Latto hit the jackpot with “Seven,” her new collab with BTS’ Jung Kook, which has risen to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the first time a rapper has had a No. 1 song on the chart in 2023.
On Monday (July 24), Billboard announced the updated top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which revealed Jung Kook’s new single “Seven” with Latto is in the top spot. This marks the “Big Energy” rapper’s first No. 1. Jung is now the second member of the K-Pop boy band to have a No. 1 record after Jimin’s “Like Crazy” debuted No. 1 in April. Other rappers with songs on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart include Gunna (“F*kumean), which sits at No. 6., and Lil Durk and J. Cole (“All My Life”), which is No. 10.
It’s been rough sledding for hip-hop in 2023. The genre has only had one album to top the Billboard 200 chart this year, Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape, which dropped on June 30. Last month, Coi Leray called for unity among female rappers and urged them to come together to make 2023’s first No. 1 hit. It looks like Latto hit the winning number first.
The annual awards show went down at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on Sunday night (June 25), which proved to be another eventful night as cultural icons were celebrated, emerging legends were coronated and, in Quavo and Offset’s case, brotherhood was restored.
Beyoncé and SZA were this year’s biggest winners with three awards each. Queen Bey’s Renaissance was crowned Album of the Year, while her “Break My Soul” music video took home the Viewer’s Choice and BET Her awards.
SZA’s record-breaking SOS also won Album of the Year in a rare tie in the standout category, while her “Kill Bill” mini-movie claimed Video of the Year.
The TDE songstress was also crowned Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, fending off stiff competition from Beyoncé, Lizzo, Ari Lennox, Tems, H.E.R. and Coco Jones — the latter of whom was named Best New Artist.
As for Drake, the 6 God trailed closely behind with two wins: Best Group alongside his Her Loss cohort 21 Savage and Best Collaboration for his appearance on Future’s chart-topping hit “Wait For U,” which also featured Tems.
Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar won Best Male Hip Hop Artist for a second year running, Chris Brown and Usher were jointly named Best Male R&B/Pop Artist and Latto beat out Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Ice Spice, GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion and Coi Leray to the Best Female Hip Hop Artist award.
During her televised acceptance speech, the “Big Energy” hitmaker saluted both her peers and the pioneers who paved the way, while also showing love to the female MCs who missed out on a nomination in the category.
“I’m not gon’ cry this year,” Latto began, referencing her tearful Best New Artist victory at last year’s BET Awards. “Shout out to God. He be doing his big one on me! Shout out to all the other women in the category, all the women who paved the way for this to be even be possible, this category is going crazy this year.
“Oh, shout out to some women who I think should have been in the category: Doechii — I love you, baby — Maiya The Don, Flo Milli, Mello Buckzz, TiaCorine. Shout out to all the women, we killin’ it. This is the year of the female, year of women. Hopefully we gon’ see an all-female tour very soon, you feel me?”
“Momma, I love you. And my man, thank you to my man,” she added with a wry smile and sexually suggestive gesture, referencing the long-running speculation surrounding her love life.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
GloRilla — Anyways, Life’s Great
Chris Brown — Breezy
DJ Khaled — God Did
Drake & 21 Savage — Her Loss
Kendrick Lamar — Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Beyoncé — Renaissance — WINNER (Tie) SZA — SOS — WINNER (Tie)
BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
Ari Lennox
Beyoncé
Coco Jones
H.E.R.
Lizzo SZA — WINNER
Tems
BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
Blxst
Brent Faiyaz
Burna Boy Chris Brown — WINNER (Tie)
Drake
The Weeknd Usher — WINNER (Tie)
BEST GROUP
City Girls Drake & 21 Savage — WINNER
Dvsn
FLO
Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
Quavo & TakeOff
Wanmor
BEST COLLABORATION
Latto & Mariah Carey f. DJ Khaled — “Big Energy (Remix)”
Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice — “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2”
Chris Brown f. Wizkid — “Call Me Every Day”
King Combs f. Kodak Black — “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop”
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage — “Creepin’”
Hitkidd & GloRilla — “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)”
GloRilla & Cardi B — “Tomorrow 2” Future f. Drake & Tems — “Wait For U” — WINNER
BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
Cardi B
Coi Leray
GloRilla
Ice Spice Latto — WINNER
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
21 Savage
Drake
Future
J. Cole
Jack Harlow Kendrick Lamar — WINNER
Lil Baby
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Chris Brown — “We (Warm Embrace)”
Peezy, Jeezy & Real Boston Richey f. Rob49 — “2 Million Up”
Lizzo — “About Damn Time”
Steve Lacy — “Bad Habit”
Jack Harlow — “First Class” SZA — “Kill Bill” — WINNER
GloRilla & Cardi B — “Tomorrow 2”
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
A$AP Rocky for AWGE
Benny Boom
Burna Boy
Cole Bennett
Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Director X Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor — WINNER
BEST NEW ARTIST
Ambré Coco Jones — WINNER
Doechii
FLO
GloRilla
Ice Spice
Lola Brooke
DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin — “Bless Me” — WINNER
Tamela Mann — “Finished (Live)”
CeCe Winans — “I’ve Got Joy”
Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin f. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore — “Kingdom”
Tye Tribbett — “New”
Yolanda Adams — “One Moment From Glory”
PJ Morton f. Lisa Knowles-Smith, Le’andria Johnson, Keke Wyatt, Kierra Sheard & Tasha Cobbs Leonard — “The Better Benediction (Pt. 2)”
VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD
Lizzo — “About Damn Time” Beyoncé — “Break My Soul” — WINNER
Jack Harlow — “First Class”
Drake f. 21 Savage — “Jimmy Cooks”
SZA — “Kill Bill”
Burna Boy — “Last Last”
Nicki Minaj — “Super Freaky Girl”
Future f. Drake & Tems — “Wait For U”
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Aya Nakamura (France)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria) Burna Boy (Nigeria) — WINNER
Central Cee (UK)
Ella Mai (UK)
Ko (South Africa)
L7nnon (Brazil)
Stormzy (UK)
Tiakola (France)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
VIEWER’S CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT
Asake (Nigeria)
Camidoh (Ghana)
Flo (UK) Libianca (Cameroon) — WINNER
Maureen (France)
MC Ryan SP (Brazil)
Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
Raye (UK)
Werenoi (France)
BET HER
Lizzo — “About Damn Time”
Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice — “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” Beyoncé — “Break My Soul” — WINNER
Megan Thee Stallion — “Her”
Rihanna & Ludwig Göransson — “Lift Me Up”
Coi Leray — “Players”
Lizzo — “Special”
BEST MOVIE Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — WINNER
Creed III
Emancipation
Nope
The Woman King
Till
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
BEST ACTOR
Amin Joseph
Brian Tyree Henry Damson Idris — WINNER
Daniel Kaluuya
Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr.
Donald Glover
Michael B. Jordan
BEST ACTRESS Angela Bassett — WINNER
Coco Jones
Janelle James
Janelle Monáe
Keke Palmer
Viola Davis
Zendaya
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
Akira Akbar
Alaya High
Demi Singleton
Genesis Denise Marsai Martin — WINNER
Thaddeus J. Mixson
Young Dylan
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Alexis Morris
Allyson Felix Angel Reese — WINNER
Candace Parker
Naomi Osaka
Serena Williams
Sha’Carri Richardson
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Aaron Judge
Bubba Wallace
Gervonta Davis Jalen Hurts — WINNER
LeBron James
Patrick Mahomes
Steph Curry
There have been a lot of high-profile all-female rap collaborations in recent years. As women continue to dominate Hip-Hop in 2023, Coi Leray wants her peers to come together for a potential chart-topping posse cut.
Hip-Hop legend Lil Kim famously linked up with Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes for “Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)” in 1997. The song reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track’s music video featured cameos by Mary J. Blige, T-Boz, Queen Latifah, SWV, Xscape, Total and more. Coi Leray wants to recreate that moment.
“Ain’t been a #1 rap song at all this year. Calling all the female rappers to [the] front,” she tweeted. “[Hear] me out. Ladies night. Hip Hop. Unity. #splash. Let’s make history with a number 1… together… with love. #justanidea.”
Ain’t been a #1 rap song at all this year. Calling all the female rappers to front. Here me out. ladies night. Hip hop. Unity. #splash🎏🌊 let’s make history with a number 1 … together .. with love. #justanidea
Coi Leray has worked with other female rappers throughout her short career. For example, she collaborated with Nicki Minaj for 2022’s “Blick Blick” single. The record peaked at No. 37 on the Hot 100 chart.
“Blick Blick” lives on Leray’s debut studio album, Trendsetter, which arrived in April 2022. The Republic recording artist will drop her self-titled sophomore LP on June 23.
Before Coi lands on DSPs, Coi Leray will hit the stage on June 19 for CNN’s televised Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom. She’ll also be part of the lineup for Kid Cudi’s 2023 Moon Man’s Landing.
This year has already seen well-received, all-women collaborations such as Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s “Princess Diana” as well as Latto and Cardi B’s “Put It On Da Floor Again.”
On Thursday (June 8), the official nomination list was released to the public. The 6 God’s nods include Best Male Hip Hop artist, Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, Best Group with 21 Savage, and Album of the Year for Her Loss with 21 Savage.
Similarly, Big Glo nominations include Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Best New Artist, and Album of the Year for Anyways, Life’s Great…, Video of the Year for “Tomorrow 2” with Cardi B, and two nominations for best collaboration (“F.N.F. Let’s Go” and “Tomorrow 2”).
Last year, GloRilla took home the award for Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist Of The Year at BET’s Hip Hop Awards.
Check out the complete nomination list below:
Album of the Year
Anyways, Life’s Great – GloRilla
Breezy – Chris Brown
GOD DID – DJ Khaled
Her Loss – Drake & 21 Savage
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
Renaissance – Beyoncé
SOS – SZA
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Ari Lennox
Beyoncé
Coco Jones
H.E.R.
Lizzo
SZA
Tems
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Blxst
Brent Faiyaz
Burna Boy
Chris Brown
Drake
The Weeknd
Usher
Best Group
City Girls
Drake & 21 Savage
DVSN
FLO
Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
Quavo & Takeoff
Wanmor
Best Collaboration
“Big Energy (Remix)” – Latto & Mariah Carey feat. DJ Khaled
“Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” – Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice
“Call Me Every Day” – Chris Brown feat. Wizkid
“Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” – King Combs feat. Kodak Black
“Creepin’” – Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage
“F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” – Hitkidd & GloRilla
“Tomorrow 2” – GloRilla & Cardi B
“Wait For U” – Future feat. Drake & Tems
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B
Coi Leray
GloRilla
Ice Spice
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
21 Savage
Drake
Future
J. Cole
Jack Harlow
Kendrick Lamar
Lil Baby
Ludacris has had a career filled with chart-topping hits, but at least one of those successes came as a shock to him because the song was just a rush-job to fill an album.
The rapper and actor stopped by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s All The Smoke podcast last week, and revealed he had no idea his hit 2000 song “Southern Hospitality” would go on to be as big as it was.
According to Luda, the song was made at the last minute to repackage his independent album, Incognegro, for his major label Def Jam debut, Back For the First Time.
“If anybody can give you a hit at the last minute, it’s Pharrell and Chad and The Neptunes,” Luda explained. “He throws on this beat, and I’m vibing to it. I’m thinking it’s cool. I’m not like thinking, ‘This is a hit… I did not know that it was the hit that it became.”
Luda then recalled going to the studio’s parking lot to sit in his car and write to the instrumental Pharrell and Chad had just cooked up. He said he thought it was good, but everyone else felt like the record could be huge.
Check out the full interview below:
“Southern Hospitality” was released as the second single off Ludacris’ Def Jam debut, Back For the First Time. The song peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 100 and No. 5 on the Billboard Rap Songs chart in 2001.
Elsewhere in the interview, the Atlanta rap legend reflected on his larger-than-life music videos and revealed Hov once said to him that he believes they’re the reason he doesn’t get the credit he deserves as an MC.
“It was big, but there was a downside to it because even JAY-Z was one of the ones that said, you know, he don’t think I get the lyrical credit that I deserve because of the visuals,” Luda said.
“People ask me, ‘Why don’t you think get the credit?’ Because I played too goddamn much, that’s what I do! And I wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s why my name is Ludacris, because it’s beyond crazy, it’s wild, it’s ridiculous.”
An OutKast fan was inspired to recreate one of the group’s classic tracks and share it, only to find Killer Mike did the same, accompanied by someone special.
On Tuesday (May 16), Menace, a Dallas DJ, uploaded a clip to his perspective social media pages showing him recreating the beat for OutKast’s “ATLiens.” The clip immediately sparked excitement and nostalgia among fans.
However, this wasn’t what caught the DJ’s attention, it was a message from Killer Mike, who contacted Menace and expressed his love of the rework. Additionally, he mentioned that he had shared it with Big Boi of OutKast.
“How fun is my life? Earlier today I made a video recreating the “Atliens” beat with the original sample. Hours later I get a text from Killer Mike as he’s watching the video with fucking BIG BOI in the studio!!!! Ha! Day made,” he wrote on Twitter.
How fun is my life? Earlier today I made a video recreating the "Atliens" beat with the original sample. Hours later I get a text from Killer Mike as he's watching the video with fucking BIG BOI in the studio!!!! Ha! Day made. pic.twitter.com/XKDUJzQFvB
“ATLiens” was the second single from the duo’s classic album of the same name, which was released in August 1996. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, and sold nearly 350,000 copies in the first few weeks of release.
OutKast — comprised of André “3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton — exploded onto the scene in the early ’90s with their debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, not only making them commercially successful, but driving Southern Hip Hop into the mainstream.
Many people, including Joe Budden, agree that the duo is among the best in Hip Hop history. During his appearance on Drink Champs in March, the rapper crowned OutKast the greatest rap group of all time when asked to pick between Mobb Deep or OutKast.
“OutKast is the greatest group of all time but I’m from New York,” Budden said. “I’m from New York, I mean but OutKast is better than Mob Deep. I’m not gonna be on camera saying otherwise. But Queens, Mobb Deep rest in peace Prodigy.”
Spotify is taking action against the current onslaught of A.I.-generated songs by reportedly removing a bunch of computer-generated tracks from its platform.
The popular streaming platform has taken down tens of thousands of artificial intelligence songs created using start-up A.I. song creator company Boomy, XXL confirmed with a rep for Spotify on Wednesday (May 10). This reportedly equates to seven percent of the songs posted on the platform created by the service, which launched in 2019. The songs were removed flagged and removed not specifically for use of A.I. but for “artificial streaming”—a tactic that utilizes online bots to boost the audience numbers for particular songs.
“Artificial streaming is a longstanding, industry-wide issue that Spotify is working to stamp out across our service,” a rep for Spotify tells XXL about the move. “When we identify or are alerted to potential cases of stream manipulation, we mitigate their impact by taking action that may include the removal of streaming numbers and the withholding of royalties. This allows us to protect royalty payouts for honest, hardworking artists.”
XXL has reached out to Boomy for comment.
The trend of A.I.-generated songs is taking over the music industry, with faux tracks popping up everyday from some of your favorite artists, some of whom are no longer with us. Music conglomerate Universal Music Group is trying to get ahead of the trend. They have successfully petitioned to get numerous A.I.-generated songs from their artists removed from streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.
The A.I. song takeover has sparked a debate as to whether it’s a good or bad thing for the music industry.
Jamie Foxx has made his first public statement since being hospitalized last month, and wants fans to know he’s “feeling blessed” for the love he’s received.
Following weeks of hospitalization and receiving encouragement from friends and fans alike, the actor and singer took to Instagram on Wednesday (May 3) to say thanks for “all the love.”
“Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed,” the 55-year-old wrote in his Instagram post.
Following his post, several friends and fans including Mary J. Blige, Ellen Degeneres, John Legend, wished the singer a speedy recovery in the comment section.
Jamie Foxx’s hospitalization was first announced by his daughter, Corinne Foxx, last month. She revealed he had experienced an unspecified “medical complication,” but was already on the mend.
“From the Foxx Family. We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday,” she said in a statement. “Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery.”
She added: “We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time. Much love, the Foxx Family.”
TMZ reported at the time that Jamie Foxx’s condition was serious enough that he had to be taken to the hospital, with members of his family visiting him. He was said to be “communicating now, and that’s good news.”
The super producer made the comments in an interview with Variety, shortly after being announced as the inaugural recipient of the publication’s Pioneer Award, which recognizes his massive impact on music.
Timbo confirmed that Missy is hard at work on her long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s The Cookbook, which could be out as soon as this summer.
“We’ve got a lot of songs we’re gonna start recording soon, and my dream is to have it out around her birthday in July,” he said. “I want it to sound how she looks — she looks incredible right now. We both look like we 19 again. I know how Missy works: It’s got to be new and fun — or maybe not so much new as kind of underground, and everything is upbeat.”
He continued: “Some of it has a kind of Latin feel to it, almost a Bad Bunny effect, some of it’s kinda like underground Brazilian funk. People gonna eat it up — and it might reach just a different demographic of people. It’s like it’s her doing… not reggaeton but Missy-ton.”
Timbaland went on to say that Missy’s influence is “global,” and that he hopes this new project can include some features from Bad Bunny and Latin artist Young Miko.
This isn’t the first time Timbaland has spoken about having new music in the works with Missy Elliott. The duo teased new tunes back in February, with Missy writing on her Instagram Story at the time: “@timbaland it’s go time.”
The Virginia natives made for one of the most dynamic and prolific duos in Hip Hop at the turn of the century. They worked closely together on Missy’s first five albums, spanning Supa Dupa Fly in 1997 to This Is Not a Test! in 2003.
Missy reflected on her boundary-pushing partnership with Timbo in a series of tweets last year, revealing that as their success grew, so did the pressure on their shoulders to deliver.
