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Billboard complies its first-ever Hottest Female Rappers List based on quality of records, chart success, buzz within the culture, notable business endeavors and partnerships, and touring success…
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” has permeated different avenues of culture outside of music such as politics with a Joe Biden ad, and the Drake diss has now found its way into a weather report.
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Houston meteorologist Adam Krueger shrewdly weaved K. Dot’s wordplay into Tuesday’s (June 4) CW39 broadcast as “Not Like Us” helped spell out the steamy temperatures in Texas, which probably threw off some of his audience.
“Let’s say you want to travel somewhere cooler. How many opps you got? If you wanna pass on this heat like John Stockton you can go into the Northwest where there’s 60s and 70s for highs today,” he said while channeling his inner-Kendrick. “So again, we got temperatures in the 90s, but it’s going to feel hotter for several days. Wop, wop, wop, wop!”
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Krueger continued: “This is not a major cold front. In fact, the general rule this time of year if it’s June and we’re talking about a cold front, it’s probably a minor.”
The meteorologist hopped into the comment section to clarify that he’s not choosing sides in the Kendrick-Drake feud. “For the record, I’m not picking sides. I want no part of this beef,” he wrote.
However, fans loved to see him leaning into “Not Like Us.” “Certified weather man,” one commenter crowned him while another envisioned the scene of an elderly person not understanding any of the references.
For his final trick, one camera panned to another which hilariously had a printed-out photo of Drake taped to it and hanging underneath the lens.
It should be known that Adam Krueger is no stranger to incorporating rap lyrics into his broadcasts. He previously went viral mixing in bars from Eminem’s “Without Me” and Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz’s “Get Low” anthems.
K. Dot’s “Not Like Us” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May and is still holding strong at No. 2 on the latest chart. The Mustard-produced West Coast bop also came in at No. 2 on the inaugural 2024 Songs of the Summer chart, which returned on Tuesday.
Come for the weather and stay for “Not Like Us.” Watch the fun broadcast below.
Rich the Kid sat down with Billboard News’ Catrise J to talk about the crazy year he’s had so far and his upcoming project. The rapper is capitalizing off the success of his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit with “Carnival” by releasing his first solo project in four years.
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Life’s a Gamble is set to drop some time this month, and is his fourth studio album. The project features the likes of Chief Keef, Offset, Quavo, Takeoff, Ty Dolla $ign, Ye, Peso Pluma, Rob49 and Bia, and is executive produced entirely by Ye and Ty Dolla. He dropped the first single, “Band Man,” a couple weeks ago.
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Rich spoke on why its taken him four years to follow up 2020’s Boss Man, saying he’s been handling label drama, but he’s also been able to use the time wisely. “Really been dealing with stuff behind the scenes with labels,” he tells Billboard. “But I feel like the time that has gone by, I been able to perfect my craft.”
“I’ve been able to perfect the songs and the music and I know exactly what the sound is, what i’m shooting for,” he adds.
The rapper also talked about the Latin album he’s working on with his Dominican DJ, Ralphy Black. Rich says they’ve been trying to the let the music flow organically as they’ve been making songs on the road. Rich credits Ralphy for introducing him to Peso Pluma’s music, which made the rapper shoot the Mexican artist the DM that led to their recent song “Gimme a Second.”
When asked what was next for him, Rich ends the interview by shouting, “Life’s a Gamble! The best album of ’24! Life’s a Gamble, baby. Yeah!”
Watch Billboard News’ full interview with Rich the Kid above.
Flavor Flav is doing his part to keep Red Lobster afloat after the restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy in May.
The Public Enemy rapper showed off a spread that could feed a football team, as Flav ordered every item imaginable off the menu for his family on Monday (June 3). Flavor Flav posed with the dining table full of various seafood dishes ranging from fish and chips to popcorn shrimp and signature menu items such as the Cheddar Bay Biscuits and Bar Harbor Lobster Bake.
“Ya boy said he wuz gonna do everything to help Red Lobster and save the Cheddar Bay Biscuits,,, ordered the whole menu,” captioned a photo of his spread on Instagram, which his daughter Da’Zyna also shared.
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Fans flooded the comments to share that they loved the kind-hearted gesture from the 65-year-old. “Yooo, Flav is going to single-handedly save Red Lobster,” one wrote while another joked, “Some heroes wear clocks!”
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The rapper’s team told TMZ that Flav went to RL with his daughter, and was returning with his son for seconds, and hopes to have a conversation with Red Lobster officials about collaborating in the future to see what could be done to help the franchise.
Flavor Flav continued spreading the love and awareness about Red Lobster on Twitter, where he promised a worried fan the chain “aint closing down just yet.”
The aint closing down just yet— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) June 3, 2024
Per the Associated Press, Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy protection in May after shuttering dozens of locations across the country. However, the company promised to continue operating its 600 restaurants as they look for a sale. “This restructuring is the best path forward for Red Lobster. It allows us to address several financial and operational challenges and emerge stronger and re-focused on our growth,” CEO Jonathan Tibus said at the time.
Court docs show that Red Lobster reportedly employs 36,000 people across the U.S. and Canada. Outside of the 551 U.S. restaurants and 27 Canada locations, Red Lobster has a handful of franchises in Thailand, Ecuador, Japan and Mexico.
See Flav’s Instagram post about his Red Lobster meal below:
Method Man has long been tied to the lore of Hot 97’s Summer Jam, dating back to the Wu-Tang Clan’s infamous performance at the ’97 festival at the Meadowlands.
But fans may not see Meth hit the Summer Jam stage again in the future. After performing on Sunday (June 2) at the 2024 festival on Long Island alongside Redman, the multi-hyphenate entertainer allegedly left a comment saying he was done with Summer Jam due to a “generation gap.”
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“Not our crowd at all,” he reportedly commented on a Hot 97 post about his performance. “Thanks again, New York and the whole tri-state (that showed up to the event) plus Pete and Ebro. I got love for you guys. But never again.. at this point the generation gap is just too wide for me. #nevercomingback.”
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The reported comment is not visible on the post; Billboard has reached out to Method Man’s reps.
Fans weren’t happy with Method Man’s alleged comments, and some blamed Hot 97 for not putting together a lineup that matched the authenticity of the station. “Hip Hop icon Method Man is never coming back because as a result of watering down the bill & not gatekeeping Hip Hop standards you let anyone perform to keep up with social media trends,” one person tweeted
Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning show reacted to Meth’s reported comments — which have been making the rounds on social media — on Monday (June 3) as they attempted to come up with a feasible explanation for the disconnect.
“It felt like the crowd wasn’t used to seeing a real show,” said DJ Kast One. “They were kinda like staring in amazement. There wasn’t booing or any of that. This is crazy — they’re rapping.”
Co-host Peter Rosenberg added that the energy was different for Meth and Red’s set the day prior at Roots Picnic.
“The setup of concerts in general now — even we’re inside now — the festival setup of many acts. I was at Roots Picnic on Saturday. Red and Meth were on that too,” he said. “Yo, it was an incredible lineup. Cats were coming out and freestyling on different beats.”
The full Hot 97 Summer Jam lineup at UBS Arena was a mixed bag of artists of various skillsets and ages, with not much of a tie from one to the next. Outside of Method Man and Redman, there were sets from Doja Cat, Sexyy Red, Cash Cobain, 41 and more.
NYC rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow were among those who didn’t perform, but were originally listed as part of the bill following their endorsement of Donald Trump in May.
Check out Hot 97’s footage of Method Man and Redman’s performance below.
Slowly but surely, summer is starting to make its presence felt. With warmer temperatures and sun that hangs in the sky just tad bit longer with each passing day, the world around us is finally starting to resemble the sun-soaked sonics of Caribbean music — at least in NYC.
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The big news in the worlds of dancehall, reggae, soca and their cousin genres came at the very end of the month with the announcement of the 2024 Caribbean Music Awards nominations. Dexta Daps leads the pack with a whopping eight nominations, including performer of the year (dancehall) and the people’s choice award. Vincentian singer-songwriter Skinny Fabulous follows with six nods, while Masicka, Yung Bredda, Bounty Killer and Machel Montano boast five nominations each. Other notable nominees include 2023 breakout star Byron Messia, Billboard cover star Teejay and international powerhouses Drake and Burna Boy.
In non-awards news, Buju Banton announced his first American show in 13 years, Nicki Minaj brought out Beenie Man at her Pink Friday 2 World Tour show in London, and Shenseea and Sean Paul were announced as featured artists on the forthcoming Bad Boys: Ride or Die soundtrack.
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To help sort through all the new Caribbean music released in May, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks columns returns with a host of new selections for your listening and wining pleasure. Of course, as is the case across genres in today’s age, there’s an overwhelming amount of new music released every day, let alone every month. Naturally, this column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs.
Without any further ado, here are 10 tracks across reggae, dancehall and their cousin genres that are heating up both our personal playlists and late-night functions from Kingston to Queens:
Freshest Find: Lexxicon, “Batty Man Party”
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Dancehall has been criticized for years for how inhospitable it can be for queer listeners and creators. With his infectious and rambunctious “Batty Man Party,” Lexxicon says “fiyah fi dat.” “We coming out and we pretty like a Barbie/ Short shorts, crop top, we go all in/ Bruk out, bruk out, like you a yardie/ Ready, ready fi di batty man party,” he chants over sparse drum-heavy beat. It’s not easy to make a party track and grand political statement, but Lexxicon pulls it off by balancing his nimble flow and catchy rhymes with a reclamation of homophobic terms like “battyman” and name-checking songs with similarly hurtful legacies like Banton’s “Boom Bye Bye” and T.O.K.’s “Chi Chi Man.” “No more hiding, not any longer/ Have a problem, just kiss mi bumpa/ No more hiding, not any longer/ Have a problem, guh suck yuh mada,” Lexxicon snarls.
Richie Spice, “Cool It”
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Over laid-back reggae guitars and breezy percussion, Richie Spice calls for peace in a world desperately in need of it. “War in the east and war in the west/ War up north and war down south/ Tell me what is this all about,” he croons. His repeated chants of “cool it, cool it, cool it down” conjure up a sense of serenity that has shades of urgency on the edges. Richie isn’t just vocalizing empty musings of peace, his vocal performance is explicitly informed by how embattled the world around us is — from several ongoing genocides and environmental decay to how hostile we’ve become with each other as fellow global citizens.
Jimmy October, “Sweet Love”
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Trinidadian singer-songwriter Jimmy October offers up a sultry summer vibe with his new single “Sweet Love.” Produced by Brooklyn Decent, “Sweet Love” recounts the age-old story that it will likely end up soundtracking many of by the end of August — a regular night turns into one filled with passion when a special lady catches Jimmy’s eyes. With a mix that skews towards the more synthetic feel of modern dancehall and a smoky vocal performance that encapsulates the sweet talk of a flirty evening, “Sweet Love” is tailor-made for heated summer nights.
Mykal Rose, Subatomic Sound System & Hollie Cook, “Put Down the Gun”
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Calls for peace and unity are commonplace in reggae, but there will always be a new and fresh take on those concepts. With “Put Down the Gun,” the latest single from Subatomic Sound System, Mykal Rose and Hollie Cook’s forthcoming joint album, the three acts turn a local plea for nonviolence into something decidedly universal. “With everything going on, people need to understand that they can come together. Forget the gun. We tell them to put it down, but they think they can’t live without the gun,” Rose says in a press release. With Rose on lead vocals and Cook providing gorgeous background harmonies, the two singers paint beautifully over Subatomic Sound System’s urgent, passionate amalgamation of horns, drums and guitar.
Capleton & Derrick Sound, “Tired of the Drama”
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In case it wasn’t clear by the end of the hook, Capleton is tired of the murder and very tired of the drama. Opting for a more aggressive approach to his calls for an end to various violent conflicts, Capleton’s iconic voice rings across Derrick Sound’s brooding brass-accented instrumentation. “Bun the war and the tribal/ And if you talk about the wave you have to talk about the tidal/ Bun the graven image, them and the idol/ Nuff go trend some a them wan go viral,” he proclaims. Despite the song’s heavy subject matter, Capleton simply can’t help but craft an infectious melody that, in turn, lodges the song’s message deep in the listener’s brain — it’s a songwriting masterclass.
Projexx, “Sweat”
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Jamaican-born, Miami-based singer Projexx mixes dancehall and falsetto on his seductive new single “Sweat.” Featuring his sweet falsetto paired with steady Afropop kick drums and rimshots, “Sweat” is tailor-made for a slow wine in the corner of party, or for the duskier hours of a summer beach trip. Co-produced by Cadenza and Afrobeats powerhouse PDJ, the track cradles Projexx’s slinky melody with delicate background strings and guitar, touching on major sonic hallmarks of the Black diaspora. Born from a steamy text session that eventually spilled over into real life, “Sweat” is a knockout.
JussBussCamp feat. Ghaza, Sluwwy, Double R Muziq, Lowkey, Killy Muziq & Shorbeats, “Shake Down”
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Vincentian record label JussBussCamp provided several hits for last year’s Carnvial season, and they’re looking to contine that momentum with this year’s “Shake Down.” The high-octane electro-soca track features Ghaza, Sluwwy, Double R Muziq, Lowkey, Killy Musiq — each of whom effortlessly owns their space across Shorbeats’ pounding power soca. “When JussBuss reach/ Shake down anybody you know/ Break down every party we go,” they sing in the hook, crafting an indelible hook that doubles as anthem for the dominant record label. Although there’s a football team’s worth of contributors on the track, “Shake Down” never feels crowded, the synergy between these artists simply doesn’t allow for that. Then again, in an innately communal genre like soca, there’s no room for individualistic ego anyways.
Voice, “Pray”
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Voice’s “Pray” is one of this month’s more mellow selections, but his evocative vocal performance rightfully earns the track a spot on the column. Although Mega Mick’s synth-laden production moves the song away from any kind of analog feel, Voice’s heartbroken tone and reflective self-penned lyrics help ground the track. “It’s just me and I/ I can’t sleep at night/ Cause I bleed and cry/ I’s human too, I ask people to/ Pray for me,” he croons. For all of the prayers for world peace and nonviolence that dominate reggae tracks, Voice’s “Pray” is a welcome reprieve that, in turn, covers a much darker and more personal emotional space. He lays his heart bare on this track, essentially giving himself over to the mercy of other people’s prayers because, presumably, his alone aren’t enough. A heavy situation, for sure, but his vocal performance carries the full heft of that load with remarkable grace.
Jab King, “Jab Did”
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For years, DJ Khaled has been one of the strongest links between contemporary dancehall and hip-hop. With “Jab Did,” Jab King pays tribute to the Billboard 200 chart-topper’s iconic “God Did!” exaltation while also delivering an irresistible soca-anthem. “Tell em believe in us/ Jab did, like DJ Khaled/ We going up from here,” he chants over Wetty Beatz’s fast-paced amalgamation of triumphant horns and militant drums. A road anthem with limitless crossover potential, “Jab Did” is yet another win for Grenadian soca.
Dat-C DQ & Skinny Fabulous, “Start”
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Fresh off six 2024 Caribbean Music Awards nominations, Skinny Fabulous joins forces with Dat-C DQ for the official season-starter for Vincy Mas. “Start,” which features Suhrawh on production duties, is a rollicking soca anthem poised to take over the road this summer. With both Skinny and Dat-C DQ seamlessly switching up their flows to play with the different pockets of the power soca beat, the two artists showcase not just their individual virtuosity but also their palpable chemistry. “We does mash up tings” might as well be the party slogan of the year!
Tina (fka Hoodcelebrity), “Been Pretty”
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“B–ch, I been pretty, you just became a bad b–ch/ Never sucked d–k, never f–ked for this s–t/ Hold my head high, when you see me I got the grip/ And I wish a b–ch would try some shit,” Tina (fka Hoodcelebrityy) opens her newest single, “Been Pretty.” Arriving just a few weeks after her sophomore full-length project, Tina vs. Hoodcelebrityy, the fiery new single finds Tina blending dancehall flows with New York rap cadences as she fires off warning shots to all of her haters and detractors. She floats over the Troyton Rami-produced beat with ease, placing herself at the musically rich intersection of hip-hop and dancehall — all cast under the shadow of a towering NYC attitude.
Rihanna‘s Fenty Beauty brand is getting a new face. Only this time instead of make-up the singer is aiming a bit higher with her soon-to-debut Fenty Hair line of products. RihRih announced the news on Tuesday morning (June 4) in a colorful video cued to Gravy’s 2023 jam “Turn Up the Bass” in which the […]
At long last, the summertime is here! Now that we’ve finally made it to June, the R&B and hip-hop worlds are gearing up for what many hope will be the summer that we truly return to the energy of a pre-COVID time.
Last weekend (June 1-2), the Roots Picnic took over Philadelphia, PA, with two days of stellar performances, including memorable sets from R&B icons like Babyface, Jill Scott and Fantasia, as well as ascendant hip-hop stars such as Sexyy Red and Smino (and even rising country hitmaker Shaboozey). Headlined by Scott, Nas and Lil Wayne (with The Roots, Trombone Shorty and PJ Morton), Roots Picnic nailed the tricky balancing act that is catering to three different generations of R&B/hip-hop performers and consumers.
It’s a balance that Hot 97’s 2024 Summer Jam (June 2) struggled to achieve, with Method Man and Redman — both of whom performed at Roots Picnic the day prior — feeling the burn of the generational gap onstage.
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“Not our crowd at all,” Method Man wrote in a comment under Hot 97’s Instagram post highlighting his and Redman’s set. “Thanks again, New York and the whole tri-state (that showed up to the event) plus Pete and Ebro. I got love for you guys. But never again… at this point the generation gap is just too wide for me. #nevercomingback.”
Outside of the festival circuit, Rihanna made history as the female artist with the most RIAA Diamond-certified singles, Ye was sued by a former assistant for sexual harassment, breach of contract and wrongful termination, and Eminem dropped “Houdini” — which featured a poorly received jab at Megan Thee Stallion.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Ray Emmanuel’s impressive “Baybayyy” to selections from Tanerélle’s gorgeous new EP. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Tanerélle, “Blink”
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What better way to announce your signing to Republic Records than with a gorgeous new EP? Atlanta multi-hyphenate Tanerélle’s Electric Honey EP is a strong collection of songs that builds on the atmospheric foundation of 2021’s “Nothing Without You,” which earned a highly coveted synch on Issa Rae’s acclaimed HBO show Insecure. With its heavy bass, neo-soul flourishes and electro-R&B breakdowns, “Blink” is both an easy standout on the project, and a timeless story of getting lost in a lovelorn dreamworld while the world around you keeps moving. “Dreams I cannot explain/ As the walls are closing/ Dreams I cannot explain/ As my cerebellum sinks/ As the world around me blinks,” she croons in the chorus.
Maeta, “DJ Got Me”
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After topping Adult R&B Airplay with “Through the Night,” singer-songwriter Maeta has returned with a new Kaytranda-produced bop. Gone are the lush, ethereal orchestrations of her When I Hear Your Name LP. On this new joint, the Roc Nation singer’s soulful vocals float over Kaytranda’s slinky synths, creating a sultry, infectious world in which she flips Indeep’s post-disco classic “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life.” “Who’s in charge of me?/ Can’t control my body/ But keep that on repeat/ And everybody’s watchin’/ But that’s okay wit’ me/ I didn’t even get a warnin’/ I be up until the mornin,’” she croons. After giving us a cuffing season anthem, Maeta is clearly ready to turn up the heat this summer.
Josh Levi, “Something More”
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After snagging a buzzy hit with “Birthday Dance,” Josh Levi returns with his first piece of original music in a year. “When I don’t have the lines/ But you’re in my mind/ Could you hear me talking to you, baby/ From the inside/ Baby, tell me how deep/ Are you willing to dive,” he croons over the synthy Louie Lastic-helmed beat. If “Birthday Dance” exalted the more sensual moments of romantic encounters, “Something More” finds Levi literally yearning for something more. Sure, that sensuality is still there — “Say it with your body, baby/ You don’t gotta tell me twice,” he croons — but it’s tempered with unabashed vulnerability. He only wants one special person, even if that means just laying there with them in the silence.
Byron Juane & Daisha McBride, “I Want You Now”
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Hailing from North Carolina, emerging R&B crooner Byron Juane has been steadily making a name for himself in R&B circles. For his sexy new single, “I Want You Now,” Juane tapped Knoxville, TN singer-rapper Daisha McBride to turn the joint into a steamy duet. Juane kicks off the affair as hot and as heavy as he can: “Invite me to your oasis/ I’m tryna swim in it/ I got some plans for you tonight/ You bout to beg for it,” he coos over a melody reminiscent of The-Dream‘s mid-late-2000s solo material. McBride’s raspy rap-sung cadence is a solid complement to Juane’s riff-laden vocals, but it’s the shades of queerness that contour her verse that elevate the track into an anthem of desire for all.
Ray Emmanuel, “Baybayyy”
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Ray Emmanuel gained recognition as an early teen boasting lyrical brilliance beyond his years. Still only 19, the North Carolina native is finding his voice and coming into his own. The J. Cole-inspired MC delivered his first single of 2024 with the triumphant “Baybayyy.” Sampling a sped-up version of the late Billy Butler and Infinity’s soulful “Hung Up on You,” Ray shrewdly lets the backing “baby”s finish off his bars. While girls are chasing him down these days, he’s still got his eye on the prize: “One of the greats, that’s true/ The No. 1 spot, I’ma take that too,” he proclaims. After ruffling hip-hop’s feathers 2023’s “F*CK RAPPERS,” Emmanuel shows off his dexterity when it comes to putting records together — and he’s got plenty of more heat in the stash down the line.
Kanii, “MIA”
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The emerging DMV-bred singer-songwriter looks to heat up the dancefloor just in time for the summer. “MIA” continues Kanii’s winning ways while making a name for himself in the R&B landscape. The 18-year-old’s airy vocals float over electro-pop synths that sound like they could’ve been a canvas for The Weeknd on Starboy. Kanii also released an eerie visual to stand alongside the addictive single, which finds him abducted and dropped off with a romantic interest at an abandoned hotel that mirrors something in Stranger Things’ Upside Down world. After unleashing a pair of EPs last year, the “I Know” artist is well-equipped for his rising stardom heading into an anticipated major-label debut album.
Before R&B-leaning singer Tommy Richman vaulted into the mainstream conversation, he recorded music in his mom’s basement. An ardent supporter of her son’s career, she’d often tell him her favorite songs — but oddly enough, his breakthrough hit hardly cracks the list. “‘Million Dollar Baby,’ that’s the one everybody likes?” Richman playfully teases during our Zoom conversation in late May, mirroring his mom’s reaction. “She likes a lot of older songs way more and [other] stuff off the album, too.” But while his parents may not be captivated by the ‘80s funk-inspired track, the rest of the country has been infatuated, giving him a steady top-5 Billboard Hot 100 hit.
A native of Woodbridge, Va., Richman, 24, grew up listening to 50 Cent and Lil Wayne. Though the small town near the nation’s capital lacked an active music scene, he earned some of his musical sensibilities from his father, a drum teacher. And despite many residents working government jobs, his musical aspirations trumped the idea of a traditional 9-to-5 career. He self-released the somber single “Pleasantville” on YouTube as a freshman in college; then, he spammed various YouTube pages linking to it and urging listeners to “be brutally honest with the last song I posted.”
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The positive feedback he received online encouraged Richman to chase music as a full-time career, and in 2022, he met Darren Xu, COO of Brent Faiyaz’s imprint, ISO Supremacy, and his now-manager. Before long, Xu felt Richman was ready to take the next step and connected him with Faiyaz. By last August, the two artists were in business as well, with Richman signing a record deal with ISO Supremacy in partnership with PULSE Music Group. He also joined Faiyaz on his F*ck the World, It’s a Wasteland Tour that summer, and in October, they collaborated on Faiyaz’ Larger Than Life album standout “Upset” alongside FELIX!, which reached No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart.
“[My team] values me as a person,” Richman says. “A lot of people look at you as an object: ‘We have to stay around this guy because he makes good songs.’ This sh-t wouldn’t have really transpired like that if we didn’t get along as people.”
He adds that “Drake reached out super early when I put out [2023 single] ‘Last Nite.’” And as the A-list cosigns began to accumulate, Richman’s confidence grew. He released two grooving singles in 2024 before his breakthrough, first with “Soulcrusher” and then “Selfish.” On April 13, Richman uploaded a teaser of another track — what would ultimately become “Million Dollar Baby” — to social media, shot in a grainy VHS style and featuring the artist and his friends dancing to the beat in the studio. It went viral, garnering over 12.5 million views on TikTok alone, as his falsetto in the infectious chorus quickly struck a chord with fans: “Cause I want to make it so badly/I’m a million dollar baby, don’t at me,” he sings.
“It was the combination of the sound of the VHS camera, the vibe of the people in the studio, how short the snippet was and how in your face the audio was,” says Richman. “The audio is really loud. I compare the audio to my other TikToks, and the one snippet is in your face. I think that’s why it caught on.”
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He followed it with a few more clips, and according to PULSE Music Group vp of marketing Sara Ahmed, they made the decision to drop the song just four days before its ultimate April 26 release. Richman turned in the master recording at 1:00 a.m. on April 23. “I built him a rollout [plan to] build into the hype of the song,” she says. “We didn’t have much lead time to [create] a campaign.”
Nevertheless, “Million Dollar Baby” had a seismic debut, netting 38 million official U.S. streams in its first full tracking week (April 26-May 2), according to Luminate. It entered at No. 2 on the Hot 100, and atop Billboard’s Streaming Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs charts — a particularly notable feat given the track was released amid the vicious hip-hop battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Lamar’s “Euphoria” arrived as “Million Dollar Baby” was gaining momentum; in the same weekend as its release, Drake’s “Family Matters” and Lamar’s “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us” dropped, elevating the culture-defining feud. But even as the heavyweights threatened to stymy his opening week numbers, Richman remained unfazed.
“It was a blessing, low-key,” Richman relays. “I was reading a lot of comments like, ‘Damn, this is like the worst time to drop your song.’ It was kind of funny. A lot of people looked at us like we were the palate cleanse.”
“There’s nothing out there like this,” Ahmed adds. “I think people are looking for something new, exciting and different, and Tommy is it. This great song coupled with sharp strategy and Tommy’s determination really carried the song through — and we have barely scratched the surface.”
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In five weeks on the Hot 100, “Million Dollar Baby” has remained a fixture in the top 10, and according to Richman, the song’s music video will arrive ahead of summer. As for a potential remix, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up. “There’s no remix, man,” he says. “A couple people [have reached out]. It’s cool, but for the integrity of the track, let’s keep it by itself.”
As Richman savors his newfound success, he’s already chipping away at his debut album, Coyote. Though he doesn’t have a release date, Richman believes his project will showcase his artistry beyond being a one-hit wonder.
“This is a big record, but this s–t doesn’t define me,” he says. “I’m using this as ‘We’re here. We arrived.’ Not as ‘We made it!’ This is the start of a run.”
A version of this story will appear in the June 8, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Cardi B has always been her most authentic self since bursting onto the rap scene in 2017 with “Bodak Yellow.” She quickly was able to ingratiate herself to the Bardi Gang, and it’s a testament as to why her fans ride so hard for her.
One fan came to Cardi’s defense on X when wondering whether the continuous bashing of the rapper’s speech patterns could be deemed racist.
“At what point does making fun of cardi b’s speech patterns become racist,” they asked on Sunday (June 2).
Cardi B appreciated the sentiment and thanked the fan for defending her on Monday (June 3), while explaining that she’s not changing for anybody.
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“wwwww thanks for defending me FCK THEM I will never change the way I talk… I became famous from that just being myself! Then I started making music and became a millionaire out of it,” she wrote. “THIS IS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ACCENT BABBYY OKKKKRRR.”
The heartfelt exchange seemed to be in response to bars sniping Cardi B from Bia on her “Sue Meee?” diss track taking aim at The Bronx native, which arrived over the weekend.
“You should be home with your kids ’cause b—h, you speak like second grade,” she raps while jabbing Cardi’s speech.
The Cardi-Bia feud ratcheted up a few levels in the last week when Cardi put the rapper on blast in an Instagram Live and threatened to file a lawsuit against her if she keeps allegedly slandering the Grammy winner.
“You could come at me at any angle. You gonna lie on my f–kingg pussy. B—h, you lying on my f–king p—y. When you lie about my p—y, I’ma sue you and you better come with receipts,” Cardi said.
She seemed to also subliminally diss Bia with her verse on Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla’s “Wanna Be (Remix),” which was released on Friday (May 31).
Bia didn’t waste much time when firing back with “Sue Meee?” over the weekend. In the track she accused Offset of cheating on Cardi, called out the “WAP” rapper for allegedly having ghostwriters and dissed her body.
See Cardi’s tweet thanking a fan for defending her accent below:
Awwwww thanks for defending me 🥺 FCK THEM I will never change the way I talk… I became famous from that just being myself! Then I started making music and became a millionaire out of it.. THIS IS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ACCENT BABBYY OKKKKRRR 💁♀️ https://t.co/jpezWMBCg0— Cardi B (@iamcardib) June 3, 2024