Hip-Hop

13 Sep 2024

LL Cool J Wants to Change Ageism Narrative in Rap, Has Unreleased Music With Michael Jackson

In a new interview, LL Cool J admitted to being nervous about the response his 14th solo album The FORCE would get, saying that he had a hard time sleeping the night it dropped. However, when he checked social media, he was relieved by the positive response.

“When I told people, ‘Yo, I wanna do a culturally relevant album’ in the midst of all these [younger artists], people looked at me like I had nine heads,” the 56-year-old told Variety. “They looked at me like I was a hydra — a hydra! — looking at me crazy like that, not because of any ill will, but just ‘How can you do that?’”

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While the genre has welcomed older acts, their mainstream success has been hit-or-miss, unless you’re Jay-Z, Nas or Eminem. LL was up for the challenge, though, saying, “It’s like breaking the 4-minute mile. Nobody thought it could be broken until Roger Bannister did it, and then a lot of people started breaking it.”

Adding, “Now you’ll see, when [The FORCE] has success, you’ll see people believing that they can make it happen, and it’s gonna extend the life of hip-hop in general. But if somebody doesn’t do it, if I don’t do Rock the Bells and [other] festivals and show that guys without records in the marketplace still can be relevant, and then if I don’t tell you that a guy who’s been out for a long time can make a new record and be relevant — if nobody does it, it never happens.”

Also, before LL worked with Q-Tip on his latest release, he says he recorded a bunch of songs with Dr. Dre, but the Queens MC wasn’t confident in the raps he laid down, so he decided to start over. “That would have meant I would have more confidence in him than I have in myself when it needs to be equal,” he told the outlet. “He deserves a better LL than that. For me to go in there and not give Dr. Dre the best possible LL, it’s not fair to him and it’s definitely not fair to me, because it means I’m not taking advantage of the opportunity.” He continued by saying, “We both knew it wasn’t there. The sonics were there, but I gotta deliver on the writing. I’m not putting nothing out if I don’t feel it’s right.”

Later in the interview he revealed that he and the late Michael Jackson have unreleased songs stashed away and that the King of Pop was inspired by LL’s song “I’m Bad” to make his own “Bad” song. “Me and Michael Jackson went to the studio, man,” he said. “Mike showed a lot of love to me in general, and definitely to hip-hop. Let’s be clear: For me, he’s the king. I’m a Michael Jackson fan, B. His talent speaks for itself.” Adding, “[Former Def Jam chief] Russell [Simmons] played my record for him and Quincy [Jones], and they got inspired. That’s OK.”

10 Sep 2024

What to Expect at the 2024 MTV VMAs (Including a Def Jam 40th Anniversary Tribute)

It’s late Monday (Sept. 9) night at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, and Bruce Gillmer, who is executive producing the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards alongside Jesse Ignjatovic, is hustling from one rehearsal to another.

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“We’ve been going since Saturday,” says Gillmer of the preparations to throw what will be the 40th anniversary of MTV’s signature award show on Wednesday (Sept 11). On Monday, Gillmer and his team rehearsed with the rapper LL COOL J. “He’s a legendary MTV artist returning to the stage to celebrate a milestone of one of hip-hop’s most groundbreaking labels: Def Jam,” he reveals of the tribute to the label which also celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, before teasing: “He may even bring some friends along.”

In the past four decades, the VMAs have stayed steady as a culture-moving, irreverent event, frequently sending shockwaves around the music world. (Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift! Miley Cyrus twerks! Britney Spears and Madonna kiss!) But while music videos used to be in heavy rotation on the network, these days the only time a video may air on MTV is during the annual show. Nevertheless, the ceremony has managed to soldier on despite changing consumption habits (certain award categories have dropped the keyword “video,” and some voting takes place over Instagram Stories) and societal norms (its signature trophy the Moon Man is now the Moon Person).

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“This might be the biggest scale production we’ve ever done,” says Gillmer of 2024’s iteration, which will acknowledge the four-decade milestone. “We’re going to be revisiting some of the show’s most iconic moments that made the VMAs the pop culture beast it is today,” he explains. That includes harkening back to its debut on Sept. 14th, 1984. (Hosts: Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler; video of the year: “You Might Think” by The Cars). “One of the look backs will be at that first show from Radio City Music Hall,” says Gillmer. “It’s a homecoming of sorts, so we’ll celebrate turning 40 by flashing back to moments on stage and screen.”

The homecoming comes in the form of the production setting up shop at UBS Arena after a stint in New Jersey last year, which marks the seventh overall VMAs in the tri-state area. (For those counting, its last west coast production occurred in 2017 when Katy Perry hosted from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.)

Straddling the border of New York City and Long Island, UBS opened in November 2021 (Harry Styles was its first musical performer). According to Gillmer, UBS was a natural choice. “It has top notch acoustics, world class tech capabilities and excellent sightlines,” he says of the arena which normally hosts NHL’s New York Islanders. “It really is built for music and allowed us to create one of our most ambitious set-ups yet.” In addition to the main stage, there will be four performance stages including what they’re dubbing a ‘fandom’ stage built into the audience. “Wait until you see how we used the Moon Person as part of our set design,” he teases. “It’s literally busting out of the screen, into the audience.” Ever the production aficionado, Gillmer can’t help but gush about the stage rigging. “I’m told we’re up to 400,000 lbs.,” he says. “The heaviest VMAs yet! I’m blown away every time I walk into the room and can’t wait for everyone to see all the ‘wow’ factors we packed into the live show.”

Much like an eclectic playlist meant to please everybody at the party, this year’s roster of performers zigzags between past and present names. In one corner, you have your MTV legends: the aforementioned LL COOL J, as well as Katy Perry who is set to take the stage to accept the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award (the show’s version of the lifetime achievement award). “We also just announced Eminem will be our show opener,” says Gillmer of the legendary rapper.

But it wouldn’t be the VMAs without tapping into buzzy newcomers for possible superstar-making performances. Luckily for the producers, the past year has minted a variety of fresh talent. “(Since) the show always spotlights artists with the biggest impact over the last 12 months, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter were two names we unquestionably had to have this year,” Gillmer says of snagging two of 2024’s biggest breakouts (the former had to shake up her schedule to facilitate her VMA debut). “Sabrina blew us all away with last year’s pre-show performance.”

Other first-time VMA performers this year include two artists riding breakout singles, Benson Boone (“Beautiful Things,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) and Teddy Swims (“Lose Control,” which topped the Hot 100), as well as VMA stalwarts with new albums, including Shawn Mendes (his fifth album, Shawn, drops Oct. 18) and Camila Cabello (promoting C,XOXO which came out this summer). K-pop superstar Lisa, Brazil’s Anitta and Puerto Rico’s Rauw Alejandro will also perform.

There’s also Megan Thee Stallion, who this year serves as the ceremony’s host and continues the trend of recruiting an artist to host the ceremony (Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat have both enjoyed recent honors). According to Gillmer, the gig came after plans for a more traditional role for the star. “We actually started talking about her performance on 2024’s show first after her VMAs debut alongside Cardi B last year,” recalls Gillmer. “Our conversation evolved from there. It was easy to see she was a perfect fit: she’s quintessential MTV and is leading (her) genre. Megan is this rare artist who has an unmatched presence and dynamic personality that allows you to dominate a performance and then carry on an extraordinary event like this.”

For months, everything was booked, set and scheduled for the show to kick off Tuesday, Sept. 10. Then, a curveball: in August, the date of the first (and possibly only) Presidential Debate of the 2024 election cycle between Vice President Harris and former President Trump was announced to take place that same night. Gillmer and his team knew they wanted to steer clear.

“With our brand’s decades-long history of leading non-partisan civic engagement, it was important to encourage our fans to tune in to the debate to help make educated decisions ahead of a historic election,” he says. With that, the team went into overdrive shifting their plans by a full 24 hours, with this year’s show moving to Sept. 11. “With the date shift, it again gave us the opportunity to partner with our friends at 9/11 Day to amplify their September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance with tickets to Tuesday’s Children,” says Gillmer of the long-standing association with the charity.

Aside from streaming on Paramount+, the VMAs air on BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nick at Nite, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1, with a rebroadcast to follow. “We’re also airing a live, hosted simulcast on Univision with entertainment reporter Alejandra Espinoza who is bringing audiences in on exclusive show access and rehearsal features from some of the top Latin talent,” Gillmer says.

In any case, Gillmer is bracing for the unexpected: “Anything can happen live on Wednesday.”

09 Sep 2024

Pusha T Backs Up Kendrick Lamar’s Apparent ‘No Round Twos’ Drake Swipe in Super Bowl Announcement: ‘This Is True’

Folks are still reacting to Kendrick Lamar announcing that he’s headlining the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans in February. However, Pusha T reacted to something else after Sunday’s big news.

While telling the world that he’ll be performing in the NFL’s “Big Game,” Lamar said something that resonated with the Virginia rapper. “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos,” Kendrick said while using a football throwing machine. An obvious dig at Drake suggesting a few weeks back that another round in their battle was on the horizon, Push agreed by reposting the quote on his Instagram Story and adding, “This is true” with a shrug emoji.

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Like Kendrick, Pusha T had a long history of trading subliminals with Drake until things boiled over with “The Story of Adidon” in 2018, and like Kendrick, Push was declared the victor in that battle by the fans.

As fans and artists argue about whether Lamar was the right choice to headline the halftime show, he and Jay-Z are looking forward to the February performance. “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said in a statement. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one,” with Jay adding, “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for Hip Hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

08 Sep 2024

Fonzi Thornton Accepts the Icon Award On Behalf of Luther Vandross | Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024

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 R&B Hip Hop Albums Chart. He racked up eight number one albums over the course of his career, and he also co-produced Aretha Franklin’s seven week No. 1 R&B album ‘Jump To It,’ and he’s the subject of a wonderful new documentary that will stream wide next year. Of course, Luther Vandross is no longer with us, but I am so happy that we have his best friend, Fonzie Thornton, a singer and a board member of the Luther Vandross estate to accept the Icon Award for Luther tonight. Welcome Fonzi.

Fonzi Thornton:
How’s everybody this evening? It is such an honor for me to be here tonight and accept this prestigious award for Luther Vandross, who I have known since I was 14 years old. So I just want to congratulate Luther, his family, the Vandross estate, all of his singers, his musicians, his record company, thank you all for honoring my friend.

08 Sep 2024

Lucky Daye Accepts the Torchbearer Award | Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024

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 talk confessions. Lucky Daye has become the new age blueprint in R&B. Women swoon, because when this brother croon it’s just smooth like butter. After his 2019 breakthrough with “Painted,” Lucky Daye put the world on notice and let them know that New Orleans isn’t just a home of Frank Ocean, but another R&B superstar capable of driving the genre forward. By aligning himself with D’Mile early in his career, Lucky became a risk taker, stretching the boundaries of his creativity, as proven by his new album ‘Algorithm.’ His versatility remains unmatched there, as he tap dances through various soundscapes with relative ease. Ultimately, the R&B gods rewarded him for his efforts, as he earned his first No. 1 on R&B Adult this year as a lead artist with “That’s You.” From songwriter to Grammy award winner, Lucky Daye is one of the reasons why R&B will continue to shine for years to come. So without further ado, Billboard would like to present this year’s Torchbearer award, to Lucky Daye.

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08 Sep 2024

Tyla Accepts the Global Impact Award | Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024

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 to be presenting our next award this evening. For years, she dreamed of becoming Africa’s first pop star. Now she’s taken over the world with her signature Papiano sound, performing her pop infused take on her native South Africa’s Amapiano in the U.S., France, Portugal, Japan, South Korea and more. Last summer, she made a major splash with “Water,” earning her first Hot 100 Top 10 hit, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on mainstream R&B Hip Hop Airplay, spending 46 weeks and counting, at No. 1 on our US Afrobeats Songs chart, and winning the inaugural Best African Music Performance Grammy award earlier this year. She successfully transformed “Africa’s the world” from a motto to her mission. Please join me in a round of applause for Billboard’s Global Force Honoree, Tyla.

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08 Sep 2024

Usher Accepts the R&B Entertainer of The Year Award | Billboard’s R&B No.1s 2024

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 Hop Airplay chart in November, he has way more number ones on that chart than any other artist in the charts 32 year history. Then as if that wasn’t enough, he wrapped up his game changing residency in Las Vegas in December, 100 sold out shows produced in partnership with the creative forces behind the box this very special venue that we’re in tonight, and in February, he headlined a little event called the Super Bowl Halftime Show, dazzling a record shattering 130 million viewers and catapulting his 2004 hit. “Yeah!” back to our Hot 100 Singles Chart. Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for our Entertainer of the Year Usher.

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08 Sep 2024

Victoria Monét Accepts the Hitmaker Award | Billboard’s R&B No. 1s 2024 

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 here for a year so far. It’s been an amazing, amazing ride. But tonight I’m here to talk about a very special person. When we named Jaguar II as one of the best albums of 2023, we said the album signaled Victoria Monét’s commercial breakthrough, and put her on the same page as all the superstars whose career she helped elevate in the years past. Because that’s what she does. She just makes everything better. Then she has kept it moving. Her mainstream arrival came when she won three Grammys, including one for best new artist, and she’s been on a roll since then. Her smash hit “On My Mama” was one of the only two songs to top the Adult R&B Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts in the last year. But all of that is only a small part of why we’re so proud to present her with the 2024 Hitmaker Award. Victoria Monét, please come down and accept this.

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08 Sep 2024

Fans Choose Megan Thee Stallion & RM’s ‘Neva Play’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music in All-Genre Poll

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 in nearly 90% of the vote on the poll, securing a notable edge ahead of new releases from Halsey (“Ego”), Camila Cabello (C,XOXO – Magic City Edition), Linkin Park (“The Emptiness Machine”) and A$AP Rocky featuring J. Cole (“Ruby Rosary”), among others.

Released just a week after the pair started teasing that they’d be joining forces on social media, “Neva Play” finds the Houston Hottie and K-pop phenomenon taking turns showing off their rap skills.

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“This is one of my favorite RM verses I’ve heard!” Meg wrote of the collaboration days before it dropped, sharing the track’s comic-book-esque artwork. “I’ve never heard him rap in this style before,” she added at the time.

The new track marks the second time Meg has stepped into BTS’ world, having previously teamed up with the boy band on a remix to the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping “Butter.” She first started teasing “Neva Play” with a simple emojis tweet after which BTS all but confirmed it was involved in the project by retweeting with its own string of emojis.

“Neva Play” comes at a busy time for Megan Thee Stallion, whose album Megan debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in July. Meanwhile, BTS’ full-band activities have been on pause as the members fulfill their mandatory military obligations in South Korea, although some of the boys have dropped solo projects in the meantime.

Trailing behind Meg and RM on this week’s poll is Halsey’s vulnerable track “Ego,” which brought in almost 3% of the vote. The single is part of the rollout for her upcoming album, The Great Impersonator.

See the final results of this week’s poll below. Check out Billboard‘s Friday Music Guide to catch up with more must-hear releases from this week.

08 Sep 2024

From Drake Jabs to Lil Wayne Defenders, Fans Are Reacting to Kendrick Lamar Headlining the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show

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.