R&B/Hip-Hop
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Lil Nas X keeps talking about the backlog of songs he’s sitting on, so Wednesday night (April 17) the MC snuck out a track that has been floating around for several years in snippet form, the punchy “Lean On My Body.”
“I know I’m 10 years late but I’m dropping lean on my body in a couple minutes,” he tweeted around dinnertime in a post that also included the original minute-long March 2022 in which Montero rapped a verse from the song while walking on a treadmill.
“You know I love you, so I say this s–t with love/ But please tell your fans they need to shut the f–k up/ I’m doin’ real s–t, some never-worry-’bout-a-bill s–t/ Some build a house on the hill, s–t/ The money’s gravy, it’s coming crazy,” he raps, adding the swaggy lines, “My big sis just had another baby, popped ’em out the labia/ My other nephew sittin’ in the class with a broken knuckle/ He had to beat a ni–a ass for talkin’ ’bout his uncle.”
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Now, Lil Nas continues, he doesn’t condone that kind of violent behavior, then quickly changes his mind, counseling, “F–k it, yeah, I said it, I condone thats–t/ Choke that ni–a out/ Go corona on that b–ch/ Walk that ni–a like a dog, nephew own that b–ch.” The chorus leans into a gospel vibe with a heavenly choir of Monteros singing, “Lean on my body, Lord (Amen, amen, amen) Bring blessings on my soul (Amen, amen, amen)/ And when the war is over (Thank you)/ See it’s time to tell the world the war is won.”
Lil Nas has been teasing that his upcoming mixtape, Nasarati 2, is just around the corner, but at press time there was no firm release date for the follow-up to the 2018 original. Last week he posted the hard-hitting “Right There,” which he first previewed in an Instagram Story in February.
Lil Nas has been candid about the struggle to choose songs for the tape amid concerns over his fans’ perceptions of his music. Earlier this year, he wrote on Instagram, “Been hoarding music for years smh i hate my relationship with fear of my songs not doing well and perception. i wish i could just release music and not give af.” That said, he has also dumped a handful of snippets on fans to see what their reaction is in an apparent effort to aid in his track-picking.
After posting “Lean,” a fan named Mya commented, “these songs are literally hits it’s insane he’s not putting them on all streaming platforms…,” to which Lil Nas responded, “I just want yall to enjoy the music for now. We gone get to that!”
Listen to the full “Lean On My Body” and watch the rebooted teaser below.
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On Tuesday morning (April 16), GloRilla was reportedly arrested on suspicion of DUI in Georgia. According to TMZ, which first reported the arrest, the rapper (real name: Gloria Hallelujah Woods) was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, consuming/possessing an open alcoholic beverage container and a separate traffic charge in Suwanee, Georgia, a suburb […]
Nas shifted the landscape of New York hip-hop when Illmatic hit the streets in 1994. Three decades later, Escobar is looking to party like it’s the ’90s while celebrating his iconic debut album.
With Illmatic turning 30 years old on Friday (April 19), Nas is teasing something on the horizon in honor of the seminal LP.
The Queensbridge legend hinted at an upcoming collab with DJ Premier, who produced records like “N.Y. State of Mind” among others on Illmatic in addition to sequencing the project, by posting a grainy photo of the dynamic duo together from the ’90s when they were looking to make their mark on the game and another that appears to be from much more recently.
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Giddy fans proceeded to hypothesize that a project of sorts from Preemo and Nas could be in the works with the 30th anniversary of Illmatic just days away.
“Then v.s Now. What it,” Nas teased while producers Hit-Boy and The Alchemist lent their stamp of approval in the comment section.
“Will I be vindicated after all these years,” journalist Jerry Barrow wrote while seemingly alluding to the long-talked about album between the “Represent ” collaborators.
A fan voiced: “Don’t play with my emotions like this!”
The “One Love” rapper took a stroll down memory lane earlier this week when posting a series of photos from around the time Illmatic arrived and proceeded to thank those like Preemo who played a role in the acclaimed debut.
“Grainy pictures for grainy times. I had a dream I could get my favorite producers to produce on my debut album. I knew exactly what I wanted and how it should be. But I didn’t know anyone except for Paul, so I asked him would he connect me to them all. The cool soul brother that he is helped me line it up. On April 19th we smashed shit,” he reminisced.
“Even tho the album leaked months before the release date we still are apart of music history. Thank you Large Professor (Paul) and Dj Premier who drove into the projects to pick me up a time or two. Qtip , Pete Rock , and my man from The Bridge DJ LES, and my guy AZ who was just coming up himself. And thank you to everyone involved. Friday is the albums 30th. 2 The Listeners- ONE LOVE.”
DJ Premier reflected on being at all of the Illmatic sessions from start to finish. “A fun journey being at every session watching it come together and meeting all of your peeps from QB.”
Back in 2022, Nas fueled speculation the long-awaited Preemo-Escobar joint album could still be in the works. Nas touched on the mythical project on King’s Disease 3 track “30.” “Premier album still might happen,” he raps.
Premier produced three records on Illmatic (“N.Y. State of Mind,” “Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park)” and “Represent”). The duo went on to team up for tracks like “Nas Is Like” and “N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II” as well as 2022’s “Beat Breaks.”
Illmatic arrived on April 19, 1994, and debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 with 63,000 albums sold in the first week.
Find Nas’ posts surrounding Illmatic below.
Congratulations are in order for Ashanti and Nelly, who are expecting their first child together.
Ashanti announced the news in a sweet Instagram video on Wednesday (April 17), in which the “Rock Wit U” singer is seen getting ready to perform. When her mother asks her how much time she needs until she’s ready, Ashanti cleverly responds, “I’m going to need about nine months.”
To drive the message home, the 43-year-old star captioned the post “Baby baby baby baby….” Nelly also posted the video to his own Instagram page. See the post here.
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Ashanti also revealed that she’s engaged to “Just a Dream” singer to Essence, telling the publication, “This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation. Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”
The upcoming bundle of joy is Ashanti’s first child and Nelly’s fifth. The “Body On Me” singers began dating back in 2003 and the details of their romance were somewhat of a mystery to fans before they ultimately broke up in 2013. In June, fans began buzzing when Ashanti and Nelly attended the 3rd Annual Birthday Ball for Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas and were photographed together on the red carpet.
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In an interview with Love and Hip Hop‘s Rasheeda and Kirk Frost in September, Nelly confirmed the ongoing rumors of their rekindled romance. “I think we both were pretty much doing what we do, but sometimes being separate you understand one another more,” he said of the 10-year gap in their relationship. “You be like, ‘Yo, let me see exactly what they see.’ You know, because we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it. But we all a victim to that.”
The life partners were once chart rivals. Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” dislodged Ashanti’s “Foolish” from the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2002. “Foolish” had reigned for 10 consecutive weeks, before “Hot in Herre” took over for a seven-week run.
Future and Metro Boomin enjoy a wild night out in their “Drink N Dance” music video, which dropped on Wednesday (April 17). Directed by Loris Russier, the video features the dynamic duo taking over the famous Los Angeles Theatre, with its marquee spelling out the song’s title. But there’s a much different show than one […]
Victoria Monét deserves her flowers after her Coachella 2024 performance last weekend — and who better than Beyoncé to give them to her? The “On My Mama” singer showed off the white bouquet and sweet personalized note on her Instagram Story Wednesday (April 17). “Congratulations on your beautiful Coachella performance. Sending you love, B,” the […]
Nicki Minaj released her first-ever sneaker collection when teaming up with Loci earlier this month to lace the Barbz with some new footwear for the spring.
Following the collaboration with the sustainable apparel brand, PETA gave the sneaker its stamp of approval while thanking Minaj for electing to use vegan materials for the Loci’s 11 different designs.
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“Nicki Minaj has earned some serious kudos from PETA for her new sneaker line with the all-vegan brand LØCI, which will make a big difference by sparing vulnerable cows the slaughterhouse knife and showing that innovative animal-free materials — such as the recycled bottles, cork and bamboo — used for these shoes, are truly the way of the future,” the pro-animal rights group tells Billboard. “We look forward to seeing kind Barbz across the country rock these sneakers in good form.”
PETA also publicly saluted Minaj with a message to the Barbz on X on Tuesday (April 16).
“Calling all the barbs We’re excited to see that @NICKIMINAJ’s new line of #vegan sneakers spared cows & other animals by not using leather,” the nonprofit organization wrote.
An attached graphic added: “No stuffed animals for this line! The collab with Loci uses recycled bottles, recycled nylon & brass, cork, bamboo, & bio leather instead of animal-derived materials.”
The Nicki Minaj x Loci collab “epitomizes Nicki’s bold and vibrant style,” per the company’s website. She blends “high-fashion chic” with her love of streetwear throughout the 11 pink concepts. The collection arrived on April 12 and still has stock available, ranging from $185 to $200.
A side panel is inscribed with the Loci logo, essentially a slashed zero glyph. A sovereign portrait of the rapper’s face is included on the sneaker’s tongue in an ode to the company’s British roots and Minaj’s queen aesthetic.
The “Super Bass” rapper called the exclusive sneaker collaboration “an absolute dream come true.”
“Thank you to my team for helping me make this dream come to fruition,” she wrote to social media in March. “This isn’t a sponsorship. I’m an owner & partner & we will be showing you the first complete collection on 4/12. Love you BARBZ. THANK YOU.”
Nicki is rocking her Loci kicks across the border as she prepares to hit the stage in Montreal and Toronto for shows the rest of the week. The Pink Friday 2 World Tour still has stops on tap for Chicago, Detroit, Brooklyn, Minneapolis and more.
Check out the sneaker collection below.
21 Savage is living out the American Dream. The Atlanta-by-way-of-London rapper checked off another box in his ascension when he was named to Time‘s TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people. The announcement came on Wednesday (April 17) as 21 is the only hip-hop representative to receive the prestigious honor in 2024. As a […]
Doja Cat, already one of the biggest radio acts of the 2020s, expands her reach as “Agora Hills” rolls to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart dated April 20. The song climbs from No. 3 to rule the list after a 19% surge in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the week of April 5–11, according to Luminate.
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“Agora Hills,” released on Kemosabe/RCA Records, gives Doja Cat her first No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay through her eighth appearance on the chart. The singer/rapper’s previous best was a No. 8 finish for “Juicy,” with Tyga, in 2020.
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While Doja Cat is new to the throne on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, the hitmaker has been a radio force in the roughly five years since her mainstream breakthrough. She has accumulated eight No. 1s on the Pop Airplay chart since 2020 – including “Hills,” which ruled for one week in March – and has the most leaders on the chart in the 2020s, four ahead of second-place acts Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.
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Likewise, Doja Cat is one of the decade’s top dogs on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, where she has scored 11 No. 1s, all, including two-week champ “Agora Hills,” since the start of 2020. In that time, she’s second only to Drake’s 13 champs for the most chart-toppers at the radio format.
The “Agora Hills” connection with the core R&B/hip-hop audience and programmers comes following a shift in Doja Cat’s musical style on her most recent album, Scarlet. The set is a full embrace of the rap side that she occasionally showcased on her prior albums and in guest features. Doja Cat recently doubled down on the era, releasing a deluxe edition entitled Scarlet 2 CLAUDE, on April 5. The expanded set’s impact hits this week’s chart, causing Scarlet to rally 34-8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with 28,000 equivalent units for the April 5–11 tracking week, up 142%. (Both the standard and deluxe editions are combined into one listing for tracking and charting purposes.)
Elsewhere, “Agora Hills” pushes 5-3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, the track vaults to 14.6 million in audience, up 17% from last week. The former Pop Airplay champ sits at No. 5 on the format’s newest ranking, though it added 2% more plays in the past week. Similarly on Rhythmic Airplay, the ex-leader repeats at No. 6 on the latest list and essentially keeps even in plays for the week.
Thanks to steady performance at the formats, “Agora Hills” stays at No. 3 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, after having posted seven weeks at No. 2 in February-March. In the latest tracking week, it rises to 65.2 million in total audience, an 8% improvement over the previous period.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again (aka NBA YoungBoy) was arrested Tuesday (April 16) in Utah, where he has been under house arrest for more than two years while awaiting trial on federal gun charges. The rapper (real name Kentrell Gaulden) was arrested on seven charges ranging from drug and gun possession to identity fraud, according to […]