Mixtape Mixup
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 […]
This year, Black Music Month takes a different turn. Because of the horrific deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and more, we at Billboard hope to uplift and empower African Americans during this cloudy and dubious time. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the remainder of the month, an artist will provide a […]
The reporter has since offered a public apology to the rapper. Cardi B had some harsh words Tuesday (June 2) for a reporter who took her words out of context in regards to the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. The drama all started when KTLA reporter Doug Kolk ran a segment using part of the […]
Artists from all corners of the music industry are calling on labels, streaming services and other corporate entities to contribute to the cause of racial justice. In the midst of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, The Weeknd issued a challenge on Tuesday (June 2) directly to Warner Music, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, […]
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, […]
Kelis took to social media on Tuesday (June 2) to call for widespread structural change in the music industry’s treatment of Black artists. “If the music industry wants to support Black lives, labels and platforms can start with amending contracts, distributing royalties, diversifying boardrooms, and retroactively paying back all the Black artists, and their families, […]
Protesters in New York broke out into a chant on Tuesday night (June 2) in an effort to get the NYPD to to unblock the Manhattan Bridge, where marchers had gathered in the latest night of protests in memory of George Floyd. And in classic New York fashion, they picked a solidly profane anthem for […]
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 […]
On a day when the music industry took a pause to reflect on Black Out Tuesday, Jay-Z and Team Roc took out full-page newspaper ads across the nation honoring George Floyd. The ads featured a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from a speech in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 in which the late civil […]