Fact Check: Heph B Is Not Actually A “Billboard-Charting Artist”
Contrary to recent reports in the Jamaica Observer, Jamaica Gleaner, and Jamaica Star, US-based Nigerian/Jamaican artist Heph B is not actually a “Billboard-charting” artist or hitmaker.
According to the three national newspapers, Heph B’s Big Boy landed at No. 5 on an unspecified Billboard chart in July. The newspapers also reported that both Laa Lee and Bugle were encouraged to jump on a remix of Big Boy (which was released on Friday, August 26) because the original song had, according to them, hit the Billboard charts.
In June, an overjoyed Heph B took to Instagram to unbox a Billboard plaque, which appeared to commemorate the song peaking at No. 5 on the “Billboard Music Charts Top 25.” In his Instagram posts, Heph noted that the new achievement had elevated him above other artists.
However, the “Billboard Music Charts Top 25” chart does not exist, and Heph B’s name could not be found anywhere on the Billboard website, on any chart.
One graphic of the plaque, which was published on the online publication GrindWeekly, showed that Big Boy supposedly peaked at No. 5 in August 2021—months before the song was released on March 24, 2022.
So, how did Heph B get a Billboard plaque then?
Music insider and producer Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards explained the process behind acquiring a Billboard plaque.
“Billboard plaques are made by licensed and certified manufacturers in the USA who have obtained the rights from Billboard to make the plaques using the Billboard logo,” Contractor said. “Once the artist contacts one of these manufacturers and they can verify who they are and the project that hit the Billboard chart, they can order their custom-made Billboard plaque at a cost.”
Plaques vary in cost, between US$200 and US$2,000, depending on the size and style.
Heph B’s Billboard plaque was made by the California-based Jewel Box Platinum, one of four companies certified and authorized to do so in the US.
Jewel Box’s General Manager Ashley Gomez explained that the chart information on Heph B’s plaque was provided by his record label. “I will be writing the label today to have a deeper conversation regarding this,” she told DancehallMag.
“Thank you for pointing this out and moving forward we will be sure to double check all compilation inconsistencies. We do make it a point to clear all projects with the labels for RIAA and Billboard requests,” she added.
Meanwhile, Heph B’s manager Mz Mumsie was short on words when asked to clarify which Billboard chart Big Boy had entered. “When I took him on as a client, he (Heph B) showed me the email and plaque as far as the Billboard. I can’t go deep into that though. I would rather talk about the song itself,” she told DancehallMag.
In her estimation, the collaboration has boosted the careers of the three artists and has tightened the relationship between Jamaica and Afrobeats.
“This is different from what Bugle normally does. He just wanted to have a song like this. Everybody is trying to bring Dancehall to Nigeria,” she noted. “I know that Jamaica is a big influence to Nigeria and I think this song helped.”
Bugle had expressed enthusiasm about working on the remix of Heph B’s “billboard charting song.”
“Heph B is bredren weh extremely talented, I mean the song was already a Billboard charting song. The fact that this talented artiste wanted to work with Bugle, it gimme the energy fi just jump on the track,” Bugle told the Jamaica Observer.
Leggo Di Bird singer Laa Lee said he was similarly encouraged to join the remix.
“I feel happy about the collaboration with Heph B on such a huge track because it shows that nobody decides who you are or what you’re gonna be if it’s not you,” Laa Lee said. “Heph B is a big Billboard charting Afrobeat artiste and that alone speaks volume for me and how far I’ve come as an artiste.”
Laa Lee and Bugle currently have 255,000 and 188,000 monthly listeners on Spotify respectively, while Heph B has 5,000.
“Billboard plaques aren’t valid without verification,” says Contractor
Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards is reminding entertainers that Billboard plaques aren’t valid without verification.
“You’re supposed to show a verification of the song hitting the Billboard,” Contractor told DancehallMag. “So, if it hit Billboard, you’re supposed to show that verification of it. If that person made a plaque without having a visual representation or a link that it hit Billboard then obviously they’re gonna get scammed,” he added.
In May 2022, Contractor joined producer Marice Linton, artists Spice, Masicka, Alkaline, Etana and Romain Virgo as recent recipients of Billboard plaques, which can be verified via the Billboard website.
The producer insisted that artists need to be transparent and honest about their claims of hitting international charts.
“It’s like me saying I won the lotto and I make something to say I won the lotto and I did not get a winning ticket. I do not have a winning ticket to show that I won something. So, how can somebody say they hit Billboard number 5 if they don’t have a link with a screenshot to say ‘seet yah pon Billboard.’ Den how can they say that? I don’t understand that. Dem a get scam right through,” he said.
The Billboard Charts are used to tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums across various genres in the United States.