Just weeks after being banned from Hungary for posing a “national security threat,” Irish outfit Kneecap have shared a message with their fans at the country’s Sziget Festival.

On July 24, it was announced by Hungarian politician and spokesperson Zoltán Kovács that Kneecap’s planned Aug. 11 appearance at the Budapest festival would not be going ahead, with the group receiving a three-year ban from the country “for antisemitism and glorifying terror.”

“Kneecap’s members repeatedly engage in antisemitic hate speech supporting terrorism and terrorist groups,” Kovács explained. “Hungary has zero tolerance for antisemitism in any form.

“Their planned performance posed a national security threat, and for this reason, the group has been formally banned from Hungary for three years. If they enter, expulsion will follow under international norms.”

While Kneecap labelled this ban a “political distraction and a further attempt to silence those who call out genocide against the Palestinian people,” the group ultimately chose to share a message with the “tens of thousands of fans who we were buzzing to see in person at Sziget” at the festival.

Taking to social media on Monday (Aug. 11), Kneecap urged attendees of Sziget Festival to attend the Buzz Stage at 11:05pm to receive a video message in their absence, which was later shared to their Instagram account.

“We were banned from Hungary for three years to prevent us playing Sziget and speaking against genocide,” it began. “F–k [Prime Minister Viktor] Orban.”

“We wish we could be there with you at one of the best festivals in the world and the first European festival Kneecap ever played,” the message continued. “We can’t because of one hate filled man. Viktor Orbán.”

“We have been convicted of zero crimes in any country ever. But we will call out oppression. For calling out Israel’s genocidal campaign Viktor has banned us from your beautiful country for 3 years. Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people. Viktor Orbán and his government support it. 

“Viktor Orbán and his government tried to shut down Pride in Budapest,” Kneecap’s message concluded. “They failed. We must stand together. Oppose Orbán. Oppose Israel. Oppose genocide. Free Palestine.”

Kneecap’s ban from the country takes place in the wake of their headline-generating actions of recent months, with the trio having gained greater attention following their appearance at Coachella in April. The group projected strong anti-Israel sentiments during their set – sentiments which they had claimed were censored during their first weekend appearance.

While they would also gain similar attention for their performance at the Glastonbury Festival in June, and would be removed from the lineup of Scotland’s TRNSMT Festival, the group have also faced legal issues. 

Most notably, member Mo Chara (born Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) was charged in May for allegedly showing support for militant organizations Hamas and Hezbollah – both of which are defined as terror groups by U.K. law – in resurfaced videos from a past concert.

Chara appeared at Westminster’s Magistrates Court on June 18, where he was released on unconditional bail and set a hearing date of Aug. 20.

BigXthaPlug is revealing more of the star-studded collaborations set for his upcoming album, as the Texas musician unveiled the full tracklist for his forthcoming Aug. 22 album I Hope You’re Happy.

The set will feature collabs with Darius Rucker, Jelly Roll, Ink, Tucker Wetmore, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett.

“There’s a lot of special features on this project, man,” BigXthaPlug said in an interview with Apple Music at the company’s new Los Angeles studio, listing off the collaborators on his album and adding, “I’m here to tell you, I’ve got my bag with this one.”

He’s already steadily rolling out new music from the album, including the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit “All the Way” with Bailey Zimmerman (which also topped the Hot Country Songs chart), as well as “Home” with Shaboozey and his latest, “Hell at Night” with Ella Langley.

In June, BigXthaPlug was named the innovator of the year at Billboard’s Country Power Players event, held in Nashville.

“I wouldn’t say my version of country music is country music. It’s kind of mixing the two sounds,” he previously told Billboard. “I’m rapping on a bunch of country-style beats, but it’s not just country. I’m not on there sounding like no cowboy; I’m rapping. I’m just doing it from a country standpoint. I’m not saying it was easy — it definitely was a challenge.”

See the full track list for BigXthaPlug’s I Hope You’re Happy below:

1. I Hope You’re Happy (feat. Darius Rucker)

2. Gone (interlude)

3. Box Me Up (feat. Jelly Roll)

4. All the Way (feat. Bailey Zimmerman)

5. Hell at Night (feat. Ella Langley)

6. Gift & A Curse (interlude)

7. Pray Hard (feat. Luke Combs)

8. Home (feat. Shaboozey) 

9. 24/7 (feat. Ink)

10. About You (feat. Tucker Wetmore)

11. Long Nights (feat. Thomas Rhett)

Reneé Rapp scores her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart as her new project, BITE ME, bows atop the list dated Aug. 16. It’s her second top 10 on the tally, following the No. 10-peaking Snow Angel in 2023. BITE ME launches with Rapp’s best sales week ever, 47,000 copies sold in the United States in the week ending Aug. 7, according to Luminate.

BITE ME’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across 11 vinyl variants (including signed editions) and five CD variants (including signed editions). Vinyl purchases accounted for 63% of the album’s first-week sales (30,000 of 47,000) and the set launches at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart.

BITE ME also starts at No. 3 on the overall Billboard 200, marking Rapp’s first top 10 on that list.

Also in the new top 10 of Top Album Sales, $uicidBoy$ land their highest charting album yet with the No. 2 bow of THY KINGDOM COME, Yeat nabs his third top 10-charted project with DANGEROUS SUMMER’s start at No. 3, and the live album from Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton, Live at the Legion, debuts at No. 7.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units. The new Aug. 16, 2025-dated Top Album Sales chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Aug. 13.

Back on the Top Album Sales ranking, $uicideBoy$ scores their highest-charting set ever as THY KINGDOM COME debuts at No. 2 with 23,000 copies sold. Vinyl purchases fueled the set’s first-week, with 83% of its sales owed to vinyl (19,000 of 23,000), garnering the hip-hop act its best week ever on vinyl. The project debuts at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart, boosted by its availability across six vinyl variants.

Yeat clocks his third top 10-charted effort on Top Album Sales as DANGEROUS SUMMER starts at No. 3 with 16,000 sold (aided by its availability across three CD variants, all signed, exclusive to his webstore).

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s chart-topping The Star Chapter: TOGETHER falls to No. 4 (15,000 sold, down 76%) after premiering at No. 1 a week ago. Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out rises 8-5 (11,000, though down 5%) and TWICE’s THIS IS FOR steps 10-6 (8,000, down 6%).

Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton’s Live at the Legion enters at No. 7 on Top Album Sales, following its physical release on CD and vinyl on Aug. 1. It sold nearly 6,000 copies in the latest tracking week, up from a negligible sum in the previous week. (It was previously available to purchase only as a digital download, upon its initial release on April 7.) The set captures the pair’s concert at Nashville’s American Legion Post #82 on April 7, 2024.

Vinyl purchases make up the majority of Live at the Legion’s sales for the week, with 88% of its sales (a little over 5,000) coming from vinyl purchases. Assisted by its availability across three variants, the set starts at No. 4 on Vinyl Albums.

Live at the Legion also reenters the Bluegrass Albums chart at No. 1, for its first week atop the tally, with 6,000 equivalent album units earned. It’s the ninth No. 1 for Strings and first for Sutton.

Rounding out the rest of the top 10 on the latest Top Album Sales chart: Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist’s Alfredo 2 falls 5-8 in its second week (nearly 6,000, down 62%), Tyler Childers’ Snipe Hunter drops 2-9 in its second frame (a little over 5,000, down 80%) and ENHYPEN’s chart-topping DESIRE : UNLEASH rises 14-10 (5,000, up 5%).

Cam’ron just upped the ante in his ongoing feud with actor Omar Gooding.

The rapper-turned-host recently took to Instagram to reveal that he pranked Gooding by hiring him as an actor for a fake movie.

“I booked the n—a to do a movie that’s never coming out like three weeks ago,” Cam told his followers. “Yeah, Omar. That movie that you flew down to Miami for? It ain’t no movie coming out. I booked you. And I was laughing at you behind the scenes. I was there. I was sitting there laughing at you. And you know what? Now you’re coming on Revolt tonight because you signed the paperwork. I could do whatever with the footage.”

He then finished the video by saying he wanted to hire Gooding for a baby shower and claimed that he’s going to start booking his enemies. “Now do another record; I’ma book you for my goddaughter’s baby shower,” he said. “Her sh– is in October and we’ll book you to do all the diss records. I’ll pay you for that too because what I’ma start doing is paying n—as just to laugh at them. It cost me $3,500 to do everything to book you — the hotel, your flight, all that sh–. It costs me $12,000 to $13,000 to go to the NBA game. I’d just rather laugh at you for $3,500.”

He added: “Be careful. This is my new sh–. It’s called, ‘Book My Opps.’”

Gooding then responded with his own video on Instagram saying that he wanted to apologize for what he was about to do to Cam in yet another diss record, saying, “It’s gon’ be diabolical,” before also thanking the Harlem rapper for the free trip to Miami and asked him to book him again.

“Keep booking, I’ma keep spendin’ it,” he said before ending the clip.

The back and forth between Gooding and Killa dates back to a December 2024 episode of Talk With Flee when Cam’ron mistakenly confused Omar Gooding with his older brother Cuba Gooding Jr. by adding the Jr. suffix after the younger Gooding’s name during a conversation with 50 Cent about certain Black actors not having consistent work unless someone like 50 hires them.

“No disrespect to nobody I’m talking about,” Cam said to the Queens filmmaker. “Like Ving Rhames, you sitting around, or Omar Gooding Jr., y’all n—as sitting around — I would have saved my money and shot my own sh– by now — but the Black actor has to sit around for a 50 Cent or somebody in your lane to come pick them up to put them in something.”

Omar Gooding has released three diss records (and counting) aimed at Cam’ron.

The Only Murders in the Building crew are keeping their friends close, and their murder suspects closer. In a Tuesday (Aug. 12) trailer for the show’s highly anticipated fifth season, Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin’s characters find themselves in the middle of a modern-day Godfather situation, with the trio having to get cozy with members of the New York City mafia to solve their latest mysteries.

The two-and-a-half-minute teaser opens with the death of doorman Lester, who is found in an outdoor fountain pooling with his blood. After the cops rule the shocking situation an “accident,” the Arconia mystery solvers must “go face to face with the mob” — as Martin’s character puts it — to find clarity.

“This isn’t the mob, this is the new mob of New York” says a distressed Short after meeting a group of gangster brothers in the trailer.

Elsewhere in the video, the gang crashes Lester’s funeral to get answers — and at one point, Martin unceremoniously checks the doorman’s casket to see if the body still has all 10 fingers. As mourners start yelling at him for defiling the corpse, the Rare Beauty founder says hilariously, “We’re all going to Hell.”

The new trailer comes about two months after Gomez revealed that she and her fellow cast and crew had wrapped filming for the fifth season of Only Murders. Sharing an emotional video of her last day on set, the star wrote on Instagram, “To my only murders family, the past 5 years you all have seen my best and my worst.”

“I hope [you’re] reading this because I deeply appreciate each and every one of you,” she added at the time. “Words can’t describe how much I love what we’ve all created and we wouldn’t be here without you all!”

In addition to the core trio behind Only Murders, Meryl Streep will also return for the fifth season, which will premiere on Hulu on Sept. 9. The new installment also stars Renée Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz, Keegan-Michael Key, Beanie Feldstein and more fresh faces.

Watch the trailer for season 5 of Only Murders in the Building above.