R&B/Hip-Hop
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Travis Scott is delivering on his plans for a global trek with his Circus Maximus Tour. The Houston native announced plans for the South American and Australian legs of his tour on Monday (July 22), which will keep La Flame on the road through Halloween. “SOUTH AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA WHAT ARE WE DOING. IVE BEEEN […]
Social media had a field day with President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the upcoming presidential election on Sunday (July 21). A contingent of hip-hop fans even compared Biden to J. Cole when the rapper backtracked from a Kendrick Lamar feud in April.
The floodgates opened on X, with some using the Dreamville boss as a way to explain Biden dropping out in rap terms, while others capitalized on the news by Photoshopping Biden onto Cole’s image during the rapper’s Dreamville Fest speechrevealing he’d be walking back his Kendrick Lamar diss “7 Minute Drill.”
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“Biden watched what backing out of a battle did for J. Cole and said y’all go have fun,” one person tweeted
Others weren’t too happy with the comparisons: “F–k all y’all disrespecting J Cole and photoshopping him on Biden that s–t lame lol y’all wild and I’ll fight y’all.”
Just a couple of days after attacking Kendrick Lamar and his discography on Might Delete Later‘s “7 Minute Drill,” Cole pulled the troops back and called the move “the lamest s–t” he’s done in his life in front of thousands of fans at his Dreamville Fest.
“I’m so proud of [Might Delete Later], except for one part. It’s one part of that s–t that makes me feel like, man that’s the lamest s–t I did in my f–king life, right? And I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear,” he began. “I was conflicted because, one, I know my heart and I know how I feel about my peers, these two n—as that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase they greatness. So I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh I don’t even feel no way. But the world wanna see blood. I don’t know if y’all can feel that, but the world wanna see blood.”
Cole continued: “That s–t don’t sit right with my spirit. “That s–t disrupts my f—ing peace. So what I want to say right here tonight is in the midst of me doing that and in that s–t, trying to find a little angle and downplay this n—a’s f—ing catalog and his greatness, I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherf–kers to ever touch a f—ing microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.”
Days later, the unofficial “Like That” response “7 Minute Drill” was removed from streaming services, as if it had never happened, and cleared the way for Kendrick and Drake to spar in battle.
In recent weeks, Biden faced mounting pressure from the Democratic party to drop out of the presidential race, after what many critics had called a disastrous performance in his debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump in June.
Up until Sunday, he had insisted that he wouldn’t be leaving the race. After revealing his decision to step aside, the president gave his full support to his Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place in the upcoming election.
Find more reactions comparing J. Cole to Joe Biden below.
Biden pulled a J Cole on us. Guess I gotta respect it lol 😂— Mike (@MikeFree_) July 21, 2024
the j in j cole stands for joe biden.— K (@K_howto_Z) July 22, 2024
Niggas calling Biden j cole is wild😂😂😭 my nigga like 80 let him go rest— EastsiiideLoverBoy 🌹 (@K4NGI) July 22, 2024
Someone called Biden J Cole.The unserious -ness of this country is crazy— Thick James (@TheREAL_MBrooks) July 22, 2024
A month after embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs deleted all his Instagram posts, the Bad Boy Records founder was back on the platform on Sunday (July 21) with a post celebrating his daughter Chance’s 18th birthday. “My babygirl turned 18 today,” Combs wrote alongside a photo of his daughter in a striped dress posing at sundown on a beach. “I’m so proud of you Chance. I love you. @myfancychance,” he added along with a string of emoji (heart, prayer hands, shooting star, lightning, star).
In a second photo Combs is seen taking a nap with his daughter when she was a grade schooler. Chance, born July 20, 2006, to father of seven Diddy and former girlfriend Sarah Chapman is the rapper’s first-born daughter.
The post is the first one on Diddy’s Instagram page since he scrubbed his whole account in June, including a now-deleted apology to ex longtime girlfriend Cassie after the leak of a disturbing video from 2016 in which Combs was seen repeatedly hitting and kicking the singer in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel.
Combs has been laying low since a lawsuit filed by Cassie in November in which the singer claimed that she endured “over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including Diddy allegedly forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers.” Less than 24 hours after the suit was reported it was withdrawn after the former couple reach an undisclosed settlement.
He was then hit with a series of lawsuits by other women accusing him of drugging, physically abusing and sexually assaulting them, and, on March 25, was the subject of two raids by Dept. of Homeland Security agents on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami reportedly in connection with an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation; Diddy has vehemently denied all the allegations.
Since Cassie’s suit Diddy’s once-vast business empire has begun to erode, including his decision to step down as chairman of the Revolt digital media company (and later reportedly selling his stake in Revolt TV), nearly two dozen brands breaking ties with Combs’ E-commerce company, Empower Global, and Hulu scrapping a planned Combs family reality show, among other actions.
Among the posts Combs deleted in June was an apology he uploaded in the wake of the hotel assault video’s leak. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Diddy said in his apology video. “I was f—ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now.”
At press time, the birthday post was the only one on Combs’ account, which has nearly 20 million followers.
See Diddy’s posts below.
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
This September, comedian and social media personality Druski will kick off his first-ever comedy/music festival, Coulda Fest, in Atlanta. On Sept. 7 at the State Farm Arena, Druski will co-host Coulda Fest alongside Wild n Out star and comedian DC Young Fly, with performances by Lil Baby, Kai Cenat, Soulja Boy, Waka Flocka Flame, Yung Joc, Young […]
The late XXXTentacion and Juice WRLD have two songs that are ready to see the light of day, according to Lil Bibby and DJ Scheme. Bibby — who heads the label that reps Juice WRLD, Grade A Productions — took to his Instagram Stories and posted a screenshot of a group chat between his team […]
Metro Boomin will perform a special “Metro Boomin and Friends” concert in his St. Louis hometown at the end of this month, Live Nation announced Friday (July 19). The homecoming show is set for July 29 at St. Louis’ The Pageant, just one night before he and Future embark on their We Trust You Tour, […]
Rappers who announce their retirement often end up like that one friend who declares, “I’m never drinking again” — then, weeks, maybe months later, are found on Instagram chugging an entire bottle of Casamigos. Not to say they weren’t sincere about quitting; it’s just, more often than not, they needed a break, a pause, a chance to reset, to recalibrate. Musicians are no different.
Donald Glover, since 2017, has teased the retirement of his rap alias Childish Gambino. This wasn’t the same Glover who spent the early 2010s rhyming for respect as a world-building, punchline-pushing actor-turned-rapper but a highly successful multi-hyphenate soaring on the wings of several career milestones: a hit television show (FX’s ATLANTA), a hit record (“Redbone”) and a starring role in a hit film franchise (Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story), not to mention a loyal fanbase who watched his every move and knew his every rap.
Seven years later, the accolades in film, music, and television have increased, but his commitment to retiring the alter-ego born in an NYU dorm room has remained unchanged. The signs of change have been prevalent — none greater than in Gambino’s 2020 album, Atavista, an experimental offering where conventional song structure was melted into a psychedelic free-form acid trip that felt like the work of an adventurous artist searching for a future unlike his past work.
That future, to the disappointment of many, begins with an ending. Glover intends to complete the Childish Gambino arc with the final album, Bando Stone and the New World, released on RCA Records today (July 19). Although he’s detailed the reasons why in various interviews, his desire for a definitive, conclusive moment feels proper for a man who creates memorable characters like Troy Barnes and Earn Marks but has never committed to any one creation eternally. Gambino is no different.
Childish Gambino won’t be remembered as the greatest rapper. Still, his improvement as a singer and songwriter and consistent evolutions as an artist have made him one of the most unexpected sensations in rap over the last 15 years. Knowing how much Glover enjoys twisting expectations and distorting reality, he wouldn’t raise Gambino’s jersey to the rafters without 17 more reasons why the game should put some respect on his Wu-Tang-generated name. Here is a ranking of every song on Bando Stone and the New World.
“Running Around” (feat. Fousheé)
Glorilla‘s scorching summer anthem “TGIF” has inspired a much more serious discussion about climate change, courtesy of a prominent Democratic lawmaker. During the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing last Wednesday (July 10), U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley gave a speech about the impact of urban heat islands on lower-income communities. “You know the kids […]
The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,” the late rapper’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, is back atop a Billboard chart, as it reigns atop the Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for June 2024 after a synch in Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys.
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Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of June 2024.
“Hypnotize,” which ruled the Hot 100 for three weeks in May 1997, can be heard in the second episode of The Boys’ fourth season, which premiered alongside the first and third episode of the season on June 13.
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The song accumulated 15.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in June 2024, according to Luminate.
In all, The Boys charts three songs on the June 2024 Top TV Songs list. Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” like “Hypnotize” a past Hot 100 No. 1 (two weeks in March 1988), appears at No. 4 (5.8 million streams, 2,000 downloads) after being heard in the season premiere, while Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House” (No. 9 on the Hot 100 in October 1983) ranks at No. 9 (3.1 million streams, 1,000 downloads) after a synch in the second episode.
But despite three appearances on the latest Top TV Songs chart, The Boys doesn’t boast the most entries for June 2024. That distinction goes to FX on Hulu’s The Bear, which lands four. Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” leads the group at No. 3 via 6.8 million streams and 1,000 downloads following its appearance in the sixth episode of the newly released third season, which premiered all together on June 26. James‘ “Laid,” The Smashing Pumpkins‘ “Disarm” and Kool & the Gang‘s “Get Down On It” follow at Nos. 6-8, respectively.
The top non-The Boys or –The Bear appearance goes to Imagine Dragons‘ “Whatever It Takes,” which ranks at No. 2 via 10 million streams and 1,000 downloads after a synch in the eighth episode of FX’s Welcome to Wrexham’s third season on June 13.
See the full chart, which also features music from Dark Matter, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)1. “Hypnotize,” The Notorious B.I.G, The Boys (Amazon Prime Video)2. “Whatever It Takes,” Imagine Dragons, Welcome to Wrexham (FX)3. “Sabotage,” Beastie Boys, The Bear (Hulu/FX)4. “Never Gonna Give You Up,” Rick Astley, The Boys (Amazon Prime Video)5. “Sparks,” Coldplay, Dark Matter (Apple TV+)6. “Laid,” James, The Bear (Hulu/FX)7. “Disarm,” The Smashing Pumpkins, The Bear (Hulu/FX)8. “Get Down On It,” Kool & the Gang, The Bear (Hulu/FX)9. “Burning Down the House,” Talking Heads, The Boys (Amazon Prime Video)10. “Two Weeks,” Fka twigs, Dark Matter (Apple TV+)
Ever since her 2020 Billboard 200-charting debut studio album Queen of da Souf, Latto has always made one thing abundantly clear: she loves her hometown of Atlanta, GA. As one of ATL’s hottest current stars, it’s no surprise that she was a part of BET’s Lifetime Achievement tribute performance to A-Town’s very own Usher.
At the 2024 BET Awards, the “Big Mama” rapper performed a career-spanning medley of Usher’s defining hits alongside a star-studded line-up of artists, including Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Coco Jones, Summer Walker, Tinashe, Chlöe, Marsha Ambrosius, Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét. Latto closed out the performance by taking on Ludacris‘ iconic “Yeah!” verse — all while wearing Usher’s actual “U” chain.
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“His wife [Jennifer Goicoechea, got me the chain] because [the tribute] was a surprise!” said Billboard’s latest cover star. “We had reached out and she was like, ‘Let me see what he brought with him to L.A.’ She showed me a picture of two different chains, I was like, ‘I wanna wear that one!’”
The diamond-encrusted “U” chain has become synonymous with the “Burn” singer over the course of his three-decade career, even earning a key moment during his bombastic Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance when he ripped off his shirt midway through “U Got It Bad.” At the 2024 BET Awards, Latto paired the chain with a white tank top, loose honey-brown curls and dark wash denim jeans, perfectly capturing the ’00s feel of Usher’s Ludacris and Lil Jon-assisted smash.
“They had me sitting right next to Usher and [production] was like Don’t say nothing! They was making me nervous!” she told Billboard. “When we got there, I was running late, I missed the carpet and didn’t even end up sitting directly next to him. Thank God, ’cause ain’t no telling what I was gonna say. When my anxiety is going in a room like that, I don’t know what I’m going to say. Then it’s still Usher! I might say, I ate scrambled eggs for breakfast! [Laughs.]”
According to the “Sunday Service” rapper — whose new Sugar Honey Iced Tea album is due in August — each tribute performer only knew about their own contribution. “When we did dress rehearsal, every time somebody was coming onstage, I was like ‘Woah! Victoria and Teyana?’” she quipped. “When they first asked me, I was like, ‘Why do they want me to do this?’ Then I realized it was all females, I’m the only rapper at the end, I got it.”
The Lifetime Achievement tribute marked the third crossover between the two ATL titans this year. At the top of the year (Feb. 9), Latto appeared on “A-Town Girl,” a Billy Joel-nodding track from Usher’s Coming Home LP, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Mere weeks before the BET Awards, Latto brought out Usher as a special guest during her set at WHTA (Hot 107.9) Birthday Bash, where she made history as their first female headliner. For Latto, however, the real challenge was the BET tribute.
“I was nervous as hell up there,” she said. “Mind you, I did every practice, every dress rehearsal, killed it. I go up there and stumble on the words a little bit for the actual performance… I was so pissed at myself. I came backstage [pouting] and my team didn’t even know where I messed up! they wanted me to change parts [of Ludacris’ “Yeah” verse] to make it fit me, and I was like, ‘I don’t know, y’all. Is that disrespectful? I don’t want him to think I don’t think his verse is good enough or that I think mine is better.’”
Ultimately, Latto rocked the stage, going two for two that night. Earlier in the ceremony, she performed a medley of tracks from her forthcoming third studio album, including “Shoutout to Me,” “Big Mama” and the Billboard Hot 100-charting “Sunday Service” (No. 100).