R&B/Hip-Hop

14 May 2024

Obituary for Eminem’s Slim Shady Appears in Detroit Newspaper Ahead of Rapper’s Upcoming Album

It seems Eminem may be taking his upcoming album title The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) literally. A fake Slim Shady obituary recently ran in the Detroit Free Press, in which the piece bids farewell to the “controversial rapper.”

“Slim Shady Made Lasting Impressions” the headline in the DFP reads with the subhead, “Fans ‘Will Never Forget’ Controversial Rapper.’”

The ad/obituary appears to be in support of Em’s upcoming 12th studio LP — titled The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe De Grâce) — and features a photo of Eminem in a white Jason Voorhees hockey mask.

“Fans ‘will never forget’ controversial rapper,” the piece reads. “A product of Detroit who began his career there as a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene of the mid to late 1990s, Shady first became a household name in 1999 with the debut of his playfully deranged single ‘My Name Is,’ which — along with its uniquely eye catching video — exposed the young artist and his lyrics to a wider audience.”

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The obituary continues: “Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end. His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world. May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth.”

Billboard has reached out to Eminem for comment.

In April, the rapper popped up at the 2024 NFL Draft, which was hosted by his hometown of Detroit. Shortly after his appearance in support of the Detroit Lions, the rapper announced plans for his The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe De Grâce) album, which is slated to arrive this summer.

The album announcement came in the form of an Unsolved Mysteries episode featuring Em meeting his demise in search of “who killed Slim Shady?” 50 Cent even makes a cameo in the crime show-styled bloody teaser.

The Death Of Slim Shady will serve as the followup to the rapper’s 11th studio album, Music to Be Murdered By, which was released in 2020. That album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 to give Em his historic 10th consecutive leader.

It was his frequent collaborator/mentor Dr. Dre who broke the news of an Eminem album on the horizon when he made his first late-night appearance in 30 years on Jimmy Kimmel Live in March.

“Let me tell you something, let me explain something to you right now: Eminem is working on his own album which is coming out this year,” Dre said. “And I actually talked to him and he said it was OK for me to make that announcement right here on this show. So he has an album coming out, I’ve got songs on it and it’s fire. I’m actually gonna hear the entire album for the first time for tomorrow.”

See Slim Shady’s obit in the Detroit Free Press below:

14 May 2024

Mustard Earns His First Hot 100 No. 1 as a Producer Thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’

As Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” launches at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated May 18), the rapper lands his fourth leader on the list as a recording artist. Meanwhile, its producer, Mustard, tops the Hot 100 for the first time in that role.

Mustard produced five previous Hot 100 top 10s, dating back over a decade. Here’s a recap of his top-peaking hits on the chart as a producer:

  • No. 1, one week to date, May 18, 2024, “Not Like Us,” recorded by Kendrick Lamar
  • No. 5, July 21, 2018, “Boo’d Up,” Ella Mai
  • No. 6, Oct. 25, 2014, “Don’t Tell ‘Em,” Jeremih feat. YG
  • No. 7, July 2, 2016, “Needed Me,” Rihanna
  • No. 7, Feb. 18, 2012, “Rack City,” Tyga
  • No. 8, April 7, 2018, “Freaky Friday,” Lil Dicky feat. Chris Brown

As for Lamar, he solely wrote “Not Like Us,” the top-charting Hot 100 hit amid his fiery diss track battle with Drake. He co-wrote his previous three No. 1s as a recording artist.

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Solely-written Hot 100 No. 1s have all but disappeared since the start of the 2000s. Here’s a look at the share of leaders authored by a single person over the past seven decades (following the survey’s 1958 start):

  • 1960s: 29%
  • 1970s: 44%
  • 1980s: 42%
  • 1990s: 24%
  • 2000s: 6%
  • 2010s: 4%
  • 2020s: 7%

This decade, just five of 76 songs to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 for the first time have been written by one person (a 7% showing that, while diminished compared to much of the chart’s history, marks the highest since the ‘90s). Unexpectedly tying holiday cheer to Lamar and Drake’s chilly clash, “Not Like Us” is the chart’s first solo-penned leader since Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” led for three weeks beginning in December; Johnny Marks wrote the carol, which was originally released in 1958.

Before that, Oliver Anthony Music’s self-authored “Rich Men North of Richmond” ruled the Hot 100 for two weeks beginning last August. The other two solely-written No. 1s in the 2020s led back-to-back in 2022 (marking the first set of consecutive such leaders since 2000): the ensemble Encanto hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves,” penned by the group’s Dave Bayley.

14 May 2024

Snoop Dogg Talks Olympics, ‘The Voice’ Coaching Roles: ‘I’m The People’s Champ’

The year of the Dogg is upon us.

Hip-hop veteran Snoop Dogg has his hand in everything right now, from cocktails to cooking shows, an international tour, movie roles, coaching spots on NBC’s The Voice and a spot on the sidelines for the world’s greatest multi-sport event, the Olympic Games.

On Monday night (May 13), Snoop dropped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a brisk walk through his busy schedule.

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This Dogg is having his day, again and again.

Rocking a customized Olympics kit, Snoop talked of taking his talents to Paris this summer, where he joins the NBC team for nightly reports from the 2024 games. “I wanna do something special with you over there, I don’t know what it is,” he tells Fallon. “Something musical. Something comedic.”

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That once-in-a-lifetime gig will slot into a stint as coach on NBC singing competition show, The Voice, alongside fellow newcomer, the Canadian crooner Michael Bublé.

Announced earlier this week, the 52-year-old joins a panel for this fall’s 26th season which is rounded out by returning coaches Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani, with the former notching her third consecutive season on the series and No Doubt singer and solo star Stefani adding yet another notch with her eighth go-round.

“If you know anything about me you know I love all forms of music,” he says of his pivot to the musical chairs of The Voice. “So this is a great opportunity for me to show that I really understand music. And be a real coach and really give direction to some of these artists that can be today’s next big thing.”

Snoop insists, “I’m not one-sided, I’m not just for you. I’m for everybody. I’m the people’s champ.”

Before the gun goes off in the French capital, Snoop will embark on a Canadia-exclusive trek this June with fellow G-Funk trailblazers Warren G and DJ Quik, for the Cali to Canada Tour. “We’ll be doing what we do,” he tells Fallon, “representing that west coast hip-hop and giving up a great show.”

Watch the interview below.

13 May 2024

Chris Pratt Jokes Usher Is Wife Katherine Schwarzenegger’s ‘Hall Pass’: ‘I Can’t Blame Her’

Chris Pratt has a confession to make: He might have some competition when it comes to Usher.

The actor revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Monday (May 13) that his wife, writer Katherine Schwarzenegger, has a thing for the “Yeah!” singer, especially after his 2024 Super Bowl halftime show performance.

“She knows every word,” Pratt said of the Good Night, Sister author’s knowledge of Usher’s catalog. “I didn’t even know that until we were doing a little road trip and she started putting on Usher. And man, she knows every single word.”

The interview comes about two months after the Garfield voice actor posted a video of Schwarzenegger — who is the daughter of Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger — joyously rocking out to Usher’s career-spanning show midway through watching the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs face off in February. “When Usher sang ‘Don’t leave your girl around me’ was he talking to me?” he captioned the clip at the time.

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“So I guess Usher’s her hall pass,” Pratt added in the interview. “I can’t blame her.”

The eight-time Grammy winner’s epic Super Bowl showcase not only featured several of his many Billboard Hot 100 hits from over the years, but cameos from Ludacris, Lil Jon, will.i.am and Alicia Keys. Shortly afterward, four of Usher’s albums made a resurgence on the Billboard 200 chart in the same week that his new record Coming Home debuted at No. 2.

While talking to ET, Pratt also opened up about sharing the new Garfield movie, in which he voices the titular character, with his kids once it hits theaters May 24. The Parks and Rec alum shares son Jack with his ex-wife, actress Anna Faris, as well as daughters Lyla and Eloise with Schwarzenegger.

“They’re ready to see it,” he told the outlet. “This is the kind of movie that they can definitely watch. You know, some animated movies they get a little scary, it’s a little too much for the kids. This is something really fun for all ages.”

13 May 2024

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Chief Keef, Andra Day, Rosehardt, Snow tha Procuct & More

Now that we’re solidly in May, it looks like the Great Rap War of 2024 finally has a victor. If TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith’s X post is anything to go by, the battle is indeed over — even though Drake‘s “The Heart Part 6” effectively shifted public opinion to Kendrick Lamar’s side.

Outside of that beef — which is still unfurling outside of the music — the worlds of R&B and hip-hop have had much to ponder over the past week. On Monday (May 13) Childish Gambino released a polished version of 2020’s 3.15.20 titled Atavista and both Shaquille O’Neal and King Combs released diss tracks — against Shannon Sharpe and 50 Cent, respectively — further solidifying 2024 as the year of the hater and the year of beef. Thanks again, Katt Williams!

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Rosehardt’s dirty-macking midtempo to RaealRichIzzo’s latest addition to the contemporary Midwest rap lexicon. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

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Rosehardt, “Headass”

One of the classic elements of male R&B is dirty macking — and Rosehardt kicks off “Headass” with a whole lot of it. “What does he have? What does he do?/ He must be bad, he must be cool too/ I’m just the past, he’s something new/ But I bet he don’t love you, like I do,” his distorted vocals croon in the intro. Betweent he chugging production, sultry yet understated bass, and a vocal performance that balances tender hoensty (“I’m just a man who believes in love”) with a sinister undertone of trying to convince a love interest who has already clocked his shortcomings as a partner. Taken from his new The World Gets Smaller Each Day It Seems to Shrink LP, “Headass” finds Rosehardt (aka Drama League Award-nominated actor Caleb Eberhardt) fully immersing himself in the role of imperfect bachelor without necessarily relishing that position.

Snow tha Product, “So What”

With this bouncy, snap-laden ode to the comforts of ambivalence, Snow tha Product embraces the unknown. Although she sings of using the classic “so what?” question to keep her “feelings detached,” she, in fact, cycles through the myriad emotions of a tumultuous relationship, in which she’s always one step away from walking out. “So what / If you tell me its over/ Guess Imma have to chill to your back,” she sing-raps with a smug wink and smirk. She’s in control here, making for an intricate mind-game that finds a sly, unassuming soundtrack in the buoyant beat.

Chief Keef feat. Tierra Whack, “Banded Up”

Sosa finally delivered his highly-anticipated Almighty So 2 project on Friday (May 10). One of the early standouts from the drill pioneer’s LP came courtesy of Tierra Whack’s explosive assist on “Banded Up,” which gives the Philly MC an immediate guest verse of the year candidate. Whack posted voice messages from Chief Keef in disbelief asking her, “Why would you do me like that on my song?” T-Whack blacks out over Sosa’s thumping production with a mini-uzi flow that sounds as if she was recorded in 5x speed. “These rappers are food and that’s why I be cooking/ You can’t pull no strings and I just keep it pushin’/ B-I-G, but I was not born in Brooklyn,” she snarls. The 28-year-old turned Sosa’s playground into Whack World. 

4Fargo & Honey Bxby, “Ex for a Reason”

4Fargo and his tender croon are looking to leave their mark on the current landscape of R&B. The Georgia-bred singer unleashed his major label debut project Express&B last week via Republic Records. Heartbreak has long been the engine behind the genre and 4Fargo is no different in flipping his pain and anguish into cathartic art. The infectious “Ex for a Reason” is pretty self-explanatory with the father of two listing off why a toxic love has moved to his rear-view mirror. Misery loves company and Honey Bxby joins the party while showing off her vocal range. “Leavin’ you sounds like a lullaby/ Blockin’ all your numbers, don’t ask why/ Poppin’ all that shit know it’s a lie/ I’ma show you why you’re mine,” she powerfully sings. Give the charismatic 4Fargo a follow on Instagram for a look into his endearing personality, you won’t regret it. 

RealRichIzzo, “Free Key”

Kicking off with an iPhone FaceTime call that immediately situates “Free Key” in media res, “Free Key” is one of the more potent storytelling moments of his new Welcome to Inkster album. In his ode to his guys, RealRichIzzo offers a peek into his high-octane life that brings him from place to place with just a moment’s notice. “Yeah, drop the lo’/ Ain’t no spots inside the rental, we gon’ stash ’em in the floor/
B—h, the striker on the way, mask up, we finna go/ Lil’ bro just called back, blow the light, it’s fo’ sure,” he rap-chants in the magnetic chorus, which simultaneously reads as play-by-play of him and his boys hitting a lick and functions as an irresistible hook. With Inkster, Michigan on his back, RealRichIzzo is staking a claim for himself at the forefront of the current Midwestern rap boom.

Andra Day, “Bottom of the Bottle”

On this bluesy reflection on the swirling depths of memory only accessed by surrendering to the throes of alcohol, acclaimed multi-hyphenate Andra Day focuses on restraints over the room-shaking belts that shot her to fame. “I only see you when it’s last call/ I only see you when the house lights come on/ And you’re not only to blame, no/ Dazed and consumed by the wild flames/ Though we know it’s combustible,” she muses over plucky piano and steady percussion courtesy of an all-star team of producers, including Nando Raio, Shay Godwin, Dave Wood, Charles Jones, Caleb Morris and Spencer Guerra. With a deliciously nasal drawl in the spirit of Amy Winehouse, Day delivers an introspective midtempo that allows her to show off how effortlessly she freewheels between the different parts of her voice.

13 May 2024

Mustard Celebrates Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Topping the Hot 100: ‘Summer Started Last Week According to Me’

Mustard on the beat, ho! The hitmaker behind Kendrick Lamar‘s scorching Drake diss track “Not Like Us” is celebrating the song’s No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Monday (May 13).

“Sometimes you really gotta pop out and show n—as!!!! To think . . . They really fronted on me and acted like I’m not who I am ! I’m thankful but not surprised; I never lost sight and stayed down,” he wrote on Instagram while sharing a graphic of this week’s Hot 100 top 10 (chart dated May 18). “With my back against the wall is where I thrive. Summer started last week according to me!! See ya sooner than you think! cc: @kendricklamar city back up !!!”

“Not Like Us” marks Lamar’s fourth Hot 100 chart-topping hit, following “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin — which spent its first three weeks at No. 1 following its debut atop the April 6-dated chart — “Humble.” and “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift. “Like That” is at No. 6 on this week’s Hot 100, while Lamar’s other diss track “Euphoria” jumps 11-3 in its second week.

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The contentious rap battle between him and Drake has led to the production of several diss tracks aimed at one another, and Drake’s “Family Matters” is another Hot 100 top hit to come out of it. The song debuted at No. 7 on the all-genre songs tally, becoming the rapper’s historic 78th Hot 100 top 10 hit. “Not Like Us” also earns Lamar his fifth No. 1 on Streaming Songs, with 70.9 million official streams. It surpasses the 67.3 million streams that Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug, drew in its first week back in September 2021.

See Mustard’s celebratory post below.

13 May 2024

21 Savage Says Drake & Metro Boomin Will ‘Figure That Sh–t Out’

Whatever you do, don’t ask 21 Savage about the ongoing rap beef.

The Atlanta rapper — who has been quiet on this subject — was on Instagram Live on Sunday (May 12) while listening to General TK’s “I Spy,” when fans in the comments asked his thoughts about Drake vs. everybody. Tired of fans always askin him with this question whenever he goes live on Instagram, he finally broke his silence.

“Don’t keep coming on my motherf—in’ Live talkin’ about no motherf—kin’ beef,” he said. “Metro my brother and Drake my brother. They gonna figure that s–t out eventually.”

Hopefully that ends all talk about what 21 thinks about rap’s civil war. He’s chosen to remain Switzerland and Sweden to the nonsense, leaving it up to the parties involved to squash things. 21 Savage has worked with both acts extensively. Most recently he co-starred on Drake’s 2022 album Her Loss and he’s done three projects alongside Metro Boomin: 2016’s Savage Mode EP, 2017’s Without Warning featuring Offset, and 2020’s Savage Mode II. Also Metro produced the songs “Mr. Right Now” and “Knife Talk,” both featuring Drake and 21 Savage.

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Fans were perhaps asking his thoughts because on the diss track “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar brought up Drake’s relationship with 21 and the city of Atlanta, rapping: “You run to Atlanta when you need a check balance/ Let me break it down for you, this the real n—a challenge/ You called Future when you didn’t see the club/ Lil Baby helped you get your lingo up/ 21 gave you false street cred/ Thug made you feel like you a slime in your head/ Quavo said you can be from Northside/ 2 Chainz say you good, but he lied.”

21 seems to be minding his business and lettings things settle themselves.

13 May 2024

Offset Gifts Cardi B With Three Icy Chains & Bouquets of Flowers for Mother’s Day

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and Offset is making sure Cardi B has plenty of new besties in her life. Set went above and beyond to deliver on Mother’s Day (May 12), as he showered the Bronx rapper with lavish gifts, including three icy diamond chains and enough beautiful flowers to create their own garden.

Cardi was nearly left speechless after she came home to discover the sparkling jewelry and her mansion turned into a botanical garden on Sunday night following a multi-course dinner at Italian hotspot Tucci New York.

“Thank you, babe,” she said in a post to her Instagram Story showcasing the chains from Imperial Jewelry. “I’m so spoiled.”

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She continued to gush as rose pedals covered the stairs and bouquets filled the dining room: “I told you I didn’t want any flowers! How beautiful are these? Thank you, babe!”

Cardi then opened a heartwarming card from Offset and their two children, Kulture and Wave. “We love you mommy. Thank you so much for all you do. – Kiari, Kulture and Wave,” the card reads. (Offset’s real name is Kiari Cephus.)

The Grammy-winning rapper also posted her gifts to Instagram. “Spoiled,” she captioned a post features some of the flowers and diamond jewelry on Monday (May 13).

Recent link-ups would indicate that Cardi B and Offset appear to be on good terms once again, and have possibly rekindled their romance.

The couple enjoyed a date night on April 30 as they sat courtside at Madison Square Garden for a New York Knicks playoff game. Earlier in May, they were holding hands following a Met Gala afterparty.

Cardi B declared she was single in December to bring an end to the up-and-down six-year relationship, but things appear to be different this spring.

Cardi and Offset originally tied the knot in 2017, and they share two children together: 5-year-old daughter Kulture Kiari and 2-year-old Wave Set.

13 May 2024

50 Cent Mocks Diddy’s Son King Combs Following Diss Track Release: ‘I Feel So Threatened’

50 Cent has been relentless in his yearslong feud of mocking Diddy. The Queens rapper continued to jab at the Bad Boy CEO when it came to the latter’s litany of sexual assault allegations and lawsuits piling up, and didn’t stop following the raid of Diddy’s homes by federal agents in March. (Diddy has denied all allegations.)

Diddy’s son, Christian “King” Combs, stepped in on Sunday (May 12) to defend his family name with the bristling “Pick a Side,” in which he threatens anyone coming at his father — including the “In Da Club” rapper.

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“When all they had was 50 Cent who put the city on the map?/ Stop lying, pops been hated on by many men and n-gga, that’s fine/ They gon’ try to stop these Eminems and they gon’ die tryin,’” he raps while calling out 50.

King kicks the diss off with a lullaby before telling the opps to “s–k his d–k” and dares the public to keep chanting “No Diddy,” which is a catchphrase 50 played a role in popularizing; it stems from Diddy’s sexual assault lawsuits.



50 Cent quickly got wind of King’s threats, but essentially laughed them off with his response on social media the same night.

“I feel so threatened by the things Christian is saying on his record. I’m afraid for my life, please don’t hurt me guys,” he tweeted. :I never mentioned or posted anything about puffy’s kids because KEEFE D said he killed 2Pac LOL.”

50 went and posted a report of a civil lawsuit filed against King Combs that accuses him of allegedly assaulting a stewardess. The lawsuit referenced by 50 was originally filed in April in Los Angeles court, and claimed that O’Marcaigh was a stewardess on a yacht charted by the Combs family during a December 2022 vacation in Saint Martin. She alleges that an intoxicated Christian served her “spiked tequila shots” and then assaulted her.

Combs’ attorney, Aaron Dyer, vehemently denied the allegations.

13 May 2024

Childish Gambino Announces The New World Tour Global Trek: Here Are the Dates

Childish Gambino is hitting the road. Following the release of his Atavista (3.15.20 reimagined versions) project on Monday (May 13), Donald Glover announced plans for his global The New World Tour.

The “This Is America” rapper is set to tour the world starting this summer with Willow and Amaarae serving as openers. Glover’s first trek since 2018 will kick off in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Aug. 11.

The New World Tour’s “Artist Presale begins this Wednesday 5/15, [and Amex card members] *UK begins Tuesday *AUS begins Thursday,” he captioned the tour flyer on Instagram. “General onsale begins Friday 5/17 *Signup @ theneworldtour.com NOW for access to the Artist presale codes.”

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The trek will run through North America, Australia and a handful of European dates. After OKC, Gambino is slated to hit U.S. markets such as Detroit, Philly, Boston, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Portland and Los Angeles before wrapping up Stateside with a show in Chicago on Oct. 3.

Gambino then heads across the pond for performances in Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, France, Germany, the U.K. and more.

The Atlanta creator’s Atavista serves as an 11-track updated collection of the unfinished 3.15.20 project he released as the world was gearing up to shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Atavista still boasts collaborations with Ariana Grande (“Time”), 21 Savage (“Psilocybae”), Summer Walker (“Sweet Thang”) and Young Nudy (“Little Foot Big Foot”) — albeit with different song titles. Gambino also released a Hiro Murai-directed black-and-white video for “Little Foot Big Foot” alongside the project, starring an appearance from Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson.

The 40-year-old isn’t done yet for the year either, as he’s preparing to unleash a second album this summer. The album is the accompanying soundtrack to his forthcoming movie, Bando Stone & The New World.

“My fans are great and have been so patient and are starving — this album is for you guys,” he said during a Gilga Radio stream in April.

Find all of The New World Tour dates below: