R&B/Hip-Hop
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After taking the reins as executive producer for the forthcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack, Metro Boomin’ left breadcrumbs on his Instagram about who fans can expect on the project. On Wednesday (May 24), Metro revealed the first three features: Future, Don Toliver and James Blake. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest […]
Rising rapper Kali races to her first top 10 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with her breakout hit “Area Codes,” which sprints 16-10 on the list dated May 27. The viral smash hit continues its impressive journey, having debuted at No. 48 just two weeks ago, and continues to swell in streams and sales.
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“Area Codes,” released on Trump Card/Atlantic Records, rang up 12.5 million official U.S. streams in the week ending May 18, according to Luminate, a 35% surge from the prior week. The improvement pushes the track 11-6 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. Sales, too, are up by double-digit percentage gains: “Area Codes” sold 2,000 downloads in the same period, up 65% and prompting an 8-6 rise on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales. Thanks to the sales boost, “Area Codes” nabs the week’s Sales Gainer honor for the biggest increase among the chart’s 50 titles.
Emphasizing the song’s viral appeal, “Area Codes” has reached the top 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with minimal airplay, the third metric – along with sales and streams – that factors into the chart’s rankings. The single registered 1.4 million in audience impressions, the 13th lowest among the chart’s 38 songs with airplay activity.
By reaching No. 10, Kali’s “Area Codes” also matches the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs peak rank of the song it interpolates, Ludacris’ song of the same name, featuring Nate Dogg, from August 2001.
TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has soundtracked more than 400,000 clips on the platform to date. (While activity on TikTok does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts, some of the most popular songs experience corresponding gains in digital sales and streaming on contributing services.)
Elsewhere, “Area Codes” dials up other advances on several charts, including an 8-5 jump on Hot Rap Songs and a 54-33 flight on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Just three weeks after YoungBoy Never Broke Again last ruled Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the rapper is back in command as his newest album, Richest Opp, debuts at No. 1 on the list dated May 27. The set launches with 51,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending May 18, according to Luminate.
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Richest Opp gives YoungBoy Never Broke Again his ninth No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and comes just three weeks after his eighth, Don’t Try This at Home. The three-week window between new champs is the shortest gap for any artist since March 2017, when Future posted two new No. 1s – a self-titled album and HENDRXX – in consecutive weeks.
Notably, Richest Opp’s entrance gives YoungBoy Never Broke Again his 19th top 10 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and breaks him from a tie with Nas (18) for the second-most top 10s by a rapper in the list’s history. Only Jay-Z, with 21 top 10s, claims more.
As with all YoungBoy Never Broke Again releases, streaming powers nearly all the first-week, 51,000 units, with 50,000 of them from that consumption method. The unit figure equals 74.37 million official on-demand streams of the album’s 17 songs. Traditional album sales contribute 500 of the remaining balance, with a sliver of negligible units deriving from track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
With Richest Opp now part of the rapper’s collection, here’s a recap of all of YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s No. 1s on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Each of his leaders debuted at No. 1 and held the rank for one week.
Title, Date Reached No. 1
AI Youngboy 2, Oct. 26, 2019
Still Flexin, Still Steppin, March 7, 2020
38 Baby 2, May 9, 2020
Top, Sept. 26, 2020
Sincerely, Kentrell, Oct. 9, 2021
Colors, Feb. 5, 2022
The Last Slimeto, Aug. 20, 2022
Don’t Try This at Home, May 6, 2023
Richest Opp, May 27, 2023
Elsewhere, Richest Opp opens at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart and at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
As Richest Opp arrives, eight of its tracks debut on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “Bitch Let’s Do It” leads the pack, at No. 17, followed by “F–k the Industry, Pt. 2” (No. 28), “I Heard” (No. 31), “I Got That Shit” (No. 32), “Hurt My Heart” (No. 34), “Dirty Thug” (No. 35), “Free Meechy” (No. 43) and “Just Flow” (No. 50).
Lil Durk storms in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with “All My Life” featuring J. Cole, on the list dated May 27. The song opens as the genre’s most-streamed song and the third-best seller of the week.
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“All My Life,” released on May 12 via Alamo Records, begins with 30.9 million official U.S. streams earned in the week ending May 18, according to Luminate. The sum allows for a No. 1 entrance on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart, where it becomes Lil Durk’s third champ and J. Cole’s fourth leader. It also sold 3,000 downloads in the same period, yielding a No. 3 start on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart. On the radio side, “All My Life” registered 10.8 million in audience impressions in its debut week.
With “All My Life,” Lil Durk earns his third No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. He first visited the summit as a featured artist on Drake’s six-week champ, “Laugh Now Cry Later,” in 2020-21, and later conquered the list with his own “Broadway Girls” featuring Morgan Wallen for one week in 2022.
For J. Cole, “All My Life” is his second Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1, and nearly shares its title with his prior leader. “My Life,” with 21 Savage and Morray, ruled for one week in 2021.
Elsewhere, “All My Life” opens at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, becoming the second No. 1 on the list for both artists. It begins at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, tying both artists’ career bests. Lil Durk previously peaked in the runner-up slot with “Laugh Now Cry Later,” while J. Cole nabbed a prior silver with “My Life.”
“All My Life” previews Lil Durk’s Almost Healed album, scheduled for release on May 26. In addition to the J. Cole feature, the set will include guest spots from Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Morgan Wallen, Juice WRLD and more.
Ledisi scores her second No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “I Need to Know” leaps from No. 3 to lead the list dated May 27. The single ascends after an 8% gain in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending […]
Taylor Swift had a major surprise up her sleeve on Wednesday (May 24) when she announced her forthcoming “Karma” remix with Ice Spice, and the Swifties are reeling with the news. The collab with the rising rapper is only one part of the surprise too: The superstar is also releasing an updated version of “Snow […]
DaBaby is making music like he’s “Sellin Crack,” according to his new single with Offset that was released on Wednesday (May 24) via Interscope Records. Produced by Charlie Heat and Zion Brown, “Sellin Crack” finds DaBaby hyping himself up for a comeback and assuring he’ll win over the people with the good stuff. The single […]
Offset doesn’t mince words when it comes to his bond with wife Cardi B. “My bestie!” he exclaimed in a new cover story in Variety about his eagerly anticipated upcoming solo album, the couple’s tight bond and his ongoing sadness over the death last year of Migos bandmate TakeOff.
“She always got my back, right or wrong,” he added about the “Up” rapper with whom he shares children Kulture and Wave. “We both are on the same mission to make each other better. Social is her strong point, so I listen to her social advice. And me, it’s the music, but I play behind the scenes; it’s my wife so I want to make sure she win.”
Despite their ups and downs — which have included two rescinded divorce filings by Cardi amid reports of his alleged infidelity — Offset said he and his wife make a “great team.” Scratch that, he believes they are a “powerhouse at this point — icon status. We believe in family. We’re always going to keep winning.”
He’s needed to lean on her a bit more since TakeOff’s killing in Houston in November, a loss he’s still struggling mightily to overcome. “It’s hard for me to talk about s–t right now,” he told the magazine. “That s–t hurts.”
Cardi agreed that their bond is super-tight now, telling Variety about the things she appreciates the most about her husband. “No matter what issue I am having personally or professionally, I know he will take care of me and our family,” she said. “It’s handled. I know that I have a man who has my back for real. I fully support him in this next chapter of his music career.”
But as he works on the follow-up to his 2019 solo debut, Father of Four — slated to feature Travis Scott, Future, Chloe Bailey, Latto and a banked song with TakeOff — the rapper teased another collab with his wife, who has joined him in the past on 2019’s “Clout” and the Migos’ “Motorsport” and “Type S–t.”
Though he was cagey about what tracks will be on the album expected out this summer, a Capitol Records spokesperson assured Variety that Offset has made a “phenomenal” album. “We can’t wait until the world hears his masterpiece,” the label rep said. “We’re deep into release planning now and will soon have big news to share!”
While his Migos teammate Offset is currently prepping his upcoming solo album, Quavo is on the same path after announcing his new effort, Rocket Power, on Instagram Tuesday afternoon (May 23). Quavo penned a gripping message when announcing his sophomore effort and how he’s dedicating the album to his fallen nephew and former partner-in-rhyme, TakeOff. “This […]
This month, Travis Scott hasn’t relented in his quest to roll out his highly anticipated album Utopia. After previewing the project for the Houston Astros and then having his bodyguard spotted with a Utopia-branded suitcase handcuffed to his wrist last week, Scott has elected to take a new, calmer approach by covering the latest issue of PINUP Magazine. […]