R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 261
WrestleMania XL is upon us. As WWE fans of all ages prepare for the Super Bowl of pro wrestling this weekend in Philadelphia, WWE Superstar Big E is one of the company’s brightest ambassadors and building blocks for what will be an iconic 48 hours.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Following a devastating injury in 2022, when he suffered a broken neck during a match on Smackdown, the former WWE champion has become a vital figure outside of the ring. He undertook a significant endeavor, crafting a poignant short film about the life of Ruby Bridges, the first Black student integrated into an all-white school. Collaborating with Grammy-nominated MC Rapsody, who recorded original music for the NAACP-nominated project, Big E infused his love for hip-hop and history. He transformed a heavy moment in Black history into a light and stirring conversation starter for kids living in the modern era.
“I think there are so many stories of Black heroes, and we’re so often taught as young people: MLK, Rosa Parks, slavery, and that’s about it,” he says. “But our history is so much deeper. The Black men and women who have contributed to this country and our legacy have been incredible. We want to continue to tell these stories because there are so many out there, and we want to do it in a fun way.”
Trending on Billboard
Big E’s love for hip-hop and history is palpable. It blossomed during his tenure at Iowa University, where he became an avid lover of the Blog Era. While playing college football as a defensive lineman, Big E became a fan of Wale and his seminal 2008 project, The Mixtape About Nothing. After E ventured into the WWE and learned of Wale’s fandom in 2012, their mutual appreciation ultimately turned into a close-knit friendship.
“We ended up DMing years ago, and we connected more than just him being a wrestling fan and me being a fan of him,” he recalls. “We connected on life. So many times, we were texting about life on the road a lot more than just being industry friends. I’m such a massive fan of him, not just as an artist but as a human being.”
Though Big E remains in great shape, possessing the same burly physique that made him an elite champion, he is enjoying the sidelines, watching his peers, most notably the Black WWE superstars, carry the torch during his hiatus.
“It’s really just been an incredible time for Black talent, and I just think it’s gonna keep growing and growing,” he says. “We’ve made a lot of progress, and I still think we have more progress to go.”
Billboard spoke to Big E ahead of WrestleMania XL about hip-hop and wrestling becoming synonymous, his friendship with Wale, working with Rapsody on his short film Bridges, his “Big 3” in the WWE, and more.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Wale’s debut album Attention Deficit. You guys are obviously friends and shared a WrestleMania moment when he performed your entrance song “Feel the Power” in 2021. When did you first become a fan of his?
I’m a big Seinfeld fan. The Blog Era for me was when I was in college. That was when I really first learned about Wale. Then, when he came out with The Mixtape About Nothing, that changed things for me. So I started really paying more attention and then I started following him on Twitter and saw that he was a wrestling fan. So between his Seinfeld stuff, him being an incredible MC and also being a wrestling fan, I was just like, “I gotta reach out to this man.”
It’s been a pleasure to have him perform for me at WrestleMania for me in my hometown. That was special. I’m so grateful to have Wale on my team. He’s also done so much to make wrestling cool.
I feel like wrestling is at this great stage right now where you have The Rock around, all these celebrities who wanna be involved, but let’s give some credit to the homie Wale for making wrestling cool and for doing WaleMania every single year. I’ve reached out to so many people who are excited for WrestleMania, but honestly, the biggest thing for them is WaleMania. Like, “What’s my WaleMania fit? I can’t wait. What’s the lineup?” Shout-out to Wale for what he’s done for the culture, and what he’s done for hip-hop and wrestling.
There were so many closeted wrestling fans, especially in the hip-hop community. Why do you think so many people are coming out and embracing the sport now more than ever before?
I think it’s just cool now, man. I don’t know exactly what to point to, but you have The Rock involved now. You have [WWE president] Nick Khan involved. You have so many connections with sports and entertainment. I feel like a lot of people were closeted wrestling fans because it wasn’t cool, because it was the nerdy thing to do — but now that it’s becoming more accessible for people, I think a lot of people are coming out of the wooodwork.
I think back to his celebrity flag football game I did a couple of years ago right before the Super Bowl, and I was amazed that Diplo knew who I was. He wanted to talk about storylines and whatnot. That stuff always blows me away. But you’d be surprised how many people watched back in the day when they were kids, and watch right now and love what we do. You know, when Wale started WaleMania a couple of years ago, it wasn’t really the cool thing to do. People felt like they had to keep it in, but now, it’s a lot more mainstream. You see the WWE titles all the time. You see how proudly people wear those WWE custom belts after they win a Super Bowl or World Series. It’s just really cool to see our product become mainstream again.
I spoke to Jey Uso a while back and we touched on the famous freestyle battle between The Usos and The New Day. What were you so surprised about from a lyrical standpoint in that battle?
Well look, I was hesitant to do it because I’m a hip-hop fan, but I can’t rap [Laughs.] The three of us can’t rap. Me, Kofi [Kingston] and [Xavier] Woods can’t rap. We all knew this — but man, that segment was so much fun. Having Wale be a part of it and be the host of that thing [was great]. The Usos, I told them a while ago that they need to drop an EP or something. They can actually spit. They got some bars. They did their thing. That segment was a lot of fun.
One of the things I remember was Daniel Bryan — who is such a wrestling head that I thought would be critical [of the segment] — he said, “Man, you guys could have done that for an hour and I would have been locked in and entertained.” I think a lot of people went into that with trepidation because segments like that in wrestling aren’t very good and are very corny. But I think with Wale being there, The Usos really bringing it, really just added so much to our programming and our rivalry. I also think we did it the right way. That’s a segment that I’m really proud of.
[embedded content]
Over the years, we’ve seen wrestlers like John Cena to even recently Montez Ford release music. Has there been anybody in the locker room that impressed you from a rapping standpoint?
I haven’t heard anything original from him, but Omos will surprise you. Omos can spit a whole Jay-Z verse. He’s a big hip-hop head. Omos is one of those dudes who haven’t been able to show his full charisma and full personality on TV, but he’s definitely a big hip-hop head, and a dude I love talking hip-hop with.
Because you grew up in the Blog Era, you know the big three is Drake, Kendrick and J. Cole. Who would you say from a wrestling standpoint is the holy trinity of the WWE and why?
That’s a really good question. You know what? I’ll go Randy [Orton]. He’s just one of the GOATs who I feel like sometimes as much credit as he gets, he still doesn’t get enough credit. So I’ll go Randy, Cena and I gotta put one more in there. This is hard. I’ll go Roman [Reigns]. He’s been doing his thing.
Speak about Roman’s current run as champion — especially heading into Mania — considering we haven’t seen a run like this since Hulk Hogan. A lot of people want to see his reign end this weekend.
It’s just one of those things that I think a lot of fans have been so locked into. You say everyone wants it to end — but not everyone though. There’s still a lot of people riding with Roman that wanna see him push through.
When I see his run, I think of someone who reinvented himself — because you can think of someone who was really being pushed as “The Guy,” and a lot of fans didn’t accept him as much. He’s really found his footing since the pandemic. Since he came back, this has been a generational run. That’s what I think he’s a real testament to.
I think a lot of people are impatient with talent and they want them to have it all figured out right now, but sometimes, you need time to grow. You need time to really get in your feet and know, “This is who I am.” So Roman was a guy who obviously had a ton of talent first getting on the main roster, but he wasn’t quite himself yet. He wasn’t as comfortable as he could have been, but now I think you’re seeing him at his very best. You’re seeing him at his most natural. This is the guy he’s always been.
Don’t get me wrong, he was a good dude in the locker room and whatnot, but he always had that alpha mentality. He played football at Georgia Tech. He was all-ACC. I was a defensive tackle at the same time and watching him, hearing his name. So he’s always had that attitude of an alpha. I think so many times that he was positioned as a babyface and as a guy who had to pretend he wasn’t that guy, but I think he’s a lot more comfortable and you see it now. You see how natural his promos are. You see how comfortable he is in this position. So when I think of his run, I just think it’s a testament to riding a wave.
With Bianca Belair gracing WWE 2K24, the emergence of Jade Cargill and the rise of Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams in NXT, how would you describe this current renaissance we’re seeing right now with Black wrestlers?
It’s been beautiful to see, man. It’s a long time coming, and it’s one of those things where I just look around and I’m really proud of Black talent because I don’t think you can look at any of the Black talent in WWE who are in the spots they are in and say, “Oh, they’re just given [these opportunities] because it’s a quota system or because of the color of their skin.
What I love is how different everyone is and how they standout on their own. They all deserve those spots. They all bring something to the table. The Black men are killing it, but to see Black women doing their thing [is amazing]. You see what they’re doing on the main roster, but we got a crop coming behind them in NXT, as well. We as Black people, we dominate in the NBA and the NFL, it also makes sense to do the same thing here in WWE and pro wrestling. It’s been an exciting time and I’m really proud to see the amount of Black talent doing incredible things and standing out on their own.
Seeing the way Jade has came in and how the fans have taken to her has been incredible. Someone like Naomi, who doesn’t get enough credit for how she’s inspired young Black women to enter this business as well, [has been great too.] It’s really just been an incredible time for Black talent and I just think it’s gonna keep growing and growing. We’ve made a lot of progress, and I still think we have more progress to go. I think of someone like a Montez Ford and he hasn’t even approached his ceiling. Not even close. And [Angelo] Dawkins as well. A lot of people sleep on what Dawkins has been doing. Another super talented dude. There’s a bevy of Black talent in our industry. I love seeing it and I wanna see more of it.
[embedded content]
What was your experience working with Rapsody on your short-film “Bridges,” which honored Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to be integrated into an all-white school in the 1960s?
It was a real labor of love for us. It’s called Bridges. We got an NAACP nomination for it. It’s on YouTube right now, if you Google, Our Heroes Rock, but it’s something that we’re really proud of. We wanna tell more of these stories. Rapsody did an incredible job. She recorded an original song for us and we made a music video as well. It tells the story of Ruby Bridges in a way that I think is more engaging. I think for a lot of people, history can be heavy and can be dry, but we wanted to make it more engaging. So I voice this nine-foot tall robot who takes you through this futuristic museum and shows you all the myriad of Black leaders, politicians, and writers from all different backgrounds who have helped shape our history.
We just felt the first story we wanted to lead with was Ruby’s story because it’s a six-year-old Black girl simply trying to go to school in 1960 and being integrated in an all-white school for the first time. Seeing the type of vitriol, the anger and nastiness that this little girl who was simply trying to go school was met with — if you can’t emphasize, do you really have a heart at all?
One of the great things that I love about her story too is that there was one teacher who decided to stay. Parents were pulling their kids out of school, teachers were refusing to teach Ruby, but one teacher who was named Barbara Henry — still alive and with us — was able to say that something was wrong and did the right thing. I think there’s so many stories of Black heroes and we’re so often taught as young people MLK, Rosa Parks, slavery and that’s about it, but our history is so much deeper. The Black men and women who have contributed to this country, to our legacy as Black Men and women have been incredible. We just wanna continue to tell these stories because there’s so many out there and we wanna do it in a fun way.
Ryan Trey – who burst onto the scene with 2018’s LeBron James-cosigned “Mutual Butterflies” — is a new man. Sort of. The ascendant R&B crooner is in a transitional period as he begins to wrap up his current era and start working on a new LP.
Last winter (Nov. 3, 2023), Trey dropped his latest project, Streets Say You Miss Me, an evocative collection of decidedly post-Bryson Tiller rap-inflected R&B through which he processes the demise of a relationship. “I was upset with a lot of things, a lot of toxic energy that I’m not really a fan of,” he says. “Even though I love the songs, some of them are hard for me to listen to. I’m gonna move on from that place.”
Featuring guest appearances from next-generation R&B and rap artists such as NoCap and Vory, Streets Say You Miss Me cultivates a world of contemporary R&B where raw emotional vulnerability and moody drum-heavy beats are the name of the game. In support of the record, Trey joined Billboard-charting R&B singer Mariah the Scientist – who provides guest vocals on the single “Ain’t Even Friends” — on her To Be Eaten Alive tour as her support act. With performances at Lollapalooza and Broccoli City Festival on the horizon, Trey is honing his live show and, in turn, using that new knowledge to inform the direction of his new music.
Trending on Billboard
“Those are the dope things I’m learning about music,” he notes. “This may have sounded great in the studio and it’s still a great song, but it’s really tough to perform. So, what my next project is really catered [to] is what works live.”
Last week (March 27), Trey dropped the deluxe version of his album, titled Streets Say You Still Miss Me. Although he’s “not a fan” of deluxe editions, he views these three new songs as fan service than genuinely retreading the darkness of the standard album. “I’m just removed from it all, I feel like I’ve grown,” he muses. “But I still [think] about what my fans like.”
In an illuminating conversation with Billboard, Ryan Trey sounds off on the utility of deluxe editions, the rise of fans leaking artists’ unfinished music, exploring his faith and how Justin Bieber’s Journals album is influencing his new music. In addition, at the end of our discussion, the “2 Live” singer-songwriter shares the stories behind the new bonus tracks on Streets Say You Still Miss Me.
[embedded content]
You mentioned that you weren’t a fan of deluxe albums. How do you look at the purpose and the function of a deluxe album now? Has your opinion on them changed since putting out your own?
I just feel like you finished the album for a reason. [I] said everything I have to say right now. I’m not opposed to it, because I trust my team — I got great management, and it’s all about keeping momentum, especially as a new artist. But it’s tough because [Streets Say You Miss Me] was about a specific person. I was going through a specific feeling, [and] this album is really dark for me. So, when it comes to the deluxe, I was like, “Damn, I gotta go back in and put myself back in this mind space that I’m not in anymore.” That’s when I started going through my old songs, like, “What can I clean up and what do my fans like?” I never go in and try to make new songs to fit the rest of the album.
I really don’t like deluxes. I like my deluxe, I just don’t like the concept of it. Once you’re doing something, you’re done. That’s like Pablo Picasso painting something and you ask him to go back and add to it because “Man, people love this a lot!” It’s a catch-22 — it’s beneficial too, I’m happy the songs are out.
When it came to trying to record new songs for the deluxe, was the issue an emotional one or a musical one? Or some combination of the two?
That was a heartbreak album. I wasn’t in the best place maturity-wise [given] the way I went about a certain relationship. The whole Streets Say You Miss Me [album] was like, “I hurt you, but you also did this.” I always say this album was like a bunch of excuses. There’s a lot of toxicity in that album. I’m in a place now where I’m not a fan of the toxic stuff, I’m just angry at myself and her. To heal from that and learn from it, you gotta go back into this place of excuses. It’s tough because I don’t feel like that anymore. I feel like I’m more God-fearing now, I’m getting my faith right. The whole toxic thing is a dark place to be.
What sparked this reconnection with your faith?
Just reaping what you sow. I feel like I’d be a great girl dad. I always say I want a daughter and I want to be married and I want certain things. I just know it only gets worse from here. The way our generation is… all this toxicity going on and everybody just f—king everybody. I feel [that] especially in rap, the industry will do that to you. I turned 25 a week ago, I started making music when I was 19. I feel like a lot of my innocence got taken away being in this industry, being in these clubs, being around all these different environments.
So, when I met somebody I actually liked, I didn’t know how to take care of her. Now I’m in a place of killing off that version of myself. God doesn’t bless you if you in mess and moving around talking to all these different girls and that nonsense. It’s kind of like, what are you chasing? That stuff gets old, I don’t want to be like that. I feel like a lot of my peers — like, no disrespect to them — they’re just not happy. It’s a lot of my favorite artists have everything and they’re not happy. I don’t want to be like that.
You’ve been on tour for most of this year. How’s that been?
That’s been great. Shoutout Mariah [the Scientist], man. She’s a really dope artist because she took a chance on another artist. It be a lot of egos in this s—t. Atlanta being Atlanta, we met through people I knew who went to school with her sister. The “Ain’t Even Friends” record I did, I didn’t hear anybody else but her on it. She sent [her verse] back and then we stayed in touch, started seeing each other in certain places, and then they asked me to do the tour. It’s dope because she’s putting new artists on. She didn’t have to. She could have went and got anybody.
How do you think your live show has developed over the past few years?
More interaction and working the stage. I’ve had stage training and all that stuff since then. Talking in between songs, too. That’s the most scary thing that’s associated with stage fright. Like, what do you say in between songs? With the Mariah tour, I’m in a place where 80% of people don’t know me, so I make sure the 20% that do feel loved.
You noted that one of the deluxe tracks was “a long-awaited leak.” From Ariana Grande to SZA, there have been a lot of artists speaking out against leak culture and fans who participate in it. What’s your take?
I think it’s selfish. But I don’t ever expect a fan to think like that. I always say, artists gotta do what they gotta do. You’ll never hear Beyoncé‘s—t leak. Drake s—t leak all the time. Artists gotta do what they gotta do, from NDAs all the way down to who has the hard drive. You got to know where your records are. You can’t leave stuff in the studio. You can’t leave it on iCloud – I just don’t like things like that. I know producers and artists that don’t use iCloud if you know fans are going to do that. It’s not new, but we have to deal with it.
You’re slated for a few festivals this summer; how do you think this most recent tour has prepared you for that? Do you approach tours and festivals differently?
Take Rolling Loud, for example. They’re just now introducing R&B on an actual platform, so shout out Rolling Loud because that’s dope. Before, for the past 6-7 years, that is a rap festival. The first time I did Rolling Loud, it was tough because nobody [was] there to hear my type of sound. This time, there were way more people than last time, but they also did a better job of pushing R&B.
With festivals, you’re always gaining new fans. That’s the difference between me doing my own show and doing festivals. Maybe it feels different for headliners, but for where I’m at, getting the performance part is important. I can’t just hold the mic out when I’m doing shows that aren’t mine. I saw people complaining about Drake’s tour, debating that he’s not actually singing the songs. But then you got artists like SZA, for example — a lot of her fans love the new live versions she does. I feel like when you’re headlining, you can play around with stuff how you want. When you are new, people got to know what the record sounds like so they can go find it.
You collaborated with artists like Jordan Ward and Chase Shakur on the standard edition. You three are a kind of representative of a rising wave of male R&B stars. What’s your take on the state of male R&B right now?
I feel like it’s the most collaborative era. R&B n—as trying to beef… that’s something I’ve never understood. Everybody’s cool, everybody’s trying to help each other get a bag, especially with St. Louis right now, where me and Jordan are from. Everybody has their own style, so it’s cool. I feel like with ‘90s R&B, it was a lot of different versions of the same sound. They were all really good. It’s kind of the same now, but it’s more collaborative. I know I’ll do another record Chase and Jordan. I think because of that hybrid rap R&B, now it’s easier to get other fans from other genres.
When you straddle the lines of R&B and rap, as you do, do you feel a responsibility to beef up your how “R&B” your music sounds to appease industry classifications?
Wherever y’all wanna slot me is where y’all slot me. But I’m not gonna change for your definition of it. That’s a universal feeling that doesn’t change with Black artists no matter how big you are. We’re watching right now with Beyoncé, they don’t want to put her in country. It’s the same with new artists. On the business side, it’s important because of playlisting. [Songs] need to be placed based on what it sounds like, not who you are. I think it’s based too much off of the person’s character and not the sound. It don’t bother me, a good record is a good record and nothing can stop the good record from moving how it’s supposed to move.
Where’s your head at it in terms of new music?
I got my main album I’m working on. I think I’ll probably put out an EP in the summertime and get some songs off that I have that I really like. I haven’t been listening to any new music because I’m not a fan of anything right now. I really like Brent Faiyaz, obviously SZA, a couple of other artists. I listen to a lot of old stuff, pulling samples that I want to flip. I’ve been listening to a lot of Tame Impala, just seeing what I can pull from. Everybody’s on this whole toxic wave, I got to find artists that aren’t trying to talk about all that.
Or you could try and push them out of that comfort zone.
Yeah, I’m in my Justin Bieber bag, right now. I was never a Belieber, but I’ve been listening to his whole catalog. Journals is so consistent. It was R&B, everything worked on radio, everything was still technically a pop record, he went and got rappers, you know what I’m saying? It’s just such a complete body of work and he was 100% apologetic on there. I don’t know if it’s towards Selena [Gomez] or whatever, but it was like he was just full-fledged sorry. Girls really, really love that; you’re not trying to keep your ego and also apologize. I’ve just been studying. [My next record is about] obsession. Whether it’s an unhealthy obsession or whether it was a good obsession.
“RIDIN 4 U”
[embedded content]
I did that song in 2021, I just recut it. It was one of those songs that was at the end of a studio session where I went in trying to make a whole bunch of other songs and I didn’t like any of them. I was just playing around, and that one came out the best. I think that’s why I was comfortable enough [to go on] IG live and play it. Then my fans would always be like, “When you putting this out?” So, when I went on tour with Mariah [the Scientist], I just started teasing them. I knew I had to do the deluxe, but I didn’t think I was going to put [“Ridin’”] on there. But I got really good reception from fans — especially in Paris — and from there we made the switch.
In terms of the flow, I’ve been listening to a lot of Frank Ocean for the past year. I always have the intention of trying to make the biggest record that I possibly can. But, it’s just like anything creative — if you force it, it comes out whack or corny. I think that day was more of a management-scheduled session. I usually don’t do well in those, [but] when I was ready to go, I heard something that I liked and that felt most like myself. I think what the standard edition needed was one or two more of those really hardbody R&B records, the most singing records. I’m proud of the records on that album, but I’m still my biggest critic — and I like all my records from 2019-2020, when I was still trying to figure out my sound and this one reminds me of that.
“RESET”
[embedded content]
I think that’s my favorite one out of the three. I think it’s the most personal. It was like the last song I made in the last relationship I was in. That was a real tough one. TT Audi did the beat, he’s a dope producer. Every artist got a couple go-to producers, and for me, it’s Boi-1da, Vinylz and Audi. They’re just always sending me stuff. They do a good job at getting more R&B-catered artists on hard beats. I think that was the last day I was with the girl I was with, that was the last song I wrote toward her. I think [“Reset”] is more for me than my fans, but it ended up being one they really like.
I think I started out trying to find a balance between making music for myself and pleasing my fans. But the more you know yourself and figure out your sound, you can cater more towards the fans. I feel like that’s tough to do when you’re a newer artist trying to figure out what you even sound like. It’s a business at the end of the day, and that’s something I’m trying to get better at [with] this next album I’m working on. I feel like every artist says that after they tour, their sound changes because they know what records work. There’s a lot of records from Streets Say You Miss Me that I love, that I can sit and listen to in a room like this, but I can’t perform.
“POURIN OUT MY HEART”
[embedded content]
I recorded this in a hotel room. Somebody sold me some fake Lakers tickets. I was in the W across from the Staples Center, I went over there and they were like, “These tickets are invalid.”
Most of this album was recorded in Atlanta. My A&R, Sicakmore, sent me down there to really trap out the R&B sound I was working on. That was the first time I started working with different writers and producers. Atlanta is like a melting pot. Every song I did in Atlanta, I was in the studio 20 deep. You’ll have like 5-10 producers in there working, they’ll swap out and new producers come in, then some of your homeboys that rap, they’ll come lay a verse and leave, then the strippers get off their shift, they come in and they sit.
The girls were a big, important part of this album — like the HBCU girls that would come through. Every night was a vibe. I came down for Sonny Digital, Mike Will – those are the guys I started with – but when I got more comfortable I met my brother PopLord, he’s a really good writer and artist. It’s tough because some n—as just have girls in there to have them in there. The way the studio was set up, I could see the sitting area from the booth. Every song I was making, if the girls in there were moving, I would keep working on the record. If it was a song where nobody was really vibing, then I just scratch it and go on to the next.
During her visit to the Tamron Hall Show on Wednesday, Memphis MC GloRilla reflected on her mind-blowing visit to the White House in March, where she met President Biden and VP Kamala Harris. But host Hall had one more special moment to share during the segment, when she played a video from Glo’s dad, who […]
J. Cole shook up the rap world with the surprise release of his Might Delete Later project on Friday (April 5).
The mixtape arrived on streaming services without warning and fans quickly took note of the potent project closer “7 Minute Drill,” which appears to find Cole responding to Kendrick Lamar’s disses on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.”
“I got a phone call, they say that somebody dissing/ You want some attention, it comes with extensions,” Cole initially teased.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
He then gets to taking shots at K. Dot’s discography by disparaging specific albums like calling 2022’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers “tragic” and claiming that the Grammy-winning To Pimp A Butterfly had listeners snoozing.
Trending on Billboard
“He still doin’ shows, but fell off like the Simpsons/ Your first s–t was classic, your last shit was tragic/ Your second shit put n—-s to sleep, but they gassed it/ Your third shit was massive and that was your prime/ I was trailing right behind and I just now hit mine/ Now I’m front of the line with a comfortable lead/ How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want somethin’ with me,” the Dreamville CEO spews.
J. Cole informs Kendrick that this is just a “warning shot” and the gloves could come off entirely for more if the West Coast legend wants to go there.
“He averagin’ one hard verse like every thirty months or somethin’/ If he wasn’t dissin’, then we wouldn’t be discussin’ ’em/ Lord, don’t make me have to smoke this n—a ’cause I f–k with him/ But push come to shove, on this mic, I will humble him,” Cole promises.
The North Carolina native continues to tap Lamar about his lack of output. “Four albums in 12 years, n—a, I can divide,” he quips in a lyric that appears to imitate Jay-Z’s bars on his Nas diss “Takeover.”
The second part of “7 Minute Drill” features a beat switch with Conductor Williams taking the reins from T-Minus behind the boards and fans are speculating that the ominous production samples Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late standout “Energy.”
For those wondering about the inspiration for “7 Minute Drill” as a song title, J. Cole’s manager Ibrahim Hamad explained last year during an appearance on the Say Less podcast that Cole will rap for seven minutes straight over a few different beats as an exercise to break writer’s block.
“He does these seven-minute drills that he got Cozz be doing… He’ll just be like, ‘You got seven minutes.’ It’s basically his way of breaking out of overthinking,” the Dreamville co-founder said. “Like don’t even think about it. Start a verse — what we gon’ talk about? He’ll be like, ‘Cozz, write a verse about pizza.’ They got seven minutes and they put the timer on.”
Might Delete Later kicks off a busy weekend for J. Cole, who will be headlining his fourth annual Dreamville Fest in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday (April 7).
Take a listen to “7 Minute Drill” below.
[embedded content]
J. Cole has returned. The Dreamville boss surprised fans with the release of his Might Delete Later project, which arrived on Friday (April 5) without any sort of warning.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The effort is filled with 12 tracks and features assists from a diverse range of artists including Gucci Mane, Cam’ron, Bas, Central Cee, Ari Lennox, Young Dro and more.
Might Delete Later finds a handful of songs Cole teased snippets of during his Vlogs of the same name recapping his travels as part of Drake’s Big As the What? Tour earlier this year. One of which finds J.C. and Killa Cam rapping over Dipset’s “I’m Ready.”
Trending on Billboard
It appears that Might Delete Later serves as an appetizer for fans rather than an LP, as Cole reminds everyone that The Fall-Off is still on the way this year to close out the project.
The project comes two weeks after Kendrick Lamar’s atomic bomb on the rap game when he torched “Big 3” running mates Drake and J. Cole with his guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You album standout and No. 1 hit “Like That.”
J. Cole’s last album arrived in 2021 with The Off-Season, which topped the Billboard 200 to give the North Carolina rapper his sixth No. 1 album with 282,000 equivalent album units sold in the first week.
It’s going to be a busy weekend for the 39-year-old, who is hosting his annual Dreamville Fest this weekend (April 6 and April 7).
Cole is headlining the anticipated fourth edition of the festival alongside SZA, Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown. Other performers include Lil Yachty, JID, Sexyy Red, ScHoolboy Q, Teezo Touchdown, Jeezy, Monica, Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock, Jeremih, Lul Tyler, Muni Long and more.
Stream Might Delete Later below.
The wait is over — Bryson Tiller released his self-titled album on Friday (April 5) via RCA Records. “My main goal with this album is for the masses to hear everything I’m capable of doing,” Tiller told Billboard in a recent interview. “So they give me a chance and stick around as fans. My main […]
Two decades in any industry is worth celebrating, but Dynamicduo has not only persisted through the early, nascent days of Korea’s hip-hop scene but has also hit new creative and mainstream peaks ahead of reaching the 20-year milestone.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Since childhood friends Choiza and Gaeko officially paired up in 2004 with debut album Taxi Driver, the pair have trailblazed their legacy after setting records for hip-hop sales in Korea, taking top honors at mainstream awards shows in music and videos, establishing their Amoeba Culture label, and collaborating with a range of stars through the decades like DJ Premier, J.Y. Park, Tiger JK, BoA, Rain, Wonder Girls and members of K-pop groups like BTS, EXO and Monsta X.
Dyanmicduo’s three-part album, 2 Kids on the Block, officially wrapped its 10-month rollout with the release of Part.3 on March 28, with the new tracks documenting two decades of inner dialogues and growth to ultimately decide to set their sights even higher by the LP’s conclusion. Parallel to the record’s past-meets-present concept, Dynamicduo experienced balancing an old and new track, both taking over on social media for a minute in 2023. Their 2014 single “AEAO” featuring DJ Premier” went unexpectedly viral on TikTok (landing itself as one of TikTok’s Top 10 Song of Summer from South Korea), while their collaboration cut “Smoke” with rising rapper Lee Young Ji for a popular TV dance competition also took off via dance challenges, earning the guys their first-ever entry on the Billboard Global 200 chart. Helping fuel DD’s 2023 hits were infectious dance and lip-sync covers from K-pop heavyweights like V and Jung Kook of BTS, Minho, EXO, SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ITZY, ATEEZ and IVE, as well as stars across the J-pop and Korean hip-hop scenes.
Trending on Billboard
A day after the release of 2 Kids on the Block — Dynamicduo’s milestone 10th album together — was the unveiling of J-Hope from BTS’ latest solo project, Hope on the Street Vol. 1, featuring Gaeko on the lead single “NEURON.” Alongside this J-Hope collaboration, the slew of rising and established names in Korean pop, R&B, rap and even acting on 2 Kids all point to Dynamicduo’s continued influence and expert ability to navigate different musical realms for decades.
Speaking exclusively with Billboard, Dynamicduo reflect on their journey thus far, share their ambitious vision for the next decade, discuss differences between their BTS collaborations and more.
[embedded content]
Congratulations on the release of 2 Kids on the Block – Part.3. How does it feel now that the series is complete? With five full tracks, Part.3 is the longest chapter in the 2 Kids on the Block series. Was there a reason for breaking out the parts like you did?
Gaeko: We feel so happy to be able to release the album on our 20th anniversary. The timing was perfect.
Choiza: Our CEO, who had been with us since the establishment of our company, suddenly passed away as her condition worsened, and while she was here, she really liked the songs that we were working on from the tenth album. So we wanted to gift the release to her while she was still here with us. And the current state of the music market makes it impossible for people to listen to all the songs in an album. Even if we released all the songs at once, only one to two songs would have stood out, so we thought dividing it into parts would have people listen through all the songs. Lastly, this album expresses stories and the history of Dynamicduo, so we released it in several parts to sequentially tell different stages of our lives from past to present.
You also released a remix package for “AEAO” with DJ Premier and “Smoke” for Street Woman Fighter 2, both viral hits, in between parts. Was there a balance you had to find with these singles and returning to the album?
Gaeko: Apart from the hits of the two singles, we tried to refocus on maintaining the album’s concept and improving its level of completion. We took a short break, about two weeks, at the beginning of the year to refresh our minds and then got back to the grind.
Choiza: Actually, 2 Kids On The Block – Part.3 was originally going to be released as three songs last year, but “Smoke” became such a huge hit, so we couldn’t complete the album at that time. But, thanks to that, we were able to prepare five songs instead of three with the extra time we were given, and we are satisfied with how it turned out. The additional two songs that we added fit right in with the concept of the album.
Your new single, “PITAPA” featuring pH-1 and Junny, is really impressive. What inspired the theme of “pizza, tacos and pasta” and what do you hope listeners will take away?
Choiza: “PITAPA” is a song that resembles the aspiration of wanting our music to be appealing to people all over the world and to be known in such a way as pizza, taco, and pasta are as global foods familiar to everyone around the world. pH-1 and JUNNY are well-received in both Korea and overseas, so having them on the track added extra flavor and we think overseas listeners who like Korean hip-hop will have fun listening to it.
Gaeko: We felt that the words “pizza, taco, pasta” connected well and the line just stuck to our mouth. We felt the groove and loved the sound of it, so we were able to make the hook right away. “PITAPA” was the last song we worked on on the album, and it was completed quickly with the inspiration we got from our U.S. performance that we had just gotten back from.
Personally, I hear some DJ Premier influence on the production of “PITAPA.” Did his work inspire you or parts of this album after the resurgence of “AEAO”?
Choiza: “AEAO” is a song that gave us the courage to pursue overseas activities. We worked with an amazing artist, DJ Premier, and when the song resurged on TikTok, it helped bring in a wider audience, giving them exposure to who we are and our songs. The resurgence encouraged us to think that we have the potential to do something overseas and that the idea of rapping and singing in Korean would still appeal to the foreign market. “AEAO” gave us tremendous inspiration.
[embedded content]
BewhY gives props to Dynamicduo as inspiration for his career on the album track “Love Myself.” This LP has many rising rap and R&B stars. Do you have humbling moments like this where you realize your influence?
Choiza: We are very grateful that young artists are inspired by us and how long we’ve been doing this. We think one of the reasons we’ve been able to make music for so long is that we get a lot of help and learn a lot from working with new artists. We want to continue working hard and creating good music together.
Actor Jung Man Sik does the intro on “Dramatic,” which was very clever. How did he end up on the album?
Gaeko: When we got Man Sik’s part added to the song, it felt like we found the missing piece to the puzzle. We contacted him last minute, like two days before our scheduled mix session. We had nobody else in mind other than Man Sik and, luckily, it was his day off that day, and he understood exactly what we wanted and acted so quickly on it. He completed our puzzle and we want to thank him again.
[embedded content]
Gaeko, you collaborated with J-Hope of BTS on “NEURON” from Hope on the Street Vol. 1 album. Since J-Hope is enlisted and cannot share much about the song, can you tell us about how the track came together?
Gaeko: J-Hope came to my studio last year and we not only talked about music, but also talked about many different things in life — it was such a fun time and I felt his deep passion for music and dance. I think his energy transferred over to me because I was able to write the lyrics quickly. We recorded our verses separately, and I went over to HYBE and we recorded the hook together. It was a fun project.
All three verses on “NEURON” express a strong sense of positivity and gratitude. Can you share how you approached your verse? Did you hear J-Hope and Yoon Mirae’s verses, or was it all a surprise when the album came out?
Gaeko: It wasn’t until after 20 years of making music that I began to understand that good things come out only when you relax and empty yourself. I wanted to capture those emotions in the verse, and I also tried to make the overall structure of the verse simple and plain. J-Hope’s verse was already completed before I did my part, and I listened to Tasha (yoonmirae)’s verse after it was mixed. Their parts were so good so I had second thoughts on recording my part again, but I decided not to. If I did it again, I wouldn’t have been able to capture the same emotions from the initial recording, so I left it as is.
RM featured on Gaeko’s single, “Gajah” from 2017. How do the collaboration experiences and recording processes differ between RM and J-Hope?
Gaeko: I felt that the musical direction they were both pursuing was similar yet different. I felt that RM had a deep affection, understanding, and love not only for hip-hop but also for music itself. And J-Hope had a massive passion for hip-hop and dance and wanted to pour all his energy into them before enlisting into the army. I also received a lot of energy from those two.
[embedded content]
As Dynamicduo celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2024, how do you look back on the 20 yeras? Do you have anything special planned to celebrate this year?
Gaeko: Looking back now, we think that we were meant to do music. There were times when we experienced challenges, joy, and frustration, but the fact that the two of us were together in all those moments is probably the biggest accomplishment of our career.
Choiza: [The] 20th anniversary isn’t any special to us because we want to work just as hard as we’ve been and treat it like all our previous years. However, we will be holding a concert at the end of the year for our 20th anniversary and we want to make it big — we will be working hard and preparing a show for all to enjoy.
Collaboration has been a significant aspect of your career and we see it in 2 Kids. Whether it’s with fellow artists or producers, how do you approach collaborations to make them successful? Is there anyone still on your bucket list?
Choiza: We enjoy working together, but there are also a lot of new things that we discover when working with other artists. It’s fun to work with famous artists, but we also want to collaborate with rising, up-and-coming artists because we have a lot to learn from each other as well.
We think it would also be fun to mix various languages into one song. We are currently working with Thai rapper F.HERO, and we hope to work with artists from the U.S., Japan, Southeast Asia, and other parts of the world.
While K-pop impacts globally, Korean hip-hop and R&B are also rising. Do you have any thoughts—or hopes—of what it will take for these genres and artists to be more noticed internationally looking forward?
Gaeko: It’s important to make an effort to create the best work in whichever area we work in and to respect each other. We try not to set any high expectations for the results and just do our best in our field.
Choiza: Our goal is to be good at making music and to do it for a long time, so we’ll do our best to keep this going. We ask for your continued interest, and I believe that our overseas listeners will find songs that suit their tastes when they listen to all our songs that have been released so far. Please check out our 10th album as well as all our previous ones. We feel so grateful and honored to take part in this interview. Thank you for having us!
One time wasn’t enough for Future and Metro Boomin as the Atlanta rapper-producer duo are ready to spin the block again later this month. Metro Boomin shared a menacing trailer for the second serving of their double album titled We Still Don’t Trust You on Thursday (April 4). The cinematic clip features Young Metro and […]
Surfing the Pacific Ocean’s peaceful waves along with enjoying San Diego’s breeze brought Kehlani the tranquility needed to craft their upcoming project. Lani returned on Thursday (April 4) with their first offering of new music since 2022’s Blue Water Road. The airy “After Hours” hit streaming services oozing with good vibes spurring fans to get […]
Nicki Minaj cleared the tarmac for Sexyy Red’s rise to stardom when she lent the St. Louis rapper a major co-sign after hopping on the remix to her bubbling “Pound Town” anthem last year, which ended up being Red’s first Hot 100 entry.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Minaj is looking for Big Sexyy to return the favor as she recruited the 25-year-old to join her for the remix of Pink Friday 2 standout “FTCU.” Nicki turned up the pressure by taking to X — formerly known as Twitter – to get Sexyy’s attention.
“You got your verse for #FTCU? Finna drop the remix @SexyyRed314_ Left #PoundTown to go #FTCU a remix for a remix,” she wrote on Thursday (April 4).
Trending on Billboard
Hours later, Sexyy Red was summoned and appears to be down to run it back and join Minaj for another collaboration on one condition.
“Song + Video,” Red replied while hoping for the chance to star in a second visual with the Queens icon.
Minaj implored Sexyy to send over her verse and teased another potential superstar joining them both on the “FTCU” remix.
“Miss lady, bring the kids & the stroller that’s all I got to offer right now. a play date,” Nicki replied. “Let somebody film us bi$h sexy know DANG well we on tour in #gagcity Barbz. send me that verse right away pls ma’am. It’s a superstar (or 2) on there as well. GET IT SEXY!!!!!!”
Fans were ecstatic about hearing Nicki and Sexy Redd potentially reuniting. “CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING,” one person asked.
Miss lady, bring the kids & the stroller that’s all I got to offer right now. 😂 a play date. Let somebody film us bi$h 😩 sexy know DANG well we on tour in #gagcity Barbz. send me that verse right away pls ma’am. It’s a superstar (or 2) on there as well. 😝 GET IT SEXY!!!!!! https://t.co/vkBhMDkW56— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) April 4, 2024
In a conversation with Billboard last year, Sexyy Red gushed about having the opportunity to work with Minaj on “Pound Town 2.”
“It was such a good experience! She’s a sweet person, and you can really tell she’s really serious about her music,” she said. “She gave me some of the best advice that I know I’ll always come back to. I really appreciate her for being supportive and kind.”
“FTCU” debuted at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December before surging up the chart to reach a peak of No. 15. The Waka Flocka Flame-sampling track is one of two Pink Friday 2 songs still on the Hot 100 where it currently sits at No. 82.
Sexyy Red is making noise of her own on the charts as her latest Tay Keith-produced single “Get It Sexyy” is slotted in at No. 28 on this week’s Hot 100, marking her highest-charting solo track to date.
As for Nicki Minaj, she’s still on the road for the Pink Friday 2 World Tour, which returns home to the Big Apple with a stop in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Thursday night (April 4).