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Sources say feds are searching the homes of Sean “Diddy” Combs as part of a sex trafficking investigation

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NEW YORK (AP) — Two properties owned by music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami were searched Monday by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement agencies as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

It is unclear whether Combs was a goal of the investigation. The officials weren’t authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “has initiated law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with the assistance of HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners.”

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.

Law enforcement officers stand at the entrance to a property belonging to rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, Monday, March 25, 2024, on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Messages to Combs’ lawyers and other representatives searching for comment weren’t immediately returned.

A police line was arrange around a Los Angeles home in the affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood near Beverly Hills. KABC-TV’s helicopter footage shows a group of agents wearing vests indicating they were from the Department of Homeland Security gathered in the backyard of a home near the swimming pool. A command post was arrange outside the home, and agents continued to come back and go several hours after the search began.

There were several of them sexual assault trials brought against Combs in recent months.

In February, the music producer filed a lawsuit alleging that Combs forced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs’ attorney, Shawn Holley, said of the allegations that “we have overwhelming, irrefutable evidence that his claims are complete lies.”

She was Combs’ protégé and girlfriend R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November, alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The case was settled the day after it was filed.

Combs’ other accuser was a woman who claimed the rap producer raped her twenty years ago when she was 17.

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The Associated Press doesn’t typically name individuals who say they’ve been victims of sexual abuse unless they arrive forward publicly, as Cassie did.

In a December statement, Combs said: “I did not do any of the terrible things I am accused of.”

Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer representing Cassie and one other woman who sued Combs, said in a statement Monday: “We hope this is the beginning of a lawsuit that holds Mr. Combs accountable for his depraved behavior.”

It is unclear whether the search is said to any of the allegations raised in the lawsuit.

Combs is one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the last three a long time. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s largest empires, leading the way with several entities associated together with his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy Award winner who has worked with many top artists, including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.

Combs created the Sean John fashion clothing line, launched the music-focused television channel Revolt and produced the reality show “Making the Band” for MTV.

Law enforcement officers drive a vehicle down a street near a Los Angeles property owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs after a raid by federal law enforcement on March 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

His latest album, “The Love Album – Off the Grid,” was released last 12 months, days after Combs was honored at the MTV VMAs. It was nominated for best progressive R&B album at February’s Grammy Awards, where the rap mogul was not in attendance.

In the years since stories about the movie mogul broke, the entertainment industry has been suffering from a regular stream of allegations of career-ending sexual misconduct Harvey Weinstein began the #MeToo movement in 2017. Weinstein and star of That ’70s Show. Danny Masterson each of them is serving prison sentences following rape convictions. Dozens of civil lawsuits have been filed against distinguished figures.

It’s not the music industry that has faced a reckoning as much as the singer and producer R. Kelly is serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing young fans, seven women sued the hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons claiming he raped them, and two women sued the Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler alleging sexual assault.

WeinsteinMasterson and Kelly are appealing their convictions, and Simmons has denied all charges against him. One lawsuit against Tyler was dismissed, and he’s contesting the other.


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Kendrick Lamar tops Apple Music song charts in 2024 and women are making history

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NEW YORK (AP) — “Not Like Us” but people sure like him: Kendrick Lamar Smash topped Apple Music’s global song chart in 2024 as a large music streamer published year-end lists Tuesday and provided listeners with data on their most listened to songs.

“Not Like Us” is Lamar’s first-ever song to succeed in primary on the worldwide year-end charts.

In second place is “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” is third, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is fourth, and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” is fifth.

“Cruel Summer” is, in fact, a fraction of Swift’s seventh studio album “Lover”, released in 2019. revival in summer 2023

Of the 100 songs on the chart, 39 are songs by female-identifying artists, which is the primary record in the worldwide chart’s seven-year history.

And this may occasionally come as a surprise: Japanese hip-hop band Creepy Nuts’ breakthrough song “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” topped Apple’s most read lyrics in 2024. Other Creepy Nuts songs include “Not Like Us”, “Espresso” and “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish.

“Bling-Bang-Band-Born” also topped the Apple Music song chart, which allows users to see which songs fans sang along to probably the most. It is obvious that Japanese music is becoming more and more popular internationally: in 2023 one other Japanese group, YOASOBI, topped the Sing charts in its inaugural yr, with “Idol”. “Idol” continues to dominate this yr, peaking at #2.

New to the 2024 year-end charts set is the addition of the Shazam Global Radio Spins chart, which uses Shazam to see what songs are being played on radio stations world wide. “Houdini” by Dua Lipa Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Tate McRae’s “Greedy” top the list.

Also available Tuesday might be Replay — Apple’s alternative to Spotify’s Wrapped playlist — which allows Apple Music subscribers to experience the most well-liked music on the streaming service this yr. Artists can now also share their year-end data using Apple Music for Artists.

In November, Apple Music named Eilish Female Artist of the Year, following her hugely successful 2024. This yr, Eilish became the youngest person to ever win the award two Academy Awards, and released her critically acclaimed third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which gained popularity seven 2025 Grammy Awards nominations. At this yr’s awards ceremony, she accepted two latest record player-shaped trophies – despite the fact that she hasn’t released a brand new album – each for “What Was I Made For?” With hit movie “Barbie”.

“It’s always special when a young artist can connect with so many people so quickly,” Rachel Newman, senior director of content and editorial at Apple Music, said in an announcement. “But what has been truly remarkable about watching her evolve over the past yr will not be only that her voice and artistry proceed to resonate so widely. The point is that she blossomed as bravely and truthfully as she did – on her own terms and in her own way.

I don't want a dog. I'm getting a dog

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Kendrick Lamar and SZA embark on their ‘Grand National’ tour across North America, including Toronto. MUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!

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We all knew this was coming. Kendrick Lamar dropped his latest album “GNX” on the Friday before Thanksgiving and people were screaming “MUSTAAAAAAAAAARD” over Kendrick’s hilarious shouting of DJ Mustard’s name on the song “tv off.” This appears to be the case for DJ Mustard, who recently wrote that he I shouted as I walked down the road forgetting that he was referring to himself. Good times.

Anyway, because Kendrick is the variety of artist who abandons a project and then continues an enormous tour to support heron Tuesday, December 3, 2024, his press team spammed all of our inboxes with a press release announcing that Kendrick and SZA were embarking on the “Grand National Tour,” a 19-city stadium tour crisscrossing North America. Makes sense. The show covers most major cities within the United States – the New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Washington, DC, Vegas, Philadelphia, etc. – and one fun little performance on June 12, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

This guy.

If you’ve got literally been living under a rock or spent 12 months recording “Naked & Afraid” or something, you realize that Kendrick Lamar and one in all Canada’s biggest exports, Drake, were embroiled in a tiff that included criminal charges, legal motion, bops, and an absolute song 2024’s ‘Not Like Us’ where Kendrick Lamar beat Draked Drake in every way possible. Drake is, in fact, from Toronto. Considering that Kendrick and Drake haven’t only repeatedly attacked one another lyrically over the past nine months, but their teams, supporters, and fans have also taken sides, performing together in their respective cities really didn’t seem to be a no brainer. that may occur. At least not now. Drake continues to be Drake, although his luster has been greatly enhanced (some due to Kendrick, others since the claims of the colonizers are beginning to look more accurate than we would love, no matter what “business” dictates), so in fact when he decides to set out tour to support whatever he’s doing, he’ll Los Angeles.

I feel the identical might be said about Kendrick. Should he NOT go to Toronto because he’s arguing with Jimmy within the wheelchair? I assume that is silly. Plus, Kendrick told us he really loves New Ho King, a restaurant in Toronto. Shouldn’t he go for fried rice and dipping sauce? Of course I did, especially after it went away claimed that Drake shut down TDE artist SiR’s performance at a location in Toronto.

I hope everyone has their popcorn ready because that is just diabolical. Like, honey, after you go to the Super Bowl and perform “Not Like Us” (that is gonna be wiiiiiiiild) for hundreds of thousands of individuals, are you going to do the identical thing at Drake Stadium? I do not even know what to say here. If Kendrick ever desired to make an announcement, performing “Not Like Us” in Toronto to a sold-out arena that screamed “A-minoooooooor” in unison and then screamed “MUSSSSTAAAAAAAAAARD” could be the stuff of legend.

I ponder who comes up with these schedules and locations. I assume LiveNation gave Kendrick a listing of places and he replied, “Yes, Toronto.” Now that I give it some thought, I’m really surprised he won’t stop in Toronto on June 16, which is Tupac’s birthday, considering what a distinguished (and weird) role Tupac played in all this. It almost looks as if an oversight on Kendrick’s part – either that or the room was booked that day.

Who knows what’s going to occur? It’s doubtful, but perhaps between now and the beginning of Kendrick’s tour, Kendrick and Drake will sit down with Farrakhan (or anyone this generation holds in high regard) and squash the meat and we’ll never hear “Not Like Us.” have performed again, with Kendrick safely traversing Canadian soil while Drake has been digging within the bag and actually releasing an album that shows some growth – or a minimum of real ambition. Once again, I doubt this can occur, so I’ll just patiently wait until June 12, 2025 is circled on my calendar.

BLACKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

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It’s almost time for Spotify Wrapped. When can you expect the 2024 summary?

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NEW YORK (AP) – It’s almost that time of yr: Spotify is preparing to release an annual, personalized summary of users’ listening habits and the yr in the audio industry.

Spotify has been providing its listeners with data sheets since 2016. Year by yr it becomes an increasingly larger production and Internet sensation. Spotify said his yr 2023 is closed was “the largest ever created” by way of audience reach and sort of data provided.

So what is going to 2024 bring? Here’s what you have to know ahead of this yr’s edition of Spotify Wrapped.

What exactly is Spotify Wraped?

It’s an annual have a look at individual listening trends, in addition to trends around the world on the streaming service. Users discover their top artists, songs, genres, albums and podcasts, multi functional interactive presentation.

The campaign has turn into a social media sensation as people share and compare their Wrapped data with their friends and followers online.

Previous versions gave users all types of charts and facts, including whether or not they were amongst an artist’s hottest listeners, in addition to a personalised playlist of the yr’s 100 hottest songs that they may save, share, and take heed to each time they wanted. nostalgic.

Spotify also creates a series of playlists that reflect national and global listening trends, featuring the hottest artists and songs streamed. In 2023 Taylor Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotifyunseating Bad Bunny, who had held the title for three years in a row.

Every yr holds something latest. In 2019, Wrapped featured a decade-long summary of user trends in streaming. Last yr, Spotify matched listeners to City of Sound based on their artistic interests and the way this overlaps with those of artists from other parts of the world.

When is the expected release date?

So far, the streaming platform has kept the long-awaited release date of Wrapped under… hmm, under wraps.

In previous years, it was published after Thanksgiving, between November 30 and December 6.

Every yr, rumors spread on social media about when Spotify will stop collecting data to organize its summary results. This yr was no exception. Spotify He quickly debunked these assumptionsasserting on social media that “Spotify Wrapped doesn’t stop counting on October 31st.”

A Spotify representative didn’t reply to a request for comment on when the company will stop data tracking for Wrapped.

Where can I find my Spotify Wrapped?

Once Wrapped is released, each user’s Spotify account will prompt them to view an interactive data summary. It can be accessed through the Spotify smartphone app or via by logging in to Spotify. Wrapped is out there to users with and and not using a Premium subscription.

What else can I learn from my Spotify data?

There are several third-party sites you can connect your Spotify account to that can analyze your Wrapped data.

How bad is your Spotify is an AI bot that assesses your music taste. Reception shares the best songs in a shared graphic that appears like a receipt. Instafest gives you your individual personal music festival-style lineup, powered by your best artists. What sort of NPRCore are you rates how similar your music taste is to NPR Music.

Missed a black girl's day off? On December 2, celebrate National Black Women's Day of Rest

What if I haven’t got Spotify?

Other major streaming platforms like Apple Music and YouTube Music have developed their very own versions of Wrapped in recent times.

Apple Music Replay not only gives its subscribers an end-of-year summary of their listening habits, but additionally monthly summaries – a feature that helps differentiate itself from Spotify’s one-time summary. This is issued at the end of the calendar yr.

Meanwhile, YouTube Music offers its listeners similar year-end releases, in addition to periodic seasonal releases throughout the yr. Earlier this month, it published its annual summary for users.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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