Diddy’s trial started on Monday, May 12th, and we’re breaking down what’s happened in the first two days of the trial, including his charges, opening statements, Cassie taking the stand and more.
What do you think of Diddy’s trial so far? Let us know in the comments.
Tetris Kelly:
All right, guys, so this is not a fun one, but the Diddy trial kicked off, and I’m, for one, in shock that they decided that the defense’s argument was gonna be, yeah, there was domestic violence, but not sex trafficking. Like what?
Judy Sanchez:
It’s a lot to take in. Like, racketeering is a very serious charge, but so is domestic violence. So to sort of brush that under the rug, and especially with Cassie knowing that she’s taking the stand pregnant, I don’t know, the optics are very intense. You know, it was, it was a lot of intense, graphic news coming from the Diddy trial this morning.
Tetris Kelly:
I mean, it’s so interesting that you phrase it that way, because I think sex trafficking, racketeering, it’s like, and there’s been all this evidence that’s been in the media, what would your argument be to defend Diddy at this point?
Stefanie Tanaka:
Yeah. I mean, I’m not sure there’s much. He’s gonna try to save his a–, I’m sure. But, you know, I don’t know how you can, I mean, your crimes are bad enough. I don’t know if there’s much. I mean, the lawyers are gonna do their jobs because they’re lawyers, but I don’t know, like, if there’s any way he could really get out of it. I mean, they’re pretty serious. All the allegations we’ve heard, the video evidence with Cassie in the hotel.
When co-host and Harlem native KP suggested that Jim Jones had better songs than Styles P when it came to a Verzuz, the Yonkers rappers respectfully disagreed and laid out the differences between the two artists.
“You’re entitled to that feeling,” Styles replied. “This is what hip-hop is about: You connecting with music that connects with you. If that’s how you feel, I ain’t mad at you for feeling that way. I f—in’ totally think… I know you’re f—in’ wrong.”
He continued: “Me and Jim ain’t in the same league. Me and Jim don’t do the same things. I am a bar master. I am a lyrical technician. I been on joints with some of the best MCs in the world: Big, Hov, Black Thought, Talib… I bar sh– down. If there’s a lyricist or MC, I’m one of their f—in’ favorites.
He then continued by saying he’s got love for Jim and respect for how he came up in the game, but at the same time feels a little disrespected by the comparison.
“I’m not here to make catchy hooks. … I don’t knock that,” he explained. “I’m trying to say some sh– that’s gonna make your soul move. That’s what I’m into. So when I say a verse, if it resonates with you, it’s gonna be some sh– that you may catch 10 years later down the line, so me and Jim don’t do the same things. I have the utmost respect for Jim, for how he built his career. I love Jim, that’s like my bro, but I think to compare us is an unfair comparison.”
If you recall, both rappers’ respective groups battled in one of the best Verzuz face-offs to date when The LOX dismantled The Diplomats at The Theater at Madison Square Garden back in 2021.
Halle Bailey has been granted a restraining order against DDG, her ex-boyfriend and the father of her 1-year-old son, Billboard can confirm.
TMZwas first to report Tuesday (May 13) that the 25-year-old singer/actress had filed a police report against the 27-year-old streamer and rapper and requested court-ordered protection, claiming he had attacked her multiple times.
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In court documents obtained by Billboard, Bailey alleged “things got physical” starting in January, when DDG (real name Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr.) came over to pick up their then-13-month-old son Halo and she initiated a conversation about scheduling his visits.
Bailey claims that as she was buckling Halo into his car seat in the back of Granberry’s car, he yelled, “Get out of my car, bi—.” At that point, she alleges, Halo started crying, making her nervous to leave the baby with him in his agitated state. When she stayed in the car, she alleges that Granberry pulled her hair, slammed her face on the steering wheel and chipped her tooth. After they arrived at Granberry’s family’s house, Bailey says she told his family what happened and left the baby with them.
Bailey attached photos of her alleged injuries, including her chipped tooth, to the restraining order request.
In the docs, Bailey went on to detail two more alleged incidents of abuse: one in March, which she says she filed a police report over, and one this past weekend, when she says Granberry accused her of vacationing with Brent Faiyaz in a series of texts while she was on a Mother’s Day trip with their son and her mother.
Granberry announced the couple had split in October 2024, ending their two-year relationship.
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“This decision was not easy, but we believe it’s the best path forward for both of us. I cherish the time we’ve spent together and the love we’ve shared,” he wrote on his Instagram Story at the time. The following month, Bailey shared in a since-deleted X post that she felt “extremely upset” when Granberry brought Halo with him during an “unapproved” appearance on Kai Cenat’s live stream. She later backpedaled, writing, “maybe i did overreact…. i know that halo is always safe with his dad. i just don’t like finding out with the rest of the world what my baby is doing.”
Shortly after those tweets, Granberry came to Bailey’s defense in a YouTube video in which he implored negative commenters to leave her alone, citing her transparency over her struggles with postpartum depression. “When situations like this happen, I try to handle it with as much grace as possible because Halo needs her. I need her,” he said at the time. “We need each other to try to create a childhood that’s safe, fun and memorable for him.” But in March, Granberry aired his grievances over their custody issues in a song titled “Don’t Take My Son.”
In the restraining order request, Bailey also requested permission to take Halo with her while she travels to Italy to film a movie, where she will have family and a traveling nanny to help care for him. She also asked the judge for a cease-and-desist order to prevent Granberry from “posting and/or streaming on any and all platforms about Halo and/or me. He is a YouTube and Twitch Blogger and creates a fan frenzy by making false claims about me. This has caused me to feel afraid and victimized. His fans then threaten me. I am often scared for my life and Halo’s safety.”
A hearing has been set for June 4 over whether a more permanent restraining order should be put in place.
Representatives for Bailey and Granberry did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s requests for comment.
Latto really needs “Somebody,” and she announced on Monday (May 12) that she’s dropping her new single with that name on Friday.
“Greetings from Jamaica,” she wrote on Instagram under the island-inspired artwork. She first teased the single on X back in March with a one-minute clip of her playing it in the car. “I’m on a beach, my hair blowing in the wind. I’m sippin’ a piña colada in a G-string bikini,” she says while licking her lips. She posted a slowed-down version of that snippet in her latest IG announcement.
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“Somebody” will mark Latto’s first solo single release of 2025, and it will arrive four months after she dropped the “Blick Sum” remix featuring fellow ATL rapper Playboi Carti. “Blick Sum” was originally featured on her third studio album Sugar Honey Iced Tea, which she released last August via Streamcut and RCA Records. The 17-track project included the hit single “Big Mama,” which was nominated for a best melodic rap performance at the 2025 Grammys, and reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and earned Latto her first No. 1 on Top Rap Albums.
Next month, Latto will embark on the mini Big Mama Takes Europe tour, featuring festival stops at DLT Malta in St. Paul’s Bay, Malta, Tinderbox in Odense, Denmark, Yardland Festival in Paris, France and Les Ardentes in Liège, Belgium, as well as shows in London, Berlin and Amsterdam.
See Latto’s “Somebody” single announcement below, and pre-save it here.
John Legend is opening up the “descent” of his former friend Ye.
In a new interview with The Times, published on Saturday (May 10), the 46-year-old R&B singer expressed shock over the dramatic changes in Ye (formerly Kanye West) after their close personal and professional bond in the early 2000s.
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“Back then Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him,” Legend said, reflecting on how West helped launch his career after collaborating on the rapper’s 2004 album, The College Dropout. “He had so much optimism, so much creativity. It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.”
The EGOT winner signed with West’s G.O.O.D. Music after releasing a pair of self-produced albums early in his career. The two artists collaborated on numerous projects over the years, but their friendship began to fray after West, 47, voiced support for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Their relationship ultimately ended in the aftermath of West’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential bid.
“I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now, his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness, and it is sad to see his devolution,” Legend told The Times.
Ye has faced backlash in recent months for his hate-filled, antisemitic rants on social media. The rapper has also expressed support for Diddy, who is currently on trial for sex trafficking charges.
Legend admits he’s not qualified to “psychoanalyze” West, but offers a guess as to why the embattled rapper has changed so much in recent years.
“After his mother passed in 2007 there was definitely a difference,” the singer said. “His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
West’s mother, Donda, died of a heart attack at age 58 in 2007 following complications from multiple cosmetic procedures. After her death, the rapper released two albums bearing her name: Donda (2021), which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and Donda 2 (2022), which was initially available exclusively on the Stem Player before being released on streaming services in late April.
Elsewhere in The Times interview, Legend reflected on West’s undeniable impact in launching his career.
“Kanye blew up after producing Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint in 2001,” he said. “Then he experienced a buzz as a solo artist and the whole time I was traveling with him, doing shows with him, getting exposure not only as his singer and keyboard player but also as an artist myself. I had been turned down by labels everywhere. Then The College Dropout sold 400,000 copies in its first week, everyone wanted to know what was happening in our camp.”
The singer added, “All those people who turned me down suddenly decided that my music sounded a lot better than it did the first time round.”
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:
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.
