State Champ Radio Hip-Hop
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Nicki Minaj hit the stage at Miami’s E11EVEN on New Year’s Eve with her usual trunk full of hits. But when the first strains of her 2012 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit began pumping out of the speakers, Minaj informed Barbz that she is never, ever going back to the beach. A Tik Tok […]
Kanye West has issued an apology to the Jewish community for his antisemitic remarks ahead of his Vultures album release. The 46-year-old rapper, who now goes by Ye, took to social media early Tuesday morning (Dec. 26) to share his regrets over comments in a statement written in Hebrew. “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish […]
Rapper Travell “G. Dep” Coleman, who walked into a New York police precinct in 2010 and admitted to committing a nearly two-decade-old cold case murder to clear his conscience, has been granted clemency by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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Now 49, Coleman has served 13 of a 15-year-to-life sentence. With his sentence being commuted by the Democratic governor, he will now be allowed to seek parole earlier than his original 2025 date.
Coleman is one of 16 individuals granted clemency by Hochul in an announcement made Friday (Dec. 22). They include 12 pardons and four commutations. It marked the third time Hochul has granted clemency in 2023.
“Through the clemency process, it is my solemn responsibility as governor to recognize the efforts individuals have made to improve their lives and show that redemption is possible,” Hochul said in a written statement.
The rapper earned an associate’s degree while in prison and facilitated violence prevention and sobriety counseling programs, while also participating in a variety of educational and rehabilitative classes, according to Hochul’s office. His clemency application was supported by the prosecutor in the case and the judge who sentenced him.
As G. Dep, Coleman had hits with “Special Delivery” and “Let’s Get It” and helped popularize a loose-limbed dance called the Harlem shake in the early 2000s. The rapper was one of the rising stars of hip-hop impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records label in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But his career slumped after his 2001 debut album, Child of the Ghetto, and the rapper became mired in drug use and low-level arrests, his lawyer said in 2011.
Attorney Anthony L. Ricco said at the time that Coleman “had been haunted” by the 1993 fatal shooting of John Henkel and decided to confess to shooting someone as a teenager during a robbery in East Harlem. Henkel was shot three times in the chest outside an apartment complex.
His brother, Robert Henkel, had demanded Hochul reject the urgings by prosecutor David Drucker to release Coleman, calling it a “farce.” He told the New York Post that “it is one thing to seek (clemency) for drug crimes — but not murder.”
12/22/2023
Turns out it wasn’t a bad year after all…
12/22/2023
12/21/2023
The genre is in great hands.
12/21/2023
A federal judge is refusing to alter the conditions of NBA YoungBoy‘s house arrest to let him to spend more time in the recording studio creating music, unswayed by arguments from the rapper’s attorneys that his record sales have dropped as a result of his lockdown.
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The rapper, who is currently under house arrest while awaiting trial on federal gun charges, had argued that he needs to be able to travel to the studio to “produce the quality of music that his fans expect” – and that his label had informed him that “sales have suffered” because he had not been able to do so.
But in a ruling Monday, Judge Shelly Dick denied that request. Although she loosened restrictions to allow YoungBoy (Kentrell DeSean Gaulden) more access to mental health treatments, the judge said his request for more studio time could potentially put people in harm’s way, including the rapper himself.
“The conditions imposed on Gaulden’s pretrial release are designed to reasonably assure the safety of both Gaulden and others,” Judge Dick wrote. “Given the vague bounds of the request, and in light of the history of violence aimed at Gaulden and those around him, the court is more troubled by the threat that the proposed modification imposes on Gaulden’s safety.”
Attorneys for YoungBoy did not immediately return a request for comment.
YoungBoy was indicted by Louisiana federal prosecutors in March 2021 on charges of “felon in possession of a firearm,” after he was allegedly found with two guns during a September 2020 incident in Baton Rouge. Possessing guns would be illegal for YoungBoy since the rapper was previously convicted in 2017 of aggravated assault with a firearm.
When YoungBoy was arrested in Los Angeles on those charges, another gun was found in his car, leading to a similar case brought by California federal prosecutors. Following a three-day trial last year, YoungBoy was acquitted on that charge. But he’s still facing a looming trial in Louisiana over the original 2021 indictment.
In October, his attorneys moved to alter the terms of his pre-trial house arrest, citing the “deterioration of Mr. Gaulden’s mental health due to the long period of social isolation.” In addition to asking for more medical treatment, they warned that his career was in “jeopardy” due to his “seclusion from the fans that consume his music.” They said that “analysis” by his label (Atlantic Records) indicated that “sales have suffered due to his limited ability to produce quality recordings.”
“Music and entertainment is Mr. Gaulden’s only way of earning a living and supporting his family,” the star’s attorneys said. “Mr. Gaulden has exhausted all his options for recording in his home with a very limited production crew.”
They told the judge that YoungBoy “needs to be able to travel to and from recording studios on occasion in order to continue to produce the quality of music that his fans expect.” They also asked for the ability to “film studio music videos to promote his music.”
“No professional recording artist can survive and maintain a career without studio quality audio & video production,” YoungBoy’s lawyers wrote.
But in a response last month, federal prosecutors argued strongly against any such changes. They called the request “hopelessly vague” and warned that it “generates more questions than answers.”
“Where are the studios? Who is allowed there? Will individuals that are not allowed at his home be present at the studios? How many people will be at the studios?” prosecutors wrote in their filing. “Will the defendant’s ‘employment related’ studio activity be subject to the same time restrictions applicable to his home incarceration?
Notably, prosecutors pointed to previous statements from Atlantic Records CEO Julie Greenwald to support their point. During a hearing in 2021 over whether YoungBoy would be granted pre-trial release, Greenwald testified in court that the label would re-create a recording studio in his home to ensure that he was able to stay under house arrest rather than need to be held in jail.
“We would build a studio in the house that he would be staying to make sure he abides by the rules that he has to,” Greenwald said at the time, according to court transcripts. She said they would be “basically bringing his work environment to him” and that they “can get good recordings” from such a set up.
In their motions last month, prosecutors cited Greenwald’s testimony to undercut YoungBoy’s claims that he needed to travel to the recording studio to maintain his career.
“Given that the defendant’s work environment may be brought to him, there simply is no need for travel and participation in other undefined ‘employment related activity,’” prosecutors wrote.
Although Monday’s order denied YoungBoy’s request to change the rules themselves, the judge said he could “continue to seek Court-approval” for travel to a studio or other music-related requests on a case-by-case basis. And she granted his request for more flexibility to “attend medical appointments,” saying he could do so if they were “specifically approved in advance” by federal authorities.
YoungBoy’s trial is currently set to kick off in July 2024.
As per usual, it’s been a busy week in the world of hip-hop and R&B. With exactly one week to go before Christmas, the worlds of hip-hop and R&B extended their stay in Gag City. Nicki Minaj — who recently clinched her historic third Billboard 200 chart-topper — dropped off another version of Pink Friday 2, this time featuring collaborations with 50 Cent (“Beep Beep”) and Monica and Keyshia Cole (“Love Me Enough”).
The “Super Freaky Girl” rapper also dominated the news cycle with a pair of iHeartRadio Jingle Ball performances, a record-breaking stream with Kai Cenat, and her decision to brush off Kanye West‘s request to clear her beloved “New Body” verse for his and Ty Dolla $ign’s imminent Vultures album. Speaking of Vultures, that album never arrived. Nonetheless, we were treated to new LPs from Bas and YTB Fatt, as well as the highly-anticipated Color Purple soundtrack, which features new original songs by Halle Bailey, Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Coco Jones, H.E.R., Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliott, Shenseea and more.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop. From A$AP Twelvyy’s heart-warming A$AP Mob reunion to Madison Ryann Ward’s gorgeous amalgamation of gospel and acoustic R&B, get into these six new picks and be sure to check out the rest of our recs in the Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Fantasia, “Superpower (I)”
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There was simply no way to bring The Color Purple from Broadway to the silver screen without a show-stopping new end-credits song. Leave it to Fantasia and The-Dream to deliver that and then some with their rousing “Superpower (I).” Anchored by ethereal strings and the driving melodies of Negro spirituals, Fantasia croons lyrics that beautifully capture the arc and triumph of both Celie and herself. “I pray you see past my scars/ And assumе all the joy inside/ We all got our own mountains to climb/ Wе’ll take our time goin’ down the sweeter side,” she sings. Known and beloved for her powerhouse vocals, Fantasia plays with her dynamics here, carefully oscillating between soft coos and levee-breaking belts that add new layers of intention and storytelling to The-Dream’s lyrics.
A$AP Twelvyy feat. A$AP ANT, A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg, “Yams Day”
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For this loving tribute to A$AP Yams — the late New York rapper who formed A$AP Mob — four of the collective’s brightest stars team up for three minutes of tender nostalgia. Built around a sample of DJ Zirk’s “Ana 4 Ya Hoez,” “Yams Day” draws from the same Southern hip-hop influences that inform Rocky’s sound. The track is the first of five new tracks on the deluxe version of Twelvyy’s Kid$ Gotta Eat and it aptly functions as both a memorial and a victory lap. Between Rocky’s refrain and Ferg’s hook — not to mention the strong verses from Ant and Twelvyy — “Yams Day” captures the beautiful synergy of A$AP Mob, one that feels renewed after some time to heal from Yams’ passing.
Fivio Foreign & 41, “Get Deady”
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Brooklyn rap trio 41 has enjoyed a breakout year in 2023, and they’ve capped off their run with a new Fivio Foriegn collaboration. Steeped in both acts’ Brooklyn drill sound, each rapper delivers a high-octane, punchline-ridden verse over a skittering beat courtesy of AyoAA, Lawyered Beats & Verbxse. “Like, okay, who tryna cyph’?/ Who tryna smoke on a body tonight?” Kyle Richh quips. The chemistry among 41’s members remains palpable (just check out the gusto that namedropping TaTa brings to the end of Jenn’s verse), but their ability to showcase their idiosyncrasies while holding space for Fivio’s dynamism is what really makes this track such a winner.
X4, “Call My Bluff”
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For his latest release of the year, LA rapper X4 opts for ominous synths and laid-back finger snaps to provide the foundation for “X4,” a brooding invitation for his opps to, well, call his bluff. The texture of X4’s voice is what elevates the track, equal parts whispery and hoarse, his tone is a stark contrast to gruff growling that’s currently dominating hip-hop on the other side of the country. He sounds unfazed on “Call My Bluff,” almost purposely monotone. In a way, his delivery underscores the mundanity of the scenes he raps about, and who are we to call his bluff?
Madison Ryann Ward, “Calling My Name”
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With a delicate timbre that recalls Yebba’s, Madison Ryann Ward unleashes an unbelievably tender amalgam of acoustic R&B, gospel, and pop. Her saccharine melodies immediately lodge themselves in your ear, but it’s her fluttery harmonies — ones that find her warping her malleable head voice — that add some intricacies to the melody’s broad strokes. Of course, there are also the lyrics: heartfelt couplets that exalt God and thank Him for being a constant presence in her life. The chorus interpolates portions of “Amazing Grace,” which pairs nicely with the apprehension and self-doubt that courses through her verses: “Help me with my unbelief/ This gonna preach, say I’m forgiven and free/ This is another degree, who, me?/ You really talkin’ to me?” she croons.
Bas feat. Blxckie & A$AP Ferg, “U-Turn”
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The late-night driving crowd is a silent but mighty segment of music listeners, and Bas may have just gifted them their newest anthem. Assisted by South African rapper Blxckie and A$AP Ferg in his second appearance in this week’s column, Bas coasts over mOma+Guy’s luscious production with inimitable sensual swagger. The smooth Afrobeats-inflected beat soundtracks his ode to spinning the block on a lover that you just can’t get out of your head and heart. While he’s present throughout the track, Bas doesn’t have a verse of his own, making “U-Turn” not just an enjoyable song, but also a deft showcase of his curatorial abilities.
Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 debuts atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 23), marking her third leader — and the most No. 1s among female rappers. She previously led the tally with Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded in 2012 and her debut studio set Pink Friday in 2011.
Pink Friday 2 launches with 228,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 14, according to Luminate. That sum marks the largest week for a rap album by a woman in the 2020s decade, and the biggest for an R&B/hip-hop album by a woman this year.
The set also sold 25,000 copies sold on vinyl — the largest week for a rap album by a woman since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991.
Pink Friday 2 was preceded by a trio of charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100: “Super Freaky Girl” (No. 1 in 2022), “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” (No. 13, 2023) and “Last Time I Saw You” (No. 23, 2023).
In total, Pink Friday 2 marks Minaj’s seventh top 10 album, the entirety of her charting efforts, on the Billboard 200. She has also hit the region with The Pinkprint (No. 2, 2015), Queen (No. 2, 2018), Beam Me Up Scotty (No. 2, 2021) and the best-of compilation Queen Radio: Volume 1 (No. 10, 2022).
Also in the new top 10 of the Billboard 200, Tate McRae lands her first top 10-charting set with the No. 4 arrival of Think Later.
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 Dec. 23, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Dec. 19. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
With a third No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Minaj breaks out of a tie with Foxy Brown for the most leaders among female rap artists. Minaj is also the first female rapper with No. 1 albums in two different decades, as she logged her first two leaders in the 2010s, and her third came in the 2020s.
Of Pink Friday 2’s 228,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 14, SEA units comprise 129,000 (equaling 169.87 million on-demand official streams of the 22 songs on the streaming edition of the album), album sales comprise 92,000 and TEA units comprise 7,000.
With 169.87 million on-demand official streams generated by Pink Friday 2’s songs, the set garners Minaj’s largest streaming week ever, the 2020s decade’s biggest streaming week for a rap album by a woman, and 2023’s largest streaming week for any R&B/hip-hop album by a woman.
As Pink Friday 2 sold 92,000 copies, the album registers the biggest sales week for any rap album by a woman in the 2020s decade and the largest sales week for an R&B/hip-hop album by a woman in 2023.
Pink Friday 2‘s sales were bolstered by the album’s availability across a range of variants, in both digital download and physical configurations on its street date (Dec. 8). It was issued as a 10-track album in two CD editions (a standard version and a signed version sold through Minaj’s webstore) and four vinyl editions (including three retailer-exclusive versions, all with different covers and color vinyl).
Concurrently, an expanded 22-song version of Pink Friday 2 was issued via digital retailers, in both a clean and explicit edition. Four later iterations of the digital album were released through the tracking week through Minaj’s webstore, in both clean and explicit versions, all with alternative cover art, and sold for $5 each. On Monday (Dec. 11), a 23-track version added a remix of the album’s “Beep Beep” with 50 Cent. Tuesday brought a 23-track edition with the bonus track “Love Me Enough,” featuring Monica and Keyshia Cole. Wednesday saw the 22-track edition drop with a new alternate cover. Finally, on Thursday, a 24-track version dropped containing both the “Beep Beep” remix and “Love Me Enough.”
Pink Friday 2 sold 25,000 copies on vinyl in its first week, scoring the largest sales week for a rap album by a woman since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991.
At No. 2 on the Billboard, Taylor Swift’s chart-topping 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is a non-mover with 109,000 equivalent album units earned (up 7%). It’s the first time in nine months that the top two albums are by female artists. It last happened on the March 11-dated list, when Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito was No. 1 and SZA’s SOS was No. 2.
Interestingly, this week marks the fifth time Minaj and Swift have occupied the top two positions on the chart together. They first did so on the Jan. 22, 2011-dated chart, when Swift’s Speak Now was No. 1 and Minaj’s Pink Friday was No. 2. Then, for three weeks in a row in January of 2015 (Jan. 3-17), Swift’s 1989 was No. 1 while Minaj’s The Pinkprint was No. 2.
Minaj’s frequent collaborator Drake is No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with his former leader For All the Dogs, which is steady with 68,000 equivalent album units (down 10%). Drake is also a featured artist on Pink Friday 2, along with fellow Billboard 200 chart-toppers 50 Cent, J. Cole, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne and Monica.
Tate McRae lands her first top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 as Think Later bows at No. 4. The set starts with 66,000 equivalent album units — her biggest week yet. Of its starting sum, SEA units comprise 58,000 (equaling 75.99 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 8,000 and TEA units comprise less than 1,000.
Think Later was preceded by McRae’s first top 10-charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “Greedy,” which reached the top 10 in November and has so far climbed to No. 7 (as of the most recently published chart). The album also houses her latest Hot 100 entry, “Exes,” which has thus far peaked at No. 34.
The rest of the top 10 on the new Billboard 200 is comprised of former No. 1s, including three more Swift titles. Michael Bublé’s Christmas is a non-mover at No. 5 (64,000 equivalent album units; up 7%); Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time falls 4-6 (63,000; down 3%); Swift’s Midnights dips 6-7 (57,000; up 4%), SZA’s SOS descends 7-8 (53,000; up 2%); Swift’s Lover climbs 11-9 (49,000; up 13%) and Swift’s Folklore falls 9-10 (49,000; up 5%).
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 says he spent Friday on the tarmac instead of the stage. The rapper was scheduled to bring his Utopia – Circus Maximus Tour to Chicago’s United Center on Dec. 15. He posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, to explain why he could not make it to the performance. “I literally spent […]
Sean “Diddy” Combs is remembering Kim Porter on her birthday.
On Friday (Dec. 15), the rapper and Bad Boy Records founder took to social media to pay tribute to his late ex-girlfriend on what would’ve been her 53rd birthday.
“We miss you so much Kim! Happy Birthday Beautiful! Love forever,” Combs, 54, wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of him kissing Porter.
Diddy — who is currently facing multiple sexual assault claims — also shared numerous snapshots with Porter on his Instagram Story, including an image of the pair walking together on the beach.
Diddy and Porter first began dating in 1994 and eventually broke things off in 2007 after roughly 13 years. They shared three children: son Christian, 25, and twin daughters, D’Lila Star and Jessie James, 16.
Porter died in November 2018 in her Los Angeles home at the age of 47. The cause of her death was ruled as lobar pneumonia, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
The music mogul’s post arrives after his denial of four sexual assault and abuse allegations made against him in recent weeks.
“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” Diddy wrote in a statement on Dec. 6. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
Diddy has been sued for sexual assault by four women, including his longtime romantic partner, R&B singer Cassie, who accused him of rape and physical abuse, among other allegations. Though that case settled the day after it was filed, Combs was subsequently sued by three more women, all Jane Does, who say the hip-hop mogul sexually assaulted them.
In the most recent case filed, the woman says she was “sex trafficked” and “gang raped” by Combs, former Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre and another man in 2003 when she was 17. A separate case over that alleged incident was filed against Pierre and Bad Boy alleging sexual assault.
See Diddy’s tribute to Porter on Instagram here.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and need support and/or resources, reach out to RAINN and the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) for free, confidential help 24/7.
