R&B/Hip-Hop

16 May 2023

Slowthai Appears in U.K. Court to Face Rape Charges

Slowthai appeared in court Tuesday (May 16) on two charges of rape and took to Instagram after the court appearance to deny the allegations.

“Regarding the allegations being reported about me. I categorically deny the charges,” the 28-year-old British rapper wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “I am innocent and I am confident my name will be cleared. Until then I will apply my energy to ensure this is concluded swiftly and justly.”

He concluded by asking his supporters not to “comment about this situation” and to “respect the process and privacy” of his family.

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The star, real name Tyron Frampton, appeared before Oxfordshire, England, magistrates court via video link earlier in the day, where he was charged with oral and vaginal penetration of a woman without her consent stemming from a September 2021 incident in Oxford, according to The Guardian.

The publication added that Frampton did not enter a plea during the appearance and only confirmed his real name, date of birth and Northampton address. Prosecuting lawyer Adam Yar Khan said the rape charge must be heard at crown court, due to it being an indictable-only offense. At the time of publication, there is no further information surrounding the charges and the accuser’s claims.

Slowthai burst into the mainstream music market with his Mercury Prize-nominated 2019 album, Nothing About Great Britain. Since then, he’s released his 2021 album Tyron and, most recently, 2023’s Ugly. The rapper is currently scheduled to take the stage at a number of upcoming summer festivals, including Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds festival.

16 May 2023

Beyoncé Teases Hair-Related Project to Honor Mom Tina Knowles-Lawson: ‘Carrying on Her Legacy’

In the midst of kicking off her Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé surprised fans by teasing a new project that’s all about hair on Tuesday (May 16).

“How many of y’all knew my first job was sweeping hair in my mama’s salon?” the superstar asked in a sweet Instagram post featuring a vintage photo of her as a child getting her hair braided. “Destiny’s Child got our start by performing for clients while they were getting their hair done.

“I was exposed to so many different kinds of entrepreneurial women in her salon,” Bey’s note continued. “I saw firsthand how the ways we nurture and celebrate hair can directly impact our souls. I watched her heal and be of service to so many women. Having learned so much on my hair journey, I’ve always dreamed of carrying on her legacy.”

While Beyoncé didn’t share any other details about her mystery project, the post also included a more recent snap of the mononymous icon sitting in front of a vanity in a loose white top with curling iron in hand.

Last week, the “Break My Soul” singer opened her hotly anticipated Renaissance World Tour with a sparkling, expertly polished showcase of 37 hits in Stockholm, Sweden that was equal parts fashion-forward (custom Mugler!) and tech-savvy (the robot arms!) as she delivered an epic three-hour rundown of Beyhive favorites, deep cuts and even a late-era Destiny’s Child throwback.

The worldwide trek won’t hit North America until later this summer, when Bey touches down for dual shows in Toronto on July 8 and 9 following her run across Europe.

Check out Beyoncé’s preview of her latest endeavor below.

16 May 2023

BTS Member V’s Social Post Drives Daniel Caesar to No. 1 on Hot Trending Songs Chart

Daniel Caesar’s 2023 album cut “Vince Van Gogh” works its way to No. 1 on Billboard’s May 20-dated Hot Trending Songs chart after BTS member V played the song in a recent Instagram Story update.

Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running May 5-11.

“Vince Van Gogh,” found on Caesar’s album Never Enough, blasts in at No. 1 after V used the tune in an Instagram Story posted May 8.

It’s the first Billboard chart appearance for the song since its release. It premiered as part of Never Enough, which was released April 7 and debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 dated April 22.

“Vince Van Gogh” is followed by a brand-new release in (G)I-DLE’s “Allergy,” which bows at No. 2. “Allergy” was released May 9 ahead of the eventual premiere of the girl group’s new EP I feel, which dropped May 15.

Stray Kids’ “FNF,” the ninth track from the boyband’s upcoming album 5-Star (June 2), starts at No. 3 after a teaser video for the song was posted May 11.

Another Stray Kids song from 5-Star, “Collision,” debuts at No. 5, with the two songs sandwiching a new release from Thirty Seconds to Mars, “Stuck,” at No. 4.

Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.

16 May 2023

Lil Durk Announces Sorry for the Drought Tour With Kodak Black & NLE Choppa

After doling out his triumphant anthem “All My Life” with J. Cole last week, Lil Durk is not only marching toward the release date for his upcoming album Almost Healed, but now, a 27-city tour. 

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Titled Sorry for the Drought Tour, Lil Durk will embark on his trek beginning July 28 in Tampa. Durk’s three-month run will include performances in arenas and amphitheaters, notably in Los Angeles, Brooklyn and the rapper’s hometown of Chicago. Joining Durk on his tour will be Kodak Black, NLE Choppa and New York City rising star DD Osama. Produced by Live Nation, tickets for the tour will be available beginning Wednesday (May 17). General onsale will start Thursday (May 18) at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com and Almost-Healed.com.

The Sorry for the Drought Tour comes after Durk’s successful The 7220 Tour last year. In 2022, Durk notched his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 7220. The platinum effort garnered Billboard Hot 100 singles, including “What Happened to Virgil” featuring Gunna, and “Broadway Girls” with Morgan Wallen. 

In an interview with Billboard in April about launching the Durk Banks Scholarship, the artist also explained why he faced no pressure crafting his forthcoming album. “There ain’t no pressure,” he said. “The talent and the growth always been there. It just the things around it making it more bigger, like doing the scholarships, being more in tune with the foundation, sitting down with the mayor, and really giving back. That’s the part I was lacking on. I already had the music, now executing the plan is gonna make everything big. The biggest album ever.”

Durk’s upcoming album, Almost Healed, drops on May 26. Check out the tour dates for his Sorry for The Drought Tour below:

  • Fri Jul 28 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater
  • Sat Jul 29 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre ^&
  • Sun Jul 30 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
  • Tue Aug 01 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach 
  • Thu Aug 03 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion 
  • Fri Aug 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena ^
  • Sat Aug 05 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
  • Sun Aug 06 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center
  • Tue Aug 08 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
  • Wed Aug 09 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage ^
  • Fri Aug 11 – Chicago, IL – United Center
  • Sun Aug 13 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
  • Tue Aug 15 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
  • Wed Aug 16 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
  • Fri Aug 18 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
  • Sat Aug 19 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
  • Mon Aug 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
  • Tue Aug 22 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center 
  • Wed Aug 23 – Austin, TX               – Moody Center
  • Fri Aug 25 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
  • Sat Aug 26 – Denver, CO               – Ball Arena ^&
  • Tue Aug 29 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
  • Wed Aug 30 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Styles Resort Amphitheater
  • Fri Sep 01 – Oakland, CA  – Oakland Arena
  • Sat Sep 02 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre ^&
  • Wed Sep 06 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
  • Thu Sep 07 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

^Without support from Kodak Black

&Without support from NLE Choppa

16 May 2023

Nick Cannon Mixed Up the Mother’s Day Cards to the Moms of His 12 Kids: ‘I Tried My Best’

Nick Cannon had a lot to celebrate this year for Mother’s Day — so much so that he got a few important cards mixed up in the mail.

“I tried my best, I really did,” the media personality said on the Monday (May 15) episode of his new radio show The Daily Cannon, adding that, instead of buying fancy gifts, he decided to send the six mothers of his 12 children thoughtful, handwritten cards.

“To show people how you really feel, write it down. And I was doing handwritten messages from the heart,” he continued. “So then as I’m writing the handwritten message, I get the cards mixed up. And then so when one baby mama reads the card about how I feel about the other baby mama…”

Cannon didn’t clarify which of the mothers — including ex-wife Mariah Carey as well as DJ Abby De La Rosa, Brittany Bell, Selling Sunset star Bre Tiesi, Alyssa Scott and LaNisha Cole — got the wrong card, he did posit, in retrospect, a simple solution: “See if I would just got some generic s–t that everybody else got, that wouldn’t have happened.”

To make matters even more awkward, De La Rosa serves as one of the co-hosts on The Daily Cannon. She didn’t seem all that bothered during the conversation about Cannon’s Mother’s Day gaffe, but one follower wrote in the comments section, “The absolute crazy thing is he’s talking to a baby mama about it…and she’s sitting there smiling like she’s not hurt” and another commented, “Whyyyyy Abby acting like she not 1 of them who got a mixed up card.”

Other followers weren’t shy about sharing their opinions on the mix-up, either. One wrote, “I [used] to like nick but this is so cringy” while a second added, “I have so many negative thoughts about Nick after hearing this. I’m going to keep them to myself and just move on. Smdh.”

Earlier this month, Cannon utilized a profile in the Los Angeles Times to combat the idea that he’s a “deadbeat dad” to his brood of a dozen, even going as far as to publicly reveal his salary.

Watch Cannon explain how his Mother’s Day plan went awry below.

16 May 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: Doechii Debuts With Kodak Black Collab ‘What It Is (Block Boy)’

Doechii makes her Billboard Hot 100 debut as her new collaboration with Kodak Black, “What It Is (Block Boy),” enters at No. 98 on the latest, May 20-dated chart.

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The song, released March 17 via Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records, debuts with 12.3 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 11%), 3.5 million official streams (up 14%) and 1,000 downloads sold in the United States in the May 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also holds at its No. 11 high on Hot R&B Songs and rises 31-29 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Radio-wise, the track rises 12-10 on Rhythmic Airplay — becoming Doechii’s first top 10 on a Billboard airplay chart — as well as 25-22 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and 26-25 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

The song is available via six versions: original, sped-up and slowed-down versions with Kodak Black, and original-speed, sped-up and slowed-down ones without the rapper.

Notably, the track samples TLC’s classic “No Scrubs,” which crowned the Hot 100 for four weeks in 1999.

TikTok has been instrumental in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of Doechii’s solo version has been used in over 138,000 clips on the platform to-date. (TikTok itself does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts.)

Doechii (real name Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon), 24, scored her first chart entry in March 2022, when “Trampoline” with David Guetta, AfroJack, Missy Elliott and BIA reached No. 26 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. Her team-up with SZA, “Persuasive,” reached No. 33 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in October. The latter is from her EP She / Her / Black Bitch, which hit No. 23 on the Heatseekers Albums chart last August.

The Tampa, Fla., native has released four EPs: Coven Music Session, Vol. 1, in 2019, Oh the Places You’ll Go (2020), Bra-Less (2021) and She / Her / Black Bitch. Along with Kodak Black and SZA, she has collaborated with Babyface, Ravyn Lenae, Isaiah Rashad and Smino, among others.

On March 1, Doechii was honored as Billboard’s 2023 Women in Music Rising Star, at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. Her mother, Celesia Moore, presented the award, and Doechii performed “Persuasive” as well as her track “Crazy” at the ceremony.

Doechii signed to Top Dawg in March 2022, becoming the label’s first female rapper. This February, she told Billboard that 2023 is going to be her biggest year yet. “I’m in year three of my five-year plan,” she mused. “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.”

16 May 2023

The Weeknd Was Pretty Sure ‘Blinding Lights’ Was ‘Gonna Be a Flop’

Despite what appears to be the kind of supreme self-confidence that has taken him to the top of the charts, as well as the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show and, soon, his acting debut in the HBO series The Idol, The Weeknd (who now goes by his birth name, Abel Tesfaye), still assumes his next project could be a total failure.

“I thought ‘Blinding Lights’ was gonna be a flop,” he told Vanity Fair in a new profile that chronicles both the stratospheric highs — such as his the $69 million L.A. mansion he barely lived in — and his ever-present lows, like when he was sure the propulsive Max Martin/Oscar Holter single from his diamond-selling 2020 After Hours album would tank.

Instead, a combination of the song’s grabby hook and a silly TikTok dance challenge pushed the song into Billboard chart history after it spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and then logged the most weeks in the top five and top 10 on its way to being the charts No. 1 song of all-time.

At best, Abel figured the song would be a good way for younger fans to dive deeper into his turbulent earlier catalog. “It’s a new generation of angsty teens discovering all the dark music like when I was 14. Kurt Cobain, Wu-Tang, and all these songs that as a kid I probably shouldn’t be listening to, and 50 Cent,” he said. “This f–king dark and amazing escape.”

Even as The Weeknd’s songs have trafficked in endless tales of an easily bruised heart and what sounds like a sure-footedness on stage and in the studio, the singer told the magazine that when it comes to believing in his talents he learned a crucial lesson early on.

“I’ve always had to bet on myself. Even before I was The Weeknd, just in life,” he said. “As soon as I got out of my mother’s womb, it’s been, ‘Bet on yourself. It’s not gonna be easy, you know?’ And I’m fine with that.” That said, this new phase of his career, which he just announced will be conducted under his birth name, is definitely “nerve-racking.”

And, despite his many successes, his firm spot in the pop universe as an instantly recognizable one-named superstar and the Dawn FM album’s narrative arc that bloodily sent up the very notion of global superstardom, Tesfaye seems still not totally ready to fully embrace his spot in the pop firmament. “I don’t blame people,” he said when talk turned to comparisons to other icons. “Because if I was them, I’d be betting on Beyoncé too. I’m not gonna bet on me.”

Check out the VF cover below.

16 May 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: ‘Mathematical Disrespect’ Equals Chart Debut for Lil Mabu

New York City-based drill rapper Lil Mabu is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist, as the newcomer scores his first career entry with “Mathematical Disrespect.”

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The song, released May 4, debuts at No. 90 with 7.2 million official streams in the United States in the May 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate.

In addition to its Hot 100 entrance, it starts at No. 17 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 27 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (both of which use the same multimetric methodology as the Hot 100).

Lil Mabu self-released the single, in which he raps, “Shoutout my label, that’s me/ I own 100% of my cuts, nobody takin’ a fee.” Similarly, the track closes with him singing, “I invested money in myself and it paid/ I can’t take a break ’til Mabu is a household name.”

TikTok has been instrumental in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has been used in nearly 80,000 clips on the platform so far. Lil Mabu himself boasts more than 3 million followers on the app. (TikTok itself does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts.)

Lil Mabu (real name Matthew DeLuca), 18, is brand new to Billboard’s charts, as “Mathematical Disrespect” marks his first appearance on any Billboard survey. He has released all his music while attending the Collegiate School, an elite private prep school in Manhattan.

Last summer, Mabu self-released his debut mixtape Double M’s. The set includes features from fellow New York rappers Dougie B and Dusty Locane, among others.

16 May 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: Kali Rings in With ‘Area Codes’

Kali scores her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated May 20) thanks to her single “Area Codes.” The song launches at No. 54, as the chart’s Hot Shot Debut — the week’s highest new entry.

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The song, released March 17 via Trump Card/Atlantic Records, arrives on the list with 9.2 million official streams (up 146%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 426%) in the United States in the May 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also debuts at No. 8 on Hot Rap Songs and soars 48-16 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song interpolates Ludacris’ 2001 hit “Area Codes” (featuring Nate Dogg), which reached No. 24 on the Hot 100.

Recent gains for Kali’s track are owed in part to two new remixes: one featuring Lil Kayla, titled the “415 Remix” (released May 4), and another featuring Kenzo B, the “718 Remix” (released April 27). She previously dropped a sped-up version March 31.

TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has soundtracked over 475,000 clips on the platform to date. (TikTok itself does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts.)

Kali — from Roswell, Ga. — is relatively new to Billboard’s rankings. She charted one song prior to “Area Codes,” as her breakthrough single “Mmm Mmm” featuring ATL Jacob, became a hit on multiple radio charts. It reached No. 18 on Rap Airplay, No. 21 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 30 on both R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay in late 2021.

She has also self-released two mixtapes: This Why They Mad Now, in 2021, and Toxic Chocolate, in 2022. The latter includes collaborations with BIA, Latto, Moneybagg Yo, Muni Long and Yung Bleu.

16 May 2023

Post Malone Announces Fifth Album, ‘Austin,’ 2023 North American Tour Dates

Post Malone announced the title and release date for his upcoming fifth album, Austin, on Tuesday (May 16). The MC’s follow-up to 2022’s Twelve Carat Toothache will drop on July 28 and be preceded by the single, “Mourning,” which is due out this Friday (May 19).

Posty also revealed the dates for his upcoming If Y’all Weren’t Here, I’d Be Crying North American tour, which is slated to kick off on July 8 at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Ind., and keep him on the road through an Aug. 19 gig at the Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, Calif.

According to a release, the 24-date Live Nation-produced tour will give fans Post’s “signature exhilarating performance with music from his upcoming album as well as fan-favorites in a completely reimagined show. “I love y’all so very much and I’m so excited to get out and do some more shows for y’all. Help me put a baby through college and come on out. Some cool new production, new songs, and a very very handsome man up on stage. Sending love to you and yours,” the rapper said in a statement.

Tickets for the tour will go on sale beginning with a Citi presale beginning Wednesday (May 17) at 10 a.m. local time, with additional presales taking place throughout the week ahead of the general onsale, which begins on Friday (May 19) at 10 a.m. local time here.

Before he hits the road, Posty is slated to receive the Hal David Starlight Award at the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner on June 15 in New York.

Check out Post Malone’s 2023 North American tour dates below.

  • July 8 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
  • July 9 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
  • July 11 – Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
  • July 12 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
  • July 14 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 
  • July 15 – East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
  • July 17 – Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
  • July 19 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
  • July 22 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
  • July 23 – Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre
  • July 25 – Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
  • July 26 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
  • July 29 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
  • July 31 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
  • August 1 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • August 3 – Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
  • August 5 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
  • August 8 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
  • August 10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
  • August 12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
  • August 13 – San Diego, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • August 15 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre
  • August 16 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
  • August 19 – San Bernardino, CA @ Glen Helen Amphitheater