R&B/Hip-Hop

11 Sep 2024

Maze Frontman Frankie Beverly Dead at 77

Frankie Beverly, the honey-coated baritone frontman for the soul and funk group Maze, has died. He was 77. His family announced his Sept. 10 passing on Facebook Wednesday (Sept. 11). A cause of death has not been revealed.

The post, signed by The Beverly Family, reads as follows:

“Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This period for is one of healing, and your respect for our need for solitude is appreciated as we honor the memory of our beloved Howard Stanley Beverly known to the world as Frankie Beverly.

“He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends. Love one another as he would want that for us all. Howard Stanley Beverly aka Frankie Beverly; 12/6/46 – 9/10/24.”

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Beverly’s death follows in the wake of his being honored at this year’s Essence Festival in July. Prior to that, he had embarked on a farewell tour, which launched March 22 in Atlanta and wrapped in Los Angeles on May 12.

Also doubling as Maze’s writer and producer, Beverly was the lead force behind a string of memorable R&B hits and fan faves that through the years became cultural and generational  backdrops for many family barbecues, reunions and parties. Beginning in the late ‘70s with “While I’m Alone” and running through the mid-‘90s, the group’s musical legacy includes “Feel That You’re Feelin’,” “Southern Girl,” “Running Away,” the No. 1 singles “Back in Stride” and “Can’t Get Over You” and, of course, “Before I Go.” That 1981 hit took center stage again in 2019 when Beyoncé lovingly covered the song and included it as a bonus track on her Homecoming: The Live Album.

10 Sep 2024

Who Should Kendrick Lamar Bring Out as a Special Guest at His Super Bowl Halftime Show? Vote!

Special guest appearances have long been prevalent when it comes to the Super Bowl halftime show. So when Kendrick Lamar was announced as the Super Bowl LIX headliner over the weekend, fans started speculating what might be on the Compton MC’s potential setlist and what guests might join him.

Lamar is gearing up to hit the Caesars Superdome stage in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025. “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Kenny said. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

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Ever since Jay-Z and Roc Nation struck a partnership with the NFL in 2019 to help co-produce the halftime show, hip-hop and R&B have had their presence felt.

“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Hov said in a statement. “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

Lamar had his first taste of the Super Bowl during the West Coast’s invasion at the 2022 Super Bowl in Los Angeles alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Mary J. Blige.

Whittling down Lamar’s discography to a 15-minute performance is sure to be a tough proposition. With Kendrick racking up fan-favorite collaborations over the years with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to SZA, fans are hoping to see K. Dot invite some of his peers to join him onstage in New Orleans next year.

We want to hear from you now. Vote on who you want to see make an appearance with Kendrick Lamar as a special guest at Super Bowl LIX.

10 Sep 2024

3rd Annual Black: Future. Now. Brunch 2024 to Honor Jhené Aiko, Cash Cobain & Rachelle Jean-Louis

On Tuesday (Sept. 10), The Revels Group, alongside the Black Music Action Coalition, Amazon Music and Live Nation, announced plans for the third annual BLACK: Future. Now. Brunch 2024 in Los Angeles.

The celebratory brunch is set to go down Sunday (Sept. 15) and serve as a lead into BMAC Gala Week (starting Sept. 19). Decorated music executives and artists across the industry will be honored during the ceremony, including Jhené Aiko, Cash Cobain and Rachelle Jean-Louis.

Following her successful North American run on the Magic Hour Tour, Aiko will receive the “Brilliant Beyond” Creative Artistry Award. The burgeoning Cash Cobain is slated to take home the “Future Phenom Now” Award while Blake Brown-Gakal will accept the “L(Eagle) Eye” Attorney of the Year Award.

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On the heels of winning Billboard‘s 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players Executive of the Year, Victoria Monet’s manager and Tell Your Friends co-founder Rachelle Jean-Louis will collect more hardware when she’s honored with the “Executive of the Year Impact” award this weekend.

“We’re super excited to be kicking off BMAC week once by celebrating the future and now of Black excellence,” said The Revels Group CEO Jamil Davis. “When I started the BFN and the Brunch my mission was to bring together a diverse room to highlight the creatives, executives and thought leaders of tomorrow that are having breakout years, or typically don’t get as much shine.”

Davis continued: “It’s beautiful and has grown each year. I’m ready to have an incredible time! I’m thrilled to honor our 2024 class of BFN awardees, including my dear friend, the
incomparable, Jhené Aiko.”

Elliot Grainge’s 10k Projects and Spirit Music Group have also joined the Black: Future. Now. Brunch as partners.

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino added of the event: “I admire Jamil’s ability to bring such an eclectic group of people together, and The Revels Group’s continued mission to celebrate and empower the next generation of artists, creators, and executives. It will be a great time.”

Past BLACK: Future. Now. honorees include Lil Bibby, Tunde Balogun, Brandra Rigo, Gordon Dillard, Ebonie Ward, Sydney Lopes and more.

10 Sep 2024

Eminem Announces ‘The Death of Slim Shady: Expanded Mourner’s Edition’ Release Date

It’s shaping up to be another spooky Friday the 13th. Eminem announced plans for his The Death of Slim Shady: Expanded Mourner’s Edition on Tuesday (Sept. 10).

The deluxe version of his 12th studio album will be hitting streaming services on Friday, and Em dropped off an ominous trailer to accompany the announcement.

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The ominous clip finds Em in search of Slim Shady as he finds a missing poster for him on a milk carton that he leaves to spill across the gas station mart floor.

The Alchemist stars as the employee stuck with cleaning up Eminem’s mess while demanding he leave. “Ge the f–k out of here,” he said with a New York accent as the Jelly Roll-assisted “Somebody Save Me” plays over the store’s speakers. “Don’t come back. They don’t pay me enough for this s–t.”

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Em captioned the post on social media: “MISSING: SLIM SHADY Have you seen him #TheDeathOfSlimShady Expanded Mourner’s Edition drops this Friday the 13th…”

Fans were pumped up to hear that there’s more new music on the way after The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) arrived in July. “LETS GO TDOSS WAS A MASTERPIECE MORE MUSIC,” one person wrote. Another chimed in hoping to see Em hit the road:”We want a tour old man.”

It’s still unclear how many additional tracks will be on the deluxe version along with if there are any special guests joining the Detroit icon.

Eminem released his The Death of Slim Shady album on July 12 with features from Big Sean, Jelly Roll, JID, BabyTron, Skylar Grey and more.

The LP — his first since 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By — debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 281,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending July 18, according to Luminate. 

10 Sep 2024

This Hip-Hop Album Just Became the First to Spend 700 Weeks on the Billboard 200

Up until this week, only five albums in the 68-year history of the Billboard 200 had spent 700 weeks or more on the chart. This week (on the chart dated Sept. 14), Eminem’s 2005 best-of compilation, Curtain Call: The Hits, joins the ranks as the sixth album to reach the milestone – and the first hip-hop set.

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Curtain Call: The Hits ranks at No. 198 with 8,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States Aug. 30-Sept. 5, according to Luminate.

Dating to when the chart became a regularly published weekly list in 1956, only five other albums have reached the 700-week milestone. Here’s a look at those five, along with the albums next in line:

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  • 990 weeks, Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon
  • 851, Bob Marley, Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers
  • 821, Journey, Journey’s Greatest Hits
  • 758, Metallica, Metallica
  • 710, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits
  • 692, Guns N’ Roses, Greatest Hits
  • 692, Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans
  • 686, Nirvana, Nevermind
  • 642, Michael Jackson, Thriller
  • 622, AC/DC, Back In Black
  • 619, Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city
  • 611, Queen, Greatest Hits
  • 610, Adele, 21
  • 601, Drake, Take Care

(All except for Dark Side of the Moon are still charting this week)

Curtain Call: The Hits is Eminem’s first greatest hits album and includes songs from four of his first five studio albums: The Slim Shady LP (1999), The Marshall Mathers LP (2000), The Eminem Show (2002), the 8 Mile soundtrack (2002) and Encore (2004). (The set doesn’t include any songs from his 1996 debut album Infinite, which he released before he signed to Interscope Records.)

After The Slim Shady LP peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 1999, The Marshall Mathers LP debuted at No. 1 and became his first of 11 leaders, including his most recent project, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), in July. That run includes Curtain Call, which spent two weeks on top.

How come Curtain Call spent more weeks on the chart than any of Eminem’s classic studio projects? That’s due to a Billboard 200 chart rule that came into effect in 2009. In December of that year, Billboard allowed catalog albums back on the chart (after barring them since 1991).

When streaming began to impact the chart in 2014, Billboard instituted rules about where songs that appear on multiple albums should be assigned (say, a song that appears on both a studio album and a greatest hits album). Since then, songs are assigned to whichever album by that artist sells the most (by traditional album sales) in a given week. So, Curtain Call has been able to spend an historic amount of weeks on the chart because, A) catalog albums are now allowed to chart each week, and B) the album includes many of Eminem’s big early hits (“Lose Yourself,” “My Name Is,” “Without Me,” “Stan,” etc.) which, as a collection, are counting more towards this album week-to-week than to the original studio albums on which they appear.

10 Sep 2024

Ben Stiller Reveals His Favorite Kendrick Lamar Song Is a Drake Diss

Ben Stiller has long been a rap fan, and he’s looking forward to seeing Kendrick Lamar headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans in February.

The star offered a simple response to seeing Kendrick announce his Super Bowl appearance on Sunday (Sept. 8). “Yes,” the Dodgeball actor wrote.

Fans flooded Stiller’s replies and pried his favorite song from the Compton rapper out of him. “What’s your favorite song Ben,” one person asked.

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The 58-year-old’s response may come as a shock to some, as he went with one of Lamar’s Drake diss tracks. “Euphoria,” he replied.

“Damn Goat,” one person said while another chimed in: “BEN KNOWS BALL.”

“Euphoria” arrived on April 30 and served as Kendrick’s first diss track response to Drake following Drizzy’s “Push Ups,” which was released over two weeks prior. Lamar’s psycho-analyzation of Drake’s existence in hip-hop raised the stakes for the war that was to come, as he displayed lyrical dexterity throughout the six-minute plus showcase.

There’s been much made about the track’s title as fans tied it to theories about Drake serving as the executive producer of HBO’s Euphoria, while the cover art gave the dictionary definition of the word. “Euphoria” eventually peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first full week of tracking on the charts. President Joe Biden even used “Euphoria” to diss Donald Trump in a campaign clip when he was still in the presidential race in May.

Stiller never publicly took a side in the Kendrick versus Drake feud, and he was spotted sitting courtside at a New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers game with the 6 God at Madison Square Garden back in 2013.

Lamar will hit the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage on Feb. 9 when the big game arrives in New Orleans.

10 Sep 2024

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show: Our Dream Setlist

Yesterday, Kendrick Lamar revealed that he’ll be headlining the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans next February. This won’t be his first time performing at the Big Game: Kendrick first popped out during the Dr. Dre & Friends set at the Super Bowl LVI Half Time Show in his hometown of L.A., where he performed “M.A.A.D City” and “Alright.”

What a year it’s been for the Compton MC. Even with no album out, Lamar dominated the charts while engaged in a rap battle with Drake. “Like That,” “Euphoria,” and “Not Like Us” all reached the top five of the Hot 100 chart, staying there for weeks, and reminding doomsayers and critics that rap is still America’s top genre, and hip-hop its greatest export.

Some fans and artists alike have voiced their opposition to the decision made by the NFL and Jay-Z because they feel New Orleans native Lil Wayne should’ve been the pick. And while one can certainly make the case for the Cash Money Millionaire, it’s hard to ignore the cultural imprint K. Dot was able to leave over the past year. Also, who’s to say he won’t bring Weezy out to do a couple songs?

With that being said, we selected some of the biggest and best songs from each of Kendrick’s albums along with a couple B-sides that we know the people will want to hear. And, of course, we included one of his Drake diss tracks. He’s only going to have about 15 minutes, so we had to cap the list at 13 — and even that’s probably stretching it.

Check out our list below.

10 Sep 2024

Here’s Who We Want to See Kendrick Lamar Bring Out During His Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show

Rap great Kendrick Lamar was announced as the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show headlining performer on Sunday (Sept. 8). Despite much criticism from the hip-hop world about the NFL’s decision — as some voiced their hopes to see Lil Wayne on the Super Bowl stage, with the big game being played in his hometown of New Orleans next February — many fans immediately started to envision what Lamar’s set might consist of.

“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

Jay-Z, who has served as a co-producer of the Halftime Show since Roc Nation entered a partnership with the NFL in 2019, gushed about Lamar and championed him as a “once-in-a-generation” type of artist and performer.

“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” Hov said in a statement. “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

With 75 Billboard Hot 100 entries to his name across six studio albums, whittling down Lamar’s discography into a 15-minute performance is sure to be a tough proposition.

K. Dot has been no stranger to collaborations throughout his career either. From Taylor Swift to SZA and Travis Scott, Kendrick has a plethora of possibilities when it comes to shocking the Super Bowl audience and inviting some of his peers to join him on the world’s biggest stage.

While he certainly can’t bring them all out, here are some guests we want to see hit the stage with Kendrick Lamar.

10 Sep 2024

Tyler, the Creator Calls Out Ye for Not Rapping ‘Yeezus’ Lyrics at Korea Show: ‘Just Say the Words’

Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — jogged fans’ memory when he ran through hit after hit from his decorated discography during his show with Ty Dolla $ign in Seoul, South Korea, earlier in September.

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Ye posted a highlight from the concert on Instagram Monday (Sept. 9), which saw him performing “On Sight” and Tyler, the Creator hopped into the comments section wondering why the 24-time Grammy winner wasn’t rapping the lyrics to his Yeezus opener.

“N—a u was right there just say the words,” Tyler wrote. The comment has nearly 100,000 likes, and fans echoed the “Earfquake” rapper’s sentiments.

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Ye’s Vultures collaborator added a goat emoji into the comments, while Chicago rapper Joey Purp chimed in, “This my 5 am alarm.”

Yeezy and Ty Dolla $ign have performed a handful of Vultures listening parties over the months, but that typically involves no rapping and gives fans a chance to hear the music rather than a conventional concert.

West gave fans a taste of what a tour could look like when rapping along to some of his anthems at the Seoul show, which consisted of a 70-track set spanning his entire Hall of Fame discography.

Ye will have a chance to build on the Korea performance with his next show slated for Haikou, China, on Sept. 15 at the Haikou Wuyuan River Sports Park. He’ll be without Ty Dolla $ign, so Ye will have to do the heavy-lifting at the concert.

The Chicago native — who faced widespread criticism and lost deals after repeatedly doubling down on his antisemitic hate speech in 2022 — hasn’t embarked on a traditional tour since 2016’s Saint Pablo Tour, which was cut short following West’s hospitalization due to extreme exhaustion and dehydration in November 2016.

Vultures 2 arrived on Aug. 3 after multiple delays, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 107,000 total album units sold in the first week.

Watch the “On Sight” clip below.

10 Sep 2024

Watch Flavor Flav Ring the New York Stock Exchange’s Closing Bell & Send the Gavel Flying Into Crowd

Flavor Flav knows how to work his way around a clock, but maybe don’t let him get a gavel in his hands. The lesson was learned when the Public Enemy rapper joined U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team goalie Ashleigh Johnson at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday (Sept. 9).

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That’s when Flav got a bit overzealous with the gavel when attempting to ring the closing bell, which saw him lose control of the hammer and accidentally send it into the crowd. “FLAVOR FLAV::: They said it was good luck if I hit it hard,” he captioned his Instagram post.

Fans hit the rapper with jokes in his comments section after he nearly decked an onlooker with the gavel. “Is catching the gavel from flav akin to catching the bouquet at a wedding,” one person asked. Another added, “Opening the stock exchange?! What happened to fighting the power?”

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The 65-year-old hadn’t had the opportunity to be at the NYSE in his career, and he basked in the honor after watching it on television all these years.

“This means the world to me right now to be here at the Stock Exchange,” Flav added. “The only time I ever seen it was on TV. Now I get to be here part of it. Yeah, boy!”

Flavor Flav signed a five-year sponsorship deal with the U.S. Women’s and Men’s Water Polo Teams, for whom he served as the hype man at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. His sponsorship came with a $1,000 check to each player and a cruise voyage for the women’s team.

It’s a busy week running around the Big Apple for Flav. After stops at the U.S. Open tennis championship and the NYSE, the New York native is slated to appear at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday (Sept. 11).

Watch some of the highlights from his NYSE trip below.