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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we showcase music that we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update this week, we’ve added some songs you should know and other joints you need to know, so let’s get into it.
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
Welcome back to CRT FRSH, a collection of songs we feel should be on your radar if they aren’t already. With this week’s update, we did our best to put together a playlist that showcases the wide scope of great Hip-Hop music, although we’re sure to have missed some drops.
We open up the playlist with Mozzy’s “WHO WANT WAR” with a guest feature from Polo G, appearing on the Sacramento rapper’s new INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS album. CRT FRSH favorite Raz Fresco links again with Futurewave for their excellent Stadium Lo Champions album, and the track “Cyanide” is one of our top joints.
“Danger Danger” is a new track from Swizz Beatz from the Godfather of Harlem Season 4 original soundtrack, featuring verses from Jadakiss and Pusha T on the closeout. Mathematics, the longtime DJ and producer with the Wu-Tang Clan, delivered his new album Black Samon, the Bastard Swordsman, and the track “Mandingo” is a classic Wu banger featuring Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and a stong anchor verse from Cappadona.
From The Private Selection of Saba and No ID could very well end up being the album of the year for many, and “30seccchop” featuring Joseph Chilliams and a strong performance from Jane Deaux is just one of the heaters from the project. Ray Vaughn, one of Top Dawg Entertainment’s newest signees, delivered his new mixtape, The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu, and “EAST CHATT” features fellow TDE artist, Isaiah Rashad.
Salute to Young Thug, Future, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Half-Empty, Partly Vacant, SALIMATA, Khadijat, Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist, KenTheMan, Niontay, MAVI, Sideshow, Shoreline Mafia, Boldy James, V Don, Wiz Khalifa, DJ Quik, Domo Genesis, Smoke DZA, Dough Networkz, Graymatter, Coyote, Ab-Soul, Python P, 2 Eleven, Low The Great, MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, Shenseea, LaRussell, Busta Rhymes, and Mike G Beatz.
Check out out in two more weeks for our next update. If you wish to be CONSIDERED for inclusion, email D.L. Chandler at: dchandler@bhmdigital.com.
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Photo: Getty
Young Thug has spoken about his relationship with Gunna in a new interview with GQ. The Atlanta rap star finally breaks down everything from his rumored falling out with Rich Homie Quan to his lengthy and chaotic RICO Trial that kept him behind bars for over two years in GQ’s video cover story published Friday […]
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Elena Rose, Camilo & Los Ángeles Azules, “Carteras Chinas” (Kira Records/Warner Music Latina)
Collaborating with Los Ángeles Azules is almost a rite of passage at this point: over the years, the cumbia institution has teamed up with a hefty catalog of both new and veteran artists, and this time, it’s Elena Rose who taps Los Ángeles and Camilo for “Carteras Chinas.” It’s a match made in heaven, as Rose and Camilo’s soothing vocals pair perfectly with Los Ángeles’ hip-swiveling cumbia tune. “There are so many fake things, there are more Chinese bags than people who love with their hearts, but that’s what you and I are for,” the pair sing in the song that celebrates real love. — GRISELDA FLORES
Boza, San Blas (Sony Music Latin)
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Boza is ending the month with the release of his new studio album, San Blas, home to nine tracks that best represent his current personal and musical stage. Mainly crafted by his longtime producer Faster, the set stays true to Boza’s signature reggae plena sound, but incorporates Afrobeat and amapiano rhythms — notably heard on his two collaborations, “Orión” with Elena Rose and “Todavía” with Greeicy. The former peaked No. 2 on the Billboard Latin Pop Airplay chart last year.
Lyrically, the Panamanian artist sings about falling in love (“energiaS”), letting go (“fluir”), and the life lessons along the way (“yaya”) — combining into a personal healing process. Moreover, the album’s name (as well the focus track) was inspired by Maná’s “En El Muelle de San Blas”: “I love the woman I’m with very much, and with this song I wanted to tell her that I’m only there for her, that I always want to show her off, to show everyone that I’m with an excellent woman, a beautiful woman,” he said in a statement. — JESSICA ROIZ
Juanes, “Una Noche Contigo” (Universal Music Latino)
Juanes delivers a magical bolero with his new single, “Una Noche Contigo,” marking his first release in two years. Fusing vintage soul, blues and rock influences from Otis Redding, Juan Gabriel, José José and The Beatles, the heartfelt track serves as a modern serenade that describes the magic of unexpected love: “I wasn’t looking for you/And I found you unintentionally/Among the people dancing/I approached without thinking.” The idea for this song began to take shape when producer Sebastián Krys introduced Juanes to a classic tune by Otis Redding. The Colombian powerhouse later developed the concept with Edgar Barrera and Julio Reyes, culminating in this vibrant tribute to timeless sounds. — INGRID FAJARDO
Adrian Quesada, Angélica García, “No Juego” (Electric Deluxe Recorders / ATO Records)
With “No Juego,” Adrian Quesada and Angélica García craft a hypnotic bolero that drips in sensuality and analog richness. The song resurrects the romantic decadence of the early ’70s crooners — evoking icons like José José and Camilo Sesto — while infusing it with cool, sophisticated beats that feel intimate and cinematic. García’s vocals are gripping and unfiltered, a soulful cry that pierces through Quesada’s lush production, which seamlessly blends psychedelic grooves and subtle nods to hip-hop. As the second preview of Quesada’s upcoming Boleros Psicodélicos II, due June 27, “No Juego” confirms his role as a sonic alchemist of unparalleled vision. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Fariana, Kiko El Crazy, “Me Muevo” (La Commission)
Following the line of her ultra-viral hit “El Caballito,” Fariana drops a new merengue tune in collaboration with Kiko el Crazy. Produced by Gangsta, the summer-ready “Me Muevo” samples La Makina’s 1999 timeless tropical tune “No Me Digas Que No.” On her version, Fariana sings from a woman’s point of view who’s ready to move on and mingle with the men who are after her. “If you don’t want me, I’ll replace you/It’s your loss and my win/The same way you left, the same way they come,” she boldly chants. Meanwhile, her Dominican collaborator adds saucy rap verses, trying to save the relationship: “Relax, Fariana, I’m the crazy guy you love.” — J.R.
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:
Birdman revealed some interesting tidbits about Cash Money’s rise from New Orleans street label to mainstream powerhouse.
He sat down with Nick Cannon for the Counsel Culture Show in the episode that dropped Wednesday (April 23) to talk about how he and his older brother Ronald “Slim” Williams became success stories, and some of the early label meetings they had before signing their historic deal with Universal Records. Baby said he first took a meeting with Warner Bros. and executive Sylvia Rhone, but they weren’t really into the independent label’s music. “Sylvia Rhone said our music don’t work for them, so we just left,” he said. “I just walked out.”
Cash Money then took a meeting with legendary rap label Def Jam, but was turned down because of their artwork, which still confuses the rapper and music executive. “I went to Def Jam and met with Russell [Simmons], Lyor [Cohen] and Kevin Liles,” Baby told Nick Cannon. “This n—a Russell said he don’t like our artwork. I said, ‘This some weird s—t. I walked clean out. N—a don’t like my artwork, what about my music? You don’t care for the music? So, I left.”
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Baby then said that he and his brother almost had a deal with Priority Records, who just so happened to be in business with fellow New Orleans label No Limit headed up by Master P. However, according to him, things fell apart after the label flew them out to their offices in L.A. “I went to Priority — some weird s—t here — I go to Priority, they fly us to California,” he said. “Me and Slim, a couple of the homies, we go out there. N—a come in there and said, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t do the deal. They said because Master P said, ‘If we sign y’all, he’s leaving.’ I just jumped on a jet and went back to New Orleans was like, ‘F—k it, we just gonna grind with it.”
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Finally, Universal came calling and the two sides were able to carve out one of the more historic deals in music history. “And then Mel Lewinter and them called and I said this my last trip. I ain’t taking no more motherf—king flights to New York or California,” he recalled. “F—k it, we’ll thug it out. I’m still making millions, they gonna come down here and f—k with me, I ain’t going back. And that was my last flight.”
Master P and Birdman have seemed to have moved past those early issues, as the New Limit founder gave Lil Wayne key to New Orleans alongside Mayor LaToya Cantrell last year. He also said there weren’t any issues between the two camps when he went on No Chill with Gilbert Arenas in 2021, saying, “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, they got beef,’ but, man, we lived right up the street from each other.”
Watch the full conversation below.
“I’m still trying to take it all in,” Gigi Perez tells Billboard of her extended moment in the spotlight. Last July, the singer-songwriter’s “Sailor Song” became a viral hit and Perez’s first Hot 100 hit — and months later, the folksy exaltation of queer flirtation remains in the chart’s top 40, rising up one spot this week to No. 35.
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In the interim, Perez played a slew of shows to growing audiences, released follow-up singles like “Fable” and “Chemistry,” and most importantly finished recording her debut album. At The Beach, In Every Life, out today (Apr. 25), finds Perez navigating love, grief and self-possession, as the success of “Sailor Song” has amplified her Island Records debut but not altered its core tenets.
“This project is as close of a reflection of my experiences over the past five years as I could get,” says Perez of the album, which expounds upon the reflection of her sister’s passing that became the focus of her single “Fable.” “My grief has shaped the way that I love, in friendships and with family and romantically. On the project, those things exist next to each other.”
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Below, Perez discusses four songs on At The Beach, In Every Life, and what they represent within her debut album:
The Song That Was Finished Last
“Two days before I was turning the album in, I recorded ‘Sugar Water’ on my own,” says Perez of the five-minute emotional heavyweight, which looks back on her transition into adulthood with childhood details and a simple guitar-and-vocals arrangement. “I wasn’t expecting to put ‘Sugar Water’ on the project,” Perez continues. “And my A&R asked me about the song. I was like, ‘Oh, I love this song.’ … I was like, “Okay, I’m gonna just record and see what happens.’ And it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the project.”
The New Song That’s Most Fun to Play Live
“The most excitement that I’ve had playing a new song has been definitely ‘At The Beach’ or ‘Sugar Water,’” says Perez, who’s been playing a handful of headline shows in the lead-up to the album release. The title track of At The Beach, In Every Life closes the album with an encapsulation of Perez’s worldview, full of passion, disappointment and unruly thoughts that run into each other over the course of the song.
Perez says that testing out her new material on live audiences over the past few weeks has been a thrilling experience. “I just have fun for an hour straight, so it’s hard” to pick one highlight, she explains. “Every single song I get the guitar, and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so excited to do this song!’”
The Song That Was Most Difficult to Finish
“’Crown’ was hard,” Perez says of the searing centerpiece of the album’s second half, which mixes religious imagery with memories of her late sister. “I think it was letting myself go into that space of my grief and the uglier side of it. It’s all ugly, pretty much, but a different shade was probably the hardest to do in a specific time constraint.”
Yet that struggle, Perez believes, speaks to the truth of her first full-length. “Ultimately, I feel like that’s part of the album,” she says. “It’s not easy.”
The Smash Single That Set the Tone
“Sailor Song” kicks off At The Beach, In Every Life, and Perez says that she’ll always be thankful for the doors that her breakthrough hit has opened. “Especially now that there are new songs in the mix and other focuses that I have, to know that she’s just holding down the fort is amazing,” she says of “Sailor Song. “It’s a gift — to know that I was part of the creation of something that has impacted people globally just feels divine.
“And it’s exciting to see where the rest of the music is gonna go,” she continues, “because in my head, ‘Sailor Song’ and the impact that it’s had are amazing, but I’ve set my sights on personal fulfillment, and what that means is different. As long as there’s a community there, whether it’s one person or it’s 1 million, every single person that’s impacted by it matters.”
SGAE, the collective management organization in Spain, took in the most money in its history in 2024, 390 million euros, or $422 million based on the average 2024 Euro-dollar conversion rate, it announced. That’s up 41 million euros ($44.4 million), or 11.7%, from 2023. The organization distributed more than 349 million euros ($377.6 million) to rightsholders, up 6%, its second-highest distribution ever. It also lowered its administration fees, resulting in an increase in distributions of 6.7 million euros ($7.3 million).
Unsurprisingly, the fastest-growing category of revenue was digital, which came in at 60 million euros ($64.9 million), up 25% over 2023. Of that revenue, more than 55% came from streaming, while 43% came from audiovisual content.
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The biggest source of revenue was TV and radio, which reached 110 million euros ($119 million) in 2024, up 18.9% over the previous year. Some of that bump comes from private TV companies paying for previous uses of music.
Concert collections also grew, increasing 16.2% to 64.1 million euros ($69.4 million). Much of that money came from live pop music, which brought in 48.7 million euros ($52.7 million), up 7.4%. The biggest shows were performances by Karol G, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, and Metallica.
Foreign revenue reached 35.2 million euros ($38.1 million), up 15.4%. The biggest source of that revenue was Europe, especially France and Italy, followed by Latin America, various Caribbean countries, the U.S., and Canada.
Revenue from private copying, the levies charged by collecting societies on blank memory and associated products, reached 16.2 million euros ($17.5 million). That represents a gain of 57.2% over regular collections in 2023, but a decrease of 38.1% once a special payment from 2023 is included. Mechanical rights revenue also climbed, by 11.8%, thanks to the vinyl boom, to 3.8 million euros ($4.1 million).
Texas rapper BigXthaPlug has carved out a nice career for himself over the past half-decade, amassing 16 hits and three top 20s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, a handful of appearances on the back half of the Hot 100 and a successful touring base, emerging as one of the more distinctive voices of his generation of hip-hop artists. But he was always more than just a rapper, and his multi-genre Southern roots first came to the fore with his 2022 song “Texas,” the video for which saw him decked out in full cowboy regalia as he rapped about his home state over a country-inflected acoustic slide guitar.
The song, among other things, proved BigX’s versatility. But it also opened the door to something else: the country music community. And now, as his latest single “All The Way” featuring Bailey Zimmerman spends its second week in the top 10 of the Hot 100 after zooming in with a No. 4 debut last week, BigX has a bonafide smash hit country single, with a full country-infused project on the way.
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It’s a huge moment for BigX as he explores his country interests, and also a big pop moment for the Texas MC as well, representing far and away the biggest hit of his career so far. But it’s also a big moment for UnitedMasters, the company founded in 2017 by veteran record executive Steve Stoute that releases his music — and scored its own biggest hit so far with “All The Way,” too. (The song is officially credited as BigXthaPlug/UnitedMasters/Atlantic.) And it helps UnitedMasters vp of music/head of A&R Mike Weiss earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Weiss talks about what went into making the record, BigX’s country “side quest,” the crowded distribution space of the music business and how UM has helped develop BigX by following his vision. “The plan is simple: stay true to BigX, lean into organic collaborations and let the music speak,” Weiss says. “We’re not mashing together genres for the sake of it. We’re building something that reflects all sides of who he is as an artist and a person.”
This week, BigXthaPlug and Bailey Zimmerman’s “All The Way” spends its second week in the top 10 of the Hot 100, at number eight. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
This record didn’t happen overnight. It took a complete team effort to get us here with a vision for an overarching artist plan, rather than one single. My partner David Melhado and I sat down a year ago with the idea to start mapping out a course for a country-inspired BigX project. We knew from the start that authenticity had to be the foundation. If BigX didn’t feel it, it wasn’t going to happen and that filter guided every decision we made.
Around that time, BigX started spending time with a number of country artists who had become fans after his breakout single “Texas.” We knew there was an opportunity here. We have an amazing team of core producers in Charley Cooks, Tony Coles and Bandplay. They started working on ideas for a country direction that stayed true to BigX’s roots. The initial demo to “All the Way” was Ben Johnson’s vocals over a guitar that hinted at something special. We knew it needed to be “BigX-ified,” so Bandplay built a sound that was unmistakably BigX. We have an amazing A&R team that played it for BigX. He loved the record, and cut it immediately. BigX has some of the best instincts. He trusts his gut and doesn’t miss.
The song exploded out of the gate, debuting last week at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and soaring in at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs, Digital Song Sales and Hot Country Songs charts and at No. 3 on Hot Rap Songs. Why did the song have such a huge immediate impact?
Back in February, BigX teased an early version of the record on Instagram. There was no set release date at the time, but the response was immediate and explosive. Within days, fans ripped the sound from the Instagram post and flooded TikTok with tens of thousands of videos. It was clear we had something special on our hands.
Even with that momentum, we resisted the urge to drop the record prematurely. There was external pressure to release it fast and not “lose the heat,” but we knew that a moment this big deserved a proper runway. We took the time to create the right content, shoot the music video and prepare a full rollout that matched the energy we were seeing online. We were also mindful that this was the first single off the project, and once we launched, we needed to be ready to move with full force.
That patience and discipline paid off. By the time the song dropped, there was such pent up demand that the record exploded.
With a song like that with so much immediate interest, what can you guys do to keep the momentum going?
Our priority is building sustained momentum for BigX as an artist, not just capitalizing on a single moment. From the beginning, our focus has been longterm artist development, and this moment is just one chapter in a much bigger story that BigX is telling with this country-inspired project.
We have an incredible body of work lined up, and we’re deep in the process of mapping out the next singles and the full rollout. Consistency is everything. With BigX, we take the approach of always being on cycle. We’re keeping our foot on the gas and continuing to invest in the music, visuals and storytelling that got us here, while building towards the next big moment.
After landing 16 songs on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, this is BigX’s first song that touches the country genre. What are your plans to make sure that his crossover there works?
Our intention isn’t to fully cross BigX into country. This project is more of a creative “side quest” that allows him to showcase his versatility and explore new territory without abandoning his core. It’s about expanding, not switching lanes.
This isn’t a trend-chasing move, it’s rooted in who BigX is. Back in 2022, we released “Texas,” a country-inspired hip-hop record where he was literally in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat in the video. That record sparked early interest from the country community and planted the seed for what we’re doing now. This moment is a natural evolution of that foundation, not a sudden shift.
The plan is simple: stay true to BigX, lean into organic collaborations and let the music speak. We’re not mashing together genres for the sake of it. We’re building something that reflects all sides of who he is as an artist and a person.
This is the biggest song in UnitedMasters’ history so far. What does that mean for the company?
This is an exciting moment for the company and for our team. We’ve been a partner to BigX for four years with a deep belief in artist development and doing what’s best for our artists. This shows that we can compete with anyone. We touched every aspect of the A&R process, rollout, marketing, digital and overarching strategy. This win further affirms that our model works. That independent artists with the right support can not only compete, but lead.
Just last year, we had a major global success with FloyyMenor’s “Gata Only,” the fastest Latin song in Spotify history to hit a billion streams. That was a global moment. But with “All The Way,” we’ve shown we can dominate domestically, too, and drive immediate, culture-shifting impact in the U.S. market. Delivering on both fronts shows that our approach scales. The exciting part is we’re still just getting started.
The distribution space is getting crowded. How do you make sure UnitedMasters stands apart from the competition?
We don’t see ourselves as just a distribution company, and we don’t operate like one. At UnitedMasters, we’re aiming to reimagine what a modern music company can be. Our mission is to reshape the industry by building something that lives at the intersection of a forward-thinking label, a tech-driven platform and a premium distributor.
What sets us apart is the ability to support artists at every stage of their journey, from emerging creators to global superstars, with a tiered system that scales alongside their growth. We’ve invested in world-class technology and paired it with an elite label services team that delivers across A&R, marketing, strategy and beyond. We’re not focused on just getting music to DSPs, we’re focused on building careers.
Prosecutors are firing back at efforts by Sean “Diddy” Combs to bar an infamous 2016 surveillance video from his upcoming sex trafficking trial, calling it a “desperate” attempt to avoid “crushing” evidence.
With his trial looming next month, Diddy’s attorneys argued last week that the clip — showing him assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel — has been deceptively edited and would “unfairly confuse and mislead the jury.”
But in a response filing Friday, prosecutors say those arguments are “overblown” and are merely a pretext to prevent jurors from seeing “some of the most damning evidence of his sex trafficking.”
“The defendant has been overwhelmingly concerned with the existence of the video surveillance since the assault occurred and has taken great measures to ensure it was not released,” prosecutors write. “Now facing trial, the defendant attempts to keep this devastating proof from the jury. His grasping arguments to preclude this crushing evidence should be quickly dismissed.”
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation that aimed to “fulfill his sexual desires.” The case centers on elaborate “freak off” parties in which Combs and others would allegedly ply victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex, as well as on alleged acts of violence to keep victims silent.
Jury selection is currently set to start on May 5, with opening statements scheduled for May 12. If convicted on all of the charges, which include sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs faces a potential life prison sentence.
The Cassie video, which aired on CNN in May, showed him attacking her at the Intercontinental Hotel in March 2016. The clip drew far more public attention to the accusations against the star — who was then only facing civil lawsuits — and prompted an apology from Combs shortly after it aired.
“My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” Combs said at the time. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”
In the lead up to the trial, Combs’ lawyers have repeatedly targeted the Cassie tape, accusing prosecutors of unfairly leaking it and alleging that CNN had unfairly edited it. Last week, they formally moved to ban it from the trial, calling it “inaccurate” and “unreliable” because of edits that were “specifically designed to inflame the passions” of viewers.
But in Friday’s response, the feds said those issues were quibbles that could easily be fixed at trial, not valid reasons to withhold the tape from jurors entirely. They pointed out that Combs himself had apologized over the clip and had not disputed its content; and they said that any problems with finding the original footage were caused by Diddy’s own efforts to destroy it.
“It is by the defendant’s own hand that the original version of this damning footage no longer exists: it was deleted and given to the defendant as part of a cover-up orchestrated by the defendant and his co-conspirators,” prosecutors write. “The Court must not reward the defendant for his actions by precluding the video that remains available despite the defendant’s obstructive efforts.”
Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” landed a sixth week at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart April 25, and becomes the longest running chart-topper since Sabrina Carpenter’s nine-week run with “Taste” in 2024. Last week, Warren broke the tie he held with Lola Young’s “Messy” for 2025’s longest running No. 1 in the U.K. “Messy” had […]
Taylor Swift has returned to the top of the U.K. Albums Chart April 25 with The Tortured Poets Department following a recent physical reissue. A new signed CD variant, released to commemorate the album’s first anniversary on April 19, propelled the album 23 places to the top spot. Upon release in April 2024 2024, The […]