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Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s “Princess Diana” reigns atop Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart, as the single advances from No. 3 to rule the list dated Aug. 5. The track ascends to the summit after an 11% jump in plays that made it the most played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending July 27, according to Luminate.
With “Princess Diana,” Ice Spice claims her second Rhythmic Airplay No. 1. Her first was also through a collaboration, as she joined PinkPantheress for “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” which led the chart for one week in May.
Minaj, meanwhile, secures her 10th visit to the Rhythmic Airplay penthouse. Thanks to her newest champ, she becomes only the third woman to crack the double-digit barrier. Rihanna was the first to the club, achieving her 10th champ with “Diamonds” in 2012, while Beyoncé followed in 2020 as her featured role on “Savage” became her 10th leader. Since then, both artists have increased their counts: Rihanna now sits at 17 No. 1s; Beyonce owns 12.
On the overall leaderboard, Minaj ties Post Malone for the ninth-most Rhythmic Airplay No. 1s among all artists since the chart began in 1992. Drake tops the count with 38 chart-toppers.
As Nicki Minaj reaches a milestone, here’s a recap of her 10 Rhythmic Airplay No. 1s:
Song Title, Artist (if other than Nicki Minaj), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1
“Bottoms Up,” Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, one, Nov. 30, 2010
“Super Bass,” one, Aug. 6, 2011
“Touchin, Lovin” Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, four, Nov. 22, 2014
“Truffle Butter,” featuring Drake & Lil Wayne, one, March 28, 2015
“Hey Mama,” David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack, one, July 25, 2015
“Rake It Up,” Yo Gotti featuring Nicki Minaj, one, Nov. 4, 2017
“Big Bank,” YG featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean & Nicki Minaj, one, Oct. 20, 2018
“Hot Girl Summer,” with Megan Thee Stallion & Ty Dolla $ign, one, Oct. 26, 2019
“Super Freaky Girl,” four, Oct. 1, 2022
“Princess Diana,” with Ice Spice, Aug. 5, 2023
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“Princess Diana” was originally released as part of Ice’s Spice Like…? EP in January, before Minaj joined for a remix that dropped on April 14. (All versions of the song are combined for tracking and chart purposes.) In addition to its Rhythmic Airplay coronation, the song jumps into the top 10 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, where it steps 11-9 following an 8% gain in plays in the latest tracking weeks.
Despite the rap prodigy and legend linking up for just the first time this year, the Ice Spice-Nicki Minaj partnership has already produced another Rhythmic Airplay hit with “Barbie World,” featuring Aqua. The song, from the soundtrack to the box-office blockbuster Barbie, pushes 19-14 on the newest chart after a 23% surge in weekly plays.
The microphone Cardi B chucked into the crowd during a recent performance at Las Vegas’ Drai’s Beachclub — in retaliation against a fan who splashed water in her face — is now up for auction on eBay, and the highest bid is closing in on $90,000.
Posted on eBay as “Shure Axient digital Mic Cardi B threw at a person,” the piece of equipment is currently in the possession of Scott Fisher, owner of The Wave, the audio production company used by Drai’s. According to Fisher’s listing, proceeds from the sale — which had a starting bid of $500 — will be given to charity.
At the time of publication, the highest of 61 bids so far was an even $85,000, with the auction scheduled to close at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 8).
Fisher told TMZ that the mic — which still works — originally cost $1,000, and was pretty easy to locate after Cardi tossed it because it still had tape across it that read “MAIN.” Fisher added that the money from the sale will go to Wounded Warrior Project and local non-profit Friendship Circle Las Vegas, which helps kids, teens and young adults with special needs.
The auction capitalizes on a viral incident that went down over the weekend, during which Cardi was performing for a gathering at Drai’s when a fan threw the contents of their cup at the rapper mid song. In response, Cardi hurled the mic she was using at the concertgoer.
Footage shared by TMZ shows that Cardi appeared to have asked the crowd to splash her with water to help cool her down in the summer heat. “Throw me some water here, b–ch, ’cause I’m hot,” she said cheerfully. “Woo! That s–t feel good.”
She took issue, though, when a fan later aimed and fired a cup of liquid, rather than just a little spritz, dousing Cardi’s face while she was in the middle of a song. A fan has since filed a police report alleging battery, claiming she was “struck by an item that was thrown from the stage.”
Las Vegas police did not mention Cardi by name when confirming a report had been filed, but the location of the alleged incident in the report matched the address of the venue at which the rapper was performing. In a Monday (July 31) statement, the police said that no arrest or citations had been issued, and that “no further details will be provided at this time.”
Five years ago, Lil Wayne sat down in his Miami recording studio and spoke in depth with Billboard for the first time in almost a decade. The trailblazing rapper and entrepreneur stood at a crossroads: On the verge of releasing what he had declared would be his final album, Tha Carter V, he had finally settled […]
Five years ago, Lil Wayne sat down in his Miami recording studio and spoke in depth with Billboard for the first time in almost a decade. The trailblazing rapper and entrepreneur stood at a crossroads: On the verge of releasing what he had declared would be his final album, Tha Carter V, he had finally settled the three-year lawsuit against his former label Cash Money that had delayed the project’s release and just been awarded sole ownership of the Young Money imprint he had launched in 2003.
So as Aug. 11 — the 50th anniversary of hip-hop — fast approaches alongside Young Money’s own 20th birthday, it’s fitting to be sitting down with Lil Wayne once again. One of the genre’s most innovative and still influential artists, the 40-year-old Louisianian occupies a unique vantage point, forged during a now nearly 30-year journey that began in 1997 with the New Orleans group Hot Boys and soon grew into a multimillion-selling solo career. And that’s not counting the still-growing list of hit collaborations he’s had with a diverse array of fellow hip-hop and R&B artists — including Drake, Nicki Minaj, Future, 2 Chainz, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige and Lil Baby — as well as other intrepid pairings with artists up and down the genre aisles: Madonna, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Imagine Dragons, Fall Out Boy, Romeo Santos and Shakira, among others. In the course of hip-hop’s own evolution, Wayne’s career is a bridge between then and now, between the genre’s storied, hard-won past and its next-gen, global future.
Young Money Records executive vp/GM Karen Civil, who began running Wayne’s label and several additional portfolios — including his rum brand, Bumbu, and his underwear line, Ethika — in March, says that she also looks at him “as a tree, a foundation. Through the years, we’ve seen different branches blossom, from Nicki and Drake to his businesses, including Young Money, and his relationship with [label president] Mack Maine. A lot of people know Drake and Wayne. But he’s set up so many other people — Tyga is one — who have given him his flowers, like, ‘You’re the reason I rap.’ Those moments mean a lot because he loves to see people around him win.”
Producer-rapper Swizz Beatz has personally witnessed Wayne’s evolution from the time when, as he recalls, they were both “the youngest ones” on the Cash Money and Ruff Ryders tour in 2000. “I knew he was special then, and he’s definitely special now,” continues Swizz, who has collaborated with Wayne for more than 20 years. “It takes a special eye and ear to see a Drake before he’s Drake or a Nicki before she’s Nicki … or the many other artists he’s been involved with who are some of the biggest artists alongside himself to date. That comes from his investment of time, his eye, energy and business sense. He’s responsible for this generation of music.”
Before he could provide a foundation for others, Wayne had to build his own. Over his career, he’s notched five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and 12 top 10s. Tha Carter III, released in 2008, spent three weeks at No. 1 — making it the Wayne album with the most weeks at that perch — and has racked up 221 weeks total on the chart, the most of any of his releases; in September 2022, the RIAA recertified it at eight times platinum.
On the Billboard Hot 100, the five-time Grammy winner has claimed a total of 25 top 10s — including gems “A Milli”; “She Will,” featuring Drake; and “6 Foot 7 Foot,” featuring Cory Gunz — and three No. 1s: “Lollipop,” featuring Static Major (Wayne’s first RIAA diamond track, certified in December); Jay Sean’s “Down,” featuring Wayne; and DJ Khaled’s star-studded “I’m the One,” which, along with Wayne’s guest spot, also features Justin Bieber, Quavo and Chance the Rapper. With 185 total Hot 100 entries — up from 138 just five years ago — Wayne has the fourth-most songs on the chart ever behind Drake, Taylor Swift and the Glee cast.
“Wayne is definitely somebody who continues to create his own blueprint from rap to rock,” says Civil. “I just love the fact that he doesn’t put himself in one category. He continues to reinvent himself and do new things — like becoming a professional skateboarder at 40. He doesn’t put an age limit on things. He doesn’t allow a title, a job or one career set to define him. Seeing the plethora of different people, from [Lil Uzi Vert] to YoungBoy [Never Broke Again] to others who are creating their own genres and sounds, is a testament to Wayne creating that lane.”
Balenciaga T-shirt and jacket, Peter Marco jewelry, Louis Vuitton eyewear.
Ramona Rosales
And it certainly no longer looks like the ever-busy multihyphenate — who has released an album and two mixtapes since Tha Carter V — will stop recording any time soon; “retirement be damned” seems to now be his motto. According to Civil, Wayne has “quite a few singles” in the pipeline as both lead and featured artist. He and 2 Chainz are currently collaborating on ColleGrove II, the sequel to their 2016 collaboration. Though no release date has been set, Tha Carter VI is also in the works. Wayne recently wrapped 30 dates on his Welcome to Tha Carter Tour, where Drake, Chance the Rapper, Cam’ron and 2 Chainz made special appearances.
And he was in his element opening the ESPY Awards in July with an apropos performance of his 2008 hit “A Milli.” “He was being a true artist, rearranging the words to the song to make sure that it was curated to the event,” Swizz Beatz notes. “I thought that was genius.”
Meanwhile, Wayne continues to develop hip-hop’s next generation of talent, working with Civil and Maine to build his Young Money roster, which includes Allan Cubas, Drizzy P, Euro, Jay Jones, Lil Twist, Mellow Rackz and Yaj Kader.
“Wayne is the ultimate outlier. There was nobody in the history of the genre who sounded like him, looked like him, or released music like him. Everybody caught his wave and just tried to hang on for dear life,” says Republic Records founder and COO Avery Lipman (Young Money is distributed through Republic/Universal Music Group.) “It goes without saying he’s one of the greatest artists of all time, but he’s also one of the most visionary businessmen this industry has ever seen.”
It’s a humble, humorous, polite (“thank you, Miss Gail”), self-deprecating and brief, to-the-point Lil Wayne who sits down once again today with Billboard — this time in West Hollywood — to reflect on his legacy and hip-hop’s future against the backdrop of the genre’s 50th anniversary. With a disarming and sly, diamond-studded grin, Wayne underscores his deep-rooted love of hip-hop. “In my mind, every single time I say the word ‘work,’ I ask God to forgive me,” he says. “Cuz I know this has never been a job. It’s just a dream come true.”
Looking back on your career thus far, what does this momentous anniversary mean to you — and to hip-hop itself — since naysayers initially dismissed the fledgling genre as a fad?
I think it probably means more to me than I even know, because I am still in it, a deep part of it, and I’m still learning every day. Hip-hop will never be over. But I also think that maybe down the line, I’ll be able to answer that question better because I don’t think I know how much it means to me yet — because it means that much.
You signed with Cash Money before you were even a teen. Did you know that early that you could build a career as a rap artist?
I’ve been rapping since I was 7, actually. And I signed my deal when I was 11. I didn’t think about nothing else other than “We about to be the biggest everything.” (Laughs.) Like, I’m about to be this … I’m about to date her. I’m about to do … (Laughs again.) I was a kid, you know? It was like, what are you going [to want] for Christmas? As far as unforgettable moments go [back then], I would say that was probably my first time grabbing a mic as a kid at a block party, breaking my fear and rapping stuff that I had rapped in the mirror for, like, thousands of hours the night before.
Ethika T-shirt; Balenciaga jacket, pants and shoes; Peter Marco jewelry; Emotionally Unavailable hat.
Ramona Rosales
So given your early vantage point, what are the biggest changes you’ve seen happen in hip-hop?
Right now is the time where I see the most change in our genre, because back then, I think it was just progress more than change; progression from what was already set before us and also us honoring what was set before us. But now it’s not that no one’s honoring what was before them — it’s just that the world has changed thanks to social media. There was no such thing as social media when I started doing this. But social media has changed the genre and opened doors. That’s definitely what helped contribute to its going global. [Social media] is good and bad.
Want to give examples of the good and the bad?
No. (Laughs.)
What has been the hardest part of your journey?
The hardest part for me is not being able to do [my music], for whatever reason. Not being able to record. Not being able to tour or do a show. That’s always the hardest part.
What one career lesson have you carried along since the beginning?
Never, never stop learning. That’s how you humble yourself. Humility goes a long way and it’ll keep you learning. I just try to get better and better and better.
Did you ever subscribe to the notion that hip-hop is only a young man’s game?
No, never. Because when I was growing up, all the rappers were way older than me. So I don’t know what that notion or narrative was, because it was never a young man’s game to me. I’ve always felt I had to fight my way in when I was a young man.
You’ve mapped a blueprint in terms of musical innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits like your Trukfit fashion line, the Young Money APAA Sports agency, the cannabis brand GKUA Ultra Premium and other business ventures. How do you perceive the role you’ve played in that aspect of rap’s evolution?
Expanding yourself and becoming a brand, getting involved in other businesses … the small part that I’ve played is probably just setting an example for those watching me and those coming after me. And with that said, I got that from watching Jay-Z, Reverend Run and Russ [Simmons] move. How they never stopped and just evolved, [especially] the way Jay has evolved. (Laughs.) I’m trying to follow stuff like that. And hopefully those coming up under me will follow my footsteps.
Do you have a wish list of other business opportunities you’d like to pursue?
Oh, no. I don’t have a list. You limit yourself when you put a list together. (Laughs.) But I can guarantee there has to be a feeling that makes me go forward with any [business] decision that I make. So therefore I know that it is organic.
You underscored your electric stage presence with 2010’s Rebirth, your creative leap into rock after ventures into blending rap with pop and singing. What influence has that had on next-gen artists with similar vibes, like Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott, Young Thug and Trippie Redd?
Sometimes people ask me how I feel about everybody looking like me, everybody getting tattoos, etc. That’s like seeing your kid come out of the room and looking just like you; it feels amazing. So the visible influence is kind of obvious because I know for a fact I didn’t get this look from anyone. There was no one that inspired this look. I just ran into looking like this. (Laughs.) But other than that, I hope that my work ethic [is influential as well].
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How would you describe your work ethic? You seem like a 24/7 studio guy.
Exactly. So when other artists get around me, you know, they can smell that. It is impossible for them not to. And whenever they leave, they leave with something, as they remember that smell. And hopefully it does something for them.
So is your phone ringing off the hook with people asking you for advice?
No, not advice, not at all. That’s because they don’t have my number. (Laughs.) I have three sons and a beautiful daughter who get the advice.
On Billboard’s recent GOAT list of hip-hop’s top 50 artists, you landed at No. 7, between The Notorious B.I.G. at No. 6 and Drake at No. 8. What did you think of your placement?
That’s awesome. You would be happy to be anywhere on that list.
So which rappers would be in the top five of your own GOAT list?
There’s no specific order, but it’s simple. For me, it’s always been Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, UGK, Goodie Mob and Biggie.
Why those five? What’s the throughline for you in terms of their place in the genre’s evolution?
It’s because I organically grew up on [them]. You know, when you’re asked, “How’d you start listening?,” there’s a story for everybody … like, someone I know told me to start listening or whatever. But like I said, every decision I make is organic.
What does it take to break new hip-hop artists today?
Today, you have to know social media. If you don’t, you have to have a team that does. That said, the main thing today is what it has been yesterday and the day before yesterday: You just have to have real talent. Real, everlasting and undeniable talent. That’s how you still break an artist. Once you find that in an artist, then use and highlight that as much as you can, because it’s hard. There are lots of artists that want to be exactly what they see [and hear] on social media. They just want to be that instead of being what they actually can be. So get them to believe in what they are and what they truly can be. And even if it is a challenge, that challenge has always been one of the most fun things ever for me. I love it.
What exactly do you say or do when working with and developing new artists, since, as you just said, it’s so difficult to rise above everything that’s out there?
That you have to be at least good in whatever genre that you’re attacking, whether it’s hip-hop or not. And then you have to be willing to work as hard as you can to turn that good around into great. So come high at me, and you’ll be talking about the greatest. It’s that plain and simple. There are no keys. You just need to believe in what you’ve got and what you’re attacking, if you believe in it. Show me. Think harder, you know? Challenge yourself.
Ramona Rosales
What’s been your own secret to longevity?
I don’t have a secret. I just work. I just keep going. I never stop. It’s just the work ethic, plain and simple. No more, no less; I don’t do nothing but my music. And also, in my mind, every single time I say the word “work,” I ask God to forgive me. Cuz I know this has never been a job. It’s just a dream come true. So that’s why I’ve never stopped.
Is it difficult for you to say that to someone who’s not there yet?
Not at all. I can’t tell any other artists that. But if you’re my artist, oh hell, yeah. I’ll let them know. You better go do that sh-t again. (Laughs.)
What are your thoughts on the growing ranks of women rappers? Why has it taken so long for this to happen?
My answer would be, honestly, that it just wasn’t as interesting to women, I don’t think, in the way that Nicki [Minaj], Meg [Megan Thee Stallion] and others are. It’s awesome. I don’t think they looked at or viewed it as something that they wanted to do and actually make a living from it. That’s another part of it. They probably didn’t look at this as something that they could make a living out of.
And perhaps the industry has become a bit more open-minded, too?
Oh, yeah. Definitely. We’re here for everything now.
Where is the future of hip-hop headed — any trends that you’re noticing?
Obviously, always up and bigger and better. Also, what I’m seeing now is the art and the ultimate artist being able to do anything. It’s like when you and I were talking about basketball. Back then, we were looking for a Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]; if you were tall, we wanted you in the paint. Not even knowing how to shoot a three-pointer; we didn’t even want to see that. Now we’ve got these seven-footers coming in, and we need you [to] know how to dribble like Allen Iverson, how to shoot like Steph Curry. You need to know how to defend like GP [Gary Payton]. And that’s the ultimate artist. I believe that that’s where the genre is headed: artists able to do everything — from singing to tapping into different emotions.
What’s your opinion on artificial intelligence and its potential effect on creativity?
Someone asked me about that recently. And they were trying to tell me that AI could make a voice that sounds just like me. But it’s not me, because I’m amazing. I’m like, is this AI thing going to be amazing too? Because I am naturally, organically amazing. I’m one of a kind. So actually, I would love to see that thing try to duplicate this motherf–ker.
In the wake of AI and other emerging technology, have mixtapes lost their relevance?
The terminology or definition has changed, that’s all. Mixtapes can mean an album mix or anything now. But when it comes to Lil Wayne, everybody knows how I approach mixtapes. So my mixtapes won’t ever change.
Any hints as to what fans can expect when you perform Aug. 11 at the hip-hop 50th anniversary concert at Yankee Stadium?
Do not set expectations for me, because I will always exceed them. So just go there with a clear mind, expect the best — and I’ll be better than that.
This story will appear in the Aug. 5, 2023, issue of Billboard.
On Tuesday (Aug. 1), Travis Scott announced a new concert in Rome, Italy, for Aug. 7, titled “Circus Maximus.” “Circus Maximus” resides on Scott’s fourth studio album, Utopia, which dropped on Friday (July 28) and doubled as a film that premiered at select AMC theaters. Scott and five directors doled out the visual to accompany the project that […]
“Jealousy,” Offset’s new collaboration with Cardi B, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter, dated Aug. 5.
Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, tracks global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running July 21-27.
“Jealousy” was premiered in full on July 28, but its release was first teased on with a video posted to Offset’s social media on July 24 starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Two days later on July 26, its title – and Cardi B’s involvement – was revealed.
It’s Cardi’s second No. 1 on Hot Trending Songs, which began in 2021, after she was also featured on Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” this April. Meanwhile, it’s Offset’s first solo appearance on the survey.
“Jealousy” reigns over a variety of songs from Travis Scott’s newly released album Utopia, which came out July 28, after the tracklist was revealed July 27. “Skitzo” leads the pack at No. 2, followed by “Meltdown” at No. 3, and “Modern Jam” joins the group in the top 10 (No. 6).
Gucci Mane’s “Woppenheimer” also premieres within the top five, bowing at No. 4. Much like the rest of the aforementioned songs, it was released July 28, but its existence was teased during the July 21-27 tracking week following a viral tweet promoting a fake Woppenheimer mixtape from the rapper around the release of the film Oppenheimer. Gucci Mane quote-tweeted the post, adding the eyes emoji and the hashtag #woppenheimer on July 26, with the song following two days later.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.
Cardi B put her classic spin on the party mantra “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” in an Instagram video from her recent trip to Sin City. But in Cardi’s case, the clip uploaded on Monday (July 31) is for all the world to see and, man, is it some textbook Vegas foolishness.
In the clip cued to her and husband Offset‘s new single, “Jealousy,” the happy couple enjoy some alone time in what looks like a penthouse hotel suite complete with a private infinity pool overlooking the Strip. The majority of the video consists of Cardi twerking in a red thong bikini on her husband in the pool as he pretends to smack her behind and shows off his grillz.
Cardi takes a break at one point to have a smoke and flip the bird to the camera, while Offset does a set of pull-ups on the railing and pulls off a daredevil stunt in which he balances on the edge of the glass wall surrounding the pool.
The video finds the couple all-smiles after ‘Set recently revealed in a Way Up With Yee show that no, his wife didn’t cheat on him, despite what he alleged in a quickly deleted Instagram Story in June. Shortly after he posted it, Cardi shut down the accusations on Twitter Spaces, but public concerns over their relationship still lingered.
“So that post, to be honest, me and her, that’s my wife, I love her to death,” he said in explaining drama that stemmed from an argument the couple had behind-the-scenes. “We going back and forth. And if you’ve got a New York woman, you know she’s a pit bull at the mouth.”
“She get crazy at the mouth a little bit, and I was really lit that night,” he added, noting that he’d been drinking a generous amount of tequila at the time. “We was going back and forth and I’m like, ‘Watch this.’ And it’s like she got a crazy mouth, but I love my wife at the end of the day and she crazy, man … We’re crazy for each other.”
The hotel private dance was also a bit of sunshine in an otherwise rough few days following a weekend show during which Cardi launched her microphone at a fan who tossed a drink on the rapper at a show on Saturday at Drai’s Beachclub. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to Billboard on Monday that an individual filed a police report on Sunday alleging battery. The police did not mention Cardi (born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar), 30, by name, but the location of the alleged incident matched the address of the venue where the rapper performed.
Check out the couple’s Vegas video below.
Sexyy Red isn’t concerned with chasing hits. “I’m not even trying,” she tells Billboard over Zoom. “You just gotta be yourself and then they gonna f–k with you.”
She’s living proof: the 25-year-old (born Janae Wherry) is currently enjoying a breakout year thanks to her sexually explicit, Tay Keith-produced “Pound Town.” Since the trap single arrived in January, Sexyy Red has formed bonds with some of R&B and hip-hop’s biggest names, befriending Travis Scott and Drake (the latter has posted a picture with her on Instagram, and Sexyy Red has teased music together), and collaborating with Summer Walker and Nicki Minaj.
Her “Pound Town 2” remix with Minaj dropped in late May and became Sexyy Red’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month, debuting at No. 66. Still, she remains blasé toward her A-list interactions. “I already know I’m a cool, f–k-witable person,” she says.
It’s not surprising that the St. Louis native has maintained her nonchalant attitude amid her rise. After all, it’s what helped put her on the map: According to co-manager Caprie Poe — who is also general manager at Miami-based label Rebel Music — Sexyy Red first caught the attention of an A&R rep at the label in 2021 with her 2018 single “Free Smoke.” “[She] was super raw and authentic,” says Poe. “She always says what’s on her mind.” Case in point: the “Pound Town” lyric that has taken the internet by storm (“I’m out of town, thuggin’ with my rounds/My c–chie pink, my booty h–e brown”).
Cartier eyewear from Spencer Shapiro.
Devin Christopher
The rapper signed to Rebel Music and released her debut project, Ghetto Superstar, that December to local acclaim. But co-manager and Rebel Music founder/CEO Javier “Jay” Sang says the team was dedicated to growing her national audience: “We treat Sexyy Red as a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week business.”
Their strategy paid off last fall, when they encouraged Sexyy Red to follow up with Tay Keith (who she was acquainted with), leading the Grammy-nominated producer to send her the beat to what became “Pound Town.” Soon after, she was freestyling about a sexcapade with an ex-boyfriend during a Miami studio session. She remembers laughing with her friends throughout — but her team was more earnest. “They was like, ‘You playing on this man’s beat,’” she says. “I’m like, ‘Ain’t nobody trying to be serious all the time.’ Finally, they [said], ‘I understand your vision.’”
By February, she released a music video inspired by the reality show Cheaters, followed by a Miami spring break edition of the clip in March. The track has also found success on TikTok having been used in over 250,000 clips. There’s even a mashup of the song called “Frontin’ x Pound Town Simmy Mix,” where Chicago native DJ Simmy overlaid Red’s vocals on Pharrell and Jay-Z’s “Frontin’” beat. But the original song needed a final push to become a hit.
Sexyy Red photographed July 24, 2023 in Miami.
Devin Christopher
From left: Sexyy Red and co-manager Caprie Poe photographed July 24, 2023 in Miami. Cartier eyewear from Spencer Shapiro.
Devin Christopher
Around the same time, industry veteran Larry Jackson launched Gamma — a media company specializing in distribution, creative guidance, marketing and more — and signed Sexyy Red while building a roster that includes Snoop Dogg and Usher. (Sexyy Red also remains signed to Rebel Music.) “She immediately became a priority,” says Sang. “I know Larry for moving mountains and he was like, ‘What do you think about Nicki on the record?’ It was a no-brainer.”
As the song continues to grow, Sexyy Red knows that it’ll “never get old,” but is ready for people to start focusing on her other music. “SkeeYee,” another Tay Keith-produced track — and popular greeting call in St. Louis — on her June mixtape Hood Hottest Princess, has been gaining momentum of late.
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This summer has also included a Rolling Loud performance, and soon, a few opening slots for Moneybagg Yo on tour. She’ll eventually embark on her first headlining trek, with dates and locations yet to be announced, but for now, she’s letting her team handle her business affairs. “I’m just the artist and they do what they do to make it happen for me,” she admits. “They ain’t trying to stress me out because I don’t even want to deal with no s–t like that.”
Instead, she’s focusing on what she does best: releasing one salacious, unapologetic song at a time, she says. “People think I’m crazy, but I feel like I’m just myself.”
Sexyy Red photographed July 24, 2023 in Miami.
Devin Christopher
A version of this story will appear in the Aug. 5, 2023, issue of Billboard.
Offset and Cardi B have weathered their share of adultery rumors — some of them false and some of them very, very true — but in a recent interview, the Migos rapper revealed that he’s ready to officially put all of them to bed.
Speaking on the Way Up With Yee show, ‘Set confirmed that no, his wife didn’t cheat on him, in spite of what he alleged in June in a quickly deleted Instagram Story. Shortly after he posted it, Cardi shut down the accusations on Twitter Spaces, but public concerns over their relationship still lingered.
Fortunately, the couple is doing just fine, as confirmed by the “54321” rapper in the interview. And, explaining why he posted the accusation in the first place, he shared that the drama all stemmed from an argument he and his Bronx-born spouse were already having behind the scenes.
“So that post, to be honest, me and her, that’s my wife, I love her to death,” he said. “We going back and forth. And if you’ve got a New York woman, you know she’s a pit bull at the mouth.”
“She get crazy at the mouth a little bit, and I was really lit that night,” he continued, confessing he’d been drinking quite a bit of tequila at the time. “We was going back and forth and I’m like, ‘Watch this.’ And it’s like she got a crazy mouth, but I love my wife at the end of the day and she crazy, man … We’re crazy for each other.”
When asked if he thought it was necessary to publicly take back his accusation, Offset replied, “The delete is enough. At the end of the day, them people don’t be really knowing what’s really going on with us for real.”
The musician’s sentiment echoes the message of “Jealousy,” his new song featuring — who else? — Cardi B. On the track, the couple takes turns slamming those who speculate on their relationship, with the “WAP” rapper at one point quipping, “They’re too worried ’bout me and my n—a/ You should worry ’bout the n—a yours sleep with.”
To be fair, though, Offset and Cardi — who share 5-year-old daughter Kulture and nearly 2-year-old son Wave — have certainly given fans a lot to talk about over the course of their marriage. The former reportedly cheated on the latter, and Cardi filed for divorce in 2020. (The filing was dismissed less than two months later after the couple reunited.)
Offset got real about the reasons why he was unfaithful to the “Up” musician in his Way Up interview, sharing that his infidelity was partly fueled by his drug and alcohol use. “When I did do that, I was in a different space,” he admitted. “I was young. I had just got married. I’m getting a lot of money. Really it was communication.”
“We had got married and our communication was good, but it wasn’t understanding my wants and needs and vice versa,” he added. “Sometimes it feel like you bump heads when you’re not communicating. I was making bad decisions and I was really realizing it was affecting my family … but all my growth, why you think she love me how she love me? My growth, I done showed I’m not gonna do this. I’m a real one. I ain’t gonna keep playing with you. It’s heartbreaking, it’s wrong.”
Listen to Offset open up about his relationship with Cardi above.
Beginning Tuesday (Aug. 1), popular New York City restaurant Sei Less will launch its special menu in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Paying homage to celebrated songs, albums and musicians in the culture, Sei Less created unique appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails as a prix fixe meal for $50.
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“We’re incredibly grateful for the hip-hop community’s support of Sei Less, so we wanted to find a special way to express our appreciation and honor the hip-hop artists that have pushed the culture forward,” Sei Less founder Dara Mirjahangiry tells Billboard. “Since we’re a New York City restaurant, we intentionally wanted to pay homage to a multigenerational group of New York City hip-hop artists that have played an integral part in our success. But at the end of the day, we’re thankful for all the artists that have dined at our restaurant and we’re proud to celebrate such an iconic anniversary for hip-hop.”
Some of the meals consist of the “Unforgettable,” an ode to French Montana that is a crispy rock shrimp appetizer and a favorite of the Bronx rapper at the restaurant. Another dish is an entree, a nod to Cardi B’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “I Like It,” which is an order of Beijing chicken, a previous meal she had while dining at the establishment. On the dessert front, fans can devour the “I Know What You Want,” a double chocolate mousse with chocolate sauce honoring Busta Rhymes, or “The Last Temptation,” a vanilla creme brulee with raspberry and yuzu meringue saluting Ja Rule.
Fans can also enjoy two premium-shelf VIP cocktails named after prominent albums from Jay-Z and Diddy for $50, respectively. Dubbed The Blueprint and The Saga Continues, each drink caters to the artists’ liquor brands D’USSE and Deleon.
The extensive list of celebrities who have frequented the NYC hotspot ranges from Kanye West, Cardi B, Diddy, Kevin Hart, Mark Wahlberg, Travis Scott, Lil Baby, Future, Fat Joe and NBA superstar James Harden to French soccer star Kylian Mbappe.
Check out the HipHop50 menu below.
Courtesy Photo