NEWS

Luminate's midyear music data confirms a sharp decline in hip-hop and R&B market share, validating years of warnings from Nicki Minaj.

In New Jersey, there's a small town where iconic Black stars like Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, and Chris Rock have created a secluded paradise for themselves. Alpine, N.J. is a fabulous celebrity sanctuary and one of the priciest areas in America, with a median net worth of $200,000 and dubbed Hollywood East. Despite being very close to Manhattan, the secluded nature of Alpine provides enough privacy for celebrities. Enormous trees surround almost every home, and tall hedges and secure gates wrap around properties, ensuring complete privacy. The town is known as the Beverly Hills of New Jersey with an average home price of $3.2 million, though prices can reach more than $20 million.

Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly is back in the news, this time for officially filing for presidential clemency in hopes of securing his release from prison. Although we don't know if his request will be granted, it raises a much bigger question about whether the culture will forgive R. Kelly after he serves his time, and if so, what that forgiveness would look like.

The case against D4vd involved far more grand jury testimony than previously known, with three panels meeting on seven separate occasions before the singer was arrested in April.

Investigators are uncovering new details about the motive behind a deadly mass shooting that left five members of the same family dead and several others injured. Two teens have been charged with the killing spree, but now, relatives of the victims are saying the violence stemmed from a teenage relationship that family members repeatedly tried to stop.