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A long-running legal battle over the rights to Jimi Hendrix’s music is going to trial after a U.K. appeals court rejected Sony Music’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by his former bandmates.
The estates of bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell say they own a share of the rights to three albums created by the trio’s Jimi Hendrix Experience, and they’ve been battling in court with Sony and Experience Hendrix LLC for more than three years to prove it.
In a ruling Thursday, the U.K.’s Court of Appeal upheld a decision issued last year that said the dispute must be decided at trial, rejecting Sony’s request to overturn that ruling and dismiss the case: “In my judgment the judge was correct,” Lord Justice Richard Arnold wrote in the new ruling, obtained by Billboard.
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In a statement celebrating that ruling, a rep for Redding and Mitchell’s heirs say that their case is now scheduled to proceed to trial in December – more than four years after they first sued.
“Noel and Mitch first issued their complaint in November 2021 and after the latest delaying tactic of Sony to deny them justice the case now moves to a full trial,” said Edward Adams, a director for the heirs. “We retain our faith in the justice system that they and [Experience Hendrix] will be finally held fully to account at that time.”
A spokesperson for Sony did not immediately return a request for comment on the ruling.
Hendrix teamed up with Redding and Mitchell in 1966 to form the Experience, and the trio went on to release a number of now-iconic songs including “All Along The Watchtower,” which spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 and peaked at No. 20. The group split up in 1969, a little over a year before Hendrix died suddenly at the age of 27 from an accidental drug overdose.
The current fight kicked off in 2021, when Redding and Mitchell’s heirs sent a letter in the U.K. claiming they own a stake in Hendrix’s music and arguing that they’re owed millions in royalties.
Experience Hendrix, a company that owns his intellectual property, and Sony, which distributes his music under a licensing deal, responded a month later by preemptively suing in New York federal court, aiming to disprove those allegations. Redding and Mitchell’s heirs then filed their own case against Sony in British court, seeking control of the records and accusing the label of copyright infringement.
After months of jockeying, a U.S. federal judge ruled in 2023 that the English litigation could take precedence.
Seeking to end that lawsuit, Sony argued that Redding and Mitchell both signed away their rights shortly after Hendrix died. In a 1973 legal settlement cited by Sony, the two men purportedly agreed not to sue Jimi’s estate and any record companies distributing his music in return for one-time payments — $100,000 paid to Redding and $247,500 to Mitchell.
But last year, a judge on London’s High Court ruled that the dispute – over “arguably the greatest rock guitarist ever” — was close enough that it would need to be decided at trial.
“My overall conclusion is that the claims in respect of copyright and performers’ property rights survive and should go to trial,” Justice Michael Green wrote at the time. The judge wrote that Redding and Mitchell’s heirs had “a real prospect of succeeding” on their argument that the decades-old releases “do not provide a complete defence” for Sony.
Sony appealed that ruling, setting the stage for Thursday’s decision. In doing so, the company didn’t actually challenge judge’s ruling on the core issue of the 1973 settlement; instead, Sony’s lawyers argued that Redding and Mitchell’s heirs were ineligible to file their case under various U.K. statutes.
Joined by two other appellate judges on the panel, Lord Justice Arnold rejected those arguments on Thursday, ruling that the heirs’ claims were fair game under the statutes cited by Sony.
It’s unclear if Sony will file further appeals, or whether such additional challenges might delay the trial beyond December. Such rulings can typically be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the country’s highest appeals court; but like the U.S. Supreme Court, the British top court only accepts a limited number of cases, based on whether they raise big and important legal questions.
If the case does proceed to trial, attorneys for the Redding and Mitchell estates said Thursday that they were looking forward to the showdown. In the statement, they compared their late clients to the Freddie Mercury’s bandmates in Queen.
“No one is denying that Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest guitarists of all time, just as Freddie Mercury was a great singer. But neither of them made their recordings alone,” said Lawrence Abramson of the law firm Keystone Law. “It has never been suggested that Brian May, John Deacon nor Roger Taylor should not have participated in Queen’s success so why should Noel and Mitch lose out from the success of the Jimi Hendrix Experience?”
What were some of the most notable trends among No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart during 2024? Hit Songs Deconstructed, which provides compositional analytics for top 10 Hot 100 hits, has released its 2024 No. 1 Hit Focus report.
Here are three takeaways from Hit Songs Deconstructed’s latest in-depth research.
Hip-Hop/Rap Rose
Hot 100 No. 1s were represented by six primary genres in 2024, according to Hit Songs Deconstructed. Hip-hop/rap led for the first time since 2018 with a 38% share. Country followed at a one-quarter take and pop rounded out the top three with just under a one-fifth share.
The report also notes that hip-hop/rap’s share of Hot 100 No. 1s more than doubled from 2023 to 2024. Kendrick Lamar led the genre with two chart-toppers: “Not Like Us” and “Squabble Up.”
Meanwhile, country remained strong among Hot 100 No. 1s last year as a primary genre. Notes Hit Songs Deconstructed: “After rising from 0% to 24% in 2023, country’s share of No. 1s held steady in 2024 with one-quarter of songs.” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was the longest-leading such smash in 2024, running up a record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1.
‘80s in the ‘20s
Along with six primary genres, “17 diverse subgenres and influences shaped the sound and vibe of 2024’s No. 1 hits” on the Hot 100, according to Hit Songs Deconstructed’s report. “Pop’s influence was particularly prominent, appearing in three-quarter of songs. Hip-hop/rap followed at 38% and retro influences in general rounded out the top three at 38%.”
Notably, “The 1980s continued to be the retro decade of choice,” per Hit Songs Deconstructed’s findings about subgenres’ influences on Hot 100 No. 1s, heard in such as hits as “Squabble Up,” Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone, and Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”
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Also among subgenres’ influences on Hot 100 No. 1s in 2024, “Country’s rose to nearly one-third of songs in 2024,” per Hit Songs Deconstructed. “All stemmed from the country primary genre except for Sabrina Carpenter’s country-influenced pop smash ‘Please Please Please.’”
Plus, dance/club’s subgenre influence “rose slightly to one-quarter of songs” atop the Hot 100 in 2024. Among them: Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Yes, And?”
More Choruses, But Later & Longer No. 1s
“The average amount of time it takes for No. 1 hits to get to the first chorus has been increasing since 2021, rising from 33 seconds to 45 seconds in 2024,” Hit Songs Deconstructed reports.
The 0:40-0:59 range for a first chorus tripled from 18% of Hot 100 No. 1s in 2023 to 44% in 2024. Plus, a quarter of choruses in No. 1s occurred after the 1-minute mark, spanning genres from R&B/hip-hop (Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Future, Metro Boomin and Lamar’s “Like That”) to rock (Hozier’s “Too Sweet”) and dance/club (Grande’s “Yes, And?”)
Also noteworthy, “The majority of No. 1s – 69% – had three choruses in their framework” in 2024, per Hit Songs Deconstructed. That share has more than tripled from 2022 (31%). Conversely, songs with two choruses have fallen from 46% to 29% to 19% among Hot 100 leaders since 2022.
Overall, Hit Songs Deconstructed notes, the average length of 2024’s Hot 100 No. 1 was 3:30, eight seconds longer than the 2023 average. The 4-minute-plus range has “generally been on the rise since 2019, increasing from 0% to 25% of songs. Its representatives were all hip-hop/rap songs except for Hozier’s “Too Sweet.’ ”
Culture Wave, a new rock-focused management company founded by industry veterans Andrew Jarrín and Jason Mageau, officially launched on Thursday (Feb. 6) as a subsidiary of Red Light Management. Their roster includes rising artists like Spiritbox and Free Nationals, as well as rock veterans like Senses Fail, We Came As Romans and Kittie.
“I am so excited for what is to come with Culture Wave,” says Mageau. “This is something Andrew and I have been talking about for a while. We finally felt like it was the right time. The both of us have had an exciting career thus far with ups and downs, but it’s all part of the journey that has led us here. I am grateful to our partners at Red Light for their belief in our vision, our clients who were all so encouraging and supportive of this decision, and of course our staff who will help us build brick by brick.”
Prior to launching Culture Wave, Jarrín and Mageau spent five years at Roc Nation, and previously co-founded Royal Division Entertainment. Mageau also helped launch the ticketing company Sound Rink, Inc. and the indie label Pale Chord, in partnership with BMG.
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“Over the 15 years Jason and I have worked alongside each other we have seen and experienced a great deal,” says Jarrín. “This is now an opportunity for us to take bits and pieces of everything we valued from each relationship built over those years and craft it into something of our own. With Culture Wave, we intend to give our artists and team everything we always wanted in a company; and partnering with Red Light on this venture gives us additional tools and resources to help amplify those visions.”
Bruce Eskowitz, COO of Red Light, adds, “Andrew and Jason share a strong creative vision and a deep love for music. They are always pushing boundaries. We are excited to have them and their team at Culture Wave part of Red Light Management.”
One of Culture Wave’s first orders of business is the release of Spiritbox’s highly anticipated sophomore album, Tsunami Sea, on March 7 through Pale Chord / Rise Records. The progressive metal band, whose single “Cellar Door” was nominated for best metal performance at this year’s Grammy Awards, will kick off a U.S. headlining tour in April.
Check out Culture Wave’s full roster of talent, in alphabetical order:
After The BurialBrand Of SacrificeDr. BlumFree NationalsHoly WarsJose Mangin (Sirius XM Host)KittieLoatheNOWHERE2RUNPolarisSaint BlondeSaves the DaySenses FailSoul BlindSparrow Sound StudiosSpiritboxWe Came As Romans
Music played an outsize role in the nominations for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which were announced Jan. 23 (six days later than originally planned due to the Los Angeles wildfires). Emilia Pérez and Wicked are among the 10 films nominated for best picture — the first time that two musicals have been nominated in that category in the same year since the 1969 ceremony, when Oliver! and Funny Girl both vied for the award. Emilia Pérez received 13 nods (more than any other film this year), while Wicked amassed 10. This is the first time in 60 years that two musicals received 10 or more nominations in the same year. At the 1965 ceremony, Mary Poppins had 13 nods and My Fair Lady had 12.
Plus, three actors from the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown — Timothée Chalamet (who plays Dylan), Edward Norton (Pete Seeger) and Monica Barbaro (Joan Baez) — were nominated for acting honors. It’s the first time in Oscar history that three actors from a music biopic have been nominated.
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The Oscar telecast is set for March 2. Here’s a closer look at the two music categories.
Best Original Song
Diane Warren is nominated for the eighth year in a row, which ties her with Sammy Cahn for the longest continuous streak of nominations in this category’s 91-year history. Cahn was nominated eight years running from 1955 to 1962. Clément Ducol and Camille are nominated for best original score for Emilia Pérez and have two songs in the running for best original song. They’re the first composers to land three nods in music categories in one year since Justin Hurwitz achieved the same feat with La La Land eight years ago.
“El Mal”Emilia Pérez (Netflix)Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard
Zoe Saldaña takes the lead on this big production number in the film, with an assist from Karla Sofía Gascón. Both are nominated for their performances — Saldaña for best supporting actress and Gascón for best actress.
Audiard, who is nominated for directing Emilia Pérez and for co-writing the lyrics to this song, is only the third person in Oscar history to be nominated in both the directing and original song categories and the first to be so honored in the same year. Leo McCarey and Spike Jonze received their nominations in separate years.
Ducol and Camille are vying to become the sixth romantic couple to win in this category following Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
This is the fifth year in a row that one or more non-English-language songs has been nominated in this category. This streak started in 2021 with “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se) and continued with “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto, “Naatu Naatu” from RRR (which won), “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon and now two songs from Emilia Pérez.
“The Journey”The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)Music and lyric by Diane Warren
This inspirational ballad gives Warren her 16th Oscar nomination for best original song — a total equaled by only three other songwriters. Sammy Cahn leads with 26 nods, followed by Johnny Mercer with 18 and Paul Francis Webster, also with 16. (This makes Warren the most-nominated woman in this category, topping the late lyricist Marilyn Bergman, who received 15.)
Making Warren’s tally all the more impressive is that she has rarely been part of an Oscar-magnet film that racked up multiple nominations. “The Journey” is her 11th nominated song from a film that received no other nominations besides hers.
“The Journey” is the 12th of Warren’s best original song contenders that she wrote herself. Only Randy Newman has been nominated with as many songs that he wrote himself. He has been the sole writer of all 13 of his best original song nominees to date.
H.E.R. sings “The Journey” over the end credits to the Tyler Perry film The Six Triple Eight, which stars Kerry Washington. H.E.R. and Warren squared off in this category four years ago, when the R&B star’s “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah beat Warren’s “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se).
“Like a Bird”Sing Sing (A24)Music and lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada
This soulful, midtempo ballad echoes the style of the late folk-rock musician Richie Havens. These are the first Oscar nominations for Alexander and Quesada, who wrote and performed “Like a Bird.”
Quesada has received seven Grammy nominations (but no wins as yet) as a member of Black Pumas. The psychedelic soul band has been nominated in three of the top general-field categories — album and record of the year and best new artist. Quesada previously received two Grammy nods as a member of the Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma, winning best Latin rock, alternative or urban album in 2011 for El Existential.
Alexander is a Texas-based musician, songwriter and guitarist. His nod makes this the eighth year in a row that one or more Black songwriters has been nominated in this category. This represents the longest streak of nominations by Black songwriters in the category’s history.
This was one of three nominations for Greg Kwedar’s film Sing Sing, along with best actor for Colman Domingo and best adapted screenplay. Bryce Dessner of The National scored Sing Sing. He was shortlisted for best original score but not nominated.
“Mi Camino”Emilia Pérez (Netflix)Music and lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol
Selena Gomez sings this sensuous ballad in a sexy scene with co-star Édgar Ramírez. Camille and Ducol had composed several songs for Gomez’s character before the star was cast. Once she was, director Jacques Audiard told the composers he needed another song for the character. They watched the 2022 documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, which explored the singer’s mental health struggles and inspired them to write “Mi Camino.”
“We didn’t have the opportunity to meet her in person [before writing the song] but did meet her through her documentary,” Ducol told The Los Angeles Times. “Her sensitivity was so engaging and so strong that the song was created very quickly. We wrote it in the space of a few hours. For some songs, like ‘El Mal,’ we had dozens of different versions. ‘Mi Camino’ just came to the surface.”
Ducol and Camille have two of the five nominees in this category. This marks the first time that a songwriter or team of songwriters has had two nominated songs in the same year since 2017, when Justin Hurwitz and the EGOT-winning team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul had two nominated songs from La La Land.
“Never Too Late”Elton John: Never Too Late (Disney+)Music and lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin
This is John’s fifth nomination in this category and Taupin’s second. They won five years ago for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman. John first won in this category in 1995 with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King, which he co-wrote with Tim Rice. If John wins this year, he’ll become just the 10th songwriter in Oscar history — and only the second non-American (following Rice) — to win three or more times in this category. (Fun fact: John has never gone home without an Oscar in the years he has been nominated.)
This is the first Oscar nod for both Carlile and Watt. Watt also earned a nod for song of the year at this year’s Grammys for co-writing the Bruno Mars-Lady Gaga ballad “Die With a Smile.”
John and Carlile perform “Never Too Late” in Elton John: Never Too Late, which was co-directed by R. J. Cutler and John’s husband, David Furnish. During production, Carlile saw an early cut of the film and wrote the first set of lyrics before sending to John to compose. Watt and Taupin later pitched in. This is vying to become the second song from a documentary to win in this category following Melissa Etheridge’s “I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth (2007).
From left: Brandi Carlile, Zoe Saldaña in Emilia Pérez and Kerry Washington in The Six Triple Eight.
Illustration by Nate Kitch
Best Original Score
This category continues to be populated by composers from all over the world. Of this year’s nominees, only Stephen Schwartz and Kris Bowers are Americans. In the last 20 years, the only Americans to win in this category are Michael Giacchino (Up), Trent Reznor (The Social Network, Soul), Justin Hurwitz (La La Land) and Jon Batiste (Soul).
The BrutalistDaniel Blumberg (A24)
This was one of 10 nominations for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and builds a new life in America. Brody is nominated for best actor; Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones are up for supporting actor and actress, respectively. The film is also nominated for best picture, cinematography, directing, film editing, production design and original screenplay.
The film is dedicated to the memory of Scott Walker, who scored Corbet’s films The Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux (the latter also featured music by Sia).
Blumberg, 35, is an English artist, musician, songwriter and composer. In May 2022, he won an Ivor Novello Award for best original film score for The World To Come.
The Brutalist soundtrack opens with an overture in three parts, as Blumberg and Corbet wanted the first 10 minutes of the film to have continuous music. In addition to composing all the music, Blumberg served as producer and recording engineer and played piano, harmonica, keyboards and synthesizer. Pianist John Tilbury is featured on the 11-minute track “Intermission,” while a Brody speech from the film is featured on the track “Monologue.”
ConclaveVolker Bertelmann (Focus Features)
This is the third nomination for the German composer, who performs and records under the name Hauschka. He was first nominated at the 2017 ceremony for Lion, which he scored in tandem with Dustin O’Halloran. He won two years ago for his score to All Quiet on the Western Front. If Bertelmann wins for Conclave, it would mark the quickest return to the podium in this category since Gustavo Santaolalla won back-to-back Oscars in 2006-07 for scoring Brokeback Mountain and Babel.
Conclave director Edward Berger also directed All Quiet on the Western Front. The director and composer are collaborating again on The Ballad of a Small Player, an upcoming psychological thriller drama starring Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton.
This was one of eight nominations for Conclave. The film’s other nods are for actors Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini, best picture, costume design, film editing, production design and adapted screenplay. Berger was passed over for a nod for best director.
“The collaboration with Edward Berger is for me a big gift,” Bertelmann, 58, said in a statement, “and allows me to search and discover a lot of possibilities.”
Emilia PérezClément Ducol and Camille (Netflix)
Emilia Pérez is one of only four musicals in Oscar history to land as many as 13 nods. La La Land leads the pack with 14. Chicago and Mary Poppins matched Emilia Pérez’s total of 13.
Ducol and Camille, 43 and 46, respectively, are vying to become the second couple to win in a scoring category following lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, who won in 1984 for their original song score for Yentl, on which they collaborated with Michel Legrand.
Ducol and Camille are also vying to become the first French composers to win in this category since Alexandre Desplat triumphed seven years ago for The Shape of Water. Five other French composers have won in scoring categories: Legrand, Maurice Jarre, Francis Lai, Georges Delerue and Ludovic Bource.
“We are overwhelmed by these nominations,” Ducol and Camille said in a joint statement. “Music and community is our life, and to be nominated in two music categories by our film music community surpasses anything we could have possibly imagined.”
Clockwise from left: Jonathan Bailey in Wicked, Clément Ducol and Camille, Bowers and Adrien Brody in The Brutalist.
Illustration by Nate Kitch
WickedJohn Powell and Stephen Schwartz (Universal)
This is Schwartz’s fourth nomination in a scoring category following three nods in the defunct best original musical or comedy score category for Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt. (The film academy last presented that award in 1999.) Schwartz, 76, is a two-time winner for best original song, for “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas (which he co-wrote with Alan Menken) and “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt (which he wrote himself).
This is Powell’s second nod in this category following one for the 2010 film How To Train Your Dragon. The Englishman has also composed scores for films such as Face/Off, Drumline and Bolt.
This was one of 10 nominations for Wicked, which has become the top-grossing film ever adapted from a Broadway musical. A sequel, Wicked: For Good, is due in November. Jon M. Chu directed both films.
The Wicked soundtrack album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2, the highest debut in history for a soundtrack based on a stage musical. Highlights include “Popular” (sung by Ariana Grande, a best supporting actress nominee for her role as Glinda) and “Defying Gravity” (sung by Cynthia Erivo, a best actress nominee for her role as Elphaba, with an assist from Grande).
The Wild RobotKris Bowers (Universal)
This is Bowers’ first scoring nomination. He has been nominated twice in documentary categories — as a director of A Concerto Is a Conversation and as a director-producer of The Last Repair Shop (both collaborations with Ben Proudfoot). The latter film won last year for documentary short film. Bowers, 35, is the first Black composer to be nominated for best original score in four years. At the 2021 ceremony, both Terence Blanchard (Da 5 Bloods) and Jon Batiste (Soul, a collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) were nominated.
This was one of three nominations for Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot, which is also competing for best animated feature and best sound. The Wild Robot is the first animated film to receive a nod for best original score since Encanto three years ago.
The Wild Robot soundtrack includes “Kiss the Sky,” which was co-written and performed by Maren Morris. It was shortlisted for best original song but wasn’t nominated.
This is Bowers’ first score for a fully animated film. His previous scoring assignments include the live-action dramas Green Book, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Respect, King Richard, The Color Purple and Bob Marley: One Love.
This story appears in the Feb. 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.
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On February 5th, 2025, Hip-Hop lost a legend. Irv Gotti, the co-founder of Murder Inc., passed away at 54, and the news hit the culture hard. Gotti wasn’t just a mogul; he was the mastermind behind some of the biggest hits of the early 2000s. He helped launch the careers of Ashanti, Ja Rule, and more, with bangers like “Always On Time,” “Mesmerize,” and “Livin’ It Up” still playing heavy on playlists today. His sound, his vision, and his influence were unmatched.
When the news broke, the Hip-Hop world froze. Artists, producers, and fans were left in shock, as Irv wasn’t just a producer – he was the heartbeat of an era. Ye (Kanye West) posted a dove with a photo of Irv to pay tribute. While Ja Rule, who’d worked closely with him for years, kept it short and sweet with a broken heart emoji.
Russell Simmons, also expressed his sorrow, highlighting Irv’s unfiltered authenticity and the realness he brought to the culture. The streets are heavy right now, and our thoughts go out to Irv’s family, his friends, and the millions of fans who felt his impact. He left too soon, but his legacy is solid and will live on forever. Irv Gotti will always be a part of Hip-Hop’s foundation, and his music will live forever. Rest in peace, legend.
Take a moment to read some of the heartfelt reactions to Irv Gotti’s sudden passing below.
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The 50 Cent and Rick Ross beef continues. Fif has recently hinted at Big Meech being a rat and Rozay called him a hoe in response.
As per Blavity, Big Meech’s release from prison is already clouded in controversy. On Tuesday (Feb. 4), 50 Cent posted (since deleted) a picture of a rodent with a text overlay that read, “I think I’m Big Meech!” The caption cryptically alludes to having a female associate working with federal government on his behalf. “The biggest mistake he ever made was not sustaining his relationship with (Tammy Cowin) her tell all Docu reveals the truth.”
In a follow-up post 50 Cent shared a video of man bragging about telling on people but had it altered to feature Big Meech’s face instead. “He had Tammy Cowin doing all his dirty work, her new tell all break it down Screech directed her and connected her to people to get his time cut” he wrote.
These scathing posts come right after Big Meech posed with Rick Ross for some pictures promoting his official welcome home concert and Rozay’s June 7 car show.
As expected, the snitch claims, that used the infamous hook from Rick’s homage track to Big Meech “BMF (Blowin’ Money Fast)” by the way, landed on Renzel’s radar. As spotted on HipHopDX, he responded directly to 50 Cent. Using an exaggerated voice he said “N***a took a picture with Rick Ross!” He then switched to his regular voice and said, “You like a hoe, n***a. Put your back against the wall and just slide down.”
Tammy Cowan is believed to be Big Meech’s longtime business partner and assistant. She is also credited as a producer on 50 Cent’s BMF show. You can see Rick Ross’ response below.
Gelo became an overnight rap sensation when “Tweaker” dropped, and today, he exclusively reveals to Billboard the star feature on the “Tweaker” Remix. He shares how his hit came to life, why he chose to sign with Def Jam, debuting on the Hot 100, album plans and more!
Michael Saponara:
So we gotta talk about “Tweaker” here. It’s going crazy out here, walk me through how this came together. What was… When you started writing for it and then recording it? Paint that whole picture for us.
Gelo:
I had to, like, I always get, like, a little itch to write. If I feel like that, I go make some songs. Well, I wrote it in the garage, but I was feeling like, a certain way, and then I just got to thinking and writing and sh–. That’s what I came up with, though. But at the end of that, like, I knew that sh– was gonna be great. Like, I was like, wow.
So you’re like, “This is a hit here.” Right?
I played it all the way home. I’m like, yeah, “This goes hard.” Like, it’s gonna be it.
So were you sending it out? Does LaVar get to hear it? Does LaMelo hear it? Does Lonzo hear it?
I sent it to Melo and Zo, like, two of my friends, like, nothing. It’s not going to be spreading like that.
Gotcha. And they all thought it was out of here too?
I do that with all my music, though. I got other songs I like more than “Tweaker,” but it’s coming.
And how long, I guess, before we heard it? Did you write the record and record it?
I wrote that, like three weeks ago.
Oh, wow, so this is all fresh.
Keep watching for more!
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President Donald Trump floated the idea of moving the Palestinians out of Gaza permanently after the United States took ownership of the region.
On Tuesday afternoon, (Feb. 4), President Donald Trump met with the far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. He would go on to stun reporters (and reportedly Netanyahu) by proposing that the United States should take over Gaza. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip,” Trump began. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out.”
He would continue by proposing that the Palestinian people should “move out” of Gaza to be taken in by other countries, saying they live in a “hellhole.” Trump then said the Gaza Strip could be a “Riviera of The Middle East,” adding: “This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.” Afterward, many pointed out comments made by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser discussing the opportunities of that kind of move last year: “Gaza’s waterfront property, it could be very valuable if people would focus on kind of building up livelihoods…I think that it’s a little bit of an unfortunate situation there but I think from Israel’s perspective, I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up.”
Trump’s remarks at the press conference were met with outrage and firm refusals by the international community. “This is out of the question,” Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenza, said in an interview. “The Palestinians don’t want it, the world community doesn’t want it, and you cannot forcefully resettle someone, somewhere.” The Saudi Foreign Ministry, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Egypt’s Foreign Ministry have all rejected his proposal, reaffirming their commitment to Palestine having its own state within Israel as a bridge to peace in the Middle East.
The news was met with anger and defiance among those Palestinians who have returned to Gaza since the initial 42-day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began last month. “This is my homeland and I have no intention to leave even if Trump provides me with the best of everything somewhere else,” said surgeon Nehad Ghonaim.
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Source: YouTube / CBS News/Cook County Sheriff’s Office
While the sneaker resale market is definitely not what it used to be, fools out here are still taking penitentiary chances to bag and move footwear merchandise in 2025. Case in point, authorities have just pinched another future felon who had enough kicks to make him a millionaire.
According to CBS News, authorities in Chicago busted 26-year-old Erick Lujano Bautista earlier this week after police discovered he was hiding almost $1 million worth of stolen sneakers in a warehouse on the West Side of Chiraq. Still, even with all those sneakers stashed in his hideout, Bautista has been hit with one felony count of theft. Meanwhile the sitting “President” has 34 felony counts on his record…but that’s neither here nor there.
Apparently, police were tipped to Bautista’s illegal operation and took action, which led to the massive discovery and the rest is history.
CBS News reports:
Cook County Sheriff’s officials said investigators executed a search warrant at a warehouse Lujano Bautista was subleasing in the 1500 block of South Western Avenue on Friday, after learning a large number of stolen shoes were being stored there.
Police found thousands of Nike and New Balance brand shoes believed to have been stolen inside the warehouse investigators determined Lujano Bautista was not an authorized seller of either Nike or New Balance brand shoes.
This was not the first time Lujano Bautista was tied to such a theft ring. He was arrested in another high-end theft ring in Lyons back in 2023.
Bautista appeared in court Sunday (Feb. 2) over the bust and though he was allowed to go home to await trial, he did have to hand over his passport and report to a probation officer until his trial date.
With the way things are going out here the man might get deported before that time comes, as the Trump administration is even rounding up American citizens if they’re a shade too dark for its comfort. Just sayin’.
The bust comes as police in Chicago have begun using the new Auror system, which alerts police of certain offenders in multiple jurisdictions.
“It will certainly help, for example, someone in DeKalb who says: ‘Wait a second, we just picked up someone who fits the MO of someone who’s committing a crime in Belvidere, and someone who did the same thing in Naperville. Maybe there’s a connection,’” Karr said.
The Auror system just went into use in Illinois.
“It’s certainly been successful in other states,” Karr said. “We would expect it to be successful here.”
Big brother done got a new way of keeping their ever-growing eye on us. Y’all been warned.
Among the gold gramophones handed out at the recent 67th Grammy Awards was one for best reggae album: Bob Marley: One Love — Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe). Now in addition to the soundtrack and the global box office success of its accompanying 2024 biopic, the celebration of the reggae pioneer’s generational legacy continues in 2025 in honor of what would have been his 80th birthday (Feb. 6).
In partnership with the Marley family, Acoustic Sounds’ Analogue Productions label is announcing its reissue of seven of the late artist’s most iconic albums. With specific release dates to be announced, the album series will launch this spring and is centered around the theme of uprising — also the title of Marley’s last studio project released during his lifetime. Reflective of his spiritual and prophetic vision, the 1980 set includes memorable tracks such as “Redemption Song,” “Could You Be Loved” and “Pimper’s Paradise.”
The other six albums comprising the series are: 1973’s Catch a Fire (“Stir It Up,” “Concrete Jungle,” “Kinky Reggae”), 1973’s Burnin (“Get Up Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Burnin’ & Lootin’”), 1974’s Natty Dread (“No Woman No Cry,” “Them Belly Full [But We Hungry],” “Lively Up Yourself”), 1976’s Rastaman Vibration (“Roots Rock Reggae,” “War,” “Rat Race”), 1977’s Exodus (“Three Little Birds,” “Jamming,” “One Love”) and 1978’s Kaya (“Is This Love,” “Satisfy My Soul,” “Easy Skanking”).
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Bob Marley, ‘Kaya’
Acoustic Sounds is reissuing the albums in a number of deluxe configurations, varying by title: 33rpm UHQR (ultra high quality record), 45rpm UHQR, 2LP 45rpm, SACD (super audio CD) and reel-to-reel tape (15 IPS on 1/4-inch tape). The UHQR and 2LP 45rpm releases will be sourced from the original master tapes and mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. Pressing will be handled by Acoustic Sounds’ Quality Record Pressing plant in Salina, Kansas.
“We’re honored to be working with the Marley Family to give these records the treatment they deserve,” said Acoustic Sounds founder Chad Kassem in a statement. “The experience of going to Jamaica, visiting Tuff Gong and meeting the people carrying Bob Marley’s legacy forward was incredible, and we believe this series is a beautiful tribute to one of music’s greatest innovators.”
More about Kassem’s time in Jamaica and the making of Uprising can be found HERE. Acoustic Sounds’ recent vinyl releases include Steely Dan’s 1970s recordings, Buena Vista Social Club’s self-titled album and Miles Davis’ Birth of the Blue.