R&B/Hip-Hop
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“We’re going to scream our faces off!” So declared two cowboy-garbed fans even before Beyoncé stepped onstage to kick off the first show of her Cowboy Carter Tour last night (April 28). Multiply those two sets of screams by the thousands of others screaming, cheering and dancing inside Inglewood, Calif.’s SoFi Stadium throughout the 35–time […]
Yung Miami is clapping back at speculation she’s in pursuit of NFL draftee Shedeur Sanders. On Sunday (April 27), the former City Girls rapper responded to someone on X who implied she was “making it sooo obvious” that she romantically wants Sanders. “Y’all b—hes don’t know what ‘supporting your ppl’ look like!!!!” she wrote in […]
When Wiz Khalifa‘s seminal mixtape Kush and Orange Juice dropped in 2009, the Pittsburgh staple brought a new sound and lifestyle that forever shifted the hip-hop landscape.
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“The mode I was in — tapped in with the fans, being on the road, buying Jordans, wearing Chucks, wearing camo shorts every day,” recalls Khalifa a decade-and-a-half later to Billboard. “[I] was literally smoking Kush and drinking orange juice, [and] putting the world onto a whole lifestyle that we were living.”
Earlier this month, Khalifa kept the Kush and Orange Juice legacy alive when he released the sequel to his magnum opus. He enlisted familiar faces such as Taylor Gang affiliates Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J and Chevy Woods while linking up with new characters including LaRussell, Don Toliver and Larry June, making this 23-track ride memorable. The album’s standout tracks, such as the swagger-filled “Pimps n Hustlers” and the Curren$y-featured “Jet Taylor,” showcase the same gusto that made Kush and Orange Juice a classic.
“I wasn’t nervous at all,” Khalifa confidently states when facing the arduous task of following up his 2009 classic. “It was something that I felt I could challenge myself to do. And I would also know if it was it or wasn’t it. There were a couple of times during the process where I would get to maybe I’m done, maybe I figured it out, and I did, but the fans would always let me know what direction to shift it. When I finally got to the end of it, I was 100% confident. So, it wasn’t scary. It was fun trying to figure it out.”
Wiz Khalifa, the spry MC who emerged as the cornerstone of stoner rap in the early 2010s, has transcended past being a caliber MC from the Blog Era. He has become a Billboard Hot 100 contender, courtesy of his rap bona fides. His journey from songs such as “Black & Yellow,” “We Dem Boyz” and “Work Hard, Play Hard” to the melancholic anthem “See You Again” placed him in the venerable territory, hitting Diamond status and accruing 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, is a testament to his evolution. This growth, from his stoner rap roots to becoming a Hot 100 contender, is something that his fans can take pride in. Despite these milestones, Khalifa’s love for hip-hop runs deep in his blood, as proven by his latest freestyles over J. Cole’s “Clouds” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Squabble Up.”
“I did it strategically,” says Khalifa, revealing a key aspect of his creative process. “I started working on the album and removed myself from social media for a bit. It was about four months, and I didn’t scroll or digest anything. It was on purpose because I had to find myself and figure out what I was going to do regardless of what was going on around me.”
Watch Khalifa’s full Billboard News In Conversation interview above, during which he spoke about his love for Snoop Dogg, linking up with J. Cole and more.
Cardi B has never been one to pull punches when it comes to her love life. And on Sunday (April 27) the “Bongos” rapper took to Twitter Spaces to lay it all out about the new man she said is rocking her world. While Cardi did not name names, she did give the gentleman props […]
Beyoncé launched her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin Circuit world tour on Monday night (April 28) with the first of five shows at SoFi Stadium in L.A. And, as usual, it was a high-energy, high-fashion feast for the eyes and ears that lasted nearly three-hours. After opening with the Cowboy Carter track “Ameriican Requiem” […]
Lizzo celebrated her 37th birthday on Sunday, and at one point during her party, she was overcome with emotion to the point that it brought the flute-playing singer to tears. The Detroit native took a moment to reflect on her party, and she said time stood still as she took in seeing her family members […]
Doechii’s 2023 breakout hit “What It Is (Block Boy)” was originally intended to land on Normani‘s debut album according to songwriter Bianca “Blush” Atterberry.
Atterberry explained over the weekend in a TikTok video how she was commissioned by RCA Records to write tracks for Normani and what led to “What It Is” eventually landing with Doechii.
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“This record ‘What It Is’ was intended for Normani. Me, J White [Did It], Verse Simmons and Fresh locked in. Label set it up — they wanted records for Normani,” she said. “We all got together in the studio. We were locked in for like three days and we got about six songs and ‘What It Is’ was one of them.”
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Once the song was finished, Atterberry knew they had a hit on their hands. “We immediately knew,” she stated of the track’s potential. “We were like, ‘This is a smash. This is one of them ones.’ You just be knowing.”
They played it for RCA Records and Normani, but she didn’t think “it was something that fit her vision” at the time. “Which is normal. It happens all the time,” she added. “Sometimes that’s just how this works… It’s not odd. It’s very normal.”
After holding onto the track for a couple of years and disregarding a few other artists who attempted to cut the record, Doechii entered the fold. “We heard it and absolutely loved it. We were like, ‘She’s out of here. She’s a star.’ Always been a star.”
Atterberry made sure to defend Normani’s decision to pass on the track. “We uplift over here,” Blush concluded.
“What It Is (Block Boy)” arrived in March 2023 with a version featuring an assist from Kodak Black. The J White Did It and Brian Kennedy-produced track served as the TDE rapper’s first Billboard Hot 100 entry, which hit the top 40 and peaked at No. 29.
Normani’s much-delayed debut album, Dopamine, was released in June 2024 and landed at No. 91 on the Billboard 200.
Watch the full oral history of “What It Is” from Blush’s perspective below.
There’s an air of anticipation in the lobby on Mercer Labs. Executives swirl around in controlled chaos — taking phone calls, sending texts, giving instructions to the staff. The art and technology museum in Manhattan’s bustling Financial District is about to welcome Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes and a handful of other celebrated artists to preview a brand new exhibit titled Maestros and the Machines.
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They are also prepping for the arrival of the museum’s founder, Roy Nachum, as well as iconic producer Timbaland. As everyone stands by the door, an employee is reminded to offer Timbo a drink when he walks in, which he does nonchalantly alongside his fiancée. Timbaland merely asks for a water; Nachum enters just as casually a few moments later, and the two of them embrace like old friends.
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Maestros and The Machines — which opened to the general public on Friday (Apr. 25), and was created in collaboration with Looking Glass, Som Vivo, Bang & Olfusen and Monom — is an exhibit that seeks to disrupt our preconceived notions around what can and can’t be considered art. In one installation, attendees sit around a dimly lit table and are given a handful of Crayola crayons to color in a childlike sketch of a dinosaur, which is then placed on a digital scanner. In an instant, the dinosaur comes alive as a 360-degree projection, then wanders around a digitized forest, interacting with wildlife and taking on a newfound charm in the process.
“Imperfection is perfection,” Timbaland tells Billboard at the museum. Nachum tapped Timbo to handle the exhibit’s sound design — partially out of fandom for the producer, but also because of their shared views on art in the age of A.I. The exhibit’s expansive three floors focus heavily on re-imagining classical works from Da Vinci, Hokusai, Mozart and others, meshing them with 4D soundscapes and other kaleidoscopic technology tools via A.I. to push the piece’s mortal boundaries.
To add in this immersive experience and soundtrack the kaleidoscopic murals, Timbaland curated a lush collection of operatic voices, classical music and, of course, beats. In one foggy, cerulean lit room, we all lie on our backs and listen as distorted reworkings of Mozart’s most famous works swell and fade around us. The sounds twist and turn, suggesting that time itself doesn’t bind art to one historical period, and even the most iconic pieces of art can be re-molded.
“You want the mistake, it’s the organic, it’s the life,” says Nachum. He picks up a half-empty bottle of Coke and holds it precariously in his hand. “To me, this is the most boring thing I’ve ever saw in my life. Why? It’s continued. But if I do this” — he crinkles the plastic bottle in his hands, denting and deforming it — “now it’s much more interesting. I look at the light, I ask, ‘Why is it that shape?’ It takes me to the look.”
Jason Lowrie/BFA.com
Jason Lowrie/BFA.com
Other highlights of the exhibit include a fully functional ball pit, a robot-manned zen garden and a large cello being played by mechanical arms. Timbaland and Nachum often stand off to the side, speaking in emphatic but hushed whispers about new ideas that are coming to them in that moment.
“It kills me when people say, ‘Ah that’s A.I.!’ Timbaland says. “People are so mindf—ked. You been using A.I. since digital came out. That was a form of A.I., but you just had to do it by hand. Now, I’m doing it by thought. It’s all about who you are individually. I can give everybody the same tools, but nobody’s gonna sound like me. The iPhone camera is so good, but not everybody can shoot a music video on iPhone.”
“Using technology doesn’t have to be cold and sterile,” Nachum adds. “To find the organic moment, the humanness, through technology, it’s the hardest thing to do.”
Timbaland has been a staunch advocate for A.I. and technology use in music, and also a longtime fan of Nachum’s. While the pair long followed each other’s work, they both felt the time to collaborate wasn’t quite right until now. A.I. technology hadn’t quite gotten to a place where they felt able they could properly executive their vision.
“Technology allowed people to collaborate,” Timbaland says. “I’m in music, he’s in art. He knows how to make music come to life, but we couldn’t do that before because one would be faster than the other.”
Note Marcado, Alica Keys, Timbaland and Roy Nachum
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While technology plays a big role in Maestros and the Machines, other aspects are surprisingly simplistic. Volumetric lighting bounces off of halls of mirrors; another space is covered in dozens of fake flowers. Its stimulation to the senses in and of itself makes Maestros feel like timeless art. There will always be a childlike wonder that comes from watching LED lights sparkle and bounce around you, and Maestros aims to capture that moment, even if at times it overwhelms the senses.
“The technology of today is perfect for what this is,” Timbaland says. “What used to take me three months only takes me two days. In the beginning, it was like a toy. It was like going to a toy store. You gotta go through gluttony, because you can’t believe that it’s here.”
“How much candy can you eat?” Nachum chimes in. “It’s exactly like the first time I touched oil paints. You take the brush and you assume that if you put paint and go one line from here to here, it’s gonna look consistent. But it’s not, it’s gonna dry, it’s gonna be dark. It takes time to learn the new machine. It’s a tool.”
We get word that Alicia Keys is waiting in the lobby to say hi to Tim and Nachum, who will give a full run through of the exhibit for the first time. Before he leaves, Timbaland offers a piece of advice.
“Don’t be scared of it,” he says. “There’s no need to be.”
Tickets for Maestros and the Machines are available at the Mercer Labs website here.
Sinners and saints dominated the news last week, following the passing of the late Pope Francis and the continued box office domination of Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed, Michael B. Jordan-led vampire-musical-period drama Sinners.
Sinners once again topped the box office, earning the smallest second-week decline for a R-rated horror title in history. Accompanied by a soundtrack featuring the cast, contemporary hip-hop stars Rod Wave and Don Toliver and blues legend Buddy Guy, Sinners stands as the first true cultural phenomenon of the year.
Coogler’s blues-informed film also gave way to a weekend of formal debuts from the latest generation of rhythm and blues artists. Coco Jones (Why Not More?) and Destin Conrad (Love On Digital), two of Gen Z’s preeminent R&B stars both unleashed their debut studio albums over the weekend, while seasoned R&B greats like Ledisi (The Crown) and Smokey Robinson (What the World Needs Now) dropped their own new sets.
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Over on the hip-hop side, Young Thug reiterated his allegiance to Drake and dropped his first single since his release from jail in October 2024; Flo Milli welcomed her first child; and Kendrick Lamar scored 10 nominations at the 2025 American Music Awards, more than any other artist.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jade Novah’s ode to the ’90s to Aaron Page’s new Domani-assisted joint. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Durand Jones & The Indications & Aaron Frazer, “Flower Moon”
After opening for select dates on Lenny Kravitz’s Blue Electric Light Tour, Durand Jones & The Indications have shared the latest single from their forthcoming Flowers LP. Built on sugary three-part harmonies, mellow guitar, and overall framework ripped from the early ’70s soul playbook, “Flower Moon” is the perfect wind-down tune.
Aaron Frazer handles lead vocals on this cut, his buttery tone adding some beautiful color to picturesque lyrics like, “Well you see, lovers livin’ light like a feather/ Keep it hot in warm summer weather nights/ And the music pours like drinks from the corner/ You can post up too if you want some fun.” The ’70s have had a small moment in popular music ever since the turn of the decade, and “Flower Moon” is one of the rare offerings that rises above the pitfalls of pastiche. — KYLE DENIS
Ray Vaughn feat. Jay Rock, “Klown Dance”
Leading TDE’s next generation alongside Doechii, Ray Vaughn looks to leave an indelible mark on the rap game in 2025 with his The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu mixtape, which he’s compared to his version of Kendrick Lamar’s Good kid, m.A.A.d city. “Klown Dance” finds Vaughn clashing with labelmate Jay Rock, as the pair of shrewd wordsmiths go bar-for-bar over a smooth VanJess sample. The Long Beach native narrates his gritty come-up. “The hood never had a place for doubts/ Look at me wearin’ s–t that I can’t pronounce/ Remember Shaq’s was out/ Couldn’t afford the Jordans/ They roasted a n—a in a Carmelitos,” he raps. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
BunnaB, “Bunna Summa”
Produced by Kristof, BunnaB’s “Bunna Summa” should be played a lot as the weather starts to get warmer. The track, and her Ice Cream Summer EP that she dropped earlier this month, have a throwback sound, as the Atlanta rapper tries to recapture that mid-2000s Southern rap energy. Her music sounds like crisp white tees on a summer day. — ANGEL DIAZ
Flo Milli feat. T-Pain, “Gripper”
After welcoming her new baby boy a few days ago, Flo Milli is back with her new single “Gripper,” which samples T-Pain’s 2005 hit “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper).” Flo reimagines the track from the female POV and creates a high-energy anthem that celebrates sexual confidence and not settling for anything less than luxury. She’s in control, calling out a lover who’s hooked on her but reminding him she’s not easily impressed: “Better go buy me a AP.” She balances humor and empowerment, talking about wealth (“I had money before you came”) and independence, while playfully threatening anyone who steps out of line. There’s a lot of flexing, but it’s layered with clever wordplay and a refusal to be undervalued. “Gripper” is a sexy, self-assured banger about knowing your worth, setting the pace in relationships, and embracing your allure. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
Sahsa Keable, “Act Right”
Beyoncé-approved British-Colombian singer-songwriter Sasha Keable is back with her first solo single of the year. Produced by Etienne, “Act Right” finds Keable taking a disappointment of an ex-lover to task over wistful piano chords and plaintive percussion. Perusing both her robust chest voice, raspy falsetto and the full strength of her vibrato, Keable delivers some classic R&B vocal showboating, which the subtle background horns complement perfectly. “‘Cause if you loved me/ You would never hurt me/ That’s to put it simply,” she proclaims in the pre-chorus, as she simultaneously internalizes the truth and holds her torturers accountable. After teasing this track for almost two months, Keable’s full joint meets the lofty expectations. — K.D.
Belly Gang Kushington, “Sorry Mama”
Whether it’s selling $100 white tees or stopping traffic for his From The Streets Performance, Belly Gang Kushington hasn’t wasted any time in 2025 making his presence felt as one of Atlanta’s newcomers, as BGK released his The Streets Is Yours project on Friday (April 25) to capitalize on his momentum. With a penchant for 2000s rap, Kushington calls back to Eminem’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” for his cathartic open letter coming clean to his mother on “Sorry Mama,” whom he’s only met a couple of times after she left him as a baby. — M.S.
Bruiser Wolf & Nicholas Craven, “Beat the Charge”
Detroit’s Bruiser Wolf sounds like if Suga Free did spoken-word music about selling drugs instead of the trials and tribulations of a pimp. When you mix that approach with Montreal producer Nicholas Craven’s soulful loops, you get something totally unique. Big Wolf is always good for a great quotable, and there’s really nothing like this out right now, making for a fun, fascinating listen. — A.D.
Aaron Page feat. Domani, “Sympathy”
Houston and Atlanta linked up, and the result is one of the best tracks to drop this week. “Sympathy” finds Aaron Page and Domani opening up about vulnerability, regret and longing for emotional connection. The duo admits they’ve been caught up in the streets — a place that’s offered them no real comfort — and that they’ve been outside for too long, disconnected from love and stability. The “streets” here symbolize the harshness of the world they’re stuck in, making them crave something more nurturing. Produced by B100, Musik Major X and Squat Beats, “Sympathy” is about a man wrestling with his lifestyle and emotions, admitting that he misses the love and peace he once had with someone special. — C.C.
Jade Novah, “90’s Fine”
Modern R&B’s fixation on the ’90s can veer on exhausting, but Jade Novah manages to make that obsession feel fresh with her new “’90s Fine” single. Produced by husband Devin Johnson, “’90s Fine” finds Novah floating over a soulful, percussive mid-tempo landscape accented by subtle synths and delicate strings. It’s a meticulous ode to the song’s namesake era, but the contemporary sheen of Novah’s lyricism brings the track into the 2020s. “Give me your love with no filter / Tell me the truth with no filler / Give me a love that won’t change up,” she croons in the chorus. — K.D.
The Bonfyre, “No Sleep”
The Bonfyre has made her highly anticipated return with her cathartic single, “No Sleep.” The Massachusetts native poignantly opens up about her trials and tribulations along the way, dealing with numbing heartbreak and being the victim of domestic abuse. “My heart is mine to control, l and you don’t know what you’re looking for,” she sings. Putting the pain of her journey into music has reinvigorated Bonfyre creatively, and she’s got plenty more in store for the rest of 2025. — M.S.
Tiwa Savage, “You4Me”
On her new single, Tiwa Savage samples Tamia’s 1998 classic “So Into You” to craft a smooth, heartfelt love song about deep emotional and physical connection. She expresses complete devotion to a partner who stands out from everyone else, celebrating the security, stability and undeniable chemistry between them. “You4Me” is about feeling seen, and swept up in a love that’s equal parts passion and partnership. Tiwa’s smooth vocals and playful lyrics balance flirtation with sincerity, making this track feel sweet, sexy and real. — C.C.
Kaytranada isn’t the biggest fan of how audiences choose to enjoy live shows in the age of smartphones and social media. Over the weekend, the Montreal-based producer responded to a fan on X who apologized on behalf of “real fans” who dance at his shows as opposed to “standing still” in order to capture content […]