Nicki Minaj once rapped that Ye (formerly Kanye West) was the only person who could stand beside her, but she met President Donald Trump for the first time on Wednesday (Jan. 28) and received a Trump Gold Card, which will expedite her path to U.S. citizenship.

Minaj was in Washington, D.C. for the Trump Accounts Summit, where she spoke glowingly of the president, who returned the favor and crowned her the “greatest and most successful female rapper in history.”

“Welp…,” Minaj wrote while posting a photo of her Trump Gold Card. According to the official website, the elusive card costs a $1,000,000 contribution plus a $15,000 processing fee. The website adds that the Gold Card is a “visa based upon an individual’s ability to provide a substantial benefit to the United States.”

While on the mic at the Accounts Summit, Trump said that Minaj gifted “hundreds of thousands of dollars in Trump Accounts” to support children who are also Barbz. “I just think she’s great,” he added.

Welp… pic.twitter.com/c5v8ztVVLR

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) January 28, 2026

In a 2018 tweet that has resurfaced in recent weeks amid her Trump support, Minaj revealed she was brought to the U.S. illegally from Trinidad as a five-year-old.

It was a busy day for Minaj, who also posted a video alongside the president. “I’m with my favorite president, the best president of all-time,” she said. Trump then appears in the clip, who states: “And I’m with the queen of rap.”

pic.twitter.com/gBCcOxZIIA

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) January 28, 2026

Minaj took the podium at the summit after being invited personally to come to the stage by the president, where she championed herself as the “No. 1 fan” of Donald Trump and admitted that the MAGA backlash has only made her more of a supporter of the president.

“I am probably the president’s No. 1 fan,” Minaj told the audience. “And that’s not going to change. What people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. And it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more.”

She continued: “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him. And you know, the smear campaigns. It’s not going to work. He has a lot of force behind him and God is protecting him.”

Nicki Minaj on Trump: “I am probably the president’s number one fan — and that’s not going to change.” pic.twitter.com/v3hk0S2rkQ

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 28, 2026

Nicki has been staunch in her support of the Trump administration in recent months. She commended Trump for threatening to take military action in Nigeria over the country’s alleged persecution of Christians.

Minaj spoke at a United Nations event organized by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz, where she raised awareness around the issue. The Queens rapper also made an appearance for an interview with Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, at a Turning Point USA event in December, where she praised VP J.D. Vance.

Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) has a new home after signing with Gamma., according to Rolling Stone. The rapper’s Bully album was rumored to arrive on Friday (Jan. 30), but the LP has seemingly been delayed, with a new release date set for March 20, according to RS.

Kanye has a relationship with Gamma. co-founder Larry Jackson, dating back to his time at Apple, so a partnership with the independent record label isn’t far-fetched. Yeezy joins a stacked roster that includes Mariah Carey, Sexyy Red and Usher.

Previous editions and intentional leaks of Bully, which will be Ye’s 12th studio album, have surfaced throughout the last year. In March, Ye released a visual helmed by Hype Williams for Bully, starring his son, Saint West.

The Chicago native took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal on Monday (Jan. 26), in which he apologized to the Jewish and Black communities for his erratic behavior in the past. He pointed to an untreated brain injury suffered in a 2002 car accident, which he said led to his bipolar disorder diagnosis.

“Twenty-five years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain,” he wrote. “At the time, the focus was on the visible damage — the fracture, the swelling and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.”

Ye continued: “I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation and the exhaustion of trying to love someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”

West apologized for his use of the swastika and emphatically stated that he loves Jewish people and is “not a Nazi.”

“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” he wrote. “One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments — many of which I still cannot recall — that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience. I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

Ye added he has continued to work on himself as he discovers a “newfound clarity” and says he hopes to earn fans’ forgiveness moving forward, noting a new regimen of medication mixed with therapy and exercise to help him make strides in his battle. He closed with an ask — not for sympathy, but for patience.

The rapper had been signed to Def Jam/UMG until 2022, when the label dropped him — along with companies like Gap, Adidas and Balenciaga — after he made a series of antisemitic remarks.

Looking to turn to a new chapter of his decorated yet turbulent career, Ye will return to the stage in Mexico City this weekend for a pair of shows on Friday (Jan. 30) and Saturday (Jan. 31).

On the music side, Ye’s last solo album, Donda, came out in 2021, when it topped the Billboard 200. He released a sequel, Donda 2, the following year, but the project was only available on the Stem Player. Ye subsequently teamed with Ty Dolla $ign for a pair of VULTURES projects, the first of which went No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in February 2024.

Billboard has reached out to reps for Ye and Gamma. for comment.

Chase B is set to open the first night of THE STAGE at SXSW in Austin, TX on Friday, March 13 as part of a new partnership between Billboard and Intuit TurboTax. The Houston native first took to the decks, learning to DJ as a student at Howard University. Since then, his talents caught the attention of Travis Scott who signed him to his label, Cactus Jack.

As part of the partnership, Chase B will give a taste of what to expect at SXSW when he takes over Club Billboard, a livestreamed DJ set presented by Intuit TurboTax. You can see him spin some of his favorite tracks on YouTube and Billboard.com, live from Billboard’s Los Angeles office on February 2nd. Fans will see why Chase has served as tour DJ for labelmates like Travis Scott, Sheck Wes, and this year’s The STAGE headliner, Don Toliver. He’s sure to weave in some of his collaborations with artists like Scott, Toliver, Young Thug, Gunna and Quavo.

Billboard will then sit down with Chase to take a look back at where he started and reflect on all of the hard work it took for him to reach this moment. From his earliest gigs to the biggest stages he’s played, there have been many challenges he’s faced. This includes adapting his tax filing system to meet the needs of a multi-hyphenate in the music industry. Every step of the way, Intuit TurboTax offers a product to meet those tax needs. Chase will break down the biggest differences in his life from his earliest days in music to contributing to Billboard 200 chart-topping albums and where he hopes to see his career go from here.

The partnership between Billboard and Intuit TurboTax will reach its peak when Chase B gets the crowd hyped at THE STAGE at SXSW when this year’s concert series kicks off on Friday, March 13. The evening, presented by Intuit TurboTax, will be headlined by Chase’s labelmate, Don Toliver. You can get tickets to see Chase B and Don Toliver at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park here or stream it live on Billboard.com.

Detroit’s Movement festival has announced the complete lineup for its 2026 event, with Dom Dolla and Sara Landry joining as headliners, alongside previously announced headliner Carl Cox.

Lineup additions also include The Dare, Eli Brown, Josh Baker, Ayybo, a series of special b2b’s including Carl Craig b2b Cajmere and Boys Noize b2b MCR-T, Louie Vega and his partner Anané presenting The Ritual with Anané & Louie Vega, Octo Octa, TEED, Neil Frances presenting their Club NF concept, Claude VonStroke and many more.

These newly added artists join previously announced names including Danny Brown, DJ Harvey, Maceo Plex and Anna. 2026 will see Mochakk, Nia Archives, Ki/Ki and Barry Can’t Swim all making their Movement debuts. Tickets for Movement 2026 are on sale now.

In total, more than 150 artists will play the festival, happening at Detroit’s Hart Plaza over Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26.See the complete 2026 lineup below.

“Movement is one of my favorite festivals,” Dom Dolla says in a statement. “The history, the scope of performers and range of people coming together from multiple generations and backgrounds, make it one of the most meaningful events to play. I’m very grateful to Paxahau, Chuck, and the Detroit electronic community for welcoming me back and I’m very excited to return.”

“I’m so excited to be coming back to Detroit for Movement!” adds Landry. “The energy in this city is undeniable – I’m always thrilled to come back to the birthplace of techno. I’m going to bring something extra special to my set, and I can’t wait to share it with you.”

Move over, Zohran Mamdani, Mayor Mayers is here. A$AP Rocky teased a run at the New York City Mayor’s Office during an interview with Esquire on Wednesday (Jan. 28).

As a man of the people and a self-proclaimed modern renaissance man, Rocky believes he’s fit for office. “For sure,” he said when asked if politics could be in his future. “I think so, there are a lot of political affairs that need to be addressed, changes that need to be made. I think that I would really do well because I’m a guy that’s for the people.”

Rocky called out issues such as infrastructure problems throughout the Big Apple, like potholes, train fares being increased, SNAP benefits being reduced and healthcare.

“See pot holes, fix ’em. The rates for the trains, like the train fare just went up to $3 — it’s f—ing crazy. Inflation is crazy,” he added. “SNAP and welfare and foot stamps and all of these benefits is f—d up because that’s where I derive from. Creating more job opportunities, create better health care.

Rocky continued: “These are some of the things that most politicians come in promising, but for the most part a lot of the decisions made by politicians have ulterior motives and it’s really self-beneficial. For me, I make a really great living off being myself.”

As a wealthy person who made his money outside of politics, Rocky believes he’s the man for the job and won’t fall prey to the traps that other politicians fall into once they’re in office. “2029 vote for Mayor Mayers,” he implored NYC citizens. “Vote for Rocky.”

After making an impact in music, fashion and film, Rocky could be checking off politics next. With Mayor Zohran Mamdani in his first year in office, it remains to be seen if the incumbent will be seeking a second term. Mamdani won the 2025 mayoral election with 50.78 percent of the vote, beating out opponents Curtis Sliwa and former Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo.

On the music side, Rocky returned seven-plus years after TESTING to deliver his Don’t Be Dumb album. The long-awaited LP topped the Billboard 200 with 123,000 equivalent album units earned in the first week.

Watch the Esquire interview below, which features Rocky’s political aspirations around the 15-minute mark.