R&B/Hip-Hop
Houston PD Is Seeking Information From Witnesses Following Takeoff’s Murder
Just hours after Migos rapper Takeoff was shot and killed early Tuesday morning (Nov. 1) in Houston, Texas, the city’s police chief, mayor and investigation committee held a press conference to give an update on what they know so far. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Chief Troy Finner explained that much of the situation is currently under investigation, and that all they know at press time is that the late rapper (born Kirshnik Khari Ball) — who was one third of the Migos trio alongside his uncle, Quavo, and cousin, Offset — was at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with Quavo around 2:35 a.m. when investigators say shots rang out during an afterparty attended by around 40 people. Takeoff was pronounced dead at t...
Nicki Minaj Dresses Up as Cheeky Cinderella for Halloween
She’s got a princess face, a killer body, samurai mind. Nicki Minaj showed off her Disney princess fantasy in a new social media post on Monday (Oct. 31). For Halloween, the rapper decided to dress up as a high-fashion Cinderella… or Chunderella, according to her fairy tale rewrite of a caption. “And as she heard the whispers…Chunderella snickered,” she wrote. “The ugly/evil step sisters had EVERY RIGHT to bicker (through their blisters!) After all, deep down inside…they knew…they’d never fit the glass slippers… The END.” In the slideshow, Minaj poses in a blond wig, tiara and an architectural take on Cinderella’s classic blue gown. However, the Harajuku Barbie proved once she turned around that her version of the princess is quite the “Super Freaky Girl,” complete with two rather NSFW cut...
Diddy Absolutely Nails Heath Ledger’s Joker For Halloween
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs went super-method for his Halloween costume over the weekend. The hip-hop impresario slipped into a frighteningly accurate version of Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker from the Dark Knight series, swooning around town in his purple suit with green vest, green hair, white face paint and the character’s bloody Glasgow Smile. In classic Diddy fashion, he chronicled his transformation in a video in which he sat in a chair getting his look together and wished everyone a happy, safe Halloween followed by one in which he laughs maniacally in character while brandishing a giant fake gun as a hand grenade falls out of his pocket. “Hello my friends, I’m the Joker,” he wrote in the caption. “I’m highjacking Halloween! Hahahaha.” The fun continued in another cli...
M.I.A. Posted a ‘Scary’ Halloween Picture With Conservative Commentator Candace Owens
M.I.A. didn’t dress up over the weekend, but on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 30) the “Paper Planes” rapper posted what she said was a “scary picture for Halloween” in which she casually posed with controversial conservative commentator Candace Owens. “#FreeSpeech,” M.I.A. captioned the post — which Owens re-posted — in which she stands with a neutral look next to a smiling Owens. The outspoken conservative talker’s name was in headlines earlier this month when she appeared at Kanye West’s Paris Fashion Week show modeling one of Ye’s provocative “White Lives Matter” t-shirts. The stunt was met with widespread backlash from the supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, especially given phrase’s ties to white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups in their response to BLM. After getting temporarily b...
Frank Ocean Launches Apple Music Radio Show
Frank Ocean is launching his brand-new Homer Radio with Apple Music 1. The one-hour show is set for Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET. “Someone’s vacuuming the carpets adding a distant layer of white noise to the sound,” Ocean said in a cryptic statement about the show. “Security is pacing off some boredom while pretending to check the rooms and the safes on a rehearsed patrol. A headset loaded with gadgetry helps a man who dons it to see, with its grids of light and lenses and loupes.” The singer/songwriter’s show shares a name with his Homer jewelry line, which the artist founded in August 2021. The name is inspired by the Greek poet, Ocean said the in an interview with Financial Times. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news While Ocean’s fans a...
Chlöe Bailey & Latto Team Up for New Single ‘For the Night’
Chlöe Bailey and Latto have released their new single “For the Night” on Friday (Oct. 28) via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The track, which is set to appear on the Chloe x Halle singer’s upcoming debut solo album, finds the rising R&B star singing, “You say you promise and promise, you’ll figure it out / But I can not wait, you’re teasing me, I back down” before tossing the mic to Latto for a guest assist. Co-directed by Bailey and Shermay Joh, the official music video shows off Chlöe’s first-rate dancing skills. Latto joins in on the fun later in the piece, and has her say on Chlöe’s boy problems. The video also captures footage of Bailey performing at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival Daytime Stage. Chlöe first teased the existence of the track back in May when she ...
See Chloe & Halle Bailey Reunite With Mentor Beyonce at Wearable Art Gala
Chloe and Halle Bailey had a chance to reunite with their mentor Beyoncé over the weekend at the Wearable Art Gala. On Saturday, Bey’s mom, Tina Knowles-Lawson, invited an A-list guest list to Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of WACO Theater Center. In addition to Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z and their daughter Blue Ivy, other guests included Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Kelly Rowland, Lori Harvey and sister duo Chloe x Halle, who are signed to Queen B’s Parkwood label. Chloe took to Instagram on Wednesday to share an adorable photo of her and her sister standing alongside Bey in one photo and hugging her in the next. In the photo, the trio all shared a color theme, with Halle sporting a black dress with silver embellishments and cutouts around her...
City Girls Set to Headline Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop Event
Billboard announced on Thursday (Oct. 28) that it will be hosting Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop at Academy LA in Los Angeles Nov. 17 10 p.m. The event will be headlined by chart-topping hip-hop duo City Girls, with Alabama’sFlo Milli serving as the night’s opener. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop will be the first consumer event to celebrate the unveiling of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list and issue honoring executives across the business. This year’s Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players presentation will highlight the Rémy Martin x Vibe Impact and Excellence Award, honoring a musician who has made tremendous efforts in their community, as well as paving the way for the next generation ...
Megan Thee Stallion Is Giving Hotties a Special Show With Apple Music Live Series
Hotties, are you ready? Megan Thee Stallion will be taking to the stage in a special performance for Apple Music Live, the streaming platform announced on Thursday (Oct. 27). The “Plan B” rapper is scheduled to perform an intimate concert at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Nov. 11 as part of the Apple Music Live series. Fans 16 and older in the Los Angeles area can register for free tickets via Ticketmaster for a chance to see Thee Hot Girl Coach. Tickets will be given out on a first come, first serve basis. The performance will be taped on Nov. 11, and will be available for Apple Music subscribers across 165 countries to stream starting Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. PT. Megan’s performance will serve as the closer for Apple Music Live’s inaugural season, and follows previous concerts in the series by H...
Kanye West Essentials Playlist Disappears From Apple Music Following Anti-Semitic Rhetoric
Apple Music appears to have joined the widening list of businesses distancing themselves from Kanye West in light of his repeated anti-Semitic remarks. The streaming music giant has apparently pulled Kanye West Essentials Playlist, after the rap veteran, who now goes by the name Ye, made offensive comments online and, again, in interviews. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Billboard has reached out to Apple for comment, though the tech giant’s reps hadn’t responded at the time of writing. Earlier this week, Daniel Ek, CEO at Spotify, Apple Music’s rival, addressed the hip-hop star and his “awful” comments for an interview with Reuters. Ek, however, noted that his music did not violate the Spotify’s anti-hate policies and that the bal...
Kanye West Escorted Out of Skechers Office After Showing Up ‘Uninvited’
Kanye West was escorted out of the Skechers office in Manhattan Beach, Calif., after the controversial MC showed up unannounced on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 26). The company said in a statement that Ye was escorted out by two executives following his recent antisemitic remarks. “Kanye West — also referred to as Ye — arrived unannounced and without invitation at one of Skechers’ corporate offices in Los Angeles,” the company said in a statement. “Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation. “Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West,” the statement continued. “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate spee...
Steve Lacy Responds After Smashing a Disposable Camera Onstage: ‘I Don’t Believe I Owe Anyone an Apology’
Steve Lacy has a bad habit, and it’s not destroying other people’s property. The rising star had a moment on stage Monday night (Oct. 24) in New Orleans when, during a performance of his breakout hit “Bad Habit,” he demolished a spectator’s disposable camera. In fan-filmed footage doing the rounds on social media, Lacy is hit by a camera, tossed by someone near the front of stage. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A moment later, an outreached hand passes Lacy a disposable camera — it’s unclear if it’s the same object that hit the singer — which he promptly smashes. Soon after, Lacy reportedly wrapped his show early at Orpheum Theater. Social media users have weighed in, some in support of the 24-year-old singer and his dramatic departure...
