Last Friday is really happening.

We’ve covered the rumors over the last couple of years, like when Ice Cube told Flavor Flav that the fourth installment of the beloved film franchise “finally got some traction with Warner Bros.” back in 2024 and when Mike Epps told The Breakfast Club last year that he had recently gotten word that a deal was in place. Now it looks like the ink is dry and it’s finally happening.

Cube and Epps sat down with Entertainment Tonight to confirm the news and exclusively told the outlet that Last Friday will deal with the gentrification of their neighborhood. And when asked if Chris Tucker would return as Smokey, the role that made him a star, the pair seemed optimistic.

“We’re talking to him and he wants to come back,” Epps said, with Cube adding, “He’s one of the best. I think he’s going to do it.”

Cube previously told Cam Newton about a rejected script idea where Craig and Day-Day were owners of a dispensary who suddenly found themselves in jail. “I wrote a script where Craig and Day-Day, they had a dispensary. They had a flash mob in there and they caught one of the kids and beat his little a–, and they end up going to jail,” he began. “So they in jail duckin’ Deebo, they in jail duckin’ Damon, they in jail duckin’ the Joker brothers. And then they get into a rehab — and I was trying to get Chris [Tucker] back — Smokey was running the rehab, but it was a bullsh– rehab where he was taking everybody’s weed and smoking it in the basement.”

However, studio executives weren’t too fond of the idea and were worried about jail not being funny. “They were like, ‘Jail’s not funny, it’s too much time in jail. How can you make jail funny?’ And I’m like, ‘Man, y’all don’t know what the f— y’all talking about,’” he said. “Then they come out with Orange Is the New Black, Let’s Go to Prison — all these movies about that. And I’m like, ‘See, more Hollywood execs don’t know what the f— they talking about.’”

Shooting is set to start later this year, but in the meantime, you can check out The Everyday’s Friday: Lyrics, Lougin’ and Laughing show in Long Beach, California, on July 17 (a Friday, of course) to celebrate Friday’s 30th anniversary.

You can watch the clip below.

Nearly two decades after his death, Michael Jackson is the biggest artist in the United States. The late superstar, who died in 2009, tops the Billboard Artist 100 chart for the first time, powered by the continued success of the Michael biopic and a massive resurgence across streaming, radio and sales.

The Artist 100, which Billboard launched in 2014, ranks the top artists in the U.S. based on artists’ activity across streaming, radio airplay, album sales and track sales. The chart combines those metrics into a weekly multidimensional ranking of artist popularity.

Here’s a closer look at the numbers behind Jackson’s historic week.

Streaming Is Soaring

Jackson’s solo catalog generated 161.2 million chart-inclusive on-demand official U.S. streams during the May 8-14 tracking week, according to Luminate (up 6% week to week). That’s the third highest total of the week among all artists, after only Drake (248.6 million) and Morgan Wallen (201.4 million).

Radio Airplay Continues to Thrive

Jackson’s music has continued to thrive on radio, drawing a combined 93.4 million radio airplay audience impressions in the U.S. during the tracking week (up 2%). That’s the eighth-most among all artists, after Bruno Mars (197.1 million), Wallen (172.3 million), Taylor Swift (143.7 million), Olivia Dean (139.6 million), Ella Langley (129.5 million), Luke Combs (128.3 million) and Justin Bieber (98.3 million), all of whom are fueled by current releases.

Album Sales Are Spiking

Jackson’s solo catalog sold a combined 46,000 albums in the U.S. during the week (up 8%) — the second-highest total among all acts. Only CORTIS sold more (86,000), largely driven by its new EP GREENGREEN, which sold 81,000 alone.

Digital Song Sales Are Booming

Jackson’s songs sold 20,000 digital downloads combined during the tracking week, placing him narrowly behind Langley (also roughly 20,000) for the second highest total among all acts.

Together, those metrics make Jackson the biggest artist in the U.S. this week, a feat sparked by the major cultural and commercial impact of Michael. The film has become second-highest grossing film of the year and has reignited interest in Jackson’s catalog, which in turn has sent many of his songs and albums back onto Billboard’s charts.

On the latest Billboard Hot 100, Jackson places six songs — the most he’s ever charted simultaneously: “Billie Jean” (up 17-15), “Human Nature” (29-21), “Beat It” (32-29), “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (42-36), “Dirty Diana” (No. 44 reentry) and “Rock With You” (No. 47 reentry). Five of those classics topped the chart between 1979 and 1988, while “Human Nature” hit the top 10 in 1983.

“Billie Jean” also rises to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for the first time, becoming the biggest song in the world this week.

Jackson additionally places six albums on the Billboard 200: Thriller (No. 5), Number Ones (No. 6), The Essential Michael Jackson (No. 83), Off the Wall (No. 93), Dangerous (No. 135) and Xscape (No. 192 reentry).

Jackson becomes the sixth artist to top the Artist 100 posthumously. He joins David Bowie, who led the week after his death in January 2016; Prince, who spent two weeks at No. 1 following his death the same year; XXXTentacion, who led twice following his death in 2018; Juice WRLD, who returned to No. 1 after he died in December 2019; and Pop Smoke, who was No. 1 in July 2020 after the posthumous release of Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon.

Notably, the Jacksons are also benefiting from the Michael resurgence, as the group reenters the latest Artist 100 at No. 98.

Holli’ Gabrielle Conway, Jade Milan and Stoney B. Woods are set to portray Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, respectively, in CrazySexyCool — The TLC Musical. As noted in an earlier Billboard story, the show — produced by special arrangement with Bill Diggins — will debut this summer at Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theater in Washington, D.C. It will run from June 12 through Aug. 9. The musical’s debut will precede the upcoming It’s Iconic Tour, co-headlined by TLC and Salt-N-Pepa with special guest En Vogue. The tour launches Aug. 15 in Franklin, Tenn.

Based on music recorded and performed by the four-time Grammy Award-winning group — featuring signature songs such as Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “No Scrubs,” “Creep,” Waterfalls” and “Unpretty” — CrazySexyCool is written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah. His credits include One Love: The Bob Marley Musical. Additional members of the production’s creative team include choreographer Chloe O. Davis (Gypsy), Tony Award-nominated music supervisor David Holcenberg (MJ the Musical) and music director Jaret Landon (Smokey Joe’s Café).

“CrazySexyCool is as bold, fearless and unapologetic as TLC themselves,” said Arena Stage artistic director Hana S. Sharif in the press release. “It holds space for the music we love and the reality that lies behind it, making room for both the joy of their success and the complexity of everything that came with it.”

The actresses playing the three members of the pioneering R&B/pop group have previously performed on Broadway. Conway appeared in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Milan was in Hell’s Kitchen and Woods acted in The Book of Mormon. “One of the most meaningful parts of this process is showing how TLC’s impact has lasted for generations,” said the trio in a joint statement. “Every song brings you back to a moment in your life. Stepping into that nostalgia, while furthering TLC’s legacy of resilience, creativity and sisterhood has been one of the coolest and most rewarding parts of telling this story. The chemistry and trust between us have become a huge part of what makes this show feel special.”

In speaking about the musical’s titular group, cast and creative team, Kwei-Armah commented, “TLC’s music was the soundtrack to a very meaningful part of my life. The cast we have assembled is fire, and the creative team is out of this world. I haven’t been this excited in a long time.”

For additional information about CrazySexyCool — The TLC Musical and tickets, visit the show’s website here.

In partnership with Billboard, Montauk Yacht Club has announced the return of its Marina Music Series for a third season, kicking things off with a Memorial Day Weekend DJ set from Washed Out on Saturday, May 23, with more talent announcements yet to come.

Washed Out — christened the “Godfather of Chilllwave” by Pitchfork — will set the tone for the summer with a sunset DJ set on May 23 from 5-8 p.m. ET. The singer/songwriter/producer born Ernest Greene has scored two top 20 albums on Billboard‘s Top Dance Albums chart, including his most recent release, 2024’s Notes From a Quiet Life (Sub Pop).

The Marina Music Series will bring a string of live performances to the East End all summer, following a 2025 season that featured sets from NEIL FRANCES and Paco Versailles, as well as inaugural 2024 sets from Anderson .Paak and St. Lucia.

If you’ll be in Montauk next weekend, you can reserve a spot for Washed Out here, or reach out about VIP table reservations for larger groups by emailing myc.dining@montaukyachtclub.com. You can also keep tabs on future summer events and more Marina Music Series announcements at MontaukYachtClub.com/happenings. (Table reservations, hotel guests and marina members have priority access and guaranteed entry; GA guest list is based on capacity and not guaranteed entry.)

“Billboard has long been an incredible partner to us, so we’re thrilled to bring this music series back to Montauk Yacht Club,” says Casey Dolkas, vice president, activations & experiences at Proper Hospitality. “Music has always been central to how we create culture and community across our properties, and there’s no better backdrop for this summer series than Montauk.”

“Billboard has always been focused on bringing artists and fans together in unforgettable settings, and Montauk Yacht Club provides a unique experience,” says Mary Rooney, SVP of experiences at Billboard. “We’re excited to continue building on this partnership and create a summer series in Montauk that feels intimate, elevated, and deeply connected to music culture.”

Built in 1928, Montauk Yacht Club is the largest luxury hotel and marina in the Hamptons, spanning 16 acres, with 106 hotel rooms and more than 230 boat slips on the historic Star Island.

Universal Music Group (UMG) expects the newly acquired Downtown Music Group to save Virgin Music Group 15 to 20 million euros ($17.4- $23.3 million) in costs the coming years, further bolstering Virgin Music Group’s growth, which is outpacing UMG’s recorded music division overall, UMG CFO Matt Ellis said on Monday (May 18).

“In terms of the return, we’re driving 15 to 20 million euros of synergies over the next couple of years … a mid-teens [internal rate of return] for that investment,” Ellis said at a conference hosted by JPMorgan.

Ellis made the remarks during a wide-ranging discussion about factors that are pressuring UMG’s margins and how growth in lower-margin businesses like Downtown’s is impacting the complexion of its overall growth.

“Virgin is certainly growing faster, especially with the addition of Downtown,” Ellis said. “So we will continue to focus on driving revenue and EBITDA more so than just worried about the short-term margin impact.”

The discussion comes a little over a month since billionaire investor Bill Ackman criticized UMG’s investor communications and disclosures as “suboptimal” in his company Pershing Square’s offer to move UMG to the United States through a merger transaction. UMG has since taken steps toward providing more information to investors, including breaking out Downtown and Virgin Music Group’s financials in its recent first-quarter results, the company’s first since UMG closed its $775-million acquisition of Downtown.

Addressing questions about UMG’s overall flat margins in 2025, Ellis said the company’s strength is the overall operating leverage gained from its individual businesses, three of which — Virgin Music Group, physical distribution and publishing — are currently growing at faster rates than the recorded music division overall.

While they’re growing faster than recorded music, Ellis said those comparatively lower profit-margin businesses are having “a mixed effect on the gross margin line.”

Ellis declined to provide an update on when UMG may proceed with listing on a U.S. stock exchange, saying the board continues to review market conditions for such a move. Ellis similarly declined to say how UMG’s contractual agreements with BMG and Concord, which recently announced plans to merge and contract with UMG for certain services, would change post-merger.

Artist advances totaled more than 400 million euros in 2025, and Ellis said that line item has grown by 8% over the past six years. He called these advances a “working capital investment” that the company can recover from future sales of an artist’s work and revenue generated by an artist’s back catalog.

“As the total using industry has grown, it’s not surprising that advances have grown as well,” Ellis said, pointing to UMG’s 11% total revenue growth and nearly 14% adjusted earnings before income, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) over the same six-year period. “The fact that they’re growing is a reflection of the health of the music business, and we continue to look to deepen the relationship with our artists and the success that they’ve delivered.”

Ellis said he expects streaming revenue to rise in the coming year now that three higher-priced deals that UMG struck with streaming platforms in 2025 are going into effect, but he did not disclose specific guidance.

Asked about UMG’s merchandise acting as a drag on company margins over the past year, Ellis said he is optimistic about the top-line growth and demand from fans and artists alike for specialty T-shirts, jackets and other merchandise, but added they need to address operational issues that will result in higher margins.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated in the headline and first sentence that the Downtown acquisition is expected to result in 15 to 20 million euros in additional revenue. The story was corrected to reflect the Downtown acquisition is expected to result in 15 to 20 million euros in cost savings in the coming years.

Jason Lee typically doesn’t mince words when it comes to giving his unfiltered opinions as a pop culture critic. However, he realizes there are times he crossed the line, one of those being his offensive remarks about Ariana Grande, which his close friend, Cardi B, called him out for.

The Hollywood Unlocked founder joined If You Knew Better with Amber Grimes on May 14, where Lee recalled a time he overstepped his boundary with his criticism.

“There’s been a few times I have crossed the line. I was in a podcast and I didn’t have a lot of people around me that would say, ‘Damn, you shouldn’t have said that.’ So I would just say anything I wanted. At the time, I just felt some type of way about Ariana Grande,” he said.

The 48-year-old revealed it was Cardi B who checked him and put him in his place, which made him take a step back and reconsider his words.

“It was Cardi B who called and just said like, ‘Nah, you crossed the line. You got to go back and fix that ‘cause that wasn’t right. You’re better than that.’ So although nobody was around me at the time I said it or edited it, it went out,” he explained.

Lee continued: “Cardi was able to check me to go back and fix it. And so I looked at it, I’m like, you know, I got five sisters. I probably would have felt some way if somebody did that to my sister. I didn’t need to deliver it that way. So I did go back and apologize.”

Jason Lee didn’t offer up exactly what he was referring to about the “7 Rings” singer, but he’s possibly alluding to a viral clip from early 2019, which found him making extremely offensive comments including comparing her looks to “an underage piece of meat.”

“You chose to be friends with Nicki Minaj and clearly you pick losers,” he said. “And third of all, if I ever see you on an award show opening your legs up during a performance like you Beyoncé — girl you look like R. Kelly’s snacks you need to stop. She looks like an underage piece of meat ready to be p-ssed on by Robert.”

The former Wild ‘N Out star added: “If you’re f—ing Ariana Grande, you want to f–k little kids, for sure. She is not a woman. That is not a woman, that’s a little girl.”

Lee explained that he doesn’t regret his comments, but used them as a learning experience going forward. “Do I regret it? Nah, because I had to go through these experiences to learn the power of my platform, the power of the tongue, being responsible and owning it,” he said. “And that it’s OK to apologize when you cross the line, because people do want to see you’re human and know you’re not just an emotionless tree that don’t care about other people’s feelings… So yeah, I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve learned from them.”

Watch the entire interview below. Find Jason Lee’s comments about Ariana Grande and Cardi B around the six-minute mark.