Music

50 Cent is letting the numbers talk again, as it was revealed that the mogul crowned the most-streamed New York City (NYC) rapper of 2025 for the third straight year. The distinction came via music stats account Diverse Mentality, which dropped the news on December 30 after reviewing YouTube’s global streaming charts. Rather than popping champagne, 50 brushed it off like routine work. “I thought we got over this guys, it is the way it is. LOL @bransoncognac,” he wrote on Instagram.  The capti

As is the case every year, just before Christmas, the Hot 100 is inundated by holiday songs. Americans love the sounds of the season, and they show that devotion as they buy and stream their favorite yuletide cuts, and many radio stations throughout the United States switch to an all-holiday format at the same time. The combination of a huge increase in consumption of Christmas tunes, paired with massive improvements in airplay, helps some of the most famous tracks attached to the jolliest day

Kendrick Lamar, one of modern music’s most decorated figures, has quietly set the internet in motion with a brief but telling public moment. The Pulitzer Prize winner was spotted alongside Compton rapper Chef Boy at the TDE Christmas event, an appearance that immediately drew attention across hip-hop circles. Their exchange, casual on its surface, carried the weight of possibility. For fans accustomed to Lamar’s calculated silence, even a few words were enough to ignite curiosity. In footage

Rap superstar Wiz Khalifa, born Cameron Thomaz, has been hit with a nine-month prison sentence in Romania. View this post on Instagram A post shared by RapTV (@rap) An appellate court flipped a lower court’s earlier call that had let the 38-year-old Pittsburgh native walk away with a fine, according to court records cited by local outlet Cancan. The Constanța Court of Appeal upheld an appeal filed by Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, or DIICOT, throu

Nelly and Metro Boomin have plans to reignite St. Louis hip-hop in 2026 with the announcement of a new St. Lunatics album after a 25-year hiatus.  At his annual Black and White gala, Nelly said the comeback album will be executive-produced by Metro Boomin, a collaboration bridging generations of Missouri hip-hop. The Country Grammar creator paused the program to address the crowd directly. “It felt like the right moment,” Nelly said. “This city raised us, and it deserves to hear us together ag

Carl Carlton, the Detroit-raised vocalist whose blend of R&B, soul, and funk left an unmistakable mark on music, has died at 72. His son, Carlton Hudgens II, shared the news in a Facebook post on Sunday, Dec. 14th, writing, “RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton, singer of ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama.’ Long hard fight in life, and you will be missed.” Billboard has not yet independently verified the announcement. Born Carlton Hudgens, the singer reportedly suffered a stroke six years ago. Carlton began perf

Eminem changed what was possible with rap music more than 20 years ago when he released “Lose Yourself,” which would go on to become one of his biggest hits and one of the most successful hip-hop tracks of all time. The cut won several Grammys and became the first rap tune to win Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. Ever since, fans throughout the world have continued to consume “Lose Yourself” in huge and consistent numbers, keeping it on multiple Billboard charts week after week.  Decade

Kendrick Lamar delivered one of the most touching moments of his career during his performance at Spilt Milk Festival in Canberra on December 13. Midway through his set, the Grammy-winning rapper abruptly paused the show after noticing a sign held high in the crowd. It belonged to Kalina, a 9-year-old fan celebrating her birthday. Instead of continuing the performance, Lamar addressed the crowd and led thousands of fans in a heartfelt rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Moments later, Lamar went a s

For years, French Montana and Max B fans waited with bated breath for the third installment of their Coke Waveseries, and now it’s finally here. On Friday (Dec.12), the pair dropped their new single, “Make America Wavy Again.” Along with the new track, French and Max released a music video on YouTube. Coming in at over three minutes, the track and video aim to remind hip-hop fans who the “Wave Kings” are.“From the bottom, it got crazy (Crazy),” French and Max rapped on the track’s chorus. “For

Miguel’s return to the spotlight with his new album Caos marks the end of an eight-year stretch without a full-length release, but he’s already setting his sights on what comes next. The singer revealed in a recent Genius interview that another completed album is sitting in the vault, and he believes it surpasses the one he just dropped. When asked whether fans should expect another long pause between albums, he responded immediately: “No.” He went on to share that the unreleased music is “bet

21 Savage has officially returned with What Happened to the Streets?, his fourth solo studio album and one of the most anticipated hip-hop releases of the year. The 14-track project features a heavyweight lineup, with guest appearances from Drake, Lil Baby, Latto, GloRilla, Metro Boomin, G Herbo, Young Nudy and Jawan Harris. 21 announced the album with a cinematic black-and-white trailer released on Instagram earlier this week. The cover art for the album is an original painting by British-Nig

The father of late British singer Amy Winehouse Tuesday defended his UK lawsuit against two of her friends after they sold some of her clothes at auction for around £730,000 ($970,000). Mitch Winehouse told the High Court in London that Naomi Parry, the star’s former stylist, and her friend, Catriona Gourlay, did not have the right to sell dozens of items in auctions between November 2021 and May 2023. Lawyer Henry Legge, acting for Winehouse, told the court on Monday, the first day of the tri

Leading U.S. radio network iHeartRadio announced Tuesday that it will no longer air AI-generated music or use synthetic voices in its broadcasts, calling the move a commitment to authenticity. Under the new initiative, dubbed “Guaranteed Human,” on-air DJs must include the declaration “Guaranteed Human” in their hourly legal station identification to confirm that listeners are hearing real people—not AI-created voices. This ban will have an immediate impact on Timbaland’s AI artist TaTa and Ha

More than a year after its debut, Kendrick Lamar’s blistering diss track aimed at Drake, “Not Like Us,” is still shaping the musical landscape. Apple Music has named it the platform’s most-streamed rap song worldwide for 2025. This recognition makes it the first hip-hop single to claim the title two years in a row. The achievement speaks to the song’s staying power and the way it has lodged itself firmly in the broader cultural conversation. In the world of rap, Lamar’s influence cannot be und

According to Rolling Stone, Clipse are among the 14 artists who “met the moment,” earning a spot on the outlet’s inaugural “Voices Of The Year” list. “Amid fraught and fractured times, the world is hungry for inspiration, and these musicians, writers, actors, comedians, and broadcasters delivered,” the outlet said. Back in July, after almost two decades, the rapping duo—comprised of brothers, Pusha T and Malice—reunited to drop off their fourth studio album, Let God Sort Em Out.  Upon its relea

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has received an onslaught of online attacks from fans, and it seems SZA has had enough. According to the “Good Days” singer, it’s “classic misogynoir.” SZA was responding to an Instagram post about how Erivo memes have gotten “out of hand.” The trolling seemed to increase only after a red carpet incidentwhere a fan tried to approach her co-star, Ariana Grande, and she helped move her out of the way and comfort her. Since then, there have been dozens of memes depicting

In a landmark moment for Detroit sports and music, Eminem and Jack White shared the stage for the first time during the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day halftime show against the Green Bay Packers. The performance united two of the city’s most celebrated musicians in a collaboration that sent the stadium into a frenzy. Eminem, a lifelong Lions supporter, partnered with his manager, Paul Rosenberg, to orchestrate the event. Fans were treated to Jack White’s powerful set, featuring a mix of his i

Nearly three decades after its release, Lil’ Kim’s groundbreaking debut album Hard Core continues to influence hip-hop culture—this time earning the distinction of being ranked the best hip-hop album cover of all time by Billboard. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B (@billboardhiphop) Released in 1996, Hard Core arrived during a pivotal moment in hip-hop, when female rappers were still fighting for space, visibility, and creative autonomy. Lil’ Kim stepped

SZA’s SOS Deluxe: Lana, the deluxe edition of her 2022 album SOS, has set a new record as the album with the most tracks that have received Grammy nominations – a whopping nine tracks. These nominations have been spread out over four Grammy eligibility years. “Good Days,” which was released in December 2000, was nominated as a stand-alone single at the Grammy ceremony in 2022.  “Kill Bill,” “Ghost in the Machine” (with Phoebe Bridgers), “Love Language,” “Snooze” and “Low” were nominated at the

Offset is facing new scrutiny after Instagram model Jordyn Gorr publicly shared what she claims are leaked text messages from the Migos star — and suggested he attempted to involve her in an alleged setup targeting NFL player Stefon Diggs, who shares a child with Cardi B. The accusations spread quickly across social media after Gorr posted a screenshot carousel and a provocative caption aimed squarely at the rapper. “@offsetyrn keep violating me but stay in my phone asking me to help set up Ste