R&B/Hip-Hop
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The hip-hop world is in mourning following the tragic loss of DJ Mister Cee. Hot 97 reported on Wednesday (April 10) that Mister Cee — born Calvin LeBrun — passed away at the age of 57. His cause of death is not yet known.
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Born and bred in Brooklyn, Mister Cee served as the official DJ for Big Daddy Kane and he’s perhaps best known for discovering the iconic The Notorious B.I.G. Also known as The Finisher, Cee is credited as an executive producer on Biggie’s legendary 1994 debut Ready to Die.
In an interview with Rock The Bells last year, DJ Mister Cee crowned his Best of Biggie mixtape as his favorite in his decorated career. “That mixtape changed my life. It changed everything. My brand, my life,” he said.
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Plenty of tributes and heartfelt condolences have poured in from around the hip-hop community. Mister Cee played a role in helping elevate the careers of local artists such as 50 Cent, who showed Cee love following news of his shocking passing.
“R.I.P to the legend MR. Cee God bless him, to all his family and friends I send my condolences,” the G-Unit mogul wrote to X.
DJ Premier saluted Cee: “Damn! Endless memories in this HIP HOP CULTURE. REST PEACEFULLY TO THE FINISHER… DJ MISTER CEE LOVE YOU BRO!”
While fellow New Yorker and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D added: “Rest In Beats my man. A good dude to the fullest. @djmistercee.”
Damn! Endless memories in this HIP HOP CULTURE.REST PEACEFULLY TO THE FINISHER…DJ MISTER CEE 🫡🤎👑🙏🏾🕊️LOVE YOU BRO!— DJ Premier (@REALDJPREMIER) April 10, 2024
DJ Mister Cee spent 21 years working at Hot 97 and helming his storied Throwback at Noon segment. He greatly impacted those who worked alongside him at the station.
“We have lost the iconic Mister Cee,” Peter Rosenberg wrote. “I listened to him yesterday and am in complete shock. He was a dear friend to all of us, a wonderful man, and one of the most important and impactful DJs of all time. I love you Cee.”
Jay-Z even gave Mister Cee a shout-out on 2009’s “D.O.A.” alongside DJ Funkmaster Flex. “I made it just for Flex and Mister Cee, I want n—-s to feel threatened,” he raps.
Mister Cee is credited with introducing Fetty Wap to the Metropolitan area when he was one of the first to play his now-certified-diamond anthem “Trap Queen” on the Hot 97 airwaves during the summer of 2014.
Billboard sends its condolences to Mister Cee and his loved ones. Check out more reactions to his passing below.
We have lost the iconic Mister Cee. I listened to him yesterday and am in complete shock. He was a dear friend to all of us, a wonderful man, and one of the most important and impactful DJs of all time. I love you Cee.— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) April 10, 2024
Mister Cee was a giant. He always deserved better from the culture he built and nurtured. Despite it all, he never folded. He gave everything he had to hip-hop with an aspirational amount of responsibility, care and precision. He was deeply, deeply loved. God bless you, sir.— Karlie Hustle (@THEkarliehustle) April 10, 2024
Calvin LeBrun, better known as the legendary DJ Mister Cee has passed, according longtime employers Hot 97 and WLBS. Known as “The Finisher,” Mister Cee has been a fixture on New York City radio waves for over 25 years, helming the “Throwback at Noon” block on Hot 97 where he played classic old school hip-hop […]
Ice Spice is taking her talents to Hollywood. The 24-year-old rapper is slated to make her acting debut in Spike Lee’s High and Low, according to Variety. The movie stars Denzel Washington and serves as the English remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 original courtesy of a partnership from Apple Original Films and A24. Explore Explore […]
Babyface is headed to Las Vegas, and he’s spreading the word in the best way possible.
The legendary R&B star announced Wednesday (April 10) — via a parody video of Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC Theaters commercial — that he’s plotting a residency in Sin City with shows sprinkled throughout 2024.
In the clip, the “When Can I See You” singer re-creates almost every frame of the actress’ ad to a T, sporting a pinstripe pantsuit similar to the one she wears in the video played before every movie showing at all AMC locations in the U.S. “We come to this place for magic,” he recites, putting his own spin on Kidman’s oft-quoted monologue. “We go to the concerts to love, to cry, to care.”
According to Variety, Babyface will perform his own hits in addition to songs he’s helped write for other stars during the residency, taking the stage at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort on May 25 and 26, Aug. 31, Sept. 1 and Nov. 8 and 9. “I’ll see you in Vegas,” he adds in his spoof. Let’s time travel together.
Sharing the video to his Instagram, the 65-year-old musician wrote, “I have recently been saying that listening to music or going to an old school concert is like time traveling.” “You know, it’s like hearing a certain song that takes you right back to the house where you grew up and your mom was Spring cleaning singing every word,” he continued. “It’s like smelling a certain dish and you’re sitting right back in your mom’s kitchen.”
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“With that being said, I would like to invite you all to Vegas to walk down memory lane with me and time travel together,” Babyface added.
The announcement comes over a year after the Indiana native dropped his latest album, Girls Night Out, featuring collaborations with Muni Long, Kehlani, Ari Lennox and more. The set peaked at No. 22 on the Top R&B Albums chart.
Watch Babyface’s AMC Theaters spoof above.
After a nearly five-year hiatus, BET Media Group’s annual BET Experience — the fan fest ramp-up to its annual BET Awards — is back. BET Experience 2024 (aka BETX 2024) will be presented by Walmart from June 26 to 30 in Los Angeles. The fest will also be co-produced by Live Nation Urban.
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The most recent BETX was held in June 2019 — and featured H.E.R. as a performer — and subsequently postponed owing to the pandemic. As before, 2024’s fan fest will celebrate Black expression, artistry and culture through various activations featuring a diverse array of star artists, experts and tastemakers.
In a release announcing BETX’s return, BET Media Group president/CEO Scott Mills said, “We are proud to reintroduce BET Experience in the vibrant city of Los Angeles to celebrate the best of Black culture and entertainment. BETX 2024 is set to deliver an unprecedented week of entertainment, engagement, and empowerment all anchored in the brilliance and creativity of Black culture and our community.”
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Added Louis Carr, president of media sales for BET Media Group, “BET Experience will be the ultimate destination for premier brands, such as our presenting partner Walmart, to authentically connect with fans and celebrate the richness of Black culture. Historically, BETX has been a core part of our brand success, offering bespoke opportunities for our partners to join our celebration of Black culture and directly engage with consumers and multiple segments of the Black community in meaningful, impactful ways.”
A key highlight of BETX 2024 will be its traditional multi-night concert series. Performances this year, to be announced at a later date, will take place at various L.A. venues including the YouTube Theatre, Miracle Theatre, Crypto.com Arena and the Hollywood Bowl, and then followed by the premiere of the BET Awards 2024 on June 30. Rounding out the activations once more will be comedy shows and immersive villages focused on fashion, health, beauty, sports, food and financial empowerment. Those will be supplemented by a marketplace featuring Black and women-owned businesses and panels on economic mobility in addition to pitch opportunities for entrepreneurs.
“It’s an honor to join forces with BET Experience as this year’s presenting partner, where we can continue to champion the unlimited potential of Black creators and entrepreneurs,” said Allison Rand. She leads brand experiential and talent partnerships at Walmart. “This event is a cultural catalyst, and we’re proud to support BET’s commitment to providing a platform for celebrating Black excellence and showcasing some of the most exceptional talents in the entertainment industry.”
For more information about BETX 2024, visit the website.
With J. Cole bowing out, it’s left Kendrick Lamar and Drake in the ring, and the pair of hip-hop titans could be clashing soon. Joe Budden claimed on the Wednesday (April 10) episode of his eponymous podcast that Drizzy and K. Dot emerged from the studio with “nuclear” records that they’re gearing up to fire […]
Whether it’s Megan Thee Stallion vs. Nicki Minaj, Drake and J. Cole v. Kendrick Lamar and Future, or the City Girls fighting each other, 2024 is filling up with rap beefs. The two latest rap stars to jump in the ring are “What It Is” hitmaker Doechii and “212” emcee Azealia Banks, who jumped in the former’s Instagram comment section to throw some shade on Tuesday night (April 9).
It all started when Doechii shared a few flicks from an artsy photoshoot on the social media platform Saturday (April 6). In her caption, she mused, “Ok y’all… what should our fandom name be?”
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In response to Doechii’s question to her fans, Banks replied, “Definitely should call them the ‘wannabe’s,’” insinuating that Doechii and her supporters are mere facsimiles of herself and her fandom.
Doechii quickly clapped back, commenting, “@azealiabanksforever the first time you came for me I let it slide outta respect for my elders. It’s not my fault you sellin bussy soap and I’m sellin platinum records. Leave me alone PLEASE.”
The RIAA bestowed a platinum certification on “What It Is” in February. Banks, in comparison, does not have a single or album certified by the RIAA.
Banks has yet to respond to Doechii’s jab, but that’s likely not too high on her priority list given her recent tussles with other high-profile artists. On Sunday (April 7), she shared an Instagram post in which she wrote that “Tyler, the Creator and Lil Nas X should get over their obsession with broke white b—y and become a power couple.” Two weeks prior on March 20, she dragged Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter album cover and title, only to later slam Lily Allen for talking down on Queen Bey’s country pivot.
Doechii, for her part, is enjoying the release of her latest single — the house-inflected “Alter Ego” — which features fellow Florida native JT of City Girls.
Since signing with Capitol Records and Top Dawg Entertainment in 2022, Doechii has enjoyed some of her biggest commercial success yet, including a top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit with the Kodak Black-assisted “What It Is” and a collaboration with Billboard 200-topping superstar SZA (“Persuasive”).
By 2004, Usher had achieved a level of success that any artist would envy. Just shy of seven years since his commercial breakthrough, the star had become one of the leading R&B/pop crossover artists, his last two albums had collectively produced six top five Billboard Hot 100 hits, and he was fresh off a pair of Grammys — the two-time champ for best male R&B vocal performance. Yet for all the accolades, there was little intrigue about the man behind the music.
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“The media wasn’t completely sold on Usher and Usher’s interest inside and outside of the music,” Jermaine Dupri, the singer’s frequent collaborator, told Billboard in 2014. “‘How do we make him interesting?’ was the conversation.”
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From discussions with Dupri and other A-list creators — including Bryan-Michael Cox, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Just Blaze and Lil Jon — the creative hive found its answer: Confessions. Just 25 at the time, Usher broke new artistic ground with songs that explored the painful subject of infidelity that many speculated were references to his failed relationship with TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas.
Dupri has since claimed that some of the songs — including perhaps the album’s central track, “Confessions Part II” — were inspired by his own personal drama, but whatever the case, Confessions‘ intimate tone unlocked a new public fascination with Usher. Its lead single, the crunk-laced club-banger “Yeah!” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, earned resounding approval from audiences and flew to No. 1 on the Hot 100, holding the spot for 12 consecutive weeks.
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The next two Confessions singles, torching breakup ballad “Burn” and the tell-all “Confessions Part II,” were also clear winners. “Burn” knocked “Yeah!” from the Hot 100’s apex in May and logged its own eight-week nonconsecutive reign (interrupted for one week by American Idol winner Fantasia’s “I Believe,”), but soon gave way to “Confessions Part II,” a two-week champ in June.
After a dominant spring and summer, Confessions didn’t relent for the autumn. An expanded special edition landed in stores that October, led by a new duet that united the reigning king and queen of R&B: Usher and Alicia Keys. With both artists on a hot streak, their collaboration “My Boo” was a no-brainer hit that landed a six-week Hot 100 domination from October to December.
Confessions-mania, of course, made the album a titan as well. The set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 1.1 million in its first week, according to Luminate. Thanks to the parade of hit singles, Confessions ruled the albums chart for nine weeks and was the top-selling album of 2004.
Since that Confessions tidal wave, Usher kept churning out more hits in the ensuing years, with two more Hot 100 No. 1s. “Love in this Club,” featuring Young Jeezy (2008), and “OMG,” featuring Will.i.am (2010), and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs leaders “There Goes My Baby” (2010) and Climax” (2012) were among the highlights.
While his output cooled in the 2010s, his momentum was reinvigorated to huge acclaim in the early 2020s. His Las Vegas residency, My Way, was a major commercial success and cultural discussion point, with several videos from the show translating into viral social media moments. That triumph set him up for the biggest stage of all: Usher headlined the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, the highest-rated in U.S. history and, of course, featured tracks from his most successful album. Keys joined for a much-memed rendition of “My Boo,” while “Yeah!,” with Lil Jon and Ludacris in attendance, wrapped the set.
Megan Thee Stallion has described her next era as a “rebirth” heading toward the release of an album later this year. It will be her first offering since Tory Lanez was sentenced last year in the shooting case against her, with Meg looking to close the book on the traumatic chapter of her life and build herself back up even stronger.
The Houston Hottie is the latest cover star of Women’s Health, and in the accompanying interview published on Wednesday (April 10), she reflected on the “dark times” following the Lanez 2020 shooting, which took a toll on her mental health.
“A lot of people didn’t treat me like I was human for a long time,” she said. “I feel like everybody was always used to me being the fun and happy party girl. I watched people build me up, tear me down, and be confused about their expectations of me. As a Black woman, as a darker Black woman, I also feel like people expect me to take the punches, take the beating, take the lashings and handle it with grace. But I’m human.”
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It wasn’t until Megan started therapy that her healing process began. She now works out four to five times a week with a regimen that includes hitting the gym, pilates and beach training.
“Before I went onstage, I would be crying half the time because I didn’t want to [perform], but I also didn’t want to upset my fans,” Thee Stallion admitted. “I didn’t want to get [out] from under the covers. I stayed in my room. I would not turn the lights on. I had blackout curtains. I didn’t want to see the sun. I knew I wasn’t myself. It took me a while to acknowledge that I was depressed. But once I started talking to a therapist, I was able to be truthful with myself.”
Tory Lanez was ultimately sentenced to 10 years behind bars on three felony counts over the incident, in which he shot Meg in the foot during an argument following a July 2020 pool party in the Hollywood Hills.
According to prosecutors, Megan got out of a car during an argument following a party at reality star Kylie Jenner’s house and began walking away when Lanez shouted, “Dance, b—h!” and proceeded to shoot.
Megan Thee Stallion on the cover of Women’s Health 2024 Body Issue.
Ramona Rosales for Women’s Health
The 29-year-old kicked off her new era last year with a series of serpentine-themed singles. Meg’s scathing “Hiss” track — which takes aim at the likes of Tory Lanez, Nicki Minaj and Drake — soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February.
“I was inspired to create this album about rebirth because I feel I am becoming a new person physically and mentally,” Meg added.
Her upcoming LP does not yet have a release date. Megan Thee Stallion’s last album, Traumazine, arrived in August 2022 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
Check out Megan Thee Stallion’s Women’s Health cover below.
Ramona Rosales for Women’s Health
Cardi B has been teasing news about her as-yet-unscheduled, untitled sophomore album for months now. The “Bongos” MC hasn’t given any indication of how far in she is or when we can expect the follow-up to her 2018 smash full-length debut album, Invasion of Privacy, but over the weekend she got some killer advice from […]