State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Looking back at the fast-paced year that was 2022, R&B/hip-hop experienced its share of wins from a successful post-pandemic touring season starring The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige to Rihanna’s long-awaited return with new music and the Super Bowl LVII halftime gig. But also sharing headline space were high-profile court cases involving Young Thug and others plus the loss of more young rappers to violence. Here are 10 business stories and trends that resonated during the genres’ tumultuous year.
Building Equity in the Live Music Industry
Moving forward on its mission two years ago to bring more diversity and equity to the live music industry, the Black Promoters Collective finished at No. 13 on Boxscore’s year-end list of top 25 promoters — headed by Live Nation — with a total gross of $100.7 million. The eight-member collective also scored three tours in the top 100 year-end tally: New Edition’s 30-city The Culture Tour with Charlie Wilson and Jodeci (No. 52), Mary J. Blige’s 23-city Good Morning Gorgeous fall outing featuring Ella Mai and Queen Naija (No. 54) and Maxwell’s 25-city The Night Tour with Anthony Hamilton and Joe (No. 86). Among Boxscore’s top 10 tally of R&B/hip-hop tours, New Edition placed sixth grossing $37.7 million and Blige claimed seventh place with $37.2 million. Holding down No. 1 on the list was The Weeknd (gross not revealed), followed by Kendrick Lamar in second place ($70.4 million) and Post Malone in third ($53.5 million). Calling 2022 a banner year for the BPC, CEO Gary Guidry notes, “We’ve only just begun.” Adds CMO Troy Brown, “There needs to be a home for voices of color, owned by voices of color, led by voices of color, steeped in the culture with a keen understanding of creativity, programming, data, insights and innovation.”
Young Thug, Gunna Indicted on RICO Charges
Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna were among 28 people indicted on May 9 in Georgia on conspiracy to violate the state’s RICO act and street gang charges. According to the indictment, Young Thug is allegedly one of three founders of the Young Slime Life, “a criminal street gang that started in late 2012” with ties to the national Bloods gang. Charges against him, Gunna and other alleged gang members include “preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.” Strongly refuting the charges, both rappers have been jailed since May after being denied bond multiple times. In November, a Georgia judge rejected prosecutors’ request for a three-month trial delay until March 27, 2023. Jury selection is set for Jan. 5 with the trial to commence on Jan. 9.
In the latest update: Gunna was released from jail on Dec. 14 after pleading guilty to a single charge against him and was given a time-served, suspended sentence. In a statement released by his lawyers, Gunna said he took the plea deal to “end my personal ordeal.” He also stated, “I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”
California Legislates Rap Lyrics Bill
In September, California became the first state in the nation to sign a rap lyrics bill into law. The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act will restrict when prosecutors can cite rap lyrics as criminal evidence against the artists who wrote them. California’s enactment comes after years of criticism over the practice of citing rap lyrics in court cases, opening the door to unfair racial bias. New York lawmakers came close to passing similar legislation (Senate Bill S7527 or “Rap Music on Trial”) earlier this year and plan to revisit those efforts when they reconvene in January. Democrats also introduced a federal version in the U.S. House of Representatives. The push for state and federal legislation has been fueled by the upcoming trial against Young Thug and Gunna, whose indictments heavily quote from their lyrics. Among artists supporting the need for a rap lyrics bill are Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Killer Mike. 300 Entertainment chairman/CEO Kevin Liles — whose company houses Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life Records imprint — and Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO Julie Greenwald also launched a Change.org petition, “Rap Music on Trial: A Petition to Protect Black Art.” In their petition, which currently numbers more than 67,500 signatures, the two executives urged signees “to step up, support these efforts, and get this [New York] bill across the finish line.”
Rihanna Returns
Fans may still be awaiting Rihanna’s hotly anticipated next album. But in the meantime, they received a welcome one-two punch. First, when the new mom and Savage X Fenty chief posted a photo of herself holding an NFL-branded football on Instagram to confirm that she’ll be headlining the 2023 Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show on Feb. 12, 2023. And second, when the Grammy-winning artist released her first new single in more than five years: “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Debuting as her eighth No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart — and No. 2 on the Hot 100 — “Lift Me Up” is a newly minted Golden Globes nominee for best original song, motion picture.
Brent Faiyaz, Indie Disruptor
Repping for R&B’s vibrant independent scene, singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz went head-to-head against Bad Bunny in July — and bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with his debut album Wasteland, accumulating 88,000 album-equivalent units. Released on Faiyaz’s Lost Kids label with distribution through indies Stem and Venice, Wasteland features the single “All Mine” which reached No. 4 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. He’s managed by Colture (an acronym for Can Our Leverage Teach Us Real Equity), co-founded by Ty Baisden and Jayne Andrew. “Being able to really do things that even major-label artists haven’t been able to accomplish from an independent perspective is important,” Baisden noted in Billboard’s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue. Added fellow power honoree Andrew, “Colture is for the alternative thinker. We don’t do things the normal way because we aren’t normal, and we like that.”
Changing Lanes
Hip-hop also witnessed some high-profile signings in 2022. Youngboy Never Broke Again signed with Motown (whose chairman/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam recently announced her impending exit) while Kodak Black (“Super Gremlin”) is headed to Capitol. Youngboy’s move came a year after he entered into a joint venture between his Never Broke Again collective and Motown; his first album for the legendary label is due in 2023. Youngboy and Black were labelmates at Atlantic. Billboard reported in October that Black still had two releases left under his Atlantic agreement, the first of which was the Oct. 28 compilation Kutthroat Bill: Vol 1. It debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. Meek Mill also exited Atlantic earlier this year and is now an indie artist on his Dream Chaser Records.
Kanye West Officially Loses Billionaire Status
2022 was a turbulent one for Ye. His egregious antisemitic comments from October’s Drink Champs interview resulted in Adidas and Gap terminating their partnerships with the controversial rapper. According to Forbes, those losses shrank Ye’s bank accounts, officially disqualifying his billionaire status. Along with being dropped by Adidas and Gap, Balenciaga and Vogue magazine curtailed their relationships with Ye following the interview. His divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized in November, with court documents detailing that the former couple will share physical and joint custody of their four children and that Ye must pay $200,000 monthly in child support.
Verzuz Vs. Triller
After making news a year earlier via its March 2021 partnership with Triller — under which they allocated a portion of their equity in the new entity to 43 artists who initially performed on the platform — Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland appointed Steve Pamon, former president/COO of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Parkwood Entertainment, as president. His purview includes overseeing production and logistical operations for the livestream series. Several months later, Beatz and Timbaland sued Triller, alleging that the latter still owed them $28 million from the 2021 sale. Triller countered saying the pair had already been paid “over $50 million in cash and stock to-date” and that the company believed the pair had not yet met certain required thresholds for further payments. The lawsuit was settled amicably in September with no further details revealed.
More Rappers Lost to Gun Violence
Continuing a sad — and preventable — trend, this year witnessed the untimely deaths of several more young rappers owing to gun violence. Among those lost: Migos founding member Takeoff, PnB Rock and Young Dolph. In an article titled “Hip-Hop Needs an Intervention” for The Atlantic, northern California rap pioneers Too $hort and E-40 said, “We just need to find better ways to support each other. This is our generation’s responsibility as much as it is for the young MCs … We have to turn the corner.”
Megan Thee Stallion, Tory Lanez Case Goes to Trial
Two years have elapsed since Tory Lanez was accused of shooting Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the foot on July 12, 2020. Now, as the year winds down, the closely watched trial finally got underway with opening statements in a Los Angeles court on Dec. 12. On the second day of the trial (Dec. 13), an emotional Megan took the witness stand before a packed gallery that included Desiree Perez, CEO of Megan’s management company Roc Nation, activist Tamika Mallory, Lanez and his family. Noted a tearful Stallion at one point, “I wish he had just shot and killed me.” On days three and four, Megan’s former friend and assistant Kelsey Harris offered conflicting testimony about the incident. The trial is expected to last eight business days, with a verdict due around Dec. 21.
Defense attorneys for one of the four men charged with the 2018 murder and robbery of XXXtentacion have listed a handful of notable rappers and celebrities — including Drake, Quavo, Offset, late Migos rapper Takeoff, Tekashi 6ix9ine and Joe Budden — as witnesses, according to court documents.
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The move stems from unsubstantiated Internet rumors that swirled following XXXtentacion’s death, in connection with Drake’s 2017 beef over what the late artist believed to be a rip-off of his flows from breakout track “Look at Me!” on the OVO rapper’s “KMT.” A year after the drama, a story was posted to XXX’s Instagram page that read, “If anyone tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi,” tagging Drake’s Instagram handle. XXXtentacion claimed his account was hacked and four months later, he was killed in Deerfield Beach, Fla.
At a Thursday (Dec. 15) hearingreported on by the Miami Herald, prosecutors called the move a stunt and Broward Circuit Judge Michael Usan demanded answers in writing as to why the superstars were relevant. Prosecutors also noted that the defense did not provide addresses where the notable celebs could be served subpeonas, or any contact information. “It is apparent from the deliberate, late disclosure of the defendant’s witnesses and comments made between the parties that [the] defendant intended to ‘surprise’ the state and create a trial by ambush,” wrote prosecutor Pascale Achille, as reported by the Herald.
The amended witness list was submitted by Miami defense attorney Mauricio Padilla, who is representing 27-year-old Dedrick Williams, the alleged getaway driver. Padilla denied Achille’s claims, blaming delayed depositions.
“They are high-profile people. And it’s not easy for me to subpoena. I don’t have numbers, but it doesn’t mean I won’t be able to,” Padilla told the judge. “Trying to subpoena Drake is not easy — you need a drone.”
The all-star rappers being listed as potential witnesses does not mean they will be obligated to show up to court. Their appearance would be contingent upon Padilla proving relevance, which remains to be seen.
XXXtentacion was shot to death on June 18, 2018, at age 20. Leaving Riva Motorsports Motorcycle & Marine Superstore, the late rapper was attacked by two armed men. After a brief struggle, XXXtentacion was robbed and shot multiple times and later pronounced dead at the Broward Health North Hospital.
2022 is coming to a close, and Billboard looked back on all the incredible hip-hop albums that dropped this year in our ranked list.
From big returns and collaborative albums to a slew of female MCs killing the game, there was no shortage of music to keep fans satisfied.
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We want to know your top hip-hop album of the year. Check out our ranked and numbered list here and let us know by voting below.
As of Dec. 15, 2022, we’ve had 30 years of The Chronic, hip-hop legend Dr. Dre’s breakout solo debut album. That’s three decades of house parties, backyard BBQs, collegiate ragers, beach/lakeside hangouts and slow drives in the sunshine soundtracked by The Chronic and its innovative G-funk sound.
It’s the great unifier. Its funky, silky-smooth live instrumentation with slick guitar and deep bass, inspired by Parliament/Funkadelic and George Clinton, broke down cultural walls; everyone loves The Chronic. It lifted hip-hop to a new echelon of cultural relevancy and set the stage for the next generation of rappers and producers. It crowned Dre atop the industry as its preeminent artist-producer.
The context in which it was created, however, was far rockier.
The Chronic was recorded in the aftermath of the L.A. riots in April 1992—vocal samples from people on the streets were used on tracks like “The Day the N–gaz Took Over” and “Lil’ Ghetto Boy.” And its lyrics captured the world that then surrounded Dre and his crew – drugs, guns, gangs and overt misogyny (which can make The Chronic uncomfortable to revisit given the rapper’s public admission of beating women as a young man, including his attack on TV host Dee Barnes in 1991. Dre has since apologized for his actions).
Then there was Dre’s beef (over a financial dispute) with his N.W.A collaborator Eazy-E, Ruthless Records and its co-founder Jerry Heller. Dre got his start by co-producing N.W.A’s 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton. But by the early ‘90s—following public insults from N.W.A member Ice Cube on his brutal diss track “No Vaseline”—Dre wanted out. He wanted to join up with Death Row Records, the notorious label owned by former football player/rap don Suge Knight. Dre took aim at Eazy on the tracks “F-k Wit’ Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” and “B-tches Ain’t Sh-t,” among others. It was a tense time.
Dre doesn’t have such fond memories of that era: That’s “the toughest record that I’ve recorded in my career,” he told BigBoyTV. “I was in survival mode.” And with “all the things that were happening in the studio during the making, it was crazy. During that process, my house burned down, I was shot in the legs, and I was in the studio on crutches for a couple of weeks. So, it was a lot that went into that record. It was blood, sweat, and beers that went into it, you know what I mean?”
When The Chronic dropped on Dec. 15, 1992, however, it paid off. The Chronic produced three top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (where it spent eight months in the chart’s top 10) and won the Grammy Award for best rap solo performance (“Let Me Ride”).
The Chronic also introduced his clique of collaborators to the world: Snoop Dogg, who appears on 11 of its 16 tracks, plus Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, The D.O.C., Daz Dillinger, RBX and The Lady of Rage. Snoop, in particular, captured attention with his lyrical, laid-back flow, further focusing the attention of the hip-hop world on Los Angeles and Death Row Records.
And for Dre, it kicked his career into overdrive, beginning a string of hits that continued with artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game, Kendrick Lamar and others. This would ultimately lead him into tech (Beats By Dre, Apple), film (Straight Outta Compton) and sports (the 2022 Super Bowl performance) on his way to become one of richest artists on earth.
The Chronic redefined the West Coast sound, which up to that point, was aggressive, in-your-face, abrasive and less accessible. By packaging the gangsta lifestyle in funkier, smoother sounds, Dre’s G-funk lifted hip-hop out of the inner city and gifted it to the rest of the world.
The album’s legacy continues to inspire artists far and wide. To celebrate its 30th birthday, let’s revisit and rank The Chronic’s 16 tracks.
Offset turned 31 years old on Wednesday (Dec. 14), and Cardi B went all out to celebrate her favorite birthday boy. The “WAP” rapper posted a touching tribute to her husband of five years on Instagram, and shared lots of videos of how the couple commemorated his day by hitting the beach and partying in Jamaica.
“Happy birthday my love,” Cardi wrote, posting a reel of sweet photos of the Migos rapper. “I pray silently and I pray loudly on this post that God bless you & protect you.”
“Thank you for your love to me,” she added. “I love your 4ever & beyond.”
On Instagram Stories, the “I Like It” artist treated followers to an inside glimpse at her Jamaican vacation with Offset, with whom she shares 4-year-old daughter Kulture and 1-year-old son Wave. The two kayaked across beautiful blue waters, hung out beachside and checked out a rocky waterfall.
“Happy birthday sexy maaaaan,” Cardi said while filming her husband on the beach. “It’s your birthday!”
Cardi also shared videos of their couple’s bedroom suite, which she’d had decked out with trails of rose petals and red balloons as a surprise for the “Stir Fry” rapper. “My baby daddy, you deserve it!” she told Offset, filming his reaction to the room.
And finally, the pair closed out the occasion by partying the night away with friends and lots of dancing. Their evening didn’t end until around 6 a.m. — at least, that’s the time stamp on one of Cardi’s final posts on her Story, a video of the sun rising on their waterside vacation home.
The festivities come just a month and a half after Takeoff, Offset’s cousin and former Migos bandmate, was shot and killed Nov. 1 at a bowling alley in the Houston area. Offset was present alongside Quavo, the third member of the Migos trio and Takeoff’s uncle, at Takeoff’s celebration of life ceremony on Nov. 11.
Offset also shared a tribute to his late cousin in a Nov. 15 Instagram post, writing, “I wish I could hug you one last time.”
Cardi has also spoken out about how difficult things have been since the tragedy occurred, saying in a since-deleted Twitter voice note that she feels “so hopeless trying to make my husband happy.”
“Trying to make him crack a smile, f—in’ seeing him randomly cry,” she said at the time. “See him trying to distract his mind completely, f–kin’ schedules been changing, trying to keep up with work after everything that he’s been going through these past couple of weeks. We not in the mood to be f–kin’ playin’ around with y’all.”
It was a blockbuster year for hip-hop in 2022, as we witnessed a handful of returns — led by pgLang commando Kendrick Lamar. After a five-year drought, Lamar reawakened with spirited raps and elite storytelling on his newest release, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Meanwhile, Future’s reign remained supreme after notching the highest opening week of his career with the success of his ninth studio album, I NEVER LIKED YOU. We also received a fistful of collaborative albums, with Drake and 21 Savage’s unexpected collision Her Loss leading the pack, while women MCs strengthened their grip on the genre with the rise of GloRilla and Latto.
Despite his late-minute push, Metro Boomin squeaked his way into rap contention with his third Billboard 200 chart-topper HEROES & VILLAINS this December, just before the buzzer sounded. With his starry hip-hop alliance including Future, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Thug, and plenty more marquee names ready for combat, the Atlanta savant maximized his efforts to bring us a cinematic thriller. Meanwhile, Nas and Hit-Boy continued to prove why they are hip-hop’s fiercest one-two punch, with the release of their Billboard 200 top-ten debut King Disease’s III. The trifecta extends Nas’ lyrical streak while elevating Hit-Boy’s status to legendary territory on the production side.
Now, the biggest question looking forward is whether 2023 will have enough juice to contend after this year’s stellar campaign. Only time will tell, but, until then, let’s remember the year that was and take a look at Billboard’s 20 best hip-hop albums of 2022 below.
Druski is on the verge of revolutionizing what it means to be a comedian in the era of social media. What started as a dream of becoming a star turned into reality for the Atlanta, Georgia native, and it only took him five years to reach the highest point in his field.
So many people have tried their hand at making others laugh on Twitter and Instagram, and those who succeeded — like Druski — were tasked with figuring out what to do next.
In Druski’s world, the answer to that question lies in his upcoming Coulda Woulda Shoulda stand-up comedy tour, which he announced last week. The 30-venue trek has Druski bringing the laughs to New York, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta and more cities, and it’s something he knew had to happen if he was going to level up his craft.
“I think the idea started to cement itself in my mind when I was hosting shows on music tours for J. Cole and Chris Brown and Lil Baby,” Druski tells Billboard. “It’s like this is my time to shine and finally step into that spotlight. I could continue doing stuff on social media forever, or I could jump somewhere else and prove I’m more than just an Internet star.”
Stand-up comedy is a different beast than social media videos, and Druski is fully equipped for it. As the comedian explains, he got his first taste of the big stage as an opener on J. Cole’s 2021 The Off-Season Tour, with the same thing happening a year later on Chris Brown and Lil Baby’s One of Them Ones Tour this past summer.
Both of those events were eye-opening, in that Druski knew what people wanted to see and that only fueled the creation of his own major show. Of course, not every joke was a hit, and he bombed in a few cities — but he needed that to happen, since part of the process of stand-up comedy is audience interaction. Druski has millions of people tuning into his content on social media, but that’s nothing compared to being with those same people in person.
“You have to put in the work, and you can’t really go outside of what that work is,” he says. “You have to go to all these comedy clubs and theaters and bomb. You have to go do what the greats did in order to get to that level. You can’t really skip that step — and I think a lot of people now get so much so early. Like, you get your fan base before you even get to a live show.
He continues: “The biggest question is always, ‘Can he make us laugh in person?’ I want to show the world that I can do that, and I’m gonna have people come to these shows and have them die laughing in real-time.”
Everyone in Druski’s family had comedic potential: His grandfather is a prankster, his mother is funny all-around, and his father lives and breathes dark humor. Once it began to click in his mind that he was a naturally funny person himself, Druski knew comedy would be a part of his life forever — so it made perfect sense that he embraced it head-on.
At first, the comedian’s goal was to find a way to get on television, and he believed he needed a lane in sports broadcasting. That didn’t go far, especially because people kept telling him how funny he was all the time. After some self-reflection, and studying interviews of stars like JAY-Z, Will Smith, Kevin Hart and Steve Harvey, Druski realized these people found success by focusing on what they’re good at and locked in on getting better.
“I was skipping class at Georgia Southern just to watch all those interviews in my crappy apartment, and I paid attention to every little thing they said and applied it to my life,” he adds. “I think that played a big role in me dropping out of college and taking a chance at going down a path that I knew felt right to me.”
Druski obviously chose the right one. In 2017, he began releasing comedy skits on his old Druski2funny Instagram page, and before long, opportunities began to present themselves. Fans started seeing Druski all over, from starring in hip-hop music videos with Lil Yachty, Drake and Jack Harlow (Druski is friends with all three) to landing on various cameos in television commercials for brands like Bud Light Seltzer, Beats By Dre, AT&T and Mountain Dew.
And though Druski values his relationships, everything has come from a pure and genuine place, especially his friendships with Drake and Harlow. The BFF bond between Druski and the latter hitmaker includes Thanksgiving dinners at the rapper’s house, to even a shared Complex cover story from last year. “We’re working on a movie together right now behind the scenes,” says the comedian. As for his bond with Drizzy, Druski compares their initial link-up to “meeting the president.”
“I’m sitting in a room, and they’re like, ‘Drake will come and talk to you.’ People are coming in and checking on me and I’m like, ‘Alright. Where’s he at?’ He comes in with like a fleet of security — but you smell this dude before he even walks in the room. So I’m like, ‘What the hell is that smell? Like, the whole room has this heavenly smell to it. Cologne don’t even smell like that. I’m like, ‘What the hell? Did they spray something in this whole room?’”
Druski’s affinity for music will continue to inform his expansive nation-wide tour. Fans can expect an event full of laughs, and longer segments of his popular Coulda Been Records Instagram Live show, where local people can get on stage with him and get their “15 minutes of fame” with whatever talent they have.
If that weren’t enough, Druski also reveals Coulda Been Records will be turning into an actual label very soon, where he’ll actually sign artists to a deal. The hilarious platform is also in the process of receiving its own TV show.
“I knew that if I kept working, my time was coming,” Druski says with confidence. “I won’t stop until I’m the biggest star in the world — like the ones I looked up too, like Eddie Murphy and Kevin Hart. I want a long-standing career in stand-up, movies, TV, everything. This is just the beginning.”
There’s much to be said about the deep lineage connecting the symbiotic worlds of basketball and hip-hop. Former NBA star Zach Randolph is looking to write a chapter in that book and add to his own decorated legacy with his NLess Entertainment record label.
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Going on his fourth team in as many seasons, the power forward affectionately known as Z-Bo arrived in Memphis in 2009 as a polarizing 28-year-old with a chip on his shoulder. The blue-collared city wrapped its arms around the burly Randolph, who became the face of Memphis’ Grit N’ Grind era.
After stops in Portland, New York and Los Angeles, Randolph helped lead the Grizzlies to seven straight playoff appearances in the 2010s. His jersey now hangs in the FedEx Forum rafters after the franchise retired his famous No. 50 last year.
A few years before closing the book on his NBA career, Randolph already had his next endeavor lined up with the launch of NLess Entertainment in early 2016. The Michigan State alum co-founded the independent label alongside Marcus “Head” Howell, and made Memphis rap staple Moneybagg Yo its inaugural signee.
Z-Bo and Head bonded over their love for exotic cars, and they now own a used car dealership together in Memphis. They initially met through a mutual friend and Memphis native by the name of Qyntel Woods, who was drafted in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2002, a year after Randolph joined the West Coast team as a heralded rookie out of Michigan State.
Moneybagg Yo was creating a buzz for himself around Memphis in the mid-2010s, and a local DJ by the name of Larry brought the neophyte to Z-Bo and Head’s car dealership in late 2015 to gauge their interest in potentially signing him.
The NLess heads weren’t completely sold, until heading to a Thanksgiving weekend concert where Moneybagg rocked the stage opening for Young Jeezy and had the entire crowd shouting every lyric to his Relentless mixtape trap anthem “I Need A Plugg.”
“When I came to the show, everyone in the whole club was singing his ‘I Need A Plugg’ song word-for-word,” Head recalls. “I got back in the car and told Zach, ‘We need to sign this kid tonight.’ He’s like, ‘You sure?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, we need to.’ I had him come back to the [car] lot the next morning and we drew up the paperwork. Moneybagg pulled back up, and we got the business part done and we was a family.”
There wasn’t much hesitation on Bagg’s part in putting pen to paper on a deal with Z-Bo and Head to run the three-man weave at the top, as he felt the spirit was “genuine” from the start since their initial meeting at the car lot office.
“I felt the vibe,” Moneybagg states on Zoom. “I’m good with people’s intentions, and they had nothing but the best for me. Even before teaming up with Gotti, this situation happened off mutual relationships with each other.”
With the label finally taking shape, the NLess Ent. execs suddenly had to deal with a pair of devastating losses. Bagg’s right-hand man Muhammad “ELO” El-Amin, along with Z-Bo and Head’s close friend John “King Fish” Jones, were both murdered within weeks of each other in December 2015. The tragedies only made the bond between the NLess bosses that much stronger to power ahead.
Moneybagg Yo kept his foot on the gas, and he continued his ascent in 2016 by flooding the streets with another four mixtapes, and pledged his allegiance to the Collective Music Group family by year’s end when Yo Gotti planted $200,000 in cash in front of him.
Head, Z-Bo and Moneybagg Yo were all complimentary of Gotti sharing his secrets to success when it comes to navigating the cutthroat music business. “[Yo] Gotti took me all around the world and under his wing and showed me a lot about the music business,” Howells adds. “I understood the game through Yo Gotti.”
Of course, Zach Randolph wanted to show off having one of the hottest rappers in the city signed to his label, so he’d often bump Moneybagg Yo’s music before games on the team’s speaker system — but not all of his Memphis Grizzlies teammates were impressed. Some (like defensive stalwart Tony Allen) were non-believers, and often tried to turn off the hometown rhymer’s tunes. (“Ay Z-Bo, did you tell ‘em when you used to bump me in the locker room they would turn that off?” Bagg reminds Randolph matter-of-factly on the video call.)
While he’s now a proven commodity and pre-game playlist favorite for plenty of hoopers league-wide, the trio can laugh off the early doubters filling the Grizzlies’ locker room. “I used to put it in their face, and a couple of the guys like [Tony Allen] and a few more [didn’t like him],” Z-Bo remembers about trying to put his teammates on. “They wouldn’t get out of line with me, so whatever I wanted to do, I did. I knew he was so talented listening to him. The sky’s the limit for him — and you see what he’s doing [now].”
Moneybagg Yo has developed into a bonafide rap titan, and has played an integral role in Memphis’ streaming era renaissance over the last five years or so. Bagg’s even bossed up in his own right, with the creation of his Bread Gang label imprint, in addition to his NLess and CMG affiliations.
The 31-year-old cemented his star status with 2021’s Billboard 200 chart-topping set A Gangsta’s Pain, powered by hits such as the platinum-certified “Time Today” and “Wockesha.” Both records are produced by Tennessee-bred beatmaker Turn Me Up YC, who signed to NLess and Warner Chappell Music in a joint partnership in late 2021.
“My brothers Marcus ‘Head’ Howell and YC along with the whole NLess Entertainment crew have been incredible partners, and we look forward to continuing to rack up the hits with this incredible team,” Warner Chappell Music President Ryan Press relays in a statement.
The budding label has continued to add a mix of talent with a roster that currently consists of BIG30, who signed in partnership with Interscope Records, Big Homiie G, Dee Mula, Lonely Girl, SouljaaOnGo, Leebo, and Mud. Randolph and Head have also beefed up the NLess staff, with a pair of new hires in executive roles. Kemario Brown will serve as the General Manager/Senior Vice President of Business Operations while publicity wizard Breon Robinson joins the team as the Senior Vice President of Branding.
Being a fan of Jay-Z and signed to his Roc Nation Sports agency, Z-Bo is looking to manifest a business meeting with Hov in 2023, where he can soak up endless gems to apply back home at NLess.
“I’m supposed to be having a meeting with Hov next year to pick his brain and get to chop it up with him,” he says. “I’ll take some gems and some advice. I want to grow this thing internationally and do it big like a Roc-A-Fella.”
Randolph chuckles when the “dinner with JAY-Z or $500,000” debate is brought up. “I’m sitting at the dinner, I don’t need the $500,000,” Z-Bo confidently answers, as someone who made nearly $200,000,000 in on-court earnings throughout his 17-year NBA career.
All three of the NLess honchos tease a banner year in store as Randolph hopes to eventually get the sports agency branch of the business off the ground in 2023 too. The low-post bruiser believes his reputation and relationships around the NBA will allow him to build a strong client list and compete with the premier agencies.
“Just having a relationship with all these young guys and being a guy in the league that treated everyone with respect, I get a lot of respect back,” Z-Bo explains. “Just knowing I’m a man of my word and 100 percent genuine, so we hang our hat on loyalty and integrity.” (Moneybagg Yo saluted Randolph last year for his being a man of his word, gifting Z-Bo’s daughter a Mercedes-AMG for her sweet 16.)
The Memphis rapper is readying a new album as well, which he has penciled in to arrive in “January or February,” after setting the tone with his Outkast-sampling “Quickie” single earlier this month. “We gon’ be the biggest for sure,” he boldly predicts of his label ventures. “All of our labels. 2023 gonna be the year that I really see this.”
Going back two decades, when a young Randolph suited up for Portland’s “Jail Blazers” era, it would be tough to predict he’d evolve into the ultimate selfless teammate and a beloved franchise player, but he did just that — so he shouldn’t be doubted in his second career here.
“Memphis is on top,” he proclaims. “Teamwork makes the dream work, and the sky’s the limit for us.”
Jay-Z shared his year-end playlist of favorite songs on Tidal this week, which featured appearances from such usual suspects as Drake and 21 Savage, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Lil Baby, Quavo and Takeoff, and, of course, Beyoncé. And, because he’s a devoted husband, he actually included three songs from Bey’s acclaimed Renaissance album: “America Has a Problem,” “I’m That Girl” and “Plastic Off the Sofa.”
The 41-song playlist of 2022 favorites has Jigga’s go-to tracks from the past 11 months, including SZA’s “Shirt” and “SOS,” Drake and Savage’s “Jimmy Cooks,” Vince Staples and Mustard’s “Magic,” Lil Baby’s “In a Minute,” Kendrick’s “Rich Spirit,” 42 Dugg and Est Gee’s “Thump S–t,” Kodak Black’s “Purple Stamp” and Sno Aalegra’s “Do 4 Love.”
Jigga also paid tribute to late Migos member Takeoff by including the MC’s track with his uncle and Unc and Phew bandmate Quavo, “Hotel Lobby,” and he nodded to rising star GloRilla via her collab with Cardi B on “Tomorrow 2,” while shouting to his friend and former rival Nas with the inclusion of “Thun.” He also threw in a few singles he appeared on, such as DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” where he ripped alongside Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Fridayy, as well as Pusha T’s “Neck & Wrist,” which also featured Pharrell.
Among the other songs making the list: two more Kendrick tracks, “N95” and “Savior,” two more Drake and 21 Savage songs, “Rich Flex” and “Major Distribution,” Rosalia’s “Bizcochito,” Burna Boy’s “Last Last,” Bad Bunny’s smash “Tití Me Preguntó,” Benny The Butcher and J. Cole’s “Johnny P’s Caddy,” Metro Boomin, 21 Savage and Young Nudy’s “Umbrella,” Lil Yachty’s “Poland,” Babyface Ray’s “A1 Since Day 1,” Ab Soul and Zacari’s “Do Better” and Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock.”
Check out a snapshot of Jay’s list below.
The city of Virginia Beach will pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit from the family of a Black man who was shot by police during a chaotic night of violence on the city’s oceanfront last year. The city and the family of Donovon Lynch — a cousin of musician and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams — announced the agreement late Tuesday (Dec. 13).
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Wayne Lynch, Dononvon’s father, filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit in June 2021 against the city and police officer Solomon D. Simmons, who is also Black.
Lynch’s shooting occurred on a warm March night near the city’s crowded boardwalk, which is lined with restaurants and hotels. The evening dissolved into chaos after separate outbreaks of gunfire. At least eight people were wounded and one woman, who was believed to be a bystander, was killed.
Lynch, 25, a former college football player, was at a nightclub with his friend when a shooting occurred outside, the lawsuit stated. The men left and walked toward their cars when they encountered Simmons. “Immediately, unlawfully and without warning, officer Simmons fired his police-issued firearm at Mr. Lynch, shooting him twice and killing him,” the lawsuit states.
In November 2021, a special grand jury found that Simmons was justified. Authorities said Lynch had a gun and racked a round into the chamber before pointing his weapon toward a parking lot filled with people and police. Tuesday’s joint statement said more has been learned “about the facts of that fateful night and encounter.”
“(W)e have come to understand that a series of unfortunate occurrences led to Donovon’s death that night — which in hindsight should never have occurred as it was later determined that neither Donovon nor the officer set in motion the events that transpired,” the statement said.
The statement didn’t elaborate.
The settlement comes more than a month after Williams announced that his music festival, Something in the Water, would return to Virginia Beach. When the festival pulled out of Virginia Beach in 2021, the Grammy-winning musician had said “toxic energy” had run the city for too long and that he wished it had taken a more proactive stance after police shot Lynch. Last month, Williams said demand for the festival in Virginia Beach has “never wavered. If anything it has only intensified.”
