Hip-Hop
Watch Miguel Pay Tribute to George Floyd With Moving ‘Candles in the Sun’ Virtual Performance
Miguel honored George Floyd, an unarmed black man from Minnesota who was killed Monday (May 25) at the hands of police officers, during his virtual performance of “Candles in the Sun” last night (May 28). Performing as part of the #CokeStudioSessions hosted on BeApp, a new livestream concert platform, Miguel laid face down on the ground with his hands behind his back to emulate Floyd’s position when ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee down on his neck. He crooned the forlorn ballad from his 2012 album Kaleidoscope Dream, which generally speaks out on the injustice that minorities regularly experience. “Hey, I say we’re all created equal/ That’s what they teach us/ But that ain’t how we treat each other/ Naw, that ain’t how we treat ea...
Gunna Gearing Up for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart
Plus: The 1975 set for top 10 debut with “Notes on a Conditional Form.” Gunna is set for his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, according to industry forecasters. Sources suggest his new effort, Wunna, may launch atop next week’s tally with perhaps over 100,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 28. Nearly all of the album’s first-week units will be driven by streaming activity. Wunna was released on May 22 via Young Stoner Life/300. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which comprises traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the June 6-dated Billboard 200 chart (where Wunna could debut at No. 1) is scheduled t...
Killer Mike Supports Black Gun Ownership In New Op-Ed
America is a nightmare, a reality that’s hardly lost on Killer Mike of Run the Jewels. In a new op-ed for Colorlines, the rapper and activist has called on black communities across the country to embrace the second amendment. “My message to Black people across the country is the same today as it was a year ago: the only person you can count on to protect yourself and your family is you,” Killer Mike wrote under his legal name Michael Render. “God gave you the right to use whatever tools are available to defend your rights. Nothing—including gun ownership—should be discarded. I encourage gun ownership to my wife, my son and daughters, your sons and daughters and all Black people.” Killer Mike went on to reference several historical figures who shared similar sentiments, particularly Harriet...
Rosalía and Travis Scott Reunite on New Single “TKN”: Stream
Rosalía has reunited with Travis Scott for a new single called “TKN”. It arrives alongside a music video directed by CANADA. Watch it below. Discussing the song in a statement, Rosalía remarked, “Travis is an artist who I’ve admired a lot since the beginning of his career and I can’t imagine a better artist to collaborate with on this song. I feel that now is the moment to release this song, after so many months of staying indoors, missing freedom or being with people we love. I hope ‘TKN’ gives you energy, makes you dance, and gives you strength if you’re going through difficult times.” “TKN” marks Rosalía and Scott’s second collaboration. Previously, Rosalía jumped on a remix of Scott’s “Highest in the Room” alongside Lil Baby. It’s also Rosalía’s third single of the year following ...
Flatbush Zombies Announce now, more than ever EP, Share “iamlegend”: Stream
Flatbush Zombies have announced the new EP now, more than ever. With the June 5th release date fast approaching, the hip-hop trio have shared the lead single “iamlegend”. now, more than ever is their first official release since 2018’s Vacation in Hell. Compared to that 80-minute epic, releasing an EP is a change of pace. The six-track effort features guest vocals from UK singer Sophie Faith, and song titles that hearken back to some of their favorite themes, such as “herb” and “blessings”. As for the single, “iamlegend” is a ferocious first volley. This stunt track comes with slick flows and wildly varied deliveries. Meechy Darko attacks the lyrics like they murdered his parents, while Zombie Juice takes the hook at a whisper. Erik the Architect finds middle ground to bring up t...
Cardi B Claps Back at Troll Who Shaded Her and Daughter Kulture’s Love With This Sweet Video
Cardi B took to social media on Wednesday (May 27) to shut down a troll who attempted to shade her relationship with her daughter, Kulture. The drama all started when a Twitter user took aim at the rapper’s mothering, writing, “Kulture don’t like her momma and that’s the funniest part…every video she be ignoring tf outta all that screaming.” In her response, Cardi decided to clap back with sweetness, posting an adorable video of with the toddler (whom she shares with Migos rapper Offset), captioned “Loud and wrong.” In the 10-second clip, the star lies in her bed, urging Kulture to show her some love. “Give mommy kiss, give mommy kiss,” Cardi says. The toddler obliges by removing her pacifier and planting a sweet kiss on Mom. Watch the adorab...
Anuel Reveals ‘Emmanuel’ Album Release Date, Plus Track List
Anuel has officially confirmed that his much-expected sophomore album, Emmanuel, will be released at midnight on Friday (May 29). “Are you ready???????? Tomorrow at MIDNIGHT!!!! LET MUSIC SPEAK #Emmanuel,” wrote the rapper on his Instagram account today (May 17). He also unveiled the album’s cover and 22-song track list, which includes collabs with Bad Bunny (two of them), Enrique Iglesias, Travis Barker (on “No Llores Mujer,” a cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry”), Tego Calderón, Karol G, Mariah, Lil’ Wayne, Farruko and Zion, and Kendo Kaponi, Yandel and Ñengo Flow. The last song is mega hit “China,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart last year and features Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, J Balvin and Karol G. Stay tuned for Billboard‘s exclusive video interview and in-de...
Polo G’s The Goat Laments Chicago’s Violence with Poetic Precision: Review
The Lowdown: In this winner-take-all economy, the owner class is shrinking faster than you can read a foreclosure notice. Yet, Polo G’s talent for quivery, upwardly inflected sing-rapping made him a homeowner. He has a backyard. He can come and go as he pleases. No more agonizing wait times at apartment security checkpoints; no more having to dodge the prying eyes of too-inquisitive neighbors. On his sophomore album, The Goat, Polo G — who was raised in a squat brick mid-rise on Chicago’s Near North Side or, as he calls it, “the zoo” — marvels at his sudden freedom of movement. But he’s restless and slightly remorseful in his new life. Privacy is one of those benefits that redounds down to the upper, petty bourgeois. As long as his friends on Sedgwick Street are still living under state su...
Here’s How The Internet That Built Up Doja Cat Broke Down Her Alleged Racist Remarks
On Monday morning (May 25), Doja Cat tried shutting down the #DojaCatIsOverParty by addressing her allegedly racist songs from the past, early participation in what was considered to be alt-right chat rooms and self-hatred issues rooted in her curly hair in a lengthy Instagram Live video. The video supported a note she wrote to her 6.8 million fans on Monday about how she grew up using public chat rooms to socialize with others and how she takes pride in being a Black woman with her father Dumisani Dlamini’s side being from South Africa. What resurfaced about Doja Cat (real name Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini) over the weekend got Twitter chatting nonstop about whether the “Say So” hitmaker, who recently scored her first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit with th...
Dr. Dre Thinks Social Media Destroyed the Artist Mystique
Dr. Dre (British GQ) No wonder Dr. Dre doesn’t post much online. In a new interview with Jimmy Iovine in British GQ, the prolific rapper said he thinks social media has “destroyed” the artist mystique by offering fans too much access into the life of musicians, reports NME. Dre and Iovine’s conversation primarily revolved around how digital fame plays a role in an artist’s success nowadays. “I probably would’ve hated social media when I was coming up,” said Dre. “There’s a certain mystique that gets destroyed. I like the mystique. I like waiting. I don’t need anybody to know where I am every minute or what I’m doing. Or what I’m about to do… There’s a certain mystique that came along with music that was entertaining to wait to see what was about to happen.” From there, Iovine took Dre...
JPEGMAFIA Is a “CUTIE PIE!” in His New Song: Stream
JPEGMAFIA is always a ball of energy, but 2020 appears to be the year where he lets off creative steam at every opportunity that arises. Today, the experimental rapper has released his fifth (!) new single of the year, “CUTIE PIE!”, alongside a low-res music video. Since dropping his album All My Heroes Are Cornballs last fall, JPEGMAFIA has shared a string of exclamatory tracks that read like flyer announcements thanks to names like “BALD!”, “BODYGUARD!”, and “Covered in Money!”. Clearly, this new single “CUTIE PIE!” continues the trend. “CUTIE PIE!” opens with a lo-fi percussion beat that sounds like it’s being recorded to an iPhone and a slinky bass beat. Combined, the rhythm section is a throwback to ’90s hip-hop — and JPEGMAFIA keeps that mood going by spitting nonstop verses in a mon...
Eminem Just Invited All His ‘Stans’ To Text Him
The Rap God just got closer to his fans. From out of leftfield, Eminem shared his phone number and invited all his “Stans” to get in touch. “’Dear Stan, I meant to write you sooner, but I just been busy’ text me, ill hit you back,” he writes in an Instagram post, which is accompanied with a snippet of his classic “Stan”. He completes his message with his phone number — 313-666-7440 — and the hashtags #MMLP20 and #DearSlim. Eminem’s causal call-out to his fans comes on the 20th anniversary of his third album release, The Marshall Mathers LP, which ruled the Billboard 200 for eight weeks. MMLP single “Stan” went to the top in the U.K., fueled British vocalist Dido’s fledgling career and gave the English dictionary a spanking new entry. All these years later, Mathers i...
