State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Erykah Badu wishes conservative politicians would just say what they really mean when they invoke the word “woke” to describe progressive policies and practices they are railing against. In an interview with MSNBC’s Ari Melber on Tuesday night (March 28), the singer who sang about staying informed, educated and tuned-in on her 2008 song “Master Teacher” told the host that she can easily read between the lines of what those who rail against the word are really saying.
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Badu said that the album that “Teacher” appeared on, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), was an example of the thoughtful, spiritually zoomed-in singer zooming out at what was going on in the world. But, she added, it had “no solutions… it’s just what I’ve observed.” And while Badu said she was happy to state what the problems were, “Master Teacher” was really part of “start[ing] a lot of stuff.”
In the song, Badu sings, “Even though you go through struggle and strife/ To keep a healthy life, I stay woke (I stay woke).” Melber then played a super-cut of talk show hosts, activists and musicians — including Donald Glover/Childish Gambino singing “I stay woke” from his 2016 song “Redbone” — using the term. Among those invoking it in a pejorative light in the montage were former president Donald Trump, who warned against what he described as, “woke fascism that will destroy our nation,” and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who last year told a crowd, “we will never, ever surrender to the woke mob… Florida is where woke goes to die.”
Mincing no words, Badu told Melber, “I think they mean Black… yeah… it’s just another way to say ‘thug’ or something else, right?” Asked how she feels about the hijacking of the term, a non-plussed Badu said, “it is what it is. It doesn’t belong to us anymore. Once something goes out in the world it take a life of its own.”
The term has its origins in the racial justice movements of the early 1900s as a reminder to the Black community to be conscious and alert to social and racial inequality and injustice. Badu helped bring it to the masses with her song and again in 2012 when she used it in a tweet in support of Russian agit-punk activist band Pussy Riot. “After that, woke took off,” she said of the term that has gained mainstream usage over the past few years in connection with the Black Lives Matter and social justice movements.
“I can tell you what it means,” Badu said. “it just means being aware… being in alignment with nature, because if you’re in alignment with that you’re aware of everything that’s going on.” But, she added, that awareness is not limited to the political arena, but also encompasses your personal health, relationships, home, car and sleep.
Check out Badu’s interview with Melber below.
After announcing that he would unleash “a collection of songs that didn’t make the original album,” Tyler, the Creator begins the race to Friday’s upcoming deluxe release of Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale with his new video for “Sorry Not Sorry.”
In the self-directed visual, Tyler embarks on an extensive apology tour, realizing how his faults harmed his romantic interests, family and fans. In the clip, he’s isolated on a farm and battling various alter egos, including his famed Flower Boy and IGOR personas.
“I’m sorry, I don’t wanna link/ and small talk over dinner, I don’t even drink/ Can’t guilt trip me, I’m ice cold, roller rink,” he cleverly raps. Tyler’s candor gets dicier when he spits, “Sorry I’m not empathetic/ Sorry you think I’m pathetic/ Sorry I don’t want a broke down/ Sorry I don’t know your pronouns/ I don’t mean no disrespect, but we just met.”
Later, one of Tyler’s alter egos erupts on his Call Me When You Get Lost persona, Tyler Baudelaire. He throws many punches until he bloodies up Baudelaire to conclude the thrilling video.
“Sorry Not Sorry” is the second video released this week following “DOGTOOTH.” Both songs will be on Tyler’s upcoming deluxe, release Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, dropping this Friday (March 31). The initial effort debuted in 2021 and topped the Billboard 200, becoming his second No. 1 album. Influenced by DJ Drama’s revered Gangsta Grillz series, CMIYGL featured Pharrell, Lil Uzi Vert, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and more.
Watch his new video above.
In honor of HipHop50, ESSENCE Fest looks to have a splashy return this year in New Orleans, with Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion headlining this year’s festivities, Billboard can exclusively report.
On June 29-July 3, ESSENCE Fest will be a rap-centric event, with Hill performing her landmark 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The five-time Grammy Award-Winning femcee will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of her game-changing debut effort. As for Megan Thee Stallion, the slot marks another major headlining performance, as she will embark on her first concert this year at March Madness Music Festival in Houston this Friday (March 31). Megan will also take her talents to the West Coast later this year as she’ll co-headline L.A.’s Pride in the Park.
The 2023 ESSENCE Fest will also feature sets from Wizkid, Monica, Coco Jones, and Kizz Daniel for their Festival of Culture stage. There will also be a special performance curation by Doug E. Fresh while DJ Spinderella, DJ Kid Capri, and DJ Clark Kent will hit the turntables during the weekend’s festivities. Another noteworthy milestone that will be marked over the weekend is the 30th anniversary of So So Def, which will be spotlighted in a performance from label owner Jermaine Dupri and Friends.
Music lovers can also enjoy some laughs in the evenings, with Deon Cole, Affion Crockett, Spice Adams and Janelle James hosting nightly activations.
“For nearly three decades, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture has been an international and joyful gathering that empowers community throughout the global Black diaspora,” says newly-appointed Vice President of ESSENCE Festival of Culture, Hakeem Holmes. “As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, it continues to be a crown jewel of Black culture and plays a pivotal role in the amplification and celebration of the contributions of the Black community through business, music, and more. As we gear up to celebrate the ’50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop’, we couldn’t think of a better way to honor the contributions that genre has made on global culture and the impressions that these artists and their deep musical catalogs, which we all know so well, have been ingrained into the fibers of our day to day lives. This year, we are excited to have everyone join us in celebrating 50 years of musical excellence, experiencing our diverse daytime and nighttime offerings, and in highlighting the importance of Black economic inclusion.”
More acts will be added to the lineup soon.
Award-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin and Live Nation Urban have announced the return of the Exodus Music & Arts Festival. Launched in 2018, the festival will mark its third year at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Dallas by expanding from one to two days (May 20-21) for the first time. Performers who will be joining host/headliner Franklin onstage include Yolanda Adams, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Tamela Mann and Natalie Grant.
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“I am absolutely thrilled that our music festival is back and bigger than ever, now extending to two full days of unique voices and talented artists that will inspire and uplift all those in attendance,” Franklin said in a statement. “Exodus has always been about bringing together fans and artists in celebration of the power of gospel music, and it’s a true honor to be a part of this incredible event once again. I’m also incredibly thankful for our partnership with Live Nation Urban, which has allowed us to create an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.”
Added Live Nation Urban president Shawn Gee, “Kirk Franklin and his team have been amazing partners for Live Nation Urban. This was the first festival partnership we entered into when the company was formed a few years back. It’s great to see the event grow and scale, and we will continue to invest in the gospel music community as it’s an area of priority for LNU.”
The Exodus Music & Arts Festival welcomed such gospel stars as Mann, Marvin Sapp and Tye Tribbett during its aforementioned inaugural year. For its second year in 2019, the festival boasted a lineup that featured Cobbs Leonard, Fred Hammond, The Clark Sisters and Travis Greene, among other acts.
Additional information about the 2023 Exodus Music & Arts Festival will be announced in the coming weeks. Ticket information is available here.
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Charlamagne Tha God spoke out on The Breakfast Club in defense of a Mississippi TV anchor who seems to have been punished for quoting Snoop Dogg on air.
“She can’t say ‘fo shizzle, my nizzle’?” the radio host questioned during the show’s popular “Rumor Report” segment during a show last week. “I guess ’cause ‘nizzle’ is derivative of the N-word? I’m saying that in context, I didn’t mean to say it. … I’m not using that word.”
After his co-host DJ Envy opined that the anchor, Barbie Bassett of WLBT, shouldn’t lose her job over the gaffe, Charlamagne doubled down in agreement. “I don’t think she should’ve been fired. She might not even know what ‘nizzle’ means, yo,” he argued. “Like, come on, we got to, like, stop, man. That’s not a reason to fire that woman.
“That’s the thing with hip-hop, man. Hip-hop is so big and so mainstream and it’s just like, who can consume it and who can’t? You know what I mean? Who can repeat slang and who can’t?” Charlamagne continued. “She might not have any idea, she just thinks she’s sounding cool repeating Snoop Dog!”
As of press time, Bassett has been off the air ever since she offhandedly repeated the phrase while bantering with her co-anchor during their March 8 telecast. Her biography has also been removed from the station’s official website, though WLBT’s general manager has reportedly declined to comment on the situation, according to a report by Jackson, Miss.’s The Clarion-Ledger.
Watch Charlamagne debate use of Snoop’s slang word below, starting at the 4:22 mark, and the clip of Bassett on-air.
After paying tribute to his nephew Takeoff at the 2023 Grammy Awards with his melancholy record “Without You,” Quavo looks to continue honoring his former Migos bandmate with his upcoming song “Honey Bun.”
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Teased on Instagram this past Monday (March 27), Quavo is shown standing in front of a jeep at what appears to be a music video shoot. The black and white photo included a succinct caption, “Honey Bun,” with the honey emoji, the suggested release date “Friday,” and the hashtag “#ForTake.” On Tuesday (March 28), Quavo shared the single art for the track, showing an aerial view of a series black SUVs parked in an “H” formation.
Last week, Quavo’s estranged cousin Offset shared a teaser of some new music featuring Icewear Vezzo and a posthumous verse from Takeoff. A few months ago, fans were elated to hear Takeoff spar alongside A$AP Rocky on the Metro Boomin’ standout track “Feel The Fiyaaah,” serving as his first set of raps since the Migos star’s passing last November.
Quavo recently released a song titled “Greatness,” where he spoke on the legacy of the Migos and even debunked rumors about a possible reunion. “Don’t ask about the group, he gone, we gone, young n-gga it can’t come back, damn!” said Quavo referring to Takeoff’s death as the reason why the group will never return.
Before Takeoff’s death, he and Quavo released their album Only Built For Infinity Links last fall. The project received praise as the twosome showcased their innate chemistry and skated their way into a top ten debut on the Billboard 200. Singles included their Hot 100 hits “Hotel Lobby” and “To The Bone” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
Check out Quavo’s posts below.
Matthew Lawrence has T-Boz‘s stamp of approval! The 52-year-old superstar shared her thoughts on her TLC bandmate Chilli‘s relationship with the Brotherly Love actor.
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“She is so happy,” T-Boz told People at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday (March 27). “Take it from her sister. Trust me — I’ve never seen her like this.”
Chilli agreed, revealing, “I am ecstatic. He’s the best, and she approves.”
Chilli and Lawrence were first photographed together vacationing in Hawaii last summer, but reportedly didn’t get together romantically until just before the holiday season. Their relationship was confirmed to Billboard in January. Chilli and the middle Lawrence brother — whose divorce from ex-wife Cheryl Burke was finalized last September — spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas together according to the singer’s publicist, and the actor met the “Unpretty” singer’s family in Atlanta.
“She’s an amazing person,” Lawrence told E! News of his new love earlier this month. “She’s already a mother, she has an incredible son. I respect so much as to how she’s raised him. She’d be an incredible mother again and I’d be incredibly lucky but that’s way in the future.”
The Boy Meets World alum also opened up about the impact his new relationship has had on him, saying, “My life is in complete bloom right now. I get to spend time with an amazing woman like Chilli. I’ve never gotten to be able to experience that kind of a relationship before … She’s a really, really special human being. I wish more people on the planet were like her. We’d be much better off.”
Actress and singer-songwriter Coco Jones scores her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, as “ICU” debuts at No. 88 on the April 1-dated chart.
The ballad, released in October via High Standardz/Def Jam Recordings, arrives with 7.4 million radio airplay audience impressions, 5.1 million U.S. streams (up 41%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 93%) in the March 17-23 tracking week, according to Luminate.
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The single has building on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop charts, and concurrently jumps 21-12 on Hot R&B Songs and 49-26 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Radio-wise, it ranks at No. 18 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 22 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
TikTok has contributed to the song’s growing profile, as a portion of it has been used in more than 15,000 clips on the platform to-date. (TikTok does not contribute directly to Billboard’s charts.)
Jones has been in the national spotlight for more than a decade. She broke through as an actress in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine in 2012 and also in the Disney series So Random! and Good Luck Charlie. She’s now starring as Hilary Banks in the Peacock series Bel-Air, a re-imagination of the 1990-96 sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was recently renewed for a third season.
Jones signed with Def Jam in March 2022. (She was on Hollywood Records in 2012-14.)
“ICU” appears on Jones’ major-label debut EP What I Didn’t Tell You, released in November. It’s the set’s second single, after “Caliber.”
Billboard’s Hot 100 First-Timers column highlights artists who achieve their first career entries on the Hot 100.
Turns out, Jay-Z wasn’t in love with the “Shape of You.” While speaking with Rolling Stone for his March cover story, Ed Sheeran revealed that the rapper turned down his request to collaborate on his 2017 smash hit.
“We were in touch,” Sheeran recalled. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear.”
The pop track went on to be released as one of two lead singles, along with “Castle on the Hill,” off Sheeran’s third studio album Divide. It became the musician’s best-charting hit to date by a landslide, spending 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned a Grammy for best pop solo performance.
“[Jay] usually gets things right,” the “Photograph” singer added in his interview. “It was a very natural, respectful pass.”
The Jay-Z revelation is one of several outtakes published Tuesday (March 28) from Sheeran’s Rolling Stone cover story, which published last week. It’s also been newly revealed by the publication that the singer-songwriter has been working with Netflix for two years on a new animated musical, for which he’s written “loads of songs,” and has high hopes for the future of his 2019 collaboration with Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton, “Blow.”
“I feel like when people saw Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, they were like, ‘Oh, that’ll sound a [certain way],’” he said of the rock song, which was met with comparatively mild reception upon its release. “It was so not that. At some point, someone will come across it, and it will be put in a superhero movie or something.”
Don’t call it a birthday, dahhlings! Mariah Carey celebrated her latest “anniversary” on Monday (March 27) with a trip to quite the tropical locale.
Though the Elusive Chanteuse didn’t reveal where she’s vacationing, she did post a fun video of herself marking the day by casually jumping off the side of her yacht. “Celebratory splash at 3:27 on 3.27!” she captioned the clip set to the Def Club Mix of her 1997 No. 1 single “Honey.” After landing in the clear blue water, the superstar showed off her mermaid skills in a pink and black wetsuit and modern shades.
A few hours later, Carey shared another clip showing a shark swimming right next to the yacht. “Wait look! It’s a shark in the water, you guys! Hello!” she shouts to everyone else on the boat.
“Oh my gosh, I’ve been swimming with sharks my whole life and I still am,” she continued, before putting on a posh accent to implore, “Please, Mr. Shark, don’t hurt me, baby!”
Mariah certainly seemed to feel the love from the Lambily throughout the day, tweeting, “Sitting here looking at all these videos and comments..I promise you I’m by myself sitting on the stairs in tears of happiness like..OMG the lambs have always been and still are UNPARALLELED!!!!! ‘Please make a note of it!’” and later adding, “I want to like and repost and comment on every one of your tweets!!!! It’s so overwhelming in a positive way” with a series of crying emojis.
To prove her point about how she views birthdays, the icon also shared a fan account’s tweet using a resurfaced interview in which she explains, “I don’t have birthdays. No, well, I just have anniversaries. I decided to do that. And I’ve noticed that people who decide not to have birthdays, they just don’t have them.”
Get a look at how Mariah spent her “anniversary,” “shark moment” and all, below.
Sitting here looking at all these videos and comments..I promise you I’m by myself sitting on the stairs in tears of happiness like..OMG the lambs have always been and still are UNPARALLELED!!!!! “Please make a note of it!” ❤️🍾🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) March 27, 2023
I want to like and repost and comment on every one of your tweets!!!! It’s so overwhelming in a positive way 😭😭😭😭— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) March 27, 2023
