Billboard

Rakim Reacts To Outkast Landing At No. 1 On Billboard’s “Greatest Rap Groups” List

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Rakim reacted to Outkast landing at the top spot on Billboard‘s “Greatest Rap Groups of All Time” list over Eric B. & Rakim during an interview with TMZ on Friday. Speaking with the outlet in New York, the legendary rapper praised Big Boi and Andre 3000 for “pushing the envelope.”

“Nah mean, I’m always gonna say I shoulda been higher but it’s a blessing to be recognized and it’s a good time to be recognized as well,” Rakim said. “It’s not really my place to say who else deserves or not, but Outkast pushed the envelope, a group that a lot of people got love for. So, you know we have to give the flowers to who earns them.”

Read More: Big Boi Drops Update On Potential For Outkast Reunion & Unreleased Music

Big Boi & Andre 3000 At The Grammys

LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 8: Musical Artists Big Boi (left) and Andre 3000 of Oukast pose with their six Grammys backstage in the Pressroom at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

In the end, Billboard ranked Eric B. and Rakim at No. 7 on the list, one spot behind Public Enemy. As for the top five, it featured Run-D.M.C. at No. 5, A Tribe Called Quest at No. 4, N.W.A at No. 3 and Wu-Tang Clan at No. 2, all before Outkast at No. 1. In the piece, Billboard explained the considerations that went into the decision-making. “Our definition of groups includes duos, proper groups and more nebulous collectives. Most notably, inclusion on this list is based on the accomplishments of the group as a unit — not what the individuals may have separately accomplished. We tried to walk the line between what constitutes a group versus a collective or a crew, though at times that was not entirely clear,” the publication explained.

Rakim Reacts To Billboard’s List

Despite their popularity, it appears that Outkast won’t be reuniting anytime soon. Also speaking with TMZ, the group’s frequent collaborator, Sleepy Brown, told the outlet: “Nah, they not. [Andre 3000] is on a-whole-nother journey and he’s, you know, doing something. But me and Big [Boi] are still doing tours and stuff like that. Don’t hold your breath for no OutKast reunion. Don’t do it to yourself. It’s not gon’ happen, folks. If you wanna see us, we gon’ be Dungeon Family. That’s about it.”

Read More: Sleepy Brown Shoots Down Outkast Reunion Hopes

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Billboard Will Stop Counting Artist’s Website Sales Towards Hot 100

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In a surprise announcement, Billboard confirmed that it will no longer count digitally downloaded singles from the artist’s own website towards its total sales for the Hot 100. The decision was announced yesterday and has taken effect today. This means that the Hot 100 revealed next week will be the last one where website sales will count towards overall sales. While the decision’s biggest victims are predominately K-Pop acts like BTS, there is one hip-hop artist who has relied on the website sales tactic more than anyone else, Nicki Minaj.

Nicki’s stans, referred to as the Barbz have used mass buying tactics to send her music up the Billboard charts repeatedly. The most notable example was her 2020 collaborative single with 6ix9ine, “Trollz.” The song was purchased hundreds of thousands of times through Minaj’s website by fans. This led it to a debut at the very top of the charts in its first week. The song quickly tumbled down the charts in successive weeks, however, as its number-one debut didn’t accurately reflect its popularity. Following 6ix9ine’s run of singles in 2020 Billboard made changes to the way they calculated album sales. They banned so-called “bundles” which let fans include album sales with merch. Also starting today, bundles will be reintroduced to the Billboard 200 formula. As long as a bundle provides fans with a physical copy of the album they’re purchasing it will count.

Billboard Makes Hot 100 Changes

One of the biggest stories on Billboard’s charts this year relates directly to hip hop. The year is halfway over and there hasn’t been a rap song hit number one on the Hot 100 or a rap album hit number one on the Billboard 200. Some have come close on both charts. The highest-selling rap album of the year so far Lil Durk’s Almost Healed debuted at number 2. Drake’s single “Search & Rescue:” also debuted at number 2 on the Hot 100. Both were kept off the top of the charts by Morgan Wallen, whose new album and single “Last Night” are having one of the most dominant runs in chart history.

Initially it looked like a rap album could finally challenge Wallen for the top spot. Young Thug’s Business Is Business was originally expected to sell 110k in its first week. After updated projections dropped that down to 87k it seems that Wallen will rule for another week. What do you think of the changes Billboard made to the Hot 100 and Billboard 200? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Billboard Names OutKast The Greatest Rap Group Of All Time, Social Media Reacts

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Billboard Names OutKast The Greatest Rap Group Of All Time, Social Media Reacts

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Billboard recently unveiled their list of the “50 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time.” The outlet put OutKast in the No. 1 slot, followed by Wu-Tang Clan, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest, and more. Though there’s no debate on the major contributions OutKast has made to the world of hip hop since their ’90s debut, some social media users have other ideas as to which group deserves to be number one. Users hit the comments section to weigh in.

“You can’t be serious right now,” one Instagram commenter writes, “They legends but # 1 of all time??????!!!! LMFAOO ain’t no way bruh.” “Wu Tang is the greatest rap group of all time,” another argues. One user claims, “Wu tang the greatest GROUP. Outkast the greatest duo.” Though several commenters believe they didn’t deserve their ranking, fans came to OutKast’s defense.

Read More: Killer Mike Reveals Who Saved His André 3000 Collab

Users Debate The Best Rap Group Of All Time

“Billboard finally got it right,” one social media user says, with another claiming, “If you disagree with this you have no music taste.” “Only people disagreeing with this are 2000’s babies,” one writes alongside a laughing emoji. “Every album these guys travelled to a whole different dimension,” another claims. Other commenters respect the outlet’s decision, though they themselves disagree. “I’m not mad at this but it wouldn’t be my personal choice. Solid overall,” one user writes. Several users believe that OutKast’s creativity alone puts them above the rest, while some believe they haven’t influenced the rap genre enough to take the number one position.

In general, social media users are split when it comes to the outlet’s ranking. Many feel as though the duo should have been considered to be in another category than other groups, because they only have two members while others have more. Several users fall somewhere in the middle, respecting OutKast’s position as one of the greatest rap groups while still thinking another group should have taken the top spot.

Read More: OutKast Have Lost Out On $100 Million Amid Hiatus, Big Gipp Claims

Social Media Reacts

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Ice Spice Lands On The Cover Of “Billboard,” Discusses Her Sudden Skyrocket To Fame & More

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In the early days of her career (which weren’t all that long ago, if we’re being frank), Ice Spice was faced with near-constant accusations of being an industry plant, or a “one-hit-wonder.” She’s since shut down those claims, quickly proving herself to be one of the most ambitious young rhymers working today. Less than a year after the arrival of her debut single, “Munch (Feelin’ U),” the 23-year-old landed her debut collaboration in the form of the “Princess Diana (Remix)” with Nicki Minaj. Following that, we saw her debut at the Met Gala, and now, she’s gracing the cover of Billboard‘s latest issue.

For her photoshoot with the outlet, Spice donned a variety of vibrant looks, from an all-purple ensemble that served major Daphne Blake vibes to showing off her curves in a tight pink catsuit, the “Bikini Bottom” lyricist proved that there’s no shortage of styles she’s able to pull off. Cleverly titled, “The Ice Age,” the accompanying interview details the New York native’s rapid rise to fame, as well as her plans for the future. “The first time I met her, I knew she was special. I got that tingling feeling [I get] every time when you meet that [kind of] artist,” CEO/chair of Capitol Music Group, Michelle Jubelirer, told Billboard of Isis Gaston.

Read More: Ice Spice Speaks On Signing To A Major Label

Isis Gaston Shines Bright on Billboard‘s Latest Cover

As you may recall, the redhead first began gaining serious attention online after her “Buss It” challenge video went viral. At the time, she was playing around with the idea of writing raps, but after connecting with RIOTUSA while studying in college, Spice realized the potential she had to blow up online while twerking along to a track of her own. Her debut single, “Bully Freestyle” arrived in March 2021, and by August of last year, Drake had caught wind of “Munch.” The Canadian gave Gaston a major co-sign by playing it on his Sound 42 Sirius XM channel, only boosting the fashionista to further fame.

Growing up, the Like..? artist had the influence of her father, an underground rapper, to look up to, though she said she didn’t feel pressure to follow in his footsteps. Still, he did give her a taste of what life in the studio is like while putting her on to huge names like Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Wu-Tang Clan at an early age. Check out the stunning photos from Spice’s Billboard cover shoot above, and read her full interview with the outlet here. For more hip-hop and pop culture news updates, be sure to tap back in with HNHH later.

Read More: Ice Spice Rejects YouTuber After Answering NSFW Questions In Resurfaced Video

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Ice Spice Speaks On Signing To A Major Label

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Ice Spice recently sat down with Billboard for an interview, where she detailed the process of signing to a major label. Moreover, the “Princess Diana” hitmaker is currently signed in a partnership deal with 10K Projects and Capitol Records. Despite the usual connotations of a big label deal like that, the Bronx star actually knew her worth and fought for the best deal possible. After all, especially for rising and viral stars, they can get sucked into a deal that ultimately screws them over. However, as she recalled, the decision came after a long process of establishing her potential and scoping out her best possible path.

“I met with a bunch of labels and stuff like that,” Ice Spice began her breakdown of her signing process. “I just felt like 10K and Capitol was the good fit for me.” In addition to her own remarks, her manager James Rosemond Jr. elaborated on the process. “You don’t want to just take any deal, and deals came to her, you know?” he stated. “There was production deals, 360 deals, but it was deals that I know that it can be better.

Read More: Ice Spice Net Worth 2023: What Is The Rapper Worth?

Ice Spice Fought For Her Worth When Signing To A Major Label

“In order to get a better deal, you have to go out and do it yourself,” Rosemond Jr. continued. “And that comes with us putting money where our mouth is and we did that with ‘Munch.‘ We rolled it out independently ourselves. We leveraged the success and the hype around that, and we got the best deal, you know? Now she owns her masters, she owns her publishing, and not a lot of people can say that.” His words ring especially true in a time during which artists like Ice Spice are exploited for their meteoric rise.

“I’m still learning a lot, to be honest,” Ice Spice added. “Recording used to be very, very stressful for me. But now, I’m getting more comfortable with it. Like, over the past year, I would say I’ve been more comfortable. Learning to record while learning songwriting processes and everything was a lot, but I’m so happy I put in that time and that work, you know what I’m saying?” For more news and the latest updates on the Princess of rap, keep checking in with HNHH.

Read More: Ice Spice & Taylor Swift Collab Dropping Soon, EZMNY Records President Claims

Shakira Shades Gerard Piqué During Her Speech at Billboard’s Latin Women In Music Event

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Since the entry of the late 1990s, Shakira’s career success has become one of the most recognized United States crossovers. The Columbina-born singer continues to receive recognition during her career of longevity. Over the weekend, Billboard hosted its inaugural Latin Women In Music event. Shakira was honored with their first-ever “Woman Of The Year” award. Additionally, she took time to reflect on her career while including a hint of shade at her breakup with ex-boyfriend Gerard Piqué.

The speech she did was translated into English by Billboard Latin. Shakira’s career activism includes forms of women empowerment including body positivity. In the past, she has opened up about receiving therapy to express more love for her body. During her acceptance speech, she took the approach of women’s empowerment by shading her ex longtime lover. “But there comes a time in the life of every woman where she no longer depends on someone else to love and accept herself just as she is,” she said. “A time when the search for someone else is replaced by the search for oneself,” she added with a focus on self-love in her journey of singleness.

Shakira’s Acceptance Speech

Shakira
Shakira at Billboard Latin Women In Music held at the Watsco Center on May 6, 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida. The show airs on Sunday, May 7, 2023 on Telemundo. (Photo by Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

Moreover, Shakira’s breakup with ex-Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué was made public last her. Additionally, she has not strayed away from sharing the alleged cheating that caused the split. The two’s 11-year-long romance began after he was on the set of her 2010 song “Waka Waka” which was used for the 2010 world cup. Shakira reminded vocal about their public split. Last year, Shakira took it to the booth by dissing him in a record-breaking song called “BZRP Music Sessions #53.” The youtube video gained over 63 million views in a single day of its release. Piqué has started dating again since their breakup last year. He responded to her speech by posting a photo with his new girlfriend. Both Shakira and Piqué share two children together.

Furthermore, Shakira’s stance on women’s empowerment still stands. Her record-breaking spree continues almost a year after her breakup. The 3-time Grammy award-winning artist continues to break barriers for Latin women worldwide.

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Rich The Kid Blasts Billboard’s New “Fan Packs” Bundle Rule

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If you haven’t heard the news yet, your favorite artists might be selling a whole lot of merch to get on the charts. Moreover, Billboard recently announced they are reinstating their controversial rule that merch bundles (i.e. selling socks along with a physical or digitally purchased record) will contribute to that release’s chart placement. However, many artists are calling this out as a mistake. Furthermore, the organization eliminated that rule back in 2020 after years of pushback. The most recent artist to speak out against it is Rich The Kid, who spoke to TMZ about the reinstated “merch rule.”

“That’s fire,” the Queens-born and College Park-raised MC said. “Because them floppin’ a** artists can get- you know what I’m saying- yeah, that’s some bulls**t. But you know what? My new album’s coming out this summer, and I ain’t sellin’ no Crocs with ’em!” While that’s a valid point, a lot of the conversation around Billboard‘s “merch rule” (now referred to as “Fan Packs”) targeted some of the biggest artists in the world. However, one artist who actually wanted to see the “merch rule” reinstated was none other than 6ix9ine.

Rich The Kid Dismisses Billboard‘s Rule Change

“The rule got changed in June/July 2020,” he lamented via Instagram. He made the distinction to claim that they specifically changed the rule to prevent artists like him from succeeding. “I sold over 3,000,000 dollars of bulged merch for gooba. The nicki and travis thing was in 2018 for queen because I promoted it. The industry changed rules and laws just to blackball an artist that’s how I know I’m really him. Get mad all you want but this is facts.”

Furthermore, the incident between Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj that he referred to was the biggest public example of this rule’s divisiveness. After ASTROWORLD beat Queen for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, Nicki unleashed on La Flame and pointed blame at the “merch rule.” “What we’re not gonna do is have that Auto-Tune man selling f***ing sweaters telling you he sold half a million albums, because he f***ing didn’t,” she said on Queen Radio. “You stupid fuck. You got your f***ing homeboy talking for you and you got your girlfriend selling tour passes. Stop it. Knock it the f**k off.” Let us know your thoughts on Billboard‘s “Fan Packs” down below. Also, stick around on HNHH for more on this rule change and the latest from Rich The Kid.

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Miguel Makes Billboard History During Musical Comeback

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Miguel is in the midst of a big comeback. He took quite a bit of time away from music. However, that doesn’t mean his songs haven’t been breaking records in the meantime. After an extended break, Miguel has achieved a significant chart milestone with his 2010 hit song “Sure Thing.” According to Chart Data, Miguel now holds the record for the longest charting song in Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs history. The song has spent almost 76 weeks in the Top 10.

Originally, the track was released as part of Miguel’s debut album, All I Want Is You. It has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks in part to the song’s viral success on TikTok earlier this year. The song has now re-entered the charts and is currently sitting at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chart Data has shared news of Miguel’s record-breaking achievement on social media, generating excitement among fans.

Miguel’s Big Return

Miguel’s recent accomplishments mark an impressive return for the artist after an extended break from the music scene. In April, Miguel released his first solo single in almost two years, entitled “Give It To Me.” Produced by Scoop DeVille, the track features Miguel’s signature smooth vocals set against a pulsing beat, creating a sensual and entrancing atmosphere. The release of “Give It To Me” has been met with excitement from fans and critics alike, showcasing that Miguel has not lost his touch when it comes to producing high-quality and captivating music.

Before the release, Miguel gave his fans a sneak peek of his new single through an Instagram post. The video showcased the singer strumming his guitar dressed entirely in red. Prior to this, the artist had not released new music since his appearance on Diplo’s 2022 single, “Don’t Forget My Love,” leading many to wonder about his absence from the music industry. Sources suggest that the singer may have been taking time to recover from the aftermath of his divorce from his long-time partner Nazanin Mandi, whom he dated for 13 years before getting married in 2018. What do you think of Miguel’s new Billboard achievement? Are you excited for more music from him? Let us know in the comments!

6ix9ine Lashes Out At Billboard Amid Merch Album Sales Reinstatement: “Anything Just To Not See Me Win”

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Some ops at the gym certainly got the better of him earlier this year, but 6ix9ine managed to make a triumphant comeback thanks to singles like “WAPAE” and “Y Ahora” last month. Seeing as his embattled reputation obviously precedes him in the U.S., the lyricist has been tapping into the Spanish music market, where he’s found major success working with various collaborators. While he’s been celebrating the major victories coming along with that on social media, 6ix9ine also didn’t hesitate to use his platform to call out Billboard over a recent rule change that isn’t sitting right with him.

“Billboard to count limited fan packs/merch bundles with physical albums towards Billboard 200 chart starting June 30th,” a tweet from @chartdata reported earlier this week. Upon hearing the news, 6ix9ine took a screenshot of the post to share with a message of his own on his IG Story. “LITERALLY A JOKE,” the 26-year-old’s rant began on Thursday (May 4). “I’m the reason you guys got rid of this rule,” he further asserted. “You guys did everything and ANYTHING just to not see me win. BRINGIN’ IT BACK BECAUSE Y’ALL ARTISTS CAN SELL WITHOUT IT.”

6ix9ine Blasts Billboard

DJ Akademiks shared the “GOOBA” artist’s thoughts on his own page, leading 6ix9ine to drop by the comments there and get more off of his chest. “The rule got changed in June/July of 2020. I sold over $3M of [bundled] merch for ‘GOOBA,’” he explained. “The Nicki and Travis thing was in 2018 for ‘Queen’ because I promoted it,” the east coast star added, referring to Nicki Minaj’s anger over Travis Scott beating her out for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, which she claimed only happened due to the merch bundles sold with his project.

“The industry changed rules and laws just to blackball an artist, that’s how I know I’m really him,” the controversial star concluded. “Get mad all you want, but this is facts.” Do you think 6ix9ine’s anger towards Billboard is valid, or is he letting a victim complex get the better of him? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in later for more hip-hop news updates.

Rapper Speaks His Truth

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