Republic Records is banning the word “urban” from its company verbiage, doing away with the term for hip-hop and R&B, which many consider an antiquated generalization that marginalizes music by black artists. The label, which is home to artists like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and Taylor Swift, said on Instagram today that it will remove […]

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 […]

YouTube’s virtual Dear Class of 2020 event is now happening one day later — on Sunday (June 7) — due to a memorial service for George Floyd being held in Raeford, N.C. on June 6. The final lineup is stacked; BTS, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and many more are set to participate. While Swift will make a special appearance […]

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/ […]

Lauren London sat down with Jada Pinkett-Smith on Wednesday (June 3) to discuss the impact of growing up around gun violence, the legacy of her late parter Nipsey Hussle and how she educates her sons about handling police interactions. “What I instill in them is more about the police. How to handle yourself when you […]

With Black Music Month in full effect this year, African American artists are looking for ways to stay active, motivated, and committed on the fight for social change within their communities in light of the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Adbery and more. Spurred by the callous disregard for Black lives, artists […]

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 […]

A teenager was injured Wednesday night (June 3) after gunfire rang out during the filming of a music video in Atlanta, the city’s police said. Rapper YFN Lucci, whose real name is Rayshawn Bennett, was filming the music video in an apartment complex in the southeastern part of the city, Atlanta police told WGCL-TV. Police […]

Kanye West is donating a multi-million dollar sum for college savings funds for George Floyd’s daughter, plus legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families, Billboard can confirm. As the hip-hop star joins street protests in his hometown Chicago, Kanye has made a $2 million donation to assist the families of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and […]