Hip-Hop
Brandy Vs Monica’s ‘Verzuz’ Was a Record Breaker
The Brandy vs Monica “Verzuz” wasn’t just a hit, it was huge. The R&B legends smashed all “Verzuz” records, organizers say, en route to pulling-in more than 6 million views. That’s well up on the initial reports of 1.2 million fans tuning in on Instagram. Breaking the numbers down, the online face-off raised more than $250,000 for Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote, and generated 1.9 million tweets, including 1 million in the U.S. alone. The veteran artists used the sparring session to “remind the world how next-level their respective catalogs,” wrote Billboard’s Carl Lamarre. Also during the back-and-forth, Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris called in with a live video message for the two artists, thanking them for their contributions to the culture and using the pla...
LL Cool J, Chris O’Donnell to Produce Dance Competition for CBS
NCIS: Los Angeles stars LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell are taking on a new case at CBS: producing a competition series. The pair will executive produce a show called Come Dance With Me for the network. The show comes from CBS Television Studios and 3 Ball Productions. The family-friendly show will feature talented young dancers from across the country who invite one inspirational, and untrained, family member or other adult who has supported their dance dreams, to become their dance partner for a chance to strut their stuff for a grand prize. The kids will share their love of dance with their mother, father, grandparent or other hero on an uplifting and emotional journey to learn and perform challenging routines, with the assistance of professional choreographers, in a competition wit...
24kGoldn’s ‘Mood’ Ascends to Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart Throne
The Iann Dior-featuring song jumps 3-1. 24kGoldn scores his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts as “Mood,” featuring Iann Dior, jumps 3-1 on the lists dated Sept. 5. “Mood” rises as the greatest gainer in all three chart metrics: streaming, airplay and sales. In the streaming and sales tracking week ending Aug. 27, the song scored 20.8 million U.S. streams (up 37%) and sold 7,000 downloads (up 63%), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. In the radio tracking week ending Aug. 30, it earned 7.8 million all-format audience impressions (up 251%). 24kGoldn has charted one other entry so far on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs: “City of Angels” reached No. 7 on each list in...
Cardi B Is the New Face of Balenciaga
In the words of Cardi B: “I like those Balenciagas, the ones that look like socks!” Now, the rapper will be wearing a whole lot more Balenciaga, because she’s the new face of the designer fashion brand. The clothing label took to Twitter on Tuesday (Sept. 1) to share the promo photos behind their new line, featuring the “WAP” star laying among a playground in a silky black gown. “New Face of Balenciaga,” Cardi wrote, retweeting the photo. This isn’t her first dip into the fashion world. Cardi has had a number of lines with Fashion Nova, and is often seen flaunting her designer ‘fits on Instagram. 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...
Cardi B & ‘Best Friend’ Kulture Step Out in Matching Pink Birkins
Cardi B is passing on her style genes to baby Kulture. The rapper took to Instagram on Monday (Aug. 31) to share an adorable video in which she’s strutting outside of a building with her two-year-old daughter in head-to-toe pink (and matching pink Birkin bags). “Me and my best friend,” Cardi captioned the clip. See it here. The toddler, who just turned two in July, received the luxurious Birkin from her dad Offset as a gift. In a video he shared, Kulture is dressed in a fairy princess outfit as Offset presents his little girl with a gray gift bag, which contains Hermes’ iconic orange box. As they unwrap the box together, it turns out to be a small, bright pink Birkin bag inside.”Wow! Oooh! OK, girl! I see you, beautiful baby!” Offset coos...
Brandy vs. Monica in ‘Verzuz’ Battle of R&B Titans: See Billboard’s Scorecard & Winner For the Event
All it took was a staggering 1.2 million viewers on Instagram alone during Brandy and Monica’s Verzuz battle Monday night (Aug. 31) to remind the world how next-level their respective catalogs are. After being pitted against each other for more than two decades following their classic 1998 duet “The Boy Is Mine,” the reverence shared between two of modern R&B’s most renowned stars was a joy to see. Not only were fans able to watch the singers celebrate each other’s successes — amidst a few moments of somewhat unavoidable tension — but they also received a message from Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who called in with a live video message for the two stars, thanking them for their contributions to the culture and using the platf...
Kanye West Says He’s ‘Got More Money Than Trump’ When Asked About Republican Involvement in Ballot Efforts
The United States is 64 days away from the 2020 election on Nov. 3, and Kanye West is still on the campaign trail. The rapper has appeared on a few ballots thus far, but public questioning of his intentions have risen–especially since Vice magazine published an article earlier this month claiming the Republican Party helped him submit the required signatures to appear on the ballot in the swing state of Wisconsin. Nick Cannon is hoping to break down all of Ye’s political controversies in a new interview he’s been teasing on Instagram on Monday (Aug. 31). “People keep on saying I think that y’all, you and Republicans, are in cahoots,” West said in a preview clip. Cannon responded saying that there are people who bel...
Doja Cat Brings Fabulously Tacky Sci-Fi Vibes to 2020 MTV VMAs
The 2020 MTV VMAs were held socially distanced across New York City on the broadcast that aired Sunday (Aug. 30), but when Doja Cat hit the awards show, she took things out of the Five Boroughs — and off planet, for that matter. Strutting around on a set that melded lunar landscape with Tron and surrounded by dancers decked out in outfits that fell somewhere between biohazard and Barbarella, Doja delivered her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Say So” as well as “Like That.” With green hair and a sparkly reptilian body suit, Doja Cat looked like she could’ve stepped out of an episode of the original Star Trek series in all its swingin’ sixties sci-fi garish glory. Featured guests Nicki Minaj and Gucci Mane weren’t present, but she did have a few...
Public Enemy Return to Def Jam for New Album
Public Enemy are returning to Def Jam Records for the release of a new studio album. Entitled What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down and due out on the September 25th, the forthcoming album will mark Public Enemy’s first release with Def Jam in over two decades. Def Jam released Public Enemy’s first five studio albums, including 1988’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and 1990’s Fear of a Black Planet, two of the most consequential records in the history of hip-hop. “For true fans of hip-hop all over the world, this is a historic moment,” said Def Jam GM & EVP Rich Isaacson in a statement. “Bringing Public Enemy home to Def Jam – in a time when their message is more necessary than ever – is a profound statement and a much-needed reunion. We are beyond excited to on...
Megan Thee Stallion Pays Tribute to Victims of Police Brutality During Virtual Concert
Megan Thee Stallion took a powerful moment during her first virtual concert on Saturday (Aug. 29) to honor Black victims of police brutality. Wearing a sparkly jeweled lingerie-style outfit and backed by a several dancers, the hour-long paid livestream featured a twerk-filled set of Billboard Hot 100 hits such as “WAP,” “Savage” and “Hot Girl Summer.” Early on in the high energy performance, which had the production of an arena show minus the audience, Meg slowed things down to remember the lives of Black men, women and children who’ve been killed or injured at the hands of police. As the stage lights went down, names including Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor appeared on a large screen with a sh...
AG Club Tap A$AP Ferg and NLE Choppa for “Memphis (Pt. 2)”: Stream
Ever since Baby Boy, Loui, Mick Antony, and Jody Fontaine formed AG Club and released their debut album Halfway Off the Porch earlier this year, the alternative hip-hop group has been quietly drumming up some underground buzz. Now, they’re gearing up for a proper breakthrough with “Memphis (Pt. 2)”, their new song featuring NLE Choppa and A$AP Ferg. “Memphis (Pt. 2)” is from AG Club’s forthcoming sophomore album, FYE, which is due out later this year. Apparently the group decided to reach out to a few of their favorite rappers to see if they were interested in collaborating on new music, but weren’t totally sure if anyone would be down. Needless to say, the group was over the moon when they found out both NLE Choppa and A$AP Ferb were game to jump on this single. “We had to get Choppa on t...
John Legend, Mariah Carey, The Weekend & More Pay Tribute to Chadwick Boseman
Tributes are pouring in for late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday (Aug. 28) after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43. In the hours after his passing, music stars like John Legend, Mariah Carey, The Weekend and G-Eazy took to social media to honor Boseman, who also starred in roles portraying funk legend James Brown in 2014’s Get On Up and baseball icon Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42. “I’m so shocked and heartbroken about Chadwick,” Legend tweeted. “He was such a bright light, such a gifted performer. He brought grace, elegance and power to everything he did. He always seemed to carry our ancestors with him. And now he joins them far too soon.” Boseman died at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his ...
