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Jay-Z and his Roc Nation business have reportedly entered into a partnership with a South Korean company that will enable fans to invest in the music royalties of artists. The deal with Jay-Z, Roc Nation, and Musicow was mentioned late last year and is now in total fruition according to new reports.
As reported by Billboard, the partnership is framed as “the first Music Equity Service Provider in the United States” and will allow investors to earn while betting on music royalties and the like. The owners of the song rights will be able to trade royalty shares and they will be allowed to sell shares of those tracks.
As said by Roc Nation Vice Chairman, Jay Brown, “The music industry is evolving into a shared ecosystem where fans and creators can earn together. Our mission is not only to support and empower artists by providing the tools and services they need to build a better music ecosystem but also to give everyone access to the financial opportunities the music industry offers.”
Musicow CEO Woo Rhee added that partnering with the company is an “incredible opportunity to drive innovation and redefine the future of our industry. I’m confident that together, we have the vision, expertise, and enthusiasm to create transformative progress and unlock limitless potential.”
The Korea Economic Daily reported on this deal in November 2024, writing that Jay-Z was investing $5 million and would become the second-leading shareholder of the company.
The service is expected to launch in March of this year.
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Source: John Nacion / Getty / Lori Harvey
Playboy Magazine is back from print purgatory and has tapped Lori Harvey to grace the cover of the return issue.
You read the right: Lori Harvey is gracing the legendary men’s magazine cover, returning to magazine shelves for the first time in five years.
Harvey, who has become quite popping among Black male celebrities, teased the Playboy cover with a tantalizing video she shared on her Instagram account.
In the small but very hot clip, Harvey rocks a sparkling one-piece with furry boots in one look and, in another, a low-cut dress that teases her g-string.
“For nearly seven decades, PLAYBOY wasn’t just a magazine—it was a movement,” said Mike Guy, Editor in Chief, PLAYBOY Magazine. “This issue celebrates our rich history while embracing a bold new vision for the future, blending nostalgia with innovation to inspire a new generation of readers.”
Harvey is not the only celebrity to be featured in the magazine. Comedian Nikki Glazer will also participate in the highly coveted Playboy interview, touching on her rise to stardom, her unfiltered approach to life, and what drives her comedic genius.
Oh, and of course, it wouldn’t be an official PLAYBOY Magazine without the Playmate of the Year, which will be revealed during this year’s Super Bowl.
Lori Harvey Has Social Media Sizzling
Fans have been reacting positively and letting out their thirst in anticipation of seeing what the cover shoot will look like.
“This is huge for my sister. Congrats Lori!!!” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user wrote, “It looks like they’re reaching for an entire new audience! They have such longevity as a company and Lori is a great choice. She’s gorgeous.”
We wonder how her dad, Steve Harvey, feels about this cover.
The magazine can be preordered now. It will be available at Barnes & Noble newsstands nationwide on February 10, 2025.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Go ahead and shoot yo shot
2. Yes she does look amazing
3. Same sis
4. It sure is
5. We all are.
Independent record label EMPIRE and NBA 2K have joined forces to release the Music to Ball To vinyl set celebrating NBA 2K25‘s season two soundtrack. The limited-edition vinyl box set is now available for pre-order and will be sold at retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble and more come Feb. 14. The double-disc […]
Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos has hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and we’re running through his discography success on the charts. From his debut on the 200 with X 100pre to “I Like It” reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100, Bad Bunny is unstoppable. Keep watching to learn all about his […]
Several roots-based music luminaries will perform to help aid various communities, as part of the third annual Hello From the Hills concert, slated Sunday, Jan. 26 at Nashville’s City Winery.
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Ruby Amanfu, Cory Branan, Hayes Carll, Brad Goodall, Silas House, Amanda Shires, Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, and Jesse Welles are all set to take the stage at the intimate Music City venue, with author and storyteller House — most recently known for his work on Tyler Childers’ music video “In Your Love” — hosting the event.
The annual Hello From the Hills concert was founded by Hope in the Hills and The Hello in There Foundation, with the past two concerts drawing performers including Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Shires, Sierra Ferrell, Wynonna Judd, Gabe Lee, and Amythyst Kiah. Event proceeds have made it possible for the event’s organizers to make over $100,000 in community grants over the past two years, benefiting organizations including Raphah House, Healing Institute, MusiCares and Musicians Recovery Network.
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Jody Whelan, Oh Boy Records managing partner and Hello in There Foundation board member and treasurer, tells Billboard, “I feel like at this event, it’s so much more than just a performance. You really see the heart of these performers. They are more than just artists, more than just songwriters. You get to see the love they have and the passion they have for different organizations and they see how it affects communities.”
Hope in the Hills’ Ian Thornton tells Billboard, “Music is the thing that brings people together — that’s the business Jody and I are both in. We just know so many great artists and folks have been gracious about donating their time. Nobody gets paid for this. I think the mission in and of itself pushes them to want to be part of it.”
This year, proceeds from the concert will benefit the veterans assistance programs Operation Stand Down Tennessee and Building Lives, as well as My Fathers House Nashville, which provides shelter, life skills and education to fathers who have faced homelessness, incarceration and other adversities. As well, merchandise sales will aid those impacted by the ongoing wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area.
Hello From the Hills
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Whelan says, “It’s great to be able to reach into some of these smaller community-based organizations and support them. I love the big organizations that we support, but $10,000 can go really far to a small, local organization — and that equals, ‘We can help this many people.’ We try to invite people from the organizations that are benefiting to be there, so they can see it and talk about their work.”
The Hello in There Foundation was established in 2021 by the family of the late singer-songwriter John Prine and is guided by message of Prine’s 1971 song “Hello in There.” In 2017, Hope in the Hills was launched by members of Tyler Childers’ team, as well as community members in Kentucky, with the aim of combatting the opioid crisis and supporting recovery throughout Appalachia.
“I’ve long admired the work that Ian and the folks at Hope in the Hills and Healing Appalachia have done,” Whelan says. “The Prine Family started our foundation a few years ago and we’ve been close to them for a long time. So we thought, ‘Can we do something to work together?’ The way we formatted it was we each picked one charity that we felt served our mission and then came together and support another organization.”
Whelan adds, “A lot of times, we let John’s songs kind of guide us. This year, it is focusing on veterans and those struggling with addiction, and John’s song ‘Sam Stone’ is a huge touch point. We think about the organizations and how it might tie in with the work that Hope in the Hills is doing. Once you start talking with these organizations, fighting addiction is such a big part of so many different organizations, even if it’s not their primary thing, like homelessness and addiction impacting veterans. Addiction is such a big topic and it affects lives in so many different ways.”
Looking ahead, Thornton is positive about the continued acceleration of the event’s impact: “I’d like to keep this as an annual event coming to Nashville. We’ve talked about bringing it to other cities, too, because I love the idea of being able to help local community organizations in other cities, especially in this region. I don’t know when we’ll have time to do that, but it will happen soon. I don’t see us going into the virtual space anytime soon. We want to keep getting people in rooms, together in community, and sharing their stories.”
Tickets are still available for this year’s Hello From the Hills at citywinery.com.
True to their word about collabing earlier this week, Bruno Mars and Sexyy Red teamed up and released “Fat Juicy & Wet.” The pair’s song came out with a star-studded video as well. Keep watching for all the details on the new single! Tetris Kelly:Bruno got his Sexyy Red wish in a new track, and […]
Wicked fever reaches Billboard’s Top Movie Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), as Cynthia Erivo’s “Defying Gravity,” featuring Ariana Grande, rises to No. 1 on the December 2024 survey.
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Rankings for the Top Movie Songs chart are based on song and film data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of December 2024. The ranking includes newly released films from the preceding three months.
After debuting at No. 2 on the November 2024 Top Movie Songs, “Defying Gravity” rules the latest chart amid Wicked’s first full month of theatrical release; it was debuted in theaters on Nov. 22.
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Set during the finale to the first part of Wicked (Wicked: For Good, its sequel, is scheduled for a Nov. 21 premiere), “Defying Gravity” earned 47 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 13,000 downloads in December 2024, according to Luminate.
The song peaked at No. 44 on the Dec. 7-dated Billboard Hot 100 and ranks at No. 71 on the latest tally.
In all, Wicked accounts for six of the chart’s 10 positions in December, including the entire top four. Grande’s “Popular” follows “Defying Gravity” at No. 2, boasting 35.1 million streams and 7,000 downloads.
The top non-Wicked entry belongs to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are,” featured in the movie Queer, released Nov. 27. A No. 32 hit for Nirvana on the Hot 100 in 1992, the song earned 15 million streams and 1,000 downloads in December.
It’s one of two songs from Queer to make the latest list, ahead of Prince’s “Musicology,” which enter the survey at No. 8.
See the full top 10, also featuring music from Kraven the Hunter and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Movie
“Defying Gravity,” Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande, Wicked
“Popular,” Ariana Grande, Wicked
“What Is This Feeling?,” Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
“No One Mourns the Wicked,” Ariana Grande feat. Andy Nyman, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Jeff Goldblum, Sharon D. Clarke & Jenna Boyd, Wicked
“Come As You Are,” Nirvana, Queer
“Sign of the Times,” Harry Styles, Kraven the Hunter
“Dancing Through Life,” Jonathan Bailey feat. Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode & Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
“Musicology,” Prince, Queer
“Run It,” Jelly Roll, Sonic the Hedgehog 3
“The Wizard and I,” Cynthia Erivo feat. Michelle Yeoh, Wicked
Marilyn Manson will not face criminal charges from Los Angeles prosecutors following a four-year investigation into allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault, the city’s District Attorney said Friday.
Nathan J. Hochman, elected in November, said his office had decided that the statute of limitations had expired for any domestic violence charges against the rocker (Brian Warner), and that they simply could not prove a sexual assault charge in court.
In a brief statement, Hochman said prosecutors “recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward” and thanked them for their “cooperation and patience.”
“While we are unable to bring charges in this matter, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault,” Hochman said.
In a statement to Billboard, Manson’s attorney Howard King said: “We are very pleased that, after a thorough and incredibly lengthy review of all of the actual evidence, the District Attorney has concluded what we knew and expressed from the start – Brian Warner is innocent.”
Manson has faced a slew of allegations of sexual wrongdoing over the past several years, including from his ex-fiance Evan Rachel Wood, who alleged that the rocker “started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years.” He also faced claims from former assistant Ashley Walters, model Ashley Morgan Smithline and two Jane Doe accusers.
Manson has denied all of the allegations, and many civil lawsuits filed against him have since been dropped, dismissed or settled. He later sued Wood for defamation over her accusations, but a judge dismissed much of the case in 2023. Manson eventually dropped the case in November and agreed to pay Wood $327,000 in legal fees.
In early 2021, Los Angeles County detectives said they were conducting a criminal investigation and eventually served a search warrant on Manson’s West Hollywood home. The identities of Manson’s accusers in the criminal case have not been disclosed, but Game of Thrones actor Esmé Bianco publicly shared last year that her allegations against him were part of the criminal probe.
In October, then-District Attorney George Gascón said that “new evidence has emerged within the last few weeks” and that his office was pursuing “new leads” that would add to the “already extensive” case file they had amassed. But just weeks later, Hochman was elected.
With January wrapping up, today’s top artists are keeping the coldest season of the year hot with their latest music releases. Kicking off the new drops is Bruno Mars, who teamed up with Sexyy Red for a fun “strip club anthem” titled “Fat, Juicy & Wet.” “Fat, Juicy and Wet” is Bruno’s third recent collaboration, […]
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Ally Brooke has a new collaboration up her sleeve and the singer says it’s lowkey one of the favorite projects she’s ever worked on.
Brooke has teamed up with JCPenney on a new clothing collection focused on petite fashions and figure-flattering fits. Dubbed the Bold Elements x Ally Brooke collection, the line includes dresses, tops, pants, suits, jackets and accessories in “misses,” petites and plus sizes. There are 29 pieces in total with with prices starting at $30.
Brooke says she was inspired to create the collection after having trouble finding pieces that fit her body type. In her “Finding Your Harmony” memoir (which was released in 2023), Brooke revealed that she was “incredibly self-conscious” during her time with Fifth Harmony. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, she adds that a lot of her outfits during that period made her feel awkward and unflattering, adding that she “would have loved to have my Bold Elements by Ally Brooke line back then.”
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Bold Elements x Ally Brooke Collection
The new collection includes everything from figure-flattering wrap dresses and flirty prints, to fashion-forward trench coats and wide-leg pants. The styling is a mix of boho chic and European flair, with affordable price points (everything is under $120).
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“At 5’0”, I know firsthand how being petite has its challenges, especially in the entertainment industry and in positions of power,” Brooke says in a statement. “I have often been overlooked, whether because of my stature or my identity as a Latina woman. I’m proud to partner with JCPenney to launch this collection because I want every woman to feel empowered and confident with fashion that fits – no matter her size or identity.”
JCPenney, meantime, says the line is designed to bring out the “Big Fashion Energy” in everyone.
“Inclusivity has always been a top priority for JCPenney, and we’re excited to deliver on that promise with this new collection, specifically tailored to petite women – who are often left out of fashion spaces and conversations,” says Marisa Thalberg, Catalyst Brands’ Chief Customer and Marketing Officer.
The Bold Elements x Ally Brooke collection is only available for a limited time so fans should snag the pieces while they can. Shop the collection online at JCPenney.com.