed with severe Periodontitis and gum disease, which could spread into his bloodstream and eventually into his heart, a severe diagnosis only made worse by the fact that YAKZ was born with a heart murmur. That murmur would make it even more difficult for him to fight off...
Danai Gurira Will Play Presidential Candidate Shirley Chisholm In Upcoming Film
Source: Universal History Archive / Getty Shirley Chisholm achieved a number of amazing firsts during her lifetime, and now an upcoming film will examine more of the late politician’s exploits. Danai Gurira will play Chisholm in The Fighting Shirley Chisholm, which is not framed as a biopic according to a new report. Variety writes that Gurira, best known as the sword-wielding Michonne of The Walking Dead, will occupy the titular role and the film will take a deeper look at Chisholm’s historic run as the first Black candidate of a major political party to be nominated to run for president and her time on the campaign trail. From Variety: Though Gurira will play Chisholm, the movie is not a biopic, instead focused more centrally on the campaign and how “the Chisholm Trail was po...
Jay-Z “Fan” Bypassed Airport Security To Hop On A Flight To See Him, Arrested
Source: Robert Kamau / Getty If y’all thought that Jay-Z‘s popularity had waned in the past decade, well then you haven’t met Yaazmina Payton. According to The Chicago Tribute, the 23-year-old went above and beyond the call of duty to get the chance to see the Hip-Hop icon in person when she dodged security checkpoints at the O’Hare International Airport and hopped on an American Airlines flight for Los Angeles (Get it? Dodged, Los Angeles? Forget it). Unfortunately for Payton she was spotted dipping under a set of ropes at the boarding door near the ticket gate at Terminal 3 around 7:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. Of course a ticket agent was alerted to her shenanigans and after failing to produce a boarding pass the jig was up. Payton was then taken into custody and charged...
Nick Cannon Is Reportedly In Talks With MTV To Bring Back Wild ‘N Out
Source: Gabriel Olsen / Getty One of the most popular cable programs might just live another season. Rumors are buzzing that Nick Cannon might be back with Viacom. As spotted on HipHopDX the mogul is said to be back in talks with MTV. Earlier this year the California native got a wake up call when he hosted Professor Griff, of Public Enemy fame, on his podcast. On this specific Cannon’s Class episode the two discussed a myriad of topics but the talk track that went viral had to do with the Jewish community. “It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,” Cannon said. “When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.” He went on to double down on his view. “The people who don’t have [melanin] … are a little...
Lil Wayne ft. Gudda Gudda & HoodyBaby “NFL,” Smif N Wessun ft. Minister Louis Farrakhan “The Education of Smif N Wessun” & More | Daily Visuals 11.12.20
Source: 2020HHA / Getty Lil Wayne really caught hell from the culture after inexplicably campaigning for Donald Trump a few weeks ago but now that the wannabe dictator has taken a SNKRS sized “L,” Weezy seems ready to move on and get back to music. Returning to rap with a new visual to “NFL,” Weezy, Gudda Gudda and HoodyBaby take to the field to turn up with a crew of cheerleaders doing their thing behind them. Good thing Wayne ain’t kneel on the field and piss off he who shall not be named. Back in Brooklyn some OG’s return to bring the really-real as Smif N Wessun stomp through the streets of Bucktown before the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan drops his gospel for their visuals to “The Education of Smif N Wessun.” Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Pete Rock, Doe ...
Soccer Mommy Shares Demo Version of ‘Royal Screw Up’
Soccer Mommy released her sophomore LP, color theory, way back in February, but today, she’s releasing an accompanying record aptly titled color theory (selected demos). From that collection, she’s released a new video for the demo version of the song, “royal screw up.” “I made this video by driving around and exploring a little bit of Nashville. Most of the footage is from my house or my favorite nearby nature spots,” Soccer Mommy, aka Sophie Allison, said in a statement. With clips of different parts of the city, the mosaic of home videos is so soothing that it will take you away from the frustrations of this past year. “royal screw up (demo)” is one of the six tracks that Allison dropped today (Nov. 13) in a collection called color theory (selec...
Jhay Cortez Says New Single ‘Kobe En LA’ Represents His Two Moods: ‘They’ll Get to Know the Real Me’
Still riding high from the success of his and Bad Bunny’s chart-topping collaboration “Dákiti,” Jhay Cortez is maintaining his momentum. The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter released his latest single “Kobe En LA,” an experimental uptempo reggaetón track, which he says showcases his two “big moods.” The song kicks off with a dramatic interlude the 27-year-old calls “el precio de la fama (the cost of fame),” featuring Buscabulla lead singer Raquel Berrios. “The cool thing about this song is that I wasn’t planning on releasing it this way,” Cortez tells Billboard. “Initially, these were two completely separate songs, but then I thought, why not just join them? And I loved how it turned out.” Toward the end of t...
Gabby Barrett, Dan + Shay, Morgan Wallen & More Gain in Sales After CMA Awards
The Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 11 prompted notable immediate sales gains for the songs performed on the show, according to initial reports to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Collectively, the songs performed on the three-hour show sold 29,000 downloads on Nov. 11 in the U.S. — a gain of 770% compared to the 3,000 they sold on Nov. 10. More gains could be collected in the days following the show. (News on any further significant sales gains, as well as streaming gains for the performed songs will be reported in the coming days.) The sales numbers include the original and popularized versions of songs covered on the show (such as Elvis Presley’s rendition of the Mac Davis-penned “In the Ghetto” and Johnny Lee’s “Lookin’ for Love,” which were performed on the CMA Awards by R...
Derrick May Accused of Sexual Assault and Harassment by Multiple Women
A DJ Mag investigation detailed graphic accounts of sexual harassment and abuse by four women. According to a report by published by Ellie Flynn for DJ Mag, veteran techno music producer and DJ Derrick May has been accused of sexual harassment by four women. The women, whose names were changed to protect their identities, detailed graphic accounts of sexual harassment and abuse by May that date back 20 years. The new allegations were precipitated by similar accusations levied against May by Michael James, a former Detroit-based colleague and collaborator. The stories told by the women recount incidents of groping, indecent exposure, and forcible touching, among other allegations against May. One of the women, who told DJ Mag she was assaulted in a hotel bathroom, recalled her att...
Ticketmaster’s Plan To Check Covid-19 Status For Concerts Revealed
Source: Mike Jordan / Getty As another pandemic shutdown looms over the country one entertainment conglomerate forges forward. If you want to see your favorite music artists in 2021 you will have to make sure your paperwork is right. Covid-19 is spiking across the country but the good folks at Ticketmaster are still moving forward with trying to bring live performances back. For months it has been rumored the company had been working on an action plan to thoughtfully host live events. Billboard is reporting that the agency has finally revealed their strategy. According to the article patrons will have to prove their good health prior to entering any venues via three elements. First all ticket buyers would have to register for the Ticketmaster digital ticket app. The platform will not only ...
