R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 37
Westside Gunn once considered slowing down.
In recent years, the Buffalo-native has suffered the loss of family and friends, many of whom were his biggest supporters over the course of his life and career. Last October, he told Rolling Stone that he was considering stepping away from music and no longer making traditional albums. He said that he wanted to get back to “dumping.”
In the underground rap scene, “dumping” is the act of continuously releasing projects. It allows artists to get creative with the pricing of their projects or feature exclusive merch and perks. Dumping also allows independent acts to make a living by releasing a torrent of material that they could then perform on tour.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Gunn doesn’t have to release music to make a living anymore, but the act of dumping helped him be more creative at a time when he was feeling down. Then there were rumors and narratives surrounding his Griselda collective as he, Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher were seemingly going their separate ways professionally and creatively. Lately, Gunn has been focusing on his pro wrestling company, Fourth Rope, but still believes his brother (Conway) and his cousin (Benny) have to come back together to remind people what Griselda is really about.
Trending on Billboard
To begin jogging the rap world’s memory, Gunn decided to drop two projects this week. First, he released the five-song EP entitled 11. Narrated by Buffalo street legend Sly Green, the EP is dedicated to his brother Big Dump, who was killed in April of this year. Then, he dropped Still Praying, a mixtape that he’s been teasing for some months that’s hosted by DJ Drama.
Gunn stopped by the Billboard offices in NYC for a long conversation about legacy, family, wrestling, and much more.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You said in an interview that you were going to stop making studio albums. You linked with DJ Drama to make this feel like more of a mixtape. What’s the difference between a mixtape and an album these days?
I feel like it’s different energies. Like, say for instance, people take a year to make an album because they’re developing the sound and getting shit together, and they might be going through 500 songs to pick the best 20 and all of that shit. I feel like the mixtape energy is one or two days just bang them shits out. Whatever you spit is just, that’s what it is. All my shit like that, though, because I don’t take no time to make none of my albums. So it’s kind of different for me. It’s all the same.
Yeah, that’s why I was curious because you already spoke on that and have that reputation.
I did 11 in one day. I did Still Praying in one day.
On And Then You Pray for Me, you had a mix of some trap beats and were trying to go in a different direction, to show some versatility. Still Praying, though, sounds more like traditional Griselda that people are used to.
That’s the thing. It’s not even like I do s–t purposely. It’s just the energy of that moment. When I made And Then You Pray for Me, I was at Paris Fashion Week, having fun every night, not coming in until its broad daylight. We had party after party after party. It was a vibe. That’s just where I was at in life at that moment, so you got that energy. But where I’m at right now artistically, and where I’m at in life, and just how I feel — it’s me, but it’s new energy. I don’t want to kind of sound corny on some reborn s–t, but it’s like Fly God and now it’s Super Fly God, for real [Laughs].
I told motherf–kers, can’t nobody f–k with me on almost every album since day one. But now it’s like, I know it. I went from telling y’all that shit, to now when you fast-forward and I’m more mature and been in the game and know who’s who and know who did what. It’s confirmed. I know it. I’ve been doing fashion, I’ve been doing wrestling, I’ve been doing art, I’ve been doing a lot of other things, but I was like, “Yo, let me just step back and let n—as know what time it is,” and I cooked back-to-back projects. So, that’s just where I’m at right now, like, “Man, put a beat on, and another one, and another one.” Now we’re five songs in type s–t. I can make an album every day right now.
You said that you wanted to get back to dumping. That’s what you guys were doing when you first came out, dropping a mixtape every other month.
Yeah, because people trying to rewrite history and forget who Griselda is. Griselda n—as fathers in the first place. I think with Conway doing what he doing by himself, and Benny doing what he’s doing by himself, and when they look at me — I’m at Fashion Week and I’m front row at wrestling events — n—as forget who Griselda is in the first place. I never said we were the first people to do it, but nobody took the s–t to this level like Westside Gunn and Griselda.
Nobody was on they fly s–t, nobody had big jewelry, nobody was able to f–king take care of their family. We showed you the blueprint of how to take this underground s–t to making money. Because before that n—as were still sleeping at their aunt’s house, and living tape to tape. I’m telling you, I know what time it is. All this vinyl s–t, all this s–t everybody doing, their whole blueprint came from Westside Gunn and Griselda. We showed y’all the way. It ain’t no other underground MC you could think of that paid two million cash for a house and I did that four years ago. I showed n—as the way.
But again, everybody started doing their own separate thing and living their lives that it went away from the music. When you go away from the music, now you got this man coming in and this man coming in, but they taking the formula. It ain’t even they formula, they just taking it, so in they mind now, they thinking they iller than us. I’m telling you, it’s crazy. I see a lot of these dudes, they got the arrogance like they them boys, I literally look at them like they my sons. The album is dope, but you my son.
Right now it’s back to the music. I’m talking to Benny, I’m talking to Conway, we all family. When you with somebody for 30 plus years of your life, sometimes you take a year or two away, but it’s okay because we’re real family. If anything happened to any one of us, I bet you we’re gonna be the first people there, or if anything happened in the family, we all gonna be there. It’s just everybody grown men, and we just had our little time where everybody was doing their own thing. But now it’s back to Griselda time starting now.
So, it was important for you to have them on this tape.
Yeah, because I gotta let people know this sh—t is forever. People always thought we was gonna break up. They always wanted that. People love the division because we really strong as f–k. Who knows what it would’ve been right now? I don’t regret nothing because everybody learned to be better men, too. You gotta learn from your mistakes. We from Buffalo, we never had anything, nobody taught us s–t. When you got dudes coming in the game now and getting the money, the fame, you from a city nobody never came from. Now your friends might be in your ear. We done went through it all, but now we realized, like, “Yo, we family and can’t nobody f–k with us.” We about to start working on What Would Chine Gun Do 2. We back on it. It’s Griselda Time.
Technically, Conway isn’t signed to Griselda anymore, right? But that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be making music together.
I’ma tell you like this. When we did the whole situation, it was never about money. Of course, I had Griselda Records the company, but I never looked at it as I’m the big dog when they signed to me. I promise you, man, as much money as I made off Conway in my entire life, I probably couldn’t buy my left or right wrist. I’ve never made no money off Conway. I got a couple dollars off that Shady deal, but I got a leather coat that cost more money than I made off Conway’s Shady deal. I’ve never made no money off Conway. He got 100 percent of his merch, 100 percent of his music, 100 percent of his shows — I’ve never taken a dollar from Conway, except for 20 percent of the Shady deal. There was a narrative out there that looked crazy for a minute, but I’m never gonna speak on nothing because I know it ain’t true, there’s nothing to speak on, and this is my brother, and we really know what’s going on.
If there was tension, he wouldn’t be on this project.
There was never no tension, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. People think that s–t. We can’t have people thinking that we ain’t making music together no more.
Does the creative in you wish they would let you executive produce some of the projects they did elsewhere?
No, they’re men. Where they at and where they energy at might not require Westside Gunn and that’s okay. But guess what? I didn’t look at that as like, “Oh, they saying, ‘F–k me, I’ll never work with them again.’” I’m looking at it as, they’re learning, they’re building and growing. How they going to be the best them trying to just be under me? They not going to know until they be like, “Okay, well, you know what? Damn, maybe it is better that we come back together,” whatever the case may be. We’re always learning and we never had nobody to teach us this s–t. We’re family.
It was never about money. I never said nothing about them. It wasn’t no pillow talk. It was never nothing. Sometimes we gotta go our separate ways and take time off.
It felt like you were focused more on yourself on Still Praying. Usually you’ll have a bunch of features scattered throughout, where as this time around the features started at the end.
Mind you, I made it all in that day, so I was just dumping — it’s not like they in the room with me. So that’s why Drama says, “Can’t forget the family.” The album was done, but I had to call them so I can get a verse real quick, because I’m not about to drop it without them. I sent it to Conway, Benny, and Stove. Then the joint I did with Rome, we did at Statik’s studio.
Would you rather be together in the studio? Does it really matter?
Nah, don’t matter, as long as we paint the picture — but I do prefer us cooking together in person, that’s my favorite thing to do, because that’s a part of my curation. When we did WWCD, we did it together. When we did that album with Shady, we did that in a day and a half. Both my Shady albums combined — Who Made the Sunshine and WWCD — I made both those studio albums, quote, unquote, in four days. I literally rap maybe six, seven days out of the year.
So the beats that you pick are what? Are they being made there, or sitting in a pack?
I got ’em. I got enough beats to last the rest of my career.
This is like Daringer, The Alchemist, Conductor? They send you beats all the time?
Yeah, everybody. Pete Rock, Preemo, Swizz, all the big boys and the illest underground ones too right now, tucked because I’m a curator. I got hundreds of Conductor beats.
So, when you’re ready to work you open up a folder and start going in?
As soon as I get a pack, I narrow them down. I listen to all the packs, but then I sing to a certain folder, so then I’ll go back to that folder. There’s a science with my s–t. So, then I go to the sound. Like, “Okay, who got this sound? Matter of fact, yeah, this s–t would be crazy if I get a Swizz beat. Let me see what’s the hardest Swizz I got. Aight, boom. Well, you know what I don’t got? Uncle Al, let me check on my Uncle Al batch. This project needs Al.” I just bounce around like that as part of the curation process. When I did Nacksaw with Estee Nack, we did it in person. Pray for Haiti with Mach, we did it in person. Armani Caesar Liz 1 & 2, we did it in person. I work quick, so if you’re ready to work, we going to work. When you cooking with Westside Gunn, be ready, because we’re making your album in two days.
Do you have a pack of RZA beats? I was telling my boss that I was interviewing you and he wanted me to ask if you were planning on working with the RZA more. He listens to “House of Glory” from the last tape all the time.
Yeah, that’s my s–t. I would love to. I wanna put RZA on WWCD2 because Griselda on a RZA beat is history, and that’s what I’m saying. Me, personally, I don’t know how long I’m gonna do this for. I went from saying, “F–k this sh—t” to “I got another three in me.” But I also got kids, and I also want to raise my babies. I also do my wrestling s—t, my fashion s—t, so I got other things to keep me occupied.
Yeah, but you’re an artist, too — so sometimes you gotta make some music.
Yeah that’s why it’s never planned with me. Once I get the urge, I make the project right on the spot.
That’s why with the album thing, you don’t want to be beholden to a release schedule.
I might be saying something that just literally happened right now, where it’s like, if it dropped three months from now, it doesn’t even make sense. When I’m ready to drop everybody scrambles for a week or two. Even with this project, there’s only been social media posts as of right now. Hasn’t been no street presence, no Internet presence, no singles, no videos, no nothing.
I don’t think it’s on here, but you did a theme song for TNA? “Chocolate Face” with DJ Khaled.
That’s gonna be on Flygod Is an Awesome God 3. That album is a whole ‘nother juggernaut. This how everything came together: Awesome God 3 was done and I thought it was a masterpiece. And this was the best way for Westside Gunn to come back on the scene and basically have the Album of the Year. When I was finishing Awesome God 3, I went to Paris to go mix and master it, but I couldn’t get my sessions because my engineer was in Africa, and our communication was off, so now I got studio time. I left my family, flew out to Paris to do this work, what I’m gonna do? So, I made Still Praying while I was out there. Now I went from about to mix and master one album to making a new one.
So I was like, let me have Drama hop on this to give it that mixtape feel; just me dumpin’. You could hear the hunger, and it just reminded me of Ski Mask Westside Gunn. My whole career, I drop something around Halloween. I wanted to keep the tradition, but I wanted to cook something totally different. I wanted 11 to be totally different from Still Praying. I wanted the EP to be more slow and soulful, more personal. And not to get too deep, because I really don’t even want to talk about 11 because 11 is very personal to me; people might listen to it like it’s just music, but it’s not just music to me.
My brother got killed in April, and you got him on the cover, and it says “Free Sly… for Big Dump.” When you dig deeper into that project, Sly got life, and my brother got killed, and these are two people that’s key in my life that I probably will never get to see again. Sly is optimistic, but he may never come home. I had Sly narrate 11, so people actually get to hear a different side to him. In Buffalo, Sly Green is like John Gotti to us.
Sly is the OG in Buffalo like a Bumpy Johnson?
The biggest of the biggest. American Gangster, A&E, History Channel documentary, Don Diva covers, like the real deal. It don’t get no more gangster than Sly Green. Everyday you see him, he’s in a suit and tie. If his movie came out, it’d be one of the illest of all time. He got his law degree and has been spending his whole time in prison trying to get other kingpins home. He’s was able to get the four life sentences off him, so now he has the 110 years, and he already served 33. You can hear the optimism in his voice on the project. I hope he do come home. You hear him on there talking for the first time, for real, for real, saying what he’s saying. You hear my brother, I got a voicemail with him. Keisha Plum couldn’t even finish her poem. She cried the whole time writing it. It took her forever to lay the poem down.
It’s a project I never did before. It’s a quick five-piece, but the five pieces are very special. This is so over heads that they don’t even understand what they even listening to. Not knowing my brother just got killed in April, not knowing Sly is one of the biggest gangsters of all time. I used that picture of my brother showing me something. We were always ahead of the game, that’s all we did was study, just wanting to be one up on everybody. I made it for everybody to enjoy, but it’s something that’s harder for me to listen to.
Recording that was like a cathartic thing. You had to get your emotions out.
It’s hard for me to even post the cover. This is something I still deal with every day. I done lost our DJ, Shay. I lost my aunt Michelle who raised me my whole life. I lost my granddad six months before her in the same year. I bought ‘Chelle a house and gave her the money for the furniture, and she never even got a chance to get the furniture. People don’t understand the pain I’ve been going through the last three, four years.
With all the stuff that you’ve been through with your family and even with Virgil passing, did you have to find a new energy to help get you out of depression.
That’s why music really wasn’t a big factor. I focused so much on wrestling because wrestling is my safe zone. Me sitting front row is my therapy. If it wasn’t for wrestling, I’d probably be dead or in jail. I’d be losing my mind feeling lost. My influences and all the people that’s key and instrumental in my life and who I feel were my biggest fans and my biggest supporters, I’ve lost. It’s f–ked up, because when you lose so many people, you start getting a paranoia.
That sh—t is scary, bro. You start to think about your mortality.
That’s where I’ve been at, you know? That’s why I say, before it’s all said and done, we can’t let motherf–kers rewrite our history. We can’t let Griselda go out shaky. We gotta let n—as know, this s–t was the illest.
You plan on putting out a tape called Michelle? You’ve shouted that name out and refer to Michelle Records a lot.
Michelle Records is me and Stove together.
So is it a group or a tape? Stove God is affiliated with Griselda, but he’s not signed officially, right?
He don’t gotta be [signed], he is Griselda. I’m actually going to executive produce his Babygrande album.
Another name I wanted to bring up is Mach-Hommy. You brought up Pray for Haiti earlier. Can you speak on why you guys haven’t worked together again?
It ain’t no issue. We literally just hugged each other four days ago. We’re going to make another one. It’s about timing. Even with WWCD2, they’ve been wanting to do it, but they also had their time to shine all year, too, and I didn’t. Can I get mine? [Laughs.] Benny hit me like, “Buz, when we starting? Conway hit me, “Bro, when we starting?” But it’s like, “Yo, like, can I get my rocks off, man? Y’all had yours, let me get mine off and then we going to do that.”
And then I also want to get that out the way, respectfully, because then I want to focus on what me and Stove got going on. But then guess what? I can come back and cook with Mach, I can come back and cook with Estee Nack, the people that I love cooking with.
On Saturday, Nov. 2, you’re doing something in Chicago with your wrestling company Fourth Rope. Can you talk about that a bit?
Fourth Rope comes from me being front row at every WrestleMania, every Royal Rumble, every Survivor Series, every Summer Slam, every Double or Nothing, every Full Gear. I’m at three wrestling events this week. I just left Detroit for TNA’s pay-per-view, and I leave here tomorrow to go to AEW Dynamite in Cleveland. So, me being front row, I say I am the fourth rope because there’s three ropes on the ring and I’m front row.
The first party we had was during WrestleMania, we sold out TLA in Philly. The second one we did the same thing, House of Blues in Cleveland during Summer Slam. This weekend we had the opportunity to throw our matches and make it about us and not piggybacking off Summer Slam or WrestleMania. And I picked Chicago because I go there to see more pay-per-views than anywhere else and every rap show I’ve ever had in Chicago sold out, too. I figure I mix both worlds, I already know what it’s gonna do. Illinois period is a big wrestling state and Chicago is a wrestling city.
You have your own wrestlers and everything?
Not only do I have my own wrestlers, but I have the best wrestlers in the world. I have the wrestlers from TNA. I have the TNA champ. I have Moose, Jordan Grace, Mike Santana from TNA. We also have a no-holds-barred steel cage match with the Death Match legend Nick Gage. We got the legend MVP that was with WWE, he’s our commissioner. They got the whole Usos thing going on right now with The Bloodline. So for the championship, we got Moose versus Zilla Fatu. We got a piece of The Bloodline too. We also got DJ Premier and Pete Rock. All of this sh—t is for $60, bro.
How did you meet AA Rashid? The first time I heard of him was on your albums. Sometimes, I’ll listen to a track of him talking like its a song. It reminds me of Popa Wu.
It’s crazy how I met him, because I was hustling. I had some work on a Mega Bus, taking my trips, doing what I’m doing. I was hustling still when I did HWH 1 & 2, and all of that, nobody really knew who I was yet. I was only out of the Feds for two years, I was just on my chill sh—t. I was still on my papers hustling, you know? Grinding. I was getting off in Atlanta and AA was on the bus, and I had just did HWH 2 with the Chanel ski mask on the cover. Griselda Records comes from Griselda by Fashion Rebels, so I was already designing. The jacket I had was a Griselda bomber and he was looking at it like, “That sh—t crazy.”
He was going to see his daughter or something and we started kicking it during the stop before Atlanta. He said he was into fashion too and designed and that he had some friends in the music industry. So, once we got off I handed him a copy of HWH 2 with the Chanel ski mask. If you see that Chanel ski mask cover for the first time, especially back then, it was like, “Yo, what the f—k is this?” He said, “Yo, this you? I’ma play this for some friends,” and come to find out his friend was Planet Asia. This started with me meeting AA on that Mega Bus on the way to Atlanta. Planet Asia then played the CD for The Alchemist.
That’s how you got on the radar.
Exactly, and Planet Asia is cool with Hus Kingpin, so Hus was out there and I had never been to L.A. in my life. I’m an Eastside Buffalo n—a, we never had no opportunities. Buffalo n—as never really leave Buffalo. I took the opportunity to go out there and link with these n—as.
Has it been hard to go to Toronto because of your past?
Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. I’m going to try again soon. I was recently in Toronto to check out Raekwon’s Purple Factory.
Speaking of Raekwon, I was gonna bring up if you would ever consider executive producing an album with him and Ghostface?
Of course, just last month it was brought up. I’ve talked to Rae and Ghost about it, and I talked to Jada about it. Them the only people I’ve ever came to and was like, “Yo, I want to do this for y’all.” A Rae and Ghost by me and a Jadakiss by me would be legendary. I wanna do something with Nas too. There’s a mutual respect with them.
I’m sure you guys remind them of themselves.
Rae has been in Buffalo with us. He’s shown us love since day one. Prodigy was a big supporter early, too. Prodigy used to come to Buffalo and f—k with us on his own since day one. I done visited Prodigy in this hospital bed. Sean Price, rest in peace, was a supporter, as well. You know, I have songs with Sean Price, Prodigy, MF DOOM, and DMX. A lot of people can’t say that. Dolph was my favorite rapper, that was my dream collab.
In 2022 — the same year “Big Energy” became her first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit — Latto got her first run at performing in arenas when she served as one of the openers for the North American leg of Lizzo‘s Special Tour. Just two years later, the Clayton County emcee headlined a major New York arena on her own when she graced Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Halloween (Oct. 31) for the fifth stop of her Sugar Honey Iced Tea Tour.
Latto’s latest trek is in support of her third studio album of the same name, which debuted atop Rap Albums and reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200. A sprawling love letter to the sonic fabric of Atlanta rap, Sugar Honey Iced Tea features the Hot 100 hits “Big Mama” (No. 92), “Sunday Service” (No. 100, with Megan Thee Stallion & Flo Milli) and “Put It on Da Floor Again” (No. 13, with Cardi B), as well as collaborations with Ciara, Coco Jones, Hunxho, Teezo Touchdown, Young Nudy and Mariah the Scientist.
The night began with a brief performance from Karrahboo — who brought out Gio, an Atlanta-based model attached to Lil Yachty‘s Concrete Boys collective — and a particularly heartfelt set from Mariah the Scientist. “Let’s just make it to the end so I can get on this jet!” she quipped mid-set, one of several times she alluded to the good news that rocked the hip-hop world mere hours before she took the stage: Young Thug, Grammy-winning rapper and beau to Mariah the Scientist, was sentenced to 15 years probation and no prison time after pleading guilty in the two-year criminal case alleging that he was the leader of a violent Atlanta street gang.
With Thugger coming home, Mariah implored that fans “burn [their] ‘Free Thug’ shirts” and start saying the phrase backward (“Thug free!”). Buoyed by an extra boost of passion and energy sourced from the Young Thug news, Mariah the Scientist rocked Barclays Center with a set that smartly played on the emotional vulnerability of her catalog. She’s been very open about continuing to ride for her man no matter the outcome of the case, so songs like “Spread Thin” felt especially poignant as they blasted through the arena.
Latto finally took the stage around 10:30 p.m., kicking off her set with the viral Sugar Honey Iced Tea opener “Georgia Peach.” From the classic first verse of “Georgia on My Mind” to the retro advertisements and tongue-in-cheek video interludes, Latto delivered an incredibly streamlined visual interpretation of the Sugar Honey Iced Tea aesthetic, which she described in her July Billboard cover story as “Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Lil’ Kim and Kelis… but obviously with a Southern hip-hop twist. They have very feminine energy, but masculine in the sense of confidence.”
In a nod to the holiday, Latto donned a Playboy bunny Halloween costume as she ripped her way through a setlist that prioritized her rap catalog. Though two of the biggest songs of her career are “Big Energy” and “Seven,” her Hot 100-topping collaboration with Jung Kook, Latto largely shied away from her pop fare, opting to focus on her recent hip-hop hits like “Brokey” and “Back Outside” and her earlier rap bangers like “Muwop” and “B—h from da Souf.” Despite a bit of sickness working against her, Latto delivered a remarkably high-energy show that featured tight choreography, an emphasis on live rapping and multiple levels of fan engagement — from the freaky Jumbotron moment of “Copper Cove” to the audience poll that gave way to heartfelt renditions of “Prized Possession” and “S/O to Me.”
Here are the five best moments of Latto’s Sugar Honey Iced Tea tour.
Mariah the Scientist Celebrates Young Thug’s Release
With two new singles — “Natural” and “Space and Pussy” — gaining traction, Kiana Ledé is ready to deliver even more to her fans. The L.A.-based singer stopped by Billboard‘s NYC office for an episode of Billboard Gaming, just in time for the release of her Cut Ties album arrival on Friday (Nov. 1).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In Cut Ties, Kiana Ledé delves deeply into the complexities of anxious and avoidant attachment styles, reflecting on the ways relationships can offer both comfort and pain, shaping one’s emotional responses over time. The album invites listeners to experience a journey through love’s emotional spectrum—from the security and closeness of a relationship’s early stages to the eventual sense of detachment and heartbreak that may follow.
We faced off with the singer-songwriter in several rounds of Mario Kart while discussing the inspiration behind her album, her love for Halloween and High School Musical and more.
Trending on Billboard
You just dropped two new singles, “Natural” and “Space and Pussy.” Can you dive into the themes of self-assurance and womanhood? What’s the inspiration for those tracks?
Ooh, “Space and Pussy” and “Natural.” I mean, I think they’re pretty opposite of each other, just because “Natural” is about feeling so comfortable with the person that you’re with that you would do anything—wink wink—with them.
And then “Space and Pussy” is like, I gave you my p—y, and I gave you space, and, like, what more could anybody ask for? And you’re stupid because you f—ked it up. They’re pretty opposite, but they both have to do with p—y, I guess.
Is that a surrounding theme for the album?
P—y?
Yeah.
[Laughs.] Yeah, I mean, I feel like p—y is like a theme of my life.
And why is that?
I just think p—y is beautiful. I think my p—y is beautiful. I think other people’s p—ies are beautiful. P—y, in general, is just a beautiful part of life. It gives us life, you know?
You also recently dropped a visualizer for “Natural”. What was the creative process for that?
I wanted to do something, like, kind of spooky because, obviously, spooky is my favorite genre—horror is my favorite genre. I love spooky season. But also, one of my first acting jobs was Zoe in Scream [the show], and, spoiler alert, I die in Scream. And I loved dying — it was so fun — and I wanted to either be the villain or die again and bring that back. Eventually, I want to write my own horror movie, and I want to, like, I don’t know, just… it’s something that I’m really passionate about.
So, the “Natural” video, I was like, “Why don’t I just get back into the horror bag?” because I know people are going to be excited to see me doing horror stuff again too.
Music is meant to be experienced, and everyone interprets songs and albums differently. But with this album specifically, what message, idea, or theme do you want your listeners to take away?
I think I want them to listen to the story. This album is really a story. It’s a message about how great things can go horribly wrong. I think something really important to take away is the story of me finding out who I need to keep in my life and who doesn’t deserve to be in it quicker than I have in the past, and hopefully that inspires other people to do the same.
I heard this album is also inspired by like your passion for Halloween, is that correct?
Yeah, I love Halloween.
How has loving Halloween influenced this album?
I mean, obviously, it was perfect timing because it’s spooky season.
I made that something that was a part of what we were doing because I wanted to be able to celebrate. Like, for me, there are only two holidays every year: my birthday and Halloween. And so, I take it very seriously. I was excited to potentially release an album on Halloween.
So, the whole year is Halloween except for my birthday. Then it’s my birthday, and the rest of the year is Halloween. I love spooky. I grew up watching horror movies and having horror movie marathons with my sister and my dad and just always being drawn to darker things in general in life.
I just love things that people don’t really like to talk about. It interests me. I follow Creepy.org on Twitter, and I’m just really drawn to things that are scary or that people don’t want to talk about. It just excites me. So, I was excited to bring a little bit of that into this album and the visual part.
I’m not used to having a good idea for the visual creative part of the album because I’m not a very visual person. But once I added that aspect of horror and brought that spookiness into it, I was like, “Oh, I got this. Boom, boom, boom. This is what we’re doing.”
So, did that idea also influence the cover?
I’m a huge Pinterest person. I love Pinterest. So, I had a Pinterest board, and I was just putting together different things that are kind of on the darker side that have to do with the themes of the songs on the album. And ropes were one, especially because “Cut Ties” — we also have another song called “Too Many Strings.” And sometimes relationships can be scary, you know?
I know I’ve been in all these relationships in my life, so we took the ropes to show, “I am stuck in this situation, but I’m about to cut the s—t. Don’t worry about it; I’ll be good.”
You recently went independent — why?
I think I was just ready for something different. I’ve been in label situations, major label situations, since I was 15,14,15. And I was ready to just be able to make more of my own choices. And I really came into this new era of having freedom. So now I just really fully have all the freedom.
Do you think this album represents freedom in a sense?
Yeah, I would say so. I mean, even in the album, I’m breaking loose from the person in the relationship and from friendships that I’ve had that I’ve just needed to cut ties with earlier on than I did. So, yeah, I guess it represents the freedom that I have to choose.
Going independent is a big step for any artist. What challenges have you faced since?
Honestly, I don’t feel like I’ve felt a lot of challenges. Because I didn’t have as much control before, I didn’t feel as much pressure on making certain decisions. But I wish I did make more decisions. Now I can make all the decisions; I have to. It’s overwhelming, almost. Like, I really have to get this right, and if I fall on a sword, it’s going to be my own sword.
So, if things go wrong, it’s all on you — there’s no one else to blame. How do you manage that pressure?
There’s definitely times where I feel that pressure, but I feel like my team is just so supportive, and I’m very big on teamwork. We all are moving as a unit together every single step of the way. So I definitely feel some of that pressure sometimes in my most vulnerable moments, but I think I just feel so much like a team that it feels like we’re all helping this machine work for us.
All in this together? Like High School Musical?
Exactly. Do you know the dance?
[We do a quick version on the dance in our sets.]
That’s good! That was good!
My mom actually bought High School Musical 2 on DVD and I had the soundtrack, but I don’t have it anymore.
Yes, you do. [Smiles.]
I don’t.
You know you do.
I don’t, my mom probably has it. I do love High School Musical, I really do.
High School Musical is the best. I used to want to be Gabriela so bad.
You’ve recently been on tour with Jhené Aiko, and now you’re heading out again for the third leg. How’s the experience been so far?
It’s been so much fun. I mean, she’s amazing. I’m obsessed with her. She’s my favorite artist in the world. So, it’s been a lot of fun just to be able to be on the same stage as her.
And also, she is such an amazing person, you know? There are a lot of experiences we’ve had in the industry where the people that you respect unfortunately aren’t the coolest people, you know?
I can relate.
And she’s really f—king cool. We go to the green rooms every day, and there’s rose petals and confetti and glitter at our door.
And she’s so genuine and sweet. So, I’m having a lot of fun. The chaos is so much fun. Yeah, everyone’s pretty great. I think that’s what makes a tour experience good or not—not even necessarily the show itself, but the people. So, it’s been fun. But the fans have been awesome. Her fans are great.
Sometimes they be fighting during random songs, though. I get so confused. There are these things I’d seen on Twitter, like, when we were on tour, and they were like, “How are you fighting after a Jhené Aiko concert?” And I’m literally, like, same. Like, how do you do that?
It’s so soothing.Yeah. But they found a way.
As you head into the third leg of the tour, will there be any changes to your performance, or will it stay mostly the same? What can fans look forward to this time around?
I might add a song, a new song.
From the album?
Yeah, I might add a new one; who knows?
Getting back into the album, what’s your favorite song?
My favorite song? That’s hard. Maybe “Out of Luck?” Maybe — no, no, that’s a lie. “Too Many Strings?” No, “The Truth.” I don’t know; that’s hard.
Are they all your babies?
Yeah, I always have a hard time with that question because I also think it depends on the mood.
Like the day, the hour, the time.
Yeah, right now I feel like I’m kind of in a bad b—ch, maybe a little bit in a bad mood earlier kind of mood. So, I think the bad b—ch would come out today. “Out of Luck” is me.
I like “Burn It Up.”
Oh, you like that one?
Yes, I like “Burn It Up.” I don’t know if it’s the beat or like the message I just like when I hear it, it makes me feel good. You know?
Yeah, I love that. “Burn It Up” is good. That’s definitely a psycho song, for sure.
With over a billion streams, your music keeps evolving, but how do you stay true to your original self before the fame, before the honor, before the glory? How do you evolve, but still stay true to you?
I think, honestly, one of the things that has been a blessing and a curse is having imposter syndrome.
Having imposter syndrome is really crazy and shitty sometimes, but also, like, it weirdly does keep me grounded. I know that every time somebody listens to my music or a fan comes up to me and they’re like, “Oh my god, are you da da da da da da?” and they freak out, I have no idea why they’re freaking out. It probably sounds dumb, but I literally will be like, “Why are you?” This is crazy that they’re freaking out.
Like, I’m just chillin’ here… I’ll literally be like, “Who are they freaking out about? Who’s behind me?” [Laughs.] Because it doesn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t click in my head for some reason. So, that’s one of the things that I think is like a weird way to stay grounded because I just appreciate it every time; I just don’t expect it.
And then I think the other way is I’m very close with my family, and I’m best friends with some of the people I work with. I’m also best friends with somebody who I’ve known since third grade. She’s been my best friend since third grade. So, it’s just kind of a reminder to me that if she still loves me, I’m the same person… Because I know if I were to f—k around and change up, she would not be f—king with me, you know? So having those people in your life that are your constants from when you were a child, it’s like, you know that that core you is still there.
Yeah, like it reminds you of where you came from.
Yeah, exactly. So, it’s great. I love that.
Do you think you’re underrated?
It’s so funny; I don’t feel like I’m underrated. I think people say that I’m underrated. I feel like it’s kind of a weird thing to say just because I know my fans rate me, you know? I think they mean it as a compliment, obviously, when they say you’re underrated. To me, it’s like what the great Marcel the Shell said: “compared to what?” Like, compared to what? Because I feel like I’ve done—like, yes, I’ve been in this s—t for twelve years, probably closer to thirteen at this point, and it’s been a long ass time.
Do I feel like I am where I thought I would be when I was a kid? No, not necessarily. But also, I think I have certain expectations that people don’t probably know about, you know? I have my own goals. I think people expect that if they love you and your music is great and you’re a great person.
So from what they can see, they assume that you should be — or you want to be — like Beyoncé, you know? Or close to that. And that’s just not where I want to be. So while I appreciate people saying that, because really what they’re saying is more people should know about you because your music is so great.
I really am happy with where I’m at. Obviously, I would love to make more money [laughs] and have more people hear my music, but it’s really also about just making people feel something. And I’ve had to learn to get the love back for music, and it’s not like fully there yet, but I think people weirdly — and I don’t want to sound ungrateful — but people saying things like “underrated” takes away that love a little bit when I hear it.
But I do see that it’s a good thing, and I’m grateful that people say it.
I feel like when it comes to being an underrated artist it’s like, “You’re a great artist, but why don’t more people know about you?” Or “Why isn’t your name brought up in conversations about the top three, top five, or even top 20?” It’s not to think about “what am I doing wrong?” but to think “hmm why aren’t I being mentioned?” You know what I’m saying?
Yeah, I think maybe that’s what it is. Maybe I’m just projecting because when people say that, I’m automatically thinking, “Am I doing something wrong? Am I not where people see me or where people think I should be?” Does that make sense?
Yeah, getting into the top three, who would you say is in your top three?
Ooh. That’s hard. I would say Jhené, Sinéad [Harnett], and Destin [Conrad]. I just threw two of my friends in there because they’re f—king incredible. I mean, Destin is an incredible songwriter. He’s so f—king talented.
And then Sinéad is one of the most amazing singers I’ve ever heard in my life. I get so mad at her when she sings in front of me because I’m like, “How the f—k can you…”
Sound like that.
Yeah, like, how do you do it? Her runs are so clean, and she’s so funny and genuine. So, yeah, I’m gonna put them up there in my top three. And then Jhené for obvious reasons.
Speaking of Jhené, collaboration coming soon? Got any tracks lined up?
We’ll have to see.
The people are asking.
People will get an answer when I give them an answer. [Laughs.]
Are you a rap fan at all?
To be honest, I don’t really listen to music.
So what do you do when you’re traveling?
Play Township on my phone, listen to audiobooks, listen to spooky podcasts. I watch a lot of shows cause it’s really comforting for me to just have something on in the background. But, yeah, I don’t really feel like it.
I feel like a lot of artists say that. They’re like, “No, we don’t listen to music. We just exist.” I don’t know, for me, I’m walking somewhere, headphones in. I’m going to work, headphones in. I’m working, headphones are in…
That’s so nice.
How do y’all live and not have your headphones in?
I don’t know; I feel like when you do it for a job, it’s like anything, you know? Like a chef probably doesn’t want to come home and cook, and that’s the first thing that they do when they get off work. I feel like it’s partially that. I think also just a lot of bad, bad f—king experiences in the industry.
I just don’t want to be reminded of certain things or certain people just by listening to, like, a f—king playlist on Spotify, you know? I’d rather just have my own fresh ideas. I think that’s another part of it.
You feel like playing tracks influences you in a way?
Maybe. I don’t even want it to be a question, I think. But, yeah, I don’t listen to music at all. Most of the time when I’m listening to music — this is not even to be like conceited — I’m listening to my own music, but it’s my music that I just made because I want to make sure that I love it, you know?
Music for me is very attached to experiences and emotion. If you go to a concert, you either love the album or you hate the album, and so listening to music kind of does that same thing for me.
Like, I want to listen to the album and hear the stories that I’ve been through and kind of relive that for a second, just to laugh at it or just see that some art came out of it, you know?
Why did you stray away from acting?
I actually didn’t really stray away. I think it was just that there was so much going on with music at the time that it just made more sense than going out for roles that were just not really suited to me at the time— not really what I wanted to do. I’m looking forward to acting again, but by the time I was ready to get back into acting, the whole world shut down, and then there was a strike, and like, you know, I just wasn’t very lucky when it came to that time of my acting career. But I’m excited to get back into it.
So we’re going to see you on the screen? The silver screen or a TV screen?
We’ll find out. I’ll take either one.
Tyler, the Creator threatened to bring back the “old” him at his “30 Minutes of Chromakopia” mini-concert in Boston on Halloween (Oct. 31) while talking about his ire at Taylor Swift fans. The rapper lashed out at what he deemed an attempt by Swifties to “cancel” him recently over old lyrics after he momentarily took […]
NBC will be ringing in the holiday season with A Motown Christmas. Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey, the two-hour special will feature Motown legends and contemporary stars performing more than 25 of the label’s timeless hits as well as holiday favorites. A Motown Christmas will air Dec. 11 (9 p.m. ET/PT) on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In addition to Robinson, the lineup of Motown legends who will be performing includes Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and the Temptations. Besides Bailey, the contemporary stars also sharing the stage are Ashanti, Andra Day, BeBe Winans, Jamie Foxx, JoJo, Jordin Sparks, mgk, October London and Pentatonix.
Among the special’s musical highlights: a selection of chart-topping hits such as “My Girl,” “Tears of a Clown” and “ABC”; tributes to Diana Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder; a new rendition of “Last Christmas” by mgk; a salute to Motown founder Berry Gordy by Day and a world exclusive performance from the Broadway company MJ the Musical
Trending on Billboard
In a statement, NBCUniversal Entertainment’s executive vp of live events & specials Jen Neal said, “Motown’s timeless hits have played as a soundtrack for American families for the last six decades. NBC is honored to spotlight the iconic legacy of Motown with a festive celebration for the holiday season.”
A Motown Christmas is executive produced by actress/director/choreographer Debbie Allen and former Motown Productions president Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones of De Passe Jones Entertainment. Leading production of the telecast is SpringHill; musical director is Rickey Minor.
“We’re excited to usher in the holiday spirit by bringing nostalgic performances and fresh renditions of Motown hits to homes across the world,” said SpringHill CCO Jamal Henderson. In the same announcement release, de Passe added, “I’m delighted to join Debbie Allen, SpringHill and NBC to bring Motown music, great artists and warm, family feelings together in a grand celebration of Christmas.”
Noted Allen, “I’m thrilled to be back in the saddle with Motown and Suzanne de Passe to bring to the world this much-needed holiday family special. The music of Motown has always been magical, and we are going to sing and dance everyone into Christmas joy!”
Prior to A Motown Christmas, NBC has aired two Motown television specials: Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and Motown Returns to the Apollo. Each won the Emmy Award for outstanding music or comedy program.
U.K. rapper Central Cee has announced the release date for his long-awaited debut album, Can’t Rush Greatness. The LP is slated for release on January 24, 2025 via Columbia Records and will be the first full body of work since his 2023 mixtape 23.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The 26-year-old shared the news on his social media feeds alongside the artwork, which you can see below. Pre-orders are now open on Cench’s website.
No tracklist has been released for the album so far, but it has been confirmed that his new song “One By One,” which was recorded in a Colors session, would not feature on the record.
Trending on Billboard
A press release also confirmed that the album was recorded in multiple locations over the last year, and it will feature guest producers as well as an appearance from fellow U.K. rapper Dave. The pair collaborated on the single “Sprinter” in 2023, which topped the U.K.’s Official Singles Charts for nine weeks and landed at No.10 on the Billboard Global 200.
2024 has seen a number of singles from the west London artist. In May, he teamed up with Lil Baby for “BAND4BAND” which landed at No.18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at No.3 on the Official Singles Chart in the U.K. The song was the highest-charting U.K. rap single on the charts in Hot 100 history.
Elsewhere there was an appearance on Ice Spice’s debut Y2K, a team-up with Afrobeats star Asake on single “Wave” and most recently with RAYE on the single “Moi” in September.
Speaking to Dazed, Central Cee elaborated on the process of the making of Can’t Rush Greatness. “With the mixtapes, I was living in [the same] house I grew up in,” he said. “Now we’ve elevated, we’re actually musicians. There were times it was hard to say man’s a musician. I was just a guy that [went into the] studio [sometimes]. Now, I’m an artist.”
Last week, Central Cee was named as an additional headliner for Spain’s Primavera Sound Festival in June 2025, topping the bill alongside Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.
Snoop Dogg’s new single, “Gorgeous,” featuring Jhené Aiko, marks an exciting return to his roots while ushering in a fresh era in his collaboration with Dr. Dre.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The track, released today via Death Row, Aftermath and Interscope and produced by Dre alongside Blu2th, Preach Bal4, and FredWreck, is the first official single from Snoop’s upcoming album Missionary, set for release on Dec. 13.
With “Gorgeous,” Snoop channels his signature West Coast style, blending laid-back rap verses with Aiko’s ethereal vocals to deliver a track that’s smooth and reflective, an early taste of the creative synergy expected on Missionary.
Trending on Billboard
“Gorgeous” isn’t just a new single; it represents the continuation of a storied partnership between Snoop and Dre that has shaped hip-hop since the early ’90s. Their history began with the theme song for the 1992 film Deep Cover and quickly escalated with The Chronic, where Snoop’s voice became synonymous with Dre’s groundbreaking production style.
The collaboration peaked when Dre produced Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, which landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and cemented Snoop’s status as a hip-hop heavyweight. Since then, Snoop has amassed 12 Billboard Top 10 hits, with career-defining tracks like “Gin and Juice” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” the latter marking his first No. 1 single.
Dr. Dre’s role in Snoop’s career has been pivotal, with each collaboration underscoring their mutual influence on the sound and legacy of West Coast hip-hop. Snoop’s recent milestone of achieving Billboard Top 10 hits across four consecutive decades—joining the ranks of Jay-Z and Mariah Carey—only highlights his enduring relevance in the industry.
Alongside Jhené Aiko, “Gorgeous” sets the stage for Missionary, which will feature an array of high-profile guests, from Eminem and 50 Cent to Sting and the late Tom Petty.
Stream “Gorgeous” below.
Young Thug is officially returning home after pleading guilty in a criminal case accusing him of leading a violent Atlanta street gang. The rapper was sentenced to 15 years probation and no prison time on Thursday (Oct. 31). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Thug (real name […]
Do you love basketball as much as Kurtis Blow? Probably not. The rap legend bridged generations as he collaborated with Brooklyn rapper Lola Brooke and West Coast producer Hit-Boy for a modern take on his classic record “Basketball,” which reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1985.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
DoorDash partnered with the NBA, WNBA and Kurtis Blow to celebrate the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season. The music video — shot by Dave Meyers and his daughter Cassidy on the streets of New York — features WNBA legend Sue Bird and Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart of the New York Knicks.
Trending on Billboard
DoorDash announced a multiyear partnership renewal on Monday (Oct. 28) that extends the company’s role as the official on-demand delivery platform partner of both the NBA and WNBA. The partnership first tipped off in 2020, with DoorDash becoming the first-ever partner in the on-demand category.
DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program, will serve as the official partner of NBA and WNBA Experiences, which offer a wide range of customized and immersive fan experiences at marquee events throughout the NBA and WNBA calendar year. These premium experiential packages include access to NBA and WNBA events alongside unique off-the-court programming such as player and legend meet-and-greets, behind-the-scenes tours, concerts and hospitality hubs designed to reach global fans of the game.
“Since joining forces with the NBA and WNBA in 2020, we’ve brought meaningful experiences to basketball fans, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what we build together this season and beyond as we deliver even more value to fans with DashPass,” said Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, CMO at DoorDash, via a press release. “With the season officially underway, we wanted to celebrate basketball’s impact on culture, and what better way to do that than reviving a hit classic that’s synonymous with the game? Working with Kurtis to bring this to life was an unmatched experience, and we hope fans enjoy the reimagined hit – and its nod to the past, current, and future of basketball – as much as we do.”
“Our partnership with DoorDash is rooted in a shared commitment to deliver unique and elevated experiences that celebrate NBA and WNBA fandom year-round,” said Kerry Tatlock, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships and Media, NBA. “We look forward to expanding our collaboration, leveraging our partnership to unlock even more opportunities to bring our fans closer to the game.”
Watch the new take on a hip-hop classic above.
A week after Beyoncé appeared at a rally for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in the singer’s hometown of Houston, the Democratic candidate’s rival Donald Trump still seemed focused on the 32-time Grammy winner’s full-throated endorsement of the sitting Vice President.
Taking the stage in an orange and yellow safety vest on Wednesday (Oct. 30) in Green Bay, WI, the twice impeached former President told the crowd, “four nights ago they got Beyoncé… uhhhh Beyoncé,” as he paused while audience appeared to boo the singer who has sold more than 350 million records as a solo act and with Destiny’s Child. “They got Beyoncé,” he sighed a second time. “We don’t need Beyoncé, we don’t need anybody… all you got is me, and I don’t have a guitar.”
The Harris campaign reposted the Beyoncé-bashing moment, which came on the same day that convicted felon Trump rolled out a bizarre attack on Pres. Joe Biden that found the former reality TV star climbing into a Trump-branded garbage truck and riding around in circles on an airport tarmac while wearing the vest. The stunt appeared to be the Trump campaign’s attempt to capitalize on a gaffe by Pres. Biden, who caused a stir on Tuesday night when he seemed to compare Trump’s supporters to garbage while commenting on a racist joke made at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally earlier this week in which the comedian compared Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage.”
Trending on Billboard
The White House quickly tried to do damage control by clarifying that Biden was referring to the sexist, racist attacks launched by a series of speakers at Trump’s MSG rally on Sunday, not Trump’s supporters; the event also included an off-color joke by the same comedian that Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce could be the “next O.J. Simpson,” a remark that disgusted Swifties. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said in a video of his controversial remarks. “His, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
The offensive comments at the Trump rally quickly resulted in a number of Puerto Rican born superstars endorsing Harris, including Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez — whose parents were born on the island nation — as well as reggaetón legend Don Omar, who endorsed Harris on Tuesday. In addition, Nicky Jam rescinded his previous Trump endorsement on Wednesday and lined up behind Harris.
The Beyoncé mention at the rally where Trump once again vowed to the the “protector of women” — even, as he added, “whether the women like it or not” — was coupled with Trump bragging that “we don’t need Beyoncé.” Though the Harris campaign never said that the R&B legend would sing at the Houston event, Trump told the Green Bay crowd, “They said, ladies and gentlemen, they said Beyoncé’s coming to sing and she came but she didn’t sing. And then Kamala came on as Beyoncé was leaving without singing even one song and they booed the hell out of both of them”; there is no evidence supporting his claim that the 30,000-plus Harris supporters booed Beyoncé’s appearance.
“I’m not here as a celebrity,” Bey told the Houstonaudience in her introduction of Harris. “I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares, deeply, about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we’re not divided. Our past, our present, our future merge to meet us here.”
Trump frequently denigrates A-listers who either don’t support him or who line up behind his rivals, and he continues to seem peeved at the many music stars who’ve endorsed Harris, an increasingly long roster that includes Bruce Springsteen, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Barbra Streisand, Cardi B, Charli XCX, Cher, Eminem, Katy Perry, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo and many more. Early on in Harris’ 11th-hour bid, Beyoncé gave her permission to use the 2016 track “Freedom” as the campaign’s theme song; the singer’s camp then sent a cease-and-desist to the Trump campaign in August after it used the song in a social media video that was later deleted from campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung’s X account.
And, after Taylor Swift endorsed Harris last month following what experts deemed the VP’s decisive win in the single debate Trump agreed to, the 78-year-old former President posted an all-caps response reading, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.”
See Trump’s crowd boo Beyoncé below.