Camila Cabello to Star in Chiwetel Ejiofor’s “Rob Peace”

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is heading back to the big screen…

The 25-year-old Mexican/Cuban singer/actress will star in Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Rob Peace.

Cabello, who made her acting debut in Prime Video’s Cinderella, will star opposite Jay Will, Mary J. Blige Ejiofor in the drama Ejiofor is directing from his own script, as his sophomore feature effort.

The film, currently in production, is based on Jeff Hobbs’ bestselling biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League.

It follows Robert Peace (Will), a young man who grew up in a crime-ridden section of Newark, NJ and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry earned on scholarship. Peace led a dual life living in the insular world of academia and as a lab researcher of cancer and infectious diseases, while at the same time making six figures from the sale of marijuana. He was killed in a drug-related shooting in 2011.

Cabello will play Peace’s fellow Yale student Naya, with Blige and Ejiofor as his mother and father.

LAMF presents Rob Peace, in association with Hill District Media and Participant, a Sugar Peace production.

Cabello is a Latin Grammy, AMA and Billboard Music Award winner who, before going solo, broke out as a member of Fifth Harmony, one of the top-selling girl groups in history.

In 2021 she emerged as the first Hispanic woman to achieve RIAA Diamond status with her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Havana” [feat. Young Thug], and that same year found her first major film role as the lead of Kay Cannon’s Cinderella — a modern, musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale from Prime Video, which had her starring opposite Billy Porter.

Cabello’s career in music has seen her collaborate with everyone from Ed Sheeran to Shawn Mendes and Machine Gun Kelly, with her work thus far amassing streams in the billions. Her most recent studio album, Familia — following 2018’s Camila and 2019’s Romance — was released last year via Epic Records.

Anuel AA to Compete in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

Posted on February 10, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Anuel AA is ready to play ball…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican rapper/singer will compete in next week’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Anuel AA, who is a sponsor of Women’s National Superior Basketball League in Puerto Rico, will join Machine Gun Kelly, Jack Harlow and Quavo to showcase their ball skills.

Others set to compete include Kane Brown, Jimmie Allen, Tiffany Haddish, Ranveer Singh, Nyjah Huston, and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

Quavo, a founding member of rap trio Migos, is a veteran of the run-and-gun “Celebrity” game, with four previous appearances under his belt.

The two teams will line up next Friday (Feb. 18) at Wolstein Center in Cleveland, and are respectively coached by retired NBA superstars Dominique Wilkins and Bill Walton.

The all-celebrity exhibition game has been regular fixture in the annual NBA All-Star Weekend since 2003, and will be televised and streamed by ESPN from 7 p.m. ET.

DJ Khaled and friends will headline the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night performances, with his support crew to be unveiled in the days ahead.

The All-Star Celebrity Game lineups are below:

Team Walton
Jimmie Allen (singer, songwriter)
Noah Carlock (Fanatics All-In Challenge Winner)
Brittney Elena (host, actress, athlete and model)
Machine Gun Kelly (singer, songwriter)
Dearica Hamby (Las Vegas Aces forward)
Nyjah Huston (Olympian, professional skateboarder)
Matt James (ABC’s The Bachelor)
Quavo (rapper, recording artist)
Ranveer Singh (actor)
Alex Toussaint (Peloton instructor)

Team Nique
Anuel AA (rapper)
Mayor Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland)
Kane Brown (singer, songwriter)
Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns defensive end)
Booby Gibson (Cleveland Cavaliers legend)
Tiffany Haddish (comedian, actress and author)
Jack Harlow (rapper, recording artist)
Crissa Jackson (Harlem Globetrotters player)
Anjali Ranadivé (singer, songwriter)
Gianmarco Tamberi (Olympic high jump champion)

Omar Apollo to Perform at Atlanta’s Music Midtown Festival

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Omar Apollo is headed to The Big Peach…

The 24-year-old Mexican-American singer-songwriter and entrepreneur will perform at this year’s Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta, which is getting a reboot.

The popular downtown gathering that took a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic is ready to roar back this fall with a lineup packed with superstar voices.

Among the headliners for the September 18-19 event at Piedmont Park are Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, 21 Savage and DaBaby.

Other acts scheduled to appearinclude: Megan Thee Stallion, Machine Gun Kelly, Adrian Quesada’s Black Pumas, Jack Harlow, AJR, Yungblud, Bleachers, Dashboard Confessional, Surfaces, Lauv, 24KGoldn, Latto, Oliver Tree and Tierra Whack.

Tickets purchased for the 2020 edition will be honored and organizers said that a limited number of general admission passes are on sale now before the prices go up on Friday (June 4) at 10:00 am ET.

The summer’s festival scene is beginning to heat up following last year’s total shutdown, though at press time Music Midtown had not announced whether this summer’s gathering will be at Piedmont’s full, pre-pandemic 70,000-person capacity. Other events, such as Chicago’s Lollapalooza, have said they will return at full capacity, though attendees will need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or, for those not vaccinated, a negative test result within 24 hours of attendance.

Adrian Quesada’s Black Pumas to Perform at Next Week’s NFL Draft

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Adrian Quesada’s music is on draft…

The 43-year-old Latino producer and guitarist and his Grammy-nominated Black Pumas band mates will perform at next week’s NFL draft in Cleveland

Quesada’s Black Pumas join a roster of performers that include the Grammy-nominated rock and soul duo Black Pumas and Cleveland’s own Machine Gun Kelly.

The league announced its musical acts for the second and third days of the draft, which is back on the road after being all virtual last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A massive stage has been constructed near FirstEnergy Stadium and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to host the three-day event from April 29 to May 1.

Black Pumas will perform after the third round is completed on April 30. Their self-titled debut album was nominated as album of the year at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

Rockers Kings of Leon will help kick off the draft on April 29 before Commissioner Roger Goodell tells the Jacksonville Jaguars they are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick.

Robert Trujillo & His Metallica Band Mates to Headline Next Year’s ‘Aftershock’ Rock Festival

Posted on October 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo is feeling an aftershock…

The 56-year-old half-Mexican American bassist and songwriter and his Metallica band mates will headline next year’s Northern California rock festival Aftershock.

In addition to Metallica, the festival – which plans to return in 2021 with an expanded four-nights – the other headlining set will come from My Chemical Romance at Discovery Park in Sacramento from October 7-10.

The new Thursday night concert on October 7 will be a celebratory evening to kick off the anticipated return of the festival that has sold out for the last five years, but was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Aftershock 2021 will be headlined by Metallica (performing two different sets, one on Friday and one on Sunday) and My Chemical Romance (Saturday), who were both confirmed for the sold-out 2020 event.

The 2021 lineup will also include Limp Bizkit, Rancid, The Offspring, Social Distortion, Rise Against, Volbeat, Machine Gun Kelly, Mastodon, Gojira, SEETHER, Parkway Drive and many more.

“We can’t wait to play at Aftershock 2021 with our Bay Area brothers Metallica,” Rancid said in a statement. “We first played with them on the Lollapalooza tour in 1996 along with the Ramones and later down the road we toured across South America together. It’s gonna be wild, see ya in the pit!”

In 2019, Aftershock celebrated its biggest-ever year with 97,500 in attendance during the sold-out three-day event. As Aftershock 2021 draws near, producer Danny Wimmer Presents will be working with local officials to make sure the festival conforms to the then-current social distancing protocols.

Passes are on sale now and can be purchased for only $20 down. Payments will then be spread out over the next nine months, beginning in December. Single day admission starts at $119.50 + fees, while four day passes start at $379.50 + fees.

https://twitter.com/AFTERSHOCKSAC/status/1319352846899265536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1319352846899265536%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3%2Ccontainerclick_0&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Farticles%2Fnews%2Ffestivals%2F9471240%2Fmetallica-my-chemical-romance-2021-aftershock-festival-lineup%2F

Daddy Yankee Leads Team World to Victory at MLB’s Annual Celebrity Softball Game

Posted on July 8, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Daddy Yankee is always ready to play ball…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican rap superstar joined several celebrities over the weekend at Cleveland’s Progressive Fieldfor Major League Baseball’s annual celebrity softball game.

This year’s roster was divided into two celebrity teams:Team Cleveland, which included Drew Carey, Machine Gun Kelly, Quavo, and Hall of Famer Jim Thome; and Team World, including Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Jamie Foxx, and Dascha Polanco.

Yankee, who aspired to become a professional baseball player before becoming one of the pioneers of reggaeton,played third base and was pitcher during Sunday’s game, his publicist Mayna Nevareztold Billboard.

In true Daddy Yankee fashion, his global hit “Con Calma” blasted throughout the field when it was his turn to bat.

A true baseball aficionado, Daddy Yankee owns a softball team in Puerto Rico called “El Cartel Softball,” which focuses on doing charitable games.

On Instagram, Latin trap sensation Anuel AA shared a photo of him and Daddy Yankee in the locker room. “Smile at life because it’s only one!!!!” he expressed before Team World ultimately won the game with a final score of 21-16.

Rodrigo Santoro to Star in Netflix’s Still-Untitled Sci-Fi Thriller

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a thrilling time for Rodrigo Santoro…

The 43-year-old Brazilian actor has joined the supporting cast of Netflix’s yet-to-be-titled sci-fi thriller.

Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback are set as leads in the film, which will be directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.

Other supporting cast members include Allen Maldonado, Amy Landecker, Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly, Andrene Ward-Hammond and Kyanna Simpson.

Mattson Tomlin penned the screenplay. Filmmakers are staying mum on plot details.

Santoro, best known for his portrayal of Persian King Xerxes in the movie 300 and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire, was most recently cast in theHulupilot Reprisal. His other credits include HBO’s Westworld.

Maldonado co-starred in the Sony film, Superfly and Netflix’s First Match.

Camila Cabello Makes History as “Never Be the Same” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs Chart

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is making history …

The 21-year-old Mexican and Cuban singer’s “Never Be the Same” rises 2-1 on Billboard‘s Adult Pop Songs radio airplay chart, dated June 30.

The track previously led the Pop Songs airplay chart for three weeks beginning May 12.

The song is Cabello’s second No. 1 on each list from her debut album, Camila, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated January 27. The set’s lead single, “Havana,” featuring Young Thug, led Pop Songs for seven weeks (beginning December 9) and Adult Pop Songs for one frame (March 3).

With “Never” following “Havana,” Cabello is the first artist to crown both the Pop Songs and Adult Pop Songs charts with the first two promoted singles from a debut LP.

Lorde had previously come closest to achieving the feat, as “Royals,” the lead single from her first studio full-length, Pure Heroine, ruled both rankings in 2013. Follow-up “Team” topped Adult Pop Songs but peaked at No. 2 on Pop Songs.

The Pop Songs chart, which began in 1992, measures total weekly plays, as tabulated by Nielsen Music, among its reporting panel of 160 mainstream top 40 stations. Adult Pop Songs (launched in Billboard magazine in 1996) reflects airplay on 84 adult top 40 stations.

While “Never” is Cabello’s second total Adult Pop Songs No. 1, after “Havana,” “Never” became her third leader on Pop Songs, after “Havana” and “Bad Things,” with Machine Gun Kelly, for two weeks in February 2017.

Additionally, Fifth Harmony, with Cabello as a member, led Pop Songs for two frames with “Work From Home,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, in June 2016; Cabello was a member of the now-on-hiatus group from its 2012 inception to December 2016.

Camila Cabello’s “Havana” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs Chart

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Life is but a stream for Camila Cabello…

The 20-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and former Fifth Harmony member’s hit single “Havana” is the new No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart (dated January 27).

Cabello’s latest No. 1 on the Billboard chart coincides with the song’s ascent to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

“Havana,” featuring Young Thug, scores 44.9 million streams in the week ending January 18, a boost of 34 percent compared to the previous week, according to Nielsen Music.

It becomes both Cabello and Young Thug’s first No. 1 on the chart. Previously, Cabello rose as high as No. 11 (“Bad Things,” with Machine Gun Kelly, in February 2017), while Young Thug reached No. 4 as part of Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle” (November 2014).

“Havana” also makes gains on the On-Demand Streaming Songs chart, shooting 7-2 with 15.5 million on-demand audio streams (Post Malone’s “Rockstar” remains No. 1 with 16.8 million). The rise marks Cabello’s first top five on the chart and Young Thug’s second (he was featured on Drake’s “Sacrifices,” which reached No. 5 in April 2017).

Cabello ends up landing two songs in the top 10 of On-Demand Streaming Songs, as “Never Be the Same,” the album’s follow-up single to “Havana,” leaps 46-7 and is the chart’s greatest gainer. It racks up 12.8 million on-demand audio streams, up 102 percent.

The streaming increases are due to the release of Cabello’s debut solo album, Camila, which concurrently rules the Billboard 200 with 119,000 equivalent album units earned.

Camila Cabello Pulls a Rare Double as She Earns First No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Havana”

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a rare double for Camila Cabello…

The 20-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and former Fifth Harmony Member has reached the summit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated January 27) for the first time, as “Havana,” featuring Young Thug, rises from No. 2 to No. 1.

The song was released on SYCO/Epic Records and is the 1,070th No. 1 in the Hot 100‘s history, which dates to the chart’s August 4, 1958, inception.

Cabello’s Hot 100 coronation accompanies her No. 1 entrance on the Billboard 200 albums chart with her debut solo set, Camila.

Additionally, “Havana” becomes Cabello’s first No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart, jumping from No. 5 with a 34 percent gain to 44.9 million U.S. streams in the week ending January 18, according to Nielsen Music.

The track charges 4-2 on Digital Song Sales (which it led for two weeks), up 57 percent to 80,000 downloads sold in the week ending Jan. 18, aided by a 69-cent iTunes Store sale price. It claims the Hot 100’s top gains in both streaming and sales.

On Radio Songs (which it topped for four frames), “Havana” holds at No. 2, with 131 million in all-format airplay audience (down 5 percent) in the week ending Jan. 21.

Cabello had previously peaked as high as No. 4 on the Hot 100 both as a soloist and a member of vocal group Fifth Harmony, which she departed in December 2016. Her own “Bad Things,” with Machine Gun Kelly, hit No. 4 on February 11, 2017, while 5H‘s “Work From Home,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, reached the same rank on June 11, 2016.

“Havana” spent seven (nonconsecutive) weeks at No. 2 before topping the Hot 100. That’s the most time for a song at the runner-up spot before hitting No. 1 since Justin Bieber‘s “Sorry” logged a record-tying eight weeks at No. 2 in 2015-16 prior to leading for three weeks beginning January 23, 2016.

“Havana” hits No. 1 in its 23rd week on the Hot 100, equaling the longest rise to the summit for a song by a female artist in the Hot 100’s history. It matches Sia‘s “Cheap Thrills,” featuring Sean Paul, in 2016, and Patti Austin‘s “Baby, Come to Me,” with James Ingram, in 1982-83.

Only six songs overall have taken more scenic routes to No. 1 than those three, led by Los Del Rio‘s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)“: 33 weeks in 1995-96.

Beyonce was the last artist to earn both firsts as a soloist simultaneously, with “Crazy in Love,” featuring JAY-Z, and Dangerously in Love, on July 12, 2003. The song began an eight-week Hot 100 reign the same week that her first solo album apart from Destiny’s Child (and including “Crazy”) launched at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Still, Beyoncé had previously topped both charts as a member of Destiny’s Child.

Counting purely first weeks at No. 1 on the tallies overall, Cabello is the first artist to earn both firsts in the same week since Britney Spears, whose “…Baby One More Time” ascended to No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated Jan. 30, 1999, the week that her debut album of the same name opened atop the Billboard 200.

Meanwhile, Cabello is the first artist to top both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 concurrently at all since Kendrick Lamar, who did so “Humble.” and DAMN., respectively, on May 6, 2017.

The last woman to double up at No. 1 on the charts before Cabello this week? Rihanna, with “Work,” featuring Drake, and ANTI, nearly two years ago (April 2, 2016).

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