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Kendrick Lamar has scored a short film for Chanel that arrived courtesy of a collaboration between pgLang and the French fashion house. The Button was released Saturday (Jan. 20) and serves as a precursor to the Chanel Spring-Summer 2024 Haute Couture show film, which is set to debut as part of Paris Fashion Week on […]
Pssssssssst. Megan Thee Stallion just announced her new single “Hiss” — and it’s arriving sooner than you think.
A fittingly titled follow-up to her most recent solo single “Cobra,” “Hiss” will arrive Friday (Jan. 26), as announced by Meg on Instagram Monday (Jan. 22). “HISS JANUARY 26 🥚🐍PRE-SAVE NOW,” she wrote.
The “WAP” rapper also shared artwork for the single — a graphic design with a retro feel that features Meg posing with a dangerous-looking white snake around her neck, its fangs and forked tongue on display. The song’s title is displayed in red gothic lettering at the top.
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The three-time Grammy winner also shared alternative artwork for the single on Twitter, this time sans snake. In the second version, Meg stares down the camera in a red bodysuit patterned with cutouts.
“Hiss” will mark Meg’s first solo release since her Nov. 3 single “Cobra,” which debuted at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. In between the two projects, she teamed up with Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp for “Not My Fault,” which the two women performed together over the weekend on Saturday Night Live.
The new track will also mark Meg’s second proper release under her own independent record label and entertainment company, Hot Girl Productions. She recently settled a yearslong legal battle with her former label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, with the two parties reaching a mutual settlement in October that allowed them to “amicably part ways.”
All of this comes in the lead-up to Meg’s upcoming third album, which will follow 2020’s Good News and 2022’s Traumazine — both of which charted in the top five of the Billboard 200. “This part of my album is very much so funded by Megan Thee Stallion because we’re trying to get off … Y’all know what’s the tea,” she teased in an October Instagram Live. “I have no label right now… The next s—t y’all about to see is all straight from Megan Thee Stallion’s brain and Megan Thee Stallion’s wallet. We are in my pockets, hotties, so let’s do our big one.”
See Meg’s announcement below:
Common and Jennifer Hudson have seemingly confirmed that they are indeed a couple after dating rumors began to heat up last year.
The Chicago native appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Monday (Jan. 22) and the two teasedone another about their dating life. After Common surprised Hudson with a bouquet of flowers, she quizzed him on whether he was seeing anyone at the moment.
“Yes. I am in a relationship with one of the most beautiful people that I ever met in life,” he replied with a laugh. “She’s smart, she loves God, she has something real down to earth about her.
“She’s talented but I set my standard kind of high because she had to have an EGOT, she had to win an Oscar on her first movie, she had to get her own talk show,” he continued.
The Be rapper then flipped the script and began asking Hudson about her own relationship status. “How’s your love life?” he queried.
Hudson confirmed she was dating, but didn’t go as far as to say it was the person in front of her. “I’m dating as well and I am very happy,” she added. “Are you happy in your relationship?”
Common called the relationship “a happy place” for him at this point in life.
He continued: “For me, it’s one of them things where I found seeing her happy actually makes me really happy. I’m just thankful and I thank God every day. We keep it private, but I wanna acknowledge how wonderful she is, how great she is.”
Reports emerged of Common and the EGOT winner dating go as far back as July 2022. Rumors heated up in January 2023 when they were on set as co-stars filming Breathe, in which they played husband and wife.
In the time since, they’ve showered each other with praise, withg Hudson called Common a “beautiful man” in an August interview with TMZ.
More recently, the couple was even spotted courtside in Los Angeles earlier this month at Crypto.com Arena when the Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks.
Watch Common on The Jennifer Hudson Show above and below:
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The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t the only NFL team in the playoff run with a superstar super fan. While Taylor Swift was getting her by-now-familiar screen time cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce during KC’s hard-fought win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night (Jan. 22), earlier in the day the Detroit Lions had their own mega-platinum No. 1 fan firing up the crowd on the way to a punching the Motor City team’s ticket into the NFC championship round for the first time in 32 years.
D-town legend Eminem was once again in a skybox watching the action from on high on Sunday, and at one point in the game the big screen flashed a now-legendary September tweet from the rapper in which he wrote, “Let’s f–king go!!!! Detroit.” That got fans hyped up as the stadium speakers blasted the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s iconic 8 Mile pump-up anthem, “Lose Yourself.”
But when the cameras swung up to Slim Shady in the box, the MC — decked out in Lions gear, naturally — jumped up, flexed hard and screamed before pounding his chest and sitting back down in a moment that encapsulated the sheer, unrestrained joy felt by long-suffering Lions fans as they watched their beloved hometown heroes slip by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Em also responded to a meme featuring a picture of his 8 Mile character B-Rabbit driving around town with the caption, “[Lions QB Jared] Goff and the Lions pulling up to the NFC Championship game,” writing, “Can’t believe I did it again!!! @Lions.”
The tweet was the follow-up to an offer Eminem made last week, telling Lions coach Dan Campbell that he’s ready to help break the team’s three-decade playoff drought. “Yo, Dan, I’m reporting. I’m going to report. Third quarter,” the 5’8′, 150 pound Rap God said. “I’m reporting, offensive line, eligible receiver. I’ll be the quarterback, the entire line, (the) offensive line. And the receiver, I will throw it to myself and score a touchdown. In the third quarter. Just give me a uniform. Or at least just a helmet.”
It wasn’t the first time Marshall has offered to suit up for his favorite team. Back in 2022, the then-49-year-old appeared in an episode of HBO’s NFL series Hard Knocks, claiming he was ready to lace up whenever needed. “I said I’m here for whatever position. I’m here. Any of ‘em. All of ’em,” Em said while hanging on the sidelines at a Lions practice.
The Lions move on to the NFC championship game next week against the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers in search of the team’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
Watch video of Eminem at the Lions game cheering on his team.
To audience chants of “we want the funk; we gotta have that funk,” George “Dr. Funkenstein” Clinton received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
His star, the 2769th, is located at 6752 Hollywood Blvd. in front of the Musicians Institute. Speaking at the ceremony on Friday (Jan. 19) were Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and songwriter Janie Bradford.
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As the mastermind behind the legendary bands Parliament/Funkadelic, Clinton steered the way across the cosmos to such classics as “(I Wanna) Testify,” “P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up),” “Star Child (Mothership Connection),” “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk),” “Flash Light,” “Aqua Boogie,” “One Nation Under a Groove,” “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and “Atomic Dog.” Along the way, Clinton also influenced a diverse range of artists from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Kendrick Lamar.
Acknowledging all the members of his bands over the years, Clinton said, “Lots of them are here, lots of them not. But for all of them I say thanks and I’m blessed to be representing a bunch of funky mothers. Thank you, Hollywood!”
Here are some additional soundbites from Clinton’s star ceremony:
Clinton: Noting to audience laughter that he was going to read his speech “because I’m so emotional and ain’t no way in hell I’m going to remember all this s—,” the newly minted Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee called it an “honor to receive a star alongside the many notables from the world of entertainment. The old fans and new fans who let the music move their souls; you all know who I’m talking about [because] I’ve always said it’s the people who make the funk. [Also] thank you to the Omega Psi Phi fraternity] brothers who adopted ‘Atomic Dog’ as their national anthem and keeping it relevant for over 40 years. Damn! 40 years. Now as we drop the star, let it be a symbol not just for George Clinton but for the power of the funk, the power of unity of one nation under a groove. This acknowledgement does not mark a destination or even a pause because we’re still going forward. I was encouraged by [artists] like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, De La Soul, 2Pac, Kendrick Lamar, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers and all those who said funk inspired them. They used the DNA of funk and that inspired me to go on in my fight for musical rights — thank you, Ben Crump — and not just for me but for all [artists’] rights that have been mishandled.”
Kiedis: “Welcome to the corner of Hollywood & George,” joked the RHCP shared that he first learned about George Clinton when a fellow student at Los Angeles’ Fairfax High brought Parliament’s Chocolate City album to school for show and tell. Years later in 1985, the Peppers released their Clinton-produced album Freaky Styley. “For me personally, George became an instant friend, teacher, mentor, a father figure, a co-conspirator, instigator. I love George Clinton with all my heart,” Kiedis concluded before leading the audience in a singalong of a “small spiritual hymn” as he warbled the chorus to “P. Funk”: “Make my funk the P-Funk / I wants my funk uncut …”
Crump: “Now more than ever in the world, we need music that brings us all together. And nobody’s music brings us all together quite like this brother’s brings us together — one nation under a groove. This brother got brothers and sisters all across the globe coming together through the Mothership Connection. He got people in Europe, Australia, Africa and North America walking around in daytime with a flashlight looking for the P-Funk. That’s why we celebrate the one and only, the iconic George Clinton: the father of funk music, Dr. Funkenstein himself.”
Bradford: Looking back at the ’70s heyday of Funkadelic, Bradford pointed out that Clinton “announced his retirement in 2018 and today in 2024, George [at 82] is still working [touring, readying three recording projects and painting]. “My kids think I’m cool because I know George Clinton. I think I am blessed that he is my friend and I am his. Congratulations, George!”
Billboard Arabia sat down for an exclusive one-on-one with Grammy-winning producer, rapper, songwriter and DJ Kasseem Daoud Dean — known professionally as Swizz Beatz — for an interview about his work in Saudi Arabia. These days, the 45-year-old musician-turned-businessman spends his time hyping up one place in particular, and that’s the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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“Why Saudi?” seems to be the question on everyone’s mind. “Why not Saudi?” Swizz Beatz answers assertively. “It’s so amazing and has so much heritage.” Speaking with the same passion you would find in locals of Jeddah and Riyadh arguing over which city they think is cooler, Swizz Beatz’s advocacy for Saudi creativity runs deep and started way before the kingdom decided to leverage celebrity influence as part of its global tourism campaign.
“It’s amazing to see where everything is going, from when I started coming to Saudi, to what I see today,” explains Swizz Beatz, who has been visiting the country since 2006 and supporting its talents even before that, such as in early 2000, when he crossed paths with a young kid from Jeddah who had big dreams of rapping about his homeland internationally.
“Skinny was the first Saudi artist I produced. His last album, I executive produced. I got him his deal, I structured his deal, and to see him on [the MDLBEAST] stage in front of all of those people, singing those songs that we were sitting in the studio with, it just shows you that Saudi is not far off at all!”
In March 2022, Skinny released the bass-laden track “Saudi’s Most Wanted,” produced by Swizz Beatz, accompanied by a three-minute video set to a montage of scenes throughout the kingdom.
“I think the creative community here is thriving! I have a compilation with some local artists called MOYA, including Jeed, Shaolin and Ntitled. All of those guys are family to me. When I came here and was listening to their music and their stories, I said to myself, ‘You know what? I want to give everybody music.’” A few months later, those same artists debuted at the region’s biggest music festival, Soundstorm.
Having worked with legends such as DMX, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Mary J. Blige and his wife, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz has always had an eye for creative talent. Much like an unofficial brand ambassador for the kingdom, Swizz Beatz can often be seen publicly commenting on his celebrity friends’ Instagram posts with Saudi flag and red heart emojis. “I’ve been telling them for years! I’ve been saying, ‘You have to come to AlUla! You have to see the development of The Line and NEOM. Go visit JAX!’” In the time since, Saudi Arabia has continued to boom with artists visiting through performance opportunities, or on their own accord. In the 2023 edition of Soundstorm, major headliners from the global hip-hop community came through including Will Smith, 50 Cent and Travis Scott, to name a few.
“See, I’m kind of biased about Saudi. For me, it’s like being home. It’s like asking me about my own home when you speak about Saudi. I feel like it’s going to be the number one place in the world, period. Especially when you look at all the new places being built, the energy the region has in general.
“I just recently went to the Noor Festival [in Riyadh] and there were a lot of amazing artists in that particular show,” he says. “There’s Ahmed Mater, who is a great friend.”
An avid collector of art, Swizz Beatz admits he’s constantly inspired by the many talents he meets in the kingdom. “I’m getting them [Saudi artists] into my museum show in New York at the Brooklyn Museum. That’s coming soon insha’Allah, so their work can be seen abroad as well. But the art scene [in Saudi] is super booming. There’s a lot of talent here on all sides of art — fashion, music and visual photography. To see all of these doors open has been amazing to watch.”
Swizz Beatz is much more than a spectator. His latest endeavor, the new headquarters of his Riyadh-based company, Good Intentions, is less office space and more incubator-like venue that can easily be transformed into an interchangeable setting, ideal for all facets of creativity.
“I’ve seen so many styles in Saudi already now. It’s not just one particular style,” he explains. Swizz Beatz admits Saudi is a melting pot of influences and aesthetics, and exporting its culture is just as important as the country opening up to the rest of the world.
When closing out the interview, Swizz Beatz gave a final testament to his excitement about the progress in Saudi, stating, “The thing that I like is that everybody’s in their own vibe and everybody’s supporting each other.”
This week, Money Man tapped in with Billboard on Threads to speak about his origins, working with Lil Baby on “24s,” paying respect to the late Kobe Bryant, and more.
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With an expansive resume, including double-digit projects to his name, including his 2023 effort, Red Eye, read below and get familiar with the Atlanta dynamo.
On His Rap Origins & Paying Homage to Kobe Bryant:
While many people associate Money Man with his Atlanta ties, his roots initially originated in The Bronx, as he revealed during his conversation with Billboard.
“I listen to music from Atlanta and the East Coast, so my music vibes with both areas,” he said. “I have a mix of both cities in my DNA.”
Money Man’s most notable song, “24,” earned the remix treatment when one of Atlanta’s biggest stars, Lil Baby, graced the record. The track paid homage to the late Kobe Bryant, and according to Money Man, the shout-out to the Lakers great was a late addition.
“In the song, I said, ‘RIP Kobe Bryant,’ who had just passed away,” he notes. “The track had a crazy sound, and that line was heartfelt. [EMPIRE founder] Ghazi [Shami] suggested adding Lil Baby, and I agreed.”
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On Wanting to Collaborate in the Pop & Afrobeats Space:
Money Man’s collaborations run deep, as he’s previously partnered up with Larry June, Key Glock, DaBaby, and more. While Money savors the chance to link up with some of today’s hottest rappers, he hopes to one day swerve into the Pop and Afrobeats space, if given the right opportunity.
“I’m always down to work with whoever wants to work with me,” he explains. “I think some pop and afrobeats artists would be dope.
On His Prolific Track-Record:
Since 2016, Money Man has proven to be a formidable threat on the mixtape circuit with his extensive catalog. With over a dozen mixtapes to his name, including his most recently released effort, 2023’s Red Eye, he revels in the thought of being consistent and satisfying his core.
“I live an exciting life, and I’m always taking in new information, so I have a lot to get off my chest,” he says. “I have such a diverse audience so each one of my albums and mixtapes are for a specific group of people. You’ll know when you hear the first song. I want to give them music that they can relate to.”
Last week, Money Man released his first record of 2024 with “Servin Myself.” Listen below.
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Snoop Dogg‘s list of endorsements and product extension stretch from his recent Goon With the Spoon cookbook to deals hawking Beyond Meat, Skechers, Corona, SodaStream and his Snoop Doggie Doggs line of pet products.
But in an appearance earlier this week on the debut episode of comedian/actor Slink Johnson’s “Wake & Bake With Double S Express,” the Doggfather pulled up to smoke (including showing off a giant joint shaped like the “Smoke Weed Every Day” MC’s head), chat and laugh it up with the host and co-star of the 2023 White Men Can’t Jump reboot. During their convo, Snoop revealed that OnlyFans reached out to him saying he could probably pull down a cool $100 million to show off his private parts.
And while Snoop is always down to sign a lucrative deal, he said his wife of 27 years and manager, Shante Broadus, would never be okay with him pulling his “thang out.”
“They got at me when one of them little girls made like $20 million on there,” Snoop said of an reach out from the online subscription content service frequently used by sex workers and B- and C-list stars looking to cash in on NSFW content. “They were like, ‘OnlyFans wants you to come on there, Snoop. You could do about $100 million. All you gotta do is pull that thang out.”
And as much as he enjoys product extensions, Snoop, 52, said it would never happen. “I’m like, ‘I got a Black wife, n—a. Ain’t no way in the world she gonna allow me to go on there and pull that thang out for no amount of money,’” he said of the expected thumbs down from his high school sweetheart and mother of three of his children.
At press time a spokesperson for OnlyFans had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the alleged offer.
The legendarily lean, mean and lanky rapper also bragged that he’s been hitting the gym recently and has been building muscles for the first time in his life and, not for nothing, he said Shante is definitely into that.
Snoop might get to show off his newly jacked physique this summer with his gig as a correspondent for NBC’s coverage of the Paris Olympics. “I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris. It’s a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness,” Snoop said in a statement earlier this month. “We’re going to have some amazing competitions and, of course, I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix. It’s going to be the most epic Olympics ever, so stay tuned, and keep it locked. Let’s elevate, celebrate, and make these games unforgettable, smoke the competition, and may the best shine like gold. Peace and Olympic LOVE, ya dig?”
Check out the chat below (warning: the OnlyFans talk doesn’t come around until well into the video).
“Caliber” singer Coco Jones stopped by Sherri Shepherd’s syndicated show on Friday (Jan. 19) to talk about her 2024 Grammy nominations, her desire to keep holding up the R&B genre, and most importantly, to share a flawless, funny Mariah Carey impersonation.
Aware that Jones has gone viral for her impersonation skills, Shepherd cued up the “Celebrity Spin” game to test Coco’s skills at nailing a famous voice in a wacky scenario. Britney Spears ordering a latte? Nailed it. Rihanna on a roller coaster? “Oh hey now, hey now. Stop de ride, stop de ride,” Jones sang in RihRih’s signature island-soaked timbre.
Jones definitely saved the best for last, though. Asked to conjure Mariah on the phone with Shepherd’s in-house turntablist, DJ Suss One, Jones gathered her thoughts and busted out, “Hey Mr. DJ, are you gonna play my favorite song,” in a perfect Carey coo, topped by a signature sky-high MC whistle note.
The singer who is nominated for five Grammy Awards — including best R&B performance, best R&B song, best R&B album, best traditional R&B performance and best new artist — told Shepherd the very first person she called to celebrate the good news was, of course, her mom. “I called my mama when I landed,” Jones said. “My mom was the team before the team. She was the one knocking on doors on behalf of her little 9-year-old just to beg somebody to listen, so I want he to see that her sacrifice has paid off.”
The Bel-Air star also spilled on what’s next for her character Hilary Banks, promising that she will continue to “stir the pot” and “surprise you guys” in season three of Peacock’s reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The 26-year-old singer also revealed that she’s hoping to have her full-length debut album out this summer. To date, Jones has released a handful of EPs, including 2022’s What I Didn’t Tell You, which featured her only Billboard Hot 100-charting single to date “ICU,” which peaked at No. 62.
Watch Jones on Sherri below.
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HarbourView Equity Partners continues to scoop up R&B/hip-hop music assets with its latest acquisition of certain publishing and recorded music assets from singer, songwriter and record producer Jeremih. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Jeremih’s Hot 100 hits include “Birthday […]