Five years after Alfredo helped keep most of us sane in the midst of a global pandemic, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist have reunited for its long-awaited sequel.

The result is more of what made Alfredo a Grammy-nominated classic: velvety smooth vibes and plenty of luxurious bars about plucking feathers of eagles before eating them, riding in all white DeVilles, snacking on “Gas Station Sushi,” “smoking the opps like Patrick Mahones’ father, squeezing Akademiks “titties,” kicking it at Mar-a-Lago and so, so, so much more.

The Alchemist sounds better than ever, as his swirling, dusty grooves convey images of suited-up mobsters puffing on hearty cigars, and Gibbs sounds just as classy sliding along them. This is Gibbs second project in less than a year, but the rapper sounds more at home with Al then any other producer he’s worked with. While that homecoming is a nice thought, the world of Alfredo 2 feels seedier than its predecessor, demonstrated in part by the duo’s short film they released earlier in July. Trading Italian fettuccini for rice noodles, Al and Freddie navigate the criminal underworld of Japan, as they deal with the Yakuza and more in this noir-inspired album.

With features from Anderson .Paak, Larry June and J.I.D., Alfredo 2 is looking to be another memorable moment for Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist. So five years later, how does it all sound? let’s dive into the album. Billboard has ranked all 14 tracks on Alfredo 2, check out the rankings below.

In our Latin Remix of the Week series, we spotlight remixes that the Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors deem to be exceptional and distinct from the rest. We might not publish a review every week. This is our selection today.

Natanael Cano isn’t one to play it safe, and neither is Anuel AA. The Mexican corridos tumbados superstar enlists Puerto Rico’s trap king for the remix of “Como Es,” a track that doubles down on grittiness in both lyrics and visuals — from Nata’s latest album Porque LaDemora, released earlier this month. The original only features Nata.

From the moment the beat drops, the duo trades verses dripping with bravado, desire, and unapologetic flexes that paint a picture of modern urban luxury. Produced by EQ The Equalizer, Edgar Barrera, Demy & Clipz, and Billboard thinks this version hits harder, delivering sharper beats and escalating the energy while preserving the signature essence of the original.

Like the original, the remix also explores themes of power, seduction, and excess, weaving explicit intimacy with high-end flair. References to Cartier lenses, Lamborghinis, and luxury champagne are layered between audacious lyrical punches, all anchored by the booming trap beats. Meanwhile, Anuel AA’s gritty delivery injects new menace into the track, while Cano’s suave confidence keeps it grounded in fearless swagger.

Accompanying this take is a music video that feels more like a mini noir-thriller. Cano and Anuel are flanked by masked women, slithering snakes, and even a camera-ready wolf in a visual that screams unapologetic grandeur. Gold machine guns gleam, while luxury cars rev up, making every moment feel like it belongs in a high-octane action flick. There’s even a scene at the three minute mark where Cano evokes Tony Montana’s commanding presence.

Whether you’re hooked on Cano’s smooth flow, Anuel’s unrelenting punchlines, or the pair’s undeniable chemistry, “Como Es (Remix)” pushes the boundaries of Latin trap, while reminding everyone why excess and ambition make such a compelling mix.

Listen to the new remix and watch the music video below:

Mammoth returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, climbing two places on the tally dated Aug. 2 with “The End.”

It’s the Wolfgang Van Halen-led band’s third leader, following coronations for its first two entries in 2021 (when it went by the name Mammoth WVH): “Distance” and “Don’t Back Down.”

In between “Don’t Back Down” and “The End,” Mammoth reached Mainstream Rock Airplay three times, with all songs hitting the top 10. Of the group, “I’m Alright” performed the best, peaking at No. 5 in January 2024. It followed “Another Celebration at the End of the World” (No. 7, June 2023) and “Epiphany” (No. 9, March 2022).

Concurrently, “The End” lifts 12-11 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2.8 million audience impressions, a boost of 2%, in the week ending July 24, according to Luminate. The band’s best remains “Distance,” which reached No. 9.

“The End” debuted at No. 25 on the multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart dated May 17 upon its release, as well as at No. 4 on Hard Rock Digital Song Sales.

It’s the lead single from The End, Mammoth’s third studio album, due Oct. 24. Mammoth II, the band’s previous LP, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart in August 2023 and has accumulated 58,000 equivalent album units to date. The group has tour dates lined up through Dec. 6, with its next stop July 26 in New Orleans.

All Billboard charts dated Aug. 2 will update Tuesday, July 29, on Billboard.com.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Dead & Company is kicking off a three-concert series for Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary. The band prepares to take the stage from Friday (Aug. 1) until Sunday (Aug. 3) at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California.

Want to see Dead & Company (with opening acts) in person? Tickets to the concerts first went on sale through Ticketmaster, but many of the dates have either sold out, or are very close to selling out. The best ways to find Dead & Company tickets online is through third-party sites, such as StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and others — all of which guarantee authentic tickets in time for your event.

In addition, we like that tickets are all delivered digitally, so you can get them sent instantly to your smartphone or email. Prices may also be above or below face value at times.

Where to Find Dead & Company at Golden Gate Park 2025 Tickets Online

Looking for Dead & Company seats? Here’s where to find tickets still available and on sale online.

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Find Dead & Company Tickets at Stubhub


Stubhub has Dead & Company tickets available. Stubhub’s Fan Protect Guarantee ensures valid tickets or your money back. And if your event is canceled and not rescheduled, you’ll receive 120% in credit or be given the option of a full refund.

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Find Dead & Company Tickets at Vivid Seats


You can also find Dead & Company tickets online at Vivid Seats, which lets you search by price, location and “Super Sellers,” which denotes reputable sellers with the best deals on tickets.

Vivid Seats is also great for group tickets: the site has a rewards program that gives you your eleventh ticket free (in the form of a credit) after you buy 10 tickets online. And as a bonus, you can use our exclusive promo code BB30 to take $30 off your purchase at VividSeats.com.

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BEST PRICES

Find Dead & Company Tickets at SeatGeek


One of the lowest prices we’re seeing for Dead & Company tickets is at SeatGeek, which has stubs from $50 and up. Use our discount code BILLBOARD10 to save an additional $10 at checkout.

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Find Dead & Company Tickets on TicketNetwork


TicketNetwork has tickets to Dead & Company’s concerts with all-in pricing that lets you see exactly what you’ll pay up front (fees included). For a limited time, you can use our exclusive code BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off $500 or BILLBOARD300 to save $300 off orders of $1000 and up.

Dead & Company 2025 Dates at Golden Gate Park

  • Aug. 1, with Billy Strings
  • Aug. 2, with Sturgill Simpson (Johnny Blue Skies)
  • Aug. 3, with Trey Anastasio Band

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox dealsstudio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

After receiving a pardon from Donald Trump earlier this year, YoungBoy Never Broke Again (real name Kentrell Gaulden) showed his appreciation by praising the president on his new album MASA, which arrived on Friday (July 25).

“Make America Slimy Again/ Whatever Trump doin’, b—h, it’s good for the youngins,” YB raps on album standout “XXX.”

The slime-covered gun-toting visual — which was shot in Amsterdam — shows a lime-green American flag and graffiti spray painted with the pro-Trump message “All Hail Trump.”

Loaded with 30 tracks, MASA finds the Baton Rouge rapper starring front and center with collaborations from Playboi Carti and Mellow Rackz.

Trump pardoned YoungBoy in May, who was charged with felony possession of weapons. He secured his release in April after being sentenced to 23 months in December on federal gun charges.

“I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist,” he in a statement posted on his Instagram Story at the time. “This moment means a lot. It opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this.”

YB continued in his post: “Big thanks to the Pardon Czar, Ms. Alice Marie Johnson, for fighting for second chances for so many people, and my lawyer, Brittany K. Barnett, for being in my corner and all your hard work to make this possible. And thank you to everyone who believed in me.”

Next up, with his legal trouble behind him, YoungBoy will hit the road for his 27-city MASA Tour kicking off on Sept. 2 in Dallas. It’s his first-ever headlining North American trek.

Watch the “XXX” video below.

Freddie Gibbs is very good at rapping.

He and The Alchemist just dropped Alfredo 2 — the sequel to their Grammy-nominated album Alfredo that they dropped in 2020 — and there are no shortage of bars. The references range from Ja Morant and Zion Williamson to not-so-subtle jabs at former collaborators like Benny the Butcher and Curren$y.

The duo flew to Japan to film a short movie as a couple Americans that use a ramen shop as a front to launder money for Japan’s criminal underground, but none of that really matters in terms of the vitriol Gibbs rapped with. Aside from the album art, the movie, and some of the samples used, the Gary, Indiana MC isn’t making Yakuza references or anything like that.

However, he is slicing through The Alchemist’s production like a Hattori Hanzo sword in Kill Bill as he takes aim at a list of foes that include his ex-girlfriend, Jim Jones, DJ Akademiks and the aforementioned Benny and Spitta. Alfredo 2 is basically a 14-track soundtrack for settling scores and it may be safe to assume that he’ll be getting some responses.

The project only has three features, from Anderson .Paak, Larry June and JID, but only one had a line good enough to make the cut. Find out who here, and be sure to take note of who will probably get upset about being caught up in Gangsta Gibbs’ crossfire because that dude be having beef with everybody.

Check out some of our favorite bars from Alfredo 2 below.

“It’s a natural urge for computer buffs to perfect everything because they can, and we were very wary of that.”

So said William Orbit in a July 1998 interview with Keyboard magazine in which the Ray of Light co-producer unpacked the elements used to make Madonna’s electronic masterpiece, released that same year.

But despite the concern about the songs potentially becoming overly produced into plasticity, there was ultimately enough trust for some of the album tracks to be passed on to other computer buffs, who’d morph them into remixes. These edits were reportedly meant for a Ray of Light companion piece that was never released because of the culture-shaking success of the original album, which won four Grammys and made everyone with ears and access to MTV want to dance herky jerky in the club like Madonna did in the title track’s iconic video.

So finally today (July 25), 27 years after Ray of Light‘s release, Veronica Electronica is officially out. Formed from edits made around the time of the album’s creation, some of these remixes have already been fairly well heard, although they’ve not come out together until now.

With remixes of seven of Ray of Light‘s 13 songs, along with an unreleased demo of a track that didn’t make it onto the album, Veronica Electronica is named for Madonna’s Ray of Light alter ego and includes work by club wizards Sasha, Victor Calderone, Fabien and Peter Rauhofer and Orbit himself.

Here is every track on Veronica Electronica, ranked.

This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music, including collaborations by Latin Mafia and Omar Apollo; Elena Rose and Justin Quiles; and Mon Laferte and Conociendo Rusia, to name a few.

On the groovy “Hecho Para Ti,” Mexican indie band Latin Mafia and Indiana-native crooner Omar Apollo “serve up a time-jumping cumbia pulled straight from your tío’s VHS collection, while Apollo adds his signature blend of tender heartbreak,” Billboard Español’s Isabela Raygoza describes. Co-produced by Tyler Spry, the track is an ode to failed love: “If you’re not going to love me, my love/ I’d prefer you hate me, sweetheart,” say the lyrics.

Meanwhile, Carlos Vives recruited a collective of Colombian artists for his new song “500”—a heartfelt tribute to Santa Marta on its fifth centenary. Joining Vives (who’s also celebrating 30 years of his album La Tierra del Olvido) on the historical and cultural song are Bomba Estéreo, Estereobeat, Gloria Torres, L’Omy, Lalo Ebratt, Laura Maré, Olga Lucía Vives, Pao Lacera, Rashid Zawady, and Yera—all from Santa Marta, where Vives was born.

Other new releases this week include music from Christian Nodal, Eslabon Armado, and Cuban newcomers Melanie Santiler & Velito El Bufón. In last week’s poll, Danna’s “Khe Calor” won with more than 80% of the vote. Which release this week do you think is best? Give these new releases a spin and vote for your favorite new Latin music release below:

Editor’s Note: The results of the weekly New Music Latin poll will be posted if the poll generates more than 1,000 votes. This poll closes at 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday, July 28.

In a world defined by digital discovery and borderless creativity, the future of music isn’t born in one place – it blooms everywhere at once.

NEXT GEN, Billboard Georgia’s first-ever international editorial project, captures this global rhythm through a handpicked lineup of 24 rising artists from nine countries – each redefining what it means to be part of the sonic DNA of a new generation.

From Georgian soul and Italian rap rebellion to J-pop reimaginings, Afro-French lyrical fire and vibrant Vietnamese pop, these artists aren’t just riding trends – they’re creating them. One viral verse, sold-out show or heart-wrenching hook at a time, they’re shaping the sound of tomorrow.

This project was made possible through close collaboration with our extended Billboard family – including Billboard Italy, Billboard China, Billboard France, Billboard Japan, Billboard Vietnam, Billboard Philippines, Billboard Argentina, Billboard UK and Billboard Georgia – each of whom contributed their vision, insight and artist picks to build this truly global showcase.

As the first Billboard territory in Eastern Europe to lead an editorial initiative of this scale, Billboard Georgia is honored to contribute to this global conversation.

NEXT GEN is more than a spotlight – it’s a statement.

A love letter to the voices rising worldwide.

And a mirror reflecting what’s next for the music industry.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Get ready, BLINKs. A Little Golden Book’s biography on beloved K-pop girl group BLACKPINK is currently available for preorder.

Related

The book can be preordered through Amazon for $5.99, and will be shipped out starting Dec. 2, just in time for Christmas. You can purchase a Kindle or a hardcover version for the same price. The biography, which was written by Jessica Yoon and illustrated by Honee Jang, chronicles the life of members Lisa, Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé from their childhoods to trainee years under YG Entertainment, up until their eventual debut in 2016.

BLACKPINK's A Little Golden Book Biography: Here's Where to Buy It

BLACKPINK A Little Golden Book Biography

A BLACKPINK biography.


Readers are then taken on the whirlwind that was the girl group’s success through colorful imagery and descriptive text. The book highlights some major moments in the K-pop act’s career thus far, from releasing hits such as “How You Like That” and “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” to headlining major festivals such as Coachella. While this book is meant for younger readers in the 4 to 8-year range, it would make a great gift for BLINKs of all ages looking to learn more about the girl group they love.

If you’re not into BLACKPINK, A Little Golden Book has biographies on a slew of artists, K-pop or otherwise, including BTS, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Prince, Cher and Chappell Roan. On the non-music front, the book series also covers historic figures both old and new, including Rosa Parks, Serena Williams, Maya Angelou, Jimmy Carter, Colin Powell, Katie Ledecky and Jane Goodall. Each book is meant to give young readers a better understanding of important figures through easily digestible text and fun visuals. In simple terms, it makes learning fun.

BLACKPINK's A Little Golden Book Biography: Here's Where to Buy It

BTS: A Little Golden Book Biography

A biography about BTS.


BLACKPINK first hit the scene in 2016 with its debut song “Boombayah.” The song went on to top Billboard‘s World Digital Songs chart in the first week of sales. Fans have watched the girls rise to stardom, and now, BLACKPINK has many impressive accolades under its belt. The act is the first K-pop girl group to play at Coachella and to reach one billion YouTube views.

Fast forward to 2025, and the group’s single “Jump” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 123 million streams in the week ending on July 17. This achievement marks the girl group’s third No. 1 song on the chart after “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down.” With the group is breaking records left and right, they’re definitely biography-worthy.