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Kendrick Lamar has his sixth No. 1 – and third of 2024 – on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart, as “Squabble Up” debuts atop the Dec. 7-dated ranking.
“Squabble Up” bows with 52 million official U.S. streams earned in the week ending Nov. 28, according to Luminate.
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Each of Lamar’s No. 1s also debuted at the top of the list, third-most of any act behind Taylor Swift (seven) and Drake (15). Both acts are also the only artists ahead of him on the all-time No. 1s ranking since Streaming Songs’ 2013 inception (Swift with nine total rulers, Drake with 20); Lamar sits in a tie for third all time with Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber.
Lamar first reigned in 2017 with “Humble.,” followed by leads as a featured act on Lil Wayne’s “Mona Lisa” in 2018 and on “N95” in 2022. 2024 marks the first time he’s led more than once in a year, with “Squabble Up” joined by his own “Not Like Us” and Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” on which he’s also a lead artist.
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In all, Lamar occupies the entire top nine of the Dec. 7-dated Streaming Songs and 12 of the top 17. That gives him 32 career top 10s, good for a tie for fourth all time with 21 Savage and The Weeknd (Drake leads all acts with 99).
Lamar becomes the first act not named Taylor Swift or Drake to make up the whole top nine of Streaming Songs; Swift (Nov. 5, 2022; Nov. 11, 2023; May 4, 2024) and Drake (Sept. 18, 2021; Nov. 19, 2022; Oct. 21, 2023) have done so three times apiece.
As for having nine songs in the top 10, Lamar joins a list that also includes 21 Savage and J. Cole in addition to Swift and Drake.
Concurrently, as previously reported, “Squabble Up” debuts at No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100, one of seven songs from new album GNX in the top 10, while GNX itself bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson, has died, Billboard can confirm. She was 69 years old.
TMZ was the first to report the news. According to the outlet, Nelson passed due to complications related to advanced lung cancer in St. Joseph, Mo. Billboard has reached out to the medical examiner’s office. Reports of her cancer diagnosis surfaced earlier in 2024.
Nelson was born on a military base in Kansas as the oldest of five children. She married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. as a teenager, and gave birth to Eminem — born Marshall Mathers — on Oct. 17, 1972.
Em and his mother went through a turbulent relationship during his childhood and into his Hall-of-Fame career. The Detroit rap icon expressed his derision for his mother on hits such as “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and “My Name Is.”
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Nelson ended up suing her son for defamation in 1999, seeking $11 million. Although the judge ruled in her favor, she was awarded only $25,000 in 2001 and recouped much less after legal fees, per ABC News.
She also exposed a large part of her relationship with Eminem throughout her revealing 2007 memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem.
Em had publicly extended an olive branch to his mother while regretting how he handled their relationship over the years on tracks such as 2013’s “Headlights.”
“And I’m mad I didn’t get the chance to thank you for being my mom and my dad/ So Mom, please accept this as a tribute I wrote on this jet,” he raps on The Marshall Mathers LP 2 cut.
In more recent years, Nelson applauded her son for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. “Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame,” she said in a congratulatory video message at the time. “I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you. And also I’m very proud of [granddaughter] Hailie Jade, my big girl. I want to tell you, Hailie, great job on your podcast and God bless you guys. I love you very much.”
Fresh off teaming up for a pair of tracks on Kendrick Lamar’s GNX album, K. Dot and SZA are joining forces for the co-headlining 2025 Grand National Tour. Presented by Live Nation, pgLang and Top Dawg Entertainment, the North American trek featuring the former TDE running mates is set to invade 19 stadiums across the […]
Will Smith appears to be ramping up his return to music with the announcement of a summer 2025 set at France’s Positiv Festival next summer. The Bad Boys actor will mark his first-ever concert in France on July 31 when he takes the stage at the Roman Theatre of Orange.
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According to an announcement from the festival, the Oscar and Grammy-winning star will play a set of hits, including “Men in Black,” “Miami” and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” among others. “A unique performance that will bring together more generations of fans of Will Smith’s inimitable energy!,” read the post.
Smith has not released a studio album since 2005, when he dropped his fourth full-length solo LP, Lost and Found, which topped out at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart. After launching his movie career in the early 1990s, Smith has mostly focused on acting, most recently appearing in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. He won an Oscar for his work in the biographical tennis drama King Richard in 2022, collecting the hardware after he stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke referencing Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
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The actor eventually apologized for the incident and resigned from the Motional Picture Academy — which meant he can no longer vote for the Oscars, but can sill be nominated — followed by the organization announcing that he will be banned from the Oscars for the next decade.
Smith has been teasing a return to music, including recently dropping a new single, “Work of Art,” which features his son, Jaden Smith, as well as rapper Russ. In April, Smith made a surprise cameo during J. Balvin’s Coachella set, followed by the live debut of his gospel-tinged song “You Can Make It” at June’s BET Awards.
Earlier this year, Smith first discussed his upcoming album — tentatively titled Dance in Your Darkest Moments — saying, “Over the past year and a half, I’ve been in the studio. I have a project that is the most personal and powerful music project I’ve ever done. The idea of the music is, ‘Dance in your darkest moments.’” In July, Smith, who released his first three albums on Columbia Records and Lost and Found on Interscope, signed to Slang Music Group, home to Big Sean, Mira Black, Niki Lynette, Savvy & Mandy and Syleena Johnson.
Check out Positiv’s Smith announcement below.
With 2024 coming to an end, Apple Music and Shazam are looking back on a great year in music. Apple Music released its year-end charts on Tuesday (Dec. 3), with Kendrick Lamar coming in at No. 1 on the Top Songs of 2024: Global list with “Not Like Us.” Coming in at second place is […]
Kendrick Lamar has done it again. The Grammy-winning rap visionary surprised fans with the release of GNX, which made a No. 1 debut on the ARIA Albums Chart.
This latest achievement cements Kendrick’s reputation as a chart titan in Australia, marking his third No. 1 album Down Under, following the critically acclaimed To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022).
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The album’s arrival couldn’t have come with better timing—or sharper edges. Fresh off a public feud with Drake, Kendrick used GNX to double down on his artistry, showcasing a bold mix of sharp lyricism and genre-pushing production. Fans responded in droves, sending four tracks from the album—“Luther,” “Squabble Up,” “TV Off,” and “Wacced Out Murals”—straight into the top 20 of the ARIA Singles Chart, alongside six others breaking into the top 50.
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GNX also delivers a nostalgic nod to Lamar’s chart-topping history. His past hits like “Humble” and “All The Stars” have left a lasting impact in Australia, and GNX proves he’s still got the magic touch, blending vulnerability with the kind of braggadocio only K. Dot can pull off. And with his highly anticipated Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance just around the corner, the rap icon is only gaining momentum.
While Kendrick commands the spotlight, Rosé isn’t letting her reign slip away quietly on the ARIA Singles Chart, with her chart-topping collaboration with Bruno Mars, “APT.”, returning to No. 1 for a fourth non-consecutive week, while Rosé’s new single, ‘Number One Girl”, debuts at No. 61 this week. With her solo debut album, rosie, set to drop next week, fans are already bracing for another record-breaking chapter in her career.
Billie Eilish’s “Birds Of A Feather” climbed to No. 31, while Sabrina Carpenter saw multiple entries, including “Taste” at No. 4 and “Espresso” at No. 11.
Elsewhere on the ARIA Chart, Australian talent is making its mark. Sydney rockers RedHook broke into the top 20 with their sophomore effort “Mutation”, debuting at No. 15, while Alex the Astronaut’s “Rage and All Its Friends” landed at No. 19, marking a triumphant return to the charts.
Kendrick Lamar may not be finished releasing new music — at least that’s according to West Coast spokesperson and SiriusXM radio host DJ Hed and Ab-Soul during a recent Instagram Live. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “You see what Dot doing,” DJ Hed began before Ab-Soul interjects […]
Not much cut through the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend besides Wicked and Moana 2 — but maybe that’s because the hip-hop world is still reeling from Drake‘s shocking court filings alleging Universal Music Group (UMG) — his label — and Spotify of artificially boosting the popularity of Kendrick Lamar‘s blistering Grammy-nominated, Billboard Hot 100-topping diss track “Not Like Us.”
The filings, of course, came amid the still-unfurling rollout for Lamar’s new GNX album, which became his fifth consecutive No. 1 title on the Billboard 200 (dated Dec. 7). More new Lamar music arrived earlier this month by way of J. Cole‘s Inevitable audio series, in which he played two unreleased songs he recorded with the Compton MC back in 2010. On Friday (Nov. 29), just as people started warming up their Thanksgiving leftovers, Cole announced a special one-night-only concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden celebrating the 10th anniversary of his Billboard 200-topping 2014 Forest Hills Drive on Dec. 16.
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The holiday made this week a bit lighter on new music, but there were still more than a few fresh picks to sort through.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Dante Bowe and Fridayy’s uplifting new duet to 4batz’s response to his Grammy snubs. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Dante Bowe & Fridayy, “Grateful”
The holidays frequently grant us eyebrow-raising collaborations, and sometimes they result in truly great songs. On that front, this year’s offering is “Grateful”: a genre-blending track that marks the union of Grammy-winning Christian music artist Dante Bowe and R&B crooner Fridayy. “And if you never did another thing/ You did enough, you did enough/ You were with me through the lows, and picked me up/ You picked me up,” Fridayy coos in the intro over sparse atmospheric synths that steadily transform into an Afrobeats-nodding percussion line backing Bowe’s powerful, raspy vocal. Sharing a message of gratitude and resilience, “Grateful” is a holiday track that adds a bit of substance to how saccharine the whole enterprise has become. — KYLE DENIS
4batz, “Hood Grammy”
4batz hasn’t won a Grammy just yet, but he’ll be ready for his speech when the moment happens. “Hood Grammy” serves as his manifestation of sorts but also celebrates the early wins in his career as a neighborhood hero with friends and family proud of him for making it out of the trenches and putting on for his city. The Dallas singer’s airy vocals mesh over the sparse yet sparkling production, as Batz adds to his lore heading into his anticipated mixtape set to arrive in the coming months. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
The LOX, “Isley Money”
For their first unaccompanied single as a trio since 2020’s “Loyalty & Love,” The LOX went back to basics. Over a stirring Vinny Idol-helmed beat accented with whimsical strings, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P trade verses reminiscing on their past lives and the different ways they used to approach getting money. The introspective track is also a homecoming; the gang is back together, and the three New Yorkers spare no second of the song reminding us of that fact. “We done gave y’all hits, hood s–t/ Dope-ass freestyles, some funny-ass skits/ You probably riding around listening to our shit right now/ Like, ‘I’m glad these n—as from my town!’ Let’s go!” Sheek spits over a soulful loop of an exclamatory riff from The Isley Brothers’ “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” — K.D.
MIKE, “You’re the Only One Watching”
It’s been quite a ride for MIKE fans in 2024 and he’s closing out the year with a two-pack setting the stage for his Showbiz album in January and a world tour to boot. The rapper pays tribute to his late mother, who is his guardian angel watching over him. Jazzy production and a pitched-up sample repeating the track’s title keep MIKE in cruise control. “When I pray, I pray to mama, know she miss MIKE/ She my angel, know I got her on the flip-side/ Huh, I gotta thank you while I’m talkin’ to the big sky,” he raps before a prayer from MIKE’s mom cleanses the outro. — M.S.
41, Jenn Carter & Kyle Richh, “Vibes”
After breaking through with “Bent” last year, each member of 41 has spent 2024 maintaining their momentum. Earlier this year, he cracked the Hot 100 for the first time in his career alongside NLE Choppa (“Or What,” No. 52), and now, Kyle Richh has joined forces with Jenn Carter for the comparatively more romantic “Vibes.” Where “Or What” was concerned with bottling up raw, unfettered horny energy, “Vibes” soundtracks the thought process of determining whether or not a romantic connection is the real deal. “I need you by my side, is you stickin’ wit’ me?/ Is you rockin’ wit’ us or you workin’ wit’ them?” Kyle questions in the chorus of the guitar-accented song before Jenn spits, “‘Cause I got me sleepy, but she wanna see me/ I promise, one call and I’m comin’ to you/ All these feelings, don’t know what to do,” in her verse. — K.D.
Hotboii, “No Feelings”
Hotboii regained his freedom after being detained for over two years when RICO charges against the Orlando rapper were dismissed in September. HB looks to pick up where he left off with the momentum garnered prior to being locked up with “No Feelings.” Hotboii rips the thumping production and swerves through a woozy flow while dissing the case prosecutors attempted to build against him. “That RICO beat, that RICO weak, ain’t got no evidence/ Say who the free? I’m screamin’ bleed like, n—a, f–k that scene,” he spews. Hotboii’s confidence certainly isn’t lacking in his comeback tour either. — M.S.
Snoop Dogg just raised the bar when it comes to wedding gifts ahead of his daughter, Cori Broadus, tying the knot with her fiancé, Wayne Duece.
Snoop and Cori appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Monday (Dec. 2), where he revealed a $1 million gift for Cori and Wayne to use toward their wedding — although Snoop believes they should’ve pocketed more for the future.
“The only thing about this gift is she never got to open it or she hasn’t opened it yet. It was $1 million for her wedding,” Snoop admitted. “But Jen, I told her if it was me, my wedding would’ve been for $100,000, and $900,000 would’ve went in my pocket.”
Hudson replied: “Daddy is still teaching lessons, I’ll tell you that!”
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It’s far from the only time Snoop has spoiled his daughter, as he also recalled a time he gifted Cori a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon for her 16th birthday, but her mom ended up taking it after Cori got grounded for something she did.
“I bought her a G-Wagon for her 16th birthday and all of a sudden, mama had the G-Wagon,” Snoop added. “She didn’t give it to her — she took it away.”
Cori remained tight-lipped when asked what she got grounded for: “I don’t think I can say on here.”
On the music side, Snoop Dogg is gearing up for the release of his Missionary album on Dec. 13, which is fully produced by his longtime collaborator Dr. Dre. It’s their first full-length project together since 1993’s Doggystyle.
Snoop opened up about the creative process and how there were times even when they didn’t see eye-to-eye. “We see eye-to-eye when it’s necessary. Whenever we do a project, I allow him to drive,” the 53-year-old explained to Hudson. “I allow him to hold the steering wheel. I may be in the passenger seat adjusting the music or telling him to slow down, but he’s the one driving, so I have to allow him to drive the project where it needs to go.”
Snoop Dogg recruited a star-studded cast of collaborators including 50 Cent, Eminem, Jelly Roll, Sting, Russ and more on the project.
“[Sting] was telling me this was meant to be,” Snoop said. “I feel like my career is a testament of working hard, staying true, being original and being me the whole way through to where I can do songs with people I looked up to because I’ve been me the whole way.”
Watch Snoop on The Jennifer Hudson Show below:
Tyler, the Creator always had the moves. The Grammy-winning artist posted some throwback footage from middle school on Sunday (Dec. 1), in which he won a talent show for his choreographed dance routine to Omarion’s “Touch.” The clip finds Tyler effortlessly gliding across the stage and pointing to the girls in the crowd while hitting […]