Blog
Page: 69
After five years away from the summit, Banda Carnaval is back at No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, as its latest single, “Pude,” climbs from No. 4 for its first week atop on the March 29-dated list.
“Pude” leads after a 17% gain in audience impressions, to 6.6 million, on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, which reflects activity in the U.S. from the March 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song, composed by Javier Arturo Rochín and César Augusto Valdivia, was released Nov. 15 on Andaluz/Disa/UMLE. It rules in its 10th week on the list, following a No. 28 debut on the Jan. 25-dated tally.
Trending on Billboard
“First of, grateful to God, and second, thankful with our audience for making this happen, our seventh No. 1 on the most important music ranking of the world, Billboard,” Rafael Becerra Valdez, vocalist, tells Billboard.
The new champ adds to the band’s No. 1 ledger on Regional Mexican Airplay, now with seven champs. which also marks the group’s first No. 1 in over five years, since “Esta Vez Soy Yo” crowned for four consecutive weeks in 2020.
Here’s a review of Banda Carnaval’s chart-toppers on Regional Mexican Airplay:
Title, Weeks At No. 1, Peak Date“Y Te Vas,” five, June 8, 2013“La Historia De Mis Manos,” five, Sept.13, 2014“Te Cambio El Domicilio,” two, Dec. 12, 2015“Ella Es Mi Mujer,” one, July 29, 2017“Como No Adorarla,” three, Dec. 9, 2017“Esta Vez Soy Yo,” four, Jan. 25, 2020“Pude,” March 29
“We will continue with a positive mindset and focused on achieving great things, hand in hand with our audience and our company Andaluz Music, and Disa/Universal,” Becerra adds. “Thank you so much! It’s a shared achievement.”
Radio gains also help Banda Carnaval return to the overall Latin Airplay chart’s top 10, as “Pude” rallies 13-6, the band’s highest-charting entry since the No. 2-peaking “Esta Vez Soy Yo, in Feb. 2020.
With her bubbly charm, dazzling aura and universal appeal, Selena Quintanilla revolutionized the Tejano genre in the ‘80s and ‘90s by lacing her authentic Mexican roots with bold new sounds such as R&B, pop, dance and rock. Known as the Queen of Tejano, she shattered ceilings in a genre that was dominated by men, and made history along the way. After earning two of her eventual four No. 1 Latin Airplay hits in 1994 — “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “No Me Queda Más” — the Mexican-American powerhouse was well on her way to a major mainstream crossover before she was tragically shot dead on March 31, 1995, at the age of 23.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
However, her music has stood the test of time and, throughout the years, she’s influenced a new generation of hitmakers, making her a bona fide Latin icon in pop culture 30 years later. As a testament to her enduring legacy, Argentine artist Maria Becerra speaks with Billboard about her love and admiration for Selena, and how she’s influenced her own career. Read her heartfelt as-told-to essay below:
Trending on Billboard
I discovered Selena when I was very young, about 10 years old, specifically with “Como La Flor.” It was the song that had the greatest impact on me since I was a child, and I loved it because it generated a ton of emotions. My family is very much into cumbias. Her music was always playing at all our parties. My mom played her records in the house, and she was always an artist who moved me a lot, with her feelings when she sang and what the songs said.
When I started my musical career at 19, I connected with her even more because watching her interviews, I fell in love with her personality, how she treated people, and the light she had when she spoke. I feel like she was one of those people who walked through the door and you couldn’t help but notice her presence. I saw her movie, her series, I have several of her vinyls, and she’s been a huge inspiration for me, in my outfits, in the sounds I use in my cumbias, the type of lyrics I do. [My music] is all a tribute to her.
Her audience was mostly Mexican, but also throughout Latin America. She managed to break down those barriers, but sadly, after her death, she became a phenomenon, although she was always one.
Maria Becerra
Javier Rogoski
I remember the day I met her brother, A.B., at the Latin Grammys [in 2021]. It was the first one I went to where I was nominated for Best New Artist, and I was blown away. I couldn’t believe it. He’s amazing! He told me, “You remind me so much of my sister, the way you talk, the way you laugh, how nice you are”—and I’ll never forget those words. It was the best compliment I’ve ever received in my entire life. He told me he really wanted to make music with me, and I know life will bring us together. That would be wonderful for music.
About three years ago, I really got caught up in a loop watching her interviews, seeing how beautiful she was, and I really wish I could have met her… everything a fan feels. I grew closer and closer to her, admired her more, loved her more, and in 2022, I decided to inspire my own concert looks in her outfits. Honestly, it feels so beautiful to be able to pay tribute to her. She’s my reference when I go to the studio, and I like feeling connected to her. I got to the point where my love for her grew more and more that I wanted to get her tattooed. I want to have her marked on my skin because she left a deep impression on me.
She demonstrated so much by being the daughter of Mexican parents and always carrying her culture forward. That makes me feel so proud of the kind person she was and how she kept those values intact. She said: I’m going to move forward without forgetting where I’m from, and that seems very magical to me. It touched me beyond her kindness and her incredible talent. For all Latinos, Selena is that… she is culture, she is roots, she is love. She’s love for your homeland and your culture.
Playboi Carti dropped the deluxe edition of his acclaimed third studio album Music as a surprise on Tuesday (March 25), via AWGE and Interscope Records. The 27-year-old Atlanta rapper (real name Jordan Terrell Carter) added four songs to MUSIC – SORRY 4 DA WAIT: “Different Day,” “2024,” “Backr00ms” with Travis Scott and “FOMDJ.” He previously […]
On Sunday (March 23), two days after a South Korean court ruled that ADOR, an imprint of K-pop giant HYBE, retains the right to manage the groundbreaking girl band NewJeans, the five-member act performed its first and possibly only concert in Hong Kong under a new moniker, NJZ — a result of its attempt to break free from the label. After debuting a new song, “Pit Stop,” the group announced to the sold-out crowd that it was going on hiatus “out of respect for the court’s decision.”
The pronouncement added another twist to a nearly year-long battle between HYBE-owned ADOR and its biggest act, who allege they were mistreated by the label. (ADOR disputes these claims.)
Trending on Billboard
It’s a fight that could have industry-wide ramifications. The country’s five largest pop music organizations argued at a press conference in February that if NewJeans/NJZ was allowed to break its contract with HYBE/ADOR, it could “break the K-pop industry from the inside,” according to Seoul newspaper Korea JoongAng Daily.
A separate lawsuit to determine if NewJeans/NJZ can legally terminate its contract with ADOR begins April 3, but if the court sides with HYBE/ADOR and the group refuses to make new music, industry insiders wonder whether a legal win would be a pyrrhic victory for HYBE.
HYBE/ADOR and NewJeans/NJZ declined to comment on the financial impacts of the disagreement. An ADOR spokesperson said only that its exclusive contract with NewJeans/NJZ is legally binding and called the group’s performance in Hong Kong as NJZ and its “unilateral announcement of a suspension of activities” regrettable. The members of NewJeans/NJZ filed an objection to the court ruling against its independent activities on Monday (March 24).
HYBE is the company behind one of the highest-selling K-pop acts of all time, BTS. When members of BTS took time away from the group for military service in recent years, the company sought to diversify beyond its tentpole artist with other acts — often through imprints like ADOR — and such acquisitions as Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, Atlanta hip-hop label Quality Control and Latin music company Exile Music Group.
In its fiscal 2024, HYBE reported its highest revenue-generating year in its nearly 20-year history, having generated revenue of 2.25 trillion Korean won ($1.58 billion). But operating profit, a financial metric that subtracts operating costs like legal fees from a company’s gross profit, fell 38% from the prior fiscal year to 184 billion won ($128.7 million), a decline the company attributed to BTS’ temporary break, a shift in sales mix due to new debuts, and strategic investments in infrastructure and new businesses.
The controversy with ADOR and NewJeans/NJZ coincided with a steep decline in HYBE’s share price in 2024. HYBE stock was priced at 230,500 won ($172.33) on April 19, the day HYBE launched an investigation into whether ex-ADOR CEO Min Hee-Jin — who is a defendant in the lawsuit — usurped management of NewJeans/NJZ. Min was asked to resign, and in the weeks that followed, HYBE accused Min of trying to take ADOR independent and, with it, NewJeans/NJZ. On Sept. 23, after a YouTube video of the NewJeans/NJZ members demanding that Min be reinstated went viral, HYBE’s stock price plunged to a 52-week low of 158,000 Korean won ($112), down 31.5% from that April high.
While its share price has rebounded — on Tuesday (March 25), it was worth 240,000 Korean won ($163.49), 14.5% from a year ago — the dispute with NewJeans/NJZ may lead to sunk costs.
As with A&R across the music industry, the model for producing a K-pop supergroup is costly at the outset. It can cost between 1 billion Korean won ($681,000) to 10 billion won ($6.8 million) up front, according to a K-pop executive quoted in Korea JoongAng Daily. K-pop companies first pay off debt, then investors, before paying the artists. If the artists break their contract to go to another agency before ultimately turning a profit, the agency is left holding the bag, the executive told the paper. Bunnies, the official fan club of NewJeans/NJZ, criticized this statement, saying the group is seeking creative autonomy and a better deal.
NewJeans announced in February it wanted to go by a new name — NJZ — and member Pham Ngoc Han, who goes by Hanni, told CNN she hoped the new name would help the group turn “this rough period into something more exciting.” ADOR requested Billboard refer to the group as NewJeans, saying, “The Korean court … confirm[ed] ADOR’s status as the legitimate exclusive management agency of the NewJeans members and prevent the Artists from entering into advertising contracts independently without ADOR’s approval.”
The five women in the group — who perform as Minjin, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein and Hanni — formed NewJeans/NJZ in 2022, and they now range in age from 18 to 21. Several have said they are concerned the legal battle with ADOR would define their careers.
“We’ve known from the start that this journey wasn’t going to be easy and even though we accept the court’s ruling and this whole process, we had to speak up to protect the values that we believe in,” the members said at the end of their hour-long headlining performance in Hong Kong on Sunday, adding it’s a decision they “don’t regret at all.”
After rekindling their romance in 2023, Ashanti and Nelly didn’t waste any time tying the knot during a secret ceremony later in the same year.
Upon finding out Ashanti was pregnant with her first child, Nelly explained to Bootleg Kev this week that there were no initial discussions of marriage, but that was sped up as the Country Grammar artist didn’t want the singer to be a “baby mama.”
“Once we found out that she was pregnant… We didn’t talk about any of that,” he said. “I was like, ‘Yo, let’s just knock this out because we’re going to be doing so much and everything’s moving so fast.’ I didn’t want her to be a baby mama because we already knew where we were in life. If we’re back like this, this must be what it’s supposed to be.”
Ashanti gave birth to her first child with Nelly (his fifth), Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, in July 2024. The “Body On Me” singers started dating in 2003, and they dated on and off until ultimately breaking up in 2013.
Trending on Billboard
The couple confirmed they were once again an item in September 2023. However, Kev wondered if sparks were flying when they reunited onstage during the summer of 2021 at Fat Joe and Ja Rule’s Verzuz battle in NYC.
“When I went to Verzuz, I had someone with me,” he said. “I didn’t want it tense. When I walked in, her mother had saw me and I knew mom was gonna go back and let her know that I was in the building. We didn’t even talk. I went over and got a hug and break the ice. We didn’t talk for probably almost another eight to nine months to a year. Everything happens for a reason.”
Earlier this year, Ashanti revealed that she wants more kids with Nelly and is hoping to bring a daughter into the world.
“We’re going to add some more,” she told E! News. “Definitely a girl to balance it out. I’m outnumbered in the house right now. So, a girl would be great… I am feeling amazing, incredibly pleased, humbled. My life has completely changed for the better. I feel full, you know? My cup is full.”
Elsewhere in his interview with Bootleg Kev, Nelly recalled feuding with Eminem at the turn of the century, which he chalked up to a “miscommunication.”
Nelly famously took a shot at Em on MTV’s TRL during the summer of 2000 following the arrival of his debut album Country Grammar and questioned Em making a St. Louis tour stop. “Well, you know, dirty, dirty, I don’t too much know nothing bout dirty, you know what I’m sayin. But he be having some sly little comments about me,” he said. “I don’t play with candy, you know what I’m saying? I eat M&Ms, flat out.”
A month after its 2000 release, Em’s The Marshall Mathers LP still held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, which meant Nelly would debut behind him at No. 3.
Twenty-five years later, the St. Louis native explained that he “misinterpreted something when I was really, really new. I want to apologize to Em,” Nelly said. “Somehow I misinterpreted that he had something to say about what we were doing.”
The pair would clear the air when Em pulled up on Nelly backstage at a Detroit show with his daughter, Hailie, who was a big fan of Nelly’s.
“I felt like a di–, man. Because we were Eminem fans,” he said. “Just miscommunication, man. Em’s a dope cat and I’m glad we got that out the way. It’s f—ed up when you admire people on a level. Dude spits. I appreciate all factors of hip-hop.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: iOne / iOne
Atlanta rapper, producer, and songwriter Landstrip Chip recently stopped by Hip-Hop Wired for an exclusive interview, sharing insights into his journey, music, and recent success.
Chip, known for his melodic flows and sharp songwriting, revealed the origins of his stage name. “Landstrip” comes from his early days of hustling and navigating different opportunities, while “Chip” is a personal nickname that stuck with him. Growing up in Atlanta, he was deeply influenced by the city’s rich hip-hop culture, citing legends like T.I., Future, and OutKast as major inspirations.
His latest single, “No More Rainy Weather,” has been gaining traction, partly due to its visually striking music video. Shot during an unexpected snowfall in Atlanta, the clip quickly went viral after being posted by ATL Scoop. The buzz only grew when rap heavyweights like Rob49, G Herbo, Meek Mill, and Babyface Ray reposted it, exposing the track to an even wider audience.
Chip also touched on his near Grammy win for his contributions to **Metro Boomin and Future’s album “We Don’t Trust You”. Though he didn’t take home the trophy, being part of such a high-profile project was a major career milestone. With his songwriting, production, and artistry all leveling up, Landstrip Chip is proving he’s a force to watch in the industry.
Check out the full interview below:
It’s been three weeks since R&B and soul singer Angie Stone died in a car crash at age 63, and her son is paying tribute to his beloved late mother with a heartfelt Instagram post. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Hey mama, I ain’t want nothing, just wanted […]
Music lovers, rejoice: Playboi Carti‘s 30-track opus is officially a hit.
The new set bows atop the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, moving 298,000 first-week units, according to Luminate — almost exactly triple the number posted by the rapper’s prior Billboard 200-topping effort, 2020’s Whole Lotta Red, in its first frame. In addition, the album charts all 30 of its songs on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, led by “Evil J0rdan,” which enters at No. 2, and already marks Carti’s highest-charting hit as the sole lead artist.
What’s most responsible for the star MC’s improved performance? And what other long-awaited hip-hop albums could meet with similarly explosive opening returns? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
1. Playboi Carti debuts atop the Billboard 200 with 298,000 units moved of Music in its first week. Is that number higher, lower or about what you would have expected?
Trending on Billboard
Angel Diaz: I was hearing crazy predictions, like he was going to move 400k the first week, but this number is around what I expected. Carti going No. 1 was no surprise to those who pay attention.
Carl Lamarre: 298k sounds about right for Carti. Typically, an artist this early into their career can’t afford a five-year layoff. Carti has proven to be the exception, enjoying a torrid features run that has kept his name buzzy in the 2020s rap hierarchy. From Trippie Redd’s “Miss the Rage” to Travis Scott’s “Fe!n” to even Ye’s Hot 100 chart-topper “Carnival,” Carti is a can’t-miss addition every time he pounces on a track. That, plus his rabid fanbase salivating for more solo music, helped him land this incredible feat.
Jason Lipshutz: About what I expected. The follow-up to Whole Lotta Red has been hotly anticipated for years as Playboi Carti has built momentum via guest features and one-off singles. Because of that hype, Music was always going to score one of the biggest debuts of the year when it finally arrived — albeit with enormous streaming totals and no physical releases, which will be coming at a later date. With that in mind, a final figure of 298,000 equivalent album units sounds about right for this Carti project.
Michael Saponara: I’d say slightly under. I probably had him projected for the 300,000 to 350,000 unit range, but still a very solid week to debut at No. 1. Fans have been thirsty for a new Carti album for years, and it paid off in the streaming numbers.
Andrew Unterberger: I would’ve believed just about anything between 100k and 500k — so 300k is right in the creamy middle there, and totally logical.
2. Though it’s his second No. 1 album, Music debuts with nearly three times the units of his prior chart-topper, 2020’s Whole Lotta Red. What do you think is the biggest reason behind the wildly improved performance?
Angel Diaz: There was a ton of hype around this project, especially since Whole Lotta Red ended up polarizing fans. Whether you liked that album or not, WLR showed that he was willing to take risks and it’s hard to deny its influence in today’s landscape. Carti is the leader of the new school and showed that again with this tape. I expect Music to influence the game in similar ways. He took some big swings and showed his versatility with the R&B-type tracks.
Carl Lamarre: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. As I mentioned in my first answer, a five-year gap between albums typically works for well-established acts with proven track records. Carti’s fandom is otherworldly. After years of flexing his handy work on the features side, he’s reaping the benefits of his fans flocking for new music. Despite his meager output on the solo front, he’s a workhorse on the features side, and the results have been golden, both culturally and chart-wise.
Jason Lipshutz: When Whole Lotta Red was released, Playboi Carti was still a rising hip-hop talent with a squelchy sound and jabber-jawed delivery; now, he’s one of the biggest artists in popular music, responsible for a sub-genre and dozens of rage-rap imitators. The gap between Whole Lotta Red and Music gave Carti time to let his influence marinate across hip-hop, and for anticipation to build for his next project’s eventual release. Music’s first-week numbers were always going to surpass those of Whole Lotta Red’s, and for those paying attention, it’s not remotely surprising that the final tally tripled its predecessor’s debut.
Michael Saponara: Carti became the king of the sub-30-year-old rappers, and the leader of a generation in a lot of ways, between his beat selection, rapping styles and fashion. Whole Lotta Red set the sonic landscape of rap for the early 2020s. But as the feverish demand grew exponentially, the supply wasn’t there. He only released one song to streaming services in the time from WLR to Music. Although, Carti dished out a handful of assists with a high hit rate while stealing the show and dishing metaphors on tracks like Ye’s chart-topping “Carnival,” Future and Metro Boomin’s “Type Shit” and he carried Camila Cabello to the Billboard Hot 100 while veering into pop for “I Luv It.” Even as potential pump-faked release dates came and went, the anticipation for Music never waned.
Andrew Unterberger: Releasing 30 new tracks after five years in between releases is certainly a good starting point! But really, the answer is that music kinda caught up to Carti — he felt perennially ahead of his time for his first four or five years of recording, and now it seems like the rest of the hip-hop world has met him on his home turf, with Music really reaping the rewards.
3. All 30 of the album’s tracks debut on the Hot 100 this week, led by “Evil J0rdan” at No. 2 and the Weeknd-assisted “Rather Lie” at No. 4. Does one of those seem like it will be the lasting hit from this album, or do you expect one of the lower-charting songs to have longer legs?
Angel Diaz: I think “Rather Lie” is the safe pick here. However, you gotta remember that “Evil J0rdan” was released as a warmup in January of 2024, so I’m curious to see how long it would’ve stayed on the charts had it been released officially. Maybe it’s charting that high because fans have been waiting for it to hit streaming for quite some time now. I’ve certainly added to those numbers, because it’s probably my favorite song on the album.
Carl Lamarre: I’m happy that “Evil J0rdan” is having a moment, because Carti’s last sustainable hit on his own was probably 2017’s “Magnolia.” It would be great to see this song live in the top 10 for a few months, solidifying his superstardom and hitmaking abilities. And as much as I would love to see “Evil J0rdan” have that extended success, I’d also like to see “Backd00r” flourish and become a runaway hit. It’s a fun record that both the guys and girls can vibe with, and is a favorite among the cluster of collaborations Carti has on this album.
Jason Lipshutz: “Rather Lie” is the one, simply because it’s the track that best crystallizes Playboi Carti’s pop appeal. Songs like “Evil J0rdan,” which finally receives a proper release years after surfacing online, demonstrate the head-banging relentlessness of his style and will continue soundtracking freak-outs both solo and communal, but “Rather Lie” sports a catchy Weeknd hook, reined-in Carti verses and a recognizable verse-chorus structure. Radio will boost “Rather Lie,” and help it endure on the Hot 100 as other Music songs fade off the chart.
Michael Saponara: I think it’s going to be “Rather Lie.” An infectious hook from The Weeknd makes it digestible and can easily be engulfed by radio stations across the country. I expect “Rather Lie” to have legs into the summer, especially with Abel and Carti heading out on a stadium tour together. Don’t count out “Backd00r” either. It didn’t debut in the Hot 100’s top 10, but Kendrick Lamar’s unlikely meshing with Carti’s style shouldn’t go away as K. Dot has made a living on the charts for the better part of the last 12 months.
Andrew Unterberger: For now, at least, it’s “Evil J0rdan” by default — but I could certainly see this being an album where a track from the back end of the tracklist unexpectedly takes off several months from now, and ends up going so viral that we can’t believe we ever considered anything else Music‘s biggest breakout hit.
4. We’ve seen a number of hip-hop albums in recent years debut with a big first-week number and Hot 100 profile, but outside of Kendrick Lamar’s GNX, most have them have fallen off pretty quickly. Do you expect Music to still be a strong Billboard 200 contender a few weeks or a month from now?
Angel Diaz: Yeah, I expect this tape to have some staying power, especially with the weather getting nicer. We can’t underestimate how much younger rap fans and artists obsess over Carti. He even had Ye crashing out on X, because he was dominating the conversation once he finally dropped. Carti and Kendrick are the two kings of their respective generations.
Carl Lamarre: Music should stay a top 10 threat for a month at least. It’s a colossal return for Carti, who rolled out 30 new songs for fans who haven’t heard from him in half a decade. For some, it’s also a slog, where you’ll need constant replays to digest the project fully. It took me three listens to get through the entire album, maybe because I’m officially an old head. Now, imagine someone half my age who’s one of the Carti Faithful. This album was their Christmas — an extended one at that.
Jason Lipshutz: Yes, because Playboi Carti has leapt into the upper class of hip-hop. Sure, GNX includes multiple surefire hits, but it also helps that Kendrick Lamar is enormous, leading the cultural conversation and compelling a wide swath of listeners to return to his messages. Playboi Carti’s music has a different type of appeal, but he’s grown into a force of nature, with a young fan base hungry to stream 30-song projects full of blunt emotion, screeching production and different vocal contortions. His stature suggests that Music and its biggest hits are going to linger on the charts for a long time.
Michael Saponara: SWAMP IZZO. I just wanted to get that in here somewhere. Don’t expect Music to be going anywhere anytime soon from the charts: All 30 tracks debuted on the Hot 100 and fans are having fun sifting through the album with different sounds and flows grabbing their ears each listen. While Carti gets dinged for a lack of lyrical depth, he doesn’t get enough credit for sonic dexterity. From the rage rap to the 2010s trap, Carti served up a ranging platter showcasing his artistic repertoire across the thrilling 76-minute project. SEEEYUH.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s too big and will post streaming numbers too large for it to just go away anytime soon. But the streaming numbers are already starting to trail off in Music‘s second week — the album absolutely dominated the Apple Music chart during its first couple days of release, but now the only songs left in the top 10 are “J0rdan” and “Lie,” at spots No. 9 and 10, respectively. If the album continues to fade at this rate, and doesn’t generate some kind of late-breaking hit, it could still end up the mid-decade version of Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake: a set whose remarkable early performance was more about catching up to the artist’s prior popularity, rather than actually taking them to that next level.
5. Carti’s new album was arguably hip-hop’s most-anticipated going into 2025, coming nearly a full half-decade after Red. Who do you think now takes over the mantle of the artist with the most anticipated upcoming album?
Angel Diaz: Drake hasn’t dropped a proper solo album in two years, so I’m going to say him. I mean let’s tell the truth, everyone is waiting for his Blueprint 2 where he addresses this past year. The only other projects that I’m really anticipating are the upcoming Alchemist albums with Yasiin Bey and Erykah Badu.
Carl Lamarre: It’s not that he needs to drop, but I’ll go with Jay mainly because Drake is now standing at his front door, waiting to break his record for the most No. 1 albums by a rapper (14). Also, considering the treacherous bulls–t Jay overcame with the sexual assault allegations — which were dismissed with prejudice in the last few months — I would love to hear where his psyche is now, and his thoughts on the rap scene. It would make for some Grade-A caliber bars.
Jason Lipshutz: Flip one letter, and you’ve got “Cardi.” Even though it’s been seven years since Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B is still capable of ascending to the peak of the Hot 100 and snapping the hip-hop world to attention when she finally unveils a new full-length. The wait continues, but the anticipation has not waned.
Michael Saponara: Either A$AP Rocky with Don’t Be Dumb or Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s sorta crazy to think we’ve now gone four years since the last proper J. Cole album, especially since he’s been teasing The Fall Off since the album before that one. Folks will still be excited to hear from Cole when he returns, but he’s got more to prove at this point than he’s had in a long time — and the longer he waits, the more work he’s gonna have to do to make his case.
The Because They’re Funny (BTF) Comedy Festival will return to Washington DC for its third year, Oct. 10-12, and producers have begun accepting submissions for its main event, the Breakout Comedian of the Year competition, which awards $10,000 to the winner and has launched a number of comedy careers.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
BTF is the brainchild of live events company NICE CROWD, which also produces the American Black Film Festival, is dedicated to amplifying BIPOC voices in comedy, and providing a platform for the next generation of stand-up stars. According to a press release announcing the festival, more than 1,000 comics have entered the Breakout Comedian of the Year contest since the festival’s 2023 debut, and more than 9,000 people have attended the event. The festival is produced in partnership with Events DC, the official convention, sports and entertainment authority for the District of Columbia.
Last year, former SNL cast member Leslie Jones headlined the festival, while Black-ish star Deon Cole —also known for his Old Spice body wash commercials — hosted the competition. Other performers included Nicole Byer and Yvonne Orji.
Trending on Billboard
Comics Flo Hernandez and Alfred Kainga won the 2024 and 2023 competitions, respectively, and in addition to receiving the $10,000 prize money, both were signed by the Innovative Arts talent agency. The deadline for competition submissions is May 31.
Kelvin Bulluck
Since winning, Kainga has toured nationally and performed his first headlining gigs. Hernandez joined the “Güey Funny” comedy tour, and will be sharing the stage with Earthquake, Bruce Bruce, Tony Rock and Dominique on April 5, 2025, at the Texas Trust Theatre in Dallas, TX.
“As we enter our third year, the momentum behind Because They’re Funny continues to grow,” says NICE CROWD co-founder Jeff Friday. “The overwhelming response from the comedy world reaffirms our mission to amplify BIPOC voices on a national stage.”
“We are proud to welcome the festival back home to Washington, DC for the third year in a row,” says Events DC president/CEO Angie M. Gates. “The city has long been a stage for cultural excellence, and this festival continues to elevate comedic talent, while bringing unforgettable experiences to residents and visitors alike.”
In addition to the Breakout Comedian competition, the three-day festival will feature headline performances, rising stand-up stars, industry panels, master classes and networking opportunities.
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: Miley Cyrus can’t escape a copyright lawsuit claiming she stole her “Flowers” from a Bruno Mars song; more drama in Drake’s lawsuit against UMG over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”; Mariah Carey wins a copyright lawsuit over “All I Want For Christmas Is You”; and much more.
THE BIG STORY: Miley Can’t Wreck “Flowers” Copyright Case
When Miley Cyrus was sued last year, accused of ripping off her chart-topping “Flowers” from the Bruno Mars song “When I Was Your Man,” it wasn’t Mars or any of the song’s co-writers who filed the case. Instead, it was a financial entity called Tempo Music Investments, which had bought out the rights of co-writer Philip Lawrence.
Trending on Billboard
Does that matter? Miley’s attorneys certainly thought it did, arguing in a motion to dismiss that it represented a “fatal and incurable defect” in the lawsuit. But in a ruling this week, a federal judge rejected that argument, calling it “incorrect” and a “misunderstanding” of legal precedent.
In doing so, the judge warned that restricting entities that buy partial copyrights from enforcing them in court — a major issue in the music industry after a years-long catalog acquisition bonanza — would be a radical shift in the legal landscape with major economic consequences.
“Such a limitation would diminish the value of jointly owned copyrights, because buyers would be less interested in purchasing a copyright that they cannot enforce, thereby disincentivizing co‐authorship and collaboration in works,” the judge wrote. “This would undermine Congress’s intent.”
For more on the ruling, go read our entire story here, including the full ruling issued last week.
Other top stories this week…
MORE DRAKE v. UNIVERSAL – UMG asked a judge to halt all discovery in Drake’s defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” arguing that he was unfairly demanding “highly commercially sensitive documents” — including Lamar’s record deal. The star’s lawyers fired back just days later, arguing discovery should continue because they would likely win the case, noting that “millions of people” around the world think Kendrick was literally calling Drake a pedophile.
CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY – A federal judge dismissed a copyright lawsuit against Mariah Carey that accused her of stealing key elements of her perennial holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas is You” from a little-known 1989 song of the same name by an artist named Vince Vance. In doing so, the judge endorsed reports by musicologists who said the two tracks were “very different songs” that shared only “commonplace Christmas song clichés” that had been used in many earlier tracks.
LIMP LITIGATION – A federal judge shook up Limp Bizkit’s $200 million lawsuit against UMG, sending much of the contentious legal battle to state court but reviving some of its key accusations. In an earlier ruling, the judge had outright rejected the band’s “rescission” demand seeking to void its contracts with the music giant; in the new decision, the judge left that question open for a future ruling by a state court. The ruling means that the band’s copyright infringement allegations, which carry the potential for a large damages award, are also back in play.
LIVE NATION SETTLEMENT – The concert giant agreed to pay $20 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it failed to warn investors about the kind of anticompetitive behavior that ultimately led to the Justice Department’s sweeping antitrust case. Plaintiffs’ lawyers say the deal provides a “fair, reasonable, and adequate result” from the lawsuit, which claimed Live Nation saddled shareholders with significant losses because it didn’t disclose the “regulatory risks it was currently facing” before news of the big antitrust case was made public.
DIDDY DECISION – A federal judge dismissed racketeering accusations and other claims against Sean “Diddy” Combs in a civil lawsuit filed by former collaborator Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, ruling that the music producer failed to meet the legal requirements to sue under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. But the judge also allowed other parts of Jones’ sexual abuse lawsuit to move forward, including claims that Combs sexually assaulted him.
BUZBEE WITHDRAWAL – Elsewhere in the world of Diddy, attorney Tony Buzbee withdrew from 15 abuse lawsuits in New York federal court, two days after telling a judge he had “made an error in judgment” by failing to disclose that he was not admitted to practice law in that court. Buzbee, who has filed more than 20 Combs cases and fought an acrimonious battle with Jay-Z, said his admission problems had “become a distraction” from the allegations in his cases.
DERULO TRIAL AHEAD – A federal judge ruled that Jason Derulo must face a jury trial over allegations that he improperly failed to credit or pay a co-writer named Matthew Spatola on the chart-topping hit “Savage Love.” Seeking to dismiss the case, Derulo had argued that Spatola didn’t deserve a stake in the copyright just because he was present for a few studio sessions, but the judge said jurors might see things differently. A trial is tentatively scheduled for May.
CASE DISMISSED – Showtime won a ruling dismissing a lawsuit by a woman who claimed George & Tammy — a TV series about country music legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette — unfairly turned her late husband George Richey, who was previously married to Wynette, into “the villain.” The show might have been “unflattering” to him, the judge said, but the accuser didn’t meet the legal requirements for her to sue Showtime for unjust enrichment: “Normally, a plaintiff who cries unjust enrichment must have actually enriched somebody,” the judge wrote.
EMINEM LEAK CHARGES – Federal prosecutors charged Joseph Strange, a longtime former employee of Eminem, with criminal copyright infringement over allegations he leaked the rapper’s unreleased music on the internet. In charging documents, the feds said Strange played or distributed over 25 songs online without Eminem’s or his label’s consent: “The significant damage caused by a trusted employee to Eminem’s artistic legacy and creative integrity cannot be overstated,” the rapper’s spokesman said.
“MAFIA-LIKE ORGANIZATION” – Eugene “Big U” Henley Jr., who helped launch the late Nipsey Hussle‘s career, was hit with a federal criminal case that claims he ran the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips as a “mafia-like” group despite outwardly posing as an anti-gang activist and music executive. Among other allegations, the feds say Henley was responsible for the murder of a 21-year-old aspiring rapper who was signed to his Uneek Music label.