R&B/Hip-Hop
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Joe Budden is finding new ways to wedge himself into the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud. The rapper-turned-podcaster claims he played a role in the “takedown” of the 6 God dating back to his 2016 beef with Drake.
Budden hopped into a Twitter Spaces on Monday (June 24), where he took credit for starting to chip away at Drake with their feud before “passing the baton” to Pusha T and ultimately K. Dot earlier this year.
“It may sound narcissistic, but I don’t think any one man takes down Drake,” he said. “I think I passed the baton to Push, I think Push passed the baton to Kendrick, and the job is done now. That’s how I feel in my head and my heart.”
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Drake and Budden’s feud heated up in 2016 following the New Jersey native’s criticism of Drizzy’s Views album. The OVO boss took shots at Budden on “4PM in Calabasas,” and Budden fired away at Drake with a series of diss tracks including “Making a Murderer, Pt. 1,” “Wake” and “Afraid.”
Drizzy didn’t respond directly with a diss track, but replied by sniping at Budden on “No Shopping” with French Montana.
Two years later, Pusha T left a stain on Drake’s résumé in 2018 when claiming that Drizzy had a son named Adonis — well before Drizzy himself confirmed the news — on the scathing “The Story of Adidon” diss track, which Drake did not respond to.
The great rap war of 2024 was seemingly kicked off by K. Dot’s atomic verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” in March, which jabbed at both Drake and J. Cole.
Drake stepped up to deliver “Push Ups,” the AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle,” “Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6,” while Kendrick unleashed “Euphoria,” “6:16 in L.A,” the diabolical “Meet the Grahams” and the Mustard-produced kill shot “Not Like Us.”
The hip-hop community declared K. Dot to be the victor against Drake, and Lamar figuratively took a victory lap at his Pop Out concert on Juneteenth. He celebrated with thousands of fans inside the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., where Kendrick performed a few of those Drake diss tracks for the first time and ran back “Not Like Us” five times in total.
Find Joe Budden’s full answer below.
Eminem rode around Detroit in a 1976 Oldsmobile Delta 88 throughout 8 Mile, but he’s gonna need some new wheels to keep up in Formula 1. Slim Shady has been announced as one of the concert headliners alongside Sting when the 2024 Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix comes to Austin, Texas in October. Em is […]
Latto made history by being the first woman to headline Atlanta’s Birthday Bash summer concert put on by local radio station Hot 107.9. To celebrate this special occasion, Latto’s friends presented her with a cake in the shape of the poop emoji with the message, “Holy Sh–, You’re Headlining” underneath.
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The rapper then tweeted a picture of the cake with the caption, “Think I’m the sh– , bi— ?????,” seemingly reigniting her feud with Ice Spice.
If you recall, Ice Spice’s single “Think U the Sh– (Fart)” is a diss track directed at Latto; Ice Spice confirmed the song was about the Atlanta rapper on Twitter Spaces.
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Apparently she took issue with her video “Pretty Girl” being played in the background while Latto teased her song “Sunday Service” in a TikTok. “Seeing that I’m in the back of your weak-ass snippet,” the Bronx rapper said. “So I was like, ‘Wait a second — that’s me?’ So I’m like, ‘Okay, since we’re talking about me, let’s talk about me.”
During an appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast with Gillie and Wallo, she revealed Ice Spice’s video being played in the background was just a coincidence, saying, “I did not do that on purpose, but f— it, like, you know what I’m sayin’?”
While “Sunday Service” wasn’t originally aimed at the Bronx rapper, Latto shot the video for it in Ice Spice’s old neighborhood and added the line, “Think I’m the sh–, bi—?/ I know it, ho/ Jesus walked on water, I got Ice boilin’ though.”
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The ball is now in Ice’s court, with her debut album Y2K! set to be released on July 26.
Keefe D, the prime suspect in the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, is making bail. Born Duane Davis, Keefe D has informed the Clark County District Court in Nevada that he can now post his $750,000 bail, according to the bail bond document filed Thursday (June 20) obtained by Billboard. Explore See latest videos, charts […]
A$AP Rocky is finally ready to drop his first album in six years. The Harlem rapper made his Paris Fashion Week debut on Friday (June 21) with his first AWGE collection entitled American Sabotage, and played three unreleased tracks during the collection’s show. Once the presentation concluded, a pre-save link went live revealing the album’s […]
The summer of “Not Like Us” is in full swing. It’s been less than a week since Kendrick Lamar broke the internet with his Pop Out concert — featuring Mustard, YG, 310babbii, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook and more — where he turned his victory lap into an historic moment of West Coast unification. After opening the show with his blistering “Euphoria” diss, the superstar tore through a set list of hits like “DNA,” “King’s Dead” and “Alright.” To close out the show, Kendrick — alongside friends from every corner of the West Coast — performed his Billboard Hot 100-topping “Not Like Us” a whopping five times in a row.
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With major albums from Megan Thee Stallion, James Blake & Lil Yachty and Lucky Daye due later this week (June 28) and the BET Awards on Sunday (June 30), the hip-hop and R&B worlds have much to look forward to. In the meantime, there’s still the weekly onslaught of new music to sort through — from GloRilla’s highly anticipated “TGIF” to Brandy and Monica’s gorgeous remix of Ariana Grande’s “The Boy Is Mine.”
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from IDK and Gunna’s new team-up to The 80s’ new collaboration with Snoh Aalegra. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
IDK & Gunna, “TIFFANY”
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A viral snippet that goes on to live up to the hype is a rarity nowadays, but IDK and Gunna defied the odds with “TIFFANY,” their first-ever team-up. Gunna is a guest on the DMV native’s single but feels right at home with his close friend Turbo helming the twitchy production. The chemistry is apparent, as they join forces for a silky chorus name-dropping the designer brands filling their wardrobes. With a luxe visual shot in Paris, it’s fitting the track dropped in the midst of Paris Fashion Week. IDK lets it be known he’s been grinding for a decade to get to this point, and refers to himself as reliable children’s cartoon character Bob the Builder. “TIFFANY” follows IDK’s Joey Bada$$-assisted “Denim,” and he’s drummed up some momentum heading into his album later this year.
Adrian Marcel, “Lovin Me”
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Rising R&B singer Adrian Marcel offers up a delectable slice of warm, inviting R&B vibes on his new single, “Lovin Me.” With his soulful falsetto and pristine layering coloring the drum-heavy jazz-inflected soundscape of Bay Area R&B, Marcel crafts a track that grapples with the lingering feelings of apprehension that remain in even the longest of relationships. “Through all your sacrifice, you stood by my side/ But still, I can’t help wondering/ If you’re still in love with me,” he ponders over the Sonny B-produced track, co-written with Ryn Nicole. Playing on the doe-eyed balminess of classic soul and R&B, “Lovin Me” is a sweet addition to the soundtrack for a hazy summer evening.
2Rare, “Congratulationz”
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2Rare has a lot to be thankful about these days. He’s sharing the love and the timing is perfect for his “Congratulationz” single, which serves as a celebratory anthem for every graduating class across the country. The triumphant tune is a refreshing change of pace compared to previous releases for the Philly native, as he toasts to leveling up in life and thanks his parents and God for being there every step of the way. “Give it up for us one time,” he urges listeners, with help from a children’s choir to further drive home the familial aspect. It’s not going to reach the heights of Quavo and Post Malone’s diamond single of the same name, but 2Rare’s positivity is a welcome sound.
THEY., “Diamonds And Pearls”
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“Be my addiction, material girl/ Wrapped ’round my finger like diamonds and pearls/ Hit all your buttons with no strings attached/ Make you wanna run it back,” Drew Love sings at the beginning of “Diamond And Pearls,” a Prince-nodding, City High name-checking ode to the sensuous heat of the chase. After previewing the song last year, the acclaimed R&B duo presents a full song that leans into its hip hop-soul and neo-soul influences, while employing a sing-rap cadence in the verses that feels decidedly contemporary. Embracing all aspects of the chase — sex, liquor, material wealth — “Diamonds And Pearls” is the kind of infectious R&B jam that makes even the slimiest concepts feel alluring.
Bay Swag, “Worldwide Sniper”
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It’s a Slizzy Summer in NYC, and Bay Swag, alongside his “Fisherrr” collaborator Cash Cobain, are the driving forces behind the sexy drill movement sweeping the Big Apple rap scene. The Queens native gives his rendition of DMX’s “What These B—–s Want” anthem, as Bay runs through various women in his lineup, like an H-Town fling who used to date NBA star James Harden or a nurse from Brooklyn that he passed to Fivio Foreign. With Cash helming the ominous production, the 24-year-old is crossing state lines to live up to his “Worldwide Sniper” reputation. If you let Bay Swag tell it, he says the track is “a shout-out to all the baddies worldwide who bring that energy wherever they go.”
The 80s & Snoh Aalegra, “Blue”
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Last Friday (June 21), The 80s — comprised of James Fauntleroy & No I.D. and formerly known as Cocaine 80s — released the 2024 remaster of their Pursuit EP, the first in a series of defining Blog Era projects. With three-time Grammy nominee Snoh Aalegra offering her first musical release of 2024 via a new verse on “Blue,” the moody album closer emerges as one of the set’s most rewarding listens. Her ethereal tone blends beautifully with Fauntleroy’s tender falsetto — grounded by endless layers of backing harmonies — making for the perfect vocal complement to the dramatic piano line that anchors No I.D.’s sparse production. “And all I ever wanted was your love/ Damn, I would pull the sun down/ Just because you’re all I wanted,” they coo.
Shaboozey is hitting the road this fall. The DMV native announced the Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going Tour on Monday (June 24) in support of his album of the same. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer will be making […]
Snoop Dogg is checking things off his bucket list he probably never imagined as he completes another side mission of life. With Snoop onboard as a guest commentator for NBC at the 2024 Summer Olympics, he participated in the 200m trial run in Oregon over the weekend. Rocking a team USA shirt honoring the late […]
Kendrick Lamar’s victory lap continues as he was spotted shooting the visual for his Mustard-produced Drake diss track “Not Like Us” in Compton, Calif., over the weekend. K. Dot brought Mustard along with him, and they were moving around his hometown for the video shoot on Saturday afternoon (June 22). Complex was on the scene […]
Wave your hands in the air, because ready or not, here they come again: Ms. Lauryn Hill and The Fugees are going back on a joint tour! The 21-date trek, announced on Monday (June 24), will mostly play in the United States before wrapping up with four dates overseas.
The tour — which reunites the eight-time Grammy winner with The Fugees to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Billboard 200 No. 1 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, kicks off Aug. 9 in Tampa, Fla., at the Midflorida Credit Union Ampitheatre before making its way around the states. It ends Oct. 22 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. The co-headlining tour will also feature music from The Fugees’ No. 1 album The Score, with Hill’s son YG Marley — whom she shares with Rohan Marley — as the support act.
Tickets for U.S. shows begin Tuesday (June 25) with a Citi presale, with sales beginning at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com cardmembers. General onsale for stateside shows begin 10 a.m. local time on June 28. For European fans, presales begin June 26 also via Live Nation, with general onsale also beginning June 28 at 10 a.m. local.
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According to the press release, $2 from each ticket sold will go to the MLH fund, which benefits organizations that provide resources for mental health issues, women’s wellness, small business development, education and more.
The Miseducation Anniversary Tour was previously postponed in November due to Hill experiencing vocal issues. “As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month. I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “In order to prevent any long term negative affect on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely.”
“The shows that were cancelled this year will be rescheduled for early 2024 AND because of the overwhelming response, we’ll be adding new cities to the tour, including overseas,” she added at the time.
See the new batch of tour dates below: