R&B/Hip-Hop

Eminem released another limited-edition digital album of his The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) on Wednesday (July 17). The rapper takes it back to his roots when reconnecting with a frustrated Steve Berman, who appears on another skit, which has been added to this latest version of the album.

The Interscope Records vice chairman originally joined Slim Shady for a skit named after him on 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP, and made another appearance on D-12’s Devil’s Night. He pops up again on an Eminem Show skit in 2002, where Em actually shoots Steve. After some time off, Berman returns on 2009’s Relapse after losing feeling in his right arm following the figurative gun shots.

It’s been well over a decade, and they’re back — back again — and still bickering as usual. Em had some fun with the digital album announcement, which finds Berman nagging the Detroit legend about his LP and finally convincing him to make another guest appearance.

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Berman quips. “How the f–k are you gonna put out another album without me on it?”

Em ultimately obliges: “All right, man, I’ll fix it.”

“Ok, @steveberman.. I fixed it,” Em added on social media. “Get the new #TheDeathOfSlimShady digital album- STEVE BERMAN Edition! Includes BOTH bonus tracks #1 and #2 + an exclusive skit w/ Steve. Avail only on shop.eminem.com until THURS. at midnight ET!”

The latest digital album comes with both bonus tracks — “Like My S–t” and “Kyrie & Luka” featuring 2 Chainz. Fans will have the chance to purchase the limited-edition LP until Thursday night (July 18).

The Death of Slim Shady served as Em’s 12th LP and first since 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By. The rapper is headed toward earning his 10th consecutive Billboard 200-topper if he can unseat Taylor Swift for the No. 1 slot.

This September, Billboard will host its live concert series Hip-Hop Live in conjunction with its R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players celebration. Kicking off Sept. 6 at Brooklyn’s immersive rolling rink Xanadu, Hip-Hop Live will feature performances by the night’s headliner, Teezo Touchdown, rising rapper BossMan Dlow, with a DJ set handled by Miss DJ Milan.

“We’ve seen groundbreaking achievements from the R&B and hip-hop worlds over the past year. We cannot wait to celebrate the incredible power players behind some of these unforgettable milestones. Our Hip-Hop LIVE event will continue this momentum by spotlighting the next wave of talent, taking the industry and our charts by storm. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Teezo Touchdown, BossMan Dlow, and DJ Miss Milan join us this year and bring their diverse sounds to the stage,” said Hannah Karp, Billboard Editorial Director.

Sponsored by State Farm, Hip-Hop Live tickets go on sale to the public today at 10 a.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Remy Martin will be the exclusive cognac sponsor of the event, providing signature cocktails with 1738 Accord Royal and a curated bar experience.

As for the performers, Teezo Touchdown is coming off an impressive 2023-2024 campaign. Last year, he released his debut studio album, How Do You Sleep At Night, which received critical acclaim. He tallied up features with Drake, Travis Scott, Doja Cat, Don Toliver and more, leaving an indelible trail thus far in his career. BossMan Dlow has also enjoyed a fruitful year, doling out hits including “Mr. Pot Scraper” and his Billboard Hot 100 hit “Get In With Me.”

Fans can purchase tickets for Hip-Hop Live here.

A violent storm has rumbled through the Toronto metro area and left over 100,000 citizens without power on Tuesday (July 16), per BBC.

Even Drake’s mansion was caught in the line of fire. The 6 God posted a video to his Instagram Story from his Toronto estate with at least one floor completely flooded.

At times, we have to laugh to keep from crying and the OVO boss had a light-hearted reaction to what looks like will be an expensive bill to fix the damages made by the record-breaking torrential downpour. He joked about the water’s brown tint and compared it to one of his cocktails of choice.

“This better be Espresso Martini,” he captioned the clip, which features another person trying to keep the doors to another room shut while Drake walks around barefoot with a broom that probably won’t be helping too much.

The hits continue to come for Drake as fans had some fun at his expense on social media. “OVO tears done flooded the house,” one person wrote to X after seeing the misfortune. Another quipped: “Bro got the rap game against him, AND NOW MOTHER NATURE?!?!?”

Environment Canada reported that nearly four inches of rain fell in Toronto due to the combination of three separate storms, which broke the city’s rainfall record that stood since 1941.

However, the worst of it seems to be finished as no more significant rain is expected to accumulate the rest of Tuesday.

“We had 25 percent more rain in three hours than we’d have normally in the whole month of July with all the thunderstorms and systems that moved through,” said local meteorologist Dave Phillips.

Authorities have had to reportedly make at least 14 rescues as of press time and continues to assess the highway and property damages due to flooding.

Hopefully, Drake and the rest of the city can stay Canada Dry as the storm begins to subside.

During an interview with Viper magazine at London’s Wireless Festival this past weekend, Sexyy Red revealed that she has a project with Chief Keef in the works.

“That’s my boo… We droppin’ an album soon. Yeah, for sure. We be workin’,” she responded after being asked if the two rappers were an item or just “musical friends.” She was also asked to describe what the album sounds like and she answered, “We just be on some money sh—. Some car sh—, fast cars. F—k these h—s. Buy some clothes. And keep your hair done [Laughs.]”

The midwest duo have already collaborated on three songs. Sexyy featured on Keef’s “Grape Trees” and “Damn Shorty” from the two projects he’s dropped this year, and the Chicago rapper appeared on “Bow Bow Bow (F My Baby Dad).”

They’ve also been in the news as they’re apparently involved in a love triangle with the late King Von’s sister Kayla B.

Kayla posted a picture of her kissing Keef with the caption, “Let’s be a familyyyyyy @sexyyred.” Sexyy responded by saying, “Wya we finna come get chu!!” and then posted pics of herself in bed with one of Keef’s pendants. However, it all turned out to be fun and games with Sexyy posting a carousel of pictures on Instagram with the caption, “dis just my favorite brudda.”

Sexyy Red has an upcoming tour slated to kick off in August and had to shoot down rumors about low ticket sales. “My fans are buying tickets we’re doin just fine we not cancelling no tour dis cancelling sh— all cap,” she replied to a tweet claiming only 37.11 percent of the 85,217 tickets have sold.

50 Cent may be a close friend of Eminem‘s, but he’s also a fan. And following the release of the latter’s The Death of Slim Shady last week, the former sang the project’s praises in a congratulatory Instagram post Monday (July 15).

“?Yo @eminem s–t is crazy,” the “In Da Club” rapper wrote, sharing a snippet of Em’s track “Evil.” “It takes me a while to understand the details of this one. ?”

On the song, which comes fifth on his new LP’s track list, the Detroit musician sings: “I’m so evil/ Rotten to the core, a f–kin’ twisted cerebral/ I’m so evil, so evil/ It’s obvious that I am not like other people.”

It’s one of 19 tracks on The Death of Slim Shady, which arrived July 12 a full four years after Eminem’s last album, 2020’s Billboard 200-topping Music to Be Murdered By. His latest project also features lead single “Houdini,” which dropped in May alongside a superhero-themed music video that featured 50 as well as Snoop Dogg, Pete Davidson and more of the “Not Afraid” artist’s famous friends.

Em and 50 have been in each other’s lives since the former signed the latter to his Shady Records. In the 20 years since, the pair has collaborated on songs such as “Gatman & Robbin,” “My Life” and “Is This Love.” 

During Billboard cover story last year, 50 spoke about how their relationship has evolved over the years. “Em’s not going to say the s–t the way I say it because it just is what it is,” he recalled. “There’s his humble nature — he’d call me and ask to do him a favor and rap with him on a song. Like, ‘You know I’m on your label, right? Yeah, whatever you need me to do.’ He would always ask me, ‘Could you do me a favor? I always thought it would be dope if we did this together.’ I’m like, ‘All right.’”

See 50’s post praising Eminem’s new album below.