Author: Rap Hooks

Fugees rapper Pras Michel says he should stay out of prison while he appeals his illegal foreign lobbying convictions and resulting 14-year prison sentence, citing “egregious” errors during his trial.

The rapper, who rose to fame alongside his Fugee bandmates Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, is set to surrender next month to serve his lengthy sentence for running a “foreign influence campaign” to get the U.S. to drop an investigation into fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low.

But in a new filing on Friday (Dec. 19), his lawyers say he should be allowed to appeal the verdict before he reports to prison, since his appeal will reveal huge problems with his 2023 jury trial and could end in “reversal of nearly every count.”

“Neither the D.C. Circuit nor any other Court of Appeals has ever confronted this extraordinary degree of improper jury influence, which appears to be unprecedented,” Michel’s lawyers write.

In a statement, Michel spokeswoman Erica Dumas said: “This wasn’t a fair trial. This was a coronation of guilt. We’re confident the appeals court will recognize this case for what it is, an unprecedented trial that denies Pras’ constitutional right to an impartial jury.”

Composed of Hill, Jean and Michel, the Fugees rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not” and “Fu-Gee-La.” After splitting up in 1998, the three each had successful solo careers and mostly stayed separate until recent years, during which they’ve attempted multiple reunion tours.

In 2019, Michel was hit with sweeping federal criminal charges over accusations that he funneled money from Low, the mastermind of the billion-dollar 1MDB embezzlement scheme, to a lobbying campaign aimed at getting the first Trump administration to drop its investigation into the disgraced financier. He was also accused of secretly funneling Low’s money to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign, and of later trying to influence an extradition case on behalf of China.

In April 2023, following a trial that included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Michel was convicted on 10 counts, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison and ordered to forfeit a whopping $64 million allegedly linked to the scheme.

Last week, Michel filed a notice of appeal, the standard first step to appealing a verdict. Such filings are typically sparse, leaving more detailed arguments to later briefings. But in his Friday motion seeking to stay out of prison, Michel’s lawyers offered a detailed preview of how they’ll appeal the case.

Among other major issues, they say the judge repeatedly told the jury “that Michel was guilty” by referring to him as a “co-conspirator” in open court. They also claim the judge allowed an FBI agent on the witness stand to “opine on at least 25 occasions that Michel was guilty.”

“If decided in Michel’s favor, these and the other substantial questions below would result in a new trial, reversal of nearly every count, and, at a minimum, a reduced sentence that would likely be less than the duration of Michel’s appeal,” the rapper’s lawyers write.

The IRS has accused Britney Spears of underpaying her 2021 taxes — and now the pop star is fighting back.

In September, the federal agency sent Spears a notice claiming that she owed $600,000 in unpaid income taxes, plus a $120,000 penalty for the mistake. But on Thursday (Dec. 18), the singer filed a petition in U.S. Tax Court asserting her 2021 taxes were correct after all.

“The commissioner erred in determining that any part of any underpayment was due to negligence or disregard of rules and regulations,” write lawyers for Spears, Charles Ruchelman and Blair Hlinka.

The IRS is alleging that Spears failed to report $1.4 million in taxable income from Shiloh Standing Inc., a holding company for some of her music and performance assets. The agency also says she improperly deducted $334,000 in medical expenses from her tax returns, leading her to pay $737,000 in income taxes instead of the correct amount, $1.3 million.

Spears’ attorneys, however, say her deductions were all above board, and that the pop star “properly reported her share of income, gains, expenses and losses from the business activities of Shiloh Standing Inc. for the tax year at issue.”

The singer is asking a judge to determine that her 2021 taxes were right all along, and that both the $600,000 deficiency and $120,000 penalty are uncalled for. Reached for comment on Friday (Dec. 19), an IRS rep said the agency “does not comment on pending litigation.”

Notably, Spears was still under a legal conservatorship for the bulk of the 2021 tax year. Under this arrangement, established in 2008 after Spears was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation, the singer’s father, Jamie Spears, was in charge of her finances.

Jamie was suspended from his role as conservator in September 2021, and a Los Angeles judge formally ended the 13-year arrangement the following November.

2025 was the first year that AI-generated music hit the Billboard, TikTok and Spotify charts. Whether it was “A Million Colors” by Vinih Pray cracking the TikTok Viral 50, “We Are Charlie Kirk” by Spalexma making it to the Spotify U.S. chart, Xania Monet’s “How Was I Supposed To Know” hitting the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart and Breaking Rust’s “Walk My Walk” landing on the Country Digital Song Sales chart, the fast-growing popularity of certain AI tracks signaled what is likely to become a new normal in the music business.

The emergence of AI songs brings up divisive questions. How should streaming services and charts, including Billboard, treat these songs? Should charts and playlists be a neutral playing field for whatever songs are popular — no matter how they are made — or should there be two distinct destinations for AI and human-made works?

These questions are made even more challenging when considering the growth of songs that fall more into the gray area in between human and AI works — ones that weave human-made and AI-made portions into the same song.

To debate these topics, Black Music Artists’ Coalition president/CEO, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, and Monet’s manager and founder of dai+drm, Romel Murphy, joined Billboard to share their differing points of view. Stiggers shares the perspective that “AI-generated artists shouldn’t be on the same charts as human beings,” while Murphy feels they should.

The duo also discuss about how radio should treat AI artists as well, referencing iHeartRadio’s new policy “Guaranteed Human,” which effectively banned most AI songs as well as AI radio personalities and podcasts from its airwaves nationwide — a policy that pulled Monet’s own songs from radio just weeks ago.

Watch their conversation below.

Riverfest Elora is calling on Canadians to support the local live music scene.

Organizers for the Ontario music festival submitted a call to action through Elora’s local newspaper, Elora Fergus Today. It’s addressed to Canadian businesses, citizens and policymakers, advising them to invest in live music before more local organizations continue to dissipate.

“Arts and culture are essential infrastructure for thriving communities. Riverfest Elora was a powerful local example of how arts and culture generates economic activity, attracts visitors, cultivates identities, and creates opportunities for emerging artists to be developed and discovered,” the statement reads.

Organizers point to this year’s Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) Hear and Now report, illustrating that “local festivals and events are only part of a much larger story.” According to the study, in 2023, live music and associated tourism amassed $9.9 billion in visitor spending. It showcases the interconnectedness of live music with travel, hospitality, retail and other relevant sectors.

Beyond economic impact, festivals like Riverfest Elora made a sustained, meaningful investment in homegrown music.

“The loss of Riverfest Elora — and the pressures that festivals, venues, and live music organizations across our region now face — underscores a hard truth: we cannot expect arts organizations alone to carry the burden of sustaining this vital public good,” organizers write.

Over its decade-and-a-half run, Riverfest brought in local and international acts including Blue Rodeo, The Flaming Lips, Bruce Cockburn, Metric, Violent Femmes, Monster Truck, Sam Roberts Band, Charles Bradley, Fleet Foxes, MGMT and more. This year’s headliners were Silversun Pickups, Fitz and the Tantrums and City and Colour.

Last month, the fest announced it was shutting down after 15 years through a Facebook post, citing financial strain.

“The reality is stark: costs have surged, revenues have fallen behind, and the changing festival landscape has made it impossible to sustain the model we’ve fought to keep alive,” organizers wrote.

Earlier this year, Billboard Canada spoke with Erin Benjamin, CEO of CLMA, who doubled down on the hardships local festivals face — many of which are facing post-lockdown circumstances, including rising production costs, fewer corporate sponsorships and hesitant audiences.

“COVID ripped up the playbook,” she said. “The cost of goods and services and labour and talent is extremely high. And it continues to go up.”

Read more here. 

Amy Eligh Promoted to Vice President of Publishing and Licensing at Arts & Crafts

Amy Eligh is stepping into a new role as vice president of publishing and licensing at Arts & Crafts.

The music industry executive joined the independent publishing company in 2017 as director of publishing and licensing, remaining in that role for over eight years. During her almost decade-long tenure, Eligh assisted the indie label in expanding its indie rock roots to include songwriters from a variety of genres, including country and pop.

Now, Eligh’s role will expand to include the company’s global business development strategy as she continues to nurture both A&C’s new and legacy rosters. Her new role will ensure the company maintains its presence in all aspects of the industry as the Canadian music industry landscape evolves.

“I’m excited to be expanding my role here at A&C with the steadfast support of the executives and team,” says Eligh. “I’m so appreciative of the autonomy and trust I’ve been given to grow our small but mighty publishing company. We will continue to strive to be a creative and innovative contributor in this corner of the industry that I love so much.”

Formed in 2003, Arts & Crafts has been known as a hub for some of the most celebrated indie artists in the country, from Broken Social Scene to Constantines, Feist to Mustafa.

More recently, the company’s publishing department, Arts & Crafts Music Publishing, has been one of its biggest successes. A&C has secured a small roster of emerging songwriters, some of whom have played a part in penning hits for some of today’s biggest artists. Ontario native Megan Bülow is a credited songwriter on Beyoncé’s Grammy-nominated hit “Texas Hold ‘Em” from her Grammy-winning album Cowboy Carter. Songwriter Josh Berkowitz has written a handful of tracks for pop artist Kelly Clarkson, Canadian singer-songwriter Forest Blakk and Nigerian gospel musician Blessing Offor, including “Somebody’s Child” featuring music legend Dolly Parton.

Another major moment for Arts & Crafts Music Publishing was the signing of Toronto rock band The Beaches back in 2022. A&C’s additional register of rising songwriters includes artists Broken Social Scene, Young Friend, Jordan Hart, Sylo, Katie Tupper, Dear Rouge, plus solo songwriters like Parker Bossley and Steve Bays, who have written for homegrown artists such as Hotel Mira, Dear Rouge, Fitz and the Tantrums and Yukon Blonde.

Read more here.

HAVEN.’s ‘I Run.’ Charting on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Following AI Deepfake Allegations

Is electronic duo HAVEN. finding haven on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100?

After a major industry controversy and conversations surrounding AI deepfaking, the pair’s viral track “I Run,” featuring singer Kaitlin Aragon, has found a stronghold on the Canadian Hot 100. In its third week, the song sits at No. 59.

Two months ago, “I Run,” the EDM track from HAVEN., comprised of London-born producers Harrison Walker and Jacob Donaghue, became a viral hit on TikTok, amassing over 110 million plays — but it had yet to be officially released.

Through the fanfare, it caught the attention of major and independent labels, along with U.K. R&B singer Jorja Smith. To many, the uncredited female vocalist on hypnotic “I Run” sounded eerily similar to Smith — which kicked off the song’s controversy. In a now-deleted TikTok video, she acknowledged the track, asking in the caption: “who actually is this?” Then, HAVEN. added #jorjasmith to a now-removed social post promoting the song. “It was more so just embracing that it does sound like her,” a spokesperson for HAVEN. noted. “It became an organic trend.”

As it continued to build momentum, the track was removed from streaming services. The Orchard — which distributes Smith’s FAMM label — issued various takedown notices for “I Run” upon its official release, alleging varying issues with the song, including that it “misrepresents” another artist and constitutes copyright infringement.

Due to the dispute, the song was withheld from the Billboard charts at the time after one week on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, with Billboard reserving the right to withhold or remove titles from appearing on the charts that are known to be involved in active legal disputes related to copyright infringement that may extend to its deletion on digital service providers.

While some claim the original version uses an unauthorized AI deepfake of Smith’s voice, the duo told Billboard that they wrote and produced the song in ProTools, and Walker used his own voice to record the vocals. He says that he then ran it through layers of AI-assisted processing using the AI music tool Suno and filtered it to turn it into the female-sounding voice heard in the track — with no reference to Smith. It’s worth noting that Suno has been sued by multiple music companies, including all three major labels, claiming that the model was trained on copyrighted music — which could include Jorja Smith. In November, Warner Music Group settled its portion of the lawsuit against Suno after signing a licensing deal with the AI company.

While the disputes are ongoing, HAVEN. since released a re-recording of the song in November, featuring singer Kaitlin Aragon, who was discovered by the duo’s team after posting a TikTok cover of “I Run.”

This is the version currently charting on the Canadian Hot 100. 

Read more here.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac,” released in April 2024, finishes atop Billboard Japan’s 2025 Year-End Japan Hot 100. Within the chart year — from Nov. 25, 2024 to Nov. 23, 2025 — the song hit No. 1 five times and recently reached 800 million domestic streams, the second-fastest pace in history.

This year, the three-man band also became the first act ever to surpass 10 billion cumulative domestic streams across their catalog. The year-end top 10 features four additional songs by the group — “Darling,” “KUSUSHIKI,” “Bitter Vacances” and “Que Sera Sera” — reflecting how listeners embraced both their new and older material throughout the year. The trio are also crowned 2025 Artist of the Year for the second consecutive year, based on the Japan Artist 100 ranking calculated by combining the Japan Hot 100 and Hot Albums lists on an artist basis.

Meanwhile, frontman, guitarist and principal songwriter Motoki Omori becomes the first ever to lead both the Top Composers and Top Lyricists charts for three straight years.

As the trio close out the 10th anniversary of their major-label debut on a high note, Billboard Japan asked members Omori, Hiloto Wakai (guitar) and Ryoka Fujisawa (keyboards) what their banner “MGA MAGICAL 10 YEARS” milestone meant to them.

“Lilac” finishes at No. 1 on the 2025 Japan Hot 100. You also topped the artist charts following your 2024 year-end and 2025 mid-year wins. Congratulations. How are you feeling?

Motoki Omori: I’m happy. Simply happy, and I really feel the weight of it. I’m going to keep working hard so we live up to what this represents. At the same time, I don’t want to carry it so heavily that it becomes a burden. I want to keep enjoying the process of making music.

Hiloto Wakai: “Lilac” came out in 2024, so having it recognized like this in 2025 makes us truly grateful that it’s been loved for this long. We love the song ourselves, so it’s a real joy.

Ryoka Fujisawa: Part of why we push so hard with Mrs. GREEN APPLE is to get Omori’s lyrics and music out into the world, so it makes me really happy to see “Lilac” being enjoyed for so long and that it’s reaching people. It means a lot to us that people are enjoying the various songs we’ve been releasing as a band.

Mr. Omori, you’re the first in Billboard Japan history to lead both the annual Top Lyricists and Top Composers charts for three consecutive years. Your first solo work in four years also drew major attention. I imagine your principle of making music first for yourself applies to both your band and solo endeavors, but was there anything you learned from the different ways your music reached listeners?

Omori: Since the music comes from the same person, it’s hard to put the specific differences into words, but I can do solo work because Mrs. GREEN APPLE exists, and releasing solo songs actually made that even clearer. It was a year of rediscovering, of being reminded how important it is for me to keep creating.

With your 10th anniversary, it must have been a year of reflecting on your past and present. What have been the major turning points or especially memorable moments?

Omori: Forming Mrs. GREEN APPLE was the biggest turning point. Back when we’d just formed, before we’d even planted any seeds, I remember the three of us in a rehearsal studio dreaming out loud like it was yesterday, saying things like, “We deserve to become busy, so let’s start running through a lot of songs now.” Being able to keep going with that same ambition is something that’s stayed with me.

Wakai: For me, the song “StaRt” that we released in 2015, the year we debuted, means a lot. We performed it again at our 10th anniversary show called FJORD, and it still hasn’t faded. It always reminds me to keep pushing forward without forgetting our early days, so “StaRt” is definitely the one that stands out.

Fujisawa: This might be a slightly different angle than a turning point, but during our two-day 10th anniversary show FJORD, 100,000 fans came out to see us, and so many more tuned in via livestream. You can’t summarize that feeling with a simple word like “joy.” The scale of how many people love our music hit me all at once and it was a moment that felt bigger than anything before.

Again, it’s been an incredibly full year. If you had to sum up 2025 in one word?

Omori: “Gratitude,” for me.

Fujisawa: Mine is “Love.” I wanted to send love out into the world as a thank-you for our 10th anniversary, and we received so much love from everyone this year in return.

Wakai: I’d say “rich,” as in dense. I really remember every single moment, and it was a year packed with major experiences — all of it compressed into this really rich year.

With your four-day “BABEL no TOH” run at Tokyo Dome, the exhibition MGA MAGICAL 10 YEARS EXHIBITION “Wonder Museum” closing out your anniversary year, your slated appearance on NHK’s year-end Kohaku Uta Gassen extravaganza, and Phase 3 kicking off in the new year, there’s still so much ahead. Please share a message for your fans.

Fujisawa: We were fortunate to tour for many days in huge venues this year, and there were so many things to be grateful for. But beyond the numbers, what means the most is everyone who discovered Mrs. GREEN APPLE in our 12th year as a band and 10th anniversary of our major-label debut — people who listen to our songs in their daily lives, who look forward to our TV appearances, who come to our shows. That support is something we deeply appreciate. With Phase 3, we want to create a chapter where you can enjoy Mrs. GREEN APPLE even more deeply and love us even more. We’ll do our best so you can enjoy our music.

This interview by Mariko Ikitake first appeared on Billboard Japan.