Author: Rap Hooks

Ian Watkins, the former lead singer of rock band Lostprophets and a convicted pedophile, was killed in a prison attack in the United Kingdom. He was 48.

Watkins died on Saturday (Oct. 11) after being stabbed by another inmate at HMP Wakefield, a high-security prison in West Yorkshire, according to multiple U.K. news outlets.

“At 9.39am this morning (Saturday), police were called by staff at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner,” West Yorkshire Police said in a statement, per Reuters. “Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.”

Although the statement did not name Watkins, Sky News reported that he was attacked with a knife. The Sun claimed his throat was slashed after inmates were released from their cells that morning. Further details about the incident had not yet been revealed at press time.

This was not the first time Watkins was assaulted in prison. In August 2023, he was attacked by three inmates and sustained neck injuries that required medical attention.

Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence following his 2013 conviction on numerous child sex offenses. He pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including the attempted rape of a baby. At sentencing, the judge described Watkins’ actions as having “plumbed new depths of depravity.”

Lostprophets formed in 1997 and achieved success in the 2000s, including a chart-topping U.K. album, Liberation Transmission, in 2006, and a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart with “Last Train Home” in 2004. Their final album, Weapons, was released in 2012, shortly before Watkins’ arrest. The band disbanded shortly afterward.

Argentine singer Fede Dorcaz was shot and killed in Mexico City just days before he was set to appear on a popular Mexican television dance competition.

The 29-year-old, who was also an actor and model, was fatally shot on Thursday (Oct. 9) in what authorities believe was an attempted robbery, according to The Guardian. Dorcaz was attacked shortly after leaving a dance rehearsal and was reportedly on his way home when the incident occurred.

The singer, who was in a relationship with Mexican actress and singer Mariana Ávila, had been scheduled to appear in the upcoming season of Mexican dance competition Las Estrellas Bailan en Hoy. The show paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing in Spanish, “Fede leaves a big void in our team. His memory and passion will continue to inspire us forever.”

According to the Mexico City Secretariat of Public Safety, Dorcaz was shot in the neck while attempting to exit a road and died instantly at the scene, TMZ reports.

Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and have identified four male suspects seen fleeing the scene on motorcycles. No arrests had been reported at press time.

Born and raised in Argentina, Dorcaz moved to Spain with his family at age 13. He began his career in modeling before moving into Latin pop music, releasing tracks such as “No Eres Tú” and “Cara Bonita.” His debut album, Instinto, arrived in 2024.

“I want to be more than just a musician,” Dorcaz told Rolling Stone Australia in May 2025. “I want to show people that you can build something amazing from nothing and inspire others to chase their dreams.”

Musician, filmmaker and activist Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson received the 2025 Peabody Trailblazer Award on Friday (Oct. 10) at The Sun Rose Hotel in Los Angeles.

Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson presented Questlove, 54, with the award, which “recognizes visionaries whose innovative storytelling styles impact culture and effect social change.” Previous recipients include Brunson and Issa Rae.

“I am so honored to be here tonight to present an award from one Philly kid to another Philly kid,” Brunson said on stage. “By using his platform to advocate for representation, equity, and cultural preservation, Questlove has transcended the role of musician to become a vital cultural archivist.”

In his acceptance speech, Questlove encouraged artists to follow their creative instincts and push past self-doubt, saying, “Now is the time more than ever… because it’s cathartic, it’s therapeutic, but it’s necessary. And right now, joy is an act of rebellion, so I thank you for celebrating me with this honor.”

During an on-stage conversation with Peabody Awards executive director Dr. Jeffrey Jones, Questlove shared a secret of his success. “Every morning: five minutes of gratitude, silence, stretching, and affirmations. It sounds small, but that’s how I stay grounded as an artist and a human.”

Questlove’s work has had a profound cultural and social impact by reshaping music, preserving Black history, and amplifying underrepresented voices. As the co-founder and drummer of The Roots, he revolutionized hip-hop by introducing live instrumentation and blending genres, helping shape the Neo-Soul movement and influencing artists across generations.

Beyond performance, Questlove has become a cultural historian and storyteller through his Oscar- Grammy- and Peabody-winning documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), which revived the forgotten legacy of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and highlighted the erasure of Black artistry from mainstream narratives, as well as the Primetime Emmy-nominated Sly Lives! (Aka the Burden of Black Genius).

Questlove has won six Grammys (three of them with The Roots) and an Oscar and has received three Primetime Emmy nods.

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

A New Gloria Trevi Docuseries

Gloria Trevi is giving fans an intimate look into her touring life — on and off stage during her Mi Soundtrack tour — through the new docuseries La Trevi: Sin Filtro. “My life and career have always been in the public eye, but often told through the lens of other people… even those who don’t even know me!” the Mexican artist expressed in a statement. “This series is a window into who I am today: when I’m on tour, at home, with my family, doing what I love and embracing everything around me… from the chaos and legal issues I can’t share, to the joy that drives my music and my life. It’s raw, it’s real, but it’s me: unfiltered!” The docuseries will be available Oct. 24 on VIX.

DannyLux’s Powerful Statement

DannyLux celebrates his second Latin Grammy nomination with a powerful public statement. This week, the música Mexicana sensation unveiled a billboard located at 2101 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles with a statement on immigration and accomplishing his dreams in the U.S. as a son of immigrants. “My parents left everything so we can have everything. Today, they’re Latin GRAMMY nominated too,” reads the message on the billboard alongside a family photo. DannyLux is nominated for best contemporary Mexican music album for his 2025 album Leyenda.

Rauw Teaches Salsa Classes

In a new episode of Celebrity Substitute, Rauw Alejandro visited elementary school PS 96 in Harlem, New York, to teach students the history, sounds, and moves of salsa music. In the 15-minute video, the Puerto Rican artist is seen interacting and having fun with a group of first graders, and later showing them an easy-to-learn salsa dance to his song “Mirando al Cielo.” Rauw is currently making the rounds with his new studio album Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0, which debuted at No. 3 on the Top Latin Albums chart this week.

Daddy Yankee is Honored in Monaco

At the start of the week, Daddy Yankee (DY) was honored with the Global Gift Humanitarian Award by the Global Gift Foundation in Monaco. The recognition honored the Puerto Rican artists social commitment and philanthropic work that includes his Daddy’s House Foundation that focuses on education, child nutrition, and community rebuilding in Puerto Rico and Latin America.

“This recognition doesn’t belong to me alone. It belongs to all the women who make up the Daddy’s House team, to the volunteers who have given their time in every endeavor, and to the community that has embraced our mission,” he said at the event, according to a press statement. “It belongs to every child who has smiled after a hot meal, because their joy is the true reward. Tonight we see a small harvest of what perseverance in love can achieve.”

Daddy Yankee (DY) is confirmed for the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Week taking place from Oct. 20 to 24 at the historic Fillmore Miami Beach. Spanning over 30 years and recognized as the most influential week in Latin music, the event will once again celebrate the heartbeat of Latin music and culture with four days of panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, showcases, networking and activations. Ticket sales and the full schedule are now available at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.

Music stocks fell sharply this week amidst concerns about the ongoing U.S federal government shutdown, as President Trump’s latest threat to levy “massive” tariffs on goods produced in China dragged down markets on Friday (Oct. 10). 

Only three stocks — Spotify, JYP Entertainment and HYBE — in the 19-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) finished the week ended Oct. 10 with gains. Dragged down by numerous losses near or greater than 10%, the BGMI fell 1.9% to 2,899.73, its third consecutive weekly decline. 

Music stocks fared better than major U.S. indexes, though. The Nasdaq dropped 2.5% and the S&P 500 fell 2.4%. However, foreign exchanges that are less exposed to the U.S. trade war with China were better off. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 rose 0.7% to 9,427.47. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index jumped 1.7% to 3,610.60, and China’s Shanghai Composite Index improved 0.4% to 3,897.03. 

Just as the KOSPI outperformed other indexes, K-pop companies were the best-performing music stocks of the week. JYP Entertainment’s 2.2% gain made it the week’s best performer. Fellow K-pop company HYBE was close behind with a 1.9% increase. SM Entertainment posted only a slight loss of 0.6%.

Streaming services performed relatively well as a group. Spotify eked out a 0.7% gain, raising its year-to-date increase to 46.9%. Deezer managed a modest 0.9% decline to 1.16 euros ($1.35) while Netease Cloud Music fell just 1.2% to 253.00 HKD ($32.51). Tencent Music Entertainment dropped 2.0% to $22.44. 

SiriusXM was the week’s biggest loser, falling 10.1% to $20.93. The loss turned a slight year-to-date gain into a 6.4% loss in 2025. The next-worst decline came from iHeartMedia, which fell 9.8% to $2.59 after numerous news outlets reported layoffs at iHeart radio stations around the country. 

Live Nation dipped 2.1% to $152.96, lowering its year-to-date gain to 18.1%. Earlier in the week, Wolfe Research increased its price target to $180 from $177 and maintained its “outperform” rating on Live Nation shares. After finishing the week ended Sept. 12 at $173.73, Live Nation shares have fallen for four consecutive weeks and lost 12.0% of their value. Some of that decline could be attributed to the Federal Trade Commission lawsuit filed on Sept. 18, but other live music stocks have dropped, too.

Sphere Entertainment Co. had a rare losing week, falling 6.3% to $58.98. Earlier in the week, BTIG initiated coverage of Sphere Entertainment Co. with a “neutral” rating. Sphere shares are up 38.9% year to date and have jumped 47.9% in the last eight weeks. Sister company MSG Entertainment was the week’s third-worst performer, falling 8.4% to $41.77. 

German concert promoter and ticketing company CTS Eventim dropped 4.7% to 79.25 euros ($92.10). The company’s recent downturn has mirrored that of Live Nation. After four consecutive losing weeks, CTS Eventim’s stock price has fallen 8.8%. 

Outside of K-pop, multi-sector companies — recorded music, publishing, merchandise and more — had an unusually poor week. Universal Music Group (UMG) fell 7.2% to 23.16 euros ($26.92). Warner Music Group dropped 5.3% to $32.08. Reservoir Media was down 2.3% to $7.60. 

Only a few companies have announced the dates for their third-quarter earnings releases. SiriusXM and UMG will be first out of the gate on Oct. 30, followed by Spotify on Nov. 4.  

Sia’s estranged husband says he’s owed more than $260,000 per month in spousal support amid his divorce from the pop singer-songwriter.

Dan Bernad married Sia in 2022, and they share one 17-month-old child named Somersault. Sia filed for divorce in March due to “irreconcilable differences” — and Bernad now wants her to pay up.

A Friday (Oct. 10) spousal support petition says Sia has a hefty net worth, though the exact numbers are redacted from public view. Bernad claims he and the singer lived a “luxurious and upper-class lifestyle,” and that they spent more $400,000 a month on extravagances like private jet travel, fine dining and full-time staffers.

“I request that the court order Sia to pay me temporary spousal support in the sum of $250,856 per month,” writes Bernad. “Orders are necessary at this time because I am financially dependent on Sia, the breadwinner in our marriage… Sia has the ability to pay me spousal support to maintain our financial status quo.”

Bernad, for his part, says he has almost nothing in his bank account and no income coming in. The 47-year-old was a radiation oncologist when he met Sia, but he claims she convinced him to stop working because she disliked his long hours at the hospital.

According to the court filing, Bernad officially gave up his oncology career when he and Sia opened up a ketamine clinic together in Los Angeles in 2021. He says Sia has now cut off funding for the clinic, and he’s unable to go back to work at the hospital because his license has expired.

“I will need to complete several years of training and pass several rigorous exams before I can renew my certification and practice radiation oncology again,” explains Bernad in the court filing.

In addition to requesting nearly $251,000 in monthly spousal support, Bernad also asks in the filing that Sia contribute at least $500,000 for his legal fees during the divorce proceedings. Such funds would “level the playing field,” he says.

Sia’s reps did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday (Oct. 10).