Hip-Hop
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Fonzi Thornton accepts the Icon Award on behalf of Luther Vandross accepts the Icon Award from Billboard’s Editorial Director Hannah Karp at Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Power Players 2024. Hannah Karp: For our first award, I want to salute an R&B icon, a late legend whose first six albums all reached number one on the Top […]
Lucky Daye accepts the Torchbearer award at Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024 party. Carl Lamarre: What it do y’all, can I get a yeah are? Oh, I love that. I love that. I love that. So I’m here to present the next award to a brother of mine, a perennial king in love-making ballads and pillow […]
Tyla accepts the Global Impact award at Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024 party. Heran Mamo: My name is Heran Mamo. I am the Senior R&B, Hip-Hop and Afrobeats writer here at Billboard. Those who know me know that uplifting other African women gives me one of the greatest joys in this job. So I’m really honored […]
Usher accepts the R&B Entertainer of the Year award at Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024 party. Hannah Karp: So it would not be a number one’s party without Usher. He is still breaking records as R&B’s biggest and brightest star three decades into his career, and after landing his 16th No. 1 on our R&B Hip […]
Victoria Monét accepts the Hitmaker Award at Billboard’s R&B No. 1s 2024 party. Damien Scott: Thank you for coming out. We really appreciate it. It’s been a historical, amazing hip-hop week here at Billboard. I’m glad that we can have this R&B celebration. I’m Damien Scott. I’m the deputy editorial director at Billboard. I’ve been […]
Megan Thee Stallion and RM‘s “Neva Play” has topped this week’s new music poll that features artists in various genres of music. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Sept. 6) on Billboard, choosing the Houston rapper and BTS star’s team-up as their favorite new music release of the past week. “Neva Play” brought […]
Kendrick Lamar is heading to the Super Bowl — and fans certainly have something to say about it.
On Sunday (Sept. 8), the superstar Compton rapper was announced as the headliner for the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, set for Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans. This marks the second time K. Dot will grace the stage at the NFL’s main event, after he was a special guest alongside Dr. Dre’s West Coast hip-hop showcase in 2022.
“You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship,” Lamar says in a promotional clip on Instagram for his performance at the big game. “No round two’s.”
Naturally, fans lit up social media shortly after the announcement, with many commenting on Lamar’s high-profile rap beef with Drake and others expressing disappointment over New Orleans native Lil Wayne not being chosen to represent his hometown at the Super Bowl. Others shared their excitement over Lamar possibly bringing his anthemic Drizzy diss “Not Like Us” to millions of viewers around the world.
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“The Compton kid has completely cracked the code,” one fan commented under Kendrick’s Super Bowl announcement on Instagram. Another user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “HE IS ON TOP OF THE WORLD.” That sentiment was echoed in another X comment. “OMG!!!!!!!!! THIS IS KENDRICK LAMAR’S YEAR!!!!!!,” a fan wrote.
“I don’t usually watch the Super Bowl, but I’ll absolutely be watching for the Kendrick concert,” another added on X.
As expected, countless fans on social media also took the opportunity to bring Drake into the conversation, with dozens of onlookers referencing K. Dot’s back-and-forth diss tracks with the Toronto MC earlier this year. The beef culminated with Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which became a monster hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two nonconsecutive weeks in May.
“Love this! Can’t wait to hear not like us on the world stage. Drake finna cry in the corner,” someone commented on the NFL’s X account, while another added that the 6 God’s fans are “in shambles” following the news. “They just gave bro the opportunity to diss tf outta drake on super bowl,” a user wrote on Lamar’s Instagram page. “drake drops 100 gigs of throwaway bs. kendrick drops a SUPER BOWL ANNOUNCEMENT,” another wrote on X, referencing Drake’s recent drop of content.
Some also speculated the possibility of Kendrick squashing his beef with Drake by inviting him onstage during the halftime show. “Special guest, drake?” an X fan questioned. Another person on Lamar’s Instagram joked, “Scenes when he brings out drake and they squash the beef and make out with each other.”
Lil Wayne’s name became a trending topic on X following K. Dot’s Super Bowl Halftime Show announcement, as numerous Weezy fans found it disrespectful to overlook the veteran rapper, who hails from the Louisiana city.
“Not having Lil Wayne headline is a slap to the face,” a person commented under Lamar’s announcement on Instagram. “Lil Wayne def should’ve been picked to perform at the superbowl. He’s literally from New Orleans and a rap legend…,” another wrote on X. Another Instagram commenter suggested that inviting Wayne onstage as a special guest would be “next level.”
Other social media comments ranged from which other special guests Lamar might invite to join him on stage — including the possibility of Eminem and Beyonce — while others hope that K. Dot’s Super Bowl gig will also bring an announcement of a new album. Lamar’s last studio release, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in May 2022.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show will be shown live on Fox from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9. It will also be the sixth year that the show will be programmed by Roc Nation, which is executive producing the show alongside Jesse Collins, produced by DPS and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Creative direction for Lamar’s performance will be provided by pgLang, the creative imprint co-founded by the rapper.
LL Cool J returns with his highly anticipated 14th studio album, The Force, which dropped on Friday, Sept. 6.
The release comes after a 10-year break from music, during which the Long Island-born, Queens-raised rapper focused on other ventures, including his acting career and hosting gigs.
In a recent interview with E! News, LL Cool J explained the reasons behind his decade-long hiatus and why this album was worth the wait.
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“I didn’t want to cheat the fans. I wanted them to have a real LL Cool J album,” he shared, adding, “This project is more about the people and cultural impact than anything else.”
The Force also marks a milestone in LL’s career, as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Def Jam Records, the label where his legendary journey began at just 16 years old.
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Reflecting on his early days with the label, he said, “I called that [Def Jam] phone number every day for a week and a half. That demo led to the creation of Def Jam. Now, 40 years later, here I am putting out this record on Def Jam again.”
It marks LL Cool J’s first album since Authentic in 2013, which featured collaborations with artists like Eddie Van Halen and Seal.
Produced by Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, The Force boasts a lineup of collaborations with heavyweights like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Busta Rhymes, and Rick Ross. “He [Q-Tip] produced the s–t out of these joints and did his thing. He’s a brilliant dude,” LL said about working with the producer.
The album also features the long-awaited collaboration between LL and Eminem on the track “Murdergram Deux,” which dropped just ahead of the album’s release.
Stream LL Cool J’s The Force below.
Rachelle Jean-Louis accepts the Executive of the Year award from Victoria Monét at Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Power Players 2024. Dana Droppo: Hello everybody. My name is Dana Droppo. I’m Chief Brand Officer of Billboard. It is my tremendous honor to introduce an artist whose unparalleled talent earned her Billboard’s Rising Star honor at women in […]
Megan Thee Stallion accepts the Artist Of The Year award from Billboard’s Editorial Director Hannah Karp at Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Power Players 2024. Hannah Karp: There’s only one woman who has topped the Hot 100 with a rap song this year, and I am thrilled to have her with us tonight. Not only did she […]