R&B/Hip-Hop
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A little over a year after getting engaged, Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade is now married. Congrats are in order for the 28-year-old, who revealed she tied the knot over the weekend with Evan McClintock. “Waking up a wife this week,” she emotionally began in an Instagram post on Monday (May 20). ”We couldn’t have asked […]
Juvenile was on Instagram Live over the weekend when he got annoyed by fans asking about a Hot Boys reunion. The crew consisting of Juvenile, B.G., Lil Wayne, and Turk haven’t released an album since 2003’s Let ‘Em Burn, so he’s been asked about a reunion since before Instagram was even a thing.
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Well, it looks like all the pestering has finally worked, because the Cash Money Millionaire revealed that not only will the Hot Boys will be reuniting at Essence Fest in New Orleans this July, but that they’ve also been working on a new album.
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“Hot Boys is back together, man. What you talkin’ about put the Hot Boys back together? Show y’all ain’t keeping up with s–t,” he says in a clip from his Live. “Turk gonna be with me tonight, I’m gonna be with B.G. next week. Me, Wayne, Turk, and B.G., all of us gonna be on stage in New Orleans with Mannie Fresh and Birdman. And we already done started working on a Hot Boys album. Any other f—king questions? Keep on askin’ put the Hot Boys together. Have some f—kin’ patience.”
It’s unclear whether or not there is a larger rollout planned for the upcoming Hot Boys reunion. It’s hard to imagine the plan was to have Juvie randomly blurt it out on Instagram Live.
Juvenile most recently found success making a video for the title track to his 1998 album 400 Degreez. The video features producer Mannie Fresh and was made to celebrate the multiplatinum album’s 25th anniversary.
Aside from creative differences, one factor that greatly effected the Hot Boys is incarceration. B.G. and Turk both served lengthy prison sentences, with the former serving 12 years and the latter serving nine.
Since being released in September, B.G. has been dropping a torrent of music, including “Gold Teeth Grizzle” and “Really Understand.” A few months after Turk came home in 2012, a remix to his song “Zip It” surfaced featuring Juvie, Wayne and B.G., making it one of their first reunion songs since 2003.
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Either way, this is great news for white tee enthusiasts everywhere.
Saweetie saluted Grace Jones on the icon’s 76th birthday Sunday (May 19), and thanked her for inspiring the cover art of the rapper’s newest single “NANi.” “Happy birthday to THE ICON, Grace Jones,” she wrote on X. “thank you for the massive print you’ve made in fashion, culture & cuntiness. The inspiration behind the NANi […]
“From Jozi to Ibiza,” it’s all eyes on Tyla. The South African singer returned on Monday (May 20) to drop off the steamy “Jump” video featuring appearances from Gunna and Skillibeng. Nabil helms the colorful clip while Tyla invites the YSL rapper and Jamaican dancehall artist to Africa for the visual. The Grammy-winning musician twerks […]
With Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” enjoying a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 debut — alongside an ever-extending stint at the top of the zeitgeist thanks to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott — the Compton rapper’s musical scuffle with Drake continues to cast an unmistakable shadow over R&B/hip-hop and pop culture discourse.
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Nonetheless, the past week has seen the industry collectively begin to pick its jaws up from the ground and return to regularly scheduled non-Kendrick/Drake-centric programming. Both Vince Staples and Lupe Fiasco announced new albums — Dark Times and Samurai, respectively — while Lil Wayne headlined Travis Kelce‘s Kelce Jam 2024, which also featured performances from 2 Chainz and Diplo. Of course, a harrowing 2016 surveillance video appearing to show Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel surfaced via CNN, effectively corroborating Ventura’s account of the 2016 assault in her now-settled lawsuit against the Bad Boy mogul.
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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 Lila Iké & H.E.R.’s sultry “Boy Is Mine”-esque duet to Elijah Blake’s nostalgic reflection on two lovers who just can’t seem to make things work. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Lila Iké & H.E.R., “He Loves Us Both”
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The legacy of Brandy & Monica‘s seminal “The Boy Is Mine” is well-documented, and this seductive new duet from reggae star Lila Iké and R&B dynamo H.E.R. showcases just how far that ’90s Grammy-winning tune has traveled. “I know you probably judgin’ what I did/ I know you probably hopin’ I forgive/ He don’t make it easy to walk away/ I know because he make me feel the same,” they croon back and forth, effortlessly emulating the tug-of-war that anchors Brandy & Monica’s original. Iké’s soulful, intentional phrasing plays well against H.E.R.’s riff-laden performance. Both of their voices wrap around the plaintive guitars and steady percussion, prioritizing selective restraint over bombastic belts which drives home the tension between the position of each vocalist. This is how crossover collaborations should sound.
2Rare feat. Skilla Baby & Rob49, “C4”
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Nearly four decades later, Eazy-E’s classic single “Boyz N the Hood” is once again being revitalized in rap’s mainstream — but here, 2Rare flips the hardcore West Coast anthem into a raunchy club banger, with help from Skilla Baby and Rob49 looking to heat up just in time for the summer. Instead of Eazy’s ‘64 Impala, Rare plays off of the explosive C4: “She the type to blow just like C4/ Fiending for the D like I was giving her dope,” he raps on the chorus while mimicking Eazy-E’s flow. This year is slated to be another busy campaign for the Warner Records signee, and the Philly native has plenty of more energetic tunes on the way with a project also on the horizon.
Elijah Blake, “Sugarwater & Lime”
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Elijah Blake has spent the better part of the last decade writing on hits for R&B heavyweights — including Usher (“Climax”) and Rihanna (“No Love Allowed”) — but, recently, he’s shifted his focus to his own output. With “Sugarwater & Lime,” the latest single from his forthcoming eponymous LP, Blake explores the frustration of trying to make something work without having all of the right ingredients. “Baby, we can’t make lemonade/ From sugarwater and lime/ But we tried/ We couldn’t make lemonade/ But maybe we can heal from heartbreak/ In due time,” he sings over a brassy arrangement accented by warbling bass, symphonic strings and ’70s-esque drum licks. Blake’s voice ranges from tender falsetto to nimble rap-sung cadences and dizzying riffs, tracing the inevitably convoluted route of an almost-there love.
Your Old Droog, “Mercury Thermometers”
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Classic boom-bap rap might have taken a backseat compared to the force it was decades ago in the culture, but Your Old Droog is still doing the sub-genre justice. The New York rapper connected with Conductor Williams for “Mercury Thermometers” and Droog’s shrewd wordplay over the dusty production and cymbal drums doesn’t disappoint. “This is Bob Dylan without the harmonica/ This some iconic bars and a hard moniker,” he raps. Y.O.D. boasts about taking the hard route to fame with no handouts or stimulus packages, but still being able to persevere. Look for Droog to work with plenty of acclaimed hip-hop producers on his upcoming album, Movie, which arrives on June 21.
Deb Fan, “Lady”
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With “Lady,” the first single from R&B artist-producer Deb Fan’s forthcoming sophomore EP, the Hong Kong-raised, L.A.-based singer challenges restrictive stereotypes and outdated portrayals of womanhood in Asian culture. “There’s some beauty in made-up rules/ King of my world with none to lose,” she coos in an ethereal tone over sparse, atmospheric production reminiscent of contemporary R&B stars like Kali Uchis, while still finding room for the slinky bass of ’90s R&B. With a vocal performance that simultaneously mourns the constricting nature of expectations placed on women and rings with the hope of a concerted rebirth, Deb Fan makes some real magic on “Lady.”
BIG30, “Come Save Me”
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BIG30 paints his hood love story with the first verse of “Come Save Me.” This isn’t exactly Romeo and Juliet, but the Memphis native admits he’s been “looking for love in all the wrong places” recently. He realizes how toxic this love is, but he’s not trying to hide it anymore and even wants her to have his baby. “Ain’t talkin’ ’bout with no picture, baby, pop out with my child,” he raps. Adding another layer to the chaos, the wind instrument loop hilariously sounds like it recalls the Austin Powers theme song. Learn more about BIG30 as his Still King album is filled with gripping street tales from the NLess rapper.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar‘s rap feud is a family matter to the Hanks clan. Feeling out of the loop on modern hip-hop’s biggest beef to date, Tom Hanks recently reached out to his 33-year-old son Chet Hanks for an explanation of the whole debacle, making for a hilarious conversation which the latter shared on Instagram […]
Nas is taking his talents to Las Vegas. The Queensbridge icon is taking over the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas for four consecutive shows throughout Labor Day Weekend to close out the summer in epic fashion.
In celebration of Nas’ Illmatic debut album turning 30 this year, Escobar is slated to head to Sin City for four unique performances starting on Thursday, Aug. 29, through Sunday Sept. 1.
The Nas With the Las Vegas Philharmonic collaboration features the rapper performing an array of anthems from his decorated discography, with a live symphony orchestra at his back.
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Tickets will be going on sale on Friday (May 24) at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster. Prices start at $69.95 plus applicable fees.
“Las Vegas has always served as a creative outlet for my music, and these performances will take that to the next level,” Nas tells Billboard in a statement. “I am excited to partner with the Las Vegas Philharmonic to bring this first-of-its-kind performance to Encore Theater and to showcase my music to my fans in Las Vegas in a whole new way.”
AEG Presents Las Vegas SVP Bobby Reynolds adds: “We could not be more thrilled to welcome Nas to Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas for this historic collaboration with the Las Vegas Philharmonic to celebrate one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever made. Marrying Nas’ legendary catalog with the unparalleled sound of the Las Vegas Philharmonic Is guaranteed to be an unforgettable and must-see experience for all Nas fans, and there is no venue more perfect in Las Vegas for this collaboration or a better place to be this Labor Day Weekend for entertainment than Encore Theater.”
Nas is no stranger to the dice rolls of Vegas, which Esco raps about on 1999 I Am… standout “Undying Love.” “Pacino life, G a roll, casino dice At The Mirage, Vegas strip, neon lights Gamblers, puffin’ cigars, couples and stars Flashin’ cameras, dealers, shuffling cards,” he rhymes.
In April, the 50-year-old rapper celebrated the 30th anniversary of Illmatic by turning the clock back to reunite with DJ Premier for “Define My Name,” in which the two artists announced a long-rumored joint album.
More information regarding the shows and ticketing can be found on the Wynn website.
While the dust appears to have settled in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud, other rappers are still providing their takeaways from the massive battle that swept the hip-hop world and permeated pop culture. T.I. pulled up to Big Boy’s Neighborhood in an episode that dropped May 16, where he broke down the Drake-K. Dot […]
Vince Staples announced the upcoming release of his sixth full-length studio album, Dark Times, on Monday morning (May 20), revealing that his Def Jam LP will drop on Friday (May 24). The 13-track collection is described in a release as “a muscular and revelatory work refining elements that have been present in his catalog for […]
Who’s had a better year than Travis Kelce? Another Super Bowl ring, dating arguably the most popular musician on the planet in Taylor Swift and a new contract extension, life ain’t too bad for the Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end. With all of the victories, added exposure and soaring star power, Killa Trav also […]