It’s that time of year again, checking out who had a great year, as far as entertainment goes. Let’s start with:
Ella Mai
She first got noticed by big-time producer Dj Mustard through her singing covers on Instagram. She dropped three EPs before this year but REALLY got noticed to the world, with her “Boo’d Up” single. The radio PLAYED OUT that single but it worked out her Ella’s favor because it was No. 1 on the Billboard Charts for R&B/Hip Hop Airplay. She has became the first female R&B singer of the 2010’s to have the longest running No. 1 single, which was 13 weeks. BTW, it’s STILL on the charts. Then there’s “Trip”, another No. 1 single, that’ still on charts (not No. 1) and NOW she just released her newest single “Shot Clock.” Ella Mai is on fire and definitely had a great year. Her album Ella Mai went gold just a week after it was released. I’m excited to see what she comes out with next year.
Tiffany Haddish
She is a talented comedian who literally started from the bottom, to being in foster care, to sleeping in her car, to doing stand up to finally getting into movies. Last year she became the New York Times Best Seller with her book The Last Black Unicorn and just this year she’s starred in three films. Uncle Drew, which came out in July, Night School in September and Nobody’s Fool in November; not to mention she has a show with Tracey Morgan, that came out in March called the The Last OG. I love her story and I love to see her win.
Meek Mill
Meek was locked up in November 2017 due to a probation violation. He was sentenced to 2-4 years in prison. He was released in April due to a judge order. Less than three months later, he dropped a successful EP titled Legends of the Summer and he just released Championship on November, which has been successful. The album has peaked at No. 1 on the Rap Album category on Billboard. His single “Going Bad” with Drake has peaked at No. 2 on the Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales Billboard charts. “What’s Free” featuring Rick Ross and Jay-Z peaked at number No. 3 on the Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales Billboard charts. He’s still fighting the case but in the mean time, he’s using his time wisely and getting his coins.
Cardi B
It’s no surprise that this woman has had a great year BUT if ya forgot, let me remind you. Her album Invasion of Privacy debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. When “Bodak Yellow” first came out, it was No. 1 on the charts for three weeks and stayed on the charts for 35 weeks. “I Like It” peaked at No. 1 as week and remained on the charts on 36 weeks (and counting). Her WHOLE album charted and was part of the top 100 rap songs. AND every song on her album has been certified, ranging from gold to 7x Platinum. GON HEAD CARDI! Not to mention her current song “Money” has peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard chart and has been on the charts for 8 weeks. I’m not doubting that 2019 will be a great year for her. Keep going sis!
Michael B. Jordan
It’s no secret that Michael B. Jordan has been on his shit this year. With Black Panther dropping in February to Creed 2 recently dropping in November, he’s had a busy year. Both roles required a lot of working out, fighting and mindet changing. In Black Panther, he played Killmonger, a misunderstood bad guy, but he had to switch to his mindset to match the revenge seeking villian. He even said that after shooting the film, he had to take a break before shooting Creed 2 but playing Killmonger, drained him. With Creed 2, his character had to train to fight his father’s killer, son. In the film he suffered from rib injuries and even though those injuries weren’t real, playing a boxing role takes a lot of energy and dedication. I commend him on knocking out these two tough roles this year. His hard work paid off because Black Panther grossed over $1 Billion in ticket sales. Creed 2 grossed $55 million it’s opening weekend. It seems like every movie that he’s starred in has had major success minus one. Clearly he’s on the roll, and I can’t wait to see his next films, preferably some sequels.
Travis Scott
Travis’ album Astroworld went number 1 on the charts and stayed there for 8 weeks. He’s also gone on tour already. He’s had a busy year, and has gotten recognized more than what he has in the past. His song “Sicko Mode” featuring has been number 1 on the Hip Hop charts as well. He also welcomed his first child this year with Kylie Jenner. I’m proud of his success and respect his craft. Any artist who’s good at their craft, stays out of drama, he doesn’t appear cocky and minds his business deserves to win.
Ariana Grande
This young lady has had a rough but successful year. Her album Sweetener was released in August of this year, which debuted on the Billboard Top 200 in it’s first week and charted internationally. Ariana and her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller broke up in May and he ended up dying of a suicide in September. In June of this year, she became exclusive with Pete Davidson and got engaged. Just one month after Mac’s death, she and Pete broke up. With her having a rough year just within a few months, she found a way to channel her pain. In November, she released her single “thank u, next,” a song dedicated to her exes. The song charted immediately to No. 1 on Billboard and the video became the biggest music video debut in YouTube History. The “thank u, next” video earned over 55 million views in just 24 hours. Four days later, it received 100 million views, making it the fastest video to earn that amount of views in such a short time. She also performed “Natural Woman” at Aretha Franklin’s funeral in August and she did really good! To top it off, she’s been nominated for two Grammys, one for Best Pop Solo Performance for “God is a Woman” and Best Pop Vocal Album. Gon head Ariana!
These are MY top 7, comment below and tell me who you think had a great year.
Danii Gold out!
Danii Gold 