R&B/Hip-Hop
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The Rose That Grew From Concrete is finally receiving his own sidewalk honor: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On June 7, legendary rapper, poet and actor Tupac Shakur will receive his star in the recording category during a public ceremony at 6212 Hollywood Blvd.
“Tupac Shakur was a rapper, actor, activist, poet, and revolutionary,” says Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “This iconic artist has continued to be part of the zeitgeist for decades after his passing and will continue to be an important cultural figure for many years to come. Surely, as one of L.A.’s own, Tupac’s star will be added to the list of most visited stars.”
Born in New York City but spending his formative years in California, Shakur is revered as a West Coast legend and a cited inspiration to artists across the globe, including Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, J. Cole, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and countless others.
At the Baltimore School for the Arts, Shakur studied acting, poetry, jazz and ballet. In his early career, Shakur was known as MC New York before taking on the moniker 2Pac during his time with rap group Digital Underground.
As a solo artist, Shakur released his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991 via Interscope Records. He went on to share three more albums before his fatal shooting at age 25 — all of which charted on the Billboard 200, with All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World topping the chart. Following his death, six posthumous studio albums were released through Amaru Entertainment, started by Shakur’s mother, and Interscope Records.
Both All Eyez on Me and Shakur’s greatest-hits collection are RIAA-certified diamond, surpassing the 10-million mark. In 2017, the rap icon was the first solo hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As an actor, Shakur starred in films including Juice, Poetic Justice, Above The Rim, Gridlock’d and Gang Related.
The Walk of Fame star unveiling will be hosted by L.A. radio host Big Boy and guest speakers will include director Allen Hughes (Hulu documentary series Dear Mama), writer Jamal Joseph and Tupac’s sister Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, who will accept the star.
The ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. PT and will stream live here.
Rip them out the plastic, they been acting brand-new! Latto‘s “Put It on Da Floor” has been taking social media by storm, and this Friday, Latto will treat fans to a new version of her latest viral hit. The Grammy-nominated rapper took to Twitter on Wednesday (May 31) to reveal that Cardi B will appear […]
It’s the last day of May, which means summer is around the corner. As the hottest season of the year approaches, we’ve got you covered with the very best of emerging R&B/hip-hop talent. This week sees the return of rap standouts J Hus and Kenny Mason, while blossoming acts like grouptherapy. and Khamari are making their way to the R&B centerstage.
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Check out all of this month’s picks with our Spotify playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: Khamari, “Cherry Picking”
Boston-made artist Khamari has made a splashy album debut with A Brief Nirvana. The 11-track project is the multi-instrumentalist’s gripping introduction to the world, with cuts like “Cherry Picking” embracing the quiet and vulnerable. Centering songwriting and the texture of his brain-tickling voice, Khamari is captivating, eliciting emotion and forgotten memories with each track.
J Hus, “It’s Crazy”
J Hus returns with a vengeance on his new drill-adjacent track “It’s Crazy.” Released with a frenetic video, the U.K. rapper peers directly into the camera, questioning, “Why you wanna see the evil in me when I wanna live my life peacefully?” The new song marks a new era of music for J Hus — and is hopefully the precursor to a new album.
grouptherapy., “Nasty”
L.A.-based best friend trio grouptherapy. are reveling in their youth. On “Nasty,” the collective is embracing their resilience and self-acceptance: “We all felt a need to let our id speak and embrace our nastier side; whether that be sexy and seductive or slick like an oil spill,” they share in a press release. “This is grouptherapy. on our pimp shit.”
Cochise, “Hydroplane”
“Hydroplane” is the climactic intro to Cochise’s new EP No One’s Nice to Me. He enunciates more than usual on the opener track, rapping, “I’m counting out this money, while I’m counting up my blessings,” over cinematic strings and glimmering keys.
Kenny Mason, “Dracula”
Kenny Mason’s new Coupe-produced track “Dracula” further proves that he is one to watch. The Atlanta artist likens himself to the infamous vampire, but with platinum teeth and thirsting for bags of money. Mason went full rapper mode for “Dracula” though his knack for effortlessly fusing rap and grunge is what makes him a standout amongst the next class of artists.
audrey mika, “satuRday”
Thank god for Saturdays: the day of the week that lacks the scaries of Sundays and the anticipation of Fridays. Audrey Mika agrees, the cheery singer embracing the beauty of the weekend feeling being spread throughout less exciting days of our lives. The cut is uplifting and perfect for those lazy summer afternoons, equipped with a bouncy percussion line and Mika’s soft rasp.
$NOT, “Easter Pink”
An ode to Cam’Ron and Y2K style, $NOT delivers “Easter Pink”: a perfectly summer single, made to be blasted with all the windows down. The MBWAV instrumental is perfectly nostalgic as $NOT coolly raps, “Wanna be my friend again? Ride around up in the Benz/ Drivin’ up into night ’til we hit the mornin’.”
SZA has always had a distinct sense of style, often seen in loose-fitting streetwear with her lush curls completing the relaxed, girl-next-door look.
In a new interview with Elle, the “Kill Bill” singer revealed that her favorite accessory is a lesser known aspect of her look. “I treat my butt like a purse,” she says, adding that she’s had a Brazilian butt lift done. “It’s just there to enhance whatever else. And that’s why I paid for it, because it works all by itself.”
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However, she explained that her decision to undergo the procedure was completely her own. “I always wanted a really fat a– with less gym time,” she told the publication. “I didn’t succumb to industry pressure. I succumbed to my own eyes in the mirror and being like, No, I need some more a–.”
Elsewhere in the interview, she elaborated on making her own decisions when it comes to her life and her music, and why she never focuses on being popular. “I try not to care too much because I really had some deep disappointments when I would just be so invested. But I can’t invest because none of it is real. Even if I win a bunch of Grammys, that s— doesn’t matter. It would be so cool,” she says. “But also I would not be surprised at all if I didn’t win any [more]. Because that’s just how s— goes. But that’s why the tour matters to me. ‘Cause it’s like, No, we packed out these stadiums all over the country and that was real. That’s why I can’t let up, because at the end of the day it was like, yeah, [whatever haters say] is good and well, but just make sure you add, we have sold-out dates in all arenas. Make sure you tell them that we sold out the Forum twice and we could have done it four times. Make sure you tell them that I was in the air, and that my mic was on.”
The singer unveiled her long-awaited sophomore album, S.O.S., in December, and it immediately debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, her first chart-topper. With more than 400 million streams in the U.S. during release week, S.O.S. became the second-largest streaming week for a female artist and third-largest of 2022 among all albums.
Can you imagine a world where TLC, one of the most successful girl groups in music history, was just TL? According to group member Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, that world was almost a reality. In a Wednesday (May 31) interview with People ahead of the Jun. 3 premiere of the new TLC Forever Lifetime documentary, Chilli […]
With just less than a week to go before The Idol premieres on Max, The Weeknd is turning up the promotional heat. On Wednesday (May 31), the “Blinding Lights” singer announced that the accompanying soundtrack for the Sam Levinson-directed drama series would be available for pre-order alongside a new single on June 2. Titled “Popular,” […]
After teasing the return of his beloved festival Camp Flog Gnaw during Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar’s “The Hillbillies” video on Tuesday (May 30), Tyler, The Creator granted the wishes of his fanbase by announcing the dates for the forthcoming event on Wednesday.
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Slated for Nov. 11 and Nov. 12, Tyler, the Creator, will once again bring Camp Flog Gnaw to Dodger Stadium for the festival’s ninth installment. According to a press release, a limited number of sale passes will be available for purchase beginning Friday (June 2) at 12 p.m. local time.
For $335 plus fees, GA passes will allow fans to attend Saturday and Sunday’s showings, while an advanced price of $595 plus fees will guarantee VIP status. A VIP wristband will enable fans entry on both days along with “a dedicated entry lane, exclusive food and shaded/seating areas, a viewing area at multiple stages, and a VIP merch package including a backpack, water bottle, snow globe, mini helmet, carabiner, baseball keychain, and a pin,” according to the release. Attendees can get Super VIP passes for $1,495 plus fees.
According to the press release, “Super VIP passes will include 1 VIP wristband good for entry to both Saturday and Sunday of Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival with a dedicated entry lane, exclusive food and shaded/seating areas, access to the exclusive Super VIP Clubhouse, a viewing area at multiple stages, and a Super VIP merch package including a custom SE 29″ Big Flyer Bike, Converse x Golf Wang custom shoe, a Camp Flog Gnaw blanket, fanny pack, mug, and pin.” Those with GA and VIP passes will still be able to enjoy carnival rides, while carnival game tickets require a pass, which will be available separately.
Last year, Tyler canceled the festivities after logging in a lot hours on his on Call Me If You Get Lost Tour. “It’s really not that deep,” says Tyler’s manager Chris Clancy of the Goldenvoice-produced event. “Tyler toured all year and was busy with a number of projects. Reading the tea leaves and what’s happening with festivals coming out of the pandemic, we thought it would be best to come back next year.”
Check out the Camp Flog Gnaw website for more info on the festival.
As we close Mental Health Awareness Month, Billboard is focusing on grieving, after the hip-hop community has suffered so many tragic losses over the last few years. As Black men continue to become susceptible to gun violence, many artists have begun opening up about the importance of therapy — or at least positively embracing pain, whether that’s through music, journaling or even getting a tattoo that pays homage to your lost ones.
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Billboard spoke to Swizz Beatz, Lloyd Banks, Joey Bada$$, and G Herbo about what their best advice is for overcoming a loss and moving forward. See what each man said below.
Swizz Beatz
I think the best thing is to take the time that’s needed. To figure out how you want to grieve. I’m still not over [DMX]. I still have moments, but I’ve got to a good space because X actually came to me and let me know that he was okay. I couldn’t even listen to [“Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”] I wasn’t even prepared for it. It just breaks me up. I’m like, “Damn.” It’s the only song to ever do that. All the other songs, I’m cool. [That song] is like a trigger for me. Then he came and kinda was like, “I’m good.” I seen the whole s–t.
You just gotta be open-minded. Grieving has no ending to it. It’s like when a person comes to your mind like, “Damn.” Sometimes I just have to have a moment to be like, “Damn.” I don’t even feel like he’s gone though. I be like, “X really not here.” Taking the time out to think about that is crazy, sometimes. I start thinking about the s–t we was about to do. The things we didn’t get the chance to do. That’s why now I gotta do everything and go.
Lloyd Banks
Embrace [the pain.] I got four family members in the same cemetery. I often go every Sunday or every other Sunday. I drive over, buy flowers, lay the flowers down and talk to ’em. That’s just what I do, especially on a significant day. Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, things like that. If I come back from out of town, that’s just what I do. I’m very spiritual with that type of thing. A lot of people say it but they don’t do that.
My therapy is the music, especially as I’ve gotten older because now I know how to express myself through the music. When you’re in your mid-to-late 20s, you have this bravado and cockiness to you. Years later, I’ve matured and I understand how important it is to tell somebody else they’re special or to treat yourself like you’re special. I’ve learned to relay that message to my fans in a multitude of ways.
I saw a clip that showed the process after somebody passes. There’s extreme hurt — devastation. Everything stops, right? The immediate family has to go from that trauma and then holding it together to actually planning a burial. So now you gotta talk to these people who conduct themselves as professionals. You gotta put these people to the ground and then you see cousins, family, friends and people you haven’t seen since the last person passed, and the immediate family goes home with that mourning more than everybody else, like, “Yo. We gotta do this again other than when people die.” And then you don’t see them until the next person dies.
Now, you go home and the first anniversary comes. You celebrate, you have a party and food. You might even have it again, but what happens five years down the line? It’s you, your brother, your close ones. And 10 years down the line? It might just be two to three of y’all embracing that s–t.
Where I’m from, we don’t forget. Embrace it. Remember the good times and what they mean to you. Go talk to ’em.
G Herbo
With me, I just like to focus on good things. When I think about negative things or when I’m grieving a loss of a friend or family member, I try to focus on the next best thing for myself — whether it’s like a vivid memory or something to makes me smile, or maybe the motivation of just waking up and wanting to work everyday and do better for myself and my family and just know that the people I was blessed to have that aren’t here anymore just wanted to see me win and do good in life.
So when I think of those memories and those relationships that I had with the people that I lost, it keeps me going — because I know they would just want to see me striving and be the best version of myself. When it comes to grief, you can’t ever pinpoint how it’s going to make you feel or when you may think about a love one, it just happens out of nowhere. There’s [no] real formula or process with showing people how to grieve. I think it’s more of being in-tune with your emotions.
Joey Bada$$
I recently successfully grieved, if that makes sense. I can’t tell you what it looks like for me now. I don’t even want to think about having to grieve anything or anyone right now, but I could imagine that my approach now at this age would be more direct and head-on. I just buried things and I would go around and try to substitute grieving time with work and anything that would take my attention away from grieving a loved one or a situation. Now, I would try to do my best to deal with it.
After taking a detour into rock, Machine Gun Kelly is back on his rap game on the new four-minute career retrospective track “Pressure.” Over a laid-back “la-la-la” background, MGK raps, “The diamonds are symbolic of all the pressure they put on me until I shined/ My life is symbiotic with the culture, I could never, […]
After rolling out the first set of features from the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack last week, on Tuesday (May 30), Metro Boomin revealed the remaining cast for the starry project. Headlined by A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert and 21 Savage, Metro also enlisted A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Offset, Nav, Wizkid, Coi Leray, J.I.D., Swae Lee and more.
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Last week, Metro announced the first three features, including Future, Don Toliver and James Blake. Known for his creative punch, Metro cleverly unveiled the lineup by posting illustrations of each artist in Spider-Man costumes. The first reveal was Don Toliver, who is in a purple custom Spidey suit. “Don Toliver is confirmed for the @spiderversemovie soundtrack available everywhere June 2!!,” wrote Metro. After disclosing Future and James Blake’s appearances in their respective illustrated costumes, the following posts shared similar captions.
The A$AP Mob commander’s appearance will be his first since his assist on Tyler, The Creator’s “Wharf Talk” last month and his loosie “Same Problems,” which dropped in January. “Same Problems” was a tribute that spoke to recent losses in hip-hop and learning how to break the generational trauma affecting today’s stars. “How many problems get solved?/ Am I a product of things that I saw/ How many problems get solved?/ Am I a product of things in my songs,” Rocky recited on the song’s chorus. There isn’t a timetable for the Harlem star’s forthcoming fourth album.
Check out all the illustrations below. The Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack drops Friday (June 2).