Music

Rapper Young Thug was not present in court in Atlanta during Tuesday’s morning scheduled first appearance, after the Atlanta rapper was arrested at his home Monday in connection to gang-related charges. According to ABC affiliate WSB, Fulton County officials say the rapper will instead appear before a Superior Court judge on a date yet to be announced.

Young Thug, whose birth name is Jeffery Williams, is one of 28 people allegedly associated with the Atlanta-based Young Slime Life (YSL) gang who are named in a 88-page, 56-count grand jury indictment, the counts of which include conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, murder, armed robbery, and participation in criminal street gang activity. Authorities say Williams founded YSL — which is also the name of his record imprint, Young Stoner Life — in 2012. A number of those charged are associated with the label.

Williams’ charges include two alleged counts: conspiring to violate the RICO act and participating in street gang activity.

In a statement to ABC News Monday night, Williams’ attorney, Brian Steel, said Williams “has committed no violation of law, whatsoever. We will fight this case ethically, legally and zealously. Mr. Williams will be cleared.”

WSB reports Williams will remained jailed for now. The rapper is scheduled as a performer at the “Young Thug and Friends” concert in Atlanta next month.

Also listed on the indictment is Sergio Kitchens, better known by his rap name, Gunna, who faces one count of violating the RICO act. As of Tuesday afternoon, there has been no confirmation that Gunna was arrested and booked. 

Gunna & Thug were recently featured as Billboard‘s March cover stars. 

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The members of Little Big Town aren’t picky when it comes to alcohol, but they still have their beverages of choice. 

The group’s rowdy 2020 single, “Wine, Beer, Whiskey,” isn’t just a fun play-on-words song, but a tribute to the three beloved liquors. As for what tempts their individual palettes, Karen Fairchild admits she likes “all the beverages,” but has an affinity for red wine — particularly a bottle from the band’s wine brand, Four Cellars. 

Meanwhile, her husband and bandmate, Jimi Westbrook, is a whiskey man, especially if it’s a glass of E.H. Taylor. “It’s so good. It’s like caramel in a glass. It’s awesome,” he professes. Like Jimi, Philip Sweet will also reach for whiskey, but in the form of a cold shot fresh from the freezer. The singer also likes his tequila neat sans ice, but if he’s feeling fun, he’ll throw in a splash of pineapple juice. 

As for Kimberly Schlapman, she’s also a shameless fan of LBT’s alcohol brand, especially their line of Day Drinking canned seltzers, the peach being her favorite flavor. “It’s so yummy,” she compliments.

The Grammy-winning group launched their wine collection in 2017.

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Steve Harvey says he “lost a lot of respect” for Will Smith following his on-stage slap of Chris Rock during the Oscars.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Judge Steve Harvey host was speaking to Georgia State University law students about his life and career when he addressed the incident, calling it a “punk move.”

“I’m a Christian but I’m really undeveloped,” Harvey admitted. “On a scale of 1 to 10, I’m like a 2. That’s the level of Christianity I can work on. You slap [famed preacher and author] T.D. Jakes, he’ll turn the other cheek. You slap me? If you sit back in your seat, Jada would have to move out of the way.”

The stand-up comic-turned-author and entertainment mogul also noted, “I’m just a hood boy. I come from the dirty. Very few will give it to you the way I give it to you. People often don’t want to tell you the side that got them there. That’s my specialty.”

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(NOTE LANGUAGE) In her new single, “Dead to Me,” DaniLeigh isn’t holding back her negative feelings towards a certain “someone” in her life…and that “someone” seems to be her rapper ex-boyfriend and father to her baby daughter, DaBaby. 

In the track, which dropped Tuesday, the “Lil Bebe” singer confesses her extreme dislike for whomever caused “toxic energy” in her life. 

The chorus of the new song goes, “You know you dead to me, never kept your word with what you said to me/ You know you dead to me, I ain’t got no more time for toxic energy, oh no/ Mama never liked yo’ a**, brotha wanna fight yo’ a**, Daddy hate yo’ triflin’ a**.”

The close-to-three-minute track is said to address her hurtful and highly publicized unhealthy relationship with DaBaby, which lasted a little over a year, according to reports. 

Their time together was marked with numerous fights and altercations made public for the world to watch. What may have been the last straw for DaniLeigh was the assault charged she faced as a result of a vicious argument, shared via IG live, after the singer accused DaBaby with kicking her and her newborn out of his North Carolina home. 

After announcing her pregnancy in July of last year, DaniLeigh gave birth to her first child, Velour, whom she shares with the “Suge” rapper. 

In honor of Mother’s Day this past Sunday, she penned a sweet message to her daughter on Instagram, thanking her baby girl for “giving me purpose.”

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Wolf Alice is taking you behind the curtain of the band’s upcoming Blue Lullaby EP with a new documentary series.

The first episode, which is streaming now on YouTube, finds the U.K. rockers entering London’s Church Studios to record the EP, which features stripped-down, “lullaby” versions of songs off the group’s latest album, Blue Weekend.

In the clip, you can see and hear Wolf Alice record the Blue Lullaby version of the song “The Last Man on Earth.”

Blue Lullaby is set to be released June 24.

Blue Weekend, the third Wolf Alice album, dropped last June. It includes the single “Smile.”

Wolf Alice will launch a U.S. headlining tour in September. Next month, they’ll play shows opening for Bleachers and Halsey.

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Tyler Hubbard has new music in the works. 

On Monday, the hitmaker teased a new song, and while it leaves much to the imagination, he does give fans a preview of the melody, which offers a perky, pop-country sound layered with his voice in the background. 

“I can’t wait to show y’all what I’ve been working on. New music coming soon. Who’s ready?” Tyler captions the clip. 

Many of his colleagues chimed in with their support, including Russell Dickerson, who praised “SMASHES ON SMASHES!!!!” Jake Owen added, “Come on with it,” while Tyler’s wife, Hayley Hubbard, responded with a simple “yay” along with the smiling face emoji with three hearts. 

Tyler is one-half of the hit duo Florida Georgia Line. He and band mate Brian Kelley revealed in February that FGL was going on hiatus, and the two have have been working on solo projects. The duo will reunite for a series of tour dates this summer.

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Mike Tyson will not face charges in the April 20 incident in which he was seen on a viral video punching a passenger onboard a JetBlue flight in San Francisco. 

The San Mateo County DA’s office announced Tuesday that after reviewing police reports and videos, it has decided not to file charges against Tyson. The office said its decision is based on circumstances surrounding the confrontation, including requests by the victim that no charges be filed, the interactions between the victim and Tyson, and the conduct of the victim leading up to the incident.

As previously reported, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department opened an investigation into the incident after the former heavyweight champ allegedly punched a fellow passenger on a still-grounded airplane. The exchange, caught on video and shared by TMZ, is said to have been a result of Tyson being provoked by the passenger who, according to eyewitnesses, was intoxicated.

A rep for the Tyson noted in April, “Unfortunately, Mr. Tyson had an incident on a flight with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat.”

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