State Champ Radio Music
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It’s 2 a.m. on a May morning in Aguascalientes, Mexico, long past most people’s bedtimes. But inside the Palenque of Feria de San Marcos — a venue in this central Mexican city — Carín León is entering the third hour of a performance where he has sung nonstop while pacing the small 360-degree stage like a caged lion.
Palenques, found in most Mexican cities and towns, were originally designed and used for cockfighting, and most have been transformed into concert venues that put artists in shockingly close proximity to their fans, with no ring of security around the tiny stage. The palenque circuit is de rigueur for Mexican artists, even a superstar like León — a burly man who tonight looks even bigger thanks to his ever-present high-crown cowboy hat.
Nearly 6,000 fans surround him in arena-style seating, the steep, vertical layout allowing everyone a close view of the man below, flanked by his backing ensemble: a norteño band with electric guitars, a sinaloense brass section, backup singers and keyboards — nearly 30 musicians in all, who wander about, grab drinks, chat and return to the stage throughout the show. León leads the organized chaos, traversing repertoire that, during the course of the evening, goes from corridos and norteño ballads to country and rock’n’roll.
“I think it’s the most Mexican thing possible in music, a palenque. I always say you have to see your artist play in a palenque to understand it,” León tells me a few hours before the show. He has been playing them for years throughout the country, like most regional Mexican artists do. They’re places of revelry and drink, a rite of passage, and the place to test new sounds.
“As artists, we appreciate that experience,” he adds. “We love it because you have people so close to you. You can be with them, have drinks with them — it’s a very interesting artist-fan communion.”
We’re chatting between sips of tequila at a country house on the outskirts of Aguascalientes, and despite the stifling afternoon heat, León keeps his hat on, looking stately in his boots and black jacket with metal buckles. Soft-spoken but emphatic, the 35-year-old música mexicana star alternates between Spanish and English, which he speaks with the American-sounding but accented cadence of someone who learned it by ear from transcribing songs by hand, but never in a classroom.
“I always had trouble with my accent when I sang,” he says. “But I didn’t want to lose the accent because it makes you unique. [An accent] is more valid now. I always want to ensure the music is good, refine it, make it better. But we’re coming from the 2000s, when music [production] was perfect. Now value is given to what’s natural, and that includes having an accent.”
Christopher Patey
While at his core León is a regional Mexican artist who performs contemporary banda and norteño, he loves collaborating with artists spanning many genres and incorporating regional sounds from around the world into his music: Spanish flamenco, Colombian vallenato and salsa, Puerto Rican reggaetón. And as he blends these sounds in unexpected ways, León has found an avid and growing audience.
In 2024, he crisscrossed the world on his Boca Chueca tour, playing 81 palenque, arena and stadium dates in the United States and Latin America. Of 1.3 million total tickets sold, according to his management, 374,000 were reported to Billboard Boxscore for a gross of $51.2 million, making it one of the year’s most successful Latin tours. This year, he’s scheduled to play 40 more shows, including Chilean and Colombian stadiums, Spanish arenas and German theaters — a leap few regional Mexican acts, whose touring is usually restricted to the United States and Mexico, have accomplished at such a scale.
But León has transcended mere geographic borders. Last year, after releasing singles with country star Kane Brown and soul musician Leon Bridges, León became the first artist to perform mainly in Spanish at the Stagecoach country music festival, just a couple of months after making his Grand Ole Opry debut. On June 6, he became the first regional Mexican artist to play CMA Fest, as a guest of Cody Johnson, who invited him to perform the bilingual “She Hurts Like Tequila” with him as part of his set at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
“What struck me most was how effortless it felt,” Bridges says of working with León on the bilingual duet “It Was Always You (Siempre Fuiste Tú).” “We come from different musical backgrounds, but the emotion, the storytelling — that was shared. Collaborating with him wasn’t about chasing a fusion — it was about two artists trusting each other to make something honest. Going down to Mexico and being immersed in his world was a powerful reminder of how universal that connection through music really is.”
From a purely commercial standpoint, León has no need to take musical risks like this beyond the Latin realm. In the past five years alone, he has notched three entries on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, including Colmillo de Leche (2023) and Boca Chueca, Vol. 1 (2024), which both reached the top 10. He has placed three No. 1s on the Latin Airplay chart, seven No. 1s on Regional Mexican Airplay and 19 entries on Hot Latin Songs, including three top 10s. He’s a widely sought-after collaborator for pop stars (Camilo, Maluma, Kany García, Carlos Vives), Spanish stars (Manuel Carrasco, El Cigala), Mexican legends (Pepe Aguilar, Alejandro Fernández) and fellow current chart-toppers (Grupo Firme, Gabito Ballesteros) alike.
But regardless of what sounds he’s working with, or whether his collaborator is an established name or an untested act (a particular favorite of his), León knows what he likes. That confidence is at the core of his and manager Jorge Juarez’s strategic plan to make him a truly global artist — and for the past year, they’ve set their sights on country music, hoping to bridge the divide between two genres that, despite their different languages, are in fact remarkably similar.
“It’s something that fills me with pride and something that’s been very difficult to achieve as a Mexican and as a Latin: to reach the center of the marrow of this country movement,” León says. “To get to know this [country music] industry and start moving the threads to act as this missing link between regional Mexican and country music.”
Carín León photographed April 29, 2025 at Gran Ex-Hacienda La Unión in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Christopher Patey
León first tested the country waters back in 2019 with a Mexican/country version of Extreme’s “More Than Words,” recorded in English and Spanish. Though it now has 14 million streams on Spotify, “it’s kind of lost because there was so much other stuff happening at the time,” he says. It was a risky move, especially coming when León was not yet the established star he is today. But to him, it was one worth taking.
“It was the perfect excuse to show something different,” he says. “And it was amazing. It was so liberating. Because I was trapped in this box that was regional mexicano at that time, and [this song] was very fun for me.”
Country and regional Mexican are, truly, natural siblings. Both genres are anchored in storytelling, with acoustic instrumentation and guitars central to their sound. Boots, hats and fringe jackets are staple outfits for artists and fans alike. And though they stem from different cultures, both are, as León puts it, “roots genres” with their foundations in regional sounds.
Unsurprisingly, other Latin artists have forayed into country before — but none have brought León’s existing level of Latin music stardom, nor have they generated the buzz and impact that he has since releasing his first country team-up, “The One (Pero No Como Yo),” with Brown in March 2024. Since then, he has spent weeks in Nashville, working with local producers and songwriters for a country-leaning album featuring other major names that’s slated for a 2026 release.
For country music, that’s good news. According to the Country Music Association’s 2024 Diverse Audience study, 58% of Latino music listeners consume country music at least monthly, compared with 50% when the last study was conducted in 2021. Finding the right opportunity to tap that market had long been in the Grand Ole Opry’s sights. “And then,” says Jordan Pettit, Opry Entertainment Group vp of artist and industry relations, “the opportunity with Carín came up.”
At León’s Opry debut in 2024, “we had a lot of audience there, more than normal,” Pettit recalls. “The show itself absolutely blew my expectations.” The plan had been for León to play three songs, but the crowd clamored for more, and the musician obliged with a fourth. “I can think of only one or two occasions in my seven years here where I’ve seen an artist get an encore,” Pettit says. “It was really, really awesome to see the worlds collide.”
León’s worlds have been colliding since he was born Óscar Armando Díaz de León in Hermosillo, Mexico, a business hub and the capital of the northwestern state of Sonora, located 200 miles from the U.S. border at Nogales, Ariz. That proximity, coupled with his family’s voracious appetite for music, exposed him to a constant and eclectic soundtrack that ranged from Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodríguez and corrido singer Chalino Sánchez to country stars Johnny Cash and George Strait to rock mainstays like Journey, Paul McCartney and Queen.
“What’s happening now in my career is the result of the music I ingested since I was a kid,” he says. “Music gave me the incentive to learn about many things — the origin of other countries, political movements linked to music, cultural movements. I’m very freaky about music. Everything I have comes from the music I listened to.”
When León finally started dabbling in guitar, he gravitated to the music closest to his roots, regional Mexican, and eventually adopted his stage name. By 2010, he was the singer for Grupo Arranke, which through its blend of traditional sinaloense banda brass and sierreño guitars eventually landed a deal with the Mexican indie Balboa. After a slow but steady rise, Grupo Arranke garnered its sole Billboard chart entry, peaking at No. 34 on Hot Latin Songs in 2019 with “A Través del Vaso,” penned by veteran songwriter Horacio Palencia.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and León switched gears: He went solo, signed to indie Tamarindo Recordz and began releasing music at a prolific pace, launching what he now calls his “exotic” cross-genre fusions.
He scored his first top 10 on a Billboard chart with “Me la Aventé,” which peaked at No. 6 on Regional Mexican Airplay in 2019. But his true breakouts were two live albums recorded and filmed in small studios during lockdown, Encerrados Pero Enfiestados, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (Locked Up, but Partying). The bare-bones sets, featuring León singing and playing guitar with a stripped-down accompaniment of tuba and guitar, struck a powerful chord. At a time when teenage performers with gold chains and exotic cars were propelling corridos tumbados and música mexicana with hip-hop attitude up the charts, this 30-year-old relative unknown with a poignant tenor that oozed emotion was performing regional Mexican music with a Rhodes organ, a country twang and, with his cover of ’90s pop hit “Tú,” a female point of view. No one else sounded like him.
Christopher Patey
Those acoustic sessions “were the first things I realized could make the audience uncomfortable [and] question what they were hearing,” León recalls. “Wanting everyone to like you works, but it doesn’t let you transcend. I think things happen when you change something — for good or bad — and you get that divided opinion. All my idols — Elvis, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash — were people who swam against the current. And not in a forced way, but in a sincere way, exposing vulnerabilities. We knew it was good stuff. And things began to happen.”
During the pandemic lockdown, León had the time and creative space to experiment and explore a new openness within regional Mexican music, a genre where artists used to seldom collaborate with one another. In 2021, he notched his first No. 1 with “El Tóxico,” a collaboration with Grupo Firme that ruled Regional Mexican Airplay for two weeks.
Then, Spanish urban/flamenco star C. Tangana DM’d him on Instagram and invited him to collaborate on “Cambia!,” a song from Tangana’s acclaimed album El Madrileño that also featured young sierreño star Adriel Favela and can best be described as a corrido flamenco. The track “blew my mind,” León says — and exposed him to a completely different audience. “It taught me divisions are literally only a label. When I heard that album, I understood music has no limits. C. Tangana is to blame for what’s happening with my music now.”
Collaboration requests from artists seeking León’s unique sound (and sonic curiosity) started to flow in at the precise time that he was itching to explore and globalize his music. In 2022, after recording the pop/regional Mexican ballad “Como lo Hice Yo” with Mexican pop group Matisse, he met the band’s manager, Jorge Juárez, co-owner of well-known Mexican management and concert promotion company Westwood Entertainment. The two clicked, and when León’s label and management contract with Tamarindo expired in early 2023, he approached Juárez.
“There comes a time when managers and the artist have to be a power couple,” León observes. “I found the right fit with Mr. Jorge Juárez. He’s a music fiend; he has a very out-of-the-box vision. That’s where we clicked. And he had huge ambition, which is very important to us. He’s the man of the impossible. We want to change the rules of the game.”
In León, Juárez says he saw “a very versatile artist who could ride out trends, who could become an icon. He wasn’t looking to be No. 1, but to be the biggest across time. He had so many attributes, I felt I had the right ammunition to demonstrate my experience of so many years and take him to a global level.”
Juárez, who shuttles between his Miami home base and Mexico, is a respected industry veteran who has long managed a marquee roster of mostly Mexican pop acts including Camila, Reik, Sin Bandera and Carlos Rivera. He’s also a concert promoter with expertise in the United States and Latin America. He sees León as having the potential to become “the next Vicente Fernández,” he adds, referring to the late global ranchero star.
Because León had parted ways with Tamarindo, which kept his recording catalog, he urgently had to build a new one. He and Juárez partnered in founding a label, Socios Music, and began releasing material prolifically, financing the productions out of their own pockets. Since partnering with Juárez, León has released three studio albums: Colmillo de Leche and Boca Chueca, Vol. 1, which both peaked at No. 8 on Top Latin Albums, and Palabra de To’s, which reached No. 20. Beyond the catalog, they had three other key goals: finding a tour promoter with global reach, building the Carín León brand and expanding into country.
AEG, which León and Juárez partnered with in 2023, could help with all of it. Last year, the promoter booked León’s back-to-back performances at Coachella and Stagecoach — making him one of very few artists to play both of the Southern California Goldenvoice festivals in the same year — as well as his slot opening for The Rolling Stones in May in Glendale, Ariz. AEG president of global touring Rich Schaefer says they sold over 500,000 tickets for León headline shows in the United States since they started working together, including a 2024 sellout at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium.
“There are few artists who put out as much music as Carín does on a regular basis,” Schaefer adds. “He’s able to sing and speak fluently in two languages, which has already opened a lot of doors both in the States and abroad. Our team works very closely with Jorge and his team, and he has a deep understanding of how to approach international territories. With a little luck, Carín is poised to take over the world.”
Carín León photographed April 29, 2025 at Gran Ex-Hacienda La Unión in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Christopher Patey
That international viewpoint also informed León’s approach to recording. When Juárez set out to unlock country music for his client, he first contacted Universal Music Publishing Group head Jody Gerson — “our godmother,” as Juárez likes to say. “She opened so many doors to us.”
Gerson first met León in 2023, after Yadira Moreno, UMPG’s managing director in Mexico, signed him. “It was clear from my first meeting with him that he possessed an expansive vision for his songwriting and artistry that would take him beyond Mexican music,” Gerson says. “Before signing with us, he wanted to make sure that we were aligned with his ambitions and that he would get meaningful global support from our company, specifically in Nashville. Carín actually grew up listening to country music, so his desire to collaborate with country songwriters is an organic one.”
Beyond opening the door to working with Nashville producers and songwriters, Gerson also connected Juárez and León with Universal Music Group chief Lucian Grainge, who in June 2024 helped formulate a unique partnership between Virgin Music Group, Island Records and Socios Music. Through it, Virgin and Island distribute and market León’s music under Socios, with Virgin distributing and marketing to the U.S. Latin and global markets and Island working the U.S. mainstream market.
The agreement encompasses parts of León’s back catalog as well as new material, including 2024’s Boca Chueca, Vol. 1, which featured his bilingual collaborations with Brown (“The One [Pero No Como Yo],” which peaked at No. 46 on Hot Country Songs) and Bridges.
He plans to deliver Boca Chueca, Vol. 2 before the end of the year and just released a deluxe version of Palabra de To’s that includes new pairings with Maluma (their “Según Quién” topped the Latin Airplay chart for four weeks in 2023 and 2024) and first-time duets with ranchera star Alejandro Fernández and flamenco icon El Cigala.
While flamenco is another passion point for León, the country album — his “first magnum opus,” he says — is his most ambitious goal. Already, he has worked in Nashville with major producers and songwriters including Amy Allen, Dan Wilson and Natalie Hemby. On the eclectic project, he says, “Some stuff sounds like James Brown, some stuff sounds like Queen, some stuff sounds like regional Mexican with these corrido tumbado melodies, but in a country way. It’s very Carín. It’s what’s happening in my head and in my heart.” He won’t divulge all of its guests just yet, but he says it includes friends like “my man Jelly Roll” and other big stars he admires.
It’s new territory for a Latin act, and León is acutely aware of the fact. But he’s approaching it from a very different point of view. “I’m not a country artist,” he says flatly. “I’m a sonorense. I have regional Mexican in my bones. But I love country music, and I’m trying to do my approach with my Mexican music and find a middle point. It’s not easy. You have a lot of barriers because of the accent, because of the language, the racial stuff.”
For some successful regional Mexican artists who tour constantly and make top dollar, the trade-off is not worth it; financially speaking, they don’t need to open new territories or genres and the audiences that come with them. But for León, “the money trip passed a lot of years ago,” he says with a shrug, taking a last sip of tequila and adjusting the brim of that ever-present accessory he shares with his country friends. “I need to change the game,” he adds. “I’m hungry to make history, to be the one and only. I’m so ambitious with what I want to do with the music. It’s always the music. She’s the boss.”
It’s 2 a.m. on a May morning in Aguascalientes, Mexico, long past most people’s bedtimes. But inside the Palenque of Feria de San Marcos — a venue in this central Mexican city — Carín León is entering the third hour of a performance where he has sung nonstop while pacing the small 360-degree stage like […]
Country music is getting a new Grammy category: best traditional country album. It is the only new music category being added for the 68th annual Grammy Awards in 2026.
To reflect the change, the existing best country album category has been renamed best contemporary country album. The new category will join the 13 other categories in Field 5, four of which are specifically dedicated to country, while the others cover American roots, Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk and regional roots music.
New categories are considered from proposals submitted to the Recording Academy’s Awards & Nominations committee, which are then voted on by the Academy’s board of trustees. “The community of people that are making country music in all different subgenres came to us with a proposal and said we would like to have more variety in how our music is honored,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. tells Billboard. “They said, we think we need more space for our music to be celebrated and honored.” Mason said the proposal had been submitted a number of times previously before passing this year.
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The move helps bring the country categories more in line with other genres which separate contemporary and traditional albums or performances, including R&B, pop and blues.
“It makes country parallel with what’s happening in other genres,” Mason says, “But it is also creating space for where this genre is going.”
The definition for the new category reads, in part, “This category recognizes excellence in albums of traditional country music, both vocal and instrumental. Traditional country includes country recordings that adhere to the more traditional sound structures of the country genre, including rhythm and singing style, lyrical content, as well as traditional country instrumentation such as acoustic guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano, electric guitar, and live drums. It also includes sub-genres such as Western, Western Swing, and Outlaw country.”
The hope is that the new category benefits artists who fall outside of mainstream, commercial country music, such as Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell, Colter Wall and Noeline Hoffman, who have previously been nominated into the Americana and American roots categories. (Both Crockett and Ferrell were nominated for best Americana album for the 2025 Grammy Awards, with Ferrell’s Trail of Flowers taking home the Grammy.)
“The issues have been, traditionally, a lot of people that weren’t sure whether [an album] was Americana or roots or folk or country were just jamming everything into one category,” Mason says. “There are obviously nuances between the different genres. Those experts in those genres understand those nuances, and I’m quite certain now you’re going to see the right people going into Americana versus folk versus traditional country. [The change] gives us an opportunity to put things in more specific categories.”
As all subgenres of country grow in popularity, Mason says the addition of a new category gives more chances to share the wealth. “People from that community are making more music, it’s more varied, there’s different styles of writing and performing,” he says. “I’m hopeful that that community understands that the academy is doing what it always does, which is stay in tune with what’s happening in their genre.”
SEVENTEEN achieves its seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart as the group’s latest release, SEVENTEEN 5th Album ‘HAPPY BURSTDAY’ debuts atop the list dated June 14. The set sold 46,000 copies in the United States in the week ending June 5, according to Luminate.
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SEVENTEEN scored its first No. 1 on Top Album Sales in 2021. In turn, with seven No. 1s in the 2020s, the act ties TOMORROW X TOGETHER for the most No. 1s among groups, and the second-most among all acts in the 2020s. Only Taylor Swift, with nine No. 1s on Top Album Sales in the 2020s, has more this decade.
Also in the top 10, the region gets shaken up by albums from Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Sufjan Stevens, Garbage and Aesop Rock.
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Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.
Miley Cyrus’ Something Beautiful debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales with 27,000 copies sold, marking her 15th top 10 (inclusive of titles credited to her Disney Channel character Hannah Montana). Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem falls to No. 3 (16,000; down 45%) after two weeks atop the list.
Two Swift albums return to the top 10 after an outpouring of fan support following the news that Swift had acquired her Big Machine Records-era music catalog. Her 2017 album reputation reenters at No. 4 (15,000; up 1,183%) and her self-titled 2006 self-titled debut reenters at No. 6 (8,000; up 955%).
Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping To Pimp a Butterfly reenters at No. 5 on Top Album Sales (11,000; up 639%) after a 10th anniversary reissue on multiple vinyl variants, as well as a cassette tape. Another 10th anniversary reissue, this time from Sufjan Stevens, also impacts the chart, as his Carrie & Lowell reenters at No. 7 (8,000; up 2,656%). (For both Lamar and Stevens, all versions of their respective albums, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes.)
Garbage’s Let All That We Imagine Be the Light debuts at No. 8 with just over 7,000 sold, securing the band its fourth top 10-charting set. Lamar’s former No. 1 GNX falls 5-9 (a little more than 7,000; down 15%) and Aesop Rock nabs his first top 10-charting effort with his new release Black Hole Superette debuting at No. 10 (7,000).
“Here we are now, entertain us.” You asked for it and Nirvana provided. The iconic grunge trio’s beloved video for breakthrough 1991 hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has just crossed the two billion views mark on YouTube. The Samuel Bayer-directed clip in which late singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and company rock a high school gym into a frenzy debuted on MTV in the fall of 1991, quickly catapulting the group to global superstardom.
While the majority of the YouTube music videos with two billion or more views are from pop, Latin, country and hip-hop artists including Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Enrique Iglesias, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Shakira and Alan Walker, there are a handful of other rock videos that have reached that storied height.
Among the other rock acts to hit two billie are: Twenty One Pilots (“Stressed Out,” “Heathens”), Imagine Dragons (“Believer,” “Thunder”), Guns N’ Roses (“November Rain”) and Linkin Park (“Numb”). “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was first uploaded to YouTube at 2009 and hit the one billion mark in 2019.
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Two months after its release, the song that defined a generation topped Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart on Nov. 23, 1991 and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The unlikely long-for-pop-radio five minute hit featuring such obtuse lyrics as “A mulatto, an albino a mosquito, my libido” and a visual in which band members Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic thrash about as anarchist cheerleaders whip teens into a frenzy in a smoke-shrouded gymnasium was the unlikeliest hits at a time when Bryan Adams, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men ruled the charts.
But the song helped the band’s second studio album, Nevermind, climb the charts and end then chart king Michael Jackson’s run at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart on Jan. 11, 1992 when it pushed his Dangerous album from the to of the heap.
Check out “Smells Like Teen Spirit” below.
Pastor Mike Jr. could set a record when the 2025 Stellar Gospel Music Awards ceremony is taped live from the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville on Saturday, Aug. 16. He is currently tied with Kirk Franklin and Marvin Sapp as the only artists to win artist of the year three times. He’s nominated again this year. Should he win, he’ll pull ahead as the top winner in the top category.
Tamela Mann, who won in that category in 2014 and 2017, is also nominated again. Should she win, she’ll join Pastor Mike Jr., Franklin and Sapp as the only three-time winners.
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The other nominees in that category are CeCe Winans, Jason Nelson and Kenny Lewis & One Voice. None have ever won before in this top category.
Pastor Mike Jr. and Jason Nelson are the top nominees for the 40th annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, with nine nods each. Pastor Mike Jr., who has amassed 19 Stellar Awards, and Nelson, who is also a Stellar Award winner, each landed nominations for artist of the year, song of the year, male artist of the year and album of the year.
With eight nominations, Cece Winans is vying for artist of the year, song of the year, Albertina Walker female artist of the year, and album of the year.
Other artists earning multiple nominations include Mississippi Mass Choir, Adia, Deitrick Haddon, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Karen Clark-Sheard, Kenny Lewis & One Voice, Micah Lee, Tamela Mann, Chandler Moore and FK&M (Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, and Marcus Cole).
Public fan voting will take place in two categories this year – urban single or performance of the year and praise and worship song of the year. Fan Favorite voting runs from June 16 until July 18.
The Stellar Awards also announced nominees for the Gospel Radio of the Year Awards in six categories.
Tickets for the 40th Stellar Awards taping are available now at stellarawards.com.
“For 40 remarkable years, the Stellar Awards have been a beacon of excellence, celebrating the voices, vision, and victories of gospel music,” Don Jackson, founder of the Stellar Awards and chairman of Central City Productions, Inc., said in a statement. “We honor not just the genre of gospel music, but the legacy of our history, our faith, our culture, and our community that has inspired Black & African American generations for four decades.”
The 40th Stellar Gospel Music Awards show is executive produced by Jackson with Jennifer J. Jackson serving as producer and executive in charge of production; Michael A. Johnson as producer and director, Erin Johnson as talent producer, and Daniel Moore as music director.
This year’s Stellar Awards caps STELLAR PLUS week, which is set for Aug. 14-16. Events include master classes and soundstages, fashion shows and comedy showcases and more. For more information, visit stellarplusexperience.com.
Here’s the full list of nominations for the 2025 Stellar Gospel Music Awards.
Artist of the Year
CeCe Winans; More Than This; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
Jason Nelson; You Belong: Live in Durham; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Kenny Lewis & One Voice; The Healing Project; PureSound Muzik Group
Pastor Mike Jr.; I Got Away EP; Rock City Media Group
Tamela Mann; Live Breathe Fight; TillyMann
Song of the Year
“Amen,” Michael McClure Jr., Adia Andrews, Terrell Anthony Pettus, Andrea Crouch, & David “DLo” Outing; Pastor Mike Jr.; Rock City Media Group
“Clap My Way,” Fred Jerkins III, Alvin Garrett, & Micah Lee; Micah Lee; Darkchild Gospel/ MicahLeeMusic
“I Prayed for You (said a prayer),” Major Johnson Finley, Brunes Charles, & Jeshua Williams; MAJOR.; NowThatsMAJOR / MNRK
“That’s My King,” Taylor Agan, Kellie Gamble, Lloyd Nicks, & Jess Russ; CeCe Winans; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
“Yahweh” ft. Melvin Crispell III; Danni Baylor, Jason Nelson, Jerome Baylor, & Johnnie Huntley Steele III; Jason Nelson; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Male Artist of the Year
Chandler Moore; Chandler Moore: Live in Los Angeles; TRIBL
Deitrick Haddon; One Night in California; DH Visions
Doc McKenzie; Run On; Blockbuster Records/Milbert McKenzie Music Group
Jason Nelson; You Belong: Live in Durham; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Pastor Mike Jr.; I Got Away EP; Rock City Media Group
Albertina Walker Female Artist of the Year
ADIA; On the Way; Rock City Media Group
CeCe Winans; More Than This; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
Dorinda Clark-Cole; Determined; Malaco Records
Karen Clark-Sheard; Still Karen; Motown Gospel
Lisa Page Brooks; The Grateful Chant; FlowNeeNee Music
Duo/Chorus Group of the Year
Deitrick Haddon ft. Damita & Tasha Page-Lockhart; Hold On 2 Your Faith; ManHaddon Ministries / Tyscot Records
FK&M (Fred Hammond, Keith Staten and Marcus Cole); Time Capsule – The Trilogy; 3Brothers/Dare Records
Ted & Sheri; You’ve Been So Faithful (Groove); Ted & Sheri LLC / Black Smoke Music Worldwide
The Group Fire; About Last Night; Jet Records North/East
New Artist of the Year
ADIA; On the Way; Rock City Media Group
Bobbi Lane; Unmatched Grace; Blockbuster Records/ Taylor Music Group
Josh Bracy and Power Anointed; Favor; Josh Bracy Muzic
Micah Lee; Clap My Way; Darkchild Gospel/ MicahLeeMusic
Montrae Tisdale and The Friends Chorale; The Faith Journey; Tisdale Nation Entertainment
Album of the Year
I Got Away EP; Pastor Mike Jr.; Rock City Media Group
Live Breathe Fight; Tamela Mann; TillyMann
More Than This; CeCe Winans; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
The Healing Project; Kenny Lewis & One Voice; PureSound Muzik Group
You Belong: Live in Durham; Jason Nelson; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Choir of the Year
Bishop S.Y. Younger; Bishop S.Y. Younger Presents Worship in Brazil; Ramp Records (exclusively distributed by Haus Records)
Chicago Mass Choir; Greater Is Coming; New Haven Records
Ricky Dillard; When I Think; Motown Gospel
The Mississippi Mass Choir; We Still Believe; Malaco Records
Producer of the Year
Dana Sorey; Jason Nelson; You Belong: Live in Durham; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, Marcus Cole, Paul Wright III and Ray Hammond; FK&M (Fred Hammond, Keith Staten and Marcus Cole); Time Capsule – The Trilogy; 3Brothers/Dare Records
J. Drew Sheard; Karen Clark-Sheard; Still Karen; Motown Gospel
Michael McClure Jr., & David “DLo” Outing II; Pastor Mike Jr.; I Got Away EP; Rock City Media Group
Stan Jones, Jerry Mannery, Jerry Smith, & David R. Curry Jr.; The Mississippi Mass Choir; We Still Believe; Malaco Records
Contemporary Duo/Chorus Group of the Year
Deitrick Haddon ft. Damita & Tasha Page-Lockhart; Hold On 2 Your Faith; ManHaddon Ministries / Tyscot Records
Red Hands; The Three (EP); Black Suit Music / Anderson Music Group / TAMLA Records
Ted & Sheri; You’ve Been So Faithful (Groove); Ted & Sheri LLC / Black Smoke Music Worldwide
The Group Fire; About Last Night; Jet Records North/East
Traditional Duo/Chorus Group of the Year
Brandon Camphor & One Way; Hymn Medley; Tomii Entertainment
Men Of Prayze; Live: in the Red; EvoWorld Entertainment, Inc
The Flint Cavaliers; The Fellowship (Psalms 133:1); The Flint Music Group
Tim Woodson & The Heirs of Harmony; Try Me; Blackberry/Marxan Records
Contemporary Male Artist of the Year
Jason Nelson; You Belong: Live in Durham; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Micah Lee; Clap My Way; Darkchild Gospel/ MicahLeeMusic
Pastor Mike Jr.; I Got Away EP; Rock City Media Group
Vincent Bohanan; VBSOV Summer Jam; Independent
Traditional Male Artist of the Year
Bishop Calvin Norton; Hold Me Beyond Rear View EP; Blockbuster Records
Brent Jones; Live Your Best Life; JDI Entertainment
Earnest Pugh; Worthy Is the Lamb; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Kenny Lewis; The Healing Project; PureSound Muzik Group
Contemporary Female Artist of the Year
ADIA; On the Way; Rock City Media Group
Bobbi Lane; Unmatched Grace; Blockbuster Records/ Taylor Music Group
CeCe Winans; More Than This; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
DOE; Heart of a Human; RCA Inspiration / Provident Entertainment
Keyla Richardson; Home; Uncle G Records
Traditional Female Artist of the Year
Dorinda Clark-Cole; Determined; Malaco Records
Lasha Knox; Right There; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Lisa Page Brooks; The Grateful Chant; FlowNeeNee Music
Terri McConnell; He’ll Get Me Through This; Royal T Records
Contemporary Album of the Year
Chandler Moore: Live in Los Angeles; Chandler Moore; TRIBL
Live Breathe Fight; Tamela Mann; TillyMann
Still Karen; Karen Clark-Sheard; Motown Gospel
You Belong: Live in Durham; Jason Nelson; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Traditional Album of the Year
Determined; Dorinda Clark-Cole; Malaco Records
Live in Detroit, Pt 1; The Victorius Army ATL Feat. Vincent Bohanan; Independent
The Healing Project; Kenny Lewis & One Voice; PureSound Muzik Group
We Still Believe; The Mississippi Mass Choir; Malaco Records
Urban Single or Performance of the Year
Amen; Pastor Mike Jr.; Rock City Media Group
Clap My Way; Micah Lee; Darkchild Gospel/ MicahLeeMusic
I Prayed for You (said a prayer); MAJOR.; NowThatsMAJOR / MNRK
Without You ft. Zacardi Cortez; Jevon Dewand and The Trap Starz; Black Smoke Records
Music Video of the Year
“Amen,” Pastor Mike Jr., Tony “Mr.YNOT” Minifield, Drae Rudolph & Kevin “Krispy” Key/Moon Men; Rock City Media Group
“Deserve to Win,” David Mann; TillyMann
“For My Good,” Jekalyn Carr; Waynorth Music
“Never Be the Same,” Deitrick Haddon & Terrance Church; DH Visions
Traditional Choir of the Year
Chicago Mass Choir; Greater Is Coming; New Haven Records
Christopher L. Ervin & Abraham’s Descendants; Recover; CervinMusiq
Ricky Dillard; When I Think; Motown Gospel
The Mississippi Mass Choir; We Still Believe; Malaco Records
Contemporary Choir of the Year
Alphaeus Anderson Presents The USC Upstate Gospel Choir; Already Done; Music2ChangeU
Charles Butler & Trinity; Live in Washington DC; Red Alliance Media
Johnny Sanders Featuring Faith on Full; Christmas Everyday; Third Century Development Corp/Johnny Sanders Presents, LLC
Vincent Bohanan & SOV; VBSOV Summer Jam; Independent
Traditional Artist of the Year
Bishop Calvin Norton; Hold Me Beyond Rear View EP; Blockbuster Records
Dorinda Clark-Cole; Determined; Malaco Records
Earnest Pugh; Worthy Is the Lamb; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
The Mississippi Mass Choir; We Still Believe; Malaco Records
Special Event Album of the Year
Bishop S.Y. Younger Presents Worship in Brazil; Bishop S.Y. Younger; Ramp Records (exclusively distributed by Haus Records)
Joyful, Joyful: A Christmas Album; CeCe Winans; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
Red & Green; Jonathan McReynolds; Life Room Label, Motown Gospel
The Gift Deluxe Edition; The Group Fire; Jet Records North/East
We Still Believe; The Mississippi Mass Choir; Malaco Records
Rap/Hip Hop Gospel Album of the Year
Canton Jones and CAJO Records Presents the Free Life Experience; The Free Life Experience; CAJO Records
Let Go Let God: The EP; 1K Phew; Reach Records
Meet Me in Miami; Otis Kemp; Revive 5.0 Entertainment
Without You: There Would Be No Me; Jevon Dewand and The Trap Starz; Black Smoke Records
Youth Project of the Year
AMG Kidz x Boston Arts Academy; The Kidz at North Station; Anderson Music Group / TAMLA Records
Brent Jones presents The Fire; Brent Jones presents The Fire; JDI Entertainment
Janessa Smith; Sounds of Joy; Inspired Recording
Nina Symmone & Noah Alexander; God’s Way; The Big Moment / Anderson Music Group
Quartet of the Year
Blest By Four; Only Believe The EP; EvoWorld Entertainment, Inc
Men Of Prayze; Live: in the Red; EvoWorld Entertainment, Inc
The Flint Cavaliers; The Fellowship (Psalms 133:1); The Flint Music Group
Tim Woodson & The Heirs of Harmony; Try Me; Blackberry/Marxan Records
Recorded Music Packaging of the Year
Covered Vol. 1; Brianna Dowd & Melvin Crispell III; RCA Inspiration, Provident Label Group LLC
Meet Me in Miami; Blair Monique; Revive 5.0 Entertainment
Red & Green; Jonathan McReynolds & Trent Nicholson; Life Room Label, Motown Gospel
Still Karen; Justin Foster; Motown Gospel
Praise and Worship Album of the Year
Chandler Moore: Live in Los Angeles; Chandler Moore; TRIBL
More Than This; CeCe Winans; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
One; Jordan G. Welch; JordiG Music
You Belong: Live in Durham; Jason Nelson; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Praise and Worship Song of the Year
“Light in a Dark Place,” Bobbi Lane; Blockbuster Records/ Taylor Music Group
“Overflow” ft. Todd Dulaney; Transformation Worship; Represent Records, Re: Think Music
“That’s My King,” CeCe Winans; Pure Springs Gospel/Fair Trade Services
“Yahweh” ft. Melvin Crispell III; Jason Nelson; Jaelyn Song / Tyscot Records
Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year
“Amen,” Pastor Mike Jr.; Rock City Media Group
“Blessings,” Otis Kemp; Revive 5.0 Entertainment
“Fa REAL… Fa Real,” Jevon Dewand and The Trap Starz; Black Smoke Records
“Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” ft. Lisa Page Brooks; Dante’ Pride; iAmDantePrideMuzik
Top Market of the Year
WBBP 1480 AM, Memphis
WBGX 1570 kHz, Chicago
WFTB FM 104.1, Nashville
WGRB 1390AM, Chicago
WPZS 100.9, Charlotte, N.C.
Medium Market of the Year
WAGR 102.5 FM, Lexington, Miss.
WEUP Worship 94.5, Huntsville, Ala.
WJNI 106.3FM, Charleston, S.C.
WXHL 89.1 FM, Wilmington, Del.
Small Market of the Year
WBZF-FM 98.5, Florence-Myrtle Beach, S.C.
WHLH 95.5, Jackson, Miss.
WKTT 97.5 FM, Salisbury, Md.
WTSK – Praise 93.3/ 790 AM, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Internet Station of the Year
Black Gospel Radio, https://BlackGospelRadio.net
GODRadio1.com, https://godradio1.com
Hands Up Radio WHUR, https://handsupradio.org/
Power of Worship Radio, https://powerofworship.net
Syndicated Gospel Radio Show of the Year
“Early Morning Praise Party with Sherry Mackey,” Sherry Mackey
“Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell,” Erica Campbell with Griff & Cheryl Jackson
“The Big Redd Radio Show,” Big Redd
“The Tracy Morgan Show,” Tracy Morgan
Gospel Announcer of the Year
Destiny Diggs; WXHL – Reach Gospel Radio/ “Say So Radio Show with Destiny”
Melissa Wade; WNNL, The Light 103.9/ “Melissa Wade in the Midday”
Micha “ML6” Logan; WEUP, 103.1 FM/ “The Midday Shift”
Sherry Mackey; WHAL, 95.7 Hallelujah FM/ “Early Morning Praise Party with Sherry Mackey”
After appointing himself chair of the Kennedy Center and replacing its board members with loyalists, President Donald Trump’s first-ever visit to the revered Washington, D.C. cultural center on Wednesday night (June 11) was likely not the warm welcome he expected. Taking his seat for the opening night of Les Misérables, the Associated Press reported that Trump was met with a mix of cheers and boos, as well as an unexpected parade of drag queens who sashayed past the first couple, seemingly in protest of Trump’s previous vow of “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.”
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In addition, a dozen performers — from major cast members to ensemble performers — planned to sit out the show after being given the option not to perform on the night Trump was in the house to enjoy what he has said is one of his favorite musicals. The show about 19th century France features a song Trump has played at his rallies in the past, “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” a revolutionary anthem inspired by the 1832 rebellion against King Louis-Phillipe of France.
The song’s stirring lyrics about rising up against oppressive regimes has often been employed at pro-democracy protests around the globe, and on Wednesday one patron reportedly shouted “Viva Los Angeles” as Trump left the presidential box for intermission, a seeming reference to the now nearly week-long protests in that city over the administration’s immigration raids.
In his second term, Trump — who admittedly had never attended a performance at the Kennedy Center in his first term, or ever — has swiftly moved to remake the organization in his own image. After installing himself as chairman of the Center, Trump also placed a number of loyalists on the typically non-partisan board and vowed to remove “woke” shows from the roster. Subsequently, nearly two dozen events have been canceled or postponed, a number out of protest at Trump’s takeover, including Hamilton, the National Youth Poet Laureate Commemoration, Saigon Nights, as well as shows by Peter Wolf, Low Cut Connie, Rhiannon Giddens, Issa Rae and many more.
The AP reported that the show that tackles themes of protest, power, injustice and poverty featured the sounds of explosions and gunfire, with civilians clashing with soldiers on stage at the very same time that Los Angeles was put under curfew after protesters battled with police over immigration raids by ICE for a sixth day following Trump’s call-up of Marines and National Guard troops to quell the protests. “Someone explain the plot to him,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X.
In March, Vice President J.D. Vance and wife Usha were booed when they attended a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra and the AP also noted that sales of subscription packages have reportedly declined since the Trump makeover. CNNalso reported that while some cheered and clapped for Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they stood up at the end of the first act, one woman in the orchestra section below shouted, “Felon, you’re a convicted felon!” to the first U.S. president to take the office after being convicted of a felony. The women then added, “Convicted felon, rapist!” before a security guard seemed to escort her out; Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in 2023 in a suit filed by writer E. Jean Carroll and in 2024 was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an attempt to conceal hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
In addition, as the crowd awaited Trump’s return to his seat, another person reportedly yelled, “F–k Trump! to cheers, while a supportive patron responded with “We love you.” The president seemingly reacted to the comments by pumping his first three times — reminiscent of his response after an assassination attempt last year in Pennsylvania in which a gunman fired at the then-candidate and nicked his ear.
Check out the mixed reaction to Trump’s Kennedy Center attendance below.
At the Kennedy Center, half the theater just started clapping when a group of drag queens showed up to find their seats at opening night of Les Miserables, which Trump, Melania, Vance and their top allies have all come out to see. pic.twitter.com/1WJHsGL987— Shawn McCreesh (@ShawnMcCreesh) June 11, 2025
Rolling Loud is headed to India. The hip-hop festival – which already has editions in California, Florida and Thailand – will debut its first festival in Mumbai after bringing the signature event to eight other countries. The two-day festival will be exclusively ticketed and produced in partnership with District by Zomato, a discovery and booking app.
“We never imagined Rolling Loud would take us all the way to India — it’s incredible,” Rolling Loud co-founders and co-CEOs Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif said in a joint statement. “The hip-hop scene in India has been booming, and bringing the festival to Mumbai felt like the right decision. We’re excited to create a space where Indian fans can celebrate the artists they love, while also introducing international acts to a new audience. For us, it’s always been about building community through hip-hop — and we can’t wait to experience how India shows up.”
The two-day festival in India — which will announce dates and venue at a later time — will feature two distinct stages with elaborate production, plus fans can enjoy a series of local food and drink options, art installations and experiential activations that all tie back to the celebration of global and Indian hip-hop culture. Rolling Loud India promises a spotlight on an array of global superstars and international talent and top and rising Indian hip-hop artists.
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“India’s hip-hop scene is on fire right now, it’s raw, it’s real, and it’s ready. Rolling Loud coming to India isn’t just another festival drop; it’s a cultural shift,” District by Zomato CEO Rahul Ganjoo said in a release. “For years, we’ve felt the need to bridge India’s sound with the global stage, and this is that moment. It’s bigger than music, it’s a loud, undeniable signal that Indian hip-hop is here, it’s global, and it’s got something to say. We’re proud to bring this home.”
Since the event was founded in 2015, Rolling Loud has held festivals in New York, Miami, Toronto and Los Angeles, as well as in Australia, Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands, Thailand and Austria. Rolling Loud lineups throughout the last decade have included Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Future, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, Playboi Carti and more.
Rolling Loud India tickets will go live exclusively on the District app. For more information on talent lineup, ticket details, festival details and more, check the District app and @districtupdates page on Instagram.
Paul McCartney has paid tribute to the late Brian Wilson, 82, whose death was announced on Wednesday (June 11), calling his songs “achingly special” and that “I loved him.”
Yesterday, news broke that the Beach Boys leader had died, but a cause and date of death has not yet been announced. A post on Wilson’s official Instagram account wrote, “We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.”
Tributes have been shared by a number of musical greats who were inspired by Wilson’s songwriting genius, including Bob Dylan, Elton John, Questlove and more.
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On his Instagram account on Thursday (June 12), McCartney wrote, “Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time.”
He added, “I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows’. Thank you, Brian. – Paul.”
Wilson’s work on the seminal LP Pet Sounds (1966) was hugely influential on McCartney and The Beatles’ subsequent studio albums, particularly Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). McCartney cited “God Only Knows” as one of “the best songs ever written” and in 2000, inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Speaking during the ceremony, McCartney declared his admiration for Wilson’s work. “In the ’60s, particularly, he wrote some music that when I played it, it made me cry and I don’t quite know why. It wasn’t necessarily the words or the music, it’s just something so deep in it, that there’s only certain pieces of music that can do this to me… I think it’s a sign of great genius to be able to do that with a bunch of music and a bunch of notes. And this man, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, that’s for sure.
He added, “So thank you, sir, for making me cry. For having that thing you can do with your music – you just put those notes, those harmonies together, stick a couple of words over the top and you’ve got me, any day.”
Following the release of Pet Sounds, Wilson was increasingly impacted by mental health struggles and he was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. In February 2024, it was announced that he was diagnosed with dementia. Wilson is survived by his daughters Carnie and Wendy from his 1964 marriage to Marilyn Rovell, as well as his five adopted children with his wife Melinda Ledbetter, who passed in early 2024. Read Billboard’s full obituary here.
Billboard Unfiltered is back with a reimagined format and will remain a live show every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Staff writer Kyle Denis, senior director R&B/hip-hop Carl Lamarre and senior charts analyst Trevor Anderson returned with new moderator Delisa Shannon on Wednesday (June 11) as the trio debated the early returns of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI, and all three skewed to various degrees of a negative reception to Weezy’s latest installment in his decorated series.
Lamarre compared Wayne’s career legacy to that of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and said Weezy still remains in his top five of all-time. Although, CL believes that the disappointing album and his solo output over the last decade have watered down his discography.
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“I need to fire whoever was A&R and executive producing my brother Wayne’s album because this is easily the worst [Carter] in the entire series,” he claimed. “[C6] was just a full trainwreck… When you take out the mixtapes and look at pure albums. From one, five and six on Tha Carter is mid — everything else is mid.”
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Denis bluntly said C6 is “not a good album at all” and “a—.” “He spent the last year begging for sympathy by him not getting the Super Bowl slot and he deserved that,” he said. “This was the time to drop a fire album, get one or two hits off of that, and make your actual case for a Super Bowl headlining show next year. That’s completely shot now because it’s a—… You did not rise to the occasion.”
Anderson seemed to enjoy the album most among the Unfiltered crew, highlighting the first six tracks as standouts before being derailed. “I’m not gonna be that hard on it,” TA began. “Clearly, it’s the weakest entry in the canon… It didn’t stick the landing for me… I don’t know if this album really messes up [if Wayne is top five or top 10] for me… It does weaken Tha Carter series overall… But I don’t think it messes up the legacy peg at all.”
The conversation turned to Wayne’s legacy and Lamarre believes every top 10 rapper should have at least three classic solo offerings, and he thinks Wayne has two with the second and third installments of Tha Carter, but not much else. “I’m adamant about saying his [albums] discography is not as strong as people think,” he declared.
Ultimately, the trio wants to see Wayne get back to the drawing board and lock in with a singular producer like Nas did with Hit-Boy to bring that greatness out of him. When the dust settled, Shannon gave Trevor Anderson the victory in the first game of the revamped Unfiltered series.
Watch the full episode below.
