Hip-Hop
What Was the Best ‘Verzuz’ Battle of All Time? Vote!
If there’s one thing that has gotten hip-hop and R&B fans through the pandemic, it’s been Verzuz. What started as a friendly face-off on Instagram Live between Swizz Beatz and Timbaland has steadily grown into a cultural phenomenon over the last two years, as Verzuz has brought together rivals and contemporaries of all kinds to put their discographies on the line and battle it out for bragging rights — from T-Pain vs. Lil Jon and Ryan Tedder vs. Benny Blanco to Nelly vs. Ludacris and Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole. So with Season 3 kicking off Tuesday (Feb. 15) with a battle between Anthony Hamilton and Musiq Soulchild, Billboard wants to know: Which Verzuz battle do you consider to be the all-time greatest? Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Are yo...
Swizz Beatz Confirms Anthony Hamilton/Musiq Soulchild Verzuz Battle Will Be Free on IG After Triller Backlash
Verzuz co-creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland were elated when their pandemic-launched musical battle platform was acquired by the Triller Network in 2021, a year after the global livestream phenomenon launched and exploded during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Swizz told Billboard that they didn’t originally have any plans to monetize the business and were just focused on giving people “some live, love and happiness” during the pandemic. Explore See latest videos, charts and news And then came the backlash from fans when it looked like Tuesday’s (Feb. 15) long-awaited Anthony Hamilton vs. Musiq Soulchild Valentine’s Day showdown would be available only on the paid Triller platform instead of for free on Instagram Live, where it has been since its ince...
Of Course Snoop Dogg Smoked Weed Right Before the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Did anyone really think Snoop Dogg wouldn’t find a way to smoke weed during his appearance at the Super Bowl for the halftime show? While one of America’s most famous stoners didn’t light up during the actual performance itself, production cameras caught him taking a puff from a joint right before going on stage. It’s probably not a coincidence that Snoop helped Dr. Dre kick off the show by performing their collaboration “The Next Episode,” which closes with the line “Smoke weed every day.” Footage of Snoop’s warm-up was posted to Twitter by Rafa El Alcalde, a play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Watch the clip below. Snoop was a heavy contributor to easily one of the best halftime shows in Super Bowl history, performing with his mentor Dr. Dre alongside Mary J. Blige, ...
Vince Staples Shares Punchy New Single “Magic”: Stream
Less than a year after sharing his self-titled fourth album, Vince Staples has another full-length project on the way. As a preview, the rapper has dropped “Magic,” the first single from the forthcoming Ramona Park Broke My Heart. With a bouncy pop-rap beat courtesy of Mustard, “Magic” is an instant earworm with a sunny exterior, although its subject matter has a darker connotation. The track sees Staples reminisce on his working-class upbringing in North Long Beach, California. “I’d never get to pull up in a Benz with my locs,” he quips. But now, with the hindsight of having “made it,” “Magic” instead serves as a celebration of overcoming systemic oppression. “I won’t ever tell ’em how I did it, it was magic,” he boasts, relishing in having beaten the odds stacked against him. Liste...
Kanye West Encourages His Fans to Verbally Harass Pete Davidson
Whenever Pete Davidson is done with SNL, he should consider going into real estate because he’s living rent free in the head of a multi-billionaire. Throughout much of the weekend, Kanye West shared upwards of 50 Instagram posts about his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s new boyfriend. Among other things, West mocked Davidson’s tattoos, accused him of sleeping with Hillary Clinton, alleged the unfounded rumor that Davidson sent intimate photos of himself and Ariana Grande to Grande’s ex Mac Miller, took a swipe at Davidson’s close friend Machine Gun Kelly, and offered his SNL castmate Michael Che double his salary to leave the show. West also shared a series of fan-made memes, including one spoofing Captain America: Civil War, with West, Drake, and Julia Fox on one side, and Davidson, Kardashian, ...
Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige Perform 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show: Watch
Midway through a match-up between the Los Angeles Rams and upstart Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, Dr. Dre brought out a championship team of his own for the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Joining the G-funk pioneer on stage were some of his closest collaborators: Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, and surprise guests 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. By the time the 15-minute performance came to an end, it easily ranked among the most thrilling halftime shows in history. Dr. Dre and his longtime creative partner, Snoop Dogg, kicked off the evening by performing “The Next Episode” and “California Love,” which doubled as a tribute to fellow West Coast hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur. 50 Cent’s surprise performance followed, as the one-time Dr. Dre protege waxed nostalgic...
NFL Won’t Let Eminem Kneel at the Super Bowl: Report
Dr. Dre has promised some “big surprises” during the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show, but whatever does happen won’t be done without the approval of the NFL. As Eriq Gardner of Puck reports, the league has already nixed several elements of the show, including plans by Eminem to take a knee in solidarity of Colin Kaepernick. The NFL also rejected an outfit that Snoop Dogg was set to wear due to possible gang ties, and flagged Dr. Dre’s lyric from “Still D.R.E.,” which includes the line “still not loving police.” According to Gardner, the NFL wants to avoid the Super Bowl becoming a “divisive culture war moment,” but a source close to Dre told Gardner that he was being “disgustingly censored.” Advertisement Related Video Dr. Dre is putting up his own money — upwards of $7 millio...
Yo Gotti Signs Mozzy to CMG, Announces New Joint Project for EST Gee & 42 Dugg
Yo Gotti’s CMG 2022 Press Conference took place Thursday (Feb. 10) in Los Angeles, where CMG label staff and affiliates, music industry executives, and fans piled into the Skirball Cultural Center for the 30-minute conversation, moderated by Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Nestled behind the 405 Freeway and surrounded by greenery, the Skirball Center’s main theater was transformed into a CMG base of sorts: CMG logos were plastered in the lobby of the venue, and a white backdrop featuring a repeating CMG logo and alternating photos of the label‘s roster flashed on stage behind six empty white chairs. After attendees were seated, Lamarre introduced Yo Gotti, who was joined onstage by BlocBoy JB, 42 D...
Rihanna Shows Off Baby Bump With A$AP Rocky at Fenty Beauty Event in Los Angeles
Rihanna brought her growing baby bump to the red carpet. The pregnant pop superstar and fashion and beauty mogul attended the Fenty Beauty Universe Event in Los Angeles with A$AP Rocky on Friday evening (Feb. 11). At the L.A. event, Rihanna told People that she’s enjoying dressing herself while pregnant. “I’m enjoying not having to worry about covering up my tummy,” she said. “If I feel a little chubby, it’s like, whatever! It’s a baby!” Boyfriend A$AP Rocky showed up in a shade of purple that complemented Rihanna’s outfit, but the singer clarified that they didn’t plan it that way. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I didn’t know what he was wearing,” said Rihanna, according to People. “I didn’t even see him! Like, he left the studio to come her...
Kodak Black Reportedly Among 4 Shot Outside Super Bowl Party
Four people were shot and wounded early Saturday (Feb. 11) after a fight broke out outside a Los Angeles restaurant hosting a party that followed a Justin Bieber concert, police said. The gunfire erupted outside The Nice Guy restaurant, striking and injuring four men ages 60, 22, 20 and 19, LAPD Officer Lizeth Lomeli said. Their names were not released, but NBC News reported rapper Kodak Black was among the wounded. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Officers who responded to the scene found two victims. Paramedics took them to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said in an updated statement Saturday afternoon. Two additional victims went to hospitals on their own, according to the statement. All four victims were listed in stable condition. Detectiv...
Kanye West Announces ‘Donda 2’ Event in Miami
Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) has announced an event in Miami to coincide with the release of his Donda 2 album. In a post on Instagram Saturday night (Feb. 12), Ye shared an image of a house on fire. “DONDA 2 2 22 22 LOANDEPOT PARK STADIUM MIAMI,” he captioned the photo, adding that tickets would be “on sale Monday @ Noon.” The Donda 2 event at Miami’s LoanDepot Park stadium is set for Feb. 22, 2022, the release date Ye had previously announced for the Future-produced album, the follow-up to 2021’s Donda. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Ye has confirmed one artist who won’t be featured on Donda 2: Kid Cudi. Earlier on Saturday, he posted a note on Instagram that read, “Just so everyone knows Cudi will not be on Donda because he’s friends with you know who. We all speak in B...
Eric Adams, Who Just Learned What Drill Rap Is, Wants to Ban It From Social Media
New York City mayor Eric Adams wants to ban drill rap videos from social media, he said in a speech Friday (February 11th) following the shooting and death of 18-year-old drill rapper Chii Wvttz. “We are alarmed by the use of social media to really over-proliferate this violence in communities,” Adams said, adding that he had no idea what drill rapping was until his son, Roc-Nation’s Jordan Coleman, showed him videos. In the past decade, rappers like Chief Keef, Lil Durk, and the late Pop Smoke have brought the drill subgenre from the underground into a mainstream craze. A successor to trap music and gangsta rap, drill is defined mostly by its nihilistic and often violent lyrics. Thanks to social media, drill’s popularity has increased exponentially in just a few years. Advertisement Relat...
