Month: June 2023

Tupac Shakur finally received the ultimate Hollywood honor on Wednesday (June 7), 27 years after his tragic death: a star on the Walk of Fame.

The ceremony, hosted by radio personality Big Boy, paid homage to the beloved West Coast rapper’s laundry list of achievements, within music and beyond. “Though his career lasted just five years, Tupac Shakur remains one of the most complex and prolific artists of his generation, with over 75 million records sold worldwide,” Big Boy said.

Speakers at the ceremony included Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur director Allen Hughes, Shakur’s sister Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, chairman of the board of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Matt Fritch, writer and former Black Panther Party member Jamal Joseph and more.

“When we talk about that global influence, we think of Tupac Amaru Shakur,” Joseph said during his speech. “And yes, that impactful time of the world knowing who Tupac was, was a five- or six-year period. But for everybody who knew Tupac, everybody who was here, we knew he was a star from the time he was a little boy.”

Special ceremony guests included Mike Epps, YG, Tupac’s stepbrother and fellow rapper Mopreme Shakur, Money-B and others.

Shakur’s star marks the 2,758th to grace Hollywood Boulevard. While the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce unanimously selected Tupac for star in 2013, it took a decade for it to come into fruition.

“How fitting in the year of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary that the art form’s most transcendent star is finally being placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?” Hughes asked the crowd during his speech.

In addition to Wednesday’s honor, Tupac was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April 2017. In 2015, the Grammy Museum unveiled an “All Eyez on Me” exhibit and recently, in 2022, The Canvas @ L.A. Live hosted a “Wake Me When I’m Free” immersive experience, honoring the late rapper, poet, actor and activist.

“Today, we aren’t just honoring a star on the sidewalk; we are honoring the very essence of a person who fearlessly pursued his dreams and fought to turn them into reality,” said his sister, Sekyiwa. “This is Tupac’s moment — the culmination of years of dedication and passion.

“Even before the world recognized his name, he dreamed of having a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Sekyiwa added. “And today, the unveiling of Tupac’s star not only pays tribute to his contributions to the entertainment industry but also speaks volumes about his lasting impact, even after 25 years. I couldn’t be prouder of my brother to watch his star now shine even brighter.”

Taylor Swift makes her first visit to Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, as The National’s “The Alcott,” on which she’s featured, debuts at No. 45 on the June 10-dated ranking.

The song reaches the list with 636,000 radio audience impressions on rock radio formats, up 12%, May 26-June 1, according to Luminate.

It’s not Swift’s first appearance on any rock radio chart, however. She has notched four entries on Adult Alternative Airplay, beginning with the No. 9-peaking “Exile,” featuring Bon Iver, in November 2020. She followed with “Coney Island,” featuring The National (No. 18, March 2021), and “Snow on the Beach,” featuring Lana Del Rey (No. 30, this January).

“The Alcott” concurrently lifts 18-15 on the latest Adult Alternative Airplay survey, driving its Rock & Alternative Airplay debut.

“The Alcott” is The National’s sixth song to reach Rock & Alternative Airplay. Its highest charter is “Tropic Morning News,” which reached No. 25 in March.

With her maiden Rock & Alternative Airplay showing, Swift has now reached the following radio tallies: Adult Alternative Airplay, Adult Contemporary, Adult Pop Airplay, Country Airplay, Dance/Mix Show Airplay, Holiday Airplay, Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, Pop Airplay, all-format Radio Songs, Rock & Alternative Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay.

Swift concurrently appears on three pop/adult charts. On Adult Pop Airplay, “Anti-Hero” is at No. 3 (after a personal-best nine weeks at No. 1) and “Karma,” featuring Ice Spice, rises to No. 11. “Karma” also ascends to No. 8 on Pop Airplay. On Adult Contemporary, “Anti-Hero” places at No. 2, following a three-week reign.

Swift has charted three titles on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums ranking: the No. 1s Folklore and Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and the No. 3-peaking Evermore.

“The Alcott” is The National’s second single from First Two Pages of Frankenstein, the band’s ninth studio album, following “Tropic Morning News.” The set debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums survey dated May 13 and has earned 59,000 equivalent album units to date.

Lil Durk nabs his fourth consecutive No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as Almost Healed debuts in the top spot of the chart dated June 10. The project launches with 125,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 1, according to Luminate.

Almost Healed was released on May 26 via Alamo Recordings and gives Chicago native Lil Durk his fourth straight – and fourth overall – champ on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. He previously led with The Voice for two weeks in 2021; the collaborative album The Voice of the Heroes, with Lil Baby, a two-week champ that same year; and his five-week No. 1, 7220, in 2022.

With his new No. 1, Lil Durk racks up the second-best start for any of his projects. The 125,000-debut figure for Almost Healed trails only The Voice of the Heroes, which began with 150,000 units.

Streaming activity contributes to nearly all of Almost Healed’s first-week sum, with 122,000 of the 125,000 units from that sector. The figure equals 167.82 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks. Traditional album sales comprise 2,000 of the remaining units, while track-equivalent album units cover the final 1,000 units.

Elsewhere, Almost Healed likewise becomes Lil Durk’s fourth No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart and opens at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

As Almost Healed arrives, 16 of its tracks debut on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Plus, the current single, “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole, rebounds to No. 1 to earn its second nonconsecutive week at the top, after it debuted there two weeks ago. The song was the week’s most-streamed Almost Healed cut, with 27.7 million official U.S. streams in the week ending June 1, up 14% from the prior week.

Two more Almost Healed cuts reside in the top 10, “Stand by Me,” featuring Morgan Wallen (No. 8) and “Pelle Coat” (No. 10). The former was the week’s top-selling Almost Healed track, selling 3,000 downloads and entering at No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart. The tune is the second collaboration between the rapper and country star; its predecessor, “Broadway Girls,” topped Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for one week in January 2022.

Here’s the full slate of Lil Durk tracks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this week:

No. 1, “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole (second week at No. 1)
No. 8, “Stand by Me,” featuring Morgan Wallen
No. 10, “Pelle Coat”
No. 13, “War Bout It,” featuring 21 Savage
No. 18, “Never Imagined,” featuring Future
No. 19, “Never Again”
No. 22, “Big Dawg,” with Chief Wuk
No. 23, “Cross the Globe,” featuring Juice WRLD
No. 24, “Put Em on Ice”
No. 25, “300 Urus”
No. 26, “Sad Songs”
No. 27, “Grandson,” featuring Kodak Black
No. 31, “Before Fajr”
No. 32, “B12”
No. 34, “You Got Em”
No. 40, “Same Side,” featuring Rob49
No. 50, “Belt2Ass”