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29 Aug 2023

Travis Scott Vows To Help Kai Cenat Get IShowSpeed Unbanned From Twitch

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It’s been a wild summer for popular game streamer, Kai Cenat. He was arrested earlier this month for “inciting” a riot in New York City but later on won Streamer Of The Year at the Streamy Awards (yes, that’s a thing).

Now, the GOAT streamer is getting some star studded help from Travis Scott. The Utopia rapper is vowing to help Cenat get IShowSpeed show unbanned from Twitch right after Cenat announced that he is considering leaving Twitch if they don’t reinstate fellow content creator IShowSpeed. According to Game Rant, Kai isn’t too happy that Twitch shutdown IShowSpeed’s channel and is doing what he can to assist in their return.

Game Rant reports:

…Kai has solidified his position as the leading streamer on Twitch, thanks to his groundbreaking 2023 subathon that shattered numerous platform records. Similarly, IShowSpeed has amassed a staggering 20 million subscribers, though it’s worth noting that prior to his YouTube venture, IShowSpeed was an active streamer on Twitch. In 2021, IShowSpeed faced a permanent ban from the platform due to making sexist remarks during a show called E-Date.

Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed are known to be friends and frequently collaborate on hosting streams together. However, a prominent issue has arisen due to IShowSpeed’s Twitch ban. Twitch’s policy prevents banned streamers from returning to the platform, and this seems to be why Kai Cenat has been advocating for a reconsideration of IShowSpeed’s ban. His most recent effort took place just before the 2023 Streamy Awards during a livestream. He remarked that if IShowSpeed’s ban remains in place, he might consider leaving the platform. He then followed this up with a light-hearted comment, clarifying that his previous statement was made in jest.

This is a situation that the average Hip-Hopper on the block knows little to nothing about, but now they got Travis Scott riding with them? Could be a monster assist should the “Highest In The Room” rapper decide to flex his muscle in this situation. How? Who knows, but gamers must be excited about the news.

What do y’all think of this situation? Sound off in the comments section below.

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29 Aug 2023

NMIXX Reflects on Baby Being Placed Onstage During Concert: ‘It Looked So Dangerous’

NMIXX traveled stateside once more to perform at this year’s KCON LA, which took place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 18-20. Backstage at the festivities, the girl group — which consists of members Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo and Kyujin — caught up with Billboard News to talk about the event, as well as a recent viral incident during which a fan placed a baby onstage during their Seattle showcase concert.

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“It looked so dangerous, so I gave the baby back to its mom,” Kyujin recalled of the May incident. Lily elaborated and said that the girls “never had that happen before. It was quite surprising, so we were kinda just likem ‘What should we do?’ But I think Kyujin handled it well.”

NMIXX’s KCON appearance marked their second time performing at the event. “Originally, we went to KCON for the first time last year, and also recently we went to L.A. for our showcase tour and so this is our third time in L.A.,” Lily said on behalf of Jiwoo, who spoke in Korean. “She said that she’s very happy.”

Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly noted how unique it is that NMIXX sings in their filmed dance practices. While it isn’t commonplace, Lily stated there’s a reason for that. “On stage, we’re always with our mics, we always sing live, so I think it’s important for us to also sing offstage just even if we’re practicing dance to do the vocals as well. That way, we can actually do better on stage,” she explained.

As for what’s next for NMIXX, the girls feel the only way they can go is up. “I can feel we’re growing, so I’m looking forward to our future!” Kyujin said.

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with NMIXX in the video above.

29 Aug 2023

Eminem Gets Political, Judge Quotes Biggie, Isley Brothers Keep Fighting & More Top Legal News

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: Eminem invokes special political licensing rules to block a Republican presidential candidate from using his music at rallies; a federal judge cites Biggie & Wu-Tang to dismiss a copyright case; the messy Isley Brothers lawsuit has no quick end in sight; and much more.

Want to get The Legal Beat newsletter in your email inbox every Tuesday? Subscribe here for free.

THE BIG STORY: Eminem Pulls Music From GOP Candidate

Eminem is demanding that a Republican presidential candidate stop using “Lose Yourself” on campaign stops — and, lucky for him, licensing groups like ASCAP and BMI have made it easy for him to do so.

In a letter obtained by Billboard, a rep for BMI formally asked Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign last week to stop using Eminem’s music, saying the star himself had requested that they do so. The move came less than two weeks after the candidate was captured in a viral video rapping the lyrics to the smash hit song at an event in Iowa.

“This letter serves as notice that the Eminem Works are excluded from the Agreement effective immediately,” the group wrote in the letter. “BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies.”

A spokeswoman for the campaign quickly announced that Ramaswamy would comply, saying they would “leave the rapping to the real Slim Shady.”

And that’s because they pretty much had to under the terms of BMI’s special “political entities” license – a unique legal solution crafted to address the problem of music stars who want to freely license their songs to stadiums, bars and other public spaces, but not to certain politicians.

To learn more about Eminem’s letter to Ramaswamy – and the history of top artists complaining about their music being used at political rallies – go read our full story over at Billboard.

Other top stories…

JUDGE KNOWS HER HIP HOP – It’s not every day that you see a federal judge cite Biggie, Wu-Tang, Kanye, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Neil Young in a single ruling. But that’s what Judge Martha Pacold did when she tossed out a copyright lawsuit against Future claiming he ripped off his 2018 song “When I Think About It” from an earlier track by a little-known Virginia rapper.

TRUMP HIRES GUNNA’S LAWYER – Facing a sweeping racketeering case in Atlanta, former President Donald Trump hired attorney Steven Sadow, a veteran Georgia criminal defense attorney who just represented Gunna in the high-profile criminal case against Young Thug and other rappers. Sadow, who has also represented Rick Ross, T.I. and Usher, will take over for Drew Findling, another lawyer with close ties to Atlanta’s hip hop community.

ISLEY BATTLE CONTINUES – A federal judge refused to quickly end a nasty lawsuit pitting members of the Isley Brothers against each other over the trademark rights to the band’s name. The ruling means more litigation over Rudolph Isley’s accusation that brother Ronald Isley of improperly is trying to secure sole ownership over a name that’s supposed to be jointly owned.

R. KELLY’S UMG ROYALTIES – More than $500,000 in R. Kelly’s royalties held by Universal Music Group must be handed over to Brooklyn federal prosecutors to help pay his victims, a federal judge ruled last week. The decision covers most of Kelly’s money held by Universal, but leaves unresolved questions about his funds held by Sony, Kelly’s former label, and about millions in additional money he owes to victims and debtors in other cases.

NAME CHANGE ENDS ‘FEST’ SUIT – Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins agreed to change the name of an upstart “TC Summer Fest” concert series in Minneapolis, a month after they were sued for trademark infringement by the organizers of Milwaukee’s decades-old Summerfest. The lawsuit accused the Twins of picking the name to “piggy-back” on the success of the existing event.

LIVE NATION SUED OVER INJURY – A stagehand hired to prepare a recent concert by The Weeknd in Texas is suing Live Nation, claiming that the company is liable for negligence after his leg was run over by a forklift while the stage was being built.

29 Aug 2023

How That Mexican OT Is Putting Tejano Rap on the Map With ‘Johnny Dang’

The inspiration for “Johnny Dang” came to That Mexican OT (Outta Texas) in an unexpectedly casual manner — while listening to Slick Rick’s flow in “Children’s Story,” the hip-hop legend’s 1989 top 5 hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. For the cowboy hat-donning Texas rapper, creative outbursts arrive with no notice. “Louis Vuitton umbrella when I walk through the rain,” he raps with a familiar lilt while on the phone with Billboard.

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“Johnny Dang” is also an ode to the highly sought after Texas jeweler of the same name who appears in the music video. Johnny Dang is arguably hip-hop’s go-to jeweler, designing extravagant chains and grills for artists like Beyoncé, Migos, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, Ye and many more.

Another surreal experience for the Bay City, Texas rapper came through enlisting Houston hip-hop legend Paul Wall and rap newcomer DRODi, who is OT’s close friend. “It was cool, it really was. But it’s mostly crazy,” OT says about pulling Wall to the track. “It’s cool to bring it back [home] because my uncles grew up jamming [to his music], you know?… And DRODi is one of my best friends. It’s beautiful watching him grow.”

The results have paid off. The rustic single with a slow-burning trap beat is quickly climbing the Billboard charts, making it That Mexican OT (real name Virgil René Gazca) and DRODI’s first time on the Hot 100. The song — which was released May 26 via Manifest/GoodTalk/Good Money Global — debuted at No. 97 and reached a new high at No. 65 on the Hot 100 dated Sep. 1. It currently boasts 20 million YouTube views, and over 36 million Spotify streams.

He is effortlessly putting Tejano (a Mexican person from Texas) rap on the map by creating a style that’s captivating and truly authentic. Billboard caught up with the artist to talk about making the Hot 100, how lucha libre culture inspired his latest album Lonestar Luchador and why he’s a proud “country boy before anything.”

What went through your head when you found out that you made the Hot 100. 

Nothing. I don’t really focus on that. I feel that when I focus on my accomplishments, I get big-headed, and I don’t ever want to have to humble myself, nor do I want to ever get comfortable. I stay in total vision to my music. When they hit Billboard, it’s like, all right, cool. But No. [65] is not good enough. I want to be at No. 1.

How did “Johnny Dang” come together? Talk to me about the inspiration.

We were at my apartment, and I was knocking a beat. I didn’t know that they was recording me. [Producer TobiAli] played the “Johnny Dang” beat [and] I was like, “Bet, I need that one. I don’t even need you to show me no more. I only want that one.” He sent it [and] I thought of a word. You know Slick Rick? You know that tun nun nun nun nu nu nu nu nu nu... It’s also from Inspector Gadget, and the “Children’s Story” [song]: “Once upon a time not long ago…” That flow right there, that’s all Slick Rick’s flow. That was the whole inspiration for that [lyric], “Louis Vuitton umbrella when I walk through the rain…” I got the inspiration from Slick Rick.

You have Paul Wall and DRODi on the tracks. How was it working with a Houston rap legend like Paul Wall?

It’s cool to show off in front of my people about it. It really was an accomplishment for me. I’m very grateful for it, and I’m excited about it. I see bigger things for me; I want to do better. That’s all it is. DRODi is one of my best friends, so it’s always beautiful having him in my music.

You got Johnny Dang in the video. What was it like having him there? Did he design your grills? 

No, he actually didn’t design my grill. I already had my grill. I had diamonds when I was just plain old Virgil. It was cool watching him be in the video. You could tell he’ll do a good job of making you feel loved and wanted, but you could tell it was strictly about business.

You fuse your Mexican heritage with Texas rap culture. The tattoos, the grill, but also the cowboy hat and boots. Tell me about your style. 

I’m a country boy before anything. English was my first [language]. I’m a Texan before anything. I definitely have my Mexican culture — I love my Mexican culture — but I’m a country boy. I’m a Texas Mexican. There’s no Mexican like a Tejano.

What would you like an outsider that is not from Texas to know about Texas? What is one of the things that you have the most pride in showcasing about Texas?

Just our whole culture, our steelo, our swagger, the cars we drive, how we talk, the things that we choose to do. You know what I’m saying? Everything about Texas is beautiful.

You draw a lot of inspiration from the luchador culture in your album, Lonestar Luchador. How did the luchador become the star in your album?

It just made sense. I don’t put much thinking into it. God put it in my head without me even knowing, and it just came out naturally.

Did you grow up watching a lot of lucha libre?

Yeah, of course. I watched a lot of WWE. I watched lucha libre for sure. [When I went with] my nanny and my tío in the [Mexican] border towns of Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo, where people pass and all that, every time, I had to go get new masks [from the store stands of the border crossing point] and bring them back over here [to the U.S.]. I was surrounded by it, fasho.

Tell me what else you have underway.  

I’m continuing to work on this project. Now that I dropped [Lonestar Luchador], every single song on it has a video to it, so I’m going to be continuing to drop videos for the project. And while I’m doing that, I got a tour coming up. My first show on tour is going to be on September 5th and I’m opening up in Denver — Denver always goes crazy for me. I’m touring my music, really, that’s all I can say. I can’t tell you too much. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprises.

OT, thanks for taking the time to have this chat.

People like you are making my dreams come true. I love this. I don’t know what else I’d be doing. I got zero patience. I got a horrible temper. I already don’t like dealing with people, so this music had to wait for me. I had no choice [and] I thank God. That’s why I go so hard.

A version of this story originally appeared in the Aug. 26, 2023, issue of Billboard.

29 Aug 2023

Jay-Z Re-Joins Instagram to Promote ‘The Book of Clarence’ Biblical Epic

Jay-Z is back on Instagram, again. The hip-hop mogul who has long been one of the most prominent A-list holdouts on the service uploaded his first — and so far only — post on Tuesday morning (Aug. 29): the trailer for the Biblical epic The Book of Clarence.

The drama executive produced by Jay stars Atlanta‘s LaKeith Stanfield as Clarence, described as a Jerusalem native who is a “streetwise but down-on-his-luck” man struggling to make a better life for his family while trying to emerge from debt. “Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah and His apostles, [Clarence] risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out.”

Jay’s posting of the film’s first trailer is significant because it, technically, marks his first Instagram post. But back in 2021, Hov briefly went Instagram official to promote another film he executive produced, the revenge Western The Harder They Fall, before shutting down his page a day later. At the time he accumulated nearly 800,000 followers in just a few hours. At press time the new account hyping Clarence had racked up around 775 followers in its first hour.

The Sony/TriStar Pictures/Legendary Pictures production was directed by Jeymes Samuel, who was also behind the camera for The Harder They Fall, his directorial debut that featured Stanfield. Clarence, due in theaters on Jan. 12, also stars Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard and Teyana Taylor.

“I wanted to tell a Bible story about an everyman,” Samuel told Vanity Fair of his effort to put Black characters at the center of a genre drama in the same way he did with Harder. “I always wanted to explore the Bible stories, but from the angle of the person that sells Jesus his sandals, the woman or man that owns the hair salon.”

Producer Hov told the magazine that he worried that people who heard the the premise might “immediately just focus on the religious aspect of it and not the human story,” with the piece noting that the film doesn’t make fun o religion or Biblical stories, but “rather attempts to expand that world.” The trailer features a reimagined version of Prince’s Purple Rain classic “I Would Die 4 U” over scenes from Clarence’s spiritual awakening, including one in which a Roman soldier asks Clarence to prove his Messianic powers by walking on water. “Damn,” Clarence says before taking the first step.

“This story is about a young man who finds his faith through love and through wanting to become somebody in the world, which is the story of everybody,” Jay said. “Everyone wants to find love and everyone wants to leave this place having accomplished something, having left their mark that they’ve been here and hopefully affected the world in a positive way.”

Check out Jay’s post below.

29 Aug 2023

Georgia State University to Offer Law Course on the Legal Life of Rick Ross

Grammy-nominated MC Rick Ross will be the focus of Georgia State University College of Law’s upcoming class “Legal Life Of…” this fall semester.

Created by professor Mo Ivory, “the class provides law students with the unique opportunity to gain hands-on legal experience in the practice area of entertainment law by studying the career, contracts and legal transactions of Rick Ross,” according to the press release. 

“As a lover of rap music, hip-hop culture, and in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop, I could not think of a better time to study the career of a visionary like Rick Ross,” Ivory relays to Billboard. “When I began my research on Ross, I realized early on that my students would learn about a businessman who turned his love of music into an empire that includes massive real estate holdings, food and beverage franchises, investments in the car and bike industry, literary works and corporate equity ownership.”

“The biggest meets the classroom,” Ross tells Billboard. “I’ve always been a student of the game, and I look forward to being able to teach the next generation how to keep hustlin’.”

Students will dive deep into the contracts that built Ross’ business wins, and will receive insight from the lawyers who negotiated them. During the course, they will also gain knowledge in drafting, interpreting and negotiating deals, emphasizing client representation, risk and crisis management.

“Legal Life Of…” was created in 2019 at Georgia State Law. Past subjects for the course have included the legal life of Ludacris, Kandi Burruss and Steve Harvey.

29 Aug 2023

Kelly Rowland Is ‘Very Proud’ of Blue Ivy Carter’s Work Ethic on Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour

Kelly Rowland couldn’t be happier that Blue Ivy Carter is growing up to be an independent woman, just like her mom. In a recent interview, the Destiny’s Child member gushed over Beyoncé‘s oldest daughter, praising the 11-year-old for the work ethic she’s displayed while assisting her mom on the Renaissance World Tour.

“I’m very proud,” Rowland told E! News. “She works very freaking hard, period. But how could she not, you know? She sees her mother in action and she sees her father in action and how they apply everything, hard work to everything that they do.”

Blue Ivy first graced the Renaissance Tour stage in May, joining Bey and her fleet of dancers for a round of high-energy choreography in the middle of “My Power.” Ever since, the “Break My Soul” singer’s firstborn — whom she shares with husband Jay-Z, along with 6-year-old twins Rumi and Sir — has joined the show on and off throughout the tour’s six-month run, which is expected to wrap in early October.

Rowland got to see her former bandmate in action in June, when she caught a Renaissance show in London. While performing “Break My Soul,” Bey gave an extra special shoutout to her longtime friend from the stage.

The “Motivation” singer has been in Blue Ivy’s life since before she was even born; in fact, it was Rowland who accidentally revealed to the world that Bey and Jay were expecting a baby girl back in 2011, a moment she recently reflected on as “the worst [interview] moment ever.”

“It was bad because it was no one’s business,” she recalled in July of spoiling it for the couple. “I felt terrible because it’s not my news. It was honestly the worst. It wasn’t my news to share, and I didn’t mean it like that. The ‘she’ just kind of slipped out.”

29 Aug 2023

Garth Brooks Launches Music & Sports Station Tailgate Radio With TuneIn

Garth Brooks, who launched his own Sevens Radio Network through streaming platform TuneIn in June, announced the second station under his umbrella today: Tailgate Radio, which will blend music and sports.

Hosted by sports commentator and producer Maria Taylor, Tailgate Radio’s launch is timed to the start of the 2023 college football season. While the station will not air the games — TuneIn provides access to live play-by-play from more than 100 Division 1 colleges and universities on other channels — Tailgate Radio will provide pre- and post-game entertainment for sports fans. 

“This is one of those ideas someone says, ‘Why didn’t we do this a long time ago?’” Brooks said in a statement. “This combines everyone’s passion for sports and music. It also allows you to enjoy your tailgate, barbeque or poolside party without doing the work. There’s so much music on this channel, Tailgate Radio will be everyone’s favorite.”

Tailgate Radio, which will air 24/7, is kicking off with specific programming including Tailgate Top 20 with Maria, a weekly countdown hosted by Taylor that will highlight the 20 biggest songs across all genres from a specific year as well as tying them in with the biggest sports stories from that year. Elsewhere, Block Party will be a Saturday night four-hour mixshow featuring contemporary music from artists ranging from Luke Combs to Beyonce to Eminem. And Tailgate Takeover will feature celebrities, artists and athletes as guest hosts, allowing them to talk about the music and playlists that help them set their favorite vibe; Brooks will host the first edition. 

Tailgate Radio

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Taylor and Brooks previously partnered on her middle school mentoring program for girls, PowHER, which linked with his foundation, Teammates for Kids. “Working closely with Garth and his foundation as we created the PowHER program has been nothing short of amazing,” Taylor said in a statement. “And now, we are embarking on Garth’s extraordinary vision to connect sports and music fans with Tailgate.  It’s such an honor to be chosen by greatness to be a partner in the radio space.”

In June, Brooks bowed Sevens Radio with country music channel The Big 615. At the time, he noted that Sevens Radio would, appropriately enough, eventually offer a suite of seven stations. At the press conference for The Big 615, Brooks also stressed the appeal of TuneIn’s international aspect, saying the global reach was his “favorite thing” because it allowed the station to present undiluted country music: “If we go across the water, they ask you immediately to take the [pedal] steel and fiddles off your country music. Ain’t going to happen here.”

TuneIn claims more than 75 million monthly listeners across more than 100,000 stations. Its sports partners include the NFL International, MLB, NHL, NASCAR (Motor Racing Network & Performance Racing Network), Formula 1, IndyCar Radio, US Open, talkSPORT, ESPN Radio and college sports partners (Westwood One, Learfield, Playfly Sports, JMI Sports, Van Wagner and Clemson Athletic Properties).

29 Aug 2023

Darius Rucker Expands Fanatics Collaboration Into MLB & College Football: ‘I Love It’

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Darius Rucker doesn’t just want fans singing his latest single “Have a Good Time” this summer, he’s also sharing his love of sports in the form of an expanded collaboration with Fanatics and BCL Entertainment. Except this time, instead of solely focusing on NFL merchandise, they’ve dipped into MLB and select NCAA team merch. And yes, this collection also includes teams besides the 57-year-old singer’s personal favorites.

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Starting Tuesday (Aug. 29), you can show off your favorite MLB team and love for the “Wagon Wheel” singer just in time to watch the latest baseball games. This also marks the third year that Rucker has teamed up with Fanatics to create an exclusive collaboration that combines music and sports, which, for the singer, has felt like a major achievement.

“To do it for a third year and expanding into other things besides the NFL — college and baseball and all that stuff — I love it,” Rucker tells Billboard. “I got my own clothing line — that’s unbelievable.”

What can fans expect this time around? The collection includes everything from T-shirts, jerseys, flannel and more that are available in all MLB teams and select NCAA teams. To check out the full collection, click here, or check out the MLB collaboration here, and get ready to show up to your next baseball game in style.

Billboard chatted with Rucker to learn more about what to expect from the collaboration, as well as his upcoming album Carolyn’s Boy (due out Oct. 6) and more.

Billboard: Is there anything you thought should absolutely be in the MLB and NCAA line?

Rucker: The warmer stuff for the fall and the winter I thought was really important because that’s where you wear them. You wear them to the football games and in the class, so I thought the warmer stuff was really important for football and then the other way for baseball. Baseball is usually in the summer, so you need the short sleeves and stuff like that.

Darius Rucker x Fanatics

Darius Rucker x Fanatics

Cindy Ros

What’s it like expanding into college football?

I went to the University of South Carolina and I’m a huge supporter of South Carolina. Getting into colleges is just amazing because there’s so many great universities out there. The fans are rabid about them and getting into that market, I think is just awesome and I can’t wait to have Darius Rucker shirts for UCLA and all that stuff — it’s going to be really cool.

Is there a specific piece from the line you’re most looking forward to?

The thing that I always wear a lot of is the hoodies — they make such cool hoodies. Like, last year, we had this great zip-up hoodie that I still wear. I never take off the stuff that they’ve been sending me. The hoodies are great, the sweatshirts are great — I wear pretty much everything we put out.

Outside of the collaboration, how do you feel about your upcoming album?

I’m ready for this record. It’s been five or six years since I’ve had a record out in country music, so I’m really excited to get Carolyn’s Boy out. Putting records out is always exciting because you work so hard on them and they’re such a big part of your life, and all you want to do is get it out to the people.

Is there a particular song you’re excited for people to hear?

There’s a song called “Never Been Over” that’s a little different than anything I’ve ever done that I’m really looking forward to people hear. But for me, that’s why I don’t pick singles — I love every song on the record. I’m ready for everybody to hear all of it.

And you’re also getting ready for a second year of the Riverfront Festival. How does that feel?

Oh, very excited. I’ve been wanting to bring a festival to Charleston for years, and finally we did it last year and it was a big success. We’re doing it again this year and have got some really great acts. Lainey Wilson and Turnpike Troubadours are just great bands, and so I’m really excited. Charleston seems to be excited, ticket sales are awesome and I’m looking forward to this big time.

What’s it like bringing something like this to your hometown?

Oh, great. Anytime I do something like this with Charleston, it just feels awesome because I’m bringing great things to the city I was born in and still live in. And to see everybody excited about it makes it even better.

What’s the best part about running your own festival?

Just going to see the bands. I love going there and just watching everybody play because usually you don’t get to see these bands because they’re traveling and you’re traveling in different places. But at a festival like that, you get to see everybody one right after the other and that’s great.

And looking at your tour so far, what’s been your favorite memory?

Meeting Bono with Willie Nelson in Dublin, that was just surreal. The fact that I actually could actually say that happened is surreal. Meeting Paul McCartney, meeting Al Green — those are moments that I’ll just never forget. I mean, those are the guys that made me want to be a musician, and here I am friends with them. That’s pretty unbelievable.

29 Aug 2023

Grimes Leads First Featured Speakers Lineup for SXSW 2024

Grimes is among the first wave of featured speakers for the 2024 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, an event which promises to lean into AI-focused programming.

Announced today (Aug. 29), the multidisciplinary artist will join a session dubbed “AI and the Independent Artist,” which will explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way artists create and market their music, engage with their fans, and, of course, the challenges and responsibilities for the music industry that come with it.

The Canadian artist is known for pushing boundaries in the creative space. She enhanced that reputation by unveiling her Elf.Tech project earlier in the year, an open-source software program which encourages fans to make music (and money) with replications of her voice.  

TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson and CreateSafe CEO Daouda Leonard are also confirmed for the panel, on which they will “present principles for companies to consider” and share results and lessons learned from early AI pilot programs, according to a SXSW statement.

The conversation on AI is only getting started. Just last week, streaming giant YouTube and Universal Music Group, the world’s biggest music company, announced a new initiative with artists and producers for an “AI Music Incubator,” and YT unveiled its own set of principals as it promised to “embrace” AI “responsibly together” with its music partners.

Other SXSW daytime discussions will drill into “AI and Humanity’s Co-evolution,”” with speakers venture partner at SignalFire Josh Constine and OpenAI’s VP of consumer product and head of ChatGPT Peter Deng; “Building the Next Era of the Internet” with author, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and founder/managing partner at a16z crypto Chris Dixon; and a conversation with creator, host, and executive producer of the podcast Call Her Daddy Alex Cooper and founder and CEO of ACE Entertainment Matt Kaplan.

Also slated for the conference schedule, CEO of the Future Today Institute and professor at NYU Stern School of Business Amy Webb will launch the 2024 Emerging Tech Trend Report.

SXSW 2024 will take place March 8–16 in Austin, TX.

Established in 1987, SXSW celebrates the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture and is recognized as an important destination for professionals who play in those spaces.

SXSW 2024 is sponsored by Porsche, C4 Energy, and The Austin Chronicle.

Visit sxsw.com for more.