Jay-Z opened his headlining Roots Picnic set in Philadelphia on May 30 with a surprise four-minute a cappella freestyle that took swipes at several high-profile figures in hip-hop. The 56-year-old performed roughly a 31–32 song, career-spanning set backed by The Roots and used the opening bars to fire at Drake, Kanye West (Ye) and Nicki Minaj, among others. He seemingly answered lines from Drake’s recent Iceman track “Janice STFU,” referenced chart comparisons and publishing arrangements, and chastised Ye over past comments about Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s children. Jay-Z also appeared to target Minaj — including lines interpreted as referencing her public support for Donald Trump and her husband Kenneth Petty — and name-checked other figures such as Tory Lanez and Damon Dash. The performance featured guests including Meek Mill and Jazmine Sullivan and precedes Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint anniversary shows at Yankee Stadium in July. Clips circulated widely online; there were no immediate public responses from the artists named.

Country star Garth Brooks is exploring the sale of his songwriting and recorded-music rights in a transaction that could be valued from the high $1 billion range up to about $2 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on June 2. The potential deal, which Reuters and other outlets have since covered, would rank among the largest catalog sales for an individual artist if completed. Brooks, who has sold some 200 million albums in the United States and is the only artist with 10 RIAA-certified diamond albums, has discussed valuations with potential investors but has not publicly identified bidders. Industry buyers such as Sony Music have been active in recent years, acquiring major catalogs including Bruce Springsteen’s and Queen’s rights. Brooks has long limited streaming availability of his catalogue — maintaining an Amazon Music exclusivity deal signed in 2016 — a factor that prospective buyers would likely seek to change to broaden streaming, licensing and sync revenue. Reuters contacted Brooks for comment but had not received a response. The situation remains fluid as talks continue and investor interest is assessed.

Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy-winning R&B singer best known for his duets on Disney hits “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World,” died on Tuesday evening, June 2, 2026, at age 75, his family said. Bryson had suffered a stroke late in May and was receiving medical care; family statements and multiple outlets reported he transitioned peacefully surrounded by loved ones in Marietta, Georgia. Over a five-decade career he recorded around 20 studio albums and was celebrated for ballads such as “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again,” “Can You Stop the Rain” and duets with Celine Dion, Regina Belle and Roberta Flack. His recording of “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle became the first song from an animated film to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Tributes poured in from fellow artists, including Dion and Belle, and his family thanked fans for messages of support. Bryson is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren; memorial and celebration-of-life arrangements were to be announced.

Musician Ben Folds has published an open letter saying the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) “may not survive” amid fallout from former President Donald Trump’s overhaul of Washington’s Kennedy Center. Folds, who resigned as the NSO’s artistic adviser in February 2025 after Trump took control of the Center, said the orchestra currently has no announced season programming and “doesn’t even know if it has a home” following a planned two‑year closure for renovations that a federal judge recently blocked while ordering Trump’s name removed from the building. Folds warned the NSO’s endowment is entangled with the Kennedy Center’s legal and financial troubles, with fundraising and ticket sales having plunged. He urged donors, journalists and the public to rally behind the 96‑member orchestra, encouraged followers to amplify the musicians’ Instagram account, and called on Congress and the Kennedy Center board to create safeguards and require future directors to have arts administration experience. The Kennedy Center’s board has indicated it will appeal the court ruling, leaving the NSO’s immediate future uncertain.

Michael Stipe and producer Andrew Watt performed “I Played the Fool” on Jimmy Kimmel Live on June 2, showcasing the main title theme for HBO’s comedy series Rooster, which debuted in March and stars Steve Carell. The song, written specifically for the show by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, marks Stipe’s first new release in three years and was produced with Watt, who recently worked on Paul McCartney’s The Boys of Dungeon Lane. The recorded version features Josh Klinghoffer on piano and guitar and Travis Barker on drums; the Kimmel performance included Chad Smith on drums, Klinghoffer on keys, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar and bassist Chris Chaney. Stipe, 66, delivered a strong vocal showing for the live TV debut. The appearance follows Stipe’s late-April Colbert performance of another solo track, “The Rest of Ever,” and he has said a solo album is due by year-end. The collaboration underscores the crossover between legacy rock figures and contemporary TV soundtracks and has already drawn attention to Rooster’s soundtrack as a key promotional asset for the series.

Chrissie Hynde on June 2 published a blunt social media letter criticizing audience members who film or photograph live shows, saying the behaviour is a “weird compulsion” and comparing it to “monkeys wanking.” The Pretenders frontwoman recounted discussing the issue with Emmylou Harris and described being obstructed at Harris’s Royal Albert Hall concert by a fan’s bright phone screen. Hynde also cited a front-row patron filming Sarah Snook’s one-woman play and recounted a “nightmare” at a Van Gogh retrospective where visitors held phones up in front of paintings. She praised artists such as Bob Dylan who enforce phone-free policies — noting pouches and bag checks — and contrasted those acts with pop performers who encourage filming for social media. Hynde, 74, said she’s recorded a new Pretenders album and hopes to resume touring next year, while reiterating that phone use ruins the experience for both performers and other audience members. The comments have been widely picked up by music and culture outlets and revive an ongoing debate among artists, venues and fans about phone policies at live events.