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18 Nov 2022

Bruce Springsteen Opens Up About Ticketmaster’s Dynamic Pricing: ‘Ticket Buying Has Gotten Very Confusing’

Following the ticket chaos of Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour this week, the conversation has shifted to Ticketmaster’s monopoly in the business and their out-of-control “dynamic pricing” model.

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It’s hardly the first time that an artist’s tour tickets have been blown into wildly expensive territory on Ticketmaster. When Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’s 2023 tour tickets went on sale a few months back, some ended up costing thousands of dollars.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Springsteen gave his two cents on the struggle between balancing affordable tickets and making enough money for his band. “What I do is a very simple thing. I tell my guys, ‘Go out and see what everybody else is doing. Let’s charge a little less.’ That’s generally the directions,” he shared. “They go out and set it up. For the past 49 years or however long we’ve been playing, we’ve pretty much been out there under market value. I’ve enjoyed that. It’s been great for the fans.”

He added, “This time I told them, ‘Hey, we’re 73 years old. The guys are there. I want to do what everybody else is doing, my peers.’ So that’s what happened.”

The Boss followed up by nothing that “ticket buying has gotten very confusing, not just for the fans, but for the artists also,” and that “most of our tickets are totally affordable.” He then concluded by noting, “We have those tickets that are going to go for that [higher] price somewhere anyway. The ticket broker or someone is going to be taking that money. I’m going, ‘Hey, why shouldn’t that money go to the guys that are going to be up there sweating three hours a night for it?’ It created an opportunity for that to occur. And so at that point, we went for it. I know it was unpopular with some fans. But if there’s any complaints on the way out, you can have your money back.”

18 Nov 2022

Inside the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Party & Concert: Exclusive Photos

From artists to executives, hip-hop luminaries flooded Academy LA on Thursday (Nov. 17) night in Los Angeles to celebrate Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event.

Billboard cover stars Future (who opened up about fatherhood and marriage) and SZA (who promises her new album S.O.S. is finally for real coming) were in attendance, as was Amazon Music’s Head of Hip-Hop & R&B Tim Hinshaw, who is Billboard’s executive of the year, topping our annual R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list.

“When I thought about the [music industry] landscape, it was like, ‘Amazon is already in everybody’s homes,’ ” Hinshaw told Billboard of his initial strategy. “I knew if I could authentically bridge the gap between company and artist and tell that story to consumers in an authentic way, I could help Amazon be a major player in this entertainment space.”

City Girls and Flo Milli performed, bringing down the house late into the night. Past Billboard cover star Pusha T was also in attendance, as was our rookie of the year Blxst, who has worked with everyone from Kehlani to Kendrick Lamar in 2022.

“I’m more about the art,” Blxst told Billboard about his approach to collaborating. “If I’m a fan of the song or if it fits with the direction that I’m going in, I’mma jump on a song off the strength. If I don’t like it, I’mma just not do it.”

SAINt JHN stopped by, as did Isabel Laurent, Sylvia Rhone and many more. See who else chopped it up at Billboard’s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event.

18 Nov 2022

Billboard Honors 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players, Blxst, SAINt JHN & More at Star-Studded LA Event

Billboard unveiled its 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list that honors executives across the business and celebrated current cover stars SZA and Future at Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop on Thursday night at Academy LA.

The night’s program began with Billboard executive director of R&B/hip-hop Gail Mitchell and deputy editor of hip-hop Carl Lamarre taking the stage. The pair congratulated the night’s honorees, which numbered over 200 on the Power List, thanked the rest of Billboard‘s R&B and hip-hop team, including reporters Neena Rouhani, Heran Mamo and Cydney Lee and charts team member Trevor Anderson, and devoted a moment of silence to Takeoff, PnB Rock, Young Dolph, Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle and other rappers who have lost their lives in recent years as a result of gun violence.

Future kicked off the awards presentation by introducing the Rookie of the Year, Blxst, who sported a gray mohair shirt-jacket with matching pants and his shiny Evgle label chains. “Sheeeesh,” the LA singer-rapper-producer said to the crowd, his signature ad-lib, before beginning his speech. “God is real. I just came back from a sold-out world tour, so to come home to this is nothing short of amazing, you feel me?” he said. “For me, this is like a symbol of believing in yourself, trusting your heart, trusting the process.” Blxst then told a story about how he used to get in trouble for singing all the time, which was met with laughs from the crowd. “My dad used to be like, ‘You can always remember lyrics to a song, but you can never remember to be quiet.’ But I guess it’s just in me, not on me, but that sh– paying off now.” Blxst then thanked his Evgle team, Red Bull Records, his support system and Billboard.

Later in the night, SZA presented the Executive of the Year award to “a gentleman that has contributed so much to our culture,” Amazon Music executive Tim Hinshaw. “I’m overjoyed to accept the award,” he said after embracing SZA on stage, while thanking “everybody in this room for picking up my calls, answering my calls, showing up for me” as well as his wife and two children. “When I was growing up, I used to go see my pops in federal prison at Terminal Island, and everybody’s asking ‘bout my outfit. It was inspired by the canvas he used to wear,” Hinshaw explained. “I wanted my kids to see this moment so they remember.”

Then Hinshaw tearfully thanked his mother, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. “My mom worked in my high school, and I was going through so much. I didn’t want to go to school and I would embarrass my mom. The teachers would come and say, ‘He’s not doing his work.’ My mom would come and talk to me and I could see the pain in her eyes. I just couldn’t move in that moment because I was stubborn, I was going through what I was going through. But Mom, I hope this moment makes up for all the times that I embarrassed you. I really appreciate you.” Hinshaw, who reminded everyone he will forever be “Westside Timmy from the west side of Compton,” shouted out his Rotation team and assured there was no beef between him and Carl Chery, creative director/head of urban music at Spotify, who was gleaming nearby. “Carl told me I was the first streaming executive to receive this award, so I’m super appreciative. Thank you everybody.”

Vibe magazine and Remy Martin’s Impact and Excellence Award was presented by Vibe editor-in-chief Datwon Thomas to Guyanese-American artist SAINt JHN. “That’s a fantastic introduction,” he began, gazing down at his “well-designed” award. The songwriter extraordinaire, who self-identified as “well-spoken,” shared that the award was his first that he was invited to accept in person, speech and all.

In addition to the issue cover stars and award recipients, guests at the night’s festivities included artists, managers and executives, with DJ Drama, Nick Cannon, Hit-Boy, Pusha T, Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone, EMPIRE CEO Ghazi, Top Dawg Entertainment president Terrence “Punch” Henderson in the crowd. The night also included a women-centric show, including performers Flo Milli and City Girls. Sporting a racy two-piece set, Flo Milli opened the show with her viral hit “Conceited” and later used a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 to record a thank you message to Samsung. Milli is a celebrity mentor for Billboard and Samsung’s NXT 2.0 competition to discover the next great unsigned artist.

City Girls’ JT and Yung Miami delivered an electrifying medley of their hits to a sold-out crowd, including “Jobs,” “Pussy Talk,” “Take Yo Man,” “Twerkulator” and their top 40 hit “Act Up.”

18 Nov 2022

Doja Cat’s ‘Vegas’ Takes Top Slot on Rhythmic Airplay Chart

When it comes to Doja Cat and rhythmic radio, the odds, as of late, are always in her favor.

For the second year in a row, Doja Cat achieves four No. 1s on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart and strengthens her status as one of the format’s top-tier acts. The achievement comes as “Vegas” climbs from No. 3 to lead the list dated Nov. 19. The song ascends after a 7% increase in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending Nov. 13, according to Luminate.

“Vegas” appears on the soundtrack to the film Elvis and samples the Big Mama Thornton’s 1952 version of the song “Hound Dog,” which Presley covered and turned into a major pop hit four years later.

The new champ also banks Doja Cat’s fourth Rhythmic Airplay No. 1 hit of 2022. She previously reigned this calendar year with “Woman,” (five weeks in March – April), “Freaky Deaky,” with Tyga (one week in May), and through a featured spot on Post Malone’s “I Like You (A Happier Song)” (four weeks in August – September).

She likewise managed a quartet of chart-toppers in 2021, which then made her the first woman to land four No. 1s in the same calendar year since Rihanna in 2012.

Beyond her quadruple plays in 2021 and 2022, Doja Cat has also topped the chart once more. Her breakout single, “Say So,” led for three weeks in 2020.

All told, “Vegas” gives Doja Cat her ninth No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay and moves into a joint share of 10th place, with Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj, for the most in the chart’s history since its launch in 1992. Here’s a look at the current standings for most No. 1s:

36, Drake
17, Rihanna
13, Bruno Mars
13, Usher
12, Chris Brown
12, Lil Wayne
12, The Weeknd
11, Beyoncé
10, Post Malone
9, Doja Cat
9, Jay-Z
9, Nicki Minaj

Elsewhere in the radio world, “Vegas” climbs 5-3 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, with a 13% boost to 60 million in audience reach. In addition to its success at the rhythmic format, “Vegas” logged a four-week stay at No. 1 on Pop Airplay (and drops 1-3 this week). Further, with “I Like You (A Happier Song),” immediately ruling Pop Airplay for the three weeks before “Vegas” took over, Doja Cat combined for a seven-week stay at the penthouse.

18 Nov 2022

First Country: Dierks Bentley, Billy Strings, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives

First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.

Dierks Bentley with Billy Strings, “High Note”

Dierks Bentley teams with arena-touring bluegrasser Billy Strings for this ode to the mood-elevating aspects of bluegrass and weed, while the airy production builds into an all-in jam session with the addition of bluegrass legends Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and Bryan Sutton. The song is the first from Bentley’s upcoming album, set to arrive next year. Bentley, of course, is no stranger to the bluegrass/folk world, having released his own bluegrass-tinted album Up on the Ridge, in 2010.

Billy Strings, Me/And/Dad

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Strings has taken the bluegrass and Americana Music worlds by storm in recent years. Today, he releases Me/And/Dad, his first album with his father, Terry Barber. This 14-track mix of bluegrass and country classics the two have played together for years, including The Carter Family’s “The Wandering Boy,” George Jones’ “Life to Go,” and Doc Watson’s “Way Downtown.” Top-notch, wooly bluegrass picking wraps around distinct, family harmonies throughout the album.

Granger Smith, Moonrise

“Backroad Song” singer Smith is set to make his acting debut in the movie Moonrise on Dec. 15, but today he surprised fans today by dropping a 12-song album by the same name. Smith wrote or co-wrote every song on the album and every song will be featured in the movie. The songs contained here convey a range of life experiences, love and loss (“Something to Go On,” “Black Suit”) and the values his family is working to build (“This House”).

Nate Smith, “Wreckage”

Smith has been burning up Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart with his hard-charging song “Whiskey on You,” but with his latest, he proves he can just as deftly communicate a tender, vulnerable ballad. “When everyone else saw baggage/ you loved what no one could,” he sings. Smith will release his debut, self-titled album on Feb. 17.

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, “Country Star”

Stuart and his fabulous band come with a full-throttle blast of power from the first note, and refuse to let up, as they detail a vivid portrait of fame and life on the road. The group’s superior body of work will be honored next week, when they are inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame on Nov. 22.

Jason Nix, “Happy Accidents”

Nix is known for his writing contributions to Lainey Wilson’s No. 1 Country Airplay hit “Things a Man Oughta Know,” but he proves he’s got a winning vocal of his own here. His sometimes-lover “lives on gin, coffee and compliments,” and he pledges that if she takes him back again, “I’ll take the place the lonely’s always been.” A sturdy outing from an ace singer-songwriter.

Ashley Cooke, “Running Back”

Ashley Cooke is missing the teenage romance she had with the high school running back, even years after the breakup. Written by Cooke and Emily Weisband, this cooly moody track vibrates with a sleek pop sheen.

Bri Bagwell, Red or Green

Bagwell collects a few previously-released holiday singles for this four-track EP, along with a previously unreleased acoustic cover of the Elvis Presley classic “Blue Christmas,” infusing it with her smooth, New Mexico twang. A worthy collection to get anyone into a more relaxed holiday mood.

Brian Kelley, “Florida Strong”

Kelley, a native of the Sunshine State, shows his support for those impacted by natural disasters, with all of the royalties being split between the American Red Cross and the Florida Disaster Fund to help support hurricane relief. Written by Kelley, with production by Kelley with Kaitlin Owen, the track sails along pleasantly, leading up to a spoken-word section with Kelley reciting words of resilience and hope.

18 Nov 2022

Scotty McCreery Talks Family Life With Newborn Son: ‘We Are Loving Every Minute With Him’

With songs like “Five More Minutes” and “This Is It,” Scotty McCreery has taken fans with him on his journey from dating his now-wife Gabi to the couple’s mountaintop engagement in 2017 to their wedding in North Carolina a year later. Now, they are settling into their new roles as parents. On Oct. 24, the couple welcomed their first child, son Merrick Avery McCreery (who goes by Avery).

“He’s awesome. He is healthy,” McCreery tells Billboard. “It’s been so cool just to watch him grow and it’s only been three weeks and we’re just getting started, but it’s been the joy of my life. It’s been incredible, and also just seeing Gabi be a mom—she’s worked so hard for nine months and is still crushing it. It’s been cool getting to do this together and just be there for him.”

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This week, McCreery released the music video for “It Matters to Her,” directed by Jeff Ray, who has helmed previous McCreery videos including “Five More Minutes” and “Damn Strait.” The video clip is essentially a digital scrapbook of the McCreerys’ journey to welcoming their son, with footage of the day Gabi found out she was pregnant (Feb. 25), as well as ultrasound appointments, painting the baby’s nursery and playing music for Avery in utero.

“I thought it would be a perfect thing to showcase our journey, pregnancy and that whole nine-month process. Gabi’s doing the hard work, or course, and it’s my job to help her and be there for her and just getting the house ready and getting ourselves ready, the dog ready, everything ready for Avery. The video came out better than I could have imagined. I’m excited for Avery to watch the video a few years from now and see what he thinks.”

As for which parent little Avery resembles at the moment, McCreery says, “I think everybody’s saying he looks a lot like me, but I see a little bit of his mama in there, too. And he’s got that little grin, that smile—it’s probably more of a reflex right now than anything, but he does that when he’s sleeping or dreaming but it’s just cute. We are loving every minute with him.”

Among the many baby gifts they have received are Louisiana State University onesies (McCreery’s a fan) and the book Goodnight Moon from McCreery’s family. “I remember that book being read to me when I was growing up,” McCreery recalls.

Given his own career in music which started in his teens via American Idol, McCreery says he will “absolutely” support his son if Avery shows a similar propensity for music.

“Music did so much for me even before I did it professionally. It was a passion of mine and it’ll always be a part of me. I think it’s huge for development, the arts and getting to use that creative side of your brain. I’ll encourage the heck out of Avery to do whatever he wants, but if it’s music, arts or anything, I hope he crushes it and does what he wants to do.”

While enjoying time at home with his newly expanded family, McCreery is also following up his five consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits (including the three-week No. 1 “Damn Strait”) with the deluxe edition of his album Same Truck, which Triple Tigers releases today (Nov. 18), featuring six additional tracks.

McCreery’s approach to this album was different than his previous works, given that he had nearly a full album ready to go prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The world shuts down and we had all this time to write and record more songs.” McCreery says. “Those newer songs are what made the main Same Truck album, but then we had all these other songs already recorded and mastered. So instead of going back in and recording, we already had it. And I was kind of in the same creative mindset when I was writing those songs as I was with the newer songs, so it flowed really nicely and it feels like one cohesive project.”

After taking parental leave, McCreery returns to the road December, and he says touring will look different in the coming months and years.

“I’ve kind of had the same system for touring for the past 10 years, so it’s gonna come as a big shock, but in all the best ways. Next year, we are bringing out a baby bus, so Avery and Gabi will be out there, and [the couple’s yellow Labrador] Moose will be out there. It’s a family affair. And honestly, even before, when just Gabi was be out there, it always made the road better. I can be a hermit and stay on the bus all day, but when she’s out there, she’s like, ‘Let’s go hiking, let’s go see this.’”

In addition to touring, McCreery says he hopes to return to the studio early next year.

“I’m definitely more of an album cycle writer than a non-stop writer,” he says. “We are getting into that new phase of once the deluxe album is out, we’re writing for the next project. It’s exciting. It’s a new time for me. Life has changed dramatically over the last few weeks, so I got a lot of stuff to write about!”

And yes, McCreery says the next album could very well include a musical ode to Avery.

“I’ve already written a few for him, before he was born. But I would imagine there’s a song or two about little Avery on the next album,” he says.

18 Nov 2022

Kelela On ‘Raven,’ the Elusive Artist’s First Album In Five Years

In early September, a 23-second clip posted to Twitter teased that Kelela’s five-year break from music was soon coming to an end — and sent fans into a frenzy. The clip comprised several fan tweets begging for her comeback; one, plucked from the opening sequence of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, characterized it best: “When the world needed her most… she vanished.”

After debuting in 2013 with her mixtape Cut 4 Me, the elusive, genre-bending singer upped the ante every two years, releasing her Hallucinogen EP in 2015 and then her critically acclaimed debut album, Take Me Apart, in 2017. Yet as the concurrent crises of the coronavirus pandemic and the resurgent Black Lives Matter movement took hold in 2020, Kelela says, “I think the uprising kind of led me into a place of wanting to rethink this whole f–king thing and, quite frankly, wanting to create a more liberatory model for myself.”

The 39-year-old Ethiopian-American artist born Kelela Mizanekristos has always been openly critical of the music business, calling out colorism and other issues in interviews. But what was happening in the world helped her feel more galvanized to free herself from business relationships that she felt didn’t advocate strongly enough for her artistry. In 2020, she wrote letters to the various people and companies she had business with explaining her needs, and based upon their responses — or lack thereof, from some — she cut ties, including with Sony Music Publishing. (The company responded the same day, a source says.) “Because we had an uprising, Black people now have more permission to be like, ‘I don’t like that,’ ” she says. “I am a darker-skinned, Black femme who makes left-of-center R&B/electronic music. I need to work with people who get it.”

Kelela’s music is uniquely situated between electronic dance and alternative R&B, with the music of her childhood in Washington, D.C. — ’90s R&B, soul, jazz and world, like Ethiopia’s Mahmoud Ahmed and South Africa’s Miriam Makeba — serving as key influences. She became a fixture within the rave community for the way in which she paired retro R&B vocals with futuristic club beats — and kicked it up a notch when she recruited Black queer musicians like Kaytranada and Ahya Simone to warp her lead vocals on a Take Me Apart remix album in 2018.

Throughout her career, Kelela has felt she has had to straddle two audiences: Black fans who are mesmerized by her lush R&B vocals and white fans who are entranced by her club production, thus becoming “a point of discovery for both,” she says. “That’s how I was always thinking about it.” With her long-awaited second full-length, Raven — due Feb. 10, 2023, on her longtime independent label home, Warp Records — she plans to “service the people who are there in the front row and have always been there,” says Kelela. “Queer Black people.”

On Raven, Kelela offers poignant reflections about not allowing herself to be swallowed up in her sorrow but rather celebrating her self-renewal and relishing in her resilience. “As a person who has always felt outside, there’s a deep catharsis in finding an entire social network of people who are also on the outside and making a group based off that marginalization,” she says. “When I service my immediate community, I service myself. Before, I was taking that for granted. I would be like, ‘Those people are going to always be there no matter what I do.’ And I think that’s anti-Black, or there’s some internalized sh-t there that I don’t like, and that’s not serving me, that doesn’t help me.”

She explains, while reading aloud from Wikipedia, that ravens “often act as psychopomps” known to mediate between two worlds, an idea she feels speaks to her own music. On Raven — made of self-recorded demos she later engineered herself along with different producers around the world — the moments where her vocals aren’t present can be the most powerful. In their absence, a specific blend of sensual pop-R&B balladry with atmospheric drum’n’bass beats comes into focus. Being Black is not a monolithic experience, and Kelela’s music cannot be consumed that way either. “My pursuit is to get you introduced to club music and then be able to enjoy it when there’s not a vocal guiding you every time,” she says. “You can see that I let go more.”

Beyoncé shared in that mission with her latest album, Renaissance, a dance collection with a diva house lead single, “Break My Soul,” which became the artist’s first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 14 years. The release ushered legions of Black people worldwide onto the dancefloor; Kelela believes it also provided newcomers a “reference point” to her music, which they might have overlooked even just a few years ago. “I’m so happy someone like B would help Black people own this music that has been obscured and not perceived as Black,” she says.

Ahead, Kelela confirms she’ll release a Raven remix set because, like last time, it allows her to not stress about the album version of each track. And she knows her community will always be ready for more. “Queer Black people have the range — and no one else has been having the range.”

This story will appear in the Nov. 19, 2022, issue of Billboard.

18 Nov 2022

Landon Barker Says Dad Travis Barker Is ‘Always In My Corner’

Landon Barker opened up about his relationship with Travis Barker in a new interview on Friday (Nov. 18).

“He’s always in my corner,” the 19-year-old told E! News. “He’s always there for me as I am for him.” That support naturally extending to the younger Barker’s budding rock music career, with his famous dad making a surprise appearance during his show at The Roxy in L.A. last month to perform a yet-to-be-released collaboration together.

Landon also commented on what it’s like seeing his dad reunite with his Blink-182 bandmates for their upcoming reunion tour and new musical era, saying, “I guess the best way to say it is he’s making s–t happen and doing things that he genuinely enjoys. If that’s putting Blink back together, if that’s being in the studio, whatever it is, I feel like he’s prioritizing what he wants and people are impressed by it and people enjoy it. I feel like he’s really just doing what makes him happy.”

Most recently, the famed drummer has been spending time in the studio with The Veronicas as the Australian sibling duo charts a new course under John Feldmann’s label Big Noise. Earlier this week, he rang in his 47th birthday with sweet well wishes from wife Kourtney Kardashian, her sisters Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner and more.

Barker and the other two-thirds of Blink-182 are slated to kick off their hotly anticipated world tour next March with stops in North America, South America, Mexico, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The international trek will also include headlining slots at 2023 Lollapaloozas in Chile, Argentina and Brazil as well as next year’s iteration of When We Were Young.

18 Nov 2022

How BROCKHAMPTON Said a Bittersweet Goodbye With Two New Albums

There are some who, to this day, side eye the description of BROCKHAMPTON as a boy band, but Kevin Abstract and his ragtag collection of rappers, singers, producers, videographers and creatives have proudly owned the moniker since much of the world first discovered them through the 2017 Vice documentary series American Boyband.

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And why not? Hip-hop had never seen anything quite like them: multiracial, matter-of-fact straight and gay, equally adept at bar slinging and soulful singing, each member bringing his own skill set and distinct personality, with an audience that locked in on their favorites. They were capable of biting, rowdy tracks but also melodic songs bursting with love. It was a beautiful thing, and to experience them on record and (especially) live was to experience, yes, a boy band. But boy bands, by and large, aren’t meant to last, at least not ones with a breakout star in their ranks. Just ask ‘NSYNC.

BROCKHAMPTON is no more. As much as the believers hoped the group had many more years in them, the Angelenos announced in January that after a decade-plus and six studio albums, they were going on “indefinite hiatus” and that there would be one final album. Now, it’s here; in fact, two new albums are here.

Released on Thursday (Nov. 17), The Family is jubilant, sentimental, bitter, funny and confessional, but its title is somewhat ironic. Because as much as BROCKHAMPTON often operated as a family, a large (13 members, as of this year) and collaborative band of brothers, it was never a pure democracy. Kevin Abstract (Ian Simpson) formed it as a kid in Texas, moved it to Los Angeles and ran it — the creative buck stopped with him. (Throughout its history, he simultaneously released his own records. If he hasn’t taken off solo-wise at Justin Timberlake levels – yet – he’s well-primed to chart his own course.) And The Family is effectively an Abstract solo joint.

The rapper and singer recorded it in the spring, in the wake of their Coachella shows, in New York – a continent away from most of his bandmates – working only with BH’s bearface (Ciarán McDonald), member and in-house producer Romil Hemnani, and a collaborator, the producer boylife (Ryan Yoo). The lead vocals are all Abstract, and The Family is very much the frontman’s take on the highs, lows, thrills and disappointments of a wild ride. Suffice to say, Abstract pulls no punches.

It starts off celebratory and nostalgic. “Let’s take it back to when me and Ashlan was out front scheming, right on Jefferson” Abstract leads on “Take It Back.” Over a player piano, a high-pitched chorus, bounce and handclaps he recalls flashes of those heady days, when he asked on a Kanye West forum while still living in Texas if anyone wanted to form a band. (He recalled that moment in an epilogue letter shared on the same day.) “United we stand, divided we fall” was the mentality, Abstract recalls, but reality sets in as he lets us know what’s to come on the LP: “I had to save the truth for the last sh-t.” And the truth stings.

The Family is a glorious romp, veering from hard-hitting spitters to string-filled soul and hip-hop, laced with pitch-shifting and samples that recall Yeezus-era Ye. But lyrically, there’s shoot-from-the-hip real talk. Over throbbing beats on “Gold Teeth,” Abstract confesses, “Nowadays all I want to do is party / All I made this is to get out the deal, partly.” And of BH’s famous camaraderie? “Don’t ask me if the crew is still talking,” he blasts. “Do we see each other? Hardly / Did we suffer too many motherf–king albuuuums? Probably.” In the letter, Abstract also admits to the members having moved in “separate ways, and focus on our individual careers and passions.”

“Money changes everything,” Cyndi Lauper famously sang, and it seems it was a familiar tale of quick money and fast fame – a 2018 deal with RCA worth $15 million – that was at the root of BROCKHAMPTON’s harmony going south: “I guess blowing up isn’t all that” Abstract declares over the deceptively sweet melodics of “All That,” contrasting the old days with the present, saying “now we hate each other just to hang out.” On closer “Brockhampton” he adds, “I wish I would have known that signing would change sh-t,” and recounts a falling out with bandmate Jabari Manwa that forever changed their relationship, saying the love has “never been the same since.”

There are lighter moments, like Abstract sneaking boys in and out of the house on sparkling single “The Ending,” and reflective ones, singing on “37th Street,” “If I could fly through a California night, I’d end up back on 37th Street” (the location of BH’s formative South Central L.A. home). But he concludes he has to move on, and fesses up to now living in Calabasas, the Valley enclave synonymous with the rich and famous. From the hard-hitting indictment “Good Time”: “I got my bags packed, it’s time to leave” he spits, ready for “no more changes, no more due dates, no more fake sh-t.” Despite his mom’s plea — on the song “RZA” asking him, “Ian, why don’t you keep the band together?” – he’s done.

There’s plenty of mea culpa, too. Abstract blames himself for not always being there “for my brothers,” for getting caught up in his own fame, drinking and being distracted by relationships. “I know I failed you” he admits on “37th St.” On the soulful “The Family” he speaks of growing egos, competition turning unhealthy and his jealousy over other bandmates’ successes, even brutally admitting, “I don’t feel guilty for cutting your verse from this beat / For my lack of empathy.” In contrast, it’s followed by the gospel-tinged “The Prayer” with its sweet, sung hook: “I love these n—-s so much”

The Family’s most moving track is its longest and last, “Brockhampton,” a lights-out collage of memories and remarkably open confessions. It opens with watery strings and a heart-tugging “I miss the band already” – a line that was the title of an album teaser last month, featuring old black and white footage of the group that surely put a lump in the throats of fans. And if there are any dry eyes left by record’s end, there won’t be by the time Abstract pays tribute to his mates and their particular gifts, by name: “JOBA, you’re the most musical motherf–ker / Matt, I know you’re a perfectionist but now you’re free / Dom, ain’t nobody fucking with you lyrically / Merlyn, can’t nobody match this n—-’s energy / Bari, the world bout to see who you finna be / Ciarán, you brought the truth out of me.” Ultimately, though, Abstract is ready to turn the page, ending the 17-track record shouting “The show’s over, get out your seats!”

And for fans disappointed that they didn’t get to hear from the rest of the guys on this ostensibly final album? You’re in luck. Because the final final BROCKHAMPTON LP dropped as a surprise that evening. Somewhat cryptically called TM, its eleven tracks date back to 2021 and unfinished sessions in Ojai, California that were seen to completion this year and executive produced by fan favorite Matt Champion.

As affecting as the honesty on The Family is, the BH faithful should revel in TM, which features the collective in much of its familiar hip-hop abandon, at least on its first half. Abstract, Champion, Manwa, Dom McClennon, JOBA and Merlyn Wood flow seamlessly in various combinations, from the melodic trap of “Listerine” to a raucous “FMG” to the pop rock of “Animal” to the rapid-fire flow of “New Shoes,” on which all five feature. On turnt-up standout “Keep It Southern,” Wood declares “God made music so I could make money,” while Abstract offers a line that feels directed at the industry: “Tell them motherf–kers they cannot control your life.”

The record’s back half is largely quieter. A Champion falsetto opens “Better Thangs,” the gentlest song of the collection, in a seemingly romantic context: “I just found a comfort in you / I don’t want nobody but you.” But given BH’s dissolution, a later line about moving “on to a better thing” seems prescient. A dreamy, soulful hook and faded rap verses make for a memorable “Crucify Me.” But two songs featuring JOBA and Champion serve true curve balls. “Man On the Moon” begins softly, but quickly lunges into full-on dance-pop. It’s the closest BH has ever come to disco, and it’s an absolute blast. And despite its title, closer “Goodbye” doesn’t wallow in sentiment. Its airy synth-pop makes the line “it’s over” sound actually forward looking. By the end, when the track ventures into New Order terrain, you want to thank the guys for sending us off on a high note.

Will we ever hear from BROCKHAMPTON again? Who knows. The old “indefinite hiatus” always leaves the door slightly ajar, and in The Family’s “Take It Back” Abstract imagines reuniting “some time, in another life,” but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Even their Wikipedia article now refers to them in the past tense. Because I am comfortable being corny, I will end by borrowing from Dr. Seuss: Don’t cry because BROCKHAMPTON are over, smile because they happened. And wish each and every one of them the best.

18 Nov 2022

How the Dopest Playlist on Broadway Came Together

There’s plenty to mesmerize an audience onstage at Topdog/Underdog, the Pulitzer-winning play by Suzan-Lori Parks on Broadway now in a limited engagement (through Jan. 13, 2023). The production — starring Corey Hawkins (who portrayed Dr. Dre in Straight Outta Compton) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (an Emmy-winner for HBO’s Watchmen) in roles originated by Mos Def (Yasiin Bey) and Jeffrey Wright, respectively — has received rave reviews for good reason: the story of two brothers (named Lincoln and Booth) bound by a gradually-revealed, traumatic family history and a love of the three-card monte street hustle, is by turns hilarious, haunting and heartbreaking, and Hawkins and Abdul-Mateen give performances that seem destined for Tony nominations.

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But audiences are talking about more than the spoken dialogue — they’re bopping along to the hip-hop and R&B playlist heard in the theater before the play even starts, between scenes, at intermission, and as the audience exits after the final bows. That collection of tracks is the handiwork of sound designer Justin Ellington, a theater veteran who’s also a composer, arranger, musician and academic. Topdog/Underdog’s creative team, led by director Kenny Leon, knew from the get-go that music “would play a huge role” in the show, says Ellington, so he worked to ensure that “storytelling was happening throughout the playlist, versus just feeling and theme.”

The mix Ellington eventually landed on touches on diverse eras of hip-hop and R&B, adding to the timeless feel of the play’s action. “This is music we let into our homes to bring levity, balance…sometimes music is an escape, but it can also pull you in,” Ellington reflects. “This show does so much, so we’re constantly looking for balance, and the music helps settle us a bit throughout it.” He spoke to Billboard about some of the Topdog/Underdog playlist highlights, and what they add to an already multi-layered night at the theater.

“They Reminisce Over You,” Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
The pre-show mix is a tour through hip-hop/R&B classics and innovators, from Flying Lotus and Thundercat’s “MmmHmm” to D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” to Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man.” But “’Reminisce Over You’ gets them every time,” says Ellington of the ‘90s classic. “That’s like the song that brings in a different generation. There are people that really love that song: it’s a touchstone in their lives.” And lyrically, “Wow, it’s on point. It’s offering a different perspective to the story you’re about to hear, preparing your ears for trial and tribulation among people and different forms of that. I think it’s one of the first songs in the mix where the lyrics are super present; there’s something about it that really stands out.”

“Alright,” Kendrick Lamar
The first of two Lamar tracks on Ellington’s show playlist is also part of the pre-show mix. Ellington hopes the repeated “It’s gonna be alright” line sinks in with the audience before the play has even begun. “Sonically it’s in line with today’s contemporary music and hip hop – something that attracts young people,” he says. But “the sound of it really envelops all people. You can’t help but start to tap a toe, and some people are rapping along to it, like, ‘This is my song.’ At the end of the day, if I heard no music playing and saw this very diverse audience all moving and grooving in their own way — that’s the pleasure for me.”

“Grinding All My Life,” Nipsey Hussle
Ellington knows that plenty of people who saw Topdog/Underdog when it premiered off-Broadway in 2001 have no idea who the late rapper Nipsey Hussle was — and, likewise, that most Nipsey fans may be totally new to the play. So he loved the idea of kicking off Act I with this track. “It makes audiences lean in a bit more,” he says. “Nipsey’s music comes on, and the world starts to change. For those who don’t know what the word ‘grinding’ represents outside of coffee, maybe that’ll be understood by the end of the show, or even by the end of the first scene.”

Lupe Fiasco, “Kick, Push”

At intermission, the audience has just learned that Lincoln, who’s vowed to get out of the three-card monte game for good, is ready to get back into it after all. “The character is basically saying, ‘I’m back,’” Ellington says. “I wanted to know the soundtrack that would motivate him to get out there and get back into his hustle — what would be this character’s energy?” Inspired in part by the skateboarders in the song’s music video — a metaphor, as Ellington sees it, “for moving forward, getting it” — he chose “Kick, Push” to kick off the intermission mix. It immediately makes heads start bobbing, with its dedication to “the homies out here grindin’…legally and illegally.”

“Move on Up,” Curtis Mayfield
Another intermission mix track that stands out to Ellington. “It’s a long song – almost nine minutes — but the energy is up,” he says. “It probably has the fastest tempo of any song we play. Just this up-up energy. It’s a song from two generations before that people are super familiar with” — in part, he adds, because Kanye “Ye” West sampled it for his “Touch the Sky” — which ensures there’s no lull between acts. “It’s a bop,” and it’s also on theme, exploring the idea of striving for a better place than you’re in while still recognizing the obstacles to getting there and how to get past them.

“If I Should Die Tonight,” Marvin Gaye
Director Leon gave Ellington fairly free creative rein in building the playlist, but the sound designer recalls this track may have been one of his few suggestions. “I know he’s a big Marvin Gaye fan, and we get to hear so much of that song with this dramatic entrance into the second act,” Ellington says. “It’s like a cinematic moment – we hear these lyrics that are just perfect for the moment: the angst, frustration, irritation, depth of love that [these characters have], this song just embodies it all.” Those familiar with the play, he points out, will recognize some literal meaning in the song title, too. “A lot of people know what we’re coming to, so you can be a little more bold [with music choice] and not worry about showing your hand too much,” he continues. “It’s just so perfect and heartbreaking.”

Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart Part 5”
Once the play is over, the audience leaves the theater as this standout Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers track plays. “There’s something about the intensity of it – it starts with this tension, the same note playing over and over, this rhythm that’s pushing,” says Ellington. “And when he starts — ‘I come from a generation…’ — it’s setting it up like, “Listen to me,” and “me” could be Booth or Lincoln or the kid sitting next to you or yourself.” The track isn’t meant to speak directly to the stunning last scene of the play, but to “get people out of the theater with some kind of resonance of that intensity without speaking specifically to it. I don’t know what it would feel like if the show ends and it’s just applause and no sound at all – I feel like that would be draining,” Ellington explains. “Now we start to think about what we just saw – we start to process, because the feelings are deep and rich. Kenny [Leon] always says the show isn’t over until the ghostlight comes on – so that Kendrick song will always play all the way out.”

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