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The family and friends of Queens rapper Chinx, who died in 2015, are setting up a foundation in his name on the 10th anniversary of his passing.
The Lionel D. Pickens Foundation will focus on youth mentorship and development by connecting young people with mentors to help guide them academically, professionally and emotionally; scholarships for ambitious students regardless of circumstance; small business grants that provide local entrepreneurs with funding and resources’ and community initiatives such as coat drives, Thanksgiving turkey giveaways and toys drives for families in need across the five boroughs of New York City.
“Lionel was more than an artist — he was a dreamer, a provider, and a beacon of hope to so many,” said Veronica Clinton, co-founder and Chinx’s mother, via press release. “Through this foundation, we are continuing what he started: helping others rise up, chase their goals and never give up, no matter where they come from.”
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The foundation’s official launch will be commemorated with his annual community candle lighting on May 17 on Queens Blvd, where supporters, family and friends will gather to remember Lionel “Chinx” Pickens and celebrate the foundation’s mission.
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“This foundation is our way of turning pain into power,” said Janelli Caceres, co-founder and Lionel’s widow, via press release. “It’s about honoring Lionel by investing in the futures of others — especially those who’ve been forgotten, underestimated or underserved.”
Douglas Ellison, one of the foundation’s board members and Chinx’s former manager, added, “Lionel had the heart of a leader, he lifted people up, he inspired them to dream bigger. This foundation continues that work, so his voice, his values and his love for this community never fade.”
Chinx killed in a 2015 drive-by shooting while sitting in his car at a red light. Last year, Quincy Homere was sentenced to 23 years for his hand in the killing, while Chinx Hill’s case is still pending because he’s already incarcerated for an unrelated charge.
Chinx made a name for himself during the mid-2000s when he started making music with the late Stack Bundles and later, French Montana.
Quavo’s the Rocket Foundation hosted a Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday (May 4) for moms who have lost children to gun violence.
The Migos frontman was in attendance alongside his mother, as well as the late TakeOff’s mom and grandmother; TakeOff was killed in a shooting in Houston on Nov. 1, 2022.
Quavo launched the Rocket Foundation following the death of his nephew, with a goal of reducing gun violence across the country. Draped in white and pastel colors, attendees enjoyed a day of healing as flowers by Fenty Beauty and photos of the lives lost lined the building in Atlanta.
“It’s three times a year that’s really hard. This is one of the major ones. TakeOff made me a mama,” TakeOff’s mother, Tatiana Davenport, told The Atlanta Voice. “I pray that mothers will have a place, like a refuge, where they can get finances to help them grow. They may need spiritual help. They may need mental help. Because it’s all hard, and it’s all combined into one. So I pray that this day will allow them to feel that they can continue to go on and grow.”
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There was also a panel with representatives from various anti-violence groups discussing what can be done in the community to enact the changes they want to see.
It’s the fourth initiative of its kind hosted by the Rocket Foundation, which has plans for another meeting with members of congress this summer.
Earlier this month, the Rocket Foundation named Gregory Jackson Jr. as the president of the organization. Jackson Jr. previously served as the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was dismantled by the Trump Administration.
“What they’re going through, while it’s painful, there’s a whole community here that has their back and has been through similar trials, and we’re just stronger together than we are apart,” Jackson Jr. told those in attendance. “Maybe just every once in a while, there’s a sad night, they’ll remember that there are so many other people there to support them, even if they aren’t physically there with them. And frankly, we want to inspire them to continue to be courageous in speaking out on this issue, pushing for change, because that’s how we fix this.”
On the music side, Quavo released a posthumous collaboration with TakeOff “Dope By Phone,” which hit streaming services on May 2.
Megan Thee Stallion risked it all for the ‘gram. The Houston Hottie pulled up to the 2025 Met Gala on Monday night (May 5) and broke the event’s no-phone policy to post a video to social media of her sampling appetizers with Doechii and WNBA star Angel Reese. Thee Stallion went live from the “Hottie […]
Hip-hop’s biggest story of the week is technically a year old.
From May 3-5, 2024, Drake (“Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6”) and Kendrick Lamar (“6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us”) traded the last five songs of a battle that changed the course of hip-hop history and popular music forever. In the year since, Lamar won five Grammys for “Not Like Us,” dropped his monster GNX LP, spun out two additional Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers (“Squabble Up” and “Luther,” launched a massive stadium tour alongside SZA, and scored the most-watch Super Bowl halftime show of all time. For his part, Drizzy added another Billboard 200 No. 1 album (the Partynextdoor-assisted $ome $exy $ongs 4 U) to his arsenal and a No. 2 hit in “Nokia.”
In 2025 news, Doechii teamed up with Westside Gunn to remix the latter’s “Egypt.” The new collaboration arrived as the Swamp Princess’ “Anxiety” returned to the Hot 100’s top 10 — and just a few days before her stint on this year’s Met Gala hosting committee. With a rich theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” Monday night’s Met Gala steps (May 5) featured eye-popping looks from several of hip-hop’s biggest fashionistas, including Teyana Taylor, Pharrell Williams, Tyla, Doja Cat and more.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jorja Smith’s new banger to Benny the Butcher and Styles P’s latest link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Freshest Find: Jorja Smith, “The Way I Love You”
U.K. garage and Jorja Smith are a match made in music heaven. J Money gets back in her bag to get the party started just in time for the summer, as “The Way I Love You” should be part of every DJ’s set list, looking to fill the dance floor. The 27-year-old does just that as she throws a rave at Club Nice in the single’s blue-tinted visual. It feels like you could draw a line from “The Way I Love You” to her breakout “On My Mind” anthem that introduced J Money to droves of fans back when she was an emerging star in 2017. At this point, we need a UKG-grime album from Smith in the future. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Tiana Major9, “Money”
Tiana Major9’s “Money” is a soulful, witty, and emotionally layered meditation on her complicated relationship with wealth. Framed as a love song to money — personified as a flirtatious, fickle, and sometimes cruel partner — Tiana’s new joint explores how financial security, desire, and personal history collide. Tiana highlights how money can feel loving when it’s present, but also how quickly it disappears, reinforcing that “money knows who needs who more.” “Money” is about more than just wealth — it’s about survival, self-worth, and learning how to have a healthy relationship with abundance without letting it define your identity. Tiana brings humor, heart, and honesty to a topic that affects everyone, making the song both relatable and deeply personal. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
Benny the Butcher feat. Styles P, “Toxic”
Produced by BSF, Buffalo rapper and Griselda stalwart Benny the Butcher taps the Ghost in Styles P to give us some of that good old-fashioned hard s–t. The beat sounds like concrete and has an infectious hook that’ll make you nod your head into oblivion and give you the ugly face. — ANGEL DIAZ
Yeat, “Feel No Wayz (Yeat Mix)”
Yeat shocked fans at his Coachella set last month when he performed a cover of Drake’s fan-favorite “Feel No Ways.” Instead of the melodic rapping mixed with Drizzy’s R&B sonic, the Oregon native leans heavily into the AutoTune for an electronic spin on the classic VIEWS deep cut. The official track that landed on DSPs sounds much cleaner than the edition Yeat initially previewed on social media. Drake even lent his stamp of approval with a text to Yeat, which he fittingly turned into the cover art for the single. It might be time for another a Twizzy x The Boy link-up. — M.S.
Girlfriend, “Come Thru”
Mississippi-born singer, songwriter, and rapper Girlfriend (Kenya Edwards) returns with her new EP It’s Complicated, led by the standout track “Come Thru” — a sultry, emotionally raw anthem exploring intimacy, secrecy, and the longing for genuine connection in a situationship. The line “middle of the summer, it’s cold” captures the emotional disconnect between seasons and feelings — even when life should feel warm and full, something is still missing. That “cold” feeling symbolizes loneliness or emotional distance, hinting that both people involved are longing for closeness but are hesitant to fully open up. At its core, “Come Thru” is about vulnerability masked by sensuality, navigating desire in a relationship that lives in the grey area between love and lust, cold and warm, commitment and secrecy. — C.C.
A$AP Nast, “No Hammer”
Nast is back, and he dropped a movie. No, seriously: He and director Dexter Navy gave fans a crime drama set in London, as the Harlem rapper does his thing over Drumatik production. Maybe this means we’ll be getting that song he has with Playboi Carti that was apparently produced by The Alchemist. — A.D.
Mariah the Scientist, “Burning Blue”
Mariah the Scientist ignites her next era with the intoxicating “Burning Blue.” The Atlanta native puts a soulful spin on her unique perspective on the trials and tribulations of romance. Even with the chaos around her, Mariah feels at ease with her man by her side. But her submissive lust will only remain if he holds up his end of the relationship bargain. The 27-year-old’s vocals remain as soothing as ever, with “Burning Blue” reaching a crescendo in its closing moments. Keep fanning the flame, Thugger. — M.S.
GRiMM Doza, “Bullet Train”
Influenced by the Jersey producer’s trip to Tokyo, Grimm Doza paints a soundscape with a beat tape — a format that has become something of a lost art these days. I wanted to highlight this after a conversation I had with Conductor Williams, where he mentioned Dilla’s classic instrumental album Donuts felt like a jazz record. You can check out Tokyo Transit on streaming services. Here’s the YouTube playlist. — A.D.
Samara Cyn, “Bad Brain”
Samara Cyn is a breath of fresh air in rap. The burgeoning rhymer delivered her introspective “Bad Brain” single last week, which finds Cyn battling the voices in her head while combing through the mental gymnastics she has to hurdle to get by. Enclosed by a Thee Sacred Souls sample, Cyn’s wispy flow weaves around the dreamy production as she gives listeners a peek into the warfare she’s dealing with on a day-to-day basis as a rising star. “All these little voices in my voice gon’ drive a b—h insane/ As I’m talking, feel exhausted, think a b—h gon’ pop a vein,” she raps. — M.S.
Roc Marciano, “Period Blood”
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of his seminal work Marcberg, Roc Marciano dropped a special edition of the album that included a brand new song in this insanely titled track. Produced by the man himself, “Period Blood” is standard-issue Marci with a soulful loop and sharp lyrics that have helped make him one of the more influential artists of the last decade and a half. When it comes to underground East Coast rap music, we’re living in his era. Don’t let anybody else tell you different. — A.D.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience will be returning to California this summer, and the lineup is stacked. On Tuesday (May 6), The festival unveiled its 2025 lineup, which includes headlining performances from Jazmine Sullivan, The Roots and a third mystery headliner that has yet to be announced. Additionally, the fest will of […]
What will Doja Cat‘s fifth album, Vie, sound like? The more apt question after Monday night’s (May 5) 2025 Met Gala might be: what will Vie look like? Doja hit the blue carpet at the high fashion superbowl in a Marc Jacobs pinstripe bodysuit with a velvet ocelot-print bustier design and dramatic shoulder pads on […]
Seems like Drake is making good on his statement that he’s working on new material that will address this past year. A clip has surfaced on social media of OVO artist Smiley speaking on Drake being locked in and concentrating on making new music, saying that the Toronto rapper has been working on new material […]
Chris Brown turned 36 years old on Monday (May 5), and he has extra reason to celebrate his birthday after the RIAA announced that he’s collected another diamond certification with 2011’s “Look at Me Now.” After going eight times platinum in 2021, “Look at Me Now” earned diamond status on Monday. With assists from Lil […]
DJ Akademiks has divided his followers by arguing Drake‘s “Family Matters” was the best diss track exchanged between Drizzy and Kendrick Lamar. As K-Dot and the 6 God’s legendary rap battle reaches its one-year mark, critics and rap fans alike have been reflecting on the cultural impact of the diss tracks exchanged between the two […]
“Interviewing Grace Wales Bonner at the Guggenheim” sounds like a bar you would hear from Westside Gunn, or some other rapper with a high level of fashion sense and sophistication. But that’s what I did over the weekend when I had the pleasure of being invited to the British designer’s latest iteration of her “Togetherness” series where she brings people together from different walks of life that share similar interests when it comes to style, music, and art.
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There was an exhibit by multi-disciplined artist Rashid Johnson entitled A Poem for Deep Thinkers serving as the event’s backdrop, as sounds from electro-R&B genius KeiyaA and pop fusion maven Amaarae bounced off Johnson’s pieces — which included things like a framed throwback dashiki jersey (signed by “Civil Rights All-Star” Angela Davis), and sculptures made out of shea butter.
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Like most of the acts performing, Grace Wales Bonner is multi-faceted, incorporating different reference points into the clothes and accessories she designs for her Wales Bonner fashion house thanks to an almost maniacal obsession with research that then bleeds out into what she presents to the world. When I was walking to the event from the 86th St. stop, I noticed Nigerian rock band Etran de L’Aïr smoking cigarettes outside as they relaxed before they tore the house down later that night — but the first thing I noticed was that they were wearing brown traditional thobes while wearing yellow Adidas x Wales Bonner Adios Neftenga on their feet.
That’s Wales Bonner’s approach right there in front of me. The label mixes high fashion with traditional and street fashion. Soccer kits, durags and sneakers aren’t strange things to see on the label’s runway models. It’s that juxtaposition that makes the brand so interesting.
Etran de L’Aïr at Grace Wales Bonner Presents: Togetherness at Guggenheim New York on May 3, 2025.
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This year’s “Togetherness” event was no different and the melting pot that is New York City was the perfect setting. Hip-hop serves as one of Bonner’s many influences and reference points. “The street photography in New York is a way of understanding sound like looking at what people are wearing around their sound systems,” she said during our quick chat, as she referenced the photography of Jamel Shabazz during the early days of hip-hop. “Music and sounds are part of those references.”
When it came to how she approached curating the wide array of acts, she credited the city’s diversity as inspiration. “I feel like that’s what feels quite special about New York,” she began. “That’s what I always love. You can be with people of lots of different ages together, kind of like multi-generational, while also supporting each other. I think I’ve also been thinking about nomadic sound culture and people moving around and taking different influences through that movement. So, that’s been an influence in terms of programming — movement throughout the space and unexpected moments of discovery.”
One of the acts that incapsulated the event’s thesis statement was model, skateboarder and rapper Sage Elsesser, who goes by the artist name Navy Blue. Dipped in Wales Bonner from head-to-toe, he performed songs in the museum’s Lewis Theater and spoke to me about the similarities between his form of storytelling with Grace’s. “Music is the way that I express myself the best,” he told me in a quiet corner tucked away outside of the theater. “It’s the place where I get to express all of my interests and life experiences, like how I was raised, the food, it’s all of it, you know? It’s so multilayered. I think any artform is the crux of where all of your interests meet. So, I get why Grace is so inspired by music, and why she wants to have music be a part of her storytelling.”
Grace says that they first met through the fashion scene in which they both occupy. “There’s different ways that he can show up in the world of what I do,” she said of Elsesser. “I’m a fan of his music, so artists working with artists feels like quite a natural evolution. I’m always kind of like working and collaborating with different artists and researching a lot of different music for my shows, and have relationships with people that have grown and become organic.”
Another one of those artists that Bonner is referring to is Amaarae, whose style of music is hard to put in a box. She and Grace have been trying to connect on something this impactful for a minute and finally got the opportunity to do so. The two of them approach their art in a similarly unpredictable way.
“I think that a great artist is a great artist,” Amaarae told me backstage. “Whether you make music, films, clothing, draw, sculpt, or paint, I think that you go through life, and everything that you do, everything that you go through is a result of your influences and the things that inspire you.”
She added that one can only be inspired and influenced if they live a rich life culturally and educationally. “I absolutely feel the connection to Grace,” she said. “Just the way that we approach art, not just with music and fashion.”
“Togetherness” at the Guggenheim was a special event that bridged the gap not only culturally, but generationally. “I feel like there’s a strong sense of community in New York, which I really love,” Grace said “I also feel like there’s a kind of elevation and kind of sophistication about sounds I hear coming from New York, which I also see in my peers and their music.”
As New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson would say, the vibes were immaculate on Saturday night (May 3) and I can’t forget to mention the fits which were of course very much splashy, very much flee, very much “I got that s–t on.”
