R&B/Hip-Hop
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Drake‘s next album has a release date. The rapper took to Instagram late Wednesday (Sept. 6) to reveal that For All the Dogs will arrive on Sept. 22. “FOR ALL THE DOGS SEPTEMBER 22,” Drake captioned an Instagram reel featuring an archival video of his dad, Dennis Graham, going by the moniker “Cousin Dennis” and […]
Revenge is sweet for GloRilla, who sends a message to her cheating ex — with help from a few close friends — in the music video for new song “Wrong One,” released on Wednesday (Sept. 6). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The video […]
As Drake continues to truck his way through his It’s All a Blur Tour, he’s stockpiled a vast collection of bras thrown at him during his time on stage along the way, so much show that he flaunted them all in an Instagram post Wednesday morning (Sept. 6). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and […]
After the anonymous artist Ghostwriter went viral with their A.I.-generated track “Heart on My Sleeve” — which mimics Drake and The Weeknd — earlier this year, representatives for the unknown act recently disclosed in an interview with The New York Times that they submitted the controversial song for next year’s Grammy awards.
Submitted for best rap song and song of the year, “Heart on My Sleeve” was eligible despite the use of A.I. technology on the record, Harvey Mason, jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, told The New York Times. “As far as the creative side, it’s absolutely eligible because it was written by a human,” he noted.
Billboard has reached out to Drake and The Weeknd for comment.
Last April, “Heart on My Sleeve” was pulled from streaming services after generating more than 600,000 plays on Spotify and 275,000 views on YouTube. Following the outrage, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, TIDAL and Deezer yanked the song from their respective platforms. In a statement to Billboard, UMG denounced the track and usage of A.I. by saying the viral postings “demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists.”
Mason told the paper that he sent Ghostwriter a direct message on social media after the song’s explosion and organized a virtual roundtable discussion with the Recording Academy to understand further the powers of A.I. Ghostwriter attended the meeting with a distorted voice, further hiding their identity.
“I knew right away as soon as I heard that record that it was going to be something that we had to grapple with from an Academy standpoint, but also from a music community and industry standpoint,” said Mason. “When you start seeing A.I. involved in something so creative and so cool, relevant and of-the-moment, it immediately starts you thinking, ‘OK, where is this going? How is this going to affect creativity? What’s the business implication for monetization?’”
The Recording Academy announced Artificial Intelligence “protocols” earlier this year. “Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a Grammy Award,” the Academy stipulated. “A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category. The Academy may disqualify any entry in a particular category if it determines, in the Academy’s sole discretion, that such entry does not incorporate meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship that is relevant to such category. {The Academy offered a definition of that term: “De minimis is defined as lacking significance or importance, so minor as to merit disregard.”
On Tuesday (Sept. 5), Ghostwriter returned with a new A.I.-generated song titled “Whiplash,” featuring vocals that sound like Travis Scott and 21 Savage. The record mimics both artists and pokes fun at Ghostwriter’s detractors with lines such as “Me and Writer raise a toast/ Trying to shadowban my boy but you can’t kill a ghost.”
Billboard has reached out to reps for Scott and Savage. Listen to the song below.
Interval Presents, Warner Music Group’s in-house podcast network, is announcing the launch of its latest series. Amplify Color, premiering Sept. 13, will chronicle the history of Black radio in 14 episodes hosted by veteran Atlanta DJ, two-time Emmy winner and Black Radio Hall of Fame member Ryan Cameron.
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“Stepping into the world of Amplify Color has been an electrifying experience,” said Cameron in a statement. “As someone deeply rooted in the radio industry, I’m honored to host this incredible series that unravels the dynamic stories of radio luminaries. This podcast is not just about radio history, but about the unbreakable spirit that has driven change and inspired countless individuals. Join us as we journey through the remarkable tales that have woven the fabric of Black radio.”
You can listen to it here.
The cast of radio luminaries delving into Black radio’s past, present and future includes pioneers and contemporary stars such as Jack L. Cooper, Petey Greene, Cathy Hughes, Dyana Williams, Tom Joyner, Mr. Magic, Stretch and Bobbito, Robin Quivers, Big Boy, Sway Calloway, Wendy Williams and Charlamagne tha God. Also on tap: a bonus episode featuring the aforementioned Cameron and Allan Coye, senior vp, digital strategy & business development and GM of Interval Presents at Warner Music Group.
“This series embodies our commitment to amplify diverse voices through premium storytelling and is a great overlap with the industry that Interval Presents lives in,” commented Coye. “It underscores the vital contributions of icons who shaped the radio industry by shedding light on their lasting impact.”
As noted, the first episode of Amplify Color will premiere Wednesday, Sept. 13, on all major podcast platforms. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays. The series is produced by audio-first media company Double Elvis.
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Beastie Boys members Mike D (Mike Diamond) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) will be on hand on Saturday (Sept. 9) to celebrate the unveiling of Beastie Boys Square in New York’s Lower East Side. According to a press release announcing the event, the living members of the Rock and Roll hall of Fame rap trio — third member MCA (Adam Yauch) died of cancer in 2012 at age 47 — will join NY City Council member Chris Marte at the corner of Rivington St. between Ludlow and Essex streets for the celebration that will begin at noon and feature a guest DJ set by Jon Bless HiFi System.
The corner of Ludlow and Rivington will be renamed Beastie Boys Square in honor of the site of the cover photo for the band’s landmark 1989 sample-soaked second studio album, Paul’s Boutique. It’s a fitting tribute to the trio of teenage friends who formed in the city on Yauch’s 17th birthday and cycled through a hard-core punk phase before recording their breakthrough hip-hop debut, Licensed to Ill, what would become the first rap record to hit No. 1 on Billboard album chart.
The dense Dust Brothers-produced Boutique was a commercial dud at first, but still stands as a landmark in sampling thanks to its intense tangle of more than 100 samples, which range from obscure jazz to songs and pioneering early hip-hop to snippets of tracks by Rose Royce, Afrika Bambaataa, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Curtis Mayfield, Kurtis Blow, Tower of Power, Public Enemy, the Eagles, Loggins and Messina, the Beatles, Cameo, Deep Purple, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix and many more.
In addition, the album — which was recorded in Los Angeles — has dozens of references to classic New York personalities, places and traditions, including shout-outs to the Ramones, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, the Village, Chrystie Street, the D Train, Ed Koch, the Knicks, the Yankees, Shea Stadium, the Palladium, Phil Rizzuto, the Atlantic Antic, the New York Post, El Diario, Bernard Goetz, Broadway, Jazzy Jay, Bad Brains, and many others.
The unveiling is part of the year-long celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary and it will be accompanied by the cinema debut of the Apple Original film, Beastie Boys Story at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village on Friday (Sept. 8) and Saturday at 9 and 11:30 p.m. SiriusXM will also relaunch the Beastie Boys Channel on Thursday (Sept. 7) on channel 105.
B.G., a founding member of the popular ’90s rap group Hot Boys, was released from prison Tuesday (Sept. 6) after serving 12 years for gun possession and witness tampering, a Cash Money rep confirmed to Billboard. Cash Money founder Birdman was on Instagram Live when he greeted his New Orleans comrade with a big hug, welcoming […]
New month, new week, new Fresh Picks. We’re starting September off with a range of sounds by vets like JID, Lil Yachty, Jorja Smith and Baby Tate as well as newcomers Chase Shakur, Ama Lou, Tisakorean and midwxst. A good mix of rap and R&B to help you lock in and power through this short work week.
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Don’t forget to share the wealth and check out our September Fresh Picks (so far) in the Spotify playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: BlakkBoyz, JID & Lil Yachty, “Van Gogh”
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This week’s freshest find goes to new duo BlakkBoyz, aka J.I.D. and Lil Yachty, who just dropped a heater of a two-pack called BlakkBoyz present Half Doin Dope/Van Gogh. “It’s Lil Boat and JID, as far as your eye can see/ You know what I’m sayin’, it’s water on me/ You feel me, you get that?/ You got that? Is that understood?” Yachty asks in the beginning.
The Atlanta rappers join forces here for “Half Doin Dope” (feat. BabyTron) and “Van Gogh,” where JID does what he does best — flexing his cadence and crisp delivery — while Yachty continues to delve deeper in his rap bag. The latter has been on a hot streak all year, releasing his acclaimed psych-rock album Let’s Start Here. in January and his TESLA EP last week. JID has also been working this year, touring with Smino and securing synchs in a Coca-Cola commercial and in Creed III.
Jorja Smith, “Falling or flying”
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Jorja Smith is continuing the rollout of her upcoming album falling or flying (out Sept. 29) by releasing its stripped-back title track. “I don’t really have an in between. I’m either happy or sad, obsessed or completely unfocused, up or down,” she told Billboard last month. “I feel like I’m flying in my career, and then other times, I feel like I’m falling because the pressure can feel [like] too much.” The new record sees her trying to find balance as she embraces womanhood and all that comes with it.
Tisakorean, “Rando”
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Tisakorean keeps a bando and doesn’t talk to randos. Sonically and visually, the Houston rapper has made a name for himself online for being silly and putting an equally amusing spin on the early 2000s southern rap aesthetic via big and tall tees, oversized jeans/shorts and doing classic dances that defined that time period. On “Rando,” he leans into the early ’00s ringtone sounds, rapping over basic production embedded with cell phone beeps and claps
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Baby Tate is in the middle of New Jersey, crying in the club. The rapper-singer is the latest artist to capitalize on the Jersey Club sound, and she is doing so with her family in tow. Her mother, grandmother, aunt and cousins make an appearance in the song’s video, which was partly shot at the Lower Trenton Bridge. “You left me feeling busted/ I had to call my cousins/ They flew me out and got me drunk,” she sings, with them in cheering in the background.
Chase Shakur, “exit 65”
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Expanding on his 2022 EP It’ll Be Fine — which explored the ups and downs of a tumultuous romance — Chase Shakur is now sifting through the relationship’s aftermath on it’s not you, it’s me…it’s love. The EP is the deluxe edition of his it’s not you, it’s me project that he released earlier this summer and includes three new tracks: “nite,” “exit 65,” and “you’re so lovely.” With “exit 65,” the Def Jam newcomer is on the way to his ex-lover to save face.
midwxst, “ready for you”
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midwxst wants to “see my name on Billboard before the year ends.” The 20-year-old is making a second appearance in Fresh Picks this week for his new “ready for you,” the outro track on his new album E3. The 12-song record tells the story of a character named E3, narrated by midwxst, who provides listeners a path forward through relationships, identity formation and the internet.
Ama Lou, “Played Me”
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Ama Lou’s new album I Came Home Late is the project she knew she needed to make. “It’s definitely the most personal music I’ve ever released,” she says in a press statement. “I dove deep into my songwriting origins for parts of the album. ‘Bad Weather’ was written at the age of 12, but I wrote most of these songs on the fly. It’s a good reflection of my range as a songwriter and my life over the past few years.” Standout track “Played Me” sees the London-raised singer accepting the fact that she’s been played, though she won’t go down without a fight as she promises that the “investigation will continue.”
Kid Cudi fans will have to wait a tad longer for the release of INSANO after he announced that his ninth studio album will no longer drop this month, and will arrive in January 2024 instead. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I have to push INSANO back until […]
Ring the alarm, America has a problem. For the final show of her three-night Renaissance World Tour run at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Beyoncé brought out surprise guest Kendrick Lamar for an electric performance of their remix of “America Has a Problem,” a fan-favorite track from her Billboard 200-topping Renaissance album. Typically, Beyoncé performs […]