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Kodak Black spent some time with Kai Cenat on his 30-day Mafiathon Twitch stream recently, leaving fans concerned. The Florida rapper arrived, put a Haiti scarf on, pulled out a Stanley cup, and got comfortable. The convo started off innocent enough as Kodak revealed that he spoke fluent Haitian Creole and frequently plays FIFA. They […]
Texas singer Jada Arnell Thomas was shot following a performance in downtown Dallas on Saturday evening (Nov. 2). Per NBC DFW, Thomas was signing autographs after the show at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters and wounded by gunfire from a person in the audience. The 26-year-old was transported to a local hospital and […]
With just days to go before the reveal of the 2025 Grammy nominations, a few of the hottest stars from across Caribbean music could earn their first nomination for best reggae album.
This year, Teejay (I Am Chippy), Masicka (Generation of Kings), Jah Lil (Can A Man Cry), Govana (Legacy), Shenseea (Never Gets Late Here), Gyptian (Guarded), Stalk Ashley (Stalky the Brat), Romain Virgo (The Gentle Man) and Vybz Kartel (Party With Me) are among the artists who have submitted their eligible albums from consideration. Previous nominees such as Spice (Mirror 25), The Wailers (Evolution) and Protoje (In Search of Zion) are also in contention.
If the final slate of nominees once again includes American reggae band SOJA — who’s contending this year with Beauty In the Acoustic — stay tuned for a repeat of the controversy that their 2022 triumph (for Beauty in the Silence) sparked.
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Outside of Grammy news, all eyes are on the United States presidential election (Nov. 5), where Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, could become the first Asian-American and first woman president.
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: Protoje, “Barrel Bun”
On Oct. 18, two-time Grammy nominee Protoje released a collection of tracks previewing the full soundtrack to a forthcoming short film. Stacked with songs specifically written to accentuate the film’s storyline, The Jamaican Situation: Side A houses several knockout tracks — including the fiery “Barrel Bun.” A straightforward, brass-accented reggae jam, “Barrel Bun” finds Protoje calling for radical systemic change in a country marred by government corruption and violence, with Ziah.Push’sstine production beautifully complementing Protoje’s narrator-esque delivery. “It depends pon what you choose/ Fi make it out or make it pon the news/ The system ya rough/ Everybody wicked and tough,” he croons in the chorus, between verses that follow different characters as they fight to survive and live with themselves under varying systems of oppression.
Skip Marley, “Close”
Maxi Priest’s “Close to You” — which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990 — already put the “pop” in reggae-pop, and Skip Marley’s reimagining of the track doubles down on its dancefloor bonafide. Produced by Rykeyz, Marley ups the reggae feel of Priest’s original chorus, his raspy upper register playing well against the groovy percussion that grounds the smoldering verses between each party-ready hook. Marley has already visited the top 10 of the Hot 100 (alongside Katy Perry with 2017’s No. 4-peaking “Chained to the Rhythm”), and “Close to You” has the potential to bring him back there.
Teejay feat. Masicka, “Never Complain”
You know it’s serious business when two of dancehall’s hottest stars join forces. With “Never Complain,” Jamaican powerhouses Teejay and Masicka a menacing dancehall track that finds the former delivering a smooth, coolly confident hook, while the latter spits rugged, rapid-fire verses that offer a peek into how fame and success have altered the outlook of both stars. With slinky guitar riffs providing a lighter complement to the brooding lyricism and overall production, “Never Complain” is a surprisingly texturally rich offering that previews just how incredible a joint project between Teejay and Masicka could sound.
Beach Boii & Simon Said, “Bad Gyal”
Who has the time to be worried about colder weather when Beach Boii and Simon Said are dropping sizzling joints like this one? “Bad Gyal,” a sultry trap-infused dancehall slow-burner, continues the genre’s long-standing tradition of tributing beautiful women, but Simon Said’s relaxed delivery and his and Beach Boii’s lyrics prioritize praising women’s independence as much as they express their desires to be with her. “Anything yuh want, baby girl that’s it/ Gucci from Milan, Louis Vuitton, Français/ Put it pon di Gram, make these hoes upset/ Real bad gyal, so mi know yuh don’t play,” Simon croons over Beach Boii’s string-inflected beat.
Major Lazer & Vybz Kartel, “Nobody Move”
Originally teased back in 2017 — with an additional Lorde feature, no less! — “Nobody Move” is finally here. Released as a part of the 15-year anniversary reissue of Major Lazer’s 2009 debut album Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, “Nobody Move” finds Kartel interpolating bits of Yellowman’s 1984 dancehall classic “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt.” A far more traditional reggae joint than 2009’s “Pon De Floor” — the last time the two acts linked up for a collaboration with no other guests. It’s a brief track with just one full verse, but it’s prime for easy listening. “Nobody move, nobody get hurt/ Mi feel di vibes, put in di best work/ Jamaica land we love/ I love fi see di gyal dem inna short mini skirt,” Vybz proclaims in a curiously wistful cadence.
Juls, Black Sherif & Projexx, “Timing”
Released as a single from Juls’ Peace & Love album, “Timing” is a world-bridging collaboration between the British-Ghanaian producer, Ghanaian singer Black Sherif and Jamaican artist Projexx. Juls’ ethereal soundscape pulls from Afrobeats as much as it pays tribute to dancehall rhythms and grooves, with Black Sherif’s buoyant energy playing well against the laid-back, reserved approach Projexx takes, each style accenting different pockets of the airy beat.
Jada Kingdom, “Somebody Else”
Jada Kingdom kicked off the year with one of dancehall’s fiercest clashes, and now she’s back with “Somebody Else,” her first release under her new independent entity Kingdom Mab. A characteristically seductive kiss-off, “Somebody Else” finds Twinkle purring her way through an R&B-infused track that balances vulnerability with strength sourced from introspection. “Cause after all the heartbreak, I still gained nothing/ Best of luck, I’m sorry/ It’s too late to want me/ I got my eye on somebody else,” she declares.
Nailah Blackman, “Banana”
Nailah Blackman literally has soca history cousing through her veins — and she does her lineage proud with each successive release. “Banana,” Nailah’s take on the “Double Dip” riddim, brings her over to the power soca as she sings, “A girl no want no soft man/ Gimme a roughneck/ A man to slap it up and/ Gimme some roughness/ Want a man with strong back.” Tailor made for the road, “Banana” is sure to soundtrack some of the wickedest wines in the West Indies and beyond come next Carnival season.
Kenroy Mullings, “Brighter Days”
Analog instrumentation will never go out of style — and Kenroy Mullings is here to remind us of that. A renowned guitarist who works frequently with Buju Banton released his highly anticipated instrumental album, Brighter Days, on Oct. 23, and the title track is one of the strongest offerings. Centered on a sunny guitar melody and accented with ebullient horns and steady, earthy percussion, “Brighter Days” positions itself as the musical equivalent of the first few sun rays breaking through the clouds. There’s hope coursing through every chord, so much so that lyrics feel like a bonus accessory here as opposed to a necessity.
Patrice Roberts, “Kitty Cat”
At the top of October, Trinidadian soca icon Patrice Roberts put her own spin on Suhrawh’s “Cat Attack” riddim. “Yuh have a weakness for sweetness/ Beggin’ for the kitty cat/ So, you have a weakness for sweetness/ I have the sweetness,” she coos over the beat, which sounds just a step or two away from something you might hear on a poppier Brazilian funk track. A tantalizing ode to the power of the kitty and a sultry showcase of both Patrice’s power and sexual prowess, “Kitty Cat” is the perfect song to channel the flirtatious energy of Carnival — even if the season may be over.
Azealia Banks has changed her mind about the presidential election. The mercurial MC best known for her frequent beefs with fellow celebs announced on Monday (Nov. 4) that she is now endorsing Democrat Kamala Harris over her previous commander-in-chief pick, Donald Trump.
Though the endorsement included a reference to the sitting Vice President as “stupid and incoherent” — as well as calling Harris’ VP pick, Gov. Tim Walz “trash” — Banks said she’s bailing on convicted felon Trump in large part because of her fears that the three-time presidential nominee will make good on his vow to give equally mercurial SpaceX/Tesla CEO Elon Musk a place in his potential second administration.
“I really think keeping Elon Musk away from any type of political power in the USA is tantamount to any issue on the table here. You have to be a complete idiot to think that dirtbag cares about anyone or anything other than himself,” Banks, 33, tweeted about Musk, who has become one of Trump’s biggest financial supporters and stumpers over the past month.
“He’s already been given way too much tax payer money – Allowing him to ascend to any position of political authority is very f–king dangerous,” wrote Banks in an attack on Musk featuring a string of provocative claims. “One does not become the richest man in the world because of honesty and good character lol, you must be an expert liar, thief and cheater to become that.” The tweet also included incendiary, unverified statements about Musk’s alleged business practices as well as his parenting and treatment of singer Grimes, who has two children with the tech billionaire; at press time a spokesperson for Musk had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Banks’ claims.
In 2016, Banks endorsed Trump and congratulated him following the former reality TV star’s win over former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton in that year’s election, offering to perform at his inauguration. While she was seemingly not invited to play that event, Trump was feted with sets from Toby Keith, Three Doors Down, Lee Greenwood, Jackie Evancho, DJ Ravidrums, the Piano Guys and a speech from actor Jon Voight. Last year, Banks said she would be supporting Trump again because she thought he was “f–king funny.”
NBC reported that Musk’s financial and stump support of Trump could be result in lucrative business wins for the world’s richest man, noting that the billionaire has turned X into “a pro-Trump echo chamber” over the past few months in the apparent expectation that Trump will offer up more tax breaks for the richest Americans and provide more government contracts for SpaceX. Musk has reportedly donated nearly $120 million to convicted the twice impeached former President’s third White House bid. Though he is not expected to have an official seat in a Trump cabinet owing to his many foreign business interests and government contracts, there are report that Musk could have an unofficial role as the “secretary of cost-cutting.”
Banks concluded her Harris endorsement tweet — one of dozens she posted on Monday in which she weighed in on everything from her distaste for iPhones and owning property in South Florida to a plea for Harris to “incentivize” men who don’t want to have children to get vasectomies — by explaining her latest swipe at Musk.
“I will be Voting For Kamala Harris tomorrow because Elon Musk (a f–king overrated Ketamine addict) belongs no where near American Politics. The End,” she wrote. Musk has spoken openly in the past about his use of prescription Ketamine, an anesthetic that has gained interest from doctors and researchers for its potential to treat depression and anxiety. In an interview with CNN earlier this year, Musk denied overusing Ketamine, saying, “if you use too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done. I have a lot of work, I’m typically putting in 16-hour days … so I don’t really have a situation where I can be not mentally acute for an extended period of time.”
The rapper — who has released just one full-length album to date, 2014’s Broke With Expensive Taste, along with a handful of EPs and mixtapes — referred to an overnight stay at Musk’s home in 2018 as being akin to “a real life episode of ‘Get Out‘”; she later apologized for those remarks.
Banks’ 11th hour support for Harris comes after a galaxy of A-listers have lined up behind the VP, including: Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Eminem, Scarlett Johansson, Ricky Martin, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Bad Bunny, Harrison Ford, Cher, Usher, Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna, Kesha, Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, Charli XCX and many more.
Young Thug made his first public appearance since being released from jail while hanging out with fellow Atlanta native T.I. on Monday night (Nov. 4).
Thugger and Tip appeared to be in the studio alongside T.I.’s son Domani when the “What You Know” rapper posted a clip to Instagram early Tuesday (Nov. 5) featuring a guest appearance from the freshly freed YSL honcho.
“I’m back,” Thug declared in one of his Sp5der hoodies. “I’m back, Jack. No cap in my rap. The right way!”
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T.I. added, “Ay man, no motherf–king cap in it. It’s time. Now go tell that!”
Tip revealed in his caption that he’d temporarily be putting an end to his rap retirement to hop in the booth with Thug. “Yeahhhhh YKWTFGO The Kings have Reconvened #KingJeffrey #KingSr,” he wrote. “Guess I’m officially outta retirement For tonight #Welcomehome.”
Fat Joe, E-40 and plenty more hopped into the comments section, sending their well wishes to Thugger now that he’s back home.
Young Thug — born Jeffery Williams — was released from jail on Halloween after reaching a plea when Judge Paige Reese Whitaker handed down a sentence of 15 years probation, which allowed Thugger to walk free the same day as Thursday’s hearing.
“I know you’re talented, and if you choose to continue to rap, you need to try to use your influence to let kids know that is not the way to go and that there are ways out of poverty besides hooking up with the powerful guy at the end of the street selling drugs,” Whitaker said.
Thug was imprisoned for more than 700 days since his arrest in May 2022 without bond. The YSL RICO trial is the longest criminal trial in Georgia’s history and still isn’t over — two of his co-defendants have declined plea deals, and are still facing trial.
While Thug and T.I. have teamed up in the past for anthems like “About the Money,” Thugger appears to be teasing music with another ATLien. Billboards have popped up across L.A. hinting at a Thug and Lil Baby reunion.
“Whatever Wham Says Goes,” the signs repeatedly read, as if they were written out on a chalkboard by a student in detention.
“Whatever Wham Say Goes,” refers to a June 26 tweet from Thug, which many connected to Lil Baby’s support for Thugger.
Steve Stoute holds his black hat to the camera, ensuring the words written on it are visible: “The future is independence,” a slogan that predicts where the music industry is headed in the coming years.
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During a Zoom call with Billboard in October, the UnitedMasters CEO looks back at launching the music distribution company in 2017. To Stoute, the word “independent” in the music business meant the major labels were a priority and everything else was a lower hierarchy. “When the internet blew up, nobody called every content creator that was making podcasts or visual stuff independent,” Stoute recalls. “They really were independent, but there was no classification.”
In Stoute’s eyes, independence was a stigma that made you feel “less than” if you didn’t sign a deal with a major label. He says the stigma needed to be broken, so independent artists could be comfortable with ownership. The stigma changed after artists didn’t need validation from a major label before growing their fanbase. “In today’s world, you find audiences first,” he says. “So really, do you need a label, or do you need a partner?
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“And that really was our goal from the beginning. It was to create partnerships, to let artists feel comfortable with being independent,” he continues, tapping the “future of independence” logo on his hat for added emphasis. “Owning their masters and everything that came with that. Running this ‘Believe’ campaign, we’re talking about very three prolific artists here who have all taken part in what we’re building. I’m just proud.”
Launched on UnitedMasters’ social channels at the end of September and rolled out in early October, the Believe campaign centered on messaging that if you believe in yourself, you can reach the heights of artists who distributed their music worldwide through UnitedMasters. Hip-hop artists Anycia and BigXThaPlug, along with post-punk indie artist Ekkstacy, were the faces of single-artist and multi-artist videos directed by Edgar Esteves. The short clips were published on Instagram and YouTube with the hashtag #BelieveWithUM, giving each artist a spotlight to detail their journey, from their early days to their ascension to star status.
The Believe campaign does more than just incentivize artists to sign up for one of UnitedMasters’ membership tiers, like the newly introduced DEBUT+ priced at $19.99 annually. Anycia, BigXThaPlug and Ekkstacy’s stories carry an emotional arc relatable to any artist in doubt, who needs a spark of inspiration. UM’s social assets set the stage: one moment, you have a bedroom view like Anycia, release a six-track EP (Bacc from the Dead) like BigXThaPlug, or perform solo shows in your garage like Ekkstacy, and then the next you’re on tour, performing in front of thousands of fans. “Believe in you. We do,” the campaign promises, directing followers to a landing page that demonstrates they believed in their artists’ music when no one else did.
Anycia, BigXThaPlug and Ekkstacy haven prove they aren’t overnight celebrities. The path to becoming a partner artist with UnitedMasters, an invite-only plan for emerging talent to get label-quality artist resources after they get upstreamed, begins with having faith in turning dreams into reality. If you choose UnitedMasters to distribute your music, they play the role of support. However, Stoute states that the difference between other distribution competitors and UnitedMasters is infrastructure, a collection of creatives, industry experts and engineers who work together to launch careers. “Whether it be Distrokid or Tunecore — part of the infrastructure is tech, part of the infrastructure is the people,” Stoute says. “When I built the company, I wanted to sit at the convergence of culture, technology, and storytelling. The technology is one thing, but you still need people first.”
He hammers this point: “Humans are for quality, machines are for scale. Don’t let the machines confuse you for quality.”
The ‘Believe’ campaign is a series of vignettes, zooming out from the artists’ concert crowds to how they fueled their visions for themselves. Anycia’s video starts in a bedroom, mirroring what the Atlanta rapper’s actual room would look like at her mother’s house throughout her life. For her, it represents nostalgia, imagery that has been depicted in her “Type Beat” video and the cover of Princess Pop That.
“I want to be the girl that you can have a conversation with and not feel judged. You can feel safe with me, which it always is. I’m trying to be everybody’s big sister, everybody’s auntie,” Anycia says. “I feel like the most comforting place for somebody to be is in a cozy bedroom.”
Before rapping, Anycia worked several jobs. Around 2022-2023, she didn’t feel confident about calling herself an artist, reflecting on a time when she was at a smoke shop and going to barber school. The work didn’t stop there for the struggling artist: She taught at a daycare and hosted at a nightclub in Atlanta. She used what spare time she had to work on music, and hit up studios that her friends had access to. After feeling stagnant, she quit both her jobs to do music full-time.
“I’m a strong believer in what is meant for me will be for me,” Anycia says. “So throughout my life, I’m not against trying. I’m a ‘You got to try it before you say you don’t like it’ type of person. I never really got a problem with cutting off things that I felt weren’t for me that I wasn’t happy doing.”
Anycia took a gamble on herself, reasoning that she was already charging people for features and beat placements. The game plan was there, she just needed to go all in. “I felt like it was going to work, because I was 100% being genuine and I was being myself.”
“So What,” built around a woozy Ciara sample and produced by Popstar Benny, started as a snippet on X with a few hundred views on YouTube. It became so popular that it got Anycia several label meetings before she settled with UnitedMasters. “They did find me pretty early in my situation — and the first thing I did when I walked up in that office was I asked everybody if they wanted a shot,” Anycia says. “I had to loosen everybody up. Pulled some reposado out of my purse and everything. I wanted to see the real everybody, and I liked it. Everybody was cool.”
BigXThaPlug’s video in the Believe campaign starts with him sitting in his living room. In it, he talks about before his album Amar – dedicated to his son – and repping all of Texas. In conversation, BigX knew rap wasn’t his dream or even what he planned to do at first. He was a rising star in football, playing any position on the offensive or defensive line in college. It took missing his son’s first birthday after going to jail that the rapper felt like he owed his child something. When he had no other options to earn money once he got out, he took heed to his friend Rosama’s advice, who suggested he should rap.
“I turned him down a couple of times,” BigX says. “He was the main person constantly in my ear about the music stuff. When it got to a point where I had nothing left and I had to do something, he came by with that something.”
While he’s had jobs before, BigX admits they never worked out. He was destined to be a CEO. “I never been the type to work for nobody. In my head, I’ve always been my own entity,” BigX says. “You always know when you’re meant to work for yourself, but you’re constantly listening to another person. I hate putting money in people’s pockets who I know don’t care about me. I wanted to do something more genuine and easily put my people on as well.”
UnitedMasters discovered BigX in 2021, when he had 500 monthly listeners on Spotify. During this time in his career, he released “Mr. Trouble” and “Big Stepper” on HalfpintFilmz’ YouTube channel. After those videos hit a million views in a short time, he started to see how his city of Dallas was reacting to him, and took Rosama’s suggestion to take rap seriously.
He remembers changing his hustle from working the street corners to being in the studio every day. “Every song that I made at that time, we made together,” BigX recalls. “‘Cause we was broke and we was paying for studio time. So two, three hours of studio time, we was paying $100 for and we would just split it. I would have the majority and Ro would be like, ‘I just want to record one song, I’ll just give you $25.’ I was like, ‘All right, bet.’”
BigX compared UnitedMasters to signing with a junior college, soaking in the knowledge they taught him about the music industry and better preparing him for the next level. Through signing with them, he benefited from the increased visibility and synch licensing deals, with his songs appearing on soundtracks for movies like Fast X and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. “I just knew I couldn’t sign with no major, that’s like going to a D1,” he says. “If I went to a major, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
The guidance he’s received through UnitedMasters has BigX feeling like “[Heisman-winning quarterback] Cam Newton at Blinn [College],” he explains. “I could go anywhere in the world right now, and wherever I go, we’re going to go win a national championship.”
Ekkstacy’s road to fame was similar to Anycia’s and BigX’s: filled with uncertainty and sheer will to be who they wanted to be. The Vancouver, BC native used to process returns at an Amazon facility and made some of his earliest records in his dad’s garage. He started his music career as a producer for a former high school friend who was a SoundCloud rapper. But Stacy had other ambitions of becoming a singer.
“After some years of being around him and him being like, ‘C’mon man, you can sing. You can do it. Just do it. Just do it.’ I’ll always be like, ‘Dude, I don’t have anything to say. Like, what am I going to sing about? My life is fine. My life is good,’” Stacy says, calling from his tour bus. “I went through some crazy psychosis sh-t when I was 16. And really overnight I was a completely different person. So that’s when I started writing.”
Ekkstacy struck viral gold when he uploaded “I Walk This Earth All By Myself” on SoundCloud. After his manager Andrew Mishko suggested he take it down, the song blew up again when he signed with UnitedMasters in 2022. “It went up on SoundCloud a bit, then it went up on Spotify and then it went super up on TikTok, and then it went even stupider on Instagram Reels,” he says. “It blew up four times. It’s a weird song for me.”
Although he started at Distrokid, he moved to UnitedMasters because they allowed him to create on his terms. “They’ve been great. They’ve done everything a label would have done without the f–k s–t,” Stacy says. “I’ve had good freedom in just releasing whatever I want, not having someone be like, ‘Nah, this isn’t you. You need to do this.’ It’s always been like, ‘Yeah, this is what I want to do.’”
During one of Stoute’s recent interviews with The Pivot Podcast, he established how UnitedMasters is a global platform, through FloyyMenor’s unexpected chart dominance with the viral hit “Gata Only.” As a fresh artist out of the Latin urban music scene, FloyyMenor went from downloading the UnitedMasters app in Chile to surpassing over a billion streams on Spotify with his breakout smash. The 19-year-old Chilean artist was a local who performed at clubs, recognized only by his face but not his name. He signed with UnitedMasters after A&R Gerardo Mejía flew to Chile to see him perform, and saw immediately how he was able to connect with an audience.
Speaking through a Spanish translator, FloyyMenor explains how he released “Gata Only” without Cris MJ in December 2023, seeing the streams pick up on DSPs. In February, he added fellow Chilean and rising star Cris MJ on “Gata Only” after he reached out about wanting to work together. He was surprised at how it was trending on TikTok in Chile, teased through images of cars or anything that looked along the correct aesthetic when paired with “Gata Only” lyrics. It continued to pick up in countries outside of Chile like Argentina, Mexico, the U.S., China, France, and Italy.
“Gata Only” was a significant breakthrough for FloyyMenor and Cris MJ, becoming the first Chilean artists to enter the top 10 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in 25 years. Recently, FloyyMenor made history as the youngest Chilean artist to win the Global 200 Latin Song of the Year at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards.
FloyyMenor isn’t a one-hit wonder, either: Outside of “Gata,” his August EP El Comienzo has more singles streaming in the millions, namely “Peligrosa” and “Apaga El Cel.” These achievements are reminders of how proud he is to represent Chile, breaking language barriers with his addictive songs. The wins he’s had wouldn’t be possible without UnitedMasters establishing trust with the artist, showing their commitment to his talent has only opened more doors for him.
“I’ve had friends who had other distro deals and they talk about bad experiences,” FloyyMenor says of their dynamic. “It’s been cool to have a team that’s serious about what they say and what they do. It’s like a family. I’ve been able to work on what I want and go towards my goals. I’m happy with the team that I have.”
UnitedMasters’ ‘Believe’ campaign proves that their tools and platforms have set these artists up for success. At the beginning of 2024, Ekkstacy felt insecure about releasing his third, self-titled record, but was motivated by the love of his fans every time he connected with them on tour. Now, he continues to hit the road, adding an opening slot for blink-182 to his resume and touring over the summer with $uicideboy$ on their acclaimed Grey Day Tour. He recently got a Gold certification for “I Walk This Earth All By Myself.”
Anycia’s Princess Pop That was a defining debut for her, dubbed Atlanta’s new it-girl by her fans. She’s stacked up accomplishments, like appearing on Flo Milli’s Fine Ho, Stay on “New Me,” and scoring her first hit on the Billboard radio charts – Rap Airplay (No. 25), Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (No. 24), R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (No. 40) – with “Back Outside” featuring Latto, as well as going on tour with Kehlani.
Anycia describes her stage of independence as a “tug of war” phase. She explains it as she can either go “this way or that way.”
“I put it in my head, even though s–t was already going off for me, this Kehlani tour is the start of my career. I’m the opener, I’m the rookie,” she says. “Even if people don’t know me, my goal is to make people know who I am or trying to figure out who the hell I am whenever they leavin’. I want you to have gained a new artist that you’re about to add to your playlist. I’m proving myself right now. Not only can I put out music and be cutesy on the Internet, but I’m showing you guys that I can entertain you all. So just imagine what I can do whenever a b—h got a bigger budget.”
For BigXThaPlug, his wins in 2024 are his induction into the 2024 XXL Freshman class, earning multiple gold and platinum plaques for his singles, breaking into country music with his Shaboozey collab “Drink Don’t Need No Mix,” and embarking on his Take Care Tour with Rosama and Yung Hood. He has one of the most underrated independent stories in rap right now with his latest release Take Care, notching his first top 10 at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, behind major-label artists GloRilla’s Glorious at No. 5 and Rod Wave’s Last Lap at No. 2.
“It’s a blessing to know that now I am something that people can look at,” BigX says. “I’m a guide to where people want to be in life. That’s a blessing. In my music, I am letting them know. ‘Yeah, you can be here. I ain’t going to say it is easy to do, It is possible to do. But once you get here, you are going to deal with a lot so prepare for it.’”
After hearing what these artists have had to go through to become household names, Stoute can’t stress enough how proud he is. He’s amazed at how far they’ve come, listing where they’re originally from to show you can make it anywhere. He reminisces on when UnitedMasters was the launching pad for NLE Choppa and Lil Tecca. UM has made unprecedented partnerships with Brent Faiyaz and EarthGang since then, as well as expanded into finding new African artists through Davido and Nigerian producer Sarz. The norm is perhaps finally shifting towards independence.
“The fact that we were able to touch so many artists over the years and grow is absolutely moving to me because it was something in my head that I thought I could do,” Stoute says. “Building a team and finding talented artists to not only write great songs and perform great songs but also to believe in us as a platform that could help them. That says a lot about my belief in myself.”
Beyoncé kicked off Election Day by stealing some of its thunder. The superstar unleashed her first music video in years for “Bodyguard” on Tuesday (Nov. 5), which finds her channeling a trio of Pamela Anderson’s legendary looks for “Beylloween.” The Texas-bred superstar modeled looks inspired by the actress’ character in 1996’s Barb Wire, which features […]
As part of his closing argument to voters on Monday (Nov. 4), former President Donald Trump took yet another shot at Beyoncé for the R&B superstar’s support of rival Kamala Harris. While the current Vice President was headlining a star-studded event in Philadelphia with the likes of Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Martin and hometown heroes the Roots, Trump once again hit out at a recent appearance by Queen Bey at a Harris rally in the singer’s hometown of Houston.
“Everyone’s expecting a couple of songs, and there were no songs,” Trump, 78, claimed about the Oct. 25 event where the 32-time Grammy winner appeared with her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland to urge Texans to support the Harris/Walz ticket on election day (Nov. 5). “There was no happiness. It’s just like, ‘give me my check. I want to get out of here,’” Trump claimed about Beyoncé’s appearance.
At the rally last month, the singer joyfully voiced her backing for Harris, saying, “We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud, country, Texas women supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris. A woman who’s been pushing for what this country really needs right now: unity. It’s impossible not to feel the energy in this room, the positivity, the community, the humanity. We are at the precipice of an incredible shift. The brink of history.”
She added, “I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares, deeply, about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we’re not divided. Our past, our present, our future merge to meet us here.”
In addition to boosting Harris in Houston, Beyoncé gave the campaign direct approval to use her 2016 song “Freedom” as its campaign song. Bey’s camp later sent a cease-and-desist to the Trump campaign for featuring “Freedom” in a social media campaign video from a spokesperson; that video was later taken down in the latest example of a musician asking Trump to stop using their music for his campaign.
On Monday in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, Trump also brushed off the lack of star power at his recent events in comparison to the many A-list actors and musicians who’ve lined up behind the Vice President, adding, “Just to bring it back into seriousness, we don’t need a star because we have policy.” His event was warmed up by former Democrat U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, conservative commentator Megyn Kelly — whom Trump insulted with a crude, sexist remark about menstruation after she moderated a 2015 presidential debate — and the son of late baseball legend Robert Clemente Jr.
Though he has repeatedly said celebrity support doesn’t matter, Trump’s campaign has welcomed endorsements by country singers Jason Aldean and Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as Amber Rose, former reality star Savannah Chrisley, Caitlyn Jenner, Kid Rock, Dr. Phil, Elon Musk, Azealia Banks, Kanye West, Joe Rogan and Lil Pump.
He has seemed particularly peeved by Beyoncé’s support for Harris, whose campaign has rolled up a galaxy of A-list supporters over the past few months, including Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Eminem, Scarlett Johansson, Ricky Martin, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Bad Bunny, Harrison Ford, Cher, Usher, Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna, Kesha, Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, Charli XCX and many more.
A week after Beyoncé’s Houston speech, Trump took to the stage in Green Bay, WI dressed as a garbage man, where he again stressed that he didn’t need help from celebrities. “Four nights ago they got Beyoncé… uhhhh Beyoncé,” he said, pausing while audience appeared to boo the singer. “They got Beyoncé,” he repeated. “We don’t need Beyoncé, we don’t need anybody… all you got is me, and I don’t have a guitar.”
The Harris campaign never announced that Beyoncé was expected to sing in Houston and at the Green Bay event, though Trump added, “Ladies and gentlemen, they said Beyoncé’s coming to sing and she came but she didn’t sing. And then Kamala came on as Beyoncé was leaving without singing even one song and they booed the hell out of both of them”; there is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that the 30,000-plus Harris supporters booed Beyoncé’s appearance.
According to pollsters, Trump and Harris are in a neck-and-neck race, with most predicting that results may not be finalized as soon as voting ends on Tuesday night. If you are not sure where your polling place is, click here to find out.
Watch Trump’s comments about Beyoncé in Pittsburgh below.
After what has felt like the longest election season in American history, Cardi B is sweating the results already. The “Bongos” rapper took to X just after midnight on election day (Nov. 5) to share her anxiety about the too-close-to-call battle between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and twice impeached former President Donald Trump.
“I don’t know why I’m nervous for tomorrow,” tweeted Cardi, who appeared at a Harris rally last Friday in Milwaukee where she gave a passionate endorsement of the candidate vying to be the nation’s first female President while slamming convicted felon Trump’s stance on women’s rights. Cardi said in her post that she was so twisted up in knots about Tuesday’s vote that, “I feel like I’m running for president.”
Meanwhile, Rihanna — who was born in Barbados and is not a U.S. citizen eligible to vote — posted her own pointed message to fans about what’s at stake on Tuesday. “When protecting p—ies and firing p—ies can happen all in one vote #votecauseicant #TanSuitSeason,” the singer wrote alongside a pensive video of her staring out a window while wearing sunglasses. The comment appeared to be a reference to Harris’ vow to protect women’s rights to make choices about their own bodies in the wake of the repeal of Roe v Wade under Trump’s watch thanks to his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court judges.
Rihanna also had jokes, captioning her clip, “POV: me trying to sneak into the polls with my son’s passport #votecauseicant” Rihanna and partner Harlem native A$AP Rocky have two young sons together.
The stars are among the many A-listers who have lined up behind Harris in her bid to deny convicted felon Trump a second term in the former reality star’s third White House run. At the Milwaukee event, Cardi made it clear why she’s on team Harris. “I take seriously the call to show up, to speak out, and to share a message that’s been on my heart for a while now,” she said. “Like Kamala Harris, I’ve been the underdog, underestimated, and had my success belittled. Women have to work ten times harder and still face questions about how we achieved success. I can’t stand a bully, but just like Kamala, I always stand up to one.”
Harris made her closing argument in Pennsylvania on on Monday night at an event that also featured Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Martin and the Roots on a night when music stars stumped for her in swing states across the country. At the same time, Trump made his final pitch in Michigan as well during a two-hour speech in which he called former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a “b–ch,” once again obsessed about his crowd sizes — while lying about the attendance at Harris’ rallies — as his running mate, JD Vance, referred to Harris as “trash” at an event in Atlanta.
See Cardi and Rihanna’s tweets below.
I don’t know why I’m so nervous for tomorrow… I feel like I’m running for president 😫— Cardi B (@iamcardib) November 5, 2024
Looks like Young Thug is ready to make music with fellow Atlanta rapper Lil Baby again.
Just a few days after being released from Fulton County Jail after a more than two-year ordeal that saw his record label YSL embroiled in a RICO case with the state of Georgia, Thugger took to X to tell Lil Baby aka “Wham” that he wants to release a song. “Wham let’s drop one on these rats peter,” he tweeted.
Wham let’s drop one on these rats peter— Young Thug ひ (@youngthug) November 3, 2024
Lil Baby then responded in kind on his Instagram Stories, telling Thug, “I missed you mf!!!! Welcome home my brudda! Thank God you able to get back to your fam in good health and spirits! Wish ya none but billions jack! #whatwhamsaysgoes.”
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Earlier today, billboards appeared around L.A. that say, “Whatever Wham Says Goes” multiple times as if the statement was written on a chalkboard during detention like Bart Simpson in the opening credits of The Simpsons.
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Young Thug & Lil Baby about to drop? 👀
“Whatever Wham Say Goes” billboards were spotted in LA… pic.twitter.com/nN8AXBDQRl
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) November 4, 2024
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“Whatever Wham Say Goes,” refers to a June 26 tweet from Thug which many assumed referred to some comments Lil Baby said about YSL member Gunna during a performance.
Back in December of 2023, Lil Baby was on stage where he allegedly told the crowd, “F—k the rats, turn this sh—t off,” as the DJ played his Gunna collab “Drip Too Hard.” This came around the same time Gunna took a plea deal and was released from jail during the early moments of the the YSL RICO case.
Still, with all the controversy still surrounding Gunna and his plea deal, the judge gave Thug permission to work with his labelmate again. Gunna has denied the snitching allegations and even Thug’s father has came to his defense on multiple occasions. We’ll have to see how he and Thug’s relationship plays out, but for now we’ll wait on this new Slime and Wham that’s coming down the pike.