R&B/Hip-Hop
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Now that we’re solidly in May, it looks like the Great Rap War of 2024 finally has a victor. If TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith’s X post is anything to go by, the battle is indeed over — even though Drake‘s “The Heart Part 6” effectively shifted public opinion to Kendrick Lamar’s side.
Outside of that beef — which is still unfurling outside of the music — the worlds of R&B and hip-hop have had much to ponder over the past week. On Monday (May 13) Childish Gambino released a polished version of 2020’s 3.15.20 titled Atavista and both Shaquille O’Neal and King Combs released diss tracks — against Shannon Sharpe and 50 Cent, respectively — further solidifying 2024 as the year of the hater and the year of beef. Thanks again, Katt Williams!
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Rosehardt’s dirty-macking midtempo to RaealRichIzzo’s latest addition to the contemporary Midwest rap lexicon. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Rosehardt, “Headass”
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One of the classic elements of male R&B is dirty macking — and Rosehardt kicks off “Headass” with a whole lot of it. “What does he have? What does he do?/ He must be bad, he must be cool too/ I’m just the past, he’s something new/ But I bet he don’t love you, like I do,” his distorted vocals croon in the intro. Betweent he chugging production, sultry yet understated bass, and a vocal performance that balances tender hoensty (“I’m just a man who believes in love”) with a sinister undertone of trying to convince a love interest who has already clocked his shortcomings as a partner. Taken from his new The World Gets Smaller Each Day It Seems to Shrink LP, “Headass” finds Rosehardt (aka Drama League Award-nominated actor Caleb Eberhardt) fully immersing himself in the role of imperfect bachelor without necessarily relishing that position.
Snow tha Product, “So What”
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With this bouncy, snap-laden ode to the comforts of ambivalence, Snow tha Product embraces the unknown. Although she sings of using the classic “so what?” question to keep her “feelings detached,” she, in fact, cycles through the myriad emotions of a tumultuous relationship, in which she’s always one step away from walking out. “So what / If you tell me its over/ Guess Imma have to chill to your back,” she sing-raps with a smug wink and smirk. She’s in control here, making for an intricate mind-game that finds a sly, unassuming soundtrack in the buoyant beat.
Chief Keef feat. Tierra Whack, “Banded Up”
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Sosa finally delivered his highly-anticipated Almighty So 2 project on Friday (May 10). One of the early standouts from the drill pioneer’s LP came courtesy of Tierra Whack’s explosive assist on “Banded Up,” which gives the Philly MC an immediate guest verse of the year candidate. Whack posted voice messages from Chief Keef in disbelief asking her, “Why would you do me like that on my song?” T-Whack blacks out over Sosa’s thumping production with a mini-uzi flow that sounds as if she was recorded in 5x speed. “These rappers are food and that’s why I be cooking/ You can’t pull no strings and I just keep it pushin’/ B-I-G, but I was not born in Brooklyn,” she snarls. The 28-year-old turned Sosa’s playground into Whack World.
4Fargo & Honey Bxby, “Ex for a Reason”
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4Fargo and his tender croon are looking to leave their mark on the current landscape of R&B. The Georgia-bred singer unleashed his major label debut project Express&B last week via Republic Records. Heartbreak has long been the engine behind the genre and 4Fargo is no different in flipping his pain and anguish into cathartic art. The infectious “Ex for a Reason” is pretty self-explanatory with the father of two listing off why a toxic love has moved to his rear-view mirror. Misery loves company and Honey Bxby joins the party while showing off her vocal range. “Leavin’ you sounds like a lullaby/ Blockin’ all your numbers, don’t ask why/ Poppin’ all that shit know it’s a lie/ I’ma show you why you’re mine,” she powerfully sings. Give the charismatic 4Fargo a follow on Instagram for a look into his endearing personality, you won’t regret it.
RealRichIzzo, “Free Key”
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Kicking off with an iPhone FaceTime call that immediately situates “Free Key” in media res, “Free Key” is one of the more potent storytelling moments of his new Welcome to Inkster album. In his ode to his guys, RealRichIzzo offers a peek into his high-octane life that brings him from place to place with just a moment’s notice. “Yeah, drop the lo’/ Ain’t no spots inside the rental, we gon’ stash ’em in the floor/B—h, the striker on the way, mask up, we finna go/ Lil’ bro just called back, blow the light, it’s fo’ sure,” he rap-chants in the magnetic chorus, which simultaneously reads as play-by-play of him and his boys hitting a lick and functions as an irresistible hook. With Inkster, Michigan on his back, RealRichIzzo is staking a claim for himself at the forefront of the current Midwestern rap boom.
Andra Day, “Bottom of the Bottle”
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On this bluesy reflection on the swirling depths of memory only accessed by surrendering to the throes of alcohol, acclaimed multi-hyphenate Andra Day focuses on restraints over the room-shaking belts that shot her to fame. “I only see you when it’s last call/ I only see you when the house lights come on/ And you’re not only to blame, no/ Dazed and consumed by the wild flames/ Though we know it’s combustible,” she muses over plucky piano and steady percussion courtesy of an all-star team of producers, including Nando Raio, Shay Godwin, Dave Wood, Charles Jones, Caleb Morris and Spencer Guerra. With a deliciously nasal drawl in the spirit of Amy Winehouse, Day delivers an introspective midtempo that allows her to show off how effortlessly she freewheels between the different parts of her voice.
Mustard on the beat, ho! The hitmaker behind Kendrick Lamar‘s scorching Drake diss track “Not Like Us” is celebrating the song’s No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Monday (May 13). “Sometimes you really gotta pop out and show n—as!!!! To think . . . They really fronted on me and acted like I’m […]
Whatever you do, don’t ask 21 Savage about the ongoing rap beef. The Atlanta rapper — who has been quiet on this subject — was on Instagram Live on Sunday (May 12) while listening to General TK’s “I Spy,” when fans in the comments asked his thoughts about Drake vs. everybody. Tired of fans always […]
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and Offset is making sure Cardi B has plenty of new besties in her life. Set went above and beyond to deliver on Mother’s Day (May 12), as he showered the Bronx rapper with lavish gifts, including three icy diamond chains and enough beautiful flowers to create […]
50 Cent has been relentless in his yearslong feud of mocking Diddy. The Queens rapper continued to jab at the Bad Boy CEO when it came to the latter’s litany of sexual assault allegations and lawsuits piling up, and didn’t stop following the raid of Diddy’s homes by federal agents in March. (Diddy has denied […]
Childish Gambino is hitting the road. Following the release of his Atavista (3.15.20 reimagined versions) project on Monday (May 13), Donald Glover announced plans for his global The New World Tour.
The “This Is America” rapper is set to tour the world starting this summer with Willow and Amaarae serving as openers. Glover’s first trek since 2018 will kick off in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Aug. 11.
The New World Tour’s “Artist Presale begins this Wednesday 5/15, [and Amex card members] *UK begins Tuesday *AUS begins Thursday,” he captioned the tour flyer on Instagram. “General onsale begins Friday 5/17 *Signup @ theneworldtour.com NOW for access to the Artist presale codes.”
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The trek will run through North America, Australia and a handful of European dates. After OKC, Gambino is slated to hit U.S. markets such as Detroit, Philly, Boston, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Portland and Los Angeles before wrapping up Stateside with a show in Chicago on Oct. 3.
Gambino then heads across the pond for performances in Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, France, Germany, the U.K. and more.
The Atlanta creator’s Atavista serves as an 11-track updated collection of the unfinished 3.15.20 project he released as the world was gearing up to shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Atavista still boasts collaborations with Ariana Grande (“Time”), 21 Savage (“Psilocybae”), Summer Walker (“Sweet Thang”) and Young Nudy (“Little Foot Big Foot”) — albeit with different song titles. Gambino also released a Hiro Murai-directed black-and-white video for “Little Foot Big Foot” alongside the project, starring an appearance from Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson.
The 40-year-old isn’t done yet for the year either, as he’s preparing to unleash a second album this summer. The album is the accompanying soundtrack to his forthcoming movie, Bando Stone & The New World.
“My fans are great and have been so patient and are starving — this album is for you guys,” he said during a Gilga Radio stream in April.
Find all of The New World Tour dates below:
While it looks like the furious back-and-forth between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has settled back down to a simmer, that doesn’t mean the 6 God can totally relax. After a week in which Drizzy’s Bridle Path Toronto mansion was the site of two alleged incidents of trespassing and a shooting incident involving one of the […]
Donald Glover shared some new old music on Monday morning (May 13) when he unleashed his new Childish Gambino project Atavista (3.15.20 reimagined versions). “New” is a relative term for the 11-track collection, which the actor/rapper explained the “finished version of 3.15.20, the album I put out four years ago.”
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Indeed, Atavista is a refresh of the 2020 Gambino album 3.15.20, which was originally uploaded in an unfinished state to donaldgloverpresents.com before it was removed and then re-uploaded to streaming sites a week later under it final title. A number of songs on Atavista appear to be very similar, if not exactly the same as those on the previous release, including “Algorhythm,” the Ariana Grande-featuring “Time” and others with guest spots from 21 Savage, Ink and Kadhja Bonet (“Psilocybae”) and Summer Walker (“Sweet Thang”); the 50-minute project does feature the new futuristic title track, which opens with chaotic synth squiggles before settling into a classic Gambino soul serenade, as well as the fresh robotic funk track “Human Sacrifice.”
Though fan favorite dreamy single “Feels Like Summer” is off the roster, Atavista is being fronted by hot jazz hop burner “Little Foot Big Foot” featuring Young Nudy (formerly known as “35.21” on the 3.15.20 album). In addition to a new title, the song gets its own video as well, a black-and-white narrative directed by Glover’s frequent collaborator, Hiro Murai, featuring a cameo from Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary).
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The six-minute clip opens with Gambino and his crew showing up to a Cotton Club-style nightclub as doo wop trio Johnny and the Pipes, with a warning from Brunson to not make eye contact with anyone in the front row. Playing to an unimpressed room, Gambino busts into the song’s irresistible chorus as he and his compatriots tear up the floor with moves that borrow inspiration from everyone from Beyoncé to Cab Calloway.
In typical Glover fashion, things go dramatically awry, as the trio win the room over in the most unexpected way and the scene shifts to a shot of Nudy dropping his verses in the dark under the desert stars.
In a statement, Glover said most of the songs on Atavista are spruced-up versions of the same songs from the previous album, noting that there’s also a “special vinyl coming soon w/visuals for each song.”
Last month Glover announced that he was preparing the final two Gambino projects, with Atavista to be followed by the soundtrack to his upcoming movie, Bando Stone & the New World.
Listen to Atavista and watching the “Little Foot Big Foot” video below.
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ATAVISTA is streaming now. this album is the finished version of “3.15.20”, the album i put out 4 years ago. there’s a special vinyl coming soon w/ visuals for each song. the all new childish gambino album comes out in the summer.also….little foot, big foot video:…— donald (@donaldglover) May 13, 2024
The Roots frontman Black Thought appeared on the This Week In White Supremacy podcast and was asked about J. Cole’s infamous apology to Kendrick Lamar by host Jasiri X. Interestingly enough, the emcee had no issues with Cole taking that route and actually applauded his decision.
The Philly rapper, who’s also an adjunct instructor at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, mentioned his students asking him what he thought about the apology. “Some of my students at NYU asked me a week ago asked me how I feel about J. Cole’s apology to Kendrick a day or so after putting out a diss record,” he said. “Though I hadn’t heard any of the music, I thought it was a beautiful thing. I thought that’s what’s unprecedented.”
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He continued by bringing up rap’s violent history when it comes to beef, saying, “What we’ve seen, time and time again since the ’80s, are MCs going back and forth, like battling out. Sometimes they keep it to the records, sometimes it gets physical and it gets crazy.”
So, he applauded Cole for looking at the bigger picture. “What we’ve yet to see is somebody nip that in the bud, right? That’s what I felt like he was in effect doing. I felt like it just showed humility, nobility and a sense of elevation that you don’t see too often across the board.” He then added, “When the plane’s going down, you gotta situate your own oxygen mask first. He’s been on a trajectory of just that, self-revelation, and investing in himself. His mind, spirit, body, soul, music, everything is better for it.”
Thought admitted he doesn’t know the Carolina rapper very well personally, but is familiar with his music and revealed that back in 2018 they almost did a joint album together. However, he feels like he might’ve scared Cole away. “He sent me a batch of beats and they all just felt so close to, I guess, something Roots-centric. At the time, I was trying to sort of step outside of what I’d done with The Roots and I just didn’t feel like we were lining up.” He then asked Cole for a different pack of beats adding, “So I think I asked him to do a different batch. I gave him an explanation, and in my explanation I think I scared him off. Maybe some of the trigger words that I was using, like, ‘I want something hard! This beat ain’t aggressive enough. He wasn’t on that. He was on a peaceful journey.”
Check out the clip below and watch the entire podcast here.
Black Thought reacts to J. Cole apologizing to Kendrick Lamar after dropping the ‘7 Minute Drill’ diss song and reveals he scared off J. Cole when J. Cole wanted to do a joint album with him because he wanted J. Cole to send more aggressive beats.(🎥 This Week In White… pic.twitter.com/3BQbvJwNgL— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) May 10, 2024
Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to the rap world and with beef running rampant throughout the genre, the NBA icon is ready for battle.
NFL Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe heavily criticized Shaq on his Nightcap podcast earlier this week after the former Laker critiqued Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic winning a third NBA MVP in four years.
Shaq said that Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “deserved” to win the title,and he candidly told that to Jokic’s face in an interview after collecting his latest accolade.
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Sharpe took issue with O’Neal’s remarks. “Shaq should have five MVP’s,” he said. “He sees a guy like Nikola Jokic that’s not as dominant as him and gets three in four years. When you historically great, they talk about you as a great basketball player, the GOAT, and Shaq is never brought up.
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Sharpe continued, accusing Shaq of jealousy. “I think a part of him is envious of that … It’s hard for me to put someone in the GOAT conversation with one MVP. If Shaq would have had my work ethic, he would have had 40,000 points,” he added.
O’Neal took to Instagram early Friday (May 10) to serve up a scintillating and long-winded response on his Instagram featuring a photo that had Sharpe ranked at the No. 51 best player of all time.
“You took me sticking up for @shai as jealousy?? Shows how smart you are and how you say anything to get clicks. so here’s some click bait for you. if you ain’t ranked in the top ten in your profession , then you can’t speak on Me. don’t forget i know what you did to get where you at,” he wrote.
“Me jealous lol sounds like you jealous. i kno you tryna stay relevant by gossiping on your podcast. we don’t believe you. you need more people and in case you forgot. 4 rings three finals Mvp top 50 and top 75. google me.”
His caption sounded as if it could’ve been a fiery rap. Hours later, Shaq served up an actual Shannon Sharpe diss track on Friday’s episode of The Big Podcast.
“Oh no, Shannon Sharpe man, you’re way beneath me/ Your whole demeanor is faker than new rapper beefy/ You’re soft before you get fly, you’d rather tweet me/ I was in three different cars when you was in three feet/ All I see is dollar signs, they coming in 3-D,” he spews.
“Make it hot, ain’t no way around my degrees/ You are not in my spot, you are like a peewee/ I’ve got him calling me Rocky the way I RiRi,” he spit. “I get to the green bag, I don’t mean a lawnmower/ Jet flying, foreign driving, best buying, downpour.”
Listen to the diss track below.