Just hours after triumphantly returning to the scene of his Grammys night arrest to accept the BET Album of the Year award for MICHAEL, Killer Mike dropped a powerful new single and video, “HUMBLE ME,” in which he reflects on the incident and its aftermath.

In the striking black-and-white music video, the Run the Jewels MC is seen stripped of his jewelry and placed in handcuffs, symbolizing the events of his Grammy night arrest.

Through his lyrics, he draws parallels between his experience and the Biblical story of Daniel in the lions’ den. The video culminates in a hopeful note, with a cameo from his son Mikael “Pony Boy” Render, who recently received a life-saving kidney transplant.

Reflecting on his Grammy night ordeal, Mike raps, “I won at the Grammys / did that for Atlanta / swept up like a janitor / got sent to the slammer / treat me like an animal or some kind of Hannibal.” He then reveals, “I went to sleep as free as could be / and the next day my son got a kidney.”

“I believe that humility and worship granted me God’s grace in the face of that test,” the rapper says.

During his album of the year acceptance speech at the BET Awards, Killer Mike addressed his arrest and the subsequent journey, saying, “Technically, I was not supposed to be here. I was put in handcuffs and I was marched out of this building, but I want to tell you, look at God because I’m back baby. I’m back and I’m winning.”

“I want to tell Black people that because of BET I’m back. Not ’cause of no white person calling nobody. A Black man runs this business, a Black company put this show on, and they got my Black ass back in here. Thank y’all.”

Mike also took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of civic engagement, urging viewers to vote in the upcoming elections.

“Who we vote for on the big stage is important, but it’s more important you know who your city council person is, who your prosecutor is,” he said “And if you don’t like the people running, run your Black a** to the polls and run yourself.”

Killer Mike’s arrest on Feb. 4, 2024, after winning three Grammys, including best rap album for Michael, stemmed from an altercation with a security guard outside the Grammy pre-telecast in February.

Although he was initially charged with misdemeanor battery, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office later declined to pursue criminal charges. Instead, Mike completed a community service requirement, leading to the case’s resolution.

Killer Mike is currently on a North American tour supporting his latest album, with upcoming performances at major festivals including Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival, and Montreal International Jazz Festival.

“HUMBLE ME” is slated to appear on the follow-up to MICHAEL – Mike’s first solo album in over a decade – which is expected to drop later this summer via Loma Vista Records.

The rapper, backed by the Mighty Midnight Revival choir, will be on tour through early fall with stops at major festivals and a Blue Note Jazz Club residency.

Gracie Abrams has secured her first-ever No. 1 album on the Official UK Albums Chart with her sophomore release, The Secret Of Us.

The Californian singer-songwriter’s second studio album follows her debut Good Riddance, which peaked at No. 3 in 2023.

Abrams celebrated her chart-topping success after a surprise appearance at Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour at London’s Wembley Stadium, where they performed “us.” from her new album.

“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for somehow making my album The Secret Of Us No. 1 in the UK. I can’t wrap my head around that. This is the first time that anything I’ve ever done, ever, anywhere has gone No. 1.”

“Thank you for believing in the album, thank you for listening to it, and thank you for letting it into your lives. This means so much to me, and to the people I’m lucky enough to have made these songs with. I can’t wait until we’re all in the same place, to sing these songs together at a show and to dance. I’ll be crying! I love you, thank you so much,” Abrams told Official Charts.

The Secret Of Us also tops the Official Record Store Chart and the Official Vinyl Albums Chart, making it the best-selling record of the week on vinyl in the U.K.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department drops to No. 2 after seven non-consecutive weeks at the top, bolstered by her U.K. tour dates. Six of Swift’s albums, including Lover (No. 7), 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (No. 9), Midnights (No. 12), reputation (No. 15), folklore (No. 16), and Red (Taylor’s Version) (No. 37), remain within the U.K. top 40.

Chappell Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, reaches a new peak at No. 6. Alt-rock band The Mysterines secure their second Top 40 entry with Afraid Of Tomorrows, landing at No. 11.

Foo Fighters’ hits collection The Essential climbs to No. 13, driven by their ongoing U.K. stadium tour. Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism rises to No. 27 ahead of her Glastonbury Pyramid Stage performance, while Benson Boone’s debut Fireworks & Rollerblades ascends to No. 28 following his support slot on Taylor Swift’s tour.

Green Day’s 2017 compilation Greatest Hits: God’s Favorite Band re-enters the U.K. top 40 at No. 29. Avril Lavigne’s Greatest Hits returns to the Top 40 at No. 33, ahead of her own Glastonbury set. Ed Sheeran’s X (Multiply) leaps 97 spots to No. 34 following its 10th anniversary reissue.

Pearl Jam has been forced to cancel two additional shows on their European tour as unspecified band members continue to recover from illness.

The group was slated to perform at Waldbühne in Berlin on July 2 and 3, but these dates have now been scrapped.

The announcement comes just a day after the band had to call off their June 29 show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the same reason. The next opportunity for Pearl Jam to return to the stage will be on July 6 in Barcelona.

In a statement shared on their social media channels, the band expressed their disappointment and the difficulty of the decision.

“Despite everyone’s best efforts, the band has yet to make a full recovery,” Pearl Jam’s social media channels read.

“The impacts of this decision are not lost on us. We feel deeply that so many people spend their time, money and emotional energy to get tickets and then to come see the band, and it is heart-wrenching to have to disappoint you. We also appreciate the many people whose hard work goes into making these shows happen.”

“Please trust we never take these decisions lightly and try to do everything possible to show up for you all,” it continued.

“We wish a reschedule had been possible for this tour leg and hope to come back soon. Tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase. Thank you for your continued understanding and support. It means the world.”

Although the specific members affected have not been disclosed, frontman Eddie Vedder struggled with vocal issues during the band’s previous show in Manchester on June 25, just the second date of the tour leg.

Tickets for the canceled Berlin shows will be refunded at the point of purchase.

Addressing the audience, Vedder alluded to catching an illness after high-fiving fans at their Dublin show a few days prior.

Pearl Jam is currently on tour supporting their latest album, Dark Matter. Earlier this week, Vedder surprise-released a solo cover of the English Beat’s “Save It for Later” as part of the new season of the FX show The Bear.

On June 30, the band also marked the 24th anniversary of the tragic crowd surge that claimed the lives of nine fans during their performance at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival in 2000.

“We honor and remember the young men who tragically lost their lives on June 30, 2000 and hold their friends and families in our hearts,” they wrote on social media.

The band is set to launch a U.S. summer tour in August.

Usher accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards Sunday night (June 30) at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, but the audio cut out for a good chunk of his speech for those watching from home.

“It is great to see him get the flowers while the garden is still growing, so keep growing them flowers,” said Terry Lewis at the beginning of the segments. While he and Jimmy Jam mentioned they produced one of Usher’s biggest records that was part of his tribute performance — “Bad Girl” from his 2004 magnum opus Confessions — they enlisted two other influential men in the R&B superstar’s life to present him with the prestigious honor: L.A. Reid and Babyface. And while the gentlemen honored Usher’s mother, Jonnetta Patton, for bringing him into this world and being the “original momager,” Babyface added that they “were part of your musical birth, and you are worthy of this prestigious award.”

Usher took the stage for his approximately 12-minute acceptance speech, but about four minutes of it were largely inaudible for those not in the theater with him. (Billboard has reached out to BET for comment about the audio during Usher’s speech.)

“Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it. … I didn’t write anything because I wanted this moment to be exactly what it was: present. In this moment, how I am feeling and the appreciation that I have for each and every person that had anything to do with this moment tonight as well as the 30-plus-year career that I celebrate. … I don’t know, man, is it too early for me to receive it? Because I’m still running and gunning and I still love this s–t like I did when I was eight years old,” he began.

He later explained how he initially had a hard time making sense of his birth name, which Usher said was given to him by a man who didn’t stick around or love him. “Or at least, that was my perception of it, because I had to live long enough in order to understand you have to have a forgiving heart in order to understand the true pitfalls and hardships of a Black man in America,” said the eight-time Grammy winner. “And my father, he was a product of that. He made a lot of decisions, he made a lot of choices and the one that probably hurt and helped me at the same time was to stay away. But that’s part of the reason why I say this is the year of the father, where all the fathers gotta stand up for their sons and daughters and be the man that they need them to be for them.”

While praising Jam, Lewis, Reid and Babyface for how they helped shaped his successful career, Usher described them as “the men who motivated me, who speak to me, who have spoken to me, who have been solid no matter how f–ked up it may have been — sorry, I’m cursing to let you know how I really feelm” while “f–k” was censored but a subsequent “s–t” wasn’t. Almost four minutes into his speech, Usher’s speech starting cutting in and out for almost four minutes straight.

But according to a Billboard reporter inside the awards show, Usher said “f–k” and “motherf–ker” once, while barely swearing throughout his speech that didn’t contain any salacious subject matter.

When the sound was restored, Usher shouted out his eldest sons Usher “Cinco” Raymond V and Nayvid Ely Raymond, who were in the front row, as well as his son Sire Castrello Raymond and daughter Sovereign Bo Raymond, who were at home. “It is 100% all about my children and making certain that you understand that your dreams can come true if you truly committed, if you are committed to it, if you’re dedicated to something and you find passion and you stay committed to it, this could potentially be you. This could be your moment. Not on this stage, because I’m the only one that’s gonna have this one,” he joked.