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Drake and PartyNextDoor finally dropped their much hyped collab, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, on Valentine’s Day, and to celebrate they decided to give fans a freebie. On Monday (Feb. 17), the Toronto rapper posted an unreleased track on his finsta account @plottttwistttttt featuring New Orleans bounce rapper OnlyHeaven and blamed sample clearance issues for […]
G-Eazy is a sponge for culture. Young Gerald traded the sunshine of California for the gridlock of the Big Apple in 2023 to avoid stagnation. He delivered his Freak Show album last year and quickly turned the page to a new era in 2025.
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The Bay Area native stopped by the Billboard offices in January ahead of his European tour run, where he opened up about rediscovering himself as the new music he’s been cooking up rejuvenated him creatively.
“The process of making this record almost felt like I had rediscovered myself. Everything was about having fun again and getting back to the essence,” he says. “When you lock in and you get in a good space and you have fun and you understand the mission and you feel motivated, then it should flow like water.”
G-Eazy continued: “This was almost a return to the sound of what’s the essence of Gerald? And what does he want to do? Ultimately, man, this new music, I feel incredible about and I’m really excited.”
Gerald dropped off his intoxicating “Kiss the Sky” single to kick off February, and has a project on the way.
He also touched on some of the high-profile collaborations in his catalog, such as teaming with Britney Spears in 2016 for “Make Me…,” which he looks back on with a new sense of gratitude. The track peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“These opportunities I always try to stay in a space of gratitude,” he adds. “Imagine your 12-year-old self was told one day you’re gonna grow up and see this person on TV and you’re gonna get to do that. Never take none of this for granted.”
Demi Lovato and G-Eazy united in 2021 for the vulnerable “Breakdown,” which found the pair candidly confronting their personal battles while turning their intimate conversations into a powerful song. Gerald calls Lovato a “kindred spirit” and a “powerful force of a human being.”
“It’s not a linear path it’s a difficult one those ups and downs those challenges — that’s real life. As friends, we’ve talked about that extensively,” he says of their collab. “It’s one thing to talk about that, it’s another thing to find a way to frame it in a song.”
Before any of the fame, Gerald first’s concert was seeing Ye (formerly Kanye West) perform The College Dropout in the mid-2000s, where he remembered the rapper being presented with a gold plaque on stage. “I was, like, a freshman in high school and went with some friends,” G recalls. “I still remember his stage presence. That struck me as much as anything.”
G-Eazy will hit the road once again in April for 26 dates across North America. Marc E. Bassy will serve as the trek’s opener. “I’m really grateful for all of it,” The Bay Area native concludes.
Watch the entire interview above.
Drake is performing in Australia as part of his Anita Max Wynn Tour, and during the Monday (Feb. 17) Sydney show, a fan launched a DeMar DeRozan basketball jersey on stage, which Drake threw down in disgust.
A clip from the show went viral, which saw Drizzy performing Her Loss standout “Rich Flex.” The OVO rapper unravels the camouflage Raptors No. 10 jersey and immediately spikes the DeRozan jersey like a football after realizing whose name was on the back before getting back to the show.
DeRozan was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2009 and spent the first nine years of his career north of the border. The Compton-bred baller and Drake were tight throughout his tenure in the 6, and even appeared on the cover of Slam Magazine together in 2016.
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“No matter what, when it comes to him, he’ll forever have a friend in me and loyalty out of me because he cared,” DeRozan said of Drake in 2021 after leaving the Raptors. “He was there for me when everything was kind of going crazy.”
The relationship appeared to go sour when DeRozan made a cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video after K. Dot shouted out the hooper on the track. DeRozan also made an appearance at Lamar’s Pop Out concert on Juneteenth, where Kendrick performed “Not Like Us” for the first time live.
Even after the “NLU” cameo, DeRozan attempted to show love to Drake and play it down the middle.
“We love Drake, we always can play him,” he said during an interview last summer. “Kendrick been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while. We’re from the same city, we grew up damn near in the same neighborhood … It’s always been there. It hasn’t always been publicized, but, you know, that’s basically family.”
Drake wasn’t going for it and blasted DeRozan along with the idea of the franchise ever retiring his No. 10 during a Toronto Raptors broadcast in November. “Unfortunately we’re playing this goof tonight,” he said at the time. “If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.”
The Sacramento Kings star brushed Drake’s comments off during a postgame presser. “He’s going to have a long way to climb,” DeRozan quipped. “Tell him good luck.”
With the NBA All-Star Game returning to The Bay Area for the first time since 2000, Saweetie — a proud Bay Area native — is booked and busy throughout the weekend’s festivities.
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Saweetie shined as part of DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! Bay Area celebration during the NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 16) alongside fellow Bay dignitaries like E-40, Too Short and En Vogue.
A day earlier, while wearing a flashy top made of metallic keys, Saweetie rocked Chase Freedom’s Cashback Courts with a 20-minute set of hits from “My Type” to “ICY GRL” and “Best Friend.” Hundreds of San Francisco fans filled the City View Metreon with many little girls representing younger versions of Saweetie in the audience gawking at their hero.
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“I love that I’m able to reach out to girls who are able to identify with me because I remember what it felt like looking up to some of my favorite artists and finding a common denominator and making it that much closer to them,” she tells Billboard in her green room following the performance. “I love seeing my Filipina queens and princesses. It always feels like a magical moment.”
With the calendar turning to 2025, Saweetie says she still has her sights on finally dropping her long-awaited, much-delayed debut album. “Yeah, it’s coming this year,” she promises. “I feel like it will really encompass who I’ve grown into over these past couple of years. Lots of stories to tell.”
Elsewhere in our conversation, Saweetie recalled working with Sabrina Carpenter in 2019 on “I Can’t Stop Me,” whom she championed a “magical woman” and detailed the full-circle moment of collaborating with LL COOL J for his The Force album last year as her mom once starred in one of his videos.
Check out the rest of our All-Star Weekend interview with the rapper who touches on her hopes for more acting roles, getting the Jill Scott co-sign and why she can’t stop playing Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off.”
It’s dope to see a lot of the little girls that look up to you out here. To live that out is cool. Are you used to that?
It always feels like the first time because you never know what kinda response you’re gonna get when you come out.
What’s it like partnering with Chase and having it come full-circle with The Bay having All-Star Weekend for the first time in forever?
Lots of full-circle moments because I’m from The Bay and participating in such a global activation is phenomenal. We just had rehearsals this morning and it felt like a surreal moment. And to be part of the Chase Cashback Courts is another full-circle moment too because I had a college card with Chase. It was my first debit card. I opened it on my own and went into the bank and sat and did the whole process myself. Lot of full-circle moments happening in my life right now so this whole weekend feels surreal.
Your bank account’s looking a little different nowadays I think.
Very different.
What’s next for you musically?
Me and OhGeesy just dropped. I love collaborating with West Coast artists. I was in Africa for some time and I did some collaborations out there, one with ODUMODUBLVCK. It’s nice to tap into different communities. I can see myself more international with my features this year.
How was linking up with LL Cool J?
That was so amazing. You know my mom was in her video? I think “Luv U Better.” All these full-circle moments. I showed him. That was really cool too, and the video was super hot. His team felt like family and it’s nice to be welcomed by a fellow icon. You never know how those moments are gonna go, but it was so much fun.
Another one is a throwback with Sabrina Carpenter. How did that come together?
She’s always been a magical woman. When we did our collaboration, we met and she’s full of light, talent and energy so to see her blossom into something bigger than life has been such a joy to see this past year.
I think you’re the only rapper she’s ever worked with.
Oh, wow! Well, shout-out to her — we gotta do something else.
How was getting the Jill Scott sample cleared? Did you end up talking to her?
Absolutely, she is such an icon. It took some time and I had to work for it. I’m happy that we’re here now and I’m able to gladly say that she blessed me with an opportunity to make something into my own and I’m really grateful for that.
You had a cameo in BMF — more acting on the way? What’s the dream role for Saweetie?
A lot of more acting. I want to play something with action — like sci-fi/action. Something fantasy. Like a superhero or supervillain.
How many Saweetie meals did you eat at McDonald’s?
I lost count. I’m happy you liked my concoctions.
What’s your favorite Zaytoven beat?
Personally, my song “Expensive.” I don’t think it made streaming platforms, but I remember falling in love with that beat to write over it so effortlessly.
Why is your Instagram profile picture Stewie Griffin giving the middle finger?
That’s my mood. It’s facetious.
What’s one song you’re rocking with right now?
I’m telling you this, if you’re in my car and “TV Off” comes on you’re getting a full performance. The volume is high — it gets a little crazy, so put your seatbelt on.
Fashion-forward singer Tyla dropped into the Jennifer Hudson Show on Tuesday (Feb. 18) to give a sneak peek at her new British Vogue cover and tease her anticipated look at the upcoming Met Gala. She also talked about performing at last year’s Victoria’s Secret fashion show and performing with her musical mirror, Sabrina Carpenter.
“She’s literally like me, like we don’t take things too serious, so it was a lot of laughing,” Tyla said of appearing on Carpenter’s first-ever holiday special in December, during which the two women collaborated on a rendition of “This Christmas.”
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“It was really fun doing that and being… because I haven’t done a duet like that with another artist,” Tyla said. “Yeah, it was cute.” Now that she’s got Carpenter ticked off her bucket list, Hudson asked if there is anyone else Tyla dreams of teaming up with. “Like a dream song, just passion, like not serious, I would want to do something with… an older artist,” she said. “Like Brian McKnight… or a Babyface, something like old R&B.”
Tyla also responded to silly internet rumors that she “stole” some wings at the VS runway special, telling Hudson that at one point someone told her she could go into the “wing room” and “pick any wing” she wanted. “So I was having the time of my life, trying on all the wings,” Tyla laughed, as the image of the white feather version she chose flashed on the screen behind her; at the time, she captioned a stunning pic from the special with the words, “Earned my wings” in the post that got a heart emoji from Carpenter.
“‘That’s mine!’” she remembered thinking when she saw them at the show where she walked alongside Angels Gigi Hadid, Tyra Banks and Adriana Lima, at the event that also featured a performance from BLACKPINK’s LISA.
And, not that she’s looking to take all the gigs, but asked if she’s interested in moving into acting, Tyla said she’d love to “do something more creative” with a fellow envelope-pushing musician, such as Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino or Tyler, the Creator. “Something more creative… but dream role? I want to be a princess,” she said with a smile. “Like an African princess. I think that would be cute.”
After making the scene at her first Met Gala last year, last week it was announced that Tyla will be part of the 2025 Met Gala Host Committee team alongside André 3000, Simone Biles, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Regina King, Spike Lee, Janelle Monae and Sha’Carri Richardson, among others. Though she’s not sure what her outfit will be yet, Tyla promised that it “will be hot… you know that,” without revealing any additional details.
In her new British Vogue cover, the 23-year-old South African native charted her quick rise to fame and gave a hint of what musical direction she is headed in after the worldwide breakthrough of “Water,” the debut single from her self-titled first album that topped out at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“I really feel like I have changed so much since ‘Water’ and my debut album. I have grown into a different version of myself. A little more spicy, a little more bold. I’m excited to just put that into the music,” she told the magazine. And while her global acclaim could easily lead to product extensions into a beauty or booze line like other pop stars, Tyla said she’s focused on her main gig.
“Music is my first love,” she said, while keeping her options open. “Maybe one day I’ll want to dabble in acting, beauty, creative directing, fashion… I really have a love for it all and I know I can do it all.”
Tyla will appear alongside aespa, Erykah Badu, GloRilla, Angela Aguilar, Gracie Abrams, Jennie, Megan Moroney, Meghan Trainor and Muni Long at March 29th’s 2025 Billboard Women in Music event.
Check out Tyla on the Jennifer Hudson Show below.
Last year, the returns of Buju Banton and Vybz Kartel catapulted Jamaica back to the forefront of the global music conversation. With reggae and dancehall giants coming back to the stage as several subgenres of the two styles continue to gain traction worldwide, the future is looking particularly bright for Caribbean music.
Back with Blood & Fyah, his second full-length album (due late spring/early summer 2025), Keznamdi is looking to add his flair to that momentum as an independent reggae artist. Combining traditional reggae with dancehall, Afrobeats, R&B and hip-hop, Blood & Fyah continues Keznamdi’s yearslong exploration of the limitless potential of contemporary reggae. He introduced the new set with “Time,” a heartfelt single accompanied by a cinematic video shot in Ghana, one of several African countries that significantly impacted Keznamdi’s life and the new record.
“In the process of making the problem, the music just sounded like Africa,” he tells Billboard. “It was a far-fetched idea at the time [to shoot the video in Ghana] because we didn’t know anybody there, but we just packed up our things, brought two cameras and went down there with the whole team. The reception was crazy; [on] the second day, we were summoned by the Ghanaian president. At the time, his parliament won some kind of office, and they wanted to play my song with Chronixx called ‘Victory’ on the radio. They called the station, and the DJ told him that I was actually in Ghana at the time. Shortly after that, we were at his palace.”
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Before he received royal welcomes, Keznamdi lived a regular life across Africa for years. Born in Jamaica, he lived on the island until he was 13, by which point he and his Rastafari family moved to Tanzania, where they lived for three years. They then moved to Ethiopia, where Keznamdi lived for another three years, eventually graduating there as well. To support Blood & Fyah, Keznamdi is formulating a tour that will reach parts of the world that the reggae industry tends to neglect.
“Reggae is huge for the next generation in Africa,” he stresses. “There’s a lot of countries like Burundi that listen to reggae every single day and not one reggae artist has gone there. Africa is a very untouched place for reggae, which is a genre that sings to Africa. Our generation is playing an important role in bridging that gap and continuing the work our elders have already done. We spend so much time touring in America and Europe, and, truly, Africa is where the music is really made for. We’re singing about that third-world struggle. Everything is pointed towards Africa, which was something that all of the elders inna reggae and inna Jamaica and inna Rastafari always prophesize.”
While reggae is the core of Blood & Fyah, Keznamdi is also treating fans to a pair of two blockbuster dancehall collabs. Dancehall superstars Mavado and Masicka – whose “Whites” single continues to dominate the Caribbean – will both appear on Keznamdi’s new record. Through Vas Productions’ Richardo Vasconcellos and producer Don Corleonie, Keznamdi (who also co-produced the track) was able to get in contact with Masicka for “Forever Grateful,” which features production contributions from Off Grid and Major Seven.
“I always envisioned him on this record,” Keznamdi gushes. “Masicka is the voice of the streets right now. He’s inspirational and uplifting; when you listen to him you want to get up and do better in your life, so I wanted him on this track.”
Vas Productions also helped Mavado and Keznamdi join forces. “Bun Di Ganja” — which also features Marlon Asher — was initially created for a Vas project, but the irresistible banger found a home on Blood & Fyah.
“Because I’m so focused on what I’m doing, it’s hard for me to do features unless the track is inspiring,” Keznamdi explains. “As soon as I heard it, I sent him my vocals the next day. It was a little struggle getting Mavado for the video because he’s an elite artist, but we were able to shoot it in Miami with him.”
Listen to “Time” below.
Singer-songwriter BD.ii walked onto The Voice stage with quiet confidence, but the moment he began singing Miguel’s “Adorn,” it was clear he was a standout contender.
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His smooth, controlled delivery and effortless stage presence captivated the audience—and the coaches, who wasted no time turning their chairs.
Michael Bublé was the first to hit his button, recognizing BD.ii’s undeniable vocal ability. Kelsea Ballerini quickly followed, with John Legend and Adam Levine completing the four-chair turn. However, Levine was in for a surprise when he realized he had been blocked by Ballerini, leaving him visibly frustrated.
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“I’m a sad, sad man, because you are world-class. You’re a badass,” Levine added as the other coaches laughed.
BD.ii, an Atlanta native whose singing career took off after an injury ended his basketball aspirations, delivered a version of “Adorn” that felt fresh yet true to its original essence. His tone, phrasing, and natural charisma made an immediate impact, prompting Bublé to make an impassioned pitch.
“He’s not the threat. I’m the threat,” Bublé joked. “We’re about to help grow the population of America with that voice.”
Ballerini emphasized her versatility as a coach, stating, “I am actively having crossover songs, for other artists and with other artists. I don’t believe in boxes.”
But it was Legend who ultimately secured BD.ii for his team, pointing out his personal connection to the song’s original artist. “I’ve written with Miguel,” Legend said. “You made it sexier, made it cooler.” With that, BD.ii made his decision. “Imma go with my boy John,” he announced, sealing the deal as Legend celebrated and Levine processed his disappointment.
Miguel’s “Adorn” became a defining track of modern R&B, spending 23 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and winning the Grammy for Best R&B Song. The track, featured on Kaleidoscope Dream, also peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
With his undeniable talent and Legend’s guidance, BD.ii is already emerging as one of the season’s most promising contestants.
Watch BDii’s performance below.
D’Angelo (alongside The Roots), Meek Mill and Lenny Kravitz will headline the 2025 Roots Picnic, marking the festival’s 17th iteration.
Curated by Grammy-winning hip-hop group The Roots and produced in collaboration with Live Nation Urban, Roots Picnic will return to The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Penn. on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1, 2025. Presale tickets will be available starting Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 10 a.m. ET through Thursday, February 20, at 10 p.m. ET. General on-sale begins Friday, Feb. 21, at 10 a.m. ET. All tickets will be available at the official Roots Picinic website.
Notably, this year marks Philly MC Meek Mill’s first appearance at Roots Picnic. He was slated to headline the 2020 show before the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to pivot to a virtual production. D’Angelo last appeared at the festival in 2016 during its first-ever New York edition. Rock god Lenny Kravitz is fresh off the release of Blue Electric Light, his funky and fearless twelfth studio album.
This year, the two-day festival will also celebrate several landmark anniversaries. Jeezy will celebrate 20 years of his Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 LP, which topped both Rap Albums and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums back in 2005, with a special set. Similarly, Musiq Soulchild will play a set commemorating the 25-year anniversary of his timeless debut studio album Aijuswanaseing. Never ones to miss the party, The Roots will play a set built around the 30-year anniversary of their towering sophomore album, Do You Want More?!!!??!
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In addition, J. Period’s Live Mixtape series will return with special guests Black Thought, Pusha T and 2 Chainz, while Adam Blackstone and Jagged Edge will join forces for a special collaborative set. House music legends Crystal Waters and Cece Peniston will appear at Rich Medina’s Black House set, and CeeLo Green will play Baller Alert’s go-go stage.
Other acts slated to hit the stage include: GloRilla, Miguel, Tems, Latto, Kaytranada, Elmiene, Lay Bankz, Funk Flex, Diamond Kuts and Laila!
Outside of performances, Roots Picnic is also introducing a new day party lineup this year. Attendees can keep the festivities going at Trap Karaoke, Chill Vibes featuring DJ Active, Doo-Wop …That R&B Party, Dear Summer Festival, Kirk Franklin’s Sunday School w/ DJ Mal-Ski, Philly Black Pride, and more.
Last year, Roots Picnic featured a collection of sets that celebrated the breadth of Black music history. André 3000 performed his Grammy-nominated alternative jazz album New Blue Sun, Shaboozey brought “A Bar Song” and the Black country renaissance to Philly and Sexyy Red made a triumphant Roots Picnic debut after her inclusion on the lineup was initially met with some ire and disdain. The 2024 Roots Picnic headliners included Lil Wayne, André 3000, Nas and Jill Scott.
See the full lineup below.
It was a Bay Area showcase at the NBA All-Star Game. DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! delivered a tribute to the Bay with a West Coast-themed 2025 NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show on Sunday night (Feb. 16) inside San Francisco’s Chase Center. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
GloRilla is trying her best to beat the BBL allegations. On Thursday, the Memphis rapper posted a video to her X account taking a break in the gym while wearing a waist-trainer. “Hey, y’all, I’ve been seeing everybody with all the BBL allegations and I wanna come on here and be honest,” she told her […]