After absorbing the news that R. Kelly was found guilty in the federal racketeering and sex trafficking case against him, Surviving R. Kelly executive producers Tamra Simmons and Jesse Daniels called the women who bravely shared their stories of abuse in the documentary. “They’re like family to me now,” says Simmons. “I’m calling, they’re screaming and then we’re crying together. It was an amazing feeling after seeing them being bashed and cyber-bullied among all kinds of things on social media just for speaking out.” “It’s been incredibly emotional,” adds Daniels. “I don’t want to speak on their [the survivors’] behalf. But ultimately I can say that for many of them the uniform message is that they feel heard.” According to Nielsen, an average of 2.1 million total viewers heard these women in January 2019 as they recounted the sexual and mental abuse wielded by Kelly in Lifetime’s riveting documentary Surviving R. Kelly . Helmed by an executive production team that also inclu
In what’s been a relatively slow year for breakout hits from new artists, we haven’t seen a lot of first-timers climbing into the top 20 of the Hot 100 — but fewer still who debut there as a lead artist. That’s what 19-year-old Jacksonville rapper Nardo Wick does this week with his breakout single, “Who Want Smoke??” Of course, he doesn’t appear alone on his No. 17-bowing hit: He’s assisted by a trio of more established hitmakers in 21 Savage, Lil Durk and G Herbo, all of whom appear on the song’s now-viral remix. What’s responsible for the song’s big debut? And who steals the show on the remix? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below. 1. A top 20 Hot 100 debut is obviously a tremendous showing for an artist without much Billboard history to their name. Aside from the sheer star power of the guest list, what about “Who Want Smoke??” do you think is most responsible for its resounding debut? Josh Glicksman : The star-studded guest list definitely has a lot to
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