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10 Aug 2023

Tekashi 6ix9ine Arrested In Florida For Skipping Court Date

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MiamiBash 2021

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Tekashi 6ix9ine has once again run afoul of the law. If he thought snitching on half of Brooklyn years ago was going to keep him out of cuffs, he was dead wrong.

TMZ is reporting that the most hated man in the rap game was pinched by authorities in Florida on Wednesday (Aug. 9) for “failing to appear in court” over three speeding tickets he earned himself this past June. Why he would skip such a modest court hearing is anyone’s guess, but he was taken into Palm Beach County Jail where he was booked and held for three hours before posting $2,000 bail.

TMZ reports:

According to court docs … Tekashi was going 135 mph in a 65 mph zone on the Florida Turnpike before he was given a ticket for speeding. He was also issued citations for having an unregistered vehicle and no car insurance. Tekashi failed to appear for a July court hearing to address the tickets … leading a judge to issue a warrant that resulted in last night’s arrest.
The arrest comes months after Tekashi was brutally beaten in the bathroom of an LA Fitness in Florida by three men who apparently don’t appreciate famous snitches in their neighborhood. While many figured Tekashi would immediately move out of Florida now that everyone knew where he was “hiding,” the embattled rapper promised to remain in the state and actually did.Unfortunately, he’s still managing to get himself jammed up with idiotic moves. Y’all already know this won’t be the last time he makes headlines for stuff like this.

The punishment for skipping court dates can range from monetary fines to actual imprisonment. So we’ll have to wait and see what Florida has in store for him. If it’s jail time, don’t be surprised if he drops dime on whoever’s been hanging out with him lately ’cause that man has proven that he cannot do a bid on his own merit. Just sayin’.

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10 Aug 2023

CAA to Undergo Round of Layoffs

Amid a production halt during a double strike, major talent agency CAA is undergoing a round of layoffs.

About sixty employees are set to be impacted — including agents, executives and support staff — within the next week, a source tells The Hollywood Reporter. The figure is a relatively small percentage of the thousands of staffers that work at the Century City-based representation giant led by Kevin Huvane, Richard Lovett and Bryan Lourd.

Multiple departments had been evaluating staffing levels even prior to when the Writers Guild of America strike began on May 2. When performer’s union SAG-AFTRA joined the strike on July 13, Hollywood settled in to a long summer as the dealmaking ecosystem ground to a halt.

Several talent agencies have cut staff in the ensuing months as the guilds faced off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of studios. For instance, Endeavor, the owner of fellow “Big 3” agency WME and fashion-focused IMG, estimated on August 8 that the impact of the actors’ and writers’ strikes would be about $25 million per month in revenue.

Talent and literary agency Verve, which reps many scribes, cut about 60 percent of its assistants and 3 agents in late May. And Big 3 firm UTA had already made a round of cuts, which it described as a single digit percentage of a workforce that totals 2,000 employees, in February.

Hollywood’s agencies went through retrenchment and conducted notable layoffs or furloughs during the COVID-19 shutdowns in the middle of 2020, also at a time of a widespread production halt. At that time, in July 2020, CAA said it cut 90 agents and executives and further furloughed 275 assistants and other staffers.

Since that time, CAA made the most consequential move in the Hollywood talent agency space, acquiring rival firm ICM in a megadeal that closed last June and added 425 of its employees to the payroll, with 105 staffers cut. At the time, the combined company was said to have 3,200 employees in 25 countries.

Deadline earlier reported CAA’s planned cuts on Thursday. 

This article was originally published by THR.com.

10 Aug 2023

Nas “Motion,” Lupe Fiasco “Checkin” & More | Daily Visuals 8.10.23

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Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live - Power Players

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With his last few albums, Queensbridge King and Hip-Hop icon, Nas has been proving that not only does he have a lot left in the tank, but the man is basically packing Nitrous oxide in his 5’8” frame.

Continuing to show that he gets better with age, Nas comes through with some new cinematic visuals to “Motion” in which director Kid Art uses dark imagery of the woods and the ocean to capture the essence of the bars that Nas drops as he dons an fancy overcoat with some sleek attire as he balls on his grown man ish.

Back in Chicago, Lupe Fiasco keeps the Windy City boppin’ as well and in his clip for “Checkin’” he takes to the streets to kick it with his peeps while using stock footage of his performances to show he can still get the crowd hype like it was 2006.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Boonie, Lil Bean, and more.

NAS – “MOTION”



LUPE FIASCO – “CHECKIN’”



BOONIE – “FREE KEEM”



LIL BEAN – “VENT”



BEO LIL KENNY – “FAB 5”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=FRm-YIyVpos&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

KATO2X FT. KEY GLOCK – “OFF THE HEAD”



OMB PEEZY – “DID DAT”



BIGWALKDOG – “I PROMISE”



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10 Aug 2023

A Music Fan’s Ultimate Travel Bucket List

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

When it comes to planning a trip, where should you even begin? Well, if you’re a music fan, you could plan your vacation around music history, so Billboard has rounded up 13 landmarks that should be on every music fan’s travel bucket list — along with a few hotel and tour recommendations and links to cheap flights.

Eleven of the hot spots are in the United States, while a couple — Abbey Road and Strawberry Field — are specifically for Beatles fans visiting the U.K. For Abbey Road, fans can snap a photo on the famed London crosswalk where the band shot the cover of their 1969 album or even tour the studio where the LP was recorded. Strawberry Field is in the band’s hometown of Liverpool — which is a two-hour-plus train ride from London — and was a Salvation Army children’s home that inspired the 1967 song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

Back to the U.S., if you’re looking to head Down South, you could visit Pigeon Forge, Tenn., for the Dolly Parton-themed Dollywood amusement park, or Elvis Presley fans can get a double dose of The King in Memphis, Tenn.: at his Graceland mansion or Sun Studio where he recorded his very first song. Plus, don’t forget to pay homage to country music in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. If you’re looking for a centrally located hotel, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown is walking distance from the Country Music Hall of Fame and a short drive from the Grand Ole Opry. The four-star hotel, which opened last year, features panoramic views of downtown Nashville, an on-site restaurant, indoor pool, fitness center, business center and live music. Outside Tennessee, there’s the famous Preservation Hall in New Orleans, which is home to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Elsewhere across America, there’s Prince’s beloved Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minn., where fans will get a first-hand look at Prince’s personal archives, including his awards, wardrobe and musical instruments. Also featured on the list: Motown Museum in Detroit and the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y.; the scenic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo.; the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, N.Y., which was the site of the Woodstock music festival in 1969.

Below, find photos of all these important locations of music history.

10 Aug 2023

17-Year-Old Suspect in O’Shae Sibley Stabbing Indicted on Hate-Crime Murder Charge

A 17-year-old was indicted on a hate-crime murder charge in a stabbing that followed taunts and confrontation over a group of men dancing shirtless to Beyoncé as they gassed up their car, prosecutors said Thursday.

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Prosecutors concluded O’Shae Sibley’s death was motivated by anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ bias, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

“It’s clear to me, under the circumstances of this case, that in substantial part, this attack was caused because people were offended by Mr. Sibley and his friends dancing and celebrating,” Gonzalez said.

The suspect is due in court Friday to answer the charge. It mirrors the charge on which he was arrested last week. If convicted, he faces at least 20 years in prison.

The Associated Press sent a text message to his attorney, Mark Pollard, seeking comment. Pollard’s voicemail box was full. The teen’s grandmother told the Daily News he was defending himself. Prosecutors have not released the suspect’s name.

The chain of events that ended in Sibley’s July 29 death began when he and his friends were dancing at a pump at a Brooklyn gas station, and another group of people began taunting them, authorities said.

Security camera video showed the two groups arguing for a few minutes. Both sides walked away, and then Sibley and a friend returned and confronted one of the others, who had stayed behind recording on his phone.

In the video, Sibley, 28, could be seen following that person and then lunging at him before the two disappeared out of the camera’s frame. A moment later, Sibley walked backward into view, checking his side, then collapsed to the sidewalk.

“What the video shows is that Mr. Sibley was rightfully in a position to speak out and protect himself and his friends from anti-gay and anti-Black slurs, and that what occurred after that was a crime,” said Gonzalez, a Democrat. He noted that Sibley and his friends were unarmed.

“Defending yourself from the anti-gay or anti-Black comments, arguing back, it’s not a cause for someone to take a weapon and do what was done in this case,” the prosecutor said. He added that he was confident the charges would be proven at trial.

Sibley performed with the dance company Philadanco in his native Philadelphia and in New York and took classes with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Ailey Extension program. He used dance to celebrate his LGBTQ identity in works such as “Soft: A Love Letter to Black Queer Men,” choreographed by Kemar Jewel.

About 200 people attended Sibley’s funeral Tuesday at a historic opera house in Philadelphia. His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from politicians and celebrities, including Beyoncé and filmmaker Spike Lee.

10 Aug 2023

Taylor Swift Announces ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version),’ 60 Injured at Travis Scott Show & More | Billboard News

Taylor Swift announced the release of her album ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ during her final Eras Tour show in LA. V of BTS released the first track off his debut solo album ‘Layover.’ 60 people have reportedly been injured at Travis Scott’s show at Colossum after someone in the crowd sprayed pepper spray into the audience. And more!

Rania Aniftos  

The swifties were right 1989 is on the way. BTS’ V announced his first solo album, Travis Scott gets backlash for his Roman show. Sexyy Red teaches us some St. Louis slang and we look back at 2019’s songs of the summer. I’m Rania Aniftos for Billboard News. It’s Thursday, August 10th. And the first US leg of the eras tour is over. But don’t worry, Taylor gave fans something to look forward to until she returns next year. The Swifties called it, Taylor Swift announced ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ during her last night of shows that LA’s SoFi stadium.

Rania Aniftos
It was a lucky night to be a Swiftie on 8/9. Superstar songstress Taylor Swift revealed she’s releasing Taylor’s version of ‘1989’ during the last night of the US leg of her Eras tour and get this she did it while singing “New Romantics” with the banner behind. The album is set to be released on October 27. And Taylor claims quote, “To be perfectly honest, this is my most favorite re=record I’ve ever done because the five from the bulk tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind.” We cannot wait Taylor you can pre-order the vinyl version of the album now along with four special edition Deluxe CDs. More new albums are on the way this time from BTS’ V. We never stopped loving V, the BTS member just dropped a new music and its video, BTS’ V announced his solo debut album will be here at the end of the summer. Now the singer dropped the project’s first track and video. The R&B track is one of six expected off ‘Layover’ and follows his BTS’ brothers solo efforts. This makes us want the end of summer to come so quick so we can get that album.

Watch the full video above!

10 Aug 2023

The Deals: Amazon Music & Bandsintown Strike Merch Integration; Iconoclast Pacts With Giorgio Moroder

Amazon Music reached a new merchandise integration with concert-discovery platform Bandsintown that will allow fans across the globe to shop merch items from artists while browsing their artist profile pages on the Bandsintown website and app. Under the integration, more than 590,000 registered artists on Bandsintown for Artists will be able to promote their merch and physical music releases to their Bandsintown followers and the followers of similar artists through in-app notifications, email and social channels. The merch available on Bandsintown will be drawn from the Amazon Music Artist Merch Shop on Amazon.com, developed and curated by the Amazon Music team.

Oliver Chastan‘s artist and brand development company Iconoclast acquired the producer royalties of composer, songwriter and producer Giorgio Moroder. The company will additionally work with Moroder on the development of his name, image and likeness rights. Over the course of his career, Moroder has collaborated with artists including Berlin (“Take My Breath Away”), Donna Summer (“I Feel Love”, and Blondie (“Call Me”). His work as a film composer includes scores and songs for Midnight Express, Top Gun, Scarface and Flashdance.

CTS Eventim increased its stake in France Billet from 48% to 65%, making it the majority owner of the French ticketing company. CTS Eventim acquired the 48% stake in France Billet back in 2019 — a deal that included an option to acquire a majority stake in the company this year.

Reactional Music, the maker of an interactive music engine for video games, reached a global partnership with Southeast Asian games publisher Amanotes, whose games attract more than 100 million monthly active users, according to a press release. The deal will allow Amanotes gamers to personalize their personas and gameplay with their favorite music while also allowing Amanote to tap into a faster and more efficient method to create and prototype music in its games.

Toyota is now the name-in-title sponsor of the Concord Pavilion in Concord, Calif., which will now be known as Toyota Pavilion at Concord. The move is sponsored by the Northern California Toyota Dealers Association, which is composed of 58 local Toyota dealers operating in the region. Upcoming shows at the venue in 2023 include Sting, Snoop Dogg, Jelly Roll, Culture Club and Beck.

PRS for Music and PPL announced a new partnership with music technology company Audoo. Under the deal, Audoo’s Audoo Audio Meters — which aim to ensure “accurate and transparent” royalty distribution to music creators by identifying background music being played in businesses, according to a press release — will be installed in businesses including cafes, bars, hair salons, restaurants and retail establishments across the United Kingdom, with usage data reported back to PRS and PPL.

Live Nation signed a multi-year partnership with Montana-based promoter Logjam Presents. Under the agreement, Live Nation will invest in Logjam, of which the Checota family will retain ownership and continue to manage day-to-day operations for. “Out of state national and regional promoters are already actively promoting in venues around the state. This new partnership will allow Logjam to remain competitive as a Montana-based promoter and will retain our event booking, marketing, management and, most importantly, 100 percent of our staff locally,” said Logjam president Nick Checota in a statement. “Our new partnership will also provide Logjam access to an incredible artist network and will provide additional capital to improve existing venues and explore opportunities in other Montana regions.”

Desertscene and Old Empire, both independent heavy music promoters, announced a partnership “merging our distinct styles and unyielding passion for live music,” according to a statement by Old Empire founder Josh Retallick. Based in the United Kingdom, Old Empire promotes artists including Heilung, Chelsea Wolf, SUNN O))) and Electric Wizard. Desertscene books and promotes Desertfest festivals in London, New York and Berlin as well as in Antwerp, Belgium and Oslo, Norway.

Universal Music Group’s music merchandise and brand management company Bravado partnered with brand licensing and extension agency Redibra as its official licensing agent in Brazil. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to create incredible products and experiences for the dedicated music fan community in Brazil,” said Redibra CEO David Diesendruck in a statement.

Under a new partnership, Primary Wave Music, Sun Records and TC Restaurant Group will expand Nashville’s music-themed eatery Sun Diner — inspired by Sun Records artists like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash — to additional locations across the United States; a second location opened Aug. 3 in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Primary Wave acquired the rights to Sun Records in 2021.

10 Aug 2023

10 Lesser-Known Robbie Robertson Songs Worth Tracking Down

Here’s a quick guide to Robertson’s 10 best songs & performances that are either obscure or where his involvement is obscure.

Robbie Robertson

Robertson is composing music for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film The Irishman.

Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Robbie Robertson wasn’t known as a prolific solo artist after The Band‘s “Last Waltz” farewell concert in 1976. He released just five proper albums between 1987 and 2019, plus one soundtrack that was entirely his (Music for ‘The Native Americans’ in 1994).

But he was remarkably productive as a collaborator, producer (of Neil Diamond and Jesse Winchester, among others) and contributor to various soundtracks, including those to movies by his friend Martin Scorsese. Indeed, he scattered great songs and performances all over the place — a co-write here, some soundtrack music there, even two Christmas songs in 1988 and 2019.

Following the news of his death Wednesday at age 80, Billboard compiled a quick guide to 10 songs and performances that are either obscure, or where Robertson’s involvement is obscure, that are worth tracking down. 

10 Aug 2023

Jung Kook Goes Shirtless for Smoldering New Calvin Klein Ad

Jung Kook‘s appeal knows no bounds, and Calvin Klein knows it. On Thursday (Aug. 10), the brand sent BTS ARMY into a frenzy after posting a brand new ad of the vocalist wearing items from its collection to Pinterest.

The stylish visual sees Jung Kook — with his curly shag haircut and signature lip ring — wearing a classic black denim jacket and pants set from the brand and a loosely fitted tie around his neck instead of a shirt. The BTS member smolders and grins into the camera as he descends lower and lower into a winding parking lot, with the branded waistband of his Calvin briefs peeking out onto his torso with each step he takes.

After the short clip made the rounds online, “JEON JUNGKOOK” started trending on Twitter with reactions from ARMY members dominating the topic. “JEON JUNGKOOK was born to be the finest, hottest and cutest Calvin Klein model there is,” one fan wrote, while another on Twitter added, “the modeling industry is so lucky Jung Kook chose to be a singer and Calvin Klein is so lucky to be the chosen brand for him to showcase that.”

Jung Kook’s sultry new ad further sets the tone for his upcoming solo album, which kicked off with the rollout of his smoldering single “Seven.” The Latto-assisted track similarly set BTS’ fandom ablaze due to the sexually suggestive lyrics in its explicit version (“You wrap around me and you give me life/ And that’s why night after night/ I’ll be f–kin’ you right”). The track hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its July 14 release.

Watch Jung Kook’s new ad from Calvin Klein below.

10 Aug 2023

Lenny Kravitz Is Absolutely Shredded in Steamy New Photo

Lenny Kravitz is showing off his summer bod!

The rocker took to Instagram on Thursday (Aug. 10) to share a series of snaps in which seen strutting down a city street wearing a pair of brown bell bottom pants, white boots and an open button-down shirt with his abs on full display.

“6:56pm,” he captioned the steamy photos, which you can see here.

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For fans waiting on new music from the star, Kravitz told Billboard earlier this year that his next two albums are “pretty much cut” and that he’s eager to set off on the continuation of his world tour. “I was two years into a three year world tour when COVID hit,” he shared. “So I’m really happy to be getting back on the road and playing and sharing that experience with the people.”

He added that watching artists like Steve Lacy “reinspires” him. “It makes me feel great that there is that artistic freedom,” he said. “I’m always flattered and honored when those artists come up to me and tell me how much I meant to them. They grew up listening to my music and looking at the visuals, and felt that they could push the boundaries.”

Kravitz also recently unveiled his The Formative Years book made in collaboration with photographer David Hindley, who was given full access during the star’s legendary tours from 1989 through 1995.