bbnews
Page: 195
Imagine being the son of a lauded WWE Hall of Famer and wanting to fill his iconic wrestling boots. That was once the story for Cody Rhodes — the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes — whose gripping promos and electric matches with Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Lex Luger made him the standard in pro wrestling during the 1980s. Once grappling with the legacy and shadow of his late father, Cody is no longer chasing ghosts.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Since his return to the WWE in 2022, Rhodes is arguably the company’s top star, courtesy of his charisma, in-ring prowess and captivating entrance theme, which doubles as a rallying cry for his audience. Created by the alternative rock band Downstait in 2016 during Rhodes’ departure from the WWE, “Kingdom” tells the story of the wrestler seeking fans’ support while on his road to greatness. Though Rhodes’ journey wasn’t the most glamorous, as he wrestled in gyms for hundreds of people during the early stretches of his indie run, he pushed forward in hopes of reestablishing his name and identity in the wrestling world.
By 2019, Rhodes flourished and became a ubiquitous star in the indie circuit, wrestling for companies such as Evolve Wrestling, Ring of Honor, TNA and New Japan Wrestling. After hosting a successful pay-per-view titled All-In with acclaimed indie wrestlers in 2018, Rhodes launched a new wrestling promotion titled AEW alongside Matt and Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega to rival WWE. Though Rhodes left the company in 2022 to return to his first home, his song “Kingdom” followed him after he and the band endured an excruciating battle with WWE over song rights and royalties. Today, “Kingdom” sits at a whopping 28 million plays on Spotify, and continues to be among the most popular themes in WWE, propelling Rhodes further into the hearts of the WWE Universe amid his quest for the championship.
Billboard spoke to Rhodes about “Kingdom,” his new Peacock documentary, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes, his similarities to LeBron James and more.
When Downstait first made “Kingdom,” I read they were struggling financially and working regular jobs. How did his song eventually become a win not only for you, but for everyone involved?
It was so nice when I left WWE initially and I went into the unknown — I wanted to be prepared for it. I almost felt like I was drawing up blueprints for what I wanted my career to be like, now that I was my own boss and I was going to be in charge. And those guys, Downstait, have done music for WWE for years and they’ve done multiple themes of mine already, which I didn’t even know. There wasn’t that connection between the artists and the artists, I supposed. They were banging out banger themes left and right, but I contacted them and they were game to do it.
They put together lyrics that were kind of this rallying cry — because that’s the trick with sports entertainment and wrestling music. The song can be good, sure; it could be a good song, a good beat, a good melody, but it also has to be catchy. You gotta remember it. In the case of today, I’d say today that we have the catchiest of songs because, it creates this whole moment that happens multiple times throughout its play-through, with the “Whoas.”
But their journey, Downstait — you mentioned them going through it and the struggles — their journey mirrored my own. So for us to pair up, take it, and then for me to be so specific with everyone to the point [where] in plenty of meetings, people did not love how absolutely adamant I was about this being the song: This is the song. There’s no other song. Maybe one day, but this is the song and it goes everywhere I go. That’s just the way it gotta be — and I’m glad we stuck to our guns on that one, because those guys are great. They do music for tons of folks and they’ve made a very catchy song.
[embedded content]
Considering you’re near the apex of your career — I say near because I know that elusive belt is something you’re still chasing — are there any lyrics from “Kingdom” that still hit home and resonate with you today?
I think probably the No. 1 [thing] in the lyrics that resonates is the part about following you til the end — in terms of, I was asking fans when I left [WWE], flat out, “Hey, will you go with me?” Doesn’t mean you don’t watch WWE still, but will you go with me to Evolve in Joppa, Maryland in front of 400 people? Will you go with me to NorthEast wrestling? Will you go with me to All-Pro Wrestling? Because as much as these independents are in high-school gyms and in myriads of places, they’re streamed. You can get them, you can see them. I wanted to have fans ride with me. That’s why I created the list of the different opponents that I would want.
I think that following me until the end has become a genuine [feeling] for those who were onboard and for those who’s just getting onboard tomorrow, or today even. I’m gonna do everything I can to get to the finish — and then of course, who knows what happens after that? Because you mentioned being near the apex of my career — there’s really this one thing that I’m looking to tackle, and what will happen if we’re able to get that chip. But that line about following you until the end sticks with me, because I’m always looking at the people when I hear it in the speakers in the ring, and it’s a very real transaction that we have.
From “undesirable to undeniable” is a quote I always hear from announcer Corey Graves when describing your journey. At what point in your journey did you hit the undeniable chapter of your life?
I think probably when you can no longer say, “OK. He was disenfranchised and he didn’t like what he was doing, so he quit.” I think when you had to turn the narrative into, “no, he had a point,” was around the first All-In. When [wrestling columnist] Dave Meltzer said we couldn’t get 10,000 people in an arena and we got 11,236 in under an hour. We shut the site down, and there’s a plaque on the side of the arena. That was the one where you could no longer be denied — and what I tried to do after that was if anyone showed up then and there like, “no, no, this is a fluke,” I kept trying to put them through the goal post.
At that point, our industry really changed. If you ever interview any of the big wigs or the top brass behind the scenes, this might be the area where they don’t love my story — because it meant everyone had to get paid a lot more. I’m so glad I had Matt, Nick, and Kenny for that — because that’s something that’s pretty cool, whenever someone comes up to you and says, “Thank you. I got the biggest deal of my life because of this silly show you guys did and this gamble that you took.” That’s a very, very rewarding feeling that I never anticipated would ever come up in my career. But I think that that point was where the whole concept of “I will not be denied further” [came from]. It emboldened me.
[embedded content]
I see a similar storyline arc between you and LeBron in terms of starting your career at home, going elsewhere to find success and then coming back to where it all began. Am I crazy for drawing that comparison?
I can’t say that and here’s why: LeBron’s the GOAT, or if not, one of the GOATs. It’s LeBron. So I can’t just go like, “You know I see my story is a lot like LeBron James.” [Laughs.] For you to say it — I’ve thought the same thing about my time away very much. It was this needed thing where we were doing something unique and special. But then to be able to come back to what was your home and deliver. .. Not just come back for any other reason, but to come back and deliver, it’s very similar from that arc. So I’m happy to be discussed in the same vein as somebody like LeBron.
I think your finest promo was the one you cut with Paul Heyman earlier this year. Then, I think about your time at the Howard Fine acting school when you were younger. How much do you credit your skill-set in promos to your natural poise and charisma versus the acting classes you once took?
When I’m able to go out there, I always flip the mic. I flip it before I start talking. It almost feels like you’re this gun slinger when you have a mic, because that’s such a powerful thing, knowing you’re gonna tell [the fans] how you feel, why you need something and hope they’re in agreement with you. You’re gonna hope they find it entertaining or they have fun with it. All you’re doing is talking. There’s no wrestling going on in this ring, you’re talking in this ring.
I don’t know if it’s charisma. I feel like [my brother] Dustin got all my dad’s charisma. I don’t know if it’s Howard skills, because Howard skills are more about things that wouldn’t happen in your life. You’re really pretending. You’re acting — whereas what happens in the world of sports entertainment, where you’re in-between sport and entertainment, a lot of what I’m just saying is real.
The biggest part of why I’ve had success with promos and interviews is I prepare it like it’s a dissertation. I prepare that week before if I know I’m going to speak to them. [I’m] very, very in-depth about how I wanna deliver this message, because what I’m telling them is biographical. What I’m telling them is real to me.
You mentioned the Paul Heyman one, Mr. Heyman. That’s authentic. He gave my dad this job that changed the trajectory of my dad’s life. So as much as that problem with him and I exist, that is an area where I’ll always kind of nod my head and have a respect for [him]. I needed him to know it. He did not know that story until that show. I really needed him to know that this thing you did had a very, very large effect on my whole family. So to this day, I have a ton of respect for Mr. Heyman.
But I think with my promos and interviews, I think my preparations been key. I prepare heavily to speak to them. People complain sometimes that I use big words, but I never want to talk down to them. I feel like the sports entertainment wrestling audience is incredibly intelligent — and for some reason, maybe the stigma of the industry of old — some people don’t realize that, but that’s how I talk to them. We’re educated superstars and wrestlers in the ring and this is an educated audience. So I don’t dumb it down.
[embedded content]
Your first match in the WWE was against Randy Orton. If and when the Viper returns, what would a Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton match look like?
It almost feels like it’s a first-time-ever match, because we wrestled against one another. We tagged together, we traveled together, but Randy arrived in WWE and was ready to go right out of the box. I have taken every piece of that little broken road that I’ve been on to really build what the American Nightmare is. Who I am when I step into the ring, and having that confidence, knowing my skillset, strengths and weaknesses. That’s why it comes across to me like this match never happened before, and I can only hope that Randy gets healthy and gets back to what he does — because he’s so, so, great at it. That would be quite a match. I think that’s one people are whispering about right now, and I feel both of us would be open to it, if not very open to it.
You were an incredible heel during your first run in the WWE. Because you’re the top babyface this time around, can you ever see yourself being a bad guy again, or do you think you’re stuck in this good guy role?
At the end of my AEW run, I felt we were doing heel — but apparently it wasn’t heel enough? Apparently, you have to say you’re a heel, and when you say you’re a heel, then you’re cool? So the definition of it was “the least cool, boo this guy out of the building.” That’s what I want out of my bad guys and bad girls, so I’m not stuck in it. I’ll say there’s probably less likely a chance of it happening, only because one thing I noticed, I’m really big on making eye contact with the audience. I noticed that my audience for me in particularly when you see the Nightmare shirt and the hat, it’s a lot of kids. That’s an important thing.
I don’t know if I’m a standard for them or anything of that nature, but if I even stand a chance of being someone that inspires them, I feel like I’m careful with screwing that up and letting them down. It felt like there was a spot in WWE after John [Cena] had left that maybe nobody was really filling and I don’t know why. But the youngest of our audience has really taken into what’s going on — which is funny, because if they watch this documentary, they might not even know about any of this stuff that even happened. They might just know the guy with the robe who says “Whoa” and the fireworks go off. But with them in mind, I don’t know if turning heel is as likely as it used to be.
American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes streams now and WWE SummerSlam streams August 5, only on Peacock.
It’s official: Drake’s years-long quarrel with Meek Mill is history.
The two rap stars had beef going back eight years, starting with a simple tweet: “Stop comparing Drake to me too… He don’t write his own raps!”
And on it sizzled, with Mill dishing more punishment by pointing out that Drake is “way out of it” compared with Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Other hip-hop and R&B artists piled on, including Rick Ross, Lupe Fiasco, Chris Brown and OG Maco. Lines were drawn, sides were taken. Diss tracks were released.
All of that is in the past.
While playing Wells Fargo Center in Mill’s hometown, Philadelphia, earlier in the week, Drizzy took a moment to discuss the pair’s friendly bond.
“You see who I walked out here with right?” the Toronto artist told the crowd. “I’d always keep it 100 with you. The last time I was in this building, that man right here, he’s been representing this city since he started with this s—.”
He added, “That man, me and him weren’t getting along at the time, and he is a real n—– , so he definitely got us up out of Philly real quick. We did not get to stick around and chill.”
It’s the truth, he insisted. “It means the most to me that I could come back to this city and show the growth as two men that we can come here tonight and we can represent for mother—— Philadelphia together,” he remarked, throwing verbal bouquets to his one-time nemesis and the Philly audience.
The pair did bury the hatchet some years ago, proof of which came when Mill and Drake collaborated on the track “Going Bad” from 2019, from the Philly native’s Championships album.
Now, in 2023, it would appear those old enemies have become besties.
Drake’s It’s All A Blur tour continues Thursday, Aug. 4 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. Watch a clip from Drizzy’s performance in Philadelphia below.
BRISBANE, Australia — Mike Shinoda, co-founder of Linkin Park, the nu metal favorites fresh from reigning over several Billboard charts, is now part of the lineup for Bigsound 2023.
In March of this year, Linkin Park’s “Lost” saw the band return to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for the first time in almost nine years, and hit the summit of the Alternative Airplay chart for the first time in nearly a decade.
“Lost” features vocals from Chester Bennington, who died in 2017, and was featured on the 20th anniversary release of Meteora, which led the Billboard 200 for two weeks following its original release, and is one of the group’s six leaders on the all-genres albums chart.
Away from the studio and stage, Shinoda, a music industry innovator in the NFT space, was tapped last year by Warner Recorded Music (WRM) to help shape the major’s “artist-centric approach” to Web3.
Also part of the third-wave of announcements is Christine Anu, who appears in the capacity as an official Bigsound headline speaker. One of the country’s most recognizable voices, Anu’s performance of Neil Murray’s “My Island Home” is a solid-gold classic, earning entry in APRA’s list of Top 30 Australian songs, published 2001, just one year after she performed it during the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games.
Organized by trade body QMusic, Bigsound will boast more than 100 speakers, from international and national buyers, agents, music supervisors, bookers and “industry decision makers.”
Speakers at this year’s summit include Simon Napier-Bell, the celebrated author, filmmaker and artist manager, who guided the careers of Rock Hall inductee George Michael and Wham, English composer Simon Franglen, Cockenflap Festival promoter Cora Chan, artists Ziggy Ramo, Kate Miller-Heidke, Georgia Maq, and more.
Also, upwards of 140 emerging acts from around the globe will play the showcase program, which adds Zheani, Full Flower Moon Band, Dean Brady, FELIVAND, Loren Ryan and others.
This year’s edition will be held Sept. 5 – 8 in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
Earlier in the year, the Palaszczuk state government announced funding for Bigsound to the tune of nearly A$4 million over four years, a boost that comes as the Queensland capital gears-up for the 2032 Olympic Games.
Bigsound 2023 is presented by Brick Lane Brewing and independent ticketer Oztix, and supported by national youth broadcaster triple j.
Visit bigsound.org.au for more.
Too much, too often, is too bad. Just ask Post Malone, who reckons his mental acuity isn’t what it once was, thanks to overdoing it with hallucinogens.
The singer and rapper still digs mushroom, of the magical variety, but not with the same appetite as he once had.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Yeah, I’ll take shrooms. I like shrooms,” he admits in a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music. “Not as much as I used to. It really affected my short-term memory.”
For his sitdown with the New Zealand-born broadcaster, Malone reflects on an earlier “stint of habitual overuse, like daily” which may have contributed to the fog. “Now I take a little bar of (mushroom) chocolate with my buddies, a little square of chocolate and just laugh and laugh and laugh.”
Nothing is off-limits, as Malone reflects on youthful indiscretions, including bad experiences with pharmaceuticals drugs. But never the hard stuff. “I shouldn’t have to really justify anything to anyone, but I appreciate the concerns that people (have about his health),” he adds, “but then the rumor starts that I’m doing hard drugs, which I’ve never done in my entire life.”
Malone also talks about his newfound priorities as a parent, and the early mornings that come with it. “The schedule just keeps getting fuller, and now that I’m a dad, the schedule only got more full,” says the singer and rapper, a known late-riser.
That schedule continues to gets “fuller and fuller” with the release of new music. That’s the case with Posty’s fifth and latest studio album Austin, which dropped last Friday, and will be supported with another major world tour. Austin is the followup to 2022’s Twelve Carat Toothache, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, and became Malone’s fourth studio album to chart within the top five. It’s currently at No. 3 on the midweek U.K. chart. “I’m definitely more tired. I was always tired before (children), but now I’m more tired.”
Watch the interview below.
[embedded content]
Lil Wayne talks about inspiring the next generation of rappers, how he discovers new talent with Young Money records, ‘Carter VI” and more on the cover of Billboard. Lizzo is facing a lawsuit from three tour dancers who claim that they were subjected to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Dua Lipa and Warner Music Group are facing another copyright lawsuit over “Levitating.” And more.
Tetris Kelly:Did Beyonce shade Lizzo as she’s getting sued? Hip-hop legend Lil Wayne is on our cover. Dua Lipa is “Levitating” back to court, as Ludacris is generous and Nate Smith teaches us hometown slang. I’m Tetris, it’s Billboard News and it’s Wednesday, August 2nd. This show is juicy and sweet so let’s start with the artists behind “Lollipop,” it’s Lil Wayne.
Gail Mitchell:What’s been your secret to longevity?
Lil Wayne:Me? I don’t have a secret. I just work and I never stop. I don’t do nothing but my music. In my mind, every single time I say the word “work”, I ask God to forgive me because I know this has never been a job. It’s just a dream come true so that’s why I’ve never stopped.
Gail Mitchell:I’m excited by the growing ranks of female rappers right now. I wanted to get your thoughts on that. I started a Billboard in 99′ and it was, you know, you had your Roxanne Shanté, (Lil’) Kim’s, and Queen’s (Latifah) and MC Lyte and stuff, and then there’s nothing and then Nicki pops up. Why is this happening, now? What’s your thoughts on that?
Lil Wayne:I think that it just wasn’t- it wasn’t interesting to women. You know, it wasn’t as interesting, you know, as the way Nicki and Meg and others have. It looks like, you know, it’s awesome. I don’t think it was just, you know, I don’t think they viewed it as something that they wanted to do and actually make a living from it.
Gail Mitchell:Right and it seems maybe the industry is a little more open-minded.
Lil Wayne:Oh, definitely. Now? Oh, what? Yeah, definitely.Watch the full video above!
Rafael “Rafa” Madroñal has been promoted to vp of business development for Sony Music U.S. Latin. In his new, expanded role, Madroñal leads a team that negotiates multi-million-dollar partnerships that increase Sony Music U.S. Latin’s income and audience. Madroñal also supervises the label’s new business and sponsorship strategy and department, working with a stable of […]
We’ve all got to start somewhere. For 19-year-old Summer Rios, a native of Brunswick, Ohio, that start is the pizza trade. Not everyone can go somewhere with music, however. For Rios, an impressive audition on America’s Got Talent might’ve wedged that door open.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Currently, the teen is a manager at a Pizza Hut. “I make pizzas for a living,” she admits, regularly working morning-to-closes trying to pay bills and keep her head above water. “I hope this will get me out of pizza cutting and pizza making.”
Rios has been singing since the age of four, she explained, “but I haven’t really performed.” There’s no time like now, or quite like the AGT stage. She’s “trying to make music a thing, and try to put myself out there and not have so much anxiety.”
After displaying some of those nerves, which manifested as giggles, Rios set about showing the nation her true talents with a performance of Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange.”
Her performance married depth with power and a touch of grunt, without a hint of those early nerves.
She was visibly thrilled when the audience stood for an ovation, as did Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara. Read those lips: “Oh my god” she said to herself.
“You know Summer, I think you should be doing this more than slicing pizza,” remarked Howie Mandel. “I feel like we’ve just got a peak at what you can do. And you needed to open this door a crack and you’ve opened it more than a crack to just take off.”
“I loved it,” praised Klum. “To me it sounded a little bit like you swallowed Rihanna. You have a beautiful, beautiful tone in your voice. I think it was absolutely incredible.”
“Your voice is spectacular,” remarked Vergara. “You belong on a stage. Don’t waste more time, live your best life. Don’t be scared anymore.
Cowell wrapped things up. “Summer, what a great choice of song. I think every single person in this room wanted you to do well. Yeah, we all like you,” he said with a hint of emotion in his voice.
It was four yeses from the judges. Onwards, upwards.
Watch below.
[embedded content]
America’s Got Talent is back on our screens, back in our lives. And for one AGT contestant, Gabriel Henrique, everything is golden.
Henrique, a 27-year-old from Brazil, on his first trip to the U.S. of A., auditioned for Tuesday night’s episode (Aug. 1) and made the very most of it.
Speaking with the assistance of an interpreter, Henrique admitted he spoke only “a little bit” of English, and he’s “just trying.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
No matter, music is the universal language. And he’s fluent.
Putting aside some early nerves, Henrique threw himself into a cover of Whitney Houston’s “Run to You,” with enough energy and high notes to power a small town.
A standing ovation ensued, including all four AGT judges.
“If Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey had a baby, it would be Gabriel,” quipped Heidi Klum. ”Wow, you are incredible.”
“I did not expect that voice to come out of you. You sound like the best and finest pop diva that ever was,” Howie Mandel enthused. “You’re amazing.”
Simon Cowell went next. “People are going to really like you. You’re just so interesting,” he claimed. “I can tell that you’ve sang in church and you don’t know how good you are. It was amazing.”
Sofia Vergara had the last comment, and action. “I don’t have words, that was so perfect, spectacular. Your voice is beautiful. Your energy, who you are. It was perfect.” That performance was “something I was waiting for, something very beautiful and very heartfelt.”
Before the panel had time to vote, Vergara put a halt to proceedings and triggered the golden buzzer.
Watch below.
[embedded content]
On Tuesday (Aug. 1), Travis Scott announced a new concert in Rome, Italy, for Aug. 7, titled “Circus Maximus.” “Circus Maximus” resides on Scott’s fourth studio album, Utopia, which dropped on Friday (July 28) and doubled as a film that premiered at select AMC theaters. Scott and five directors doled out the visual to accompany the project that […]
“Jealousy,” Offset’s new collaboration with Cardi B, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter, dated Aug. 5.
Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, tracks global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running July 21-27.
“Jealousy” was premiered in full on July 28, but its release was first teased on with a video posted to Offset’s social media on July 24 starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Two days later on July 26, its title – and Cardi B’s involvement – was revealed.
It’s Cardi’s second No. 1 on Hot Trending Songs, which began in 2021, after she was also featured on Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” this April. Meanwhile, it’s Offset’s first solo appearance on the survey.
“Jealousy” reigns over a variety of songs from Travis Scott’s newly released album Utopia, which came out July 28, after the tracklist was revealed July 27. “Skitzo” leads the pack at No. 2, followed by “Meltdown” at No. 3, and “Modern Jam” joins the group in the top 10 (No. 6).
Gucci Mane’s “Woppenheimer” also premieres within the top five, bowing at No. 4. Much like the rest of the aforementioned songs, it was released July 28, but its existence was teased during the July 21-27 tracking week following a viral tweet promoting a fake Woppenheimer mixtape from the rapper around the release of the film Oppenheimer. Gucci Mane quote-tweeted the post, adding the eyes emoji and the hashtag #woppenheimer on July 26, with the song following two days later.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.