With Megan Thee Stallion on his arm, Klay Thompson and the Houston Hottie turned heads during her annual Pete & Thomas Foundation Gala. While on the red carpet, the NBA star gushed over his new relationship, telling US Weekly, he was “honored to be by her side.” “Well, it feels incredible because Megan is such a special person, and she inspires so many around the world. I’ve seen it firsthand. This is just another incredible feat of hers to be able to give back, create a foundation, and raise a ton of money for those in need,” he told the outlet. @usweekly Klay Thompson couldn’t stop gushing over Megan Thee Stallion at the NYC Gala and honestly, we get it. Tap the link in our bio for the full details. ♬ original sound – Us Weekly – Us Weekly However, one of the most touching moments of the conversation is when Thompson admitted he was disappointed he couldn’t meet Megan’s parents — Holly Thomas, who died back in 2019 due to a brain tumor, and Joseph Pete Jr., in 2015, for unknown reasons. Thompson says he “would have loved to meet Holly and Joe,” and that they’d “be so proud of their only daughter [for] not only what she’s been able to accomplish, but also what she’s also going to continue to do.” He added, “She has never been put in a box or allowed herself to be in a box, and she just continues to inspire so many people around the world. And, on top of that, raise a ton of money this evening and just do so much for so many in need.” That same night, Megan Thee Stallion spoke with PEOPLE about her new man, claiming that they’re first interaction was “such a meet-cute… like a f*cking movie.” She added, “He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met in my life.” This appearance marks a significant public moment for the two, who had previously sparked dating rumors after a trip to the Bahamas earlier in July. Fans spotted them together in vacation photos shared on social media, suggesting a potential romance.

Per TMZ, Robbie Pardlo, a member of the former R&B trio City High, has tragically passed away at the age of 46. A representative close to the singer told the outlet that family and friends surrounded Pardlo during his last moments. Unfortunately, on Thursday, July 17, Pardlo was pronounced dead in Willingboro, NJ. So far, the cause of death has not been shared with the public. However, TMZ reports that the family is currently preparing for his upcoming memorial service, which has yet to be revealed. City High, an R&B trio comprising Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo, and Claudette Ortiz, burst onto the music scene during the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s. The group’s debut project, City High, was released in May 2001 to critical acclaim, mainly due to their Wyclef Jean-produced single, “What Would You Do?” NEW YORK, NY – July 2003: MANDATORY CREDIT Bill Tompkins/Getty Images Ryan Toby, Claudette Ortiz and Robbie Pardlo of the band City High July 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Bill Tompkins/Getty Images) The track was featured on the 1999 film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. However, it was not formally released for public consumption until 2001 with the release of their debut album. According to Billboard, the song peaked at No.8 on the Billboard Hot 100. While the young and up-and-coming group spawned two more singles, “Caramel,” which peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “City High Anthem,” the latter single was not as successful as the ones prior and did not chart. That said, the group’s album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group, and had reached gold status according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Despite their critical acclaim, the trio would disband while recording their sophomore project. According to Ryan Toby in a 2020 interview, the project “wasn’t as good as the first album” and was “a little rushed.” He added, “There was some turmoil in the group; the vibe and chemistry were off. We decided to walk away.”

Ashanti has no problem keeping Nelly on his toes—and she proved it during their recent appearance on Hot Ones: Versus. The R&B star, now back in the spotlight with her longtime love and a new reality show, wasn’t afraid to bring up a moment from their past that fans have long speculated about. Ashanti playfully asks Nelly about the other woman he brought to Verzuz on the night he made a move to win her back! pic.twitter.com/hdO076uugO — FAVULATE (@favulate) July 16, 2025 “I have a question… I may regret this,” she began, eyeing Nelly with a smirk. “You mentioned you brought someone with you to Verzuz… who was that?” The question referred to the night in 2021 when the couple reconnected after nearly a decade apart. While the moment was romantic for many fans, Ashanti clearly hadn’t forgotten the other mystery guest from that evening. Nelly, clearly caught off guard, laughed and tried to dodge the topic. “You know what, I don’t even remember that lady. She was a nobody,” he joked. Instead of pressing further, Ashanti let him squirm—and Nelly eventually chose to take a bite of a blazing hot wing to avoid saying more. To this day, the identity of the woman from that Verzuz night remains unknown. Outside of spicy questions, the couple has been opening up about their relationship in more heartfelt ways. In a recent interview with Cocoa Butter, Nelly reflected on Ashanti’s music and revealed which of her songs means the most to him. “‘Rain on Me’ was at a different time in our relationship,” he said. “We gon’ slide that along and stick with ‘Baby.’ […] Some of those records include my brother Ja [Rule]. But ‘Baby’ is all my wife. I’m riding with that one.” With a reality show, new music like “This Lil’ Game We Play,” and their undeniable chemistry, Ashanti and Nelly continue to serve love, laughs, and a little heat.

Flau’jae Johnson recently shared a personal story that shed light on a meaningful connection with Boosie Badazz—one that goes far beyond music or fame. During her sit-down with Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast, the LSU athlete and rapper opened up about how Boosie stepped into her life during a time when she needed guidance the most. Her father, rapper Camoflauge, was killed in 2003, just months after she was born. Growing up without him left a noticeable void, but Boosie, who was a close friend of Camoflauge, quietly became a supportive figure throughout her life. “He’s got a heart of gold. He’ll give you the shirt off his back,” Flau’jae said. “He showed me love and took care of me like I was his child while I was in his presence. He’ll always have my respect.” She recalled how Boosie would always step in when her mother couldn’t meet a big need, and she spoke with appreciation about the sense of security and love he brought her. “If I ever needed anything big and my momma said she couldn’t do it, Boosie would come through. It was just crazy to me because I never had a father figure,” she explained. Though she acknowledged that Boosie has had his share of controversial moments, Flau’jae made it clear that her admiration for him runs deep. “I can’t defend all his off-the-wall antics,” she said, “but I will always have love for him.” The interview quickly made its way to social media, where fans applauded Boosie’s quiet acts of kindness. Many praised his humility and loyalty, noting that for over two decades, he’s never publicly boasted about what he’s done for Flau’jae—he just showed up when it mattered.

Megan Thee Stallion is committed to honoring her late parents, father Joseph Pete Jr., and mother Holly Thomas. Meg’s Pete & Thomas Foundation held its inaugural gala at Gotham Hall in New York City on Wednesday, July 16. The gala event raised more than “$1.2 million to support education, housing, health, and wellness.” Taraji P. Henson hosted the gala, and Muni Long performed. Speaking with PEOPLE, Megan spoke about the importance of honoring her parents with non-profit work. “I feel like they can see what I’m doing right now,” Megan shared. “I feel like they’re looking down on me from heaven, and I feel like they’re like, ‘Yes, daughter.’” “I feel like my momma’s so happy. I feel like she is clapping. I feel like my great grandma is so happy,” adds Megan. “I feel like my daddy is like, ‘This is exactly what I knew my child was gonna do.’ So yeah, I feel like they’re super proud.” Launched in 2022, the Pete & Thomas Foundation was established in honor of her father, who died when she was 15 years old, and her mother, who succumbed to brain cancer in 2019. Megan arrived at the gala accompanied by NBA star Klay Thompson. The couple recently confirmed they are an item. Megan gushed about how the two met. “Oh, we met and it was such a meet cute it was like a f**king movie,” she explained. “I won’t tell you how and I won’t tell you when, but it was a movie.” At the event, according to a press release, Thompson scored a $50K bid for two Super Bowl LX tickets during the auction. Also, Lil Uzi Vert won a $30K bid for an Eliantte bracelet, and Fat Joe scored a 10-guest dinner at Melba’s Restaurant with a $26K bid.

After Cynthia Erivo showed her love for Sisqo‘s vocals on the “Thong Song,” the Dru Hill lead singer has finally given his response. “Let me find out they been talking about the Dragon on the interwebs and in these streets,” Sisqo said in the video. “Much love to Cynthia Erivo,” he said later in the video.  Sisqo then went on to express his admiration for the talents of Erivo. “Man, I’ve been following Cynthia. She’s a superb vocalist. Superb actress. I first saw her in ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ [a 2018 horror-thriller film]. She was singing in that movie,” Sisqo explained. “Usually I hate singing in a movie unless I know I’m going to [see] a musical […] She’s also in ‘Wicked‘ with another incredible vocalist, Ariana Grande and for me to respect her as a vocalist and an actor, and for her to shout out with these accolades, I was both humbled and pleasantly surprised.” Sisqó responds to Cynthia Erivo naming “Thong Song” one of the greatest vocal performances of all time pic.twitter.com/xtzbqP1CX8 — RNB RADAR (@RNB_RADAR) July 3, 2025 In the viral video, Erivo lauded Sisqo’s epic performance on the classic song. “Why do you need to sing like this when singing about a thong?” “The whole end section of this song is so unnecessary. There’s a key change. There’s a whole praise break at some point in this with his voice,” she said. “It’s ridiculous. You don’t need to sing like that, and he does. He’s just enjoying himself, and the voice is doing what it’s meant to be doing. Fast forward to the very end and turn it up!” Cynthia Erivo expressing awe about Sisqo’s vocals in “Thong Song” is pure comedy. pic.twitter.com/gio2QoGakf — SIDNEY (@sidneydiogu) July 4, 2025 She continued, “You can’t tell me that that’s not a good vocal because it is a good vocal. That’s a brilliant vocal for a song about a thong […] I just love how he uses his voice for something that you wouldn’t expect a voice to be used for. Now, are there other performances of Sisqo’s that warrant this? Probably, but I just was like this was the one that didn’t need him to do that, and yet he did. Hats off to you, Sisqo.”

Ty Dolla $ign has proclaimed Leon Thomas the new “King of R&B.” After Thomas’ set at the  Wireless Festival in London, Ty spoke glowingly about his artist and mentee. “We started our record company EZMNY — me and Shawn Barron — and signed Leon Thomas, who is now the new king of this sh*t. He’s the easiest artist I’ve worked with — ever in life,” Ty told Billboard.“He’s the new example of what an artist should be, in my eyes.” Ty went on to recall a meeting where Thomas used a PowerPoint presentation in front of the executives at Capitol and Motown Records. “We were in a label meeting. EZMNY, Motown and Capitol. When we go into this meeting, this man pulls out his laptop and asks for it to be hooked up to the TV so we can talk about what’s going to happen with this new album. He pulls up a f**king PowerPoint display,” Ty Dolla $ign said. “These are the colors I want to use. This is the stage. These are videos, and the people I want to work with for the videos. And these are the people who I want to style me. And this is the work.” While his talent is obvious, Ty is most impressed with Thomas’ creative process and work ethic. “A lot of people need to give them ideas. You have to make it for them, and he showed me there are people who know the whole thing,” Ty explained. “You go years and years of f**king with different artists and them blaming you for the way their success went when it’s really on you, just like how it was all on me.” In September 2024, Thomas released MUTT, his critically acclaimed sophomore album. The project was named the #1 R&B Album of 2024 by Billboard and VIBE, and has been recognized on several other “Best of 2024” lists.

Sexyy Red and Drake’s bond is proving to be more than just industry ties—it’s genuine friendship with plenty of unforgettable moments. Recently, footage emerged from Drake’s Wealth and Hellness retreat showing the two turning up before most people have had their morning coffee. View this post on Instagram A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) In clips shared online, guests like comedian BenDaDonn, former NFL player Johnny Manziel, and DJ Zack Bia were spotted enjoying the luxury event alongside Sexyy Red and her crew. At one point, the group gathered around a bar, kicking off the day with a round of shots. While Drake was initially empty-handed, peer pressure got the best of him. “I’m about to be f**ked up, man, it’s like 9 o’clock,” he said, before raising a glass with the rest of the group. It was a fitting nod to his lyric from “Signs”: “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning.” But it’s not just the party scenes that show how close the two have gotten. During his headlining set at London’s Wireless Festival on July 12, Drake surprised the crowd by bringing out Sexyy Red. She performed fan favorites like “SkeeYee,” “Pound Town,” and “Get It Sexyy,” before the duo shared the stage for their hit collab “Rich Baby Daddy.” Drake paused the show to give Red her flowers, calling her one of his best friends and thanking her for always checking in on him, especially in a year where loyalty has felt rare. Their connection has also led to big musical moments—Sexyy Red landed the first Drake feature following his public fallout with Kendrick Lamar. Their track “U My Everything,” which dropped in May 2024, quickly took over the charts, cementing their chemistry both on and off the mic.

Usher is showing off his skills as a pitchman. The Grammy Award winning singer is the new face of Ralph Lauren Fragrance’s brand-new scent, Ralph’s Club New York Eau de Parfum, which pays tribute to New York City.  Speaking with PEOPLE, Usher recalled how much the Ralph Lauren brand means to him “It’s a journey come true,” Usher explained.”I couldn’t quite access Ralph. My mom and family couldn’t afford it, so to finally receive a Ralph Lauren shirt was a major treat as a kid.” He also spoke about recording  his first album in 1997 in New York City,how wearing Polo Sport gear represented “New York culture.”  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ralph Lauren (@ralphlauren) “I had obviously seen advertisements with Tyson Bedford and Naomi Campbell, That made it aspirational,” he said. There was just something about them. That was my first introduction to Ralph Lauren,” Usher continued. “As I grew older, I learned that there was so much more to offer. There was an elegant side.” With Usher at the forefront, the Ralph Lauran campaign, which “captures the timeless glamour of Manhattan’s golden age” according to a press release, he’s decked out in the label as well. “I think we were all in the afterglow of what had happened in Las Vegas,” Usher says of the style direction for the campaign. “I think around that time, I really just decided to dress up for my fans.” A lot of the clothing that we made for the campaign was special made — never made before, probably never made again — and these were all things that I felt like represented the next chapter for me, represented what I felt was a collaboration that would be worthy of Ralph’s legacy and also would give me the freedom to be myself in his house.” Of all of his accomplishments, working with Ralph Lauren is one of his greatest achievements. “I feel proud of where I have gone over time, with fashion. It’s led me to this very timeless character in terms of how I dress,” Usher said. “Whether it’s very formal, or a little bit more relaxed and casual, it’s always fresh.”

Damon Dash is facing mounting legal pressure in Manhattan federal court after failing to comply with a court order related to a $4 million default judgment. AllHipHop reports that court documents filed on July 14 confirm that Dash has not submitted key ownership documents required to initiate the sale of his assets through a public auction. The U.S. Marshal’s Office cannot proceed without them. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dame Dash (@duskopoppington) U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Lehrburger criticized Dash’s lack of cooperation, describing it as part of a “pattern of non-compliance and delay.” He has ordered Dash to appear in court on July 31 at 10 a.m. to explain his inaction. Should he fail to appear, the court may issue a warrant for his arrest and impose additional financial penalties. Dash can avoid those outcomes by filing the missing paperwork by July 30. The dispute stems from a long-standing legal fight over the 2019 film Dear Frank. Dash was removed from the production but later asserted ownership, leading filmmaker Josh Webber and Muddy Water Pictures to sue for copyright infringement and defamation. A 2022 judgment ordered Dash to pay $805,000 after he missed court deadlines and refused to mediate. Tensions escalated further in 2025 after Dash made defamatory comments about Webber during an appearance on the Earn Your Leisure podcast. The remarks resulted in a $4 million default judgment against him. To recover damages, the court approved the sale of Dash’s business holdings, including stakes in Dash Films Inc., Bluroc LLC, Blakroc LLC, Lebanon Improvements LLC, Ocean East Improvements LLC, and 1996 Songs LLC. Poppington LLC was also directed to hand over copyright certificates tied to multiple film projects. Webber’s attorneys say those documents remain outstanding. In a recent court filing, Webber’s legal team asked the court to issue an arrest warrant and transfer control of Dash’s disputed assets to the U.S. Marshal. Dash previously sold his one-third interest in Roc-A-Fella Records in December 2024 for a little over $1 million, but the funds were absorbed by outstanding debts to New York State and did not offset the full judgment. With no resolution in sight, the court is now moving to liquidate the remaining assets. The U.S. Marshal will oversee the auction, and any excess proceeds will be returned to Dash once the judgment is settled in full.