R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 223
Long before the days Offset rose to fame as one-third of the seminal Atlanta rap group Migos, he got his start in the entertainment business while dancing for Whitney Houston. During his appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show Friday (March 8), Offset recalled impressing the music icon with his slick moves when auditioning for a dancer role as an 8-year-old circa 2000.
“My mama seen a billboard sign saying you could come try out. I pulled up. I remember my mama told I’ll never forget, ‘When the music come on, just go out there and do your thing,’” he shared. “I was smaller than everybody. Everybody was 11 or something, and I was like 8. Then I did it.”
“I remember she came from the back and pointed me out. When we shot the video, she was just a nice, sweet soul. Bobby Brown was cool too. He was making us laugh. He was cool. Yeah, both of them. I got a lot of cameos too.”
Trending on Billboard
Offset’s moves earned him a backup dancer role in Houston’s “Whatchulookinat,” which landed on the late singer’s Just Whitney album in 2002. The Bobby Brown-produced single cracked the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 96.
[embedded content]
Whitney wasn’t the only legendary artist Offset danced for as a kid. He also made an appearance in a TLC video.
Elsewhere in the interview, Offset revealed his initial hesitancy to kick his lean addiction, as he felt the purple drank — codeine and promethazine cough syrup mixed with soda — was fueling his creativity.
“I was drinking lean a lot. For a minute, my younger brain would tell me, ‘This is what’s giving me the sauce to put on the songs.’ But I started to see it affect my family. I got five kids — I’m a grown man and I gotta take care of the house,” he said.
“I seen that and the people that love me the most like my mama would tell me, ‘Ay, son, you know you stronger than that. You need to shake that,” said the artist, who shares daughter Kulture and son Wave with Cardi B; he’s also dad to sons Jordan and Kody, and daughter Kalea from previous relationships. “When I shook it, I was able to make hard-fire songs. I felt like I could record in the daytime and get more accomplished. I noticed people would tell me my attitude or how I’m speaking was more clear.”
Watch Offset’s interview below.
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
Looks can be deceiving, and 4batz has had just about everyone on the internet fooled.
Regularly disguised in a black Pooh Shiesty mask, a black Nike hoodie and matching sweats, with a full set of gold grillz and a double cup (or stacks of hundreds) in his hand, 4batz looks like he’s about to spit the hardest bars of 2024 about trapping in the hood. But once he opens his mouth, he leaves others’ jaws on the floor with his incredibly delicate delivery, characterized by pitched-up melodies over lo-fi beats and sentimental lyricism about doing whatever he can to keep his girl.
The seeds to creating this fascinating juxtaposition were planted early, with the artist (real name Neko Bennett) growing up listening to Jodeci, Sade, Anita Baker, Mint Condition, Intro and other old-school R&B and soul acts his mother and grandmother would play around the house. “I’d be listening to it like, ‘Damn, this s–t hard!’” he tells Billboard. “You can learn so much from what they used to do and how they used to sing, and how they used to do their little melodies.”
But when he was in third grade, Bennett grew fascinated by rappers’ overall swag factor – he names DMX as an influence – and would spit freestyles whenever the other school kids made beats by banging their fists on the tables. “I was really supposed to be Trap Boi Batz or some s–t like that,” he chuckles about his would’ve-been rap alter ego. But his original rap music never saw the light of day. “I always felt like it’s not different enough. Everybody from Texas raps. It felt like I was forcing it.”
Trending on Billboard
Now, the 20-year-old artist feels grateful he waited to release his own music. Last June, 4batz released his debut single “act i: stickerz ’99,’” which unmasked just how deep his feelings were after experiencing real-life heartbreak. “It was me honestly being delusional and wanting to fly to her,” he admits. The song’s ingredients felt like it was destined for TikTok virality: pitched-up vocals that are typically the result of songs’ sped-up versions and fit into the nightcore genre (think Lil Uzi Vert’s “Watch This – ARIZONATEARS Pluggnb Remix”), a slowed-down outro with reverb, and a runtime of less than two minutes.
Six months later, 4batz experienced that virality when he dropped “act ii: date @ 8.” He performed it on 4 Shooters Only’s From the Block series, and everyone from the average rap fan to Kai Cenat couldn’t believe their eyes or ears. With his homies hyping him up in the background, as they pull down their Shiesty masks to smoke joints and act out the lyrics, 4batz croons about the romantic night he has planned for his girl and just how much he’s willing to spend on her getting ready for it. In the pursuit of one girl’s heart, 4batz has managed to capture millions more.
[embedded content]
“Act ii: date @ 8” debuted at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Jan. 20), and it has since risen to No. 59 (for the week ending Feb. 10). It has also peaked at No. 6 on Hot R&B Songs and No. 20 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and is currently climbing on radio, rising to No. 21 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 31 on Rhythmic Airplay this week (ending March 9).
The song is bound to make even bigger moves in the weeks to come, with Drake officially hopping on the “act ii: date @ 8” remix this Friday (March 8) — which Timbaland predicted would be “outta here” back in January when he posted his reaction video to 4batz’s viral From the Block performance.
[embedded content]
“It’s crazy, because before this, I was sleeping in cars and I didn’t have a place to stay. And now people talk about “Rookie of the Month” on Billboard,” he exclaims with a chuckle. “I’m just so grateful, and I’m so excited that this is my life now.”
Billboard spoke with March’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month about astonishing people with his “yin-yang factor,” attending his first-ever concert during Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour, receiving a co-sign and advice from Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) and preparing his debut EP.
What’s the inspiration behind the name 4batz?
[Laughs.] Batz, that’s just my name in the hood. People just called me that. I never knew why, they just like, “Yo, Batz! Batz, come here! Ah ah ah!” I’m from The Four. Inside Dallas, it’s a little hood called The Four. And the “z” was really for the swag, the “za” as we call it. We say “za” after everything because everything we do is exotic. So it’s “4” because we from the South and “bat” with a “z” because n—as don’t do what we do. We do everything exotic.
Why did you decide to pitch up your vocals?
I mean, me being from Texas and listening to DJ Screw, that’s just what we do. We’re just bringing something new to the world that they ain’t heard before.
There’s so much mystique to you. How do you continue to protect your peace and privacy when it feels like everyone’s trying to get a piece?
I’ve always been that nonchalant, mysterious one. S–t ain’t like a plan that we do. What I do is I give people a little bit of something. For Instagram, let’s say I post somebody fighting or I post my friends in the hood slapboxing. Me posting that is showing people a little bit about what I do and how my culture is.
How did you decide to format your song titles as different “acts” with all lowercase letters and different numbers and characters?
I look at it like it’s my story. I look at it like it’s an old testament, like it’s one of those old-ass books, because I feel like my story is some s–t people gonna be talking about for years and years and years and years down the line.
What inspired “act ii: date @ 8”?
It was more for the females. Nowadays, R&B is quote-unquote toxic. It’s a lot of fake toxicity going on. I don’t know about that toxicity. My momma raised me in a way like, “You love a girl, you do this. You open the door for her.” I’m big on that, so that one was specifically for the females.
I love the line “Five hunnid for your f–kin’ hair/ Two hunnid for your f–kin’ nails.”
I had to make sure it was the exact price. I mean, obviously, sometimes it be a little bit more, but yeah, I had to make sure I said that.
How does your latest single, “act iii: on god? (she like),” add to the narratives from your previous two acts?
Once this EP come out, I can be able to really break it down to you and show you exactly how each act connects.
Bet. What’s the name of your EP?
It’s called u made me a st4r.
And are all the songs on the EP going to be different “acts”?
Absolutely! It has to be.
How many songs will be on it?
I’m still debating that. Probably around six, seven. I don’t know yet.
Your “From the Block” performance of “act ii: date @ 8” in your Dallas hometown stunned everyone because they didn’t expect you to sound the way you did when they saw what you looked like. Did you purposefully anticipate that being a “wow” factor coming into that performance?
You know what’s crazy? I did. Because I remember listening to Aaliyah. [Sings] “Rock the boat, rock the boat.” And I’m throwing up gang signs. And I’m like, “Why am I doing that? Why does this yin-yang factor feel so good to me?” And it goes for other people. A person will be a rapper, face tats and all this stuff, but he’ll be rapping about girls, but you think he supposed to be rapping about killing. And the fact that he’s rapping about girls, playing with that yin-yang factor, is more interesting. I was always [interested in] doing something that don’t supposed to be looking like you’re supposed to be doing it. I had a feeling it was going to do something. I didn’t know it was gonna do this!
What are some other reactions you’ve gotten from that video?
People said I sounded like a sample. I didn’t think that, but s–t, I’ll take it. I think honestly that’s one of the biggest compliments. Everybody knows samples are beautiful. And people was like, “Yeah, when you gon’ start rapping?” It was a lot of that.
And what’s the significance of the Tioga Street and Strawberry Terrace block you performed at?
It’s a block I kind of grew up on. We could have done it in any area, because that whole hood is my hood, but we had to do it exactly on that block — because I’m like, “Yo, Strawberry Street. People gon’ think this is sweet, right? And we doing this! OK, cool. We gotta do it right here.” Plus, it’s even better, because this is the same street where we used to just walk on and not have money and not be able to do this, and now we’re doing the opposite and just embracing what Texas is and what Dallas is and how this s–t go.
I remember telling you and your team back in January that you had made it onto the Billboard charts for the first time, and everyone was so excited. “act ii: date @ 8” eventually became your first Hot 100 hit. How did you react when you found that out?
I damn near did a backflip, and I don’t even know how to do backflips! That’s one of the biggest flexes. The second song I ever released went on Billboard. I was so shocked, I ain’t even know what to say. I thought people was playing, so I’m going on Billboard searching it up. That is something that I ain’t even dreamed that this was gonna happen. I just thought, “Aight, I’m gonna drop the song and then hopefully in three to five years, you’re gonna start hearing me.” And then after that, I was gonna be where I’m at right now. But God works in mysterious ways.
Speaking of your team, how did you build up yours? How did you meet your manager Amber Ajeé, and when did your distributor Vydia come into the fold?
I needed to shoot a video for “stickerz.” So I was just going about trying to shoot a video, and a lady had hit me, which is Amber. She was like, “Oh, I can help you.” And she helped me find a video pretty fast. And she was also like, “Yo, I manage!” So really finding her helped me find everybody with Vydia. ‘Cause I didn’t know nothing about it. She just put me onto everything. And after that, slowly but surely, I got the team that I have. It’s probably like four or five people.
Even though you’re our Rookie of the Month, you’ve already been chopping it up with the big leagues. Ye recently co-signed you, and you posted on Instagram that the two of you had FaceTimed. When did you first get in touch with Ye? And what’s the best piece of advice he’s given you?
One day, I woke up and everybody from his side was just texting my phone, “Yo, Ye wants to talk to you.” After that, that’s when we had a phone call. And I was like, “Yo, Ye? We talkin’ ‘bout Ye, Kanye? Or we talkin’ ‘bout Ye from South Dallas?” Nah, it was the real Ye. And when we hopped on FaceTime, it sealed the deal for me. That’s my guy for sure.
The best piece of advice that Ye ever gave me is: If people don’t want it and you want it, that means you should do it. I remember my first time actually having a conversation with him, because I was just trying to be a sponge and just ask him stuff. It’s crazy, because I didn’t even ask him this question, I was just like, “Yo, what’s up?” He’s like, “Um, I got something to tell you.” I was like, “OK, what’s up?” He was like, “If you were to tell people, ‘Yo, should I drop this song?’ And they’re like, ‘Eh, I don’t really like it.’ But you really feel it in your gut that like, ‘This it. This it, period…’ A lot of people go off of trends, a lot of people go off of what they’ve seen. And if you do something outside of that box, you could be creating a whole box that people ain’t never been in.
When he told me that, I was like, “Bet, bet.” That means we’re doing something right.
You were recently spotted hanging out with Drake at one of his shows. How was that night?
That was the first show I ever been to.
Wait, your first concert?
Ever.
And you went to Drake’s concert and were right next to Drake.
Yeah. [Laughs.] Yeah, I was! Bro, I swear to God, this whole s–t is so funny, because I don’t think people know — and I don’t think even myself know — how crazy this s–t is. I never was on a plane. We ain’t even talking about shows yet. I never did none of this. We pulling up and I’m seeing all these people, what’s it, like 20,000 people? I don’t know, but I’m seeing all these people [and] how they react to the music. I’m like, “Yo, this what I’ve been missing all my life?”
It inspired me a lot, just seeing how he controls the crowd. And I was just like, “Yo, I need to work. I need to make more music.” Because every song he had was a hit! Yeah, Drake’s a good guy.
Have you been to another concert since then?
No, I think my next concert I go to is mine.
Considering you only have three singles out right now (with obviously more to come), how would you envision your first live performance? And where would you want it to be?
It gotta be in my city. I haven’t really envisioned it exactly how I want it yet, but I just know it has to be in Dallas. Who knows? It might be intimate and crazy.
Word on the street is that you’ve been in talks with major labels because they’re so eager to sign you. Is that something you’re interested in pursuing now or later in your career?
I keep going back to this, ‘cause I’m really in love with this EP. This EP’s gon’ break the f–kin’ internet, world, all this s–t. Currently, I’m not really worried about signing right now, because we’re so focused on these songs. I’m in the studio every day. So I’m not really worried about that, but maybe when the time is right.
What’s next for 4batz?
Honestly, I’m with the fans. Me and the fans, we experience this s–t together. So as they’re learning, and as they’re seeing, “Oh s–t, we on Billboard! Oh s–t, we’re doing this. Oh s–t, we’re over here!” I’m experiencing it, too. It’s just God. And whatever God wants, and however that flows, it’s gonna happen that way.
Is there anything else?
I want to tell my supporters some s–t, if I could. First, I’mma say thank you, Jada. And the EP, u made me a st4r, when they hear that s–t, they’re gonna go crazy! It’s gonna be stupid!
Halle Bailey and her boyfriend, rapper DDG, are enjoying being new parents after they welcomed their baby boy, Halo, late last year. And while speaking at the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards Ceremony on Thursday (March 7), the 23-year-old emotionally detailed why she hid her pregnancy and didn’t go public with her baby bump.
Ahead of Friday’s (March 8) International Women’s Day, Bailey explained that the decision to hide her pregnancy came from a “place of protection,” and the “state of the world” also played a role.
Trending on Billboard
“There was no way in hell I was going to share the biggest joy of my world with anyone. Halo was my gift. He is the greatest blessing, and I had no obligation to expose him, me, or my family to that,” Bailey declared. “With the state of the world and the place it is in with men trying to force their will on our bodies, no one on social media, and for d–n sure, no one on the planet was going to tell me what to do with my body or what to share with the world.”
The Little Mermaid star was on the verge of tears while thanking the women who came before her and set what she believed to be the right example.
“Do y’all remember when Prince Z David Marley, who came from a queen named Lauryn Hill, entered the world? Do you remember how private Beyoncé was about her pregnancy? We have that right. Every woman in the world has that right to choose what to do with their bodies and what to share with anyone or everyone,” she continued. “So thank you. Thank you to some of the strong women in my life, like my beautiful sisters standing here on the stage with me, for setting examples in resilience, confidence, and independence.”
Bailey and DDG revealed the birth of their son in January with a post on social media about bringing Halo into the world and becoming new parents.
While tending to mom duties, Bailey is also back in the studio working on new music, and she’s readying a single titled “In Your Hands” for next Friday (March 15).
“Whenever you’re down and sufferin’, I promise that I’ll be your only friend/ ‘Cause I know that the demons comin’ again, and we will never, ever let ’em in,” Bailey croons before bellowing the hook. “In your hands, in your hands, the world is yours!”
“You guys have asked for it, so i’ll gladly give it to you,” she added on X.
Watch the clip of Bailey explaining her decision to hide her pregnancy below:
Cardi B dropped a new burner on Thursday night (March 7), teasing what appears to be her next single in TikTok video from the recording studio. Barefoot and dressed down in sweats, a white tank top, round eyeglasses, no makeup and her hair straightened, Cardi ripped off her typically acerbic lines over a spare, g-funk style beat, once again making it clear that haters need not apply.
“Me vs. you and you know who they pickin’,” she rhymes to set up the unnamed track. “I can survive in the coldest conditions… B–ches is washed, soapin’ the dishes/ I apply pressure like boa constrictors/ One b–ch, two b–ch, old b–ch, new b–ch, none of y’all not gonna do s–t/ I’m in Miami I pull up on cruise ships.”
Dancing along to her own track, Cardi gives the ultimate ultimatum, rapping, “I see my opps linking up, I’m like, ‘What the f–k?/ If you scared, then just say that hoe/ Enough is enough.” The post got a few comment from famous friends, including SZA, who wrote “the hair is giving” and Camila Cabello, who added, “sheeeeesh.”
Trending on Billboard
At press time Cardi hadn’t provided any additional information on the track, though the caption of her TikTok post, “15” and a winking emoji, appeared to suggest it was due out on March 15. If the song comes out next week, it would mark the follow-up to last week’s “Like What (Freestyle).” She also dropped a sexy video for the freestyle in which pays tribute to Missy Elliot and tries on a wide variety of eclectic outfits in the clip directed by estranged husband rapper Offset; last month, Offset told his ex to “stop being scary” and drop her sophomore album already.
“Like What” is Cardi’s first solo record since 2021’s “Up,” which earned the rapper her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and a 2022 Grammy nomination for best rap performance. Since then she’s dropped “Tomorrow 2” with GloRilla, “Jealously” with Offset and the Megan Thee Stallion collab “Bongos.”
Cardi has been teasing new music for months, including an in Insta Story last week in which she told fans that her long-awaited sophomore album could be released this year. She told the Bardi Gang that she was “not letting my anxiety, I’m not letting what haters say, I’m not letting what fans say” prevent her from releasing new songs, adding that “I’ve got no choice because I’m dropping my album this year, so stay tuned for the announcement.”
The follow-up to the MC’s breakthrough 2018 debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy,
Check out a snipped of Cardi’s new track below.
Method Man and Redman will be ringing in the kush-blowing holiday together as the How High co-stars have been tapped to headline the 4/20 Bud Drop concert in NYC. The Blackout! duo will hit the Terminal 5 stage on April 19 in the hours leading up to the 4/20 celebration, which plays off the annual […]
Tyla was gearing up for her first world tour later this month, which included stops at festivals such as Coachella, but those bucket list accomplishments will be put on hold for now.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The “Water” hitmaker announced on Thursday (March 7) that she’s canceling her North American and Europe tour dates and pulling out a handful of festivals.
Tyla penned a heartfelt letter to fan on Instagram, revealing that she’s been privately battling a health issue.
Trending on Billboard
She shared that her injury had “tragically worsened,” which forced her to cancel the trek altogether. The tour was slated to kick off in Oslow, Norway, on March 21, and then eventually make its way stateside in April, and wrapping up in May.
“As much as this is something I would rather have dealt with privately, it’s important that I share what I have to share with you today,” she wrote. “For the past year I’ve been silently suffering with an injury that has tragically worsened. I’ve seen doctors and specialists with high hopes but the pain has only become more agonizing as has the severity of the situation.
“I am absolutely heartbroken to have to say this but as of right now I won’t be able to proceed with the tour. In consulting with medical professionals it’s become increasingly clear that continuing any festival or tour dates would jeopardize my long-term health and safety.”
Tyla asked her Tygers not to “worry too much,” as they’ll still be seeing plenty of her around. “Just know when I’m back to performing pain free, I’m gonna be even more of a problem,” the Grammy-winning singer added in the caption. “It’s hard having to turn down opportunities you’ve been waiting your whole life for but God has his plan.”
While the amapiano-R&B sensation won’t be hitting the stage soon, that hasn’t slowed down Tyla’s album rollout, as her highly anticipated debut LP is slated to arrive on March 22.
Named one of Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Artists to Watch in 2024, the 22-year-old’s eponymous album will feature 14 tracks, including “Water” and the anthem’s Travis Scott-assisted remix.
Read Tyla’s post about her tour cancellation below:
Two New York residents who are staples of the intersecting cultures of music and fashion have linked up, as Ice Spice meets Alexander Wang. The “Princess Diana” rapper has been tapped by the fashion house as the face of its new S24 campaign. Ice Spice modeled an array of chic looks as part of the […]
A week after debuting at No. 5 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, “Carnival,” from Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s collaborative album Vultures 1, jumps to No. 1 on the tally dated March 9.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity Feb. 26-March 3. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50. As previously noted, titles that are part of Universal Music Group’s catalog are currently unavailable on TikTok.
“Carnival,” which also features Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, becomes the first No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for Ye, Ty Dolla $ign and Rich the Kid since the list’s September 2023 inception. Playboi Carti, meanwhile, has ruled twice before with “Sky,” which reigned on the Oct. 7, 2023, ranking and again Dec. 9, 2023.
Trending on Billboard
The main trend for “Carnival” on TikTok involves lip-synching to the song’s opening refrain and chorus, usually done in front of a mirror.
Concurrently, “Carnival” rises back to No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart for a second week, via 32.2 million official U.S. streams Feb. 23-29, up 31%, according to Luminate. The track also jumps 4-2 on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100.
The success of “Carnival” comes despite Ye’s various controversies, including recent and continued hate speech and antisemitic remarks that have caused some listeners to shy away from his material past and present.
“Carnival” reigns over Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love,” which holds at No. 2 for a second week, and Djo’s “End of Beginning,” which ranks at No. 3 after spending its first week at No. 1 on the March 2 tally.
“Back It Up and Dump It (Dump Truck),” from Kinfolk Thugs, GC Eternal and Tyme Bomb, breaks into the top five for the first time, lifting 7-4. Originally released in 2013, the song benefits from a choreographed dance trend, as well as other general, often jokey posts including its lyrics. Another more recent trend shows creators using an app showing celebrities with whom they share a birthday.
Cat Janice’s “Dance You Outta My Head,” a former No. 1 on the chart, rounds out the top five with a one-position lift to No. 5. The rise follows Janice’s death on Feb. 28 at age 31 after a bout with cancer; she released “Dance You Outta My Head” as her final song while in hospice care.
One song reaches the chart’s top 10 for the first time: 21 Savage’s “Redrum,” which jumps 19-8. The tune initially premiered at No. 39 on the Feb. 10 survey but has found new life on TikTok in recent weeks, with sizable gains coming after the song’s Feb. 24 performance on Saturday Night Live. “Redrum” concurrently appears at No. 8 on Streaming Songs via 18 million listens, up 11%. It also rises 16-13 on the Hot 100.
The week’s top debut belongs to Xakei, whose “Merry Go Round of Life (Old Piano)” bows at No. 13. The rendition is a version of an instrumental track from the Studio Ghibli film Howl’s Moving Castle, and a viral usage of the song in the latest tracking week soundtracks an Austin City Council meeting in which workers learn they were relieved of duties in real time by Google.
DeJ Loaf’s “No Fear” also sports a strong debut, starting at No. 16. The song was released in 2017 and sports a trend of people showing off relationship texts while the song’s chorus plays.
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival is returning to North Carolina in April, and he’s put together an all-star team to hit the stage alongside him this year.
Dreamville Fest 2024 announced its lineup of heavy hitters on Thursday (March 7), with SZA, Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown set to serve as headliners with J. Cole.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The anticipated fourth edition of the annual festival — which launched in 2018 — is set to take over Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7. Tickets are already on sale with a limited number of general admission passes still available for the two-day event.
Trending on Billboard
“Some of the biggest names in music will travel to Raleigh in only a few short weeks, bringing about one of the most highly anticipated festivals of the year. Our team looks forward to welcoming all of our Day One fans from around the world back to Dreamville Festival,” said Dreamville Cofounder and Festival President Adam Roy in a statement.
The rest of this year’s stacked lineup will feature sets from Lil Yachty, JID, Sexyy Red, ScHoolboy Q, Teezo Touchdown, Jeezy, Monica, Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock, Jeremih, Lul Tyler, Muni Long and more.
From the Dreamville hometeam, fans can expect EARTHGANG, Bas, Cozz, Lute, and Omen to hit the stage as well.
In addition to the musical acts, there will be plenty of other attractions for festivalgoers throughout the weekend including carnival rides, immersive art installations and a variety of food options.
Find the full Dreamville Festival 2024 lineup broken down below.
Saturday, April 6:
SZA
Chris Brown
J.I.D.
Lil Yachty
ScHoolboyQ
Sexyy Red
Jeremih
EARTHGANG
Teezo Touchdown
Amaarae
Lute
Luh Tyler
Domani
Saturday, April 7:
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Rema
Jeezy
Monica
Rae Sremmurd
Key Glock
Bas
Muni Long
Cozz
Omen
TiaCorine
Chase Shakur
See the announcement below:
Nelly, the St. Louis rap vet, raised a few eyebrows when a clip with him from SpringHill’s The Shop circulated on social media yesterday. In the clip, the diamond-selling superstar claimed that it was much harder to sell records as a rapper back when he was first coming out than at any other time in the genre’s history.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“My era of music was the toughest era of hip-hop, ever. Ever,” he says on the episode that drops March 7. “When I put out songs, I had to go against DMX, JAY-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Luda. All of us are fighting for one spot!”
Every artist believes their generation has it the toughest. Drake, for example, on his first Rock Ross collab “Lord Knows,” laments having to deal with a climate in which a celebrity’s private life is incessantly mined for content by publications and people on social media, alike. Going as far as to wonder if the greats he’s compared to would “ever survive in this era. In a time where it’s recreation to pull all your skeletons out the closet like Halloween decorations.” Who knows how rappers from the 90s would fare if they had to contend with X, Instagram, and TikTok.
Trending on Billboard
But Nelly’s mostly right. It’s tough to believe that it was harder to be a top-selling rapper in the early 2000s than it was in the, say, late 80s, but it’s not hard to believe that it’s a bit easier today.
Real quick, some numbers to consider.
When Nelly dropped his debut album, Country Grammar, in June of 2000, he managed to sell 235,000 copies the first week. Not bad for a kid most people had not heard of who was riding the success of a single everyone found super catchy if a bit puerile. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The top spot was taken by Eminem who, a month earlier released his highly anticipated sophomore effort, The Marshall Mathers LP. Yes, you read that right.
[embedded content]
TMMLP sold 1.78 million copies its first week. The second week it sold 800,000. Third week? Another 600,000. And then the fourth week it sold a comical 520,000 copies. That’s more than double Nelly’s first week. And, for those keeping a running tally, that’s 3.7 million copies in one month. Nelly would eventually claim the top spot and he and Em would duke it out for the rest of the summer before both albums would go diamond.
So far in 2024, no rap album has even gone gold in its first week. And, sure, numbers aren’t everything. These days there are more rappers than ever who are making a great living. Depending on their deal a rapper doesn’t have to sell a million records or have a top 10 album in order to live well. Artists today have found new and novel monetization methods that just weren’t available when Nelly was first coming out. That’s all fine and well. However, it’s undebatable that we have less rap stars than before.
The era Nelly is referring to is one in which DMX dropped two multiplatinum albums in one year, both of which went number one on the Billboard 200. It’s the era when Outkast capped off an incredible five-album run by going diamond. It’s the era when Ludacris was still a rapper. It’s when JAY-Z dropped an album every fourth quarter that topped the charts and went multiplatinum. If you wanted to be a rap star, you had to do battle with all of them and more.
[embedded content]
Ask a rap fan why no albums have managed to sell crazy so far this year and they’ll likely point out the fact that Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole—the venerable “Big 3”—haven’t dropped anything. Even if you add Future, Nicki Minaj and Ye, to that group, it still wouldn’t match up to the sheer number of heavy hitters who were moving units back then.
It was, as the saying goes, just different.