Billboard House Returns to New York for R&B Hip-Hop Week With Jill Scott, The Roots, Kehlani and More
Billboard has announced the lineup for Billboard House, a day of industry panels and conversations set for September 9 in New York City, running alongside the publication's R&B Hip-Hop Week. The event brings together established names and emerging artists across panel discussions, live interviews, and a concert the following night at Brooklyn Steel.
The Roots and Jill Scott will each sit for in-depth conversations. Both are being honoured by Billboard this year: The Roots as the 2026 Hip-Hop Hall of Fame inductees and Scott as the 2026 R&B Hall of Fame honouree. Scott released To Whom This May Concern — her first album in 11 years — which debuted at No. 33 on the Billboard 200, the chart that ranks the most consumed albums in the US each week across sales and streaming. She has recently collaborated with Kehlani, Teyana Taylor, and rapper Conway the Machine. Billboard
A panel called "Like Minded," presented by Better Health, will feature Kehlani alongside rising rapper Monaleo. In a separate conversation, Blacc Sam — the brother of the late Nipsey Hussle — and artist Bino Rideaux will discuss Nipsey Hussle's legacy and the effort to continue what the rapper called his "marathon" following his death in 2019. Billboard
Emerging singer-songwriter LAILA! is scheduled to perform at Billboard House. She recently teamed with Teezo Touchdown on the song "ANGEL," which arrived on August 14. Billboard
The R&B Hip-Hop Live 2026 concert follows on September 10 at Brooklyn Steel, with tickets already on sale. The show is sponsored by Rotation, Amazon Music's R&B and hip-hop division, and its lineup now includes Lucky Daye, Yung Miami, Samara Cyn, Skippa, Destin Conrad, and kwn — the latter added in the most recent announcement. Billboard
Billboard also revealed its 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list on August 20, the annual ranking of executives and creatives shaping the genre's business. That list, the Hall of Fame honours, and the two days of live events together form this year's R&B Hip-Hop Week programming. Billboard
For fans in New York, the two-day stretch offers a rare mix: career-spanning interviews with two artists being recognised for their whole bodies of work, a conversation about an unfinished legacy, and a concert bill stacked with names at different stages of the same genre. The Roots will also headline "A Great Night in Hip-Hop" at the Hollywood Bowl on June 27, 2026, alongside NAS with special guests including T.I. and Bun B. Hollywood Bowl
