Entertainment

 

CALIFORNIA, USA, Wednesday March 15, 2017 – Barbados’ pop princess Rihanna has work, work, work, work, worked her way up to yet another record in the music industry.

This time, with “Love on the Brain,” she has bagged her 22nd top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, breaking away from The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, on the most top fives of all-time list.

Now the sole holder of fifth place, RiRi sits below The Beatles (29), Madonna (28), Mariah Carey (26), and Janet Jackson (24), according to Billboard.

Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/rihanna-smashes-elvis-presley-record#ixzz4bUns9mgn

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Star of “The Fate of the Furious,” the hip-hop artist known as Ludacris rides on the edge to balance tech, his music and his life.
It should come as no surprise that Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, one of the stars of the Fast & Furious movie franchise, isn’t a fan of self-driving cars.
“I honestly feel that no one can ever take the place of a human being when it comes to actually driving, especially when it comes to that last-minute instinct if something happens to go wrong,” Ludacris, 39, told CNET during a cover shoot in his hometown of Atlanta.
“The same way computers crash every now and then, I feel like cars that are gonna drive people, there’s a slight chance that it may crash,” he said in December, ahead of reprising his role as tech guy Tej Parker in “The Fate of the Furious,” also known as “Fast & Furious 8.”
“I don’t think it’s for me.”
That’s not to say he’s leery of tech. While not quite the techie he plays on screen, Ludacris says his house has all sorts of gadgets he controls through his iPhone apps. He also relies on apps to help him with his music. But the hip-hop artist also thinks we should put our tech down every once in a while. “There’s a time to disconnect,” he says. “There’s nothing like actually interacting with other human beings.”
Ludacris spoke with CNET News Editor-in-Chief Connie Guglielmo about why he still drives his first car, the tech he’d like to see invented and singing in the shower. Here’s an edited transcript of their conversations.
The trailer for “Fast & Furious 8” went viral when it was released in December. Why do you think people are so excited about the franchise?
I’m not able to give away all the specifics of the movie, but I think it’s exciting because as time has gone on, the sequels continued to get better and better. Usually when you have sequels, that’s not the case. We have some of the most loyal fans when it comes to this movie that I’ve ever seen in my entire life, so I’m excited.
But as the trailer tells, Dom [played by Vin Diesel] has gone rogue on us. I don’t think anybody saw this coming, but you have to see the movie in order to understand why.
You drive a tank in the movie.
Were your co-stars jealous?
I don’t think anybody was jealous because that’s just my character. My character is the tech guy, and he is the one who wants to have the most electronics and powerful guns at his disposal. Everyone has a car that fits their personality and that one fit mine.
I hear you’re devoted to your first car.
A 1993 Acura. I drive it all the time. It had over 273,000 miles on it before I had to change the engine. Acura stepped in just because I had it for so long because it’s been a staple in my life. They helped me refurbish it and restore it — new engine, new paint job, interior — everything.
Why are you so attached to it?
Man, just because it keeps me grounded. It keeps me humble. This is a car I had before my first commercial success. I wrote a lot of songs in this car. This is something that no matter how big I get, I want to be reminded of where I started.
Silicon Valley is making a big push into self-driving cars. What do you think about that?
That’s gonna change the dynamic of people driving. I think the same way computers crash every now and then, I feel like cars that are gonna drive people, there’s a slight chance that it may crash. I don’t think it’s for me.
I honestly feel that no one can ever take the place of a human being when it comes to actually driving, especially when it comes to that last-minute instinct if something happens to go wrong.
That’s not to take anything away from Tesla or all these cars that have these features because I don’t understand it as much as people in engineering and the scientists putting it together. [But] I would rather rely on a human being than a computer when it comes to driving. That’s a stance I’m going to take.
He loves tech. He hates tech. And he’s a “perfectionist” Virgo. Meet Ludacris.
You’ve said your favorite car is a Ford GT. Tell me why.
It’s extremely powerful. I love that it’s American. I think it’s unique — you can’t compare that car to any other. It doesn’t look like any other car; it doesn’t drive like any other car. And it’s a stick shift — people love automatics these days — [they’re] starting to get away from the old-fashioned, extremely well-designed, stick shift cars. So that to me is No. 1.
Do you own one?
No, I don’t own one. It’s a time in my life where — when it comes to cars — I’m like, “let me just pay for the experience, not the possession.” I’m gone a lot, traveling a lot, and it didn’t make sense for me to have a bunch of cars just sitting in a garage and not being driven most of the time.
Are you a techie in real life?
I’m not as much of a techie as I am in the movie, obviously. For the most part, I continue to learn and dive into the tech world just because it’s so fascinating how fast things continue to evolve. I think everybody in this world is trying to catch up with technology.
What’s your favorite piece of tech?
My iPhone. Everything is so accessible, it’s very easy for me. I’m a Mac type of guy so I just love the format. And obviously as time goes on, they just continue to make everything more compatible and everything so much more easily accessible.
What piece of tech do you wish had never been invented?
It would be the iPhone because they keep up coming out with new ones so you gotta upgrade [laughs]. It’s a gift and a curse. Best piece: iPhone. Worst piece: iPhone.
What piece of tech would you like to see invented?
[Something] that helps you read people’s mind, or tech that’s like “Back to the Future” — so you could time travel. And I want somebody to come out with a DJ application where you have your playlist but everything mixes together. So they put all the songs with the same tempo together, and they are able to blend so that one song doesn’t all the way go off before the next one comes on.
What about your house? Do you have a lot of smart-home tech?
My house is pretty smart when it comes to that. So yes, I do have a control to be able to look at all the cameras, turn off lights, televisions, electronics. I do that from the phone.
You’ve also said you’re concerned about your daughters spending too much time with tech.
For business, I think it’s great. It helps you work more efficiently. It’s continuing to be the future. Everything is consolidating into certain devices to help you move faster and get things done.
I also feel there’s a time to disconnect. There’s nothing like actually interacting with other human beings. For myself and my children, I try to have a perfect balance. That’s the best thing I can say. It’s about balance.
Do you use tech for your music creative process?
Oh yeah. You have all these things and devices and applications that help you voice your ideas. You even have apps that help you with the tempo. You have GarageBand, where you can lay a format of a beat and then go later to a studio and try to finish it.
There was a time where people had to write stuff down in a notebook, if you’re doing lyrics or writing certain things. Now it’s like you can speak into a microphone and have it dictated back to you, and everything’s written out. So I think it just helps you move a lot faster.
Do you sing in the shower?
Everybody sings in the shower. If they tell you they don’t, they’re lying to you.
Any favorites?
The favorites in the shower depend on what’s currently out, whatever the new favorite song is.
Is it true that “The Devil Wears Prada” is one of your favorite movies? Why?
Man, because at the end of the day, it’s really about perseverance and just being a person that is trying to get the job done — concentrated on the success of a brand and not really worried about what other people think about them.
It’s not about necessarily being nice to people. It’s about showing people and giving them a challenge that they may have never had in their lifetime in order to accomplish something.
I just really love the movie because it’s about a boss. It’s about being a boss, and the types of things you have to do to make a brand successful.
You’re an entrepreneur in your hometown of Atlanta. What kind of a boss are you?
It’s about balance once again. Sometimes I’m a little mean, but for the most part, I’m pretty good. I keep good people around me and they don’t mess up as much. It took me a long time and many years to get to the point where I have these individuals around me, so now I don’t really yell as much.
One of your investments is a startup called Roadie, which is described as an “on-the-way” delivery network — even to Good-will. What’s it about?
It’s like an Uber for packages. We started it about two years ago, and it’s a people-to-people exchange. It’s people who are already on their way somewhere, who can [pick up and deliver something to you] instead of using FedEx and UPS.
Have you used it yourself?
What have they delivered?
Yeah. If I left something at a hotel — a camera battery or something like that — I’ve used it to see how efficient it is. I definitely feel people need to try it out.
Any chance you might be a Roadie yourself?
[Laughs.] You never know. One day, I might do that.
You’re also behind a new app for slang. Why?
Words with Friends was one of my favorite applications, but there were certain words that haven’t been added to the dictionary yet that should be a part of this game. So we came up with something called Slang and Friends. So this game is similar to Words with Friends but different in that we’ve come up with words that people use on an everyday basis that are slang.
Last year you opened a restaurant in Atlanta’s airport called Chicken-n-Beer, which was also the name of your third album.
Chicken-n-Beer is important to me because it started off as a multiplatinum album. When I made that album and that name and that title, I never in a million years would’ve thought that we would open up a restaurant titled the same thing in the busiest airport in the world.
Over time you start diversifying and start just thinking about your business portfolio as an entertainer and what influence you have. I met someone who is now my partner, and we came up with this concept and years later it has come to fruition.
I just want to show young entrepreneurs that anything you can dream of, you can work hard at and it can come true. It’s an accomplishment I’m very proud of.
You’ve said you wanted to be a multifaceted entrepreneur…
Entreprenegro.
Well you’ve done that. Some people might just check out and live off their success, but it seems like you have more to do.
[Laughs.] Absolutely.
About the author
Connie Guglielmo (@techledes), editor-in-chief of CNET News, is a veteran tech journalist who has worked for MacWeek, Wired, Bloomberg News and Forbes. She thinks the next big thing should be a real transmogrifier.
Editorial
Connie Guglielmo
Rochelle Garner
Design
Mark Hobbs
Marc Mendell
Photography
Mark Mann
Mariel Myers
John Kim
Production
Justin Cauchon
Danielle Ramirez
Wendy Dittamore
Jeremy Toeman

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Brad Barket/Getty Images for BET
While politicians like Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, plus President Donald Trump himself, have been criticizing Snoop Dogg for his “Lavender” video, rappers are pledging allegiance to the Doggfather.
Ice-T and Treach recently weighed in on TMZ Live, remarking that while it’s controversial for the scene showing the West Coast rapper aiming a prop gun at a clown mocking Trump, the video “is artistic.” Ice-T added, “He’s messing with the line. We’ll see how this weighs out, but I roll with Snoop. I thought it was a good video.” T.I. also offered an expletive-laced Instagram post defending the hip-hop legend.
Trump soon took to his favorite social media channel of choice, Twitter, expressing his dismay with Snoop. “Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!,” he tweeted on Wednesday (March 15).
The latest MC to side with Snoop is Bow Wow, also known as Shad Moss. The rapper/actor used his timeline to express his support for his “uncle” Snoop Dogg in a rather bizarre message.
“Ayo @realDonaldTrump shut your punk a– up talking sh-t about my uncle @SnoopDogg before we pimp your wife and make her work for us,” he typed.
Ayo @realDonaldTrump shut your punk ass up talking shit about my uncle @SnoopDogg before we pimp your wife and make her work for us.
— Shad Moss(Bow Wow) (@smoss) March 15, 2017
This GIF is perhaps the nicest way to describe Moss’ mentions.
.@smoss @realDonaldTrump @SnoopDogg Um. pic.twitter.com/7Ckmtg1Y9n
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) March 15, 2017
A rep for Snoop Dogg has not immediately returned Billboard’s requests for comment.

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Sami Drasin
Fresh off a February that saw breakthrough dance stars The Chainsmokers and Flume earn their first Grammy Awards, it’s a natural time to take a look at the current crop of rising dance/electronic music talent.
While the red carpet may not be a realistic fate for some of the more left field artists listed here, you never know where talent will take them. Gallant was the face of this feature’s 2016 edition and the singer went on to earn a Grammy nod for his ambitious debut album Ology.
From singer/songwriters and rappers to fresh-faced producers and underground club-shakers, here are Billboard Dance’s 15 artists to watch in 2017.

Mark Johns
Top dance artists are essentially A&Rs these days. Look no further than what Diplo has built with Mad Decent or what Skrillex has accomplished with OWSLA. It was the latter who made 22-year-old Mark Johns the first solo singer signed to his tastemaking imprint after hearing her cover of Jay Z & Kanye West’s “N—s in Paris” a year ago. Her debut EP Molino’s title track showcases her potential in its balanced juxtaposition between seductive pop hooks and starkly confessional candor. With a debut album currently in the works, expect much more where that came from. – Matt Medved

Alan Walker
Categorizing this 19-year-old Norwegian as an “artist to watch” would seem absurd in most places outside America. Alan Walker has been racking up staggering streaming numbers (more than 1.5 billion on YouTube and more than 1 billion on Spotify), despite having only released three proper singles, including 2015 breakthrough hit “Faded” (No. 80 on Hot 100), which topped the singles charts in more than 10 countries. Walker joined Rihanna on the European leg of her ANTI tour and is poised to see his star continue to rise stateside. – Matt Medved

Sam Gellaitry
This kid was born in 1997, but in his swift 19 years, he’s earned some serious street cred. He was scooped up as a member of the illustrious Soulection crew in 2014 (although he has sense taken leave), he was hand-picked to open for Mr. Carmack on his 2016 tour, and he’s set to play this year’s Coachella. His productions are cleaner than some dude’s who’ve been producing his entire life. Don’t be surprised when all the snooty beat heads and future bass fans you know can’t stop saying his name. – Kat Bein

Petit Biscuit
It seems like there’s one future bass song each year that breaks through the copycat noise to uplift an unknown producer to viral heights. 2015 brought us Jai Wolf’s “Indian Summer,” and 2016 belonged to Petit Biscuit’s “Sunset Lover.” The mellow and melodic number racked up more than 108 million Spotify streams and launched its French creator onto international festival lineups  – Matt Medved

Jubilee
Raised in Miami and working out of New York City, we named this producer’s debut LP After Hours one of the best dance albums of 2016. Just like the Magic City that inspired it, After Hours is a beautiful, tropical sunset blend of electronic cultures and styles. There’s some Miami bass, some dancehall, some Florida breaks, some video game bleep bloops, some freaky IDM; everything you need to keep the party going from dusk till dawn, then dusk again. Plus, she’s a killer DJ who’s been putting in work for nearly a decade. Now that the world is riding her sound waves, the only way to go is up. – Kat Bein

Brasstracks
You may know them best for producing Chance the Rapper’s smash “No Problem,” but this New Jersey duo also boasts production credits for the likes of Anderson .Paak (“Am I Wrong?”) and Gorillaz, plus co-signs from GRiZ and Lido. Expect Ivan Jackson (trumpet, production) and Conor Rayne (drums) to make some more funk-infused noise in 2017. – Matt Medved

San Holo
Dutch artist Sander van Dijck (aka San Holo) has made his name on a series of uplifting yet nuanced future bass and broken-beat releases, earning more than 45 million Spotify streams on his latest release “Light.” While he’s graced an impressively diverse range of labels from OWSLA and Nest to Monstercat and Spinnin’, the 26-year-old also finds time to manage his own eclectic bitbird imprint – Matt Medved

Mura Masa
Even while your most pretentious friends will tell you future bass is the new lowest common denominator, none of them would dare say they find Mura Masa any less than super fly. He just copped a verse from A$AP Rocky and a big hit with “Love$ick,” so you’re almost guaranteed to hear more-a Masa on your radio in 2017. – Kat Bein

Satori
Raised in the Netherlands with Serbian-South African roots, multi-instrumentalist/producer Djordje Petrovic makes entrancing electronic music influenced by his transcontinental experiences. Don’t call him a DJ — Satori’s multifaceted live sets draw on his guitar, piano and other instrumental backgrounds while blending world music and melodic house music to awe-inspiring effect. With releases on tastemaking imprints like Crosstown Rebels and upcoming gigs at Get Lost Miami and Lightning in a Bottle, Satori is only getting started. – Matt Medved

Troyboi
Serious beat addicts already know to rock this Londoner’s sophisticated sounds, but he’s got a debut full-length LP scheduled to hit headphones in 2017, and I fully expect the rest of dance music’s heat-seeking community to climb aboard the TroyBoi train. He’s got a knack for multi-cultural amalgamations cut with a certain street-wise edge, a distinctly cool sound he tags simple #MyStyle. I’m stoked to see his that style evolves on a bigger project. – Kat Bein

$uicideboy$
Alright, you got me. These guys aren’t really a dance/electronic act at all (though they do have some loose ties to the scene via collaborations with Getter and a copyright infringement controversy with deadmau5). Nevertheless, I’m intrigued by these nihilistic New Orleans rappers who have cultivated an underground cult following throughout middle America. You may never hear them in a Manhattan club, but you better believe their visceral lyrics and slick beats are resonating in Michigan basements – Matt Medved

Giraffage
This San Franciscan is no newcomer, but 2017 is his year. Word on the street is Giraffage has a full-length LP in the works, his first proper release form 2014’s nostalgically adorable No Reason EP. His glorious blend of post-Internet pop hooks and ’90s R&B nabbed him a spot opening for Porter Robinon’s Worlds tour, and he definitely learned a lot about showmanship in the experience. His sound has only continued to sweeten on recent singles “So Cute,” “Bring Me Your Love,” and while I couldn’t be more excited for his upcoming release, it’s his recent live tour that left me truly inspired. If you ever get the chance to see Giraffage in 2017, don’t think. Just go. – Kat Bein

BlackGummy
deadmau5’s mau5trap label has taken a welcome turn towards techno in recent years and this Los Angeles artist is one of the signees leading the charge. His 2016 Impactor EP is a four-track helping of gritty, distorted synths and sinister sub-bass that showcases the production chops that won him the ear of one of dance music’s most discerning producers – Matt Medved

Tennyson
This teenage brother-sister power duo is packed to the gills with musical talent. Luke, 20, and Tess, 18, look cherubic but sound like wise, dimension-traveling jazz elders both when they talk backstage and when they hit the set. Luke writes the playfully syncopated tunes, Tess provides mind-numbing live percussion. Skrillex is a big fan. You might have heard their influence on his remix of “Stranger.” Originally from Canada, Luke is heading to Los Angeles this year to rub shoulders with the big wigs and get as creative as he can, so definitely expect big things from Tennyson in the months to come. – Kat Bein

Kobosil
Berghain’s youngest resident DJ first visited the notorious Berlin nightclub at age 18 and made his Klubnacht debut a scant 4 years later. Now the 26-year-old can lay claim to one of its Ostgut Ton label’s most unique releases in 2016 debut We Grow, You Decline – Matt Medved

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