Warner Music Group Fully Acquires Africori

Warner Music Group (WMG) announced Tuesday (Feb. 11) that it’s completed its full acquisition of Africori, one of Africa’s leading digital music distribution, rights management and label services companies.

Founded in 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Africori touts itself as “one of the biggest independent songbooks in Africa,” including music by Kelvin Momo, Master KG (“Jerusalema”), Nkosazana Daughter, Oscar Mbo, TitoM & Yuppe (“Tshwala Bam”) and more than 7,000 artists. It will continue to operate as a standalone entity, and Yoel Kenan will remain as CEO, reporting to Temi Adeniji, managing director of Warner Music Africa. Africori and WMG have aligned their systems to allow Africori artists and songs to be upstreamed into the global WMG network.

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Yoel Kenan

Warner Music Buys Majority Stake in Africori Digital Distributor

“We’ve had an incredibly successful few years partnering with Temi Adenijii and Warner Music. From the beginning of the venture, our shared vision of connecting African music with fans from across the world was evident,” Kenan said in a statement. “The Africori team looks forward to working with the entire Warner Music family as we discover, develop and upstream the next generation of talent from across the continent.”

WMG first invested in Africori in 2020 in a deal that opened up the African continent to Warner Music by giving it access to Africori’s A&R network and first option on international licenses for all new signings, while Warner’s independent label services division ADA distributed and promoted Africori’s acts internationally through the company’s global network. WMG later acquired a majority stake in Africori in 2022, leading to its full acquisition this month.

“Today is a landmark moment in our evolution in Africa. Over the past four years, we’ve shown that proper investment, synergies and cooperation have created value for artists, but also that Warner Music has helped energize and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of a local partner,” added Adeniji. “We’ve upstreamed Africori artists and plugged them into our global network, delivering international remixes and trend-driven cross-collaborations that have helped elevate their careers.”

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A$AP Rocky Declines to Testify in Shooting Trial

A$AP Rocky waived his right to testify on Tuesday (Feb. 11) during the ongoing trial over accusations that he fired a gun at former friend A$AP Relli near a Hollywood hotel in November 2021.

In a TMZ video, Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold reminds the former A$AP Mob rapper (real name Rakim Mayers) that he has the “right to get on the stand and give your side of the case” and the “right under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution not to testify.” When asked which right he wanted to invoke, Rocky responded by saying, “I want my right to not testify.”

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A$AP Rocky,

A$AP Rocky Urges A$AP Twelvyy to Not Tell Courtroom What ‘AWGE’ Means: Watch

Rocky was more vocal in court on Friday (Feb. 7) when he urged A$AP Twelvyy not to reveal the meaning behind AWGE, the former’s creative agency and record label. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin had asked Twelvyy to tell the courtroom what the letters stood for when Rocky insisted, “Don’t say it.”

Rocky’s attorney Joe Tacopina said on Monday (Feb. 10) that either his client would take the stand on Tuesday or the defense would rest its case, according to the Associated Press. Closing arguments will begin Thursday morning (Feb. 13) and the jury will start deliberations that afternoon.

Rocky is charged with two felony counts of assault with a firearm and faces 24 years in prison if convicted after turning down a plea deal for just 180 days in county jail. He was arrested in April 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport and posted a $550,000 bond shortly after. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in August 2022.

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Super Bowl LIX Scores Ratings Record for Second Year in a Row

This year’s Super Bowl has made television history, with the broadcast setting a ratings record for the second year in a row.

According to FoxSports, an average of 126 million viewers tuned in to watch their broadcast on Sunday (Feb. 9), which saw the Philadelphia Eagles emerge victorious over the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 40 to 22. According to the network, those figures measure viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo and NFL digital properties.

That number is a 2% increase on the 123.7 million viewers who watched last year’s event, which outshone any audience previously recorded by Nielsen. Fox also noted that their peak audience of 135.7 million viewers occurred around the game’s second quarter, between 8:00-8:15pm ET.

Though the evening’s big takeaway was undoubtedly related to the game itself, a sizable portion of the Super Bowl’s viewership likely came thanks to the halftime show, which featured Kendrick Lamar in the spotlight.

Much of the discourse relating to Lamar’s appearance revolved around the potential content of his performance – specifically whether he would perform his Drake diss track “Not Like Us”. 

Having inspired a defamation lawsuit from its subject matter against Lamar (and Drake’s) record label, Universal Music Group in January, and having taken home five Grammys (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year) just a week earlier, Lamar ensured that the song received pride of place in his already-iconic set. Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, and Serena Williams also joined Lamar onstage for the performance at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome.

Currently, specific break-out numbers for the halftime show have not been made available, though it would likely be in contention for the title of the most-watched halftime show in history. According to The Hollywood Reporter, that honor belongs to the 1993 Super Bowl, which saw Michael Jackson change the face of halftime entertainment, bringing in 133 million viewers for his appearance.

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Plane Owned by Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil Involved in Fatal Crash

A plane owned by Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil is reportedly at the center of a fatal plane crash in Scottsdale, AZ.

The incident reportedly occurred at 2:45pm on Monday (Feb. 10) when a Bombardier Learjet 35A arriving from Austin, TX veered off the runway after landing at Scottsdale Municipal Airport and crashed into a Gulfstream G-200 business jet parked nearby on private property. One person was reported deceased following the crash, with four others suffering injuries.

A press briefing from Scottsdale Fire Capt. Dave Folio attributed the incident to faulty landing gear. 

Jet Pros Director of Operations Gus Toulatos, who operates the Gulfstream, issued a statement noting that no injuries occurred aboard their plane but confirmed the extensive exterior damage.

“We are cooperating fully with airport authorities and relevant agencies as they conduct a thorough review of the situation,” Toulatos said. “We appreciate the swift response of airport personnel and will provide updates as more information becomes available.”

Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky also issued a response to the tragedy, confirming the details of the event and noting that the airport remained closed at the time of her statement.

“We are closely monitoring the situation, and we are in touch with airport, police and federal agencies and will update the community as we have further information,” Borowsky said.

“On behalf of the city of Scottsdale, we offer our deepest condolences to those involved in the accident and for those who have been taken to our trauma center for treatment. We will keep all affected by this tragedy in our prayers.”

According to Nashville’s NewsChannel 5 (WTVF), the Bombardier Learjet 35A is registered to the Franklin, Tennessee-based Chromed in Hollywood, with Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil listed as a principal agent. 

A report from TMZ stated that Mötley Crüe manager Allen Kovac has confirmed that Neil was not on the plane at the time of the incident, and that the band are working towards a way to aid those affected by the crash.

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Don Henley & Irving Azoff Sued by Man Charged in Eagles Stolen Lyrics Trial

Don Henley and his longtime manager Irving Azoff are being sued by one of the men who was criminally charged — and later vindicated — for allegedly attempting to sell handwritten lyrics connected to the Eagles‘ 1976 album Hotel California, claiming they and their attorneys engaged in a “malicious prosecution” that harmed his reputation and caused him financial losses and emotional distress.

The complaint, filed in New York state court on Thursday (Feb. 6), was filed against Henley, Azoff and the firms that represented them in their case: Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and Loeb & Loeb. In it, Horowitz claims the parties falsely alleged that he and his two co-defendants in the criminal case “knew or had reason to believe” that the lyric sheets “had been unlawfully obtained” and nonetheless attempted to profit off of them via an online auction. However, Horowitz claims the men and their attorneys knew all along that the notes had been acquired through legal means in the first place.

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Don Henley

Eagles Stolen Notes Trial Ends Suddenly After Judge Says Don Henley ‘Manipulated…

Horowitz, a rare book dealer, and his co-defendants — Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia auctioneer Edward Kosinski — were criminally charged in 2022 over an alleged conspiracy to resell the lyrics that had been handwritten by Henley while working on the Eagles’ iconic Hotel California album. At the time, prosecutors had accused the three men of hiding the fact that the documents had been stolen from Henley’s home by Ed Sanders, a journalist hired by Henley and Azoff to write a never-published book on the Eagles in the late 1970s.

But in a stunning turnaround in March 2024, Manhattan prosecutors dropped the case after Henley produced new evidence previously withheld under attorney-client privilege that cast doubt on his and Azoff’s allegations. The judge in the case subsequently dismissed the charges and chastised Henley, Azoff and their attorneys for “obfuscat[ing] and hid[ing] information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen.”

According to Horowitz’s attorney Caitlin Robin, the evidence cited by prosecutors and the judge in dropping the charges — a series of emails between Henley, Azoff and their attorneys — proves they were aware that Sanders had legally obtained the lyric sheets in the course of writing the never-published Eagles book. Nonetheless, she alleges they “purposefully withheld any disclosure thereof because they knew it would exculpate Plaintiff GLENN HOROWITZ and essentially destroy the fraudulent allegations they made about him.”

As a result of his “unjust prosecution,” Horowitz claims he “was deprived of his liberty and suffered humiliation, defamation, media harassment, diminished reputation, loss of business and/or loss of wages amounting in more than ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00), in addition to mental anguish, indignity, frustration and financial loss.” The complaint further alleges that Horowitz’s wife Tracey (who is listed as a co-plaintiff) also “suffered humiliation, defamation, media harassment, diminished reputation, and mental and emotional anguish” as a result of her husband’s prosecution.

In a statement sent to Billboard, Henley and Azoff’s attorney Dan Petrocelli said, “Don Henley was a witness and a victim in a criminal trial brought by the Manhattan District Attorney after a formal indictment of Glenn Horowitz by a New York grand jury. The indictment highlighted the dark underbelly of the memorabilia business that exploited the brazen, unauthorized taking and selling of Mr. Henley’s handwritten lyrics. The only malicious prosecution involved here is the filing of this case by Mr. Horowitz.” 

The Horowitzes are asking for damages “in excess of the jurisdictional limits of all the lower Courts of the State of New York.”

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and Loeb & Loeb did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s requests for comment.

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Drake Hands Out $45,000 to Fans at Melbourne Show

Drake’s Anita Max Win Tour continues to generate headlines, and his first Melbourne show at Rod Laver Arena on Feb. 9 was no exception.

Midway through the set at Rod Laver Arena on Feb. 9, the Canadian rapper surprised two audience members with a combined $50,000 in cash gifts during his performance. The moment, which was caught on video that has since circulated on social media, occurred when Drake spotted a sign in the crowd that read “Adonis for President,” a reference to his seven-year-old son.

“You’re showing a lot of love to my son,” he told her. “On behalf of me and Adonis … we’re going to give you 25 grand for your family.”

Another fan’s sign requested a birthday kiss, to which Drake instead responded by gifting her $20,000, covering her birthday dinner with friends, and inviting her to another show with complimentary tickets.

“What I am gonna do is, I’m going to give you 20 grand, and I will pay for a birthday dinner for you and all your friends tomorrow night. And if you want, you can come back to the show again, both of y’all … We’ll get you tickets.”

“Australia, I love y’all. Melbourne, this is real love,” Drizzy added.

Later in the show, the “Energy” hitmaker told fans: “It really touches my heart that—through all of that, you still take your hard-earned money, and you spend some of that money on tickets to this show to see this kid from Canada get up here and talk s–t. I really appreciate you. I would be nothing without you.”

The moment follows similar instances earlier in the tour. At his debut Perth show at RAC Arena on Feb. 5, Drake also handed out cash to fans. “Put the light on this family right here… For both of y’all, I’m gonna give you $20,000 each to go wherever you want in the world because that’s what we do out here in Perth,” he said.

“You gotta show love… You see, it’s nights like these that we can never take for granted; it’s 14,000 people inside one building, and we all got here safe.”

He continued, “I pray to God that you’re healthy; I pray to God that you’re happy, but I promise you that everybody in this room is not happy. There’s a lot of people in here that might be going through some shit, you know, it might be a f—d up time for you.

“Maybe you don’t get treated right by your parents or your boss, or maybe you don’t have that many friends. Maybe your boyfriend is f—-d up; maybe your girlfriend is a little toxic; you never know what the next person is going through, so this is what I want you to do… I want you to turn to somebody that you don’t know, and I just want you to give them a hug [and] say something nice to them.”

Before his first official concert, the rapper also made an appearance at Melbourne’s Maison Batard’s Le Club, performing a surprise 90-minute set featuring tracks such as “Pipe Down,” “Rich Baby Daddy,” “Faithful,” and “Trust Issues”.

The Anita Max Win Tour has so far showcased a broad range of Drake’s catalog, blending chart-topping hits with fan-favorite deep cuts. His Melbourne setlist included tracks such as “Hotline Bling,” “In My Feelings,” “Rich Baby Daddy,” and “Jimmy Cooks,” alongside earlier classics like “Marvin’s Room” and “Over.”

The production features an expansive floating catwalk stage that spans the arena, allowing for an immersive experience. His entrance at the Perth show, where he walked through a cloud of smoke wearing a hoodie adorned with bullet hole graphics, immediately sparked speculation among fans regarding its intended symbolism.

Drake’s Melbourne performance took place one day before Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, during which Lamar performed “Not Like Us,” the viral Mustard-produced track widely believed to be a diss toward Drake.

The moment, which featured a guest appearance from Serena Williams, quickly became a focal point of online discussion. Despite the ongoing discourse surrounding Lamar’s performance, Drake remains focused on his tour, with another show in Melbourne tonight, as well as upcoming Anita Max Win Tour dates in Sydney and Brisbane through March.

Beyond the tour, Drake’s upcoming collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, is set for release on Valentine’s Day.

Over the weekend, he teased a new track, “Crying In Chanel,” sharing a clip of PARTYNEXTDOOR in front of a wedding chapel while the song played. “Shorty right here crying in the middle of Chanel,” Drake sings in the snippet. “Are those tears of joy? I can’t tell.”

$ome $exy $ongs 4 U marks another chapter in Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s decade-long musical partnership, which began with 2013’s “Over Here” and through hits like “Recognize” and “Loyal.”

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Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show: 10 Things You Didn’t See on TV

Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show performance at Super Bowl LIX marked a victory lap, placed right in the middle of the Philadelphia Eagles’ resounding win over the Kansas City Chiefs at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night (Feb. 9). One week after sweeping all of his Grammy nominations and earning his first career wins in the general category, the superstar MC was once again back in the spotlight, performing on the biggest stage in the world while surrounded by some famous friends.

And while viewers around the globe were able to watch Lamar perform his biggest hits and invite SZA, Mustard, Serena Williams and Samuel L. Jackson onto his halftime show field, some of the nuance of his fast-moving, visually daring showcase were understandably lost in translation. Viewers within the Superdome watched his majesty unfurl live for 12 minutes, as Lamar’s flow never flagged and the stage around him constantly shifted.

Movement is key to any Super Bowl halftime show, but Lamar’s performance combined quick-twitch changes with stadium-sized hooks, as A-listers popped up around him, dancers lunged into place and the star at the center of the show remained effortlessly charismatic. In what ultimately functioned as a preview of his upcoming stadium tour alongside SZA, Lamar delivered a live experience that left the Superdome crowd roaring in appreciation.

So what details of the halftime extravaganza could only be seen and appreciated by those in attendance? Here are 10 details of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance that TV viewers didn’t get to fully see:

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Kendrick Lamar Appears to Wear ‘A-Minor’ Chain, Recites Lyric During Super Bowl Set: Fans React

Kendrick Lamar really did it. Much was said about whether or not the Compton rapper would perform his controversial diss song “Not Like Us” directed at Drake during his Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 9). Well, he did after teasing it throughout his performance, and when he finally decided to go for it, the entire Caesars Superdome in New Orleans went crazy — with attendees even singing the line “A-minor” together as if they were in a church choir.

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 09: Kendrick Lamar performs for the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show on February 09, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Watch Kendrick Lamar Diss Drake, Perform With SZA & More at the 2025 Super Bowl…

The rapper didn’t perform it a bunch of times like he did at the “Pop Out,” and friends such as DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook didn’t hit the field to dance along, but Lamar did add insult to injury by having Serena Williams make an appearance to c-walk as the song played. She did a pretty good job, too. Drake referenced the year he’s had during his early stops in Australia during his Anita Max Win Tour, going so far as to wearing a black hoodie with bullet holes in it and a trail of gun smoke.

Lamar’s Super Bowl 59 Halftime Show performance serves as victory lap after defeating Drake in what may be the most important rap battle of their generation, going No. 1 numerous times in 2024, winning five Grammys at the 2025 ceremony — including song of the year and record of the year — and capping things off at the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Naturally, fans on X had a ball with both the lowercase “a” chain he wore, and with the crowd screaming the infamous “a-minor” line at the top of their lungs.

Check out some of our favorites below.

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10 Best Super Bowl Commercials in 2025, Ranked

Super Bowl 2025 is in the books. On Sunday (Feb. 9), the Philadelphia Eagles soared to Vince Lombardi Trophy glory, beating the Kansas City Chiefs in a game at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome that wrapped with a 40-22 score.

Five-time Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper Kendrick Lamar headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, delivering his 2024-defining anthem “Not Like Us,” his Black Panther hit “All the Stars” alongside SZA and numerous other cuts from his imposing catalog. Although there were surprise appearances from Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams, it was a hip-hop-heavy performance, with Lamar’s tight, intricate flow and distinctive phrasing the focal point of the 13-minute affair.

But the Super Bowl is about a lot more than football and music. For a sizable segment of viewers, the commercials are just as important as the game itself (if not more so). As has become an annual American tradition, dozens of major brands rolled out brand new (or recently debuted) advertisements during the Fox broadcast.

With Super Bowl spots costing advertisers about eight million for 30 seconds, brands tend to put their best foot forward during a broadcast that pulls in tens of millions of viewers. And this year was no different, with A-list celebrities (Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck), beloved pieces of pop culture IP (When Harry Met Sally, the Muppets) and comedy legends (Eugene Levy, Wanda Sykes) cropping up in ads for everything from cars to coffee to condiments.

Here are Billboard’s 10 best TV commercials at Super Bowl LIX.

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Jack White Responds to Fans Hoping for Lengthy Sets: ‘It’s Not a Marvel Movie’

If you’re planning to see Jack White and hoping for a marathon effort from the musician, it might be time to temper your expectations.

White took to Instagram on Saturday (Feb. 8) to reflect on the attitudes he’s noticed regarding the lengths of the sets he has performed. According to sites such as Setlist.fm, White has an average performance time of 90 minutes, with recent sets ranging from 16 to 22 songs.

“Been hearing a lot of chatter throughout the year of this glorious electric touring about how long our sets are ‘supposed to be’ on stage,” he began. “As if the length of a show determines how ‘good’ it is. I know that we’re living in a current era where people like to say ‘so and so played for 3 hours last night!’, and brag about it the next day hahaha, I’ll let our fans know now that my mind has no intention of ‘impressing’ y’all in that context. 

“The Beatles and Ramones played 30 minute (ish) sets, and If I could, I would do the same at this moment in my performing life,” he added. “That’s actually the kind of show I’d like to put on right now. But there becomes this chatter that the cost of a ticket ‘entitles’ people to some kind of extra long show…uh…ok (hahaha) so I’m bridging the gap. I’m not sure y’all are knowing (or maybe remembering?) what a real rock or punk show is like though if you’re thinking that way, I think you’re talking about an arena laser light show with pyro, huge screens with premade videos, singers flying over the crowd, t shirt cannons, etc, that’s not the kind of shows we’re performing.”

White’s own history as a touring musician has been peppered with shows of varying lengths. Famously, on July 16, 2007, as a member of The White Stripes, Jack and Meg White performed the shortest show of their career so as to fulfill their goal of playing every province and territory of Canada. The one-note show in St. Johns, Newfoundland was denied inclusion into the Guinness Book of Records, sadly.

However, this short concert is in line with White’s own critique of expectations from audiences. While artists such as Bruce Springsteen may average three-hour sets, and Phish and Dead & Company might be creeping towards four hours on average, White explains it’s all about what best suits the audience gathered before him.

“I’ve seen a plethora of rock and roll gigs that lasted 45 minutes and blew my mind and inspired me beyond belief,” he explained. “Read the room, leave everyone exhausted and inspired (hopefully) and most of all wanting more, without needing 3 hours to do it. That’s like saying a film is supposed to be better cause they spent 300 trillion making it, well I’ve never seen that movie. 

“Love to all of our fans, I see your faces every night and you can be assured I’ve never phoned it in in my life, whether its 20 minutes or 2 hours, I’m giving the room what the room is prompting me to do and share and that doesn’t mean if people cheer louder it’s going to be longer either! haha. There’s no setlist, and it’s not a Marvel movie, or a Vegas residency, it’s rock and roll and it’s a living breathing organism.”

White is currently in the midst of a lengthy global tour that began in 2024 in support of his latest solo album, No Name. Much like the length of his live sets, White had initially planned for the majority of his touring plans to be relatively impromptu, though a more concrete run of dates was detailed in November.

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