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Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla might have something even hotter in store than their upcoming Hot Girls Summer tour. The dynamic duo teamed up on Tuesday (April 2) for a preview of a collaboration due out soon. “Too thick [crying laughing, peach emoji] glo dropping 4/5 !!! We getting activateddddd,” Meg wrote on Instagram alongside […]
When Beyoncé drops, the world stops and listens. And that’s exactly what happened with the release of her incredibly ambitious 27-track Cowboy Carter LP last weekend (March 29). While the record is framed by Queen Bey’s exploration of the Black roots of country music and her own Southern familial roots across Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, there are still healthy doses of the R&B we all know and love from her, courtesy of collaborators ranging from Pharrell Williams and Raphael Saadiq to The-Dream and Nile Rodgers.
Remarkably, a couple of artists across hip-hop and R&B were able to cut through the Cowboy Carter chokehold. Ye (fka Kanye West) predictably inserted himself in the Drake–Kendrick Lamar back-and-forth, claiming that “there is only one GOAT” and that he “washed” both artists on previous collaborations. Tyla, who is currently enjoying the release of her debut studio album, covered the most recent Billboard print issue and revealed why pulling out of Coachella was “the right decision.” Of course, the Head Barb herself, Nicki Minaj, stayed in the news cycle with the announcement of her first sneaker collection, a winning performance at Madison Square Garden and an appearance at the Knicks game with her family (March 31).
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Beyoné and Shaboozey’s genre-obliterating shootout to Felix Ames’ soulful new single. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Tyrese, “I Would Still Say I Do”
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A sweeping eight-minute tribute to the longevity of matrimony, Tyrese‘s “I Would Still Say I Do” is also a tender love letter to tasteful, old-school soul. The “Sweet Lady” singer has been teasing this track on his official Instagram account — where he’s also been subtly documenting the creation of his forthcoming seventh studio album — and it was absolutely worth the wait. Stirring strings and lush piano serve as the anchors for an arrangement that swells into a mini-orchestra, incorporating bits of jazz along the way. “How foolish would it be/ betting it all after losing everything/ And nothing here makes sense/ Love is worth whatever the consequence,” he croons in a tone that expertly balances yearning with true devotion. The subject matter is reminiscent of “I Still Do” from 2015’s Black Rose, but with even more finesse and gravitas.
Beyoncé, Linda Martell & Shaboozey, “SPAGHETTII”
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“Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?/ Yes, they are,” country pioneer Linda Martell chuckles at the beginning of “Spaghetti,” a high-camp Western shootout soundtrack housed on Beyoncé’s latest opus, Cowboy Carter. Here, Beyoncé acts as a bridge between country’s past (Martell) and a fearlessly innovative future that ropes in notes of Southern hip-hop, by way of herself and ascendant country star Shaboozey.
With a rap verse that bears the unmistakable dual fingerprints of both Jay-Z and The Harder They Fall‘s soundtrack, Queen Bey asserts power and dominance over everything in her path. In the context of the album, “Spaghettii” is a smart sonic juxtaposition and a thematic complement to its preceding track, which finds Bey carrying out a murder fantasy — the “I ain’t in no gang, but I got shooters and I bang-bang!” lyric is the bridge between the two — while combining the sounds of country and classical music. Oh, did we mention that she’s also doing all of this over a Brazilian funk sample?
Doechii with JT, “Alter Ego”
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An Ayesha Erotica sample + a Tampa-Miami link-up + an Azealia Banks-esque flow = a bop. The equation really is that simple. Are the “Show Me Love”-esque synths a bit predictable? Yes, but that doesn’t mean they’re still not a worthy addition to the song. On “Alter Ego,” Doechii and JT join forces for yet another bad bitch anthem, but with one foot in the world of house music and the other dipping its toes in histrionic Miami Bass-laden hyperpop, the track sounds fresh, even if its subject matter is far from it. Although “Alter Ego” is less immediately accessible than “What It Is,” it’s still a winning showcase of both ladies’ verve and personality. “Fuck these n—as and these b–ches/ I come through and it be crickets/ I come through and moods be switchin’/ I’m the problem, I’m the villain,” JT spits.
Felix Ames, “Mr. Weatherman”
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As the Milwaukee hip-hop scene continues to bask in its moment in the national limelight, Felix Ames is holding down the city’s soul scene. With “Mr. Weatherman” — which serves as the lead single for the forthcoming deluxe version of JENA, his 2023 debut LP — he sings of both life’s more aimless moments and the search for reassurance and comfort that there truly is a light at the end of the tunnel. “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m going fast,” he croons before begging, “Mr. Weatherman, tell me something better.” For New Yorkers, those lyrics will feel particularly impactful given spring’s reluctance to stick around for more than two days at a time. For everyone, “Mr. Weatherman” evokes consolation the world is craving in the face of times that are as tumultuous as they are unprecedented.
Machine Gun Kelly & Trippie Redd, “Beauty”
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With this new track, Machine Gun Kelly and Trippie Redd try to navigate finding “beauty” in the breakdown. The Ohio-bred duo returned to bring the emo raps for their genre : sadboy joint project and track two is an early standout from the 10-song project. Built around a pitched-up Frou Frou “Let Go” sample, MGK does most of the heavy lifting on the hook and his numbing verse, while touching on substance abuse, addiction and depression. “21 days clean that won’t break a habit/ 22 days later, I’m a f—-g addict/ Lost a real one, so I went and got him tatted/ Can’t eat, can’t sleep, life doesn’t matter,” he raps. MGK and Tripp join forces looking inward to face their demons and turn those harrowing experiences into cathartic art.
DJ Premier & Snoop Dogg, “Can U Dig That?”
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Inject this into hip-hop purists’ veins. DJ Premier’s signature scratches mixed with Snoop Dogg’s West Coast style make for a laid-back boom-bap rap cocktail here. It’s a sight to behold when a pair of the genre’s dignitaries are still raising the bar three decades into their Hall of Fame careers. “We been doing this s–t, mane, ’bout 25, 26/ S–t, I don’t know, we just been doing it,” Snoop reflects on his lengthy relationship with Preemo, in what’s typically been a young person’s sport. The Doggfather ashes his joint while cruising in his low-rider, and takes a second to show love to Cali peers who also changed the game, like 2Pac, E-40, Ice Cube and Eazy-E. Unfortunately, “Can U Dig That?” appears to be a one-off rather than the lead into a collab project from Snoop and Preemo.
Future and Metro Boomin’s collaborative album We Don’t Trust You debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated April 6) with 2024’s largest week by equivalent album units earned, as well as streams generated by a set’s songs. It lands Future his ninth No. 1 and Metro Boomin his fourth.
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The set launches with 251,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 28, according to Luminate, nearly entirely driven by streaming activity. That marks the biggest week of 2024 by any album, Future’s second-largest week ever and Metro Boomin’s biggest week.
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Olivia Rodrigo’s chart-topping Guts zooms 18-2 following a deluxe reissue with additional tracks, and Hozier’s new four-song EP Unheard starts at No. 10, largely powered by its streaming-driven hit “Too Sweet.”
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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 April 6, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 2. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of We Don’t Trust You’s first-week unit sum of 251,000, SEA units comprise 245,000 (equaling 324.31 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 17 songs), traditional album sales comprise 4,500 (the album was only available to purchase as a digital download through traditional digital retailers including iTunes and the Amazon Digital Music Store) and TEA units comprise 1,500.
With 251,000 units earned, the album yields the largest week of 2024, Metro Boomin’s biggest week ever, and Future’s second-largest week ever. For the latter, he logged a bigger week only with another joint effort, when his team-up with Drake on What a Time to Be Alive scored 375,000 units in its opening week (Oct. 10, 2015-dated chart), largely powered by traditional album sales.
Further, We Don’t Trust You’s SEA sum of 245,000 translates to 324.31 million on-demand official streams for the set’s songs — the biggest streaming week for any album since Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) racked up 375.49 million clicks for its 21 songs on the Nov. 11, 2023 chart. We Don’t Trust You also claims the biggest streaming week for any album by Future or Metro Boomin.
We Don’t Trust You was announced on March 8 as the first of a two-album project, with its sequel, We Still Don’t Trust You, due April 12.
We Don’t Trust You boasts featured artists Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti, Rick Ross, Travis Scott and The Weeknd. However, the set was initially unveiled on March 22 through digital platforms without revealing the featured artists. A few days later, the set’s tracklist was updated to display the guest stars.
The album’s most-streamed song of the week is “Like That,” a co-billed track with Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar, which sent “social media into an absolute tizzy.” On the track, Lamar “throws several volleys, suggestively targeting Drake and J. Cole.”
Olivia Rodrigo’s chart-topping Guts flies 18-2 on the Billboard 200 with 73,000 equivalent album units earned (up 155%). The set surges back up the list following its deluxe reissue on March 22 (dubbed the Guts [Spilled] edition) with five additional tracks. The Spilled edition of Guts was issued as a digital download album and via streaming services. It’s not available as a deluxe physical album presently, but will be issued on vinyl on July 19.
Of the five added songs, four of them (“Obsessed,” “Girl I’ve Always Been,” “Scared of My Guitar” and “Stranger”) were previously issued as bonus tracks on vinyl editions of the original Guts release last year, and then collected for a four-song vinyl EP, Guts: The Secret Tracks, that was issued for Record Store Day Black Friday last November. The fifth added song to the new Guts deluxe is “So American,” a previously unreleased track.
On the Billboard 200, Guts vaults to its highest rank since the Oct. 7, 2023-dated list, when it also placed at No. 2 in its third week on the chart.
A pair of former No. 1s is next up on the Billboard 200, as Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine falls 1-3 in its third week (72,000 equivalent album units; down 29%) and Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time dips 3-4 (68,000; down 3%). Noah Kahan’s Stick Season is steady at No. 5 with 44,000 (down 3%).
Former chart-toppers populate Nos. 6-9 on the latest chart, and all are non-movers from the previous week. SZA’s SOS is No. 6 (41,000; down 6%), Taylor Swift’s Lover is No. 7 (40,000; down 1%), Zach Bryan’s self-titled album is No. 8 (39,000; down 3%) and Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is No. 9 (38,000; down 4%).
Hozier rounds out the top 10 on the new Billboard 200 as his four-song EP Unheard debuts at No. 10. The set earned nearly 38,000 equivalent album units, mostly from streaming activity. Of that starting sum, SEA units comprise 34,000 (equaling 44.15 million on-demand official streams of the set’s four songs), album sales comprise 3,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Unheard marks Hozier’s fourth top 10-charting effort, following Unreal Unearth (No. 3, 2023), Wasteland, Baby! (No. 1, 2019) and his self-titled set (No. 2, 2014).
Unheard collects four songs that were recorded for, but not included on, Unreal Unearth. Among the four tracks is the gone-viral “Too Sweet,” which drives much of the streaming activity of Unheard. The song was first heard through a teaser snippet during Hozier’s March 6 appearance on the How Long Gone podcast. The clip swiftly went viral through the artist’s fanbase, followed by popularity on TikTok and then a warm embrace on streaming services.
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.
Travis Scott‘s SNL gig this weekend included performances of “My Eyes,” “Fe!n” featuring Playboi Carti and new song “We Got Too High” — with Please Don’t Destroy and Ramy Youssef. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Houston rapper brought a taste of Utopia to the Saturday […]
Kendrick Lamar was a no-show on Friday (March 29) at Tecate Pa’l Norte, where he was set to headline the Tecate Light stage. Just hours before he was scheduled to take the stage on day one of the festival, which takes place at the Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, Nuevo León, in Mexico, the event’s organizers […]
Blxst and Feid linked up for the vibrant cross-cultural collaboration “Rewind,” which dropped Thursday (March 28) via Evgle and Red Bull Records. “Rewind” is the kind of song you want to dance with your significant other to at the club on a warm summer night you wish to relive over and over again. It marks […]
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Igmar Thomas exists in a musical ecosystem that engages every part of his human experience, allowing him to express the kaleidoscopic span of creative expression. In a recent chat with Hip-Hop Wired, Igmar Thomas shared a bit about his upbringing in California, encountering fellow leaders of the jazz scene, and his excitement about the inaugural Hip Hop &… festival at the Kennedy Center.
With a reserved vocal tone befitting of a band leader, Igmar Thomas’ breezy nature translated well in our brief chat with him. We opened up the talk by asking Thomas how growing up in San Diego, which isn’t known for its jazz scene, and how he came to encounter his love of music overall.
“Growing up in San Diego, it’s not New Orleans or New York, it’s more of a slice of franchise America,” Thomas began. “I wasn’t exposed to juke joints and things like that at a young age but my father’s love of music and his record collection was diverse. He loved all types of music.”
Thomas continued, “I heard everything growing up and discovering music via radio and television. My friends and family also got me into a lot of different genres. So my musical vocation at a young age isn’t like say, a cat from New Orleans.”
Thomas then explained that he began his formal training with music at age 11, joining the school band playing in a structured format, and learning the trumpet. He added that the public school system was key in getting him into playing music.
The West Coast jazz scene, much like the Los Angeles underground beat scene, is packed with talent. Thomas has worked alongside the likes of Ron Bruner, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, Kamasi Washington, and others during their respective journeys in music. We asked about the early days of those connections.
“It all came together towards the end of high school and it was pretty organic [how we all met],” Thomas says of his early encounters with Washington. “I can’t recall everything but I think I saw Kamasi playing at the UCLA Jazz Fest, or he could’ve been with Christian McBride. Growing up where I did, it was amazing to see him play in the same lane I wanted to be in and killing it at that.”
Thomas adds, “Kamasi was playing better than I could. I actually got to meet Kamasi and his folks via Ray Hargrove, who was my big brother in music. So I was at Catalina’s a lot and met Kamasi and Ron [Bruner] there. I met Kamasi’s whole band eventually, which includes Brandon Coleman, Ron, and his brother Stephen, who everyone knows is Thundercat.”
In the chat, Thomas remarked on how Ron Bruner had more of an eclectic style of dress back then, which Thomas says may have been informed by his working with Sa-Ra Creative Partners at the time while Thundercat was conservative in comparison. These days, Thundercat is viewed as a style icon, something Thomas mentioned with a laugh. He respectfully referred to the bassist as his generation’s Bootsy Collins.
We then switched our conversation to the Revive Big Band and Thomas’ aims with the outfit from its early days to now. With a knowing nod to how his journey played out, Thomas shared that he’s hoping that his band can be an extension of creativity from him and those who make up the band.
“I felt like when we first came out, we were trying to prove something but now, I don’t feel that way anymore,” Thomas explains. “Our message is consistent and what I mean is we’re all one family. They used to box us in by styles, and genres. But our debut album will show our true family tree. That includes Hip-Hop, R&B, funk, rock, and jazz. When you see us play, you see we’re more aligned musically than the award shows would have you believe.”
Thomas added, “I came up in the jazz tradition which does have rules but also, in that same breath, some breaking of the rules. We’ve always mixed things up. Bird [Charlie Parker] did it. Miles [Davis] did it. It’s just history repeating itself and that’s what the band represents. We play within a space of invisible boundaries and sometimes cross them.”
We asked Thomas to share his thoughts on the upcoming Hip Hop &… festival at the Kennedy Center, where Revive Big Band has two evening shows lined up. Having played at the Kennedy Center previously, Thomas says he’s excited to share what his band is doing and is thankful for the hard work of Simone Eccleston, the director of Hip Hop Culture & Contemporary Music at the Kennedy Center.
“I love what they’re doing at the Kennedy Center, they’re doing a tremendous job,” Thomas said. “Seeing it from the outside looking in, I love every bit of it. The festival idea is amazing and I hope it’s a trend that spreads. I am a big fan of both Hip-Hop and jazz and I rock Hip-Hop ahead of my jazz gigs and vice versa. That same synergy I seek in life, we hope to give the fans in attendance via the Revive Big Band experience.”
Thomas continued, “I want to be sure to add that the Hip Hop &… festival is dedicated to the memory of Meghan Stabile, who started the Revive Music Group. Our work with Revive Music informed our interpretation of jazz and Hip-Hop. This is the result of Revive Music Group and all of the work Simone Eccleston has put in to make this happen. It’s all coming full circle because Meghan got us booked at the Kennedy Center in 2014 and now Simone is making all these wonderful things happen.”
Learn more about Igmar Thomas and the Revive Big Band here.
To obtain information on any of the ongoing Hip Hop &… festival happenings, featuring Robert Glasper, De La Soul, Rakim, and more, click here.
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Photo: Igmar Thomas/Kennedy Center
“Okay, let’s get it” — only one thing mattered this weekend. Well, one verse, rather. On Friday (March 22), Kendrick Lamar came back outside for a culture-rocking verse that threw direct shots at Drake, J. Cole and the very concept of “The Big 3.” That verse appeared on “Like That,” the immediate breakout hit from Future & Metro Boomin‘s new joint album We Don’t Trust You — an LP that easily dominated the weekend’s online conversations. As Drake continues to prep his response to Kung Fu Kenny, several other releases and events are keeping the R&B and hip-hop worlds occupied.
On the R&B front, amapiano crossover sensation Tyla unleashed her debut studio album, TDE R&B crooner SiR returned with his first LP in five years and Bryson Tiller officially launched his eponymous album with his new “Calypso” single. Hip-hop was obviously dominated by the Kendrick, Drake and Future of it all, but GloRilla carved out a bit of airtime for herself thanks to a hilarious clip of her appearing on CNN to comment on her visit to the White House. In the evergreen words of the Grammy-nominated “Tomorrow 2” rapper, “At the end of the day, the day gotta end!”
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Freshest Find: Future & Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Like That”
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from K. Dot’s incendiary verse to Tyla’s sexy summer smash. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Kendrick Lamar lit the fuse for rap’s biggest storyline of the year with his scathing assist on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” Kenny builds off of Future’s earlier shots at the 6 God by taking aim at both of his “Big Three” running mates J. Cole and Drake with a direct response to their Billboard Hot 100-topping “First Person Shooter.” “Yeah, get up with me, f–k sneak dissing/ ‘First Person Shooter,’ I hope they came with three switches,” he raps before throwing more fuel on the fire. “Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD/ Motherf–k the Big 3, n—a, it’s just big me.”
K.Dot takes the gloves off and hones in on Drake while referencing his For All The Dogs album and compares their relationship to Prince and Michael Jackson. “And your best work is a light pack/ N–a, Prince outlived Mike Jack’/ N—a, bum/ ‘For All your Dogs’ gettin’ buried/ That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Sematary,” he snarls. Kendrick and Drake have had an icy relationship since Dot’s atomic “Control” verse back in 2013, and this should ratchet up the cold war a few notches. Don’t look for “Like That” to exit the zeitgeist all that quickly either, as the Three 6 Mafia-sampling hit is expected to earn a lofty debut on the Hot 100 next week. The ball is now in Drake and Cole’s court, with the hip-hop world anxiously awaiting a response.
Tyla feat. Gunna & Skillibeng, “Jump”
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From “Girl Next Door” and the Grammy-winning “Water” to “Truth or Dare” and “Butterflies,” the road to Tyla’s highly anticipated debut studio effort has been a sight to behold. “Jump,” a genre-bending standout from the self-titled LP, continues her track record of steamy come-hither bops that keep her in complete control at all times. Alongside Gunna and Skillibeng, Tyla writes across a sultry soundscape that combines notes of Afropop, dancehall and R&B. “They never had a pretty girl from Joburg/ See me now, and that’s what they prefer/ I don’t touch no wheel ’cause I gotta chauffeur/ First class how I get ’round the world,” she croons in a cadence that emulates the laid-back rap-sung cadence of Rihanna. Perfectly primed to dominate the summer, “Jump” is certainly one to watch.
Big Sean, “Precision”
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History repeats itself with a Big Sean release day being overshadowed by a Kendrick Lamar verse a decade later — who can forget “Control”? Sean ended his hiatus last week with his first offering of 2024, “Precision,” which finds the reinvigorated Detroit spitter coming out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Sean Don’s scintillating flow hasn’t lost its luster and he can still go toe-to-toe with any of his competition in rap. With his finger on the trigger, Sean attacks the bouncy FNZ production with ambition. “My life was a highlight reel that keep on looping/ You can’t just tell me s–t, ho, you gotta prove it,” he boasts. It’s a welcomed comeback single for Big Sean, and hopefully, he won’t be taking his foot off the gas cruising down I-375 anytime soon.
SiR, “Brighter”
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Heavy, SiR’s first studio album in five years, is some truly dark work. The Inglewood-bred crooner parses through addiction recovery, recommitting himself to love in all of its forms, and the vices that he nearly fell victim to. On “Brighter,” the gospel-inflected album closer, SiR delivers a song that embodies all of the hope and tried-and-tested faith that allowed him to survive and make an album like Heavy. “It’s the hardest where the start is/ But I know we’re gonna make it through,” he passionately croons. “Yes, it’s the darkest where the spark is/ But there’s nothin’ more amazin’ than when lights starts breakin’ through.”
Forest Claudette, “Gold”
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With their new Jupiter EP slated for a May 3 release, Forest Claudette is kicking things off with “Gold.” A shimmering amalgam of macabre lyrics, morose piano and strings, tied together with an evocative vocal performance, “Gold” continues building Forest’s stunning catalog of introspective alternative R&B. “I ain’t no damsel, I get distressed/ Burned out my candles, can’t find the rest/ Where’s the bottom? Where’s the edge? / Not there, not yеt,” he ponders. He effortlessly transposes the traditional soul hallmark into something decidedly more contemporary in its penchant for the existential.
Bairi, “Come My Way”
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Bairi (Inspired by Kingdom Hearts character Kairi) might not be a name as well known as others on this list, but she undoubtedly holds her own here. The Hershey, PA native tantalizes listeners with her luscious vocals on the sultry “Come My Way.” She reels in a love interest with a velvety coo: “If you open up to me you won’t regret it/ I can show you paradise through my gate to heaven.” Her seductive songwriting includes an intoxicating melody made to fill the club’s dancefloor. Bairi isn’t going away either, as the introverted gamer will look to carry this momentum into her debut project Baby Siren, which arrives on April 22.
GloRilla knows the importance of proper tour prep. The “Yeah Glo!” MC posted a video on Saturday of the weight work she’s been putting in to get in shape for her upcoming opening slot on Megan Thee Stallion‘s Hot Girl Summer tour. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
03/22/2024
Young Metro and Pluto connect for the first portion of their anticipated double-album.
03/22/2024
