Hip-Hop
Travis Scott’s New Song “The Plan” Soundtracks Trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet: Stream
Travis Scott is having a very busy 2020, even though what’s arguably his biggest single of the year hasn’t dropped yet — well, until now. “The Plan”, Scott’s contribution to the soundtrack for Christopher Nolan‘s movie Tenet, has arrived in the latest trailer for the upcoming blockbuster. “The Plan” isn’t some random B-side Scott agreed to fork over to the Hollywood machine. According to an interview in GQ, Scott’s single wound up becoming an integral part of the film, going so far as to become a type of musical glue instead of a simple backing track. “His voice became the final piece of a yearlong puzzle,” said Nolan. “His insights into the musical and narrative mechanism [composer] Ludwig Göransson and I were building were immediate, insightful, and profound.” Scott delivers with both hi...
Halle Berry Shows Support for Megan Thee Stallion After Shooting: ‘F–k This Sh–‘
More than a month after she was shot in the feet after a party in the Hollywood Hills, Megan Thee Stallion revealed for the first time Thursday night (Aug. 20) that Tory Lanez was the person who pulled the trigger. “Yes … Tory shot me. You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying,” she said during an Instagram Live. “Stop lying. Why lie? I don’t understand.” To explain why reports originally said she cut her foot on glass, Meg explained that she was worried for her safety. “I didn’t tell the police nothing because I didn’t want us to get in no more trouble,” she added. Actress Halle Berry took to Twitter to support the “Hot Girl” rapper on Friday afternoon (Aug. 21) after reading the news. “Peace. Protection. Respect. For ALL Bla...
How Well Do You Know Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’ Music Video? Take Our Quiz
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion have hosted a “WAP”-ping celebration of female sexuality with $1 million cash prizes after their collaboration debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated Aug. 22). And the music video attracted more than 120 million YouTube views (at publishing time of this piece), reeling in tributes to icons before them and ushering in new hotties to join them at the playful, splashy zoo-like house. “WAP” is being heralded as an empowering anthem and visual for Black women who unabashedly take the reins of their own narrative, one that’s typically untold or degraded in an industry ravaged by misogynoir, and paint their own watercolor picture of success with every color in the book. So to keep the celebration of “WAP” go...
Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z Drop Inspirational ‘Entrepreneur’: ‘Your Black Vision of the Future’
Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z are flexing their entrepreneurial spirit. At the stroke of midnight, the hip-hop stars dropped the music video for the inspirational “Entrepreneur”, in conjunction with a Time magazine cover package on “The New American Revolution.” “Thank you to Jay, and to every Black queen, king and entrepreneur who made this all happen! This is for you…and your Black vision of the future,” reads a message Pharrell posted on social media. The veteran artist and producer also praised Grammy-winning director Calmatic for “creating such a beautiful video.” The video is loaded with information and case studies, all of which reinforces the underlying message: the game is rigged against so many men and women of color, but the game is winnable. Speaking ahead of the rele...
Artist of the Month Awich’s Partition EP Flaunts the Rapper’s Talent and Resolve: Review
The Lowdown: Trying to sum up the complex existence of Japanese rapper Awich is a losing game, but here are some basics: Born Akiko Urasaki, her moniker is short for “Asia Wish Child,” and she grew up on an island off mainland Japan called Okinawa. There, she grew up observing Okinawa both struggle for independence from Japan and the removal of American marine bases. It’s also where she fell in love with hip-hop — and learned English — with the help of Tupac’s All Eyes on Me. Entranced by the record and its depiction of struggle, she quickly began making music herself at age thirteen. Now in her 30s, Awich has no shortage of lived experiences to pull from for inspiration. In the years since, she moved to the US for college, got married, and had a child with an American man — who was then m...
Nas Premieres New Album King’s Disease: Stream
Nas has returned with his new album, King’s Disease. Stream it in full below via Apple Music or Spotify. King’s Disease marks the Queens legend’s 13th studio album to date and serves as the direct follow-up to 2018’s Nasir. Whereas that release was produced entirely by Kanye West, this time around Nas has linked up with in-demand producer Hit-Boy. The 13-track LP also boasts contributions from Anderson .Paak (“All Bad”), Big Sean (“Replace Me”), Lil Durk (“Til the War is Won”), Charlie Wilson (“Car #85”), and ASAP Ferg and Fivio Foreign (“Spicy”). Nas was recently named by Eminem as one of the greatest rappers of all time. He also joined Public Enemy for “Fight the Power” at the BET Awards, and remixed “Rodeo” with Lil Nas X. King’s Disease Artwork: <img data-at...
Mariah Carey’s Ms. Lauryn Hill Collab ‘Save the Day’ Is Here: Stream It Now
Saving any given day in 2020 is a tall order, but if you combine the powers of Mariah Carey and Ms. Lauryn Hill, you’re off to a strong start. This New Music Friday (Aug. 21) sees the release of “Save the Day,” a new track from Mariah Carey featuring Ms. Lauryn Hill. “Save the Day” is the first release from Mimi’s double-disc archival deep dive The Rarities (Oct. 2), which comes hot on the heels of her memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey (out Sept. 29). With heartfelt, affecting vocals delivering a timely message (“We’re in this together”; “it’s curious, the fear still holding us down”), a few classic Mariah high notes and a sick beat drop courtesy Jermaine Dupri that accompanies the entrance of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s ...
Artist of the Month Awich on Tupac, Condensed Milk, and the Death of Her Husband
Artist of the Month is an accolade we award to an up-and-coming artist who we believe is about to break out. In August, we watch as Awich explores the human impulses that extend across cultures. When Awich speaks, her voice is like a passport stamped with all the places she’s lived. Her vowels carry a whiff of subtropical winds while her vocabulary is warmed with American slang, picked up from college and her American husband. Words were her “earliest obsession,” she says; her first source of joy and last line of defense. Born Akiko Urasaki on December 16th, 1986, she grew up on the island of Okinawa, Japan, in the shadow of US military bases. Her family lore is steeped in the trauma of World War II and the Battle of Okinawa. As a girl, a jet crashed into her mother’s school, and when her ...
‘What’s Poppin’? Definitely This Killer Back-To-School Remix From Georgia Teachers
“You got options, but you better pass my class no floppin’.” Back-to-school season is even more anxiety-filled than ever this year, as students, teachers and parents fretting over how to safely return to classrooms in the midst of the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic. But a pair of high school teachers are here to make things a little better thanks to their hype remix of Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin’,” featuring lyrics to help ease your transition from the couch to the socially distanced classroom (or, in many cases, back to the couch for distanced home schooling). “You got options, but you better pass my class no floppin’/Gone log in, every day, every morning, I’m watchin’/Yeah we virtual, and you know what’s up, ...
Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams Teaming Up For Anthem About Black Excellence
Surprise single ‘Entrepreneur’ is due out on Friday (Aug. 21). Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams will release a new song, “Entrepreneur,” on Friday (Aug. 21) in conjunction with a Time magazine cover package on “The New American Revolution.” The old friends and collaborators are part of a package that includes chats with Tyler, the Creator, Angela Davis and other activists talking the systemic inequalities that Black people have faced throughout U.S. history and how creating equality in culture, education, sports and policy is the key to making a change. According to a preview from Time, the song features Williams singing, “In this position with no choice / The system imprison young Black boys / Distract with white noise.” Pharrell broke down the i...
Cardi B & Kulture Jamming To Natti Natasha’s Music Is The Cutest Thing You’ll See All Day
Cardi B has once again shown her love and admiration for Natti Natasha during a recent Instagram Live. While connecting with her fans this week, the Dominican-American rapper was seen carrying her daughter Kulture and both dancing to Natti’s latest single “Que Mal Te Fue.” What made the video even more adorable was the moment baby Kulture sang part of the song in Spanish. “Que paso? Que paso?” she sings along with mommy. “I told you she likes this song,” Cardi assured her followers. On Twitter, the “WAP” singer elaborated: “She sound sooo cute tho when she sings it randomly in the house .Que pachhhoooooo.” Natti later reacted, saying, “Que pachooo. Love it. She’s beautiful, God bless her.” Billboard can confirm that both artists have not met in person, but they have established a friendshi...
Brasstracks Share the Origins of New Single “Golden Ticket” with Common, Masego: Stream
In our new music feature Origins, we asks artists to take a moment to reflect on the backstory of their latest single. Today, Brasstracks tell us how they cashed their “Golden Ticket” with Common and Masego. Rising from their jazz school backgrounds, Brasstracks have already accomplished more than most duos made of just horns and drums could dream of. Mark Ronson essentially has them on speed dial, they’ve got some GRAMMY shine thanks to their work on Chance the Rapper’s “No Problem”, and they’ve collaborated with everyone from Wyclef Jean to Anderson .Paak. Oh, and they only formed six years ago. But now Ivan Jackson and Conor Rayne are really ready to grab the spotlight with their debut album, Golden Ticket. Due out August 21st, the full-length follows their 2019 EP Before...
