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BMG has promoted Katie Kerkhover to the role of senior vp of A&R, Frontline Recordings, North America. In the expanded role, Kerkhover will lead A&R teams at BMG’s offices in Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York and Toronto.
Kerkhover is currently based in Nashville, but will split her time between Nashville and Los Angeles. She reports directly to Jon Loba, president, Frontline Recordings, The Americas.
Kerkhover was previously promoted to vp of A&R, Frontline Recordings for BMG in Nashville in 2022, overseeing BBR Music Group’s roster of artists on its imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records and Wheelhouse Records, in addition to scouting, signing and developing new talent for the roster. In leading A&R for BBR Music Group, Kerkhover has worked with artists including Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean and Chayce Beckam, and is working with Blake Shelton’s team on his upcoming BMG Nashville debut project.
Since joining BMG in 2020, Kerkhover has also worked in music publishing, serving as senior director of creative, where she managed BMG’s Nashville roster of songwriters, including Stephen Wilson Jr., Emily Landis, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy and Beckham, among others, while also signing and developing new songwriters and artists.
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Loba said in a statement, “When looking for the perfect candidate to lead A&R in North America and elevate our frontline efforts in multiple offices, we didn’t have to look very far. Katie has quickly become one of the most accomplished and respected A&R executives in the business, with the track record to match. Like many of the best A&R executives, her background in publishing has served her well in building deep and trusted relationships within the creative community and helping artists realize their unique visions. Having seen firsthand her work with our Nashville roster, including with creatives on both coasts, I am so excited to see what additional magic she helps create for our BMG Frontline Recorded team.”
The music industry’s lawyers were busy this year — from Diddy’s downfall to Live Nation’s antitrust case to Young Thug’s gang charges to novel questions about AI.
An Atlanta jury on Tuesday issued a verdict largely acquitting Young Thug’s two remaining co-defendants in the long-running trial of his alleged YSL gang.
After nearly a year of testimony, jurors found Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick not guilty on any of the slew of charges he was facing. They found Shannon Stillwell guilty on a single charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, but not guilty on any others.
The verdict, which will allow both men to walk free on Tuesday, is a major loss for the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, which had accused Kendrick and Stillwell of racketeering, murder, firearms and drug charges – accusations that exceeded those leveled against Thug himself.
After the verdict was read, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Stillwell to 10 years in prison but ordered him to serve only two, which were covered by time already served during the long-running trial. The remaining eight years of his sentence will be served on probation, the judge said.
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The verdict came a month after Thug himself escaped the case. After botched testimony from a state’s witness sparked talk of a mistrial, Thug’s attorneys rejected a plea deal with prosecutors and instead opted to simply plead guilty – a gamble that paid off when Whitaker sentenced him to just 15 years probation with no time served in prison.
Combined with Thug’s exit, Tuesday’s verdict marks the end of criminal trial that has captivated the music industry for nearly than two years. Pitting prosecutors in America’s rap capital against one of hip-hop’s biggest stars, the YSL case has raised big questions — about the fairness of the criminal justice system; about violent personas in modern hip-hop; and about prosecutors using rap lyrics as evidence.
Kendrick and Stillwell were two of the more than two dozen men indicted alongside Thug in May 2022. In a sweeping indictment, prosecutors alleged that his “YSL” — nominally a record label standing for “Young Stoner Life” — was also a violent gang called “Young Slime Life” that had wrought “havoc” on the Atlanta area for nearly a decade.
The case, built around Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, claimed that YSL committed murders, carjackings, and many other crimes. Prosecutors said Thug was “King Slime,” operating as a criminal boss amid his rise to fame, but accused Kendrick and Stillwell of some of the most serious crimes — including carrying out the 2015 murder of rival gang leader Donovan Thomas that played a central role in the prosecution’s case.
From the start, the YSL case was beset by delays. Starting in January 2023, it took an unprecedented 10-month process just to pick a jury. After the trial itself got underway in November 2023, prosecutors meandered through a vast list of witnesses that included more than 100 names. Earlier this year, the case was delayed for weeks over a bizarre episode that resulted in the presiding judge being removed from the case.
Days before Thug pleaded guilty, several of his co-defendants either did the same or took plea deals. But Kendrick and Stillwell rejected offers and opted to continue to litigate the case, leading to Tuesday’s verdict.
Thought he trial is over, the YSL case isn’t quite over. Several other defendants were separated from the case early in the proceedings and could face similar trials in the future.
A new live experience for movie fans, combining cinema with famous film scores and soundtracks, is launching at Hollywood Park near SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Launched by theatrical production group For The Record, CineVita is a first-of-its-kind “Live Cinema” venue, housed in the world’s largest Belgian Spiegeltent tent, measuring in at 15,000-square-feet. The traveling venue features 3,000 hand-beveled mirrors, hand-cut stained glass windows, and ornate wood-carved detailing and built by the Rik Klessens in collaboration with Emmy Award-winning designer Matt Steinbrenner.
CineVita opens Jan. 21, 2025 with debut show, Tarantino | Pulp Rock, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pulp Fiction and Quentin Tarantino’s cinematic universe with a high-octane 360-degree concert experience. Tarantino | Pulp Rock intertwines iconic scenes and soundtracks from all nine of Tarantino’s films—Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Jackie Brown, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood—reimagined and performed by a live band and cast of exceptional artists performing songs including “Stuck in the Middle with You,” “Bang, Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down,” and “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon.”
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“For over a decade, I’ve watched For The Record grow into something truly special—an inventive, nostalgic celebration of cinema and music,” said actress and long-time supporter Demi Moore, noting she learned of CineVita from her oldest daughter.
“When Rumer first joined this talented group of artists, I saw firsthand the sense of community and creativity they fostered,” Moore added. “Now, with CineVita, that vision has reached new heights. The idea of stepping into a beautiful, handcrafted tent and escaping into the golden age of cinema is pure magic. It’s a nostalgic journey through our favorite films, but it’s also about something deeper—bringing people together to share a common experience, much like the movies have always done. I’m so proud to help bring this unique vision to life and service audiences across the country from LA to NY and beyond!”
The CineVita will remain in Los Angeles through mid-summer before embarking on a national tour across the United States. Following Tarantino | Pulp Rock, For The Record will bring to life additional signature productions from its catalog, paying tribute to legendary directors like John Hughes, Baz Luhrmann, the Coen Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Robert Zemeckis, and Garry and Penny Marshall. These shows—each a cornerstone of the For The Record legacy—will deliver unforgettable live cinema experiences to Los Angeles audiences before setting off to captivate the nation.
“Hollywood Park was envisioned as a premier destination for unforgettable events, and we are thrilled to add the world premiere of CineVita to this dynamic space,” said Jen Sandstrom vp of programming and booking, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. “This genre-defying experience will transport our community and visitors alike into the golden age of cinema through live performances, celebrating the arts and further establishing Hollywood Park as a vibrant destination.”
“As a theater kid at heart, I immediately saw the incredible potential of CineVita,” said Whitney Kroenke Silverstein, daughter of LA Rams and Kroenke Sports and Entertainment owner Stan Kroenke. “This project brings together so many aspects of my life—from my love for live performance to my commitment to using music as a vehicle for positive impact. Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium provide the perfect backdrop for CineVita’s world debut. This project reflects KSE’s dedication to making Hollywood Park and Inglewood a vibrant hub for cultural events, and I’m thrilled to help make that vision a reality.”
Tarantino | Pulp Rock is directed and adapted by Anderson Davis, with music supervision and arrangements by Jesse Vargas, choreography by Sumie Maeda, and costume design by Steve Mazurek. CineVita’s design team includes lighting design by Emmy Award-winner Mike Berger, and sound design by Tony Award nominee Joshua Reid.
The Moët & Chandon VIP Experience at the CineVita will feature premier seating, table service, complimentary champagne and European-inspired treats, curated by DLS Events to complete the full sensory journey. With every seat in the house offering an exceptional view, CineVita makes this groundbreaking experience accessible to everyone.
Tickets for this limited engagement go on sale to the public on Friday, December 6 at 10 a.m., with a special pre-sale starting today, December 3. Performances begin on January 21.
Tickets are available at TheCineVita.com. Performances are Tuesday-Sunday at 8PM. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3PM. Ticket prices range from $49-$225. VIP packages are also available. CineVita is located at 1248 S. District Drive in Inglewood, CA near The Shops at Hollywood Park.
Troy “Tracker” Johnson will launch TRACK mgmt in January following nearly 10 years with Big Loud Management.
The new full-service Nashville-based management company, a partnership with Live Nation, will launch with clients HARDY, Dallas Smith, Jake Worthington and McCoy Moore, who follow him from Big Loud Management, as do artist managers Emily Smith and Drew Magid. HARDY, Dallas Smith and Worthington remain on Big Loud Records. Moore is unsigned.
“It’s been a long time coming for TRACK mgmt and now seems like the perfect time to make it a reality,” Johnson said in a statement. “I’m beyond grateful for the Big Loud partners — Seth England, Joey Moi and Craig Wiseman — for not only having a hand in my journey but also providing me with so much support. I’m excited to have Emily Smith and Drew Magid on the TRACK mgmt team. It’s going to be a great start to 2025.”
The move comes as Big Loud Management prepares to wind down by the end of next year. “Working with Tracker for over a decade, from the very beginning of Big Loud Mgmt, has been an incredible journey,” said Big Loud partners England, Moi and Wiseman in a statement. “As Big Loud concludes its artist management venture at the end of 2025, we couldn’t be prouder to see Tracker embark on his own entrepreneurial path. He and his team are more than ready for this moment, and we look forward to supporting TRACK mgmt in the years to come.”
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England says Big Loud’s focus will remain on its label and publishing divisions. “Prioritizing a greater work-life balance is something top of mind now that I am a father of two and need greater bandwidth,” he tells Billboard. “I will continue to lead our records and publishing divisions as their growth requires greater focus. This shift is a return to my first love. Continuing to foster close relationships with all management clients, it’s my privilege to help guide those not working with Tracker’s team to their next destination.”
Big Loud’s management roster still includes, among others, Ernest, Jagwar Twin, Ashley Cooke, Lauren Watkins and Mackenzie Porter. Morgan Wallen departed Big Loud Management earlier this year, though he remains on the label.
Prior to joining Big Loud Management when it started in 2015, Johnson worked in the music business in his native Texas beginning in the early 2000s and earned his nickname from being a tour manager who excelled at keeping track of things. Additional artists he has worked with include Wallen, Florida Georgia Line and Chris Young.
NLE Choppa is partnering with a new company that helps young artists collaborate with some of today’s biggest stars. Beginning today (Dec. 3), Feeture, a new app created by industry veterans Jareiq “JQ” Kabara and Edward “Ed” Ponton Jr., will “streamline the artists-to-artists collaboration process from idea to file delivery.”
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“I’m honored to represent a platform like Feeture that makes it so easy to connect with other artists and make music together,” Choppa tells Billboard. “As someone who’s experienced major success from both my features on other artists’ tracks and their features on mine, having an app that takes the heavy work out of finding collaborators is invaluable.”
After carving out a fistful of Hot 100 hits, including “Shotta Flow” and “Walk Em Down,” Choppa will serve as Feeture’s first global ambassador as they look to expand across genres to serve artists from different backgrounds and communities. The app allows artists to search for collaborators based on location, genre, and fees. Once a potential collaborator is found, the app provides a platform for negotiating terms, payments, and music file delivery. This process is designed to be as user-friendly as possible, allowing artists to focus on making music together.
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“Our goal was to create a space where finding and facilitating artist features is as easy as possible,” says Kabara, who formerly served as an A&R for Janet Jackson. “We want artists to focus on making music together—while leaving the administrative and legal challenges behind.”
“Feeture is a dream come true—a community exclusively for artists, free from middlemen and built on real, transparent connections,” says Ponton Jr, an experienced songwriter and now Feeture’s COO. “It opens doors the industry once kept closed, creating opportunities for all. I thank God for this journey and the vision to bring something new to the independent music industry.”
With Kabara and Ponton Jr.’s combined experience and knowledge in the industry, they hope to reduce the stress rising artists experience when negotiating artist collaborations with the creation of Feeture. Upon signing up, artists will get a one-month free trial with the promo code Feeture01. The app will also be available to Android users next year, empowering even more artists to connect and create.
Watch the Feeture commercial starring Choppa below:
NLE Choppa
MOM
Stephen King is killing off his cluster of money-losing radio stations in Maine, announcing on Monday (Dec. 2) that WZON, WKIT and WZLO will cease operations in the Bangor area on Dec. 31 after 41 years under his and wife Tabitha’s ownership.
The wicked prolific author bought WLBZ in 1983, renaming it WZON in homage to his 1979 novel The Dead Zone. The station was sold in 1990 but re-acquired by the Kings three years later. Despite King’s passion for radio and his efforts to maintain local and independent stations, the three stations have consistently lost money, with King personally covering the deficits.
WZON is on the AM dial at 620 and plays “Retro Radio,” while WKIT 100.3 FM is branded as “Stephen King’s Rock Station” and WZLO, at 103.1 FM, is “Maine’s Adult Alternative.” The company operates under the name The Zone Corporation.
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King, who was in his mid-30 when he got into radio, cited financial losses and his advancing age — a healthy 77 — as reasons for the shutdown. He expressed pride in being a local owner and gratitude for the staff and local advertisers who supported the stations.
“While radio across the country has been overtaken by giant corporate broadcasting groups, I’ve loved being a local, independent owner all these years,” said King. “I’ve loved the people who’ve gone to these stations every day and entertained folks, kept the equipment running, and given local advertisers a way to connect with their customers. Tabby and I are proud to have been a part of that for more than four decades.”
General manager Ken Wood, who has been with the stations for 10 years, acknowledged the end of an era but appreciated the Kings’ commitment to local broadcasting.
“Independent, locally owned radio stations used to be the norm,” said Wood. “There’re only a few left in Maine, and we’re lucky we had these three as long as we did.”
A news release states that Zone Corporation is closing but doesn’t specify if they’re looking to sell the stations. This potentially means they could stop operations under a Special Temporary Authority from the FCC, which lets them follow regulations while possibly finding a buyer.
Since getting into the terrestrial radio business in 1983, King has written over 50 novels, including well-known works such as It, Misery, The Dark Tower series, Pet Sematary, Under the Dome, Skeleton Crew, The Green Mile and 11/22/63, among many (many) others.
Read the full announcement from Zone Corporation:
When internationally known author Stephen King first entered the radio business in 1983, it was with the enthusiasm and love of a lifelong rock and roll fan and as a listening member of the greater Bangor community.
He also was a young man of 36 with a lifetime of creativity ahead of him. Now, in good health but feeling his 77 years, King says it’s time to “get his business affairs in better order,” and that means saying good-bye to the radio stations that he personally has kept afloat and on the air all these years.
“While radio across the country has been overtaken by giant corporate broadcasting groups, I’ve loved being a local, independent owner all these years,” said King. “I’ve loved the people who’ve gone to these stations every day and entertained folks, kept the equipment running, and given local advertisers a way to connect with their customers. Tabby and I are proud to have been a part of that for more than four decades.”
In those four decades, however, the stations consistently have lost money. The amounts have varied from year to year but have been significant. King personally has covered those losses.
Flagship station WZON, which first went on the air in Maine in 1926 as WLBZ, was purchased by the Kings in 1983. The call letters were changed to WZON, a nod to Stephen King’s best seller The Dead Zone and a rock and roll format was instituted. The station never made money and for a time, even surrendered its commercial status to become a donor supported enterprise. In 1990, the station was sold, only for the Kings to re-acquire it three years later and bring back the commercial model.
Ken Wood, General Manager of the stations for the last ten years is certainly sad to see the end but said he’s grateful for the Kings’ ownership and proud of the local voices that have a place in Maine’s colorful broadcast history. “Independent, locally owned radio stations used to be the norm. There’re only a few left in Maine, and we’re lucky we had these three as long as we did,” said Wood.
The stations of The ZONE Corporation are WZON (620 AM), WKIT (100.3 FM), and WZLO (103.1 FM). Broadcasting operations are expected to cease on December 31st.
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service is investigating HYBE and its chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, over allegations he earned $285 million from the company’s 2020 initial public offering through profit-sharing deals with three large shareholders.
HYBE, then named Big Hit Entertainment, went public in 2020 after building its primary act, BTS, into global stars. The IPO raised approximately $820 million and confirmed HYBE’s arrival as a major player in the global music business. But while the IPO was a success for the company, many individuals who bought shares for well above the IPO price lost money as the price retreated in the following weeks.
Last week, The Korea Economic Daily broke the story that Bang personally pocketed about 400 billion won ($285 million) from agreements made with private shareholders STIC Investments, Estone Equity Partners and New Main Equity a few years before the IPO. Those agreements, according to the report, called for Bang to receive 30% of the shareholders’ profits from their sale of Big Hit shares following the IPO. But if Big Hit failed to go public before an agreed-upon time, Bang would have had to repurchase the shares plus interest.
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In a statement posted to HYBE’s investor relations website on Friday (Nov. 29), the company confirmed the existence of a shareholder agreement but dismissed the notion that Bang broke any securities law. “During the process of preparing for the listing, our company provided the relevant shareholder agreement to the listing underwriters, and the listing underwriters also reviewed the relevant shareholder agreement in accordance with the listing-related laws,” the statement reads. “In this regard, we have determined that our company did not violate any relevant laws during the listing process.”
A HYBE official provided more detail about the shareholder agreement in a statement to The Korean Herald. Prior to the IPO, one of HYBE’s investors requested to know the IPO timeline, which HYBE refused to share. Worried about unnamed uncertainties, the shareholder demanded a “put-back option,” or a right to sell an equity at a pre-determined price and time. But HYBE “couldn’t sustain itself under such conditions,” this person stated, and Bang “took on the risk himself” and personally agreed to the option.
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service was quoted in media reports as saying it’s investigating HYBE and Bang for possible violations of the country’s Capital Markets Act, including how a private equity fund acquired Big Hit shares prior to the IPO and whether Big Hit omitted information from its securities filing. The Korea Exchange stock market is also examining relevant documents for potential violations.
When Big Hit shares debuted on the Korea Exchange on Oct. 15, 2020, strong demand drove the share price from the 135,000 won ($118) IPO price to 351,000 won ($308) on its opening day. But Big Hit’s price fell 22.3% the next day and dropped another 29% over the next two weeks, leaving many individual investors with losses. (The stock rebounded over time. An investor who bought at the peak on the stock’s opening day could have sold for a profit had they waited one year.) The Korea Economic Daily article contended the drop-off was “largely driven” by the private equity fund’s “massive selloff” of Big Hit shares after the IPO.
Even by the standards of a litigious business, Drake’s recent legal actions against Universal Music Group and other companies look like odd filings.
On Nov. 25, Drake filed an action accusing UMG and Spotify of acting to “artificially inflate” the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”; the next day, he made a similar filing against UMG and iHeartRadio, alleging that UMG’s release of the song could also constitute defamation. The basic idea seems to be that “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s diss track against Drake, became so successful because it was rigged.
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” Drake’s lawyers wrote in the first filing. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.” The filings accuse UMG and its partners of acting in ways that are fraudulent, including using “bots” and payola, but little proof is provided — a “whistleblower,” an “inside source known to petitioner” and an assertion that Drake “learned of at least one UMG employee making payments to an independent radio promoter” who had agreed to pay stations. (The company has said in a statement to Billboard that “the suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.”)
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These filings aren’t lawsuits, but rather legal attempts to get information that might provide the basis for them. And since Lamar’s success doesn’t really come at the expense of Drake’s — at least any more than any artist becomes popular at the expense of any other — it’s hard not to wonder if Drake is just upset that, with “Not Like Us,” Lamar seems to have won the long-running feud between them. That’s a long story — well-summarized here — but Drake and Lamar basically traded diss tracks for hip-hop fans until Lamar’s scathing “Not Like Us” topped the Billboard Hot 100. Drake is essentially claiming that UMG — for which both rappers record under different labels — cheated on Lamar’s behalf. It was rigged.
Quick: What other famous person does this remind you of? Hints: When he wins, he revels in his success; when he loses, he blames it on unfairness and litigates. Yes, I’m going there: Drake has become Trumpian.
Before Team Drizzy throws bottles of Virginia Black Whiskey by Drake, Drake is a skilled rapper, a compelling performer, and a fantastic Drake — it’s hard to compare him to other artists, both because he doesn’t fit neatly into a genre and because his greatest talent is being Drake. (Drake the artist seems to be an exaggerated version of Drake the person, with the soap operatic conflict amped up and the more mundane parts edited out.)
Both Drake and Trump thrive on success and fandom — their fans root for them because they win and they win because their fans root for them. (Trump the politician seems to be an exaggerated version of Trump the person, with the cultural conflict amped up and the boring parts edited out.) Neither gets a ton of respect from critics, but they are both popular beyond belief, and they love to win and then show off that they did. Drake’s feud with Lamar became so compelling because each was a champion in his own way — Drake the unmatched entertainer, Lamar the iconic old-school lyricist. By scoring a No. 1 single with a diss track, an unusual achievement, Lamar essentially beat Drake at his own game.
Is this why Drake is filing legal actions? Most people file litigation for financial restitution, to get an injunction to stop something, or to win negotiating leverage. In this case, the first would be hard to calculate, the second involves practices that would be hard to prove and the third seems unlikely — why would Drake want out of the UMG deal he signed in 2021, which includes publishing and merchandise rights and was described as “Lebron sized.” The only thing we know about Drake’s motive is that his second filing says he “brings this action for a discrete and specific purpose: to understand whether, and how, UMG funneled payments to iHeartRadio and its radio stations as part of a pay-to-play scheme.” Perhaps, like Trump, he simply can’t imagine the possibility that he would lose a fair fight.
Does Drake have a case? If UMG really had the power to make any song a hit, wouldn’t it do so more frequently? If anyone thinks Drake hasn’t received enough marketing or promotion — and I have yet to meet such a person — it’s worth considering that some Spotify subscribers found the service’s promotion of Scorpion so extensive that they asked for a refund. This, too, has political echoes: If U.S. elections are as unfair as Trump claims, how can he trust the one in November?
Like Trump, Drake loves the one-upmanship drama of competition — but only, apparently, when he wins. Trump ran several campaigns based partly on the politics of insult comedy — his dog-whistle racism was obviously far worse — but he doesn’t like to be on the receiving end of it. (The kind of thin skin that would be a personal fault in most is terrifying in the U.S. president.)
If rappers could pursue defamation claims for diss tracks, much less against the labels that release them, hip-hop never would have made it out of the Bronx. Lamar called Drake a certified pedophile, which is an ugly accusation, and a pun on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, but not an actual thing; the reason Drake looks bad isn’t because people believe it but because “Not Like Us” is catchier and wittier than his own diss tracks. Drake certainly has the right to ask about music promotion practices — even in a legal filing. If no evidence of this emerges, though, he will need to seek satisfaction the old-fashioned way — by releasing a more compelling single.
Restructures at Universal and Warner, standoffs with TikTok, hot streaks by iconic labels, and a focus on fraud make up some of the biggest label stories of the past year.