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In Spotify‘s latest Billions Club: The Series episode Tuesday (May 14), Cardi B feasts on some delicious Caribbean food while enjoying a few major streaming milestones on the side.
To celebrate having four songs on the platform surpass a billion plays, the rapper ate a meal of oxtails, rice and plantains while using her quartet of shiny new Spotify plaques as plates. In between bites, she opened up about making each track, starting with her 2018 feature on Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You.”
“This song is the perfect song to dedicate [to] my child,” she says in the clip while wearing a pink bathrobe and slippers. “Like, my daughter was in me when I did this song. When I perform this song, it touches me a little different.”
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Cardi’s first child — a daughter named Kulture Kiari, whom she shares with Offset along with son Wave — was born in July 2018, less than two months after her collaboration with Maroon 5 dropped. The New York native also released “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin while she was expecting her baby girl, not that she gave the two Latin music stars a heads-up about her pregnancy before meeting them for the first time.
“They just looked down at my stomach like, ‘Oh!’” Cardi recalled, laughing.
“I went to my Grandma’s house, and I played it to everybody like, ‘I have a song with Bad Bunny and f–kin’ J Balvin! Oh my god!” the musician added. “The three of us, we were coming up at the same time.”
Cardi also celebrated her collaboration with Ozuna, Selena Gomez and DJ Snake, “Taki Taki,” reaching a billion streams, clarifying that the song’s title has nothing to do with the popular spicy chip of the same name. “It’s just a word Ozuna made up,” she said with her usual hilarious candor. “I don’t freaking know.”
And of her “WAP” duet with Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi said that their two voices “just went perfect” together. “It meshed very well, like butter and f–king bread,” she continued. “It became such a political record, which kinda shocked me and kinda shocked Megan. The song is not that freaky.”
Three of Cardi’s four Billions Club entries reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 following their respective releases, with “Girls Like You” reigning atop the chart for a whopping seven weeks back in 2018. “Taki Taki” reached No. 11 on the listing that same year.
“I just want to say thank you to my fans because sometimes I can be a little bit hard on myself … I never feel satisfied,” the Whipshots founder said to close out the episode. “The goal is never going to be reached because I’m always hungry for more.”
Watch Cardi’s new Spotify Billions Club episode below.
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Rapsody has been in the rap game for over a decade, and she always sings the praises of the great female rappers who came before her while feeling excited to see a new generation find success.
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“This is a beautiful beginning. We’ve never seen it like this,” she said in her Billboard News interview Tuesday (May 14) about the resurgence of women in hip-hop. “I think there was a time, ’90s ‘course you know we had MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Lauryn [Hill], Lil’ Kim, Foxy [Brown], Missy Elliott, Charlie Baltimore…. I could go on and on. But I think with social media, you just see it in such a heavy force that’s everywhere. I’m excited about it.”
The 41-year-old MC named Ms. Hill, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah as her main hip-hop influences, as well as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., DMX and Erykah Badu (“She’s hip-hop to me,” added Rapsody). But she credits Nicki Minaj and Cardi B for paving the way for a newer crop of femcees.
“Nicki coming in, doing what she did, definitely opened the door. And then when Cardi came in, you have two huge women that are very, very, very successful. And if you know the industry, you see one success, it’s like ‘Great. Let’s really pour into this,’” she told Billboard‘s executive director, R&B/hip-hop Gail Mitchell. “I think that women’s stories were needed…. And I think the way that Cardi supported so many women also helped as well. Because of who she was and the success she had and to speak people’s names, to work with the artists that she did, it definitely made room and space for other artists.”
Cardi has worked with many of the newer female rap stars like GloRilla on “Tomorrow 2,” which earned Glo her first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100; Latto on the Hot 100 No. 13 hit “Put It on da Floor Again;” FendiDa Rappa on “Point Me 2,” which earned her her first Hot 100 entry; and Flo Milli on the remix of her Hot 100 No. 15 hit “Never Lose Me” (also featuring SZA).
Rapsody is set to release her fourth studio album Please Don’t Cry on Friday, May 17 via Jamla and Roc Nation. “It’s supposed to be ironic, right. It’s Please Don’t Cry, but the real message is please do cry. Allow yourself to be human, allow yourself to feel, to sit in your emotions, to grow from it. And think of all the reasons that we do cry. Of course, we cry when we’re sad, but we cry when we’re happy, too, and joyful. And we cry when we’re in love. It’s just about allowing yourself to really be imperfect and embracing the human that you are,” Rapsody said of the album’s title, adding that it’s her most vulnerable body of work to date.
Please Don’t Cry arrives five years after her album Eve, which reached No. 76 on the Billboard 200 and No. 42 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. “After Eve and I did two tours, I had an idea of where I wanted to go next with the album. And then we went into the pandemic. Everybody having to sit with themselves, be alone, the volume of the world turned down and everything internal turned up. You have some healing to do, you have a lot of growing to do and evolving,” she recalled. “And going through the process, it started in March of 2020. I started working on three albums at one time. I’m thinking Eve is done, I know which one I want to do next, but then I had this other idea, but then I’m feeling so much emotionally that I need to purge. And I think it was a week once we were in lockdown, I did 10 or 12 songs in two or three days. And I just kept going. And it took me about three-and-a-half, four years, 360 songs. I had a lot to say, I had a lot to get out. But I was relearning myself.”
Watch Rapsody’s full Billboard News interview above.
It seems Eminem may be taking his upcoming album title The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) literally. A fake Slim Shady obituary recently ran in the Detroit Free Press, in which the piece bids farewell to the “controversial rapper.”
“Slim Shady Made Lasting Impressions” the headline in the DFP reads with the subhead, “Fans ‘Will Never Forget’ Controversial Rapper.’”
The ad/obituary appears to be in support of Em’s upcoming 12th studio LP — titled The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe De Grâce) — and features a photo of Eminem in a white Jason Voorhees hockey mask.
“Fans ‘will never forget’ controversial rapper,” the piece reads. “A product of Detroit who began his career there as a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene of the mid to late 1990s, Shady first became a household name in 1999 with the debut of his playfully deranged single ‘My Name Is,’ which — along with its uniquely eye catching video — exposed the young artist and his lyrics to a wider audience.”
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The obituary continues: “Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end. His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world. May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth.”
Billboard has reached out to Eminem for comment.
In April, the rapper popped up at the 2024 NFL Draft, which was hosted by his hometown of Detroit. Shortly after his appearance in support of the Detroit Lions, the rapper announced plans for his The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe De Grâce) album, which is slated to arrive this summer.
The album announcement came in the form of an Unsolved Mysteries episode featuring Em meeting his demise in search of “who killed Slim Shady?” 50 Cent even makes a cameo in the crime show-styled bloody teaser.
The Death Of Slim Shady will serve as the followup to the rapper’s 11th studio album, Music to Be Murdered By, which was released in 2020. That album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 to give Em his historic 10th consecutive leader.
It was his frequent collaborator/mentor Dr. Dre who broke the news of an Eminem album on the horizon when he made his first late-night appearance in 30 years on Jimmy Kimmel Live in March.
“Let me tell you something, let me explain something to you right now: Eminem is working on his own album which is coming out this year,” Dre said. “And I actually talked to him and he said it was OK for me to make that announcement right here on this show. So he has an album coming out, I’ve got songs on it and it’s fire. I’m actually gonna hear the entire album for the first time for tomorrow.”
See Slim Shady’s obit in the Detroit Free Press below:
As Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” launches at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated May 18), the rapper lands his fourth leader on the list as a recording artist. Meanwhile, its producer, Mustard, tops the Hot 100 for the first time in that role. Mustard produced five previous Hot 100 top 10s, dating […]
The year of the Dogg is upon us.
Hip-hop veteran Snoop Dogg has his hand in everything right now, from cocktails to cooking shows, an international tour, movie roles, coaching spots on NBC’s The Voice and a spot on the sidelines for the world’s greatest multi-sport event, the Olympic Games.
On Monday night (May 13), Snoop dropped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a brisk walk through his busy schedule.
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This Dogg is having his day, again and again.
Rocking a customized Olympics kit, Snoop talked of taking his talents to Paris this summer, where he joins the NBC team for nightly reports from the 2024 games. “I wanna do something special with you over there, I don’t know what it is,” he tells Fallon. “Something musical. Something comedic.”
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That once-in-a-lifetime gig will slot into a stint as coach on NBC singing competition show, The Voice, alongside fellow newcomer, the Canadian crooner Michael Bublé.
Announced earlier this week, the 52-year-old joins a panel for this fall’s 26th season which is rounded out by returning coaches Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani, with the former notching her third consecutive season on the series and No Doubt singer and solo star Stefani adding yet another notch with her eighth go-round.
“If you know anything about me you know I love all forms of music,” he says of his pivot to the musical chairs of The Voice. “So this is a great opportunity for me to show that I really understand music. And be a real coach and really give direction to some of these artists that can be today’s next big thing.”
Snoop insists, “I’m not one-sided, I’m not just for you. I’m for everybody. I’m the people’s champ.”
Before the gun goes off in the French capital, Snoop will embark on a Canadia-exclusive trek this June with fellow G-Funk trailblazers Warren G and DJ Quik, for the Cali to Canada Tour. “We’ll be doing what we do,” he tells Fallon, “representing that west coast hip-hop and giving up a great show.”
Watch the interview below.
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Chris Pratt has a confession to make: He might have some competition when it comes to Usher. The actor revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Monday (May 13) that his wife, writer Katherine Schwarzenegger, has a thing for the “Yeah!” singer, especially after his 2024 Super Bowl halftime show performance. “She knows every […]
Now that we’re solidly in May, it looks like the Great Rap War of 2024 finally has a victor. If TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith’s X post is anything to go by, the battle is indeed over — even though Drake‘s “The Heart Part 6” effectively shifted public opinion to Kendrick Lamar’s side.
Outside of that beef — which is still unfurling outside of the music — the worlds of R&B and hip-hop have had much to ponder over the past week. On Monday (May 13) Childish Gambino released a polished version of 2020’s 3.15.20 titled Atavista and both Shaquille O’Neal and King Combs released diss tracks — against Shannon Sharpe and 50 Cent, respectively — further solidifying 2024 as the year of the hater and the year of beef. Thanks again, Katt Williams!
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Rosehardt’s dirty-macking midtempo to RaealRichIzzo’s latest addition to the contemporary Midwest rap lexicon. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Rosehardt, “Headass”
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One of the classic elements of male R&B is dirty macking — and Rosehardt kicks off “Headass” with a whole lot of it. “What does he have? What does he do?/ He must be bad, he must be cool too/ I’m just the past, he’s something new/ But I bet he don’t love you, like I do,” his distorted vocals croon in the intro. Betweent he chugging production, sultry yet understated bass, and a vocal performance that balances tender hoensty (“I’m just a man who believes in love”) with a sinister undertone of trying to convince a love interest who has already clocked his shortcomings as a partner. Taken from his new The World Gets Smaller Each Day It Seems to Shrink LP, “Headass” finds Rosehardt (aka Drama League Award-nominated actor Caleb Eberhardt) fully immersing himself in the role of imperfect bachelor without necessarily relishing that position.
Snow tha Product, “So What”
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With this bouncy, snap-laden ode to the comforts of ambivalence, Snow tha Product embraces the unknown. Although she sings of using the classic “so what?” question to keep her “feelings detached,” she, in fact, cycles through the myriad emotions of a tumultuous relationship, in which she’s always one step away from walking out. “So what / If you tell me its over/ Guess Imma have to chill to your back,” she sing-raps with a smug wink and smirk. She’s in control here, making for an intricate mind-game that finds a sly, unassuming soundtrack in the buoyant beat.
Chief Keef feat. Tierra Whack, “Banded Up”
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Sosa finally delivered his highly-anticipated Almighty So 2 project on Friday (May 10). One of the early standouts from the drill pioneer’s LP came courtesy of Tierra Whack’s explosive assist on “Banded Up,” which gives the Philly MC an immediate guest verse of the year candidate. Whack posted voice messages from Chief Keef in disbelief asking her, “Why would you do me like that on my song?” T-Whack blacks out over Sosa’s thumping production with a mini-uzi flow that sounds as if she was recorded in 5x speed. “These rappers are food and that’s why I be cooking/ You can’t pull no strings and I just keep it pushin’/ B-I-G, but I was not born in Brooklyn,” she snarls. The 28-year-old turned Sosa’s playground into Whack World.
4Fargo & Honey Bxby, “Ex for a Reason”
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4Fargo and his tender croon are looking to leave their mark on the current landscape of R&B. The Georgia-bred singer unleashed his major label debut project Express&B last week via Republic Records. Heartbreak has long been the engine behind the genre and 4Fargo is no different in flipping his pain and anguish into cathartic art. The infectious “Ex for a Reason” is pretty self-explanatory with the father of two listing off why a toxic love has moved to his rear-view mirror. Misery loves company and Honey Bxby joins the party while showing off her vocal range. “Leavin’ you sounds like a lullaby/ Blockin’ all your numbers, don’t ask why/ Poppin’ all that shit know it’s a lie/ I’ma show you why you’re mine,” she powerfully sings. Give the charismatic 4Fargo a follow on Instagram for a look into his endearing personality, you won’t regret it.
RealRichIzzo, “Free Key”
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Kicking off with an iPhone FaceTime call that immediately situates “Free Key” in media res, “Free Key” is one of the more potent storytelling moments of his new Welcome to Inkster album. In his ode to his guys, RealRichIzzo offers a peek into his high-octane life that brings him from place to place with just a moment’s notice. “Yeah, drop the lo’/ Ain’t no spots inside the rental, we gon’ stash ’em in the floor/B—h, the striker on the way, mask up, we finna go/ Lil’ bro just called back, blow the light, it’s fo’ sure,” he rap-chants in the magnetic chorus, which simultaneously reads as play-by-play of him and his boys hitting a lick and functions as an irresistible hook. With Inkster, Michigan on his back, RealRichIzzo is staking a claim for himself at the forefront of the current Midwestern rap boom.
Andra Day, “Bottom of the Bottle”
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On this bluesy reflection on the swirling depths of memory only accessed by surrendering to the throes of alcohol, acclaimed multi-hyphenate Andra Day focuses on restraints over the room-shaking belts that shot her to fame. “I only see you when it’s last call/ I only see you when the house lights come on/ And you’re not only to blame, no/ Dazed and consumed by the wild flames/ Though we know it’s combustible,” she muses over plucky piano and steady percussion courtesy of an all-star team of producers, including Nando Raio, Shay Godwin, Dave Wood, Charles Jones, Caleb Morris and Spencer Guerra. With a deliciously nasal drawl in the spirit of Amy Winehouse, Day delivers an introspective midtempo that allows her to show off how effortlessly she freewheels between the different parts of her voice.
Mustard on the beat, ho! The hitmaker behind Kendrick Lamar‘s scorching Drake diss track “Not Like Us” is celebrating the song’s No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Monday (May 13). “Sometimes you really gotta pop out and show n—as!!!! To think . . . They really fronted on me and acted like I’m […]
Whatever you do, don’t ask 21 Savage about the ongoing rap beef. The Atlanta rapper — who has been quiet on this subject — was on Instagram Live on Sunday (May 12) while listening to General TK’s “I Spy,” when fans in the comments asked his thoughts about Drake vs. everybody. Tired of fans always […]
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and Offset is making sure Cardi B has plenty of new besties in her life. Set went above and beyond to deliver on Mother’s Day (May 12), as he showered the Bronx rapper with lavish gifts, including three icy diamond chains and enough beautiful flowers to create […]