R&B/Hip-Hop
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Jermaine Dupri found himself in some hot water with fans on social media last week.
The So So Def founder went viral for asking why some artists choose to stay independent while trying to “chase” the same benefits and resources that major label artists have at their disposal. “I’m a little lost,” he wrote. “Can somebody tell me what the goal of being an independent artist is today because all of the things that people are chasing is sh—t major artist do, what’s the thing that indie artist do that make it special?”
Due to his experience in the music business, some felt as if he was downplaying independent artistry and disregarding how much the game has changed over the past decade. However, Dupri felt like his tweet was misconstrued and decided to address it a week later on the New Rory and Mal podcast.
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“As more and more people call me and the pods talk about it,” Dupri wrote in a caption over a clip from his appearance on the podcast. “I can see how people would think I was taking a shot at the independent community, I decided to address it with information I’m sure most y’all don’t have about me in that space, so you can clearly see that wasn’t my intent.”
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On the show, Dupri pointed out that his first foray in the independent market was in 2010 when he discovered singer Dondria on YouTube and paid for her music videos, got her to tour with Trey Songz, and wrote and produced songs on her debut album Dondria vs. Phatfffat. He also brought up the For Motivational Use Only, Vol. 1 EP he produced with Curren$y in 2023, which they released independently, and addressed allegations that he “fumbled Latto” after she won the first season of the reality show The Rap Game.
“The deal with Latto and The Rap Game was that if you win on the show, what you win is a So So Def chain and a contract with So So Def for Jermaine to produce one song for you and put it out on So So Def,” he explained. “I did that independently. So, a lot of people was like if they didn’t feel that push that they felt on a lot of my other records is because it was independent and it was all funded by me.”
He continued by breaking down what an independent artist can expect when they venture down that road. “These are the things that come in the Happy Meal independent box: owning your masters, getting your publishing, doing the royalties and you having to pay the royalties to people that you worked with, and the freedom,” he said. “These are things that are standard to me in an independent deal.”
He continued, admitting that even with his experience in the industry, he still might be missing something. “You never know everything. People believe that you do because you become successful, but I know in my heart of hearts that I don’t know everything,” he said. “If I ask a question, I know that’s what y’all jump to like, ‘Jermaine, he should know better than this.’ That’s what Joe Budden said, but I’m just asking a question.”
Dupri recently made headlines courtesy of Nelly, who declared that the record executive would beat Diddy in a Verzuz fairly easily.
As more and more people call me and the pods talk about it, I can see how people would think I was taking a shot at the independent community, I decided to address it with information I’m sure most y’all don’t have about me in that space, so you can clearly see that wasn’t my… pic.twitter.com/CMPNaxujBZ— Jermaine Dupri (@jermainedupri) March 11, 2025
Drake has always been one to keep his eye on the pulse of music, and now, he’s showing love to an emerging pop star. The 6 God shouted out Gracie Abrams on his Instagram Story on Tuesday (March 11), which had social media buzzing.
Drizzy spotlighted Abrams’ “I Knew It, I Know You” from the singer’s sophomore album, The Secret of Us, and more specifically, the beat switch that he was feeling.
“[GOAT]’d beat switch on this,” he wrote. “Second half is [sad emoji, brain exploding emoji, blue heart emoji].”
Fans had plenty to say about the idea of Drake and Gracie aligning after seeing him praise the guitar-driven 2024 tune produced by Aaron Dessner.
“Well, at least he has good taste in music,” one person wrote to X. Another chimed in, “We live in the timeline where DRAKE posts about GRACIE ABRAMS!”
The OVO faithful have also found their way to the “I Knew It, I Know You” music video and flooded the comments section.
Drake has been showing love to the pop stars in recent weeks, as he shouted out fellow Canadian Tate McRae as well as Charli XCX on $ome $exy $ongs 4 U track “Small Town Fame.”
“B—h, I feel like Tate McRae/ Puttin’ Charli up her nose, X on her tongue, she been geekin’ hard/ She done had a Brat summer,” he raps.
Abrams released her The Secret of Us album last June. The 25-year-old’s sophomore LP peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was Billboard‘s No. 16 album on our 50 Best Albums of 2024 list.
See Drake’s Instagram Story below.
https://twitter.com/chriscznn/status/1899614961288016211
Another day, another single from Lil Nas X. At this rate we could have the whole album by next week. After surprise dropping the songs “Big Dummy” and “Dreamboy” earlier this week, LNX was at it again on Wednesday morning (March 12) when he served up the latest taste of his upcoming Dreamboy album. This […]
SZA stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night (March 12) and spilled details about her upcoming Grand National Tour with Kendrick Lamar, her excitement for Sesame Street, and dodged a cheeky question about Drake.
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When Kimmel asked if the Grand National Tour would resemble their Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance, the “Saturn” singer teased that fans can expect something entirely new.
“Oh, we’re doing a new thing,” she said. “We’re both just kind of throwing all the paint at the wall… This is our first stadium show for both of us, so we pretty much have to go insane.”
While SZA and Lamar might be co-headlining, she hinted that the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers rapper is very much in his own lane.
“Well, he’s a wizard, so that’s different,” she quipped when asked if they hang out behind the scenes. “Wizards tend to be solitary beings, from my observation… I think he’s doing the Merlin thing backstage, getting us ready to take off.”
The “Kill Bill” singer also fielded a not-so-subtle question from Kimmel about the tour’s upcoming Toronto stop—where one particular rapper famously resides.
“But what if you-know-who shows up?” Kimmel asked, clearly alluding to Canadian rapper, Drake.
SZA simply shrugged: “Who knows? Who knows?” before Kimmel joked that Kendrick would “wave his wand, and he will disappear.”
“That’s what he’s the man behind the curtain,” she replied.
Beyond the tour, SZA also gushed to Kimmel about a lifelong dream coming true—appearing on Sesame Street.
“That was actually the most intense room of celebrities I’ve ever been in,” she joked. “Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch… I got to talk to Cookie Monster.”
When Kimmel asked about the blue monster’s conversational skills, she laughed: “Terrible diction and alliteration. Very poor vocabulary, but tons of enthusiasm, I was so inspired!”
“It was like a true indicator that I’ve made it,” SZA added of her appearance on the show. “Shout out to the Super Bowl but Sesame Street..”
The Grand National Tour kicks off April 19 in Minneapolis, with stops across North America before heading overseas.
Ne-Yo has been in the news lately and it’s not for his music. Apparently, the R&B star is in a polyamorous relationship with four other women which he recently introduced to the world on his Instagram — and they each have a cute little nickname. “Since the world is so intrigued,” he wrote in a […]
Nelly thinks Diddy wouldn’t stand a chance against Jermaine Dupri in a Verzuz. The St. Louis rapper visited Drink Champs recently, where he was asked to choose between Timbaland and Dupri, and the convo veered into a Verzuz that — for whatever reason — never came to fruition. “Respectfully, and outside of current situations,” he […]
Ian has seemingly responded to Tyler, The Creator after the Grammy-winning rapper subliminally dissed him during an interview with Maverick Carter last year. Ian pulled up to the Lyrical Lemonade studios on Monday to deliver his fiery “Lunch Break Freestyle,” which saw him reference his love for Odd Future while growing up and address some […]
2 Chainz doesn’t plan on leaving the underground indie scene anytime soon. After shooting over to the West Coast to team up with Larry June and The Alchemist for the stellar Life Is Beautiful project, he’s planning on releasing a joint album with East Coast producer Statik Selektah. Explore See latest videos, charts and news […]
Suge Knight has continued to fire at Snoop Dogg for what he thinks is damaging the Death Row legacy with the “Gin and Juice” rapper at the helm.
Suge was interviewed by The Art of Dialogue from behind bars over the weekend, when he went off on The Doggfather after Snoop claimed Knight was just “mad” he was in control of Death Row.
“You trying to create something that Suge Knight created, but instead of making something big, you disappointed the world by making everything flops,” Knight said. “When I put out Tha Dogg Pound, they sold records. You put out Tha Dogg Pound, they sold nothing — it flopped.”
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Suge believes the essence of hip-hop culture is being destroyed, and claimed Snoop is also killing the credibility of the once-feared West Coast record label.
“You don’t got to talk tough,” he added. “We don’t got to talk about each other that gets [us] nowhere. One person or three or four people is not bigger than hip-hop. We should be trying to figure out how to make hip-hop better. Everybody destroying hip-hop — you guys are making it worse. If you have Death Row, you destroyed it. You messed up the name.”
Snoop acquired the Death Row Records brand from the Blackstone-controlled MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music) in a February 2022 deal. “It feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members. This is an extremely meaningful moment for me,” Snoop said in a statement at the time of the transaction. “I’m looking forward to building the next chapter of Death Row Records.”
However, Suge Knight still isn’t buying that Snoop owns Death Row Records, and demanded he show some paperwork before Suge gives him his respect on that endeavor. “Snoop, you said I’m mad because you bought Death Row,” Knight said. “What you buy? Shut me up. Show me where y’all paid the money to buy it. Show me the paperwork — show me what you own.”
Billboard has reached out to Snoop Dogg’s reps for comment.
Suge Knight remains imprisoned on a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter charges that resulted in the death of businessman Terry Carter and injuries to longtime rival Cle “Bone” Sloan. The 59-year-old former rap mogul is eligible for parole in October 2034.Watch the full phone interview with Suge Knight below.
Lil Nas X took some time off, but clearly it was no vacation. The rapper has dropped back-to-back new singles this week and on his latest he’s warning that no games will be played this year. “B–ch, I’m in my prime like a paintbrush/ Big s–t poppin’, walkin’ ’round in a mink vest/ Whoop-whoop, talkin’ […]