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R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Ice Spice, redveil, BabyTron & More
New year, new picks. After all the unforgettable drops of 2022, we’re starting off strong in 2023 with the best cuts from this year’s emerging acts. From burgeoning talents like Ice Spice and redveil to longer-standing favorites like Kamaiyah and Trash Panda, we have an array of sounds help you achieve all of your New Year’s resolutions.
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And of course, don’t forget to share the wealth with our Spotify playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: Trash Panda, “Doin’ Fine Today”
Thanks to Trash Panda’s latest single, we’re doing fine today, too. The band has dipped into a number of different genres over the course of their catalog, and this feel-good cut draws influence from ’70s funk and soul sounds — making for a perfect soundtrack to the week, and to the start of 2023.
Fresco Trey feat. Brezay, “Pull Up”
There’s something in the water in Memphis, and newcomers Fresco Trey and Brezay are adding to the city’s rich swagger with their new single “Pull Up.” Produced by Jeff Williams, the song is built on heavy bass with choir undertones, as the two bounce off of each other’s boastful bars with adrenaline-powered flows. “My inspiration for ‘Pull Up’ really came from the vibe of Memphis,” Trey explains in a press release. “We invited some local artists to come to the studio and vibe out. When I heard the beat, I jumped in the booth. Then my homegirl Brezay hopped on and killed it!”
Kamaiyah, “Thru the Week”
Kamaiyah is one of one. On her bouncy new single “Thru the Week,” the Oakland mainstay asserts that everyday she’s hustling and getting money. As she should. “Thru the Week” follows the rapper’s recent project Keep It Lit, which was released back in December.
CJ Fly, “Have Knots”
On “Have Knots,” Brooklyn rapper CJ Fly reflects on his life and ascent as a musician. “We all that we got/ Used to dream about the day I see us all at the top/ I got goals of being rich because I was a have not/ My life’s a movie and my story, it’s all part of the plot,” he raps over a NasteeLuvzYou-produced beat. The Pro Era/Beast Coast member also teased a new project to come in April, tweeting, “if you not a fan by February, you will be by April #FLY23.”
Dende, “Sensually”
The intro track to his new EP Before We Crash, “Sensually” finds Texas-born newcomer Dende totally in love. The rising singer stretches his vocals in old-school R&B fashion, crooning that his lover is the centerpiece of his dreams.
redveil, “2daside”
Where redveil is from, they do it “2daside.” The PG County, Maryland native channeled his inner child for this self-produced new single, which finds him racing tricycles with his friends, playing with sidewalk chalk and cosplaying as Bob Ross to paint the Maryland state flag.
Young DrA feat. NLE Choppa, “Don’t Understand”
With the arrival of a new year, Young DrA is setting a few things straight. The Chicago newcomer joins forces with Memphis mainstay NLE Choppa on “Don’t Understand,” as the pair deliver rumbling verses overtop a dark trap beat. “Don’t talk my language they don’t understand/ Don’t know my pain so you don’t understand,” Young DrA raps on the chorus.
BabyTron, “Mr. Hanky”
If there’s one thing BabyTron can guarantee, it’s smirk-inducing bars. Sampling Peter from Family Guy within the first seconds of “Mr. Hanky,” the Ypsilanti, Mich. native rattles off one witty rap after another, a distinctly Detroit beat sounding off behind him.
Daisy Veacock, “the things that you tell her”
Baring sonic similarity to U.K. favorite Lily Allen and infusing jazz influence à la Amy Winehouse, singer-songwriter Daisy Veacock delivers a potent-yet-laid-back single with “the things you tell her.” Daughter to professional saxophonist Phil Veacock, the South London vocalist hails from a musical background and is sure to capture listeners with the track’s clever melodies and relatable lyrics.
Ice Spice, “In Ha Mood”
Whether or not you think she’s our modern-day Princess Diana, one thing we can all agree on is that Ice Spice IS the moment. “In Ha Mood” is the Bronx rapper’s second release since breakthrough hit “Munch (Feelin’ U),” and is proving to be a quick success in social media, thanks to her simple approach to lyrics that the internet has come to love. Drawing sonic inspiration from the Jersey club scene and enlisting producer RIOTUSA (who is also responsible for both “Munch” and follow-up single “Bikini Bottom”), Ice Spice is clearly in the mood to take 2023 by storm.
Welcome to ‘Tha Dogg House’: Here’s What It’s Like Inside Snoop Dogg & Funko’s First-Ever Retail Space
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Welcome to “Tha Dogg House.”
Snoop Dogg and Funko opened their first-ever co-branded storefront on Friday, where fans can scoop up the “Dogg House” collection of Snoop-inspired Funko Pop! and GOLD figurines also available at Funko.com and Amazon while supplies last.
Located at 913 S. Prairie Ave. in Inglewood, Calif., “Tha Dogg House” is steps away from Snoop Dogg Clothing and directly across the street from SoFi Stadium. The collaboration, marking Funko and Snoop’s first time partnering on a retail space, came together with help from Snoop’s longtime friend and collaborator DJ Skee.
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“We already love their products, but [DJ Skee] put me in touch with the business side of it,” Snoop told Billboard during the grand opening on Friday. “Once we started talking about business and the things that we could do, it was just a natural fit.”
Inside “Tha Dogg House,” fans will find exclusive collectibles from Funko’s Pop! and GOLD lines, including a figurine of Snoop in his Lakers jersey and a fur coat, Pop! vinyls of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G., plus a ton of other products spanning sports, music, anime, movies TV and more.
Courtesy of Funko/Snoop Dogg
Courtesy of Funko/Snoop Dogg
Opening the store is a “dream come true” for Snoop, who now has two stores in the same plaza and he might be adding a third. “I’m thinking about opening an ice cream shop called Dr. Bombay’s Ice Cream,” he said.
“It feels good,” Snoop added of having two stores. “As a kid I never even dreamed of having one store, so to have two in the same shopping center, right across the street from SoFi Stadium, this is like a dream come true.”
Besides shopping, fans can snap photos in front of the massive Snoop mural and life-size Pop figures of LeBron James, Tupac and others.
The green flooring inside the store mimics a football field, a nod to Snoop’s love of sports. The 51-year-old rapper runs a youth football league and performed at the Super Bowl halftime show last year, and while he had “no advice” for Rihanna ahead of her Super Bowl halftime show next month, he invited the “Lift Me Up” singer to visit the store and The Compound, his massive studio space located in Inglewood.
“The only advice I have for [Rihanna] is to stop by this store, come by The Compound, and come see me in the ‘green room.’”
On another note, with 2023 just getting started, Snoop’s plans include continuing to inspire the youth. “Making money, making a difference,” he said. “I was a kid that dreamed of [success] and it happened, so I want to give kids a chance to actually live their dreams before they get to [my] age. Sometimes that’s just being around me, being around this environment. That means a lot because I had none of this as a kid and I became [successful]. Imagine if I could give them more than what I never had?”
Shop Snoop’s Funko Pop! figurines below.
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Funko Pop! Rocks: Snoop Dogg
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Funko Pop! Rocks: Snoop Dogg with Fur Coat
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Funko Pop! Albums: Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle
Which Dream Latin Collab Would You Like to See in 2023?
For the past three years, Billboard‘s Latin editors have put together a list of dream Latin collaborations they’d like to see happen in the new year. Not all of them come true, some have, but the plausible pairings are based on the artists’ similarities, their sonic evolution and/or past collaborations.
This year, our diverse (and ambitious) list of collabs we’d like to see happen in 2023 include a team up between power couple Christian Nodal and Cazzu. For this dreamy collab, we imagine them steering away from rancheras and urban, and instead dropping a romantic rock song.
On our wish list is also Shakira and Feid because it’d be ideal for Shak to join forces with one of Colombia’s “it” guys. Not only would their vocals be an interesting blend, but we can picture this track as a bonafide reggaetón jam about finding empowerment and strength after a heartbreak.
A long overdue collaboration that fans have been patiently waiting for is a song between Dominican artists and bachateros Romeo Santos and Prince Royce. Neither have hinted at a collab together but it’s not improbable. Both have been supportive of each other’s careers — and even Royce joined Santos at his Yankee Stadium concert in 2014 where they stunned the crowd with a rare performance of Santos’ “Odio,” where Royce performed Drake’s part of the track.
The possibilities are endless but for now, we’ll stick with our nine dream Latin collaborations for 2023. Below, vote for whichever dream Latin collab you’d like to see happen this year. Or, add your own answer if you come up with another potential pairing.
Jennifer Lawrence Would Be ‘Starstruck’ If She Met This Pop Star
Jennifer Lawrence has worked with some of today’s biggest stars, from Leonardo DiCaprio in Don’t Look Up to Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook — so it’s hard to believe the Academy Award winning actress still gets excited about meeting celebrities.
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However, Lawrence proved once again that she’s just like the rest of us in a new interview with W Magazine, where she revealed if she’s ever been starstruck. “To me, the biggest celebrities in the world are, like, Pete Davidson. Or when Ariana Grande was in my last film, Don’t Look Up, I was photographed with her and I fully look like a radio contest winner,” she shared, before adding that while she hasn’t met her yet, “I would be starstruck if I saw Jessica Simpson. That would knock me over.”
Showing off her range in musical tastes, the actress also shared that she had an Avril Lavigne poster in her room growing up, as well as a poster of dogs. “I wasn’t cool,” she joked.
Back in November, Lawrence opened up about her friendship with another music star, Adele, and how the “Easy on Me” singer warned her not to take the role in the 2016 sci-fi film Passengers, which grossed more than $300 million globally but drew so-so reviews. “Adele told me not to do it! She was like, ‘I feel like space movies are the new vampire movies.’ I should have listened to her,” she told the New York Times. Lawrence is a frequent presence at Adele’s concerts, including a cameo at last year’s star-studded “Adele: One Night Only” special.
Afro Nation Coming to U.S. With Miami Festival in 2023, Wizkid & Burna Boy to Headline
Afro Nation, the world’s biggest music festival focused on Afrobeats music, is coming to the continental U.S. for the first time this year. Afrobeats giants Burna Boy and Wizkid will headline its latest two-day festival in Miami in May.
Following the success of its 2022 Afro Nation festivals in Portugal, Puerto Rico and Ghana, the inaugural Afro Nation Miami 2023 will unite the African and Caribbean diaspora at LoanDepot Park on May 27 and 28, 2023.
The upcoming festival will celebrate and highlight the best in Afrobeats, reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, amapiano, soca and other Black-led musical genres. The first wave of performers who have been announced include Rema, Asake, Beenie Man, CKay, BNXN (formerly known as Buju), Dadju, Franglish, Black Sherif, Nelson Freitas, Gyakie and Nissi. Major League DJz and Uncle Waffles will headline the Piano People stage.
Tickets will go on sale starting, Friday at 1 p.m. ET at USA.AfroNation.com. Register at the site to gain access to the special presale.
In March of last year, 40,000 people attended Afro Nation Puerto Rico 2022, its first festival in North America that was headlined by Wizkid and Megan Thee Stallion. In that same month, Afro Nation partnered with Billboard to create the first-ever U.S. chart for Afrobeats music. The U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart ranks the 50 most popular Afrobeats songs in the country based on a weighted formula incorporating official streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of leading audio and video music services, plus download sales from top music retailers. Afro Nation recently produced its Ghana-based festival in December.
Afro Nation Portugal 2023 is also set to take place in Portimão from June 28-30, and its lineup has yet to be announced.
See the Afro Nation Miami 2023 lineup below.
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MONSTA X Drops ‘Beautiful Liar’ Music Video & 12th Mini-Album ‘REASON’
MONSTA X unveiled the music video for their new single “Beautiful Liar” as well as their 12th mini-album, REASON, on Monday (Jan. 9) via Starship Entertainment.
Describing the song as a “power funk rock track” in a video shared to their social channels, the K-pop idols spend the associated visual dressed in matching leather suits of blood red as they perform in a burning warehouse surrounded by a bevy of masked backup dancers. (“Just like how your cold eyes play with me/ I get attracted to that irrejectable beautiful lie,” Minhyuk laments on the chorus.)
Elsewhere in the boy band’s message to fans, Joohoney said the new project includes “tracks of various genres that are produced by our members” before asking, “So what more reason do you need?”
“MONSTA X is nothing without our signature performance,” I.M added. “We prepared a lot for you guys, MONBEBE, so please look forward to it.”
This past November, Kihyun sat down with Billboard to answer 20 questions about his debut solo EP Youth, collaborating with his bandmates and celebrating seven years as a group. Meanwhile, leader Shownu is continuing to fulfill his mandatory service in the South Korean military, which he began in July 2021.
Watch the music video for “Beautiful Liar” and stream MONSTA X’s REASON in full below.
Gracie Abrams Announces Debut Album That ‘Allowed Me to Let Go’ & a Headlining Tour
Gracie Abrams is planning to have a busy 2023, and just added her debut album release and a North American tour to her calendar. The singer-songwriter announced both projects on Monday (Jan. 9).
“MY DEBUT ALBUM ‘Good Riddance’ OUT FEBRUARY 24TH,” she shared on social media along with the album cover, and also noting that single “Where Do We Go Now?” drops Friday, Jan. 13. Accompanying the announcement was a heartfelt statement from the 23-year-old singer-songwriter.
“It’s difficult to imagine these songs living anywhere other than my most secret places, but Aaron [Dessner] reminded me that holding space for brutal honesty in songwriting is kind of the whole point,” she shared in the lengthy note about her debut set, giving the producer-songwriter-musician — who also helped her produce her 2021 EP This Is What It Feels Like — a shout-out. “He is one of the very few people in this world capable of making others feel safe to their core when they are exploring the parts of themselves that are most raw. He is rare and generous.”
Elsewhere in her statement, Abrams shared how working on Good Riddance has helped her grow. “I feel an unbelievable amount of gratitude for the opportunity to have made this album. Writing this record allowed me to grow up in ways I needed to,” she wrote. “It forced me to reflect and be accountable. It allowed me to walk away from versions of myself that I no longer recognized. It allowed me to let go.”
After the announcement of her debut album came the tour reveal. “THE GOOD RIDDANCE TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have MISSED. YOU. PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” she captioned the tour’s official poster — a black-and-white image of her staring into the camera, along with the series of dates — on Instagram. “I can’t wait to see you… we already know I’ll be in tears.”
The 18-date trek — which features support from Tiny Habits — will kick off on March 7 in Chicago, and includes stops in Boston, New York, Atlanta, Nashville and Vancouver before concluding in San Francisco on April 10. Abrams’ post also contained useful information for fans trying to score tickets to her tour. “You can sign up for my mailing list on gracieabrams.com for early ticket access tomorrow,” she informed her followers. “All tickets go on sale this Friday [Jan. 13] at 10am local time in each city.”
The tour is in addition to Abrams’ dates as a supporting act for select dates on Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour. She shared her excitement over hitting the road with the pop superstar on Nov. 1, writing, “@taylorswift you know i will never have the words. THE ERAS TOUR IS HAPPENING AND I WILL NEVER HAVE THE WORDS @taylorswift Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. Thank you. I love you. holy. s–t.”
See Abrams’ album and tour announcement below.
50 Cent Confirms TV Adaption Of Eminem’s ‘8 Mile’ Is On The Way
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz
50 Cent’s next Hollywood endeavor will pair him back up with Eminem. He confirms a television adaption of 8 Mile is on the way.
As spotted on Deadline the Queens, New York native is penning a love letter to the 90’s Detroit Rap scene for his next on screen production. During his last visit to Big Boy TV he revealed that he is bringing Slim’s come up to a scripted series format. “I’m going [to] bring his 8 Mile to television. We’re in motion,” he explained. “It’s going to be big. I ain’t got no duds. I’m batting a hundred, I’m batting a hundred.” Fif went on to give further context on his reasoning why the culture needs this version. “I think it should be there for his legacy because it’s important to me that they understand it.”
The original 2002 film contains autobiographical elements from Eminem’s life, follows white rapper Jimmy Smith Jr. aka B-Rabbit (Eminem) and his attempt to launch a career in Hip-Hop. The title is derived from 8 Mile Road, the highway between the predominantly African-American city of Detroit and the largely white suburban communities to the north that Eminem originally lived in.
The film garnered numerous award nominations and wins, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself” win for Eminem, Luis Resto and Jeff Bass at the 75th Academy Awards. 8 Mile was named one of the best films of 2002 by several publications. 8 Mile opened with $51,240,555 in its opening weekend. The soundtrack also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with over 702,000 copies sold in the 1st week and 510,000 copies sold in the 2nd week also finishing the year as the 5th best-selling album of 2002 with US sales of over 3.4 million.
Photo: Bernard Smalls
