Hip-Hop
2022 Billboard Music Awards: Megan Thee Stallion Performs “Plan B” and “Sweetest Pie”: Watch
Megan Thee Stallion hit the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards to perform a medley of her latest singles “Plan B” and “Sweetest Pie.” Watch it below. Baring her body in sleek, black bodysuit full of cutouts, the rapper kicked off the number completely solo, transfixing the crowd as she spit the bars of “Plan B.” Eventually, she was joined by two different groups of backup dancers, transitioning into “Sweetest Pie” sans collaborator Dua Lipa. During the ceremony, Megan took home the award for Top Female Rap Artist, beating out “WAP” collaborator Cardi B and fellow BBMAs performer Latto. However, she did shout out her contemporaries during her acceptance speech, saying, “Everybody in this category is a winner, and I feel like we all been workin’ so hard all year, we been workin’ hard f...
2022 Billboard Music Awards: Travis Scott Debuts New Song, Performs “MAFIA”: Watch
Travis Scott made his first televised performance since the Astroworld tragedy at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night, during which the rapper debuted an unreleased song and performed the single “MAFIA.” However, he made no mention of Astroworld during the performance. On an icy, futuristic set with snow flurrying down, Scott began by performing “MAFIA” — released just ahead of Astroworld last year — while lying down before getting up to play a song that’s believed to be called “LOST FOREVER.” He first previewed the latter track at his Cactus Jack for Dior Summer 2022 fashion show in June 2021. In November 2021, Scott’s Astroworld Festival left 10 people dead after a crowd crush. The Cactus Jack label head is still facing a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit brought fort...
2022 Billboard Music Awards: Latto Performs “Big Energy”: Watch
Latto hit the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night for a triumphant performance of her hit single “Big Energy.” Watch the musical number below. The rising star strutted across the stage in a glittery silver and chrome ensemble as she rapped, “Bad chick, I could be your fantasy/ I could tell you got big, big energy/ It ain’t too many of ’em that could handle me/ But I might let you try it off the Hennessy” while flanked by a bevy of backup dancers. Latto also received her first BBMA nomination at this year’s ceremony, as a finalist in the Top Female Rap Artist category against Cardi B and winner Megan Thee Stallion. Advertisement Related Video Watch Latto’s Billboard Music Awards performance below. Last month, the Atlanta rapper ran through a solo version of her breakout...
Post Malone and Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold Debut New Song on SNL: Watch
Post Malone previewed his upcoming album, twelve carat toothache, with an appearance on the penultimate episode of Saturday Night Live’s 47th season. Posty made the most of his SNL debut, as he brought along Roddy Ricch for “Cooped Up” and Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold for the debut of “Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol.” Replay both performances below. If you’re wondering how the A-list rapper linked up with the alternative folk singer, it’s pretty simple: Post Malone is a big fan of Fleet Foxes. “If you don’t like Fleet Foxes, then fuck you,” he tweeted in 2015. He added in another tweet, “Fleet Foxes is the only group that I love every single song of.” Fast forward to 2021, and Pecknold was seen in the studio with Post Malone. Elsewhere on last night’s SNL, Post Malone appeared in a sketch alon...
Kendrick Lamar Drops Striking New ‘N95’ Video: Watch
Kendrick Lamar has shared an explosive music video for his new song “N95.” On Saturday (May 14), the 34-year-old superstar rapper dropped the second visual from his just-released fifth album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The powerful clip, directed by Lamar and Dave Free, opens with the phrase “This S— Hard” flashing across the screen in red capital letters. From there, the rapper is seen hovering in a Jesus-like crucifix pose over crashing ocean waves while a young child looks on from the beach. The three-and-a-half minute video alters from color to black-and-white, as Lamar takes on several roles with striking imagery, including a piano player surrounded by beautiful women and a man doing an intense workout on the rooftop of a large building. Explore Explore See latest videos, char...
Travis Barker, Rick Ross, Murda Beatz & More Pay Tribute to Lil Keed: ‘Gone Too Soon’
On Saturday (May 14) rising Atlanta rapper Lil Keed died at the age of 24. He was signed to Young Thug‘s Young Stoner Life Records. Keed’s brother, Lil Gotit, first shared the news of his passing in an Instagram post: “Can’t believe I seened u die today bro I did all my cries I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama Daddy Our Brothers Naychur and Whiteboy.” Tributes soon poured in online, with friends, collaborators and admirers expressing condolences for the late rapper. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Damn RIP Keed,” Travis Barker wrote on Twitter. “So Talented Gone [Too] Soon,” Murda Beatz tweeted. Keed signed to YSL, an imprint of 300 Entertainment, in 2018. He released two projects on the label and worked with ...
Kendrick Lamar Floats Above Water in Striking “N95” Video: Watch
Kendrick Lamar has revealed the video for “N95,” which marks the first visual to be released his new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Co-directed by Kendrick alongside Dave Free, the visually striking video opens with Kendrick floating above the water. Later, we see the Compton’s hip-hop poet laureate running away from a group of men, doing push-ups on the top of a building, joy-ridding with Baby Keem, and walking down the steps of a waterfall. As is the case with the song itself, the video for “95” is chock full of intense imagery and symbolism. Unpack it for yourself down below. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick’s fifth album (and fifth masterpiece) to date was released on Friday. He will support the album by embarking on a massive world tour starting in July. Tickets ...
5 Takeaways From Latto’s ‘Future of Hip-Hop’ Q&A at Billboard MusicCon
Latto brought her famous “Big Energy” to “The Future of Hip-Hop” panel during Billboard’s inaugural MusicCon on Friday (May 13) at Area 15 in Las Vegas. The 23-year-old rapper – whose Mariah Carey-sampling hit “Big Energy” has stayed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the last six weeks, thanks in part to a remix with Mimi herself and DJ Khaled – chopped it up with Billboard R&B/hip-hop staff writer Neena Rouhani about how she’s taking over the rap game while holding it down for the South. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Here are the five takeaways from Latto’s “The Future of Hip-Hop” panel: She’s living her 8-year-old self’s biggest dreams The ATL MC told Rouhani that she’s been rapping since she was only 8 years old. “This...
Lil Keed, YSL Records Rapper, Dies at 24
Lil Keed, an up-and-coming Atlanta rapper signed to Young Thug‘s Young Stoner Life Records, has died. He was 24. Keed’s brother, Lil Gotit, first shared the news of the rapper’s passing in an Instagram post early Saturday morning (May 14). “Can’t believe I seened u die today bro I did all my cries I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama Daddy Our Brothers Naychur and Whiteboy,” Gotit wrote alongside a photo of the siblings. The cause of Keed’s (real name: Raqhid Render) death was not known at press time. Billboard has reached out to the artist’s representatives for further information. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Gotit shared another post on his Instagram Story on Saturday, writing, “@lilkeed Whyyy bra whyyy u leave ...
Atlanta Rapper Lil Keed Dead at 24
Atlanta rapper Lil Keed has died at the age of 24. Keed’s brother and fellow rapper, Lil Gotit, shared news of his passing in an Instagram post on Saturday. “Can’t believe I seened u die today bro,” he wrote. “I did all my cries. I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama, Daddy, Our Brothers, Naychur, and Whiteboy #ImaHoldthisShitDown.” Fellow members of the hip-hop community have also paid tribute to Keed, including Drake Rick Ross, Lil Yachty, and Quavo. Related Video A cause of death was not immediately clear. Lil Keed was a protégé of Young Thug and signed to his YSL record label. He released two mixtapes through YSL, 2019’s Long Live Mexico and 2020’s Trapped on Cleveland 3. Advertisement Earlier this week, Young Thug, Gunna, and several other members of YSL were arreste...
With Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar Chooses Himself and Makes a Masterpiece
“I choose me, I’m sorry.” The last five words on Kendrick Lamar‘s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers hit the hardest for anyone who “did the work,” as trained and untrained therapists like to say. Kendrick’s fifth album, out today (May 13th), is a lot of things: part political analysis, part social critique, with a dash of familial observations. But from start to finish, it’s all therapy. Kendrick’s latest effort is the Compton emcee putting himself on the couch and asking, “Why?” Why is he addicted to women and cheating? Why is he overwrought with guilt when he can’t help old friends? Why does he bathe in toxic relationships? Or even why he’s so damn competitive when it comes to rap? Advertisement Kendrick created a double LP sure to inspire tons of ink spillage from the pop culture indust...
Rap Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar Is No “Savior”
Rap Song of the Week is a round-up of the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Kendrick Lamar returns with “Savior” off his new album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. In the second half of Kendrick Lamar’s double album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, he focuses on breaking free of other people’s expectations. Due to the Compton rapper’s position as a public figure, fans look to him to lead the conversation about racial and social issues, but just like Charles Barkley, Kendrick doesn’t want to be their role model — nor should he be. On “Savior,” Kendrick makes his case while pointing to other Black celebrities like J. Cole, Future, and LeBron James, who are also expected to shoulder the burdens of the Black community. Although each person...
