R&B/Hip-Hop

23 Oct 2023

J. Cole Announces Dreamville Festival 2024: Here Are the Dates

On the heels of an impressive feature run this year, J. Cole has announced the dates for Dreamville Festival 2024. Via a press release, the Grammy-winning rapper and his acclaimed Dreamville artist collective detailed all of the preliminary information for the event’s fourth iteration.

The Dreamville Festival will return to Raleigh, N.C., April 6-7. An early-bird ticket sale will kick off imminently, with e-newsletter and SMS text subscribers receiving first access. The festival will once again return to Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh’s largest public park, and will also offer attractions and activities for fans of all ages, including carnival rides, immersive art installations, dozens of local vendors, food trucks and community organizations from the Wake County region.

The lineup for Dreamville Festival 2024 will be announced at the top of next year. Next year’s headliners will follow Usher, Burna Boy and a double-billing of J. Cole and Drake. In addition to the headliners, last year’s Dreamville Festival also included performances from Summer Walker, J.I.D., Ari Lennox and more.

The news regarding Dreamville Festival 2024 arrives on the heels of a major career milestone from Dreamville head honcho J. Cole. On Oct. 21, he earned his first-ever Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single with “First Person Shooter,” one of the breakout hits from Drake’s For All the Dogs album. The achievement comes the same year Cole matched his previous Hot 100 peak (No. 2) with “All My Life,” a crossover rap smash from Lil Durk that recently received a pair of remixes from Burna Boy and STRAY KIDS.

In addition to “First Person Shooter,” J. Cole has earned 11 other Hot 100 top 10 hits, including “Middle Child” (No. 4), “Deja Vu” (No. 7) and “Kevin’s Heart” (No. 8). On the Billboard 200, he has sent all six of his studio albums to the top.

23 Oct 2023

Here’s What Jay-Z Says Is the Right Answer to Whether $500K or Lunch With Him Is Worth More

At long last, the world finally has an answer to a question that has tormented social media for years. In a clip from Jay-Z‘s upcoming interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings interview with Gayle King, the music mogul weighed on whether it’s a smarter choice to choose lunch with him over $500,000 cash.

“You’ve gotta take the money,” the “Big Pimpin’” rapper said in a teaser clip, pointing out that all his wisdom is already in his work. “You’ve got all that in the music for $10.99.”

With a discography that spans 13 Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, collaborative projects with Linkin Park and Beyoncé, and hundreds of memorable guest verses, the Brooklyn rap icon isn’t wrong when he says it’s all in the music.

“I wouldn’t tell you to cut a bad deal. Like, take the $500,000, go buy some albums, and listen to the albums,” he continued. “It’s all there. If you piece it together and really listen to the music for the words, well, what it is, it’s all there.”

Jay-Z’s new two-part interview with King will feature an exclusive tour of the Brooklyn Public Library’s “Book of HOV” exhibit, a sprawling archival undertaking that chronicles the vast expanse of his career, from his lengthy Grammy-winning catalog to his landmark business deals across the realms of sports, music, alcohol, film and public service.

The “lunch with Jay-Z or $500K” meme has been going viral on social media — in various iterations — since at least 2017. The premise of the question is whether the rapper can provide an amount of wisdom and sound advice that would theoretically be worth more than $500,000 in cold, hard cash. The question has ignited passionate responses for years, with some pointing to Jay-Z’s storied career to justify choosing the meal option, while others place their bets on the money management skills and pick the $500K.

“Everything that I said was gonna happen, happened,” Jay-Z added in his chat with King. “Everything that I said I wanted to do, I’ve done.”

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23 Oct 2023

Cardi B Gives Husband Offset Props For ‘Starting Fresh, Staying Focused,’ Promises ‘MY TURN’ Next

Cardi B gave husband Offset props this weekend for being his own man and inspiring her to do things her way. “So proud of my baby!!,” Cardi wrote on Sunday evening (Oct. 22) of the Migos member and solo star.

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“Going against all odds… leaving his label, starting fresh, staying focused determined and not letting nothing break him… he did that!” she added. The “Bongos” MC then cryptically added, “MY TURN.”

At press time spokespeople for Offset and his former label, Quality Control, had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.

Back in August, Offset ended his lawsuit against Quality Control Music, the label that helped launch him and the Migos into superstardom. TMZ reported at the time that Offset would not work with QC moving forward as a solo artist and that “all disputes and differences were smoothed over.” A year earlier, the MC born Kiari Cephus filed paperwork in Los Angeles seeking a declaratory judgement “that Quality Control has no rights, title, or interest in or to Offset’s recordings” since he bought out his deal with the company in 2021. He alleged at the time that despite buying the rights to his solo works, QC continued to claim ownership over his recordings.

Billboard previously reported that Offset signed a production agreement with Quality Control in 2013 that covered his work in Migos and as a solo artist. According to court documents, as of January 15, 2021, Offset “negotiated a deal in which he reclaimed the rights to his own solo recording and songwriting from Quality Control,” and the new arrangement made the star the “sole owner of all rights, title, and interest in and to his services as a solo recording artist, entertainer, and songwriter.”

A judge formally dismissed Offset and QC’s suits against each other on August 16.

Despite that agreement, Offset claimed that QC continued to assert an ownership interest in his 2022 single “54321,” even though the track was credited to his then label, Motown Records; he is currently signed to Capitol Records.

Cardi has been teasing the long-in-process follow-up to her 2018 major label debut album, Invasion of Privacy, for much of this year, with no formal release date set at press time.

See Cardi’s tweet below.

23 Oct 2023

Ms. Lauryn Hill Postpones Philadelphia ‘Miseducation’ Gig on Doctor’s Orders

Just three shows into her tour in support of the 25th anniversary of her landmark debut solo Ms. Lauryn Hill has had to temporarily hit pause on her celebratory The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill outing. The Fugees MC and solo star posted a note on her socials on Sunday night (Oct. 22) informing fans in Philadelphia that they will have to wait another month to see her live.

“It is with disappointment that I am writing this note to you. On the advice of my physicians, I have no choice but to postpone the show tomorrow,” Hill wrote of Monday night’s (Oct. 23) planned show at the Wells Fargo Arena in the city that was also slated to feature a special guest spot from her Fugees bandmates Pras and Wyclef Jean.

“I need to rest my voice to prevent any more serious strain or damage to my vocal cords,” she added. “The start of this tour has been incredible. What an amazing experience to celebrate this anniversary with all of my family, my friends and all of you. I look forward to giving you the show you deserve with a fully recovered and healthy voice.”

Hill told fans that the show has already been rescheduled for Nov. 25, promising that it will be a “special one.” The next scheduled show is slated for Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Thursday (Oct. 26), which Hill said is good-to-go. “Resting for a few days then heading your way,” she promised.

The North American swing of Hill’s anniversary tour kicked off on Oct. 17 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. before jumping to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Oct. 19 and the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 21.

At the Brooklyn show, Hill thanked the crowd from the top for their “grace and patience,” before warning that she was “’bout to sing my voice out.”

See Hill’s statement below.

23 Oct 2023

Watch Snoop Dogg Get a Very Special Birthday Surprise From Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly

The Doggfather only turns 52 one time, so it was fitting that when Snoop Dogg celebrated his half century plus two that his Step Brothers were on hand to give him his flower(s). At Saturday night’s Best Night of Your Life 2 Benefit, Snoop took the stage with host Will Ferrell and the actor’s Step Brothers co-star John C. Reilly to perform that 2008 comedy classic’s signature song, “Boats ‘N Hoes.”

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After a comically long wind-up in which Ferrell and Reilly gave shout outs to nearly every city in the L.A. basin, they busted into “Boats,” before Ferrell stopped the performance that he said lacked a bit of spice. Saying it needed “a little LBC… some Strong Beach in the house,” or, perhaps, a bit of added “Kush factor” in the mix, the duo brought out Snoop, who helped them finish their track before they slid into the Doggfather’s iconic 1994 Doggystyle single “Gin and Juice.”

“Yesterday was a very special day,” Reilly said in a video shared on Snoop’s Instagram. “It was Mr. Snoop Dogg’s birthday. We’re about to sing happy birthday to the greatest rapper in the world!” That wasn’t all though. The pair also rolled out a multi-tiered birthday cake covered in sparklers — with a throne on top, naturally — which Snoop promptly used to help blaze up one of his ubiquitous blunts as the pair lead the audience in a round of “Happy Birthday” before Snoop blew out the candles.

Saturday night’s show was the second installment of Ferrell’s Best Night comedy/music fundraiser benefitting Cancer for College. The gig at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles was hosted by Ferrell and featured comedy greats Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Jo Koy, Roy Wood Jr., Cory Scovel, SmartLess podcast hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett as well as appearances by Beck, St. Vincent, Dogstar and Jack Black and Fred Armisen playing with Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and the Casual Acquaintances all-star band.

Watch Ferrell and Reilly perform with Snoop and sing “Happy Birthday” to the rap legend below.

20 Oct 2023

Brandy Gets Festive for Upcoming Christmas Album, Featuring a Collab With Her Daughter

The holiday season is just around the corner, and Brandy got fans in a festive mood on Friday (Oct. 20) by announcing her upcoming album, Christmas With Brandy.

The album will feature a fresh take on festive classics, including “Someday at Christmas,” “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls.” She’ll also team up with her daughter Sy’Rai on “Christmas Gift,” and puts the soul on tracks like “Christmas Party for Two” and “Feels Different.”

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The album, out Nov. 10 via Motown Records will come just a week before Brandy stars in the Netflix original film, Best. Christmas. Ever!, on Nov. 16. The Mary Lambert-directed film stars Brandy as Jackie, who sends out a holiday newsletter every year that makes her college friend Charlotte (Heather Graham) feel envious. When Charlotte, her husband Rob (Jason Biggs) and their family end up on Jackie’s and her husband Valentino’s (Matt Cedeno)’s house before Christmas, Charlotte sets out to prove that Jackie’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems.

Pre-save Christmas With Brandy here.

20 Oct 2023

Best Musician Halloween Costumes: Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Rihanna & More

While countless fans take Halloween as an opportunity to dress up as their favorite musicians, the holiday is a chance for those same A-listers to be somebody else just for a night.

That might be why so many pop stars love going all out on October 31 every year (well, that and disposable income they can use to invest in the best makeup and costumes). Many musicians even stage full blown photoshoots to show off their spooky season looks, much to the delight of their followers.

And, just like everyone else, famous musicians have different tastes in costumes. Some go for bold and sexy, some shoot for silly and punny, and some gravitate towards super scary over cute and sweet; some opt for simple and quick, and some think that the more detailed and elaborate, the better. The samples on this list alone range from hyperreal cartoon characters to politicians, horror movie figureheads to children’s book villains.

The best instances of musician-worn Halloween costumes, however, might just be the ones where celebrity singer-songwriters dress up as their own favorite artists, whether it’s a modern day peer or a legendary Hall of Famer. Ciara, for instance, has dressed up as everyone from Selena Quintanilla to Janet Jackson to Cardi B, while Harry Styles’ most iconic Halloween fit has to be his homage to Elton John’s Dodger Stadium look — but, more on both of them later.

Keep reading to see Billboard‘s favorite musician Halloween costumes from the past few years, featuring Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Rihanna and more.

20 Oct 2023

Nicki Minaj Freestyles Over Drake & Chief Keef’s ‘All the Parties’: Listen

Pink Friday 2, the sequel to Nicki Minaj’s blockbuster 2010 debut studio album, arrives on Nov. 17, and the Head Barb has yet another special Pink Friday surprise for her Barbz. On Friday morning (Oct. 20), the “Last Time I Saw You” rapper took to her official YouTube account to upload a freestyle over Drake and Chief Keef’s “All the Parties.”

“These b—–s don’t want beef, chef, hold the steak/ These b—–s don’t want smoke, say ‘no’ to vape/ I get these b—–s scramblin’ when I throw the bait/ One sub kill five b—–s, OceanGate,” she spits before referencing her still-unreleased “Big Difference” track, which she teased during her performance at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards with the line “Like three hunnids blue.” Minaj tackles the crisp beat after letting Drake’s original first verse and Chief Keef’s chorus play in full.

“All the Parties” is from Drake’s For All the Dogs, which recently became hits 13th No. 1 title on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “First Person Shooter” (with J. Cole). Minaj was originally set to appear on the album, according to an announcement from Drake himself during his July 8 It’s All a Blur tour stop. “I’m gonna give away one thing for you tonight because I got a lot of love for Detroit,” he said on stage. “So I’m gonna have to tell you that me and Nicki Minaj did our first song together in, like, a really long time. I got a lot of love for her.”

Nonetheless, when the 23-song set arrived on Oct. 6, Minaj was absent from the tracklist. Through “For All the Barbz,” YMCMB fans can find some solace and celebrate a new unofficial collaboration between the Harajuku Barbie and the 6 God.

On Oct. 12, Minaj posted a Twitter poll for her fans to decide what the next Pink Friday surprise would be. Although she eventually ended up releasing a Pink Friday 2 reject called “Bahm Bahm,” Minaj initially joked, “Ion feel like doing no freestyle right now my G!!!! ?? Go vote yall!” when she saw the freestyle option winning the poll.

Check out Nicki Minaj’s new freestyle below:

20 Oct 2023

Kanye West Not Running For President in 2024

While a herd of GOP candidates are trying to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to unseat Donald Trump as the Republican who will take on President Joe Biden in next year’s election, there is now at least one no-chance campaign you can scratch off the list.

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Kanye West‘s personal attorney, Bruce Marks, told Rolling Stone on Thursday (Oct. 19) that the rapper who now goes by just Ye will not throw his hat in the ring a second time. “He’s not a candidate for office in 2024,” said Marks, who is reportedly working on winding down the rapper’s campaign, seemingly before it even got started.

An October Federal Election Commission filing by Ye’s Kanye 2020 political committee showed that the campaign had allocated zero dollars for primary expenditures in all 50 states and U.S. territories in the most recent reporting period from January to September of this year; it also appeared to show that the campaign raised zero dollars in the most recent reporting period and had less than $25,000 cash-on-hand.

At press time Marks had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the winding-down of Ye’s presidential bid.

West’s once formidable music and fashion career melted down last year after the rapper went on a hateful string of antisemitic rants. He has kept a low profile since then and the news of his halted second bid for the White House is not surprising giving the anemic showing of his first run.

Ye announced the launch of his long-shot presidential campaign under the “Birthday Party” banner on July 4, 2020, so late in the game that he managed to get on the ballot in just 12 states. With only one campaign appearance and two 11th hour video ads, despite what could have been a major pop culture megaphone and built-in audience of millions, West’s vote totals in the election between one-term president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden resulted in a grand total of 60,000 votes after the rapper reportedly pumped $9 million of his own money into the failed bid.

The most recent Ye presidential campaign got off to a rocky start in May when British right-wing political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos proclaimed that he was the “director of political operations” for the “YE24” campaign; RS reported that Yiannopoulos — whom the Anti Defamation League has dubbed a “misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, transphobic troll” — is no longer on Ye’s political payroll. The magazine also reported that there were serious questions raised earlier this year about whether it was even legal to hire a foreign national to work in a decision-making role in an American political campaign.

An unnamed source also reportedly told the magazine that the unpredictable MC could change him mind, but that “there’s no plan to do that… there’s no campaign structure or anything along those lines in place,” dubbing chances of a possible reboot of the campaign as “beyond remote.”

At press time it did not appear as if Ye had commented on the report about his reportedly scotched bid.

20 Oct 2023

Chart Rewind: In 1958, Ray Price & Bobby Day Topped Billboard’s New Country and R&B Charts

“The enthusiastic acceptance of the new Hot 100 pop singles chart as the standard of the industry since its inception three months ago has made it possible for The Billboard to complete its plans to streamline its record research operation,” a story announced in the Oct. 20, 1958, issue of Billboard (to be formal, then The Billboard).

“Record dealers, disk jockeys and music machine operators have made it abundantly clear that their prime need in the pop singles area is the freshest possible data about breakout singles as well as established best-sellers,” the story continued. “This singles information is completely provided by The Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.”

After the Billboard Hot 100 began with the Aug. 4, 1958, listing, two new genre charts arrived: Hot C&W Sides and Hot R&B Sides, ranking 30 titles apiece. Today, they thrive as Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, each 50 positions deep and incorporating the same streaming-, airplay- and sales-based methodology as the Hot 100.

Billboard had presented various rankings for the two genres previously, with R&B first measured by the Harlem Hit Parade, starting in the Oct. 24, 1942, issue. Country popularity was first reflected by the Most Played Juke Box Folk Records listing, beginning on Jan. 8, 1944.

The makeover in 1958, as noted that issue, marked “a new and expanded form of service,” with Hot C&W Sides and Hot R&B Sides the first all-encompassing song rankings for each genre. “Hot C&W Sides provides the fastest and most accurate coverage available on country music records, with the emphasis on ‘traditional’ rather than pop-style disks,” Billboard noted that issue. “The other new chart, Hot R&B Sides, performs the same service for the rhythm and blues field.”

The first track atop Hot C&W Sides? Ray Price’s “City Lights,” which reigned for 13 weeks. Multiple covers have been recorded, with Mickey Gilley’s likewise a No. 1 in 1975. Price amassed over 100 entries on Billboard’s country singles charts in 1952-89, including six Hot Country Songs leaders among 33 top 10s.

Bobby Day’s “Rock-in’ Robin” flew in atop the inaugural Hot R&B Sides chart, leading for three weeks. It, too, became a hit in a new form, as Michael Jackson’s version reached No. 2 in 1972. Like Price, Day was born in Texas; “Rock-in’ Robin,” however, stands as Day’s only charted R&B single.

Sixty-five years on, Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” leads the latest Hot Country Songs chart (dated Oct. 21, 2023). “Flashing signs invite a broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights,” a lonesome Price sang in his hit; sings Combs, “Won’t have to drive too far, just across the border and into the city …”

Meanwhile, Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” featuring J. Cole, launches as Drake’s record-extending 30th No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. On the Hot 100, it’s Drake’s 13th leader, tying him with Jackson for the most among solo males.