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05 Mar 2025

Would Drake, Kendrick or J. Cole Be Bigger in the ’90s? Plus, Wiz Khalifa’s Freestyle Return | Billboard Unfiltered

In today’s episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered,’ Billboard staffers Damien Scott, Carl Lamarre and Trevor Anderson are joined by DJ Drewski to debate who the best lyricist is among Nas, Jay-Z and Biggie, discuss who among Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole would have been the most successful in the ’90s, and consider if Wiz Khalifa’s freestyling signifies his return, and more!

What do you want to hear more of? Drop your suggestion in the chat!

Carl Lamarre:

Yo, yo, yo what’s going on y’all. Welcome to a fresh episode of Billboard Unfiltered. And we have a special guest today. Holding it down, my brother from another, HOT 97 resident — I would like to say he is one of the biggest architects in New York City in terms of breaking talent. 

Damien Scott:

Let’s go!

I’m talking Cardi B. I’m talking about late Pop Smoke, A Boogie, Fivio Foreign. I could keep on going, the good brother DJ Drewski in the house.

DJ Drewski:

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Carl Lamarre:

How are you feeling my brother?

DJ Drewski:

I’m feeling a little unfiltered, let’s talk about it 

Trevor Anderson:

Okay!

He’s got a little feisty today, he’s feeling a little spicy today! Like I told you before the show, your political connects, they might be a little upset, but they’re going to be alright. 

DJ Drewski:

Artists don’t get mad, please join Summer Jam if we need you. You know what I’m saying don’t-

Trevor Anderson:

Don’t take it personal. 

DJ Drewski:

It’s just for the live. 

Damien Scott:

Blame Carl. 

DJ Drewski:

Right!   

Carl Lamarre:

Don’t do that to me. I already got the Kendrick heads coming at me. But no, this is going to be a fun show today. Of course we’re going to bring some fire topics with the first one, we got to give flowers to Mr. Wiz Khalifa. 

Keep watching for more!

05 Mar 2025

Grupo Frontera: Spend a Day in the Life at Their Headquarters | Billboard Cover

Billboard cover stars Grupo Frontera take us through a day in their lives, showcasing their favorite hobby, describing what their studio time involves, and explaining what an “asada” entails. They discuss how they initially managed with a limited budget and how they did not expect to suddenly gain rapid traction with “NO SE VA,” a song that changed their lives. They also share details about their collaborations with Bad Bunny and Grupo Firme, how their EP with Fuerza Regida came about, and more!

Grupo Frontera:

What’s up, folks? We are Grupo Frontera. Come with us on our day off to play paddle with our friends from Billboard. Last year’s concerts, I wouldn’t move. Like, I would just stay in place. I would just stay there, and I would do this, and then this year, I would run around and jump across the stages and stuff. So I feel like it did help with the… How do you say it? Endurance. So what’s gonna happen next year with your body? Back flips, back flips. We’re gonna do shirtless concerts. What’s it called when you do this? Splits. Because we would spend a lot of time here. So me and Meto would come here and play. And they’re like, where are you guys? Paddlling. What the hell is paddling? But it was, oh, I remember now we invited Morat for no, they invited us for a concert and they play paddle. Julian and Beto were like, oh, let’s go with them. And I was like, I’m not gonna play el Chile. I don’t like sports. I don’t like sweating more than I already do. I sweat so easily. So I got here and I was in pants, and I was wearing like, this sweater. And when I got here, they were like, playing. I was like aight, so I was playing in pants and everything. And I got into it and sh–. I got into paddling. The reason why we do this is because this place opened up about a year ago, and it’s coming straight to you, buddy. This is the only thing we do for fun, only because we found a love for it.

Keep watching for more!

04 Mar 2025

A Timeline of Ye’s Antisemitic Hate Speech | Billboard News

Ye has sparked outrage with his antisemitic hate speech, and we’re breaking down the timeline of his commentary and actions. We also take to the streets of LA to find out how the people feel.

Do you think Ye will come back from this? Let us know in the comments below. 

Guest 1:

‘College Dropout’ was the shit. Okay, “Through The Wire” got me through a lot of **** and it hurt. 

Tetris Kelly:

Ye says he supports Hitler, oh wait nevermind. 

Guest 2:

I think it says something about him and his character, that he believes in something bigger than himself. 

Tetris Kelly:

How does Diddy fit into this? And he did a song with The Game about Beyoncé’s mom?! 

Guest 3: 

I honestly just think that he’s mentally sick. I’m just keeping a buck.

Tetris Kelly:

The prolific artist has been a huge subject of controversy and we’re taking a deep dive into where it began and how we got here. History of Ye’s antisemitic hate speech. 

Ye: 

Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.

Earlier this month, Ye went on several rants on X which included posts like: “I love Hitler, how what b–ches,” and “I’m a Nazi.” But it wasn’t his first time. Back in 2022 when we were still tweeting, he said:

Ye:

I see good things about Hitler also, I love everyone.

Tetris Kelly:

At the time Jaden Smith spoke out against the rapper and when Ye promoted White Lives Matter shirts even Diddy spoke against him. Fast forward to now that Diddy is in prison for racketeering, sex trafficking allegations and more, Ye has his back by also including in his recent rants: “Free Puff,” and “Puff we love you.” 

Keep watching for more.

04 Mar 2025

Beyond the Music: Get to Know Carlos Vives on a Personal Level | Billboard In Conversation

Carlos Vives sat down with Billboard’s Leila Cobo at Vina del Mar and shared personal stories about his life, like going with his dad to sing for patients in the hospital, his South American tour El Rock de Mi Pueblo Vive and more. 

Leila Cobo:
Carlos Vives. Did you see the set we made for you in Viña with the sea behind us?

Carlos Vives:
No, no, no please. You look like the queen of the sea, Leila.

I was just about to say that this was to remind you of Santa Marta.

Totally, the sea always unites us. Well, greetings to you and to all of our people from Billboard and welcome to Viña del Mar. 

Well, before I ask you anything, I want to ask for that jacket that you have on because it’s so chic and I’m not used to seeing you in a formal mix.

I do mix a little bit of Bogotana things in — aren’t I dressed really Bogotano right now?

Really? That’s the thing for Bogotanas?    

Yeah, but with tennis shoes. Like this. 

Those silver tennis shoes.

Silver? Yes, you know a mix. And you know that one always … I’ve had … My dad always said that I have an old soul since I was little because I liked to be around the older people. And now that I am older, I like being with the bald ones. So you see I have a mix of– 

A mix of the old and a mix of the new. And I love that you told me that because I thought, “I’ve interviewed Carlos so many times and now with the Person of the Year they talked to him about cumbia and tradition.” And today I want to explore Carlos … the other side of Carlos that a lot of people don’t know about. 

Keep watching for more!

04 Mar 2025

Jay-Z Sues Former Accuser After Claiming She Admitted Her Story Was False | Billboard News

Jay-Z is suing his former accuser, who he now claims has admitted that her story of being drugged and raped by him and Diddy as a 13-year-old girl at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV VMAs is false. Keep watching for the full story.

What do you think of Jay-Z’s lawsuit? Let us know in the comments below.

Tetris Kelly:
The case against Jay-Z was dropped, and now the legendary rapper is taking the case to his accuser. Jay-Z is filing a lawsuit against the unnamed woman who accused him of rape last year, claiming she has now directly admitted that she fabricated those explosive allegations. Now that the case against him is dropped, he’s alleging that the Jane Doe accuser and her attorney, Tony Buzbee, carried out an “evil conspiracy” to extort a settlement from the superstar by making “false and malicious” allegations against him, alleging that the accuser has now “voluntarily admitted” directly to Jay-Z’s team that the star did not assault her and that Buzbee “pushed” her to make those allegations.

In a statement to Billboard, Buzbee sharply denied the allegations: “This case is baloney and has no legal merit. Shawn Carter’s investigators have repeatedly harassed, threatened and harangued this poor woman for weeks trying to intimidate her and make her recant her story. She won’t. Instead, she has stated repeatedly she stands by her claims.”

The December blockbuster case against Jay-Z claimed that he and Sean “Diddy” Combs drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV VMAs.

We will keep you updated as this story develops.

04 Mar 2025

Koe Wetzel: From a Small Texas Town to Changing Lives Through Music | Billboard Cover

Billboard cover star Koe Wetzel is ready to headline Billboard’s THE STAGE at SXSW. The country singer shares his journey from a small Texas town to hitting the stage in countless cities where he’s able to connect with fans and change their lives. He opens up about how ‘Noise Complaint’ was the turning point in his career, creating “High Road,” what his big plans are and more!

Koe Wetzel:

I came from a small town, East Texas. I didn’t cover them a whole lot. For me, it’s just kind of telling my story, speaking to people that need that at that time, they’re going through the same stuff that I am. I feel like, for me, it’s getting kind of that message out to them, to let them know that they’re not alone. I still don’t believe that any of this sh– is true. To be honest with you, kind of wild to me. I’m very blessed. I’m very grateful for everything that’s going on. Like, oh, hey, you’re gonna be doing an interview with Billboard today. Wow, shut the f— up. Like that. No way that’s real. Used to be about playing these bars, having a good time, you know, making rent, making gas money to the next show. And now it’s completely different. It came really fast, so it’s wild to see where it’s came and where we’re at. With “High Road” it was one of those songs that’s going back on a past relationship, and I remember very specific parts of that relationship that stuck out to me, and that was what we kind of related to the song with. It came pretty damn easy, and now it’s done what it’s did, and kind of beyond me. It’s wild. I don’t think I really sat back and kind of looked at it all the way that everything’s going, like I said before we started. You know, I could be pouring concrete. 

Keep watching for more!

03 Mar 2025

Inside the 2025 Oscars: Our View From the Crowd for 007 Music Tribute, ‘Wicked’ Show Opener & More

The Oscars might be the biggest night for the film industry, but the 2025 awards show included some pretty epic music moments as well.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie tells Keith all about her night inside the Dolby Theatre for the 97th Academy Awards, where the Wicked duo of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the show; LISA, Doja Cat and RAYE teamed up for a three-part tribute to the music of James Bond; and Queen Latifah paid joyful tribute to Quincy Jones. And that was just the performances — there was also Mick Jagger, Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez presenting awards and more music tucked into the four-hour telecast.

Listen to the latest episode to hear all about it:

Trending on Billboard

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Tate McRae lands her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as So Close To What debuts atop the tally — and with the biggest debut for a studio album by a woman in five months. Plus, the legendary James Brown returns to Billboard’s charts in a most unexpected way.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

03 Mar 2025

Drake & iHeartMedia Settle in “Not Like Us” Dispute | Billboard News

Drake & iHeartMedia have reached a settlement in Drake’s dispute about Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” being boosted on radio airplay. Keep watching for the full story. 

What do you think of Drake’s lawsuit? Let us know in the comments below.

Tetris Kelly:

Drake has settled a radio dispute! Back in November, the “God’s Plan” rapper filed a legal petition in Texas alleging that iHeartMedia had received illegal payments from Universal Music Group to boost radio airplay for “Not Like Us.” Reminder: UMG is the parent record label for both Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Well, in a court document obtained by AP Thursday, attorneys for Drake said the rapper and iHeartMedia had “reached an amicable resolution of the dispute.” Not offering any other information, they stated, “We are pleased that the parties were able to reach a settlement satisfactory to both sides.” In an email sent to AP on Friday, iHeartMedia declined to comment on the settlement. Drake’s claims against his label UMG remain active. How do you feel about Drake taking rap beef to the courtroom? Let us know in the comments.

03 Mar 2025

Oscars 2025 Recap: Ariana Grande, LISA & More Deliver Stunning Performances | Billboard News

The 2025 Oscars were full of beautiful renditions from Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo and more. Keep watching for the best moments in music at the 2025 Oscars.

Who was your favorite performance? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:
The Wicked besties defy gravity as LISA slays the academy stage, and we see performances from Doja Cat and more. We’re breaking down the top music moments at this year’s Oscars. Ariana Grande kicked off the show with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Cynthia Erivo followed with “Home” as they paid homage to other Emerald movies, The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz. And it was hard to hold back tears when they joined for “Defying Gravity.” Iconic besties indeed. And we got more from The Wiz later by way of Queen Latifah and a tribute to Quincy Jones. LISA of BLACKPINK strutted and sang “Live and Let Die,” kicking off a James Bond medley that also included Doja Cat covering “Diamonds Are Forever” and RAYE tackling Adele’s “Skyfall.” We were stunned. And taking home best original song was “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez.

For all things music at the Oscars, make sure you head over to Billboard.com.

03 Mar 2025

Duki on His Relationship With Emilia, Touring in the U.S. & More | Billboard In Conversation

Duki opens up about his relationship with Emilia, touring in the United States for the first time, who his favorite American rappers are, what it was like to create Ameri, plays a fun game of defining Argentinian slang and more!

Leila Cobo: 
Duki, welcome.

Duki:
How is it going?

The last time that we spoke, we were in Miami. Now, we’re in Chile. It looks like I’m following you around the world. How does it feel to have a groupie?

Good, apart from that it’s from a high level. Thank you so much.

Category one, groupie from a high level. First, before anything else, what do you have on today? 

Today, I have on, also a kiss for days to Way Tri. I have on an outfit from Way Tri from Yoji Yamamoto. So thank you to God for the love all the time. I came a bit elegant because you’re always very elegant, and today I wanted to be a little bit on your level. 

Today I wasn’t that elegant. I said I’m going to dress in jeans because …

Because you thought I was coming in basketball shorts. You said, “Oh Duki is coming, he’s a rapper, he’s going to be in basketball shorts.” Right?

Exactly! I didn’t know that you had this side to you, this super tailored side, but is this clothes from your closet or did they let you borrow it?

Nope, it’s from my closet. For everyone over there, I’m my own stylist. I don’t have a stylist or anything. It’s all me.

Do you like it that way?

Yes.

You have new hair, too. 

New hair?

Keep watching for more!