R&B/Hip-Hop
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Ice Spice and Central Cee join forces on their first collab “Did It First,” which dropped on Thursday (July 11). “If he’s cheatin’, I’m doin’ him worse (Like)/ No Uno, I hit the reverse (Grrah)/ I ain’t trippin’, the grip in my purse (Grrah)/ I don’t care, ’cause he did it first (Like)/ If he’s […]
Houston rapper Travis Scott and baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr. are in a new spot teasing a collaboration for Nike Diamond — the sneaker company’s baseball division. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The commercial features Scott at the plate taking batting practice while hitting baseballs with […]
Travis Scott and Ice Spice have a collaboration on the way. La Flame brought out the “Deli” rapper during his London concert on Thursday night (July 11) for the live debut of the unreleased and still-untitled track. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Footage emerged of Ice Spice […]
Cash Cobain is up to his old antics again. The Bronx rapper and producer has been known to post snippets of songs he’s making on social media. Sometimes he releases the finished product, sometimes he doesn’t. So there’s no telling if he will ever officially drop his remix of Laila!’s viral “Not My Problem” song. […]
Eminem’s “Houdini” achieves a feat that no single from the rapper had in over 20 years: make Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.
The song bows at No. 35 on the ranking dated July 13, marking Eminem’s fifth appearance on the survey and first since “Lose Yourself,” which peaked at No. 14 in December 2002.
“Lose Yourself” logged an 18-week run on the chart, through February 2003. As such, the break between Eminem’s Alternative Airplay hits numbered 21 years and five months. That’s the longest between appearances since Kate Bush went over 28 years between January 1994 (“Rubberband Girl”) and June 2022 (“Running Up That Hill [A Deal With God]”), the latter charting after the 1985 classic’s synch in Netflix’s Stranger Things.
Eminem’s respite is the third-longest in Alternative Airplay’s nearly 36-year history, behind only Bush’s and Debbie Harry’s; the latter waited almost 29 years between “Kiss It Better” in 1990 and her featured turn on Just Loud’s “Soul Train” in 2018.
Eminem’s Alternative Airplay history extends before “Lose Yourself,” though it’s his highest peaking entry on the tally. He first reached the list with “My Name Is” in 1999 (No. 37), followed by “The Real Slim Shady” (No. 19, 2000) and “Without Me” (No. 15, 2002).
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“Houdini” has been described as evocative of many of those earlier Eminem singles, which is not lost on Kevin Weatherly, Audacy senior vp of programming and program director of KROQ Los Angeles. “This Eminem song has an instant familiarity, and it resonates with a large segment of our audience that was there when he arrived 20-plus years ago,” he tells Billboard. “Much like when we played him in the past, the response is mostly positive, but there are also some negatives. That said, we recognized the pop-culture moment and wanted to reflect it and be a part of it.”
KROQ played “Houdini” 21 times in the latest tracking week (July 28-July 4), sixth-most among stations on the Alternative Airplay panel, according to Mediabase.
KTCL Denver spun the song 29 times in that span, the fourth-most on the panel in that stretch; KKDO Sacramento led all stations with 38 plays. “One of my Jocks, B-Large, brought it to our music meeting for discussion,” KTCL program director Jeb “Nerf” Freedman tells Billboard. “We play four Eminem songs in catalog, so it makes sense to take a listen to the new song – but not every artist has a comeback this late in their career. Lucky for us, we constantly engage our audience with online surveys. When we tested it and it went through the roof, we knew they didn’t think of Eminem as just a part of history. Slim Shady is alive and well!
“It sounds a little weird hearing that Steve Miller melody on our station, but it certainly jumps out of the speaker at you. So far, it’s a massive hit.”
The Miller melody Freedman references is that of “Abracadabra,” the 1982 hit from The Steve Miller Band that topped the Billboard Hot 100; “Houdini” interpolates the song’s melody in its chorus.
Concurrently, “Houdini” lifts to a new No. 29 high on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart via 1.2 million audience impressions, up 21%, according to Luminate. Upon its debut in late June, it became Eminem’s first song on the list, which began in 2009.
“Houdini” boasts multi-format approval; in addition to its Alternative Airplay rank, it has so far reached No. 8 on Rhythmic Airplay, No. 16 on Pop Airplay, No. 18 on hot-rap-tracks and No. 32 on Adult Pop Airplay.
The track launched at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts dated June 15, as well as No. 2 on the all-format Billboard Hot 100. It holds at No. 16 on the latter list’s latest edition via 20.9 million radio audience impressions, 15.7 million official U.S. streams and 6,000 downloads sold.
“Houdini” is the lead single from The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), Eminem’s 12th studio album, due Friday, July 12. One other song was released ahead of the album: “Tobey,” featuring Big Sean and BabyTron, which bows at No. 95 on the Hot 100.
In the ninth episode of Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Carl Lamarre, Trevor Anderson, Damien Scott and Kyle Denis break down the top 10 best rap albums of all time and elaborate on why and how they earned their ranking. They also analyze Kendrick Lamar’s music video for “Not Like Us,” how Shaboozey was able to get his first No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and more!
Damien Scott:All these callbacks that for someone who is reportedly so offline, he seems to know a lot about what people are doing online.
Kyle Denis:It’s just a fantastic freaking moment, a Nigerian-American country star with a No. 1 single.
Carl Lamarre:We went through 100-11 the last few weeks … the top 10!
There was some fireworks on the Fourth of July, seven o’clock Eastern time, courtesy of Mr. Kendrick Lamar officially dropping the “Not Like Us” video. It has 41 million views in five days on YouTube.
Trevor Anderson:That was only five days ago?
Carl Lamarre:Yep. Yeah.
Kyle Denis:Those numbers are nuts for, like, 2022.
Carl Lamarre:Yeah.
Trevor Anderson:I was trying to … I literally was try to think …
Kyle Denis:2024?
Trevor Anderson:Even better! 2024!
Kyle Denis:These videos don’t get played on YouTube like that anymore.
Carl Lamarre:Yeah. I think the only …
Trevor Anderson:I was trying to think of the last music video that really …
Carl Lamarre:I think “Houdini” because “Houdini” had like 20 (million) in a day.
Trevor Anderson:But I’m trying to think, I guess, like made an impact in a you know …
Carl Lamarre:A cultural …?
Trevor Anderson:I mean, even just ,like, though we’re waiting for this video to drop kind of moment.
Carl Lamarre:Yeah.
Damien Scott:Like, when the stills dropped, people were excited.
Carl Lamarre:Yeah.
Damien Scott:And I’ve never seen … I haven’t seen people that excited over music, video stills in I don’t know how long and that was crazy. Just seeing people being like, “Oh, man!” They were dissecting images of a video that they have no idea about.Watch the full video above!
Eminem has revealed that his The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is a “conceptual album,” which appears to be the first of his Hall of Fame career. With his 12th studio album set to arrive on Friday (July 12), the “Without Me” rapper gave fans a warning and some insight into his project […]
There are times when life can imitate art. Back in a May 1996 episode of The Simpsons, Cypress Hill teamed up with the London Symphony Orchestra. Now, nearly three decades later, they’ve turned that into a reality, and the long-running Fox show can take credit for predicting the future once again.
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B-Real, Sen Dog and the guys took the Royal Albert Hall stage in London on Wednesday night (July 10) alongside the London Symphony Orchestra for a classical one-time concert.
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Backed by a full orchestra, Cypress Hill put a jazzy twist on their catalog standouts such as “A to the K,” “Insane in the Brain,” “I Wanna Get High” and more.
The California-bred hip-hop crew was dressed to the nines in suits while they ran through their entire 1993 Black Sunday album. Fans were loving the 28-years-in-the-making collaboration, with the 5,000-person cap venue appearing to be full.
“It’s been something that we’ve talked about for many years since The Simpsons episode first aired,” B-Real relayed to BBC ahead of the performance. “So it’s very special for us. And it’s coming off the heels of our 30th anniversary for our Black Sunday album. We’ve played a lot of historical venues throughout our career and stuff like that, but nothing as prestigious as this.”
Black Sunday arrived in July 1993 and debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 261,000 album units sold in the first week. Triple-platinum lead single “Insane in the Brain” went on to crack the Billboard Hot 100 top 20, where it peaked at No. 19.
The “Homerpalooza” episode of The Simpsons aired on May 19, 1996, as the penultimate episode of season seven. Homer, Marge and the Simpson family head backstage at the Springfield Fairgrounds where Cypress Hill and other performers are hanging out. Event staff members are surprised to see the London Symphony Orchestra show up, and suspect that the cannabis-advocating crew may have had something to do with it. “Somebody ordered the London Symphony Orchestra. Possibly while high, Cypress Hill I’m looking in your direction,” they said.
After huddling up, Cypress agrees they may have done it, and see if the orchestra knows “Insane in the Brain” to deliver a classical rendition of their anthem on the animated show.
Watch clips from Cypress Hill’s live performance with the London Symphony Orchestra below:
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While Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” remains at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart for a ninth week, three songs reach the list’s top five for the first time after gaining on the July 13-dated survey.
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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity July 1-7. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
Following “Million Dollar Baby” at No. 2 is BlackMayo’s “Jus’ Know,” which vaults from its No. 10 debut on the July 6 list. It remains driven by a dance trend, which was sent into overdrive after newly drafted NBA player Jared McCain posted multiple uploads dancing to the song, as well as Twitch star Kai Cenat.
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“Jus’ Know” concurrently sports a 192% jump in official U.S. streams to 584,000 in the week ending July 4, according to Luminate.
While Tinashe’s “Nasty” falls 2-3 on the chart, the rest of the top five is taken up by songs new to the region: Ian’s “Magic Johnson” and Prodbycpkshawn and Uglyandz’s “Yo Bunny” at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
Both songs debuted on the July 6 tally, with “Magic Johnson” having started at No. 48. Released May 31, the song (from the rapper’s debut album Valedictorian) has been driven by lip-synch videos featuring the song as well as uploads soundtracked by a mashup that adds a bit of Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” (specifically its countdown) to the sound.
“Magic Johnson” is up 5% to 5.1 million streams in the week ending July 4, holding at its No. 28 peak on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as a result.
“Yo Bunny,” meanwhile, mostly benefits from a photo trend showing off users’ summer 2023 vs. summer 2024 looks, as well as a dance trend and videos showing off how they walk downhill vs. uphill.
The song rockets 38% to 1.2 million streams in the June 28-July 4 tracking week.
Two other songs reach the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 for the first time, the first a debut in LeoStayTrill and Mr Reload It’s “Pink Lemonade (Str8 Reload),” which bows at No. 8 on the strength of lip-synch clips. Bbno$’s “It Boy” joins the song in the top 10 at No. 10, up from its No. 21 debut July 6, spurred by a variety of uploads, including recreations of its music video.
As the latest tracking week fell during the July 4 holiday in the U.S., Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” also pops onto the ranking at No. 11 thanks to creations surrounding the United States’ Independence Day, including from Keith’s account itself. 2024 marked the first July 4 without the country singer, who died Feb. 5 of cancer.
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
Although June ended with Hurricane Beryl pummeling the Caribbean — St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, in particular — it was still a glowing month for music and culture from the region.
Skillibeng performed at the BET Awards for the second time in as many years, joining Gunna and Tyla — who took home two awards at the ceremony, including best new artist — for a performance of the latter’s latest global hit “Jump,” which combines dancehall, hip-hop and Afrobeats. The Marley Family also made their presence known at the telecast, with YG Marley, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean closing out the show with a bombastic medley of “Lost Ones,” “Survival,” “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” and “Fu-Gee-La.” Meanwhile, Bob Marley: One Love took home best movie, the first musician biopic to do so since Straight Outta Compton in 2016.
Just one week after the BET Awards, Caribbean Elite Group announced the recipients of the highest honors at the upcoming Caribbean Music Awards on Aug. 29. A trio of powerful West Indian women are set to be honored: Jamaica’s Marcia Griffiths (lifetime achievement award), Barbados’ Alison Hinds (elite icon award) and JA’s Cedella Marley (legacy award).
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Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: Govana & Popcaan, “Saved by a Psalm”
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Govana brought June to a close with his Legacy album, and his reflection and vulnerability across the LP helped make it one of the year’s best releases so far. One of the crown jewels of Legacy is “Saved by a Psalm,” a tear-jerking collaboration with Popcaan. “Ghetto youth haffi rich and wealthy/ Haffi make it, beg you please, Jah, help me/ Beg you guide me from the greed and envy/ Rev me ‘matic ’til it breeze and empty,” Govana spits over the pensive, understated dancehall production. Across the track, he and Popcaan reflect on the merits of faith, calling on Psalm 71 to emphasize how vital their respective relationships with God are — particularly when it comes to navigating life’s most consequential pitfalls.
Spice & Busta Rhymes, “Round Round”
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The reigning Queen of Dancehall is gearing up for the release of her upcoming third studio album, and she’s introducing it was a fiery new banger. “Round Round,” a collaboration with Busta Rhymes — who Skillibeng helped pay tribute to at the 2023 BET Awards — finds the two artists forging a common ground between their dancehall and hip-hop styles with a sparse soundscape crafted by YowLevite. “Busta, mi waan give yuh di hanky pollie/ Mek mi whine pon yuh buddy fast den slowly,” Spice spits as she flirtatiously trades bars with the hip-hop icon. The drum-heavy beat helps emphasize the percussiveness of both of their voices, but it’s their nimble flow switches that truly reveal the depths of their artistic chemistry.
Dean Fraser, “Belafonte Ghost”
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With his new Sax in Dub album, Musgrave Medal recipient Dean Fraser exalts the artform — a electronic subgenre of reggae that has grown into its own beast over the past few decades. “Belafonte Ghost” is the instant standout on the LP, with the saxophonist riffing on the melody of Harry Belafonte‘s timeless “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” in tribute of the legendary artist and activist, who passed away last year. The only discernible vocals on the track are a collection of voices buried just under the mix’s surfaces, allowing for Fraser’s saxophone to take center stage across the calypso-inflected arrangement.
Bayka feat. Najeeriii, “1086”
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On this salsa-nodding jam from his new Mob Ties mixtape, Bayka joins forces with fellow Jamaican star Najeeriii to craft a song that offers some effervescent energy to the often brooding nature of trap dancehall. Between the dancehall drums accenting the funky piano line and Bayka and Najeeriii effortlessly playing off each other’s suave, laid-back energies, “1086” stands as one of the best representations of Bayka’s specific pocket of new age dancehall.
Pablo YG & Lanae, “Birds & Bees”
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With Lanae’s seductive tone paired with a sultry saxophone riff in the background, “Birds & Bee” immediately establishes itself as the latest candidate for your slow wine soundtrack. Given the title, it isn’t difficult to decode what Pablo and Lanae are singing about, especially since it’s one of the dominant themes in the dancehall genre. Nonetheless, their take on the subject is framed by their vocal chemistry; Pablo’s Auto-Tuned warbles cradle Lanae’s sensual purrs, resulting in one steamer of a not-so-slow jam.
Nuttea feat. Kabaka Pyramid, “Egaux”
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French ragga artist Nuttea has been instrumental in ushering in the country’s own take on reggae music, and his new collaboration with Grammy winners Kabaka Pyramid is the latest step of that journey. Titled “Égaux” — which translates to “Equals” — the new track finds the two acts reflecting on their respective artistic and emotional journeys, highlighting humanity’s sameness when all is said and done. It’s a multilingual affair, with Nuttea delivering his lines entirely in French, underscoring the global impact of reggae. The instrumentation is fairly traditional, but it’s their respective hip-hop-infused deliveries that keeps things exciting.
Minister Marion Hall, “Step”
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From her Lady Saw days to her current moniker of Minister Marion Hall, the Jamaican artist has been an icon for decades. For her new single and first musical release of the year, Ms. Hall steps in the energy of spiritual warfare, opting for a militant gospel-tinged anthem of standing steadfast in your faith. “It’s a spiritual war/ Put on ya war clothes,” she snarls over histrionic drums and guitar. Minister Hall’s vocal is the star of the show here, she’s gasping for air and delivering her lines with equal parts reverence, desperation and grit. Considering her journey from dancehall queen to a unfiltered Christian who regularly speaks about her struggles with her faith, “Step” is appropriately aggressive. Somewhere between Richie Spice’s “Gideon Boot” and Kirk Franklin’s “Stomp,” “Step” is a stellar, if not unexpected, addition to the catalog of wartime gospel anthems.
$teevoo, “Slow Wine”
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With “Slow Wine,” Rising Trinbagonian artist $teevoo previews a potentially minimalist future for dancehall. His voice barely rises above whisper, and the synths and drums that are normally quite pronounced in a traditional dancehall track feel notably muted. Ultimately, “Slow Wine” offers a chilly, electronic version of a dancehall riddim, courtesy of Brooklyn Decent. Following the path he laid out with Eros EP earlier this year, $teevoo strips soca, dancehall and calypso down to its most elementary parts and builds something distinctly fresh out of those components. Everything — from his cadence to the drum patterns — feels strikingly familiar, but his unfussy vocal delivery immediately sets his sound apart from previous decades of West Indian music.
Jah Lil, “Weak Men”
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Jah Lil’s Can A Man Cry is a true gem of an album. Released at the tail end of last month (June 26), the LP is a tender-yet-unflinching look at the intersection of faith, masculinity and morality — all set to some of the most evocative, multi-layered reggae arrangements of the year. “Weak Men,” in which Jah Lil posits that true male weakness is the inability to properly express your emotions and defy temptation, is relentlessly engaging, folding in funky horns, steady guitars and earth percussion to craft a soundscape for his alluring voice to coast across.
Alison Hinds, “Slow It Down”
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Alison Hinds’ sweet timbre has soundtracked soca music for over two decades and “Slow It Down” proves the Queen of Soca has no plans to, well, slow down. She paints across Elmo Norville’s breezy Sweet Water Project riddim with that trademark honeyed tone, crooning, “Baby I wan ya slow it down/ Take your time now darling, we really don’t need to rush it.” In a genre that has its fair share of high-octane moments by way of power soca, “Slow It Down” offers road marchers a chance to catch their breath — and catch the meanest slow wine.
Click here to donate to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s special bank account in aid of its Participating States impacted by Hurricane Beryl.