During a recent episode of his sports talk YouTube show It Is What It Is, Mase hoped that President Donald Trump doesn’t decide to attend another NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden after he and the crew were discussing how there were more celebrities than usual sitting courtside during Game 3 earlier this week.

“I’m just so glad that they didn’t have Trump come back,” he said in reference to the hoopla that the president’s attendance caused. “It just messed the vibe up, and having the arena back like it was gonna be before he came was really, really exciting to see, and I hope they keep it that way moving forward.”

Co-host Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson then brought up that Taylor Swift attended Game 4 at MSG and that’s where Cam’ron went on a quick public service about bandwagon fans. “Nothing turns me off [more] than a follower. I can’t stand it. I hate it. I really, really hate it,” he ranted before saying he blocked multiple people for calling him about the Knicks for the first time after they erased the largest deficit in NBA Finals history on Wednesday (June 10). “Taylor Swift, what are you doing there? You’re not even from New York, and you’re jumping around. I hate people like that.”

Adding, “I smile and give you a handshake and still be your friend, but in the back of my brain, I’m like, ‘I have no respect for you. You’re a follower and me and you, we’re not the same kind. So, be careful trying to act like, ‘Hey, Cam, you seen the Knicks?’ Yeah. Congrats to the real Knicks fans. You’re a follower. You’re a Swifty.”

However, the pop singer has actually been a fan of the team for about 20 years and Knicks radio analyst Monica McNutt was reminded of that when she accidentally got herself in trouble with the Swifties after a hot mic caught her questioning Swift’s fandom as well. “She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl,” she scoffed as her co-host Tyler Murray was trying to get a picture of Taylor Swift sitting courtside. To Monica’s credit, she took to social media and admitted that she was wrong.

You can watch the full episode below.

The most influential leaders in Canada’s music industry gathered at the exclusive celebration for Billboard Canada Power Players at Toronto’s Rebel on June 10, as part of NXNE. It was a prestigious night with impactful and emotional remarks, heartfelt tributes and one historic, and strange, surprise honour to close the festivities.

Many of the Power Players honoured on the 2026 list were in attendance, including Gary Slaight, Warner Music Canada co-GM Madelaine Napoleone, Universal Music Canada president & CEO Julie Adam, Live Nation Canada’s Erik Hoffman, Wayne Zronik and Melissa Bubb-Clarke, Allan Reid of the Junos/CARAS and many more.

Following a viral KEXP performance in February, Quebec-based math rock duo Angine de Poitrine have skyrocketed into international fame. The polka-dot-clad pair — who perform under the pseudonyms Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine — are everywhere. In a surprise moment, they got to accept the Billboard Canada Global Breakthrough Award, presented by FACTOR, in front of the most powerful executives in Canada. When their name was announced, many in the room were questioning if they were really there and what they would do.

True to their artistry, the two members took the stage in full black and white polka dot costumes as their music played, walked up to the microphone, and then didn’t utter a single word. While they lingered on stage it seemed like they might say something, if even in their otherworldly language. Instead, Khn reached up and touched his hat, and a burst of black and white confetti showered the audience. Then, they left. Without saying a word, they had one of the big moments of the night.

Two icons of the live music industry were honoured for their decades-long devotion to the country and its artists. Paquin Artists Agency co-president Vinny Cinquemani and Live Nation Canada chairman Riley O’Connor became the first-ever inductees into the Billboard Canada Hall of Fame.

When Meg Symsyk, president and CEO of FACTOR, stepped onstage to accept the Visionary Leadership award, she revealed that earlier in the day, she was on a flight from Los Angeles where she was with Rush at The Forum on their comeback 50th anniversary tour. Billboard Canada national editor Richard Trapunski personally presented her with the award, and outlined that it’s been a whirlwind month for Symsyk, as news that FACTOR and Scotiabank had settled their lawsuit became public at the beginning of this month. Throughout it all, Symsyk ensured that the music funder has continued — and in many ways, expanded — its support of Canadian artists.

“When you are surrounded by people who share your values and challenge each other to be better, you discover that leadership is less about pursuing your personal achievements and more about helping others find theirs,” she said. “Our work has always been about more than streams and charts and ticket sales and market share.”

Margaret McGuffin, CEO of Music Publishers Canada, received the Impact Award. She was recognized for her advocacy ensuring that Canadian creators are fairly compensated and licensed in the age of AI, as well as her mentorship for the next generation.

“As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into the creative ecosystem, we must ensure that creators and the companies that invest in them have a voice in shaping the future,” she said during her speech. “These are the people I’ve spent my career working with and advocating for. I have the great privilege of working with music publishers, many who are in this room.”

Read more highlights here.

Daniel Caesar Pays Surprise Tribute to His Managers at Billboard Canada Managers to Watch 2026

The most influential managers from across the globe gathered at SOUNDSTAGE in Toronto on June 11 at NXNE to celebrate Billboard Canada Managers to Watch. The celebration spotlighted the people who put in the behind-the-scenes work to elevate artists across the country following the release of this year’s coveted Managers to Watch list.

“If you want to get something done, call the manager,” said Billboard Canada national editor Richard Trapunski in his opening remarks. “You are the ones who are closest to the artists, the unsung heroes of the music industry. You have the vision and the tools to open doors and build careers, yet you are rarely in the spotlight yourselves.”

Daniel Caesar is one of the biggest Canadian success stories of the last decade, and he flew straight from Thailand to make a surprise appearance to honour the two powerhouses who have been with him on an adventure from the very beginning: his managers, Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans.

The R&B star proudly invited both of his managers onstage to crown them Billboard Canada’s 2026 Managers to Watch, greeting each of them with a powerful, lasting hug and leaving Evans teary-eyed.

“We’re in the middle of an adventure and I love it so much. If I could bottle up that feeling, I would pay every cent I have to give that feeling to the people I love,” Caesar said.

Burnett joked about his working relationship with Evans being “each other’s most successful relationship,” with the pair celebrating two decades of working together this year. He gave a special nod to Canadian producer Boi-1da for giving them their start in the industry back when they were producers, and boasted that nobody in the world can captivate a room like Daniel Caesar playing acoustic guitar, be it in a small room, an arena or even a stadium. He was proud to call Evans and Caesar his brothers and his family, and left the audience with words about what he considers to be the utmost principle of management: care.

Sébastien Collin is the man behind the year’s biggest global breakthrough: the polka-dotted, viral math rock band Angine de Poitrine from Saguenay, Quebec. In just four months, Collin and the group have booked an international tour that’s sold over 100,000 tickets worldwide and racked up over 16 million views on the band’s breakthrough KEXP live performance.

Collin is this year’s Manager on the Rise. “I think we can be proud of the music without compromise and I hope that it will help build bridges,” he said. “I hope it will put some spotlight on the Quebec scene. We’ve got really nice bands right now, and I hope it will help us find the good bands everywhere.”

Tommas Arnby, meanwhile, won the International Manager Award, highlighting his work building the global rise of rock star Yungblud.

See all the highlights here.

Cam’ron wasn’t as impressed with Jay-Z‘s Roots Picnic Freestyle as most people.

During a recent episode of Talk With Flee, he talked about how he would’ve had a different strategy in the way he approached the subject matter and how it opens the door for Drake to possibly fire back.

“I think what he should’ve done was keep that one at the Roots [Picnic] about whoever he want to talk about,” he explained. “And then you got Yankee Stadium, you coulda did one every night and that sh– would’ve went crazy for the rest of the year. ‘Oh, he did this person — pause — at the Roots Picnic.’ Then he dissed this person the first night at Yankee Stadium, then he got at this person the second night at Yankee Stadium. Then the last finale, [perform] all four freestyles. It would’ve looked better.”

He added: “You got three shows coming up. You spread that sh– out like, ‘Yo, he caught this person this day, caught that person, he was shootin’ at n—as.’”

He then talked about how both Jay-Z and Drake are competitive, but thinks Jay’s subs aren’t exactly knockout blows while joking about his former label boss’ God complex. “‘Yo, your words can’t reach God/ I’m too high in the sky to hear what n—as is saying,’” he said of the way Jay likes to talk down on his opponents. “Must’ve came down, ’cause you paying attention to what n—as is saying. But what I will say is this: Drake is competitive too. And I think that by that freestyle not hitting the way that his freestyles usually hit, this is an opportunity if Drake wants to be like, ‘That ain’t it, homeboy.’”

Cam also responded to Jim Jones‘ recent Verzuz challenge and acknowledged that his old friend is really good at going viral. “Jomo is really good at riling people up in the Tri-State Area about nonsense and the people he’s talking to don’t really don’t give a f— what he’s talking about,” Killa began. “He said he has more No. 1 hits than Nas and n—as was like, ‘Yo, he might. Jim out here workin’. That n—a workin’.’ Then you go check and be like, ‘What the f— these n—as talkin’ about? N—a don’t got more No. 1 hits than Nas.’ Then the n—a moves the goal post and be like, ‘Oh, nah, I meant the culture. I’m out here doing the culture, I’m shiftin’, I’m still workin’.’ That ain’t what you said, n—a. You said you had more No. 1 hits than Nas; you movin’ the goal post.”

He continued: “So, I think he’s really excellent at getting his algorithm poppin’ and sh– like that. But as far as the Verzuz? No, I’m doing no Verzuz, man.”

You can watch the full episode below.

U.S. authorities have accused a North Carolina man of conning Napster out of a massive ownership stake by falsely pledging $3.36 billion he never had.

An indictment by the Department of Justice (DOJ), unsealed on Thursday (June 11) and obtained by Billboard, charges 57-year-old Charles Cole with three criminal fraud and conspiracy counts. Cole also faces parallel civil fraud claims a Thursday complaint from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which also names his attorney, Torben Welch, as a defendant.

Over the course of 2024, Cole obtained 239 million shares of the digital media company Infinite Reality — roughly 25% of its total shares — by claiming he had access to $55 billion in cash, and promised to invest more than $3 billion in the company. Infinite Reality later rebranded to Napster after acquiring the streamer for $207 million in March 2025.

In the wake of the Napster acquisition, a Forbes investigation raised questions about the mysterious identity of the company’s $3 billion backer. The following November, Napster’s CEO reportedly told shareholders that the investment was not going to come through, saying the company had been the “victim of misconduct” and was cooperating with law enforcement to nail the fraudster.

Now, federal authorities claim that Cole never gave a penny to Napster and didn’t actually have the funds to do so. Cole allegedly duped Napster into believing he did have the money by creating a complex “fictitious paper trail” that included forged bank statements and a fake website, set up with offshore servers, to mirror a Malaysian bank’s real site.

“Cole, with Welch’s assistance, then used the fraudulently obtained shares in Infinite Reality to secure a $1 million loan from a private third-party lender that he never repaid,” reads the SEC complaint.

In a statement shared with Billboard, a Napster spokesperson said, “We have cooperated with law enforcement since the company initially reported it was the victim of misconduct. We are continuing to support this process. Questions about the proceedings should be directed to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. We have no further comment on an active matter.”

Cole and Welch could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

Napster’s origins infamously date back to 1999, when it shook the music industry by launching as a file-sharing site that allowed users to download tracks for free. The name later got recycled as a licensed streaming service that has changed hands a number of times over the years.

Napster was sold to the streamer Rhapsody in 2011, then to virtual reality concert app MelodyVR in 2020 and again to Hivemind Capital Partners and cryptocurrency company Algorand in 2022. This was followed in 2025 by the Infinite Reality acquisition, which promised to “transform Napster into a next-generation platform” using “immersive 3D technology.”

This story was updated at 10:18 p.m. ET to add a statement from Napster.