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In the midst of his hourslong spree of hate-filled, antisemitic, homophobic and ableist tweets on Friday morning (Feb. 7), Ye reached out to his friend President Donald Trump with a plea for the commander in chief to free disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“Free Puff,” Ye wrote in all caps on X in the first missive of the barrage of tweets, later adding, “@realDonaldTrump please free my brother Puff.” Combs (variously known as Puffy, Puff Daddy and Puff over the course of his career) was arrested in September and is currently in jail without bail awaiting federal trial in New York on racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges tied to what prosecutors say was an intricate scheme in which he “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill sexual desires.”
Combs is also facing dozens of civil lawsuits from women and men who claim that the once unstoppable Bad Boy Records boss sexually and physically assaulted them, forced or coerce them into sexual activity during hedonistic “freak off” parties and threatened them over the course of incidents dating back almost 30 years; Combs, who has denied all the allegations, is slated to go on trial in May in the case that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.
West visited the White House during Trump’s first term and has proudly worn the MAGA hat over the years. Amid the offensive tweets he also announced the launch of a collaboration between his Yeezy fashion brand and Comb’s Sean John fashion line. As of Friday morning, a number of basic-form white, grey and black “Sean John” t-shirts were available on the Yeezy site alongside a black sweatshirt with the white supremacist phrase “White Lives Matter.”
According to West, profits from the $20 shirts will be split evenly with Combs. “I just found out that Puff is not allowed to make or collect money while he’s locked up so I’ma send his half of the money to Justin,” he wrote, not identifying which Justin he was referring to.
The profanity-filled tweet string also featured a call-out of fellow celebrities — whom he referred to as “celebrity ni–as and b–ches [who] is p–sy” — who “watch our brother rot and never say s–t.” Trump, who pardoned more than 1,500 January 6 rioters on his first day in office in January — and who in the waning days of his first term pardoned or commuted the sentences of rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black — has not mentioned Combs’ case in the first few weeks of his second term.
In addition to advocating for the release of Combs, Ye also praised singer Chris Brown, writing, “we all watched them try to cancel Chris Brown and aint nobody do nothing,” adding, “I was p–sy then too Chris Brown its til the wheels fall off,” a seeming reference to West’s new song with Ty Dolla $ign, “Wheels Fall Off.”
Brown plead guilty to felony assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna after brutally beating the singer in 2009, for which he was sentence to five years probation, domestic violence counseling and six months of community service. In the years since, as Brown has continued to release charting songs as his list of reported physical altercations and allegations of battery have grown.
He was involved in a scuffle with Drake’s entourage at a New York nightclub in 2012, got into an altercation with singer Frank Ocean in 2013, was arrested for felony assault later that year in D.C. and was identified as the person who allegedly assaulted another adult male during a 2015 basketball game in Las Vegas; two months later a woman told police that Brown battered her in a Vegas hotel room during a spat over a cell phone. In August of 2016 Brown was arrested at his home in Los Angeles for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Since then, former girlfriend Karrueche Tran was granted a five-year restraining order against Brown in 2017 after sharing threatening texts he’d allegedly sent her and last year he was the subject of a lawsuit in which four men said Brown and his associates “brutally and severely” beat them backstage at Dickies Arena.
Ye’s advocacy for Combs and Brown came during a seven-plus-hour X rant in which he repeatedly used homophobic (“fag–t a– n–gas”) and ableist slurs (“f–k ret-rds,” “dumb a– ret-rds”) and praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler (“I love Hitler,” “I’m a Nazi”) while repeatedly denigrating the Jewish people (“you can get money with Jewish people but they always gonna steal.”)
In a statement on X, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt responded by calling the comments, “Another egregious display of antisemitism, racism and misogyny from Ye on his X account this morning… We condemn this dangerous behavior and need to call it what it is: a flagrant and unequivocal display of hate.” Some of West’s antisemitic post were amplified and re-shared by white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who joined Ye at the White House in 2018 for the meeting with Trump, who the rapper said at the time was like a “father” to him.
With the 2025 Grammys in the rearview, it’s time to start looking for new hits from queer artists that will nab a few nominations in 2026! Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ+ artists.
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From Lady Gaga’s spellbinding new pop single to Doechii’s well-earned victory lap, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
There’s been a lot of talk online about Gaga reheating her nachos lately. But if “Abracadabra” is what reheated nachos taste like today, then pop open the microwave, because we’re seated for this meal. On the second single from her forthcoming album Mayhem, Gaga takes the familiar sounds of The Fame Monster, Born This Way and Artpop, chops them up and casts a spell over them to create an absolute pop killer. From her nonsense-word chorus to the immediately catchy beat breakdown to the haunting bridge, “Abracadabra” is Lady Gaga’s best song in years. Mother Monster, we’re happy to have you back.
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Doechii, “Nosebleeds”
Doechii haters, you might want to skip “Nosebleeds,” because the Grammy Award-winning rapper comes for her detractors’ throats on this fiery, chaotic victory lap. From the jump, Doechii quickly establishes her dominance at the 2025 Grammys and sets up her impeccable flow for a punchy set of verses. Gassing herself up and switching the beat at every given opportunity, the rapper leaves her haters with one impeccable thought: “Everybody wanted to know what Doechii would do if she didn’t win,” she declares, before shrugging and smirking at her audience. “I guess we’ll never know.”
Anitta, “Romeo”
After taking a foray into Brazilian funk last year, Anitta is diving back into reggaeton headfirst with her sultry new cut “Romeo.” The new single follows the singer on “a night of mischief” as she calls it in the Spanish chorus, tempting her soon-to-be lover with a good time. It certainly helps that it’s Anitta’s voice singing these words, as her silky smooth delivery makes bars like “Tonight, you’re going to be mine, I didn’t say maybe” land with the exact kind of swagger she’s looking to portray.
Elton John & Brandi Carlile, “Who Believes in Angels?”
Queer pioneers Elton John and Brandi Carlile have long spoken about their mutual adoration for one another — they’ve even collaborated a few times on tracks like “Simple Things” and “Never Too Late.” So, when it came time for them to link up on their new duet “Who Believes in Angels,” off their forthcoming duets album of the same name, fans knew what they would be getting. This 5 minute, dramatic ballad sees the pair play off one another’s voices well, as they shift their sound from pianos to guitars to synths to everything all together in this symphonic new song.
Olly Alexander, Polari
Since breaking out on his own from his trio Years & Years, Olly Alexander has been doubling down on the ’80s-tinged pop music that helped him become a star. Now, with his latest album Polari, the singer is taking a lifetime of experience and leaving it all on one LP. Taking on different facets of queer culture like cruising (“Cupid’s Bow”), gay slang (“Polari”), mythology (“Whisper in the Waves”) and more, Alexander creates his own escapist universe throughout his stunning solo LP, making it a ride you’ll want to be along for.
Serpentwithfeet, “Wanderer”
Need something a little more tender to listen to this weekend? We suggest “Wanderer,” the gorgeous, love-stricken new single from indie darling Serpentwithfeet. The star’s delicate vocal pairs beautifully with the sparse R&B production as he paints a vivid picture of desire, climbing to a beautiful declaration at the chorus: “My heart the ocean; mostly unexplored/ Won’t over-promise, but I could be yours,” Serpent croons.
Corook, “They!”
Sometimes even the silliest of songs can still be deeply affirming — that’s a fact Corook knows first hand. Their breakout 2023 track “If I Were a Fish” turned into an anthem for queer kids the world over. Now, the singer-songwriter is narrowing her focus to her own community with “They,” a song that takes their own experience being non-binary and explores it through the prism of bubbly, fun pop music. Across three minutes, Corook insists that “it’s no big deal, I’m more me now,” while reminding those listening who might be struggling with their own identity shouldn’t stress too much — someone out there gets it, which is sometimes all you need to hear.
David Archuleta, “Freedom” (George Michael cover)
It’s been 35 years since George Michael released the career-defining anthem “Freedom! ’90” — and now, American Idol alum David Archuleta would like to take a moment to celebrate its legacy. With his interpretation of the track, Archuleta keeps the formula simple — not quite recreating the song note for note, but sticking as closely as possible to Michael’s version as possible. Backed up by a full chorus and placing hismlarger-than-life voice front and center, Archuleta does a service to Michael’s legacy with this moving cover.
Wafia, Promised Land
In a time where our political reality is being defined by a relentless sense of upheaval, alt-pop singer songwriter is Wafia is here with a message for you that her mother shared with her: “Everything is already written.” Promised Land tracks Wafia’s own experiences as an immigrant, funneling the resilence (as on the stunning “House Down”) and hope that she’s crafted over the course of her life into a series of top-tier pop tracks. Let this be your sign to stop sleeping of Wafia — let her lead you to the Promised Land with this excellent LP.
Check out all of our picks below on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist:
Canadians loomed large at Sunday’s Grammy Awards — even some who weren’t actually there in person — heading into it with many nominations for songwriting and producing.
The Weeknd’s surprise performance, ending his Grammys boycott, was probably the most notable, though Kendrick Lamar’s multiple wins for “Not Like Us” — accepted in a Canadian tuxedo, no less — made Drake a major talking point.
The most-decorated Grammy-winner of all time finally scored her white whale. Beyoncé, who holds 35 wins and 99 career nominations, had been denied album of the year four times before, losing to Taylor Swift in 2010, Beck in 2015, Adele in 2020 and Harry Styles in 2023. Each of those losses was for a culture-shaking album, from I Am…Sasha Fierce to her self-titled record, to Lemonade and Renaissance.
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This year, Beyoncé took home album of the year for her country record Cowboy Carter, also winning best country album. It was a historic win for Billboard’s greatest pop star of the 21st century, recognizing her for an album that honours the contributions of Black musicians to country as well as blurring the lines between country, pop, dance and R&B. (Not to mention, she seemed genuinely surprised by the country album win, in a reaction that has already been meme’d — a rare moment of fluster from Queen Bey).
Cowboy featured some major Canadian contributions — songwriting team Nate Ferraro, Bulow and Lowell (who also won the inaugural Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award) wrote the album’s lead single “Texas Hold ‘Em” while Dave Hamelin of The Stills co-wrote and produced a half-dozen songs. For his work, Hamelin will also receive an album of the year Grammy.
Another Canadian songwriter did well in a different category — Toronto’s Scott Zhang picked up a win in best R&B song for his work on SZA’s “Saturn.” Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin was the other big Canadian winner of the night, taking home best compilation soundtrack for his work on Bradley Cooper’s Maestro.
Canadian singer and Broadway star Deborah Cox helped kick off the Premiere Ceremony, which takes place before the evening Grammy Awards. That ceremony is where the majority of awards are handed out, and Cox was nominated this year as part of the cast of Broadway musical The Wiz, up for best musical theater album.
Though the cast of Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen took home the award — Keys was also honoured during the evening ceremony with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Grammy — Cox and her Wiz co-star Wayne Brady opened up the Premiere Ceremony with a heartfelt rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Read all of Canada’s impact on the awards here. – Rosie Long Decter
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Charlotte Cardin Scores A New ‘Feel Good’ Hit On The Billboard Canadian Hot 100
Canadian pop singer Charlotte Cardin can feel good this week.
The Quebec star has a new entry on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, with her 2023 single “Feel Good” arriving at No. 94 on the chart dated Feb. 8, 2025.
It marks her first new entry on the chart since last year’s “99 Nights” — and like that track, “Feel Good” enters well after it was initially released, making its chart debut a year and a half after it appeared on her 2023 EP Une semaine à Paris.
The song is a mellow dance-pop track in a similar vein to her top ten hit “Confetti,” but where that one was driven by party malaise, “Feel Good” finds thrills in pleasure.
With lyrics in both French and English, the song has taken on a new life throughout her international tours and with a global, especially French-speaking, audience on TikTok and other social media platforms.
The new chart entry gives Cardin some good momentum as 2025 kicks off, and the Canadian singer — and Billboard Canada inaugural Woman of the Year — continues to expand her reach globally.
Read more on this week’s chart here. – RLD
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Executive Turntable: UMG announced a major move at the top of its Canadian office on Friday (Feb. 7), with Julie Adam succeeding longtime CEO Jeffrey Remedios in the top leadership role. Full story from Billboard Canada here.
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Remembering Artist Manager/Musician Jane McGarrigle
(Laury) Jane McGarrigle, a Canadian songwriter, musician, music publisher, artist manager and author who worked extensively with her sisters, folk legends Kate & Anna McGarrigle, died on Jan. 24 of ovarian cancer. She was 84.
Jane McGarrigle managed her younger sisters’ music careers from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. As well as co-writing some songs with the duo, she performed with them in the studio and on tours of Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.
In 2015, Anna and Jane McGarrigle co-wrote Mountain City Girls, a book detailing their Quebec upbringing. Commenting on the book (published by Penguin Random House), Emmylou Harris, a longtime friend of the McGarrigle clan, wrote that “From the moment I met The Mountain City Girls, Kate, Anna and Jane, I wanted to be a part of that magical McGarrigle circle — the songs, the suppers, the families and fellow travellers, and they blessed me with it all.”
Jane McGarrigle was long active in music publishing and copyright advocacy. She served as a board member of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) where she defended publishing rights for musical authors. She also served on the board of the Songwriters Association of Canada for a number of years.
McGarrigle and her family spent long periods of time living in California, and she often performed with local musicians, including s Dick Oxtot’s Golden Age Jazz Band. In recent years in Montreal, she played dobro and piano with her partner Peter Weldon in their band, The What Four. – Kerry Doole
Last Week: Live Industry Faces Venue Shortages Despite $10B Economic Impact
The Fix the Tix coalition is sounding the alarm about the TICKET Act currently making its way through the U.S. Senate, warning that the current bill contains ambiguous language that threatens to undo progress the group has made at cleaning up the event ticket space. Fix the Tix leaders are now urging Congress to work with the group to amend the bill and update language around speculative ticketing, fan clubs and misleading websites.
“While we appreciate the bill’s purpose to protect and inform fans, it contains gaps that, if unaddressed, will undermine both consumer protections and a fair marketplace,” reads the letter addressed to Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who heads the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which held a markup session for the TICKET Act on Wednesday (Feb. 5).
Reintroduced earlier this year by Senator Eric Schmidt (R-Missouri), the TICKET Act mandates all-in pricing for most ticket sellers, bars speculative ticket listings on sites like StubHub and empowers the Federal Trade Commission to pursue violations of the BOTS Act, which has only been enforced once since passing in 2016, according to songwriter and music industry analyst Chris Castle.
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While groups like the Fix the Tix coalition support the legislation in principle, concerns persist that it “undercuts several strong state consumer protection laws already passed in Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Arizona,” reads the Tuesday (Feb. 4) letter authored by Stephen Parker, the chairman of the Fix The Tix coalition and the executive director of the National Independent Venues Association. Parker also hints that members of his coalition — which includes The Recording Academy, the National Independent Talent Organization and the Artists Rights Alliance — feel left out and want to play a more active role in the legislative process.
“We encourage the Committee to hold a dedicated hearing or otherwise engage” members of the Fix the Tix coalition, Parker wrote, adding that “their real-life expertise can help craft a stronger, more effective TICKET Act” and noting his dismay with the increasing role the “predatory reseller lobby and the ‘consumer groups’ they fund to do their bidding” have played in drafting the bill.
The legislation’s central weakness comes from what it doesn’t include. In his letter, Parker urges Cruz to “bar predatory resellers from exploiting fan clubs or other restricted presales” and “prohibit listing or reselling tickets before the official public on-sale date” — a practice known as speculative ticketing that has long been criticized by consumer rights groups. In total, Parker offers up a half-dozen prescriptive changes for the bill in order to avoid strengthening the “very abuses it sets out to prevent.”
“We look forward to an open process that prioritizes the views of the artists, fans, and venue community that do all the work and take on all the risk to put on live shows,” Parker concludes.
The letter can be read in its entirety here.
EST Gee knows all too well about turning tragedy into triumph, but that doesn’t mean it gets any easier each time out.
The Louisville slugger returned last week (Jan. 31) with his sophomore album I Ain’t Feeling You, which he followed up on Friday (Feb. 7) with a four-pack deluxe.
Geeski continues to elevate his gritty street tales out of the ‘Ville, but he says the imitators continue to surface. “People always take my style,” he contends to Billboard. “However I get to coming, it’s like a clone pops out of nowhere. But it’s cool though, I like it. It’s like a little army of Minions.”
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Inspired by Drake’s “Houstatlantavegas,” the EST boss recruited Lil Baby and Travis Scott, who he ran into during a night out at the strip club in Houston, to complete album standout “Houstatlantaville.”
“We was just at the strip club in Houston,” Gee explains. “I always bump into Travis. We came across each other a few times. It was a good night and he was asking what we was getting ready to do after we left the club. I’m like, ‘We bout to go to the studio. We gon’ go to the house and record like right now.’ He was like, ‘Yeah?’ I’m like, ‘Come on, we gonna go right now.’”
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Signed to his EST label in a joint venture with Alamo, EST Lu Mike was someone Gee looked at as the younger version of himself. Unfortunately, Lu Mike was killed last year following a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and Gee memorialized his mentee on “RIP Lu Mike.”
Geeski looked inward to finish the LP as he paid tribute to his late mother, who passed away from leukemia in 2020 before his rise to fame, with the poignant “Outro” seeking her direction. “I was gon’ go to my momma’s gravesite,” he recalls before recording the heartbreaking track. “I had planned on it because I’ve never been, but then something happened and I ended up not going. I was just thinking about her.”
Through it all, Gee is upbeat in conversation during his trip to NYC as we touch on his street style versus melodic rap in the music landscape, why he left that Bootleg Kev interview and a conversation with Jay-Z where the Brooklyn icon compared Drake and Future’s dynamic to Jay’s competitive nature with Nelly in the early 2000s.
I Ain’t Feeling You. Who aren’t you feeling?
Anybody that ain’t feeling me.
What inspired the project? When did you record it and what did you hope to leave the people with?
I been had it for six months. I like to record in little pockets. Whatever comes out of the pocket, that’s the project. That was probably like a two-week thing. I probably went to the studio six or seven times.
Talk about “The Streets” and how much you appreciate that “Duffle Bag Boy” sample.
Yeah, that was one of my joints growing up. I always used to wonder what happened to the other dude [Dolla Boy]. That was my way of sending the word out and a beacon for him. Where’s he at though? Turn him back up. That’s when I was playing the project for [Yo] Gotti. Most of it I had done. Dame was in there — he was like, “I got a beat for you I know you gon’ like.” I’m like, “Let me do this real quick.”
How was linking up with Travis Scott and Lil Baby for “Houstatlantaville?” How’d you get in touch with Travis?
We was just at the strip club in Houston. I always bump into Travis. We came across each other a few times. It was a good night and he was asking what we was getting ready to do after we left the club. I’m like, “We bout to go to the studio. We gon’ go to the house and record like right now.” He was like, “Yeah?” I’m like, “Come on we gonna go right now.”
I was just pumping him up. He was like, “Come on let’s go!” When we be in Houston, it be like a vibe for artists and stuff down there… We gon’ have five half-a-million-dollar cars, smoking raise the window down, good strip club, they got good food. Then we can go pull up at the spot to record. It was me and Baby at first and I was playing [Travis] some songs. He was like, “I want to get on that one.” I’m like, “You sure?” He’s like, “Yeah. Let’s do it.” I think I [was thinking] the Drake “Houstatlantavegas.” Took the Vegas off and put the Ville.
“RIP Lu Mike,” what made you want to memorialize him in that way?
Lu Mike, that was my lil’ bro. He shot himself. Something was going on in front of himself and he ended up shooting himself and having a gun in his pants. The shot rang off and the crowd at the club scattered so nobody seen that he was shot and helped him.
Lu Mike was signed to Alamo, and I had a joint venture with [him]. He was the younger version of me. My boy. He was just like my lil’ son. It was deeper than music. I seen him make his first $100,000 and f–k it all up in two weeks. I just seen him go through his stages of becoming a man. He’d be frustrating, but you gotta love him.
The outro is a tribute to your mom. What kinda space do you get into where you think, “I’m gonna end the album with that?”
It was just one of the days. I don’t know if you been through something like that, but sometimes you got days where you caught up thinking about ’em. It was just one of them days.
You know what clip I see go viral from yo? Your pick-six against SLU.
For real? Where do you be seeing it? I don’t get on Twitter. I had a whole lot of pick-sixes. I got a whole lot of highlights. My whole life been a highlight. That was light though. I ain’t celebrating with nobody.
You gotta pop up in the Eagles locker room like Gillie if they win the Super Bowl.
He’s a super Eagles fan. I might do that. Gillie and Wallo, that’s my people. I might do that and go in the locker room with the big hat on with Gillie. You know who else Gillie and Wallo made me like? They really part of the reason I started watching sports again. I was not watching football or nothing for years. When Gillie and them was going to Colorado, and I was seeing that, I liked it so much. [Deion] coaching his sons and stuff. I thought it was the coldest. I was watching from home and betting. I probably won $70,000 betting. I think I bet on Colorado and two or three more games.
One time Underdog wasn’t trying to pay me out. My first bet I was supposed to win like $100,000 and they said, “It’s a limit on your first bet so you can’t win over $50,000.” But they let me bet the $10,000. They was all lil’ spicy bets. Like Donovan Mitchell to get a block, Shedeur to not throw an interception. It was crazy on the first bet — and they were like, “Hell nah, we ain’t paying you all that money.” When I lost once or twice I was like, “They tryna come back and get that money from me. I’ma fall back off of them.”
[Gambling] brought it back for me. I was never really watching it since I was little playing, but since I started sports betting I’ve been watching it more. I ain’t miss a Colorado game all year.
I feel like in hip-hop now the Playboi Carti-type of sound is at the forefront, but you’ve been able to break through on the mainstream.
I don’t think that’s true. You said Playboi Carti type of music is at the forefront of music? Hell no.
What do you think is the sound that dominates hip-hop then?
I think it’s just hip-hop is dominating the music industry. I don’t think it’s one sound in hip-hop that’s dominating hip-hop. Whatever you mean by that type of music, I don’t think that’s the sound that’s dominating music. Hip-hop is dominating the music industry and that’s cool to say.
What do you think it’s about your music that’s been able to resonate in the mainstream?
It’s more people that are living day-to-day that have real stuff going on. I think when it be more gimmicky and fake stuff and 15-second attention-span stuff to make it look like it’s a thing, it’s a lot of fake s–t that goes along with it. People put the fake streams with it. It makes you feel like, “Damn, that many people are paying attention to that?” I just figured out when people do stadium shows, they’ll make the tickets a dollar. That’s crazy to me. When I had my show at the stadium in Louisville, them tickets wasn’t no dollar. It was $400, $550. I just figured out people do that. It’s a lot of tricking the eye in the music industry. I ain’t against it, though — it’s what it is. I’m just a player.
Do you care about chart success? Do the plaques matter?
I did a lot of that. I think I’m probably the biggest artist that’s came out since 2020 as far as a street artist. I probably got the most album and single success. I probably got the most tangible thing that you could see. I’m not depending on nobody else to do what I gotta do. I probably got the most money too. If you came out with me, I probably got the most of everything you can have. I’m talking about liquid cash too. They don’t gotta say it either. When we meet each other, you can just tell. I’m glad I could be a good example.
A couple of years ago you told me “Future is our Jay-Z.” What do you think it’s about Future that he’s been able to maintain this longevity? He had an insane year.
It’s probably the third or fourth time he’s done it too. I think it’s more a testament to what I said a couple of years ago. Future is the guy. I said it to Jay-Z, and his homies didn’t really understand it. He understood and then he explained it to them. He put in perspective — like, in his time, Nelly was more like Drake. He’s selling a whole lot of records and doing movies. Nelly was the guy at the award shows. But for all the street stuff, and when it’s time to go to the BET Awards, everyone wanted to be with Jay-Z, because it was the streets. Year after year it never went away — and that’s kind of what Future is. I think his friend was saying Drake was the biggest of my generation, and this was a couple of years ago. When he broke it down to him and Nelly, I was like, “What?” He was like, “Nelly was going quadruple-platinum every time.”
Did something else happen on the Bootleg Kev interview that we didn’t see when you dipped on him?
Just asking weird s–t, and I wasn’t feeling that. You know Red? I talk about Red a lot, and his older brother had died. If it wasn’t that day, it was the day before. He was asking me some weird a– s–t. He asked about the fake jewelry, but mentioned my jewelry — and I don’t be playing like that. I think he asked me about, did I know a porn star? I’m like, “Bro, what?” And it was over with.
How was reuniting with 42 Dugg since he got out? You see his sports gambling tweets? That s–t is hilarious.
My boy, he’s a funny dude. I didn’t know he was doing all that, bro. He’s going off on people?
Yeah, he’s like I’m gonna make a Jared Goff diss track because the Lions lost. He’ll find random college games and go off on No. 4 on North Carolina like, “What the f–k are you doing?”
I ain’t gonna lie, I be feeling the same way when Colorado used to piss me off. My boy No. 7 on Colorado [Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig]. I used to think he was the worst DB. He’s alright, I hope he makes it to the league. But damn he used to be making me so mad last year. I didn’t know that Dugg was doing that. The world don’t know how funny he really is. If he just let somebody follow him around like a reality show. If he really let y’all into what he does every day. If I called him right now, he’s probably doing some funny a– s–t. Yesterday, when I called him during the interview he was riding around in all Black in that truck. Then you know he’s short. He’s driving the car by himself he can’t really see. He’s on some bulls–t. Like, “Yeah I’ma call you back.” Yeah, Dugg is funny. That’s my brother.
What else is coming up for 2025?
I’m gonna be back on the scene this year. Last year, I kinda took a break and was chilling and relaxing. This year, I’m back pressing the gas. It’s gonna be dat.
This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music from artists including collaborations by Xavi and Manuel Turizo, Calle 24 with Fuerza Regida, as well as a new bachata album from Natti Natasha produced by Romeo Santos. Xavi and Manuel Turizo teamed up for the first time for a […]
Snoop Dogg was dropping jokes like they were hot at the NFL Honors Thursday (Feb. 6), but one of them in particular — lobbed at Bill Belichick and the coach’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson — packed extra heat. During the rapper’s opening monologue at the pre-Super Bowl award ceremony, which he hosted, Snoop got the crowd […]
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Irv Gotti’s ex-wife, Debbie Lorenzo, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram after his untimely passing, reflecting on their complex but meaningful relationship. In a gallery of photos showing happy memories, Lorenzo wrote, “Irv, you will be greatly missed. I can’t believe I’m saying that! Married, divorced, great friends, and so many life lessons—everything we’ve been through, good and bad, has molded me into the woman I am today! God never wastes anything; He uses everything for His ultimate glory!”
She continued, honoring Irv’s lasting impact on the music world, “Irv the Icon, you ignited the music industry with your presence, vision, and talent. You shattered records and did it all on your own terms. You had a truly big heart. You fought long and hard, and now you’re resting.” Lorenzo expressed her pride in their children, saying, “Know that we raised three beautiful, compassionate young adults, and I’m honored that God chose us to be their parents. It brought me joy to see them take such great care of you.”
Her words are a testament to the deep bond they shared, beyond the ups and downs of life. Irv’s passing sent shockwaves through the hip-hop world, as the Murder Inc. co-founder played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of stars like Ja Rule and Ashanti. His energy and influence will be missed, but his legacy remains strong.
In this episode of Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Trevor Anderson and Kyle Denis are joined by Vibe’s Regina Cho to recap hip-hop and R&B’s big night at the 2025 Grammys, review The Weeknd’s new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and more! Trevor Anderson: I mean, who wins five Grammys off of just one song? I mean that […]
Lola Young’s “Messy” has landed a third week at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart (Feb. 7). The song first hit the top spot in January after dethroning Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True,” which held the top spot for eight non-consecutive weeks.
The news coincides with her continued rise on the Billboard Hot 100; “Messy” now sits at a new peak of No. 14, a rise of 10 places week-on-week. The track featured on her sophomore album, This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, which was released in May.
In March, Young will compete for a BRIT Award in the pop act category against Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Jade Thirlwall and Myles Smith. Recent months have also seen the Londoner perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and appear on Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia as a guest vocalist on “Like Him.”
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Speaking to Billboard U.K., Young discussed the success of “Messy” and why the message of self-acceptance has resonated with fans. “For a long time, I wanted to represent this ideal of Westernized beauty — but then I realized I’m not that,” Young said. “I now choose to give realness and truth. I’ve got a bit of a belly out, I f–king swear a bunch and I have fun. And that’s what people are resonating with.”
The success of “Messy” means that the Island EMI label group have scored a grand slam with four No. 1s across the U.K.’s Official Albums, Singles, Compilations and Radio Airplay Charts this week. The feat was achieved as The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow hit the top spot on the Official Albums Chart, “Messy” on the Singles and Radio Airplay Charts, while the Wicked soundtrack rules the Compilations Chart. It’s the first time the feat has been achieved by any label group in over 10 years.
The remainder of the top five features familiar faces, with ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” (No. 2), Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” (No. 3), Chrystal’s “The Days” (No. 4) and Gigi Perez’s “Sailor Song” (No. 5) all staying put week-on-week.
Lady Gaga’s new song, “Abracadabra,” goes straight in at No. 6, giving the pop hero her 17th top 10 hit in the U.K. It’s the third single from upcoming album Mayhem to land in the top 10 following “Die With a Smile” (No. 2) and “Disease” (No. 7).