NEWS
D Smoke goes caroling and provides gifts to South Central LA foster youth alongside his family and Crete Academy student singers in collaboration with CASA of Los Angeles and Cancel The Contract Antelope Valley on Saturday, Dec. 18.
Gio SolisAhead of his debut North American War & Wonders Tour, which launches Jan. 11 in San Diego, Grammy-nominated rapper and Rhythm + Flow inaugural champion D Smoke is wrapping up an incredible year by giving back to younger people in need.
On Saturday (Dec. 18), the Inglewood, California, native and former high school teacher hosted a Reimagining CommUNITY During the Holidays event, in partnership with CASA of Los Angeles, Crete Academy and Cancel The Contract: Antelope Valley.
During the heartwarming festivities, D Smoke and his his wife, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and violinist Angelina Sherie, were joined by their parents and pet dog, along with local Crete Academy elementary school students, to sing Christmas carols for South Central Los Angeles foster children at transitional youth and foster homes Sanctuary of Hope and Project Destiny Group Home. D Smoke also provided gifts to the youth, presented by Adidas and Black Santa. D Smoke concluded his holiday give-back with an intimate gathering at Sip & Sonder in Inglewood.
“Cancel the Contract is doing great work that’s aligned with the work I’ve been doing since I was in college, whether it be providing access to higher education or serving communities where education needs love and attention,” the “Black Habits” hitmaker tells Billboard. “Their mission is to stand against over-policing in schools.”
“The culture and love for elementary school students at Crete Academy is beautiful,” adds the education reform advocate. “Even the language [they use] and how the staff is trained to deal with kids is super aware, conscious and responsible of how it affects children. And CASA of Los Angeles, those were the perfect organizations [to collaborate with].”
D Smokes recalls a particularly memorable moment from Saturday’s benefit event. “I come from church so to see the young kids really minister and positively impact teenagers [was amazing]. The little kids are so free and innocent-thinking, so it was magical to see a teenager who may have been at her breaking point tearing up because the little girl who had a solo while singing ‘Jingle Bells’ decided to make up her own lyrics. It was a beautiful moment because you’re left to assume that if somebody is feeling sensitive, it’s probably because they’re having a hard time with something. So that moment may have been encouraging.”
Speaking further on the importance of giving back and remaining active in his local community amid his rapid rise to fame, D Smoke explains, “People need to see success in places where they don’t see it all the time. Visibility is extremely important because when people see you within arm’s reach, the things you’ve accomplished become possible to them.”
He adds that giving back to others also provides a personal sense of fulfillment and purpose. “The other side of it is that serving the community does something for a person. It puts things into perspective for the person doing the work,” he says.
And for Smoke, who previously taught Spanish classes, music recording and financial literacy at Inglewood High School, View Park Preparatory Accelerated Charter High School, Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets High and more academic institutions for a decade, it’s especially important to restore his native South Central L.A. community. After all, his grandma’s family home has been nestled in Inglewood since the ’70s.
Simply put, “giving back improves me. It makes me a better person and a better artist,” he says.
“It’s giving me all the energy and fuel to make better art,” says D Smoke, who released his sophomore studio album, War & Wonders, in September. His debut studio album, Black Habits, debuted at No. 25 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart in February and was Grammy nominated for best rap album last year.
With all of his success in music, D Smoke still prioritizes the youth. “Kids need exposure and that’s given from professionals from diverse careers,” he explains. “They have to see their dreams in someone else and they need exposure to resources and the opportunity to explore their talents in different crafts so they can learn. They also need well-funded centers, from music and film recording studios to technology centers.”
Smoke tied the knot with his wife Sherie on July 24. She appears in the album artwork for War & Wonders and will join Smoke on tour. Also exciting during D Smoke’s North American War & Wonders tour, fans can expect to see special appearances from his cousin Tiffany Gouché and Domani Harris (rapper T.I.’s son). “These are people who are true artists and with this being my first outing, people are going to see an authentic view of the art in person,” he says.
Pianist Smoke teases, “There will be some piano moments where I’m playing and rapping scaled down things and there will be full show moments. We’re excited and I trust that everything is going to work together as it should.”
The tour will run from the U.S. and Canada from Jan. 11 to Feb. 9, with stops in California, Texas, Maryland, Philadelphia and more. Tickets are available for purchase at D Smoke’s official website.
NEWS
It has been just over seven months since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce revealed their engagement through an Instagram post that quickly went viral.
Since that announcement, both stars have stayed extremely busy with their careers. Swift dropped her 15th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, The Life of a Showgirl, in October, selling an impressive 4 million equivalent album units. Around the same time, Kelce confirmed he would return to the Kansas City Chiefs for his 14th NFL season earlier this month.
Even though they have both expressed excitement about organizing their wedding, their current focus remains on their professional commitments.
“I’m just doing the album thing now,” Swift shared during an October interview on The Graham Norton Show after Norton asked whether wedding preparations had started. “And then I think the wedding is after that.”
After Swift and Kelce made their first joint awards show appearance at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 26, curiosity about their wedding plans has started building again.
People close to the couple, often referred to as the Tayvis circle, have mostly stayed quiet about any confirmed plans. Kelce’s mother Donna Kelce declined to comment when approached by a photographer at LAX about whether she would help with the planning. “I’m just happy. I’m so happy for them,” she said.
At the same time, Swift’s future sister in law Kylie Kelce, who is married to Travis’ brother Jason, asked listeners on her Not Gonna Lie podcast on April 2 to stop asking for insider information. “Quit asking me and my mother in law [Donna] about upcoming nuptials,” she said directly to viewers. “Nobody’s f—ing telling you anything.” She continued by saying, “I don’t have any details. I have no details. I have none. Look at that. That’s how many details I have. None. None.”
While Donna and Kylie have chosen to stay private, a handful of people within the couple’s inner circle, including Taylor and Travis themselves, have occasionally shared small insights about the wedding.
Here is what has been revealed so far about the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding.
Swift is interested in having the ceremony in another location
During an interview on BBC Radio 1, host Greg James thanked Swift for supposedly inviting him to the celebration, joking that although he usually avoids destination weddings, he would gladly attend hers. When he asked where she might hold the event, Swift kept things mysterious, replying, “I’m going to let you know at a different time.”
The guest list could be very large
If you are hoping to receive an invitation to the Tayvis wedding, there might actually be a chance.
During an October 2025 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Swift joked that Norton would eventually find out when he asked whether the wedding might take place in 2026. She clarified that she plans to invite him along with practically everyone she has spent time with.
“I know it’s going to be fun to plan because I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount, and people are on the bubble,” Swift said. “And you have to evaluate or assess your relationship with them to see if they should be there. I’m not going to do that.”
She added, “Anyone I’ve ever talked to.”
Watch the full clip below.
A live band will probably provide the music
It appears the couple is leaning toward live performers rather than a DJ.
On a September episode of the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, guest Jimmy Fallon asked Travis whether they had begun thinking about wedding details.
“Are you gonna do DJ or band? Are you thinking about all this stuff?” Fallon asked.
Kelce answered by sharing their preference, saying, “Yeah, I think we’re live music kind of people, you know?”
Although he likely would not be the only performer, Swift hinted in an October interview with Hits Radio that her close friend and collaborator Ed Sheeran could perform during the celebration.
“It’s like, ‘Ed, if there’s a stage, you know that you’ll be on it,” Swift said. “He knows what people want and he wants to give people what they want.”
The wedding could happen before summer ends
Fans hoping for an autumn themed ceremony might be disappointed, as the couple may be considering a summer timeframe.
During a January 2025 episode of New Heights, recorded months before the engagement, Kelce explained why fall weddings can be difficult due to the football season.
“I actually don’t know people who have gotten married in the fall,” he said. “All the weddings I’ve been to, and all my friends do it in the summer.”
If they do move forward with a wedding this year, it may happen before the end of the summer. Kelce recently confirmed he would return to the Chiefs for another season, partly inspired by Swift’s dedication to her work. ESPN reporter Nate Taylor also mentioned that Kelce “plans to marry [Swift] before training camp,” which begins July 22. If they want to avoid conflicts with football, the ceremony would likely need to happen before that date.
Invitations may not have been sent yet
Even with speculation pointing toward a summer ceremony, no confirmed date has been publicly shared, and even people close to them say they are unsure.
In a September interview on SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series, Ed Sheeran said he had not yet received a save the date. He also mentioned that he found out about their engagement through Instagram just like everyone else.
“You didn’t even get a DM in advance?” host Andy Cohen asked.
“No,” Sheeran responded.
More recently, Kylie Kelce said during a January appearance on Today with Savannah Guthrie that she had no idea whether the wedding would happen this year.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Kylie admitted when discussing how little she knows about the plans.
Kylie also repeated that she has no inside information during an appearance on the podcast Conversations With Cam. “I would love to give you all the details. I don’t have them,” she said after host Cam Rogers asked what fans should expect from the wedding.
