Looks like Journey almost went their separate ways two years ago.

In a new statement posted to Facebook on Monday, Journey co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon seemingly replied to frontman Arnel Pineda‘s claims that he was prohibited from quitting the band twice.

“There’s been some recent press and speculation that doesn’t reflect the full picture,” Schon writes.

Though he does not specify what recent press he’s referring to, his statement comes days after a March 31 Rolling Stone feature on his band that quotes Pineda sharing that he almost didn’t join Journey on their current farewell tour. Pineda claims that in 2024, he asked his bandmates to confer with him if they decide to do farewell shows and discuss the schedule with him. He cites age and “personal problems” as major factors in his decision to tour or not. He then alleges that the band went ahead and scheduled the 60-date tour without consulting him.

“It is what it is now…. But then, I was really not happy with how they scheduled this tour,” Pineda says in the article. He then claims that he sent an unhappy email to his bandmates to which they didn’t reply. In response to the silence, Pineda says he told the other Journey members not once but twice that he wanted to leave the group and retire. Again, they did not respond, Pineda alleges.

The article then shares that both Schon and Pineda recognized that quitting the band is not as simple as it seems. They both say that their contract with live entertainment giant AEG prohibits the band from touring without Pineda. It’s a sentiment that is also echoed in Schon’s Facebook statement.

“Touring at this level involves many moving parts, and decisions are made collectively with our team, including management, agents, and promoters,” Schon writes before acknowledging that with any band that’s been around for a long time, different members may feel different pressures in different ways. He then says that he personally did not prohibit anyone from leaving the band. “For clarity, no one was ever prevented by me from making their own personal decisions.”

Schon continues by citing the same AEG contract that was brought up in the Rolling Stone feature: “At the same time, we were all advised by our representatives that there are contractual obligations tied to touring that need to be honored.”

The guitarist concludes by saying his focus is on providing fans with “the best possible experience and keeping the music alive.”

Journey’s Final Frontier Tour is set to continue into August with dates across the U.S. and a stop in Vancouver.

50 Cent has become a film mogul by telling other people’s stories, but now it’s time to tell his own. According to Variety and Deadline, the “definitive” 50 Cent documentary is coming to Hulu and will be a three-part series.

The doc is slated to take fans through 50’s humble beginnings growing up in Queens to achieving global rap stardom and evolving into a business mogul and Hollywood titan with his G-Unit Film & Television division.

A logline for the docuseries says 50’s story will be told “through an intimate and revealing lens. The series portrays a figure who has consistently transformed conflict and adversity into enduring cultural impact.”

While it currently remains without a title, Mandon Lovett is onboard to direct the series. Lovett previously directed The French Montana Story: For Khadija. Patrick Altem will executive produce the doc alongside 50.

50 still serves as an executive producer on his massive Power series on Starz and is set to star in the upcoming Street Fighter reboot in the role of Balrog, which saw him perform all of his own stunts. He is also promising to appear on the film’s soundtrack and has plans to bring Eminem with him.

“I’m gonna get @eminem on deck to make some music for this movie Street Fighter,” 50 wrote alongside a promo poster for the film in December. “New Music on the way!” Street Fighter is scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S. on Oct. 16.

50 Cent had a scorching run in 2000s as a central figure dominating hip-hop and remains a pop-culture fixture decades later. The Queens native boasts a pair of No. 1 albums atop the Billboard 200 and has four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (41 entries).

Miles Gersh was promoted to executive vp of A&R at Warner Records, the label announced on Tuesday (April 7).

Gersh, who joined the company in 2019 and was most recently vp of A&R, introduced Zach Bryan to Warner Records Group CEO & co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck in 2020 based on the success of his independent releases. Bryan signed to Warner Records the following year and has since scored five top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including two No. 1s: 2023’s self-titled set and this year’s With Heaven on Top. He’s also notched three top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. 1 smash “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves.

In addition to Bryan, Gersh has helped develop emerging talent including bunii, IShowSpeed, Maddox Batson, CJ and Veeze. Prior to Warner, Gersh worked at Doug Morris‘ 12Tone Music. He has been recognized on Billboard‘s 40 Under 40 and Country Power Players lists.

“Miles understands that true artist development starts with a deep respect for the creator’s voice,” said Bay-Schuck in a statement. “The partnership he’s built with Zach and his other outstanding artists reflects his commitment to authenticity and his drive to help our talent win on their own terms. Miles is a vital part of the future of Warner Records, and this promotion is a testament to the key role he’s played in elevating our music, our teams, and our culture.”

Gersh added, “I’m deeply grateful to Aaron and [Warner Records executive vp & head of A&R] Karen [Kwak] for their mentorship and for their belief in me as I take on this new role. They’ve championed a culture I’m proud to be a part of — one that consistently puts the artist first. We have a remarkable roster, backed by the incredible Warner team, and I’m excited to build on our momentum to help take our artists to the next level while bringing game-changing new talent into the fold.”

Cardi B doesn’t play when it comes to her money, and she noticed a couple of suspicious charges on her American Express card, which led her to reveal she was the victim of credit card fraud.

Even though she’s in the midst of the madness of life on tour, Cardi is still keeping tabs on her expenses. The Bronx native hopped on Instagram Live on Monday (April 6) to detail how she found out that four people had her credit card and went on a little shopping spree for $60,000 at Saks and Apple within an hour.

“I got clear pictures. As soon as I saw that notification, I was like, ‘Saks $40,000, what the f—?’ Then, when I saw that Apple sh–, because like who the f— is spending $20,000 at Apple? If I get your address before the people doing this investigation, because they got pictures of y’all, I’mma get y’all beat the f— up,” she said. “Word to my mother, I’m gonna get my n—as to spank the sh– outta y’all.”

Cardi continued: “Y’all went to Chase, y’all went to Saks, y’all went to Apple. B—h, y’all going to jail… I got clear pictures of motherf—–s trying to get money out of a Chase… Y’all tried it. I got clear pictures of y’all in Saks and I got clear pictures of y’all in Apple. One thing about me, I don’t play about my f—–g money.”

It’s still unclear how they obtained her AMEX card numbers. The Grammy-winning rapper then described the looks of the alleged thieves that she claims to have photo evidence of. “One of you is bald-headed, with a very thick beard,” she asserted, before again promising that the culprits will be going to jail.

Cardi is in the home stretch of her Little Miss Drama Tour, which will be making stops this week in Philly, Washington, D.C., Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Olivia Dean crowns Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “Man I Need” jumps from No. 5 to lead the list dated April 11. The achievement reflects the breakthrough single’s status as the most-played song on panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations in the United States for the tracking week of March 27-April 2, according to Luminate.

“Man I Need,” released and promoted through Polydor/Island/REPUBLIC, knocks Tank’s “Control” from the summit. The former champ slips to No. 3 after a two-week reign.

With its new triumph, “Man I Need” adds a third Billboard chart radio crown, following a six-week run atop the Pop Airplay chart in January – February and three weeks at No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay in February. It’s the first song to lead all three lists since Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” captured three weeks atop Adult R&B Airplay, two terms on Pop Airplay and four weeks on Adult Pop Airplay in 2024. Among songs by women, “Man I Need” is the first track to complete this particular triple play since Adele’s “Hello” achieved one, four and seven weeks, respectively, on the radio rankings in 2015-16.

The song’s cross-format appeal echoes the wide popularity for “Man I Need,” which rode a wave of airplay and streaming support to a No. 2 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 and a 20-week (and counting!) stretch in the chart’s top 10. Led by the momentum, Dean won the Grammy Award for best new artist at this year’s ceremony on Feb. 1.

Elsewhere, “Man I Need” continues to scale two other radio charts. Its coronation on Adult R&B Airplay boosts its fortunes on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, it climbs 20-19 with 5 million in audience, up 6% from last week. Additionally, it holds at No. 8 on Adult Contemporary.

Through its strength across formats, “Man I Need” repeats at No. 2 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart for a seventh consecutive week and ninth total time in the runner-up spot. The single is a former champ there, with three weeks at No. 1 in February.