Hip-Hop
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Pusha T is a big fan of Kendrick Lamar. During a panel at Revolt World in Atlanta, the Virginia MC spoke highly of his fellow rapper after being asked what he thought about Lamar’s impact on rap music. “It’s amazing,” he said. “I’m sure people have said and have told him his whole career, ‘Oh, […]
Why did Usher delete his entire X (formerly Twitter) feed? Well, apparently he didn’t — even though the topic was a trending conversation on the social media platform on Sunday (Sept. 22). “Account got hacked and damn y’all ran with it!” Usher wrote on X at 6:13 p.m. ET on Sunday, after commentary and theories […]
Travis Scott’s 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo reaches No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Sept. 28), vaulting 106-1 after its vinyl editions — exclusively sold by the artist’s webstore — shipped to customers. The set earned 156,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the tracking week ending Sept. 19 (up 1,295%), according to Luminate.
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Of that sum, traditional album sales comprise 150,000 (making it the top-selling album of the week; it’s No. 1 on Top Album Sales). Vinyl sales comprise 149,000 of that sales figure — Scott’s largest week on vinyl ever. It’s also the biggest week on vinyl for a rap album, as well as the sixth-largest week on vinyl across all genres, since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991.
Days Before Rodeo marks Scott’s fourth No. 1, all earned consecutively. He previously topped the list with Utopia (2023), Astroworld (2018) and Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016).
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Days Before Rodeo was initially a free release in 2014. On Aug. 23, it was commercially released for the first time and officially made its wide streaming debut. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 dated Sept. 7 with 361,000 units earned in the week ending Aug. 29, largely from the strength of album sales (331,000 — mostly from digital download album sales). The album then fell to No. 30 in its second week, and then to No. 106, before jumping to No. 1 in its fourth week of release.
The vinyl sales pushing Scott to No. 1 began generating pre-orders via his official webstore before the album was released on Aug. 23 via streamers, as a digital download and on CD. It was available in two vinyl variants (a standard edition and a deluxe edition in expanded packaging), as well as two boxed sets (one containing a hoodie and the standard vinyl and one with a T-shirt and the deluxe vinyl), and in two Fan Pack offers (one with a hoodie and the standard vinyl and one with a T-shirt and the deluxe vinyl).
A wide retail release beyond Scott’s webstore for any physical formats of the album has not been announced.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Sept. 28, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday, Sept. 24. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of the 156,000 equivalent album units earned by Days Before Rodeo in the latest tracking week, album sales comprise 150,000 (up 4,608%), SEA units comprise 6,000 (down 25%, equaling 7.94 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (down 30%).
Days Before Rodeo is the second album of 2024 to reach No. 1 without having debuted atop the chart. Toby Keith’s 35 Biggest Hits re-entered the chart dated Feb. 17 at No. 1, following his death; the album had previously debuted and peaked at No. 2 in 2008. Before Keith and Scott, the last album to be No. 1 without having debuted at No. 1 was the Encanto soundtrack, which debuted at No. 197 on the Dec. 11, 2021-dated chart, and then rose to No. 1 on the Jan. 15, 2022 list, spending nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.
Days Before Rodeo additionally has the largest jump to No. 1 since the April 30, 2022 chart; when Tyler, the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost returned to the top, flying 120-1 after its vinyl release.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet slips to No. 2 on the latest Billboard 200 (108,000 equivalent album units; down 8%) after spending its first three weeks atop the chart. It remains at No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums chart for a fourth week.
Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is a non-mover at No. 3 (64,000 equivalent album units; up 13%); Post Malone’s former No. 1 F-1 Trillion dips 2-4 (60,000; down 16%); Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time falls 4-5 (52,000; up less than 1%); and Taylor Swift’s former leader The Tortured Poets Department descends 5-6 (51,000; down less than 1%).
Eminem’s chart-topping The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) returns to the top 10, surging 42-7, following its deluxe reissue and CD release. The album was reissued via digital download services and streamers on Sept. 13 with bonus tracks, while on the same day its original standard album was issued in two CD variants. In the tracking week ending Sept. 19, The Death of Slim Shady earned 48,000 equivalent album units (up 180%). Of that sum, album sales comprise 24,000 (up 3,328%), SEA units comprise 23,000 (up 43%; equaling 31.64 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (up 210%).
Rounding out the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200 are Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft (6-8 with 44,000 equivalent album units; down 5%), Noah Kahan’s Stick Season (8-9 with 38,000; up 2%) and Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene (7-10 with nearly 38,000; down 1%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Lizzo isn’t letting hurtful comments get in the way of her fitness journey.
On Friday (Sept. 20), the 36-year-old “Truth Hurts” singer respond to allegations on social media that she’s been using the popular weight loss drug ozempic after sharing videos of her weight loss transformation.
“When you finally get Ozempic allegations after 5 months of weight training and calorie deficit,” the pop-rap star captioned a video on Instagram of herself sighing into the camera.
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Lizzo’s carousel also included a screenshot of a rude follower commenting on one of her posts. “Did she use Ozempic or did she snort coke,” the person wrote, prompting the star to respond, “whyyyy do u follow me?”
Days earlier, the four-time Grammy winner shared clips on social media of herself hard at work in the gym. The videos feature the artist sharing before-and-after shots of her weight loss while donning her shapewear brand Yitty. One of the clips is soundtracked by Nicki Minaj saying, “The fact that you would even discuss my looks is insane. I’m a bad b—-, always been a bad b—-.”” Lizzo captioned the Sept. 19 post, “FINE BOTH WAYS,” alongside exhaling face emojis.
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Lizzo has also recently shared an update about new music. “JUST A LIL ALBUM UPDATE 4 MY REAL LIZZBIANS: I’m making the BEST music of my life— this album (like all my other albums) is a BODY OF TWERK,” she wrote on Instagram alongside photos of herself in the recording studio. “I want you to listen to the WHOLE THING/IN ORDER with a glass of ur favorite wet stuff and ur heart open. This is more than music to me… this is my soul poured out and bared to the world.”
The “About Damn Time” hitmaker has been giving fans a look into her fitness routine in recent weeks. In an Aug. 25 post revealing that she’s “taking a gap year,” the star shared fitness footage from Bali, where she’s seen jumping rope on a balcony.
Just before summertime, the star gave an update on her mental health, a topic she’s been candid about over the past year amid harassment allegations and public scrutiny. (In August 2023, three former tour dancers filed a lawsuit against her, alleging sexual misconduct and hostile work conditions. Lizzo claimed the accusations to be false and deemed them “sensationalized stories”; the lawsuit was put on hold in March pending appeals.)
“I’m the happiest I’ve been in 10 months,” she wrote on Instagram in May. “The strange thing about depression is you don’t know you’re in it until you’re out of it. I’m definitely not all the way as carefree as I used to be. But the dark cloud that followed me every day is finally clearing up. My smile reaches my eyes again and that’s a win.”
See Lizzo’s post about her weight loss on Instagram below.
Doja Cat is clearing up any confusion about her relationship status with Joseph Quinn.
On Saturday (Sept. 21), the 28-year-old “Paint the Town Red” rapper flashed a ring on her left hand while performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, leaving many fans wondering if she got engaged to the Stranger Things actor.
“no, im not engaged its a David Yurman ring with no rocks in it,” Doja wrote and quickly deleted on X (formerly Twitter) early Sunday morning, according to screenshots from Page Six.
Engagement rumors began swirling online shortly after images of the “Angora Hills” performance surfaced. “Rub it in their face, put a rock on her hand,” she sang while holding out her hand and showing the ring.
“omg doja cat & joseph quinn got engaged,” one fan wrote on X. Another questioned, “JOSEPH QUINN AND DOJA CAT ARE ENGAGED?????” A third confused onlooker added, “i don’t know what to think i don’t think she’s engaged it’s been a month.”
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Doja and Quinn, 30, seemingly went public with their romance after stepping out in London holding hands in August. The public’s first sighting of the apparent couple came Aug. 17, when the rapper and A Quiet Place: Day One star took a romantic stroll through the city with their fingers locked. The following day, a video surfaced of them again walking through London.
The outings arrived two years after the “Say So” hittmaker first professed feelings for the actor in a private message sent to his Stranger Things co-star Noah Schnapp, who then got on Doja’s bad side by posting screenshots to social media. “Noah can u tell Joseph to hmu.” she’d written in the messages. “Wait no. Does he have a gf?”
Shortly after Schnapp posted the DMs, Doja called him out on Instagram Live for being “so unbelievably, like, socially unaware and wack.” “That’s like borderline snake sh–,” she added at the time. “That’s like weasel sh–.” The child star then apologized to the Grammy winner behind the scenes, and both moved on.
Moms in Music recently saluted the empowering and inspirational balancing act that comes with the dual demands of motherhood and career at its second annual brunch. This year’s quintet of honorees included Grammy winners Melanie Fiona (the Essence Award) and Makeba Riddick-Woods (Visionary Award), Freebandz COO Dr. Stephanie Jester (Leading Lady Award), MBK Entertainment president Jeanine McLean (Breaking Ground Award) and wardrobe stylist-author Tameka Foster Raymond (Perseverance Award).
Moms in Music founder Brittney King Brock, who hosted the event on Sept. 13 at The Buckhead Club in Atlanta, noted, “We are honored to recognize these extraordinary women who have not only excelled in their careers, but have also served as examples for the future generation of moms navigating the complexities of the music industry. Their stories reflect the perseverance, creativity and heart that define our community.”
“Success isn’t just measured by what you achieve, but by how you give back and uplift others along the way,” said honoree Jester, who is also the business manager and mother of Grammy-winning hip-hop star Future. “As a mother, I’ve learned that true fulfillment comes from nurturing the next generation and empowering other women to rise, thrive, and find their own purpose and passion. That’s the legacy I’m most proud of.”
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While accepting her award, singer-songwriter Fiona commented, “I’ve been blessed to receive many awards in my career, but this one means the most to me — being honored as a mom. There’s nothing more rewarding than this role, and it’s one of the greatest achievements of my life.”
Fellow singer-songwriter Riddick-Woods said of her own balancing act, “Songwriting isn’t only about creating hits — it’s about telling stories that resonate with people’s hearts. I’ve learned the importance of balancing creativity with nurturing, and how powerful it is to lead by example for the next generation. Being a mom has deepened my purpose, and I’m committed to using my voice to inspire and empower women, both in music and in life.”
Moms in Music welcomed more than 125 attendees to its brunch, sponsored by Amazon Music with Billboard as a media partner. On behalf of Amazon Music, the division’s head of culture amplification, Ida Kay, said of supporting inclusive spaces within the industry, “We believe in the power of amplifying diverse voices, and the Moms in Music Brunch reflects that commitment. It’s inspiring to see how these honorees continue to push boundaries and create meaningful art while balancing the demands of motherhood.”
Joey Bada$$ accepts the Impact Award from Billboard Deputy Director of R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre at Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Power Players 2024 event. Joey Bada$$:Can I get a yer? That’s right, you know, I’m from New York. I’m from Brooklyn, so when I yer, y’all got to yodel back. Yer! Yo listen, man, thank you to […]
Deadline reports that Queen Latifah will be making a movie about her life and career. The New Jersey native was one of the first rap stars to cross over into mainstream pop culture as hip-hop began its rise to prominence in everyday American life during the late ’80s and early ’90s. Her Flavor Unit Entertainment […]
Decades after Nelly released his chart-topping breakout Country Grammar, he’s facing a new lawsuit over the album from his St. Lunatics groupmates – who claim that the star cut them out of the credits and the royalty payments.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, attorneys for the St. Lunatics allege that Nelly (Cornell Haynes) repeatedly “manipulated” them into falsely thinking they’d be paid for their work on the 2000 album, which spent five weeks atop the Billboard 200.
“Every time plaintiffs confronted defendant Haynes [he] would assure them as ‘friends’ he would never prevent them from receiving the financial success they were entitled to,” the lawsuit reads. “Unfortunately, plaintiffs, reasonably believing that their friend and former band member would never steal credit for writing the original compositions, did not initially pursue any legal remedies.”
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The case was filed by St. Lunatics members Ali (Ali Jones), Murphy Lee (Tohri Harper), Kyjuan (Robert Kyjuan) and City Spud (Lavell Webb). Slo Down (Corey Edwards), another former member of the group, is not named as a plaintiff.
A spokesperson for Nelly did not immediately return a request for comment.
A group of high school friends from St. Louis, the St. Lunatics rose to prominence in the late 1990s with “Gimme What U Got”, and their debut album Free City – released a year after Country Grammar – was a hit of its own, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
The various members of the group are repeatedly listed as co-writers in the public credits for numerous songs on Country Grammar, most notably with City Spud credited as a co-writer and co-performer on the single “Ride Wit Me,” which spent 29 weeks on the Hot 100.
In the new lawsuit, the group members say they were involved with more songs than they were credited for, including “Steal the Show,” “Thicky Thick Girl,” “Batter Up,” and “Wrap Sumden.” The most notable is the title track “Country Grammar,” which reached No. 7 on the singles chart; in public databases, the song only credits Nelly and producer Jason Epperson.
The groupmates say that during and after the Country Grammar recording session, Nelly “privately and publicly acknowledged that plaintiffs were the lyric writers” and “promised to ensure that plaintiffs received writing and publishing credit.” But decades later, in 2020, the St. Lunatics members say they “discovered that defendant Haynes had been lying to them the entire time.”
“Despite repeatedly promising plaintiffs that they would receive full recognition and credit… it eventually became clear that defendant Haynes had no intention of providing the plaintiffs with any such credit or recognition,” the group’s attorneys write.
When the group members realized Nelly had “failed to provide proper credit and publishing income,” they say they hired an attorney who reached out to Universal Music Publishing Group. The letter was relayed to Nelly’s attorneys, who they say “expressly repudiated” their claims to credit in 2021.
“Plaintiffs had no alternative but to commence legal proceedings against Defendants,” the lawsuit reads.
The case could face an important procedural hurdle. Although copyright infringement lawsuits can be filed decades after an infringing song is released, disputes over copyright ownership face a stricter three-year statute of limitations.
The current lawsuit is styled as an infringement case, with the St. Lunatics alleging that Nelly has unfairly used their songs without permission. But the first argument from Nelly’s attorneys will likely be that the case is really a dispute over ownership – and thus was filed years too late.
An attorney for the plaintiffs did not immediately return a request for comment.
Despite more than a decade since LLCOOLJ last released an album, the rapper picks up right where he left off. His new project, THE FORCE, debuts at No. 9 on the Top Rap Albums chart, giving the hip-hop legend his fifth consecutive top 10 result on the list, which began in 2004.
THE FORCE, released through LL COOL J’s self-titled imprint and the Def Jam Recordings record label, earned 16,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week of Sept. 6 – 12, according to Luminate. Of that sum, traditional album sales contributed 11,500 units, making THE FORCE the top-selling rap title of the week. 4,000 units derive from streaming activity, with the remaining 500 coming through track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
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Robust sales likely trace to LL COOL J’s flurry of promotional performances during the tracking week, including an interview on CBS Mornings and a performance to celebrate the Def Jam label’s 40th anniversary during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where the MC delivered a medley of his hits such as “Headsprung,” “Goin’ Back to Cali” and “Bring the Noise.”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=w_XVxj035Qk%3Fsi%3Dov7qpLz2LdcK6r5h
Released Sept. 6, THE FORCE marked the first project since 2013 for LL COOL J, the hip-hop pioneer who became one of the genre’s earliest crossover stars and, in 2017, became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. The album, largely produced by another rap icon, Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest, boasts a strong supporting lineup, with Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and Nas among the guest stars. Saweetie features on the set’s current single, “Proclivities,” which climbs 36-31 in its second week on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, while an Eminem feature on the album’s “Murdergram Deux” powers it to become the week’s top-selling (2,500 downloads) and most-streamed (2.3 million official U.S. streams) song on THE FORCE.
As noted, THE FORCE is the fifth consecutive top-10 effort for LL COOL J on Top Rap Albums. The streak began with The DEFinition, which reigned for one week in 2004, and followed with Todd Smith (No. 2, 2006), Exit 13 (No. 2, 2008) and Authentic (No. 4, 2013).
On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, which began in 1958 and encompasses the rapper’s entire career, THE FORCE launches at No. 11. It becomes his 15th album to appear on the list, dating to his debut LP, Radio, in 1985.