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25 Jan 2023

Penske Media Hires Hannah Woodard as Senior Director of Communications

Penske Media Corporation (PMC) has hired Hannah Woodard as senior director of communications, the company announced Wednesday (Jan. 25). Based in Los Angeles, Woodard will report to PMC’s vp of public affairs and strategy Brooke Jaffe.

In her new role, Woodard will direct communications for PMC’s roster of entertainment and music brands, including Billboard, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter and Vibe. She will advise on and implement brand strategies, collaborate with leadership teams on partnerships and events and execute ideas for development and growth.

Prior to joining PMC, Woodard owned and operated her own public relations firm, WDRDPR, which she launched in May 2021. Before that, she worked at R&CPMK (formerly PMK*BNC) for five years, during which she straddled the brand and talent departments and worked with clients including Audi of America, American Express Platinum, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T DirecTV, Pepsi, Vice Media Group and Quibi. Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, she worked at IMPACT (formerly Pfeiffer Consulting), Scott Rudin Productions and Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis (formerly Sunshine Sachs) in New York City.

“We are thrilled to have Hannah join our team,” said Jaffe in a statement. “Hannah brings a unique combination of experience, creativity and enthusiasm to the role. I look forward to watching her amplify these world class brands.”

“With a roster of such incredible, celebrated brands, the possibilities are endless,” Woodard added. “I’m thrilled to jump in and work alongside such talented writers, editors, and respected institutions that have shaped — and continue to shape — the wide world of entertainment and music.”

25 Jan 2023

Exceleration Music Inks Strategic Partnership With Indie Label +1 Records

Independent label +1 Records has signed a strategic global partnership with Exceleration Music, the companies announced Wednesday (Jan. 25).

Under the terms of the deal, Exceleration has made an investment in the +1 catalog and will provide support in distribution, marketing, operations, administrative services and more to power the label’s past and future releases. Jonny Kaps, +1 ‘s co-founder and CEO, will continue to lead the label while co-founder Nat Hays Boas is stepping down to pursue other opportunities.

The first new music under the partnership will include releases from Rejjie Snow, Nate Husser, Lo Village and Anna Shoemaker. Additional artists on the +1 roster include Anna of the North, Argonaut & Wasp, DavidTheTragic, Geordie Kieffer, is0kenny and Japan, Man. The label was established in 2008 by Kaps, Boas and Josh Swade; past releases include music by The Heavy and The Kooks.

Launched in January of 2021 by industry veterans Glen Barros, John Burk, Charles Caldas, Amy Dietz and Dave Hansen, Exceleration Music has made a number of big moves in the indie label space over the past two years. Among other deals, the company has invested in labels including Alligator Records, Mom + Pop and SideOneDummy and acquired Bloodshot Records, Kill Rock Stars, Heroic Music Group and jazz label Candid Records. Exceleration also has an agreement with the Ray Charles Foundation for special releases from the music legend’s vault.

Said Kaps in a statement, “+1 Records has always been different. We are an independent record label that comes from a management perspective, specializing in artist development. Our A&R prioritizes music and artists over data. I am so happy to partner with an independent company whose values, philosophies, strategies, and resourcefulness mirror our own. Together we will be an even great resource for independent artists.”

Added Dietz, “Jonny and the +1 team have built a vibrant and impactful label by focusing on artist development and being agile and innovative. From my first meeting with Jonny it was clear his passion, vision, and artist-first ethos, completely aligned with our mission at Exceleration Music. I know that by combining the talented +1 team, with the expertise and resources of the growing and talented Exceleration team, we will together take +1 and its artists into a bright future.”

“Our investment in +1 underscores one primary way in which Exceleration serves the independent music community,” said Barros. “Jonny has done a remarkable job of creating a cutting-edge label. We believe that, with our added human and financial resources, he will have the ability to take the label to the next level and beyond – way beyond! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this partnership.”

25 Jan 2023

New Order, Killer Mike, Tangerine Dream Join 2023 SXSW Lineup

New Order is among the starry guest list invited to perform at South By Southwest (SXSW), the annual showcase event and conference taking place March 10-19 in Austin, Texas.

The Manchester legends are part of the third wave of SXSW performers, a mix of legends, newcomers and everything in between, set for this year’s 37th edition.

A dive into the latest round reveals a number of standouts, including U.S. rapper Killer Mike, German electronic music pioneers Tangerine Dream, “Messy in Heaven” singer Venbee and hotly-tipped Adelaide, Australia indie two-piece Teenage Joans.

Other highlights from the fresh batch of artists, announced Wednesday (Jan. 25), include Anwan “Big G” Glover (Washington, D.C.), Coco & Clair Clair (Atlanta, GA), Diana Burco (Bogotá, Colombia), DJ_Dave (New York, NY), Ekkstacy (Vancouver, Canada), Isabella Lovestory (Tegucigalpa, Honduras), and many others.

SXSW announced a first round of nearly 200 artists back in October; that list included Armani White, Algiers and Balming Tiger. A second wave dropped in December, and featured The Zombies, Lemon Twigs, Ambré and Osees.

The SXSW Music Festival will roll out from March 13-18.

Confirmed speakers this time include Nick Jonas, Blxst and Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, Warner Chappell Music co-chair/CEO Guy Moot, Signal and Cipher chief Ian Beacraft, plus authors Douglas Rushkoff and Joost Van Dreunen.

The live-music showcase is a buzzing part of a much larger festival, which was founded in 1987 and is dedicated to celebrating entertainment and culture.

Among SXSW’s partners for the 2023 show are Anniversary Group, Atomic Music Group, Athens in Austin, British Music Embassy, Don Giovanni Records, Fire Records, FOCUS Wales, Gorilla vs Bear, Jazz re:freshed Outernational, Pop Montreal, M for Montreal, Music From Ireland, New West Records, Space Agency and Wide Days Scotland.

As previously reported, SXSW will expand to Sydney for seven days and nights from Oct. 15-22, marking the event’s first foray outside the United States.

SXSW signed a “lifeline” deal with P-MRC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and MRC, the companies announced in April 2021, making P-MRC a stakeholder and long-term partner with the Austin festival. P-MRC is the parent company of Billboard.

Visit sxsw.com for more.

25 Jan 2023

Fall Out Boy Is Sold Out by Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo in Prank Gone Wrong for ‘Heartbreak Feels So Good’ Video: Watch

Fall Out Boy, just days after releasing its comeback single “Love From the Other Side,” is already back with another new track and an accompanying visual. On Wednesday (Jan. 25), the band dropped a music video for its follow up single, “Heartbreak Feels So Good,” which features a familiar face in rock music — Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo.

“The heist begins now. And before anyone asks, yes we do all our own stunts,” the band shared in Instagram post announcing the new video.

“Fall Out Boy decided to film a prank in their new music video. It did not go as planned,” text reads in the video before its kickoff. The scene then pivots to band members Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump and Andy Hurley chatting about their prank plans in the back of a vehicle.

While discussing the setup, Hurley asks, “Where’s Joe?” to which Wentz replies, “Dude, you know Joe. Like where is he … ever?”

“Sorry, Rivers is OK with this? Do we know that?” Stump inquires, but Wentz assures him, “Dude, it’s practically his idea. He’s so into it.”

Naturally, things do not go according to plan. While the Weezer frontman originally signs off on the plan for him to be kidnapped while taking photos with fans, at the last minute he rats out the guys and shouts “Oh my God. It’s Fall Out Boy … and they’re trying to kidnap Rivers Cuomo! F–ck those guys.”

The band members then spend the rest of the video trying to outrun fans, getting into a fight with a chain gang, speeding through a mini market and even jumping off a roof to evade capture.

“We could cry a little, cry a lot/ But don’t stop dancing, don’t dare stop/ We’ll cry later or cry now/ You know it’s heartbreak/ We could dance our tears away, emancipate ourselves/ We’ll cry later or cry now but baby/ Heartbreak feels so good,” Stump sings on the chorus of the rock track.

Guitarist Joe Trohman — who recently announced he’s taking a hiatus from the band — makes an appearance at the end of the video via phone and reminds the guys that the concert they were trying to get to on time was actually the following weekend

“Heartbreak Feels So Good” is the second song to be released from Fall Out Boy’s forthcoming album, So Much (For) Stardust. The LP is scheduled to be released on March 24.

Watch the video for “Heartbreak Feels So Good” above.

25 Jan 2023

Haiti Gang Violence Unprecedented, Says U.N. Chief

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A special envoy with the United Nations has stated that the rising level of gang violence in Haiti is threatening the country’s stability, echoing statements by the Secretary-General in a new report.

According to reports, the last three months of violence perpetrated by gangs in Haiti have been some of the worst seen in decades. As a result, according to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, their efforts to combat illegal trafficking and to help the country’s government maintain certain functions including the judiciary have been severely impacted. “The situation is grave,” he remarked in an internal report.

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“Years of hard-fought recovery gains are being undone, and Haitians are grappling with setting the country back on a path to democracy,” United Nations Special Representative Helen La Lime said as she briefed the Security Council on Tuesday (Jan. 24th). She would go on to state that there were 2,100 murders and some 1,300 kidnappings recorded in Haiti last year, with the battle for turf between the G-Pep and G9 coalitions causing havoc in neighborhoods like Petionville and Cité Soleil. This included rampant sexual violence against women, with 40 women being assaulted in one stretch in October in the Croix-des-Bouquets area. “This violence is part of well-defined strategies designed to subjugate populations and expand territorial control,” La Lime related. The international body estimated that gangs controlled 60% of the capital city of Port-au-Prince last December.

Secretary-General Guterres admitted that there is uncertainty concerning the nation’s electoral calendar for the year because of the impact of the violence, in addition to growing difficulties in helping schools to remain open and keeping roads open to facilitate the transport of needed food and fuel to northern districts because of gang blockades. “Amid the ongoing cholera outbreak, the lack of fuel has further undermined access to health services owing to restrictions on movement and to the impact of fluctuations in the supply of water and electricity on the functioning of medical facilities,” the report said.

Despite the gloomy news, Special Representative La Lime lauded the Council’s acceptance of enforcing new sanctions on those supporting criminal violence and activity in Haiti. She also reiterated a call for an international specialized force to assist the Haitian National Police, especially to aid the small progress the country’s made toward a stable electoral process for the next two years. “Haitians overwhelmingly want this assistance so they can go about their daily lives in peace,” she told the members.

25 Jan 2023

Zaytoven Sells Music Catalogue To Ultra International Music Publishing

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Lately it feels like a lot of artists and producers like Bruce Springsteen and Dr. Dre are selling their music catalogues for hundreds of millions of dollars. Grammy Award-winning producer Zaytoven has just become the latest to partake in the popular practice.

Variety is reporting that the “Lay Up” producer signed with Ultra International Music Publishing. And part of the deal includes UIMP acquiring the Atlanta-based producer/songwriter’s remaining co-publishing rights along with his writer’s share of his catalogue of the 560 songs he’s worked on from 2005 to 2022.

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Patrick Moxey, founder & CEO of UIMP, said, “Zaytoven is an extraordinary talent. He is the Father of trap music and has been the driving force of much of how we define that genre. Gucci Mane, Migos, Future – he’s been right there with these artists from the beginning in 2004 right up to the present day. I’m proud to announce that after working with him since 2007 we continue to be focused on future success.” 

Since coming into the game, Zaytoven’s worked with the likes of Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Jack Harlow and Usher. The singer’s Raymond v. Raymond nabbed Zaytoven a Grammy Award in 2011 for his work as co-producer on the project.

By signing with UIMP, Zaytoven will not only be getting the bag, but also a co-publishing deal that will be focusing on the development of new music while building future collaborations with their company in LA, Atlanta and London. That international wingspan is a good look on any artist.

No word on what kind of numbers Zaytoven is seeing on his end, but with this kind of deal you can bet it’s the kind that changes his life and those of his family for generations to come. We ain’t mad at that.

What do y’all think of Zaytoven’s latest move? Was it the right one or should he have held on to his catalogue? Let us know in the comments section below.

25 Jan 2023

Donald Trump Spotted Taking Photo With Alleged Ex-Mob Boss

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Trump, Knauss, Epstein, & Maxwell At Mar-A-Lago

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Donald Trump had more explaining to do this week. A photo he took with an alleged ex-mob boss has raised some questions.

As spotted on Crooks & Liars, the former President of the United States is again under fire for a picture that shows him with Joseph Salvatore “Skinny Joey” Merlino. The man in question is an Italian-American mobster and reputed former boss of the Philadelphia crime family. Earlier this month, the politician and the made man took a flick together at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach with another unidentified man; all three flashed Trump’s signature “thumbs up” hand sign.

Naturally, the photo has since gone viral prompting speculation why Donald was seen being chummy with an admitted member of the La Cosa Nostra. The Inquirer followed up with Donald Trump’s team and they deny he knows Merlino. “President Trump takes countless photos with people. That does not mean he knows every single person he comes in contact with” a spokesperson said. Merlino also tells The Inquirer that Trump “had no idea” who he was and that there were several people on line waiting to meet him.

Merlino was convicted of several RICO charges including racketeering, illegal gambling and extortion, in 2001. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Since his release from prison in 2011, the FBI and organized crime reporters believe he continues to run the Philadelphia–South Jersey Mafia. Merlino disputes this, saying he has retired from a life of crime. As of 2015, Merlino divides his time between south Florida and Philadelphia.

25 Jan 2023

Víctor Manuelle to Receive Premio Lo Nuestro’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award

In recognition of Víctor Manuelle’s impact and influence in Latin music, the 35th annual Premio Lo Nuestro will honor the salsa musician with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award on Feb. 23.  

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“The fact that I have been able to make a living from what I am so passionate about is very meaningful to me,” the Puerto Rican superstar tells Billboard Español. “It’s very exciting to know that the award ceremony, which is a very important platform, decided to give me this recognition. It fills me with pride, and it is a sign of the effort of what I have wanted to represent in the salsa genre throughout my entire career.”    

“I still can’t believe that we are already celebrating 30 years of my career! When I grew up in my hometown of Isabela I just wanted to sing,” he muses. To his loyal fan base, he is endearingly known as El Sonero de la Juventud (or the Singer of Youths).

Widely recognized as a true sonero since his 1993 debut Justo A Tiempo, the Latin music icon helped globalize salsa romántica while boldly continuing to update the tropical formula for more modern times, as exemplified on his latest album. On his 19th conceptual release, 2022’s Lado A Lado B, Manuelle embraces his two trademark shades: his traditional salsa mastery and his tropical-charged fusions, where he embraces contemporary currents.

“For me it was important to capture in this album what have been my two facets throughout my career. Taking the risk of creating new sounds without abandoning the salsa genre, is one of the main reasons why I have been able to stay current and has allowed me to reach new generations,” he explains of the set, which includes features with urbano luminaries Miky Woodz and Farina, but also salsa traditionalists such as Marvin Santiago and La India. 

Four-time winner of Premio Lo Nuestro awards, this year the celebrated musician is nominated in three tropical music categories: artist of the year, album of the year (Lado A Lado B) and collaboration of the year for “Vamo’ A Ver Si El Gas Pela,” featuring Miky Woodz and Marvin Santiago. 

Manuelle began to make music in the mid ‘80s, but it wasn’t until the turn of the decade when his star rose to global prominence. In the ’90s, he helped usher in the salsa romántica boom — which first exploded in New York City — along with his genre peers Marc Anthony and La India. During this era, the Puerto Rican singer released timeless hits such as “Inconfundible,” “Pero Dile,” and “Que Habría Sido De Mi.” These and dozens more that followed solidified the salsa star as a Billboard chart-topping mainstay, to date.  

From the 19 albums he has released so far, the salsa hitmaker managed to top the Tropical Albums chart 12 times — his seminal album Travesía (2004) cozied up in the top slot for nine consecutive weeks, and Decición Unámine (2006) remained there for seven. He also peaked the Tropical Airplay chart 29 times at No. 1. 

Aside from tropical music-charting success, he entered the all-genre Billboard 200 10 times, and landed at the top of Latin Airplay three times, and twice in Hot Latin Songs for “Tengo Ganas” and “Si Tú Me Besas.” His 2022 release also appeared in both Tropical Albums and Tropical Airplay. 

“Without a doubt, the greatest lessons this profession has taught me is that perseverance, effort and discipline always work,” he says of the secret to his lasting star power. “That combined with each individual’s talent makes way for success to come sooner or later. Anyone can apply this to his or her life, not just people from the industry.”

As per tradition for the Lifetime Achievement honorees, fans can anticipate seeing some of today’s biggest stars serenade Manuelle with his own hits at Premio Lo Nuestro. “The fact that artists from other genres and generations want to form part of [my] musical career is one of the greatest blessings that this profession can offer me,” he says. 

The complete list of Premio Lo Nuestro nominations was announced Monday (Jan. 23), consisting of 192 artist nominees of diverse musical backgrounds across 39 categories. The ceremony will air live on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. ET via Univision; it will simulcast on Galavisión in the U.S. and Canal 5 in Mexico. 

For 35 years, Premio Lo Nuestro has highlighted some of the best in Latin music. Previous Lifetime Achievement honorees include Gloria Trevi, Daddy Yankee, Intocable, Ricky Martin and Maná. The first prize was bestowed to Celia Cruz in 1990. 

Víctor Manuelle plans to continue spreading the salsa gospel, and is plotting to tour the U.S. and Latin America this year. 

25 Jan 2023

Paris Hilton Welcomes Her First Baby With Husband Carter Reum

A new heir to Hilton Hotel fortune and reality TV stardom has been born. On Tuesday (Jan. 24), Paris Hilton announced that she and husband Carter Reum are now parents, having welcomed a baby boy together via surrogate.

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The 41-year-old “Stars Are Blind” singer broke the news to her millions of followers by posting a photo to Instagram, a close-up of her son’s tiny hand holding on to her thumb. “You are already loved beyond words,” she captioned the post.

Hilton confirmed to People that her baby boy had arrived via surrogate, less than two months after she revealed to the same publication that she and Reum had started IVF treatment toward the beginning of the pandemic. The couple got married in November 2021.

“It’s always been my dream to be a mother and I’m so happy that Carter and I found each other,” Hilton told People. “We are so excited to start our family together and our hearts are exploding with love for our baby boy.”

The part-time DJ’s parenthood news comes a month after she took cues from Taylor Swift and dropped a re-recorded version of her 2006 hit single “Stars Are Blind,” which she dubbed “Stars Are Blind (Paris’ Version).” “This song has always meant so much to me, it felt right to close out 2022 with a refreshed version,” she wrote about the song on Instagram.

“Thank you to everyone who has always supported my music career,” she continued. “I literally have the best fans on the planet and have loved seeing all of your posts about the new song. P.S. More new music to come in the new year.”

See Paris Hilton’s baby announcement below: