State Champ Radio Hip-Hop
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The feud between Joe Budden and Drake has consumed a lot of hip-hop oxygen over the past few days. The latest tangle between Drizzy and the retired rapper-turned-podcaster centers on a recent episode of Budden’s eponymous show in which he took aim at Drake’s new For All the Dogs album, which he said is tantamount […]
Drake’s For All the Dogs album — and his subsequent back-and-forth with Joe Budden — took up a lot of airtime this weekend, but the rest of the music world was just as active. As usual, New Music Friday (Oct. 6) unleashed a fresh batch of new R&B and hip-hop tracks to sort through as we count down to the BET Hip-Hop Awards on Tuesday (Oct. 10).
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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 Fivio Foreign’s fiery new drill anthem to Megan Thee Stallion’s swing at hip-hop musical theatre. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Fivio Foreign, “Why Would I?”
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For his first unaccompanied release in several months, Fivio delivers a biting piece of authentic New York drill. With pop-drill — a subgenre that Fivio helped pioneer — topping Top 40 radio and soundtracking the Barbie movie, the skittering snares and staccato flows of New York drill have reached the apex of pop culture. With “Why Would I,” Fivio goes back to basics, as he flexes his real-life successes and achievements in the face of Internet haters, over a menacing drill beat crafted by LS Da Producer and FritzThaProducer.
Megan Thee Stallion, “Out Alpha the Alpha”
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After making a return to the rap scene alongside Cardi B with “Bongos,” Megan Thee Stallion commemorates her foray into film acting with a new song for D—ks: The Musical, a musical comedy based on Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson’s off-Broadway musical of the same name. More Hamilton than Traumazine, “Out Alpha the Alpha” finds the Hot Girl Coach delivering familiar rhymes serenading women’s independence and power — but this time she adds an extra dose of comedy in her delivery to play on the arrangement’s jaunty piano and horns.
Connie Diiamond & Jenn Carter, “Ghetto & Ratchet (Remix)”
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As two of the buzziest names coming out of the New York rap scene, it’s no surprise that Connie and Jenn have found their way on a track together. On the remix to Connie’s fast-rising “Ghetto & Ratchet,” Jenn delivers a characteristically rambunctious verse full of bars flexing both his street cred and his status as one of his city’s hottest rappers. His high-octane delivery offers a smart complement to the smoothness of Connie’s tone.
Digga D, “TLC”
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On this tender G-funk-inflected track — which incorporates a well-known guitar lick from Soul Mann & The Brothers’ “Bumpy’s Lament,” by way of Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive” — British rapper Digga D offers an introspective number in which he waxes poetic about needing something a bit more real and human in the face of his fast-moving career. “I know it’s insane / I’m grateful, but I’m kinda tired of fame / I need some TLC, I’m drained,” he spits.
Majid Jordan, “Hands Tied”
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For the latest taste of their forthcoming Good People album, Majid Jordan delivers a vibe in the spirit of Sade. Steady percussion and twinkling keys soundtrack a love story concerned with two loves, for whom risk is the reward itself. “Suspicious, suspicious, dismissive, dismissive, dismiss us, dismiss us/ Love is the answer, love is the message, you know it,” they croon. On this smooth, quiet storm-evoking track, the duo makes the smart choice to prioritize singing straight, instead of over-embellishing the song with runaway riffs.
Mannywellz, “Serious”
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On “Serious,” ManNywellz continues his soulful blend of Afrobeats and R&B. Here, Manny extends the spirit of “no weapon formed against me shall prosper” for a war-ready anthem of resilience steeped in faith. He waltzes across the peppy, percussive beat with swagger and confidence, sourced from his knowledge of God’s protection over his life. “I identify as God’s n—a / No weapon can dance with us / Can’t compete, I got stamina,” he proclaims.
Drake goes on a trippy late night ghostride in the new video for his For All the Dogs song “Another Late Night.” The Cole Bennett-directed clip that dropped to coincide with the rapper’s latest studio album features Lil Yachty living it up in a forest illuminated by Christmas lights and, for some reason, frequented by […]
21 Savage has officially made his first live appearance outside of the United States.
The U.K.-born, Atlanta-raised rapper was welcomed with open arms by frequent collaborator and current tourmate Drake during the Canadian superstar’s concert at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Saturday (Oct. 7).
Earlier in the day, it was confirmed that 21 Savage had officially become a permanent U.S. resident and was legally cleared to travel outside the country. Drake also recently revealed in his song “8 AM in Charlotte” that “Savage got a green card” after nearly being deported in 2019 due to an expired visa.
“To who it may concern, Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known officially as 21 Savage, is now cleared to travel up north and perform for his beloved fans,” a man announced onstage during Drake’s show on Saturday. “He has chosen Toronto as his first destination. Ladies and gentleman…,” the man continued before getting interrupted by Drizzy.
“No, no. Let me do it,” Drake said. “Ladies and gentlemen, performing for the first time outside of America in his life. Make some noise for the brother, 21!”
From there, 21 Savage walked out wearing a Canadian flag and joined the 6 God in a crowd sing-along of Canada’s national anthem, “O Canada.” 21 Savage is featured on the track “Calling for You,” from Drake’s just-released eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. The pair is also touring alongside each other as part of Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour of North America.
21 Savage shared several clips from his onstage appearance in Toronto through his Instagram Story. “Dreams come true,” he captioned one of the videos.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, 21 Savage teased his return to the U.K. with a brief video — soundtracked by Skylar Gray’s “Coming Home” — that featured memories of his childhood. The post included a comment from Drake, who simply wrote, “*we’re.”
“This marks a milestone for the superstar as he will soon perform for the first time in London. More information to follow soon,” a press release from 21 Savage reads.
A source previously told Billboard that 21 Savage is planning an international tour.
21 Savage, who was born in the United Kingdom and legally arrived stateside at age 7, was arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in February 2019. At the time, officials said the rapper was “unlawfully present” in the U.S. on a 2005 visa that expired one year after his arrival.
Drake is pushing back on Joe Budden’s criticism of his new album, For All the Dogs.
During a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the retired rapper took aim at the 36-year-old Toronto MC’s just-released eighth album, saying Drizzy is “rapping for the kids” and needs to start writing music for an older audience.
“He rappin’ for the children. Yo dog, I had to look up how old this n—a was when I finished listening to the album,” Budden said. “You are 36. Your birthday is in 20 days. I Googled that, too. You’re going to be 37 years old. Get the f— away from some of these younger n—as. And stop f—ing these 25-year-olds.”
The podcaster continued, “I want to hear adult Drake rapping for adult people. … He’s rapping for the kids, the streams, the accolades. He ain’t trying to rap for me. I accept that.”
On Saturday (Oct. 8), Drake fired back in the comments section of an Instagram post by DJ Akademiks that featured a video clip from The Joe Budden Podcast.
“@joebudden you have failed at music,” Drake began his lengthy message. “You left it behind to do what you are doing in this clip cause this is what actually pays your bills. For any artist watching this just remember you are watching a failure give their opinion on his idea of a recipe for success… a quitter give their opinion on how to achieve longevity…”
The 6 God added, “You switched careers cause the things that pop into your brain had you broke living cheque to cheque and the raps you write had 450 men showing up to your shows in dusty Enyce jeans to screw up their face to Mood Muzik 29 and pretend you are the goat…”
Drake also offered advice to artists, saying they should do what they feel is right, regardless of what others think.
“Pls to any artist that’s doing what they feel is right don’t let these opinions affect your mindset after the fact,” the rap star wrote. “This guy is the poster child of frustration and surrendering. You retired and we never hung up your jersey we don’t even remember your number. We know you for doing this… you withdrew from rap not cause you accomplished all you need to it’s cause it wasn’t working for you.”
Drizzy continued, “I never want anybody in the generations to think that the whole ‘everybody’s entitled to their opinion’ is a real thing… this is a man projecting his own self hate and the fact I did and continue to do everything he wanted to do for himself. If you need it put in simpler terms I own a 767… he owns a modest house in the 973 and flies first class on special occasions.”
Budden took notice of Drake’s comment and responded, “You’ll grow up sooner or later… Father time is undefeated.”
After nearly 10 months of teasing and delays, For All the Dogs hit streaming services on Friday (Oct. 6). The 23-song boasts a star-studded roster of guest features, including SZA, J. Cole, Chief Keef, Sexyy Red, Snoop Dogg, Sade, Teezo Touchdown, Bad Bunny, Yeat, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty and PARTYNEXTDOOR.
The set marks Drake’s first solo release since 2022’s Billboard 200 chart-topping Honestly, Nevermind.
Watch Budden discuss Drake’s For All the Dogs at the 56:44 mark in the video below.
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Doja Cat is catching heat once again for her online antics.
On Friday (Oct. 6), the 27-year-old rapper posted and then deleted a photo of herself on Instagram wearing a shirt with an image of alt-right comic Sam Hyde, who reportedly has ties to the neo-Nazi movement.
Doja’s black tee featured a pic of Hyde holding a rifle, an image often used as a meme on social media in the aftermath of mass shootings.
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Hyde previously served as a co-writer on Adult Swim’s Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace, which was canceled after one reason following complaints of racist and sexist themes, according to Buzzfeed. In 2017, the comedian also pledged $5,000 to neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer after its editor Andrew Anglin faced a legal battle with the Southern Poverty Law Center over his alleged “trolling” against a Jewish woman, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Doja Cat deleted the original Instagram photo featuring Hyde, but later replaced it with a cropped version with his face removed. The second post featured a caption with numerous rolling eyes emojis. The comments section included numerous onlookers expressing their disapproval of the “Paint the Town Red” singer’s choice to post the controversial image.
“why are you hiding your shirt? embarrassed that you’re wearing something with a nazi on it ?” one user wrote. Another added, “girl get it together. this isn’t cute or funny.”
Many fans also took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their frustrations with the rapper. “imagine being a pick me for incels… like doja cat is really trying her best to be cancelled and un-famous again just so she can get back to those racial chat rooms full time,” one person wrote.
Doja Cat is no stranger to online controversy. Earlier this year, she claimed that her last two albums — 2021’s Planet Her and 2019’s Hot Pink — were “cash grabs” and teased her fanbase for falling for it. She also lost nearly 300,000 social media followers after blasting her fans for calling themselves “Kittenz.” In recent years, Doja came under fire for tweeting homophobic slurs to describe rappers Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator, and was accused of participating in alt-right chat rooms.
Doja recently dropped her fourth album, Scarlet, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The new set marks her highly anticipated return following Planet Her, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and delivered plenty of Billboard Hot 100 chart hits.
She’ll be heading out on a 24-date trek in support of the album with The Scarlet Tour, which launches on Halloween in San Francisco and wraps Dec. 13 in Chicago. Opening acts include Ice Spice and Doechii.
21 Savage can now legally travel outside the United States and plans to make his international performance in his native London. Savage’s lawyer, Charles Kuck, told The Associated Press in a statement Friday (Oct. 6) that his client has officially become a permanent U.S. resident and may now go overseas. He cleared a major traveling […]
Another day, another Drake album. After nearly 10 months of teasing, delays, and an album campaign characterized by his first poetry book and a 21 Savage-assisted tour equally focused on music and bras, Drake has finally unveiled For All the Dogs. Arriving on the heels of three consecutive Billboard 200-topping projects that were all received […]
Drake has released three albums in the past year and after dropping his latest, For All The Dogs, on Friday (Oct. 6), he said he’s planning on taking a break. “I probably won’t make music for a little bit. I’m gonna be honest. I might, I got some other things I need to do for some other people that I made promises to, but I probably won’t make music for a little bit,” the rapper said on his SiriusXM series “Table For One,” which premiered on his Sound 42 channel just hours after the album’s release.
“I’m gonna be real with you. I need to focus on my health first and foremost, and I’ll talk about that soon enough,” Drizzy added. “Nothing crazy, but just like, you know, I want people to be healthy in life, and I’ve been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach. I was just saying what it is now. I’m saying I was gonna say it. I’ll say it. So I, I need to focus on, on my health and I need to get right.”
At press time Drake did not offer up any specific details on what has been ailing him, but said that he plans to “lock the door in the studio for a little bit. I don’t even know what a little bit is. Maybe, maybe a year or something, or maybe a little longer.” For All The Dogs is the follow-up to last summer’s Honestly, Nevermind and November’s 21 Savage collab album Her Loss.
The tough news was packaged with some good news for fans in the form of Drake saying that he’d, literally, just stepped out of the studio with J. Cole and that the fruits of those sessions are slated to hit before the beginning of his open-ended recording hiatus. “I just got out of the studio. Fourth quarter magic, me and Cole going crazy,” he said. “Me and Cole went crazy tonight. Shout out J. Cole.” At press time no additional information was available on the title or timetable for that project; a spokesperson for Drake could not be reached for comment on the rapper’s health issues or the J. Cole collaboration at press time.
The boozy early morning chat also included a call-in from Lil Yachty, who said he’d never heard Drake so hammered; for the record, the 6 God said he was not drunk, just happy. “I’m proud of you always,” Yachty said as Drake chatted him up over the strains of Rose Royce’s 1976 disco classic “Car Wash.”
Listen to Drake talk about the “overwhelming love” he felt on his recent tour, chat with Yachty about smacking down haters and announce his recording hiatus below.
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D-Nice entertained the masses during the height of the pandemic with his popular “Club Quarantine” DJ sets on Instagram Live and now he’s bringing that energy to the Nation’s Capital. This coming weekend, D-Nice will host a three-day event at the Kennedy Center featuring top names in comedy and music.
DJ D-Nice and the Club Quarantine Live Residency kicks off on Friday, October 6 with the CQ Comedy Showcase hosted by Royale Watkins and music from DJ Clark Kent. The showcase will feature Chris Spencer, Michael Che, Sherri Shepherd, Gina Yashere, Zainab Johnson, and Flex Alexander.
The following evening (October 7), Club Quarantine Live with D-Nice will feature the likes of MC Lyte, Kem, Muni Long, Machel Montano, Jadakiss, Camp Lo, Vin Rock of Naughty By Nature fame, Tracie Spencer, Shancie, and Frédéric Yonnet. Chris Spencer will serve as the host with Igmar Thomas and the Revive Big Band will help out with the background tunes.
Wrapping up the three-day weekend is CQ Praise & Worship on Sunday (October 8) with Hezekiah Walker, Anthony Brown and group therAPy, Tim Bowman Jr., Maranda Curtis & Faithy City Music, Mali Music, Jules Juda, J.J. Hairston, Virtue, and Charles Jenkins.
“The lineup we’ve prepared is nothing short of breathtaking. This opportunity has left me overflowing with emotions, and I can hardly contain my excitement for the Club Quarantine Live Residency at the Kennedy Center and the phenomenal community of artists that will be participating as part of it,” D-Nice shared in a press release statement. “It is a special curation encompassing the incredible sounds of hip-hop, R&B, gospel, soca, jazz, and comedy. We invite audiences and our CQ Fam to join us and get ready for an unforgettable experience that will touch your soul and make you dance with joy. Together, we’ll continue to create magical moments that will last a lifetime.”
For tickets to the Club Quarantine Live Residency, please follow this link.
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Photo: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty
