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More than four years after gunmen killed emerging rap star XXXTentacion during a robbery outside a South Florida motorcycle shop, three suspects are now scheduled to go on trial. Shooting suspect Michael Boatwright, 28, and his accused accomplices, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, could all receive life sentences if convicted of first-degree murder. They are also charged with armed robbery. They have pleaded not guilty.
A fourth man, Robert Allen, 26, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and is expected to testify against the other three. Jury selection is set to begin Jan. 18 and is expected to last three weeks. The trial is expected to last into March. In pretrial hearings, the defendants’ attorneys have suggested there were others who had financial and personal motives for killing the singer, including members of his family and other rappers.
“It’s been over four long years in the making. We are excited to take this first step to bringing Dedrick home,” said Mauricio Padilla, Williams’ attorney. The attorneys for Boatwright and Newsome did not respond to emails seeking comment. The COVID-19 pandemic and legal wrangling delayed the start of the trial.
Circuit Judge Michael Usan rejected last week an attempt by Boatwright’s attorney, Joseph Kimok, to have him declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. He also rejected a motion by the defendants’ attorneys to try the three separately.
They argued that evidence presented against just one defendant would be prejudicial to the other two. They also argued that each defense attorney could try to establish his client’s innocence or mitigate his guilt by pointing fingers at the other two suspects — they argued that would unfairly prejudice the jury against the trio. Prosecutor Pascale Achille told Usan that any evidence presented would pertain to all three.
Usan ruled the defense attorneys’ arguments could apply in all trials where there are multiple defendants, but in this case they don’t outweigh the needs of “judicial economy” to not hold three trials if not absolutely required.
XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, with a friend when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front. Two masked gunmen emerged, confronted XXXTentacion at the driver’s window and one shot him. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 cash the singer had just withdrawn from the bank, got back into the SUV and sped away.
XXXTentacion, 20, died at the hospital shortly after. He pronounced his name “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN” and was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.
Investigators say surveillance video from the store and other evidence links the three defendants and Allen to the killing.
They say video shows the SUV arriving at the motorcycle shop just as XXXTentacion and his friend entered. Williams and Allen followed them inside, with Williams making a small purchase. They then walked back to the SUV. About 10 minutes later, XXXTentacion and his friend tried to leave, but the SUV blocked them. Prosecutors say Boatwright and Newsome were the gunmen who confronted the rapper, with Boatwright firing the fatal shots.
Investigators say Boatwright’s fingerprints were found on the driver’s door of the rapper’s BMW. Williams was identified by a Riva Motorsports clerk, who said he was a regular customer. Williams told investigators he did not know the other three were planning a robbery.
A search of Williams’ social media showed photos of him with Allen, who was then identified from the surveillance video. Williams’ girlfriend told investigators that he told her that the other gunman was Newsome. They say cellphone data also links the defendants to the scene.
Photos of Boatwright and Newsome holding up large amounts of $100 bills, timestamped on the night of the killing, were also found on their phones, prosecutors say.
Longtime record label marketing and branding executive Brian Nolan is joining Artist Partner Group as president of global marketing and synchronization, the company announced Tuesday (Jan. 10). Nolan, who begins his new role this month, will oversee all domestic and international marketing, artist development, sales and streaming and synchronization initiatives at the Mike Caren-helmed company, including international expansion, artist development and brand partnerships, in addition to serving on the APG executive committee.
Nolan has spent the past six years at Universal Music Group, most recently as executive vp at Motown, where he oversaw the label’s marketing efforts. Prior to that, he was senior vp of brand partnerships at Capitol Music Group, where he ran the Seventeenfifty division. At UMG, Nolan brokered deals for artists like Lil Baby, Halsey and Migos; for the latter group, Nolan created a partnership with Mountain Dew for a year-long TV campaign with their song “Position To Win” and landed their song “Stir Fry” in the NBA All-Star Weekend promo slots on TNT. Upon joining CMG in 2017, Nolan created a program called Bonus Tracks alongside the Compton Unified School District, aimed at helping students learn about the music industry through seminars, internships and scholarships. The program has since expanded to Detroit and Atlanta.
“I am so fired up to join APG and grateful to Mike Caren for this opportunity,” Nolan said in a statement. “APG’s model and vision redefine what it means to be a partner with the artist. Coming on board with this team, I will be relentless in our pursuit of this goal so that our artists can achieve their dreams.”
Prior to UMG, Nolan spent a dozen years at Sony Music and Columbia Records, where he worked at Sony’s creative agency and served as vp of international marketing for Columbia, working on projects for artists such as David Bowie, Rachel Platten and Leon Bridges.
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: A huge group of artists push to clear up uncertainty about termination rights and streaming royalties, Dr. Dre threatens to sue Marjorie Taylor Greene, the man accused of murdering Takeoff is released on bond, and more.
Sign up for the free email version of The Legal Beat here.
THE BIG STORY: Top Artists Demand Streaming Royalties Rule
When I first reported in October that the U.S. Copyright Office was looking to enact an “obscure” rule change about termination rights and streaming royalties, I received a bit of light-hearted criticism from some folks who had been following the issue closely. They conceded that the subject matter was complex — it’s mind-meltingly complex, trust me — but also said that the stakes were huge.
I guess others agree: In a letter sent last week, more than 350 artists, songwriters, managers and lawyers threw their weight behind the Copyright Office’s proposed rule change, saying they were worried about music creators being “deprived of the rights afforded to them by copyright law.” Signed by Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Bob Seger, Maren Morris, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, members of The Black Keys and many others, the letter said that opposition to the agency’s new rule would constitute “a vote against songwriters.”
What’s this new rule they’re so fired up about? As mentioned, it’s pretty arcane stuff. (Go read our explainer if you want more details.) But basically:
The group created by the Music Modernization Act in 2018 to collect mechanical royalties from streaming services (the Mechanical Licensing Collective, or MLC) enacted a new policy in 2021, dealing with who should receive such royalties after a songwriter invokes their termination right. Termination is a provision under copyright law that allows creators to take back control of their works decades after signing them away to a publisher. The problem? The MLC’s new policy seemed to say that if a song had already been uploaded to Spotify’s server prior to when a songwriter invoked their termination right, those royalties would need to keep flowing to their old publisher — seemingly forever — regardless of who now owned them.
That bizarre outcome would seem to be at odds with the basic point of termination, which is designed to help original creators finally derive value from their own works. So in October, the Copyright Office proposed a new rule requiring the MLC to “immediately repeal its policy in full,” calling it an “erroneous” reading of the law. And last week, spurred by groups like the Music Artists Coalition, a huge number of influential members of the music industry said they agreed.
Some of the wording of the letter — about a “vote against songwriters” — was pretty ominous. But it doesn’t seem like there’s any real industry opposition to the Copyright Office’s change. The National Music Publishers’ Association has quibbles about how such changes are enacted, fearing that they might lead to uncertainty and litigation over past practices. But the group says it fully supports a rule change and the goal of making sure that terminating songwriters actually get paid.
Will the Copyright Office enact the new rule as originally proposed, or make changes when the final rule is released? We’ll let you know what the final rule looks like — and whether everyone likes it.
Other top stories this week…
DR. DRE WARNS REPUBLICAN – Dr. Dre sent a scathing cease-and-desist letter to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, threatening the conservative lawmaker with a copyright lawsuit for using the rapper’s 1999 smash hit “Still D.R.E.” without permission in a social media post. “One might expect that, as a member of Congress, you would have a passing familiarity with the laws of our country,” the letter read.
MORE MUSIC TROUBLE FOR TRILLER – Universal Music Group filed a lawsuit against Triller over allegations that the video-sharing app has failed to make payments for months under its music licensing agreements, despite “lavish” spending elsewhere.
MIGOS MURDER SUSPECT RELEASED – Patrick Xavier Clark, the man accused of murdering Migos rapper Takeoff, was released from a Houston jail after posting a $1 million bond. He was placed under house arrest and will be subject to GPS monitoring.
LAWSUIT OVER UMG’S SPOTIFY STAKE – ’90s hip-hop duo Black Sheep filed a class action against Universal Music Group over the label’s ownership stake in Spotify, claiming UMG has accepted low royalties in return for stock in the streaming service. Seeking to represent thousands of others, the case says UMG is “withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties.”
SONY SETTLES FUTURE CASE – Sony Music reached a settlement to end a lawsuit that claimed the name of Future’s chart-topping album High Off Life infringed the trademark rights of a company called High Off Life LLC, a creative agency that says it’s used the name for years.
ROCKER ARRESTED ON GUN CHARGES – Matt Shultz, the lead singer of the band Cage the Elephant, was arrested in New York City and hit with two charges of criminal possession of a weapon after police found two loaded firearms in his room at the Bowery Hotel.
MARILYN MANSON CASE DROPPED – A federal judge tossed out one of the several sexual abuse lawsuits filed against Marilyn Manson, dismissing a case filed by model Ashley Morgan Smithline because she failed to retain a new lawyer after splitting with her old legal team last fall.
GLORIA TREVI ABUSE SUIT – Mexican pop star Gloria Trevi was hit with a new lawsuit over a decades-old claim of sexual assault against two minors, who alleged the singer “groomed” and “exploited” them when they were between the ages of 13 and 15 back in the early 1990s. Trevi strongly denied the accusations, saying she’d been “totally acquitted” when such claims were made in a criminal case in Mexico in the 2000s.
Nicki Minaj has signed a management deal with Range Media Partners, according to sources close to the situation. Managing partner Melissa Ruderman will oversee her career.
Ruderman joined Range Media Partners as a partner in the music division at the top of 2021. She is no stranger to working with superstars, having a yearslong partnership with Mariah Carey, including previously at Roc Nation (their relationship spans back to 2005, when Ruderman handled Carey’s day-to-day under veteran manager Benny Medina).
As of last spring, Minaj was self-managing after a short stint working with Wassim “Sal” Slaiby‘s SALXCO — with whom she announced she was working in September 2021. From 2019-2021, Minaj was working with Irving Azoff at Full Stop Management, and then before that was repped by Gee Roberson and Cortez Bryant at Blueprint/Maverick Management.
Range Media launched in Sept. 2020 by former Entertainment One chief strategy officer Peter Micelli and a coalition of former CAA, WME and UTA agents. By July 2021, the company formed Range Music, a record label under the Range Media umbrella and a partnership with Capitol Music Group and Virgin Music & Artist Label Services.
Range clients include Jack Harlow, Justin Tranter, Cordae, Midland and many more.
As for Minaj, her solo catalog has logged 11.9 billion on-demand official U.S. streams, according to Luminate. Her albums have earned a combined 14.1 million equivalent album units, selling a combined total of 3.9 million copies across four full lengths.
Minaj has scored two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200: Pink Friday and Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. On the Hot 100, she has three No. 1s: “Trollz,” “Kiss Me More,” and most recently “Super Freaky Girl.” She is signed to Republic Records.
One day after Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN) announced chairman/CEO Mike Dungan’s retirement in March, the company has officially named the label’s current president, Cindy Mabe, as his successor, effective April 1.
Mabe was named president of UMGN in 2014. With her ascension, she becomes the first woman to serve as chairman/CEO of a Nashville-based major-label group.
“We’re thrilled to have Cindy step into this role,” said Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge in a statement. “She is a transformational executive, who has a distinguished track record of designing and implementing innovative strategies to help build artists’ careers and bring their music to fans around the world. Cindy’s credibility in the artist community and her deep experience will help us deliver countless additional artists’ successes going forward.”
Mabe joined UMGN in 2012 as senior vp of marketing, leading marketing initiatives across Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville — UMG’s expanded suite of country labels following its acquisition of EMI. Prior to that, Mabe spent five years at Capitol Records Nashville as senior vp of marketing.
Mabe said in a statement, “For the past 15 years, Mike Dungan has been my mentor and partner. He has built one of the most enduring and impactful legacies in country music history. He’s also been my friend. I’m grateful for the chance he took on me and so very proud of what we have built together over those 15 years with our staff and the most enviable roster in music.
“To now be in a position, as Mike’s successor, to advance the musical and cultural impact of Universal Music Group Nashville into the future is truly a humbling honor. Country music has been my life’s passion. It’s my childhood and my future. It’s the heartbeat that speaks truth to all walks of life in the best and worst of times. It’s truly a gift to get to honor, protect and build the next era of country music history with UMGN … I want to thank Sir Lucian Grainge for his belief in me, his brilliant leadership and for building this incredible culture that puts artists and music first.”
Mabe is known as a fierce advocate for artists. As Keith Urban said of Mabe when she was named Billboard’s Country Power Players executive of the year in 2019: “Cindy is the quiet oracle. She has her antenna tuned in to things I often can’t see at the time, but she proves time and time again to be spot on.”
In addition to Urban, UMGN is home to such artists as George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, Jon Pardi and Dierks Bentley. UMGN finished 2022 at No. 1 on Billboard‘s year-end Top Country Labels chart.
A North Carolina native, Mabe attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated from Belmont University in Nashville with a B.S. in business administration. She began her music career as promotions coordinator at RCA Nashville, before shifting to sales and then artist marketing and development, during which time she worked with artists including Clint Black, Martina McBride and Alabama. She later served as senior director of marketing and artist development at Arista Records Nashville from 1999-2007, working with the likes of Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Underwood, Brooks & Dunn and Diamond Rio before joining Capitol Records Nashville in 2007.
Nick Jonas, Blxst and Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA are among the music stars set to speak at this year’s South By Southwest, organizers announced today (Jan. 10). The pop and hip-hop artists are among the third batch of speakers for SXSW, which takes place March 10 – 19, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Jonas, a solo artist and member of the chart-topping sibling act Jonas Brothers, will speak on the health-focused panel, Crushing: The Burden of Diabetes on Patients; Blxst will tackle a session entitled, How Music, Entrepreneurship & Independence Intersect, facilitated by Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop reporter Heran Mamo; while RZA, the producer, director, screenwriter, rapper and composer, will take the mic as a featured speaker.
Also on board as featured speakers are Eric André, Josh D’Amaro, Tommy Dorfman, Ashley Flowers, Gottmik, Martin Luther King III, Damon Lindelof, Eva Longoria, Alexis Ohanian, Maya Penn, Austin Russell, Dan Schulman, Simran Jeet Singh, Cheryl Strayed, Jen Wong, and others.
This year’s lineup will include a special keynote session, Unfold The Universe: NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, which promises a deep-dive into outer space.
SXSW has unveiled several waves of performers for its 37th edition, including The Zombies, Lemon Twigs, Ambré and Osees, and, in an earlier round, the likes of Armani White, Algiers and Balming Tiger, alongside speakers including Warner Chappell Music co-chair and CEO Guy Moot, Signal And Cipher chief Ian Beacraft and authors Douglas Rushkoff and Joost Van Druenen.
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 edition 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, Australia for seven days and nights from Oct. 15-22, 2023, 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.
Lawyers for Dr. Dre sent a scathing cease-and-desist letter to Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday (Jan. 9), threatening her with legal action after she used the rapper’s 1999 smash hit “Still D.R.E.” without permission in a social media post.
Hours after the superstar publicly slammed the Republican congresswoman over the post — he said he’d never license his song to someone so “divisive and hateful” — his lawyers formally told Taylor Greene that her post constituted copyright infringement and that she had until Wednesday to remove it.
“You are wrongfully exploiting his work through the various social media outlets to promote your divisive and hateful political agenda,” wrote attorney Howard King in a copy of the letter obtained by Billboard.
The video in question — posted Monday morning on Greene’s social media accounts — features the Republican representative strutting through the halls of Congress in slow motion, grinning at the camera as Dre’s infamous piano riff from “Still D.R.E.” repeats on a loop. By Monday evening, the video had already been disabled by Twitter.
If actually unlicensed, the use of a copyrighted song in a political advertisement would almost certainly constitute infringement. In Monday’s letter, Dre’s lawyers told Greene as much — and then some.
“The United States Copyright Act says a lot of things, one of the things it says is that you can’t use someone else’s song for your political campaign promotions unless you get permission from the owner of the copyright in the song, a step you failed to take,” King wrote.
Top artists have long chafed at the use of their music by politicians, particularly conservatives. Foo Fighters and John Mellencamp blasted John McCain for using their music during the 2008 presidential election, and Neil Young, Guns N’ Roses, Pharrell, Rihanna and the estate of Tom Petty have all spoken out about their music being used at campaign events for Donald Trump.
Owing to the complex thicket of blanket licenses that govern the public performance of music, it’s actually more complicated than you might expect for artists to prevent their music from being played at political rallies. But the use of music in a video advertisement is far more straightforward; if a politician doesn’t secure a license, a musician has a great case for copyright infringement.
In Monday’s letter, Dre’s lawyers said that a federal lawmaker ought to know that.
“One might expect that, as a member of Congress, you would have a passing familiarity with the laws of our country,” King wrote. “It’s possible, though, that laws governing intellectual property are a little too arcane and insufficiently populist for you to really have spent much time on. We’re writing because we think an actual lawmaker should be making laws not breaking laws, especially those embodied in the constitution by the founding fathers.”
Greene’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Billboard, but she reportedly told TMZ: “While I appreciate the creative chord progression, I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs.”
Mike Dungan, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN), is stepping down from his position in March after more than four decades in the music business and in his current capacity since 2012.
The well-respected and liked executive will continue to serve as an advisor to UMG Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, with whom he has closely worked over the past decade.
Dungan goes out on top with UMGN Billboard’s Top Country Label on the 2022 year-end charts. Additionally, UMGN’s Capitol imprint was the No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end Country Airplay Labels chart. UMGN is home to such artists as Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Mickey Guyton, Little Big Town, Alan Jackson and Brothers Osborne.
Cindy Mabe remains president of UMGN and is expected to take the helm, according to sources. She was not included in the announcement and UMG reps has no official comment.
“For 43 years the music business has been my home – smiling, dialing, selling, hustling, laughing, doing my part to help the art and magic realize its potential. And loving every minute of it,” Dungan said in a statement. “I’ve lived a charmed life, and there are no words to describe how grateful I am, and how blessed I feel, for everyone that I have encountered along the way. I’m also proud to boast that through it all, with little exception, I have been “all-in” as a competitor and as a friend.
“The solemn truth is that over time, that intensity takes its toll, and a lot of the dog has been knocked out of me. By the time I leave here I will be 69 years old. It is time to slow down – I look forward to devoting more time to my family and to my garden,” he continued. “I have an incredible wife who has put up with my nonsense for 45 years. We have two great kids who have two great wives of their own. And we have five wonderful grandkids who I intend to spoil to the fullest. I am forever grateful to Sir Lucian Grainge, who eleven years ago handed me the keys to the best job in the world. To him and to everyone at UMG, to all of those who have been my family-in-arms now and in the past, to all those creators whose art it has been my pleasure to represent… I am at a loss to express my love and gratitude. I am the luckiest man alive.”
Grainge added, “Mike is a unique force. He has had an incredible impact on the careers and well-being of so many in Nashville through the years – from artists to employees. After a brilliant four decades in Nashville, and with our team they are well-positioned for continued strength, Mike is making an admirable and well-deserved life change. And while he won’t be serving in his CEO capacity, I’ve asked him to continue to contribute to areas that we’re both passionate about—breaking genre barriers and delivering critical support to artists past and present. I am deeply grateful to Mike for all he has done for our company and our artists and congratulate him on his unprecedented career success. I’m so pleased we will continue to have the benefit of his experience, deep relationships and wisdom.”
Sources say Dungan has been planning the move for awhile –rumors had been circulating throughout Nashville for months about his departure– and had stopped actively signing acts since he would not be around to work them, but otherwise remained actively engaged.
Dungan began his career in the music business at 16 working at Cincinnati record store. He then worked with RCA/BMG starting in 1979 as a pop music promotion rep, working his way to senior vp of sales and marketing.
He then relocated to Nashville working at Arista Nashville, alongside Tim DuBois, rising to senior vp/general manager. Among the acts he worked with at Arista included Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson (who is now on UMGN).
In 2000, Dungan was named President of EMI Music’s Capitol Nashville, where for 12 years he led the label. Capitol was named Billboard magazine’s “Country Label of the Year” for seven consecutive years from 2005 to 2012. He assumed his current title in 2012 following UMG’s purchase of EMI.
Brooklyn rapper Lola Brooke has inked a deal to join the Arista Records roster in collaboration with Team Eighty Productions, Billboard confirmed on Monday (Jan. 9).
Brooke had been weighing offers before deciding to become part of the Arista family, which is under the Sony Music Entertainment umbrella.
“Lola is the rare talent whose presence matches her message,” Arista Records CEO David Massey tells Billboard. “Her music is larger-than-life, but her vision is just as powerful. We’re excited to welcome her to the Arista Records family.”
The punchy drill rapper broke through with her rumbling “Don’t Play With It” featuring Billy B which slow-burned its way to success following a 2021 arrival and cracked the most recent R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
The tarmac is clear for Lola Brooke to take off and Arista will do their best in guiding the tenacious femcee to stardom.
“From the moment I saw and heard Lola Brooke, I knew it was imperative that I sign her,” Arista VP Kendall “Sav” Freeman adds. “She’s an elite rapper and a born performer with an undeniable vision. Lola has an amazing work ethic, her music is phenomenal and her personality is unmatched. I’m excited for everyone to witness her path to greatness in 2023.”
The magnetic 718 Princess has received A-list co-signs from various celebrities including genre trailblazer Missy Elliott, Cardi B, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, and Kim Kardashian alongside daughter, North, even posted a TikTok featuring “Don’t Play With It.”
Lola Brooke closed out 2022 on a high-note when Future brought her out to perform as a special guest to a sold-out Barclays Center in her hometown.
Madrid is hosting the first UMusic Hotel, a venture that aims to become an entertainment hub in the heart of the capital of Spain. Co-created by Universal Music Group and Dakia Entertainment Hospitality Group, the hotel is located inside the historic Albéniz Theater building, just a few steps from downtown tourist sites such as Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor.
The hotel opened on Nov. 14, 2022 at a 60% capacity and is now fully operating, with Antonio Banderas‘ take on the musical Company showing at the theater until Feb. 14. Next, Spanish singer-songwriter David Bisbal will take the stage for 20 days between March and April as part of the celebrations of his 20th music career anniversary.
The Albéniz Theater was inaugurated in 1945 and was in operation for more than 60 years until it closed its doors in 2009, when its owners wanted to demolish it and build a luxury residential building in its place. A group of citizens came together to create the Albéniz Theater Aid Platform and asked for it to be declared an Asset of Cultural Interest to prevent its demolition, which was finally granted in 2016. This allowed the 898-seat venue to be rehabilitated, and negotiations began for what is now the UMusic Hotel Madrid.
UMusic Hotels is a new international brand that offers first-class accommodations and entertainment. The goal is to create a unique experience for both guests and artists staying at their hotels, and to offer a wide range of music-related services and activities.
Music is in every corner of UMusic Hotel Madrid. Details such as the “Pasillo de la Música” (Hall of Music) — which connects the two buildings that make up the venue, and where you can see works of musicians such as Freddie Mercury, Lady Gaga, Alejandro Sanz and Katy Perry created by the Mexican artist and athlete Hubertus de Hohenlohe — is magical. Upon entering the access foyer located on Carretas Street, visitors are greeted by a neon sign that says, “Vente Pa’ Madrid” (Come to Madrid,) like the famous Ketama song, a cheerful welcoming. On one wall is a verse from Bob Dylan’s classic “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
The hotel has 130 rooms divided into four categories: classic, deluxe, premium and ultimate, all equipped with Nespresso coffee machines and Marshall speakers. There’s also the Artist’s Suite, an exclusive two-floor room with a private solarium terrace, living room and guest bathroom.
Guests can enjoy a vinyl library, gym, bar, amphitheater, outdoor pool, three meeting rooms, a two-level solarium, events spaces, a gastronomic experience at El Albéniz restaurant, 24-hour room service, and the Nota Alta (High Note) bar, located on the rooftop with a lovely city view.
Universal Music Spain has said it will keep working with the hotel to continue attracting top international stars to Madrid. UMusic Hotel confirmed that it is already working on the development of a second hotel, this time in South America, in Barranquilla, Colombia.
