R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 299
Gunna announced on Tuesday (Feb. 20) that he’ll be embarking on The Bittersweet Tour later this year with special guest Flo Milli. Produced by Live Nation, the 16-date jaunt kicks off on May 4 at Columbus’ Schottenstein Center and includes stops in Chicago, Houston, Miami and more major U.S. cities before wrapping up at Atlanta’s […]
“Without James Brown, the whole trajectory of culture goes somewhere else” … “He’s authentically and unapologetically Black” … “He marched to the beat of his own drum — literally.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Those declarations from LL Cool J, Morehouse College’s Dr. David Wall Rice and Rev. Al Sharpton, respectively, are just a few of the illuminating comments peppering the first two hours of A&E’s James Brown: Say It Loud which premiered Monday (Feb. 19). The second half of the network’s four-hour docu-series bows Tuesday (Feb. 20) at 8 p.m. ET.
Three days prior to the docuseries’ premiere, a never-heard Brown song was also released through Republic/Universal Music Enterprises. “We Got to Change” follows in the vein of Brown’s other message songs like “Don’t Be a Dropout” and “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.”
Trending on Billboard
Recorded on Aug. 16, 1970, at Miami’s Criteria Studios, “We Got to Change” features the invigorating presence of Brown’s then-new band The J.B.’s. The driving force behind songs such as “Get Up (I Feel Like Being) a Sex Machine” and “Super Bad,” The J.B.’s included bassist William “Bootsy” Collins and his guitarist brother Phelps “Catfish” Collins. The newly discovered vault gem — a mirror reflection of today’s social climate some 54 years later — also boasts the presence of Brown’s longtime No. 2 Bobby Byrd and one of Brown’s well-known sidemen, Clyde “The Funky Drummer” Stubblefield.
Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, James Brown: Say It Loud presents an unvarnished look at Brown’s uphill climb from seventh grade dropout, shoeshine boy and buck dancer to soul/funk pioneer, business mogul and civil rights activist. It’s also a success story riddled with setbacks: his endorsement of President Nixon, physical and verbal abuse of women and drug use. Overall, however, the documentary underscores how Brown’s legacy as a top-flight showman with dazzling footwork, his sixth sense musically and entrepreneurial hustle skills have continued to inspire and influence a host of acts from Parliament-Funkadelic and Michael Jackson to Usher, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae.
The first hour, titled “Making a Life for Myself,” takes viewers from Brown’s 1933 birth in Barnwell, S.C., to his poverty-ridden childhood in Augusta, Ga. (He was nine years old when he got his first pair of underwear from a store.) Also spotlighted: the future legend’s early career traveling the chitlin circuit and game-changing 1963 live album with the Famous Flames, Live at the Apollo (which Brown financed himself). Outlined in between are Brown’s gospel and jazz influences, his detention stint for car theft, fortuitous meeting with Byrd (who’d earlier founded the Flames) and his first two R&B hits, 1956’s “Please, Please, Please” and 1958’s “Try Me.” As Brown states matter-of-factly in one interview clip, “I had to have determination … my determination was to be somebody.”
“The Most Powerful Black Man in America,” the documentary’s second hour, chronicles Brown’s still-evolving career, beginning with his and the Flames’ cameo in the 1965 film Ski Party starring then-pop heartthrobs Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. That same year, Brown unleashed his R&B chart-topper and first Billboard Hot 100 top 10, the rhythm- and horn-driven “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” That song, in turn, sparked a run of top 10 hits — including “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and funk escalator “Cold Sweat” — while simultaneously forging the James Brown sound alongside that of Motown, Stax, Memphis and Muscle Shoals.
Of note as well in the second hour: Brown’s personas as a perfectionist (fining musicians $50 for a missed note), civil rights activist (keeping the peace at an already scheduled Boston Garden concert the day after Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1968 assassination; the origin of his Black empowerment anthem “Say It Loud”) and savvy businessman (owner of three radio stations, a restaurant chain and his own jet) whose misstep in endorsing Republican president Nixon led to backlash from the Black community. Rounding out the segment are Brown’s collaboration with new band The J.B.’s, as well as his pivotal deal with Polydor Records after a long association with Syd Nathan’s King label.
In addition to Collins, the documentary features a diverse range of artists, songwriter-producers, executives and family members sharing their perspectives on Brown’s influential legacy. Among them: Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin, jazz bassist Christian McBride, female rap pioneer MC Sha-Rock, Brown’s tour director Alan Leeds, Universal Music Group’s general counsel Jeff Harleston, Mick Jagger and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (both of whom executive produced the documentary with Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter) and Brown’s children Deanna, Yamma and Larry. Even more compelling in relaying Brown’s story are the archival performance footage, interview clips and photos that Draper and her team put together.
James Brown: Say It Loud, concludes Tuesday (Feb. 20) on A&E. The documentary’s final two hours address the late singer’s personal life; his global status as a headlining performer at Zaire 74, a three-day festival in Africa conceived to help promote the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman; and Brown’s major role in laying the foundation for hip-hop amid the advent of sampling.
Pop and R&B/hip-hop superstar Beyoncé makes her debut on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Feb. 24) with her first two entries on the survey: “Texas Hold ‘Em” at No. 1 and “16 Carriages” at No. 9.
As previously reported, the songs start at Nos. 2 and 38, respectively, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Both tracks were released Feb. 11, as announced in a Verizon commercial that aired during CBS’ broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII, ahead of the March 29 arrival of Beyoncé’s album expected to be titled Act II, which follows her 2022 Renaissance LP.
Trending on Billboard
“Texas Hold ‘Em” drew 19.2 million official streams and 4.8 million in all-format airplay audience and sold 39,000 in the U.S. through Feb. 15, according to Luminate. “16 Carriages” rides in with 10.3 million streams, 90,000 in radio reach and 14,000 sold.
Notably, the Hot Country Songs coronation of “Texas Hold ‘Em” grants Beyoncé No. 1s on seven of Billboard’s multimetric song charts as a solo artist: the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Gospel Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. She’s the only act to have notched No. 1s on that combination of rankings.
Only Justin Bieber has led more hybrid song charts – eight, among Billboard’s menu of 14 such surveys – having ruled the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, the Holiday 100, Hot Latin Songs, Hot Rap Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Plus, Beyoncé makes history as the first woman to have topped both Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the lists began as all-encompassing genre song charts in October 1958. Overall, she joins Morgan Wallen, Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles as the only acts to have led both charts.
Beyoncé first appeared on Billboard’s rankings in 1997 as a member of Destiny’s Child. The group notched four No. 1s on the Hot 100 and two on the Billboard 200, beginning in 1999. As a soloist, she has scored eight and seven leaders on the respective charts, starting in 2003.
[embedded content]
“Texas Hold ‘Em” is officially being promoted to country radio, as announced in a Columbia Nashville email to stations Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. ET, among other formats, and bows as Beyoncé’s first entry on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Feb. 24), at No. 54 with 1.1 million audience impressions at the format.
“We put the Beyoncé directly into a strong rotation so it can be heard. I want the station to sound as interesting as possible, because the opposite is boring,” says Dave Parker, program director of Sinclair’s WUSH Norfolk, Va. “This song is sounding great and doesn’t sound like anything else. Plus, the feedback from listeners has been very positive.”
“Texas Hold ‘Em” also begins at No. 38 on the Pop Airplay chart, while additionally drawing play at adult pop, rhythmic, adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop formats.
The track concurrently begins at No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales, where it’s Beyoncé’s first leader. It also crowns the all-genre Digital Song Sales survey, becoming her 11th chart-topper.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” is the 16th song to open in the Hot Country Songs penthouse and the first since Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, in September. The latter cedes the summit after 20 weeks at No. 1. Among solo women with no accompanying artists, only Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have launched atop the chart, with Swift having achieved the feat with “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021.
Meanwhile, “Texas Hold ‘Em” is the first Hot Country Songs leader to name-check a state since Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” which led for two weeks in 2015. Among women, before Houston-born Beyoncé, Jamie O’Neal last shouted out a state in the title of a No. 1 song when “There Is No Arizona” led in 2001. As for the biggest state in the continental U.S., until this week it last appeared in the name of a leader on the list thanks to “Texas Tornado” by Tracy Lawrence in 1995.
Between her blockbuster 2024 Super Bowl commercial with Verizon and her brand new “Texas Hold ‘Em”-led country era, Beyoncé has been the talk of the town — and she hasn’t even revealed all of her cards yet. On Tuesday (Feb. 20), in conjunction with the official launch of her new haircare line, Cécred, Queen Bey announced a $500,000 cosmetology school scholarship fund through her BeyGOOD charity.
“Hairstylists have an immense impact on the people in their chairs,” reads a statement on on BeyGOOD’s website. “They create a sacred space where we can show up how we want and express ourselves through our hair. We’re honored to give back to this amazing community.”
Trending on Billboard
“Fostering talent, promoting professionalism, and supporting entrepreneurship within the hair industry is deeply important to us,” the message continues. “The Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund … celebrates the influence professional stylists have on hair health and the critical importance of advocating for the salon community. An annual $500,000 will fund cosmetology school scholarships and salon business grants across five cities chosen for their large, diverse community of hair stylists: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New Jersey.”
The cosmetology schools in each of the five communities must have “inclusive curriculums” to qualify for the fund; they will receive $250,000 to be used toward financial aid student scholarships. Cécred x BeyGOOD-awarded institutions include Beaver Beauty Academy in Atlanta, Trenz Beauty Academy in Chicago, Universal College of Beauty in Los Angeles, Franklin Institute in Houston and Janas Cosmetology Academy in New Jersey.
The other half of the Cécred x BeyGOOD fund will be awarded annually to “qualifying salon business owners” in the same five areas. “We recognize running your own business is difficult, no matter if you rent a booth, operate a salon, or work out of your home,” the statement reads. “Each year, 25 $10,000 grants will be awarded to qualifying salon business owners in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New Jersey so they can continue their transformative impact in the community.”
No stranger to giving back, the new Cécred x BeyGOOD fund echoes the Black Parade Route that accompanied her historic Renaissance World Tour. Initially launched back in 2020, the Black Parade Route dispersed more than $1 million “to celebrate people, communities, and small businesses impacted by economic inequities worldwide” during the sold-out stadium tour.
In addition, the trek also boasted the Renaissance Scholarship Fund, which granted $100,000 to 10 colleges and universities along the production’s route. In 2021, Queen Bey teamed up with husband Jay-Z for a collaboration among BeyGOOD, the Shawn Carter Foundation and Tiffany & Co.; together, the three cultural giants pledged $2 million in scholarship funds for arts students at five select historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Cécred, Beyoncé’s latest venture, is now live. Featuring a hydrating shampoo and a fermented rice & rose protein ritual, the new haircare line is infused with patent-pending technology and the legacy of Beyoncé and mother Tina Knowles.
“I have vivid memories of my mother working as a hairstylist right from our home. She built a small salon at the back of our house,” the “16 Carriages” singer told Essence. “So much of the fabric of who I am came from her salon. It is something that just connects to all of my senses, and it’s a beautiful place to grow up.”
See the announcement posted on BeyGOOD’s Instagram account:
Usher hasn’t forgotten about his overseas fans. Coming off the momentum of his acclaimed Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance, the R&B icon revealed on Tuesday (Feb. 20) that he’ll be heading to Europe in April 2025 with his Past Present Future Tour.
The “Caught Up” singer is set to make stops in London for three shows before heading to Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin.
“EU and UK! I couldn’t forget about U! USHER: PAST PRESENT FUTURE tickets go on sale Thursday, 22 Feb @ 12pm local. Sign up at the link to get the code to the FAN PRESALE starting TODAY @ 10am,” he wrote to social media when announcing the extended trek.
Trending on Billboard
Tickets will be available through Usher’s website as well as Ticketmaster. Mastercard customers are in luck, as they’ll have early access to tickets starting on Tuesday, too.
“This tour is both a celebration of the past 30 years and a glimpse into the future,” Usher said via press release. “We are just getting started!”
According to Usher, “overwhelming demand” convinced him to expand his original U.S. tour and tack on a slew of extra dates to fulfill fans’ cravings to see him hit the stage.
The global trek will kick off in Atlanta on Aug. 14, and will make stops in D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Toronto and more before wrapping up the North American leg in Houston with a triumvirate of shows to close out November.
Before rocking the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, Usher continued his banner month with the release of his Coming Home album.
The LP scored Usher his highest charting album on the Billboard 200 in over a decade, as his latest studio release bowed in at No. 2 behind Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 1 with 91,000 units earned.
Find all of the European Usher: Past Present Future Tour dates below.
April 1, 2024 – London, UK @ The O2 Arena
April 2, 2025 – London, UK @ The O2 Arena
April 5, 2025 – London, UK @The O2 Arena
April 15, 2025 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
April 22, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
May 1, 2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena
Courtesy Photo
Usher pulls back the curtain on the intense prep he did for his 2024 Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in a new mini-doc that dropped over the weekend. The nearly 11-minute black and white film was shot entirely on an iPhone 15 Pro by director Mike Carson. “I think everybody is blessed with […]
Nas, Jill Scott and Lil Wayne will headline the 2024 Roots Picnic. The June 1-2 annual throw down in The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia will feature Weezy celebrating the music of his hometown of New Orleans with Trombone Shorty and PJ Morton, as well as other superstar collaborations, including the Roots’ Black Thought […]
Beyoncé was ready for her renaissance back in 2013 when she chopped off her long locks for a stylish pixie cut, and now, she’s explaining why she made the major hair transformation at the time. “I remember the day I decided to just cut all my hair off. I didn’t have a particular style in […]
Usher may have taken some heat from spectators for getting cozy with Alicia Keys during his 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show on Feb. 11, but while he has no apologies for that moment, he does want to walk back something else he did on stage a decade earlier.
While chatting with Charlamagne Tha God and Jess Hilarious on a previously recorded interview that aired during The Breakfast Club on Monday (Feb. 19), the eight-time Grammy winner reflected on a moment from his 2014 MTV Video Music Awards performance alongside Nicki Minaj, during which he got a little handsy at one point. “Have you seen some of your old moments, like when you were on stage with Nicki Minaj and you were headbuttin’ her a–? Why was you so unhinged?” host Charlamagne asked him of the performance, which also included Usher slapping the “Super Freaky Girl” rapper’s bottom.
At first, the “Burn” crooner tried to explain and laugh it off a little. “Absolutely! That was Jamaican culture! So you gotta go to Jamaica. That was just a moment that was fun,” Usher — who just released his ninth studio album, Coming Home, days before the Super Bowl — said of the island nation’s dance culture. “By the way, it was me playing my bass, so I probably would’ve bumped my shoulder or my hand, but I had my bass in my hand and I was playing, so I kind of bopped off her body a little bit. If you go back and look at the video, you’ll understand because I did it there for the first time.”
Trending on Billboard
During the pair’s performance of their 2014 collab “She Came to Give It to You,” the crooner is down on one knee playing his guitar as he bumps his shoulder and his head against Minaj’s backside to the beat before getting up and spanking her behind.
“Oh no it was on beat and everything!” Charlamagne marveled as he reflected on the performance. “It was on beat, and I was like, ‘D–n!’”
“I think I was reaching a bit when I smacked her, though,” Usher admitted. “I shouldn’t have smacked her. I shouldn’t have did that.”
Jess then chimed in, throwing it back to how Usher had earlier in the interview talked about supporting fellow Black artists, “See, you gotta lift her up!”
Replied the crooner, “I was lifting!”
Watch Usher discuss his 2014 VMAs performance on The Breakfast Club below:
[embedded content]
It’s work work work work work for Rihanna — according to A$AP Rocky. The “Babushka Boi” rapper was out and about in Paris recently when fans asked him for an update on the singer’s highly anticipated next album. In a video shared on X, fans are snapping photos of the Grammy-nominated rapper when one asks […]