R&B/Hip-Hop

09 Nov 2023

Nicki Minaj Reflects on Her Breast Reduction Journey: ‘I Love It’

In Nicki Minaj’s latest cover with Vogue, the Queen MC revealed her thoughts on body positivity and why she denounces the movement — if it comes at the expense of “unhealthy bodies.”

“I’m not in favor of body positivity if it means unhealthy bodies,” she told the publication. “That’s bull. It’s not believable, so let’s stop pretending. Recently, I had to get a breast reduction, and actually I love it. I used to want a bigger butt, and now I look back and realize how silly that was. So — love your curves, and love your non-curves. There’s nothing wrong with any of it.”

Earlier this year, Minaj spoke about her decision to get breast reduction while on an Instagram Live with JT of City Girls. “If I tell you what size my t–ties was, I can promise you, once nature did what they had to do for [my son] Papa Bear, it’s no way your boobs right now are still able to look like that and be all sexy and cute and stuff like that in your dresses,” Minaj said. “Trust me. You did not have the size that I had.”

Elsewhere in her interview with Vogue, Minaj spoke about mom guilt and how she’s been trying to overcome those issues. “Well, if I’m going to have mom guilt regardless, I might as well continue doing the only thing I know how to freaking do, which is make music,” she said.

Minaj is making inroads on completing her fifth album, Pink Friday 2, the sequel to her 2010 debut effort. Dropping in December, Minaj released the project’s first official single, “Last Time I Saw You,” which she described to Vogue as a “happy-sad” song. 

“I’m not saying I want this to be a sad song. Actually I want people to feel happy when they hear it. Happy­-sad,” she said. “Then again, look at Adele. That woman has made me cry a million times, yet I want more.”

See photos from her Vogue cover story below:

09 Nov 2023

Nicki Minaj Looks Back on Her COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Controversy: ‘I Like to Make My Own Assessment’

Nicki Minaj faced quite a bit of backlash in 2021 for sharing her stance against the coronavirus vaccine. Now, more than two years later, she’s still not walking back.

In one of the rapper’s biggest controversies to date, Minaj was accused of spreading misinformation back when the government first started rolling out preventative shots about a year and a half deep into the global pandemic. Revealing at the time that she wouldn’t be attending that year’s Met Gala because she hadn’t been vaccinated, which was required of guests, the “Barbie World” artist also tweeted that a cousin’s friend in Trinidad had become “impotent” after the COVID-19 vaccine allegedly caused his testicles to swell.

Her tweets earned concerned responses from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Trinidad & Tobago Health Minister and even the Philadelphia Health Department, each of them debunking her claim and emphasizing that there was no scientific basis to the side effects supposedly made by her cousin’s friend. She became the butt of late-night jokes and even went toe to toe with both the White House and Piers Morgan over the controversy. But in a new interview, Minaj had no regrets to share.

“I’m one of those people who doesn’t go with a crowd,” she told Vogue in her December cover story published Thursday (Nov. 9). “I like to make my own assessment of everything without help from everyone.”

“Every time I talk about politics, people get mad,” Minaj added. “I’m sorry, but I am not going to be told who I should get on social media and campaign for. There’s a lot we don’t know that’s going on in the government, and I don’t think it changes whether you lean to the left or right.”

The interview comes one month ahead of Minaj’s upcoming album, Pink Friday 2, which was originally scheduled to arrive Oct. 20 before being pushed back to Nov. 17. In late October, the Queen of Rap announced that the project would be postponed once more to Dec. 8, her 41st birthday.

See Nicki Minaj’s Vogue cover and photos below:

Nicki Minaj's Vogue Cover Story

Nicki Minaj

09 Nov 2023

Beyoncé Drops Fierce, Funky Second Trailer For ‘RENAISSANCE’ Film

Beyoncé dropped a new trailer for her upcoming RENAISSANCE: A Film by Beyoncé movie on Thursday morning (Nov. 9), which promises to capture the eye-popping global tour of the same name in all its silver-streaked, bass-thumping glory.

The film, directed by the singer, will hit theaters around the world on Dec. 1 after its Los Angeles premiere on Nov. 25 (and a London premiere on Nov. 30), with tickets available to purchase now. Like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie — which will exit theaters this weekend after grossing more than $350 million globally — RENAISSANCE is the result of a direct deal Bey struck between her Parkwood Entertainment and distributor AMC Entertainment.

The dramatic trailer opens with an image of the singer in a golden shadow, intoning, “I close my eyes and travel through realms of space and time. Reality holds no power or control of my state of mind on my voyage,” as the screen fills with images of screaming fans and the tour’s elaborate, space-age visuals.

“To find a source to charge my inner being,” she continues. “Assembly line frequency as I tap my MPC.” A choir singing “welcome to the renaissance” rises up under footage of Bey strutting down the catwalk in a black leather catsuit as she adds, “In this world that is very male-dominated I’ve had to be really tough to balance motherhood and being on the stage… it just reminds me of who I really am.”

The screen then fills with a succession of shots from the show, as well as footage of Beyoncé sharing special moments with her children and husband Jay-Z and more glimpses of the tour’s iconic silver stage outfits. It shifts to a quick-cut of highlights of the action from the tour that hit 39 cities in 12 countries and played to 2.7 million fans while grossing $580 million. It ends with more looks cut to the Renaissance album single “Break My Soul” and a final, legendary image of the superstar astride her enormous glittering prop horse.

Like the Swift movie, the RENAISSANCE film will air on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with multiple showtimes on each day.

Watch the trailer below.

09 Nov 2023

Megan Thee Stallion Cranks ‘Cobra’ Up to 11 With Rocking Spiritbox-Assisted Remix

Megan Thee Stallion‘s new single, “Cobra,” already hits pretty hard. With its chunky guitar riff and ominous beat, the latest song from the “Bongos” MC — which dropped last week — came locked-and-loaded with a slamming surfeit of grit and gravity in lyrics about stress, anxiety, pain and determination.

So it makes perfect sense that Meg would take all that angst and roiling emotion, turn it up to 11 and break off the knob on a metal-edged remix. Which is exactly what she did on Wednesday (Nov. 8), when the Houston spitter dropped a face-melting rock re-do of the track featuring Canadian alt-metal band Spiritbox.

The 2.0 version opens with the same big guitars, but then explodes into a booming, reverb-drenched cascade of arena rock attitude as Megan’s voice is joined by yearning/screamo vocals from Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer’s sonic boom strumming, giving the song a Linkin Park/Evanescence-like vibe.

LaPlante thanked Megan for roping her band into the remix, writing on Instagram, “Thank you Megan for allowing us the opportunity to collaborate on your already iconic new song ‘Cobra.’ I am beyond grateful to you.” Guitarist Stringer added, “Thank you to Megan for trusting us to mash up both of our worlds. Nothing but respect, and gratitude. It’s an absolute honor.”

After dropping the song last week as the first single on her own label, Megan said the song about losing her grandmother, a rough breakup and the trauma of two court cases was a track that exemplifies the fierce, hooded snakes that exemplify “courage and self-reliance. They stand tall and fierce in the face of challenges, teaching one to tap into their inner strength and rely on oneself to conquer their threats. Emulating the cobra helps one be more confident in the person they are within.” 

The three-time Grammy winner revealed last month that she wasn’t signed to a label anymore. “This part of my album is very much so funded by Megan Thee Stallion because we’re trying to get off … Y’all know what’s the tea. But I have no label right now,” she explained of her decision to go it alone after recently settling a yearslong legal battle with her former record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. “We’re doing everything funded straight out of Megan Thee Stallion’s pockets. So, the budget is coming from me. Motherf—ing Hot Girl Productions! The next s— y’all about to see is all straight from Megan Thee Stallion’s brain and Megan Thee Stallion’s wallet. We are in my pockets, hotties, so let’s do our big one.”

Listen to the “Cobra” remix below.

09 Nov 2023

Frank Ocean Posts One-Minute Snippet of Moody New Song

Frank Ocean‘s resting pulse for most of his career has been elusiveness. The singer who has never followed any of the traditional music industry rules releases music, or not, on his own, often erratic schedule, typically with no advance notice and with little commentary.

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Which is why it was no surprise that his latest musical missive arrived with no fanfare in his Instagram Story on Wednesday (Nov. 8) in the form of a minute-long, unnamed moody track. In audio captured here, Ocean can be heard crooning in his hazy manner over a droning keyboard, with the lyrics coming through only in brief, intelligible bits as the words often slide together in a blur.

“Way more laid back than I did when I was my younger [unintelligible]/ … assumptions but they were educated guesses/ that’s why I … trying to see all your sides/ but your heart’s been tangled in barbed wires/ If you hand it to me, I can’t handle it,” he sings. “You got boundaries, but they’re just obstacles you’re putting in between us/ Pick and choose but we both got options.”

The rest of the lyrics that appear to be about love confusion are hard to decipher, but fans were typically psyched to get anything new from Ocean, who has not issued any new music since he surprise-dropped two singles, “Dear April” and “Cayendo” in 2020, which was followed by a never-released untitled nine-minute song on the Christmas special on his Apple Music 1 Blonded Radio show in December 2021. Ocean has not released a proper album since 2016’s Blonde.

At press time no additional information was available about the song or whether it will be officially released.

Ocean once again receded from public view after his confusion, glitchy appearance at the Coachella Festival in April, which was his first public show since 2017. During the headlining set that began an hour late, Ocean didn’t perform any new songs (but did play radically reworked versions of his familiar tracks), was sometimes hard to spot on the cavernous stage and then was was cut off due to curfew, which ended the set whose livestream on the festival’s official YouTube broadcast was scrapped at the last minute.

It later emerged that Ocean reportedly performed with a serious ankle injury and that his planned elaborate stage set-up — which was to feature a giant ice rink and professional hockey players and olympic skaters doing choreography during the show — was scrapped at the 11th hour after weeks of rehearsals; Ocean later dropped out of a planned second weekend headlining slot due to the injury, costing the festival millions of dollars.

In classic Ocean fashion, he peeked back out in June with the announcement of his 48-page Mutations photo book, which a release said would be printed on “tissue-weight paper.”

08 Nov 2023

Offset Brings Out Son Wave for ‘On the River’ Live Performance Video: Watch

Technically, Offset, his new album and his son all share a name, so it’s only right that he found away to wrap all three together for the latest offering from his Set It Off promotional schedule. In a new Vevo CTRL live performance video, the “Clout” rapper delivered a fiery rendition of album cut “On the River,” featuring an adorable guest appearance from his youngest child.

Performing in a dimly lit room cast in the color palette of a burning fire, Offset tore through “On the River” while holding his son Wave Set, 2, whom the rapper shares with wife Cardi B. Although the performance was just over one and a half minutes long, Wave was incredibly well behaved, even joining his father in bopping along to Southside’s skittering bass toward the end of the clip. At several points in the video, Wave was hilariously more concerned with toying with his dad’s diamonds chains than paying attention to the camera.

“On the River” is the opening track of Offset’s sophomore solo studio album Set It Off, the follow-up to 2019’s Grammy-nominated Father of 4. Set It Off opened at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, becoming Offset’s third career top five entry on the chart as a soloist. Four singles preceded the album’s full release, including the Cardi B-assisted “Jealousy” — which peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 — “Worth It” (with Don Toliver), “Say My Grace” (with Travis Scott) and “FAN,” which received a Michael Jackson-inspired music video starring Kai Cenat and Everybody Hates Chris actress Paige Hurd.

Set It Off is Offset’s first LP since Wave’s birth. Offset and Cardi started dating in early 2017, and by June the following year, the “Bongos” rapper confirmed that she and Offset married the September prior, one month before the Migos star publicly proposed to her. After giving birth to their first child together, Kulture Kiari Cephus, in 2018, Cardi welcomed her first son and second child with Offset, Wave Set Cephus, on Sep. 4, 2021.

In September, the hip-hop power couple celebrated their sixth anniversary. In an Instagram post documenting her gifts from her hubby, Cardi set her footage to a series of uncannily apt lyrics from Beyoncé and Diddy’s 2003 track “Summertime”: “Wanna grow old wit’ ya/ Fill a house wit’ your pictures/ Have a son for you, a little girl for me/ Together we’ll raise a family.”

Watch Offset and Wave perform “On the River” above.

08 Nov 2023

Diddy Brings Out Shyne During Charity Concert in London

Diddy and Giggs teamed up in the spirit of charity to aid the Black British community in London on Tuesday (Nov. 7). The concert — which benefited Sickle Cell Society and Black Minds Matter — featured a bunch of appearances from the rappers, mainly Diddy, who brought out his once-prized Bad Boy signee Shyne for a quick performance of “Bonnie & Shyne” and “Bad Boyz.”

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Clad in a black suit, Shyne strolled onto the stage alongside his former boss at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The last time Shyne and Diddy performed together was at the BET Awards in 2022. In a September Instagram post, Diddy gushed about Shyne’s success as a burgeoning politician. The artist was voted into Belize’s House of Representatives in 2020, and was re-elected as the leader of the United Democratic Party in 2022. 

“Words can’t explain how proud I am of Shyne. It’s truly remarkable to see everything he’s gone through and to see him turn his life totally around and get on the path to making a positive impact on his country and his people,” he wrote at the time. “His re-election is a major victory for him, Hip-Hop globally, and the people of Belize. Next stop, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE! We’re not going to stop until my brother is the Prime Minister. I believe in you! I love you! I’m proud of you!” 

As for Diddy, he’s continuing his success on the artist front following his newest offering, The Love Album: Off The Grid. In late October, he released the trailer for his upcoming film, Off the Grid, inspired by his R&B-infused album. 

The trailer features Diddy and budding actress Eva Apio in a romantic whirlwind anchored by passion and drama. The chemistry between the two is entrancing as they share moments of vulnerability, endure a high-speed car chase with the cops and more. 

“Working with Eva Apio was an incredible experience. Her talent and energy brought my vision to life,” Diddy said in a press release. 

See Diddy and Shyne’s London performance below. 

08 Nov 2023

C-Knight, Member of G-Funk Rap Crew Dove Shack, Dies at 52

C-Knight, a founding member of Long Beach G-funk rap crew Dove Shack, has died at age 52. The news was confirmed by TMZ on Tuesday (Nov. 7), when a member of the rapper’s family reportedly told the gossip site that the MC born Arnez Blount had died that day after being taken off life support several weeks after suffering a stroke; at press time Billboard could not independently confirm the details of Knight’s death.

The site earlier reported that Knight’s father said his son was hospitalized on October 18 after his blood sugar drastically spiked due to diabetes. The rapper reportedly subsequently suffered a stroke and went into cardiac arrest while getting dialysis in the hospital, was resuscitated and put on life support in an unresponsive state that he never re-emerged from.

Knight was best known for his smooth flow as part of the Long Beach, CA crew — which also featured rappers B-Roc and 2Scoops — whose affiliation with g-funk icon Warren G. manifested on the song “This Is the Shack” on G’s 1994 classic debut album Regulate… G Funk Era album; the song also served as Dove Shack’s public debut.

In 1995, the trio released their full-length debut, also titled This Is The Shack, on G-Funk Entertainment/Def Jam Recordings; the album peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The collection spawned one charting single, the slow-rolling “Summertime in the LBC,” which hit No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after being featured in the 1995 hip-hop doc The Show. In addition to the Warren G-produced “This Is the Shack,” the group’s debut featured two songs produced by Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay (“Bomb Drop,” “East Side Party”).

C-Knight released the solo album Knight Time in 2001 and Dove Shack issued their second, and final, album, Reality Has Got Me Tied Up, in 2006.

B-Roc paid tribute to his fallen comrade in an Instagram post featuring a picture of the two and the message, “This is like f–king nightmare I swear this s–t hurt different and I don’t want to talk about s–t to nobody so please just let me be and pray for us… On my soul I love you bro and I already don’t know what the f–k to do wit u being gone.”

Watch the “Summertime in the LBC” video below.

08 Nov 2023

Rick Ross & Meek Mill Unveil Tracklist for Upcoming Album ‘Too Good to Be True’

The long-awaited joint album between Rick Ross and Meek Mill looms closer after the Maybach Music Group teammates unwrapped the tracklist for their forthcoming effort, Too Good to Be True. 

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The 17-song album boasts features from Future, DJ Khaled, Fabolous, Teyana Taylor, The-Dream, Jeremih, French Montana and more. MMG fans will also see a reunion of Ross, Meek and Wale on “Fine Lines.” Billed as top signings for MMG in the early 2010s, Wale and Meek solidified Ross’ MMG empire with their torrid runs, including lauded releases such as 2011’s Ambition and 2012’s Dreams & Nightmares, respectively. 

So far, Ross and Meek have released two singles for Too Good to Be True: “Shaq and Kobe” and “Lyrical Eazy.” The former received the remix treatment in October when the MMG duo tapped NBA superstars Damian Lillard and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to showcase their lyricism. 

Too Good to Be True will be Ross and Meek’s first release off Gamma after the “Hustling” star brought MMG over to Larry Jackson’s newly minted imprint. The decision came courtesy of Gamma’s executive vice president of content, Breyon Prescott, who swayed Ross to join the company. 

“You know Breyon and I have been making money together for a long time; even more important, we have always been able to do great business, which is why I look forward to this partnership with Gamma,” said Ross in a press release. “This is a big move for Larry to be in the position he’s in and for me to be in the position I’m in. It’s only right we come together and make some HISTORIC moves.”

Check out the tracklist below. 

08 Nov 2023

Jeezy Says Couples Therapy Couldn’t Save His Marriage to Jeannie Mai: ‘I’m Disappointed’

Weeks after news of his divorce from media personality Jeannie Mai due to “irreconcilable differences” broke, Jeezy opened up about their breakup in a candid one-on-one interview with actress Nia Long. 

Released Tuesday (Nov. 7) on the rapper’s YouTube channel, Jeezy didn’t shy away from breaking down his efforts to salvage his marriage, explaining that the two sought couples therapy. “[It] has not been an easy journey. I can tell you that I’m sad. I can tell you that I’m disappointed. I can tell you that I’m uneasy,” he told Long. 

Jeezy issued a statement in October highlighting his decision to split from his wife. “The decision to end this chapter in my life was not made impulsively and comes with a heavy heart,” he said. “Despite this, my love and respect for Jeannie remains and the time we spent together holds a cherished place in my heart.”

The rapper filed for divorce Sept. 14. The former couple married in 2021 and share 1-year-old daughter Monaco.

Elsewhere in the interview, Jeezy spoke about being molested during his childhood by a babysitter. When asked about his trauma, the “Seen It All” star mentioned how he “was being left with a babysitter that was a woman that was older than me … and her touching, and doing things to me that don’t normally happen to kids.”

“Like molesting?” Long asked. Jeezy confirmed her assumption.

The artist also divulged how violence and his torn relationship with his mother had a great deal of trauma in his life. Described as “a very toxic relationship,” Jeezy noted how his mom once pulled a gun on him when he was a teenager. 

Jeezy’s interview comes on the heels of his newly released double album, I Might Forgive… But I Don’t Forget. Released on Friday (Nov. 3), the 29-track album is a solo expedition sans features and includes production from The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.

Watch Jeezy’s interview with Nia Long below.