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Phil Lesh, founding member and longtime bassist for legendary rock outfit the Grateful Dead, died on Friday (Oct. 25). He was 84 years old.The news was announced on social media, with a statement that read, “Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, passed peacefully this morning. He was surrounded by his family and full of love. Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.” No cause of death was given at the time of publication.
As one of the co-founders and longest-tenured members of the Grateful Dead, Lesh was an essential part of a group that became synonymous with touring and live performance in rock music. With their singular instrumental interplay, their trademark iconography, their strong sense of community and their association with the hippie lifestyle, they became the forefathers of the jam band movement — with a fanbase of “Deadheads” as singularly devoted as any other band of the 20th century, enduring well into the new millennium.
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Born in Berkeley, California in 1940, Lesh grew up as a trumpet player and appreciator of avant-garde classical and free jazz. After short-lived studies at a variety of music schools, he met bluegrass banjo player Jerry Garcia in 1962 and was persuaded to join Garcia’s new rock band, The Warlocks, as their bassist — despite never playing the instrument before. The band, which also included Bob Weir as co-singer/guitarist with Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann as drummer and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan as keyboardist, was renamed Grateful Dead in 1965, after a phrase Garcia found in the dictionary.
Once he became proficient in the bass, Lesh’s playing style became heavily influenced by his musical interests in jazz and classical, giving his sound a melodic and improvisational quality rarely heard from the four-string in rock before. He came to be considered one of the instrumental innovators of his era, and his playing became as critical to (and identifiable within) the Grateful Dead’s sound as the group’s lead guitar.
By the end of the ’60s, the Dead had become one of the leading lights of the psych-rock movement coming out of San Francisco, known for their gentle, folk-influenced jams, their sprawling, blissed-out live shows, and their affinity for psychedelic drugs like DMT and LSD. (“We found that while high we were able to go very far out musically but still come back to some kind of recognizable space or song structure,” Lesh wrote in his 2006 autobiography Searching For the Sound. “I knew instantly that this combination — acid and music — was the tool I’d been looking for.”)
Lesh was not a principal singer or songwriter in the band, but his tenor often contributed to the group’s three-part harmonies, and he did write and sing a handful of original Dead songs. The best-remembered of those was probably “Box of Rain,” opening track to their classic 1970 album American Beauty — co-penned with lyricist Robert Hunter about Lesh’s then-dying father — which ended up being the last song played at the group’s final concert with Garcia in 1995.
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While the group sold steadily throughout the ’60s and ’70s — six of the group’s ’70s LPs reached the top 30 of the Billboard 200, with 1970’s Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty and 1972’s live triple album all being certified Platinum by the RIAA — they were a less-regular presence on the Billboard Hot 100, where they charted just four entries in their first decade, and none higher than the No. 64-peaking “Truckin’” in 1971. But the group’s live reputation kept them an essential part of the rock fabric well into the ’80s, and in 1987 they scored their lone pop hit with the catchy top 10 smash “Touch of Grey” — which along with its popular music video, featuring the band performing as skeletons, introduced them to a new generation of fans.
However in the late ’80s Garcia’s health began to falter, and in 1995 he passed away, with the band deciding to disband shortly after. Following the group’s dissolution, Lesh continued playing with offshoot The Other Ones (with original member Bob Weir, longtime percussionist Mickey Hart and keyboardist Bruce Hornsby), which gradually expanded its lineup to include more former Grateful Dead members and rebranded as The Dead in 2003. In addition, Lesh started Phil Lesh and Friends in 1999, with a rotating live and recording cast reinterpreting old songs by the Grateful Dead and some of their peers, and a decade later he created Furthur, another jam band co-founded with Weir.
Despite remaining busy with these Grateful Dead offshoots — as well as a handfull of 50th anniversary stadium shows put on by the band’s surviving members as the Fare Thee Well celebration — Lesh largely refrained from writing or recording any original songs in later years, preferring to keep the focus on his live show. “What’s the point?” he remarked to Billboard in 2012. “Nobody makes money on recordings anymore — at least the likes of us don’t. And the longer I’m in music the less time I like the idea of freezing music in amber so that it’s the same every time you play it back. I want it to be different every time, so I’m just not into recording, particularly.”
In 2017, Bass Player magazine ranked Lesh as the 57th greatest bassist of all time. “More an improvising composer than mere bassist, Lesh elevated the Grateful Dead from hippie jam band to an artistic ensemble capable of reaching heights of interactive ecstasy,” the magazine wrote. “Balancing roots with bouncy, offbeat upper-register figures, he could spin long motivic statements sometimes lasting over a minute, often steering the band into daring new harmonic territory.”
Grateful Dead will be honored as the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year. The 34th annual Persons of the Year benefit gala will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, two nights before the 67th annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena.
It was a celebratory weekend in the Big Apple for Jay-Z. Hours after launching the sprawling Book of HOV exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library, the rap deity hosted the 20th anniversary Shawn Carter Foundation gala alongside his mother, Gloria Carter, on an overcast Friday night (July 14).
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Dignitaries across sports, music, Hollywood, and business crossed paths at the swanky Black-tie affair at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan’s West Side.
The star-studded guest list included Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Lil Uzi Vert, Tinashe, A$AP Ferg, Meek Mill, Babyface, Regina Hall, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, Yo Gotti, Miguel, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and many more.
Khaled was the last of the stars to hit the Pier 60 red carpet but his entrance was well worth the wait. The energy of the venue noticeably refilled when he and his partner Nicole Tuck stepped out of their mocha Mercedes-Maybach S680 designed by Virgil Abloh, and his array of Khaled-isms could be heard before even being seen.
When the lights are brightest and the cameras are rolling, DJ Khaled is at his best. Strutting down the carpet in a sleek black suit and matching designer shades, the We the Best mogul agrees with Billboard‘s ranking of having his “GOD DID” collaborator atop the greatest rappers list.
“Hov is the GOAT for a lot of reasons,” he begins while taking off his sunglasses. “It would take many books to write the reason why, but for me, it’s to let you know that it’s possible. When I say possible, anything he puts his mind to he makes it happen and takes it to the higher heights.”
Even outside of music, Khaled is impressed with how Jay-Z’s been able to bring his greatness to numerous endeavors and help others along the way. “What I love about him the most is that he’s always there to help somebody,” Khaled continues. “Come on, that’s Jay-Z – the best rapper to ever do it, entrepreneur, mogul, father, family man, friend, partner. It’s too many – that’s HOV did!”
Apple Music executives Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden have had a front-row seat to the Brooklyn legend’s decorated career as longtime radio veterans for over two decades.
“Quality and consistency and knowing the time to expand and when he expanded, he did it really thoughtfully,” Lowe testifies to Jay’s brilliance. “I saw an interview with Burna Boy the other day and someone said, ‘Did it feel like a good decision?’ And he said, ‘I only make good decisions.’ And I feel like that’s JAY-Z’s mantra.”
Ebro adds to give HOV his flowers: “I think his taste, intellect and appreciation of art and culture are the real drivers when you listen to his music. Not only the things that he talks about, but how he puts it together.”
The Shawn Carter Foundation ended up raising over $20 million by the end of the night, which will benefit individuals enduring socio-economic hardships that hope to continue their education. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez also made a notable $10 million legacy donation.
Inside the gala, Babyface delivered one of the night’s rare performances, with the Grammy-winning legend candidly raving about having the ultimate respect for Jay-Z.
“I’m honored to be here — and if you ask me to do anything, I will always do it, because you deserve that,” Babyface said to a round of applause. “You always deserved to be honored.”
“If you ask me to do anything, I will always do it because you deserve that. You always deserved to be honored.” – Babyface to Jay-Z at the Shawn Carter Foundation 20th Anniversary Gala pic.twitter.com/gwYtLrMqz3— JAY-Z Daily (@JAY_Z_Daily) July 17, 2023
Still recovering from his famous July 4 Hamptons white party, Michael Rubin is someone who has got to know Jay-Z in recent years, through the launch of the REFORM Alliance in 2019 advocating for criminal justice and partnering to purchase sports apparel brand Mitchell & Ness.
“What I’ve learned about Jay is that there is nobody who I know that steps up to do the right thing all the time,” Rubin says. “He cares as much about that as much as anything in his life. That’s what makes him an inspiration to me.”
On the flip side, Roc Nation athletes Dez Bryant and Rudy Gay have long idolized HOV while reaching the top of their respective crafts but now they’re inspired to chase their post-playing career dreams — thanks to seeing the diverse empire JAY-Z has been able to build into his 50s.
“For me, being at the end of my career, it’s something I could really look up to and try to emulate,” Gay says, while the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver adds: “He makes me feel like I can touch anything I want by watching him be great.”
Rob49 has persevered through a lot more than the average 24-year-old trying to assimilate into adult life. Raised by his mother while his father was incarcerated for most of his childhood, the New Orleans native still knew his future wouldn’t be boxed inside the Big Easy’s unforgiving 4th and 9th Ward neighborhoods.
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Not many hip-hop stories begin with a stint in the National Guard and pivoting to pursue a nursing degree before finding success in the music industry, but that was indeed the case for Rob, who essentially fell into rapping after making a song in the studio with a friend.
The year 2022 proved to be huge in Rob49’s ascension, as he rode the relentless “Vulture Island” — which received a boost thanks to a remix from Lil Baby — to the biggest song of his career to date. It was all nearly taken away in January when Rob (born Robert Thomas) was reportedly one of 10 people injured during a shooting on the set of a French Montana video in Miami Gardens.
The Geffen Records signee didn’t spend much time on the mend in recovery as he’s been locked in the studio with the likes of Lil Durk, and returned to offer up his first project since the shooting with 4GOD II last Friday (June 9). Draped in an azure blue Amiri sweatsuit with crisp white Air Force 1’s straight out of the box, Rob49 is laid-back in conversation during his April New York City visit, where he could easily be mistaken for Knicks guard R.J. Barrett while walking around the Big Apple.
“As long as you’re doing better than what you did when you started this s–t,” he bluntly says of his mentality when it comes to gauging his current success. “I just want to make some music. I don’t really give a f–k about no fame or nothing.”
Find more from our interview with the rising star below, which finds him explaining why he deaded a Hurricane Chris DM, his appreciation for Lil Wayne and why selling vapes in the army nearly got him kicked out.
Billboard: How does the elevation in your career feel? This is a special time.
Rob49: I’m grateful. Just because I know — like I said, I got signed with 10,000 followers, and anything I drop right now is gone get over 10,000 views. So I really don’t give a f–k.
Not even sitting courtside at the New Orleans Pelicans games?
I’ve always wanted to sit courtside. When me and my cousin would get some tickets, we would always say, “We’re gonna sit courtside.” He said he was gon’ buy them — he had faith in himself that much. He winded up getting a good job in the oil business. He graduated high school before me I said, “I’m not making it to get that much money in three or four years.” I winded up getting it first.
Are the seats free or do you gotta pay for them?
Sometimes they invite you and sometimes you gotta pay. I been paying for most of them b–ches though. I be wanting to go to the games I want to go to.
[Curren$y’s] like Spike Lee down there.
That’s exactly what it is. They treat him like that. They treat me like that too. If there’s a three or something in the game, they’ll look at me. They f–k with me like that. They turned my [“Vulture Island”] up.
The Pelicans just asked me to make a version of “Vulture Island” for them. I just ran into Zion [Williamson] at the movies. He’s like, “What you doing here?” I’m like, “What you doing at the movies?” We went and saw Scream VI.
Who were some of your early childhood musical influences? What was your mom playing?
My mom was playing Beyoncé. I was listening to Lil Wayne, Kanye [West]. I like what 106 & Park had on. At that time, they were playing Hurricane Chris, “A Bay Bay.” He talking about doing a song [with me]. I’ll show you [the DM]. I ain’t never hit him back because he was looking crazy. He look like he lost all his sauce. That ain’t the same n—a.
How about listening to Lil Wayne in that prime era of like 2006-2008? That may have been the most prolific rapper we’ve ever seen.
I liked the 2013-2014 Wayne, that Sorry for the Wait 2 and “Hollyweezy.” I listen to that s–t and I’m like, “Damn.” I don’t know nothing about Tha Carters. That skit with his momma on Tha Carter V was so hard. And the Free Weezy album too. I was like seven [during that mixtape run]. I wasn’t listening to no Wayne. I wasn’t listening to nothing but Beyoncé. All I knew was, “To the left, to the left.” No cap.
What was childhood like for you? Were you playing a lot of sports?
I was playing football. I hated video games — I feel like they were for people I didn’t want to be like. I was outside all day stealing bikes and s–t.
How about just keeping that relationship going with your dad when he got out of prison?
Immediately. My daddy used to get me from school. It was never about the money. He started working at Walmart and s–t when he got out. So he couldn’t go hard so it was more being a father figure.
What was life like during Hurricane Katrina?
First, we had tried to go to Baton Rouge and we stayed in a gym. They gave us these peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We had went to Houston, so I remember Houston for three or four months. Then we came back home. I stayed in the projects so it was bricks. The houses were f–ked up but the buildings were okay. They was f–ked up but not unlivable.
Did you really go to school for nursing?
Yeah, I was trying to do my prereqs. That’s like math class and s–t. So people say nursing, but I didn’t do all that. I was trying to go to school for nursing, but my partner said he wanted to go to school for nursing. He told me I couldn’t. I went to Southern and he didn’t end up going to college.
I did one semester, and then I winded up dropping out and making music. I went to the National Guard after [high] school to get into college. I think that was one of the best things that happened to me in my life for real. That s–t make you feel like you could do anything.
You were selling Juuls and vapes in the National Guard?
Yeah, facts — and they ended up catching me. That was before I even knew about Juuls. I felt like we was the first ones to really discover that. We’d see everybody vaping. They was trying to do it where you don’t get caught because these dudes smoke cigarettes. I didn’t get kicked out for that. I was about to tell them people too.
I remember my first time getting restarted, I had got into it with this dude. He said I called him a racial slur or something. I swear on my brother that he was deadass lying. They tried to restart us. They called me and my dog from Memphis. We go downstairs, and they like, “Pack y’all bags, too.”
I’m thinking they ’bout to switch our company, because there was two companies starting together — Alpha and Bravo — and we got the same graduation date. Then they got Charlie started eight weeks after us. So we thought we were going to Bravo. We walked through Bravo and went to Charlie. I just dropped my bags like, “F–k y’all!” They had nothing but 40-year-olds and we were the youngest people in there.
Were there girls in the army with you?
They got girls in there. Girls out their mind in the army. When I first went to my job schooling, they had a girl in there, and she had a Twitter — everybody like, “This girl from Twitter.” I’m thinking she popping on Twitter. I’m in my room one day and they like, “You saw the girl from Twitter outside lunch today.”
I’m like, “Yeah, who is that? Show me her Twitter.” Man, this girl was ass-naked on all her Twitter. She playing with herself. She that type of girl. I’m like, “What the fuck?” And she in the training with us. I jumped in her DMs. The whole battalion knew her but me.
You kinda just fell into rapping too, right?
My same partner that told me I couldn’t go to school for nursing, he was the rapper. I was trying to get behind him, but he was trying to sound like Roddy Ricch. I had made a song in the studio with him. They felt like I was good at it before I felt like I was good at it.
Me and him had gone to a party and they had some live performances. He’s like, “Let me pay them $250 to let you perform.” I tapped him, “Our time is gonna come.” I probably had like 1,000 followers. The same people trying to pay me $60,000 now. That was like three years ago.
In Miami, we had paid for King of Diamonds for a section for my birthday, and my people had got into it with them, and they wind up not letting us in the club. We sitting out there looking stupid — but now they just gave me that bag to go in that b—h [a year later].
YoungBoy fans were pissed that you posted the photo of you working with Durk. They thought you guys wouldn’t collab now. Would you want to work with him?
I don’t know what they was talking about. I mean whoever f–king with me, I’m f–king with it. It’s music at the end of the day. I seen that s–t.
What game did you take from Birdman?
He just texted me. I remember when he first met me and I only had like 5,000 followers, and he was telling me that I was going to be the one. He just told me to keep going. That’s the only game he ever gave me.
What’s the “Yeet, Yeet” ad-lib mean on “Vulture Island?”
Yeah, I made it up. That’s just some bulls–t I said on there. I thought it sounded good. It really was my ad-libs. I was just punching in trying to catch a vibe on the song. I remember playing it for my momma and she said, “That sounds so good but just take that yeet, yeet part out and say something else.”
I’m like, “No.” She been a good A&R though. I remember playing “No Kizzy,” which is going crazy on TikTok. I think I was at 10,000 followers before I signed anything, and she told me, “Don’t release this song. The world not ready for this.”
What’s the biggest purchase you’ve made in the last year or two?
Probably a chain. I didn’t even wanna buy that chain. I knew I had to get a chain, and I couldn’t keep coming with the lil’ boy chain — because they gonna look at you like a lil’ boy.
How’d you go broke from your initial signing money?
I didn’t go all the way broke. I went close to broke. I don’t be tryna spend as much as I was spending. I didn’t have nothing to show for it for myself. At least this time, it’s not going to that no more, and I got s–t to show. Momma got a crib. I need to get a financial advisor because I don’t be looking at my account.
Are you gonna drop another project this year?
Yeah, I’ma drop another project right after this. Probably like three or four months [later].
How are you moving differently after the shooting?
Just moving better. Smart movements — everyone knows what smart moves are. I’m moving like [Drake].
Nearly five months after it staked out a first week at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, SZA’s “Kill Bill” captures the ultimate prize: With a 20th week at the summit, it matches Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, for the longest run at No. 1 in the list’s history.
The singer achieves the history-equaling feat on the chart dated May 20. “Kill Bill” once again vanquishes its competition, despite drops in all three metrics – streaming, radio airplay and sales – that contribute to the list’s calculations. “Bill” posted 20.3 million official streams in the United States in the latest tracking week (May 5 – 11), according to Luminate, a 5% drop from the week prior, but enough to win a 19th week at No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. Radio airplay audience, too, sheds 5%, down to 78 million in total audience impressions, as “Bill” reverses 3-4 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart. Sales, meanwhile, backtrack to 1,000 copies sold in the most recent tracking period, a 12% slide that prompts a 6-7 dip on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales.
As “Kill Bill” ascends to share the gold medal, here’s an updated look at the champs with the most weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the list became an all-encompassing genre survey in 1958:
Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs:20, “Kill Bill,” SZA, 2022-2320, “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 201918, “Industry Baby,” Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, 2021-2218, “One Dance,” Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla, 201616, “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell, 201315, “Be Without You,” Mary J. Blige, 2006
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“Kill Bill” began its reign on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs on the chart dated Dec. 24, 2022, and, through its first 22 weeks on the list, has only been evicted from the top spot twice – one week each by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” and Drake’s “Search and Rescue.” The juggernaut has aligned with the similar domination for its parent album, SOS, which has spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the most ever by any album by a woman.
Looking ahead, initial signs point to “Kill Bill” having a strong chance to achieve an unprecedented 21st leading week on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The single has a healthy lead above the current runner-up, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin,” which, like “Bill” is receding from its peak. The new No. 3, though, Toosii’s “Favorite Song,” is making rapid gains, potentially setting up the new Hot 100 top 10 hit as the likeliest challenger to SZA’s reign.
On Thursday (May 11), Roc Nation penned an open letter about their desire to build a casino in the New York City. The full page letter — which resides in the New York Post, New York Daily News and Amsterdam News — includes plans to “enhance the lives of everyday New Yorkers” as the company is currently competing with four other billionaire groups, which include New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, Stefan Soloviev, and John Catsimatidis.
“The winning group must have a track record of turning words into deeds—of putting New York City and its residents first—people of all races, religions, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and socio-economic statuses,” reads the letter. “New Yorkers in every corner of every borough – all of us. The winning organization must have a history of campaigning for fair hiring, representation, and reform. Hate, as well as groups that have a history of oppressing the most vulnerable, have no place in New York.”
In December 2022, Jay-Z partnered with SL Green and Caesar Entertainment in their bid to open NYC’s first full-scale casino in Times Square. “The winning licensee must always put the well-being of New Yorkers at the top of their agenda and do right by its residents,” the letter continues. “This is too important of a moment in our city’s illustrious history. Times Square, the epicenter of entertainment with a palpable energy, is unmatched. Roc Nation and our partners are here to ensure Times Square remains connected to all facets of culture. There’s no better location for a Caesars Palace entertainment destination than the Crossroads of the World.
Roc Nation lays out the plan to bolster the lives of New Yorkers, which includes “giving back to all surrounding businesses, investing money into sanitation and security from the bowtie all the way west into Hell’s Kitchen, developing and delivering a much-needed transportation plan, and protecting the interests of the actors, producers, theatre staff, writers and patrons that represent the true heart and soul of Broadway.”
Read the full letter here:
pic.twitter.com/YY71guGYgB
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) May 11, 2023
After back-to-back No. 2 finishes for his last two releases, Jack Harlow captures his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart with Jackman. The set opens atop the list dated May 13 with 35,500 equivalent album units earned in the week ending May 4, according to Luminate.
Jackman. was effectively a surprise release, with the first announcement on April 25, three days ahead of its April 28th drop. Streaming contributes the majority of the 10-track album’s first-week results, with 33,500 units from streaming-equivalent album units. The five-figure sum equals 43.4 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Traditional album sales comprise 1,500 units, with the outstanding 500 deriving from track-equivalent album units.
On his fourth visit, Harlow claims his first Top Rap Albums champ. He first appeared on the list with his Sweet Action EP, which peaked at No. 13 in July 2020. His full-length debut, That’s What They All Say, debuted and peaked at No. 2 in December 2020, as did his sophomore LP, Come Home the Kids Miss You, in May 2022.
Elsewhere, Jackman. kicks off at No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and ties That’s What They All Say and Come Home the Kids Miss You for his best showing there. On the all-genre Billboard 200, Jackman. begins at No. 8, his third top 10 on that list.
The Jackman. impact extends to the Hot Rap Songs chart, where five tracks debut. “They Don’t Love It” leads the new entries at No. 9, securing Harlow’s ninth top 10 on the list. Here’s an updated look at the collection:
Song Title, Artist (if other than Jack Harlow), Peak Position, Peak Date“What’s Poppin,” featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez & Lil Wayne, No. 2, July 11, 2020“Tyler Herro,” No. 10, Nov. 7, 2020“Industry Baby,” with Lil Nas X, No. 1 (19 weeks), Aug. 7, 2021“Nail Tech,” No. 4, March 5, 2022“First Class,” No. 1 (14 weeks), April 23, 2022“Dua Lipa,” No. 6, May 21, 2022“Churchill Downs,” featuring Drake, No. 7, May 21, 2022“Yungen,” Rod Wave featuring Jack Harlow, No. 10, Aug. 27, 2022“They Don’t Love It,” No. 9 (to date), May 13, 2023
In addition to “They Don’t Love It,” Jackman. also launches Hot Rap Songs starts for “Common Ground” (No. 18), “Ambitious” (No. 22), “Denver” (No. 23) and “Is That Ight” (No. 24).
After netting a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 with his first album Wasteland, Brent Faiyaz solidified his standing as a critical cog in the R&B circuit, so much so that a year later, he and UnitedMasters agreed on an unprecedented partnership to form a new creative agency as a hub for his upcoming endeavors.
A source close to the situation tells Billboard that the deal is rumored to be valued at close to $50 million.
“Brent Faiyaz is one of the most prolific independent artists today, and we are extremely excited to embark on this new partnership with him,” UnitedMasters founder Steve Stoute tells Billboard. “It’s been inspiring to watch his journey as an artist over the years, and with this partnership we look to further amplify his creative vision and support his entrepreneurial ambitions.”
Along with his new partnership, Brent Faiyaz will embark on a world tour later this summer. Titled F–k the World, It’s a Wasteland, the multi-date trek will arrive in major markets, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris, and Milan. Presale tickets will be available on Spotify through May 3 and open for the general public on May 5.
Faiyaz keeps momentum from his 2022 effort by releasing his latest visual, “Rolling Stone.” Channeling classic film noir elements, the video is presented as a cinematic thriller with black and white coloring. I still got demons from my younger days. “I wish I could shake ‘em, but they follow me,” he sings in the clip.
Check out video for “Rolling Stone” and the tour dates for F–k The World, It’s a Wasteland below.
TOUR DATES:
7/16 Landover, MD forthcoming
7/25 Denver, CO The Mission Ballroom
7/28 Chicago, IL The Salt Shed
8/1 Toronto, ON History
8/6 New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
8/9 Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway
8/12 Miami, FL James L. Knight Center
8/16 Orlando, FL Dr. Phillips Center
8/19 Sacramento, CA forthcoming
8/22 New Orleans, LA Orpheum Theater
8/23 Houston, TX 713 Music Hall
8/24 Dallas, TX The Factory Deep Ellum
8/31 San Francisco, CA The Masonic
9/1 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
9/3 Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Chelsea Theater
9/15 Los Angeles, CA YouTube Theater
10/16 Leeds, UK O2 Academy Leeds
10/19 Manchester, UK O2 Apollo
10/21 Glasgow, UK O2 Academy Glasgow
10/23 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy
10/25 London, UK Eventim Apollo
11/1 Utrecht, Netherlands TivoliVredenburg
11/3 Stockholm, Sweden Banankompaniet
11/5 Copenhagen, Denmark Vega
11/8 Oslo, Norway Rockefeller Music Hall
11/10 Berlin, Germany Tempodrom
11/12 Milan, Italy Fabrique
11/14 Barcelona, Spain Razzmatazz
11/17 Cologne, Germany Palladium
11/19 Paris, France Elysee Montmartre
11/20 London, UK Eventim Apollo
Being the Voice of the Streets, Lil Durk makes it a point to give back to the community through various endeavors while leveling up in his own career.
Durkio is looking to provide aid in the education department as Billboard learned on Friday (April 14) that the Chicago native has launched his Durk Banks Endowment Fund with Amazon Music’s Rotation, his Neighborhood Heroes foundation, and Howard University.
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The scholarship fund will provide a pair of Chicago-bred students with $50,000 checks toward their freshman tuition enrollment at the decorated HBCU.
“Change the narrative,” Lil Durk repeats in conversation with Billboard over the phone. “It’s stuff we never got a chance to do or somebody never did for us. A lot of people don’t do it as far as the music era that we’re in. In my age range, it’s more toward, ‘Let’s go feed them turkeys, let’s go feed them meals.’ My team came together where we turned it up a notch. I wanted to come up with something that was different and impactful.”
The 30-year-old OTF frontman went a step further and is also donating $250,000 to specifically help students hailing from Chicago eligible for Howard’s Graduation Retention Access to Continued Excellence (GRACE) Grant, which supports students financially in staying on course to graduate.
“For me to boost them up and get them to the next level, it was like a no-brainer,” he adds. “And this scholarship was a super-no-brainer for me. For me and my team, having my own scholarship is like a Grammy.”
Separate from the scholarship fund, Durk spent $100,000 on an all-expenses-paid trip for a group of 20 high schoolers to visit Howard University this week. The kids received the full college experience staying on-campus where they were paired with a Howard student mentor.
The recipients of the Durk Banks Endowment Fund will be presented with their scholarship on Friday when Durkio will be returning to campus and performing as the headliner for Howard University’s Springfest 2023.
Find the rest of our interview with Lil Durk below, which finds him touching on his own college aspirations, his anticipated The Voice 2.0 album, and more.
Billboard: Did you ever want to go to college or think about what life could look like if you went to college?
Lil Durk: Yeah, I always thought about it. It ain’t never too late. For me, it’s like, “Damn, they still going to school.” I got my G.E.D. books shipped in like two days ago. I just want to get my knowledge right … I just want to get smart all around the board. I was doing it last year but I wasn’t really focused.
I’m definitely taking G.E.D. classes, but of course, I’ma do my G.E.D. In my mind, it’s like keeping going on the knowledge. I wanna be super-smart and on point with everything from technology, music, streaming and any subject.
We just rebooted with a smarter Durk, a better decision-making Durk, and we just got off the ground. Me understanding the business and understanding the importance of life. Like, back then, I’d hear [about] a scholarship [and go], “Oh cool, a college scholarship. Great.” Now, I’m like, “Damn, we’re helping these kids out who I’m seeing ride on the bus going to school.” It’s important for the growth on my end, and just seeing it for myself.
How does the selection process for the scholarship go?
So we chose two people from my foundation and the rest gon’ be from Chicago kids who [are] struggling. So we made it where it’s all around the board helping out instead of sticking to different cities. They came from our struggle.
We always see it on TV or on the internet, “Oh, he gave out a scholarship.” But at the time, I didn’t understand. Now it’s gonna be bigger than life when we do it.
When are we getting The Voice 2.0 — what can fans expect?
It’s coming. I promise you when it drop, I’ma give y’all therapy. All the things going on and the world wondering, and then I give them the truth and the facts on the album — it’s gonna be mindblowing. You gonna do a U-turn. This is like our breakthrough.
There ain’t no pressure. The talent and the growth always been there. It just the things around it making it more bigger, like doing the scholarships, being more in tune with the foundation, sitting down with the mayor, and really giving back. That’s the part I was lacking on. I already had the music, now executing the plan is gonna make everything big. The biggest album ever.
I saw you post something about wanting to work with Doja Cat on her rap album. What’s the deal there?
She say she want to work on the rap album and I tried to tell her I wanted to be a part of it. You know, I’m all for that. Just like anytime somebody doubt somebody about anything, I just be like, “Send me a banger! I’ma smoke it and we gonna change the whole narrative.”
If I need help on a situation, and a SZA or a Doja Cat or an Adele could change the perspective on the female side, I know who to go to. Everybody could help everybody.
Swizz Beatz says you made his top 10 greatest rappers list of this generation. What’s it like to hear that from an OG?
Swizz Beatz is one of my mentors. He found me a therapy coach and [showed me] ways to flip my money. He put me in contact with Hov. He’s just a great dude overall. It’s never a favor thing. I might wake up tomorrow and he’ll be like, “I want you to buy this motorcycle. I want you a part of this Ferrari experiment.” That’s like my brother. I don’t want to say “unc” yet, that sound too old.
It’s a foggy night inside and outside of EMPIRE’s Times Square studios. After a tiring day of press running around the Big Apple and a multi-course dinner celebrating the forthcoming release of his Glockoma 2 album, a tipsy Key Glock already has his sights set on his next project.
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“You’re going to hear something new every other month,” Glock said in his interview at the Billboard office hours earlier. “Just know you’re gonna hear more Glizzock.”
But don’t expect a third installment in the Glockoma series — as he shuts down the idea of a threequel there, and is also tight-lipped about the whereabouts of the completed Dum and Dummer 3 with his late mentor Young Dolph.
The 25-year-old nods along to what he feels like 100 beats from his frequent collaborator Bandplay and jokes about how he’s already rapped over every possibility in the producer’s beat extensive folder — two of which were laced with catchy, nostalgic samples like Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September” and Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You” (of UGK fame).
Glock attributes his meticulous ear for production to his grandmother, who listened to a mix of blues and hip-hop while raising him in South Memphis. He recalls her playing an array of 2Pac, Three 6 Mafia and UGK, in addition to soul singers Johnny Taylor and Tyrone Davis.
“The soul music, that’s more of the real life stuff, where hip-hop is more of the entertainment and street-life stuff,” he adds. “They both just had a toll on me coming up.”
Draped in Air Jordan “Mocha” 3’s, a plaid Amiri sweater and a matching beige Seattle Mariners cap to complete his fit, Key Glock finds a thumping trap beat from Bandplay’s folder to his liking and hits the booth with now less than 24 hours until Glockoma 2’s arrival.
It’s after midnight on the East Coast, and members of Glock’s team have left. Paper Route CEO Daddy-O dozes in and out of sleepy consciousness behind his Cartier shades, while the Cutthroat rapper’s entourage keeps the party going, after three bottles of Don Julio 1942 Tequila arrive via DoorDash and Backwoods are being rolled up like an assembly line.
Glizzock’s girlfriend, beauty influencer Karin Jinsui, is also present, but keeping to herself for most of the night — scrolling on her phone and comforting Glock when he steps out of the booth.
It’s been over four years since the original Glockoma landed, but the second installment is finally here. Bandplay reveals that most of the album was recorded on the European leg of Glock’s tour last summer.
“We match our sound perfectly,” he says. “A lot of this project we recorded in Europe. Pretty much 75 percent of the project got recorded overseas while we were on tour. The whole ambiance of being overseas is all over the project. Their speakers [just] ain’t hitting like ours.”
Glizzock notched his first solo top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 with 2021’s Yellow Tape 2, and he’s in contention to earn another top 10 with Glockoma 2 next week – and that’s all without any features, which he boasts about on album closer “F–k a Feature.”
“I tried to stay in the same lane and same style,” he states. “It’s just present Glock, is the only difference. Some songs are on there from two years ago and some are from two weeks ago.”
A testament to his consistency while building up his fan base, Key Glock refuses to engage in a lot of the social media antics his peers might lean into all of while remaining independent (He’s signed to EMPIRE for distribution). “You can’t worry about the next person and look at their success and their growth and wonder why you not doing the same,” Glock says. “Everybody get their time to shine, but it just depends on what you do when your time comes. Take advantage of that.”
He continues to do the heavy lifting for Paper Route Empire, with the Memphis label’s legacy now on his back following the loss of PRE patriarch Young Dolph. “Rest in peace Dolph, yeah he gave me the torch,” Glock raps on Glockoma 2 standout “Randy Orton.”
Dolph’s chilling Nov. 2021 murder in his hometown sent shockwaves throughout hip-hop, and Glock didn’t take much time away from the grind. He last spoke to Billboard in his first interview following the tragedy (March 2022) where he referred to his Dum and Dummer collaborator as his “motivation,” and seemed to be zapped of any creative inspiration.
“We the same person, we just different ages,” he says now, reflecting on Dolph. “We got the same mindset and we think alike and move the same way. Even way before we clicked and bonded together, we was already like twins. [He inspires me to] keep standing on business with the music, because I know he wouldn’t want me to stop.”
Glock is animated, bopping around the booth with his hands moving, while punching in bar after bar. Bandplay explains that it’s a rare occasion for the “Russian Cream” rapper to be recording following a few cocktails, but it’s been a special celebratory affair.
Paper Route Empire hosted about 50 music industry professionals for dinner at the swanky Midtown Japanese restaurant Zuma earlier in the night, where the label surprised Glizzock with another platinum plaque to add to his growing collection, for the flute-tinged “Ambition for Cash.”
Employees wheel in a rare bottle of Louis XIII – one of the most expensive cognac’s made sporting a four-figure price tag – and shots are extracted and poured using an oversized syringe, for a toast to Glock’s recent success.
Momma Glock receives a FaceTime call shortly after, showing her she’d have another plaque on the way to add to her trophy room — where she proudly displays all of her son’s accolades. Key Glock has previously compared his tight-knit bond with his mother to that of Kanye West and the late Donda West.
The clock strikes 2:00 a.m. ET and Glizzock emerges from the booth, ready for his team to hear the raw finished version of his latest work. With a more blunted yet steady flow, Glock glides over the menacing trap production, utilizing shrewd wordplay incorporating Drake and Migos in the midst of his braggadocious rhymes.
“Song’s hard as f–k,” says one of Glock’s friends, who goes by “Drip,” lending his stamp of approval. KG agrees and has the record sent to his flooded email.
Everyone gets back to cracking jokes — a theme of the night — before Glock wins one more battle with his publicist, pushing his first obligations for the next day back a couple hours until after noon, putting the star at ease to enjoy what’s left of another late night.
The Kid LAROI closed out the final day of NBA All-Star Weekend Sunday night (Feb. 19) with an unforgettable headlining performance at the AT&T NBA All-Star Pre-Game Concert. However, it’s his two new singles, “Kids Are Growing Up” and “Love Again,” that have fans most excited for his upcoming debut studio album, The First Time.
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“I’m super happy, man. I’m happy to be putting stuff out again and thrilled to be going on tour again,” LAROI tells Billboard about returning to the music scene after a two-year absence. “Believe it or not, I feel like a lot of artists don’t enjoy touring — but I went on my first one last year, and that shit was so f–king fun.”
During the conversation with the 19-year-old artist, it’s clear that he has an unwavering desire to achieve greatness and create music that deeply resonates with his fans. Citing the late Kobe Bryant as one of his favorite basketball players, the Lakers legend’s strong work ethic has profoundly impacted the young Australian’s approach to his craft.
“I’ve been making [the album] over the past two years,” LAROI explains. “Not two years of every day working towards this album, but two years in between other stuff. Making little ideas, and the stuff that I started with at the beginning that I’m going to see through to the end with this [album]. And then the stuff that I made three days ago that I feel needs to be on the f–king thing. So, it’s just been a slow process.”
The young prodigy says that he’s really buckled down the past three or four months to complete the much-anticipated musical release. His last project, the Billboard 200 chart-topper F–k Love 3, was something that he confessed he’s not particularly proud of from a messaging perspective.
“I kind of don’t like that project, man,” he chuckles. “To be honest, I don’t really agree with a lot of the stuff on there anymore. I mean, I don’t agree with the message of the album in general. ‘F–k Love,’ I think it was an immature statement to make. I think it was like a heat of the moment statement.”
In recent years, LAROI’s home country Australia has made an undeniable impact in producing a diverse range of talents in sports and entertainment, including NBA players Ben Simmons, Josh Giddey and Patty Mills. Simmons, in particular, was thrust into the public eye at a young age, an experience that LAROI can relate to — acknowledging that navigating personal growth in the public eye has been a process of trial and error. However, this unique vulnerability and outlook have helped him build a devoted base early in his career, and as The First Time approaches its release date, fans can anticipate more of his exceptional vulnerability and perspective that have propelled him to early fame.
“For me, I think I look at it [as] a big blessing. It’s also a bit of a curse,” LAROI says about his global success at a young age. “I signed my record deal with Columbia when I was 15 … at 15, you don’t know anything. You really don’t. You’re like a literal child, even if you don’t understand that at the time. I’m about to be 20 this year, and I f–king look back at 15, and I feel like I was a literal child and a baby.”
Fans can expect a fresh outlook from LAROI on this up-and-coming LP — but the young star still puts everything in appropriate perspective when it comes to his past efforts.
“The cool thing about music and putting stuff out is it’s like a time capsule, right?” he says. “So, it’s like, ‘Whatever, that’s how I felt at the time.’ And it’s cool that I get to look back, cringe at it, and be proud of the next stuff I’m about to put out.”