R&B/Hip-Hop
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This week, Money Man tapped in with Billboard on Threads to speak about his origins, working with Lil Baby on “24s,” paying respect to the late Kobe Bryant, and more.
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With an expansive resume, including double-digit projects to his name, including his 2023 effort, Red Eye, read below and get familiar with the Atlanta dynamo.
On His Rap Origins & Paying Homage to Kobe Bryant:
While many people associate Money Man with his Atlanta ties, his roots initially originated in The Bronx, as he revealed during his conversation with Billboard.
“I listen to music from Atlanta and the East Coast, so my music vibes with both areas,” he said. “I have a mix of both cities in my DNA.”
Money Man’s most notable song, “24,” earned the remix treatment when one of Atlanta’s biggest stars, Lil Baby, graced the record. The track paid homage to the late Kobe Bryant, and according to Money Man, the shout-out to the Lakers great was a late addition.
“In the song, I said, ‘RIP Kobe Bryant,’ who had just passed away,” he notes. “The track had a crazy sound, and that line was heartfelt. [EMPIRE founder] Ghazi [Shami] suggested adding Lil Baby, and I agreed.”
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On Wanting to Collaborate in the Pop & Afrobeats Space:
Money Man’s collaborations run deep, as he’s previously partnered up with Larry June, Key Glock, DaBaby, and more. While Money savors the chance to link up with some of today’s hottest rappers, he hopes to one day swerve into the Pop and Afrobeats space, if given the right opportunity.
“I’m always down to work with whoever wants to work with me,” he explains. “I think some pop and afrobeats artists would be dope.
On His Prolific Track-Record:
Since 2016, Money Man has proven to be a formidable threat on the mixtape circuit with his extensive catalog. With over a dozen mixtapes to his name, including his most recently released effort, 2023’s Red Eye, he revels in the thought of being consistent and satisfying his core.
“I live an exciting life, and I’m always taking in new information, so I have a lot to get off my chest,” he says. “I have such a diverse audience so each one of my albums and mixtapes are for a specific group of people. You’ll know when you hear the first song. I want to give them music that they can relate to.”
Last week, Money Man released his first record of 2024 with “Servin Myself.” Listen below.
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Snoop Dogg‘s list of endorsements and product extension stretch from his recent Goon With the Spoon cookbook to deals hawking Beyond Meat, Skechers, Corona, SodaStream and his Snoop Doggie Doggs line of pet products.
But in an appearance earlier this week on the debut episode of comedian/actor Slink Johnson’s “Wake & Bake With Double S Express,” the Doggfather pulled up to smoke (including showing off a giant joint shaped like the “Smoke Weed Every Day” MC’s head), chat and laugh it up with the host and co-star of the 2023 White Men Can’t Jump reboot. During their convo, Snoop revealed that OnlyFans reached out to him saying he could probably pull down a cool $100 million to show off his private parts.
And while Snoop is always down to sign a lucrative deal, he said his wife of 27 years and manager, Shante Broadus, would never be okay with him pulling his “thang out.”
“They got at me when one of them little girls made like $20 million on there,” Snoop said of an reach out from the online subscription content service frequently used by sex workers and B- and C-list stars looking to cash in on NSFW content. “They were like, ‘OnlyFans wants you to come on there, Snoop. You could do about $100 million. All you gotta do is pull that thang out.”
And as much as he enjoys product extensions, Snoop, 52, said it would never happen. “I’m like, ‘I got a Black wife, n—a. Ain’t no way in the world she gonna allow me to go on there and pull that thang out for no amount of money,’” he said of the expected thumbs down from his high school sweetheart and mother of three of his children.
At press time a spokesperson for OnlyFans had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the alleged offer.
The legendarily lean, mean and lanky rapper also bragged that he’s been hitting the gym recently and has been building muscles for the first time in his life and, not for nothing, he said Shante is definitely into that.
Snoop might get to show off his newly jacked physique this summer with his gig as a correspondent for NBC’s coverage of the Paris Olympics. “I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris. It’s a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness,” Snoop said in a statement earlier this month. “We’re going to have some amazing competitions and, of course, I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix. It’s going to be the most epic Olympics ever, so stay tuned, and keep it locked. Let’s elevate, celebrate, and make these games unforgettable, smoke the competition, and may the best shine like gold. Peace and Olympic LOVE, ya dig?”
Check out the chat below (warning: the OnlyFans talk doesn’t come around until well into the video).
“Caliber” singer Coco Jones stopped by Sherri Shepherd’s syndicated show on Friday (Jan. 19) to talk about her 2024 Grammy nominations, her desire to keep holding up the R&B genre, and most importantly, to share a flawless, funny Mariah Carey impersonation.
Aware that Jones has gone viral for her impersonation skills, Shepherd cued up the “Celebrity Spin” game to test Coco’s skills at nailing a famous voice in a wacky scenario. Britney Spears ordering a latte? Nailed it. Rihanna on a roller coaster? “Oh hey now, hey now. Stop de ride, stop de ride,” Jones sang in RihRih’s signature island-soaked timbre.
Jones definitely saved the best for last, though. Asked to conjure Mariah on the phone with Shepherd’s in-house turntablist, DJ Suss One, Jones gathered her thoughts and busted out, “Hey Mr. DJ, are you gonna play my favorite song,” in a perfect Carey coo, topped by a signature sky-high MC whistle note.
The singer who is nominated for five Grammy Awards — including best R&B performance, best R&B song, best R&B album, best traditional R&B performance and best new artist — told Shepherd the very first person she called to celebrate the good news was, of course, her mom. “I called my mama when I landed,” Jones said. “My mom was the team before the team. She was the one knocking on doors on behalf of her little 9-year-old just to beg somebody to listen, so I want he to see that her sacrifice has paid off.”
The Bel-Air star also spilled on what’s next for her character Hilary Banks, promising that she will continue to “stir the pot” and “surprise you guys” in season three of Peacock’s reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The 26-year-old singer also revealed that she’s hoping to have her full-length debut album out this summer. To date, Jones has released a handful of EPs, including 2022’s What I Didn’t Tell You, which featured her only Billboard Hot 100-charting single to date “ICU,” which peaked at No. 62.
Watch Jones on Sherri below.
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HarbourView Equity Partners continues to scoop up R&B/hip-hop music assets with its latest acquisition of certain publishing and recorded music assets from singer, songwriter and record producer Jeremih. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Jeremih’s Hot 100 hits include “Birthday […]
For the last few years, Lil Nas X has carefully built up his public persona as a pop provocateur, master marketer and hilarious internet troll. But in a new clip, the rapper is stripping away all the facade and letting fans get to see the person underneath. On Thursday (Jan. 18), Lil Nas X unveiled […]
After a five-year hiatus, Netflix’s popular hip-hop competition show Rhythm + Flow will return for season two later this year.
The show that crowned its inaugural champion, Grammy-nominated MC D Smoke — and featured guest judges Cardi B, Chance The Rapper, and T.I. — has shaken the program’s lineup dramatically with its new judges Latto, DJ Khaled and Ludacris. In addition, Eminem will serve as a special guest judge for the show’s “Battle Round” competition.
“We are taking things up a notch with a new cast of global hitmakers in our judges and a new pool of undiscovered artists,” Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vp of nonfiction series, said in a statement. “Hip-hop continues to evolve, so it’ll be thrilling to see Ludacris, Latto and DJ Khaled mentoring contestants during their journeys, along with legendary guest judges like Eminem providing their own brand of insight and advice. We saw this type of life-changing mentorship play out with past contestants whose musical geniuses reached massive audiences across our global platform.”
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Jessie Collins and Dionne Harmon, Rhythm + Flow’s executive producers, echoed Riegg’s enthusiasm with their joint statement. “We are so excited to partner with Netflix for the second season of Rhythm + Flow. This season features a powerhouse panel of judges, each with a distinct and influential role in hip-hop culture. In this significant moment for the genre, the focus extends beyond the music alone. We’re seeking unconventional voices and authentic stories that peel back layers and invite fans to immerse themselves in the contestants’ world as we spotlight the continually evolving spirit of hip-hop.”
There is not yet a premiere date for season two, which is expected later this year.
Rhythm + Flow has featured notable guest stars including Miguel, Jhene Aiko, Snoop Dogg and the late Nipsey Hussle. Season one winner, D Smoke, outlasted second-place contestant Flawless Real Talk and won $250,000. In 2021, Smoke nabbed two Grammy nominations, including best rap album.
Check out the trailer below.
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Cori Broadus opened up about a health scare via her Instagram Stories on Thursday (Jan. 18). The 24-year-old daughter of Snoop Dogg shared photos from a hospital bed, writing, “I had a severe stroke this am. I started breaking down crying when they told me.” In a follow-up Story, she wrote, “I’m only 24. What […]
Earth, Wind & Fire, Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary are the first wave of performers being announced for the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration 25th Anniversary special. CBS will broadcast the one-hour special on Feb. 10 (8 p.m. ET). Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold, stars of the CBS series The Neighborhood, the special will be taped on […]
Up-and-coming R&B singer 4Batz is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist thanks to his viral hit “Act II: Date @ 8.” The song, which the Dallas native self-released Dec. 15, debuts at No. 77 on the Hot 100 (dated Jan. 20) — the highest new entry — with 5.3 million official U.S. streams (up 40%) […]
Ice-T may have risen to fame in the ’90s as a rapper and fronting the band Body Count, who courted controversy with their song “Cop Killer,” but these days he’s a cop himself — at least on TV. He’s Sgt. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on NBC’s long-running police procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which kicks off its milestone 25th season on Thursday, Jan. 18, and it’s the rapper-actor’s 24th season on the Emmy-winning crime drama.
Over the show’s many seasons, it has featured countless entertainers as guest stars before they made it big (Stephen Colbert, Bradley Cooper, Adam Driver and Hayden Panettiere, for example), as well as household names (Carol Burnett, Robin Williams, Angela Lansbury and John Stamos, to name a few). But SVU has also given everything from blink-and-you’ll-miss-it guest spots to pivotal roles to musicians besides Ice, who has become a beloved staple alongside Mariska Hargitay’s Captain Olivia Benson (who one of Taylor Swift’s cats is named after).
Among them? Miranda Lambert, Heavy D, Sabrina Carpenter, Dave Navarro, Questlove (who played a dead body!) and many more.
“The one thing about [creator] Dick Wolf [and production company Wolf Entertainment] is they understand how musicians translate into acting — they have no fear of that,” Ice tells Billboard. “I think Dick Wolf’s theory is, ‘If you could be a star at something, you could be a star at anything.’”
“My whole career doing music and being on SVU, I’ve never had Dick Wolf or any people then try to talk to me about music or anything, like, ‘Oh, Ice-T did ‘Cop Killer” or this that or the other,” adds the actor-musician. “I think from the Wolf perspective, ‘The bigger the star Ice-T is elsewhere, the bigger the star I have on my show.’ So when I go win a Grammy, it’s like SVU now has a Grammy Award-wining actor. He understands power is power.”
As for his run on the procedural, Ice — who’s up for a 2024 People’s Choice Award for drama TV star of the year — tells Billboard it’s not just his acting abilities that keep Fin on the drama. “[Wolf] sits back, he watches not only a performance but what are you bringing — kind of like what I always say is he looks at a show and goes, ‘If anybody’s tuning in to see Ice-T, yes, he stays on the show.’ If you’re on the show and they don’t think they’re tuning into see you, you can get one in the back of the head in the parking lot, you know?” the Grammy winner says. “For some reason, he likes me. I think I’ve done more television with Dick Wolf than anybody in his camp. I’m on five shows; I’ve been on seven, counting crossovers.” (The Law & Order franchise has boasted a total of seven different shows to date.)
As for how much longer Ice can see himself playing Fin, the answer is a long time. “Yeah, I’ll stay on it. I have nothing better to do,” he shares. “Like I said, right now, it’s an easy gig for me. I’m still able to do Body Count, my music, I gig on the weekends; I got a daughter in school — it’s much easier. When you’re touring, you have to do 200 days a year on the road. … I said when Law & Order ends — whenever it does end — I’ll just go out and read for all Samuel L. Jackson’s parts!”
But until then, he’s happy to keep carrying Fin’s shield, and having musicians guest star on SVU alongside him. “I just love it when they bring hip-hop artists on,” Ice tells Billboard. “It’s one of those shows where if you got a fanbase and you throw your name in the hat, they might call you.”
While Ice isn’t sure which musician he’d like to see on the police procedural next, there are a few who have stood out in his mind as some of the most notable guest roles. Read on to see which five musicians are Ice-T’s favorite cameos on Law & Order: SVU.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs on NBC on Thursdays. Catch up on past seasons — as well as other shows in the Law & Order franchise — on Peacock.
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Image Credit: Will Hart/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images