Billboard Archives - Page 3 of 26

Ice Spice’s Manager Reveals How Her Meteoric Rise To Fame Came Together

June 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Ice Spice’s manager, James Rosemond Jr., recently spoke with Billboard about the viral New York artist’s rise to fame. In doing so, he revealed how he discovered her, decided to help market her, and more. He began by revealing that “No Clarity” was one of the first songs he heard from her.

“It was her tone and the production she was picking,” he explained, citing what stood out about her. “When I came across her early on, she only had about two or three songs out. She didn’t have the crazy monthly listeners and social numbers. Then I came across a song called ‘No Clarity,’ a drill flip of Zedd’s ‘Clarity,’ and heard the song’s possibilities. Next, I heard ‘Name of Love.’ One, she’s working with the same producer [RIOTUSA] and they’re creating a sound. Two, her tone, and three, they’re flipping these crossover samples in drills. That got me. Then I saw her image — the curls, which was different — and I’m like, ‘Whoa!’”

Ice Spice Attends Alexander Wang Runway Show

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Ice Spice attends the Alexander Wang Runway Show on June 05, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/WireImage)

As for their marketing strategy, Rosemond Jr. brought up her breakout single, “Munch.” He continued: “Coming out of the gate, it was always three-dimensional chess. ‘Less is more’ was our conversation and ‘Let’s not saturate.’ Strategically, it was also about digital. When we put ‘Munch’ out, we got the right digital team, which was Create Music Group. Its sister companies include WorldStar and Genius. I never want to feel like an artist is on a treadmill. I always want them to feel like they’re moving forward from A to C, C to E. So I did a strategic play on the digital side to accelerate her growth, social and in the market. ‘Munch’ was everywhere that first week we put it out. And that was due to the strategic play that I was able to put together using the song as currency.”

The interview comes as Spice prepares for the release of her debut studio album, Y2K! The project is set to drop on July 26, 2024. Be on the lookout for further updates on Ice Spice on HotNewHipHop.

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Billboard’s Hottest Women Rappers List Sparks Debate Among Fans

June 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Lists have become lighting rods of controversy. Music fans are still reeling from the outrage that was sparked by Apple Music’s 100 greatest albums of all time. Now, it’s Billboard’s turn. The outlet put out a ranking of the hottest female rappers right now, and unsurprisingly, the comment section was flooded with complaints and/or talking points. Some fans felt that it was incomplete, others felt it was ignoring less popular but more artistically ambitious rappers. Some were mad that Nicki Minaj claimed the top spot.

To be fair, Minaj laid the groundwork for the rest of the rappers on the list. She’s also had a resurgence in the last year, thanks to a number one single and a record-breaking tour. Nicki Minaj is as big as a female rapper can get, according to the stats, and that’s not even taking her huge influence into account. Cardi B, GloRilla, and Doja Cat have all cited Minaj as an inspiration on their own style. GloRilla went as far as to say Minaj gets too much hate considering all the doors she opened for female rappers. Be that as it may, rappers like Sexyy Red and Megan Thee Stallion have had meteoric rises in recent years. They place at number two and three, respectively. Doja Cat and Ice Spice round out the top five, despite the former being more of a singer/pop star historically.

Nicki Minaj Topped Billboard’s Polarizing List

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As some fans have pointed out, though, Doja Cat has had way more success than Megan or Sexyy Red. She’s scored multiple number one singles as a featured and solo artist, and her albums sell significantly more than everybody else on the list. “Why TF is Megan higher than Doja,” asked one user, which was a sentiment shared by another: “Lol in no world is Meg better than Doja.” Others felt that Megan should be at the top of the list. There were fans who believed Sexyy Red has had the most eyes on her in 2024, and therefore is most deserving of the “hottest” title. “Sexy [sic] is clearly the hottest out,” one IG user wrote.

Then the attention turned to commissions. The missing name that really rubbed fans the wrong way was Rapsody. The North Carolina native is the most respected female rapper working today, and she just put out another acclaimed album, Please Don’t Cry, in May. “No Rapsody is an automatic ignore,” one IG user posited. “Rapsody is LIGHT years better than this entire list,” another wrote. “No shade tho.” Other huge names who were thrown out as being worthy for consideration were Che Noir, Lola Brooke and Kamaiyah. What do you think of the Billboard list? Who got snubbed, and who was placed too high?

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Sexyy Red Shares Hyped Reaction To Being Included On Billboard’s “Hottest Female Rappers Right Now” List

June 5, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Earlier today, Billboard published their list of the hottest female rappers around right now. They considered a myriad of different criteria like chart success, quality of their albums, impact on the culture, touring success, and more. That led them to a top 10 list of artists any rap fan should be plenty familiar with. Flo Milli, JT, Latto, GloRilla, and Cardi B make up the bottom half of the list. Ice Spice, Doja Cat, and Megan Thee Stallion cracked the top five. Coming in at number two, behind only Nicki Mianj, is Sexyy Red.

That’s no surprise as she had an absolutely massive breakout year in 2023. On the back of her Hood Hottest Princess mixtape and numerous high-profile collaborations that followed, Red became a superstar. She followed it up with a new mixtape last month that debuted in the top 20 of the Billboard 200 this week. She took to Instagram to share a hyped reaction to her inclusion on Billboard’s new list. “SHOUT OUT TO US WE WINNIN BIG THANKS TO @billboard” her caption reads. In response to comments about her placement on the list she shared more thoughts. “It’s not about the rank we top 10 dats coo wimme stay blessed” her comment reads. Check out her reaction to being included on the list below.

Sexyy Red Feeling The Love From Billboard

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On Sexyy Red’s new mixtape In Sexyy We Trust she once again collabs with Drake. The pair first teamed up last year on “Rich Baby Daddy” from Drake’s album For All The Dogs. Their new collaboration is called “U My Everything” and hilarious sees Drake rapping over the viral “BBL Drizzy” beat. Subsequently the track debuted at number 44 on the Hot 100 this week.

What do you think of Sexyy Red’s elated reaction to being included on Billboard’s list of the hottest female rappers out right now? Do you think placing her at number two behind only Nicki Minaj is a fair spot? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Doechii, JT & More Show Love To The LGBTQ+ Community In Heartfelt Letters

June 1, 2024 by newhiphopnews

For the past seven years or so, Billboard has reached out to various artists and musicians for Pride Month in June to send letters of love to their LGBTQ+ fans and loved ones. Moreover, this year got new additions from the likes of “Alter Ego” duo Doechii and JT, UMI, Max Ernst, Allison Ponthier, Shinjiro Atae, Ashnikko, Icona Pop, MORGXN, and many more. Check out the “Via” link down below if you want to check out these stars’ full letters, as Billboard‘s original article includes select excerpts. As folks continue to advocate for the community’s rights and freedoms today while also celebrating the progress since the 1969 Stonewall Riots and their own lives, these moments and messages are always important to treasure.

“I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the LGBTQ+ community for embracing me so tightly and pushing not only my music, but also championing my personal growth,” Doechii penned for her fans, supporters, and close companions. “My creative work is heavily influenced by both my Florida roots and the vibrant LGBTQ+ community. My music is dedicated to all those who have encouraged me to strive for excellence and even to those who may have doubted me along the way.”

JT Performing At The Wireless Festival

Pride Month Billboard Letters Artists Doechii JT LGBTQ Hip Hop News — BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JULY 09: JT of City Girls performs during the Wireless Festival at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on July 9, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Katja Ogrin/Redferns/Getty Images)

“I know it’s not always easy to exist or love yourself when you don’t always have the support or acceptance from family, friends and these lawmakers, but never give up and keep fighting for yourself!” JT shared. “Find safe spaces to celebrate and love yourself. Find people who support and can help create opportunities for you to better yourself. When it feels like no one understands you and you just wanna give up, please hold on and stay strong.”

Meanwhile, this comes as other artists like KAYTRANADA reflect on their own journey when it comes to their sexuality and openness in the music space. These challenges can be downright dangerous for many out there, a tragic and abhorrent reality that continues to rear its ugly head in the industry. But there are also more chances for outward support and discussion than ever. As such, hopefully this gratitude and loving appreciation is something that transcends just 30 days in a year.

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Megan Thee Stallion Refutes Sexual Harassment Lawsuit, Calls The Man Who Filed It A “Con Artist”

May 30, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Last month, Megan Thee Stallion fans were blindsided by a newly emerging story. It revealed that a lawsuit was filed against her alleging sexual harassment. The claims were bizarre by any standards, but in particular for Meg. The allegations came from a photographer who claimed that the “BOA” rapper forced him to watch her have sex in a moving vehicle. He claims the incident happened while he was with them in the car but couldn’t escape because it was still moving. The suit includes details about how he was “embarrassed” and “mortified by the experience.”

Now according to Billboard, Megan is replying with an absolutely scathing retort of the allegations. A statement made by her lawyer claims that the lawsuit “consists almost entirely of falsehoods, misrepresentations of fact, and outlandish claims that have no basis in fact or law and no merit.” The statement also accuses the photographer of “manipulating the judicial system to act as his publicist and bullhorn in a desperate attempt to boost his failed singing career while trying to tear down the successful career of Megan.” Check out everything she had to say in response to the lawsuit below.

Megan Thee Stallion Responds To Lawsuit

Megan Thee Stallion Fires Back at Cameraman’s Car-Sex Harassment Lawsuit: ‘Plaintiff Is A Con Artist’ https://t.co/yVYHOdMx9d

— billboard (@billboard) May 30, 2024

Megan Thee Stallion is gearing up to release a new album soon. Her upcoming snake-themed project has already been teased with three different singles. Last year she began the new era with “COBRA,” before dropping “HISS” earlier this year and “BOA” just last week. Megan has also been dropping new freestyles every Monday so far this month. That led to her freestyle throne being challenged by Erica Banks. But shortly after her claims fans dug up old tweets Banks made that worked to discredit some of her brags.

What do you think of Megan Thee Stallion’s response to the allegations made against her in a recent lawsuit? Do you believe any of the claims the lawsuit makes about Meg making a photographer watch her have sex in a car? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” Cracks The Top 40 For The First Time Since 2016

May 29, 2024 by newhiphopnews

8 years ago Frank Ocean released his new album Blonde at the end of a truly strange series of events. He had gone a full 4 years of mostly silence following his Grammy-winning debut studio album Channel Orange. That’s when a mysterious website a livestream popped up online showing periodic clips of Frank assembling a staircase with teases of new music. That project ultimately became Endless, a visual album released through Def Jam, Frank’s label at the time. But the full picture became clear just the next day when Ocean shared his real follow-up album Blonde, released under his own label.

The album went on to be massively acclaimed and viewed by many as one of the best albums of 2016 and by some even one of the best albums of the entire 2010s. Clearly, love for the record hasn’t died down in the years since it was released. Just this week the project climbed back up to the highest spot its hit on the Billboard 200 since its original run on the chart in 2016. This week it lands at #34 on the albums chart. Beloved songs from the album like “Nights” and “Ivy” have racked up more than 700 million streams on Spotify. While the album’s biggest song “Pink & White” currently sits with over 1 billion streams. Check out the fans discussing Ocean’s newest chart placement below.

Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” Rises Up The Charts

Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ returns to the top 40 on this week’s Billboard 200 at #34

It earns its highest rank since its original run in 2016. pic.twitter.com/dHkor7nkZ4

— chart data (@chartdata) May 28, 2024

Blonde recently appeared surprisingly high on Apple Music’s Top 100 Albums of All Time chart. The streaming service placed the record at the number five spot. It sparked debate among even those who are fans of the record questioning if it was too high.

What do you think of Frank Ocean’s 2016 album Blonde returning to the top 40 of the Hot 100 this week? How long do you think it will be before Frank Ocean releases another new album? Let us know in the comment section below.

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NLE Choppa Reveals Who Won Drake & Kendrick Lamar Battle

May 24, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s lyrical feud continues to make headlines as it dies down. Countless social media users and peers have shared their take on the viral debacle, and who they believe came out on top. The consensus is that it was Kendrick, who unleashed “Meet The Grahams” on Drake less than an hour after “Family Matters” dropped. The cherry on top was “Not Like Us,” which has arguably become the most successful track to come out of the beef.

In a sneak peek of an upcoming interview with Billboard, NLE Choppa weighed in on who he believes won, but his answer may not be what one would expect. According to him, it all comes down to how each of the artists feels at the end of the day. Moreover, he thinks the real win would be if they teamed up to do a song together, which would undoubtedly leave fans in shambles.

NLE Choppa Says “The Real Win” Would Be Drake & Kendrick Coming Together To Do A Song

“I think the win is like, you know, how Kendrick go home and feel about it, and how Drizzy will go home and feel about it. I think the win would be like both of them coming together and doing a song together, I think that’s one of the most beautiful wins,” he explained. Kendrick and Drake’s beef isn’t all he discussed in the interview, however. He also opened up about his own issues with Blueface.

“I can kill you on the beat and then I call you and be like ‘Hey bro, I’m done f*cking with you,’” he explained. What do you think of NLE Choppa’s take on Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s beef? Do you agree that the real win would be them coming together to make a song, or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Gunna “One Of Wun” First Week Sales Are Quite Impressive

May 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Gunna’s first week sales for One Of Wun are officially here, and given previous projections, it exceeded commercial performance expectations this time around. To rewind the clock for a second, 2023’s A Gift & A Curse debuted with around 85,000 album equivalent units. This 2024 release, on the other hand, just barely missed out on surpassing it, as One Of Wun‘s first week sales comprised of just under 83,000 units. According to HITS Daily Double, it will debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 behind Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, and thus will be the highest-charting debut for new albums this week.

Furthermore, this is pretty much a big win for Gunna all things considered, especially as he’s spoken about focusing more on his craft and his substance than his hit-making or commercial potential. In fact, he even told TMZ that the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef that raged on while his album dropped didn’t faze him in the slightest. The College Park rapper said that he prioritized focus during this whole process, which rendered him unbothered by whatever else was going on in the rap space. Clearly, that focus pays off, and hopefully inspires other artists to just stick to themselves and to not let outside forces deter them.

Gunna’s One Of Wun‘s First Week Sales

Meanwhile, this is a massive year for Gunna in many other areas, not least of which is his ongoing tour. There have been many great moments throughout, despite some other issues like rowdy and disrespectful fans and what seemed like faulty venue upkeep. But for the most part, it’s been a big hit, and a nice run that captures his momentum from the past few years. The comeback has been intriguing and sharp to say the least, especially considering all the snitching claims that loom much farther in the background than they did before.

In addition, Gunna also has his new clothing line to look forward to, which might be the most exciting new venture of them all. No matter what he’s got on his plate, it seems like he’s able to stay afloat and concentrated throughout it all. Wunna has stuck around more than some folks gave him credit for, and there are plenty of other ways in which he plans to stay. Let’s hope that they result in some great art and fulfilling moves as we continue to spin One Of Wun.

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Mariah The Scientist Admits She Felt “Bullied” At The Beginning Of Her Tour

May 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Mariah The Scientist is currently making her way around the U.S. on her first-ever tour in support of her third studio album, To Be Eaten Alive. According to the 26-year-old songstress, while she’s got the hang of things now, it hasn’t always been easy. During a recent interview with Billboard, she reflected on the early stages of the tour, revealing that at times, she felt as though audiences weren’t as receptive as she would have liked.

“I think in the beginning, I didn’t totally know what I was doing,” she explained. “Even if I liked music or liked to sing, I never looked at it as if it was gonna be my career. From the starting point I had no idea what I was doing.” Mariah went on, describing how she felt the need to put in even more effort than she already was to win people over.

Mariah The Scientist Reflects On Her First-Ever Tour

Mariah The Scientist Admits She Felt "Bullied" On Her First-Ever Tour — Mariah the Scientist performs during the Sol Blume Music festival at Discovery Park on August 19, 2023 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage)

“Do I feel like I was a little bullied? I just feel like people weren’t that open to knowing the story they just ran off with pieces of information without knowing or lack thereof when it comes to me seeing, growing up and doing that. I just had to work overtime to make it right in real time because I didn’t have that experience. Now I have it and it’s way better,” she said.

Fortunately, it doesn’t appear as though Mariah let criticism stand in her way in the slightest. The To Be Eaten Alive tour is currently scheduled to run into June, with closing dates in Austin, Dallas, and Portsmouth. What do you think of Mariah The Scientist revealing that she felt bullied at the beginning of her tour? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Gunna Teases Launch Of New Clothing Line

May 12, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Gunna is planning to launch a new clothing line, next month, according to a billboard caught by Complex that is now circulating on social media. The billboard shows a picture of the rapper rocking a blue and white jacket with a “P” on it. Over the picture reads: “P by Gunna. June 5, 2024.” He shared Complex’s post on his Instagram Story, on Saturday afternoon.

In response, fans on Instagram made jokes about Gunna taking a plea deal in the YSL Rico case. “Someone said PUSHIN PLEAS,” one user commented. Another remarked: “Took a plea instead of pushing P.” Other fans shared more positive responses to his new album, One of Wun. One fan wrote: “can’t believe Gunna had the best album out of everybody that’s dropped on Friday ion even listen to him like that LMFAOOOO.” Among the other artists to drop on Friday included Chief Keef, Conway The Machine, Ghostface Killah, and more.

Gunna Performs At Grammy Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 08: Gunna performs onstage during A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop at YouTube Theater on November 08, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Gunna dropped One of Wun on Friday as his fifth studio album and second since getting out of jail in 2022. According to early forecasts from Hits Daily Double, the project is headed for a top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart with between 60-65k album-equivalent units in its first week. The album features Offset, Normani, Roddy Ricch, and Leon Bridges. He preceded its release with two singles, “Prada Dem,” which dropped in March, and “Whatsapp (Wassam),” which only dropped last week.

Gunna Teases New Clothing Line

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Check out the first look at the upcoming “P by Gunna” clothing line above. Be on the lookout for further updates on the rapper on HotNewHipHop.

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