R&B/Hip-Hop

21 Jun 2023

Lil Durk Says He Waited Two Years for J. Cole Collaboration to Happen: ‘In My Eyes He’s a Legend’

As Lil Durk’s “All My Life” enjoys its fifth week in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, the Chicago rapper recently sat with Apple Music 1’s Nedeska Alexis to reflect on the success of his J. Cole-assisted hit. 

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“I think that the J. Cole feature was definitely unexpected for my fans,” he shared. “He went super crazy. And it’s so crazy, because we’ve been talking for two years. He always be like, ‘Send me a record,’ and I’m like, ‘I got to find the right record.’”

Durk said he waited two years to land the coveted Cole feature, and expressed gratitude for the collaboration. “And I’m glad I waited two years, because in my eyes he’s a legend. So if you have a chance to do a song with legend, do you send him something just to send it, just to say you got one, or you’re going to make it stick? So that’s why I never just sent him a record, because I want something that’s going to stick.”

“All My Life” sits at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and resides on this latest album, Almost Healed. The project debuted at No. 2 earlier in June, earning 125,000 equivalent album units in its opening week. Almost Healed was the third time Durk charted at least 15 records in a week on the Hot 100. He previously accomplished the feat in 2022 with 17 songs on the Hot 100, mainly in part to the success of his Billboard 200 No. 1 album The Voice. 

The Lil Durk episode with Nedeska Alexis drops on Apple Music 1 on Wednesday (June 21).

20 Jun 2023

Quando Rondo Jailed on Drug, Gang Charges in Georgia

The rapper Quando Rondo has been jailed after being indicted on drug and gang charges in his hometown of Savannah.

The 24-year-old rapper, whose given name is Tyquian Terrel Bowman, was behind bars in the Chatham County jail Tuesday. According to court records, he has a bond hearing scheduled Friday.

Bowman and 18 others were indicted by a grand jury Wednesday. The indictment charged Bowman with four counts, including being a manager of an illegal street gang known as “Rollin’ 60′s.” Other charges say Bowman conspired with others to distribute marijuana and to buy pills of the opioid hydrocodone.

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Bowman’s attorney, Joshua Pine, declined to make an immediate comment when reached by phone Tuesday.

As Quando Rondo, the rapper’s singles “I Remember” and “ABG” led to a deal with Atlantic Records, which released his debut album, “QPac,” in 2020. His follow-up album, “Recovery,” came out in March.

20 Jun 2023

YNW Melly Double Murder Trial Continues After Judge Denies Mistrial

The second week of the double murder trial of rapper YNW Melly began Tuesday with the judge denying a motion from the defense for a mistrial.

Defense attorneys had asked Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy for a mistrial last week, arguing the jury had been tainted following testimony that could not be verified from the mother of YNW Melly’s ex-girlfriend, the Sun Sentinel reported. The judge told defense attorneys jurors could be instructed to ignore statements that were ruled inadmissible.

YNW Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, is facing a possible death sentence for the October 2018 fatal shooting of his childhood friends, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr.

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Williams and Thomas were both part of the YNW collective, known respectively as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy.

Demons, Williams and Thomas were riding in a Jeep driven by Cortland Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale when Demons, 24, fatally shot Williams and Thomas, prosecutors said. Henry is charged as an accomplice in the case but will be tried separately.

After killing Williams and Thomas, prosecutors said Demons and Henry drove the bodies to an area near the Everglades, where they shot at the back and passenger sides of Henry’s Jeep from the outside to make it look like Williams and Thomas were the victims of a drive-by shooting.

Prosecutors say the shooting was part of a gang action, while defense attorneys say the motive lacks credibility because Demons and the victims were close friends.

The gun used in the shooting has not been recovered. The first week of trial focused mostly on the physical evidence, with prosecutors establishing that the bullet casings found inside Demons and Henry’s vehicle likely came from the same weapon as the casings found at the scene of the staged drive-by shooting.

Demons gained attention with his breakout song “Murder on My Mind” in 2017. He later worked with Kanye West on “Mixed Personalities,” which was released in January 2019, a month before Demons was arrested on the murder charges.

20 Jun 2023

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Victoria Monet, Ambré, SoFaygo & More

We’re back with a certified-fresh round of picks from the best acts in emerging R&B and hip-hop. Victoria Monet is spicing up the summer with her latest single, “On My Mama,” while Amindi and Ambré are digging into our deeper side with their introspective and smooth new offerings. On the hip-hop side of things, alternative duo Paris Texas are keeping us on our toes, while SoFaygo leans into his inner rock star.

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Don’t forget to share the wealth by checking out our Spotify playlist linked below & sharing it with your friends.

Freshest Find: Forest Claudette, “Pool Boy”

On his soulful new EP, Everything Was Green, Forest Claudette shines across genre spaces. On “Pool Boy,” the 23-year-old singer dips their toes into funk and hip-hop, delivering a timeless cut with a worthy message. “If I apologize with heart in hand/ With heavy eyes/ Will that absolve me?” he contemplates within the groovy track’s opening lines.

Victoria Monét, “On My Mama”

Victoria Monet is on a roll. The R&B rising star dips into her vicious rap flow on the Chalie Boy-inspired “On My Mama.” Interpolating the Texas rapper’s breakout single, Monet adds a feminine edge, breathing new life into the confident 2009 cut.

Amindi, “green house”

Boasting one of those timeless tones and cadences, Amindi can’t go wrong. “Green house” is no exception, as the Inglewood native paints a pretty picture of romantic wonder, singing, “Thinkin’ ’bout that green house you said that we’d buy when/ We get at all these millions that we get from ridin’.”

Paris Texas, “Everybody’s Safe Until…”

You can always be sure that Paris Texas will do things their way. On “Everybody’s Safe Until,” the pair dig into the intrusive thoughts about their own insignificance atop bouncy live drums, as they run away from themselves in an artfully simplistic visual. The single comes ahead of their debut album, MID AIR.

Foggieraw, “Psalm 62”

Foggieraw used the power of social media to secure Alicia Keys’s blessing for the use of her 2003 hit “You Don’t Know My Name” for his new track “Psalm 62.” In March, the DMV artist teased the song on Twitter, asking his followers, “okay guys I’ve tried everything in my power to get this out… maybe y’all could kindly ask miss alicia on my behalf lol.” Three months and nearly 60,000 likes later, Foggieraw met Keys, she cleared the sample (her first time doing so for this song) — and “Psalm 62” got its official release, via Republic Records.

Ambré, “Muse Freestyle”

The intro to her new EP, who’s loving you?, “Muse Freestyle” sees Ambré posing the title question of the five-song project. “who’s loving you? is a question I’m asking myself and asking the audience,” the New Orleans artist said in a press release. “What does it feel like? What does it sound like to be loved? I wanted to create something that felt like b-sides or deep cuts, almost like a mixtape. Still very intentional but it was very easy to make.”

SoFaygo, “BEAUTIFUL ROCKSTAR”

“I am a beautiful rockstar/ I got some folks in my life I love, so I do this s–t with my heart in it,” sings the beautiful rockstar himself, SoFaygo. The Atlanta artist delivers this high-energy song as a bonus track on his latest EP, GO+, though he first teased it on Instagram Live in December 2021. “Beautiful Rockstar” also samples Jhené Aiko and H.E.R.’s 2020 hit “B.S.”

JAHKOY, “Man On Fire”

JAHKOY is a walking flame. On “Man On Fire,” the Toronto singer exaggerates his emotions and likens them to a fire. “[The song] is about when a guy feels a spark with a woman, but not only is there a spark, it slowly turns into what becomes a full-fledged fire,” he told Billboard. “The feelings become so ignited that he is now a walking flame.”

20 Jun 2023

TheBasement Concert Series Returns for Black Music Month

As Black Music Month marches on, the popular LA event concert series TheBasement Series returns. Beginning on Tuesday (June 20), the third installment will occur at KISS KISS BANG BANG with performances from Hamzaa, Reggie Becton, Ebony Riley, Maiya The Don and Lakeyah. Amazon Music’s R&B/hip-hop brand Rotation presents the event.

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“During a time where access is easy, but the story behind the artists is missing. It is important to celebrate and highlight the artists who are “Next Up,” but it is also important to pay homage to what Black music has done for culture and what this month represents,” says TheBasement founder and Warner Records svp of A&R Ericka J. Coulter.

Colter adds, “TheBasement Series was created to bridge the gap and curate unforgettable moments that will continue to live rent-free in your brain. [We’re] reminding you where you saw and heard it first.”

In previous years, TheBasement has been instrumental in championing emerging artists such as Blxst, Lola Brooke, G Herbo and more with its much-talked-about concert series. TheBasement’s Black Music Month event will follow up their previous sold-out show last April, which featured Superstar Pride, Alex Vaughn, and TraeTwoThree, amongst others. 

“In honor of Black Music Month, we’re proud to support TheBasement Series, says Tim Himshaw, head of hip-hop and r&b for Amazon Music. The event continues to push the narrative for African American creatives and musicians all around the world.” 

Check out their Instagram post below for more information on Tuesday’s Black Music Month event. 

20 Jun 2023

Rihanna Urges Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen to ‘Step Up’ to Help Communities Hit By Climate Emergencies

As the global climate crisis continues to cause the planet’s oceans to warm and rise, imperiling citizens of island (and low-lying) nations, Rihanna issues an urgent plea to world leaders to step it up. In a tweet Tuesday morning (June 20) that called out U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and World Band President Ajay Banga, the “Work” singer explained that the time to act is right now.

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“Hey @SecYellen & #AjayBanga, will you join @miaamormottley and step up for communities hit hardest by climate emergencies?,” wrote the singer who was born on the Caribbean island nation of Barbados. “We need you to make bold commitments to finance & debt reforms. I address climate change w/ @ClaraLionelFdn — now it’s your turn.”

Rihanna also shared a link to Global Citizen’s efforts to defend the planet and defeat poverty through its Power Our Planet initiative. Her tweet comes ahead of Global Citizen’s Thursday (June 22) Power Our Planet: Live in Paris concert, which Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish, H.E.R. and Jon Batiste will headline. Global Citizen thanked Rihanna for her advocacy on Twitter, and addressed Yellen and Banga: “We need your leadership at the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact to drive bold commitments to climate finance and debt reforms. The ball is officially in your court!”

Rihanna is not new to the climate urgency message. Last year she pledged $15 million to the cause through her Clara Lionel Foundation. At the time, she announced donations to 18 climate justice organizations doing work in seven Caribbean nations and the United States, including the Climate Justice Alliance, the Indigenous Environmental Network, and the Movement for Black Lives.

“Climate disasters, which are growing in frequency and intensity, do not impact all communities equally, with communities of color and island nations facing the brunt of climate change,” she said in a statement accompanying the announcement. She also noted that disparity is the reason her foundation, named after her grandparents, which prioritizes both climate resilience and climate justice work.

Check out Rihanna’s tweet below.

18 Jun 2023

Erykah Badu Gives Master Class in Neo-Soul & Hip-Hop at Los Angeles Concert

When Erykah Badu announced her latest tour, Unfollow Me, the singer-songwriter shared what fans could expect. “You can expect us to become one living breathing organism. You’ll receive my sincerest, purest love. I love what I do and I love doing it for you.”

The Grammy-winning artist made good on that promise during her Los Angeles stopover at Crypto.com Arena Saturday evening (June 17). 

Already hyped by a fun and memory-evoking opening set by yasiin bey, Badu kept fans on pins and needles as her drummer and percussionist fired up the crowd even further with energetic solo turns. Then, some 10 minutes later, the lady of the hour took the stage to loud cheers and shoutouts amid laser lights and lightning flashes across a giant video screen. But it was worth the wait. 

Opening her show with the fitting, self-empowering “20 Feet Tall,” Badu — wearing a feathered floor-length coat and tall head wrap that she later doffed for a slinky black dress with front-facing slits underneath — took command of the stage for the next hour and 45 minutes. From there the evening became a giant sing-along with an ethereal and playful Badu leading her faithful choir, beginning with the classic “On & On” peppered with humorous adlibs like “People in the back … what the F you looking at?”

After segueing into “…& On,” the Grammy winner dished up a host of flavorful tracks from her deep-rooted catalog, including “Appletree,” “No Love,” “Me,” “Time’s a Wastin,” “Kiss Me on My Neck,” “A.D. 2000,” “Didn’t Cha Know” and closer “Window Seat.” In the latter song, Badu smoothly sidled into a snippet of “Whipped Cream” by Ari Lennox, of whom she noted, “I love you, Ari.” Also eliciting massive sing-alongs that resonated throughout the arena: “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop),” “Otherside of the Game,” “Next Lifetime” and a very moving “Orange Moon.”

To an audience that ranged from ’60s- to 2000s -era fans, Badu declared of her game-changing 1997 debut album, Baduizm, “I wrote that for you ’90s babies,” as she recalled being pregnant with her first child while writing and recording the project. “So I’ve been waiting for you ’90s babies to grow up,” she said with a laugh.

The evening’s master class in neo-soul and hip-hop — in honor of the latter’s 50th anniversary this year — got off to a grand start with rap icon yasiin bey. The Brooklyn-born artist took the stage to heartwarming applause and shoutouts before delivering a strong 45-minute set. At times self-deprecating (at one point the rapper/singer-songwriter/actor referred to himself simply as “local talent” to audience laughter); at other moments twirling around onstage to his tracks with free abandon, bey referenced milestones in his long-running career as well with songs like “Auditorium,” “Casa Bey,” “Mathematics,” “Ms. Fat Booty” and “UMI Says.”

Adding an exclamation point to bey’s show was the surprise appearance of his former Black Star colleague and fellow Brooklynite Talib Kweli. The two hip-hop icons dove into a rollicking take on their 1998 gem “Respiration.”

Badu’s 25-city Unfollow Me tour with yasiin bey, produced by Outback Presents, launched in San Antonio on June 11 before making its fifth stop in Los Angeles. Upcoming shows include Sacramento (June 20), Seattle (June 23), Denver (June 26), Chicago (July 1), New York (July 8) and Atlanta (July 15) before wrapping in Badu’s hometown of Dallas (July 23). 

16 Jun 2023

Victoria Monet Breaks Down Three Essential Tracks From Her Upcoming Project ‘Jaguar II’

Victoria Monét sees herself as something of a musical jaguar — particularly in the way she has written for other acts (like Ariana Grande and Fifth Harmony) during her career. “I feel like I’ve been behind the bushes and in the background, and I think jaguars themselves live in that way,” she explains. “They find the right moment to attack — and get what they want.” With Jaguar II, the sequel to 2020 EP Jaguar that’s due July 14, the singer-songwriter pounces upon different styles, from dancehall to Southern rap. The first three singles give a glimpse into the project’s variety. “These were the three that embodied what the rest of the album would sound like,” she says.

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“Smoke” Featuring Lucky Daye

The album’s first single is the final product of an unfinished track created during Monét’s Jaguar sessions: She started with a rough melody and hook before adding horns and fleshing out the production with her go-to producer, Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II. Monét then decided that the hazy song needed another dynamic: “I thought Lucky was the perfect choice,” she says of his feature on the sultry R&B track. “It sounds like something he would make. I felt like [he] was the male version of myself.”

“Party Girls” Featuring Buju Banton

When D’Mile played the bassline for “Party Girls,” Monét immediately envisioned Caribbean flare. She honed in on the sound and stepped out of her comfort zone by DM’ing Jamaican reggae and dancehall veteran Banton, asking if he wanted to hop on the song. To her surprise, he was already following her — and shortly after, the two video-chatted on WhatsApp so Banton could play her his verse. Monét and D’Mile then reworked the production to make the song lean even more into dancehall. “ ‘Party Girls’ gives you the other side that’s more grounded, street and raw,” she says.

“On My Mama”

Monét added Southern twang to “On My Mama” by sampling Texas rapper Chalie Boy’s 2009 track, “I Look Good.” She built the song around “the wonky guitar you hear at the beginning,” saying that when she first heard it, it immediately recalled the original, which peaked at No. 13 on the Hot Rap Songs chart upon its release. “It was just a random idea,” she says. “It felt like that song could be a part of the melodies and the production we were working on.” At first, Monét wasn’t sure if she would actually include the sample, but she says adding it gave the song a balance of masculine and feminine energy — which she says that Chalie Boy and his team ultimately loved, too.

This story originally appeared in the June 10, 2023, issue of Billboard.

16 Jun 2023

Dionne Warwick Cancels Chicago Show Due to ‘Minor’ Medical Issue

Dionne Warwick had to cancel an upcoming concert at the Rivers Casino Des Plaines outside Chicago after the 82-year-old “That’s What Friends Are For” singer reportedly suffered a minor health issue. TMZ was first to report that Warwick said she began having an unspecified issue with one of her legs on Thursday that was serious enough that she pulled the plug on show slated for June 24.

The venue posted a note to fans confirming the cancellation, writing: “We regret to inform you that the Dionne Warwick performance on June 24, 2023 at Rivers Casino Des Plaines has been cancelled due to a medical incident.” The venue said all tickets will be fully refunded and Warwick reportedly told TMZ that she hopes to reschedule the gig in in the future.

An unnamed spokesperson for Warwick told People that, “it’s a minor issue that has been fixed and she is fine.” Warwick’s upcoming tour schedule also lists upcoming shows in Bridgeport, CT (June 22), Bensalem, PA (June 23), Riverhead, NY (July 21), Selbyville, DE (August 9), Gethsemane, KY (August 11) and Beverly Hills, CA (Sept. 2); at press time it did not appear that those shows had been impacted by the injury and a spokesperson for Warwick had not returned a request for additional information.

Fresh off her gritty starring role in the drama A Thousand and One, Teyana Taylor recently revealed that she’s gearing up to play Warwick in a biopic. “We’re already working on it,” Taylor told Tamron Hall in March. “We’re in the building process right now. I always wanted to make sure I could lock in with any person that I would be playing.”

16 Jun 2023

Person of Interest in Young Dolph Murder Found Shot to Death

A man who was named by police as a person of interest in the 2021 murder of rapper/music exec Young Dolph has been killed. According to Memphis’ ABC 24, family members identified Joshua Taylor as the victim of a fatal shooting in the city on Wednesday afternoon.

At press time it was reported that there was no suspect yet as the investigation is ongoing; a spokesperson for the Memphis Police Dept. had not returned calls requesting additional information on the case at press time. Taylor (who reportedly went by the alias CEO Teezy) was named as a person of interest in the Dolph murder case in February 2022 and according to the repot he was wanted on a number of other charges, including theft of property between $10,000-$60,000 and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Fox 13 reported that Taylor was found shot to death inside a car and that he was thought to have been a friend of Justin Johnson, one of the two alleged shooters who’ve been charged in Dolph’s killing. Police never charged Taylor directly in the killing and he had not been mentioned in the case, though investigators reportedly wanted to find out if Taylor knew where Johnson was on the day of Dolph’s killing or if he knew anything about the murder.

Dolph (born Adolph Robert Thornton Jr.), was gunned down while shopping at Makeda’s Cookies near his boyhood home in Memphis in Nov. 2021. Last week, Jermarcus Johnson, 26, pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact after officials said he helped two other men during the daytime ambush killing.

Johnson was the first of four defendants to plead guilty or be convicted in Dolph shooting.