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In the span of just two years, RIOTUSA has become one of the industry’s in-demand producers — thanks to his hitmaking prowess with friend and best new artist Grammy nominee Ice Spice.
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RIOT, who started making beats at 10 years old on GarageBand, began producing songs with Ice Spice in 2021. Then the dynamic duo hit the ground running the next year with the TikTok-trending drill song “Munch (Feelin’ U).” Co-signed by Drake, the single was later certified gold. Next to arrive was Ice Spice’s 2023 EP Like..? Executive produced by RIOT, the project peaked at No. 5 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also spun off two more hits, “In Ha Mood” and “Gangsta Boo” featuring Lil Tjay, the latter of which became Ice Spice’s first Hot 100 entry.
The creative rapport between RIOT and Ice Spice has since yielded several more Hot 100 success stories. Those include Taylor Swift’s “Karma” remix featuring Ice Spice (No. 2) and co-written by RIOT as well as the RIOT-produced “Princess Diana” by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj (No. 4). RIOTUSA also produced Ice Spice and Minaj’s second teaming on “Barbie World” with Aqua from Barbie: The Album. Debuting at No. 7 on the Hot 100 and also claiming No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, the song is a current Grammy nominee in two categories: best rap song and best song written for visual media. “Karma” is also a best pop duo/group performance nominee.
New York native RIOTUSA, who signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music this past summer, joined Billboard for a conversation on Threads. Here are some soundbites from the live Q&A session on Dec. 13.
On what his music appearing on the Billboard charts means to him and his career:
“It’s a blessing fr (for real). Billboard helped me understand how big the records I work on really are. It reminds you [that] hard work pays off. When I saw I was the No. 1 rap producer, I felt honored and grateful.”
On how he and Ice Spice met:
“We met in school [State University of New York Purchase] back in 2019. We had mutual high school friends and started hanging in the same circles.”
On what it’s like recording with Ice Spice in the studio:
“It’s a fun time because she really be saying how she feels in that moment … from picking out vibes or punching in lyrics on the spot.”
On working with Nicki Minaj for “Princess Diana” and “Barbie World”:
“Nicki is a legend, icon. She was so cool in person and welcomed me into her creative space. When I found out she was getting on ‘Princess Diana,’ I knew it was lit. But then finding out about ‘Barbie World’ with Ice too? I was like nah, this is New York City.”
On his other music idols and inspirations:
“Drake, Pop Smoke, Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Tyler, the Creator, Young Thug, Ye.”
On some of the artists he’s currently working with:
“Ken [Carson], Lil Yachty, Scheck Wes.”
On what fans just discovering his music should know about him and expect from future releases:
“Fans should know I produce and record too, so look out for my music. Also look out for new classics with Ice in 2024. We’re working on her debut album as we speak.”
E-40 has been enjoying a fistful of wins on hip-hop’s 50th birthday. Not only has he visited the White House, including a recent trip this week to see President Biden, but he’s also had a street renamed after him and released his newest cookbook, Goon With the Spoon, with his West Coast brethren Snoop Dogg.
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“It’s always good to have additional revenue streams,” 40 told Billboard as he also boasts a spirit line titled Earl Stevens Selection and his multi-flavored ice brand Goon With a Spoon. “You want your checks here and there. You want your wire deposits here. You wanna make money from all over the place. You gotta have octopus arms in this game. That’s one thing about me: I’ve always been in that mold. From selling tapes out of the car, I’ve been an entreprenaire. It’s entrepreneur and millionaire all in one.”
Despite his various wins across the business sector, 40’s passion for hip-hop remains sky-high, as proven by the release of his new album Rule of Thumb, Rule 1. The project is the first of a two-part release, with the second offering dropping in 2024. The first collection includes features from Gucci Mane, Larry June, Too Short and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
“He’s an old soul,” 40 says of YoungBoy, who is featured on “Get My Life Right.” “He’s been there before. That’s a deep, young man. I always liked him. Birdman hit me one day and was like, ‘Hey, YoungBoy wants you on one of his songs.’ He sent it to me, we connected, and I knocked out one for his album.”
40 also spoke on his friendship with the late Nipsey Hussle and how he was initially supposed to on the Victory Lap standout “Grinding All My Life.” “He didn’t tell me when he needed it back. Next thing you know, I was like, ‘Oh man. This one of them ones too.’ Sometimes I’ll say, ‘When you need it back?’ We didn’t even discuss it. He just sent it. Next thing you know, he put a ticket to the face. I was like, ‘Damn.’ But, man, I miss Nipsey. He was really a good dude. He always showed me respect. He really patterned his hustle after mine. I really miss him and I think he would have really made an impact in rap right now if he was still living.”
Watch E-40’s full interview with Billboard.
Cardi B took to Instagram Live on Friday (Dec. 15) to open up about her recent split from Offset. “This motherf—er really likes to play games with me at my most vulnerable time. When I’m not the most confident,” a teary-eyed Cardi said to her followers in a video captured by The Neighborhood Talk. “He likes […]
For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 2, we remember the year in SZA — who had the best 12 months of her career and confirmed herself as one of the inner-circle stars of 2020s pop music.
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When SZA’s SOS closed out 2022 with record-breaking stats — 318,000 units earned first week, the biggest streaming week ever for an R&B album, and (eventually) ten non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart — that moment seemed like the climax of a years-long campaign for the Grammy winner’s sophomore studio album. If anything, it turned out to actually just be the warning shot for an even more dominant 2023.
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat | No. 8: Bad Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo | No. 6: Karol G | No. 5: Morgan Wallen | No. 4: Ice Spice | No. 3: Beyoncé
The Grammy winner entered this year still basking in the glow of SOS’ chart takeover. “Kill Bill” was essentially glued to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, while several album tracks – including “Blind,” “Love Language” and “Low” — were gaining traction on TikTok, and “Shirt” was still blowing through the competition at R&B/hip-hop radio, where it eventually peaked at No. 1. The early love for myriad selections from the 23-song set would soon give way to another year-defining hit single by the time the summer drew to a close.
Courtesy of RCA Records
Courtesy of RCA Records
But before that, by February, SZA had already gone back to dropping new music — this time assisting Lizzo with her “Special” remix. While the track was far from a major hit, it did reach No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay late in the year, making for a pleasant full circle moment, considering Lizzo helped honor SZA with her Billboard woman of the year award in March. The duo’s personal friendship and professional partnership was set to continue with co-headlining slots at Made In America, but the show – like a number of hip-hop festivals this year – was ultimately called off.
Nonetheless, SZA still dazzled on the road in 2023, visiting the U.S. and Europe on her 54-date headlining arena tour. Complete with cinematic interludes, explosive choreography and innovative props, the SOS Tour found SZA blooming into a top-shelf pop star with each new date. From February to October, she trekked across the globe, bringing out surprise guests such as Cardi B, Phoebe Bridgers, Sexyy Red, Travis Scott, Lizzo, Lil Baby and Summer Walker along the way.
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By April, a Doja Cat-blessed remix of “Kill Bill” helped vault the song to No. 1, becoming SZA’s first Hot 100 chart-topper and cementing its status as one of the year’s defining pop songs. Around that time, “Snooze” was getting ready for its moment in the sun. The song had been swirling around on TikTok for months, and its consistent streaming presence would ultimately keep it on the Hot 100 for an entire year, but the combined efforts of radio’s complete embrace and a star-studded music video (featuring the likes of Young Mazino and Benny Blanco) lifted the song to new heights. Justin Bieber – who also appeared in the music video – later guested on the acoustic “Snooze” remix, helping the track reach its ultimate Hot 100 peak of No. 2.
The summer months found SZA blessing some of her peers with hits, and, in doing so, she solidified her spot as the year’s resident hitmaker. In July, she gifted Travis Scott a standout verse on “Telekinesis,” which helped the song become an instant fan-favorite from Utopia, spending 11 weeks on the Hot 100 without an official single release. September brought on “Slime You Out,” a much-derided duet with Drake that still debuted atop the Hot 100 — thanks, in large part, to SZA’s commercial dominance. That much was proven the following month, when “Rich Baby Daddy,” a collaboration with Drizzy and Sexyy Red, emerged as the breakout hit and standout track on his For All the Dogs album. How could it not be SZA’s year when some of the biggest stars in contemporary pop music are running to her to guarantee a hit?
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To close out the year, SZA emerged from Grammy nominations morning with a whopping nine nods – the most of any artist this year, and a cool bookend to her artist of the year snub at the VMAs back in September. With nods across three different genres and recognition in album, record and song of the year, SZA’s Grammy nominations haul served as the perfect encapsulation of just how towering and ubiquitous she was a cultural figure and hitmaker this year. On Billboard’s Year-End charts, she boasts the No. 3 album of the year and the No. 3 (“Kill Bill”) and No. 9 (“Snooze”) songs of the year – the only artist with two unaccompanied solo entries in the Year-End Hot 100 top 10.
Truthfully, there’s only one pop star who can hold a candle to SZA’s dominance this year – and you probably already know exactly what their name is. The difference with SZA, however, is that she did it all without ever giving off the largely calculated, pre-scripted feeling that so often characterizes a run like that one she’s on with SOS. She moved at her own pace and reaped unbeatable dividends.
There’s a reason Rick Ross is called The Boss. He aims high and always delivers. At least that’s his plan for 2024, when the “Rich Forever” MC says he plans to make good on his 2022 vow to climb Africa’s tallest mountain — and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world — Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. […]
Keyshia Cole, whose slate of hits includes “Love,” “Let It Go,” “Heaven Sent” and “I Remember,” will headline the forthcoming “Love Hard” tour. Joining the singer/songwriter on the 24-market trek is fellow Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Trey Songz with featured guests Jaheim and K. Michelle.
Presented in partnership with the Black Promoters Collective (BPC), the Love Hard tour will kick off Feb. 22 in Macon, Georgia. Stops along the way include Atlanta, Chicago, Brooklyn, Houston, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, before the tour wraps in Southaven, Mississippi on April 14.In a press release, Cole said, “I am beyond excited to announce the Love Hard tour and to be collaborating with the Black Promoters Collective. This tour is a true labor of love and I’m looking forward to connecting with my fans, sharing new memories and healing through music.”
Noted BPC president Shelby Joyner, “Keyshia Cole ignited the music scene with a passion in R&B reminiscent of the soul singers of the past. Her captivating tone and lyrical prowess instantly drew me in. I am thrilled to join forces with her on the Love Hard tour, where the legacy of soulful storytelling continues to unfold.”
Earlier this year, Cole’s life and career were spotlighted in the Lifetime-produced scripted biopic Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story. Presently working on her eighth studio album, the Grammy-nominated artist is also featured on the soundtrack for the upcoming theatrical musical The Color Purple and on an anticipated collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Monica for the deluxe version of Minaj’s The Pink Print 2 album.
Songz notched his first Hot 100 top 10 with “Say (Aah)” featuring Fabolous in 2010. The Grammy-nominated singer’s other hits include “Bottoms Up” featuring Nicki Minaj, “Can’t Be Friends,” “I Invented Sex” featuring Drake and “Neighbors Know My Name.” Fellow Grammy-nominated artist Jaheim is known for fan faves such as “Put That Woman First,” “Fabulous” and “Ain’t Leavin’ Without You.” And K. Michelle, the singer-songwriter behind songs such as “Love ‘Em All,” “V.S.O.P.” and “Can’t Raise a Man,” scored a No. 1 Adult R&B Airplay hit last year with “Scooch.” The latter song is from Michelle’s self-proclaimed final R&B album, I’m the Problem.
Tickets for the Love Hard tour will be available to the general public today (Dec. 15) at 10 a.m. local time here.
So you agree? You think Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion are really pretty? On Friday (Dec. 15), the pop singer and rap icon joined forces to release “Not My Fault,” their hotly anticipated new collaboration off the soundtrack of the forthcoming Mean Girls remake. Sampling an audio clip from the original 2004 film — […]
Does Camila Cabello have a new Canadian love interest? Fans seem to think so after the “Havana” singer was spotted chatting with Drake while on vacation in Turks and Caicos. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news While there was no public PDA between the duo, photos and videos […]
For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 3, we remember the year in Beyoncé — who, 25 years into her superstardom, proved once again that whenever she puts her imprint on a year, she needs to be mentioned among the handful of greatest active pop stars.
With the groundbreaking 2022 she had, Beyoncé could have taken a year off, basking in the success of her Billboard 200 chart-topping album, Renaissance. However, a Queen never rests, and Bey continued her reign through 2023.
She kicked off the year with the growth of “Cuff It,” her second hit from Renaissance following “Break My Soul.” The song ultimately hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at No. 6 in February), boosted by a TikTok-viral dance, and received a “Wetter” remix (based on a viral mashup of the original “Cuff It” with Twista’s 2009 hit “Wetter”) with new vocals, which was also very well-received by fans.
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat | No. 8: Bad Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo | No. 6: Karol G | No. 5: Morgan Wallen | No. 4: Beyoncé
Within two months of 2023, Beyoncé made history. At the 65th annual Grammy Awards in February, while she controversially lost the top album of the year award to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House – meaning she’s still yet to take him the top prize at Music’s Biggest Night – she still ultimately took home four awards, two in the dance categories and two in the R&B categories. The victories brought her to 32 total for her career, and past composer Georg Solti for the all-time record of most Grammy wins.
Mason Poole
Mason Poole
“I’d like to thank the queer community for your love and for inventing [the dance/electronic] genre. God bless you,” she said in part during her historic acceptance speech – a powerful public display of allyship on a major award show, proving once more that Queen Bey’s kingdom includes everyone.
Just when fans thought Bey couldn’t “get no higher than this,” she raised the bar again. After releasing a celebratory, high-octane remix of “America Has a Problem” featuring Kendrick Lamar – which helped return the song to the Hot 100 at a new peak inside the top 40 – Beyoncé kicked off her long-awaited Renaissance World Tour stadium show in Stockholm, Sweden, in May, complete with dazzling costumes, a hit-filled setlist and jaw-dropping choreography. While many were unable to snag the prized tickets to the show, every detail of the tour flooded social media, allowing for fans at home worldwide to enjoy the glitz and glamor of the Renaissance shows.
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The tour was a gift that kept on giving throughout 2023, with countless celebrities in attendance every night, including pop stars like Selena Gomez and Dua Lipa, rock legends like Paul McCartney and even Bey’s former Destiny’s Child groupmates Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. The “mute challenge” became a prominent part of the set during “Energy”: When Bey sang, “Look around, everybody on mute,” the crowd would actually fall silent, a hilarious yet beautifully uniting moment of stillness – leading to even-funnier moments of fans failing the challenge and scolding each other for it.
Following in the footsteps of her mother, Blue Ivy Carter also had her time to shine throughout the 56-show run, becoming a fan-favorite part of the set, as she danced onstage during “My Power” and “Black Parade” night after night. The tour wrapped off just as impressively as it began, claiming the title of 2023’s top-grossing tour among those who reported numbers to Billboard Box Score, with $579.8 million and 2.8 million tickets sold.
A Queen also knows when to give her fellow Queens their roses, with Beyoncé setting the example for women everywhere with her constant support for Taylor Swift, who was also making waves throughout the year with her own Eras Tour. With the two pop superstars attending each other’s concert film premieres and posing happily with each other, before sharing public words of adoration, the world watched in real time as the powerhouses worked together to shift the culture of women being pit against each other to women lifting each other up – perhaps Bey’s most important accomplishment in 2023.
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Speaking of concert documentaries, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé — which the superstar wrote, directed and produced —arrived in December to close out Bey’s history-making year strong. On its opening weekend, the film opened in first place with a whopping $21 million in North American ticket sales, sitting at an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a coveted A+ CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences who were polled. Despite having a full album of hits freshly on her hands, Bey still snuck in a new song in 2023, the surprise “My House,” which arrived on the same day as the film.
Overall 2023 felt like a year of solidification for Beyoncé after more than two decades in the spotlight, re-confirming her status as one of music’s most important contemporary icons for many years to come. If we’ve learned anything from this year, Beyoncé is going to continue to show her power in 2024 – but she’s yet to reveal if that means her unveiling the next part of her Renaissance series, or dabble in a new genre, like with her long-rumored country album. Whatever she decides on next, the BeyHive has their Queen’s back.
Megan Thee Stallion is speaking up. The rapper was on Instagram Live on Wednesday (Dec. 13), where she called out her ex-boyfriend Pardison “Pardi” Fontaine after he denied being unfaithful during an episode of Angela Yee’s Lip Service. “It seems like every time I take a step forward to heal and do something different, motherf—ers […]