Rick Ross drops his 11th studio album, Richer Than I’ve Ever Been, on Friday, the follow up to his 2019 Port of Miami project. Ricky Rozay says the album name goes beyond having money.
“The title Richer Than I’ve Ever Been is about more than you being at your peak financially,” Ross tells Grammy.com. “In what other areas of your life do you feel the richest right now? Just my direction, going where I need to go. You have to ask yourself, do you feel the best spiritually? Emotionally? A lot of times, we don’t even know what the most important things to us are.”
The Miami MC says he feels the richest, and most creative, after spending time with his mother.
“After I leave my mom’s crib, I’m like, ‘Yo, let’s go forth and get it.’ I don’t want to go to sleep for four days, I want to get in the studio and have some fun and do something special.”
Ross began his recording career in 2006 when he was 30 years old, and he says his maturity was an advantage.
“If I would have become a multimillionaire at a much younger age, I could have been in the studio flirting around with drugs,” he says.
“I most definitely made mistakes. I still wanted to travel the world. But I wanted to f***ing do something that had never been done before coming from Miami. I wanted to also make sure the music translated that message, that level of success.
“And not just for financial purposes, but to show everybody else — the youngsters — like, ‘Yo, you can do it, too.” Ross continues. “You don’t have to just hit a baseball or slam dunk a ball. You could be creative and make something out of nothing.”
Neil Young and Crazy Horse‘s latest studio album, Barn, got its release today.
As previously reported, the album was recorded this past June in a restored 19th century barn Young owns in the Colorado Rockies. The album is the second Neil has made with Crazy Horse since multi-instrumentalist Nils Lofgren rejoined the band in 2018.
Lofgren, who first played with Crazy Horse during the early 1970s, tells ABC Audio that he hadn’t expected to record a full album when Neil invited the band to Colorado for the sessions.
“[I]n the middle of the pandemic, it was a beautiful surprise,” Nils says, “’cause originally Neil said, ‘Look, I got four songs. Why don’t we at least get together for a week or so and play and be mates, and maybe we can do that two or three times in different locations and get an album.’ So this was extraordinary, ’cause once we got there, he kept writing.”
Lofgren says after “about a week,” Young had penned nine songs.
As Nils recalls, “[T]hen Neil said, ‘Look, I think we’re almost done with an album…so let me write a song tonight…Tomorrow we’re gonna record the 10th song. We’re gonna have an album.'”
Playing with Young on and off for over 50 years, Lofgren says he’s gotten accustomed to how fast Neil records.
“As usual…a lot of the takes were while we were learning the song,” he notes. “And usually, when he gets a great vocal that captures the lyric, that’s it.“
Barn is available on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital formats, and as a deluxe box set featuring a CD, a vinyl LP, and a Blu-ray disc that includes a film capturing the making of the album directed by Neil’s wife, actress Daryl Hannah.
Miley Cyrus reveals she and Pete Davidson have matching tattoos
Miley Cyrus appeared on Thursday’s The Tonight Show with her Miley’s New Year’s Eve co-host Pete Davidson, and revealed they’ve been close friends for years — so close, they even have matching “We Babies” tattoos.
Miley and Davidson tell host Jimmy Fallon, it was a snap decision they made after appearing in a Saturday Night Live sketch together.
“We made this SNL sketch where we were babies that were rapping — trap babies,” he began.
“And at the end of it all,” Miley continued, “Our excuse for it all, you know, Larry David said, “What is going on?’ and we said, ‘We babies.’ And for some reason looked at each other and it was like, that’s a great tattoo.”
However, only Miley still has the tattoo, now that Pete has been having most of his ink removed.
The two were on The Tonight Show to promote Miley’s upcoming NBC New Year’s Eve show, which provided the perfect opportunity for her and Davidson to work together.
“I know what I bring to the table. It’s musicianship. And [Pete] the funniest, coolest, hunkiest guy in the world,” she joked.
One thing you won’t see Miley do is brave the cold in New York’s Times Square.
“I don’t like to be cold…And so, that was one of the things I thought all these other shows, people are going to have on big coats everyone is going to be shaking and freezing,” says Miley, adding, “I’m going to have no clothes on per usual. He’ll be funny and I’ll be naked and together, we got a a show.”
Miley closed the show with a tongue-in-cheek cover of “It Should’ve Been Me,” in which she teased Davidson about his rumored relationship with Kim Kardashian.
West Side Story dances into theaters this Friday and director Steven Spielberg credits the “invaluable” Rita Moreno for making the movie what it is.
“She was an invaluable asset to our entire production and she kept a kind of moral compass for us and continued to give us purpose,” the esteemed director told ABC News.
“Why are we telling the story again? Because the power of the story needs to be told to a generation who perhaps have never heard of West Side Story. That was another reason I wanted to bring this movie out now,” the 74-year-old director added.
The musical, inspired by William Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet, is set in New York City and follows the story of Tony and Maria — two star-crossed lovers with ties to rival gangs that are fighting for control over their Upper West Side neighborhood. The musical tackles themes of violence, racism and sexual assault.
Ansel Elgort, who stars as Tony in West Side Story, says the groundbreaking film earned a seal of approval from the late, legendary composer Stephen Sondheim.
“Sondheim was able to see it before he passed and he loved it,” the 27-year-old actor revealed. “It’s so sad that he’s gone, but what a legend and how great to be able to celebrate him at this time with this great piece of work.”
Rachel Zegler stars as Maria and some critics predict her performance could score an Oscar nod for Best Actress. She credits her “old soul” for helping her dive into character and, when discussing her “technique,” she says her talent was born from being “raised on classic films” such as “All About Eve and George Cukor‘s The Women.”
West Side Story bows in theaters Friday, December 10.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Utah 118, Philadelphia 96
Memphis 108, L.A. Lakers 95
San Antonio 123, Denver 111
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chicago 2, Montreal 0
Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 3
Anaheim 2, Columbus 1 (SO)
Nashville 4, NY Islanders 3
St. Louis 6, Detroit 2
Carolina 2, Calgary 1 (OT)
Boston 3, Edmonton 2
Winnipeg 3, Seattle 0
Minnesota 5, San Jose 2
Los Angeles 4, Dallas 0
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Minnesota 36, Pittsburgh 28
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Rutgers 70, Purdue 68
Gonzaga 80, Merrimack 55
Seton Hall 64, Texas 60
Iowa St. 73, Iowa 53
(OXFORD, Mich.) — More than a week after the mass shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan, the last remaining hospitalized victim has left the intensive care unit, authorities said Thursday.
The hospitalized student is one of 11 people who were shot, four fatally, at the school on Nov. 30. She has been moved to a “standard room” at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, according to Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe. The 17-year-old student, who has not been identified, is expected to remain hospitalized for another four to six weeks during her rehabilitation, McCabe said in a statement.
Six students and a teacher were among those wounded in the shooting. Four students were killed in what prosecutors allege was a premeditated attack.
The suspected shooter, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, a sophomore at the high school, faces multiple charges, including four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of assault with intent to murder, after allegedly pulling a semiautomatic handgun out of his backpack and firing it in the school’s hallway. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, have also each been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting. All three have pleaded not guilty to their charges.
On Thursday, the family of two students at the school, including one shot during the attack, filed a $100 million lawsuit against the Oxford Community School District and various school employees, alleging they enabled the suspected shooter in the days and hours before the shooting.
Riley Franz, a 17-year-old senior, was struck in the neck, while her sister, Bella Franz, a 14-year-old freshman, stood next to her and “narrowly escaped the bullets discharged toward her, her sister and her friends,” according to the complaint filed in Detroit federal court on behalf of the sisters.
“We’re going to hold people responsible for betraying the trust we put in them to protect our children,” the family’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said during a press event announcing the lawsuit Thursday. “We’re going to hold every one of them responsible.”
The suit charges that Oxford Community Schools downplayed social media threats allegedly made by Crumbley prior to the shooting, including “countdowns and threats of bodily harm, including death … warning of violent tendencies and murderous ideology prior to actually coming to school with the handgun and ammunition to perpetuate the slaughter,” the complaint stated.
It also alleges school staff acted recklessly by letting him return to class after a meeting with his parents over violent drawings just hours before students were gunned down.
The district is not commenting on the allegations in the lawsuit at the request of the prosecutor to “avoid compromising” the court proceedings, according to a letter its attorney, Timothy Mullins, sent to Fieger on Thursday. “Furthermore, to allow the entire community the ability to heal, I have no intention of litigating this matter in the media,” Mullins wrote.
School leaders have said Crumbley’s parents refused to take him home after the meeting, and because he lacked a disciplinary record, they sent him back to class.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who brought charges against the suspected shooter and his parents, said she has not ruled out charging school officials.
In a letter to the school community Wednesday, Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne said the district has been “fully cooperative” with the county investigation into the school shooting.
He has also called for a third-party investigation into all of Crumbley’s communication with students and staff leading up to the shooting. In his letter Wednesday, he noted he would recommend to the district school board “a review of our entire system.”
The district plans to welcome students, except for high schoolers, back to the classroom Friday for the first time since the deadly shooting. The half-day is part of a “safe, slow and soft re-opening,” and students will be greeted by an increased law enforcement presence, therapy dogs and trauma specialists, Throne said in a letter to families on Thursday.
Backpacks will not be allowed in buildings through at least the end of the next week, the superintendent added.
(WASHINGTON) — On Thursday evening, the Senate passed a bill that will start the process of raising the debt limit with only Democrats’ votes.
Having gained the necessary support to clear the filibuster earlier Thursday afternoon, the Senate-passes legislation will permit a one-time change to Senate rules and allow Democrats to raise the federal borrowing limit by a simple majority.
Despite only requiring 51 votes, 10 Republicans voted with all Democrats to pass the rule, resulting in a 59-35 margin.
On Tuesday, congressional leaders announced a deal that would avert a default of the nation’s credit by allowing Democrats to raise the debt ceiling in the Senate without any Republican support, and the House approved the measure along party lines in a late-night 222-212 vote.
The bill will now head to President Joe Biden’s desk. Once Biden signs the rule change, Democrats in both chambers of Congress will need to pass a second piece of legislation that actually raises the debt limit. Biden must sign that second bill before Dec. 15 to avert catastrophic default, according to the Treasury Department.
ABC News’ Mariam Khan and Trish Turner contributed to this report.
Bryan Adams has just released a new track from his forthcoming studio album, So Happy It Hurts, and the tune really, um, kicks a**!
The catchy, melodic-rock song is titled “Kick A**,” and it begins with a spoken-word interlude delivered in the form of a Biblical-style sermon by legendary Monty Python member John Cleese about the creation of rock ‘n’ roll music.
The track, which Adams co-wrote with famed producer “Mutt” Lange, is available now as a digital download and via steaming services, and you can check out a companion lyric video at Bryan’s official YouTube channel.
“Kick A**” is the third advance track released from So Happy It Hurts, following the title track and “On the Road.” The album is due out March 11 and can be pre-ordered now.
“On the Road” also was co-written by Adams and Lange and was penned specifically to promote the 2022 edition of the Pirelli Calendar, for which Bryan shot the photos.
As previously reported, the calendar is titled On the Road, and it was photographed in Los Angeles, the Italian isle of Capri and Canada last summer. Among the artists who Bryan shot for the calendar: Cher, Iggy Pop, Jennifer Hudson, rapper Saweetie, pop stars Normani and Rita Ora, alt-pop artist Grimes and alt-rocker St. Vincent.
After just 10 hours of deliberation, a Chicago jury has found actor Jussie Smollett guilty on five of six counts for filing a false police report related to the hoax racist attack he suffered at the hands of two men in January 2019.
The former Empire star had claimed two racist supporters of President Trump beat him up, poured bleach on him, called him racist and homophobic slurs, and tied a noose around his neck.
Not long after giving a tear-filled recounting of the alleged crime to ABC News’ Robin Roberts, Smollett’s story fell apart, and police claimed two associates of his admitted the actor paid them to stage the attack.
Prosecutors maintained he paid brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo $3,500 to “fake beat him up” to raise his profile on Empire. Smollett, who took the stand in his own defense, claimed the attack was real, because the bodybuilding brothers were homophobic.
Smollett was initially charged on Feb. 20, 2019, with Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson saying the attack was orchestrated because he was unhappy with his salary on the Fox hit show.
The charges were dropped against Smollett in March 2019, but in February 2020, a special prosecutor announced an indictment for six disorderly conduct charges for allegedly filing a false police report. Smollett pleaded not guilty.
The 39-year-old now faces up to three years in prison, though will likely not receive such a stiff sentence.
(CHICAGO) — After just 10 hours of deliberation, a Chicago jury has found actor Jussie Smollett guilty on five of six counts for filing a false police report related to the hoax racist attack he suffered at the hands of two men in January 2019.
The “Empire” actor alleged he was attacked, doused with an unknown liquid, had a noose placed around his neck and called racist and homophobic slurs by two men late at night on a Chicago street. He has maintained it was not orchestrated by himself.
He did not show any reaction as the verdicts were read.
Smollett was charged with six counts of felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report.
The defense rested its case on Tuesday after a week of testimony, with Smollett taking the stand in his own defense. He alleged Abimbola and Ola Osundairo, the brothers who carried out the assault, were lying when they said during the trial that they were friends of Smollett and had been paid $3,500 to carry out the attack.
Smollett, 39, received widespread support in the wake of the attack and made an emotional appearance at a concert in early February 2019, but then word emerged after authorities spoke to the Osundario brothers’ return from overseas that the attack was allegedly a hoax. Smollett was charged on Feb. 20, 2019, with Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson saying the attack was orchestrated because he was unhappy with his salary on the Fox hit show.
The charges were dropped against Smollett in March 2019, but a special prosecutor announced an indictment for the six disorderly conduct charges was handed down in February 2020. Smollett pleaded not guilty.
The jury deliberated for about three hours on Wednesday and then began again on Thursday morning.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
