State Champ Radio

by DJ Frosty

Current track

Title

Artist

Current show
blank

State Champ Radio Mix

12:00 am 12:00 pm

Current show
blank

State Champ Radio Mix

12:00 am 12:00 pm


R&B/Hip-Hop

Page: 34

Beef has been the flavor of the year for hip-hop in 2024. Ice-T is well-versed going to battle for his fair share of wars over his career with the scars to prove it, but the rapper-turned-actor doesn’t believe it’s smart for rhymers to engage in feuds with social media prevalent.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The West Coast legend hopped on the Boss Talk 101 podcast on Monday (Nov. 4) where he compared today’s rap beef to his previous decades, and pointed to social media as an amplifier in spoiling the fun to raise tensions.

“The disses that’s going on, like, I can outrap you is one thing. But then when you take it to the next level, like, ‘When I see you it’s a problem,’” he said. “The problem with beef is that it can escalate away from you. Say I have beef with Treach and I’m talking s–t about Treach. I could run into one of his fans on the street who wants to get active.”

Trending on Billboard

Ice-T continued: “Having beef is just not smart if you can avoid it… They didn’t have social media, big difference. Social media is an amplifier to everything. It amplifies everything… It forces reaction that really could be squashed so much simpler.”

The 66-year-old explained that when beef goes to the internet and millions know about it, then it warrants a further response. “It forces reaction that really could be squashed so much simpler,” he added. “Why people have beef and take it to social media is beyond me, especially if you know a n—as’ phone number.”

When continually asked about the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud earlier this year, Ice-T brushed off the commentary and only offered up that he was concerned with securing the bag at this point.

“I’m sorry if I’m not interested in current Rap Beef or random Male Gossip. I’m a HUSTLER. I’m only focused on the Bag,” he said on X at the time.

In the same vein as social media amplifying beef, Ice-T revealed he cleared up any static he had with Jay-Z when speaking to Big Boy earlier this year.

Jay’s multi-platinum top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit “99 Problems” interpolates Ice’s 1993 track of the same name and Hov caught up with Ice at the 2024 Grammy Awards to show him love and make sure there was no issue.

“I’m at the Grammys and Jay-Z comes to me. He says, ‘Ice, you know I love you, right?’” Ice-T said. “I say, ‘Yeah!’ He says, ‘Well, it’s on the internet that you mad.’ I said, ‘I’m not mad! They’re bringing up all kinds of interviews about it and they asked me the story, and I told them the true story.’”

Watch the clip below.

50 Cent is back on the Trump train. A week after boasting that he’d turned down a purported nine-figure payday to appear at former and now-future President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden campaign stop, the “Wanksta” rapper appeared to be back in The Donald’s corner.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“I don’t care how the fight goes, I’m leaving with the winner s–t,” 50 (born Curtis Jackson) wrote on Instagram on Wednesday morning (Nov. 6) in a post that featured two pictures of the rapper with Trump, who defied odds on Tuesday night to join Grover Cleveland as the only American to be voted into the nation’s top office to non-consecutive terms.

“I still don’t know what’s going on,” 50 added along with a face palm emoji and “congratulations!”

In an appearance on The Breakfast Club last week, 50 claimed that he’d been offered $3 million to appear at Trump’s MSG rally. “Yeah. They offered me $3 million!” said 50, confirming co-host Charlamagne Tha God’s query about that event, as well as reports that 50 was also offered an undisclosed amount to perform his song “Many Men” at this summer’s Republican National Convention as well.

50 did not appear at either event, explaining to the Breakfast Club crew why he rejected the lucrative offer. “I didn’t even go far,” he said of the offers. “I’m afraid of politics, you understand? I do not like it. … It’s because when you do get involved in it, no matter how you feel, somebody passionately disagrees with you. Look, if you say ‘I stay away from religion,’ I stay away from politics. Religion, that’s the formula for the confusion that it sent Kanye to Japan. He said something about both of those things and now he can only go to Japan. So you know I’m like I don’t want to get in that, man.”

At the time, a Trump campaign source told Billboard that the story was not true, though they did not specify which part was erroneous — that Trump wanted 50 at the rally or that the offer was $3 million.

After a comedian referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” at Trump’s MSG event, a number of major Puerto Rican artists spoke out in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost Tuesday’s closely contested election to the former reality TV star who has continued to deny that he lost his second bid for the White House in 2020 to President Biden.

During that failed 2020 bid 50 initially supported the twice impeached former commander-in-chief before retracting his endorsement after former girlfriend Chelsea Handler called him out. “F–k Donald Trump, I never liked him,” the rapper later said in a retweet of Handler’s appearance on The Tonight Show in which she criticized her ex for his support of Trump, 78, who will become the oldest man, and first convicted felon, to ascend to the nation’s highest office when he is inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Flavor Flav has no problem uplifting those around him. He’s basically been on a tour giving fellow celebrities he adores their flowers, and now it’s Selena Gomez’s turn. Flav took to X on Monday (Nov. 4), where he applauded Gomez’s strength and how candid she’s been with her mental health publicly. “I don’t know her […]

Queens recognize queens. Pamela Anderson had nothing but love for Beyoncé‘s Halloween tribute to her Barb Wire character. On Tuesday (Nov. 5), Bey dropped the first music video from her Cowboy Carter era with “Bodyguard,” in which the singer channeled a trio of Anderson’s most iconic looks for what she dubbed “Beylloween” in an Instagram […]

Pharrell Williams may be a music mogul today, but his first job at McDonald’s wasn’t exactly a resounding success.
Reflecting on his early days, the 51-year-old—now a Grammy-winning artist and fashion entrepreneur worth an estimated $250 million—recalled how his love for McNuggets landed him in trouble during his fast-food stint.

“McDonald’s was my first and only job,” he told BBC Radio 2. “I got fired three times. I was eating the chicken nuggets.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Pharrell admitted that his McDonald’s career was short-lived. “The first two times it was just because I was lazy,” he explained. “The third was like, ‘What are you doing? You’re just sitting there eating nuggets?’”

Trending on Billboard

While his time in fast food ended quickly, Pharrell would go on to achieve monumental success on the Billboard charts, kicking off his musical career in music production duo The Neptunes with Chad Hugo in 1992. In 1999, Pharrell, along with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley, formed the band N.E.R.D and released their debut album, In Search Of… in 2002.

As one of the defining artists of the 2000s, Pharrell has topped the Billboard Hot 100 four times, including a remarkable run with his single “Happy,” which held the No. 1 spot for 10 consecutive weeks in 2014.

Despite his early struggles at McDonald’s, “Happy” demonstrated Pharrell’s knack for creating a hit, leading Billboard’s Digital Songs Sales chart with 402,000 downloads in one week. It also marked his first No. 1 as a lead artist—a milestone that took 12 years and one week from his debut entry, setting a record for the longest wait for a Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist.

Pharrell’s talent for creating hits extends beyond his solo work. In 2013, he made Billboard history by holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots simultaneously with “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” making him only the 12th artist ever to achieve this feat.

His work on these chart-toppers solidified his reputation, earning him the title of Billboard’s “Producer of the Decade” in 2010. His illustrious career has earned him 1,544 weeks across 68 different Billboard charts.

Beyond music, Pharrell’s influence has reached fashion with his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream labels, and in 2023, he was appointed as the men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton.

There’s been an update about the upcoming Drake and PartyNextDoor collab album. PND hopped on his Instagram Live as he wraps up the European leg of his Sorry I’m Outside Tour and revealed his project with his label boss Drake is nearing the finish line. “Guys, I have one more show on this tour,” he […]

Kodak Black spent some time with Kai Cenat on his 30-day Mafiathon Twitch stream recently, leaving fans concerned. The Florida rapper arrived, put a Haiti scarf on, pulled out a Stanley cup, and got comfortable. The convo started off innocent enough as Kodak revealed that he spoke fluent Haitian Creole and frequently plays FIFA. They […]

Texas singer Jada Arnell Thomas was shot following a performance in downtown Dallas on Saturday evening (Nov. 2). Per NBC DFW, Thomas was signing autographs after the show at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters and wounded by gunfire from a person in the audience. The 26-year-old was transported to a local hospital and […]

With just days to go before the reveal of the 2025 Grammy nominations, a few of the hottest stars from across Caribbean music could earn their first nomination for best reggae album.
This year, Teejay (I Am Chippy), Masicka (Generation of Kings), Jah Lil (Can A Man Cry), Govana (Legacy), Shenseea (Never Gets Late Here), Gyptian (Guarded), Stalk Ashley (Stalky the Brat), Romain Virgo (The Gentle Man) and Vybz Kartel (Party With Me) are among the artists who have submitted their eligible albums from consideration. Previous nominees such as Spice (Mirror 25), The Wailers (Evolution) and Protoje (In Search of Zion) are also in contention.

If the final slate of nominees once again includes American reggae band SOJA — who’s contending this year with Beauty In the Acoustic — stay tuned for a repeat of the controversy that their 2022 triumph (for Beauty in the Silence) sparked.

Trending on Billboard

Outside of Grammy news, all eyes are on the United States presidential election (Nov. 5), where Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, could become the first Asian-American and first woman president.

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: Protoje, “Barrel Bun”

On Oct. 18, two-time Grammy nominee Protoje released a collection of tracks previewing the full soundtrack to a forthcoming short film. Stacked with songs specifically written to accentuate the film’s storyline, The Jamaican Situation: Side A houses several knockout tracks — including the fiery “Barrel Bun.” A straightforward, brass-accented reggae jam, “Barrel Bun” finds Protoje calling for radical systemic change in a country marred by government corruption and violence, with Ziah.Push’sstine production beautifully complementing Protoje’s narrator-esque delivery. “It depends pon what you choose/ Fi make it out or make it pon the news/ The system ya rough/ Everybody wicked and tough,” he croons in the chorus, between verses that follow different characters as they fight to survive and live with themselves under varying systems of oppression.

Skip Marley, “Close”

Maxi Priest’s “Close to You” — which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990 — already put the “pop” in reggae-pop, and Skip Marley’s reimagining of the track doubles down on its dancefloor bonafide. Produced by Rykeyz, Marley ups the reggae feel of Priest’s original chorus, his raspy upper register playing well against the groovy percussion that grounds the smoldering verses between each party-ready hook. Marley has already visited the top 10 of the Hot 100 (alongside Katy Perry with 2017’s No. 4-peaking “Chained to the Rhythm”), and “Close to You” has the potential to bring him back there.

Teejay feat. Masicka, “Never Complain”

You know it’s serious business when two of dancehall’s hottest stars join forces. With “Never Complain,” Jamaican powerhouses Teejay and Masicka a menacing dancehall track that finds the former delivering a smooth, coolly confident hook, while the latter spits rugged, rapid-fire verses that offer a peek into how fame and success have altered the outlook of both stars. With slinky guitar riffs providing a lighter complement to the brooding lyricism and overall production, “Never Complain” is a surprisingly texturally rich offering that previews just how incredible a joint project between Teejay and Masicka could sound.

Beach Boii & Simon Said, “Bad Gyal”

Who has the time to be worried about colder weather when Beach Boii and Simon Said are dropping sizzling joints like this one? “Bad Gyal,” a sultry trap-infused dancehall slow-burner, continues the genre’s long-standing tradition of tributing beautiful women, but Simon Said’s relaxed delivery and his and Beach Boii’s lyrics prioritize praising women’s independence as much as they express their desires to be with her. “Anything yuh want, baby girl that’s it/ Gucci from Milan, Louis Vuitton, Français/ Put it pon di Gram, make these hoes upset/ Real bad gyal, so mi know yuh don’t play,” Simon croons over Beach Boii’s string-inflected beat.

Major Lazer & Vybz Kartel, “Nobody Move”

Originally teased back in 2017 — with an additional Lorde feature, no less! — “Nobody Move” is finally here. Released as a part of the 15-year anniversary reissue of Major Lazer’s 2009 debut album Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, “Nobody Move” finds Kartel interpolating bits of Yellowman’s 1984 dancehall classic “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt.” A far more traditional reggae joint than 2009’s “Pon De Floor” — the last time the two acts linked up for a collaboration with no other guests. It’s a brief track with just one full verse, but it’s prime for easy listening. “Nobody move, nobody get hurt/ Mi feel di vibes, put in di best work/ Jamaica land we love/ I love fi see di gyal dem inna short mini skirt,” Vybz proclaims in a curiously wistful cadence.

Juls, Black Sherif & Projexx, “Timing”

Released as a single from Juls’ Peace & Love album, “Timing” is a world-bridging collaboration between the British-Ghanaian producer, Ghanaian singer Black Sherif and Jamaican artist Projexx. Juls’ ethereal soundscape pulls from Afrobeats as much as it pays tribute to dancehall rhythms and grooves, with Black Sherif’s buoyant energy playing well against the laid-back, reserved approach Projexx takes, each style accenting different pockets of the airy beat.

Jada Kingdom, “Somebody Else”

Jada Kingdom kicked off the year with one of dancehall’s fiercest clashes, and now she’s back with “Somebody Else,” her first release under her new independent entity Kingdom Mab. A characteristically seductive kiss-off, “Somebody Else” finds Twinkle purring her way through an R&B-infused track that balances vulnerability with strength sourced from introspection. “Cause after all the heartbreak, I still gained nothing/ Best of luck, I’m sorry/ It’s too late to want me/ I got my eye on somebody else,” she declares.

Nailah Blackman, “Banana”

Nailah Blackman literally has soca history cousing through her veins — and she does her lineage proud with each successive release. “Banana,” Nailah’s take on the “Double Dip” riddim, brings her over to the power soca as she sings, “A girl no want no soft man/ Gimme a roughneck/ A man to slap it up and/ Gimme some roughness/ Want a man with strong back.” Tailor made for the road, “Banana” is sure to soundtrack some of the wickedest wines in the West Indies and beyond come next Carnival season.

Kenroy Mullings, “Brighter Days”

Analog instrumentation will never go out of style — and Kenroy Mullings is here to remind us of that. A renowned guitarist who works frequently with Buju Banton released his highly anticipated instrumental album, Brighter Days, on Oct. 23, and the title track is one of the strongest offerings. Centered on a sunny guitar melody and accented with ebullient horns and steady, earthy percussion, “Brighter Days” positions itself as the musical equivalent of the first few sun rays breaking through the clouds. There’s hope coursing through every chord, so much so that lyrics feel like a bonus accessory here as opposed to a necessity.

Patrice Roberts, “Kitty Cat”

At the top of October, Trinidadian soca icon Patrice Roberts put her own spin on Suhrawh’s “Cat Attack” riddim. “Yuh have a weakness for sweetness/ Beggin’ for the kitty cat/ So, you have a weakness for sweetness/ I have the sweetness,” she coos over the beat, which sounds just a step or two away from something you might hear on a poppier Brazilian funk track. A tantalizing ode to the power of the kitty and a sultry showcase of both Patrice’s power and sexual prowess, “Kitty Cat” is the perfect song to channel the flirtatious energy of Carnival — even if the season may be over.

Azealia Banks has changed her mind about the presidential election. The mercurial MC best known for her frequent beefs with fellow celebs announced on Monday (Nov. 4) that she is now endorsing Democrat Kamala Harris over her previous commander-in-chief pick, Donald Trump.
Though the endorsement included a reference to the sitting Vice President as “stupid and incoherent” — as well as calling Harris’ VP pick, Gov. Tim Walz “trash” — Banks said she’s bailing on convicted felon Trump in large part because of her fears that the three-time presidential nominee will make good on his vow to give equally mercurial SpaceX/Tesla CEO Elon Musk a place in his potential second administration.

“I really think keeping Elon Musk away from any type of political power in the USA is tantamount to any issue on the table here. You have to be a complete idiot to think that dirtbag cares about anyone or anything other than himself,” Banks, 33, tweeted about Musk, who has become one of Trump’s biggest financial supporters and stumpers over the past month.

“He’s already been given way too much tax payer money – Allowing him to ascend to any position of political authority is very f–king dangerous,” wrote Banks in an attack on Musk featuring a string of provocative claims. “One does not become the richest man in the world because of honesty and good character lol, you must be an expert liar, thief and cheater to become that.” The tweet also included incendiary, unverified statements about Musk’s alleged business practices as well as his parenting and treatment of singer Grimes, who has two children with the tech billionaire; at press time a spokesperson for Musk had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Banks’ claims.

In 2016, Banks endorsed Trump and congratulated him following the former reality TV star’s win over former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton in that year’s election, offering to perform at his inauguration. While she was seemingly not invited to play that event, Trump was feted with sets from Toby Keith, Three Doors Down, Lee Greenwood, Jackie Evancho, DJ Ravidrums, the Piano Guys and a speech from actor Jon Voight. Last year, Banks said she would be supporting Trump again because she thought he was “f–king funny.”

NBC reported that Musk’s financial and stump support of Trump could be result in lucrative business wins for the world’s richest man, noting that the billionaire has turned X into “a pro-Trump echo chamber” over the past few months in the apparent expectation that Trump will offer up more tax breaks for the richest Americans and provide more government contracts for SpaceX. Musk has reportedly donated nearly $120 million to convicted the twice impeached former President’s third White House bid. Though he is not expected to have an official seat in a Trump cabinet owing to his many foreign business interests and government contracts, there are report that Musk could have an unofficial role as the “secretary of cost-cutting.”

Banks concluded her Harris endorsement tweet — one of dozens she posted on Monday in which she weighed in on everything from her distaste for iPhones and owning property in South Florida to a plea for Harris to “incentivize” men who don’t want to have children to get vasectomies — by explaining her latest swipe at Musk.

“I will be Voting For Kamala Harris tomorrow because Elon Musk (a f–king overrated Ketamine addict) belongs no where near American Politics. The End,” she wrote. Musk has spoken openly in the past about his use of prescription Ketamine, an anesthetic that has gained interest from doctors and researchers for its potential to treat depression and anxiety. In an interview with CNN earlier this year, Musk denied overusing Ketamine, saying, “if you use too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done. I have a lot of work, I’m typically putting in 16-hour days … so I don’t really have a situation where I can be not mentally acute for an extended period of time.”

The rapper — who has released just one full-length album to date, 2014’s Broke With Expensive Taste, along with a handful of EPs and mixtapes — referred to an overnight stay at Musk’s home in 2018 as being akin to “a real life episode of ‘Get Out‘”; she later apologized for those remarks.

Banks’ 11th hour support for Harris comes after a galaxy of A-listers have lined up behind the VP, including: Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Eminem, Scarlett Johansson, Ricky Martin, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Bad Bunny, Harrison Ford, Cher, Usher, Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna, Kesha, Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, Charli XCX and many more.