State Champ Radio Hip-Hop
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A man convicted of gunning down rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2019 is likely to get life in prison when he is sentenced Wednesday (Feb. 22) in a Los Angeles courtroom.
Jurors in July found Eric R. Holder Jr., 32, guilty of the first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist outside the clothing store Hussle founded, the Marathon, in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up.
Holder was also convicted of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for gunfire that hit two other men at the scene who survived.
The sentencing has been delayed in part so defense attorney Aaron Jansen could move for Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke to reduce Holder’s conviction to manslaughter or second-degree murder, which the judge rejected in December.
Jacke will have a broad range of possibilities when he sentences Holder at the Thursday morning hearing, but the murder conviction alone carries a term of 25 years to life. The other convictions, and special sentencing circumstances that jurors found true, make it almost certain Holder will spend the rest of his life in prison. Holder was not eligible for the death penalty.
“We hope that there is some resounding peace in the fact that his killer will be in prison likely for the rest of his life,” the lead prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney John McKinney, said after the verdict.
Actor Lauren London, who was Hussle’s partner and the mother of his two young children, did not attend any part of the trial, nor did any of his relatives, and none are expected to give victim impact statements, as often happens at such hearings.
The evidence against Holder was so overwhelming — from eyewitnesses to surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, the shooting and his departure — that his attorney conceded during trial that he had shot Hussle.
But Jansen argued to jurors that the heated circumstances of the shooting meant a lesser verdict of voluntary manslaughter was merited. The jury returned with the first-degree murder verdict after about six hours of deliberations. Jansen said afterward that he was “deeply disappointed” in the verdict, which they planned to appeal.
He did manage a minor victory for Holder by securing the attempted voluntary manslaughter convictions where prosecutors had sought attempted murder verdicts. The sentencing, originally scheduled for September but postponed at the request of the defense, brings an end to a legal saga that lasted more than three years and a trial that was often delayed because of the pandemic.
Hussle, whose legal name is Ermias Asghedom, and Holder had known each other for years growing up as members of the Rollin’ 60s in South LA. Both were aspiring rappers. But Holder never found the same success as Hussle, who would become a local hero and a national celebrity.
A chance meeting outside the Marathon, in a shopping center Hussle owned, led to a conversation the two men had about rumors that Holder had been acting as an informant for authorities. Jansen argued that being publicly accused of being a “snitch” by a person as prominent as Hussle brought on a “heat of passion” in Holder that prompted the shooting.
A woman who was with Holder that day took a photo with Hussle before becoming Holder’s unwitting getaway driver, was a key witness for the prosecution.
After years of devoted work that won him underground acclaim — his nickname was both a play on the name of comedian Nipsey Russell and a nod to the hustle the future hip-hop star showed in making music and selling CDs — Hussle had just released his major-label debut album and earned his first Grammy nomination when he was killed.
A year after his death, he was mourned at a memorial at the arena then known as Staples Center, and celebrated in a performance at the Grammy Awards that included DJ Khaled and John Legend.
If Lil Nas X has his way you could have the follow-up to 2021’s Montero by this summer. The “Industry Baby” rapper did a surprise Twitter Q&A with fans on Monday (Feb. 20) in which he answered a series of questions about his second studio album, including when he hopes to drop it.
“Most likely summer,” Lil Nas said about his timetable for the as-yet-untitled collection. He was cagier, however, when there was a question about whether the next collection will have any big features, responding, “ooooooh.” Montero had a number of major features, including tracks with Elton John, Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, Jack Harlow and Doja Cat.
As for how many songs it might contain, the MC said he wasn’t sure yet. “idk i love so many songs plus i’m still in the studio making music so it’s gone be hard to pick,” he wrote.
There was some good news too if you are all about the upbeat bangers. When a different fan requested that Lil Nas make another sad song,” the rapper said, fortunately, he’s not in that head space at the moment. “I didn’t make many of those I been too happy lately,” he responded.
Expressing the feelings of many of his followers, when one commented, “take your time but also hurry the hell up,” Lil Nas had the perfect response, writing, “it’s mostly planning now. i could easily just release music but i have to build moments around this s–t. i have to go bigger than before!” And while he hasn’t officially teased any music from the next collection yet, the rapper hinted that the leaked track with Saucy Santana, “Down Souf Hoes,” is slated to be included on the album.
At press time a spokesperson for Lil Nas X could not be reached for additional information on his next album.
Check out Nas’ tweets below.
any features ?— ❤️𝓷𝓲𝔂𝓪❤️lnx hate page (@nasxmont) February 20, 2023
take your time but also hurry the hell up 😭— fiddy (@nasxfiddy) February 20, 2023
but what happened to down souf hoes….?— Iconic Khris 🪄⚜️ (@SneakyNas) February 20, 2023
Lizzo celebrated Valentine’s Day in the most “Unholy” way. The “Special” singer/rapper hit the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge earlier this week for a run through the Sam Smith/Kim Petras Bilboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and, of course, she had to put her signature flute filagree on the song.
In a spare, bass-thumping arrangement that leaned into the track’s sensual groove Lizzo totally sold the bump-and-grind attitude of the original before busting out her woodwind and adding a jazzy interlude. She brought it home with some ad libbed soul shouting, assisted by three back-up singers repeating the chorus and a wailing electric guitar solo.
Smith and Kim Petras performed their Grammy-winning song at this year’s show earlier this month and then again at the 2023 Brit Awards on Feb. 12. According to U.K. broadcasting regulator Offcom, the latter received more than 100 complaints, even though it didn’t feature the same Satan-themed touches as the Grammy set.
For the Brit Awards, Sam and Kim took a more literal approach to their “Body Shop” metaphor from the song’s lyrics, with an industrial set, flying sparks and mechanic’s outfits on both performers and their dancers. While it is unclear which parts of the performance received complaints, Offcom received 106 complaints for the 2023 Brit Awards, the majority of which were aimed at Smith and Petras.
The complaint comes after the pair’s highly publicized Grammy’s performance, which also drew plenty of criticism for its use “satanic” imagery from viewers and even a few right-wing politicians, including Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Church of Satan itself ended up weighing in, saying the pair’s performance felt pretty tame.
Check out Lizzo’s Live Lounge performance of “Unholy” below.
Four months after announcing that she would be curating the lineup for the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s 2023 Spring Music Series Solange revealed the full lineup for the event on Thursday (Feb. 16). The concert and film series dubbed “Eldorado Ballroom” will be co-curated by the singer and her Saint Heron Collective.
The seven events will kick off on March 30 with a concert featuring modern R&B acts Kelela, Res and KeiyaA and also feature performances by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, jazz singer Linda Sharrock, poet Claudia Rankine and gospel act Twinkie Clark & the Clark Sisters. There will also be a performance of the works of 20th century jazz pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams conducted by Malcolm Merriweather and a night of the orchestral and opera works of classical composer Julia Perry and jazz pianist Patrice Rushen.
The series will also feature two nights of “wordless storytelling” by Autumn Knight and artist Maren Hassenger titled “Type of Guest” and a pair of film showcases titled Unseen Nuyorican Pictures and Coeval Dance Films.
A description of the events on the BAM site nods to the multi-disciplinary, intergenerational nature of the lineup. “[Solange’s] dedication to reverencing and preserving the works of Black practitioners through Saint Heron continues with a lineup that consists of contemporary and historic creative revolutionaries whose artistry and innovation has left a profound mark on music and performance art,” it reads.
“The series is named after Eldorado Ballroom, a Houston historic Black music hall in her native Third Ward neighborhood, where her love for performance started. Each night is programmed to explore artistic territory through investigations surrounding the sonic and performance-based expressions that have shaped the artist’s own practice,” the description continues. “In these seven programs, the multigenerational audiences of Saint Heron’s and BAM’s communities will experience celebratory and tributary performances that honor the blueprints of these themes and genres as they are being reinvented today. “
BAM members, patrons and Saint Heron patrons can get in on the on sale beginning at noon today (Feb. 17), with the general public on sale kicking off on Tuesday (Feb. 21) at noon ET. The singer last worked with BAM nearly a decade ago when she headlined the 2013 Crossing Brooklyn Ferry music festival.
Her creative partnership with BAM follows Solange’s foray into composition in 2022. She wrote the score for Play Time for the New York City Ballet, which premiered at the end of September as part of the celebrated dance troupe’s Fall Fashion Gala.
Check out the event’s poster below.
Cardi B and Offset didn’t just star in an adorable Super Bowl LVII commercial for McDonald’s. They’ve also dropped an extensive line of merch to go with their burger broadcast and the t-shirts, hoodies, booty shorts and beanies perfectly match the hip-hop couple’s big love energy.
In keeping with the spot’s Valentine’s Day theme — which included the couple’s signature menu items — the line of gear features a range of black, white and pink shirts that read “nice buns,” as well as ones that say “the Cardi B & Offset meal” in bubble letters, an image of them feeding each other fries, as well as ones with Cardi’s signature phrase, “ok uu rr rr rr,” and an adorable one in which they stare at each other intently over the image of an apple pie with the words “the apple of my eye” floating over them; the gear is available for a limited time.
There are also shirts with a midnight drive-thru scene (“I been lit since last night”), another with the rappers toasting with champagne flutes (“date night?”), and one with a heart-shaped chocolate box filled with delicious dipping sauces. If those don’t grab you, there are a bunch of hoodies as well, including one that reads “babe, [McDonald’s logo]?” and another with their names on the front and “let’s eat out” on the back over an image of their respective favorite meals.
You can also try the red or pink short shorts, trucker hat or black beanie. The couple’s special meal is meant for two and features a cheeseburger and quarter pounder with cheese, two large fries, tangy BBQ sauce, baked apple pie, large Coke and large Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
“I think we’ve been to McDonald’s 200 million times,” Cardi told Billboard of why her and Offset’s partnership with the restaurant was such a natural fit, noting that the duo have “different taste palates” when it comes to their McD’s order. “That’s the thing about McDonald’s is that we both eat it. I might suggest a different restaurant and if we get to the restaurant and the menu’s a little weird and Offset doesn’t like the food, he just looks at me.”
Check out Cardi and Offset’s ad below.
Has Roman finally gotten revenge? “Roman Holiday,” the lead track from Nicki Minaj’s 2012 sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, has gone viral and climbed back onto streaming charts, nearly doubling its weekly streaming total thanks to recent fan outcries following the Grammy Awards earlier this month.
For their performance of their No. 1 smash “Unholy” at this year’s Grammys, Sam Smith and Kim Petras leaned into devilish imagery, complete with horns and red leather. Barbz were quick to hop online and point out that Minaj had earned criticism for her 2012 Grammys performance of “Roman Holiday,” which had a similarly winking demonic slant but was latter panned by conservative watch groups and longtime Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich, who called it “a disappointment both in terms of what we did and to an extent what she did.”
For Minaj diehards, the rapper seemingly being punished for her performance over a decade ago — Minaj has yet to return to the Grammys stage since the “Roman Holiday” spectacle, and has yet to win a Grammy, despite 10 career nominations — while Smith and Petras were lauded for their “Unholy” showcase, and soon awarded the best pop duo/vocal performance during the telecast, represented hypocrisy from the Recording Academy. (In the days following their own Grammys performance, Smith and Petras were also criticized, although the Recording Academy has not publicly dinged them.)
As a result, her fans began streaming “Roman Holiday,” and the non-single from Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded crashed the iTunes Chart 11 years after its release.
Weekly U.S. on-demand streams for “Roman Holiday” were up 99% during the week following this year’s Grammys, earning 125,000 streams during the week ending Feb. 9, according to Luminate. It also saw a tremendous jump in sales, going from a negligible weekly number to nearly 6,000 for the week. This isn’t the first time that “Roman Holiday” has gone viral — TikTok is full of sped-up versions of the track, dating back mostly to 2021 — but this time the resurgence is producing a sizable bump in listenership.
“Roman Holiday” never reached the Hot 100 upon its release, although Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded did spin off hits like “Starships,” “Pound the Alarm” and “Va Va Boom.” Last year, Minaj reached the top of the Hot 100 for the first time as a solo artist, thanks to “Super Freaky Girl.”
The Cincinnati Music Festival will take over the city’s Paycor Stadium for two nights in July with its patented mix of old school soul and R&B legends and hip-hop superstars, with Snoop Dogg, Al Green, Babyface and Jill Scott topping the bill on July 21 and 22.
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The annual gathering of the vibe will kick off on July 20 at the adjacent Andrew J. Brady Center with a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a lineup to be announced soon. Night one will feature Green and Scott joined by Jodeci, Midnight Star and Gerald Albright, while the second evening will include a visit from intergalactic funk icons P-Funk, as well as sets from Avery Sunshine and Norman Brown.
Tickets for the shows are on sale now through Ticketmaster and the festival’s office (513) 924-0900.
“We are thrilled with this year’s lineup for the Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G,” said producer Joe Santangelo in a statement. “It’s the first time for Snoop Dogg to perform at the Festival and Al Green last performed in 1974. We know they will both be huge draws for our fans. It’s also an honor for us to plan a Thursday performance to pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop.”
After cancelling two go-rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the beloved fest returned last summer with a stacked lineup featuring Janet Jackson, Charlie Wilson, Anthony Hamilton, the O’Jays and more.
CMF began life as the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival in 1962 as an all-jazz event and has evolved over the year to embrace a wide variety of acts, from Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington to Luther Vandross, New Edition, Whitney Houston, Earth Wind and Fire and many more, drawing more than 50,000 fans to the concerts and the adjacent Festival 513 street party.
Coi Leray rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated Feb. 18), becoming the top emerging act in the U.S. for the first time, thanks to her single “Players.”
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The song, released in November via Uptown/Republic Records, jumps 38-28 in its sixth week on the Billboard Hot 100, with 29.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 20%), 9.4 million U.S. streams (up 23%) and 5,000 downloads sold (up 2%) Feb. 3-9, according to Luminate.
The track became Leray’s fourth entry on the Hot 100, after “No More Parties,” featuring Lil Durk (No. 26 peak in 2021); “Big Purr (Prrdd),” with Pooh Shiesty (No. 69, 2021); and “Blick Blick!,” with Nicki Minaj (No. 37, 2022).
“Players” also holds at its No. 4 high on Hot Rap Songs and ascends 13-10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It additionally pushes 6-4 on Rap Airplay and 9-6 on Rhythmic Airplay, holds at its No. 11 best on both R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and climbs 28-23 on Pop Airplay.
Just below Leray, Samara Joy jumps 45-2 on Emerging Artists thanks to gains following her best new artist win at the Grammy Awards Feb. 5. Joy’s 2022 LP Linger Awhile rises to No. 1 on Jazz Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums and Heatseekers Albums, leading all three lists for the first time, and debuts at No. 158 on the Billboard 200. Plus, her self-titled 2021 set debuts at No. 7 on both Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums.
Joy became the first jazz act to win best new artist at the Grammys since Esperanza Spalding in 2011.
The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and the Social 50. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.
For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Hip-hop – which believe it or not turns 50 this year — has always blossomed from love. It may seem corny to the average hip-hop head, but in an industry based on stealing the hearts of listeners, love is a universal language. Rappers who can balance vulnerability with machismo are undeniable chart-toppers whether it comes to self-love, love for their homies or even love of riches. If you’re a love hater, here’s a fact — Certified Lover Boy Drake was crowned Billboard’s Artist of the Decade in 2021.
But on this list, only one song from Drake’s love catalog will be mentioned. We’re also rounding up our top affectionate hip-hop cuts from classic ‘80s throwbacks to Y2K-era favorites to modern masterpieces.
To kick-off Valentine’s Day, check out the Best Hip-Hop Love Songs of All Time below.
Editor’s Note: A lot of these songs come from some of the greatest to ever pick up a mic. Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Lil Kim, LL Cool J, Drake, 50 Cent and The Notorious B.I.G. all appear on Billboard and Vibe’s recently unveiled list of the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which was born out of block parties in the Bronx back in 1973.
While the best rappers of all time is a subject for hot debate, there’s also a less contentious top 50 list you can turn your attention to. Billboard’s Top 50 Love Songs of All Time isn’t an editorial list, but rather a roundup of songs with love (or some variation on the word) in the title that have performed the best on Billboard’s charts over the years. You can check that out here.
Driving past a parking structure in midtown Manhattan, you’d never guess what you’d find inside: a group of jokesters and Post Malone pulling some expert hidden-camera pranks.
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Billboard was on set for a season 10 episode shoot of truTV’s Impractical Jokers, which saw the tatted rapper team up with the show’s stars and long-time friends, Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray and Sal Vulcano. It all went down just a day before Post’s two-night stint at Madison Square Garden on his headlining Twelve Carat Toothache Tour.
The set-up was simple: at the entrance to the lot, Post and Q acted as parking attendants pranking a handful of unsuspecting customers looking to pick-up or drop-off their cars. Murr and Sal were out of sight a few floors up, watching everything go down on a couple monitors while using secret earpieces to guide the duo through each prank. Beyond the main monitors and cameras were bins of props, craft services and a couple dozen other crew members — several of whom were situated in front of their own computers, each controlling a different camera hidden on the main floor.
Post Malone x ‘Impractical Jokers’
Aysia Marotta / truTV
In one prank, Post and Q convince a couple of friends that they stashed roadkill in the trunk of their car (complete with an uber-realistic dead possum). In another, Post brings out a couple’s SUV after seemingly hotboxing it.
“Boss, thanks for letting me smoke that up in there,” Post says to Q stepping out of the car’s passenger seat, coughing as smoke rushes out of the open doors. “Give it about five to ten if you guys don’t want the contact high.”
To make matters worse, the female car owner says she’s allergic to tobacco. “Oh, don’t worry about that, it’s not tobacco,” Q assures her as Murr and Sal cackle off-screen. Unsurprisingly, that isn’t enough for these customers to let it go. Post even offers up a can of Febreze, but the couple really isn’t having it — demanding corporate’s number.
Of course, it’s only a matter of time until it’s all revealed as an elaborate prank. But just how long did it take to get the fake marijuana smoke out of the couple’s car? We may never know.
Watch Post Malone hotbox a stranger’s car in the exclusive clip above before his full episode of Impractical Jokers airs on truTV Thursday, Feb. 16 at 10 p.m. ET.
Post Malone x ‘Impractical Jokers’
Aysia Marotta / truTV
