Ok, we have to talk about something. It’s important. Pay attention, ok?

ARTISTS ARE NOT GOING TO CONTACT YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE THEY NEED SOMETHING FROM YOU. Yes, they appreciate you being a big fan. No, they don’t appreciate you so much that they will randomly send you a DM sending you tickets to a private show or asking you for financial help, plane tickets, or anything else. There is never a time that there is a legitimate reason to give money directly to an artist via social media.

Let me say it a little louder for those in the back: THERE IS NEVER A TIME THAT THERE IS A LEGITIMATE REASON TO GIVE MONEY DIRECTLY TO AN ARTIST VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

That’s why the legit accounts for artists have a blue check next to their names. If there’s no blue check, it’s not them.

This is a big enough deal that a whole bunch of country artists got together to make you this Public Service Announcement (PSA), in which you’ll see they pretty much all agree those imposters are bullshit.

When these fake jackwagons (I said it) contact you  -- and they will, if they haven’t already – don’t respond, just report them. Feel free to take a screen shot first to share it with your friends to show them how stupid these people are – some of them actually contact the real artists’ families and bandmates and record label friends. One posing as Kix Brooks reached out to Kix’s WIFE to ask her for money.

I know you want to believe that you favorite artists are reaching out to you personally, but really stop and think about how much sense that makes. Why you? You’re pretty great, but really? Does Garth Brooks actually need money from you? Don’t fall for it. Keep your money for important things, like pizza and unicorn inflatables, and those $168 jeans that are nothing but seams and pockets. On second thought, please skip that last one, too.

Arguably one of the greatest MC's in the Hip-Hop game, Rakim is back with new music! "King's Paradise” is the title of his first record in nearly a decade, and you'll find the song on the soundtrack to Netflix’s "Luke Cage: Season 2.” Catch him perform it live on NPR’s always excellent Tiny Desk series, along with some of classics!

Swedish EDM act NOTD (it’s pronounced “noted”) and up and coming artist Bea Miller are hoping they’ve released the song of the summer, and sat down on TRL recently to talk about how the track came about. They also took on the real life circumstance that led Bea to write the song.

TRL wasn’t the only stop for Bea in NYC this week – she also performed at youth pride.

Do you think Bea Miller and NOTD can make it to the top of the charts this summer? Listen, heart and share the song on Slacker Radio to help boost it onto the Slacker Top 40!

You'll get the backstories on some of your favorite songs while they hit up Penny Lane, the hair salon where Paul and John Lennon used to hang out and Paul's childhood home.

Ps - Owning Paul McCartney's childhood home must be a blessing and a curse...

"HOLD ON PAUL, GIVE ME ONE MINUTE." *shoves dirty glasses in the fridge, smells armpits, sprays perfume, fixes frazzled hair*

According to Consequence Of Sound, McCartney will release his first studio album in five years on September 7th. Egypt Station, is named after one of his own paintings.

ACM’s charity arm, Lifting Lives, has a music camp every year, and it’s probably the coolest camp you could ever dream of going to. This year, 30 campers ranging from 16 to 50 years old, all with a developmental disability called Williams Syndrome, got to visit Nashville for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. During the campers week-long stay, they received music education and performance experience, all while the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center was able to study this unique disability.

The program started with a writing session, where campers wrote a song called “One Voice” with Kip Moore and hit songwriters Ross Copperman (“Drunk On Your Love,” “If I Told You,” “American Country Love Song,”) and Jon Nite (“We Were Us,” “Tip It On Back,” “Whatever She’s Got”). They took that to the studio, where Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott helped them record it and answered their questions about the music business. And, as if that wasn’t cool enough, they took their new song to the Grand Ole Opry, where they got to perform it with Craig Morgan.

Other activities included karaoke with Brandon Lay, visiting Seacrest Studios with Cassadee Pope, and meeting and/or greeting with Danielle Bradbery.  In my job, I get to do a lot of cool stuff, and even I’m envious of the week they had!

Today, marks one year since we lost hip hop legend Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Another pioneer out the 90's no longer with us. Let’s think fondly of him with this clip from This Is How Do It, and may he rest in peace.