Entertainment
Ab-Soul Talks ‘Soul Burger: The Odyssey,’ Reflects on Final Dreamville Fest: ‘They Really Saved the Best for Last’

Days after teasing a new collaboration with Roc Marciano, Grammy-nominated TDE MC Ab-Soul graced the fifth and final Dreamville Fest — and Billboard caught up with him moments before he hit the stage.
“I’m a little offended because me and [J.] Cole are very good friends and I’m a very good rapper, if not the best rapper of all time,” he said in jest. “Why is this my first time on the lineup? It’s beyond me. They really saved the best for last!”
Though it is Ab’s first time performing at the North Carolina festival, it may not be his last opportunity to head down to Raleigh. During a press conference on Thursday (Apr. 3), Raleigh festival organizers surprised fans by revealing that Dreamville Fest will return in the future under a new iteration. Of course, the final (for now) Dreamville Fest is a poignant moment for Ab, who “came up in the same era” as several key Dreamville stars.
“These are really my guys, Bas was on my first headlining tour, and that’s where I met Earthgang, JID, Cozz, the whole team,” he said. “They’re undeniable. They’re true MCs, true artists. Ari [Lennox] goes crazy. I’m sure [Dreamville Fest] is a dream come true for Cole and for many others in this area. I’m honored to be here [today].”
Last year, Ab dropped his sixth studio album, Soul Burger, a record dedicated to his best friend Doeburger, who passed away in 2021. Stacked with collaborators like Doechii, Ty Dolla $ign and Lupe Fiasco, Soul Burger also features Doeburger as a posthumously credited writer across all tracks.
In the caption of an Instagram post teasing his forthcoming Roc Marciano collaboration and honoring Doeburger’s birthday (Apr. 1), Ab gave a special shoutout to Cole, thanking the “Middle Child” rapper for sharing his perspective. “Preciate the insight Cole. It was much needed,” he wrote, detailing how much the new song means to him. “It’s imperative that I let the world know the impact my brother left on me and so many others. I didn’t do this for views nor to monetize. I did this to honor someone who was undoubtedly ‘none of a kind.'”
At the very end of his caption, Ab-Soul wrote: “Soul Burger: The Odyssey… Stay tuned.” While it’s unclear what exactly he’s teasing, Ab confirms to Billboard that this new project and his 2022 LP are “two different things.”
“Soul Burger is a character, it’s the fusion of me and Doeburger,” he explains. “The Odyssey is… the odyssey. It’s one of the most special pieces I’ve ever put together, I’m very excited about it. It’s very therapeutic — liberating, if you will. It’s a continuous ode to my brother.”
With new music and a performance at Wiz Khalifa’s forthcoming 420 on the Rocks show on the horizon, Ab-Soul is showing no signs of slowing down in 2025.
Entertainment
Jelly Roll Brings Grit & Heart to In-Ring Debut at WWE SummerSlam 2025

Jelly Roll made his WWE in-ring debut this weekend, and teamed up with Randy Orton to battle Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul at SummerSlam 2025. Jelly didn’t disappoint, as the brute country force rattled McIntyre and Paul with a series of slams and elbow drops, before ultimately falling short in his Saturday night (Aug. 2) WWE match.
Ahead of the match, Jelly introduced tag partner Orton and performed his entrance theme song, “Voices,” electrifying the MetLife Stadium crowd in East Rutherford, N.J.
Kicking off the match against Paul, Jelly impressed early. Not only did he deliver some offense, including an impressive shoulder tackle on Paul, but he absorbed a flurry of attacks. The defining moment came when Paul sent Jelly crashing through the announcer’s table with a high-flying splash. Despite the setback, a hobbled Jelly Roll delivered a clinical performance: first chokeslamming Paul before issuing a punishing bodyslam. But Paul had the last laugh, connecting with a frog splash and scoring the 1-2-3.
Jelly, a lifelong wrestling fan, trained rigorously at WWE’s Performance Center ahead of his match, which contributed to his 230-pound weight loss.
“This is about belief — believing in myself — and wanting to selfishly be a part of a beautiful moment,” Jelly said earlier this week in an interview with WWE’s Jackie Redmond. “I love this business. I just wanna bring value. I’m not here to take nothing away. I’m not here to take nobody’s spot. I want to bring value. I think this is one of the greatest ages of storytelling I’ve seen in wrestling this decade.”
See clips of Jelly’s SummerSlam in-ring debut below.
Entertainment
Jerry Garcia Has Childhood Street Named for Him in San Francisco

A few hundred people gathered Friday (Aug. 1) to name a tiny San Francisco street after legendary Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia on what would have been his 83rd birthday, and as part of a citywide celebration to mark the band’s 60th anniversary.
Harrington Street, which is one block long, will also be called “Jerry Garcia Street.” Garcia died in 1995, but the band’s popularity has only grown as younger generations discover the Dead’s improvisational music, which blended rock, blues, folk and other styles.
Garcia spent part of his childhood in a modest home in the city’s diverse Excelsior neighborhood. He lived with his grandparents after the death of his father, Jose Ramon “Joe” Garcia.
“I hope that you all get a chance to enjoy the music, dance, hug, smile,” said daughter Trixie Garcia, growing emotional during her brief remarks. “Cherish what’s valuable, what’s significant in life.”
Tens of thousands of fans are in San Francisco to commemorate the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary with concerts and other activities throughout the city.
The latest iteration of the band, Dead & Company, with original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, play Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field for three days this weekend (beginning with Friday’s show), with an estimated 60,000 attendees expected each day.
Formed in 1965, the Grateful Dead played often and for free in their early years while living in a cheap Victorian home in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. The band later became a significant part of 1967’s Summer of Love, and the Grateful Dead has become synonymous with San Francisco and its bohemian counterculture.
On Friday, fans in rainbow tie-dye and Grateful Dead T-shirts whooped and cheered as the sign was unveiled. Nonfans with shopping bags and some using walking canes maneuvered around the crowd on what was for them just another foggy day in the working-class neighborhood.
Afterward, devotees peeled off to pose for photos in front of Garcia’s childhood home.
Jared Yankee, 23, got the crowd to join him in singing “Happy Birthday.” Yankee said he flew in from Rhode Island for the shows. He got into the music about a decade ago.
“It’s a human thing,” he said of his impromptu singing. “I figure everyone knows the words to ‘Happy Birthday.’”
Entertainment
Fans Choose Mariah The Scientist & Kali Uchis’ ‘Is It a Crime’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

“Is It a Crime,” the new duet from Mariah The Scientist and Kali Uchis, tops this week’s fan-voted music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Aug. 1) on Billboard, choosing the pair’s fresh collaboration as their favorite new release of the past week.
“Is It a Crime” rose above a plethora of new releases — among them, songs from hitmakers like Demi Lovato, Chappell Roan, Reneé Rapp and more. Mariah and Kali’s collab track topped the poll by a landslide, bringing in more than 57% of the vote.
“Is It a Crime,” a slow jam that has the two artists singing about the return of a past love — and defending the relationship if anyone’s got anything to say about it — dropped on July 31, with spicy, jail-themed single art. (“very intentional, very grown woman,” Uchis commented of their shoot on Instagram.)
The chorus of the song says it all: “And so what? I fell, you fell in love a couple times/ Tell me, what’s it to ya? Tell me, is it a crime/ To fall, to fall in love, in love a couple times?/ Tell me, what’s it to ya? Tell me, is it a crime to fall?”
Among the new releases trailing behind “Is It a Crime” on this week’s poll are Demi Lovato’s “Fast,” coming in with 17% of the vote; Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” with 16% of the vote, and Reneé Rapp’s “Bite Me,” with 2% of the vote.
See the final results of this week’s poll below.
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