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02 Jan 2024

RZA of Wu-Tang Clan to Receive 2024 NAMM Innovation Award at TEC Awards

RZA, producer and the mastermind behind the influential hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, will be presented with the TEC Innovation Award at The NAMM Show’s 2024 TEC Awards on Jan. 27 in Anaheim, Calif. The award honors individuals who have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of recording technology.

The award was formerly known as the NAMM TEC Les Paul Innovation Award, in honor of the legendary guitarist, songwriter and inventor who died in 2009. RZA will be the first recipient who is known primarily for hip-hop. Previous recipients include Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Stevie Wonder, best known for R&B, and Herbie Hancock, best known for jazz and R&B.

“RZA’s formidable body of work and talent is unquestionable,” John Mlynczak, NAMM president and CEO, said in a statement. “His legacy of accomplishments and lasting power on music inspires many music makers beyond hip-hop and he deserves this high recognition.”

RZA (Robert Diggs) is a trailblazer in culture and in hip-hop, having created the group’s widely-imitated core sound consisting of stark, booming beats, and chilling samples heavily drawing from vintage soul records as well as kung fu movies.

The Staten Island group debuted in 1993 with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Rolling Stone ranked it No. 27 on its 2020 update of its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, with the magazine noting, “Their raw, hectic debut launched rap’s greatest franchise and reasserted New York’s hip-hop dominance the early Nineties.” In 2022, the album was inducted into the National Recording Registry overseen by the Library of Congress.

The group’s second album, Wu-Tang Forever, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 in 1997 and received a Grammy nomination for best rap album.

RZA scored Jim Jarmusch’s 1999 film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and organized and orchestrated Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2 (the latter, in tandem with Robert Rodriguez). RZA is among the stars of the 2023 comedy film Problemista, which premiered at SXSW. He is also an executive producer for, and directed several episodes of Wu-Tang: An American Saga, the original Hulu series honoring his group.

Now in its 39th year and presented by NAMM, the TEC Awards recognizes the best in professional audio and sound production and takes place as a part of The NAMM Show, the world’s largest music trade show. All finalists will be celebrated at a reception being held on the campus of the Anaheim Convention Center on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 27.

The NAMM Show will include live music, including a performance by emerging female hip-hop artist Blimes, and sessions such as Innovate and Elevate: Exploring DJ Technology with DJ Hapa, as well as signature events such as the Parnelli Awards and She Rocks Awards.

Learn more about the TEC Awards here and purchase tickets here.

Here’s the full list of previous recipients of the NAMM Innovation Award, when it was called the NAMM TEC Les Paul Innovation Award:

1991: Bob Ludwig

1992: Bob Clearmountain

1993: Peter Gabriel

1994: Herbie Hancock

1995: Alan Parsons

1996: Brian Wilson

1997: Stevie Wonder

1998: Neil Young

1999: Sting

2000: Paul McCartney

2001: Steely Dan

2002: Robbie Robertson

2003: Bruce Springsteen

2004: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

2005: David Byrne

2006: Steve Miller

2007: Al Kooper

2008: Ray Benson

2011: Lindsey Buckingham

2012: Steve Vai

2013: Pete Townshend

2014: Todd Rundgren

2015: Slash

2016: Don Was

2017: Joe Perry

2018: Jackson Browne

2019: Peter Frampton

2020: Joni Mitchell

2022: Carol Kaye

02 Jan 2024

Here’s Every Artist Who Earned Their First Hot 100 Entry in 2023

In the 2023 calendar year, 765 songs appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, by a total of 385 different artists.

Of those 385 acts, 99 achieved their first career entries on the chart in 2023. Billboard has been celebrating all these Hot 100 First-Timers throughout the year, highlighting their first appearances, explaining how they achieved their first entries, and sharing their reactions to the news.

For many of 2023’s 99 Hot 100 first-timers, their first entries led to repeat visits. Peso Pluma, for instance, logged his first Hot 100 hit in February with “AMG,” with Gabito Ballesteros and Natanael Cano. He charted 22 additional songs during the year since then, including the No. 4-peaking “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado – the first top 10 and highest-charting regional Mexican song in history. His 23 entries in 2023 mark the second-most among all core Latin-music artists this year, after Bad Bunny’s 28, and the eighth-most among all acts.

Ice Spice also earned her first Hot 100-charting hit in 2023, when “Gangsta Boo” debuted at No. 82, also in February. She charted six additional songs in 2023, including four top 10s: her featured turn on Taylor Swift’s “Karma” (No. 2 peak); “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” with fellow 2023 first-timer PinkPantheress (No. 3); “Princess Diana,” with Nicki Minaj (No. 4); and “Barbie World,” with Minaj and Aqua (No. 7).

Two 2023 first-timers hold the distinction of attaining not just their first Hot 100 entries, but also their first No. 1s. BTS’ Jimin posted his first solo title on the chart in January, with his feature on TAEYANG’s “Vibe,” and three months later, he banked his first solo No. 1 with “Like Crazy.” Before those solo hits, though, he tallied six No. 1s as a member of BTS. Additionally, Oliver Anthony Music’s first appearance on the chart was at No. 1, when his surprise viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” bounded in on top, making him the first artist to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with no prior chart history.

Other notable names who visited the Hot 100 for the first time in 2023 include: best new artist Grammy nominee Noah Kahan, rising K-pop groups NewJeans, FIFTY FIFTY and Stray Kids, and multi-talented actors Jack Black, Dave Chappelle, Lily-Rose Depp, and the Kenergetic Ryan Gosling.

Kahan is one of five acts up for best new artist that made their first Hot 100 visits during the year, along with Ice Spice (“Gangsta Boo”), Gracie Abrams (“Everywhere, Everything” with Kahan), Coco Jones (“ICU”) and The War and Treaty (“Hey Driver” with Zach Bryan). As for the other three best new artist nominees: Victoria Monét earned her first entry in 2019 with her Ariana Grande collaboration, “Monopoly,” but she notched her second entry, and first solo unaccompanied hit, in September with “On My Mama”; Jelly Roll arrived on the chart for the first time in July 2022 with “Son of a Sinner,” but tallied three additional entries in 2023, including his highest-charting hit “Need A Favor” (No. 13); and Fred Again hasn’t yet reached the Hot 100, but has charted 18 tracks on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.

In chronological order below, here’s a roundup of every artist that earned their first Hot 100 hit in 2023 (encompassing the charts dated Jan. 7-Dec. 30, 2023).

02 Jan 2024

These 12 Songs Won Golden Globes & Weren’t Even Nominated for Oscars

Winning a Golden Globe for best original song is often a stepping-stone to winning an Oscar in that category. Seven of the last 10 Globe winners went on to win the Oscar. Whoever wins when this year’s Golden Globes are presented on Sunday (Jan. 7) no doubt hopes that pattern continues.

But it doesn’t always work out that way. Since 1962, when the Globes introduced their best original song category, 12 songs have won a Globe that weren’t even nominated for an Oscar. A few weren’t eligible. Others simply didn’t get enough votes.

In the unlikely event that Bruce Springsteen’s “Addicted to Romance” from She Came to Me or Jack Black’s “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros. Movie wins the Globe on Sunday, they’ll join this list. Those songs weren’t even shortlisted for this year’s Oscars. (That means Springsteen and Black can sleep in on Jan. 23, when the Oscar nominations are announced.)

This year’s four other Globe nominees for best original song all made the Oscar shortlist – “Dance the Night,” “I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie and Lenny Kravitz’s “Road to Freedom” from Rustin. (No more than two of the Barbie songs can be Oscar-nominated.)

The roster of songs that won the Globe and weren’t even nominated for an Oscar includes several that were written and performed by pop and rock legends, including Springsteen, Madonna, Prince and Mick Jagger. Here’s a complete list of these 12 songs, in chronological order. The years shown are the year of the Oscar ceremony.

Penske Media Corporation, Billboard‘s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.

02 Jan 2024

Snoop Dogg to Report on 2024 Olympics for NBC Primetime Show: ‘I Will Be Bringing That Snoop Style’

Snoop Dogg is trading in the LBC for Paris in 2024 … briefly, anyway. NBCUniversal has announced that the iconic rapper is joining its team to report on the Olympic Games this summer, and will be onsite to deliver “regular reports” on the Olympic Primetime Show beginning July 26. The announcement arrived during the New Year’s Eve Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game.

“I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris. It’s a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness,” Snoop said in a statement. “We’re going to have some amazing competitions and, of course, I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix. It’s going to be the most epic Olympics ever, so stay tuned, and keep it locked. Let’s elevate, celebrate, and make these games unforgettable, smoke the competition, and may the best shine like gold. Peace and Olympic LOVE, ya dig?”

The “Gin and Juice” rapper — who previously reported for NBC during the Tokyo Olympics four years ago — also shared a brief video teaser of him dancing in front of the Eiffel Tower. “New year mood. Paris 2024 Olympics. C u this summer ??✌?Official. ?? ? ? ?‍♀️,” he captioned his Instagram clip.

According to NBC, Snoop will be chatting about the Paris Games with NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico, offering up “his unique take on what’s happening in Paris.” He’ll also be checking out the landmarks, visiting with athletes and their friends and family, and of course, attending some of the competitions.

“Snoop is already an Olympic gold medal commentator, generating tens of millions of views for his highlights commentary on Peacock of the dressage competition during the Tokyo Olympics,” Molly Solomon — executive producer and president, NBC Olympics Production — said in a statement. “That performance alone has earned Snoop a job as our Special Correspondent in Paris. We don’t know what the heck is going to happen every day, but we know he will add his unique perspective to our re-imagined Olympic primetime show.”

The Paris Games are set to take place July 26 through Aug. 11. NBC and its streaming service, Peacock, will be providing coverage of the Olympics.

See Snoop and NBC Olympic’s teasers of the rapper’s coverage of this year’s Games below:

02 Jan 2024

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: The Cast of Season 16 Pick Their Favorite Lip Sync Songs

From Lady Gaga to Bonnie Tyler to a “poop mix,” the show’s latest batch of drag stars break down their favorite songs to perform.

RuPaul’s Drag Race

The New Queens of Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race

MTV

With 2024 officially upon us, RuPaul has just three words for you: Start your engines!

On Friday (Jan. 5), fans will finally get to see the premiere episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 on MTV. Introducing a brand new crop of 14 world-class drag performers, the new season will follow the contestants as they compete for a cash prize of $200,000 and the sought-after title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.

Split into a two groups across two premiere episodes, the new cast of 14 queens will compete in two talent shows — one themed after MTV’s Spring Break and the other after the Teen Choice Awards. Once they’ve finished, the queens will be subjected to the season’s first big twist; they’ll have to rate each other to determine the week’s top and bottom performers.

The return of Drag Race also means the return of the beloved Lip Sync for Your Life format. Over the course of 15 years, the battle royale for survival has not only saved hundreds of queens from elimination, but has also boosted gains for the artists they feature. As executive producer Tom Campbell told Billboard in 2022, “that’s part of what this show does; it’s passing down these generational moments.”

With a flock of fabulous new performers for fans to fall for over the next few months, Billboard decided to speed up the getting-to-know-you process by asking each contestant a simple question; what is your go-to lip sync song? Below, the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 breaks down (in their own words) their favorite songs to perform for Billboard, ranging from Britney Spears to Barbra Streisand to a “poop mix.”

02 Jan 2024

Green Day Tweak Donald Trump Again With Altered ‘American Idiot’ Lyric During ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Set

Green Day kicked off 2024 in the most Green Day way possible: by taking another snarling lyrical swing at Donald Trump. The band tweaked the politically charged lyrics to the title track from their seventh studio album, 2004’s “American Idiot,” during their Sunday night (Dec. 31) set on ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.

“I’m not part of the MAGA agenda,” singer Billie Joe Armstrong snarled from the stage, replacing the original line in which he stated that he was not part of the “redneck agenda”; click here to watch video of the moment. As the four-times indicted, twice impeached former president ping-pongs between court dates and campaign appearances, the latest lyrical slag from the veteran punk-pop trio was not a huge surprise.

Green Day have long spoken out about their disdain for the former reality star whose recent speeches have featured fascist-like phrases that have raised alarm among political pundits for referring to political opponents as “vermin,” language that echoed that used by Nazi leader Adolph Hitler. Back in 2019, the band didn’t hold back at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, where they debuted the anti-MAGA line in “American Idiot.” At the 2016 American Music Awards Green Day took aim at the then president-elect while performing “Bang Bang,” where Armstrong chanted “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,” in a nod to Trump’s endorsement by the KKK and the rise in racist attacks following his election.

As you might expect, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band who’ve proudly waved the flag of disdain for authority and authoritarianism for more than three decades drew the ire of some of those MAGA Nation followers, as well as X owner Elon Musk. “Green Day goes from raging against the machine to milquetoastedly raging for it,” the controversy-loving Tesla/SpaceX CEO tweeted.

Some of Trump’s MAGA minions joined Musk in denigrating the group, with one X poster calling them “punk rock sellouts,” while Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist director and Hercules actor Kevin Sorbo quipped “punk rock is pro big government” and right-wing troll Catturd wrote, “nothing says ‘punk rock’ like Government bootlicking, millionaire sellouts playing on ABC.”

The move should not come as any surprise considering that during their 2017 tour, Armstrong would often shout “F–k you, Donald Trump!” during performances of “American Idiot.” And, after Trump’s mugshot was released following his indictment for attempting to interfere with Georgia’s election process in the 2020 presidential race, GD released an “ultimate Nimrod” shirt with the scowling image of the one-term president on it as a benefit for the victims of last year’s devastating Maui wildfire.

There were, of course, plenty of GD supporters who applauded the band’s prime time takedown, with one noting that the original songs were aimed at another Republican commander-in-chief, George W. Bush during the Iraq War. “To the bi–hes b–ching: Green Day was never on your side. ‘American Idiot’ came out in 2004, who was president then? EXACTLY. That album was a middle finger to Dubya, you were just too stupid to realize it,” they wrote. Another wondered if those complaining about the Trump dump were ever really paying attention. “Why did Green Day have to insert politics into their performance of ‘American Idiot’ is a truly incredible sentence to read,” one X user wrote.

See Musk’s tweet below.

DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.)

02 Jan 2024

Nicki Minaj Permanently Grounds ‘Starships’ During NYE Show: ‘Stupid Song’

Nicki Minaj hit the stage at Miami’s E11EVEN on New Year’s Eve with her usual trunk full of hits. But when the first strains of her 2012 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit began pumping out of the speakers, Minaj informed Barbz that she is never, ever going back to the beach.

A Tik Tok video from the show found Minaj cutting off the track from her Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded just a few lines into the opening verse after letting the audience do the heavy lifting on the song that is one of Nicki’s biggest all-time solo charting singles in the U.S. After waving her hand to get her DJ to cut the track off, Nicki told the crowd that the pop hit has been permanently grounded.

“Hold on. Psych, psych, psych, psych. I don’t perform that song no more, y’all. I don’t like it, what y’all want me to do?” she said as some boos emerged from the audience. “Stupid song.” The rapper then seemed to pivot to another one of her radio smashes, “Super Bass.” Though the RedOne-produced lead single from Minaj’s sophomore album is one of her most popular, the rapper has hinted before that she doesn’t love it.

“I hate ‘Starships,’ I mean ew, ‘Starships?’” she told Pollstar Live in 2020 during a Q&A in which she also noted that she wished she’d never recorded “Anaconda,” another one of her mega-hits. “I’m like, ‘Why did I do that?,’” she said of “Starships.” “I really think that every time I hear it.” “Starships” peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and spent 31 weeks on the chart.

Minaj just released her long-awaited fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, and is gearing up to launch her Pink Friday 2 world tour in March.

02 Jan 2024

Moe. in State of ‘Profound Shock and Sadness’ After Deadly Car Crash Outside NYE Show in Rochester

Members of the band Moe. said they were in a state of “profound shock and sadness” on Monday (Jan. 1) after a deadly car crash outside their New Year’s Eve show at the Kodak Center in Rochester, NY that killed several.

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According to WABC, police are investigating the incident as a possible act of terrorism. The incident took place around 12:50 a.m. as around 1,000 people were leaving the band’s Dec. 31 show. Rochester Police Department officers were helping fans navigate the crosswalk outside the venue in the early morning hours when a Ford Explorer ran into a Mitsubishi Outlander that was pulling out of a nearby parking lot.

The force of the crash reportedly caused the two vehicles to plow through a group of pedestrians as well as two other vehicles, with a large fire breaking out as a result that took nearly an hour to extinguish, according to the report. Once the fire was extinguished, first responders reportedly found at least a dozen gas canisters in and around the Expedition, prompting a response from the Rochester Police Department’s Bomb Squad and Joint Arson Task Force, as well as the FBI.

Two people in the Outlander were killed and the unnamed driver was taken to Rochester General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while a number of other pedestrians and a Rochester police officer were also struck by vehicles; one of the three pedestrians was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries while the other two are reportedly in non-life-threatening condition.

On Tuesday morning (Jan. 2), Syracuse.com reported that the total death toll had risen to three, including the alleged driver of the Expedition, whom the New York Post identified as Michael Avery, who reportedly died at 8 p.m. on Monday night.

The band released a statement in response to the crash, writing, “Last night’s events outside the Kodak Center have left us all in profound shock and sadness. On a night that was meant for celebration and togetherness, we are faced instead with a tragedy that defies understanding. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with those who were injured.”

Moe. thanked the first responders and venue staff for their “swift and courageous” actions securing the safety of fans, as well as their fans, the Famoe.ly, for their support and resilience. “In these moments of confusion and grief, we stand together in solidarity,” the note continued. “We believe in the power of music to heal and unite, and it is in this spirit that we will continue to move forward.”

According to WABC, at press time authorities were still not sure that the crash was a deliberate act of terrorism, but are investigating it as such until they can determine a cause of the accident. Law enforcement sources told the station that reported Expedition driver Avery was from Syracuse and that he drove his own vehicle to the Syracuse airport, where he rented an extra-large SUV. The Post additionally reported that Avery allegedly rented a hotel room in Rochester, where investigators are said to have found a suicide note.

At press time Billboard was unable to reach a spokesperson for the Rochester Police Department for additional information on the incident.

Investigators are reportedly combing through the Expedition driver’s social media, as well as interviewing friends and family in search of additional information that might provide clues about why there were so many gas canisters in the vehicle.

See the band’s full statement below.

02 Jan 2024

Les McCann, Grammy-Nominated Jazz Pianist and Vocalist, Dies at 88

Leslie “Les” McCann, an exceptional jazz pianist, composer and vocalist who discovered a young Roberta Flack, and whose own works have been sampled by countless hip-hop artists, died last Friday (Dec. 29) at the age of 88.

Born into a musical family, Sept. 23, 1935 in Lexington, Kentucky, McCann would become one of jazz music’s “most gifted and influential artists,” reads a statement from Kevin Gore, president of Global Catalog, Recorded Music for Warner Music Group.

A self-taught pianist, McCann was an innovator in the soul jazz style, fusing jazz with funk, soul and world rhythms. He mastered all instruments before him, and enjoyed an unusual breakthrough, by winning a Navy talent contest, opening the door to an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

An early hit came with “The Shampoo,” the 1963 instrumental cut with his trio for Pacific Jazz Records.

McCann would enjoy a fruitful relationship with Atlantic Records, releasing a dozen albums on the label from the late-‘60s through to the mid-‘70s.

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During that run, Atlantic released Swiss Movement, featuring McCann, frequent collaborator, saxophonist and labelmate Eddie Harris, and trumpeter Benny Bailey. The album earned a Grammy nomination for best jazz performance – small group or soloist with small group, and included the protest song, “Compared to What,” which McCann and Co. performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969.

Another career highlight would come in 1971, when McCann appeared with a starry cast of artists, including Wilson Pickett, The Staple Singers, Santana and Ike & Tina Turner, for an historic 14-hour concert in Accra, Ghana. The event was captured for the concert film Soul To Soul.

His ears might have been just as impressive as his hands. It was McCann who discovered and recommended Roberta Flack to Atlantic Records.

A stroke in the 1990s slowed McCann’s output. So he channeled his energies into painting and photography, and he recovered for a string of music releases, including Pump It Up from 2002.

Gore remembers McCann as a great of jazz, the creator of “timeless” works. “While we deeply mourn his passing,” Gore continues, “his music will live on in the hearts of millions of music fans across the globe.”

02 Jan 2024

Michael Bublé Jingles to U.K. No. 1 With ‘Christmas’

Michael Bublé’s Christmas (via Reprise) proves it’s the gift that keeps giving as it heads back to No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart.

The festive hit lifts 2-1 for a sixth non-consecutive week at the summit, to close out the year atop the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published last Friday, Dec. 29.

Christmas first reached the summit of the national tally following its release back in November 2011, returning to the top for two weeks in December that same year, the Official Charts Company reports. Since then, the LP has logged time at No. 1 in January 2021 and December 2022.

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According to the OCC, Christmas is home to five of the top 40 biggest Christmas songs of the 21st century in the U.K. – “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (No. 1), “Holly Jolly Christmas” (No. 8), “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (No. 15), “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (No. 19), and “Jingle Bells” (No. 20) with the Puppini Sisters.

The Canadian crooner holds off Taylor Swift’s former leader 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI), which lifts 3-2; and The Weeknd’s The Highlights, up 9-3 (via Republic Records/XO), respectively.

As Brits handed out gifts over the festive season, compilations provided the soundtrack. Elton John’s Diamonds (up 12-4 via Mercury/UMR), ABBA’s Gold: Greatest Hits (up 15-5 via Polydor), Eminem’s Curtain Call: Greatest Hits (up 10-9 via Interscope), and Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years – Don’t Stop (up 23-13 via Rhino) all climb the chart. It’s worth noting, ABBA’s career retrospective has now logged a staggering 1,130 weeks on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, and makes its first dent on the top 5 since September 2021.

Predictably, a batch of festive compilations made their mark. Bing Crosby’s Christmas Classics (UMR/Virgin) lifts 73-18, and Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song (UMR/Virgin) rises 86-22, both new peak positions.

The top new entry belongs to vocal group Pentatonix, with their addition to the festive season’s playlist, The Greatest Christmas Hits (RCA), new at No. 64.