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Eminem is keen to play ball with his beloved Detroit Lions.
As the NFL franchise breaks its painful, three-decade-long playoff drought, Marshall Mathers puts his hand up for selection with an amusing play to coach Dan Campbell.
Em gets into the spirit of the Lions’ rare post-season progress with a social post.
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“Yo, Dan, I’m reporting. I’m going to report. Third quarter,” the Rap God says. “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.”
He already has one, but it’s not regulation. “It’s just a helmet,” he insists.
The 51-year-old artist might not be able to do it on all a football field, but he’s without question a superstar in the field of hip-hop. In 2020, with the release of Music to Be Murdered By, Eminem notched his historic 10th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Ten of those were in succession, a record; and each of them debuted at the summit, again, something never done before.
He’s just the sixth act with at least 10 No. 1 LPs in the United States.
Two years later, Eminem was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, an accolade that sits beside his 15 Grammy Awards.
The Lions, however, haven’t been winning much of late. The club left it late for its 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night (Jan. 14), for their first play-off game victory in 32 years.
The NFC’s No. 3 seeded Lions can now boast two home play-off games for the first time in franchise history, kicking on again Sunday for a second-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Eminem has been spotted at Lions game this season, and in years past, has taken his spot in the commentary booth, and offered his services – despite his advancing years.
In 2022, then aged 49, Slim Shady appeared in an episode of HBO’s NFL series Hard Knocks, asserting that he was down to suit up any time they need him. “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 Detroit Lions practice.
As the music industry continues to wake from its holiday season slumber and awards season barrels on, there’s much to catch up on in the worlds of hip-hop and R&B.
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Earlier this month (Jan. 6), Jay-Z picked up his second Primetime Emmy — outstanding directing for a variety special for The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna. He won his first last year as an executive producer of the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. In more somber awards news, last Friday (Jan. 12), The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed that Diddy — nominated in best progressive R&B album for The Love Album: Off the Grid — would not be attending the upcoming 66th Annual Grammy Awards amid his recent sexual assault allegations.
In non-awards news, Lil Nas X made a characteristically controversial comeback with “J Christ,” Kali Uchis dropped off a new album alongside a pregnancy announcement, Janet Jackson announced new North American dates for her acclaimed Together Again tour and 21 Savage released his first solo LP in five years.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Destin Conrad and Alex Isley’s devastating duet to 21 Savage’s Shining-inspired street anthem. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Destin Conrad & Alex Isley, “Same Mistake”
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We’re only a few months removed from Submissive, but Destin Conrad already has his focus on Submissive 2. “Same Mistake” arrives as a forlorn ballad chiefly concerned with documenting the final moments of a disintegrating romance. “Why you always wanna play games?/ Night time you’re mine, and daylight you act like you don’t even know my name,” Destin croons over Louie Lastic’s ethereal production. Isley first delivers her trademark honeyed vocals as background accompaniment on Destin’s verse before commanding her own verse with equal parts ache and devastation. “Only wanted the best and I’m stickin’ to my story/ This was a moment for me, and this was all it could be,” she sings.
K CAMP & NoCap, “My Flowers”
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Few expressions have been run into the ground in the past half-decade as much as “giving somebody their flowers.” Miraculously, K CAMP and NoCap manage to deliver a spin on the phrase that feels fresh. Featuring production contributions from Trappin N London, Theevoni, MilanoTheProducer & J-RoD, “My Flowers” finds K Camp nimbly flowing over a solemn guitar-inflected trap beat. “N—as playin’ with my worth, you better have a check for me/ Or you better not check for me, angels standin’ next to me,” he spits. NoCap perfectly matches K Camp’s energy with a slightly more melodic flow that picks up on the same lyrical throughlines of loyalty and genuine love.
Kevin Gates, “Birds Calling”
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Kevin Gates is always good for a ratchet bop, and he’s dropped off yet another one in “Birds Calling.” A play on the trope of birds singing at sunrise, Gates waxes poetic about women hitting his line at all hours of the day. With Starrah and 302 on production duties, Gates hides some pretty sobering bars in between the sing-song hook. “Cleansing my sins started healing, I’m righteous/ Free everybody who thuggin’ in Rikers/ Know that I’m free, I’m authentically me,” he raps. “Birds Calling” is a headier complement to “Yonce Freestyle,” the club banger that served as the other pre-release single from Gates’ forthcoming The Ceremony LP.
Jhené Aiko, “Sun/Son”
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It’s been a little over three years since Jhené Aiko last gifted us a studio album, but she’s still remained musically active. Her latest release, “Sun/Son” serves as a loving tribute to her son for his first birthday. Lyrically, Aiko plays on the homophonous quality of the words in the song’s title, painting with broad strokes that contour the “solar power” her son’s love “charges her up” with. Vocally, she opts for a lush flurry of subdued harmonies that reside almost exclusively in her falsetto. It’s a relatively coy vocal performance, but one whose delicateness is the key ingredient to crafting a song with such a self-assured sense of intimacy.
Samaria, “Beating Myself Up”
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This glitchy slice of electronic R&B is the perfect backdrop to a session of serious self-loathing. “Want to think I’m one of a kind/ But it gets way too, too loud/ Used to get professional help/ Too scared of what they found,” Samaria says in a cadence somewhere between rapping, singing and stream-of-consciousness rambling. The flashes of drum’n’bass production drive home the song’s most sinister undertones, but it’s Samaria’s tone — hurt masked by a veneer or apathy — that embodies the destruction of innocence that anchors the track’s sentiments.
Jeymes Samuel, Doja Cat, Kodak Black & Adekunle Gold, “JEEZU”
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Jay-Z caused quite the stir on Spaces last week when he sang Doja Cat’s praises, but he wasn’t just running his mouth. After scoring a runaway hit with “Vegas” from the Elvis soundtrack in 2022, the “Agora Hills” rapper has lent her talents to another blockbuster movie OST. Alongside Adekunle Gold, Kodak Black and film director Jeyemes Samuel, Doja delivers a standout verse for the Book of Clarence soundtrack posse cut. “Y’all got an agenda, but we’ll see how that gon’ turn out/ Many false prophets leavin’ brothers with a firm doubt/ Father, please forgive me, for today, they finna learn now/ Put me in the dirt, and you gon’ see, I make it worthwhile,” she spits over Samuel’s laid-back jazz-inflected production. Adekunle’s impassioned hook is the song’s glue, while Kodak delivers one of his best verses in recent years on the Diaspora-traversing song.
21 Savage, “Redrum”
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A new 21 Savage album normally means the return of the rapper in both savage mode and R&B mode. While both personas made for enjoyable tracks on his newly released American Dream LP, “Redrum” is the unequivocal standout from his “savage mode” tracks. Featuring production from London on da Track, “Redrum” — “murder” spelled backwards, of course — finds the Grammy-winner rattling off his gun collection and delivering a slew of menacing metaphors and one-liners. The key part of the track, however, is the outro, which samples Jack Nicholson’s recitation of the “Three Little Pigs” nursery rhyme from The Shining (1980). Talk about thematic consistency!
Mariah the Scientist debuts a song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in her career, thanks to her breakout collaboration with Tee Grizzley and Chris Brown, “IDGAF.”
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The track, released Sept. 8 via Tee Grizzley/300 Entertainment/3EE, debuts at No. 100 on the Jan. 20-dated chart with 14 million all-format radio airplay audience impressions and 2.6 million official U.S. streams (up 11%) in the Jan. 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also rises 31-30 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Radio-wise, “IDGAF” makes moves at multiple formats: It holds at its No. 5 high on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and rises 20-19 on Rhythmic Airplay.
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Mariah the Scientist charted for the first time in July 2021, when Ry Ry World debuted and peaked at No. 4 on Heatseekers Albums. She returned to the survey the following year with her EP Buckles Laboratories Presents: The Intermission (No. 16 peak). The latter’s “Spread Thin” became her first song to chart, when it debuted on Hot R&B Songs in October 2022, eventually reaching No. 15.
In October 2023, the Atlanta native signed to Epic Records. “I was reluctant to signing any new deal,” she told Billboard at the time. “But I was excited to find a partner that understands me as an artist and has the infrastructure to support me in the ways I need most.”
“Mariah is a dynamic creative force with a clear vision for her music and the experience surrounding it,” Epic president Ezekiel Lewis said after her signing.
To celebrate the signing, Mariah the Scientist released the single “From a Woman,” which reached No. 18 on Hot R&B Songs.
She released her third project, To Be Eaten Alive, on Oct. 27. The set features collaborations with 21 Savage, Young Thug and Vory, and became her best-performing album to date, reaching No. 93 on the Billboard 200 — her first entry on the chart. The set’s “Out of Luck,” produced by Kaytranada, is beginning to pick up steam: It debuts at No. 45 on the Jan. 20-dated R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and holds at its No. 36 high on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
Nicki Minaj expanded her anticipated Nicki Minaj Presents: Pink Friday 2 World Tour on Tuesday (Jan. 16) with the addition of second nights in a number of North American cities and new overseas shows in Europe.
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A total of 13 fresh dates were revealed for what has already become the rapper’s highest-selling tour to date, according to promoter Live Nation Entertainment. The new North American dates rolled out on Tuesday include gigs in Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Nashville, and Toronto along with just-announced global dates in Amsterdam, Cologne, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris and Stockholm.
The initial run of 25 arena shows rolled out in December to support Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 album found the rapper hitting the road on March 1 in Oakland, CA and staying out until a June 7 gig in Berlin. The outing will still launch at the Oakland Arena, but now also include a second night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta (March 21), a March 24 gig at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, as well as a second night (April 8) at Boston’s TD Garden, a second show (April 25) at the United Center in Chicago and fresh dates at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (April 30) and a May 1 show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The North American tickets will roll out with a Citi presale beginning today, with additional presales running throughout the week ahead of Friday’s (Jan. 19) general onsale at 9 a.m. local time; click here for more ticketing information. Tickets for the new European dates will start with an artist presale on Wednesday (Jan. 17) begging at 9 a.m. local time, with additional presales leading up to the general onsale on Friday at 9 a.m. local time.
Check out the full run of Pink Friday 2 World Tour dates below (new dates in bold):
March 1 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
March 3 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
March 8 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
March 10 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
March 13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
March 15 – Inglewood, CA @ Rolling Loud California*
March 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
March 20 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
March 21 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
March 22 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
March 24 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
March 26 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
March 28 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
March 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
March 30 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
April 1 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
April 2 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
April 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
April 5 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
April 7 – Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival*
April 8 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
April 10 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
April 12 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
April 13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
April 17 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
April 18 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
April 20 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
April 24 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
April 25 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
April 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
April 30 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
May 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
May 9 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
May 11 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
May 12 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
May 13 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
May 23 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
May 25 – Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
May 26 – Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
May 28 – London, UK @ The O2
May 29 – Glasgow, Scotland @ OVO Hydro
May 30 – Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live
June 1 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
June 2 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
June 4 – Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
June 5 – Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
June 7 – Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena
June 9 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
June 11 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
June 12 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Tele2 Arena
*festival date
Drake and J. Cole’s hotly anticipated It’s All a Blur Tour — Big As the What? won’t start this week. Originally slated to kick off Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 in Denver, Drake and Cole’s first show will take place Feb. 2 in Tampa Bay, Fla., according to Ticketmaster. The opening Denver dates have been […]
Welcome to paradise! Green Day is set to headline EA Sports’ Super Bowl party The Madden Bowl, Billboard can exclusively report. The event will take place Feb. 9 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Also set to perform are rapper Big Boi with special guest Killer Mike, and Breland. “Prepare your ears because […]
Drake got his folks in the frame in his hometown for the first time in more than a decade over the weekend. In a rare Graham fam snap, Drake posted an image to his Instagram Story featuring his meme-tastic mustachioed dad, Dennis Graham, standing next to the rapper’s beloved mother, Sandi. The exes were both, […]
Diddy will not be attending the 2024 Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, despite his nomination for best progressive R&B album for his The Love Album: Off the Grid, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The news comes amid a series of sexual assault accusations against the musician and entrepreneur. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news […]
RodeoHouston’s 2024 lineup is set to once again showcase some of the loftiest talents in a range of genres, including rock, rap, country, Latin, Christian and more.
Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, 50 Cent, the Jonas Brothers, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, Los Tigres del Norte and for King & Country are a few of the artists slated to headline when RodeoHouston gets underway at Houston’s NRG Stadium from Feb. 27 through March 17.
“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is proud to bring such a wide range of musical genres to the RodeoHouston stage,” said Chris Boleman, Rodeo president and CEO, in a statement. “We’re welcoming 10 new entertainers who will make their debut on the star stage, as well as many fan-favorites from a variety of genres from our country roots, to EDM and hip-hop.”
Among the newcomers to this year’s RodeoHouston stage are Carly Pearce, Oliver Anthony, 50 Cent, HARDY, current CMA new artist of the year winner Jelly Roll, reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson, “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony Music, Ivan Cornejo, Nickelback and Whiskey Myer.
These artists further add to RodeoHouston’s nearly 100-year legacy, in which time the rodeo has committed more than $600 million to aid education and youth-focused efforts in Texas. Each year, RodeoHouston draws more than 2 million people to its mix of rodeo/Western activities, musical performances and carnival midway.
Tickets go on sale at rodeohouston.com on Thursday, Jan. 18, in two waves — at 10 a.m. and2 p.m.
See the lineup of performers below:
Feb. 27 – Opening Day, presented by Texas Capital – Blake Shelton
Feb. 28 – Armed Forces Appreciation Day, presented by Crown Royal – Carly Pearce
Feb. 29 – for KING + COUNTRY
March 1 – Black Heritage Day, presented by Kroger – 50 Cent
March 2 -HARDY
March 3 – Ivan Cornejo
March 4 – First Responders Day, presented by BP America – Hank Williams Jr.
March 5 -Oliver Anthony
March 6 – Community Day, presented by TC Energy – Jelly Roll
March 7 – Volunteer Appreciation Day, presented by Phillips 66 – Luke Bryan
March 8 -Major Lazer
March 9 -Lainey Wilson
March 10 – Go Tejano Day, presented by Fiesta Mart – Los Tigres del Norte
March 11 -Whiskey Myers
March 12 -Bun B
March 13 -Nickelback
March 14 – Zac Brown Band
March 15 – Jonas Brothers
March 16 – Brad Paisley
March 17 – RODEOHOUSTON Finals – Eric Church
He’s pole-danced to hell, he’s broken out of prison and he’s even eloped with his football-playing boyfriend. Now, Lil Nas X is ready to strut his way through the Pearly Gates.
On Friday (Jan. 12), the rapper shared his much-hyped music video for “J CHRIST,” taking the Biblical title to its furthest extent. The clip opens with a series of celebrity lookalikes — ranging from Taylor Swift to Kanye West to a moonwalking Michael Jackson — as they climb the stairway to heaven. Upon arrival, they’re greeted at the entrance by a dragged-up Lil Nas X, declaring he’s reading to “walk up in the club poppin’ s–t like it was Doublemint.”
The video — directed by Lil Nas X himself — then proceeds to show a series of callbacks to his hellish video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” showing the oft-discussed pole to hell and a demonic Lil Nas X stirring a cauldron of arms and legs. Flying back up to heaven, Lil Nas reunites with his former flame the Devil, this time in a one-on-one basketball game where the rapper soars over his head, dunks the ball, and celebrates with a personalized cheerleading routine.
For the remainder of the video, fans are treated to a host of Biblical vignettes — Jesus’ crucifixion, Nabal shearing David’s sheep, Moses parting the Red Sea — before the rapper transforms into Noah, ushering the denizens of Earth onto a massive ark to survive the flooding of the world. “Back up out the gravesite/ B—h, I’m back like J Christ,” he declares over a pounding beat. “I’m finna get the gays hype/ I’m finna take it yay high.”
As a storm subsides and Nas’ Noah survives, the screen declares that this is “Day Zero” of “a new beginning,” sharing a quote from 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
The “J CHRIST” video comes after Lil Nas X spent much of the week promoting his single the best way he knows how — trolling. Whether he was posting a fake acceptance letter to Liberty University or declaring that his new music would be released independently, the singer made sure that his name was on everyone’s lips throughout the week.
Check out the official video for “J CHRIST” below:
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