Lil Wayne feels hurt after being passed over as Super Bowl halftime headliner. The snub ‘broke’ him

Lil Wayne feels hurt after being passed over as Super Bowl halftime headliner. The snub ‘broke’ him

LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lil Wayne opened up for the first time about his devastation after not being selected as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show headline performer in his hometown of New Orleans. The rap megastar publicly expressed his hurt feelings in an Instagram video post Friday, nearly a week after … Read more

Cardi B reveals birth of third child with Offset and says the newborn is the ‘prettiest lil thing’

Cardi B reveals birth of third child with Offset and says the newborn is the ‘prettiest lil thing’

LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cardi B has welcomed her third child into the world. The Grammy winner announced on social media Thursday that she gave birth over the weekend. She posted photos of her holding and breastfeeding the newborn in a hospital. “The prettiest lil thing,” she wrote in the post, followed … Read more

Rich Homie Quan, Atlanta rapper known for trap jams like ‘Type of Way,’ dies at 34

Rich Homie Quan, Atlanta rapper known for trap jams like ‘Type of Way,’ dies at 34

LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rich Homie Quan, the Atlanta rapper who gained mainstream fame through the trap singles “Type of Way” and “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” has died. He was 33. Quan, whose legal name is Dequantes Devontay Lamar, died at an Atlanta hospital, the Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed to The … Read more

Linkin Park reunite 7 years after Chester Bennington’s death, with new music

Linkin Park reunite 7 years after Chester Bennington’s death, with new music

NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Linkin Park is back with a new lineup and debuting their first new music since the 2017 death of lead singer Chester Bennington. On Thursday, the band kicked off a livestream showcasing new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who join returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, … Read more

Country singer Jelly Roll performs at Oregon prison

Country singer Jelly Roll performs at Oregon prison

SALEM, Ore. — Country singer Jelly Roll has been playing sold-out shows across the U.S. as part of his “Beautifully Broken” tour. But earlier this week, his venue wasn’t a massive arena: it was the Oregon State Penitentiary. The award-winning artist posted a video and photos of his visit to the Salem prison on Instagram, … Read more

In Senegal’s thriving hip-hop scene, this beatmaker insists women have a seat at the table

In Senegal’s thriving hip-hop scene, this beatmaker insists women have a seat at the table

DAKAR, Senegal — In a classroom at the House of Urban Culture, tucked away in the narrow streets of Dakar, Senegal, Aminata Thiam claps her hands in time with a beat she created on her computer. “You just have to find the loop that you want. Cut it, duplicate the sample, and then add your … Read more

Rapper Fatman Scoop dies at 53 after collapsing on stage in Connecticut

Rapper Fatman Scoop dies at 53 after collapsing on stage in Connecticut

NEW YORK — Fatman Scoop, the rapper who topped charts in Europe with “Be Faithful” in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by such artists as Missy Elliott and Ciara, died after collapsing on stage at a show in Connecticut, according to officials and his family. He … Read more

Taiwan bans concert by Chinese rapper over insulting ‘Taipei, China’ promotional materials

Taiwan bans concert by Chinese rapper over insulting ‘Taipei, China’ promotional materials

TAIPEI, Taiwan — TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has cancelled a planned Taipei concert by a Chinese rapper after he used the insulting term “Taipei, China” in promotional materials. Wang Yitai’s scheduled Sept. 14 concert has been scrapped and the performer from the southwestern city of Chengdu banned from the island, the Taiwanese government’s Mainland … Read more

At Mexico’s Hera music festival, women were both at the forefront and behind the scenes

At Mexico’s Hera music festival, women were both at the forefront and behind the scenes

MEXICO CITY — Mexico City’s Hera HSBC music festival Saturday brought together an all-female lineup of both Latina and international talent, including Kesha, Demi Lovato and Camila Cabello. Named after the Greek goddess of women, family and the sky and stars, the festival came at a historic moment in the country, as Mexico prepares to … Read more

In Mexico, an Indigenous Triqui artist embraces his roots through contemporary rap

In Mexico, an Indigenous Triqui artist embraces his roots through contemporary rap

MEXICO CITY — Backstage at a celebration of Indigenous peoples in Mexico City’s sprawling central square, Carlos CGH traced his fingers across a black and red “gabán,” which is similar to a poncho. The garment, native to the Triqui people in western Oaxaca, is a source of pride for the 24-year-old rapper and reserved for … Read more