Awards / Entertainment / Music

Lojay, Ruger, Zinoleesky, others nominated for Headies Next Rated Award 2022

The Next Rated, the most contentious category in the Headies, appears to be on track this year, with no unexpected nominations. All of the artists nominated this year have had a truly impactful year, releasing songs that have exposed them to millions of fans worldwide, indicating their potential to truly take over the world in the months or years to come.

This year, debutants such as Ayra Starr, Ruger, and Lojay were all nominated for Next Rated.

The Next Rated This category is a voting category for the most promising act (with an EP or Album) in the year under review. Below are the albums nominated this year.

  1. AYRA STARR
  2. BNXN
  3. LOJAY
  4. RUGER
  5. ZINOLEESKY

The Headies Awards show is scheduled to hold on Sunday 4th September, 2022 at the COBB Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, USA.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Rihanna welcomes baby boy with partner A$AP Rocky

The music star welcomed a baby boy with her partner A$AP Rocky on Friday, May 13, 2022. According to TMZ, the couple welcomed their baby in Los Angeles.

The couple first announced that they were expecting a baby in Feb.

A$AP Rocky confirmed that they were dating in 2021.There had been speculations about their relationship after Rihanna split from her boyfriend of three years, billionaire Hassan Jameel, in January 2020.

The two were later spotted vacationing in Barbados, Rihanna’s home country during Christmas in 2020.

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna have been friends for a while now.

The rapper served as an opening act for the U.S. dates of her Diamonds World Tour in 2013.

In April, there were unconfirmed rumors about their split.

The rumors of their alleged split first surfaced on social media on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

According to a blogger, the couple had parted ways over infidelity allegations.

“Rihanna & ASAP Rocky have split. Rihanna broke up with him after she caught him cheating with shoe designer Amina Muaddi,” the blogger alleged.

He added, “ASAP & Amina is not new though as she was seeing him years ago and also collaborated with him on a collection of shoes.”

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Entertainment / Movies / Music / News

JJC Skillz’s baby mama continues to drag him, says son took up smoking habit from him

She made this known via her Instagram page while reacting to a photo of Benito smoking.  “The biggest problem here is that Abdul is a long time drug user who has constantly smoked dope in front of all his children which has been a long-standing dispute between us both,” she wrote.

“These children look up to their father and follow his example. It’s been a big problem for me and his mother.”

The post has since been deleted.

Mella hasn’t stopped dragging her former partner since Benito called out the music star’s wife, Funke Akindele on social media.

Mella accused JJC Skillz of inflicting grievous bodily harm on their son.

“While you parade yourself on social media pretending with fake piety to be the main character in an aspirational story, the son that you assaulted and inflicted grievous bodily harm upon is still recovering from his physical injuries and mental trauma,” she wrote on IG.

Benito later revealed why he was allegedly assaulted by his father.

According to him, they fell out after he was expelled for bringing alcohol to the school.

Benito gave a detailed account of how the music star repeatedly hit him inside the car as they drove home. He alleged that he sustained bruises on his face, neck and ribs.

Benito became a social media sensation after he alleged that his stepmom, Funke Akindele was a horrible person.

He made this known following reports of crisis in JJC and Akindele’s marriage.

His mother later released the photos of JJC and Funke’s twins.

According to her, it was a retaliation for exposing her family.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Nick Cannon says he is considering vasectomy

The father of seven made this known during a chat with E Online. “I already went and got my vasectomy consultation. I ain’t looking to populate the Earth completely, but I’m definitely looking forward to taking care and loving all the children that I currently have,” he said.

Cannon said he is not looking to have more kids.

Cannon shares 10-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan with ex-wife Mariah Carey.

He has a 4-year-old son Golden “Sagon” and a 1-year-old daughter Powerful Queen with ex Brittany Bell.

He also welcomed 6-month-old twins, Zion Mixolydian and Zillion “Zilly” Heir, with Abby De La Rosa in June 2021.

The ‘Drumline’ actor tragically lost his 5-month-old son, Zen, with Alyssa Scott in 2021.

In Jan 2022, the actor revealed that he was expecting his eighth child with Bre Tiesi.

This was after he hosted a gender reveal party with Tiesi in California.

Cannon and Tiesi gathered together with a small group of friends and were surrounded by pink and blue balloons.

Photos from the event also show guests popping open confetti cannons, which shot blue confetti into the air to reveal that Tiesi is expecting a baby boy.

Tiesi only recently finalised her divorce from Johnny Manziel.

She used to work with Cannon on his popular MTV ‘Wild N Out‘ show.

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Music / News

Sarz & Lojay confirm collaboration with Chris Brown, share ‘Monalisa’ remix video teaser

Lojay had an eventful year in 2021. The newcomer collaborated with veteran music producer Sarz for the ‘LV N ATTN’ project, which produced songs such as ‘Tonogo,’ ‘LV N ATTN’ featuring Wizkid, and ‘Monalisa. Lojay took to Instagram a few weeks ago to reveal that a remix for ‘Monalisa‘ is on the way, and he asked fans to guess who would be on it. While many people guessed Justin Bieber and Drake for fun, Lojay confirmed Chris Brown as the artist on the remix on Tuesday, May 17th, 2022. Sarz agreed, and they both shared the video teaser on their Instagram accounts.

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Music / News

Chocolate City CEO, Abuchi Peter Ugwu, discusses one year of music business leadership

It may be difficult to lead a team of over 250 people. It is reasonable to anticipate both successes and failures when leading a well-known music company such as Chocolate City.

Summarizing his journey so far Ugwu says, “It has been a wild ride with its successes, failures, learning experiences and exciting challenges. COVID, lockdowns, EndSARS and other upheavals disrupted the music business income streams across the entertainment industry. The battle to position our music and talents became a lot tougher, as we found ourselves competing not just with other talents and labels within Nigeria- but across the world. Thankfully, one thing has remained steadfast through all this- the commitment of our team to deliver excellent results and create positive impact.”

Chocolate City has added two new artists, Noon Dave and Young Jonn, under his leadership as the company continues to grow. One can imagine the pressure on Ugwu to produce another worldstar as the CEO of Chocolate City, the record label that discovered and produced one of Nigeria’s biggest music exports, CKay. Discussing some of his major highlights after 365 days in office, Ugwu said,

“Blaqbonez, an energetic and versatile artist who dropped his debut album “Sex Over Love” under the label. This album gained the #1 position on Nigerian album charts, 70 million plus streams, and Rolling Stone feature naming it one of the best albums of 2021. He commenced 2022 by selling out his first show in Lagos with over 4000 people in attendance.

“CandyBleakz, another prolific artist under our roster is a female rapper and singer-songwriter who strives to inspire young people with her story. Her recent single “Tikuku” is currently the number 5 most shazamed song globally with over 2 million streams on all platforms in less than a week”, he added.

“We also signed and unveiled Noon Dave, an Afro R&B artist with the voice of an angel. He released his breathtaking single “Brunch” and this song has captured hearts and has become a fan favorite.

“We unveiled popular producer Young Jonn as an

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Lifestyle / Music / News

Rihanna set to launch Fenty Beauty & Fenty Skin across Africa this May #FentyAfrica

When Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 in an unprecedented 17 countries with vision of inclusivity and global reach at its core, she sought to help “everyone feel beautiful and recognized, no matter their race, ethnicity, culture or personal style.” Rihanna was inspired to create Fenty Beauty after trying to find products that worked across all skin types and tones. With Rihanna’s mandate of inclusivity, Fenty Beauty offers a wide range of products for traditionally hard-to-match skin tones, creating formulas that work for all skin types, and pinpointing universal shades. Fast forward to 2020, Rihanna launched her clean, vegan and eco-friendly skincare line, Fenty Skin, and amplified her unwavering mission to provide simple and effective beauty solutions for all. As a result, she ignited a beauty movement and “a community that supports and uplifts each other.” Rihanna created both Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin with a global vision in mind to reinforce the ”Beauty For All” notion. It is this brand ethos that makes Rihanna’s decision to expand her Fenty brands to Africa a momentous milestone and natural next step. “Every launch is exciting— we’re all about being reachable to everyone, everywhere. But launching across Africa in eight countries not only feels really significant to me on a personal level, but is also a big step towards our goal of bringing Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin to the whole world.” – Rihanna 

Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin will be available for purchase across Africa, including cult-favorite complexion essentials like Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation and Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter, best-selling lip products like Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer and Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color, and her must-have skincare starters including Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen and Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser. Additionally, customers in Africa will be able to immediately pick up the newest launches from the brands, like Fenty Beauty Fenty Icon Refillable Lipstick – a luxurious semi-matte lipstick collection – and Sun Stalk’r …

Entertainment / Movies / Music / News

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra bring baby home after 100 days in intensive care

The couple released a joint statement via their Instagram pages on Sunday, May 8, 2022, as part of activities to mark Mothers Day. “On this Mother’s Day we can’t help but reflect on these last few months and the rollercoaster we’ve been on, which we now know, so many people have also experienced. After 100 plus days in the NICU, our little girl is finally home,” part of the statement read.

“Every family’s journey is unique and requires a certain level of faith, and while ours was a challenging few months, what becomes abundantly clear, in retrospect, is how precious and perfect every moment is.”

The couple expressed joy over their daughter’s journey home for the first time since her birth.

“We are overjoyed that our little girl is finally home, and just want to thank every doctor, nurse and specialist at Rady Children’s La Jolla and Cedar Sinai, Los Angeles, who were there selflessly every step of the way,” they added.

“Our next chapter begins now, and our baby is truly a badass. Let’s get it MM! Mommy and Daddy love you. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and caretakers in my life and out there. You make it look so easy. Thank you. Also… there is no one I’d rather do this with than you. Thank you for making me a mama @nickjonas I love you ❤️.”

The couple welcomed their first child together back in January 2022.

Priyanka and Nick started dating in early 2018. By July of that same year, Nick proposed to the actress.

They went on to wed in a lavish three-day celebration in December 2018 and hosted four more wedding

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Entertainment / Movies / Music / News

YouTube Go is shutting down this August

The streaming platform made the announcement in a blogpost shared last week.

According to the company, the new move will enable users enjoy improvements made to the main app.

“When we launched YouTube Go in 2016, it was designed for viewers in locations where connectivity, data prices, and low-end devices prevented us from delivering the best experience in the main YouTube app. Since then, YouTube has invested in improvements to the main YouTube app that make it perform better in these environments, while also delivering a better user experience which is inclusive of our entire community,” an excerpt from the post reads.

Mainly available to android users, YouTube Go was first introduced in areas like India and Indonesia where users struggled to access the main app due to slow network and high data prices. The lite version allowed users download videos to view offline as well as the ability to reduce the quality of videos by adjusting the MB.

YouTube has over the years improved on the main app. Users are now able to efficiently run the app slower networks with plans already in motion to help people with limited data.

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Music / News

Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5 ( King Lascombo’s Review )

Kendrick is back!!!

This amazing, mouthwatering, piece of work has so many notables but the highlight of the visual has to be the facing of Top Black Entertainers ( Dead and Alive ). People like Will Smith, Kanye West, OJ Simpson, Jussie Smollett, Kobe Bryant and Nipsy Hussle. With the Album expected to drop on the 13th of May ( Mr Morale & Big Stepper ), it will be his first Studio album since 2017 ( Damn ) and we are all raging to get this Album into our ear drums.

The Breakdown

Kendrick started the song with what we could call a message to all his fans to let them ( us ) know that he is grateful and we should expect something a bit different from Kdot TDE….. but a new style from him and PgLang ( his Label )

Kendrick started off with a vivid reminder to us that he is still an Activist for Gang Violence with the first line of the song. He continues with that energy all through the song and the amazing part was how he switched between various faces, rapping about related issues in order to maybe walk us through these celebrities shoes. The vibe sounded like his deliverance on ” The Blacker The Berry ” off the Grammy Award Album ” To Pimp a Butterfly “.

To finalize the song, he spoke like he was Nipsy Hussle and dropped some deep, strong messages to Family, Friends and Community as a whole.

The visual was simple but really creative and I must say well done and Welcome back to Kendrick Lamar.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Drake strikes a layered deal with Universal Music Group

On May 4, 2022, Sir Lucian Grainge, the Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Group confirmed that an expansive, multi-faceted deal has been struck with world-renowned musician, Drake.

The deal includes recordings, publishing, merchandise, and visual media projects. In some sections of the media, this resembles a 360 deal.

According to Grainge’s remarks during today’s Universal Music Group Q1 earnings call, the “expanded portfolios” span multiple creative lanes and revenue streams. Variety reports that the deal is worth $400 million or more. The number of years that the deal governs, has not been revealed by any of the parties.

In the last decade, Drake was the No. 1 streaming artist, a position that he attained in 2016 and never fell to No. 2. The news also puts any notion to bed, any notions that Drake could become an independent artist.

Universal, which is home to Drake and Taylor Swift, two of the biggest artists in the world, has been referenced in several verses by Drake.

On ‘BB King Freestyle,’ Drake even bragged that he single-handedly keeps the lights on at Universal.

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Entertainment / Foreign / Music / News

Post Malone expecting 1st child with longtime girlfriend

The rapper made the big news known during a chat with the “Circles.”

“I’m excited for this next chapter in my life. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and for since I could remember I was sad,” he told the publication.

“Time to take care of my body and my family and friends, and spread as much love as we can every day.”

According to sources close to the rapper, a party was held with close family members over the weekend to celebrate the big news.

In a recent chat with Billboard, the rapper revealed why he decided to move away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. People wanted me to stay in LA — that’s where the work gets done — but I was fed up. There’s always something to do, and someone always wants something from ya — and I didn’t want to go crazy,” he said.

“The move to Utah has made things a lot better for my mental health. It’s been very, very good,” he continued. “It’s something I had to do because LA was kicking my ass. So it is tough, but it is worth it.”

Austin Richard Post, known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter.

Known for his introspective songwriting and variegated vocal styles, Malone has gained acclaim for blending genres and subgenres of pop, hip hop, R&B, and trap.

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Foreign / Music / News

Here are the top 10 trending moments from Burna Boy’s show at the Madison Square Garden

A few hours ago, New York City’s Madison Square Garden was packed to capacity as Burna Boy, the African Giant, set a new record. Burna Boy was the first African artist to sell out the Garden of Eden, performing in front of over 20,000 people. Busta Rhymes, the legendary rapper, introduced the singer. Here are the top 10 trending moments from Burna Boy’s show at the Madison Square Garden.

1. Fans gave Burna Boy bras as gift

2. Performing ‘Sungba remix’

3. Performing an unreleased song off his upcoming album

4. Transition from ‘Kilometer’ to ‘Killin Dem’

5. Performing ‘Way Too Big’

6. Burna Boy’s family vibing to his performance

7. The African Giant’s entrance to the MSG

8. Performing ‘Second Sermon remix,

9. Performing ‘Bank on It’

10. Transition from ‘Sponono’ to ‘Sungba’

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Foreign / Music / News

Burna Boy becomes the first-ever Nigerian to sell out the Madison Square Garden in New York

Grammy Award-winning Afro-fusion pioneer, Burna Boy has officially become, not just the first Nigerian artist to headline at the Madison Square Garden (MSG), New York, but also the first to sell it out when he live-streams his wildly anticipated “One Night In Space” show at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on April 28th, 2022 at 9:00 pm ET, exclusively on YouTube. This massive win for Burna Boy and the entire African continent goes to buttress his point in the lyrics of ‘Way too Big’ when he sang “Because I’m way too big”. It’s clear he wasn’t joking. Featured as a guest on the American Talk show “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”,

Burna Boy left everyone including Trevor himself, in stitches with his naturalness and authenticity — a teaser of what to expect at the MSG. Burna Boy — who has also revealed that an exclusive limited line of merch will be made available to commemorate this historic event as the first Nigerian musician to ever headline the world-renowned venue — promises a classic fusion of elements and themes combined with his explosive energy and the true spirit of New York City, which will culminate into an unforgettable night in New York City.

This ‘One Night In Space’ showcase follows Burna Boy’s recently sold-out debut at LA’s The Hollywood Bowl, electrifying performances at 2021 Global Citizen Festival and The Governor’s Ball, as well as sold-out international shows at London’s O2 Arena, Paris’ Accor Arena, Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome and more venues around the globe, as part of his 2021 Space Drift tour which echoes the sounds from his groundbreaking fifth studio album TWICE AS TALL — an immediate sensation, earning more than 5M worldwide streams within its first hour of release.

Fueled by such singles as “Wonderful,” “Monsters You Made (Feat. Chris Martin), “Real Life (Feat. Stormzy),” and “23,” TWICE AS TALL – which features additional collaborations with Youssou N’Dour, Sauti Sol, and Naughty by Nature – debuted at #1 on Billboard’s “US World Albums” chart …

Entertainment / Music / News

Burna Boy narrates how he produced the ‘Twice As Tall’ album on Zoom

Last night, the African Giant, who recently sold out Madison Square Garden, appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, where he discussed his journey since their last conversation, as well as how he was able to produce his Grammy award-winning album.

Burna Boy performed at the show two years ago, shortly after the release of his fourth studio album, ‘African Giant.’ Returning to the show last night, Burna Boy discussed how he was able to put together a Grammy award-winning album during the lockdown.

See full video to his interview;

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Entertainment / Music / News

Wizkid hints on getting $1 million to headline at the Rolling Loud concert in Toronto

Rolling Loud has announced the Nigerian singer as one of three headliners for their first concert in Canada’s largest city, Toronto. Wizkid, Dave, and Future are the headliners for the three-day concert, which will take place at Ontario Place, a 15,000-person capacity outdoor concert venue in the heart of Toronto.

Following the announcement and confirmation of his story by Wizkid, the Nigerian pop star made a shocking revelation. He hinted in his story that he was paid a million dollars to be one of the event’s headliners. Wizkid will perform on the third day, September 11th, 2022. Other than Wizkid, Mavin Records Rema is the only Nigerian scheduled to perform at the concert.

Wizkid teases a $1 million payday to headline the Rolling Loud concert in Toronto. Wizkid’s story is simply a confirmation of Future’s tweet from a few days ago, in which he claimed he was paid a million dollars to headline a concert. “How many trap niggas u kno can get 1mil ah show??? #IMDATNIGGA,” he tweeted.

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Crime / Entertainment / Music / News

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky spotted at dinner for 1st time since rapper’s arrest

Barbadian singer Rihanna has been spotted with her partner A$AP Rocky for the first time since his arrest.

According to PageSix, the couple had dinner at the popular celebrity spot, Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

As usual, Rihanna had her belly bump on full display while also rocking a black bra, black-and-white jacket and sparkly mini shorts.

PageSix said Rihanna and Rocky were at the dinner with family friends for a baby shower.

It would be recalled that Rocky was arrested at the Los Angeles airport on Wednesday, April 20, upon his arrival from the much talked about trip to Rihanna’s home country, Barbados.

According to PageSix, he was taken into custody and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

The rapper is under investigation by the LAPD for his alleged involvement in a Nov. 6 shooting.

The rapper first ran into trouble with the law in 2019 after he was arrested in Sweden.

He was arrested for his involvement in a public fight with some alleged drug addicts.

In an interview, he described his time in prison as “very difficult and humbling experience.”

He was jailed for a month.

Rocky and his partner Rihanna are expecting their first child together.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Banky W claims Wizkid owes his record label 3 albums

The Nigerian singer, music executive, and politician spoke with Bounce Networks’ Ebuka. Banky W spoke about his deal with Wizkid and how they ended things in the interview with his wife and Nollywood actress, Adesua.

When discussing his contract with Wizkid and how they parted ways, he stated that Wizkid wanted to leave despite the fact that he had not fulfilled the terms of his contract. He revealed that Wizkid only released two albums, as opposed to the five stipulated in his contract. In his words,

“I think it was a 5 album deal and he had done 2 solo albums… I think he still owed 3 more albums but he wanted to leave. And for me, that was enough because I don’t want anybody to stay where they want to stay.”

When asked if he tried to talk him out of it, he replied, “No, because I could tell that mentally he was ready to do other things. For me, I just felt like some things are just meant to happen for a season and that was the season we were meant to work together.”

Recall that Wizkid joined Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) in 2009 and released two albums, ‘Superstar‘ (2011) and ‘Ayo‘ (2014), before leaving the label in 2014.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Tems says she doesn’t think about how people will receive her music

On episode two of Tems‘ ‘Leading Vibe Radio,’ on Apple Music 1, she is joined by her manager, Muyiwa and Def Jam boss, Tunji Balogun, to explore ‘The Other Side’ of humanity as they talk self-awareness, fear, celebrity, therapy and empathy.

Here are some excerpts from the chat;

Tems On Focus, Taking Time Between Releasing Music And How People React To That

People imagine themselves to be in your position, but don’t actually understand the actual work that goes into it. So everything that they say is based off of their imagination. One thing that a lot of people never notice until now is that the first half of every single year, since I ever released music is my time to work on myself, work on my music, do everything I need to do. And in that time it seems like, “Oh my God, what’s going on?” Nothing is going on. And people start talking because everybody is scared. It looks like they have something important to say, or they have something reasonable to say, but really it’s fear.

And they’re scared for me in quotes, but if you go to the roots of that, it’s really because they’re afraid of doing what they really want to do. And they feel like, “Oh, how can this person just be chilling? What is she doing?” But you actually don’t know what I do on a daily basis. You actually don’t know how my life actually is in real life; you can’t even fathom it. And if you were me, do you know whether you’d be alive? Do you know whether you wouldn’t have done something by now? Do you know whether you would’ve handled it better than me? Because you don’t know what I’ve seen or what I’ve gone through. And a lot of this is really self-projection. Just projecting your own fears.

Tems On Whether She Thinks About How People Will Receive Her Music

Honestly, I don’t. Maybe on the day that we’re releasing it, the day of, I’ll

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Music / News / Telecommunication

Snoop Dogg says his latest album made $21 million in the metaverse on the first day, and 34,000 downloads in the real world

On April 19, 2022, legendary American rapper appeared on popular podcast, Drink Champs, opposite NORE. During the conversation, he revealed that his latest album made $21 million in the metaverse and $34,000 in real life.

He says, “Boom dropped the album, it made $21 million the first day, but in the real world, it streamed like nine million [somewhere], seven million somewhere else, but only got 34,000 downloads.”

He released BODR, his latest album as an NFT in February 2022. The album is his third – but 23 years apart from his second – on Death Row Records, which he recently purchased from eOne Music. In the same month, Music Business Worldwide reported that Snoop Dogg had sold $44 million worth of NFT stash box in five days.

During the chat with Drink Champs, he also revealed the details behind his acquisition of Death Row Records, a label that signed him in the early 90’s, when it was owned by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight.

Watch the chat below;

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