Jamal Murray Speaks Out Against NBA’s Potential Mid-Season Tournament

Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray has spoken out against the rumors that the NBA is considering implementing a mid-season tournament during the regular season.

“Plz @nba stop with all these tournament talks,” he wrote via Twitter. “No need to make season complex.”

James Harden also criticized the idea when it was floated back in 2019 saying “are we in college?”

A potential mid-season tournament would follow a European soccer model and include eight teams for single-elimination games. Winning players would earn a $1 million prize incentive. 

Jamal Murray, Mid-Season Tournament
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke with Marc Stein about innovating in 2019: “It’s incumbent on me to constantly be looking at other organizations and seeing what it is we can do better and learn from them.”

“This is what Adam Silver wants for the NBA,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on a recent episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast. “He wants it for the same reason he wanted a play-in tournament, is it adds intrigue, gives something else for teams to win, and most importantly it gives the league something else to sell.

“I don’t know if and when he can pull this off, but this is what he would like to have. He would like to reduce the number of regular-season games and in addition to the play-in tournament put this in and call it the Stern Cup.”

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DJ Khaled, HER, And Migos Perform ‘We Going Crazy’ At The 2021 Billboard Music Awards

DJ Khaled shared his twelfth album, Khaled Khaled, at the end of last month, and just like his previous albums, the project was a star-studded affair that flaunted some of the biggest names in music. It’s this aspect that helped propel Khaled Khaled to No. 1 on the album charts. In the latest chapter of the project, Khaled calls on HER and Migos to accompany him on the 2021 Billboard Music Award stage where they delivered a colorful performance of their collaboration, “We Going Crazy.” Backed by pyrotechnics and a wide display of vibrant colors onstage, the group kept the energy high to kick off the award show.

Since dropping his twelfth album, Khaled has kept busy by dropping videos for a number of songs off Khaled Khaled which includes “Body In Motion,” “Let It Go,” and “Every Chance I Get.” However, it’s not Khaled who’s been highly active in recent weeks. HER is gearing up to release her official debut album, Back Of My Mind, and in the process, she earned Grammy and Oscar wins which brought her halfway towards the coveted EGOT. As for Migos, the Atlanta-based trio is also readying an album with Culture III locked in for a June 11 release date. They also shared the project’s latest single with “Straightenin.”

You can watch a clip from DJ Khaled, HER, and Migos’ performance in the video above.

Khaled Kahled is out now via Epic Records. Get it here.

Watch Doja Cat And SZA’s Retro-Futurist Performance Of ‘Kiss Me More’ At The Billboard Music Awards

Ever since SZA teased her upcoming collaboration with Doja Cat in their interview for V Magazine — where the TDE star also praised Doja’s entire ethos — fans were eagerly awaiting the joint track. When “Kiss Me More” arrived, it was a little different than what we were expecting, an upbeat, jittery track with the girls taking turns on the verses, but it’s been slowly gaining momentum since April, and tonight the pair teamed up for their first live performance of the song at the Billboard Music Awards. The song has been holding steady at No. 5 on the Billboard chart, and tonight’s performance helped prove why — the pair managed to turn the song into a retro-futurist spectacle that was equal parts ’70s throwback and intergalactic vibes.

Doja kicked things off with fringe-y, orb-filled outfit surrounded by dancers, only to have SZA appear just in time for her own verse, rocking bright yellow hair and eventually joining Doja at the front of the stage to end the song with a final dramatic dip. The song is likely going to be on Doja’s long-rumored new album, Planet Her, but who knows… SZA also has a record on the way soon. Check out their performance above.

2021 Billboard Music Awards: List Of Winners & Nominees

The 2021 Billboard Music Awards are airing live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on NBC, Sunday night. 

A number of hip-hop artists are up for big awards this year, including Drake, Pop Smoke, DaBaby, and more. The Weeknd leads the pack with 16 total nominations.

While the show is set to start at 8:00 PM, EST, several winners have already been announced off-air including Pop Smoke for Top New Artist, The Weeknd for Top Male Artist, Taylor Swift for Top Female Artist, and many more.

Billboard Music Awards
Rich Fury / Getty Images

Check out the full list of winners and nominees down below. We will be updating the results as they are announced throughout the night.

Top Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top New Artist
Gabby Barrett
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Pop Smoke — WINNER
Rod Wave

Top Male Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd — WINNER

Top Female Artist
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Dua Lipa
Megan Thee Stallion
Taylor Swift — WINNER

Top Duo/Group
AC/DC
AJR
BTS — WINNER
Dan + Shay
Maroon 5

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Post Malone
Taylor Swift — WINNER

Top Hot 100 Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Dua Lipa
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd — WINNER

Top Streaming Songs Artist
DaBaby
Drake — WINNER
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist
Justin Bieber
BTS — WINNER
Megan Thee Stallion
Morgan Wallen
The Weeknd

Top Radio Songs Artist
Justin Bieber
Lewis Capaldi
Dua Lipa
Harry Styles
The Weeknd — WINNER

Top Social Artist (Fan-Voted)
BLACKPINK
BTS — WINNER
Ariana Grande
SB19
Seventeen

Top R&B Artist
Jhené Aiko
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
Doja Cat
The Weeknd — WINNER

Top R&B Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
The Weeknd — WINNER

Top R&B Female Artist
Jhené Aiko
Doja Cat — WINNER
SZA

Top Rap Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke — WINNER

Top Rap Male Artist
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke — WINNER

Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Megan Thee Stallion — WINNER
Saweetie

Top Country Artist
Gabby Barrett
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen — WINNER

Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen — WINNER

Top Country Female Artist
Gabby Barrett
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line — WINNER
Maddie & Tae

Top Rock Artist
AC/DC
AJR
Five Finger Death Punch
Machine Gun Kelly
twenty-one pilots

Top Latin Artist
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny — WINNER
J Balvin
Maluma
Ozuna

Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny — WINNER
J Balvin
Ozuna

Top Latin Female Artist
Becky G
Karol G — WINNER
Rosalía

Top Latin Duo/Group
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Eslabón Armado — WINNER
Los Dos Carnales

Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Chainsmokers
Kygo
Lady Gaga — WINNER
Marshmello
Surf Mesa

Top Christian Artist
Casting Crowns
Elevation Worship — WINNER
for KING & COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood
Zach Williams

Top Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Maverick City Music
Kanye West — WINNER

Top Billboard 200 Album
Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die
Lil Baby, My Turn
Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
Taylor Swift, folklore
The Weeknd, After Hours

Top R&B Album
Jhené Aiko, Chilombo
Chris Brown & Young Thug, Slime & B
Doja Cat, Hot Pink
Kehlani, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
The Weeknd, After Hours — WINNER

Top Rap Album
DaBaby, Blame It On Baby
Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die
Lil Baby, My Turn
Lil Uzi Vert, Eternal Atake
Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon — WINNER

Top Country Album
Gabby Barrett, Goldmine
Sam Hunt, Southside
Chris Stapleton, Starting Over
Carrie Underwood, My Gift
Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album — WINNER

Top Rock Album
AC/DC, Power Up
Miley Cyrus, Plastic Hearts
Glass Animals, Dreamland
Machine Gun Kelly, Tickets to My Downfall — WINNER
Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You

Top Latin Album
Anuel AA, Emmanuel
Bad Bunny, El Último Tour Del Mundo
Bad Bunny, Las que no iban a salir
Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG — WINNER
J Balvin, Colores

Top Dance/Electronic Album
DJ Snake, Carte Blanche
Gryffin, Gravity
Kygo, Golden Hour
Lady Gaga, Chromatica — WINNER
Kylie Minogue, Disco

Top Christian Album
Bethel Music, Peace
Elevation Worship, Grave Into Gardens
Carrie Underwood, My Gift — WINNER
We The Kingdom, Holy Water
Zach Williams, Rescue Story

Top Gospel Album
Koryn Hawthorne, I AM
Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Royalty: Live at the Ryman
Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1 — WINNER
Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 2
Kierra Sheard, Kierra

Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar
24kGoldn ft. iann dior, “Mood”
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth, “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug, “Go Crazy”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch, “ROCKSTAR”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Top Streaming Song
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch, “ROCKSTAR” — WINNER
Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne, “WHATS POPPIN”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Top Selling Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth, “I Hope”
BTS, “Dynamite”
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, “WAP”
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé, “Savage”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Top Radio Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth, “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug, “Go Crazy”
Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”
Harry Styles, “Adore You”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” — WINNER

Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
24kGoldn ft. iann dior, “Mood”
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth, “I Hope” — WINNER
Chris Brown & Young Thug, “Go Crazy”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch, “ROCKSTAR”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne, “WHATS POPPIN”

Top R&B Song
Jhené Aiko ft. H.E.R., “B.S.”
Justin Bieber ft. Quavo, “Intentions”
Chris Brown & Young Thug, “Go Crazy”
Doja Cat, “Say So”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” — WINNER

Top Rap Song
24kGoldn ft. iann dior, “Mood”
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch, “ROCKSTAR”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne, “WHATS POPPIN”
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé, “Savage”

Top Country Song
Jason Aldean, “Got What I Got”
Gabby Barrett, “I Hope” — WINNER
Lee Brice, “One of Them Girls”
Morgan Wallen, “Chasin’ You”
Morgan Wallen, “More Than My Hometown”

Top Rock Song
AJR, “Bang!” — WINNER
All Time Low ft. blackbear, “Monsters”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Machine Gun Kelly ft. blackbear, “my ex’s best friend”
twenty one pilots, “Level of Concern”

Top Latin Song
Bad Bunny, “Yo Perreo Sola”
Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez, “Dákiti” — WINNER
Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin, “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)”
Maluma & The Weeknd, “Hawái”
Ozuna x Karol G x Myke Towers, “Caramelo”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Lady Gaga, “Stupid Love”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me”
SAINt JHN, “Roses (Imanbek Remix)” — WINNER
Surf Mesa ft. Emilee, “ily (i love you baby)”
Topic & A7S, “Breaking Me”

Top Christian Song
Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake, “Graves Into Gardens” — WINNER
for KING & COUNTRY, Kirk Franklin & Tori Kelly, “TOGETHER”
Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, & Elevation Worship, “The Blessing (Live)”
Tauren Wells ft. Jenn Johnson, “Famous For (I Believe)”
Zach Williams & Dolly Parton, “There Was Jesus”

Top Gospel Song
Koryn Hawthorne, “Speak To Me”
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music, “Movin’ On”
Marvin Sapp, “Thank You For It All”
Tye Tribbett, “We Gon’ Be Alright”
Kanye West ft. Travis Scott, “Wash Us In The Blood” — WINNER

Uncle Luke Responds To Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Snubbing 2 Live Crew

2 Live Crew has once again been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after the class of 2021 was revealed, earlier this month. Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell reacted to the news over the weekend, calling it “unbelievable.”

“Shit another year of not getting inducted to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame,” he wrote on Instagram.

Hip-hop wasn’t completely snubbed as Jay-Z was announced as an inductee during his first year of eligibility. Other members of the class of 2021 include The Go-Go’s, Carole King, Tina Turner, Todd Rundgren, and Foo Fighters. 

Uncle Luke, 2 Live Crew
Paras Griffin / Getty Images

Uncle Luke previously spoke about being underappreciated by the industry in 2017, after he was honored by BET at the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards for Lifetime Achievement.

“Here it is Ladies and Gentlemen my iamhiphop Lifetime Achievement Award from the Entertainment Industry that I love so much but have always been snubbed,” Luke wrote at the time. “I Came straight home to show my son Blake but he was sleep. I’ve been waiting 35 years for this I want to thank new boss at #bet Connie Orlando Jesse Collins Debra Lee for this Honor.”

The induction ceremony for the class of 2021 will be held on Oct. 30 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland and broadcasted on HBO Max.

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Young Thug Claims Responsibility For The Skinny Jean Trend

Young Thug says he is responsible for the skinny jeans trend in pop culture, months after Kid Cudi claimed he popularized the fashion movement. Thug discussed his style in a new interview on Gillie Da King and Wallo’s Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast.

“100 percent,” Young Thug declared when asked if he made skinny jeans mainstream. “I just always felt like baggy sh*t, like, I don’t feel right when I have on baggy pants. I just feel like I’m naked. It feels like I’m loose. Your pants big as hell, and back then n*ggas weren’t wearing briefs either. N*ggas had the boxers. You have them big ass pants and those boxers like you feel like you butt ass naked.”

Young Thug, Kid Cudi
Paras Griffin / Getty Images

Back in January, Cudi claimed he was the one responsible.

“No lies here,” he said in response to a fan who wrote, “you already created skinny jeans.”

Cudi added that he’d be launching his own clothing line soon: “Finally startin my own clothing line. Been a long time comin and another dream of mine. More madness, true vision, freshness comin soon.”

Check out Thug’s thoughts on baggy clothes and his role in popularising the tighter fit down below.

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Players Get Heated As Suns Topple Lakers 99-90 To Kickoff Playoff Series

The Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 99-90 to start their first-round playoff series, Sunday, after a dominating performance by Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. Suns star Chris Paul battled through a shoulder contusion that he suffered early in the game, but he returned in the second quarter.

Booker finished the game with 34 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds, while Ayton finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds.

On the other hand, LeBron James and Anthony Davis struggled to keep their team in the game. James record 18 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds, while Davis scored just 13 points with 2 assists and 7 rebounds.

“I missed a ton of shots,” Davis admitted after the game. “We missed a lot of shots… There’s no way we’re winning a game or let alone a series with me playing the way I played. This one is on me… I’ll be better in Game 2.”

LAkers, Suns
Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Both teams reached a boiling point in the fourth quarter after a loose ball foul on LeBron James by Paul. After a scuffle, Alex Caruso and Montrezl Harrell were accessed technical fouls, while Cameron Payne was ejected.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel described Paul’s foul on James as a “really aggressive box out” and “a dangerous play.”

Game 2 between the Lakers and Suns will be held on Tuesday at 10:00 PM, EST.

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J. Cole’s ‘The Off-Season’ Debuts At No. 1 While Tallying The Highest Streaming Week Of 2021

For three years, fans of J. Cole patiently waited for a new solo album. In those years, the rapper delivered an impressive guest feature run, even spearheading Dreamville’s compilation album Revenge Of The Dreamers III. At long last, the wait ended earlier this month, when the North Carolina rapper shared his sixth album, The Off-Season, which saw Bas, Morray, Lil Baby, and 21 Savage contribute to Cole’s latest hip-hop chapter. Now, the album is Cole’s sixth chart-topper, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The Off-Season achieved the feat thanks to a total of 282,000 album units, the most for a hip-hop release this year. This number is comprised of 243,000 streaming equivalent album units and 37,000 album sales. The former is a result of 325.05 million on-demand streams of the album’s tracks, making for the most from any full-length effort that was released this year. The previous record holder was Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, which posted 240.18 million streams in its first week.

With the debut of The Off-Season at No. 1, all six of J. Cole’s official albums have now held the top spot on the Billboard 200. The rapper’s 2013 release, Born Sinner was the only release that failed to debut at No. 1. The rapper’s only full-length project that failed to reach No. 1 at any point was 2016’s Forest Hills Drive: Live, which peaked at No. 71.

The Off-Season is out now via Dreamville/Roc Nation. Get it here.

Tekashi 6ix9ine’s Making $500,000 Per Show

New York rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine isn’t having any money problems anytime soon. The hip-hop star has lit up social media with big talk and revealed he’s making half a million dollars per live performance. Tekashi 6ix9ine’s Making $500,000 Per Show 6ix9ine went to his Instagram page to share footage of himself from a jam-packed Hidalgo, […]

The post Tekashi 6ix9ine’s Making $500,000 Per Show appeared first on SOHH.com.

Kevin Spacey Starring In 1st Film Since Sexual Assault Allegations

Kevin Spacey is returning to film for the first time since the litany of sexual misconduct and assault allegations were leveled against him in 2017. Spacey is set to star in the Italian film L’uomo Che Disegno Dio, which translates to “The Man Who Drew God.”

The film will be directed by Franco Nero, who spoke about casting Spacey in a new interview with ABC News.

“I’m very happy Kevin agreed to participate in my film,” Nero told the outlet. “I consider him a great actor and I can’t wait to start the movie.”

Kevin Spacey
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

Spacey was first accused of misconduct by Anthony Rapp, who says he was abused by Spacey at age 14. Afterward, he was dropped by Netflix’s House of Cards, and replaced in All the Money in the World.

In the years since, Spacey has occasionally uploaded video updates on his YouTube channel.

“If you’re standing in a place that you can no longer remain standing, if you’re suffering, if you need help, if you feel guilt or shame, if you’re struggling with your identity, if your back’s up against the wall, or if you feel that there is no path for you, whatever your situation, I promise you there is a path,” Spacey says in his latest video. “At this time during this holiday and beyond, even if you don’t feel it, there are people out there who understand and who can help, because you are not alone.”

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