R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 250
Walk this way for the kings from Queens! The trailer for Peacock’s three-part docuseries Kings From Queens: The Run DMC Story about the influential hip-hop trio of Joseph Simmons (aka Rev Run), Darryl McDaniels (DMC) and Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) has arrived, and Billboard has the first look.
In the teaser for the documentary — which reflects on Run DMC beginnings in the ’80s in New York City’s Queens, the group’s successes, struggles and more — hip-hop heavyweights discuss the impact the iconic act has had on the musical landscape.
“They’re the reason that hip-hop is as big as it is right now,” Ice Cube explains in the trailer of Run DMC, who was the first rap group on MTV.
“They changed the sound of music, the audience for rap music,” Mike D of the Beastie Boy asserts.
And as Run DMC’s Billboard Hot 100 hit “It’s Tricky” — which peaked at No. 57 in April 1987 — plays, rapper-actor Ice-T notes, “That was the moment I knew hip-hop was going to be huge — they brought more people to the genre.”
Other exclusive interviews featured in the Peacock docuseries include LL Cool J, Chuck D, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Questlove, Jermaine Dupri and more. Kings From Queens, Billboard can also exclusively report, will premiere Thursday, Feb. 1, exclusively on Peacock. The series is also executive produced by Rev. Run and DMC. (Jam Master Jay was fatally shot at his Queens, NYC, studio in October 2002.)
“I am very happy that the world is going to see our great story,” Rev. Run said in a statement. “So thankful for all that participated in helping us over the years. I started out as a young DJ Run and ended up impacting the world with my group RUN DMC. I am blessed to have been on this amazing journey.”
DMC also shared his thoughts on the purpose of the project. “This documentary series will reach, teach and educate people on the RUN DMC dynamic,” he said in a statement. “I know people will see themselves in our journey and I am hopefully that the next 50 years of hip-hop will be a movement of positive improvement and creativity, in the same way we changed music and the world.”
Over the course of the group’s career, Run DMC had three albums that reached the Billboard 200‘s top 10: Raising Hell (No. 3, 1986; the album also earned a Grammy nod for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal), Tougher Than Leather (No. 9, 1988) and Down With the King (No. 7, 1993). Over on the Hot 100, the trio placed five songs, including the hit cross-genre cover/collab of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” (No. 4) and “You Be Illin’” (No. 29).
Watch Billboard‘s premiere of the Kings From Queens: The Run DMC Story trailer below:
[embedded content]
Nearly four years since Chicago drill rapper FBG Duck was gunned down in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood, six men were found guilty of his murder by a federal jury on Wednesday (Jan. 17). The jury deliberated for two days, the Chicago Sun Times reports.
The daytime shooting took place in August 2020 when two cars pulled up and the gunmen stepped out and began opening fire around 4:26 p.m. ET, according to an incident report from the Chicago Police Department. Duck — real name: Carlton Weekly — was killed, while his girlfriend and another shopper were wounded in the attack.
Through their investigation, federal officers tied the shooting to a gang war between Duck’s Tookaville faction of the Gangster Disciples and the O Block group of the Black Disciples, the Chicago Sun Times reports. Charles “C Murda” Liggins, who was one of the alleged shooters, was found guilty on five of seven counts. The jury decided that he committed the murder, engaged in a conspiracy to murder Duck, wounded Duck’s girlfriend and used a gun in the incident. However, he was found not guilty of shooting the other shopper in the attack.
Kenneth “Kenny Mac” Roberson, one of the alleged getaway drivers, faced the same verdict as Liggins. Tacarlos “Los” Offerd, another alleged getaway driver, was found guilty of five counts; he was found not guilty of the counts for shooting Duck’s girlfriend. Marcus “Muwop” Smart, another alleged gunman, received the same verdict as Offerd. Christopher “C Thang” Thomas, another alleged shooter, was found guilty of three counts: Duck’s murder, using a gun in the murder and conspiracy to commit the murder. Ralph “Teezy” Turpin, who reportedly signaled the shooters to the location to kill Duck, was found guilty of two counts: murder and conspiracy to commit the murder.
All six men face mandatory life sentences.
“When stuff like that happens to a good person, regardless of what somebody else thinks of them, it ain’t gonna go unpunished,” the rapper’s mother, LaSheena Weekly, who was at the trial, told the Sun Times. “Knowing that they will not do that to another family brings me comfort, knowing they will not terrorize nobody else. They’re done, the whole crew. O Block and everything of it is done.”
Though he’s currently running through the paces of rehearsals for his first go at it, Usher knows the rigors of preparing a Super Bowl halftime show. With just 13 minutes to perform a career-spanning set and eight minutes to set up the stage, the singer told Vogue magazine in a new digital cover story that there he knows there is no room for error.
“It has to be perfect,” said the “Yeah!” singer known for his mind-bendingly smooth dance moves and elaborate staging. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I want people who have been a part of that journey to feel like it’s a celebration for everybody, for all of us, from the beginning up until this point.”
Because the pre-game specifics of the halftime show are notoriously tightly-held, there were no details to share about what songs fan can expect to hear, even though Usher did give the magazine a sneak peek about his Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII set. Among the items definitely on the checklist: roller skating, killer choreography, one major costume change and, unlike last year’s performer, Rihanna, some special guests.
“This night was specifically curated in my mind to have R&B take the main stage,” he said, teasing that he’s pulled together a team who represent the architects of the genre to help him compile the set list. “Not just R&B music, but R&B performance, R&B connection, R&B spirit.” The singer who tearfully closed out his 100-show Las Vegas residency in December, said he’s also been thinking about such other legendary Vegas icons as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley while putting together the show.
“I’m literally speaking to every woman. I want to make it feel like that,” the legendarily lusty singer said of aiming for a sensual intimacy in the 65,000-capacity stadium, while also keeping in mind other legendary Super Bowl halftime shows as he celebrates his own history.
“I’m thinking about the fact that I’ve been able to walk through the front door as a result of their sacrifice and ability,” he said of the legacy of such previous Black icons as Michael Jackson and Prince, as well as what R&B means in a country where some of its most famous practitioners had to enter the stage through the kitchen door in the 1950s and 60s due to segregation.
“It’s made me feel joyous. It made me feel like I want to go out there, and I want the world to smile when they look at me. I want them to feel something, and feel my passion, my love, feel like I was the right person to sit in this position, and I was the right person to bring this kind of energy and love and connection to the entire world,” Usher said.
“People will tune in for a football game, but I hope when they look at that halftime performance, I’m hoping they walk away with something that’s healing them,” he added. “Something that makes them feel hopeful, and not just look at the past, but have hope for the future, and have hope for a different type of future than we’re looking at right now in the present.”
The 45-year old singer is gearing up to release his ninth studio album, Coming Home, on Feb. 9, just two days before he takes the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the big game. It’s a gig that his fans will tell you is a long time coming, but which didn’t materialize until Jay-Z called up to ask Ush to do the honors this year.
“Every day I’m kind of sitting here and I take a moment to just look at where we’re going to be, which is right there,” Usher told the magazine while pointing to the shiny black glass spaceship of a stadium in the Nevada desert.
And, not for nothing, the writer reveals that they have already heard an “afrobeat-inflected earworm” from Coming Home, assuring fans that it is “20 tracks of absolute bangers.”
As Stephen Colbert often says on The Late Show, if you want to truly, deeply peer into the soul of an artist the best way to do it is via his show’s signature “Colbert Questionert” probing list of queries. Nicki Minaj found that out on Tuesday night (Jan. 16) when she sat for the pre-taped segment in which the Pink Friday 2 MC revealed the burning answers behind such soul-searching questions as: “what is the best sandwich?”
There are no wrong answers, even though Minaj’s response was definitely far from standard. “Turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, salt and pepper, oil and vinegar, jalapeños, mayonnaise, mustard, toasted, hero,” Minaj told her old pal Colbert in her signature rapid-fire cadence.
Her next answer, however, was even more unique. Asked about her first concert, Minaj recalled going to the Hot 97 Summer Jam in 2001 when Jay-Z shocked the crowd by bringing out surprise guest Michael Jackson. “Many, many years ago… and Michael Jackson came out. Yes,” she recalled, rolling her eyes when Colbert asked what MJ sang. “He didn’t perform, he came out of this box and the people went crazy.”
The “Anaconda” rapper also, of course, said the snake is the scariest animal and that the apple is superior to the orange, because it could help feed her and her infant son, affectionately known as “Papa Bear.” In an answer that certainly pleased observant Catholic Colbert, Minaj opined that when we die, the good go to heaven and the bad go to hell, naturally. “Pearly gates, fiery pit, what more do you need to know?” Colbert said.
Nicki added that her favorite action movie is a tie between Gladiator and Black Panther, that she would never be caught dead in an aisle seat on a plane — she doesn’t worry about climbing over someone to get to the bathroom because she “doesn’t fly on those kind of planes” — and her least favorite smell is when the garbage piles up on the streets of New York.
She also noted that her earliest memory is of wanting to go to a chain called Burger Boys in her native Trinidad and when asked which song she could listen to on repeat for eternity, Minaj chose the Whitney Houston classic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
Check out all of Minaj’s answers below.
[embedded content]
Eminem is keen to play ball with his beloved Detroit Lions.
As the NFL franchise breaks its painful, three-decade-long playoff drought, Marshall Mathers puts his hand up for selection with an amusing play to coach Dan Campbell.
Em gets into the spirit of the Lions’ rare post-season progress with a social post.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Yo, Dan, I’m reporting. I’m going to report. Third quarter,” the Rap God says. “I’m reporting, offensive line, eligible receiver. I’ll be the quarterback, the entire line, (the) offensive line. And the receiver, I will throw it to myself and score a touchdown. In the third quarter. Just give me a uniform. Or at least just a helmet.”
He already has one, but it’s not regulation. “It’s just a helmet,” he insists.
The 51-year-old artist might not be able to do it on all a football field, but he’s without question a superstar in the field of hip-hop. In 2020, with the release of Music to Be Murdered By, Eminem notched his historic 10th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Ten of those were in succession, a record; and each of them debuted at the summit, again, something never done before.
He’s just the sixth act with at least 10 No. 1 LPs in the United States.
Two years later, Eminem was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, an accolade that sits beside his 15 Grammy Awards.
The Lions, however, haven’t been winning much of late. The club left it late for its 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night (Jan. 14), for their first play-off game victory in 32 years.
The NFC’s No. 3 seeded Lions can now boast two home play-off games for the first time in franchise history, kicking on again Sunday for a second-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Eminem has been spotted at Lions game this season, and in years past, has taken his spot in the commentary booth, and offered his services – despite his advancing years.
In 2022, then aged 49, Slim Shady appeared in an episode of HBO’s NFL series Hard Knocks, asserting that he was down to suit up any time they need him. “I said I’m here for whatever position. I’m here. Any of ‘em. All of ’em,” Em said while hanging on the sidelines at a Detroit Lions practice.
As the music industry continues to wake from its holiday season slumber and awards season barrels on, there’s much to catch up on in the worlds of hip-hop and R&B.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Earlier this month (Jan. 6), Jay-Z picked up his second Primetime Emmy — outstanding directing for a variety special for The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna. He won his first last year as an executive producer of the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. In more somber awards news, last Friday (Jan. 12), The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed that Diddy — nominated in best progressive R&B album for The Love Album: Off the Grid — would not be attending the upcoming 66th Annual Grammy Awards amid his recent sexual assault allegations.
In non-awards news, Lil Nas X made a characteristically controversial comeback with “J Christ,” Kali Uchis dropped off a new album alongside a pregnancy announcement, Janet Jackson announced new North American dates for her acclaimed Together Again tour and 21 Savage released his first solo LP in five years.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Destin Conrad and Alex Isley’s devastating duet to 21 Savage’s Shining-inspired street anthem. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Destin Conrad & Alex Isley, “Same Mistake”
[embedded content]
We’re only a few months removed from Submissive, but Destin Conrad already has his focus on Submissive 2. “Same Mistake” arrives as a forlorn ballad chiefly concerned with documenting the final moments of a disintegrating romance. “Why you always wanna play games?/ Night time you’re mine, and daylight you act like you don’t even know my name,” Destin croons over Louie Lastic’s ethereal production. Isley first delivers her trademark honeyed vocals as background accompaniment on Destin’s verse before commanding her own verse with equal parts ache and devastation. “Only wanted the best and I’m stickin’ to my story/ This was a moment for me, and this was all it could be,” she sings.
K CAMP & NoCap, “My Flowers”
[embedded content]
Few expressions have been run into the ground in the past half-decade as much as “giving somebody their flowers.” Miraculously, K CAMP and NoCap manage to deliver a spin on the phrase that feels fresh. Featuring production contributions from Trappin N London, Theevoni, MilanoTheProducer & J-RoD, “My Flowers” finds K Camp nimbly flowing over a solemn guitar-inflected trap beat. “N—as playin’ with my worth, you better have a check for me/ Or you better not check for me, angels standin’ next to me,” he spits. NoCap perfectly matches K Camp’s energy with a slightly more melodic flow that picks up on the same lyrical throughlines of loyalty and genuine love.
Kevin Gates, “Birds Calling”
[embedded content]
Kevin Gates is always good for a ratchet bop, and he’s dropped off yet another one in “Birds Calling.” A play on the trope of birds singing at sunrise, Gates waxes poetic about women hitting his line at all hours of the day. With Starrah and 302 on production duties, Gates hides some pretty sobering bars in between the sing-song hook. “Cleansing my sins started healing, I’m righteous/ Free everybody who thuggin’ in Rikers/ Know that I’m free, I’m authentically me,” he raps. “Birds Calling” is a headier complement to “Yonce Freestyle,” the club banger that served as the other pre-release single from Gates’ forthcoming The Ceremony LP.
Jhené Aiko, “Sun/Son”
[embedded content]
It’s been a little over three years since Jhené Aiko last gifted us a studio album, but she’s still remained musically active. Her latest release, “Sun/Son” serves as a loving tribute to her son for his first birthday. Lyrically, Aiko plays on the homophonous quality of the words in the song’s title, painting with broad strokes that contour the “solar power” her son’s love “charges her up” with. Vocally, she opts for a lush flurry of subdued harmonies that reside almost exclusively in her falsetto. It’s a relatively coy vocal performance, but one whose delicateness is the key ingredient to crafting a song with such a self-assured sense of intimacy.
Samaria, “Beating Myself Up”
[embedded content]
This glitchy slice of electronic R&B is the perfect backdrop to a session of serious self-loathing. “Want to think I’m one of a kind/ But it gets way too, too loud/ Used to get professional help/ Too scared of what they found,” Samaria says in a cadence somewhere between rapping, singing and stream-of-consciousness rambling. The flashes of drum’n’bass production drive home the song’s most sinister undertones, but it’s Samaria’s tone — hurt masked by a veneer or apathy — that embodies the destruction of innocence that anchors the track’s sentiments.
Jeymes Samuel, Doja Cat, Kodak Black & Adekunle Gold, “JEEZU”
[embedded content]
Jay-Z caused quite the stir on Spaces last week when he sang Doja Cat’s praises, but he wasn’t just running his mouth. After scoring a runaway hit with “Vegas” from the Elvis soundtrack in 2022, the “Agora Hills” rapper has lent her talents to another blockbuster movie OST. Alongside Adekunle Gold, Kodak Black and film director Jeyemes Samuel, Doja delivers a standout verse for the Book of Clarence soundtrack posse cut. “Y’all got an agenda, but we’ll see how that gon’ turn out/ Many false prophets leavin’ brothers with a firm doubt/ Father, please forgive me, for today, they finna learn now/ Put me in the dirt, and you gon’ see, I make it worthwhile,” she spits over Samuel’s laid-back jazz-inflected production. Adekunle’s impassioned hook is the song’s glue, while Kodak delivers one of his best verses in recent years on the Diaspora-traversing song.
21 Savage, “Redrum”
[embedded content]
A new 21 Savage album normally means the return of the rapper in both savage mode and R&B mode. While both personas made for enjoyable tracks on his newly released American Dream LP, “Redrum” is the unequivocal standout from his “savage mode” tracks. Featuring production from London on da Track, “Redrum” — “murder” spelled backwards, of course — finds the Grammy-winner rattling off his gun collection and delivering a slew of menacing metaphors and one-liners. The key part of the track, however, is the outro, which samples Jack Nicholson’s recitation of the “Three Little Pigs” nursery rhyme from The Shining (1980). Talk about thematic consistency!
Mariah the Scientist debuts a song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in her career, thanks to her breakout collaboration with Tee Grizzley and Chris Brown, “IDGAF.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The track, released Sept. 8 via Tee Grizzley/300 Entertainment/3EE, debuts at No. 100 on the Jan. 20-dated chart with 14 million all-format radio airplay audience impressions and 2.6 million official U.S. streams (up 11%) in the Jan. 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also rises 31-30 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Radio-wise, “IDGAF” makes moves at multiple formats: It holds at its No. 5 high on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and rises 20-19 on Rhythmic Airplay.
[embedded content]
Mariah the Scientist charted for the first time in July 2021, when Ry Ry World debuted and peaked at No. 4 on Heatseekers Albums. She returned to the survey the following year with her EP Buckles Laboratories Presents: The Intermission (No. 16 peak). The latter’s “Spread Thin” became her first song to chart, when it debuted on Hot R&B Songs in October 2022, eventually reaching No. 15.
In October 2023, the Atlanta native signed to Epic Records. “I was reluctant to signing any new deal,” she told Billboard at the time. “But I was excited to find a partner that understands me as an artist and has the infrastructure to support me in the ways I need most.”
“Mariah is a dynamic creative force with a clear vision for her music and the experience surrounding it,” Epic president Ezekiel Lewis said after her signing.
To celebrate the signing, Mariah the Scientist released the single “From a Woman,” which reached No. 18 on Hot R&B Songs.
She released her third project, To Be Eaten Alive, on Oct. 27. The set features collaborations with 21 Savage, Young Thug and Vory, and became her best-performing album to date, reaching No. 93 on the Billboard 200 — her first entry on the chart. The set’s “Out of Luck,” produced by Kaytranada, is beginning to pick up steam: It debuts at No. 45 on the Jan. 20-dated R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and holds at its No. 36 high on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
Nicki Minaj expanded her anticipated Nicki Minaj Presents: Pink Friday 2 World Tour on Tuesday (Jan. 16) with the addition of second nights in a number of North American cities and new overseas shows in Europe.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
A total of 13 fresh dates were revealed for what has already become the rapper’s highest-selling tour to date, according to promoter Live Nation Entertainment. The new North American dates rolled out on Tuesday include gigs in Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Nashville, and Toronto along with just-announced global dates in Amsterdam, Cologne, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris and Stockholm.
The initial run of 25 arena shows rolled out in December to support Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 album found the rapper hitting the road on March 1 in Oakland, CA and staying out until a June 7 gig in Berlin. The outing will still launch at the Oakland Arena, but now also include a second night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta (March 21), a March 24 gig at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, as well as a second night (April 8) at Boston’s TD Garden, a second show (April 25) at the United Center in Chicago and fresh dates at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (April 30) and a May 1 show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The North American tickets will roll out with a Citi presale beginning today, with additional presales running throughout the week ahead of Friday’s (Jan. 19) general onsale at 9 a.m. local time; click here for more ticketing information. Tickets for the new European dates will start with an artist presale on Wednesday (Jan. 17) begging at 9 a.m. local time, with additional presales leading up to the general onsale on Friday at 9 a.m. local time.
Check out the full run of Pink Friday 2 World Tour dates below (new dates in bold):
March 1 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
March 3 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
March 8 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
March 10 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
March 13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
March 15 – Inglewood, CA @ Rolling Loud California*
March 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
March 20 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
March 21 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
March 22 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
March 24 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
March 26 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
March 28 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
March 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
March 30 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
April 1 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
April 2 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
April 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
April 5 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
April 7 – Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival*
April 8 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
April 10 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
April 12 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
April 13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
April 17 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
April 18 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
April 20 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
April 24 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
April 25 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
April 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
April 30 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
May 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
May 9 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
May 11 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
May 12 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
May 13 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
May 23 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
May 25 – Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
May 26 – Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
May 28 – London, UK @ The O2
May 29 – Glasgow, Scotland @ OVO Hydro
May 30 – Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
June 1 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
June 2 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
June 4 – Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
June 5 – Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
June 7 – Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena
June 9 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
June 11 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
June 12 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Tele2 Arena
*festival date
Drake and J. Cole’s hotly anticipated It’s All a Blur Tour — Big As the What? won’t start this week. Originally slated to kick off Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 in Denver, Drake and Cole’s first show will take place Feb. 2 in Tampa Bay, Fla., according to Ticketmaster. The opening Denver dates have been […]
Welcome to paradise! Green Day is set to headline EA Sports’ Super Bowl party The Madden Bowl, Billboard can exclusively report. The event will take place Feb. 9 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Also set to perform are rapper Big Boi with special guest Killer Mike, and Breland. “Prepare your ears because […]