Latest news with #rap
Entrepreneur
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Entrepreneur
Inside Joe Budden's $20 Million Podcast Network
A New York Times profile of former rap star Joe Budden breaks down the eye-popping figures he's pulling in by connecting with his vast audience's ears. Budden gained acclaim with his 2003 hit "Pump It Up," and went on to become a TV and media personality. Now dubbed "Howard Stern of hip-hop," Budden has amassed millions of listeners to his Joe Budden Network and self-titled show. The show mostly involves Budden and his friends opining on the latest pop culture news. Related: Guy Fieri Teaches His Team This Customer Service Secret — And It Can Unlock Unexpected Success For Your Business Too Budden and his network's Chief Executive, Ian Schwartzman, shared some of the incredible numbers behind their endeavor with The Times, stating that they "want to make a broader argument for maintaining independence as creators." They spent two years being available exclusively on Spotify, but otherwise are unattached to any media companies. Here's a look at the numbers: The Joe Budden Network averages $1.04 million per month on Patreon thanks to its 70,000 paid subscribers. Subscribers can choose tiers that range from $5 to $50 per month. The more expensive tiers come with extras like bonus episodes. Two free episodes are available each week to unpaid listeners. 2025 subscription revenue is expected to be more than $12 million. Advertising (all conducted through their own in-house department) makes up a significant part of the company's revenue. The Joe Budden Network employs more than 30 independent contractors. While Budden and Schwartzman say it might seem like a "flex" to be so open about their finances, they are trying to inform up-and-comers who might have their eyes set on a big network deal like Joe Rogan has. "[It's] uncomfortable to put any money situation out there for the public and competitors to see," Schwartzman told the Times, but added, "How else will they know they can do it this way?" Related: 'I Lost My Mind': Erin Andrews Explains What It's Like to Be in the Middle of the Taylor Swift Effect
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'LokDog' drops mic after UFC 318: Vinicius Oliveira releases rap song
Vinicius Oliveira quite literally dropped the mic after his UFC 318 win. "LokDog" isn't just a fighter. He's a rapper, too. One day after his victory over Kyler Phillips in New Orleans, Oliveira (23-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) dropped a new single "Fenomenal" featuring Brazilian rapper B-Dynamitze. Coinciding with the song was a new music video, which features "LokDog" in the gym sparring, lifting – and spitting. Oliveira's discography includes five singles, according to his Spotify artist account. His debut "Ande Como um Rei" dropped in 2023 followed by "Perdendo a Conquista." In 2024 he released "Cerre os Punhos" and "Conquistando o Impossivel." To go with his five singles, Oliveira has four UFC wins to date. He's won six fights in a row and 12 of his most recent 13. His unanimous decision win over Phillips () was his most high-profile to date, and likely aligns him for a top-10 matchup next. Regardless of who, when, or where he fights next, "LokDog" will remain one of the division's biggest personalities. If you don't believe it, look no further than the above music video. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 'LokDog' drops mic after UFC 318: Vinicius Oliveira releases rap song
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kodak Black Disses NBA YoungBoy's New Album ‘MASA': 'It's Straight Trash'
Kodak Black and YoungBoy Never Broke Again have had a complicated relationship over the last decade. The Pompano Beach, Fla. rapper dissed his former collaborator's new album Make America Slime Again this past weekend, calling it 'straight trash.' The full album isn't out yet, but NBA YoungBoy unleashed six songs on Friday in honor of the 4th of July. MASA will be available in full on July 25, but Yak seemingly heard enough to share his thoughts on it. 'I just heard little bruh album it's straight trash, I don't even like that,' he said in an Instagram video this past weekend. 'And I like Youngboy music but that sh*t a** tho.' He continued speaking in the video, questioning if YB was dropping the music for his attention, suggesting there was behind-the-scenes drama between the two, saying that he was 'turnt up,' and that he had real music on the way. It was a bit difficult to make out everything he said, as he moved the camera around a lot and spoke fast, but check out the video below to see Kodak's take on the new songs from MASA. Though Kodak admits that he is a fan of the Baton Rouge rapper, his public admission of not liking his new music could cause the latest chapter of their on-and-off relationship. The last time they publicly engaged with one another was January 2023 when they bonded over their mutual enjoyment of gumbo. This was just a year removed from the 'Walk' artist dissing YoungBoy on 'Dirty K,' which fans heard and delusionally hoped that they could overcome whatever their issues were. The height of their beef was in the years 2018-2020. In 2018, Quando Rondo, one of YB's associates, burned Kodak's Sniper Gang merchandise. The 'Nevada' artist pushed the dagger deeper by dating Yak's ex-girlfriend the following year and releasing 'Letter 2 Kodak' after the controversial rapper was handed a 46-month federal prison sentence. The following year, Kodak accused YB of working with federal authorities after Iyanna Mayweather stabbed his baby's mother, Lapattra Lashai Jacobs. The feds confirmed that this was true, but YoungBoy took to Instagram Live to plead his case. It is unclear where the two stand, but given Kodak's erratic behavior, this could either mean nothing or everything. Listen to the title track from MASA below. More from Kodak Black Hacks Dreezy's Instagram After Awkward Interaction Donald Trump's Pardon For NBA YoungBoy Could Be In Jeopardy President Donald Trump Pardons NBA YoungBoy On Gun Charges Solve the daily Crossword
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Timeframe: From 2016 to 2023, Travis Scott's Abu Dhabi legacy ahead of his return
With more than $210 million in revenue across 78 shows, Travis Scott's Circus Maximus World Tour – set to hit Abu Dhabi on November 15 – is officially the highest-grossing solo rap tour of all time. But back in 2016, when the rapper first touched down in the UAE capital, he was a rising star. While he had a cult following even then, Scott was far from the global force he is today. Part of the line-up at the free Beats on the Beach concert series on the Corniche, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Scott was a headliner on the third night, performing on the same stage as Lebanese powerhouse Nancy Ajram. Scott's performance came less than two months after the release of his second studio album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, which debuted at No 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. 'Scott took to the Corniche stage like a rocket and in the space of a mere 15 minutes had the crowd sweating and shouting along to his Mad Hatter-esque raps and shuddering dystopian beats,' The National wrote of the 2016 show. For some fans, however, the intensity proved too much. The then-24-year-old paused his performance midway to allow an exhausted audience member to be escorted from the front. After ensuring the fan was OK, he warned the crowd that he wasn't finished: 'This is a Travis Scott show. If you can't handle that, you better leave because we all came here to party, right?' he said. Hours after his show, too, Scott wasn't done, turning up at Mad nightclub at Yas Island for another performance 'bounding around and whipping the late-night onlookers into a frenzy'. Scott was due to return to Abu Dhabi three years later, as one of the headline acts at the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after-race concert series, but suddenly pulled out three days before the show due to 'unforeseen circumstances', leaving many fans disappointed. 'While we are not contractually able to discuss the reason why, Travis couldn't do it because something happened that was totally out of his control,' John Lickrish, chief executive of organiser Flash Entertainment, told The National. 'Now we as a team are disappointed that this can happen so close to the show, but what I can say is that it was for extremely legitimate reasons and I feel empathy for him.' Rappers Future and Gucci Mane stepped in for Scott on the night. Scott returned to Abu Dhabi in 2023 for a blowout set, as the headliner of the inaugural Wireless Festival Middle East at Etihad Park, where he will also perform in November. The UK-import festival featured British rapper MIA, American rapper Lil Uzi Vert, Egyptian star Wegz and Iraqi rapper Ali Gatie performing across multiple stages. But Scott was the main draw of the event and he delivered an explosive show, blending surreal stage settings with his raucous onstage temperament. Scott was at the top of his game, The National reported, arriving on stage amid a cacophony of bass, strobes and smoke, opening with Hold That Heat and Highest in the Room, as he thundered around the stage as loyal fans mirrored him below. There were plenty of flames, smoke and exhilarating visuals with every song such as the genre-bending Stargazing, from 2018's Astroworld, performed in front of a kaleidoscopic wall of digital art.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
Snoop Dogg buys into Swansea City as rivals Wrexham targets Premier League
Snoop Dogg has become co-owner of English Championship side Swansea City in an unlikely alliance between the world of rap and football, the Welsh club announced. The 53-year-old American star joins former Real Madrid stalwart and Croatia World Cup finalist Luka Modric in the club's ownership structure. Snoop Dogg made a surprise appearance on the club's social media channels last week, modelling their new home jersey for the 2025-26 season, and the club announced on Thursday that he has become an investor. Swansea's Welsh rivals Wrexham have achieved a meteoric rise to the championship – the second-tier of English football – since Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club in 2020. Swansea City is delighted to announce global rap superstar and multi-platinum selling artist @SnoopDogg has become the club's latest high-profile co-owner and investor. 👉 — Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) July 17, 2025 Snoop Dogg's Swansea involvement comes after American businessmen Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen took over the club last November. Swansea will hope that Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, can use his 100 million-plus social media followers to boost the club's profile as they seek to return to the Premier League for the first time since they were relegated in 2018. Swansea's owners have said they want to generate greater revenue, which would allow them to invest more in new players under the profit and sustainability rules in British football. The 53-year-old rapper said on the club's website: 'My love of football is well known, but it feels special to me that I make my move into club ownership with Swansea City. 'The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working-class city and club. An underdog that bites back, just like me. 'I'm proud to be part of Swansea City.' Swansea announced in April that Modric, who this week joined AC Milan at the age of 39 after leaving Real Madrid, had acquired a stake in the club. 'To borrow a phrase from Snoop's back catalogue, this announcement is the next episode for Swansea City as we seek to create new opportunities to boost the club's reach and profile,' Swansea's owners said in a statement. 'Snoop's colossal global fanbase and audience will certainly help us do that, and he has made clear to us throughout this process just how excited he is at the prospect of joining the club.' 'Snoop has openly shared his love of football and his desire to be involved in the game, and we expect his involvement to support us putting as competitive a team as possible out on the field.' Wrexham targets Premier League through playoffs Meanwhile, the Hollywood fairy tale that is Wrexham AFC is only just beginning, the club's chief executive said on Friday as the Welsh side continued its unlikely quest to crack the English Premier League. Since Reynolds and McElhenney bought the Welsh club in 2020, Wrexham has become the first team to earn three successive promotions from England's National League to the second-tier championship. Wrexham will play relegated former Premier League club Southampton in their championship opener on August 9, a prospect club chief executive Michael Williamson described as a 'pinch yourself' moment. Williamson, speaking in Wellington during the club's preseason tour to Australia and New Zealand, said success was more than simply making up the numbers. 'The expectation is, and Rob McElhenney will say that he doesn't know what this word is, but obviously we need to consolidate our position in the championship,' Williamson said. 'If we are able to find ourselves halfway through the season, in December, in that 3-4-5-6-7 position, people should be worried about us. 'Because I believe if we make the playoffs with the type of mentality that we have, anything can happen in 90 minutes. 'I really would give ourselves a strong shot of giving it a run.' The Welsh minnows languished for years in the lower tiers of English football before being bought by Reynolds and McElhenney, and shooting to fame through the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. They return to the championship for the first time in more than 40 years. The fighting words were echoed by former Wrexham player-turned-club ambassador, Ben Tozer, who was also in New Zealand for the tour. 'It's a massive challenge, don't get me wrong,' Tozer said. 'But the momentum of our club, four years of pure success and heading in the right direction, winning a lot more games than losing. We could surprise some people.' Fellow club ambassador, former Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, said the club had set itself apart by recruiting the right people. 'If you look at it in the cold light of day, the stark reality is that money is going to start playing a massive role now,' Foster said. 'When you've got players and clubs that have just been relegated from the Premier League, they're on big wages and they're big players and they're worth big money because they are of a calibre of player. 'But I'd like to think Wrexham can do it in a slightly different way where we identify the people, and the team is more important than the individuals.' Foster lauded a 'no d********' policy at the club, which meant players and staff were working towards a common goal. Chief executive Williamson said the policy started in the dressing room and was led by manager Phil Parkinson. Over the past year, Wrexham's staff numbers had grown by more than 60, to about 105. 'I would say most of the 60 or so employees that have been hired, I've personally interviewed at some point,' Williamson said. 'For me, it was important to bring in, especially on the senior leadership side, people who understood what Wrexham is and what we're actually doing here. We're not just another football club. 'There are people who had incredible CVs, experience. You look at them and say, 'Wow, you think that they would be incredible for Wrexham.' 'And then you go through the interview process and realise that they're not really understanding what Wrexham is as a town, as a community, as a club. 'That's something that took a lot of effort. We're trying to create a culture within the club.' Wrexham will return to Wales on Sunday, after playing Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand on Saturday evening. Parkinson confirmed the club was close to signing New Zealand international left back Liberato Cacace – a former Wellington Phoenix junior player – from Italian club Empoli. Cacace's father, Antonio, owns an Italian restaurant in Wellington where Parkinson planned to drop in for a glass of wine before leaving the city on Sunday.
