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Delia Orjuela and Ruben Abraham Named Co-Heads of WMG’s Mexican Music Division

Warner Music has revamped its regional Mexican music operation, announcing veteran executives Delia Orjuela and Ruben Abraham as co-heads of its growing Música Mexicana division.

In their new roles, Orjuela and Abraham will jointly lead the division’s overall strategy for the U.S. and Mexico. Orjuela will focus on artist relations and creative projects, and Abraham will concentrate on operations, growth and dealmaking.

Abraham, an 18-year veteran of Warner, was most recently senior vp of marketing and artist strategy for Warner Music Latina, based out of Miami.

He will now join Orjuela – who joined Warner Music Latina as general manager of Mexican music in 2021–in Los Angeles. Both executives will report to Tomás Rodríguez, president of Warner Music Mexico and Central America, with additional oversight from Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America.

Warner’s restructure is aligned with the label’s new focus on Mexican music. Years before, Warner had been a powerhouse in that arena, but over the years the label focused more on pop.

Once Duque joined the company as president in 2021, he made Mexican music a priority and launched the Música Mexicana division, signing acts like Los Aptos, Tomas Ballardo and DannyLux, who performed at Coachella this year. Last year, the label also signed veterans Grupo Pesado, who had been in Warner decades ago, and stars like El Komander.

“Música Mexicana is a diverse body of music with a long, rich, and beautiful history. Delia and Ruben’s deep experience, relationships, and passion for Mexican music make them the ideal leaders as we strengthen our commitment to taking Música Mexicana into a new era of global growth and influence,” said Duque in a statement.

“I look forward to leading Warner Music’s Música Mexicana division alongside my colleague Ruben Abraham,” said Orjuela. “Together, we will build on the foundation that has been established to help take Mexican artists and music to new heights.”

“It’s an honor to help shape the future of Música Mexicana,” said Abraham. “The growth of Mexican music consumption in Mexico itself and in the U.S. is a big priority for us, and I’m excited to collaborate with Delia to accelerate our artist development and reach. With the teams, tools, and expertise of our network, we have an incredible opportunity to amplify Mexican music worldwide.”

Tomas Rodriguez adds: “Delia and Ruben are powerhouses when it comes to championing artists and driving business results. Our Música Mexicana efforts are in the perfect hands under their strategic leadership.”

Regional Mexican music, also known as Música Mexicana, has long been one of the backbones of Spanish language music in the United States, bolstered by a huge Mexican American population. But in the past year, both local and global interest in the music has exploded, and major labels like Sony and Warner are putting new emphasis and resources behind the music.

Keefe D Tupac Murder Trial Scheduled For June 2024

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TOPSHOT-US-ENTERTAINMENT-CRIME-TUPAC-COURT

Source: JOHN LOCHER / Getty

Keefe D’s opportunity to defend his name has been set. His murder trial has been scheduled for next summer.

KTNV Las Vegas is reporting that the Compton, California native will get his day in court. On Tuesday, November 7 Clark County Judge Carli Kearney hosted a hearing and scheduled the murder trial to commence on June 3, 2024. The man born Keith Duane Davis faces charges relating to the murder of Tupac Shakur. On Thursday, November 2 Davis pled not guilty to the crime even though he has conducted several interviews where he admitted to being in the vehicle that fatally shot the “All Eyez On Me” rapper.

During an 2018 interview with BET he gave further details behind that tragic evening. “When we pulled up, I was in the front seat,” Davis said. When asked by the interviewer “Who shot Tupac?” he responded “Going to keep it for the code of the streets,” Davis said. “It just came from the backseat, bro.” He also spoke about the incident in his memoir Compton Street Legend. “Tupac made an erratic move and began to reach down beneath his seat,” Keefe wrote in the book. “It was the first and only time in my life that I could relate to the police command, ‘Keep your hands where I can see them.’ Instead, Pac pulled out a strap, and that’s when the fireworks started. One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back.”

Keefe D will not face the death penalty if convicted.

OG’s Back: Peep The New ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Trailer

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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Source: Sony Pictures / Sony

With the success of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it was guaranteed that Sony Pictures would green light another installment of the revamped 80’s franchise. In 2024, we’ll once again be treated to a new comedic supernatural tale featuring your favorite ghosthunting OG’s alongside the new generation of paranormal investigators.

On Wednesday (Nov. 9), Sony released its first trailer to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire which stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace who will once again take up arms against a new supernatural entity that’s awoken from a centuries-long slumber. After the events that took place in Afterlife, the new ghostbusting team have relocated to New York City only to find that evil will follow them wherever they go.

When a weird Game of Thrones-ish winter hits the Big Apple and kills millions of people with pure cold, Rudd and his team of teenaged ghost riders have to figure out how to stop this new threat to the world. And luckily for them they’ll have the OG Ghostbusters in Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd and Ernie Hudson to help navigate them through this new mission. We honestly hope the OG trio don’t die in this film just to make room for the new team, but we have a feeling that might happen.

Set to drop next Spring, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will be the fifth entry into the popular franchise, but we’re sure it won’t be the last. Well, if this one doesn’t bomb at the box office anyway.

Check out the trailer for the Gil Kenan-directed film below and let us know if you’ll be checking for this when it hits theaters in 2024.



Sony Music México Launches M4 Records in Alliance With Manuel Cuevas

Sony Music México announced on Thursday (Nov. 9) the launch of M4 Records, a label run by music executive Manuel Cuevas, who has helped propel the careers of artists such as Carlos Rivera, Yuridia, Lila Downs, Filipa Giordano, Gilberto Santa Rosa and, more recently, regional Mexican singer Luis Ángel “El Flaco”.

“Manuel is an executive with a great passion for music, who for more than 35 successful years with Sony Music has demonstrated exemplary commitment,” Roberto López, president of Sony Music México, says in a press release. “With all his experience, now is the ideal time for this next step, in which M4 Records artists will benefit from his unique talent and energy. I thank Manuel for his trust, and I am sure that M4 Records will be a great platform to boost the careers of artists and create new success stories.”

“It is a great pride for me to be able to continue promoting new talent thanks to this new label created together with my Sony Music Mexico family,” adds Cuevas, who had been working in recent years as svp, sales & strategic marketing for Sony Music México.

The new label aims to develop music and projects of different genres that reach new markets, working hand in hand with Cuevas, who has helped create concepts such as Rock en tu Idioma Sinfónico; Pandora and Flans’ Inesperado Tour; Grupo Cañaveral and La Sonora Dinamita’s Juntos por la Cumbia; Tania Libertad, Eugenia León and Guadalupe Pineda’s Las Tres Grandes; in addition to the returns of Los Babys, Leo Dan and La Sonora Santanera.

In this project that just begins, Cuevas is accompanied by his son José Manuel Cuevas, who already has several years of experience developing artists in the urban and regional Mexican genres.

Who Should Win Album of the Year at the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards? Vote!

The 2023 Latin Grammys are coming up next week, and this year they’re being held for the first time in Seville, Spain. Some of the biggest names in Latin music are competing for album of the year (one of the four main awards, along with song of the year, record of the year and best new artist), but who will take home the coveted trophy on Nov. 16?

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See latest videos, charts and news

This year’s 10 contenders are Pablo Alborán‘s La Cu4rta Hoja, Paula ArenasA Ciegas, Camilo‘s De Adentro Pa Afuera, Andrés Cepeda‘s Décimo Cuarto, JuanesVida Cotidiana, Karol G‘s Mañana Será Bonito, Natalia Lafourcade‘s De Todas Las Flores, Ricky Martin‘s Play, Fito Páez‘s EADDA9223 and Carlos VivesEscalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así.

Karol G made history in March with Mañana Será Bonito, which became the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to reach No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Lafourcade recorded Flores — her first full-length since 2015’s Latin Grammy-winning Hasta La Raíz, which she debuted at the prestigious Carnegie Hall on October 2022 — on analog tape.

Juanes, with his first studio album of original music in four years, delves into the themes of family and the issues affecting his native Colombia in Vida. Páez gives a fresh perspective on his 1992 classic El Amor Después Del Amor, adding innovative arrangements for a new generation. And Vives breathes new life into the classics of the great Colombian composer Rafael Escalona.

But who do you think should win best new artist at the Latin Grammys on Nov. 16? Vote in our poll below!

Remy Ma & Eazy The Block Captain Fuel Entanglement Rumors At NFL Game

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NMAAHC Hip-Hop Block Party

Source: Brian Stukes / Getty

Remy Ma has some explaining to do. She was spotted at the Eagles game with Eazy The Block Captain and the internets think they are an item.

HipHopDX is reporting that the two Rap talents were seen attending the recent Philadelphia Eagles football game on Sunday, November 5 during their victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Fans in attendance spotted the two rappers together at Lincoln Financial Field Stadium looking like they were on a date. The man who filmed the two incorrectly identified the battle rapper as her husband Papoose but the internet quickly made correction.

Rumors about the two first started circulating around back in June when it was reported her husband knocked out Eazy at a Chrome 23 battle rap event titled “#TheGrudgeCard. Remy Ma quickly denounced the rumors on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’d like to apologize to everyone that was disappointed tonight because we couldn’t get 3 full rounds from all the opponents… I tried…and can y’all pleasee STOP with the Eazy & Pap LIES,” she tweeted. “There’s NO place like Chrome! Right back at it; see y’all in August #Chrome23.”

Fast forward to September, Eazy had a battle with Geechi Gotti and addressed the rumors in one of his rounds while Remy stood a couple of feet away. “If you heard a ni*** did something to me over a female. And he ain’t dead, it’s prolly cause I still got the female” Eazy rapped. Additionally, Eazy and Remy Ma were also spotted grabbing some seafood at Red Lobster that same month. While Remy Ma and Papoose have yet to address the speculation neither have posted about each other on their respective social media accounts since earlier this year.

The two wed in 2015.

The Beatles, Drake, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift & More: The Acts With the Most Billboard 200 & Hot 100 No. 1s Combined

Topping the Billboard 200 albums chart or the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart marks a milestone achievement for any artist.

Topping both tallies reflects that an act can boast mass appeal with a full collection of music along with the ability to translate that reach to hit singles.

Who has the most combined No. 1s on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100?

With the most No. 1s on each ranking (through charts dated Nov. 11, 2023), The Beatles, thus, claim the most leaders on the lists combined: 39, via 20 No. 1s on the Hot 100 and 19 on the Billboard 200. The Fab Four first topped the charts in February 1964, thanks to “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and parent album Meet the Beatles, respectively. Their run of Billboard 200 No. 1s stretches through their retrospective 1 in 2000-01.

Drake leads all soloists and ranks second overall with 26 combined Billboard 200 and Hot 100 No. 1s, an equal 13 on each chart. He added his latest leaders with For All the Dogs and the set’s “First Person Shooter” (featuring J. Cole) in October.

Pacing women artists, Mariah Carey has posted 25 No. 1s on the charts. She has 19 leaders, the most among soloists, on the Hot 100, and six on the Billboard 200.

Taylor Swift follows with 24 No. 1s: 13 on the Billboard 200 – her total swelled on the Nov. 11 chart with the launch of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – and 11 on the Hot 100, likewise a new total thanks to the coronation of the album’s “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault].” Swift is the only woman, and has joined The Beatles and Drake among all acts, with double-digit No. 1s on both rankings.

Rounding out the top five, Madonna has earned 21 No. 1s on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 combined, with 12 on the latter and nine on the former.

(Notably, Paul McCartney accounts for a whopping 56 combined Billboard 200 and Hot 100 No. 1s, with The Beatles’ 39 augmented by 17 more by McCartney solo, including his output with Wings.)

Below, browse the list of the superstars with the most combined No. 1s on the Billboard 200, which began with the survey dated March 24, 1956, and the Hot 100, which premiered with the edition dated Aug. 4, 1958.

Beyoncé Drops Fierce, Funky Second Trailer For ‘RENAISSANCE’ Film

Beyoncé dropped a new trailer for her upcoming RENAISSANCE: A Film by Beyoncé movie on Thursday morning (Nov. 9), which promises to capture the eye-popping global tour of the same name in all its silver-streaked, bass-thumping glory.

The film, directed by the singer, will hit theaters around the world on Dec. 1 after its Los Angeles premiere on Nov. 25 (and a London premiere on Nov. 30), with tickets available to purchase now. Like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie — which will exit theaters this weekend after grossing more than $350 million globally — RENAISSANCE is the result of a direct deal Bey struck between her Parkwood Entertainment and distributor AMC Entertainment.

The dramatic trailer opens with an image of the singer in a golden shadow, intoning, “I close my eyes and travel through realms of space and time. Reality holds no power or control of my state of mind on my voyage,” as the screen fills with images of screaming fans and the tour’s elaborate, space-age visuals.

“To find a source to charge my inner being,” she continues. “Assembly line frequency as I tap my MPC.” A choir singing “welcome to the renaissance” rises up under footage of Bey strutting down the catwalk in a black leather catsuit as she adds, “In this world that is very male-dominated I’ve had to be really tough to balance motherhood and being on the stage… it just reminds me of who I really am.”

The screen then fills with a succession of shots from the show, as well as footage of Beyoncé sharing special moments with her children and husband Jay-Z and more glimpses of the tour’s iconic silver stage outfits. It shifts to a quick-cut of highlights of the action from the tour that hit 39 cities in 12 countries and played to 2.7 million fans while grossing $580 million. It ends with more looks cut to the Renaissance album single “Break My Soul” and a final, legendary image of the superstar astride her enormous glittering prop horse.

Like the Swift movie, the RENAISSANCE film will air on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with multiple showtimes on each day.

Watch the trailer below.



Timbaland Issues Apology For Britney Spears Comment

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2023 A3C Conference

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

Timbaland is offering up an apology for a comment he made about Britney Spears in reference to artist and collaborate Justin Timberlake recently.

The hit producer Timbaland was sitting down for an interview with fellow beatmaker 9th Wonder at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on October 29. An audience member asked Timbaland about Britney Spears’ mentioning of former boyfriend Justin Timberlake in her recently released memoir, The Woman In Me. “She’s going crazy, right?”, Timbaland began with a laugh, before saying:  “I wanted to call and say, ‘JT, man, you gotta put a muzzle on that girl.’”

The audience’s reaction was filled with laughter and some murmurs as Timbaland continued, stating that Spears’ intent in writing the memoir detailing her life under conservatorship and the numerous moments of the trauma she endured was to “go viral”. “We live in an age of social media and […] everybody wanna go viral,” he said. “I get it ’cause that’s the way you make money, go viral – I gotta do something that gets people’s attention.”

The comments would soon become viral, with many chastising Timbaland for being crass. It prompted the producer to apologize during his regular TikTok live sessions on Tuesday (November 7). “I apologize to the Britney fans and her,” he said as he read a comment discussing the remarks. “Yes, ‘you know about respecting women?’ Hell yeah.”

In The Woman In Me, Spears wrote extensively about her three-year relationship with Timberlake, revealing that she had an abortion: “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.” The pop star also spoke about the “Cry Me A River” music video, which she felt made her look like a “harlot who’d broken the heart of America’s golden boy,” after their 2002 breakup, even noting how the woman in the video bore a resemblance to her. 

Amazon Music Hit With Layoffs

Amazon started cutting jobs in the company’s music division this week, according to Reuters

“We have been closely monitoring our organizational needs and prioritizing what matters most to customers and the long-term health of our businesses,” an Amazon spokesperson told Billboard in a statement. “Some roles have been eliminated on the Amazon Music team. We will continue to invest in Amazon Music, and spend our resources on the products and services that matter most to customers, creators, and artists.”

The rep did not provide any information on the extent of the cuts.

The latest wave of cuts adds to a brutal period for tech — and a rough one for the music industry. In the last 18-ish months, the tech behemoths, from Google to Meta to X (formerly Twitter) to Microsoft, have all laid off tens of thousands of workers. 

Amazon has also gone through waves of big cuts already, first eliminating 18,000 jobs, and then cutting another 9,000. “The overriding tenet of our annual planning this year was to be leaner while doing so in a way that enables us to still invest robustly in the key long-term customer experiences that we believe can meaningfully improve customers’ lives and Amazon as a whole,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees in March. 

In July, the site layoffs.fyi, which tracks the tech industry, estimated that more than 386,000 tech workers had been fired around the world since the beginning of 2022. 

In music, Downtown Music Holdings, Warner Music Group, Spotify, Motown Records, Soundcloud, BMI, and more have laid off employees. (Downtown and SoundCloud have both done two rounds of cuts.) The language music executives have used in their layoff announcements has echoed messages from the tech world, often relying on buzzwords — think “efficiency” and “evolution” — and emphasizing the importance of “future success” as if that suddenly became an organizational priority.  

It’s widely believed around the music industry that there are more layoffs to come.