State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Jay-Z just “rolled the dice, trying to get some change.” After helping launch Fanatics Sportsbook in 2023 alongside Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, Hov is putting his money where his mouth is for the 2025 NBA Finals. According to a social media post from Fanatics and Roc Nation, Jay-Z has wagered $1 million on the Oklahoma […]
Cam’ron gave fans a bit of a stunning revelation on Thursday (June 5).
On a recent episode of It Is What It Is, while talking about NBA commissioner Adam Silver telling FS1’s Breakfast Ball that next year’s All-Star Game will be “some form of USA against the World,” Cam and his co-host Mase joked around that the league is stealing their ideas and that they should let them ghostwrite for them.
Cam then gave some high-profile examples of songs he’s co-written, including 3LW‘s 2000 hit “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right),” which features a viral opening line about broken promises. “I wrote for 3 Little Women,” the Harlem rapper said as Mase laughed and egged him on. “The single, I’m in the credits, I wrote that. ‘Promises, promises’? That’s me. I penned that joint. We’re real creative, just tap in, man.”
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He then revealed that he originally wrote the classic Dipset track “I Really Mean It” with the intention of giving it to Lil’ Kim, but the Queen Bee wasn’t feeling it — but said he was glad that Kim decided to pass on it because it’s one of his more popular songs.
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“I did write a song for Lil’ Kim and she didn’t want it, and the lyrics changed and I ended up keeping it for myself,” he began. “It was one of my biggest records, but I wrote ‘I Really Mean It’ for Lil’ Kim. Same format, and she didn’t like it. That’s one of the best things, ’cause that’s one of my close-out songs, to be totally honest with you, and she didn’t want the song. I’m happy she didn’t.”
Cam is, in fact, credited on 3LW’s hit record as a songwriter, and most of the recent comments on YouTube are people asking if they’re there because of It Is What It Is. The Harlem rapper also famously ghostwrote Lil’ Kim’s 1996 classic “Crush on You.”
You can watch the full episode below.
Meanwhile, though Cam and Mase are trying to take credit for the NBA All-Star idea, ESPN journalist Michael Wilbon said back in February on First Take that he’s been pushing the USA vs. the World format for more than a decade.
“I’ve been pushing this for 15 years,” Wilbon claimed during a segment about the popular 2025 NHL Nations Face-Off that replaced the hockey league’s All-Star Game. “This goes back to me talking to David Stern about it and then Adam Silver about it on this air during Finals games when Stephen A. [Smith] and I are sitting there with our colleagues with the commissioner during the Finals. I’ve been asking him about this directly. It even became a joke, where they said, ‘Oh, we know what Wilbon’s gonna ask Adam Silver about.’”
Cam and Mase should reach out to Wilbon and get him on the show.
Top Dawg Entertainment singer SiR had his 2024 tour stop in Toronto canceled, and he made his return north of the border for a show on Wednesday (June 4).
During his performance, SiR placed the blame for his original cancellation on Drake. In a clip from the performance, SiR says that he was “caught in the middle of a beef I ain’t have s–t to do with,” referencing the ongoing feud between the Toronto rapper and Kendrick Lamar. However, SiR quickly walked back the claims and said it was the venue — which is co-owned by Drizzy — that cancelled his show.
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“Then when we tried to switch venues, the venue was like, ‘Nah, we ain’t f—ing with it. I ain’t taking no motherf—ing chance you gon’ get your ass beat,’” he says in the clip.
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Billboard has reached out to Drake’s team for comment.
The clip from Wednesday’s concert went viral on social media as fans had plenty to say about SiR’s claims, who himself wondered, “Why is this news?”
Plenty of OVO fans were riled up at SiR’s comments and hopped into his replies on X. “It’s news because you said Drake name,” one person said. Another added: “Why you mentioning Drake when he has no clue who you are?”
At the time of the 2024 show, SiR blamed the venue in a statement to fans on X. “So sorry to my Toronto fans. The show has been canceled. We’re working on rescheduling for a later date,” he wrote, per VIBE. “For those wondering, we sold that show out. It was canceled by the venue. Not sure why. My apologies again to those that came just to see me.”
SiR wasn’t the only TDE-affiliate to have issues touring in Canada, as ScHoolboy Q also had a show scrapped in Toronto last summer. “THey just canceled my sHow in TORONTO,” he said at the time. “CANADIAN POLICE DONT WANT NOBODY FROM TDE PERFORMING.”
See how fans reacted to the clip of SiR talking about his 2024 cancellation below:
Anytime an affiliate from either side mention anything about the “beef” it’s going to be news. Tbh why you even take the time to talk about it. You should’ve thanked the crowd and kept it moving. We all know what happened last year.— BREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE (@breyonksmith) June 5, 2025
Why did you make a spectacle of it in the first place— Prime – Enjoyer of #4 (@xPrimeHoops) June 5, 2025
Sir is only speaking the truth from a year ago. Drake is petty and can’t a Loss like a man. Everyone knows this…What is the new news here?— ChiKnows (@Chi_Knows01) June 5, 2025
SIR is irrelevant to the culture. Top 5 is more relevant— Stateless Gonad (@StatelessGonad) June 5, 2025
0 clips of the performance just 1 clip of the only part anyone cares about— Vocal Pineapple 🍍 (@VocalPineapple) June 5, 2025
He literally just told you— Corey (@ioftendrift) June 5, 2025
Neh Drake involved him in things that’s he was not part of— SeanKing (@ShawnSikhosana) June 5, 2025
After several false starts, summer finally seems to have settled in. That means music festivals, various carnival celebrations, and the search for a song of the summer are in full effect.
May featured album releases from dancehall stars like Valiant (Prove Them Wrong) and Ding Dong (From Ding Dong to World Ding), but the month’s buzziest news story arrived in its very last weekend. Vybz Kartel, who recently announced his first world tour in over 20 years, and Moliy, whose global Afro-dancehall smash “Shake It to the Max” recently entered the Billboard Hot 100, were both set to play Trinidad’s One Caribbean Music Festival on May 31. However, due to “non-fullfilment of contractual obligations,” as per Kartel’s management, the King of Dancehall pulled out of the festival just hours before he was set to hit the stage. According to Kartel’s team, the dancehall titan did not receive his full payment before the festival took place.
“Vybz Kartel was formally contracted to perform at [One Caribbean Music Festival] 2025 for a total sum of $1.35 million. To date, $950,000 has been paid directly to the [artist], while an additional $150,000 was disbursed to his legal representative,” the promoter explained. “The remaining balance due was made available in full; however, due to legal and financial regulations in Trinidad and Tobago, the organisers were unable to disburse the final amount in cash.”
As for Moliy, the Ghanaian-American singer pulled out of the event, citing the promoter’s failures to meet “key contractual obligations.”
“Moliy arrived in Trinidad ready and excited to perform, but since landing, her team has not received any communication from the festival organizers,” her management team explained in a press release. “Combined with their failure to meet key contractual obligations, this has made it impossible for the performance to proceed.”
Nonetheless, One Caribbean Music Festival continued as planned, with performances from artists such as Chronic Law, Rvssian and Sizzla Kalonji.
Outside of that festival kerfuffle, Caribbean artists are enjoying a particularly notable moment in the live entertainment space. Beenie Man headlined a blockbuster show at Long Island’s UBS Arena on May 24, and Bounty Killer will headline Brooklyn’s Barclays Center next month (July 5), underscoring Caribbean music’s transition to arena-headlining status in the 2020s.
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: Asa Bantan, “God Is Good”
Timbaland has launched his own AI entertainment company called Stage Zero and its first signee is the artist TaTa. Co-founded with Rocky Mudaliar and Zayd Portillo, Stage Zero’s first signee is an AI pop artist called TaTa, driven by Suno AI. The pop artist, along with a bevy of AI-driven creative tools will all be […]
A day ahead of El Clásico, Travis Scott made his debut in Barcelona with a thrilling concert on May 10, which Spotify has now turned into a short film. Spotify Presents: Travis Scott Live From Barcelona arrived on the streaming service’s platform on Thursday (June 5) about a month after Scott hit the Spanish stage […]
Erykah Badu has announced that she’ll be dropping music later this summer on her own record label, Control FREAQ Records. Having been with Motown since at least 2007, this newly independent venture is a huge deal for Badu. The neo-soul pioneer established Control FREAQ Records in 2005, representing her “desire to foster creativity and innovation […]
ESPN is giving Lil Wayne fans a sneak peek at his The Carter VI album mere hours before it arrives. Unreleased track “The Days” featuring Bono has been used in a promo ad for game one of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday (June 5). “I pledge allegiance […]
Tiësto and Sexyy Red are revving their engines with the just-released collab “OMG!”
The slinky song, in which Sexyy Red opines about maxing out credit cards, breaking the rules and being “too high to be cool” over the Dutch producer’s woozy beat, comes from the forthcoming soundtrack to the Brad Pitt-starring racing film F1.
“Who would have thought that Tiësto would have a collab with Sexyy Red?” the producer recently told Billboard backstage at EDC Las Vegas. “No one, absolutely no one, but here it is, and it’s an amazing track. I think people will really like it. It’s super dance.”
“OMG!” has been in the works for awhile, with Tiësto playing it during a huge performance in October at the annual dance gathering ADE. The track comes from the F1 the Album soundtrack, with the corresponding film hitting theaters on June 27, the same day the soundtrack will be released.
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This soundtrack brings together a collection of musical titans including music by Dom Dolla (who’s slick contribution “No Room For a Saint” came out last month), Doja Cat, ROSÉ, Peggy Gou, Chris Stapleton, Ed Sheeran, Raye, Burna Boy, Roddy Rich, Madison Beer, Tate McRae, Don Toliver and Myke Towers.
Tiësto, a known racing fan, also makes a cameo in the film, which stars Pitt as an aging F1 driver who returns to the sport after a long absence, along with Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem. F1 The Movie was directed by Joseph Kosinski, who also directed the global blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick.
Listen to “OMG!” below:
True to her name, Mariah the Scientist’s songs are often the result of several months, and sometimes years, spent combining different elements of choruses and verses until finding the right mixture. But when it came time for the 27-year-old to unveil her latest single, the sultry “Burning Blue,” the R&B singer-songwriter was at a crossroads. So, she experimented with her promotional strategy, too — and achieved the desired momentum.
“Mariah felt she was in a space between treating [music] like a hobby and this being her career,” recalls Morgan Buckles, the artist’s sister and manager. And so, they crafted a curated, monthlong rollout — filled with snippets, TikTok posts encouraging fan interaction and various live performances — that helped the song go viral even before its early May arrival. Upon its release, Mariah the Scientist scored her first solo Billboard Hot 100 entry and breakthrough hit.
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Mariah Amani Buckles grew up in Atlanta, singing from an early age. She attended St. John’s University in New York and studied biology, but ultimately dropped out to pursue music. Her self-released debut EP, To Die For, arrived in 2018, after which she signed to RCA Records and Tory Lanez’s One Umbrella label. She stayed in those deals until 2022 — releasing albums Master and Ry Ry World in 2019 and 2021, respectively — before leaving to continue as an independent artist.
“Over time, you start realizing [people] want you to change things,” Mariah says of her start in the industry. “Everybody wants to control your art. I don’t want to argue with you about what I want, because if we don’t want the same things, I’ll just go find somebody who does.”
Mariah the Scientist
Carl Chisolm
In 2023, after six months as an independent artist, Mariah signed a joint venture deal with Epic Records and released her third album, To Be Eaten Alive, which became her first to reach the Billboard 200. She then made two Hot 100 appearances as a featured artist in early 2024, on “IDGAF” with Tee Grizzley and Chris Brown and “Dark Days” with 21 Savage.
“Burning Blue” marks Mariah’s first release of 2025 — and first new music since boyfriend Young Thug’s release from jail following his bombshell YSL RICO trial. The song takes inspiration from Purple Rain-era Prince balladry with booming drums and warbling bass — and Mariah admits that the Jetski Purp-produced beat on YouTube (originally titled “Blue Flame”) likely influenced some lyrics, too. She initially recorded part of the track over an unofficial MP3 rip, but after Purp caught wind of it and learned his girlfriend was a fan, he gave Mariah the beat. Mariah then looped in Nineteen85 (Drake, Nicki Minaj, Khalid) to flesh out the production.
“I [recorded the first part of ‘Burning Blue’] in the first room I recorded in when I first started making music in Atlanta,” Mariah says. “I don’t want to say it was a throwaway, but it was casual. I wrote some of it, and then I put it to the side.”
Once Epic A&R executive Jennifer Raymond heard the in-progress track, she insisted on its completion enough that Mariah and her collaborators convened in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in February to finish the song. By that point, they sensed something special. Mariah shared a low-quality snippet on Instagram, but Morgan — who joined as a tour manager in 2022 — knew a more polished presentation was needed to reach its full potential.
Morgan Buckles (left) and Mariah the Scientist photographed May 20, 2025 in New York.
Carl Chisolm
Morgan eyed Billboard’s Women in Music event in late March as the launchpad for the “Burning Blue” campaign. Though Mariah wasn’t performing or presenting at the event, Morgan wanted to take advantage of her already being in glam to shoot a flashier teaser than Mariah’s initial IG story, which didn’t even show her face.
The two decided on a behind-the-scenes, pre-red carpet clip soundtracked by a studio-quality snippet of “Burning Blue.” Posted on April 1, that clip showcased its downtempo chorus and Mariah’s silky vocal and has since amassed more than two million views, with designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s official TikTok account sharing the video to its feed. Ten days later, Morgan advised Mariah to share another TikTok, this time with an explicit call to action encouraging fans to use the song in their own posts and teasing that she “might have a surprise” for fans with enough interaction.
Mariah then debuted the song live on April 19 during a set at Howard University — a smart exclusive for her core audience — as anticipation for the song continued to build. Two weeks later, “Burning Blue” hit digital service providers on May 2, further fueled by a Claire Bishara-helmed video on May 8 that has over 7 million YouTube views.
“We’re at the point where opportunity meets preparation,” Morgan reflects of the concerted but not overbearing promotional approach. “[To Be Eaten Alive] happened so fast, I didn’t even know what ‘working’ a project meant. This time, I studied other artists’ rollouts to figure out how to make this campaign personal to her.”
“Burning Blue” debuted at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated May 17, marking Mariah’s first time in the top 40. Following its TikTok-fueled debut, the song has shown legs at radio too, entering Rhythmic Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay — to which Morgan credits Epic’s radio team, spearheaded by Traci Adams and Dontay Thompson. “[The song] ended up going to radio a week earlier [than scheduled] because Dontay was like, ‘If y’all like this song so much, then play it!,’ and they did,” Morgan jokes.
With “Burning Blue” proving to be a robust start to an exciting new chapter, Mariah has a bona fide hit to start the summer as she prepares to unleash her new project, due before the fall. She recently performed the track on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and will have the opportunity to fan the song’s flames in front of festival audiences including Governors Ball in June and Lollapalooza in August. But as her following continues to heat up, Mariah’s mindset is as cool as ever.
“I’ll take what I can get,” Mariah says. “As long as I can use my platform to help people feel included or understood, I’m good.”
Mariah the Scientist
Carl Chisolm
A version of this story appears in the June 7, 2025, issue of Billboard.
