State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Usher is mourning the loss of his grandmother Ernestine “Tina” Carter, who died at age 87 on Christmas Eve at her residence in Chattanooga, Tenn. The R&B singer reflected on in her death in an emotional post shared to his Instagram on Tuesday (Dec. 27).
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“It’s taken me a few days to come to grips with the fact that my Grandma Tina is no longer with me. I’m praying for clarity and strength for all whom relied on her,” he began in his message. “Her daily devotion was to help those in need and she did just that. It was her life’s work. She was truly a prayer warrior for me and so many others. I feel a bit lost right now.”
The “Caught Up” singer also revealed the details of his final conversation with Carter. “Her last words to me were, ‘There’s a time for everything son …there’s a time to laugh, a time to cry…there’s a time to live and a time to die,’” he shared. “When I was broken, confused, lost and most vulnerable. She saw something else…and was there to remind me of purpose, and that no matter what I was facing. I love u more, she would say.”
The post features a series of sweet snaps of the star dancing with his grandmother, praying and sharing embraces.
“I need you right now more than ever Grandma,” Usher noted. “Just to hear u one more time. Missin u. I celebrate u and your life!!”
The post comes days after Usher shared a snap of his family wearing matching pajamas and Santa hats on Christmas Day. He captioned that message, “Family is all that matters. Blessings the ones that are here and the ones that watch over us!! Jesus is the reason, GOD Bless you this holiday season. From my family to yours.”
See Usher’s emotional tribute below:
A Christmas miracle. Meek Mill posted the bail of multiple women last week so they could spend the holiday with their families.
According to an Instagram post by his nonprofit REFORM Alliance, the 20 women were incarcerated at Philadelphia’s Riverside Correctional Facility. “The women, who were unable to afford bail, will now be able to spend the holiday season with their families and loved ones,” read the caption. “Five women were released today and will be reunited with their families, with the goal of 15 more women being released in the coming week. The women will also each receive a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts for the holidays.”
“For families impacted by the criminal justice system, the holidays can be an extremely challenging time,” said the rapper in a statement. “No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can’t afford bail, and no child should be without their parents during this time if we can do something about it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year.”
Posting bail isn’t the only good deed Mill performed during this holiday season. Earlier in December, he visited the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice facility to spend time with kids whose families are ensnared in the criminal justice system, tossing a football around to the cheers of the assembled children.
The Philly native’s split from Roc Nation Management was also addressed by his pal — and REFORM co-founder — Jay-Z this summer in his four-minute verse on DJ Khaled’s star-studded single “God Did,” in which Hov insisted “Me and Meek could never beef.”
Check out Mill’s act of Christmas kindness below.
Introducing Love Sean Combs! Diddy showed off his new baby girl on social media on Tuesday (Dec. 27).
In the darling post, the rapper’s seventh child flaunts a full head of dark hair and gorgeous, inquisitive eyes as she peers out from her car seat. A second picture in the slideshow, which Diddy captioned simply, “Baby Love,” shows her cuddled up on her superstar dad’s chest as father and daughter take a nap together.
Naturally, famous friends and fans alike flooded Diddy’s adorable post with well wishes as they oohed and ahhed over the sweet tot. “Sweet Angel, baby LOVE, I can’t wait to see you again. Your auntie Naomi,” wrote Naomi Campbell, while Paris Hilton commented, “Aw…So beautiful! Congratulations bro” with several smiley face emojis bursting with hearts.
Busta Rhymes and The Game also jumped into the comments as well, with Diddy’s “Pass the Courvoisier Part II” collaborator writing, “Incredibly Beautiful” followed by nine red heart emojis and The Game declaring, “What in the most beautiful baby in the world is going on here.” Others who flocked to comment on the photos of the newborn included Ester Dean, Swizz Beatz, Ashanti, model Winnie Harlow and Love’s older half-brother Quincy Combs.
Diddy first announced the birth of the baby earlier this month in a jubilant tweet, though he notably chose to keep the identity of Love’s mother private. The birth also stirred up a Twitter feud between City Girls’ Yung Miami, who’s been dating the Bad Boy mogul since at least the early summer, and DJ Academiks, who accused Diddy of having a “side baby on his harem of side chicks” in a shady tweet.
Get a look at baby Love below.
Buzzing Brooklyn rapper Dusty Locane pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from 2019 and 2020 offenses.
On Nov. 24, the drill artist posted to Instagram that he would be turning himself in on Nov. 30 to serve his sentence, which includes a mandatory minimum of one year with a maximum sentence of three years. “Been fightin [these] cases for damn near 4 [years],” the 23-year-old wrote in an Instagram caption. “Now I gotta go handle up ima take care of dis short bid n ima be bacc nine five times stronger ‼️”
Dusty Locane hasn’t let the time behind bars detract from his release cycle. The rapper dropped an EP, CATCH DA FLU, on Dec. 5 and shared a music video for album cut “WAY BACC,” re-released on his Halloween project, NIGHTMARE ON DA FIFTH. The burgeoning EMPIRE artist who boasts 3.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone is poised to be a major voice in the drill scene, with 2020’s “ROLLIN N CONTROLLIN FREESTYLE” peaking at No. 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.
A childhood friend of the late Pop Smoke, Dusty Locane was born and raised in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn. New York Mayor Eric Adams has openly expressed his disdain for the rap subgenre, telling the press in February, “We pulled Trump off Twitter…yet we are allowing music, displaying of guns, violence. We’re allowing it to stay on these sites.” He went on to add that he wasn’t privy to drill until recently when his son, rapper Jayoo, showed him a few songs. “I had no idea what drill rapping was, but I called my son and he sent me some videos, and “It is alarming,” he said of the genre, suggesting that it should be banned on social media platforms.
In September, a number of drill rappers including Sha Ek, Ron Suno and 22Gz were removed from Rolling Loud New York’s lineup just one day before the festival was set to begin. The removal came at the request of the NYPD. “I don’t understand,” Suno told Billboard following the removal. Suno, who hails from the Bronx, claimed he has no criminal record or “problems with nobody in New York City.”
In 2019, five rappers, including Pop Smoke, 22Gz and Sheff G, were all removed from the Rolling Loud NY lineup mid-festival due to allegations of them being “affiliated with recent acts of violence citywide,” as the police department said in a letter to festival organizers at the time. The letter continued, “The New York City Police Department believes if these individuals are allowed to perform, there will be a higher risk of violence.”
In addition to Dusty Locane, other drill hopefuls including fellow Brooklyn native Sheff G and Bronx rapper Kay Flock are behind bars: Sheff G for second-degree gun possession and Kay Flock for a first-degree murder charge.
Per his Instagram, Dusty Locane is looking forward to serving out his sentence and returning to music. “ALIVE IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE. THEY LOCCED ME PHYSICALLY BUT MY MIND IS FREE,” he wrote on an Instagram post showing him in a blue prison uniform. “I APPRECIATE THE LUV N SUPPORT, FREE ME‼️”
Thom Bell, the iconic pioneer of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s, passed away on Thursday (Dec. 22) in Bellingham, Washington. He was 79 years old.
The news was first reported by Philly R&B radio station 105.3 WDAS-FM, with host Patty Jackson saying, “We remember Thom Bell: record producer, arranger and songwriter known for his work with Linda Creed, Gamble and Huff, the many hits, the creators of Philly soul.” The station also paid special tribute to the late musician on its website by sharing a video of the Stylistics’ 1972 Bell-produced single “People Make the World Go Round.”
Bell’s attorney confirmed his passing to Billboard, saying, “Thom Bell left an indelible and everlasting mark on the history of popular music, but even more so, he will be remembered by all who knew him as a kind and loving friend and family man. The music world has truly lost one of the greats.”
Nile Rodgers also took to social media to pay his respects to Bell, tweeting, “#RIPThomBell He is one of the greatest writers and producers of all time. My condolences go out to his family and friends. He was the architect of the relationship between #BernardEdwards & me as we were the band for the group New York City (I’m Doing Fine Now) a Thom Bell smash.”
Bell, who was born in 1943 and studied classical music when he was a child, was known for working with early R&B acts like the Delfonics, the Spinners and Deniece Williams. With Linda Creed, he co-wrote a number of soul classics like “Betcha By Golly, Wow,” “You Are Everything,” “You Make Me Feel Brand New” and “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart).” In the late ’70s and early ’80s, he also co-wrote and produced tracks for a young Elton John including “Are You Ready for Love” and “Mama Can’t Buy You Love.”
In 1975, Bell became the inaugural Grammy winner for producer of the year, non-classical. He had previously been nominated for co-writing the Delfonics’ “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” and arranging the Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly, Wow.” In 2017, the Recording Academy presented him with a trustees award — the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award for non-performers.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006 as well as the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum a decade later.
Bell is survived by wife Vanessa and his children, Royal, Troy, Tia, Mark, Cybell and Christopher.
Read tributes to Bell below.
#RIPThomBell He is one of the greatest writers and producers of all time. My condolences go out to his family and friends. He was the architect of the relationship between #BernardEdwards & me as we were the band for the group New York City (I’m Doing Fine Now) a Thom Bell smash pic.twitter.com/Q56kJlzpsU— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) December 22, 2022
Looks like we can add financial planner to Cardi B’s résumé. Earlier this week, the superstar schooled a fan who criticized her wealth on social media.
The exchange started when Cardi tweeted, “We going through a recession…..Merry Christmas,” along with a festive Christmas tree emoji. The statement then prompted a follower to clap back, “Says the rapper worth 40 million,” using a GIF of an irritated man nodding his head and rolling his eyes.
Well, naturally, the “Hot Sh–” rapper wasn’t going to take that shade lying down. “I’m worth more [than] that and guess what? If I don’t save, work and budget I could lose it too!” she replied. “What makes you think that no matter how much money you got you can’t lose it all if you don’t manage your money correctly. I too have bills, responsibilities and people I have to help.”
Whatever the number above 40 million, Cardi’s net worth was certainly helped this year by her savvy career moves and various successes — from collaborating with GloRilla on their smash hit “Tomorrow 2” and Rosalía on the new “Despecha” remix to banking a cool million-dollar payday to perform a 35-minute set at a private backyard party during Art Basel in Miami.
Meanwhile, she recently teased that her long-in-the-works sophomore album should be arriving sometime in 2023, and even dropped a snippet of an unreleased song as an early Christmas gift to her fans.
Cardi and her family also experienced tragedy this year, mourning the brutal murder of her brother-in-law Takeoff after the Migos rapper was gunned down in the early morning hours of Nov. 1 at a Houston bowling alley.
Check out Cardi’s sound financial advice below.
We going through a recession…..Merry Christmas 🎄— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 20, 2022
I’m worth more then that and guess what ? If I don’t save ,work and budget I could lose it too! What makes you think that no matter how much money you got you can’t lose it all if you don’t manage your money correctly.I too have bills,responsibilities and people I have to help. https://t.co/QWIaj5Lpma— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 20, 2022
Akon stopped by The Zeze Millz Show this week for a wide-ranging interview and ended up giving his stamp of approval to Nick Cannon‘s rapidly growing bevy of babies.
Host Zeze Mills brought up the topic by touching on Akon’s belief in polygamy, which he clarified was part of his Senegalese culture. “So do you agree with Nick Cannon and his spreading of his seed?” Mills asked, to which Akon responded with an emphatic “100 percent!’
“I agree with him one-thousand percent. That’s how life is supposed to be. Why not? He’s rich … He’s responsible. He takes care of every one of those children … And the baby mothers with it. And they hurt for nothing and they live comfortably!” he continued over the host’s protestations.
Interestingly, Akon’s comments come on the heels of one of the mothers of Cannon’s 11 kids seemingly shading him on social media. “There’s no need to mention me or send anything to my DMs. It has nothing to do with me… and no need to be messy. It’s all love over this way,” LaNisha Cole, whose daughter with Cannon, Onyx, is 3 months old, wrote in a since-expired Instagram Story. “It’s not easy but I have to do it for my daughter. She is incredibly blessed and is surrounded by so much love – and it’s not fake IG photo op love – it’s real day in and day out love.”
Akon also shed light on collaborating with TikTok on his new EP TT Freak, saying, “Me, I see TikTok as an opportunity. I see it as a huge platform. I see it as a way of also opening up the opportunity to create and discover a new audience. ‘Cause I think it’s been a quick, what, 13, maybe 14 years since I released my last album? That’s crazy, when I look at that I’m like, ‘Man, where was I?’ Time flew by so fast. But then what woke me up was the fact that my catalog was re-streaming and kinda resurfacing through the TikTok platform.
“And I’m looking at the demographic that’s actually on TikTok, it made complete sense to me,” he continued. “‘Cause this is a generation that wasn’t around to experience my kind of music at that time.”
Watch Akon’s full chat on The Zeze Millz Show below.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker “turns Tchaikovsky on his head in the coolest possible way.”
The reimagining of the Russian classical composer’s 130-year-old ballet set in contemporary New York City has been living up to that promotional promise for the last 10 years. Now a holiday tradition in its own right, the dance extravaganza is currently in the midst of a 30-city tour. And there for each and every beat, notwithstanding a heart transplant in December 2020, has been the show’s special guest MC and one of rap’s founding fathers, Kurtis Blow.
“I was always a fan and supporter of the fusion of hip-hop with other genres of music,” says Blow, recalling the first time he watched a show rehearsal in 2013. “I saw these young b-boys and b-girls just doing their thing, representing with all the styles from popping and locking to electric boogaloo; kicks, head spins, back spins, windmills, air twists — and doing so to Tchaikovsky’s incredible classical music with hip-hop beats under it. I said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to be a part of this.’”
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The trailblazing artist known for classics such as “Christmas Rappin’,” “The Breaks” and “Party Time,” a fusion of rap and go-go, Blow was the first rapper to be signed to a major label (Mercury Records) in 1979, among other accolades. This past summer, Blow and fellow hip- hop legends, Chuck D and KRS-One founded the Hip Hop Alliance, the first ever union for hip-hop and R&B artists and the workforce that supports them.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker will wrap its 10th season in Hartford, Conn., on New Year’s Eve. The remainder of the tour will be dedicated to the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss, freestyle hip-hop dancer/choreographer and The Ellen DeGeneres Show co-host/co-exec producer. “We want to acknowledge the passing of one of our Nutcracker family members,” Blow says of Boss, who was part of Disney’s version of the show, now streaming on Disney+.
During a phone interview during the tour’s New York stop, Blow reflected on why The Hip Hop Nutcracker still resonates, life after his heart transplant and hip-hop’s monumental 50th anniversary in 2023.
For those who haven’t seen the show, what does your role entail?
I get everyone prepared for what they’re about to see by first taking them back with a medley of old school hip-hop songs because the show starts out in 1980 on New Year’s Eve. At the end of the intro, I sing a song called “New Year’s Eve” and in the middle of that, I have everyone count down from 10 to one. When we get to one, we scream Happy New Year as loud as we can. Then the show starts. At the end I come back and do “The Breaks” with the whole cast. These talented dancers from all over the world give 150% every night. Audiences come to the show — whose theme is love conquers all — and leave revitalized. I’m seeing generations from grandparents to their grandchildren and their daughters and sons. That’s what hip-hop is about too: all races, all ages.
What has your life been like since the transplant?
I am a walking, living, breathing testimony that God is still in the miracle business. What God did for me, God is able to do it for you and everyone else. This is a big part of my faith because I’m a preacher as well. Waking up the next morning after the operation, seeing the doctors and nurses and getting a thumbs up … I still get that joy every morning when I wake up. I thank God that I’m still alive — and [I’m] so grateful to be a part of this opportunity to spread love during the holiday season.
Which is something you first did in the late ‘70s with “Christmas Rappin’.”
I think it was 1978. Billboard included me, a young college student, in the last section of an interview about this new thing called rap. I will never forget it because during that time, there were other more popular MCs like DJ Hollywood, Eddie Cheeba, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa. But that article became the basis of my credibility, and I think it was indirectly a part of me getting my record deal with Mercury. Robert Ford Jr. wrote that article. Later, he and J.B. Moore, who also worked for Billboard, produced my first gold single, “Christmas Rappin’”. I owe Billboard and just want to say thank you!
What does the genre’s upcoming 50th anniversary mean to you?
I started break dancing in 1972, became a DJ in ’73 and started rapping in ’74. I’ve witnessed this culture rise from the ashes of the ghettos of the Bronx, Harlem, Queens and Brooklyn. It was out of that cultural trauma that hip-hop was created; it was escapism in the music. Now it’s been around for 50 years and it’s still powerful — the No. 1-streamed genre in the world. Everyone around the globe is tuning in to listen to what hip-hop has to say. We definitely changed the world. And we have the opportunity to do it again. My message to all the young people out there is: We did it, and now the world is yours. The future is yours. You have the opportunity to build up your families, build up your communities and build up humanity.
2022 is swiftly coming to a close, so now’s a great time to reflect on the biggest and brightest R&B songs of the year. But which one was your favorite?
Rihanna made her long-awaited return to music after a five-year break by contributing not one, but two tracks to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The first, “Lift Me Up,” serves as a stunning and serene ballad for the pop star, as well as a tribute for late star Chadwick Boseman, who died at age 43 in 2020 after a battle with colon cancer. The track, co-written by Tems, made Billboard‘s list of 10 best R&B songs of 2022.
SZA also made the list. She released “Shirt” as the third single from her critically acclaimed — and currently No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — sophomore album, S.O.S. The sultry track sees the star waxing poetic about a toxic love affair, and recalls hits from her debut LP CTRL.
No one on Billboard‘s list had a bigger breakout year than Steve Lacy, who was named our Rookie of the Year after “Bad Habit” entered the stratosphere by going viral through TikTok. The singer’s album Gemini Rights went on to secure the top spots on several charts following its July release.
The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Beyoncé and more round out Billboard‘s 10 Best R&B Songs of 2022 list, but which was your favorite? Vote in our poll below.
SZA reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart for the first time thanks to “Kill Bill,” which debuts atop the Dec. 24-dated tally.
“Bill” bows with 36.9 million official U.S. streams earned in the Dec. 9-15 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Her first ruler eclipses the No. 2 peaks of “Good Days” (2020), her featured credit on Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” (2021) and Summer Walker co-bill “No Love” (2021).
“Bill” is the first non-holiday song to reign on Streaming Songs past the first week of December (and before January) since 2018, when Ariana Grande‘s “Thank U, Next” ruled for the entire month of December.
SZA first made the chart — which began in 2013 — with “Love Galore,” featuring Travis Scott. That track peaked at No. 27 in 2017.
In all, four songs from SZA’s new album SOS reach Streaming Songs’ top 10, with “Bill” joined by “Nobody Gets Me” (No. 6, 25.1 million streams), “Blind” (No. 8, 24.4 million) and “Low” (No. 10, 22.3 million). Of the Dec. 24-dated top 10, only SZA’s entries are non-holiday songs.
A total of 19 songs from SOS appear on the Dec. 24 ranking, giving SZA a tie for the second-most simultaneous appearances by a woman in the chart’s history, alongside Taylor Swift’s 19 on the Nov. 27, 2021, list upon the release of the album Red (Taylor’s Version). Only Swift boasts more, with 20 achieved on the Nov. 5, 2022, ranking, after the debut of the album Midnights.
Concurrently, “Bill” starts atop R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs and R&B Streaming Songs. It’s her fourth ruler on the former, following “Days,” “Love” and “I Hate U,” and her seventh on the latter, with the aforementioned four joined by “The Weekend,” “All the Stars” (alongside Kendrick Lamar) and “Hit Different,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign.
One other song from SOS reigns on a genre-based streaming chart: the pop-punk-esque “F2F,” which becomes her first to reign on Alternative Streaming Songs (13.7 million streams).
As previously reported, “Bill” is the top debut of SOS on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, bowing at No. 3. SOS itself also starts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 318,000 equivalent album units earned.
