Known for treating every release as a fully realized world rather than simply a collection of songs, Cruel Santino once again expands the boundaries of contemporary African music with the release of his next single “Big Drop”. The song is off Santino’s forthcoming new album KOTB – The Bomberman Chronicles due Nov 6th and features fellow Nigerian rapper, singer and producer Zaylevelten.

Speaking about the new single Cruel Santino shares, “Big Drop speaks for itself. It’s the first record Zaylevelten and I have made together, and I wanted it to feel like a fun musical journey through different sounds and scapes.There are four producers who worked on this asides myself and I had fun sound designing the whole track. There are loads of audio candies splattered inside the song alongside OctobersRich intro as well as the outro. It’s a proper song that describes the album.”

Cruel Santino blends genre and visual storytelling into a singular creative vision with KOTB – The Bomberman Chronicles. The world of the upcoming album is a mix of, as Cruel Santino puts it, “Spy lore meets royal regalia, James Bond meets Final Fantasy.” The album is set 3000 years in the future and follows the journey of a company that supplies household weapons to eliminate sea creatures that are terrorizing the community.

“Big Drop” follows previously released singles “International Collector” and “Oz.” The former pairs Santino’s understated melodic delivery with atmospheric production and fluid percussion, reflecting the global perspective that has long defined his artistry. Its accompanying music video offers a stylish glimpse into the larger narrative unfolding across KOTB. Watch it HERE. “Oz” reunites Santino with longtime collaborator and producer Vic Reagan and features Nigerian rapper Jeriq on a collaboration fans have eagerly anticipated. “‘Oz’ represents one of the original foundations of what I call the bounce,” Santino explains. “It goes back to the sounds and energy that inspired this journey. Vic is one of my closest friends, and having Jeriq on the record made it feel complete.”

With KOTB – The Bomberman Chronicles, Cruel Santino continues to push beyond conventional genre boundaries, building an expansive creative universe where music and mythology intersect. Stay tuned for more from Cruel Santino coming soon.

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Global star Fireboy DML releases his fifth studio album, ZUKO! The 11-track project showcasing the versatility and range of one of Afrobeats’ most distinctive voices. Featuring the viral hit “CLAAT!” with dancehall heavyweight Masicka and “IMALI” with award-winning duo JAZZWRLD & Thukuthela, the album finds Fireboy continuing to push the boundaries of his signature blend of Afrobeats, R&B, and Afropop.

The world of ZUKO! extends beyond the music. Since April, Fireboy has embraced a cinematic visual identity built around grainy black-and-white imagery and striking red accents, creating an atmosphere of intensity and transformation around the release. The album’s title instantly recalls ‘Prince Zuko’ from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a character whose journey is defined by fire, identity, conflict, and redemption, adding another dimension to the world Fireboy has been building around the release.

Since his 2019 debut album, Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps, Fireboy has established himself as a global force, earning international recognition with hits like “Peru,” whose Ed Sheeran remix entered the Billboard Hot 100 and earned RIAA Platinum certification in the United States. His catalog also includes RIAA Gold-certified “Bandana” with Asake, collaborations with artists including Madonna and Skrillex, and four studio albums spanning Apollo (2020), Playboy (2022), and Adedamola (2024).

With more than 100 million streams, multiple RIAA certifications, seven Headies Awards, and a 2022 BET Awards main-stage performance that made him the first Afrobeats artist to perform on the stage, Fireboy continues to expand his global reach. Following a performance alongside Erykah Badu at Lauryn Hill’s Diaspora Calling! in the UK, ZUKO! marks the next chapter in his evolution as an artist.

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Ten years after first emerging from North Vallejo, SOB X RBE have announced From The Land, their first new album together in seven years, arriving November 6 via EMPIRE/SOB X RBE.  Today, the reunited trio of Yhung T.O., DaBoii and Slimmy B share their new video “Someone.”

The announcement follows the group’s long-awaited return earlier this year with “Ten Summers,” their first new music together since 2019. Named for the decade since SOB X RBE first came together, the song celebrated a brotherhood that survived years apart and the personal changes that came with growing older.

“Time gave us the chance to grow up, become fathers and understand what really matters. We never stopped being brothers,” the group shared upon their return this summer.

SOB X RBE emerged in 2016 as a group of teenagers whose combustible chemistry, unfiltered personalities and distinctive approach to Bay Area rap quickly earned them a devoted following. Their early records, including “Anti” and “Different,” spread far beyond Northern California, while their appearance on “Paramedic!” from Kendrick Lamar’s Black Panther soundtrack introduced the group to an international audience. Albums including GANGIN and GANGIN II established them as one of the most compelling young acts in West Coast hip-hop, with each member bringing an unmistakable personality and voice to the music.

Their success came quickly, and so did the pressures surrounding it. After going their separate ways in 2019, the members spent years building individual careers and navigating lives that had changed considerably since their teenage beginnings. Their return in 2026 has been a chance to reconnect not simply as collaborators, but as friends who have grown up together.

From The Land brings that shared history full circle. Its title speaks to the place that shaped them, but also to the bond that existed long before the attention, success and years apart. Across 13 tracks, SOB X RBE return to the music that first brought them together, now with a decade of experience behind them and a renewed commitment to what they built.

From The Land arrives November 6 via EMPIRE.

SOB X RBE | From The Land
November 6, 2026
EMPIRE

1. Intro
2. Ten Summers
3. From The Land
4. Someone
5. SOB Only
6. Her Loss (feat. 1 Umbrella)
7. Rock N Roll
8. Honeypack
9. Need It
10. Clockwork
11. Red Eye
12. Birthday
13. What Came With It

Upcoming Live Dates

11/04 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall
11/05 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater
11/06 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
11/08 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
11/12 – Reno, NV @ The Alpine
11/13 – Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
11/20 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center (Who Want The Smoke)
12/11 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center (Welcome to the West)

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Associated Performer: A$AP Rocky feat. reggie & Jeremih
Vocal, Associated Performer, Producer: A$AP Rocky
Associated Performer, Vocal: reggie
Associated Performer, Vocal: Jeremih
Composer, Lyricist: Rakim Mayers
Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Composer, Lyricist, Producer: Hector Delgado
Producer, Composer, Lyricist: Kevin Arcilla
Composer, Lyricist: Reginald Helms, Jr.
Lyricist, Composer: Jeremy Felton
Assistant Engineer: Franky Kastle
Mastering Engineer: Tatsuya Sato

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Missy Elliott is being honored with the Icon Award at this year’s Gala of the Stars, the annual benefit supporting Dancers Against Cancer.

Janet Jackson will present the award.

“Missy Elliott represents everything the Icon Award celebrates,” Noah Lands, executive producer of the Gala of the Stars, shared in a statement.

“Her groundbreaking artistry has inspired generations of performers, and having Janet Jackson, last year’s honoree, present her with this award makes the moment even more special.”

The four-time Grammy winner was the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the first female rapper inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Elliot was diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 2008, prompting her extended break from the public eye.

Paula Abdul will also present the Paula Abdul Legacy Award, with the recipient still to be announced.

Dancer and television personality Maksim Chmerkovskiy will host the event on 22 October at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

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B2K continues their return with “Lil Freak,” the latest single from their forthcoming album, ECLIPSE.

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Producer: TEE GOT HITZ
Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer: OG ROB T
Music Publisher: NEXT Records, LLC

Producer: Ferhan C
Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer: OG ROB T
Music Publisher: NEXT Records, LLC

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Producer: Rance 1500
Producer: Seige Monstracity
Mixing Engineer: Joshua Schuback
Mastering Engineer: Brian Malouf
Composer Lyricist: Henry Lawes
Composer Lyricist: Winston Foster
Composer Lyricist: Larrance Dopson
Composer Lyricist: Marcus White
Composer Lyricist: Jason Martin
Composer Lyricist: Charles Phillip Ivory Penniman

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Beverly Bond, founder and CEO of the award-winning media, entertainment, philanthropic, and lifestyle brand BLACK GIRLS ROCK!®, and Black Promoters Collective (BPC), one of the world’s leading Black-owned live entertainment companies, today announced a strategic, multi-year partnership to launch BGR! LIVE. The platform will encompass a multi-city arena tour, premium concerts, and festivals.

For two decades, BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® has recognized, elevated, and amplified the voices and achievements of Black women and girls through its signature awards show, live events, community engagement, and youth empowerment programs. BGR! LIVE expands the brand’s reach, bringing its cultural legacy to arena stages across the country.

“I’m thrilled to launch BGR! LIVE with Black Promoters Collective, an exceptional team of industry leaders with a proven track record of delivering world-class tours,” said Beverly Bond. “Our partnership combines that expertise with the audience connection and cultural identity that make BLACK GIRLS ROCK! distinctive. Together, we’re opening a new era for the brand, bringing our creative vision and cultural impact to the grandest stages through extraordinary experiences that celebrate Black music, artistry, and community.”

“Our investment in BGR! LIVE reflects our conviction that BLACK GIRLS ROCK! can command a major place in national touring,” said Gary Guidry. “Beverly Bond has built an institution with enduring cultural authority that has helped define how Black women are celebrated. We are committed to building a lasting business together and delivering live experiences that set a high standard for the industry.”

The inaugural BGR! LIVE arena tour will launch in early 2027, bringing the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! experience to select cities across the United States.

Since 2022, the Black Promoters Collective (BPC) has solidified its position as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. As the only wholly Black-owned live music company on the Global Pollstar Top 100 Promoters list (#39) and the #3 Global Top Urban Promoter/Producer, BPC continues to redefine excellence in the live event space. A 100% Black-owned business, the BPC is a coalition of six of the nation’s top independent concert promotion and event production companies with a shared mission: to be the world’s leading producer of culturally relevant live entertainment experiences.

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