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Birdman revealed some interesting tidbits about Cash Money’s rise from New Orleans street label to mainstream powerhouse.
He sat down with Nick Cannon for the Counsel Culture Show in the episode that dropped Wednesday (April 23) to talk about how he and his older brother Ronald “Slim” Williams became success stories, and some of the early label meetings they had before signing their historic deal with Universal Records. Baby said he first took a meeting with Warner Bros. and executive Sylvia Rhone, but they weren’t really into the independent label’s music. “Sylvia Rhone said our music don’t work for them, so we just left,” he said. “I just walked out.”
Cash Money then took a meeting with legendary rap label Def Jam, but was turned down because of their artwork, which still confuses the rapper and music executive. “I went to Def Jam and met with Russell [Simmons], Lyor [Cohen] and Kevin Liles,” Baby told Nick Cannon. “This n—a Russell said he don’t like our artwork. I said, ‘This some weird s—t. I walked clean out. N—a don’t like my artwork, what about my music? You don’t care for the music? So, I left.”
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Baby then said that he and his brother almost had a deal with Priority Records, who just so happened to be in business with fellow New Orleans label No Limit headed up by Master P. However, according to him, things fell apart after the label flew them out to their offices in L.A. “I went to Priority — some weird s—t here — I go to Priority, they fly us to California,” he said. “Me and Slim, a couple of the homies, we go out there. N—a come in there and said, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t do the deal. They said because Master P said, ‘If we sign y’all, he’s leaving.’ I just jumped on a jet and went back to New Orleans was like, ‘F—k it, we just gonna grind with it.”
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Finally, Universal came calling and the two sides were able to carve out one of the more historic deals in music history. “And then Mel Lewinter and them called and I said this my last trip. I ain’t taking no more motherf—king flights to New York or California,” he recalled. “F—k it, we’ll thug it out. I’m still making millions, they gonna come down here and f—k with me, I ain’t going back. And that was my last flight.”
Master P and Birdman have seemed to have moved past those early issues, as the New Limit founder gave Lil Wayne key to New Orleans alongside Mayor LaToya Cantrell last year. He also said there weren’t any issues between the two camps when he went on No Chill with Gilbert Arenas in 2021, saying, “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, they got beef,’ but, man, we lived right up the street from each other.”
Watch the full conversation below.
“I’m still trying to take it all in,” Gigi Perez tells Billboard of her extended moment in the spotlight. Last July, the singer-songwriter’s “Sailor Song” became a viral hit and Perez’s first Hot 100 hit — and months later, the folksy exaltation of queer flirtation remains in the chart’s top 40, rising up one spot this week to No. 35.
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In the interim, Perez played a slew of shows to growing audiences, released follow-up singles like “Fable” and “Chemistry,” and most importantly finished recording her debut album. At The Beach, In Every Life, out today (Apr. 25), finds Perez navigating love, grief and self-possession, as the success of “Sailor Song” has amplified her Island Records debut but not altered its core tenets.
“This project is as close of a reflection of my experiences over the past five years as I could get,” says Perez of the album, which expounds upon the reflection of her sister’s passing that became the focus of her single “Fable.” “My grief has shaped the way that I love, in friendships and with family and romantically. On the project, those things exist next to each other.”
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Below, Perez discusses four songs on At The Beach, In Every Life, and what they represent within her debut album:
The Song That Was Finished Last
“Two days before I was turning the album in, I recorded ‘Sugar Water’ on my own,” says Perez of the five-minute emotional heavyweight, which looks back on her transition into adulthood with childhood details and a simple guitar-and-vocals arrangement. “I wasn’t expecting to put ‘Sugar Water’ on the project,” Perez continues. “And my A&R asked me about the song. I was like, ‘Oh, I love this song.’ … I was like, “Okay, I’m gonna just record and see what happens.’ And it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the project.”
The New Song That’s Most Fun to Play Live
“The most excitement that I’ve had playing a new song has been definitely ‘At The Beach’ or ‘Sugar Water,’” says Perez, who’s been playing a handful of headline shows in the lead-up to the album release. The title track of At The Beach, In Every Life closes the album with an encapsulation of Perez’s worldview, full of passion, disappointment and unruly thoughts that run into each other over the course of the song.
Perez says that testing out her new material on live audiences over the past few weeks has been a thrilling experience. “I just have fun for an hour straight, so it’s hard” to pick one highlight, she explains. “Every single song I get the guitar, and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so excited to do this song!’”
The Song That Was Most Difficult to Finish
“’Crown’ was hard,” Perez says of the searing centerpiece of the album’s second half, which mixes religious imagery with memories of her late sister. “I think it was letting myself go into that space of my grief and the uglier side of it. It’s all ugly, pretty much, but a different shade was probably the hardest to do in a specific time constraint.”
Yet that struggle, Perez believes, speaks to the truth of her first full-length. “Ultimately, I feel like that’s part of the album,” she says. “It’s not easy.”
The Smash Single That Set the Tone
“Sailor Song” kicks off At The Beach, In Every Life, and Perez says that she’ll always be thankful for the doors that her breakthrough hit has opened. “Especially now that there are new songs in the mix and other focuses that I have, to know that she’s just holding down the fort is amazing,” she says of “Sailor Song. “It’s a gift — to know that I was part of the creation of something that has impacted people globally just feels divine.
“And it’s exciting to see where the rest of the music is gonna go,” she continues, “because in my head, ‘Sailor Song’ and the impact that it’s had are amazing, but I’ve set my sights on personal fulfillment, and what that means is different. As long as there’s a community there, whether it’s one person or it’s 1 million, every single person that’s impacted by it matters.”
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony famously could not re-assemble earlier this month to appear on comedian John Mulaney’s live Netflix late night talk show Everybody’s Live due to what the host said was a scammer posing at the Cleveland rap crew’s phony manager. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news But […]
Don’t try this at home. While exploring the great outdoors, HARDY decided to sneak up on a wild snake and grab it by the throat — after which the reptile reacted about exactly as you might expect: by biting down on the country star’s hand. In an Instagram clip posted Wednesday (April 23) set to […]
TWS has released their third mini-album, TRY WITH US. The members of TWS — Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon and Kyungmin — embody the brave and adventurous spirit of youth stepping boldly into their twenties. The album title, TRY WITH US, symbolizes courageously embracing new and unexplored experiences. It showcases lively and refreshing sounds blended […]
Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug is speaking out about his journey to understand autism in a new PSA for the Autism Society of America’s Autism Is campaign during Autism Acceptance Month. “To me, autism is a journey,” he says in a new video in which he talks about his 6-year-old autistic son.
“The reason I say that it is a journey is because I have a six-year-old son who has autism,” he continues about his son, Amar. “There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s a perfectly good child. My journey as far as me having to be gone, be able to make funds for my child and him having autism, so the journey is not an easy journey. You can’t make it a hard journey, because if you make the process hard, it’ll all be hard.”
April is Autism Acceptance Month and BigX’s advocacy for his son comes just a week after Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., drew widespread criticism for his latest comments about autism, in which he said it “destroys families,” as well as making broad, unscientific claims about autistic people.
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At an April 16 press conference, Kennedy said that many autistic children were “fully functional” and then “regressed… into autism when they were 2 years old. And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”
According to a PBS report, medical experts and people on the autism spectrum told PolitiFact that Kennedy’s comments were off-base, citing a 2023 study written by CDC officials and university researchers that found that one-quarter of people on the autism spectrum have severe limitations, a figure that is at the high end of studies. It noted that the vast majority of people on the spectrum do not have the kinds of severe challenges Kennedy suggested, nor do many of the people in the one-quarter of the autism population cited in the studies.
A HHS spokesperson later clarified that Kennedy was referring to “those that are severely affected by this chronic condition” and that “this was in no way a general characterization.” Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic who for many years has made false claims that vaccines cause autism, recently announced that his department is launching a “a massive testing and research” effort to determine the long-sought cause of autism by September of this year.
According to the BBC, experts called the effort “misguided and unrealistic,” given that autism spectrum disorder is a complex syndrome that has been studied for decades and that promising a definitive answer in six month is unlikely. At press time Kennedy had not revealed any details on the scope and range of the research project or how much funding will be devoted to it at a time when Pres. Trump’s administration is making drastic, wide-ranging cuts to research grants at HHS.
“As a dad to an autistic son, I’ve seen the importance of being understood for who you truly are,” the “Texas” rapper added in a statement. “This is personal for me — it’s about sharing our journey, showing up for my son, and breaking down the walls around autism. It’s about being real, spreading awareness, and making sure no one feels alone in this.”
The Autism Society — the largest and oldest grassroots autism organization in the U.S. — praised BigX (born Xavier Landum) for speaking out to “authentically” combat the “stigma and stereotypes by sharing his own family’s journey. Through his platform, BigXthaPlug is using his voice to reach fans and families who may be navigating similar paths — especially in communities where awareness and access to support can be limited. His participation in the Autism Is campaign encourages conversation, connection, and compassion.”
Speaking to People, BigX also offered some advice for other parents trying to navigate the sometimes confusing journey of helping their children. “You ain’t alone. I know in our communities, sometimes it feels like you gotta keep stuff to yourself, or like nobody’s gonna understand,” he said. “But there is support out there — you just gotta start askin’ questions, lean into the love you got around you, and don’t be afraid to speak up for your kid… Every kid on the spectrum is different, so take time to learn your child. Be patient, be open, and don’t wait for a ‘perfect’ answer — just show up, every day. That’s what matters most.”
BigX just scored his first top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when his Bailey Zimmerman collab “All the Way” ran up to No. 4 on the chart dated April 19.
Watch BigXthaPlug’s video below.
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It’s extremely rare that fans get to hear Ariana Grande tap into her jazzier side when she isn’t singing pop music or Wicked show tunes, but thanks to Jeff Goldblum, the star’s latest performance is a rich cover of Dean Martin’s staple “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do).” The wonderful wizard indeed. For his […]
Justin Bieber is calling out the “darkness” in Los Angeles, particularly what he experiences from paparazzi.
On Instagram Friday (April 25), the pop star shared a video showing his point of view while stepping outside to blinding camera flashes, with several photographers following him every step of the way to his car and frequently blocking his path. “Look at these guys, man,” Bieber’s voice says disapprovingly from behind his camera, while his security guard repeatedly tells the paps to back up.
“This has to stop,” the musician captioned the clip.
In other posts, Bieber shared his thoughts on the culture as a whole in his home city. “Everyone telling me to move from La,” he wrote in a block of text on his feed. “U think I’m gonna get bullied to leave where my influence is most needed? How can we make a change if we run away from the darkness?”
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Admitting that he too has “been caught up in the transactional nature of Hollywood” in the past, Bieber went on to say that he now wants “nothing to do with that as a grown adult with a wife and son.” The “Peaches” artist, who married model Hailey Bieber in 2018, welcomed first child Jack Blues in August.
“I just want to be submerged in the culture learning from any and everyone,” he added. “And be a proponent and advocate for LOVE AND EQUALITY.”
Also sharing a photo of a stately lion, Bieber wrote, “IM CURRENTLY ASKING [GOD] TO HELP ME WITH PATIENCE BECAUSE It CAN BE REALLY HARD TO NOT RIP THESE F–KIN GUYS HEADS OFF.”
“Today I’m forgiving myself for my own selfishness, AND forgiving THOSE WHO SEEK TO USE AND ABUSE ME SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CAPITaLIze off of me, Or Their jealousy makes them want to make me feel small like how they feel,” he continued. “People have had to die cuz of this s–t princess Diana is the first that comes to mind smh. We gotta do better please can we make a change?”
Bieber has long clashed with the paparazzi. Enduring consistent hounding since he first debuted in 2009 at just 15 years old, the “Baby” artist has spoken out against the invasive practice on multiple occasions, with Friday’s post echoing something he said after his Ferrari was rear-ended by a persistent photographer in 2014. “There should be laws against what I just experienced,” he posted on X at the time. “We should have learned from the death of Princess Diana…”
His latest posts follow a string of candid musings Bieber has been sharing on Instagram lately, with the star writing the day prior that he’s working to forgive people who “gossip and spread lies” on the internet. “Honestly if I was u it would be hard not to be jealous if I saw me and Hailey going so brazzzzyy,” he also added Thursday (April 24).
See Bieber’s new posts below.
Shaboozey is celebrating his success with Friday’s release of Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going: The Complete Edition, an expanded version of his breakthrough March 2024 third LP Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where Going. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Among the bonuses accompanying the revamped album […]
Most of Gen Z met Destin Conrad, 24, over a decade ago on Vine, where he shared hilarious clips that frequently intersected with music. In one classic clip, for instance, he freestyled “To the- to the- to, to the left!” over a lunch table beat.
Music has remained at the center of the Tampa native’s creative output in the years since, with his debut EP, Colorway, arriving in 2021. The year prior, he wrote several songs on Kehlani’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, setting the foundation for his slow-burning ascent in the R&B world. His ethereal mélange of hazy acoustic guitars, explicitly Black and queer lyrics and soulful, heartfelt vocal performance quickly spun early hits out of cuts like “In the Air,” which he recently performed as a surprise guest at the first Brooklyn show of FLO’s Access All Areas Tour.
Across a slew of post-Colorway EPs – including Satin (2022), Submissive (2023) and Submissive 2 (2024) – Conrad continued honing his sound, slowly crafting a singular lane in the contemporary R&B space through his incorporation of left-of-center subjects like the worlds of leather and BDSM. Those projects landed him supporting gigs on tours by alt-R&B stars Kehlani and Syd, as well as his own 2024 headlining tour.
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Over eight years since Vine disappeared, Destin has finally unleashed his debut studio album, Love on Digitial. Released on Friday (April 25) via Above Ground Entertainment and EMPIRE, Love on Digital trades on the futuristic percussion of turn-of-the-century R&B and disarmingly frank lyrics that explore the intricacies of navigating Black queer love in the digital age. Assisted by Lil Nas X, Kehlani, Cari, Teezo Touchdown and serpentwithfeet, Love on Digital is a stellar full-length project – and one that feels extra sweet for fans who have patiently waited for Conrad songs longer than two minutes. The new set is the culmination of all the things Conrad has learned in the years leading up to his formal debut.
“I’m still learning so many important things, but one of the main ones is that whatever I see for myself can be real,” he tells Billboard over a saucy Cava bowl. “There’s also a lot of different jobs and moving parts — making the music is literally just one part. Being onstage is another job, and then I gotta market myself too, there’s so many factors. Learning what I like most and what feels most natural to me has been fun.”
In a candid conversation with Billboard, Destin Conrad talks Love on Digital, performing with FLO, Black queer representation in R&B and defeating imposter syndrome.
How do you feel now that your debut album is finally out in the world?
Happy for it to be out. I’m also excited to move on. I’ve been trying to not make [the pressures of a debut album] real because it’s only real if you make it real. I’ve been reminding myself that I will keep making music after this; this isn’t the end-all be-all, even though it’s my debut. I’m going to grow and make better music.
Do you view Love on Digital as an introduction, a re-introduction or neither?
An introduction. I feel like people haven’t gotten to hear a full-length from me, and that’s been a common theme with my last couple projects. Everybody’s like, “All these songs are so short!” And I’m like, “Okay, well, I’m going to give y’all a bridge and you’re gonna know what a full song sounds like from me.” It also feels like I’m actually putting thought and intention behind a lot of things that we didn’t really do in the other projects for whatever reason. It feels like an album.
When did you officially begin and finish working on the album?
I recorded the first song [“Kissing in Public”] almost two years ago. I’ve had that one for the longest time; I made it in Tulum. I made a lot of the other songs in many different places: London, L.A., New York. I knew that I didn’t want to put “Kissing in Public” on Submissive, but I didn’t know it was going on my album. It didn’t fit [on Submissive], but it’s stood the test of time.
How would you characterize the sound of your debut? Would you say it builds on or moves away from sounds you’ve explored on your EPs?
I describe the sound as digital. It’s R&B through a different lens than what we view it in. Loud. Queer.
How and when did you land on the title?
I don’t know! And that’s the crazy part — I don’t remember [specifically] thinking about it. I called it Love on Digital because it’s a nod to the digital era of R&B. I feel like R&B used to be very instrument-heavy and then there was a shift where we got new software, and it became a different sound and style. Over time, [the title] gained a new definition and reason. It’s also me thinking about love from a long-distance standpoint and using the Internet to stay connected to people. Over the past year or two, the title has been in my ether.
What frustrates you most about navigating love in the digital age?
I hate being on the phone for hours talking on FaceTime. I really envy the people that can just sit and talk to their boo. That’s how I know I really like you – if I’m sitting on FaceTime with you. And even then, I don’t like it! I really enjoy being present and I love doing things with my time physically. One of my love languages is definitely physical touch. I need whoever my partner is to be there. I’m not equipped enough to do long-distance.
Have your feelings of imposter syndrome subsided now that you’ve made it to your debut album?
1000%. I still experience imposter syndrome, but not to that magnitude. Going on tour watered a lot of that down for me, seeing real people and real faces. [Those feelings] were there because I dropped Colorway during the pandemic, so I didn’t really get to do a full, traditional rollout.
After that, I toured Submissive, and I opened for Syd — that was my first time singing my songs anywhere. And then I opened for Kehlani, which was also really tight. But it’s a different feeling doing my own headlining shows. My fans have helped me navigate my imposter syndrome.
You were giving Main Pop Boy energy in the “Kissing in Public” video, hitting choreography and all. What was that video shoot like? Do you want to dance more in the future?
I definitely want to dance more! It was so fun shooting that video. [It was directed by] Zev York, who I’ve shot a couple of videos with, and my friend Kassidy Bright choreographed it, and she’s a joy to work with. I’m excited to keep pushing that and seeing what it looks like when we add movement to the visuals.
“Mr. E” is so witty. What was your songwriting process like for this album?
I wrote all of Colorway, and then I slowly started working with more writers. With [2022’s] Satin, it was me, my best friend Ambré, Jean Deaux, and one of my friends Astyn [Turr]. We went to Joshua Tree and made a good chunk of Satin in a week.
I’ve been working with a lot of different writers that are established in their field; I feel like that’s what’s different with this album. I worked with Starrah on “P.B.S.,” which was really different for me. Mack Keane also was a huge collaborator for this album. I wanted to challenge myself and push it in a different direction.
When you bring new cooks into the kitchen, how do you still keep the essence of Destin at the center?
I’m just not going to lie on the song. If it’s not something I genuinely resonate with, I’m not going to sing it.
Conceptually, you pull from a lot of really cool places, from leather and BDSM to the evolution of technology. Where do you get the confidence to create R&B through these lenses?
Fear is definitely still a thought; it’s not a non-factor to me. I definitely think about things all the time. I kind of just throw myself into s—t and see what sticks. I’m also very gay and that’s a factor. I feel like there’s not a lot of people like me in the R&B space, so I want to poke at people a little bit and not be mute or minimize myself – and do it in a way that’s still tasteful and authentic to me.
You and Lil Nas X reunited again on “P.B.S.” What does it mean to you to be able to connect with another young, black gay music star and have the work penetrate the mainstream?
I think what he’s doing is so bold that I wanted to bring it into my world a little bit. And he’s actually my friend! That was something I was very adamant about: working with people I’m actually cool with in real life and not just getting people on my album because they’re popping. I was like, “Who genuinely inspires me?” And [Lil Nas X] was definitely on that list. I sent him “P.B.S.” and he was like, “I’m going to do a verse tomorrow and send it.”
Who were some artists you felt a connection to growing up?
Brandy is at the top of my list when it comes to any form of inspiration in music. My mom loved Luther Vandross, and I grew up listening to a lot of him. Michael Jackson’s fearlessness. Stevie Wonder’s approach. I’m a melting pot of inspiration.
“Soft Side” is so intimate and Black. Talk to me about linking with serpentwithfeet for that one.
Serpent is also a huge inspiration. He’s somebody I’ve wanted to work with since I first heard his music. He’s a Cancer like me, and he’s so well-spoken and articulate. He asked me what my perspective was from my verse, and I feel like a lot of artists don’t really ask me what I was thinking when I made the song. “Soft Side” is definitely one of my favorites.
You popped out for FLO’s first Brooklyn show on their ‘Access All Areas’ tour earlier this week. How was that?
I love FLO! I’ve been a fan of them since they popped out. It’s so amazing to see them blossom and become such amazing performers. The last time I saw them was in D.C., I had a college show and they had a show the same night. I went to go pull up on them and it was a really small, intimate show. Going to see them play last night in front of thousands of people was so inspiring. They’re definitely at the forefront of the argument against R&B being dead, and I love that.
What does it feel like as a rising R&B artist to constantly hear people say that the genre is dead?
I never hear anybody say rap is dead! I just feel like people aren’t digging. They want it to come to them. Sometimes I just go on my Apple Music, and I literally just search for music. I feel like people don’t want to do that anymore. I feel like people just want it to be handed to them on a silver platter. I’m not going to lie, I like some artists, but I don’t love every song by them. I find what I do like and keep it pushing, it’s all subjective. But for you to say the whole genre is dead, that’s a stretch.
Can we expect a Love on Digital tour anytime soon?
Very soon! We’re actually working on it right now.