State Champ Radio Music
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Pusha T severed ties with G.O.O.D. Music, where he served as the label’s president and distanced himself from Ye (formerly Kanye West) in late 2022.
King Push and his brother No Malice graced the cover of GQ on Monday (June 2), and Pusha reflected on his falling out with the embattled rapper, who has faced criticism for his repeated hate speech.
“The one thing that I can say about [Ye] is that he knows that every issue that he’s having and crying about online right now, I’ve told him distinctly about those things,” Push said. “He don’t talk to me like he talks to others.”
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Pusha T took things a step further while disrespecting Ye and saying that he doesn’t “think he’s a man” following his myriad controversies over the years.
“His intuition is even more genius-level, right? But that’s why me and him don’t get along, because he sees through my fakeness with him,” he continued. “He knows I don’t think he’s a man. He knows it.”
The Virginia rapper went on: “And that’s why we can’t build with each other no more. That’s why me and him don’t click, because he knows what I really, really think of him. He’s showed me the weakest sides of him, and he knows how I think of weak people.”
Billboard has reached out to Ye’s rep for comment.
Pusha T and No Malice kicked off the Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out rollout on Friday (May 30) with “Ace Trumpets,” which finds Push name-dropping Yeezy.
“Sold ecstasy and disappeared, I am Whodini/ Look at them, him and him, still waitin’ on Yeezy/ I hope you got your squeegees/ At your interviews, I just ki-ki,” he raps.
Ye got wind of Pusha’s bars and expressed that he misses the friendship they once had. “I miss me and Pusha’s friendship,” West wrote of his ex-G.O.O.D. Music president to X.
While Yeezy won’t be appearing on Let God Sort Em Out come the July 11 release date, Push confirmed that Kendrick Lamar is slated to be featured on the album track “Chains & Whips.”
However, Lamar’s assist was at the center of Clipse’s rift with Def Jam, as the Universal Music Group-owned label wanted K. Dot’s verse removed from the project. Push stood firm in keeping the Compton rapper on the album, which led to a split with Def Jam for the duo as well as Pusha’s solo career. LGSEO will now be distributed by Roc Nation.
“They wanted me to ask Kendrick to censor his verse, which of course I was never doing,” he said. “And then they wanted me to take the record off. And so, after a month of not doing it, Steve Gawley, the lawyer over there was like, ‘We’ll just drop the Clipse.’ But that can’t work because I’m still there [solo]. But [if] you let us all go.”
Billboard has reached out to Def Jam for comment.
Despite weather-related chaos, the annual Philly festival delivered unforgettable performances and cultural moments.
The iMarine Project, a media mix content project by SANYO, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. It has recently kicked off a new chapter with “iMarine Project++” (read: “iMarine Project Plus”). Billboard JAPAN spoke with Aya Uchida, voice actress for iMarine, about what progress she feels the project has made over the past decade and her hopes for its future.
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The iMarine Project was launched in 2015, and then in 2020, Sanyo began iMarine Project (New Chapter). Now, in 2025, it is about to enter a new stage of its evolution, iMarine Project++. Looking back, what has your impression been of the past ten years?
The iMarine Project itself is celebrating its 10th anniversary, but I became a part of it with its third release, “Dive to Blue,” which was a full-length animated music video. It emphasized the concept that “iMarine is in your town, too,” which may be why I was chosen as the voice actress.
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From that point on, each year I’ve worked with a different creator, and the videos and aesthetic have kept on changing. The fourth release was an animated music video with characters from Umi Monogatari, who had their own lines, so it felt like the style had changed to one that was showing the world of Umi Monogatari through animation and lyrics.
“Deep Blue Town e Oide yo,” right? That was arranged like a story, starting out with an anime segment, then segueing into the song, and then ending with another anime segment.
Right. In the fifth release, we went with a more stylish, adult diva style. I feel like at that point the anime elements were completely gone, and the project had become more of a song-centered project.
Then 2020 saw the start of iMarine Project (New Chapter), whose concept was a “2.8-dimensional” idol.
This is where the story suddenly started getting much deeper. We were taking on a new challenge—expressing a story, a world, a scene, all through music.
There’s an online novel, and the Crystal Palace setting was reproduced in VRChat. It’s gone beyond just being a “media mix” to become a work that fuses all kinds of elements of all kinds of dimensions. The iMarine Project++ is the culmination of all that’s been done by the cast and directors to expand this one work.
Over the last five years, the project has fleshed out and defined the world and its aesthetics based on the story. This five year period has been a series of experiments, right?
The project is a media mix that combines not only physical spaces but also digital spaces, so every challenge has been a new one. This was also all being done while VTuber culture was growing, and it was so much fun being on the cutting-edge of the changing times.
As a performer, has the fusion of the digital and physical worlds made the project a difficult one?
Yes, a bit. As a voice actress, I’ve done a lot of work in the physical world, and I’m confident in that area, but when it comes to the digital world, I’m still feeling things out as I go along. For example, popular VTubers have their own defined characters, but they also speak really freely. [Laughs]
In the case of iMarine, the character is defined in a novel, so if I say the wrong thing, it could break that in-world feel. Like, if I wanted to say “I had some ramen today,” before I could even open my mouth, I’d start thinking “Wait, ramen might not exist in that world.” There’s a part of me that’s always operating with that actor’s mindset. [Laughs]
So because of the detailed setting, you’re in a different position than VTubers, who can act without thinking that deeply.
Yes, but lately, the way I’ve been thinking about it has started to change a little. There are things that Saeki has said as Ichika at VR events that just naturally became part of her character. For example, she said “I’m a big eater.” [Laughs] This thing she’d said became part of her virtual character, and when I realized that, I came to feel like I could speak more freely. The world and the aesthetic of the iMarine Project story is well-defined, but, surprisingly, the details about the characters themselves are a little vague. I think going forward, we’re going to be fleshing out the world of iMarine Project++ along with the members of the recently announced fan club, Musical Armored Division of Freedom.
In the new song, “M.A.D.,” which was recently debuted on-stage, you’ve taken on a new genre: hip-hop.
Idols have been performing some really cool hip-hop recently. I’m a big listener in my own personal life, so I was really happy that iMarine would finally take on the genre.
I think the presence of iMarine Project’s works goes beyond the bounds of anime and videos, so I’ve had this intense desire to perform using a really cool voice on a song that I felt really confident in.
So you feel like the quality of the music needs to be elevated beyond so-called “character songs” to better music-as-music. And also that the meanings of the songs are growing deeper as the story progresses.
This time, the music is going in a whole different direction. It’s darker, with more of a street vibe. It has this sense of a strong spirit that’s unbowed by everyday hard existence. Like a light in the middle of despair. I like that really down-to-earth feel in music.
In a strange way, even though the project is set in this digital world, the feeling of humanity really comes across. There’s this rebellious spirit in the face of daily struggles. It’s more human than human.
Exactly. The setting of the story is that iMarine and Ichika are both AIs, and the other members were originally humans, but they became AIs.
So I’m not human, but for precisely that reason, when I sing, it feels like in some way I’m almost being my natural self, the way I am now. I can express the passion in my heart. I love it, and in fact that may be the part that feels the most rewarding.
Everyone on the cast was overflowing with praise for a dance performance by one of the characters in the music video. I’m guessing that part made a big impression on you, too?
You’re talking about Isana’s breakdancing, aren’t you. [Laughs] I’ve done motion capture for characters on two songs before, and it really opened my eyes to how impressive and how hard motion capture is. That breakdancing was performed by using motion capture on an actual dancer. The level of technical skill needed to capture that kind of frenetic movement was just amazing! [Laughs]
There’s also the crowd of people wearing hoods. I liked how the concept of “we’re not alone” was highlighted through the whole video. Until now, we’ve been having people look at the world we created, but going forward, we’re going to make it so that people can get immersed from the perspective of the Musical Armored Division of Freedom.
This project is right on the bleeding edge, but it’s amazing how the end results always come out great. I’ve got to keep working hard to keep up so I don’t fall behind.
—This interview by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan
CMA Fest will officially launch June 5-8 in Downtown Nashville, with tens of thousands of fans expected to participate in nightly stadium concerts, plus hundreds of daytime performances at smaller venues.
They’re also afforded the opportunity to collect autographs at Fan Fair X in the Music City Center.
On top of the official activities, a host of CMA Fest-adjunct events will take place beginning June 2. The following is a rundown of many of those events. (Advance confirmation may be required.)
June 2
• Darius & Friends ShowRyman AuditoriumDarius Rucker’s annual concert featuring a surprise guest list.
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• Ty Herndon’s Concert for Love & AcceptanceCategory 10The 10th and final edition includes Dasha, Sam Williams, Brooke Eden, David Archuleta, Shelly Fairchild, and Lindsay Ell.
June 3
• Craig Campbell’s Celebrity Cornhole Challenge6th & PeabodyFeaturing Jerrod Niemann and Gary LeVox.
• Whiskey Jam Takeover by River HouseWhiskey RowPerformers: Austin Snell, Ryan Charles, The Kentucky Gentlemen.
June 4
• CAA Whiskey Jam TakeoverWhiskey RowFeaturing Warren Zeiders, 49 Winchester, Colby Cooper, and Carter Faith.
• Turn It Up! Texas Daytime PerformancesCategory 10Featuring Smithfield, Jenna Paulette, and Jack Blocker.
June 5
• Warner Music Nashville’s Heatwave HouseBarstoolPerformers: Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress, Ian Munsick, Hudson Westbrook.
• FEMcountry Showcase by Leslie FramCity WineryFeaturing Brittney Spencer, Lucie Silvas, Abbey Cone, and more.
• Billboard Country Live (June 5–6)Category 10Featuring Drew Baldridge, Max McNown, Reyna Roberts.
• Big Machine Pop-Up (June 5–7)Bell Bottoms UpArtists include Greylan James, Caroline Jones, Brett Young, and Midland.
• Spotify House at Ole Red (June 5–7)Featuring Carly Pearce, Riley Green, Nate Smith, and others.
• BMI Block Party (June 5–7)Outdoor stage at Ryman AuditoriumPerformers: Kelsey Hart, Noah Rinker, Grace Tyler, Tyler Braden.
• Sounds Like Nashville by MCA (June 5–8)Skydeck on BroadwayFeaturing Tucker Wetmore, Vincent Mason, Crowe Boys, Caylee Hammack, Bryce Leatherwood, Sons of Habit.
June 6
• ASCAP Showcase6th & PeabodyFeaturing Jordan Fletcher, Maddie Lenhart, Beck and Call.
Whether she likes it or not, Megyn Kelly is a part of Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter Tour — but that’s not stopping the political commentator from slamming the superstar for including footage of her in the trek’s visuals.
In a recent clip from The Megyn Kelly Show titled “Beyonce Tries Playing Victim,” Kelly said it had recently come to her attention that “Beyoncé, who’s on some world tour right now reinventing herself as a country star, is running videotape during the show of yours truly.”
“Here is another one of the most privileged, beloved women in the world — and richest, based on her own fortune, never mind the man she’s married to,” the TV personality continued, referring to billionaire Roc Nation founder Jay-Z. “But [she] still has to look for the one sliver where she could play the victim and be aggrieved because big bad Megyn Kelly said something completely milquetoast about her entry into country music.”
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Billboard has reached out to Bey’s rep for comment.
Kelly’s remarks come more than a month after the Destiny’s Child alum kicked off her world tour in support of Billboard 200-topping album Cowboy Carter, which found Bey exploring her love for country music across 27 tracks, including collaborations with icons such as Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. At a certain point in each show, a blurred-out clip of the former Fox News anchor blasting Bey for “sticking her big toe” into country music during an appearance on Australia’s Sky News plays on venue screens.
The moment in the show is representative of how many people were critical of the 35-time Grammy winner for experimenting with country music once Cowboy Carter dropped in March 2024. Many parts of the industry were unwelcoming — the album earned zero nominations at the CMA Awards and country radio did not embrace any tracks — but Bey would become the first Black woman to ever reach No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with lead single “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Cowboy Carter also took home both album of the year and best country album at the 2025 Grammys.
But despite Bey’s success since the last time she spoke on the subject, Kelly doubled down on her early criticism of Cowboy Carter. “She and her marketing people were treating that entry [into country music] like the second coming, like it’s Jesus incarnate,” she added on on The Megyn Kelly Show. “‘All hail Queen Bey, she’s here to rescue country music,’ which was a perfectly thriving industry long before Beyoncé showed up.”
Following stints in Los Angeles, Chicago and the New York City area throughout the month of May, Bey is now gearing up to bring her Cowboy Carter trek to London for a string of shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium kicking off June 5. Her five-night stay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., grossed $55.7 million with 217,000 sold, marking the biggest single-venue engagement reported to Billboard Boxscore in 2025 so far.
Kelly’s complaint about the Sky News footage isn’t the first instance of someone taking issue with the Cowboy Carter Tour visuals, however. In May, attorneys for Sphere Entertainment Co. CEO James Dolan sent Bey a cease-and-desist for using imagery of the Las Vegas Sphere in a video interlude, after which the musician cheekily superimposed the city’s Allegiant Stadium over the first venue in the visual.
Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” remains the biggest song in the world, as it notches a fifth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and a third week atop Billboard Global Excl. U.S.
As previously reported, the song takes over at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100.
Meanwhile, sombr scores his first Global 200 top 10 with “Back to Friends” (up 17-9) and MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea’s “Shake It to the Max (Fly)” surges to the top tier on Global Excl. U.S. (16-10), likewise becoming the first top 10 on the tally for each act.
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The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
“Ordinary” leads the Global 200 with 70.1 million streams (up 1% week-over-week) and 13,000 sold (up 17%) worldwide May 23-29. Further sparking its profile, Warren performed the song on the American Music Awards, broadcast on CBS, May 26.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” holds at No. 2 on the Global 200, after 18 weeks at No. 1 starting last September (second only to the 19 weeks at No. 1 for Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” since the chart began); ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” repeats at No. 3, after 12 weeks at No. 1 starting in November; Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” keeps at No. 4, following three weeks at No. 1 last August; and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” lifts 6-5 after seven weeks on top starting in February 2024.
sombr’s “Back to Friends” hits the Global 200’s top 10, bounding 17-9 with 37.7 million streams (up 13%) worldwide. The singer-songwriter (real name Shane Boose) is charting his first two Global 200 entries in the top 20 simultaneously – “Undressed” jumps 19-13, likewise hitting a new high, with both tracks having benefitted from exposure on TikTok.
“Ordinary” rules Global Excl. U.S. with 50.9 million streams (up 1%) and 5,000 sold (up 6%) outside the U.S.
“Die With a Smile” is steady at No. 2 after 17 weeks atop Global Excl. U.S. starting last September. Only “APT.,” which holds at No. 3, has led longer: 19 weeks, beginning in November. “Birds of a Feather” ascends 5-4, following three weeks at No. 1 last August, and JIN’s “Don’t Say You Love Me” dips to No. 5 a week after it debuted at No. 4.
Plus, MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea’s “Shake It to the Max (Fly)” swoops into the Global Excl. U.S. top 10, bounding 16-10 with 31.2 million streams (up 21%) and 1,000 sold (up 29%) outside the U.S. The track leads the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a fourth week.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated June 7, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, June 3. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Though Taylor Swift’s victory in the years-long fight for ownership of her masters dominated last week’s headlines, there were also a slew of head-turning news items in the R&B and hip-hop worlds. Clipse — comprised of Pusha T and No Malice — made its grand return on Friday (May 30) with “Ace Trumpets,” in which […]
Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” ascends to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the singer-songwriter’s first leader on the list. It rises from No. 4, after reaching a previous No. 2 best.
Warren becomes the first male soloist to earn an initial Hot 100 No. 1 this year.
“Ordinary,” the 1,181st No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 66-year history, rose to the top of both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts in May. On the Hot 100, Warren charted one prior entry, “Burning Down” (No. 69 peak, last October). Concurrent with the coronation of “Ordinary,” he adds his second top 40 Hot 100 hit, as “Bloodline,” with Jelly Roll, debuts at No. 32.
Before concentrating on music full-time, Warren grew a following in Hype House, a group of TikTok content creators that frequently collaborated. He signed to Atlantic Records in 2022.
“In my career, I have been so open with my friends who follow me,” Warren, who co-authored “Ordinary,” told Billboard earlier this year. “They know everything about me and we’re so connected, and I love that. I’m thinking of these people while I’m writing these songs, because I’m thinking about what I would want to hear if I was still going through that.”
Browse the full rundown of this week’s top 10 below.
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated June 7, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, June 3. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
‘Ordinary’ Streams, Airplay & Sales
Cardi B and Stefon Diggs have taken their romance to the grid. After a few months of dating rumors, the couple has gone Instagram official, with the rapper sharing a slew of steamy snaps featuring the NFL star Sunday (June 1).
In one photo of the pair, they cuddle up on a yacht while a bikini-clad Cardi wraps a leg around Diggs as he appears to lean in for a kiss. The Bronx native also shared a video of herself twerking against the wide receiver as he flashes a big smile.
“Chapter 5 ……Hello Chapter six,” Cardi captioned the post, in which she also showed off a room full of roses — possibly sent by Diggs.
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In the comments, many of the musician’s famous friends shared support. “that’s my girl,” wrote Kehlani, while GloRilla replied, “Badddd.”
“Absolutely,” wrote SZA, adding a string of saluting emojis.
The milestone comes a few months after Cardi and the athlete first sparked dating rumors in the fall, later spending Valentine’s Day together in Miami. In April, they attended Coachella together, followed by a courtside date at a New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics game in May.
Cardi’s romance with Diggs also marks her first public relationship since filing for divorce from Offset in late July, shortly after which she welcomed Baby No. 3 with the Migos star. The two rappers are parents to 6-year-old daughter Kulture, 3-year-old son Wave and new little girl Blossom. (Diggs has a daughter, Nova, from a past relationship.)
Just a couple of weeks after attending the Knicks game with Diggs, Cardi sounded off at her estranged husband for requesting spousal support amid their divorce proceedings. “You such a f–king p—y a– n—a,” she told ‘Set on X Spaces in late May. “Word to my mother, I want you to die, but I want you to die f–king slow. When you die, I want you to die slow in the bed. And when you die, n—a, you gotta think of me.”
It’s no coincidence that the two songs tied for most weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 toe the line between country and rap. Lil Nas X set the record with his Billy Ray Cyrus-featuring “Old Town Road” in 2019, and late last year, Shaboozey tied the record when “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hit the same 19-week mark.
“Country and rap might come from different worlds, but they thrive on the same foundation — raw storytelling and authenticity,” UnitedMasters director of A&R Aaron Hunter says.
Hybrids of country and hip-hop have a long history in popular music, dating back to the 1980s including hits like Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s “Square Dance Rap,” Kool Moe Dee’s “Wild Wild West” and Shawn Brown’s “Rappin’ Duke” (which The Notorious B.I.G. sampled in “Juicy” a decade later).
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This year has brought an even bigger boom of successful crossovers between the genres. Post Malone’s Big Ass Stadium Tour with Jelly Roll — two artists with roots in hip-hop now making country music — has so far featured special guests including Eminem and Quavo. Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug teamed with Bailey Zimmerman for “All the Way,” a top five hit on the Hot 100, while ERNEST and Snoop Dogg released their country collaboration, “Gettin’ Gone.”
On the festival front, the country-heavy Stagecoach was more rap-inclusive in 2025, with Nelly and T-Pain playing to major audiences. Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen’s Sand in My Boots Festival had Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz and Three 6 Mafia onstage.
“Both genres share the same theme of heartbreak, life stories and struggle, whether it’s rural life or urban hustle, and that grit creates a natural connection,” Hunter says. He also points to the rising use of trap drums and 808s in country and rap, which has “blurred lines, making collaborations feel less forced and more like a shared language.”
BigXthaPlug will follow the success of “All the Way” with a country-trap project this summer that will include guest appearances from Jelly Roll, Post Malone and Shaboozey. Even though the Dallas native never listened to country music growing up, he has felt a warm welcome from the Nashville community. “My fan base is the country world’s fan base,” he says. “They was messing with me, [but] now it’s a full acceptance.”
This story appears in the May 31, 2025, issue of Billboard.
