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Snoop Dogg was dropping jokes like they were hot at the NFL Honors Thursday (Feb. 6), but one of them in particular — lobbed at Bill Belichick and the coach’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson — packed extra heat. During the rapper’s opening monologue at the pre-Super Bowl award ceremony, which he hosted, Snoop got the crowd […]
In this episode of Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Trevor Anderson and Kyle Denis are joined by Vibe’s Regina Cho to recap hip-hop and R&B’s big night at the 2025 Grammys, review The Weeknd’s new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and more! Trevor Anderson: I mean, who wins five Grammys off of just one song? I mean that […]
From Section.80 to No. 1, Kendrick Lamar has stormed to levels of commercial success and critical admiration in the last two decades that place him as one of the preeminent rappers of his generation — and many observers suggest, already among the greatest of all time.
Born in Compton, Calif., Lamar earned regional buzz for a series of mixtapes in the 2000s, but slowly attracted larger attention beginning with his Overly Dedicated mixtape. The release became his first Billboard chart entry, reaching No. 72 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list in October 2010. Less than a year later, Lamar’s debut album, Section.80, allowed the rapper to break onto the Billboard 200 for the first time and peaked at No. 113 in June 2011.
The hitmaking run ignited with his next album, 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. The set, his initial LP through a major label, Aftermath/Interscope Records, opened and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and produced three top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – the No. 17 hit “Swimming Pools (Drank),” “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” (No. 32) and the Drake-assisted “Poetic Justice” (No. 26). Cementing its acclaim among Lamar’s industry peers, the set was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, including album of the year.
Since that breakthrough, every Lamar project has become an event. Each of good kid’s studio album successors – To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) DAMN. (2017), Mr. Morale & The Good Steppers (2022) and GNX (2024) – has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as have Lamar’s exploratory demo collection Untitled Unmastered (2016) and the multi-artist soundtrack that he curated for the film Black Panther (2018).
While singles success didn’t initially mirror the chart-topping results of his albums, Lamar steadily became a major player on the Hot 100. He earned his first No. 1 as a guest on Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” in 2015 before unlocking the penthouse on his own with “Humble.” two years later. He accumulated more top 10 hits with solo songs, including “DNA.” and “N95,” and collaborations with acts such as Maroon 5 (“Don’t Wanna Know”), The Weeknd (“Pray for Me”) and SZA (“All the Stars”).
Chart fortunes, however, surged to a new plane in 2024 following a feud with Drake that captured pop culture’s attention. Thanks to Lamar’s targeted verse on the “Like That” collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin, the song debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and sparked an array of diss tracks between the two rappers. Among them, Lamar earned a second Hot 100 No. 1 with “Not Like Us,” the most successful track of the entire saga.
With public momentum in his corner, Lamar released GNX in November 2024. The set’s “Squabble Up” arrived as the rapper’s third Hot 100 leader for the year – the most of any artist in 2024. In addition, GNX tracks occupied the entire top five in its debut week, making Lamar only the fourth act – after The Beatles, Drake and Taylor Swift – to monopolize the region.
Lamar’s victory lap extended into 2025, with five wins at the 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony, including record of the year and song of the year for “Not Like Us.” On Feb. 9, he’ll headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
As Lamar prepares for his turn on the world’s biggest stage, let’s recap the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper’s 20 biggest hit songs on the Hot 100, a review that encapsulates a range of his earliest, scrappy hits to world-conquering anthems.
Kendrick Lamar’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 from its Aug. 4, 1958, start through Feb. 8, 2025. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.
“Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”
Ye went on a hate-filled tweet spree on Friday morning (Feb. 7) in which he once again praised Nazis and Adolf Hitler, while insulting the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities with phrases such as “f–k ret-rds.”
West, whose once formidable music and fashion empire crumbled in 2022 after a string of hate-filled, antisemitic rants in which he stated “I like Hitler” and repeatedly embraced antisemitic stereotypes and hate speech, doubled-down on that rhetoric in the dozens of posts on Friday.
The all-cap tweets began early in the morning with a statement in which Ye claimed that he “turned down 3 photos this week with Make-A-Wish kids in wheelchairs,” followed by a further, full embrace of antisemitic language. “I love Hitler, how what b–ches,” Ye wrote, followed by “I’m a Nazi.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt responded to the posts on X with a statement that read: “Here we go again. Another egregious display of antisemitism, racism and misogyny from Ye on his X account this morning. Just a few years ago, ADL found that 30 antisemitic indents nationwide were tied to Kanye’s 2022 antisemitic rants. We condemn this dangerous behavior and need to call it what it is: a flagrant and unequivocal display of hate.”
He added, “We know this game all too well. Let’s call Ye’s hate-filled public rant for what it really is: a sad attempt for attention that uses Jews as a scapegoat. But unfortunately, it does get attention because Kanye has a far-reaching platform on which to spread his antisemitism and hate. Words matter. And as we’ve seen too many times before, hateful rhetoric can prompt real-world consequences.”
Ye’s spree also included the use of homophobic slurs (“f—ot a– n–gas”), ableist insults (“dumb a– ret-rds”) and the statement “all white people are racist.” A number of the tweets were marked “visibility limited” as they ran afoul of X’s rules against hateful conduct.
Among them were comments such as, “Jewish people actually hate white people and use Black people,” “you can get money with Jewish people but they always gonna steal” and “this is how I really feel, how I really felt and how I will always feel… f–k all of your f–k a– unfair business deals any Jewish person that does business with me needs to know I don’t like or trust any Jewish person and this is completely sober with no Hennesy [sic].”
West also referenced Twitter/X owner and White House advisor Elon Musk’s repeated use of a Nazi-like salute at an inauguration event for Donald Trump last month that was widely criticized (Musk responded to critics by saying they “need better dirty tricks”). “Elon stole my Nazi swag at the inauguration… yooo my guy get your own third rale,” Ye wrote, adding, “I can say Jew as much as I want. I can say Hitler as much as I want.”
Claiming he has no interest in “adjusting nothing I do or say for anybody,” West promised to “normalize talking about Hitler they [sic] way talking about killing ni–as has been normalized,” followed by “Hitler was sooooo fresh” and “call me Yaydolf Yitler.”
The string of hate speech was seemingly embraced by white supremacist Nick Fuentes who wrote “and we’re back” in response to one of Ye’s tweets; Ye posted a series of crying laughing emoji on that Fuentes comment. Fuentes, known for his antisemitic, misogynistic and white supremacist views, also reposted a few of Ye’s most incendiary tweets, including one that read: “all you pleeeeease come at me… that’s who we spot the k–ns… let these white people and Jewish people tell you what to do and say.”
Amidst Ye’s earlier embrace of Hitler and Nazi propaganda, experts spoke to Billboard about the dangers of someone with such a wide social media reach promoting antisemitic tropes at a time when hate crimes against Jews and Jewish institutions were at the highest point in recent memory.
“At a time when the community is dealing with this level of hatred to have one of the most well-known entertainers in our culture making statements like ‘I like Hitler’ and showing up on [Jones’] InfoWars is not just vile and offensive, but it’s also endangering Jews by giving people permission to express that kind of prejudice,” Greenblatt said at the time. “People in the mainstream did not make such overtly awful, inflammatory comments before like this.”
Ye also tweeted support for Diddy, who is currently behind bars as he awaits trial for sex trafficking charges. “Puff we love you,” he posted. “I stood up for Puff and I’m still winning 20 Grammies [sic] next year and doing the Super Bowl.”
In a podcast interview earlier this week, Ye claimed that he’d recently been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) after his wife said she thought his previous diagnosis of bipolar disorder was incorrect.
Over the past year, West had slowly begun to try and rebuild his music and fashion empire following its rapid meltdown after his 2022-2023 spree of antisemitic hate speech in interviews, which included a tweet announcing he was going “death con [sic] 3 on Jewish people,” repeated praise for Holocaust mastermind Adolf Hitler and the promotion of the white supremacist phrase “White Lives Matter” on shirts at Paris Fashion Week.
In the wake of those incidents, Ye was dropped by the Gap, Adidas, Balenciaga and his agents at CAA and his social media accounts were suspended or revoked in a fallout so wide-ranging that the former — and according to him, again — billionaire said in February of last year that he nearly went bankrupt.
At press time, the string of antisemitic statements continued unabated with Ye writing, “I don’t even know what the f–k anti semetic [sic] means… its just some bulls–t Jewish people made up to protect their bulls–t,” as well as a claim that he “channeled” misogynist influence Andrew Tate in his comments. Tate was released from five months of house arrest in Romania in January related to allegations of human trafficking and sex with a minor; Tate has denied the allegations.
Thanks in part to LL Cool J‘s “Mama Said Knock You Out,” Pfizer’s new Super Bowl commercial will leave viewers feeling hyped about the medical company’s ongoing cancer research — but because of the inspiring message at its center, it’ll also likely leave you in tears.
Posted to YouTube Friday (Feb. 7), the minute-long commercial opens with a young cancer patient lying in a hospital bed and watching a boxing match introduced by Michael Buffer’s iconic line, “Let’s get ready to rumble!”
The little boy then stands up, suddenly dressed in boxing shorts and gloves, and lands a knockout punch on a celebratory bell on the wall, signifying the end of treatment. After that, he struts through the hospital hallways to the triumphant beat of LL’s iconic 1991 hit as doctors and nurses applaud.
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The celebration continues on the streets, where crowds of people gather to cheer on the young champion on every step to his final destination: home, where his mom tearfully wraps him in a big hug.
“Hey cancer,” reads onscreen text at one point. “We’re gonna knock you out.”
After showing photos of the little boy’s difficult treatment journey, the ad then displays a call to action with more bits of text. “Pfizer is fighting for eight cancer breakthroughs by 2030,” it reads. “Join the fight at PfizerForAll.com.”
The spot is set to air during the Super Bowl broadcast during a commercial break as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday (Feb. 9). Of having his song — which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 — featured in such an inspiring ad, the “Loungin” rapper told People, “It feels good to have my song used for such an important cause.”
“Strength and resilience are at the heart of hip-hop, and they’re just as crucial in the fight against cancer,” continued LL, whose wife, Simone Smith, has battled bone cancer. “My family knows firsthand — staying on top of your health and getting screened early can save lives.”
Watch Pfizer’s “Knock Out” Super Bowl ad above.
Leading up to his performance in front of tens of millions this weekend, Kendrick Lamar took a relaxing drive — in his GNX, of course — with Timothée Chalamet for an introspective one-on-one conversation about making art.
In a video posted by the NFL and Apple Music Friday (Feb. 7), the rapper — who makes sure everyone’s seatbelts are on — gives the actor a ride in his signature car as the two bond over the similarities in their respective crafts, with both sharing how they push through mental blocks in the creative process. For Lamar, he says it’s all about continuing to write no matter what to keep the muscle strong — not that he has much of a choice, as the Compton musician says penning lyrics is vital “for my own sanity.”
“That’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions about me as an artist,” he told the A Complete Unknown star. “I’m always locked in, and I’m always trying new things — whether or not I like them is a whole ‘nother conversation. But I have to keep the pen warm.”
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“It’s for my own sanity,” Dot continued. “[Writing] has also given me the opportunity to learn [about] myself, you know, find out who I am. When you’re writing, man, you’ve got to sit and go through the emotions and be vulnerable about it.”
Lamar’s pen has also gotten him to the mountaintop in 2025, with the hip-hop titan — who just days prior won both song and record of the year at the Grammys for Billboard Hot 100-topper “Not Like Us” — will take the stage Sunday (Feb. 9) in between halves at the ultimate Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game in New Orleans. His conversation with Chalamet comes in celebration of the upcoming performance — not that he gave the Wonka actor any hints about song picks or special guests.
“I’ve been given no early access,” Chalamet said in a clip with Lamar when the interview was first announced Thursday (Feb. 6). “Top-shelf secrets.”
Toward the end of their drive, the Oscar nominee commended the musician on his success. “Just being a fan of your music forever and knowing like, look where you’re at now,” Chalamet gushed. “It’s just crazy, Super Bowl Halftime Show — you just keep climbing, bro. It’s amazing.”
“I appreciate it,” Lamar replied before revealing a fact about a song on his chart-topping November album GNX. “I mean that s–t, bro — ‘Man of the Garden,’ I mean every word on that motherf–ker, man. That’s probably the easiest record to write.”
Watch Lamar’s interview with Chalamet below.
Legendary hip-hop outfit the Wu-Tang Clan are teaming up with producer and group DJ Mathematics to release their first new record in eight years.
Set for release on Record Store Day, on April 12, the album’s full title is Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman: Wu-Tang, The Saga Continues Collection, and brings to mind their last joint effort, 2017’s The Saga Continues.
A somewhat controversial entry in the band’s discography, the release was issued without the word ‘Clan’ in the group’s name, and described as a ‘compilation’ album due to the absence of U-God. “It can’t be a complete Wu-Tang Clan album without UG,” Mathematics said at the time.
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The forthcoming record, however, has seen Mathematics recruit the entire group for the project. As Variety reports, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, GZA and RZA all confirmed to appear, along with guest spots from Kurupt, Kool G. Rap, Benny the Butcher, and more.
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“You can be sure of a great body [of] work,” Raekwon said to Variety. “Mathematics is a top tier producer who makes music with his soul attached.”
“Wu-Tang has always been about pushing boundaries — musically, artistically, and culturally. With Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman, I’m giving fans not just an album, but a piece of history — something truly one of a kind,” Mathematics explained in a statement. “This is more than music; it’s innovation, storytelling, and legacy all in one. I am excited for everyone to hear the music and see the artwork around this album.”
5,000 copies of the album will be made available for Record Store Day. According to its dedicated page on the RSD website, “Every album jacket features unique ‘1 of 1’ cover art, making each design truly distinct and highly collectible – a first in the vinyl record industry.” A digital release is also expected, with final track “Charleston Blue, Legend of a Fighter” described as a vinyl-only bonus track.
Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman will mark the first Wu-Tang Clan record to feature the full current lineup of the collective since 2015’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. To date, no widespread commercial release for that album has been announced since its controversial sale to the notorious so-called “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli. It did, however, receive a debut public airing at the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Australia last year.
At the turn of the millennium, Irv Gotti – who died Wednesday at age 54 – helped bring a new class of hip-hop and R&B acts to fame as the co-founder of Murder Inc. Records.
Also known as The Inc. Recordings, the imprint quickly established itself as a major force in the two genres, with Ja Rule and Ashanti emerging as its flagship stars. The Gotti brothers founded Murder Inc. Records, named after the famous Depression-era crime syndicate, as an imprint of Def Jam in 1998. The next year, Ja Rule burst to prominence with his debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and gave the MC his first solo Billboard Hot 100 entry, “Holla Holla,” a No. 35 hit.
From there, the rapper continued to produce hit after hit, including three No. 1 smashes – “Always on Time,” featuring Ashanti, and a pair of featured spots on Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real” and “Ain’t It Funny,” both of which trace their chart-topping status to their respective Ja Rule and Ashanti-penned Murder Remix versions.
Ashanti, too, became a powerhouse inside Murder Inc., thanks to her signature hooks across the imprint’s biggest hip-hop records that led to her own string of huge R&B crossover hits. That combination culminated in a historic feat in 2002, as she became the first woman – and only third act at the time, joining The Beatles and Bee Gees – with three simultaneous top 10 hits on the Hot 100.
Gotti himself carved out a Hot 100 pedigree largely as a producer, with a credit on 28 charting Hot 100 hits from songs performed by Ja Rule, Ashanti, DMX, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Fat Joe and Ye. As a credited artist, Gotti scored a top 10-charting hit on the Hot 100 with “Down 4 U,” which peaked at No. 6 in 2002 and was credited to Irv Gotti Presents The Inc. featuring Ja Rule, Ashanti, Charli Baltimore and Vita.
Given the imprint’s stamp and Gotti’s role in that pivotal era for hip-hop and R&B, Billboard revisits the Murder Inc. legacy with a review of its top 20 hits on the Hot 100.
Murder Inc.’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 from its Aug. 4, 1958, start through Feb. 8, 2025. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.
“The Way That I Love You” – Ashanti
DMX‘s ex-wife opened up about the late rappers unfortunate business decisions and finances. Sitting down with Carlos King for his Reality with the King podcast, Tashera Simmons revealed DMX was on his way to becoming a billionaire at one point. “I remember looking at our bank accounts and the zeros wouldn’t stop. I’m not even […]
Kendrick Lamar rarely does interviews these days, but he sat down with Apple Music’s Nadeska and Ebro Darden on Thursday morning (Feb. 6) in New Orleans prior to taking the stage this weekend for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. Lamar answered questions for about a half-hour, and while Drake wasn’t brought up directly, K. […]