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She became a star as a percussionist and bandleader in the swing era. But her call for the big bands to hire women instrumentalists during World War II had little impact. More

The emerging Chicago rapper King Von was one of three people shot and killed in Atlanta early Friday morning, the Atlanta Police Department said, during an altercation that involved both on- and off-duty police officers who were attempting to break up a fight.King Von, born Dayvon Bennett, 26, was among two groups of men who began arguing outside of the Monaco Hookah Lounge, near downtown, around 3:20 a.m., leading to gunfire, the authorities said in a statement on Friday. Two off-duty Atlanta police officers were working security at the establishment, and an on-duty officer was patrolling nearby, they said. Two of the officers confronted the shooters, leading to additional shots fired.The police said that three people were discovered at the scene with gunshot wounds and transported to the hospital, while three others, including King Von, left the scene and were taken to the hospital by private vehicles. No officers were injured in the shooting, the police said.“At this time, our investigators believe Mr. Bennett was shot during the initial shootout between the two groups of males, prior to police responding and attempting to stop the shooting,” the Atlanta police said, adding that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate the officers’ conduct. “Part of the investigations will include determining which individuals were struck by gunfire from the suspects and whether any were struck by gunfire from the officers.”King Von was a Chicago native, hailing from Parkway Gardens, the low-income apartments located in the area known as O’Block on the city’s South Side. Last week, he released his third album, “Welcome to O’Block,” to success on streaming services. He was enmeshed in Chicago’s drill scene, alongside artists like Chief Keef and Lil Durk, who signed King Von to his record label, Only the Family Entertainment, where he developed a reputation for vivid, street-level storytelling.After spending his teenage years in and out of prison in Chicago, King Von had moved to Atlanta to focus on his music career. “I like the people more in Chicago, but it’s just smarter to live at where I am now,” he said in an interview this summer.A year earlier, King Von had been arrested in Atlanta, along with Lil Durk, and charged with attempted murder, among other felonies, for what prosecutors said was their role in a robbery outside of the local fast-food restaurant the Varsity. Both men were later released on bond, and the case remained open.On Friday, the rapper was mourned on social media by artists including Chance the Rapper, Lil Yachty and YG.“Von overcame incredibly challenging circumstances as a young man, but never lost sight of what it meant to give back and uplift his community,” the label and distribution company Empire, which helped to release the rapper’s music, said in a statement. “He was a loving father, dedicated member of his community and an amazing talent that just started to scratch the surface of his boundless potential.” More

Every Friday, pop critics for The New York Times weigh in on the week’s most notable new songs and videos. Just want the music? Listen to the Playlist on Spotify here (or find our profile: nytimes). Like what you hear? Let us know at [email protected] and sign up for our Louder newsletter, a once-a-week blast of our pop music coverage.Burna Boy, ‘20 10 20’[embedded content]The title of Burna Boy’s mournful but impassioned new song “20 10 20” refers to the date of the deadly events last month in the suburb of Lekki in Nigeria, when security forces opened fire on a crowd peacefully protesting state police brutality by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS. Like much of his excellent recent album “Twice as Tall,” “20 10 20” filters political rumination through a prism of deeply felt personal emotions: “Suffer, suffer, water runaway my eyes,” he croons. But Burna Boy also draws strength from the revolutionary spirit of his lodestar Fela Kuti, to whom he nods when he sings, “Everything done scatter, scatter.” LINDSAY ZOLADZMaluma and the Weeknd, ‘Hawái Remix’The Weeknd doesn’t just add English lyrics — and his own first vocals in Spanish — to the remix of Maluma’s international hit “Hawái.” In his crisp reggaeton ballad, Maluma sang about an ex who was showing off her new romance and tropical vacation on Instagram as a way to make him jealous; he was sure she was lying to herself. The Weeknd adds a back story — sweetly crooned with a resentful undercurrent — that brackets Maluma’s song with verses about how he wanted a baby but not a marriage, making the situation even more twisted. JON PARELESJade Bird, ‘Headstart’Jade Bird’s music is a unique trans-Atlantic hybrid: Though the 23-year-old singer and songwriter is British, she grew up enamored with the folk and country music of the American South. With its punchy guitars and bright melody, “Headstart,” the first single from her forthcoming second album, represents the poppier side of Bird’s sound, but an explosive chorus shows off the distinct, raspy twang of her vocals — which somehow find common ground between Lucinda Williams and Alanis Morissette. “I know us girls aren’t easy, but come on,” she hollers, exasperated, at the oblivious object of her affection. “I’ve given you a head start.” ZOLADZDodie, ‘Cool Girl’Syncopated plucked strings accompany dodie’s breathy, drowsy voice as she wrestles with how much she’d subdue herself to please someone else: “I swore I wouldn’t play the age-old game,” she sings, but then she vows, “I’ll be quiet/I’ll be easy.” A beat arrives, along with backing voices and swelling strings, only to abandon her before the song ends. In the video clip, she dances with a group of women, sometimes in sync and sometimes not; at the end, she’s alone. PARELESFred Hersch, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’Sitting at home, hiding out from the pandemic and unable to jam with his usual bandmates, Fred Hersch had the company of his 50-year-old Steinway grand piano. You can feel what a comfort it’s been on “Songs From Home,” an unpretentious, quietly mirthful album covering tunes from across the spectrum of 20th-century American music. A masterful musician who turned 65 last month, Hersch establishes the album’s generous spirit on its opening track, “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” from “My Fair Lady.” He instills the tune with a tenderness and a distant longing, leaving space, putting a special focus on the harmonies that get along most easily with each other, channeling Hank Jones’ quietly glowing treatment of American spirituals. GIOVANNI RUSSONELLOÓlafur Arnalds, ‘Woven Song’The Icelandic keyboardist and composer Ólafur Arnalds draws mystery from seeming simplicity in “Woven Song” from his new album, “Some Kind of Peace.” He devised a Minimalist piano waltz to accompany an icaro, a healing song from an Amazonian shaman who has a whispery high voice. A string section quietly wafts in yet ends up being all that’s left, sustaining chords like the waltz’s ghostly memories. PARELESNothing, ‘April Ha Ha’“April Ha Ha,” from the Philadelphia band Nothing’s immersive new record “The Great Dismal,” is as pummeling and purifying as a sudden downpour. Combining elements of shoegaze, metal and anthemic rock, Nothing’s sound buries the bleak, poetic musings of the frontman Domenic Palermo beneath crushing waves of guitar, though they occasionally recede and bring his voice into striking clarity. On such a moment in the middle of “April Ha Ha,” the Philly scene fixture Alex G makes a vocal cameo, musing, “Isn’t it strange, watching people try to outrun rain?” As the guitars kick back in at full volume, he repeats that refrain until its vivid imagery starts to feel genuinely surreal. ZOLADZKaren O and Willie Nelson, ‘Under Pressure’Hit the pop-rock-country randomizer and … voilà. Willie Nelson and Karen O (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) have remade the David Bowie-Queen collaboration “Under Pressure” as a more or less acoustic ballad. The piano hook — the one Vanilla Ice would rediscover — appears at beginning and end, but most of the song is an acoustic guitar and pedal-steel reverie that focuses on exposed voices and words: “This is our last dance, this is ourselves/under pressure,” they sing, more or less together. PARELESMichael Penn, ‘A Revival’Michael Penn’s first song in 15 years, “A Revival,” swells from modest parlor-piano hymn to robust chorus as it reflects, not so obliquely, on privilege, hubris, narcissism and the long-awaited restoration of a “commonweal.” It promises, “Soon you’ll be gone.” The video makes its target clearer. PARELESBree Runway featuring Missy Elliott, ‘ATM’The British rapper Bree Runway enlisted none other than Missy Elliott to join her on “ATM,” a cheerfully mercantile electro-rap boast that conflates sexiness and monetary value: “Put some cash all in my deposit,” she urges. PARELES More

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Mykki Blanco, who claims to have written Yeezy’s part in Teyana Taylor’s song ‘Hurry’, is dropping an ultimatum to the ‘Follow God’ rapper after he reportedly skipped out on his payment.

Nov 6, 2020
AceShowbiz – One of Kanye West’s ghostwriters is allegedly ready to go for a public war with the rapper. Mykki Blanco, an HIV positive transgender, is threatening to expose the GOOD Music founder after an alleged financial dispute.
While the Atlanta-born star has admitted to using ghostwriters in the past, a ghostwriter should remain a secret, hence the term “ghostwriter.” However, according to MTO News, Mykki has launched an ultimatum that he’s going to come forward and tell the world that she’s been writing Kanye’s music because he skipped out on one of his payments.

Back in July, Mykki made a claim that she wrote Ye’s rap part in Teyana Taylor’s song “Hurry”. The songwriter, who is also a rapper, performance artist, poet and activist for HIV and LGBT issues, tweeted at the time, “I wrote on and co-produced this track as well as writing the verse that Kanye literally raps on ‘Hurry’.”

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“Is that a big accomplishment to write for other artists no,” she added, expressing her displease. Noting that she meant no disrespect to Teyana, the ghostwriter claimed, “The reason I have gone public with this is not to bad mouth @teyanataylor.”
Kanye’s past ghostwriters included some hip-hop stars who have placed their own names in the music industry, including Drake, Travis Scott (II), Lupe Fiasco and Jay-Z.
Should the ghostwriter’s allegation be true, it’s another problem that Kanye will be dealing with after he’s sued by workers at his live opera show who allege he didn’t pay their wages. The 43-year-old rapper is accused of owing staff “unpaid wages” and of “failing to pay minimum wage and overtime,” with a lawsuit demanding $1 million in compensation.
The suit states that the “Gold Digger” hitmaker “failed to properly compensate” dozens of employees, including a number of performers from his show. “Defendants oversaw, controlled and ran the production, and the aggrieved employees worked many hours on the production and were not timely paid for their work, or paid at all,” the documents read.

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As the accompanying music video was filmed when the ‘TROLLZ’ raptress was still pregnant, she can be seen putting her baby bump on display while wearing a lime green two-piece set.

Nov 6, 2020
AceShowbiz – Being a mom doesn’t make Nicki Minaj look less fierce than before. The “Anaconda” hitmaker shows off strong chemistry with NBA YoungBoy (YoungBoy Never Broke Again) and Mike Will Made It on “What That Speed Bout”, which music video was released on Friday, November 6.
The fiery song features the rappers trading verses over a dynamic beat. As the accompanying music video was filmed when Nicki was still pregnant, she can be seen putting her baby bump on display while wearing a lime green two-piece set and metallic thigh-high boots. As for her hair, she sports a complex braided up-do.
YoungBoy, meanwhile, echoes the futuristic style in a white vest. He pairs the look with a blue-and-white mesh long sleeve shirt.

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Prior to the release, Nicki teased fans about the upcoming collaboration by sharing a throwback picture when she was pregnant with her and husband Kenny Penneth’s baby boy. “#WhatThatSpeedBout THURSDAY NIGHT NBA YOUNG BOY X BARBIE X MIKE WILL,” the self-proclaimed black Barbie wrote on November 3 alongside a picture of herself and YoungBoy on the filming set.

The new song marks the first song featuring Nicki after she gave birth to her son back in September. While she has yet to reveal the name of her little bundle of joy, she previously treated her Instagram followers to the first picture of her baby. “Happy Anniversary, my love,” she captioned the snap featuring the baby boy’s tiny foot.
Nicki was very secretive about her pregnancy. After dropping hints numerous times, she only confirmed she was eating for two back in July. The Young Money femcee also gave a brief story about her pregnancy struggles, “While I was in Trinidad earlier this year, I had the worst morning sickness of all time. Didn’t know morning sickness could last all day either.”

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The new song, on which the Australian star is rapping about waking up with an ‘attitude,’ most likely will be included in ‘End of an Era’ which is planned to be released sometime in 2021.

Nov 5, 2020
AceShowbiz – Iggy Azalea is serving attitude in her new Instagram post. The “Fancy” hitmaker, who just welcomed her baby boy Onyx earlier this year, has taken to her Instagram account to tease her fans with a snippet from her third upcoming album, “End of an Era”.
In a new video, the Australian star threw a seductive look at the camera while she was lying on bed in a dim-lit room. The new mom appeared to forgo a top as she went shirtless for the clip.

Her sexy look aside, fans were excited to hear a little from her new music. She could be heard rapping, “Woke up this morning with a motherf**kin’ attitude/ Woke up this morning with ya baby daddy mad at you/ What? Don’t let him get too comfortable.”

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The song most likely will be included in “End of an Era”, which is planned to be released in 2021. The albu, was initially set to arrive over the summer but it’s getting pushed back to the next year.
The delay might have something to do with her being pregnant with ex Playboi Carti’s child. The rapper, who first sparked pregnancy rumors in December 2019, was rumored to give birth to her baby in April. She remained mum until she finally broke her silence two months later. “I have a son,” the femcee revealed.
“I kept waiting for the right time to say something but it feels like the more time passes the more I realize I’m always going to feel anxious to share news that giant with the world?” she added. “I want to keep his life private but wanted to make it clear he is not a secret & I love him beyond words.
In October, Iggy confirmed that she broke up with Playboi as she wrote on Instagram, “You lost a real 1!!! People take loyalty for granted & that’s why I’d rather be alone!!” She later confirmed the breakup in another note, “What I meant last night was that I’m raising my son alone & I’m not in a relationship.”

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Blake Shelton Seeks Permission From Gwen Stefani’s Sons Prior to Proposal

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When talking about the eight-disc set, the longtime collaborator of the ‘Rocket Man’ singer admits he felt fans would find their very early songs an embarrassment.

Nov 5, 2020
AceShowbiz – Bernie Taupin initially fought the release of Elton John’s “Jewel Box” collection because he feared their early songs would be an embarrassment.
The eight-disc set features 60 previously unheard tracks, stretching all the way back to 1967, and the rocker’s longtime collaborator admits he felt fans would laugh at their first efforts.
“To see the product of our initial attempts at songwriting 50 years after the fact… it’s a little alarming to reconvene with,” the lyricist tells Rolling Stone. “I wasn’t sure I wanted people to hear these things, to be honest. I thought I might be embarrassed by their naivete, especially the very, very early work.”

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“After all, at that time I was really faking it. The whole idea of how to construct a song was foreign to me. The idea of verse/chorus/bridge was big-pants terminology to me. Back then, I was throwing it down on the page. It was brain-to-pencil sort of free-form. It was a gradual process to find my voice. There was a lot of mimicry involved, a lot of purloining from what was currently a hit.”
“I was floundering and grasping at straws.”
And Bernie admits the pair’s 1968 song “Regimental Sgt. Zippo”, which appears on the new box set was “an affectionate nod” to The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”.
“Can I honestly say that was a tip of the hat to Sgt. Pepper? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t,” he explains. “But it certainly proved that we were hanging on the coattails of things that were currently popular.”

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Set to co-host the big show with Reba McEntire from Nashville, Tennessee on November 11, the ‘Wagon Wheel’ hitmaker reacts to question if the stars would perform in front of real fans.

Nov 5, 2020
AceShowbiz – Singer Darius Rucker has confused fans by suggesting the 2020 Country Music Association Awards will feature a live audience.
The “Wagon Wheel” hitmaker will co-host the big show with Reba McEntire from Nashville, Tennessee on November 11, when artists including Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, and Luke Combs will all take the stage at the Music City Center.
Reports in September indicated there would be no fans at the annual event, due to coronavirus concerns, but during a TV appearance on Wednesday, November 4, Rucker appeared to indicate otherwise.
Asked if he and his fellow country stars would be performing in front of real devotees, he smiled on America’s “Live with Kelly and Ryan”, “Yeah, we’re really proud.”
“I’m really excited, just blown away by how the social distancing (will work) and how careful everybody’s being, all the performers will be there, the nominees will be there,” he continued.

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“Everyone will be social distanced and spread out and it will be the first time really the country music family has been (together) in one room all year.”
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Rucker was announced as McEntire’s co-host last month, but the singer feared he was in trouble when he first got the call asking if he’d be interesting in fronting the prizegiving with the country legend, a four-time host.
“My manager… said, ‘Are you sitting down?’,” he shared. “My first thought was, ‘Oh my goodness… what have I done?’ But it was to do this…, so it was awesome.”
Rucker is working on delivering “something really special” with McEntire for the big night, a collaboration they are both “really excited about”, while he will be sharing the stage with Lady A (Lady Antebellum), too: “We’re going to do Beers and Sunshine.”
The CMA Awards will air live at 8 pm ET next Wednesday.

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Charlie Hunnam on Tom Hardy as the Next James Bond: That Would Be Sensational

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