Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Face Three 6 Mafia in Next ‘Verzuz’ Battle

A date has been set for a Verzuz battle between Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia.

The official Verzuz Instagram account revealed the news late Friday night (Nov. 12). The battle will go down live in Los Angeles in just a few weeks.

“IT’S THAT TIME,” read the battle announcement, featuring a poster with text overlaying a red brick wall. “Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (@btnhlive) vs Three 6 Mafia (@three6mafia) LIVE from Los Angeles!! Thursday, DECEMBER 2ND. Y’all ready!? #VERZUZ MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!”

“LETSSSS GOOOOOO,” Three 6 Mafia commented on Bone Thugs’ Instagram page, where they shared the Verzuz details.

The two rap groups originally planned to duke it out over Instagram Live back in April 2020, but it wasn’t branded as a Verzuz battle at the time and ultimately got postponed — until now.

The rescheduled face-off is the first Verzuz since Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One’s battle in October.

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Jeff Wald, Producer & Manager for Donna Summer, Sylvester Stallone Dies at 77

Jeff Wald, who served as a longtime manager of producer and boxing promoter, died on Friday (Nov. 12). He was 77.

Wald’s daughter, Traci Wald, confirmed his passing to The Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death was available.

“To the very end, he was laughing and fighting for the life he lived with epic proportions in every way,” Wald said in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter. “He was surrounded by the family he loved so much and the music that was the soundtrack to his life of eternal optimism. We are heartbroken by the loss of our husband, father, friend and fierce advocate for women’s rights and justice for all.”

Wald was the long-time manager for Australian singer Helen Reddy, with whom he was married for 18 years. During the ’70s and ’80s, the producer, manager and boxing promoter represented through his management company an array of well-known stars including Donna Summer, Sylvester Stallone, George Carlin, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Roseanne Barr, Mike Tyson and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

In a 2011 interview with THR, Wald spoke about his years of drug addiction and at that time, more than two decades of sobriety. “I’m 25 years sober now. I never thought I could do that. And I don’t miss it,” he said. “I’m married now, 20 years, to the same person. I’m actually faithful. I’ve got a great kid; I pay attention. I’m present. I’ve got a good relationship with my older children. God bless them for being so tolerant.”

This story is developing…

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

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State law enforcement investigating Opa-locka after allegations made by former mayor

State law enforcement officers are investigating allegations made by Matthew Pigatt, who suddenly resigned Wednesday night as mayor of Opa-locka, citing “corruption. The investigation is “active and ongoing,” Florida Department … Click to Continue »
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A man was shot dead after an argument in May. Cops say they are looking for a woman.

In the early morning hours of May 8, a man and a woman got into an argument in Broward County. The woman pulled out a gun and shot the man … Click to Continue »
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Bypass route completed to keep heavy trucks out of downtown Homestead

By the end of November, heavy trucks will not be permitted to travel through the city of Homestead’s historic downtown district. Instead, truck drivers will have to use a bypass … Click to Continue »
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Legislature to impose new COVID rules for businesses despite legal hurdles

Florida legislators will convene a week-long special session Monday to pass new regulations on businesses that require employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The proposals do not ban vaccination requirements … Click to Continue »
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UC Davis says baseball team hazed students with alcohol

A Northern California state university said Friday that its varsity baseball team engaged in “an annual initiation tradition” of hazing new players with challenges including “dangerously excessive drinking and other … Click to Continue »
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Britney Spears Gets Love From Missy Elliott, Cher, Cyndi Lauper & More as Conservatorship Ends

As Britney Spears finally sees the termination of her conservatorship after nearly 14 years, she’s being celebrated by her peers in pop music and beyond on social media.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny ruled Friday (Nov. 12) to end the conservatorship that has controlled Spears’ personal and professional life for the last decade-plus. Commenting on a celebratory video from outside the courtroom posted on Spears’ Twitter account, Missy Elliott wrote, “May Blessings continue to flow for you! And nothing but Happiness Love & Peace of mind from here on out.”

Cyndi Lauper offered “congrats,” Cher declared “She’s Free,” and Dionne Warwick said it’s “a day to celebrate the liberation of Britney Spears.”

Spears herself celebrated the ruling on her social media, calling it the “best day ever” and saying she’s “gonna cry the rest of the day!!!!”

Below, find more reaction to the ruling from Andy Cohen, Questlove, 98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons and more.

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Timbaland Creates Bored Ape Yacht Club Metaverse Entertainment Brand

Timbaland has announced a new metaverse-based entertainment company, dubbed Ape-In Productions (AIP), that will use Bored Ape Yacht Club characters to perform music and sell products as NFTs.

Bored Ape Yacht Club — founded by Yuga Labs in April 2021 and comprised of unique cartoon ape drawings minted on the blockchain — is one of the most successful NFT projects to date, having already amassed over $1 billion in trading since its inception just seven months ago. For buyers, the quirky cartoons function as both an investment and a status symbol, with many owners setting their social media avatars to the Ape they purchased. Owners of Apes are able to exploit the NFTs’ likenesses for profit and can also “flip” the Apes to reap even higher gains on NFT marketplaces whenever they’re ready to sell. Just like a rare baseball card, Bored Apes are viewed as collectibles, often functioning as the crown jewels in a buyer’s crypto collection.

AIP’s Bored Apes will function similar to digital idols like Miquela, who acts as a front-facing digital performer for songs. Those who opt to purchase these AIP NFTs will gain access to exclusive perks, including merchandise, events, studio sessions, custom art and concerts, all contained within the metaverse. To bring these static NFT characters to life, AIP has enlisted the help of BRON Digital, which uses Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology.

This is actually the second bit of Bored Ape Yacht Club-related music news to arrive in just the past two days. On Thursday, UMG’s 10:22PM label announced it had formed the NFT “supergroup” KINGSHIP, which is also comprised of Bored Ape Yacht Club characters. Both projects arrive as interest in Web3 and the metaverse continues to grow apace, with the most high-profile acceleration coming in the form of Mark Zuckerberg’s recent rebranding of Facebook to Meta — a reference to the metaverse. The formation of AIP, particularly with a famous name like Timbaland attached, could provide a further boost to the adoption and monetization of NFTs within the music industry.

Alongside the news of AIP’s founding, the company is releasing the name of its first signee: TheZoo. A hip-hop act comprised of six Bored Apes — Lincoln Aperaham, Safari Ferrari, Oro Blanco, MoMoney, Wurdz Smith and Congo — the new crew will release their debut, Timbaland-produced single “ApeSh!t,” along with the first AIP label NFT, next Wednesday.

The other co-founders of Ape-In Productions include Gary Marella, Clement Kwan, Andrew Rosener and Jonathan “JT” Tenenbaum of MediaOptions, the number one domain broker in the world. According to a press release, all of the founders bring years of digital asset management experience to the new project.

Likening AIP to Timbaland’s music production marketplace Beatclub — which allows creators to keep 100% of their rights and revenue — the press release adds that AIP “will empower creators to reclaim control of their intellectual property, and encourage them to explore new creative avenues and revenue streams.”

“We’ve built a new entertainment platform in the metaverse that puts creative control and long-term ownership back in the hands of artists, a concept that is incredibly important to us,” said Timbaland in a statement announcing the project.

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Which ‘From the Vault’ Track From Taylor Swift’s ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ Is Your Favorite? Vote!

Swifties everywhere are rejoicing after Taylor Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version) on Friday (Nov. 12). The re-recorded version of her 2012 album features 30 tracks, including the 21 previously released songs from the original and deluxe versions of the album, as well as nine previously unreleased gems “From the Vault” that feature some of Swift’s musician friends either as writers or featured singers.

Fans anxiously awaited the arrival of “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” which Swift expanded to allow ample time for a good cry while listening. The 31-year-old singer revealed plans for a self-written and -directed short film starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink to accompany the track, which premieres Friday on YouTube.

The 10-minute version of “All Too Well” appears to be the fan favorite from the re-release, if social media’s overwhelmingly positive response is any indicator, but is there another “From the Vault” track that’s currently stealing your heart? The Phoebe Bridgers-assisted “Nothing New” sees the women lamenting the unfair social expectations of young women, while upbeat cuts “Babe” and “Message in a Bottle” see Swift lifting up her listeners before preparing them for a gut-wrenching avalanche of emotions at the end of the record.

(And if you need a second opinion, be sure to check out Jason Lipshutz’s ranking of all the “From the Vault” tracks here.)

So which “From the Vault” track is your favorite? Vote!

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