State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Sudanese-Canadian creator Mustafa has earned numerous achievements in his career, as a songwriter, poet and filmmaker, but as of the latest Dec. 17 Billboard chart ranking, he’s now officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting recording artist.
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“Walk Em Down (Don’t Kill Civilians),” credited to Metro Boomin and 21 Savage featuring Mustafa, debuts at No. 52 on the Hot 100 with 12.9 million official streams in the U.S. in its opening week (Dec. 2-8), according to Luminate.
The song is from Metro Boomin’s new LP Heroes & Villains, which bounds in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 185,000 equivalent album units earned. It’s the producer’s third leader, after 2018’s Not All Heroes Wear Capes and 2020’s Savage Mode II, with 21 Savage.
Mustafa (full name Mustafa Ahmed) is a multi-faceted talent – and has already topped the Hot 100 as a writer, as he co-penned Jonas Brothers’ 2019 No. 1 “Sucker.” He also co-wrote Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber’s “Monster” (No. 8 peak, 2020) and The Weeknd’s “Attention” (No. 67, 2016). The latter is from The Weeknd’s Starboy LP, took home the 2019 Grammy trophy for best urban contemporary album (now best progressive R&B album). The following year, Camila Cabello’s Camila earned a nomination for best pop vocal album; Mustafa co-wrote the set’s “All These Years.”
Mustafa released his debut solo studio album, When Smoke Rises, in May 2020. The set was produced by James Blake, Frank Dukes and Jamie XX and includes a feature from Sampha on the track “Capo.” It took home the trophy for alternative album of the year at the 2022 Juno Awards.
Outside of his work as a musician, Mustafa (who often performs under the stage name Mustafa The Poet) produced and directed Remember Me, Toronto in 2019, a short documentary film about gun violence and hip-hop culture in Canada. It includes appearances by Drake, Baka Not Nice, Pilla B, Pressa and more.
2022 was a breakout year for the producer, as she landed her first major credits — and made history. Now, the “Beat Barbie” is the first and only woman this century to debut at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as a producer with Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl.” The Olympia, Wash., native reveals how she created the hit with one of hiphop’s biggest stars.
How did the beat for “Super Freaky Girl” come together?
I was [working] with two of my favorite collaborators, and we were just having fun. When we landed on [Rick James’ “Super Freak”], we were like, “OK, this is a big sample.” We spent several hours fine-tuning the beat and it ended up in the hands of LunchMoney Lewis. It gets played for Nicki Minaj and within like 24 hours, she writes the whole song. I get a phone call of her rapping the whole song, like the original recording, and I was like, “Holy f–k, is that Nicki’s voice?” It all happened so fast. She’s such a phenomenal writer that she just saw the vision and took it all the way for us.
Why was “Super Freak” a prime song to sample?
It’s just so iconic, and I felt like the way that it had been produced in the past really lent itself to being reinvented. I felt like we could really get a big multigenerational audience. We just had a gut feeling that it would be a smash.
What’s your favorite memory of hearing “Super Freaky Girl” since its release?
Honestly, it probably was the night that it came out on Aug. 12. All of us work so hard, and it’s such a grind in the creative industry where it looks really glamorous. It was such a unifying night to see. Everyone was so excited and understood the gravity that it meant for us to have achieved that level of cut.
How did you celebrate it going No. 1?
When I found out the morning of, I think I went into a state of shock because it just felt so big. People are reaching out that I never had access to. As far as celebrating, I have a vacation scheduled at the end of the year. Since I found out, you wouldn’t believe how insane my schedule has been. I have just been in the studio 24/7.
Why do you think “Super Freaky Girl” was able to top the Hot 100?
I think it was a magic combination of the sample and Nicki’s writing over the sample. There was just an X factor in how she went with it. I do think we did a great job in production, but I think there was also the timing of that moment in her career that just all lined up. It was like the stars aligned.
This story originally appeared in the Dec. 10, 2022, issue of Billboard.
Offset has found a moving way to pay tribute to his late cousin and Migos bandmate Takeoff during his live shows. The rapper posted a video of his homage on Sunday (Dec. 11) in which he kicks off a recent concert by projecting a giant image of Takeoff (born Kirshnik Khari Ball), 28, on the screen behind his DJ while the Jackson 5’s 1971 classic heartbreak ballad “Never Can Say Goodbye” blasts over the PA.
“Before every who I love you bra,” Offset wrote in the caption to the post, which elicited some additional words of support from Tyrese (“Praying for you bro everyday… So sorry this all happened I’m so sorry”), Rich The Kid (“I love you bro this beautiful”) and Ty Dolla Sign (Love king !!!!”), among others.
Takeoff was killed in Houston on Nov. 1 while attending an afterparty at a local pool/bowling alley also attended by his uncle and fellow Migos member Quavo. On Dec. 2 Houston Police announced that 33-year-old Patrick Xavier Clark was arrested on the east side of Houston and charged with murder, while another man, 22-year-old Cameron Joshua, was arrested and charged with the unlawful carrying of a weapon; Clark is being held on a $2 million bond.
Houston PD’s Sgt. Michael Burrow said during the news conference that Takeoff was an “innocent bystander” of the argument at the party that led to the shooting. “The event was a private party, there was a lucrative dice game that went on at the event, there was an argument that happened afterwards outside the bowling alley which led to the shooting,” he explained.
Last week, Clark’s attorney said the deadly shooting was a tragedy, but that his client says he’s innocent of the crime. Court records indicate Clark was arrested as he was preparing to leave the country for Mexico after getting an expedited passport and that he had a “large amount” of cash. TMZ reported on Tuesday (Dec. 13) that Clark asked a judge to reduce his bail to $100,000 so he can afford to be out as he awaits trial; Clark also reportedly wants to stay with his parents if his bond is reduced and has agreed to wear a GPS monitor and abide by any curfew imposed by the judge.
Check out the tribute below.
SZA announced the dates for her first-ever arena tour on Tuesday (Dec. 13). The 2023 S.O.S North American Tour — named after the singer’s just-released sophomore album — is slated to kick off on Feb. 21 in Columbus, OH at the Schottenstein Center and swing through Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Okland, Seattle, and Vancouver before wrapping up on March 22 with a gig at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.
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She will be joined on the 17-date Live Nation-promoted tour by Grammy-nominated singer Omar Apollo. Tickets for the outing will go on sale beginning Friday (Dec. 16) at 12 p.m. local time here.
On Friday (Dec. 9), SZA‘s hotly anticipated 23-track sophomore album SOS finally arrived after a five-and-a-half year wait. Preceded by lead single “Shirt” and a tease of “Nobody Gets Me,” the studio set follows the recent Billboard cover star‘s smash 2017 debut album Ctrl, which spawned hits like “Drew Barrymore,” “Love Galore” and “The Weekend.”
Check out the dates for the SZA 2023 S.O.S. North American tour below:
Feb. 21 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
Feb. 22 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Feb. 24 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Feb. 25 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
Feb. 27 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
Feb. 28 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
March 2 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center*
March 4 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
March 7 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
March 9 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
March 10 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
March 13 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
March 14 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
March 16 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
March 18 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
March 19 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
March 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
Cardi B offered fans an early Christmas present on Monday night (Dec. 12) when she dropped a seven-second snippet of a new song to slake the Bardi Gang’s thirst for her music as they await the follow-up to her Grammy-winning debut studio album, 2018’s Invasion of Privacy.
“HERE some scraps since yall STARVING,” Cardi wrote in a tweet featuring the scant bars from an unnamed song she never finished. “They be watchin’ every time that I post (that I post)/ Posted nothin’, always gotta do the most/ B—-es sound like you broke,” she raps over a hard-hitting beat. When a fan asked why the song was scrapped, Cardi responded, “I just don’t love it.”
“I have no choice, I have to put it out,” Cardi told The Breakfast Club earlier this month when asked about when fans can expect new music. “I have like a couple of songs that are like definite, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I need to just make up my mind and put it out.” She also revealed that even though it’s time for her to return to the radio, Cardi thinks the project is still “missing something,” even as she confirmed that the fresh tunes are coming in 2023.
As the wait continues, Cardi and her family are gearing up for Christmas, as evidenced by another post on the rapper’s socials in which she revealed the multiple glittery trees in her home. In a video featuring a cameo from one-year-old son Wave Set, Cardi showed off her children’s towering Disney-themed tree — as she yelled at the little ones to “stop running around the Christmas tree!! — as well as the impressive light array outside her house.
Check out the new song snippet and the Christmas display below.
It’s the season of giving, and this week we’re here to give you gift of new Fresh Picks. If you need to figuratively escape the cold, press play on the warm sounds of West Coast heads Blxst and Larry June or 27Delly’s island-inspired new single. Or if you’re in the mood to get cozy with your loved one, we got you covered with R&B rhythms by Rini, Khi Infinite and Che Ecru. Or if you’re feeling festive, check out ATL Jacob’s new single and accompanying album.
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We’ve got songs for all the winter moods this week, and of course, don’t forget to spread the joy with our Spotify playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: Blxst feat. Larry June, “Keep Calling”
Blxst and Larry June earned this week’s Freshest Find with their soon-to-be-legendary West Coast link-up. L.A. meets the Bay as the two do numbers and keep balling. Billboard‘s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year did what he does best, delivering his signature rhythmic hook while June spits organic bars about thumbing through 10,000 blues and pulling off in his Porsche playing Confessions.
Che Ecru, “Fell Asleep”
Appearing on his new album Cold Toronto, Che Ecru samples his own song (“Baggage”) for standout track “Fell Asleep.” The Boston artist has a knack for making druggy, moody tracks laced with sexual lyrics, and has been sampled by artists like Baby Keem and Chris Brown.
ATL Jacob, “Every Christmas”
ATL Jacob is introducing a holiday tradition of his own with his new single, “Every Christmas.” Getting into the spirit of the season, the song’s 808s gallop like reindeer underneath a gift of a chorus as he declares, “I feel like I’m Santa every Christmas/ Rappers add me to their list, I get to saving their careers.” The multiplatinum producer is leaning into his artist side, as he teams up with his Wicked Money Family for their debut holiday album, Wicked Money Family Christmas. The project serves as an introduction to the artists on Jacob’s independent label of the same name which, along with Jacob, recently signed a partnership with Republic Records.
Khi Infinite & Reggie Becton, “Pineapple Rum”
DMV natives Khi Infinite and Reggie Becton team up this week for the new slow jam, “Pineapple Rum.” Reminiscent of a summer day with your lover, the imaginative song features flirtatious lyricism and undeniable melodies. “It’s the song you send to ‘the one.’ It sets the mood for a good night out with your person,” Infinite says in a press release. “Think sitting on a warm tropical beach with your romantic other, drinking rum, and having fun with no worries in the world.”
Casper Sage, “Is This Real Life?”
On “Is This Real Life?,” Casper Sage eloquently expresses the euphoric feelings that true love brings. The captivating new song sounds like its cover art — it will have any listener floating with the idea of romance. Featuring soft vocals and minimal production reminiscent of Frank Ocean, the 21-year-old sings with a sense of maturity and emotion that indicates he is wise beyond his years.
Cruza, “Fantasy”
Alt-R&B trio Cruza exists in their own world, and is trying to create a new wave. Mixing heavy bass lines and melodic guitar loops, the band released a new single called “Fantasy” ahead of their forthcoming first album via Def Jam. Cruza is comprised of vocalist Adam Kain, guitarist Charity Joy Brown and bassist and producer AJRoth. “Fantasy” sounds like a loopy dream, and somewhere between alternative indie music and traditional R&B, the band draws on the past and present to create an atmospheric lane of their own.
Ryan Destiny, “How Many”
Following a two year hiatus, actress-singer Ryan Destiny is marking her return to music with her new R&B single, “How Many.” In the video, the Detroit-born triple threat can be seen dancing in a glass box, as she sports a baby blue set to match the lights. “I like telling my experiences through a lens of coming out of a situation better than I came into it,” she said. “Hopefully smarter, wiser. This song is a piece of a puzzle to me for the music following. Including the visual. The next song will be completely different but still, help tell the story.”
Rini, “Pressure”
Rini is on a roll. “Pressure,” which appears on the singer’s newly released sophomore EP Ultraviolet, is the ultimate ode to women. “’Pressure’ is just the perfect vibe out, cruisin’ song to me and I know this can easily be everyone’s favorite,” he says. “The whole video kinda feels like what me and the homies would do back home, you know, just go for drives and kick it.”
TOBi, “Hoodwinked”
On “Hoodwinked,” TOBi explores childhood trauma. “The character in the song is a child that upon witnessing issues in the home, it affects how he sees the world,” he says of the single. “He has a general distrust for systems and adults. What happens when the veil is lifted? As he gets older, he starts to see things for what they really are. He’s on a quest for truth. A very challenging quest. Process these complex emotions with big energy and set yourself free.”
27Delly, “Gimme That”
27Delly is ushering in cuffing season with his island-themed track, “Gimme That.” Serving as a change of pace for the Harlem rapper, the song is the first offering from his upcoming EP, Wake Up.
Diddy’s son King Combs is keeping his father’s legacy alive. The father-son duo sat down for an interview with Billboard News, in which they discussed their musical endeavors and how the younger Combs carries on his dad’s Bad Boy Entertainment.
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Speaking with Datwon Thomas, editor-in-chief and vp of cultural media at Vibe magazine, King revealed that he is always “Bad Boy for life,” something that has perplexed his father, given that the label (which was formed in 1993 after Diddy and Uptown Records parted ways) is on a hiatus at the moment.
“I had stopped Bad Boy. Sometimes you gotta leave the game when it’s hot, you know? A lot of things were changing with streaming and everything,” the “Gotta Move On” artist explained. “One day I woke up and he had a Bad Boy chain on. I’m like, ‘Bro, Bad Boy is on pause for a second.’ He’s keeping Bad Boy alive and taking it to the next level without even no coaching or prompting from me.”
The 24-year-old follows in his dad’s footsteps with recent collaborations with Teyana Taylor, Kodak Black and more. Though his late mother Kim Porter often urged Diddy to give their son a leg up on the competition, he insisted that King pave his own way in the industry — something that would make King’s mother “super proud.”
“She’s, like, my biggest fan. I’ve really been working and doing music since I was 16. Like my pops said, from the jump he wasn’t going to help me give me no producer help, writer help, because he didn’t want me to ever have to lean on him or depend on him,” the young rapper noted.
As for what’s next for the father-and-son duo? Diddy stated he’s “dropping [new music] top of the year.” King also plans to follow suit, though his dad insisted they pick separate dates to release their projects.
Watch Diddy and King Combs’ interview in the video above.
Janet Jackson took to Instagram on Monday morning (Dec. 12) to make a live announcement about her 2023 North American arena/amphitheater tour. “I’m going back on tour and, yes, we will be together again,” said the singer with a smile, noting that the name of the outing is Together Again. “I miss you guys so much and I cannot wait to see you,” she added.
The other big news was that rapper Ludacris will serve as the opening act on the 33-date Live Nation-produced tour. And, and in even bigger news, Jackson confirmed that she’s been back in the studio. “There will be new music,” the singer promised, without revealing any details about when it will drop or any titles.
The tour is slated to kick off on April 14 in Hollywood, Florida at Hard Rock Live Arena and feature stops in Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Atlantic City, Milwaukee, Dallas, Los Angeles and Portland before winding down on June 21 in Seattle, WA at Climate Pledge Arena.
A promotional video promised a night of hits, plus new music. The fan pre-sale begins on Tuesday (Dec. 13) at 11 a.m. local time, with the general on-sale kicking off on Friday (Dec. 16) at 11 a.m. local time; click here for more information on tickets. Jackson’s last major tour was in 2019, on which she celebrated the 30th anniversary of her landmark Rhythm Nation 1814 album.
In October, Jackson surprised friends and fans by showing up at a London party celebrating the 25th anniversary reissue of her 1997 Velvet Rope album. The set was re-released on Oct. 7 via digital retailers and streamers with additional bonus tracks, including 10 cuts that made their official streaming debut.
After Jackson greeted partygoers – while the DJ spun classic Jackson tracks alongside tunes such as Beyoncé’s “Heated” and Missy Elliott’s “She’s a Bitch” – Jackson took the mic to share memories of making The Velvet Rope. “This album is so, so close to me,” Jackson told the crowd via Instagram Live. “It was, I would say, out of all the albums that I’ve created, and especially with Jimmy [Jam] and Terry [Lewis], it was the most difficult … the most difficult album for me to create.”
“I was going through so much in my life,” Jackson said at the event, “and it was so deep, in trying to find and figure out who I am, where I stand. And at the end of the day, like I did with the other albums, just putting it down, never keeping a journal. I’m sure a lot of you already know this. And I didn’t know if my fans would like it.”
See Jackson’s announcement and the 2023 dates below.
Janet Jackson 2023 Together Again tour dates:
April 14 — Hollywood, FL
April 19 — Orlando, FL
April 21 — Savannah, GA
April 22 — Birmingham, AL
April 25 — Columbia, SC
April 27 — Atlanta, GA
April 29 — Memphis, TN
April 30 — St. Louis, MO
May 2 — Kansas City, MO
May 4 — Nashville, TN
May 6 — Bristow, VA
May 9 — New York, NY
May 12 — Charlotte, NC
May 13 — Baltimore, MD
May 14 — Virginia Beach, VA
May 19 — Mansfield, MA
May 20 — Atlantic City, NJ
May 23 — Toronto, ON
May 24 — Detroit, MI
May 26 — Noblesville, IN
May 27 — Tinley Park, IL
May 28 — Milwaukee, WI
May 30 — St. Paul, MN
June 2 — Dallas, TX
June 3 — Houston, TX
June 4 — Austin, TX
June 7 — Phoenix, AZ
June 9 — Irvine, CA
June 10 — Los Angeles, CA
June 11 — San Diego, CA
June 16 — Mountain View, CA
June 20 — Portland, ME
June 21 — Seattle, WA
You really can go home again. And, sometimes when you do they give you an honorary degree for your impressive accomplishments. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott was celebrated in her hometown of Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday (Dec. 10) during the fall 2022 commencement ceremony at Norfolk State University. The Virginia Pilot reported that Elliott encouraged the class of 400 students to keep chasing their dreams and be proud that they’ve come this far.
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“I am proud of y’all, and y’all should be proud of your self,” Elliott sold the students. “I want you to look at each other and say, ‘You already won.’ Let ’em know! Ain’t no winning, you already the one. ‘Cause y’all coulda been doing anything else the last few years, y’all coulda been wildin’ out, but y’all decided to finish the course. And that’s major.”
“I’m looking around and I see innovators, visionaries, leaders created in here,” the hip-hop icon said while rocking the school’s green and gold colors during the institution’s 109th graduation ceremony, during which she received the Presidential Commencement Medallion, the institution’s most prestigious award; Elliott also received an honorary doctorate in humane letters as a recognition of her “outstanding professional achievements and extraordinary contributions to public service.”
“I want to see these same faces years from now saying … ’I became famous, I became president, I became a lawyer.’ All of those things,” the rapper added, according to the Pilot.
As part of her support for the local community, Elliott also presented the university with a check for $20,000 to address its “area of greatest needs.”
“Two time Doctorate ‘Dr. Elliott’ I am so Humbly Grateful🙏🏾Thank you @norfolkstateuniversity for having me today & showing so much love 🙌🏾 To the Class Of 2022,” Elliott wrote on Instagram along with images of the ceremony and snaps of her with university officials, as well as a shot of a pair of special green and gold commemorative sneakers with her picture on the side. “May your Journey be Successful/ Fearless/ Determined to be the BEST! Behold The Green & Gold!!!!”
Elliott got her first honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2019.
Check out images from the graduation ceremony below.
