R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 12
Nelly is hitting the road in 2025 for a global tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of his debut studio album, 2000’s Country Grammar. The 56-date outing is slated to kick off on March 21 with a gig at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand before hitting Australia, Canada, Europe and North America.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The “Hot in Herre” rapper will be joined by a number of collaborators and friends on the tour, including Ja Rule, Eve, St. Lunatics, Fabolous, Jermaine Dupri and Chingy on various stops, with additional surprise guests to be named later. In a statement, Nelly said, “Yo, ‘Where Da Party At Tour’ we are taking this tour worldwide — I got my folks with me Ja Rule, Jermaine Dupri, Eve, the St. Lunatics, and Fabulous — so you know it’s ⬆️ all 2025… LETS GOOOOO..!!! Da Party AT…!!”
The Live Nation-promoted tour will be Nelly’s most extensive outing to date, with the general onsale for all countries slated to kick off on Friday (Dec. 13) at 10 a.m. local time here. Tickets will also be available through a variety of presales beginning on Tuesday (Dec. 10) starting at 10 a.m. local time.
Trending on Billboard
The 2025 tour — Nelly’s first road run since opening for Janet Jackson on her 2023-2024 Together Again — will travel to Canada beginning in April, before hopping to Europe in May and June and kicking off a U.S. run beginning July 23 at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA; the American run is slated to wind down on Sept. 19 at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, AR.
Check out the full list of dates for Nelly’s 2025 Where the Party At tour below:
March 21 – Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena
March 22 – Brisbane, AUS @ Eaton’s Hill Hotel
March 25 – Sydney, AUS @ Hordern Pavilion
March 27 – Melbourne, AUS @ John Cain Arena
March 29 – Perth, AUS @ HBF Stadium
April 11 – Halifax, NS @ Scotiabank Centre^
April 12 – Moncton, NB @ Avenir Centre^
April 14 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
April 15 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
April 18 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre
April 20 – Saskatoon, SK @ SaskTel Centre
April 21 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
April 22 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
April 24 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
May 24 – Oberhausen, DE @ Rudolf Weber-Arena
May 25 – Brussels, BE @ ING Arena
May 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
May 28 – Hamburg, DE @ Barclays Arena
May 29 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
June 1 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
June 2 – Frankfurt, DE @ Festhalle
June 4 – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena
June 5 – London, UK @ The O2
June 7 – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena
June 9 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro
June 11 – Dublin, IE @ 3Arena
July 23 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
July 25 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
July 26 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 27 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
July 31 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
August 1 – Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
August 2 – Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre^
August 3 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
August 5 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
August 6 – Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest*~
August 8 – Oshkosh, QI @ Crossroads 41 Festival*~
August 9 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
August 10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
August 13 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
August 14 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
August 16 – Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre*^
August 22 – Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at Concord
August 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Intuit Dome
August 27 – Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Sept. 4 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman^
Sept. 5 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
Sept. 6 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre*#
Sept. 9 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sept. 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sept. 13 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park
Sept. 14 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
Sept. 16 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
Sept. 18 – Birmingham, AL @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
Sept. 19 – North Little Rock, AR @ Simmons Bank Arena
AUS + NZ: Nelly, St. Lunatics, Chingy, Jermaine Dupri
Canada: Nelly, Ja Rule, Chingy, Jermaine Dupri
EU + UK: Nelly, Eve, Fabolous, Jermaine Dupri
US + Toronto: Nelly, Ja Rule, Eve, Chingy, Jermaine Dupri
^Chingy Will Not Support This Date
#Ja Rule and Eve Will Not Support This Date
*Not a Live Nation Date
~Festival Date, No Support
Quavo has been honored as the ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ at the eighth annual Variety Hitmakers Brunch, held on Dec. 7 at Nya Studios in Hollywood.
The accolade recognized the GRAMMY-nominated rapper and philanthropist’s transformative advocacy against gun violence, a mission he embraced following the tragic 2022 loss of his nephew and fellow Migos member, Takeoff.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The award was presented by Greg Jackson, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, who praised Quavo’s tireless efforts to combat the epidemic through his Rocket Foundation. Launched in November 2022 in Takeoff’s honor, the foundation supports community-based programs addressing gun violence and has grown into a powerful movement for change in just two years.
Trending on Billboard
Quavo’s work has impacted communities at both local and federal levels. In March, the Rocket Foundation introduced Sparks Grants, distributing $10,000 each to 10 Atlanta organizations dedicated to creating safer neighborhoods. Over the summer, Quavo partnered with the Offender Alumni Association to host a music education workshop for at-risk youth as part of the Rocket Camp initiative.
On the national stage, Quavo’s advocacy contributed to the establishment of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
He met with Vice President Kamala Harris during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in September 2023 and hosted the inaugural Rocket Foundation Summit on Gun Violence Prevention in Atlanta earlier this year. Quavo also joined Harris at a rally to promote the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, one of the most comprehensive federal gun control laws in U.S. history.
The Rocket Foundation partners with organizations like the Offender Alumni Association, H.O.P.E. Hustlers, Community Justice Action Fund, and LIVE FREE to address gun violence through community-driven solutions.
Beyond his advocacy, Quavo remains a prominent figure in music and entertainment. As a key member of Migos, he achieved multiple No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts and collaborated with top-tier artists like Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, and Post Malone.
His recent solo ventures include tracks with Lana Del Rey, Peso Pluma, and Lenny Kravitz, showcasing his ability to blend genres while staying true to his Atlanta roots. Quavo’s versatility also extends to acting, with appearances in Atlanta, Black-ish, and films like Praise This.
The West Coast rapper is enjoying the looks he’s had this year. First, AzChike was featured on ScHoolboy’s Q‘s critically acclaimed album Blue Lips, which essentially worked as a solo track/interlude on the song “Movie”. Chike then made another scene-stealing appearance on Kendrick Lamar‘s GNX on the song “peekaboo”. During a recent interview with Brown Bag […]
J. Cole‘s Inevitable podcast is the gift that keeps on giving as he gives his fans intimate details they may’ve not heard before.
During this latest episode, the North Carolina rapper tells a story about the time he played “Let Nas Down” for the legendary Queens MC after they boarded the same flight at a Houston airport.
His manager and right-hand man Ibraham “Ib” Hamad was listening to the newly recorded song, and as he was passing Cole his headphones back, Ib noticed Nas boarding the same flight.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Right in that moment, I was like, this is some divine sh–,” Cole recalled. “This is ridiculous, bro. I don’t believe in coincidences. I was like, this is a sign from God like, ‘Keep on your path, stick with it.’ Mind you, I’ve never met Nas before. I got on the plane and I was like, ‘I have to play him this song. I’m supposed to play him this song.”
Trending on Billboard
“I say ‘what’s up’ to him and I’m like, ‘Bro, I know this is gonna sound f—ing insane,’” he continued. “‘I just made this song f—ing two days ago. I can’t even explain to you how crazy it is that I’m seeing you right now, randomly on this flight. But I have to play you this song.’”
Nas agreed to hear it, but Cole admitted that he didn’t give him an opinion on the track when he was finished.
Adding, “I have no idea what he said and now, looking back, I have no idea how he felt or how I expected him to feel. All I knew was, ‘You’re right here. This is God.’ I’m sure he was on some sh– like, ‘Yo, that’s dope.’ I don’t remember us having a conversation about the song. But it’s just nuts that I even played it for him, that raw after it was done.”
Released in 2013, on his sophomore album Born Sinner, Nas and Cole dropped a remix entitled “Made Nas Proud” where he gave the young rapper some game and said he didn’t let him down.
You can listen to the episode here.
Doechii is blossoming into a star. The Top Dawg Entertainment rapper checked off another box within her ascension on Friday (Dec. 6) by making her Tiny Desk concert debut at NPR’s headquarters. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Swamp Princess didn’t disappoint with her set either, […]
It’s Kendrick Lamar Week for Billboard Unfiltered following the Thanksgiving break. Lamar unleashed his GNX album without any sort of warning on Nov. 22, and the LP debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 319,000 equivalent units earned.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Dot also took up a ton of real estate on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, with seven out of the top 10 and the entire top five. He even announced an accompanying 2025 North American stadium trek called the Grand National Tour, on which his “Luther” collaborator and former Top Dawg Entertainment running mate SZA will be joining him.
There was a clean sweep of approval from the quartet of co-hosts, with GNX launching Lamar into the album of the year conversation and stamping his banner year of rap domination.
Deputy Director of R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre believes K. Dot’s ’24 rivals some of the great years rap’s seen in the last 25 years. “Him being able to land three No. 1s this year on the Hot 100 … Him announcing this tour, him having a No. 1 album,” he said. “I think his run this year is probably comparable to what we’ve seen from an ’08 [Lil] Wayne, an ’03 50 [Cent], a 2018 Drake with what he’s been able to do.”
Editorial Director Damien Scott credited Lamar with “blanketing the culture” and compared GNX to Jay-Z’s The Blueprint with how direct and to the point the project is while releasing digestible hit records. “To me, this album feels like a Jay-Z album. It feels like The Blueprint. It’s very direct, it’s very to the point. Here’s Jay at the height of his powers being like, ‘I run this s–t. F–k all of you.’ Just like Kendrick is on the opening track,” Scott opined. “First it was f–k this one guy, now it’s f–k all of you … It’s an amazing rap record.”
The Debbie Deb-sampling “Squabble Up” launched at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and Senior Charts Analyst Trevor Anderson didn’t expect to hear a hit record like that. “Coming off ‘Squabble Up,’ I was up there looking like Jonathan Majors in my apartment doing the little civil rights dance,” he joked. “One thing we missed with Mr. Morale was a clean Kendrick hit.”
Elsewhere during Billboard Unfiltered, the staff discussed Drake making a pair of legal filings against Universal Music Group in November, alleging that his record label artificially inflated the popularity of Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
Staff Writer Kyle Denis was confused initially by the 6 God’s legal actions, but believes the first pre-filing has a chance to be a landmark case if it indeed heads to trial and there’s a ruling in Drake’s favor that shakes up streaming’s landscape. “If this does end up going to trial and we get a decision that actually impacts the very model of streaming, this would be an important case,” he stated. “All of that is still colored by the timing of it all, and this arriving during GNX week. It’s a little bit pathetic … It just feels a little bit ‘Let me do what I can to muddy up this guy’s release week any way that I can.’”
Watch the full episode above.
Solana season appears to be on the horizon. After promising a pair of albums, SZA has teased the deluxe edition of her record-breaking SOS album. The Grammy-winning singer posted a photo to her Instagram Story on Friday (Dec. 6) featuring a whiteboard that appeared to have a tracklist for the upcoming deluxe, but SZA made […]
In this episode of Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Kyle Denis, Trevor Anderson, Carl Lamarre and Damien Scott discuss Kendrick Lamar’s GNX chart takeover, along with their initial reactions to the surprise drop, Drake’s legal battle with UMG over “Not Like Us,” J. Cole’s Inevitable podcast series and his 10-year anniversary show at MSG for Forest Hill Drive.
Carl Lamarre:I think his run this year is probably comparable to what we see maybe from like an ‘08 Wayne, an ‘03 50, a 2018 Drake.
Kyle Denis:I don’t like this arriving during, you know, GNX week, it’s like … it’s a little bit pathetic.
Trevor Anderson:Oh I already know I love this. I just haven’t had access to it and you mean to tell me it’s right here, you know, on the app that I already use. Like, let’s go, let’s download it, let’s play it.
Carl Lamarre: Before the break, Compton superstar Kendrick Lamar did a surprise drop. Now I’m here to talk about it with you guys. GNX, his sixth studio album, 12 tracks, featuring SZA, a slew of up-and-coming L.A. rappers. The project came No. 1 on the 200, 319 album equivalent units, seven records in the top 10 of the Hot 100. He’s occupying the top five, No. 1 with “Squabble Up.” Mr. Lamar is back in full force, gentlemen. How do we feel about this album?
Damien Scott:Fire, in a word.
Carl Lamarre:Fire?
Damien Scott: Fire. Also, just straightforward rap. You know, just like … I know that PG, Dave and Kendrick love to be subversive, they love to just do what everyone is not expecting them to do, and I think this album is a great example of that. Every Kendrick album is like a grand affair. It has this big, huge meaning that has to get worked through.
Keep watching for more!
For K-pop girl group TWICE, the second go-round with Megan Thee Stallion is definitely two times dope. The nine-member group dropped their new seven-track mini-album Strategy on Friday (Dec. 6), along with the video for the title track featuring their latest collaboration with the “Hot Girl” rapper.
The brightly colored clip for the bouncy pop bop features members Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu striking sultry poses all around the city as they count down the step-by-step process of catching the eye of a love interest.
“Step one, do my highlight/ Make me shine so bright in the moonlight/ Step two, silhouette tight/ Baby, even my shadow looks good, right/ Step three, when I arrive/ Make you look my way with your heart eyes/ Step four, got you on the floor,” Chaeyoung, Mina, Dahyun and Sana sing as they pose and dance their way through shooting ranges and candy-colored downtown streets before the Houston rapper pops in for some real talk.
Trending on Billboard
“Do you like that?/ When I smack it and you watch it bounce it right back?/ He really lost it when he saw me do the right, left/ I’m a man eater, you just a light snack/ I got him pressed like he’s workin’ on his triceps,” Meg raps from a rooftop before she joins the rest of the crew to share more advice on her slam-dunk love attack strategy.
The JYP Entertainment group spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the follow-up to their appearance on the remix of Megan’s hit “Mamushi,” explaining why the MC’s persona fits their vibe.
“She has a powerful, strong image. We were wondering, would that fit in with our style of music and our image?” Jeongyeon told the magazine. “Once we recorded, we thought we actually fit really well, a lot better than we imagined. I feel like Megan’s style really enhanced our part of the music. When we were shooting the music video, Megan really wanted to learn Korean, so she kept saying like, ‘귀여운,’ which means cute. That ‘you’re very cute’ or ‘that’s really cute.’ She did a lot of Korean-style jokes and those hand hearts that Koreans do a lot to break the ice.”
The bubbly “Strategy”clip is also TWICE’s first to feature another artist, with Tzuyu saying the group’s members were initially “quite shy” about bringing Meg in because “she’s so famous and well-known… [but] Megan really tried a lot to break the ice. She kept trying to learn Korean and make jokes and just kept saying, ‘Let’s just have fun together.’ I feel like the music video turned out very well.”
Watch the “Strategy” video below.
Quavo has been showing off his versatility as an artist throughout 2024. He’s dipping back into his country bag while expressing his “Georgia Ways” alongside Luke Bryan and Teddy Swims.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Georgia Ways” arrived on Friday (Dec. 6), with the trio paying homage to their Peach State roots. An outdoors-themed visual accompanied the release, with Quavo, Luke and Teddy rumbling through the countryside participating in various activities.
“Magic City, tell a country boy what the hell that means,” Bryan inquisitively asks Quavo about the famous ATL jiggle joint to kick off the clip while casting their fishing rods into the pond.
Trending on Billboard
“In the South we ball, how about them Dawgs/ Waffle House, soaking up the alcohol/ Lemon pеpper, Magic City on a Monday,” Huncho raps on the track.
Draped in camouflage and Chrome Hearts pants, Quavo goes fishing, drives his quad around and heads to the barn with Bryan before inviting Swims into the fold. The Grammy-nominated “Lose Control” artist throws on his cowboy hat and performs from the bed of his pickup truck.
“G-E-O-R-G-I-A/ Where I B-E, baby, let me hear you say/ G-E-O-R-G-I-A/ A-Town stompin’ on that old red clay,” Swims sings.
“Georgia Ways” was initially debuted during the University of Georgia versus Georgia Tech football game last week, for which Quavo was in attendance. The SEC Championship will also be highlighting a clip from the visual during the conference championship game’s broadcast on ESPN on Saturday (Dec. 7).
It’s been a busy year for the Migos rapper, who could be setting up for another solo project in 2025. He previously notched collabs this year with Lana Del Rey, Lenny Kavitz, Yeat, Giggs, The Kid Laroi and more.
Watch the Wyatt Spain-directed video below.