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Will Smith tapped Russ and his son Jaden for his latest single and he sat down to talk to Russ about the making of the song.

During the 7-minute clip, Smith admitted to finding his voice with this song. “‘Work of Art’ was the song where I found my voice,” he told Russ. “That’s how I wanna sound, that’s what I wanna talk about. I had recorded probably 20 tracks before that and there was the old constellation of ideas of who I thought I needed to be that was coming through in the music.” He also touched on what inspired this new voice and sound of his. “It was really the first time in my life since childhood that I got the shit kicked out of me,” Smith said in regards to the media backlash he received after his infamous Oscars slap. “You know, I had a run of the gods. It’s like, it was really the first time experiencing what it’s like to get stomped.”

Smith debuted the lead single of his upcoming project — tentatively titled Dance in Your Darkest Moments — during the BET Awards. Last week, he told fans that his first album since 2005’s Lost and Found is finished. While talking with Black Film Allies, Smith said this will be his most personal project. “Over the past year and a half, I’ve been in the studio,” he said. “I have a project that is the most personal and powerful music project I’ve ever done. The idea of the music is, ‘Dance in your darkest moments.’”

Watch the “Work of Art” video below and check out his chat with Russ here.

Vice President Kamala Harris is looking to go full steam ahead on her quest to become the next president of the United States, so she’s enlisting some help. According to a source, Harris will have Megan Thee Stallion join her at her rally on Tuesday (July 30) in Atlanta for a special performance.

Over the weekend, Harris teamed up with *NSYNC star Lance Bass for a special TikTok clip slamming former President Trump ahead of this upcoming November election. “Hey Kamala, what are we gonna say to Donald Trump in November?” Bass asks Harris in the video. “Bye, bye, bye,” Harris sharply responds, referring to the pop group’s 2000 hit single of the same name.

Over a week ago, President Biden decided to step aside from the presidential race, giving Harris his nod and endorsement to compete against Trump. This pivotal moment was followed by a surge of support from celebrities, including Cardi B, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and more, who have joined forces to back Harris in her historic bid to become the first female president of the United States.

“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country,”  Harris responded to Biden’s announcement.  “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement, and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”

Following the endorsement, Harris released a campaign video featuring Beyonce’s 2016 “Freedom,” urging Americans to lean in and support her. “There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos, of fear, of hate. But us? We choose something different. We choose freedom.” 

Billboard reached out to Harris and Megan Thee Stallion’s team for comment.

Quavo has previewed an upcoming track featuring a sample of Lenny Kravitz’s classic rock-tinged anthem “Fly Away.”

“When u reach for new heights Sky is the limit! #FLY,” Huncho captioned the clip on Monday (July 29), teasing the song.

The accompanying video finds the Migos rapper in a glass airport terminal pointing to the sky while singing along to the earworm of a chorus on Lenny’s cheery 1998 hit before breaking out into a rap verse.

While producer Southside and Chance the Rapper gave their stamps of approval (“This was my favorite song in the world when I was a kid,” Chance gushed), there seemed to be a mixed reaction to Quavo’s Lenny Kravitz rework from fans online.

A disappointed fan chimed in on his comment section: “What in the high school music is this my n—a?!”

Another added: “Boi I outta report yo ahh for this weak shxt.”

While a third pushed back appreciating how Quavo is keeping his artistry fresh: “Old Lenny Kravitz sample. I love it… The game need more then the same trap beats.”

“Fly Away” arrived as a late addition to Lenny Kravitz’s 5 album in 1998. The funky tune went on to reach No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Nowadays, younger music fans might recognize the jingle from a commercial promoting tourism in the Bahamas, which stars Kravitz.

Fittingly enough, Quavo actually covered “Fly Away” alongside George Clinton at a Los Angeles Grammys party in February for The Recording Academy Honors presented by The Black Music Collective (BMC).

Quavo is staying busy this summer pushing the boundaries of his creativity. Earlier in July, he teamed up with Lana Del Rey for the Western-trap banger “Tough,” which has so far peaked at No. 33 on the Hot 100.

His most recent project came with his Rocket Power album last August. The solo LP dedicated to the late TakeOff peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200.

DJ Polo, born Thomas Pough, has unexpectedly died, his family announced over the weekend.

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo are one of the more influential duos in hip-hop history. Both members of the legendary Juice Crew, their first three albums — Road to the Riches (1989), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990) and Live and Let Die (1992) — are the blueprints when it comes to mafioso rap and storytelling. Any fan or aspiring rapper should be familiar with them if they want to learn about the pioneers of telling crime stories in rap form. The group also released a compilation album in 1996 called Rated XXX, with Polo dropping his solo album Polo’s Playhouse two years later in 1998.

One of his children shared the news via Polo’s official Instagram account, posting this statement: “It is with a heavy heart we mourn the loss of my father, the incredible DJ Polo. He was not only a legend to the hip hop community but also to his family and we celebrate his life and legacy now and forever. We would like to thank you all for your beautiful words and tributes – seeing the impact he made has been overwhelming and we are so grateful… Thank you all again for your condolences and for respecting the family’s privacy at this time. We miss you Cuzmo.”

Kool G Rap paid tribute to his friend and collaborator Sunday with a statement of his own, writing: “R.I.P. to a dear friend and a Brother from another Household He is a Legend to Hip Hop and Juice Crew history. DJ Polo! May Light from the Highest be upon him.”

Eric B and Ice-T also paid tribute to their late friend.

The cause of death has yet to be announced.