Doja Cat is returning to pop music on her fifth album, Vie. Speaking with V Magazine, the Grammy-winning artist is embracing the genre after distancing herself from it. “I do want to be self-aware enough to admit the fact that this is a pop-driven project,” she said. “I know that I can make pop music, and pop is just that it’s popular. It starts to become a bit of a thing that’s viewed as a sport by people who are just bystanders to it, who enjoy it, but maybe also don’t respect it or what it is, which is just music. There are some people who don’t see it as music. They see it as if this is some kind of football for girls and gays.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by V Magazine (@vmagazine) Doja also said that she has been working on her vocal skills while creating the highly anticipated project. “Sometimes I’m surprised by what I can do now because I could not f**king sing… I have a lot more knowledge of how to use my voice as an instrument, more than I ever have in my life.” While Doja didn’t confirm a release date for Vie, her last album, Scarlet, dropped in September 2023 and marked a darker, more experimental turn away from the mainstream pop that initially catapulted her to fame. In a tweet in April 2023,  Doja said that pop was no longer “exciting” to her, and it changed her approach to making music. “I wanted to play with that nostalgia by using these Lo-Fi sounds and samples and things that reminded you of something from your childhood, but it wasn’t on the nose ’80s,” she said.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted Wednesday of the most serious charges in his federal sex crimes trial, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, but convicted on two counts of transportation for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. The jury returned its mixed verdict after three days of deliberations, closing one of the most closely watched trials in recent memory. The decision marks a partial win for Diddy’s defense team, which rested its case without calling a single witness over the course of the seven-week proceedings. Still, the outcome carries weight: U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian denied his request for bail, citing his “continued danger to others.” The judge added that Diddy’s legal team had already “acknowledged his involvement in domestic violence.” Diddy, 55, appeared emotional as the verdict was read. He knelt in prayer, thanking his family and legal team, who embraced each other in relief. Defense attorney Alex Agnifilo argued that Diddy should be granted release after nearly a year in custody, offering a $1 million bond and describing his client as a “model prisoner” committed to personal growth. The sentencing date has been set for October 3. Federal prosecutors are pushing for a four- to five-year prison term tied to the lesser convictions, while the defense is expected to push for a more lenient outcome. Decades of Alleged Abuse Take Center Stage in Diddy Trial The trial placed a spotlight on Diddy’s decades-long career, tracing his rise as the founder of Bad Boy Records and a key figure in hip-hop’s commercial ascent. Allegations from his former partner, singer Cassie Ventura, were among the first to surface publicly, prompting broader scrutiny and setting the stage for a legal battle that has drawn national attention. Over 30 witnesses took the stand, including former assistants and collaborators. The prosecution presented a portrait of control and coercion stretching over two decades. Key testimonies came from three women, including Ventura, who alleged sexual assault, psychological manipulation, and abuse. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors they didn’t need to find every act non-consensual to reach a guilty verdict: “This is not an all-or-nothing case.” Agnifilo countered by framing Diddy as a flawed but not criminal figure. “We own the domestic violence,” he told the jury, but insisted that no criminal conspiracy existed. While the verdict is in, Diddy still faces several civil suits related to sexual misconduct—allegations he has categorically denied.

Dave Chappelle is questioning DJ Khaled’s silence on the war in Gaza While performing at the sold-out Etihad Arena as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season,  an audience member shouted out Khaled’s name, which led to Chappelle offering a critique of Khaled’s alleged failure to side with his people “DJ Khaled, let me tell you something,” he began. “For a Palestinian, this man is awfully quiet right now. And as a Palestinian, how could you be that quiet right now? And why are you so fat? People are starving. He’s the only fat Palestinian on Earth right now.” Since the conflict broke out in October 2023,  Chappelle has been passionate about the suffering of Palestinians. During a performance in Abu Dhabi, he desribed Israel’s actions as “genocide,” as the crowd cheered. Chappelle is not the only one who’s wondering about Khaled not taking a stance or doing anything to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Back in February 2024, Fadie Musallet, Khaled’s cousin, expressed his disappointment over the “All I Do Is Win” super producer’s silence. “There’s no reason, there’s no excuse when you’re actually a Palestinian,” Musallet said during an interview. “For me, my mother lives there. We’re from the same village, same families. So, there’s no excuse… I do a lot of work with refugee camps, raise money for Gaza and the West Bank. I put my heart into this.” .

Suge Knight claims that Tupac Shakur’s friends smoked his cremated ashes following his death. Speaking with PEOPLE, Knight told the outlet that some of Shakur’s friends and family rolled the “I Get Around” rapper’s ashes into a blunt and smoked it. A bag with his ashes was passed around,” Knight said. “His homies rolled him up. They smoked him. You gotta understand, that’s what made sense. It was symbolic. It’s like… you keep part of him.” “I was so happy to say I was on probation — I couldn’t smoke,” Knight says. “I told his mother, ‘Mom, I’d love to, but if I hit that, I’ll get in trouble.’” He laughs. “I was probably the only one who didn’t hit him.” Knight also said that Afeni Shakur, Tupac’s mother, wanted to have her son cremated immediately without a funeral. Adhering to her request, Knight said he paid a million in cash to make sure her request was granted. By the end of that fateful night, Tupac’s inner circle paid tribute to him in an honorable way, On September 7, 1996, Shakur and Knight were ambushed at a red light after leaving the MGM Grand. Several shots were fired in Knight’s Bllack BMW. Shakur was shot four times, and Knight was grazed in the head. Knight recalled the tragic scene. “I got out and tried to tell the officers what happened while I was bleeding everywhere,” he says. “I then was getting Tupac out the car, even when the door was open. I had to go over there bleeding everywhere, take the seat belt off him.” Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, Shakur has sold more than  75 million records worldwide.

John Legend has responded to Kanye West’s saying that he smells like mashed potatoes. Back in March, West made the remarks while speaking to Akademiks dressed in an all-black ensemble reminiscent of KKK attire. “They say he smells like mashed potatoes,” West said at the time. “I don’t know where I got this from.” Appearing on HOT97’s Ebro in the Morning this week, Legend spoke about his former collaborator throwing shade at him. “He was very obsessed with the sweaters, and he said I smell like mashed potatoes,” Legend said. “What kind of potatoes? Cheesy, garlic?. … All of it makes me sad, though. All of it does. And it’s not for me because obviously, I smell great.” Elsewhere in the interview, Legend recalled working with West before they both had breakthrough success, and the Chicago rapper/producer had “so much energy and creativity and optimism.” He also noted the difference in West’s behavior and persona today. “Being a part of that was inspiring,” Legend recalled. “It was truly inspiring. That’s why it’s sad now. We did amazing things together as a collective, as a movement. … To be part of that was amazing. I have no regrets. Even though he’s gone, like, completely left now, I’m so glad that we did what we did together.” Along with the response to West, the EGOT winner is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his classic debut, Get Lifted, with a world tour. Legend shared the exciting news with his followers in March. “I’m so excited to announce that I’m heading back on the road for the Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour! Join me and my band for an unforgettable performance of the entire Get Lifted album—the album that introduced me to the world—plus a few favorites from my career that *all of you* know and love,” Legend shared at the time. After touring the European leg, Legend will be performing live throughout North America.

The jury in the federal trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs revealed Tuesday that they’ve reached decisions on most of the charges, but remain divided on one of the most serious accusations. After roughly 12 hours of deliberation, the panel informed the court they had agreed on four of the five counts but were unable to come to a consensus on the racketeering charge. According to a note sent to the judge, opinions were split with “unpersuadable jurors on both sides.” Inside the Manhattan courtroom, the atmosphere grew tense as Diddy sat quietly, shoulders low and visibly rattled. His team of attorneys gathered around him before the note was read aloud, and at one point, the music mogul was seen resting his head in his hands, clearly affected by the moment. Judge Arun Subramanian made it clear that the jury would not be permitted to deliver a partial verdict just yet. Both federal prosecutors and Combs’ defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, urged the judge to push for continued deliberations instead of accepting the partial outcome. Combs’ legal team even requested that the jury receive the judge’s instructions in person to help resolve the impasse. The unresolved charge—racketeering conspiracy—holds the harshest possible penalty, including a life sentence. The other four charges, which the jury has reportedly decided on, relate to sex trafficking and transporting individuals for prostitution. Two of those counts involve allegations of trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, with one count linked to Cassie Ventura and another to a woman identified only as “Jane.” The remaining two charges accuse Combs of arranging travel for both alleged victims and commercial sex workers for the purpose of prostitution. As deliberations continue, the courtroom remains on edge, with both sides awaiting a final decision that could have sweeping consequences.

Tia Kemp is calling out Chrisean Rock for alleged harassment, claiming she’s been receiving late-night phone calls she believes are coming from Rock. In a livestream shared on July 1st, Kemp is seen confronting an unknown caller as the situation quickly escalates. In the video, Kemp picks up a call during her livestream and immediately questions who’s on the other end. The caller says something unclear before hanging up. Kemp, visibly annoyed, tries calling the number back but gets no response. She then turns the camera toward her phone, revealing a series of text messages. One of them reads, “stop talking about me and my son,” suggesting the caller had an issue with Kemp’s recent public remarks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) Kemp has been vocal online about her concerns for Chrisean Rock’s son, Chrisean Jesus Porter. She’s drawn attention to the child’s development and recently criticized Rock, saying the two-year-old still can’t walk or run. Kemp also urged Rock to seek professional help for the toddler. Before this series of late-night harassment, both Kemp and Rock were involved in separate drama with Blueface. In June, Blueface shared footage of his home looking trashed and claimed Rock no longer lived there. Rock fired back during her own livestream, denying the claims and accusing Blueface of physically abusing her while she was pregnant. She also offered encouragement to women in similar abusive situations. Now, the tension between Kemp and Rock is flaring up, with Kemp pointing fingers over the strange calls and texts. While Rock hasn’t directly addressed the latest allegations, things between the two women are clearly heating up, and the drama doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Nelly has some choice words for former Vice-President Kamala Harris. Appearing on HOT97’s Ebro in the Morning, Nelly defended his decision to perform at a Donald Trump inauguration event. “Where did you get pro-Donald?” Nelly explained. “What you had was respect for office.” He continued, “It’s great how people spin narratives to things that I think best fit whatever they’re against. You know what I’m saying, instead of giving a brother the exact fundamental of what he did, what he said. Nobody’s doing that anymore.” “It’s amazing how you can do something, but if you don’t agree with everything that somebody does, which I plainly said, that. I don’t agree with everything my wife does,” he said. “I never endorsed any president.” If that wasn’t enough, Nelly jumped in the comment section of the Shade Room, where he defended Snoop and threw some shots at Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff. “I’ll put whatever up me and snoop do more in the community and have been doing for over 20 + years against any of you that are just on here talking trash and have no stats to back up what you mean to the community. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom) “Fom the black families that we employ to the Black children that we help every day and all year through our nonprofits, whether we’re sending kids to schools on scholarships to HBCU or helping young Black boys in la “gang central “ with his junior football programs which many players have went on to go to the NFL and live their dreams,” his post continued. “And on top of that we are “Black Men” married to beautiful Black women with black children .. should be inspiring to most but that some of y’all have a problem with because the “prosecutor who has probably locked up more Black men that we’ve helped woman of color with the white husband and white kid,” he added. Nelly concluded his comments by saying that he respects the office and his decision to perform was not based on financial compensation. “I’m a military baby with a grand uncle who is a Tuskegee airman and Red Tail that was very proud of his country,” Nelly said. “I  told you it’s my respect for the office, meaning any president that calls upon Nell,y it would be an honor.. nothing to do with money. “

A recent club encounter between Lil Baby and a fan has taken over social media, with fans obsessing over the chemistry and unexpected intimacy of the moment. What started as a typical night out turned into a viral sensation when a video showed the rapper getting up close with a woman named Tessa, creating a scene that had all the makings of a music video. @t3resatran fr tho freestyle is always my song request‍ #fyp #nyc #amberroomnyc ♬ original sound – TESSA In the clip, Lil Baby is seen vibing with Tessa while performing in the packed venue. He leaned in close, arms wrapped around her, delivering lyrics as if it were a personal performance just for her. The crowd around them roared, adding to the electric atmosphere, but all eyes were on their interaction. After the video made the rounds online, Tessa began to post follow-up content that subtly referenced her headline-making moment. One post, in particular, featured her lip-syncing to a track that fans interpreted as a lighthearted nod to the buzz she was receiving. Meanwhile, Lil Baby’s comment under her post and her playful reply only stirred up more speculation and excitement among viewers. Supporters quickly filled her comment section, reacting to the moment with praise, envy, and a flood of heart-eye emojis. Some joked that they’d never recover if placed in her shoes, while others called it the ultimate flex. The way she carried herself—unbothered and cool—had fans celebrating her poise and humor. Although it’s unclear if the moment was just for the cameras or hinted at something more, it’s clear the internet can’t get enough. Whether you see it as a once-in-a-lifetime fan experience or the start of something unexpected, the interaction has solidified its place as one of the most talked-about viral moments in recent weeks.

Young Thug recently sent the internet buzzing after tweeting a bold message of loyalty to his longtime girlfriend, Mariah the Scientist. “I’ll never like another b*tch photo but yours mommy..” he posted, making it clear where his attention lies. The tweet sparked a wave of reactions online—some praising the public declaration of love, others questioning if it was genuine or a distraction from his music. The timing of the tweet comes amid growing conversation around their relationship, which has seen its share of ups and downs since the two rekindled things late last year. Despite Mariah standing by him throughout his high-profile RICO case, fans have continued to scrutinize their bond—especially after old phone calls between Thug and another woman, Leena Sayed, leaked. Although the calls were from 2022 and both parties tried to move past the chatter, doubts lingered. Things seemed to be back on track until the couple made a joint appearance at the BET Awards. Footage from the red carpet showed Mariah looking visibly uncomfortable as Thug pulled her away from interactions, prompting some fans to accuse him of being dismissive in public. Even so, his latest tweet signals that he’s still all in when it comes to Mariah. Supporters flooded the comments with praise, calling it “real love” and saluting Thug for staying ten toes down. Others, however, used the moment to remind him of the real reason fans are tuned in: UY SCUTI, his next project, is still MIA. After joking in GQ that the album would drop on “June 37th,” fans have speculated that he meant July 7—but with no confirmed date, the waiting game continues. Whether it’s about love or music, one thing’s clear: Young Thug knows how to keep people talking.