R&B/Hip-Hop
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We made it! Awards season is finally over. With the Brits and the Academy Awards holding their respective ceremonies last week, the 2025 awards cycle has ended. Whether you’re still not over Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter victory or reeling from Wicked’s Oscar losses, you have a few weeks to grieve and celebrate before we start all over again.
At the Brits (March 1), Charli XCX swept with five wins, capping off her career-shifting Brat era. Raye took home best R&B act for a second consecutive year, Stormzy won best hip-hop/grime/rap act and singer-songwriter Myles Smith was named Rising Star. The following night (March 2), Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande opened the Oscars with a goosebump-inducing medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, “Home” from The Wiz and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, honoring the staggering legacy of the classic American story. Erivo’s rendition of “Home” previewed Queen Latifah‘s performance of “Ease On Down the Road” later in the ceremony. The hip-hop legend and Oscar-nominated actress played The Wiz anthem in honor of the late Quincy Jones, the first Black composer nominated for best original song.
And, of course, Oscar host Conan O’Brien found a way to joke about the Kendrick Lamar–Drake beef.
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from RealestK’s heartfelt new ballad to Fridayy and Meek Mill’s emotional collaboration. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Avenoir, “Art of War”
South African-born, Alberta-raised R&B singer-songwriter Avenoir is yet another rising Canadian star looking to pick up the $$$4U torch and run with it. Teaming up with longtime collaborator and fellow producer YMC, “Art of War” finds Avenoir settling into a sparkling alt-R&B fantasia complete with ebullient synths and lush keyboard chords cradling his breathless falsetto. “Don’t use a soft tongue when you speak of love/ Curse the mouth that speaks the flame on us/ Show devotion, never hide the truth/ Love is war and that’s just principle,” he croons at the end of a single stream-of-conscioussness verse, which quickly gives way to a Prince-esque instrumental breakdown in the outro. — KYLE DENIS
Fridayy & Meek Mill, “Proud of Me”
Fridayy and Meek Mill are bonded by the loss of their fathers. While Meek’s dad passed when he was a kid and Fridayy lost his pops over FaceTime last year, the pain never subsides. Even when his album was turned in, the Philly-bred singer pulled up on Meek in NYC at the 11th hour, and greatness came out of that 12-hour studio session with the powerful “Proud of Me.” Meek broke his writer’s block and delivered an early guest verse of the year candidate. “Scared to show up at your grave ’cause I might try dig you out/ Like you know I did this shit for you/ Never heard you say it back, still be like, ‘I miss you too,’” he raps, sending shivers through the spines of every listener around the globe. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Jaz Karis & Kenyon Dixon, “LYTM (Remix)”
South London R&B star Jaz Karis dropped “LYTM Remix,” featuring multi-GRAMMY nominee Kenyon Dixon. Originally produced by Camper for her debut album Safe Flight, “LYTM” — which stands for “Love You That Much” — is about knowing when to love someone from a distance. Kenyon Dixon adds a new layer to the track, reflecting on his verse, “Sometimes the best way to love someone is to step back, even when it hurts.” The song captures the bittersweet pain of letting go when love still lingers but staying would mean repeating the same mistakes. From the start, there’s a sense of powerlessness — “It’s out of my hands, it’s out of the question/ ’Cause you were the one who made the decision.” A mature, soul-stirring take on heartbreak, “LYTM Remix” is a reminder that sometimes walking away is the ultimate act of love. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
Wiz Khalifa & LaRussell, “I Might Be”
Wiz has been back in his blog era bag lately with all the music he’s been dropping. This track is no different, as he and the Bay’s LaRussell go off about their come-up and consistent hustle, over this smoothed out Mike G Beatz production for all the playas with popped collars and good weed out there. Make sure to play this in the morning when you’re getting to the money. — ANGEL DIAZ
1900Rugrat & Lil Yachty, “Bussin Baby”
Well over a decade since changing the rap game as a pioneer of Chicago drill, Chief Keef’s influence traveled south to burgeoning rhymers like 1900Rugrat. 19 teams up with Yachty for “Bussin Baby” and with Lil Boat being an artistic chameleon, he has no issue meshing with the eerie trap production. Rugrat bats second, and references his turbulent relationship with his mother, who kicked him out of the house while growing up. “Ma dukes kicked me out soon as that money hit, swear she miss me,” he raps. South Florida got another one. — M.S.
Johnny Venus & 6LACK, “So Beautiful”
“So Beautiful” paints a vivid picture of infatuation and deep attraction, blending romantic admiration with an almost addictive longing. Johnny Venus sets the tone with a chorus that expresses an overwhelming desire to stay connected, comparing love to a drug he can’t resist. His verses reinforce the urgency of living in the moment, emphasizing that time is fleeting and there’s no point in holding back feelings. 6LACK’s verse builds on this theme, exploring the intensity of a relationship that feels both exhilarating and consuming. He acknowledges the risks of falling too deep but embraces the possibility of something extraordinary. His lyrics balance vulnerability with confidence, expressing a willingness to commit while letting his partner choose their own path. The song’s repeated hook reinforces the sheer admiration felt for the subject, describing them as “so, so beautiful,” both physically and emotionally. — C.C.
Fatboi Sharif & Driveby, “Battlestar Galactica”
I once watched Driveby do some s–t during a beat set on a Jersey City rooftop that I’ve never seen before. It’s still hard to describe, but he was building a beat live, and had this motion sensor machine that allowed him to speed up and slow down the beat without touching it. So, when I peeped that he was doing a project with fellow Jersey native Fatboi Sharif, I had to show love. I’ve never watched the show, but I’m positive this is what the space in Battlestar Galactica sounds like. — A.D.
RealestK, “Deja Vu”
Toronto native RealestK delivers a downcast, plaintive reflection on the phenomenon of seeing and recognizing your true love for who they are at multiple points throughout your life. “Is it me, or is it parts of me that I can never understand?/ Too many things in life where I might need a helping hand/ And all you wanna do is play all these games/ And put it all on me,” he coos over an ethereal soundscape of swirling synths and strings. His gentle voice plays well against how spacious the mix feels, but his haunting ad-libs truly round out his disarming introspection. — K.D.
Juhovah, “Rooftop Dinner”
You never know when you’re going to meet “the one” in life, but preparation is key. Juhovah ruminates about the woman of his dreams and wants to make sure his paper is properly stacked before it’s go-time. “Don’t reach for the check, lady, I’m a big tipper,” he raps. The North Carolina native can switch lanes with ease between trunk-rattling bars and moody R&B. After pressing play on “Rooftop Dinner,” make sure to check out his impressive 2024 project Soft Girl Era. — M.S.
Aqylia, “Wolf”
“Wolf” captures the emotional exhaustion and betrayal in a toxic relationship. Aqylia calls out their partner for manipulative behavior, stating, “You playing in my face now/ Don’t pull me on your way down.” The chorus uses the “crying wolf” metaphor to describe how the partner’s lies make trust impossible, with lines like, “You and truth are incompatible.” In the second verse, the partner’s actions are so unreliable that they would “leave me for dead” if Aqylia let her guard down. The bridge exposes how the partner craves drama and attention, creating emotional strain. By the end, Aqylia refuses to fall for the lies, making a final statement of strength. The song is a powerful declaration of self-worth over manipulation, a track that everyone dealing with a tough relationship can use as motivation. — C.C.
Ray Vaughn, “Cemetery Lanterns”
Back with a hard-hitting, percussive cut helmed by The Rayo and Kyu Steed, rising TDE star Ray Vaughn has delivered yet another knockout single ahead of his forthcoming The Good, The Bad & The Dollar Menu EP. “What’s the point of a rep if you dead by a summer?/ You think them n—as gon’ love you like momma or brother, huh?/ You think the hood gon’ cry for you like your niece will?/ Your big homie cold if he telling you you should keep still,” he venomously spits, positing tough questions about the dark underbelly of gang culture amidst a gripping narrative that furthers his progression as an MC and writer. — K.D.
Even though he’s behind bars, Tory Lanez has continued to escalate his boiling feud with fellow Toronto singer PARTYNEXTDOOR.
While PND walked back his most recent diss and apologized to Lanez, Tory continued to follow up on Friday (Feb. 28), with a preview of a harsh diss track against the OVO signee that he said he would leave the decision of whether to release the song up to his fanbase.
“I WILL LEAVE THE FATE OF THIS @PartyNextDoor SITUATION IN THE HANDS OF THE UNTOUCHABLE UMBRELLA,” he captioned the IG post. “ATT UMBRELLAS: I HAVE A LIFE LONG OBLIGATION TO THE UMBRELLAS TO ENSURE WE STAND UNITED AS ONE IN ALL DECISIONS”
Lanez continued to say: “THAT BEING SAID … DO I LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THAT ‘FAKE ASS APOLOGY ‘? (That he only issued because he didn’t like the reaction he got..) Or DO I LET HIM CATCH HIS FADE AND WE SHAKE HANDS AFTER AS MEN?”
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On the brutal snippet, Tory even makes a reference to Kendrick Lamar’s “playing with his nose now” bar dissing PARTY on “Not Like Us.” “PARTY won’t play with me, he’ll play with his nose, though,” Lanez spews on the track.
Billboard has reached out to PARTYNEXTDOOR’s rep for comment.
However, there was a strong contingent of fans in Lanez’s comments section who didn’t want to see any more fighting, and would rather have Tory, Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR as allies once again while teaming up on new music down the line. Drake has been a vocal supporter of Tory behind bars, calling for his freedom on multiple occasions.
Last week, PARTYNEXTDOOR previewed a diss track blasting Lanez and accusing him of copying his style. “F–k what Tory Lanez say, you know the B, I’m running that/ I did everything he did, oh he’s just a running man,” he boasts.
Shortly after, PND released a statement apologizing to Lanez on his Instagram Story. “@torylanez I was told about what you said without hearing your video for myself,” he wrote. “You didn’t say anything that I wouldn’t say myself, now that I seen it I was wrong. City is stronger together.”
Lanez — born Daystar Peterson — is currently serving a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet in July 2020. Megan also won a restraining order against Lanez in January.
John Cena entered the WWE ring with Travis Scott and The Rock on Saturday (March 1), appearing at the end of the Elimination Chamber premium live event in Toronto. The viral event, which included the Cactus Jack rapper delivering a hard slap to WWE undisputed champion Cody Rhodes, dominated the internet. The match-up was also […]
New York City’s celebrity hotspot Sei Less is celebrating Women’s History Month in style with a special menu dedicated to some of the most influential women in music. The limited-time menu, available starting Monday (March 3), will pay tribute to stars such as Cardi B, Ice Spice, Lil Kim, La La Anthony, Teyana Taylor and […]
Wu-Tang Clan are going out in style. The legendary Shaolin crew recently announced the dates for what they are calling their last-ever full crew tour, Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber Tour, and over the weekend they tapped one of the sports world’s most iconic voices to crank the hype up another notch.
“From the slums of Shaolin to the world stage, they have conquered, endured and remained untouchable. The RZA, the GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, Method Man: The Wu-Tang Clan,” intones veteran sportscaster and Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson Jr. in the short video that takes fans to the home of the Wu-Tang via the subway as a parade of SUVs with the Wu-Tang flag crawls through the streets surveying a variety of graffiti tributes to the crew.
“The final chamber is upon us,” Johnson explains over an image of a Jumbotron emblazoned with the tour’s name as RZA and Meth meet center court to slap hands and flutter the crew’s signature hand sign together. “The beats will hit harder, the rhymes will cut deeper, and the message will be louder than ever: Wu-Tang is forever.”
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RZA then speaks up, announcing the name of the tour and its special guest: Run the Jewels. “El-P, Killer Mike, let’s go,” Method Man adds in a shout-out to RTJ’s MCs.
The Wu-Tang announced the 27-date final swing last Monday, revealing that they will hit arenas across North America beginning on June 6 in Baltimore at CFG Bank Arena, with tickets on sale now. All nine living members of the Wu-Tang Clan will be participating in the final tour with Young Dirty Bastard taking his late father’s place (ODB passed away in 2004).
Watch the ad, and check out the full list of dates, below.
2025 Final Chamber tour dates
June 6 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank ArenaJune 7 – Raleigh, NC @ Lenovo CenterJune 10 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie ArenaJune 11 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm ArenaJune 13 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies ArenaJune 14 – Houston, TX @ Toyota CenterJune 15 – Austin, TX @ Moody CenterJune 16 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK CenterJune 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint CenterJune 20 – Ontario, CA @ Toyota ArenaJune 21 – San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San DiegoJune 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com ArenaJune 24 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase CenterJune 26 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 CenterJune 28 – Seattle, CA @ Climate Pledge ArenaJune 30 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Rogers ArenaJuly 1 – Portland, OR @ Moda CenterJuly 4 – Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green AmphitheatreJuly 7 – Chicago, IL @ United CenterJuly 8 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars ArenaJuly 9 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide ArenaJuly 11 0- Boston, MA @ TD GardenJuly 13 – Laval, Quebec @ Place BellJuly 14 – Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank ArenaJuly 16 – New York, NY @ Madison Square GardenJuly 17 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential CenterJuly 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
50 Cent fired back at Jim Jones claiming that he has better songs than most New York rappers. In a deleted post on Instagram, the Queens rapper and filmmaker called Jones “delusional” and brought up his infamous beef with rapper Tru Life. “Delusional,” wrote 50. “JoMo only got one song, Ballin written by Max B. […]
Now that A$AP Rocky was found not guilty of shooting his former friend A$AP Relli, he can focus on releasing his long-awaited fourth solo album Don’t Be Dumb. While sitting down to talk with GQ about his creative director role with eyewear maker Ray-Ban, the Harlem rapper gave fans updates on his album and his […]
The Damian Lillard and GloRilla saga took another turn this week when Dame’s Milwaukee Bucks teammate, Giannis Antetokounmpo, teased Lillard during a press conference by singing some of Big Glo’s lyrics.
Giannis loudly rapped bars from Glo and Sexyy Red’s “Whatchu Kno About Me” collab in the background of Lillard’s presser following the Bucks’ loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
“Big G-L-O in that GLE,” the Greek Freak can be heard rapping. Dame initially ignored his teammate to finish answering a question before he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “This dude is crazy, man,” Lillard replied. “I knew it, I knew it,” Giannnis said with a childlike innocence.
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It’s unclear if Giannis is familiar with the backstory of Dame and Glo’s relationship, as the Bucks star previously rapped lyrics from GELO’s “Tweaker” during a Lillard presser earlier in February.
Glo and Dame — who raps under the alias Dame D.O.L.L.A. — linked up for the first time at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis last February. The Memphis rapper proceeded to shoot her shot when commenting on their photo together. “Who n—a dis is? Cause I want him #GetEmGlo,” she wrote before adding, “Whoever she is can’t whoop me so I really dgaf.”
The 34-year-old hooper filed for divorce from his estranged wife Kay’la Lillard last fall, and he’s kept his relationships out of the spotlight since being shipped from Portland to the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the start of the 2023-24 season.
Lillard downplayed his friendship with Glo being anything romantic during the Milwaukee Bucks’ media day in September. “I’m weak. That is hilarious. Nah, I keep my personal life personal, you know? And I let it be that. I respect her as an artist,” he replied. “We know each other, she’s an artist, I’m an artist. But as far as anything else, it ain’t nothing going on. That’s what I can tell you.”
In November, GloRilla claimed she was single and planned to remain celibate until marriage. “Single & celibate until God send me my husband,” she wrote.
Watch the clip below.
Lil Baby’s attorneys Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg have responded to the Atlanta Police Department while distancing the Atlanta rapper (born Dominique Jones) from the alleged gang war and pair of teen murders the APD attempted to tie him to. Findling and Goldberg called the APD’s reference to Lil Baby “complete and total nonsense” while […]
There will never be enough time or space to recognize all the unsung heroes and trailblazers in the music industry that deserve to be acknowledged. But as Black History Month winds down, one pioneer stands out: Regina Jones, former co-owner and editor-in-chief of the groundbreaking music and entertainment publication, SOUL Newspaper.
Predating Rolling Stone and Creem, Los Angeles-based SOUL became a cultural force as the first-of-its-kind newspaper chronicling Black music and entertainment from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. That period saw the publication expand its reach and impact from local to nationwide and then international as it covered icons-in-the-making such as Quincy Jones, Richard Pryor, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. SOUL and Jones’ intertwined journeys unfold in the new documentary, Who in the Hell Is Regina Jones?
As Jones notes in the documentary, SOUL was inspired by the flames that erupted during the Watts Riots in August 1965. She was 21, a mother of five and married to aspiring news reporter and radio DJ Ken Jones — later to become L.A. television’s first Black weeknight news anchor in L.A. She was also working as an LAPD dispatcher on the second shift when she took the first distress call about the riots on Aug. 11, after which she alerted her husband, who filed on-the-street radio reports during the six-day tumult.
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“As we watched the riots happening and saw our neighborhood burning,” Jones tells Billboard, “Ken said, ‘Something needs to be done for our people.’ That’s when he came up with the idea to start a newspaper primarily about Black music and entertainment. He was the visionary; I was the nuts-and-bolts implementer. That’s how SOUL was born.”
Less than a year later, the first 15-cent, eight-page weekly was published. Dated April 14, 1966, the cover featured James Brown and Mick Jagger alongside the headline, “White Artists Selling Negro ‘Soul.’” The first run sold 10,000 copies. By 1967, the newspaper had expanded to 16 pages published twice a month.
“It was hard work,” Jones recalls with a laugh about putting the issues together on their dining room table “with my five kids around me” before moving the operation into an office. At that point she had quit her LAPD job and was wearing several hats: handling the phone as the receptionist, hustling advertising and negotiating with distributors before adding editor-in-chief stripes after husband Ken clinched the television anchor gig.
Regina Jones
Courtesy of SOUL Newspaper
Among the innovative business strategies that Regina employed at SOUL was partnering with R&B radio stations around the country — such as KGFJ in L.A., WOL in Washington, D.C. and WWRL in New York — to publish branded editions with charts and advertisements provided by these local Black stations and DJs. At one point, SOUL’s reach was certified at 125,000 copies. And its key international markets included England and Japan.
SOUL’s pivotal role in raising visibility and awareness of Black music and artists was a crucial and influential turning point. But there were other uphill battles as well that Jones fought. Like when Donna Summer was the cover subject. Her team was going to give SOUL an image taken by a Caucasian photographer. “And I said, ‘No,’” remembers Jones. “’If you want her to be in SOUL, my photographers have to do the shoot.’” Summer’s team finally acquiesced. And instead of the 40-60 minutes originally slotted for the shoot, Summer gave the photographer four hours.
“I had to do things like that, call people out,” adds Jones. “I was a very militant young Black woman, so I immediately had to start hiring people of color.” With her self-described “foot on your butt” management style, she nurtured a staff of future stars in their own right. Among the names Jones proudly reels off are noted photographers Bruce Talamon and Howard Bingham, ex-SOUL editor/Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Leonard Pitts and journalists/writers Steve Ivory, Mike Terry and Connie Johnson.
By the early ‘80s, as the documentary relates, SOUL had gone monthly owing to the economic climate draining the ad pool plus burgeoning competition from other mainstream publications starting to tap into the Black music scene. And after 20-some years, Jones and husband Ken were divorcing. SOUL’s final issue was published May/June 1982. Donated to UCLA and Indiana University in 2010, the SOUL archives were digitized by Jones’ grandson Matt Jones and made available online in 2023.
Regina Jones with Dick Griffey and Desmond Tutu
Courtesy of SOLAR Records
But Jones wasn’t finished yet. She tells Billboard that she was “brought back to life” a year later when Black label executive Dick Griffey of SOLAR Records recruited her as his VP of publicity. At the time, the label’s roster included Shalamar, the Whispers, Lakeside, Midnight Star, The Deele and Klymaxx. While there, Jones also handled publicity for Jesse Jackson when Dick Griffey Productions signed on as West Coast manager for Jackson’s 1984 presidential run. Jones shares that it was she and OLAR promotion executive Darryl Stewart who orchestrated Jackson’s host gig on Saturday Night Live — the very first presidential candidate to do so.
Three years later, Jones launched her own PR firm. Among Regina Jones & Associates’ clients were Geffen and Capitol Records, the Black Women’s Forum and actress Cicely Tyson. A major client for 13 years was the NAACP Image Awards. Jones then joined the staff of Crystal Stairs, a well-known childcare development agency on the West Coast.
All of which is chronicled in Who In the Hell is Regina Jones?, which has been shown at the New Orleans Film Festival and Pan African Film Festival. “I wish I could tell you that I woke up one day and decided I wanted to be in the music business, a publisher, a publicist or fundraiser,” reflects Jones. “My life has been a lot of surprise gifts and blessings.”