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Michael Saponara

Michael is a staff writer at Billboard. Hailing from the suburbs of Westchester outside of New York, he currently resides in Manhattan. After years of building his portfolio freelancing for the publication, Michael came on board as a full-time staff member in July 2024. He covers all things hip-hop, whether that be penning the news, interviewing artists, attending shows or contributing to expansive lists. In the past, Michael has written profiles on Juice WRLD, Lil Durk, Wiz Khalifa, T.I., Gunna, Tinashe, Charlamagne Tha God and more. Before joining the Billboard team, Michael’s work could be found in VIBE, Genius, XXL, Edition, the Recording Academy and HipHopDX. Without sports or music, he wouldn’t know what he would be doing with his life. Michael is impatiently waiting for the New York Jets or New York Knicks to deliver a championship in his lifetime. He can be found at @LordTreeSap on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

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