Swifties vs. Kanye: Battle for Billboard Supremacy Heats Up

Screengrab: YouTube

West and Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

In the ongoing feud between Kanye West and Taylor Swift fans, tensions have reached new heights as West fires back at attempts to thwart his success on the music charts. Swifties, as Taylor Swift's devoted fan base is known, have launched a coordinated effort to boost Beyoncé's new country music in order to block West's latest album, "Vultures 1," from securing the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

The discord surfaced following a declaration of a "Swiftie emergency" on social media, urging fellow fans to stream Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em" to forestall West's album from chart supremacy. This development transpired subsequent to West's Instagram story containing critical remarks about Swift.

Reacting promptly, the 46-year-old West captured a screenshot of the fan's tweet, casting accusations at Swift's fan base for orchestrating chart manipulation tactics to undercut his artistic endeavors.

"When I said that I’m the new Jesus b—ch, I wasn’t even thinking about Taylor Swift," West clarified on Instagram, seeking to elucidate his prior remarks. "That was a whole line before, but I appreciate the free promo."

His message, tinged with defiance, conveyed a nuanced stance towards Swift's fans: "To all Taylor Swift fans, I am not your enemy uuum I'm not your friend either though lol," he remarked.

In a rare moment of candor, West acknowledged grappling with adversities over the past year, including being ostracized by hotels, corporate affiliations and even eateries. Despite these challenges, he underscored the uplifting and triumphant essence of "Vultures 1."

"This album is actually super positive and fun, it's all about triumphant," he emphasized, spotlighting the resilience embedded within the album's thematic framework.

Moreover, West invoked his previous solidarity with Swift during her public dispute with music manager Scooter Braun.

"Remember I was on Taylor's side when Scooter bought her masters behind her back," he reiterated. "She and Beyoncé are big inspirations to all musicians; we always say how both sell out tours and movies."

Former Def Jam Executive Files Lawsuit Accusing Russell Simmons of Rape

David Shankbone, via Wikimedia Commons

Music mogul Russell Simmons faces new rape allegations in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in New York federal court by a former Def Jam Recordings executive, who remains anonymous. The woman alleges Simmons sexually assaulted her at his New York apartment in the 1990s.

According to the lawsuit, the woman was a senior music executive and video producer at Def Jam when Simmons invited her to his apartment to review a video. However, the encounter allegedly turned violent, with Simmons engaging in nonconsensual sexual activity, as detailed in the lawsuit.

Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings in 1984, has not responded to the specific allegations in this lawsuit. He has previously denied all accusations of sexual misconduct, which have emerged in recent years, calling them "untrue" and "without merit."

This latest lawsuit comes amid Simmons' involvement in another legal case. Music executive L.A. Reid's defense team in a separate sexual assault lawsuit filed by former Arista Records and Def Jam executive Drew Dixon is seeking documents related to Dixon's accusations against Simmons. Dixon alleges Simmons raped her in 1995 and that Reid harassed her.

The lawsuit against Simmons is filed under New York's Adult Survivors Act, a recent law allowing survivors of sexual misconduct to file claims within a one-year window, regardless of the statute of limitations. This act has opened the door for several lawsuits against high-profile figures facing historical allegations, including Sean Combs, Jimmy Iovine, Neil Portnow, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Jamie Foxx, among others.

Usher Ties the Knot: R&B Star Marries Longtime Girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea

Getty Images for The House of Creed and Remy Martin

Usher capped off an epic weekend by marrying longtime partner Jennifer Goicoechea in Las Vegas just hours after his electrifying Super Bowl LVIII halftime show on Sunday.

News of their marriage emerged after the Super Bowl performance and was confirmed by a marriage certificate obtained by CNN.

Usher married his longtime girlfriend in Downtown Las Vegas yesterday after the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/pw6C4RxH4z

— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) February 13, 2024

"We can confirm that Usher and Jennifer Goicoechea took the next step in their relationship and did get married on Sunday night in Las Vegas surrounded by close friends and family," a spokesperson for Usher said in a statement. "The couple look forward to continuing to raise their children together and express their gratitude for the well-wishes received."

Usher and Goicoechea share two children: daughter Sovereign Bo, born in 2020, and son Sire Castrello, born in 2021. Usher also has two sons, Usher V and Naviyd Ely, from his previous marriage to Tameka Foster.

The intimate ceremony took place at Vegas Weddings' Terrace Gazebo following Usher's thirteen-minute-long Super Bowl performance, where he delivered a crowd-pleasing medley of his greatest hits.

Usher Full Halftime Show Performance At The Super Bowl #SuperBowl #Usher #UsherBowl pic.twitter.com/skpqVTPoY4

— Miguel Austin (@miguelitopty) February 12, 2024

Usher's mother, Jonetta Patton, served as their witness during the ceremony, with a select group of close friends and family members in attendance.

Later that night, the newlyweds celebrated at Usher's album release party for "Coming Home." Jennifer wore a chic all-white pantsuit, while Usher sported a white floor-length fur coat over a black tuxedo, with a gold band now adorning his left ring finger.