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Executive Turntable: The Syndicate Names Graham Rothenberg Partner; Spotify Hires Artist Partnerships Lead for Country
Graham Rothenberg was named partner at entertainment marketing agency The Syndicate, with his title elevated to president & general manager. Rothenberg, who has been with the company for 18 years, has served as general manager since 2018. He will now lead the agency alongside partners Jon Landman, Tracey Zucatti and Chris Elles. During his tenure, he has been a key force in campaigns including the Interpol “Big Shot City” exhibit and Panic! At The Disco’s crop circle tour announcement.
“I’ve known Graham for over 20 years and have watched him grow from College Radio Music Director (WICB) to College Radio Promoter at The Syndicate to becoming our General Manager and now being elevated as our President and a Partner of the company,” said managing partner/CEO Jon Landman in a statement. “Graham’s leadership and creativity have been instrumental in advancing our organization to new levels while staying true to the grassroots connection to music and artists on which we founded the company. As we enter our 25th year of The Syndicate, we can’t wait for what’s on the horizon.”
Rothenberg added, “It’s an immense honor to be named Partner at The Syndicate, a company I’ve been privileged to grow with over the past 18 years. Starting as a college radio promoter back in 2004, I’ve been able to watch The Syndicate evolve into the unique agency it’s become today. I’m extremely excited to work even more closely with Jon, Tracey, and Chris while continuing to lead our incredible staff in moving culture forward and helping our clients achieve their most creative goals.”
Jackie Augustus joined Spotify‘s artist partnerships team to lead country and folk artist partnerships for the streamer. Augustus, who was named to Billboard‘s Country Power Players list in 2022, most recently served as strategic partner manager of music at Instagram.
Chris Schuler was named vp of promotion at Capitol Records Nashville where he will lead the promotion team previously headed up by Bobby Young. He most recently served as vp of promotion at Arista Nashville. Schuler can be reached at chris.schuler@umusic.com.
Sherry Lansing was designated chairman of the board on Universal Music Group‘s board of directors, effective Jan. 10. Lansing, a retired film studio executive who previously served as CEO at Paramount Pictures and president of production at 20th Century Fox, succeeds Judy Craymer, who retired from the position to focus on her film and theater production projects.
Jitze de Raaff was appointed president of CTM Entertainment, effective Jan. 1. He was previously managing director of CTM Publishing and Music in the Benelux region. De Raaff, also co-shareholder of the company, will now be responsible for all other CTM activities in addition to music. He will additionally play a bigger role in the company’s international expansion alongside CTM CEO André de Raaff. He can be reached at Jitze.deRaaff@ctm.nl.
BMG appointed Stefan Lehmkuhl programmer for Berlin’s historic 1,700-seat Theater des Westens, which the company announced it had leased for two years last September. Lemkuhl has curated and produced music events including Melt Festival and Lollapalooza Berlin for two decades. He will be joined by event producer Parker “Pansy” Tilghman.
Randy Reyes was promoted to senior director of rhythmic promotion at Atlantic Records. Reyes has worked in rhythmic and pop mix show promotion at the label for the past nine years.
Tvg hospitality, founded by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons, named Jayne Davis COO and Katie Millar gm of the Orion Amphitheater. The New York-based Davis arrives from OTG Management where she served as senior vp of operations development, while Millar previously served as manager at Paramount Fine Foods Centre & Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
James Ainscough was appointed to the role of CEO at the Royal Albert Hall, where he will lead the execution of the venue’s post-pandemic business plan; he previously worked at the Hall from 2008 to 2017 as director of finance and administration and then as COO. He joins in late spring 2023 from the charity Help Musicians, where he currently serves as CEO. Ainscough replaces Craig Hassall, who stepped down from the CEO role last month. COO Dan Freeman will continue serving as interim CEO until Ainscough officially joins.
Mandy McCormack was named executive vp/marketing & partner strategy for Trisha Yearwood, Inc. In her enhanced role as part of Yearwood’s management team, McCormack will manage brand partnerships, oversee marketing plans, seek out new business ventures and provide strategic consultation in all aspects of the country star’s business. McCormack most recently served as senior vp of radio promotion & marketing/artist strategy at Garth Brooks’ Pearl Records and Team TY (Trisha Yearwood). McCormack can be reached at mandy@trishayearwoodinc.com.
Tristra Newyear Yeager was named chief strategy officer at music/tech PR firm Rock Paper Scissors (RPS), while Travis Feaster was named new business manager at the company. Newyear Yeager, who has been with RPS for 17 years, was previously director of strategy and will now oversee PR and client services and guide strategic planning at the firm. Feaster was most recently national sales manager at Boutique Amps Distribution.
Jayne Hamblin was named manager of management and records at Creative Nation, where she will oversee the day-to-day responsibilities for Creative Nation’s artist clients while serving as a liaison between them and outside partners. Hamblin can be reached at jayne@creativenationmusic.com.
Iggy Azalea Kicks-Off ‘Hotter Than Hell’ Era With Launch of OnlyFans Profile
When Iggy Azalea tells you that some “scandalous s–t” is coming, you should probably believe her. Just days after making that tantalizing promise, Iggy made good by dropping details on her upcoming year-long multimedia project, Hotter Than Hell. According to a release about the project, it will encompass illustration, poetry, photography, video, music and her fourth studio album. Oh, and some extra goodies that will cost you for a peek.
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The roll-out kicked off with the launch of her “Hotter Than Hell X OnlyFans,” a $25-per-month subscription deal that promises “first-look access and exclusive content from the project,” which is slated to wrap up in December with the release of a coffee table book.
Friday’s (Jan. 13) press release promises that Hotter will be a “creative, colorful, tongue-in-cheek fun and unapologetically hot. The project takes visual inspiration from the supermodels of the 90s, Pamela Anderson, the conception of the centerfold model, sexuality and its differing viewpoints between men and women, and Madonna’s book Sex. It is a collaborative project and features exclusive collaborations with producers, visual artists, and fashion photographers.” At press time a release date for the album had not yet been announced.
Azalea previewed Hotter with via a visual collaboration with collage artist Ian Woods, known for his mind-bending, cut-up images of famous athletes, actors and musicians. Describing the multi-media effort, Azalea said, “I’ve been working on Hotter Than Hellfor over six months already, and I’m full of excitement and nervous anticipation to begin revealing it to the world, layer by layer. Admittedly, I never knew OnlyFans was a place where I could be creative, so I didn’t expect to be collaborating with them on my biggest project to date!,” she said of the site that is is used by content creators to upload photos, video and live streams that sometimes feature explicit content.
“Once I looked beyond the surface level chatter about what it means to have an OnlyFans, I realized it was the perfect platform to launch a multimedia concept on,” she said. “I feel excited about not having to worry about the overwhelming and creatively limiting censorship artists have to navigate when sharing work on other digital platforms. The project is bold and fun – so is this collaboration – I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people.”
Check out a preview of the OnlyFans content and the Woods image below.
Courtesy Photo
Meek Mill Granted Pardon By Pennsylvania Governor
Meek Mill has endured a number of legal issues over his career, but now he’s able to say that one hurdle is cleared in his home state. MIll was among a group of individuals who were granted a pardon by Pennsylvania’s Gov. Tom Wolf, with the Philadelphia rapper vowing to do more for his community on the back of the news.
Meek Mill shared an image of the declaration from Gov. Wolf via his Instagram page and wrote a brief yet hopeful message in the caption of the post.
“Thank y’all [crying emoji],” Meek wrote. “I’m only gone do more for my community, on god! [series of shining star emojis] #newlevelsunlocked.”
The rapper born Rihmeek Williams was slapped with weapons and drug charges in 2008 and sentenced in January 2009 by Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison and seven years of probation. Mill went on to serve five months and battled the charges along with reported probation violations and continued jail time.
He has since become a notable face in the criminal justice reform movement with assistance from the likes of Robert Kraft, Jay-Z, and others.
Gov. Wolf’s office issued a press release highlighting that over 2,500 individuals were granted pardons this week, the most in state history.
In his excitement, Mill also took to Twitter, writing, “I got pardoned today …, I’m taking things really far from being a trench baby!”
Congratulations are in order for Meek Mill.
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Photo: Monica Morgan / Getty
He’s Got Game: BTS’ Suga Sits Courtside at Lakers Match & Shows Off Custom Jersey
Suga had quite the night when he attended the Los Angeles Lakers game at Crytpo.com Arena on Thursday (Jan. 12).
Not only did the BTS rapper get a courtside seat to watch the Lakers face off against the Dallas Mavericks, he was also gifted a custom Lakers jersey from the team with his name inscribed above the number three. “Jump up to the top, LeBron,” the official NBA Instagram account captioned a snap of the K-pop idol holding his jersey, quoting the line Jung Kook croons in the first verse of the band’s No. 1 hit “Dynamite.”
Ahead of the game, which the Lakers ultimately lost 119 to 115 in overtime, Suga also posed on the court for a photo with Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić. For the occasion, the boy band member wore an oversized black blazer, matching wide-leg trousers and silver hoops in his ears, with his long hair slicked back.
Naturally, ARMY couldn’t get enough of Suga’s night out at the game, with several commenting on the photo posted by the NBA. “Thanks yoongi for creating basketball,” one fan wrote. Another chimed in, “He would be a better player than all of em starters lmaoo.”
In other BTS-related news, Suga’s bandmate Jimin just dropped “Vibe,” his new collaboration with BIGBANG’s Taeyang. Prior to its Friday (Jan. 13) release, the track had already topped Billboard‘s Hot Trending Songs chart — which is powered by Twitter — thanks to the chatter and anticipation surrounding its premiere.
Check out Suga’s photo op with Dončić as well as his brand-new Lakers jersey below.
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks poses with Suga of BTS before the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on January 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevork Djansezian/GI
Nick Jonas Reveals He & Priyanka Chopra Celebrated Baby Malti’s Birthday ‘In Style’
Nick Jonas and wife Priyanka Chopra have been celebrating all of their daughter Malti’s milestones, so when she turned 1 recently, Jonas couldn’t help but share a few details about her birthday party on Friday’s (Jan. 13) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Clarkson inquired about Malti’s age, asking if she is about to turn 1. “She did, over the weekend. We had to celebrate,” Jonas shared. “She went through a pretty wild journey in the earlier part of her life, and so we had to celebrate in style. She’s 1, she’s beautiful, she’s amazing. The best.”
Jonas and Chopra first revealed back in January 2022 that they had welcomed Malti via a surrogate. On Mother’s Day, the Jonas Brothers singer updated his followers that the baby girl was finally home after spending more than 100 days in the newborn intensive care unit at both Rady Children’s Hospital La Jolla and Cedars Sinai in L.A. Since then, the couple have been private about their daughter and don’t share pictures of Malti’s face online.
The little girl’s first birthday party is just one of the many occasions the Jonas-Chopra family have celebrated the past year, with the musician and actress most recently marking Malti’s first ever Diwali in October, as well as Mother’s and Father’s Day back in May and June, respectively.
Watch Nick Jonas talk about Malti’s first birthday celebration with Clarkson in the video above.
Bizarrap’s 12 Most Watched Sessions Ranked: Critics’ Picks
The element of surprise is one of the many things that make Bizarrap‘s music and freestyle sessions some of the most watched videos on YouTube. Who will his next guest be? No one really knows, but when the Argentine producer drops a new session, it gets millions of views in a matter of hours.
His music session with the Spaniard Quevedo is among his most watched, and it’s the one that has catapulted him to global success. Their “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” scored both their first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Currently, it has more than 400 million views on YouTube. Additionally, the track is only the second fully Spanish-language song to top the Global 200 in the chart’s two-year history, following Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dákiti” in 2020.
“The first ‘session’ back in 2018 wasn’t even planned,” Biza previously told Billboard. “All I wanted to do was record a local rapper who goes by Kodigo and upload that to YouTube because I was a big fan of his and I wanted others to listen to him too. My plan was to record with my phone, but for some reason it didn’t work. So we scheduled the session for the following day and I thought, ‘Why not give these freestylers the production they deserve with microphones and everything?’ So that’s what I did.”
Since then, he’s recorded freestyle and/or music sessions with Nicki Nicole, Nicky Jam, Nathy Peluso, Cazzu and Residente, among many others. Most recently, he tapped Shakira for his “BZRP: Music Sessions #53.” In the surprise track, the Colombian star doesn’t hold back and is as blunt as ever about her ex, Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué. “A she-wolf like me doesn’t have time for novices like you/ I was too much for you, that’s why you’re now with someone more like yourself,” she sings over a futuristic pop-electronica beat.
Below, Billboard ranks his 12 most watched sessions.
‘Uptown Funk’ at Heart of New Royalties Lawsuit Against BMG
BMG Rights Management is facing a new lawsuit claiming the publisher has failed to pay royalties from Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars‘ smash hit “Uptown Funk” to the families of late members of the Gap Band who are credited as co-writers on the song.
In a complaint filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, the heirs of Robert and Ronnie Wilson claim that BMG breached a 2015 deal that was inked because “Uptown Funk” incorporated elements of the Gap Band’s 1979 song “I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head).”
“Despite its obligations to account for and pay to plaintiffs their share of all income received from the Uptown Funk musical composition, BMG has refused and failed to provide either the funds due to plaintiffs or an accounting despite plaintiffs’ repeated demands,” the lawsuit says.
A rep for BMG did not immediately return a request for comment on the allegations on Friday. Mars and Ronson are not accused of any wrongdoing and are not named in the lawsuit.
In a statement, Wilson family attorney Michael Steger told Billboard that his clients had been “working for years” to receive credit for their contributions to “Uptown Funk” and had been “left with no choice but to pursue litigation to protect their rights.”
As reported by Billboard at the time, the songwriting credits to “Uptown Funk” were suddenly amended in 2015, months after the song was released. After the owners of “Oops Upside Your Head” filed a claim against the song on YouTube – and in the cautious aftermath of a blockbuster infringement verdict over Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines” — the five co-writers of the Gap Band song were each given 3.4% stakes in the then-new track.
The new case was filed by Linda Wilson, the widow of Ronnie Wilson, and by Robin Lynn Wilson, LaTina Wilson and Robena Wilson, the heirs of Robert Wilson, over those two late band members’ respective 3.4% stakes. The other three members who received such stakes are not involved in the case.
In their complaint, the Wilson heirs called the new allegations of non-payment against BMG “yet another chapter in a long-running series of disputes” over the hit song, which spent 14 weeks atop the Hot 100 and 56 total weeks on the chart.
They aren’t wrong. In the years after “Uptown Funk” was released, at least three lawsuits were filed claiming Ronson and Mars stole elements from earlier songs. One case involved the 1983 song “Young Girls” by the band Collage; another centered on the 1980 funk song “More Bounce to the Ounce” by the band Zapp; the third alleged they copied material from the 1979 classic “Funk You Up” by The Sequence.
All three cases were later dropped or settled.
Read the entire new lawsuit against BMG here:
Autographed Kobe Bryant Jersey Expected To Fetch $7M On Auction Block
Source: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
It’s been three years since the shocking and tragic death of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant and though he’s gone, his shadow still looms large on the sport of basketball and his memorabilia is proving to be a hot commodity out on these streets.
According to TMZ, an autographed Kobe Bryant jersey from his 2007-2008 MVP season is set to hit the auction block courtesy of Sotheby’s and estimates predict that it could fetch up to $7 million. The purple and gold threads that Kobe wore during his memorable season will be a must-have piece of history as it’s actually the only time that the five-time NBA Champion took home the Maurice Podoloff trophy for his remarkable play that year.
Sotheby’s, which is hosting the auction, tells us the item is the “most valuable Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey to ever appear at auction” as the Lakers legend “scored a total of 645 points over 8 months in this jersey.”
He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game that season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals.
What also makes the jersey so rare — Kob signed the gear by writing his first name on the stitched number on the back.
FYI, this is also the same jersey Kobe was seen tugging on in the first round of the 2008 playoffs — one of Bryant’s most iconic photos of all time.
Man, we hope whoever ends up winning this auction doesn’t walk around wearing the grail of grails like it’s another day at the office. Y’all know these millionaires don’t care. Then again, it’s their money so it is what it is.
The auction opens up Feb. 2 and is expected to get between $5-7 million once it wraps up, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it surpassed expectations and goes for $8 million like Kobe’s OG jersey number, 8.
What number do y’all think the autographed Kobe Bryant jersey will end up selling for? Let us know in the comments section below.
First Country: New Music From Chris Young, Dierks Bentley, Ian Munsick & More
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Chris Young, “All Dogs Go to Heaven”
Young releases two new songs today, and each revolves around love and devotion. “Looking For You” depicts a couple’s love story, while “All Dogs Go to Heaven” is a tribute to man’s best friend. “He’s the closest thing to pure love that I’ve never known,” Young sings in “All Dogs Go to Heaven.” On this tender track, Young’s low-key (yet passionate) vocal still pierces the soul.
Lukas Graham and Mickey Guyton, “Home Movies”
Guyton teams with Danish pop band Lukas Graham for the inspirational ballad “Home Movies,” which leans into the value in looking back on memories, even the less than superlative ones. These two artists pair wondrously on this sleek, anthemic pop ballad. The song is from Lukas Graham’s upcoming album 4 (The Pink Album), out Jan. 20.
Dierks Bentley, “Same Ol’ Me”
Bentley mashes up a swampy, honkytonk vibe with bluegrass flourishes as he declares that though time brings changes to fashions, hairstyles and age, he will remain steadfast in his love for down-to-earth bars, getting rowdy and his significant other. The song is from Bentley’s upcoming 10th album, Gravel & Gold, out Feb. 24.
Diplo feat. Kodak Black and Koe Wetzel, “Wasted”
Thomas Wesley (aka Diplo) comes galloping back into the country scene, this time teaming with Koe Wetzel and Kodak Black for the party jam “Wasted.” The track is a deft blend of pulsating, hard rock rhythm with a lyric that muses on the peaks and valleys of being intoxicated. “The pistol on the counter keeps starin’ at me, I threw away the bullets and I gave it away/ ‘Cause life is so much sweeter when you taste it/ Bring me back to life when I’m wasted,” they sing. Diplo released his first country-tinged project 2020, spearheaded by the hit “Heartless” with Morgan Wallen.
Ian Munsick, “River Run”
Gorgeous fiddle laces this organic musical romp as he recalls a short-lived romance with a lover whose “gypsy blood runs through her veins.” Though he, like many in his small town “just settle like the dust when the day is done,” he acknowledges that she, like the river, will never stay still. His sophomore album, White Buffalo, will be released April 7.
Alana Springsteen, “You Don’t Deserve a Country Song”
“You didn’t give me anything that’s worth writing down,” Springsteen sings with a forceful retort over a jaunty melody, making it clear she won’t be wasting her pen, paper and songwriting talents on a subpar ex-lover. This confidence bolstering jam also namechecks Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon,” Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think of Me,” and Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most.” Bonus points for Springsteen tacking on a voice memo of her co-writers singing along at the end.
Drayton Farley, “Norfolk Blues”
Farley parlays his time working on the railroad into this driving folk-rock track, which finds him chronicling working double shifts far from home and hanging onto the hope of providing his family a better life in the process. The honesty, ache and resolution in Farley’s rough-hewn voice are palpable, making him a potential major contender with the new wave of rawer rock production and vulnerable vocals that is currently impacting country music. “Norfolk Blues” will be included on Farley’s upcoming Sadler Vaden-produced album Twenty on High, out March 3 via Hargrove Records/Thirty Tigers.
Michael Warren, “Another Round”
Warren delivers a polished, radio-friendly track that simmers in the romantic early days of a relationship and namechecks Shenandoah in the process. Warren’s warm and amiable, paired with the song’s smooth production, should make this track at home on any number of country and pop playlists.
Royale Lynn, “Runs in the Water”
This newcomer brings ferocious, ceiling-scraping vocals and melds them with a roaring chorus and scorching guitar work on par with anything that came out of the hard-driving 2000s rock and country scenes.
