R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 36
Tyler, the Creator released his eighth studio album, Chromakopia, on Oct. 28. And on Monday (Nov. 4), the rapper celebrated that album debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The set launched with 299,500 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 31, his best week ever in terms of […]
This ain’t high school — Nicki Minaj is heading to college. In addition to resuming her education, the Barbz leader is relaunching her Student of the Game charity fund.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
It’s unclear what inspired Nicki’s push to further her education, but she told fans on X Sunday (Nov. 3) that the charity was back and she’s going to be a student once again.
“Barbz, as you may recall, 2 days ago, I mentioned me getting a college degree & that I’d share more on the Major & other details at a later time,” she wrote. “I wanted to also mention that I plan on resuming my #StudentOfTheGame Charity for Barbz who need help with College. Info 2 come.”
Trending on Billboard
Nicki helped handfuls of students facing financial issues back in 2017 when she stepped up to pay fans’ tuition, room and board, book costs, student loans and more to help alleviate the semester’s stress.
One person she helped get through college hopped into her replies, thanking her and letting Minaj know that her assistance allowed them to move onto law school. “You helped me graduate college by paying my student loans in 2017,” they wrote. “I graduated with my BA in Criminal Justice and now I’m onto law school. Thank you.”
You helped me graduate college by paying my student loans in 2017. I graduated with my BA in Criminal Justice and now I’m onto law school. Thank you.— J. (@J0rdan0re0) November 4, 2024
Another student she helped out added, “Will never forget this. You said mine on IG live and from there I just waited. I told my parents and like nobody else off social media. My mom was like this may be a scam. Don’t give out any personal information and I’m like mom this is really NICKI MINAJ. And I was like she follows me on Twitter but she still didn’t believe me. She didn’t know how serious you were with fans/fan interaction.”
Nicki went on an impromptu payment spree, helping fans out with educational costs in 2017 if they brought back straight As and had proof on their report cards. She promised to continue to make this more of thing and eventually turn it into a charity.
“This makes me so happy,” she wrote on IG in May 2017. “I’ll do another impromptu payment spree in a month or 2 but pls know that I’m launching my official charity for Student Loans/Tuition Payments VERY SOON! You’ll be able to officially sign up! I’ll keep you posted!”
She followed-up and made good on her word in July 2018 when Minaj awarded 37 students with the Student of the Game scholarship ahead of her Queen album arrival, which completely paid off student loans and tuition for the selected scholars.
It’s unclear exactly how Minaj plans to tackle her own education, but she wants to help more people along the way. The Queens-bred rapper graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in 2000.
It’s late October inside Atlanta’s Forbes Arena, where renowned HBCUs Morehouse and Spelman College are commemorating their 2024 Homecoming with a major on-campus concert. A high-energy DJ set of hometown classics from Lil Baby’s “My Dawg” to 21 Savage’s “Red Opps” fades as the lights dim. A voice calls out, “Are you ready for Hunxho?”‘ The crowd’s yells echo throughout the arena, growing even louder as the 25-year-old rapper-singer steps out from backstage, launching straight into his latest feature verse from Lil Durk’s single, “Late Checkout.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
As the energy starts to settle, Hunxho suddenly shrugs off his black tracksuit jacket and tosses it into the crowd. Arms reach up, eager to catch it like a freshly worn Bronny James Lakers jersey. It’s the kind of response only real admiration can inspire. You can see it in the eyes of all the women pressed against the front row, following his every step across the stage. One young woman even mouths the words, “I love you,” as he passes by.
Love, lust, and vulnerability have become signature themes for Hunxho, who hails from North Carolina but was raised in East Atlanta. His conversational, introspective lyrics resonate with fans, turning tracks like “7 Am,” “Yes,” and “Looking For Love” into crowd anthems. These may not be radio hits, but they’re sung with platinum-level fervor by his devoted audience — a testament to his rapid rise.
Trending on Billboard
Some might say he went from unknown commodity to overnight star, wheeling out 1 billion streams and a sold-out headlining US tour, becoming an XXL 2024 Freshman, and jumping on remixes with industry heavy-hitters like 21 Savage and Summer Walker. But to say that wouldn’t be remotely true at all.
Earlier, before his performance, Billboard met Hunxho at his pre-show soundcheck in an empty Forbes Arena to hear the story from the man himself. Seeing him in person, you first notice his height, as he towers over his peers at an impressive six-foot-seven. His long legs give him an athletic, almost weightless stride that seems effortless on and off stage. “I hit a growth spurt at two,” he jokes, then clarifies, “Just playing. I for real got tall in middle school.”
By middle school, Hunxho — born Ibrahim Dodo— was already starting a cycle of school expulsions, reflecting the instability and lack of structure in his life. Growing up in East Atlanta without a father figure and facing the weight of aggressive poverty, he felt a need to be self-sufficient and bring in money. At 13, he realized he’d do whatever it took to get paid. Around the same time, he found rapping to be an outlet for self-expression. It started when two buddies he knew brought a studio setup to school. “They let me take the studio home, and I recorded my first verse in private. They loved it,” he recalls. That was the start of “Young Slime” – his first rap name.
Before the full story of Young Slime can be shared, six starstruck students timidly request photos with him, which Hunxho obliges. He takes each flick without saying a word. The students are also speechless, nervous in his presence, but hardly able to contain their excitement. Soon after taking their pictures, we move our conversation from the Forbes Arena to outside and overheard them loudly commenting on his “nonchalant” aura.
“People started asking for pictures a little at a time,” Hunxho explains. “It started with two people, then ten, and now — everyone.” When asked if fame ever becomes too much of a hassle, he replies, “Sometimes. When I’m irritated or going through it, yeah. But I still take ’em — they didn’t do anything wrong. Only time I probably won’t take a picture is if I’m with my kids. But sometimes I will, just so my kids know it’s alright.”
For Hunxho, the journey from “troublesome teen” to rap icon wasn’t quick or easy. After being expelled from multiple Georgia high schools by his senior year, he briefly relocated to North Carolina to play a season of basketball at Forest Trail Academy, eventually attending Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. Despite the move, Atlanta’s pull was too strong. Returning home, he faced brushes with the law and a stint in county jail before committing to his purpose in his music.
“Rapping was the most consistent thing I did,” he says, a consistency that deepened after a meeting with Saad, the CEO of 1865 Management. “Saad noticed me, and after we met, he got me sessions. I was in the studio every day.” Often, that meant spending day and night at 700 Studios, where the environment became his second home.
Further encouraged by the rise of several Atlanta artists, Hunxho honed a style of raw, melodic storytelling about resilience, romance, and survival. His career saw a major boost when 21 Savage remixed his hit “Let’s Get It,” and a record deal with 300 Entertainment in 2022 followed, sparking a turning point. “That felt like my first day as a rapper,” he recalls. “I told them, ‘Keep me busy — I’m not trying to get in no trouble.’ And my schedule filled up.” Yet even before that, he’d felt the shift: “My life was already changing. More people knew me. Songs were blowing up.”
Four new Hunxho releases came in 2023: Humble As Ever, 22, 4 Days In LA, and the game-changing For Her — which topped Billboard‘s Heatseekers Albums chart, with 18 of the 22 tracks garnering over a million streams on Spotify. The breakout hit, “Your Friends,” has 25 million streams, received a remix featuring Summer Walker, and has been certified gold by the RIAA, his first work to receive the honor.
Hunxho’s tireless work ethic was bled over to touring, where he’s opened for hitmakers Lil Baby, Kevin Gates and Sexxy Red. The extensive time on the road may have affected him differently before becoming a father to Xhosen, born in 2022, and Xho, who came the following year. Knowing how his father’s absence affected his upbringing, Hunxho confronts the issues of his career demands head-on on “Xhosen,” the seventh song on his latest album, Thank God.
“I was just going through my music one day and realized in almost every song I make, I mention God, so it’s only right,” reveals Hunxho about the title track to Thank God, which also includes notable features from Ty Dolla $ign, Polo G, Mariah the Scientist, Rylo Rodriguez, and Lil Durk.
Thank God is Hunxho’s most thoughtful, polished project. His pen game has improved, and his pitch is perfect for the way he crafts soul-touching music. Then, there’s the flows, the subject matter, and the singing — he does a lot to be versatile. And you can hear how deep he dug to be emotionally exposed about gratitude and redemption, glory and street honor, tender confessions, and harsh truths while giving all the glory to God.
Yet, despite his triumphs, he yearns for more even after the curtain closes on his epic homecoming performance. “I feel like I gotta go harder,” he says. “This album won’t last forever.”
On a monumental night for the Toronto Raptors and the team’s former star Vince Carter, the biggest news was about someone in the stands: Drake.
The hometown rapper and Toronto Raptors global ambassador sat courtside for the halftime retirement ceremony of Carter’s number Saturday night (Nov. 2), and joined TSN commentators Matt Devlin and Jack Armstrong for the broadcast of the game between the Raptors and Sacramento Kings.
After insisting the broadcast get a shot of fellow Toronto artist Jessie Reyez, Drake took some shots at his former friend DeMar DeRozan. The former Raptors star who now plays for the Kings appeared in the video for Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track “Not Like Us.”
Drake acknowledged the importance of Carter, the first Raptors player to have his jersey retired in Toronto, but said “unfortunate we’re playing this goof tonight,” referring to DeRozan.
Later, he said “If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.”
Trending on Billboard
Drake violating Demar Derozan while commentating the game “If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go up there & pull it down myself.” Called homeboy a “Goof” 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Mo38Y5sicb— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) November 3, 2024
In a post-game media scrum, a reporter asked the Sacramento Kings star about Drake’s comment. “He’s going to have a long way to climb,” he quipped. “Tell him good luck.” Then, he abruptly got up and left the podium.
DeRozan appeared in the music video for his hometown Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us,” which included many veiled and overt shots at Drake. He also danced onstage during the performance of the song at Kendrick’s hometown Pop Out concert .
It seemed like the former Raptor had chosen his side in the Drake-Kendrick feud, but he later told the Sacramento Bee that he and Drake were still on good terms. “Drake’s still my man,” he said . “None of it changed.”
Apparently Drake doesn’t feel the same way.
It was a special night for the Raptors, who retired the number of its first franchise superstar Vince Carter. Carter played for the team from 1998 to 2004, and put the city on the basketball map. His electrifying dunks made him a global culture phenomenon. He was an investor in Toronto’s first nightclub with bottle service, and brought many celebrities to the city.
Carter and the team had a bitter breakup, and many fans never forgave him until recently. But his influence remains undeniable. Some have argued the popularity of Carter paved the way for stars like Drake to make an international impact from Toronto.
Carter gave a shoutout to Drake during his speech and relayed a story that he once threw his armband to him at a Raptors game when the rapper was a teenager. “How about that?” he said. “A freaking icon here that I threw my armband to! See I be knowing.”
Drake’s appearances at Raptors games are less frequent than they used to be, but he still has a way of making headlines every time he’s there.
The award-winning trio of Coco Jones, Amanda Jones and Autumn Rowe are this year’s honorees for ASCAP Rhythm & Soul’s Women Behind the Music. The 16th annual celebration will take place Nov. 12 in Los Angeles.
Nicole George Middleton, ASCAP senior vp of membership and ASCAP Foundation executive director, will present the awards in salute to trailblazing women in music. “This event is so special to us,” said George-Middleton in a statement. “Over the past 16 years, ASCAP Women Behind the Music has given us a platform to celebrate exemplary women and their incredible achievements as leaders in the music industry. We are so proud to recognize the women who have made such a profound impact through their leadership and art, and we hope to empower the next generation to do the same.”
Coco Jones, nominated for five Grammy Awards last year including best new artist, won her first gramophone for best R&B performance earlier this year on behalf of her breakthrough hit “ICU.” The now platinum-certified track was the lead single from Jones’ 2022 EP What I Didn’t Tell You, released through High Standardz/Def Jam Recordings. With a new album in the works, the singer-songwriter-actress (Peacock’s Bel-Air; Netflix’s Vampires vs. the Bronx) recently released her latest single, “Most Beautiful Design” featuring London On Da Track & Future.
Trending on Billboard
Songwriter-producer-advocate Rowe is also a fellow Grammy honoree, winning the album of the year award in 2022 for her contributions to Jon Batiste’s We Are. Her songwriting credits include Alexis Jordan’s “Happiness,” the official song of the FIFA World Cup, plus collaborations with Dua Lipa and Diana Ross, among other artists. A staunch advocate for songwriter’s rights and women in music, Rowe recently launched her joint venture publishing company with Spirit Music Group and a mentorship program with BMG and SONA, “Ask the Insider.”
The first African-American woman to be nominated in the Primetime Emmy score category, composer Amanda Jones received that nod for outstanding music composition for a documentary series or special (original dramatic score) for Apple TV+’s documentary series Home Season 1 (the “Maine” episode). Jones won her first Daytime Emmy in 2023 for outstanding music composition and direction for her original music on two episodes of Apple TV+’s Home Season. Upcoming projects include Apple TV+’s #1 On the Call Sheet starring Halle Berry and Angela Bassett.
DJ-producer Niyah will provide musical entertainment for ASCAP Rhythm & Soul’s Women Behind the Music event. Prior honorees include artists Kelly Rowland, Victoria Monét, Salt-N-Pepa, Summer Walker and Jazmine Sullivan, songwriting-production duo Nova Wav and industry executives Phylicia Fant of Amazon Music and Interscope Geffen A&M’s Nicole Wyskoarko.
From virtual music experiences headlined by The Weeknd to exclusive skins inspired by Ariana Grande, pop music and gaming have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship via Fortnite Battle Royale.
Now, with the announcement of its new season on Friday (Nov. 1), Fortnite is looking to infuse hip-hop into its gaming universe. Arriving on Saturday (Nov. 2), Fortnite Battle Royale‘s Chapter 2 Remix will feature iconic music and looks from hip-hop stars Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice and Juice WRLD. In the new season, players can engage with each artist through themed gameplay locations launching each week of November — a first for the game. Fortnite‘s millions of players can also don individual Fortnite Shop outfits inspired by each of the four artists.
On Friday evening, Snoop Dogg and Ice Spice surprised New Yorkers in Times Square with a surprise performance, taking over nearly every billboard in the center of the Big Apple. Ice Spice kicked things off in her trademark ginger inches and a hot pink ensemble, delivering renditions of “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana.” Donning a fly black leather jacket and pants combo, Snoop repped the West Coast with a lively, Fortnite name-checking medley of “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “The Next Episode,” “Gorgeous” and “What’s My Name?” To close out the show, the two emcees joined each other onstage to debut the flashy new trailer for Chapter 2 Remix, which features sneak peeks at the worlds the different rappers will preside over in the game.
Trending on Billboard
[embedded content]
Snoop Dogg — who recently announced his forthcoming Dr. Dre-helmed Missionary LP (due Dec. 13) — will kick off the first week as the official icon for season 6 of Fortnite. Snoop will assume a boss role and have his own mythic weapon and different points of interest on the map, as will Ice Spice, Eminem and Juice WRLD in subsequent weeks. “My son Cordell’s a big Fortnite player with me, so when we had the opportunity we jumped on it as a new way to connect with my sound and style,” the Long Beach rap icon said in a press release. “Anyone can be Snoop in Fortnite.”
Juice WRLD — a new-gen rap star who tragically passed on Dec. 8, 2019 — will make his Fortnite debut beginning Nov. 21, when the “Lucid Dreams” rapper will lead week four of the new season. On Nov. 30 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Fortnite will launch a Remix: The Finale live event in celebration of Juice’s legacy and his love for Fortnite. All players who log in between 1:00 a.m. ET on Nov. 30 and 1 a.m. ET on Dec. 1 will receive the cel-shaded Slayer Juice WRLD Outfit. The Party Never Ends, Juice WRLD’s latest posthumous album, is due Nov. 22 via Grade A Productions and Interscope Records.
“You will see some really interesting ways of integrating music,” Emily Levy, director of strategic partnerships, exclusively tells Billboard. “And we are debuting music at different points of the season in interesting places.”
Ice Spice will bookend her 2024 by leading week three (beginning Nov. 14), during which she’ll bring fans “into her experience as the Princess of New York,” according to the release. This year, the Bronx rapper dropped her debut studio album — Y2K! — which reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 and spawned “Think U the S–t (Fart)” her highest-peaking unaccompanied Billboard Hot 100 entry at No. 40.
Eminem has already had a massive 2024 with the release of his The Death of Slim Shady LP, and he’s set to close out the year by bringing some of that success to Fortnite as the key artist for the second week of the season, beginning Nov. 7. The 15-time Grammy winner originally debuted in Fortnite in December 2023, which spawned the release of his Fortnite Radio compilation featuring classics like “The Monster” and “Not Afraid.” The set reached No. 19 on Top Album Sales and debuted at No. 8 on Top Vinyl Albums on the charts dated March 30, 2024.
Sneaker culture is also a close relative to hip-hop, and Fortnite hasn’t forgotten about the sneakerheads. Chapter 2 Remix will also introduce Kicks, a new type of cosmetic included as part of the Remix Pass that will drop in the Fortnite Shop on Nov. 12. The initial lineup of Kicks will feature Nike and Jordan brands alongside Fortnite originals.
Fortnite‘s new season continues a year that has already featured in-game concerts and festival performances from superstars such as Karol G, Billie Eilish and Metallica.
Young Thug‘s father isn’t too happy about the conditions of his son’s release from jail.
Jeffrey Williams Sr. spoke with local Atlanta news outlet 11Alive outside of the courthouse last night and admitted, while being grateful that his son is finally out, he was “startled” by his son’s decision to enter a non-negotiated guilty plea because he wanted Thug to keep fighting.
“Well, I was kinda startled behind it,” he told reporters before saying he agreed with his son’s lawyers to keep trying to fight instead of entering a guilty plea. “Let’s keep fighting, you know, let’s make them continue to embarrass themselves, but at the same token, I never tried to interfere with his decisions and I support him.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
He added, “I feel great that he’s going home, but at the same token, I still want him to fight, but that’s his decision. I raised him to be the man that he is. You know, I’ve always been in his life, from a pup to now. And I’m gonna continue to be in his life. As an adult, he has to make his own decisions.”
Trending on Billboard
Thugger Sr. was then asked about some of the conditions of his son’s release, one of which included not being allowed to visit the Metro Atlanta area for 10 years. “I’m totally against that, because this is where he’s from. To have a district attorney take that away from him — she’s from another state — To see her take a man away from where he’s from, to have to go live somewhere else, that’s offensive to me. I’m really offended by that.”
He was wearing a hat featuring the name of DA Fani Willis’ opponent, Courtney Kramer, in November’s upcoming election. “In order for us to get back to our normal life, we gonna have to put in some more work. But the work that we need to do foremost for the city of Atlanta, Fulton County? We need to get rid of the poison that’s in our system, and that’s the district attorney’s office, so vote Courtney Kramer.”
Williams Sr. has been vocal about supporting his son and Gunna while they both were embroiled in this ordeal. He came to Gunna’s defense multiple times when the YSL member was accused of being a snitch by some peers and fans after he took an Alford plea
You can watch the full interview below:
In this episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered,’ Billboard staffers Carl Lamarre, Trevor Anderson, Kyle Denis and Damien Scott discuss the significant role hip-hop artists have played in the upcoming election by being vocal about their endorsements. They also react to Tyler, the Creator’s ‘CHROMAKOPIA,’ Lil Durk’s arrest, and the reasons more rappers are ending up in jail, and more!
Carl Lamarre:
I know you’ve said he’s in your Big 3. I think this has solidified it.
Kyle Denis:
I mean, last two albums won Grammys, he’s going to probably lock up another No. 1, hopefully, with this one.
Carl Lamarre:
I don’t think Ari got that kind of time or the patience to really try to play this indie game.
Trevor Anderson:
You really trying to put somebody away for, you know, charges that are going to be murder. You know it’s got to be multi-decade sentences, life sentences. All these kinds of things.
Damien Scott:
It really feels like rap kind of gave up this election. We kind of sat this one out.
Carl Lamarre:
Hey guys what’s going on and welcome to another episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered.’
Damien Scott:
What’s good?
Carl Lamarre:
Gentleman!
Trevor Anderson:
What’s up?
Kyle Denis:
Yo, yo, yo.
C
And we’re back again, let’s close out this week in a good way. We got some music on Monday from a certain cat called Tyler, the Creator. His seventh studio album, ‘CHROMAKOPIA.’
Damien Scott:
I enjoyed the Monday release. I enjoyed the Monday morning-
Carl Lamarre:
It feels good right?
Damien Scott:
I enjoyed going to work, listening to a new album in the morning, on a Monday morning, starting the week with new music. I liked that, we should try more of that.
Kyle Denis:
If more releases are as good as this one, I am all for Monday’s.
Carl Lamarre:
You know, we could be on to something.
Keep watching for more!
Mariah the Scientist can’t believe her boyfriend Young Thug is coming home. The Atlanta rapper was finally released from Georgia’s Fulton County Jail last night after spending the last two and half years fighting a RICO charge that could’ve put him behind bars for decades. Mariah was in Brooklyn, opening up for Latto during her […]
The intergalactic rap star is back with the sequel to 2020’s Eternal Atake. Read Billboard’s preliminary review and track ranking.