State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 491
Lil Nas X may be a modern-day fashion icon in the making, but it turns out he doesn’t look back on every one of his risk-taking sartorial choices fondly.
Stopping by The Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday (May 8), the rapper reflected on nearly baring it all at the Met Gala in 2023.
“There are definitely moments where I’m just like, ‘OK, I love that I did that; I don’t want to see it ever again,” he told Hudson as a compilation of his most editorial ensembles from over the years flashed on screen. Case in point: “The one from the Met Gala like two years ago where I’m, like, kind of naked and covered in crystals.
“I cannot explain to you how it feels walking up to Bad Bunny, like, ‘Hi Bad Bunny’ and just talking, and then walking away knowing that he’s seeing your ass covered in crystals,” Lil Nas confessed before covering his face in embarrassment.
Even still, the rapper managed to defend his jaw-dropping look, telling an amused Hudson, “I don’t regret it. I don’t regret it, I don’t want you to think that. But it was like, ‘I want to get out of my comfort zone, I want to feel good about my body,’ and I just wanted to step out there. And then just looking back, going, ‘Damn, everybody saw my ass covered in, like, silver crystals…”
“Well it was a good ass!” Hudson retorted, to which Lil Nas gamely replied, “Yeah, I love it! One of my favorite asses: mine.”
That year, the dress code for the annual gala organized by Anna Wintour was “in honor of Karl,” to pay tribute to late Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld, who was also the subject of the Costume Institute’s 2023 exhibition: “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” While the Billboard Hot 100 record-holder dazzled in his pearl-encrusted birthday suit for the A-list event, Bad Bunny rocked a breathtaking, backless all-white suit and floral train by Jacquemus on the famed steps of the Met.
Elsewhere during the sit-down, Lil Nas X also opened up about unlocking his “feminine energy” on new single “Hotbox,” teased his upcoming album Dreamboy and more. Watch the rapper’s chat with Hudson below.
Heading into Thursday night’s (May 8) 2025 ACM Awards, country rookie Ella Langley leads the nominations pack with a whopping eight nods — and she picked up three prizes before the show even started. But we’ll have to wait and see who will emerge from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the night’s biggest winner after tonight’s Prime Video livestream, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Langley is followed by Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson with seven nominations; Chris Stapleton with six; Langley’s “you look like you love me” duet partner Riley Green and Post Malone with five; and Kelsea Ballerini with four, including her first nod for entertainer of the year.
You can follow along with Billboard all night as we update our ACM Awards winners list live below:
Entertainer of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
The War and Treaty
Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
New Female Artist of the Year
Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Dasha
WINNER: Ella Langley
Jessie Murph
New Male Artist of the Year
Gavin Adcock
Shaboozey
WINNER: Zach Top
Tucker Wetmore
Bailey Zimmerman
New Duo or Group of the Year
Restless Road
WINNER: The Red Clay Strays
Treaty Oak Revival
Album of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney; producer: Kristian Bush; Columbia Records / Sony Music Nashville
Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll; producers: BazeXX, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Devin Dawson, Charlie Handsome, Ben Johnson, mgk, The Monsters & Strangerz, Austin Nivarel, SlimXX, Ryan Tedder, Isaiah Tejada, Alysa Vanderheym; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Republic Records
Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top; producer: Carson Chamberlain; Leo33
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jay Joyce; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville
Single of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey; producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; American Dogwood / EMPIRE
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mercury Nashville
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Song of the Year
Awarded to songwriter(s)/publisher(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson; publishers: Louisiana Lady; One Tooth Productions; Reservoir 416; Songs of One Riot Music; Sony/ATV Accent
“The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves; songwriters: Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne; publishers: Songs for Indy and Owl; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; songwriter: Josh Phillips; publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing; Write or Die Music; Write the Lightning Publishing
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters, Ryan Vojtesak; publishers: Bell Ear Publishing; Master of my Domain Music; Poppy’s Picks; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing; Universal Music Corporation
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere; publishers: Back 40 Publishing International; Langley Publishing; One Tooth Productions; Sony/ATV Tree; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp
Music Event of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan; producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan, Alysa Vanderheym; Black River Entertainment
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“we don’t fight anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton; producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce; Big Machine Records
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Visual Media of the Year
Awarded to producer(s)/director(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jennifer Ansell; director: Dano Cerny
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Dustin Haney; director: Dustin Haney
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry; director: Dustin Haney
“Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Wes Edwards, Angie Lorenz, Jamie Stratakis; director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)
WINNER: “you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Alex Pescosta; directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Morgan Wallen
WINNER: Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year
Jessi Alexander
WINNER: Jessie Jo Dillon
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
Producer of the Year
Dave Cobb
Ian Fitchuk
Charlie Handsome
Jon Randall
Alysa Vanderheym
Audio Engineer of the Year
Brandon Bell
Drew Bollman
Josh Ditty
Buckley Miller
F. Reid Shippen
Bass Player of the Year
J.T. Cure
Mark Hill
Rachel Loy
Tony Lucido
Craig Young
Drummer of the Year
Fred Eltringham
Tommy Harden
Evan Hutchings
Aaron Sterling
Nir Z
Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year
Tim Galloway
Todd Lombardo
Mac McAnally
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Dave Cohen
Ian Fitchuk
Billy Justineau
Gordon Mote
Alex Wright
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Jenee Fleenor
Josh Matheny
Justin Schipper
Kristin Wilkinson
Electric Guitar Player of the Year
Kris Donegan
Jedd Hughes
Brent Mason
Sol Philcox-Littlefield
Derek Wells
Casino of the Year – Theater
Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, S.D.
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, Conn.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, N.C.
The Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas, Nev.
Yaamava’ Theater – Highland, Calif.
Casino of the Year – Arena
Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, La.
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, N.J.
Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, Nev.
Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, Minn.
Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona, N.Y.
Festival of the Year
C2C Country to Country – London
CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
Stagecoach Festival – Indio, Calif.
Two Step Inn – Georgetown, Tex.
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago
Fair/Rodeo of the Year
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, Alberta
California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, Calif.
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, Wy.
Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, Minn.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston
Club of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, Tex.
Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville
Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, Okla.
Georgia Theatre – Athens, Ga.
Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago
Theater of the Year
The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn.
MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston
The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia
The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, Wisc.
Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, Tenn.
Outdoor Venue of the Year
BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, N.H.
CMAC – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, N.Y.
Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, Fla.
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, Ala.
Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, Tex.
Arena of the Year
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Tex.
Moody Center – Austin, Tex.
TD Garden – Boston
Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center – Knoxville, Tenn.
Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Deana Baker
Bobby Clay
Gil Cunningham
Weston Hebert
Stacy Vee
Taylor Williamson
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi
Alex Maxwell
Patrick McDill
Anna-Sophie Mertens
Rich Schaefer
Aaron Spalding
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Netflix / Netflix
In 2023, Reebok made some noise when they announced that NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson would be taking over their basketball division as president and vice president, and now we’ll get to see just how it went down thanks to a new Netflix series detailing the business decision of a few years ago.
In the new trailer for their upcoming series Power Moves, Shaquille O’Neal explains why he took on the role of president of Reebok’s basketball division saying they’ve been “out of the game” for a while and hopes to bring back the buzz the sneaker brand once had when O’Neal was tearing down backboard in the early ’90s. Accompanied by his vice president, Allen Iverson, the series goes into the everyday struggle that Shaq and A.I. go through to revive Reebok’s basketball popularity, including picking and choosing new silhouettes for the brand to produce and searching for up-and-coming talent to help promote the brand to a new generation of basketball fans.
Source: Netflix / Netflix
Coming in at six episodes, Power Moves will be an interesting watch as viewers can get an idea of how the sneaker business works behind closed doors before we get to see the end product both on TV and on shelves.
We’re still waiting on Reebok to retro Jay-Z’s S. Carter kicks and 50 Cent’s G-Unit silhouettes. Just sayin’.
Check out the trailer for Power Moves below, and let us know if you’ll be checking it out when it premiers on Netflix on June 4.
Clipse continue to tease their highly anticipated fourth album Let God Sort Em Out thanks to a new video from Pusha T. The Virginia Beach rapper posted a video of himself getting ready for the 2025 Met Gala on Tuesday (May 7), featuring a snippet of an unreleased song seemingly titled “So Far Ahead.” The […]
Ye (formerly Kanye West) attempted to release his new song titled “Heil Hitler,” but he claims the controversial track was taken down by streaming platforms and is banned by DSPs.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
West has been teasing the single for some time and he uploaded his new track to SoundCloud on Thursday (May 8), but it’s since been removed from the platform.
“Heil Hitler by Ye has been banned by all digital streaming platforms,” Ye wrote on X before pointing out the double standard he sees in streaming censorship. “While Rednecks by Randy Newman remains streamable They’re literally keeping the n—-s down.”
Trending on Billboard
The track finds Ye addressing his custody issues over his four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian, while also claiming that banks are freezing his accounts and rapping about his nitrous use. “With all this money and fame, I still can’t get my kids back/ With all this money and fame I still can’t see my children,” he raps.
West also repeats the titular phrase on the song’s refrain and claims he “became a Nazi yet b—h, I’m the villain.” The horn-tinged outro features a portion of a German speech from Adolf Hitler.
Billboard has reached out to reps for Ye as well as SoundCloud and Spotify.
The song has been teased by Ye in recent weeks as various clips showed on Sneako’s stream while he was working on the song, which followed his series of antisemitic X tirades praising Hitler.
It’s been a turbulent week for West, who stormed off the set of a combative interview with Piers Morgan on Tuesday (May 6) within minutes of it beginning after the Uncensored host got Ye’s follower count on X wrong.
“You’re not gonna take inches off my di–, bro.” the Chicago native said before he left the interview. “I’m a gift, bro. Why do all you people in media act like you haven’t played my songs at your weddings, or graduations or at funerals or when your child was born?”
He continued: “You take someone like that’s living, like a [John] Lennon or a Michael Jackson. That nuance right there is idiotic. It just shows the hate that you put out for people that put out love. There’s so much love in the art that I put out. This is what you get for now, we can circle back when you can count.”
Drew Afualo gives flowers to Muni Long and she shares who has inspired her music, her knowing how to use a bow and arrow and more at Billboard Women in Music 2025.
Drew Afualo:
Team, here we are backstage at Billboard Women in Music with the one and only, Muni Long. Oh my gosh, I’m so happy to have you.
Muni Long:
I love that you’re a tall girl.
Period. You’re a tall girl, too.
I am.
Yes, I can tell that about you. Other than physically, seeing you, aura.
I got a tall aura. Yeah, I’m 5’10 by my aura 6’4
Love and I’m six feet, but my aura 6’9.
Period.
69.
Oh, is this a family show?
I don’t know. They’ll cut it, but thank you so much for being here. How does it feel being here at Billboard Women in Music?
Post performance feels amazing, pre performance, anxiety. What’d Doechii say? It’s my anxiety somebody’s watching me.
But all is well that ends well, yes?
Yes.
Amazing, fantastic. So to start off our fun little questions, I’m actually gonna give you some flowers.
Thank you very much appreciated.
So I would like to know who do you give flowers to for getting you where you are now?
My incredible team, my mom, my glam because I’m not the easiest person to glam. I’m very picky, I’m like I don’t like this, can you do it like this? Let me just get the pencil.
You’re so me. You’re so me.
Yeah, so everybody who helps me get pretty.
Keep watching for more!
Lainey Wilson and Jessie Jo Dillon were named the winners of 2025 ACM Awards in the two songwriting categories on Thursday (May 8), ahead of tonight’s telecast. Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert presented Wilson with the artist-songwriter of the year award in a backstage surprise. Kelsea Ballerini presented Dillon with the songwriter of the year […]
Drew Afualo gives flowers to Kali Uchis who thanks God, shares her experience on working at Whole Foods and more at Billboard Women in Music 2025.
Drew Afualo: Hey everyone, here we are with the stunning, the talented, the absolutely gorgeous Kali Uchis. Wohoo.
Kali Uchis: Thank you Drew.
Thank you so much for being here.
You look beautiful as well, and gorgeous.
Oh my gosh. I’m just gonna do a compilation of all the women telling me I look so stunning, and then I’m just gonna play it when I feel sad. Well, how do you feel being here at Billboard Women in Music?
I love it, right, celebrating us. I think women need more of this, honoring each other, celebrating each other.
I love that. I think so too.
Any men around we’re like, what are you doing here? You know, what I’m saying?
What are your intentions being here?
Exactly.
Well, that’s wonderful, and I’d like to ask you a question, but first I’m gonna give you some of those flowers. Give you some flowers here. These are for you.
Thank you.
And I’d like to ask you, Who do you give flowers to for getting you where you are now.
Definitely, God.
Love. I love that. And who do you give flowers to for inspiring your music?
I would say, Well, God could work here as well. Life in general, totally just the experiences my son, my family.
Beautiful. And then last, kind of like serious one, what do you give flowers to your fans for?
Keep watching for more!
John Lydon took an unexpected swipe at The Rolling Stones during an appearance on a British morning show Wednesday (May 7).
Appearing on the U.K.’s Good Morning Britain to promote his upcoming tour with Public Image Ltd., the former Sex Pistols frontman brought his fellow veteran rockers into the conversation while defending his own career longevity. “If I just sat back and retired, that’s just not me. I’m not that kind of person,” the artist formerly known as Johnny Rotten said before musing, “By all means, The Rolling Stones should retire.”
As the program’s hosts burst into laughter, Lydon couldn’t resist making another jab, saying, “I’m not short of a song idea or two, so there’s a difference.” However, quick to acknowledge his comments had the potential to cause a stir, he jokingly added, “Hold on, I’ve offended music lovers!” while screwing his face up into a cheeky scowl.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“I’m not sure that you’d worry about causing offense, would you?” host Charlotte Hawkins pressed, to which the 69-year-old firebrand replied, “Certainly not! I mean, to compare music lovers with The Rolling Stones is absurd!”
Trending on Billboard
As the hosts tried to pivot to a different topic, Lydon laughed off his comments by making a giant pot-stirring motion and saying, “Give me a big spoon!”
Of course, the Stones last released new music with their 2023 album Hackney Diamonds, which was notable for serving as the band’s first full-length of original material in nearly two decades. The LP, which featured lead single “Angry” as well as Lady Gaga collab “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums chart. (It also topped the chart in the band’s native U.K. and eventually took home the Grammy for best rock album the following year.)
Meanwhile, Lydon and the rest of Public Image Ltd. also unveiled their eleventh studio set, End of World, in 2023, which bowed at No. 33 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
Watch a clip of Lydon’s pot-stirring chat on Good Morning Britain below.
He brought ‘Anarchy to the UK’ nearly 50 years ago, but after sadly losing his wife Nora in April 2023, and his best friend and manager just 8 months later, former Sex Pistol John Lydon thought he’d never tour again.But two years on, the pioneering godfather of punk is back… pic.twitter.com/Nr7oN6WBSZ— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 7, 2025
From the Caribbean Music Awards to the mounting of several arena shows — April kicked off a season of head-turning announcements for the world of Caribbean music.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
On April 9, Billboard exclusively revealed the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards nominations, which will once again grace Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Aug. 28. Fans had until May 1 to cast their ballots for over 40 categories featuring leading nominees Shenseea and Masicka, who snagged seven nods each. Soca superstars Patrice Roberts and Kes followed with six nominations, while King of Dancehall Vybz Kartel, genre-fusing soca star Nailah Blackman, and Jamaican dancehall stars Chronic Law and Kranium each earned five nods.
In addition to buzzy awards news, April also featured several blockbuster dancehall arena shows. On April 11 and 12, Vybz Kartel made his highly anticipated return to Brooklyn for his first U.S. live shows in 20 years. Worl’ Boss sold out two nights at Barclays Center just a few weeks before Aidonia headlined UBS Arena (May 3) for a 20th anniversary concert featuring Mavado, Sizzla, Govana, Jada Kingdom, Spragga Benz and more. Last week (May 1), Bounty Killer announced his first U.S. show in 15 years, The Return of the War Lord, which will grace Barclays Center on July 5. Later this month (May 24), Beenie Man will bring his headlining King of the Dancehall tour to UBS Arena, underscoring an impressive arena run for Caribbean artists this year.
Trending on Billboard
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: KA$E & Green Lion Crew, “What’s the Word?”
Rising Jamaican recording artist Ka$e teamed up with production duo Green Lion Crew for an upbeat new reggae tune titled “What’s the Word?” Across easy-rocking guitars, Ka$e rattles off his observations of JA’s latest happenings, and carries the legacy of roots reggae artists before him by taking those in power to task and demanding they do more for the island’s orginary people. “Face it! Land we love is govern by some wastemen/ Who feed their need for greed and nepotize them favorite/ Quick fi blame artists when dem portfolio failing/ If a we dem wah fi run it then say less,” he declares in the second verse.
Tifa, “We Got It”
Late ’00s and early ’10s Jamaican dancehall star Tifa has slowly been making her way back into the public eye, and “We Got It” is the latest in a string of standalone singles helping her recalibrate her positioning in today’s dancehall landscape. Over DJ Bunpun’s “Deep Fake” riddim, Tifa delivers an empowering anthem centering women and all their flavor and flair they bring to the dancehall.
Jah Vinci, “Cover Me”
Back with another powerful message that bridges the sanctificed nature of gospel reggae with the street-adjacent feel of trap 808s and Auto-Tuned crooning, Jah Vinci has another winner in “Cover Me.” Aided by a backing choir, Jah Vinci pleads for Jah to “cover [him] with His love and make him whole again” — a moment of musical humility that finds him submitting to the Most High and spreading his message to the rest of the world.
Patrice Roberts, “Ungrateful”
Trinbagonian superstar Patrice Roberts is best known for her soca smashes, but she veered into the Afro-pop lane for new “Ungrateful” single. Produced, mixed and mastered by Yannick Plate and featuring Kyle Ernest on guitar and Esther Tommy on backing vocals, “Ungrateful” finds Roberts kissing a no-good old flame goobye. With a promise to focus on herself, she proclaims, “Boy bye/ Take you s–t to somebody else.” Melodically, this is much more subdued than her previous power soca entries, but the relaxed soundscape allows for her voice’s character to shine through — and for her emoting skills to get some shine.
RajahWild, “Show Me a Sign”
Originally debuted as an “On the Radar” freestyle earlier this year (March 25), RajahWild’s “Show Me a Sign” finally arrived on April 11. Marked by its notable omission of foul language, “Show Me a Sign” effortlessly positions Rajah as one of dancehall’s brightest new stars,” his come-hither lyrics pairing perfectly with trap-forward Zimi Records production. “Mi hope yuh know mi nuh nice/ Hope yuh know you a star/ Hope yuh know you a baddie/ Mi hope yuh know you a shine,” he croons in the second half of the chorus, presenting something of a shift in dancehall lyricism where the man is, even if just for a moment, centering the feels and self-image of the woman he’s pursuing.
DJ Big Skipp, Yung Bredda & Hey Choppi feat. Pndrn & BYFar Mega, “Cho Cha!”
There’s essentially half a soccer team on this song, but it truly is a “the more, the merrier” situation. With the help of Yung Bredda, a triple nominee at this year’s Caribbean Music Awards, Hey Choppi, Pndrn and BYFar Mega pull from New York drill to inform they cadences they employ across the skittering snares of DJ Big Skipp’s production. While the union of dancehall and drill isn’t anything new, it’s very cool to hear Bredda bar up after dominating the first half of the year with “The Greatest Bend Over” and other soca and calypso hits.
Kaka Highflames, “Jackie Chan”
Just a few weeks after assisting Ding Dong on “Street Jump,” the lead single from the “Badman Forward Badman Pull Up” singer’s debut album, rising dancehall star and renowned dancer Kaka Highflames has unleashes his own new single: “Jackie Chan.” Accompanied by a new dance challenge, “Jackie Chan” find Kaka rapping across an old-school, early ’90s hip-hop-evoking beat with the constant refrain of “Don’t let my Jackie Chan kick ya.” Clearly engineered for dancers as opposed to average listeners, Kaka’s new single will certainly help keep the art of dancing at the forefront of dancehall culture.
Ky-Mani Marley, “All This Love”
For the third single from his forthcoming Love & Energy album, Ky-Mani Marley pairs his slightly raspy voice with sweet reggae guitars, ebulliant horns and a whistling background flutes. “So let’s shine our lights together/ So that we can heal/ So the world can feel/ All of this love/ Jah give me all this love,” he sings over Grammy-winner Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown’s lush production. From Ky-Mani to YG (who appeard on Coco Jones‘ recently-released debut album Why Not More?), the Marley legacy continues.
Yaksta, “Haffi Bun”
Yaksta is always full of surprises; a new single from his could be a three-minute look into virtually any genre in the world. With “Haffi Bun,” which he dropped two days before 4/20, Yaksta dipped into his ska bag and added smalls nods to doo-wop along the way. Produced by Partillo Productions, “Haffi Bun” is Yaksta’s aptly titled ganja tribute; he sings in the first, raps in the second and ties it all together with a jaunty hook that maintains the levity of the whole affair. “It was foolish of me to abstaining from the tree!” he sings, delivering the line with a slight decrescendo to add more verve to his vocal performance.
Armanii, “XOXO”
One of the buzziest names in dancehall right now, Armanii has just added another banger to his string of homeruns. Kicking things off in a delightfully nasty and classicaly dancehall way, Armanii attacks the trap beat with, “Open yuh mouth fi mi mek me see yuh throat back/ Dah bumpa deh gwan throw it back/ Cocky a buss inna yuh face, tell yuh hold dat/ She seh di f–k strong like Hulk Hogan.” With a strikingly melodic flow reminsicnent of Kartel himself, Armanii is quickly establishing himself as a dancehall force to be reckoned with.
