R&B/Hip-Hop
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Nicki Minaj wants to add some comedy to her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, and she’s looking to bring the “funniest man in show business” on the road with her this spring.
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During an Instagram Live on Monday, Nicki asked the Barbz to help get Katt Williams’ attention to see if he’d be willing to join her tour for a certain price.
“I know that this is the busiest man in show business,” she began. “I know that he’s rich. I know that he’s the funniest man in show business. Can y’all hit up Katt Williams and ask him what would be his price… to be a part of the Pink Friday 2 Gag City Tour?”
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Williams has yet to respond to Minaj’s inquiry, but it appears it will be a nearly impossible feat as the comedic legend is currently on his own The Dark Matter Tour through mid-May.
At that point, Nicki will be wrapping up her North American dates before heading overseas for the European leg of her world tour, which will take the Queen rapper into the summer.
Williams has continued to carry momentum generated from his viral Club Shay Shay interview with NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, which has racked up about 60 million views on YouTube since its January release.
While openers on Nicki’s tour have yet to be announced in full, Monica will be part of the North American leg, which she revealed during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show earlier this month.
“I get a chance to hit all these cities that mean so much to me,” she said. “Atlanta, of course, New Orleans [and] Nashville. We’re coming to every city that we possibly can. I’m really grateful for Nicki because she’s one of those people that always said, ‘Monica meant everything to my childhood.’”
Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 sequel arrived in December and debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 228,000 total album units in the first week. Her arena tour is just around the corner and is slated to kick off in Oakland, California, on March 1.
Watch Nicki’s plea to Katt Williams below.
Against all odds — and a brief disappearance from digital streaming platforms — Vultures I is finally here. The new joint LP from Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign launched atop the Billboard 200 on Sunday (Feb. 18), while its breakout single, “Carnival,” starts at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated Feb. 24).
Although that new set, which features appearances from North West and Playboi Carti, dominated much of the conversation in the hip-hop and R&B worlds, it was far from the only thing of note to occur over the past week. On Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) — or “Worst Day” if you’re a part of the Future Hive — Maze frontman Frankie Beverly announced his farewell tour. Beverly, of course, lent his voice to the seminal “Before I Let Go,” covered by Beyoncé for her 2019 Homecoming live album. Her version peaked at No. 65 on the Hot 100.
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In other R&B performance news, Usher added yet another new slate of dates to his ever-growing Past Present Future tour (Feb. 20) and the Roots Picnic announced their 2024 headliners, which include Jill Scott, Nas, Lil Wayne & The Roots and André 3000. On the hip-hop side of things, there’s no getting around the eye-popping new music video for Drake, SZA and Sexyy Red‘s “Rich Baby Daddy.” The clip — which has already amassed over 7.5 million YouTube views — finds Drizzy and Solána partying in a hospital while the “Pound Town” rap princess (who recently gave birth to her second child in real life) goes into labor.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Bryson Tiller‘s new heater to Rae Khalil’s tender meditation on existentialism. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Pratt & Moody & Cold Diamond & Mink, “Creeping Around“
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Finnish soul duo Pratt & Moody are dishing up heavy old school vibes on their new Cold Diamond & Mink-produced single “Creeping Around.” Their take on contemporary soul is infused with an especially haunting approach to melody. The grandiosity of the song’s production — built almost exclusively around Moody’s sultry guitar — evokes the most stirring of James Bond themes, while the duo’s expansive combine vocal ranges trade off fluttery falsettos with robust full-voice crooning. “We gotta stop creeping around” is a simple, but incredibly effective hook; the song’s lyrical sparseness allows the meticulous arrangement ample room to breathe, making it a flawless backdrop for the slight twang that contours each repetition of “creeping around.”
Bryson Tiller, “Whatever She Wants”
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After initially appearing on his Slum Tiller, Volume 2 mixtape last November, Bryson Tiller has finally unleashed fan-favorite track “Whatever She Wants” on all digital streaming platforms. Crafted with the intent to appear on a stripper’s pre-show playlist, “Whatever She Wants” finds Bryson far-removed from his heart-bearing hip-hop-inflected R&B. Instead, the Grammy nominee skates across TylianMTB-produced Detroit-inspired beat with all of the effortless swagger and braggadocio of a guy who could quite literally buy the whole club. “CC, Gucci, hit Bottega, whatever she want/ She piss me off, somehow she still get whatever she want,” he spits, somehow striking a fine balance of gruffness and seduction in his delivery.
Tierra Whack, “27 Club”
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Mental health has long been a lyrical touchstone in hip-hop, just as the “27 Club” — an infamous collection of celebrities who passed at age 27 — has been a figment of pop culture’s obsession for decades. Thus, the convergence of these two concepts is fairly natural, and Tierra Whack expertly tackles them both on her new track, “27 Club.” Produced by J Melodic and ProdbyBRIANNA, “27 Club” finds Tierra contemplating suicide. “When your life gets hard but it’s simple/ When everybody ’round you suspenseful/ It ain’t really hard to convince you/ Lookin’ for somethin’ to commit to?” she spits. The dark beauty of this song is that Tierra wholly rejects the notion of a happy ending or a narrative of triumph; she simply sits in the aching self-loathing, guilt and depression that comes with suicidal ideation.
Lola Brooke & 41, “Becky”
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Last year, both Lola Brooke and 41 dropped off full-length projects — Dennis Daughter and 41 World: Not the Album, respectively — and now the two fast-rising New York rap breakout stars are kicking off 2024 with a new collaboration. Predicated on a definition of “Becky” that refers to fellatio, the fiery drill joint marks the union of some of the most exciting voices in the contemporary hip-hop scene. Lola’s characteristically menacing delivery is a smart complement to TaTa’s boisterous ad-libs and Kyle Ricch’s high-octane flow. Of course, the “Don’t Play With It” rapper also pairs well with 41’s Jenn Carter, whose slick wordplay makes her closing verse the strongest.
Chantae Cann & Kenyon Dixon, “B-Side”
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Kenyon Dixon has been on something of a hot streak lately between his 2024 Grammy nomination and a recent string of gorgeous duets. On “B-Side,” his new joint alongside Billboard-charting jazz and soul signer Chantae Cann, he keeps that streak alive. Produced and co-written by Masego, there’s a throughline of sultry, “come-hither” energy that encapsulates the innate, tasteful allure of the slinkiest jazz-inflected R&B melodies. Cann delivers the hook in a breathy tone that pairs well with Dixon’s whimsical descending riffs. Who said grown and sexy R&B was dead?!
Rae Khalil, “Is It Worth It”
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In celebration of the announcement of her signing with Billboard chart-topping rapper-singer Anderson .Paak‘s APESHIT label, Rae Khalil has unleashed a new .Paak-produced single titled “Is It Worth It.” Built around an understated drum-laden and bass-anchored soundscape, Khalil asks “Is it worth it?/ If I show up when I want/ In the sea of the same face/ Is it worth my time, time?” The lyrical battle between her own pride and her desire for connection and yearning to be wanted and desired come to a head in the lush instrumental break that simultaneously serves as the song’s bridge and outro — talk about a stunner.
ScHoolboy Q, “Yeern 101”
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Q’s new LP, Blue Lips, arrives in just under two weeks, and the Grammy-winning rapper is amping up his rollout. Built around a skittering, bass-blaring beat crafted by Cardo, J.LBS, Johnny Juliano & Yung Exclusive, “Yeern 101” finds the TDE star effortlessly skating over the track with a borderline breathless flows. There are no easy hooks or choruses here, these are two heady voices chock-full of smart wordplay, high-speed flow switches and sly changes in inflection and intonation — both of which are elevated by the ever-intensifying instrumental. “I’m a n—a out here, everything come free/ I ain’t never met God, but I bet he know me/ Put the money in a set, a n—a die in them streets/ Threw the boy alley oop, now he ridin’ on fleek,” he spits.
Travis Scott is feeling inspired after the arrival of last year’s Utopia and the Grammy-nominated album’s subsequent tour.
La Flame took to his Instagram Stories on Tuesday (Feb. 20), letting fans know he’ll be back with new tunes and how much he’s still in love with the grind that comes with creating music.
“I love music so f–king much,” he wrote. And for the record. We will be backkkkkk. I gotta kick a new gear since they think it’s play time.” Previous posts to his Story include him bumping Rodeo tracks such as “Wasted” and “Nightcrawler” with Swae Lee.
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It’s unclear who Scott is referencing as “they,” but one of his fan pages believes it to be a shot at the Recording Academy for snubbing him at the Grammy Awards. La Flame’s Utopia lost in the best rap album category to Killer Mike’s Michael project at the Feb. 4 ceremony.
When it was revealed during the Grammys pre-show that Mike had won, Scott headed to X and tweeted out a raised-eyebrow emoji.
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In 2018, Scott was visibly upset after his cinematic Astroworld lost in the same category to Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy. In his Netflix documentary, Look Mom I Can Fly, the “SICKO MODE” rapper walked off upon learning the news and was cursing to himself.
As far as what’s ahead, Scott could have another Cactus Jack compilation on his mind as he saluted his Cactus Jack signee Don Toliver: “Bring that s–t down, DT. What we doing?” he added in another IG Story. “Whole cactus gang are snapppers.”
Following Astroworld, the Houston rager turned to his JACKBOYS label compilation project in 2019, which featured standouts such as the Pop Smoke-assisted “GATTI” among the seven tracks.
A turbulent five-year journey — which included Scott’s tragic 2021 Astroworld Festival, during which 10 people died — then led Trav to his Utopia project in August 2023.
The highly anticipated LP earned him another No. 1 atop the Billboard 200 with 496,000 total units sold in the first week, the most of any hip-hop album released last year. All 19 tracks debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 as well.
See Scott’s posts to his Instagram Story below.
From his 2009 chart debut with “Best I Ever Had” to his 2023 No. 1 smash “First Person Shooter,” Drake has notched a great many hits on the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, the artist — born Aubrey Graham — has scored the most entries on the 60-plus-year-old tally of any artist in history, with […]
Solange Knowles hasn’t released an album since 2019’s When I Get Home, but her next creative body of work might take her fans by surprise.
Knowles graces the latest cover of Harper’s Bazaar, and in the cover story published Tuesday (Feb. 20), she opened up about her fascination with the tuba and how she’s been writing music for the brass instrument.
“I love it. I’ve started writing music for the tuba, and I am trying to talk myself into releasing it, but I can only imagine the eye rolls from people being like, this b—h hasn’t made an album,” she said.
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Solange explained that the tuba’s raspiness connects with her soul. “It sounds like what the gut feels like to me,” she described. “There’s a way that it takes up space that you can’t deny, and it also just feels very Black to me.”
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The “Almeda” singer has been apprehensive about releasing her tuba tones, as she doesn’t know how fans will react to the creative pivot, but she’s not closing the door on the opportunity.
Solange’s last album, When I Get Home, arrived in March 2019 and saw contributions from an array of collaborators including Gucci Mane, Playboi Carti, Metro Boomin and Tyler, the Creator.
The project debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 43,000 album units sold in the first week and ended up being ranked at No. 27 on our Best 50 Albums of 2019 list.
Tyler described the organic process of collaborating with Solange on the Gucci Mane-assisted “My Skin My Logo,” on which the Grammy-winning rapper is a producer.
“It’s such a pure feeling that she’s really tapped into,” he told Harper’s Bazaar. “I think that’s why I liked her, because [her art] wasn’t based on chasing any zeitgeist, whether it was something political or like, yeah, I’m down like a f–king undercover cop.”
Tyler continued: “She’s not an undercover cop. She’s just her, and she makes whatever she wants. I feel like 80 percent of artists with these opportunities to put something out don’t do that because they’re chasing numbers. She got daughters … like, it’s a lot of them out there that’s not citing her.”
Gunna announced on Tuesday (Feb. 20) that he’ll be embarking on The Bittersweet Tour later this year with special guest Flo Milli. Produced by Live Nation, the 16-date jaunt kicks off on May 4 at Columbus’ Schottenstein Center and includes stops in Chicago, Houston, Miami and more major U.S. cities before wrapping up at Atlanta’s […]
“Without James Brown, the whole trajectory of culture goes somewhere else” … “He’s authentically and unapologetically Black” … “He marched to the beat of his own drum — literally.”
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Those declarations from LL Cool J, Morehouse College’s Dr. David Wall Rice and Rev. Al Sharpton, respectively, are just a few of the illuminating comments peppering the first two hours of A&E’s James Brown: Say It Loud which premiered Monday (Feb. 19). The second half of the network’s four-hour docu-series bows Tuesday (Feb. 20) at 8 p.m. ET.
Three days prior to the docuseries’ premiere, a never-heard Brown song was also released through Republic/Universal Music Enterprises. “We Got to Change” follows in the vein of Brown’s other message songs like “Don’t Be a Dropout” and “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.”
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Recorded on Aug. 16, 1970, at Miami’s Criteria Studios, “We Got to Change” features the invigorating presence of Brown’s then-new band The J.B.’s. The driving force behind songs such as “Get Up (I Feel Like Being) a Sex Machine” and “Super Bad,” The J.B.’s included bassist William “Bootsy” Collins and his guitarist brother Phelps “Catfish” Collins. The newly discovered vault gem — a mirror reflection of today’s social climate some 54 years later — also boasts the presence of Brown’s longtime No. 2 Bobby Byrd and one of Brown’s well-known sidemen, Clyde “The Funky Drummer” Stubblefield.
Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, James Brown: Say It Loud presents an unvarnished look at Brown’s uphill climb from seventh grade dropout, shoeshine boy and buck dancer to soul/funk pioneer, business mogul and civil rights activist. It’s also a success story riddled with setbacks: his endorsement of President Nixon, physical and verbal abuse of women and drug use. Overall, however, the documentary underscores how Brown’s legacy as a top-flight showman with dazzling footwork, his sixth sense musically and entrepreneurial hustle skills have continued to inspire and influence a host of acts from Parliament-Funkadelic and Michael Jackson to Usher, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae.
The first hour, titled “Making a Life for Myself,” takes viewers from Brown’s 1933 birth in Barnwell, S.C., to his poverty-ridden childhood in Augusta, Ga. (He was nine years old when he got his first pair of underwear from a store.) Also spotlighted: the future legend’s early career traveling the chitlin circuit and game-changing 1963 live album with the Famous Flames, Live at the Apollo (which Brown financed himself). Outlined in between are Brown’s gospel and jazz influences, his detention stint for car theft, fortuitous meeting with Byrd (who’d earlier founded the Flames) and his first two R&B hits, 1956’s “Please, Please, Please” and 1958’s “Try Me.” As Brown states matter-of-factly in one interview clip, “I had to have determination … my determination was to be somebody.”
“The Most Powerful Black Man in America,” the documentary’s second hour, chronicles Brown’s still-evolving career, beginning with his and the Flames’ cameo in the 1965 film Ski Party starring then-pop heartthrobs Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. That same year, Brown unleashed his R&B chart-topper and first Billboard Hot 100 top 10, the rhythm- and horn-driven “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” That song, in turn, sparked a run of top 10 hits — including “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and funk escalator “Cold Sweat” — while simultaneously forging the James Brown sound alongside that of Motown, Stax, Memphis and Muscle Shoals.
Of note as well in the second hour: Brown’s personas as a perfectionist (fining musicians $50 for a missed note), civil rights activist (keeping the peace at an already scheduled Boston Garden concert the day after Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1968 assassination; the origin of his Black empowerment anthem “Say It Loud”) and savvy businessman (owner of three radio stations, a restaurant chain and his own jet) whose misstep in endorsing Republican president Nixon led to backlash from the Black community. Rounding out the segment are Brown’s collaboration with new band The J.B.’s, as well as his pivotal deal with Polydor Records after a long association with Syd Nathan’s King label.
In addition to Collins, the documentary features a diverse range of artists, songwriter-producers, executives and family members sharing their perspectives on Brown’s influential legacy. Among them: Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin, jazz bassist Christian McBride, female rap pioneer MC Sha-Rock, Brown’s tour director Alan Leeds, Universal Music Group’s general counsel Jeff Harleston, Mick Jagger and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (both of whom executive produced the documentary with Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter) and Brown’s children Deanna, Yamma and Larry. Even more compelling in relaying Brown’s story are the archival performance footage, interview clips and photos that Draper and her team put together.
James Brown: Say It Loud, concludes Tuesday (Feb. 20) on A&E. The documentary’s final two hours address the late singer’s personal life; his global status as a headlining performer at Zaire 74, a three-day festival in Africa conceived to help promote the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman; and Brown’s major role in laying the foundation for hip-hop amid the advent of sampling.
Pop and R&B/hip-hop superstar Beyoncé makes her debut on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Feb. 24) with her first two entries on the survey: “Texas Hold ‘Em” at No. 1 and “16 Carriages” at No. 9.
As previously reported, the songs start at Nos. 2 and 38, respectively, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Both tracks were released Feb. 11, as announced in a Verizon commercial that aired during CBS’ broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII, ahead of the March 29 arrival of Beyoncé’s album expected to be titled Act II, which follows her 2022 Renaissance LP.
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“Texas Hold ‘Em” drew 19.2 million official streams and 4.8 million in all-format airplay audience and sold 39,000 in the U.S. through Feb. 15, according to Luminate. “16 Carriages” rides in with 10.3 million streams, 90,000 in radio reach and 14,000 sold.
Notably, the Hot Country Songs coronation of “Texas Hold ‘Em” grants Beyoncé No. 1s on seven of Billboard’s multimetric song charts as a solo artist: the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Gospel Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. She’s the only act to have notched No. 1s on that combination of rankings.
Only Justin Bieber has led more hybrid song charts – eight, among Billboard’s menu of 14 such surveys – having ruled the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, the Holiday 100, Hot Latin Songs, Hot Rap Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Plus, Beyoncé makes history as the first woman to have topped both Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the lists began as all-encompassing genre song charts in October 1958. Overall, she joins Morgan Wallen, Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles as the only acts to have led both charts.
Beyoncé first appeared on Billboard’s rankings in 1997 as a member of Destiny’s Child. The group notched four No. 1s on the Hot 100 and two on the Billboard 200, beginning in 1999. As a soloist, she has scored eight and seven leaders on the respective charts, starting in 2003.
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“Texas Hold ‘Em” is officially being promoted to country radio, as announced in a Columbia Nashville email to stations Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. ET, among other formats, and bows as Beyoncé’s first entry on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Feb. 24), at No. 54 with 1.1 million audience impressions at the format.
“We put the Beyoncé directly into a strong rotation so it can be heard. I want the station to sound as interesting as possible, because the opposite is boring,” says Dave Parker, program director of Sinclair’s WUSH Norfolk, Va. “This song is sounding great and doesn’t sound like anything else. Plus, the feedback from listeners has been very positive.”
“Texas Hold ‘Em” also begins at No. 38 on the Pop Airplay chart, while additionally drawing play at adult pop, rhythmic, adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop formats.
The track concurrently begins at No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales, where it’s Beyoncé’s first leader. It also crowns the all-genre Digital Song Sales survey, becoming her 11th chart-topper.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” is the 16th song to open in the Hot Country Songs penthouse and the first since Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, in September. The latter cedes the summit after 20 weeks at No. 1. Among solo women with no accompanying artists, only Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have launched atop the chart, with Swift having achieved the feat with “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021.
Meanwhile, “Texas Hold ‘Em” is the first Hot Country Songs leader to name-check a state since Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” which led for two weeks in 2015. Among women, before Houston-born Beyoncé, Jamie O’Neal last shouted out a state in the title of a No. 1 song when “There Is No Arizona” led in 2001. As for the biggest state in the continental U.S., until this week it last appeared in the name of a leader on the list thanks to “Texas Tornado” by Tracy Lawrence in 1995.
Between her blockbuster 2024 Super Bowl commercial with Verizon and her brand new “Texas Hold ‘Em”-led country era, Beyoncé has been the talk of the town — and she hasn’t even revealed all of her cards yet. On Tuesday (Feb. 20), in conjunction with the official launch of her new haircare line, Cécred, Queen Bey announced a $500,000 cosmetology school scholarship fund through her BeyGOOD charity.
“Hairstylists have an immense impact on the people in their chairs,” reads a statement on on BeyGOOD’s website. “They create a sacred space where we can show up how we want and express ourselves through our hair. We’re honored to give back to this amazing community.”
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“Fostering talent, promoting professionalism, and supporting entrepreneurship within the hair industry is deeply important to us,” the message continues. “The Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund … celebrates the influence professional stylists have on hair health and the critical importance of advocating for the salon community. An annual $500,000 will fund cosmetology school scholarships and salon business grants across five cities chosen for their large, diverse community of hair stylists: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New Jersey.”
The cosmetology schools in each of the five communities must have “inclusive curriculums” to qualify for the fund; they will receive $250,000 to be used toward financial aid student scholarships. Cécred x BeyGOOD-awarded institutions include Beaver Beauty Academy in Atlanta, Trenz Beauty Academy in Chicago, Universal College of Beauty in Los Angeles, Franklin Institute in Houston and Janas Cosmetology Academy in New Jersey.
The other half of the Cécred x BeyGOOD fund will be awarded annually to “qualifying salon business owners” in the same five areas. “We recognize running your own business is difficult, no matter if you rent a booth, operate a salon, or work out of your home,” the statement reads. “Each year, 25 $10,000 grants will be awarded to qualifying salon business owners in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New Jersey so they can continue their transformative impact in the community.”
No stranger to giving back, the new Cécred x BeyGOOD fund echoes the Black Parade Route that accompanied her historic Renaissance World Tour. Initially launched back in 2020, the Black Parade Route dispersed more than $1 million “to celebrate people, communities, and small businesses impacted by economic inequities worldwide” during the sold-out stadium tour.
In addition, the trek also boasted the Renaissance Scholarship Fund, which granted $100,000 to 10 colleges and universities along the production’s route. In 2021, Queen Bey teamed up with husband Jay-Z for a collaboration among BeyGOOD, the Shawn Carter Foundation and Tiffany & Co.; together, the three cultural giants pledged $2 million in scholarship funds for arts students at five select historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Cécred, Beyoncé’s latest venture, is now live. Featuring a hydrating shampoo and a fermented rice & rose protein ritual, the new haircare line is infused with patent-pending technology and the legacy of Beyoncé and mother Tina Knowles.
“I have vivid memories of my mother working as a hairstylist right from our home. She built a small salon at the back of our house,” the “16 Carriages” singer told Essence. “So much of the fabric of who I am came from her salon. It is something that just connects to all of my senses, and it’s a beautiful place to grow up.”
See the announcement posted on BeyGOOD’s Instagram account:
Usher hasn’t forgotten about his overseas fans. Coming off the momentum of his acclaimed Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance, the R&B icon revealed on Tuesday (Feb. 20) that he’ll be heading to Europe in April 2025 with his Past Present Future Tour.
The “Caught Up” singer is set to make stops in London for three shows before heading to Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin.
“EU and UK! I couldn’t forget about U! USHER: PAST PRESENT FUTURE tickets go on sale Thursday, 22 Feb @ 12pm local. Sign up at the link to get the code to the FAN PRESALE starting TODAY @ 10am,” he wrote to social media when announcing the extended trek.
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Tickets will be available through Usher’s website as well as Ticketmaster. Mastercard customers are in luck, as they’ll have early access to tickets starting on Tuesday, too.
“This tour is both a celebration of the past 30 years and a glimpse into the future,” Usher said via press release. “We are just getting started!”
According to Usher, “overwhelming demand” convinced him to expand his original U.S. tour and tack on a slew of extra dates to fulfill fans’ cravings to see him hit the stage.
The global trek will kick off in Atlanta on Aug. 14, and will make stops in D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Toronto and more before wrapping up the North American leg in Houston with a triumvirate of shows to close out November.
Before rocking the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, Usher continued his banner month with the release of his Coming Home album.
The LP scored Usher his highest charting album on the Billboard 200 in over a decade, as his latest studio release bowed in at No. 2 behind Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 1 with 91,000 units earned.
Find all of the European Usher: Past Present Future Tour dates below.
April 1, 2024 – London, UK @ The O2 Arena
April 2, 2025 – London, UK @ The O2 Arena
April 5, 2025 – London, UK @The O2 Arena
April 15, 2025 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
April 22, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
May 1, 2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena
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