genre hiphop
Page: 4
More than six years on from their last studio record, pioneering Australian hip-hop outfit the Hilltop Hoods have announced their new album, Fall From the Light.
Set for release on Aug. 1 via Island Records/UMA, Fall From the Light is the Hilltop Hoods’ ninth album, and their first since the release of 2019’s The Great Expanse.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
They’ve not been resting on their laurels since the release of their last record, however. In 2020, they released one of the first pandemic-influenced songs by way of “I’m Good?” and would later drop singles such as “Show Business” and “A Whole Day’s Night” in 2022.
More recently, 2025 has brought with it the likes of “The Gift” and “Don’t Happy, Be Worry,” which will appear on Fall From the Light alongside 2023’s “Laced Up.”
Trending on Billboard
“This album has been an exercise in patience,” explained Suffa (aka Matt Lambert). “Six years is a long time between albums, but there’s a good reason for that. There was a lot happening, in the world and in our lives. But it turns out (from my perspective anyway), that time was the album’s strength, not its weakness.
“We’ve never been so thorough, so pedantic with an album before. The result is something that’s been carefully crafted with an extreme attention to detail. It’s an album that we’re really proud of, and a body of music that we can’t wait to share with everyone.”
“We really took our time with this one,” adds Pressure (aka Daniel Smith). “We put more years into it than any other of our albums because we wanted it to be our best work to date. Putting it out after so long feels more monumental and exciting than ever.”
Hilltop Hoods were formed in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in 1994 by Suffa, Pressure, and DJ Debris (aka Barry Francis), and became one of the first Australian hip-hop acts to receive mainstream success with the release of third album The Calling in 2003.
In 2006, they became the first hip-hop group to reach No. 1 on the ARIA charts thanks to The Hard Road – a feat they have achieved with every subsequent album. That year also saw them become the first Australian group in the genre to be nominated for an ARIA Award, with the trio having since won a total of ten awards from 36 nominations to date.
In 2019, the release of The Great Expanse saw the Hilltop Hoods break the record of most chart-topping albums for an Australian band or group, and would later reach one million record sales in their native country that same year.
The group will celebrate the release of their forthcoming album with their Never Coming Home Tour, which sees the band performing across Europe and the U.K. in the summer. They first toured the U.S. in 2014, later returning in 2019, but have not announced any further North American shows as yet.
Jessie Murph had the ultimate girls night and turned the party up even more inviting Sexyy Red into the fold for the “Blue Strips (Remix).” The hedonistic visual arrived on Tuesday (May 27) as Big Sexyy, Jessie and their girl gang hit the town to indulge on everything the nightlife has to offer. The emerging […]
50 Cent isn’t letting up on his self-appointed coverage of the Diddy trial, and he continues to have fun with AI to help with his trolling. This time around, the Queens rapper and filmmaker reacted on social media to his name being mentioned during Diddy’s ex-assistant Capricorn Clark’s testimony on Tuesday morning (May 27), during […]
Kendrick Lamar writes another winning chapter to his GNX era as the album becomes only the third project with four No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart. The set finds its fourth leader on the chart dated May 31, as “Peekaboo,” featuring AzChike, jumps from No. 4. With the quartet, GNX ties Doja Cat’s Planet Her and SZA’s SOS (inclusive of its standard and deluxe LANA editions) for the most champs in the chart’s 32-year history.
“Peekaboo,” released and promoted through pgLang/Interscope/ICLG, ascends as the most-played song on U.S. panel-contributing rhythmic radio stations in the tracking week of May 16-22, according to Luminate, improving 19% in plays at the format compared with the prior week. Thanks to the surge, “Peekaboo” wins the Greatest Gainer award, given each week to the song with the largest increase in play count.
Trending on Billboard
The new champ takes over from Drake’s “Nokia,” which ruled the ranking for the last two frames. The Lamar-Drake exchange wraps a photo finish between the two rivals, whose feud ignited into one of the defining pop-culture storylines of 2024. “Nokia” slides to No. 2 with an 8% decrease in plays during the tracking week.
[embedded content]
With “Peekaboo,” Lamar achieves his 11th No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay, six of which have arrived in the last year. Here’s a review of his radio-ruling collection:
“Humble.,” three weeks at No. 1, beginning June 6, 2017“Loyalty.,” feat. Rihanna; one, Sept. 30, 2017“Love.,” feat. Zacari; one, Dec. 30, 2017“Pray for Me,” with The Weeknd; two, April 18, 2018“Like That,” with Future and Metro Boomin; four, May 18, 2024“Not Like Us,” 12, June 15, 2024“Squabble Up,” two, Jan. 18, 2025“TV Off,” feat. Lefty Gunplay; four, Feb. 8, 2025“Luther,” with SZA, one, March 1, 2025“30 for 30,” with SZA, two, March 8, 2025“Peekaboo,” feat. AzChike, one (to date), May 31, 2025
Featured artist AzChike, meanwhile, captures his first Rhythmic Airplay No. 1 with “Peekaboo,” likewise his first entry on the list.
As mentioned, “Peekaboo” joins “Squabble Up,” “TV Off” and “Luther” for a record-tying four Rhythmic Airplay No. 1s from Lamar’s GNX album. The set matches the counts of:
Doja Cat’s Planet Her – “Kiss Me More” (feat. SZA), “You Right” (with The Weeknd), “Need to Know” and “Woman” in 2021-22
SZA’s SOS – “Kill Bill,” “Snooze,” “Saturn” and “30 for 30” (with Lamar) in 2023-25. The former pair are from the standard SOS, with the latter added through its deluxe LANA edition.
SZA recreated Kim Kardashian‘s internet-breaking Paper Magazine cover to celebrate her AMAs victory last night. On Monday (May 26), the R&B singer won favorite female R&B artist and favorite R&B song at the 2025 American Music Awards. To celebrate her victories, the SOS star hopped on Instagram and gave her own rendition of Kardashian’s viral […]
Nicki Minaj has shown serious love to Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish in a new interview with Vogue Italia.
On Tuesday (May 27), the publication published a lengthy sit down with the Barbz leader, and asked her to share some thoughts on the overnight fame that comes from social media now.
“A superstar is a superstar,” Minaj said. “And if you are one, you’ll find a way to shine — with or without social media. Like any tool, it can be used well or not. What I feel, sometimes, is that today’s artists don’t realize how important the record label is. They don’t realize how much happens behind the scenes. It all looks easy.”
Trending on Billboard
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Minaj was then asked to share a few of her favorite new artists at the moment. “Sabrina Carpenter,” she said. “I didn’t know she’d been around that long when I started listening to her. A breath of fresh air. I like Billie Eilish. I love everything she does. Then there’s a dancehall artist… his name’s Skeng.”
While Minaj and the “Espresso” star have yet to link on a track, Eilish appeared uncredited on the former’s latest album Pink Friday 2. On the intro track, “Are You Gone Already,” a high-pitched Eilish opens up the album before Minaj starts rapping about the love she has for her children.
Minaj also recently asked Eilish a question in the latter’s star-studded appearance in British Vogue last month. “Was there ever a time in your career, or before you made it, when you wished people couldn’t see you and that they could only hear the music, and really get a chance to just listen to the written words?” Minaj asked.
“Nicki, this question made me tear up a little,” Eilish eplied. “Well … like you said at the beginning of that question, I’ve never really felt very beautiful or seen myself in that way, so I definitely never struggled with the idea that it would overshadow anything, since I didn’t even really see it myself. I’ve had to really convince myself that I am beautiful. Being a woman is hard.”
In the 1970s, “The Future Is Female” became a rallying cry built to encourage and challenge women, to portend that they were poised to surpass their male counterparts. Nearly five decades later, that prophecy rings truer than ever — especially inside the squared circle and in front of the mic.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The world of wrestling is birthing perennial WrestleMania main-eventers with names like Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Becky Lynch, Tiffany Stratton, Iyo Sky and Charlotte Flair headlining a stout women’s division in the WWE. The same could be said in the hip-hop world, where Billboard’s newly crowned Best Female Rapper of All Time, Nicki Minaj, still reigns supreme. While the Queen continues to lap adversaries with her decades-long dominance, her competition is fiercer than ever, as Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Latto, Doechii, GloRilla, Sexxy Redd continue to push towards pole position.
What makes this era of female wrestlers and rappers so compelling is the depth on both sides. In the 1990s and 2000s, WWE relied on sex appeal and titillating theatrics to captivate the audience. Lita and Trish Stratus dazzled with their skill and in-ring acrobatics, but the WWE leaned more into their desirability to satiate their audience’s cravings. During the McMahon era, Bra and Panties matches were considered the premium for the female division, due to the company’s dearth of talent. Even during The Divas era, when talent increased substantially with the arrival of The Bella Twins, Natalya, AJ Lee, Beth Phoenix, and others, the desire to see these women headline noteworthy premium live events like WrestleMania felt like a pipe dream.
Trending on Billboard
The trajectory was a bit different for female rap. In the late 1980s and 1990s, pioneers such as Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, and Queen Latifah made a significant impact on the rap scene with their sharp lyrics and unflinching demeanor. Although the men dominated the conversation, those marquee names went toe-to-toe with the males, twice as vigorous and swaggering. In the mid-to-late ’90s, Lil Kim and Foxy Brown grew in fame and supplanted those stars with sex-laden bars. Other artists attempted to replicate the blueprint, but their tawdry attempts didn’t pay any dividends; when Minaj detonated in the early 2010s, she had the female rap landscape in a bearhug, dominating radio and the Billboard Hot 100.
Fast forward to the 2020s, and the times have changed. WrestleMania 37 included not only a main event headlined by two female superstars but also two Black women: Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks. Liv Morgan became the first woman to win the inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Championship last year. At the same time, Tiffany Stratton was arguably the company’s top rookie, winning Money in the Bank in 2024 and, inevitably, her first Women’s Championship earlier this year. With WWE’s developmental system, NXT, serving as the training ground for budding talent, new stars are making their presence felt there before stepping onto the main roster. New stars are surging up the ranks, ranging from Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer to Jordynne Grace to newly-promoted acts Roxanne Perez and Guilia.
Though Minaj remains the top woman on the throne, the battle for supremacy is more brutal, as proven by Billboard’s Top 10 Hottest Female Rappers list last year, which saw GloRilla oust the Queens rapper from the top slot. Megan Thee Stallion rocketed to superstardom overnight when she nailed three Grammys at the 2021 ceremonies. Doechii’s genre-bending defiance has the music landscape salivating at her every move. And though Cardi has yet to drop her sophomore album, her 2018 debut, Invasion of Privacy, remains a landmark moment in the rap landscape.
In 2011, when Beyonce shouted out: “Who runs the world?,” the singer wasn’t merely predicting what was to come. She issued a spoiler, and a decade later, we’re watching it unfold as predicted right before our eyes.
At the turn of the century, it was Allen Iverson who served as the bridge between hip-hop and basketball while also boasting a massive amount of pop culture influence. Part of the influence came after he retired, when the Philadelphia 76ers icon inspired Post Malone’s breakout hit “White Iverson” in 2015. A decade later, Posty […]
Nicki Minaj‘s last album arrived with her Pink Friday 2 to close out 2023, and she’s laid low for much of 2025 so far on the music side. Gracing the cover of Vogue Italia on Tuesday (May 27), Minaj opened up about the creative process heading into her next LP.
While the Queens legend has a collection of songs she’s proud of, Minaj is in no rush to release her next body of work until the time is right and aligns with her life.
Trending on Billboard
“I’ve got a bunch of really strong tracks, but I don’t want to rush,” she explained. “I want the record to mean something, both for the fans and for me. I’ll never be one of those people who puts out songs just to put them out. I love music. I respect it.”
When that time does come, she plans on hitting the road once again. “To experience it all again, as soon as possible. For me, and for the Barbz,” she added. The Pink Friday 2 World Tour earned Minaj the honor of having the highest grossing rap tour for a woman.
Elsewhere in the interview, Minaj revealed that she actually initially hated how she looked in the viral “Did I Lie” video, which was born from a CRWN interview in 2018 surrounding the rollout of Queen with Elliott Wilson.
“I hate how I look in that video,” she said. “When people started using it I thought, ‘I’m blocking you all!’ Then I gave in — it’s actually pretty funny.”
Minaj hasn’t made many public appearances this year, but she did pop out at the 2025 Met Gala earlier in May, as the Young Money rapper stunned in a Thom Browne navy pinstripe mermaid dress. “It reminded me of putting on your Sunday’s best and being iconic in your own world,” she told Entertainment Tonight of her attire.
Pink Friday 2 arrived with much fanfare in December 2023. The project debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 228,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 14, according to Luminate. That figure is the largest week for a rap album by a woman in the 2020s.
See Nicki’s Vogue Italia cover below:
300 Entertainment co-founder Kevin Liles has denied sexual assault allegations made by rapper Lady Luck (born Shanell Jones). Liles released a statement on Tuesday (May 27) claiming the former Def Jam artist engaged in a $30 million extortion plot against him earlier this month. According to Liles, Jones and her legal team threatened to release […]