genre hiphop

13 Feb 2025

Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson & Joseph Patel Discuss ‘Sly Lives!’ | Billboard in Conversation

Billboard‘s Deputy Editorial Director Damien Scott spoke with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (executive producer and director) and Joseph Patel (producer) of Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) about the film’s creation and the enduring impact of Sly Stone’s legacy, both historically and in today’s culture. Check out the documentary, available now Hulu.

Damien Scott: 
What’s up, everyone. I’m Damien Scott. I’m the deputy editorial director at Billboard, and today we have two very special guests. I’m joined by the Academy Award winning duo Amir “Questlove” Thompson and Joseph Patel, the director and producer of these groundbreaking work Sly Lives! I’ll say the whole title, just so everyone knows when you see it: Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius). Thank you …

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson:
Thank you for having us. 

Damien Scott: 
… for coming through to Billboard today. Most people know Sly Stone as an innovator. He’s the guy who essentially blended all of the popular genres together to create this newfound gumbo that became … what became basically American pop music, in a way. Why did you choose to focus on Sly right now? 

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson:
I believe that we chose Sly or Sly chose us. Sly is in a very unique position in the American music pantheon, and Sly is essentially the first Black megastar, kind of in an era, and I’ll say this lightly with air quotes, where there was supposed to be no limits. Sly’s success is a little bit different than Ray Charles or Chuck Berry or James Brown, anyone that was entertaining during either the Reconstruction period or the Civil Rights period. So Sly is basically kind of the embodiment of what Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was about, like this utopian multiracial mix of Black and whites, men and women together.

Keep watching for more!

13 Feb 2025

Kim Kardashian Appears to Comment on Ex-Husband Kanye West’s Changes During Marriage: ‘You Can’t Live With the New Person’

Since filing for divorce from ex-husband Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) in 2021, Kim Kardashian has mostly kept quiet about the couple’s relationship, how they are co-parenting their four children and whatever feelings she might have about West’s repeated public meltdowns in which he spouts hate-filled antisemitic invective for days on end.

But in Thursday’s (Feb. 13) episode of The Kardashians, Kim opened up a bit about what may have caused the dissolution of the couple’s marriage while bonding with sister Khloé about her own marital issues. After having an emotional reunion with her ex-husband, retired NBA player Lamar Odom, after nine years apart, Khloé said she got married “too quickly” to Odom.

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Though their marriage lasted only five tumultuous years, Khloé said she “wouldn’t change a thing” about marrying the man she called the “love of my life,” lamenting that if it weren’t for Odom’s well-publicized struggles with substance use they might still be together. “I know I picked the right person at that time,” she told Kim and their mother, Kris Jenner, in the episode.

Kim seemed to relate to the sentiment, seemingly referencing her struggles with West, saying, “That’s the hardest part. I’ve been there. When you don’t foresee something happening that really changes a person’s personality and then they’re not the same person and you can’t ever get that person back, but you can’t live with the new person. I get it.”

Kim had more to say in a confessional segment, adding, “It’s tougher when you don’t want your marriage to end off of personal reasons but circumstances change that force your marriage to end. When you weren’t planning on that and that’s not really the outcome you want but there’s no other option, I think it makes it harder to get over.”

While the SKIMS founder never specifically named West in the episode of the Hulu series, it appeared as if she was referencing their relationship, which ended with Kardashian stating in a petition to be considered legally single in early 2022 that Ye was “creating emotional distress” by sharing “misinformation” about their private family matters.

While the reality star was open to talking about what she said at the time was West’s struggle with bipolar disorder during their relationship, the rapper recently claimed that his now-wife, Bianca Censori, has told him that he was mis-diagnosed and is likely on the autism spectrum.

Kardashian’s comments on the show — which is taped months before the episodes air — came just a few days after West deleted his X account following a four-day spree of virulently antisemitic posts in which he declared once again “I’m a Nazi” and “I love Hitler,” before briefly offering a shirt emblazoned with a Nazi swastika for sale on his Yeezy site.

The offensive posts have once again caused serious professional fall-out for West, who has been criticized for spreading hate speech by the ADL and fellow artists, as well as being dropped by his booking agent and hit with a lawsuit by a Jewish staffer who alleged that he compared himself to Hitler and threatened her because she is Jewish.

13 Feb 2025

Here’s How 2 Chainz Feels About Kendrick Lamar Name-Dropping Him on ‘Not Like Us’

2 Chainz was one of the Atlanta artists Kendrick Lamar named in the third verse of “Not Like Us” who had worked with Drake in the past before proceeding to call him “not a colleague” but a “colonizer.” And now, the “Watch Out” rapper is sharing his thoughts on the mention.

Chainz stopped by The Breakfast Club on Wednesday (Feb. 12) with Larry June and The Alchemist in support of their Life Is Beautiful album, and Charlamagne Tha God asked the rapper formerly known as Tity Boi about Lamar name-dropping him on the Drake diss that arrived last May.

“I just think it was kind of like some wordplay, ’cause Drake and I got a song called ‘No Lie,’” said the rapper, who has teamed up with Drizzy in the past for other tracks, including “All Me,” “Big Amount,” “F–kin’ Problems” and more. “And so when he said he lied, it just felt like, I don’t know, but I didn’t take it as no kind of way. I don’t think he was taking a shot at me.”

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He continued: “I’ve heard all type of instances where somebody want me to say something back. I just think it was a moment where it was about Atlanta artists.”

On the Grammy-winning track, which went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 and break the record for most weeks atop the Hot Rap Songs chart, Lamar rhymes: “2 Chainz say you good, but he lied/ You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars/ No, you not a colleague, you a f—in’ colonizer.”

June, meanwhile, said he hasn’t heard “Not Like Us” in its entirety. “I never heard that full song,” he said. “I f–k with everybody. I just didn’t particularly hear that song fully. I heard a lot of it on Instagram and stuff like that. But I was doing the album with him at the time, so I wasn’t really listening to too much s–t like that.”

The Alchemist, who produced “Meet the Grahams,” expanded on how the diabolical Drake diss came to be, noting it was actually built around a gospel sample. “Yeah, that’s a gospel record. Yeah, the sample was,” he said. “I wanna be Switzerland really. Leave me out of it, but they end up making me the battleground … I had sent the record to Dot months before that happened and I heard it when everyone else heard it.”

Watch 2 Chainz, Larry June and The Alchemist talk about “Not Like Us” on The Breakfast Club below:

13 Feb 2025

Fetty Wap’s ‘Again’ Is No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 Chart Via JBL Speakers Trend

Fetty Wap is back at No. 1 on a Billboard chart as “Again” jumps 8-1 to rule the TikTok Billboard Top 50 tally dated Feb. 15.

The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity accumulated Feb. 3-9. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Again” reigns a week after its debut, coinciding with its return to the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 41; the track had previously debuted at No. 33 on the Aug. 29, 2015-dated chart, a rank that currently stands as its peak.

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Its rise is thanks to a TikTok trend; more of a meme of sorts, the song is used in a variety of clips whose audio is altered as though one is listening to “Again” through JBL speakers 10 years ago.

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“Again” earned 12.2 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Feb. 6, good for a 154% gain and a re-entry on the Streaming Songs chart at No. 30. Catalog-wide gains for Fetty Wap also drives his self-titled 2015 album to No. 33 on the Billboard 200 with 19,000 equivalent album units, the set’s best rank since May 2016.

The entire top four of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 reaches a new peak on the Feb. 15 tally, some hitting the top five for the first time as a result. Leading the trio that follows “Again”: Aphex Twin’s “QKThr,” which jumps 9-2. Having previously enjoyed a best of No. 4 (Oct. 26, 2024), “QKThr” enjoyed a boost on TikTok in late 2024 via the “subtle foreshadowing” trend and is more recently utilized in clips describing some type of “core” alongside other viral usages.

Doechii’s “Denial Is a River” vaults into the top three, jumping 15-3 for its first time in the top 10. Though the song had found success on TikTok before the 2025 Grammy Awards (it debuted at No. 50 on the Jan. 11 ranking), it’s exploded in the days following the Feb. 2 ceremony, with one of the top-performing clips an upload from her performance at the show itself, plus a bevy of lip synchs, dances and more.

“Denial Is a River,” spurred by its TikTok success plus the buzz from its Grammy performance, leaps 55-27 on the Hot 100, sporting 13.8 million streams (up 66%), 7.8 million radio audience impressions (up 32%) and 2,000 downloads (up 346%).

Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove,” which reached a new peak of No. 6 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 dated Feb. 8, does two better on the Feb. 15 survey, rising 6-4 via a variety of dance videos, some following a specific trend and others highlighting their own moves to the song, which reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1981.

The week’s top debut on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 belongs to Lady Gaga, whose “Abracadabra” bows at No. 9. It’s Gaga’s second top 10 in two appearances, following the No. 3 peak of “Die With a Smile,” her duet with Bruno Mars, last September.

“Abracadabra” debuts after its Feb. 2 premiere, with Gaga herself sporting many of the top-performing uploads, from behind-the-scenes clips from its music video to a post showing off her Grammys trophy (she won for best pop duo/group performance for “Die With a Smile”). Other clips show users trying to re-create the video’s choreography or making up their own dance moves.

“Abracadabra” concurrently starts at No. 29 on the Hot 100 via 13.7 million streams, 1.4 million audience impressions and 1,000 downloads.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

13 Feb 2025

Drake & PartyNextDoor Reveal ‘$ome $exy $ongs 4 U’ Tracklist

Drake and PartyNextDoor are here to spice up your Valentine’s Day. The OVO pairing shared the tracklist to their anticipated $ome $exy $ongs 4 U joint project on Thursday (Feb. 13), just a day before it hits streaming services.

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The effort is either free of features, or the Toronto duo’s keeping them a secret until fans press play. $$$4U boasts 21 tracks in total across 74 minutes of run time.

Drake’s Plottwist burner Instagram account has posted several photos of Lil Wayne and T-Pain together, but it’s unclear if the “Got Money” collaborators will be appearing on the project, or if Drake is comparing himself and Party to the pair.

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Earlier this week, Drake raised hype around the joint album by bringing PartyNextDoor out to perform as a special guest with him in Melbourne on his Anita Max Wynn Tour.

They’ve proven to be a potent force together in the past on tracks such as “Come and See Me,” “Recognize,” “Members Only,” “Loyal,” “Preach, “Since Way Back” and more.

Drake also revealed the snowy cover art for $$$4U, which features the duo bundled up in furry coats in front of the Marilyn Monroe Towers in Canada.

“I got an album coming out on Feb. 14 with my brother PartyNextDoor. It’s called $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, but it’s some turned-up songs for you on there, too, and there’s some personal feelings on there for you,” Drake told the crowd during a recent show. “Hopefully, whoever you’re with on Valentine’s Day, hopefully y’all can share that experience together.”

Find the tracklist and cover art below. Look for the album to hit streaming services on Friday (Feb. 14).

12 Feb 2025

After Deepfake Video of Celebs Condemning Ye’s Hate Speech, Scarlett Johansson Fights ‘The Misuse of AI’

Israeli grassroots Zionist organization Im Tirtzu posted a controversial deepfake video on Tuesday that depicted a stream of AI-generated Jewish artists including Drake, Lenny Kravitz, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Simon & Garfunkel, Jack Black, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Adam Sandler and more wearing T-shirts featuring a hand with a Jewish star in it throwing up the middle finger with the word “Kanye” underneath.

The short video featuring the message “enough is enough” and “Join the fight Against Antisemitism” appeared to be a reaction to the disgraced rapper Ye’s recent four-day spree of offensive posts on X in which he repeatedly used antisemitic, homophobic, sexist and ableist slurs while once again declaring “I’m a Nazi” and “I love Hitler.”

The T-shirt also seemed like a rejoinder to an antisemitic shirt Ye sold on his website — promoted in a bizarre ad that aired in a few markets during Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX — that featured a Nazi swastika and the code “HH-01,” code for “Heil Hitler.” The Yeezy website was taken down by Shopify on Tuesday following backlash about the shirt that the company said violated its terms.

The deepfake video, cued to an instrumental, electronic version of the traditional celebratory Jewish folk song “Hava Nagila,” also features doctored images of Scarlett Johansson, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Mark Zuckerberg, Sacha Baron Cohen, Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and others modeling the shirt. Johansson was the first A-lister to respond to the unapproved response video, urging U.S. legislators to put limits on AI, denouncing the project to People in a statement over the “misuse of A.I., no matter what its messaging.”

She added, “It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends, that an A.I.-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an antisemitic view, has been circulating online and gaining traction. I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by A.I. is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of A.I., no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”

Johansson — who threatened legal action in November 2023 when a company used her A.I. likeness in an ad without permission and was again disturbed when a voice that sounded like hers was used as the official voice of OpenA.I.’s ChatGPT — did not name West in her statement, which concluded, “I urge the U.S. government to make the passing of legislation limiting A.I. use a top priority; it is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large.”

Before the AI video surfaced, the Anti-Defamation League lambasted Ye’s swastika shirt, noting that it was further proof of the rapper’s antisemitism and that “the swastika is the symbol adopted by Hitler as the primary emblem of the Nazis. It galvanized his followers in the 20th century and continues to threaten and instill fear in those targeted by antisemitism and white supremacy… There’s no excuse for this kind of behavior. Even worse, Kanye advertised his website during the Super Bowl, amplifying it beyond his already massive social media audience.”

Before Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) seemingly deleted his X account on Monday, former Friends star David Schwimmer implored X owner Elon Musk to ban the hate-spewing rapper from the platform. In addition, Charlie Puth begged Ye to stop promoting “incredibly dangerous” messages and singer/DJ Matthew Koma offered his own pointed response to Ye’s promotion of hateful ideology on Tuesday, posting an image of a “F–k Ye” shirt he’s selling. “Hey I can make a shirt too – link in bio , all proceeds to the blue card holocaust survivor charity,” Koma wrote.

In addition, the Israeli-American Council (AIC) announced a “Hate Is Out of Fashion” campaign on Wednesday (Feb. 12) featuring a Star of David T-shirt to “foster Jewish pride, strength and unity.” The group said the shirt was a response to West’s swastika merch. “Whenever and wherever antisemitism rears its ugly head, it poses a threat not only to Jews but to our entire society and its most basic values,” said IAC CEO Elan Carr. “We American Jews and Israeli-Americans stand on the front lines against the world’s oldest hatred. In response to Kanye West’s despicable attempt to capitalize on his hatred, our creative campaign mirrors his twisted fashion but instead promotes a positive message of pride, philosemitism, and American values.”

12 Feb 2025

Westside Gunn Drops ‘Outlander’ Video, Plans Valentine’s Day Project: Watch

Go tell them people that Westside Gunn is outside dumpin’ again.

The Buffalo rapper and Griselda label boss just dropped off the lead single to his upcoming project 12 due out Valentine’s Day and it goes very hard. Produced by Griselda affiliate Rick Hyde’s teenage son Myles and directed by Daily Gems, “Outlander” finds Gunn at his most boastful and flashy. “Ayo, the illest since Master P/Rich off drug dealin’, actually/These n—as tryna act like the illest, sh—t, blasphemy/You want a kilogram with no steps? N—a, askin’ me/These n—as won’t get out of line, it be a tragedy,” he raps as he maraudes his way through New York City rocking one of the craziest Louis Vuitton leathers you will ever see.

He then teases a track featuring Estee Nack, a Dominican rapper hailing from Lynn, Massachusetts who leaves us with the memorable line: “The dope was gray and it smelled like vinegar.”

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Last year, Westside warned fans that he planned on being more active on the music side of things by releasing projects whenever he saw fit instead of being beholden to a release schedule. He dropped a five-track EP in 11 on Halloween and Still Praying hosted by DJ Drama the next day on Nov. 1, respectively. Gunn still plans on putting out Flygod Is an Awesome God III (Trilogy) and his long-awaited collab tape Michelle Records alongside Syracuse, N.Y.’s Stove God Cooks. “Yeah, because people trying to rewrite history and forget who Griselda is,” he told Billboard during an interview last November. “Griselda n—as fathers in the first place… it’s back to Griselda time starting now.”

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You can presave 12 here.

Check out the “Outlander” video below.

12 Feb 2025

Diddy Files $100M Defamation Lawsuit Against NBCUniversal Over ‘Making of a Bad Boy’ Doc

Sean “Diddy” Combs filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (Feb. 12) against NBCUniversal, claiming the company defamed him with the Peacock documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.

According to documents filed in New York state court, Combs’ lawsuit claims the documentary — which debuted on Peacock in January — knowingly defamed him by making false murder and sex trafficking allegations, among other claims, which his attorneys say there is no credible evidence to support.

“The entire premise of the Documentary assumes that Mr. Combs has committed numerous heinous crimes, including serial murder, rape of minors, and sex trafficking of minors, and attempts to crudely psychologize him,” the lawsuit reads. “It maliciously and baselessly jumps to the conclusion that Mr. Combs is a ‘monster’ and ‘an embodiment of Lucifer’ with ‘a lot of similarities’ to Jeffrey Epstein.”

According to the lawsuit, the documentary “maliciously” claims that Diddy played a role in the deaths of his ex-wife Kim Porter, Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace and Dwight “Heavy D” Myers.

The documentary “shamelessly advances conspiracy theories that lack any foundation in reality,” the suit adds, “repeatedly insinuating that Mr. Combs is a serial killer because it cannot be a ‘coincidence’ that multiple people in Mr. Combs’s orbit have died.”

Combs is seeking $100 million in damages from the multimedia giant.

 “As described in today’s lawsuit, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Peacock TV, LLC, and Ample LLC made a conscious decision to line their own pockets at the expense of truth, decency, and basic standards of professional journalism,” Diddy’s attorney, Erica Wolff, said in a statement. “Grossly exploiting the trust of their audience and racing to outdo their competition for the most salacious Diddy exposé, Defendants maliciously and recklessly broadcast outrageous lies in Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.”

Wolff continued: “In the purported documentary, Defendants accuse Mr. Combs of horrible crimes, including serial murder and sexual assault of minors — knowing that there is no evidence to support them.  In making and broadcasting these falsehoods, among others, Defendants seek only to capitalize on the public’s appetite for scandal without any regard for the truth and at the expense of Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial. Mr. Combs brings this lawsuit to hold Defendants accountable for the extraordinary damage their reckless statements have caused.”

Billboard has reached out to NBCUniversal for comment.

Combs has remained behind bars since his arrest in September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He’s accused of being the face of a multi-faceted criminal enterprise with the goal of satisfying his sexual fantasies, including by hosting so-called “freak-off” parties. The disgraced hip-hop mogul has repeatedly been denied bail and will stay in the custody of Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center until his trial begins on May 5. He faces life in prison if convicted on all charges. In addition to his criminal case, Combs has been hit with dozens of lawsuits alleging sexual assault and other crimes.

12 Feb 2025

AJ Tracey & Jorja Smith Drop R&G Banger ‘Crush’: Watch the Music Video

AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith have linked up once again for an absolute banger.

The pair started promoting the Rhythm & Grime song earlier this week with a clip on social media, with Jorja rapping her verse in a driveway with a beautiful money-green BMW E30 and AJ Tracey dipped in a pink Palace and Corteiz ‘fit like the British-Trini version of Cam’ron. She also handles chorus duties, on which she displays that voice we all know and love.

“Like I spent time tryna build/ And you just wanna make me fall, what?/ I like that, when you say you’re gonna hold me down/ Fight back, if you don’t surf, I’ll drown,” Smith raps, while AJ starts his verse off with a couple of slick bars, rapping, “Like my girls how I like my coffee, sweet/ Or like my Hennessy, neat.”

The song samples the classic 2006 grime track “Used to Be” featuring Scorcher, Mercston and Ghetts from Wretch 32’s debut mixtape Learn From My Mixtape, which flipped Brandy‘s “Love Wouldn’t Count Me Out” from her 2002 album Full Moon.

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The video is directed by LateMilk and the track is produced by Raheem Balogun, AJ Platinum and Nathaniel London.

AJ Tracey hasn’t dropped a project since 2021’s Flu Game, so hopefully this means he’s gearing up for his third LP. He told Capital XTRA Breakfast with Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie in 2024 that he was planning an album inspired by his “British experience. “The theme is just being British – my British experience – what it means to be British,” he said. “Me growing up, I listened to funk, so this rhythm is like a little funky reference; grime obviously, dancehall, like, whatever my influences are as a black British person, is going to be what the album sounds like.”

Check out “Crush” below.

12 Feb 2025

Ty Dolla $ign Releases Statement Condemning Hate Speech, Without Naming Ye

Ty Dolla $ign has released a statement condemning all forms of hate speech. The California artist took to his Instagram Story on Tuesday preaching a message of unity and love.

“I do not condone ANY form of hate speech against ANYONE,” he wrote alongside different skin tones of emojis.

Dolla $ign didn’t name-drop Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — specifically, but it’s possible he felt compelled to speak up following West’s repeated antisemitic remarks and hate-filled tirades on X in recent days.

West and Ty teamed up for a pair of collaborative projects with Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 in 2024. The former topped the Billboard 200 and produced the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Carnival,” featuring Playboi Carti and Rich the Kid.

There appeared to be more music on the way from Ye and Dolla $ign as well in 2025, as Tyga previewed an unreleased song alongside the Vultures duo earlier this month. Before Vultures, West and Ty have collaborated in the past on tracks such as The Life of Pablo‘s “Fade.”

Ye deactivated his X account on Monday. Prior to that, West spent the weekend going on several X tirades filled with antisemitic, misogynistic and homophobic remarks, which also saw him calling for the freedom of Diddy and praising Hitler.

The Chicago native’s Yeezy website was shut down by Shopify after selling a swastika T-shirt. West’s remarks were rebuked by the Anti-Defamation League, Friends star David Schwimmer, Charlie Puth and Lyor Cohen.

“With antisemitism on the rise, your voice and influence carry a significant responsibility,” Cohen wrote in a letter to Ye. “I urge you to be more sensitive to the pain your words inflict on Jewish communities and all those who stand against hate.”