Tory Lanez Fined $20K for Contempt in Megan Thee Stallion Defamation Case

Tory Lanez was found in contempt of court in Miami on Monday and sanctioned $20,000 after refusing to answer deposition questions in Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation case against online commentator Milagro Cooper.

Tory Lanez hasn’t said a public word in nearly a year, but his silence inside a Miami federal courthouse thundered louder than any defense he could have mounted.
The rapper — already serving a decade-long sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020 — was held in contempt of court this week and hit with a $20,000 sanction after refusing to answer basic, court-ordered questions in the defamation case Megan filed against online personality Milagro Cooper.

The moment snapped the courtroom into focus. According to federal filings and testimony reviewed by the court, Lanez repeatedly declined to engage during a deposition about his relationship and communications with Cooper — even after a judge ordered him to continue the questioning under supervision. His refusal prompted U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid to impose the monetary penalty and instruct jurors that they may draw an adverse inference from his silence, a legal way of telling them that Lanez may be hiding information that could damage the defense.

For Megan’s team, the sanctions confirmed what they’ve argued from day one: that the digital smear campaign she accuses Cooper of orchestrating wasn’t random internet chaos but a coordinated effort designed to undermine her credibility before, during, and after Lanez’s criminal trial. In a recent filing, they wrote, “Despite being sentenced to ten years for shooting Ms. Pete, Mr. Peterson continues to subject her to repeated trauma and revictimization.”

Cooper — who hosts a Stationhead show and has built a sizable following by covering rap culture with a street-level, provocative style — is defending herself against allegations of defamation, cyberstalking, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the willful promotion of an altered sexual depiction under a 2024 Florida law. Judge Cecilia Altonaga previously ruled she does not qualify as a media defendant, clearing the path for a standard defamation action without special notice protections.

The case’s paper trail has grown more tangled as trial week begins. Cooper was sanctioned earlier this fall for deleting thousands of messages — including texts with Lanez and Lanez’s father — after being ordered to preserve all communications. Those deletions now allow jurors to presume the missing evidence would have been damaging to her defense.

Lanez’s own role has only complicated matters further. Video excerpts of his earlier deposition will be shown to the jury, and his refusal to answer foundational questions this month turned what should have been routine testimony into a dramatic new legal blow. Legal observers say the sanction is significant: contempt fines in federal civil cases tied to disobedience of deposition orders are not common, and the adverse inference instruction could heavily tilt the jury’s view of the harassment allegations.

For hip-hop fans, the case represents more than a clash between an artist and an online commentator. It marks a turning point in how courts treat digital influence, viral narratives, and weaponized commentary — especially when it intersects with violence against women. It also cements the aftermath of Lanez’s criminal conviction as an ongoing story, one still echoing through the same culture he once dominated.

With trial testimony now underway in Miami, both Megan and Cooper are expected to take the stand in the days ahead. And Lanez — silent, sanctioned, and sitting in a California prison — now faces the reality that his refusal to speak may end up speaking loudest of all.

Cardi B Announces Birth of Her Baby and a New Chapter Focused on Reinvention

Photo Credit: Warner Music

Cardi B didn’t just introduce her new baby to the world Tuesday afternoon — she declared a shift in her entire life.

In a deeply personal Instagram post, the Bronx superstar confirmed the arrival of her fourth child and her first with New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, framing motherhood and reinvention as the driving force behind her next era.

“My life has always been a combination of different chapters and different seasons,” she wrote. “I brought new music and a new album to the world. A new baby into my world — and one more reason to be the best version of me.”

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The announcement closed weeks of speculation surrounding the due date, following both Diggs’ confirmation that the baby was a boy (she did not reveal the name) and Cardi’s own "CBS Mornings" interview in September revealing she was pregnant again. It also follows her recent rollout for her “Little Miss Drama” tour, which she said she was preparing for “while creating a baby.”

In Tuesday’s post, Cardi framed the moment not as a soft reset but a full transformation. “This next chapter is Me vs. Me,” she wrote, describing a season of healing, discipline, and purpose. “It’s me against all odds… getting my body right, getting my mind right. There’s nothing that’s gonna stop me from giving you guys the performance of a lifetime.”

Sources close to the couple — and Diggs’ own comments to People — have consistently described this pregnancy as grounding for both artists. Diggs told the outlet he was “100% team boy” prior to the birth and said he was ready for fatherhood “real soon.”

Cardi’s post arrives at a pivotal moment for her career. She released her long-awaited sophomore album this fall, marking her first full project since “Invasion of Privacy,” and opened the door for a new sonic era steeped in vulnerability, sharpened confidence, and hard-earned growth.

Cardi closed her message with a simple declaration that reads as much like a thesis for her next era as it does a promise to herself: “I’ve learned, I’ve healed, and I’m loving the woman I’ve become.”

Akon Detained in Georgia on Bench Warrant Linked to Suspended License Case

Akon, 52, is seen in a booking photo taken Friday after Chamblee police arrested him on a bench warrant tied to a suspended-license case out of Roswell, Georgia. He was released from the DeKalb County Jail later the same day. (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)

Akon was briefly taken into custody in Georgia on Friday after police flagged a vehicle registered in his name and discovered he had an outstanding bench warrant tied to a prior suspended-license citation.

According to the Chamblee Police Department, an officer was dispatched just after 11 a.m. to Tint World, an automotive styling shop along Chamblee Dunwoody Road, after license-plate cameras alerted authorities that a wanted vehicle — a white Tesla Cybertruck — had entered the area. When the officer arrived, they located the truck and saw a man standing outside who matched the registered owner’s description.

Police say the man identified himself as Akon, whose legal name is Aliaune Badara Thiam. After confirming the active warrant, officers informed him he was being detained. According to the incident report, Akon complied, remained calm and told officers he was already aware of the warrant. No weapons or contraband were found during a search.

He was transported to the DeKalb County Jail, booked early Friday afternoon and released later the same day.

The bench warrant stems from a Sept. 10 incident in Roswell, when police found Akon’s Cybertruck stranded after its battery died. Officers contacted the singer, ran his information and determined his driver’s license was suspended for failure to appear. The truck was impounded, and Akon was issued a citation.

Police records show he was later arrested on the related bench warrant in November, after being transferred from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office to Smyrna authorities, before being released again.

It remains unclear when he is due back in court or whether the Cybertruck has since been retrieved from impound. Police have not indicated whether further charges may be forthcoming.

Akon, 52, has not publicly commented on the incident.

Rod Wave Arrested in Atlanta Hours After First Grammy Nomination

Rod Wave, born Rodarius Marcell Green, appears in a booking photo after his Friday arrest in Atlanta on felony drug, weapons and reckless driving charges. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)

Rod Wave’s first Grammy nomination was supposed to change the narrative of his year. Instead, it ended the way too many of his nights have recently ended — with handcuffs, blue lights and another set of felony charges in Georgia's Fulton County.

The 27-year-old rapper and singer, born Rodarius Marcell Green, was arrested Friday evening in Atlanta after police say he blew through a stop sign in a Dodge Challenger near Defoor Avenue and Taylor Street. Officers reported hearing the engine “rev,” watching the car accelerate “at a high rate of speed,” and smelling suspected marijuana once the vehicle stopped. A search followed, and officers say they recovered a firearm and controlled substances categorized under Schedule II and Schedule V of Georgia law.

Green was taken to the Fulton County Jail and later released on an $8,000 bond, according to court records. The arrest landed the same day he received his first-ever Grammy nomination for “Sinners,” his contribution to the soundtrack for the horror film of the same name — an abrupt collision of career highs and legal lows that has defined much of his last two years.

His attorneys — Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg, and Zack Findling — called the arrest unlawful and politically motivated.

“Rod Wave was unjustly profiled and unlawfully arrested in Atlanta,” the team said in a statement. “The arresting officer belongs to the Crime Suppression Unit, a group known for aggressive tactics and a quota-driven approach. We look forward to challenging these violations of Mr. Green’s rights in court.”

Friday’s arrest is the newest entry in a growing legal ledger. Green is already fighting serious charges out of Milton, Georgia, stemming from a May incident in which police say he returned home to a burglary, confronted a man on the property, and a firearm was discharged 14 times, hitting cars and a wall inside the residence. He faces counts including aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm, and tampering with evidence. That case remains open.

At the time, Findling disputed every allegation:
“There is no truth to these charges. Rod was a victim of a burglary and committed no crimes.”

The rapper also has prior arrests in Florida — a 2024 case involving alleged weapon possession connected to a gang-related shooting (no conviction) and a 2022 domestic battery case that prosecutors later dismissed as a “misunderstanding.”

Despite the legal storms, Rod Wave’s commercial momentum remains undeniable. He’s among the highest-grossing touring rappers of his generation, pulling in a reported $36 million across 31 shows, and is the only male artist to debut a top 10 album every year from 2019 to 2024. His 2024 release Last Lap debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, marking seven consecutive top-10s.

Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa Lead Powerful Night at Rock Hall’s 40th Anniversary

Outkast’s Big Boi and André 3000 speak onstage during their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the 40th annual ceremony o Saturday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The Atlanta duo was honored alongside a diverse class including Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Bad Company, Chubby Checker and Joe Cocker. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for RRHOF)

When André 3000 and Big Boi started recording in the humid, half-lit basement known as the Dungeon, they weren’t chasing plaques, museums, or a place in rock history. They were chasing a sound — Atlanta’s sound — raw, melodic, Southern, and defiantly different from anything the coasts were doing. On Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame finally caught up to what the culture has known for thirty years: Outkast didn’t just shift the South. They helped shift the center of gravity in American music.

Inside the Peacock Theater, the duo’s induction became the emotional anchor of the Rock Hall’s 40th anniversary ceremony, a night where hip-hop, R&B, soul, and rock were honored with equal urgency. Their longtime admirer Donald Glover — a fellow son of Atlanta — delivered a near-perfect induction, tracing the lineage from the Dungeon Family to the present day. “When I first played ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,’ I heard the people around me,” Glover said. “And I learned you don’t have to scream or yell. You just have to be undeniable.”

"Great things start in little rooms. We started in a little room." — André 3000 and @BigBoi accept @Outkast’s Induction into the Rock & Roll of Fame.#RockHall2025 pic.twitter.com/lYI8xjENLB

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) November 9, 2025

Big Boi and André 3000 accepted together, surrounded by members of the Dungeon Family who helped shape their earliest sound. André’s speech — loose, unscripted, and deeply emotional — underscored how improbable the moment felt. “A lot of times when you get up here it’s about the musicians,” he said. “But it’s everybody around you. This is my family.” He shouted out Goodie Mob, Rico Wade, and the relatives who let a basement become a laboratory. “Jack White talked about little rooms,” André added. “And we started in a little room. Great things start in little rooms.”

Big Boi, ever direct, turned toward his brother in rhyme: “Thank you for making me be the best I can be… going toe to toe on the records. Iron sharpening iron. Love you, man.”

If Outkast provided the ceremony’s heartbeat, Salt-N-Pepa delivered its thunder. Sandra Denton, Cheryl James, and DJ Spinderella ran through “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “Whatta Man,” and “Push It” with the kind of precision that made them pioneers. But it was Salt’s pointed, unmistakable message about their ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group that electrified the room. “We’re in a fight for our masters that rightfully belong to us,” she told the audience, explaining that their catalog had been pulled from streaming during the dispute. “Salt-N-Pepa has never been afraid of a fight.” Cheers erupted — not out of nostalgia, but solidarity.

"To all the guys who had a crush on us and had our posters on your wall, you're welcome." — Watch @TheSaltNPepa officially accept their induction into the Rock Hall.

📺 Watch the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony NOW on @DisneyPlus.#RockHall2025 pic.twitter.com/tGnuhfsRkg

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) November 9, 2025

Outkast may have supplied the ceremony’s cultural heartbeat, but they were inducted amid one of the Rock Hall’s most eclectic classes yet — a lineup that stretched from Bad Company and The White Stripes to Chubby Checker, Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, Soundgarden, and Warren Zevon. For a show built on rock history, the spread of genres made clear how far the Hall’s borders have expanded in its 40th year.

Performances reflected that shift. The night opened with a tribute to Sly Stone, featuring Stevie Wonder, Flea, Beck, Maxwell and Jennifer Hudson — a supergroup that felt more like a jam session than a tribute. Cyndi Lauper delivered the ceremony’s most emotional moment, stopping “True Colors” mid-song to raise her fist in silence for the LGBTQ community. And Elton John offered a delicate, reverent “God Only Knows” in memory of Brian Wilson, who died in June.

Soundgarden’s segment — featuring Taylor Momsen on “Rusty Cage” and Brandi Carlile on “Black Hole Sun” — turned grief into communion. Chris Cornell’s absence hung in the air, acknowledged by the band with love rather than sorrow. “I miss him. I love him,” guitarist Kim Thayil said.

The White Stripes received a heartfelt salute from 22-year-old Olivia Rodrigo, who performed “I Think We’re Going to Be Friends” with Feist. Jack White dedicated a portion of his speech to legendary bassist Carol Kaye, though neither she nor Meg White attended.

The night closed with a Joe Cocker tribute that hit all the expected notes — “Feelin’ Alright,” “The Letter,” and a finale of “With a Little Help from My Friends.” It was scruffy, soulful, and raucous, exactly the way Cocker performed it in 1969, and exactly how a Rock Hall closer should feel.

But no segment resonated like hip-hop’s. Not because it was louder or flashier — but because it was legacy in motion. Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa, Questlove, Tyler, The Creator, Doja Cat, Janelle Monáe, and the Dungeon Family turned a traditionally rock-centered institution into something broader and truer: a celebration of American music as it actually exists, not as it once did.

Thirty years after Outkast told the Source Awards, “The South got something to say,” the Rock Hall finally said something back.

Grammy Ballot Reaffirms Hip-Hop’s Influence as Lamar Leads With Nine

Top album of the year nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards include Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Gunna and Tyler, the Creator. The Recording Academy announced the nominations Friday ahead of the Feb. 1 ceremony in Los Angeles. (Image courtesy of the Recording Academy)

The 2026 Grammys dropped their nominations Friday morning, and the ballot reads like a reminder of
who’s really steering modern music. Kendrick Lamar leads all artists this year with nine nominations, a run powered by the continued dominance of “Luther,” his chart-shifting collaboration with SZA. The single landed nods for Record of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance , while the album that anchors it, "GNX," is in the hunt for Album of the Year.

Artist	Total Nominations	Primary Genre Focus
Kendrick Lamar	9	Hip-Hop / Rap
Lady Gaga	7	Pop / Dance
Bad Bunny	6	Latin / Música Urbana
Sabrina Carpenter	6	Pop
Leon Thomas	6	R&B / Soul
Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)	5	Hip-Hop / Rap
Doechii	5	Hip-Hop / R&B
SZA	5	R&B / Pop
Tyler, The Creator	5	Alternative Rap

The competition for the night's top honors is fierce, with Lady Gaga following Lamar with seven nominations, and both Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter scoring six nods each. All three major artists are competing against Lamar for Album of the Year, underscoring a historic race where Pop, Latin, and Hip-Hop titans face off in the marquee categories.

Leon Thomas emerged as the ceremony’s breakout story, earning six nominations — the most of any new artist — with his project “Mutt” hitting Album of the Year and multiple R&B categories. The singer-producer’s run marks one of the strongest career-reset moments in recent Grammy memory.

SZA, Doechii, Tyler, the Creator, and Clipse follow with five nominations each, a tight cluster that reflects how deeply hip-hop, R&B, Black pop, and alternative rap remain woven into the Recording Academy’s center of gravity.

Doechii’s “Anxiety” showed up everywhere — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video — a rare sweep for a track driven by emotional precision rather than chart gymnastics. Tyler earned recognition for “Don’t Tap the Glass” and “Chromakopia,” while Clipse broke through with “Let God Sort ’Em Out,” their first album in 16 years, which now competes for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album.

For all the talk this year about rap’s uneven commercial presence — including the moment in August when no rap song appeared in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 for the first time in 35 years — the Grammy ballot tells a different story. The culture continues to define the creative edge, even when the charts glitch.

The industry’s evolution shows up elsewhere, too. The 2026 ceremony introduces two new categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover, expanding the Academy’s effort to credit the craft behind the music. Even there, the nominations reflect a generation raised on hip-hop’s visual language — bold palettes, narrative artwork, and street-influenced design that now appear across genres.

Click here for a full list of nominees.

Ex-NFL Star Antonio Brown Back in U.S. to Face Attempted-Murder Charge

Antonio Brown is facing an attempted-murder charge in Miami-Dade County connected to a May 16 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event.

Antonio Brown is back on U.S. soil and behind bars after being extradited from the Middle East to face a
felony attempted-murder charge tied to a May 16 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event in Miami, according to the Miami Herald and Miami-Dade Police.

Brown, 36, had been living in Dubai for several months before authorities in the United Arab Emirates approved the U.S. government’s request to return him to Miami-Dade County, where a warrant has been active since June.

Antonio Brown was just arrested at Adin Ross’s boxing event after allegedly pulling out a f*rearm and firing shots while trying to fight off people who were trying to steal his chain 👀 pic.twitter.com/8NAANsxyYi

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 17, 2025

That warrant alleges Brown assaulted a man in the parking lot of the event, then grabbed a firearm from a security officer before “running toward the victim with the firearm and firing at him twice,” according to the arrest affidavit obtained by NBC Miami. The victim — who survived — told detectives, “He shot at me. Twice. I fought him for the gun.”

Miami-Dade Police said Brown was initially given a chance to surrender after the warrant was issued, but he declined.

“Mr. Brown was given an opportunity to surrender after the warrant was issued. He did not do so,” a Miami-Dade Police spokesperson told NBC Miami. “The case proceeded through the proper channels.”

Investigators say surveillance footage corroborates witness accounts showing Brown fighting with another man, taking the gun from a uniformed security guard and sprinting back toward the victim. Officers who responded to “a dispatch of shots fired outside the venue” detained Brown that night, but he was released before the warrant was issued and no firearm was recovered on him at the scene.

By the time the warrant became active in June, Brown had left the country.

A Miami-Dade law-enforcement official told the Miami Herald, “We were aware Mr. Brown was out of the country, and coordinated with federal authorities to ensure he would return to face the charge.”

UAE authorities later confirmed the extradition request was processed through formal channels, stating, “The United States submitted the request through official diplomatic channels.”

Brown is now being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center awaiting a first court appearance. His attorney has not issued a statement.

The former All-Pro wide receiver, whose NFL career unraveled amid a string of controversies, has faced civil suits, domestic disputes, and arrests — but never a charge as serious as attempted murder.

Watch: ‘Michael’ Trailer Revisits Thriller-Era Magic With Jaafar Jackson

The teaser poster for “Michael” features depictions of Michael Jackson across different stages of his career for the upcoming Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic. (Courtesy Lionsgate)

Lionsgate released the first trailer for “Michael,” Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming biopic about the King of Pop, offering the closest look yet at how one of music’s most iconic stories will be retold for a new generation. The teaser will play in theaters ahead of “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” and the film is scheduled to hit theaters April 24, 2026.

Jackson is portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, whose resemblance has drawn attention since production began. The trailer opens in a recording studio with Quincy Jones — played by Kendrick Sampson — telling Jackson the tracks are ready before the film flashes through childhood moments, breakthrough performances and unmistakable visuals from “Thriller,” set to the pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”

The cast features a wide lineup of heavy hitters: Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as attorney John Branca, Jessica Sula as LaToya Jackson, Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe and Kat Graham as Diana Ross. Additional roles include Liv Symone as Gladys Knight, Kevin Shinick as Dick Clark and KeiLyn Durrel Jones as longtime security chief Bill Bray.

The project — written by John Logan and produced by Graham King alongside estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain — wrapped principal photography in 2024 before undergoing additional shooting. Early rumors suggested the story might be split into two films, but the current marketing push frames a single, full narrative.

The teaser closes on an intimate detail: Jackson asking, “Q, can you lower the lights for me, please?” as the studio dims and his silhouette comes into focus — an image signaling that Fuqua’s film aims to revisit not just the legend, but the artist behind it.

Watch the full trailer below.