When Jay-Z announced a run of shows at Yankee Stadium in New York to celebrate the anniversaries of 1996’s Reasonable Doubt and 2001’s The Blueprint, tickets — to paraphrase “Can’t Knock the Hustle” — moved faster than a rabbit gets… well, let’s just say the July 10 and 11 shows sold out in hours. (A July 12 concert was later added to meet demand.) That announcement arrived 30 years after his first Billboard chart appearance, back when Brooklyn’s Finest was just starting to conquer the globe and be chronicled by Billboard.

The Charting ‘Dead’

“Jay-Z, who has a fluid, flippy flow, is moving forward in the rap game with the dope, double-sided single ‘Dead Presidents’ backed with ‘Ain’t No N—a,’ ” reported The Rap Column in the April 6, 1996, issue of Billboard. Hailing his “loose lasso lines,” columnist Havelock Nelson said the former track “gained street appreciation and received radio airplay,” while the latter “features feminine phenomenon Foxy Brown” and “shows signs of becoming an even bigger smash.” His first top 10 Hot Rap Songs single, the double side peaked at No. 4 on that chart and hit No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In Through the ‘Doubt’ Door

Hova’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt, was “phat an’ all dat,” according to the July 13, 1996, issue. According to a review in the July 20, 1996, Billboard, “This album from the bullet-ridden streets of Brooklyn” is “built atop slinky buttah-bounce, with talk about regulating and maintaining like a kingpin,” featuring “coarse, hard-edged tracks [that] discuss selling white crack for greenbacks.” Moving a reasonable 43,000 copies in its first week (according to Luminate), the album peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200.

Can’t Knock The In-Person Hustle

The soundtrack to Eddie Murphy’s smash remake of The Nutty Professor boasted “several of this summer’s biggest records,” reported the July 13, 1996, issue, one of those being Jay-Z and Foxy Brown’s hit collaboration. Def Jam/Mercury staged a “wildly successful in-store to promote the soundtrack” at New York’s Virgin Megastore on June 24, tapping Jay and Foxy, as well as fellow Professor emeriti Case, Trigger Tha Gambler and Smoothe Da Hustler. “The crowd was so thick that I was unable to enter the store,” reported our columnist.

‘Blueprint’ for the Future

“We know rap is a flavor-of-the-month genre, and if any rapper steps away from finicky fans for too long, he or she may as well as hang up the microphone,” ran a column in the Nov. 22, 1997, issue. But Jay had staying power: His second album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, moved 138,000 units in its first week and soared to No. 3 on the Billboard 200. It signified the shape of music to come, too. “Rap accounts for three of the top five albums on the Billboard 200 and seven of the top 10 on Top R&B Albums,” noted the same issue. When The Blueprint arrived four years later (eventually spending three weeks atop the Billboard 200), the Sept. 22, 2001, Billboard declared, “Jay-Z deftly proves that while his celebrity status continues to rise, he remains firmly grounded to the street.”

This story appears in the May 30, 2026, issue of Billboard.

Taylor Swift‘s boy only breaks his favorite toys, but it looks like the pop star is joining hers in the next Toy Story film.

The 14-time Grammy winner posted a countdown on her website that is currently ticking down to 2 p.m. ET on Monday (June 1). It’s uncertain what exactly her role in the franchise’s fifth film coming this summer will be — whether it’s contributing music or voicing a character — but a graphic of Toy Story cowgirl Jessie and a “TS” billboard using the movie title’s font both appear on the countdown, confirming Swift’s involvement.

The countdown comes after fans spent days wondering if the Eras Tour headliner was coming aboard in some capacity after Pixar posted a video of a “TS” billboard out in the wild. Animated and spliced onto the clip, Jessie does a dance next to the sign, with the caption including a reference to Swift’s hit “Shake It Off”: “She’s making those moves up as she goes!”

Several other “TS” billboards have gone up in different locations around the world, according to pictures Pixar also shared on Instagram.

Swift has some experience in the world of animated children’s films, having voiced Audrey in the 2012 adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. She’s also lent songs to a handful of movie soundtracks, most recently penning “Carolina” for Where the Crawdads Sing in 2022.

Featuring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning to voice their iconic characters — Woody and Buzz Lightyear, respectively — Toy Story 5 is set to hit theaters on June 19.

Swift last dropped music in October, spending 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with album The Life of a Showgirl.

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ABC is home to hit reality shows, live news and sports, and old and new favorites, such as Abbott Elementary, Dancing With the Stars and other programing. If you’ve recently cut the cord, there are affordable streaming options to livestream ABC originals online without cable.

Live TV streamers are an affordable option to replace your cable, with most options offering packages. Most of the streaming platforms that include ABC have free trials and promos going on, which means you could watch live NBA and NHL games (like the NBA Finals and NHL Stanley Cup Final) for free. You’ll also be able to watch dozens of TV channels, giving you instant access to live sports, drama, comedies and reality series from home.

Below ShopBillboard breaks down the current deals and offers available to watch ABC online without cable.

How to Watch ABC Online Without Cable for Free

There are a couple more live TV streamers that will let you watch ABC online for free or for a discounted price. All the below streamers let you watch ABC online without cable and stream content from your phone, tablet, computer or smart TV.

FREE TRIAL

DirecTV

Get Five-Day Free Trial

DirecTV is offering a five-day free trial for new subscribers.

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You can watch ABC online for free on DirecTV, which is offering a 5-day free trial for new users who sign up for one of the four packages. DirecTV lets you watch live television online and its channel packages include a live feed of ABC. Besides access to hundreds of live TV channels, you’ll also receive unlimited DVR storage, local channels and the ability to stream on as many devices as you want.

Sling TV

Get Sling TV

For ABC, go with Sling Blue.

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Sling TV has three plans, including Orange, Blue or Orange + Blue. However, ABC is only offered on the Blue package. Rather than choose one, you can combine the two with the Orange + Blue package, which will give you access to more than 50 channels, DVR storage and the ability to stream on up to three devices. Please note: Pricing and channel availability are dependent on your local TV market. Learn more about Sling TV here.

Hulu + Live TV

Get three-day free trial

Hulu + Live TV including ABC.

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Starting at $89.99 per month, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV gets you more than 95 live TV channels, such as ABC, to watch live sports, TV series and specials whenever you want. You also get access to the entire Hulu on-demand library (including select ABC content available to watch the day after it airs). And for even more, Hulu + Live TV includes a subscription to both Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.

FuboTV

Get Five-Day Free Trial

Fubo is an affordable option offering a five-day free trial for new users who sign up.

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FuboTV is another affordable live TV streamer as it comes with a five-day free trial for new users who sign up. The streaming service has three different plans, including a new skinny bundle called “Sports + News” that starts at only $45.99 for the first month ($55.99 per month afterwards).

In addition, Fubo has $30 off their Pro and Elite plans for the first month right now, which includes more than 200 channels, as well as 1,000 hours of free DVR and the option to stream on 10 devices at once.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

A convalescing Billy Strings made a surprise return to the stage — crutches and all — on Sunday night (May 31) in his home state of Michigan.

Back on April 18, the Grammy-winning Americana stalwart broke his left fibula and tibia while skateboarding backstage after a concert in Charlottesville, Va. He underwent immediate surgery and subsequently rescheduled his next four shows until August — although Dave Grohl did offer Strings the use of the throne that he used after breaking his leg in 2015, later lent to Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose.

Strings has been recuperating since, but on Sunday, he showed up as a special guest during Primus’ portion of the Claypool Gold tour stop at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre in suburban Detroit. Announcing the appearance of a “buddy,” Les Claypool told the crowd that “normally he would come bounding out here, but he took a little tumble a few weeks ago, so we have a chair for him tonight.”

Strings came out on a pair of crutches and seated himself on a stool, then showed that his hands were still in fine shape as he shredded on electric guitar, trading licks with Claypool and guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde during performances of “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” (which Claypool rechristened “Billy’s Big Brown Beaver”) and the even more furious “Too Many Puppies.”

Strings’ next performance will be a taping for Austin City Limits on July 2, followed two days later by an appearance at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater, also in Austin, Texas.

The Claypool Gold tour — which also includes the Claypool Lennon Delirium and Les Claypool’s Fearless Frog Brigade — runs through July 4, finishing in Napa, Calif.