Archives: Episodes

10 Summers/Interscope Records Ella Mai’s self-titled debut album is being released today, and the 23-year-old singer from London is thrilled.

“I am so excited,” Mai tells ABC Radio. “I know everyone is waiting for a full body of work and to see what is the follow-up from ‘Boo’d Up’ and from ‘Trip.’”

The American Music Awards nominee previously released three EPS: Time and Change, both in 2016, and Ready in 2017. Her album has 15 tracks, including collaborations with John Legend, Chris Brown, and H.E.R.

The album includes Ella’s breakthrough hit, “Boo’d Up,” which just set a record for the most weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart for a single by a woman. The double-platinum single has been at the top of the chart for 16 weeks, breaking the 2006 record set by Mary J. Blige‘s hit “Be Without You.”

Ella will turn 24 years old on November 3, but earlier this week she celebrated her tour mate Bruno Mars‘ 33rd birthday. She’s opening ten concerts on his 24K Magic tour, and while in Nashville for a show on Monday, she serenaded the 11-time Grammy winner.

“I was like, we have to say ‘Happy Birthday,’” she says. “They had all these cupcakes and everything ready for him. So I was like, ‘I’m gonna come into his dressing room,’ but he was like, ‘I’ll come into yours.’”

“He just came in by himself so casually and I was like, ‘Happy Birthday!’ I’m trying to sing him Happy Birthday,” Mai continues. “He’s like, ‘You don’t have to do all that.’ He’s so cool, so humble, and his energy on stage every night is incredible.”

Ella continues her tour with Mars Saturday in Tulsa, OK.

Here’s the track list for Ella Mai’s debut album:

1. “Emotion”
2. “Good Bad”
3. “Dangerous”
4. “Sauce”
4. “Whatchamacallit” feat. Chris Brown
6. “Cheapshot”
7. “Shot Clock”
8. “Boo’d Up”
9. “Everything” feat. John Legend
10. “Own It”
11. “Run My Mouth”
12. Gut Feeling” feat. H.E.R.
13. “Trip”
14. “Close”
15. “Easy”

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Craig SjodinMary J. Blige is among the stars involved in the first song camp to increase opportunities for women in the music industry.

The “She Is the Music” song camp, sponsored by the performers’ rights organization ASCAP, will be held October 17-19 in Nashville. It will involve female songwriters and engineers who have worked with Beyonce, Rihanna, Childish Gambino, Usher and Chris Brown.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with these amazing women and to contribute to the goals of She Is The Music,” the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul says in a statement.  “We all have the power to create change. As we continue to lift each other up, we will be unstoppable.”

Alicia Keys is among the people who founded the “She Is The Music” program, in response to a report from USC Annenberg that revealed huge inequalities for female musicians. 

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

American Music AwardsAfter seeing Cardi B wearing a cheetah-print ensemble — channeling her character in the ’90s TV series The Nanny — Fran Drescher now says she wants the “I Like It” rapper to appear with her in a potential reboot.

“Wouldn’t she be great as my daughter?” Drescher tells People.com. 

When Cardi traveled to Italy for Milan Fashion Week in September, she posted the cheetah photo on Instagram with the caption, “Fran Drescher in @dolcegabbana.”

“I was so flattered,” the actress says of Cardi’s outfit. “I just thought she paid homage to me.”

Cardi is in heavy demand: It’s just been announced that she’ll perform at the Electric Paradise Music & Arts Festival in the Dominican Republic on December 22.

J Balvin, who is featured on “I Like It,” is also on the list of artists, as is Wiz Khalifa. The event will include three stages and present a mix of urban and EDM artists. Tickets are now on sale on the festival website.

After winning three American Music Awards on Tuesday, Cardi is celebrating her 26^th birthday today.

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Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Remy MartinDrake admits he fears staying in the hip-hop game too long in a promo for this week’s episode of LeBron James’ HBO series, The Shop.

“I think one of my biggest concerns in my career is just to figure out how to exit gracefully,” Drizzy tells the NBA star. “I’ve watched people overstay their welcome and I just don’t ever want to be that guy that’s addicted to the feeling of victory, addicted to the emotion of people digesting something that they love, and get to a point where I’m feeding them something and they’re just like, yeah,” he adds.

LeBron’s advice?  “What helps with the gracefully bowing out is having people around you that was there from the day one,” the four-time NBA MVP says. “You gotta have someone to tell you like yo, either accept a lesser role or you gotta tank.”

Drake and LeBron made their comments in the “There Are No Rules” episode, which also features Orlando Magic rookie Mo Bamba, WNBA player Elena Delle Donne, Philadelphia Sixers star Ben Simmons, and Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers.

The Shop airs Friday on HBO at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Starz50 Cent has locked in a new deal with his Power network Starz.

Starz announced on Thursday that it has signed the rapper and media mogul to a new, four-year, exclusive overall deal. Under the deal, Jackson who is both the co-creator and executive producer of the hit series Power, will continue to develop new scripted and unscripted projects exclusively for the network through his G-Unit production company. 

The new deal also offers a three-series commitment and input into the merchandising and licensing of G-Unit developed brands and content.  According to Variety, Fif’s new deal is worth $150 million.

In addition to Power, 50 currently has two active projects in development at Starz: Black Mafia Family and the Navy SEAL drama Vanguard.

Meanwhile, Kevin Hart has also signed a major deal of his own.

Nickelodeon has announced they have entered into an exclusive first-look deal with Hart and his production company, HartBeat Productions. Under the deal, the comedian will develop and produce live-action, scripted kids’ content for the network.

“For me, Nick has always represented everything fun about being a kid, and it’s still at the forefront today of kids’ and family entertainment,” Hart said in a statement.

“I’ve been slimed at Kids’ Choice, won a lot of Orange Blimps and my kids are my very own built-in focus group,” he added. “So I’m ready to dive in and make some next-level shows.”

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Thomas Concordia/Getty Images for Style360A grand jury has indicted New York rapper Fabolous for an alleged attack on his girlfriend at their New Jersey home.

According to ABC News affiliate WABC New York, Fabolous, whose birth name is John Jackson, is now facing four felony charges in connection with two alleged incidents in Englewood, NJ, that happened in March.

Jackson is accused of hitting the mother of his two children, Emily B, several times and knocking out both her front teeth. He also allegedly threatened Emily and her family with a pair of scissors.

Last week, Jackson was indicted in Bergen County, New Jersey for one count of domestic violence stemming from an incident on March 7. He’s also charged with two counts for allegedly threatening to injure or kill three individuals on March 28, including Emily B.

Additionally, Jackson faces a weapons count for allegedly brandishing the scissors with the intent to use them unlawfully.

Each of the charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

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ABC NewsDeclaring that he loves President Trump, Kanye West wore his “Make America Great Again” hat to lunch at the White House on Thursday.

“They tried to scare me to not wear this hat. It gives me power in a way,” Kanye told reporters. “It was something about when I put this hat on…it made me feel like Superman.”

“You made a Superman,” Kanye said, addressing the president and his campaign’s MAGA hats. “That’s my favorite superhero, and you made a Superman cape for me.”

West also explained why he supported Trump when he ran for President against Hillary Clinton.

“I love Hillary. I love everyone, right?” he said. “But the campaign ‘I’m With Her’ just didn’t make me feel — as a guy that didn’t get to see my dad all the time — like a guy that could play catch with his son.”

Kanye added that the media and Democrats need to stop criticizing Trump.

“What I need Saturday Night Live to improve on, or what I need the liberals to improve on is, if he don’t look good, we don’t look good,” he explained. “This is our President! He has to be the freshest. The flyest.”

The rapper also said America needs to stop exporting jobs.

“We have to bring jobs into America,” he said. “When we make everything in China…then we’re cheating on our country, and we’re putting people into positions to have to do illegal things to end up in the cheapest factory ever: the prison system.”

When asked if Kanye could be a presidential candidate, Trump started to answer — but then Kanye interrupted and said, “Not until 2024!”

By the way, in 2009, Trump told TMZ that he was calling for a boycott of Kanye, for interrupting Taylor Swift at the MTV VMAs.

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Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Sony Music and The Estate of Michael JacksonUsher announced Thursday on Instagram that he’s dropping a new album tonight at midnight.

Titled for A for Atlanta, the album includes eight songs. The “U Remind Me” singer also posted a trailerfeaturing him in a variety of places, including a skating rink, strip club, barbershop, Waffle House, jewelry shop, and an airport where he boards a private jet.

This will be the ninth studio album for the eight-time Grammy winner, who’s been quiet since his previous release, Hard II Love, in 2016.

Usher’s also been busy acting, and stars in the upcoming film, Burden, featuring Forest Whitaker,which opens January 21, 2019.

Usher will also celebrate his 40th birthday Sunday.

Here’s the track list for A:

“Stay at Home”
“ATA”
“Peace Sign”
“You Decide”
“Birthday”
“She Ain’t Tell Ya”
“Say What U Want”
“Gift Shop”

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Image Group LAKhalid won an American Music Award Tuesday night for Favorite Male Artist – Soul/R&B, and he says he can’t wait to record with a female singer who was nominated for two AMAs: Ella Mai.

Ella recently revealed that Khalid, who appears in her “Boo’d Up” video, would be her dream collaboration. The two have become good friends, and Khalid tells ABC Radio he loves her personality.

“She’s just real. She’s just so real and so down-to-earth,” Khalid tells ABC Radio. “I would love to collaborate with her. Hopefully we both just find time off and just make something great.”

The “Young Dumb & Broke” singer received his American Music Award one month after being honored with “Khalid Day” in El Paso, Texas, where he graduated from high school.

“It’s crazy for me, especially being only 20 years old,” Khalid says. “To impact the city as much as I did, and I’m not even primarily from there. But they welcomed me with open arms and it’s just so beautiful. I just love the city so much. They’re just so amazing.” 

Khalid dedicated his new single “Better,” to El Paso, and now he’s working on the follow-up to his double platinum debut album, American Teen.

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. 

Daniel SheaTonight, T.I. is celebrating the release of his new album, Dime Trap, by bringing ABC’s Nightline to Atlanta.

TIP will take ABC’s Dan Harris through his hometown, riding BMX bikes as they visit places from his childhood.

The rapper/actor will also give viewers a tour of his pop-up Trap Museum, which opened September 30 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his second solo album, Trap Muzik. The museum includes artwork inspired by a variety of artists, including 21 Savage, Rick Ross, Future, Gucci Mane, and the late Shawty Lo.

Nightline airs 12:35 a.m. EST/11:35 p.m. CST, on ABC.  

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