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LONDON (AP) — A teen charged with killing three girls and wounding 10 other people in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England this summer remained silent in court Wednesday as not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, who has refused to speak in each court appearance, was read the charges of three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and additional charges related to possessing the poison ricin and for having an al-Qaida manual.
Justice Julian Goose ordered a clerk to enter the pleas in Liverpool Crown Court as Rudakubana stayed mum during a video appearance from a London prison where he is held.
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His trial is scheduled for Jan. 20.
It was the first time in a court appearance that the teen did not pull his sweatshirt collar over his nose to obscure his face.
He appeared to smile as an officer confirmed that the court proceeding could be heard at the prison. The judge noted that Rudakubana was not responding. He swayed from side to side as the charges were read and bent forward at one point.
Rudakubana was charged in August with murdering three girls — Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6 — and stabbing 10 other people on July 29 in the seaside town of Southport in northern England.
The attack at a small dance and yoga studio on the first day of summer vacation sparked rioting across England and Northern Ireland fueled by far-right activists that lasted a week.
The violence, which injured more than 300 police officers and led to fiery attacks on hotels housing migrants, began after Rudakubana — then unnamed –- was falsely identified as an asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat.
Rudakubana was born in Wales to Rwandan immigrants.
More than 1,200 people were arrested for the disorder that lasted a week and hundreds have been jailed for up to nine years in prison.
A report released Wednesday was critical of police for failing to recognize the threat of violent disorder after a number of smaller incidents across the U.K. in the previous two years.
The report from the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said there were also lapses in gathering intelligence from social media and the dark web.
Rudakubana was charged in October with additional counts for production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism for having the manual in a document on his computer.
Police have said the stabbings have not been classified as acts of terrorism because the motive is not yet known.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments next month over the constitutionality of the federal law that could ban TikTok in the United States if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell it.
The justices will hear arguments Jan. 10 about whether the law impermissibly restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment.
The law, enacted in April, set a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold or else face a ban in the United States. The popular social media platform has more than 170 million users in the U.S.
It’s unclear how quickly a decision might come. But the high court still could act after the arguments to keep the law from taking effect pending a final ruling, if at least five of the nine justices think it’s unconstitutional.
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Lawyers for the company and China-based ByteDance had urged the justices to step in before Jan. 19. The high court also will hear arguments from content creators who rely on the platform for income and some TikTok users.
The timing of the arguments means that the outgoing Biden administration’s Justice Department will make the case in defense of the law that passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by Democratic President Joe Biden in April.
The incoming Republican administration might not have the same view of the law.
President-elect Donald Trump, who once supported a ban but then pledged during the campaign to “save TikTok,” has said his administration would take a look at the situation. Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Monday.
The companies have said that a shutdown lasting just a month would cause TikTok to lose about one-third of its daily users in the U.S. and significant advertising revenue.
The case pits free speech rights against the government’s stated aims of protecting national security, while raising novel issues about social media platforms.
A panel of federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the law on Dec. 6, then denied an emergency plea to delay the law’s implementation.
Without court action, the law would take effect Jan. 19 and expose app stores that offer TikTok and internet hosting services that support it to potential fines.
It would be up to the Justice Department to enforce the law, investigating possible violations and seeking sanctions. But lawyers for TikTok and ByteDance have argued that Trump’s Justice Department might pause enforcement or otherwise seek to mitigate the law’s most severe consequences. Trump takes office a day after the law is supposed to go into effect.
This story was originally published by The Associated Press.
During the course of Robert Kyncl’s nearly two-year tenure as Warner Music Group’s CEO, the former YouTube exec has focused on positioning the historic label for longtime growth.
In early 2024, WMG reported record earnings but announced a 10% workforce reduction. Then, August saw a major leadership shakeup: Max Lousada exited, Julie Greenwald was briefly chairman of Atlantic Music Group before leaving, and Elliot Grainge became AMG’s CEO. Under Grainge, Atlantic restructured and new leadership came in at 10K Records and 300 Entertainment. These moves signaled a loud-and-clear generational shift in leadership, marking a transformative year for Atlantic and Warner.
Looking back at a year of bombshells and breakouts — success stories include Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Charli xcx, Dua Lipa and more — Kyncl writes in a note to staff, obtained by Billboard, that he is grateful for their dedication in a year he has long-dubbed the “Year of the Next 10.”
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In the note, Kyncl writes that the company achieved significant milestones, including having the most listened-to artist (Bruno Mars), the No. 1 song of the year (Boone’s “Beautiful Things”), and the most in-demand songwriter (Amy Allen). He also highlights the importance of change and innovation in the music industry, celebrating the team’s success in delivering originality, which “gives this industry its energy and optimism.”
“We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard,” he writes. “The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot.”
He highlights that WMG was a clear leader in onboarding new talent in the marketplace, with artists like Boone, Swims and Allen receiving critical acclaim. Established acts also reached new heights, he notes, with Mars becoming the world’s biggest streaming artist, Charli xcx exhibiting “radical newness” during brat summer and Linkin Park making a notable return with a new singer. The company further expanded its reach through catalog reissues by the likes of the Grateful Dead, Madonna, David Bowie, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, among others.
Kyncl writes that, internally, WMG has focused on growth by increasing A&R investments by double digits, overhauling leadership, and advocating for new pricing and royalty models in streaming. The company also embraced AI — Kyncl cites the recreation of Randy Travis’ voice as a prime example — and prioritized global market share through a streamlined structure.
Looking ahead to 2025, Kyncl encourages continued innovation, aiming to amplify unique voices, grow the music ecosystem and deepen fan engagement. He rounds out the memo by celebrating the team’s efforts and hinting at exciting projects on the horizon.
“There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time,” he says. “As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact.”
Read the full memo below:
Hi everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your incredible dedication and passion over the past year.
In January, I talked about 2024 being the Year of the Next 10, where we moved to set ourselves up for the next decade. We’ve ended the year with the No.1 most listened-to artist, No. 1 song of the year, and the most in-demand songwriter of the year. I know the last twelve months have been intense, and I’m so grateful to you all for rising to the occasion. We’ve achieved something that only a really collaborative and committed team could… We simultaneously delivered for our artists and songwriters, while doing the tough work of change.
And change is a necessity in this business… Music is nothing without the new. New sounds, new ideas, fresh looks, different directions. That’s what stands out. That’s what cuts through the noise. That blast of originality is what gives this industry its energy and optimism.
There are countless examples of innovative successes across the company. In a note like this, I can’t be comprehensive, so please excuse that I’ve picked just a few examples to highlight our trajectory.
NEW TALENT
When it comes to impactful new talent, we’ve led the industry this year.
Benson Boone had the biggest song of 2024 worldwide, and Teddy Swims had the biggest song of the year in the U.S., the largest market. Both are signed to Warner Records and Warner Chappell, and both are up for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Amy Allen became the planet’s hottest songwriter and is nominated for Grammy Songwriter of the Year, alongside WCM’s Jessi Alexander and RAYE.
Across the world, we have an extraordinary new generation lighting the way forward, including Artemas, Aziya, Bea and her Business, BENNETT, Bug Eyed, Dasha, Florence Road, Forrest Frank, Jeff Satur, Jordan Adetunji, The Marías, Michael Marcagi, Tokischa, Roxy Dekker, TitoM, and Yuppe.
NEW HEIGHTS
We’ve also helped established artists and songwriters reach new heights, telling their stories in bold, new ways.
Bruno Mars became officially the biggest artist in the world (smashing records with 138 million monthly listeners on Spotify!), thanks in part to new collaborations, including with ROSÉ, who herself set new streaming records for a K-pop soloist.
Then there’s the radical newness of Charli xcx’s Brat, or the record-breaking return of Linkin Park, with a soulful new singer. As well as incredible new projects from stars around the world such as Alex Warren, Ana Mena, Ayed, AYLIVA, Bailey Zimmerman, Burna Boy, Cardi B, Charlie Zhou, Coldplay, CYRIL, Dani Fernández, David Guetta, Diljit Dosanjh, Don Toliver, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Fred again.., Geolier, Gunna, Iñigo Quintero, Jack Harlow, Kenya Grace, King, Lay Zhang, Lil Uzi Vert, María Becerra, Megan Thee Stallion, Michael Bublé, Miriam Bryant, Myke Towers, NLE Choppa, SCH, twenty one pilots, TWICE, and Zach Bryan to name a few; along with reissues of iconic music from David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Green Day, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Neil Young, and Talking Heads… all of which won new fans, and drove new spikes in streams.
NEW WORLD
We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard. The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot.
There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time. As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact:
➞Due to the changes we’ve made, we’ve delivered on our promise to put more money behind the music… growing our A&R investment by double digits.
➞We prioritized market share growth, bringing in pioneering new leaders in major markets, including the U.S. with Atlantic and in Japan, while investing in talent and entrepreneurs in high-growth territories, such as India.
➞We’ve shrunk the world, flattening our company, to make it easier for artists to break worldwide, while fully globalizing our catalog and distribution services.
➞We’ve successfully advocated for innovation in pricing and royalty models at the streaming services, while demonstrating the potential of AI (with Randy Travis still my personal favorite example!).
The throughline here is our powerful ability to amplify unique voices, crank up the contrast, and bring the shock of the new. Going into 2025, let’s lean into that expertise… we want to expand the music ecosystem while, crucially, growing our share. Our mission is to turn dreams into stardom and audiences into fans.
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a well-deserved break. So many exciting things to come in 2025!
Robert
12/18/2024
New faces, touring and regional genres propelled Latin music to outpace the market, yet again, with no end in sight.
12/18/2024
Jody Gerson, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), is set to receive the 2025 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honor at The Recording Academy and Clive Davis‘ annual Pre-Grammy Gala, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1, the night before the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. This is the 50th anniversary of the high-profile event.
Gerson is just the third woman to receive the honor, following Debra L. Lee (2017), then-chairman/CEO of BET Networks, and Julie Greenwald (2023), then-Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO, who received the award in tandem with Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records chairman/CEO.
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“Jody is an inspirational leader who champions integrity and inclusivity in everything she does and is a revolutionary executive,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “She has opened doors for and propelled the careers of many of the world’s greatest songwriters, while simultaneously serving as one of the biggest advocates for women in music. We are thrilled to host an extraordinary evening that not only celebrates her remarkable impact but also marks the gala’s incredible 50-year milestone.”
“Jody Gerson is one of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders and I am thrilled that she will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons honoree,” added Davis. “Jody’s longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as her tireless dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have a leader with such tremendous insight and passion at the helm.”
Davis originated the pre-Grammy Gala in 1976 when he was looking for a way to celebrate the success of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” Arista Records’ first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 (and its first Grammy record of the year nominee).
Since joining UMPG in 2015, Gerson has transformed the company into a global powerhouse that owns and administers more than five million copyrights. She leads a global company with 48 offices in 40 countries and more than 850 employees. She made history as the first female chairman of a global music company and the first woman to be named CEO of a major music publisher.
Gerson is a member of Universal Music Group’s (UMG’s) executive management board.
Gerson ranked No. 14 on Billboard’s 2024 Power 100 list. Kristin Robinson, Billboard’s senior writer (publishing), led her essay about Gerson by saying, “As UMPG’s CEO, a National Music Publishers’ Association board member and co-founder of She Is the Music, an organization committed to empowering female creators, Gerson is one of the most trusted voices in music publishing.”
That was backed up with hard facts. From 2013 to 2023, UMPG’s U.S. revenue grew from $900 million to more than $1.9 billion. In that same time frame, the company narrowed the revenue gap between it and market leader Sony Music Publishing from $400 million to $188.5 million.
Gerson received a Primetime Emmy nod in 2021 as an executive producer of HBO’s The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, which was nominated for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special. A year ago, she received a Grammy nod as one of the video producers for 2Pac’s Dear Mama, which was nominated for best music film.
Gerson has signed and works with many of the world’s biggest music stars, including Adele, Bee Gees, Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Drake, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Elton John, Alicia Keys, Steve Lacy, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Maren Morris, the Prince estate, Rosalia, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, SZA and The Weeknd. She also led UMPG’s acquisitions of the hit-studded catalogs of Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond and Sting, among others.
As a champion for women in music and an advocate for education, Gerson co-founded the global nonprofit She Is The Music. She also serves on boards for the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the National Music Publishers Association, New Roads School and Project Healthy Minds.
Gerson jointly oversees Polygram Entertainment, a film and TV development and production division of UMG that produces feature-length films and music-centric series. In 2024 alone, she served as executive producer on a broad array of projects, including Music Box: Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary; The Beach Boys; STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.; and Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It. Other recent projects that Gerson executive produced include the aforementioned The Bee Gees: How to Mend a Broken Heart and HBO’s Music Box series. Among her and Polygram’s many projects in development are documentaries on Bernie Taupin and Prince.
In January 2020, Gerson became the first woman and first music publishing executive to be named Billboard’s executive of the year on its annual Power 100 list. She is the recipient of numerous other honors, including Billboard‘s Power Players’ Choice Award; Variety’s Hitmakers Executive of the Year; Billboard‘s 2015 Executive of the Year for its Women in Music issue; Rolling Stone’s “Future 25”; Variety’s Power of Women L.A.; and the 2016 March of Dimes Inspiring Woman of the Year.
The invitation-only Pre-Grammy Gala is sponsored by Hilton, Mastercard and IBM.
Jon Platt, Sony Music Publishing chairman/CEO, was last year’s Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honoree.
Here’s a complete list of previous honorees at the pre-Grammy Gala.
2005: Ahmet Ertegun
2006: Mo Ostin
2007: Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss
2008: Berry Gordy
2009: Clive Davis
2010: David Geffen
2011: Doug Morris
2012: Sir Richard Branson
2013: Antonio “L.A.” Reid
2014: Sir Lucian Grainge
2015: Martin Bandier
2016: Irving Azoff
2017: Debra L. Lee
2018: Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter
2019: Clarence Avant
2020: Sean “Diddy” Combs
2022: Rob Stringer
2023: Julie Greenwald & Craig Kallman
2024: Jon Platt
Megan Thee Stallion is demanding a restraining order against Tory Lanez, claiming he has continued to “terrorize her” with a “campaign of harassment” even as he sits behind bars on a ten-year prison sentence for shooting her.
In a petition filed Tuesday (Dec. 17) in Los Angeles court, attorneys for the superstar (real name Megan Pete) claim that Lanez (Daystar Peterson) has conspired with people outside prison to “harass, bully, and antagonize” her with misinformation amid his “desperate” appeal of his 2022 felony convictions.
“Mr. Peterson’s attempts to retraumatize and revictimize Ms. Pete recognize no limits — indeed, they continue even while he is behind bars,” Megan’s lawyers write. “While Mr. Peterson distorts and recklessly disregards the truth in his desperate attempt to appeal his conviction, his false assertions have reignited a slew of negative, harmful, and defamatory comments directed to Ms. Pete.”
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Monday’s petition cited a separate lawsuit Megan filed in October against YouTuber and social media personality Milagro Gramz, who she claims has served as a “mouthpiece and puppet” for the convicted singer. In an updated version of that case filed last week, Megan alleged that discovery in the case had revealed prison phone calls in which Lanez coordinated payments to Gramz.
“Mr. Peterson’s father—when he thought no one was listening—asked his son about payments to Ms. Cooper for her harassment of Ms. Pete,” Megan’s attorneys write in the new filing. “Instead of denying that Ms. Cooper has been paid, they question how Ms. Pete uncovered their conspiracy.”
If granted by a California judge, the restraining order would immediately bar Lanez from any harassing conduct. In the filing, Megan’s lawyers ask the judge that Lanez be “ordered not to contact Ms. Pete, directly or indirectly, or harass or intimidate her, directly or indirectly, online.”
The exact contours of such an order — what constitutes harassment of Megan versus Lanez simply speaking about his own defense — could be further clarified by the judge. Lanez would later have a chance to respond, and the judge would then decide whether to issue a longer-term restraining order.
Attorneys for Lanez did not immediately return a request for comment.
Lanez was convicted in December 2022 on three felony counts over the violent 2020 incident, in which he shot at the feet of Megan during an argument following a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He has filed an appeal, which remains pending.
In the new petition, Megan’s attorneys also directly accused Lanez of orchestrating a high-profile false story that circulated on social media earlier this year, claiming incorrectly that an appeals court had declared him “innocent” in the shooting.
“Mr. Peterson, through third parties, disseminated a rumor which falsely suggested that an appellate court declared his innocence,” Megan’s lawyers write. “Mr. Peterson’s interpretation underscores his desire to spread misinformation in an effort to save his public image.”
Independent record labels and publishers are urging regulators to block the acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Universal Music Group (UMG) over fears that the deal weakens competition, to the “severe detriment” of artists and fans.
UMG-owned Virgin Music Group announced on Monday (Dec. 16) that it had agreed to buy Downtown Music Holdings for $775 million cash. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, bolsters UMG’s share of the music market by bringing a number of independent distributors, publishing and rights administration businesses owned by Downtown under its control. Those businesses include distributors CD Baby and FUGA, publishing administrator Songtrust and Los Angeles-based rights management company AdRev.
UMG’s purchase of Downtown comes two months after it acquired full ownership of European indie label group [PIAS] — a deal that also prompted indie trade groups to issue calls for regulators to intervene.
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“This is another land grab,” said Helen Smith, executive chair of independent labels trade body IMPALA — which represents more than 6,000 indie labels and music companies in Europe, including Beggars Group, Cooking Vinyl, Domino and Epitaph — in a statement about the Virgin-Downtown deal.
“We expect competition authorities in key jurisdictions to carry out thorough investigations and block these deals,” Smith added. She also pressed the European Union’s executive branch, the European Commission, “to set the standard internationally.”
“The cynical use of the Virgin brand, once synonymous with independent entrepreneurship, should not hide the fact that this is about utter dominance and control,” added Beggars Group founder Martin Mills in a statement. “This is another step on the road of UMG’s pretence to be the independents’ fairy godmother,” he continued. “But there’s a wolf under that cape.”
The acquisition of [PIAS] and Downtown in rapid succession by UMG follows a flurry of dealmaking over the past several years that has seen both traditional music companies and outside investors snap up firms, labels and distributors that cater to the fast-growing global independent sector.
Major label acquisitions in that time include Sony Music’s 2022 purchase of artist services company AWAL and Kobalt Neighbouring Rights from Kobalt Music Group. More recently, Sony acquired Spanish label and distributor Altafonte, followed last month by a deal for Greece indie label Cobalt Music.
Meanwhile, Warner Music Group has been steadily growing its recorded music interests in Central and Eastern Europe, buying minority stakes in Croatia’s Dancing Bear Music, Slovenian independent label NIKA and Serbia’s Mascom; and acquiring Dutch label Cloud 9 Recordings.
UMG’s deals for [PIAS] and Downtown followed a decade-long ban on the music giant acquiring certain music companies or catalogs in Europe that expired in September 2022. Those restrictions, imposed by the European Commission in 2012 following the company’s $1.9 billion takeover of EMI, prevented UMG from re-acquiring any of the assets it had sold or re-sign any artists who had signed with labels from which it had divested, such as Parlophone Label Group or Chrysalis, for 10 years.
Although Downtown Music Holdings was founded and is headquartered in New York, the scale of its multifaceted business, representing over 50 million songs across more than 145 countries and spanning publishing, distribution, artist and label services, and royalty administration, makes it a major player in the global indie sector. As such, the company’s acquisition by UMG would create a “fundamental shift in the competitive dynamics of the music market,” warned IMPALA chair Dario Draštata in a statement on the acquisition.
The Brussels-based trade association said the sale of Downtown and [PIAS] would further squeeze the independents in an already highly concentrated market and help UMG move further into the market for distribution and services for labels and artists.
“This means more market share and gives UMG control over the opposition,” said IMPALA in a press release. It added, “UMG suing Believe is another part of the strategy,” referencing last month’s $500 million lawsuit filed by UMG, ABKCO and Concord Music Group against Believe and its distribution company TuneCore that accused them of “massive ongoing infringements” of their sound recordings.
Other executives and organizations voicing concern over UMG’s latest acquisition include global independent music publishers trade body IMPF, which said the potential sale would “ultimately reduce choice for songwriters and publishers alike,” and the U.K. Association of Independent Music (AIM), whose CEO, Gee Davy, said the deal reduces independent routes to market.
“It is vital to uphold a true choice of partners for artists and labels and ensure that negotiating power does not become unbalanced,” said Davy in a statement.
Representatives for UMG did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by Billboard.
New York’s famed Blue Note Jazz Club is coming to the Sunset Strip.
On Tuesday (Dec. 17), officials with Blue Note Entertainment Group announced plans to open a Hollywood location modeled after the company’s New York flagship, which is known for its intimate atmosphere, performance roster of icons and rising stars, and propensity for regularly staging world-class jazz shows.
The new L.A. club, which is set to open its doors in March 2025, will mark Blue Note’s ninth location outside of New York with venues in Hawaii; Napa, Calif.; Tokyo; Rio de Janeiro; Sao Paulo; Milan; Beijing; and Shanghai.
“We are excited to bring the Blue Note experience to Los Angeles, offering the same intimate atmosphere and world-class performances that have defined our New York club,” says Tsion Bensusan, COO of Blue Note Entertainment Group, in a statement.
As part of the expansion, Blue Note officials announced that they have inked a partnership with the LA Philharmonic to rebrand the long-running Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival as the Blue Note Jazz Festival. Presented by the LA Phil, the 2025 edition of the festival kicks off on June 14 with a full lineup scheduled to be announced in February.
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“This collaboration represents a union of two iconic institutions dedicated to celebrating jazz and its profound impact on music and culture,” said Steven Bensusan, president of Blue Note Entertainment Group. LA Phil president/CEO Kim Noltemy added, “This partnership represents a shared dedication to celebrating jazz and its extraordinary artists while continuing the legacy of world-class music at the Bowl.”
The Blue Note in both New York and Los Angeles will be curated by artist, composer, producer and frequent collaborator Robert Glasper. In 2018, Glasper and Blue Note launched Glasper’s annual residency ROBTOBER. That partnership has since expanded to include events like the Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa, Blue Note at Sea and The Black Radio Experience, also in Napa.
“I’m honored to partner up with Blue Note once again for what will be a significant cultural intersection for the Los Angeles community,” said Glasper in a statement. “Los Angeles has always been a second home to me and I can’t wait to bring LA culture to the Blue Note.”
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: Daddy Yankee accuses his soon-to-be ex-wife of stealing $80 million from his company; Jay-Z’s attorneys demand dismissal after his accuser admits “mistakes”; Johnny Ramone’s widow wins a legal ruling in the battle over the punk band’s legacy; and more, including a special recap of the best-ever Christmas music lawsuits.
THE BIG STORY: Daddy Yankee’s Divorce Goes Nuclear
Just weeks after Daddy Yankee and wife Mireddys González announced they were divorcing following 20 years of marriage, his lawyers took things to another level.
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In a motion filed in Puerto Rico court, the reggaetón hitmaker accused González and others of withdrawing a stunning $80 million from the bank account of his El Cartel Records “without authorization.” He’s seeking an injunction forcing her “immediate removal” from the company and the disclosure of information to unravel whatever harm was allegedly done.
In addition to the accusations of stolen money, the lawsuit makes other notable claims — like alleging that González shut him out of the negotiations that led to October’s $217 million sale of part of his catalog to Concord. He claims he doesn’t actually know exactly what was sold, and that the price “turned out to be unreasonable, disproportionate and far below the real value.”
For more details, go read the full story from Billboard‘s Griselda Flores. And stay tuned at Billboard for more developments as the case moves forward.
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Holiday Music Lawsuits
With the holidays right around the corner, I broke down the many times that Christmas music has ended up in court — from Mariah Carey’s ongoing copyright battle over “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to Darlene Love’s fights with advertisers to repeated courtroom clashes over religious freedom. Before you kick off til the new year, go read the full story here.
Other top stories this week…
“I HAVE MADE SOME MISTAKES” – Jay-Z demanded the dismissal of a rape lawsuit linking him to the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, just hours after his accuser gave a bombshell interview to NBC News admitting inconsistencies and “mistakes” in her story. Jay-Z’s attorneys said they would seek to strike the complaint and seek penalties against Tony Buzbee, the attorney who filed it: “It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press,” said Jay-Z attorney Alex Spiro. “We are asking the Court to dismiss this frivolous case today, and will take up the matter of additional discipline for Mr. Buzbee and all the lawyers that filed the complaint.”
ELSEWHERE IN DIDDY WORLD – On Friday, Combs said he would drop an appeal seeking to be released on bail, meaning he will remain in jail until his May trial on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges — a move that came after the bond request was rejected by federal judges three separate times. Then on Monday, the judge overseeing the criminal case rejected accusations from Diddy’s legal team that federal prosecutors leaked the infamous video of the Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie, ruling there was no proof to such a charge.
HEY HO, LET’S SUE – Johnny Ramone’s widow, Linda Cummings-Ramone, won a legal victory over Joey Ramone‘s brother, Mickey Leigh, in their never-ending feud over control of the pioneering punk band’s legacy. An arbitrator ruled that Leigh’s manager, David Frey, must be terminated as a director on the band’s board for a wide variety of improper conduct, including improperly greenlighting a film project at Netflix with actor Pete Davidson attached to star as Joey. The ruling also detailed how Frey had tanked an opportunity for Linda to throw out the first pitch at a Ramones-themed New York Mets game: “There was no reason to lose this opportunity other than to continue the animosity and dysfunction,” the arbitrator wrote.
QUANDO RONDO SENTENCED – The rapper (Tyquian Terrel Bowman) was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison after striking a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a federal drug offense in Georgia. The deal saw the Savannah-based rapper admit to a single count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana in return for prosecutors dropping more serious charges involving methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.
ASSAULT CASE SETTLED – Paula Abdul and former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged that he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Abdul simply said she was “grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me.”
TIKTOK AT SCOTUS – TikTok asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block the federal law that would ban the popular platform in the United States unless its China-based parent company agreed to sell it. The appeal to the high court came just days after a federal appeals court affirmed the law’s constitutionality, rejecting TikTok’s claims that it violates the First Amendment’s protections for free speech. With the petition filed, the justices are on the clock: The statute banning TikTok — a crucial music industry promotion tool and a platform that now boasts more than 170 million users in the U.S. — goes into effect on Jan. 19.
“It’s still pretty awesome and ridiculous that we get paid to do this,” The Bowery Presents founder John “JoMo” Moore says. He and his partner, Jim Glancy, are discussing the 20th anniversary of their concert promotion and venue operation business, which they celebrated by producing four residencies for indie acts they’ve worked with since the beginning of their careers: Modest Mouse, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem and a reunion of TV on the Radio, which was also celebrating a 20th anniversary — the release of its first album.
Although a subsidiary of AEG Presents since 2016, The Bowery Presents remains a brand that, more than any other concert promoter, is closely associated with top-shelf indie artists who began playing in clubs and evolved to arenas. In addition to the aforementioned acts, they include Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The National, Arcade Fire, Phoebe Bridgers and Brandi Carlile. It has also worked with mainstream acts like Adele and Sam Smith.
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Over the past two decades, the company has evolved as well. Glancy, who joined Moore from Live Nation in 2006, and AEG’s resources and venues have enabled The Bowery Presents to produce more shows at more — and larger — venues, including Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, where the company is the managing partner.
“We’ve been lucky in that things have continued to evolve,” Glancy says. “I’d go crazy doing the same thing day after day — like being on Broadway and doing A Chorus Line night No. 12,000. We always have interesting stories. We always have incredible opportunities.”
“This painting by the artist Dave McDowell was made for me,” Moore says. “It depicts some of my favorite things in life.”
Nina Westervelt
The company owns, co-owns and/or operates 18 venues in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Virginia and Maine and has booking agreements with another 10. And while not all of them report to Billboard Boxscore, those that do in New York — including Brooklyn Steel, Terminal 5, Webster Hall, Music Hall of Williamsburg and Racket — grossed $17.6 million in the first 10 months of 2024. Forest Hills Stadium alone grossed $20.3 million during its season, although not all shows were promoted by The Bowery Presents or AEG.
You produced four residencies in the past month. Are they the future of booking smaller venues?
JOHN MOORE Residencies may not be the future of booking clubs, but the industry sees merit in confirming multiple shows in a major city and [music] center like New York. And we love to be part of that story when it makes sense for the artist.
What are the most enduring memories of the business and the shows you’ve produced?
MOORE The first 12 years being down on Ludlow Street, where we had a walkup office that was above Pianos [nightclub] from 2004 to June 2017, was a great time to be down there and to be starting the company with Mercury [Lounge] and Bowery Ballroom. We’d walk downstairs to Pianos to see Bon Iver play for the first time — not an underplay, just “Hey, this is the hot new guy.” Doing it on our own for 12 years before partnering with AEG was exciting.
JIM GLANCY For me, it’s the incredible music and the incredible artists that we’ve been able to work with over the last 20 years. Combined, we did 22 shows with LCD, Interpol, Modest Mouse and TV on the Radio over a three-week period. And we’ve probably done a total of 125 or 150 shows with them over the last 20 years. We took dozens and dozens of acts from Mercury Lounge or, later, Rough Trade, all the way up to [Madison Square] Garden. Vampire Weekend and The White Stripes and The Strokes. That’s the way you want the system to work. And we’re still doing that today. I can’t tell you if MJ Lenderman is going to play Madison Square Garden someday, but I can tell you he just did three Music Hall [of Williamsburg] shows in early October, and he’s got three sold-out Brooklyn Steels in April. That’s exciting.
“This is a tabletop painted by a Lower East Side artist Adam Lucas who went by Hanksy,” Moore says. “It’s called ‘Meth Rogen,’ and it’s a mashup of Seth Rogen and Walter White from Breaking Bad.”
Nina Westervelt
Do you have an established path through your venues in which you help artists evolve to play larger spaces?
GLANCY That’s a question for the industry. When we go back 15, 18, 20 years, there was the thing of, “Don’t skip steps. You’ve got to do the 200-capacity step and the 500-capacity step,” and there’s something to that with a career artist. I used to say to JoMo, “How was so-and-so last night?” and he’d say, “They’ll be great after they do another 300 shows.” He meant it. But there’s also the reality in this age, particularly in 2024, where things go viral and happen fast.
Do you ever tell an agent or manager, “No, that’s too big a venue for this act”?
MOORE It’s all about relationships with the agents and managers. In general, they seem to have a clear path of what they want and depending on what our relationship is, they’re calling and saying, “Hey, we were thinking of X, Y and Z.” And we’ll say, “I know that you’re thinking about Terminal 5, but the timing is right to consider Webster Hall and Brooklyn Steel.” We ultimately need to trust them if they want to go bigger than we think, or we choose not to do it. We definitely are involved in the process but we’re not telling them what to do — and we’d like to sometimes.
Rising indie acts have a tougher time making a profit or even breaking even on tours. And yet, tickets to those shows are usually affordable. How does that work?
GLANCY Here’s the dirty secret: The act is not making any money, and neither are we. We’re both betting on our respective futures. If we look at our average ticket price at Music Hall of Williamsburg and go back over the last 10 years, it probably went from a $15 to an $18 or $19 ticket. You’ve got smaller rooms because it’s a sense of discovery. What you’re banking on is, it’s a student, it’s someone who’s living probably paycheck to paycheck. We want to make sure there’s not a barrier to entry for them. I think most agents, managers, artists are on the same wavelength.
“I have a strong attachment to New Orleans,” Glancy says. “This is a bottle of New Orleans R&B singer Ernie K-Doe’s hot sauce that the Allman Brothers’ manager Bert Holman gave me.”
Nina Westervelt
Do you work on ticket prices with managers and agents?
MOORE Yes, they often have an idea, like, “How about a $35 ticket?” Or sometimes they’ll say, “We need to make $10,000,” so then it’s backward math. To get $10,000 you need this ticket price. And then the question is, is that actually the right price?
GLANCY Every deal should start with “What’s the ticket price?” But as these bands get a little bigger, it’s “We need this price.” Then you’re working backward, and you’re going to start making bad decisions and bad habits. Setting a ticket price based on a requested guarantee will sometimes yield higher ticket prices than the fan base will support.
What are the advantages of being owned by AEG?
GLANCY When you’re independent, there are some things you do really well and there are some things you don’t do well. At the most basic level, with AEG, we’re getting a critical mass of information. When you’re in a silo by yourself, you’re only as good as your own borders. So the fact that our general managers can get on a weekly call with other GMs in the Northeast — we’re Virginia up to Maine — the Rocky Mountains, [AEG’s] Goldenvoice and, in the Southeast, our Zero Mile Presents counterparts, that’s invaluable. The same thing goes for our more than 100 sales and sponsorship people. And at Bowery, we were bad at the things that were least sexy to us: finance, accounting, IT, legal, HR. All those are important for running a company, especially a growing company. AEG has been incredible in that regard.
I wear this badge to high-profile gigs and special occasions,” Glancy explains. “It says, ‘Bowery Presents Bank Enforcement,’ with my name on it. It was inspired by a Bowery Bank commercial that Glancy stumbled upon on YouTube that features Joe DiMaggio saying, ‘Come to the Bowery. They’ll give you a lot of money.’ We send that out to agents.”
Nina Westervelt
Where do you see your company in five years?
GLANCY There are some interesting outdoor opportunities: in Maine and Suffolk Downs in Boston. We’re going to have a great season in 2025. We’re the managing partner at Forest Hills Stadium, and if you look at from when we came on in 2021 or 2022 post-COVID to where we were before, everything is just humming out there. We’re back booking CMAC in Rochester [N.Y.]. We’re involved in Westville in New Haven [Conn.], a couple of venues down in the Richmond, Va., area. There’s a couple of larger outdoor projects that are going to hopefully shake out for us in the next year or two. Under the K Bridge — the Kosciuszko Bridge between Queens and Brooklyn — this past year, it tended to all be DJs. I think you’re going to see a little broader programming in 2025 and beyond. It’s a unique New York moment where it feels kind of wild and lawless. Meanwhile, it’s very much by the book, permitted and done properly. People that walk in there are just like WTF, and then there’s actually porta johns. You’re not peeing in a bush. Although a few people did, just for the record.
In the debate over whether ticket prices are too high, the response is often “Maybe, but the cost of touring has skyrocketed.” Who should be making a little less money?
MOORE Everybody should make a little less. Everybody is making more [now], but, genuinely, from the bus to the hotel, to our landlord to the electric company, rentals, etc., everything has gone up. We don’t know how realistic it is for everything to go down. I would much rather someone go to two shows in a year than pull every single dollar out of them for one. Back in the early 2000s, Jim and I would see civilians at shows that we recognized and say hello to them — not because we knew them personally, but because they came to a lot of shows as fans. And I’m seeing less of that.