Category: Music

We might be more than five years removed from Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s raunchy Billboard Hot 100-topping smash “WAP,” but Cardi is keeping its saucy spirit alive in new Saturday Night Live promos.

Cardi B returns to the SNL stage this weekend as musical guest, joining first-time host Alexander Skarsgård for Saturday’s brand-new episode. In new promos, castmember Chloe Fineman deploys an uncharacteristically raspy voice when she tells the duo, “I’m so excited!”

“What’s going on with your voice there, Chloe?” Skarsgård asks, to which she replies: “I’ve been doing extremely Dry January. No liquor, no soda, no juice, no water,” she says, introducing her extreme version of the “Dry January” challenge that many partake in to abstain from alcohol to start a new year.

“No water?” Skarsgård asks. “Yeah! You guys should try going extremely dry.”

“No thank you,” Cardi says politely, adding with a suggestive roll of her tongue: “I like to stay nice and wet.”

“I, too, opt for wetness,” Skarsgård (dryly) adds.

Elsewhere in the promos, Fineman asks Cardi whether her stage name stands for “cartilage and bone” (prompting both the host and musical guest to call for the police) and Skarsgård doing the intros entirely in his native language of Swedish.

Watch below:

Cardi B is making her second appearance as SNL musical guest, after first hitting the stage in April 2018 to promote her debut album Invasion of Privacy. Now, she’s promoting her most recent album, September’s Am I the Drama?, as well as the accompanying Little Miss Drama Tour, which launches next month in Palm Desert, California, on Feb. 11.

Skarsgård will make his SNL hosting debut this weekend to promote The Moment, the Charli xcx-inspired and -starring mockumentary in which he plays the director of the concert film within the film. The Moment just debuted at Sundance Film Festival and arrives in theaters on Friday via A24.

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

During a recent school talent show, first-grader Juju decided to perform a rap classic, and little man handled it like a pro. As the crowd cheered him on, he went off top and started rapping the lyrics to 2Pac’s “Dear Mama,” and he remembered every bar of the song’s first verse while taking control of the crowd like a true MC.

The video, of course, has gone viral, racking up nearly 14 million views on TikTok and thousands of likes, with many of the comments saying that the late rapper would be proud and commending his poise during what must’ve been a high-pressure situation for the youngster.

Little Juju felt the love and posted a video thanking all of his new fans and took the time to shout out his favorite wrestler while doing the Hardy Boyz dance. “Hi, my name is Julian,” he began. “Thank you guys for all the love and support and I’m the little guy that did the talent show and I did that because I really love 2Pac and thank you guys for all of that. You guys are superstars too. Just believe me, OK? And shout out to Jeff Hardy too. Thank you guys for all of that support.”

“Dear Mama” isn’t the only classic rap song he knows. Juju’s parents recently posted a video on TikTok from two years ago of him performing Eminem‘s “Lose Yourself” complete with rap hands and everything. “Thinking back Juju has always been Hip Hops Baby! Throwback 2 years ago!,” the caption read.

We might have a future star on our hands, hopefully we’ll be blogging about his blossoming rap career one day.

Tyler, The Creator is set to perform at the 2026 Grammy Awards, adding to the representation for hip-hop on Music’s Biggest Night. Clipse and Pharrell Williams were previously announced as performers on the show.

Williams produced and is featured on Clipse’s album of the year nominee Let God Sort Em Out. Ms. Lauryn Hill, a member of hip-hop royalty who had the first hip-hop album to win album of the year (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999) will also perform on the show in tribute to two artists who died last year, Roberta Flack and D’Angelo.

Tyler, 34, has six nominations this year –album of the year, best rap album and best album cover for his Billboard 200-topping CHROMAKOPIA; best alternative music album for DON’T TAP THE GLASS, also a Billboard 200-topping album; best rap performance for “Darling, I” (featuring Teezo Touchdown); and best rap song for “Sticky” (featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne).

Simultaneous nominations in rap and alternative categories are a sign of Tyler’s range, but they’re not unprecedented. In 1999, Beastie Boys’ Billboard 200-topping Hello Nasty won best alternative music performance, while a track from the album, “Intergalactic,” won best rap performance by a duo or group.

Other previously announced performers, in addition to those already named, are Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Andrew Watt, Brandy Clark, Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Lukas Nelson, Olivia Dean, Post Malone, Reba McEntire, ROSÉ, Sabrina Carpenter, Slash, sombr and The Marías.

The 68th annual Grammy Awards will air live on Sunday Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Trevor Noah is set to host the show for the sixth consecutive – and final – year. The comedian will be the first person to host six consecutive Grammy telecasts since crooner Andy Williams hosted the first seven live telecasts from 1971-77.

The 2026 Grammy Awards will be produced by Fulwell Entertainment for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor, Jesse Collins and Noah are executive producers.

At least one more performer announcement is expected in the coming days.

This article was created in partnership with VENU.

Billboard’s Finance 50 gathered a dynamic group of executives and creatives for an exclusive evening centered on impactful conversation. Hosted by VENU on January 27, 2026, at The Sun Rose in Los Angeles, the intimate dinner and panel drew notable guests from across finance, entertainment, and media for a high-level conversation on where the industry is headed. The room buzzed with energy as leaders exchanged ideas, perspectives, and insights in a setting designed to encourage meaningful dialogue beyond the stage. 

The event marked a collaboration between VENU and Billboard, united by a shared vision of elevating conversations at the intersection of finance and culture. Moderated by Elizabeth Dilts Marshall, Billboard’s Senior Finance Correspondent, the panel featured insights from VENU’s Terri Liebler alongside Larry Mestel of Primary Wave Music. Together, the evening reflected Billboard’s cultural influence and VENU’s commitment to reimaging entertainment and hospitality—spotlighting the people, ideas, and connections shaping the next era of finance within today’s cultural landscape.

“PlaqueBoyMax redefined what it means to create in public. Through livestreaming, he invited the world into his process, documenting the making of “Victory Lap” alongside Fred again.. and Skepta and turning radical transparency into real impact.”

The momentum of Grammy Week carried into the next evening, where Billboard and VENU continued the celebration at Zouk Los Angeles in West Hollywood by honoring one standout artist at the annual Power 100 with the Disruptor Award, recognizing groundbreaking innovation, bold ideas, fearless creativity, and transformation leadership in the music industry.. Created in partnership with VENU, the award embodies VENU’s mantra to challenge the status quo and what live entertainment can be.  The event captured the energy and excitement of the week, drawing a high-profile crowd of artists, executives, and music industry leaders, eager to celebrate creative risk-taking and cultural impact.

The 2026 honoree, PlaqueBoyMax, received the award for his ability to make the leap from streamer to artist and documenting the process of making his hit song “Victory Lap” with Fred Again…. The track peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and earned both artists a nomination at this year’s Grammy Awards. In a brief acceptance speech, he highlighted the collaboration, creativity, and innovation that have helped redefine the modern touring experience, earning recognition from peers and industry veterans alike.

The evening brought together artists and music professionals in an intimate yet lively setting that reflected the star-studded energy of Grammy Week. PlaqueBoyMax’s recognition as the Disruptor Award honoree underscored the event’s focus on honoring innovation and spotlighting the people shaping the future of live music, while Billboard and VENU continued to cement their partnership in celebrating industry trailblazers.

While Cardi B will likely be at San Francisco’s Super Bowl LX to cheer on her boo Stefon Diggs and his Patriots teammates, the Grammy-winning rapper is also making time for some work in the Bay Area.

Fanatics announced Thursday (Jan. 29) that Cardi is slated to perform at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party in San Francisco on Feb. 7. Five surprise artists are also booked to perform throughout the afternoon.

Fittingly enough, Cardi also performed at the Fanatics Super Bowl Party in Atlanta in 2019, which saw Patriots owner Robert Kraft join her onstage. That year saw the Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams at Super Bowl LIII, so it’s safe to say Cardi is hoping that history repeats itself, with Diggs and the Pats lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

Michael Rubin’s parties are always star-studded, and San Francisco should be no different next month. In the past, celebrities like Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Kevin Hart, Kendall Jenner, Drake, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Emily Ratajkowski, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Usher, Aaron Judge and Jack Harlow have been in attendance.

Super Bowl LX will be a rematch of 2015, with the New England Patriots facing off against the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8.

Cardi B has been cheering on Diggs, who’s a star wide receiver for the Pats, every step of the way this NFL Playoffs. She even joined the celebration with the Patriots on the field in Denver following the team’s AFC Championship victory over the Broncos.

Cardi’s Fanatics performance could double as tour prep, as she’s slated to kick off her Little Miss Drama Tour just a few days later on Feb. 11 in Palm Desert, California, at Acrisure Arena.

Nicki Minaj once rapped that Ye (formerly Kanye West) was the only person who could stand beside her, but she met President Donald Trump for the first time on Wednesday (Jan. 28) and received a Trump Gold Card, which will expedite her path to U.S. citizenship.

Minaj was in Washington, D.C. for the Trump Accounts Summit, where she spoke glowingly of the president, who returned the favor and crowned her the “greatest and most successful female rapper in history.”

“Welp…,” Minaj wrote while posting a photo of her Trump Gold Card. According to the official website, the elusive card costs a $1,000,000 contribution plus a $15,000 processing fee. The website adds that the Gold Card is a “visa based upon an individual’s ability to provide a substantial benefit to the United States.”

While on the mic at the Accounts Summit, Trump said that Minaj gifted “hundreds of thousands of dollars in Trump Accounts” to support children who are also Barbz. “I just think she’s great,” he added.

In a 2018 tweet that has resurfaced in recent weeks amid her Trump support, Minaj revealed she was brought to the U.S. illegally from Trinidad as a five-year-old.

It was a busy day for Minaj, who also posted a video alongside the president. “I’m with my favorite president, the best president of all-time,” she said. Trump then appears in the clip, who states: “And I’m with the queen of rap.”

Minaj took the podium at the summit after being invited personally to come to the stage by the president, where she championed herself as the “No. 1 fan” of Donald Trump and admitted that the MAGA backlash has only made her more of a supporter of the president.

“I am probably the president’s No. 1 fan,” Minaj told the audience. “And that’s not going to change. What people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. And it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more.”

She continued: “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him. And you know, the smear campaigns. It’s not going to work. He has a lot of force behind him and God is protecting him.”

Nicki has been staunch in her support of the Trump administration in recent months. She commended Trump for threatening to take military action in Nigeria over the country’s alleged persecution of Christians.

Minaj spoke at a United Nations event organized by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz, where she raised awareness around the issue. The Queens rapper also made an appearance for an interview with Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, at a Turning Point USA event in December, where she praised VP J.D. Vance.