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Lil Wayne may not be headlining the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, but he’s still making some noise days ahead of the big game. Weezy starred in an ad for Cetaphil on Thursday (Feb. 6). However, it wasn’t his skin routine that left our jaws on the floor as the New Orleans icon seemingly announced […]
From Theodoros Bafaloukos’ classic film Rockers (1978) to Steve McQueen’s more contemporary anthology entry Lovers Rock (2020), the luscious melodies and charming lyrics of lovers rock – a particularly romantic reggae subgenre – have been enrapturing and inspiring artists for decades. Montreal rapper Skiifall (pronounced “skyfall”) is the latest rising star to be bitten by the lovers rock bug, but he’s not wholly unfamiliar with the style.
Hailing from Barrouille in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Skiifall moved to Montreal, Canada, with his family as a child, and spent his high school years falling in love with Atlanta rap, moving away from the soca and reggae that soundtracked in his childhood. After a few years of toiling in local bands and honing his chops with partially government-funded studio time, he released his breakthrough debut single, “Ting Tun Up,” in 2020. The song garnered massive buzz in the U.K., leading to a remix with Knucks and increased eyeballs and ears on Skiifall. Though his sound morphed into something closer to hip-hop than soca, Skiifall’s sonic profile never completely abandoned his roots: think of the infectious dancehall pulses on “2 Charming” from his 2023 Woiiyoie Vol. 2 – Intense City EP.
Montreal-based producer and DJ YAMA//SOTO is billed as a co-lead artist on “Ting Tun Up,” and that song kicked off a professional relationship that would soon bring both parties into brand new creative spaces. The idea of making a lovers rock project started with “Yama sharing this playlist with me in 2022,” says Skiifall. “From there, I went to Spotify and learned how to use the algorithm to find new music. Once I found one, I couldn’t stop there. It’s now a 12-hour playlist, filled with lovers rock.”
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In his exploration of lovers rock, the music became more than the background noise he used to disregard it as. He and Yama worked on a few early cuts and “from that first session, we knew that we were going to make a whole project – but we didn’t know exactly what we were going to make,” Skiifall recalls. In less than two weeks, the pair had three songs they worked on with Kenny Beats, a genre-agnostic producer whose penchant for live instrumentation made it easy to wade into the world of lovers rock. Their sessions eventually culminated in Lovers Till I’m Gone: a breezy, earnest seven-song lovers rock set that explores stories of contemporary Vincy love and includes a guest appearance by Grammy-nominated U.K. R&B star Jorja Smith. The full set arrived on Jan. 10, with the Smith-assisted “Her World” garnering over one million Spotify streams in less than a month.
In a candid conversation with Billboard, Skiifall recounts how his producers helped him find the coverage to reimagine lovers rock for the 2020s.
When did your family move to Montreal?
My mom moved away before I did; she got me to come join her about two years after in 2009. I was around eight [years old] at that time.
I used to love this movie called Monster House, and the only way I would imagine overseas was through that lens as a kid. I thought that when I got to Canada it would be autumn all the time, but when I arrived, it was fully snowing – like snow to your knees-type s—t [laughs]. I remember being held by the flight attendants waiting for my mom to come pick me up. It felt like a movie, like a new start.
Did you grow up listening to a lot of Vincy music?
When I was small, yes. Soca music has always been a part of my life, reggae music as well. When I got older and went to high school, it was the first time [I had my own phone] and was able to download music. I automatically gravitated towards rap; I started listening to a lot more American music from that age: Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug, Migos, Travis Scott, K Camp, 2 Chainz, etc
It’s only in 2021 that I tapped back in with reggae. I didn’t like it so much because I felt like everywhere we went, it came on. Parties, barbecues, everywhere – that’s all you’re hearing. I wanted to hear some rap.
When did you start working as Skiifall?
Around 2018. But I really started making music as Shamar, at 12 [years old]. I was a vocalist in a band, and we did summer sessions together where we would write albums and perform in front of a bunch of people. We would [also] have studio sessions, which are offered to you while you’re in school. While I was in high school – from 12 to 18 – there were studios in Montreal that allowed you to record for free. You get free recording and free mixing and mastering, so I’ve been going there for a long time. Most of my early music that came out was made there.
I’m super open to exploring and seeing what I can pull from, whether it’s jazz or classical. I take bits and pieces and merge them all together. For [Lovers Till I’m Gone], it was important to try something like that. Me and Yama made a few good songs and then later showed them to Kenny. That spiraled into us like making “Mystery Man” in our first session in 2022. From there, we knew that we should definitely continue to build it. In our first three sessions, we made “Mystery Man,” “Sandy” and “No More.” I remember walking around L.A. at the time and blasting [“Mystery Man”].
I automatically knew what to do [in those sessions], but I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be able to do justice to some of my faves. Yama, Kenny, Venna and Nami [Ondas] really gave me that boost — whether it’s lyrics or the beat or just saying something that might inspire me. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to make [this project] by myself.
What was it like working with Kenny Beats and bringing him into the reggae world?
I think it just came naturally. If you’re a fan of music, you’re able to make whatever you wanna make. If the right parts are there, then the machine is gonna move. Kenny’s aura is the perfect vibe; he makes you feel at home. If you’re not inspired, he’s not gonna force it. He’s gonna let it be and try again the next day. I’m looking forward to making more music [with him] for sure.
Our managers are friends, so that’s how we met. He’s also a fan of my music as well. The first time we met was at his home in 2022 after he DMed me on Instagram. That’s the day we made “Mystery Man.”
How did you get Jorja Smith on “Her World?”
She’s been a fan of mine ever since I blew up, and I was always a fan of hers as well. Her name kept coming up during the process of figuring out who would be the best person to join forces with and build a great song. Luckily, at the time our managers were friends, so she was down to work on the song. She got the song, and she was pretty down, so I waited for her to send her verse back and the rest was history.
At first, I didn’t like “Her World” because I didn’t think it sat on the same level as “Mystery Man,” but Jorja brought it to that level. She gave it a different flow. She bodied that because I’d never heard anybody do lover’s rock like that; she just broke it down and built it back up.
What are your plans for the visual world of Lovers Till I’m Gone?
I have this film coming that’s supposed to be sort of like Rockers (1978). I worked on it super closely with my director Simon [Davis] and my dad; we went back to Saint Vincent to shoot. It’s about 17 minutes and is meant to showcase the country and the vibe going on there.
I remember speaking to Kenny about not wanting to [recreate] the ‘80s or what people looked like back then. We wanted to keep it [focused on] how it is currently – what people are going through right now and how they’re living and all that. It’s kind of like a documentary but with music.
What should we know about the Montreal music scene right now?
I think you should know nothing because… yeah.
Do you plan to stay in the lover’s rock space a bit longer?
This project was recorded a long time ago, so I already have all the stuff that I’ve been working on ready to go. I’m ready to be out on the road as well. If this lifetime grants me the time, I will definitely keep making reggae. I love rap, so reggae is gonna be occasional. But when it’s done, I have to make sure that it’s done well because I feel like it’s not been treated well in some ways. If I’m going to personally attack it, then I have to do right by it.
Who are your top three favorite lovers’ rock artists?
Billy Boyo, Dennis Brown and Johnny Osbourne. My favorites of all time are two very different people: Sister Nancy and Yellowman. Jah Cure is in there too.
Irv Gotti — born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. — passed away on Wednesday (Feb. 5) at the age of 54, and the hip-hop community has been in mourning as heartfelt tributes have poured out in the hours since.
Former Def Jam president Lyor Cohen worked extensively with Irv Gotti, who co-founded Murder Inc. Recordings as an imprint under Def Jam with his brother Chris in 1998.
Cohen released a statement paying tribute to Gotti, who he called one of Def Jam’s “most creative soldiers.”
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“Def Jam has lost one of its most creative soldiers,” Cohen said in a statement on Thursday (Feb. 6). “He was hip-hop, and when we were on bended knee he brought the heat and saved our asses. He comes from a very tight, beautiful family from Queens and it’s an honor and a privilege to have known him. Irv you will be missed.”
Gotti brought DMX to Def Jam in the late ’90s and played an integral role in convincing the label to sign him. The Queens native also engineered the lucrative careers of Murder Inc. titans Ja Rule, Ashanti and more.
Irv Gotti initially broke into the music industry as “DJ Irv” when he produced tracks from Jay-Z’s acclaimed Reasonable Doubt debut like “Can I Live?”
He went on to serve as a co-producer architecting hits such as Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?,” Ashanti’s “Foolish,” Ja Rule’s “Mesmerize” and Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Always On Time,” Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” and many more.
“How I got to Def Jam was because of Ja [Rule],” Gotti once told Complex in 2015. “Because Lyor [Cohen] wanted to sign Ja. First meeting I ever had I was like, ‘We have to sign DMX.’ And they laughed at me. I remember when I left the office Tina Davis said, ‘If DMX don’t sell, your a– is fired.’”
Irv Gotti has suffered from diabetes for years, but an official cause of death is yet to be revealed. Gotti’s children memorialized him with a statement on Instagram Thursday.
“Our dad was an incredible man, a true visionary who transformed the hip-hop industry and changed the game for artists and fans alike,” they wrote. “His passion for music and dedication to his craft inspired many, and his contributions will continue to influence future generations.”
The statement continues: “As we navigate this difficult time, we kindly ask for privacy while we grieve the loss of our dad, son, brother, uncle, and friend. We take comfort in knowing that his spirit will live on through his music and the love he shared with all of us. Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time.”
GELO— yes, former NBA G-League hooper and middle Ball brother, LiAngelo Ball — delivered rap’s first hit of 2025 with “Tweaker.” Imagine going back in time and uttering that sentence to your cousin at Thanksgiving dinner a few months ago?
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“Definitely caught me off-guard for sure, it’s crazy,” GELO tells Billboard of his meteoric rise to rap stardom. “I’m here for it. I knew something was gon’ happen. I’m ready to get stuff moving now.”
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Equal parts inspired by the Big Tymers and YoungBoy Never Broke Again, “Tweaker” began to take shape about three weeks before the world would be swerving and bending that corner when the 26-year-old penned the track in his garage in December.
“Tweaker” ended up being one of four tracks he recorded in the session, but he bumped his eventual breakout hit the entire ride back home before sending it to his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo for approval. “At the end of that s–t, I knew that s–t was gonna be great,” GELO says like it was all part of his masterplan.
Hype for “Tweaker” exploded in late December following a preview on popular streamer N3on’s platform, which spawned a plethora of 2000s-themed memes and others crowning the snippet as a banger while keeping GELO’s earworm of a hook on a loop.
It’s also a sign of the times and music landscape in 2025 with streamers serving as powerful newschool gatekeepers with more cultural currency than radio staples like Hot 97.
GELO played into the nostalgia factor and had “Tweaker” premiere on WorldStarHipHop — a move straight out of the 2011 playbook along with it landing on streaming services on Jan. 3. The track dominated social media conversation and infiltrated NBA and NFL locker rooms, who instructed the in-house DJ to “Put that GELO on!”
“Tweaker” debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a month later is holding strong in the top 50. It also remains at No. 3 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. GELO didn’t waste any time parlaying his momentum into a record deal with Def Jam, which was first reported by ESPN‘s Shams Charania on Jan. 13 — pointing to his crossover pop culture impact.
For his next move, GELO heads to New Orleans to play one-on-one with Lil Wayne for the anticipated “Tweaker” remix, which arrives on Friday (Feb. 7). “That’s like hooping with [Michael] Jordan,” says GELO. “He back on that Dedication type of sound. That boy was flowing.”
Learn more about our hip-hop R&B Rookie of the Month for February’s triple-double to start 2025 in our interview as we touch on all things “Tweaker,” his father LaVar’s reaction to his rap career, plans going forward and much more.
Billboard: Can you believe this right now? Is this crazy? First press run diving into it and a major hit to start the year.
GELO: Yeah, I signed a deal and I have music since a long time ago. I’ve been writing new stuff so I got a lot of stuff to put out. I think I could blow up soon. We’ll see.
Growing up, who were some of your favorite rappers?
I always listened to YoungBoy growing up, of course. DMX, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Nelly – my dad used to play all them. Ice Cube.
Do you remember your first time writing raps?
I didn’t record nothing until I was 18, 19. Before that, I wrote my first rap in the 3rd grade in my little notebook. That s–t was hard. I had some bars in there about Vince Carter.
Did you keep writing? Was that a consistent exercise?
It was all for fun. I’d be with my cousins, my brothers – we’d always rap battle and freestyle and s–t. I was practicing without even noticing for real. Random beats, we’d all just hop in on.
“Tweaker” going crazy out here. Walk me through how this came together… Paint that whole picture for us.
I always get a little itch to write. If I feel like that I’ma go make some songs. I wrote it in the garage and then I got to thinking and writing and s–t and that’s what I came up with. I was like, “Wow.” I played it all the way home I’m like, “This one hard!”
Does Lonzo or LaMelo hear it?
I sent it to Melo, Zo and two of my friends. I don’t be spreading like that. I do that with all my music. I got other songs I like more than “Tweaker.” It’s coming.
How long before we heard it did you write and record it?
I wrote that like three weeks [before]. That was one of my fresh songs. I made four songs that day. I think they all gon’ do some damage.
Where’d you find the beat?
My boy found it he lives back home by Chino Hills. His name’s Pat and he searched up all the beats and stuff and he’ll link with the producers and sent it my way. They’ll send me a pack and I’ll listen to 10 beats or so and I’ll pick three great ones.
Obviously, everyone’s saying it has this 2000s feel to it. Did you feel that and were you on that type of vibe?
The 2000s didn’t cross my mind at all. I was just in the garage like, “This s–t hard.” How I make music I’ll do a little melody in my head at first. I’ll freestyle some s–t.
So that’s how the chorus came together?
All the hooks and stuff I always hum something in my head.
When did you notice “Tweaker” started to pick up steam on social media? Like we got something going crazy out here and a legit hit.
Really after the day I went on NEON’s stream. My s–t was blowing up. My phone was going crazy. NEON hit me like, “Bro, your song going crazy.” I’m like, “Iight gang.” I’ma tap in with him down the line. He cool. That was random as hell. We didn’t plan none of that. He was like, “I’m in L.A.” I’m like, “Alright, I’ll pull up on you.” I was trying to do a stream for real.
That’s the new cable TV in a way. I love that you intentionally premiered it on WorldStarHipHop.
Oh yeah, that was intentional. That’s what I grew up on too. I was like, “Let me drop my s–t on WorldStar and see what happens.” I just let them rock with it. I hit them up directly.
What was LaVar’s first reaction to hearing [“Tweaker”]?
He asked me, “How’d you come up with that s–t, man? I guess all them times they called home saying you was rapping in class, I guess that s–t paid off!” He’s happy.
Are you bouncing ideas off Lonzo?
Nah, I write all my own music, he writes his. I don’t know how it said he wrote it on there. I don’t know. I’m not about to be like, “I wrote it!” I don’t care for real. I be writing my own music.
It was dope to see it become a locker-room anthem for the Cavs, Damian Lillard and the Detroit Lions.
I love that my music spread to the sports world because what I grew up in. I feel like that’s my people whoever play the song. I feel like I’m putting on for the sports for real.
Do you have any favorite memes or videos that came about?
I reposted one of the AND-1 videos. He was doing the AND-1 mixtape like, “How the Gelo got me feeling.” On a bigger scale, when Darius Garland played my shit I was like, “Yeah, that’s hard.” I’ve seen bro workout and he’s a cool dude. The Lions were like, “Put that Gelo on!” Everybody be commenting that now.
“Tweaker” debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. What was your initial reaction to seeing you got a top 40 hit out here?
That’s hard. I’m proud, but personally I feel like I could get on there a lot. I got music, bro. I listen to my own music and I sent it to my homies and the people I send it to they be like, “This is all I be listening to for real.” I feel good about it and I’m ready to see what happens.
“Tweaker” remix on the way. What we got coming on there?
We got Lil Wayne getting on there. The legend, GOAT. You know I had to for real.
How was connecting with him and what was his reception to the record?
I didn’t connect with him until my manager’s and them showed me his song. I hit him up on the Gram like, “Your verse is hard as hell. That’s what we was missing on our s–t.” He was a cool dude. He was like, “I hope you mess with the verse.” That verse is tough. Watch out ya’ll gon’ see?
How quick was the label process when you went to take meetings? Why’d you end up choosing Def Jam?
My guys DMO and Tony helped me out with that. They set up some meetings with all the main labels and we took em and had to feel everybody out. They just had the best deal. Def Jam was the most excited. They had the best deal for real. They wasn’t just talking. They was ready to cooperate with us. We was telling them what we expect, what we need and what we want and they was like, “Yeah, that’s smooth.” Giving us feedback that we was rocking with. They put it together nice. That’s love right there.
What’s next music-wise for you? Do you have another one in the tuck you’re going with?
I’ma follow-up with “Can You Please?” A little different – still could rock to it.
Do you have plans for an album?
Yeah, for sure. Be expecting an album soon. I got some songs to put together for y’all.
How much percent of that do you have done?
Me, personally, I feel like I’m done. I gotta make three more songs. I gotta make songs for fun right now. I could put out an album. It’s not for fun, it’s very official. I could put an album together right now, but I still want to touch up some things, put some new songs, get some features going.
Do you feel any pressure to follow-up “Tweaker” with another hit?
I like some of my songs better than “Tweaker.” I don’t think so. I think y’all gonna like ‘em more too.
Performing at Rolling Loud – that’s cool to see you on there. Have been you practicing?
I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but they got me practicing. I do a little stage practice. I’ll be ready. I’m looking forward to that.
Do you have a dream collaboration?
I would like to do a tape with YoungBoy [Never Broke Again]. A little collab tape. 10 songs or some s–t. Bangers though — I think I could hold my own with him.
Do you think fame prepared you for stardom in a way?
Yeah, it helped a lot. Since babies, my pops always had us in the spotlight — like, we flexing in front of 30 people and s–t. “Show em your muscles!” I just never been shy like that. You know the little class presentations people be nervous? I never felt that — I just be chatting. That’s how I came up. It doesn’t feel new for real.
You performed at the Detroit Lions game. Talk to me about that experience.
That was crazy. 70,000 right there, first performance. I just wanted to see what it was about for real going into an NFL stadium. It was a great experience. It was different for me. If I could touch some s–t up, I’ll give myself a seven out of 10. Fans be like that’s a 10 but I know I could do better. Great start I feel like. Shout-out to the Lions.
I saw Cam’ron try to blame you for the loss for the Lions.
I’m not hearing that. I came to give them love. I should be mad, y’all lost on my time. I’m just trying to turn the fans up.
Is there a reality show coming up?
Yeah, I think so. I think it’s in motion right now. We’ll see.
What was your first tattoo?
My chest piece. That s–t hurt, bro. I was about to stop mid-tatt. I said, “Ay bro, hold on.” Had to get a little break. I finished it up. I always loved tats though. In second grade I used to draw a lot. 50 Cent on one of his covers had all the tats on his back. The “Southside” 50. I was like, “That’s hard.” I’ma get tatted when I get grown.
Did you put any pressure on yourself after seeing LaMelo doing his thing and Lonzo doing his thing?
Nah, I never put no pressure on myself. Even growing up – even if something was terrible I always told myself I’d never be regular, for real. I always knew I was gonna get [millions] and be big or something. I can’t just sit down.
If somebody asked you for advice, what do you think is the best way for kids to get to the NBA?
If you wanna make the league go to AAU and play up a lot of ages. When I was 12 I was playing 16 anf 18 year olds. It’s what it takes. You might get your a– whooped first two or three games but you gon learn to adapt and when you play kids your age it’s over. That’s the base of things. The rest it don’t matter what school you go to. Just make sure you tap into college I feel like it would help with the NIL and all that. There’s the recipe.
What’s your main goal for 2025?
Probably to have the biggest album out and be one of the biggest rappers. The top rapper. Tap into that new stuff.
“But who are you? That was the question I kept getting while talking to people around me about what was next. I hated that question, largely because I couldn’t grasp it. I’m like, the f–k you mean?” … The more I got that question, the more I realized I was a man trapped in my own public image, that transition from being a teenager to an adult.”
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That frank excerpt about feeling boxed in is just one example of the many intriguing moments that can be heard on the latest Audible Original debuting today (Feb. 6): Usher’s Words + Music installment, The Last Showman. The project, written and produced by Usher and journalist/author Gerrick Kennedy, finds the eight-time Grammy winner in deep personal and professional introspection as he reflects on the past, present and future of his 30-year R&B/pop career.
Usher also delves further into detailing the process behind creating and writing one of his game-changing and record-breaking career hallmarks, 2004’s Confessions album. In addition, the Audible Original illuminates Usher’s reflections by featuring live excerpts of classic gems from his vast catalog, including “Burn”, “Confessions Pt. II”, “Can U Handle It?” and “Bad Girl.”
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“Confessions, right? It started exactly like that, sitting around with my guys and confessing the things that we were going through,” recalls Usher in part during another revealing excerpt. “The studio was a safe place for us to just lay out, you know, the s–t that we were doing or going through or experiencing; no pretense, no judgment, just real talk. We didn’t go to the studio with our minds on creating a record that day. Nope. We spent two months working talking, chilling, no women, but just having real conversations about real life, just brutal honesty from a male’s perspective. And for that reason, I called the project real talk.”
With Audible Original’s The Last Showman, Usher adds his own volume to the popular Words + Music series, whose prior releases feature John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Sting, Smokey Robinson, Mariah Carey, Common and Sheryl Crow, among others. In fact, it was listening to Snoop Dogg’s installment and how listeners responded to it that convinced Usher to set his own project in motion.
That’s one of the insights Usher shared with Billboard during a recent Zoom interview ahead of today’s debut of the Audible Original, The Last Showman. Here are several soundbites from that chat with Usher, who begins the European leg of his Past Present Future tour with an eight-date sold-out run at London’s The O2 on March 29.
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On writing and producing The Last Showman: Within the hectic schedule that I had, it was definitely a feat but one worthwhile. Audible gives you the perspective of being able to share nuances because it’s your voice. Writing a book be great; I’m going to do that in the future. But this is a step in the direction of beginning to talk about things that are personal to me. Creating a narrative or a voice in this space was part of the reason I did it. I’d heard about Snoop’s when he did it and how people responded to it.
And we’d been trying our hardest to find the best way to not necessarily reimagine but just give a different perspective of Confessions. What are other nuanced things you can offer that give people perspective? Like what did happen? Better yet, what didn’t happen? What didn’t happen was having a camera available; that wasn’t the culture of that time. Imagine if I’d had a camera set up, walking through all of the emotions and the nature of what we were talking about; where inspiration for the songs came from and even what goes into being a showman within that process of my life. I didn’t get a chance to do that.
So this gave me an opportunity to take myself and my fans back to where I was mentally and creatively [in my 20s] while making Confessions. It gives nuance to who I am, how I think and what makes me who I am as a showman.
How the Last Showman title originated: Gerrick and I worked primarily over last summer, creating the project through a series of conversations and interviews around certain things. Then we went through our notes and made certain they were in my voice and I recorded it. That gave me the freedom to really freelance and create nuances on top of what we wrote based on our initial interviews. And from that, we both landed on this as a title that’s necessary.
Artist development is slowly but surely becoming less of a priority. But when you hear this [project], it leads you to understand that if you want to be an artist like this artist, you’re going to have to do some work that’s different than what you normally would do with the intention of becoming a sustainable artist forever. I’m hoping that’s the inspiration that people take away from this. The title in itself is hopefully going to instigate the conversation of what it is to be a showman, and maybe even pose a question: Are you the last showman — and the last showman in comparison to what? So all of those things are kind of like the catch, the hook. You’ve got to have a hook that’s going to get people’s attention. But my intention is not just about that. It’s about making people understand the importance of artist development.
His own takeaway from the experience: I really put my heart into this opportunity. I think music at this point sells everything but itself. So this does help people have a perspective, a different viewpoint, about music and the creation of it. I want people to look at Audible in that way; I want other artists to understand the value of doing this. I’ve been very fortunate to have had a life and a whole host of experiences that have helped me be the artist I am. I’m just trying to offer that back to the people who care to listen.
It’s been 489 days since Drake said he was planning to take a break from music “for a little bit” to focus on his health. And though he hasn’t released a solo album since October 2023’s For All the Dogs — followed by August 2024’s 100 Gigs EP — his time out turned out to be a working vacation thanks to last year’s Kendrick Lamar beef, which gave us “First Person Shooter,” “Push Ups,” “Taylor Made Freestyle,” “Family Matters” and “The Heart Pt. 6.”
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Now, in the midst of his Anita Max Win tour in Australia, Drizzy is hinting at his next solo venture. “I got a new album coming out on Valentine’s Day with PARTYNEXTDOOR. It’s called $ome $exy $ongs 4 U,” Drake said on Wednesday night (Feb. 5) during his second gig at RAC Arena in Perth according to video of the moment. “And you know, eventually when the time is right, Drizzy Drake alone by himself is gonna have to have a one-on-one talk to y’all.”
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The announcement of the as-yet-untitled album — whose release date is also not yet announced — was accompanied by shouts of approval from the crowd, as Drake added, “When the time is right, I’ll be back with another album, a one-on-one conversation with y’all that you need to hear.”
The talk of a new album was news to the fans, coming more than nine months after Kendrick scored a by-almost-all-accounts knockout blow in the beef with the lacerating “Not Like Us.” Drake went mostly radio silence after that song dropped last May, but at Tuesday’s kick-off of the Australian tour the 6 God promised fans, “The year is now 2025, and Drizzy Drake is very much still alive.”
He proved it on Monday with the surprise release of a trailer for the upcoming PND joint album, less than 24 hours after Lamar’s devastating diss track won five Grammy Awards. “$OME $EXY $ONGS 4 U FEBRUARY 14,” Drake captioned the clip featuring an untitled, moody PartyNextDoor snippet from the album. The trailer also featured Drake seemingly in a trance while chilling in the corner of a neon-lit club, staring into space surrounded by chatty women completely ignoring him.
The Anita Max Win Tour will head to Melbourne on Super bowl Sunday — when it’s expected that K-Dot will perform “Not Like Us” during his halftime show for the biggest TV audience of the year — for the first of four gigs at Rod Laver Arena, followed by stops in Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, New Zealand on the MC’s first shows Down Under since 2017.
After news broke of the death of Murder Inc. Records co-founder Irv Gotti on Wednesday (Feb. 5), tributes poured in from the hip-hop world, including from the label where he got his start, Def Jam. Gotti started out in A&R at the hip-hop label, before co-founding the culture-dominating Murder Inc. imprint with his brother, Chris […]
The devastation left behind by the horrific wildfires in Los Angeles has drawn an outpouring of support, especially from the music community. Between the FireAid concerts at Inglewood, California’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum (Jan. 30) — featuring a rainbow of stars from Billie Eilish to Stevie Wonder — and the Grammy telecast (Feb. 2), more than $100 million in relief funds has been raised.
Just as important, however, are the boots-on-the-ground efforts like that of local rap legend The Game, who recently visited Altadena, California, as Billboard News tagged along. Ravaged by the Hurst Fire that burned more than 500 acres, the generational community boasts a rich Black cultural legacy given that Altadena was one of the first L.A. areas that openly welcomed Black home ownership. Billboard News was there when The Game, a native of Compton, California, headed to Altadena to talk — and dole out hugs — to first responders, local high school coaches, federal credit union members and more about their survival stories.
“This is some serious … It’s serious business, man,” The Game says to a pair of firefighters while visiting their station house. “After this experience, now, when I hear a fire truck coming down the street, I’m pulling over and I’m not annoyed because usually it’s like ‘argh, I got to pull over.’ My hat’s on, but it’s off to you guys, man.”
The Game also spoke with coaches from several high schools — Maranatha, South Pasadena, Pasadena and John Muir — who shared moving stories about losses they suffered, as well as their students, while encouraging residents to rebuild and not leave. “This was a predominantly African-American neighborhood,” DeAnthony Langston tells The Game. “Just to see this is terrible, man; you coming out says a lot.”
Watch “Community Stories With The Game,” and to donate to Altadena’s wildfire relief fund, visit here.
Irv Gotti — who co-founded the hitmaking Murder Inc. Records label and helped make early 2000s superstars out of Ja Rule and Ashanti — has died after suffering a stroke, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. He was 54 years old. Alongside brother Chris, Irv Gotti (born Domingo Lorenzo Jr.) launched Murder Inc. in 1998 as an […]
Cam’ron and LiAngelo Ball are still going at it.
The rapper-turned-sports commentator recently shot back at the basketball player-turned-rapper after Ball told Complex‘s Speedy Morman that he’s a better rapper and basketball player than Cam’ron.
“I think I rap colder than him. Basketball? Colder than them n—as,” Ball boasted. “I’m not over here like, ‘Dang, he said I can’t do this.’ I knew this sh– was coming. I just be keeping it cool.”
He then tried to soften the slight, saying, “Other people gonna [disagree], that’s their legend. I’m not disrespecting him. … I’m feeling like I’m up there with my music.”
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“I’ve never seen a basketball player-slash-rapper whatever with CTE,” Cam’ron said on his sports show It Is What It Is. When asked by his co-host Ma$e to “elaborate,” Cam answered, “There’s no other way to explain his comments. I’ve never seen it before. I thought it was a boxing or football thing, but obviously rappers-slash-basketball players can get it too.”
Cam continued to reference Ball’s sitdown with Morman as he tried to explain that he and Ma$e never mentioned anything about his rapping ability when talking about his professional basketball career during an earlier episode around the time his song “Tweaker” was going viral.
“In the interview he said, ‘N—as be talking about me’ — I guess he’s referring to us. He was like, ‘I knew I had this coming down the pipeline,” Killa began to clarify. “First of all, We didn’t know you rapped like that. Whatever. Why do n—as keep moving the goalpost? We said you’re not a professional basketball player. I don’t understand how n—as keep switching. I never said he couldn’t rap. I didn’t even know he did rap. And we can tell how quickly he switched his occupation.”
He then brought up Gelo saying that he’s a better basketball player than Cam, who played varsity ball in high school alongside Ma$e at Manhattan Center back in the early ’90s. “N—as be forgetting how old [we are],” he said. “I look good, I’m in shape, I’m fly [but] I’m older than Tim Duncan, I’m older than Kevin Garnett. This is how old I am. I just look good, man. F— I look like running a full?”
Adding, “Now, if you want me to put some money up on some n—a that I think could beat you that didn’t even go to college, I got a bunch of them n—as. N—as talking ’bout, ‘Killa, take the one-on-one with Gelo.’ N—a, I’m 48 years old! What the f— do I look like playing a n—a one-one-one?”
You can watch the clip below.