Latest news with #J.Cole
Forbes
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Janet Jackson Earns A Pair Of New Top 10 Hits
Janet Jackson hasn't released new music in years, and fans likely shouldn't hold their breath for a brand new full-length or even another single anytime soon. Still, longtime lovers of the superstar — as well as those just now discovering some of her classics — have helped turn a decades-old cut from her catalog into a smash once again. Jackson returns to the Billboard charts this week with a beloved tune that climbs into the highest tier on several rankings, becoming a win on a few lists for the first time, long after the world first fell in love with the cut. "Someone to Call My Lover" debuts on a pair of Billboard rankings this frame. The track opens inside the top 10 on both charts, giving Jackson a somewhat late-in-career new win. Between the two tallies, it launches highest on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart, arriving at No. 3. The composition also appears on the slightly broader R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales roster, where it debuts at No. 6. As "Someone to Call My Lover" arrives, Jackson claims her third top 10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart. She has performed even better on the more focused R&B Digital Song Sales list, which excludes rap and hip-hop. Throughout her decades-long career, the singer has now landed seven placements on the former and a milestone 10 on the latter, thanks to this latest debut. "Someone to Call My Lover" comes close to tying as Jackson's highest-rising hit on both digital tallies. On the R&B list, it just misses matching with both "No Sleeep" featuring J. Cole and "Made for Now" with Daddy Yankee, which both peaked at No. 2, missing out on giving the legend her first champions by a single space. Over on the R&B/Hip-Hop ranking, the decades-old track opens at No. 6, tying with her J. Cole collaboration. Meanwhile, her track with Daddy Yankee, released in 2018, reached No. 5 and remains her top performer on that list. Jackson earns the highest debut this week on both tallies. On the R&B-only list, Muni Long's "Made for Me" opens at No. 10, while Beyoncé's "Die With You" (4-4-17) returns at No. 9. On the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart, "Baby Come Back" by Player kicks off its time at No. 12. At the same time, "Fe!N" by Travis Scott and Playboi Carti lands at No. 10, though that smash isn't new to the tally. "Someone to Call My Lover" has recently gone viral, thanks to younger listeners discovering it on TikTok. That renewed interest – which has turned many tracks from decades past into chart wins in the past several years – is driving sales and streams, pushing the track back onto charts around the world. Even a modest uptick in purchases of a long-overlooked favorite can be enough to bring it back to the Billboard tallies. Originally released as the second single from All for You, "Someone to Call My Lover" danced to No. 3 on the Hot 100. The hit earned Jackson a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance the following year, though she didn't take home the trophy.
Black America Web
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Kanye West New Rant: J. Cole's Not Real & Kendrick Fans Don't Know Rap
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Matthias Nareyek / Getty On a recent unfiltered livestream, Kanye West delivered another fiery tirade, this time targeting fellow rap heavyweights J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. Known for his unpredictable and often controversial commentary, Kanye didn't hold back, reigniting long-standing tensions within the Hip-Hop community. Speaking on J. Cole, Kanye bluntly stated, 'When I would meet up with Drake I would ask him why are you working with J. Cole, he's not an actual person. When people would tell me they like J. Cole I be like don't tell me that. I hate J. Cole, it can't even be called music.' The harsh critique left fans stunned, especially given the mutual respect often expressed among the 'Big Three' rappers of this generation, Cole, Kendrick, and Drake. Kanye's dismissal of J. Cole's artistry seemed personal, bordering on surreal, calling into question whether there's deeper unresolved beef behind the scenes. Ye was far from over too. Turning his attention to Kendrick Lamar, Kanye added, 'I heard Ben Affleck that Kendrick Lamar is one of his favorite rappers. I was like, bro, anybody that has Kendrick as one of their favorite rappers don't know rap.' The jab at Kendrick, long praised for his lyricism and cultural impact, raised eyebrows and drew backlash from fans and artists alike. Whether this was another headline-grabbing rant or a sign of deeper tensions in the Hip-Hop world, Kanye once again reminded everyone, he says what he wants, no matter the fallout. Kanye West New Rant: J. Cole's Not Real & Kendrick Fans Don't Know Rap was originally published on
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ye Rants ‘I Hate J. Cole' & Claims Kendrick Lamar Fans ‘Don't Know About Rap'
Ye (formerly Kanye West) hasn't let up when it comes to repeatedly taking shots at J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. During a livestream on Wednesday (April 30), West claimed he hates Cole's music and disparaged the Compton rapper along with Lamar's fans. 'I hate J. Cole. It can't even be called music. I hate J. Cole,' Ye told Toronto rapper Top5. 'And it's something about both J. Cole and Kendrick that kinda, that leaves me sorta like — it reminds me of each other and s–t like that. It's just not that sauce to me.' More from Billboard Ye Says $3 Million Dispute With Producers Could Lead to 'Donda 2' Streaming Removal Bruce Springsteen Releases Haunted Song 'Faithless' From Upcoming 'Tracks II: The Lost Albums' Box Set Is Rose from 'Gypsy' the Greatest Role in Broadway History? That's What Tony Awards History Suggests Ye continued that if anyone in the room with him at that moment was a J. Cole fan, he didn't want them to tell him because otherwise, he'd devalue their opinion. The embattled rapper then turned his attention back to Lamar and took shots at any fan who would list the Pulitzer-winning rapper as their GOAT. 'Anybody that say Kendrick is one of their favorite rappers, don't know about rap, doesn't know about real rap,' he claimed. Billboard has reached out to J. Cole and Lamar's reps for comment. Cole and Kendrick have been frequent targets for Ye when he's been lashing out at his peers during recent rants on X. 'I DON'T LIKE KENDRICK LAMARS MUSIC,' he wrote in March. 'HE RAPS VERY GOOD BUT I DIDNT NEED TO HEAR HIM ON CARTI ALBUM.' While there's plenty of history between Cole and West, the Chicago native — who has faced widespread criticism for his repeated hate speech — claimed in early April that Cole's music was for 'virgins' and he's 'hurting hip-hop.' 'I hate J Cole music so much,' West said matter-of-factly on X. 'It's like between Kendrick and J Cole I bet you industry plants asked J Cole to diss Drake then we would have been accosted with a J Cole Super Bowl commercial with no SZA song to save it… No one listens to J Cole after loosing [sic] their virginity.' Kanye also dissed J. Cole last year with his 'Like That' remix. 'Play J. Cole get the p—y dry,' he raps on the track. Cole has jabbed at West on multiple occasions in the past. He previously checked him on 2016's 'False Prophets' and 2019's 'Middle Child,' saying he feels West hasn't lived up to the billing of his legend status. However, following the repeated shots, Cole took the high road and showed Ye love during his set at Dreamville Fest 2025 in April, where he saluted West for clearing samples for him throughout his decorated career. 'I know n—-s feel a way about him right now, but I got love for [Ye] and I really appreciate him. He cleared all these f—ing samples for me,' he said. On the music front, Ye is staying busy. He uploaded his lost 2022 Donda 2 album to streaming services for the first time on Tuesday night (April 29). Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Axios
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Organizers unveil the future of Raleigh's Dreamville Festival
Raleigh's Dreamville Festival will continue in the city under a new brand, Sascha Stone Guttfreund, a promoter with Dreamville and Live Nation, said in a news conference Thursday with Raleigh officials. Why it matters: The news, which comes two days before the fifth Dreamville is set to begin, is welcome after North Carolina-born rapper J. Cole announced earlier this year that this festival would be the last in its current form. Cole will remain involved, but it's unclear whether he will perform in future festivals. Driving the news: The city has been in talks with Live Nation for months about continuing the festival. The pair signed an agreement Thursday that commits the festival to running in the city for another four years at Dix Park. Raleigh city manager Marchell Adams-David said the agreement does not include a financial subsidy from the city. The big picture: Since it launched in 2018, Dreamville has become one of Raleigh's signature cultural events and a serious driver of the local economy. It brings in tens of thousands of visitors who book hotels, eat at local restaurants and shop local vendors. In 2023, Dreamville visitors spent $122 million in the area, according to a report commissioned by festival organizers. Between the lines: But with J. Cole taking a step back, it has left the future of the festival, especially under the Dreamville name, uncertain. State of play: While no name has yet been picked for the new festival, Adams-David said she expects it to remain similar in content and style. "We're going to continue on the same path that's been successful for us," she said. "Consumers have told us what they like, and we're going to try to provide that to them for the next four years." What they're saying: Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad, president of Dreamville Records and J. Cole's manager, said Dreamville has always wanted to create something special for J. Cole's home state. "North Carolina is Cole's home. This is where he started ... so we always wanted to bring something back to the state," Hamad said. But in Raleigh, he added, it's found a helpful partner that is also strategically located on the East Coast. "The location is great because ... you can drive from Atlanta, you could drive from New York, you could drive from so many places because [North Carolina] is really right there in the middle," he said. "I always felt like there was a void of, you know, a big festival like this" in the state.
Axios
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
NC bill would name official state hip-hop song
A new Senate bill proposes adopting the song "Raise Up" as North Carolina's official state hip-hop song. Why it matters: All my fellow North Carolinians know the 2001 hit by Petey Pablo. We've all, at some point, whipped a towel or other fabric above our heads and belted along: "This one's for North Carolina! Come on and raise up. Take your shirt off, twist it 'round your hand. Spin it like a helicopter." You've heard it at Panthers and Hurricane games, Lovin' Life Music Fest and on the radio. If passed, the bill would give "Raise Up" official recognition, paying it the same respect our state shows the dogwood flower (state flower) and the cardinal (state bird). North Carolina has a list of state symbols: Milk is our state beverage. Sweet potatoes are our vegetable. Honeybees are our insects. What they're saying: "'Raise Up' was released in August 2001 as a tribute to the people of North Carolina and maintains its cultural significance as an anthem for the State," the bill reads. The big picture: The bill acknowledges the worldwide celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop in 2023 and highlights HBCUs' influence on the genre: "North Carolina's Historically Black Colleges and Universities have helped shape the rich and diverse sound of North Carolina's hip hop artists," it states. Context: Petey Pablo was born and raised in Greenville, as were other hip hop icons mentioned in the bill, including J. Cole, Rapsody, 9th Wonder, Phonte and Big Pooh. Grammy-nominated, Pablo was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2024. Between the lines: The bill was filed by Democratic Senators Natalie S. Murdock (Chatham, Durham), Kandie Smith (Edgecombe, Pitt) and DeAndrea Salvador (Mecklenburg). It's not the first state symbol up for debate this year. The House passed bills to add the Moravian cookie as the official state cookie and the Moravian star as North Carolina's official state star. Bill sponsor Rep. Donny Lambeth told Carolina Journal the bills were light-hearted, "feel-good" legislation. A Tepper Sports & Entertainment spokesperson confirmed to Axios in January that they had had conversations with DaBaby about music.
