50 Cent’s intuition and pettiness helped guide him to rap glory. The G-Unit mogul looked back on turning down a million-dollar deal with Universal, which was a blessing that led him to sign with Eminem and Dr. Dre.
50 posted a clip on X on Wednesday (Jan. 14) of the late Irv Gotti talking about how he was trying to block 50’s deal with Universal Music Group over the Queens rapper’s feud with his Murder Inc. label, which operated under the Def Jam/Universal umbrella in the early 2000s.
50 Cent ended up rejecting the alleged $1.3 million offer from Universal. He ended up meeting Eminem, who introduced 50 to Dr. Dre, and, well, the rest is history. 50 signed a million-dollar deal with Shady Records through Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment in 2002.
“[Tony] Yayo did not understand why I wouldn’t do a deal with universal they offered me 1.3 mill and we was broke,” 50 recalled. “I said No yall can keep that. Now you see why I love Eminem so much, if he ran your kid over with a car. I’d say No he didn’t! LOL.”
50 and Em remain close to this day, more than 20 years later, and they’ve teamed up for a handful of collaborations over the years, including “Don’t Push Me,” “Gatman & Robin” and “Patiently Waiting.”
During a 2023 backstage interview with Apple Music’s The Rebecca Judd Show at O2 Arena, 50 revealed that the first purchase he made with his rap money after signing a deal was a Mercedes Benz for his grandma.
“I bought my grandmother a C220 Benz. I’ll never forget because when I got the car, I got it right away is the first thing I bought when the deal was done,” he said.
Things turned out OK for 50, who went on as dominant a run that rap has ever seen in the mid-2000s, while selling millions of albums, topping the charts and notching profitable brand deals.
Even though he’s still not releasing new music and running the charts, 50 remains a pillar of hip-hop culture, and has pivoted to owning spirits brands as well as running his lucrative film/television production company.
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Ed Sheeran, John Mayer and Dave Grohl just cruised into the Jimmy Kimmel Live! studio to perform “Drive” from the F1: The Movie soundtrack, keeping their feet on the gas from start to finish.
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Bringing intensity and high-energy to the rock track, the British pop star and American guitarist both strummed axes as Sheeran sang lead vocals in a video of the showcase posted Thursday (Jan. 15). The pair wrote “Drive” together with producer Blake Slatkin, who joined the two men on guitar for the performance.
A certain Foo Fighters frontman also pounded away on the drums behind Sheeran and Mayer, while Rami Jaffee and Pino Palladino also rocked out with the boys. All of them were backdropped by a screen showing a montage of footage of Brad Pitt and Damson Idris in the F1 film.
“Flyin’ through the city, I got God on my side/ But the real world is not far/ Push to the limit, I’ll be burnin’ all night/ Gettin’ tailed by a cop car,” Sheeran belted while Mayer, lost in the music, nodded his head to the riffs he was shredding on his electric.
The first live performance of “Drive” comes more than six months after the star-studded F1 soundtrack dropped, also featuring tracks by Tate McRae, Doja Cat, ROSÉ and Chris Stapleton. Upon its release, seven of the songs from the album occupied top 10 spots on the Tunefind Top Movie Songs chart.
Sheeran’s stop by Kimmel comes right before he’s set to embark on his Loop Tour, which kicks off Friday (Jan. 16). Two days prior to the performance, the hitmaker unveiled his career-spanning setlist for the trek via an Apple Music playlist.
Watch Sheeran, Mayer, Grohl and company perform “Drive” for the first time ever above.
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Hill shared a heartfelt tribute to her late Fugees collaborate on Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 14), which saw the Grammy-winner recall first meeting Forté, whom she remembers as a “gentle king,” and how they quickly became close friends.
“I can’t remember the exact moment I met John Forte or Forte as we used to call him, but I know we became fast friends very soon after. I loved him, my family loved him,” she shared. “I remember meeting his mom with her sweet voice for the first time and walking New York City streets with him in full youthful fascination mode. Our generation of hip hop was young and at the ascent of its epic rise. We were both there…participating and taking it all in, full of excitement and possibility. Forte was a gentlemen and a scholar with a strong pen, deep soul, and kind heart.”
Hill continued: “I hadn’t seen John in years before the last Mised-Fugees Tour, but he stepped on stage like no time had passed at all. We were in contact only a few weeks ago. This loss is unexpected and surreal and my heart aches… for his family, for his wife, for his children, for his friends, and for all of us who were blessed to know him. I Love you John. Rest in peace gentle King.”
Police revealed Forté’s passing on Tuesday (Jan. 13), after the Grammy-winning producer was found dead Monday afternoon in his Massachusetts home, according to Chilmark police. Officials did not reveal a cause of death as an investigation remains ongoing.
“Rest in peace to my refugee brother, John Forte,” Wyclef Jean relayed to Billboard following Forté’s passing. “One of the kindest legends I’ve ever met. A gentle giant with a warrior’s story. You carried pain with grace, and freedom with humility. Thank you for always flooding my life with music. Like clockwork at least once a month, there was a new track, a new idea, a new spark. Your creativity never stopped. I know the angels are welcoming you with open arms, to a place where you’ll play guitar, rap, and sing a brand-new song. We weep down here, but heaven smiles. And I can’t help but say it one more time, just like I did on our song: JOHN FORTE!!!!!!!!”
Forté was a New York City native who became renowned for his contributions to the Fugees’ The Score album as well as Wyclef’s The Carnival Grammy-nominated LP.
In addition to his work alongside the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars, Forté earned a solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Ninety Nine [Flash The Message]” reaching No. 59 in 1998. His Poly Sci album peaked at No. 84 on the Billboard 200 in 1998 as well.
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Nearly eight years in the making, it’s finally time for The Fall-Off. J. Cole announced the album’s Feb. 6 release date on Wednesday (Jan. 14), sending the Dreamville faithful into a frenzy.
The Fall-Off will serve as Cole’s seventh album and his first LP since 2021’s The Off-Season, which topped the Billboard 200 with 282,000 total album-equivalent units.
Cole set the album’s rollout in motion with a trailer featuring an unreleased track and a narrator detailing issues with how society dissects celebrities and their time in the spotlight, as Cole does everyday activities like enjoying a meal at Waffle House and washing his car.
“Everything is supposed to go away eventually,” the narrator says. “You see this especially in show business with famous actors or musicians, and it’s like, Oh, this guy used to be famous and then he fell off. What happened? And they want to point to, they did this and this and they made some sort of mistake, instead of thinking that it’s kind of crazy they got famous in the first place.”
He continues: “So few people reach that level. Of course it’s not going to last forever because somebody else has to take that spot and that’s how show business has been forever. But no, they always want to say, nah that guy fell off. They want to look down on him for just going through the natural cycle of rising and falling.”
Cole didn’t waste time following up with a single titled “Disc 2 Track 2,” which finds JC showing his lyrical dexterity with ease, while telling his life’s story backwards, which drew comparisons from fans to Nas’ “Rewind.” There’s even a beat switch to Mobb Deep’s “Drop a Gem on Em” to close it out.
The 40-year-old revealed the album’s cover art, which appears to be Cole’s old studio set-up. And there’s plenty more to come in the weeks leading up to Feb. 6, like how fans believe they found Cole’s The Fall-Off burner account on IG as well.
Even with all of the success, Cole’s career seems to be at a lower-stakes inflection point, as fans are eager to hear what Cole has to say on The Fall-Off — which he initially teased in 2018 — after bowing out of a feud with Kendrick Lamar in 2024 and apologizing to K. Dot on stage at his Dreamville Festival.
At that time, Cole released his “7 Minute Drill” track dissing Kendrick on Might Delete Later — but ended up scrubbing the diss from the mixtape, after which Drake went to battle with Lamar.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-01-15 18:00:402026-01-15 18:00:40Everything We Know About J. Cole’s ‘The Fall-Off’ Album
It’s been a fascinating year in pop stardom, as several A-listers rolled their massive 2024s into nearly-as-big 2025s, some proven hitmakers made the jump to to true ubiquity, and some underground up-and-comers poked their heads above the surface for the first time. It all made for a crowded field, from which it was difficult to choose just 10 names to be our official Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 — which we’ll be counting down one a day starting Monday (Jan. 19) — and nearly as tough even just to decide the 10 honorable mentions, which we just posted today.
On this first Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, we focus on those 10 unranked best-of-the-rest artists. YouTuber and Song vs. Song podcaster Todd in the Shadows stops by to help us size up those 10 artists — and share his takes about who should have made the main list, and who didn’t necessarily need to be recognized at all — as we also look at some of the artists we couldn’t find room for, and also make some predictions about artists who could be in the Greatest Pop Stars discussion in 2026.
Along the way, we answer all the most important questions about our Nos. 11-20 Greatest Pop Stars of 2025: Does it matter that Ariana Grande’s 2025 mostly feels like leftovers from her 2024? Is Benson Boone the Barry Manilow of the 2020s? Did Chappell Roan not make a single truly wrong move all year and still end up losing a lot of her momentum from the year before? Did Justin Bieber out-Swag himself? How highly do we value SZA being the most valuable supporting pop star of the year? And perhaps most importantly: Where exactly do we rate Drake in all of this?
Check it out above, along with a YouTube playlist of some of the greatest moments in best-of-the-rest 2025 pop stardom — all of which are discussed on the pod — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!
Also, check out Todd and Lina Morgan’s awesome Song vs. Song podcast here — including the most recent episode featuring host Andrew Unterberger — and watch his videos here (best of 2025 coming soon!)
And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:
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There’s no limit to a mother’s intuition. Long before A$AP Rocky and Rihanna were partners and parents of three kids together, they were just friends — but the rapper says his mom always knew they were meant to be more.
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In a clip from an upcoming episode of New York Times‘ Popcast posted Wednesday (Jan. 14), Rocky recalled how his mom, Renee, kept trying to get him and the Fenty mogul together years before they actually did. “My mother used to say s–t, like, ‘I know you like this girl that you with right now’ — I ain’t gonna say no names — ‘but I want you with RiRi,’” he shared.
“It’s like, ‘Ma, why you keep saying that? That girl don’t even want me like that,’” Rocky continued of what he used to tell his mother about Ri. “‘But we cool, Mom. Like, that’s just my friend, chill.’”
But his mom would insist, “I’m telling you, she’s real,” and of course, Renee ended up being right. “Mothers know best,” the hip-hop star emphasized.
In the clip, Rocky also spoke about how Ri added clarity to his life and helped him realize which of his relationships weren’t beneficial. “Being with my girl took a blindfold off,” he told the hosts. “She’ll tell you, like, ‘That’s not your friend. That, that’s your friend.’”
The two musicians have now been in a relationship for at least five or six years, becoming closer during the coronavirus pandemic. They now share two sons, 3-year-old RZA and 2-year-old Riot Rose, as well as a daughter named Rocki, whom they welcomed in September.
And according to Ri, they might just be adding a fourth soon. In the comments of an Instagram video about wanting to get pregnant in 2026, the hitmaker wrote recently, “So I’m not crazy then? Bet!”
Rocky is currently gearing up to release his long-awaited album, Don’t Be Dumb, which is due out Friday (Jan. 16). So far, fans have heard “Helicopter” and “Punk Rocky” from the LP.
See the clip of Rocky talking about his mom and Ri below.
Tomorrow on Popcast … A$AP Rocky! In an exclusive sit-down, the rapper and actor discusses the release of “Don’t Be Dumb,” his first new album in eight years, plus settling down with his “boo” Rihanna, life as a family man, his forays into Hollywood, influence on rapper fashion and much more. Watch the full interview on Thursday at YouTube.com/Popcast. #asaprocky#asaprockyinterview#rihanna#music#fyp
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In 2019, Billboard‘s staff revealed its picks for the greatest pop star of every year dating back to 1981 (the first year of MTV, essentially the birth of the modern pop era), with essays making the case for each as the biggest, brightest and most important star in their solar system that calendar year. After adding BTS as the greatest pop star for 2020, we decided to expand the project a little bit. For the last fouryears, we’ve counted down our picks for the 10 greatest pop stars of the year, with full essays for everyone from No. 10 (Jelly Roll in 2024) to No. 1 (Kendrick Lamar in 2024), as well as bonus write-ups for our picks for Rookie and Comeback of the year, and even 10 close-but-not-quite honorable mentions.
And now, it’s finally time for our 2025 rankings. We’ll be counting down our top 10 over the course of the next two weeks, with essays and podcast discussions for each artist, and our top two being revealed on Friday, Jan. 30. But first, we’ve got our 10 honorable mentions for this year — as well as our rookie and comeback artists of the year, to be unveiled on Friday (Jan. 16). (If you missed any of our Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century rankings that we rolled out in late 2024, be sure to catch up on those as well.)
First, though: a reminder that unlike with our Year-End Charts, these Greatest Pop Stars are not mathematically determined by stats like chart position, streams or sales numbers. Those all play a big part in our final rankings, of course — but so do things like music videos, live performances and social media presence, and more intangible factors like cultural importance, industry influence and overall omnipresence. (And we measure this over the entire 2025 calendar, so if you were only heard from at the beginning or end of the year — or only had one big song or moment — that’s gonna hurt your performance here as well.)
Read on below for our best-of-the-rest picks in alphabetical order, and for more discussion of these artists — as well as some of the artists it hurt us to leave off, and some of the artists we’re hoping to be more in the mix in the years to come — check out our Greatest Pop Stars podcast discussion here.
You know it’s not the same as it was. At long last, Harry Styles has announced his musical comeback, revealing plans for a new album titled Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally coming this spring.
As announced Thursday (Jan. 15), the pop star’s fourth studio album will drop March 6. It features 12 tracks and was produced by Kid Harpoon.
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Fans had been expecting word on the new music front for a few days leading up to the announcement, having discovered a mysterious website connected to Styles with the domain “WeBelongTogether.co” and featuring a copyright message at the bottom from Sony Music Entertainment. The site had featured a full-page clip of a crowd enjoying a concert and prompted visitors to text the phrase “We belong together” to a phone number owned by “HSHQ.”
Weeks before that, Styles had seemingly randomly dropped a video of himself performing his “Forever, Forever” instrumental on piano at his final Love on Tour concert in Reggio Emilia, Italy, which ended with the written message, “We belong together.”
It’s been a while since the One Direction alum last introduced a new album era. His most recent full-length, Harry’s House — which was also preceded by a cryptic website launch — debuted atop the Billboard 200 in 2022 and later won album of the year at the Grammys. Its lead single, “As It Was,” spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, shattering Styles’ previous personal best one-week run at the top of the chart with “Watermelon Sugar” in 2020.
The British musician’s next album will mark his fourth full-length. Before Harry’s House, Styles released his self-titled debut in 2017 and followed it up with sophomore effort Fine Line in 2019. Both of his first two albums also entered the U.S. albums chart at No. 1.
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John Mellencamp is set to perform live at Primary Wave Music’s annual pre-Grammy party at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 31, the night before the 68th annual Grammy Awards. There will also be a performance by Trombone Shorty, DJ sets from CeeLo Green and Grandmaster Flash and additional surprises to be announced.
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“Having grown up listening to his amazing music, we are thrilled and grateful to have John Mellencamp join this year’s 20th anniversary pre-Grammy party,” Larry Mestel, CEO and founder of Primary Wave Music, said in a statement. “This milestone year is all about recognizing our family of legendary artists who define our company with unforgettable performances and a few surprises along the way. John’s performance will make this evening one of our most memorable yet.”
Mellencamp’s appearance comes on the heels of his recent announcement of his summer tour, Dancing Words Tour – The Greatest Hits, taking place in 19 U.S. cities. The tour, produced by Live Nation, marks the first time Mellencamp will perform all his most beloved songs in a single night.
Mellencamp’s American Fool topped the Billboard 200 for nine weeks in 1982, which led the magazine to retroactively crown him the Greatest Pop Star of that year. Mellencamp won a Grammy in 1983, best rock vocal performance, male for “Hurts So Good.” He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. His many other awards include the Billboard Century Award (2001), the ASCAP Founders Award (2016), the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award (2010), the John Steinbeck Award (2012) and the Woody Guthrie Prize (2018).
Trombone Shorty won a Grammy four years ago, album of the year as a featured artist on Jon Batiste’s We Are. Green has won five Grammys. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2021.
The Primary Wave Pre-Grammy party will celebrate 20 years of Primary Wave’s legendary roster and vast catalog. The event is presented by VENU, an owner, operator, and developer of luxury, experience-driven entertainment destinations.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-01-15 17:00:352026-01-15 17:00:35John Mellencamp to Perform at Primary Wave Music’s Pre-Grammy Party
After nearly two years, Hell’s Kitchen is ending its acclaimed run on Broadway. The Tony- and Grammy Award-winning production’s last performance at New York’s Shubert Theatre will be Feb. 22, marking nearly 800 performances.
Original cast member and Tony-nominated actor Brandon Victor Dixon will also reprise his role as Davis beginning Jan. 27 through the musical’s final curtain call. Although the Broadway engagement is concluding, Hell’s Kitchen’s multi-year national tour — which launched Oct. 10, 2025 — is ongoing with international productions slated for South Korea, Germany and Australia.
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Created and inspired by 17-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys, Hell’s Kitchen garnered more than $100 million in ticket sales during its Broadway run. It also raised more than $1.5 million for charity in association with TodayTix Group.
“We set out on a mission with Hell’s Kitchen to tell diverse stories on Broadway,” Keys tells Billboard. “And to actively ensure this feeling that you belong here. That this Broadway space is a place for everybody. We really had the intention of actively pursuing and creating the opportunity for diverse audiences to experience this show; expanding the kinds of roles available for Black and Brown actors and artists on Broadway. That’s been one of my favorite parts: reshaping the cultural landscape by bringing more people to the table and making Broadway more accessible.”
Produced by AKW Productions, Hell’s Kitchen made its world premiere on Oct. 24, 2023 at The Public Theater and ran through Jan. 14, 2024 before graduating to Broadway on April 20, 2024. In addition to featuring music and lyrics by Keys, the play boasts direction by five-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif. Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony nominee Kristoffer Diaz wrote the book with music supervision by Emmy and Grammy winner Adam Blackstone and choreography by five-time Tony nominee Camille A. Brown.
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The musical’s original cast starred Maleah Joi Moon as Ali, the rebellious teen girl on fire whose coming-of-age experiences and relationship with her mother are the play’s central focus, Shoshana Bean, Kecia Lewis and the aforementioned Dixon. Both Lewis and Moon won two of the play’s 13 Tony nominations in 2024 for best actress in a featured role in a musical and best actress in a leading role in a musical, respectively. Additional accolades include a 2025 Grammy for best musical theater album.
The current cast features Amanda Reid, Kelsee Kimmel, four-time Grammy winner Yolanda Adams, three-time Grammy Award winner Ne-Yo and Lamont Walker II (also in the original cast). In addition to Adams and Ne-Yo, Grammy-nominated singer Tank and Hamilton’s Christopher Jackson have appeared in limited engagements. Hell’s Kitchen: Behind the Dream, a book chronicling the musical’s 13-year journey to Broadway complemented by behind-the-scenes commentary plus interviews with the creative team and original cast, was released by Keys this past October.
Alicia Keys on stage at “Hell’s Kitchen” Broadway opening night at Shubert Theatre on April 20, 2024 in New York City.
Jason Mendez/Getty Images
As Hell’s Kitchen’s Broadway run winds down, Keys reflects on fulfilling one of her lifelong dreams — and why she promises, “This is only the beginning.”
What other takeaways are you leaving with thanks to this experience?
There’s no way for me to just have one takeaway. It’s crazy. I’ve learned so much and grown so much. But the net takeaway is that there are truly no limits; no boxes except the ones we put ourselves in. I’ve reached a new level of pushing myself, learning there’s so much newness at every opportunity. Then there’s the collaboration and partnership of making a show like this, putting experts in their fields together to create something that belongs to everyone.
And talent, that’s another thing. We found some of the most talented people including young people just fresh out of high school or college. It’s really inspiring to see how much organic, raw talent there is and that this show has continued to bring people’s dreams to life. We also founded Kaleidoscope Dreams, a nonprofit organization inspired by the show, to increase access to the arts throughout our communities and schools.
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Why was the musical able to have such a strong and successful impact?
While the story is so specific to these characters in New York City in the ’90s, that specificity makes it totally universal. Everyone sees a piece of themselves in this story. It’s about family, grit and resilience; about making mistakes and building up stronger. It’s also about hope, love, transformation and finding your community — things that we’re all looking for. That’s what makes it so relatable and has also made it so successful. Things will never quite look the same after this show because it’s shifted the perspective. That’s how change happens.
Can you speak on why the show is concluding its Broadway run?
The story is out in the world; audiences are deeply connecting to it. I have to say thank you to Broadway, all the fans and supporters of this show for giving me the opportunity to tell this story. And for it being the most mega launching pad as this is only the beginning. Because of it, we have these incredible verticals as our next phase. We have the U.S. tour, a Korean company, an Australian company and we’re developing a German company. This is literally bringing New York across the country and across the world. It’s always been a lifelong dream of mine to create a Broadway musical born from the dream of my mother. I can’t believe how massive it all is. It’s growing and growing, doing exactly what is supposed to do down the road.
Do you envision a TV and/or film version of the musical?
Man, there are so many new opportunities and pathways. I can’t give you all of my secrets. But there’s a whole world ready to be built and experienced in all kinds of new mediums. I’m super excited.
Is another stage play in your future?
Yes, are you kidding me?! With everything that I know and have learned … just wait to see what comes next.
