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26 Jul 2023

Atlanta Judge Denies Bond For Young Thug, Lawyer Says He’s Suffering Health Issues

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For the fourth time, rapper Young Thug has been denied bond in the case in which he is charged with eight counts of conspiring to violate Georgia’s state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, participating in criminal street gang activity, violating the state’s controlled substances act, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, and possession of a machine gun.

According to Digital Music News, on Friday, Judge Ural Glanville denied bond for Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams. Glanville said in his ruling that he believes Williams would pose a threat to the community if he’s released based on his alleged history of witness intimidation.

Williams’ attorney, Brian Steel, filed his fourth motion for bond in April. At the time, he told ABC News that his client “is not a risk to commit a crime, and he’s not a risk to flee the jurisdiction, and that’s what bond is about.” He argued much of the same during the Friday hearing in Atlanta, but also added that Williams was dealing with health issues due to his stay in lockup.

From DMN:

In the recent motion, Steel claimed that his client gets limited exercise or exposure to sunlight, has been unable to eat nutritious food, and has been sleep deprived due to being required to wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 AM on the days he is to appear in court and is “fighting to pay attention to the goings on in his case.” Steel told reporters that these conditions have hindered his client’s ability to prepare for his trial.

But apparently, the judge wasn’t buying it, or at least Glanville believed the threat Young Thug poses to the public outweighs the threat life behind bars poses to his digestive system. Either way, it looks like the “Go Crazy” rapper is stuck in jail until his trial date.

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26 Jul 2023

Rock The Bells Festival Announces Evolved Hip-Hop Food & Drink Market

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The Rock The Bells Festival has announced a newly revamped food market and the addition of a “Hip-Hop Bar” to the event in August.

Organizers for the acclaimed Hip-Hop festival have announced a new path for their food court, a first-of-its-kind culinary experience that was a smashing success last year. This year, they’re introducing the Food That Slaps Market. In addition, this year’s festival will also see the debut of the Drinks That Slap Bar, billed as the first-ever Hip-Hop bar experience.

For the Food That Slaps Market, the Rock The Bells team partnered with the renowned James Beard Foundation to conduct a search for the best culinary innovators who are tapped into Hip-Hop culture. The winners of that search include Fly Private Social, Soul and Wheel, Made From Scratch, Backyard Barbeque, and Black Rican Vegan. These vendors also were awarded a 1-year membership to the foundation’s patron program. They will be joined by Juices For Life by Styles P, Simply Fried, Mikey Likes It, Bulldog Burgers, E-40’s Goon with the Spoon, and Nas’ Sweet Chick.

With the Drinks That Slap Bar, concert-goers can now sample the best alcoholic offerings from some of Hip-Hop’s beloved artists which include Juvenile’s Juvie Juice and E-40’s Earl Stevens wine brand among other cocktails taking their themes from the culture. The Earl Stevens wine brand was launched by the Bay Area legend in 2013 with “Function”, named after his hit at the time before expanding to include other releases made in Napa Valley, California. Juvie Juice was born out of a collaboration between the 400 Degreez rapper and Urban South Brewery based in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana.

The new markets will definitely be a welcome complement to the star-studded festival, which will take place on Saturday, August 5th at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. Tickets for the Rock The Bells Festival are still available on their website.

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26 Jul 2023

Colter Wall Tops Emerging Artists Chart, Thanks to ‘Little Songs’ LP

Colter Wall hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated July 29), thanks to the arrival of his fourth studio album, Little Songs.

The set, released July 14 via La Honda/RCA Records, debuts at No. 4 on Americana/Folk Albums, No. 17 on Top Country Albums and No. 75 on the Billboard 200 with 12,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, according to Luminate. It also starts at No. 8 on Vinyl Albums (5,000 sold on vinyl) and No. 9 on Top Album Sales (8,000 in total album sales).

Little Songs is Wall’s third, and highest-charting, album to hit the Billboard 200, following 2018’s Songs of the Plains (No. 180 peak) and 2020’s Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs (No. 103).

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Wall is the fourth country act to top the Emerging Artists chart this year, following Jelly Roll (who led for nine weeks in 2023, among 28 total weeks on top), Nate Smith (one week in May) and Megan Moroney (four weeks in May-June).

Rounding out the top five on Emerging Artists, NewJeans dip 1-2, C418 jumps 8-3, Kaliii falls 2-4 and Coco Jones rises 7-5.

Just outside the Emerging Artists top five, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real re-enter at No. 9, ranking on the chart for the first time since 2021, thanks to the band’s new album, Sticks and Stones. The set, released July 14 on 6ACE/Thirty Tigers, debuts at No. 37 on Top Album Sales with 3,000 copies sold.

The top debut on the Emerging Artists chart this week belongs to JT, at No. 24. The former City Girls member bows thanks to her new solo single “No Bars,” released via Quality Control/Motown/Capitol Records. The track debuts at No. 38 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

City Girls spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Emerging Artists chart in 2019-20. That’s the fourth-longest reign since the list launched in 2017, after Jelly Roll (28 weeks), NLE Choppa (24) and Lauv (14).

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

26 Jul 2023

Jack White Selling Personal Tesla, White Stripes, Raconteurs Gear to Benefit Detroit Park

Jack White is putting some of his classic White Stripes and Raconteurs gear up for auction for a very good cause. White’s Third Man label has teamed up with Cincinnati-based re-seller Everything But the House for a “Third Man Garage Sale” auction of memorabilia from his personal and his label’s collection, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Southwest Detroit’s Clark Park Coalition.

The items going under the gavel in the auction — which has five days left — span a wide range, from White’s black 2013 Tesla Model S (current bid $23,250), to his White Stripes-era Framus hollow body acoustic guitar used in the “We’re Going to Be Friends” video ($6,300), some props from the photo shoot for the Raconteurs’ Consolers of the Lonely album ($475) and the finger cast White had to wear after a 2003 car accident, which appeared in “The Hardest Button to Button” video (current bid $275).

Other oddball items include a late 19th century glass cylinder jar that White held on the cover of the Get Behind Me Satan album (current bid $7), a customized 2018 St. Vincent signature model green-and-white Ernie Ball guitar used on White’s Boarding House Reach tour (current bid $6,101), a Third Man Records wooden podium used in promotional videos (current bid $0) and a mid 20th century wooden candelpin bowling ball return device that was once intended for White’s home bowling alley (current bid $2).

The auction will also include a state piano with flight case ($4,000), a scary-looking zombie figure with floral arch from the Consolers of the Lonely album cover shoot ($60), a 1950’s vintage art deco style sofa and armchair re-upholstered by White ($205) and a 1970 Midway Sea Raider Submarine arcade game ($150). The provenance of each item is described in (often hilarious) detail on the EBTH site.

The inclusion of White’s personal Tesla is notable because while the rocker famously performed a free show for Detroit Tesla employees in 2018, he has recently had a change of heart about Twitter/Tesla boss Elon Musk, yanking Third Man’s Twitter account in November after Musk reinstated twice-indicted and impeached former president Donald Trump.

Click here to see all the items up for sale.

26 Jul 2023

Ex-Wham Manager Simon Napier-Bell Joins Bigsound 2023 Lineup

Simon Napier-Bell, the celebrated author, filmmaker and artist manager, who guided the careers of Rock Hall inductee George Michael and Wham and introduced the duo to Chinese audiences for a historic 10-day visit in the mid-’80s, becoming the first Western pop act to do so, joins the lineup of speakers for Bigsound 2023.

The British allrounder’s addition to the daytime Bigsound program is a timely one, coming fresh off the release of the popular Netflix documentary Wham, in which he appears.

It was Napier-Bell who masterminded Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s trip to China in 1985, a trailblazing moment that was captured for the documentary Wham! in China: Foreign Skies.

Across his colorful career, Napier-Bell, owner and CEO of music firm Pierbel Entertainment Group, has managed the likes of the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ultravox, T Rex, Marc Bolan, Japan, Asia, Candi Staton, Boney M and Sinéad O’Connor, and written four best-selling books, including 2001’s Black Vinyl White Powder.

International speakers at this year’s music industry summit include English composer Simon Franglen, Cockenflap Festival promoter Cora Chan, ATC Live’s Caitlin Ballard, FKP Scopio’s Silke Westera, president of FUGA / Downtown Christiaan Kröner, Patrick Daniel from Reeperbahn, and more.

Organized by trade body QMusic, Bigsound will boast more than 100 speakers, from international and national buyers, agents, music supervisors, bookers and “industry decision makers,” plus upwards of 140 showcasing acts from around the world.

“Whether it’s helping formalize a global partnership or simply putting acts in a room where they could discover a piece of advice that could transform their career,” comments QMusic chair Natalie Strijland, “Bigsound is 100% dedicated to creating an environment for artist change, and providing the best people to help make those changes happen.”

Previously announced speakers include Omar Grant, co-president of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and former road manager for Destiny’s Child; Michele Ronzon, A&R coordinator for Interscope / Geffen / A&M Records; Hazel Savage, the Australia-born London-based spearhead for AI business Musiio and now VP of music intelligence at Soundcloud; and others.

This year’s edition will be held Sept. 5 – 8 in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

Earlier in the year, the Palaszczuk state government announced funding for Bigsound to the tune of nearly A$4 million over four years, a boost that comes the Queensland capital gears-up for the 2032 Olympic Games.

Bigsound 2023 is presented by Brick Lane Brewing and independent ticketer Oztix, and supported by national youth broadcaster triple j.

Visit bigsound.org.au for more.

25 Jul 2023

BTS’ Jimin Thanks Ryan Gosling For ‘Ken’ Guitar From ‘Barbie’ Movie

BTS’ Jimin is now the proud owner of a six-stringed slice of pop-culture history — Ken’s guitar from the Barbie movie.

Ryan Gosling, who stars as Ken in the Margot Robbie-led hit, had reached out to the K-pop star with the “humble offering” of the instrument, an admission that Jimin had captured the Western Ken look first, and did it “best.”

The Hollywood star has delivered on his promise.

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Jimin is now in receipt of the customized guitar, which is emblazoned with Ken’s name and a horse image, and got a workout in the film as Gosling performed a cover of Matchbox Twenty’s “Push”.

In “Hi Ryan and hi Ken, it’s Jimin. Congrats on your big release,” Jimin comments in a new message, from one Ken to another. “My fans are excited to see your video, so thank you so much. I could see that you look great in my outfit. Thank you for this guitar. I really love it and I look forward to watching Barbie. Go, Barbie!”

The video is accompanied with the caption, “Thanks for having my outfit in #BarbieTheMovie! You rocked it, Ken.”

Earlier, in a video message shared prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Gosling explained, “I notice that your ‘Permission to Dance’ outfit is the same as my Ken outfit in the upcoming movie Barbie. I have to give it to you — you wore it first. You definitely wore it best and there’s an unspoken Ken code that if you bite another Ken’s style, you have to give them your most prized possession.” He added, “I hope you’ll accept Ken’s guitar as my humble offering. Besides, Ken doesn’t really play anyway, so…it’ll be much better in your hands.”

Barbie has been a global hit, clocking one of the biggest openings since the pandemic and scoring the top opening of the year to date. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film took $162 million at the North American box office over July 21-23, smashing the opening-weekend record for a female director.

Speaking with the The New York Times, the director admitted she was “at a loss for words” after seeing the film’s success. “It’s been amazing to walk around and see people in pink,” she added. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine something like this.”

Jimin has more than enough star power of his own. In April, he led the Billboard Artist 100 chart, thanks to the release of his new solo album, FACE (via BigHit Music/Geffen/Interscope Records), and its breakout track, “Like Crazy.”

That single blasted to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jimin’s first solo No. 1 outside BTS, which has scored six chart leaders.

25 Jul 2023

Black Lives Matter Clips Removed From Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ Video

Jason Aldean’s controversial “Try That in a Small Town” music video was seemingly edited to remove imagery of a Black Lives Matter protest after the clip received backlash, with critics claiming that the video contained racist pro-gun, pro-lynching messaging.

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According to The Washington Post, the video is not now six se conds shorter than when it was originally shared on July 14. There is no longer a clip from Fox 5 Atlanta depicting violent interactions during Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020.

Billboard has reached out to Aldean’s team for more information.

Last week, the country singer responded to recent claims that “Try That in a Small Town” is a “modern lynching song.” The song challenges those who “pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store” or “cuss out a cop” to, as the title suggests, try those actions in a small town and “see how far ya make it down the road.” The song’s video features footage of an American flag burning, protesters having confrontations with police, looters breaking a display case and thieves robbing a convenience store.

“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to a comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” Jason wrote in his statement. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage- and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.”

He later addressed the controversy during his Ohio concert on Friday (July 21). “It’s been a long week and I’ve seen a lot of stuff suggesting I’m this, suggesting I’m that,” Aldean told the crowd in a fan-captured video. “I feel like everybody’s entitled to their opinion. You can think something all you want to, it doesn’t mean it’s true.”

He added, “What I am is a proud American. I’m proud to be from here. I love our country. I want to see it restored to what it once was before all this bulls— started happening to us. I love my country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that, I can tell you that right now.”

CMT has since pulled the video from its rotation after running it for three days, while Aldean’s wife, Brittany Aldean, came to his defense. On the other hand, stars like Sheryl Crow and Margo Price have spoken out against Jason Aldean’s choice to perform and release the song.

25 Jul 2023

2 Country Hits May Land Grammy Nods for Record of the Year for the First Time in 46 Years

When the nominations for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards are announced on Nov. 10, two country hits could be in the running for record of the year for the first time since Jimmy Carter was President.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and Luke Combs’ remake of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” both have a very good chance of making the finals. Wallen’s song has logged 23 weeks atop Hot Country Singles. “Fast Car” has logged 12 weeks at No. 2. (Both songs dropped one rung this week, to Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, with the re-entry in the top spot of Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town.”)

Combs’ hit probably has a better chance of being nominated than Wallen’s does. Combs has received six Grammy nominations over the years (though he has yet to win). And Chapman’s original version was nominated for record and song of the year. Wallen has yet to be nominated for a Grammy, so there’s no evidence yet that Grammy voters are ready to forgive and forget the 2021 incident where he was videotaped using a racial pejorative.

If both hits are nominated, this would be the first time in 46 years that two or more country hits have competed in this marquee category. (We define a country hit as a song that made the top 20 on Hot Country Songs.) In 1977, three top five country hits vied for record of the year – Crystal Gayle’s elegant torch ballad “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” (which topped the country chart for four weeks), Linda Ronstadt’s exquisite pop/country version of Roy Orbison’s 1963 pop hit “Blue Bayou” (which reached No. 2) and Debby Boone’s megahit rendition of the Oscar-winning ballad “You Light Up My Life” (which reached No. 4).

In three earlier years, two or more country hits competed for record of the year. In 1967, Glen Campbell’s sublime reading of Jimmy Webb’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (a No. 2 country hit) vied with Bobbie Gentry’s enigmatic pop/country crossover smash “Ode to Billie Joe” (a No. 17 country hit).

The following year, for the first and so far only time in Grammy history, three No. 1 country hits competed for record of the year. They were Jeannie C. Riley’s reading of Tom T. Hall’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” Bobby Goldsboro’s tearjerker ballad “Honey” and Campbell’s version of another Webb classic, “Wichita Lineman.” The Riley and Goldsboro hits each topped the country chart for three weeks; Campbell’s smash headed it for two.

In 1975, Campbell’s sleek version of Larry Weiss’ “Rhinestone Cowboy” and Eagles’ “Lyin’ Eyes” competed for the prize. “Rhinestone Cowboy” topped the country chart for three weeks. “Lyin’ Eyes” reached No. 8 on the country chart.

In 1979, two record of the year nominees had charted on Hot Country Songs, but only one of them was a home-run country hit. That’s Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” which topped the country chart for three weeks on its way to becoming his signature song. The other is a pop smash – Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond’s “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” – that was covered by Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius, one of the top country duos of the era. Both versions entered Hot Country Singles – as the chart was then called – on Nov. 25, 1978. But whereas the version by Brown and Cornelius made the top 10, the version by Barbra & Neil stalled at No. 70. (It had star-power to burn, but you can practically hear country programmers saying “It just isn’t country.”)

In recent years, it has been hard for even one country hit to wind up with a Grammy nod for record of the year. The last five country hits to be nominated in that marquee category (again defining a country hit as a song that reached the top 20 on Hot Country Songs) were Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” (No. 19 in 2019), Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together) (No. 1 for 10 weeks in 2012), Lady A’s “Need You Now” (No. 1 for five weeks in 2010), Swift’s “You Belong With Me” (No. 1 for two weeks in 2009) and Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” (No. 1 for one week in 1998).

The Recording Academy expanded the number of nominees in each of the Big Four categories (including record of the year) from five to eight in 2018. They expanded it again to 10 in 2021, but have announced that they are dropping it back down to eight for the nominations that will be announced on Nov. 10.

25 Jul 2023

A$AP Rocky “Riot,” Tinashe “Talk To Me Nice” & More | Daily Visuals 7.25.23

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Now that A$AP Rocky and Rihanna have welcomed their bundle of joy, RZA, into the world, A$AP’s gotta get back on his grizzly to bring home that bacon because raising kids ain’t cheap, even if your baby mama happens to be one of the richest women in the world.

Returning to the rap scene with some new visuals to “Riot,” A$AP Rocky looks like he’s ready for that civil war that Trumpians are calling for as he rolls through the streets in a tank with his crew in tow in white tees and white face coverings just waiting on his word to set it off. We might need that army come election season 2024. Just sayin.’

On a softer side, Tinashe wants to be treated right and in her clip for “Talk To Me Nice,” the sultry singer sheds her old skin (literally) to reveal her new self which looks exactly the same. We not mad one bit.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Maiyan The Don, Vagabon, and more.