AM Prep-Music

Sean Kingston and mom face federal fraud charges

MIAMI (AP) – Sean Kingston and his mother now are facing federal charges of fraud as well as state charges in Florida. Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, appeared in federal court in Miami on Friday. A grand jury returned an indictment earlier this month accusing them of a scheme to defraud victims of high-end vehicles, jewelry and other goods. Robert Rosenblatt, an attorney for Kingston and Turner, could not be reached for comment, but he had said previously they were “confident of a successful resolution.”

New judge in Young Thug trial: let's get moving

ATLANTA (AP) – The new judge in the Young Thug trial wants to speed things along. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker is taking over for Chief Judge Ural Glanville, who was removed over a meeting with prosecutors and a state witness that did not also include the defense. Whitaker says she plans to move forward quickly with the trial, which has already dragged on for more than a year. The case is currently on hold, with jurors set to come back in August. Young Thug and five other people are being tried together on charges that they violated Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.

Eminem takes over #1 spot from Taylor Swift

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Eminem has upset Taylor Swift’s reign on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Eminem’s “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” debuts at number one after moving 281,000 units in the past week. It gives Eminem his 11th number-one album. “Romance: Untold” by ENHYPEN debuts in second place. “The Great American Bar Scene” by Zach Bryan is number three. Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” drops from first to fourth, after 12 weeks at the top. Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing At A Time” is fifth.

Why “Weird Al” Yankovic did not parody Sabrina Carpenter's “Espresso”

“Weird Al” Yankovic would have included “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter in his “Polkamania!” medley – except it had not yet reached number one. Yankovic says he had a rule that any song included had to be number one within the last ten years. Yankovic says Taylor Swift’s people responded right away about his request to use “Shake It Off.” He says Miley Cyrus’ people were “delighted” that he wanted to use “Flowers.” So were Billie Eilish’s reps when he asked about “Bad Guy.” Yankovic says he wanted to use “Kill Bill” by SZA (SIH’-zah), but SZA did not say yes or no. He says her people “just never returned our phone calls.”

Rory Feek marries

Rory Feek of Rory and Joey has married his daughter’s teacher. Feek writes in his blog he married “Miss Rebecca” on July 14 in Greycliff, Montana. Feek says while Rebecca and he were becoming more than just friends, they felt uncomfortable discussing marriage out of sensitivity for the feelings of his 10-year-old daughter, Indiana – until Indiana suggested they get married. Feek’s first wife and Indiana’s mother, Joey Feek, died of cervical cancer in 2016.