R&B/Hip-Hop
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Chloe Bailey dropped the second single, “How Does It Feel” featuring Chris Brown, from her upcoming debut album on Friday (Feb. 24).
In his “How Does It Feel” announcement post on Instagram, Brown gassed up his collaborator by writing, “You are a beautiful soul… TAKE OVER THE WORLD SHAWTY and DONT LOOK BACK! YOU ARE A QUEEN! DONT LET NOBODY TELL YOU NO DIFFERENT! You followed your dreams and now the universe is fulfilling that manifestation.”
Chloe replied underneath, “Can’t wait for the world to hear the magic we created.”
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“How Does It Feel” follows the first single (or piece, rather) “Pray It Away” from Chloe’s debut project In Pieces, which arrives in March via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records. No exact release date has been announced yet.
In an August interview with Essence, Bailey — who is one half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle — explained that her album is “everything that I’ve been going through, all the tearing down, people underestimating, telling me I can’t do it — all of those things have gone into the music.” She added, “The album is me picking myself up and talking myself out of any little place or space that the world has tried to put me in, that people and personal relationships have tried to put me in, and even [doing that to] myself. It’s me breaking free.”
Chloe embarked on her solo career in 2021, around the time her sister Halle began filming for the live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, in which she plays the lead Ariel. Chloe released her debut solo single “Have Mercy” and performed it at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards just days later.
Listen to “How Does It Feel” below.
GloRilla made a tour stop in New York City on Wednesday and brought Cardi B out for a surprise performance of their hit collab “Tomorrow 2.”
The “Up” MC’s sudden appearance caused the entire room to erupt into pandemonium as she delivered her verse on the track, rapping, “I know that I’m rich, but I can’t help it, bi—, I’m hood as f—/ I’ve been on these bi—es’ neck so long, sometimes my foot get stuck/ I can’t put you in my business, you might wish me dead tomorrow/ Bi—es be on di– today, sing every word of ‘Up’ tomorrow/ Bi—, I still got cases open, keep your mouth shut tomorrow.”
Released last fall, “Tomorrow 2” ultimately peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning GloRilla the first top 10 hit of her career following her Hitkidd-assisted breakout single “F.N.F. (Let’s Go).” Since then, the Memphis newcomer has teamed up with Moneybagg Yo for “On Wat U On” and taken aim at haters with the one-off “Internet Trolls.”
Meanwhile, Cardi just dropped a McDonald’s merch line with Offset on the heels of starring in their adorable Valentine’s Day-themed Super Bowl commercial together. The couple also recently hit the stage for a star-studded pre-Super Bowl set that included celeb guests in the audience like Serena Williams and Tiffany Haddish, and Cardi presented the award for best rap album to Kendrick Lamar for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Get a look at fan-captured footage of GloRilla and Cardi B performing together in New York City below.
Billboard / VIBE’s 50 Greatest Rappers of All-Time list continues to spark debate amongst fans and rappers on social media, and now Lil Wayne has chimed in.
The rapper, who came in at No. 7 on the list, told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 this week that he could’ve topped the list. “Man, who the hell is before me? Was the list including all hip-hop, like before and after as well?” he asked. “I can deal with that. I will tell you that I am a motherf—ing one. Everybody whose names you named, they also know I’m number one. Go ask ’em. They know what it is.”
He later discussed his own impact as a force in hip-hop. “Honestly, I would say… there is a point where you look around and you’re like I’m not even sure if anyone’s coming down this road with me,” Wayne revealed. “Any direction I go into, it’s always inspired. Therefore I never feel alone because I always have the inspiration. Inspiration grows and I work with people that love to see growth. I’m fortunate to have these people around me. The last tour I got off was with Blink-182. At the end of the day I find myself at the country music awards and doing tours with Blink 182. There’s not a lot of rappers in this position who can say they’ve done that. I stand alone on that mountain.”
See Billboard‘s full list of the 50 greatest rappers here.
R&B singer Mario caught up with Billboard ahead of his latest single, “Used to Me,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, now available across streaming platforms. The chart-topping vocalist and songwriter delved into the early years of his musical career, signing his first deal with Clive Davis’ J Recordings at 15, touring with Destiny’s Child, his musical process, and even serenaded the Billboard staff with an a capella rendition of his hit single “Let Me Love You.”
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On signing his first deal, Mario shares, “It happened pretty fast. I got adopted when I was 13 and moved from Baltimore to Jersey. That span of two years happened really quick. It prepared me for this industry and the fast pace of it.”
Not long after, the budding singer joined his first world tour alongside it-girls Destiny’s Child. “I was talking to Beyonce at Steve Stoute’s party and I said thank you for taking me on my first major tour,” he added, calling the experience “amazing.”
Twenty-one years following his breakout single “Just a Friend,” Mario is continuing to share R&B gems, including his latest single, the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted “Used to Me.” The pair have been hard at work in the studio with super-producer D’Mile, eventually leading them to creating the smooth track, which earned “27 fire emojis” from the feature favorite himself.
“Me and Ty known each other for years,” Mario says. “We were just waiting for the right time [to create] something that feels classic and can live forever.”
Mario also touched on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, one of the albums he’s listened to and resonated with in the last year. “I relate to Kendrick in general as an artist, his process and how he delivers the music,” he says. “I relate to the whole album because growing up I saw a lot of toxic relationships between men and women. I understand the duality of light and dark when it comes to love.”
The singer continues to have his finger on the pulse of R&B, naming artists such as SZA and Lucky Daye as acts he’d love to work with, and teasing new music with Sabrina Claudio. “We have a little surprise we’re about to spring on y’all,” he says.
Check out Mario’s interview with Billboard above.
Cordae’s 2023 is off to a superb start as the DMV upstart has already released new music and as of Thursday (Feb. 23), launched a new clothing collaboration with PUMA. In a recent interview with Billboard before his debut at the 2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Cordae shared insight about the PUMA collab and his latest release, “Two Tens,” featuring Anderson .Paak. Produced by J. Cole, “Two Tens” marks the duo’s second collaboration in nearly four years after the success of their RIAA gold single “RNP.””
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“We did that song like a year or two ago. That’s just my man’s in real life. That’s just my friend, and I don’t use that word loosely, especially in entertainment. That’s my man’s for real,” Cordae said about his friendship with Anderson. “We’re just always creating and making music.” When asked about J. Cole’s talents as a producer, Cordae expressed his admiration, saying, “He’s literally like a top-tier producer. He produced all his own records. He’s a legend. He produced “RNP” and made a joint for Mac Miller. He’s a cold-ass producer.”
Cordae released his first eight-piece collection with PUMA on Thursday — dubbed the PUMA X Cordae HI-LEVEL collection, fans can enjoy an array of streetwear ranging from sneakers to sweatpants to t-shirts and a jacket. Retailing from $40-$120, the apparel pieces are available for purchase now. “It’s something that’s been in the works for a while now,” says Cordae about his newly-minted collection. “I’ve partnered with PUMA since early 2019, so this is just a manifestation of a seed that’s been planted. And it made sense timing-wise for both parties.”
This collaboration is also a step in the right direction for the burgeoning entrepreneur as he hopes to fortify his HI-LEVEL imprint. “The next move for HI-LEVEL is to obviously sign some artists,” he relays. “We have a couple in the developmental stage, but they are still blossoming. So that’s the next immediate step. In the long term, we’re doing a bunch of dope partnerships, community outreach, and just planting seeds in different areas and avenues. From music to tech, to fashion, to real estate. But obviously, above all comes the music. So that’s what we’re focusing on. That’s the engine that drives all and makes everything else possible.”
Cordae will embark on a 28-city tour with Lil Wayne called Welcome to Tha Carter this spring after their successful collaboration on “Sinister,” featured on Cordae’s 2022 album From A Bird’s Eye View.
Make way for the Queen of Rap. Nicki Minaj is returning with her first solo single of 2023, a track called “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” coming March 3.
The rapper announced the track Thursday (Feb. 23) with behind-the-scenes clips from a music video shoot, afterward posting the single’s official artwork on Instagram. In the photo, she poses next to a chef hard at work in a restaurant kitchen, staring down the camera as she stirs a frying pan. As usual, Minaj is the most colorful thing in the room, wearing a brightly patterned vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dress, yellow heels and split-dyed hair, half red and half pink.
In the behind-the-scenes clips for the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” music video, the Queen Radio host raps along to her unreleased lyrics as a darkly-lit dance party unfolds behind her. Minaj later revealed the video was filmed in her home island of Trinidad and Tobago, where she’s been spending time this week amid the island’s 2023 Carnival.
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“Hunnit rounds on dat gratata,” she raps as women twerk on each side of her.
The new track is bound to be Minaj’s first solo release since last summer’s “Super Freaky Girl,” a reimagined version of Rick James “Super Freak” that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the “Super Bass” artist’s first ever solo song to top the chart, 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.
“You did it barbz,” Minaj thanked fans on social media after the track went No. 1. “You did it. I love you so much. like so so SO much. Thank you.”
See the official artwork and music video behind-the-scenes for Nicki Minaj’s upcoming single “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” below.
Though Iggy Azalea remains bummed that her 2015 collaboration on “Pretty Girls” with Britney Spears was not all she dreamed it could have been, the Australian rapper said she is still down for whatever when it comes to Brit.
“I have spoken about this before. I just feel like there was so much we wanted to do with it that we never got to… We never got to do all we wanted to do,” Azalea told Andy Cohen on Wednesday night’s (Feb. 22) Watch What Happens Live in response to a caller’s question about whether she has kept in touch with Spears since the singer’s conservatorship ended in Nov. 2021 and if she’d be up for another collaboration.
Whether it was more performances or remixes, Azalea said she thought the song never reached its full potential because Spears was “so limited” at the time. “Now that she has the ability to do it her way 100%… I love Britney and she’s so much more creative than what people give he credit for… I would love to be a part of more of anything that she had to do, especially when they’re 100% her own ideas,” Azalea said.
Azalea also noted that the two have been in touch since the dissolving of Spears’ restrictive conservatorship and that they DM each other on Instagram. “My collaboration with her is always one of my favorite collaborations,” she said of the song that peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100; at the time, Azalea angered some Britney fans when she expressed her frustration with the lack of promotion for the song, tweeting, “its difficult to send a song up the charts without additional promo and tv performances etc. unfortunately im just featured.”
In a supportive tweet in summer 2021, Iggy said she backed then efforts to remove Spears from her 13-year conservatorship, noting that such arrangements should be “illegal” and that during a performance of “Pretty Girls” in 2015 she witnessed the tight control on Spears’ life at the time.
“She is not exaggerating or lying,” Azalea wrote at the time. “I saw her restricted from even the most bizarre & trivial things: like how many sodas she was allowed to drink. Why is that even necessary.” Azalea also claimed that moments before the pair’s Billboard Music Awards performance she was told that if she did not sign a non-disclosure agreement she would not be allowed on stage.
During the “Truth or Touch Up!” segment of the WWHL chat, Iggy daintily sidestepped the question of who the better rapper is between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B while slathering makeup on Vanderpump Rules star James Kennedy. But when asked what the weirdest request has been on her OnlyFans account, Azalea laughed and said, “I actually love it. Men pay me to tell them that they’re a piece of s–t!”
The rapper also broke down the sexist quality she looks for in men (“witty banter”), the wildest part of opening for Beyoncé on tour (the excellent catering), the pet peeve that drives her nuts (when her assistant doesn’t strap her clothes down in a suitcase) and the sexiest music video of all time.
Watch Azalea on Watch What Happens Live below.
Quavo dropped the video for his second tribute to late Migos partner and nephew Takeoff on Wednesday night (Feb. 22). In the clip, Quavo is surrounded by luxury cars and jewels, lamenting that he would give all his riches and spoils of fame away just to see his Unc and Phew bandmate one more time.
The video opens with Quavo burning a blunt on his couch while watching footage of the good old days and promising to take care of their families as he laments that he’s trying to move forward, but just doesn’t have the answers. “But I know I can’t look backwards, that’s dangerous,” he raps. “I had to go read the Bible and take a few pages.”
This is the second song Quavo has released since Takeoff’s killing in November outside a bowling alley in Houston, Texas. Earlier this year he dropped “Without You,” an emotional ballad that he performed with Maverick City during the In Memoriam segment of this year’s Grammy Awards.
And while Quavo gets nostalgic about the good times he shared with Take on the new song (“My chain, my watch, my wrist/ My motherf—in house, my rise and grind/ I’d give away all this s–t just to see my dawg one more time”), he also hints at the ongoing reported tension between himself and third Migos member Offset. “So don’t ask about the group/ He gone, we gone, young n—a, it can’t come back,” he raps on the track.
But near the end of the three-minute horn-spiked tune, Quavo comes back around to paying tribute to the genre-smashing trio, stating in the outro, “This how legends was born, greatness/ I couldn’t do it without the greatest group in the world… greatness.”
Watch the “Greatness” video below.
De La Soul members Maseo and Posdnuos have broken their silence, taking to social media on Wednesday (Feb. 22) to share heartfelt tributes to their De La Soul bandmate, David Jolicoeur a.k.a. Trugoy The Dove, who died earlier this month at age 54.
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“Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’ I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group,” Maseo wrote in a emotional, lengthy post shared to De La Soul’s official Instagram page. “I remember your mom calling you Dove, so you’ve always had wings, so go on and fly into the light, Merce and I will make sure your legacy is well preserved.”
Posdnuos echoed in his own tribute posted to Instagram, “You were the heart of our group. You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music, and your influence will be felt for years to come.”
He continued, “We would like to say thank you Dave for being a big brother. Thank you for being a friend. Thank you for the wise words placed in your verses. Thank you for the music you produced that is loved by so many. Thank you for never wanting to compromise the quality of our brand. Thank you for helping us become a group that will remain etched in the timeline of hip hop culture as well as the fabric of music and 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.’”
With a career spanning more than three decades, De La Soul is known as one of hip-hop’s most innovative and eclectic groups. Formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, Dave (Trugoy the Dove) and members Posdnuos and Maseo met in high school.
See below for the touching tributes.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday (Feb. 22) sentenced the man convicted of gunning down rapper Nipsey Hussle to 60 years to life in prison.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II handed down the of-delayed sentence to Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, who was found guilty of the 2019 first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist outside the clothing store Hussle founded, the Marathon, in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where both men grew up in very similar circumstances.
After the monthlong trial, jurors in July also convicted Holder of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for gunfire that hit two other men at the scene who survived.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke handed down the sentence Wednesday after hearing from one of Hussle’s friends and listening to a letter from Holder’s father that was read in court. Holder, dressed in orange jail attire, stared straight ahead throughout the proceedings and did not react when the sentence was read.
Holder was not eligible for the death penalty. He was nearly certain to get a sentence that would guarantee he would spend the rest of his life in prison, with only the details of his term in question.
The sentencing has been delayed in part so defense attorney Aaron Jansen could argue to reduce Holder’s conviction to manslaughter or second-degree murder, which Jacke rejected in December.
Hussle, whose legal name is Ermias Asghedom, and Holder had known each other for years growing up as members of the Rollin’ 60s in South LA. Both were aspiring rappers. But Holder never found the same success as Hussle, who would become a local hero and a national celebrity.
Actor Lauren London, who was Hussle’s partner and the mother of his two young children, did not attend any part of the trial, nor did any of his relatives, and none are expected to give victim impact statements, as often happens at such hearings.
Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, a close friend of Hussle who was standing with him when he was killed and testified during the trial, told the court that the killing was a tremendous loss both for him personally and for the South Los Angeles community where Hussle was a business leader and an inspiration.
“Nipsey was my friend, he was like a son, he was like a dad,” Douglas said. “Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up a whole community.”
Douglas told the judge, “I don’t care what you give this guy. It ain’t about the time. I just want to know why. The world wants to know why. Why someone would do that?”
The evidence against Holder was so overwhelming — from eyewitnesses to surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, the shooting and his departure — that his attorney conceded during trial that he had shot Hussle.
But Jansen argued to jurors that the heated circumstances of the shooting meant a lesser verdict of voluntary manslaughter was merited.
The jury returned with the first-degree murder verdict after about six hours of deliberations.
Jansen said afterward that he was “deeply disappointed” in the verdict, which they planned to appeal.
He did manage a minor victory for Holder by securing the attempted voluntary manslaughter convictions where prosecutors had sought attempted murder verdicts.
A year after his death, Hussle was mourned at a memorial at the arena then known as Staples Center, and celebrated in a performance at the Grammy Awards that included DJ Khaled and John Legend.