State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Cardi B has called out the less fortunate who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, and who thought that the former mogul being in office would improve their economic state.
The Grammy-winning rapper hopped on Instagram Live over the weekend, where she bluntly stated, “Donald Trump was never for y’all poor motherf—kers.”
She continued to say that Trump’s alleged disdain for the poor applies to all ethnicities. “Donald Trump was never for the poor people. For the white poors, for the Black poors, for the Spanish poors, for the Asians, for the Indians. He don’t give a f—k about none of y’all motherf—s,” Cardi said. “To him, even millionaires are poor.”
Cardi’s rant was seemingly inspired by the USDA’s announcement that checks for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food stamps for 40 million Americans, will not go out on Nov. 1. The news came after Dept. of Agriculture memo surfaced Oct. 24, indicating that the Trump administration will not use about $5 billion in contingency funds to help the program as the government shutdown continues, according to the Associated Press.
“Now, Donald Trump was blaming the immigrants for America’s downfall,” she said. “Like, I do understand if a country wants to enforce more strict immigration laws. I understand that. However, he was using that as an excuse for the issues that we have in this country, in this economy.”
The 33-year-old went on: “Now, how many f—king immigrants has he deported? He has deported so many people. So, now the immigrants are deported, who are we blaming for the fact that we are practically going into a recession? We don’t even have food stamps.”
Cardi B originally wasn’t going to vote in the 2024 election, as she didn’t agree with Democrats’ “funding wars,” but she ended up throwing her support behind Kamala Harris. Cardi gave the former VP her endorsement with a public appearance at a Milwaukee rally ahead of the election.
“You really wanted better for ALL of us!” the rapper wrote in a post-election letter to Harris following the loss to Trump. “This may not mean much but I am so proud of you! No one has ever made me change my mind and you did! I never thought I would see the day that a woman of color would be running for the President of the United States, but you have shown me, shown my daughters and women across the country that anything is possible.”
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As someone born and raised in New York City, I’ve seen sneakers move from simple staples to symbols of culture — defining how we express ourselves in the streets, on stage, and beyond. These days, I can’t walk a block in SoHo or through Union Square without spotting someone rocking a pair of Salomons. What started as a French outdoor brand known for trail running has become one of the city’s most unexpected style codes — a perfect mix of function, comfort, and flair.
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And now, Colombian superstar Feid just gave Salomon one of its most exciting crossovers yet with the XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO — his first-ever creative-directed sneaker.
Feid’s Salomon XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO
Christopher Claxton
Feid has been stepping deeper into the fashion space since becoming a Salomon ambassador in Spring 2024. After showcasing an XT-4 collab last summer, his latest project takes things to another level. The XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO brings Feid’s world — Medellín’s lush green mountains, his signature bright green aesthetic, and his genre-blending energy — into the Salomon universe.
This sneaker isn’t just about style; it’s a reflection of identity. The color green has always been personal for Feid — it represents hope, his hometown, and, of course, a little bit of money. That same energy lights up the XT-Pathway 2, featuring near-fluorescent shades of green across glow-in-the-dark panels, custom charms on the Quicklace™ system, and a hand-drawn caricature by Feid himself.
Salomon x Feid
Courtesy Salomon
The connection between fashion and music has always run deep — especially here in NYC, where artists have long dictated what’s next in style. Feid knows this better than most, showcashing this sneaker during NYC’s Governor’s Ball. During his Hard Summer Festival set in Los Angeles this August, he brought out none other than Snoop Dogg, who hit the stage in an unreleased pair of Feid x Salomon XT-4 Friends & Family sneakers.
It was a moment that did more than break the internet — it broke boundaries. Seeing a hip-hop legend like Snoop cosign Feid’s vision connected two cultures in real time: Latin music’s global rise and hip-hop’s lasting influence. And while the Friends & Family pairs might never see shelves, they built the anticipation for the XT-Pathway 2 — the pair everyone can actually buy.
Snoop Dogg and Feid at Hard Summer Music Fest in Los Angeles on August 3rd, 2025.
SISMATYC
The XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO hit North America and Latin America on October 25 (with a global launch following October 28), just as the temperature started to drop. Winter in NYC means darker days, heavier fits — and for those who know, it’s the best time to let a bright sneaker shine. Those neon green tones pop even more against the city’s gray streets and subway stations.
These aren’t just hiking sneakers — they’re statements. In a city where Salomon has quietly climbed from niche outdoor gear to a mainstay of streetwear rotations, Feid’s collab feels right at home. You’ll see them lined up outside stores from the LES to Flatbush — people wanting a piece of this global connection between fashion, music, and movement.
Feid’s Salomon XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO
Christopher Claxton
Salomon’s rise in NYC mirrors Feid’s rise in global music. Both are breaking boundaries, blending worlds that weren’t supposed to meet, and redefining what “performance” means — whether it’s on the trails or on stage. The XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO celebrates that exact intersection of sport, style, and sound.
As Feid put it, “This shoe was made to stand out.” And in a city like New York, standing out isn’t just about being loud — it’s about being intentional.
For me, this one’s a Flex — without question. The design, the comfort, the cultural crossover — everything about this release feels authentic and forward-thinking. It’s not just a sneaker you wear; it’s a story you step into.
Because whether you’re on the subway, in a studio, or out in the streets of NYC, the XT-Pathway 2 FERXXO reminds you that the real trail is wherever you make your mark.But now we want to hear from you: Flex, Trade, or Fade? Will you add the XT-Pathway 2’s to your rotation, hold for trade value, or skip entirely? Drop your take in the comments.
Salomon x Feid
Courtesy Salomon
Trending on Billboard Drake made a surprise appearance at Vybz Kartel’s first Toronto show ever on Sunday night (Oct. 26). According to fan-captured videos, 6 God popped out to give the dancehall icon his flowers and then proceeded to perform an eight-track set for the thousands in attendance at a sold-out Scotiabank Arena. “Look at […]
Trending on Billboard Reuben Vincent and 9th Wonder have dropped off their new music video for “Just 4 Me,” which appears on their new collaborative album Welcome Home, released Oct. 24. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The North Carolina rapper’s nostalgic visual arrived on Monday (Oct. 27), and features Reuben and R&B singer […]
Trending on Billboard Megan Thee Stallion claims a lot of her biggest haters online are “bots” that are getting paid to troll her. On Sunday (Oct. 26), Megan hopped on Instagram Live to issue a quick PSA to her followers and supporters in the wake of her dropping off her new single, “Lover Girl.” “When […]
Listen to new must-hear songs from emerging R&B/hip-hop artists like The BLK LT$ and María Isabel.
10/27/2025
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HeadHuncho Amir comes from a family of hustlers. Amir’s father, Antong Lucky, is a well-known dot connector around Dallas. The former gang leader-turned-activist even had a record label while Amir was growing up.
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However, Amir was intent on blazing his own path and not relying on his father’s name and connections. In fact, Lucky was one of the last to find out Amir rapped — and it was his friends who told him about his son’s budding music career.
“Just being around people like my pops, my mom, my grandfather, like my family tree was always full of hustlers,” Amir tells Billboard. “Everybody in my family doing something to make some money.”
In the two years since his first performance, Amir has notched a deal with 300 Entertainment and is at the forefront of the New Dallas movement, uniting the city and bringing the rap spotlight back to the Big D, alongside peers like Montana 700 and Zillionaire Doe.
“We’re letting the world know unity is cool and you ain’t gotta hate on nobody,” he explains. “We genuinely mess with each other, this ain’t for the camera. It’s cool to support your homie. If you want to see everyone win, you could say New Dallas.”
HeadHuncho Amir drives in the motivational rap lane, taking inspiration from Jeezy’s caffeinated trap tales and Rick Ross’ boss talk, but with fewer frills. He spun the block for a second project in 2025, earlier in October, with 50 Year Run, a manifestation of leaving a legacy.
“I’m trying to be on Jay-Z status,” he proclaims. “We just trying to be here for a long time, handling business.”
The East Dallas rapper, who never wears a pair of his crisp white Nike Air Force 1s more than once, is Billboard‘s Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month for October. Get familiar with Amir as he talks about his upbringing, New Dallas and getting mistaken for fellow Dallas native BigXthaPlug at a Mavericks game.
Who were some artists you were bumping growing up that you were inspired by?
I’d so Yo Gotti, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and Houston artists like Lil Keke, Big Moe, Z-Ro and Pimp C. That’s what I grew up listening to every day. I’m getting in the car and that’s the music I was hearing.
It’s my understanding your pops had a record label. What was your entrance into rap?
When I was younger, I watched a bunch of 106 & Park and MTV Cribs. I was infatuated with music. My pops had his own record label at the time. They had a movement going. I’m hands-on and in the studio and around the music every day. At the time, I wasn’t telling everyone I wanted to be a rapper. I’d be freestyling and playing around with my cousin, putting on beats. Since a kid, it was a God-given talent. I was good at it. I had kept it a secret for a while. That’s when I had came out and started letting everyone know that I rap.
When was this around?
When I started telling everyone I rap, it was like high school days. I would probably say like 11th grade or going into senior year. I started actually going to the studio and paying for studio time and making songs. At the time, i wasn’t putting the songs out. I was just putting it on Instagram and Snapchat seeing what people’s reaction was. That’s when I had shot a video and once I started getting feedback that everyone liked my music, that’s what made me take it serious. I really wasn’t being serious at the time. I’d drop a few videos and then stop.
Once I had dropped a song called “Real Members,” the feedback I had got back from it was crazy. I didn’t have that many followers on Instagram, but I had got a lot of comments and shares. This promoter, DY, he had booked me for a show in the city for free. He’s like, “I believe in you, you hard. I want you to come perform.” I pulled up and it was packed. A lot of people already know me and they say me rapping and they ain’t know I rapped, but they liked what I was rapping about. I did the show and I had my mom, uncles and cousins with me. I still got the videos in my phone. The crowd’s going crazy and they vibing with it. And from that day forward, I said, “Oh yeah, I can’t be playing. I gotta take it serious.”
Coming from a family of hustlers, how did you apply that to your music?
My pops is well known for what he does in the city. There’s one thing about about our family, like either somebody selling houses, doing her own a beauty shop, selling clothes. Just being around it and growing up around that environment of hustlers in my family, like they groomed me well, from when I got older to know you can’t be lazy. I’m rapping about my life — stuff I’ve either seen or did. It just fell with the music so good because everything I’m saying is real life and not made up.
Your dad didn’t want you to rap, right? You had a bar on “Trap Again” about him passing the game down to you.
See, my pops didn’t care about buying your shoes every week or clothes. You know how you got some parents buying Jordan stuff every week? My pops wasn’t with none of that. He’s asking, “What your schoolwork like?” He want to know when the report card comes out.
My pops used to own a bail bond company in South Dallas. I remember sitting there and a song came on and one of my uncles was like, “I bet you don’t know what movie that beat’s from?” I’m like, “Yeah, Set It Off, at the end when Queen Latifah had died.” He like, “Bruce, I feel like nephew gonna be a rapper when he get older. He be on point with it.” I remember my pops’ response: “Nah, he ain’t finna be no rapper. He finna go to college. We ain’t finna put that in his head.” So when he said that, at the time, it kinda shocked me, because I [already] know how to rap.
I’m probably 12 or 13, but when he said that it made me shy away from him with the rap. I went in a zone like, “I’ll never tell my pops I know how to rap, because he don’t even know that I know how to rap right now.” As I got older, I never played my music around him. Everyone around him knows I rap. I’m letting his homeboys and family members hear it, and it starts getting back to him, “You ain’t been listening to your son? You need to mess with your son!” He’s all confused. They started sending him the music, so it got to a point like, “Nah, son, you got something. You can rap.” He was like the last one to know.
Touch on the New Dallas movement as well, which has been dope to see you guys making noise. Between you, Montana 700 and Zillionaire Doe uplifting the city.
The New Dallas movement going crazy. I can’t even remember around what time we started seeing it, but I remember we were all in the studio. Doe was like, “Bro, we the new wave in Dallas. We the New Dallas. The city’s in a dark spot, Mo3 just passed. We finna uplift the city and bring back that good feeling and let people know it doesn’t matter what side you’re from.” We’re not a group, we’re a movement.
What does 50 Year Run mean to you?
When I say 50 Year Run, I mean longevity, like I’m trying to leave a legacy. I’m trying to be here for a long time. It’s about getting your health together, just making sure your mindset is on the right track. You trying to get to the next level. I’m finna put this work in. I’m trying to be here forever. Everybody should be on a 50-year run — feeling good and getting their health together.
How did the project come together?
I’m a studio junkie. I make songs so much, so the process of putting it together, it really be the certain beats I hear. When I hear a certain type of beat, it makes me write. I don’t freestyle. Every beat on the tape, I was in a different vibe. Some of ‘em I made in Dallas, some of ‘em I made in Cali, some of ‘em I made in New York. It’s new vibes on there. I linked with new producers, but of course I linked with Ziggy Made It. I linked with ChopSquad DJ, me and him got a good relationship and made a hard song “Everytime.” We picked the best songs that we felt fit. I hope everyone messes with it as much as I mess with it.
You mentioned “Everytime,” talk about that “Party Like a Rockstar” sample inspiring you to rap?
I made that in LA. It was me and Chopsquad DJ. He was telling me about all the artists he worked with like Lil Durk. He’s going through a beat pack and I asked him if he had something with a sample. He played it and I thought it was cool. We vibing out and I go in the booth and write something quick. When I get done with the song, I didn’t even like it. That ain’t even really my type of vibe. It sat with me for a minute. The team and the label was vibing with it. I didn’t think that was my style. I put it out there to see if they messed with it and we played it in a club and it went crazy. I got so many DMs and texts. I’m like, “We might got something.” I went to another club and got the same reaction.
Do you feel like rap can go back to drug-dealing music rather than the drug user music dominating now? Do you see it that way?
Yeah, I see it that way. I see it both ways, like, drug dealer music, drug user music. But when you listen to my music, you gon be like, “Man, Amir just motivate you. He put you in a different zone, like, I gotta go get some money. I can’t just be sitting around.” Like, I just really be trying to make that feel-good music, that motivational music.
I see Moneybagg Yo, Bossman Dlow and Sexyy Redd tapped in. What’s it like getting those cosigns?
When Bagg had tweeted some lyrics from “A Boss or a Leech,” I was like, “Nah!” Bagg’s tapped in. Dlow hit me and Kevin Gates hit me. It’s crazy because I grew up bumping Moneybagg. He’s one of them ones. Dlow hit me when “Get in With Me” just dropped. He was getting on the scene. It just feel good, and I linked with Moneybagg in L.A. at writer’s camp, and he let me know, “You hard, keep going.” He gave me that motivation. It feels good to have rappers I listened to hitting me up.
Explain the sun chain you had on when you came to the Billboard office. What’s the Only Sun Music Group and 2700?
2700 is where I’m from. It’s a block in East Dallas. My granny got a house on that block and it’s a dead end that I grew up at. My uncle owns a house right there so I’ve been there my whole life. It’s so much history. The sun chain, shout-out to uncle, he got so much jewelry. He had the sun chain and when I started rapping, before I could buy my own, he gave me the sun chain to wear. It stuck out so people knew me by the chain. Amir with the sun chain, that’s how they identified me. It’s been in the family so long and people know me by the chain. I’m the only one in the city with a sun chain.
How’d you end up signing to 300 Entertainment?
Before I signed, I had a lot of labels trying to sign me. I had my entertainment attorney going over different contracts. After going through all of them, he let me know the real about every one. When we got to 300, he checked me, “This a good move.” He let me know, like, “I’m not gonna put you in position where I feel like it ain’t the right move. This a good move.”
I had met Selim [Bouab], Montana 700 is my brother, and he’s signed to them. I been knowing him since 7th grade and he was telling me good things about the label. They came down for Montana’s birthday and I met Selim at a bar. I didn’t know who he was at the time. He called my name and let me know, “I’m watching you. You hard!” I end up going to New York and they end up coming to Dallas. We made it happen.
Who’s your dream collab?
Future, Lil Baby and Rick Ross. That Wham and Future era was just different. I know almost all their songs. That’s like a dream collab. I know I’m hard. If I make a song with them, I know it’ll be one of them ones.
When you were up here in New York, you said you step out in a new pair of Air Force 1s every day. Is that true?
That’s anti-cap. That’s facts. I literally wear my Air Force 1s one time. I do a show and as soon as I walk out, I’ma take them off and put my slides on. Video shoot, go out of town or in town, I’m putting them on one time. I’m an Air Force 1 head. As a kid, I wanted the J’s, but I couldn’t get ‘em. My mom was working two or three jobs and the Air Force 1s were more affordable. They were like $75. I fell in love with the Air Force 1’s. That’s my favorite shoe.
What’s the biggest purchase you’ve made in the last year?
Probably getting my dad that car for his birthday. It was a Bentley two-door coupe. My mom’s birthday is coming up Sunday, and I’m asking her what she wants. She not a picky person. I’m trying to decide if I’ma give her some money. She keeps saying she don’t know.
Did people mistake you for BigXthaPlug at a Mavs game?
That’s facts. I get that a lot. I wasn’t as known in the city as I am now. I was going to get something to eat and kids were running up on me like, “BigX!” So many people wanted to take pictures with me. I took it as motivation. I posted videos of me taking pictures with everyone and tagged BigX like, “This motivation.” He’s putting on for Dallas.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
We on a 50 Year Run right now. My goal in 10 years — I want to be one of the top charting artists. I want to have a bunch of real estate. I want to be taking care of my family and my health in good condition. I want to be one of them household names in the industry. Keep giving the fans good music, doing what I’m supposed to be.
Trending on Billboard With just over a week until Election Day, NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani made a surprise appearance during PinkPantheress’ Brooklyn concert on Friday (Oct. 24). The British singer’s “True Romance” performance was interrupted by a Mamdani cameo, as the Democratic candidate — who was in the audience — appeared on the screen, […]
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2Pac‘s classic song “Brenda’s Got a Baby” was inspired by a true story — and the story continues.
The rapper wrote the song addressing teen pregnancy in America’s ghettos while he was filming his star-turning role as Bishop in Juice after coming across a story in the news about a 12-year-old girl who threw her baby in a trash chute after being impregnated by her 21-year-old cousin. The track has since become one of the late entertainer’s most important records in his extensive catalog.
Enter bestselling author Jeff Pearlman.
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During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show to promote his new book Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, Pearlman dropped a bombshell after being asked if he came across anybody that didn’t want to talk to him when he was trying to put the book together. “I didn’t get Dr. Dre or Snoop Dogg, but they’re hard to get anyway,” he said. “I did find most people. The vast majority. Classmates, people who worked with him in music, even Death Row employees were pretty open about talking.”
He then revealed that he “had a breakthrough very early on.”
Pearlman found the man who heard the baby crying in the trash chute and interviewed him, but it wasn’t until he spoke with Leila Steinberg, who the author referred to as a former associate manager/confidant. According to him, Steinberg made a comment about whether the story about the baby was true and wondered what eventually happened to the baby, which then sent him on a side mission to see what he could find.
He then reached out to genealogist Michele Soulli to see if she would be able to locate the baby. A few days later, she gave him the number to a Las Vegas resident named Davonn Hodge. They two met up, and Hodge told Pearlman that he found his relatives with the help of Ancestry.com and had a reunion but his mother wasn’t there. Pearlman again employed Soulli to help him find the mother and a few days later, she got in contact with a woman that was living in Newark, NJ.
Now, this is where things get really weird.
The woman expressed shock and excitement and told Soulli that she had to go back home to New York City to reunite with her baby. When Soulli asked where she was at the moment, the woman said she was in Vegas for a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert.
She was reunited with her son Davonn later that night after 34 long years.
You can check out the full conversation below.
Trending on Billboard Cardi B is using some discretion when it comes with her ongoing beef with fellow rapper BIA. During a recent X Spaces, the Bronx rapper told fans listening in that she has no intentions of dissing BIA’s album sales as she was in the middle of a rant about bullies. “I don’t […]
