Fat Joe Partnering with Power to the Patients to Advocate for Price Transparency in Healthcare

Fat Joe is advocating for more transparency in healthcare…

53-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American rapper is teaming up with Jelly Roll, Wyclef Jean and Power to the Patients for an event in Washington, D.C. to advocate for a more affordable and equitable healthcare system through price transparency.

Fat JoeTaking place on Wedenesday, January 10 at Hamilton Live and with congressional leaders and government officials in attendance, the event see the artists “shed light on the injustices created by a healthcare system that hides its prices, stifling competition and evading accountability for overcharges and price gouging,” according to the announcement.

As part of the event, Fat Joe will serve as emcee while Jelly Roll and Wyclef Jean will perform.

“The U.S. healthcare system is America’s sickness,” said Fat Joe. “Healthcare price transparency isn’t a partisan or complicated issue. It’s common sense. The only people opposed to it are healthcare industry interests profiting by keeping patients in the dark. Price transparency can protect patients, families, employers, workers, even our own government from healthcare overcharging and pricing fraud as it does everywhere else in the economy. Clear prices allow consumers to choose affordable treatments without worrying that routine care will result in overcharges and even bankruptcy. Price transparency holds hospitals and insurance companies accountable, forcing them to compete and lowering costs, improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes.”

Power to the Patients has played a key role in raising awareness on Capitol Hill about the urgent need to pass comprehensive healthcare price transparency legislation.

Last April, Fat Joe met with congressional leaders and the White House to advocate for the enforcement of price transparency rules that most hospitals around the country are disregarding.

And last September, he tapped Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, French Montana, Method Man and Chuck D to unveil a public service announcement with Power the Patients, demanding elected officials commit to price transparency to allow for more honest, affordable, and equitable healthcare across the country.

The musicians called out hospitals and insurance companies that continue to hide prices by posting “estimates” or “average prices” instead of dollars and cents and noted the deception leads to the “stifling of competition, overcharges, fear, debt, and devastation all over the country.”

As a result of the continued awareness campaign, momentum for healthcare price transparency legislation has accelerated with both chambers of Congress taking action to advance legislation.

Fat Joe will join Power to the Patients, affiliated organization Patient Rights Advocate, and employers from across the country in meetings with Congressional leaders urging them to seize the momentum and get healthcare price transparency legislation passed and sent to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Fat Joe Calling for Transparency in the Nation’s Healthcare System

Fat Joe is helping raise awareness about the nation’s healthcare system…

The 53-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American rapper has joined Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Rick Ross, Chuck D, and French Montana for a special PSA that advocates for more transparency in the healthcare system.

Fat Joe“Today, we confront a health care system that has been rigged against all of us,” they collectively said in the minute-long video. “Hospitals force patients to sign contracts for services without ever showing us actual prices, stifling competition, overcharging without accountability. And if we can’t pay, these same contracts allow them to take everything we own.” 

Partnering with Power to the Patients, they labeled the current healthcare system as an “American healthcare crisis,” and rallied for more honest, affordable and equitable healthcare nationwide.

The video also came ahead of the congressional voting on healthcare transparency bills in Washington, D.C.

“Stifling competition. Overcharging without accountability and we can’t pay. These same contracts allow them to take everything we own,” they continue. “Creating so much fear that millions and millions of Americans refuse to enter a hospital. Our health and our lives at stake. This is an American humanitarian crisis. We demand prices and transparency in healthcare.”

Earlier this year, Power to the Patients, Fat Joe, City Council members and various union groups in New York City joined forces to advocate for transparency efforts.

That resulted in Mayor Eric Adams signing the Healthcare Accountability and Consumer Protection Act in June 2023.

The Act launched the nation’s first Office of Health Care Accountability to allow New Yorkers to compare hospital costs for the same services.

Cardi B to Headline Hot 97’s Summer Jam in June

Cardi B is preparing for a steamy summer

This year, renowned New York radio station Hot 97 is looking to shake things up with its annual performance staple, Summer Jam, by selecting the 30-year-old half-Dominican American Grammy-winning rap superstar to headline the event on June 4 at UBS Arena.

Cardi BCardi B will bring her laundry bag of hits, including Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers “Bodak Yellow,” “WAP,” “Up” and more.

The Bronx dynamo will have a practice round when she headlines Rolling Loud Thailand on April 13-15 along with Travis Scott and Chris Brown.

In June 2022, Cardi B headlined Wireless Festival, and in December, she reportedly netted $1 million for a 35-minute set at Art Basel.

“I got payed 1 million dollars to perform at this elite bankers private event for 400 people and only for 35 minutes,” she tweeted in response to a mocking her “backyard set.”

In addition to Cardi B, Hot 97 has enlisted several female upstarts to perform along with the touted superstar, including Ice Spice, GloRilla, Coi Leray and Lola Brooke.

More New York representatives will also hit the stage at UBS Arena, notably French Montana, Lil Tjay and Fivio Foreign. To commemorate 50 years of hip-hop, The LOX will lead the way.

Younger artists such as NLE Choppa, Kenzo B, 2Rare, Sha EK, McVert and TQ will perform at a pre-festival show hosted by Montana. According to the radio station, more acts will be announced later.

Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 8 at 10:00 am.

“HOT 97’s Summer Jam is a hip-hop staple, and we are excited to bring the most electric show of the summer back to New York for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary,” said Bradford Tobin, president, chief operating officer and general counsel in a press release.

“The show is all about bringing hip-hop’s biggest stars to the stage, and we are honored to have New York’s own Cardi B as our headliner this year,” added TT Torrez, multimedia personality and VP of artist and label Relations. “I am so proud of the strong female presence in our lineup, which represents women’s dominance over the airwaves this year.”

Rosalia Added to Headliners Roster for Los Angeles’ Calibash

Rosalia is Bash-ful

The 30-year-old Spanish singer/songwriter has been confirmed as a headliner for the annual Calibash, taking place January 21 and 22 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

RosaliaIn a display of women’s increasing clout in the Latin urban landscape, Rosalia will be joined by Karol G as a headlining act.

They join a previously billed group of headliners that also includes OzunaMyke Towers and Farruko.

The Latin urban megafest, widely known as the pioneer and still the most storied in a crowded Latin urban festival landscape, will also feature performances by Ivy Queen and Becky G, as well as Jhayco, Nío García, Zion & Lennox, Blessd, Sech and Feid.

Rosalía and Karol G will both perform one-offs, as their U.S. tours will have concluded by January. Tickets are already on sale.

All told, seven artists will perform per night at Calibash, a departure from the fest’s early years of dozens of acts on the bill, and also a departure from more crowded rosters. It’s part of an effort to more carefully curate Calibash, says Alessandra Alarcón, president of SBS Entertainment, which created and promotes the show.

Alarcón says that when she took over Calibash, “I thought the audience would be OK with there being less acts but more quality sets. I thought if we could edit this down and give the headliners half hour, 45 minutes, I think people would be stoked to see that. And I’m happy to say I was right.”

Last year, Calibash sold out three nights at Crypto.com Arena, even though the shows took place in the midst of a COVID-19 surge.

Calibash was the first Latin music festival devoted to urban music that not only took place consistently every year and always on the West Coast, but also became known for its performances — planned and unplanned — by mainstream artists like French Montana, Cardi B and memorably in 2016, Justin Bieber, in addition to a slew of other stars.

Both Calibash performances will kick-off with a pre-show fan festival that celebrates Latin music and culture at L.A. Live with surprise performances, experiences and more.

Calibash is owned and operated by SBS Entertainment’s parent company, Spanish Broadcasting System, which owns and operates some of Latin music’s top radio stations in the country, including Los Angeles’ KXOL-FM La Mega 96.3, the event’s official station.

Ashanti to Perform on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” Program

Ashanti is changing up her New Year’s Eve plans…

The 41-year-old half-Afro-Dominican singer/actress and Ja Rule will join Journey as headliners for ABC’s Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest in Times Square. AshantiAshanti’s last minute addition comes as Karol G, who originally had been scheduled, canceled her performance.

The changes are the latest for the New Year’s Eve special, after LL Cool J announced yesterday he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would not be performing as scheduled, and R&B singer Chlöe also had dropped out.

Other A-list stars and performers still scheduled for Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest include Pose alum Billy Porter, who co-hosts in New Orleans, Daddy Yankee in Puerto Rico and a Los Angeles bill that includes Ciara, Avril Lavigne & Travis Barker, Big Boi, OneRepublic and French Montana.

There have been concerns about proceeding with New Year’s Eve events in New York as the city has seen infection rates skyrocket due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.

NY Mayor Bill de Blasio last week had announced that the city would be proceeding with the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop but with fewer revelers and tighter rules, including masks and social distancing. In light of the decision by the city to keep the celebration on, ABC is proceeding with Rockin’ Eve 2022 while adhering to CDC/local protocols regarding audience attendees in Times Square.

Fox last week canceled its New Year’s Eve special – Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022 – as a result of the rising spread of the Omicron variant in New York. The special also was set to be produced in Times Square.

Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest kicks off at 8:00 pm ET on ABC.

Karol G to Perform During ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”

Karol G will be ringing in the New Year in the Big Apple

The 30-year-old Colombian singer is set to perform at this year’s 50th anniversary edition of ABC’s holiday staple Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest

Karol G

Karol G will perform from Manhattan, alongside new additions to the bill Rock Hall of Famers Journey and R&B singer Chlöe.

LL Cool J will play a pre-midnight set in Times Square, and Emmy-winning Pose alum Billy Porter with perform a medley aboard the riverboat Louis Armstrong on the Mississippi River as part of the annual NYE show.

They join previously announced performers including Daddy Yankee in Puerto Rico and a Los Angeles bill that includes Ciara, Avril Lavigne & Travis Barker, Big Boi, OneRepublic and French Montana.

Ryan Seacrest will host New Year’s Rockin’ Eve for a 17th year from Times Square, joined by rookie co-hosts Porter from New Orleans, Liza Koshy in NYC and Roselyn Sanchez in Puerto Rico — the inaugural destination for the show’s first Spanish-language countdown.

ABC’s 50th annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest starts at 8:00 pm on December 31.

Brandon Arreaga & His PRETTYMUCH Group Mates Sign with Sire Records

Brandon Arreaga is ready to in-sire

The 20-year-old Latino singer and his fellow PRETTYMUCH pop group mates, which Simon Cowell launched under his label Syco Entertainment in 2017, have signed to Warner Records imprint Sire Records, marking the start of a “new era,” according to the group’s members.

PRETTYMUCH

The five members — Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Zion Kuwonu, Nick Mara and Austin Porter — were originally pursuing solo careers until Syco founder Cowell approached them about creating a group in 2016.

PRETTYMUCH debuted in 2017 with the single “Would You Mind,” and have since released three EPs with Syco, sold out two headlining tours (also opening for Khalid) and worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and French Montana.

The new signing follows an announcement in July that Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment would be ending the 11-year joint venture, which created Syco, with Sony Music to retain the JV’s back catalog and roster of artists.

The group has quickly been scooped up by Sire. Label president Rani Hancock tells Billboard that she has always been drawn to PRETTYMUCH because the members are “quadruple threats”: Singers, songwriters, producers and performers. A meeting with the band and their management team at KYN Entertainment, former Syco president Sonny Takhar and Mitch Eisner, sealed the deal.

“I have always admired PRETTYMUCH, so when Sonny reached out I was excited to meet them, and meeting them impressed me even more,” Hancock says. “I knew they were great singers and performers but quickly found out they are also impressive songwriters, producers, photographers, choreographers, and more. They are truly the architects of their own sound and vision and an unstoppable force.”

Arreaga says that the feeling was mutual, since he had “always wanted to be respected as a producer/songwriter.” “At Sire, they’ve shown so much interest in my work and even helped shape small ideas into full songs that I hadn’t seen the potential in,” he adds. “For us, it’s important that we remember to always keep evolving and always keep pushing the boundaries of what we’re capable of.”

With a fresh record deal under their belt, PRETTYMUCH is set to release their first new music since 2019’s INTL:EP in the coming year.

Cardi B Earns Two BET Hip Hop Awards Nominations, Including a Hustler of the Year Nod

Cardi B is being recognized for her hustle and flow

The BET Hip Hop Awards nominations have been revealed, with the 27-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar earning two nods.

Cardi B

Cardi B, who has previously won 11 BET Hip Hop Awards, is nominated for Hustler of the year. And, she’s also nominated in the Sweet 16: best featured verse category for her work on French Montana’s “Writing on the Wall,” which also features Post Malone and Rvssian.

Djonga has picked up a BET Hip Hop Awards nomination…

The 26-year-old Brazilian rapper, whose real name is Gustavo Pereira Marques, is up for Best international flow.

The BET Hip Hop Awards are set to air on Tuesday, October 27 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

Here’s the complete list of nominees:

Hip-hop artist of the year
DaBaby
Drake
Future
Lil Baby
Megan Thee Stallion
Roddy Ricch

Best hip-hop video
DaBaby, “Bop”
DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch, “Rockstar”
Drake, “Toosie Slide”
Future feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Lil Baby, “The Bigger Picture”
Roddy Ricch, “The Box”

Song of the year
“Bop” (DaBaby) Produced by JetsonMade & Starboy
“Life Is Good” (Future feat. Drake) Produced by Ambezza, D. Hill & OZ
“Rockstar” (DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch) Produced by SethinTheKitchen
“Savage” (Remix) (Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé) Produced by J. White Did It
“The Box” (Roddy Ricch) Produced by 30 Roc & DatBoiSqueeze
“Toosie Slide (Drake)” Produced by OZ

Hip-hop album of the year
DaBaby, Blame It On Baby
DaBaby, Kirk
Future, High Off Life
Lil Baby, My Turn
Megan Thee Stallion, Suga
Roddy Ricch, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial

Best collaboration
DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch, “Rockstar”
Future feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Jack Harlow feat. Tory Lanez, DaBaby & Lil Wayne, “Whats Poppin” (Remix)
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé, “Savage” (Remix)
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $Ign, “Hot Girl Summer”
Mustard feat. Roddy Ricch, “Ballin’”

Best duo or group
Chris Brown and Young Thug
City Girls
EarthGang
JackBoys
Migos
Run The Jewels

Best new hip-hop artist
Flo Milli
Jack Harlow
Mulatto
NLE Choppa
Pop Smoke
Rod Wave

Best live performer
Big Sean
DaBaby
Drake
Megan Thee Stallion
Roddy Ricch
Travis Scott

Lyricist of the year
Big Sean
DaBaby
Drake
J. Cole
Megan Thee Stallion
Rapsody

Video director of the year
Cactus Jack & White Trash Tyler
Cole Bennett
Colin Tilley
Dave Meyers
Director X
Teyana “Spike Tee” Taylor

DJ of the year
Chase B
D-Nice
DJ Drama
DJ Envy
DJ Khaled
Mustard

Producer of the year
9th Wonder
DJ Khaled
Hit-Boy
JetsonMade
Mike Will Made-It
Mustard

Hustler of the year
Cardi B
DJ Khaled
Jay-Z
Megan Thee Stallion
Rick Ross
Travis Scott

Best hip-hop platform
Complex
HipHopDX
HotNewHipHop
The Breakfast Club
The Joe Budden Podcast
The Shade Room
XXL

Sweet 16: best featured verse
Beyoncé, “Savage” (Remix) (Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé)
Bia, “Best on Earth” (Russ feat. Bia)
Cardi B, “Writing on the Wall” (French Montana feat. Post Malone, Cardi B & Rvssian)
Future, “Roses” (Remix) (Saint Jhn feat. Future)
Roddy Ricch, “Rockstar” (DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch)
Travis Scott, “Hot” (Remix) (Young Thug feat. Gunna & Travis Scott)

Impact track
Anderson .Paak & Jay Rock, “Lockdown”
DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch, “Rockstar” (BLM Remix)
J. Cole, “Snow on tha Bluff”
Lil Baby, “The Bigger Picture”
Rapsody feat. PJ Morton, “Afeni”
Wale feat. Kelly Price, “Sue Me”

Best international flow
Meryl (France)
Kaaris (France)
Nasty C (South Africa)
Khaligraph Jones (Kenya)
Stormzy (U.K.)
Ms Banks (U.K.)
Djonga (Brazil)

Cardi B Releases Wet & Wild Music Video for “WAP,” Her Collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion

Cardi B’s back with a Wap-ping good time…

The 27-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar has released the music video for “WAP,” her twerk-tastic new collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion.

Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion "WAP" Video

The music video for the thumping new track takes place in and around a luxurious mansion that has a fountain out front featuring a bootylicious fountain. 

“I just want to let y’all know, I wanna give y’all the heads up, the music video is going to be the censored version of the song, because the song is so nasty that YouTube was like, ‘Hold on, wait a minute, someone might be too Goddamn nasty,” Cardi B revealed on Instagram prior to the release, encouraging fans to listen to the full “nasty” version on streaming services.

The girl power-fueled video for “WAP” features cameos by the likes of Spanish singing sensation Rosalia, in full body red latex and a Spanish matador’s montera hat with the braids to match her hair color, Kylie Jenner and Normani to rising artists like SukihanaRubi Rose and Mulatto.

“I wanted a lot of different females, not just female rappers. I wanted different…A lot of different people. And y’all going to see it on the music video as well, from models to influencers and everything,” she told Zane Lowe in an Apple Music interview about the visual. “And I really wanted the video to be very sexy, very clean, very nice, very cut. All right, we need some female artists, rappers. And I’m like, ‘These are the girls that I personally like. That I like they music. That I really feel they are going to go mainstream, to me.’ All the girls right here, there’s different things that I like about them.”

“WAP” is Cardi B’s first music release of the year. It follows “South of the Border,” her collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Camila Cabello, released in July 2019; “Yes,” her collaboration with Fat Joe and Anuel AA, released in September 2019; and “Writing on the Wall,” her collaboration with French MontanaPost Malone and Rvssian, released in September 2019.

Cardi B Hard at Work on New Album, Jokes She’ll Name It “Tiger Woods”

Cardi B’s next album could be a real eagle, or at least a birdie… 

The 26-year-old half-Dominican American rap sensation  teased fans about her sophomore album plans during an Instagram Live session Thursday morning.

Cardi B

“Everything that I’m working on right now is straight to my album. Straight to my album,” she said, while having her eyeliner done in the car. “And I think I’m gonna name my album Tiger Woods. I think I’ma name my album Tiger Woods ‘cause remember when everybody was talking shit on Tiger Woods and then he fucking came and won that green jacket? That’s what I’ma name my album.”

Cardi B is referring to the star golfer who won his first major tournament since 2008 earlier this year at the Masters, after extramarital affairs and a slew of knee and back injuries nearly derailed his entire career. 

Cardi B has remained hard at work completing the anticipated follow-up to her Grammy-winning hit Invasion of Privacy

https://twitter.com/kclairerogers/status/1179752749694689282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1179752749694689282&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Farticles%2Fcolumns%2Fhip-hop%2F8532064%2Fwhat-cardi-b-wants-to-name-next-album

She released one single this year, “Press,” but has delivered on several features alongside Ed Sheeran and Camila CabelloPost Maloneand French MontanaBruno Mars, and Lil Nas X.