R&B/Hip-Hop
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Quavo has previewed an upcoming track featuring a sample of Lenny Kravitz’s classic rock-tinged anthem “Fly Away.” “When u reach for new heights Sky is the limit! #FLY,” Huncho captioned the clip on Monday (July 29), teasing the song. The accompanying video finds the Migos rapper in a glass airport terminal pointing to the sky […]
DJ Polo, born Thomas Pough, has unexpectedly died, his family announced over the weekend. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo are one of the more influential duos in hip-hop history. Both members of the legendary Juice Crew, their first three albums — Road to the Riches (1989), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990) and Live and […]
Stunna Girl has claimed she was the victim of a shooting and posted photos of the alleged bullet wounds to social media. The 26-year-old rapper is thankful to still be alive after surviving the harrowing shooting. Stunna took to her Instagram Story on Sunday, revealing that she was subsequently hospitalized as a result of her […]
Kevin Hart revived his Chocolate Droppa rap alter ego to make a surprise appearance as part of Kai Cenat’s AMP 2024 Freshman Cypher, which arrived Sunday (July 28). Hart grabbed the mic following Kai’s freestyle and channeled his inner-Kendrick Lamar by quoting a bar from Drake diss track “Not Like Us.”
“Sometimes you gotta pop out and show n—-s. I guess this is my pop-out,” he began. “Let’s get it!”
Move over Drake, Kendrick and J. Cole, because Chocolate Droppa has had enough of the “big 3” talk in the rap game. “All this talk about the Big 3, f–k that, them not me/ Goddamn, I’m mad/ Oh s–t, you sad/ Well, it’s time to get glad, ’cause I’m back and I’m really mad,” Hart raps.
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The comedian shows off his bilingual ability and is flanked by Cenat along with streamers JustFanum, Duke Dennis, Agent 00, ImDavisss and chrisnxtdoor while rapping on a rooftop.
Hart took the mic with him when finishing off his fiery verse and walking away for dramatic effect. “You don’t get the mic back after what I did to it. This mic gotta be burned,” he concludes. “B—h, I’ll do another freestyle right now!”
Per usual, Hart is staying busy as a multi-faceted entertainer. He’s co-hosting an Olympic Highlights show with Keenan Thompson, which is dropping multiple episodes per week recapping the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris on Peacock.
The 45-year-old also has a new movie on the way, with Borderlands set to hit theaters on Aug. 9. The film inspired by the video game of the same name pairs Hart with costars Jamie Lee Curtis, Haley Bennett, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett and Ariana Greenblatt.
As if that weren’t enough, once Borderlands is rolled out and the Olympics wrap up, Hart will get back on the road in August for his Acting My Age Tour, which will stop by Seattle, Kansas City, Portland and more.
Watch Kevin Hart’s freestyle below:
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If the air smells a bit different, that’s because Olympics season is in full effect. Every four years we rally around the best and most impressive athletes from our respective nations and cheer them on as they seek to dominate the literal world stage at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. From Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky to LeBron James and Noah Lyles, Team USA is stacked — so it’s only right that they got Queen Bey to introduce them.
Reworking “Ya Ya” — a standout Cowboy Carter track that Billboard ranked as the album’s best song — Beyoncé introduced the premier athletes of our “big, bold, beautiful, [and] complicated” nation. Queen Bey’s surprise appearance helped kick off an Olympics that has already featured its fair share of hip-hop and R&B moments — including Flavor Flav‘s support for the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ye (Formerly Kanye West) and Jay-Z‘s “N—as in Paris” becoming an unofficial theme song, Snoop Dogg‘s affirmations with gymnast Suni Lee and gymnast Jordan Chiles’ Beyoncé-inspired floor performance routine.
Outside of the intersection of music and sports, the worlds of R&B and hip-hop remained as bustling as ever over the weekend. From Ice Spice to Rakim, superstar rookies and undisputed legends came through with new albums, and hip-hop stars (Swae Lee and Lil Pump among them) continued to give their opinions on the upcoming presidential election.
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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 TA Thoma’s sultry new ballad to Skilla Baby and Bossman Dlow’s latest link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: TA Thomas, “Angry”
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Hailing from the Mississippi Delta, TA Thomas has been making impressive strides all year. The R&B singer-songwriter had a pair of knockout features with MaKenzie (“Maybe”) and The Amours (“Pick Me Up”) — both of which made the Fresh Picks column in previous weeks — and he’s been no slouch with his solo offerings. His latest single, the Ray Keys-helmed “Angry,” is an unapologetic ode to the lustful underbelly of purposely picking fights with the intention of turning that combative energy into a sexual release. Even outside of those carnal subtleties, “Angry” showcases the beauty of experiencing the full emotional spectrum with the person you love the most. “I’m just tryna push you the limit/ See how far it goes/ Tell me that you had enough/ But your clothes on the floor/ There you go choosing violence/ Girl, putting you hands on me,” he croons with a soulful, slightly tongue-in-cheek tone.
Skilla Baby & Bossman Dlow, “Booby Trap on the River”
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An ode to the famed 24/7 nude Miami strip club, Skilla Baby and Bossman Dlow toast to the 305’s Booby Trap on the River. “I’m in the yams at Booby Trap havin’ a ball,” Skilla boasts over the ominous piano-looped production. Dlow takes the baton and incorporates the Detroit native’s signature “Ha” ad-lib into his verse while Skilla returns the favor and pulls from Dlow’s “Get In With Me” anthem. “These Chanel shoes, these ain’t no Huaraches,” he raps. Bossman Dlow’s rookie of the year case just keeps getting stronger.
Dajah Dorn, “Love U 4 Free”
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Across a subdued, dembow-inspired beat, rising R&B star Dajah Dorn reiterates her priceless commitment to her lover. Needlz’s gentle production allows for the different textures of Daja’s voice to shine through. At times, she opts for a starry-eyed lovestruck tone, but by the time she reaches the hook, she injects a bit of huskiness into her voice to underscore how serious her commitment to the act of loving is. “I just need you to recognize/ No matter the moment/ I will always put you first/ Even love you at your worst,” she coos in the pre-chorus.
Denise Julia & Thuy, “Twin Flames”
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A Filipina-Viet link-up leads to a baddie anthem. Denise Julia and Thuy mesh their silky vocals to serenade each other and celebrate sisterhood with the compassionate “Twin Flames.” The duo open their hearts and prove that besties can come in all different shapes and sizes with the succulent R&B bop. “But I’m all about it, ain’t no need to prove it/ ‘Cause I think I just found the one,” Julia sings in dazzling fashion. Following Denise’s robust debut project last year, the anticipation for the 22-year-old’s official debut LP just got turned up a few notches.
RINI, “Matter to You”
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There’s very little that can go wrong with a healthy dose of falsetto and a rousing guitar solo. With his latest single, Melbourne-raised R&B singer RINI absolutely nails that combo. “But I’ll admit it/ Lately I’ve been losing sight of our love/ All the little things that matter to you most,” he sings regretfully, laying bare that, despite the love that he has for his partner, he hasn’t shown up in the relationship the way that he knows he should. “Matter to You” is a very well-paced song, one that grows more intense with each passing second and eventually finds catharsis in that tear-streaked closing guitar solo, which finally moves away from the vocal restraint he displays on most of the track.
Ian & Lil Yachty, “Hate Me”
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It was only a matter of time before Ian and Lil Yachty teamed up after hitting the stage together last month at Chicago’s Summer Smash festival. The 19-year-old puts his haters on blast while rapping with spatial awareness, but Ian may have unknowingly delivered a bar that every 9-5 worker can relate to: “I’m just praying I made it to Friday.” Boat promises his net worth is beating out any rapper in his generation and he’s putting his mom’s life on it. “Know I’m richer than your favorite rapper If I’m not, then, God, kill my momma, huh,” he declares. Ian continues to prove he’s not a fad, and has no plans of fading — as his “Magic Johnson” also continues to grow in popularity.
Ashoka, “PGA”
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Rockland County, New York native Ashoka returns with his first release since his Dreamers Valley debut album last year. PGA might look familiar to golf enthusiasts, but this one is for the ladies with the “Pretty Girl Anthem.” Ashoka dubbed the swooning pluggnb track as a “modern-day love song” while doubling as the ultimate hype man for his girl. “You the prettiest in your friends, you the prettiest in this club, you the prettiest in this gym, you the prettiest in this party, you the prettiest on the Gram,” he croons.
Blxst will always come find his fans in whichever city they’re in during the I’ll Always Come Find You Tour, which he announced on Monday (July 29).
Leon Thomas, Joyce Wrice and Joony will join as special guests. Wrice and Joony are featured on Blxst’s debut album, I’ll Always Come Find You, on “Better Off Friends” and “Thousand Hours,” respectively. Blxst linked up with Thomas on the remix of the latter’s “Crash & Burn” in October. The 30-date jaunt will kick off on Oct. 1 at Houston’s House of Blues and go through major cities including Dallas, Atlanta, New York, Toronto, Chicago and his Los Angeles hometown before wrapping on Dec. 5 at Honolulu’s The Republik. Zacari will join Blxst in Hawaii following their recent “Bless Her Heart” collaboration from the former’s debut album, Bliss.
Blxst released I’ll Always Come Find You on July 19 via Evgle and Red Bull Records. The 20-track concept project — organized into four volumes of five songs each and told from the perspective of Birdie, a young man who inherits his father’s chauffeur car service upon his sudden passing — contains additional collaborations with 2 Chainz (“Paper Route”), Amanda Reifer (“Long Way”), Fatman Scoop (“Too Many Friday Nights”), Offset (“Risk Taker”), Anderson .Paak (“Dance With The Devil”), Feid and Becky G (“Rewind”), Ty Dolla $ign (“I Need Your Love”) and Kamasi Washington (“Ten Summers or Better”).
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“I been dreaming big! I’m thinking, like, how can we make it a play on stage? Bring the characters from the short film on the tour, where they can pop out and give a monologue,” Blxst recently told Billboard when asked about the tour.
In collaboration with Education Is Key, $1 from each ticket sold will be donated to provide scholarships for inner-city students in L.A. Education Is Key is a non-profit that hosts annual community events throughout L.A., and offers mentorship programs for high-school students, with the goal of empowering and developing self-sustainability among L.A.’s youth as they transition into young adults.
Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, July 30, at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday, Aug. 1, at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, Aug. 2, at 10 a.m. local time on LiveNation’s website. Sign up for exclusive first presale access here.
See the dates for Blxst’s I’ll Always Come Find You Tour below.
Swae Lee doesn’t typically dabble in the political world, but felt compelled to speak out against Kamala Harris over the weekend, and is now facing the heat. The Rae Sremmurd frontman blasted the vice president while urging his fans not to vote for the likely Democratic nominee for president.
“Do not vote for Kamala !!! Do your research on that whole camp,” Swae Lee tweeted on Saturday (July 27). His message quickly went viral and currently boasts more than 86,000 likes.
The “Sunflower” crooner complained about the alleged millions of dollars in taxes he pays that he says is being sent to other countries such as Ukraine during the country’s war with Russia.
“I pay over millions in tax dollars every year this man Sent it to A whole nother country !!!!!!!!! Those lil dollars that come off your checks they gave it away !!!!!!! Think about that s-t,” he added.
Swae Lee believes that money would be better suited in the U.S. to help out struggling citizens.
“The money we sent away every American citizen could’ve got minimal 200 grand think about that but I guess we don’t need the s–t and yall standing for Kamala,” he continued. “My black people she don’t do nothing but sign off on things against yall ….(us) voting just cuz you think she’s black is not going to end in your favor.”
The 31-year-old also reposted a 2019 debate featuring Republican Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard shredding Harris’ time as district attorney of San Francisco. “Y’all better pay attention! And there’s a lot more,” Swae wrote.
Plenty of debate broke out on both sides in Swae Lee’s replies. Higher Learning podcast host Van Lathan believes rappers have too much influence over public opinion to be miseducated on political matters.
“We need a once a year Hip Hop political convention, I’m deada–. Non partisan, in a Black city, no media,” he wrote. “Rappers have far too much cultural influence to be so consistently misinformed.”
We need a once a year Hip Hop political convention, I’m deadass. Non partisan, in a Black city, no media. Rappers have far too much cultural influence to be so consistently misinformed. https://t.co/hk2pz1pkf2— Van “#1 Voice in Wrestling Media” Lathan Jr (@VanLathan) July 27, 2024
Another pointed out some of the inaccuracies in the musician’s tweets. “Kamala Harris has fought for criminal justice reform, healthcare, and economic equality,” responded a user named Maja Porter. “Voting isn’t just about race; it’s about who can bring real change. Let’s vote for policies that benefit all Black Americans and ensure a better future for everyone.”
“Actually, the Biden and Harris administration has been in office for a little over three years, not four,” Porter continued. “During this time, they’ve made progress on several fronts, including passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to improve roads, bridges, and public transportation, and taking steps to address climate change by promoting clean energy and reducing carbon emissions.”
“And the number grows of d-list ‘celebrities’ who want a Trump tax cut and are willing to sell us for it,” tweeted another user in response.
Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and quickly endorsed his VP on July 21; Harris is expected to be the Democratic party’s nominee. She’s already received numerous endorsements from artists as Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Questlove, Lizzo, John Legend, Demi Lovato and more.
See Swae Lee’s tweets about not voting for Kamala Harris below.
Do not vote for Kamala !!! Do your research on that whole camp— Swae Lee Lee Swae (@SwaeLee) July 27, 2024
The money we sent away every American citizen could’ve got minimal 200 grand think about that but I guess we don’t need the shit 🤷🏽♂️ and yall standing for Kamala. My black people she don’t do nothing but sign off on things against yall ….(us) voting just cuz you think she’s black…— Swae Lee Lee Swae (@SwaeLee) July 27, 2024
I pay over millions in tax dollars every year this man Sent it to A whole nother country !!!!!!!!! Those lil dollars that come off your checks they gave it away !!!!!!! Think about that shit— Swae Lee Lee Swae (@SwaeLee) July 27, 2024
In a campaign his new rival has taken to calling “weird,” former President Donald Trump raised eyebrows — and some alarm — over the weekend when he promised a group of conservative Christian followers that if he’s elected to a second term they will never have to go to the polls again.
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That seeming nod to a desire to unwind traditional democratic norms in the U.S. caused some concern among political pundits, as well as Cardi B, who has been very vocal lately about her thoughts on the upcoming election. “Whistle blowing a dictatorship? [concerned face emoji],” Cardi tweeted on Saturday along with the clip of Trump telling the crowd at Turning Point Action’s “Believers Summit” in West Palm Beach, FL to turn out to the polls just this one last time.
Convicted felon Trump — who is still facing a potential sanction in Georgia for alleged election interference from the 2020 election in one of his three major remaining cases tied to his single term in office — encouraged the audience to vote for him in November in what he deemed the “most important” election ever. “Get out and vote just this time,” Trump said. “You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years it will be fixed. It’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
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The comment, which appeared to suggest that after Trump is elected he might do away with the popular vote, or even elections entirely, was followed by a double-down. “You’ve got to get out and vote,” twice impeached Trump said. “In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.” Trump has continued to erroneously insist that he won the 2020 presidential election, despite experts finding no evidence to support his claims and election monitors saying the previous vote was among the most secure in the nation’s history.
Frequent Trump critic Bette Midler also weighed in on the former reality TV host’s concerning stance, tweeting, “He’s telegraphing his authoritarian intentions in plain sight. He means it’s over for democracy. You won’t have to vote because he’s taking your vote away from you. If he wins, he’s there for life, and there will be nothing you can do.”
Trump also said in an interview earlier this year that he would be a “dictator” just for one day if he were elected to a s second term.
Cardi has seemingly been energized by the news surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to take on Trump and run for the democratic nomination. She’s also been ticked off by the rampant misogyny and disrespect some pundits and politicians have heaped on the nation’s potentially first female, as well as Black and South Asian, president. “I always knew how people are when it comes to women, but the disrespect? Listen, if you don’t like her as a politician, that’s you. But if you disrespect her because she’s a woman? It’s very disgusting,” Cardi said on X last week.
“It’s crazy because four, five days ago, I was like, ‘Yo, I feel like I’m not a feminist.’ I’ve been feeling like a lot of these women are your worst enemies,” she added. “The toughest critics are women. […] But then, the natural self of me is like, ‘Damn, maybe I am a feminist. Men are always gonna blame your success on her p—-. People are blaming her success on her p—-. What? She f—ed Joe Biden? She f—ed the whole Democratic Party that the whole Democratic Party decided she should be Vice President? I hate that narrative because I feel like women work harder than men.”
At the end of the day, Cardi said, “The way that y’all disrespect her, makes me like her.”
Since Harris entered the race unexpectedly following President Biden decision to drop out, the veep has raised more than $200 million in one week and signed up more than 170,000 volunteers. Given Trump’s recent conviction on more than 30 felony charges in his New York hush money case, an earlier conviction in a sexual abuse and defamation case by writer E. Jean Carroll in which he was ordered to pay nearly $90 million and the other potential sanctions he faces in his three other pending trials, former prosecutor Harris has landed on a law-and-order approach to her campaign.
“I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris said in one of her first campaign appearances last week to cheers of “lock him up!” from a crowd. She continued, “As attorney general of California, I took on one of our country’s largest for-profit colleges that was scamming students. Donald Trump ran a for-profit college that scammed students. As a prosecutor, I specialized in cases involving sexual abuse. Well, Trump was found liable for committing sexual abuse. As attorney general in California, I took on the big Wall Street banks and held them accountable for fraud. Donald Trump was just found guilty of fraud on 34 counts.”
See Cardi B and Midler’s tweets below.
“Trump Says Americans ‘Won’t Have to Vote Anymore’ If He Wins…He’s telegraphing his authoritarian intentions in plain sight.” He means it’s over for democracy. You won’t have to vote because he’s taking your vote away from you. If he wins, he’s there for life, and there…— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) July 29, 2024
Detroit’s Babyface Ray is one of the smoothest rappers doing it and luckily for us, he set to drop a new project. Yesterday, he posted the trailer for this video on his Instagram account and ended the caption with “album coming soon.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
One of the more memorable lines from Die Hard with a Vengeance was when Bruce Willis’ character and Samuel L. Jackson’s character were in a car making a getaway. Willis’ John McClane kept calling Jackson’s character Jesús because he heard a group of kids greet him earlier by saying, “Hey, Zeus.” Growing increasingly annoyed, Zeus […]