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46 Black-Run Electronic Dance Labels You Can Support on Bandcamp Right Now
This week has been hard for anyone with a working soul. The black population in the United States and beyond has taken a strong stand against police violence, only to be met with more unbridled brutality. Here are Billboard Dance, we owe everything about the genres we love to this daring and vibrant community, so, we’ve compiled a list of black-run dance and electronic music labels you can support directly today and every first Friday of the month, as well as June 19th. Black is bass. Black is lofi. Black is jazz. Black is techno. Black is house. Black is disco. Black is kuduro. Black is footwork. Black culture is the origin of electronic music itself. Below is just a small slice of what black-run electronic labels have to offer. If you need more black electronic dance musi...
First Stream Latin: New Music by Natti Natasha, Bebe, Ed Maverick & More
“First Stream Latin” is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below. Natti Natasha – “Que Mal Te Fue” (Pina Records) After teasing fans on social media, Natti Natasha dropped her first single born during quarantine called “Que Mal Te Fue” (What Went Wrong) released under Pina Records. With a catchy reggaeton beat and Natti’s flirtatious vocals, the song is about a woman who’s questioning her ex for wanting to come back into her life. “What happened, what happened? / You tried being with another girl but it didn’t work out / What happened? / Your plans didn’t work out,” the Dominican urbana sings. In a homemade music video, Natti is seen splashing around in the pool as she ...
‘Why I Protest’: Lauren Jauregui on Why She Marches in Solidarity With Black Lives Matter
Thousands of people have taken the streets, from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to Miami, and beyond, to protest against racial injustice and police brutality in the U.S. The national outrage is in response to the death of George Floyd and other black citizens who have died in the hands of police. Amongst the countrywide protesters, Cuban-American artist Lauren Jauregui walked the streets in Downtown Miami to demand justice and police accountability. “I think it would be irresponsible of me to not lend my voice to this movement in the name of all of the Afro-Latinx people of the world that are the backbone of most of our beautiful cultures all across South America and the Caribbean,” Jauregui exclusively tells Billboard. As part of Billboard’s “Why I Protest” series, Jauregui, known for hits s...
Cam, Honne & More Set For Billboard Live At-Home Performances
A new week brings a new round of Billboard Live At-Home performances, as artists continue to partner with various organizations to raise much-needed funds for coronavirus relief. Country singer-songwriter Cam will kick the week off on Tuesday (June 9) at 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST via Billboard‘s Facebook page. Other acts slated for the coming week include British electronic duo Honne, Mexican-American rapper Snow Tha Product and drag star Trixie Mattel. Back in March, the Billboard Live At-Home series launched with live-streamed performances by the likes of JoJo, Josh Groban and Russell Dickerson. During their sets, each artist selected a nonprofit to fundraise for, with a focus on aiding communities most at-risk amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the series has ...
Black Music Month 2020: TDE’s Reason on Petitioning For Cops to Be Local to Their Area & Why He’s ‘Never Been Prouder to Be Black’
HIP-HOP 6/5/2020 by Reason With Black Music Month in full effect this year, African American artists are looking for ways to stay active, motivated, and committed on the fight for social change within their communities in light of the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Adbery and more. Spurred by the callous disregard for Black lives, artists are hoping to use their platforms as microphones to invoke reform in both the short and long term. Every Friday of this month, we will have an artist speak on today’s climate, offer their suggestions for revision going forward, and why being Black continues to be a gift more than a curse. TDE’s Reason is first at-bat with his take on why he wants America to reconsider the hiring process for cops, and why he values his sk...
Lauren London Speaks Out About Gun Violence, Nipsey Hussle’s Legacy: ‘It’s Like He’s Touching People Still’
Lauren London sat down with Jada Pinkett-Smith on Wednesday (June 3) to discuss the impact of growing up around gun violence, the legacy of her late parter Nipsey Hussle and how she educates her sons about handling police interactions. “What I instill in them is more about the police. How to handle yourself when you get pulled over. That’s more of my education, protecting them being black men in America,” said London about what she talks about with her three-year-old son with Hussle, Kross, and her 10-year-old with former partner Lil Wayne, Kameron. London said that growing up in Los Angeles she had schoolmates who were in gangs, and by summertime “they were gone… they had transitioned from gun violence.” And while she never got numb to hearing that one of them had ...
Kanye West Donates $2M, Launches Education Plan for George Floyd’s Daughter
Kanye West is donating a multi-million dollar sum for college savings funds for George Floyd’s daughter, plus legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families, Billboard can confirm. As the hip-hop star joins street protests in his hometown Chicago, Kanye has made a $2 million donation to assist the families of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, whose murders have sparked protests across America and around the globe. According to several published reports, West set up a 529 education plan for Floyd’s six-year-old daughter, Gianna. Kanye was spotted joining in Chicago’s south side on Thursday night joining the #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd march, in protest of Floyd’s death during his arrest by Minneapolis police, footage of which was captured and seen by millions around the globe. Ahmau...
Brian Wilson Dishes ‘Love And Mercy’ on ‘A Late Show’: Watch
Brian Wilson hasn’t gone surfing for a stretch. He’s in lockdown, like the rest of us. But the Beach Boys legend did Zoom in to A Tonight Show on Thursday night (June 4) for a performance of two songs. Sitting at a grand piano, he told the camera: “Hi, this is Brian Wilson everyone. I just want you guys to know that we’re all in this together.” The Rock And Roll Hall of Famer then launched into “Love and Mercy,” the opening track from his 1988 self-titled debut solo album. Wilson is warming up for the June 19 release of the 25th anniversary of his ode to California, Orange Crate Art, a collaborative album with uber-producer Van Dyke Parks. Orange Crate Art will also be issued on vinyl for the very first time. Watch the performance on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show below. You ...
Teen Grazed as Bullets Fly on Set of YFN Lucci Video Shoot
A teenager was injured Wednesday night (June 3) after gunfire rang out during the filming of a music video in Atlanta, the city’s police said. Rapper YFN Lucci, whose real name is Rayshawn Bennett, was filming the music video in an apartment complex in the southeastern part of the city, Atlanta police told WGCL-TV. Police said the 15-year-old boy’s thumb was grazed after some 21 bullets were fired, with at least one striking YFN Lucci’s Bentley. The teen was not identified and it was not immediately known if he has been hospitalized. YFN Lucci left the apartment complex without his luxury car before authorities arrived at the scene, police said. Police are searching for suspects in the shooting. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a d...
Gary Clark Jr. Is ‘Tired of Being Angry’ and Worrying He ‘Could Die Today’ for Walking Out of His House
Gary Clark Jr. shared his thoughts on the ongoing racial tensions in America with a powerful video message on Sunday (May 31). Simply captioned “Thoughts,” the nearly 10-minute black-and-white clip finds the Grammy winner addressing the death of George Floyd and the history of racism in this country. He also pointedly called on his white colleagues in the music industry to do better as allies to the black community. “I’ve been quiet a few days cause I don’t know what to say … but I’m tired. I don’t have any more words,” he began. “I said everything I needed to say on a record, I think. Expressed myself, did all kinds of press and ended up being that guy in the little box on whatever news program talking about this s–t. ...
Keke Palmer Addresses National Guard Soldiers at L.A. Protest: ‘March Beside Us’
The actress led a passionate exchange between protesters and National Guard soldiers during one of the many protests on Tuesday afternoon. Keke Palmer appeared to engage in a meaningful conversation with National Guard soldiers on Tuesday in Los Angeles, speaking out against President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and requesting that the armed officers march with the protesters. In a clip that has now gone viral — posted by NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz on Tuesday afternoon — Palmer can first be heard addressing a May 29 tweet posted by President Donald Trump in which he wrote “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” “You have a president talking about the Second Amendment as a use for people to come out here and use firearms against the people protesting. This is the m...
Baker Boy, Australian Hip-Hop Star, Shares Powerful Statement on ‘Rampant’ Racism Down Under
Baker Boy, the award-winning indigenous Australian rapper, has shared a powerful statement on the insidious nature of racism around the globe and in his homeland. Taking to Instagram, the hip-hop artist explains that he’s been called out for “not publicly sharing my rage about what is happening right now.” Baker (real name Danzal Baker) says he chooses a “path of positivity and light” with his musical persona, and typically leaves politics out of his dialogue on social media. There’s no doubt about it, he’s feeling pain like so many others. “Every damn day,” he writes. “I am a Yolngu Man from North East Arnhem Land,” he writes. “I am angry. I am scared. I feel every negative emotion that there is to feel about what happened to George Floyd.” He continues, “I feel these emotions EVERY DAMN ...
