R&B Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Black Thought has denied speculation that his band The Roots are due to face the Fugees in an upcoming VERZUZ battle.The rapper was approached by HipHoxDX yesterday (August 24) to verify if a widely shared flyer detailing the forthcoming rap fight was real. He confirmed that it wasn’t.Per the outlet, a flyer that placed the Triller and VERZUZ logos prominently and included a promotion “Drinks by Cîroc” contributed to making the ad seem real.

R Kelly has claimed that he paid a government worker for a fake ID in order to help secure marriage between Kelly and an underage Aaliyah.Demetrius Smith spoke at the singer’s trial in Brooklyn, New York on Friday (August 19), alleging that Kelly had persuaded him to obtain fake ID so that the then 15-year-old Aaliyah could marry him.Smith claimed that he paid $500 (£367) for an ID used by Kelly, then aged 27, to wed Aaliyah.

Earth, Wind & Fire have released a re-worked version of their 1975 single ‘Can’t Hide Love’ with producer Babyface and singer Lucky Daye.‘You Want My Love’, as the new work is titled, is co-written by Daye who sings on the track and is produced by Babyface.Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey said in a statement [via Rolling Stone]: “I am super hyped about this all-star collaboration – Earth, Wind & Fire, Lucky Daye, and Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds producing.

SZA has shared three new songs via an anonymous SoundCloud account. As Stereogum points out, three new songs — titled "I Hate You", "Nightbird" and "Joni" — were posted on Soundcloud and then tweeted out from SZA's official Twitter account.

SZA has surprise-released three new songs – ‘Nightbird’, ‘I Hate You’ and ‘Joni – on an anonymous Soundcloud page.The tracks follow the star debuting a new song called ‘Shirt’ during a livestream performance that took place last month (July 1).All three songs appeared on the Soundcloud account, named only as “.”, earlier today (August 22).

H.E.R., as well as DJ Camper, Justin Love and Sony Music Entertainment, over the 2016 song ‘Focus’.First filed in June 2020, the complaint alleged that ‘Focus’, taken from H.E.R.’s self-titled 2017 LP, intentionally infringed upon Andre Sims’ original composition ‘Endless Minds’ without consent or compensation.Sims, who has worked with artists such Stevie Wonder, created the song in 2004, posted it on Instagram and YouTube in 2015, and registered it with the US Copyright Office in January

Toronto singer-songwriter Hunnah has shared her latest video "Appreciate," a warm ode to the beauty of brown skin and the desire to truly be seen. Over soulful drums, handclaps, and twinkling synths, Hunnah's voice sways between her lower, more syrupy tones and soft falsetto.

Swae Lee and Jhené Aiko have come together for a new track called ‘In The Dark’ – you can listen to it below.Taken from the soundtrack of Marvel‘s upcoming new movie, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, the glistening pop-meets-R&B record hears the Rae Sremmurd rapper plead for more respect from his ex.“Don’t leave me in the dark/ I deserve more/ I’m somebody’s reward,” Swae sings on the song’s chorus.

Singer-songwriter Abra has shared her new single, "Unlock It" alongside Playboi Carti. Featuring bouncy production by the singer herself and Boys Noize, the track serves as her first major-label release since signing to Polo Grounds Music/RCA.

Aaliyah's One In A Million has arrived on all major streaming platforms, marking the first time the album has been available in the streaming era. The arrival follows a deal by the late singer's label, Blackground 2.0.

Solar Power arrives four years after Lorde's highly acclaimed sophomore project Melodrama. "The album is a celebration of the natural world," Lorde said of the album, "an attempt at immortalizing the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors.

Aaliyah's album One in a Million will be available to stream tonight (Thursday August 19) at midnight, according to an email from Spotify and an Instagram post by Aaliyah's label, Blackground Records. The rest of Aaliyah's discography will be available "over the next few weeks," according to promotional materials from Spotify.

Each week, The FADER staff rounds up the songs we can't get enough of. Here they are, in no particular order.Subscribe to Songs You Need In Your Life on Spotify.

Craig David has announced a massive show at Sunderland’s Herrington Park with a full band and special guests.Set to take place on October 1, the iconic singer, rapper and producer will perform a number of hits from his extensive catalog, including some from his seminal 2000 debut, ‘Born To Do It’.The ‘7 Days’ singer will be joined by a live band and a number of special guests – although it’s not yet known who they will be. Early Bird tickets for the gig are on sale now and can be purchased

Erykah Badu has apologised for being a “terrible guest” at Barack Obama’s 60th birthday party after her photos caused a backlash against the former President.Badu shared unauthorised photos from the event, which took place at Martha’s Vineyard on August 7, featuring hundreds of guests not wearing masks.The pictures, which have since been deleted, sparked criticism about the party with it being dubbed a “superspreader event”.

NYC’s BAYLI makes a fascinating, chameleonic kind of R&B. A razor-sharp pop songwriter who studied under the tutelage of the legendary producer Rick Rubin, her solo music covers so much ground without ceding any of her distinctive identity: songs like “sushi for breakfast” and “boys lie” are plaintive, melody-forward pop songs inflected with elements of trap and indie-rock; collaborations with ILOVEMAKONNEN, Junglepussy, and BABYNYMPH prove her as an able, versatile collaborator.

Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas was one of the founding members of Kool & the Gang, playing saxophone and other instruments.Thomas co-founded Kool & the Gang in 1964 along with school friends including Robert “Kool” Bell and Ronald Bell (1951–2020). Thomas was a self-taught musician who played alto saxophone, flute, and percussion.

Ghostface Killah has teamed up with Lion Babe for their latest single, ‘Rainbows’ – you can watch the song’s video below.Taken from the alt-R&B/soul duo’s brand new, third studio album, ‘Rainbow Child’ – which was released yesterday (August 6) – the rousing new track is an audio stimulant of sorts, providing motivation for people to keep on pushing, no mater their circumstance.“Rainbows (We can, we gonna make this change, I can, I got a long way ahead of me)/ Rainbows (We can, we gonna do this

Frank Ocean has launched a new luxury company called Homer, which sells jewellery and silk scarves, it has been announced.The musician’s new endeavour was revealed earlier today (August 6), with a physical store opening in New York on Monday (August 9).According to a press release, Homer’s name “represents carving history into stone”.

After parting ways with RCA, cult pop star Tinashe returns to her independent days with 333, her new full-length album. "I think when I first started it was very much like DIY," she said during a recent Apple Music interview.

Aaliyah’s full catalogue will be added to streaming services over the next few months, it has been confirmed.The singer’s debut album ‘Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number’ is currently the late R&B star’s only record that is available digitally, while tracks from the Romeo Must Die soundtrack and compilation albums can be found on some platforms.Earlier today (August 5), it was announced that Aaliyah’s former label Blackground Records – which was founded by her uncle Barry Hankerson – will re-release

There are very few artists whose music is unavailable to stream but the catalog of the late Aaliyah remains absent from the likes of Spotify, Apple Music et al. The reasons for the hold-out are long-standing but this week it appeared that fans' wishes may be about to be answered when an Instagram account for Blackground Records 2.0 shared a new website and hashtag: #AaliyahIsComing.

Aaliyah has issued a statement denouncing “unauthorized projects targeted to tarnish” after her uncle’s label appeared to teased the release of music by the late singer.On Wednesday (August 4), a website titled aaliyahiscoming.com emerged, emblazoned with the hashtag #AaliyahIsComing and with a design emulating that of the cover art of Aaliyah’s 2001 self-titled album.The site offers users the opportunity to subscribe for updates, then directs users to the social accounts for Blackground

After being slated to headline Coachella in 2020 before the event was postponed and later pushed back to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Frank Ocean will serve as headliner in 2023 according to festival co-founder Paul Tollett in an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Times. “I’m just trying to be as fair as I can to artists and to the fans to make sure that eventually, they get to see everyone that we talked about," Tollett said in the interview.

Each week, The FADER staff rounds up the songs we can't get enough of. Here they are, in no particular order. Subscribe to Songs You Need In Your Life on Spotify. Read Next: 10 songs you need in your life this week

After a gap of about three years since her last album, English singer-songwriter Nao has announced her third studio project And Then Life Was Beautiful with the project's title track, out today.

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, have announced a “Summertime Jam” this Friday.On social media, the duo posted an image of an alleyway with a red car, with an invitation to a “Summertime Jam” happening tomorrow (July 30).✨

London-based singer Arlo Parks shared a new Unknown Mortal Orchestra remix of her single "Too Good" on Wednesday. Originally featured on her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams, the new take adds a subtle softness to the track.

Bryson Tiller has dropped off a surprise new track, ‘One Sided’ – you can listen to it below.The Louisville R&B star’s latest track, which is produced by 30Roc, Bass Charity, Hue Strother and DaBlackMic, follows the release of last year’s ‘Anniversary’, Tiller’s third studio album.Nurturing a broken heart, Tiller sings: “I don’t wanna make no scene, but yes I’m hurting (I’m really hurting now)/ If he swear you wanna be, I guess you deserve him (yes, you deserve him)/ And you don’t need no stress

Tinashe has revealed details of her forthcoming album, ‘333’, and has released its third single, ‘i can see the future’.Sharing the album artwork to her Instagram on July 23, ‘333’ features an image of the artist crouched amid peaceful scenery, donning three eyes. The album is marked for release on August 6.A post shared by Sweet T (@tinashenow)In the same post, Tinashe – full name Tinashe Kachingwe – revealed a single would drop that night.

A rap superstar across the pond, London artist Dave has nabbed the 2019 Mercury Prize, a FADER profile, and yes, even a Drake remix. After a string of U.K.

Singer-songwriter anaiis seems most adept at making moody, self-reflective soul, but on her latest single "chuu," alongside rapper Topaz Jones, she allows herself a bit of serenity. Following the release of previous singles "juno" and "reverie," the track is a slightly playful departure from her last few singles, all likely to appear on an upcoming project.

Erykah Badu announced upcoming 2021 tour dates on Tuesday. Set to kick off this fall, the 18-date run tour's first top is Riverfront Jazz Festival in Dallas on September 3, before she heads to stops in San Diego, New York City, Atlantic City, and more.

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Amaal shared the futuristic video for her latest single "Honey" on Friday. Set to appear on her sophomore EP Milly, the Dan LeMoyne-directed clip finds Amaal taking on the unapologetic alter ego Milly, the subtle transformation allowing the singer to shed her inhibitions and embrace her own sexual liberation in the dark, moody video.

The Internet vocalist Syd has released the new single ‘Fast Car’, her second track of the year.The R&B song’s accompanying music video, directed by Ethan Nelson and Graham Epstein, shows Syd and a romantic partner heading out on a road trip.“I wanted to make something for the gay Black girls,” Syd said of the single in a statement. “I want them to see themselves in this and in me.”Watch the clip below: ‘Fast Car’ follows Syd’s February single, ‘Missing Out’.

Sydney-based singer-songwriter Ngaiire shared her soulful single "Him," along with its simple but striking visuals, on Wednesday. On the track, Ngaiire's impassioned vocals seem to make the ultimate plea, with harmonies bounding over sparse piano-led production.