R&B/Hip-Hop

30 May 2023

SZA’s ‘Kill Bill’ Breaks Record for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart

SZA becomes the sole owner of one of the biggest records in the history of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as her single “Kill Bill” achieves an unprecedented 21st week at the summit. The record-breaking week, on the chart dated June 3, breaks “Kill Bill” from a tie with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus), which slides to second place with 20 weeks on top.

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For its all-time coronation week, “Kill Bill” rebounds from No. 2 after a one-week reign for Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole. The latter track is only the third title that has evicted “Kill Bill” from the top spot since the juggernaut single debuted at No. 1 on the list dated Dec. 24, 2022. “All My Life” follows The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” and Drake’s “Search and Rescue,” each of which managed to stall the reign for only one week.

As “Kill Bill,” released on Top Dawg/RCA Records, shakes off the interruption and re-charts its course into chart history, here’s an updated look at the tracks with the most weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the list became an all-encompassing genre survey in 1958:

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs:

  • 21, “Kill Bill,” SZA, 2022-23
  • 20, “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019
  • 18, “Industry Baby,” Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, 2021-22
  • 18, “One Dance,” Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla, 2016
  • 16, “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell, 2013
  • 15, “Be Without You,” Mary J. Blige, 2006
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In the latest tracking week of May 19-25, “Kill Bill” collected 17.3 million official streams in the United States (down 5% from the week prior), 1,000 downloads sold (a 4% drop) and 69.2 million in radio audience (a 5% slip). The totals translate to a 2-3 backtrack on R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs, an 11-21 drop on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (affected by the arrival of many Tina Turner songs following the icon’s death on May 24) and a No. 4 repeat on the all-genre Radio Songs chart.

The “Kill Bill” domination has aligned with the similar supremacy of its parent album, SOS. The set has spent 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, extending its mark for the most ever by any album by a woman. Earlier this month, it ended the 54-year record-holding reign of Aretha Franklin’s Aretha Now, which logged a then-record 17 weeks atop the list in 1968.

30 May 2023

Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem Deliver VHS-Style Video ‘The Hillbillies’: Watch

Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar are back with new music. On Tuesday (May 30), the “Family Ties” tandem delivered a VHS-style visual for their latest collaboration, “The Hillbillies,” which shows outtakes from their time on tour together and features a cameo from Tyler, the Creator. 

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Produced by Evilgiane, the West Coast duo perform their best ping-pong impression over the 2020 Bon Iver sampled “PDLIF.” Going back and forth, Keem and Lamar take heavy swings, aiming for pure demolition. “5’7, I’m messy girl/ Gonna pass you to Neymar, he got time for your bestie girl/ N—as know that I’m best dressed, too high-profile to access,” raps Lamar.

Directed by Neal Farmer, Keem and Lamar clown around a private jet, a shopping mall and later outside Dodger Stadium with Tyler, the Creator. 

“The Hillbillies” is the latest reunion between Keem and Lamar, who previously joined forces on songs such as “Range Brothers” and their Grammy-Award winning effort “Family Ties.” Both tracks reside on Keem’s 2021 project, The Melodic Blue. 

For Lamar, this is his second verse in the same number of weeks after appearing on Beyonce’s “America Has a Problem (Remix).” The surprise drop marked Lamar and Bey’s third collaboration, including Bey’s 2016 “Freedom” and their 2019 Lion King Soundtrack song “Nile.” Aside from flexing his “honorary Beyhive” status, he also shouted out Billboard on his placement on the Greatest Rappers of All-Time List, rapping: “Billboard, they know/ After Hov, rightfully so.” Billboard revealed its top 10 earlier this year, with Lamar coming second behind Jay-Z. 

Check out “The Hillbillies” above. 

30 May 2023

Gorillaz Is Headed on The Getaway Tour With Kaytranada, Lil Yachty & More

Gorillaz is heading out on the road for a special tour this fall. On Tuesday (May 30), the group announced The Getaway 2023 tour, which is scheduled to take place in September.

The limited run of shows will take place across four dates in the United States — as explained in the tour’s official description “On The Run… One Band, One Bus, Four Cities…” — and will see the virtual group — which consists of members 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs — traveling to Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago and Boston from Sept. 10 to 19. The group will play the BMO Stadium, Q2 Stadium, Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre and Fenway Park, respectively.

KAYTRANADA, Lil Yachty and Remi Wolf will be supporting Gorillaz on all four dates of the limited tour run. Tickets will be available via Live Nation through a presale beginning at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday (May 31). General onsale tickets for the tour will begin on Friday, June 2, at 10 a.m. local time at Gorillaz.com.

The Getaway tour comes on the heels of Gorillaz’s back-to-back performances at Coachella in April. The trek follows the quartet’s 2022 World Tour led by Damon Albarn and a 14-piece live band, which featured multiple guest performers.

See the full list of dates and the official tour announcement in the video below.

‘The Getaway’ Shows Fall 2023

  • Sun Sept. 10 – Los Angeles, Calif. – BMO Stadium
  • Wed Sept. 13 – Austin, Texas – Q2 Stadium
  • Sat Sept. 16 – Chicago – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
  • Tue Sept. 19 – Boston – Fenway Park

30 May 2023

Matty Healy Addresses Controversial Podcast Comments About Ice Spice: ‘It Doesn’t Actually Matter’

Matty Healy made a lot of people upset after he laughed at racist, body-shaming comments about Ice Spice in recent podcast appearance. But now, he thinks the controversy “doesn’t actually matter.”

“Nobody is sitting there at night slumped at their computer, and their boyfriend comes over and goes, ‘What’s wrong, darling?’ and they go, ‘It’s just this thing with Matty Healy,’” the 1975 frontman told The New Yorker in a Monday (May 29) profile. “That doesn’t happen.”

“You’re either deluded or you are, sorry, a liar,” he continued, addressing fans who claimed to be offended by the remarks. “You’re either lying that you are hurt, or you’re a bit mental for being hurt. It’s just people going, ‘Oh, there’s a bad thing over there, let me get as close to it as possible so you can see how good I am.’ And I kind of want them to do that, because they’re demonstrating something so base level.”

The controversy in question went down in February when Healy went on The Adam Friedland Show to promote The 1975’s latest album, Being Funny In a Foreign Language. After bringing up that Ice Spice had once said she was a big fan of the band, the show’s hosts proceeded to make jokes about the “Princess Diana” rapper sounding like an “Inuit Spice Girl” and a “chubby Chinese lady.” They went on to mockingly imitate Chinese and Hawaiian accents, and joked about what Healy should say when sliding into Ice Spice’s DMs. The podcast episode has since been removed from Apple and Spotify.

Healy later half-apologized for laughing at and engaging with the hosts’ remarks during a 1975 concert in Auckland, New Zealand. “I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you,” he said onstage. “Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a d–k. I love you, Ice Spice. I’m so sorry. I don’t want it to be misconstrued as mean.”

Since then, Ice Spice has teamed up with Taylor Swift — whom Healy is rumored to be dating — for a blockbuster remix of the pop star’s Midnights track “Karma.” When announcing the remix, the pop superstar said of the rising star, “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch.” The two have since released a joint music video for the project, and the “Munch” artist also joined Swift onstage for three nights in a row at MetLife Stadium to debut the remix live at the Eras Tour.

While some fans may be questioning the motives behind the remix, Jack Antonoff — who has collaborated with both Swift and The 1975 — he’s standing by Healy. “I think Matty is a deeply sincere person, who can, at different points, be misunderstood because of how much he enjoys a bit,” Antonoff said in the New Yorker piece. “If you don’t know him, if you don’t get him, because you’re not really tuned in to the work, you might assume a cynicism that is literally not there.”

26 May 2023

Moneybagg Yo Delays New Album: ‘Ima Let My Baby Taylor Swift Drop’

Moneybagg Yo can read the writing on the wall. And on Thursday night (May 25) it read Midnights (Til Dawn Edition), which is, of course, the name of the second deluxe version of Taylor Swift‘s 10th album that debuted last night.

So while earlier this month the rapper pledged to drop his new Hard to Love mixtape last night as well, the avowed Swiftie had a last-minute change of heart and decided to give it another week to breathe to avoid being Swift Yo-ted. In a video posted on his socials Thursday night, Yo sat in his custom red Ferarri and burned one down while singing along to Swift’s song “Lover,” crooning the lyrics about leaving the Christmas lights up until January as if he was in the crowd at an Eras Tour stop.

“I just got the news my little baby Taylor dropping tonight,” the Bagg man said. “I ain’t gonna lie, you know how I feel about Taylor, so I think I’m gonna push Hard to Love back just a few days. Ya’ll be patient with me, man.”

He then continued singing as he roared off the screen and said he was happy to let Swift have the spotlight while Hard to Love will now drop on June 2. The new mixtape is the follow-up to 2021’s acclaimed A Gangsta’s Pain album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts. Moneybagg had good reason to step aside for a week, as Swift’s latest deluxe edition will likely flood the zone thanks to a remix of “Karma” featuring Ice Spice, a different take of her Lana Del Rey collab “Snow on the Beach” and the previously unheard track “You’re Losing Me.”

Checkout Moneybagg’s announcement below.

26 May 2023

Cardi B Urges Fans to ‘Protect Your Brothers and Your Family’ In Tribute to Takeoff

Cardi B had some emotional words to share Friday (May 26) about her late friend. Nearly seven months after TakeOff was killed in a shooting in Houston, the “Up” rapper posted a tender tribute, urging fans to keep friends and family close while they still can.

“What a angel god [blessed] this earth with,” Cardi began, sharing a photo of the late Migos rapper on her Instagram Story. “Protect your brothers and your family.”

Her post comes hours after TakeOff’s alleged shooter, Patrick Xavier Clark, was formally indicted on murder charges by a Texas grand jury Thursday (May 25). The fatal Nov. 1, 2022, shooting went down at a private party at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston, which TakeOff had attended with his uncle and Migos bandmate, Quavo.

“I know you see the tears I know you see them looking at the sky asking why…,” Cardi added in her post. “What a beautiful soul to take.”

Cardi’s husband, Offset, was the third member of Migos. She has opened up about her and her family’s grief several times since the young rapper, who would have turned 29 this June, passed away.

“I have been feeling so hopeless trying to make my husband happy,” she confessed in a voice note a few weeks after TakeOff’s death. “Trying to make him crack a smile, f—in’ seeing him randomly cry, see him trying to distract his mind completely, f—in’ schedules been changing, trying to keep up with work after everything that he’s been going through these past couple of weeks.”

Offset himself recently addressed how hard Takeoff’s death has been on him. “Talking about Take is hard, man. Talking about all this s–t is hard. That’s why I don’t, to be honest. That s–t hurts,” he told Variety. “He’s not here. That s–t feels fake, bro. I get through my day thinking it’s fake. And I don’t say nothing to nobody about it.”

26 May 2023

Lil Nas X Mocks Conservative Outrage Over Target’s Pride Month Merch: ‘I’m Never Shopping There Again’

Leave it to Lil Nas X to find the most hilarious way to smack down the conservative freakout over Target’s Pride Month products. Days after the mega-retailer removed or moved some Pride merch following backlash from conservative activists and media — which reportedly included some threats against the safety of its workers — the “That’s What I Want” rapper clowned the criticism with a hysterical tweet of his own parodying the tempest in aisle 20.

“Can’t believe target is supporting this nonsense, im never shopping there again, my son is not ‘too cool for school’ these shirts are ridiculous,” Lil Nas joked in a post that did not specifically mention the backlash, but instead alluded to it using the his signature arch comedic voice. “He is going to school and he WILL learn.”

In the midst of a wave of conservative legislation targeting the LGBTQ community — from bills restricting attendance at drag shows to laws banning gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors and adults — Target became the latest business to come under scrutiny after outrage from right-wing media over some of its pride products. According to NBC News, some Target customers posted TikTok videos showing Target Pride merch displays that had been moved to less visible locations, including in the back of some stores.

On Tuesday (May 23), a Target spokesperson told NBC News the company had “offered an assortment of products aimed at celebrating Pride Month” for more than a decade. But since rolling out this year’s collection, “we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work.”

“Given these volatile circumstances,” the spokesperson added, “we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior. Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year.”

After Target rolled out some of this year’s products for June’s Pride Month — which includes rainbow tops, tees that read “Trans People Will Always Exist” and more — it reportedly began to get pushback on items from the LGBTQ brand Abprallen, which offers items featuring “spooky, gothic imagery, such as skulls and Satan, in pastel colors.” The AP reported that among the items conservatives were outraged about was a “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuit that allows adult trans women to hide their genitalia.

One tweet showed a man tossing a Pride display to the ground and stomping on it. Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson reacted to the latest culture war firestorm with a tweet featuring a dire warning: “Extremist groups want to divide us and ultimately don’t just want rainbow products to disappear, they want us to disappear.”

In April, transgender actor-activist Dylan Mulvaney reacted to a Fox News story over Bud Light sending one-off, not-for-sale commemorative cans to Mulvaney that spurred musicians Kid Rock, Travis Tritt and John Rich to swear off the popular brew.

“I think it’s OK to be frustrated with someone or confused, but what I’m struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel. I just, I don’t think that’s right. Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history, ever,” said Mulvaney, 26, in a video to her 13 million followers. After describing her childhood in a conservative family and in the church, Mulvaney said she still had faith, but that it’s been a struggle to hold on to it in the midst of attacks that reminded her of similar criticism she faced as a child for being “too feminine.”

“Now I’m being called all those same things, but this time it’s from other adults,” she said. “And if they’re going to accuse me of anything, it should be that I’m a theater person and that I’m camp. But this is just my personality and it always has been.”

See Lil Nas’ tweet mocking outrage over Target’s Pride Month products below.

26 May 2023

Taylor Swift Explains How ‘Karma’ Remix With Ice Spice Came to Be: ‘I Am Blown Away By Her’

No one is more excited for Ice Spice‘s feature on the new “Karma” remix than Taylor Swift. In a clip shared by Spotify, the pop star gushed about her latest collaborator and explained how the team-up — which dropped at midnight Friday (May 26) — came to be.

“Collaborating with Ice Spice on ‘Karma’ was one of the most natural things,” Swift said in the audio snippet, shared by Spotify’s official Twitter account. “She reached out through her team, just kind of saying, ‘Hey, Ice has been a big fan of Taylor’s since she was a little kid, would love to collaborate if that was ever something that came about.’”

As it turned out, the feelings were mutual. “I had been listening to her nonstop, like getting ready for my [Eras] tour, I was just listening to Ice Spice constantly,” revealed the “Anti-Hero” singer. “So I immediately got her number and said, ‘Hey, would you wanna do your version of ‘Karma’? Do you relate to this?’ So she jumped in headfirst.”

Swift first confirmed the “Boy’s a Liar” rapper’s involvement just one day prior to the remix’s release in a packed Instagram announcement Wednesday (May 24), also revealing that new versions of her Midnights album and her “Snow On the Beach” collaboration with Lana Del Rey would be arriving this week. “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch,” she wrote of Ice at the time. 

“Getting to know her has been so special because I am blown away by her,” Swift echoed in her Spotify segment. “In my opinion, she’s the one to watch. Watching her work ethic and how thoughtfully she approaches her career, she’s like my new favorite artist and I’m so honored that she’s on the song.”

Ice also called Tay the “sweetest person ever” following the remix announcement, and on Friday shared an adorable photo to her Instagram Stories with the singer in the studio.

Listen to Taylor open up about her new collab with Ice Spice below:

25 May 2023

Stream Lil Durk’s ‘Almost Healed’ Album Feat. J. Cole, Future, Morgan Wallen & More

After scoring a No. 2 debut on the Hot 100 this week with his J. Cole-assisted single “All My Life,” Lil Durk looks to topple that feat on the Billboard 200 with the release of his new album Almost Healed. 

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Released today (May 26), Almost Healed is the follow-up to Durk’s 2022 album 7220. The album debuted at No. 1 last year on the Billboard 200, netting 120,500 equivalent album units — marking his second chart-topper. Almost Healed boasts an impressive guest line-up, as the Chicago staple reeled in J. Cole, Alicia Keys, Future, Kodak Black, and Billboard 200’s current reigning champ, Morgan Wallen. Wallen and Durk previously collaborated on the 2021 song “Broadway Girls,” which debuted in the top 20 of the Hot 100. 

In a new interview with DJ Akademiks for his Off the Record podcast, Durk revealed how Kanye West helped construct his new album before ultimately opting not to use the records. “He actually did my whole album,” Durk told Akademiks. “But I ain’t use it. He like, tweaked with the beat. He put some vocals behind some beats. He played with a couple records. He played with a couple records. He did some genius sh-t.”

Despite the cuts, Durk conveyed to Akademiks that he’d consider using the songs if he chose to go the deluxe route for Almost Healed. “I’m trying to see if I can come back with some genius sh-t with it, man, and double my sales,” he quipped. 

Stream Durk’s new album Almost Healed below. 

25 May 2023

Metro Boomin Unveils First Set of Features for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Soundtrack

After taking the reins as executive producer for the forthcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack, Metro Boomin’ left breadcrumbs on his Instagram about who fans can expect on the project. On Wednesday (May 24), Metro revealed the first three features: Future, Don Toliver and James Blake.

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Known for his creative punch, Metro cleverly unveiled the lineup by posting illustrations of each artist in Spider-Man costumes. The first reveal was Don Toliver, who is in a purple custom Spidey suit. “Don Toliver is confirmed for the @spiderversemovie soundtrack available everywhere June 2!! ?️,” wrote Metro. After disclosing Future and James Blake’s appearances in their respective illustrated costumes, the following posts shared similar captions. 

Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack comes on the heels of Metro’s third Billboard 200 No. 1 album, Heroes and Villains. The project included features from The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Future and Travis Scott. “Creepin” headlined the 15-track collection, as it earned a top-five slot on the Billboard Hot 100. The Weeknd and 21 Savage-fueled song remains a top player this week, sitting at No. 7 on the charts after its initial release six months ago.  

“I can’t say this about a lot of songs because I just try to make stuff that I love and hope it resonates with other people, but it’s really a rare occasion to where even after we made [‘Creepin”]. It was like, ‘OK. I know this is gonna go up,’” Metro said in an interview with Billboard in January. “Not just because of me or because of The Weeknd, but also with it halfway being a cover of a song that I loved so much growing up, and just know how much it worked before [and] it getting a new spin for the next generation.”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse arrives June 2. Check out Metro’s posts below.