Kali Uchis Trusted Her Instincts & Got Her First No. 1 Album: ‘A Lot of People Didn’t Want Me to Make This Album’

Powered by the TikTok hit “Telepatía,” Kali Uchis’ Sin Miedo (Del Amor y Otros Demonios) hits No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums chart (dated March 6). The set — which is her first Spanish-language album — is also her first leader on any Billboard albums chart.

“I feel so proud because this is a testament to following your instincts,” Uchis tells Billboard. “A lot of people didn’t want me to make this album or tried to make me feel it wasn’t a real contribution to my discography, all because it was in Spanish.”

Sin Miedo is Uchis’ second studio album. Prior to Isolation, her debut English album that tested the waters with Latin Pop (“Nuestro Planeta,” featuring Reykon), she released Por Vida, her first all-English EP.

Uchi’s sophomore effort rises to the top in its 15th chart week with 10,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 25, up 129%, according to MRC Data. The surge concurrently takes the set to a No. 3 high on Top Latin Albums, a new peak. It previously topped out at No. 8 on the Dec. 5, 2020-dated chart, the week following its debut at No. 21 (from two days of tracking activity in the week ending Nov. 19).

As Sin Miedo rises to the top of Latin Pop Albums, Uchis becomes the first female solo act to rule with her first Latin Pop Albums entry since Rosalía’s El Mal Querer in November 2018.

Sin Miedo traces its surge to “Telepatía’s” streaming gain across services like YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, sparked by its popularity on TikTok. (TikTok itself does not contribute to Billboard’s chart rankings.) The set’s third single has stormed TikTok as millions continue to share their videos using the song. It propels to a No. 2 high on Hot Latin Songs — Uchi’s highest ranking there — boosted by 10 million U.S. streams earned on the week ending Feb. 25, almost tripling its clicks from the previous week (3.4 million in the week ending Feb. 18), which yields a No. 24 start on the overall Streaming Songs chart.

“Honestly, I had downloaded the app during the pandemic,” Uchis muses. “I found interesting the amount of creativity there but for me it was just good fun.  I noticed that ‘Dead To Me,’ from my first album had gotten a resurgence even though it was a couple years old, and I respected the app’s ability to share like that.  I see all kinds of songs on TikTok and rarely stream or buy them afterwards, so it’s humbling to know people saw it around and it actually stuck with it beyond that.”

Beyond its Hot Latin Songs swell, “Telepatía” debuts at No. 54 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. It grants Uchis her first entry as a lead solo act and her highest ranking there.

“I’m still shocked, very grateful and humbled,” Uchis adds. “I feel this is good karma returning itself to me and tables turning for the best, part of why I tweeted before I dropped this album ‘todo lo que me han quitado, la vida me lo va a duplicar’ (all of which has been taken away from me, life will give back) and I’m really watching that come true.”

Sin Miedo concurrently launches at No. 77 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart. “As an artist and person, it’s so important to know who you are without outside validation,” the Colombian-American adds. “I was going to be OK if the album was a success, or if everyone got it all wrong and thought it was horrible. I still would have felt just as proud.”

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Who Picks Grammy Nominees? General Voters Decide in Just 12 of 84 Categories

You probably know that the final Grammy nominees in the so-called “Big Four” categories are determined by a nomination review committee. And you may be aware that similar committees decide the final nominees in various genre fields.

But you will probably be surprised to learn that rank-and-file Grammy voters determine the final nominees in just 12 of 84 categories.

In a whopping 59 categories, rank-and-file voters vote in the first round and then nominations review committees have the final say in determining the nominees.

The final nominations in the remaining 13 categories are determined by so-called “craft committees.”

With the 63rd annual Grammy Awards less than two weeks away — they will be presented on March 14 — it’s a good time to explore this.

According to the Recording Academy, here’s how it works: In each of the categories that are reviewed, nomination review committees are presented with an alphabetical list of the top vote-getters by rank-and-file voters. They then listen, discuss and vote. Their votes alone determine the final nominations.

The Recording Academy’s idea in forming these committees was that experts in each of the genre fields would be more apt to be really plugged in, and less apt to vote for sentimental favorites, big names or best-sellers.

But the Academy’s heavy reliance on committees raises a fairness issue. Is it fair to allow a small, handpicked group of insiders (about 15-18 in the genre fields, about 25 or more in the so-called “Big Four” categories) to second-guess the wishes of a 14,000-member academy? Something could conceivably rank first with rank-and-file voters and not even get nominated.

The move to nominations review committees began in 1989 with classical, followed by jazz.

The committee approach was adopted in the “Big Four” categories — album, record and song of the year, plus best new artist — in 1995, after controversy erupted over some of the 1994 Grammy nominations. Some argued that album of the year nods for Tony Bennett and The Three Tenors — and none that year for alternative or hip-hop artists — showed that the Grammys were out of touch.

Many more genre fields shifted to committee review in the next two decades. The most recent fields to fall under the committee umbrella are rock, dance/electronic music, rap, new age and global music (formerly known as world music).

The biggest fields (by number of categories) in which the final nominations are still decided by rank-and-file voters are pop (with four categories) and music for visual media (with three).

The biggest fields (by number of categories) in which nominations review committees make the final determinations are American Roots music and classical (with eight categories each) and R&B, jazz and gospel/Contemporary Christian Music (with five each).

Despite the clear overall trend to nominations review committees in most fields, the nominations in pop — arguably the field with the highest profile — continue to be decided by rank-and-file voters.

The nominations in the rock field are reviewed by a committee; the nominations in the alternative field are not. These are distinct fields, but there’s a significant degree of overlap: Five acts have won top album honors in both fields: Beck, Coldplay, U2, Green Day and The Black Keys.

In 13 categories, the nominations are determined by craft committees — which are different from nominations review committees, though they operate similarly. The biggest field (by number of categories) in which a craft committee makes the final determinations is Composing/Arranging (3).

In seven of these 13 craft categories, rank-and-file voters vote in the first round. In the other six, rank-and-file voters play no role in the nominations process.

Within one field — production, non-classical — there are two approaches as to who votes in the first round. In two of the categories in the field — best engineered album, non-classical and producer of the year, non-classical — rank-and-file voters vote in the first round. In the third — best remixed recording — rank-and-file voters have no involvement.

According to the Academy, the nominations review committee in the Big Four categories reviews the top 20 picks of rank-and-file voters, while the nominations review committees in the genre committees reviews the top 15 picks of rank-and-file voters. In the genre committees — but not in the Big Four committee — they have the option of replacing up to two of the listed candidates with write-ins (provided the write-ins were released in the eligibility year).

This is designed to give late-breaking releases, or simply worthy entries that voters may have missed, a second shot at qualifying.

One category, best immersive audio album, will not be presented this year, owing to difficulties in convening a craft committee posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a unique solution, the nominations for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in this category will be announced next year in addition to (and separately from) the nominations for the 64th Grammy nominations in the category.

Here are the 84 current Grammy categories, broken down into four groupings based on how the voting is conducted. They are listed in the order that they appear on the Grammy ballot.

Final nominations are determined by direct vote of rank-and-file voting members (12 categories)
Rank-and-file voting members also vote in the first round of voting.

Pop (including Traditional Pop) (4)
Alternative (1)
Reggae (1)
Spoken Word (1)
Comedy (1)
Musical Theater (1)
Music for Visual Media (3)

Final nominations are determined by nominations review committees (59 categories)
Rank-and-file voters vote in the first round.

General Field (a.k.a. “The Big Four”) (4)
Dance/Electronic Music (2)
Contemporary Instrumental Music (1)
Rock (4)
R&B (5)
Rap (4)
Country (4)
New Age (1)
Jazz (5)
Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music (5)
Latin (4)
American Roots Music (8)
Global Music (formerly known as World Music) (1)
Children’s (1)
Classical (8)
Music Video/Film (2)

Final nominations are determined by craft committees (7 categories)
Rank-and-file voters vote in the first round.

Composing/Arranging (3)
Production, Non-Classical (best engineered album, non-classical and producer of the year, non-classical) (2)
Production, Classical (2)

Final nominations are determined by craft committees (6 categories)
Rank-and-file voters play no role in these nominations.

Package (2)
Notes (often called Liner Notes) (1)
Historical (1)
Production, Non-Classical (best remixed recording) (1)
Production, Immersive Audio  (1)

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T.I. and Tiny Harris Hit With Defamation Lawsuit

Following news Sunday that a lawyer is seeking criminal inquiries into T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris over multiple accusations of sexual abuse and assault, the couple is now facing a defamation lawsuit.

Sabrina Peterson filed the suit against T.I. (real name Clifford J. Harris Jr.) and Harris on Monday (March 1) in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming T.I. threatened her with a gun and then recently denied. Hairdresser Shekinah Jones Anderson, who has appeared on T.I. and Tiny’s reality show, T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, is also named as a defendant. Peterson is suing for libel, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other causes of action.

Peterson, a business coach and founder of Glam University — described as an online education program for “the modern female boss” — says she has known T.I. and Tiny for more than a decade. At one point during their acquaintance, Peterson alleges that T.I. put a gun to her head and said, “Bitch I’ll kill you,” according to her 16-page complaint. It wasn’t until this year, on Jan. 26, after what Peterson calls a “traumatic carjacking” that she decided to share the details of her alleged assault by T.I. on social media. Peterson also posted to Instagram Stories other women’s accusations claiming T.I. and Tiny force-fed them drugs and then had sex with them. (T.I. and Harris’ attorney issued a statement on their behalf “emphatically” denying the claims.)

From there, Peterson alleges that T.I., Harris and Anderson all made defamatory comments about her on social media.

Harris, Peterson says, responded with a post directed at her, saying, “You strange” and “Everybody know you been special,” and included a picture of Peterson’s 8-year-old son. T.I. subsequently posted a video to his Instagram followers denying Peterson’s claim and that he had ever drugged, raped or held anyone against their will. Anderson also posted a video where she accused Peterson of engaging in sexual acts with T.I. and Tiny, according to the complaint. All these actions, Peterson says, were defamatory, and since coming forward with her allegations against T.I she says she has been inundated with harassing and threatening messages.

T.I. and Tiny’s attorney Andrew Brettler of Lavely & Singer denied that his clients ever said anything defamatory against Peterson.

“Ms. Peterson is the definition of ‘libel proof,’” said Brettler in a statement to Billboard. “She has a lengthy rap sheet for crimes involving dishonesty and violence. Nothing our clients may have said about her is defamatory. Ultimately, not only will Peterson’s meritless lawsuit be dismissed, but also she will be responsible for paying the legal fees the Harrises will be forced to incur in connection with it.”

Peterson’s lawsuit comes the same day that Tyrone Blackburn, a New York attorney, held a press conference announcing that he represents 11 individuals — 10 women and one man — who all claim that they have been victims of T.I. and Harris. The individuals alleged the couple “have kidnapped them, drugged them, raped them, and terrorized them with threats of death or physical bodily harm,” according to Blackburn, who also is one of the attorneys representing Peterson. The individuals’ allegations, which were first reported by The New York Times on Sunday, reached out to Peterson and Blackburn to share their stories of alleged abuse.

Blackburn said this morning during a Zoom press conference that he sent a letter detailing his clients’ allegations to the Georgia U.S. Attorney in the Northern District, the California U.S. Attorney in the Central District, the state attorneys general of California and Georgia, and the Los Angeles District Attorney Office imploring them to open an investigation into the couple.

“These women are unaware of each other, and without any leading on my part, they recount eerily similar events of sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats, and false imprisonment,” Blackburn wrote in his letter to the California Attorney General urging him to open an investigation.

When reached for comment, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s office told Billboard, “To protect its integrity, we’re unable to comment on a potential or ongoing investigation.”

Steve Sadow, Atlanta based attorney for the T.I. and Tiny, strongly denied the allegations against his clients and provided this statement on their behalf:

“Clifford and Tameka Harris deny in the strongest possible terms these unsubstantiated and baseless allegations,” said Sadow. “We are confident that if these claims are thoroughly and fairly investigated, no charges will be forthcoming. These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media. The Harrises implore everyone not to be taken in by these obvious attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system.”

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Michael Gudinski, Legendary Australian Independent Music Entrepreneur, Dies at 68

BRISBANE, Australia — Michael Gudinski, the Australian music industry pioneer whose Mushroom Group would become the template for independent companies and who, with his exuberant personality, became the face of his country’s music scene, died Monday (March 1) at the age of 68.

Gudinski died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Melbourne on Monday night, and as word spread it sent a shock throughout Australia’s music industry.

Speaking with Billboard just last week, Gudinski was his typical, enthusiastic self, looking ahead to new TV projects, the vaccine rollout and the return of full-scale touring in these parts.

No other figure has done more to shape the Australian music industry than Gudinski.

In a keynote interview at the 2010 Bigsound conference in Brisbane, Gudinski told this reporter how, at the age of just seven, Michael flexed his growing entrepreneurial muscles on Caulfield Cup day when he charged race goers for parking spaces in a vacant block.

Gudinski would go on to greater things.

In 1972, at the age of just 20 years, Gudinski launched Mushroom Records, which would develop into the largest independent record label in Australian music, and later its publishing arm Mushroom Music, which remains the principal independent publishing company in the country.

Mushroom enjoyed early success with Skyhooks, whose debut album, Living In The 70’s, logged 16 weeks at No. 1 in Australia, selling 240,000 copies, a feat no Australian album had achieved at the time.

Over the decades, Gudinski would guide the careers of countless artists, from Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes to U.K. signings Ash and Garbage.

In 1998, MG sold Mushroom Records to Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited Group (now News Corp), the proceeds from which enabled Gudinski to realize his dream of building an independent music powerhouse, covering touring, record labels, publishing, merchandising, booking agencies, film and television production and creative services.

Today, Mushroom Group spans more than two-dozen businesses and brands from Frontier Touring, to The Harbour Agency, labels I Oh You, Liberation and Bloodlines, Mushroom Music Publishing, neighboring rights operation Good Neighbour, and the new addition, Reclusive Records.

Frontier Touring, established in 1979, is Australia’s leading independent promoter, and a record breaker. Gudinski and Frontier Touring produced Ed Sheeran’s all-conquering Divide tour of Australia and New Zealand, which shifted more than 1.1 million tickets, an all-time record for a single trek.

The latest jaunt under the Frontier Touring banner, Midnight Oil’s Makarrata Live Tour, kicked off Sunday (Feb. 28) at Mount Cotton in Queensland.

With the pandemic bringing a halt to touring in 2020, Gudinski found a way to keep the music playing. MG spearheaded the small screen properties From The Home Front, The Sound and The State Of Music.

“This is not about my labels,” Gudinski told Billboard in an interview last year. “This is about Australian music.”

And on the pandemic that threatened to take down the live industry, Gudinski mused, “I’ve learned you’ve got to turn something negative into something positive.”

Gudinski achieved almost everything in his extraordinary life and career, including a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) medal in 2006 for services to the entertainment industry and a Melbourne Cup win. With his passing, Gudinski misses out the one thing he quietly coveted: a U.S. No. 1.

Gudinski leaves behind his wife Sue, son Matt and partner Cara, daughter Kate and husband Andrew and their children Nina-Rose and Lulu, and upwards of 200 Mushroom Group staff, who he often referred to as “family.”

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Interim Grammy Chief Harvey Mason Jr. Expects New Recording Academy CEO by May

In a Recording Academy town hall meeting via Zoom on Monday (March 1), chair and interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. gave an update on the organization’s continued CEO search, among other topics. Mason has been the interim president/CEO since January 2020, when Deborah Dugan – who assumed that role in August 2019 — was pushed out.

“The current search is ongoing,” he said in response to a member question. “We hired a search committee… They formed a job description. It went out to the marketplace. We’ve been speaking to over 100 candidates or potential candidates and then they narrowed it down to a few and we’ve done some interviews. It’s ongoing. It will continue to go on for the next two to three months. Our goal is to have a new CEO in place sometime around May, hopefully.”

Mason pointed out that it was a desire to bring transformative change to the academy that motivated him to run for chair of the board of trustees in the first place. It was clear he was talking about making the academy staff and membership more diverse.

“In these last 12 months we have brought an enormous amount of change forward,” he said. “In April, we brought on Valeisha Butterfield Jones as chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. In July, we formed a partnership with Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. In December, the partnership released the Change Music Road-map, a guide to moving the music industry beyond conversation and intention toward actionable racial justice.”

In one of his most pointed comments, he called the Change Music Road-map “a guide to correcting the undervaluation of the contributions of Black music people to the world.”

Mason also pointed with pride to the 2020 new membership class, which he called the “the most diverse ever,” noting it is “over 48% female, 37% Black/indigenous/people of color, 51% under age 40.”

He said a key to that diversity has been aggressive outreach. “The academy has suffered in the past in specific genres because [people in those genres] don’t feel like they were equally represented or they were reflected properly, whether that’s in the awards, or on the television show, so we’re going into those areas saying ‘We need your help. Otherwise, we’re not going to get the representation and recognition that your genre is looking for.’

“We’re going into those communities, making sure that we’re listening, paying attention to what they’re asking for, paying attention to what their grievances have been in the past, trying to correct those things and trying to invite new people to the table to join and be part of the process. That’s the first step.”

Mason also shed some light on what he calls the second step of making the academy membership more reflective of the broad music community — a long-rumored but heretofore little-explained process of “requalification” for existing members. Membership in the Recording Academy until now has been essentially for life — assuming a member was willing to continue paying the annual dues of $100. But Mason explained that will be changing.

“We are starting a requalification process. If you made a lot of music 25 years ago, you may not be the most aware or most reflective voter for us at this point. So you’re going to be requalifying. [We’re going to] make sure you have updated credits, make sure you’re still creating music so you can continue to vote.

“So it will be a combination of bringing in new members and more representative members and slowly requalifying people [who] have been voting for quite some time. [These two steps] will start to change the make-up of our membership. It will affect the way we do everything.”

Mason also pointed to the formation of the Black Music Collective, which now has multiple members in each of the academy’s 12 chapters. He said its mission is to “raise awareness, acknowledgment and acceptance and make sure Black music is reflected in everything the Academy is doing and across the industry.”

When an academy member asked Mason if there were plans to extend this to Latin music, with some kind of Latin Music Collective, Mason’s response was not as sure-footed as the rest of his presentation.

“To be determined,” he said. “I think at this point, we are just literally getting the Black Music Collective up and running. I can see us doing other collectives as well, if need be. It starts from the outreach and really listening and seeing what the different communities need…. All the different genres, groups, constituencies are important.”

In a lighthearted vein, Mason also made a prediction related to the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on March 14. “Two weeks from today, the morning after our show, I’m pretty sure someone is going to be unhappy. I can bet that some fans are going to be emailing me or tweeting me or asking why I didn’t give the darn Grammy to their artist. Unfortunately, I can guarantee this is going to happen.

“When you’re trying to judge an award or anything that’s subjective like art, it’s always difficult. There’s always going to be one person who’s happy and a lot of people are going to be upset. It’s always been that way for 63 consecutive Grammy shows.”

Mason summed up the 45-minute town hall with his hopes for the academy’s future.

“I want to make sure our membership is even more diverse and inclusive than it is now. I want to make sure that the [award] outcomes are more equitable than they ever have been and I want to make sure that the academy is trusted and respected more than it [has] ever been. There have been times that we’ve been accused of things, or we’ve had people bring things up as far as nominations or they’re upset about one thing or another, so it’s real important to me and I think to everyone at the academy that we continue to communicate, have outreach to different people…We can continue to evolve and transform the academy.”

 

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Saweetie Strikes a Twitter Debate by Covering Her Spaghetti in Ranch Dressing

Saweetie certainly stirred the pot Monday (March 1) when a video of her meal — spaghetti covered in ranch dressing — got people curious and queasy.

The “Back to the Streets” rapper threw some tongue emojis out while responding to XXL magazine’s query if others put ranch on their spaghetti too. Erica Banks is with her on this, as the “Buss It” rapper affirmed, “Ranch goes on spaghetti.”

On the other hand, Questlove doesn’t seem to think so and thought people tapped into the sugar grits debate way more than the ranch spaghetti one. “Whoa whoa —yall fighting over Sugar Grits…..but letting @Saweetie live? aight……” he wrote.

Other Twitter users trashed her taste, likening her palate to that of a “drunk Nebraska frat boy” or ” a billy goat.” They also tossed around comments about her stomach, from joking that it’s made of vibranium — the indestructible element from Wakanda in Black Panther — to finding memes that show how it toys with her afterward.

Fans were already poking fun at her dietary habits over the weekend, when one person claimed she would most likely eat a plate with a banana, deli meats, peanut butter and cereal and someone responded that she was “the type to spread the peanut butter on the banana and pour the cereal on top.”

“That actually sounds delicious,” the “My Type” artist declared.

Here are some of the best reactions to Saweetie’s ranch spaghetti.

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Rihanna Is ‘Savage AF’ in Colorful New Savage X Fenty Collection

Spring is just around the corner, and Rihanna is making sure that her fans are dripping in florals (and Savage X Fenty) for the season.

The star took to social media on Sunday (Feb. 28) to share a smoldering photo lounging in a garden chair, fittingly dressed in a retro-tinged orange, turquoise and green set from her popular lingerie line’s spring collection.

“savage af. don’t trip,” Bad Gal RiRi simply captioned the snap.

The new collection, which features springtime florals, comfy mesh, cotton essentials, robes, gloves and even pasties are now available on Savage X Fenty’s website here.

Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links; the retailer may also receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

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Diane Warren, Laura Pausini Win Best Original Song at 2021 Golden Globes

The 2021 Golden Globes were an awards ceremony unlike any other Golden Globes… but also an award show very much like every award show from the past 12 months in that the COVID-19 pandemic forced a combination of social distancing and remote acceptance speeches.

After Tracy Morgan read off the nominees for best original song at the 2021 Golden Globes on Sunday (Feb. 28) night, he revealed that “Io Sì (Seen)” from the Sophia Loren-starring Netflix film The Life Ahead nabbed the honor. Performed by Italian pop legend Laura Pausini, “Io Sì (Seen)” was written by the inestimable Diane Warren, Pausini and Niccolò Agliardi.

“Thank you Edoardo [Ponti, director] for letting us be a part of your amazing movie,” Warren said in her remote acceptance speech. “It’s such a beautiful story about people who aren’t usually seen and who see each other through love, and that’s what inspired this song.”

“I’m so, so … I feel goosebumps everywhere,” Pausini said.

This is Diane Warren’s first Golden Globe win.

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Lawyer Seeks Criminal Investigation of T.I. and Tiny Amid Sexual Abuse and Assault Allegations

A lawyer is seeking an investigation of T.I. (real name Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.) and Tiny (Tameka Dianne Harris), who have been accused of sexual abuse and assault.

The New York Times reported on Sunday (Feb. 28) that the lawyer, Tyrone A. Blackburn, has approached law enforcement authorities in Georgia and California on behalf of 11 people claiming they were victimized by the couple or their entourage.

The alleged incidents span 2005 to 2018, and were described as instances of “sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment,” as well as nonsexual intimidation, assault and harassment, said Blackburn, who told the Times he sent letters to the offices of the U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of Georgia and the Central District of California, the Los Angeles County District Attorney and the state attorneys general of California and Georgia.

Steve Sadow, counsel for T.I. and Tiny, provided the following statement to Billboard on their behalf: “Clifford (T.I.) and Tameka Harris deny in the strongest possible terms these unsubstantiated and baseless allegations. We are confident that if these claims are thoroughly and fairly investigated, no charges will be forthcoming. These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media. The Harrises implore everyone not to be taken in by these obvious attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system.”

Most of the accusers have thus far remained anonymous “in fear for their lives and safety,” according to Blackburn, but include a military veteran, a former friend who became an assistant, an exotic dancer and a teenage intern at Grand Hustle, T.I.’s studio and record label.

In interviews with the Times, who spoke with five of the accusers, T.I. and Tiny were “portrayed as aggressors who deployed drugs, alcohol, money and their celebrity status to prey on and entrap women for sexual abuse, and then threatened violence against anyone who might speak out,” the publication said. (Read the Times’ full report here.)

Previously, on Jan. 26, Sabrina Peterson had accused T.I. on Instagram of putting a gun to her head, and also posted on Instagram Stories dozens of accusations from other women who claimed T.I. and Tiny force-fed them drugs and then had sex with them.

On Jan. 29, a spokesperson for T.I. and Tiny released a statement in response to the allegations posted by Peterson: “Mr. and Mrs. Harris want to be on record and more importantly want the public to know they emphatically deny in the strongest way possible the egregiously appalling allegations being made against them by Sabrina Peterson. The Harrises have had difficulty with this woman for well over a decade. They are taking this matter very seriously, and if these allegations don’t end, they will take appropriate legal action.”

In February, VH1’s T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle suspended production following the initial accusations against T.I. and Tiny.

“We are aware of the allegations, and while they are not connected to our show, we have reached out to T.I. and Tameka Harris, as well as local and state officials,” an MTV Entertainment spokesperson said in a statement to Billboard. “Given the serious nature of the allegations, we have decided to suspend production in order to gather more information.”

If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault, reach out to RAINN. The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.

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T.J. Osborne Reacts to the ‘Tsunami of Love’ He’s Seen After Coming Out as Gay

T.J. Osborne is feeling the love after coming out as gay earlier this month.

The country music artist, one half of the duo Brothers Osborne, opened up about recently coming out in a segment on CBS This Morning on Friday (Feb. 26).

“I would say just to encourage anyone else out there who’s dealing with the same thing … it’s a hard thing to describe, it’s a very difficult thing to go through. And I even had a lot of support around me. But once I finally came out … I didn’t really understand the magnitude of how much people cared about me, loved me and supported me,” he said.

Dozens of country peers took to social media to celebrate Osborne in early February, after he came out in an interview with Time.

“Honestly,” Osborne added on CBS This Morning, “Had I known that the whole time, I would have done it probably a long time ago and saved myself a lot of strife. Anyone out there, if you’re dealing with that, there’s people that love you and people that support you. Lots of them.”

“It has been a tsunami of love, almost to the point it was hard for me to even comprehend it for several days,” he said.

Despite the outpouring of support, Osborne — who’s part of a growing roster of queer artists in the country music industry — admitted that talking about coming out feels a bit strange.

“My close family and friends have known for a while. I really, at the same time, felt publicly I was always kind of in this stuck in second gear kind of phase. Honestly, for straight people out there, coming out is really awkward. It’s an awkward thing to talk about. It’s a really odd thing to bring up,” he explained, then joked, “Obviously, I work in the entertainment business, so I like lots of attention,” he joked.

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