All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Crocs dropped a collection of official Wicked clogs last year to celebrate the first movie in the two-part film series. Now, fans have one more chance to pick up the coveted shoes with a surprise sale that discounts the Wicked x Crocs collab by 50% off.

Add a magical touch to your footwear rotation while expanding your Wicked merch collection when you throw on a pair of the Elphaba Clogs or platform Glinda Siren Crocs. They’re on sale now starting from just $35 online, with multiple sizes still available as of this writing.

Keep reading to shop the Wicked Crocs collection below.

green metallic crocs with wicked jibbitz

LIMITED-TIME DEAL

“Wicked” Elphaba Classic Clog

$35 $69.99 50% off

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Have your defying gravity moment when you slip on the official Elphaba Crocs featuring a statement-making metallic green upper that’ll have you shining with every step. The adjustable heel strap comes with a textured black design inspired by the Wicked Witch’s billowing black cape.


pink platform wicked crocs

SELLING FAST

“Wicked” Glinda Siren Clog

$47.50 $94.99 50% off

Buy Now on crocs

Feel as though you’re floating in these cushy platform Crocs inspired by the pink-loving Glinda. Along the sole is a white shimmery bubble pattern while the upper has a bubblegum pink shade with a glittery design that’ll have you ready to belt out “Popular.”


Each pair features intricate details inspired by the characters including exclusive Jibbitz charms you can only get with the Crocs. Since there are two pairs up for grabs, you and your bestie can channel your inner Glinda or Elphaba as you practice “What Is This Feeling” before the film’s premiere.

If you can’t bear to choose between the two, you can also snag a five pack of Wicked Jibbitz charms ($24.99) that feature the movie’s logo, flying monkey’s and the Emerald City for you to decorate your other Crocs with.

It’s common for Crocs collaborations to sell out quickly, which means you’ll want to snag a pair before they’re gone “For Good.”

In addition to Crocs, Wicked has been casting its spell on other brands, giving you ample opportunity to collect exclusive merch — especially as you prep your movie outfit. Some of the most recent collaborations include a fragrance drop at Ulta, official Mattel dolls and new Funko Pop vinyl figurines.

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best comfortable sandals, platform heels and knee-high boots.

Drake’s defamation lawsuit surrounding Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” against Universal Music Group was dismissed by a federal judge in New York City on Thursday (Oct. 9).

Ten months after initially filing the lawsuit, accusing Lamar of defaming him while labeling him a “certified pedophile,” it was thrown out by Judge Jeannette Vargas, who granted UMG’s motion for dismissal.

“The artists’ seven-track rap battle was a ‘war of words’ that was the subject of substantial media scrutiny and online discourse,” the judge wrote. “Although the accusation that plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle, with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants, would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that ‘Not Like Us’ imparts verifiable facts about plaintiff.”

While Drake can still appeal the ruling to a federal appeals court, fans from both sides of the coin didn’t waste any time flooding social media with their reactions.

Lamar fans and Drake detractors mocked the OVO faithful on X and IG, while the rivalry was seemingly renewed with the famed 2024 battle now in the rear-view.

“From the outset, this suit was an affront to all artists and their creative expression and never should have seen the light of day,” UMG relayed to Billboard in a statement. “We’re pleased with the court’s dismissal and look forward to continuing our work successfully promoting Drake’s music and investing in his career.”

“Not Like Us” arrived in May 2024 and served as the killshot in Kendrick’s battle against Drake. The scathing diss track produced by Mustard topped the Billboard Hot 100 and swept all five of its nominations at the 2025 Grammy Awards, including record of the year and song of the year.

Find some of the reactions to the lawsuit ruling against Drake below.

Danny Jacobson has been promoted to head of A&R at Hallwood Media, a recording, management, publishing, distribution and merch company. He will oversee A&R across all divisions of the company, guiding a roster of over 100 signees.

News of the promotion comes after Danny, who is the cousin of Hallwood founder Neil Jacobson, spearheaded Hallwood’s controversial but groundbreaking AI artist signing strategy, including the signing of Xania Monet — the AI artist Billboard reported had signed a multimillion-dollar record deal with Hallwood last month.

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Monet, the alias of poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones, who uses Suno to transform her words into songs, made headlines for her record-breaking deal with Hallwood, but also for her appearance on the Billboard charts. Her single “How Was I Supposed to Know” reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s R&B Digital Song Sales chart and was the No. 1 most-added song at R&B radio last week.

Danny, however, has signed far more than just Monet. According to a press release about his promotion, he has inked other so-called “AI-powered” talent, including China Styles, Bleeding Verse, Drew Meadows, Lone Star Lyric House, David Sven and several other projects still to be announced.

In a press release about his new position, Danny notes that he’s “thrilled to step into this new role and continue pushing the boundaries of what A&R can be. At Hallwood, we move first and fast, spotting talent early and helping them turn momentum into careers.”

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Since joining Hallwood in 2020, Danny has worked in both management and A&R positions at the company and is said to have played a key role in shaping Hallwood’s A&R strategy, including building out its research department and developing a pipeline for discovering and supporting emerging artists.

Neil says of the appointment: “Danny has been an integral part of Hallwood since day one, building our research department, signing incredible artists, and proving himself as a visionary. To be promoted to this role at such a young age is a testament to his uncanny eye for talent, deep understanding of youth culture, and relentless work ethic — he’s the future of A&R.”

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When Drake and Kendrick Lamar first started duking it out through a series of hard-hitting diss tracks in the spring of 2024, no one could’ve predicted that the back-and-forth would soon become one of hip-hop’s most historic rap beefs on record — much less one of the music industry’s biggest legal battles.

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But what started as a slow-burning feud that largely simmered under the surface, relegated to stray jabs in songs here and there, eventually boiled over into an all-out war of words when Drizzy dropped “Push Ups” in May, followed by more tracks such as “Taylor Made Freestyle” and “Family Matters.” Dot countered each of them with searing snipes of his own on “Euphoria,” “6:16 in L.A.” and “Meet the Grahams,” but it was when he unleashed his Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Not Like Us” that Drake decided things had gone too far.

It was the success of that song — and its lyrics in which Lamar accuses his target of being a “certified pedophile” — that later led to the Toronto native to take matters to court. Through a series of legal filings, Drake has taken aim at Universal Music Group, Spotify and iHeartRadio over accusations of streaming manipulation, defamation and conspiracy, shocking the public at every turn and further deepening his rift with the Compton rapper in the process. Remember when the pair collaborated on 2013’s “Buried Alive Interlude”? That’s ancient history now.

As Drake’s legal journey plays out, Billboard is keeping track of every update to the “God’s Plan” musician’s escalating legal crusade. Keep reading to see everything that’s happened so far since the release of “Not Like Us” below.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Rejoicify! Ariana Grande just dropped two perfumes under her wildly popular fragrance line in celebration of Wicked: For Good.

These two limited-edition perfumes can be shopped right now at Ulta Beauty and retail for $72 each. Are you an Elphaba or a Glinda? Whichever witch you are, this collection caters to both, all packaged in adorable bottles. You’ve got the Glinda Bubbly Pink Eau de Parfum in a round bubble-esque package adorned with a gilded crown cap and an Elphaba Enchanted Eau de Parfum in an emerald green potion-esque bottle with a black slanted cap.

Before we get into the notes and all that jazz, it’s important to know what an Eau de Parfum is. To put it plainly, an Eau de Parfum is classified as a fragrance with a high concentration of fragrance oils, around 15 to 20%. This means an Eau de Parfum is much stronger than an Eau De Toilette, which has a smaller percentage of fragrance oils in it.

Ariana Grande 'Wicked: For Good' Perfumes: Smell Like Glinda & Elphaba

Wicked Glinda Bubbly Pink Eau de Parfum

A Glinda-themed perfume.


Now that that’s settled, let’s get down to the notes. Glinda’s perfume is a Floral Gourmand, as you’d expect. The fragrance’s top notes include pink sparkle apple, blush nectarine and pink pepper which gives the scent a fruity and slightly peppery hit. The middle notes are straight-up floral with what Grande describes as charming princess tulip and dewy peony. On the bottom, you’ve got creamy cedarwood/blond woods, sandalwood and sugared musks which smells musky and woody, as you’d expect. Added all together this scent is sweet with a hint of something musky and earthy, making the scent more complex.

On the flipside you have Elphaba’s perfume which is an Amber Woody scent. On top, the scent is fruity green glow apple, freesia and black plum while the middle notes are floral and vanilla-scented. On the bottom, there’s smoldering oudwood, oak moss, vanilla elixir which translates to smelling earthy, wood and, once again, vanilla. Overall, this fragrance is woody with sweet vanilla. If you’re looking for a unique scent with a bold mossy undertone, this one is for you.

Ariana Grande 'Wicked: For Good' Perfumes: Smell Like Glinda & Elphaba

Wicked Elphaba Enchanted Eau de Parfum

An Elphaba-themed perfume.


Following the box office success that was Wicked, Wicked: For Good will hit theaters Nov. 21, 2025, just one day shy of the one-year anniversary of the film’s first half. The sequel was first announced on X back in April from director Jon M. Chu’s “OzPhone.” The filmmaker wrote, “With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters.”

Following the cheeky post, fans and followers of the franchise were treated to a trailer on June 4, sharing first looks at Glinda and Elphaba’s journeys following the very dramatic “Defying Gravity” sequence and a hefty cliffhanger folks were left with in part one.

6ix9ine clowned Lil Tjay for being shot at a Chipotle in New Jersey back in 2022.

In an interview on One Night with Steiny, host Aaron “Steiny” Steinberg asked 6ix9ine to explain the contentious relationship he has with Lil Tjay. 6ix9ine explained that Tjay tried to taunt him and bring him into a beef with Kai Cenat.

“He wrote me,” 6ix9ine revealed around the 28-minute mark. “I guess he was trying to beef with the Kai Cenat kid … I’m like, I’m not gonna get into the beef. So, I just basically kept going along with him, you know what I mean? Just to make him look foolish.”

Tjay then described 6ix9ine as “a funny rat n—a,” in reference to 6ix9ine testifying against alleged members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Blood back in 2019.

“So, I’m like, ‘You a funny shot-up n—a,’” 6ix9ine said he told Tjay. “You know, because he almost lost his life for a burrito… You know that burrito bowl… So you got your rice and beans, then they slide your bowl and it goes to the meats. Then right before you get to the salad and the [guacamole] and whatever, n—as hit that n—a. I know that he’s banned from all Chipotles.”

Billboard has reached out to Lil Tjay’s team for further comment.

Lil Tjay was shot at a New Jersey Chipotle in 2022. According to New Jersey authorities, the “Calling My Phone” rapper was shot multiple times before being rushed to the hospital in critical condition. He underwent emergency surgery and soon after spoke about the incident in an August 2022 Instagram video.

“Seven shots, it was tough, you know,” Tjay told his supporters while wearing a neck brace. “Most people don’t survive it, but I’m here. Here for a reason. New music coming soon. We’re gonna come back stronger than ever.”

Watch a clip from the interview below.

Complex has announced a partnership with Verzuz to relaunch the music battle series, which will return at ComplexCon on Oct. 25.

No Limit Records and Cash Money Records will revive the series, as Complex gets in control of the distribution rights to Verzuz.

“Rather than talking so much, we just want to get to the action,” Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland said in a joint statement.

No Limit and Cash Money are the first of many Verzuz battles to come, as the new partnership promises more coming in 2026 and beyond. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the epic No Limit-Cash Money brawl, which will be broadcast live from Las Vegas at ComplexCon.

“What Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have built with Verzuz is nothing short of incredible — a cultural phenomenon that has reshaped how fans engage with music and artists,” Aaron Levant, Complex CEO, said. “We are thrilled to welcome Verzuz into the Complex family, and we can’t wait to propel the show to new heights with an unrivaled line-up of events, kicking off at ComplexCon this Oct. 25 & 26.”

It’s unclear who will be repping No Limit and Cash Money in Sin City, but it wouldn’t be right without Birdman, Slim and Master P in the building for the battle.

Timbaland and Swizz launched Verzuz in March 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing everyone to pivot and find new creative outlets inside the confines of their homes. They sold the company to Triller Network in March 2021.

Verzuz has been dormant for the better part of three years, with the last battles coming in 2022 with Cypress Hill and Onyx, 8 Ball & MJG versus UGK, Omarion against Mario and Luny Tunes versus DJ Nelson.

Yaya Mayweather said YoungBoy Never Broke Again could easily be a model if he ever wanted to take a break from rapping.

In a tweet posted Wednesday (Oct. 8), Yaya, daughter of Floyd Mayweather, said her baby daddy could easily be a model just off his face alone. The exes share a 4-year-old son — Kentrell DeSean Gaulden Jr. — the third-youngest of YoungBoy’s 12 children.

“If my bd wasn’t a rapper, he could literally be a model because that face card eats boo,” she wrote.

While the rapper is currently in a relationship with Jazlyn Mychelle, the high praise comes after Mayweather and YoungBoy had a tumultuous breakup back in 2022. Mayweather was also forced to deny, in August, that she was expecting another child by the Baton Rouge rapper.

YoungBoy is deep into his MASA Tour, which started back in September and has gone viral multiple times for some of the high-energy stops throughout the trek. Chicago, without explanation, canceled YoungBoy’s show slated for Sept. 23 and was criticized by YoungBoy’s manager over the act.

“@UnitedCenter b—hed out. Shoutout to Joe Myhra @UnitedCenter. He didn’t want us to have fun. Scary,” Alex Junnier wrote, attacking Myhra, who appears to be the SVP of operations at Chicago’s United Center. “It’s ok everyone; Joe just sits behind a desk and got nervous.”

Footage also recently emerged of a fan involved in a fight with an elderly security guard at YoungBoy’s Kansas City show. Per KCTV 5, a 14-year-old was detained for allegedly assaulting the T-Mobile Center employee.

Check out Yaya’s tweet below.

The numbers game is typically a Taylor Swift thing, but if you do the math on how long it’s been between new Guns N’ Roses albums, we’re due for a new LP from the hard rock icons any day now. At least according to guitarist Slash, who in the December issue of Guitar Player magazine says that the veteran band is hard at work on their long-awaited follow-up to 2008’s Chinese Democracy.

“There’s so much material at this point — it’s a matter of having the discipline to sit down and f—ing get into it,” said Slash, who teased that a new LP is “coming” without offering any time frame. “But the thing with Guns is, in my experience, you can never plan ahead. You can never sit down and go, ‘We’re going to take this time, and we’re going to do this.’ Every time we’ve done that, it falls apart.”

GNR took 17 years between 1991’s Use Your Illusion two-part album and 2008’s Democracy, which singer Axl Rose famously labored over for years with a wide variety of musicians that didn’t include any of the original Guns members. Though they released the covers EP The Spaghetti Incident? in 1992 in between, the drought since Democracy has stretched on for nearly two decades as the semi-reunited band has toured the world several times with a lineup that now (again) includes Slash and original bassist Duff McKagan, as well as longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed.

In the GW chat, Slash also pulled the curtain back a bit on the band’s workflow with legendarily mercurial singer Rose, saying, “It just spontaneously happens through some sort of inspiration that triggers it. And the next thing you know, it’s off and running,” he said. “So it’s coming. I know it’s coming because everybody is thinking about it. It’ll just happen when it happens.”

At press time spokespeople for Slash and GN’R had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.

Various whispers about a potential new Guns album have bubbled up from time-to-time over the past decade, with McKagan telling Trunk Nation in 2019 that a new album was cooking, saying “Oh, it’s real, but the fun part and the cool part about Guns N’ Roses is we don’t really talk about it, and what happens next just happens.”

In the interminable interim, fans have had to satisfy their appetite for new Guns music with the studio versions of “Absurd” and “Hard Skool” in 2021 and “Perhaps” in 2023 after debuting them live. For now, the band is still rocking around the world on its Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things tour, with an upcoming show in Medellin, Colombia on Saturday (Oct. 11), followed by a run of South American and Central American shows through Nov. 8.


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Rüfüs du Sol and Chase & Status were among the winners at The DJ Awards 2025, which were held at ROTO Club in Ibiza Town, in Ibiza, Spain on Thursday (Oct. 9). This year’s ceremony marked the 24th edition of the DJ Awards, an independent and globally inclusive celebration of electronic music.

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Rüfüs du Sol won for live act. The Australian alternative dance trio won a Grammy four years ago for best dance/electronic recording for “Alive.”

Chase & Status won for drums & bass. Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status) won the BRIT Award for producer of the year in 2024.

There were two new categories at The DJ Awards this year. The Balearic category, won by MINA, honors the sound of Ibiza and the DJs creating it, while the hard dance/bounce category, won by Hannah Laing, acknowledges that genre’s renaissance over the last year.

The DJ Awards were founded in 1998 and are the longest-running international celebration of DJ culture. After a four year hiatus, the show returned to Ibiza last fall. The ceremony was founded by Ibiza residents José Pascual and Lenny Krarup, with ownership of the awards taken over by Andy Grant last year.

“It’s been incredible to see the DJ Awards come together once again for a second year since returning,” Grant said in a statement. “This ceremony truly celebrates the heart of our culture, the artists who have inspired dance floors all around the world, and those in the industry who come together to make it all happen. What makes it even more special is that these accolades come directly from the public’s independent votes, honouring the DJs who’ve genuinely moved the people and dance floors this year.”

This year’s awards also included several industry and special recognition awards proposed by a jury of music professionals.

In response to the devastating floods in Ibiza, the DJ Awards announced that a portion of the event’s proceeds have been donated to the Spanish Red Cross (Creu Roja) to support recovery and aid efforts on the island.

After thousands of public votes, here are the winners of the 2025 publicly-voted, genre-specific categories, followed by a list of industry and special recognition awards winners.

Publicly-Voted Categories

International DJ

Calvin Harris

David Guetta

Fisher

Honey Dijon

Keinemusik

Martin Garrix

Peggy Gou

WINNER: Solomun

Afro

Black Coffee

DBN Gogo

Francis Mercier

WINNER: Kitty Amor

Major League DJz

Shimza

Themba

Balearic

Andy Baxter

Clara Da Costa

Jason Bye

Jon Sa Trinxa

WINNER: Mina

Willie Graff

Breakthrough

Ahmed Spins

ANOTR

Desiree

Dom Dolla

WINNER: Franky Rizardo

Josh Baker

Mau P

Mestiza

Drum & Bass

A.M.C

Andy C

Bou

WINNER: Chase & Status

Dimension

Friction

Mollie Collins

Nia Archives

Sherelle

Garage/Bassline

DJ EZ

Eliza Rose

WINNER: Girls Don’t Sync

Interplanetary Criminal

Riordan

Sammy Virji

Silva Bumpa

Hard Dance/Bounce

Adrian Mills

Bad Boombox

Ben Hemsley

WINNER: Hannah Laing

Kettama

Marlon Hoffstadt

Hard Techno

99999999

WINNER: Amelie Lens

Fantasm

I Hate Models

Klangkuenstler

Nico Moreno

Sara Landry

House

Dennis Cruz

Gorgon City

James Hype

WINNER: Kerri Chandler

Sam Divine

Seth Troxler

The Martinez Brothers

TSHA

Latin House/Reggaeton

DJ Foxy

DJ Riobamba

WINNER: Hugel

Juan Magan

Masivo

Tony Touch

Live Act

Ben Böhmer

Bicep

Fred again..

Odesza

Overmono

WINNER: Rüfüs Du Sol

Sofi Tukker

Sofia Kourtesis

The Prodigy

Newcomer

Anaïs

Benwal

Deer Jade

Levi

Nala

WINNER: Olive F

Super Strings

Progressive/Melodic House

Anyma

Artbat

Bedouin

Blond:ish

Franky Wah

Hannah Wants

WINNER: Miss Monique

WhomadeWho

Tech House

Carlita

East End Dubs

Jamie Jones

WINNER: Joseph Capriati

Luciano

Manda Moor

Marco Carola

Michael Bibi

Paco Osuna

Pawsa

Techno

Carl Cox

Charlotte de Witte

Deborah De Luca

Enrico Sangiuliano

Indira Paganotto

WINNER: Marco Faraone

Sven Väth

Trance

Aly & Fila

Armin van Buuren

Ferry Corsten

Giorgia Angiuli

WINNER: KI/KI

Nora en Pure

Paul van Dyk

Industry and Special Recognition Awards winners (Grand Jury Industry Awards Winners)

Industry Executive of the Year: Yann Pissenem

DJ Livestream of the Year: Yousuke Yukimatsu – Boiler Room

Global Festival Award: UNUM Festival, Albania

Eye On: [Region] — 2025 Spotlight: MENA: Soundstorm Festival

Lifetime Achievement Award: Simon Dunmore

Play It Back – Social Impact Award: IbizaPreservation

What’s Hot Global: [UNVRS]

Ibiza Icon: Alfredo (posthumously awarded)

Ibiza Party of the Summer: Solid Grooves

Ibiza Track of the Summer: Toman – Verano En NY