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Meek Mill, Kevin Hart and former Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin have teamed up again to make a major donations to Philadelphia schools. Following up their 2022 donation of $15 million to more than 100 Philly schools, according to a statement announcing the donation on Tuesday (Jan. 10) the trio will donate $7 million to local education causes for the 2023-2024 school year, with most of the funds going to support scholarships for low-income students at private schools.
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Mill — who, like Hart, is from Philly and attended city’s public schools — confirmed the news in a tweet that linked to a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer, writing, “Gotta get the whole trap booming too… we come from public schools side!!!!!” Meek’s longtime friend Rubin, the billionaire Fanatics CEO and former Sixers boss, is also a Philly-area native. At press time a spokesperson for the trio had not disclosed which schools will be receiving the funds, but said the scholarships will be concentrated in the South and North Philadelphia neighborhoods where the rapper and comedian grew up.
In addition to the scholarships to 60 “private and parochial schools in need” for children from low-to-moderate incomes, the donations will also help fund laptops, tablets and WiFi connections and other classroom materials. Interested families have to provide proof of income and demographics showing that they are eligible to receive funding through the Earned Income Tax Credit program.
Over the past few years, Mill (born Robert Rihmeek Williams) and Rubin have donated more $17 million to local communities. Mill and Rubin previously launched a $2 million scholarship fund to help area students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money was earmarked for approximately 1,000 pre-K to high school students from low-income households during the 2020-21 school year to cover their tuition at private and parochial schools and provide access to much-needed at-home technology, including laptops, tablets and WiFi connection.
Check out Meek’s tweets about the donations below.
Lil Nas X is super excited about his upcoming collaboration with Australian children’s act The Wiggles. Not everyone, however, is as pumped. Back in December, the “Industry Baby” rapper posted an image with the colorful group in which he held up a purple shirt as he posed with the beloved “Nicky Nacky Nocky Noo” singers.
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“New collab in the wind?” read the caption.
Fans lost their minds, with one writing, “100% support this can’t wait to take the little one if lil nas comes to Melbourne,” while another said, “The Wiggles MUST work with Lil Nas X. It sends a wonderful message about acceptance and as an added bonus, annoys conservatives.”
But a number of Wiggles fans were not nearly as psyched, with some posting comments including: “I will be done with wiggles, absolutely not,” “this is strange,” “Why Wiggles, WHY?? You have betrayed us,” “So inappropriate” and the real kicker, “Such a shame, my daughter loved the Wiggles. I don’t see how someone who lap dances the devil in their music videos is a good candidate for working in the children’s music industry.”
The latter was a reference to X’s devil flirting in the racy “Montero” video, in which he gives Beelzebub a lap dance. Lil Nas has also created controversy in the past by releasing some satanic-themed Air Max 97 sneakers allegedly containing human blood. When someone referenced that stunt in a tweet that read, “Lil Nas X has put human blood into 666 pairs of his design for nike shoes and is now planning to collaborate with The wiggles,” Lil Nas snapped back with the perfect retort.
“What’s the problem,” he tweeted.
To be fair, none of this should surprise anyone. Back in April of 2022 Lil Nas said he wanted the Wiggles to co-headline his tour two years after he announced that he wanted them to appear on a remix of his single “Rodeo.” At the time, the kid group responded, “We don’t know what’s happening, but this is amazing.”
Check out the original post and Lil Nas’ reaction below.
Following backlash against his music video filmed at the Jubilee House government building in Ghana, Meek Mill issued a heartfelt apology on Twitter.
“To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art,” his initial tweet reads.
He went on to “take responsibility for [his] mistake” and expressed his desire to “make the connection between black people in America and Africa.”
To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … im in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here— MeekMill (@MeekMill) January 9, 2023
My apologies to the people if any disrespect! We still gonna push to make the connection between black people in America and Africa … what I’m trying to do is more than a video and you should see coming soon! My apologies to the the office also!— MeekMill (@MeekMill) January 9, 2023
The criticisms arrived full-steam Monday morning (Jan. 9) when Ghana’s former deputy education minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa tweeted screenshots of the music video, expressing his outrage.
“All those responsible for this despicable desecration of the Jubilee House by Meek Mill must be fired immediately,” wrote Ablakwa. “How do those explicit lyrics from the president’s lectern project Ghana positively? Is Ghana’s seat of government no longer a high security installation?”
All those responsible for this despicable desecration of the Jubilee House by Meek Mill must be fired immediately.How do those explicit lyrics from the president’s lectern project Ghana positively?Is Ghana’s seat of government no longer a high security installation? pic.twitter.com/Wwo2rbGIjl— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) January 9, 2023
Many Ghanaians chimed in, with some assigning blame to the country’s government rather than Meek. The 35-year-old rapper rushed to Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo’s defense, adding, “I don’t think they knew it was video footage when we asked to shoot. Its a small camera and one kid … in America we didn’t know this existed and [I] was excited to show [it] because they don’t show Ghana on our media much.”
Meek expressed that he had no ill intention and continues to support positive community efforts both within his hometown of Philadelphia and in Ghana, where the rapper recently found out he has heritage.
New year, new picks. After all the unforgettable drops of 2022, we’re starting off strong in 2023 with the best cuts from this year’s emerging acts. From burgeoning talents like Ice Spice and redveil to longer-standing favorites like Kamaiyah and Trash Panda, we have an array of sounds help you achieve all of your New Year’s resolutions.
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And of course, don’t forget to share the wealth with our Spotify playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: Trash Panda, “Doin’ Fine Today”
Thanks to Trash Panda’s latest single, we’re doing fine today, too. The band has dipped into a number of different genres over the course of their catalog, and this feel-good cut draws influence from ’70s funk and soul sounds — making for a perfect soundtrack to the week, and to the start of 2023.
Fresco Trey feat. Brezay, “Pull Up”
There’s something in the water in Memphis, and newcomers Fresco Trey and Brezay are adding to the city’s rich swagger with their new single “Pull Up.” Produced by Jeff Williams, the song is built on heavy bass with choir undertones, as the two bounce off of each other’s boastful bars with adrenaline-powered flows. “My inspiration for ‘Pull Up’ really came from the vibe of Memphis,” Trey explains in a press release. “We invited some local artists to come to the studio and vibe out. When I heard the beat, I jumped in the booth. Then my homegirl Brezay hopped on and killed it!”
Kamaiyah, “Thru the Week”
Kamaiyah is one of one. On her bouncy new single “Thru the Week,” the Oakland mainstay asserts that everyday she’s hustling and getting money. As she should. “Thru the Week” follows the rapper’s recent project Keep It Lit, which was released back in December.
CJ Fly, “Have Knots”
On “Have Knots,” Brooklyn rapper CJ Fly reflects on his life and ascent as a musician. “We all that we got/ Used to dream about the day I see us all at the top/ I got goals of being rich because I was a have not/ My life’s a movie and my story, it’s all part of the plot,” he raps over a NasteeLuvzYou-produced beat. The Pro Era/Beast Coast member also teased a new project to come in April, tweeting, “if you not a fan by February, you will be by April #FLY23.”
Dende, “Sensually”
The intro track to his new EP Before We Crash, “Sensually” finds Texas-born newcomer Dende totally in love. The rising singer stretches his vocals in old-school R&B fashion, crooning that his lover is the centerpiece of his dreams.
redveil, “2daside”
Where redveil is from, they do it “2daside.” The PG County, Maryland native channeled his inner child for this self-produced new single, which finds him racing tricycles with his friends, playing with sidewalk chalk and cosplaying as Bob Ross to paint the Maryland state flag.
Young DrA feat. NLE Choppa, “Don’t Understand”
With the arrival of a new year, Young DrA is setting a few things straight. The Chicago newcomer joins forces with Memphis mainstay NLE Choppa on “Don’t Understand,” as the pair deliver rumbling verses overtop a dark trap beat. “Don’t talk my language they don’t understand/ Don’t know my pain so you don’t understand,” Young DrA raps on the chorus.
BabyTron, “Mr. Hanky”
If there’s one thing BabyTron can guarantee, it’s smirk-inducing bars. Sampling Peter from Family Guy within the first seconds of “Mr. Hanky,” the Ypsilanti, Mich. native rattles off one witty rap after another, a distinctly Detroit beat sounding off behind him.
Daisy Veacock, “the things that you tell her”
Baring sonic similarity to U.K. favorite Lily Allen and infusing jazz influence à la Amy Winehouse, singer-songwriter Daisy Veacock delivers a potent-yet-laid-back single with “the things you tell her.” Daughter to professional saxophonist Phil Veacock, the South London vocalist hails from a musical background and is sure to capture listeners with the track’s clever melodies and relatable lyrics.
Ice Spice, “In Ha Mood”
Whether or not you think she’s our modern-day Princess Diana, one thing we can all agree on is that Ice Spice IS the moment. “In Ha Mood” is the Bronx rapper’s second release since breakthrough hit “Munch (Feelin’ U),” and is proving to be a quick success in social media, thanks to her simple approach to lyrics that the internet has come to love. Drawing sonic inspiration from the Jersey club scene and enlisting producer RIOTUSA (who is also responsible for both “Munch” and follow-up single “Bikini Bottom”), Ice Spice is clearly in the mood to take 2023 by storm.
If your name is Marjorie Taylor Greene and you’re looking to license music from a certain legendary hip-hop star … let’s just say you can forget about Dre. Dr. Dre has addressed the controversial Georgia congresswoman following a video she posted using his and Snoop Dogg‘s 1999 smash hit “Still D.R.E.” to celebrate Kevin McCarthy’s choppy Speaker of the House win — and the artist isn’t happy.
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“I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one,” Dre said in a scathing statement about Greene to TMZ Monday (Jan. 9).
Billboard has reached out to Snoop Dogg for comment.
The video in question — posted Monday morning on Greene’s social media accounts — features the Republican representative strutting through the halls of Congress in slow motion, grinning at the camera as Dre’s infamous piano riff repeats on a loop. Toward the end, it calls back to a photograph taken of her on the House floor during McCarthy’s speakership vote, holding up her phone to show she’s conversing with “DT” — presumably former president Donald Trump.
The video then cuts to footage of McCarthy being confirmed as the new Speaker of the House, a title he won only after several grueling days of back-and-forth between members of the Republican party and 15 rounds of voting. Greene had backed McCarthy in the speakership vote, and she immediately posted a selfie with the California congressman after he was declared winner.
Reactions to Greene’s video ranged from amusement to anger, with many calling on Dre to address the use of his song, which reached a new Billboard Hot 100 peak of No. 22 last year after the rapper performed at the 2022 Super Bowl. “Hey @drdre & @SnoopDogg y’all cool with this lunacy?” tweeted House of Cards actor Michael Kelly, re-sharing Greene’s post.
“@DrDre @SnoopDogg, did you approve this?” tweeted the Lincoln Project.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene using Dr. Dre songs for her campaign videos,” commented another. “We’re living in an episode of South Park.”
Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa launched the inaugural edition of their Black Star Line festival in Accra, Ghana over the weekend with an all-star concert featuring sets from Erykah Badu, Dave Chappelle, T-Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys and M.anifest.
According to a release, Friday night’s festival drew 52,000 fans to historic Black Star Square, the monument to Ghanians becoming the firs Sub-Saharan African country to free itself from colonialism in 1957. “The Black Star Line Festival is more than just a celebration of Black culture and music, it’s a chance for the Diaspora to come together as a community and remind ourselves of the power that lies within us,” Chance said in a statement. “It’s an opportunity to honor the legacy of those who came before us, and to inspire and uplift each other. It’s a historic event and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Black Star Line Festival.”
The festival’s title was inspired by civil rights leader Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line, which was founded in 1919 and operated by Black people who helped link global shipping and tourism opportunities between America, the Caribbean and Africa.
The weekend of events included conversations with Mensa and Chance, skate sessions and other art and cultural gatherings around town, as well as the jam-packed concert that had the acts performing on a stage featuring a gigantic black star front and center.
Garvey also inspired Chance’s music video “ YAH Know, ” featuring King Promise, and his upcoming album Star Line Gallery, which is expected for release this year.
Check out some footage and photos from the event below.
After a weekend of wild NFL action setting the stage for next week’s first round of playoff games, Rihanna is getting fully psyched for this year’s Super Bowl. The singer who will perform at halftime of Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona showed up in an NFL promo on Sunday in which she posed in a black Fenty football sweatshirt featuring the same image that helped announce her gig — a tattooed hand holding up a pigskin — as she leaned back and gave the camera her best game face.
“5 weeks from today,” read the caption on the post from the NFL. Rihanna will perform at the newly rebranded Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is being produced by DPS with Roc Nation.
That wasn’t all, though. Rih Rih also used the opportunity to hype a new limited-edition collection of football-inspired Fenty gear under the “Game Day” banner. The sporty drop features 17 styles, from hoodies to boxers, sweatpants, two-tone varsity jerseys, beanies, bandanas and tube tops, with sizes ranging from XXS to 4X. There’s also a white graphic tee with the important message: “Rihanna Concert Interrupted by a Football Game, Weird But Whatever.”
According to WWD, the singer will also launch a three-day “Game Day” pop-up shop in Los Angeles from Jan. 27-29 where customers will be able to shop the entire collection in a football-themed store. As is customary, new mom Rihanna is keeping details of her halftime extravaganza under tight wraps, telling ET in Nov., “I can’t believe I even said yes. It was one of those things that even when I announced it, I was like, ‘OK, I can’t take it back. Now, it’s like final.’ The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, it’s an entertainer’s dream to be on a stage like that,” she added. “But it’s nerve-racking. You want to get it right. You know, everybody’s watching. And they’re rooting for you. And I want to get it right.”
At press time it was still unknown if any special guests will be joining Rih for her mid-game spotlight.
See the NFL’s halftime show promo and images from the Fenty collection below.
50 Cent shared the news on Friday (Jan. 6) that he’s adapting the 2002 film 8 Mile into a TV series with the help of Eminem.
“I’m gonna bring his 8 Mile to television,” the rapper said in an interview with Big Boy TV about Em’s semi-autobiographical film. “We’re in motion.” (50 also confirmed that Eminem will also be involved in the project after host Big Boy asked, “Does he know?”)
“It’s gonna be big. I ain’t got no duds. I’m battin’ a hundred, I’m battin’ a hundred,” he continued, likely referring to his long-running Starz series Power as well as its various spinoffs Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan and Power Book IV: Force. Born Curtis Jackson, the multi-hyphenate also had a role in the 2020 ABC legal drama For Life for the entirety of its two-season run.
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“Who’s idea is that? Did you have to convince Em? Because 8 Mile is a classic,” Big Boy then queried, leading 50 to respond, “No, I think it should be there for his legacy, because if you don’t see… it’s important to me that they understand it, you know what I mean?”
Back in November, 50 Cent served as guest host for The Drew Barrymore Show while host Drew Barrymore was out sick with COVID. Meanwhile, the artist otherwise known as Marshall Mathers got into a rap battle with Spider-Man on a limited edition cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #1 that same month.
Watch 50 Cent dish on the 8 Mile TV series and Eminem’s legacy below. (Starts at the 24:50 mark.)
French Montana released a statement Friday (Jan. 6) following reports that 10 people had been injured after gunfire erupted during his music video shoot.
“Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt,” Montana wrote on Twitter. “Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time.”
According to WSVN 7, Miami Gardens Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to reports of a shooting outside The Licking, a restaurant in Miami Gardens, Fla., shortly before 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night. 7News reported that it remains unclear whether someone shot into the crowd or whether there was an exchange of gunfire. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported there were a total of 10 victims, four who brought themselves to the hospital and six who were transported,” as reported by NBC 6 South Florida.
Witnesses said the “Unforgettable” rapper was shooting a video at the time of the incident. One of them, local MC Ced Mogul, shared a video with NBC6 showing Montana dressed in a red shirt while sitting in the back of a car with New Orleans rapper Rob49 — whom Mogul claimed was among the victims but has yet to be confirmed by police — during the video shoot and before the shooting.
On Friday, Montana released Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition, the latest installment of his long-running Coke Boys mixtape series that features A$AP Rocky, Benny the Butcher, Kodak Black, Max B, King Combs, Est Gee, Jeremih and more.
See his tweet below.
Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time— French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA) January 6, 2023
The prolific YoungBoy Never Broke Again already captures his first top 10 album of 2023 as Lost Files debuts at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart dated Jan. 7, 2023. The set’s entrance gives him a seventh straight calendar year with at least one top 10 project and comes on the heels of having logged six top 10 entries in 2022 alone.
Lost Files, released on Dec. 23 through NeverBrokeAgain/Atlantic Records, starts with 17,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 29, according to Luminate. Ninety-eight percent of the album’s units came from streaming — equaling 24.9 million official U.S. on-demand streams of the album’s songs. The remaining balance derived from negligible amounts of both album sales and track-equivalent units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
With Lost Files, YoungBoy Never Broke Again acquires his 18th top 10 on the Top Rap Albums chart. His latest visit to the top tier moves him into a tie with E-40 for third place for the most top 10s on the chart since its 2004 launch. The pair trail only overall leader Gucci Mane (25) and Tech N9ne (19) in second place.
Here’s a recap of YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s top 10 collection:
Album Title, Peak Position, Peak Date
Fed Baby’s, with Moneybagg Yo, No. 7, Dec. 9, 2017
Until Death Call My Name, No. 4, May 12, 2018
4Respect 4Freedom 4Loyalty 4WhatImportant, No. 9, Sept. 29, 2018
Realer, No. 9, Jan. 5, 2019
AI Youngboy 2, No. 1 (one week), Oct. 26, 2019
Still Flexin, Still Steppin, No. 1 (one week), March 7, 2020
38 Baby 2, No. 1 (one week), May 9, 2020
Top, No. 1 (one week), Sept. 26, 2020
Until I Return, No. 5, Nov. 28, 2020
Sincerely, Kentrell, No. 1 (one week), Oct. 9, 2021
From the Bayou, with Birdman, No. 4, Dec. 25, 2021
Colors, No. 1 (one week), Feb. 5, 2022
Better Than You, with DaBaby, No. 5, March 19, 2022
The Last Slimeto, No. 1 (one week), Aug. 20, 2022
Realer 2, No. 2, Sept. 24, 2022
3800 Degrees, No. 4, Oct. 22, 2022
Ma’ I Got A Family (A Gangsta Grillz Special Edition Hosted by DJ Drama), No. 2, Nov. 5, 2022
Lost Files, No. 7, Jan. 7, 2023
Elsewhere, Lost Files debuts at No. 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 45 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
YoungBoy’s count will very likely increase in just a matter of days. His new album, I Rest My Case, was released Friday, Jan. 6, and marks his first effort with the Motown record label after more than five years on the Atlantic Records roster.
