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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Day: October 26, 2025
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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Blessed with a squeaky, high-pitched voice, Jamaican singer Millie Small was one of the pop sensations of 1964, thanks to her breakout hit single, “My Boy Lollipop,” which peaked at No. 2 in both the UK pop and US R&B charts. The record reportedly sold seven million copies worldwide, instantly transforming the teenager into an international star. Three years later, the iconic track appeared as the centerpiece of the singer’s first retrospective, The Best Of Millie Small.
The insanely catchy “My Boy Lollipop” represented a seismic moment in pop music history, when Jamaican ska music – an uptempo precursor to reggae – entered the mainstream and appeared on the radar of the wider public consciousness. The record’s phenomenal success brought the 16-year-old singer into the orbit of The Beatles, whose 1964 TV special Around The Beatles she appeared on. Her celebrity also put her on the iconic UK music show Ready, Steady, Go! and propelled her into the cast of a British television musical, The Rise & Fall Of Nellie Brown, which aired the same year. Such was her fame in the UK that she even cut a ska record called “The Bournvita Song,” promoting a hot beverage for chocolate manufacturer Cadbury’s.
The Best Of Millie Small is available on vinyl via the Black Story initiative. Order it now.
But matching “My Boy Lolipop’s” success was another matter. A follow-up single, “Sweet William” – cast from a similar stylistic ska-style mold – stalled at No. 30 in the UK chart while her debut album, More Millie (re-titled My Boy Lollipop for the US market) surprisingly failed to make any impression on the British albums chart. Millie scored one final British hit in 1965 – “Bloodshot,” a high-energy pop number that scraped into the UK Top 50 – before fading into obscurity. In 1967, however, Island Records attempted to revive her career with the fourteen-track The Best Of Millie Small, which perfectly summed up the Jamaican singer’s ebullient singing style.
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Born Millicent Dolly May in Jamaica in 1947, Millie was the youngest of twelve children, raised in a shack on a sugar plantation where her father was a supervisor. A keen singer from an early age, at the age of 12, she won a radio station-sponsored talent contest held in Montego Bay’s Palladium Theatre. As a teenager, she came to the attention of the noted Jamaican record producer Coxsone Dodd, who gave her the stage name Millie Small. He signed her to his Kingston-based Studio One label, where she first tasted success in 1961 opposite singer Owen Gray on the duet “Sugar Plum,” a popular Jamaican hit. Another duet, 1962’s “We’ll Meet,” where she teamed up with Roy Panton, caught the ear of Chris Blackwell, a British music entrepreneur raised in Jamaica who had founded Island Records in 1959, an independent label that he used as a conduit to bring Caribbean music to the UK.
On hearing Small’s unique voice, Blackwell was instantly captivated. “There was no one who sang like Millie, with such wonderful little-girl earnestness,” he wrote in his biography The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond. He persuaded Dodd to let him manage the singer, then 15, and got permission from her parents to take her to England. Blackwell was convinced he could transform her into a star, stating: “Of all the singers in Jamaica, Millie was the one I thought had the greatest chance of success in the UK.”
Blackwell became her legal guardian and enrolled his young charge at a London drama school, which he hoped would soften her rough edges and make her more palatable for UK audiences, though he emphasized, “I wasn’t trying to whiten Millie … though her impish Kingston patois needed a bit of massaging.”
The first single he made with her, “Don’t You Know,” a driving slice of teen R&B released by the Fontana label, was a flop, but then Blackwell found what he believed was the perfect song for her, “My Boy Lollipop,” which was an old US R&B track first recorded by teenage singer Barbie Gaye in 1956. Using the eminent Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin as his arranger, he gave the tune a ska makeover, a fresh, new, and infectious sound that was tailor-made for huge chart success.
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The timeless track was the undoubted focal point of The Best Of Millie Small, which included Millie’s two other UK hit singles “Sweet William” and “Bloodshot Eyes.” Her brilliance as a ska pioneer was also reflected in the catchy self-written “Oh Henry,” taken from Small’s debut album More Millie, and “Wings Of A Dove,” the B-side to the 1967 pop-meets-vaudeville-style single, “Chicken Feed,” which was also included.
The Best Of Millie Small also revealed that there was much more to the so-called “Blue Beat Girl” than “My Boy Lollipop.” The non-album single “Killer Joe” put her in an R&B setting, while its B-side “Carry, Go, Bring Home” sounded like calypso-tinged beat pop. There was also an aching rendition of soul man Sam Cooke’s bluesy ballad “Bring It On Home To Me,” released as a single B-side. Later, there’s the bluesy “Three Nights A Week” and “Walkin’ To New Orleans,” both plucked from the singer’s second, largely forgotten album, Millie Sings Fats Domino, a tribute to the New Orleans singer who was hugely popular in Jamaica. Small’s voice was framed on those two tracks by thick orchestral strings over chugging R&B backbeats.
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Despite the popularity of “My Boy Lollipop” – which would be covered by everyone from Teresa Brewer to Bad Manners over the years – The Best Of Millie Small didn’t sell enough copies to break into the UK and US charts. Today, however, it offers a vivid reminder of the girl from Clarendon, Jamaica, who took the world by storm in 1964 and put ska music on the international music map.
The Best Of Millie Small is available on vinyl via the Black Story initiative. Order it now.
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Chauncey Billups landed in the middle of a sprawling FBI investigation into mafia-run poker games in New York and his legal team is punching back hard against the accusations.
The Portland Trail Blazers head coach was arrested Thursday in Portland as part of a federal crackdown on illegal gambling operations allegedly tied to four notorious crime families.
Attorney Chris Heywood wasted no time defending his client’s reputation.
“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” Heywood said in a statement to ESPN. “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”
The arrest is not tied to any NBA games or coaching decisions.
Instead, federal agents allege Billups took part in high-stakes poker games that were rigged using high-tech cheating devices, including X-ray tables and contact lenses.
The operation was reportedly backed by the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese families. Heywood emphasized that Billups never compromised the sport he dedicated his life to.
“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to,” he said.
After his arraignment, Billups was released and seen leaving a federal courthouse in Portland.
The NBA placed him on immediate leave, and assistant coach Tiago Splitter was named interim head coach of the Trail Blazers.
The probe also led to charges against Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player-turned-assistant coach Damon Jones.
In total, 34 individuals were indicted — 28 for the mafia-linked poker ring and six for alleged manipulation of NBA games and insider betting.
Heywood closed his statement with a clear message that Billups intended to challenge the charges.
“Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
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Cardi B turned a casual Instagram Live session into a global Korean food revolution after her enthusiastic reaction to gochu tuna sent millions scrambling to recreate her meal.
The Bronx rapper recently went live on Instagram to share her latest culinary discovery after shopping at H Mart, the largest Korean grocery chain in America.
During the broadcast, she mixed Korean gochu tuna with rice and mayonnaise, then wrapped the combination in gim (Korean seaweed sheets) while delivering her unfiltered commentary.
“Koreans are crazy,” she marveled during the live stream, adding, “The combination of gochu tuna and gim is perfect.”
Her genuine excitement over the simple yet flavorful dish resonated with viewers worldwide. The edited version of her mukbang session exploded across social media platforms, racking up over 4 million views on YouTube alone.
The moment birthed the #GochuTunaChallenge hashtag, with fans and food enthusiasts recreating her exact recipe combination.
The viral moment delivered immediate business results for Korean food companies. Dongwon F&B, riding the wave of international attention, expanded gochu tuna exports to 28 countries, including the United States, Japan, Vietnam and China.
This marks the second time this year that Cardi B has inadvertently boosted Korean food sales.
In March, she posted a TikTok video praising Korean red ginseng, declaring, “It works better than coffee. I feel awake all day.”
That clip surpassed 1 million views within two weeks, creating what industry experts called an “overseas red ginseng craze.”
The rapper joins a growing list of celebrities whose food endorsements have transformed Korean exports.
BTS members’ love for Buldak spicy ramyeon and Chacharoni helped establish these products as global K-food ambassadors.
BLACKPINK’s Jennie mentioned Banana Kick as her favorite Korean snack on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” earlier this year, resulting in a 69% jump in U.S. export volume the following month.
Korean food exports have experienced remarkable growth, reaching $7.02 billion last year, according to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The gochu tuna phenomenon demonstrates how authentic celebrity reactions can drive consumer behavior across cultural boundaries, transforming a simple grocery store purchase into a global food trend.
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Master P emerged from musical semi-retirement to announce “The No Limit 5K Mix: Lost Tapes,” a 25-track project featuring collaborations with Lil Wayne, NBA YoungBoy, and Gucci Mane.
The Hip-Hop mogul revealed the album was inspired by his upcoming Verzuz battle against Cash Money Records at ComplexCon 2025.
The New Orleans native had stepped back from music since 2018’s “Tony Montana” tape, focusing on his role as President of Basketball Operations for the University of New Orleans and various business ventures.
However, when Swizz Beatz approached him about participating in Verzuz, the conversation reignited his creative spark.
“I just started looking through what I had. And I had all these songs. I’m like, man, I never really did nothing with these songs. Didn’t make no videos, didn’t do nothing,” Master P told Complex. “And then the song I did with Lil Wayne, I feel like that inspired me because we’re both from New Orleans and this a celebration.”
The project showcases Master P’s ability to attract A-list collaborators, featuring appearances from YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Kevin Gates, Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, and the late Nipsey Hussle.
Master P’s return comes at a pivotal moment in Hip-Hop culture.
The 54-year-old entrepreneur built No Limit Records into a multi-million-dollar empire in the 1990s, pioneering independent distribution and artist-ownership models that influenced countless rappers.
His business acumen extended beyond music into sports management, real estate, and entertainment.
“I’m giving it to the fans where they could get the music. I mean all my No Limit Soldiers—everybody got their camo on now. The tanks is out and we just giving them good music,” Master P explained. “Those diehard fans and the new fans, the younger fans that probably didn’t get a chance to really feel my music. They could get a chance now to see where we at and see where we was at back then.”
The album represents more than just a musical comeback—it’s a celebration of New Orleans Hip-Hop culture and the lasting impact of both No Limit and Cash Money Records.
Master P emphasized that the Verzuz battle should be viewed as a celebration rather than a competition, highlighting the success of two neighborhood-based labels that achieved global recognition.
Alongside the album, a documentary will be released highlighting No Limit’s cultural legacy and lasting impact on Hip-Hop.
The Verzuz battle will stream live on Apple Music starting at 8 P.M. ET on Saturday, October 25.
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Armani White refuses to let media outlets paint him as a criminal after his October 12 arrest for filming a music video on Interstate 75 in Kentucky.
The Philadelphia rapper was arrested for disorderly conduct when police found him dancing on the concrete median of I-75 in Newport, Kentucky, while filming content with his tour crew.
The 29-year-old artist was touring with Grammy-winning singer T-Pain when the incident occurred.
TMZ covered the arrest extensively, releasing Tolbert’s mug shot and police bodycam footage while making comments about his appearance in the booking photo. The coverage prompted White to address the situation during a packed concert in Birmingham, Alabama last weekend.
“I smiled in that mugshot because I refuse to let anyone paint me as a criminal. Or tell a story about me thru images that falsify who I am and the legacy I’m leaving behind for kids looking up to me or watching me. I laugh with the world as much as possible but that still doesn’t allow y’all to play with my castle.” Armani White said.
According to police citation records, officers responded to reports of people running on the highway. When they arrived, they found White and his crew filming on the interstate’s concrete median, disrupting traffic.
White gained international recognition in 2022 with his viral hit “BILLIE EILISH,” which sampled The Neptunes and sparked a massive TikTok challenge that reached millions of users.
The track’s success led to a collaboration with its namesake, Billie Eilish, who joined him for a live performance in 2023.
The rapper has been building his career since the 2010s, earning a spot at Jay-Z’s Made In America festival in 2018 after years of attending as a fan.
Earlier this year, White performed his first NFL halftime show during the NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.
White released his debut album “Keep In Touch” in 2019, followed by the EP “Things We Lost in the Fire,” which referenced a tragic house fire that claimed family members when he was young.
This week, he dropped a music video for “MOUNT PLEASANT,” teasing his upcoming album set for October 31 release.
The arrest has not derailed White’s tour schedule, as he continues performing alongside T-Pain across the country.
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Pat Stay received justice as his killer was sentenced to serve at least 17 years behind bars before becoming eligible for parole.
Adam Drake, 34, was convicted of second-degree murder in June for fatally stabbing the legendary battle rapper in a downtown Halifax bar in September 2022.
Justice Scott Norton of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court set Drake’s parole ineligibility on Friday, describing the murder as “inexplicable, needless, senseless and gratuitous.”
The Crown had requested 20 to 23 years, while Drake’s defense suggested 13 to 15 years.
“Mr. Drake is a dangerous man,” Crown prosecutor Carla Ball told the CBC outside court. “He walks in the community and causes grave threat to our society and that’s demonstrated by his criminal history, and the judge ruled in accordance with that.”
Drake’s sentencing is complicated by his previous conviction for first-degree murder in the 2016 shooting death of Tyler Keizer.
That conviction carries an automatic life sentence with 25 years minimum before parole eligibility. Drake must serve both sentences concurrently, meaning he’ll serve approximately 25 years total.
Stay’s widow, Malyssa Burns, attended Friday’s hearing along with family and friends who packed the courtroom. She had posted on social media that she would not speak at the hearing because she could not address Drake directly.
The battle rap community continues mourning the loss of Pat Stay, who was regarded as one of the greatest battle rappers of all time.
His career spanned multiple leagues, including KOTD, URL, RBE, Don’t Flop and UDubb, where he consistently delivered must-see performances that elevated the entire culture.
Pat Stay was one of the most decorated battle rappers in Hip-Hop history.
The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native was a three-time King of the Dot champion and headlined the league’s World Domination event six times – more than legendary battlers like Dizaster and Arsonal, who each appeared four times.
Stay’s influence on battle rap culture was immeasurable.
His performances on Elements Battle League caught the attention of Drect, who credited Pat Stay as inspiration for creating Grindtime in 2008.
The Canadian battle rap icon defended his KOTD championship title against elite competitors, including Dizaster, Daylyt, Charron and Illmac.
His championship reign featured some of the most legendary battles in the league’s history, with his Dizaster battle considered a legitimate contender for best battle of all time.
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