State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Travis Scott is headed overseas this summer for a run of European stadium and arena dates as part of his UTOPIA – Circus Maximum Tour. The 12-show run is slated to kick off on June 28 with a show at the Gelredome in the Netherlands and include shows in Poland, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the U.K., […]
Toronto Police are investigating a shooting that took place early in the morning on May 7 outside Drake’s mansion. According to reports from CBC and The Toronto Star, the entrance to the rapper’s house has been taped off after a reported shooting. The Star also reports that police are going in and out of the […]
Almost seven years after she first rapped the proposition in her 2017 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Bartier Cardi” (No. 14, with 21 Savage), Billboard has the inside on scoop on what it’s really like to party with Cardi B.
Hours after stunning the Met Gala‘s green carpet with a massive black ball gown — accented with emerald jewelry and a gagged of tuxedo-clad red carpet assistants, no less — Cardi B headed downtown to Silencio to host her own afterparty, in partnership with Revolve + Fwrd. Led by creative director Kendall Jenner, Fwrd is an online luxury fashion destination that operates under Revolve Group, an e-commerce fashion retailer.
Known for her dramatic trains, Cardi’s Met Gala green carpet look played smartly on the dark undertones of the event’s “Garden of Time” dress code. This year, the Costume Institute celebrated their spring exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” with a charity ball co-hosted by Emmy winner Zendaya, Billboard 200 chart-toppers Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez and BAFTA nominee Chris Hemsworth. For her afterparty ensemble, Cardi opted for a red, body-sculpting number that evoked the classic sensuality of Jessica Rabbit, billowing retro curls and all.
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The “WAP” rapper’s red-hot corset dress paired well with the décor for the night; red lights illuminated the room with simple decals announcing her presence adorning the otherwise bare walls. While the dancefloor remained packed thanks to the efforts of DJ Nicky Rizz and DJ SpinKing, the night’s biggest stars remained in various sections around the venue. Among those in attendance were Grammy winner Leon Thomas III, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, Hennessy Carolina, Kamari Bonds from Netflix’s Twentysomethings: Austin and, of course, hip-hop power couple Offset and Cardi B.
Fresh off wrapping his first headlining U.S. tour — which he launched in support of 2023’s Set It Off LP — Offset donned distressed denim and a bead-embellished gray shirt, opting for a more casual vibe to complement his wife’s exuberant glamour. Hennessy Carolina, Cardi’s sister, wore a stunning hooded black gown that featured perhaps the night’s most daring neckline.
With an open bar and hors d’oeuvres ranging from caviar-topped potato chips to crispy french fries, Cardi definitely threw quite the function. Although she did not treat the crowd to her trademark quips or any remarks at all — in fairness, the intense camera flash whenever she emerged was certainly overwhelming — the DJs kept the energy high with sets that centered on the rich R&B and hip-hop legacies of New York City, Cardi B’s hometown. Of course, several of her Hot 100 hits got spun, including 2017’s “No Limit” (No. 4, with G-Eazy & A$AP Rocky), 2019’s Grammy-nominated “Clout” (No. 39, with Offset), 2022’s “Shake It” (No. 51, with Kay Flock, Dougie B & Bory300), and 2023’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” (No. 13, with Latto) and “Bongos” (No. 14, with Megan Thee Stallion).
Surprisingly, both DJs appeared to have shied away from the Kendrick Lamar and Drake diss tracks that have dominated both streaming and cultural conversations for the past few weeks. For what it’s worth, the songs that really got Cardi moving weren’t a part of that battle or even her own catalog; her favorite tracks of the night included Master KG, Nomcebo Zikode & Burna Boy‘s “Jerusalema,” A$AP Ferg‘s “Work,” Bobby Shmurda‘s “Hot N—a,” and Fivio Foreign‘s “Big Drip.” You can take the girl out of NYC, but you can’t take NYC out of the girl!
Monday night’s flashy bash continues a busy year for Cardi B. She’s released several singles in anticipation for the launch of her sophomore album campaign, including her Missy Elliott-nodding “Like What (Freestyle)” (No. 38), “Enough (Miami)” (No. 9) and “Puntería” (No. 72, with Shakira).
The verdict is in: ain’t no party like a Cardi B party!
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been going back and forth for what feels like forever (it’s only been about a month). And each entry from the two heavyweights has gotten more and more personal. On Lamar’s latest “Not Like Us,” the Compton rapper brings up wrestler Shawn Michaels’ finishing move, rapping, “Sweet Chin Music, and […]
New Jersey rapper Mach-Hommy is releasing a new album entitled #RICHAXXHAITIAN — the official follow-up to 2021’s Pray for Haiti and Balens Cho, and the last installment of a tetralogy focused on his native country of Haiti.
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To set things off, Mach tapped 03 Greedo for the hook and fellow Haitian KAYTRANADA for the production of the album’s title track and lead single. “RICHAXXHAITIAN” features Mach spitting in a rapid-fire flow and Greedo crooning like a West Coast Max B over a bouncy beat that interpolates Afrobeats legend Odion Iruoje’s “Ikebe.”
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#RICHAXXHAITIAN will arrive May 17, just before Haitian Flag Day. The Haitian flag dates back to May 18, 1803, when it was created during the Haitian Revolution. The country gained its independence from the French a year later, making it the first free Black republic in the world, the first independent state in the Caribbean, and the second oldest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere after the United States.
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This new effort from Mach will examine “the country’s rich history as the world’s first free Black republic” and imagine “the nation’s possible future as an exemplar of Black cultural and economic excellence,” according to a press release. At the moment, Haiti is dealing with intense political strife as the country’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry recently resigned.
With this album, Mach wants to focus on Haiti’s greatness and fight the public’s negative connotation associated with his homeland. Not all of Mach-Hommy’s music is available for streaming, so it’s always a big deal when he drops something through official channels.
#RICHAXXHAITIAN will feature production from Conductor Williams, KAYTRANADA, Quelle Chris and Sadhu Gold, among others, and will feature Black Thought, Roc Marciano, 03 Greedo, HEPHZIBAH, Drea D’Nur, Your Old Droog, Tha God Fahim and Big Cheeko.
You can stream the new single here, and be on the lookout May 17 when the album drops.
They say dress for the job you want, not the job you have — and based on that logic, Doja Cat wants to take a nap. The star recently stepped out in New York City for a luxury shopping trip wearing nothing but what appears to be a white bedsheet on her body, save for […]
Over the last month, Kendrick Lamar and Drake have been battling it out in one of the biggest rap beefs in recent history, dropping diss track after diss track filled with pointed accusations of violence, secret children, engaging with minors and more. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
Tom Brady was the latest subject of Netflix’s Greatest Roast of All Time on Sunday night (May 5), and there was a point when the iconic New England Patriots quarterback went on the offensive and singled out Kim Kardashian in the audience.
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See latest videos, charts and news
While pointing out the reality TV star, Brady jabbed at her ex-husband Ye — the artist formerly known as Kanye West — and sniped the rapper about his parenting skills to the former couple’s four children.
“Kim Kardashian, thank you so much for being here,” the football star began his setup. “I know Kim was terrified to be here tonight — not because of this, but because her kids are home with their dad.”
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The punchline drew laughs from the crowd as they gave Brady an ovation.
Kardashian even took the podium to roast Tom later in the night and addressed the rumors of them dating in the past. She appeared to be booed while coming up to the stage.
“I’m really here tonight for Tom. I wasn’t going to come tonight, but since I’m not here as Tom’s date, there’s still a good chance I might,” she said. “Speaking of Tom and I dating, I know there were some rumors that we were, and I’d never say if we did or not. I’d just release the tape.”
The SKIMS founder continued by comparing Brady to her stepparent, Caitlyn Jenner: “I do know it would never work out. An ex-athlete, high cheekbones, silky hair, you remind me too much of my stepdad now. Part of me thinks you would want to undress me, just to try on my clothes.”
Ye and Kim tied the knot in Italy with a wedding in 2014. The couple had four children together: North, Saint, Psalm and Chicago. They finalized their divorce in November 2022.
Prior to the dig, West and Brady have seemingly been on good terms. While the football star was still playing in the NFL, Ye brought his son Saint to hang with Brady before a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in November 2021.
Subsequent footage of the meetup went viral, featuring West’s commentary of TB12 having a catch with Saint.
Watch the clip of Brady roasting Ye below.
It might be May now, but the Great Rap War of 2024 feels like it’s finally really getting going. It’s been an acrimonious week for two hip-hop’s biggest titans, with Drake and Kendrick Lamar committing to the mudslinging over the course of an EP’s worth of new music.
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See latest videos, charts and news
From K. Dot’s blistering “Euphoria” to his immediately anthemic “Not Like Us” — and who can forget the bone-chillingly incisive “Meet the Grahams” and “6:16 in LA” — the Compton MC has been bringing the heat with each new song. Drake, to his credit, has also been throwing some major punches, from the explosive “Family Matters” to the searing, yet defensive, “The Heart Part 6.”
Of course, the other big story to rock the R&B and hip-hop worlds this weekend was the shocking last-minute cancellation of Lovers & Friends. On Friday night (May 3), the festival’s organizers announced that the jam-packed one-day-only show would be called off due to high wind warnings from the National Weather Service.
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Skylar Simone’s radio-ready debut single to Hunxho‘s latest ATL anthem. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Ravyn Lenae, “Love Me Not”
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In 2022, Ravyn Lenae enraptured music heads with Hypnos, her impressive debut LP. With the first tastes of her forthcoming sophomore studio album, Lenae is laying the groundwork for her mainstream commercial breakthrough. “Love Is Blind” serves up more of the ethereal R&B that grounded Hypnos, but “Love Me Not” signals a slick pivot into a rollicking guitar-packed pop-facing sound that evokes longtime collaborator Steve Lacy and his runaway Billboard Hot 100 smash, “Bad Habit.” “Soon as you leave me, we always lose connection/ It’s gettin’ messy, I think that your affection/ Don’t loosen your grip, got a hold on me/ Now, forever, let’s get back together,” she sweetly croons, cycling through a relationship that clearly relishes its built-in road bumps.
Baby Money, “Shinin”
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Baby Money is a breath of fresh air and another shooting star out of Detroit’s bubbling rap scene. “Shinin” arrives just a week ahead of the rapper’s H.I.M. (Hustle In Me) project as Baby looks to make right on his promise to Quality Control as the famed label’s first signee out of the D. The 26-year-old flexes the badge of honor and pressure that comes with ending generational curses as his family’s first millionaire. He then recalls a street tale preaching what goes around comes around as one can never fully detach from street life. “He got a body as a kid and tried to leave the streets/ They caught his ass years later like Keefe D,” Money candidly raps while referencing Keefe D’s arrest for murdering 2Pac well over two decades later. We don’t recommend boiling your icy diamond chains on the stove like he does in the “Shinin” music video though.
Coco Jones, “Here We Go (Uh Oh)”
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2023 marked a landmark year for Coco Jones. From her first Grammy win to a chart-topping hit in “ICU,” Jones has quickly ascended to some of contemporary R&B’s most towering heights. For the first offering from her new forthcoming LP, the Disney alumna opts to double down on her smoky tone, delivering a track that’s rooted in the raspy storytelling of Jazmine Sullivan. “I was rollin’ in his bed, you was rent free in my head/ I thought I was done with that, please, please/ I wanna love another person/ Can I please love another person?” she pleads over slinky, soulful production courtesy of Cardiak and WU10. Between the Lenny Williams “‘Cause I Love You” sample and Coco’s alluring voice — that slight vocal fry hits all the right notes — “Here We Go” is a winner.
Hunxho feat. Mike Will Made-It & 2 Chainz, “Come Over”
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It’s an ATL affair with Hunxho, 2 Chainz and Mike Will Made-It running the three-man weave through Georgia’s capital city. Instead of drowning their sorrows throwing bands at Magic City, Hunxho and the Drench God pass the baton back and forth while spewing about how they’re showering their woman with luxury gifts and the best life has to offer. “I done got her every bag, I’m talkin’ ’bout every purse,” the 24-year-old boasts as Chainz offers to go the extra mile while cracking the lobster of a surf-and-turf meal or fixing her ponytail and shooting a Zelle transfer to bolster her bank account. The only complaint about “Come Over” would be the last minute being strictly instrumental, leaving room for another verse from either of the Atlanta natives or another special guest that is never properly taken advantage of.
Skylar Simone, “Shiver”
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To celebrate her recent signing to Def Jam, Skylar Simone has recruited renowned Grammy-winning producer D’Mile for her debut single under the label. Effortlessly flipping between full-bodied belts and fluttery falsetto-housed ad-libs, “Shiver” captures both the sweetness and the sensuality that comes with leaning into the power of sexual and romantic tension. “Make it melt like ice when I shiver/ River open wide when I shiver,” she coos. By the time those whistle notes come in at the tail end of the song, “Shiver” has established itself as a well-crafted ode to the sweetest pop&B confections of the late ’90s and early ’00s.
4batz, “act v: there goes another vase”
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The Dallas native delivered his first project in the form of his u made me a st4r last week. The final single recalls a ’90s R&B aesthetic as 4batz croons about the pain of a toxic lover. (He revealed to Complex that the EP was inspired by his ex Jada). “Thought we was good, why you blocked me/ You tell your friends why you love me/ They won’t understand ’cause you’re perfect for me,” he sings with his heart on ice. 4batz continues his ascension with the EP in another stepping stone toward stardom – even if it means picking at the scar tissue left from a fractured relationship, which inherently helps others – along with himself – cathartically heal.
Rihanna had a brand-new look over the weekend when she accompanied boyfriend A$AP Rocky to his A$AP Rocky X Puma pop-up in Miami on Saturday during the Grand Prix F1 event in town. The bubblegum pink locks she rocked accompanied a look that included a black satin dress and matching corset, as well as a […]
