Rap
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From paying homage to the African continent to packing a punch with boxing ring-ready jams, R&B and rap artists and producers have made memorable movie soundtracks that can fit any scene and that are filled with their own all-star casts.
Eminem not only had his first starring role in the 2002 semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile, but he also executive produced its soundtrack. Thirteen years later, Slim Shady helmed the official soundtrack for Southpaw. Eminem was originally supposed to play the lead role of Billy Hope, and Southpaw screenwriter Kurt Sutter told Deadline in 2010, “in a way, this is a continuation of the 8 Mile story, but rather than a literal biography, we are doing a metaphorical narrative of the second chapter of his life.” (Eminem eventually passed on the lead role, which went to Jake Gyllenhaal, to focus on music.)
Jay-Z executive produced The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film in 2013, with Jeymes Samuel (also known by his stage name The Bullitts) as executive music consultant. Almost a decade later, the two worked together again on The Harder They Fall in 2021, which Samuel directed, co-wrote and co-produced; Hov co-produced the film and executive produced the soundtrack.
Jay-Z, Future, Pharrell Williams and Shawn Stockman have all pulled double duty by producing the films they also helmed the soundtracks for, while Eminem and Metro Boomin are the only stars featured on this list who star in the films they also helped make the music for (since we’re counting Metro’s cameo as Metro Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse last year). Plenty of artists have made “cameos” on others’ soundtracks, from Future appearing on Metro’s Spider-Verse soundtrack and Kendrick Lamar‘s Black Panther: The Album to Lamar appearing on Beyoncé‘s The Lion King: The Gift to Hov appearing on Bey’s The Lion King: The Gift, Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album (which Hit-Boy co-executive produced) and Eminem’s 8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture.
And with all this star power fueling these film soundtracks from the front and back ends, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that so many of them have been recognized at major award shows. Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift, which was nominated for best pop vocal album at the 2020 Grammy Awards, produced a Grammy-nominated hit and a Grammy-winning hit: “Brown Skin Girl” by Bey, Blue Ivy Carter, SAINt JHN and Wizkid won best music video at the 2021 Grammy Awards (making Blue Ivy the second-youngest Grammy winner in history at age 9), while “Spirit” was up for best pop solo performance and best song written for visual media at the 2020 Grammy Awards. “Fight For You” by H.E.R. from Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album won best traditional R&B performance at the 2022 Grammys.
“Spirit,” “Fight For You,” Kendrick Lamar & SZA‘s “All the Stars” and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture have also earned best original song nods at the Golden Globe Awards in various years, with “Fight For You” eventually taking home the trophy. H.E.R.’s hit also won best original song at the 2021 Academy Awards, which Slim Shady’s smash won 18 years prior and Dot and SZA’s monster collab was nominated for two years prior. “All the Stars” was nominated for song of the year, record of the year, best song written for visual media and best rap/sung performance at the 2019 Grammy Awards, while “King’s Dead” with Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake won best rap performance and was nominated for best rap song.
“Lose Yourself” also won best rap song and best male rap solo performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards, when Kill Bill Vol. 1 Original Soundtrack — which RZA co-executive produced — was up for best compilation soundtrack album for a motion picture, television or other visual media. The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film was nominated for best compilation soundtrack for visual media at the 2014 Grammy Awards, while “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey was up for best song written for visual media.
Billboard rounded up 16 times rap and R&B artists and producers have curated or executive produced 2000s movie soundtracks, in order from newest to oldest.
Metro Boomin, Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) (2023)
Latto got the girls in the booth with her as she recruited Megan Thee Stallion and Flo Milli for the remix of “Sunday Service,” which arrived Friday (June 7). They teased the remix a day prior, with Meg posting footage of her, Latto and Flo twerking backstage during her Hot Girl Summer Tour with GloRilla. […]
When Sexyy Red was announced as a performer at 2024 Roots Picnic, a festival that largely caters to adult R&B lovers, the baby daddy-damning “Looking for the Hoes” rapper received a less than warm welcome — so much so that festival founder Questlove spoke up in her defense.
“There is always that one act on the show everyone hates because it serves as a reminder the hip hop THEY like is from 30 years ago,” the Roots drummer wrote in a reply to a flood of Instagram comments proclaiming that there was “nothing positive about [Sexyy’s] message.” “I mean I get it but look: we gotta round and balance the day out: there are other stages & podcasts and events to see… when have you seen a festival in which EVERY ACT is the act you love?”
And yet, when Sexyy took the Presser Stage at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, the venue was so packed that crowds formed on the walkways looming over the ridiculously packed amphitheater. From the moment she sauntered onstage flanked by four high-octane dancers and a mock Secrete Service agent, Sexyy Red was the president — and she didn’t even need the agent to drive the point home. Nonetheless, it was a nice touch to her patriotic staging, which also featured her sporting a red, white and blue two-piece.
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In addition to her dancers and Secret Service agent, Sexyy’s stage also featured a giant inflatable red cap with the phrase “Make America Sexyy Again” emblazoned across it in the standard MAGA font. Throughout her hit-laden set, Sexyy conjured up, if only for 30 minutes, an America that embraces and exalts the most ratchet edges of everyone’s personalities. Under her presidency, the crowd achieved a sense of escapism that may not have even been explicitly searching for, but clearly needed. That’s the magic of Sexyy Red, she grants her listeners “escapism” not by way of fantasy, but by allowing people to unconditionally spoil the parts of themselves they keep hidden out of allegiance to various social standards. Don’t be mistaken, Sexyy is no Iron Lady; her laid-back approach to onstage banter and choreography is half the reason her whole shtick works. Whether she’s doing the “Crank Dat” dance or giving us her best chickenhead, Sexyy’s just doing her, so that we can do us.
Kicking things off with “Bow Bow Bow (F My Baby Dad),” Sexyy somersaulted through her enviable collection of hits, each drawing louder and more intense fan reactions than the last. The spirit of Crime Mob‘s Diamond and Princess shined through her spirited renditions of Billboard Hot 100 hits like “Get It Sexyy” (No. 20), “SkeeYee” (No. 62) and “Pound Town” (No. 66, with Tay Keith), as well as street smashes such as “Hellcats SRTs,” “Shake Yo Dreads,” and “Hood Rats” (with Sukihana). Of course, Sexyy couldn’t exclude her similarly top-notch collaborations, including “Shake Sumn” (with DaBaby), “Peaches & Eggplants” (with Young Nudy), and, of course, “Rich Baby Daddy” (with Drake & SZA), which easily garnered the most passionate crowd response and some hilariously unserious vocals from Sexyy herself.
With tight formations, several counts worth of choreography at a time, and staging that continuously emphasized the political aesthetics of her new In Sexyy We Trust mixtape, Sexyy’s 2024 Roots Picnic set displayed notable growth from her earliest shows, while still capturing the essence of what makes her such an alluring performer. In fact, her rendition of the “BBL Drizzy”-sampling “U My Everything” — a Drake collaboration from her latest tape — is the best example of that shift. To bring the sing-songy track to life, Sexyy and her dancers — who she affectionately introduced as “The Sexettes” — executed waist-gyrating girl group-esque choreography that underscored the song’s puppy-eyed love. “Bae, I love you, you my everything/ I’m your main bitch, fuck a wedding ring/ We both in fast cars and we switchin’ lanes/ When I’m away from you, you always on my brain,” she crooned.
Sexyy Red may not be the hip-hop of 30 years ago, but the verve she brought to this year’s Roots Picnic — and the way she effortlessly captivated the largest and most youthful crowd of day one — is emblematic of hip-hop’s undying party energy. Next stop: main stage.
05/31/2024
Don Toliver, Tyler, the Creator, Aminé, Ye, Nas and more all have this thing in common in their discography.
05/31/2024
Your biggest haters are often your biggest fans, and few people know that better than Lay Bankz.
At just 19 years old, the Philly native is part of a generation that’s acutely aware of how they are perceived. Thanks to social media, they hear – and sometimes internalize – every last compliment and piece of criticism. But it takes an artist like Lay Bankz to harness the beast that is the Internet, and transform it into a self-promotional tool to fully realize her childhood dreams.
“I’ve always known this is what I wanted to do since I was a baby, and everybody around me can vouch for that,” she says over Zoom. “I’ve been doing this my whole life. This is nothing new. I played the violin, I played piano, I was in orchestra, I was in vocal [lessons], I did musical theater, I took poem classes and I learned how to write poems and write raps. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
Before the sugary ‘00s-indebted “Tell Ur Girlfriend” conquered TikTok and became her first Billboard Hot 100 entry (No. 58), Bankz’s “Ick” took the Internet by storm – for better and for worse. Despite vocal critics deriding the lyrics and sound, as well as her hip-rocking Jersey club-inspired dance moves in the accompanying music video, “Ick” became the soundtrack to over 200,000 TikToks, reaching No. 8 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 and earning 73.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate.
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“Ick” followed a string of smaller regional hits that flaunted Bankz’s versatility, and its success even landed her a surprise performance at Houston rapper Monaleo’s 2023 tour, during which the headliner brought out Bankz alongside fellow ascendant female rappers Cleotrapa, Maiya the Don and Connie Diiamond to perform their respective hits during her Brooklyn stop. Bankz’s performance of “Ick” was electrifying; if people weren’t convinced of her star power before, her seemingly effortless balance in spitting verses and executing full-body choreography certainly changed their minds.
A gifted rapper and singer, Bankz’s growing catalog pulls from myriad genres and influences, but R&B and hip-hop — by way of ‘00s heavyweights like Beyoncé, Ye (fka Kanye West) and Brandy – reign supreme. Those influences shine through on “Tell Ur Girlfriend,” which leveraged its Timbaland-nodding production to success beyond TikTok, landing on additional Billboard rankings such as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (No. 17), R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs (No. 10) and Hot Rap Songs (No. 14). “Girlfriend” has logged 53.4 million on-demand official U.S. streams since its Feb. 7 release.
Between her live performance abilities, her ear for melody, her innate understanding of how to most effectively use the Internet and a support system in Artist Placement Group (APG) and manager Kenney Blake – whom she connected with after he challenged her to sing on the spot in front of a crowded barbershop — Bankz has collected practically every infinity stone necessary to ensure that she’s “here for a good time and a long time.”
Billboard spoke with May’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month about her “messy” relationship with music, putting on for the Eritrean girlies, and her favorite songs from the Kendrick Lamar–Drake beef.
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Walk me through how you created “Tell Ur Girlfriend.”
I make songs based off of real-life experiences and “Tell Ur Girlfriend” is truthfully something that I went through. At the time, I knew what I was going through, but I didn’t have a song for it, and I feel like I have a song for everything at this point. Well, at least I’ve made a song for everything. I walked in the studio with Johnny Goldstein and Ink – a dope producer and a dope writer — and I told both of them, “Yo, I had this idea!” Johnny played me the chords for “Tell Your Girlfriend,” but there weren’t any drums.
I’m like, “I want to talk about how I’m feeling right now, and I basically sat there with Ink and Johnny for two hours before we made the song and I broke down the situation that I was going through. We were sitting there like, Alright bet like this is what we’re going to talk about.
I got on the mic, freestyled some melodies, came up with some things that I liked and then [Ink] helped me write some lyrics and piece together the hook. I freestyled verses, so I just went in and said how I felt. I actually had to re-record [the song] from the first time I recorded it because I felt like some things needed to be changed to make it a little more truthful. It was probably a two-week process to get this song where I really wanted it to be, but I actually recorded [it] two months before I dropped it.
Do you ever feel nervous or scared to get that personal on the mic?
Not really, because I feel like music is an outlet for conversation, and it’s also a way for me to express myself when I feel like I can’t. Getting on the mic and saying how I feel is never the hard part. Saying how I feel on a regular basis without the microphone is where it be hard for me.
So far, “Tell Ur Girlfriend” has peaked at No. 58 on the Hot 100. Congratulations! What does an achievement like that mean to you?
Honestly, it’s a blessing and it feels like a dream. I’ve been working! Me and my manager met each other five years ago and I signed my deal two years ago — we just been working really hard. I prayed for this and everything that’s happening for me. It don’t feel too unrealistic or surreal, because when you work towards something your whole life — I’ve been singing since I was 3 — and then it starts happening, you don’t really realize it’s happening until the big moment. I feel like I’m having so many big moments and every time I think I got my biggest moment, I always get that new big moment.
You really do tend to eclipse your big moments with even bigger ones, even when you were gaining traction online as a personality. How do you think you’ve used the Internet to your advantage?
I think the Internet is a playground, and it makes everything easier to market yourself if you use it the right way. [It’s] a gift and a curse, because without it, I think we would be back in the old times where star quality was higher — like Michael Jackson star quality, where people faint when they see artists. Stuff like that doesn’t happen anymore, because if someone wants to see you, they could just see you on their cell phones. And there’s beauty in that. There’s also a downside to it, but it’s really been the easiest way [for me] to promote myself. I control my social media narrative, and nobody could convince me otherwise.
Has your relationship with the Internet evolved in light of your recent success?
Honestly, I don’t find it stressful now. I think when I first started, it was more stressful, because I wasn’t used to all the attention and people commenting on my everyday life, how I look, how I dress and what I do. Then again, I’m from Philly, so people judge you by everything and that’s just how we are here. I got a tougher skin.
The Internet really can’t get to me, because at the end of the day, don’t none of these people know me in real life. All y’all doing is streaming my music and that’s helping me. I learned that [by] being yourself unapologetically, you’re going to be more happy than trying to please a bunch of people on the Internet who don’t know you anyway.
You mentioned growing up in Philly, which, of course, has its own lit music scene. What are your earliest musical memories of your hometown and what from Philly do you want to carry with you throughout your career?
My earliest memory of music is probably being in the car with my mom on our way to daycare. We would listen to albums on top of albums early in the morning because she worked outside of the city. She wanted me to go to this really good daycare, so we used to drive 45 minutes outside the city every morning. I remember her playing a bunch of Beyoncé, and that’s one of the reasons why Beyoncé is one of my favorites. We listened to Keyshia Cole a lot, Sevyn Streeter, a lot of what was popping in the early 2000s.
What I want to take with me from the music scene from Philly is that authenticity, never losing sight of who I truly am. Everybody from Philly is truly unique, and I think growing up in such a nitty-gritty city, if you’re not yourself, they’ll knock you down for not being yourself and they gon’ try and say you trying to be like somebody else. I’d die before I try to be like anybody else and I mean it.
You’re also putting on for the Eritrean girlies. What does it mean to you to be able to pursue your dreams to this extent, while still honoring all the different parts of your identity?
I think it’s amazing because there’s not that many of us — Habesha, Eritrean, Ethiopian people – in the industry. Putting on for Eritrea and letting people know, Hey, this is a country! This is where I’m from, what I grew up eating, what I grew up learning, this is my second language, this is a part of me.
That’s super important to me — because I got family in Eritrea that watch me on their phones, and don’t have half the things that I have, or aren’t as fortunate as a lot of people that I know. I want to let them know that they can do this too, it don’t matter where you’re from, what you look like, or anything. Anybody can do this as long as you believe in yourself!
You signed with APG in 2022. What drew you to them and why did you decide to stay independent?
I felt like [APG] really cared about my artist development. When I first signed, I wasn’t ready. I’m only 19 now, so I still have so much room to grow. When I signed, I just turned 18. Signing with APG was a decision based off of [knowing] that they’ll care about me growing as an artist and not just me coming as what I am. I feel like since I’ve signed, I’ve grown so much from being over there and big shoutout to my manager too because he did his research on APG before he went over there.
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Your big song before “Tell Ur Girlfriend” was “Ick.” Did you learn anything from that song and its success that you brought to the campaign for “Tell Ur Girlfriend?”
When I first posted “Ick,” nobody liked it! I kind of shied away from it because I was like, Wow, nobody likes it — oh s—t, am I doing something wrong? In reality, I’m just being myself. I didn’t let it get to me, so I’m like, All right, I’m still going to promote, I’m just not going to feed into it. But when I start looking at the bigger picture, I [decided to] start replying to hate comments with videos of myself. When I started doing that, I started controlling the narrative. Whether y’all like me, hate me or whatever, y’all still listening to it.
“Tell Ur Girlfriend” was the same thing. When the song really started blowing up, everybody was making comments like, “Oh, we can’t condone cheating songs.” I’m like, “Whatever, y’all listen to Keyshia Cole’s ‘I Should’ve Cheated’ and y’all listen to ‘Break Up With Your Girlfriend’ by Ariana Grande.” Music is a form of expression. There are people who felt exactly what I said in the song and they’re just afraid to say it. I’m not afraid to say those things. Once I really leaned into not being afraid to say what it is that I felt and stand on it, I think that’s when it really changed for me.
What is it about your relationship with music that gives you that kind of fearlessness to say what you want to say?
Music is my first love. I’ll be mad and I’ll be like, oh my God, I don’t want to do this no more, but, in reality, I wouldn’t want to be anything else. I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else. When I cry, I could cry in the booth and cry on the song. When I’m in love, I can be so in love and make a love song so beautiful that every time I listen to the song, I feel the embodiment of that emotion, just from my lyrics. I think that’s powerful. My relationship with music is intricate and it’s messy, but it’s my first love. Music is always going to be that.
What’s the messiest thing about your relationship with music?
I think that it’s not perfect, but nothing is perfect. And I’m not perfect. Sometimes, I might get writer’s block, or I might be so hurt and so mad that I make a song and it feels so good because I’m letting my emotions out… but then I can’t never listen to the song again because it might hurt me too much to listen [it]. At this point, throughout the five years of me making music, I have over 10,000 songs, and all of them are unique and mean something to me. I don’t know what I’m going to wake up and want to talk about. I don’t know [how] I’m going to wake up and feel tomorrow or how I’m going to go in the booth. It’s messy because it’s all over the place.
Was there a particular song or moment that confirmed that music is what you wanted to do with your life?
I think I just keep having moments [and] that’s the difference between the elevator and the steps. The elevator, you get on and it takes you to the next floor. It’s no journey. You’re just going straight up. And when you go straight up, you will come straight back down. I feel like I’m taking the stairs and every time I step on a new stair, and I get to the next floor, I’m getting to another milestone and entering another era of my career and life. You don’t know that your life is changing until it is changing.
“Na Na Na” was the moment. Before “Na Na Na,” I had “Left Cheek,” and before “Left Cheek” I had “Boyfriend N. 2,” and before that I had “Cmonnn” and even before that I had songs that were lit in the city. I’m having moment after moment, because I’m taking the stairs. The stairs don’t mean nothing but longevity to me.
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When it comes to making music, shooting music videos and crafting your live show, who are your biggest influences?
I have to say Beyoncé, 1000%. I love Beyoncé, just from growing up and seeing her artist development from Destiny’s Child to now. I went to the Renaissance Tour, and it was amazing. I literally could not believe it. I was so astonished. I just love Beyoncé! Everything about how she performs and how she gets on the stage is so captivating when you see her. You can’t look at anything else and she makes you believe what she’s saying. You believe how she’s performing and how she’s dancing. That’s really what inspired me to be the performer I am. I’m still growing and I’m still learning, but if I’m going to be like anybody, it’s gon’ be like her.
As an MC, I gotta ask you this, who you got in this Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle?
Ohh man. Both of them are really OGs in the game. I really don’t have a pick. I think both of them are really amazing rappers and I love both of their music. I listen to Drake faithfully, and Kendrick got some hits that I really f—k with. I’m not going to say, Oh, such and such is killing such, because I feel like they both throwing some crazy s—t out there. I f—k with both of them.
True. Which track have you liked the most out of all the ones that we’ve gotten?
[Sings, “Drop and give me fiftyyyy” from Drake’s “Push Ups.”] S—t was crazy! [Laughs.] “Euphoria” was crazy too, so it’s kinda hard to pick. But off rip, Imma say that jawn, [“Push Ups.”]
So what’s next for Lay Bankz? When can we expect your next project?
My project will actually be coming out in a few weeks at the end of May. It’s raw and it’s me and it’s uncut. Versus my first project, Now You See Me, I feel like this project is way more innovative. I really sat down and thought about how I wanted my project to sound and how I wanted it to feel. I got the most raw, uncut version of After Seven – that’s the title of my project. This is going to be the project where people really have open ears, and I’m standing on that. People going to really listen to this jawn, and I’m believing in that.
What’s one thing you want to have five years from now?
I want to be able to put the people that I love in a better situation. I think I got a lot of people that rely on and expect a lot from and out of me. Without my people, I’m nothing. I just want to make sure that in the next five years, whether I’m giving them a job or I’m buying a car or a house, it’s all for the people who helped get me where I’m at today.
They say styles make fights. What we’re seeing here are two rappers standing on top of the game at different sides of the spectrum. There’s Drake, the hitmaking machine who’s never backed down from a challenge. Then there’s Kendrick, the more complicated lyricist who’s managed to collect plaques without chasing commercial appeal, but someone who […]
“A Hunting We Will Go.”
That’s the song whose melody Omar whistles in the eighth episode of the first season of The Wire, after he baits Wee-Bay and Stinkum into an ambush, shooting the former in the leg and killing the latter. This is the tune that must’ve been ringing off in Drake’s head as he grew more and more impatient waiting for Kendrick’s rebuttal. Well, it’s finally here — and The King in the North is wounded, ducking for cover like Wee-Bay behind that car.
“Them super powers gettin’ neutralized, I can only watch in silence/ The famous actor we once knew is lookin’ paranoid, and now it’s spiraling,” is how Kenny starts off “Euphoria,” essentially confirming the speculation that he was making Drake wait on purpose.
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I’ve been one of those people preaching patience — mainly because I remember when in order to hear a diss track, you had to either go find the mixtape it was on, wait for it to be premiered on the radio or live on stage, or wait for an artist’s album to drop. A back-and-forth often took months to play out, not days or weeks. Drake took about three weeks to respond to Kendrick’s verse on “Like That,” and has since dropped two songs: “Push Ups,” directed at Rap’s Sinister Six (Future, Metro, Kendrick, The Weeknd, Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky) and the very weird and controversial “Taylor Made,” featuring AI versions of 2Pac and Snoop, which he was eventually forced to take down. And this all of this was happening while he tried to out-meme and out-funny Rick Ross on Instagram, which is a losing battle in itself. The irony of all this is “Euphoria” makes it seem as if Kendrick would have responded earlier if Drake didn’t try to bait him with gimmicks.
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But that’s all in the past. Today, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 8:24 AM PST (remember the Kobe line from “8am in Charlotte“?,) the King of the West pushed the button on a diss track that is six minutes and 23 seconds of pure, unadulterated hate. And let’s be clear and let the record show: Kendrick didn’t “leak” this diss record to a streamer, or leave any doubt about this track being AI. He didn’t wait to put it on streaming services on New Music Friday, or attach the song to an album rollout. No, he put the song on his YouTube page and tweeted the link out, completely owning the moment. This track is basically that Beef DVD clip of 50 Cent standing outside on a balcony speaking on Ja Rule, shaking his head in disgust and telling the camera: “I really don’t like that guy.”
There are so many things to unpack. First you have the title of the song being “Euphoria” and the definition of the word as the single artwork. I’ll spare you the Genius annotation, but we all know Drake is an executive producer on HBO’s hit show Euphoria, right? The definition can also be a nod to Lamar having a feeling of euphoria after finally getting all this Drake hate off his chest. The song starts off with backwards audio from a scene in 1978’s The Wiz, where the Wizard (played by Richard Pryor) is exposed as a phony. “Everything they say about me is true, I’m a phony…,” the Wizard says. Lamar also mentions the paranoia Drake must’ve been feeling as he waited on this rebuttal. Kenny then flips a switch and goes into overdrive, giving critics and fans what they’ve been waiting for: a real life rap battle.
He throws shots in every direction, telling the Canadian rapper all the money and power can’t stop someone from being lame. He then refers to the game of chicken he’s been playing and asks Drake, “Have you ever walked your enemy down, like with a poker face?” He’s basically saying Drake blinked first after the “Like That” verse shook up the game. He mentions that Drake buying one of Tupac’s rings and using artificial intelligence to manipulate Pac’s voice made the late hip-hop legend “turn in his grave.” And he questions Drake’s “fake tough guy” act, advising him to finish his beef with Pusha T before thinking about responding to him, spitting, “I don’t like you poppin’ s–t at Pharrell, for him, I inherit the beef/ Yeah, f—k all that pushin’ P, let me see you push a T/ You better off spinnin’ again on him, you think about pushin’ me? He’s Terrance Thornton, I’m Terrance Crawford, yeah, I’m whoopin’ feet.”
Kendrick also confirms that this battle isn’t really for fun or for the crown, it’s really about “love and hate” — revealing that he’s also secretly Drake’s biggest hater, rapping, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk/ I hate the way that you dress I hate the way you sneak diss/ If I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct/ We hate the bitches you f—k, ’cause they confuse themselves with real women/ And notice, I said “We”, it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feelin’.” He’s clearly sick of the Canadian’s sh—t and has been for a while now.
Drake’s “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” were solid efforts, but for my money, they didn’t hit as hard as the “Like That” verse or “Euphoria.” “Push ups” was clever and funny, and he was in a tough spot because he had to respond to like six different people. “Taylor Made Freestyle,” however, showed a chink in his armor. It came across desperate for a response, and it wasn’t very boss-like. I think it exposed how impatient he was becoming, as Kendrick gave nothing but radio silence as rumors started to spread about what he had under his sleeve.
This response was well worth the wait. You can’t put a timer on art, and I’m not putting a timer on Drake to fire back. I hope this rap battle carries on for the rest of the year, because steel sharpens steel and rap music in general can only benefit from this clash of titans.
Now we wait in the arena for the King in the North to gather his thoughts and respond. But, as Omar said, “You come at the king, you best not miss.”
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When Anycia sauntered onto the stage during her sold-out headline show at SOB’s in New York City (March 30), a star had very clearly entered the space. And with a buzzing crowd packed shoulder to shoulder, mingling and vibing through clouds of marijuana smoke, the venue was ready to welcome her like the star she is.
From fan-favorite “BRB” to buzzy collabs like “Splash Brothers” (with Karrahbooo) and the Latto-assisted “Back Outside,” the crowd rapped along to every word of Anycia’s growing catalog, effortlessly emulating the Atlanta emcee’s raspy, blasé tone. At one point, Anycia gave her microphone to a fan, who happened to be a law student traveling from out of state, and she rapped an entire verse bar-for-bar as Anycia looked on in humble shock and glee. A little bit later, another fan surprised Anycia with a bouquet of flowers, which she tearfully and gratefully accepted.
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“They was blowing my mind,” she says of her fans. “It just made me realize like, You really got fans, girl!”
With her debut full-length projects hitting DSPs on Friday (April 25), the ascendant rapper is gearing up for the next phase of her career. Princess Pop That – which features collaborations with Luh Tyler and Cash Cobain – finds Anycia branching out from the Detroit-type beats that characterized her earlier output while still maintaining her authenticity. When Anycia raps, “Beat up the cat ’cause he know I’m a dog/ I turn a prince to a frog/ I turn a frog to a prince/ I’ll leave a n—a on missed call,” on Princess Pop That standout “ATM,” he laid-back tone is somehow both menacing and inviting, a truly intoxicating mixture.
She knows she can take anybody’s man and walk them like a dog, but she doesn’t necessarily feel the need to shout that from the rooftops. If you know, you know – and when it comes to Anycia, everyone will know whether they were seeking that knowledge or not.
After opening up for Veeze last year and kicking off 2024 with her most-viewed music video yet in “Back Outside” (three million hits on YouTube in just three months), Anycia is ready to take her moody e-girl-meets-ATL baddie aesthetic all the way to the top.
In an illuminating conversation with Billboard, Anycia breaks down her three essential Princess Pop That tracks, details how she’s adjusting to her rising fame and reveals what really makes her emotional.
What are three songs that you think are must-listens from Princess Pop That?
“Squeegee,” just because I like the sample on it. I picked it out, it’s “Let’s Get Away” by T.I., it’s very nostalgic for me. It’s already a song that I always listen to, so [I knew I wanted to sample it]. I like to incorporate the s—t that I listen to in the beat or some type of way.
“EAT!” is just a bop to me. Love that song. And working with Kenny [Beats] is always cool. [In the studio], we were just vibing. I had some tacos – I get the same s—t, I had my lil carne asada, some guac with a lil rice and beans and stuff like that – mess my stomach up a lil bit, but I did what I had to do and I made my song and everything was tea! I [also] had some wine, I love cabernet! [Laughs.]
[This] one’s growing on me only because I did an interview and it made me realize, “Wait, I really have never seen no b—h at the bank before for real.” It used to be my least favorite, “ATM,” but it’s growing on me. Chile, I did not like that song. It’s grown on me because I really ain’t never seen nobody that I don’t like at the bank. They be everywhere else in the world: Popeyes, the grocery store, the mall, I ran into a b—h at the damn doctor’s office. I ain’t never run into no b—h that I don’t like at the ATM withdrawing something. I ain’t never seen a b—h inside the bank, I never even drove past no b—h in front the bank! I ain’t never seen them nowhere near no money!
[The studio session for “ATM”] was turnt. I was drunk. I had just went out to eat, I was having a time, chile! Sometimes I freestyle, it depends on how I feel. I had some shots, so a b—h was freestylin’, you know how we get, chile.
You’ve said that you’ve always been doing music in your life, but you tried to take it seriously in 2022. What are your earliest musical memories?
I used to go to a Christian School, and it was a concert – now that I think about… it might’ve been a little racist! Because why did y’all make me the rapper? Then I had to think about it, like, Maybe it’s not racist. I was always singing and doing stuff in class, so they made me the rapper. They had me in a puffer jacket with the fur on it in Atlanta around Easter time! It was pretty hot!
So, I just rapped about God. It was like my own little solo. That’s why I feel like… he know that I made that song for him! That’s why I’m getting all the blessings I’m getting.
What do you remember listening to in the house?
I grew up with girls, my mom and my grandma, and they both are completely different. My grandma would be listening to Sam Cooke and Luther Vandross and Teena Marie, stuff like that. My mom would be listening to Crime Mob, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Field Mob, Ciara, Cherish, so I grew up on that. My mom’s from California, so she got a West Coast vibe and the girl’s just cultured, she’s musically inclined.
How do you thinking growing up in a household of women shaped you into who you are today?
With the women that I was brought up around, they really just taught me to embrace myself 100%. No matter the situation, always be comfortable with yourself. Like I said, my grandma and my mama are the complete opposite, so I get completely different opinions on s—t and we still like that now. They’ve always taught me to remain in tune with myself, really just how to be a f—king woman, how to stand your ground, how to understand every dynamic of a woman, how to enjoy your woman experience no matter what the f–k is going on. And no matter what, just to give it 100%.
Have they ever given you notes or advice on music or your career at all?
No. Even if they did, I’d take it with a grain of salt — because I’ve always been one of those people that got to bump my own head to figure some s—t out. Can’t nobody tell me what the f—k because I feel like it’s different strokes for different folks, your story is not the next person’s story. I do take advice. I’m learning to take advice from people that have actually been in those [situations]. You know parents love to put their 1-2 in! You tryna give me a 1-2 and you ain’t even had that 1 yet. Just let me do what I do, and you just support.
Nobody really sounds like you. How did you develop your rap voice and your flow?
In the beginning, I used to be trying to do little melodic type s—t. Just dibbling and dabbling in some bulls—t. But, at one point in time, I just realized… B—h, just talk.
Last winter you put out your debut EP, Extra. How would you describe your growth from that project to Princess Pop That? What are some of the biggest lessons you learned since putting out your first project?
Nothing really musically. I just be doing my lil thing. I get into different bags with myself. I learned how to adapt to different s–t. Let me learn how to get in different bags and step out my element but still be myself. Before, I felt like people was putting me in a box: Detroit type beats. That’s not a problem, but my biggest thing is I want to be just me. I just want to be in my own lane. I don’t want nobody on the same street with me. This is my street, I’ll come over there when I come over there. It’s private, gated community. [Laughs.]
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We got Kevin Durant, Drake, and Latto — you’re entering your debut album era with some massive co-signs. Which one meant the most to you and who’s given you the best advice about this whole music thing?
Ain’t nobody gave me no advice. Everybody’s given me support. I don’t really look for advice. I’m not vulnerable with people unless we’re close. I don’t make you feel like I need any advice. If anything, I want you to be looking to me like, “B—h what can I do to be like you?” I don’t give a damn who it is!
I’d say Latto is my favorite [co-sign]. She’s such a girl’s girl, and we had fun shooting the [“Back Outside”] music video. I met her at her birthday party prior to that. The girls really be my favorite to me.
You recently toured with Veeze, who had his own breakout moment last year. What did you take away from that experience?
Before [the Veeze tour], I would be so nervous. I still do be a little nervous, but now it’s better because I know people are starting to get the gist of what’s going on. Like [at] SOB’s, people are coming to see me. For the Veeze tour, I was still fresh. It was different states that we were going to, that I literally was finna s—t bricks backstage — like, Is these people gonna boo me? I used to worry about that.
I learned that no matter what room we step in, no matter what performance I do, even if they don’t know me, the whole goal is to make sure that they know me before they leave.
What was it like when you got that call to open for him?
It be certain s—t that hit me like, “OK, this is really going on!” But, for the most part, I was just thinking about… where we was finna be at. Like responsibility s—t. I was nervous about performing, but I wasn’t [screaming] or anything like that.
Is there ever a moment where something happens and you are screaming and jumping?
Not screaming and s—t, [but] I got emotional at SOB’s. All this s—t is very intimate to me. A lot of stuff excites me, but not for real. The smallest things mean so much to me. I cried at SOB’s because I was surrounded by people [who] have been with me a while. Them flowers? Chile, that was the lead for the first tear. One of the women that work with me, she got me a custom lil letterman jacket with “sold out show” on the back, I just bust out in tears, chile, I was so emotional. But I cleaned it up real good after that!
How do you stay grounded with all of these big career changes?
It’s not easy at all. I wouldn’t even sit here and be like I’m all the way around it. It’s s—t that irritates the f—k out of me every day. Business s–t, you know what I’m saying? I get overwhelmed, I won’t say aggravated or irritated. I have a lot to do. This is what I decided to do, you ain’t really going to get no sleep like that. But it’s definitely tea!
It’s [less] being grounded and [more] learning how to do what you got to do and go with that and still incorporate being you and not losing sight of what the f—k the bigger picture is. Like if I don’t want to do something, I’m not gonna do it. If I don’t like something, I’m gonna say I don’t like it. I’m open to how the f—k you feel, or why you think I should do it, but if I don’t want to do something, it’s always myself first.
When it comes to creating your stage show, do you have anybody you look up to?
Sometimes I don’t even know what the f—k I’m going to do before I get on that motherf—ker! I don’t know what it is. Truth be told, I go to rehearsal, I get up by the stage, I get the bubble guts and then everything just goes out my mind. I’ll step on the stage and see the people and my stomach starts hurting. I be like, Oh, s—t, they really pulled up. I feel like a scary b—h that didn’t really want to fight for real. The scary b—h that dopped the addy and didn’t think they was really gonna come. I be backstage like, They gon beat my a— bro!
And then you gotta go out there, cause your mom in the back, like, You brought these b—hes to my house! They just paid gas money and s–t, I got to get out there. So, it just clicks. Sasha Fierce! I get up out there and something takes over and we just start rocking out.
[At] Rolling Loud, I had a mental f—king breakdown on the plane. I got mad when I got to the to the damn hotel room. I was being a b—h, then I just broke down. See, that’s what happens with me. I’ll be a b—h, and then I turn into a b—h for real. I’ll be a b—h, and after all the bulls—t, all it takes is one person around me to be like, “What’s up?” and I’ll break down in tears. Then we have a nice little pep talk and we back into action. But I was on that plan laughing and crying with the f—king wine taking pictures. I took selfies of me crying!
How was performing at Rolling Loud?
It was cool. My mom got to see me, that was her first time ever being able to see me before. I had to make sure it was a special show because she is a hard cookie to crumble, baby. I couldn’t just bring her to a regular show. I had to bring her to Rolling Loud. She was excited, she got a shirt and everything. That was the best part for me, my mom seeing me.
And the people out there, I didn’t think that they would be there for me. I underestimate myself in some circumstances. It just hasn’t completely clicked all the way. It’s clicking, don’t get me wrong, but it’s crazy because I’m literally being myself.
What are those moments where it really started to click for you?
It be the most random times, like when I’m doing some s—t where I didn’t expect nobody to see me. I was in the flea market getting one of my grills made, and there was a young woman with her mother. First of all, I was going to pass out, period. I am anemic and I hadn’t ate. I was waiting on the lady to change my phone case, and I was getting really lightheaded. I had on a damn windbreaker jogger suit! [Laughs.]
So, I’m leaning on the damn stool and this lady come over like, “Hey, are you Anycia?” And I’m still adjusting [to fame]! Normally, a b—h ask you what’s your name or who you is at 285 Flea Market, I don’t know whether to say yes or no! So, I’m like… this b—h finna beat my a–. She gon knock me clean the f—k out. Then she like, “My daughter over there, and she shy!” I look over and the daughter over there [hiding]. She wanted to take a picture, so I [got myself together]. All of that was random!
But for real, I be forgetting I can’t go outside with my wig all the way back. I can’t go outside with a bald cap on no more!
When it comes to fan interaction like how do you navigate that? How’s that relationship developed over time?
It really wasn’t a development thing! I’ve always been a person that likes to break the ice and command a room. I’ve always felt [that with] being a leader, you determine the room. Whoever tags along, tags along. Whoever don’t, is not meant to be in my world. I’ve always been a people person, but I don’t like who I don’t like.
Who’s on your Mount Rushmore of rap?
1, me. 2, me. 3, me and 4, me. But the way it has to be set up, it’s different styles that I done did. Some cute braids, cornrows, 30-inch bust down straight down the middle — and then the next one just gon be me being the baddest b—h I can possibly be.
What’s your favorite rap album?
Probably Princess Pop That.
What are your top five songs ever?
“Big Body” by Anycia. “BRB” by Anycia. “Back Outside” by Anycia. “EAT!,” it’s also by Anycia too. And “Squeegee” by Anycia.
Watch Latin American Music Awards Joe LaPorta understands the fast-paced nature of rap music. “[When I left New York University], the industry was completely different,” says the 44-year-old mastering engineer who has worked with everyone from Imagine Dragons to Miley Cyrus to, most recently, Future and Metro Boomin. “It was still a physical medium. There […]
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Arguably the mad scientist behind this Rap Civil War, Metro Boomin’s skirmish with Drake first began when the producer chose not to include the rapper on his song “Trance” from 2022’s Heroes and Villians album. In an interview with DJ Drama’s Streetz Is Watchin Radio, Metro claimed the song, which ultimately featured Travis Scott and Young Thug, was already done and didn’t need an additional verse.
“He really wanted to get on it, but I was letting him know that it was really just done for real. I was really just set on how it was,” Metro said. “I was like, ‘Bro, I ain’t trying to sell you no dream. I’m locked in where it was.’ He had hit me and was just like, ‘Let me see if there’s anything you could add to it.’ He was like, ‘If you don’t like it, then whatever.’”
Despite the misunderstanding, Metro appeared on Drake and 21’s album Her Loss as a co-producer alongside DAVID x ELI for their song “More Ms.” Hower, things got rocky when Metro tweeted and deleted the following when speaking on award shows honoring Her Loss over his album:
“Yet her loss still keeps winning rap album of the year over H&V. proof that award shows are just politics and not for me,” Metro wrote in the deleted tweet. “Idc about awards honestly, the true award and REWARD is knowing that the music I spend so much time on brings joy to people’s everyday lives.”
Shortly after, while appearing on Kick, Drake issued a message that some believed to be aimed at Metro. “And to the rest of you: The non-believers, the underachievers, the tweet-and-deleters, you guys make me sick to my stomach, fam,” he said during the live stream.
Metro seemed unbothered initially, saying there wasn’t any real issue between him and Drake. Still, that didn’t stop Metro from taking potshots at Drake on Instagram and Twitter the last few weeks, resulting in Drake ultimately calling him out on “Push Ups,” rapping: “Metro, shut your ho ass up and make some drums, n–a.” He also clowned him on social media, using clips from the film Drumline to punctuate his points about him focusing on his production.