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Erykah Badu has loudly and proudly always marched to the beat of her own drummer. But the “Call Tyrone” singer admitted this week that she’s happily hopping on a recent trend to protest the deep cuts to government agencies being led by Elon Musk as part of his DOGE team by trashing one of the richest man in the world’s signature vehicles.
“Just vandalized my own Tesla,” Badu tweeted earlier this week. “Trying to stay on trend.”
There have been a number of attacks on Teslas and Tesla dealerships around the country over the past few weeks, from Cybertrucks set on fire to molotov cocktails hurled at Tesla dealerships and vandalism of charging stations. Attackers have also taken their ire out on the all-electric vehicles with anatomical drawings and NSFW messages such as “Hail Elon” and “Nazi car,” in seeming reference to Musk’s Nazi-like salute at Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.
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It was unclear if Badu — who recently revealed to Billboard that she is working on her first new album in 15 years — was joking or actually dinged up her Tesla, but she is not the only one breaking up with the pricey vehicle that was once considered a badge of environmental courage. Sherly Crow announced last month that she had sold her Tesla and donated the proceeds to NPR in protest; NPR and PBS executives will be on Capitol Hill on Wednesday (March 26) to testify in a hearing titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable” as DOGE is reportedly homing in on drastic cuts to public radio and television.
While many protests across the nation, and the world, have focused on Teslas and Musk, Green Day took aim at the billionaire during shows in January, where singer Billie Joe Armstrong swiped at the unelected DOGE boss while performing in Musk’s home country of South Africa. “I’m not part of the Elon agenda,” he sang in a switch to a classic “American Idiot” lyric.
Jack White also slammed Musk during a performance of his 2018 single “Corporation” at a February 18 show on his No Name tour. “I was thinking about becoming an oligarch, who’s with me?” White sang in Boston. “I was thinking about taking government subsidies and starting my own electric car company. Who’s with me?” he added. “I’m thinking about not being elected. Never holding a public office. Never serving one day of military service. But somehow having the authority to control parts of the U.S. Government. Who’s with me?”
Then, on the debut episode of Netflix’s Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney earlier this month, 1960s folk legend Joan Baez lamented that “our democracy is going up in flames… we’re being run by a bunch of really incompetent billionaires.” And while she didn’t name names, when Mulaney joked about Baez owning a Tesla, she noted that she did used to have one, but that she sincerely regrets the purchase now.
“I hated that thing,” Baez, 84, said. “But I thought I was supposed to like it. So I drove off in it. Within 45 minutes I had smashed it into an oak tree on my property… I was thinking, ‘That’s a sign.’” Without saying when she ditched it, Baez added, “I hated it… It was too big… I sold it and got one-half the amount of money I paid for.”
Over the weekend, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa posted a video on his social media accounts about the time he got into it with some Italian mobsters in a club and how he had to pay them to leave him alone.
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Vic starts things off by painting a picture. He was on his tour bus already drunk, in an undisclosed city, when he decided to check out a club that a friend was DJ’ing at, and mentioned that he was supposed to make an appearance in that same club the very next day.
Once he gets to VIP, he was handed a blunt, a fifth of Dusse, and a bottle of Ace of Spades before he noticed a friend on the dance floor asking him for some backup. “So, I start going down there,” he recalled. “He like, ‘G, they just choked me and dragged me out the club! And they not even security!’ I’m like, ‘Who? Who did this to you?’”
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After his friend pointed the culprit out, Mensa claims that he hit he hit him with the bottle of Ace of Spades. “I’m a nut so I already had bottle of Ace of Spades in my hand,” he said. “Boom! I crashed his ass. Immediately, this shit turned into a melee. I told you, I only got one friend in the building. Now this shit is not going well. I’m getting punched up and down like cartoon fists in a cloud.”
Adding that once he got away and made it to his hotel, a friend called him to inform him that the people he fought were made men. “My mans called me, who I didn’t even know was in that city at that time,” Vic began. “He was like, ‘Man, that was the Italian mob. They finna kill you!’
Vic then had to give one of his “big homies” in Chicago a call to help him out and said he had to pay $10,000 to make things right and made his scheduled club appearance with extra security. “Long story short, I get the bread, I pay the mob,” he continued. “Oh yeah, but that’s another one of the reasons why I don’t drink.”
Vic talked about his journey on the road to sobriety on Instagram in 2023, saying that he had to “learn the difference between fun and joy.”
Check out his “Italian mob” story below.
Snoop Dogg will deliver the 2025 commencement address at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business graduation ceremony, the university announced Tuesday (March 25). “I am deeply honored to join USC Marshall’s commencement in celebrating the remarkable achievements of these graduates,” the Long Beach rapper said in a statement posted to the school’s […]
Miami has long been a staple in the hip-hop community, producing a range of rap stars over the decades. Miami-Dade County is honoring its rich hip-hop history by naming Liberty City neighborhood streets after rappers who have called the Sunshine State home.
Per NBC 6 South Florida, DJ Khaled (We the Best Terrace), City Girls (City Girls Street), Kodak Black (Tunnel Vision Street), Flo Rida (Welcome to My House Street), Trick Daddy (What’s My Name Street), Trina (Still Da Baddest Street) and many more were among those celebrated.
“If you play this music to the people who are from this area, they are going to light up like it’s the Fourth of July. The essence of this is to encourage economic development in our community,” Miami-Dade County District 3 Commissioner Keon Hardemon said. “The essence of this is to… let people know that this exists in Miami-Dade County and you should come and see it.”
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He continued: “In the 1950s or so, during the time of segregation, 18th Avenue was the place to be… It had juke joints, it had bars, it had restaurants, and it had living quarters… That’s why they named it Broadway.”
Hardemon hopes to see economic stimulation in the area to compete with surrounding areas. “Since I’ve been elected, that’s been my mission,” he added. “We’re moving on to the next phase of what it takes to bring Broadway to the 21st century, and allow it to compete with Wynwood and Overtown and things of that nature.”
The committee reportedly weighed Billboard chart success with how much certain artists contributed to the fabric of Miami while also leading philanthropic efforts to give back in the 305 during the selection process.
District 13 Commissioner René Garcia initially opposed the proposal due to lyrical content, but ended up changing her mind. “Even though I’m not a big fan of some of the lyrics in some of these songs, who am I to stand in the way of trying to do something innovative for your community and your constituency?” she said.
It’s been a winning year for DJ Khaled, who collected 17 new RIAA certifications in January. He’s working toward the release of his 14th studio album Aalam of God, which is expected to arrive later this year.
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 […]
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.
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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.”
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.
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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?
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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.
Playboi Carti continues his triumphant week on Billboard’s charts as he becomes the first rapper — and only third artist overall — to score at least 30 simultaneous hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in a single week. The avalanche comes almost entirely from the 27-year-old Atlanta native’s new album, MUSIC, which concurrently storms in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
On the chart dated March 29, Playboi Carti claims 31 total hits on the Hot 100 — all 30 of his MUSIC tracks from the project’s streaming edition, and a feature credit on The Weeknd’s “Timeless,” from the pop/R&B superstar’s Hurry Up Tomorrow album. Thanks to the haul, Playboi Carti joins Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen as the only artists to capture more than 30 spots on the list simultaneously. Wallen owns the record, with 36 placements on the chart dated March 18, 2023, due to his One Thing at a Time drop, while Swift has crossed the 30-song mark twice: 32 on the list dated May 4, 2024, after her The Tortured Poets Department release, and 31 entries the following week.
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With 31 simultaneous hits, Playboi Carti rewrites the record for most Hot 100 entries by a rapper in a single week. Drake previously held the mark, with 27 appearances on the July 14, 2018, chart in the wake of the arrival of his blockbuster Scorpion album.
Playboi Carti’s MUSIC campaign begins with “Evil J0rdan,” which debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The entrance matches Playboi Carti’s best Hot 100 showing as a lead act, tying the four-way track “Type Shit,” with Future, Metro Boomin and Travis Scott, which peaked in the runner-up spot in April 2024. Among all his credits, Playboi Carti featured with fellow guest Rich the Kid on Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival,” which topped the Hot 100 for one week in March 2024.
MUSIC sparks another Hot 100 top 10 in “Rather Lie,” with The Weeknd, which starts at No. 4. The new single, now being promoted to radio, is the pair’s third shared Hot 100 entry, after “Popular,” also with Madonna, reached No. 43 in June 2023, and “Timeless,” which opened at its No. 3 peak last October.
Thanks to all the MUSIC activity, Playboi Carti surges 75-1 for his first week atop the Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption — album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming — to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of the most popular artists. The rapper previously peaked at No. 2 in January 2021, following the arrival of his Whole Lotta Red album.
Here’s a complete rundown of Playboi Carti’s tracks on this week’s Hot 100:
No. 2, “Evil J0rdan”
No. 4, “Rather Lie,” with The Weeknd
No. 17, “Good Credit,” with Kendrick Lamar
No. 20, “Crush,” with Travis Scott
No. 23, “Timeless,” with The Weeknd
No. 25, “Backd00r,” with Kendrick Lamar and Jhene Aiko
No. 27, “Mojo Jojo”
No. 28, Philly,” with Travis Scott
No. 33, “Fine Shit”
No. 34, “Toxic,” with Skepta
No. 38, “K Pop”
No. 41, “Pop Out”
No. 43, “Radar”
No. 46, “Trim,” with Future
No. 48, “HBA”
No. 49, “Charge Dem Hoes a Fee,” with Travis Scott
No. 52, “Wake Up F1lthy,” with Travis Scott
No. 53, “Jumpin,” with Lil Uzi Vert
No. 54, “I Seeeeee You Baby Boi”
No. 55, “Crank”
No. 56, “Like Weezy”
No. 58, “Twin Trim,” with Lil Uzi Vert
No. 65, “Olympian”
No. 69, “Munyun”
No. 71, “We Need All Da Vibes,” with Young Thug and Ty Dolla $ign
No. 75, “Opm Babi”
No. 80, “Cocaine Nose”
No. 85, “Dis 1 Got It”
No. 86, “Overly”
No. 88, “South Atlanta Baby”
No. 96, “Walk”
It’s Billboard Women in Music week, so let’s go ahead and give the ladies their flowers. On Saturday (March 29), Emmy winner Laverne Cox will host the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event, honoring aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Erykah Badu, Glorilla, Gracie Abrams, JENNIE, Megan Moroney, Meghan Trainor, Muni Long, Tyla and Doechii. With Badu earning the Icon Award, Big Glo being named this year’s Powerhouse honoree, Muni Long snagging the Rising Star Award and Doechii — who recently bagged her first Hot 100 top 10 hit with “Anxiety” — landing the Woman of the Year title, this year’s event will celebrate the breadth of women running hip-hop and R&B.
Outside of Women in Music, Ye kept the hip-hop world on its toes by dropping a link to his Bully album, Jack Harlow and Doja Cat joined forces for a new bop featuring a cameo-filled music video and Casey Wasserman — the chairman of the 2028 L.A. Olympics organizing committee — teased a possible Kendrick Lamar performance at the forthcoming Games. Oh, and Playboi Carti notched the biggest Billboard 200 debut of his career, as well as 30 concurrent Hot 100 entries, thanks to his culture-dominating Music LP.
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from JT’s summer-ready banger to Nettspend and Xaviersobased’s new link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: JT, “Ran Out”
After taking the world by star with City Cinderella and cemeting herself as a solo artist, JT is back with some more heat. “Ran Out,” an infectious, Y2K-nodding banger in the nonchalant, self-assuered spirit on “Okay,” introduces the Miami MC’s new era, complete with an artsy music video starring famed content creator Quenlin Blackwell. Perfectly timed to grow into a summer anthem, “Ran Out” finds JT reviving the irresistible, slightly whiny delivery of the OG City Girl days while building on her penchant for hooks constructed out of flipping the meaning of a word or phrase multiple times. “Had to stay down, bitches ran out/ My card ain’t work, so I ran out/ The time for these niggas done ran out/ I’m still gettin’ money, I ain’t running out,” she spits in the second half of the hook over bass-heavy production from Ben10k, Danes Blood & 254Bodi. — KYLE DENIS
Nettspend feat. Xaviersobased, “Impact”
Brace for “Impact,” a pair of Gen-Z’s burgeoning rap stars have linked up. Virginia meets NYC as Nettspend and Xaviersobased connect for a glimmering track. Nett’s syrupy AutoTune-laced melodies pace “Impact” with a catchy chorus while Xavier fills in the blanks and closes out his verse relaying his “Saks in the mornin’, Neimans in the evening” shopping habits. Rap’s next generation is carving out its own lane, despite the genre’s elder statesmen begrudgingly lending co-signs. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
FLO feat. Chy Cartier, “Get It Till I’m Gone (Remix)“
FLO & Chy Cartier’s “Get It Till I’m Gone (Remix)” is a bold, empowering anthem about reclaiming power after being taken for granted in a relationship. Rather than wallowing in heartbreak, the song flips the script by showcasing confidence and self-worth, with the artists making it clear that they won’t settle for less. The remix adds a fiery intensity, with Chy Cartier’s verse turning up the heat, proving that walking away is the ultimate flex. With its catchy hooks and unapologetic vibe, “Get It Till I’m Gone” serves as both a declaration of independence and a warning to anyone who fails to appreciate the ladies of FLO and Chy Cartier. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
Droogie Otis feat. Boldy James, “Everything Designer”
Madlib and Your Old Droog are dropping a tape this year, which was news to me until I came across this song. And when you think about it, their styles mesh well together. There’s nothing quite like witty bars over Madlib loops, and MCs like Droog and Boldy have raps like that for days. — ANGEL DIAZ
Jada Kingdom, “G.A.D.”
After spending last year sparring in instantly iconic clashes and ruling fetes with global hits like “What’s Up (Big Buddy),” Jamaican dancehall fusion artist Jada Kingdom is back with a terrific new single ahead of her forthcoming EP. Inspired by local slang that unfairly compares women to drugs, Jada flips the slight on its head, spitting, “Word on the street is girls are drugs/ Dem search fi di tightest buff/ Addicted to the squeeze and clutch/ Wan spend it all pon a serious f–k.” As addictive as she paints women to be, Jada is also primarily concerned with infusing a feminist streak in her reimagning of local slang. “Every gyal man a show me love/ Nah fall fi none, mi put mi feelings up/ Just a girl in a money man’s world/ Mi a have my way, but muss!” she proclaims over the electric guitar-infused Zimi Recrods production. — K.D.
Lil Durk feat. Jhené Aiko, “Can’t Hide It”
Lil Durk tied the knot with India Royale last year, and he opens up about marriage with his Deep Thoughts single. “Can’t Hide It” arrives amid the rapper’s murder-for-hire case as Durk remains behind bars while continuing to flood the streets with music. The raunchy yet romantic track invites Jhené Aiko, who purifies the air and floats above with her celestial vocals while Durk taps into his more melodic side. He even harmonizes alongside the R&B singer turning “Can’t Hide It” into a duet. Look for Smurk’s Deep Thoughts album to be released on Friday (March 28) via Alamo Records. — M.S.
Wolfacejoeyy, “Petty”
Wolfacejoeyy’s “Petty” is a playful yet toxic anthem about turning heartbreak into a competition. Instead of expressing vulnerability, he matches his ex’s energy by flexing his lifestyle, flaunting material success, and even mentioning her best friend. The song captures the ego-driven nature of modern relationships, where social media, status, and revenge take priority over honest emotions. With its smooth, melodic flow and catchy hooks, “Petty” masks frustration with a carefree attitude, making toxicity sound effortlessly cool. — C.C.
Shoreline Mafia, “Back in Bidness”
Shoreline could not have picked a better time to make a comeback as the West Coast is currently in somewhat of a resurgence, thanks largely to Kendrick Lamar and his friends over at TDE. This song and video remind me of when Capone-N-Noreaga came back after War Report with the Reunion album. Shoreline hasn’t dropped an album since 2020’s Mafia Bidness, but this is a perfect lead single to get folks ready for the return. — A.D.
Nija, “32nd Floor”
Three-time Grammy-nominated songwrite Nija is back with a new joint, finally giving us the follow-up to last year’s “Unruly.” When we in the hotel lobby, all of them people ‘round me/ Keep calm, but as soon as we go up, boy you know you got me/ Keep it on the 32nd Floor,” she croons over Eliasodt and Mike Hector’s joint production. The privacy of the penthouse suite is a tired-and-true setting for music’s greatest love escapafes, and Nija doesn’t disappoint with her sultry, guitar-inflected take on the concept ahead of her forthcoming new project, her first since 2022’s Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You. — K.D.
TheARTI$T, “Ghost”
TheARTI$t’s “Ghost” captures the raw, haunting aftermath of a love that burns out too soon. With vivid imagery of California sunsets and moonlit drives, the song turns heartbreak into a ghostly presence that lingers long after the love is gone. The ARTI$t’s confusion and longing are palpable as they reflect on what went wrong, leaving them to navigate an emotional void. “Ghost” perfectly blends nostalgia with the painful reality of being left with nothing but memories. — C.C.
Reign, “Lowjacc”
Brooklyn rapper Reign delivers a formidable, fiery tape with It’s Up Forever — and “Lowjacc” is a standout on a project filled with them. Across Dizzy Banko’s high-octane production, Reign spits an impressive stream-of-consciousness verse that finds him balancing talking a big game with dropping incomparable nuggets of wisdom. “What you think we trap for? Push a f–king RAV4/ Run this town you gotta build a f–king rapport/ Live on a prayer and call up a f–king task force/ You know the vibes, what the f–k you gotta ask for?” he spits. — K.D.
Metro Boomin, Machine Gun Kelly and others will help bring the party to WWE‘s WrestleMania weekend with WrestleMania After Dark, a brand-new late-night event series set to take over LIV and LIV Beach at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. In partnership with entertainment group Medium Rare, WWE announced on Tuesday (March 25) that it’d be bringing its […]
