R&B/Hip-Hop
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T-Pain loves him some Wiscansin. The rapper-singer announced on Thursday (March 13) that he’s heading to Milwaukee for his two-day Wiscansin Festival, which is set for June 13 and June 14. The Florida native and some of his musician friends will take over The Rave/Eagles Club on June 14 for his fourth annual Wiscansin Fest. […]
Playboi Carti is having himself a busy week. Not only is the eccentric Atlanta rapper expected to finally drop his third album this week, he also interviewed FKA Twigs for i-D’s latest cover story and revealed that the unlikely pair go way back. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
Jack Harlow‘s 2020 breakout hit “Whats Poppin” becomes his first Diamond-certified record by the Recording Industry Association of America, the RIAA announced on Thursday (March 13). The Diamond plaque also doubled as a birthday present, considering the news arrived on Harlow’s 27th birthday. Diamond certification is given to artists whose songs have moved 10 million units. According […]
King Vamp is back. Playboi Carti has finally announced that his highly anticipated I Am Music album will be released on Friday (March 14). Fans of Carti can collectively exhale temporarily and celebrate the “trim” moment, as he’d call it, with the countdown clock starting toward Friday. Carti shared posts to X and Instagram late […]
Lexa Gates is ready to leave her “normal life” behind, and the 23-year-old’s not stopping until she’s sleeping in a mansion and hitting the “Lexa jig” on private jets across the globe.
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It’s been just over six years since her breakthrough “I Can Fly” fittingly pushed her to fully pursue music, after an ex-boyfriend taught her it was possible to record at home and upload songs to the SoundCloud matrix. The Queens native has quickly garnered a fanbase — which she says doesn’t have a name just yet — and established herself as part of the next crop of rap stars coming out of New York City.
Gates’ dexterity allows her to puncture beats with burly flows as refined as her signature Black winged eyeliner, and squeeze every last drop out of brutally honest takes on romance and failed relationships that leave a hole in listeners’ collective hearts.
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She’s also hoping to deliver her Elite Vessel follow-up at some point this year, as Gates promises she has a project done that’s currently in the clearing process. However, for her next act, she refuses to be boxed in and wants to veer into the pop lane.
Gates says she’s doing “more singing and melody” while crafting a “more universally digestible” product. “Less niche, Queens native rapper,” she tells Billboard. “More true artist, global.”
Down the line, Gates — who was co-signed by SZA last year — wants to form the pop avengers and lock in with the genre’s A-list architects like Sabrina Carpenter’s secret weapon Amy Allen and Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff. “I need to get in there with them,” she adds. “I still bring what I have to the table. We need that.”
Even outside of the music world, Gates has lofty goals to eventually lock down her own Erewhon smoothie and a Puma deal. Learn more about our Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month for March in the interview below.
Billboard: When you look back at your musical upbringing, what are some moments that stand out in changing your life?
Lexa Gates: I was dating a white rapper from Harlem who was enrolled in SUNY Purchase. He taught me that you can record yourself at home and put it on SoundCloud. Something could happen with that. [This was] when I was like 17.
Is that when you started to take music seriously?
Yeah, that’s when I started learning how to engineer myself and create a product.
How long did it take to reach the level where you felt, “I can kinda do this?”
Well, not that long. Nowadays, you can download Garageband on your phone and just make a song with a pair of headphones.
Is “I Can Fly” from around that time?
Yes, exactly — and everyone really loved that song. That boyfriend ended up being a hater about it. It happens.
Would you say that was a breakthrough moment for you?
Yeah, it really was. It would’ve had like 10,000 plays on SoundCloud, and I was like, “Whoa, who would’ve thought that people would actually like it?” It was fully organic. That’s how it was back then with SoundCloud. It wasn’t about any marketing or any schemes. No TikTok; Instagram was just your friends on there.
How would you summarize this last year for yourself? It’s been quite the elevation.
It’s been a lot, but I still feel like it’s nothing yet. I’m just getting started.
How has been dealing with fame for you?
Some girl just recognized me outside. No makeup, on my way to get my eyebrows done. She like, “Are you Lexi?” I’m outside my house, so that’s a little scary.
So you’re starting to get recognized outside a bit? At least in New York.
Yeah, that’s a good thing, and it’s what I want. Eventually, I just want to be constrained to the back of a car or a private jet and never get to live a normal life again.
Some people try to keep it as normal as they can be, and you’re on the other end of getting to this point and not having to deal with any of this.
It’s gonna be a nightmare either way. That’s not necessarily a positive. I’ll be like, “D–n, I wish I could go grocery shopping.”
The dating scene has gotta be crazy.
Oh, that’s already out the window. That’s already gone.
The days of swiping on Hinge are over.
Yeah, actually, I met that dude on Tinder — the boyfriend. Yeah, and we dated for a long time. You never know.
How’s performing been? I went to your show in Brooklyn last June.
Oh, the Elsewhere show? That one was pretty a–. The shows are great. I’m a lot more comfortable now. I remember in that concert, I was super nervous, and my mom was there and I barely moved on stage. I was just standing there with my arms crossed.
It was cool to see your fans bringing your flowers. Where did that relationship start to become a thing?
That’s just from begging a bum-a– dude to buy me flowers, to just having so much fruition in my career. People bringing me flowers that I don’t even know — but they love me. And I don’t have to be like, “Why didn’t you get me this?” Also, I heard that flowers raise a woman’s vibration. It’s like a natural thing. You can smell ’em.
How did your signature winged eyeliner come to be?
It was just like, me not going to school. I’m doing my makeup and trying to make the liner even on one side and the other side until it just became a giant Black block on my eyes. It gets to the point where you just get tired of washing it off and trying again, so you kinda just work with what you got. Now it’s more intentional. I get it perfect almost every single time.
What’s next on the music front? What are our plans this year?
I have a whole album done that we are in the process of clearing. I have like 20 songs done. I want to drop another album.
Did you do any work with Conductor Williams?
No, I didn’t, but I’m in conversation with him. We just haven’t gotten together. It’s crazy because I want to make pop music.
Is this something that feels natural to you, or you wanted to change it up and keep it fresh?
It was still natural for me. I had to be in L.A., of course. It’s still true to me, it’s just what I like now.
Yeah, you gotta pull up [to the office] and play that… You got some fans over here.
I’m really happy to hear that. I never even knew about all this ranking and status within the artist community until I got signed and spoke to [a media trainer], and she pulled up the Billboard [Hot] 100 and I realized, “This is like a sport.” [It’s a] pro athlete vibe. That’s also something I took with me into my new work. That’s why it has to be more structured and intentional.
How has being signed to a label influenced your creativity? Is it different being at a studio than at home?
They put a positive pressure on me. It’s still very personal. I work usually work one-on-one, just me and the producer so it’s not a whole organization in the studio yet, but I’m not closed out to the idea if I find the right people.
How was linking up with Jadakiss and Fabolous for “New York to the World”?
Brought me back to my roots. Just like the energy they bring — intimidating, smoking, but still down to earth and true to themselves. I had to be the girl with the hair did and my legs crossed, and just spit some s–t. They’re mad cool and super loving. Especially the producer, Scott Storch. Yeah, he’s a legend, so inspirational. He seems a little bit like an insane guy.
When did you start doing your dances across the city?
It was just an accident. I had to make content, so I was like, “Record me.” Then I just dance. It was never like supposed to be what it is. People just made it a thing. They love anything. They f–king told me. I was spinning around in circles and trying different things, but the dance is what stuck with me. They be calling it the Lexa jig. It’s actually kind of embarrassing now because that’s just how I dance in general so when I do it, it’s not the same anymore. I hear some music and I start dancing and I gotta stop myself.
What does your mom think about your music career taking off? I know she was an aspiring musician and put you in lessons and things growing up.
She’s really happy and is really proud of me. She loves everything I’m doing and supports me fully, but except for financially. Just emotionally.
I feel like on records you touch on romance, relationships and love. What do you think makes a perfect record for that kind of song?
I guess just capturing the moment of time that you’re in. Whatever is going on you just gotta get the last drop from it.
Do you hold certain things back on it or let it rip?
I don’t hold back, I let it rip. Sometimes it be just about even anybody in the room. I don’t really care. If I have to say it, I have to.
How was the experience of staying in the box for 10 hours? I feel like that broke through and saw it everywhere. It was kind of refreshing. For lack of a better term, I feel like we see a lot of bulls–t promo tactics that artists go through.
It was never supposed to be like a promotional thing. I think the label showed me that was the case when they were telling me, “Oh, we should do a halal truck outside and sell food to them.” I’m like, “What? No, it’s supposed to be art.”
How was it getting the SZA co-sign?
That was really surreal. All these things you feel like you want, then you get it — and then you’re still a human being in a body that’s rotting and digesting food and bleeding and breathing. You never float through the air and explode into sparkles. It’s all the same. She’s the GOAT. Very talented and beautiful woman.
How do you look at this next generation of New York City? We had Laila! up here and she showed you love.
I don’t know a lot of [artists]. I know a lot of people coming up, like Sailorrr. I know she got this [Rookie of the Month] spot last month. There’s so many people. Every day, something’s breaking. I like Molly [Santana] too.
I was watching an interview you did a couple of months ago and you said you were bordering on a spiritual psychosis, but being aware, in control. What does that mean?
I don’t even know what the f–k that means. It was very surreal to be on tour and be on a bus and have the shows selling out. It’s a beautiful thing, but also it’s nothing. You can only feel so much in a natural state where you just become disassociated to what’s happening so you can get the work done. If I thought, “Oh my God. This is amazing.” Then I wouldn’t work as hard as I do to do more.
I look at it from a sports sense: what would be your version of winning the NBA Finals or a Super Bowl? What’s your goal? What’s the top thing? What would I do after that?
I guess having that unethical, ungodly f–k you money out of art would probably be the end goal, or really winning to where anything is possible. That’s why people stop doing art — like, “All right, I don’t have to give it to people anymore. “Maybe they still do it behind closed doors. Even like Frank Ocean or Aminé. He just followed me, and I look at his page, and there’s nothing. If you really love art, you probably weren’t doing it for that in the first place, or for any type of outside validation or streams. It would be a luxury to be back at that point.
Does the fan base have a nickname yet?
No. I don’t know. Maybe we just call them my Flowers. It’s cute. Little Flowers. Like a Little Monster. I like Ice Spice, too. They should be my Beans.
Do you have any brand partnerships or business endeavors outside of music that you think would be dope for you?
Yeah, I want an Erewhon smoothie. I want to work with Puma. I love Margiela and Acne. Something fire. I really love coffee, too. It would be cool to a coffee-related thing. I like Blue Bottle Coffee.
Where’s Lexa Gates in 10 years?
Hopefully, in the best shape of my life. Financially free. I want a house and I want to own a bunch of houses. Is that a good answer? Where should I be? I want to be on Billboard. No. 1, I don’t see why not.
Shyne has lost his bid for re-election in Belize. The former Bad Boy conceded defeat in a press conference on Wednesday night (March 12).
According to Channel 5 Belize, Shyne (born Moses Barrow) was unseated by fellow United Democratic Party member and businessman Lee Mark Chang in the general election.
Shyne was elected to the Mesopotamia seat in Belize City for the House of Representatives in 2020, and he eventually served as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives and the leader of the Belize United Democratic Party.
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According to Channel 5 Belize, Shyne secured only 318 votes in the constituency of Mesopotamia, while Chang earned 601.
“The people have spoken. Congratulations to Lee Mark Chang — he’s now the new area representative of Mesopotamia, and I wish him well,” Shyne said, according to the local news outlet. “I was confident; that was the interaction I was having with the people, but they made a decision to go in another direction, and I respect that.”
With Shyne losing his House of Representatives seat, he’s planning to resign as the leader of the Belize UDP once a new official is elected.
“I certainly will resign effective once we have a national convention to elect a new leader,” he added. “Obviously you can’t be a leader of the United Democratic Party once you’re not a member of the House, and I would not want to be appointed as a senator or anything to hold on to the leadership.”
Chang was very critical of Shyne leading up to the election, reportedly referring to him as a “cancer” in the government. “The people are realizing they have been bamboozled,” he reportedly said on national TV in Belize.
It’s unclear if the loss marks the end of Shyne’s run in Belizean politics.
Shyne rose to fame in the late ’90s as a rapper under Diddy’s Bad Boy Records label. He was sentenced to 10 years behind bars in 2001 on assault, gun possession and reckless endangerment charges for his role in a 1999 NYC nightclub shooting that left two people wounded. He was released in 2009 after eight years behind bars and deported to Belize.
On Valentine’s Day 2025 (Feb. 14), a music video clip featuring an impossibly long and undeniably sensual makeout session instantly dominated social media. The video featured two artists: five-time Grammy-nominee Kehlani and one of R&B’s most arresting new voices — kwn.
Hailing from Walthamstow, East London, kwn (pronounced kay-one) grew up in a musical household soundtracked by selections from her mother, two older sisters and former-DJ father. While her parents introduced her to “old-school garage and house,” her sisters’ love for early-‘00s R&B heartthrobs ended up having an outsized impact on her current sound. “When I shared a room with my middle sister, she would have Chris Brown posters all over the wall, and my eldest sister was in love with Justin Timberlake,” the artist born K. Wilson reflects with a slight chuckle. “We had loads of R&B going throughout the house. A lot of Pharrell and stuff like that. I think it’s definitely following me now.”
Around 13 years old, kwn made a decision between football and music that would completely change her life. Building on her background on drums and keys, she began learning her way around at-home studio setups with some help from her sisters and their friends. She calls “So High,” one of the first songs she ever wrote, “terrible and really bad,” but she’s open to the idea of potentially sampling it in a brand-new record. By 16, she enrolled in East London Arts & Music, where she enjoyed a thorough music education, covering everything from music theory to reading contracts. Her time at East London gave her space to find her sonic pocket – a moody amalgam of trap, soulful vocal stacks and splashes of dark electronic music that both captures and reimagines the post-Bryson Tiller R&B landscape – with early tracks like “Tell Me” (with Natrell).
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In 2019, she connected with manager Carlyn Calder, who founded artist management company Vibeout Limited that same year, joining a roster that included Jvck Jones and Grammy-nominated producer Scribz Riley. “Nothing goes without Carlyn’s permission. We’re on the phone probably 50 times a day,” remarks kwn. “She’s my best friend; it’s a really good relationship that allows us to level up together without any pressure or ego.”
After taking some time to regain her motivation following COVID-19 lockdown, kwn launched her debut single, “Wn Way or Another,” in 2022. The song introduced her debut EP, Episode Wn, which arrived later that year. Kwn’s momentum continued in 2023 with “No Cinderella” and “Eyes Wide Open,” but the following year proved to be the tipping point for her burgeoning career. In 2024, she guested on “Clothes Off,” a cut from Kehlani’s While We Wait 2 mixtape, and later opened the European leg of the “After Hours” singer’s Crash world tour at the top of 2025.
“Worst Behavior,” the song that soundtracks that heated music video, arrived last November, instantly becoming kwn’s most-streamed song on Spotify – only to be surpassed by the Kehlani-assisted remix that landed three months later. According to Luminate, kwn’s breakthrough hit has amassed over 16 million official on-demand U.S. streams through March 6.
Billboard spoke with March’s R&B Rookie of the Month about what she learned from touring with Kehlani, how the steamy “Worst Behaviour” music video came together, collaborating with ROTM alum Jordan Adetunji, and how she views the U.K. R&B scene.
When did you decide to use a stage name, and how did you land on kwn?
It kind of came out of a nickname; it used to be K with a #1. My manager tried to make me change my name completely, but I liked the way it sounded — it just didn’t look cool on paper. So, I mushed all my initials together, since my last name is Wilson. If people don’t know how to pronounce it [yet], it’s fine. They’ll catch on soon.
How would you describe the evolution of the “kwn” sound?
I don’t really think I could pinpoint a sound; I just do whatever feels good. I love creating, and I don’t think there’s a limit to what we can do. I love the thought of waking up in the morning knowing that what I’m gonna come out with at the end of the day doesn’t exist in the morning. Even if it’s not something that eventually gets released, it’s still a beautiful process.
Do you find yourself getting drawn to certain chords or textures?
Yes, definitely. R&B influences are a consistency throughout my music, but I try to push the boundaries to see what I can do differently with it.
What elements from traditional R&B do you try to keep in your style?
I love traditional R&B background vocals and vocal production. I study that quite a lot and have been for the past year or so. Every time I go into the studio, I’m like, “Let’s make something that doesn’t sound like anything anybody’s heard.” Even if that means sitting there for the next 12 hours and we bang out 15-20 ideas. And if we don’t make anything, we don’t make anything. That’s what it’s all about.
What’s your favorite part of the music-making process?
The thing I find tedious is also the thing I love the most, and that’s doing background vocals. It takes so long, but I love it. The end product is always so amazing when you hear it. I’m always recording myself; I just prefer it.
Who were some of the producers or engineers that you find yourself drawn to?
Joel Compass is amazing – we work really well together. Scribz Riley is amazing. I’ve been working a lot with FaxOnly, too.
How did “Worst Behaviour” come together?
I was at home in my bedroom, and my mom was out that night. She never usually goes out, so I was like, “Alright, I’m gonna bump the music as loud as I can.” I made the song on Instagram Live in maybe 10 minutes. It was quick. I can’t remember what the inspiration was. I had the space and time to create, so I did. After I made the beat, I started coming up with melody ideas, and then I had the first verse and the chorus done.
I’m still on Instagram Live at this point, like, “Where’s my mum?” Somebody in the comments was like, “Oh, your mum commented that she’s already home!” I was like, “Huh?” I went into her room, and she was fast asleep. I said, “Oh my goodness. I’ve been blasting the music this whole time, and she’s been sleeping!” [Laughs.]
I wrote the second verse with Sasha Keable and finished it. Obviously, I worked hard on it, but it doesn’t feel like it was one of those ones where I had to take my time with it and revisit it a few times. It was super organic.
When did you start to realize that this was growing into a hit?
When I made it, I was like, “Oh, I think I got something here.” I always kind of know when I’m working on a song, whether it’s gonna be something that I keep. If I wake up the next morning and wanna listen to it straight away, it’s probably a good one.
Has your mom finally heard the full version of the song?
Oh yeah, she loves my music! She’s my biggest fan. I love my mum.
Did you always envision a remix?
No, I didn’t. Me and Kehlani have been friends for a minute now, so once I put out “Worst Behaviour,” she told me I should do a remix because it was kinda going off. I was like, “Why don’t you jump on the remix?” — I had to! — and then she jumped on it. She sent me the verse back within a day, she’s super fast.
What were some of the biggest takeaways you got from opening for Kehlani’s tour?
The biggest takeaway was that I can actually do this. Obviously, I know how to make music in my bedroom and do take after take until it’s perfect. But standing up there onstage and doing it without stopping… it’s a bit daunting. After the Crash [World] Tour, I now know I am ready to do this as a full-time career. I’m doing that already, but it taught me what kind of levels I can reach.
To perform at the O2 in my hometown – just my second hometown show after popping out for Destin Conrad at Koko, which was amazing – at this stage in my career is cool. I’ve only been putting out music for the last two or three years.
“Clothes Off” or “Worst Behaviour” remix?
I love both, but “Clothes Off.” It’s something about the sonics of it.
You know we need to talk about the “Worst Behaviour” video.
I knew you was gonna ask me about that. [Laughs.] We shot the video the day after the London show, which was crazy. Both me and Kehlani were sick; it was a tough one to get through, but we did it. We already had the idea of me being in front of the car, and one-take videos are a running theme for me, so we went from there. My director, Chris Chance, wanted it to be sexy and feel like you’re stuck in this moment with the eye contact and the Shibari model. We wanted you to be distracted, but not too distracted.
And then the kiss, man. We decided to shake the Internet a bit and get this song really popping off – and that’s what we did.
Where did the one-take video aesthetic come from?
I watched a lot of cool videos that were going around on TikTok, and they were like 10-second, one-shot things that were super cinematic and in slow motion. I also watched [the 2021 British drama] Boiling Point, which is a whole one-shot film. I think it’s a cool way to tell a story, and it worked straight away. I’m super involved in the editing process; it’s more me and my manager sitting down and coming up with an idea, then taking it to Chris, and he’ll elevate it. It’s a proper collaboration.
We did it for “Lord, I’ve Tried,” and that worked amazingly, so we did it for “Eyes Wide Open” and now “Worst Behaviour.” The hardest part about the “Worst Behaviour” video was the Shibari model because you can’t control how she spun on the rope.
You linked with Jordan Adetunji for his song “Too Many Women.” How did you two cross paths?
He was teasing it on TikTok, and then he hit me like, “Yo, we gotta get one.” I told him the song he was teasing was fire, and a few months later, he sent over an open verse. I did it for him, and that was that. Another bedroom banger that I did in my room. I think he did his parts in L.A.
How would you characterize the U.K. R&B scene?
There’s a lot of good talent coming out of the U.K. If I’m being totally honest, we should do more things to uplift U.K. R&B as a whole, rather than individually. There’s a lot of talent that I think is overlooked, but we’ll soon get our time.
Do I see myself as a part of U.K. R&B? I rep London heavy, but I’m also just here. My name is Kay, and I’m just doing my thing, going around this world, trying to live my life.
Who’s on your Mount Rushmore of producers you’d like to lock in with for a whole project?
Pharrell, Timbaland, Finneas and Anderson .Paak.
How are you handling how quickly things are moving?
I’m so overwhelmed right now. Somebody asked me the other day, if there was a theme track to your life right now, what would it be? I said it would be like 50 songs all at once — that’s how my brain feels. There’s a lot going on, but I’m so grateful. It’s a good problem to have, but a lot to adapt to. I’m just trying to remain grounded and keep myself focused.
What else do you have planned for 2025?
My project is dropping this year. I’ve been working on it for the last nine months to a year. I’m super proud of it. I’ve produced quite a few on there too, which is super exciting for me as a personal goal. I hope to do more shows as well. I want to travel more and make more music in different countries.
What does rest look like for you in this kind of moment?
Yeah, I do be resting; don’t worry about it. [Laughs.] I always wanna keep the love and passion I had for music from the start. The studio is my safe space. I love spending time with my family; that’s probably the most important thing for me. I got a niece and nephew whom I love spending time with, and they’re a big part of my life.
Former En Vogue memberDawn Robinson has revealed that she has spent the past three years living in her car, describing the unconventional choice as both a challenge and a personal awakening.
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The R&B singer opened up about her situation in a candid YouTube video posted on Tuesday (March 11), where she admitted, “You guys, for the past three years, I have been living in my car… I said it, oh my gosh, it’s out.”
Robinson explained that after living with her parents in Las Vegas in 2020, she moved to Los Angeles based on advice from her former manager, who initially offered her a place to stay. When the arrangement fell apart, the singer explained she found herself in a hotel for eight months while trying to secure an apartment.
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She alleged that her manager interfered with her housing search, saying, “Sometimes people want to trap you and keep you in a situation where you’re vulnerable and depending on them.”
Frustrated by the roadblocks she encountered, she started exploring alternative lifestyles and found herself drawn to “car life.” Instead of continuing to struggle for an apartment, she made the decision to live out of her vehicle, eventually settling near Malibu.
“I felt free,” she said, adding, “It was like being on a never-ending camping trip. It just felt right.” She continued, “This isn’t a sob story. This is about me learning who I am, as a person, as a woman.”
She admitted there were difficult moments, particularly after the loss of her dog Max, who passed away in the car. “I really am on my own,” she said, adding that while she misses her family, this period of isolation has been something she needed to experience.
Still, she acknowledged that she would take a more stable living situation if the opportunity arose. “If I could have an apartment, I would,” she said. “But I wouldn’t trade what I’ve learned from this experience. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
Robinson ended the video with an unapologetic message to her viewers: “Be spontaneous. Do the scary. F— fear.”
One of the original members of En Vogue, Robinson played a key role in shaping the group’s sound. Formed in 1989 alongside Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis, and Maxine Jones.
Their debut album, Born to Sing, released in 1990 and peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard 200, produced several hit singles, including “Hold On,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their follow-up album, Funky Divas, solidified their dominance, with “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100 and “Free Your Mind” earning them another Top 10 hit. “Don’t Let Go,” their 1996 hit, also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Robinson left the group in 1997 to sign with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label and later had brief reunions with En Vogue in 2005 and 2009. Outside of music, she made appearances in films and was featured in the first season of R&B Divas: Los Angeles.
The following story contains spoilers about the celebrity revealed on Wednesday night’s (March 12) episode of The Masked Singer.
Space Ranger made his debut on last week’s Masked Singer, bounding out with his neon-tinged swagger and a silver space suit topped by a glowing, planet be-decked cowboy hat. It was a fitting ‘fit for what came next: an electrifying performance in which he bounced around, dropped to his knees and flashed finger guns with so much rizz that judge Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was convinced he must be a famous comedian.
If you were paying any attention at all, the clues (and his one-of-a-kind voice) made it pretty obvious: He’s futuristic, lives on his own planet and a childhood report card included an A+ in, ahem, “PE.” Oh, also, sometimes, he said, you have to show them all that you’re “worth the hype,” as he showed off a belt that appeared to have a clock face on it.
His debut performance, of a track by his “bestie,” was a spirited run through Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” that left judge Ken Jeong dumbstruck, while host Nick Cannon knew right away that it was one of his “favorite people” on the planet.
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Both Robin Thicke and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg agreed that it could be comedian/actor Tracy Morgan, while always-wrong Jeong — who said he’s opened for Morgan on the road — thought the space case was retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Rita Ora suggested a showman like actor/comedian Marlon Wayans.
Wednesday night’s Ghostbusters-themed episode was back with more super obvious clues, including one about his gig “schlepping furniture” in New York as a young man before he and his partner came up with a crazy idea for a career change with help from a “beastly band of boys” who boosted their career.
For his second song, he went in another direction with the swinging Busboys’ Ghostbusters soundtrack album tune “Cleanin’ Up the Town,” which further showcased his showmanship and vocal dexterity. The second performance made Jeong think it was DJ Jazzy Jeff, even as Thicke doubled down on his Morgan guess, while Ora and McCarthy-Wahlberg totally figured out that it was none other than Public Enemy hype man rapper Flavor Flav.
Before his elimination, Billboard spoke with Flav, who described the joy of getting the special dispensation to cover Swift, his shock at the judges’ guesses, and why he wanted to hang around just a bit longer.
You said being on the show has been on your bucket list for years. Why? What took you so long?
I don’t know what took it so long ’cause I’ve been wanting to do this show for years! So when I was asked to be on the show, I said, “Wow! Finally? OK, let’s go!” One thing about me is I love surprising people, I love amusing people, and I love keeping people in suspense. So this show put me on that platform to do all of these things.
People know you as the hype man from PE, but were you nervous to try singing on national TV, especially a Taylor Swift song?
One thing about Flav — Flav is never, ever nervous. I always love being the center of attention. I love being the most positive, talked-about. I’m the biggest hype man, I’m the original hype man, so I could not wait to get out there on that stage and hype up the world.
You are the self-proclaimed “King Swiftie” and there’s never been a Taylor song on Masked Singer. Was that an extra layer of pressure?
Nah, I wasn’t nervous at all, and I was honored that Taylor Swift and them did clear the song for me to do. Because Masked Singer been trying to get a Taylor Swift song cleared for years and they could not get one cleared, until Flavor Flav, King Swiftie, came on their show. [A spokesperson for the show confirmed that it was the first-ever Swift cover on the series.] They cleared it for King Swiftie. I’m honored and proud that Taylor Swift and them cleared me to do “Bad Blood.” I said, “I’m gonna have fun with this song and I know I’m gonna do a good job with it.” I ain’t gonna lie, I am my biggest fan and I do amuse myself and I love watching me on TV.
Did she approve it because she knew you were going to do it?
They knew I was going to do it, that’s why the song got cleared. They only cleared it because of me! They weren’t clearing it for nobody else! And you know what? I don’t think they’re gonna get another Taylor Swift song after this.
You have an iconic, signature look. So how did it feel to be in that ridiculous costume? Did it help you relax to be covered up?
It was real fun jumping in and out of that costume. When I first seen the costume, I was like, “Wow, how am I gonna pull this off?” But, you know, I can make anything work, I can pull this off. I really had fun… but it was a little hot and muggy up in there and I was running out of fresh air. But I said, “Keep it going. KIM — keep it movin’ Flav, you got this!”
Not gonna lie, I’ve been covering you for 30 years and so this was the easiest mystery to guess in the history of the show. From the way you walked out , to the super obvious clues and your one-of-a-kind voice it seemed almost too easy.
What do we say when we pick up the phone? “Heloooooooo?” C’mon now, it was the biggest, easiest giveaway! My voice is distinctive like James Earl Jones, like Samuel L. Jackson, like Morgan Freeman. I have the most sampled voice in the history of music and my voice is very, very recognizable. So when you take my voice and match it up with them easy-ass clues… the easiest clues! The first one was “PE.” C’mon now, everybody knows Flavor Flav is Public Enemy! Everybody knows that I’m famous for my hardware that I wear around my neck [holds up giant clock pendant]. It’s clocks. And also the other easy giveaways was the clock belt and they showed the belt twice! I’m like, “C’mon man, everybody knows that’s Flav!” I was trending number 3 on Twitter [after his first episode] and everybody on Twitter was like, “Man, that was the most easiest giveaway ever!” I think they should have did me better.
Be honest: Did you want to win?
I didn’t go on that show to win. I went on that show to have fun. Did I expect to win? No. But I did want to last a little longer than I did and last as long as I can. At least I could say I had fun. At least I could say I was onstage with one of my favorite people on the planet too, Nick Cannon. I’ve always been a Nick Cannon fan and when Nick said “I know who this is! This is one of my favorite people on the planet!” When he said that, you don’t know how honored I was and how proud I was to hear those words come out of his mouth. ‘Cause before Nick Cannon was Wildin’ Out, I was wildin’ out first, since 1986! The surprising thing was when the judges were trying to guess me… where the hell did they get Tracy Morgan from? [Laughs] The weirdest one was Floyd Mayweather. What in the world is Floyd Mayweather going to be doing in a costume?
SZA has hit another chart milestone. The singer/songwriter’s SOS has tied with Michael Jackson’s Thriller, notching 79 total, nonconsecutive weeks each in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news According to Luminate, no other Black artist has as many, or more, weeks […]