R&B/Hip-Hop
Cardi B Fires Back at Twitter Troll Who Accused Offset of Cheating With Saweetie: ‘You Lying’
Cardi B got tangled up in some Internet beef on Wednesday (Aug. 24) with a Twitter troll who identifies themselves as a “Nicki Minaj connoisseur,” claiming to have styled her. The user was sending a slew of hateful messages toward Cardi for hours before the “I Like It” rapper stepped in to respond to a tweet asking when she was going to pay up in a 2020 lawsuit related to a bar fight. “Why you lying on me and those girls for I have a open case EVERYTHING IS PUBLIC offering money will not benefit me and actually get me in real trouble for making up anything cause you decided to come for me after coming out of jail for stealing 3K worth of clothes,” Cardi responded. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news When the Twitter troll brought up Cardi’s husband...
Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Traumazine’ Launches in Top 5 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart
Megan Thee Stallion extends her perfect top 10 streak on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as Traumazine debuts at No. 3 on the list dated Aug. 27. The album, which was officially announced only one day before its Aug. 12 release, earned 63,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Aug. 18, according to Luminate. Of the 63,000 units, a majority (54,000), come from streaming-equivalent album units. The sum equals 85.7 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. 8,000 units derive from traditional album sales, with the remaining amount owed to track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video...
For Love or Money: Bas & Rexx Life Raj on the Creative Battles Today’s Artists Face
Artists are constantly fighting the internal battle between carrying out their creative vision and sacrificing integrity for commercial success. Bas and Rexx Life Raj are a pair of respected rhymers who have dipped their toes into hip-hop’s mainstream, but have been reluctant to fully immerse themselves into that world. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Bas struggled with the aforementioned mental battle in February when he tweeted about having an 11-track album authentic to himself and the world he wanted to create with his next body of work — but was grappling with the idea of releasing another more palatable version to the mainstream, one that boasted A-list features and a streaming-friendly 17-song tracklist. “There’s certain algo...
DJ Khaled Talks ‘God Did,’ Reuniting With ‘Favorite Artists’ Drake & Lil Baby: Watch
In a new interview from his home in Miami, DJ Khaled sits down with Billboard News to talk all about his next album God Did. Speaking to Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre, the producer reflected on reaching his milestone 13th album with the upcoming release, which drops Friday (Aug. 26) via We the Best/Epic Records. “To get to a 13th album is, like, beyond incredible for me,” he said. “The greats that I look up to, when I see how many albums they put out, I’m on the right track. And I know how hard it is to be in this game — some people can’t make it past their first single or their first album.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Khaled’s latest LP features the top five single “Staying Alive” with Drake and Lil Baby, as well as collaborations with the lik...
Nicki Minaj Thanks Barbz for Hot 100 No. 1 Hit ‘Super Freaky Girl’: ‘You Did It’
Nicki Minaj had a lot to celebrate on Monday (Aug. 22) as her infectious new single “Super Freaky Girl” skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, giving the rapper her first Hot 100 No. 1 as an unaccompanied artist and her third overall. Upon hearing the exciting news, Minaj took to social media to thank her fans, affectionately called the Barbz. “You did it barbz. You did it. I love you so much. like so so SO much. Thank you,” she captioned a screenshot of her accomplishment. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “You did it,” she simply wrote on Twitter along with a teary-eyed emoji. You did it 🥹 — Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) August 22, 2022 Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which samples Rick James’ 1981 hit “Super Freak,” is ...
Shazam! Drake Named Most Shazamed Artist Ever
Drake put up a major milestone this week and it’s another one that looks like it might be hard to beat. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Shazam released a list of major moments from the past two decades and among the notable stats is the one crowning Drizzy as the most-Shazamed artist of all-time with 350 million Shazams across his solo songs and tracks he’s been featured on. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Topping the list of the most-Shazamed Drake tracks was his 2016 Views single “One Dance,” which has been ‘Zamed more than 17 million times. According to a release celebrating the service’s bday, Shazam has surpassed 70 billion song recognitions to date, with the Apple-owned company providing an interesting list of some other nota...
Usher Extends Las Vegas Residency: See the Dates
Just one month into his Usher: My Way the Vegas Residency, Usher has extended his Sin City stay into next spring. The string of shows that kicked off at Dolby Live at Park MGM on July 15 of this year, has tacked on 25 new dates slated to kick off on March 3, 2023 and run through a July 15, 2023 show. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news According to a release, Usher has sold out all the shows in the current residency to date and is on track to sell out all 25 of this year’s gigs. The show takes place on the custom-designed stage at the 5,200-seat Dolby Live and it spans the singer’s career, from “Love in This Club” and “OMG” to “You Make Me Wanna…” and “My Boo” and “U Remind Me.” Tickets for the 2023 shows will go on sale to the public on Fr...
Tank Releases 10th & Final Studio Album ‘R&B Money’
It was party central at popular West Hollywood nightspot the Peppermint Club last night (Aug. 18) as hosts Tank and Jamie Foxx welcomed guests including singer-actress LeToya Luckett, producer/A&R executive Hitmaka and singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger to the R&B Money Jam Show. The one-night only event — dress code: “black and gold” — celebrated the release of Tank’s 10th and final album R&B Money on Friday (Aug. 19; R&B Money/Atlantic Records). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news For some, “final’ might be a difficult concept to embrace. However, Tank tells Billboard he “feels good” about his career’s next chapter that was triggered in part by loss of hearing in his right ear in 2021. “Earlier this year, it was like wow … t...
A Timeline of Kanye West & Kid Cudi’s Relationship
Kid Cudi and Kanye West have had a rocky relationship over the course of their careers. The frequent collaborators have at times been friends, performing and dining together, and other times dissing each other on social media. Cudi was signed to West’s G.O.O.D. Music label in 2008 after meeting West a few years earlier. West was then featured on “Make Her Say (I Poke Her Face),” Cudi’s single from his 2009 album Man on the Moon: The End of Day — the studio set that launched Cudi’s career under G.O.O.D. Prior to his solo material, Cudi had also contributed to Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 and West’s 808s & Heartbreak. Other collabs between the two artists include “Erase Me” from 2010’s Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager; “Gorgeou...
Nipsey Hussle Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame: ‘He Lives Forever’
Revered rapper Nipsey Hussle was posthumously honored with the 2,729th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on what would have been his 37th birthday, Monday, Aug. 15. Located at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard in front of Amoeba Music, the star was presented by the City of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in recognition of the L.A. native’s contributions to music and his philanthropic work. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Paying tribute to the late rapper — born Ermias Joseph Ashegdom — were family members and close friends such as L.A. radio personality Big Boy and fellow rappers Roddy Ricch and YG. Additional guests in attendance at the 30-minute ceremony included Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president/CEO David Michael Jerome, Cali...
Here Are All the Hot 100 Records That Drake Has (And Hasn’t) Broken
Every new Drake release brings its share of Billboard chart history, and his new collaboration with DJ Khaled and Lil Baby, “Staying Alive,” is no different. Earlier this year, he became the first solo male in history to debut atop the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously twice, thanks to his latest LP Honestly, Nevermind and its single “Jimmy Cooks,” featuring 21 Savage. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Now, he secures the honor of the artist with the most top five hits in Hot 100 history, with 30, as DJ Khaled’s “Staying Alive,” on which he and Lil Baby are featured, debuts at No. 5 on the latest, Aug. 20-dated chart. Drake passes The Beatles, who have 29, for sole ownership of the record over the list’s 64-year history. ...
The Game & Hit-Boy Discuss the Inspirations Behind ‘Drillmatic,’ Reveal Dream Collaborators
Fresh off the release of Drillmatic — Heart vs. Mind, his eleventh solo studio album, The Game sat down with Billboard to discuss his new record, TikTok, his dream collaborators, and his creative process. Joined by Hit-Boy, the album’s Grammy-winning executive producer, the pair explained how they “decided it was time for a Game and Hit-Boy album.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Drillmatic is The Game’s first album since 2019’s Born 2 Rap. “He motivated me, got me all the way out the house,” The Game said of his creative partnership with Hit-Boy. “I don’t do no rapper stuff, but everything that I am and everything that I got going on now … rapping the way that I’m rapping, it’s all because of him.” The Game went on to note that ...
