Culture
Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé Score Emmy Nods for Their Live Performances
Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé both locked in major Emmy nominations this week for their recent live performances—and they’re now going head-to-head in one of the top categories.
Kendrick earned four Emmy nods for his Super Bowl LIX halftime show: Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming, and Outstanding Music Direction. His 15-minute set, performed at the Caesars Superdome in February, pulled in over 133 million viewers and reignited the conversation around his Drake diss “Not Like Us.” During the show, Kendrick teased the crowd with lines from the track, censoring parts but making it clear who the target was. The performance gave his streaming numbers a major boost—”Not Like Us” jumped 430% on Spotify, “HUMBLE.” surged 300%, and “Euphoria” climbed 260%. On Apple Music, Kendrick took over the entire top five the next morning. SZA, who joined him onstage for “All the Stars” and “Luther,” saw her streams spike 80% as well.
This marks Kendrick’s second round of Emmy recognition for a Super Bowl halftime show. He previously won in 2022 for his appearance alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg during Super Bowl LVI.
Beyoncé also grabbed two Emmy nominations for her Beyoncé Bowl Netflix special—Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special and Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Her nominations follow her December halftime show at the Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens game, where she performed live cuts from her Cowboy Carter album for the first time.
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on CBS on September 14, 2025.
News
Rihanna Becomes First Female Artist to Surpass 200 Million RIAA Singles Certifications
Rihanna has crossed 200 million RIAA singles certifications in the United States, becoming the first Black vocalist and first female artist in the organization’s 73-year history to reach the milestone. Her total now stands at 200.5 million.
Two certification updates on April 10 pushed her over the mark. “Unfaithful,” track three on her 2006 album A Girl Like Me, was certified 4x Platinum in celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary. Her 2005 single “If It’s Lovin That You Want,” the second single from her debut album Music of the Sun, also crossed the 1x Platinum threshold more than two decades after its release. Platinum status represents one million equivalent units in the United States, with the RIAA counting 150 on-demand streams as the equivalent of one digital purchase.

Among all artists, she ranks third behind Drake at 277.5 million and Morgan Wallen at 215 million.
Rihanna hasn’t released an album since Anti in 2016. Catalog staples like “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” “Only Girl (In the World),” and “Don’t Stop the Music” continue to accumulate certifications without new music driving them. Outside of her Super Bowl halftime show in 2023 and contributions to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Smurfs soundtracks, she has released no new solo music in nearly a decade.
As previously reported by miixtapechiick.com, Rihanna was spotted in the studio at 2 a.m. earlier this year and told Harper’s Bazaar in 2025 that she had “cracked the code” on the direction for her next project.
Culture
J. Cole Goes Scoreless in CBA Debut With Nanjing Monkey Kings
J. Cole made his debut with the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the Chinese Basketball Association on Saturday night, finishing without a point in eight minutes off the bench as Nanjing lost 95-81 to the Guangzhou Loong Lions.
Cole went 0-for-5 from the field, with all five attempts coming from behind the three-point line. He finished with one rebound and one assist. Cole addressed the outing on his blog afterward, keeping it straightforward. “I got to play 8 minutes in one of the top leagues in the world, got a few good looks but wasn’t able to hit one,” he wrote. “A couple more games and maybe those shots would have started to fall! Either way I’m fulfilled and grateful! Sh*t, I feel like I dropped 20!!!”
He also explained why he only appeared in one game. “Initially I was scheduled to play in at least 3 games for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the CBA. The work visa process took way longer than expected, so I was only able to play in one before heading back.”
Saturday’s game was Cole’s third time suiting up for a professional team. He played for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League in 2021 and the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Canada the following year.
Culture
Rihanna Steps Out in Paris With Daughter Rocki Irish Mayers
Rihanna was spotted in Paris last week with her daughter Rocki Irish Mayers, marking one of the baby girl’s first public outings since her birth in September 2025. A$AP Rocky was also present, spending the day with their eldest son RZA. Their youngest son Riot did not appear in photos from the outing.
Rocki was dressed in a vintage Dior green-and-black John Galliano beanie from 2002, a gray pleated Dior dress layered over jeans and sneakers. Rihanna wore a Carhartt hat, a Prada striped polo shirt, and carried her “Dracula” Dior bag. Rocky and RZA were photographed walking hand in hand nearby, with RZA in a pink-striped tee and dark shades.
Rihanna announced Rocki’s birth on Instagram on September 24, 2025, posting a photo holding her newborn alongside pink silk baby boxing gloves. “Rocki Irish Mayers Sept 13 2025,” she captioned it. During the Smurfs premiere earlier this year, she spoke about her sons’ reaction to having a little sister. “I’ve always wanted a girl,” she said. “But God knows best, right? And I love my boys.”
Rihanna and Rocky welcomed RZA in May 2022, Riot Rose in 2023, and Rocki Irish in September 2025.
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