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Bill Withers ‘Didn’t Live Out Loud’: Engineer Dave Hampton Salutes the Man Behind the Music

Most people don’t know him by name, but Dave Hampton is one of the music industry’s top-flight audio engineers. His clientele has included Prince, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, RZA, M.I.A. — and Bill Withers, who died on Monday (March 30) at the age of 81. In this exclusive as-told-to, Los Angeles-based Hampton goes beyond the […]

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Of Bill Withers' 'Profound & Poetic' Songs, This Was John Legend's Favorite to Perform

“He loved our take on the song and emailed around to see how he could get ahold of me to say how much he loved it and how grateful he was for what we were doing,” Legend tells Billboard of Withers’ appreciation for “I Can’t Write Left Handed” cover. Back in 2009, John Legend and […]

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7 Things You Might Have Missed Inside Drake's House in 'Toosie Slide' Video

Drake returned Friday (April 3) with his latest single in the dance-heavy “Toosie Slide.” The Oz-produced record is sure to dominate apps like TikTok, with everyone quarantined inside, and should easily land Drizzy his 209th Billboard Hot 100 entry, after breaking the record in March. The 6 God also dropped off a visual to go […]

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Playboi Carti Arrested on Drug & Gun Charges

On Thursday night, Playboi Carti was arrested on gun and drug charges in Clayton Country, Ga. According to the Clayton County Sheriff’s department, Carti, born Jordan Carter, was pulled over for having an expired tag on his Lamborghini. During the deputies’ search, they located 12 bags of marijuana, three guns, Xanax, codeine and oxycodone. Carti, […]

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Laced Up: This Week's Coolest Sneaker Sightings With DaBaby, Lil Wayne & More

Thanks to the rise of celebrity collaborations over the past decade, sneaker culture has blossomed as one of the most coveted sectors in the fashion industry. From Drake’s close relationship to Nike, to Virgil Abloh’s rare Off-White x Nike collaborations, your favorites love showing off their fresh kicks just as much as they love designing […]

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Vybz Kartel's Murder Conviction Upheld by Jamaican Appeals Court

A three-member Jamaican court of appeals panel has upheld reggae dancehall recording artist Vybz Kartel’s 2014 murder conviction. The Kingston court released a 235-page opinion Friday (April 3) detailing its reasoning in dismissing the appeals of Kartel and his co-defendants, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John, and in affirming their convictions. Because of […]

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Will Smith's Bel-Air Athletics Teams With D-Nice For Club Quarantine Hoodie Benefiting Covid-19 Relief: Exclusive

D-Nice’s Club Quarantine Instagram Live parties have been the place to be. The Bronx native’s now-fabled party from earlier this month (March 21) ballooned to amass more than 100,000 viewers, which included celebrities pulling up from Michelle Obama to Drake throughout the nine-hour rager, and earned him more than 1 million followers on IG. For his […]

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From Drake to Sam Hunt, What's Your Favorite New Release of the Week? Vote!

The end of another week brings a host of new music by everyone from Drake and DaBaby to Sam Hunt and Steve Aoki, and Billboard wants to know which new release you have on repeat! Will you be spending the weekend making TikTok videos to Drake’s infectious “Toosie Slide”? Have you been waiting five-plus years […]

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Kiana Lede Celebrates 23rd Birthday With Debut Album 'Kiki'

Kiana Lede isn’t only enjoying her 23rd birthday today (April 3), but also the release of her long-awaited debut album, KIKI.  Anchored by her spicy single “Mad At You,” the 17-track collection finds the soulful songbird rubbing shoulders with some of R&B’s most promising stars, including Lucky Daye, Ari Lennox, and Arin Ray. Lede also collides […]

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15 Songs Containing Bill Withers Samples: From Kanye West to Shawn Mendes to 'No Diggity'

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers passed away Friday morning (April 3) due to heart complications, The Associated Press confirmed in a statement from Withers’ family. He was 81. The West Virginia native was renowned for his numerous soulful hits in the 70’s, which included “Just the Two of Us,” “Lovely Day,” “Lean on Me,” and more. The […]