Hip-Hop
Gorillaz Recruit ScHoolboy Q For New Collaborative Song “PAC-MAN”: Stream
Gorillaz continue to dole out hit after hit with their ongoing audiovisual series, Song Machine. For the latest entry, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s animated alternative outfit has teamed up with ScHoolboy Q for a song called “PAC-MAN” that celebrates the beloved arcade game’s 40th birthday. The bouncy, upbeat track features actual sound effects from Pac-Man the game, which makes for a particularly playful setting compared to ScHoolboy’s usual breed of grim West Coast rap. Check out “PAC-MAN” in full below along with its accompanying visual, which features ScHoolboy and the virtual band in both their normal and Pac-Man-ized forms. The track is the fifth edition of Gorillaz’s Song Machine singles series, following “Friday 13th” (feat. French-British rapper/singer Octa...
Apple Music Partners With ‘Verzuz’ to Simulcast the Battle Series & Offer On-Demand Streaming
Verzuz, the breakout live-streaming battle series co-helmed by legendary hip-hop producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, will now be available on Apple Music and Beats 1. Each battle will be simulcast live on the music streaming service for free, at the same time it streams on the Verzuz Instagram account. After the live battle, music fans will be able to relive the musical greatness by watching it on-demand via the series’ exclusive partnership with Apple Music. This Wednesday (July 22) will bring a face-off between Snoop Dogg and DMX, beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT. Before the big showdown — being billed as “the battle of the dogs” — fans can get ready by tuning in to the official Snoop Dogg and DMX Cheat Sheet playlist curated by Apple Music host Lowkey. Apple Musi...
Barbz Are Over the Moon About Nicki Minaj’s Pregnancy Announcement: ‘This Is Not A Drill’
Lil Nas X even got in on the fun. (Baby) pink Ferragamo sliders on deck! Nicki Minaj announced she was pregnant with her first child on Monday (July 20), sending her army of Barbz into a flurry of excitement on social media. “Sorry guys but this is the happiest day of my life,” one declared on Twitter using the hashtag #omgnicki, while another wrote, “Y’all the barbs have been waiting for this moment since super bass dropped. Several others rejoiced in the coincidental timing of Minaj and fellow pop star Katy Perry‘s concurrent pregnancies, already clamoring for a next-generation update of their 2017 collaboration “Swish Swish.” “THE WAY KATY PERRY’S BABY AND NICKI MINAJ’S BABY WILL REDO A SWISH SWISH 2.0 IN THE FUTURE OMG PR...
Kanye West Shares ‘The West Wing’ Presidential Campaign Graphic
While Kanye West is rumored to be having his first presidential rally today, earlier in the afternoon he passed the time dropping #2020VISION campaign graphics on Twitter. “THE WEST WING,” the rapper and political candidate quipped in one Sunday (July 19) tweet, which featured a doodle of the White House and a reference to the wing that houses the president’s office. West added the word “VISION” to a second tweet with the same illustration. Media outlets including ABC News and Politico reported West had planned a rally to be held at Charleston, South Carolina’s Exquis Event Center at 5 p.m. ET for “registered guests only.” Attendees supposedly needed to pre-register, sign a COVID-19 liability release form and agree to wea...
Juice WRLD’s ‘Legends Never Die’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With Biggest Week of 2020
Set also launches with fourth-largest streaming week ever. Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die makes a smashing debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, capturing the largest week of 2020 for any album, as it earned 497,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending July 16, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The set registers the largest streaming week of 2020, and the fourth-largest streaming frame ever for an album. Legends Never Die is the late artist’s second No. 1 album, following 2019’s Death Race for Love, which opened atop the list dated March 23, 2019, with 165,000 units earned.Legends Never Die was released via Grade A/Interscope Records on July 10. It’s Juice WRLD’s first release since his death on Dec. 8, 2019. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular al...
Riles, Jack Garratt & More Set For Billboard Live At-Home Concerts: See This Week’s Schedule
As we head into yet another week of quarantine, Billboard‘s Live At-Home concert series will feature three more livestreamed performances for your entertainment. This week’s performances kick off Monday (July 20), with a set from New Zealand’s indie band The Naked and Famous. The act made news in April when they covered The Weeknd‘s hit “Blinding Lights,” giving the song an alternative take. On Tuesday, Jack Garrett will perform. The British singer-songwriter released his sophomore effort, Love, Death & Dancing in June. Rapper Riles, who just released his Lvl 36 EP earlier this month, wraps things up on Thursday. The shows will stream live via Billboard‘s Facebook page. Check out this week’s full schedule below: Monday (July 20)The N...
Kanye West Breaks Down in Tears Explaining Anti-Abortion Stance at Presidential Rally: ‘I Almost Killed My Daughter’
Kanye West took the stage for his first presidential campaign rally, where he went from being in good spirits to wiping tears from his eyes as he explained why he’s against abortion. The rally, held in Charleston, South Carolina, began just after 5 p.m. ET. Sunday evening (July 19). Locals live streamed the event, where attendees were mostly compliant with wearing masks but did not show much social distancing as they gathered closely to the stage and reacted to West’s discussion. West, with “2020” shaved on the back of his head, made his entrance just after The O’Jays’ “Stairway to Heaven” played throughout the venue. He spoke loudly over the crowd, without a microphone. He instructed staff to “close the doors but keep them unlockedR...
Kanye West Holds First Campaign Presidential Rally in South Carolina
Kanye West held his first presidential campaign rally at Exquis Event Center in North Charleston, South Carolina on Sunday. The event began at 5:00 p.m. ET. Kanye took the stage wearing a bulletproof vest and with his head shaved to say, “2020”. During the early portion of the rally, Kanye invited fans to the stage to speak about the issues that matter to them. In between these remarks, Kanye offered his own personal andecdotes. Notably, he accused social media and prescription drugs of brainwashing culture. Additionally, Kanye boasted about having a 132 IQ and how he went “to the hospital because my brain was too big for my skull.” He also said Harriet Tubman “didn’t free the slaves, she had them go work for other white people.” He explained his stance against Planned Parenthood, at one p...
Beyonce Narrates New ‘Black Is King’ Trailer: ‘Lead, or Be Led Astray’
A new Black Is King trailer has arrived! The teaser dropped on Sunday (July 19) and features Beyonce herself narrating it for her upcoming visual album. “You were formed by the heat of the galaxy. What a thing to be, both unique and familiar, to be one and the same — and still unlike any other,” she says as a young boy floats in space before a bright flash reveals the superstar carrying a baby boy. “Life is a set of choices: Lead, or be led astray,” she continues as what appear to be temptations and dangers appear. “Follow your light — or lose it.” The new trailer also features appearances from Jay-Z, Kelly Rowland, Lupita Nyong’o, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Pharrell Williams, and others. The singer opened up about her project in a June 28 In...
August Alsina Defines His ‘Entanglements’ to Jada Pinkett Smith on New Record With Rick Ross: Listen
After Jada Pinkett Smith put to rest the rumors regarding her “entanglement” with August Alsina on the Red Table Talk last week, the Louisiana crooner returns with a searing rebuttal on his new track. Titled “Entanglements,” Alsina taps Rick Ross for the spicy collaboration, which involves several surefire shots at his old flame Pinkett Smith. Written by rising songwriter Derrick Milano, lines like “That ain’t my girl, but I got the key to the crib and to the car” and “You left your man just to f— with me and break his heart” reside on the rocky anthem. Alsina even quips about entanglement’s meaning on the song’s hook, singing: “The definition of entanglement is when you’re tangled in ...
Kanye West Announces New Album in Since-Deleted Tweet
2020 presidential candidate (?) Kanye West may be releasing a new album next Friday, July 24th. In a since-deleted tweet, Kanye tweeted the tracklist for a new album called Donda. The tweet contained a hand-written tracklist listing 20 songs, including the previously revealed title track as well as the Travis Scott collaboration, “Wash Us in the Blood”. Kanye previously said “Wash Us in the Blood” would appear on a new album called God’s Country. It’s unclear whether he’s simply changed the name of that album, or if Donda is a separate release altogether. Whatever the case, if Kanye does indeed follow through with plans to release a new album next Friday, it’ll serve as the follow-up to 2019’s Jesus Is King and its companion LP, Jesus Is Born. In related news, Kanye still appears to be run...
Logic Posts Family Photos With Baby Bobby After Announcing Retirement
Logic offered a glimpse at his home life with a series of personal photos, including snapshots of his and baby and wife, shared on social media. The rapper’s Instagram update arrived the day after he announced his retirement, just ahead of the release of No Pressure, due out on July 24. “It’s been a great decade,” he’d said earlier in the week. “Now it’s time to be a great father.” “Privacy with family is something that is very important to me,” Logic wrote in caption for the new set of family pictures. “However my fans have been my family since this all started so I wanted to share with you a glimpse into the life I am now diving into head first. I would like you to meet LB as we call him, Little Bobby. And my beautiful wife Brittney w...
