Author: Rap Hooks

A new class action lawsuit alleges Drake has used his partnership with online casino Stake to funnel millions of dollars towards artificial stream-boosting campaigns.

The claims come in a legal complaint filed Wednesday (Dec. 31) against Drake, Stake, streamer Adin Ross and Australian national George Nguyen. It’s the latest in a series of recent class actions over Ross and Drake’s endorsement of Stake, which lets users play traditional casino games over livestreams.  

Like in the previous lawsuits, Virginia residents LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines allege here that Drake and Ross are complicit in Stake’s illegal use of “virtual currency” to evade anti-gambling laws. But they also go further, claiming Drake is using the platform for streaming fraud.

“Since at least 2022, Drake and those acting under his direction — including Ross and Nguyen — have made use of Stake.com and Stake.us to covertly finance the orchestrated procurement of botting and streaming farm activities to artificially inflate the number of plays attributed to Drake’s catalogue across major digital streaming services such as Spotify,” reads the complaint.

According to Ridley and Hines, Drake and Ross have used Stake’s “tipping” feature to transfer millions of dollars to Nguyen without any scrutiny from the public or financial regulators. They claim to have seen chat logs and other records proving that Nguyen used these funds to pay for bot vendors at Drake’s behest.

“These inauthentic streams, injected via interstate digital pathways, were calibrated to mislead royalty and recommendation engines; manufacture popularity; distort playlists and charts; and divert both value and audience attention,” the lawsuit says. “In tandem, this manipulation has suppressed authentic artists and narrowed consumers’ access to legitimate content by undermining the integrity of curated experiences.”

Ridley and Hines are accusing Drake, Ross, Nguyen and Stake of operating a criminal enterprise in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — the so-called “RICO” statute typically used to prosecute mobsters and gangs. The lawsuit seeks financial damages and an injunction.

A rep for Drake declined to comment on the allegations on Friday (Jan. 2). Stake did not immediately return a request for comment. Contact information for Ross and Nguyen could not be located.

The claims come on the heels of a November lawsuit that alleged Drake has received “billions of fraudulent streams” on Spotify. The case did not accuse Drake himself of any wrongdoing; rather, it blamed Spotify for turning a blind eye to the problem of bots (allegations that the streaming giant has denied).

Meanwhile, Drake himself alleged in a bombshell lawsuit last year that Universal Music Group had used bots to boost the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track “Not Like Us.” A judge dismissed the claims as legally deficient in October, and Drake is now appealing.

As the music industry returns from the holiday breaks and out-of-office replies expire, a number of issues continue to loom.

With the calendar turning over to 2026, Billboard Canada takes a look at some of the political, legislative, financial and creative issues that continue to affect music in Canada. Many reflect broader conversations that have been hotly debated for the last few years, but continue to intensify with changing pressures and political situations, both north and south of the border.

Here is a taste of what we’re following into 2026.

Ongoing Debates Around The Online Streaming Act and ‘Streaming Tax’

Back in 2023, Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, updated the country’s laws around broadcasting for the first time since 1991. 

On June 4, 2024, the CRTC announced streaming platforms that are not affiliated with a Canadian broadcaster and make at least $25 million a year will have to pay 5% of their annual Canadian revenues in order to contribute to Canadian Content. 

Platforms affected would include big music streamers like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, as well as TV and film services like Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime. These foreign streaming platforms have launched legal challenges to avoid paying those fees, arguing they are already contributing to Canadian Content.

The Online Streaming Act remains a very hot political potato, with intense U.S. government and entertainment industry pressure being placed upon the Canadian government to dismantle the act. It is now rumoured that this contentious topic will be a key part of upcoming United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations between the Canadian and U.S. governments in 2026. 

Canadian industry leaders are now warning that an increasing number of Canadian TV and radio stations could close if the act becomes a casualty of the trade war with the United States.

Canadian Record Label Layoffs

In early December, Billboard Canada reported that Warner Music Canada laid off at least 24 employees in Nov. 2025, a significant percentage of the major label’s staff. The cuts came amidst global restructuring and layoffs at Warner Music Group.

Significant staffing cuts at major record labels in Canada and internationally have been recurring in recent years, a trend expected to continue in 2026. In Feb. 2024, Universal Music Group announced a “strategic organizational redesign,” including job cuts, to generate U.S. $270 million in savings globally by 2026.

As global companies continue to consolidate, could there be more cuts coming across the Canadian music industry?

The AI Question

The explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is already having a major impact on the music industry, forcing artists, music companies and trade organizations to rapidly assess and address both the opportunities and dangers AI presents.

The three major North American performing rights societies (PROs), SOCAN (Canada) and ASCAP and BMI (U.S.), have responded rapidly. In October, they announced they have each adopted policies to accept registrations of musical compositions partially generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Similar conversations are happening across the music industry. The song “I Run” by electronic duo HAVEN. is charting on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 currently, and has become a case study for questions around AI-generated music. 

Meanwhile, industry stakeholders are speaking up about AI before the Canadian House of Commons.

“Nearly every song ever written by a Canadian songwriter has already been scraped and stolen by these AI companies without consent, credit or compensation,” Music Publishers Canada (MPC) CEO Margaret McGuffin told Billboard Canada after speaking in Ottawa. “This is an important issue for creators and businesses in the creative industries and it is wonderful that the Heritage Committee is listening.”

Read more 2026 Canadian music issues here. — Kerry Doole

Michael Bublé Extends His Record as ‘Christmas’ Hits No. 1 in Canada in 10th Different Calendar Year

It’s always a Merry Christmas for Michael Bublé.

The Canadian singer’s 2011 Christmas album hit No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart again for the chart week dated Dec. 27, 2025, unseating Taylor Swift‘s juggernaut The Life of a Showgirl from the top spot after 10 weeks.

The album has stayed at No. 1 for the chart dated Jan. 3, 2026. 

The No. 1 placement extends his record for hitting No. 1 in the most different calendar years. The album has reached the apex in 2011, 2012, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2025 and 2026. That’s 10 different calendar years total, including eight consecutive.

Bublé finished at No. 7 on the inaugural Top Canadian Artists year-end chart for 2025, which combines data from the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Canadian Albums charts. The timeless crooner’s catalogue success has a lot to do with that ranking, with Christmas having earned a spot as an all-time holiday favourite in his home country. 

Christmas has sold over 16 million physical copies worldwide and racked up billions of streams, and has been billed by his label Reprise as the best-selling Christmas album of the 21st century.

Read more on the feat here. — Richard Trapunski

Jill Scott is set to make her return in 2026. The Philly-bred singer announced plans to release her first album in over 10 years, with To Whom This May Concern slated to arrive just ahead of Valentine’s Day on Feb. 13.

To Whom This May Concern is Scott’s first album since 2015’s Woman, which debuted atop the Billboard 200. The LP will feature collaborations with Ab-Soul, J.I.D, fellow Philly native Tierra Whack and Too $hort.

Scott’s enlisting a decorated team of producers that includes DJ Premier, Adam Blackstone, Om’Mas Keith, Camper, Andre Harris, Seige Montracity, Trombone Shorty, Eric Wortham, DW Wright and VT Tolan.

The album features 19 tracks; the neo-soul legend set the stage for the project with “Beautiful People” released as the lead single.

To Whom This May Concern marks a new chapter for Scott, who will be releasing the album through The Orchard. The Grammy-winning singer’s 2015 album release was her final in a deal with Atlantic Records.

“Finally my new album entitled TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN drops Feb. 13th!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE and THANK YOU for your patience and your listening ears,” Scott wrote when announcing the inspirational album on Friday (Jan. 2). “Presave link available in my bio now! Much Love, Jilly from Philly.”

Miss Jill Scott joined Million Dollaz Worth of Game in December, where she detailed the direction of the project. “It’s a lot of living in this album. It’s a lot of revelation. Musically, it’s a full spectrum. Had some wonderful musicians come in. I feel touched all over, literally,” she said. “The musicianship on this project and the people that gravitated towards it, I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t have ever even imagined who is on this album.”

Scott made an acting appearance as herself in a 2025 episode of Abbott Elementary and is set to star in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Again? later this year.

Find her To Whom This May Concern announcement below and stream the album on Feb. 13.

An electric violinist who was part of Will Smith’s Based on a True Story tour last year has brought a lawsuit accusing the star of sexual harassment and retaliation.

Brian King Joseph, a violinist who came in third place on season 13 of America’s Got Talent in 2018, claims in a Tuesday (Dec. 30) civil complaint that he was fired from Smith’s international trek after reporting that someone had broken into his hotel room and left sexually suggestive materials.

“Defendant’s actions caused plaintiff severe emotional distress, economic loss, reputational harm and other damages,” reads the lawsuit. “Plaintiff was also harmed as a result of the stress of losing his job his health deteriorated causing major physiological damage. Plaintiff suffered from PTSD and other mental illness as a result of the termination.”

Joseph met Smith in November 2024 and was later invited to join the actor and rapper on tour supporting his comeback album, Based on a True Story. The violinist says he grew close to Smith and spent time alone with the star, who allegedly told him, “You and I have such a special connection that I don’t have with anyone else.”

Things supposedly got dicey this past March, when Smith’s tour crew was in Las Vegas for a show at the House of Blues before their official summer kickoff. Joseph claims he returned to his hotel room one night to find various odd items, including a bottle of HIV medication, an earring and a note reading, “Brian, I’ll be back.”

According to the complaint, Joseph feared that he was about to be the victim of sexual assault. While Joseph does not overtly accuse Smith of orchestrating this alleged break-in, he connects the incident to their prior relationship.

 “The facts strongly suggest that defendant Willard Carroll Smith II was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation,” reads the lawsuit. “The sequence of events, Smith’s prior statements to plaintiff, and the circumstances of the hotel intrusion all point to a pattern of predatory behavior rather than an isolated incident.”

The violinist claims he reported this incident to Smith’s management, as well as hotel security and local police. Joseph was fired four days later, with a member of Smith’s management team allegedly blaming him for fabricating the hotel break-in story.

Now, Joseph is suing for sexual harassment and retaliation. He’s seeking an unspecified amount of financial damages from both Smith and his company, Treyball Studios Management.

An attorney for Smith, Allen Grodsky, told People on Thursday (Jan. 1) that Joseph’s allegations are “false, baseless and reckless.”

“They are categorically denied, and we will use all legal means available to address these claims and to ensure that the truth is brought to light,” added Grodsky, as reported by People.

Kelsea Ballerini and actor Chase Stokes are kicking off 2026 together again.

The pair called off their romantic relationship in September after three years of dating, but with the new year comes an apparent reunion — with both Ballerini and Stokes sharing their views on love via Instagram on Wednesday (Dec. 31).

“Something I’ve learned this year: don’t take advantage of the most beautiful things that in 33 years of life are fleeting,” Stokes wrote in a post featuring photos of him snuggling with the country singer. “Take accountability, learn from mistakes. Lean into love and say it often. 2026 my year of growth, my year of truth. Starting here, starting now. Happy new years.”

Meanwhile, Ballerini took to her Instagram Stories to share, “Messy year for the heart, messy year for the outside coming in, messy year for the way it became an out of our hands portrayal of it. But what i’ll say, and all i really care to share indefinitely with my personal life anymore, is that i really love love. I believe in it, i believe in him, and i believe in breaking patterns.”

 “go kiss your person and stop speculating,” she added in her New Year’s Eve update.

The “Emerald City” singer and the Outer Banks star originally confirmed they were a couple back in 2023, walking the CMT Awards red carpet together that year. They’d first connected in 2022, when Ballerini introduced herself to Stokes through a direct message on social media.

In early December, Ballerini told fans, “I’m trying to make my personal life personal for now. Unless it comes from me, it’s not from me, and that is really important in protecting my peace right now.”

The singer-songwriter’s most recent release is her six-song EP Mount Pleasant, which arrived in November via Black River Entertainment. The EP followed Ballerini’s Top Country Albums No. 1 Patterns, the full-length studio album she released in 2024.

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There’s no better way to ring in the new year than with a new chance to find love. At least that’s what contestants are hoping for on Second Chance Love, a new reality dating series that gives five couples who previously dated, another chance to reconnect.

Hosted by TLC singer Chilli and her real-life boyfriend, actor Matthew Lawrence, Second Chance Love premiered on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1 and is streaming now on Hallmark+. The eight-episode series is airing exclusively on Hallmark+, which is the streaming arm of Hallmark Channel, and new episodes premiere each Thursday. You won’t be able to watch Second Chance Love on traditional TV, as the unscripted series is only airing (for now) on the Hallmark+ streaming platform.

So how do you get Hallmark+? Amazon Prime members can get a week-long free trial here to test out the service with no commitment. The free trial will let you watch Second Chance Love online free, with the ability to stream the dating show on your phone, computer, tablet or smart TV (via the Hallmark+ app).

You can cancel at anytime or continue on with a Hallmark+ subscription for just $1.99/month for your first two months as part of a Prime Channel promotion right now. The new deal saves you 75% off the regular monthly price of $7.99 but you’ll want to act fast as the Hallmark+ promotion is ending soon.

Only Amazon Prime members have access to the Hallmark+ streaming deal. If you don’t have Amazon Prime, you can get a 30-day free trial to test-drive the service here.

Shot on location in Sardinia, Italy, Second Chance Love features five couples who dated anywhere from five to 40 years ago, as they reunite at a romantic Italian resort to see if the sparks are still there. The couples will all go on intimate dates, have candid conversations and undergo various challenges to “revisit their pasts, confront unfinished business, and rediscover what once brought them together,” per a press release.

“Five pairs of first loves reunite for a two-week journey filled with nostalgia, emotional reflection, and intimate dates,” the release teases. “Led by our hosts, they revisit their pasts, confront unfinished business, and rediscover what once brought them together. As they build new memories and lean on each other for support, one big question remains: will they rekindle the spark they once had or discover that love belongs in the past?”

The diverse cast includes couples ranging from the ages of 30 to 70, while hosts Chilli and Lawrence (who’s also currently recording his Brotherly Love podcast with brothers Joey and Andrew), are 54 and 45, respectively. The two recently told Sherri Shepherd on her eponymous talk show that they feel uniquely positioned to host the dating series, as they’ve also had to go through the relationship ringer to find each other.

“Working with Hallmark is a dream come true because the brand represents good quality content,” Chilli says. “I’ve always been very specific about brand alignment because representation matters in every aspect of partnership. I love what Hallmark stands for, and this project is special to Matthew and me for several reasons. As executive producers and hosts, we can’t wait to share the inspiration behind the pursuit of true love.”

“Studies show that nearly 80% of reunited first loves stay together for years, often for life,” adds David Stefanou, head of Unscripted Programming at Hallmark Media. “There’s something undeniably powerful about a love that endures, even across time and distance. It’s a theme that has defined so many of Hallmark’s most cherished stories, and with Second Chance Love, we’re bringing that magic into the real world. We’re giving couples the chance to rediscover a connection that may have never truly faded.”

Watch Second Chance Love online for free with a free trial to Hallmark+ here.