Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live
“You want to go home or you want to keep going?” Metro Boomin asked the packed audience late into his set on Tuesday night (Aug. 8) at Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Live event at The Novo in Los Angeles. The answer from the crowd registered as an unintelligible roar — but it was clear they weren’t ready to leave.
The hitmaking DJ and producer, who most recently executive produced the Marvel soundtrack Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in June — played for over an hour following Billboard’s 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event in honor of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. Joining him on the bill were “Players” rapper-vocalist Coi Leray and rapper Armani White (“BILLIE EILISH,” “Baazigar”).
Though he was the headlining act of the night, Metro made a casual entrance to the stage, sauntering out in white jeans, T-shirt and purple ball cap to take his place behind the boards. Over the course of the crowd-pleasing set, the hitmaker performed tracks including “10 Freaky Girls,” “Niagara Falls (Foot or 2),” “Creepin’,” “Umbrella,” “Minute,” “No Complaints” as well as Spider-Verse cuts including “Calling” and “Self Love.”
Metro also made several nods to his production work, performing “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” (a cut off Kanye West’s Life of Pablo), Post Malone’s “Congratulations” with Quavo and “Heartless” by The Weeknd.
Metro’s “Self Love” collaborator Leray (sporting close-cropped blue hair) preceded him on stage with an ecstatic set that included such hits as “Bitch Girl,” “Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” “Bops,” “Get Loud,” “Make My Day” and “Players,” which became her first top 10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100 when it peaked at No. 9 on the tally in April. The charismatic rapper was backed by a crew of fatigue-clad dancers, with one male member of the team executing some onstage acrobatics at several points during the performance. This being a Billboard event, Leray made sure to shout out her first Hot 100 entry “No More Parties,” which peaked at No. 26 on the tally in March 2021.
“This s–t real,” Leray said at the top of her set. “I remember when they say I was TikTok, hopped on Tiktok — now they say I’m [Billboard].”
Earlier in the evening, White pulled off spirited performances of such tracks as “SILVER TOOTH,” “Onederful” and “Thanksgiving.” At one point, the rising rapper referenced his big moment at Osheaga Festival on Saturday (Aug. 5), when Billie Eilish brought him out on stage to perform his hit single — you guessed it — “BILLIE EILISH.”
“I don’t know if any of y’all follow me, but I was on stage with Billie Eilish,” said White, clearly still drinking in the viral moment. “Some wild s–t, right?”
To celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, Billboard will be hosting the live concert event Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live. Metro Boomin will headline the concert, which will also feature opening acts Coi Leray and Armani White. Presented in partnership with VIBE, Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live will take place on Aug. 8 at The Novo in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale to the public today (June 29) at 10 a.m. PDT at Live.Billboard.com.
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“This year marks a momentous milestone in the evolution of a genre that was initially dismissed as a fad and now reigns as a global force,” says Gail Mitchell, Billboard‘s executive director of R&B/Hip-Hop. “We’re looking forward to celebrating hip-hop’s trailblazing architects and future legends during what will no doubt be an energy-packed, exciting show at The Novo.”
Metro Boomin, a Grammy-nominated and diamond-certified producer, DJ and artist, most recently executive produced Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the soundtrack for Marvel’s box office hit film. Earlier this year, Metro Boomin drew raves for his performance at Coachella during which he brought out such guest stars as Diddy, The Weeknd, 21 Savage and Don Toliver. Metro Boomin’s discography includes a string of multiplatinum projects, among them: Drake and Future’s “Jumpman,” Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” featuring Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone’s “Congratulations” featuring Quavo, Future’s “Mask Off” and Big Sean’s “Bounce Back.” Additional credits include co-producing The Weeknd’s Hot 100 No. 1 “Heartless” and collaborations with 21 Savage (Savage Mode, Savage Mode II). In 2018, he unleashed his full-length solo debut, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, which bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. His third No. 1 Billboard 200 album, last year’s Heroes & Villains, was recently certified platinum by the RIAA. Metro Boomin also owns record label Boominati Worldwide, which he launched in 2017 in partnership with Republic Records.
Leray, the rapper/vocalist behind the hit “Players,” will also be joining the lineups at Jay-Z’s Made In America Festival and Kid Cudi’s Moon Man’s Landing. This year has also seen Leray become the voice of the WNBA’s “More Than Game” campaign ahead of their 2023 season. She is also collaborating with FENDI by Marc Jacobs in their highly anticipated Summer Capsule collection. Leray can be heard on the big screen as well with her collaboration with Metro Boomin on “Self Love” from the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack.
White recently teamed up with A$AP Ferg in the larger-than-life new video for “SILVER TOOTH.,” the latest single from his heralded debut EP Road to CASABLANCO. The EP also boasts the single “GOATED.” featuring Denzel Curry, which has racked up 18 million Spotify streams, 3 million YouTube views and exploded on TikTok with over one million creates and over a billion views. His smash hit “BILLIE EILISH.” picked up gold certification from the RIAA in the U.S., clocked over half-a-billion streams, and generated 36 million-plus YouTube views.
Continuing hip-hop’s 50th celebration this year, Billboard and VIBE are working with Amazon’s live radio app Amp to amplify the next generation of rising rappers coming out of Atlanta. Fans can participate in Amp’s emerging artist program The Come Up today (June 29) to help surface new artists who have a chance to be featured across Billboard and VIBE this summer.
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