R&B/Hip-Hop
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Drake has been shelling out cash to lucky fans throughout his Anita Max Wynn Tour in Australia, and he even hooked up a member of the OVO faithful who challenged him to a game of rock-paper-scissors earlier this week.
Drizzy scoured the crowd in the midst of his Sydney show on Wednesday night (Feb. 19) and found a fan holding up a sign that read, “Rock-paper-scissors to buy my dad a birthday car.”
“I like this sign right here,” he said when it caught his eye. “You ready? … This my game, boy.” Drake ended up beating the fan in round one, but gave him another shot. “I’ll give you one more. Think about it. 1, 2, 3,” Drake told him.
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After a statement in the next two rounds, Drake ended up winning again in round four, which drew a laugh from the crowd. Luckily for the fan, Drake’s hooked him up with some money anyway. “I’m still gonna give you $20,000 so you can buy your dad a car,” he said while touting his rock-paper-scissors ability. “Don’t ever f–k with me on rock-paper-scissors, though. I will win.”
Drake has been generous while on tour. During the same Sydney show at Qudos Bank Arena, Drake noticed a pregnant fan in the pit holding up a sign reading, “I’m 20 weeks pregnant.”
He immediately gave her a VIP ticket upgrade and $30,000 to ease the financial burden of welcoming a child into the world.
“Are you 20 weeks pregnant? Get out of the pit. Get outta there,” Drake told the fan, later identified as Tiana Henderson. “Give her some VIP tickets immediately and like $30,000 … Who the f— brings a baby to a mosh pit?”
The Anita Max Wynn Tour scene switches to Brisbane on Feb. 24 as the Australia/New Zealand tour leg winds down. Drake delivered his $ome $exy $ongs 4 U joint project with PartyNextDoor on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), which could net The Boy his 15th Billboard 200 No. 1 album.
“You Are Everything.” “Betcha by Golly, Wow.” “I’m Stone in Love With You.” And, of course, “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” Those are just a few of the harmonizing gems that helped seal The Stylistics’ reputation as one of R&B/pop’s legendary acts. Now the group is celebrating its 57th anniversary with its first new album in almost two decades, Falling in Love With My Girl.
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Released Friday (Feb. 21) through the label Greatest Music of All Time LLC, the 21-track album prefaced its arrival a week earlier with the soulful lead single “Yes, I Will” featuring Shania Twain. But the country superstar isn’t the only music luminary who collaborated on The Stylistics’ return with producer Tom Cridland and executive producer Debbie Cridland. Comprising that list of notables are the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, The Elton John Band (including Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone), Chicago’s Bill Champlin, ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Tower of Power, Ray Parker Jr., Jay Graydon, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, The Real Thing, Nathan East and Carly Paoli.
“Here we are, blessed and fortunate to still sell out concerts and now able to go back in the studio and do new music,” says The Stylistics’ Herb Murrell. “Especially after such a long period of time. It feels good to know that somebody out there still thinks about us having a market for new music.”
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It was when Murrell and fellow group members Airrion Love and Jason Sharp performed some shows in the U.K. a few years back that they first met Tom Cridland, who was their opening act. Then this past year, Tom did an entire tour with the group — which also performed at the Cridlands’ wedding reception. And out of that camaraderie, the seeds were sown for a new album.
THE STYLISTICS
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“We have an established sound,” says Murrell. “So when working with anyone, you want to make sure that they don’t try to change your sound. The songs that Tom was bringing to the table had that Stylistics flavor with a new approach to it. That was the most important thing, which he understood while staying within what we’re known for: love songs.”
Case in point is the heartfelt “Yes, I Will.” Initially invited to sing on another song, Twain suggested “Yes,” which she had co-written with Nathan East with a contribution from Tom Cridland. Of the song, which also features musicians Ray Parker Jr. and Steve Lukather, Twain said in an earlier press announcement, “I’m so happy this song has found a home on The Stylistics album. It’s a special song that came together on one special day at my home where I was hanging out with some friends and musicians. I’m just really excited to share it with the whole world.”
“Once we heard it, we knew it was a great song,” Murrell tells Billboard. “Then the next thing you know, Tom is coming back to us saying this person and that person wants to be involved with the project.”
Most of the album tracks were written by Tom Cridland together with Anthony King of Blackpool and King’s wife, Fiona Shaw. Two tracks were written by The Stylistics’ Love: “Sad Tomorrows” and “I Get a Feeling.”
Love and Murrell are the original members of The Stylistics, which began as a quintet in Philadelphia in 1968. The group was signed to Avco Records when its run of indelible ‘70s hits — in collaboration with legendary songwriters Thom Bell and Linda Creed — began, including “I’m Stone in Love With You,” “Break Up to Make Up” and “People Make the World Go Round.” In 1980 The Stylistics segued to Philadelphia International Records, where they scored another hit with “Hurry Up This Way Again.” All told, the group boasts five gold singles and three gold albums, while their songs have been covered or sampled by the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, Prince, Simply Red, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Nas and Usher
A trio since the departure of member Russell Thompkins Jr. in 2000, The Stylistics welcomed Sharp in 2011. Of the group’s enduring appeal, Murrell says, “When you walk out on that stage, your audience will let you know whether you’re still relevant or not. But we’ve been blessed because multiple generations of people are still coming to see The Stylistics and hear this music. And that keeps us going.”
Rico Nasty is ready to shake things up again. The boundary-pushing rapper has announced her new rap-rock album, Lethal, set for release on May 16 through Fueled by Ramen.
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The project marks a bold new direction for the Maryland-born artist, who has built a career blending hip-hop, punk energy, and alternative sounds into a style she’s dubbed “sugar trap.” The project marks her first full-length release since 2022’s Las Ruinas and sees Rico fully embracing the rap-rock hybrid she’s been hinting at for years.
The Feb. 20 announcement comes alongside the release of the album’s lead single, “Teethsucker (Yea3x),” a grunge-fueled track that arrives with a chaotic, high-energy music video. The visual, shot in crisp slow motion, features Rico drenching a crowd with a water hose, embodying the rebellious spirit of the record.
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In a statement, Rico Nasty described the album as a celebration of self-confidence and defiance. “This album is about being confident and saying f— everybody else. It’s about getting doors slammed in your face and people telling you to try it their way again and again, and you stay true to yourself and it works. That’s what this project is. It’s an ode to yourself.”
The 15-track album will continue Rico’s genre-defying approach, which has made her one of hip-hop’s most unpredictable voices. She first experimented with punk and metal influences on Nightmare Vacation (2020), which featured the raging “OHFR?” and the electro-punk-infused “STFU.” She took things even further on Las Ruinas (2022), incorporating elements of hyperpop, industrial, and alt-rock.
Beyond the studio, Rico has been actively blending hip-hop and rock in her live performances, recently touring with electronic punk duo 100 gecs and collaborating with genre-fluid artists like Denzel Curry, Doja Cat, and hyperpop producer Dylan Brady.
The Lethal tracklist includes titles like “Soul Snatcher,” “Grave,” and “Son of a Gun,” and the album is now available for pre-order, including a limited-edition silver saw blade vinyl.
Kendrick Lamar remains untouchable at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart, extending his reign at No. 1 with ‘Not Like Us’ while securing another major win as ‘Luther‘ climbs to a new peak at No. 2.
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The latest chart, published Friday (Feb. 21), reflects the ongoing global dominance of Lamar, who has owned 2025 so far—from his record-breaking Super Bowl halftime performance to five Grammy wins, including Record and Song of the Year for ‘Not Like Us.’
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The Drake diss track, which has fueled one of the most publicized rap rivalries in recent memory, continues to drive massive streaming numbers, keeping it firmly at No. 1 in Australia for a second week. Meanwhile, ‘Luther,’ a standout from GNX, leaps from No. 8 to No. 2, further tightening Lamar’s grip on the chart.
He’s not done there—his 2018 Black Panther soundtrack hit ‘All The Stars’ with SZA makes a surprise resurgence, soaring from No. 22 to No. 8, re-entering the top 10 after the Grammy spotlight. Additionally, GNX track ‘tv off’ is on the move, climbing from No. 16 to No. 12 as Lamar maintains four songs in the top 20.
While Lamar dominates the chart, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ ‘APT.’ maintains a strong presence in the top three, slipping from No. 2 to No. 3 after previously peaking at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart last month.
On the homegrown front, Dom Dolla remains the highest-charting Australian artist this week, with ‘Dreamin’,’ though the club anthem takes a hit, sliding from No. 33 to No. 43. Despite the drop, the track has been a festival favorite, keeping him in the ARIA mix.
With multiple songs holding top positions across streaming platforms and radio airplay, Kendrick Lamar’s grip on 2025 remains unshaken. ‘Not Like Us’ continues to be one of the most talked-about hip-hop tracks of the decade, and as GNX builds momentum, it’s clear Lamar is set for an unstoppable run this year.
Over on the ARIA Albums Chart, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet returns to No. 1, rebounding from No. 4. The pop star’s breakout album has been a global success, ranking as the third-biggest release of 2024 behind albums from Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. The album’s deluxe edition, released on Feb. 14, helped boost its performance, alongside the debut of ‘Busy Woman’ at No. 22 on the singles chart.
Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR, who’ve been lighting up Australia on the Anita Max Win Tour, land at No. 2 on the albums chart with their collaborative LP, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, which dropped on Valentine’s Day.
Three tracks from the album make an impact on the singles chart, with Drake’s solo cut ‘Nokia’ entering at No. 28. The project follows Drake’s streak of No. 1 albums in Australia, including Views (2016), Scorpion (2018), Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020), Certified Lover Boy (2021), and For All the Dogs (2023).
Brisbane artist Mallrat earns a top 40 debut with Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right, entering at No. 35. It marks her third ARIA-charting project following Driving Music (No. 10 in 2019) and Butterfly Blue (No. 6 in 2022). Close behind, Canberra rock band Hands Like Houses enters at No. 36 with their fifth studio album, Atmospherics.
J. Cole shared his first offering of 2025 and there could be plenty more in the arsenal down the line. Via his Inevitable blog, the Dreamville boss released “Clouds” on Friday (Feb. 21).
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The dreamy tune, produced by DZL and Omen, finds Cole referencing the Donald Trump assassination attempt at a Phildelphia rally in June.
“I’m that bass in your trunk, the bullet that missed Trump/ The gun that jammed ’cause it seemed God had other plans,” he raps on the second verse.
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In a blog post, Cole provided some context on the track, which he cooked up a few days ago and lent a title to just minutes before sharing it with the world.
“Just wanted to share,” he wrote. “Made this a few days ago, then i added a second verse and was like “man I got a blog now, I can put whatever I want up there.” I didn’t have a title 20 minutes ago when I decided to really put this up. But now I got one… “cLOUDs”. – produced by DZL, Omen, and small contributions from me.”
Earlier this week, Cole shared a blog post promising he’d be more consistent with keeping fans in the loop with what should be a busy year for the Dreamville faithful.
“I knowwww mannnn. I’m off to a bad start with the consistency, but I’ma do better! Watch,” he wrote. “I been locked in on the music while also balancing family life. It’s a juggling act that a blog post wouldn’t do justice in explaining. But with that said, I’m back tending to this garden.
Cole continued to add: “I think I’m gonna let some other people post on here too, to get the vibes up. It’ll motivate me to check every day, and will fuel the desire to post more. I’ma start with Ib and Scott and then expand from there. To anybody in the squad reading, if you trying to contribute I’m taking applications!”
Listen to “Clouds” here.
Kodak Black attended a Black History Month reception at the White House on Thursday (Feb. 20). “Kodak in the People’s House,” the official White House X account wrote along with an American flag emoji and photos of the “Super Gremlin” MC. Fellow rappers Boosie Badazz and Rod Wave were also invited, a White House official […]
A$AP Relli, born Terrell Ephron, has broken his silence after losing his shooting trail against his former friend A$AP Rocky and he addressed the hit his image took from the whole ordeal. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Gossiping is a form of entertainment for people who […]
Ye (formerly Kanye West) is feeling the love, even after his controversial X spree earlier this month. The Chicago rapper shared a screenshot of an X post highlighting Tyler, The Creator supposedly liking a picture of A$AP Rocky on his Instagram page, and added a caption saying that the West Coast rapper is North West’s […]
Coco Jones announced Thursday (Feb. 20) that she’ll be dropping her debut album Why Not More on April 25 via Def Jam Recordings. “It’s FINALLY here,” she wrote on X with a crying emoji. “My DEBUT album ‘Why Not More’ is dropping 4/25 and will be available for pre-order tonight 9pm PST.” Jones released a […]
Tiny Desk Concerts have become a rite of passage for artists, and Leon Thomas checked off another box in his ascension on Thursday (Feb. 20) as the R&B star made his debut on the NPR office stage. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Rocking a Satoshi Nakamoto […]