R&B/Hip-Hop
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PinkPantheress wrapped up her solo headlining tour to close out April, and she’s got new music on the way before hopping on as a supporting act on Olivia Rodrigo’s arena trek this summer. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The bedroom pop princess surprised fans on Wednesday […]
Sexyy Red continues her dominance over the pop culture landscape. Over the weekend, she linked with Lana Del Rey at Hangout Festival in Alabama, and TikToker Young Mantis recently mocked up a prank Skee-Yee Shrimp promotion to help get Red Lobster out of bankruptcy. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, […]
Charlamagne Tha God’s Get Honest or Die Lying book tour stopped by The View on Wednesday (May 23). While in conversation about the healing that needs to happen in hip-hop and for him personally, The Breakfast Club co-host was asked about Diddy’s sexual misconduct allegations and the recently-published footage of him assaulting Cassie. Charlamagne told […]
Sexyy Red and Lana Del Rey are the duo we didn’t know we needed. The two artists hung out together at Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala., over the weekend, and Sexyy has the moment on camera. The “Get It Sexyy” MC posted an Instagram video Tuesday (May 21) of her and Lana twerking to […]
It’s a balmy late April day on the Brooklyn campus at Long Island University during the week before finals, and Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment students are presenting songs they recorded throughout the semester.
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Students vulnerably pressed play on their creations, ranging from a grungy rock backdrop to a rap song with Playboi Carti-esque ad-libs and an airy R&B singer, all surrounding the socially conscious theme of the assignment weaving the tracks together.
The songs will be packaged as part of an EP crafted by each student for their songwriting class final project — which definitely beats penning an eight-page research paper or completing a 50-question multiple choice test on a Scantron.
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“[There’s] opportunity here for them to look at contemporary popular music as an artform worth studying,” Dr. Carrie Erving – a professor at the Roc Nation school – explains to Billboard. “That is very much worth [it]. It’s still pretty rare. Compared to a lot of programs, it’s more difficult to find.”
One of the school’s pillars is a focus on the practical rather than the theoretical in the ever-changing music industry to properly arm students with the skill sets needed to hit the ground running and thrive. Roc Nation School Dean Tressa Cunningham was approached about an idea of brokering a partnership between Roc Nation and LIU in 2020 — and the team navigated the turbulence and uncertainty brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic to launch the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment in the fall of 2021.
The school boasts about 300 students, in six different bachelor of arts programs (three from music side: applied music, vocal performance and music technology, entrepreneurship and production). Around 52 percent of those students are from New York state, while there’s a balance of kids coming in from across the country to see what the Roc has to offer.
Cunningham made the Roc Nation School a superstar acquisition when she recruited Jay-Z’s longtime engineer, Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton, into the fold. The Grammy-winning engineer came on board in June 2022 and he serves as the Director of the Music Technology, Entrepreneurship & Production program.
“I thought it was a really good chance for me to help design the curriculum. We pride ourselves on being current and up-to-date,” Young Guru explains to Billboard. “That’s something I love about where my industry is. It consistently updates and you have to stay up with the times. Our goal is to graduate students and have them be successful. There’s so many examples of people that are successful who don’t just look at wanting to be No. 1 on Billboard.”
Tuition currently stands at $32,000, but 25 percent of incoming freshmen at the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment are granted Hope Scholarships, which allows them to explore a tuition-free education. Additionally, Tressa Cunningham relays that 99 percent of the student body in the program receives some form of financial aid.
The Roc Nation School of Music, Entertainment & Sports
Young Guru hopes to add a masters of arts degree in the near future, as the sports program already offers a masters in sports management. He’s also helping oversee the state-of-the-art Pro Studio being built, which is on pace to be finished for student use this fall.
It’s a “full-circle moment” for Guru with Dave Malekpour (Pro Audio Design) integrating the audio, who also designed NYC’s famed Baseline Studios where Gu essentially lived and made recording history. The Dolby Atmos enabled studio comes equipped with four isolation booths, a control room and a live room.
Ashlynn Guions is a 21-year-old junior student at Long Island University Brooklyn. Her mom actually told her to look into the Roc Nation School of Music after hearing a radio ad that piqued her interest. “I didn’t see a program like this, which I think led me to it,” she tells Billboard in conversation on campus. “Being surrounded by like-minded students in the same space, but also so diverse and different, I don’t think I can find that anywhere else.”
Guions will be part of the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment’s inaugural graduating class (about 100 students) when she receives her diploma in the spring of 2025, which will look to shape the future of the music industry. As a Music Technology, Entrepreneurship & Production major, she’s an aspiring choreographer/creative director inspired by the likes of Charm La’Donna and Parris Goebel, who hopes to one day find a career in the live performance realm.
Guions loves the sense of community in the program on the campus sandwiched between Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene. She recalls a “big cypher” on the first night of college that set the tone for the next three years. “The fact that everybody has different but niche talents is so cool,” she muses.
She found a lane in performance and currently works at the Brooklyn Paramount theater in backstage concert design, which sits adjacent to the LIU Brooklyn campus. While Guions and the rest of her peers are much more confident in their abilities these days, that wasn’t always the case.
The 21-year-old recalls a lack of confidence in students exploring their potential career aspirations early on, whether that be as producers or singers, and how now their mentality has done a complete 180 with a strong belief in themselves and their crafts.
“Coming in, I feel like a lot of us would over-humble ourselves,” she admits. “We wouldn’t say, ‘I’m an artist. Oh, I’m a creative. I’m trying to do this.’ [Now] coming into junior year, everybody was like, ‘This is what I do, come to my performance!’ There’s a confidence and excitement to graduate. [To] get out and do our thing. It’s super cool to see everyone confident in what they’re doing now.”
She continues: “It’s reflecting back to when we first came in, everyone was like, ‘I rap a little. It might work out.’ Now people are like, ‘This is plan A.’ That’s the biggest difference I see from freshman year to now.”
Cardi B surprised fans with a guest appearance at Tuesday night’s (May 21) Hot Girl Summer Tour stop inside the World’s Most Famous Arena with Megan Thee Stallion, who was making her Madison Square Garden headlining debut.
The Bronx bombshell drew a raucous ovation from the sold-out Hot Girl Summer Tour crowd after being brought out by Meg.
Rocking a black corset and matching thigh-high leather boots, Cardi powered through audio issues as she kept up with the beat while performing her Hot 100-topping raunchy anthem “WAP,” as well as “Bongos,” with Megan.
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Cardi B then moved into her fan-favorite assist on the “Tomorrow 2” remix as GloRilla — who’s serving as the tour’s opener — returned to the stage.
There was one more surprise left as Megan got Glo to spill the beans about Cardi hopping on the remix to their “Wanna Be” collaboration. No release date was given just yet, though as “Wanna Be” sits at No. 47 on the Hot 100.
The Hot Girl Summer Tour has only just begun, with dates for the rest of May including Philly, Boston, Baltimore, Memphis and more.
As for Cardi B, it remains to be seen if an album is still in the works for later this year. Last week, much to the disappointment of the Bardi Gang, she tweeted-and-deleted a post about how there would be no sophomore LP in 2024. “Anyway NO album this year I don’t care I’m relaxing this year .. Dropping these features I already committed to and traveling and enjoying my summer,” she wrote.
However, a rep for Cardi then confirmed that an album was still on track for ’24 as part of her Rolling Stone cover story. In the feature, Cardi B declared her belief that she paved the way for the next generation of lady MCs.
“These labels was not believing in repping new rap artists,” she told Rolling Stone. “People from every single label have f–king told me this s–t in my face. They started signing new female rappers after I got signed.”
Watch clips of Cardi performing with Meg during the Madison Square Garden show:
True to its name, Gunna’s new album One of Wun debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The set launches atop the list dated May 25 with 91,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the tracking week of May 10-16, according to Luminate.
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Streaming contributes 90,000 units of One of Wun’s 91,000 start, a figure equal to 118.5 million official on-demand U.S. audio and video streams of the album’s songs. The remaining 1,000 units derive from a mix of traditional album sales and song sales of the album’s cuts. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
With his new champ, Gunna picks up his fifth No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. His last five projects have all ruled the ranking; the streak began with 2019’s Drip or Drown 2 and continued with Wunna (2020), DS4Ever (2022) and A Gift & a Curse (2023). All reigned for one week except DS4Ever, which posted five frames in the top slot.
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Elsewhere, One of Wun starts at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart, where it likewise becomes Gunna’s fifth leader. It also opens at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and gives its creator his sixth top 10 effort.
Millions of streams for One of Wun result in 13 of its tracks appearing on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with the title cut’s entrance at No. 10 leading the pack. It secures Gunna’s 16th visit to the top tier and was the album’s most streamed track during its debut week, with 13.9 million official clicks.
Here’s a full review of Gunna’s One of Wun placements on this week’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. As 11 cuts earn their debuts, two previous releases – “Whatsapp (Wassam)” and the Offset-assisted “Prada Dem” — enjoy a respective second and seventh week on the list. The former climbs 28-24 for a new peak, while the latter rebounds 34-23, after having reached a No. 20 best.
No. 10, “One of Wun”
No. 21, “On One Tonight”
No. 23, “Prada Dem,” featuring Offset
No. 24, “Whatsapp (Wassam)”
No. 26, “Neck on a Yacht”
No. 27, “Hakuna Matata”
No. 29, “Collage”
No. 33, “Back in the A”
No. 35, “Treesh”
No. 37, “Still Prevail”
No. 39, “Trio”
No. 43, “Blackjack”
No. 49, “Let It Breathe,” featuring Roddy Ricch
As the 2024 BET Awards loom, the Black TV network aims to inject fun and great vibes during its celebratory weekend. On June 28 and 29, BET will bring back the BET Fan Fest Experience with an action-packed lineup slated to feature artists including Flo Milli, Rob49, Mustard and more.
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Presented by Walmart, The BET Fan Fest Experience will host myriad activations and events catered around a Celebrity Basketball game led by Million Dollars Worth of Game podcast hosts Gillie & Wallo, a skating party hosted by Mustard, and a 106 & Park stage catered to a slew of performers ranging from Baby Tate to Marsha Ambrosius and NLE Choppa.
The Fan Fest experience will also have villages beyond music, catering to style and beauty, culinary dishes made by some of L.A.’s favorite Black-owned restaurants, and entrepreneurship. Aspiring talents can also have a crack at stardom, as they’ll have the chance to audition for “Robi Reed Casting Call,” orchestrated by BET’s Head of Casting, Robi Reed, the BET Talent & Casting team, and other key industry figures. Attendees interested in checking out the experience can register on the BET Experience’s website.
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The 2024 BET Awards will be held the following day (June 30), with Drake leading the charge with seven nominations. Drake’s Young Money cohort, Nicki Minaj, comes in second, trailing him with six nods, followed by J. Cole, Sexyy Red, SZA and Victoria Monét, each with five nominations. So far, the first slate of performers includes GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, and Monét.
Fans can watch the show live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET.
Just days after the New York Knicks were eliminated from the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the Indiana Pacers, the mood in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night (May 21) was instantly transformed. Once heavy with gloom and despair, the air became charged with anticipation. The World’s Most Famous Arena not only hosted a double-shot of raps and twerk-filled stunts by Megan Thee Stallion‘s Hot Girl Summer Tour, but also celebrated a warm homecoming for some of the city’s brightest stars, including Cardi B and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.
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The anticipation was palpable as fans streamed in, eager to rally behind The Captain of the Hotties. They adorned themselves with cowboy hats, skin-tight shorts, and T-shirts emblazoned with Megan’s name, a testament to their fervent support. By 8:10, the party kicked off with CMG’s GloRilla, who was clearly ready to go. Though she was billed as Meg’s opener, Big Glo had the charisma of a headliner, oozing with swagger. The extra pep in her step was felt by The Garden crowd as they reveled in her hard-hitting performance of “Lick Or Sum.”
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With an army of dancers in tow, they looked to match Glo’s bulldog energy with hard stomps and twerks strong enough to reverberate through the stage set. Glo dug deep into her catalog and performed songs such as “Bop,” “All Dere,” and “In My Mode.” She even had time to joke with the crowd while dealing with a minor wardrobe malfunction. “I’m not gonna try to cause an earthquake with all this ass,” she quipped.
Before steamrolling through her Hot 100 hits “Tomorrow” and “Yeah Glo,” Glo brought out A Boogie, who she said was initially set to perform three songs but was left to only do one because of his tardiness. Despite the lateness, fans cheered Boogie, who dove deep in his bag to perform his 2017 track “Jungle.” Quickly after, Boogie passed the baton back to Glo, who revved up the energy level when she dived into “FNF (Let’s Go).” Glo relished the NYC atmosphere with a toothy grin as fans standing at the edge of the staircase used the rail to support their twerking theatrics.
Following Glo’s impressive outing, it was Meg’s turn. Considering the Hot Girl Summer Tour is her first headlining trek, Meg savored the moment and proved exacttly why she’s an arena-caliber superstar. Dressed in a bright red outfit, Meg’s fiery intentions were clear from the jump as she was ready to party. From the onset, Meg sought to create separation between her and her adversaries as she performed her Hot 100 chart-topper “HISS.” Rapping every bar with vigor and intent, Meg applied pressure, looking to see if fans could match her swagger. And when she wasn’t in attack mode, she tested her stamina, flaunting her flexibility and elite twerk abilities. The self-proclaimed “Megan Knees” were on display, most notably during throwback anthems like “Freak Nasty” and “Kitty Kat.” And when she finally got a breather, she took in the crowd’s electric energy, exclaiming: “This my first tour, y’all.”
Megan also had brilliant spots during certain songs. When she performed “Gift And a Curse,” she reiterated her stance on abortion laws, rapping, “My mother–king body, my choice,” with her fist in the air. The three-act set hosted many nostalgic moments for day-one fans as Meg revisited songs including “Big Ol Freak,” “Girls in the Hood,” and more. She even quizzed fans by rapping a capella to see if they could rap alongside her. Later, she placed a pseudo-Instagram Live filter on the big screen to gauge who had the best twerking moves, regardless of gender.
The show reached its apex when Megan brought out Bronx native Cardi B to perform “Bongos” and their 2020 Hot 100 chart-topper “WAP.” The crowd roared as the chemistry between Meg and Cardi was undeniable. Despite Cardi struggling to catch the beat due to sound delays, the crowd didn’t care, as they enjoyed watching two rap superstars in their prime adore each other. The lovefest didn’t stop there. Once Cardi unleashed her classic verse from “Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla returned on stage, creating a moment between all three female MCs. The thunderous crowd marveled at the camaraderie, especially after much of the year consisted of lyrical warfare in hip-hop. It was refreshing and a much-needed moment after months of contention in the genre.
After bulldozing through the song, Cardi sat back and watched Megan and GloRilla perform “Wanna Be.” Following the performance, Glo teased a surprise, which Meg later pulled out of her: an upcoming remix of “Wanna Be” featuring Cardi. Meg thanked Cardi and Glo while acknowledging the importance of banding together as women in hip-hop before returning back to her solo mission of conquering The Garden.
Following “Stalli Freestyle” and “Cash Sh-t,” Meg encouraged everyone of all sizes and shapes to embrace their “Body” as she feverishly rapped her signature 2020 hit. The proverbial cherry on top came when she closed the show with her Grammy-winning single “Savage.”
After conquering The Garden as a first-time headliner, Meg’s showmanship shouldn’t be questioned. She embodies the value of playing the long game and why, sometimes, good things come to those who wait.
Muni Long finally joins forces with Mariah Carey on the remix of Long’s viral hit “Made For Me,” which dropped Tuesday night (May 21) via Supergiant Records/Def Jam Recordings. “When I got the call from JD [Jermaine Dupri, one of the song’s producers] to work on the ‘Made For Me’ remix, I said yes immediately. […]