Travis Kelce announced the return of his one-day music festival, Kelce Jam, on Tuesday in an Instagram post. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end revealed that this year’s headliners include Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Diplo, and Kansas City rap legend Tech N9ne, who performed at last year’s inaugural concert. Kelce Jam will be held May 18 and live-streamed from the Azura Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Ticket pre-sales begin Friday at 10 a.m. CT with general admission tickets starting at just $49.99. Cash App card holders will have first access to passes a day earlier.

Bernard Arnault Tops Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos on Forbes’ 2024 Billionaires List

Forbes released its annual top billionaires list and topping the 2024 roster is Bernard Arnault & family with an estimated net worth of $233 billion. The French businessman oversees the LVMH empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, and Veuve Clicquot. In second place is Elon Musk with a net worth of $195 billion followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos at $194 billion. Rounding out the top five are fellow tech giant Mark Zuckerberg ($177 billion) and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison ($141 billion).

Iowa-LSU Generates Most FanDuel Bets of Any Sporting Event on Monday

Millions turned into Monday night’s women’s Elite Eight games, and it appears many attempted to capitalize on its betting potential. According to FanDuel, LSU–Iowa was the No. 1 betting event on the sports gambling platform Monday, beating all of NBA, MLB, and NHL contests. UConn vs. USC was the third-highest of the day. Additionally, the LSU-Iowa contest was a record night in total handle for a women’s sporting event at FanDuel and a 28% jump compared to last year’s 2023 NCAA women’s national championship game. Iowa enters Friday’s Final Four showdown as a 2.5-point favorite over the Huskies while South Carolina is an 11.5-point favorite over NC State.

Silver Lake to Take Endeavor Private in Deal Valued at $13B

After three years as a publicly traded company, Endeavor is going private, after the company agreed to terms with majority shareholder Silver Lake in a deal valued at $13 billion. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025. Based in Beverly Hills, the sports and entertainment firm owns talent agencies WME and IMG as well as assets like the PBR bull riding organization, betting data corporation OpenBet, marketing agency 160over90, and hospitality group On Location. TKO Group Holdings, which was created last year following the merger of WWE and Endeavor-owned UFC, is not part of the Endeavor-Silver Lake transaction and will remain a publicly traded corporation.

Dreamville Festival Contributed Over $145M to Raleigh Economy in 2023

Ahead of J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival this weekend, the rapper and organizers of the festivities released a report revealing the festival’s economic impact from last year, which totals more than a nine-figure contribution to the local community. According to the findings, Dreamville Festival contributed $145.9 million to the Raleigh economy, which equals 1,327 full-time jobs. About 100,000 attendees trekked from across the world, resulting in hotels across Wake County selling out, with 94% county occupancy on Saturday night. Confirmed performers for this year’s affair this weekend include J. Cole himself, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Sexxy Redd, and 50 Cent, who is replacing Saturday headliner Chris Brown after he had to drop out due to unforeseen circumstances.

A ‘Suits’ Re-Watch Podcast is Coming to SiriusXM

Two stars from the show Suits will co-host a podcast where they rewatch the show and discuss each episode. Though the legal drama originally aired from 2011 to 2019 on USA Network, it experienced a massive jump in popularity last year after it was added to Netflix and Peacock. As a result, it became the most streamed show of 2023 and was viewed for 57.7 billion minutes. Patrick J. Adams and Sarah Rafferty, who play Mike Ross and Donna Paulsen, respectively, will lead the show for SiriusXM. Deadline adds that Adams and Rafferty will be joined by cast members and crew as well as friends and fans of the program throughout the series.

The post Travis Kelce Taps Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Tech N9ne for Return of Kelce Jam appeared first on Boardroom.

Live music is back. With its third-quarter report, Live Nation revealed that it has sold over 140 million tickets thus far in 2023. After an extended pause in the wake of the international pandemic, fans are scooping tickets to see their favorite acts live on stage.

From Drake and 21 Savage’s “It’s All a Blur” Tour to Travis Scott’s “Circus Maximus” experience, there are opportunities to see several of your favorite acts IRL.

However, how do today’s modern moguls compare to their historical hip-hop peers? Boardroom breaks down the highest grossing hip-hop touring acts of all time.

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Top-grossing Touring Hip-hop Artists of All Time: The Top 10

1. Drake

• Career Gross: $472.9 million
• Tickets Sold: 3.9 million
• Shows: 304
• Average Gross per Show: $1.55 million
• Fun fact: On July 28 and 29, Drake became the first artist to net more than $5 million during back-to-back arena shows as part of his “It’s All a Blur” Tour, bringing in $10.064 million over the two-night stint.

2. Jay-Z

• Career Gross (to date): $430.5 million
• Tickets Sold: 7.4 million
• Shows: 402
• Average Gross per Show: $1.07 million
• Fun fact: 2013’s Magna Carta World Tour grossed $31.2 million in profit.

3. Post Malone

• Career Gross: $245.7 million
• Tickets Sold: 3.4 million
• Shows: 225
• Average Gross per Show: $1.09
• Fun fact: Post Malone’s three-night run at O2 Arena in May 2023 sold out the 20,000-seat venue and brought in more than $5 million.

4. Kendrick Lamar

• Career Gross: $164.5 million
• Tickets Sold: 1.7 million
• Shows: 142
• Average Gross per Show: $1.16 million
• Fun fact: Kendrick Lamar and his creative agency, pgLang, announced in Nov. 2023 that they are pairing up with Global Citizen to launch “Move Afrika.” The tour will kick off on Dec. 6 in Kigali, Rwanda.

5. Kanye West

• Career Gross: $161.2 million
• Tickets Sold: 2.3 million
• Shows: 240
• Average Gross per Show: $671K
• Fun fact: 2016’s Saint Pablo Tour brought in $52.8 million across 41 dates; however, the tour was cut short when West was hospitalized in Dec 2016.

6. Eminem

• Career Gross: $151.7
• Tickets Sold: 2.3 million
• Shows: 103
• Average Gross per Show: $1.47 million
• Fun fact: In 2011, Eminem’s “Loud Tour” grossed over $90 million. In a two-night stint at the Sydney Football Stadium, he brought in more than $5 million in revenue a night, totaling $10.4 million.

7. Black Eyed Peas

• Career Gross: $119.4 million
• Tickets Sold: 2 million
• Shows: 193
• Average Gross per Show: $618K
• Fun fact: The Black Eyed Peas hit the road on its first tour with Fergie in support of their album The E.N.D. The international tour included 100 dates.

8. Lil Wayne

• Career Gross: $111.7 million
• Tickets Sold: 2 million
• Shows: 234
• Average Gross per Show: $477K
• Fun fact: Between Dec 2008 and Sept. 2009, Weezy put on 78 shows and emerged as the year’s top-grossing touring hip-hop artist. At the time, the $42 million total took the top spot in history for a rap artist.

Go Behind the Scenes of Dreamville.

From J. Cole & Drake to Usher pulling an April Fools’ Day prank, Boardroom was on the ground at the monumental third year of J. Cole’s annual festival.

Check it out!

9. J. Cole

• Career Gross: $91.1 million
• Tickets Sold: 1.4 million
• Shows: 146
• Average Gross per Show: $623K
• Fun fact: These figures do not include J. Cole and Dreamville’s annual festival. Last year’s edition brought in over 100,000 fans to Raleigh’s Dorthea Dix Park.

10. 50 Cent

• Career Gross: $81.7 million
• Tickets Sold: 1.9 million
• Shows: 174
• Average Gross per Show: $1.55 million40
• Fun fact: In a 2023 interview, 50 Cent revealed that his nightly performance fee has increased tenfold throughout his career. He told Billboard, “I think he [Master P] gave me like $80,000, and now I’m getting like $900,000, $1 million.”

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The post Highest-grossing Touring Hip-hop Artists of All Time appeared first on Boardroom.

LeBron James is in talks with Peyton Manning and Barack and Michelle Obama to develop a basketball docuseries for Netflix similar to the NFL’s “Quarterback,” The Wall Street Journal writes. LeBron‘s production company, SpringHill Entertainment, is working with Manning’s Omaha Productions, the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions, and the NBA on the program. It’s unclear what athletes will be featured on the unscripted project or when it is slated to begin filming.

Lil Wayne & Kid LAROI Investing in MLP’s Texas Ranchers

On Tuesday, Major League Pickleball team Texas Ranchers announced that rapper Lil Wayne joined the team’s ownership group and will serve as a strategic advisor. Per the release, Weezy will “provide direction for the brand to help drive national and local fandom to the sport, further strengthening the Texas Ranchers position as America’s Pickleball Team.” Lil Wayne isn’t the only one to join the ownership group: The Ranchers added that rapper The Kid LAROI, commentator and former NFL pro Emmanuel Acho, LA Clippers owner and CEO of Verbena Road Holdings Dennis Wong, and more business moguls are also a part of the 30-plus cohort.

J Balvin, Steve Aoki Headline Formula 1 Las Vegas Opening Ceremony Lineup

The lineup for the opening ceremony of the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix has been announced, with festivities scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Nine musical artists will take the stage: Andra Day, Bishop Briggs, J Balvin, Journey, Keith Urban, Steve Aoki, Swedish House Mafia, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and will.i.am. There will also be appearances by the Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase, but for those unable to attend in person, ESPN2 will broadcast the ceremony nationally, while the F1 YouTube channel will stream the show for its international audience.

Spotify Reports Increase in Active Subscribers, Total Revenue in Q3

Spotify shared fiscal third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, and the streaming service revealed a net profit of $69.1 million.  The platform’s monthly active users experienced a 26% increase to 574 million — 2 million ahead of guidance — making it the second-largest Q3 net addition performance in company history. Premium subscribers also hit 226 million, a 6 million increase from Q2’s amount. Finally, total revenue grew 11% to $3.6 billion compared with Q3 2022. Spotify attributed “the early effects of price increases” as a catalyst for the 11% year-over-year revenue growth. Earlier this year, the Swedish company increased the cost of the monthly bill for users anywhere from $1 to $2, depending on the plan.

Instagram to Test Meta Verified-only Feed

Instagram is adding even more benefits to its verified program. In an attempt to persuade more users to pay for the Meta Verified service, The Verge reports that Meta has been working on a new option that will let users choose only to see posts from verified accounts. The toggle will appear as an option under “Following” and “Favorites” when you tap the Instagram logo at the app’s top. Meta Verified costs $11.99 monthly on the web or $14.99 when you subscribe via the iOS or Android apps. Benefits include verification with a government ID, proactive account protection, access to direct account support, and more.

Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino Tequila Partners with the Atlanta Hawks

Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino tequila announced Tuesday a multi-year partnership as the official spirit of the Atlanta Hawks and a partner of State Farm Arena. Fans can sip signature cocktails featuring the spirit at the venue’s Delta Sky360 Club. Later this season, Gran Coramino will be hosting a contest for a chance to sit in Hart‘s courtside seats at one of the Hawks‘ home games. This announcement follows the September reveal that Gran Coramino inked a multi-year pact with the Philadelphia Eagles as the official luxury tequila of the Birds.

The post LeBron James & Peyton Manning Teaming Up with the Obamas on Netflix Hoops Docuseries appeared first on Boardroom.

Combing through clouds in a baby blue jet designed by Virgil Abloh, Drake’s sky-high status in 2023 is one that affords $242 million private planes and stadium stints that land like residencies.

Toronto’s chosen son and OVO Sound co-founder is the international player his Southern predecessors prophesized, capable of crooning coyly on soul samples and barring up the best. Drake’s ability to rap and sing simultaneously and spectacularly makes him not only a master of ceremony but a master of surprise.

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This proved true in 2023 more than ever.

Coming off a year when he released both rap and house projects, the Her Loss rapper doubled down by announcing his fourth album in three years while touring North America. He possesses the gravity to conquer New York City arenas for seven-night stretches, diving into Diamond singles and album cuts alone on stage.

Despite levitating in an atmosphere all his own and amassing enough streams to drown The Atlantic, his focus has always been the open road.

“I make my music strictly for the purpose of driving at night time,” Drake told CBC News in 2013.

Ten years ago, long before the self-proclaimed 6 God was pushing a 767, the nocturnal Northern was working hard on the art of duality.

Releasing Nothing Was the Same, a concentrated classic even the artist born Aubrey Graham calls his best, the then-26-year-old outliner was able to blend and balance genres by building out OVO Sound.

“I tried to find the perfect balance between rapping and melody,” Drake noted. “To blur the lines so that even when I am singing it doesn’t feel like singing, and even when I’m rapping the cadences are almost melodic to the point that they stick in your head.”

Signing talent and penning personal tracks, he laid a foundation with his core audience even at his highest heights. The immediate result was a 4x Platinum project that spawned seven singles and attained critical praise. The longtail earnings were far greater.

Leading up to the release of For All the Dogs and on the heels of the 10th anniversary of Drake’s pivotal project, learn how Nothing Was the Same changed everything for the force who prophesized still being around a decade from now a decade ago.

Fight Music

At its core, hip-hop is the most confrontational and aspirational art form.

Coming off the release of his sophomore studio album Take Care, Drake had become more successful than any So Far Gone single could’ve yearned for.

His second straight No. 1 album afforded the money and the clothes, landing him $20 million off the record and paving the way for an Air Jordan apparel partnership. Drake was popular, paid, and praised. For the first time in his career, the critics and consumers were completely aligned with Aubrey.

Take Care delivered Drake’s first Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards and sold roughly 10 million copies worldwide.

Drake was on top, but with success can come envy.

Over the course of his come-up, hip-hop gods took shots at Drake in an attempt to sell records while rap royalty even formed a throne.

Tensions definitely rose as subtle swings and a more aggressive edge from The Boy began popping up on features like Rick Ross’ “Stay Schemin” and 2 Chainz’s “No Lie.” If there was any question of where Drake was willing to take it, he answered all by setting the tone in the spring of 2013.

Days before grabbing his first Grammy at the 55th annual ceremony, Drake uploaded “Started From the Bottom” as the first record from Nothing Was the Same. Far firmer than “Best I Ever Had,” “Over,” or even “Headlines,” he recast revenge weeks later with “5 AM in Toronto.”

For an artist once criticized for being too emotional, he was handling anger and handing out punchlines that landed harder than melodic hooks. In a matter of months, rap’s rising pop prince was war-ready, putting out music fit for UFC entrances.

As always, the master of surprise always knew there were two sides to the OVO coin.

It’s Hard to Do These Things Alone

In the late aughts, rap rollouts came with a fool-proof two-pronged formula: feed fans of all spectrums through a street single and a pop play.

Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” was to be boosted by “Stronger” and Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” by “Lollipop,” giving an artist MTV Jam of the Week and a TRL charter all at once. Sensing smoke from bullies and battle rappers alike would make most emcees duck for cover or goon up.

Knowing himself, Drake brought his bars to the booth and signed singers. In 2013, OVO Sound became home to names such as Partynextdoor and Majid Jordan.

Each R&B act came equipped with strong vocals, potent pens, and lush production. Nothing Was the Same meant more of everything diluted down to the purest level.

Pulling in producers like Nineteen85 and OG Ron C, Drake and 40’s vision for OVO Sound became a boutique brand that could deliver high-level music across genres of R&B, dancehall, pop, and more.

From Toronto to Tokyo, OVO Sound was born and bred as a trustworthy brand for both fans and artists alike. A decade after the debut of Nothing Was the Same, it’s changed the lives of many and put out praised projects in rap, R&B, dancehall, and more.

Rather than rev off the sizzle of “Started From the Bottom,” Drake directed his team to enter an unexpected realm.

“The first single was ‘Started From the Bottom,'” OVO producer Nineteen85 told Boardroom in February. “I met Majid Jordan in person. We started going back and forth on some ideas, working on Drake’s direction of ‘I just need something different. I need something that’s going to force me to be in a different space.'”

Going outside of one’s comfort zone is always challenging, especially for someone who makes others uncomfortable. Upon arrival, there was skepticism surrounding Drake and anyone who was deemed two things at once.

Early articles magnified the dichotomy of Drake – being both a rapper and a singer, Canadian and American, Black and Jewish, a child actor and adult musician. While most men in the spotlight in their early 20s would fight for a position through an easy-to-digest identity, Drake always owned his duality in a personal, visual, and sonic sense.

Desiring different, OVO Sound’s newest signees began building a second single that would be “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” Like Lauryn Hill before him, he could have his “Lost Ones” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” on one album.

He could spar at The Shelter and sing at a wedding all at once.

As Nineteen85 recalls, the original rendition of “Hold On, We’re Going Home” was a blazing house track set to 124bpm. While working on the record and tinkering with the speed, Drake stepped in and identified exactly where he wanted it.

“We kept building around the beat,” 85 said. “Drake walked in and was like, ‘Yo! Stop whatever you guys are doing. Just stop right here and don’t do anything more.’ That’s when he took over and it became this monster.”

Seated at the right hand of Whitney Houston and Paul the Apostle, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” became an instant hit that still scores weddings. The Nothing Was the Same standout shipped Platinum in seven countries and expanded Aubrey’s already rapid reach.

“In approaching this album I was like, ‘man, it would be great if we had a record that was played at weddings in 10 years,'” Drake told MTV in 2013. “Or that people that are away from their families in the Armed Forces could listen to. Something that just [has] timeless writing, timeless melody.”

An instant classic, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” hit No. 1 on the US Rhythmic and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song charts. Nineteen85’s first single placement at OVO proved Platinum status while Majid Jordan jumped into rotation worldwide thanks to the placement.

Once again, Drake surprised fans and skeptics, attaining commercial and critical success all at once.

That year, Pitchfork named “Hold On, We’re Going Home” as the Best Song of 2013, beating out critical darlings such as Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, Ye, and HAIM. Keep in mind, this is the same year hit collaborations “Get Lucky” by Daft Pink and Pharrell as well as Disclosure and Sam Smith’s “Latch” dropped.

A pop star, not a doctor, Drake curated a surgical summer that set the way for a flourishing fall. October’s Very Own was set to own October and every autumn after.

Trying to Connect with Something

On Sept. 24, 2013, Drake released his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same.

True to its title, the original Champagne Papi’s project put out by his new label would change everything. Introducing Nineteen85, Partynexdoor, and Majid Jordan to the preliminary OVO Sound roster, each act would now live as its own entity.

“We pride ourselves on introducing artists that weren’t known,” OVO Sound president Mr. Morgan told Boardroom in February.

Since signing with OVO, 85 has won a Grammy, produced a Diamond record, and toured the world with his R&B outfit, dvsn.

Partynextdoor penned Rihanna’s 9x Platinum single “Work” featuring Drake while having hits of his own from “Not Nice” to “Believe It.”

Majid Jordan continues to put out praised projects that take them around the globe, including tracks “Gave Your Love Away” and “My Love.”

“It was always operating as a platform,” Morgan said. “Drake’s perspective was always, ‘Use our platform. It’s attached to me, but it’s about artists that can stand on their own feet.'”

Through the guidance of Drake, Morgan, Oliver El-Khatib, and 40, OVO has soared in sonics and apparel, said to do over $50 million in annual sales strictly where clothing was concerned. The OVO origin all aligns with an album and moment where Drake was seemingly everywhere at once – musically and promotionally.

“He had a very clear vision of who he was, who he wanted to be, and what he was going to accomplish,” Morgan said.

What Drake accomplished on Nothing Was the Same was a concise classic that still connects with fans ten years later. To this day, the singles and deep cuts identify with arena-sized audiences because it’s also his most personal project.

Dialed into rapping with commercial expectations and singing amidst shots from industry heroes, Drake proceeded to flex his staying power and delivered his most fluid foray; positioning himself at the center of conversation through culture and hip-hop.

Despite his skyrocketing status, it’s the songs never released for radio — or ever at all — that still score nighttime drives for fans who’ve gone on to pack stadiums just like the artist himself.

“Where do we start?” Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker told Boardroom in September. “‘Tuscan Leather’? ‘Too Much’? ‘Pound Cake’? ‘Connect’? That’s one of my favorites. It’s hard to pinpoint your favorite album when it comes to him because it just depends on what you’re going through in life at that time.”

Having amassed more slaps than The Beatles, Drake himself is at a time in life where his success means spending more time in the air than driving around the 305 or riding through the 6 on his leisure.

Time is money for the man with his head in the clouds. Even with a highly-anticipated album slated to arrive tomorrow, the context of a classic is less grounded in instant gratification but more solidified through longevity down the line.

“I make music that ages well,” Drake told Rap Radar in 2019. “So sometimes you have to revisit the projects to realize. The reason why Nothing Was the Same is my favorite album is because of the fact that it was probably my most concise album. And within that concise offering was a lot of great shit.”

Whether flying in private jets or playing packed-out arenas – or simply driving alone – an album that delivered smash singles upon release is still paying dividends today and distributes deep impact as it transcends time.

@boardroom Drake’s level of braggadocious reaches new heights on his ‘For All The Dogs’ album. We take a look the record’s most lofty lyrics in the first installment of “Boardroom Bars.” #drake #forallthedogs #hiphop #rapper ♬ original sound – Boardroom

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The post The Enduring Equity of Drake’s ‘Nothing Was the Same’ appeared first on Boardroom.

WWE‘s SmackDown is returning to USA Network in October 2024 in a five-year agreement with NBCUniversal, according to The Wall Street Journal. The deal is estimated at approximately $1.4 billion, a 40% increase from Fox’s deal for the program. Fox has been the home for SmackDown since 2019. Additionally, WWE will produce four yearly primetime specials for NBC’s broadcast network. The specials will air on NBC starting in the 2024-25 season.

Will Smith Throws it Back with ‘Class of 88’ Podcast

Will Smith is hosting a limited podcast, Class of ’88, celebrating one of the most defining years of hip-hop. Produced by Wondery, Audible, Westbrook, and Awfully Nice, the show will feature the likes of Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, and Chuck D. Guests will pay homage to the music, fashion, and film that left a mark on the genre at the time and are still recognized today. The Oscar-winning actor and DJ Jazzy Jeff enjoyed commercial success in 1988 with their hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” The track made history as the first to win the Grammy for Best Rap Performance at the 1989 awards. All eight episodes of the Class of ’88 will come out on Oct. 26 exclusively on Amazon Music and Audible.

Lil Wayne Announces ‘Tha Fix Before Tha VI’

Tha Carter VI is on the way, but Lil Wayne doesn’t want his fans to wait for the new project to be completed before hitting them with new music. The New Orleans rapper announced that he will drop Tha Fix Before Tha VI via his social media accounts. Weezy has stayed busy recently, leading out Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team last weekend in Boulder and making routine appearances on Skip Bayless’ Undisputed, for which he also recorded a new theme song.

Quavo Visits the White House to Discuss Gun Violence

Quavo is turning the grief he experienced after losing his nephew and fellow Migos member Takeoff to gun violence into activism. The Atlanta-raised emcee was in Washington, DC, on Wednesday for a panel discussion on gun violence prevention. Partnering with the Community Justice Action Fund, the 32-year-old met with members of Congress and, afterward, met privately with Vice President Kamala Harris. Quavo and his family — including his sister, Titania Davenport, Takeoff’s mother — have launched The Rocket Foundation to honor the late rapper’s legacy and support programs that save lives through community-based solutions to prevent gun violence.

Rupert Murdoch is Leaving Fox, Hands the Reins to Son

Billionaire media exec Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corporation, effective mid-November, the 92-year-old announced Thursday. In a memo to staff, Murdoch said, “For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams.” In the note, Murdoch added that his son Lachlan, who already serves as chief executive of Fox Corporation, will become the sole chairman of both companies.

Microsoft Unveils New Surface Device, AI Software at NYC Event

Microsoft is preparing for its next generation of computing products. The tech giant hosted an event in New York City on Thursday that spotlighted its newest devices and its newest software, Windows 11. The company unveiled the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and the Surface Laptop Go 3. Additionally, Microsoft announced the enterprise availability of Microsoft 365 Copilot, which features AI software to help enhance the Word and Excel experiences. CEO Satya Nadella expressed his excitement at the innovative product, the company’s first in many years. Each model will hit the market on Oct. 3, but preorders are currently open.

The post WWE ‘Smackdown’ Makes $1.4B Return to USA Network appeared first on Boardroom.

Continuing the celebrations of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the MTV Video Music Awards announced Monday that the program will end with a tribute to the genre. Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and LL Cool J will take the stage at the VMAs with Lil Wayne and show emcee Nicki Minaj for the finale. McDaniels — a member of the trailblazing rap group Run-DMC —is performing at the VMAs for the first time since the group teamed up with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler in 1987.

Ahead of MTV’s big night, Boardroom’s D’Shonda Brown breaks down everything you need to know about the Video Vanguard Award.

Disney, Charter Reach Agreement Hours Before MNF Opener on ESPN & ABC

Good news for the nearly 15 million subscribers who have accounts with Charter Communications. On Monday, Disney and Charter, which operates the Spectrum cable service, announced the two companies struck a “transformative agreement” to end a closely watched carriage dispute. This decision will restore access to channels like ESPN and ABC to the nation’s second-largest cable television provider, just hours before the Bills and Jets kick off on Monday Night Football. As part of the deal, Disney will provide the advertiser-supported offering of Disney+ to select Charter television packages. Disney-affiliated channels had been blacked out since the evening of Aug. 31, when the channels were pulled during a US Open tennis match and college football game.

Documentary for Bills’ Damar Hamlin in the Works

The remarkable story of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin‘s road to recovery following his on-field cardiac arrest in January is the subject of a new documentary. Did We Win began production when Hamlin underwent immediate treatment in the hospital, per Deadline, and continued as the 25-year-old adjusted to life after the scary incident. The feature is expected to highlight both his return to professional football and Hamlin‘s expanding charity efforts, which included a White House visit to speak with President Joe Biden and his non-profit Chasing M’s Foundation teaming up with the American Heart Association, American Red Cross and several other groups for The Smart Heart Sports Coalition. Skydance Sports and NFL Films are expected to help produce.

NBA Competition Committee Considering Fines for Resting Players in Nationally Televised Games

If the NBA Competition Committee has its way, your favorite team could soon be penalized for resting star players during nationally televised contests. The league’s Board of Governors is expected to vote on that ruling Wednesday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. If the policy is approved, franchises would reportedly face a $100,000 fine for a first violation. That figure would jump to $250,000 for the second violation and would then increase by $1 million for each subsequent violation, Wojnarowski explained on X. Shams Charania of The Athletic added that teams will only be disciplined for resting “star players,” which will reportedly be defined as any player who made the All-Star team or was named to the All-Pro team in the past three seasons.

Uber Adding Task-based Software to List of Services

You can already get a ride, food delivered, and rent a car via the Uber app. Now, the platform may soon add another program: the ability to complete tasks. According to Bloomberg, the engineers at Uber are developing a new software called “Chore.” First discovered by Steve Moser within the Uber app for iOS, the latest version explains that Chore will allow users to employ “taskers” for certain jobs, similar to how TaskRabbit functions. After requesting help, customers then clarify the task they need to complete, including when taskers should arrive and how long it’s expected to take. The app will then calculate a fee for the task before allowing the user to complete the booking.

‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Highlights Women’s Squad in Second Season

Wrexham is returning to Hulu. The docuseries, which spotlights the world’s third oldest professional soccer club recently acquired by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, kicks off its second season on Tuesday. This year, the show will expand the aperture to include the women’s club, and early reviews signal that forward Rosie Hughes is positioned to shine bright as a superstar, both on and off the pitch. The premiere comes just days before the 2023-24 season starts on Sept. 17, following the club’s promotion last season.

The post MTV VMAs Planning Star-studded Finale for 50th Anniversary of Hip-hop appeared first on Boardroom.

The NFL season is finally upon us. For the first time in 23 seasons, Tom Brady isn’t taking the snaps. However, he found himself back in Foxborough, as the Patriots honored the seven-time Super Bowl champion to kick off the new season. As part of the celebration, Brady jumpstarted a new tradition at Gillette Stadium, ringing the bell in the iconic light tower. Additionally, the team announced that Brady will secure his spot in the Patriots Hall of Fame on June 12, 2024 – Brady won six Super Bowls with the team and the 12 is an homage to his number. Traditionally, players must wait four years for induction, but the team will make an exception for TB12. Mac Jones and the Pats gave the defending AFC Champion Eagles a run but ultimately lost their home debut 25-20.

Luis Rubiales Resigns from Spanish Football Federation

Luis Rubiales has stepped down as the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The news comes three weeks following his troubling behavior in the aftermath of the Spanish women’s national team’s World Cup win. Rubiales forcefully kissed the team’s star Jenni Hermoso. After initially shrugging off the incident, Hermoso has since denied that she consented to the kiss and accused Rubiales of sexual assault. Earlier this week, the team relieved head coach Jorge Vilda of his duties.

Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic Emerge as US Open Champions 

It’s been a stunning two weeks of tennis at the US Open. Novak Djokovic capped the action in the season’s final grand slam with a hard-fought win on Sunday, beating Daniil Medvedev. To celebrate his men’s record setting 24th grand slam title, Djokovic honored an iconic “24,” donning a Kobe Bryant “Mamba Forever” t-shirt and custom 24 Lacoste jacket for the trophy celebration. The Serb credited the late Lakers legend with helping him foster his “winning mentality” as he struggled to come back from injury. The win came one day after Coco Gauff took home the women’s title, beating Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. The victory marked the first grand slam for the 19-year-old star and the first win for an American woman since Sloane Stephens in 2017. Upon accepting her $3 million champion’s check, Gauff thanked Billie Jean King for her efforts to ensure equal pay at the tournament.

Instacart Prepares for IPO, Seeks Valuation Near $9B

Over the last few weeks, several tech companies have expressed their intentions to go public. The move comes after an extended pause of tech IPOs, which began in December 2021. Leading that group is the grocery delivery company Instacart. The company will unveil its target valuation on Monday, but the Wall Street Journal reports that it will be in the ballpark of $8.6 billion and $9.3 billion. The company’s valuation has plummeted over the years after peaking at $39 billion in 2021.

The University of Texas Leaps Seven Spots to No. 4 in the AP Ranking

The college football season is in full swing. The second official week brought gritty gridiron action. The weekend’s biggest win came as Texas beat Alabama 34-24 in Tuscaloosa. In return, the Longhorns rocketed seven spots up the AP Top 25 Poll, taking the No. 4 spot. Georgia, Michigan, and Florida State maintained the top three spots. Meanwhile, the reigning Heisman trophy winner Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans took the fifth spot.

Vice President Kamala Harris Celebrates 50 Years of Hip-hop with Official Event

Hip-hop marked 50 years since its founding in August, but the celebrations continue. Vice President Kamala Harris opened up her home over the weekend to host a commemorative event in collaboration with Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and Live Nation Urban. The evening featured performances from Lil Wayne, Common, and many more. In a speech to the crowd, Harris reflected on the importance of the genre, saying, “Hip-hop culture is American culture.”

The post Tom Brady Rings in New Tradition at Gillette Stadium appeared first on Boardroom.

When Kevin Durant takes the court for the Phoenix Suns this fall, he’ll be sporting all-new looks to his Nike KD16. First previewed in the NBA Playoffs last season, the “Pathways” pack colorways — “Pathway to Royalty” and “Emotional Pathways” — boast the same tech features as previous iterations of the shoe, including a multi-layer mesh upper that hugs the foot and a bottom-loaded Zoom Air unit. Also like previous versions, the new colorways flow in a fresh, functional fashion for an easy-to-identify stance that can be spotted from the nosebleeds. Durant‘s latest colorways of the Nike KD16 were released at Nike and select stockists on Friday.

Boardroom’s Ian Stonebrook has a breakdown of the newest KD16 colorways available for purchase.

Rihanna & Puma are Back Together with Avanti Shoe Release

It’s been a minute — six years, to be exact — but Rihanna and Puma are finally back together. After taking time off from her partnership with the German sportswear company, the new mom of two announced her return with a brand new sneaker design called “Avanti.” Priced at $160, the trainer is a hybrid style that combines Puma’s King football boot and Easy Rider running shoe. Design highlights include a retro leather upper that arrives in black and white or flashy silver, a foldable tongue, and a gum sole. In addition to standard sizing, Avanti sneakers also boast kid, preschooler, and infant versions. “This time around, we expanded our creations to kids ’cause I selfishly want my boys in everything their dad and I wear or design,” Rihanna joked to Vogue. The Avanti shoe drops on Sept. 15.

Bears QB Justin Fields Scores Long-term Partnership With Reebok

Justin Fields is officially a Reebok athlete. The brand announced its long-term partnership with the Chicago Bears play-caller on Thursday, adding that it marks the starting point of Reebok’s long-term strategy to reenter the team sports space. With this move, Reebok imagines more signees not only in football but in basketball and beyond. “Not only have they launched iconic offerings with legends like Allen Iverson and Shaq that shaped sports culture in the ‘90s, but they also have the attitude and energy to reshape the future of Sport once again,” Fields said. The 24-year-old is also also an ambassador at OWYN, Bose, Chipotle, Beyond Meat, Oakley, and more.

Boardroom’s Ian Stonebrook has an interesting breakdown of Reebok’s history of athlete ambassadors. 

Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Wayne, Doja Cat Among 2023 MTV VMA Performances

After making her debut at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, Olivia Rodrigo is set to return for a special performance at this year’s event on Sept. 12. Also scheduled to perform and make a long-awaited return is Lil Wayne, a nominee this year for Best Hip-Hop who will perform his new single — “Kat Food” — live for the first time. Rounding out the onstage entertainers inside New Jersey’s Prudential Center are Anitta, Doja Cat, Kelsea Ballerini, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. A few famous faces who will be presenting awards include Bebe Rexha, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Rita Ora, Sabrina Carpenter, Coco Jones, GloRilla, Emily Ratajkowski, French Montana, Ice Spice, and Jared Leto. Last year, Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow, and LL Cool J served as VMA emcees, but as of now, no host has been announced for this year’s festivities.

LSU to Make Kim Mulkey the Highest-paid Coach in College Women’s Hoops History

After leading the LSU women’s basketball team to its first NCAA national championship, head coach Kim Mulkey has reportedly agreed to a new 10-year, $32 million contract with the Tigers. The deal is pending approval from the university’s board of supervisors before it can be officially signed. Should the board allow it, it will become the richest total contract in women’s college basketball history. Mulkey has led teams to four national championships, winning three at Baylor and nabbing her fourth at LSU in April when the Bayou Bengals beat Iowa 102-85 in the title game.

Billionaire François-Henri Pinault Takes Majority Stake in CAA

CAA has a new majority owner. Per The New York Times, the talent agency giant led by Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, and Richard Lovett has sold a majority stake to Artémis, the investment firm controlled by billionaire businessman François-Henri Pinault, CEO of luxury goods firm Kering. Kering also owns brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen. CAA’s roster of A-list clients includes Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Zendaya, and Pinault’s wife, actress Salma Hayek Pinault. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though former majority owners TPG, a private equity firm, was reportedly seeking a valuation of about $7 billion.

The post Kevin Durant Releases 2 New Colorways for Nike KD16 appeared first on Boardroom.

Gatorade‘s roster of athletes keeps growing. On Tuesday, the company announced the signing of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to a multi-year deal. Allen becomes the sixth NFL player to join the sports beverage family and will have access to Gatorade’s Sports Science Institute lab testing as part of the agreement. Gatorade’s full NFL roster includes Allen’s teammate Stefon Diggs, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.

Boardroom’s Shlomo Sprung has more details on Josh Allen’s newest partnership with Gatorade.

The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation Links with Six Nike Schools Ahead of College Hoops Season

The unofficial end of summer is here, which means college basketball season is just around the corner. This year, six top programs will team up with Nike and the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. The schools include the University of Connecticut, University of Southern California, University of Kentucky, University of Oregon, Duke University, and Louisiana State University. In a statement, Vanessa Bryant confirmed the news, saying, “We are grateful for the amazing support of these prestigious universities…to further the legacies of Kobe and Gigi! So excited to see their players wearing Kobe and Gigi’s NIKE shoes this upcoming season!!”

Darren Waller, Other NFL Players Featured in First-ever EP on Madden 24

Though we mostly see their skills play out on the football field, you’d be shocked to know some of your favorite NFL players also boast a musical gene. Earlier this summer, five of them got the chance to work with Interscope and EA Sports to produce a first-of-its-kind EP called CROWD CONTROL. The talented cohort includes New York Giants TE Darren Waller, Terron Armstead of the Miami Dolphins, Ray-Ray McCloud III of the San Francisco 49ers, free agent Melvin Ingram, and the Carolina Panthers WR DJ Chark. The six-song EP dropped across streaming platforms and in EA Sports’ MADDEN 24 game on Tuesday, marking the first time in Madden NFL franchise history to include pro football players.

Boardroom’s Michelai Graham has exclusive quotes from the athlete-artists featured on CROWD CONTROL.

HBCU Legacy Classic Returning in 2024 With Support from Michael B. Jordan

For the third consecutive year, the HBCU Legacy Classic will return in 2024, it was announced on Tuesday. The Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic will be once again hosted in Newark at the Prudential Center and feature a doubleheader between HBCU schools to be televised on TNT. The event — scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3 — has garnered support from WME Sports, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, and Michael B. Jordan.

Boardroom’s D’Shonda Brown has all the details on the return of the HBCU Legacy Classic. 

Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Lil Uzi Vert Headline NBA 2K24 Hip-hop Soundtrack

NBA 2K is getting in on the celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. In a release shared on Tuesday, the game announced that the upcoming NBA 2K24will feature a soundtrack that “pays homage to the hip-hop genre by featuring an extensive tracklist, composed of prominent producers, lyrical icons, and the next generation of artists.” Heavyweight artists featured include Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Smino, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, Ice Spice, Steve Lacy, and more. Def Jam Recordings will also contribute a mix of classic bops to modern hits and new releases with its Season 1 update. NBA 2K24 drops on Friday for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms.

Adidas Unveils World Cup-Inspired Messi Boot

When Lionel Messi steps onto the pitch for his next Inter Miami match, the Argentinian will likely be in fresh new boots. Adidas unveiled a World Cup-inspired boot for the 2022 champion on Tuesday. Translated to “The Stars,” Las Estrellas cleats feature Adidas‘ three stripes in a blue hue over a white base with notes of gold. Other design notes include three stars on the heels of both boots, a nod to the three World Cups Argentina has won. While the right upper heel displays Messi’s No. 10, the left boot has an image of a goat, which is fitting considering he’s won just about every top-flight trophy football offers. Since taking his talents to MLS, Messi has recorded 11 goals and eight assists, and Inter Miami has an unbeaten record of 10-1-0 in games Messi has played.

The post Josh Allen Joins Stefon Diggs on Gatorade Roster appeared first on Boardroom.

The post Greta Gerwig Becomes Highest-grossing Female Director with ‘Barbie’ Success appeared first on Boardroom.

Catherine Brewton is no stranger to the hip-hop game.

After a first career as an industry executive with GE, Brewton moved to Atlanta to embark on a career in music, which has led her to work side-by-side with some of the biggest names in the business. From Drake to DJ Khaled, Pharrell to Outkast, Brewton has been a key player in the evolution of the iconic Atlanta sound.

Throughout her career, she has served as a champion of new talent and a connector of opportunities. She has become an industry icon since joining BMI in 1997, receiving Billboard’s Woman of the Year honors in 2022.

Boardroom’s D’Shonda Brown sat down with the VP of Creative to discuss her journey to and through the industry, the core role that women play in the history of hip-hop, and much more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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D’Shonda Brown: How would you explain your role as VP of Creative to someone who may not know exactly what it is that you do?

Catherine Brewton: We see people early. I saw Pharrell before Pharrell was really Pharrell. I signed the whole Cash Money group. I remember in 1997 going to New Orleans. You know, certainly not necessarily being a real versed hip-hop girl, and meeting Lil Wayne at 14 and signing him at 16. And, you know, the rest is history.

So much about what we do is really early on seeing creatives — mostly writers, producers — who in a lot of cases are artists as well. So many of these guys I’ve become friends with in their early evolution of their career and just really connecting the dots, allowing them to meet other creatives in the early stages of their career.

DB: Can you give us a little walkthrough or a map of your career and how you landed at BMI?

CB: What’s so fortunate is I didn’t necessarily aspire to work in the music business. I was a business executive at GE. I had the opportunity to move and run a credit center in Jacksonville, FL. Not sexy. I was like, ‘oh, I don’t know that I wanna do that.’ (laughs)

So I decided to move to Atlanta, and my lawyer’s like, ‘hey, the Grammys are looking to open an Atlanta chapter.’ And I was hired to open the Atlanta chapter of the Recording Academy.

My lawyer also repped the senior VP at BMI, who I was hired by, and the president at the Grammys.

DB: How have you personally seen hip-hop evolve since you began in the music industry?

CB: That’s a loaded one. You know, what was fun for me, I think I was such a newbie. My mom is a pastor, so I didn’t necessarily grow up listening to hip-hop, but I was always such a fan of the art and all that hip-hop brought to our culture.

Coming up, I came up with the Pharrells and Cash Money. I signed Outkast. So many of those guys were, in my mind, the blueprint [for hip-hop] in Georgia. And then I became super close to Snoop, and then I signed The Game.

There was this whole wave that although they were different in some respects, the nucleus of it all was about storytelling. And I think nineties hip-hop will always be near and dear to me in the core of what I so love.

I was talking to Luda recently who’s now not only one of the most iconic hip-hop guys in this market, but now a very successful actor. And he’s like, ‘I’m working on some new stuff, Kat. I need you to hook me up with the next greatest new.’ And so we are having these dialogues, and that’s really been the genesis of my career.

All of these things and hip-hop become so much of a change.

We’ve seen this latest wave. I think Future was that bridge … He set the tone for what’s now this whole new wave. It’s been sustained because I think kids have a different capacity and a different feel for what hip-hop is. But if you look at what’s happening, a lot of 90s music is being sampled by this new wave.

So what does that tell you? That that era of music, it was just melodic and that wave intertwined throughout hip-hop.

DB: And what specifically does the 50th year of hip-hop mean for women in the music industry?

CB: I think what it meant for me, and what I think it means to me is that we’ve been such important figures. But I think when the stories are being told, it’s always from a male perspective. What I know having been in this seat for over 20 years is a lot of what was done in terms of making sure that things financially could happen and giving advice to people.

Women have been the lifeline for so long, even though we’ve not been the most public. [We’re] behind the scenes. We kept many lights on in many respects.

I saw Drake in the height of his career at BMI with the mixtape that almost put me outta the business because it was such a crazy flurry around Drake. That was a real badge of honor for me because everybody and their brother was trying to sign him.

It sometimes goes beyond business because I care about the creatives and I always wanna be the voice of reason. And that’s been my mainstay, I think, in hip-hop and in the culture. I’ve been true to the game in every sense of the word.

DB: How did your experience at Shaw University prepare you for your experience in the industry?

CB: I don’t know that I even understood what that meant to me in the time that I was there. So coming out of it, then going into GE, and then at BMI. I did a women in business program at Harvard. It so made me appreciate my cultural experience at Shaw.

I did the commencement service in 2016 or 2017, which was really special to me to be able to go back and share my story and my success with kids. I think now kids are going to HBCUs because they now see the value in us being in our own communities, cultivating our own relationships, and then being released to the world to be great.

I appreciate the experience, probably now more than I did at the time.

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DB: Tell me about how you’ve seen gender dynamics play a role in your career and how you’ve seen women come into positions of power over the years in the entertainment industry.

CB: There are several dynamics. I think post COVID and the Black Lives Matters movement, I think women still struggled. Women still were not sufficiently represented in C-Suites.

I think we still have work to do. I think we have to be intentional about giving access to our young Black brothers and sisters, and when we’re in positions where we are hiring, and when we are in positions where we have voices.

I’m proud that during the Black Lives Matters movement, I led a four month DEI group that we hired someone that’s of color, a black woman who is extraordinary. I think BMI has done an incredible job really trying to give access and create platforms for more people of color to advance through the ranks.

We’re making strides, but I think, is it enough? No, because there’s not enough black women in the C-suite and senior level positions.

DB: Why is it important to include black women, whether it’s rappers or executives in the C-Suite, in conversations about hip-hop’s anniversary and hip-hop in the future?

CB: We are the voice. How do you not talk about it? The Monie Loves and MC Light and Queen Latifah. Lil’ Kim, Nikki Minaj now.

We are still in every room. We’re in every space in some capacity, but when the story’s being told you have to include women, because whether we’re known or not, we’ve been a thread in the whole journey of hip-hop.

It wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for women, whether again, on screen or behind the scenes who have been super impactful.

DB: How do you balance a career as VP, being a producer, and being a philanthropist, and how do you make sure that you give 100% to everything that you do without burning out?

CB: I think women are built differently (laughs). I think by nature, because we’ve had to be so many things in so many situations.

I look at my mom and my mom was the greatest woman ever to live for me. I learned early through a tragic situation of losing my father, she left the community and then went back to buy up the block in every sense of the word.

I’m actually gonna be shooting a documentary about her story — what I watched, her pain and suffering, and then going back and saving other lives.

So I lean into someone who is an example. Everybody’s not gonna have that example, but when we find the person that really provides a conduit for us to see a different way or to lean into things that sometimes don’t feel like it’s right, I think about those who have gone before us who have had much, much more difficult struggles.

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The post Catherine Brewton: Creative Connector appeared first on Boardroom.

In 2008, Lil Wayne was everywhere at once.

From Funkmaster Flex to Casey Kasem, rap’s rising rockstar was omnipresent and recession-proof thanks to a flood of free freestyles and an endless amount of paid features. Head in the clouds, feet in the studio, Wayne went on a run no one could keep up with and few could predict.

On June 10, 2008, he hit the metaphorical finish line for what felt like a three-year sprint: the retail release of Tha Carter III.

Selling over one million copies in its first week, The Martian made history in an era where even rap’s resident chart-toppers couldn’t conquer Billboard’s best.

Not only was Weezy F Baby doubling T.I., surpassing Jay Z, and outpacing Kanye, but he was also ending the year ahead of Coldplay, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce in the commercial category.

Defying the odds, market trends, and perhaps conventional wisdom, Tha Carter III debuted at No. 1 on Billboard during its opening week, doing damage typically reserved for N*SYNC and The Backstreet Boys.

It’s a feat only two rappers had accomplished before him and one no emcee has managed since.

On the heels of the album’s 15th anniversary, Boardroom breaks down the brand-building that went into making Wayne the breakthrough artist of Web 2.0 and the blueprint for every artist after him.

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

Lil Wayne was signed to Cash Money Records at the tender age of 12, too young for braces let alone permanent diamond teeth.

As Cash Money grew, so did Wayne with exposure on MTV, BET, and Billboard by age 16 in 1999. However, the early ’00s saw Cash Money’s momentum start to slow. Wayne, on the contrary, did not.

By 2004, Wayne was old enough to drink and established enough to steer his own career. He rerouted his raps and his branding with his fourth solo album: Tha Carter.

It debuted at No. 5 on Billboard, selling a solid 116,000 copies in its first week.

“It was the start of a path that I was able to create,” Wayne said recently on All The Smoke. “A path that deserved to extend. It was a maturity thing for me. I work all damn day every day but when we get one? It’s for a Carter and nothing else. I set a standard with that album.”

Through Tha Carter, Wayne emerged as the focal point of Cash Money. So much so that the label allowed its franchise player, Juvenile, to walk, tossing the keys to the castle to its 21-year-old talent. No longer would Weezy have to beat BG or Turk to the studio for first dibs on a Mannie Fresh beat, they were all his and his alone.

From BET countdown shows to layup lines at high school basketball games, Tha Carter‘s second single “Go DJ” resolidified Wayne as a solo star who could hold his own and make a hit. It was Wayne’s most successful song at the time, going two-time Platinum commercially while reviving his brand culturally.

At the same time Tha Carter was gaining traction in stores, Mannie Fresh wasn’t seeing his share of the royalties from his work. The architect behind almost all of the label’s greatest hits dipped to Def Jam, taking his bounce beats to Wayne’s biggest competition in the South, T.I. and Young Jeezy.

Artistically, Cash Money’s golden child was all alone.

Not even old enough to rent a car, Wayne was expected to carry a family business with raised expectations and less in-house talent. Fresh’s departure washed away the first draft of Tha Carter II. To make matters worse, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in the same season the label was starting the album’s rollout.

Rather than roll over, Wayne lifted a ragtag bunch of producers, engineers, and songwriters from New York and Florida for Tha Carter II.

Selling off the strength of “Fireman,” Wayne debuted at No. 2 on Billboard, doubling his predecessor’s week one performance by selling 240,000 copies upon entrance.

Not only would Wayne defy the odds with his back against the wall but he’d introduce the world to The Runners, Deezle, DVLP, Big D, and Robin Thicke while bringing The Heatmakerz to the South.

From Soundscan to streaming, Tha Carter II would eventually hit two-time Platinum heights, making the 2005 triumph his biggest album at that time. It also introduced new elements of Wayne’s personality that would play out in years to come from the island influences of “Mo Fire” to the hustler rebrand of “D Boy.”

While all alluded to imagination and versatility that’d make him both beloved and attacked, it was the album’s seventh track that signaled what was next.

“Best Rapper Alive,” a goliath of an album cut not sold as a single, saw Wayne claiming his spot on hip-hop’s talked-about totem poll over a rock and roll-inspired beat. Doubling down on that notion, he closed Tha Carter II with the following last words:

Chaperone of the South, I got my coast
Yeah, and until I die
I’m the, the-the, the-the, the Best Rapper Alive

From entering himself into the conversation to becoming the conversation in years to come, Wayne was inverting an industry and a genre stylistically, sonically, and geographically.

At that time, the South was run by snap music — a place Wayne didn’t fit in — while New York called the shots on who was the top emcee.

Listening exclusively to Jay Z while subtly paying tribute to Hov’s Life & Times album art on each Carter installment, Wayne plotted a path to dethrone his hero — but not by the battle tactics that took careers and sometimes lives. Rather, Wayne was going to work harder than anyone else out there.

At the same time, Hov was working smarter, not harder. The emcee-turned-mogul looked to sign Wayne amidst his early ascent, paving a way for his own retirement while firming his grip through the pen of a young talent.

Famously, Jay Z lowballed Wayne on the offer with Cash Money co-founder Bryan “Baby” Williams catching wind of perceived tampering.

In an odd turn of events, Baby bet the house once again on Wayne, protecting and propelling his surrogate son at all costs.

Even expenses the shrewdest of businessmen near not consider.

Where the Cash At?

Like any entrepreneur looking to make it in hip-hop during the early ’90s, Bryan “Baby” Williams, aka Birdman, had lived the American Dream of sorts.

The New Orleans mogul had gone from selling CDs out of his trunk to moving units by the boatload at Best Buy, backed by a $30 million deal with Universal Music Group in 1998.

Already established and catching his second wind with Tha Carter series, there was no reason for Birdman to give Wayne’s music away for free. However, that’s exactly what they did.

Starting in 2003 and exploding in the years to follow, Lil Wayne began releasing a series of free mixtapes.

Some were promotional projects meant to shine a light on Cash Money act, Sqad Up, but projects such as Da Drought and The Prefix positioned Wayne as a rapper who could rip apart beats bested by each coast.

“The first one I did was just getting the okay from Baby that I could put it out,” Wayne said on ATS. “We were giving that shit out for free so that was the thing about Wayne. Wayne is always free!”

With no need to drop $15 at Best Buy but only needing access to an Internet modem, Wayne was creating fanfare across the country by giving out his renditions of Rap City favorites for no money at all. He was both Robin Hood and a prolific pirate all at once, ripping the hottest songs in all of hip-hop both literally and figuratively.

“My approach to mixtapes was always different,” continued Wayne. “I thought it was supposed to be you wanting to hear me on the songs that are out that I’m not on. 10 of the hot-ass songs that you’re banging in the club? I’m about to kill those for you. I’m gonna use the same melodies but flip the words and make it fun and interesting.”

By 2006, fans had tons of new Wayne music even if there wasn’t a new Carter album.

Better than that, they had accessible proof that The Best Rapper Alive was in fact Lil Wayne, considering he’d outdone everyone from Three 6 Mafia to Rich Boy on their own tracks.

From Dipset to Kanye, Slim Thug to Snoop Dogg, Wayne was reworking anything and everything at a rate no one could compete with dare alone try.

He was winning the world over, but to be taken seriously by the streets of New York, NahRight comment sections, and industry tastemakers he had to top Jay Z.

Rapping over Jay Z’s comeback single, “Show Me What You Got,” Wayne introduced the world — and no particular audience — to his evolved flow that was as adaptable as it was unpredictable.

The East Coast immediately took notice.

“It was like Wayne had this overnight transformation into this god-level MC,” Just Blaze, the producer behind the Hov single, told Boardroom in 2022. “A lot of people looked to that era as he was maturing. I was definitely impressed when I heard it. I was very surprised because I always thought Wayne could rhyme, but I had never heard him rhyme like that.”

From Family Guy-level punchlines to showcasing a voice that could be commissioned for hooks, Wayne’s restless unpaid internship on the Internet was getting him noticed.

Soon, it was going to get him rich.

Verses for Hire

In 2006, Lil Wayne was out-rapping the best MCs in the game for free on his own mixtapes.

In 2007, he was about to cash in on all that equity, using every square inch of the Internet and rap radio as a canvas for Tha Carter III build-up.

Claiming to have recorded a thousand guest verses in 2007 alone, Wayne appeared on singles for the likes of Mya, DJ Khaled, Wyclef Jean, and more as fans awaited a formal follow-up to Tha Carter II.

What they got was the ultimate appetizer as Wayne continued to release free mixtapes while scoring a cameo fee on at least 100 formal features in that year alone.

“I was only acknowledged for 77 of ’em,” Wayne told Missy Elliott. “I remember being able to get in my car, turn the radio on, I don’t care if I got the station wrong and switched to a pop station by mistake, I’m still on that motherfucker.”

Throughout the course of hip-hop history, artists have exchanged verses and appeared on tracks as a marketing move. Whether the spirit of competition, collaboration, or capitalism, the best of the best have excelled in the feature game, but none like Lil Wayne in 2007.

Even at their commercial heights, rap’s resident Billboard ballers did not work the game with the breadth or depth of Wayne.

Aftermath artists 50 Cent and Eminem rarely released more than a dozen guest verses in a given year, mostly made to live on other G Unit or Shady Records projects as a way to propel their own label’s sales.

Even Jay Z, the most marketing-savvy songwriter in rap, would rarely top out at over 20 features annually, with some sent to radio for R&B audiences but most made to move Roc-a-Fella units.

Wayne was born differently and worked differently. More importantly, he saw that times were different.

Most important? It was fast money.

For four years straight, Wayne had been rifling off verses strictly off the strength of keeping his name and his pen hot. Without pay or prompt, he could adapt his flow and tones to anything climbing club charts or touching the Top 40.

“Features usually come with a subject,” Wayne told ATS. “When you give me a subject it’s like school: I’m gonna finish the work first. Nothing’s easy but those are pretty convenient for me.”

Now with heat around his name and an appetite for his voice, Wayne could charge anyone from Gorilla Zoe to Enrique Iglesias up to $100,000 for a feature. Wayne’s range and expanding audience allowed him to remain relevant to all walks of life with his pockets padded.

“I wouldn’t do a song for my sister for less than $75,000,” Wayne told Rolling Stone in 2008. “Recording is an addiction. I can’t stop.”

Because of all this, Wayne’s name and voice had a buzz unlike anyone else in the industry. What he didn’t have was a proper album for sale.

While it was on Wayne to record, it was upon his label to parcel through thousands of verses and an impossible amount of beats to turn all of the promises of Tha Carter III into retail reality.

After all, Wayne wasn’t going to help — he was too busy working.

“I just come up with good songs,” Wayne told Rolling Stone. “It’s up to [Uni­versal Records] to figure out what goes on. I don’t want that headache.”

Leverage & Leaning In

For three straight years, Wayne had been recording non-stop.

Unlike Tha Carter II, Wayne was now fielding beats by the likes of Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, and will.i.am. It was overwhelming for all involved, including the man making the majority of the music.

“As far as my shit? You have to stop me and say, ‘Tune, we need x amount of songs on by this date,'” Wayne told ATS. “And I let them pick them because I can’t.”

On March 13, 2008, Universal Music Group made their pick.

Going all in on a pop crossover, UMG chose “Lollipop” as the album’s first single. After years of proving himself as The Best Rapper Alive, Wayne was now crooning over autotune and playing guitar with Static Major by his side.

Shocking all audiences, it absolutely worked. For five straight weeks, “Lollipop” topped the Billboard Hot 100, selling over two million in ringtones alone. At the same time, UMG was updating his MySpace page — the most popular in music — every day to feed fans awaiting Tha Carter III.

Still, Wayne was attempting to put out a physical album in an increasingly fickle landscape. Globally, music sales had hit a 20-year low in 2008. On top of that, fans were used to getting an abundance of his music for less than a penny. Would they be willing to shell out $14?

“He has literally given away hundreds of songs,” Danyel Smith, then Editor in Chief of Vibe Magazine, told The LA Times in 2008. “Here is someone who has given [fans] so much music for free that they want to support him.”

And support they did.

On June 10, 2008, Tha Carter III was released after years of leaks and delays. It sold over one million copies in its first week, providing a surge to the entire industry and cementing Wayne.

“This is a landmark week for Lil Wayne and for our company,” Sylvia Rhone, then Universal Motown President, said in a press release at the time. “Wayne has not only scored by far the biggest debut of the year, but the highest first-week sales in Universal Motown history. This is an event release from a genius artist who represents and speaks for youth culture.”

In Wayne, hip-hop had the superstar he proclaimed to be before he was.

In the industry, both labels and artists had a new formula they could look to recreate. Wayne’s week one numbers were so big that 62 other albums on the chart saw a 10% or more sales increase off his energy alone.

There was one problem: could anyone duplicate the pace and production of Lil Wayne?

“Wayne has been super-serving his audience,” Rhone said. “He’s not your average artist, so it’s hard to make a model based on Wayne. You look at the elite — Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince — he’s on that level. He is touring 365 days a year and in the studio 365 nights a year. Not many people can pull that off.”

Prophetic in the moment, Rhone was right. Since Tha Carter III, no rapper has sold over one million albums in its opening week.

Just the same, it hasn’t stopped plenty from trying.

A New Model, A New Era

Lil Wayne is a generational talent, backed and nurtured by one of rap’s most powerful moguls.

Though no artist since Wayne has been able to be in as many places at once where output is concerned, different elements of his formula for success have been adopted by all of today’s top talent.

When it comes to flooding the market with material, Youngboy Never Broke Again is akin to Wayne in regard to Internet excess, releasing 26 mixtapes since 2015. Like Wayne, Youngboy has fed fans for free while still scoring Platinum plaques on formal releases.

More common in modern marketing, the feature formula for commercial success both on the radio and in the bank has been adopted by just about every artist with a buzz. To a tee, this strategy has been played perfectly by Drake. Similar to Wayne, Drake has been able to appear on other artists’ singles as a way to remain relevant in constant rotation.

Upping the ante, he used his peak years as a means of making songs released by peers of his own, hopping on remixes in official fashions that felt at first like freestyles but quickly placed him in emerging markets.

Perhaps most endearing was Wayne’s ability to get better when most rappers either give in or sell out. Despite being only 25 years old when Tha Carter III was released, Wayne was a 13-year veteran in the industry. In a genre where most emcees peak critically on their first album and commercially shortly after, Wayne had the backing of Baby and the belief in himself to hit new heights when he was no longer new.

One could say Lil Durk has taken direction from the same climb, coming into fame off the strength of a booming Chicago scene but outlasting larger stars simply by sticking to it.

To this day, the Wayne formula of flooding the market with features and mixtapes has been borrowed by all of hip-hop’s top talent in some fashion. In many ways, artists such as Future, Young Thug, and Travis Scott have stolen pages from the same playbook, each having Wayne’s DNA in their own ascents.

Though no one has seen the same sales success in hip-hop since Tha Carter III in 2008, Wayne’s remained inspirational as an artist and perhaps underrated as an executive. His sole focus on writing and recording has allowed him to tour the world and release new music, still serving as a sought feature.

As Wayne works away on Tha Carter VI, times are different but eerily the same.

The advent of AI poses threats and opportunities to the business of art while a writer’s strike and abundance of content makes one wonder what can connect in such a crowded, confusing space. If history has taught us anything, Wayne works best in a drought and thrives in chaos.

He did it before when no one saw it coming, perhaps he’ll do it again.

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The post Tha Carter III: Rap’s Last Commercial Classic appeared first on Boardroom.

Besides Dylan, who are the icons most widely considered among the greatest rappers ever to do it? It’s a question worth asking any day of the week, but it’s particularly prescient given that 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the hip-hop art form.

If you’re making a Mount Rushmore, you’re almost certainly including — in no particular order — The Notorious BIG, 2Pac, and Jay-Z. If we’re talking top five, there’s a stronger chance by comparison that Nas is making his way in there. But what if I asked you to name the five most popular bar-spitters in the history of Spotify? Would your answer be the same?

Spoiler alert: None of those four even crack the top 30. Biggie Smalls doesn’t make the top 50.

That’s surely got you either infuriated or strangely enthused, right? Well, all ye backpackers and boom-bappers, no more vamping and/or cold-lamping, let’s get right to the 50 most-streamed rappers on Spotify all-time, starting with a Canadian man who went from Degrassi to classy.

Think You Know the Best-selling Rap Album of All Time?

From Hov and Eminem to Bigge, Pac, and beyond, find out who stands alone atop at rap’s Platinum mountaintop.

Let’s Go!

The 50 Most-streamed Rappers on Spotify

Rap-specific rankings, all-time rankings, and billion-stream stats are based on streamed songs as a lead artist only via ChartMasters as of Oct. 9, 2023.

@boardroom Drake’s level of braggadocious reaches new heights on his ‘For All The Dogs’ album. We take a look the record’s most lofty lyrics in the first installment of “Boardroom Bars.” #drake #forallthedogs #hiphop #rapper ♬ original sound – Boardroom

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Which Rapper Has the Most Diamond Albums & Singles?

From Drake and Eminem to Kanye, Hov, and beyond, check out hip-hop’s all-time 10x Platinum honor roll.

Let’s Go!

Other Notable Rappers on the All-time Spotify Charts

55. Snoop Dogg (overall Spotify rank: 216)
56. The Notorious BIG (218)
57. Megan Thee Stallion (223)
58. Big Sean (228)
60. Meek Mill (230)
62. Lil Durk (240)
64. Gucci Mane (242)
65. Rae Sremmurd (244)
73. Dr. Dre (289)
75. Lizzo (296)

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The post The Most-streamed Rappers on Spotify: Drake, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne & More appeared first on Boardroom.

Even if you’re not physically attending the show later this month, you’ll be able to catch the final performance of Lil Wayne‘s Welcome to Tha Carter Tour thanks to a running live stream. The sold-out stint concludes Saturday, May 13 at The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.

Operated via Driift, fans can expect the live airing to begin on Saturday, May 13 at 9 p.m. PST / 12 a.m. EST and will be rebroadcast twice more in later windows. Users who buy access to the stream will be able to watch the show at their leisure for two days following the gig.

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Over the course of the Welcome to Tha Carter Tour tour across North America, the celebrated New Orleans artist has treated fans to more than 40 of his. Considering most of his songs feature some of the best in hip-hop, he has brought out iconic guests like Drake, Chance The Rapper, NLE Choppa, and Dej Loaf.

Weezy and Cam’ron even made history when they performed their 2006 single “Suck It Or Not” at the Apollo Theater for the first time in 17 years on April 16. Wayne also rolled out members of his Young Money militia along the way, including Allan Cubas, Drizzy P, Euro, Jay Jones, Lil’ Twist, Mellow Rackz, and Yaj.

Tickets to gain access to the livestream, both rebroadcasts, and the on-demand portion are available now for $15 a driift.live.

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The post Lil Wayne Announces Live Stream for Welcome to Tha Carter Tour Finale appeared first on Boardroom.

From Michael Jordan to Travis Scott, Kevin Durant respects the shoe game. In this week’s episode of “The ETCs,” he breaks down some of his favorite styles to wear off the court. However, the conversation quickly turns to the KD signature shoe.

As he approaches his 16th namesake design, the importance of having one’s own shoe isn’t lost on Kevin, and that sense is only solidified when he sees other athletes breaking out the KD silhouette. Each shoe marks a year of his professional memory, after all.

“The 7s are the ones in particular — when I see those … I have emotions when I see the 3s or the 4s, [but] I didn’t play in the 7s. I got injured that year so I didn’t really get to put it on the court like that. It’s still a good-looking shoe,” he tells co-host Eddie Gonzalez.

With the playoffs tipping off, this tends to be the time of year when fans get a preview of the newest Nike model. However, when it comes to the KD16, the Suns star gets a coy: “That’s been a trend, huh? I don’t know yet, everything’s been pushed back with COVID and shipping and everything, I really don’t know exactly when they’re coming out.”

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Click here to listen to the full episode.

KD and Eddie dive into a deep set of topics in this week’s episode, including:

• The upcoming Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott low-top release
• Who would win in a mythical 50 Cent vs Lil Wayne VERZUZ
• Movies they’re dying to see, including Air and Creed 3
• How Michael Jordan wrote a whole new script at Nike
• The resurgence of Cam’Ron and Ma$e and their sports takeover

Click here to listen and subscribe to Boardroom’s “The ETCs” with KD and Eddie and “Out of Office” with Rich Kleiman.

The post The ETCs: KD Speaks on Sneaker Legacies & Hip-hop’s Heavy Hitters appeared first on Boardroom.

As J. Cole gazed into the crowd of over 50,000 people who had been anxiously awaiting him to take the stage, only one word came to mind. “Dayum.” Fittingly, that’s the only word that could properly describe what he and the rest of the Dreamville team pulled off for the third year of the Dreamville Festival.

The event has become a signature event for Dreamville. Each year, the festival has grown in attendance and will likely do the same as it pertains to the economic impact on the city of Raleigh this year. The festival was grander this year, but not just because of the presence of bigger names like Usher. Festival acts such as Ari Lennox, JID, and Earthgang — as well as other Dreamville artists — have each developed their own fanbases that have traveled to see them specifically.

But still, all eyes were on Drake and J. Cole, as Dreamville Festival marked the first time the two have headlined a festival together. And the two rap titans did not disappoint.

Day 2 and the Grand Finale

J. Cole had Dreamville Festival attendees in the palm of his hand the moment he stepped on stage. With a healthy mix of “lemme take y’all back man” throwback tracks and newer ones, fans rapped nearly every single word from his setlist. As someone who has attended all three Dreamville Festivals, J. Cole’s 2023 set was the most collaborative of the three. This also meant it was the shortest time Cole spent on stage by himself, which was just under 45 minutes.

In full transparency, this doesn’t surprise me. Cole has teased an eventual retirement from rap in multiple verses over the last couple of years. During that same time, he and the Dreamville team helped grow all the other artists signed to him. And so before Cole welcomed Drake onto the stage, he first brought out Bas, Cozz, Omen, J.I.D, Lute, and Earthgang (Ari Lennox was not present). He and the Dreamville cast performed “Under the Sun”, “Down Bad”, and “Stick”.

Ten minutes later, Cole said “It’s that time,” and everyone in the crowd knew who was coming next — Drake. Hip-hop mania ensued shortly after the Toronto-born rapper walked onto the stage.

In a genre of music that some would say is the most competitive in the world, the brotherhood between Cole and Drake felt very real. When Drizzy stepped onto the stage, he dawned a baseball jersey from J. Cole’s Terry Sanford High School. On the front was the school’s mascot, a bulldog, and on the back was a Dreamville logo above Drake’s Nike Nocta label (if you’re reading this, Drake, please make that jersey available for purchase).

The two shared pleasantries and praised one another before Drake took the stage by himself. The Toronto native let a hip-hop time capsule loose into the crowd as he unloaded throwback records like “Over,” “Headlines,” “HYFR,” “Started From the Bottom,” “Energy,” and “Know Yourself.” After nine songs, the 6 God paused to speak with the audience.

“Listen, if you want the shit, I got the shit. All you gotta do is ask me. My brotha (J. Cole) told me to show up with the pack, I brought the pack. Do y’all want the pack or not?” asked Drake to tens of thousands of fans in Raleigh’s Dorthea Dix Park on Sunday night.

The mob of dreamers roared in response to the Toronto rapper’s question. Surprises came shortly thereafter.

The first was GloRilla, who had performed earlier in the day. The Memphis-born rapper performed her Grammy-nominated record “F.N.F (Let’s Go),” which caused the crowd to go bonkers, but this was only the beginning. The madness continued when Philadelphia’s Lil Uzi Vert came out and performed “XO Tour Llif3” and “Just Wanna Rock.” The moment Uzi and the crowd said “Woah” at the same time was probably the loudest I had heard the crowd say one word the entire night.

Drake then calmed the crowd with three throwback tracks — “Marvin’s Room,” “Wu-Tang Forever,” and “Practice” before performing “The Motto,” joined by his mentor Lil Wayne on-stage.

“I’m going to leave you in the hands of the greatest rapper to ever touch a microphone tonight,” Drake said before letting Wayne perform “Uproar” and “A Milli” by himself.

The last surprise of the night came from Atlanta and was Complex’s best rapper of 2022, 21 Savage. The first of the two records, “Knife Talk,” performed sent the crowd into pandemonium (the other song was “Rich Flex”).

To close his portion of the set, Drake returned to the stage to have the fans give thanks to J. Cole as they sang along to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” Cole then closed out Dreamville Fest with “No Role Modelz.”

“We were planning on trying to get Drake since last year actually,” Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad said. “They told us they were trying to come rock with us at Dreamville Fest. Drake, Future, Mr. Morgan, that’s family. We were more so excited to be able to bring that to North Carolina and you know Drake, he’s a good dude. He ended up taking the Carolinas out of his tour routing to make this moment special.”

Hamad’s brother and Dreamville signee Bas said, “I don’t know how we top this next year. That’s Ib’s headache. I’m just here for the bag.”

“I’m playing,” Bas continued jokingly, “but we are really a family. Everyone is trying to help each other get further along and I feel like this is an extension of that.”

Bas was one of 12 artists that performed on Sunday before Cole and Drake’s set. Others included Burna Boy, Summer Walker, JID, GloRilla, Waka Flocka, Mario, Baby Tate, Arya Starr, Cozz, Jordan Ward, and Rueben Vincent.

Under the Weather

Everything did not go according to plan though. Day 1 of the festival saw 20 mph winds that caused festival runners to push back the opening from 12 pm ET to 3 pm. The clouds poured down rain as the wind whipped but precipitation was less of a concern because the festival was a “rain or shine” event. One could have easily walked through the winds but caution was taken because of the potential impact on decorations, food/beverage vendors, and other safety hazards.

“We can’t control the weather, so we have to do our best to make sure people are safe,” Hamad said. “We saw that it would be really windy early, so instead of opening doors and the wind getting too crazy and then having to evacuate people, we might as well just push back a bit. And when things did settle down, the weather was amazing.”

Hamad wasn’t wrong. Clouds eventually moved along and the sun shined down on Dorothea Dix Park. Dreamville Fest has had its fair share of bad luck when it comes to weather in the past. The inaugural festival was originally scheduled to take place in September 2018, but Hurricane Florence forced it to be postponed until April 2019. So in three years, the weather has affected Dreamville Festival twice.

Surprisingly, the festival grounds were not as muddy as many fans expected. A combination of mulch and woodchips was scattered across the ground where mud could have been a concern.

Kicking Off Day 1

The three-hour weather delay did not stop tens of thousands of Dreamers from flooding into Raleigh. One could argue that the weather caused more anticipation and hype for the event. Lines to get in the gates of Dorothea Dix Park were some of the longest I have seen since the festival’s debut back in 2019. Upon entering, some fans went to grab food or beverages, others chose to make their way to various art exhibits for pictures. There were also people who I would call the sprinters, individuals who entered the park and immediately made a mad dash toward the front of the stage.

Dorothea Dix quickly filled up with dreamers as they flocked to each stage as performances alternated between the two. Charlotte, NC, native and Dreamville artist Lute said the crowd during his performance was the largest he has ever had at Dreamville Festival.

“I even got a chant at the end of my set, which I wasn’t expecting so I really had to sit and be present with that. This year at Dreamville Festival felt really good,” he said.

“My favorite part of Dreamville Festival is seeing the other talent,” Lute continued. “My childhood was complete [on Saturday] with Usher and Sean Paul performing. Being able to see the other talent and enjoying what Dreamville Fest means to Raleigh, North Carolina, is special. We don’t really get stuff like this.”

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In comparison to Day 2, the energy on Day 1 was more tranquil. This is in large part due to the number of R&B artists who performed, including TDE’s Sir, Jessie Reyez, Sean Paul, Ari Lennox, and the grand finale, Usher. This was Sir’s first time performing at Dreamville Fest.

“This really felt like my first festival. I don’t set expectations because it helps me get through things, but the reaction really overwhelmed me,” Sir said. “It’s an honor to represent my team and anytime I get the call from Dreamville, I’m going to show up because those are my brothers too. There is so much separation in public, but in private, it is all love and I hope people know that. We don’t compete with each other; we are comrades and we are trying to help each other elevate.”

Sir was always scheduled to perform at the festival, but Toosii was not. Memphis rapper Key Glock was supposed to take the stage but could not make it to Raleigh because of the weather on Saturday. Toosii took the place of Key Glock after Dreamville made a late call to get him booked.

“I landed [Friday], but this is the home team, so I had to come out. I’ve been a fan of Cole since I was a young kid so it was a blessing for them to call me and to be able to be here,” he said.

Additional artists who took the stage on Saturday were Marcqus Clae, Omen, Earthgang, City Girls, and Lil Durk. But it was the fact that the festival was able to bring Usher to the stage that made this year’s event a full-circle moment for the Dreamville team.

“We were trying to get him the year it was canceled (2020) during the pandemic so to be able to have him now, it’s amazing,” Hamad said.

Usher’s performance on Saturday night was one big singalong, with 50,000 voices contributing to his melodies. His 21-song set included hits from all of his eras like “OMG,” “Yeah!,” “The Matrimony,” “My Boo,” and “You Make.” Usher’s set even featured a marriage proposal during one of the songs featured on his setlist.

And it was clear that Usher was enjoying his time on stage because he even pulled an April Fools prank on the Dreamville crowd, “welcoming” Beyoncé to the stage when she was not even there.

Dreaming Bigger

While dates have not yet been announced, Dreamville Festival should return to Raleigh next year. Bas has also been in the planning process of bringing the event to Africa.

“I’m planting the seeds [but] they gotta give me the keys,” Bas said. “I’ve been running it up the food chain trying to bring this Dreamville thing to South Africa, but that’s above my pay grade.”

But if Dreamville Fest did nothing else, it established itself as one of the signature music festivals in not just rap, but all of music. The festival doesn’t feel like it is all about the music, though that is the reason for the gathering. Days before the festival begins, Dreamville had events like a pop-up shop, Amazon’s new 50 & Forever Anniversary museum, and other activations for attendees to take part in.

The feeling around Dreamville’s signature event is similar to a family reunion or even an HBCU homecoming. Year 3 of Dreamville provided a multitude of vibes for attendees. If you wanted to sing along, Saturday was the day. If you wanted to rap and rage, Sunday was for you.

An under-the-radar detail that goes unnoticed is the level of safety once the doors for the festival do open. Multiple performances were stopped to make sure fans who may have been hurt got the medical attention needed. As I passed by the medical tents throughout the day, though there were people in them, none were ever close to full capacity.

In Year 1, Dreamville Fest was the new event on the Summer festival circuit block. Cole and Dreamville put on a great show but momentum was halted due to COVID-19. The company kept things going behind the scenes as it built the careers of its artists into bigger stars than they were. When the Dreamville Fest returned for its sophomore season last year, the team doubled down as it expanded from one to two days. The bet proved to be a wise decision, as Cole and the team brought 80,000 people out and generated $6.7 million in economic impact for the city of Oaks.

But Dreamville Festival’s junior year was its Heisman moment. Not only did Dreamville bring out 20,000 more people, but it booked a balanced lineup that allowed fans to enjoy a wide variety of music from different eras. The vibes of R&B artists Usher, Ari Lennox, Summer Walker, Mario, and more hypnotized the crowd with their vocals. Meanwhile, the presence of Drake, J. Cole, Lil Durk, JID, Waka Flocka, and others turned dreamers into ragers.

It will likely be a full year before Dreamville unveils the lineup for the festival’s senior season. But whoever is booked has a tall task trying to meet the level of fandom that has been generated from this year’s success. Names that could potentially match the energy include Jay Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Travis Scott.

For now, Dreamville Festival set its mark as one of the biggest and most well-received festivals of 2023.

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The post Inside Year 3 of Dreamville Festival with J. Cole, Drake, Usher & 100,000 Dreamers appeared first on Boardroom.

Nicki Minaj is on the hunt for the next big superstar. On the most recent episode of her “Queen Radio“ podcast, the 40-year-old announced she is launching her own record label:

“There’s a big announcement coming… Well, I have a record label now. I believe so strongly in loyalty, and because I’ve spent my whole life giving to others that turn around and shit on me,” the hip-hop superstar said.

Though she didn’t reveal the label’s official name, Minaj did drop a few artists she’s already signed. Among the cohort include Nana Fofie, Tate Kobang, Rico Danna, and London Hill. A Dutch-Nigerian artist, Minaj said she first discovered Fofie thanks to mashups posted to YouTube. Fofie joined Minaj on “Queen Radio” for the news, and in her praise for the rising star, Minaj called the “Selling Dreams” singer’s voice “effortless.”

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“Because I thought they were her songs and then the Nigerians came on my comments after and said ‘That’s Davido!’ I said, ‘Okay, Nigeria.’ I’ve been obsessed with you for a very long time. And I always promised you when I started … but I didn’t want to, you know, lock you into anything and if I wasn’t ready to do what I needed to do with you, what I think you deserve. You have one of the most beautiful singing voice. One of those effortless, warm voices,” she declared.

It’s been a busy week for the Grammy-nominated musician. Her latest single, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” dropped Friday. Minaj spoke on collaborating with Kobang on the song, another artist signed to her label:

“Tate is one of the very best hook writers of the new generation,” she said. “I almost didn’t want to tell people that, you know, I was affiliated with him because I don’t want that to affect his business. But he’s an artist, and that’s him on that hook. He wrote that hook.”

You don’t become the Queen of Rap without a little help along the way, and as she prepared to mentor these new artists, Minaj thanked Lil Wayne in the same breath — Minaj got her start as a member of Weezy’s Young Money Entertainment label, her first major contract after being discovered by the “A Milli” rapper:

“When I came in this game, I didn’t have no paperwork with Lil Wayne, but he had us on tour, he had us in a studio, he was getting on my mixtapes, so I understand the importance of having somebody else doing the heavy lifting for you. I understand why people are coming out and they’re so, you know, microwaveable and they’re here today and gone tomorrow, because there’s no structure,” she said.

“There’s no real person that believes in them. That’s like, ‘Nah, I’m gonna make it my business to see you shine.’ That’s why I never wanted to do a label before because I said to myself … unless I’m ready to really put these artists on I’m not gonna ruin anyone’s life.”

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The post Nicki Minaj Announces New Record Label, First Artist Signings appeared first on Boardroom.

First, it was Rihanna’s Fenty and Mitchell & Ness. Now, Drake’s October’s Very Own is teaming up with the NFL for an apparel collab.

OVO posted photos on its Instagram on Tuesday announcing a partnership for an NFL-licensed capsule collection, featuring apparel for select teams. The league confirmed the news in a press release.

The partnership will feature limited edition t-shirts, hoodies, and jackets, co-branded with select NFL teams’ logos and colors, alongside the well-known OVO owl insignia. In the first iteration on Instagram, hip-hip artist Lil Wayne modeled his favorite team, the Green Bay Packers‘, version of the hoodie and letterman jacket.

OVO Owl Insignia Hoodie x Packers

OVO x NFL Team Jacket

Ahead of the collection drop on Feb. 3, the NFL will also feature Benny the Butcher, who reps the Buffalo Bills. To underscore the Canadian roots of the partnership, Canadian NFL players Jevon Holland (Dolphins safety), and Neville Gallimore (Cowboys defensive tackle) will showcase the collection on their social channels.

Rihanna dropped her first Fenty x NFL collaboration on Jan. 8 in the month leading up to her half-time Super Bowl performance. Does this mean Drake might be coming out, too? We can’t say for sure, but Drizzy fans can only hope.

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The post NFL, OVO Announce Apparel Collab appeared first on Boardroom.

The worlds of sports and music are forever intertwined, and as one of the most prolific lyricists in the history of hip-hop, Lil Wayne is no stranger to songs and bars that shout out athletes, sports media, and even individual broadcasters.

He also boasts 65 athletes signed to his agency, Young Money APAA Sports (YMAPAA Sports). Of that group, 25 are college athletes with deals for name, image, and likeness representation.

Wayne’s Young Money and Adie von Gontard’s APAA Sports originally partnered back in 2019. Initially, von Gontard told Boardroom he received rhetorical jokes about Wayne’s involvement in the agency.

“Starting off in the beginning it was like, ‘oh, you’re going to have Wayne represent you? He’s going to be calling NFL teams and NBA teams.’ That probably lasted for six months until they realized who was really behind the agency,” von Gontard recalled. “The beauty of Young Money APAA Sports is that it is really two groups on completely different spectrums. You have Young Money and Wayne and then you have Anheuser-Busch and my family. You have new money and old money which forms a powerhouse that can’t be beaten.”

Von Gontard is literally referring to his lineage — his great-grandfather is Adolphus Busch, the founder of Anheuser-Busch, the company behind beverage brands like Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and many more. And while blood is thicker than beer, someone who has come to be just like family to him is Daveed Cohen, YMAPAA Sports Vice President of Player Marketing and Brand Partnerships.

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Von Gontard said that he and Cohen first met through a mutual friend.

“Daveed and I have really teamed up and taken on the day-to-day business of the agency because we share the same vision of looking at different avenues to really build a player’s career on and off the field or court,” von Gontard said. “We are perfectionists. If there’s a company, he has most likely worked with them. And if it’s not he’ll find a person at that company within an hour. Daveed has been instrumental in everything and he makes sure no stone is unturned from marketing to negotiating to anything.”

The Waiting Game

Cohen spearheaded the agency’s approach to the college sports NIL landscape when the NCAA permitted athletes to monetize those rights beginning July 1, 2021. He wanted to do something that athletes, agencies, and brands across the country simply were not doing: he wanted to wait.

“When NIL first launched, I really wanted to take a backseat and take a look at what was going to happen,” Cohen told Boardroom. “I was looking at the rules state by state and how were brands and agencies going to interact with athletes. What I thought is exactly what happened — brands were able to take advantage of athletes because it was the first time athletes were able to make money off their name, image, and likeness. A lot of athletes were locked in on deals that didn’t make sense or were signing for pennies on the dollar.”

Cohen counted on the support of his team at Young Money APAA Sports in order to stem the tide and ensure that athlete empowerment could still come first despite a lack of national NIL guidance and a confusing, ill-defined regulatory environment state by state.

It quickly became clear that this was a “fools rush in” scenario.

“We watched and saw what agencies were doing, what athletes were doing, and most importantly, what brands were doing. Looking back on it, [waiting] was probably the best thing we could have ever done,” von Gontard said, “because we saw contracts and deals where companies would try to lock in an athlete getting 20% to 30% of their actual value. We sat back to be able to learn and be experts before going to pitch to athletes.”

The six-month window during which Young Money APAA chose not to jump right into the NIL fray did come without sacrifices, however. Athletes who were already on their roster were unsurprisingly hoping to make money on Day One, but the agency was not ready to take the plunge until it had conducted due diligence to the fullest. As a result, Cohen and YMAPAA cut ties with a number of athletes — some who wanted to make quick cash as such, others who urgently needed funds to send back home in support of their families.

“We wanted to stay away from athletes that were just going for the money grab,” Cohen said. “We want to help build their personal brand and get the right deals; those six months actually helped weed out some of the people that were not the right fit for us… [but] there was some pushback from athletes where they were saying they had to support their family and for us, we were transparent and told them we could not launch correctly so respectfully we parted ways.”

Young Money APAA now represents more than 20 college athletes across several different sports, including University of Washington forward Keion Brooks and Devan Cambridge, a shooting guard for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

To date, Cambridge has inked deals with Fashionova, Insomnia Cookies, Monroe’s Hot Chicken, and Shop GLD. The way he has been able to ink the deals has come in a variety of ways. In some cases, the brands will direct message him on social media. Other times, he will direct brands he is interested in straight to Cohen.

He had previously gone elsewhere for NIL representation, but Cambridge noted that the relationship lacked the consistency he appreciates from Young Money APAA.

“I was doing some things myself before I signed with YMAPAA Sports, but I wasn’t having the same success rate I do now,” Cambridge said in a phone interview with Boardroom. “Daveed literally answers every call and question I have. Anything that I need, he takes care of so I knew this was the right fit.”

He also shared that the NIL money he earned enabled him to buy a Tesla earlier this year. And as the returns remain happy, he made a point to laud Cohen’s keen sense of recall.

“Daveed remembers every little detail that I don’t remember,” he said.

Meanwhile, Keion Brooks Jr. — who began his college journey at Kentucky before transferring to the Huskies after his 2021-22 junior season — has deals in place with McDonald’s and apparel brand Cuts thanks to his relationship with Young Money APAA

“In a space like this, a lot of people try to throw things at the wall and see if they stick. But they had numbers and facts to back up what they were saying,” Brooks said in a phone interview. “They were very transparent when they talk to me about what’s possible and those are guys who have a lot of integrity. The NIL space is still fairly new and I would not even know what direction to head in or what people to talk to in order to acquire deals but with their help, they’ve been making the proper connections I need and putting me in different positions to leverage myself and my brand.”

Teaching Lessons

NIL money can form a vital foundation for the career of an athlete after they finish playing out their collegiate years — whether or not professional sports dreams can be realized.

According to the NCAA, fewer than 2% of all college athletes go on to play at the pro level; a vast, vast majority has to go on and create a different sort of career. In any event, NIL pacts offer opportunities to learn more about marketing, content creation, brand development, negotiation, and a litany of industries in which these athletes can potentially forge their second act.

Cohen hopes that throughout the process there are moments in which athletes can learn about themselves just as much they are learning about the brand they are signing on the dotted line to represent.

“We really try to lay out a custom strategy for each athlete that is a multiple-prong approach. The first is the philanthropic side, getting out in the community and ingratiating yourself in the place where your school is, there are a lot of opportunities like visiting a children’s hospital or a turkey drive,” he said. “Those things won’t make money in the short term but in the long term, they can.”

The other dots YMAPAA Sports connects for its athletes beyond the fine print of endorsement deals themselves include website creation, social media content strategy, and best practices regarding merchandise and ecommerce.

For athletes that arrive with large followings on social media, many types of deals can come easier, but Cohen said that he enjoys having transparent conversations with athletes about playing the long game and building out their brands regardless of likes and follows.

“The whole name of the game is being completely honest from the jump, and at the end of the day, most people respect that more than anything. We’re not going to sell a dream that isn’t there. Every player is different and every player has a different audience,” he said. “We reverse-engineer an athlete’s end goal. So if an athlete’s end goal is to get a brand deal with whatever the brand may be. We build small steps to take in the micro that we can do on a daily basis to create those opportunities so you can work with your dream brand.”

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The post Inside the NIL Era with Daveed Cohen of Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA Sports Agency appeared first on Boardroom.

One of the most contentious annual traditions of the year and music has come and gone. The 2023 Grammy Award nominations were announced by the Recording Academy on Tuesday, and as always, the news brings joy to plenty of artists and fury to countless others. And as Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told Boardroom, due to the subjective nature of music, there are no official criteria as to how the Academy’s voters are meant to go about judging nominees.

Particulary in light of the Grammy Awards’ often contentious, complicated relationship with hip-hop music and the artists who create it, that makes for some fascinating scenarios for discussion, criticism, and reading between the lines.

With that in mind, let’s talk the extent to which the voters got today’s 2023 rap Grammy nominations right across the four big hip-hop-centric categories.

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Best Rap Album Nominations

First and foremost, congratulations to all of the nominees.

Now that the niceties are out of the way, there are two very clear outliers here: Come Home the Kids Miss You and GOD DID.

Come Home the Kids Miss You

• Artist: Jack Harlow
• First week sales: 113,000
• Highest-charting song: “First Class” (No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100)

GOD DID

• Artist: DJ Khaled
• First week sales: 107,500
• Highest-charting song: “GOD DID” (No. 17 on Billboard Hot 100)

In no way are either of the two albums superior musical achievements to, for instance, Gunna’s DS4Ever, Vince Staples’ Ramona Park Broke My Heart, or JID’s The Forever Story. Even Saba’s Few Good Things or Chris Patrick’s X-Files would have felt more justified.

Jack Harlow has had an incredible rise to stardom, but Come Home the Kids Miss You is simply not his best offering. For its part, it’s arguable that GOD DID made more noise due to DJ Khaled’s comical social media antics ahead of its release than it actually did on our playlists or in bars, clubs, and parties across the globe.

I Never Liked You

• Artist: Future
• First week sales: 222,000
• Highest-charting song: “Wait for U” (No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100)

At this point in his career, Future is playing 1-on-1 against himself. Does he have better projects than I Never Liked You? Yes. Does I Never Liked You still deserve a nomination? Yes. Two things can be true.

It’s Almost Dry

• Artist: Pusha T
• First week sales: 55,000
• Highest-charting song: Neck & Wrist (No. 76 on Billboard Hot 100)

King Push’s It’s Almost Dry is another quality offering from the lyrical cocaine king, but that brings me to my next point…

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

• Artist: Kendrick Lamar
• First week sales: 295,500
• Highest-charting song: N95 (No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100)

As it relates to this award, I would place an unhealthy amount of money on Kendrick walking away with the golden megaphone. Since losing to Macklemore in 2014, Lamar has not lost out on Best Rap Album whenever he’s been nominated. I don’t think that streak will come to an end next year.

Yes, this is all subjective. The subjective nature of music will forever cause endless debates as to what should and should not be nominated when awards season roles around — but JID, Vince Staples, and Gunna all striking out in this category just doesn’t add all the way up.

Best Rap Song Nominations

Quite the interesting list of songs earned a Grammy nomination here. I’m not mad at any of the nominees.

“Churchill Downs”

• Artist: Jack Harlow feat. Drake
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 23

I’m of the mindset that “Churchill Downs” is nominated because Drake gave Jack Harlow a top 10 Drizzy feature verse ever. Comparing Drizzy’s verse to Harlow’s is like comparing seasoned food to unseasoned food.

“The Heart Part 5”

• Artist: Kendrick Lamar
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100

It’s a bit surprising that “The Heart Part 5” was the pick over a song like “N95.” The former is a more personal and a deeply touching song in opposition to the thunder-like thumping of the latter.

“WAIT FOR U”

• Artist: Future feat. Drake & Tems
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 1

I don’t have an ill word to say about “WAIT FOR U” earning a nomination. There’s no question that it deserves the nod.

“GOD DID”

• Artist: DJ Khaled feat. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend, & Fridayy
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 17

This one doesn’t make it into my personal list of Best Rap Songs. I enjoyed the record the first time it played; I haven’t played it from start to finish since then. Jay-Z washed his competition, the chorus is cool, and that’s all I remember strongly from this eight-minute endeavor of a song.

“Pushin P”

• Artist: Gunna & Future feat. Young Thug
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 7

“Pushin P” is the titan among these nominees. The record is a worthy nominee and is a compelling pick to win in February.

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Best Melodic Rap Performance Nominations

“Beautiful”

• Artist: DJ Khaled feat. Future and SZA
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 29

By no means I am not trying to tear down DJ Khaled’s musical efforts — but I believe there are more deserving records. “You & Me” by Gunna and Chloë would have been a superior selection. In this specific category, it’s clear voters enjoyed this song regardless of its charting position, as every other song was top-five on the Billboard Hot 100. In any event, someone tell Punch that we are more than ready for SZA’s new album.

“WAIT FOR U”

• Artist: Future feat. Drake & Tems
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 1

For what it’s worth, I heard “WAIT FOR U” on TikTok and on a number of other short-form videos more than probably any other song this year. A very easy selection.

“First Class”

• Artist: Jack Harlow
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 1

“First Class” was a hit the moment Jack Harlow teased it, and it remains a singalong song no matter how you slice it. It’s catchier than a fast food jingle.

“Die Hard”

• Artist: Kendrick Lamar feat. Blxst & Amanda Reifer
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 5
• I won’t lie, this is my favorite song of this bunch, but I’ll be shocked if it wins (and I’m not sure it should).

“Big Energy (Live)”

• Artist: Latto
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 3

I was surprised to see “Big Energy” nominated, but I am elated for Latto because it’s always an unfairly uphill battle for women to get nominated for rap Grammys.

She deserves an upset W, but I think Best Melodic Rap Performance will come down to “First Class” and “WAIT FOR U,” and my guess is that Harlow prevails.

Best Rap Performance Nominations

Now here is an award for which I have no idea what will win. This list of nominees has every flavor of rap within it.

“GOD DID”

• Artist: DJ Khaled feat. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend, & Fridayy
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 29

Yes, it’s a recurring theme: all the DJ Khaled Grammy love comes as something of a head-scratcher. “GOD DID” is a good song and Hov gave us one of the best verses of the year, but a major nod like this calls for an extra bit of special something that isn’t really there.

“Vegas”

• Artist: Doja Cat
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 10

On just about any list, “Vegas” would reign as the catchiest song of the bunch. The Los Angeles-born Doja Cat has a knack for creating songs that require repeat listens.

“Pushin P”

• Artist: Gunna & Future feat. Young Thug
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 7

Regarding “Pushin P,” well, that song deserves every nomination it receives. The record was everywhere at the beginning of the year and it’s proven to have staying power.

“The Heart Part 5”

• Artist: Kendrick Lamar
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 5

Again, I’m surprised “The Heart Part 5” would be nominated over “N95” — in the past, Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy nominations have generally gone to some of his biggest radio or streaming hits. Opting for “The Heart Part 5” in this case would be like “The Art of Peer Pressure,” “Mortal Man,” or “Duckworth” getting a similar nod over more commercially impactful cuts.

“F.N.F. (Let’s Go)”

• Artist: GloRilla & Hitkidd
• Peak on Billboard Hot 100: No. 42

Easily the most shocking rap nomination of them all. I thought this record was merely an anthem in the streets and on social media. To see it get a nomination is really dope.

I would like to see GloRilla and Hitkidd take home the award, but I’ll back “Pushin P” to snag it.

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The post 2023 Grammy Nominations: The Rap Recap appeared first on Boardroom.

Fifteen years ago, rap fans of all origins were faced with two totem questions:

1. Had Jay-Z lost a step?
2. Could Lil Wayne stay on a subject?

Ascending from street corner to corner office, fans felt Hov’s best art was behind him following 2006’s Kingdom Come. Growing older in a young man’s game, the pace of play was changing thanks to the constant hum of blogs breaking new music.

Feeding that appetite was Wayne: a shape-shifting bar dropper with an endless amount of freestyles.

While rap fans in the ’90s were willing to wait two years for a new Nas album, kids coming up in the 2000s had content at their fingertips and a shortened attention span.

Enamored by random and rapid punchlines akin to a Family Guy DVD set, Wayne wasn’t here to tell you a story; he was here to annihilate any radio rap record with references to Steve Largent, styrofoam cups, and the Gremlins.

Playing the same game but aligned with different eras, regions, and audiences, the two came together on a 2007 concept album inspired by Denzel Washington.

So, how did the best rapper alive since the best rapper retired break bread with his hero? Boardroom breaks it all down on the 15th anniversary of American Gangster.

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President Carter

As the active head of the Def Jam administration, 2007 was a relatively tame year where Jay-Z’s rap roster was concerned.

Acts like Redman, Fabolous, and Ghostface Killah still had hits in the tank but struggled to sell in the era of online pirating. Over on the R&B side, Ne-Yo proved palatable with Because of You going gold, while Rihanna ascended her global reach on the multi-platinum Good Girl Gone Bad.

Heading into the fall, Hov had another earner on his hands with the release of Graduation, Kanye West’s third studio album. While West was taking rap into the future, Jay-Z, the artist, was looking back. Following the corporate comeback that was Kingdom Come, his lowest-figure studio album in a decade, it was time to revisit the past — and adjacent inspiration.

As Jay climbed the corporate ladder, still looking to regain his grip artistically, performer peer Denzel Washington was still surging critically and commercially. Cast as the lead in American Gangster — a period piece seven years in the making with a budget exceeding $100 million — Denzel took on the persona of Harlem kingpin Frank Lucas.

Detailing the drug trade in the 1960s and 1970s in New York, the storyline sparked something in Jay.

“It immediately clicked with me,” Jay told The New York Times in 2007.

Concocting a concept album, Hov had a new idea based on something old. At once, he could reclaim his core fan base while drafting off the marketing machine of an acclaimed movie. In an essence, he was bringing back mafioso rap — a sub-genre The Firm fumbled a decade prior.

Working with familiar faces from New York’s hip-hop scene, the project reunited Roc-a-Fella alumni with Bad Boy brass Diddy, a pairing not seen on a Hov album since the shiny suit sheen of 1997’s “I Know What Girls Like.” Both had remained relevant in rap and business, taking on parallel paths in their pursuit of success. Just the same, both had outgrown audiences that learned to love their early endeavors.

“People see me as far as the glamorous life shit or just think of me as someone who’s shit crossed over, going pop or whatever,” Puff told Elliott Wilson in 2007.

“Sometimes they may forget about the Lox album, the Biggie albums the Mary My Life, 411 albums, and some of the hardest rawest shit ever to come out of New York in the last 10 years. We did those albums. To be honest, the hardest album to come from a New York rapper, I produced it.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, music man Puff was back in the cut.

This time, the temperature, inspiration, and origin were all different, even if it was Sean Combs’ own artistic ambitions that started the process all along.

“The ‘American Gangster’ record was actually a demo for Puff,” Just Blaze told Boardroom in September of the album’s title track. “But Jay liked it so much.”

Being quite Frank, Jay looked to Lucas and the artistry of Denzel to take his storytelling and beat selection back to the old days, building a world in which the concept could fully take shape.

“Sonically, that album sounds very much like that era,” Just Blaze said. “That was kind of our lane already coming off the Blueprint albums.”

Relying heavily on The Hitmen while pulling in heat from The Neptunes, Toomp, Jermaine Dupri, and Just Blaze himself, a classic was quickly composed, recalling the lightning-in-a-bottle inspiration of the original Blueprint. Unlike previous pop plays, the album was all killer and no filler, sacrificing structure or commercial steering for what would be the uncut raw.

Even the deep cuts came from a place few fans expected.

“The thing nobody talks about is ‘No Hook,'” Just Blaze said. “I called an orchestra to play the strings instead of a hook. We tried a lot of different hooks from a lot of different artists, but nobody really nailed it. The rhymes were so dope and the beats were so good it didn’t need a hook.”

Back in his bag — no longer his briefcase — the hustler persona of American Gangster granted Jay the ultimate rebound. Critics of Kingdom Come came back to love the homage to the oldies.

“It was all coming from that era,” Just Blaze said.

Reclaiming his crown, the throne returned to its rightful owner.

However, while Hov had New York back, an emerging talent from New Orleans was rewriting the rules to rap. Untied to a topic, the surrogate son of Birdman was speeding past his peers by demolishing all of their top tracks with his own flurry of freestyles.

Loved in Louisiana but suddenly seen by all, Lil Wayne was ascending. Hot Boy turned D Boy, his unbounded creativity was catching on by way of new platforms of proliferation, upending the regionalism that long ruled rap.

Yes, Weezy F was from the South. However, he belonged to the Internet.

Embrace the Martian

Twenty-six years: that’s how long it took Jay-Z to find his path.

Lil Wayne on the other hand? Less than half that.

At the tender age of 12, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was signed by Cash Money Records. By 17, he had his own solo studio album sold at Sam Goody stores across the country, making him a Cash Money Millionaire not just in title but in earning appeal.

From Hollygrove to Hollywood, Wayne grew up fast, performing at The Tunnel by 14 and having his own platinum plaque three years later. Around the industry, artists had an affinity for Wayne thanks to his innate charisma and unique voice.

Among those artists? Jay-Z.

Being a businessman before becoming a renowned rapper, Jay was a master of marketing when it came to tapping new territories and aligning with up-and-coming talent. With only two years of being ten toes down in the game, Hov had already staked a claim in New Orleans by appearing on the “Ha” remix, returning the favor by featuring Juvenile on his own album shortly after.

All the while, Hov was building his own infantry of artists up and down the Northeast.

Over the course of the early aughts, Jay-Z expanded his portfolio of performers to include Harlem’s own Cam’ron, Philadelphia’s Freeway, and a kid from Chicago named Kanye West. Rap’s radio reign forecasted more magic from the South, with Hov soon courting Cash Money’s last remaining superstar, Lil Wayne.

While the new millennium had been kind to Jay, it’d been far harsher to New Orleans and its chosen son. Back home, Birdman and Mannie Fresh were feuding and big breadwinner Juvenile had fled for Jive. To make matters worse, Wayne’s sophomore and junior albums bricked, making many start to wonder what would be left of the house the Williams Brothers built.

By 2004, the energy shifted.

Wayne’s fourth album, Tha Carter, caught commercial and critical acclaim. Growing dreads and paying homage to rap’s elder Carter, young Wayne worked his way back into Rap City rotation through D Boy branding and R&B features. This swan song glow-up mixed with the shaky situation at Cash Money made the Jiggaman put his GM hat on.

Around 2005, Hov hosted Wayne at the 40/40 with Derek Jeter and Denzel Washington in attendance. As Wayne tells it, his hero pitched him a lowball contract worth $175,000 to flee from New Orleans and join The Roc.

Impressed by the interest but offended by the offer, Wayne went back to Cash Money where Birdman quickly appointed him president of the label.

Jay claims he reached out to Birdman to discuss what could be considered tampering, resulting in legal actions and a falling out. Regardless, the sliding doors situation proved good for all parties.

As the new leader of Cash Money, Lil Wayne rose as the leader of a new generation. Absolutely owning the feature and freestyle space, Wayne flooded the underground with mixtape material while assisting a wide gamut of talent on their radio singles.

Whether on TRL or DatPiff, you could catch something new and hot from Weezy damn near every day for a four-year run.

While the kids were absolutely loving Lil Wayne, the gatekeepers couldn’t stand him. Arrogant and unorthodox, his rock-star rags and random raps were far from the focused toughness touted by 50 Cent.

Then in 2006, only a year after Hov hit him with a below-market offer at the 40/40 Club, Wayne wrecked shop on all purists by absolutely obliterating Jay-Z’s comeback single, “Show Me What You Got.”

At that moment, everyone took notice.

“The internet was going crazy,” Just Blaze said.

A student of hip-hop history and the producer of the original track, Just Blaze had a unique proximity to the titans of the game as well as the chatter on online message boards. Not only was he hip to the new, but he was also adjacent to the now.

“It was like Wayne had this overnight transformation into this god-level MC. A lot of people looked to that era as he was maturing,” Just Blaze said. “I was definitely impressed when I heard it. I was very surprised because I always thought Wayne could rhyme, but I had never heard him rhyme like that.”

The code had been cracked, but would the gates be fully opened? Better yet, would Hov’s history with Wayne prevent future work?

Home & Home

Jay-Z has always admired Michael Jordan — not just for his drive but also his ability to deliver in the clutch.

As Hov homed in on his concept classic, it was still missing one thing. While this album was meant to be timeless, the stamp of a good Jay project always served as a time stamp, spotlighting a guest verse likened to the hottest rapper of the moment. From sparring with Biggie on Reasonable Doubt to enlisting Eminem on The Blueprint, each piece of his catalog positioned Hov side by side with either who was now or next.

In 2007, no one was both more than Lil Wayne.

As fate would have it, the mixtape martian was also in the studio, cutting countless tracks for what would become Tha Carter III. Occupying a unique lane, Wayne had Middle America mall shoppers and the streets salivating over each song. Shuffling through tracks by the best producers in all of hip hop, he heard a beat that reminded him of his hero: Hov.

Somehow, Hov had heard it, too.

Brought to Jay by Gee Roberson and Kyambo ‘Hip Hop’ Joshua, Roc-a-Fella alumni who had went on to work with Wayne, the timing was perfect to finally pair both Carters on record.

“Jay heard the song some type of way,” Wayne told MTV in 2007. “When he heard it, he said, ‘Ask the homie if I can get this.'”

More honored than offended, it was an easy answer.

“When I was asked the question, I told them it wasn’t even a question — he’s got it. Everybody in the world knows how I feel about Jay. He’s the king, utmost respect,” Wayne said.

The song was “Hello Brooklyn” — an unreleased Wayne cut amended with a ‘2.0’ due to the sequel nature of the track. Rebranded a la other New York classics like “Dead Presidents II” or “Shook Ones (Pt. II),” it brought Jay back home while placing Wayne right in the Mecca.

Despite its underground appeal, the beat was built by Derrick “Bigg D” Baker, a Floridian famous for producing Pretty Ricky’s Bluestars album and “Unpredictable” by Jamie Foxx. Having helmed Wayne’s hard-hitting “Best Rapper Alive,” the 2006 BMI Urban Music Songwriter of the Year was well-versed in sound and structure. Additionally, he was astute in sample clearance, having just cleared a 4 Non Blondes melody for Chris Brown and Kanye West.

This duality led Baker to dig deep in the crates, dusting off the fifth section of “B-Boy Bouillabaisse” from the rhythmic outro to a Beastie Boys classic, Paul’s Boutique. Baker brought back Ad-Rock’s booming b-side all the way to its streaking start, setting the stage for a side of Wayne the world had never heard.

“The song has a sample on there that says, ‘Hello Brooklyn,'” Wayne told MTV. “Me not being from Brooklyn, I think it’s cool because you always wanna know what an outsider thinks of your place. I made it so that I’m talking to a woman and the woman has the traits of the actual place [where the song is set].”

Pulling parallels to Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.” or Kanye’s cut “Home,” Wayne went in on one theme and stuck to it. Hov had his ’80s piece of the pie where soundscape was concerned, checking topical guest verse off the list while igniting opposing audiences.

On Oct. 26, 2007, just days before American Gangster was set to hit stores, the Internet proved a strategic setting to debut “Hello Brooklyn 2.0” for all to hear. In a matter of moments, both the album and even the movie leaked, cutting into opening-week numbers but providing booming conversation.

Nevertheless, the song proved profitable for both parties. Each earned new ears, adding substance and longevity for years to come.

Brooklyn Carter

Where rap music is concerned, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z have both sons and daughters in today’s game.

Still active and actual fathers themselves, they’re each embarking on their fourth decade in the industry, handing out guest verses to today’s top talent. Hov has laid the blueprint for conquering corporate America while Weezy has reshaped hip hop both socially and aesthetically, as seen by the endless output and tattooed terrain of the new guard.

As American Gangster turns 15, the album finds itself as fifth best in Hov’s personal rankings, but it might mean more where his legacy is concerned. Without this concept piece, one has to wonder where Jay would’ve gone next.

Would he leave rap on a low note or would he hop trends to remain relevant? For an artist equally sparked by inspiration and strategy, we may never know.

What is certain is that the pseudo soundtrack served as a springboard for Hov’s second act as an MC. On top of that, “Hello Brooklyn 2.0” helped Wayne win over gatekeepers and the old New York.

As a thank you for the lob, Jay returned the favor on 2008’s “Mr. Carter,” an early entry off Tha Carter III that helped build buzz and bridge a gap like the Beastie Boys backflip.

Though the two artists have had a contentious relationship on wax since, the mutual respect remains not just by both icons, but also by their frenetic fanbases. At that moment, Hov got back on top, while Wayne stayed on subject. In the end, each emcee answered countless critics.

But in turn, it was good business for both — particularly the concept album’s starring figure.

Like Lucas, Jay never forgot where he came from, even if it took an out-of-town talent to provide direction.

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The post How Jay-Z & Lil Wayne Bridged the Gap on “Hello Brooklyn 2.0” appeared first on Boardroom.

Autumn is upon us and that means school is back in session… and that Frank Ocean wiped his Instagram clean again. That means we can all begin our ridiculous fan theories and hopes for new music. Go!

British Boy Wonder Harry Styles has the No. 1 movie in the country — the drama-riddled Warner Bros. release Don’t Worry, Darling, which opened at No. 1 at the box office with $19.2 million in ticket sales — and the No. 1 song in the country with “As it Was,” which officially broke the record for most weeks (15) at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in history.

Meanwhile, BLACKPINK opened this week’s Billboard 200 at No. 1 with their latest LP, BORN PINK. The South Korean quartet’s sophomore album moved 102,000 units, marking the first time in 14 years an album from an all-woman group topped the charts in its opening week.

Oh, and Mariah Carey revealed that she has an unreleased alt-rock album entitled Someone’s Ugly Daughter that she made in 1995.

This is a real thing that happened.

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Finally, reports suggest that Beyoncé is preparing to reveal a 2023 world tour to support her Renaissance project, while Kid Cudi’s Netflix show, Entergalactic, premieres Friday alongside its accompanying soundtrack, which will double as Cudi’s 10th studio album. Lead single “Willing To Trust” featuring Ty Dolla $ign dropped last week.

Below, Boardroom’s Notables has got you covered on everything that went down in the music over the last few weeks.

Rihanna, Apple Music Take Over Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show

Just a hand holding a pigskin sent shockwaves through the worlds of sports, music and entertainment like only one human could.

Albeit was one of the most recognizable and iconic henna tattoo-covered hands on the planet: that of Barbados’ own Robyn Fenty.

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Yes, as the NFL confirmed Sunday, Rihanna is headlining February’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation will act as executive producers and strategic-entertainment advisers for the live performance.

This news arrives just days after the league announced a multi-year partnership with Apple Music to celebrate the world’s greatest songwriters, musicians, producers and artists and so this year’s game in Glendale, Arizona will serve as the first under Apple Music’s banner.

Beyond expected Fenty brand promotion, we can hope that this special appearance will be accompanied by new music from RiRi for the first time since her critically-acclaimed 2016 album, ANTI.

I mean, we did see Jupiter yesterday.

Lil Baby’s BIG Week

Atlanta Rapper Lil Baby hit big with two endorsement deals this week and they each pale in comparison to the next thing I’m about to say:

Lil Baby is now the voice of the Official Budweiser Anthem of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Delivering the song “The World is Yours To Take,” Baby puts his own spin on the classic 1985 Tears For Fears‘ track “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” for the international soccer tournament taking place in the Persian Gulf region from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18.

“Let’s get turnt up, somebody pass me a Budweiser, a cold one,” raps Baby on the song alluding to his alignment with the classic American-style lager.

Additionally, Lil Baby has rejoined in partnership with Axe, appearing for a three-episode series of anime-style digital vignettes that replay some of the most empowering moments from the artist’s life and career using his own VoiceOver.

Finally, to put proverbial icing on an already large cake, Baby was awarded with the highly-coveted Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award for his 2020 song “The Bigger Picture” and his continued work in the community, at the Black Music Action Coalition’s second annual Music in Action Awards Gala in Los Angeles.

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GloRilla’s Memphis Grizzlies?

GloRilla has arrived. And we are fully here for it.

Thankfully, it very much appears that the NBA and its fans are, too.

Just days after the Memphis-born artist released highly-anticipated single “Tomorrow 2” featuring Cardi B — which has since accrued over 7.5 million views on YouTube and skyrocketed to No. 1 on Apple Music US charts — GloRilla was tapped to be the musical voice and narrator behind the Memphis Grizzlies’ official 2022-23 Season Preview video.

“This is me and this is our city and you know these guys,” boasts the budding Grind City star.

GloRilla, who recently signed with Yo Gotti’s CMG imprint record label, broke out with “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” earlier this year after going viral on TikTok.

Rolling Louder

Rolling Loud New York was exactly what you expected it to be:

A mess, but a darn great time.

Playboi Carti set the stage on literal fire to kick things off Friday night, surprising fans by bringing Ye out to perform their collaborative song “Off The Grid” off Mr. West’s 2021 album, DONDA.

Ye has been a master of spectacle of late, with guest appearances as recently as this week’s Milan Fashion Week at Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2023, where he was seated next to Stormzy, wearing a full-leather fit and bedazzled flip-flops. Later in the evening, Ye previewed new music with James Blake at an afterparty captured via supermodel Naomi Campbell’s Instagram Live.

Back at Rolling Loud, Lil Uzi Vert hit what felt like every stage, performing his own set and then pulling up to Chief Keef and Nicki Minaj’s headlining sets to give them a hand on stage.

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A$AP Rocky headlined on Saturday night, taking to the stage for what he says will be his last final live show prior to the release of his upcoming album — and as a bonus, he and Carti collectively became a hilarious meme as they both (perhaps regrettably) opted to go right into the crowd while performing.

Future closed things out Sunday night performing before a torrential downpour ended the festival early.

In more ways than one, Rolling Loud didn’t get off without a hitch. 21 Savage said afterward that he’ll never perform at a Rolling Loud again, and (of course) the Hip-hop Police are back at it again, with New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli breaking the news that three NYC drill rappers — Sha Ek, 22Gz and Ron Suno — were cut from the festivities in Queens at the request of the NYPD just a few hours before the festival began.

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Final Notes

• Happy 40th Birthday to Lil Wayne (from Skip Bayless, obviously)!
• Questlove to serve as executive producer on J Dilla documentary Dilla Time
• Kodak Black returns with dual releases Walk and Spin
• Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s former Chief Business Officer, to succeed Steve Cooper as Warner Music Group CEO
• Metro Boomin announces his first solo album in four years, Heroes & Villains, set to release in November
• Smino’s lead single, “90 Proof” featuring J. Cole, from upcoming LP drops Friday
• A college course based on the music of Lana Del Rey launches at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute
• Swedish artist (and leader of cult favorite Yung Lean adjacent-crew Drain Gang) Bladee will release his sixth album, Spiderr, on Friday
• SleazyWorld Go goes platinum for hit song “Sleazy Flow”
• Megan Thee Stallion and J Balvin are taking steps to provide mental health resources to those in need through a new platform called Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too and bilingual wellness app OYE, respectively
• Aphex Twin launches a “Sample Mashing” App called Samplebrain
• Arctic Monkeys sign deal to headline Glastonbury‘s Pyramid Stage in 2023
• Beck covered Neil Young’s “Old Man” for Sunday Night Football Promotion
• 50 Cent officially parts ways with Starz
• Apple Music Live’s next broadcast will be Billie Eilish, and her Happier Than Ever: The World Tour stop at The O2 Arena in London
• Post Malone to resume Twelve Carat Toothache Tour after taking a hard fall while performing last week; Field Trip Recordings founder Zack Bia joins as DJ
• New Artist spotlight: Lancey Foux — Lancey or Lancey
• RIP Pharoah Sanders.

Read More:

• ChatGPT, Voice Engine, Sam Altman & More Updates from OpenAI
• From March Madness to Man United: Brands Make Fan Dreams Come True
• Everything is On the Table for Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera & The Shop
• Boardroom Talks: Amar’e Stoudemire Always Understood the Game
• CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Summit Returning in 2024

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The post Notables: Rihanna, Lil Baby, GloRilla, Rolling Loud appeared first on Boardroom.

Lil Wayne Confirms “Tha Carter VI” is “Coming Soon”

Turns out, the Young Money reunion was worth the wait. Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj headlined the bill at Drake‘s Road to OVO Fest Weekend. However, the show was pushed back a week after Drizzy himself tested positive for Covid. Last night, they all took the stage in Toronto – revisiting the classics. But the highlight of the night looked to the future, as Weezy confirmed that Tha Carter VI is “coming soon.” Lil Wayne first announced the album in 2020, but has stayed mum on details.

Naomi Osaka and Louis Vuitton Team up for the Twist

Naomi Osaka is building an empire off the court. The tennis superstar lost to Coco Gauff in the round of 16 of the Silicon Valley Classic this week. Despite some difficult injuries, Osaka is staying laser-focused on her comeback on the court. In the meantime, she launched a new campaign with Louis Vuitton. The ad features Osaka walking across a court in sporty couture looks and shouldering the luxury brand’s newest versions of its signature Twist purse. Osaka signed with the French luxury label in January 2021.

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Tony Boselli, Richard Seymour Lead 2022 NFL HoF Inductions

The NFL preseason officially kicked off on Thursday with the annual Hall of Fame game as the Raiders handly beat the Jaguars. All eyes remained on Canton yesterday as the Hall of Fame welcomed its newest members into its hallowed halls. Tony Boselli, Richard Seymour, and Dick Vermeil were among the eight newest inductees.

Boardroom recently caught up with Tony Boselli to discuss his second chapter in healthcare.

Bobby Bonilla’s Iconic Contract Fetches $180K at Auction

One of the most underrated holidays of the calendar year is Bobby Bonilla Day. Each year the former major leaguer hauls in a seven-figure check from the New York Mets decades after logging his last at bat. One lucky collector captured the original contract, putting down $180,000 at the final gavel. In addition to the contract itself, the winner also will be eligible for a Zoom chat with Bonilla and his former agent Dennis Gilbert who brokered the deal and has held onto the contract ever since.

Bubba Wallace Races to Victory in Michigan

Bubba Wallace added another item to his lengthy list of successes. Wallace took home his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series pole position victory at the Michigan International Speedway. This season, Wallace has been speeding to some of the best driving of his career – logging three consecutive top-10 finishes.

Wallace joined Boardroom‘s Rich Kleiman on the Out of Office podcast last year, where he discussed his journey to the track and so much more.

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The post Sabrina Ionescu Makes WNBA History appeared first on Boardroom.

Who’s the greatest rapper of all time? Depending on your age and generation, your mind perhaps goes straight to Biggie vs. 2Pac or Jay-Z vs. Nas. Maybe you’re an absolute lifer ready to go to the mat for Eminem, Lil Wayne, or André 3000. Maybe you’re ride-or-die for Drizzy Drake and Kendrick, and that’s simply all there is to say about that.

But if we’re talking about album sales in particular, one MC truly stands at the top of the heap.

He may or may not be your favorite, but the numbers are the numbers.

Boardroom dove into the official figures as confirmed by RIAA certification — the Recording Industry Association of America’s Silver, Gold, and Platinum designations as determined not by literal sales per se, but by units shipped minus units returned — to find out which albums made the cut as the most popular in hip-hop history.

Which Rapper Has the Most Diamond Albums & Singles?

From Drake and Eminem to Kanye, Hov, and beyond, check out hip-hop’s all-time 10x Platinum honor roll.

Let’s Go!

Best-selling Hip Hop Albums of All Time by RIAA Certification

Includes all 17 rap albums to receive a designation of 6x Platinum (six million equivalent units shipped) designation or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America as of October 2023. Albums at each tier of certification are listed chronologically in order of release.

For two-disc albums like Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and All Eyez on Me, the RIAA counts a single album as two units.

13x Platinum

Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)

12x Platinum

Eminem, The Eminem Show (2002)

11x Platinum

2Pac, All Eyez on Me (1996)
The Notorious BIG, Life After Death (1997)
2Pac, Greatest Hits (1998)
Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

10x Platinum (“Diamond”)

Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill (1986)
MC Hammer, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em (1990)
Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Nelly, Country Grammar (2000)
Eminem, Curtain Call: The Hits (2005)

Who’s the Hip-hop Spotify King?

Find out who tops the list of the most-streamed rappers in history.

Check it Out

9x Platinum

Will Smith, Big Willie Style (1997)
50 Cent, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003)

NOTE: The Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording also has 9x Platinum certification. Whether it’s a “rap album” like the others on this list is a matter of dispute that Boardroom will not attempt to settle.

8x Platinum

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (2008)
Eminem, Recovery (2010)

7x Platinum

Fugees, The Score (1996)
Nelly, Nellyville (2002)

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6x Platinum

The Notorious BIG, Ready to Die (1994)
Jay-Z, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life (1998)
Dr. Dre, 2001 (1999)
50 Cent, The Massacre (2005)
Drake, Take Care (2011)
Drake, Views (2016)

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The post Best-selling Rap Albums of All Time: 2Pac, Eminem, Biggie Smalls & More appeared first on Boardroom.