January 2018


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The biggest Hip-Hop festival this year is taking place in Miami, as Rolling Loud 2018 reveals its lineup. The 4th annual festival will be headlined by J. Cole, Travis Scott and Future this spring. Lil’ Wayne, Migos, N.E.R.D., Cardi B, Wiz Khalifa, Young Thug, The Diplomats, Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, Post Malone and Juicy J are some of the big names taking part in the three-day event. Other acts like Action Bronson, Russ, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil’ Yachty, Jaden Smith, A$AP Ferg, Chief Keef, Tory Lanez, Trick Daddy and Trina, and more make up the loaded bill.

The 2018 Rolling Loud Festival takes place May 11-13 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Music lovers planning to make the trip can purchase tickets here starting this Friday (Feb. 2) at 10 a.m. EST. See the full three-day lineup below.

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The Save Money collective are best known for their three stars: Vic Mensa, Chance the Rapper and Towkio. The Chicago-based crew now shines the light on Brian Fresco, who is getting set to drop the follow-up to 2016’s Casanova project. For his new single, Fresco links up with MMG’s Rockie Fresh and veteran singer Avery Storm on “Tonight.”

I really enjoyed working on this new project. And all after all the hard work, it feels very rewarding to send the project to influencers, execs, and DJs around the country and hear them say the project is pretty good and I have singles that can possibly chart — including ‘Tonight,’” Fresco tells Billboard, who premiered the song. “I’m very excited about this record and the release of this new project.”

Listen below.

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The 2018 NFL Super Bowl takes place this weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN. The most-watched sporting event every year, companies seize the moment with big-budget commercials that air during the football spectacle. Amazon is one of the big name companies set to debut a new commercial on Sunday night, with help from a few stars including Cardi B. In the full viral ad debuted on Wednesday (Jan. 31), the “Bodak Yellow” rapper takes the place of Amazon’s popular virtual assistant Alexa. Alexa, who loses her voice, is replaced by a list of celebrities including Cardi, Anthony Hopkins, Rebel Wilson, Gordon Ramsay and more.

Watch the hilarious spot below.

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In addition to appearing on Touré’s podcast (which, by the way, is a must-listen), Kendrick Lamar also took to Twitter today to reveal the tracklisting for Black Panther: The Album. Curated by Top Dawg Entertainment, the 14-song soundtrack includes original music from the label’s stars like Kendrick, ScHoolboy Q, SZA, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock, as well as Travi$ Scott, The Weeknd, Future, 2 Chainz, Vince Staples, Anderson .Paak, James Blake, Swae Lee, Jorja Smith, SOB x RBE, Zacari and Mozzy, who Kendrick shouted out during his Best Rap Album GRAMMYs speech.

Black Panther: The Album drops February 9, while the Black Panther movie hits theaters on February 12.

Check out the tracklisting below…

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On the latest episode of the Touré Show, a podcast hosted by decorated writer Touré dedicated to picking the brain of some of the most successful people in art and culture, Touré sits down with the greatest rapper alive, Kendrick Lamar. Backstage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center last fall, Kendrick discusses everything from how Malcolm X inspired his approach to making music and meeting Obama in the Oval Office to the psychological impact of witnessing murder from an early age. “It completely chipped at my confidence,” he admits.

The in-depth interview also finds Kendrick talking about his greatest record (“Alright”) and greatest verse (“FEAR.”), how managing his obsessive passion for music is a bigger challenge for him than resisting the trappings of fame, and why his work carries such powerful and important messages. “My mistakes, the knowledge that I have, the wisdom that I have, it’s not just a job or entertainment for me; this is a lifestyle, this is what I have to offer to the world,” he says. “‘Cause when I’m gone, I can rest peacefully knowing that I contributed to this right here — the mind.”

Listen below…

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The annual Panorama Festival announced the lineup for this summer’s event on Wednesday (Jan. 31). The Weeknd, Janet Jackson and The Killers serve as headliners for the 2018 edition. Migos, SZA, Cardi B, Gucci Mane, Dua Lipa, Jhené Aiko, Daniel Caesar, Soulection, The XX and more also make up the bill. The 2018 Panorama Festival runs from July 27-July 29 at Randall’s Park Island in New York City. Live music lovers planning to attend can purchase tickets beginning this Friday, Feb 2. at 10 a.m. EST.

See the full three-day lineup below.

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Fresh off winning his first-ever Grammy Award, Childish Gambino decides to re-issue his 2011 EP project. Partnering with his creative agency Wolf + Rothstein, Gambino has made the five-track EP available on on all major streaming platforms for the first-time. “Artists should never be in the position where the industry hinders their creative output,” Gambino’s manager, Wolf Taylor, tells Billboard. “Our goal is to give our artists the ability to release content when and where they want. Partnering with Stem has allowed us to maintain our major label resources while providing us with a platform to independently release our special projects.”

The move comes after the Atlanta star announced the retirement of Childish Gambino after his upcoming fourth studio album drops. Fans can expect new music from Gambino, aka Donald Glover, this year year via his new deal with RCA Records.

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Fresh off earning his very first Oscar nomination (Best Original Song for “Stand Up For Something” from the Marshall soundtrack), Common stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers last night. The Chicago rapper talked about attending last weekend’s GRAMMY Awards, his new supergroup with Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins, and his relationship with Chance The Rapper, who he left an encouraging voice mail for (at the urging of his grandmother) eight years before meeting him.

On a more political note, Common also discussed his powerful new TV show The Chi, which he stars in and executive produced, and how being involved with the Selma movie inspired him to become more politically active. “It simply boils down to, with all that’s going on in the world, with people feeling so nervous and fearful about things, we gotta empower ourselves to know that we are in control of our destiny as a country as a whole,” he said. “And being active is one of those ways to connect that.”

Watch below…

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Twelve’Len is back with a new video for the song “Free The 4,” off his latest project Swim. The self-directed visual finds the Florida-based vocalist posted up in different places around his hometown of Carol City. Watch the captivating clip after the jump and look out for more music to drop from him soon.

Watch below…

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With his debut album, Dear Annie set to drop on February 16, Irish rapper Rejjie Snow unloads the project’s latest leak, “Rainbows.” Premiered by Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 show, the song follows up his well-received Aminé and KAYTRANADA-assisted collaboration “Egyptian Luvr.”

Stream the track below and be sure to purchase Dear Annie when it’s released in full next month.

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