State Champ Radio Hip-Hop
Page: 117
As his business empire crumbles due to a recent string of antisemitic comments, Kanye West continued to lean into hateful antisemitic rhetoric this week in a two-and-a-half hour interview with MIT research scientist Lex Fridman. The interview between the two men, who Ye (as the rapper/entrepreneur is now known) described as “friends,” included inflammatory, unsubstantiated claims about abortion, Planned Parenthood and what West described as a conspiracy by “Jewish doctors” to medicate and sedate him.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“We are still in the Holocaust. A Jewish friend of mine said, ‘Go visit the Holocaust Museum,’ and my response was, let’s visit our Holocaust Museum: Planned Parenthood,” West said, echoing his past offensive claims about Planned Parenthood while once again amplifying his antisemitic commentary while speaking to Fridman, a Soviet Union-born Jewish podcaster who noted during the chat that some of his family members were killed by Nazis during the Holocaust.
West then appeared to downplay the atrocities of the Holocaust by noting that while six million Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis, “over 20 million have died by the hands of abortion,” claiming that the phrase “my body, my choice” is a “promotion” for Planned Parenthood.
A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood had no comment on West’s statements at press time. While there is not verifiable support for West’s claims about abortion, a 2021 national survey from In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda reported that 80% of Black Americans say abortion should be legal, regardless of their personal views.
Undeterred, West added, “Fifty percent of Black deaths a year is actually abortion. It’s not the cop with the knee, it’s not Black-on-Black violence and gang violence, not heart attacks, it’s actually abortion. The most dangerous place for a Black person in America is in their mother’s stomach.”
Later, West repeated his unsubstantiated claim about abortion and Black deaths by adding in an antisemitic bent as well, saying, “It’s not racism; that’s too wide of a term. It’s genocide and population control that Black people are in today in America, that is promoted by the music and the media that Black people make, that Jewish record labels get paid off of.”
Fridman pushed back on West’s continued use of the phrase “Jewish media” — which the Anti-Defamation League reported has led to some antisemitic groups embracing the hate speech and “further[ing] their own agendas and [inspiring] new propaganda campaigns — by saying that the use of the term creates an “echo of a pain that people feel,” comparing it to statements made by Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. He also noted that any individuals who may have “f—ed over” West during his years in the music business are “individuals, they’re not Jews.”
West pushed back, insisting “They are Jewish,” as Fridman countered that they are “humans with opportunities, and they took those opportunities. I don’t care if they’re Jewish.”
Over the weekend, demonstrators in Los Angeles unfurled a banner on an overpass praising Ye’s antisemitic rants that read, “Kanye is right about the Jews.” Fridman also refused to accept West’s smiling claim that the phrase “Jewish media” is a “redundant statement,” comparing its use to that of the N-word, even as West again insisted that he is “Jew,” though not “Jewish,” which he said translated to “like that of a Jew.”
West also repeated his claim that he cannot be antisemitic because he is Jewish during a digression into the history of Jewish slavery in Egypt. “If Jewish people would accept that I’m a Jew, they’d hear it a different way,” Ye said as Fridman suggested that “the right thing is not to say there’s Jewish control of the media.” West, however, pushed further, blaming what he described as a Jewish conspiracy that led to his being diagnosed with a mental illness; in a 2018 interview, West, 45, said he was diagnosed with a mental illness, which ex-wife Kim Kardashian said was bipolar disease, and which the rapper then said is “not a disability, it’s a superpower.”
“There was a Jewish trainer that brought me to the hospital, and put in [the] press that I went to the hospital. A Jewish doctor that diagnosed me,” West said as Fridman again asked why he kept hammering down on the fact that the doctor was Jewish. “Because they were,” West told him. “Diagnosed me with bipolar disorder and shot me with medication. Then put it in the press… and every time, even if I wore a wrong-colored hat that a n—er is not supposed to wear, right, then they immediately say, ‘he’s off his s–t, he’s off his meds, he’s off his rocker.’ And it’s literally used as a scarlet letter control mechanism.”
West’s recent run of controversial interviews, as well as his promotion of his “White Lives Matter” T-shirt, has led to the crumbling of his business empire. Adidas is the latest former corporate partner to cut ties with Ye over his offensive comments, saying in a statement on Tuesday (Oct. 25): “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
Ye was also suspended from Twitter and Instagram this month over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. His most recent controversial statements have led to talent agency, CAA dropping him, and MRC studio announcing on Monday that it is shelving a complete documentary about the rapper.
In addition, Women’s Wear Daily reported that fashion house Balenciaga cut ties with West last week, and his bank, JPMorganChase said they’ve ended their business relationship with Ye. The company said its move came weeks before Ye’s recent barrage of antisemitic slurs.
When Fridman suggested Ye stop amplifying false narratives about alleged Jewish control of the media, West responded, “That’s incorrect though! That’s a f—ing lie,” claiming that “they” bullied him in reference to Jewish people. In the midst of his recitation of antisemitic tropes, West lashed out at billionaire Democratic fundraiser and philanthropist George Soros — a frequent target of conservatives and Republican politicians — claiming that he would “use the Black trauma economy to win an election.”
The rapper — who is the founder of a private religious academy — also went on a bizarre conspiracy tangent about how history and race should not be taught in schools, because, “what schools are doing is exactly what the CIA does with Pixar films and Disney films: they make Bambi’s mom die at the beginning,” said Ye, who has recently noted in interviews his ire about being identified as a rapper and not also as a business mogul and entrepreneur. “And off that pain comes a purchase of ice cream. Off that pain comes, ‘I need some more toys’ … they put that pain in to make us … now we’re the orphans of capitalism, to make us be consumers and we need to be a community, not just consumers.”
Asked at one point what he loves the most about his ex-wife Kardashian, West said “she’s a mix of [late father] Robert [Kardashian] and Kris [Jenner] … two geniuses … certain people have high DNA … Ivanka Trump has high DNA.”
In light of his hate speech, Kardashian — and sister Khloe — have condemned that hurtful rhetoric, which West admitted to Fridman has cost him dearly.
“I lost my f—ing family. I lost my kids. I lost my best friend in fashion. I lost the Black community,” he said, jokingly adding shots at Coca-Cola and McDonald’s while claiming he’s able to speak his mind because he has “God’s protection.”
“People said I lost my mind,” he went on, accusing Ari Emanuel of “trying to take food out of my children’s mouth” after the William Morris Endeavor CEO wrote an op-ed in the Financial Times this week urging companies to split with West. “I lost my reputation. And I’m up here just like, I just want my family. But I don’t want my family to have to say what the left wants it to say, to have to say what China wants it to say. I want to be an American and protect my kids and protect my wife, and raise my kids as Christians, and have my wife be a Christian.”
Check out the interview below.
Adidas has ended its partnership with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West over his offensive and antisemitic remarks, the latest company to cut ties with Ye and a decision that the German sportwear company said would hit its bottom line.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
The company faced pressure to cut ties with Ye, with celebrities and others on social media urging Adidas to act. It said at the beginning of the month that it was placing its lucrative sneaker deal with the rapper under review.
Adidas said Tuesday that it conducted a “thorough review” and would immediately stop production of its line of Yeezy products and stop payments to Ye and his companies. The sportswear company said it was expected to take a hit of up to 250 million euros ($246 million) to its net income this year from the move.
The move by Adidas, whose CEO Kasper Rorsted is stepping down next year, comes after Ye was suspended from Twitter and Instagram this month over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies.
He recently suggested slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast,” among other comments. He also was criticized for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to his Yeezy collection show in Paris.
Ye’s talent agency, CAA, has dropped him, and the MRC studio announced Monday that it is shelving a complete documentary about the rapper.
The Balenciaga fashion house cut ties with Ye last week, according to Women’s Wear Daily. JPMorganChase and Ye have ended their business relationship, although the banking breakup was in the works even before Ye’s antisemitic comments.
In recent weeks, Ye also has ended his company’s association with Gap and has told Bloomberg that he plans to cut ties with his corporate suppliers. After he was suspended from Twitter and Facebook, Ye offered to buy conservative social network Parler.
Demonstrators on a Los Angeles overpass Saturday unfurled a banner praising Ye’s antisemitic comments, prompting an outcry on social media from celebrities and others who said they stand with Jewish people.
Armani Caesar admits in hindsight that 2020 was an odd time to drop off a debut album.
By the time The Liz arrived in September of that year, she was already a buzzing lyrical talent, having been celebrated for penning one of the year’s best verses. But the pandemic was in full swing, leaving her unable to announce her arrival through any of the traditional routes. All of her interviews were conducted via Zoom, and she couldn’t appear on Sway in the Morning or the L.A. Leakers to showcase her freestyling. Then two days before the project was set to drop, Griselda’s DJ Shay passed away, and Caesar decided to delay the album a month out of respect.
Despite these hurdles, The Liz arrived with a good deal of fanfare behind it. Griselda’s first lady easily embraced the gritty disorienting soundscapes of her label’s founding triad, but tracks like “Yum Yum” and “Drill a RaMa” tiptoed into trap territory more frequented by Megan Thee Stallion or 21 Savage. These stylistic changes were intentional, as the album remained one of the only last avenues at the time for Caesar to showcase her talent.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“When I dropped The Liz, everything was shut down and I couldn’t do s–t,” Caesar says. “I had to show and prove any way I could. Everybody looked at me when I signed and expected me to fail, so I had to show and prove that I wanna put on the girls from Buffalo, and that I can really hold my own with these guys.”
Armani Caesar explains this while dining at a dimly lit restaurant in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. In a way, it feels like she’s making up for lost time. She’s celebrating the release of her next album, The Liz 2, in the way she wanted to celebrate its predecessor: with a swanky album release party surrounded by friends and colleagues, sipping $12,000 Remy Martin out of a $675 crystal glass.
“On ‘Queen City’ it starts out, ‘this year I’m on the same s–t but way bigger,” Caesar said. “That’s real. My life has literally been a movie, and every song on this record is about something that happened within the time frame I was making it. I didn’t have to pull from anything.”
The Liz 2, which dropped Friday (Oct. 21), is an even bolder record than its predecessor. Caesar dabbles in party tracks and sings on multiple songs, with tracks like “Snowfall” nosediving into R&B. Singing is a tool Caesar kept in her back pocket for a while now, (In 2018 she toyed with melodic hooks on Pretty Girls Get Played Too) but never has her crooning felt so front and center to her work.
“She’s commercial,” says Westside Gunn, who serves as executive producer on The Liz 2. “We wanna show Griselda fans that she can do everything, because a lot of people were like: ‘Oh you’re just signing her for the way she looks.’ We wanted to show them we signed her because she’s dope.”
Griselda supporters are ferociously loyal to the group’s signature boom-bap sound — but Armani Caesar seems to shrug off any worry that fans wouldn’t appreciate a musical change from the first lady.
“I look at this –t like Grand Theft Auto,” she says. “If a motherf–ker walk past you and call you a b–ch or punch you in the face — OK well, if somebody punch you in the face, that’s different — but essentially, if somebody is saying something rude to you, who cares? Can’t nobody tell me that I’m a bad artist. I’m not perfect, but at the end of the day I’m very much me and I stand on that.”
Armani Caesar met Westside and the other Griselda family members when she was just a teenager. A verse she casually wrote in the lobby of Buffalo’s Buff City Studios had caught the attention of Benny The Butcher and Conway the Machine, who quickly brought her into the Buff City fold. Westside Gunn was in the midst of a rapping hiatus at the time, but he and Caesar formed a deep bond. She ultimately left Buffalo to attend North Carolina Central University, but when Griselda broke out, she was Gunn’s first phone call.
“They taught me the game,” Caesar said. “A lot of times women get in these relationships with men with money and they expect to be kept — and for me, all of the men with money I’ve been around, they’ve taught me how to have my own. You can’t fall to pieces ’cause there ain’t someone around to take care of you, you gotta be able to still hold it down.”
Below, Griselda’s first lady speaks to Billboard about The Liz 2, navigating fame as a woman in Hip Hop, and more.
You’ve had such a steady rise within Griselda despite everything. Where did you learn how to navigate the industry so well?
I’m a person that always is learning, and always very intentional about what I feed my ears and my eyes — because I feel that’s what propels you and turns you into the person you are, and I always knew that I wanted to be successful. But I also know with all of the s–t going on in the world right now, it’s very easy to be brought down by anxiety and depression, so I wanted a different perspective. I got into reading a lot.
What’s a memorable lesson you learned from something you’ve read?
The book The Four Agreements. It’s based around the No. 1 rule: Don’t take anything personally. Nine times out of ten a person doing something to you don’t have nothing to do with you. A person can come up and punch you in the face right now, and nine times out of ten that don’t have nothing to do with you. That’s something within that person that is saying I don’t like you because my life is f–ked up. I look at everything like that.
You’ve had a few comments in past interviews where you said you really pride yourself on being a child of the internet and knowing how to utilize the internet — but of course rappers are trolled heavily online too. How do you utilize what you’ve learned when it comes to your online presence?
I learned how to log off. For whatever reason these motherf–kers think they don’t have the power to press that button to turn that s–t off, and you have to pay attention to the source. If these are motherf–kers that actually know music talking about this, that actually have studied or have an unbiased opinion, then I pay attention to that. It goes back to sales too.
How so?
I was a marketing major in college and the No. 1 rule in that s–t is that everybody ain’t gonna be your customer. Nobody has 100% of the audience, not even Amazon. With that being said, I don’t expect everybody to like my s–t. Going in knowing that I have a lane and a market, there is so much freedom in that, because now I’m not trying to make music for everybody. If you go in with a clothing line trying to sell to everybody, then you’re not gonna have nobody. Crayola been selling colored pencils, crayons and f–king markers for years now, and thats it. They didn’t say, “OK, we wanna sell shoes.”
On “Survival of the Littest” you say “streets taught me everything a college class didn’t,” but it sounds like college taught you a good deal.
It taught me a lot. You can have all the book smarts in the world, but the streets will tell you how to apply it. The streets is practical learning. You actually have to go out and experience certain s–t. That’s like a person telling you if you touch the stove it’s gonna be hot — but you still gonna wanna touch it, and you may even f–k around and set some s–t on fire. You have to know when to apply that knowledge, and the streets is what taught me how to apply it. Especially when it came to hustling, but I didn’t know about marketing, per se. So the know-how that comes with marketing, that’s what comes from college.
“Catch flight not feelings” is a key mantra you rap throughout The Liz 2. Why does that phrase apply to you so heavily right now?
Because! You gotta stay out your feelings cause there’s no money in it. You gotta stay focused and I’m on the move. I’m making moves. I’m not about to be sitting at home over them n—as. There’s money out here, and the men are gonna come. They’re gonna be there. These opportunities might not be.
You also sing a lot on this record.
Yep! And the next project is gonna have even more singing. I might even just do an EP of just singing, because I’m really trying to work on it.
Westside Gunn described your overall vibe as “commercial,” do you agree with that assessment?
He always said I was gonna be the wildcard. The one that would be able to bridge the gap. I even got Kodak Black on my album, and that’s an artist that’s completely different from anything Griselda has ever done.
You spend a lot of time on The Liz 2 talking about the men that have scorned you, but you’ve also spoken highly of being surrounded by men. Truthfully, what role have men played in the rise of Armani Caesar?
The good part is that I’m mostly around men. I know how to get along with them, I know how to mob with them, I get along with them easier than I do with females, and they just taught me the game. Then I think the bad side is getting broken when s–t don’t work out. Instead of falling to pieces when relationships don’t happen, or when I get let down I go into beast mode.
What do you mean?
That’s one of the things that’s helped me write my records. Like ‘Countdown’ was one of those records where it was like, ‘I’m talking about putting a bomb in a n—a’s bed!’ But then it turned out to be a song ironically that most n—as liked. So weird. Either way, it’s about being an equal. You don’t get any slack just because you’re a woman. If anything, that’s your superpower, because you can look how you do and still make moves and hustle and go hard in this game and win.
How do you feel navigating this fame as a woman rapper?
With me, I hate being put in a box. Being a woman, I have ‘Thot S–t’ moments, I have moments where I’m on some “U.N.I.T.Y.” s–t, I’m on some gangster s–t… so with me I wanna be all of those things depending on the time of day. I just think as women there needs to be more of a diversification between, you know, you can make club music, you can have fun, but you still need to taken seriously and be able to talk about real issues.
Like on [Liz 2], I’m talking about, ‘Depression almost killed me, I wish I had a different life,’ — like, that’s a real moment. Everything wasn’t always good for me. I feel like people need to know that you’re human and that you have those bad moments and can still be this. That’s where the motivation comes in. Like if a person comes up to you and they’re just successful, that’s not motivation, that turns into envy. For a lot of the women on top, like Cardi B or Nicki Minaj, once you reach a certain point, people start to hate you because they just see you as untouchable. The perception is: we know everything about you, we know your story, we know you’re rich.
Has navigating fame as a woman in rap gotten any easier in your opinion?
It’s harder cause there’s always new levels to this s—t. At first people don’t really pay attention, then they say you’re not famous enough, then they say ok you’re famous so now we’re gonna pit you against this bigger artist. Like, “D–n, why can’t I just be me? Why do I have to be in competition with anybody?” They compare you to the first person they think of, and I don’t understand that shit. Then women fall for it but you gotta understand that men don’t be going through that shit, at least not as much. Men work with each other, do whole projects with each other. I want a female Watch the Throne!
Kanye West claims he originally conceived of the idea for Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 historical revamp tribute to Spaghetti Westerns, Django Unchained. During Ye’s recent contentious chat with British talker Piers Morgan on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the MC/entrepreneur claimed that writer/director Tarantino and star Jamie Foxx cribbed the idea for the film from him based on a pitch he made while brainstorming for the 2005 “Gold Digger” video, which starred Foxx.
“Tarantino can write a movie about slavery, where actually — him and Jamie [Foxx] — they got the idea from me, because the idea for Django I pitched to Jamie Foxx and Quentin Tarantino as the video for ‘Gold Digger.’ And then Tarantino turned it into a film,” Ye said during last week’s interview, in which he also continued to lean into his recent string of antisemitic comments.
The surprise claim from Ye came after Morgan asked him if he believes in limits for free speech and, if so, what West thinks they are. “There are no limits to free speech,” Ye responded. “It’s all context, right?… In that film he creates a context where Leonardo DiCaprio use the [n-word] multiple times within that context.”
The Hype Williams-directed “Gold Digger” music video consists almost entirely of West rapping the song in a raspberry-hued void while Foxx croons the refrain and buxom, lingerie-clad models dance with the men at a nightclub and pose for magazine covers. Tarantino’s Oscar-winning film tells the story of a freed slave named Django (Foxx) who embarks on a killing spree across the South with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) as they search of Django’s wife (Kerry Washington); there does not appear to be any obvious narrative correlation between the “Gold Digger” video and Tarantino’s film.
Foxx was not originally attached to star in Django, with Tarantino originally considering the late Michael K. Williams and Will Smith for the lead role. A spokesperson for Tarantino could not be reached for comment at press time.
Lil Baby lands his third No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Oct. 29) as It’s Only Me debuts atop the tally. The set earned 216,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 20, according to Luminate. It also claims the third-largest streaming week for an album in 2022.
Lil Baby previously topped the list with The Voice of the Heroes (a collaborative set with Lil Durk in 2021) and My Turn (2020). The latter finished 2020 as Luminate’s most popular album of that year.
It’s Only Me was announced in early September and marks the rapper’s sixth top 10, all consecutive, on the Billboard 200.
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ second album of 2022, Return of the Dream Canteen, enters at No. 3; The 1975’s Being Funny in a Foreign Language starts at No. 7 and Bailey Zimmerman’s debut effort Leave the Light On bows at No. 9.
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 Oct. 29, 2022-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Oct. 25. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of It’s Only Me’s 216,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 209,000 (equaling 288.97 million on-demand officials streams of the set’s 23 tracks — the third-largest streaming week of 2022 for an album), album sales comprise 6,500 and TEA units comprise 500.
Bad Bunny’s former No. 1 Un Verano Sin Ti is a non-mover at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 72,000 equivalent album units earned (down 5%).
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ second album of 2022, Return of the Dream Canteen, debuts at No. 3 with 63,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 56,000 (it’s the top-selling album of the week, debuting at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 7,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Return of the Dream Canteen follows the band’s chart-topping Unlimited Love, which debuted atop the list dated April 16.
Notably, on the Top Album Sales chart, the Peppers have scored a pair of No. 1s in 2022 (Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen) – making it the first group with two No. 1 rock albums on the chart in less than 12 months since 2005. That year, System of a Down doubled-up at No. 1 with Mezmerize and Hypnotize. (The Peppers have logged their two 2022 No. 1s six months and two weeks apart; System of a Down notched theirs in 2005 six months and a week apart.)
Return of the Dream Canteen marks the ninth top 10-charting album for Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Billboard 200. The album was led by the single “Tippa My Tongue,” which hit No. 1 on both the Rock & Alternative Airplay and Alternative Airplay charts. On the latter, it’s the 15th No. 1 for the group, extending its record for the most No. 1s in the chart’s history.
Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album is stationary at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 (45,000 equivalent album units; down 2%), The Weeknd’s The Highlights is steady at No. 5 (40,000; down less than 1%) and Beyoncé’s former No. 1 Renaissance falls 3-6 (33,000; down 56%).
The 1975 collects its fourth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as the band’s new Being Funny in a Foreign Language bows at No. 7 with 32,500 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 19,500, SEA units comprise 13,000 (equaling 16.24 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 11 tracks) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The album was preceded by a pair of top 20-charting singles on the Alternative Airplay chart (“Part of the Band” and “I’m in Love With You”).
Harry Styles’ chart-topping Harry’s House falls 6-8 with 32,000 equivalent album units earned (down 5%).
Bailey Zimmerman’s debut effort Leave the Light On starts at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 with 32,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 27,000 (equaling 36.19 million on-demand official streams of the set’s nine tracks), album sales comprise 4,000 and TEA units comprise 1,000.
The singer-songwriter initially broke through on TikTok in 2020 and has already notched a trio of top 10-charting hits on the Hot Country Songs chart, all of which are included on Leave the Light On (“Fall in Love,” “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Where It Ends”). All three tracks have additionally reached the top 25 on the all-genre Streaming Songs chart, and the top five of the Country Streaming Songs chart (with “Rock and a Hard Place” hitting No. 1 in June).
Zach Bryan rounds out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 as American Heartbreak falls 8-10 with 28,000 equivalent album units earned (up 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.
Cardi B and Madonna have patched things up following comments the Queen of Pop made while reflecting on the 30-year anniversary of her Sex coffee table book.
On Sunday morning (Oct. 23), the superstar rapper fired off a series of now-deleted tweets expressing that she felt disrespected by comments Madge made on her Instagram Story the previous evening about how the iconic singer helped pave the way for other female artists expressing their sexuality.
“30 years ago I published a book called S.E.X. In addition to photos of me naked there were photos of Men kissing Men, Woman kissing Woman and Me kissing everyone,” Madonna wrote on Saturday, noting that she faced a great deal of criticism at the time. “Now Cardi B can sing about her WAP. Kim Kardashian can grace the cover of any magazine with her naked ass and Miley Cyrus can come in like a wrecking ball.”
Cardi took particular offense to the final line of Madonna’s post, which read, “You’re welcome b—-es,” followed by a clown emoji.
“I literally [paid] this woman homage so many times cause I grew up listening to her …she can make her point without putting clown emojis and getting slick out the mouth,” the rapper wrote in a now-deleted tweet alongside a screenshot of a 2018 Billboard article in which she praises Madonna. “These icons really become disappointments once u make it in the industry that’s why I keep to myself.”
Later Sunday morning, Hollywood Unlocked founder Jason Lee tweeted that he was “on the phone with Madonna and Cardi” and listening to the stars “share their perspective on the communication going on has broadened their love for each other.”
Shortly after, both Cardi and Madonna took to Twitter to share that they had patched things up. “I talked to Madonna …It was beautiful …Have a great day and drive safely yallll,” the rapper wrote. Madonna added, “I love you @iamcardib!! Always have and always will.”
In a video posted to Hollywood Unlocked’s Instagram account, Cardi shared a few more words about her telephone conversation with Madonna.
“I’m glad I had a conversation with Madonna, because I am sensitive. You already know I’m a sensitive gangsta,” the rapper said. “My feelings was a little hurt because to me Madonna is not no regular artist; she’s actually somebody that I really look up to.”
In 2018, Cardi gushed after meeting her “idol” Madonna at an Oscars afterparty, where she posed for pictures alongside the singer and Kardashian.
“I met my real life IDOL Madonna. I can’t even believe I performed at her event and it was the most meaningful performance ever,” Cardi wrote on Instagram at the time. “I grew up with my mom listening to Madonna for hours. I performed ‘Material Girl’ freshman year in High school, listen to her on all my photo shoots to have super confidence and always mentioned her in my interviews. The best part about it is she was everything i thought she would be a Liberal Kick ass feminist bitch. I’m soo happy.”
See Cardi and Madonna’s tweets below.
I talked to Madonna …It was beautiful 🥲….Have a great day and drive safely yallll😘— Cardi B (@iamcardib) October 23, 2022
Cardi B is feeling disrespected after being mentioned in Madonna‘s reflection on the 30th anniversary of her Sex coffee table book.
The superstar rapper took to social media on Sunday (Oct. 23) to fire back at the Queen of Pop following an Instagram Post about how the iconic singer’s then-scandalous book — released in conjunction with her 1992 album, Erotica — helped pave the way for other female artists expressing their sexuality.
“30 years ago I published a book called S.E.X. In addition to photos of me naked there were photos of Men kissing Men, Woman kissing Woman and Me kissing everyone,” Madonna wrote on Saturday night, noting that she faced a great deal of criticism at the time. “Now Cardi B can sing about her WAP. Kim Kardashian can grace the cover of any magazine with her naked ass and Miley Cyrus can come in like a wrecking ball.”
She closed with, You’re welcome b—-es,” alongside a clown face emoji.
In a series of tweets the next morning, Cardi wrote that she felt disrespected by the post, especially Madonna’s use of the clown emoji.
“I literally payed this woman homage so many times cause I grew up listening to her …she can make her point without putting clown emojis and getting slick out the mouth,” the rapper wrote alongside a 2018 Billboard article in which she praises Madonna. “These icons really become disappointments once u make it in the industry that’s why I keep to myself.”
Some Twitter users wrote that Cardi failed to comprehend Madonna’s point, noting that Madge was saying she “paved the way for sexual songs to become mainstream” and that the singer wasn’t trying to insult the rapper.
“I know exactly what she said and I understand,” Cardi replied, “but it’s about THE TONE …Calling me b—-es and putting clown emojis ? The f—!”
In a similar reaction, the rapper wrote, “EXACTLY SAY WAT YOU WANT TO SAY BUT DONT INSULT ME THE F— …nobody gonna lil girl me (specially a white woman).”
In 2018, Cardi gushed after meeting her “idol” Madonna at an Oscars afterparty, where she posed for pictures alongside the singer and Kardashian.
“I met my real life IDOL Madonna. I can’t even believe I performed at her event and it was the most meaningful performance ever,” Cardi wrote on Instagram at the time. “I grew up with my mom listening to Madonna for hours. I performed ‘Material Girl’ freshman year in High school, listen to her on all my photo shoots to have super confidence and always mentioned her in my interviews. The best part about it is she was everything i thought she would be a Liberal Kick ass feminist bitch. I’m soo happy.”
See Cardi’s response to Madonna’s Sex book reflection on Twitter below.
I literally payed this woman homage so many times cause I grew up listening to her …she can make her point without putting clown emojis and getting slick out the mouth ..These icons really become disappointments once u make it in the industry that’s why I keep to myself https://t.co/WWCGsirLXw pic.twitter.com/Ny1828TmgS— Cardi B (@iamcardib) October 23, 2022
I know exactly what she said and I understand but it’s about THE TONE …Calling me bitches and putting clown emojis ? The fuck! https://t.co/Q3GjYkAuDc— Cardi B (@iamcardib) October 23, 2022
EXACTLY AND IM NOT DELETING SHIT …IF IT WAS THEY FAVORITE ARTIST THEY WOULD BE CRYING…but since she mentioned the most hated women on the internet is “ yes take it” SUCK MY DICK I SAID WHAT I SAID!! https://t.co/FXWsFOU8jT— Cardi B (@iamcardib) October 23, 2022
Stacey Abrams held up a “my body, my choice” sign on stage as Latto performed “Pussy” in Atlanta Saturday night (Oct. 22).
The Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia took the stage at the State Farm Arena, where Latto was opening for Lizzo on The Special Tour. The message on the sign Abrams held high was echoed with a speech given to the crowd.
“I’m not gonna interrupt your fun. I just want to remind you that if you believe in my body, my choice, I need your vote,” Abrams said.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“I need your big energy,” she added. “Let’s get it!”
On Instagram, Abrams posted: “Thank you for sharing your stage with me, @latto777. Time to vote and protect a woman’s right to choose. StaceyAbrams.con/voting.”
Abrams debated with current Republican Governor Brian Kemp earlier this week, as early voting commenced.
“This is a governor who for the last four years has beat his chest but delivered very little for most Georgians,” she said, according to reporting by The Associated Press. “He’s weakened gun laws and flooded our streets. He’s weakened … women’s rights. He’s denied women the access to reproductive care. The most dangerous thing facing Georgia is four more years of Brian Kemp.”
Below, see a clip from Latto’s show shared by Abrams herself, as well as her speech which was captured by a fan at the show.
I don’t know if y’all can hear this because I’m still at the concert, but Latto brought out Stacey Abrams and she gave a RIVETING speech. The crowd went UP for the future Governor of Georgia! #SpecialTour pic.twitter.com/6eIDu4zHFs— aw…ooh…alright! (@TheGreatIsNate) October 23, 2022
Drake and 21 Savage are releasing an album together this week.
The pair announced that Her Loss will be here on Friday (Oct. 28) in the middle of their new “Jimmy Cooks” music video, which arrived late Saturday afternoon, 21 Savage’s birthday.
At the 1:25 mark in the Mahfuz Sultan-directed clip, the pair snuck in the title and release date for the new album.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
OVO Sound and Republic Records both shared screenshots of the Her Loss album news on Twitter.
The Honestly, Nevermind track “Jimmy Cooks” (seemingly an ode to the character of Jimmy Brooks that Drake portrayed on Degrassi: The Next Generation) is the pair’s latest collab, and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 over the summer, making it Drake’s 11th Hot 100 No. 1 and 21 Savage’s second.
Watch Drake and 21 Savage’s “Jimmy Cooks” video and check out the album announcement below.
Jeezy was asked on Wednesday morning (Oct. 19) about the unaired episode of the YouTube talk show Uninterrupted The Shop that he taped alongside Kanye West and shoe designer Salehe Bembury that was shelved last week in the wake of what producers said was “more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes” reportedly perpetuated by Ye on the show.
Asked on Ebro in the Morning if he could recall anything said during the episode that made him understand why it was not aired or if he thought producers just wanted to stay away from the unfolding backlash against West, Jeezy said he wasn’t sure what the answer was. “I couldn’t tell you that, I could just tell you that… whatever was said, um, whatever reason… I was just there to do my thing,” he said haltingly.
“But again, it’s not my business or place to speak on another man, you know what I mean? That’s just how I’m rockin’. I’m quite sure when one of them come up here they can kind of break it down to you,” he added. “I was a little, like, ‘Damn. They canceled me, I gotta go see Ebro now. I got a project coming out.’ Shoutout to Snowfall right now.”
Pressed by the radio host to say whether he understood why the Shop team shelved the episode, Jeezy again skirted around the controversy. “I can’t say I understood why they took it off, I just know that I came there, we did it, and I got a call and they said, ‘It’s was wrap.’ I didn’t take it personally,” he said, noting that he’s already been invited back to The Shop to appear with filmmaker/producer Tyler Perry.
The producers behind The Shop — which is executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter — decided against airing the episode or revealing what West said. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter last week, Carter said, “Yesterday we taped an episode of The Shop with Kanye West. Kanye was booked weeks ago and, after talking to Kanye directly the day before we taped, I believed he was capable of a respectful discussion and he was ready to address all his recent comments. Unfortunately, he used The Shop to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes.”
West has been widely condemned over the past week for his repeated use of hateful antisemitic stereotypes — which got him temporarily restricted from Twitter and Instagram — including during an interview on Chris Cuomo’s new show on Monday in which he referred to the “Jewish underground media mafia” and said Black artists signed to “Jewish record labels… [is] like a modern day slavery.”
Ye continued leaning into his hate-filled rhetoric on English talker Piers Morgan’s show on Wednesday, when he steadfastly refused to show remorse for his antisemitic comments. Asked if he was “sorry” that he said he was going to go “death con 3” on Jewish people, Ye simply replied, “Absolutely not.”
Watch Jeezy on Ebro below (Kanye talk starts around 17:44 mark).
