R&B/Hip-Hop
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Missy Elliott still can’t quite believe that she will be the first female rap artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday night (Nov. 3). Speaking to Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts on Thursday morning (Nov. 2), Elliott said she always dreamed of being a “superstar… I never wavered. I never changed. I said it every time,” but after three decades in the music business the 52-year-old Grammy-winning rapper said her latest accolade is unfathomable.
Elliott said “words cannot describe” how honored she is to take the stage tomorrow night alongside fellow 2023 inductees Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners. She told Roberts that as an artist from the hip-hop world, Rock Hall enshrinement seemed “so far out of reach.” Plus, with this being the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, Elliott said the Hall of Fame kudos is further proof that “no matter what people say the hip-hop world is something special and unique.”
Joking that as a kid her family once convinced her that she was related to another one of this year’s inductees, musical excellence honoree R&B legend Chaka Khan, Elliott said being ushered in alongside the likes of Nelson and Crow is indescribable. “To be even at a table with them is a blessing, past a blessing, there’s got to be a bigger word than that,” she said.
After tomorrow night, Elliott will be among just a handful of rappers whose plaques are on display at the RRHOF museum in Cleveland, joining such icons as Jay-Z, LL Cool J, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, N.W.A, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, Run-DMC and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. And though some critics might quibble at the elastic definition of rock and roll that has found artists who don’t play what is traditionally considered amplified, guitar-based rock music, Elliott said in her mind rock, like hip-hop, is a “gumbo of different styles of music.”
Elliott will be inducted by her friend of 20 years, Queen Latifah, who she praised as someone who, “come before me, open that door, left it open… And I owe so many flowers, bouquets. It’s not enough bouquets for those women that came before me. And she’s one of those women.” In addition, Elliott’s mother will be in the house at the 38th annual induction ceremony on Friday night (Nov. 3) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Believe it or not, Elliott’s mom has never seen her perform live before. “She’s never been to a show because, you know, I had some little words I didn’t ever want her to hear,” Elliott told GMA. “And so she’s comin’ for the first time.”
Tomorrow night’s event will feature presenters and performers Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Elton John, Brandie Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, H.E.R., New Edition, St. Vincent, Common, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, Latifah and Sia. Other inductees this year include DJ Kool Herc and Link Wrap for musical influence, Khan, Al Kooper and Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin for musical excellence and Soul Train host Don Cornelius for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The induction ceremony will be broadcast live coast-to-coast on Disney+ on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a three-hour prime-time special, 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Jan. 1 (8-11 p.m. ET), available the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Check out Elliott’s interview below.
Femme It Forward is celebrating its second annual Give Her Flowhers Awards Gala this year, and on Thursday (Nov. 2), the woman-focused entertainment company announced the trailblazing women who will be honored at this year’s event.
SZA will receive the Big Femme Energy award, which honors a woman who is making a “tremendous impact in music for this generation.” Teyana Taylor will be honored with the Visionary award, given to a multi-dimensional creative who is changing the game for the future of women in music.
Brandy will receive the Muse award, celebrating a legend whose “legacy, impact, and timeless music inspires past, current, and future generations.” Flo Milli is this year’s Bloom award recipient, which spotlights a breakthrough artist. Jordyn Woods and Jodie Woods, who define the spirit of sisterhood, will receive the My Sister’s Keeper award. Nova Wav will be honored with the Pen It Forward award, given to a “a trailblazing hitmaker who is known for their ‘pen game’ and creating some of music’s biggest hits.” Last but not least, Monaleo will receive the Self-Love award, celebrating an inspirational mom and artist who embodies self love.
The awards ceremony, which will take place Nov. 10 in Beverly Hills, Calif., will also feature musical performances from Ambré, Jane Handcock, LAYA and Maeta.
“After experiencing the powerful joy, inspiration, and genuine love of our inaugural event, we’re thrilled to bring together more trailblazing women and honor their impact at the 2nd annual Give Her FlowHERS Awards Gala,” Heather Lowery, CEO and founder of Femme It Forward, said in a press statement. “This awards gala goes beyond giving the extraordinary women who have impacted culture their flowers, as we look to plant more seeds of change for the future.”
Femme It Forward will also recognize the women who have made an impact as members of the organization’s mentorship program, Next Gem Femme, which aims to help improve equity in the workplace and accelerate career opportunities and trajectories for young women of color.
Find more information on the second annual Give Her FlowHERS Gala, presented by Live Nation and supported by Spotify and Google Pixel, here.
Femme It Forward
Offset and Quavo paid tribute to their late Migos bandmate TakeOff on Wednesday (Nov. 1) on the first anniversary of the rapper’s fatal shooting at a Houston bowling alley. “Can’t forget it won’t Forget it NEVER Forget it [rocket, infinity emoji] Remember!” Quavo wrote in an Instagram post featuring a photo of his nephew. Offset […]
Nicki Minaj is the OG “Female Weezy,” but Ciara took a stab at it for Halloween this year — and she got Lil Wayne‘s stamp of approval. Ciara dressed like Minaj’s alter ego, which she first introduced on Birdman‘s 2011 track “Y.U. Mad” and its accompanying music video, by wearing white-blond dreads with pink tips, […]
While 50 Cent continues to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ with his mega world tour, on Wednesday (Nov. 1), he received some excellent news regarding his biggest hit to date: “In Da Club” is officially certified diamond by the RIAA. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and […]
After Warner Bros allegedly banned Diddy from wearing his acclaimed Joker costume this Halloween, the hip-hop mogul took matters into his own hands by morphing into Batman for this year’s festivities.
In an Instagram video posted early Wednesday morning (Nov. 1), Diddy, draped in the vigilante’s costume inspired by The Dark Knight, was perched on top of a pseudo-Batmobile. “I’m tired of mediocrity. Of shortcuts. Of the greed. Of empty suits telling us that we don’t deserve more,” he says hoarsely. A little boy approaches Diddy and encourages him before heading to the streets on Halloween night.
The clip then cuts to the office of a Hollywood studio executive, holding a series of documents labeled “confidential as f–k.” Diddy’s Batman appears behind him and pushes him down onto his desk, demanding that he end the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike. “No more negotiations. Say the strike is over,” Diddy’s Caped Crusader bellows. After an explosion, the executive is shown undressed and gagged on the street, with a sign placed next to him reading, “The strike is over! Love, the Darkest Knight.”
During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this week, Diddy spoke out against Warner Bros after they complained about his 2022 costume when he transformed into Joker. “I actually got a letter from the studio that I can no longer be the Joker because it broke their trademark that I did it too good, I swear,” he said before ominously adding, “Tomorrow, Warner Bros. lawyer, the head of legal — tomorrow, watch what I do.”
Before stepping out as the Black Bruce Wayne, Diddy commented on Instagram and alleged that Warner Bros sent him legal documents forbidding him from donning the infamous Joker costume again.
“Breaking Halloween news,” he relayed in an Instagram video. “Last year, after I did the Black Joker, I got a bunch of emails from the studios telling me to not be the Joker anymore, that I was breaching the trademark. So I don’t know what I’m gonna be this year. But I will say, to the moth–fu–er that took all this time, we talking about sending me six full papers — I’m not even gon’ show the business on the papers — but to tell me not to be the Joker, I wanna tell you, you win. I’m not gon’ be the Joker this year, just because your a– had enough time to f–k up my moth–f–king Halloween.”
Billboard has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment. Check out Diddy’s Batman costume and skit below:
D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince are set to reunite at A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop, which will tape on Nov. 8 at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. It will mark one of Will Smith’s first major public events since his infamous slap of Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards in March 2022.
During the ceremony, Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock across the face after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, whose head was shaved due to alopecia areata. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences banned Smith from attending its events for a decade as punishment.
Here, the mood will be strictly celebratory, which could make it a safe space for Smith to begin his gradual re-emergence into the public eye. D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince joins a packed line-up of performers that includes: Arrested Development, Big Daddy Kane, Black Sheep, Cypress Hill, Digable Planets, DJ Quik, E-40, GloRilla, Gunna, Jeezy, Juvenile, Latto, Luniz, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shanté, Spinderella, Three 6 Mafia, T.I., Too $hort, 2 Chainz, Warren G, YG, Black Thought, Bun B, Common, De La Soul, Jermaine Dupri, J.J. Fad, Talib Kweli, The Lady Of Rage, LL COOL J, MC Sha-Rock, Monie Love, The Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, Questlove, Rakim, Remy Ma, Uncle Luke and Yo-Yo.
D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince made Grammy hip-hop history twice. The awards show didn’t have a dedicated category for rap or hip-hop until the 1988 awards, which were presented Feb. 22, 1989. The duo’s genial pop hit “Parents Just Don’t Understand” was the first hip-hop recording to win a Grammy (best rap performance). But they weren’t invited to perform on the show that year.
A year later, on Feb. 21, 1990, the duo became the first hip-hop act to perform on the Grammys. “We’d like to dedicate this performance to all the rappers last year that stood with us and helped us to earn the right to be on this stage tonight,” Smith said at the time before he and D.J. Jazzy Jeff launched into “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson.”
The tribute special will air Dec. 10 from 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Collins, Shawn Gee, Dionne Harmon, Claudine Joseph, LL COOL J, Fatima Robinson, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson for Two One Five Entertainment will serve as executive producers and Marcelo Gama as director of the special.
An extended “50 Years of 50-Hop” segment was one of the highlights of the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5. That kicked off a year of hip-hop celebrations that has underscored the importance and dominance of the genre.
The segment drew universal praise. Billboard’s Joe Lynch pegged it as the best performance on the 2023 Grammys telecast. “While it’s an impossible task to sum up 50 years of any genre (much less one that fought for decades to get a modicum of mainstream respect and eventually became the dominant genre in American music), this electrifying medley brought to vivid life the charged personalities, thumping grooves, deft deliveries and unpredictable flourishes that make hip-hop a global force.”
Questlove curated the 15-minute spot on the Grammy telecast, which featured three dozen rap acts. Collins, Robinson and Gee (Questlove’s manager and president of LNU) were also among the producers of that segment.
While many will assume that the success of the spot on the Grammy telecast led CBS to hurry a special into production, the special was in the works before anyone knew there would be a segment on the telecast, according to a source.
Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, hinted at the upcoming special in a statement announcing the telecast segment. “For five decades, Hip Hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture,” he said. “Its contributions to art, fashion, sport, politics, and society cannot be overstated. I’m so proud that we are honoring it in such a spectacular way on the Grammy stage. It is just the beginning of our year-long celebration of this essential genre of music.”
The show was originally set to tape on Aug. 11, which was the 50th anniversary (to the day!) of a back-to-school party in The Bronx that many point to as the beginning of hip-hop culture. CBS, which has broadcast the Grammy telecast since 1973, aired another Grammy-branded special – A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys – on April 9. That special was taped on Feb. 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Doors open for the Nov. 8 taping at 6 p.m. PT. The concert is set to begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available to the public now at Ticketmaster.com. The YouTube Theater is located at 1011 Stadium Dr., Inglewood, CA 90305.
There is no subtle way to say this: Lil Nas X managed to outdo himself, and just about everyone else with his Halloween costume this year. The “Industry Baby” rapper loves to push our buttons with outrageous stage outfits and sets, but on Tuesday (Oct. 31) Montero took things to a whole new level with […]
Flavor Flav surprised fans on Sunday (Oct. 29), when the Public Enemy member took the court to perform the National Anthem at the Fiserv Forum before the Milwaukee Bucks took on the Atlanta Hawks. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Following the performance, users on X (formerly […]
Ms. Lauryn Hill is pressing pause again on the 25th anniversary tour celebrating her Grammy-winning 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill due to ongoing vocal issues. After postponing the third U.S. date of the tour in Philly last week, Hill announced on Monday (Oct. 30) that she’s been ordered by doctors to rest […]