Quavo has ventured into the hospitality industry with his latest project. He's partnered with local Atlanta restaurateurs Kelan and Vinny Watson to open V12 Restaurant & Sports Bar.

Built inside a BP gas station, located across from Georgia Tech University, the bar features over 20 televisions, a retractable roof and the faux Lamborghini from Quavo's performance of "Lamb Talk" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — all part of the luxurious experience Kelan and Vinny hope to bring to their guests.

“My team and I have been obsessing over every single detail – from the chandeliers to the lighting, to the sound, to the presentation, etc. I am certain that our guests will create unforgettable memories at V12," Vinny said in a press release, per Black Enterprise. "It is going to be EPIC.” 

The V12 will open its doors on Saturday, May 4. "Elevating the way we EAT socialize and watch sports!" Quavo said in an announcement on Instagram. "Pull Up Tell Em Satchamo sent ya!"

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Beyoncé's loudly making her mark in country music, breaking records as a Black woman along the way, but the same wasn't true for T-Pain's more private trajectory.

Speaking to Billboard, he says he's long been a fan of and collaborator for country music, way before he covered “Tennessee Whiskey," and recalls the reaction he got after expressing his desire to work with Carrie Underwood.

“The country fans were like, ‘She don’t work with j—oos. She has too much class for somebody like you. Why would she ever…’ And I was giving her props!” Despite experience living in Nashville and working with country stars including Luke Bryan, Toby Keith and Rhett Akins, the negative commentary discouraged him from openly discussing or sharing his work.

“Beyoncé is strong enough to keep it going. It’s easier for her to stay in it than me,” he says. “I’m not up at that level, so I can’t punch through that kind of stuff. So I kept doing it, but I just stopped taking credit.”

Now, T-Pain's sharing more of his contributions to country music and getting his flowers in more public settings. According to him, Bryan's said his name in several songs. Jelly Roll also praised his version of “Tennessee Whiskey” while at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in April and said, “Country music’s in love with you right now!” 

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Check out this week's New Music Friday for the culture's latest and greatest in music. 

4batz, u made me a st4r -- The Texas singer who went viral for his From the Block performance of "act ii: date @ 8" is out with his debut EP. The 10-track project, released via Gamma, boasts a Kanye West collaboration on the remix to "act iii: on god? (she like)" but excludes the Drake-assisted "act ii: date @ 8."

Dababy ft. Skilla Baby, "JUDY" -- DaBaby flexes his directorial skills in the new music video, which sees the two stars turn up on the beach alongside women of all sizes. Also featured: a rump shaking competition between the Lil Booties and the Big Booties.

HUNXHO ft. 2 Chainz, "Come Over" -- Produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, the track sees HUNXHO request a woman join him where he is, with the promise that she'll be taken care of. “I get you what you need, girl just let me show you," he sings. HUNXHO also appears on Gloss Up's newly released "Come Here."

Coco Jones, “Here We Go (Uh Oh)”-- The singer's first release of 2024 is one she co-wrote. It samples Lenny Williams’ 1978 soul ballad “Cause I Love You," and chronicles the struggles of returning to a relationship with someone you've broken up with and are trying to get over. It's about "the impossible mission to move on from this chapter, from this person, from this cycle," Coco explains.

Moneybagg Yo, "Tryna Make Sure" -- The Tay Keith-produced track, in which the rapper flaunts his material wealth and status, previews his Speak Now album, out May 24.

Rapsody ft. Erykah Badu -- "3:AM" -- Rap raps about a lover who she feels safe around. She shared footage of their performance at Badu's birthday party.

(Videos contain uncensored profanity.) 

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Mariah the Scientist has been arrested in connection with an alleged fight at an Atlanta nightclub back in March.

According to jail records, the singer, birth name Mariah Buckles, was booked by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday, May 1, on battery charges. She was released after posting a $5,000 bond.

Billboard reports Mariah was involved in an alleged altercation with another woman that took place the night of March 28 at Club Cavo. The woman claims Mariah caused “bruises and cuts” and “visible bodily harm” in an unprovoked attack, but Mariah reportedly told police that the other woman provoked the fight by throwing a drink on her.

Mariah is wrapping up her To Be Eaten Alive Tour in Atlanta Friday night, May 3.

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Before Drake even had a chance to respond to Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” diss track, K. Dot has hit him with another one.

The rapper dropped “6:16 in LA” on Friday, May 3, with the title poking fun at Drake’s similarly titled tracks, “4 PM in Calabasas” and “8 AM in Charlotte.” The song takes aim at Drake’s OVO crew, name-drops his song “Toosie Slide” and accuses Drake of harassing people to unsuccessfully try to get dirt on Kendrick.

“Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person / Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it / Can’t Toosie Slide up out of this one, it’s just gonna resurface / Every dog gotta have his day, now live in your purpose,” Kendrick raps.

The Kendrick/Drake beef has been back and forth for a while. Prior to “Euphoria,” Drake had released the diss tracks "Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle.”

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Gunna’s upcoming new album, One of Wun, officially has a release date.

The rapper has announced the album will be out May 10 and also released a new single, "Whatsapp (Wassam)."

One of Wun follows Gunna's 2023 chart-topping album a Gift & a Curse, which spawned the RIAA certified Platinum hit single "fukumean."

Earlier this year, he released two singles, "Bittersweet" and "Prada Dem" featuring Offset. He's also featured on Normani's new single, "1:59," which came out April 26.

Gunna's slated to kick off The Bittersweet Tour May 4 in Columbus, Ohio. For a full list of dates, you can head over to livenation.com.

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T-Pain's biggest hits may have soundtracked fans' lives, but for him it serves as a reminder of a time when he was searching for acceptance from others.

“I didn’t want to do ‘Freeze,’ I didn’t want to do ‘Buy U a Drank,’ I didn’t want to do most of the songs that are my biggest hits. Because, you know, I’m an artiste,” he tells Billboard. “Back then, when I got done with a song, I was always thinking, ‘People are going to like this,’ and not, ‘I like this.’”

That desire for validation spilled into his fashion and the way he carried himself. He dumbed down his speech, drank more and used his money, like other rappers, to purchase and show off material items.

“I remember forcing happiness,” T-Pain recalls. “I remember being drunk a lot. I remember going out to clubs in order to be happy because it wasn’t the studio, it wasn’t work.” 

Eventually he realized that by hiding his true identity, "anybody outside of the rap community just straight up thought I was stupid."

“It felt bad as s***. I didn’t want to be the stupid rapper that everybody thought I was going to be. I wanted to be better for my wife. I wanted to articulate myself. I had to change: to be who I really was and not who everybody wanted me to be.”

T-Pain has since ditched the Auto-Tune, occasionally dabbling in music to fund his hobbies. He displays his nerdy side in his music, and his love for gaming is especially known to Twitch streamers.

"It’s five people in this house that I need to like me: my wife, my kids, myself. That’s all I need," he says of his new mentality. "That’s all I ever needed."

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SZA's teamed up with eyewear brand Quay for a guest collection featuring eight sunglasses that reflect the different "Sides of SZA," hence the title of the drop. In similar ways, her latest album, SOS, displays her different sounds, an indication that she's not just an R&B star. 

"The only reason I’m defined as an R&B artist is because I’m Black. It’s almost a little reductive because it doesn’t allow space to be anything else or try anything else," she tells Dazed, comparing herself to Justin Bieber, who she says can creatively make "whatever his heart desires."

"I simply just want to be allowed the same opportunity to make whatever I want without a label, [without it being] based on the colour of my skin, or the crew that I run with, or the beats that I choose," SZA continued, noting she doesn't box herself into a genre despite what others may think. "I’m just trying to make music, trying to vibe out and enjoy the experience."

SZA's self-expression has changed over the years, and she's now in a phase where she's "more childlike and playful than I was in maybe that middle section [of my career], where I kind of lost myself and started caring so much about what people thought."

After coming to the realization that "no one knows what they are talking about," she found comfort in doing what she wants. SZA also takes steps to protect her energy from the critics.

"I just try to acknowledge what I’m feeling. If I’m feeling overstimulated, I’m still learning how to distance myself," she explains. In addition, she makes white baths, prays, meditates and has self-talks to identify her feelings and check in with herself.

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Beyoncé's wish to "leave something [for fans] to remember, so they won't forget" has already been underway with her music, charitable acts and more. But now, with an entry in a French dictionary, she will be surely remembered in French culture.

That's right, Bey's name will be added to the French encyclopedic dictionary Petit Larousse Illustré, according to The Times, as will 39 other entries, including LeBron James, Cate Blanchett and Christopher Nolan. In terms of parts of speech, Beyoncé is listed as a noun, specifically a proper one. Alongside her name is the definition “American singer of R&B and pop.”

All the 2024 entries were added for their "concerns, developments or strong movements this year,” Carine Girac-Marinier, head of dictionaries and encyclopedias at Larousse, said while speaking to Le Point, a French outlet.

This marks the latest accomplishment for Bey, whose Cowboy Carter album made her the first Black woman to top the Top Country Albums chart, among other things.

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Nicki Minaj had a surprise in store for fans at her Pink Friday 2 World Tour stop at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center on Wednesday, May 1.  

Fan-shot footage shared on social media shows Minaj bringing out Cyndi Lauper to join her for a performance of “Pink Friday Girls,” a track that features a sample of Lauper’s classic “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."  

One clip shows Nicki hyping up Lauper to the crowd by saying, “make some noise for this icon, this legend." Another shows Nicki giving Cyndi a big hug, with both of them bowing down to each other and Nicki telling the crowd, "I have been speaking about this woman in my interviews since I first began rapping.” 

“Pink Friday Girls” is a track off Nicki’s fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, which was released in December.

Next up, Nicki brings the Pink Friday 2 World Tour to New Orleans on May 8. A complete list of dates can be found at nickiminajofficial.com.

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The Peabody Awards announced Thursday, May 2, that it will be bestowing two special honors on two funny people. 

Trailblazing Blazing Saddles director Mel Brooks will be receiving the Peabody Career Achievement Award, and Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson will take home the Peabody Trailblazer Award on Sunday, June 9, at a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles.

Peabody's executive director Jeffrey Jones hailed EGOT winner Brooks "as not only one of the most beloved comedians of all time," but a man who "literally set the standard for television comedy from its earliest days."

Jones adds, "Across TV, film, theater, and recordings, Mr. Brooks is in a league of his own."

Jones called Emmy winner Brunson "a refreshingly creative force in network television comedy" and added both names were singled out "not only for their extraordinary contributions as storytellers, but particularly for their use of comedy to tell stories that matter, enriching the lives of so many."

Both awards were selected by a unanimous vote of the Peabody Board of Jurors, the announcement explains, noting the pair will be celebrated live at the 84th Annual Peabody Awards ceremony — its first in-person event since 2019 and the first one ever to be held in Los Angeles.

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Mary J. Blige has announced the lineup for her third annual Strength of a Woman Summit, set to take place May 11 in New York City.

Taraji P. Henson, Tasha Smith, Method Man, Marsai Martin, Larenz Tate, Angie Martinez, Pinky Cole, Crystal Hayslett, Misa Hylton, Bevy Smith, Claire Sulmers and Michael Rainey Jr. will be among the guest speakers. 

The free event at NYC's The Glasshouse will feature panels, workshops, activations, experiences and more. One of the panels, Girl Talk with MJB, will have Mary J. joined by Taraji, Tasha and Angie for a conversation on the importance of Black women’s friendships. 

As previously announced, the Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit runs from May 10-12 and includes a concert at Brooklyn's Barclays Center with Mary, 50 Cent, Jill Scott, Jadakiss, Muni Long, Lola Brooke and Funk Flex; a comedy show with Tiffany Haddish and others; a jazz concert with Robert Glasper; a gospel brunch hosted by Mary, and a gospel concert featuring The Clark Sisters.

Visit soawfestival.com for all the details.

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When Flo Milli's “Beef FloMix” went viral in 2019, it was a moment she was hoping would happen but didn't expect. Speaking to Elle, she reveals she'd highly considered quitting and becoming a dental assistant just months before the track blew up on TikTok.

"I had made a pact with myself: When I was maybe 14, I used to be like, 'I’m making a timeline. I’m going to be famous by 18, and if I don’t make it by 18, I’m just going to stop and do something else,'" she recalls. With help from a friend who encouraged her not to give up, she saw the song's success.

“Beef FloMix” was featured on 2020's Ho, Why Is You Here? — the first in a trilogy of albums, including Fine Ho, Stay, which was released in March.

Unlike the previous records, Flo says this new album sees "me expressing myself a little bit more to my personality."

"Before, I was giving one side of Flo Milli, and now, I’m giving everybody different sides of me," she adds. "It’s a vulnerable vibe where people get to hear my experiences. I feel like it’s very relatable for women, and I feel like it will help."

Speaking of women, Flo also shares her thoughts on women in rap and why she believes they're "more accepted" today.

"I feel like it’s a platform for us to be seen and heard," she says. "Before, yeah, we were seen and heard, and there were icons that came before us, but I feel like we’re more accepted now. We still have our haters, but for the most part it’s more women out there who are more vocal."

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Days out from releasing her upcoming sophomore studio album, Never Gets Late, dancehall princess Shenseea is taking a look back at the many collaborations under her belt. Among them is the Roddy Richh-assisted “Pure Souls" by Kanye West, which she says really helped shift her career.

“One of the moments I knew things changed was when I did the collaboration with Kanye,” Shenseea tells Billboard. “I felt like that opened a whole different type of doors — fashion, hip-hop, different artists just reaching out. I think that Kanye is cool, as much as how he’s artistic, he’s a cool person to look at. Always entertaining. I feel like me being associated with him, it has led me to a lot of open doors.”

Shenseea's new album has features from Coi Leray, Wizkid and Anitta, while her debut, Alpha, saw appearances from 21 Savage, Megan Thee Stallion, Offset, Beenie Man, Tyga and Sean Paul — and those are only some of her collaborations over the years.

Shenseea says working with other artists "helps me to get over my nerves" and helps build her confidence as a musician.

“I feel like artists [are] easily intimidated by others’ success. Not to be badminded, not like that vibe, more of like, ‘Whoa, this is the pressure to have when somebody who’s this successful in the industry [is here.] What do I bring to the table?'” she says.

“You will never know until you do it,” she continues. “Doing it over time and taking on the challenge over and over and just trying to be myself, it helps that there’s nothing I can’t take on.”

Never Gets Late, featuring lead single "Hit & Run," is due out May 24.

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Timbaland will be flexing his production skills on the soundtrack to a graphic novel called Neon Empire. He's been tapped to co-produce the album alongside the book's creator, Audio Up founder and CEO Jared Gutstadt, who is writing and co-producing all the album's songs.

Songs will be unveiled through QR codes after each part of the story. The two will work with hand-selected music producers to create an original track from Timbaland's Beatclub ecosystem.

“Neon Empire is the first of a new book product launching from Audio Up in conjunction with our music label The Audio Chateau,” said Gutstadt. “Imagine a world where a graphic novel brings you into a three-dimensional musical offering filled with original songs and stories. We see Neon Empire as a way for the print publishing business to connect the world of music publishing and masters. This is a brand-new paradigm for the entertainment business.”

“This is innovative storytelling and music at its most disruptive,” added Timbaland. “Jared and I think the same and have done lots of great work with one another. When we get together, the results are epic. New lanes like graphic novels create new laneways for music discovery and stars of the future.”

Tim will also serve as executive director of a television series being developed about Neon Empire, which sees a "'hick-hop' star who goes from rap rags to hick-hop riches while coming to terms with his troubled past." The novel and soundtrack will drop in the fall.

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