Entertainment
Jae Tips on Music, Sneakers & the Art of Influence — Plus His ‘I Love You But I’m Busy’ Playlist

Jae Tips never saw himself as making a “transition” from rapper to sneaker designer. For him, music and fashion have always been intertwined — parallel worlds where influence is currency. “I feel like if you’re big in music, you’ll be big in fashion just because of how influential the voices are,” he explains. “Musicians, from the beginning of time, have always had a way of dictating trends.”
The Bronx native started pouring more energy into fashion when he realized his brand was gaining traction — perhaps even more than his music at the time. “What if I stop putting all my finances into just music for a moment?” he recalls thinking. “Let me see what happens if, for six months, I invest in clothes, fashion, and style — see where it takes me.” That decision led him to this moment: sitting with Billboard, reflecting on the journey that brought him to a major sneaker collaboration with Saucony.
Still, music remains part of his DNA. “I think you never really retire from music — it’s always a part of you,” he says. Every move he makes, from sneaker drops to brand-building, is part of a broader plan. “It’s all just a big rollout for new music eventually. So, I think it’s always a possibility that you’ll see some new Jae Tips pop up on your timeline, on your little streaming services.”
For his upcoming Saucony Jazz sneaker, Jae Tips introduces the theme: “I Love You But I’m Busy.” The phrase, he says, speaks to the delicate balance between ambition and personal relationships. “To me, it represents the entrepreneurial and creative lifestyle — constantly trying to figure out a work-life balance,” he explains. “Sometimes, intentions don’t always align with actions. You want to acknowledge the shoe’s place as another notch in your resume and design history, but it also marks a real turning point— one that involves making difficult decisions about the people you love and the things you love.”
Jae Tips x Saucony
The inspiration behind the sneaker taps into this idea of emotional distance in the pursuit of success. “The soundtrack for this shoe, to me, is ‘Welcome to Heartbreak’ by Kanye West,” he says. “It reflects how you can become out of touch with reality while everyone else remains in the same place you left them.”
Jae Tips’ approach to sneaker design is deeply rooted in his past work in headwear. “The design process began a few years ago when I made a hat inspired by a Mickey Mouse, Disney and Ralph Lauren collaboration with the NFL,” he recalls. “I remade a Yankee hat using those same colorways. Many people who have followed my journey know I’ve done so much in the headwear space, but you can’t always tell the full story with hats because of licensing restrictions. With shoes, there are so many different panels, hidden features, and details — it’s been like a wonderland for expanding on stories I initially started with hats.”
This new sneaker embraces those past influences, featuring thoughtful color placement, rich materials, and subtle details that elevate the design. “We have an orange hit in the toe box, but in the mid, there’s an orange that almost looks like a faded yellow. It’s one of those things you appreciate more the closer you get to the shoe — you can really see the contrast,” he notes.
The sneaker also includes hidden gems, such as a “Savior S” logo on the tongue for Savior Sport, the phrase “Made by Jae Tips” — a staple in all his collaborations — and an insole that reads “Coming Soon.” Retail pairs will come with a flower keychain, and the box includes an extra set of white laces. Jae wanted to create a trendy runner shoe that people would wear in a sporty way. “I thought, ‘If you make it a sports shoe, maybe people will pair it with track suits, sweatpants, and really get busy with it.’”
Jae Tips x Saucony
For Jae Tips, the connection between music and sneaker culture has always been undeniable. “Rappers always want to be designers, and designers often want to be in the limelight like rappers,” he says. “For as long as I can remember, a rapper wearing a certain designer’s piece or outfit could make or break a brand. Now, as trends shift, we’re seeing more musicians launch their own clothing brands because they realize the power they have to change an entire trajectory.” He points to examples like Dapper Dan’s influence on Gucci, Rihanna’s success with Fenty, Kanye West’s Yeezy empire, and Travis Scott’s massive impact on sneaker culture. “His brand is so big that when you say his name, you might not even know if you’re talking about a shoe or a song. That’s pretty dope.”
While Jae Tips’ designs carry echoes of his musical background, he sees his creative identity as something people are still discovering. “I would say yes, and I’d say no,” he reflects when asked if his music shaped how people view his aesthetic. “I apply a lot of the principles I learned navigating the underground music scene to my work ethic — the way I put things together, prepare emails and documents, and communicate all stem from that experience. And the way I promote myself is similar to how an artist drops a single.”
To celebrate the release of the Saucony Jazz “I Love You But I’m Busy,” dropping on March 28th for $165, Jae Tips has curated an exclusive playlist for Billboard — tracks that embody the spirit of his latest creation. Mark your calendars for the drop, and in the meantime, press play on the soundtrack to his latest masterpiece.
Jae Tips’ “I Love You, But I’m Busy” Playlist
1. Kanye West, “Welcome to Heartbreak”
2. Nipsey Hussle, “Forever on Some Fly S–t”
3. Jae Tips, “ Remember Who Fronted”
4. Leon Thomas, “YES IT IS”
5. Nipsey Hussle, “ That’s How I Knew”
6. Bonus: Frank Ocean, “Lens”
Entertainment
No ‘Good’ Deed Goes Unpunished for Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Final ‘Wicked: For Good’ Trailer

In the final trailer for Wicked: For Good, Ariana Grande‘s character learns that a big price comes with being Glinda the Good.
Released on Wednesday (Sept. 24) — about two months before the Wicked sequel finally premieres in theaters on Nov. 21 — the preview shows how the blonde leading lady wrestles with her new role as Oz’s spokeswoman, as Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba attempts to expose the Wizard’s evil agenda while living in hiding. At first, Glinda is “obsess-ulated” with the gorgeous gown, tiara and mechanical flying bubble her public-facing life affords her — but everything quickly comes crashing down when she realizes that she’s on the wrong side of history, and that she just might be too late to save her former schoolmate from the wrath of Oz’s brainwashed citizens.
“I’m a public figure now, people expect me to …,” Glinda tells Elphaba at one point, with Dorothy’s fallen house and the Yellow Brick Road visible in the background.
“Lie?” the green-skinned witch cuts in, to which Glinda says defensively, “Be encouraging.”
Grande’s character is less sure of herself when she is confronted by Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero, who accuses, “You can’t resist this.”
“Who could?” Glinda asks, to which the Winkie prince replies, “You know who could.”
Arriving one year after the first Wicked hit theaters and shattered movie-musical box-office records, For Good will serve as the film adaptation of the second act of the Broadway musical on which the live-actions are based. The soundtrack will also drop on Nov. 21, complete with two brand new songs sung by Grande and Erivo.
As revealed when the tracklist dropped a week prior to the new trailer, the title of Glinda’s bonus song is “The Girl in the Bubble,” while Elphaba’s added balled is called “No Place Like Home.”
Watch the final trailer for Wicked: For Good above.
Entertainment
Priscilla Presley Says That Leaving Elvis Presley Was ‘The Only Way to Survive’ in New Memoir ‘Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis’

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Priscilla Presley was with Elvis Presley for around 14 years before they split; however, the pair had known each other for years before they wed in 1967.
The time in between and following Priscilla and Elvis’ divorce was a tough spot for Priscilla, and one she wasn’t super open about — that is, until now. In her new memoir Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis, the actress shares the difficult but inspiring journey beyond the walls of Graceland post-split with the King, choosing to put herself and her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, first.
A hardcover version of the book is now on sale and can be purchased now on Amazon for $22.38, while paperback will run you $32. A Kindle version retails for $15.99. If you’re a superfan of Priscilla and the Presley family, you can also snag a signed version of the memoir via Barnes & Noble for $32. The piece makes a great gift for the avid Elvis collector in your life. If you’d rather listen to the memoir, we won’t judge, you can do so with Audible via a subscription which costs $7.95 a month, a price tag less than a physical copy.
Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis
A new memoir by Priscilla Presley.
If you didn’t know, Priscilla met Elvis when she was just 14 and he was 24. The singer was serving in the U.S. Army in 1959 in Germany. The pair remained romantically connected for years, even with distance between them and in 1967, they were wed in a simple and very secret ceremony in Las Vegas. While their separation in 1973 was painful for Priscilla, this novel highlights why it was so important for the Naked Gun star to leave.
It seems that Priscilla lost touch with herself throughout her relationship with Elvis. Leaving allowed her to find herself again. Through the book, we are treated to snippets of Priscilla’s life pre- and post-Elvis and how she had to reinvent herself a second time as the single mother after the performer’s death in 1977.
Today, we are taken through how Priscilla was able to transform Graceland into an international destination and helped guide the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises, turning the King’s legacy into a full-on business. If you are an Elvis fan, this gives readers a unique perspective on his life, as told by his ex-wife. It also gives Priscilla’s story more context for those who aren’t too familiar with her life and career.
Entertainment
Calvin Harris’ Ex-Business Manager Denies $22M Fraud Claims: ‘Categorically False’

Calvin Harris‘ former longtime business manager is firing back against bombshell fraud claims, saying he never stole from anybody and that the Scottish DJ willingly agreed to invest in his Los Angeles real estate development project.
Thomas St. John, an entertainment industry-focused accountant who runs the eponymous firm Thomas St. John Group, is currently wrapped up in thorny arbitration proceedings with his former client Harris (Adam Wiles). He’s accused of abusing his access to Harris’ accounts in order to fund his side venture: the construction of a recording studio and office space complex in Hollywood.
Harris claims that St. John tricked him into investing $22.5 million in the project, known as CMNTY Culture Campus, which he says turned out to be a “complete boondoggle” that he “has not received a single penny in return for” — while suggesting that St. John pocketed much of the money for himself.
However, a representative for St. John says in a new statement that the allegations are “categorically false.” The rep denies that St. John engaged in any self-dealing, adding that Harris is one of nine above-board investors who “knowingly signed investment agreements” to get involved in CMNTY Culture.
“Not a single dollar has been misappropriated, all investor entitlements remain intact, and the project continues to advance within the normal entitlement timeline,” says St. John’s rep in the Tuesday (Sept. 23) statement. “We will continue to take every necessary step to set the record straight and to ensure that these malicious, bad-faith attacks are recognized for what they are: entirely without merit.”
While CMNTY Culture was initially designed to house a recording studio and office space, St. John has since shifted the plans and is now developing a residential apartment complex on the same tract of land in Hollywood. According to his rep, the project is proceeding apace and “is expected to approach a $1 billion valuation” upon completion.
“While the entitlement process has naturally taken longer than initially projected due to unprecedented interest, macroeconomic conditions and significant city red tape, it remains firmly within its promised schedule and is now on the verge of securing final entitlements, an important milestone that will unlock substantial value,” adds St. John’s rep.
Thomas St. John Group has offices in Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam and Stockholm. The management firm’s U.S. arm recently filed for bankruptcy, citing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent in L.A. and multiple pending legal actions.
One creditor listed in the firm’s bankruptcy papers is Philip Lawrence, a songwriter and producer who made his name collaborating with Bruno Mars. Lawrence used to be a client of St. John’s and at one point invested $10 million from the sale of his catalog into CMNTY Culture Campus, according to court filings in Lawrence’s own personal bankruptcy case.
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