R&B/Hip-Hop
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Drake is headed back out on the road next year. On Monday morning (Nov. 13), the 6 God revealed the dates for his upcoming 2024 U.S. run titled It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As the What?, which will feature support from J. Cole on most dates.
The 22-date run of show presented by Cash App and Visa and produced by Live Nation will feature a number of back-to-back arena dates, kicking off with two gigs at Ball Arena in Denver, CO on Jan. 18 and 19. The run will then double-up in New Orleans, Nashville and Columbus before winding down with a show at The Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, AL.
The 2024 dates will follow on the heels of Drake’s recently completed It’s All A Blur tour, which found the rapper playing 50 sold-out arena dates across North American in the summer and fall in support of his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. Tickets for the tour will be available starting with the Cash App card presale beginning on Wednesday (Nov. 15), followed by a general onsale beginning Friday (Nov. 17) starting at 11 a.m. local time here.
Check out the dates for Drake’s It’s All a blur Tour – Big As The What? below.
Jan. 18 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena +
Jan. 19 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
Jan. 22 – San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center – San Antonio
Jan. 25 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
Jan. 29 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center +
Jan. 30 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
Feb. 2 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
Feb. 7 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +
Feb. 8 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +
Feb. 12 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Arena
Feb. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Feb. 20 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center +
Feb. 21 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
Feb. 24 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Feb. 27 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
March 2 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
March 5 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
March 10 – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
March 14 – Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena ~
March 18 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center ~
March 23 – Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena ~
March 27 – Birmingham, AL @ The Legacy Arena at BJCC ~
+ Rescheduled dates
~ Without J. Cole
Back in June, Trippie Redd announced the dates for his 2023 Take Me Away tour, a North American fall outing that was slated to kick off on August 31 and keep him on the road through Oct. 9. And then, recently, the “Danny Phantom” MC canceled the dates with no explanation. Explore Explore See latest […]
“They look so good together!” That was just one of the many enthusiastic fan pronouncements overheard during the Los Angeles stop for one of the year’s most anticipated reunion tours: Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné!: Just Me and You Tour 2023.
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The Oakland, California-bred R&B trio — brothers Raphael Saadiq and D’Wayne Wiggins, plus cousin Timothy Christian Riley — also sounded just as damn good as they did in their ‘90s heyday. From the time the group jumpstarted Saturday night’s (Nov. 11) proceedings with “House Party (I Don’t Know What You Come to Do)” from 1991’s House Party 2 soundtrack until exiting arm-in-arm after rocking Inglewood (L.A.), California’s YouTube Theater with the fitting finale “Feels Good,” Tony! Toni! Toné! kept the audience on its feet for nearly two hours. Also getting their groove on during the sold-out, no-phones show: actor/comedian Eddie Murphy, Common and Jennifer Hudson, producer No I.D., NBA legend John Salley and actor Anthony Anderson.
“Where are my Day Ones at … Are you all ready to go on this journey?” queried Saadiq during the first half of the show, which included such hits as “If I Had No Loot,” “Let’s Get Down” and “Whatever You Want,” plus fan faves like “Til Last Summer.” Throughout the evening, the individual talents of each of the titular TTT members was spotlighted.
Wiggins was vocal lead on “Whatever You Want” and “Til Last Summer,” which were sing-along crowd-pleasers, as was his dexterous guitar playing. Riley’s commanding presence on keyboards also drew raves — at one point while playing, he went down on his knees, which prompted Saadiq to note, “That’s new!” Bassist Saadiq’s own tenor-to-falsetto vocals rounded out the trio’s still sublime harmonies as on the classic “(Lay Your Head on My) Pillow.” Also getting their chance to shine were members of TTT’s skilled band and estimable background singers.
From there, after a 10-minute intermission, the Tonys pulled out all the stops. Among the highlights: Saadiq revisiting his work as a solo artist (“Be Here”), as a member of Lucy Pearl (“Dance Tonight”) and as a songwriter/producer behind hits for other artists. That oh-wow trip down memory lane included D’Angelo’s “Lady” and “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” Erykah Badu/Common’s “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” and Solange’s “Cranes in the Sky.” After that, a massive singalong ensued as the group shifted into fourth gear with “It Never Rains (In Southern California),” “Anniversary” and the aforementioned “Feels Good.”
Declared Wiggins of the evening, “It’s been 25 years since we’ve been onstage together. We are family forever!”
Kicking off Sept. 21 in Birmingham, the 25-date Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné!: Just Me and You Tour 2023 itinerary included stops in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Las Vegas. The trek will wrap later this week when the group returns to its Bay Area stomping grounds: Oakland (Nov. 14-15) and San Francisco (Nov. 17).
In May, Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar reintroduced themselves as “The Hillbillies,” a quirky pair of big flexers (“One-hundred and fifty grams of protein,” Dot raps in the duo’s eponymous single) and even bigger spenders who show off their lavish lifestyles and Lamar’s embossed python square toe 3-inch heel cowboy boots in “The Hillbillies” music video. But the opening shot at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium and goofy cameo from Tyler, the Creator — who confirmed Camp Flog Gnaw would officially return this year for the first time since the pandemic at the end of the clip — foreshadowed Saturday night (Nov. 11), where Lamar and Keem took over Flog Gnaw night one’s headliner slot hillbilly style, of course.
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But Keem started off the evening with a surprise: He debuted the trailer for The Melodic Blue short film, starring him, Amandla Stenberg, Shakira Ja’Nai Paye and more, that will premiere Dec. 5 on Amazon Prime Video. But the lead actor let “Savior – Interlude” play out like a movie’s beginning credits while sitting on the hood of an old-school black car, Lamar lounging in the front seat before shooting the s— with his baby cousin in the black-and-white video that was projected on the stage’s middle screen.
After Lamar officially introduced himself as “the OG Hillbilly” in a Beverly Hillbillies-inspired accent, the bombastic beginning horns of “Family Ties” activated the audience, with fans shaking off any exhaustion they’d sustained throughout the day. Despite the contradictory opulence of his hillbilly aesthetic, Lamar opted for a vintage brown sports jacket, white jersey, ripped jeans and Timberland boots with small square-frame glasses. He’s already claimed the rap throne a long time ago — and he’s certainly looked the part before, from sitting on an actual throne in his 2015 “King Kunta” music video to wearing a crown of [Tiffany & Co. diamond-encrusted] thorns at 2022 Glastonbury Festival. But his current attire represented humble beginnings that can get flipped on their head.
But no amount of money in the world could buy the happiness experienced during the family reunion, which even projected the “Family Ties” cover art — an old photo of Lamar, Keem and their unidentifiable relatives — onto the Camp Stage. Yet during Saturday night’s performance, the passionate festival-goers found themselves in the picture instead. Lamar spoke to his younger fans, some of whom he estimated were 9 or 10-years-old when they first discovered him, and guided them through his biggest hits from his 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city, his 2017 album DAMN. and all the essentials in between. If his music raised these kids, then Lamar’s family was far more extensive than any photo could ever show.
But his relationship with Keem is different because it’s inside their DNA. With everyone flinging their arms in the air with reckless abandon, Lamar’s rousing performance of “Alright” was more than just a tough act to follow — the set could’ve very finished right then and there. But in between songs, he pleaded with his cousin (whom he endearingly referred to as “nephew” earlier) to save him from the “s—” music that’s being put out lately. Keem stepped up to the plate and offered a smorgasbord of his own hits, including his 2019 sleeper hit “Orange Soda,” his TikTok-fueled cut “Lost Souls” from his 2021 debut album, The Melodic Blue, and his stirring feature on Kanye West‘s “Praise God” from Donda.
And what better way to finish off their performance than with the live debut of “The Hillbillies” — which earned a 2024 Grammy nomination for best rap performance just the day before the festival — and having Tyler run back his music video cameo. Shuffling across the stage, the festival’s chief curator felt like The Hillbillies’ long-lost cousin, his eccentric mannerisms being on par with those of Lamar and Keem’s as the trio entertained the audience with their shenanigans. Watching two rap titans and one incredibly promising rising star run around the stage felt like watching three kids run around the neighborhood playground. Flog Gnaw is Tyler’s personal playground after all, where imagination is limitless. Fans might’ve usually referred to Keem as “Two-Phone Baby Keem” and Lamar as “Dot,” “Oklama” or any one of his other notorious nicknames, but for that night, they were The Hillbillies.
Check out the full set list for The Hillbillies’ Camp Flog Gnaw headlining set below:
1. “Savior – Interlude”
2. “Family Ties”
3. “N95”
4. “A.D.H.D”
5. “Element”
6. “Hooligan”
7. “Honest”
8. “DNA.”
9. “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
10. “Trademark USA”
11. “Lost Souls”
12. “m.A.A.d city”
13. “Praise God”
14. “Humble”
15. “Orange Soda”
16. “16”
17. “Range Brothers”
18. “Backseat Freestyle”
19. “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”
20. “Money Trees”
21. “Alright”
22. “Vent”
23. “Savior”
24. “The Hillbillies”
James Fauntleroy says he learned of his and Terrace Martin’s nomination for their first joint collaboration, Nova, when he awoke to 38 text messages on Friday (Nov. 10). “I was worried at first, you know, that it was something bad,” says Fauntleroy about seeing the flurry of messages about the project landing a berth in […]
Coco Jones was 11 years old when she made her first CD. Despite being a novice, the singer/songwriter had dreams of one day winning best new artist at the Grammy Awards. Fourteen years later, Jones, 25, finds herself closer than ever to achieving that feat after notching five Grammy nominations Friday morning (Nov. 10).
“That child-like faith is what kept me going,” Jones relayed to Billboard hours after receiving the news.
This year, Jones morphed into one of music’s most formidable double-threats, thriving in both R&B and acting. Her breathtaking vocals on the Billboard Hot 100 hit “ICU” propelled her to platinum status and granted her a feature alongside pop giant Justin Timberlake for the song’s remix. Aside from “ICU,” Jones’ debut EP, What I Didn’t Tell You, captures every angle of the multi-faceted star and is a lush attempt at solidifying her place in the ever-growing R&B landscape.
“I think this is my first stamp of approval, recognition, and respect on my name,” says the best new artist nominee. “Honestly, I get why it’s now because I wasn’t ready before. As a child actor, I didn’t know myself. So, to me, it all makes sense why it’s right now and why it’s gonna be forever.”
Billboard spoke to Jones about being closer to her Grammy dreams, the beauty behind her mom’s prayers, and why R&B is in an amazing place.
I heard you were on a plane when you found out you were nominated for five Grammy nominations.
Honestly, I had just went to a celebratory dinner with my tour crew because we just finished the last show of the American leg of my tour. So, when I got on that plane, I was knocked out and I kept feeling this vibration like, “Dang. They driving crazy on this plane.” Then I was like, “What is this vibrating?” And of course, I had my Wi-Fi on so I can get text messages. I just saw all these messages and I knew what it was because I knew the nominations were this morning. I literally prayed with my manager [and] prayed with my mom last night. I knew it was something good and I was just shocked. I still had my sleep mask on, one eye off and I was just shocked. I was like, “How long I got on this flight? I wanna call people back.” It was crazy.
Between being nominated for best new artist versus “ICU” going platinum, which feat resonates with you more?
Oh, that’s really tough. That’s really tough. Honestly, let me think about that for a second because I don’t know. They both mean something so different to me. “ICU” is about my personal work. It’s something that I took risks to be vulnerable and say, this is my story, but best new artist is all-encompassing. It’s like you as an artist, how you carry yourself, [and] how you present yourself. It’s you. I’m just gonna have to leave it as inconclusive because I don’t know.
You said last month in an interview with HITS that you wanted to win best new artist. Your manifestation game is pretty strong, since you’re halfway there.
You know what? I really think it’s my mama’s prayers. Ever since I was a kid, she would write them down and I would see them on the wall — the prayers that she typed out for me, my brothers and my sisters. We all had specific prayers that she just stood on my entire life. I think it’s her.
What are your thoughts on R&B receiving a lot of love this year in the field, ranging from SZA to Victoria Monét and, of course, yourself?
Everything fluctuates and I love studying the Billboard charts. I tell y’all that all the time. It’s the world. It’s constantly changing, evolving and repeating. I feel like we just hit that rinse cycle and we’re going back to such a hearty type of music that connects. We need connection right now. We need to connect with people. We need those relationships again. We need songs about love again. That’s what the human race needs. As I’m watching R&B have its resurgence, it’s because we’ve been through a lot as a human race and we need connection again. We need passion. That to me is R&B. It’s vulnerability. It’s the pain. It’s the good. It’s sticking through rough relationships. It’s leaving bad relationships, but it’s very honest and I think that honesty is starting to be desired deeply again. I mean, it’s clear in these nominations that me, Victoria and everyone [else] are really putting R&B back on the map in a different way. I just feel like it’s time again.
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I was worried about you being labeled as just “the girl with the ‘ICU’ song.” With your project What I Didn’t Tell You being nominated as well, what does it mean for the overall effort itself to receive its just due versus the success of the single?
The project in itself was my introductory, renaissance moment. It was my re-introduction of myself into the music industry. The last time they heard me in a big way was when I was 16. So I tried to give them different sides of me. All the capabilities that I could think of that I fit on an EP at that time, I wanted to them to know what they’re getting from me and decide if they like it or not. This is me. I didn’t want them to not just love “ICU,” but to love “Headlines,” where I’m really talking my sh-t. To love “Fallin” and “Plan B” where I’m more sensual. To love “Double Back” where I pay homage to SWV. These are sides of me.
So to me, they’re just giving me my big ups for every side of me, not just the soulful side that I can tap into, but the upbeat [ones] like “Crazy For Me.” To me, it just shows that they see where I’m trying to go and how I’m trying to diversify myself and be in every lane, be in every cadence, be in every tempo, and eat it up my way. They’re giving me my big ups to do that. It’s really motivating for my debut album. This was my freshman EP. I feel like a freshman, you know?
Knowing your journey to get here, do you finally feel vindicated as a singer/songwriter after today’s milestones?
It does feel like that. It kinda feel like [I got] this stamp on my name. As soon as you see it, it’s like, “Oh. Don’t play with her.” Respect her. Open your ears. She’s serious. She’s good. She’s quality. Beyonce has the stamp. She got it like multiple times. I think this is my first stamp of approval, recognition and respect on my name. Honestly, I get why it’s now because I wasn’t ready before. As a child actor, I didn’t know myself. So, to me, it all makes sense why it’s right now and why it’s gonna be forever.
Victoria Monét always had it written on her vision board that she would one day become a Grammy-nominated artist. She probably didn’t foresee that the achievement would also happen simultaneously for her 2-year-old daughter, Hazel.
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After Hazel has shown flashes of brilliance and a keen sense of musicality by making what her mommy describes as “potty songs,” on Friday (Nov. 10), Monét’s daughter became the youngest Grammy nominee in history, after being credited on her mom’s song “Hollywood” alongside Earth, Wind and Fire.
“I’m so proud of her, but she has no idea. She’s just on the phone watching Baby Shark, chilling, while we’re all celebrating,” Monét tells Billboard after earning seven 2024 Grammy nominations of her own. “She’s like, kind of panicking, because she doesn’t know why we’re all screaming. I know I’ll be able to explain it to her when she gets older, and she’ll definitely appreciate it because she’s already into music and is starting to write songs unknowingly. She’s making potty songs and all that kind of stuff. So I’m super excited that this will be something that she has forever. I’m already thinking about her wardrobe for the Grammys.”
Though parenting the youngest Grammy-nominated artist is a humble flex, Monét’s bragging rights result from her own songwriting abilities. Lauded as a premier songwriter thanks in part to Ariana Grande’s smashes “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings,” Monét became an R&B contender this year when she released her project Jaguar II. Headlined by her buzzy single “On My Mama,” Monét served Black Girl Magic on a song brimming with positive affirmations and swagger. With her Grammy nominations including best new artist and record of the year, Monét is finally becoming the star she always saw in the mirror.
“I just think this a big deal and is something I always wanted people to see for me and not just me seeing it for myself,” she says. “Today is a big win.”
Billboard spoke to Monét about her seven nominations, finally being “seen” for the artist that she is, and the importance of Black women uplifting each other.
What was the initial reaction in the Monét household this morning?
Oh my God! I actually got a hotel because my house is under construction. I just wanted to be able to have my team over, watch it and celebrate. Pending that we didn’t get nominations, we definitely set ourselves up to fall hard because we already have balloons. We already had champagne pulled out and a TV set up. We were on Zoom with my whole PR team and we’re just super excited. We were hoping for the best for sure, but we were gonna be grateful just to be together and drinking. Champagne had our backs today.
Jelly Roll is also nominated for best new artist, and he made a viral speech the other night at the CMAs about receiving his flowers at an older age. Knowing that you’ve been in the music industry as a songwriter first, what does it mean for you to get honored for a category like best new artist at this stage of your career?
I’m really just so happy. It feels like a long time coming. I guess the easiest way to explain it is like when you have a team that’s been underrated and the underdog for a long time, and they finally go to the Super Bowl — it’s that feeling. As a fan, I’m sure people are like, “See! I told you. I been knew!” And then, newcomers are now discovering the strengths and to be the person that’s on the receiving end, it just feels like, oh my God. It’s such a great validation for all the sacrifices, the hard work and the “no’s” that I received. I love even in movies when there’s this great underdog story, when this person keeps finding a way and ends up where they really wanted to be. I feel like this is the road to that with these nominations.
Your friend and executive producer, D’Mile, was also nominated for producer of the year. Have you guys been able to touch base at all about your wins today?
Yes! We FaceTimed immediately as soon as I saw he was nominated for producer of the year. We FaceTimed him and we watched the rest of the ceremony together. His stream was a little bit earlier than mine, funny enough. So he would be celebrating and I’m like, “Wait. What happened?” So I would get it like 30 seconds later and I’m like, “Oh shoot!” We got to share that moment together. We credited my manager for one of the reasons why he’s nominated, because when we got on a call to go over the categories that exist — like what songs to submit to what categories — we were encouraging D’Mile to submit for producer of the year, because it didn’t occur to him that he should. So he did, and he’s actually nominated. I’m just so happy for him, and he’s actually on his way to the hotel now to celebrate.
What I’ve loved about the success of “On My Mama” is the outpouring of support from Black women in the music and entertainment space. What has that feeling been like for you?
I feel like it’s extra special when you see Black women supporting each other publicly, because I also think publicly, we are pitted against each other a lot. In this world it only seems like there’s only room for very few of us, if not one of us — like, only one queen. I feel like super appreciative when we go against that narrative and support each other, like, “No. There’s room for all of us at the top.” I always look at it like songs are three minutes long and there’s so many minutes in a day, why can’t we all be heard?
I really am grateful for all my sisters who show me love loudly. The text messages are appreciated, but it means so much more going against the grain if you’re being supportive online and showing love. I love to see that and wanna keep that alive.
Seven Grammy nominations and six Soul Train Music Awards in 2023 – did you have any of this on your vision board coming into this year?
Oh my God! The Grammys have been on my vision board since I stepped foot into a studio. I always saw Kanye [West] and his 16 Grammys — at the time I remember he had 16 and that was the goal. I remember I said, “I want 16 Grammys. That would be so amazing.” The Grammys are extra special because they’re not just a fan-voted thing — I appreciate fans’ support, of course — `but it’s different when you’re acknowledged by your peers, or people who actually do what you do, because they understand what it takes, the sacrifices that have been made, and the work that has been put in.
The Grammys hit so different. Today I feel so seen and elated. I just wanna celebrate. I told my team that I wish I had a job to quit because I sure would. I would say, “I’m Grammy-nominated. I quit!” [laughs] It feels so nice and it feels so good. I’m so proud of my team. There’s so many people that go into making dreams come true, and I know that this journey hasn’t been one I walked alone, even though music can sometimes makes you feel isolated. But today I feel seen and just so happy for my team that they were able to assist me on this layup.
I love how you’ve used the word “seen” when describing this feat, because to me, you’ve been “seen” and spotlighted from a songwriting standpoint in the past. Do you feel after today that you’ve gotten that extra boost of validation and confidence from an artist perspective?
Oh yeah, I definitely do. I feel there’s so many things that I can relate it to when I look at movies, or when people try to pigeonhole you into one thing and don’t always see you for what you’ve always been. So you just kind of have to move with grace and give people the opportunity to change your mind and keep putting up shots. I think that’s what’s happening today. The narrative has changed. It’s Victoria Monét, the songwriter and you can officially add [Grammy-nominated] artist. [laughs] I just think that’s a big deal and is something I always wanted people to see for me and not just me seeing it for myself. Today is a big win.
Snoop Dogg is a man of his word. After promising to return a verse to T-Pain within the next 48 hours upon receiving it, The Doggfather delivered, and as a result, the “Buy U a Drank” crooner released his new single “That’s How We Ballin.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, […]
Chris Brown just dropped his aptly named 11th studio album 11:11 on Friday, Nov. 10 via Chris Brown Entertainment and RCA Records. As the title suggests, the hip-hop star was originally set to release the album on Saturday (11/11, get it?) — but on Instagram, he announced in a short clip that “I’mma give [the […]
Jack Harlow dropped a new single “Lovin On Me” Friday (Nov. 10) via Generation Now and Atlantic Records. “Thank u for allowing me to reset this year. I moved back to Kentucky and gave u an album I could not have made on the road. Surrounded by family & childhood friends this has been one […]