R&B/Hip-Hop
Cardi B Lets a Troll Know She’s Worth More Than $40 Million & That She Could Lose It at Any Second
Looks like we can add financial planner to Cardi B’s résumé. Earlier this week, the superstar schooled a fan who criticized her wealth on social media. The exchange started when Cardi tweeted, “We going through a recession…..Merry Christmas,” along with a festive Christmas tree emoji. The statement then prompted a follower to clap back, “Says the rapper worth 40 million,” using a GIF of an irritated man nodding his head and rolling his eyes. Well, naturally, the “Hot Sh–” rapper wasn’t going to take that shade lying down. “I’m worth more [than] that and guess what? If I don’t save, work and budget I could lose it too!” she replied. “What makes you think that no matter how much money you got you can’t lose it all if you don’t manage your money correctly. I too have bills, responsibilities a...
Thom Bell, Philadelphia Soul Icon, Dies at 79
Thom Bell, the iconic pioneer of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s, passed away on Thursday (Dec. 22) in Bellingham, Washington. He was 79 years old. The news was first reported by Philly R&B radio station 105.3 WDAS-FM, with host Patty Jackson saying, “We remember Thom Bell: record producer, arranger and songwriter known for his work with Linda Creed, Gamble and Huff, the many hits, the creators of Philly soul.” The station also paid special tribute to the late musician on its website by sharing a video of the Stylistics’ 1972 Bell-produced single “People Make the World Go Round.” Bell’s attorney confirmed his passing to Billboard, saying, “Thom Bell left an indelible and everlasting mark on the history of popular music, but even more so, he will be remembered by all who knew him as a ki...
From Beyoncé to Brent Faiyaz, What Was Your Favorite R&B Album of 2022? Vote!
It’s that time of year! Yes, the holiday season, but also when we look back and take stock on the best music of the year. And in the countdown to Christmas, we want to know which R&B album released in 2022 was your favorite. On Tuesday (Dec. 20), Billboard staffers ranked their ten picks for the year’s best R&B studio sets, starting with Brent Faiyaz‘s Wasteland. Calling it the indie artist’s “most transparent project to date,” the sophomore follow-up to 2017’s Sonder Son was led by singles “Dead Man Walking,” “Gravity” with DJ Dahi and featuring a guest assist from Tyler, the Creator, and “Wasting Time” featuring Drake before finally debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in July. Of course, it wouldn’t be the year in R&B without considering Beyoncé‘s mammoth Renaissance, even...
From GloRilla to Latto, What’s Your Favorite Hip-Hop Song of 2022? Vote!
It’s been a banner year for hip-hop and Billboard recently rounded up our critics’ picks of the genre’s 15 best tracks of 2022. But now that we’ve run through our favorites, we want to know which hip-hop song you loved the most. The past twelve months have seen newcomers like GloRilla and Ice Spice explode onto the scene and rising stars like Latto finally break through, while hitmakers such as Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled, Cardi B and more continued to successfully crank out smash singles and fan-favorite album cuts. In fact, not one but two tracks by GloRilla have landed in Billboard‘s top 10 picks of the year — “F.N.F. (LET’S GO),” her debut release, at No. 1 and its Cardi B-assisted follow-up “Tomorrow 2” at No. 6. Lamar is another artist who delivered multiple hits this year: “N95” and “...
SZA Debuts 20 Songs From ‘SOS’ on Hot 100, Rules Artist 100 for First Time
SZA debuts a whopping 20 songs from her sophomore LP SOS, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Dec. 24), including two in the top 10. The set launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, marking her first leader and sparking her first week atop the Billboard Artist 100 ranking. SOS arrives at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 318,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate. That’s the seventh-largest one-week total of the year and the second-biggest among R&B albums, after only the first week of Beyonce’s Renaissance (332,000, Aug. 13). SZA scores her third Billboard 200 entry after her debut LP, Ctrl, reached No. 3 in 2017 and EP Z peaked at No. 39 in 2014. Of the 23 tracks on SOS, 20 debut on the Hot 100, including two in the top 10: “Kill Bill” (No. 3) and “Nobod...
Rihanna Gives First Glimpse of Her Baby Son With A$AP Rocky in Adorable TikTok Video: Watch
The superstar singer took to TikTok on Saturday (Dec. 17) to share an adorable video of her son, whom she welcomed with partner A$AP Rocky in May. In the 45-second clip, RiRi and her little one are riding in the back of a car while the infant smiles and coos at his fawning mom. Rihanna is giving a first look at her 7-month-old baby boy. “You tryna get Mommy’s phone?” Rihanna asks affectionately to her son. Rihanna first announced her pregnancy at the end of January, after she and the “Fashion Killa” rapper were spotted hand in hand on a casual, snowy stroll in New York City. Since then, she spent several months elevating maternity style by turning out ensemble after ensemble of runway ready looks at Milan Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and beyond. The singer is still fresh off releasing ...
Kendrick Lamar Enlists a Very Famous Therapist in ‘Count Me Out’ Music Video
Kendrick Lamar is known to largely keep his personal life outside of the public eye–except when it comes to his music. On Friday (Dec. 16), he released the music video for his Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers deep cut, “Count Me Out,” depicting the Compton artist in a piano-side therapy session with Oscar award-winning actress Helen Mirren. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Directed by Lamar and pgLang cofounder Dave Free, the video begins with a skit about Lamar taking a woman’s parking spot, before presenting a three-way split screen, showing the “HUMBLE” rapper rattling off his innermost thoughts on one side, Mirren with a steady gaze of empathy on the other, and in the middle, the scenes he describes playing out, including shots of L...
The Weeknd Receives 2022 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Award For Social Activism
The Weeknd was named the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award this week in honor of the singer’s longstanding commitment to charitable causes. “That this is a Canadian award sits deep with me. Allan and The Slaight Family Foundation are known across the country for their generous philanthropy, and it means a lot to be acknowledged, and is an honor to be recognized along with the legendary Canadian artists who received this award before me,” said the artist born Abel Tesfaye. The award is presented annually to a Canadian artist, duo or group in recognition of their social activism and benevolent support of humanitarian interests and causes,” according to a release from the organization. The Slaight Family Foundation will make a $50,000 donation to the ch...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and PARTYNEXTDOOR Get the Engine Running With ‘Sex In The Porsche’: Listen
Sean “Diddy” Combs is motoring on with “Sex In The Porsche,” the hip-hop mogul’s new collaboration with PARTYNEXTDOOR. Diddy is listed as co-writer (with PARTYNEXTDOOR, real name Jahron Brathwaite) and co-producer (with Nyan) on the smooth cut, the second lifted from Diddy’s forthcoming album release. The first, “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller, arrived in October, part of a three-pack which included the Queens Remix and the Kings Remix. “Gotta Move On” went to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart in November, the first leader for both acts on the survey. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news According to reps, Diddy’s new album is scheduled to drop “early next year” through his Love Records imprint, a partnership with Motown Records. “Sex In ...
Diddy Defends Yung Miami, Says She’s ‘Not My Side Chick’ After Announcing Daughter’s Birth
Diddy took to social media on Tuesday (Dec. 13) to shoot down rumors about his relationship with Yung Miami. “@yungmiami305 is not my side chick. Never has been, never will be,” he tweeted. “She’s very important and special to me, and I don’t play about my Shawty Wop. I don’t discuss things on the internet and I will not start today. “So think what you want,” he added minutes later in a follow-up tweet before concluding, “But know that if you do something to hurt mine, I’m gonna to come to your house and we’re gonna talk about it like human beings. LOVE.” The mogul’s statement on Twitter appears to be in response to the City Girls rapper’s heated back-and-forth the day prior with DJ Akademiks over Diddy’s newborn daughter Love Sean Combs. (In a tweet, the DJ accused Diddy of having a “side...
Offset Is Paying Tribute to Takeoff in an Epic Way Using a Classic Jackson 5 Song
Offset has found a moving way to pay tribute to his late cousin and Migos bandmate Takeoff during his live shows. The rapper posted a video of his homage on Sunday (Dec. 11) in which he kicks off a recent concert by projecting a giant image of Takeoff (born Kirshnik Khari Ball), 28, on the screen behind his DJ while the Jackson 5’s 1971 classic heartbreak ballad “Never Can Say Goodbye” blasts over the PA. “Before every who I love you bra,” Offset wrote in the caption to the post, which elicited some additional words of support from Tyrese (“Praying for you bro everyday… So sorry this all happened I’m so sorry”), Rich The Kid (“I love you bro this beautiful”) and Ty Dolla Sign (Love king !!!!”), among others. Takeoff was killed in Houston on Nov. 1 while attending an afterparty at a local p...
Jazmine Sullivan’s ‘Hurt’ Wraps 6 Month Ride to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Jazmine Sullivan achieves her second No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “Hurt Me So Good” tops the list dated Dec. 10. The new champ advances from the runner-up slot after a 13% jump in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending Dec. 4, according to Luminate. The new champ strengthens Sullivan’s status as a leading act at the adult R&B format. Though the singer-songwriter posted four top 10 hits on the format from 2008 through 2015, she only claimed her first No. 1 last year, with “Pick Up Your Feelings,” which ruled the list for two weeks. Despite the relatively brief reign, the track proved a longstanding hit with audiences – it logged 44 weeks in the top 10 and finished 2021 as the No. 2 song on t...
