genre rb
Page: 8
Fat Joe thinks Kendrick Lamar and SZA could eventually dethrone Ja Rule and Ashanti as the greatest rapper/singer duo. During a recent episode of their Joe and Jada podcast, Jadakiss brought up Lamar and SZA’s hit record “Luther” making history by spending the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 among duets […]
“You said you feel the love, right?” Kendrick Lamar asked SZA after performing their twinkling 2018 hit collab “All the Stars” during the first LA tour stop of their Grand National Tour at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium Wednesday night (May 21). “I think so,” she responded breathlessly. “You feel it?” “I definitely feel it.” The two […]
Jurors at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial heard testimony Wednesday (May 21) from a psychologist about abusive relationships and from one of the hip-hop mogul’s former assistants, who was granted legal immunity before he took the stand.
Midway through the second week of Diddy’s trial, prosecutors called Dawn Hughes, a clinical psychologist who also testified at the sex abuse trials of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly and NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere, as well as in Johnny Depp’s civil defamation case against Amber Heard.
Hughes is one of many witnesses already called by prosecutors, who claim Combs coerced longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura and others into participating in drug-fueled sex shows known as “freak-offs.” Defense attorneys have said the events were consensual.
On the stand, Hughes said it’s common for victims of abusive relationships to stay for years because they feel trapped: “They experience a tremendous amount of shame, humiliation, degradation,” Hughes told the jury, as reported by CNN, before later adding that victims often use substances to “numb” themselves.
Later in the day, the jury heard from George Kaplan, a former assistant to Diddy who was subpoenaed to testify, according to NBC News. After concerns that Kaplan might invoke his Fifth Amendment right to not testify, prosecutors granted him immunity so that he could do so without concern of prosecution.
Kaplan testified that part of his job was setting up and cleaning up rooms for freak-offs, after which he would often find liquor bottles and baby oil strewn around the hotel rooms. He said he understood that Diddy’s reputation had to be closely safeguarded: “Protecting him and protecting his public image was very important and that was something I was very keen on doing,” Kaplan said.
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation aimed at facilitating the freak-offs — elaborate events in which Combs and others allegedly pressured Ventura and other victims into having sex with escorts while he watched and masturbated. Prosecutors also say the star and his associates used violence, money and blackmail to keep victims silent and under his control. (Read Billboard‘s full explainer of the case against Diddy here.)
Once one of the music industry’s most powerful men, Combs is accused of racketeering conspiracy (a so-called RICO charge), sex trafficking and violating a federal prostitution statute. If convicted on all of the charges, he faces a potential life prison sentence.
During the first week of the trial, Ventura herself spent four days on the stand detailing how Combs allegedly controlled and physically abused her during their 11-year relationship. She said the sex parties left her feeling “humiliated” but that she felt she had no choice but to participate.
Defense attorneys maintain that Ventura and other women consensually took part in the sex parties. They’ve admitted that Combs had committed domestic violence during his and Ventura’s “toxic” relationship and had unusual sexual preferences, but that he had never coerced her into participating in his “swinger” lifestyle.
While cross-examining Ventura, Combs’ attorneys showed jurors huge numbers of text messages and emails between the couple — some romantic, others graphically sexual — in an effort to show that Ventura was a willing and, at times enthusiastic, participant in the freak-offs.
The trial will continue Thursday (May 22), first with more testimony from Kaplan and then from rapper Kid Cudi, who will likely be asked about an infamous incident in which Combs allegedly set Cudi’s car on fire as payback for dating Ventura. Cudi, a surprise witness, was originally going to take the stand on Wednesday, but his testimony was postponed.
Chris Brown has spoken out for the first time since being released on a $6.7 million bail by a London judge. C. Breezy posted to his Instagram Story on Wednesday (May 21), celebrating the fact that he regained his freedom after nearly a week behind bars. “FROM THE CAGE TO THE STAGE!!!” Brown wrote in […]
A London judge has released Chris Brown on bail in the amount of $6.7 million on Wednesday (May 21), according to Reuters. The “Forever” singer also has to surrender his passport when not traveling for his upcoming Breezy Bowl XX Tour in North American and Europe, which is scheduled to kick off June 8. According […]
Grammy-winning artist Ciara, stylist and creative director June Ambrose, and music executives Phylicia Fant and Sylvia Rhone will be honored on Tuesday (June 3) at the inaugural Black Women in Music Dinner. The event, which honors Black women “for their contributions to music and for shaping popular culture,” will be held at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion in Los Angeles. The event was originally set for Jan. 28 but was rescheduled due to the L.A. wildfires, which devastated the region in January.
The Black Women in Music Dinner will serve as The Connie Orlando Foundation’s first fundraiser focused on supporting breast cancer awareness and research. By raising funds and driving attention to this critical cause, the foundation aims to empower women with the knowledge, resources and support they need to fight breast cancer and improve health outcomes.
Trending on Billboard
“Black women in music continue to be a transcendent and driving force of creative expression, shaping the musical landscape and enriching diverse cultures worldwide,” said Orlando, founder of The Connie Orlando Foundation, in a statement. “Their contributions are not just transformative; they are the heartbeat of innovation and culture. It is an immense honor to celebrate the trailblazing careers of Ciara, June Ambrose, Phylicia Fant, Sylvia Rhone, DJ Kiss, and Flo Ngala at our inaugural event. These powerful women come from diverse paths, yet they share a unified commitment to pushing boundaries and sparking meaningful change across the music industry.
“As we embark on this momentous journey to celebrate Black women in all their brilliance and as ‘guards’ of an ever-evolving industry, we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of HarbourView Equity Partners as our founding partner, and Sherrese Clarke, whose leadership has been instrumental in bringing this mission to life.”
In addition to being the founder of the foundation that bears her name, Orlando is the executive vp of specials, music programming and music strategy at BET. She is serving as executive producer of the 2025 BET Awards, set for June 9.
Here’s a closer look at the 2025 Black Women in Music Dinner honorees:
Ciara, a singer/songwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, will receive the Avant-Garde Award, recognizing her artistry and influence. Ciara topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004 with “Goodies” featuring Petey Pablo, topped the Billboard 200 in 2006 with Ciara: The Evolution and won a Grammy in 2006 for best short form music video for “Lose Control.”
June Ambrose, a creative director, costume designer and entrepreneur, will receive the Guardian of Vision Award. Ambrose is best known for styling prominent hip-hop and R&B artists, such as Missy Elliott and Jay-Z, in high-fashion pieces. Ambrose has designed for more than 200 music videos; published a book, Effortless Style, in 2006; and was hired at Puma in 2020.
Phylicia Fant will receive The New Guard Award, celebrating her role as a transformative leader. Fant is the head of music industry partnerships at Amazon Music and the former head of urban music at Columbia Records. She is also the founder/CEO of The Purple Agency, a public relations and marketing agency.
Sylvia Rhone, a trailblazing music industry veteran and the first Black woman to lead a major label, will receive the Vanguard Award. Rhone is the chair/CEO of Epic Records. Rhone previously served in senior positions at Universal Motown, Elektra Entertainment Group and Atlantic Records.
DJ Kiss, media personality and influencer, and Flo Ngala, editorial photographer and photojournalist, will be honored with The Guardian Angel Spotlights. This award recognizes individuals who serve as messengers, protectors and guides within the music industry, driving both artistic and commercial success.
H.E.R. was initially slated to be one of this year’s honorees, but that changed in the rescheduling, with Ciara now being honored instead.
Additional program details, including host, performers and presenters, will be announced at a later date.
Several new witnesses took the stand Tuesday at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial, including a male escort named “The Punisher” and Cassie Ventura’s mother, who testified that she was “scared for my daughter’s safety.”
Regina Ventura told jurors that she documented the physical abuse Cassie suffered from Combs, who prosecutors claim coerced the younger Ventura and others into participating in drug-fueled sex shows known as “freak-offs.”
The elder Ventura later testified that she once wired $20,000 to Combs’ company in 2011 after Cassie told her that the rapper was threatening to release a sex tape of her, according to the New York Post and other media outlets — allegedly because he was enraged at her romantic relationship with Kid Cudi: “I was physically sick,” she testified, before adding, “I was scared for my daughter’s safety.”
She later said the money, which she obtained by taking out a home-equity loan, was returned days later and she had no contact with Combs about it.
Later in the morning, jurors heard testimony from Sharay Hayes, a male exotic dancer who goes by the nickname “The Punisher.” He testified that he attended as many as 12 freak-offs, and that Combs often closely directed how he and Ventura were to have sex.
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation aimed at facilitating the freak-offs — elaborate events in which Combs and others allegedly pressured Ventura and other victims into having sex with escorts while he watched and masturbated. Prosecutors also say the star and his associates used violence, money and blackmail to keep victims silent and under his control.
Once one of the music industry’s most powerful men, Combs is accused of racketeering conspiracy (a so-called RICO charge), sex trafficking and violating a federal prostitution statute. If convicted on all of the charges, he faces a potential life prison sentence.
Defense attorneys maintain that Ventura and other women consensually took part in the sex parties. They’ve admitted that Combs had committed domestic violence during his and Ventura’s “toxic” relationship and had unusual sexual preferences, but that he had never coerced her into participating in his “swinger” lifestyle.
Tuesday also saw testimony from David James, Combs’ former personal assistant, continuing his testimony from Monday; and Gerard Gannon, a federal law enforcement agent who led the headline-grabbing raid of Combs’ house in Miami last spring that turned up guns and huge amounts of baby oil.
Cudi himself is expected to take the witness stand later this week, where he will potentially be asked about an infamous incident in which Combs allegedly set his car on fire as payback for his brief relationship with Ventura.
Summer Walker’s “Heart of a Woman” beats the competition on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart this week as the single rules the list dated May 23. The new leader, released and promoted through LVRN/Interscope/ICLG, climbs from No. 2 and was the most-played song on U.S. panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations in the tracking week of May 9-15, according to Luminate.
As “Heart of a Woman” rises, it ejects Leon Thomas’ “Mutt” from the chart’s prime spot after a two-week lead. “Mutt” retreats to No. 3 after a 12% slide in plays for the week. (Between the current and former leader, 803Fresh’s “Boots on the Ground” pushes 4-2; the track, best known for soundtracking a viral line dance, enjoys an 9% gain in weekly play count.)
Trending on Billboard
With “Heart of a Woman,” Walker captures her fourth Adult R&B Airplay No. 1. She first reigned through a featured role on Trey Songz’s “Back Home,” a three-week champ in November-December 2020, followed with her own “Unloyal,” featuring Ari Lennox, for one week in September 2022 and logged six weeks in charge thanks to “Good Good,” a collaboration with Usher and 21 Savage, in November-December 2023.
Improvements in the adult R&B sector help “Heart of a Woman” maintain its top-five status on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the single spends a fourth consecutive week at No. 5 – after having previously reached a No. 3 best – but falls to 12.7 million in total audience, a 6% drop from the prior week’s total.
Elsewhere, “Heart of a Woman” slides 8-12 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (down 14%).
[embedded content]
Beyond “Heart of a Woman,” Walker enjoys a second current chart single, new track “Spend It.” The song, released May 2, opened at No. 12 on the Hot R&B Songs chart (dated May 17) and at No. 30 on the corresponding Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ranking.
“Heart of a Woman” and “Spend It” preview Walker’s forthcoming studio album, Finally Over It. The set, which was announced last October, is the third installment of the singer’s album series, following Over It (2019) and Still Over It (2022).
All Billboard charts dated May 24 will update on Tuesday, May 20, on Billboard.com.
In the five years since Opia, her Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted debut studio album, Canadian R&B singer-songwriter Savannah Ré has transitioned out of the major label system into an era of independence heralded by the self-assured melodies of Formed, her new full-length project.
Executive produced by her husband Yogi the Producer — who won his first Grammy earlier this year, thanks to his work on Chris Brown’s 11:11 (Deluxe) — Formed finds Ré building on her previously established sonic profile of soulful, midtempo R&B with forays into country-esque guitar samples (“Go’ Head”), gutsy wordplay (“Nine Lives”) and candid moments of pure seduction (“East Side Demon”). A featureless affair, the new project flaunts the three-time Juno Award winner’s versatility while keeping her grounding themes of maturation and divine femininity centered.
Formed was initially an expansion of Ré’s 2022 No Weapons EP, but her journey into the indie arena and general life changes caused the project to evolve into something entirely separate. The pitfalls and triumphs of that journey punctuate the entire project, from the testimonial that is “Made It Out” to the poignant self-reflection of “Where You Left Me.” Though she wades through a well of intensely personal experiences for Formed, the project feels notably looser than Opia – and that was intentional.
Trending on Billboard
“I think I was hypercritical of everything during Opia,” Ré tells Billboard just days after returning from a seven-year anniversary trip to St. Lucia with her husband, who was honored with a parade celebrating his Grammy win. “Being a perfectionist can ruin the essence of what you’re doing. I’m having more fun making music this time around, to be honest.”
In a wide-ranging conversation with Billboard, Savannah Ré breaks down Formed, reveals her initial reaction to Drake sampling her for 100 Gigs, and details how she’s navigating being an independent artist.
Opia, your last full-length project, dropped almost five years ago. Why the long wait between that album and Formed?
How much time do we have? [Laughs]. Honestly, a lot of things changed very rapidly. I was in a deal with Universal Music Canada from 2018 all the way to 2023, when I finally went a different direction. It took some time for me to figure out what it is I want to do. For my entire career prior to [this moment], I’ve been a signed artist; [I’m] figuring out navigating things myself. I had to be in the driver’s seat.
It’s a completely different process being independent versus being signed. There’s so many extra steps, so many things to have your eyes across, so much business that I’m doing now. I wanted to make sure that the music wasn’t getting lost in that process, and that I was still sticking to my vision. It took a little while, but we’re here now!
Talk to me a little bit about Matrimony Records.
Matrimony is the label that I started with my husband, Johann [Deterville], Yogi the Producer, last spring. We were like, “We do everything together already, so why don’t we make it official before thinking about signing anywhere else or going back to a major? We should have our own thing on paper.”
A lot of our foundation, of course, is love and all the things that go into a relationship. But it’s music as well. That’s how we fell in love — so what better name than “Matrimony?” It’s marriage, as far as love, but it’s marriage to the music, as well. We’re also looking forward to finding and signing other artists as well. We want to build Matrimony up.
You won the Juno Award for traditional R&B/soul recording three years in a row, effectively making you, if not the face, one of the defining voices of Canadian R&B. How does that make you feel?
I hate that. No, I’m kidding! [Laughs.] Honestly, I felt seen. It was an honor to be the first artist to be nominated in both the traditional and contemporary R&B/soul categories in the same year. To be nominated, and then to win again and again and again, I was like, “OK, that’s enough now, guys!” I know everybody looks surprised, but I was genuinely surprised every single time I won. It’s been great, and it feels affirming.
What was the first and last song you finished recording for Formed?
“Go’ Head” was the first. It actually wasn’t for me because I’m a writer as well. I was pitching that song around, and from what I know, Chris Brown’s team had it for two years. We thought it was going to make it on [2022’s Breezy], and then it didn’t, so I kept the record. I played it for some of my non-musician friends, and they were like, “Oh my gosh, you need to release this song.” Seeing that visceral feeling, I was like, “I’m gonna put this on the project.”
I think we wrote that song in 2018, so we went back in and rejigged it a little bit to be closer to what I would say. The production is exactly the same, and the topline is pretty much exactly the same. And now it’s the focus track for [Formed].
The last song was “Made It Out.” I have this thing with projects where I’ll get really close to finishing, and then I’m like, “It’s missing one song.” I won’t exactly know what it sounds like, but I’ll know how it’s gonna make me feel when I hear it. I wrote “Made It Out” with Marcus Semaj, who wrote several songs on Opia with me. He sent me the song, and I was like, “Brother… can I have it?” And he was like, “Of course.”
Because I’m a writer, I’ll always change things or write another verse or whatever. But this song… it was like he was looking into my life. To me, it’s a message of, making it out of your circumstances and the things that were supposed to keep you down. After that, I knew the project was done.
What would you say changed the most — or not at all — about your approach to songwriting and singing on Formed versus Opia?
I’d say a lot changed. I think I was hypercritical of everything during Opia. While I’m still a perfectionist, I try not to ruin things anymore because, to be honest, being a perfectionist can ruin the essence of what you’re doing. Do you love the song? Does it make you feel something? Then you don’t need to scrutinize it into the ground or rewrite it 17 times or spend four or five studio sessions recording it. Go with your gut. I’m having more fun making music this time around, to be honest.
A couple of weeks ago, you got on Instagram to address some people missing the message of “Nine Lives” because they couldn’t get past the use of the word “p—y.” Was that a first for you? How does that make you feel as an artist?
It’s quite different! I’m not used to being on the “hate train” side of things. I was very clear that [“Nine Lives”] is for the girls. Unfortunately, it ended up, on the incel side of the Internet with older, non-Black men. And it’s like you, [this song] wasn’t for you. It’s a song about female empowerment sung by a very visibly Black woman. It doesn’t matter what I say when I open my mouth, you are not gonna like it. So, even when addressing it, I didn’t make it about them. I just doubled down on the song’s message.
And with [the word “p—y”] especially, it’s so interesting that it’s okay for it to be said in all these negative ways. But then, I reclaim it in a positive way, and it’s an issue. Although that word may have been used mostly in a vulgar way, to me, it holds power. When I sing, “bring life,” I’m not just referring to childbirth. I mean that there is a woman in everybody’s life who breathes life into them. I’m talking about some serious stuff in the song.
Formed also houses “Sex With My Ex,” which Drake sampled on his 100 Gigs website. Where were you when you found out about that? What was your initial reaction, and what, if anything, do you think will come of that at this point?
We were in the studio working on finishing [Formed], funny enough. When it dropped, the internet started going crazy, so we went to check it out. We clicked around and found a Boi 1-da folder and started clicking through it. The first video was my voice, and then there was a second one, and a third one with a different vocal sample of mine. We’re sitting there flabbergasted at this point, because that third clip was actually Drake in the studio.
I immediately FaceTimed 1-da, like, “What the helly?” And he didn’t even know much. Based on [Drake’s] haircut, the footage seemed to be from the Certified Lover Boy era, I guess. 1-da has always said that it takes a lot for Drake to record on a beat, so, generally speaking, it’s probably going to come out. He has a 99% kill rate. So, I was like, “OK… so what do I do?” Because “Sex with My Ex” was a freestyle I recorded in 2018!
So, we ended up recutting the song in 2022, which is when I met Leon Thomas, and he, myself, and Yogi flipped it. “Sex” was already on [Formed] at that point, so to me, that was some universe stuff. What are the chances of a song that’s been sitting since 2018 ending up in this Drake 100 Gigs thing? Initially, it wasn’t a single, but the team quickly pivoted and dropped the song late last year.
I don’t know if he’ll ever do a 100 Gigs mixtape, but it definitely put more eyes on me and the song. As a freshly independent artist, I’m just grateful either way.
What’s the most important thing you learned from Boi 1-da while you were on his 1Music label?
Prior to signing with him, I was like, “Hey, there aren’t a lot of female artists out there that look like me, maybe I should just focus on being a writer.” That’s how our initial connection was made. Someone of his caliber and stature looking at me and saying, “Not only do I think you should be an artist, but you should also be my artist…” that changed the game for me. It made me confident and self-assured. I was able to lean on him when it came to anything musical.
People think being his artist made it easier – absolutely not. If he don’t like something, he [won’t mince words]. So that started to breed a certain standard within me as well. He would also start bringing me to [different artists’] sessions so I could be a fly on the wall and see how these things work. I was really fresh when he signed me, and I don’t think a better person could have ushered me into the music world and treated me with such respect. That’s like my brother for life, I talk to him every day, whether I’m signed to him or not. He changed my life.
How do your Jamaican roots – and Yogi’s Lucian roots – manifest in your music?
My Caribbean roots are what raised me. Even in the R&B space, [West Indians are] going to approach it a little differently. People have credited rap for some of my rhythmic choices, but I think it goes back to the different riddims and cadences we hear in our [reggae and dancehall] music. There’s always those little sprinkles, and they’ll definitely come through a lot more on the deluxe, [which will have three or four new songs and be out soon]. And Yogi be sneaking little riddims into things all the time!
Do you have any plans to tour Formed yet?
I do. And God willing, it will happen. But, chile, being independent is ghetto as hell, okay?! It’s an interesting climate for touring. We’re seeing so many major artists cancel their tours, and I just want to be very intentional about it and make sure I can give the best show possible. I’m sure I could figure out a way to just bring my little self and do my thing, but that’s not the show I want to bring for my first headlining tour. I want it to be as big as the music and as big as I can possibly make it. That’s one of my goals, and hopefully, this year, I can pull it off.
Kai Cenat will be making his directorial debut behind the camera as the streamer’s been tapped by Drake and PartyNextDoor to direct the OVO duo’s video for “Somebody Loves Me”. Cenat explained during a live stream on Saturday (May 17) that he’s going to direct the visual for Drake and PND’s moody hit, but also […]