R&B/Hip-Hop

23 Nov 2023

Beyonce Drops Final Trailer for ‘Renaissance’ Concert Film: ‘We Are Creating Our Own World’

Beyonce gave the Beyhive something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving morning (Nov. 23): a new and final trailer for her upcoming concert documentary, Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce.

The two-minute teaser kicks off with a sideways home video before Queen Bey reveals who the cameraperson is when she addresses them: “Rumi, now can I teach you a trick? You gotta turn it to the side!”

With that intro featuring her young daughter, whom she shares with husband Jay-Z, Beyonce sets up the focus of her latest trailer — her children and what they mean to her. Interspersed between scenes of the superstar backstage giving her thoughts on the direction of her Renaissance World Tour to family scenes and big, flashy concert moments Bey explains it all.

“Time is my biggest obstacle. It’s impossible to not realize how fast it’s going when you’re looking through the eyes of your children,” she begins in the voiceover, as an image of Blue Ivy –the couple’s firstborn — performing on stage with Beyonce appears.

“I think about all of my heroes and all that they endured,” the 32-time Grammy winner continues, as video of Diana Ross’ surprise performance at Beyonce’s birthday show plays. “I know that all of my struggle and sacrifice is opening the door for the next. They are the new beginning.”

Ending on a powerful note, the superstar concludes her voiceover, saying, “I have nothing to prove to anyone at this point. We are creating our own world. This is my reward. Nobody can take that away from me.”

The concert film opens worldwide Dec. 1. Ahead of that, Renaissance will have a dual world premiere in Los Angeles on Nov. 25, and London on Nov. 30, The Hollywood Reporter previously reported.

Beyonce wrote, executive produced, as well as co-directed the film, which chronicles her record-breaking Renaissance World Tour. Tickets for shows around the world are on sale now.

Watch the new and final trailer for Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce below:

22 Nov 2023

How Have Soul Train Album of the Year Winners Fared at the Grammys?

Next year could be a watershed moment for contemporary R&B at the Grammys, particularly in the General Field. With SZA leading all nominees at the 2024 Grammy Awards with nine nods and Victoria Monét (seven) and Coco Jones (five) right on her heels, a new class of R&B powerhouses is looking to make a major splash on Music’s Biggest Night.

At the top of 2023, Beyoncé became the most-awarded act in Grammy history thanks to her triumph in best dance/electronic album for her seismic Renaissance album. That same record — which won three additional Grammys and spawned a pair of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits — reigned victorious at the Soul Train Awards, where it secured the “Cuff It” singer her fourth album of the year win at the ceremony.

The Soul Train Music Awards launched in 1987 with a star-studded ceremony co-hosted by Dionne Warwick and Luther Vandross. Intended to celebrate the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music, the Soul Train Music Awards predate any Grammy categories honoring rap and R&B albums. The Recording Academy introduced best R&B album (along with such other “genre album” awards as best pop album, best rock album and best country album) in 1995, with best rap album arriving the following year.

So, just how often do the winners of the Soul Train Music Award for album of the year sync up with the Grammy winners for best R&B album, best progressive R&B album and best rap album? While Soul Train cannot always be used as a proper precursor there is certainly considerable overlap between the two shows.

Every Soul Train Music Awards ceremony since 1995 — barring 2020 — has found the show’s album of the year winner getting, at the very least, a nod in its respective genre category at the corresponding Grammy ceremony. There have been 15 instances in which the Soul Train album of the year winner won the Grammy for their respective genre category. But there’s a catch.

For the the ceremony’s first nine years (1987-1996), album of the year was split into male, female, and group, with additional categories for rap, jazz and gospel albums. From 1997 to 2003, the awards were consolidated into a single R&B/soul or rap album of the year category. In 2004, Soul Train experimented with dropping genre specifications, presenting an award simply titled “album of the year.” They returned to the male, female, group split from 2005 to 2007, ultimately settling on one album of the year category from 2009 onwards.

Here’s some more Soul Train Music Awards lore: the 2008 ceremony was canceled due to the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. Luckily, the 2023 WGA strike ended in time for this year’s Soul Train Music Awards.

This year’s Soul Train album of the year nominees are SZA (SOS), Victoria Monét (Jaguar II), Coco Jones (What I Didn’t Tell You – Deluxe), Babyface (Girls Night Out – Extended), Burna Boy (I Told Them…), Ari Lennox (age/sex/location), Janelle Monáe (The Age of Pleasure) and Summer Walker (Clear 2: Soft Life – EP).

The 2023 Soul Train Music Awards will air on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her. SZA, Summer Walker and Usher lead all nominees with nine nods each.

Here’s a brief overview of which albums have triumphed at both the Soul Train Music Awards and the Grammys.

1995

At the 1995 Soul Train Music Awards, Barry White‘s The Icon Is Love took home R&B/Soul album of the year – male, Anita Baker‘s Rhythm of Love scored R&B/Soul album of the year – feamle and Boyz II Men‘s II clinched R&B/Soul album of the year – group, duo or band.

Both Baker and Boyz II Men earned best R&B album nods at the 1995 Grammys, with the Philly vocal group taking the whole thing home. White appeared in the 1996 best R&B album lineup, ultimately losing to TLC’s CrazySexyCool.

Luther Vandross was White’s only fellow Soul Train nominee to also earn a nod at Grammys; his Songs proved no match for II in the best R&B album category. Similarly, Me’Shell Ndegeocello was Baker’s only fellow Soul Train nominee to compete at the Grammys, with her Plantation Lullabies also losing out to Boyz II Men’s blockbuster.
1996

At the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards, D’Angelo‘s Brown Sugar won R&B/Soul album of the year – male, Mary J. Blige’s My Life scored the female trophy and Xscape‘s Off the Hook earned the group award. Both D’Angelo and Blige appeared in the Grammys lineup, while Xscape missed out on a nomination.

At the 1996 Grammys, Ultimately, TLC’s CrazySexyCool won best R&B album at the 1996 Grammys.
1997

At the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards, the West Coast reigned supreme. 2Pac‘s All Eyez On Me took home R&B/Soul or rap album of the year; the Billboard 200-topping album beat out The Fugees‘ The Score, OutKast‘s ATLiens and R. Kelly‘s self-titled album.

Despite this victory, All Eyez On Me lost the best rap album Grammy to The Score, which also earned an album of the year nod from the Recording Academy, unlike 2Pac’s record. 2Pac has a chance to win his first competitive Grammy next year thanks to his nod for best music film for Dear Mama.
1998

This was the year of Erykah Badu. Baduizm, her landmark debut studio album, won top honors at Soul Train and best R&B album at the Grammys. Although she did not earn an album of the year citation at the Grammys, at least her fellow Soul Train album of the year nominees reaped Grammy nods in their respective genres. Mary J. Blige (Share My World) made an appearance in best R&B album, and both Puff Daddy and the Family (No Way Out) and The Notorious B.I.G. (Life After Death) showed up in best rap album. None of those three acts won their genre categories.
1999

In 1999, Lauryn Hill pulled off something only two other artists have achieved since. With The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the “Ex-Factor” singer won album of the year at both Soul Train and the Grammys — and she also won best R&B album at the latter. That year, Hill won five Grammys. She remains the last Black woman to win album of the year at the Grammys as lead artist.

Two of her Soul Train competitors — Erykah Badu (Live) and Jay-Z (Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life) — reaped Grammy nominations for R&B and rap album, respectively, with Mr. Carter taking the victory for his Billboard 200-topping set.
2000

At the turn of the century, disgraced R&B crooner R. Kelly triumphed at Soul Train with R. At the Grammys that year, he fell victim to TLC. While R. earned a Grammy nod for R&B album, TLC’s FanMail — which also earned album of the year nominations at both ceremonies — took home the award.

The two other Soul Train R&B/Soul or rap album of the year nominees — Mary J. Blige (Mary) and DMX (Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood) — fared opposite fates. Blige earned a nod in R&B album, while the “Slippin” rapper would not earn his first Grammy nom until the following year.
2001

Fittingly, Dr. Dre‘s 2001 won the 2001 Soul Train Music Award for R&B/Soul or rap album of the year, sparking a four-year streak of rap album victors at the ceremony. That year, frequent collaborator Eminem landed album of the year nods at both Soul Train and the Grammys. Although the “Stan” rapper lost in both contests, he did best 2001 for the best rap album Grammy.

As for the other two contenders that year, R. Kelly’s TP-2.com reaped zero bids at the Grammys, and the Recording Academy handed Jay-Z a rap album nod for Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter, while Soul Train opted to honor The Dynasty: Roc La Familia.
2002

This was an interesting year for Soul Train and the Grammys. At the former, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint won top honors, but the beloved record lost the best rap album Grammy to OutKast’s Stankonia. Ironically, Soul Train ignored Stankonia, while the Grammys showered the record with five nominations, including album of the year.

Another 2002 Soul Train album of the year nominee — Alicia Keys’ Songs in A Minor — scored Grammy gold, taking home best R&B album.
2003

In 2003, Nelly‘s Nellyville won album of the year at Soul Train and earned a nod in the same category at the Grammys, in addition to a best rap album nomination. Mirroring the 2001 awards season cycle, Eminem’s The Eminem Show landed nominations in the same two Grammy categories, besting Nelly in the rap field.

Ashanti also scored an album of the year nod at Soul Train for her self-titled set, which coincided with Grammy victory for best contemporary R&B album.
2004

In 2004, OutKast pulled a Lauryn Hill and won album of the year at both Soul Train and the Grammys — as well as best rap album at the latter — with Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Their landmark double album remains the last hip-hop album to win top honors at the Grammys.

In addition, each of their Soul Train competitors reaped Grammy bids. The year prior, the Academy introduced best contemporary R&B album to differentiate between traditional and modern stylings in the genre. Luther Vandross‘ Dance With My Father triumphed in best R&B album, while both Beyoncé (Dangerously in Love) and R. Kelly (The Chocolate Factory) earned nods in contemporary R&B album, with Queen Bey taking it home.
2005

This was the first year that Soul Train introduced the following categories: R&B/soul album – male, R&B/soul album – female, R&B/soul album – group and best gospel album.

Usher‘s Confessions took home the male award, Alicia Keys’ The Diary of Alicia Keys scored the female trophy and Destiny’s Child‘s Destiny Fulfilled clinched the group one. All three of those albums received Grammy nods. At the 2005 Grammys ceremony, Keys won best R&B album and Usher triumphed in best contemporary R&B album. The following year, Destiny’s Child reaped a bid for best contemporary R&B album, ultimately losing to Mariah Carey‘s The Emancipation of Mimi.

Prince was Usher’s only competitor to make it to the Grammys; his Musicology fell to The Diary of Alicia Keys, as did Jill Scott‘s Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2, which also earned an R&B/soul album – female nod at Soul Train. Brandy also appeared in that category, and she ended up losing to Usher in best contemporary R&B album at the Grammys.

For good measure, this year’s best gospel album winner — Israel and New Breed’s Live From Another Level — reaped a bid for best contemporary R&B gospel album at the 2005 Grammys.
2006

John Legend‘s Get Lifted won R&B/soul album – male, Mariah Carey‘s The Emancipation of Mimi took home R&B/soul album – female and The Black Eyed Peas‘ Monkey Business scored the group award. Of those winners, only Legend and Carey overlapped with the Grammys. At the 2006 Grammys ceremony, Legend triumphed in best R&B album and Carey won in best contemporary R&B album.

Of the nine other nominees across the three Soul Train R&B/soul album of the year categories that year, just two names also appeared on the final Grammys ballot. Fantasia’s Free Yourself earned a nod for best R&B album, as did Earth, Wind & Fire‘s Illumination.

For what it’s worth, this year’s best gospel album winner — Donnie McClurkin‘s Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs — also won the 2006 Grammy Award for best traditional gospel album.
2007

At the 2007 Soul Train Music Awards, Jamie Foxx‘s Unpredictable triumphed in R&B/soul album – male, Mary J. Blige’s The Breakthrough clinched R&B/soul album – female and The Isley Brothers & Ronald Isley‘s Baby Makin’ Music took home the group award. Of those winners, only Foxx and Blige were also honored at the Grammys. At the 2007 Grammys ceremony, both artists reaped bids for best R&B album, with Blige coming out on top.

Of the nine other nominees across the three Soul Train R&B/soul album of the year categories that year, just three of those acts also scored Grammy nods. Two of Blige’s fellow Soul Train nominees — Beyoncé (B’Day) and India.Arie‘s (Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship) — earned looks from the Recording Academy. India.Arie lost best R&B album to Blige, and Beyoncé reigned in best contemporary R&B album. Coincidentally, Beyoncé won that Grammy over Chris Brown’s self-titled album, which lost to Unpredictable at Soul Train.

Finally, this year’s best gospel album winner — Kirk Franklin‘s Songs from the Storm, Volume I — did not get any Grammy love. Nonetheless, Franklin still won the 2007 Grammy Award for best contemporary R&B gospel album album thanks to his chart-topping Hero record.
2009

After a four-year hiatus, Soul Train returned with a bang, awarding Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce top honors. The “If I Were A Boy” singer’s third solo studio album also took home the Grammy for best contemporary R&B album, reaping an album of the year bid in the process. Ultimately, Taylor Swift‘s Fearless beat out I Am… Sasha Fierce for album of the year at the Grammys.

This was also the first year that the Soul Train Music Awards aired before the Grammys, meaning that they correctly foreshadowed not only Beyoncé’s Grammy victory but also Maxwell‘s (BLACKsummer’snight, best R&B album). 2009 was also the year Soul Train nominated more than four records for album of the year; Ne-Yo‘s Year of the Gentleman (which earned a Grammy nom the year before) and Jamie Foxx‘s Intuition (which lost contemporary R&B album to Sasha Fierce) were both among the expanded field of nominees.
2010

In 2010, Usher‘s Raymond v. Raymond won album of the year at the Soul Train Music Awards. A few months later, the album took home best contemporary R&B album at the 2011 Grammys — the last ceremony in which that category was active.

Drake (Thank Me Later) was the only other Soul Train album of the year nominee to reap a Grammy nod in his respective genre category (best rap album). He lost both races.
2011

Just like Usher, Chris Brown‘s F.A.M.E. won album of the year at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards and best R&B album at the 2012 Grammys.

Only two other albums earned honors at both ceremonies. Adele‘s 21 lost album of the year at Soul Train, but won seven Grammys, including album of the year and best pop vocal album. Jay-Z & Kanye West‘s Watch the Throne earned a Grammy nod for best rap album, ultimately losing to West’s own My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
2012

This year, the Grammys once again edited their lineup of categories. After discontinuing best contemporary R&B album after the 2011 ceremony, the Recording Academy introduced best urban contemporary album at the 2013 ceremony. Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange was the first album to win top honors at Soul Train and best urban contemporary album at the Grammys. The record also landed a Grammy nod for album of the year.

Two of Ocean’s Soul Train competitors — Nas (Life Is Good) and R. Kelly (Write Me Back) — reaped Grammy bids in their respective genre categories, and both lost their races. Interestingly, Miguel‘s Kaleidoscope Dream competed against Channel Orange for the best urban contemporary Grammy, ultimately earning a Soul Train album of the year bid the following year.
2013

In 2013, Kendrick Lamar won top honors at Soul Train with Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City. Unfortunately, the album became the center of one of the most controversial Grammy ceremonies in history. At the 2014 Grammys, Lamar infamously lost best rap album to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis‘ The Heist. Both records were also nominated for (and lost) album of the year.

Every 2013 Soul Train album of the year nominee had good fortune at the 2014 Grammys. Both Fantasia (Side Effects of You) and Rihanna (Unapologetic) reaped bids for best urban contemporary album (Riri won), and Jay-Z (Magna Carta Holy Grail) earned a nod for best rap album. In addition, Justin Timberlake‘s The 20/20 Experience scored a nod for best pop vocal album as a part of The 20/20 Experience — The Complete Edition.
2014

Beyoncé’s iconic eponymous surprise album may have won top honors at the 2014 Soul Train Music Awards, but it lost the 2015 Grammy for best urban contemporary album to Pharrell Williams’ Girl. Both artists earned album of the year bids at both Soul Train and the Grammys.

Two of their fellow nominees — Drake (Nothing Was the Same) and John Legend (Love in the Future) — earned Grammy recognition in their respective genres, and both lost their races.
2015

In 2015, The Weeknd triumphed at both Soul Train and the Grammys, winning top honors at the former and best urban contemporary album at the latter.

Fellow nominee Chris Brown earned a Grammy nod for X in the same category the previous year. D’Angelo & The Vanguard, another fellow nominee, ended up winning best R&B album at the 2016 Grammys.
2016

In 2016, Queen Bey picked up her third album of the year victory at Soul Train with Lemonade. The “Formation” singer’s Peabody Award-winning record also won best urban contemporary album at the 2017 Grammys, ultimately losing album of the year honors to Adele’s 25.

At the 2017 Grammys, the Recording Academy welcomed all of the 2016 Soul Train Music Award album of the year nominees except for Bryson Tiller (Trapsoul). Drake (Views), Kanye West (The Life of Pablo) and DJ Khaled (Major Key) all earned best rap album bids, with Chance the Rapper‘s Coloring Book coming out on top. Rihanna (Anti) also earned Grammy nods for album of the year and best urban contemporary, losing to Adele and Beyoncé, respectively.
2017

In 2017, Bruno Mars (24K Magic) became the most recent artist to win top honors at both the Soul Train Music Awards and the Grammys. To put him in even rarer air, the “That’s What I Like” singer also joined Lauryn Hill and OutKast as the only act to win the two aforementioned awards in addition to a Grammy in their respective genre category (best R&B album).

Two of Mars’ fellow Soul Train nominees were recognized by the Recording Academy. The Weeknd (Starboy) and SZA (Ctrl) both reaped bids for best urban contemporary album, with the “I Feel It Coming” singer reigning victorious.
2018

At the 2018 Soul Train Music Awards, H.E.R.‘s self-titled compilation album won top honors, setting it up nicely for a best R&B album victory at the 2019 Grammys. At that ceremony, H.E.R. earned five nominations, including album of the year and best new artist (she lost both).

Three of H.E.R.’s fellow Soul Train nominees got some Grammy love. Miguel (War and Leisure) and Chloe x Halle (The Kids Are Alright) both earned nominations for best urban contemporary album, ultimately losing to The Carters‘ Everything Is Love. Leon Bridges‘ Good Thing appeared alongside H.E.R. in best R&B album.
2019

In 2019, Lizzo beat out the competition and won top honors at Soul Train with her Cuz I Love You album. The record also won best urban contemporary album at the 2020 Grammys, losing its album of the year bid to Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Ella Mai was Lizzo’s only fellow Soul Train nominee to reap a Grammy bid. The “Boo’d Up” singer’s self-titled set lost best R&B album to Anderson .Paak‘s Ventura. Interestingly, H.E.R.’s I Used to Know Her landed album of the year nods at both ceremonies despite missing a Grammy nomination for best R&B album.
2020

For the first time in over a decade, the Soul Train album of the year winner did not land a single Grammy nomination. Summer Walker‘s chart-topping Over It reigned supreme at Soul Train, yet the Recording Academy ignored the hit-laden set. In fact, the “Girls Need Love” singer did not land a Grammy nod as a lead artist until her current bid for best R&B album (Clear 2: Soft Life – EP).

Despite this disruption, 2020 didn’t completely damage Soul Train’s credibility as a Grammy precursor. Jhené Aiko‘s Chilombo — which landed Grammy nods for both album of the year and best urban contemporary album (she lost both) — appeared in the Soul Train album of the year nominations lineup. Chloe x Halle’s Ungodly Hour also turned their Soul Train album of the year nomination into a best urban contemporary album Grammy bid.
2021

In 2021, Jazmine Sullivan got her flowers with a Soul Train album of the year win for Heaux Tales. Her acclaimed EP also claimed best R&B album at the Grammys despite missing a citation in album of the year.

Four of Sullivan’s fellow nominees repeated their Soul Train fortune at the Grammys. Doja Cat (Planet Her) landed Grammy nods for album of the year and best pop vocal album, Wizkid (Made In Lagos) reaped a bid for best global music album, and H.E.R. (Back of My Mind) earned nods for album of the year and best R&B album.

At the 2021 Grammys, Giveon‘s Take Time EP earned a nod for best R&B album. A repackaged version of the project titled When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time earned an album of the year bid at the 2022 Soul Train Music Awards.
2022

Last year, Beyoncé, the Mother of the House of Renaissance, took home top honors at the Soul Train Music Awards. At the 2023 Grammys, her acclaimed love letter to the Black queer origins of dance music won best dance/electronic award, reaping an album of the year bid along the way.

Like the year prior, several of Yoncé’s fellow Soul Train nominees found success at both Soul Train and the Grammys. Although she went 0-6, Mary J. Blige (Good Morning Gorgeous) earned nods for album of the year and best R&B album. Chris Brown’s Breezy also appeared in the lineup for best R&B album (he and Blige lost to Robert Glasper’s Black Radio III), and Lizzo’s Special earned a nod in best pop vocal album (she lost to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House).

22 Nov 2023

Jack Harlow Snags Third Streaming Songs Leader With ‘Lovin on Me’

Jack Harlow has his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart thanks to “Lovin on Me,” which debuts atop the ranking dated Nov. 25.

In the tracking week of Nov. 10-16, “Lovin on Me” earned 22.2 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate. That’s in its first week of release, though prior to its premiere, the tune was teased via a snippet on TikTok.

“Lovin on Me” becomes Harlow’s third No. 1 on Streaming Songs. He first reigned on the co-billed “Industry Baby” alongside Lil Nas X for two weeks in August 2021, followed by three weeks atop the list with “First Class” beginning in April 2022. All three debuted at No. 1.

Concurrently, Harlow arrives at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. In addition to its streams, the song earned 12.2 million radio audience impressions and 13,000 downloads.

“Lovin on Me” is Harlow’s third ruler on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, again following “Industry Baby” and “First Class.” The same three songs have also ruled Hot Rap Songs.

The song also becomes his third No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs and Rap Streaming Songs.

As previously reported, “Lovin on Me” debuts at No. 2 on the all-format Billboard Hot 100. It’s his second top five of 2023, following the No. 5 debut and peak of the Jung Kook co-bill “3D” in October.

“Lovin on Me” is currently a standalone single from Harlow. His most recent album, Jackman., debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 dated May 13 and has earned 129,000 equivalent album units to date.

22 Nov 2023

Cardi B’s Love for ‘Baby Shark’: A Timeline

It’s been years since the infectious kids song “Baby Shark” wiggled its way onto everyone’s computer screens in 2016. And since it went viral in 2018, eventually charting in the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 the next year, the absurdly catchy dance-along hit has gained a number of high-profile fans — including Cardi B.

So much so, Cardi and her husband Offset, along with their daughter Kulture Kiari and Wave Set, have all been incorporated into the Baby Shark cinematic universe. Not only did the famous family get sharkified in a 2022 episode of Baby Shark’s Big Show, but they also reprised their roles in 2023’s Baby Shark’s Big Movie.

And if you think that a children’s program isn’t cool enough to warrant attention from someone known for her give-no-f–ks raps, think again. She might be the woman who coined the phrase “bring a bucket and a mop for this wet a– p—y,” but she’s also a longtime vocal supporter of the small-but-mighty oceanic hero, and she has the social media track record to prove it. In fact, the lyrics to “I Like It” could be changed to “I like dollars, I like diamonds, I like stunting, I like shining — and most of all, I like Baby Shark.”

So, in celebration of Cardi’s unabashed passion for the series, as well as her numerous contributions to the Baby Shark canon, keep reading for a full timeline of the outspoken Grammy winner’s yearslong love for “Baby Shark” (doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo!).

Aug. 26, 2018: Cardi B Trends on Twitter Along With “Baby Shark”

Cardi shared a screenshot on Twitter of the day’s trending topics, which included the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, Ed Sheeran, Baby Shark and the rapper herself. “Why am i trending ?” she wrote. “I LOVE YAAAAA”
Sept. 2, 2018: Cardi Tweets Her Own Version of the “Baby Shark” Lyrics

Less than a week after she was on the trending with the viral children’s song, Cardi — who had just given birth to her first child, Kulture, in July — tweeted out some “Baby Shark” lyrics. The post prompted a response from fellow parent Jimmy Fallon, who tweeted, “Welcome to parenthood.”
Jan. 18, 2019: Cardi B Lists Kulture’s Favorite Songs

Among then 6-month-old Kulture’s top tracks were her mom’s “I Like It” and “Taki Taki,” as well as “Mi Gente” by J Balvin and “the whole baby shark mixtape.”
Jan. 24, 2019: Cardi B Shows Off Her Outfit to the Tune

Cardi shared an OOTD video on Instagram, in which she’s strutting in her backyard as if it were a runway as “Baby Shark” plays in the background. She begins lip-synching along at the “Mommy Shark” lyrics and sashays away.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtCa09_FuFl
June 5, 2019: Cardi B Threatens “No Baby Shark” for Kulture

“The way Kulture tried to pull my dermal off my throat,” Cardi tweeted about her daughter’s antics, before jokingly adding, “No baby shark for her for a week.”
July 23, 2019: Kulture Dances to “Baby Shark”

Kulture’s punishment didn’t go on for too long, as the toddler was back jamming to her favorite bop a few weeks later.

“It’s crazy how God not only gives you a kid that looks like you but with the same energy and personality,” Cardi wrote on Instagram. “I saw my cousin posted this earlier and I thought it was soo funny.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0P7iibAKSu
April 15, 2022: Cardi (Plus Offset & Kulture) Guest Star on Baby Shark’s Big Show!

Image Credit: Courtesy Photo

The rapper guest starred on the April 15, 2022, episode of the animated preschool series as Sharki B, and was joined by husband Offset (voicing Offshark) and then 3-year-old daughter Kulture (Kulture Sharki). The press release described Sharki B is “the biggest star in the seven seas — flashy, awe-inspiring, and ruthlessly fun — but always 100% herself and fin-spires other fishies to do the same.”

In the episode, Baby Shark and his best friend, William, meet Sharki B and learn “The Seaweed Sway,” the viral song-and-dance craze she created. Ahead of the episode, “The Seaweed Sway” was included on the compilation album Sing, Dance & Sway the Nick Jr. Way.
November & December 2023: Cardi’s Family Appears in Big Shark’s Big Movie

Image Credit: Courtesy Photo

Cardi, Offset, Kulture and — making his franchise debut – the couple’s son, Wave, were all featured characters in Baby Shark’s first ever “major ocean picture.” Joining a cast of guest stars that also includes ENHYPEN and Lance Bass, Cardi and Offset reprised their roles from Baby Shark’s Big Show! — Sharki B and Offshark — while Kulture and Wave voice Kulture Sharki and Wavey Shark.

The foursome’s roles in the Dec. 8 Baby Shark movie were previewed in a November trailer, which finds the project’s titular character summoning the courage to rescue the ocean from an evil pop star named Stariana. “Good luck!” says Offset’s aquatic alter-ego toward the end of the two-minute trailer, with Cardi’s character telling Baby Shark, “You got this!”

22 Nov 2023

Ms. Lauryn Hill Pushes Remaining ‘Miseducation’ U.S. Dates to 2024 Over Vocal Issues: ‘I Need to Take Time Off’

Ms. Lauryn Hill has had to push back the 25th anniversary tour celebrating her landmark Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album once again. The singer told fans in a statement on Tuesday (Nov. 21) that her ongoing issues with a severe vocal strain mean that she has to push the remaining dates on the outing into 2024.

“Id like to start this off by saying how much I’ve enjoyed being on the road, and how much I appreciate all of the fans who have come out to celebrate this incredible milestone anniversary and history making reunion with us. Being able to tour this album to sold out crowds after 25 years has been an emotional experience!” Hill wrote in an Instagram post accompanied by footage of her straining through a performance of “Ex-Factor,” her voice audibly hoarse and scratchy.

According to a statement from her spokesperson, Hill has been suffering from the side effects of nightly use of the steroid prednisone to treat her vocal condition; common side effects of using prednisone include dizziness, irregular heartbeat, headaches, irritability, rattling breathing, numbness in arms/legs, shortness of breath and labored breathing.

Hill addressed those unintended consequences in the post. “As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month. I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time,” she wrote. “In order to prevent any long term negative affect on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely.”

Last month, Hill postponed a run of shows to “heal and rest” her voice, including a gig in Philadelphia that was originally slated to take place early in the run of shows that also find her reuniting on stage with her Fugees bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras. She paid tribute to the pair in Tuesday’s note about the tour postponement.

“I’ve loved sharing the stage again with Wyclef and Pras. The Return of the Fugees has been powerful and amazing — those who’ve witnessed it can testify,” she wrote. “The tour itself reminds us the artists, and the audiences alike of earlier, perhaps less complicated times when ‘It could all be so simple…’ or ‘Ready Or Not, here I come!’ were on repeat on the airwaves. Simply put, classic. Classic music, classic performances with audiences who love those classics has been nothing but…wait for it…EPIC. (I almost said classic again! ?).”

The note ended with Hill breaking the news that the remainder of this year’s scheduled gigs — including shows in Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Huntsville, Tampa, Miami and Boston — will be pushed to next year. The exception is Saturday night’s (Nov. 25) already rescheduled gig at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

“The shows that were cancelled this year will be rescheduled for early 2024 AND because of the overwhelming response, we’ll be adding new cities to the tour, including overseas,” Hill added, noting that her team is working on a new calendar of dates that they plan to announce soon.

Check out Hill’s post below.

22 Nov 2023

Chris Brown’s ’11:11′ Is No. 1 on Top R&B Albums Chart

It’s Chris Brown’s time again on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart as his new project, 11:11, debuts at No. 1 on the list dated Nov. 25. The set, released on Nov. 10 through CBE/RCA Records, starts with 45,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 16, according to Luminate.

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The new champ also achieves a feat that had seemed nearly impossible in the last year, unseating his RCA labelmate SZA’s SOS blockbuster from the No. 1 spot on Top R&B Albums. Since SOS docked at No. 1 on the chart dated Dec. 24, 2022, the album had ranked at No. 1 every week since – a total of 48 frames.

Streaming contributes most of 11:11’s first-week activity. 38,000 units of the album’s 45,000 total are from streaming clicks, equaling 51 million official on-demand audio and video streams of the album’s songs. Traditional album units provide 6,000 units from the remaining sum, with the last 1,000 units 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.)

In all, 11:11 gives Brown his fifth No. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart, which began in 2012.
Elsewhere, 11:11 clocks a No. 2 entrance on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200. On both charts, the launch secures Brown’s 12th top 10 album – the entirety of his output, sans his collaborative mixtape with Young Thug, Slime & B, which peaked at No. 15 on the former and No. 24 on the latter list.

As 11:11 arrives, eight of its songs appear the Hot R&B Songs chart, including six debuts. The previously released singles “Sensational” jumps 21-7 in its third week on the list, while “Summer Too Hot” re-enters at No. 23 after having achieved a No. 6 peak in August. Here’s a look at the 11:11 placements on this week’s list:

No. 7, “Sensational,” featuring Davido & Lojay
No. 8, “Angel Numbers/Ten Toes”
No. 9, “That’s on You,” featuring Future
No. 11, “No One Else,” featuring Fridayy
No. 12, “Press Me”
No. 17, “Feel Something”
No. 22, “Nightmares,” featuring Bryson Messia

Brown also lands a ninth concurrent hit on this week’s chart. His collaboration with Ciara, “How We Roll,” slides 8-15, in part due to the 11:11 debuts, in its 14th chart week.

22 Nov 2023

Boys Are Rolling: Up-and-Coming Producers Working With Joey Bada$$ & More | Billboard News Presents

Meet Boys Are Rolling. The producing trio of Miles Sugarman, Crosby Spagnoli and Arno Sugarman are making a name for themselves by working with artists such as Joey Bada$$, Gunna, JID and Smino. The trio opens about how they came together, the projects they are working on, how they find artists to work with, the future of the group and more!

Crosby Spagnoli:
I definitely saw some people at the beginning were like, “Whoa, you guys made this.”

Miles Sugarman:
It’s always, “You guys made this?” that’s always …

Arno Sugarman:
They always thought that we would pull up like somebody else’s beats or something.

Miles Sugarman:
I’d say the simplest way to put it is Arno will start something, kind of get a great base idea down, we’ll then give it to Crosby. Crosby will polish it up, make it ready to then give to an artist, have it, like, song ready, and then I’ll get it to the artist. I’d say that’s the simplest way to put it.

Boys Are Rolling:
Yeah.

Miles Sugarman:
Me and Arno are brothers, so I guess we’ve known each other for quite a long time now and Crosby went to our high school. He and I did a music theory class together, and at the time, Arno was making beats on his computer, which wasn’t that popular, at least in my personal opinion. It didn’t seem that popular. And Crosby one day was like, “Oh, yo, like I make beats too, like, check this out.” I thought he was hilarious. I thought his music was really interesting, and because they were the only two that I personally knew that did that kind of, I guess, producing, I was like, “You guys need to meet.”

I find mostly bubbling artists, mainly through Spotify. I’ll check out artists that I really like, see who they’ve worked with or check their Instagram to see who likes them, and you’ll stumble upon something fantastic. Luckily, we now have, I feel like, enough credibility where I can DM someone who’s not, you know, completely blown up and usually we have a good success rate of who will hit us back. That’s my favorite part of this. It’s been like this is great. We want to work with them and actually have the ability to work with them.

Watch the full video above!

22 Nov 2023

Jack Harlow’s ‘Lovin on Me’ Leaps Into TikTok Billboard Top 50’s Top 5

Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine” ranks atop the TikTok Billboard Top 50 yet again, while Jack Harlow’s viral hit “Lovin on Me” makes a major move into the Nov. 25-dated tally’s top five.

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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity Nov. 13-19. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“My Love Mine All Mine” appears at No. 1 for the second straight week and fifth overall, extending its standing as the longest-running No. 1 in the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s two-month history. It concurrently lifts 3% to 12.5 million official U.S. streams in the U.S. on traditional streaming services, according to Luminate, begetting its new No. 14 peak on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart.

Checking in on the sound nearly two months after its initial debut on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 (Sept. 30), “My Love Mine All Mine” continues to be utilized in largely the same way, with users uploading videos showcasing love or budding friendships.

Lil Mabu and Chrisean Rock’s “Mr. Take Ya B-tch” remains at No. 2, while Kanye West’s “Runaway” featuring Pusha T vaults onto the ranking at No. 3. The 2010 song, featured on West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, sports a sizable bump on TikTok, led by an upload showing when West changed the lyrics of the song to address his divorce from Kim Kardashian.

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” jumps to No. 4 after debuting at No. 23 on the Nov. 18 survey, its first full week of tracking after being released Nov. 10. The viral tune, which was teased on TikTok prior to its release, concurrently debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100, as previously reported, largely via 22.2 million streams across all streaming services that report to that chart.

Usages of the song on TikTok mostly center on its opening refrain of “I’m vanilla, baby,” with perhaps the most viral upload featuring user quinickle doing a Rubik’s cube while lip synching – with many subsequent videos referencing him, as well as other so-called “vanilla” men.

Rounding out the top five, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” reaches a new peak of No. 5 after breaking into the top 10 the previous week at No. 6. It’s one of three holiday songs on the latest ranking, with Carey followed by Wham!’s “Last Christmas” at No. 17 and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at No. 25.

Outside of “Runaway,” the chart’s next highest debut of the week belongs to Colbie Caillat’s “Bubbly,” which bows at No. 12. The 2000s hit has taken off thanks in large part to uploads in which posters use the song to soundtrack other musicians dancing at their own concerts, from Lil Uzi Vert and Justin Bieber to Kiss and NLE Choppa.

“Bubbly,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 in October 2007, sported a gain of 29% to 1.5 million streams.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

22 Nov 2023

Cardi B Blasts Hater Calling Out Influencers Who Get Plastic Surgery ‘Acting Like They Really Be in the Gym’

Cardi B had some pointed words for a commenter on X (formerly known as Twitter), who appeared to take shots at the “Bongos” rapper after a recent post in which Cardi posed at the gym in butt-hugging leggings that showed off her famous backside.

“I hate influencers who do this get all the surgery acting like they really be in the gym when really if they gain more weight they will just get surgery again smh,” wrote the commenter. Cardi, 31, who has not shied away from discussing her plastic surgeries in the past, reminded the hater that she’s an open book, as well as a gym rat.

“How vocal have I been about my procedures??? The thing is I don’t gain weight much so I’m trying to gain MUSCLE cuz it’s hard for me to maintain fat,” Cardi tweeted. “Also there’s this thing called visceral fat… It’s fat that grows under the muscle and you can’t lipo it only thing you can do is work it out! THATS WHY YOU SEE POUCHES ON LIPO GIRLS. YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT!”

Back in 2019, after postponing some shows after complications from a boob job and lipo, Cardi said she was never going under the cosmetic knife again. “I been working out for the past 2 weeks cause b—h I ain’t getting surgery again???,” Cardi tweeted at the time. “But let me tell you I haven’t got a headache ever since.”

Cardi recently teased that she’s thinking of dropping “a lil’ something something” before year’s end, giving fans hope that her long-promised follow-up to 2018 debut studio album Invasion of Privacy might finally be on the horizon.

Check out the posts below.

I hate influencers who do this get all the surgery acting like they really be in the gym when really if they gain more weight they will just get surgery again smh ?‍♀️ https://t.co/Bb1YJ7lufk

— ?️rubyqueen???? (@thickbadchicka2) November 22, 2023

How vocal have I been about my procedures??? The thing is I don’t gain weight much so I’m trying to gain MUSCLE cuz it’s hard for me to maintain fat…also there’s this thing called visceral fat…It’s fat that grows under the muscle and you can’t lipo it only thing you can do is… https://t.co/M4IeijCeDW

— Cardi B (@iamcardib) November 22, 2023

22 Nov 2023

50 Cent Surprises London Fans With Ed Sheeran Cameo at O2 Date

50 Cent had a very special, surprise guest for the fans at his “Final Lap” show at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday night (Nov. 21). During his performance a giant box on stage flashed the message “there’s a monster in this box,” as the familiar strains of Ed Sheeran‘s “Shape of You” filled the arena and Fiddy said “turn it up even more!”

Ed then popped out from under the box — without his signature acoustic guitar — and began singing his 2017 smash while dapping up 50 who added some ad libs and joined the clearly excited Sheeran on the chorus. Sheeran chronicled the special moment on his Instagram Story, writing, “50 Cent has invited me to the O2 to sing ‘Shape of You,’” along with footage of himself walking around beforehand backstage singing to 50’s “21 Questions.”

Though they were in all-white on stage, 50 posted some backstage images of the men in all black yukking it up with the message, “My man came through for me tonight, [bomb emoji], BOOM [wind blowing emoji] LONDON went crazy! It don’t get bigger than this.”

Sheeran also previewed his walk-out in an Instagram Live video shared by 50, in which the singer tells the camera, “50 Cent has invited me to the O2 to sing ‘Shape of You,’ and I’m going to walk on stage and go, ‘Who likes ‘In Da Club?… Here’s ‘Shape of You.’” Ed then sings a bit of 50’s “21 Questions” before a stagehand loads him into the lift that positions him inside the box as he yells “In Da Club!”

Afterwards, a hyped Sheeran can’t stop yelling “In Da Club!” as he leaves the stage and retreats to a sky box to watch the show and rap along to “Many Men” and, of course “In Da Club.”

The old friends collaborated with mutual pal Eminem on the song “Remember The Name” from Sheeran’s 2019 album No. 6 Collaborations Project; earlier this summer, Em also hopped on stage with Sheeran in Detroit to perform “Lose Yourself” during a stop on Ed’s Mathematics world tour.

50’s Final Lap tour will hit the Al Dana Amphitheatre in Zallaq, Bahrain on Thursday night (Nov. 23) and Mumbai, India’s DY Patil Stadium on Saturday (Nov. 25).

Check out footage of Sheeran joining 50 below.

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Aug. 26, 2018: Cardi B Trends on Twitter Along With “Baby Shark”

Sept. 2, 2018: Cardi Tweets Her Own Version of the “Baby Shark” Lyrics

Jan. 18, 2019: Cardi B Lists Kulture’s Favorite Songs

Jan. 24, 2019: Cardi B Shows Off Her Outfit to the Tune

June 5, 2019: Cardi B Threatens “No Baby Shark” for Kulture

July 23, 2019: Kulture Dances to “Baby Shark”

April 15, 2022: Cardi (Plus Offset & Kulture) Guest Star on Baby Shark’s Big Show!

November & December 2023: Cardi’s Family Appears in Big Shark’s Big Movie

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