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Beyonce & JAY-Z vs. 5 Seconds of Summer for No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

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The Carters’ Everything Is Love and 5 Seconds of Summer’s Youngblood are each vying for a No. 1 debut on next week’s Billboard 200 albums chart, according to industry forecasters.

Youngblood could launch with around 110,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 21. Meanwhile, due to the unique surprise release and staggered rollout of Everything Is Love, a first-week forecast is more difficult to pin down at the moment.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the June 30-dated Billboard 200 chart (where The Carters and 5 Seconds of Summer are slated to bow) is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard’s websites on Sunday, June 24.

The husband-and-wife team of JAY-Z and Beyoncé, as The Carters, surprise-released Everything Is Love midday Saturday, June 16, via S.C. Enterprises/Parkwood/Roc Nation. The album dropped without warning, and was initially only available to stream and purchase (as a digital album) through Tidal. By the morning of June 18, the set was widely available through subscription tiers on audio streaming services and digital retail outlets. It has not been announced if the album will be issued on CD or any other physical configuration.

The album will bow on the Billboard 200 from less than six full days of activity at Tidal, and only five days of activity at all other digital retailers and streamers.

Comparatively, 5 Seconds of Summer’s Youngblood will start on the list with a full seven days of activity, as the set arrived to market on June 15 (a Friday, the traditional day for new albums to be released).

The set — the group’s third full-length studio effort — was released via One Mode/Capitol Records across all streamers and on CD, vinyl LP, digital download and even cassette. Youngblood follows 5 Seconds of Summer’s first two full-length studio sets: 2015’s Sounds Good Feels Good and its 2014 self-titled debut, both of which debuted at No. 1. The group also charted with a live set (LIVESOS, No. 13 in 2015) and an introductory EP (She Looks So Perfect, No. 2 in 2014).

Helping 5 Seconds of Summer are sales generated by merchandise/album bundles sold via the group’s official site, as well as a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with its 2018 U.S. tour.

Youngblood was announced on April 9, and slated for a June 22 release. By June 1, that released date was pushed up to June 15.

Youngblood was introduced by the single “Want You Back,” which bowed on Feb. 22. The cut reached No. 25 on the Pop Songs airplay chart, and was followed the set’s title track, which has so-far climbed to No. 31 (on the most-recently-compiled chart, dated June 23).

Elsewhere in next week’s top 10, watch for XXXTentacion’s former No. 1, ?, to return to the top five. The album is set for a big jump on the chart following the death of the rapper/singer on June 18, after he was shot in Deerfield, Florida. The set could collect over 80,000 units in the week ending June 21 – up from 19,000 in the frame ending June 14, according to Nielsen Music. The album debuted at No. 1 on the March 31-dated list, marking his first leader.

Also in next week’s busy top 10: both NasNASIR and Christina Aguilera’s Liberation should arrive in the region. Both could start with between 70,000 to 75,000 units. If the albums bow in the top 10, they will garner Nas his 11th top 10, and Aguilera her seventh.

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Behind Closed Doors: Nas Opens Up About the Events that Led to Cutting Ties with R. Kelly

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Photos by Harry Borden, Ron Galella/Getty Images

In the world of music collaborations, there are some that stand out as iconic moments in history. One such collaboration was between the legendary rapper Nas and the talented R&B artist R. Kelly on the remix of Nas’s hit song “Street Dream.” This remix, known as the “Street Dream Remix,” brought together two powerhouse artists from different genres to create a musical masterpiece that still resonates with fans today.

In 1996, the Queensbridge rapper Nas was one of the hottest artists in the urban music industry. That year he released his second studio album “It Was Written” with standout singles “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” and “Street Dreams”. The album was a commercial success, selling 270,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.

The second single “Street Dreams” brought together Nas and R. Kelly for an epic remix that was change Hip Hop forever. This collaboration seamlessly bridged the realms of hip-hop and R&B, forging a unique connection between disparate musical spheres. It not only captivated a diverse array of fans but also highlighted the artistic flexibility of Nas and R Kelly, setting a new standard for future music collaborations. The “Street Dream Remix” emerged as a cultural phenomenon, propelling the artists into the limelight and solidifying their influence in their respective genres.

The music video was shot by Hype Williams in September 1996 and R. Kelly was so impressed by the collaboration he wanted to build a working relationship with Nas. R. Kelly also wanted to record a joint double album with Nas so they could cross promote a multi-city tour and marketing events.

Unfortunately this major moment in hip hop history would never happen, due to R. Kelly. Nas was featured on the remix version of “Did You Ever Think” from Kelly’s 1999 “R” album, but they recorded together again. Watch the video below from our friend Karceno4Life to find out more:

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Bruno Mars Allegedly Has $50 Million Gambling Debt With MGM Casino

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Photo courtesy of The Brand Guild

Bruno Mars might be in some hot water with MGM.

The “24K Magic” singer announced a multi-year residency with MGM Resorts International in 2016, performing at the hospitality giant’s Park MGM resort in Las Vegas.

However, the relationship between the 38-year-old and the hospitality giant may have gone sour as the singer’s gambling has allegedly racked up large debts at the poker tables in Las Vegas, according to NewsNation.

“He owed millions to the MGM,” a Vegas insider told the outlet.

Another source added that the debt is as high as $50 million.

“[MGM] basically own him. He makes $90 million a year off of the deal he did with the casino, but then he has to pay back his debt,” added the insider, claiming that the singer only makes $1.5 million per night after taxes.

Part of Mars’ MGM contract reportedly included the creation of The Pinky Ring, a cocktail lounge inside the Bellagio Resort. NewsNation reports that another project is in the works as well.

[Read More via Complex]

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Steve Stoute Blames Dame Dash For Jay-Z, Roc-A-Fella Records Break Up

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Steve Stoute is talking about what caused the downfall of Jay-Z and Dame Dash’s friendship and working relationship—and Dame has something to say about it.

On the latest episode of Club Shay Shay, the music executive recalled how Dame, now 52, and Hov, 54, couldn’t keep Roc-A-Fella Records afloat. According to Stoute, Dame “blew it,” and it’s incredible how he did that, especially when he had Jay-Z, “the most important artist of his generation,” in his corner. Host Shannon Sharpe specifically asked how “that relationship that was so good sour so fast.”

“Dame’s antics, were just, it became—people over time, you mature,” 53-year-old Stoute said. “It’s like you have friends at 16, but by the time you turn 19, they were still doing the same shit when you were 16. … You start spending less and less time with them because of that.” 

Our podcast FRSHOUT Hip Hop breaks down the recent damning comments from Steve Stoute on Dame Dash.


[Watch the full clip @ FRSHOUT Hip Hop]

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