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Wiz Khalifa took an unexpected detour to a Romanian jail over the weekend when the 36-year-old rapper (born Cameron Jibril Thomaz) ran afoul of the country’s drug laws while lighting up one of his omnipresent joints on stage. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news According to a […]
“I’m just the warm-up, baby!” So declared Timbaland during his opening set (July 12) for one of the most anticipated tours of 2024: the Out of This World Tour — The Missy Elliott Experience: the rap icon’s first headline outing.
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It was the second of the tour’s two-night Los Angeles stand at Crypto.com Arena. With a percolating set that included classics in the songwriter-producer’s hit arsenal such as “The Way I Are,” 50 Cent’s “Ayo Technology” and Justin Timberlake’s “My Love,” Elliott’s longtime musical partner gave the packed house an appetizing taste of what would be in store later when the legend herself arrived onstage.
Fellow featured guests Ciara and Busta Rhymes brought their A games as well. Deftly catching Timbaland’s baton toss, a black leather-clad Ciara came out blazing to an explosion of audience cheers. Noting that she “just had my fourth baby,” the singer-songwriter proceeded to demonstrate she’s lost none of her formidable dancing skills as she — accompanied by a fiercely flexible dance crew — undulated, twerked and sashayed her way through crowd-pleasers like “Goodies,” “Ride,” “Like a Boy,” Promise,” “Level Up” and, of course “1, 2 Step.”
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Following suit, rap legend Rhymes, alongside his fave hype man Spliff Star, ratcheted the excitement level even higher with songs like Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” (featuring Rhymes’ signature rapid flow: “We don’t use special effects because we are the special effects,” noted Rhymes), “Turn It Up,” “I Know What You Want” and “Pass the Courvoisier.” He also brought Ty Dolla $ign and 310Babii to the stage. “We lift our artists up,” said Rhymes. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
Then it was Missy time.
Her ensuing 90-minute show was divided into four acts, introduced by dancer/master of ceremonies Kanec. Act one began with the huge image of a spaceship that touched down onstage. Then a portal door, emblazoned with a giant M, rose and there stood the woman that everyone — all cheering their hearts out — had come to see. Launching into “Throw It Back,” a silver-helmeted Elliott wasted no time getting down to business as she and her 20-member dance crew got to stepping on an invigorating eight-song set that also included “We Run This,” “Sock It to Me” and “I’m Really Hot.”
Elliott left no stone unturned (“We’re going to see who the real Missy fans are.”). as the next two eight-song acts featured roaring crowd pleasers from “The Rain,” “She’s a B—-” (wearing a bubble coat that billowed out behind her at one point) and a rollicking “Get Ur Freak On” to gems “One-Minute Man,” “Drip Demeanor” and “Coochie Don’t Fail Me Now.” To give fans an equal opportunity to view the proceedings a bit closer, four circular screens near the top of the arena relayed what was happening onstage as an energetic, red-haired Elliott went toe-to-toe with her male and female troupe of dancers. And at one point, to get even closer to fans during the second act, she hopped onto a smaller circular platform that was rolled out above the fans on the floor.
In act four, “the last stop on the planet,” Elliott (wearing a large pink fake fur hat) and crew donned graffiti-splashed outfits whose kaleidoscopic neon colors flashed brightly onstage (as did bracelets that were distributed upon entering Crypto). Segueing from a “WTF (Where They From)” mashup to “Bring the Pain” and another rousing fan fave “Work It,” Elliott surprised everyone by coming offstage and walking the perimeter of the venue, a seeming victory lap with her smilingly slapping hands as she passed by clamoring fans. Coming back onstage, Elliott rounded off the final act of her love fest with “Pass Dat Dutch” and “Dance with Me” before ripping it up with Timbaland on “Up Jumps the Boogie,” Rhymes on “Touch It” and Ciara on “Lose Control.”
“I say this every place I go,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said toward the show’s end. “I never take for granted that you spent your hard-earned money; this means a lot. I appreciate every last one of you all. Amen!” And as a satiated crowd filed out of Crypto.com, their comments echoed what Rhymes had noted earlier in his show: “Thank you, Missy, for putting us all together.”
The 30-date, North American Out of This Word Tour – The Missy Elliott Experience lands in Las Vegas Saturday (July 13) with upcoming stops in Denver (7/16), Houston (7/20) and Washington, D.C. (8/8), before wrapping on Aug. 23 in Rosemont, Ill. View the rest of the tour’s itinerary on her official website here.
During a sitdown interview with Charlamagne Tha God, LL Cool J was asked about his rumored battles with Jay-Z.
One such rumor that has floated around for years was that they ran into each other in a random parking lot in Manhattan and started battling. Supposedly, LL was laughed at for using a verse from his 1993 song “Funkadelic Relic” off his album 14 Shots to the Dome.
When asked about that very rumor, the Queens legend had this to say:
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“Okay let’s talk about what it really is. First of all, I didn’t rap a verse from ‘Funkadelic Relic.’ Okay? That’s the first f—ing thing. It’s bullsh—t. It’s not true. What did happen, though, is I see the guy, he’s in the club trying to flash money to get my attention and I’m looking like, okay. And then his man Sauce [Money] came up to me and was rappin’. So, I had a couple of rhymes… remember, I’m albums in now.
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“You know, these are guys that ain’t had that deal. So, when I ain’t had a deal, I had a suitcase of rhymes. Now I’m albums in. Sauce said some rhymes. I said a couple of rhymes. Then I said a little bit of a song, ‘Ain’t No Stopping This.’ A little bit. Then Jay came up rapping. I was out of rhymes, b. In no scenario was I fully loaded and ready to rhyme. If I was, I’m not exactly the first rapper that you wanna get into that shit with.
“So yes, did I run out of rhymes? Was I finished rapping? Abso-f—ing-lutely. Was it their peanut gallery? Absolutely. But do you really wanna get into some of that shit with LL? You really want that? You dudes want those problems or it’s just a nice story to have?”
Charlemagne asks LL Cool J about a rumor that he battled JAY-Z in the club and Hov’s crew laughed at LL for running out of rhymes🙃 pic.twitter.com/ZOwXWjj5kW— 💎🍾 (@TheRocSupremacy) July 12, 2024
The two legends have been cordial at times publicly, but have also dissed each other on various records over the years. Jay got at LL on this Tim Westwood freestyle back in the late ’90s and LL took a shot at Jay’s Def Jam presidency on the track “Queens.”
On the other hand, Jay shouted the rap legend out during his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame speech saying LL helped rappers like him feel more comfortable about being vulnerable and “gave us emotional intelligence.”
During JAY-Z Hall Of Fame Induction Speech, he explained what made each of his heroes special. LL Cool J = Emotional Intelligence KRS-One = Made It Cool To Be Smart😂Rakim = Knowledge Of SelfChuck D = Social Commentary Big Daddy Kane = Blackest Person Ever 😂 pic.twitter.com/lQEjFRBV6e— 💎🍾 (@TheRocSupremacy) June 25, 2024
LL is on a promo run for his 14th solo album entitled The FORCE which is scheduled for a Sept. 6 release date.
You can watch the full conversation with him and Charlamagne here.
Veeze and Rylo had fans clamoring for this track when they posted a snippet on social media earlier this year in February and now its finally here. Directed by Kevin Mares, the video for “F.A.F” — short for “F—ed a Fan” — shows Detroit’s Veeze going bar for bar with Alabama’s Rylo Rodriguez in front […]
Eminem fans have been waiting quite some time to get a new album from the rapper — four years to be exact. So when he finally dropped the 19-track The Death of Slim Shady Friday (July 12), longtime admirers were quick to rejoice on social media.
“im speechless,” one person tweeted a few hours after the album dropped. “25 years later & its a full circle moment. eminem delivers one of his best albums & showing us what slim shady does one last time.”
Another fan added, “he just dropped the best album within the last decade … Your favorite rapper can’t f–king compete,” while someone else raved, “Lyrics, word play, message, beats, production, all TOP TIER.”
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And though the album — which follows 2020’s Billboard-200 topping Music to Be Murdered By — has only been out for a few hours, listeners have already come together to elect a few songs as fan-favorites. There’s the project’s closer “Somebody Save Me,” featuring Jelly Roll, as well as previously released singles “Tobey” featuring Big Sean and BabyTron and “Houdini,” but the most beloved track appears to be the emotional “Temporary.”
Featuring old recordings of Em’s daughter Hailie Jade, who’s now 28, the song finds the hip-hop titan giving his kin something to remember him by once he’s died. “I wrote you this song/ To help you cope with life now that I’m gone … How should I start? Just wanna say look after Alaina, Stevie, and Uncle Nate/ And sweetie, be strong,” he raps, referencing his two adopted children, 31-year-old Alaina and 22-year-old Stevie, as well as his half-brother Nathan.
Suffice to say, fans are pretty much a bucket of tears. “Me hearing ‘Temporary’ and ‘Somebody Save Me’ after laughing and vibing for 45 minutes,” one listener wrote on X, sharing a gif of Matthew McConaughey sobbing in Interstellar.
Keep reading to see some of the best reactions to Eminem’s brand new The Death of Slim Shady below.
im speechless. 25 years later & its a full circle moment. eminem delivers one of his best albums & showing us what slim shady does one last time pic.twitter.com/K1WZCoOqD8— Omar 🥱 (@omartalkss) July 12, 2024
Jelly Roll checked a historic item off his bucket list when notching a collaboration with Eminem on “Somebody Save Me,” which served as The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)‘s poignant closer.
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Hours after the track made waves on streaming services, Jelly Roll reflected on Friday (July 12) in an emotional post to social media about having the chance to contribute to one of his “childhood hero’s” projects.
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“I always say my childhood hero’s lived somewhere between Willie Nelson and Eminem,” he began. “As a teenager (and still today) I could recite every song on the Slim Shady album, the Marshal Mathers album and the Eminem show. When I bonded out of jail at 17 years old and was sneaking into cyphers and battles in Nashville they would also play the ‘lose yourself’ beat when I came out on stage at the freestyle battles. I related to every word Eminem wrote. I understand him and felt like he understood me, which was rare cause I spent most of my life feeling misunderstood.”
Jelly Roll continued: “So you can imagine how I felt when I got that the call that Eminem would be sampling my song “Save Me” on his new album. And for him to use the song to discuss the other side of what could’ve happened if he would’ve allowed his demons to win brought me to tears. If you haven’t heard it yet, check out “Somebody Save Me” on Eminem’s new album ‘the death of slim shady’ special shout out to Paul Rosenberg , you’ve been nothing but kind to me and treated me like family and gave me opportunities I didn’t deserve, forever grateful.”
Rapper Chris Webby hopped into his comments to put the seminal moment in perspective. “Legendary my brother,” he wrote. “I had such a moment listening to that album last night and then when I heard your voice it stirred up crazy emotions in my soul. Hard to even explain it honestly, but I’m so damn proud of you dude.”
“Somebody Save Me” heavily samples Jelly Roll’s “Save Me,” which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November following a Lainey Wilson remix.
Jelly Roll’s angelic chorus surrounds Eminem vulnerably opening up in a candid letter to his children where he admits his faults as a parent and expresses regret about the past. “They say my lifestyle is bad for my health,” the country star sings. “It’s the only thing that seems to help.”
The Nashville-bred star met Eminem for the first time before hitting the stage together outside the Michigan Central Station venue. The heartfelt embrace was captured by Jelly’s wife, Bunnie XO. “When the goat meets THE GOAT,” she captioned the clip soundtracked by Eminem’s “My Name Is.”
Jelly Roll joined Em on stage at the June show where they performed Slim Shady’s Aerosmith-sampling “Sing For the Moment.”
Check out Jelly Roll’s post below.
Eminem is back. The Detroit legend reasserted his status as a titan in the rap game with his The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) album on Friday (July 12). The Grammy-winning rhymer loaded up his 12th studio album — and first since 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By — with 19 songs and a pair […]
As certain sects of Democrats continue to seriously eye Vice President Kamala Harris as a replacement for President Joe Biden atop the ticket for the 2024 Presidential Election, voters are reflecting on their perception of the history-making VP. Among those voters are Billboard-charting rapper and actor Guapdad4000.
On Thursday (July 11), Guap took to his official X page to quote a post featuring a clip from a 2019 Vice YouTube video in which Jamal Trulove, reflected on Harris’ role in sending him to prison for six years during her time as San Francisco’s district attorney.
“Kamala Harris basically sent my mom to jail, changing the course of me and [my] siblings’ lives,” Guap wrote. “She never looked up from whatever she was reading, she never even looked moms in her eyes in court.”
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The “Bali” rapper’s tweet helped reignite social media conversations regarding Harris’ history as a “progressive prosecutor” and Black voters’ relationship to her — particularly in the wake of Biden’s disastrous debate performance and the subsequent hysteria about his viability as a candidate. In an exclusive statement to Billboard, Guapdad 4000 contextualizes his X post and opens up about the emotional impact of Harris’ role in his mother’s imprisonment.
“[First,] I have to highlight my momma to see if she wants me to divulge the full details,” he says. “I wrote the tweet thinking like, ‘Man, it just sounds like I’m not putting any accountability on my momma for committing a crime.’ But where we from and what’s illegal now, and especially the laws that was put in place in California during the Biden administration, it just feels like a slap in the face to the s—t that we had to go through.”
“The removal of a parent from my little sister’s life — even if it was briefly, even if it was a long time — no child should be going through that on purpose,” the Black and Filipino rapper continues. “Now, am I proud that my mom was moving illegally? No, but I understand the pressures of the hood when you were a parent, especially with kids like us. Literally, imagine taking care of me. Some support is needed.”
Harris’ record as a prosecutor came under heavy scrutiny during her first presidential campaign back in 2020. Though she touted herself as a “progressive prosecutor,” several instances throughout her time as both San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general highlighted her tendencies to fall in line with the status quo rather than pursuing true criminal justice reform.
“Time after time, when progressives urged her to embrace criminal justice reforms as district attorney and then the state’s attorney general, Ms. Harris opposed them or stayed silent,” wrote Lara Bazelon, the former director of Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent, in a 2019 New York Times op-ed. “Most troubling, Ms. Harris fought tooth and nail to uphold wrongful convictions that had been secured through official misconduct that included evidence tampering, false testimony, and the suppression of crucial information by prosecutors.”
“The feeling that [my mother] described of [Harris] not being able to look somebody [she’s] sending to jail in their eyes is 1) unnerving and 2) dehumanizing as f—k,” says Guap, who celebrates the five-year anniversary of his Billboard Hot 100 debut next week. On the chart dated July 20, 2019, he debuted alongside several other rappers with “Costa Rica” (No. 75), a fan-favorite from Dreamville‘s 2019 compilation, Revenge of the Dreamers III.
As more and more voters continue to voice their disillusionment with the presumptive nominees from both the Democratic and Republican parties, some folks are making the tough choice to sit out the upcoming election, including Guap. According to FiveThirtyEight, 57% of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Biden — that’s the highest his unfavorability rating has been since Jan. 1, 2022. Comparatively, just 53% of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of former President Trump.
“Even knowing all of this, I still ended up voting for Biden [in 2020,]” notes Guap. “Now, would I vote for them? Honestly, [no.] We funding and are a part of a whole genocide. This country was built on so much racism. I’m not surprised, but as much as I wanted to cheer for a f—king Blasian vice president — and our president is so old, so she might as well be the pseudo president — [Kamala’s] done nothing to change my opinion about her… I ain’t voting for nobody.”
Billboard has reached out to Harris’ team for comment.
Check out Guapdad4000’s tweet below.
Kamala Harris basically sent my mom to jail changing the course of me and siblings lives and she never looked up from whatever she was reading , she never even looked moms in her eyes in court . https://t.co/mGUctL7jBv— GUAP (@guapdad4000) July 11, 2024
TMZ caught up with Fat Joe to get his thoughts on veteran rappers and producers linking up to drop albums. Common and Pete Rock‘s long-awaited collaboration dropped Friday (July 12), and Nas and DJ Premier have plans on releasing a project, as well. Answering a question about who might have the better album, the Bronx […]
A few nights ago, while I was driving home, the shuffle chose “BBE” by Anna and Lazza. The chorus is one of those that immediately get stuck in your mind, the lyrics are a statement of empowerment, a sort of manifesto of a strong and determined girl who never has to ask.
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In the time I spend with her for the interview I discover two things in particular. The first is that behind that tough image there is a very sweet girl in her early twenties who, overwhelmed by a success that has taken away a piece of her adolescence, sometimes dreams of exchanging her famous life for a normal one for one day, like any of her peers. The second is that also “real bad bitches cry,” as she raps in “Una Tipa Come Me,” undoubtedly the best of the 18 tracks on Vera Baddie, her debut album, released on June 28.
It’s strange to think that it is only her first album, given that from 2020 to today – between singles with tens of millions of streams and collaborations with the heavyweights of the Italian rap scene – the rapper has constantly dominated the Italian charts and in 2023 was the most listened to female artist in Italy. But she wanted to do things well and in her own way, taking the time necessary to mature and make a project that wasn’t something ephemeral but that will make her proud when she listens to it again in ten years.
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After having met the “Real Baddie,” in this interview we discover the real Anna: from the fragility of her twenties to the desire for sincere human relationships, from the most important goal she has achieved to music as therapy to exorcise anxiety, from the little girl she was to the woman she is now.
Anyone who listens to this album will be amazed at how you opened up about your fragilities, something you hadn’t done yet.
I think so, too. I hadn’t dug into myself yet. It took me time to do it. For me it’s much easier to make a song to entertain and have fun rather than delve into the things that hurt me, into my relationships with people. This album unlocked me from this point of view.
Was there something that made you realize that you were ready to show a different side of yourself?
Certainly the fact that many girls told me that they see themselves in me made me feel the need to explore other sides of being a girl today. I wanted to address more facets of this thing, even the negative ones. I’m proud to have brought out another part of me and I’ve matured a lot as a person to be able to do this, to unite my feelings with music.
The album arrives four years after your first singles. In an interview you said that you didn’t want to become famous as it happened but to work your way up. Did taking time also help you sort out what was happening in your life?
Yes, it took me a few years to stabilize my life, also because success came when I was still very young, in a particular moment like quarantine. These four years also helped me grow as an artist. I feel like I’ve really raised the bar in my songs. I want my name to have a certain value and depth, and that it be understood that I take music seriously, because it is what I live for.
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Can we say that this has nothing to do with being a woman in a male-dominated world?
Absolutely yes! I’m here because I’ve never felt a difference between me and my male colleagues. The more this is emphasized, the more girls feel discouraged from being rappers. When they say that I’m the best in Italy I would respond: “I’m not the best, I’m simply the only one who let herself go and who never gave a damn about being a woman among only men. Even at the cost of receiving insults.” I didn’t bring “female rap,” I brought my music, period.
If female rap existed, male rap should also exist…
Right! Do you know how many times I get told that I am proof that women can rap too? Rap is rap, period. There is no gender, the important thing is to do it well. Many times, girls feel disadvantaged because they don’t feel supported, but when I started, who supported me? Nobody. It was me, alone. Little by little I built my own path and asserted myself.
Anna for Billboard Italia
Andrea Ariano
The concept of “baddie” means more than it seems, right?
Being a baddie doesn’t just mean being a girl who has fun: the baddie is the one who transmits determination to other girls, who helps them in times of need. Girls understood this, and that’s enough for me.
You said you suffered a lot from criticism in the past. Now that you’ve grown up, how do you deal with this?
I have a lot less hating than before because people have gotten to know me. They see me in concert and appreciate the person I am. Over time I learned not to care. Bad things no longer affect me as they used to because I take them as something negative towards those who say them, not towards me who receive them.
You also said that the criticism had tripled the moment you exploded, so much so that the internet had given an image of you that didn’t correspond to the real one. Were you ever afraid that after your debut single “Bando” everything could end?
More than anything, people put the fear in me. I knew very well what I wanted to do in life, but many people can’t wait to destroy you. I remember when they told me: “In a month she will already be gone.” But damn it, I’m still here, and I’m here because I have a lot to give, because I’ve always been convinced about this, because I felt that this was my path.
I often see videos of you with your fans and you still seem like a very humble girl.
I think this has a lot to do with the fact that I haven’t enjoyed a normal life. From the age of 16 onwards, all the things I did were inherent to my job. So outside of that I want to be as normal as possible and enjoy life. My simplicity is not to do others a favor or to make me say, “Oh, look how humble Anna is.” I love being like this, I love having a normal chat with someone, why should I be a snob?
Is the fact of including so many references to your adolescence in the album also a way to recover a moment of your life that you didn’t experience as you wanted?
Maybe. Often at night I dream of my old school, my old classmates, the environment I frequented before. I miss those things because I haven’t enjoyed them at all. I’m not even someone who has made many friends in an organic way in life because I haven’t had the time or the way to do it. I suffered a lot for this. Young girls often tell me that they envy my life, but I envy theirs and they don’t even imagine it.
For this album you also worked in the U.S. and one could tell it. It’s a very international sound.
Yes, for example I wrote “Una Tipa Come Me” there, but most of the songs were born in my bedroom at home. In my head there is no such thing as having someone write something to me. If I make songs, it is to say something, and that must come from me. I could never get other people to put their words in my mouth. Music for me is such an intimate and personal thing that I couldn’t let someone change it. It bothers me when they say: “Oh, Anna has improved, I wonder who writes her lyrics.” Well, nobody!
In your producers, however, you have complete trust.
Absolutely. They are fundamental, without them this album wouldn’t be what it is. I do my thing, I write the lyrics, but if there isn’t a good backing track none of this is possible. I’m happy that such fresh and cool young people are finally making their way in Italy.
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Earlier you mentioned “Una Tipa Come Me,” which for me is one of the songs that will most surprise those who listen to the album.
Yes, it’s definitely the most introspective song on the entire album. I had started working on it in the studio with an American producer while I was in the USA, but I was too tense and couldn’t finish it, so I picked it up again while I was alone in my room. Last summer was a bit of a tough time for me. I lost a lot of kilos due to stress. I had a very fluctuating mood and therefore I needed to throw these feelings out and talk even more about myself, about my character. It freed me a lot.
In the intro you say: “Doing this stuff helps more than a psychologist.”
For me music has always been a cure. I suffer a lot from anxiety which also manifests itself in a psychosomatic way, and when I feel like I’m starting to feel bad I put on my headphones, listen to music and I swear I feel better. It’s really my therapy, my life revolves around music.
We talked about criticism. Can you tell me what is the nicest thing a fan has said to you?
It makes me proud that many girls tell me that I give them the determination to face everyday life and the dark times. Once a girl wrote to me that her dad had had a heart attack, and listening to my music relieved her. For me it was a wonderful thing to know that I was making life a little less burdensome for a person who was going through a difficult time.
What is the most important milestone you have achieved so far?
From a personal point of view, it would be being able to help my mother have financial stability. I have always seen her work hard, so allowing her to no longer work and giving her a serenity that she never had is the greatest joy. For me, the relationship with my parents is everything: when they are well and have no worries, life changes you completely. In terms of career, however, I would say working with Sfera Ebbasta. When I was a young girl it would have seemed impossible, but in a few days I will be singing at the San Siro stadium in Milan with him. If I had told this to my past self, she would probably never have believed it!
And what would younger Anna say to Anna today?
She would say that she’s proud of who she has become because that is exactly who she always wanted to be. If Anna as a child could travel in time and see me now, she would get excited, she would say that I’m really cool, that she got to where she is on her own and because she believed in it so much. Well, perhaps the greatest achievement is simply being me.