Everything from toothbrushes to toilets have gone wireless, but for some reason, DJs have remained tethered to their equipment like dogs leashed to a post as squirrels saunter by. AIAIAI’s new TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones break those chains with what the Danish audio company boldly claims are “the first-ever headphones designed for true wireless DJing.”
The skeptic in us approached with caution, since true wireless DJing has been a persevering albatross in the audio tech world. But the unit’s ultra-low latency connection (sub-10ms) delivers on its promise.
AIAIAI’s breakthrough headphones deliver uncompressed audio through their proprietary W+ Link technology. The system uses the brand’s X03 transmitter, which connects to a DJ mixer via 3.5mm TRS or USB-C and wirelessly beams audio into the headphone unit.
AIAIAI’s TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones and X03 transmitter.
AIAIAI
Beat-matching feels just as responsive as wired alternatives, without that millisecond lag that turns mixing into a frustrating game of audio catch-up. You can also tune the frequency response with predefined sound profiles or a custom five-band EQ, but you’ll have to download the AIAIAI mobile app.
The headphones also eliminate battery anxiety with a 25-hour runtime, which means they can outlast even those Red Bull-vodka-fueled marathon club nights at Space Miami. The familiar TMA-2 build quality remains intact too, and it’s as comfortable as ever.
What’s particularly refreshing is AIAIAI’s modular approach. Current TMA-2 owners can simply upgrade their speaker units rather than contributing another complete headset to the electronics graveyard. True to form for the renowned music tech company, it’s true sustainability that doesn’t feel like a marketing checkbox.
For professional DJs, going wireless has always been like switching to decaf: technically possible but fundamentally compromised. But the TMA-2 DJ Wireless is the rare tech product that removes a genuine limitation rather than solving a problem nobody had.
The TMA-2 DJ Wireless is available for €300 on AIAIAI’s website.
Karol G’s Netflix documentary, Tomorrow Was Beautiful, is out May 8, and we’re taking you inside the premiere in New York that just happened Tuesday, May 6. We got to speak with the Latin singer about her new documentary.
Are you going to watch Tomorrow Was Beautiful? Let us know in the comments!
Narrator: Singer, philanthropist, owner of a record label and now the owner of a production company! We take you to the premiere of Karol G’s movie, Tomorrow Was Beautiful, with Billboard VIP access! Tomorrow wasn’t just beautiful for La Bichota … it was impressive! While she posed in a sexy look in New York City, Karol celebrated her documentary, now available on Netflix. When we asked her how it felt, she had this to say. For Karol, it was important to have a female director for this project. Congratulations to our Colombian queen, Karol G, and don’t forget to watch Tomorrow Was Beautiful. Until next time!
Rick Ross and Drake have remained at odds since exchanging jabs on a series of diss tracks last year, but Rozay is open to ending the beef with his “Stay Schemin” collaborator.
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The Biggest Boss joined Bootleg Kev for an interview Wednesday (May 7), during which they discussed the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, something Ross saw as “necessary” for the rap game.
The conversation then switched to spotlight the root of Rozay’s issues with Drake, which Bootleg Kev theorized came from Drake’s treatment of French Montana on a track.
“I spoke on that on the record I released. Like I said, ‘F–k that s–t,’” Ross said. “Was it something really deep? Nah, f–k that, though. But if you p—y, you p—y. If it’s real, it’s real.”
Now, it’s unclear if Ross is being 100 percent serious, but the Florida rapper says he’d be open to squashing his feud with Drizzy.
“You never know,” he began. “If a n—a send me a bottle of Luc Belaire, especially the white one. That go for any of these young n—-s out here … Send me a white Belaire and I’ll take a picture with you.”
Drake sent shots at Ross on his April 2024 “Push Ups” diss track, and Rozay returned the favor with “Champagne Moments.” Ross accused Drizzy of getting a nose job and referred to the OVO rapper as the “white boy” while continuing to troll the 6 God on social media.
Last year, Ross joined Yung Miami for an episode of Caresha Please, which saw him reflect on being at odds with Drake.
“He mentioned my name, and that’s a no-no,” he said. “Don’t do that, especially when it ain’t about no real s–t. But when you do that, OK then: this is how we gonna play. I can wake up every day and say ‘BBL Drizzy’ or some old s–t, while I’m smoking a joint, listening to the waterfalls and all that s–t, looking at the birds fly off. That s–t easy for me. I don’t know. It depend on how I feel. I ain’t losing no sleep over none of that.”
Watch Rick Ross talk to Bootleg Kev about his Drake feud below:
When Donald Trump finally visits the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center next month to attend his first-ever show at the beloved Washington, D.C. cultural institution he will be treated to a performance of the musical Les Misérables that will be missing a number of key players. According to CNN, at least 10-12 of the show’s performers are expected to skip the June 11 performance Trump will reportedly attend on the same night as a high-dollar fundraiser at the Center.
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CNN reported that the cast was given the option to not be on stage the night Trump is in the house, with both unnamed “major cast members and members of the ensemble” opting to take a night off in the midst of the Trump administration’s aggressive makeover of the venue. As part of his government-wide slash-and-burn effort to remake Washington his image, Trump installed himself as the chairman of the Kennedy Center with the help of a rebooted board made up entirely of his hand-picked appointees at the institution that has traditionally had a bipartisan mix of board members.
The Les Miz performance will coincide with the fundraiser featuring sponsorship levels selling for as much as $2 million according to ABC News, with the invitation noting that Trump will appear that night as “a special guest and friend of the Kennedy Center”; at press time it was not clear what the funds were being raised for as Trump is constitutionally barred from running for a third term. Trump played songs from the musical about the plight of the impoverished underclass during the French Revolution on stops of his 2016 presidential campaign, upsetting the co-creators of the stage musical, who requested that he stop blasting “Do You Hear the People Sing?” at his rallies.
In a statement to EW, Trump confidant and the Center’s new director, Richard Grenell, said of the reported boycott, “We haven’t heard this rumor. But the Kennedy Center will no longer fund intolerance. Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed. In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn’t hire — and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience.”
The cast boycott is the latest in an unfolding culture war between the Trump administration and some artists who were slated to perform at the Kennedy Center, a number of whom canceled shows in the wake of the Trump takeover. Among those who pulled gigs or resigned from their leadership roles at the Kennedy Center in protest were: Ben Folds, Renee Fleming, Shonda Rhimes, Low Cut Connie, Rhiannon Giddens, Issa Rae, as well as a performance of the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Hamilton, the lauded show Trump subsequently criticized, saying “I never liked Hamilton very much.”
Trump raged against the programming at the Center in February in a Truth Social post in which he wrote, “No more drag show, or other anti-American propaganda — Only the best.” In another post, Trump said he wanted to make sure the Kennedy Center “runs properly. We don’t need woke at the Kennedy Center. Some of the shows were terrible. They were a disgrace that they were even put on.”
Just as Kendrick Lamar leads the 2025 BET Award nominations, which were announced on Thursday (May 8), he is likely to also lead the Grammy nominations when they’re announced later this year.
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Lamar has been the leading Grammy nominee twice before. He had 11 nominations leading up to the 2016 ceremony, and eight nods leading up to the 2019 ceremony. He has finished second (or in a tie for second) four other times — twice behind Jay-Z and twice behind Beyoncé. If Lamar amasses 11 nominations, he’ll match his personal best. If he garners 12, he’ll tie Michael Jackson (1984) and Babyface (1997) for the most nominations by anyone in any one year.
The Grammys and BET Awards operate on different timetables. The eligibility year for this year’s BET Awards was March 16, 2024, through March 15, 2025. The eligibility year for the upcoming Grammys is Aug. 31, 2024, through Aug. 30, 2025. And, of course, the Grammys cover all genres, while the BET Awards focus on various forms of Black music. But the BET Awards offer some clues about which way Grammy voters may be leaning.
Three of the BET nominees for album of the year won album awards at the Grammys on Feb. 2. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter won both best country album and album of the year, Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal won best rap album and Chris Brown’s 11:11 Deluxe won best R&B album. A fourth BET album of the year nominee, Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You, was nominated for a Grammy for best rap album.
The other four BET nominees will be eligible for the 2026 Grammys — Lamar’s GNX, The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, GloRilla’s Glorious and the Drake-Partynextdoor collab Some $exy $ongs 4U.
GNX seems virtually certain to be Grammy nominated for album of the year. It would be Lamar’s fifth album of the year nomination as a lead artist, which would allow him to break out of a tie with Ye (formerly Kanye West) for the most album of the year nods by a rapper.
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Two of the BET nominees for best new artist — Shaboozey and Teddy Swims — were Grammy nominated in that category at this year’s show. Two other BET nominees in that category are presumed to be ineligible for Grammy nominations in that category. Leon Thomas won a Grammy two years ago for co-writing SZA’s “Snooze,” which was voted best R&B song. Ayra Starr was nominated as a performer two years ago for best African music performance for “Rush.”
The five other BET nominees — 41, BigXthaPlug, BossMan Dlow, Dee Billz and October London — are likely to be eligible to compete for the Grammy in that highly competitive category later this year.
Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which won a Grammy for best music video on Feb. 2, is nominated for BET’s video of the year. Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti’s “Type Shit” was also entered in that Grammy category, though it wasn’t nominated.
Luther Vandross is the subject of three BET Awards nominations. Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” now in its 11th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, is up for both best collaboration and the viewers choice award. And the documentary Luther: Never Too Much is nominated for best movie.
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Vandross didn’t receive a lifetime achievement award from the BET Awards. He died in 2005, just four years after the show originated. Vandross, who is widely considered the leading R&B male balladeer of his generation, has yet to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy, either.
In other BET nominations news, Blue Ivy Carter, the 13-year-old daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, is nominated for the Young Stars Award, an award she won last year. The BET allows multiple nominations and wins in that category. Blackish co-star Marsai Martin won it five times. Yara Shaidi and Keke Palmer each won it twice.
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Wicked was passed over for a nod for best movie, but Cynthia Erivo is nominated for best actress for her performance in the film. And “Defying Gravity,” by Erivo featuring Ariana Grande, is up for the BET Her award. At the Grammys, Wicked can compete for best compilation soundtrack for visual media, while “Defying Gravity” can compete for best pop duo/group performance.
The 25th BET Awards will be held on Monday (June 9) at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Comedian Kevin Hart is set to host for the second time.
After weeks of speculation, J.I.D. has announced his new album, God Does Like Ugly, and confirmed it’s dropping later this year.
On Thursday (May 8), J.I.D. shared God Does Like Ugly will be released on Aug. 8. The Dreamville rapper had previously dropped off his new single “WRK” on April 18. The new track was J.I.D.’s first solo single since 2023, when he dropped off the Blackboyz present Half Doin Dope/Van Gogh 2-pack with Lil Yachty and BabyTron. God Does Like Ugly will be J.I.D.’s first release since his 2022 album, The Forever Story, which the rapper admitted he was disappointed by the critics’ reception.
“Starting this new journey coming off THE FOREVER STORY has been a very strange, productive, yet tedious process,” he wrote on X shortly before the release of “WRK.” “I remember not feeling like I got what I think I deserved after that album came out and it sent me into a dark place (for maybe 20 mins cuz I ain’t no b—h). Fast-forward to Pluss playing this beat for me in the studio and all I could hear was my OG coach saying, ‘Let’s go to WORK.’ I live my life by the saying ‘You can only control what you can control.’ So this is the first step into a new world that I control…and it’s f—kin UGLY.”
To give fans a taste of the new project, J.I.D. also released a short trailer formally announcing God Does Like Ugly. Check it out below.
If you know college football tradition, you likely know why fans in Blacksburg, Va. were setting off the seismograph at Metallica’s Wednesday show. Continue reading…
The Who have revealed that their upcoming North American tour will be their last. At a press conference today (May 8) at London’s Iconic Gallery, RogerDaltrey and PeteTownshend announced details of The Song Is Over: TheNorth American Farewell Tour, which kicks off in Florida on August 16, ending in Las Vegas on September 28.
“Well, all good things must come to an end,” said PeteTownshend. “It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible… Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter.”
“To me, America has always been great,” added RogerDaltrey. “The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”
Asked about the possibility of a similar farewell tour in the UK, Daltrey simply said: “Let’s see if we survive this one…”
Peruse the North American tourdates below:
Aug 16 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena Aug 19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center Aug 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center Aug 23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Aug 26 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park Aug 28 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater Aug 30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Sep 2 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Sep 4 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Sep 7 – Chicago, IL – United Center Sep 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl Sep 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl Sep 21 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre Sep 23 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena| Sep 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena Sep 28 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
Tickets go on general sale on Friday, May 16 at 10am local time from here. There is a pre-sale for Citi cardmembers and Whooligan Fan Club members.
Read more from The Who’s press conference in the next issue of Uncut.
