R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 402
Jamie Foxx is reportedly on the mend after an undisclosed illness sent him to the hospital. The Oscar-winning actor and singer “experienced a medical complication” this week according to a post from his daughter, Corinne Foxx, who said he is “already on his way to recovery.”
At press time no additional information was available about what sent the 55-year-old Foxx to the hospital or what treatment he received, but his 29-year-old daughter’s post said her dad is on the mend. “We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery,” she wrote on Instagram.
“We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers,” she added. “The family asks for privacy during this time.” Last week Foxx posted a short video cued to Rick Ross’ verse from Nicole Bus’ “You” in which he was seen chilling on a megayacht. At press time it did not appear that Foxx had commented on his health issue on his socials.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Foxx was recently spotted in Atlanta working on the set of the upcoming Netflix action comedy Back in Action, on which he will re-team with his Annie co-star Cameron Diaz, who is returning to movie making after an 8-year hiatus from acting that began after she appeared in the reboot of the classic Broadway musical; the pair also co-starred in the 1999 football drama Any Given Sunday.
See Corinne Foxx’s statement below.
A day in the life! On Tuesday (April 11), Cardi B took to social media to show off the mundane moments in between her responsibilities as a superstar rapper.
“Hey yall …..A glimse of a regular day as BELCALIS and not CARDI B!!” she captioned the TikTok, explaining via hushed voice-over in the two-and-a-half-minute video that “my fans have been wanting me to do more TikToks, so here I am — I’m gonna give you what a regular day is in my life as a regular person.”
According to Cardi, that “regular” day involves sneaking off to get ready before her two kids realize she’s awake (“because boom, once they notice I’m up, they won’t leave me alone”), watching 4-year-old Kulture play with her shoes and making lunch for the family since her personal chef is currently on spring break.
From there, she brings Kulture along to the gym, where lately she’s been working out for two hours each day. “A lot of people are so ignorant, like, ‘Why are you working out? You have a lipo?’” she says. “But this is a thing called visceral fat, and visceral fat is the fat that surrounds your organs that you cannot lipo. And that’s why sometimes girls with lipo might have a snatched waist with a gut. And that’s because they’re not working out their visceral fat, they just keep eating and eating… That’s why you gotta work it out.”
After the workout, the Grammy winner spends another hour stretching, saying, “My real goal is to be as stretchable and flexible as I was when I was a stripper but hoo! Can’t build Rome in a day. But can you?” The video then ends with Cardi making a totally relatable trip to Target, bringing pizza home for dinner and celebrating the fifth anniversary of Invasion of Privacy with a cake before she heads to the studio for a nighttime recording session.
Earlier this week, Cardi also used social media to warn parents about the dangers of child predators in a pair of passionate tweets.
Watch Cardi take viewers through a day in her life below.
After a rare sighting at the 2023 Grammy Awards, where he teamed up with DJ Khaled for a performance of “God Did,” Jay-Z is returning to the stage — at least for a one-time performance. This Friday (April 14), the Grammy-winning MC will hold a “celebratory concert” in honor of the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
According to the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s website, Jay-Z’s performance will be at the Foundation’s Auditorium. “To coincide with the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition, JAY-Z will give a celebratory concert to pay tribute to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, on Friday, 14 April, 2023, at 9 p.m., in the Fondation’s Auditorium,” the website reads. Tiffany and Co. will be sponsoring the event. Tickets are available now.
Following his performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards, Jay-Z spoke to TIDAL about his need to perform on music’s biggest stage after a multiyear hiatus. “I thought about it, I was in my head and I just broke down and said, ‘You know, it’s a four-minute verse.’ Again, for the culture, for hip-hop, we got to do that,” he said. “This ain’t your traditional song. … It’s not your traditional structure of what you think a song that would be nominated for Song of the Year would sound like. It’s not what you expect. And for the culture and for hip-hop, we got to do that.”
Despite not releasing a new album in six years, Jay-Z remains the centerpiece of rap after Billboard named him the Greatest Rapper of All-Time. You can look at the entire list here.
Yet another one of Post Malone‘s music videos has reached a notable milestone. YouTube announced on Wednesday (April 12) that the rapper’s video for his 2018 track “Psycho,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, has hit a one billion views.
The visual for the song features Malone in a post-apocalyptic space, driving in an army-sized tank through an arid climate before reaching a location piled high with garbage, decay and wild animals. In the short, Malone happens upon a lost child with blonde hair and blue eyes, who later disappears into the environment without a trace.
The climate then changes to a snowy landscape and Ty Dolla $ign appears in the video to deliver his verse alongside Malone, the two dressed in furs amidst plane wreckage. The child ultimately ends up being safe and sound, and is fiercely protected by a feral dog at the end of the visual.
“Psycho” marks Malone’s fifth video to hit one billion views on YouTube. “Sunflower” currently sits at two billion views, while “Congratulations,” “White Iverson” and “I Like You (A Happier Song)” are the others that have crossed the one billion threshold.
Released as the second single off of the rapper’s 2018 album Beerbongs & Bentleys, “Psycho” additionally marked Malone’s second No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The track charted for a total of 39 weeks on the all-genre tally. Beerbongs & Bentleys spent three of its 258 charting weeks on the Billboard 200 in the No. 1 spot on the chart.
Revisit “Psycho” in the video above.
Though Rolling Loud won’t touch down in New York this year, the festival will return to its home turf of Miami in July with a mega lineup starring A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Slated for July 21-23 at the Hard Rock Cafe, Rolling Loud Miami will return to the city for its eighth year, which previously housed household acts including Future, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and more. This year, the renowned festival tags in Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, City Girls, Offset and Don Toliver. Many prominent rookies will also grace the stage, including Ice Spice, Coi Leray, Central Cee and GloRilla. Rolling Loud also is also bringing in new faces, enlisting Bryson Tiller, Foushee, Turnstile and Billboard Hot 100 entrant Pink Panthress.
Tickets and passes go on sale Friday (April 14) on Rolling Loud’s website.
In March, Rolling Loud headed to California, where Travis Scott, Future and Playboi Carti served as headliners. Lil Wayne was a special guest and delivered a laundry list of hits including “Uproar” and “Lollipop.” Rolling Loud will take their talents internationally as they embark on a Thailand festival this weekend. The headliners include Cardi B, Travis Scott and Chris Brown, with additional performances by Rick Ross, Fat Joe and more.
Rolling Loud canceled its New York festival due to “logistical factors” in mid March. “For the last few years, we’ve made some legendary moments happen in Queens,” the statement read. “Sadly, due to logistical factors beyond our control, Rolling Loud will not return to New York in 2023. But don’t worry, this isn’t ‘goodbye,’ more like ‘see you later.’ We’ll be back in New York when the time is right. In the meantime, we invite all of our New York fans to meet us in Miami July 21-23 for our biggest, best festival of the year. Love you all! Rolling Loud forever!”
See the full lineup below.
Billboard has more than 200 different charts on its roster, encompassing numerous genres and formats.
While A-list artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.
Hundreds of artists chart their songs and albums on Billboard’s rankings each week, but these 10 appear on surveys for the first time (on the latest April 15-dated charts).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Jisoo
The South Korean singer and BLACKPINK member makes her first solo appearance on Billboard’s charts thanks to her first two songs apart from the group: “Flower” and “All Eyes on Me” (YG/Interscope). The former debuts at No. 2 on World Digital Song Sales and No. 10 on Digital Song Sales (6,000 downloads sold March 31-April 6, according to Luminate), while the latter starts at No. 4 on World Digital Song Sales and No. 19 on Digital Song Sales (3,000 sold). Both songs also hit Billboard’s global listings: “Flowers” at No. 2 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts and “All Eyes on Me” at No. 42 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 78 on the Global 200. Jisoo concurrently enters at No. 2 on the Emerging Artists chart.
Luh Tyler
The 17-year-old Tallahassee-based artist’s debut mixtape My Vision, released March 31 via Motion Music/Atlantic Records, starts at No. 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart with 7,000 equivalent album units. The up-and-coming rapper signed to Atlantic near the end of 2022.
xikers
The South Korean 10-piece group makes its chart arrival thanks to its new EP House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing. The set, released March 30 via KQ Entertainment, debuts at No. 4 on World Albums and No. 75 on the Billboard 200 with 13,000 equivalent album units. Of that sum, 12,000 is from album sales, helping the collection also open at No. 7 on Top Album Sales. The group — which comprises Hunter, Hyunwoo, Jinsik, Junghoon, Junmin, Minjae, Seeun, Sumin, Yechan and Yujun — also launches at No. 1 on the Emerging Artists chart. The only other Korean acts to debut at No. 1 on Emerging Artists are BLACKPINK (in 2018), TOMORROW X TOGETHER (2019) and BTS members Suga (2021) and Jung Kook (2022).
Sam Barber
The 18-year-old country/folk/rock singer-songwriter and Missouri native makes his chart arrival with his single “Straight and Narrow.” The track, released via Lockeland Springs/Atlantic Records, debuts at No. 24 on Hot Rock Songs and No. 38 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs with 2.1 million U.S. streams (up 397%). Barber initially went by Sam R Barber but dropped the “R” after signing to Atlantic last month.
Kid Culture
Kid Culture (real name Daniel Hackett) already has a number of charting entries as a producer, but he reaches Billboard’s charts as a recording artist for the first time thanks to his single “Keep It.” The track, released via Vol. I/Epic Records, opens at No. 39 on Rhythmic Airplay. Prior to “Keep It,” he co-produced Justin Bieber’s “Yummy” (No. 2 peak on the Hot 100 in 2020), as well as Polo G’s “Go Part 1” (No. 86, 2021) and Lil Mosey’s “Kamikaze” (No. 97, 2018) and was nominated for a Grammy in 2020 for his work on Cordae’s The Lost Boy. Kid Culture hails from Seattle and is signed to Epic Records.
6arelyhuman & kets4eki
The two artists each achieve their first career chart hit thanks to their collaboration “Hands Up!” The song, released via FabFantasy/Anuba Records, debuts at No. 20 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 959,000 official U.S. streams in the latest tracking week.
Matt & Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social
Las Vegas-based comedians/improvisers Matt Donnelly and Paul Mattingly each score their first chart entries with their album Hey Scoops (billed as Matt & Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social), on Cosmos Records. The set debuts at No. 9 on the Comedy Albums chart. Matt & Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social doubles as a podcast, on which Donnelly and Mattingly take on current events. Donnelly is also a co-host on Penn Jillette’s Penn’s Sunday School podcast and Mattingly co-hosts the Geek Shock Podcast and The Ugly Couch Show podcast.
Rebzyyx & hoshie star
The two artists team up on “All I Want Is You” and each score their first chart appearance. The song, released in February 2021 via last nite/Arista Records, debuts at No. 36 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 608,000 official U.S. streams.
Paid Pat
The Memphis rapper notches his first chart entry thanks to his song “A Drop,” released via Brick Squad Monopoly Records. The track debuts at No. 12 on Rap Digital Song Sales and No. 17 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales with 1,000 downloads sold.
Musa Keys, Morravey & Logos Olori
All three artists achieve their first-ever chart placements, all on Billboard‘s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, thanks to their featured credits on tracks by Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter DaVido. Musa Keys’ feature on “Unavailable” debuts at No. 8, Morravey’s credit on “In the Garden” starts at No. 18 and Logos Olori arrives on “Picasso” at No. 31. All three songs appear on DaVido’s new LP Timeless, released March 31 via DaVido Music Worldwide/RCA Records. The set debuts at No. 2 on World Albums and No. 37 on the Billboard 200 with 17,000 units.

This week, Billboard is publishing a series of lists and articles celebrating the music of 20 years ago. Our 2003 Week continues here with the story of the Diwali dancehall riddm — and the Jamaican producer who originally created it — which became as crucial a part of the year’s sonic identity as anything helmed on U.S. shores.
If you were listening to pop radio in the spring or summer of 2003, you’re probably very familiar with Steven Marsden, whether you recognize his name or not. Affectionately known as “Lenky,” the Jamaica-born and bred musician, instrumentalist and producer is best known as the mastermind behind the now-iconic “Diwali Riddim.”
Named for the annual Festival of Lights in Indian religion and culture, the riddim – easily identified by dancehall fans through energetic synths, a bouncy drum loop and infectious handclaps – can be heard in myriad songs across genres. Three songs featuring Diwali (Sean Paul’s debut single, “Get Busy,” Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Ooh, Uh Ooh),” and Wayne Wonder’s “No Letting Go”) hit the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 during a three-month span in mid-2003, undeniably making it the defining beat of the year. Thanks to patience, perseverance and an affinity for doing things his way, Lenky’s place in dancehall music history is indelible.
A self-taught pianist who recognized his “natural knack” for music while in grade school, Lenky worked as a touring keyboardist alongside veteran Jamaican artists like Lloyd Parks, Blood Fire Posse, Rita Marley, and his mentors, Sly & Robbie. Though Lenky prides himself on being a musician above all, by the late ‘90s, he was interested in producing new sounds – and was encouraged by Sly & Robbie to toy with different elements in order to create his own magic.
“At the time, regular dancehall beats were similar to the ones from the ‘80s,” he explains to Billboard over Zoom. Though dancehall originated in the ‘60s, it found its boom during the ‘80s after digital instrumentation, or “riddims,” became the central focus of the songs. Because of the easy accessibility of digital riddims, many dancehall artists would record songs featuring the same riddim as other artists, which granted them the ability to release a larger volume of tracks, reducing studio time and costs.
“I’m sitting there saying, ‘I’m gonna try to do something different…what would Sly do?’” Lenky continues.
Enter the Diwali Riddim. Created in 1998 with a Tascam DA-88 multitrack recorder, the riddim was initially called “Ethnic Journey.” This served as an ode to Lenky’s time experiencing new cultures while on the touring circuit, specifically while in Buju Banton’s band, Til Shiloh. The first element developed for the riddim was a kick, followed by a basic synth. But a bassline just wouldn’t cut it if the beat was to stand out.
“We needed something to get people to dance,” he recalls. “I’m the type of person who needs to get people dancing, so I came up with the clap. I did several different takes of the clap stacked together. I wanted one more thing to make it more ‘dance.’ So in the original cut of Diwali, you hear this Congo drum. And I said, ‘That’s gonna get them on the floor – this sounds like something Sly would do. [Laughs.]”
Despite its hallmark handclaps, the rhythm was deemed “too noisy” and “weird” for many artists. At the turn of the century, more monotonous, bass-heavy dancehall beats like the Filthy Riddim and Bagpipe Riddim were taking over, thanks to tracks like Mr. Vegas’ “Heads High” and Beenie Man’s “Year 4.” Diwali didn’t fit the mold of what was working, making it an extremely hard sell, and leading Lenky to shelve the riddim. Yet, after touring throughout the U.S. came to an abrupt halt as a result of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the musician found himself in a bind.
“I just had [my] first child, so we needed to make money,” he recalls. “I’m just thinking back and saying ‘…but that beat, there’s still something about that [Diwali] beat.”
Though he received some of the same iffy reactions to the riddim during his second trial run, Jamaican artists like Zumjay and General Degree did show Diwali some love. (Their respective uses of the riddim can be heard in “Zumjay Is My Name” and “Inna.”)
“I gave it to artists that I knew, I gave [the beat] to a guy from the radio station [in Jamaica],” Lenky says of Diwali’s early-’00s resurrection. “I was broke and trying to make anything happen. When I came back [from touring again], it was, like, the biggest thing. The riddim is just all over.”
Diwali spread even further after the record label Greensleeves centered it for the compilation project Rhythm Album #27, which features 19 songs with the riddim as the backing track. Artists heard on the project include Buju Banton, Elephant Man, and Wayne Wonder, and the riddim’s appeal – specifically in Wonder’s sweetly melodic love song “No Letting Go” – spread to the United States. A New York Times article highlighting Lenky and Diwali resulted in a phone call between him and the A&R team at VP Records, who hoped the musician would be interested in working with one of their up-and-coming Jamaican-bred solo acts: Sean Paul.
“I did [“Get Busy”] very casually – again, as an experiment,” he affirms. “Sean had some ideas, he came with his song, I came with some melodies. The rest is history.”
After the widespread, positive response to “Get Busy,” both Lenky and Sean Paul secured their first No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2003. Shortly after “Get Busy” peaked, Harlem-based teen Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” – also set to the Diwali Riddim – debuted on the chart, eventually peaking in August at No. 3. With “No Letting Go” also peaking at No. 11 that May. Diwali Fever had officially swept through America, bringing Jamaican dancehall and the “Lenky sound” to the masses.
“[Going] from zero to 100 is a rush,” says Lenky of his overnight success. “I was just doing my thing, just living life, [trying to] make ends meet … Sly said, ‘You’re No. 1 on Billboard!’ I’m saying, ‘what is Billboard?’ I didn’t have a computer at the time!”
While dancehall artists gravitated to the beat first, the selling point for the Diwali Riddim for across genre lines is its versatility, something that Lenky made sure of while crafting it. Different sonic accouterments were added or subtracted from Diwali songs he has had a hand in producing in-studio, based on the needs of the musician and the vibe of the song itself. Though the rhythm itself doesn’t change, “Get Busy” features the addition of keyboard synths and vocal sound effects, while the claps don’t appear until the chorus of “No Letting Go,” providing a strictly R&B vibe until then. This is why Sean Paul’s “toasting” over the beat works just as well as Wayne Wonder’s crooning over it.
“Listening to dancehall in Jamaica, we have 20 artists on the same beat, and it’s boring!” Lenky says. “So for me as a musician, I wanted to make every song special. I wanted to make [Diwali] into a song that was not linear…All of these [versions of the beat] are tailored for [different artists].”
While super producers like Pharrell and Timbaland were often just as visible as the artists they produced for in the mid-2000s, Lenky never wanted to be a front-facing producer. For him, the music was always – and will always be – the priority.
“If I have to talk about myself, it’s fine, I will talk about myself,” he laughs. “But I wouldn’t try to put myself out there, ‘cause I think that takes away from the [creativity]. I don’t know somebody else in that position would be as focused. They’ll see the parties and the girls, and it’ll throw them off.”
Lenky continued to make beats during Diwali’s growth and subsequent boom: 2002’s Masterpiece Riddim (heard in Sean Paul’s “Ever Blazin’” from 2005’s The Trinity), 2003’s Time Travel Riddim, and 2004’s Dreamweaver Riddim catching on in the Caribbean. While they all caught on in their respective rights, Diwali clearly endures as the producer’s signature riddim.
In fact, music lovers and artists alike have recognized the riddim’s utility throughout the last two decades, which has allowed it to stand the test of time. You can hear the Diwali claps in Rihanna’s “Pon De Replay” and Brick & Lace’s “Love Is Wicked” from 2007, or you may have noticed the beat’s kick within Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” from 2017. At the top of this year, a full-on sample of Lumidee’s Diwali cut set the tone for Nicki Minaj’s latest Hot 100 hit, “Red Ruby da Sleeze.” (Though Lenky admits his favorite versions of his beat are found in “Get Busy” and “No Letting Go” – due to their production overdubs and the fact that both were crafted in Jamaica’s Paddington Terrace Studio “with no budget.”)
As the beat has taken new shape through the years, so has dancehall. However, Lenky doesn’t have a problem with the ever-changing sound, and subgenres spawned in recent years, like tropical house or reggae fusion.
“I’m just a tiny dot in dancehall,” he notes. “Nothing is ‘killing’ dancehall. You can’t kill reggae, Bob Marley will always be Bob Marley. For me, it’s just different branches from the [reggae/dancehall] tree, bearing different fruit. I think it should grow, and we should just make it happen.”
These days, Lenky (now 52) continues experimenting and growing. He runs Diwali Records, a label based in Kingston. His solo album, Self Taught, was released in 2018. He still works with Sly & Robbie, most recently on their 2021 album Red Hills Road, as well as on a 2019 collaborative instrumental album, Project 1966. He also boasts a writing credit on “Take Me Where Your Heart Is,” the lead single from acclaimed R&B singer-songwriter Q’s major label debut EP, The Shave Experiment. (That wasn’t too hard to secure though, as Q is Lenky’s son.)
Lenky’s values have not only worked in the long haul of his career, but his music-first focus has contributed to his work changing the face of Jamaican dancehall. From the Diwali Riddim’s late-’90s creation, to its early-2000s resurrection, to its 2023 TikTok footwork challenge – it’s clear that the beat no one wanted to use is the sound we still can’t get enough of.
“I’m not into the lights and the cameras and all that – the light is gonna burn out,” Lenky says of his lifelong dedication to his craft. “I’m into the music, the making of the music and getting it out there. Everybody reacting to it wanna know my name, have parties, and that’s fine. But, I’m not gonna join that, you know what I’m saying? I’m creating the music for you guys, and hope you enjoy the music.”
Spring is in full effect, and as temperatures rise, so does the heat index for new R&B/Hip-Hop releases. This week, we’ve hand-picked the freshest songs by emerging artists to keep you feeling motivated and wanting to go outside. From Chase Shakur and Daniel Caesar’s romantic reflections to Millyz and iann dior’s rap bangers, we’ve got a range of sounds covered — per usual.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Don’t forget to share the wealth with our Spotify Fresh Picks playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: Daniel Caesar feat. Rick Ross, “Valentina”
You can always bet on a Rick Ross collab — especially when it involves talent from north of the border. On the follow-up deluxe version of his third album NEVER ENOUGH, Daniel Caesar recruited the Maybach Music head honcho for a verse that brings to mind Ross’ 2011 contribution to Drake’s “Free Spirit.” Atop the cool-toned, synth-centric groove, Caesar sweetly serenades a love interest with nostalgic lyrics and melodies. Towards the end, he sets up Ross, who adopts Caesar’s tender approach: “Making love like it’s war when it’s really peace/ I just wanna make you smile, can I see ya teeth?” he raps.
Chase Shakur, “sink or swim”
For his Def Jam debut, Chase Shakur gave us a taste of his upcoming project it’s not you, it’s me. “sink or swim” sees the Atlanta singer questioning whether he and his partner will survive a rough patch. With its staccato hi-hats and bassline, the song sounds right out of the ’90s.
Khi Infinite feat. Pusha T & Chase B, “Lights Please”
Khi Infinite says God threw him an alley oop with “Lights Please.” The Virginia artist made the song last fall and sat on it for a while before taking a chance and sending it to Pusha T to gauge his interest. Not only did the two collaborate, but they also formed a friendship. Khi then connected with Chase B, who added finishing touches to the rollercoaster of a song.
Low.bō, “Ricochet (Ndigo Flip)“
Alongside his band ndigo, Low.bō flipped his single “Ricochet” by blending his honeyed vocals with additional instrumentation. Fusing a wide palette of influences that range from alt-R&B to indie rock, the 24-year old Baltimore native is honing in on vulnerable songwriting and live production to create his signature sound.
Mahalia, “Terms and Conditions”
There are terms and conditions to Mahalia’s love. Guarding her heart, Mahalia hops in her rap bag throughout parts of this new anthem to assert that she’s no longer taking s–t from a man. “If you want my love, then let’s discuss the man you’re required to be/ If you tell me lies, you get three strikes/ There’s no coming back, boy please,” the U.K. singer declares on the chorus.
Millyz, “Yoyo”
Millyz continues to apply the pressure with his revered Blanco series. The sixth installment finds the Cambridge, MA MC slinging steely raps coated with sugary melodies. Whether he’s sparring with hard-nosed stars Jadakiss (“Moon Roof”), G. Herbo (“Becoming”), or Berner (“Scriptures”), Millyz’s dexterity remains unmatched. He even shows promise as a mainstream threat when he switches gears and floats over radio-friendly heaters like the Rvssian-produced “Yoyo.”
Joyner Lucas feat. Future, “Blackout (Not Now, I’m Busy)”
After previously working with J. Cole and Lil Baby, Joyner Lucas reels in another blockbuster feature with Future on “Blackout.” The unruly twosome is defiant, spewing venom in every direction as they embrace their toxic personalities. “Heard that was your wifey, I turned her to my whore,” spits Future over the bombastic beat. “Blackout” is the second single off Lucas’ upcoming effort, Not Now, I’m Busy.
iann dior, “10×3”
We want a summer that sounds like this. Iann dior’s latest offering “10×3” is two minutes of witty captions (“If time is money, then why would I spend it on you?”), carefree energy and positive vibes. The track features a simple beat, centering thumping kicks and a tucked synth loop that reminds us of something you’d hear in Super Mario Bros.
Mozzy feat. YFN Lucci, “WE ACTIVE”
Sacramento-born rapper Mozzy joins forces with YFN Lucci on his latest single, “WE ACTIVE.” The CMG signee isn’t allowing time behind bars to stop him from voicing what’s weighing on his heart, rapping about both betrayals and successes. In the visual, YNF sits across from Mozzy, delivering an equally unforgiving verse overtop the RippOnTheBeat-produced instrumental.
Kaytraminé, “4EVA”
You into Kaytranada? What about Aminé? If the answer is two yeses, then let us introduce you to Kaytraminé. The duo has joined forces for an album arriving May 12, and it’s sure the rock the summer. If the dynamic duo wasn’t cool enough already, they brought the king of cool, Pharrell, into the mix for new single, “4EVA.” The cut is bouncy, laidback and perfect to soundtrack the warm days to come.
Sounds like The Weeknd and Future might be reuniting on a track sometime soon. The former went on Instagram Live Monday night (April 10) to tease what he and super-producer Mike Dean have been cooking up in the studio, and fans heard an unexpected, but all-too-familiar voice in one of the songs.
The “Wait For U” MC can be heard rapping over a slinky, synth-powered track that The Weeknd effortlessly glides on at the end of this screen-recorded clip, and viewers were freaking out in the comments section.
This wouldn’t mark the first time The Weeknd and Future worked together. The two first came together as guests on producer Mike WiLL Made-It‘s 2015 single “Drinks on Us,” which also featured Swae Lee. The dynamic duo came together one-on-one on “Low Life” from Future’s 2016 album, EVOL. At the end of that same year, The Weeknd tapped Future on “All I Know” from his Starboy LP, which got the deluxe treatment last month following his and Ariana Grande‘s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Die For You” remix. In 2017, the two collaborated on “Comin Out Strong” on Future’s album HNDRXX.
But that’s not the only thing The Weeknd teased from the studio Monday night. He posted a blurry picture of Dean playing synths in the back on Instagram Story with a desert emoji followed by a question mark. Fans presume the superstar will make an appearance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (which starts this weekend) after his and Swedish House Mafia‘s co-headlining set last year. “You guys said, ‘See you at the desert’ on Live. Exposed! I got exposed!” he joked.
Nick Cannon revealed the Mariah Carey song he loves the most in a new sit-down with Billboard News.
“She’s gon’ hate when I say this. She always thinks I’m joking when I say this: ‘Someday,’” he told Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly. “I probably play ‘Emotions’ more ’cause it’s just always a vibe, and me and Monroe love that song. ‘Someday,’ that was my record. You know, I remember her first single was ‘Vision of Love,’ obviously, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s kinda cool,’ but it felt a little older for me. I think I was probably, like, 12 or whatever.
“And then the second single was ‘Someday,’” continued the Drumline star, who shares 11-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan with the superstar. “And it was funny ’cause I remember my mom was like, ‘Oh, you like that cute little girl in the video’ or something. I was like, ‘No, I like the grown-up!’”
Cannon’s recollection is only slightly off — “Someday” was actually released as the third single off Mariah’s self-titled 1990 debut after “Love Takes Time” and instantly became the then-newcomer’s third consecutive No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
As far as more recent tracks by his ex-wife, the Wild ‘n Out host — who is launching his new Amp morning show The Daily Cannon with Abby De La Rosa, with whom he shares three children, on April 24 — chose deep cut “It’s a Wrap” off 2010’s Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. “And that’s only because I produced that record,” he added of the song, which has recently exploded on streaming thanks to the Lambily’s viral “It’s a Wrap” challenge.
“It really is funny, the story behind that,” Cannon said. “I was in the studio at the crib, just messing around with some chords and going through samples and stuff like that. And [Carey] came in the room and started humming the ‘doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.’ And I was like, ‘Yo, that’s the joint!’ We were just playing around, I was like, ‘We should do a song about how if I came home hella late and you kickin’ me out the house.’ Cut to a decade later, everybody’s on TikTok doing the choreography and stuff to it.”
Watch Cannon’s interview with Billboard News above.