State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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Tennis great Serena Williams had the honor of being named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 and was asked about her viral cameo during Kendrick Lamar‘s Super Bowl halftime show.
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She told Time that she and fellow Compton native Lamar have been “trying to do something together for ages,” but when he first reached out to ask if she would crip walk during his performance of “Not Like Us,” just as she did after winning Wimbledon for the fifth time in 2012, Williams admitted to being a bit confused.
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“I’m like, ‘Wait, what, you’re asking me?’” she admitted. “I’m not Taylor Swift, let’s be honest. I would have a better chance to be quarterback at the Super Bowl than dance.”
However, she didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to represent for their shared hometown, even if it meant dancing while a diss aimed at her ex-boyfriend Drake was playing. “Who would have thought that a tennis player from Compton would be regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time?” she asked. “It was just putting an exclamation on it.”
Williams is still not sure if she regrets it, though, telling the outlet, “I don’t know if I regret it or not. I don’t know the answer to that.” She also doesn’t feel like she was dissing the Toronto rapper. “Absolutely not. I would never do that,” the 23-time singles champ asserted. “And that was sad, that anyone would ever think that. I respect how they could. Obviously, I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not.”
She added: “I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years.”
Back in 2022, on the song “Middle of the Ocean” from his joint album Her Loss with 21 Savage, Drake called Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alex Ohanian, “a groupie,” which prompted Ohanian to respond on X. “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter,” Ohanian wrote at the time.
Mass Appeal and Nas announced on Wednesday (April 16) that their Legend Has It series, which will feature seven new albums from seven different hip-hop icons, is on its way. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The heavyweight series will include projects from Nas & DJ Premier, […]
Slim Thug believes Megan Thee Stallion has a crush on him, and says he’s down to find out once and for all. During an Instagram Live session on Tuesday (April 15), Slim firmly stood by this claim, listing off numerous reasons why he believes the Houston Hottie is into him. “Did y’all see Thee Stallion […]
Young Thug’s first album since being released from prison in October appears to be on the horizon. Thugger launched the official shop for UY SCUTI on Wednesday (April 16) and revealed alternate cover art for the project.
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“It’s Time. Red Planet,” Thug wrote to X with the link to the UY SCUTI store, signaling Thugger season is just around the corner. Per Nine Planets, Uy Scuti is a red supergiant star located in the constellation Scutum.
The online shop includes a pair of vinyl and CD covers as well as a few merchandise bundles supporting the album. There’s even a “What Would Brian Do” T-shirt in a salute to Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, who represented the rapper in the YSL RICO case.
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Steel actually joined Diddy’s defense team earlier this week for his sex trafficking and racketeering trial looming next month. The decorated attorney joins a legal team that includes Marc Agnifilo, who is a former federal prosecutor who has repped Martin Shkreli, along with his law partner Teny Geragos.
As for Thug, a billboard was spotted at Coachella teasing his upcoming album with an apparent May arrival. “Universe has been too quiet. Until now. UY SCUTI,” the billboard read while the specific release date in May is blacked out.
Many have speculated a May 9 release date, which is a Friday, and marks three years since Thug and 27 others were taken into custody on RICO charges.
Young Thug hasn’t released a single in 2025, but appeared on Lil Baby’s album for “Dum, Dumb, and Dumber” alongside Future.
After over two years behind bars as part of the longest-running trial in Georgia’s history, Thug secured his release when reaching a plea deal on Halloween that saw him sentenced to 15 years of probation.
Find Thug’s X post below and look for UY SCUTI in May.
After years of laying the groundwork, Coco Jones is stepping fully into her moment. The singer, songwriter and actress has been riding high since the success of her breakout EP What I Didn’t Tell You, which earned her a best R&B performance Grammy for her 2022 track “ICU” and introduced the world to her powerhouse vocals and unapologetic storytelling. Now, she’s ready to reveal even more.
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On April 25, Jones will release her debut album Why Not More? via High Standardz/Def Jam Recordings — a bold, genre-blending project that she describes as magnetic, genuine, and transparent.
“I’m really trying to push the boundaries of what R&B can be,” Jones tells Billboard. “Because I have so many influences — I have what my mom taught me as a kid, Disney Channel influences, and then I have me as a young adult — I feel like I blend genres naturally as a personality. I wanted to match that energy with the album and continue to show the versatility of R&B.”
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Her EP was about introductions. Why Not More? is about deepening the connection. “ I think I have built up a good rapport with my fans,” she says. “I’ve learned a lot about them, they’ve learned about me — and I can kind of let my hair down and be riskier.”
That growth is reflected not just in the themes, but in the collaborators as well. Jones tapped into new creative chemistry with producers like Stargate and Cirkut, alongside longtime collaborators London on da Track and Cardiak.
Still, it’s the personal moments that might matter the most. On “By Myself,” Jones sings about self-reliance, inner peace and delivers what she believes to be one of the album’s most important messages. “It’s really about wanting to be comfortable alone,” she says. “Comfortable without needing validation, without needing to be around people — some boy or girl, whatever. Just comfortable with you. I think that will really resonate with a lot of my listeners.”
When asked to sum up the project in three words, Jones doesn’t hesitate: “Authentic. Charismatic. Vulnerable.”It’s a fitting description for a body of work that’s already resonating. With four singles out — including “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” and “Taste,” both of which charted on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart — and a tour around the corner, Jones is paying close attention to how fans are responding. “I think it’s really good to get feedback,” she says. “I make music for my listeners, and I want them to be happy. I want them to have music that makes them feel heard.”
For Jones, that feedback plays a crucial role in shaping her approach moving forward. “Having positive perceptions — having any, opinions — is always crucial because music is subjective,” she says. “But I make it so that it works for [the listeners].”As for the tour itself, Jones promises it’s not just a concert — it’s a ride. “We’re gonna have some fun, we’re gonna cry a little bit, we’re gonna get in our bag,” she shares. “Definitely going to have some flips, have some remixes, have some old stuff that I think is really catchy and really fun brought back in and kind of remix with my new stuff.” The tour kicks off May 6 in Philadelphia, and for her, it’s all about connection. “At the end of the day, I hope that you walk away feeling like you know me more and you’re excited for the next time.”
One track she’s especially excited to perform hasn’t dropped yet, but it’s one she describes as more “aggressive,” channeling her confident “Here We Go” energy. And yes, there will be surprises. We know for sure that Lady London will join her as an opener — the two have a new song together on the album. “I don’t know if that’s exclusive,” she teases with a smile.
Reflecting on everything she’s built, Jones says this album doesn’t feel like a new stage — it feels like a beginning. “I think this album is a chapter,” she says. “I’ll look back and say, ‘That was this era.’” But right now, “It’s chapter one of a very long story, hopefully.”
If she could offer one piece of advice to the Coco who started this journey years ago? “Post more. I did a lot of waiting on opportunities, when — girl, you could’ve had your own TV show on your phone by now!”
With Why Not More?, Coco Jones isn’t waiting on anyone. She’s owning her narrative, amplifying her voice, and delivering the kind of debut that asks — and answers — the question: Why not more?See the full track list for Why Not More? below:
“Here We Go (Uh Oh)”
“Other side of love”
“Hit You Where It Hurts”
“Keep It Quiet”
“Thang 4 U”
“AEOMG”
“Why Not More?”
“On Sight”
“Taste”
“Nobody Exists”
“Most Beautiful”
“You”
“Forever Don’t Hit Like Before”
“By Myself”
Music agents Zach Iser and Caroline Yim have landed at UTA, where both will serve as partners and agents in the music department. Iser and Yim were previously at WME, which they joined in 2021 as partners and co-heads of hip-hop and R&B. Prior to that, they were with CAA for three years. Both have […]
Did ya miss me? For those of us old enough to remember Martin (or caught up through reruns), that phrase is etched into our pop culture vocabulary. During a memorable two-episode run called “Hollywood Swingin’,” in the popular Fox show’s second season, In Living Color alum Tommy Davidson starred as talk-show host Varnell Hill who […]
If a Mount Rushmore-like attraction commemorating white rappers is ever built, Machine Gun Kelly thinks his face should definitely be carved into the rock — despite what a recent viral mockup of the concept dictates.
Days after a seemingly AI-generated image of a fake “White Rapper Mt. Rushmore” started going viral on social media, the “My Ex’s Best Friend” musician spoke out against his omission from the choice of hip-hop stars featured in the picture. In place of the real-life monument’s lineup of past United States presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, the faux Caucasian-rapper iteration showed stone-like renderings of Eminem, Mac Miller, Paul Wall and Russ.
“me not on the white rapper mt rushmore is blasphemy,” MGK wrote on X.
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In evidence of why he should have been included, the rapper-turned-punk-rocker also reposted a video of him freestyling in his home city of Cleveland while guesting on Gillie Da Kid and Wallo267’s YouTube series MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME in August. “I made 10 mil with someone, and we ain’t talking now/ F— the money, I just want the loyalty we talked about,” he spits in the clip as his posse cheers him on. “It’s no other side, it is only us/ I get cross-eyed watching y’all switch up.”
Though he’s earned a reputation for trying out different genres in recent years, MGK got his start in rap. His sophomore album, General Admission released via Bad Boy Records, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Since 2020’s Travis Barker-produced Tickets to My Downfall, however, the musician has been more focused on flexing his pop-punk and rock capabilities — most recently doing so on last month’s single “Your Name Forever.” Collaborating with Jelly Roll in 2024 on both “Lonely Road” and “Time of Day” after covering The Chicks’ “There’s Your Trouble” for Spotify Singles in July, he’s also been dipping into the country space.
But his music isn’t the only thing that’s experienced change lately. In March, MGK also welcomed a baby girl with ex Megan Fox, making him a father of two. He also has a teenage daughter named Casie from a past relationship.
“She’s finally here!! our little celestial seed,” the artist wrote on Instagram last month to announce the birth.
Wale recently took to X and opened up about how he once dealt with writer’s block, revealing that a fellow rapper once suggested meditation. “Music friends, how do y’all cure writers block,” he asked. “Over the years I’ve had different methods. Curious what y’all do.” Fans responded with a ton of suggestions that ranged from […]
Coi Leray has announced the sex of her baby with Trippie Redd, sharing the exciting news on Instagram. Sporting a cute pink outfit on Tuesday (April 15) that perfectly showcased her baby bump, Coi Leray announced to the world that she is having a girl with her ex-boyfriend Trippie Redd. “GIRL MOM,” Coi wrote in […]
