Music

Atlanta rapper Gunna, born Sergio Kitchens, is expected to appear in court Wednesday after surrendering to authorities at around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to ABC Affiliate WSB TV. His arrest comes two days after he was named as one of at least 28 people in a gang indictment that also included rapper Young Thug, whose birth name is Jeffery Williams.

Kitchens, who is signed to Williams’ Young Stoner Life (YSL) record label — a moniker similar to that of the alleged Young Slime Life gang authorities say Williams is the leader of — is charged with Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

As previously reported, Williams was the first of the superstar rap duo to be arrested, at his Buckhead, Atlanta home on Monday. The 30-year-old rapper is currently being held on felony charges related to RICO offenses as well as participation in street gang activity, according to jail records. In full, the 88-page, 56-count indictment includes murder, robbery and assault charges among others, dating back to 2013.

The Fulton County District Attorney’s office said it worked for more than a year on the case. In a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant called Williams “one of the top offenders” in the city, while Fulton County DA Fani Willis said the YSL gang is responsible for up to 80% of violent crime in Atlanta.

Speaking to WSB about Williams’ involvement in the case, his attorney, Brian Steel, said, “Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him.”

Young Thug’s father, Jeffrey Williams Sr., told WSB his son is getting blamed for something he didn’t do. “I’m gonna fight for him to the end,” Williams Sr. said. “I’m his father. That’s what I do.”

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Kelsea Ballerini recently took a walk down memory lane at her high school reunion. 

Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Kelsea attended Central High School during her freshman and sophomore year before moving to Nashville at age 15 to pursue her country music dreams. Though she graduated from Centennial High School in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2011, Kelsea will always be a “Bobcat” at heart, which she proved by attending her class reunion at Central High School.

“So much life happened here. crushes. music. friendship. heartbreak. insecurity. drive,” she reflects in an Instagram post, which also features photos from the special event, including images of the the singer holding up a “11 Year Reunion” sign and of her lovingly posing and dancing with her former classmates. 

She also shares that the first time she performed one of her original songs in public was at the school’s auditorium, saying there was “tragedy” and “magic” in her high school experience. 

“It made leaving this community to go chase down this naive knowingness the truest meaning of bittersweet,” she writes. “So after 13 years of being in Nashville, I decided to go to my reunion to be nostalgic with the people that made me love my hometown like I do. Go bobcats for effing ever.” 

The superstar also shared her high school year book photo and the certificate from her classmates awarding her the superlative of “World Traveler.” 

Kelsea pays homage to Knoxville in her chart-topping hit, “Half of My Hometown,” and filmed part of the music video at Central High School.

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Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jack White is an Olivia Rodrigo fan.

In an Instagram post Tuesday night, the White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather rocker shared that he’d met the “drivers license” artist earlier that day.

“She’s very cool, very real and very much a lover of music,” White wrote of Rodrigo. “She’s also introducing another set of youth to the love of vinyl records as well. Respect.”

The post is accompanied by photos of the two musicians, as well as a video clip of them hugging.

Rodrigo also shared the photos, adding that White is her “hero of all heroes.”

“Still crying,” she wrote. “Thank u @officialjackwhite for being so kind to ur biggest fangirl.”

Rodrigo just played White’s current hometown of Nashville Tuesday. In addition to playing songs off her hit debut record, SOUR, she also covered No Doubt‘s “Just a Girl” and Avril Lavigne‘s “Complicated.”

White, meanwhile, is set to resume is Supply Chain Issues tour in support of his new solo album Fear of the Dawn May 23 in Irving, Texas.

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Yes, Olivia Rodrigo is a huge Swiftie, but it turns out that the musician she thinks of as her ultimate hero is someone who’s decidedly different from Taylor Swift: rocker Jack White, known for his work with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, as well as his solo work.

In an Instagram post Tuesday night, White shared that he’d met Olivia, who he called “a talented singer and musician,” earlier that day. He wrote, “She’s very cool, very real and very much a lover of music. She’s also introducing another set of youth to the love of vinyl records as well. Respect.”

The post was accompanied by photos of Jack and Olivia together, as well as a video clip of them hugging.

Olivia also shared the photos, adding that White is her “hero of all heroes.”

“Still crying,” she wrote. “Thank u @officialjackwhite for being so kind to ur biggest fangirl.”

Rodrigo just played White’s current hometown of Nashville Tuesday. In addition to playing songs from her hit debut record, SOUR, she also covered No Doubt‘s “Just a Girl” and Avril Lavigne‘s “Complicated.”  Avril joined Olivia onstage in Toronto not long ago to sing the song with her. 

White is currently on tour in support of his new solo album, Fear of the Dawn, which Olivia in her post urged her fans to “go listen to.”

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Dierks Bentley proved himself to be the biggest hockey fan when he managed to get his hands on the Stanley Cup — and brought it to his house.

The country star posted a video on Twitter of his kids Knox, Jordan and Evalyn coming home from school one day to find the giant silver cup sitting on the kitchen island in the family’s Nashville home.

It was a sight to behold for eight-year-old Knox, who was jumping up and down with excitement, barely able to get out the words “is this actually the Stanley Cup?,” as he screams with glee. 

“Yesterday Knox came home from school thinking it was just another day… the surprise was a success! Not every day the Stanley Cup is in your house @NHL,” Dierks captions the epic moment. 

Later in the video, each member of Dierks’ family answered the question “if you could eat anything out of the Stanley Cup, what would it be?” Jordan declared “ice cream,” and Knox and Evalyn both agreed, with Evalyn revealing that she would make a giant sundae with all the toppings. 

“I think I’d put a big burrito in there,” Dierks shared, which was not met with approval from his children, who called the suggestion “disgusting.” 

Dierks recently performed with Miranda Lambert at the NHL Stadium Series in Nashville, where the Nashville Predators faced off against Tampa Bay Lightning. 

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If you were excited to hear the new Phoebe Bridgers song “Sidelines” in the Conversations with Friends trailer, then you and the show’s stars have something in common.

Speaking with ABC Audio, cast member Joe Alwyn shares that he thought the track was “wicked.”

“I really liked her music beforehand,” Alwyn says. “I’d heard that they were gonna ask her to do it, and so when she said yes, and when I heard the song, I loved it. I think it’s amazing.”

Alison Oliver, who plays the lead role of Frances in Conversations with Friends, adds that she’s “obsessed” with the Grammy-nominated “Kyoto” artist.

“That was so, so cool that she was gonna do it,” Oliver says. “It’s an amazing song.”

Beyond Alwyn’s love for Bridgers’ music, the two have another connection: the actor is dating Taylor Swift, with whom Bridgers collaborated on the song “Nothing New” for the pop star’s Red (Taylor’s Version) album.

Bridgers, meanwhile, is in a relationship with Paul Mescal, who starred in the show Normal People. Both Conversations with Friends and Normal People are based on novels by author Sally Rooney.

Conversations with Friends premieres on Hulu this Sunday, May 15.

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As part of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival’s “Tribeca At Home” series, the highly regarded documentary Kaepernick & America will make its debut by way of a nationwide virtual screening. 

Those looking forward to watching the Don Lemon-executive produced feature, which explores the intersection between former NFL player Colin Kaepernick‘s protest and the revealing reaction it spurred across the U.S., can now purchase $15 tickets for the film premiere, scheduled for Thursday, June 9, at 6 p.m. ET. 

As detailed in an official press release about the film’s virtual premiere, Kaepernick & America “will examine the man and his protest, exploring the remarkable conflict stirred by such a simple gesture,” and will include conversations with Lemon, DeRay Mckesson, Pam Oliver and more.

The documentary is co-directed by Emmy-nominated producer Tommy Walker, whose credits include Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.

“As a Black man, the Kaepernick saga captivated me from the start. It raised so many of the core issues that Black people deal with everyday in America,” Walker said. “And yet, the experience of Blacks in America is not monolithic. While Kaepernick knelt in a football uniform in San Diego, another Black man wearing a military uniform stood nearby and proudly sang the national anthem. We are all different as are our American journeys.”

Regarding the mission of the documentary, Walker said, “The film we have made seeks to discover the parallels between the life and activism of Colin Kaepernick and the tumultuous and divisive factors that have colored America’s racial divide. It is only partly about Kaepernick, as it actually reveals more about America, the land that reacted so profoundly to such a simple gesture.”

Kaepernick & America will premiere on the festival’s official viewing site; Tribeca At Home screenings will also be available on major streaming platforms. 

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