A memorial service for late rapper DMX will be held April 24 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Billboard can confirm.

Though Barclays Center is big enough to accommodate 19,000 fans for concerts, it’s unclear how many people will be allowed inside the New York arena with current COVID-19 restrictions. According to a source close to the situation, Barclays is maxed at 10% capacity currently and the service will not be open to the public.

Further details for the service, first reported by TMZ, are still being ironed out, DMX’s former manager Steve Rifkind told the site. According to their report, the public service on that Saturday would be followed by a more intimate church service for just X’s family and inner-circle the next day, Sunday, April 25.

DMX died a week ago, on April 9, after suffering a heart attack triggered by a drug overdose. He was 50 years old.

Barclays Center opened its doors less than a decade ago, in September 2012, which was years after DMX’s late ’90s/early 2000s heyday, but the rapper hit the arena’s stage twice: once in 2017 as part of a Ruff Ryders reunion show and in 2019 at the Masters of Ceremony concert.

The Small Business Administration has announced that Shuttered Venue Operators Grant applications are expected to reopen at the end of next week, after failing to launch on April 8. 

In a statement released Friday (April 16), the SBA said, “Over the next few days, our tech team and vendors will remain focused on testing the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal” and assured possible applicants that nothing will change over the weekend.  

“We know this funding is urgently needed now and are doing all we can to reopen with the greatest amount of certainty as possible,” the statement continued. 

The SBA said the vendors for the portal, which launched and quickly closed on April 8, have fixed the root cause of the technical difficulties but discovered additional issues while testing the site. The newly identified issues are being addressed now before the portal reopens later next week.  

Independent venues, promoters and producers have been waiting to apply for the more than $16 billion in funds since the bill passed at the end of December, but the SBA was tasked with creating the program from scratch and has taken nearly four months to open the application process.

When the administration announced the opening date for the grant applications, they assured venues that funds would be awarded later in April. The SBA has not commented on whether or not that timeline has been interrupted by the delay.  

“We realize this is an enormous undertaking for the SBA and we appreciate everything the agency is doing to ensure this program is administered as Congress intended as expeditiously as possible. The opening can’t come soon enough,” said the National Independent Venue Association in statement earlier this week.  

In a letter sent to NIVA members today, the Association says it met with White House officials who “assured stakeholders that reopening the SVOG portal expediently and successfully was a top priority across the SBA.”

For more information on when the application portal will re-open, the SBA recommends independent venues follow the administration’s Twitter account 

First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

Sebastian Yatra & Myke Towers, “Pareja del Año” (Universal Music Latino)

If there’s one track that can perfectly marry pop and urban music it’s “Pareja del Año,” the new collaboration between Sebastian Yatra and Myke Towers. Produced by Grammy winners Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengif, the song fuses both artists’ signature sound laced with live string instruments. The song is about an impossible love that if it were to come true, it’d be dubbed the “couple of the year.” The elegant music video was filmed by Daniel Duran in Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center, starring a mysterious yet perfect love story. — JESSICA ROIZ

Los Rivera Destino & Pedro Capó, “Castigo” (Sony Music Latin)

The Puerto Rican band has teamed up with compatriot Pedro Capó for “Castigo,” a song that finds them reminiscing on nights at the club where you could dance all night long. The track starts off as a bolero but quickly transforms into a dembow. “This song unites two musical genres that have a long history when it comes to couples dancing close,” Los Rivera said about their new song, which finds them collaborating for the first time with Capó. “It brings the bolero to the modern club. We wrote this song before the pandemic, at a time when we could dance close together. It feels like torture as we wait for the next time to dance again.” “Castigo” “Castigo” is the second single off the band’s upcoming debut album, which will be released this summer. – GRISELDA FLORES

David Bisbal & Danna Paola, “Vuelve, Vuelve” (Universal Music Spain)

Collaborating for the first time ever, David Bisbal and Danna Paola join forces in a song that reflects modern-day, long-distance relationships that have been impacted by COVID-19. The pop track narrates the story of a couple, one lives in Spain and the other one in Mexico, that is rekindling after a breakup but can’t travel to see each other due to lockdowns and canceled flights. “Come back, come back before it’s too late … without you I’m a disaster and not seeing you hurts me,” sings Bisbal. The music video, which also dropped today (April 16) ends on a more positive note with one of them finally able to catch a flight. – G.F.

Sech, 42 (Rich Music)

Sech dropped his third studio album 42, a set he says was born “fully in the pandemic” and a tribute to his Afro roots. Released under Rich Music, the set is home to 11 tracks, including collaborations with Wisin, Yandel, Arcangel, Nicky Jam and Rauw Alejandro. The number 42 pays tribute to Jackie Robinson, the first African-American baseball player to play in Major League Baseball and Panamanian baseball star Mariano Rivera. “This album is all me, without thinking about numbers or the industry. It’s me opening my heart,” he tells Billboard. “My brother found a notebook of mine where I would write my feelings when I was younger and I decided to turn those feelings into songs. The first one I wrote was ‘911.’ All of these songs are real and part of my life.” Stream and listen to it below. – J.R.

Ximena Sariñana, “A No Llorar” (Warner Music México)

Stunning, both visually and lyrically, Ximena Sariñana’s “A No Llorar” is a synth-pop track about standing strong after a few heartbreaks and blows to the livelihood of women. “And although it’s hard to breathe sometimes, I prefer to have cried than not having cried at all,” the Mexican singer-songwriter sings in the feminine anthem. Inspired by feminist movements in Mexico and women who have long fought for their equality and equity, “A No Llorar” was created by women for women. Written by Sariñana at a songwriting camp with other female songwriters representing different countries such as Venezuela and Perú. The song’s music video was also directed by women with directing duo Iglú at the helm. According to a statement, “A No Llorar’s” royalties will be donated to Fundación Crescendo con la Música. – G.F.

Ricky Martin & Carlos Vives, “Canción Bonita” (Sony Music Latin)

It’s hard to believe that these two superstars hadn’t collaborated in the past, but at last, they’ve joined forces to deliver the uplifting anthem “Canción Bonita,” which translates to “pretty song.” The danceable track celebrates Carlos Vives’ Colombian and Ricky Martin’s Puerto Rican roots. In fact, the picturesque music video was shot in Old San Juan directed by Carlos Pérez. Written by Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres, along with Rafa Arcaute (VP of A&R at Sony), Vives and Martin, the happy song was set to be released before the pandemic hit. “It was a party song. We couldn’t release it at that point,” Martin told Billboard. The track officially dropped April 13 and the pair performed their joyful song for the first time on television at the 2021 Latin AMAs. – G.F.

Omy de Oro, “Millones” (Young Boss Entertainment / Share That Music)

After launching his music career on the Freestyle Mania platform and collaborating with artists such as Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro and Yandel, Omy de Oro is out to challenge all his haters on the new single “Millones.” “Laundering money, with what we sing, we avoid a problem but if they want, we fight,” the Puerto Rican artist chants on the raw trap song produced by Chalko and Ammunation. In the music video, directed by AJ Films, Omy lives up to the movie, surrounded by money, luxurious cars and his faithful entourage. – J.R.

Boza, Ella (Sony Music Latin)

After his viral success with “Hecha Pa’ Mi,” Panamanian newcomer Boza dropped the three-song Ella EP, marking the next move of his career and a preview of his upcoming album. Produced by Irving Manuel Quintero Valdez (Faster), the title track is a hip-swaying, sugary reggaeton that highlights everything he likes about a girl. If “je ne sais quoi” had a song, it’d be “No Se Que.” On this track, he brings it down a notch in a futuristic, slow-tempo urban bop about a girl who’s simply irresistible. Offering another musical proposal is “Por Ti,” where Boza fuses a sensual dancehall melody with other Caribbean beats. Listen and stream the three songs below. – J.R.

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Joss Favela and Ana Bárbara honored Joan Sebastian with a special tribute at the 2021 Latin AMAs on April 15.

Maribel Guardia, the late singer’s former wife and mother of his son Julián Figueroa, introduced the emotional tribute with a heartfelt message: “I’m here to celebrate el poeta del pueblo (the pueblo’s poet),” she said. “We did telenovelas together, we sang together and we were friends. With him, I have a son who is a lot like him.”

Then, Favela took the stage to sing some of Sebastian’s classics such as “Eso Y Más” and “Me Gustas.” Bárbara wrapped up the tribute with a passionate rendition of “Secreto de Amor.”

This year, Karol and J Balvin lead the list of nominees with nine nods each. Both are up for artist of the year, sharing the category with Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, Christian Nodal, Eslabon Armado, Maluma, Ozuna and Sech.

Hosted by Mexican actress Jacqueline Bracamontes, the 2021 Latin AMAs – live from the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida – featured other performances Ozuna, Maluma, Ricky Martin, Carlos Vives, Eslabon Armado, among others.

The Staples Center in Los Angeles becomes the first California arena to reopen Thursday (April 15), ending a COVID-19 closure that dragged on far longer than Lee Zeidman expected when he closed the doors to the public 400 days ago.

The LA Live and Staples Center president tells Billboard that the reopening is the result of months of planning and millions of dollars spent reimagining live events as touchless, mobile-driven experiences with fans distanced, masked and spread across the seating bowl in pods.

The home game is a milestone for California arenas, which are now allowed to operate at 25% capacity. For Staples Center, that’s 5,500 fans, although only about 2,000 will attend Thursday’s home game between the L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics.

Staples Center is California’s first professional indoor sports arena to reopen to the public — Orange County’s Honda Center opens Friday with an Anaheim Ducks game, followed next week with San Francisco’s Chase Center and Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center.

The Staples Center reopening is being done under guidelines from the state and the Los Angeles County health department, Zeidman says. Attendees will be required to wear a mask while inside the Staples Center and must show proof of vaccination (which can be a picture of their vaccine card) or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of tip off. Fans will also be asked to maintain social distancing and seats will be organized in socially distanced pods.

Fans will be not be permitted to eat on the concourse, in the seating bowl or in suites, so Staples Center officials have constructed an outdoor food court on LA Live’s X Box Plaza that will be accessible to fans during the event. To minimize COVID-19 exposure to its event staff, the venue is telling fans not to bring bags or purses into the arena in order to minimize the need to search patrons and their belongings as they enter the building.

Zeidman said AEG was eager to reopen the arena and have its employees return to work.

“First and foremost, our concern was for our part-time employees. We have over 2,000 part time employees and nobody really understood that we would be closed for 13 months,” Zeidman explains. “We have full-time employees that moved to 50% work as well as furloughed employees, and we spent a lot of time keeping everybody up to speed on what is going on and letting them know where we were in terms of reopening.”

Zeidman said his team undertook a top to bottom audit of the building “and we decided that we were going to make everything as touchless and cashless as possible. We retrofitted all of our restrooms with touchless paper towel dispensers, hand sinks, soap dispensers and flush valves. We put UV cleaners on all of our escalator rails. We put NanoSeptic sleeves over our elevator buttons and our doors and took everything that you had to touch out.”

Some of the efforts fit with existing longterm initiatives, like a move toward 100% digital ticketing which ultimately give teams and promoters more control over event tickets and provide arena officials with a more reliable snapshot of who’s in the building. Other changes — like a cooling and heating overhaul so building officials could install MERV 13 virus eliminating air filters — came less than a year after the building overhauled its humidity and moisture systems to make ice for hockey more efficiently (Zeidman said the two systems complement each other).

What the changes mean for the return of concerts remains to be seen, explained Zeidman, noting that state and local guidelines could significantly change between now and Aug. 6, when Grupo Firme play a three-night-run at Staples Center.

“We’re prepared to fully pivot when appropriate and when need be, if the state or the county or the NBA or the NHL relax guidelines and restrictions,” Zeidman explains. “I’ve told our team we need to think of this in increments. We have to adhere to the rules of the state of California and the county of Los Angeles, but be ready when we move from the orange tier to the yellow tier and are allowed to increase capacities.”

Zeidman says he’s doubtful mask and distancing mandates will be gone by the time the state plans to reopen entirely on June 15, but says the fastest path to reopening will be through an increase in vaccine distribution. While the travel industry has discussed plans to roll out digital passports to verify a patient’s vaccine status, Zeidman said he’d prefer so see a push toward herd immunity, which would mitigate the need for long term vaccine verification.

The longtime GM estimates he’s worked 6,500 events in his 30-year career and said he’s still wrapping his mind around Thursday’s opening.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how people react,” he says. “People normally would come hug me, shake my hand, or talk in my ear because it was loud. That stuff’s not going to happen right out of the shoot. I’m not even going to be able to see smiling faces because everybody’s got a face covering. But just to see our team members working again, knowing that things are starting to get better, is very exciting.”