In a week when the heart of the country is heavy with protests, police violence and the fight for racial justice, artists from Run the Jewels to Kane Brown and YG have channeled the national mood into powerful new music. Soundtracking this particular moment in history feels more important than ever, and Billboard wants to […]
Trey Songz unveiled his new single “2020 Riots: How Many Times” on Friday (June 5) in honor of the Black Lives Matter protests currently erupting across the country. The fiery song finds the R&B singer channeling his righteous anger over the senseless killings of Black men and women including the recent deaths of George Floyd, […]
As the Black community continues its ongoing bout with racism in America, Meek Mill looks to project his voice amidst the madness with his blistering new track “Other Side of America.” Sampling Donald Trump’s infamous 2016 campaign speech targeted against African Americans, Meek gives an explosive breakdown of his come-up in Philly. “N—a, we homeless/ […]
There haven’t been many bright moments over the past week, during which Pres. Trump threatened to send the military to quell protests in American cities and endless footage of police hitting protesters with batons and “less-lethal” rubber bullets have filled our feeds. But on Thursday (June 4), the unlikely duo of Ice-T and soft rock […]
Just two days before it was to begin streaming, We Are Freestyle Love Supreme, a documentary about the hip-hop improv group with Lin-Manuel Miranda and friends, has postponed its release out of solidarity with protesters. The group announced the postponement Wednesday, citing that our “collective attention” is turned toward more pressing concerns. The film had […]
Run the Jewels anticipated album RTJ 4 has arrived earlier than expected. Originally slated for Friday (June 5), the 11-track collection features appearances from Pharrell, 2 Chainz, DJ Premier, and more. “F–k it, why wait? The world is invested with bullsh-t, so here’s something raw to listen to while you deal with it all,” the group said […]
While citizens nationwide are protesting the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis officer kneeled on his neck for nine minutes, musicians and others in the music industry are also speaking up and looking for ways to help end racism and bring about accountability. We at Billboard — like the many artists, companies, […]
Lil Nas X took to Twitter on Tuesday (June 2) to share his reaction to a popular video from the Black Lives Matter protests happening in Texas. “The time has arrived,” the rapper captioned his gleeful retweet of the viral video, which features a group of at least a dozen Black cowboys riding up to […]
As nationwide protests continue to grow, demanding justice for George Floyd and the black community as a whole, YG has shared a new protest song titled “FTP (F— the Police).” Sharing the news of the song on Instagram, the rapper also revealed that he had to cancel his planned demonstration on Hollywood and Vine in […]
Today the music industry (and beyond) is observing #BlackoutTuesday in response to institutionalized racism and the continued murder of Black civilians at the hands of police. Today, Instagram is flooded with blackout images that represent alignment with the stance, but before you post: Please don’t confuse the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday with #BlackLivesMatter, because vital information regarding the […]