djfrosty

01 Aug 2023

Paul Reubens aka “Pee-wee Herman” Dies at 70

HipHopWired Featured Video

Obit Paul Reubens Pee-wee Herman

Source: MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images / Getty

Paul Reubens, the actor that became a cultural icon thanks to his Pee-wee Herman character, passed away over the weekend.

On Monday (July 31st), social media accounts for the actor announced his passing. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit,” the caption read.

A short time later, another personal statement from the comedian and writer was released. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” it read. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans, and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”

Born in Peekskill, New York, Reubens skyrocketed to fame after being passed over for Saturday Night Live in the 1980s after creating “The Pee-wee Herman Show” at Los Angeles’ Groundling Theater. The show featured Pee-wee in a signature gray suit and red bow tie (which he found backstage at the theater) living in Puppet-Land with all his friends.

His mastery of the character’s world, merging reality and fiction, led to him being booked for his first feature film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, in 1985. That film, which was also Tim Burton’s directorial debut, was a smash success leading him to star in the CBS children’s program Pee-wee’s Playhouse which ran from 1986 to 1991. The immersive dreamscape-like show featured many well-known actors from Laurence Fishburne to the late Phil Hartman.

Towards the end of the show’s run, Reubens would encounter scandal after being arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Florida. His career took a major hit, but Reubens would make notable appearances in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Batman Returns. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw him stay the course with appearances on TV shows and a strong turn in 2001’s Blow with Johnny Depp as a gay drug-dealing hairdresser.

Reubens would bring Pee-wee back in 2010 in stage shows in New York and Los Angeles, and six years later he’d do a Netflix special, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, produced by Judd Apatow. In the wake of his passing, many have offered their own tributes and recollections of the comedian. Conan O’Brien wrote on Twitter: “His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts.”

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

RELATED TAGS


RIP

01 Aug 2023

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Beg BTS’ Jung Kook Not to Watch Them Sing ‘Butter’ in ‘Mutant Mayhem’ Teaser

It’s right there in the name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So, given that said bony-shelled reptiles are right in the demo, it’s fitting that in a new promo for the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie that is out on Wednesday (Aug. 2), Leo, Raph, Don and Mikey are unabashed members of the ARMY.

“This is it, guys,” Raphael laments in the 20-second clip in which the foursome are lashed to a giant bomb-like device that seems to spell their demise. “Oh, so many regrets,” he groans. “I just wish I could see BTS IRL,” says Donatello.

Leonardo, of course, has a creative idea, offering, “We could do some of the songs for you,” he says, with Michelangelo adding that he’d be down for a few bars. Leo then gets the gang started, singing the first lines of BTS’ global No. 1 smash “Butter,” while encouraging the others to join in. But, given their predicament — they are lashed to a wall by their wrists and ankles — the song comes out as more of a cry than a croon.

It’s all a bit sad, honestly and Don complains that they don’t even really know the words. To be fair, the tweet of the clip had a very stark warning message: “Jung Kook please don’t watch this.”

In addition to the four turtles (voiced by Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon), the film also features the voices of Rogen, Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Paul Rudd and Maya Rudolph; Rogen and producing partner Evan Goldberg co-wrote and co-produced the film directed by Jeff Rowe.

Watch the trailer below.

01 Aug 2023

Taylor Swift Owns ‘August,’ But What Other Month-Themed Songs Have Hit the Hot 100?

It’s the first day of August, which has us thinking about Taylor Swift’s timely song “August” from her 2020 album Folklore.

Folklore was surprise-released on July 24, 2020 — so just ahead of August that year — and in the Augusts since, we’ve seen the song re-emerge on various Billboard charts timed to the month. Last year, “August” returned to the Alternative Streaming Songs chart, re-entering at No. 21 in the July 29-Aug. 4 tracking week. It also made its first appearance on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts in August 2022. Also last year, it hit No. 1 on the LyricFind U.S. and LyricFind Global charts, for its first week atop both lists, as everyone searched for August-appropriate lyrics.

All of this got the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast wondering: What other big month-themed songs are there out there? And does every month have its own Hot 100 hit? Plus, Swift’s “August” has so far peaked at No. 23 on the Hot 100 — the week of Folklore’s release — but what is the highest-charting month hit ever?

Listen to Katie & Keith’s full discussion on this week’s Billboard Pop Shop Podcast below to find out all the answers to those questions and more:

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

01 Aug 2023

Interscope Geffen A&M Promotes Four In Marketing Roles

Four key marketing executives are elevated at Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA), the Universal Music Group-division headquartered at Santa Monica, CA.

Among those enjoying promotions, announced today (Aug. 1), are Ramon Alvarez-Smikle, who rises to executive vice president/head digital marketing; Laura Carter, who is named as executive vice president/head of urban marketing; Chris Mortimer, who is upped to executive vice president/head of digital marketing; and Daniel Sena, promoted to executive vice president/head of strategic marketing at the label.

Each of these executives “has built teams that create consistent opportunities for our artists to build and nurture their fan bases,” comments Steve Berman, vice chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, in a statement. The promotions, he continues, “reflect how important their work is as we continue to build upon our platform to move culture through music.”

Alvarez-Smikle, who most recently served as SVP, head of urban digital marketing at Interscope, will continue to oversee digital marketing efforts across all of Interscope’s hip-hop and R&B artist roster.

Carter, who is promoted from SVP, head of urban marketing at Interscope Records, will continue to oversee marketing across Interscope’s roster of hip-hop and R&B artists.

Meanwhile, Mortimer will continue to oversee digital marketing campaigns for Interscope’s pop and rock roster of artists. Most recently, he served as SVP, head of digital marketing at Interscope.

And Sena, who most recently served as SVP, head of strategic marketing at Interscope, will continue to oversee brand partnerships across Interscope’s artist roster.

The umbrella label group was unified in 1999 and is a powerhouse in rock, pop, hip-hop and alternative. IGA finished 2020 as the Top Label on Billboard’s year-end charts for the first time since 2013. At the same time, Interscope reigned as the top Billboard Hot 100 Label, and IGA was named as the top Billboard 200 Label.

This marks the second round of promotions in as many weeks, after four of IGA’s top-level executives were promoted into new roles in late July.

01 Aug 2023

Offset Explains Why He Accused Cardi B of Cheating & Reflects on His Own Past Infidelity

Offset and Cardi B have weathered their share of adultery rumors — some of them false and some of them very, very true — but in a recent interview, the Migos rapper revealed that he’s ready to officially put all of them to bed.

Speaking on the Way Up With Yee show, ‘Set confirmed that no, his wife didn’t cheat on him, in spite of what he alleged in June in a quickly deleted Instagram Story. Shortly after he posted it, Cardi shut down the accusations on Twitter Spaces, but public concerns over their relationship still lingered.

Fortunately, the couple is doing just fine, as confirmed by the “54321” rapper in the interview. And, explaining why he posted the accusation in the first place, he shared that the drama all stemmed from an argument he and his Bronx-born spouse were already having behind the scenes.

“So that post, to be honest, me and her, that’s my wife, I love her to death,” he said. “We going back and forth. And if you’ve got a New York woman, you know she’s a pit bull at the mouth.”

“She get crazy at the mouth a little bit, and I was really lit that night,” he continued, confessing he’d been drinking quite a bit of tequila at the time. “We was going back and forth and I’m like, ‘Watch this.’ And it’s like she got a crazy mouth, but I love my wife at the end of the day and she crazy, man … We’re crazy for each other.”

When asked if he thought it was necessary to publicly take back his accusation, Offset replied, “The delete is enough. At the end of the day, them people don’t be really knowing what’s really going on with us for real.”

The musician’s sentiment echoes the message of “Jealousy,” his new song featuring — who else? — Cardi B. On the track, the couple takes turns slamming those who speculate on their relationship, with the “WAP” rapper at one point quipping, “They’re too worried ’bout me and my n—a/ You should worry ’bout the n—a yours sleep with.”

To be fair, though, Offset and Cardi — who share 5-year-old daughter Kulture and nearly 2-year-old son Wave — have certainly given fans a lot to talk about over the course of their marriage. The former reportedly cheated on the latter, and Cardi filed for divorce in 2020. (The filing was dismissed less than two months later after the couple reunited.)

Offset got real about the reasons why he was unfaithful to the “Up” musician in his Way Up interview, sharing that his infidelity was partly fueled by his drug and alcohol use. “When I did do that, I was in a different space,” he admitted. “I was young. I had just got married. I’m getting a lot of money. Really it was communication.”

“We had got married and our communication was good, but it wasn’t understanding my wants and needs and vice versa,” he added. “Sometimes it feel like you bump heads when you’re not communicating. I was making bad decisions and I was really realizing it was affecting my family … but all my growth, why you think she love me how she love me? My growth, I done showed I’m not gonna do this. I’m a real one. I ain’t gonna keep playing with you. It’s heartbreaking, it’s wrong.”

Listen to Offset open up about his relationship with Cardi above.

01 Aug 2023

New York City Restaurant Sei Less Announces HipHop50 Menu Named After Iconic Songs & Albums

Beginning Tuesday (Aug. 1), popular New York City restaurant Sei Less will launch its special menu in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Paying homage to celebrated songs, albums and musicians in the culture, Sei Less created unique appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails as a prix fixe meal for $50. 

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“We’re incredibly grateful for the hip-hop community’s support of Sei Less, so we wanted to find a special way to express our appreciation and honor the hip-hop artists that have pushed the culture forward,” Sei Less founder Dara Mirjahangiry tells Billboard. “Since we’re a New York City restaurant, we intentionally wanted to pay homage to a multigenerational group of New York City hip-hop artists that have played an integral part in our success. But at the end of the day, we’re thankful for all the artists that have dined at our restaurant and we’re proud to celebrate such an iconic anniversary for hip-hop.” 

Some of the meals consist of the “Unforgettable,” an ode to French Montana that is a crispy rock shrimp appetizer and a favorite of the Bronx rapper at the restaurant. Another dish is an entree, a nod to Cardi B’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “I Like It,” which is an order of Beijing chicken, a previous meal she had while dining at the establishment. On the dessert front, fans can devour the “I Know What You Want,” a double chocolate mousse with chocolate sauce honoring Busta Rhymes, or “The Last Temptation,” a vanilla creme brulee with raspberry and yuzu meringue saluting Ja Rule. 

Fans can also enjoy two premium-shelf VIP cocktails named after prominent albums from Jay-Z and Diddy for $50, respectively. Dubbed The Blueprint and The Saga Continues, each drink caters to the artists’ liquor brands D’USSE and Deleon. 

The extensive list of celebrities who have frequented the NYC hotspot ranges from Kanye West, Cardi B, Diddy, Kevin Hart, Mark Wahlberg, Travis Scott, Lil Baby, Future, Fat Joe and NBA superstar James Harden to French soccer star Kylian Mbappe. 

Check out the HipHop50 menu below. 

hip hop 50

Courtesy Photo

01 Aug 2023

Danny Goldberg and Susan Joseph Among Personal Managers Hall of Fame Inductees (Full List)

Eight managers, who have guided the careers of everyone from Nirvana to Robert Goulet, have been named as 2023 inductees to the Personal Managers Hall of Fame. Two of the managers, George Shapiro and Shirley Grant, are being honored posthumously.

The 2023 inductees will join 50 current Hall of Fame members, which include Sid Bernstein, Bernie Brillstein, Brian Epstein, Ken Kragen, Doc McGhee, Patricia McQueeney, Dolores Robinson, Jack Rollins and David Sonenberg.

“The Personal Managers Hall of Fame celebrates illustrious careers in entertainment, music, sports and talent management,” Clinton Ford Billups Jr., national president of the sponsoring National Conference of Personal Managers (NCOPM), said in a statement. “The 2023 inductees reflect the contributions, ethics and history of personal management that the Hall of Fame acknowledges and honors.”

Nominations are solicited nationwide from the personal management community. Inductees are selected by the national board of officers of the National Conference of Personal Managers, the nation’s oldest trade association committed to the advancement of personal managers and their clients.

The 2023 Personal Managers Hall of Fame red carpet reception and induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, Oct. 25 at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

More information and tickets for the Personal Managers Hall of Fame is available at www.PersonalManagersHallofFame.org.

Here’s the full list of 2023 inductees to the Personal Managers Hall of Fame.

Phil Brock – CEO of Studio Talent Group, which for more than 25 years has represented actors for commercials, film, television and theatre, including Richard Moll, Mary Woronov and Emmy winner Pat Harrington Jr. (One Day at a Time). Brock was elected in 2020 as a member of the Santa Monica (Calif.) City Council.

Chris DiPetta – Veteran talent manager, television producer and owner of Atlanta comedy club The Punchline. For more than three decades, Chris DiPetta has managed the career of Billy Gardell, actor, comedian and star of the CBS sitcoms Mike and Molly and Bob Hearts Abishola.

Danny Goldberg – Has worked in the music business as a personal manager, record company president, publicist and journalist since the late 1960s.  His current management clients include The Waterboys and Martha Wainwright and three-time Grammy winner Steve Earle. 

Vera Goulet – For more than three decades, managed the career of her late husband Robert Goulet, who won a Grammy as best new artist of 1962 and a Tony for best actor in a musical in 1968 for The Happy Time. The singer/actor died in 2007.

Shirley Grant – During a career spanning more than four decades, guided the careers of Jonas Brothers, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Christina Ricci, Allison Smith and JD Roth, as well as Broadway stars Alex Boniello and Michael Lee Brown. Grant died in 2020. (Posthumous inductee)

Susan Joseph – A personal manager, concert promoter and branding consultant. Her clients have included songwriter Diane Warren, actress Nell Carter, singer Laura Branigan and actress Pia Zadora.

George Shapiro – A champion of comedy who guided the careers of Carl Reiner, Andy Kaufman, Peter Bonerz, Marty Feldman, Gabe Kaplan, Robert Wuhl, Bill Persky & Sam Denoff, Austin & Irma Kalish, and Norman Barasch. Shapiro died in 2022 at age 91. (Posthumous inductee)

David Spero – A music manager who has overseen the careers of Bad Company, Dickey Betts, Petula Clark, Billy Bob Thornton, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Survivor, Don Felder, Patty Smyth, Joe Walsh and many others. Spero is also a 1970s rock-radio pioneer and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame board of directors.

01 Aug 2023

SM Entertainment and Kakao Launch Joint Division in North America

South Korean companies SM Entertainment and Kakao Entertainment have launched what they are calling a “local integrated corporation” in North American as part of previously hinted-at efforts to accelerate their joint stateside operations and build upon the successes of their K-pop artists in the world’s largest music market.

The companies said on Tuesday (Aug. 1) that the full-fledged firm’s topline goals are to develop and invest in new IP and build a “global 360-degree management system” to provide wide-ranging support for album releases, performances and promotional activities for their artist roster. SM/Kakao will also seek to bolster that roster with local artists and focus on strengthening collaborations with labels and distribution platforms.

The integrated corporation will be lead by Kakao Entertainment America chief executive Jang Yoon-joong, who pledges to “accelerate the global advancement and growth of Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment’s artists” and “expand the growth potential of Kakao Entertainment’s music business.”

The merging of Kakao Entertainment America and SM Entertainment USA into one North American integrated corporation will be “completed quickly within this year,” the joint announcement indicated. The companies said they hoped the new synergies will help “accelerate its advance into global markets such as Europe.”

SM Entertainment, home to such K-pop acts as NCT 127 and Red Velvet, and internet giant Kakao endured a bit of Succession-worthy drama earlier this year when the latter said it would buy a 9.05% stake in SM against the wishes of Lee Soo-man, SM’s founder. Lee then approached HYBE founder and chairman Bang Si-hyuk with an offer to sell about 80% of his SM shares to the rival K-pop company. In the end, Kakao was able to increase its share of SME to nearly 40%, while HYBE reduced its stake to less than 9%.

Both companies have taken steps to build out their stateside operations this year, with SM stating in March that it wanted to acquire a U.S.-based company to expand into hip-hop or R&B, and Kakao Entertainment’s Starship Entertainment (Monster X’s label) partnering with Columbia Records to co-manage marketing and promotion of girl group IVE in North America.

SM’s chief rival HYBE is the furthest along in the U.S., of course, having acquired Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2021 and putting the mogul in charge of HYBE America, a genre-spanning collection of artist management and record labels that includes SB Projects, Nashville-based Big Machine Label Group and Atlanta hip-hop company Quality Control.

01 Aug 2023

Beyoncé Shouts Out ‘Queen’ Madonna During New Jersey Renaissance World Tour Show

Though Madonna‘s 40th anniversary Celebration dates in the U.S. have been postponed due to the serious bacterial infection that landed her in a New York ICU last month, the singer made it out to Beyoncé‘s show in New Jersey on Sunday in one of her first public appearances since the hospitalization.

Video posted by fans showed the 64-year-old legend enjoying Bey’s show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Sunday night. In fact, Queen Bey noticed her special guest as well and during a run through “Break My Soul” she even gave her fellow royal some love from the stage.

“Big shout out to the queen,” Beyoncé said while working the stage during the song that got a “Queens Remix” last year featuring vocals from both powerhouses in their first official collaboration. “Queen Mother, Madonna, we love you,” Bey said in a performance that also slid in a nod to Madonna’s iconic 1990 club track “Vogue.”

Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary, announced last month that the singer had spent several days in intensive care due to a “serious bacterial infection.” On Sunday, Madonna wrote a note to fans thanking them for their support during this difficult period. “Love from family and friends is the best Medicine. One month out of the hospital and I can reflect,” Madonna said.

“As a Mother you can really get caught up In the needs Of your children and the seemingly endless giving,” she added. “But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference.”

Check out some of the images of Madonna at the show below.

01 Aug 2023

Tim McGraw Speaks Out Against Concertgoers Who Throw Things at Artists: ‘You Could Really Injure Somebody’

As Tim McGraw prepares to hit the road in 2024 for his Standing Room Only Tour featuring Carly Pearce, the singer and 1883 actor is speaking out about the troubling trend of concertgoers throwing items onstage at artists.

“I think it’s terrible,” McGraw told CNN in a new interview. “I mean, you could really injure somebody and you could miss and hit somebody in the audience and injure somebody. What happens if somebody gets hurt? Then it ruins the show for everybody … if somebody can’t continue performing.”

In recent months, a rash of such incidents have occurred. Kelsea Ballerini had a bracelet thrown at her that hit her in the face. Kane Brown and Morgan Wallen have each been struck by boots that were thrown onstage. Bebe Rexha was hit in the face by a cell phone, requiring her to get stitches. Cardi B recently retaliated by throwing her microphone at a concertgoer who splashed a drink on the singer.

McGraw added, “I’m used to soft goods being thrown at me. And that’s fine, but don’t throw anything that’s got any heft to it that’s gonna hurt somebody. I just think that it’s just not appropriate to do. Everybody’s there to have fun and there’s just no need in any of that. Hopefully it doesn’t happen, but I’ll try to stay calm if it does.”

McGraw will launch his Standing Room Only Tour in March of next year, and is preparing for the release of the tour’s namesake album, McGraw’s 17th studio project, in August.

“I wanted this music on this album to reflect life in general and be life-affirming and positive,” he said of the music the album contains, noting that much of the album was crafted during the pandemic. “I wanted the music to sort of reflect that, living the good life and being the best person that you can be and knowing we all make mistakes, but you wake up the next day and try to be a better person.”