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Omar Apollo was supposed to be in Philadelphia on Thursday night. The R&B singer had been slated to open for SZA on her SOS Tour stop at the Wells Fargo Center, but that show was postponed at the last moment, leaving the best new artist Grammy nominee with an unexpectedly free evening.
Rather than waste it, he decided to give his loyal cadre of fans a special treat by announcing a secret show at New York City’s Irving Plaza.
With just a few hours’ notice, the concert was sold out, and Billboard was on the scene inside the packed ballroom for Apollo’s intimate, off-the-cuff set, which took place just two days before he’s slated to take the stage at Madison Square Garden to open for SZA. “You’re getting the real, unscripted vibes, you know what I’m saying?” the singer — clad in a black puffer jacket, sweats and backward baseball cap — told the electrified crowd after revealing he and his band hadn’t even had time to come up with a setlist or run through a full rehearsal for the spontaneous show.
Below, Billboard rounded up all the best moments from Apollo’s secret show in NYC.
‘Thoughts of a Third Make Me Weak‘
After a one-two punch of “Useless” and “Killing Me,” Apollo treated fans to a live performance of his newest single “3 Boys.” The heartsick ode to queer desire and casual non-monogamy translated perfectly from record to stage as he yearned, “Seems like everything I do take me further from you/ Three boys would work if I wasn’t so tethered to you/ What should I do? I can’t even choose/ I’m tethered to you, baby” while bathed in cool blue light. Apollo’s heart may not be ready to juggle multiple guys, but the crowd couldn’t get enough of the romantic ballad.
Playing with His ‘Tamagotchi‘
No song got the jam-packed room going throughout the night quite like Ivory single “Tamagotchi,” which was produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes. The bouncy Latin trap jam had Apollo engaging in a teasing back-and-forth with the audience, flashing some skin as he motioned to the band of his underwear (“Feel on my waistline”) and miming a sexually charged hand gesture on the song’s steamy chorus.
On Such a Winter’s Day
It may have been a chilly 40 degrees outside, but Apollo decided to bring some sunshine indoors by injecting a number of tender, off-the-cuff covers into his set. “So, yo, I didn’t, like, have a full entire set, but I do have some covers if y’all want to hear some covers,” he said as the crowd erupted into enthusiastic screams, leading him to admit, “Thank god. Thank god, it relieves me.”
First up was “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas and The Papas. Leaning into his fluttering falsetto, the alt-R&B sensation transformed the 1965 classic into a slow-burning groove, singing, “Stopped into a church/ I passed along the way/ Well, I got down on my knees/ And I pretend to pray/ You know the preacher likes the cold/ He knows I’m gonna stay/ California dreamin’, dreamin’, dreamin’/ On such a winter’s day” before letting out an excited yelp.
Next, the singer offered up an impromptu take on “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King. The only problem? He wasn’t quite sure of the lyrics, leading him to borrow someone’s phone to read off the words — but only after stopping momentarily to make sure a distressed fan was all right in the audience. “I was kind of nervous, I’ve never sang that before,” he admitted to the crowd after finishing the song, later adding, after a cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication album cut “Porcelain,” “We didn’t rehearse sh–! I’m letting y’all know right now, we didn’t rehearse nothin’! We had to put it together for New York!”
An ‘En El Olvido’ Sing-Along
Following the trio of covers, it was time to get back into Apollo’s own discography, which he did by jumping into the Spanish-language “En El Olvido.” The rising star’s Mexican-American roots have always been a central tenet of his musical brand, and from the first jaunty notes of the guitar, fans went wild with appreciation. So much so that partway through the song, Apollo decided to pass the mic around to a number of fans in the front row, giving them the chance to prove that they did, in fact, know every single word of the deep cut en Español.
‘Evergreen’ Is Evergreen
Naturally, there was no more obvious choice for closing out the secret set than “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All).” After all, the breakout hit was Apollo’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as an array of charts around the world, and has since been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
And for his big finale, Apollo demonstrated precisely why the midtempo jam made the leap from TikTok virality to a bona fide radio hit. “Evergreen/ She don’t know you like me/ She could never love you more, more than me/ But sometimes I pray that you fall in love/ I’ve cried, I’ve cried so much for you, baby,” he crooned as the house sang each word back to him in full force. Not even the thrilling encore of “Go Away” could match the energy of the rising star’s biggest hit.
The first new music Friday of the month is here, and it’s filled with music by Nicki Minaj, Morgan Wallen, a collaboration between BTS rapper J-Hope and J. Cole, and more.
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Following a successful 2022 that saw Minaj nab her first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Super Freaky Girl” (which notably interpolated Rick James’ 1981 hit “Super Freak”), the rapper revived Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” on new single “Red Ruby Da Sleeze.” Instead of using the song as a straight sample, Minaj uses the track as a percussion instrument, rapping over it with lyrics about her wannabes and imitators, even sneaking in cheeky references to Christopher Reeve and Karl Malone.
Country star Wallen’s new album, One Thing at a Time, sees him expanding his catalogue even more with a triple LP consisting of 36 songs, one-upping his previous double album release, Dangerous. On the new expansive project, he grapples with his fame, and even faces some of the divisive moments during his meteoric ascent to the top. “I was a bad reputation, with an attitude to match,” Wallen sings on “Dying Man,” the album’s closing track. “Hell, man, I’m goin’ nowhere/ And gettin’ there lightnin’ fast.”
J-Hope continues his momentum from 2022 with another “J” rapper — J. Cole. The pair teams up for “On the Street,” in which the BTS rapper expresses gratitude for his blessings and the dedicated fans who have helped make it happen. Cole effortlessly slides on the beat, charismatic and confident alongside the K-pop star as he speaks of his own unique come-up story.
Kali Uchis, Marshmello with Manuel Turizo, and Portugal. The Man also return this week. With so many great new options, we want to know what you have on repeat. Vote in our new music release poll below.
Cardi B is lovin’ it. The star gushed over the sweet face ink she got on behalf of her son, Wave, in a new social media post.
“I love my face tatt,” the rapper tweeted Thursday (March 2) with a simple red-heart emoji alongside a photo showing off Wave’s name written in red ink on the left side of her jawline.
The photo appears to be a close-up from Cardi’s ongoing campaign with husband Offset for the couple’s personalized Valentine’s-ready McDonald’s meal, which features a Quarter Pounder with cheese, a cheeseburger, side of BBQ sauce, a large fry and apple pie to share, and two large drinks.
The promo shoot was the first time some fans noticed Cardi’s ink — which she originally revealed back in a November Instagram Story — with one writing, “I never noticed that tat lol” and another questioning, “She got a face tatt??” Meanwhile, one follower on Twitter noticed that McDonald’s seemed to appreciate the “Up” rapper’s tattoo as well, sharing a screenshot of the fast-food giant having liked her latest tweet.
Along with the McDonald’s meal, Cardi and Offset also released a full merch collection filled with T-shirts, hoodies, booty shorts and beanies emblazoned with plenty of puns (“nice buns”), signature catchphrases (Cardi’s famous “ok uu rr rr rr”) and more.
In February, Cardi surprised an ecstatic crowd as a special guest at GloRilla’s New York City concert, where the pair teamed up to perform their hit collab “Tomorrow 2,” just weeks after the former and her husband dazzled with a pre-Super Bowl set in Arizona attended by Serena Williams, Tiffany Haddish and more.
Get a closer look at Cardi’s new Wave-inspired face tattoo below, which was also visible in the Feb. 14 Instagram post she made to promote her McDonald’s meal.
With clever wordplay, a quirky sense of humor and an imaginative way of utilizing samples, De La Soul have long been celebrated as one of the most creative, influential groups in hip-hop.
However, throughout the lifetime of digital music streaming, the first six albums created by Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove and Maseo have been more-or-less unavailable thanks to sample clearance issues and various other industry hurdles.
Finally, in the summer of 2021, that began to change. Rights to the Long Island trio’s former label Tommy Boy were acquired by Reservoir Media – and after that, it was a matter of time before the group retrieved their masters.
Now, those first six albums are finally available for public consumption in the digital domain. Unfortunately, the long-overdue campaign transpires as De La Soul copes with the Feb. 12, 2023, death of Trugoy (born David Jude Jolicoeur) at 54. A cruel twist of fate, but the newfound availability of their catalog will no doubt only punctuate the importance he had on the hip-hop landscape.
The newly available sextet of albums consists of the trio’s classic 1989 debut 3 Feet High and Rising; its follow-up 1991 masterpiece De La Soul Is Dead; 1993’s jazzy Buhloone Mindstate; 1996’s rugged Stakes Is High, 2000’s Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump; and 2001’s AOI: Bionix.
These albums join the trio’s more recent albums – including 2004’s The Grind Date and 2016’s And The Anonymous Nobody… — on Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and the like, giving a brand new generation of music fans the opportunity to discover the humor, intelligence and poignancy De La Soul brought to the table for decades.
But if you’re not already a De La diehard, where do you start in their catalog to best absorb the essence of the knowledge kicked by the Plugs? Most everyone somewhat familiar with the group knows their biggest hit, “Me Myself and I,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1989 and reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. And while the tune is a perfect conduit into the heart of hip-hop’s Daisy Age, De La Soul have so many classic jams that it’s unfair for them to be defined strictly by their biggest hit.
For better acuity, Billboard has selected 10 additional De La Soul cuts that stand as the trio’s finest works on wax to wit. Rest in Peace, Dave.
“Royalty Capes” (2016)
After a 12-year break between albums (although the period did see them collaborate with the Gorillaz on the top 20 Hot 100 hit “Feel Good Inc.”), De La returned in 2016 with And The Anonymous Nobody…. Lead single “Royalty Capes” let everyone know they were back for their flowers, with majestic trumpets announcing the trio’s return. Adding further gravitas is the song’s video, which is prefaced by Dave detailing his congestive heart failure diagnosis.
“Rock Co.Kane Flow” feat. MF Doom (2004)
We should be thankful we got at least one De La/DOOM banger while MF Doom and Trugoy still walked among us. On this song from 2004’s The Grind Date, the Supervillain and the Plugs tear up a hallelujah beat by Seattle’s Jake One. Before this song, the closest Doom and De La ever got to collaborating was when 3rd Bass’ “The Gas Face” (the recording debut of Doom) was sampled for the De La Soul track “Oodles of O’s” more than a decade earlier. Listen here.
“Trying People” (2001)
The final track on the second installment of the intended AOI trilogy is hip-hop at its most emotional. Few emcees could invoke such weight like Trugoy, who rapped in the same key of sincerity that the likes of Billy Joel and Paul Simon sang in. And on “Trying People,” he lets us in like never before as he admits: “Years just blow by /My eyes stay fixed but the picture’s kinda outta focus / I cry a lot but admit to it / Enjoyin’ life now but I’ve been through it.” Exhibiting this kind of vulnerability was practically unheard of in the rap game at the time. But the honesty Trugoy displayed on this song no doubt opened the doors for acts like Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar. Listen here.
“All Good?” feat. Chaka Khan (2000)
In contrast to Dave’s lament about R&B singers over BS tracks on “Stakes Is High,” De La Soul recruited genuine soul royalty in 2000 with Chaka Khan singing the hook for this successful single off the trio’s fifth album Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump. Despite its pessimistic chorus, the song itself found Pos and Trugoy in top lyrical form as Ms. Khan cruises inside a funky De La beat. “All Good?” also brought the group some chart action, reaching No. 96 on the Hot 100, No. 6 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 41 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Listen here.
“Stakes Is High” (1996)
One of Dove’s hottest moments on the mic was his indelible list of grievances in the second verse of the J Dilla-kissed title cut to De La’s 1996 classic Stakes Is High. “I’m sick of R&B b-tches over bullsh-t tracks, cocaine and crack that brings sickness to Blacks,” he laments over a reverberating horn blast plucked from the 1974 Ahmad Jamal song “Swahililand,” speaking on the toxic flamboyance of that mid-‘90s era. Listen here.
“I Am I Be” feat. Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and Pee-Wee Ellis (1993)
If “Buddy” was a declaration of unity among the Native Tongues crew, this somber missive from 1993’s jazzy Buhloone Mindstate reveals fractures in the bond keeping the crew together. “Or some tongues who lied/And said ‘We’ll be natives to the end,’” Pos laments over a beat sourced from the Lou Rawls hit “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” and featuring the legendary JB Horns (Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and Pee-Wee Ellis) on brass. “Nowadays we don’t even speak/I guess we got our own life to live/Or is it because we want our own kingdom to rule?” It’s that level of pure honesty that makes “I Am I Be” such an essential part of the De La songbook. Listen here.
“Keepin’ the Faith” (1991)
Another crowning example of Prince Paul’s penchant for seamless sample layering. Here, he brings together 10 different songs — including snippets of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” and “Just A Touch Of Love” by Slave – to build an unstoppable groove. Pos and Trugoy bless this beat burger with some of their best verses on De La Soul Is Dead, flexing inside slang with a bravado that brings it on home. Listen here.
“Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” (1991)
The first single off their post-Daisy Age masterpiece saw Pos, Trugoy and Maseo set the scene for East Coast hip-hop in the early ‘90s with this ridiculously funky lament, built around an obscure 1981 disco song by The Whatnauts, about cats hassling the guys to check out their demo tapes. In a tribute to Dave on social media, Pos alluded to the tune when he wrote “for now on when we perform ‘Ring Ring Ring Ha Ha Hey’ we will say ‘2-2-2-2-222 we got an angel in heaven who can talk to you.’”
“Eye Know” (1989)
This 3 Feet highlight is an early example of the genius of producer Prince Paul and his crafty deployment of samples. On this uplifting love song, it’s the combination of Otis Redding’s whistle from “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” the guitars and horns from The Mad Lads hit “Make This Young Lady Mine,” the drum break off Lee Dorsey’s “Get Out Of My Life, Woman” and the vocal hook from “Peg” by Steely Dan that gives Pos and Trugoy their wings to fly high on a lyrical plane that finds both men extolling the virtues of ascending to De La heaven.
“Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)” feat. Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Queen Latifah, Monie Love and Jungle Brothers (1989)
Native Tongues were one of the all-time great crews in the hip-hop storybook. And while it’s unfortunate the conscious posse never lasted long enough to create a full album together, “Buddy” forever offers a taste of the magic captured by De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah and Monie Love on this ode to friends with benefits — with Trugoy leading the charge. Check out the seven-minute extended remix for maximum boogie. Friendship never sounded so fresh on wax. Listen here.
If you missed The Weeknd on his After Hours Til Dawn Tour now’s your chance to catch up. The singer dropped his first-ever live album on Friday (March 3), Live at SoFi Stadium, a 31-track collection chronicling his two-night stand at the Los Angeles venue in Nov. 2022.
As you might expect, the career-overview track list features some of Abel’s most beloved hits, including “Wicked Games,” “Kiss Land,” ” Starboy,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Save Your Tears,” “Die For You” and “Blinding Lights,” among others. The set is executive produced by The Weeknd and Mike Dean and is a companion to his recent HBO special Live at SoFi Stadium.
Among the other songs on the album are “Crew Love,” “Heartless,” “Party Monster,” “Faith,” “Out of Time,” “I Feel It Coming” and “Oh Nah,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign.
The album comes at the top of what is shaping up to be a busy year for Weeknd, who is slated to make his series debut in the as-yet-unscheduled HBO series The Idol, and topline his first feature film, which he is also co-writing and co-executive producing alongside director Trey Edward Shults (It Comes At Night); Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega will co-star and also executive produce.
As if that wasn’t enough, Weeknd and Ariana Grande were back in our ears last week with the remix of their 2016 hit single “Die For You,” marking the dynamic duo’s fourth collaboration, following up 2021’s remix of “Save Your Tears,” as well as his feature on her 2014 single “Love Me Harder” and “Off the Table” from Ari’s most recent album, 2020’s Positions.
Listen to Live at SoFi Stadium below.
Nicki Minaj is back with her first single of 2023, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” which she released on Friday (March 3) via Young Money Entertainment and Republic Records.
The Queen of Rap has been teasing her latest release on Instagram with a video snippet filmed in her home island of Trinidad and Tobago as well as photos of her wearing a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dress with dyed hair in half-pink, half-red space buns.
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“Red Ruby Da Sleeze, Chinese on my sleeve/ These wannabe Chun-Li’s, anyway, nǐ hǎo/ Who the f— told bi—es they was me now?” she raps over Lumidee‘s 2003 smash “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” while also referencing her 2018 Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit and alter-ego “Chun-Li.”
“Red Ruby Da Sleeze” marks her first solo single since 2022’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which became the rapper’s career-first solo Hot 100 No. 1 hit and the first No. 1 debut for a hip-hop song by a female artist with no accompanying acts since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998.
Minaj was recently ranked No. 7 on Billboard and Vibe‘s 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list and the No. 10 on Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022 list. She also emerged as the winner of Billboard‘s inaugural Power Artist 2022 – Fan Choice bracket, where fans voted from the 32 artists who made the biggest impact on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end charts.
Listen to “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” below.
With BTS‘ J-Hope teaming up with J. Cole for “On the Street,” two of hip-hop’s most uplifting and earnest storytellers today come together for a meaningful hip-hop collaboration.
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After BIGHIT MUSIC shared the news on Feb. 26 that J-Hope was beginning his South Korean military enlistment process, the label soon followed up that a new solo single from the rapper would drop on Mar. 3. While fans received official “On the Street” photos that saw J-Hope hanging in New York City, the major reveal for “On the Street” came 24 hours ahead of its release when the official teaser video revealed the song’s special guest in J. Cole.
True to both artists’ penchant for invigorating and socially conscious messages, “On the Street” is brimming with gratitude A lo-fi beat with elements of boom-bap mixed with a catchy whistle hook (with the whistling provided by J-Hope himself, according to a press release), the song’s warm energy is undeniable as the K-pop star opens the track, speaking to fans saying, “Even my walk was made of your love and your faith.”
J. Cole takes over for the second verse with a candid, reflective section looking back with appreciation on his journey: “All hail the mighty survivor of hell…/ Fought tooth and nail/ Just to prevail ‘mongst its most ruthless.” Cole also contemplates the future of his career, spitting, “As the moon jumps over the cow/ I contemplate if I should wait to hand over the crown/ And stick around for a bit longer/ I got a strange type of hunger,” no doubt rousing fans into analyzing each lyric.
J-Hope closes out the track by repeating the anthemic chorus but not before adding a shoutout to “Cole World.”
“On the Ground” is particularly meaningful to J-Hope. While BTS has long shared their admiration for the North Carolina-raised rapper—revealing way back in 2013 their reinterpreted take on J. Cole’s “Born Sinner” with “Born Singer,” which was only officially released last year on Proof—J-Hope has always shared how Cole is one of his ultimate favorite singers; take a look at his playlist of favorite songs with two Cole tracks.
The official music video saw both stars collaborating and shooting the video in New York City.
“On the Street” is J-Hope’s first new solo song since hopping on “Rush Hour” with Korean R&B singer “Crush” (at No. 1 hit on the World Digital Song Sales chart) last fall and follows up his full-length Jack in the Box album from July. Meanwhile, J. Cole dropped a surprise song a few weeks back on Jan. 18 with “Procrastination (Broke),” acting as a thank you to producer Bvtman and “every producer out there cooking up and sharing their work with the world.” Cole’s last LP was May 2021’s The Off-Season from (which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200).
Ray J and Princess Love Norwood have called off their divorce for the third time. According to Los Angeles Superior Court documents filed Wednesday (March 1) and obtained by Billboard, the “Sexy Can I” singer has moved to dismiss his petition to split from Princess Love, whom he married in 2016.
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The filing requests for the divorce petition to be dismissed without prejudice.
This marks the third time the couple, who both starred on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood and share 4-year-old daughter Melody and 2-year-old son Epik, have walked back their divorce plans. Their latest reconciliation comes more than a year after Ray J filed in October 2021 to divorce the 38-year-old Prella Cosmetics founder, citing irreconcilable differences.
Billboard has reached out to Ray J for comment.
“HAD TO GET MY WIFE BACK AND START FRESH,” he wrote on Instagram in January. “I LOVE MY FAMILY!! Ill FIGHT OVER AND OVER FOR LIFE FOR MY FAMILY AND KIDS!!”
In February, he shared videos from his romantic Valentine’s Day celebrations with Norwood.
The couple’s divorce trilogy dates back to May 2020, when she first filed for divorce months after welcoming her second child with the 42-year-old R&B star. A couple months later, she asked for a dismissal of the filing.
Then in September that same year, Ray J filed to end the marriage, asking for joint custody of their two children at the time. The couple’s second split was called off in March 2021, with Ray J saying a month prior in an interview that he and Norwood “care for each other.”
“We’re just respecting each other as human beings, as parents,” he said at the time. “We’re in a great place and who knows what the future holds.” Just a few months later, though, Ray J filed the now-resolved third divorce request in October 2021.
Latto hit the stage at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (March 1) to perform her new single “Lottery” and receive the Powerhouse award during the 2023 Billboard Women in Music event.
Flanked by four backup dancers, the rapper swaggered and danced her way through the disco-inflected track in a sparkling body suit and matching opera-length gloves and dramatic heels.
Following her performance, Latto was presented her award by previous Rising Star honoree Chlöe Bailey, who called her pal and “For the Night” collaborator “a force to be reckoned with,” “an icon for young women everywhere” and “the personification of a powerhouse.”
“Megan Thee Stallion won this award, Doja Cat won this award. It’s crazy because I’m fans of my peers and they’re now my peers,” Latto said, gratefully gripping Bailey’s hand for support. “All the inspiring women who paved the way for me and all the women that there are to come. I’m grateful to be a part of this new wave of female rap and baby, we kickin’ down the door and we ain’t takin’ no for an answer.”
Latto recently sat down with Billboard at Los Angeles’ luxe Paramour Estate to reflect on her rise to Powerhouse status and her dedication to supporting the upcoming generation of female MCs.
“My No. 1 thing has been being a girl’s girl,” she said, giving props to the likes to Flo Milli, Lola Brooke and GloRilla. “I utilize my power in uplifting others on my way up. When you see Latto do a feature with an upcoming female rapper, I don’t charge them.”
Doechii was honored as Billboard’s 2023 Women in Music Rising Star on Wednesday night (March 1) at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.
During the awards show, the rapper performed a mash-up of two of her hits — delivering a sultry rendition of “Persuasive” and a rapid-fire, ferocious take on”Crazy” — before being presented with her award by her mother, Celesia Moore.
“Girl, I done danced my shoe off,” the rapper quipped while accepting her award with a broken shoe before marveling that she’s joined the ranks of Billboard Women in Music Rising Star awardees who have come before her, including Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and Janelle Monáe.
In an interview with Billboard ahead of the show, the boundary-breaking Top Dawg Entertainment signee dished on her five-year plan for her career in the wake of “Persuasive” garnering 30 million on-demand streams in the U.S., per Luminate.
“By year five I want to be at my peak. I want to be in my Sasha Fierce era, the top of my game with still a long way to go — but I want to reach my prime and never leave it,” she said.
Doechii also promised that fans can expect a pivot in her sound when she releases her debut full-length project later this year. “It’s my pop era,” she said. “Usually I’m alone [in the studio], but these days I’ve been inviting people in. Usually I like people to send me beats and I’ll just listen through, but recently I’ve been working with producers like J White in person, which is cool. So my vibe is kind of changing; it’s a lot of energy. It feels like a party.”