News
Page: 138
Will Smith is gearing up to release his first album in 20 years with Based on a True Story, which arrives Friday (March 28). Before digging into the recording process for the project, Smith made two phone calls to a pair of rap titans, soliciting advice from Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.
Smith sat down with Sway in the Morning for a live SiriusXM interview on Wednesday in Philadelphia, where he revealed the guidance he received from Jay and K. Dot prior to starting his album.
Trending on Billboard
“Before I started, I made two phone calls. I talked to Jay and I talked to Kendrick. I was like, ‘Hey, I want to get back in music,” Smith said. “What’s the advice?’ Jay said, ‘Don’t fake your story.’ He was like, ‘You gotta say what’s true for you.”
The multi-hyphenate continued: “He’s like, ‘You’ll be looking at the younger rappers and you want that to be true for you, but you don’t live like that. He was like, ‘Be true to your story. Tell you story.’ That’s where I got the Based On a True Story from Jay.”
When Smith got a hold of Kendrick, he implored him to be brutally honest when it came to his music and “say that s–t you’ve always been f—ing scared to say” on records. “Basically the same thing, be honest. It was scary,” Smith added. “Make the record you want to make. Don’t try to make the record that you think people will like you for. Make the one that’s authentic.”
Based on a True Story boasts 14 tracks and features previously released singles “First Love,” “Beautiful Scars,” “TANTRUM,” “Work of Art,” and “You Can Make It,” as well as collaborations with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, his son Jaden Smith and Jac Ross.
Smith will also hit the road for a headlining European tour this summer in support of his first album since 2005’s Lost and Found.
Listen to the clip of Will Smith talking about the advice he got from Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar below.
Chris Hemsworth is a music fan, just like the rest of us. So much so, that he once asked for a selfie with a major pop star. The Avengers actor joined The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week, where he answered a series of deep-dive questions to get to know him better. One of […]
When Taylor Swift‘s The Tortured Poets Department dropped in April last year, fans were all but certain that a person mentioned in the album’s title track was supposed to be Lucy Dacus. And nearly one year later, the Boygenius star has finally officially confirmed that she was, in fact, the “Lucy” in question, revealing that the pop superstar actually reached out to her before its release to make sure the name drop was all right.
In an interview with People published Thursday (March 27), Dacus responded candidly when asked point-blank whether she was the “Lucy” referenced in the bridge of “The Tortured Poets Department.” “I think it’s fair game to say yes,” the “Night Shift” singer said. “She actually texted me and asked for my approval.”
Trending on Billboard
Widely believed to be about Swift’s short-lived romance with The 1975’s Matty Healy in 2023, “The Tortured Poets Department” finds the 14-time Grammy winner singing, “Sometimes I wonder if you’re gonna screw this up with me/ But you told Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave/ And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen/ Everyone we know understands why it’s meant to be.”
Fans determined at the time of the album’s release that the “Jack” referenced in the same stanza was likely Swift’s longtime producer, Jack Antonoff. Dacus and the Bleachers frontman aren’t the only stars who got shoutouts, though; a certain “See You Again” singer was also featured in the song’s lyrics, with the Eras Tour headliner proclaiming, “You smoked and ate seven bars of chocolate/ We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.”
According to Dacus, the ordeal of listening to The Tortured Poets Department — which spent a collective 17 weeks atop the Billboard 200 — and hearing herself referenced in the lyrics was “so crazy.” “This [was] the first Taylor record to come out since meeting her, and listening to a friend’s record feels so much different than a stranger’s record,” the Virginia native told People. “So I was like, ‘This is really weird. This voice that I’ve heard basically what feels like my whole waking life saying my name.’”
“It was definitely an experience,” she added. “I sat down and I was like, ‘Huh. Wow.’ But I think that that record of hers is super open-hearted, and I don’t know how many people at her level, if anyone is at her level, are writing from the heart that openly.”
The interview comes one day ahead of Dacus’ fourth studio album, Forever Is a Feeling. Earlier this month, the “Ankles” songwriter — who recently confirmed her long-rumored romance with Boygenius bandmate Julien Baker — spoke to Billboard about her most romantic LP yet.
“Once you focus on one thing and one person, it actually recontextualizes everything else,” she said. “You realize that every detail is its own universe.”
Billboard Women in Music is this Saturday, March 29, and with our celebration of Doechii as Woman of the Year, we’re taking you to Brazil and Canada where we celebrated Ana Castela and Charlotte Cardin. Are you excited for Billboard Women in Music 2025? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: As we get […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
UFC is heading to Mexico for their latest battle. Two premiere flyweights are set to match in the octagon as the main event for UFC Fight Night. Brandon “The Assassin Baby” Moreno (22-8-2) faces off against Steve “Astroboy” Erceg (12-3-0) in a match on Saturday (March 29).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg takes place at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, with a start time of 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. The main card is expected to begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
If you want to watch UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg (also known as UFC on ESPN 64) online, the MMA event livestreams on ESPN+ for subscribers only.
Not a subscriber? A monthly subscription to ESPN+ goes for $11.99 per month. However, you can go with an ESPN+ annual subscription for $119.99. This saves you 15% compared to the month-to-month subscription price.
Check out the complete UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg fight card below:
Main Card, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT — ESPN+
Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg (Flyweight) — Main Event
Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober (Lightweight)
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer (Middleweight)
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Vince Morales (Bantamweight)
David Martínez vs. Saimon Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Ronaldo Rodríguez vs. Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
Prelims Card, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT — ESPN+
Édgar Cháirez vs. C.J. Vergara (Flyweight)
José Daniel Medina vs. Ateba Abega Gautier (Middleweight)
Christian Rodriguez vs. Melquizael Costa (Featherweight)
Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri (Women’s Strawweight)
Rafa García vs. Vinc Pichel (Lightweight)
Jamall Emmers vs. Gabriel Miranda (Featherweight)
MarQuel Mederos vs. Austin Hubbard (Lightweight)
In addition, you can get the Disney Trio — which comes with ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ — starting at just $16.99 per month for both services in one package.
What Is Moreno vs. Erceg Walkout Music for UFC Fight Night?
While UFC has yet to announce each fighter’s walkout music for the main event of UFC Fight Night, the fighters usually go out to the octagon to the same songs during their matches. Brandon Moreno typically walks out to “El Corrido Del Bebe Asesino” by Ariel Macias, while Steve Erceg prefers to walk out to “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” by Jim Croce. So these songs will likely make an appearance during the MMA event.
UFC Fight Night Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg is streaming on ESPN+ on Saturday (March 29), starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. The main card begins around at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Posdnuos, founding member of hip-hop legends De La Soul, has the mind-set of a classic rock icon who continues to record and tour after most people that age opt for retirement.
Talking to Billboard‘s Behind the Setlist podcast after a session in the recording studio, Pos (born Kelvin Mercer) says that being mindful of his health is critical to the group’s longevity. “We’re in the gym, running, doing the cardio and staying healthy. I love to run around onstage like a fool. So I’m always in spin class and lifting weights so I can keep my cardio up, man. I want to be like [The Rolling Stones frontman] Mick Jagger, moving around until the grave.”
At this point, De La Soul is to hip-hop what British invasion bands are to rock & roll. The Stones’ debut album came out a quarter-century before De La Soul released its first album, 3 Feet High and Rising, in 1989. More than 35 years and eight more studio albums later, De La Soul is where The Stones were in 2000: respected elders and innovators with a historic catalog and an appetite to remain relevant.
Trending on Billboard
“I’m really happy that we have a brand that we can still put out there,” Pos says. “Whenever we raise the flag, people want to come in and partake in whatever we’re offering.”
De La Soul has remained busy since the death of bandmate Trogoy the Dove (born David Jolicoeur) in December 2023. After a long absence from digital platforms because of a legal dispute, the group’s celebrated catalog appeared at streaming services in 2023. “We carried on pretty well” while being absent from services such as Spotify and Apple Music, says Pos. “Did we not gain certain fans at a certain time? Definitely, because you gotta realize we missed the entire download era and streaming until about two years ago. But with us still putting out music, we saw how people were so engaged, and even younger people engaged in our music.”
In the Internet age, De La Soul is never more than a Google search away. The group found a new wave of admirers after collaborations with Gorillaz that produced the hit song “Feel Good Inc.” in 2005 and “Crocadillaz” in 2023. Thanks to an abundance of metadata about music, people curious about the musicians on the tracks could easily find information about group — although they got to know him as Kelvin Mercer. “I’m a government name with young people,” says Pos.
The interview focused on De La Soul’s Jan. 16 show at Lincoln Center in Manhattan and also covered the group’s album and EP reissues. Listen to the entire conversation with Posdnuous using the embedded Spotify player below or go to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Amazon Music, Podbean or Everand.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: ROBYN BECK / Getty
On Tuesday (March 25), singer-songwriter Alice Merton filed a lawsuit against Ye fka Kanye West in a federal court in California for using a sample of one of her songs after she denied his request. In the documents of the lawsuit, Merton states that West sampled her 2022 song “Blindside” for use in his song “Gun To My Head” featuring Kid Cudi and Ty Dolla $ign. She states that the discovery left her “understandably shocked and humiliated” to be associated with West after he previewed the song at a Vultures listening event in Miami, Florida, in December 2023.
West would later release “Gun To My Head” as part of a deluxe digital release of Vultures 2 last August. The lawsuit alleges that West had requested approval from Merton’s publisher, BMG, to use “Blindside” through Alien Music Services. When denied, Kanye West’s representatives followed up by asking the reason for the denial. BMG responded that “the artist’s values are contrary to our values” and that Merton was “unwilling to compromise her personal beliefs and wanted not to be associated with Ye in any manner.”
The publisher further revealed that Merton has “close ties to the holocaust through Jewish family members who survived its horrors” and that West’s “antisemitic, racist remarks” were contrary to her beliefs. The lawsuit also shares that Merton sustained a barrage of online threats and abuse from fans who were upset over “Gun To My Head” not being on the initial edition of Vultures 2. BMG had sent a cease and desist letter requesting written compliance to stop further copyright violations to West, which were then ignored. The German singer-songwriter even expressed that she has stopped performing the songs at her concerts and decided against traveling to the U.S. “for fear of confrontation or potential violence against her.”
The lawsuit is the latest action against West for copyright infringement by other musical artists. The estate of Donna Summer sued West last February for sampling her song “I Feel Love” without permission, stating that it “wanted no association with West’s controversial history.” Legendary metal singer Ozzy Osbourne also threatened to sue the Bully rapper for trying to use a Black Sabbath sample after being denied, “because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Getty / General
A recently filed lawsuit alleges new bombshell claims against Hip-Hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. According to TMZ, the Bad Boy founder is being sued by a male photographer who alleges that the embattled star forced him to perform oral sex by threatening his career.
In the lawsuit obtained by TMZ, the accuser is a photographer who claims Diddy invited him to join him in a trailer for an opportunity to advance his career. However, the unnamed accuser said that the Hip-Hop mogul began making sexual advances and unzipping his pants.
The allegations are disturbing, with the accuser alleging that Diddy told him “If you suck right I’ll make your career take off.”
The accuser, who identifies as a straight man, says that he complied.
He later said that Diddy allegedly told him to hold semen in his mouth “like a squirrel.”
The photographer said that the incident occurred in 2022 or 2023 and that it took place in Diddy’s trailer on the set of a commercial. He says that he did not have further contact with the mogul afterward.
He is suing for sexual battery and financial damages due to emotional and mental pain and trauma.
Diddy’s legal team sent a statement to TMZ writing, “No matter how many lawsuits are filed—especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims—it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
They added, “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”
Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since he was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024. He is being held without bond.
A new podcast, Bad Rap, from ABC Audio was recently released detailing the mogul’s ongoing sexual abuse and sex trafficking charges.
https://twitter.com/abcaudio/status/1904530774453555277
FKA Twigs has reunited with North West to release a music video for their collaboration, “Childlike Things,” and they’ve also called on Kevin Smith and Jake Shane to guest star. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the clip, Smith and Shane act as music industry executives as […]
After a string of standout collaborations, Atlanta rapper Anycia is back with “Never Need” — a bold anthem that celebrates independence, confidence, and the power of women standing strong in their own light. Featuring fellow female MCs GloRilla and Karrahbooo, the track promises to resonate with listeners who know their worth and aren’t afraid to own it.Out March 28, “Never Need” marks the first single from Anycia’s upcoming Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, Grady Baby,set for release later this spring. Produced by the Spaceboy duo EJ Stellar and jetsonmade — known for their space-themed production style — the track highlights Anycia’s signature chant-along style. It also features an interpolation of the beat from Khia’s 2002 hit “Don’t Trust No N-—a,” featuring DSD.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Anycia shares that the inspiration behind the track was “simple” yet profound. “I wanted to make something that really spoke to women standing on their own, not just in relationships but in every part of life,” she explains. This theme of unapologetic self-worth is echoed throughout “Never Need,” as the three artists combine their unique styles to create a song that is as fierce as it is empowering.
Trending on Billboard
“Man, I said, ‘Let’s find me the most disrespectful women I could find to get on this track with me!’” Anycia says admiringly of her collaborators. The chemistry between the three is palpable, and their combined force makes this an unmissable track. “They made it even more raw and unapologetic,” she adds, reflecting on how their individual energies elevated the song.
Anycia
@burrbrii
The behind-the-scenes video for “Never Need” further complements the track’s message, as Karrahbooo and Anycia exchange praise and uplift each other throughout. Anycia spends a decent part of the video explaining and displaying why she’s a “bad b—ch,” bringing the theme of independence to life in a visual form. “We wanted to show that independence isn’t just about not needing a man—it’s about owning who you are, moving how you want, and doing it with confidence,” She explains.For Anycia, “Never Need” is more than just music; it’s a statement of empowerment, especially for women. “I just want people — especially women — to feel empowered when they hear it,” she says. “Like, ‘Yeah, you got this on your own, you don’t need validation from nobody.’” It’s a celebration of knowing your worth and moving accordingly.”
She also emphasizes how sharing this moment with her fans means everything to her, declaring, “This one is for us.”
For Anycia, the track’s most powerful lyric is: “I ain’t never need a n-—a for a goddamn thing.” It’s a line that carries deep significance for the artist, who credits the women in her life for shaping her into the person she is today. “Literally since I was born, the most powerful people in my life were women. I literally never needed a n-—a for a goddamn thing,” Anycia shares.
Behind the scenes, the collaboration between the three women went beyond the music. Anycia recalls a memorable moment during the video shoot when GloRilla was “sick as f—k” but “still came and delivered like a trooper. That’s a hard-working girl!”
Watch the exclusive behind-the-scenes video for “Never Need” below.