Hip-Hop
Pharrell Williams Says Justin Timberlake Got ‘Justified’ Songs After Michael Jackson Rejected Them
“John McClain was like, ‘Man, Michael don’t want that s–t! He want the s–t you givin’ Noreaga!'” Pharrell continued, noting that this was right before the King of Pop’s “You Rock My World” era. He also shared that it was one of his collaborations with N.O.R.E. that Jackson wanted. ” He was like, ‘Yo, he want that “Superthug.”‘ The rejection turned out to be a major win for Timberlake. Justified — which Pharrell produced the majority of — dropped in November 2002 and went on to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and has since been certified triple platinum. The former *NSYNC member is credited with co-writing with all 13 tracks. It turns out that Michael Jackson wasn’t the only mega ...
Barack Obama Reveals His Favorite Songs of 2020: Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & More
Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix featuring Beyoncé, Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” featuring DaBaby and Lil Baby’s “The Bigger Picture” were among the tracks to make the list, which was rounded out by selections like Bruce Springsteen’s “Ghosts,” Bob Dylan’s “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” and Bad Bunny’s “La Difícil.” Travis Scott’s “Franchise” featuring Young Thug and M.I.A., Mac Miller’s “Blue World,” H.E.R.’s “Damage,” Phoebe Bridgers’ “Kyoto,” Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over” and Jeff Tweedy’s “Love Is the King” all made appearances on the 30-song collection. In addition...
E-40 vs. Too Short in ‘Verzuz’ Battle of Bay Area Icons: See Billboard’s Scorecard & Winner For the Showdown
Here’s how Billboard broke down each round between the two generation-spanning rap vets, with the overall winner announced at the end. Round 1: Too $hort’s “Freaky Tales” vs. E-40’s “Da Bumble” Too $hort kicked off round number one with the speaker-rattling classic “Freaky Tales.” E-40’s “Da Bumble” was a good counterattack, but it wasn’t as hard-hitting as $hort’s first choice to clinch the opening round. WINNER: Too $hort Round 2: Too $hort’s “Life Is…Too $Hort” vs. E-40’s “Captain Save A Hoe” Too $hort’s “Life Is .Too $Hort” rang through the NorCal soundstage, but it wasn’t enough to top E-40’s 1993 classic “C...
John Legend Delivers ‘Hallelujah’ With Carrie Underwood, ‘Glory’ With Common for Global Citizen Prize
John Legend showed off his many talents at Global Citizen Prize 2020, appearing as host and performing twice. Legend joined Carrie Underwood for the beautiful holiday duet “Hallelujah,” the closing performance of the night, “in honor of the better days to come.” In an earlier segment, he was joined by Common for an inspiring live take of “Glory,” a moving tribute to Black Lives Matter that was accompanied by a choir coming in via a screen. Global Citizen Prize 2020, which aired Saturday night (Dec. 19) on NBC at 8 p.m. ET, honored several awe-inspiring leaders. In the music world, Elton John was recognized as the Global Citizen artist of the year for his tireless efforts combating the HIV/AIDS crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic&nbs...
G-Eazy Shares Sweet Birthday Tribute to Girlfriend Ashley Benson: ‘I Love You to the Moon & Back’
The rapper’s post included numerous photos, including some Halloween pics of him dressed as Wayne Campbell from Wayne’s World and another of the couple cozying up while wearing pulled-down surgical masks. G-Eazy and Benson were first romantically linked in May, following her split from actress Cara Delevingne. In November, the rapper told reporters at the 2020 American Music Awards that he and Benson would be spending Thanksgiving together. “We’ll cook a turkey together,” he said, according to People. Earlier this year, Benson assisted G-Eazy on a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” On the rendition, the actress croons alongside her beau over a sample of the Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight,” giving the dark classic a poppier spin. Chec...
Lil Wayne Drops Off No Ceilings 3 Deluxe Edition: Stream
Hip-hop fans have received an early Christmas present courtesy of good ol’ St. Nick Lil Wayne. Less than a month after dropping his No Ceilings 3 mixtape, the rapper has unboxed a deluxe edition “B Side” version featuring 14 new songs. Stream it below via YouTube or DatPiff. As with its predecessor, this effort is “hosted” by DJ Khaled and comes with multiple star-studded collaborations. Big Sean appears on the opening track “Tyler Herro”, named after the Miami Heat’s impressive young guard. Meanwhile, Rich the Kid pops in on “Throat Baby”, and 2 Chainz lends a few verses to “Hit Different”. Euro and Lil Twist also appear on the effort. If each track sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because they all incorporate, sample, or remix other songs in some way. “Tyler Herro”, for insta...
G Herbo Responds to Fraud Charges on New Song “Statement”: Stream
Earlier this month, G Herbo was arrested and charged with $1.5 million in fraud and accused of stealing identities to pay for chartered flights, a vacation in Jamaica, and designer puppies. Having entered a “not guilty” plea in a Massachusetts court, the Chicago MC is now making his case in the court of public opinion on the new song “Statement”. Herbo begins the verse by exploring the familiar landscapes of his hit song “PTSD”. “Same spot they shot my brother, next day I’m chillin at,” he raps. But after a tour through the mean streets of Chicago, he turns his attention to his recent arrest. “But anyway, said enough of that let’s talk about this paper/ Let’s talk about them jets, yeah let’s talk about Jamaica/ Ask about me I ain’t never been a fraud (ever)/ I went hard from the start (sta...
Lil Wayne Unleashes ‘No Ceilings 3′ Deluxe Edition
Lil Wayne is closing out 2020 with a bang. Less than a month after the release of his No Ceilings 3 mixtape, the rapper unveiled the 14-track “Side B” on Friday (Dec. 18). The compilation, hosted by DJ Khaled, features all-star appearances from Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Rich the Kid, Euro, and Lil Twist. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
The 10 Best R&B Albums of 2020: Staff Picks
10. Brandy, B7 Eight years since her last release and three years in the making, Brandy Norwood’s B7 arrived at the end of July like a salve, with warm production and messages of self-love. Her seventh studio album goes to unexpected places, diving headfirst into loneliness, depression and anxiety, while deep bass and watery synthesizers — and sometimes actual water sounds, like on “Lucid Dreams” — offer her depths to explore. “I’m the most jealous girl in the whole wide world,” she confesses on album standout “Borderline,” her voice dancing atop a ticking hi-hat. Her instrument is still as strong and smoky as it ever was, only now it’s lower and more lived-in. “One day I woke up/ And now my love is unstuck,” she sings on the closing piano ballad, “Bye BiPolar.” “I can see...
Why 2020’s Protest Songs Aren’t Part of a Passing Trend
The May 25 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police resulted in the eruption of worldwide protests against racial injustice, as well as an influx of new protest anthems across demographics in the weeks that followed. As superstars like Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles vocalized support for the Black Lives Matter movement, artists ranging from country singer-songwriter Mickey Guyton to trap veteran Juicy J to soul-R&B star Leon Bridges rapidly released new songs commenting on systemic discrimination. Protest music soared on the charts, too: “Rockstar,” the DaBaby and Roddy Ricch smash that crowned Billboard’s 2020 Songs of the Summer chart, received an official “BLM remix” in the weeks after Floyd’s death, while “The Bigger Picture,” Lil Baby’s poig...
Eminem Drops Music To Be Murdered By – Side B (Deluxe Edition): Stream
At the top of 2020, Eminem dropped his eleventh studio album, Music To Be Murdered By. Now, as the year comes to a close, he’s unveiled an expanded deluxe edition of the album. Take a listen below via Apple Music or Spotify. Officially titled Music To Be Murdered By – Side B (Deluxe Edition), the release boasts an additional 16 tracks, including new collaborations with Dr. Dre, Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Premier, and Skylar Grey. They’re followed on the tracklist by the album’s original 20 songs. Over the summer, Eminem joined Big Sean on a new song called “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady”, and was forced to defend himself against a home invader. More recently, he made a surprise cameo on Saturday Night Live. Music To Be Murdered By – Side B (Deluxe Edition) Artwork: <img data-att...
slowthai Pops Off on New Song “Thoughts”: Stream
UK rapper slowthai gives us a piece of his mind on the new song “Thoughts”. While the artist born Tyron Frampton recently announced his sophomore album TYRON, “Thoughts” did not appear on the tracklist. This apparent loosie finds the volatile MC spitting a stream of consciousness flow. “There’s a fine line between love and hate,” is how he begins, and this tension infuses all that follows. Early on, he raps, “Couple times I’ve contemplated killin’ my folks,” then later he says, “Knock on wood that my family’s good.” He contemplates a life that’s perceived as, “Too black for the whites, too white for the blacks,” and his childhood traumas are balanced against a recently fat wallet (“Check my account, won’t believe I was poor once”). slowthai’s “Thoughts” is revealing and deeply persona...
