R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 6
05/22/2025
Billboard has rounded up 16 songs by R&B and rap artists that sample old African songs.
05/22/2025
Mozzy is all smiles and good energy as he sits in a darkened studio.
The West Coast rapper is hard at work on Intrusive Thoughts 2 — which he tells me unprompted, without any lead in. That tape will serve as the follow-up to April’s Intrusive Thoughts, which is why he’s chatting with Billboard in the first place. The album delves even deeper into the trials and tribulations that have come to define some of Mozzy’s best work. His relationship with fame versus the streets, the loss of his loved ones to incarceration, death and more. Like his 2024 record Children of the Slums, Intrusive Thoughts explores difficult topics head on in the hopes of finding motivation in the darkness.
“I would appreciate if the youth got some good game up out of it and utilized it through the gangsta s—t that they gotta endure,” Mozzy says of the album. “I done seen a lot of young throw they life away. That s—t heartbreaking and disappointing. So if I can throw a n—a an alley oop and he can cram it and push for it off of that, I’m gonna throw it every time.”
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Billboard chats with Mozzy about working with CMG, his new album and what the vibe is on the West Coast right now.
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Take me through the recording process of Children of the Slums vs. Intrusive Thoughts. How did you approach Intrusive Thoughts differently? How did the album start to come together?
Children of the Slums, I was more reflective of the people that I lost, people that I loved dearly. I think on Intrusive Thoughts it’s self reflection. Hoping I made ‘Pac proud — I don’t wanna be no role model, it’s self reflection. That’s the difference.
You talk about some pretty intense topics on this record. You’ve explored such tough themes dozens of times in your career at this point. Does it ever get emotionally taxing to keep diving into such intense emotions for your music?
I like how you said that, “emotionally taxing” — emotional extortion. Most definitely. But it’s also helped with the healing process. I just wrote a bar the other day: “I think of Skeemo every day, because I’m still grieving,” and he had died a couple of years ago. I’m able to identify that through the music. It naturally ooze out of me — and when I get to reflecting on what I was really saying in that booth, I can hear that pain, that trauma. So I think it’s very therapeutic.
On “Seven 2’s” you rap, “cleaning up my image, but there’s still a glimpse of residue.” How have you gotten better over the years at navigating your complex journey from a kid from the West Coast projects to the rap star you are now? What lessons have you learned along the way and what kind of “residue” has been difficult to leave behind?
As far as the residue, that’s just the trenches. Like [Nipsey Hussle] said: “My circle got smaller, everybody can’t go.” That s—t is heartbreaking, still dealing with losses, n—as goin’ to jail, expiring at an early date. That’s the residue of me staying connected and still loving that part of me, but I’m most definitely cleaning up my image. I’m not talkin’ about nobody dead ones in my music. I’m providing more nutritious bars for the youth. The way I conduct myself, I’m a business man now. I can’t afford to go to jail… You can’t play in water without gettin’ wet. So it’s about transitioning, bossing yourself up and understanding that you’re bigger than some of these circumstances.
Has navigating that journey of bettering yourself been an intentional act that you’ve constantly had to be aware of, or has it become more subconscious now?
Nah, I think it requires the same amount of intentional energy. I’m forcing myself. I’m currently on paper probation, and it’s like, I gotta walk this thin line. I gotta deal with they stipulations but it’s okay because it’s forcing me to stay within my envelope. It’s forcing me to focus on things that matter. Ain’t nobody gonna come save me.
I wanna ask briefly about your bar on “10 Percent,” where you rap, “Quit asking why I signed to CMG/ Advise you guys not to get me started.” What type of push back have you gotten about your relationship with CMG? What’s your relationship like with Gotti at this point?
Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. So, when I see n—as asking, I be feeling like, “N—a, mind your muthaf—kin’ business. Don’t ask me why I do what the f—k I do. I got us this far, n—a. Let me do my s—t, fall back, watch out.”
I’m cut from an independent cloth, so you know my independent loved ones have been rooting for me. So now, to sign is like — you just exited out the chat, you hear me? [Gotti] my thug, my loved one. Imagine someone walk you in the building and get you a million. How your relationship gonna be with ’em?
What’s changed for you on the business side since inking that deal with CMG?
I just learned how majors tweak their projects, run their roll-outs, a lot of political things. I was very asleep on the process and how tedious they is — the business they stand on is very strict. Independent ain’t that strict, you can kinda do it as you please. [CMG] just on point.
How has your expectation of rap success measured up to the reality of it?
As a kid, I expected this s—t to be like — you remember how they was trippin’ over Michael Jackson? Bobby Brown, Whitney [Houston]? Even Lil Wayne, the dopest to do it. Remember that Bow Wow era? I thought it was gonna be like that. I didn’t know this s—t was gonna be regular, and 100,000 n—as from each city doin’ the same shit. But it’s a gangsta party. It’s just about being a regular, real n—a.
You gonna meet a lot of entertainers and they gonna be on that entertainment, Hollywood bulls—t. You once looked at him like a super hero, and now it’s like, “F—k that man.” So I feel like I just don’t wanna ever give nobody that feeling. Never do no corny s—t.
What can you tell me about Intrusive Thoughts 2?
There’s most definitely gonna be a Part 2 and you can expect the same things as Part 1. Just more detail, a little more emotional about the situation, etc. I’m not gonna give you the feature list but you know I’m comin’ with my thugs!
You and Millyz just linked on “Trenches Famous…”
You think we need a whole EP or something?
I was just gonna ask. Any chance we could get a collab tape?
Shout out Millyz, that n—a the truth with what he do. One of the dopest to do it. Most definitely, I think we got an EP or somethin’ on the way.
What is the general feeling on the West Coast right now?
It’s a gangsta party, it’s been a gangsta party, it’s still a gangsta party. That’s the aura, that’s the energy, that’s the vibration. So that’s why you get that out of my project. When you hear this next one that’s gonna tell you the vibes of what the West Coast on right now.
Tory Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, joined NewsNation’s CUOMO hosted by Chris Cuomo on Wednesday night (May 21), where he revealed that his son is being transferred to a new prison after being stabbed while in prison earlier in the month.
Peterson explained that Lanez isn’t receiving any special treatment, but his move is part of California prison protocol following an act of violence.
“He’s being moved because it’s part of the prison’s protocol that when a situation like this happens. They believe it’s better for him to be in another facility, and so he is being moved as we speak,” he said. “One thing of course, we are concerned about is because my son is a high-profile person and when things like this happen, there is always some kind of weird news going out trying to spin it to be something else.”
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Lanez was attacked on May 12 by another inmate at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi around 7:20 a.m. PT, and rushed to a nearby hospital, a spokesperson for the prison told ABC News. A message posted to the singer’s verified Instagram account said he suffered a pair of collapsed lungs and was stabbed 14 times in total, but was in “good spirits” while recovering.
Lanez’s father said that when he arrived at the hospital, he spoke to correctional officers who claimed they were surprised that the singer was involved in an altercation because Tory, according to his dad, “is someone who is liked. He’s not someone who is a troublemaker.”
The Toronto native is currently serving a 10-year sentence in prison after being convicted on three felony counts tied to him shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during an argument outside of a Hollywood Hills party in July 2020.
Between the stabbing and claims of new evidence, Lanez’s case is picking up steam once again. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida’s 13th district called for California’s Gov. Newsom to pardon Lanez. The congresswoman claimed that there was new evidence exonerating Lanez.
Unite the People attorney Walter Roberts claimed that Kelsey Harris’ bodyguard, Bradley James, filed an affidavit saying he overheard Harris admit to firing the weapon and not Lanez.
Megan Thee Stallion posted a message to her TikTok calling Lanez a “demon” and pushed back against the hate she’s received in recent weeks regarding the shooting case, while SZA also came to Meg’s defense. “FACTS ARE FACTS, he did it , it was PROVEN IN COURT,” she wrote in part. “Ain’t no new f–king evidence yall been saying the same s–t for years.”
Megan’s legal team also released a report on Thursday (May 22) pushing back against the claims of new evidence and support from Tory fans, arguing that the findings are filled with “false narratives” from “foolish bullies.”
Watch the interview between Chris Cuomo and Tory’s father below.
Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) time spreading antisemitism is over, according to the rapper. The embattled rap mogul claimed on X Thursday (May 22) that he’s turned a new leaf and that his time with anything associated with antisemitism is “done.”
“I am done with antisemitism,” he wrote to kick off a series of posts. “I love all people. God forgive me for the pain I’ve caused. I forgive those who have caused me pain. Thank you God.”
Ye has been vocal about having visitation rights with his children, and it appears seeing his kids on a FaceTime call has inspired him.
“I simply got a FaceTime from my kids and I wanna save the world again,” he wrote. “Share peace. Share love.”
Back in October 2022, Yeezy wore a shirt proclaiming “White Lives Matter” at his Paris Fashion Week show, then days later posted on social media he was going to go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” which set off a chain reaction of businesses and entities such as adidas, Balenciaga, Universal Music Group, Gap and more cutting ties with Ye.
The rapper apologized to the Jewish community with a post on social media in Hebrew in late 2023. Fast-forward to 2025, and Ye’s continued to spew antisemitic remarks as part of plenty of explosive X tirades, which also featured praise for Hitler and other forms of hate speech, as well as his attempt to sell a T-shirt featuring a swastika on his website in February, a move that the Anti-Defamation League criticized, writing on X, “There’s no excuse for this kind of behavior.”
But Ye wasn’t done. “I love Hitler, how what b–ches,” he wrote in March, followed by “I’m a Nazi.” The rapper has since claimed he’s not a Nazi and is now waving the white flag on antisemitism as well, though recent actions appear to show the opposite.
Earlier in May, Ye attempted to release his “Heil Hitler” track, but claimed the controversial single was “banned” from all digital streaming platforms. “Heil Hitler by Ye has been banned by all digital streaming platforms,” he wrote on X while calling out the double standard he sees in streaming censorship. “While Rednecks by Randy Newman remains streamable They’re literally keeping the n—-s down.”
He’s since released “Alive” — featuring YoungBoy Never Broken Again — a song that Playboi Carti on Thursday (May 22) slammed. The “Magnolia” rapper alleged in a since-deleted social media post that Ye used an unauthorized sample on the track.
The embattled rapper’s concert scheduled for May 31 in South Korea was also canceled due to “recent controversies” swirling around him.
See Ye’s posts on X about ending his antisemitism below:
God forgive me for the pain I’ve caused— ye (@kanyewest) May 22, 2025
I simply got a FaceTime from my kids and I wanna save the world again…— ye (@kanyewest) May 22, 2025
When Ye (formerly Kanye West) shared his “Alive” collaboration with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, which samples Playboi Carti’s “Crank,” to his Instagram on Wednesday (May 21), many thought it signaled a truce between West and the Opium frontman, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Shortly after the embattled rapper shared “Alive,” Carti dropped his version with YoungBoy and fired at Ye with his caption, claiming ownership of the track. “DIS MY SONG LIL BRA @ye,” he wrote in the since-deleted post.
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Billboard has reached out to the “Stronger” rapper’s camp for comment.
It’s unclear who had the track first, but streamer Sneako, who has been with Ye over the last month or so in Spain, claimed that it’s Yeezy’s and he made the beat for the track, which sounds like a sister of the blaring “New Slaves” from West’s Yeezus album.
“Ye made the beat, clearly,” claimed Sneako. “If you listen to Carti’s version, it’s not good.”
Ye — who has been criticized for his repeated hate speech the last few years — ended up releasing “Alive” on Apple Music on Thursday morning (May 22), while Carti and YoungBoy have remained quiet. It’s unclear whether Carti will take action, since “Alive” samples DJ Swamp Izzo’s version of “Alive,” which is featured as part of Playboi Carti’s “Crank” track.
Carti moved on quickly Wednesday and leaked another song titled “Some More” on Instagram, but that post was also deleted. YoungBoy even shared a solo track called “Finest,” so it ended up being a great day for hip-hop fans of the three artists.
There have been instances where Ye has had issues with sample clearances in the past, as tracks from his Vultures album were removed due to unauthorized use, including “Good (Don’t Die)” for a Donna Summers sample.
Yeezy and Playboi Carti’s relationship soured earlier this year when the Atlanta rapper left Ye off his Music album and opted to invite guests including Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar into the fold.
“I DECIDED NORTH WONT BE DOING ANY SONGS WITH CARTI HOW IT LOOK FOR ME TO GET LEFT OFF THE ALBUM AND THEN HE ASK KIM TO HAVE VOCALS FROM MY DAUGHTER,” Ye wrote to X in March.
Carti’s response to that? “YE STFU.”
Rob49 has spoken about the negative reception Justin Bieber‘s verse got on his “WTHelly” remix, and tells Billboard he doesn’t know if he’s gonna drop it.
The New Orleans rapper speaks about his new album, Let Me Fly, and touches on the divisive reception he got after teasing an unreleased remix of “WTHelly” featuring Biebs. After teasing the song on a Twitch livestream with the streamer Reggie, fans were quick to clown the pop star for trying to turn a lighthearted track into a soulful ballad. Rob said after speaking with Justin, he doesn’t know if he’ll officially release it to the public.
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“I talked to Justin a couple of days ago and he was telling me he wanted to do some more songs, so I don’t know,” Rob says when when discussing whether he’ll drop off the remix. “It’s funny, when he first did it he was like, ‘What you think? You think I can go harder?’ I told him like, ‘Man, I love it bro, if you feel comfortable about it, if you like it, then I love it.’ You know? I just told him, ‘If you like it you like it.”
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When asked about whether he was surprised the verse was so divisive, Rob shares, “No, not really. I knew it was a possibility because, it was the same way when he asked me, ‘Do you think I can go harder?’”
Rob admits that he knew the singing aspect of Bieber’s verse would turn some heads, and said that’s just how it goes when trying to make a hit record.
“You just never know what it’s gonna be, and fans don’t understand that all the time,” he says. “That you don’t know what a hit is! Like it just kinda happens. Some people might’ve been like, ‘Oh my god he sung!’ and if it would have been a hit, it would have been a crazy banger. That be the difference between songs.”
However, Rob says other “WTHelly” remixes will soon see the light of day, and that the G Herbo revamp will be the first to arrive.
“I was gonna drop the [remix] with [G Herbo] first and add it to the album, but we wound up doing it too late,” Rob says of why it wasn’t on Let Me Fly. “So it might come out the next day on the album, then we’re just gonna go from there with it.”
Let Me Fly drops Friday (May 23) and includes features from Birdman, Meek Mill, Sexyy Red, Quavo, Polo G and Fridayy.
“You said you feel the love, right?” Kendrick Lamar asked SZA after performing their twinkling 2018 hit collab “All the Stars” during the first LA tour stop of their Grand National Tour at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium Wednesday night (May 21). “I think so,” she responded breathlessly. “You feel it?” “I definitely feel it.” The two […]
Kneecap has responded to a member of the group being charged with a terrorism offense by London’s Metropolitan Police.
Mo Chara of the Irish-language hip-hop group was investigated and subsequently charged for allegedly showing support for militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah in historic videos. Both are proscribed as terror groups according to U.K. law, and considered an offense under the Terrorism Act 2000. Mo Chara, born Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves,” Kneecap wrote in a statement posted on their Instagram. “This is political policing,” it continued. “This is a carnival of distraction.” They added: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.”
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“British establishment is focused on us”, Kneecap added. “They profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their ‘crown court’, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury.” Read the full statement below.
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The incident allegedly took place at a show at London’s O2 Forum in November 2024, though the video resurfaced in April following their Coachella sets, in which they displayed a message stating “F–k Israel, Free Palestine.” A number of politicians also criticised the group for allegedly calling for the death of Tory MPs in a performance.
In a follow-up statement, Kneecap denied support for either Hamas or Hezbollah. “Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah,” the band wrote. “We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history.” They also apologised to the families of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, both of whom were murdered by members of the public in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
Following the band’s sets at Coachella in mid-April the band’s activities has drawn condemnation and support from throughout the music industry. Sharon Osbourne called for the group’s work visas to be rescinded, the band split with their U.S. booking agent, and a number of shows were cancelled in Germany and in the U.K.
A number of high-profile artists including Massive Attack, Fontaines D.C. and more signed an open letter denouncing the restriction of free speech for artists. On Friday (May 23), Kneecap are due to play their first show since the furore at London’s Wide Awake Festival in Brockwell Park.
Mariah Carey and Pitbull are returning to Australia this October as headliners of Fridayz Live 2025, the revived touring festival celebrating R&B, hip-hop and pop.
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Announced Thursday (May 22), the stadium run will also feature sets from Wiz Khalifa, Lil Jon, Eve, Tinie Tempah and Jordin Sparks. It marks Fridayz Live’s first edition since 2023, and organizers MG Live and the Hit Network are calling this year’s return “bigger than ever.”
The four-city tour kicks off Oct. 17 at Brisbane Showgrounds, followed by Sydney’s ENGIE Stadium on Oct. 18, Langley Park in Perth on Oct. 24, and Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Oct. 25. Events are all 18+ except for selected licensed all-ages areas in Sydney and Melbourne.
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Carey’s appearance marks her first Australian performance in over a decade, having last toured the country in 2013. The five-time Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper — whose enduring hits include “Fantasy,” “We Belong Together”, and “Touch My Body” — will bring her vocal powerhouse status to a new generation of fans.
Joining her is fellow Billboard icon Pitbull, returning to Australia for the first time since 2012. The Miami rapper — known as “Mr. Worldwide” — boasts over 100 million single sales globally and is behind hits like “Give Me Everything,” “Timber”, and “Hotel Room Service.”
Fridayz Live will also showcase hip-hop heavyweight Wiz Khalifa, who charted 11 Hot 100 entries in 2011 alon, crunk pioneer Lil Jon, known best for anthems like “Turn Down for What,” will also return while Eve — one of the defining female MCs of the 2000s — brings her chart-topping hits and GRAMMY-winning collaborations.
Also joining the bill are UK rapper Tinie Tempah (“Pass Out,” “Written in the Stars”) and pop vocalist Jordin Sparks, whose breakout single “No Air” with Chris Brown peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2008.
There will be no sideshows or encore dates, with promoters emphasizing that fans will only have one chance to catch this full lineup in each city.
Presales begin May 26 for Telstra Plus members, followed by ANZ Circle pre-sales on May 29, a general Fridayz Live pre-sale on May 30, and general public onsale June 2.
PinkPantheress delivered her acclaimed nine-track Fancy That mixtape this month, and fans are hoping she’ll get back on the road soon to tour around the new project.
Pink has been critiqued as a performer in the past, and she sat down with Capital Buzz where she agreed that the criticism has been “fair” and that she doesn’t make music for the stage.
“I don’t do music to perform, I think is the thing, and that’s perfectly fine,” she said around the 23:55 mark of the interview. “I think that people are probably used to and also expect a singer to be able to perform well. And I don’t blame anyone for thinking that. I’m not the best performer. Again, it’s one of those things where I’m like ‘I’m going to get better.’”
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PinkPantheress continued: “But the thing is, no amount of rehearsals can make a difference when you’re in front of like 10,000, 50,000, 100,000. No amount of rehearsal you can do, and as somebody that has got very bad stage fright… I think one of the things people say is like, ‘Oh, I think her performances are a hindrance to her career.’ And I do think there is a level of if you want to make it as like a big, big pop-diva.”
The British artist is at peace in more intimate settings and doesn’t think the performance aspect is a hindrance to her blossoming career. Pink also caught up with Billboard earlier in May, which saw her reveal that touring with Olivia Rodrigo made her learn that she’s “not an arena artist.”
“Watching her and how she combats an arena and how she actually does the arena made me realize, ‘Wow, some people are arena artists and some people are not.’ I’m not an arena artist,” she admitted. “That’s something I learned about myself. What I learned from her is there are ways you can approach an arena and interact with people in the up theres or the far backs. She did that and is amazing at it.”
PinkPantheress added: “What happened when I watched her was, I saw my own failing and my own incapabilities, and I was like, ‘I’m not an arena artist.’ That’s not for a lack of trying. It just made me realize there are some things in life as an artist you’re told you should try one day — but for me, I think I’m one of those artists where I’m comfortable is where I always strive.”
The 24-year-old opened for Rodrigo for six or seven shows before leaving the tour for personal reasons related to her health in 2024.
As for Fancy That, Pink heavily tapped into the drum and bass genre and pulled on inspiration from Basement Jaxx and Calvin Harris to complete the cohesive work, which she thinks is her sonic magnum opus.
Stream the mixtape below.