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Megan Thee Stallion is ready to heat up for a Hot Girl Summer. The Houston Hottie teased fans on Wednesday (May 1) to gear up for what she’s dubbing “Megan May” this month.
The 29-year-old kicked off “Megan May” with a slimy yet racy photo shoot. Continuing with the serpentine theme of her previous singles, she appears to be shedding her skin heading into the new era in the snap.
“Hotties it’s officially MEGAN MAY Get ready,” she wrote alongside the seafoam green-tinted photo.
Plenty of fans were hyped by the announcement, as was Juicy J. “Yes sir,” he chimed in in the comments section.
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“I was inspired to create this album about rebirth because I feel I am becoming a new person physically and mentally,” she told Women’s Health of the project in April.
Her upcoming album remains without a release date, but it’s possibly inching closer with Megan set to hit the road for her Hot Girl Summer World Tour. The North American trek will feature support from GloRilla, and is slated to run through arenas starting on May 14 in Minneapolis at the Target Center.
Meg and Glo will visit 31 cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Thee Stallion’s hometown of Houston. Megan will travel across the pond starting on July 4 in Glasgow, Scotland, with more European shows in England, France, Germany and Ireland scheduled.
GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion teamed up for “Wanna Be” in April on Glo’s Ehhthang Ehhthang EP, which sits at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It’s already been a robust 2024 campaign for Meg, who added another Hot 100 No. 1 single to her résumé with the fiery “Hiss.”
In February, Megan announced that she agreed to an innovative partnership with Warner Music Group. The unique distribution deal allows Thee Stallion to maintain independence while accessing WMG’s global services ranging from music promotion to distribution and worldwide marketing.
Find Megan Thee Stallion’s teaser below.
Cardi B and Offset are continuing to fuel rumors that they’ve rekindled their romance. The pair was spotted in videos from fans appearing on the big screen while sitting together courtside at the New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night (April 30). Additionally, Offset took to his Instagram Stories to share […]
After two and a half weeks of anticipation following the leaking of Drake’s “Push-Ups” in mid-April, Kendrick Lamar continued what he started two months ago with his pot-stirring “Like That” verse with his new Drake response, “Euphoria.” Lamar’s haters’ anthem has electrified the internet and put all eyes back on the 6 God to see how he will respond. But after one full official diss track each in the beef, who’s leading on our scorecards? Billboard Hip-Hop writers Mark Elibert and Carl Lamarre present both cases.
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Why Drake Won Round One
Drake is a cunning and crafty individual when he’s locked in on a target. He has a way of using his resources in a way that has others come at him with heavy artillery, as one needs to do in the heat of battle. His first diss track in this hip-hop civil war, “Push Ups,” showed how good the 6 God is at taking center stage to rip into his opponents. Kendrick Lamar caught the most heat on a record, and Drake did precisely what people wanted of him in rap beef with his longtime rival: cut the subliminals and go on a direct offense.
K Dot officially started their long-simmering feud with his explosive guest feature on “Like That” off Metro Boomin and Future’s collaborative effort, We Don’t Like You. There were several lines that clearly referenced Drake, such as saying there’s no “big three” in hip-hop when he’s the only GOAT, seemingly a shot at Drizzy’s J. Cole-assisted “First Person Shooter” where the latter nodded to the hip-hop trinity. He also mentioned Prince “outliving” Michael Jackson, another assumed crack at Drake’s line on that same song where he said he was one hit single away from tying Michael Jackson for most No. 1 hits by a male solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Drake caught wind of the shots Lamar took at him on “Like That” and responded just a few weeks later with “Push Ups.” Most people didn’t expect Drake to respond in this manner, as he and K Dot had a lengthy cold war throughout the 2010s and early ‘20s that never really blew up the rivalry as big as it is now. Still, he used this opportunity to dip into his bag of tricks to put out a worthy diss track – one that has people paying attention.
Drake’s creativity has been essential in several of his rap feuds. On 2018’s “Duppy Freestyle,” Drake rapped, “Tell ‘Ye we got a invoice comin’ to you/ Considerin’ that we just sold another 20 for you” and actually sent an invoice to G.O.O.D. Music in the middle of his quarrel with Pusha T.
For the cover art of his 2015 Meek Mill diss track “Back to Back,” Drake used an image of the Toronto Blue Jays’s Joe Carter hitting a series-clinching home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. And he even dropped the song on the same day the Blue Jays and Phillies played against each other. Drake doesn’t do anything by coincidence, and every move he makes is a potential checkmate – with “Push Ups” serving as his latest master chess move.
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For starters, the title shows Drake’s knack for using social media as a tool, as it references a viral 2023 video of Kendrick doing push-ups in a park with The Boy using that to ridicule K Dot, and claim he’s better off doing that workout instead of giving him a lyrical exercise.
When listeners actually start the track, they can hear DJ Who Kid’s iconic DJ tagline, which channels vintage rap beef vibes. That “Whooo Kid” tagline was the first thing listeners heard echoing at the beginning of various G-Unit Radio mixtapes, where 50 Cent and his crew routinely annihilated their competition. By using that tagline, Drake was letting his listeners know he wants all the smoke with the DAMN. rapper and everyone else that dissed him.
Drake’s guile was even extended to the menacing production on “Push Ups.” The beat samples The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 track “What’s Beef?,” in which the late rapper showed disgust with his peers for not knowing what real beef is, and instead trying to start a feud on wax. Drake had already made several stinging attacks before he could even rap his first few words on the song, which had listeners anxiously waiting to hear what he was going to say.
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And with the bars, Drake left nothing on the table – firing at Kendrick in a way we’ve never heard him do before. All the subliminals in the past were focused on Drake claiming he was lyrically better and more popular, but “Push Ups” found the 6 God shining a light on things that people haven’t often said about Lamar, such as hilariously making fun of his short stature and questioning his deal with Top Dawg Entertainment.
“You won’t ever take no chain off of us/ How the f–k you big steppin’ with a size-seven men’s on?,” Drake raps before attacking Kendrick’s diminished stature in hip-hop’s hierarchy. “Pipsqueak, pipe down/ You ain’t in no big three, SZA got you wiped down/ Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down/ Like your label, boy, you in a scope right now/ And you gon’ feel the aftermath of what I write down.”
Drake even went as far as calling Lamar his child in a clever flip where he said, “What’s a Prince to a king? He a son, n—a,,” a direct response to the pgLang rapper comparing their career trajectories to the competitive ‘80s rivalry of Michael Jackson and Prince on “Like That.” To add more fuel to the fire, “Push Ups” is a catchy record thanks to Drake’s masterful hitmaking ability with infectious hooks such as “Ayy, better drop and give me fifty, ayy Drop and give me fifty, drop and give me fifty, ayy.”
It may not be as hit-worthy as “Back to Back,” which was the first diss record to receive a Grammy nomination, but “Push Ups” will most likely get rotations in various clubs and on radio months from now. Seriously, what’s more annoying than continuously hearing a diss song aimed at you no matter where you go?
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Regardless of what people feel about Drake, he defended his throne and stood tall against Lamar and everyone else who called him out over the last few weeks that led up to the commencement of this war. But even though “Push Ups” was a strong response and may have given Drake the W in the first round of this hip-hop war, he needs to keep up this intensity if he wants to come out on top.
Drake received criticism in 2018 for not dropping a response to Pusha’s “The Story of Adidon,” despite rumors claiming he had something nuclear in the chamber. He may have gotten out of that with a slight dent in his armor, but the same won’t happen this time if he doesn’t carry this energy into Round Two. We don’t want to hear that he found new inspiration and redirected that energy into himself, as he said about the Pusha T beef on an episode of Maverick Carter’s interview series The Shop in 2018.
He’s made it clear that he won’t be stopping his onslaught against Kendrick, as he did by dropping the AI-assisted (and since deleted) “Taylor Made Freestyle,” where he tried to bait Kendrick into responding to “Push Ups” with fake verses from Snoop Dogg and the late 2Pac. Many felt the move was clever, while others felt it wasn’t a real response. But regardless, each move that Drake makes now has to be better than the already excellent “Push Ups.” If not, he’ll have another L on his resume, and an even tougher one to come back from. — MARK ELIBERT
Why Kendrick Won Round One
17 days. That’s how long it took for Kung Fu Kenny to strike fear back into the hearts of hapless MCs and have all of Aubrey’s Angels squirming in their shoes. As a Drake fan, I was mortified – because “Euphoria” is only a snippet of Kendrick’s madness. After the release of “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” this was just Kendrick drawing first blood.
Though Kendrick savors the art of storytelling and engages in dad raps about being an all-world father figure, it doesn’t mean he can’t tap back into the grimy menace he once was when he nuked hip-hop with “Control” in 2013. “Euphoria” is child’s play compared to where Kendrick can still take it, and after the opening bell, I have him up in the scoreboard. And here’s why: “Euphoria” was not just a song, it was a cultural earthquake about finally crowning the King of all Kings in this illustrious Big 3 Era that we’re currently in. Drake baited, Kendrick waited, and delivered the first true haymaker of the battle.
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With a Teddy Pendergrass sample leading the way, Lamar initially lulled listeners with a calm delivery at the start of “Euphoria,” degrading Drake by calling him a “degenerate” and “scam artist.” Once he settled in and adapted to the beat switches, Lamar seared Drake with incendiary bars. Kendrick went on a callous assault on Drake’s character, strategically aiming to question his integrity as a father and his identity as a Black man. These jabs had previously unsettled Drake, particularly when Pusha T questioned his parenting during their 2018 feud. Kendrick’s decision to bring Drake’s n-word usage to light was calculated, referencing Drake’s feud with Push. The Clipse rapper not only found an old photo of Drake in Blackface but used it as the cover art for “The Story of Adidon,” the record that sealed Push’s victory. Drake’s biracial background also remains a point of contention, as Rick Ross similarly mocked him during their brief feud on his song “Champagne Moments,” repeatedly calling him “White Boy.” While the racial callouts may seem harsh, rap purists consider them fair game in the battle of wordplay, making Kendrick’s jabs permissible in battle.
Another bar that probably went over many people’s heads was when Kendrick said: “I make music that electrify ’em, you make music that pacify ’em/ I can double down on that line, but spare you this time, that’s random acts of kindness.” in double-entendre form – also suggesting a baby pacifier — speaks to Drake’s immature music and problematic dating history. Theories have swirled about Drake creeping on underage girls, but while none of those rumors have been proven true, Lamar here opts to “spare” him before escalating things.
What also makes “Euphoria” a more robust reply is the high level of punchlines used by Kendrick in the song in contrast to “Push Ups.” While he isn’t considered a punchline-first MC, Dot had an arsenal of bars scattered in his six-minute demolition of Drake, with some lines even requiring a second glimpse on Genius. “Yeah, my first one like my last one, it’s a classic, you don’t have one/ Let your core audience stomach that, Didn’t tell ’em where you get your abs from,” says Lamar about Drake allegedly getting cosmetic surgery. There’s also a shrewd, but chilling name-drop early in the song: “Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m a selfish n—a / The crown is heavy, huh /I pray they my real friends, if not, I’m YNW Melly.” Melly is currently involved in a double murder retrial, dating back to when he allegedly killed two of his friends in 2018. “Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite rappers so I feel honored and appalled … I’m a household name — just for the wrong s–t!!!,” he told TMZ following the release of “Euphoria.”
While some may accuse Kendrick of recycling other lyrical attacks on Drake, his performance on “Euphoria” is a testament to his Hall of Fame-caliber. Not only does he deliver a six-minute lyrical tour de force, but he seamlessly transitions between three different flows over three different beat switches, including a nod to Drake’s signature delivery. This performance solidifies his status as a rap virtuoso on the battlefield, especially when seemingly on the brink of elimination. According to the Compton MC, his fiery raid was only friendly fire, which makes his assault that much more devastating. He admits to liking Drake’s “Back to Back” and being a fan of Drake when he’s at his most melodic (as opposed to his most tough-talking). To show even this minimal amount of respect amid lyrical warfare means K. Dot isn’t worried about his adversary.
Lamar’s rebuttal also strengthened his comeback because he treated Drake as if they were back in the playground. Anointing himself “the biggest hater,” Lamar was curt in his response, rapping: “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk/ I hate the way that you dress/ I hate the way you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct.” For a feud spanning ten years, it’s refreshing to finally have some actual namedrops and unabashed shots taken, with no physical repercussions. With an electrifying performance that found three different versions of Kendrick eager to seek and destroy, he made sure those 17 days between “Push Ups” and “Euphoria” were worth the wait. The cherry on top? Dropping it at 8:24 a.m. on West Coast time. The significance? The L.A. legend Kobe Bryant donned the numbers 8 and 24. Coincidence? I think not.
Remember, Drake asked for this version of Kendrick to come out. On “Taylor Made Freestyle,” he punked him for allegedly pushing his diss back to allow Taylor Swift’s new blockbuster album, The Tormented Poets Department, to have all the shine. Drake’s baiting hip-hop’s Boogeyman backfired and has given Lamar ample time to whip up a formidable diss that puts the pressure back on him. If Drake’s next track isn’t an atomic bomb, “Euphoria” could be the song to win Lamar the overall war. — CARL LAMARRE
Drake and Nicki Minaj have reunited to give Young Money fans a heavy dose of nostalgia. Minaj returned north of the border for another Pink Friday 2 World Tour stop in Toronto on Tuesday night (April 30), and the 6 God surprised his hometown crowd with a guest appearance. Explore See latest videos, charts and […]
Summer is quickly approaching, and dancehall princess Shenseea is here to deliver the soundtrack to the warmest months of 2024. Ahead of the release of her sophomore studio album, Never Gets Late Here (out May 24), Shenseea stopped by Billboard News to reflect on how she’s approached collaborating with other artists throughout her career.
“It helps me to get over my nerves,” she muses. “I feel like artists [are] easily intimidated by others’ success. Not to be badminded, not like that vibe, more of like, ‘Whoa, this is the pressure to have when somebody who’s this successful in the industry [is here.] What do I bring to the table?’”
Alpha, Shenseea’s debut studio LP, boasted collaborations with a slew of chart-topping artists, including 21 Savage, Beenie Man, Megan Thee Stallion, Offset, Sean Paul and Tyga. That set peaked at No. 2 on Top Reggae Albums and at No. 3 on Heatseekers Albums. Prior to Alpha, the Jamaican powerhouse began her crossover endeavors by throwing assists to American artists such as Masego, Christina Aguilera and Kanye “Ye” West.
“You will never know until you do it,” she says. “Doing it over time and taking on the challenge over and over and just trying to be myself, it helps that there’s nothing I can’t take on.”
Later in her conversation with Billboard News — which also traced the creation of her new LP, how she learned to harmonize and some of her earliest musical memories — Shenseea expounded on her career shifting link-up with Ye. The two artists joined forces alongside Roddy Ricch on “Pure Souls,” a track from the “All of the Lights” rapper’s Billboard 200-topping Donda album, which earned all three artists nominations for album of the year at the 2022 Grammys.
“One of the moments I knew things changed was when I did the collaboration with Kanye,” Shenseea gushes. “I felt like that opened a whole different type of doors — fashion, hip-hop, different artists just reaching out. I think that Kanye is cool, as much as how he’s artistic, he’s a cool person to look at. Always entertaining. I feel like me being associated with him, it has led me to a lot of open doors.”
Ahead of its full release later this month, Shenseea has delivered a few tastes of Never Gets Late Here. On Tuesday (April 30), she unveiled the LP’s full tracklist, revealing forthcoming collaborations with Coi Leray, Anitta and Wizkid. The set’s lead single, “Hit & Run” (with Masicka and Di Genius), has amassed nearly 40 million views on YouTube for its official music video.
Watch Shenseea’s full Billboard News interview above.
“A Hunting We Will Go.”
That’s the song whose melody Omar whistles in the eighth episode of the first season of The Wire, after he baits Wee-Bay and Stinkum into an ambush, shooting the former in the leg and killing the latter. This is the tune that must’ve been ringing off in Drake’s head as he grew more and more impatient waiting for Kendrick’s rebuttal. Well, it’s finally here — and The King in the North is wounded, ducking for cover like Wee-Bay behind that car.
“Them super powers gettin’ neutralized, I can only watch in silence/ The famous actor we once knew is lookin’ paranoid, and now it’s spiraling,” is how Kenny starts off “Euphoria,” essentially confirming the speculation that he was making Drake wait on purpose.
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I’ve been one of those people preaching patience — mainly because I remember when in order to hear a diss track, you had to either go find the mixtape it was on, wait for it to be premiered on the radio or live on stage, or wait for an artist’s album to drop. A back-and-forth often took months to play out, not days or weeks. Drake took about three weeks to respond to Kendrick’s verse on “Like That,” and has since dropped two songs: “Push Ups,” directed at Rap’s Sinister Six (Future, Metro, Kendrick, The Weeknd, Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky) and the very weird and controversial “Taylor Made,” featuring AI versions of 2Pac and Snoop, which he was eventually forced to take down. And this all of this was happening while he tried to out-meme and out-funny Rick Ross on Instagram, which is a losing battle in itself. The irony of all this is “Euphoria” makes it seem as if Kendrick would have responded earlier if Drake didn’t try to bait him with gimmicks.
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But that’s all in the past. Today, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 8:24 AM PST (remember the Kobe line from “8am in Charlotte“?,) the King of the West pushed the button on a diss track that is six minutes and 23 seconds of pure, unadulterated hate. And let’s be clear and let the record show: Kendrick didn’t “leak” this diss record to a streamer, or leave any doubt about this track being AI. He didn’t wait to put it on streaming services on New Music Friday, or attach the song to an album rollout. No, he put the song on his YouTube page and tweeted the link out, completely owning the moment. This track is basically that Beef DVD clip of 50 Cent standing outside on a balcony speaking on Ja Rule, shaking his head in disgust and telling the camera: “I really don’t like that guy.”
There are so many things to unpack. First you have the title of the song being “Euphoria” and the definition of the word as the single artwork. I’ll spare you the Genius annotation, but we all know Drake is an executive producer on HBO’s hit show Euphoria, right? The definition can also be a nod to Lamar having a feeling of euphoria after finally getting all this Drake hate off his chest. The song starts off with backwards audio from a scene in 1978’s The Wiz, where the Wizard (played by Richard Pryor) is exposed as a phony. “Everything they say about me is true, I’m a phony…,” the Wizard says. Lamar also mentions the paranoia Drake must’ve been feeling as he waited on this rebuttal. Kenny then flips a switch and goes into overdrive, giving critics and fans what they’ve been waiting for: a real life rap battle.
He throws shots in every direction, telling the Canadian rapper all the money and power can’t stop someone from being lame. He then refers to the game of chicken he’s been playing and asks Drake, “Have you ever walked your enemy down, like with a poker face?” He’s basically saying Drake blinked first after the “Like That” verse shook up the game. He mentions that Drake buying one of Tupac’s rings and using artificial intelligence to manipulate Pac’s voice made the late hip-hop legend “turn in his grave.” And he questions Drake’s “fake tough guy” act, advising him to finish his beef with Pusha T before thinking about responding to him, spitting, “I don’t like you poppin’ s–t at Pharrell, for him, I inherit the beef/ Yeah, f—k all that pushin’ P, let me see you push a T/ You better off spinnin’ again on him, you think about pushin’ me? He’s Terrance Thornton, I’m Terrance Crawford, yeah, I’m whoopin’ feet.”
Kendrick also confirms that this battle isn’t really for fun or for the crown, it’s really about “love and hate” — revealing that he’s also secretly Drake’s biggest hater, rapping, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk/ I hate the way that you dress I hate the way you sneak diss/ If I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct/ We hate the bitches you f—k, ’cause they confuse themselves with real women/ And notice, I said “We”, it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feelin’.” He’s clearly sick of the Canadian’s sh—t and has been for a while now.
Drake’s “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” were solid efforts, but for my money, they didn’t hit as hard as the “Like That” verse or “Euphoria.” “Push ups” was clever and funny, and he was in a tough spot because he had to respond to like six different people. “Taylor Made Freestyle,” however, showed a chink in his armor. It came across desperate for a response, and it wasn’t very boss-like. I think it exposed how impatient he was becoming, as Kendrick gave nothing but radio silence as rumors started to spread about what he had under his sleeve.
This response was well worth the wait. You can’t put a timer on art, and I’m not putting a timer on Drake to fire back. I hope this rap battle carries on for the rest of the year, because steel sharpens steel and rap music in general can only benefit from this clash of titans.
Now we wait in the arena for the King in the North to gather his thoughts and respond. But, as Omar said, “You come at the king, you best not miss.”
17 days after Drake’s “Push Ups” diss track leaked, Kendrick Lamar rose from the ashes to unleash “Euphoria.” “Euphoria” — also the title, of course, of the hit HBO show where Drake serves as an executive producer — hit K. Dot’s YouTube channel early Tuesday (April 30) to send the rap world into a frenzy. […]
If Ye is to be believed, Vultures 2, the follow-up to the Billboard 200-topping album Vultures 1, is set to drop on Friday, May 3. But in the event the album does not pop up on streamers at the end of this week, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and Ty have delivered a video […]
Lucky Daye will be taking his new album, Algorithm, on the road this summer with The Algorithm Tour, which he announced Tuesday (April 30). Produced by Live Nation, the 33-date jaunt will kick off at San Francisco’s The Warfield on July 11, and will go through major U.S. cities such as Chicago, Washington, D.C., New […]
Few songs withstand time, distinguished by their infectious beats, experimental sounds, poignant lyrics or enduring appeal, rendering them as classics. In partnership with Tres Generaciones Tequila, a brand that champions the journey and not just the destination, we’re on a exploration to roundup the top Get Up Anthems over this next year from these six cities: Houston, Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. Guided by curated panels, we delve deep into each city’s sonic history, spotlighting tracks that embody resilience, authenticity, and innovation and celebrate the power music has to inspire listeners to get up and chase their passions, in the spirit of perseverance.
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The Top 10 Get Up Anthems from Houston were crafted through a blend of editorial expertise, data-driven analytics, social impact and personal sentiment, to create a ranked list of the songs which inspired, captivated, and energized the Bayou City. In a historical dive from 1973 to present day, the city’s playlist [click HERE to play] features hometown hits that are synonymous with the city’s rich history and culture, hand selected by Houston’s very own, Bun B. and Chase B, Billboard editors, Damien Scott and Cat Johnson, and moderated by Rocsi Diaz.
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Did they get it right? Or were they off the mark?
Take a look at the Top 10 Get Up Anthems for Houston:
10. “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” – Geto Boys (1991)
Known for its haunting piano loop, gritty production, and raw, introspective lyrics, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” epitomizes the distinct sound and storytelling prowess of the Geto Boys, off of their 1991 album, We Can’t Be Stopped. The record pushed the album to reach No. 5 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and spent three-weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, No. 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 23 on the Hot 100 and went on to influence Kid Cudi’s No. 3 Hot 100 hit “Day ‘N’ Nite.” The song still pulls an average of 750,000 streams a week since last summer.
Bun B.: “This record not only set the tone for us musically, but also business wise, that you don’t have to run in New York, you don’t have to go to L.A., you don’t need nobody. You can do it right here in Houston. That set the tone for us.”
Chase B.: “I was born in 1990. The song came out in 91, and, literally I was out just running around on Saturday, just going to different brunches and whatever different, DJ sets and everything and I must’ve heard that song 6 or 7 times.”
9. “Savage (Remix)” – Megan the Stallion feat. Beyoncé (2020)
Bringing together two of Houston’s prominent female voices, the remix not only propelled Megan Thee Stallion to greater prominence but also showcased the enduring influence and talent of Houston’s homegrown artists on the global stage. The song’s infectious beats, catchy hooks, and confident delivery epitomize the trademark styles of both artists, creating a synergy that captivates listeners. To no surprise, the song gave Megan her first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 and Beyoncé’s first in almost three years. It was the No. 1 on Streaming Songs, spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay and No. 7 on Pop Airplay. The song still pulls an average of 1.5 – 1.75 million streams a week since last summer.
BB.: “I think it’s also a good look for Houston women in particular. Once again, Beyoncé understands the platform and understands her power and passes that on to the next generation of Houston representatives for the women.”
Cat Johnson: “So it was Megan’s first number one [on the Hot 100] and Beyoncé’s first number one in almost three years, which is a big deal. Like Megan did that for Beyoncé in a sense. The song also pulls an average of 1.5 to 1.75 million streams a week.”
Damien Scott: “t was a massive moment, and Meg was on the rise. And as Bun said, this was Beyoncé passing it forward to the next generation, handing her the baton. And, you know, not just for her being a major, black female musician, but someone from her hometown.”
Rocsi Diaz: “ I think that what Megan did for Beyoncé was bring out more fun out of Beyoncé, I think she gave her the liberty to really go down and drop, although we were already dropping down on our knees.”
8. “Get Throwed” – Bun B feat. Pimp C, Jeezy, JAY-Z and Z-Ro (2005)
Crafted with Bun B’s signature lyrical prowess and accompanied by infectious beats, the 2005 hit record, “Get Throwed” from the legend’s debut album Trill, embodies the chopped and screwed style synonymous with Houston’s rap culture. Featuring collaborations with fellow Houston legends Pimp C, Z-Ro, and Young Jeezy, the song seamlessly blends gritty realism with infectious energy, creating a sonic landscape sure for a crowd favorite. Since its release, it peaked at No. 49 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and No. 24 on Rap Airplay.v
R.D: “ First of all, can I say that’s one of my favorite songs? And that’s not because you’re sitting here that’s just like as a song.”
C.B: “ just when you hear those guitars in the intro, that’s like one of the most important fabrics in Houston culture, just, in general, and it’s been sampled so many times just because of what it means and just the whole aura of it, the atmosphere of the sound and just how slow it comes in. And also just the title of the song, throwed is obviously a huge Houston word, you know, born and bred right here in Houston, Texas.”
7. “25 Lighters” – Fat Pat, DJ DMD & Lil Keke (2001)
The song’s laid-back vibe and infectious groove capture the essence of Houston’s street culture, while its evocative lyrics pay homage to the city’s unique slang and traditions. Released in 1998, although the song didn’t chart nationally, the track became an instant classic within the city’s rap scene, embodying the spirit of Houston’s underground culture.
B.B.: “ It’s so Houston that ZZ Top remade the record. And I don’t mean a play on the record, they literally redid the record just singing instead of rap. And I mean ZZ Top, we’re talking about Texas. We’re talking about Houston. It’s a big deal.”
C.J: “The song didn’t chart, but on a national level though, you’ve heard “25 lighters.”
Damien: “It’s one of those songs that’s just like an indelible part of the fabric of of hip hop. It’s. Everyone knows it. Everyone you know has either recited it or used it or remixed it or sampled it. It’s just one of those songs.”
R.D.: “It was a victim of the timing of when it came out that it just didn’t make it outside of the South. Per se, charting wise, but again, to piggyback on what you said, like, it’s just a classic hip-hop song.”
B.B.: “This was like us getting to hear Pat again after him passing – like new music. That was a big part of this record being as big as it was, like as far as Houston.”
6. “Wanna Be a Baller” – Lil’ Troy feat. Yungsta, Fat Pat, Lil’ Will, Hawk, and Big T (1999)
Serving as an anthem for ambition and perseverance, “Wanna Be a Baller’s” portrayal of the hustle and dreams of making it big resonates deeply with Houstonians, reflecting the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and drive for success. As the fourth track on the album, Sittin’ Fat Down South, it helped propel the album’s success, reaching No. 6 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 20 on the Billboard 200. Lil’ Troy’s melodic delivery and vivid storytelling paint a vivid picture of the city’s street life and aspirations for success, making it an instant favorite among listeners, still pulling an average of 1.25 million streams a week since last summer. The record peaked at No. 5 on Rap Airplay, No. 31 on Hot Rap Songs, No. 70 on the Hot 100 No. 22 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
B.B.: “It’s unmistakably Houston recipe’s big team. One of the best hooks ever to come out of Houston. That independent spirit, right? Lil’ Troy is one of the first people to have an independent label here. The original person to find and sign Scarface and, I mean, “Wanna Be a Baller” was a hit record as soon as anybody heard it.”
C.J.: “Crazy fact. It still pulls an average of 1.25 million streams a week.”
D.S.: “It’s one of those songs that you hear every year. At least once. If you go to, like a basketball game or, you know, a festival or you watch a movie.”
5. “Southside” – Lil’ Keke (1997)
Off of his 1997 debut album, Don’t Mess With Texas, “Southside” by Lil’ Keke stands as a timeless ode to Houston’s hip-hop culture through its authentic lyrics and enduring impact on the city’s social fabric. Both the title of the song AND album quickly suggests to listeners Houstonian pride, remaining a cherished part of the city’’s musical identity. The song reached No. 28 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and No. 55 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Bun B: “Keke is as Houston a person as you can get. And I’m not talking about music, lyrics or rapping. Any day you sit and talk to Keke and see his personality, his character, he’s Houston, all right.”
D.S.: “I think if this was released later in the time of streaming, it would be a way bigger hit and it would, it would dominate, it would be on every playlist. It would be way, way higher on the hip hop chart, would probably be on the pop charts. It was just a massive song. And you hear it everywhere, it’s one of those songs again that everybody, if you’re a rap fan of a certain age, you just know it. Everyone’s used to it, everyone knows where it’s from. They know Keke. This is a classic record.”
C.B.: “This is the only song from Houston that has a dance attached to it. And to that, I feel like, is an anthem.”
4. “Tops Drop” – Fat Pat (1998)
Fat Pat’s vivid storytelling creates a sonic experience that resonates with listeners, capturing the essence of cruising through Houston’s streets and slab culture. The song’s portrayal of Houston’s car culture and laid-back lifestyle resonates deeply. The record reached No. 5 on Hot Rap Songs and its parent album Ghetto Dreams reached the top 40 of Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, peaking at No. 39.
C.B.: “‘Welcome to the land where just don’t stop is:’ I feel like that just embodies where we are, where we’re from. That’s, you know, MLK on Sundays. That’s this. You really can see the sunshine and old schools and slab lines, you can envision the whole thing when it comes to that song. And, you know.”
B.B.: “The song is a testament to how much Houston loves its hip hop community, and some of us here, as we talked about earlier, will never have nationally celebrated records. But because we’re a part of certain records, that represent the culture of Houston.”
C.J.: “The song is in a major retailer commercial in 2024. And the fact that, again, people from all across America, maybe even the world are going to be re-introduced to the song via this commercial, it’s amazing – iconic.”
3. “Still Tippin’” – Mike Jones feat Slim Thug and Paul Wall (2005)
Released in 2004, the song propelled Mike Jones to national fame while showcasing Houston’s unique rap style and culture to a broader audience. This would become each artist’s first entry to the Hot 100 charts, peaking at No. 60 and No. 25 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Built on a mesmerizing beat, catchy hooks, and Mike Jones’ distinctive flow, “Still Tippin” captures the essence of Houston’s rap scene in the early 2000s and since last August, the song still pulls in 1 – 1.25 million weekly streams on average.
D.S.: “ It’s just rare that you get to witness a watershed moment in music. Yeah. You know, it’s rare that you get to be present for it and see it. And a lot of people at the time don’t may not understand what’s happening. But I think with this, everyone who was watching and listening thought to themselves, this is the start of something new.”
Roxy: “It stayed on the countdown, that’s for sure. Just stayed on the countdown.”
2. “Mo City Don” – Z-Ro (2005)
The 6-minute freestyle, “Mo City Don” by Z-Ro holds a revered place within Houston’s hip-hop pantheon, embodying the ethos and experiences of Mo City (Missouri City), a suburb of Houston. The composition is marked by its raw authenticity and emotional depth and the song’s production features haunting melodies and a hypnotic beat that serves as the backdrop for Z-Ro’s introspective and impassioned lyrics. Although there wasn’t any noticeable charting activity for the song, the influence of this song is undeniable. As the opening track on Let The Truth Be Told, the localized success of the record contributed to the album reaching No. 5 on Top Rap Albums and No. 14 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
C.B.: “First of all, as a loud and proud Missouri City for my entire life, this song is another testament of how well Houston artists flip samples as songwriters, not even necessarily the beats, but as songwriters and just take it our own thing. Growing up in a house party, that middle school, high school and everything, this was our chance to, like, kind of, like, represent where we were from, and it belonged to us.”
B.B: On a daily basis. On an hourly basis. There is no record in Houston, I think in 2024 that more people will agree represent Houston than ‘Mo City Don”
1. “June 27th” – DJ Screw (1996)
You cannot debate Texas music and fail to mention DJ Screw’s chooped and screwed technique. The 1996, 38-minute freestyle evokes a sense of nostalgia and reflection, characterized by its hypnotic tempo, slowed-down rhythms, and manipulated vocal effects. Through its unconventional structure and immersive atmosphere, “June 27th” captures the essence of DJ Screw’s artistic vision and his deep connection to the city he called home and although it never charted due to its non-commercial release, the 38-minute freestyle is a hometown beloved.
B.B: “You’d be hard pressed to find something that represents Houston culture, to a myriad of people right across the board, that this song doesn’t really speak to.”
C.B: “I just feel like if you’re going to pick a Chopped and Screw song, this is obviously the one to do it. And I feel like Chopped and Screw music definitely should be represented on the list. So I feel like June 27th, this is like its purpose right here.”
Watch the full discussion HERE and recreate the cocktails that powered the conversation at home!
