News
Page: 35
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Rayful Edmond, a notorious drug kingpin whose operation terrorized the Washington, D.C. streets at the height of the so-called “Crack Era” is reportedly dead according to unconfirmed accounts. Rayful Edmond was released from prison this past summer after serving well over three decades behind bars and was transferred to a reentry facility in Tennessee.
On X, formerly Twitter, social media accounts are claiming that the brother of Edmond confirmed that his sibling has died although we have yet to see an official report. Edmond, 59, ran a lucrative drug operation that not only ravaged the Nation’s Capital, but also ignited turf wars, and bloody shootouts, and placed the wider region under siege.
We’ve reached out to sources looking for a confirmation but nothing has yet to materialize. We also reached out to the Residential Reentry Management (RRM) office in Nashville where Edmond was reportedly sent to after his prison release to no avail.
As we gather more information, we’ll be back to update this post.
—
Photo: Screencap
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are enjoying a wedding in Costa Rica, and have been sharing snaps of their tropical trip on Instagram. The “Love Yourself” singer took to Instagram on Monday (Dec. 16) to post a series of caption-less photos of from the vacation and wedding, including a number of selfies with Hailey, in […]
Sexyy Red and Tyler, the Creator connected in October for their first collaboration, when Tyler recruited Big Sexyy, Lil Wayne and GloRilla for the Chromakopia standout “Sticky.” XXL enlisted GloRilla and Sexyy for their latest cover story, which arrived on Tuesday (Dec. 17) and found the pair of female rap stars in conversation about an […]
J. Cole‘s seventh studio album may be coming sooner than fans think. At the end of his 2014 Forest Hills Drive 10th-anniversary show Monday night (Dec. 16) at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the North Carolina rapper told the crowd he may have new music for them just in time for his festival next year. […]
Cash Cobain shares his favorite trends in hip-hop history, who he would switch bodies with for a day and more!
Kyle Denis:
First question for you. I need you to rank every New York City borough by how slizzy each person in the borough can get.
Cash Cobain:
Okay. Bronx is No. 1, Queens is No. 2, Brooklyn No. 3, Manhattan No. 4, Staten Island No. 5.
Brooklyn as No. 3 is kind of crazy, just being from Brooklyn. I thought it would be higher than that, but okay.
I’m from the Bronx, but I moved to Queens. So you know, by default, I know even though Bronx and Brooklyn got like some type of beef going on, Brooklyn always show love to Cash Cobain. I love Brooklyn.
All right, if you had to live in any hip-hop music video from the past, which one would it be?
Living it? Yeah, uh, hey, oh, “Hip Hop Hooray,” oh! That’s Brooklyn right there.
If you could erase one trend from hip-hop forever, what would you want?
One what?
One trend.
I wouldn’t erase nothing. Everything happens for a reason. We here now because of… You know what I’m saying, though? I wouldn’t erase nothing.
On the flip side, what’s your favorite trend in hip-hop history?
It’s just one era. N—as was rapping fast. A’ight so you know the song to what? To who? A little something like that? Um, what else. J. Cole got a song like that with that flow. It’s called “Rich N***az” with that flow.
What’s the craziest thing a fan has ever done to get your attention?
Keep watching for more!
Tyga shares that he has a new album and tour on the way, reminisces about the start of his career with “Coconut Juice” and “Bedrock,” and more!
Catrise Johnson:
You have 16 years of a song.
Tyga:
16 years?
Of a song. “Coconut Juice.”
Where the f— did y’all get that. Get the f— out of here.
That’s how the game is, that’s an amazing song. Let’s not play. Let’s not play. That was an amazing song.
Sure. I mean, sh–, it’s platinum, but you know.
Sixteen years of “Coconut Juice,” that kind of was your start. And you now have, I know, but now you have such longevity.
Actually, my start was “Young On Probation.” That was the first mixtape that I ever did, and I was 15. That was my start, which got me signed. And then it was that record, and then from after that, I signed to Young Money after that, and then “Bedrock.” For me, I feel like “Bedrock” was my reintroduction. That was my first introduction, and then “Bedrock” was like my reintroduction. You know what I mean?
100%, I agree with that. All right, what’s next for you?
Um, sh–, new album, new album. I’m mixing it right now. So, album, tour.
Can you tease anything on the album?
Sh–, I don’t know. We just got to see, you know? Working on a few features.
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: Daddy Yankee accuses his soon-to-be ex-wife of stealing $80 million from his company; Jay-Z’s attorneys demand dismissal after his accuser admits “mistakes”; Johnny Ramone’s widow wins a legal ruling in the battle over the punk band’s legacy; and more, including a special recap of the best-ever Christmas music lawsuits.
THE BIG STORY: Daddy Yankee’s Divorce Goes Nuclear
Just weeks after Daddy Yankee and wife Mireddys González announced they were divorcing following 20 years of marriage, his lawyers took things to another level.
Trending on Billboard
In a motion filed in Puerto Rico court, the reggaetón hitmaker accused González and others of withdrawing a stunning $80 million from the bank account of his El Cartel Records “without authorization.” He’s seeking an injunction forcing her “immediate removal” from the company and the disclosure of information to unravel whatever harm was allegedly done.
In addition to the accusations of stolen money, the lawsuit makes other notable claims — like alleging that González shut him out of the negotiations that led to October’s $217 million sale of part of his catalog to Concord. He claims he doesn’t actually know exactly what was sold, and that the price “turned out to be unreasonable, disproportionate and far below the real value.”
For more details, go read the full story from Billboard‘s Griselda Flores. And stay tuned at Billboard for more developments as the case moves forward.
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Holiday Music Lawsuits
With the holidays right around the corner, I broke down the many times that Christmas music has ended up in court — from Mariah Carey’s ongoing copyright battle over “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to Darlene Love’s fights with advertisers to repeated courtroom clashes over religious freedom. Before you kick off til the new year, go read the full story here.
Other top stories this week…
“I HAVE MADE SOME MISTAKES” – Jay-Z demanded the dismissal of a rape lawsuit linking him to the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, just hours after his accuser gave a bombshell interview to NBC News admitting inconsistencies and “mistakes” in her story. Jay-Z’s attorneys said they would seek to strike the complaint and seek penalties against Tony Buzbee, the attorney who filed it: “It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press,” said Jay-Z attorney Alex Spiro. “We are asking the Court to dismiss this frivolous case today, and will take up the matter of additional discipline for Mr. Buzbee and all the lawyers that filed the complaint.”
ELSEWHERE IN DIDDY WORLD – On Friday, Combs said he would drop an appeal seeking to be released on bail, meaning he will remain in jail until his May trial on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges — a move that came after the bond request was rejected by federal judges three separate times. Then on Monday, the judge overseeing the criminal case rejected accusations from Diddy’s legal team that federal prosecutors leaked the infamous video of the Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie, ruling there was no proof to such a charge.
HEY HO, LET’S SUE – Johnny Ramone’s widow, Linda Cummings-Ramone, won a legal victory over Joey Ramone‘s brother, Mickey Leigh, in their never-ending feud over control of the pioneering punk band’s legacy. An arbitrator ruled that Leigh’s manager, David Frey, must be terminated as a director on the band’s board for a wide variety of improper conduct, including improperly greenlighting a film project at Netflix with actor Pete Davidson attached to star as Joey. The ruling also detailed how Frey had tanked an opportunity for Linda to throw out the first pitch at a Ramones-themed New York Mets game: “There was no reason to lose this opportunity other than to continue the animosity and dysfunction,” the arbitrator wrote.
QUANDO RONDO SENTENCED – The rapper (Tyquian Terrel Bowman) was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison after striking a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a federal drug offense in Georgia. The deal saw the Savannah-based rapper admit to a single count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana in return for prosecutors dropping more serious charges involving methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.
ASSAULT CASE SETTLED – Paula Abdul and former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged that he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Abdul simply said she was “grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me.”
TIKTOK AT SCOTUS – TikTok asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block the federal law that would ban the popular platform in the United States unless its China-based parent company agreed to sell it. The appeal to the high court came just days after a federal appeals court affirmed the law’s constitutionality, rejecting TikTok’s claims that it violates the First Amendment’s protections for free speech. With the petition filed, the justices are on the clock: The statute banning TikTok — a crucial music industry promotion tool and a platform that now boasts more than 170 million users in the U.S. — goes into effect on Jan. 19.
As the holiday catalog rush threatens to subsume the entirety of popular music this week, one breakout artist debuts an entirely new LP on the top five of the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 21): ROSÉ.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The BLACKPINK alum bows at No. 3 this week — behind a sales-surging Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and a still-hot Kendrick Lamar’s GNX — with her debut solo set Rosie, which moves a very strong 102,000 units in its first week. The album, which features a who’s who of notable pop writers and producers in its credits, is also led by a hit collab with global superstar Bruno Mars, “APT.”
Does the set have another likely hit on it? And what should ROSÉ do next to take advantage of her current momentum? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
Trending on Billboard
1. ROSÉ debuts at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 this week with Rosie, moving 102,000 equivalent album units. If you’re ROSÉ or one of her team members, how excited are you feeling about that bow, on a scale of 1-10?
Rania Aniftos: I’m thinking 9. Sure, it’s not No. 1, but to rank so highly on the Billboard 200 with your debut album as a solo artist is a major accomplishment. It also must be validating for ROSÉ to know that while she’s a major star in BLACKPINK, she can also hold strong on her own.
Christopher Claxton: On a scale of 1-10, I’d say I’m at a solid 9 — not quite a 10 yet because the ultimate goal is always No. 1. That said, landing a debut album at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 is an incredible achievement, especially considering how competitive the charts are right now. It’s a testament to the hard work of ROSÉ and her team, as well as the unwavering support of her fans. This milestone sets the stage for even bigger moments in the future, and it’s exciting to see what’s next!
Kyle Denis: A strong 8. Obviously, the prestige of hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 is something every artist strives for, but +100k units shifted first week and a No. 3 bow aren’t anything to scoff at. Clearly, there’s a sizable audience that has bought into ROSÉ beyond BLACKPINK and arguably beyond “APT.” — the song is still going strong, but Rosie’s opening-week numbers didn’t benefit from that song’s massive first few weeks.
Jason Lipshutz: An 8. Considering that Taylor Swift’s mega-selling (and newly re-stocked) The Tortured Poets Department and Kendrick Lamar’s recent surprise release GNX are still going strong at the top of the Billboard 200, a No. 3 bow for ROSÉ should be treated as a big win. History tells us that solo projects from members of global pop groups are not guaranteed any fraction of commercial success, so ROSÉ kicking off her solo run with a six-figure equivalent album units debut, in addition to a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, represents a launch that’s well above average.
Andrew Unterberger: An 8 feels right. A six-digit bow for ROSÉ is a very big deal, and if you’re going to debut at No. 3 in the year 2024, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar are definitely the two artists you are most comfortable with falling behind.
2. Obviously much of the interest around Rosie is centered around “APT.,” the Bruno Mars collab that has topped the Global 200 for the last eight weeks. After debuting at No. 8 on the Hot 100, the song has been buried somewhat in recent weeks by the deluge of holiday songs — but do you think the song still has the legs to keep growing into one of the defining hits of early 2025?
Rania Aniftos: I feel like SZA’s deluxe album will dominate the start of 2025, just like S.O.S did at the beginning of 2023. However, I certainly don’t think we’ve seen the end of “APT.” They’ve only performed it once and, who knows? Maybe they’ll add another star on a remix to amplify it even more.
Christopher Claxton: “APT.” has already proven itself as a global heavyweight, holding the No. 1 spot on the Global 200 for eight weeks —a huge accomplishment. While the track’s Hot 100 placement has dwindled due to the holiday season, its appeal remains the same. Once the sessional surge subsides, I believe this record has a strong chance of making a comeback, especially with its strong fanbase support and Bruno Mars’ signature touch.
Kyle Denis: Absolutely. Once consumers and radio programmers have finished up their holiday break, they’re going to be on the hunt for pop songs that have a bit of familiarity but don’t feel as overplayed as some of 2024 biggest hits. That’s exactly where songs like “APT,” Kendrick’s trio of instant GNX smashes and Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” come in. “APT” still hasn’t gotten a remix or a Stateside live performance with both ROSÉ and Bruno present, there’s definitely room to grow.
Jason Lipshutz: We’ll see if “APT.” can surpass its No. 8 peak in January, but I’d suspect that the single will be active in the top 20 of the Hot 100 in early 2025, especially considering how it’s started to make noise on top 40 radio in the U.S. — a platform that’s been notoriously allergic to most K-pop artists. With Mars playing co-pilot, a monster global listenership and now a host album to boost streams, though, “APT.” will likely have legs as we kick off the new year.
Andrew Unterberger: It really feels like we’re just getting started with “APT.” It’s already huge, but not so pervasive that it feels like it’s run its course — there’s still a ton of potential new fans out there that probably haven’t even heard it yet — and radio is only just starting to give it its full support, which should only increase once the holiday rush (and Mars’ other huge late-2024 hit, “Die With a Smile”) starts to die down. I’d be pretty surprised if it didn’t hit a new Hot 100 peak in the first couple months of 2025.
3. Do you think there’s a second hit to be found in the Rosie tracklist? If so, what song or songs do you have your eye on for that?
Rania Aniftos: I’m loving “Toxic Till the End.” It’s such a relatable but fun pop song that, with the proper marketing and maybe some social media virality, could propel ROSÉ to Tate McRae- and Chappell Roan-level pop star ranks as a solo star.
Christopher Claxton: Absolutely! I think the next hit could be “Drinks or Coffee,” which is one of my personal favorites from the project. While it hasn’t cracked the Hot 100 yet, I believe it’s just a matter of time. As listeners spend more time with Rosie, they’ll come to appreciate how special that track is. “Drinks or Coffee” stands out because it captures the complexities of modern-day relationships. ROSÉ and her love interest are at a crossroads of intimacy and hesitation, making it deeply relatable for anyone navigating the push-and-pull of human connection.
Kyle Denis: I have my eye on “Toxic Till the End”; it’s got some cool Eternal Sunshine-esque synths and Guts-nodding guitars that keep it in line with top 40’s general sound while offering a specific combination of elements that feels, at least partially, unique to ROSÉ right now. “Gameboy” could also surprise as the album’s second hit.
Jason Lipshutz: I’m all in on “Toxic Till the End,” which follows up the party-ready chants of “APT.” with relationship angst, mid-tempo frustration and a big, moody chorus. It’s a great showcase for ROSÉ, and the type of confident balladry that could serve as a centerpiece for future live performances. “Toxic” placed high on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist when Rosie was released, but couldn’t cut through the holiday deluge on the Hot 100; we’ll see if it has a chance to make noise in 2025, but my fingers are crossed.
Andrew Unterberger: “Toxic Till the End” feels like a great lost Avril Lavigne single — which, as any music fan between the ages of 20 and 40 knows, is just about the biggest compliment you can give a pop-rock single. I worry if it will be able to elbow its way onto the Hot 100 as “APT.” continues to grow in the new year, but I hope there’s some late life in it, because this is a song that deserves to become unavoidable.
4. The BLACKPINK ladies have all done fairly well in their solo careers, but do you think with “APT.” and Rosie that ROSÉ is on her way to stardom totally independently of the group’s massive success?
Rania Aniftos: No doubt in my mind. She’s got the full pop star package: the look, the talent, the creativity and the stage presence. If anything, the BLACKPINK girls’ individual successes will boost the group as a whole even more.
Christopher Claxton: Absolutely. If I’m not mistaken, Rosie is now the highest-ranking album on the Billboard 200 by a K-pop female solo artist, which is a huge milestone. Couple that with the global success of “APT.,” and it’s undeniable that ROSÉ is carving out her own space in the music industry. While BLACKPINK’s success has definitely opened the door for her, ROSÉ’s ability to deliver chart-topping hits that not only connect with listeners on a personal level but make their way to additional playlists proves she’s well on her way to becoming a star in her own right.
Kyle Denis: Yes. “APT.” reached the Hot 100’s top 10 in its first week of a release, a region no song from BLACKPINK or her bandmates has ever sniffed. I think Bruno Mars’ co-sign and the shift away from BLACKPINK’s EDM-heavy sound have helped a lot of people tune into ROSÉ. “APT” feels like it’s pierced the top 40 bubble because it’s simply a catchy song, not because of mass fan mobilization or a larger cultural shift. When you hear ROSÉ’s name, “APT” is probably more likely to come to mind than BLACKPINK – and that’s probably the most important step in establishing her as a solo star independent of her group’s success.
Jason Lipshutz: The success of BLACKPINK undoubtedly helped set up ROSÉ’s high-profile bid for solo stardom, but the best thing about Rosie is that it stands on its own: a listener could be a casual fan of the group, or not a fan at all, and still find a lot to love within ROSÉ’s mainstream-friendly yet intimately drawn pop aesthetic. Because of that, I do believe that she’ll be able to balance her work with BLACKPINK with a durable solo career, especially if ROSÉ continues unveiling more of who she is as an artist and person.
Andrew Unterberger: It feels like she’s there. Again, I’d love to see what kind of longevity the album can have into 2025 — and beyond “APT.” — but the rollout so far has been very impressive, and ROSÉ certainly seems to have the talent and the drive to make it stick.
5. If you were working on ROSÉ’s team, what would you be advising her to focus on in the new year to best take advantage of her current pop momentum?
Rania Aniftos: Live shows! She killed it at the MAMA Awards with Bruno, and it would be a great opportunity to bring the songs and her talents face-to-face with fans. With some festival appearances, she can definitely pick up some more fans along the way.
Christopher Claxton: I hate to say it, but a social media trend can truly work wonders for any musician’s career. If I were on ROSÉ’s team, I’d be thinking about what kind of trend we could create for a song from this album or even for her upcoming music in 2025. Whether it’s a dance challenge, a meme, or something entirely unique, a well-executed trend could drastically change the trajectory of a song’s performance. Based on how well her current singles and album are performing, it’s safe to assume her future releases will do great — but imagine how much further her music could go if a trend pushed it beyond her existing fanbase and into entirely new audiences.
Kyle Denis: Stay as visible as possible, just look at Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024.
Jason Lipshutz: I’d advise her to play the Rosie songs live, as often as possible. No clue what she and the rest of the BLACKPINK ladies have cooked up for 2025, but Rosie is strong enough to warrant a proper tour, and ROSÉ is captivating enough to command sizable audiences. Imagine swaying along in a crowd to “Number One Girl” and “Toxic Till the End,” surrounded by cell phone flashlights! Let’s hope it happens next year.
Andrew Unterberger: Yeah, it’s all about the live performances for me. I’m looking forward to seeing ROSÉ lighting up the award show circuit in early 2025, hopefully with a variety of different approaches to different songs that really demonstrates the full extent of what she’s capable of as a pop star and convinces anyone watching that she belongs as a fixture on those stages. I’m optimistic.
“It’s still pretty awesome and ridiculous that we get paid to do this,” The Bowery Presents founder John “JoMo” Moore says. He and his partner, Jim Glancy, are discussing the 20th anniversary of their concert promotion and venue operation business, which they celebrated by producing four residencies for indie acts they’ve worked with since the beginning of their careers: Modest Mouse, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem and a reunion of TV on the Radio, which was also celebrating a 20th anniversary — the release of its first album.
Although a subsidiary of AEG Presents since 2016, The Bowery Presents remains a brand that, more than any other concert promoter, is closely associated with top-shelf indie artists who began playing in clubs and evolved to arenas. In addition to the aforementioned acts, they include Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The National, Arcade Fire, Phoebe Bridgers and Brandi Carlile. It has also worked with mainstream acts like Adele and Sam Smith.
Trending on Billboard
Over the past two decades, the company has evolved as well. Glancy, who joined Moore from Live Nation in 2006, and AEG’s resources and venues have enabled The Bowery Presents to produce more shows at more — and larger — venues, including Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, where the company is the managing partner.
“We’ve been lucky in that things have continued to evolve,” Glancy says. “I’d go crazy doing the same thing day after day — like being on Broadway and doing A Chorus Line night No. 12,000. We always have interesting stories. We always have incredible opportunities.”
“This painting by the artist Dave McDowell was made for me,” Moore says. “It depicts some of my favorite things in life.”
Nina Westervelt
The company owns, co-owns and/or operates 18 venues in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Virginia and Maine and has booking agreements with another 10. And while not all of them report to Billboard Boxscore, those that do in New York — including Brooklyn Steel, Terminal 5, Webster Hall, Music Hall of Williamsburg and Racket — grossed $17.6 million in the first 10 months of 2024. Forest Hills Stadium alone grossed $20.3 million during its season, although not all shows were promoted by The Bowery Presents or AEG.
You produced four residencies in the past month. Are they the future of booking smaller venues?
JOHN MOORE Residencies may not be the future of booking clubs, but the industry sees merit in confirming multiple shows in a major city and [music] center like New York. And we love to be part of that story when it makes sense for the artist.
What are the most enduring memories of the business and the shows you’ve produced?
MOORE The first 12 years being down on Ludlow Street, where we had a walkup office that was above Pianos [nightclub] from 2004 to June 2017, was a great time to be down there and to be starting the company with Mercury [Lounge] and Bowery Ballroom. We’d walk downstairs to Pianos to see Bon Iver play for the first time — not an underplay, just “Hey, this is the hot new guy.” Doing it on our own for 12 years before partnering with AEG was exciting.
JIM GLANCY For me, it’s the incredible music and the incredible artists that we’ve been able to work with over the last 20 years. Combined, we did 22 shows with LCD, Interpol, Modest Mouse and TV on the Radio over a three-week period. And we’ve probably done a total of 125 or 150 shows with them over the last 20 years. We took dozens and dozens of acts from Mercury Lounge or, later, Rough Trade, all the way up to [Madison Square] Garden. Vampire Weekend and The White Stripes and The Strokes. That’s the way you want the system to work. And we’re still doing that today. I can’t tell you if MJ Lenderman is going to play Madison Square Garden someday, but I can tell you he just did three Music Hall [of Williamsburg] shows in early October, and he’s got three sold-out Brooklyn Steels in April. That’s exciting.
“This is a tabletop painted by a Lower East Side artist Adam Lucas who went by Hanksy,” Moore says. “It’s called ‘Meth Rogen,’ and it’s a mashup of Seth Rogen and Walter White from Breaking Bad.”
Nina Westervelt
Do you have an established path through your venues in which you help artists evolve to play larger spaces?
GLANCY That’s a question for the industry. When we go back 15, 18, 20 years, there was the thing of, “Don’t skip steps. You’ve got to do the 200-capacity step and the 500-capacity step,” and there’s something to that with a career artist. I used to say to JoMo, “How was so-and-so last night?” and he’d say, “They’ll be great after they do another 300 shows.” He meant it. But there’s also the reality in this age, particularly in 2024, where things go viral and happen fast.
Do you ever tell an agent or manager, “No, that’s too big a venue for this act”?
MOORE It’s all about relationships with the agents and managers. In general, they seem to have a clear path of what they want and depending on what our relationship is, they’re calling and saying, “Hey, we were thinking of X, Y and Z.” And we’ll say, “I know that you’re thinking about Terminal 5, but the timing is right to consider Webster Hall and Brooklyn Steel.” We ultimately need to trust them if they want to go bigger than we think, or we choose not to do it. We definitely are involved in the process but we’re not telling them what to do — and we’d like to sometimes.
Rising indie acts have a tougher time making a profit or even breaking even on tours. And yet, tickets to those shows are usually affordable. How does that work?
GLANCY Here’s the dirty secret: The act is not making any money, and neither are we. We’re both betting on our respective futures. If we look at our average ticket price at Music Hall of Williamsburg and go back over the last 10 years, it probably went from a $15 to an $18 or $19 ticket. You’ve got smaller rooms because it’s a sense of discovery. What you’re banking on is, it’s a student, it’s someone who’s living probably paycheck to paycheck. We want to make sure there’s not a barrier to entry for them. I think most agents, managers, artists are on the same wavelength.
“I have a strong attachment to New Orleans,” Glancy says. “This is a bottle of New Orleans R&B singer Ernie K-Doe’s hot sauce that the Allman Brothers’ manager Bert Holman gave me.”
Nina Westervelt
Do you work on ticket prices with managers and agents?
MOORE Yes, they often have an idea, like, “How about a $35 ticket?” Or sometimes they’ll say, “We need to make $10,000,” so then it’s backward math. To get $10,000 you need this ticket price. And then the question is, is that actually the right price?
GLANCY Every deal should start with “What’s the ticket price?” But as these bands get a little bigger, it’s “We need this price.” Then you’re working backward, and you’re going to start making bad decisions and bad habits. Setting a ticket price based on a requested guarantee will sometimes yield higher ticket prices than the fan base will support.
What are the advantages of being owned by AEG?
GLANCY When you’re independent, there are some things you do really well and there are some things you don’t do well. At the most basic level, with AEG, we’re getting a critical mass of information. When you’re in a silo by yourself, you’re only as good as your own borders. So the fact that our general managers can get on a weekly call with other GMs in the Northeast — we’re Virginia up to Maine — the Rocky Mountains, [AEG’s] Goldenvoice and, in the Southeast, our Zero Mile Presents counterparts, that’s invaluable. The same thing goes for our more than 100 sales and sponsorship people. And at Bowery, we were bad at the things that were least sexy to us: finance, accounting, IT, legal, HR. All those are important for running a company, especially a growing company. AEG has been incredible in that regard.
I wear this badge to high-profile gigs and special occasions,” Glancy explains. “It says, ‘Bowery Presents Bank Enforcement,’ with my name on it. It was inspired by a Bowery Bank commercial that Glancy stumbled upon on YouTube that features Joe DiMaggio saying, ‘Come to the Bowery. They’ll give you a lot of money.’ We send that out to agents.”
Nina Westervelt
Where do you see your company in five years?
GLANCY There are some interesting outdoor opportunities: in Maine and Suffolk Downs in Boston. We’re going to have a great season in 2025. We’re the managing partner at Forest Hills Stadium, and if you look at from when we came on in 2021 or 2022 post-COVID to where we were before, everything is just humming out there. We’re back booking CMAC in Rochester [N.Y.]. We’re involved in Westville in New Haven [Conn.], a couple of venues down in the Richmond, Va., area. There’s a couple of larger outdoor projects that are going to hopefully shake out for us in the next year or two. Under the K Bridge — the Kosciuszko Bridge between Queens and Brooklyn — this past year, it tended to all be DJs. I think you’re going to see a little broader programming in 2025 and beyond. It’s a unique New York moment where it feels kind of wild and lawless. Meanwhile, it’s very much by the book, permitted and done properly. People that walk in there are just like WTF, and then there’s actually porta johns. You’re not peeing in a bush. Although a few people did, just for the record.
In the debate over whether ticket prices are too high, the response is often “Maybe, but the cost of touring has skyrocketed.” Who should be making a little less money?
MOORE Everybody should make a little less. Everybody is making more [now], but, genuinely, from the bus to the hotel, to our landlord to the electric company, rentals, etc., everything has gone up. We don’t know how realistic it is for everything to go down. I would much rather someone go to two shows in a year than pull every single dollar out of them for one. Back in the early 2000s, Jim and I would see civilians at shows that we recognized and say hello to them — not because we knew them personally, but because they came to a lot of shows as fans. And I’m seeing less of that.
The final ranking of American Idol season 2 might be a little foggy to Kelly Clarkson, but in her defense, it was 20 years ago.
If there’s anyone who won’t ever forget who was first and second place on the 2003 program, however, it’s Clay Aiken, who finished the show as runner-up to Ruben Studdard — something the “This Is the Night” singer had to remind his fellow Idol alum on Monday’s (Dec. 16) The Kelly Clarkson Show.
While reflecting on their days traveling together as American Idol royalty during the competition series’ early days, Clarkson mistakenly said to Aiken, “We toured after you won — the Independent Tour, I think it was called.”
The former politician’s face then comically froze up as he corrected her through stiff lips, “After I came in second.”
Trending on Billboard
Upon realizing her error, the “Stronger” vocalist looked directly into the camera and issued a hilarious apology. “So sorry — Ruben, I totally remembered that!” she said, cracking up. “Look, I’m 42, bro. I forgot.”
Clarkson became the first-ever American Idol victor in 2002, with Studdard winning the following season and Aiken placing in second. The two men went on to stay friends and collaborators, and in 2023, they toured together to celebrate their 20th Idol anniversary. They also competed side-by-side on the 11th season of The Masked Singer earlier this year.
“I’m sure we’ll do stuff again,” Aiken told Clarkson of working with the “Flying Without Wings” musician. “We’re sort of inseparable — I think we’re better together than apart.”
The “Since U Been Gone” artist noted that she would likely be hearing from Studdard following her mixup — “He’s gonna be like, ‘I won, but fine,’” she joked — and Aiken agreed. “He will be calling me, without question,” he said, nodding.
Elsewhere in the show, Aiken performed “Do You Hear What I Hear?” for Clarkson’s audience. The performer is fresh off the release of his new holiday album Christmas Bells Are Ringing, which dropped in November.
See the hilarious moment Clarkson forgot who won American Idol season 2 above.