Author: djfrosty
Page: 11
In today’s episode of Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Carl Lamarre, Trevor Anderson, and Kyle Denis are joined by Peter Rosenberg dive into Drake’s “Nokia” music video where he references Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” music video, Ye’s interview with DJ Akademiks where he makes statements surrounding Kim Kardashian, Playboi Carti, Beyonce & Jay-Z and others, and the current state of Summer Jam.
What do you want to hear more of? Drop your suggestion in the chat!
Carl Lamarre:
I’m curious to get your thoughts as far as, like, what were your thoughts on the video? Did Drake deliver, underperform? We’ll start with Mr. Rosenberg on his thoughts.
Peter Rosenberg:
Listen, I appreciate you guys very much. So I’m not gonna hold back here. I only watched highlights of the video. That’s not disrespect. Music videos for me these days. Like I probably watched, “Not Like Us” one time when it came out, was like, cool, right? I just don’t live currently in the space where, like, breaking down music videos is part of my thing. But I saw, like, the little connections people were drawing, yeah, and I it felt like a reach. Like, I’m not saying that it wasn’t little stuff, but it wasn’t enough to, like, honestly, warrant major conversation to me. But again, I’m not like, captain break it down to that degree. I’m like, is it on the surface, then to me, it’s something worth talking about? Like the 50 other- when people broke down the Super Bowl, like, by day two, I was like, All right, no, no, I get it. I don’t need, like, 50 different versions. Yeah, if it takes that long to figure out what we’re talking about, while it’s neat for like, the hardcore nerds,I’m too busy. I’m sorry I got no time. But, yeah, no, it was cool. I’m just, if I’m Drake, I’m just happy I have that big a hit. Like, what’s what’s happened? That’s more interesting to me than whether or not he took subtleties at Kendrick in the video.
Keep watching for more!
Billboard Women in Music 2025 Rubi Rose sat down with Bobbi Althoff’s The Really Good Podcast and made a shocking revelation. Rose — who models and sometimes raps — claimed that she makes around $400,000 in a “horrible month” on OnlyFans, and she does it by doing whatever her subscribers want her do, whether that […]
SOCAN, Canada’s largest member-owned music rights organization, turns 100 this year. It’s celebrating with a major milestone — but also issuing a warning to the Canadian music industry.
The organization has reported a record-high half-billion dollars in total royalty distributions to music creators and publishers.
Today (April 2), SOCAN released its 2024 Annual Report, which shows a total of $512.4-million in distributed royalty payments. SOCAN revenue also grew to $559.4-million in 2024, a 7% increase over 2023. SOCAN currently has nearly 200,000 songwriter, composer, and music publisher members.
SOCAN’s record royalty distributions were 17.5% higher than 2023. That includes royalties paid to music creators and publishers derived from data matched to revenue received in 2023 and beginning of 2024.
Trending on Billboard
That would seem to be unqualified good news, but in a statement, SOCAN called the results “bittersweet for the member-owned, not-for-profit.” That’s because SOCAN data shows less than 10% of music consumed online in Canada was written or composed by Canadians.
“Never in history has consuming Canadian meant more to our nation,” SOCAN writes. “As SOCAN celebrates 100 years, the organization urges Canadians to support homegrown talent. The music that Canadian songwriters and composers create is important to Canada’s local economy, our culture, our storytelling, and our global identity.”
SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown (one of Billboard Canada‘s 2024 Power Players) drives home the “support local” message.
“Canadians are increasingly choosing local products and services, driving the success of Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s important to show the same support for our songwriters and composers — not just today, but always,” she says. “Canadian music fans, businesses and government, alongside the international music companies choosing to grow their business in Canada, all play a role in showcasing music as part of Canada’s cultural identity.”
Clearly, the performing rights org is hopeful that the current surge in patriotic Canadian pride in the face of a trade war with and threats of annexation from the U.S. may have an impact on the way we all use and consume music.
The report features other data, including an increase in revenue from music uses that took place in Canada by $18.1-million to a high of $421.6-million. The increase is led by revenue from digital sources totaling $208.7-million, a 10.8% year-over-year increase, and General Licensing and Concerts increasing 15%. Revenue from music uses in international territories, meanwhile, increased an impressive 14.9% to $137.8-million, a testament to the talent and success of Canadian music creators on the global stage.
SOCAN also boasts a new software platform to be be complete in 2025, improved distribution processing times, an educational SOCAN Academy initiative, and development and networking programs. “Even with these essential enhanced efforts, SOCAN was able to maintain their expense-to-revenue ratio at 12%” the report says.
SOCAN’s Annual and General meeting is scheduled for May 21, in Toronto.
This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week: An Amazon Prime season finale makes a 2020s streaming hit out of a 2010s alt-rock anthem, while Randy Travis’ eternal love song keeps on burning and Snoh Aalegra scores a long-overdue viral breakout.
‘Shine’ Bright: Mondo Cozmo Soars With ‘Reacher’ Synch
“Everything will be alright/ If you let it go,” Josh Ostrander, the singer-songwriter who records under the name Mondo Cozmo, sings on the chorus to his alt-folk anthem “Shine.” Released on his 2017 album Plastic Soul, “Shine” was a minor hit for Mondo Cozmo, climbing to the top of the Adult Alternative Songs airplay chart eight years ago; now, the track has resurfaced in a major way, after it was featured in the season 3 finale of the Amazon Prime Video smash Reacher, which was unveiled on Thursday (Mar. 27).
“Shine” earned 116,000 official on-demand U.S. streams in the first four days that the season finale was available(Mar. 27-30) — more than 1000% the total of the same four-day period during the previous week (9,900 streams from Mar. 23-26), according to Luminate. Meanwhile, “Shine” went from a negligible amount of sales during the previous the week to 2,400 downloads from Mar. 27-30, and nearly a week after the finale was released, the single remains the most-Shazamed song in the country. Even if “Shine” doesn’t receive a revival on the scale of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” if the song’s streaming and sales total keeps pushing upward, Mondo Cozmo could make a return to the Billboard charts. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
“Forever and Ever,” Again – Randy Travis Country Classic Becomes Streaming-Era Hit
First released in 1987, “Forever and Ever, Amen” became not only a Country Songs-topping smash for Randy Travis, but an enduring standard and a signature song. While the song has never remained far from pop culture (and the country world in particular), in the past month it has taken on new life, both as the title of Travis’ recently announced upcoming biopic, and as the source of an emotional Carrie Underwood cover – both of which were revealed at the Grand Ole Opry last month, to very positive reception.
These new boosts, combined with the song’s lingering virality, have resulted in “Forever and Ever Amen” growing into a sizable streaming hit over the course of March. While the song was already racking up 1.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams for the final tracking week of February (ending Feb. 27), in the four weeks since that number has nearly doubled, as “Forever” amassed 3.5 million for the week ending March 27 – while the song’s digital sales have also exploded 565% for the same time period, to over 1,200.
If the song keeps growing, it could become a chart hit all over again – proving that the song really is as eternal as its title implies. – ANDREW UNTEREBRGER
Snoh Aalegra’s Has Her “Eyes” on TikTok Four Years After Song’s Release
Snoh Aalegra has been an R&B darling for years now, but “In Your Eyes” could land her a legitimate hit single. The groovy Neptunes-produced single is a deep cut from the Swedish singer’s 2021 Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies LP, which earned a best R&B album Grammy nod and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200.
According to Luminate, streaming activity for “Eyes” has exploded nearly 540% over the next four weeks. Across the first few months of the year, the song naturally gained traction simply because users were discovering and vibing with it. On March 9, user @ruscowski11 posted a dance clip to “Eyes,” quickly kicking off a dance trend that spread to several different corners of the app. During the week of March 7-13, “Eyes” pulled 607,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, posting a 72% increase from the week prior, according to Luminate. In the first full week post-dance video (March 14-20), streams jumped a further 73%, topping out at 1.05 million streams. Last week (March 21-27), “Eyes” leapt another 51%, earning 1.59 million streams. The official “In Your Eyes” TikTok sound currently boasts over 62,000 clips on the platform.
Between Ravyn Lenae and Janet Jackson scoring viral TikTok hits in recent weeks, it looks like Snoh Aalegra is the latest to ride the app’s R&B wave. – KYLE DENIS
New Lingo, New Viral Track: Rob49 Scores Big With “WTHelly”
When Rob49 dropped “WTHelly” on March 21, the song earned 339,000 official on-demand U.S. streams in its first weekend of release (March 21-24). The following weekend (March 28-31), streaming activity for the song catapulted 373% to over 1.6 million streams.
The impetus? TikTok of course! Over the past week, Ro49’s new single has completely taken over the app, with users sharing their shock and amusement at the song’s outro. “What the helly?/ What the hellyanté?/ What the helly on?/ What the helly, Berry?/ What the helly, Burton?/ What the helly, ‘Bron James?/ What the helly Cyrus?” he spits, making a seemingly everlasting pun out of the phrase “what the helly,” a NOLA-steeped take on the more universal “What the Hell.” On TikTok, the song’s official sound has already earned a whopping 87,5000 clips, including several posts like Wiz Khalifa and Love Island star Leah Kateb.
With hits like “Wassam Baby” and “Trippin on a Yacht” already in the tuck, Rob49 is an eyeing another one with “WTHelly” — which has recently earned a Justin Bieber co-sign. – KD
Billboard Women in Music 2025
At this year’s Billboard Women in Music event, the Impact Award was presented by Bose, with music star Tyla as the recipient. The South African singer and songwriter was honored for her profound influence on the music industry, particularly for her role in spreading amapiano to global audiences.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The “Water” singer’s recognition at the event followed the footsteps of previous Impact Award honorees such as Solange Knowles, Alicia Keys, Jessie Reyez, H.E.R., Becky G and Young Miko.
When accepting the award, she said, “In life, we all have a chance to pour into one another, whether it be something you say, a performance, a dance move — literally anything. We all have that chance, and you never know what might ignite in somebody and what that person will pass on to another.”
During the ceremony, Tyla also wowed the crowd with a live performance of her hit single “Push 2 Start.” The track has seen massive success, having topped the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for an impressive 14 weeks. It also reached No. 2 on the World Digital Song Sales chart, further solidifying her position as one of the most exciting emerging artists in the international music scene.
In addition to Tyla’s celebration, the event also saw singer-songwriter Griff catch the attention of attendees as she wore a custom pair of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds designed by renowned jeweler Maggi Simpkins. Last year, Simpkins crafted a similar pair for Kenzie Ziegler, and this year, Griff’s earbuds were created with 14k solid yellow gold and a mix of natural and lab-grown diamonds totaling 2.18 carats. These pieces reflected the unique artistry of both Simpkins and Bose’s commitment to blending technology with style.
Griff took a moment on the red carpet to speak with Billboard News’ Rania Aniftos and social media personality Jazzy about her music and the custom earbuds, shedding light on her career and the creative process behind her sound.
As Tyla and Griff continue to make their mark on the industry, this year’s Billboard Women in Music ceremony highlighted the ever-growing influence of young female artists, the continued rise of amapiano, and the way music continues to serve as a vehicle for change and connection across the globe.
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Kid Capri is claiming he was never compensated for his alleged contribution to the Martin theme song, which he says uses his voice as a sample.
In an interview with the Bag Fuel podcast on Tuesday (April 1), Capri said the popular sitcom’s theme song, which was composed by Steve Keitt, used a sample of Capri’s voice from his time on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. Capri said that his signature “Martin!” catchphrase was pulled without his permission.
“They took my voice from Def Comedy Jam, sampled it, put it on the Martin show,” Capri explained. “Never got no permission from me, never asked for my rights, nothing. This show been on eight different networks for 30 years. Now if it was a money thing for me, I would been like, ‘Yo where’s my bread?’ I ain’t never did that.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
He went on to say that before the show’s reunion, Tisha Campbell, who played Martin Lawrence’s wife Gina Waters-Payne, went on Fox Soul and inquired about whether that was Kid Capri‘s voice heard on the iconic intro. But Martin himself denied that was Kid’s voice during his own appearance on the show.
“First of all, that was the dumbest s—t to say, everybody know it’s me,” Capri continued. “Number two, I got videos of this. Number three, all you had to say was, ‘Yo Kid, we used your s—t, is it aight? Here’s a bag.’ Or not.”
Capri added he hasn’t spoken to Martin about the matter, and that he has no plans to talk to the Bad Boys actor.
Regardless of whether the audio was lifted from Def Comedy Jam, it’s unclear whether Capri would have even needed to give legal permission in the first place, as HBO or one of the production companies behind Def Comedy Jam are likely the owner of the copyrights to the material that was sampled.
Billboard has reached out to Steve Keitt and Martin Lawrence’s team for comment.
The claim comes after Kid Capri made headlines last summer for criticizing Travis Scott over his interaction with a fan who wanted a photo. In a video of the incident, Scott appeared to push the fan’s arm out of the way, while saying, “Don’t touch me.”
“Ayo, Travis Scott, when did we start being disrespectful to kids, bruh?” Capri said after the video went viral. “Little kid asked you for an autograph, [you] pushed his hand away, looked at him like he was the devil and just walked away from him. At one time, you would’ve wanted somebody to ask you for an autograph or ask you for a picture or whatever it is he asked you for.”
Watch the full interview below.
After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a cameo in Drake’s “Nokia” music video, fans wondered if his team is cursed. LeBron James reacts to “Man on the Lakers,” and we cover who’s going to be performing at the NCAA March Madness music festival. Do you think Shai has been cursed by Drake? What did you think about […]
Billboard Women in Music 2025
The calendar has turned to April. With quarter 1 of 2025 officially in the rear view, which was a busy three months in the hip-hop world, Billboard Unfiltered is back with a new episode on Wednesday (April 2).
The trio is joined by Hot 97 and proud Duke University hater Peter Rosenberg for the discussion, which touches on Drake’s “NOKIA” video and what it means for Kendrick Lamar, Mustard’s comeback, Ye’s interview with DJ Akademiks and more.
Directed by Theo Skudra and shot in IMAX, “Nokia” arrived on Monday in black-and-white, and some fans perceived certain scenes to be jabs at Lamar.
“I saw connections people were drawing, and it felt like a reach,” Rosenberg said. “It wasn’t enough to warrant major conversation to me.”
Rosenberg thinks Drake should continue to dish out the hits and shy away from the Kendrick Lamar snipes. “If I’m Drake, I’m probably staying away from the Kendrick stuff,” he said. “And focusing on this. No matter what people say about this man, the hits are coming. Drake is fully back on the Hot 100.”
The Hot 97 radio host called Mustard’s hot streak one of the “greatest comebacks” in music history after the producer helmed “Not Like Us” and then hit the stage at the Grammy Awards, as well as Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
“That comeback to producer of the year to onstage at the Grammys to at the Super Bowl,” he said. “That may be one of the greatest music comebacks of all time. And It’s not really being talked about.”
Ye sat down with DJ Akademiks for an explosive interview last week, which saw him double-down on his hate for Jay-Z following his flagrant tweet about Jay’s twins, Sir and Rumi.
“There’s so no coming back from where he’s going,” Rosenberg said. “There’s no response at this point to Ye that I would think is inappropriate.”
Hot 97’s Summer Jam is back in 2025 with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Gunna, GloRilla and more performing. While the event has moved indoors to Prudential Center, Rosenberg reflects on how the festival has transformed from its heyday in the ’90s to now.
“What I’m not gonna do is get up here and say, ‘Summer Jam’s the same as its ever been.’ It’s definitely not the same and it’s not coming back,” he added. “But I’m not gonna get up here and say it’s not a good time. … It’s not 2001, it’s not Michael Jackson with Jay-Z.”
Watch the full episode below.
Billboard Women in Music 2025 HAIM’s next single is coming soon. The group unveiled the cover art for “Everybody’s Trying to Figure Me Out,” the next song off their upcoming album. In the photo, lead singer Danielle leans against a black SUV with her eyes closed, soaking in the sun. The snap is a reference […]
A federal judge says President Donald Trump must face a copyright lawsuit filed by the estate of Isaac Hayes over the president’s alleged use of the 1966 song “Hold On, I’m Coming” on the campaign trail. In a ruling issued Wednesday (April 2), court records show that Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. denied a motion by […]