The International Soca Monarch competition is returning to Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival 2027 after a six-year absence.
Scorch Events has announced that the competition will take place on February 5, with artistes competing for three titles — Power, Groovy and a new Steam category.
This year’s competition will also honour late calypso legend Slinger “Mighty Sparrow” Francisco, with all finalists required to incorporate a tribute to Sparrow into their performance.
Qualifiers are expected to begin in December, followed by semi-finals in January. The venue and prize money have not yet been announced.
A Florida woman accused of opening fire at Rihanna’s Los Angeles property has been indicted on 14 felony charges, including attempted murder.
Thirty-six-year-old Ivanna Ortiz has pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. Her bail has been set at $2.6 million.
Prosecutors allege Ortiz fired 10 shots at the property in March while Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and members of their family were there. No one was injured.
Ortiz was arrested shortly after the shooting and has since been found mentally competent to stand trial.
Rick Ross is maintaining his innocence following his arrest in Miami Beach on domestic violence-related charges.
The rapper, whose real name is William Roberts, pleaded not guilty Thursday to misdemeanor domestic battery and battery by strangulation before being released on bond.
The charges stem from an alleged August incident involving his former girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, who accused Ross of repeatedly hitting and choking her during an argument.
Speaking after his release, Ross described the allegations as fabricated. His attorneys also maintain that he is innocent and are urging the public to allow the judicial process to run its course.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement at Fort Dix federal prison in New Jersey following allegations that he was receiving special treatment behind bars.
Reports claim Combs paid other inmates for services including cooking, cleaning and massages, and allegedly had access to contraband, including cellphones and alcohol.
Combs’ representative has denied that he is receiving improper privileges, saying the music mogul is serving his sentence within prison rules. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has not confirmed his reported placement in solitary confinement.
Combs is serving a 50-month sentence, with his projected release currently set for......
Rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami Beach on two domestic violence-related battery charges.
Jail records show the 50-year-old rapper, whose real name is William Roberts, faces charges including battery by strangulation. He was booked Thursday morning and granted a $5,000 bond.
According to police, the charges stem from an alleged August incident involving a woman who was in a relationship with Ross. She has accused him of repeatedly hitting and choking her during an argument.
Ross’s attorney denies the allegations and maintains that the rapper is innocent. He is scheduled to be arraigned on October 22.
Sia has reportedly agreed to sell a 50 percent stake in her music catalogue in a deal valued at $180 million.
According to TMZ, investment company Pophouse will acquire the stake, with $165 million of the deal going directly to the Australian singer.
The remaining $15 million, connected to songs written during Sia’s marriage to Dan Bernad, will reportedly be placed in escrow while the former couple determines how it will be divided.
The deal adds Sia to a growing list of major artistes who have sold all or part of their music rights in multimillion-dollar agreements.
Lil Wayne has announced that he is engaged to his girlfriend Madi Cannon following the couple’s recent reconciliation.
The rapper revealed the engagement in a social media video while congratulating fellow Hot Boys member B.G. on his own engagement, introducing Cannon as his fiancée.
Wayne and Cannon had previously separated earlier this year, with the rapper confirming in July that they were no longer together and denying engagement rumours at the time.
No wedding date or additional details about the couple’s engagement have been announced.
Dancehall star Spice is seeking Grammy recognition with her bilingual collaboration “Miss World Body,” featuring Argentine artist La wah-KEEN.
Released in August, the Latin-infused track blends Jamaican dancehall with Latin urban music and was produced by Grammy-winning producer an-TEE-us.
The song celebrates confidence, femininity and cultural pride through English and Spanish vocals.
The collaboration is part of Spice’s continued effort to expand dancehall’s global reach.
Vybz Kartel has added another milestone to his Billboard history, becoming the only artist to debut three new projects on the Reggae Albums chart in two years.
The achievement includes First Week Out, Viking: 10 Year Anniversary, and God & Time, released between August 2024 and June 2026.
First Week Out debuted at No. 8 in August 2024, following Kartel’s release from prison.
He returned to the chart with Viking: 10 Year Anniversary, which debuted at No. 10 in February 2025.
The anniversary project revisited material from his 2015 album Viking (Vybz Is King), which peaked at No. 3.
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LimeWire is revisiting one of the most infamous legal battles from the file-sharing era, joking about the massive damages once sought by the music industry.
In a social media post, LimeWire recalled that record labels represented by the Recording Industry Association of America once sought damages that were calculated at as much as $72 trillion over alleged copyright infringement.
The original LimeWire file-sharing service ultimately reached a $105 million settlement with major record labels in 2011.
The LimeWire name has since been acquired by new owners and relaunched as a different business, including ventures into digital assets and artificial intelligence.
