R&B/Hip-Hop

21 Aug 2024

Here’s Why Big Sean’s ‘Yes’ Video Is Being Criticized Online

Big Sean has a had a hard time on the Internet over the last couple of years (something he’s touched on in the past), and his latest song and video show that rap fans aren’t letting up.

If you noticed that Baby Keem was trending on X earlier Wednesday, that’s because some fans on social media are claiming that Sean is using his flow, while others are pointing out that he’s channeling his older stuff like “Paradise.” There isn’t a consensus, as fans on social media seem to be split. We think he’s just trying something different and folks are letting his rocky relationship with Keem’s older cousin Kendrick Lamar get in the way.

The Detroit rapper talked to Charlamagne tha God earlier this month, where they talked about a leaked version of Lamar’s song “Element” where he dissed Sean. “That song came out and he changed that bar, it wasn’t on the song anymore, it was a leaked verse,” Sean said. “I had to keep that in mind because I was pissed when I heard it. He changed that on his own. He probably came to the conclusion it was nothing.”

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He then revealed that he and Kendrick talked and they hashed things out. “He apologized in a sense for going that far to that sh—t coming out,” Sean told Charlamagne. “When that sh—t leaks, people are like, ‘Oh, you heard what he said about you?’ I’m not a clout-chasing a– n—a, I’m solid and I stand on mine. We already talked about it, I already got an apology for it.”

The Detroit rapper has been on fire and he continues his hot streak with a new song and video that arrived Tuesday (Aug. 20). Directed by Diamond Visuals and presented by Lyrical Lemonade, “Yes” shows the artist at his most confident. He’s playing around with flows and rapping like his rent is due.

“New s—t might get spooky, had to bring the ways back/ Stupid lil’ b—-h wan’ reminisce about some s—t from way back/ When you slackin’ on the job, that’s when they try and take that,” he spits.

Sean has been extremely active this year.

This is his fourth single already this year as he gears up to drop his highly anticipated sixth album. He’s started the year off with “Precision” in March, then he dropped “Yes” in July (which makes this Keem “controversy” all the more confusing,) and in August he followed up with “On Up” about his newborn and the Alchemist-assisted “Together Forever.”

He’s also featured on “Shut Up” with Jessie Reyez, “Tobey” with Eminem and BabyTron, and DJ Premier with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. And let us not forget about his impressive On the Radar freestyle over Aaliyah‘s “If Your Girl Only Knew.”

Better Me Than You was originally supposed to be released on Aug. 9, but Big Sean decided to push it back due to scheduling conflicts. There’s still no word on an official release date.

Check out a few fan reactions to Sean’s “Yes” video below:

21 Aug 2024

Pink Sweats’ Team Reveals Singer Is Currently Hospitalized: ‘Pray for Pink’

Pink Sweats has been hospitalized, but details regarding his health status remain scarce. The singer’s team took to his Instagram Story on Tuesday (Aug. 20) providing an update and soliciting prayers from fans.

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“This is Pink Sweat$ team. we ask that you PRAY FOR PINK as he fights in the hospital right now. SEND ALL OF YOUR LOVE, POSITIVE ENERGY, HEALING ENERGY HIS WAY,” the message reads.

The Philly native’s wife, JL Bunny, posted an Instagram Story holding what appeared to be her husband’s hand on a hospital bed as she also asked for prayers. “I’m not usually like this but at this point we need it,” she wrote. “Please, if you believe in the power of prayer, please pray for pink.”

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Fans sent their love and support on Instagram. “I literally just gave my mother a run down his beautiful music. It speaks to my soul,” one person wrote. “His song honesty I ask God for a special healing blessing to be placed upon him, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Grant his wife and family strength.”

Another added: “Love his music. Prayers up for his healing and strength for his family.”

Billboard has reached out to Pink Sweats’ reps for comment.

On the music side, Sweats’ most recent release came with his “Bloom” single back in June. The 32-year-old has a pair of studio albums under his belt with 2021’s Pink Planet, which peaked at No. 133 on the Billboard 200, and Pink Moon in 2022.

21 Aug 2024

Fat Joe Receives Key to New York City From Mayor Eric Adams: ‘I Gotta Thank the Pioneers’

Fat Joe reps New York about as hard as any rapper in the game, and the city returned the favor on Tuesday night (Aug. 20) when the 54-year-old received a key to New York City.

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Joey Crack was performing at the Up NYC concert at Orchard Beach’s in his hometown of the Bronx when Mayor Eric Adams surprised him on stage with the Key to the City. Adams gave Joe his flowers for everything from his music to his philanthropic endeavors.

“Fat Joe who’s getting the Key to the City of New York. All his legendary — his music, a real brother, authentic — we want to give you this key,” he said.

The musician then grabbed the mic and proceeded to show love to the rap pioneers who paved the way before him.

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“Shout-out my wife, my daughter, shout-out my favorite aunt in the world. I gotta thank the pioneers. From Melle Mel, Mr. Ness to KRS-One — my whole life I been trying to be KRS-One — LL Cool J, Heavy D and the list goes on,” he said. “I want to shout out everybody here because we in the Bronx and I know I know all of you. Every last one of you, I know you — I love you.”

Continuing a celebratory birthday week, Joe had Mayor Adams step to the side before getting into performing some of his hits, including his Billboard Hot 100-topping “Lean Back” and “My Lifestyle.”

2024 is shaping up to be another busy year for Fat Joe. He parlayed his Instagram Live debates into a Starz talk show, which will be executive produced by LeBron James and himself.

Joe picked up a tennis racket and will also serve as the voice of the upcoming 2024 U.S. Open tournament kicking off next week in Flushing, Queens. Earlier this year, Fat Joe performed at President Joe Biden’s rally in North Carolina and he also received an honorary doctorate degree from Lehman College.

On the music side, he returned with frequent collaborators Remy Ma and Cool & Dre for their “Outta Control” single in July.

Find more highlights below.

21 Aug 2024

Barack & Michelle Obama’s DNC Speeches Draw Comparisons to Kendrick Lamar’s Drake Disses: ‘Meet the Trumps’

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama rallied the United Center crowd at the 2024 Democratic National Convention with a pair of fiery speeches on Tuesday night (Aug. 20), and drawing comparisons to Kendrick Lamar‘s Drake disses in the process.

The former president and first lady electrified democrats on night two of the DNC while attacking Republican nominee Donald Trump and encouraging citizens to get out and vote to make sure they’re heard on Nov. 5, which is 76 days away.

“We don’t need four more years of bluster and chaos,” Barack said. “We’ve seen that movie — and we all know that the sequel’s usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”

Rap fans immediately began connecting the Obamas’ speeches toLamar’sdisses against Drizzy. “They should’ve put the ‘meet the grahams’ beat behind this michelle speech,” former Desus & Mero host Desus Nice tweeted.

Others were a step ahead and edited the harrowing instrumental behind the speeches, which some dubbed the remix as “Meet the Trumps.”

“His limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happened to be Black,” Michelle Obama said of Trump before her mic drop as the music plays in the remixed video. “I wanna know who’s gonna tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?”

Apple Music host Lowkey continued to quote lyrics from K. Dot’s “Euphoria” alongside clips of Obamas’ speeches. “There’s three goats left and i see two of them kissing and hugging on stage,” he tweeted.

Another viewer chimed in: “Trump’s Truth Social meltdown on the Obama’s is like Drake tryin to respond after Kendrick left him for dead. Done and dusted.”

Music has also been at the center of the DNC in Chicago this week, with Patti LaBelle, Common and DJ Cassidy hitting the stage on night two. Lil Jon even made a surprise appearance to fire up the thousands in attendance, which included Spike Lee and Eva Longoria.

During the California roll call, West Coast hip-hop dominated the segment. Lamar’s “Not Like Us” provided the soundtrack for a set that included K. Dot’s “Alright,” Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode” and 2Pac’s “California Love.”

Find more reactions to the Obamas’ speeches below.

21 Aug 2024

Eminem’s Home Videos of His Kids Highlight Regrets in ‘Somebody Save Me’ Visual With Jelly Roll

Eminem and Jelly Roll joined forces for the first time on The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)‘s album closer “Somebody Save Me.” Just over a month later, the duo bring their vision to life with a poignant music video, which arrived on Wednesday (Aug. 21).

Em is on the outside looking in watching his three children replay precious moments from their lives that he missed out on due to his demanding career and struggle with addiction. Home video footage of Hailie Jade playing the guitar at a recital, walking across the stage for graduation and blowing out birthday candles; Alaina’s graduation; Stevie opening presents; and brother Nate during the holidays play throughout the hard-hitting clip, bringing Eminem to his knees seeking forgiveness from above.

The Detroit icon lets his anger out on a sleeping version of himself before being lowered into a casket with his tearful family surrounding him. An extended portion of Hailie Jade’s guitar recital performance brings the emotional rollercoaster to a finish.

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“If you need help, you are not alone,” a message reads at the end of the video, encouraging fans in need of help to visit mental health platform BetterHelp, which aims to remove barriers to mental health access.

The Death of Slim Shady arrived to much fan fare on July 12 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 281,000 total album units sold in the first week to give Em his 11th chart leader.

“Somebody Save Me” served as a sorrowful album closer, with Jelly Roll dishing out an angelic chorus that heavily samples his “Save Me” hit. The track peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the arrival of “Somebody Save Me,” Jelly Roll got emotional when putting the moment of working with his “childhood hero” into perspective.

“I always say my childhood hero’s lived somewhere between Willie Nelson and Eminem,” he began in his July 12 Instagram post. “I related to every word Eminem wrote. I understand him and felt like he understood me, which was rare cause I spent most of my life feeling misunderstood. … So you can imagine how I felt when I got that the call that Eminem would be sampling my song ‘Save Me’ on his new album. And for him to use the song to discuss the other side of what could’ve happened if he would’ve allowed his demons to win brought me to tears.”

Watch the video for Eminem and Jelly Roll’s “Somebody Save Me” below.

21 Aug 2024

Mavis Staples Marks Career First As ‘Worthy’ Goes Top 10 on Adult Alternative Airplay

Mavis Staples claims her first top 10 as a solo lead artist on a Billboard airplay chart thanks to “Worthy,” which lifts three spots to No. 9 on the Adult Alternative Airplay survey dated Aug. 24.

“Worthy” follows a previous radio top 10 – and No. 1 – for Staples in Hozier’s “Nina Cried Power,” on which she’s a featured act. The song ruled Adult Alternative Airplay for two weeks in 2018.

Prior to “Nina Cried Power,” Staples reached Adult Alternative Airplay three times, all in featured roles, via Natalie Merchant’s “Build a Levee” (No. 17, 2002), Arcade Fire’s “I Give You Power” (No. 18, 2017) and Benjamin Booker’s “Witness,” No. 29, 2017).

Prior to “Worthy,” Stapes notched her first lead appearance on the tally with “Change” (No. 27, 2019).

Staples first reached the Billboard charts as a member of The Staple Singers, who released their debut album in 1958 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. The group’s chart history includes a pair of No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100: “I’ll Take You There” in 1972 and “Let’s Do It Again” in 1975.

Staples made solo appearances on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 1970-92, along with a visit to Hot Gospel Songs in 2006.

Concurrently, “Worthy” ranks at its No. 42 high on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 858,000 audience impressions in the week ending Aug. 15, according to Luminate.

“Worthy” is currently a standalone single. Staples, 85, released her most recent album in 2022, the Levon Helm collaboration Carry Me Home, which was recorded in 2011 before Helm’s death; it peaked at No. 2 on the Blues Albums chart, marking her fifth top 10. Her own We Get By became her first No. 1 on Blues Albums in 2019.

21 Aug 2024

I’m Not Copying, You’re Copying! Donald Trump Hijacks Kamala Harris’ Beyoncé Campaign Theme ‘Freedom’ In New Video

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears to have briefly ditched his insult comic schtick and flipped to cheekily borrowing pages from Vice President Kamala Harris’ playbook. In the midst of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that on Tuesday night (August 20) officially nominated Harris in a joy- and music-filled night that featured each state announcing their support with a theme song provided by DJ Cassidy, Trump’s campaign spokesperson pre-empted the celebration with a brazen lift.

A 13-second video of Trump’s arrival in Detroit for a rally on Tuesday posted by mouthpiece Steven Cheung hours before night two of the DNC featured the former reality TV star walking down the steps of his plane onto the tarmac soundtracked by Beyoncé‘s “Freedom.” If you’ve been paying attention over the past month, then surely you know that the soaring song from Bey’s Lemonade album is the official Harris campaign theme song.

Harris walked out to the track at her official campaign kick-off on July 22 and Queen Bey gave the former Senator and California Attorney General her blessing to use the song at her rallies. An a cappella version of the tune helped kick-off the DNC on Monday night, further cementing its spot as the official anthem of the Harris campaign.

At press time spokespeople for the Trump campaign and Beyoncé had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.

The brazen move from Trump’s team comes less than two weeks after Trump complained that Harris was copying his idea to not tax tips, telling a crowd “she just stole it.” The idea theft accusation is rich considering Trump has landed in hot water repeatedly since he pivoted from real estate and reality TV to politics eight years ago.

Since then, dozens of musicians and songwriters have objected to the twice-impeached former President using their songs at political rallies, including the Rolling Stones, Adele, Rihanna and the Sinead O’Connor estate, among many others. While a number have publicly objected and some have sent cease-and-desist orders after saying they want no connection to the Trump campaign, in July the estate of Isaac Hayes said it was taking legal action against Trump for playing the Hayes co-written “Hold On, I’m Coming” to close his rallies.

As reported by Billboard, when it comes to objections from artists and songwriters, the process of protest is pretty straightforward. The performing rights organizations BMI and ASCAP require political campaigns to obtain licenses to use songs in their catalogs, with a caveat in the license that allows songwriters to object to usage in a political campaign. However, that does not prevent a campaign from playing a song at a rally, or in this case, in a promotional video.

That said, a lawyer for Jackson Browne — who sued late Republican Sen. and presidential aspirant John McCain for using his song “Running on Empty” in a 2008 commercial — said “most political campaigns aren’t keen about just taking the song down.” Trump has been especially brazen in this regard and it was unclear at press time if the clip featuring “Freedom” could fall under the fair use provision, which doesn’t require a license at all.

Either way, hijacking a rival campaign’s official song seems decidedly on-brand for the Trump campaign’s “ask for forgiveness, not permission” approach to political combat and it remains to be seen if Beyoncé, or her team, will take action to get the video removed from X. At press time it did not appear that Beyoncé had responded to the Trump video on her socials.

Check out the Trump campaign video below.

20 Aug 2024

Lil Jon Makes Surprise Appearance to Help Georgia Dems Nominate Kamala Harris for President: ‘DNC, Turn Down for What!’

Lil Jon transported the 2024 Democratic National Convention to Atlanta when he made a surprise appearance to share the Georgia delegates’ votes for Vice President Kamala Harris during the DNC roll call on Tuesday night (Aug. 20).

The roll call took on a new format this year, with DJ Cassidy introducing each state with its own song. The Georgia delegates took it one step further when their hometown hero turned up to share their 123 votes for Harris.

“Georgia, how do you cast your votes?,” the announcer asked, as Jermaine Dupri’s “Welcome to Atlanta” could be heard playing in the background. As the music shifted to DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s 2013 club banger “Turn Down for What,” the camera panned to the Atlanta rapper/producer walking down the stairs and letting out his signature “Yeahhhhh!,” which reverberated across Chicago’s United Center.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are here tonight to officially nominate Kamala Harris for president,” Lil Jon hollered before rapping, “Fire up that loud, another round of shots/ DNC, turn down for what!”

Lil Jon made his way through the crowd — starting chants of “We’re not going back!” and “VP Harris!” — before ending on the floor with the Georgia delegates to officially cast their votes.

In addition the DJ Cassidy-led roll call and Lil Jon cameo, Patti LaBelle and Common also performed on day 2 of the DNC. LaBelle performed “You Are My Friend” for the night’s “in memoriam” segment, while Common performed “Fortunate,” switching up the lyrics to say “Be fortunate, y’all, for Kamala Harris.” Monday’s DNC day 1 included performances from Jason Isbell and Mickey Guyton, while James Taylor’s planned set was cut for time when President Biden’s remarks started much later than the schedule intended.

Watch Lil Jon’s surprise DNC appearance below:

20 Aug 2024

LL Cool J Defends Excluding Jay-Z & DMX From Def Jam Mount Rushmore

LL Cool J caused a bit of a stir a couple weeks ago during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay.

The NFL Hall of Famer asked the Queens rapper turned actor who he would pick to be on Def Jam’s Mount Rushmore. Naturally, LL put himself on there, given that his debut single “I Need a Beat” and debut album Radio were the first official releases on the fabled rap label. He also picked groups Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys, and had Slick Rick round things out. Shannon Sharpe pushed back about leaving Jay-Z off, but had to remind him that the rapper was on the label “a thousand years later.”

His picks caused a bit of controversy online because some felt Jay-Z and DMX should’ve been on his list, however, the rap legend based his picks on the acts that helped build Def Jam from the ground up. While making an appearance on the Joe Budden Podcast, LL defended his reasoning.

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“I know DMX is supremely talented, used to kill the stage, sold a ton of records. I know Jay did a ton of stuff up there… I can name a zillion artists up there who did unbelievable shit up there. I’m very clear about that,” he said. “But I also know that when I walked into Rick Rubin’s dormitory, it was a f—king idea, bro, like you trying to talk to me about guys that are popular. I watched the sh—t when it was a f—king idea on a Post-It. It’s two different conversations.”

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Adding, “The world is talking about the most popular. That’s all they care about. Who’s the most popular, who’s the richest, who sold the most records, who was exciting. I get that, and I respect it, I love it. But that’s not what built the company, that’s what expanded the company at a different point.”

He also reminded detractors that his song “4,3,2,1” helped introduce DMX to a larger audience. “I introduced DMX to the world, you think I don’t love DMX?” he asked. “I put him on my song to introduce him to the f—king world. I put the guy on. You know what I’m saying?”

The full episode is a Patreon exclusive as of right now, but it should be more widely available soon.

20 Aug 2024

Doechii Reveals ‘Alligators Bites Never Heal’ Mixtape Tracklist: ‘Which One Are You Claiming’

Doechii is giving fans more reason to celebrate her 26th birthday with the arrival of her Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape.

The project is her first in two years and will be released on Aug. 30. The Top Dawg Entertainment artist revealed the tape’s tracklist on Tuesday (Aug. 20) which is filled with 19 songs and a lone feature from Kuntfetish on “GTFO.”

“Alligator Bites Never Heal Track-list 19 songs. Which one are you claiming,” she invited fans with her caption on social media.

The automobile-themed “Nissan Altima” is the only previously-released single to make the cut after arriving earlier in August. Other tracks on the project include “Slide,” “Beverly Hills,” “Boiled Peanuts,” “Denial Is a River” and “Catfish.”

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Doechii received plenty of love from fans and her music peers on Instagram with the likes of Kehlani, Joey Bada$$, Reason and Yebba showing support in her comment section.

“19 songs I used to pray for times like these,” an excited fan wrote.

The Florida native revealed the cover art for the project — which finds her holding an albino alligator in her lap — earlier in August, which came as a special surprise. “Happy Birthday to me,” she wrote.

Doechii has been feeding fans with her “Swamp Sessions” throughout summer Fridays, which acts as more of a creative exercise for her. “I set a timer for an hour and I write a song. Whatever I get in an hour is what gets posted!” she wrote to Instagram in July. “I’m adding one scene visuals to scratch that creative director itch, enjoy.”

She’s posted a handful of “Swamp Session” singles to IG such as “BULLFROG,” “CATFISH,” “NISSAN ALTIMA,” which features Isaiah Rashad, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock, as well as “FLORIDA WATA” and “SUNDAYS BEST,” featuring Fana Hues. 

Alligator Bites Never Heal arrives two years since her her last project She / Her / Black B—h. The EP boasts collaborations with Rico Nasty, Jst Ray and SZA. The SZA-assisted “Persuasive” reached No. 33 on Billboard‘s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in 2022.

Find the Alligator Bites Never Heal tracklist below