In the sixth episode of 'Billboard Unfiltered,' Billboard staffers Damien Scott, Trevor Anderson & Kyle Denis dive into whether or not Kendrick Lamar will perform “Not Like Us” live at his one day event, The Pop Out — Ken and Friends, on Junteenth. They also talk about Rihanna’s continuous tease of R9, if she’ll ever release it, and why it's taken so long. They break down Summer Jam’s cultural significance, how younger and older artists need to perform at music festivals and more!
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00:00We got to keep the older guys on these stages because by and large, for the male side at least,
00:04they're still better performers. They're still...
00:07I'm excited to see him, but I'm more excited to see
00:11him perform not like us and then see like a bunch of West Coast artists just go crazy.
00:15She says she's coming back with R9. Are we foolish enough to hope that it's coming anytime soon?
00:22Welcome back to a new episode of Billboard Unfiltered. Of course, I'm Trevor Anderson.
00:26Got a new face over here. We want to introduce Kyle Dennis to y'all.
00:30Young shooter out here.
00:31Yes, one of the great wonder kids of his generation. Of course, we got the GOAT,
00:35Damian Scott here as well.
00:36Yeah, wonder kid is like a...
00:38That's a lot.
00:41Kyle's got a name out here. I'm telling you.
00:42I'm with it.
00:44I'm with it.
00:44Got a little following. We know we got plenty of opinions, thoughts.
00:47Got a price going up.
00:48A little bit. A little bit.
00:50I'm telling you. I'm telling you.
00:51So obviously a big week for us. Let's dive right into it.
00:54First thing we want to talk about something that happened a couple days ago.
00:58Method Man out here talking after the Summer Jam performance.
01:02Had a little bit to say on Instagram after that saying that it wasn't really his crowd at all.
01:08He thanked New York and thanked the Tri-State area, Pete and Ebro for having it.
01:12But he said never again.
01:15So he's kind of done with Summer Jam thinking the generation gap has just gotten a little too wide.
01:20He clarified his comments a little bit later saying it wasn't the crowd.
01:23It was just a self-awareness moment that maybe where he needs to put his energy,
01:27his performance is going to be a little different from here on out.
01:30So first things first, what do you guys think about what Meth had to say?
01:34And it is what he's saying true.
01:35Is there, are we getting to a point where the generation gap between young rap fans,
01:41fans of more classic rap, can the two not mix anymore?
01:45I think Meth is correct in the sense that we have to be a little bit more conscientious
01:50with the way that we're creating these lineups.
01:54You can't really have Method Man and Redman on a lineup that is led by Doja Cat, Sexy Red,
02:00Cash Cobain, 41.
02:02Those people and their fans aren't necessarily here to see Method Man, Redman, Jadakiss.
02:07And people who are here to see Jadakiss and Method Man and Redman are not really there
02:10to see 41 either or see Doja Cat or Cash or Sexy or anyone like that.
02:15I was at Roots Picnic the day before Summer Jam and Meth Man and Redman had a great crowd.
02:21They were having a ton of fun on stage.
02:23It really played well to that demographic in terms of a bit of an older crowd,
02:27but people who were still really into hip-hop and still really into modern hip-hop as well,
02:32because you had Spino, you had Sexy Red, and their crowds were also very, very loud,
02:36very, very packed.
02:37Their advantage, I think, Roots Picnic has is that it's a two-day picnic.
02:41You have one day for one type of artist or one day for another type of artist.
02:45Summer Jam in its totality is a one-night thing, and it's kind of a difficult thing
02:50to put together a lineup that caters to all of New York rap in three hours.
02:56It's also the Roots.
02:58If you are a Roots fan, sensibly, you like a certain type of music that aligns with the Roots.
03:03If you're going to go there, even if you like Sexy Red, in the back of your head,
03:07you're still like, I appreciate this type of rap.
03:11Hot 97 Summer Jam has always been the place where the hottest rappers go to perform,
03:18not just in New York.
03:19They always had a New York closer.
03:21It was always a tradition.
03:22But I remember when T.I. went there right as King was coming out,
03:27and he played What You Know, and the ground shook.
03:32It was the hottest place to be at the moment.
03:35But it's always been the place where if you're popping, this is where you go to perform.
03:40They always got the hottest people.
03:42I think this year is probably a little bit more compounded,
03:44because I believe they got rid of the smaller stages that they would usually have
03:50outside of Giant Stadium, because they moved the show to Long Island.
03:54So they had to compound all of the people into one.
03:59And if you're going there because you're like, I like whatever they're playing on,
04:04it's called the Hot 888 on Hot 97, which is all new rap.
04:09If you're going there because you want to like,
04:11if you're a fan of that and you want to see all the newest artists,
04:13and then Meth Man and Red Man come on, and you're like, oh, my mom used to play that.
04:20My dad plays that music.
04:22You're like tuned out.
04:23It would be akin to if when I was in high school,
04:27going to Summer Jam, which I used to go to in high school.
04:31And like, I don't know, like Lionel Richie came out.
04:37Like, it'll be dope to see Lionel Richie.
04:40But it'd be like, damn, what's Lionel Richie doing here?
04:44It'd be crazy to see Lionel Richie just like randomly in between, you know, like
04:50Ja Rule and Dipset.
04:54And coming to the stage now, Mr. Hello himself, Lionel Richie.
04:58People are like, oh, what?
05:00But I mean, do you like, do we not think that the hip hop tent is big enough?
05:04Okay, Lionel Richie, I get, but Lionel Richie is like a different,
05:07no, he's not hip hop.
05:08He's completely a different.
05:10He's R&B.
05:10If it was like 20, if you take the genre of music and transpose it 20 years earlier,
05:16he was popping.
05:17He was like, the fans would be, he'd be the one the fans would be listening to.
05:22So I think it's like, that's the, it's just now that rap has been around long enough now
05:29that it's, we have such a big tent now that a rapper from 20, 30 years ago is Method Man.
05:38Whereas when I was in high school, a rapper from 30 years ago didn't really,
05:43would never get invited to Summer Gym.
05:45That would never happen.
05:47Yeah, but I'm saying, I know I sound old, but like, that would just never be a thing.
05:50We said 20, 30 years ago.
05:51I was like, well, that's, that's before hip hop.
05:52You know, that was, that would have been, that would have been the supreme back then.
05:54You just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the shit.
05:56That would have been James Brown up there.
05:58James Brown.
05:59Um, shout out James.
06:01Um, but, but like, okay.
06:03You know, cause we have all these rappers nowadays.
06:05There's been a lot of controversy about people not really paying homage and respect that,
06:09you know, uh, cats didn't listen to Tupac.
06:11I don't really listen to big, you know, I don't like, who are they?
06:14So when it comes to someone like, you know, a Method or a Redman and this kind of,
06:18are we, are we losing in some ways the respect for that?
06:20And, and what happens, what happens to those artists?
06:22I mean, even like country festivals, you know, it's, it's not crazy to see,
06:26you know, Dolly Parton and Casey Musgraves on the same bill.
06:29Like no one's going to say, you know, like Dolly ain't had a hit and da da da.
06:33And I know she's an icon and all this, but clearly, you know, cats like Method, Red,
06:37they're iconic.
06:38People should know their songs.
06:39I mean, you know what?
06:40I don't think people don't know their songs.
06:42I think people know their songs, but I think it's one rap is, is, is a very unique genre.
06:48Like we all know that we all know it's like, so future leaning.
06:52It's like people look to rap to set the tone for whatever pop music will be in like a year
07:01or two.
07:02Like the sounds that you hear in like a fire rap song, you're probably going to hear in
07:06a pop song a few years down the road.
07:09But I think people know the songs.
07:11It's just, it's a lot to ask an 18 year old to be excited for a guy who made music before
07:18he was born regardless of rapper or not.
07:22Rapper or not.
07:22You know?
07:23Yes.
07:23Like it's also, I may know, not me because I know the songs, but you know, this person,
07:29this kid may know one or two Method songs, one or two Redman songs, but you're asking
07:34them to sit through an entire set and maybe multiple of those sets in anticipation for
07:38the people who they actually do want to see is not a recipe for anything good at that
07:42point.
07:43Like they're going to get restless.
07:44They're going to just want to see cash because they want to have this, their, you know, this
07:49summer.
07:49Then I try to sit down and listen to people who their parents listened to.
07:54But I think part of it is also like we are doing poorly with passing down music throughout
08:01generations.
08:02And it reminds me of this discourse that was happening on socials around block parties
08:06in Brooklyn.
08:08Yeah.
08:08There was like that video going on about the one at Tompkins Ave and it was like everyone
08:12was in their mid twenties and da da da da da.
08:15And when I think of the block parties that I went to when I was a kid, everybody was
08:20there.
08:20So you had like the oldest people on the block, the youngest people on the block, you're
08:24sharing cultures, you're sharing music, you're passing on those recipes and stuff like that.
08:28When you are creating spaces and event spaces that kick out those older generations and
08:32kick out those younger generations, you're kind of reinforcing the silos that we already
08:36have because of these algorithms and streaming and social media.
08:40So you're only really seeing and hearing what you already are predisposed to liking versus
08:45getting exposed to something new or getting exposed to something that came before you.
08:48So then when you go to these shows that have these cross-generational bills, you're not
08:52really equipped as a fan or as a listener or as a consumer to be fully present the entire
08:57time.
08:58Yeah, I agree with that.
09:00I agree with that.
09:00I don't know, you know, especially how to fix that.
09:04I was going to say, so what can we do?
09:06What can Summer Jam do?
09:07What can...
09:07I mean, I think Summer Jam should still have artists like Method.
09:10I don't think they should get rid of artists like Method.
09:11Something should expand to or if they used to do multiple days, go back to doing multiple
09:16days.
09:16It was always one day, but they would have different stages.
09:18Like they would have like if this was 10, 15 years ago, Cash would be on a smaller stage.
09:27I think outside of the...
09:29Do they have one out?
09:30Because when I was at the UBS one, the first time they did UBS was last year.
09:33They had a outside stage and that's where they brought out like, they brought out like
09:38Tyler and Cotton Diamond and stuff like, you know, the smaller guys.
09:41And then the big headliners were on the stage inside of the arena.
09:44I don't know if that happened.
09:45I don't think they did that this year, but I think they should better program that.
09:51And, you know, it's going to continue happening.
09:52I think, I don't think Method Man, like he's, you know, he's allowed to feel however he
09:57wants to feel.
09:59It's completely fine, but I think it's still good for him to perform there.
10:06I think it's still good for him to go out there and kill it.
10:08Maybe not do a full set.
10:10Maybe go out and do five songs and be like, peace.
10:12You know, it makes me think of, I think we spoke about it on an earlier episode where
10:17like a Rolling Loud video came out of these kids listening to a Future set.
10:23And this guy had a camera and like panned the audience and no one was moving.
10:27And that's Future.
10:28And Damien is still upset about that to this day.
10:31Because Future still has shit, dude.
10:33Because what do you mean?
10:34This is Future.
10:34Future still has hits.
10:35I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:36That was like, I think that's something different.
10:38But I think, you know, I don't think these, as to his point, I don't think you should
10:46remove people from these spaces.
10:48I think you should still have them there so people can understand like what came before.
10:52Like my joke about Lionel Richie, I said that in jest, but it would have been dope to see
10:57Lionel Richie at that time.
10:58Mainly because I know, because, you know, we know Lionel Richie songs.
11:01We knew who he was.
11:02It would just be like a little jarring to see him, but it would have been dope to see
11:05him at that at that time.
11:07But I also think like rap is starting to need like an Essence Fest type of show where like
11:15something that is like big and considered and geared towards the artists who were popping
11:24a generation or two ago, but it's open to everybody.
11:28You know, like I go to Essence Fest and I see kids, I see people of all ages there.
11:31But they are there because they want to see these things.
11:34And it's the inverse.
11:35They have like one or two new artists, but most of the bill are these other people.
11:41And I think it's time for rap to have that.
11:43Well, it seems like we're kind of moving in that direction just in general.
11:46I mean, Essence Fest obviously has been doing it for a long time, but some of these 90s
11:50kind of, you know, conglomeration story, lovers and friends.
11:53I think even speaking of Lionel Richie, that A Fool In Love concert, that's like, oh yeah,
11:58it's like Lionel, Diane.
11:59It's like your grandma's greatest collection.
12:02The Celebration Tour, the one with like Kirk and the Clark sisters and Donnie, like all
12:08them together.
12:09I think we definitely do need more of those spaces because I thought we would get more
12:14of them after Hip Hop 50 last year, because I thought that was a really good example of
12:17those people will still come out and buy tickets and pack out these shows for bills that are
12:22nobody modern on there.
12:23I mean, that generation has, that's the generation that's got money.
12:25Exactly.
12:26They will pay.
12:27They will travel.
12:27They will pay the VIP and the travels and the hotels and they'll want the resorts and
12:30they'll want, like, that's, I mean, I guess that's why maybe A Fool In Love is happening
12:34where you got, you know, that classic generation that's like, that's the 401ks, that's the
12:39retirees.
12:40They have the disposable income.
12:42We can't buy these regular tour tickets right now, let alone Fest.
12:45Those are crazy prices, but it makes me think of like, my family's Jamaican.
12:48There's this guy named Baris Hammon who tours like maybe every other year, every year, every
12:55time he tours we go, every time he comes to New York, New Jersey, we go and it's always
12:59packed and it's always like a mixture of 50, 60, 70 year olds and then like a bunch of
13:0820 year olds who are like, I love this song because my parents played it all the time
13:12and I just like became a fan of this guy, but it's always packed.
13:15I've never been to a show of his where it's like, there's empty seats or people aren't
13:19you know, standing room only type shit.
13:21So I think we're at that point in rap.
13:24I think it's time.
13:25I think it's time to like expand and really, really break out these old man rap concerts.
13:31Yeah, and not for nothing.
13:33We got to keep the older guys on these stages because by and large, for the male side, at
13:37least, they're still better performers.
13:39They're still, you know, people who can actually get through a show rapping their songs
13:46completely live.
13:46They're not holding up the mic to the audience the entire time.
13:48They're not letting the backtrack do work for them.
13:50They're doing live arrangements for their stuff.
13:52Like they're setting a really great blueprint for what it can look like for a rap show.
13:56If you don't want to do like a bunch of special effects and choreography.
14:00Like if you just want to get up there and rap, like look at Meth and Red Band.
14:04Like they're still doing that just straight up, just rapping into the mic thing that a
14:09lot of these younger guys are not doing.
14:11No backing track.
14:12No backing track, nothing.
14:13Like just straight spitting.
14:15Like even if you don't know the song, like it's really enrapturing to look at when you're
14:20in the crowd.
14:20That's a real performance versus like I'm going to meander around stage for 30 minutes
14:24and maybe mumble into the mic every now and then.
14:26Like y'all got to take some notes from these guys and at least have them in the space so
14:30you can see that.
14:31Because like we've seen the women in rap step up their performance game for the past 10
14:35years.
14:35And like outside of a couple guys, they've kind of plateaued in that regard.
14:40And they should really be looking at the older guys to see like what they can do.
14:44I'm curious who you think even those guys are.
14:46Because in my thinking about it, I'm like, it's only the older, not the oldest guys,
14:51but like it's like the Kendrick Drake.
14:54Yeah.
14:55Those are the guys I think about who like rap without a backing track who are able to
14:59I will say Smino was very, very consistent, very solid.
15:01Smino?
15:01Smino.
15:02Tyler, I think is really good at that.
15:05I can never really tell how much Gunna is doing live, but his live arrangements are
15:09very, very strong across the board.
15:11Like he does a really good job translating like the synthetic sort of like trap stuff
15:15into like here's some guitars, bass, drum.
15:17Like let's do a whole kind of rock reimagining of my album.
15:20He's good in that regard.
15:22Teezo will give you a visually interesting show.
15:25He's not.
15:25He's like 30 something.
15:27Yeah, but he like knew it.
15:29Yeah.
15:29He's like, he's one of those people who's like he's old, but like he bloom late, right?
15:33He's like, he comes from like, he knows what.
15:35Exactly.
15:37That's the point I'm making where it's like these people, like they've studied, they know
15:40what performance looks like and what it can look like.
15:43So even if we just keep two of them on the bill, like keep them in the building so the
15:47fans can see what this can look like and the artists can see what this can look like and
15:51where they can take their careers in 20 years and 30 years.
15:54This is what you should be striving for when you're making your records.
15:56Stuff that will still be able to make you play an arena in 20 years.
16:00Maybe like think about it differently.
16:02Like if you're going to have those guys come to Summer Jam, think about like the context
16:06of it.
16:06Like it would be dope to see Red and Meth like do like to your point, to have them do
16:11like an orchestral re-imagining of Blackout, like do something outside of the norm than
16:17just them having them perform what they consider to be their hit records.
16:21Just so it's like an experience that these kids can walk away from it.
16:24Like that was, that was really dope.
16:25I wouldn't have gotten that anywhere else.
16:28Yeah.
16:29All right.
16:30Free idea for anybody who wants that sort of golden rap festival.
16:35Cause I like these guys.
16:35I think that would honestly.
16:36Mike, if you want to, if you want to do it.
16:38That's right.
16:38Maybe it'll be a billboards, you know, uh, you know, let's do it.
16:42All right.
16:43Speaking of festivals, let's fast forward to one that is happening.
16:47At least a pop up performance.
16:48Very, very soon.
16:49Next Wednesday.
16:50We know on Juneteenth, the pop out.
16:56Next week, June 19th, a federal holiday in the United States.
17:01Very intentional date for that concert.
17:03Oh yeah.
17:04Ken and friends.
17:05So of course, PG Lang, Kendrick Lamar is going to be there.
17:08Of course, the surprise announcement will be streaming on Amazon, which I'm sure, you know,
17:12it's probably going to break Amazon's whole server because everyone's going to be tuning
17:15in for that one day.
17:16If you're out there in Los Angeles and Inglewood, you'll be one of the lucky ones who hopefully
17:20can get in.
17:20I would not want to be on that Inglewood traffic in any case, but here we are.
17:25Of course, a couple months after the beef has kind of died down.
17:28Kenny's going to pop out, do this performance that, you know, no one expected.
17:33But what do we expect from it?
17:35Obviously, the big question is going to be, I think everyone's going to wait for Not Like
17:39Us to be the moment.
17:41Is he going to open with it?
17:42Is he going to close with it?
17:43Is he not going to do it?
17:44Because, you know, Syke, this is Juneteenth and we ain't worried about him.
17:49What do y'all expect, you know, from this Kenny pop up?
17:52I hope he plays the song we've all been listening to for the past month.
17:56It could become the official Juneteenth anthem.
17:58Yeah.
17:59With a proper performance like Not Like Us is just out of here.
18:03First of all, Not Like Us being a Juneteenth anthem would be pretty crazy.
18:08And it would be great.
18:10It would be great.
18:11And it would have like a great backstory behind why it was the Juneteenth.
18:14You're like telling your kids.
18:16This is why we rap this song every year.
18:18It's like, mom, why don't we wake up to Not Like Us on, you know, because you know.
18:21This is why it's the first thing you hear in the morning, that little mustard beat.
18:24This is why.
18:27This is why.
18:28Son, sit down.
18:29I got a story to tell.
18:30Because some of these rappers that were from here was trying to do some stuff and we had
18:33to remind them that they're not like us.
18:36I mean, exactly.
18:36Well, there's, you know, there's lyrics about, you know.
18:38Star Spangled Banner, Not Like Us.
18:40It's the same thing.
18:41We wanted the Super Bowl every year on it.
18:42There we go.
18:43But you know, there's the references, of course, to, you know, Atlanta talking about Slade.
18:46You know, there's maybe some historical context we could sort of, you know, loosely tie in there.
18:50But yeah, Dame, what are you looking for come the pop out?
18:55I hope he plays the songs, of course.
18:57I hope he does, like, some cool renditions of his hits.
19:00But I think the song Not Like Us, more than, you know, being an amazing diss song and more
19:05than, like, being a hit that has been played ad nauseum everywhere, it really is like a
19:14clarion call for the West Coast.
19:17It's like brought West Coast together in a way that I haven't seen in a minute.
19:22And there's rumors that he's going to bring a bunch of people, you know, local artists
19:27out.
19:27So I'm excited to see him, but I'm more excited to see him perform Not Like Us and then see,
19:34like, a bunch of West Coast artists just go crazy and perform all their songs and just
19:38have this, like, big celebration of the state.
19:42Because a big part of the battle, at least from Drake's side, was like, you're on your
19:48own.
19:48You know, he was like, TDE don't fuck with you.
19:51You know, the West don't fuck with you.
19:53You know, he's like, the real gangbangers in LA don't fuck with you.
19:56Start naming rappers like YG don't fuck with you.
19:59Which was really crazy in retrospect.
20:01I think this is the ultimate cap to be like, nah, bro, you got that completely and utterly
20:09wrong.
20:10Look at all this.
20:11And we knew it was wrong because, like, okay, Drake, what do you know about what's going
20:14on in terms of Compton politics?
20:17But I would love to see, like, a live Not Like Us cypher with just, like, different
20:24West Coast artists just, like, spitting over it.
20:27Like, SFBXRBE getting on there.
20:30Not Like Us remix.
20:31Yeah, dude, debut that live would be crazy.
20:34Like, if you don't debut the video live and you shoot the video at, like, the performance,
20:38a live Not Like Us remix with just, like, only West Coast niggas.
20:41It is weird we haven't heard anybody actually remix the song.
20:44I'm saying, it's like we...
20:46How do you touch, you know, perfection, really?
20:49But I'm sure they got stuff to say.
20:53I'm sure every city that Drake has philandered has something to say.
20:56Like, I'm sure that there's stuff they want to put on that track and they can absolutely
21:00just, like, bonkers on it.
21:01That's a great point, bro.
21:02I didn't even think about that.
21:03That'd be so dope.
21:04Because if this was, like, a few years ago, you would have heard, like, everybody remix
21:08the track.
21:09Even niggas not from LA.
21:10Like, you would have heard, like, a Fabulous remix of Not Like Us.
21:13But we haven't heard anything.
21:14We've seen people dance to it.
21:16We haven't seen people rap on this beat yet.
21:18Like, something's got to be in store.
21:20I would love to see that.
21:21So, yo, so it's almost like, I mean, like, I guess if the release was the assassination,
21:26the murder, like, this is the funeral.
21:28And everybody is just going...
21:29This is the victory lap.
21:30Yeah, this is the second line.
21:31Like, we're just going to celebrate.
21:33Yo, this is a repass.
21:34We're like, you know, we eat real good.
21:37And that coffin going six feet, seven feet, eight feet under, like...
21:42Yeah, the friends for Kenny and Friends will be...
21:44It'll be interesting to see who comes through.
21:45Yeah, I'm excited to see who comes through.
21:47I'm excited to see...
21:48I really...
21:49Now I'm, like, amped to see that.
21:50But it feels like that's going to be a real...
21:51To me, like, a real battle line kind of thing.
21:53Because, you know, we talked about, like, we've seen Rick Ross come through.
21:57You know, I mean, Future's been quiet, but...
21:58Like, y'all think Metro popping out?
22:00But, I mean, it feels like...
22:01Y'all think Weeknd popping out?
22:02It feels like if you really show up, like, that is, you know, you are...
22:05You're putting on the jersey.
22:06Like, you are on the team.
22:07If Weekend pops out, bro...
22:08Yo, me...
22:09Abel gets out there and just starts crooning over the Not Like Us outro.
22:12Like, I'd be so weak.
22:14I'm just...
22:16I mean, this would be the time to do it, right?
22:18Weekend on the Not Like Us remix would be fucking amazing.
22:22Yo, I would actually play that, like, every single day.
22:25Did y'all see, like, the Ticketmaster queues for that thing?
22:28Yeah, it was like a Taylor Swift concert.
22:28He could have done SoFi.
22:30He really could have done SoFi.
22:32I kind of wish that they moved it to SoFi.
22:34Yeah.
22:35Because SoFi is in Englewood, right?
22:37Yeah.
22:37Like, that would have been, like, his equivalent or our modern-day equivalent to, like,
22:41that DMX, like, festival video.
22:43That would have been freaking insane.
22:45Like, Key of Form is going to be amazing anyway.
22:47But, like, SoFi would have been nuts.
22:50Man, it's going to be special.
22:54And, you know, I think people were...
22:56People have been comparing the two of them for a while
23:00as it pertains to what they've been doing after this beef.
23:03And we've seen what Drake's done.
23:05He's had some Instagram posts.
23:08He's had two songs come out.
23:12And Kendrick has just been super quiet.
23:14And all we've seen from him has been
23:18an instant message between him and Punch,
23:20where Punch is clowning him for looking seductive in a Chanel ad.
23:27And he talked at Compton College.
23:32Yeah.
23:33Yeah, get that commencement, yeah.
23:35That popped up out of nowhere, yeah.
23:36Out of nowhere.
23:36And this.
23:38I think it's great that we're going to get a live element, period, out of this.
23:41I feel like all the great beefs have a live element.
23:44Like, Jay and Nas at Summer Jam.
23:46Remy and Nicki at Summer Jam.
23:48Like, we haven't gotten a live element.
23:50And this beef has been so unique because so much of it has lived online.
23:54So much of it has been Drake's, you know,
23:56Instagram stories and memes.
23:58And we're dropping diss tracks on Instagram.
24:00And we're doing this and we're doing that.
24:01But, like, we haven't gotten to see anyone really perform any of these tracks yet.
24:05So hearing these and seeing how they play out in a live setting will be very,
24:08very interesting.
24:09And it's like a nice cap on this.
24:11And hopefully we can pivot into Kendrick's album campaign,
24:15because I think we're still hearing a lot of rumors that he might be dropping this year.
24:19So I hope we move more concertedly in that area.
24:24Let's get, you know, album talks going.
24:27I do hope Keem shows up, though.
24:28I'm sure Keem will be there.
24:31The most likely guess?
24:32Yeah, that's true.
24:33I feel like Keem is, you know.
24:34I mean, especially if it's a, you know, sort of PG-Lane,
24:36Ken and Fran, the whole atmosphere is set up for something like that.
24:40The idea of, like, Kendrick pulling a Drake that everyone was talking about when he dropped
24:46Not Like Us and doing this now is just really...
24:53If I'm Drake, I'm like, god damn, he really did everything.
24:58Remember when Drake performed, like, back-to-back and he had, like...
25:00He did it twice.
25:01He literally did it back-to-back.
25:03The video screen of Meek and all that stuff.
25:06And it was like, damn.
25:08We don't get that moment, because back-to-back.
25:10Yeah, I like that record.
25:11Like, he's going to use his handbook against him.
25:16You underestimated greatly.
25:18Which I still...
25:19It's one of my favorite Drake lines.
25:21The most mind-boggling thing about the entire beat for me was how much
25:25Drake didn't seem to take Kendrick seriously.
25:27You underestimated greatly.
25:30What about Kendrick has ever given you the impression that you should underestimate this guy?
25:36Well, if academics is to be believed, he was like, oh, this guy always does this.
25:39He comes out with a verse.
25:40And then when people respond to the verse, he ducks off, because he's Kendrick.
25:44He can't be bothered.
25:44Sometimes those responses were shit.
25:47I think we lost those details.
25:49I wouldn't respond to them either.
25:51Megan didn't respond to Mickey after Bigfoot.
25:53That was ass.
25:54I'm not giving you the time of day.
25:56If he comes out, he's had verses where he comes out and he says things.
25:59Like he said, he's like this Big Sean many, many times.
26:05Wait, wait, hold on.
26:06Wasn't Sean in the middle of a rollout low-key during all this stuff?
26:11Yeah.
26:11He put out a single, right?
26:12Like precision drops.
26:13Yeah, and then everything was lit.
26:15It was sort of unfortunate because he dropped the book also.
26:18Yeah, and everything's kind of like on pause for him.
26:20Yeah, it was.
26:20That poor guy.
26:21Yeah, and it had been a minute since it was a really like...
26:24Yeah.
26:25I like the Big Sean song.
26:26Yeah, same.
26:26I thought they were good.
26:28Damn, I wish he would just have his moment and not...
26:31It's like Kendrick just waits.
26:33I'm never gonna let you live.
26:34He's a sneaky one, that one.
26:36But yeah, I think it's like people, you know,
26:38have been like, oh, when everyone heard Not Like That,
26:46everyone thought Kendrick was just gonna disappear.
26:48A one and done.
26:49Everyone was like, oh, this is like our verse from him that we get every few months.
26:55That was nice.
26:56That was great.
26:58I didn't.
26:58I mean, I thought I was like, okay, if we get a response from either Cole or Drake,
27:03he will then respond again.
27:05Oh, for sure.
27:06Yeah, I never thought that like he would completely disappear after like that.
27:11Because I don't know, something about the delivery on Like That
27:14just felt a little bit too venomous for me to be like, hmm.
27:17And also coming off of Mr. Morrell, which was so like outside of current rap,
27:24kind of like conversational, kind of existed in his own space.
27:27I was like, this feels like a re-entry into like these conversations.
27:30He's gonna stay here for a bit and stay in this like cultural pocket for a minute.
27:35But as you were saying.
27:36Yeah, I mean, I, there are lines on there where you're like,
27:41wow, he hasn't been this direct, maybe ever.
27:45And this has to mean something.
27:51But yeah, he proved everybody wrong.
27:53He stayed put, loaded the chopper and let it loose.
27:57And then, you know, I think people were, we've talked about it many times before,
28:01but it's just like the level, the qualitative level of all the songs that came out.
28:06Even Drake songs were just, I didn't expect that.
28:09I didn't expect people to drop songs that were that good so quickly.
28:12And man, I just hope we hear all of them on Juneteenth.
28:18Well, yo, it goes back.
28:20It's actually one of the lines from Not Like Us that always reminds me,
28:23like that sticks with me.
28:24It's just a pretty simple line, but it's just,
28:27sometimes you got to pop out and show niggas.
28:29And I think that's just what Kendrick was really, you know what he said?
28:32Fuck it.
28:32Like, you know, everybody thinks this and that, you know what?
28:34Let's just, I'll just show them.
28:36I just got to prove it real quick and no one's going to doubt it again.
28:38And clearly, you know, he took that, ran all the way to the end zone with it.
28:42And here we are, you know, waiting for this song.
28:45I can't even remember the last time any song, like the live debut of it,
28:49felt like it was such, like, we're waiting to see this song for the first time.
28:53Yeah, that's a good point.
28:54You know, ever.
28:54I know people-
28:55Brown is going to fucking-
28:56It's going to, I mean, that's just, it's going to be a motherfucking earthquake.
28:58That's why I'm saying maybe they should do a last minute move to SoFi.
29:01It might get real sticky in KIA forum.
29:04I don't know.
29:05It's going to be dangerous.
29:07It's time to prove that he's a problem.
29:09Like, yo.
29:11I was like, all right.
29:12God bless the security.
29:14And my stream better not crash.
29:15I know, bro.
29:16Amazon, Twitch, get it together.
29:19Get those servers up.
29:20They got to get these, like, Taylor Swift, you know, numbers ready or something.
29:24Actually.
29:24People, I mean, especially everybody, you know, half people going to have work off that day.
29:27Like-
29:28It's going to be, you know, I'm going to be-
29:30If I wasn't in Nashville, I would be grilling and having this playing on the TV.
29:34Are you kidding?
29:35Like, this is a federal holiday and a personal holiday for me.
29:39What you grill?
29:40I'm hype.
29:40What I grill?
29:41Burgers, chicken, shrimp.
29:43I'd be on the grill.
29:44I got to invite y'all over.
29:45But yeah, I'd be on the grill.
29:46Okay, he was-
29:47Okay.
29:47Listen, no, I'd be grilling.
29:49Y'all think the Yankees don't know how to grill no more.
29:51But-
29:52That's been a conversation on-
29:53That has been a-
29:54And I recuse myself because I am part of that.
29:57I can grill.
29:58All right.
29:58Okay.
29:59All right.
30:00All right.
30:00Well, Juneteenth at Kyle's house, it sounds like.
30:03If you're like, if you're in Englewood, make sure you check that out, please.
30:06Because I wish-
30:07We wish we could be there.
30:08Do it for us.
30:09Please play the songs.
30:11The pop.
30:11Please, just play all the songs.
30:13All of them.
30:14Honestly, that's all he could do.
30:15He could just come out, do that, and then walk away.
30:18And I'd be like, that was the best goddamn show I've seen.
30:20No, actually.
30:20I mean, I saw the Mr. Morrell tour.
30:22It was great.
30:22I don't want to hear those songs again.
30:23I want to hear these new songs.
30:24Yeah.
30:25These new songs.
30:27Last thing I'll say, that does-
30:28I'm interested to see after this, what the bar for OVO Fest is.
30:31Because I mean, if that comes back in six weeks-
30:33Why I forgot OVO Fest was a thing.
30:35If that comes back at the end of July, that kind of-
30:38Did he have one last year?
30:42We'll find out.
30:44All right.
30:44He's just going to book Sexy Red.
30:45You know, that's his crutch.
30:47So that's what's going to happen.
30:50Like, y'all know what's-
30:51Carl came out here just like-
30:53Well, okay.
30:54What are we going to say?
30:54You know I love me some Sexy.
30:56And I'd go to OVO Fest and see her again.
30:57But he would just book her.
30:59Okay.
31:00Well, hopefully, Sexy, get that passport ready.
31:02Hopefully, there are no more altercations at the gate and the terminal.
31:07That pull, that was weak.
31:09I wish you a safe flight.
31:10Safe travels.
31:12All right.
31:12Let's talk about somebody who, unfortunately, we don't really get to talk about much anymore
31:17in the music space.
31:18That is Rihanna out here giving some comments on R9.
31:23And unfortunately, there is no drop date.
31:26There is no release date.
31:28We're just hearing that.
31:31She was saying she's reinventing, you know, finding herself again, kind of restarting
31:34on the album.
31:35Some of the stuff that she had before, you know, maybe pushed to the side.
31:39So we're over eight years since Anti came out back in 2016.
31:45We've been waiting in 2019.
31:46There were rumors it was coming out.
31:47We heard a little bit of Dancehall.
31:49We heard a little bit of, you know, Back to the Roots maybe for R9.
31:52We've heard Start, Stop.
31:54We've got a couple tracks, of course, from Black Panther, Wakanda Forever.
31:58But-
31:58Song Party Next Door.
32:00Song Party Next Door.
32:01So we've seen a couple glimpses.
32:03Nothing real definitive.
32:05Nothing that really, you know, shapes up the campaign.
32:07We're doing beauty.
32:08We've been doing hair now.
32:10But she says she's coming back with R9.
32:12What are our thoughts on, A, I guess, are we foolish enough to hope that it's coming
32:19anytime soon?
32:21And-
32:21I don't think it's coming anytime soon, but-
32:23I mean, and I mean, well, soon now.
32:25We're talking, I mean, soon could be-
32:27I mean-
32:27On the Rihanna scale of soon, it could be, I'll give it two years.
32:30Two years, maybe.
32:31Maybe two years.
32:32She's been saying variations of this for years.
32:34And I think half of it is like her just trying to shut us up.
32:38Yeah.
32:38Because, and I would do this too.
32:40Like, if I'm throwing, you know, an event for my makeup line, my haircare line, my lingerie
32:44line, and y'all keep asking me about music, I'm just going to say some shit to shut y'all
32:47up and talk about these products.
32:49Because this is what I'm here for.
32:51But I also-
32:52You're going to get this makeup.
32:53Like, you're going to get this makeup.
32:54You're going to get this conditioner.
32:55You saw what the invite was.
32:56Like, this is not about music.
33:00I think she should take as long as she wants.
33:03She actually, like, we say this about a lot of artists, but I think it really is truthful
33:07for her.
33:09You have given us an incredible catalog.
33:12At one point, you were cranking out an album a year for seven years straight.
33:15There isn't anyone really doing that kind of work comparable, doing something that comparable
33:21in the pop space right now.
33:23Take as much time as you want.
33:25And also, I would rather if she takes her time to truthfully be inspired, create something
33:30she's really proud of, instead of just dropping off an album of stuff that could have been
33:34sung by, like, Thames or somebody.
33:37I would much prefer she does that than come back with something that's not good.
33:42And I also think that she hit an interesting pocket with Anti, where it felt like her
33:47first, arguably second or third, really great, consistent, all-around project.
33:52And I think she wants to do another one of those.
33:53And I think she just needs the time to do so.
33:56Her life is lifing.
33:58She's got two kids.
33:59They're young.
34:00She went her man.
34:02She's creating her empire.
34:04She popped out into the Super Bowl for us.
34:06What else do we want from this lady besides giving her this space?
34:10R9!
34:10All I'm saying is, y'all better not trash R9 or trash Anti when R9 eventually drops,
34:15because people like to do that.
34:17But I feel like we should just stop asking her about it.
34:21When she's ready to share stuff, she'll share stuff.
34:24Because it doesn't feel like she'd ever divulge this stuff without us prompting her for an
34:28answer or for anything like that.
34:30And I feel like if she was truthfully further along, she would volunteer the information
34:34herself.
34:35I don't think she's further along at all.
34:36And that's OK.
34:38Yeah.
34:38I mean, I think we do this a lot, obviously, with a lot of artists, where we're always
34:43in demand.
34:44OK, when's the next?
34:45As soon as a single drops, OK, when's the album?
34:47When's the album?
34:48You put out something.
34:49It's been two years since Kendrick.
34:50Two years in the grand scheme of what pop music has been in the last 30, 40 years.
34:56Two years is no time.
34:56But we're already hungry and ready for the next thing, which, of course, is exciting
35:00because we can digest things and we enjoy it.
35:04And it's sort of a compliment, right?
35:06That we really want to make sure that we hear something new from you.
35:09It probably, of course, helps.
35:11Like you said, Rihanna has put a whole back catalog together.
35:14She's got 14 number ones on the Hot 100.
35:17She's got plenty more hits beyond that, features, all these kind of things.
35:20So we have been fed very well.
35:23Overfed.
35:24This girl has been working, working since she first debuted.
35:28She was a teenager.
35:30It's eight years.
35:31Not that bad for me, to be honest.
35:33And I'm sorry.
35:35As a Frank Ocean guy, I'm OK with waiting.
35:38I've been waiting a long time.
35:40People still waiting for the mythical second Lauryn Hill studio album.
35:45You'll be all right.
35:46She'll come when she comes.
35:47It'll be OK.
35:49That's kind of where I stand on Rihanna right now.
35:52I believe that she's reinvigorated.
35:56And I think having a family does that.
35:58I think discovering parts of yourself after you have kids and you have to
36:07essentially bifurcate yourself to give so much of yourself to your children while
36:13trying to keep some for yourself.
36:15And I think she probably has all these new experiences and new feelings that
36:22she wants to share.
36:23I'm glad that she's like, I'm not really retired.
36:25I'm going to I'm still making music.
36:26Just give me a second.
36:27I'm just getting all my shit together.
36:29And, you know, I'm excited to see what she does.
36:31And, you know, I agree.
36:33I'm a huge D'Angelo fan.
36:35I waited so long for that, for Black Messiah.
36:39Oh, yeah.
36:39And Black Messiah, that was that was already what, a decade ago.
36:43I was like, yeah, 13, 13.
36:45So long ago.
36:46And after that album came out, I was like, you know what?
36:50Do what you got to do, bro.
36:51Whatever it takes, you just make whatever you need to make.
36:54And he's put out maybe a sixth of the amount of music that Rihanna has put out.
37:01Right.
37:01And some people just need that time.
37:05I think she's going to whatever she releases next, I think is going to be
37:09vastly different than what she's released in the past, because she's a vastly different
37:13person than when we last saw her.
37:17When we last saw her, she was.
37:19Dodging Drake's kisses at the VMAs.
37:22Yeah, that's the last time we saw her in the middle of an album.
37:25Station in life.
37:26And I'm excited to see what she's learned and what she's discovered and what she's
37:32what she's feeling now.
37:33So whenever she's ready.
37:36We're here.
37:37Low-key fucking album.
37:39She should pop out at Kendrick's show and do loyalty, man, because that would be the
37:43that would send Drake off the edge.
37:46We need Rihanna to pop out and do loyalty with Kendrick in L.A.
37:52I need it.
37:52I don't know if we need it.
37:54Do you think we think we would be would be game for that?
37:56Do you think she has a petty streak to her?
37:58Absolutely.
37:58She's one of the pettiest people we know.
38:01She liked that.
38:02But I mean, that good luck with that stage.
38:05Right.
38:06Rocky already was dropping verses.
38:07That's one of my favorite tweets of all time.
38:11Rocky's verse on the second Metro Future album.
38:13Clearly the household is on the same page.
38:16I just feel like we want to break the Internet.
38:19Let's just completely shatter the Internet.
38:21Let's let's just do it.
38:22I'm just sometimes you got to pop out and show niggas.
38:25What did he rap?
38:26Could you know?
38:28I mean, sorry, I'm stunned.
38:32I'm just really thinking, you know, of course, the hype for this show is already off the
38:37charts, but I've been like, just thinking of those little power plays that could put
38:41this in the history book is like, you know, Beechella might be the second best.
38:46No, bro.
38:47After this, this really could be, you know, that's this could be an all time.
38:53It's like he could do anything and literally do anything he can like.
38:56He really could bring out Bee if he wanted to.
38:58He could bring out Beyonce, Jay Z.
39:00He could bring Cole out and be like, look, we're all good now.
39:05This could go in so many different directions.
39:07You could fucking.
39:08I'm so excited.
39:09I Juneteenth 2024 might be.
39:16If you're not busy, Rihanna, just take the kids and pop out.
39:19Yeah, I'm sure RZA would love to be on stage, right?
39:25Starting early, right?
39:26That's right.
39:28I'm with it.
39:29OK, well, OK, of course, we're going to obviously have to see if if Miss Fenty's petty streak
39:36is that strong, that would be.
39:40Damn, I don't even know.
39:41Yeah, that would.
39:43So again, that Juneteenth 2024 would be it would be a day to go on history books
39:47regardless of what happens.
39:49Everyone's excited for it again.
39:50Make sure you check that out.
39:52Watch it on Amazon again.
39:54If you're there, please.
39:55In L.A., go check it out.
39:57We, of course, will be tuned in there and hopefully you tune in with us next week.
40:01Again, it's been an episode of Billboard Unfiltered.