Beyoncé’s contribution to the King Richard soundtrack dropped last night and it is in keeping with the pro-black themes that have permeated all of her music in the last half-decade. The song has a rock-ish beat that will remind you of The Doors’ “Five to One,” which was sampled by her husband on “Takeover” — his 2001 diss track directed at Nas and Mobb Deep. It’s not clear if it officially samples this song, but the folks at Genius seem to agree.

“Be Alive” was co-written by Bey and Roc Nation signee Dixson. Check it out below.

Between a new TV show and a baby on the way, it’s a good time to be Eve. Not to mention, she celebrated her 43rd birthday yesterday.

Eve is not one of the first names mentioned when people discuss the Queen of Rap title, but for a moment in the early 2000s, she was arguably the hottest female rapper in the game. My personal favorite from her catalog is 2002’s “Gangsta Lovin’,” which features then-newcomer Alicia Keys. Produced by Irv Gotti and & Aurelius, the song samples Yarbrough & Peoples’ “Don’t Stop the Music”.

“Gangsta Lovin'” was the lead single of Eve’s third LP, Eve-Olution, and is one of her biggest hits, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Bruno Mars & Anderson.Paak are back with a song about finding out your girlfriend is everybody’s girlfriend. And as if that discovery wasn’t bad enough, you now have to fight her ex, who happens to be in the UFC. Trust no woman.

“Smokin out the Window” — Silk Sonic’s third single — doesn’t quite measure up to “Skate” but is definitely superior to “Leave the Door Open.” In just three days, the video has all ready gotten 11 million views on YouTube, so expect a top-five debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

The duo’s album — which we were supposed to get back in May — drops on Friday. Watch “Smokin out the Window” below.

This past Friday, Mariah Carey dropped a new Christmas song because you can never have too many. The Queen of Christmas — who is already climbing back up the charts with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — tapped Khalid and Kirk Franklin for “Fall in Love at Christmas,” which is going to be part of her second Christmas special, Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues.

With the exception of a brief interpolation of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Fall in Love” doesn’t have any of the standard markings of a Christmas song, which aren’t necessarily a requirement. Sonically, it will remind you of an old Donell Jones song until the last minute or so, where it (fortunately) goes full Kirk Franklin.

Check the song and video out below.

Today is Diddy’s 52nd birthday, so it’s only right that we take a look back at the remix to “It’s All About the Benjamins.”

If you’re confused, let me explain: The version of “It’s All About the Benjamins” we know and love is actually a remix. An earlier version of the song had appeared on DJ Clue’s Holiday Holdup mixtape in December 1996. This version only had verses from Diddy (then called Puff Daddy) and two thirds of The LOX (Jadakiss and Sheek Louch).

A few months later, a remix of the song would appear on Diddy’s debut album, No Way Out. On this version, there are two additional verses in addition to the three on the original — one from Lil’ Kim and another from The Notorious B.I.G. Also, unlike the original, this version has a hook. The addition of immortal words, “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby,” was the brain child of a then-unknown singer and rapper named Melissa Elliott, who would soon be known to the world as Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott. According to Sheek Louch, she is also the reason why The LOX’s third member, Styles P, didn’t make the song.

“It’s All About the Benjamins” is based on a sample of “I Did It for Love” by Love Unlimited. An additional sample — “It’s Great to Be Here” by The Jacksons — is used for Biggie’s verse. The song would peak at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Diddy’s first single (as a lead artist) to miss the No. 1 spot.

“It’s All About the Benjamins” is a true classic that exemplifies the essence of Diddy and the swagginess of Bad Boy Entertainment at its peak. And nearly a quarter of a century later, it still gets played in the clubs regularly — and people who weren’t even born when it dropped rap every word like they wrote it themselves.

Tory Lanez is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on December 14 after his lawyers failed to reach a plea deal with prosecutors in his felony assault case. He is being charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.

The charges stem from a July 2020 incident where he allegedly shot Megan Thee Stallion in the foot with a semiautomatic rifle.

On Friday, Yung Miami dropped “Rap Freaks,” a song that is so short and so comical that it almost feels like a skit. The City Girl name-checks everyone from 50 Cent to Kodak Black to Lori Harvey to rumored squeeze, Diddy — she even gives a nod to the infamous roaches for good measure.

The rapping on this song is hilariously bad, but the last bar — where Caresha rhymes “roaches” with “buenas noches” — somehow makes it all worth it. Click play.

FX, Hulu and the New York Times — the team behind ‘Framing Britney Spears’ — are coming together once again for a documentary that takes a deep dive into 2004 Super Bowl performance that effectively ended Janet Jackson’s music career.

Premiering on November 19, the documentary is titled ‘Malfunction: The Dressing Down of JanetJackson.’ According to reports, it will examine the racial and cultural aspects around the incident — known as “Nipplegate” — and how they influenced the outcomes for all parties involved. It also takes a look at former Viacom boss Les Moonves’ role in ruining Janet Jackson’s career.

Coming just nine months after the Britney doc, it’s clear that someone at FX, Hulu or the New York Times has time for Justin Timberlake, and we love to see it. He’s probably already drafting a weak-ass statement in response to the documentary.

PS: Never forget that the whole bra-ripping stunt was Justin’s idea — it was aimed at upstaging Britney Spears and Madonna’s kiss at the VMAs a few months prior.

Internet sensation Nenobia Washington — better known as BKTidalWave — has passed away. She gained notoriety after a random interview with a media outlet in 2015, where she voiced her support for Hillary Clinton’s candidacy in colorful language.

Since then, she has gone viral dozens of times thanks to her hilarious one-liners — many of which have become the bases of countless memes.

The cause of BKTidalWave’s death has not been confirmed.