R&B/Hip-Hop
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During an appearance on the Bootleg Kev podcast, Rapsody was asked her feelings about J. Cole apologizing to fans and Kendrick Lamar after dropping his “7 Minute Drill” diss record from his recent mixtape Might Delete Later. On the track, Cole took shots at Lamar’s discography, most notably To Pimp a Butterfly, calling the Compton […]
On early Monday morning (Apr. 29), a security guard was shot in Encino, Calif., at a home linked to music executive and The Weeknd co-manager, Amir “Cash” Esmailian. LAPD sent Billboard a statement regarding the 2:30 AM incident. “The victim (M/B/37 years) was inside a guard shack when he heard several gunshots and discovered he […]
Although Taylor Swift‘s chart-busting Tortured Poets Department dominated the news cycle of the last weekend in April, the hip-hop and R&B worlds kept churning out hot new tracks and buzzy news stories to keep us occupied.
In yet another update to 2024’s Great Rap War, Drake complied with the Tuapc Shakur estate’s request to take down his new “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which featured verses spit by AI-generated versions of Snoop Dogg‘s and Pac’s voices. Kendrick Lamar has still not responded.
In other news, Ice Spice blessed Cash Cobain & Bay Swag’s “Fisherrr” remix, Ne-Yo smashed his NPR Tiny Desk set with a mixture of hits he’s penned for both himself and other artists, and Eminem announced a new album entitled The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) out this summer.
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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 Susan Carol’s soulful debut to Tommy Richman’s fast-rising smash. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Susan Carol, “Karma”
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Fresh off her first career Grammy win (best traditional R&B performance for “Good Morning” with PJ Morton), Susan Carol is celebrating her recent signing to Def Jam with new single “Karma.” Produced by Harmony Samuels, “Karma” finds Carol delivering a biting vocal performance that plays well against the lush combination of swanky guitars, steady percussion and ornate strings. “Think you better than you is/ And I swear the d–k was mid/ It’s just like a boomerang/ Your’re throwing out bulls–t & it comes right back on you/ There’s nothing left for me to do,” she sings before the production opens up into a soulful symphony of lounge jazz influences. The concept of the song is simple, yet effective, why waste time plotting revenge when you can let karma fight your battles for you? Well said, Susan.
Tommy Richman, “Million Dollar Baby”
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Tommy Richman has arrived. The Virginia native guested on Brent Faiyaz’s Larger Than Life album last year — but now, he’s capitalizing on his chance to fully introduce himself to the world. A TikTok snippet scorched the platform, and “Million Dollar Baby” hit the ground running on Friday (April 26). Released via Brent Faiyaz’s Iso Supremacy in partnership with Pulse Records, “Million Dollar Baby” sounds like a cousin of BROCKHAMPTON’s catalog, with Richman alternating roles and jumping octaves in his vocal range. For those that enjoy a grungier aesthetic, the unpolished DVD version of the track is also available featuring clipped drums and a fuzzy bassline. “Million Dollar Baby” could be making a splash on the Billboard Hot 100 with a lofty debut, as a bona fide song of the summer contender has arrived.
Normani feat. Gunna, “1:59″
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For the first taste of her long-awaited debut studio album, Dopamine, Normani recruits Gunna for a sultry midtempo that combines the lush vocal stacks of Brandy, the effortless seductiveness of Aaliyah and the Fifth Harmony alum’s own trademark enigmatic allure. As he does on his own R&B-adjacent collaborations, Gunna slinks in and out of harmony with Normani, presenting welcome contrasts to the song’s overall languid feel and providing a bit of dynamism for the “Motivation” singer to play off of in the back half. Now that her debut LP finally has a release date (June 14), “1:59” is a solid introduction to the Normani of Dopamine.
Anycia & Cash Cobain, “That’s Hard”
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Here’s an unexpected collaboration from the pair of rising rappers leaving their mark in 2024. Everything Cash Cobain lends his Midas Touch to is turning to gold these days. Cash freestyles another silky chorus and welcomes Anycia into his world with a Slizzy summer on the horizon. She matches his typically laid-back and raunchy vibes. “I’m getting top in the back of a brand-new car/ Nene the hardest/ He singing my s–t by the bar,” Anycia brags in her raspy flow. “That’s Hard” is a fun standout from Nene’s robust Princess Pop That debut, which arrived via UnitedMasters on Friday (April 26).
JT, “Okay”
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JT is on the cusp. Between her smart moves in the fashion world, the fan base she’s solidifying through her current club tour and club-ready records like “Alter Ego” (with Doechii) and now “Okay,” 2024 is shaping up to be a career-defining year for the City Girls rapper. “I’m pretty than a motherf–ker, h–s be lookin’ okay/ She think that she f–kin’ with me, is this bitch okay?/ He said he ain’t f–kin’ ’round, I look at him like, ‘Okay’/ I used to be down bad, but now a b—h okay,” she splits in her typically unbothered tone of rattling production from Akachi and Shawn Ferrari. With a hook this sticky and a string of solo singles as strong as “Okay,” “No Bars” and “Sideways,” JT’s forthcoming City Cinderella mixtape could very well take her to the next level.
Babyface Ray, “Glory”
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A rose bloomed from the concrete of Detroit. Babyface Ray has been as consistent as they come from the thriving Midwest rap scene. Ray basks in his glory as his smoky flow aerates the twinkly production. However, the 33-year-old can’t relate to his Gen Z peers in some ways like publicly broadcasting street violence. “I’m glad I was raised by bosses, these n—as lost in the sauce keep talkin’ ’bout killing/ All of the killers I know, they don’t even talk, so I’m sayin’ too much right now,” he contests. Ray switches gears and paints a picture of his baby boy waving bye-bye from the back of his Benz – it’s all about versatility. He claimed the Summer’s Mine with his 2023 project, we’ll see if he can find his way into the mix again this season.
Camper feat. Tank & Syd, “I Need It”
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Camper, the Grammy-winning producer behind chart-topping hits like Coco Jones‘ “ICU,” is stepping into the limelight. For his new single, the R&B craftsman recruited Syd and Tank, two voices that — while they evoke two separate eras of R&B — make for an absolutely gorgeous duet. Between Syd’s beguiling tone and the buttery seduction of Tank’s delivery, “I Need It” finds the two singers beautifully painting across Camper’s intimate, bedroom-ready production. “Find a better reason/ Why we shouldn’t lay up/ Get back to freakin’ right now/ All I know is/ I need it,” Syd declares.
Bairi, “Man Enough”
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Bairi’s luscious vocals could melt a heart made of ice. Sampling British art-pop group Art of Noise, “Man Enough” finds The Siren radiating about a distant lover trying to decode where they went wrong along the way. “Trapped in your sea, stuck in your weeds, begging you please, come back to me/ But I ain’t tripping if you want to leave, then leave/ Just don’t leave me on an empty guarantee,” she softly sings. Word to Ariana Grande, Bairi’s got no tears left to cry and she’s ready to move on from her former flame who couldn’t perform up to standard. “Man Enough” is just a peek into Bairi’s talent exuded on her intoxicating debut album Fire Siren.
Tommy Richman has taken the internet by storm in the last few days after releasing his new song, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY.” Released Friday (Apr. 26), the record is already firing on all cylinders on streaming because of its funky sound and Richman’s seamless vocal riffs. Last week, Richman first teased the track on TikTok using […]
Two weeks after the death of their beloved collaborator producer Rico Wade, OutKast paid loving tribute to the ATL legend who died at 52 on April 13.
“The first time we met Rico [Wade] of Organized Noize, we had the ‘Scenario’ instrumental on and we just rapped damn near the whole song, non-stop,” OutKast’s André 3000 wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend. He described sitting in Goodie Mobb member Big Gipp’s truck listening to the song on a cassette player.
“We didn’t know Gipp or Rico or none of them, but Rico knew people who did beats,” Dre continued. “He said, ‘Let me hear what you got,’ so we put in the ‘Scenario’ tape and started rhyming, non-stop, back-and-forth.” The beloved duo’s debut studio album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik — produced by Wade and Organized Noize — was released 30 years ago Friday, the same day Wade was buried in Atlanta.
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“That day, after we rhymed, Rico saw something in us. At that time we’d both shaven off all our hair. We’d dyed our hair blonde one time: We were young and in high school, we were outcasts, you know?” André wrote. “Rico saw that, and he said, ‘These guys can really rhyme. They don’t really rhyme like people from the South.’ So he told us to come over to his house, and that’s where the dungeon is, in the basement.”
Wade is considered one of the architects of Southern rap thanks to his role as one-third of the songwriting and production team Organized Noize, whose members also included Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray. In addition to their production and songwriting on the OutKast debut, they also worked on Goodie Mob’s 1995 debut, Soul Food.
Dre’s former partner in rhyme, Big Boi, also had fond memories of working with Wade, adding, “From the beginning, Organized Noize signed us. They were our big brothers, and they did a production deal with LaFace Records. They were the sones that gave us our first shot and we been doing music with them since the beginning. Without Rico Wade… there would be no OutKast.”
The memorial featured the caption, “Thank you, Rico. We will love you forever. Rest well, brother. Until we meet again [prayer hands emoji].”
The post ended with a quote from Wade, who once said, “We got with [OutKast] when they were young. They were like 16 or 17, and they were ready for some direction… I think timing is everything. It was time for a revolution.”
Another tribute post honored the duo’s landmark debut — which included their breakout hit, “Player’s Ball” — and spotlighted pics of Wade in the studio with the pair and posing with the entire extended Dungeon Family crew.
See OutKast’s post below.
Future has evolved into one of rap’s dignitaries in the 2010s as he’s put up seven straight No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Pluto broke out with a syrupy assist on YC’s “Racks” and earned an early Hot 100 hit in October 2012 with “Turn On the Lights.” DJ Khaled has repeatedly recruited Future […]
04/26/2024
The Atlanta duo’s game-changing debut dropped 30 years ago today.
04/26/2024
Watch Latin American Music Awards Following the viral success of Cash Cobain and Bay Swag’s “Fisherrr,” the duo is turning up the heat with a music video for their remix featuring Ice Spice on Friday (April 26). Taking place at and around a Chinese restaurant in the Bronx (where both Spice and Cobain are from), […]
Watch Latin American Music Awards Conway the Machine revealed the cover art and release date for his fourth studio album, SFK, in an Instagram post on Wednesday (April 24). The Buffalo emcee had a busy 2023, releasing a total of nine projects, with one being his third solo full-length, Won’t He Do It. Now, the […]
Watch Latin American Music Awards
When Anycia sauntered onto the stage during her sold-out headline show at SOB’s in New York City (March 30), a star had very clearly entered the space. And with a buzzing crowd packed shoulder to shoulder, mingling and vibing through clouds of marijuana smoke, the venue was ready to welcome her like the star she is.
From fan-favorite “BRB” to buzzy collabs like “Splash Brothers” (with Karrahbooo) and the Latto-assisted “Back Outside,” the crowd rapped along to every word of Anycia’s growing catalog, effortlessly emulating the Atlanta emcee’s raspy, blasé tone. At one point, Anycia gave her microphone to a fan, who happened to be a law student traveling from out of state, and she rapped an entire verse bar-for-bar as Anycia looked on in humble shock and glee. A little bit later, another fan surprised Anycia with a bouquet of flowers, which she tearfully and gratefully accepted.
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“They was blowing my mind,” she says of her fans. “It just made me realize like, You really got fans, girl!”
With her debut full-length projects hitting DSPs on Friday (April 25), the ascendant rapper is gearing up for the next phase of her career. Princess Pop That – which features collaborations with Luh Tyler and Cash Cobain – finds Anycia branching out from the Detroit-type beats that characterized her earlier output while still maintaining her authenticity. When Anycia raps, “Beat up the cat ’cause he know I’m a dog/ I turn a prince to a frog/ I turn a frog to a prince/ I’ll leave a n—a on missed call,” on Princess Pop That standout “ATM,” he laid-back tone is somehow both menacing and inviting, a truly intoxicating mixture.
She knows she can take anybody’s man and walk them like a dog, but she doesn’t necessarily feel the need to shout that from the rooftops. If you know, you know – and when it comes to Anycia, everyone will know whether they were seeking that knowledge or not.
After opening up for Veeze last year and kicking off 2024 with her most-viewed music video yet in “Back Outside” (three million hits on YouTube in just three months), Anycia is ready to take her moody e-girl-meets-ATL baddie aesthetic all the way to the top.
In an illuminating conversation with Billboard, Anycia breaks down her three essential Princess Pop That tracks, details how she’s adjusting to her rising fame and reveals what really makes her emotional.
What are three songs that you think are must-listens from Princess Pop That?
“Squeegee,” just because I like the sample on it. I picked it out, it’s “Let’s Get Away” by T.I., it’s very nostalgic for me. It’s already a song that I always listen to, so [I knew I wanted to sample it]. I like to incorporate the s—t that I listen to in the beat or some type of way.
“EAT!” is just a bop to me. Love that song. And working with Kenny [Beats] is always cool. [In the studio], we were just vibing. I had some tacos – I get the same s—t, I had my lil carne asada, some guac with a lil rice and beans and stuff like that – mess my stomach up a lil bit, but I did what I had to do and I made my song and everything was tea! I [also] had some wine, I love cabernet! [Laughs.]
[This] one’s growing on me only because I did an interview and it made me realize, “Wait, I really have never seen no b—h at the bank before for real.” It used to be my least favorite, “ATM,” but it’s growing on me. Chile, I did not like that song. It’s grown on me because I really ain’t never seen nobody that I don’t like at the bank. They be everywhere else in the world: Popeyes, the grocery store, the mall, I ran into a b—h at the damn doctor’s office. I ain’t never run into no b—h that I don’t like at the ATM withdrawing something. I ain’t never seen a b—h inside the bank, I never even drove past no b—h in front the bank! I ain’t never seen them nowhere near no money!
[The studio session for “ATM”] was turnt. I was drunk. I had just went out to eat, I was having a time, chile! Sometimes I freestyle, it depends on how I feel. I had some shots, so a b—h was freestylin’, you know how we get, chile.
You’ve said that you’ve always been doing music in your life, but you tried to take it seriously in 2022. What are your earliest musical memories?
I used to go to a Christian School, and it was a concert – now that I think about… it might’ve been a little racist! Because why did y’all make me the rapper? Then I had to think about it, like, Maybe it’s not racist. I was always singing and doing stuff in class, so they made me the rapper. They had me in a puffer jacket with the fur on it in Atlanta around Easter time! It was pretty hot!
So, I just rapped about God. It was like my own little solo. That’s why I feel like… he know that I made that song for him! That’s why I’m getting all the blessings I’m getting.
What do you remember listening to in the house?
I grew up with girls, my mom and my grandma, and they both are completely different. My grandma would be listening to Sam Cooke and Luther Vandross and Teena Marie, stuff like that. My mom would be listening to Crime Mob, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Field Mob, Ciara, Cherish, so I grew up on that. My mom’s from California, so she got a West Coast vibe and the girl’s just cultured, she’s musically inclined.
How do you thinking growing up in a household of women shaped you into who you are today?
With the women that I was brought up around, they really just taught me to embrace myself 100%. No matter the situation, always be comfortable with yourself. Like I said, my grandma and my mama are the complete opposite, so I get completely different opinions on s—t and we still like that now. They’ve always taught me to remain in tune with myself, really just how to be a f—king woman, how to stand your ground, how to understand every dynamic of a woman, how to enjoy your woman experience no matter what the f–k is going on. And no matter what, just to give it 100%.
Have they ever given you notes or advice on music or your career at all?
No. Even if they did, I’d take it with a grain of salt — because I’ve always been one of those people that got to bump my own head to figure some s—t out. Can’t nobody tell me what the f—k because I feel like it’s different strokes for different folks, your story is not the next person’s story. I do take advice. I’m learning to take advice from people that have actually been in those [situations]. You know parents love to put their 1-2 in! You tryna give me a 1-2 and you ain’t even had that 1 yet. Just let me do what I do, and you just support.
Nobody really sounds like you. How did you develop your rap voice and your flow?
In the beginning, I used to be trying to do little melodic type s—t. Just dibbling and dabbling in some bulls—t. But, at one point in time, I just realized… B—h, just talk.
Last winter you put out your debut EP, Extra. How would you describe your growth from that project to Princess Pop That? What are some of the biggest lessons you learned since putting out your first project?
Nothing really musically. I just be doing my lil thing. I get into different bags with myself. I learned how to adapt to different s–t. Let me learn how to get in different bags and step out my element but still be myself. Before, I felt like people was putting me in a box: Detroit type beats. That’s not a problem, but my biggest thing is I want to be just me. I just want to be in my own lane. I don’t want nobody on the same street with me. This is my street, I’ll come over there when I come over there. It’s private, gated community. [Laughs.]
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We got Kevin Durant, Drake, and Latto — you’re entering your debut album era with some massive co-signs. Which one meant the most to you and who’s given you the best advice about this whole music thing?
Ain’t nobody gave me no advice. Everybody’s given me support. I don’t really look for advice. I’m not vulnerable with people unless we’re close. I don’t make you feel like I need any advice. If anything, I want you to be looking to me like, “B—h what can I do to be like you?” I don’t give a damn who it is!
I’d say Latto is my favorite [co-sign]. She’s such a girl’s girl, and we had fun shooting the [“Back Outside”] music video. I met her at her birthday party prior to that. The girls really be my favorite to me.
You recently toured with Veeze, who had his own breakout moment last year. What did you take away from that experience?
Before [the Veeze tour], I would be so nervous. I still do be a little nervous, but now it’s better because I know people are starting to get the gist of what’s going on. Like [at] SOB’s, people are coming to see me. For the Veeze tour, I was still fresh. It was different states that we were going to, that I literally was finna s—t bricks backstage — like, Is these people gonna boo me? I used to worry about that.
I learned that no matter what room we step in, no matter what performance I do, even if they don’t know me, the whole goal is to make sure that they know me before they leave.
What was it like when you got that call to open for him?
It be certain s—t that hit me like, “OK, this is really going on!” But, for the most part, I was just thinking about… where we was finna be at. Like responsibility s—t. I was nervous about performing, but I wasn’t [screaming] or anything like that.
Is there ever a moment where something happens and you are screaming and jumping?
Not screaming and s—t, [but] I got emotional at SOB’s. All this s—t is very intimate to me. A lot of stuff excites me, but not for real. The smallest things mean so much to me. I cried at SOB’s because I was surrounded by people [who] have been with me a while. Them flowers? Chile, that was the lead for the first tear. One of the women that work with me, she got me a custom lil letterman jacket with “sold out show” on the back, I just bust out in tears, chile, I was so emotional. But I cleaned it up real good after that!
How do you stay grounded with all of these big career changes?
It’s not easy at all. I wouldn’t even sit here and be like I’m all the way around it. It’s s—t that irritates the f—k out of me every day. Business s–t, you know what I’m saying? I get overwhelmed, I won’t say aggravated or irritated. I have a lot to do. This is what I decided to do, you ain’t really going to get no sleep like that. But it’s definitely tea!
It’s [less] being grounded and [more] learning how to do what you got to do and go with that and still incorporate being you and not losing sight of what the f—k the bigger picture is. Like if I don’t want to do something, I’m not gonna do it. If I don’t like something, I’m gonna say I don’t like it. I’m open to how the f—k you feel, or why you think I should do it, but if I don’t want to do something, it’s always myself first.
When it comes to creating your stage show, do you have anybody you look up to?
Sometimes I don’t even know what the f—k I’m going to do before I get on that motherf—ker! I don’t know what it is. Truth be told, I go to rehearsal, I get up by the stage, I get the bubble guts and then everything just goes out my mind. I’ll step on the stage and see the people and my stomach starts hurting. I be like, Oh, s—t, they really pulled up. I feel like a scary b—h that didn’t really want to fight for real. The scary b—h that dopped the addy and didn’t think they was really gonna come. I be backstage like, They gon beat my a— bro!
And then you gotta go out there, cause your mom in the back, like, You brought these b—hes to my house! They just paid gas money and s–t, I got to get out there. So, it just clicks. Sasha Fierce! I get up out there and something takes over and we just start rocking out.
[At] Rolling Loud, I had a mental f—king breakdown on the plane. I got mad when I got to the to the damn hotel room. I was being a b—h, then I just broke down. See, that’s what happens with me. I’ll be a b—h, and then I turn into a b—h for real. I’ll be a b—h, and after all the bulls—t, all it takes is one person around me to be like, “What’s up?” and I’ll break down in tears. Then we have a nice little pep talk and we back into action. But I was on that plan laughing and crying with the f—king wine taking pictures. I took selfies of me crying!
How was performing at Rolling Loud?
It was cool. My mom got to see me, that was her first time ever being able to see me before. I had to make sure it was a special show because she is a hard cookie to crumble, baby. I couldn’t just bring her to a regular show. I had to bring her to Rolling Loud. She was excited, she got a shirt and everything. That was the best part for me, my mom seeing me.
And the people out there, I didn’t think that they would be there for me. I underestimate myself in some circumstances. It just hasn’t completely clicked all the way. It’s clicking, don’t get me wrong, but it’s crazy because I’m literally being myself.
What are those moments where it really started to click for you?
It be the most random times, like when I’m doing some s—t where I didn’t expect nobody to see me. I was in the flea market getting one of my grills made, and there was a young woman with her mother. First of all, I was going to pass out, period. I am anemic and I hadn’t ate. I was waiting on the lady to change my phone case, and I was getting really lightheaded. I had on a damn windbreaker jogger suit! [Laughs.]
So, I’m leaning on the damn stool and this lady come over like, “Hey, are you Anycia?” And I’m still adjusting [to fame]! Normally, a b—h ask you what’s your name or who you is at 285 Flea Market, I don’t know whether to say yes or no! So, I’m like… this b—h finna beat my a–. She gon knock me clean the f—k out. Then she like, “My daughter over there, and she shy!” I look over and the daughter over there [hiding]. She wanted to take a picture, so I [got myself together]. All of that was random!
But for real, I be forgetting I can’t go outside with my wig all the way back. I can’t go outside with a bald cap on no more!
When it comes to fan interaction like how do you navigate that? How’s that relationship developed over time?
It really wasn’t a development thing! I’ve always been a person that likes to break the ice and command a room. I’ve always felt [that with] being a leader, you determine the room. Whoever tags along, tags along. Whoever don’t, is not meant to be in my world. I’ve always been a people person, but I don’t like who I don’t like.
Who’s on your Mount Rushmore of rap?
1, me. 2, me. 3, me and 4, me. But the way it has to be set up, it’s different styles that I done did. Some cute braids, cornrows, 30-inch bust down straight down the middle — and then the next one just gon be me being the baddest b—h I can possibly be.
What’s your favorite rap album?
Probably Princess Pop That.
What are your top five songs ever?
“Big Body” by Anycia. “BRB” by Anycia. “Back Outside” by Anycia. “EAT!,” it’s also by Anycia too. And “Squeegee” by Anycia.