R&B/Hip-Hop
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E-40 is back with his first solo single since 2023, and Billboard has the exclusive premiere of his new music video. On Friday (May 9), E-40 dropped off his new track “Beating They Ass” alongside a new music video. The minimalistic, black and white visual includes a memorable cameo from Vital Versatility CEO Didier Morais […]
2025 could be Doechii’s year. The TDE rapper continued her winning streak on Friday (May 9) with her surprise guest appearance on The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless (Remix).”
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Days after rumors ran rampant on social media of Doechii hopping on the Pharrell-produced hit, the “Timeless (Remix)” landed on streaming services on Friday (May 9).
Doechii bats leadoff and wastes no time bleeding her swagger into “Timeless” with a braggadocios assist flexing on the competition.
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“Hop in the booth, I advance on the beat/ B—h, it’s a wrap like lettuce and cheese/ Why would I f–k a n—a that’s fanned over me/ I do what you n—-s do with my hands on my knees/ This s–t too easy,” she raps.
The Swamp Princess closes out her guest appearance with a nod to her record label and Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang.
“Top Dawg cashin’ out Doechii stock/ Pull up to the pgLang on the dot/ Now I got a timeshare wrist watch/ I been that girl since hopscotch, I’m too legit,” she boasts.
“Timeless” sits at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and could receive a boost in the coming weeks thanks to the timely remix.
Coming off a Grammy Award win and her Met Gala debut, Doechii’s been in the mix for the first half of the year and it’s all eyes on when her anticipated debut album will arrive.
As for The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, they’ll kick off the After Hours Til Dawn Tour in Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on Friday.
The XO singer and Carti will be invading stadiums throughout North America with stops in Detroit, Chicago, Inglewood, Las Vegas, New Jersey, Philly, Miami, Toronto, Montreal, Atlanta and Orlando before wrapping up in San Antonio on Sept. 3.
Listen to the “Timeless (Remix)” below.
Clipse continue to tease their highly anticipated fourth album Let God Sort Em Out thanks to a new video from Pusha T. The Virginia Beach rapper posted a video of himself getting ready for the 2025 Met Gala on Tuesday (May 7), featuring a snippet of an unreleased song seemingly titled “So Far Ahead.” The […]
Ye (formerly Kanye West) attempted to release his new song titled “Heil Hitler,” but he claims the controversial track was taken down by streaming platforms and is banned by DSPs.
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West has been teasing the single for some time and he uploaded his new track to SoundCloud on Thursday (May 8), but it’s since been removed from the platform.
“Heil Hitler by Ye has been banned by all digital streaming platforms,” Ye wrote on X before pointing out the double standard he sees in streaming censorship. “While Rednecks by Randy Newman remains streamable They’re literally keeping the n—-s down.”
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The track finds Ye addressing his custody issues over his four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian, while also claiming that banks are freezing his accounts and rapping about his nitrous use. “With all this money and fame, I still can’t get my kids back/ With all this money and fame I still can’t see my children,” he raps.
West also repeats the titular phrase on the song’s refrain and claims he “became a Nazi yet b—h, I’m the villain.” The horn-tinged outro features a portion of a German speech from Adolf Hitler.
Billboard has reached out to reps for Ye as well as SoundCloud and Spotify.
The song has been teased by Ye in recent weeks as various clips showed on Sneako’s stream while he was working on the song, which followed his series of antisemitic X tirades praising Hitler.
It’s been a turbulent week for West, who stormed off the set of a combative interview with Piers Morgan on Tuesday (May 6) within minutes of it beginning after the Uncensored host got Ye’s follower count on X wrong.
“You’re not gonna take inches off my di–, bro.” the Chicago native said before he left the interview. “I’m a gift, bro. Why do all you people in media act like you haven’t played my songs at your weddings, or graduations or at funerals or when your child was born?”
He continued: “You take someone like that’s living, like a [John] Lennon or a Michael Jackson. That nuance right there is idiotic. It just shows the hate that you put out for people that put out love. There’s so much love in the art that I put out. This is what you get for now, we can circle back when you can count.”
From the Caribbean Music Awards to the mounting of several arena shows — April kicked off a season of head-turning announcements for the world of Caribbean music.
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On April 9, Billboard exclusively revealed the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards nominations, which will once again grace Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Aug. 28. Fans had until May 1 to cast their ballots for over 40 categories featuring leading nominees Shenseea and Masicka, who snagged seven nods each. Soca superstars Patrice Roberts and Kes followed with six nominations, while King of Dancehall Vybz Kartel, genre-fusing soca star Nailah Blackman, and Jamaican dancehall stars Chronic Law and Kranium each earned five nods.
In addition to buzzy awards news, April also featured several blockbuster dancehall arena shows. On April 11 and 12, Vybz Kartel made his highly anticipated return to Brooklyn for his first U.S. live shows in 20 years. Worl’ Boss sold out two nights at Barclays Center just a few weeks before Aidonia headlined UBS Arena (May 3) for a 20th anniversary concert featuring Mavado, Sizzla, Govana, Jada Kingdom, Spragga Benz and more. Last week (May 1), Bounty Killer announced his first U.S. show in 15 years, The Return of the War Lord, which will grace Barclays Center on July 5. Later this month (May 24), Beenie Man will bring his headlining King of the Dancehall tour to UBS Arena, underscoring an impressive arena run for Caribbean artists this year.
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Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: KA$E & Green Lion Crew, “What’s the Word?”
Rising Jamaican recording artist Ka$e teamed up with production duo Green Lion Crew for an upbeat new reggae tune titled “What’s the Word?” Across easy-rocking guitars, Ka$e rattles off his observations of JA’s latest happenings, and carries the legacy of roots reggae artists before him by taking those in power to task and demanding they do more for the island’s orginary people. “Face it! Land we love is govern by some wastemen/ Who feed their need for greed and nepotize them favorite/ Quick fi blame artists when dem portfolio failing/ If a we dem wah fi run it then say less,” he declares in the second verse.
Tifa, “We Got It”
Late ’00s and early ’10s Jamaican dancehall star Tifa has slowly been making her way back into the public eye, and “We Got It” is the latest in a string of standalone singles helping her recalibrate her positioning in today’s dancehall landscape. Over DJ Bunpun’s “Deep Fake” riddim, Tifa delivers an empowering anthem centering women and all their flavor and flair they bring to the dancehall.
Jah Vinci, “Cover Me”
Back with another powerful message that bridges the sanctificed nature of gospel reggae with the street-adjacent feel of trap 808s and Auto-Tuned crooning, Jah Vinci has another winner in “Cover Me.” Aided by a backing choir, Jah Vinci pleads for Jah to “cover [him] with His love and make him whole again” — a moment of musical humility that finds him submitting to the Most High and spreading his message to the rest of the world.
Patrice Roberts, “Ungrateful”
Trinbagonian superstar Patrice Roberts is best known for her soca smashes, but she veered into the Afro-pop lane for new “Ungrateful” single. Produced, mixed and mastered by Yannick Plate and featuring Kyle Ernest on guitar and Esther Tommy on backing vocals, “Ungrateful” finds Roberts kissing a no-good old flame goobye. With a promise to focus on herself, she proclaims, “Boy bye/ Take you s–t to somebody else.” Melodically, this is much more subdued than her previous power soca entries, but the relaxed soundscape allows for her voice’s character to shine through — and for her emoting skills to get some shine.
RajahWild, “Show Me a Sign”
Originally debuted as an “On the Radar” freestyle earlier this year (March 25), RajahWild’s “Show Me a Sign” finally arrived on April 11. Marked by its notable omission of foul language, “Show Me a Sign” effortlessly positions Rajah as one of dancehall’s brightest new stars,” his come-hither lyrics pairing perfectly with trap-forward Zimi Records production. “Mi hope yuh know mi nuh nice/ Hope yuh know you a star/ Hope yuh know you a baddie/ Mi hope yuh know you a shine,” he croons in the second half of the chorus, presenting something of a shift in dancehall lyricism where the man is, even if just for a moment, centering the feels and self-image of the woman he’s pursuing.
DJ Big Skipp, Yung Bredda & Hey Choppi feat. Pndrn & BYFar Mega, “Cho Cha!”
There’s essentially half a soccer team on this song, but it truly is a “the more, the merrier” situation. With the help of Yung Bredda, a triple nominee at this year’s Caribbean Music Awards, Hey Choppi, Pndrn and BYFar Mega pull from New York drill to inform they cadences they employ across the skittering snares of DJ Big Skipp’s production. While the union of dancehall and drill isn’t anything new, it’s very cool to hear Bredda bar up after dominating the first half of the year with “The Greatest Bend Over” and other soca and calypso hits.
Kaka Highflames, “Jackie Chan”
Just a few weeks after assisting Ding Dong on “Street Jump,” the lead single from the “Badman Forward Badman Pull Up” singer’s debut album, rising dancehall star and renowned dancer Kaka Highflames has unleashes his own new single: “Jackie Chan.” Accompanied by a new dance challenge, “Jackie Chan” find Kaka rapping across an old-school, early ’90s hip-hop-evoking beat with the constant refrain of “Don’t let my Jackie Chan kick ya.” Clearly engineered for dancers as opposed to average listeners, Kaka’s new single will certainly help keep the art of dancing at the forefront of dancehall culture.
Ky-Mani Marley, “All This Love”
For the third single from his forthcoming Love & Energy album, Ky-Mani Marley pairs his slightly raspy voice with sweet reggae guitars, ebulliant horns and a whistling background flutes. “So let’s shine our lights together/ So that we can heal/ So the world can feel/ All of this love/ Jah give me all this love,” he sings over Grammy-winner Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown’s lush production. From Ky-Mani to YG (who appeard on Coco Jones‘ recently-released debut album Why Not More?), the Marley legacy continues.
Yaksta, “Haffi Bun”
Yaksta is always full of surprises; a new single from his could be a three-minute look into virtually any genre in the world. With “Haffi Bun,” which he dropped two days before 4/20, Yaksta dipped into his ska bag and added smalls nods to doo-wop along the way. Produced by Partillo Productions, “Haffi Bun” is Yaksta’s aptly titled ganja tribute; he sings in the first, raps in the second and ties it all together with a jaunty hook that maintains the levity of the whole affair. “It was foolish of me to abstaining from the tree!” he sings, delivering the line with a slight decrescendo to add more verve to his vocal performance.
Armanii, “XOXO”
One of the buzziest names in dancehall right now, Armanii has just added another banger to his string of homeruns. Kicking things off in a delightfully nasty and classicaly dancehall way, Armanii attacks the trap beat with, “Open yuh mouth fi mi mek me see yuh throat back/ Dah bumpa deh gwan throw it back/ Cocky a buss inna yuh face, tell yuh hold dat/ She seh di f–k strong like Hulk Hogan.” With a strikingly melodic flow reminsicnent of Kartel himself, Armanii is quickly establishing himself as a dancehall force to be reckoned with.
Megan Thee Stallion has announced the inaugural Pete & Thomas Foundation Gala will go down in New York City’s Gotham Hall on July 16. The event, announced on Thursday (May 8), will be hosted by Taraji P. Henson, and feature DJ D-NICE at the turntables all night. It will also include a special musical guest who will […]
Vic Mensa has come out in support of Kehlani after the singer has seen two of their live shows canceled in recent weeks.
The Chicago rapper shared an open letter on Instagram to the Bay Area singer about her recently canceled SummerStage Central Park.
“Dear Kehlani,” his Wednesday (May 7) post began. “Few artists, and even fewer at your level of success, have chosen to center humanity and courage as boldly and uncompromisingly as you have, let alone at the peak of their popularity. Although newer to religion, I have a deep seated belief that God, or the universe, or however you categorize the all-powerful presence of the divine, is taking note — of every selfless action, of every sacrifice, of every time we jeopardize our security to do what’s right. I toe the line with you.”
He continued on by sharing that he sometimes has been reluctant to speak up because he didn’t want to lose opportunities.
“I lost a lot,” he wrote. “I’ll be honest. But, perhaps out of necessity, I have to choose to believe that when the smoke clears, I’ll look at my past with pride; I wasn’t perfect, but I forged myself out of fire. I took the hard road. I’ve been awe inspired by the way you’ve stood up. Especially at a time when I fell back and I asked myself, ‘Although, I need to feed my son, what kind of man do I want to inspire him to be?’”
Vic then brought up his Muslim faith and commended Kehlani for their sacrifice and bravery. “The highest form of sadaqah, or charity, is that which is given in health, and with much loved wealth,” he wrote. “When we give, not what we don’t need, but what we need most, the reverberation is supreme.”
He added, “I have often thought about your choices over the last 18 months. Wished I was more brave and more self sufficient. The truth is, your people love you. Not because of an opportunity provided to you by a booker here, or a city there, but because they cherish the depth of your soul. None of this can change that. As long as you have them you can never lose. The powers that be may be great, but I do believe we can all agree — there is a greater power.”
In response to Cornell University canceling their show, Kehlani reiterated that she isn’t antisemitic or antisemitic — she’s anti-genocide. When it came to the SummerStage cancellation, the musician responded with “lol” on Instagram Stories and added that they found out about the cancellation on IG.
The “Afterhours” artist has been open about her support for Palestine in the Israel-Hamas war. In 2023, they — along with numerous other musicians called for a ceasefire when signing the Artists Against Apartheid letter. Her 2024 music video for “Next 2 U” also featured dancers waving Palestinian flags.
After weeks of speculation, J.I.D. has announced his new album, God Does Like Ugly, and confirmed it’s dropping later this year. On Thursday (May 8), J.I.D. shared God Does Like Ugly will be released on Aug. 8. The Dreamville rapper had previously dropped off his new single “WRK” on April 18. The new track was […]
Rick Ross and Drake have remained at odds since exchanging jabs on a series of diss tracks last year, but Rozay is open to ending the beef with his “Stay Schemin” collaborator.
The Biggest Boss joined Bootleg Kev for an interview Wednesday (May 7), during which they discussed the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, something Ross saw as “necessary” for the rap game.
The conversation then switched to spotlight the root of Rozay’s issues with Drake, which Bootleg Kev theorized came from Drake’s treatment of French Montana on a track.
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“I spoke on that on the record I released. Like I said, ‘F–k that s–t,’” Ross said. “Was it something really deep? Nah, f–k that, though. But if you p—y, you p—y. If it’s real, it’s real.”
Now, it’s unclear if Ross is being 100 percent serious, but the Florida rapper says he’d be open to squashing his feud with Drizzy.
“You never know,” he began. “If a n—a send me a bottle of Luc Belaire, especially the white one. That go for any of these young n—-s out here … Send me a white Belaire and I’ll take a picture with you.”
Drake sent shots at Ross on his April 2024 “Push Ups” diss track, and Rozay returned the favor with “Champagne Moments.” Ross accused Drizzy of getting a nose job and referred to the OVO rapper as the “white boy” while continuing to troll the 6 God on social media.
Rick Ross and Drake have teamed up for a handful of anthems over the years, including Rozay’s three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” “Money in the Grave” and DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One.”
Last year, Ross joined Yung Miami for an episode of Caresha Please, which saw him reflect on being at odds with Drake.
“He mentioned my name, and that’s a no-no,” he said. “Don’t do that, especially when it ain’t about no real s–t. But when you do that, OK then: this is how we gonna play. I can wake up every day and say ‘BBL Drizzy’ or some old s–t, while I’m smoking a joint, listening to the waterfalls and all that s–t, looking at the birds fly off. That s–t easy for me. I don’t know. It depend on how I feel. I ain’t losing no sleep over none of that.”
Watch Rick Ross talk to Bootleg Kev about his Drake feud below:
Usher has jokingly apologized to Sabrina Carpenter’s dad following a viral photo from the 2025 Met Gala that showed the R&B star feeding the “Espresso” singer a cherry during his performance. “Apologies Mr Carpenter,” Usher commented Wednesday (May 7) on Carpenter’s Instagram post in apparent tongue-in-cheek fashion alongside sweating and cherry emojis. The apology was […]