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Jack Harlow had an early Christmas gift for his hometown fans over the weekend when he teamed up with the Louisville Orchestra for a pair of “No Place Like Home 2024” shows at the city’s Whitney Hall. The fourth annual event — where attendees are asked to “dress to impress” — took place on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 29-30) and once again featured the Orchestra and conductor Teddy Abrams backing Harlow during a set of his classically-augmented classics.
Harlow added a bit of extra spice into the mix this year, though, when he busted out a velvety cover of Elvis Presley’s 1961 Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 weeper “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Fan video of the special moment found Harlow, dressed in a dark double-breasted suit with a light blue shirt and black tie, expertly crooning the song over the sweep of strings to whoops of delight from the audience.
Comments on the sold-out shows suggested that fans are ready for the rapper/actor’s pivot to crooner, including one poster who wrote, “he needs to release this,” as well as others who said, “countdown to the ‘i’m not just a rapper, i’m an artist’ interview,” “og fans know he can sing” and “Was so sweet for Jack to dedicate this song to his grandma in the balcony. The whole show was amazing, he should release orchestral versions of all of all his albums.”
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According to WLKY, that wasn’t the only singing detour Harlow took, as he also very capably covered Frank Sinatra’s beloved standard, “Fly Me to the Moon” on night two, which he dedicated to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday — and to his granny on Saturday, alongside hits from his catalog. The Courier-Journal noted that a couple got engaged during “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
Harlow dropped his first new single since 2023’s “Lovin on Me” last month, the samba-esque “Hello Miss Johnson,” which he performed live for the first time at the shows. The song’s release was accompanied by a video that plays out on CCTV, where Harlow flirts with Miss Johnson’s daughter. The track is the second single from the rapper’s as-yet-untitled, unscheduled fourth album, Jackman, which was released in April 2023.
During a show at New York’s Brooklyn Paramount in September Harlow teased his next musical era, telling the audience, “I do got some very special s–t on the way… Next time I see you, we gonna have something to talk about.”
After contemplating for four years, Smino is ready for the world to hear his debaucherous side. The St. Louis, MO native stopped by Billboard‘s NYC office for an episode of Billboard Gaming, just before the release of his Maybe in Nirvana album arrival on Friday (Dec. 6).
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Maybe in Nirvana is a reflective and experimental album that explores themes of love, loss and self-discovery, while maintaining Smino’s signature innovative style. The project is anticipated to expand his artistic limits, fusing profound lyricism with immersive soundscapes that showcase his evolution as a musician.
We faced off with the rapper in several rounds of Mario Kart while discussing the inspiration behind his album, being an independent artist, and more. “Passenger Princess” has been getting a lot of love. Can you tell us about the creative process for that track and how it was working with Aminé on it?
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It’s cool because one of my favorite ways to end up working with people is just by being their homie. Aminé is a cool dude, so he just texted me and was like, “Hey, Smee bro, I got this song I want you to get on.” I ain’t even respond to him — I just sent it back the same day. That’s how it happened. And he was like, “Oh my God, we got to do a video.”
So it was that simple? Let the track speak for itself and just sent it on over?
Yeah. It was hard. I try to send s–t back as soon as possible. I love doing that s–t. Show people how you focus.
The lyrics of “Passenger Princess” feel personal and laid-back. Was there a specific experience or inspiration behind the song?
I mean, it’s no secret that, you know, I’m a lover boy, so. You feel me? Yeah. I’m just really talking about shorty, you know. Shorty I dealt with, what I learned. For real.
Your upcoming album, Maybe in Nirvana, is set to drop on December 6. How did you decide on this title, and what does it represent for you at this point in your career?
I actually just said “maybe in nirvana” in one of the songs — but honestly, it was an album I was being indecisive about putting out. And I was just like, s–t, well, maybe, you know, when I’m in a place where I’m at peace with my mind, you know, I’d be able to put this album out.
You feel me? ‘Cause I had made this album before I made Luv 4 Rent, the last album I put out.
Oh, so it’s like a bunch of old tracks?
Yeah. Yeah. It’s from 2020. And it’s mixed by Ali. And the pandemic happened, and I just started feeling like, d–n, I need to be like — I don’t know.
I wanted to just talk about peaceful things. I wanted to talk about things that were kind of a little more, I don’t know, thought-provoking. And on this album, it’s a lot more debaucherous. I’m talking about a lot more like — it’s just my young ass mind at work, just saying s–t, not really understanding my emotions and s–t like that. So, I felt like at the time it was just bad timing for it. But then when I went back and listened to it, I’m like, “This s–t is amazing.” Like, it still works.
Since these tracks were mostly from 2020, do you feel like you’ve grown since then, or do you still feel like the same person?
Nah, I definitely grew way much more since then. I was just telling the homie the other day, I feel like — I used to be a lot more ignorant just about s–t, just ’cause I could be. I was kinda like privileged as an artist who had some success, you know, to not have to worry about a lot of stuff in my own personal life. Like, my business ran itself when, truly, there were people running my business, and everything around me just kind of worked out for me.
After the pandemic, s–t — I don’t know if you did or anybody else did, but it forced you to do a lot of reflecting. And like, I was just like, “D–n, I’m low-key out here wilding. And I don’t know a lot of s–t. I don’t know what’s going on here.” I wasn’t hip financially with what I had going on. I knew I had money, but you know, all type of s–t I wasn’t paying attention to.
With Maybe in Nirvana, I was in a place where I’m just full-on rock star — like, fresh off tour, you feel me? Like, f–k it, bro, you know, I ain’t have to worry about s–t. But I think now I just naturally pay way more attention ’cause I’m a little older… You know, the pandemic made everybody age 10 years and s–t.
What can fans expect from Maybe in Nirvana? Are there any particular themes or messages you’re excited to share?
I was just being very honest and very blatant about my emotions. It was like single-era Smee, you know? So, I was having my little roster, talking about, you know, just being — basically, I was just wilding. The music still sounds grown though… a kid in a grown man body, that’s what it sounds like.
So, you mentioned having a roster. Do you still have a roster now, or have you calmed down since then?
Nah, nah, man. I’m chill as hell. I have zero roster. No way. No roster. I don’t need it. There’s only one on the roster.
Okay, so are you dating someone right now?
Oh, yeah. It ain’t no secret. Everybody know that.
What would you say is your favorite song from this new project?
It depends on the day. I’ll probably say the intro. It’s called “Dear Fren.” It’s like the most personal one. I wrote a letter to my grandma and to my little cousin, who both aren’t here anymore. They passed away. So, I’d probably say that song is my favorite personally, but I think everybody’s favorite song is “Taquan.” Because it’s Tequila and Wine, and that’s “Taquan.” Yeah, it sounds like a night in Kingston.
Kingston Jamaica? Why Jamaica?
I don’t know, bro. It’s like, it’s like reggae vibes on the beat and s–t like that. And I’m talking about getting lit. The whole song, I’m talking about getting lit, and I’m also just talking about like, somebody about to leave out of my life. So, I’m just outside, trying to, mask them emotions and s–t.
How’s your relationship with J. Cole?That’s my boy. Good people. Changed my life for sure. Definitely raised my price. Shout out to Jermaine. That’s a good dude.
I was watching one of your interviews earlier, where you mentioned giving Cole a track and then taking it back. Does that happen often?
Never happens. That actually never happens. I ain’t gonna stunt. I was almost scared to ask for it back, because I’m like, “I might blow this.” Blow the whole feature. But it was real cool, and [he] did the video, you know. Invited me to the crib, to his house, his actual home to finish it. He’s a solid dude. He had told me a long time ago that he originally wanted to sign me. And that’s some crazy s–t.
But you know, I’m glad I went my route that I went, you know. I got my own s–t, Zero Fatigue records.
How was it going independent and starting your own label?
It’s a lot more to do, it’s a lot more challenging, but it’s also, it feels good to know that I own my s–t.
It feels good to know I always own my masters. I never gave no masters up, it’s always licensing, but it feels good to own s–t. You just gotta pay a lot more attention to, like, spending money and all that, but it’s cool. It’s my first release independent like this though — this one that’s coming out.
So hopefully you guys support it.
What inspired you to own your own masters?
Ray Charles, no cap. Ray Charles ran up one of the best deals in American history.
So, you knew from the jump that you always wanted to own your own music?
It’s hella funny — this is a random story, my boy Chris Classic can attest. We was on the airplane, my first time ever coming to L.A. This guy, he randomly said –I must’ve looked like an artist to him. But I swear this dude just looked at me on the plane, and he was like, “Bro, never sign your publishing away.” I’m like, “What? What made you say that?” He was like, “Just never sign it.”
I swear it was like a sign or something, because I was literally going out there to talk to, what was it, Post Recordings or something like that? And it’s a publishing company. I’m like, “What the hell?” So, I don’t know, from that day I was just like, “I want to own all my stuff.” Like, I always have been scared.
I heard horror stories. I got family that was in the music industry and s–t like that, that went through a whole lot of s–t, never got paid. I don’t want to be that guy, bro. I’m trying to be around.
You said earlier this is your first album released independently. What challenges have you faced so far?
None. I record myself. I think the only challenge is having to budget — like, that’s some growing-up s–t. So I’ve been having to make sure I pay attention to budgeting myself.
Usually, the label would distribute the funds and all that s–t, give you what you need. But, yeah, I’ve been having to just pay a lot more attention to just little things like that.
Do you feel any pressure when it comes to budgeting?
Nah, man, my manager definitely does a good job of making sure I still feel like I’m just an artist. But being a businessman? It’s fire. I think it’s some fly s–t. It’s something I think I can do. I like challenging myself. Y I’ve been, like, a fire-ass, underground legend for years… at this point, it’s [just] stepping up my business and my business mind and all of that stuff. Like, that’s naturally the progression. I want to be like Hov and s–t like that.
You mentioned being underground — do you think you’re underrated at all?
Hell nah. Man, when people say that, I be like, “D–n, that’s crazy,” because I be getting so much love. You know what I’m saying? But I understand the sentiment and where they’re coming from, you know? The way I feel love, even just being out and about, when I move around, get free drinks where I go and s–t like that. But I get a lot of love, bro.
A lot of love for SminoEarth. I never feel like that.
What’s your goal five years from now? What do you see your experiences being? Where do you see your company going?
Five years? I want to have a new artist out on my own, you know, somebody that I helped break.
I’m working on an art school in St. Louis, starting an actual art school. I want to have some kids. I want my own weed brand. My clothing line, Bjorn, I’m working on that too.
And I still want to be able to perform this music, bruh. Like, I want to do a residency somewhere. A long-ass residency. I want to have, 40 nights in Vegas or some s–t like that. For real. 40 days and 40 nights. That’s what I’m going to call it. I mean, I’m going to perform on Noah’s Ark. On the gang, that’s hard.
A lot of people say that your lyrics are creative and playful. Do you agree?
Yeah, they have been. I’m pretty witty. I hear a word and hear a sentence; like, words sound like a sentence to me. That’s why my wordplay is what it is. The syllables of a word will make a phrase for me. But, I mean, as of late, like all my newer stuff, I don’t know.
I think it’s me growing up, but, like, I’ve been speaking a lot more linear. Like, it’s been a lot more trying to throw out versus, like, wordplay. I don’t know.
You were just on tour with J.I.D. How was that experience?
That was a good tour, bro. That s–t was crazy. Really crazy, actually. We did like a hundred thousand tickets, every night sold out. Yeah, a whole lot of debauchery and moshing going on.
What’s your touring experience like? When you’re finished with a show, what do you do afterward? Do you go out and party, or do you relax after rapping and singing all day?
Yeah, I go chill, bro. There’s no party better than my show — unless it’s an after party, unless somebody wants to give me a hundred bands for what I walk through, some s–t like that.
But I’m not the one that be like in the streets like that. I really be ducking back. Plus, my voice be hurting.
Looking at you now, you have like a fresh, unique style. How does your fashion inspire your music or vice versa?
The main s–t that inspires me is stuff I’ve never seen before. Or even if I have seen it, just not used in that way, you know? So, like, musically, I always try to — let’s say I got a melody going on — I’m like, “I’m gonna stack that s–t the same way I like to layer my clothes.” You feel me?
I like everything to have layers to it, not just be bland and basic and s–t like that. I think it’s all just personality s–t.
Do you feel like your clothes are a version of you? Like they express who you are without using any words?
Yeah, though, for sure. Like, getting fresh — like, the first time I’m creative in the daytime — that’s the first thing that inspires me, is my outfit. And after that, everything else comes.
A few months ago, I was talking to Dennis Smith Jr., and he said the connection between music and sports is that all the rappers wanna play ball and all the ball players wanna rap. Do you agree?
Hell yeah. Them n—as be tryna rap all the time.
Growing up, did you ever want to play ball?
Football? Yeah, I love football. I love football. I’m a Chiefs fan —go Chiefs! 8-0. The f—k are we talking about?
If you could create an Olympic team for football, but only use music artists, who would you have on your roster?
We’re going to be coached by Missy Elliott. My quarterback will probably be Kendrick Lamar.
Nah, he the running back, K Dot, because he’s short. And then my quarterback will probably be Monte Booker, the producer.
Two wide receivers: Young Thug and me are the wide receivers. We doing wide out. Me and Thug, you know what I’m saying? We wild. And then I have all gospel artists on the line because we need God to protect us.
That’s probably my team, my offensive team. I don’t know what positions I forgot.
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LL Cool J is without doubt one of the greatest MC’s of all-time and while many may consider him to be the actual GOAT of the rap game, LL himself is going a step beyond that assessment and labeling himself the most important rapper in Hip-Hop history.
Recently, Ladies Love Cool James appeared on Apple Music‘s Le Code podcast and gave an in-depth interview about himself and his career. While speaking about his place in Hip-Hop among the gods of the game, LL basically labeled himself Hip-Hop’s anchor being “humbly” saying, “I think that one day people are going to wake up and realize LL Cool J is the most important rapper that ever existed.”
While LL’s evaluation of himself is debatable (and it will be in many Hip-Hop circles and think tanks), the man did know how to balance hardcore Hip-Hop songs along with R&B tunes that made women swoon as soon as they came on the radio.
Continuing to make his case as “the most important rapper that ever existed,” LL stated, “They’re going to look and say, ‘Wow when it comes to the jewelry, this is the guy that introduced all the diamond and the ice and the jewelry and the champagne. They’re going to say when it comes to the love songs, they’re going to say, ‘This is the guy that introduced the love songs and all the love sh*t.’
“When it comes to the bad boy vibe, they’re going to realize that this is the guy who introduced all the bad boy vibes before it was done. When it comes to the GOAT terminology, ‘This is the guy who came up with all the GOAT stuff.’ They’re going to say when it comes to Def Jam, ‘Wow this is the first artist that was on Def Jam.’”
Well, the man isn’t wrong. He continued to explain he was the first rapper to make endorsements for clothing brands and attire a thing in the rap game and helped paved the way for rappers to become actors on television and movies. Whether or not that actually makes him Hip-Hop’s anchor being is up for debate, but he made some pretty solid points about his impact on not just the Hip-Hop game but the Hip-hop culture overall.
Check out the interview in its entirety, and let us know what your thoughts are in the comments section below.
Today would have been Juice WRLD’s 26th birthday and there’s no telling the heights he’d have taken his career to by now as one of his generation’s leaders and rap’s sui generis stars.
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There’s no perfect way to end Juice WRLD’s story but Grade A Productions CEO Brandon “Lil Bibby” Dickinson and Juice’s manager Peter Jideonwo approached the daunting task of putting a bow on the probable final studio album in the late rapper’s discography.
The long-awaited The Party Never Ends arrived on Black Friday (Nov. 29) — just days ahead of the fifth anniversary of Juice WRLD’s tragic passing (Dec. 8, 2019).
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“His legacy was decided from the first day to the last day,” Jideonwo tells Billboard. “Taking the negative and turning it into a positive. That’s the correlation to his music and the fan base he has, because he’s really been what 999 [his code for his overall lifestyle and message] stands for — which is helping people through depression and [helping] them see you’re not alone.”
Bibby and Jideonwo detailed the enduring process of digging through thousands of songs in different studio vaults and dealing with leakers, deciphering AI-generated tracks, navigating clearance issues, a rabid fan base demanding perfection and more leaks on the journey to The Party Never Ends.
“I wanted to close out the best way possible, and give the fans as much as they’re asking for,” Bibby adds. “A lot of the music been sad and I wanted to give them some type of uptempo, happy vibes to end it with.”
The duo wanted to honor Juice WRLD’s vision in various ways, like recruiting his favorite band (and fellow Illinois natives) Fall Out Boy for a rock-tinged “Best Friend” collaboration.
In the months before his death, Juice spent six figures on a private jet to meet Takashi Murakami, and they invited the Japanese contemporary artist to design the cover art for TPNE, which also drew backlash from fans.
While this is being billed as the final album, the Grade A executives aren’t ruling out more music in the future, and even a project that could possibly be tied to a Juice WRLD movie.
Check out the rest of the interview with Bibby and Jideonwo as they detail The Party Never Ends, the future of Juice WRLD music, favorite studio stories and more.
Billboard: How important was it to nail this as the final album for Juice? How did you go about piecing the album together and executing that vision?
Lil Bibby: Trying to find the right music is tough, because the fans leak them songs every f–king day. So it’s just going to the vault and finding some smashes the fans haven’t heard. It’s been kind of difficult. Every time I find a list of songs and they get to leaking those. The ones I find I gotta keep secure.
What does that entail? Is there a folder of Juice’s songs that you and a select number of people have access to?
Bibby: Nah, it’s the craziest s–t because he recorded in a lot of different places. He recorded a lot of his music with this one engineer Max Lord. I had to go pull up on Max and go through his vault, which — 90-something percent of it is leaked. I had to pick the best songs that weren’t leaked and go to other people. Everybody hitting me, “Oh, I got some songs that aren’t leaked.” I gotta pick through everybody’s s–t. A lot of the time they be leaked.
Has anyone hit you with AI tracks?
Peter Jideonwo: We’ve had a lot of AI. They will hear a snippet of a record and they’ll go finish it with AI and send it back like, “We got an unreleased song y’all need to put out.” The stuff is so good at this point you don’t even know, because Juice recorded so many places and studios. He was a studio whore everywhere he went. Last week, we had a studio say, “Somebody broke in trying to steal our hard drives for Juice WRLD’s music.”
The one particular AI memory is Adin Ross. This dude was sending us all the biggest songs and some we were looking for that snippets were out — and when we got them we were like, “Finally, we got the songs.” Then we listened to them and looked at each other and Bibby was like, “This is AI.” A lot of times, it’s the fans in leak culture paying $30,000 or $40,000 for a leak. These kids are paying money and they don’t even know if they’re getting a real song.
Do you guys have to litigate that and crack down on it? I’m assuming in the future you don’t want any part of Juice’s vocals being used.
Jideonwo: It’s hard because the internet is the wild, wild west. I can go to a public library and log into one of these AI sites and drag a 40-minute Juice WRLD interview and put another song on top of that and say, “Hey, make a song with this voice.” Then I could put it on Twitter and tag 10 Juice WRLD pages and say, “New Juice WRLD leak!” They’re gonna run it up. You don’t know where it comes from. It’s so many different parties doing it that you’ll be on the rat chase, and it’s a waste of money trying to find where it’s coming from.
How did you want to stay true to Juice’s vision — and did he ever say anything about a last album?
Jideonwo: I don’t think he ever came and said, “This is what I want my last project to be.” Juice was 21, so we never had those discussions. The quantity of music Juice made, he might be disappointed that this is his last project, to be honest.
Bibby: Just trying to remember some of the songs that he was most excited about — “Pills in the Regal.” A lot of the ones he made Instagram Lives too were ones he was most excited about. Giving them enough songs that were unleaked also.
Is it tough to finish certain records?
Bibby: It’s super tough, because Juice’s fans — once they hear a song, they want it to be the exact way they heard it. Even if you go in and mix or master it. A lot of times they hear a raw untouched song and they don’t realize it was gonna get mixed and mastered anyway.
Jideonwo: I think another way we did what Juice would’ve wanted, for example: the Murakami cover. Prior to Juice passing, a month or two before, in between his tour in Australia he booked a private jet for $200,000 and went and met Murakami. His goal was always to work with Murakami in any capacity. After he passed, we made it a priority to make sure Murakami had something to do with the final album, because it was that important to [Juice] when he was alive. He expressed his vision to him. Murakami’s just not out here doing album covers. We tried to do things like that he would’ve loved, to keep his legacy alive and aligned with what he’d want to do.
Hitting on the cover art, I saw a lot of backlash to it on social media. Was there anything you guys saw and thought to change it at all?
Bibby: Yeah, I saw a lot of the backlash, but Murakami did what he does. Can’t nobody tell him what to do with his art. A lot of fans said they didn’t like the cover. I think it’s okay. It gives me that feeling when Elon Musk released his Cybertruck and the same week Kanye did his dad shoes. People hated them at first then they grew to really like it. I hated how those shoes looked, but I ended up buying two pairs.
Jideonwo: With this album, there’s been so many leaks, and I think the universe formed a committee of leakers that were targeting the project from the cover to the songs to the Fortnite. When the original cover leaked, it was very low-definition. The first leak came from a phone screen. The fans were like, “I don’t like this. It’s not that good.” That started a trend. The environment we live in, nobody thinks for themselves anymore.
I think there’s a difference from the fans not liking it to somebody big saying, “Oh, this is fire.” If an HD one came out first and one of the big guys said, “This is the [most fire] s–t I ever seen.” They would’ve jumped on the bandwagon. I think all promo is good promo. A piece of art by Murakami lasts forever and I think in the long run it’s going to be very appreciated and be part of both fo their stories which makes it legendary.
How’d you secure the Em feature?
Jideonwo: Em has always been a longtime collaborator for Juice. They did “Godzilla” together. He’s always publicly acknowledged Juice. I think Em really cared about Juice. Bibby reached out and he said, “Whatever little bro wants, I’m gonna do it.”
I look at Em as someone who’s so hard to get into contact with and he’s just not gonna hop on any record.
Bibby: I wanted him on a few different records, but he was adamant on doing that one. He didn’t want to glorify the drugs and stuff. It’s tough [to get into contact with him] but we know some mutual people so it’s easier for me I guess.
Goodbye and Good Riddance had its biggest streaming day last week in nearly five years. What about that project has connected so well all these years later?
Peter Jideonwo: We put that in the category of classic. A perfectly put together album. That’s gonna span for generations. That’s like Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Juice is really Michael Jackson. That’s the Thriller of this generation. It’s gonna keep getting played and every five or 10 years it’s gonna have these moments where it’s spiking.
With this being the last album, is there any chance there could be guest verses or singles used in the future? Maybe something pops up on a soundtrack or is the pop kind of completely closed after this project?
Bibby: I think I want to get into making a movie. [An album] could probably be a soundtrack to the movie.
You mean like a Juice WRLD biopic movie, and his music would kind of soundtrack that?
Bibby: Yeah, I think we could probably put out a greatest hits album or something. As far as a studio album, I don’t know if I could keep [going]. I feel like it’s cheating. I don’t know if that’s the right word for it.
Jideonwo: If the right opportunity presents itself, you might see Juice here and there. It’s so crazy — I think what Bibby was trying to say was, what Juice is able to do five years later is almost unheard of. It should be almost impossible, that five years later with no promotion from the artist himself… That’s why Bibby says it’s cheating. Like, why not put out another project when the fans want it? This is too easy at this point.
Bibby: I wouldn’t say easy — it’s not fair. If I see crazy-enough engagement and they really, really want another one then maybe. I just don’t feel like it’s right to keep doing it.
It’s such a delicate situation — how do you make sure posthumous releases are done tastefully rather than feeling exploitative?
Bibby: I try to look at everything the fans are talking about. Juice’s mom always says, “What’s the meaning behind it?” Before I put out anything, I gotta think, “What is the meaning?” That’s what she would always say. So before we release something, it’s gotta mean something to me. Then I gotta come up with an idea and I gotta feel good about it.
Jideonwo: People are gonna say what they want regardless. They’re free to comment. I think we’ve done a good job. As far as tastefully, we haven’t overdone it where it’s OD. We’ve never sold a Juice WRLD verse to anybody. We’ve always tried to keep the integrity of the music. We’ve gone as far as keeping it tasteful where we haven’t put a random artist on a song just because. We try to keep everything in the ecosystem of people Juice looked up to or who he worked with in the past.
That’s how we keep the integrity of it. We haven’t chased numbers or the extras other people might do to make it something it’s not. I think Juice’s catalog has been treated pretty well. Even going back to what his mom does with the foundation and the charity and helping people with a mental health awareness program. We’ve tried to do the best job we can to keep his name in a good light.
Do you remember a time you were most impressed with Juice in the studio?
Bibby: The first day I saw him record it was crazy. It was me, my brother, G Herbo, Southside, Max Lord and his A&R Dash [Sherrod]. I saw him rap through the entire beat. I’m just listening, and when people freestyle they just say anything. But everything Juice was saying made perfect sense. He came out the booth and Herbo was like, “You gotta do this.”
He looked at me and I go, “I can’t tell you s–t! It sound like you been doing this longer than me. How long you been rapping?” I just knew that was some alien s–t. I was the only one freaking out when I heard that s–t. As soon as I heard him do it, I just never saw nobody do that. I spent a lot of time behind the microphone and I never saw nobody do no s–t like that. That s–t was insane.
What is yacht rock? In the new HBO movie, Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, no one can agree on a definition.
For the comedian Fred Armisen, yacht rock is “a very relaxing feeling.” But for the writer Rob Tannenbaum, yacht rock is a space where singers “could declare not just your sensitivity but your torment at how sensitive you are, your sense of being ravaged by having feelings.” He calls this “fairly unique to yacht rock,” which would be true if soul music did not exist.
How about another, more specific, definition: “One way to know if you’re listening to yacht rock is [if you hear] the sound of Michael McDonald’s voice,” according to Alex Pappademas, author of Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors From the Songs of Steely Dan. Then again, David Pack, lead singer of the band Ambrosia, calls McDonald’s style “progressive R&B pop,” while Questlove describes yacht rock as “utility more than it is music.”
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This all begs the question: If yacht rock is such a vague label, what makes it worth using?
J.D. Ryznar and Steve Huey helped coin this imprecise term in their 2005 mockumentary series Yacht Rock, long after the music it attempted to brand was out of style. Each episode traced the activities of goofy, fictionalized versions of McDonald, his contemporaries, and his collaborators — Hall & Oates love to dunk on “smooth music,” while Kenny Loggins’ character says pompous things like, “when a friend is drowning in a sea of sadness, you don’t just toss them a life vest, you swim one over to them.”
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As the yacht rock label caught on, it gave a set of younger listeners a way to explore and maybe embrace — even if ironically — music that had become a kind of cultural shorthand for uncool, the target of mainstream jibes in Family Guy and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. “For a long time, I thought Steely Dan, man, that’s just music for dorks and weirdos,” the critic Amanda Petrusich says in A Dockumentary. “You come to it jokingly,” Pappademas adds, discussing yacht rock. “But then you suddenly find yourself appreciating it sincerely.”
As yacht rock DJ nights and streaming playlists proliferated, this elevated the artists most closely associated with the style, helping to extend their careers. “I fully expected to be totally forgotten by the end of the 1980s,” McDonald says in A Dockumentary. Instead, the film shows him and Loggins collaborating with the bass virtuoso Thundercat in 2017 and performing at Coachella — one of the world’s most prominent stages.
That said: While the yacht rock label gave some artists a boost, it actually masks the lineage of the music it purports to describe. It serves as camouflage, rather than providing clarity.
Most notably, the term obscures the sizable debt that these records owe to contemporaneous Black music. Many of the tracks associated with the style are steeped in the language of 1970s R&B, conversant with Marvin Gaye‘s intricate, tortured funk, immaculate Quincy Jones productions, and the airy, wrenching ballads Earth, Wind & Fire and the Isley Brothers scattered like birdseed across the second half of the Seventies.
The dialog was facilitated by session musicians who moved easily between worlds. Chuck Rainey played bass with Steely Dan but also appeared on Gaye’s I Want You and Cheryl Lynn’s Cheryl Lynn. Greg Phillinganes handled keyboards for McDonald and Leo Sayer as well as Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. Horn player and arranger Jerry Hey hopped from Boz Scaggs and Michael Franks to Teena Marie and Janet Jackson.
A Dockumentary nods to yacht rock’s lineage. “Yacht rock is associated with white groups and white songwriters and producers, but I know more Black yacht rock than I do traditional yacht rock,” Questlove says, pointing to Al Jarreau, the Pointer Sisters’ “Slow Hand,” and George Benson’s “Turn Your Love Around.” That music doesn’t get much play in the typical yacht rock conversation, though — or in A Dockumentary.
What does it mean that one of the strands of white music that was most in touch with the Black music of the 1970s was reclaimed largely as a joke, even if it’s an affectionate one? Armisen believes that “there’s nothing greater, in a way, for any genre to be joked about, because it means that it’s relevant.”
This may be a sensible perspective for a comedian. It’s not surprising, though, that the subjects of the wisecracks don’t always feel the same way. “At first, I felt a little insulted, like we were being made fun of,” says Loggins. “But I began to see that it was also a kind of ass-backwards way to honor us.”
Unlike Loggins, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen hasn’t reached this stage of acceptance. When the documentary’s director asked him about yacht rock, Fagen cursed at him and hung up the phone, an exchange that was recorded and included in the film. Steely Dan’s longtime producer Gary Katz expressed a similar disinterest in the yacht rock label — albeit using less-colorful language — this summer during an interview with the music manager Scott Barkham in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
It’s not unusual for artists to express hostility towards genre terms. In fact, they are constantly saying they don’t want to be “pigeonholed” or “put in a box.” When the critic Kelefa Sanneh published Major Labels, a book-length defense of musical genre, in 2021, he wrote that artists “hate being labeled. And they think more about the rules they break than about the ones they follow.”
There is certainly a case to be made against the whole idea of summing up a large body of art in a word or two. The result is, all too often, genre descriptors that are either all-encompassingly vague or simply inaccurate. Some labels, however, are at least fairly neutral — “post-punk,” “house music.” Some, on the other hand, have negative connotations, if they’re not downright sneering at the songs they claim to describe: Take “bro country” or “PBR&B.”
As A Dockumentary makes clear, “yacht rock” still reliably elicits chuckles. But even if that humor helped these musicians gain younger followers, it often runs contrary to the tone and themes of their songs. “The term emerged from what was essentially a comedy show,” which had “a really big impact on the way that the music is now ironically appreciated,” Petrusich points out. However, “the records that [these artists] were making were entirely sincere.”
Can those records — and the artists behind them — ever be taken seriously if they’re still being laughed at? Loggins is a surprisingly versatile songwriter with a sinuous delivery and a knack for unpredictable funk. McDonald’s voice stood out even during a time when commanding voices were ubiquitous; songs like “You Belong to Me” and “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” are essential contributions to the soul canon. But when these acts are lumped into yacht rock, they are relegated to the minor leagues, stuck as purveyors of slick chill-out music for the aging and affluent.
“I’ve made peace with ‘yacht rock,’ but for the first few years, I just hated it,” Pack says in A Dockumentary. “I’m like, ‘Why did they pick our generation to make all of our music into a big joke?’”
Selena Gomez is cheering on Benny Blanco after the producer added a sexy new title to his already packed resume. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the singer-actress gushed about People naming her boyfriend — whom she’s been dating since summer 2023 — one of 2024’s Sexiest Men Alive in a lineup that also […]
After closing multiple deals in the past several months, Prediction Enterprises has officially launched as a music rights management company. Co-founded by industry veterans Matthew Limones and Nicolás González, the firm focuses on the rights and revenues of top music industry creatives and rights owners.
“I’m proud to have been able to found a company that offers essential and meaningful services in the sector of the business where I saw the need,” said Limones, CEO, in a press release. “After my tenure as an executive at one of the most important collective management organizations in the world, I saw an opportunity to jump in and start an operation that managed the rights and revenue of creatives that grew their business on the recorded music side.”
The company provides services for labels, publishers, artists, producers, and songwriters, and negotiated “multi-million dollar transactions of music catalog rights” and deals for top names that include Pitbull, Natanael Cano, Gerardo Ortiz, Sech, Darell, Belinda, Gabito Ballesteros, Cristian Castro, Nacho, Fariana, Lit Killah and brands such as Latin music festival Vibra Urbana and media company Rapeton.
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González, COO, added in the press release, “Many creative artists’ music careers move very fast and don’t have time to understand and learn which music rights belong to them or where to start claiming their rights and collecting their royalties. We saw an opportunity to help them.”
Limones brings a rich background in music technology, policy and label management to his role as CEO of Prediction Enterprises. Before co-founding the new company, Limones served as vp of artist relations at RichMusic; he was also the director of marketing at Universal Music Group/Capitol Latin, and manager of artist and label relations at SoundExchange, where he expanded the company’s Latin digital footprint. Limones has been featured on Billboard’s 40 Under 40 list and is a Billboard Latin Power Player alum.
González also offers a diverse background in tech, music business, and production to his role as COO. Before this, the exec was integral to the Uruguayan pop group Rombai, contributing as a music director, composer and producer. His work earned him accolades including the Uruguayan Music Graffiti Awards and honors from the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. He also serves as vp of the Music Managers Forum in Miami.
Check out Prediction Enterprises’ official website here.
Many rappers have been the beneficiaries of the Drake stimulus package over the years, and Jay-Z believed J. Cole needed to align himself in that camp and get on the receiving end of a hit record with the 6 God. During a recent episode of Cole’s Inevitable audio series, the Dreamville boss and his manager […]
SEVENTEEN and Teddy Swims are the first performers announced for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards. Hosted by actress and comedian Michelle Buteau, the 2024 BBMAs presented by Marriott Bonvoy is set to air on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX and Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+, with performances also rolling out across Billboard.com, and via BBMAs and Billboard social channels.
Both artists have impacted the Billboard charts this year. Swims’ “Lose Control” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in March. His follow-up, “The Door,” reached No. 24 in October. His debut album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1), reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200 in May. (Part 2 is due in late January.) SEVENTEEN has had six top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 since mid-2022. The K-pop group reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Artist 100 chart in May 2023.
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Both artists are finalists for BBMAs this year. SEVENTEEN is a finalist for top K-pop touring artist. Swims is a finalist for eight awards — top new artist, top song sales artist, top Hot 100 song, top streaming song, top radio song, top selling song, top Billboard Global 200 song, top Billboard Global (excl. U.S.) song
As previously announced, Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter are the leading finalists for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.
This marks the show’s return to FOX, which carried the show from its 1990 inaugural broadcast through 2006. In addition, Paramount+ will provide on-demand streaming of the show, while the free Fire TV Channels app will provide one-click access to fans using Amazon devices (Fire TV smart TVs and streaming media players and Fire Tablets).
The BBMAs will celebrate music’s greatest achievements with exclusive original performances, artist interviews, and award celebrations taking place from global locations and in the midst of sold-out tours. Shaboozey will deliver a special performance from W Hollywood, part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. Additional performers and special guests will be announced soon.
The BBMAs honors the year’s biggest artists, albums, songs, producers and songwriters across multiple genres, as determined by year-end performance metrics on the Billboard charts. The eligibility dates for this year’s awards are aligned with Billboard’s Year-End Charts tracking period, which measures music consumption from the charts dated Oct. 28, 2023, through Oct. 19, 2024.
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by dick clark productions, which is owned by MRC. MRC and Penske Media are co-parent companies of Billboard.
The show is presented by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s travel program and portfolio of more than 30 hotel brands. For more information, visit MarriottBonvoy.com
Camila Cabello knows C,XOXO wasn’t her most universally beloved album, but she’s choosing to take her cues from where it counts: namely, personal heroes Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
In a new Nylon cover story published Monday (Dec. 2), the 27-year-old “I Luv It” singer opened up about how the Eras Tour headliner and “Break My Soul” singer’s validation of her work sustained her when she felt like most people “misunderstood” her latest LP. “Oh, f–k, now I’m going to sound name-drop-y,” she told the publication. “But Beyoncé told me she loved my album, OK? That’s the gold star.”
“And I walked away fully, like, tears brimming in my eyes,” Cabello continued. “She’s somebody I’ve watched from my childhood. Her and Taylor saying nice things about the album really meant a lot to me. Anytime an artist that I respect has said something to me like, ‘Hey, I really love what you’re doing,’ it recharges my battery. A lot of the time I felt so misunderstood.”
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The Cinderella star went on to say that people were “questioning [her] authenticity” throughout the C,XOXO rollout, something she thinks could be “because I’ve always been such a good girl.” “Being in the industry made me build that harder shell and harder exterior,” she added. “Like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Taylor — this kind of bravado happens in their later work. It’s building an armor. My previous albums were more clean-cut.”
Cabello’s fourth studio solo album dropped in June, debuting at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. From the beginning of its rollout, some critics tore into the vocalist’s exploration of other genres on the record — particularly C,XOXO‘s hyper-pop sensibilities, which some people wrote off as Charli XCX copycatting.
Of the comparisons to the “Von Dutch” musician, Cabello said, “People ran with this thing before the album was even out.”
“[Charli’s] one of my favorite artists, you know?” she continued. “[But] I can tell that people saying this weren’t even listening to the music. They didn’t do the reading. They didn’t do the listening.”
The “Havana” artist also gave an update on where she stands with former Fifth Harmony bandmate Normani, with whom she reunited at Paris Fashion Week in September to fans’ absolute delight. “With space, we can go back and tap into that,” Cabello said. “The past couple of times I’ve seen her, I say something and she laughs really hard. It doesn’t feel like we’re strangers. We’re getting back to the times when we [were] really close.”
See Cabello on the cover of Nylon and photos from the shoot below.