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22 Jun 2023

LL Cool J & Ice T Host New ‘Hip Hop Treasures’ Series

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2005 VH1 Hip Hop Honors - Show

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A new documentary series hosted by LL Cool J and Ice T follows them on the hunt for the most sought-after items in Hip-Hop culture.

The two rap icons and television stars are the hosts of Hip Hop Treasures, a new documentary series that will air on A&E. The premise of the series will follow the pair along with museum curators and field experts as they track down memorabilia from the glory days of the culture such as the jersey The Notorious B.I.G. wore in the “Juicy” video to DMX’s Aaliyah car to the clocks that Flavor Flav of Public Enemy wore. Items procured during the episodes will be sent to the Universal Hip Hop Museum, which boasts the largest collection of Hip-Hop memorabilia in the world.

Major stars of the culture will be present in each episode, which include DMC, CeeLo Green, Fat Joe, Master P, Soulja Boy, Naughty by Nature’s Treach as well as Coolio in his final on-screen appearance before his death last year. Hip Hop Treasures will also feature tributes to Biz Markie, DMX, and The Notorious B.I.G. The field experts assisting the two will be Cipha Sounds and veteran MC and actress Yo-Yo, and Paradise Gray and Pete Nice will be representing the Universal Hip Hop Museum which is currently being constructed and will open next year. Hip Hop Treasures is slated to premiere on Saturday, August 12th at 10 P.M. ET, coinciding with the weekend celebrating the official 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop.

Hip Hop Treasures is produced by Pulse Films and Rock The Bells, with Erica Hanson, Tracey Baker-Simmons, Andrena Hale, Mira King, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Shelly Tatro, and Jonathan Partridge on board as executive producers for Pulse Films and A&E Networks. Paradise Gray and Pete Nice are also executive producers of the series.

Check out the trailer for Hip Hop Treasures below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-QFdx_UuNg

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22 Jun 2023

Rod Stewart Clarifies Rumors of His Retirement: ‘I Shall Never Retire!’

Rest assured, Rod Stewart does not have any plans to give up rock n’ roll for good. On Wednesday (June 21), the icon cleared up rumors regarding his retirement from the genre, in light of his recent statements that he wanted “to leave the rock ‘n’ roll stuff behind, for a while” in an interview with BBC Breakfast.

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“I’d like to clear up any confusion that I may have caused with my dear fans and the media. I shall never retire! I was put on this Earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good Lord lets me,” Stewart explained in an Instagram post. “I’ll be playing the hits as advertised for the U.K., U.S., South America and Vegas and into 2024 but no retirement as such.”

He continued, “During recent interviews, I’ve mentioned my newest passion is big band/swing music and when we wrap this greatest hits tour, its something I’m very eager to share with you. I could never turn my back on the songs that I’ve written and sung over the last six decades. They are like my children. I created them and I love them. I’ll always come back to them, just like I did after The Great American Songbook series, which I shall boastfully add, sold 26 million albums!”

In the BBC interview, Stewart stated that he is working on a “swing album with Jools Holland” that will arrive sometime in 2024. “Everything has to come to an end sooner or later,” the “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” singer told the outlet, likely prompting the retirement rumors.

Stewart concluded the optimistic message with a promise for what lies ahead: “I look forward to seeing you on the road with all the hits and I can’t wait to introduce you to my swing album next year.”

Read Stewart’s message below.

22 Jun 2023

Paul McCartney Clarifies How AI Will Be Used In New Beatles Song: ‘It’s All Real and We All Play on It’

As the music industry continues to grapple with the popularity and advancement of AI, some find themselves trying to figure out how to ethically incorporate artificial intelligence into their work. Earlier this month, when music titan Paul McCartney shared that he would be implementing AI in this process of finishing a new as-yet-untitled Beatles song, the news drew strong reactions from both sides of the AI debate.

In a Thursday (June 22) tweet, McCartney clarified his previous comments about AI. “Can’t say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created,” the 18-time Grammy-winner wrote. “It’s all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings – a process which has gone on for years.”

“No one is more excited than us to be sharing something with you later in the year,” McCartney continued in his tweet. “We hope you love it as much as we do.”

As he explained in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today that aired June 13, AI would be used to separate vocal tracks from background noise and instruments, not to create new material. McCartney said during the chat that he had been using AI to “extricate” late bandmate John Lennon‘s vocals from an old recording for use on the untitled track.

Deemed the “final Beatles record” by Sir Paul, the BBC speculated that the project could be a recording of “Now and Then,” a somber love song written by Lennon in 1978.

Read McCartney’s tweet clarifying his AI comments below:

22 Jun 2023

Kesha & Dr. Luke Settle Defamation Lawsuit Over Her 2014 Rape Accusation

Kesha and Dr. Luke have reached a settlement to end his long-running lawsuit accusing the pop star of defaming him by accusing him of rape, just a week after a New York court issued a key ruling that would have made it harder for Dr. Luke to win the case.

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Reached just weeks before the case had been set to go to trial, the agreement will resolve nearly a decade of litigation between the two former creative partners. The producer claimed Kesha legally defamed him in 2014 when she made a “false and shocking” allegation: that he allegedly drugged and raped her after a 2005 party.

In a joint press release on social media featuring statements from both sides, Kesha said that “only god knows what happened that night.”

“As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened,” the star wrote. “I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.”

In his own statement, Dr. Luke said he was “absolutely certain that nothing happened” that night in 2005: “I never drugged or assaulted her and would never do that to anyone. For the sake of my family, I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well.”

The abrupt settlement came just 10 days after New York’s top appeals court handed a key victory to Kesha in the case. The court ruled that Dr. Luke was a “public figure,” a finding that would make his case far harder to prove; it also said that Kesha could recoup her legal bills if she ultimately won.

Dr. Luke, whose full name is Lukasz Gottwald, filed his lawsuit against Kesha in 2014, claiming she had legally defamed him with a “false and shocking” allegation that he drugged and raped her after a 2005 party. He claimed she did so as leverage to secure a more lucrative deal. Kesha long denied those accusations, arguing that the defamation case was an effort to silence the voice of a victim.

The pair spent years in bitter litigation over those claims, with numerous procedural delays and appeals slowing down the process. But after more than eight years of litigation, a trial in Dr. Luke’s lawsuit had finally been scheduled to start on July 19.

Beyond Thursday’s statements, no details about the settlement were immediately released by the parties or made available in public court records.

Read Kesha and Dr. Luke’s statements below:

22 Jun 2023

TikTok COO V. Pappas Steps Down

TikTok COO V. Pappas is stepping down to “move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions,” they announced on Thursday (June 22nd) in an email to the company they subsequently shared on Twitter.

“To our amazing community of creators, employees, and people who have made TikTok ‘the last sunny spot on the internet,’ it has been an absolute privilege to serve you all and to be a part of this once in a lifetime journey,” they tweeted.

TikTok’s chief of staff, Adam Presser, will take over operations, according to a staff email from CEO Shou Chew. “He will seek to further develop the voices of TikTok’s vibrant and diverse ecosystem and drive closer cross-divisional strategic planning and collaboration, in an effort to bring to life our mission of inspiring creativity and bringing joy to people by nurturing and supporting creators, users, and partners worldwide,” Chew wrote. 

In addition, Zenia Mucha will join the company as chief brand and communications officer. Mucha previously served for two decades at Disney before departing the company in 2021. She “will focus on advancing the strategic vision of our brand and advising key businesses,” Chew explained. “It is essential that we widen the aperture of our marketing and communications functions to further fortify TikTok as a beloved brand and one of the most trusted entertainment platforms in the world,” he added. “With Zenia’s vast expertise and deep experience, we are well positioned to do so effectively.”

Pappas, a former YouTube executive — the company’s first audience development lead, the author of The YouTube Creator Playbook, and the developer of YouTube’s Creator Academy and channel certification program — initially joined TikTok in 2018. 

“Five years ago when I was first approached by TikTok, I was incredibly inspired by the product vision to be a new mobile-first video experience that serves as a canvas, bridge and window for everyone,” they wrote in their goodbye letter. “The pitch was to take on a role to transform and grow the product and broaden its appeal through developing diverse communities and content… I took a gamble on what was then a completely unknown company and product.”

Pappas then stepped into the interim global CEO role after Kevin Mayer departed suddenly in 2020. 

The days of TikTok being “unknown” are of course long gone; much of the music industry now focuses on the platform to market artists and find new ones to sign.

“Five years later, we have grown to a global team of thousands of people and I believe we have achieved our goal to innovate and define an entirely new experience for people to share, create, and be entertained,” Pappas noted. “Today I stand proud that we deliver a product that resonates with over 1 billion people around the world. TikTok is now a household name.”

According to Pappas’ letter, they will be “taking on an advisory role” during the transition period.

22 Jun 2023

Sam Smith & Madonna Vault Onto Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart With ‘Vulgar’

Sam Smith and Madonna soar onto Billboard’s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated June 24) with “Vulgar,” at No. 11. The track earned 1.8 million official streams and sold 3,000 downloads in the U.S. in the week ending June 15, according to Luminate.

“Vulgar,” released near the beginning of Pride month on June 9, is Smith’s fifth chart showing. They have four top 10s, including one that reached the summit, Disclosure’s “Latch,” on which they’re featured (four weeks at No. 1, 2014). Smith’s other top 10s are “Omen” (Disclosure featuring Smith; No. 5, 2015), “Promises” (with Calvin Harris; No. 4, 2018) and “I Feel Love” (No. 8; 2019).

“Vulgar” is Madonna’s seventh entry on the chart, which began in January 2013. Among those, she has three top 10s: “Living for Love” (No. 9, 2015), “B**** I’m Madonna” (featuring Nicki Minaj; No. 5, 2015) and “Frozen” (Madonna vs. Sickick; No. 10, 2022).

Concurrently, “Vulgar” bows at No. 1 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart (which premiered in 2010), giving Smith their third leader and Madonna her first. Smith previously headed up the list with “Latch” (2014) and “I Feel Love” (2019).

Meanwhile, “Vulgar” starts on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart (No. 16).

Additionally on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Kylie Minogue climbs to a new career high with “Padam Padam” (11-7). Her first top 10, as it reached No. 10 two weeks earlier, among 15 charted titles, picked up 2.1 million streams (up 25%) and sold 3,000 downloads (up 104%, good for the chart’s top Sales Gainer honor). The increases follow the June 9 release of the song’s extended mix and June 11 surprise performance at Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium in the UK.

The song by Minogue, who also headlined iHeartMedia’s KTUphoria at New York’s Jones Beach Theater June 17, performing “Padam,” as well as fan favorites, additionally pushes 3-2 on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales and enters Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs (No. 21).

Further on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, DJ/producer Fisher earns his eighth chart hit, while singer/DJ Aatig collects her second, with “Take It Off” (No. 17). It’s the top rank yet for both acts. “Take” took in 1.4 million streams and sold 1,000 downloads, the latter figure also allowing for a No. 5 start on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales.

Shifting to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, Rita Ora adds her second No. 1 and featured act Fatboy Slim scores his first with “Praising You” (4-1). The track, a reimagination of the latter’s 1999 classic “Praise You,” drew core-dance airplay on Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel, KMVQ-HD2 San Francisco and KNHC (C89.5) Seattle, among other stations. (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 60 top 40-formatted reporters.)

22 Jun 2023

Missy Elliott Details Mental Health Struggles In Essence Cover Story

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Missy Elliott Opens Up About Her Mental Health Struggles

Source: Paras Griffin / Getty / Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott has had a very successful music career, but along that journey, she has dealt with mental health issues, and now she is opening up about having to overcome them.

Spotted on HipHopDX, the “Work It” crafter spoke about dealing with depression and anxiety and how it can hit anyone in a very candid conversation as part of her cover story with Essence.

Per HipHopDX’s reporting:

“Now I’m fine with being like, ‘Hey, I got anxiety’ or ‘I went through depression,’” the Grammy Award-winning artist said. “Even the biggest artist, or just the regular everyday working person, we all go through shit. We all do. And it’s okay to say, ‘Hey, I’m not okay today.’ Probably we would keep a lot of people around if we were that open because we would be able to uplift each other.”

“We’d know that I’m not going to look at you crazy if you say, ‘Hey, I’m having a rough day.’ Maybe you’re thinking things that you shouldn’t think, or whatever the case may be.”

Elliott details an encounter with a peer that helped her out.

“I had a peer of mine say, ‘Hey, look, I’ve been through the same thing.’ And he was just like, ‘Next time I see you, I’m going to put a mirror in front of your face, so you can remember who you are and all that you’ve done.’”

This is not the first time Elliott has spoken about her mental health struggles. In a November 2019 interview with Billboard, she touched on them, detailing how her anxiety began during childhood.

Missy Elliott’s Recent Wins

Just recently, Missy Elliott made history by becoming the first female Hip-Hop star to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In an Instagram post, she said receiving the honor was not just “huge” for her, and it now opens the doors for all of the other women in Hip-Hop.

Shoutout to Missy Elliott for being so open about her mental health struggles.

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Photo: Paras Griffin / Getty

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22 Jun 2023

Larsa Pippen & Marcus Jordan Address Age Gap & Critics

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Celebrity Sightings In Miami - May 07, 2023

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Reality star Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan spoke out about those critics of their relationship, also addressing those pointing to their age difference.

In a recent interview, The Real Housewives of Miami star and her mate discussed how they handle those on the outside who cast doubts on their relationship given that she’s the ex-wife of Scottie Pippen, the Chicago Bulls teammate of NBA legend Michael Jordan, Marcus’ father. “People just want to see you happy and there’s just a few people who are just miserable,” the 48-year-old said. “They just wanna have some negative input on things. But I think overall, I feel like people that know us, love us, want us to be happy.”

For the 32-year-old businessman, he shares the same spirit. “I let people that are misinformed be misinformed,” Jordan said. “I feel like people see our last names and immediately want to have some sort of reaction or opinion. But I feel like as people get to know us and understand our situations more, they’re way more happy for us and just want to see us to live in our truths and be happy.”

The couple have launched a new podcast, Separation Anxiety with Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan where they discuss relationships and their perspectives. Pippen has been mum about her connection with Jordan’s parents. “I recently have been hanging out with them,” she said. “I don’t really wanna talk about them. It’s not about my parents or his parents.” Both also address the questions about their age difference. “I just feel like we meet somewhere in the middle,” Jordan said. “Age is just a number, but I think maturity and life experience really dictate the relationship.” The mother of four agreed, saying: “I feel like for us, it’s very natural to be with each other.”

Eyes have been on the couple since September of last year when they were first spotted hanging out with each other. At the time, Pippen denied any romantic involvement. Things changed a few months later after the couple revealed their official status in an Instagram post. As Jordan explained, “I think early on, we were a little more cautious and just trying to tiptoe because we didn’t know what the reception would be.” He continued, “Honestly, it was happening so fast, and maybe even faster than we thought. We were just friends early on, and it kind of snowballed into this committed relationship.”

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22 Jun 2023

BMG Acquires Paul Simon’s Royalty Interest for Simon & Garfunkel Catalog

BMG has acquired a major interest in Paul Simon‘s portion of the Simon & Garfunkel catalog. This sale includes the Grammy winner and two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s royalty income for all of Simon & Garfunkel’s recorded music as well as his neighboring rights income to that music as well.

Simon & Garfunkel is considered one of the most essential duos in recorded music history, and Simon acted as the architect behind all of its hits. Over the course of their nearly decade-long partnership, the folk rock duo released evergreens like “The Sound of Silence,” “The Boxer,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Mrs. Robinson,” among others.

Apart from their successful singles, Simon & Garfunkel is also revered for soundtracking Mike Nichols’ 1968 hit film The Graduate. Featuring “The Sound of Silence” and “Mrs. Robinson,” both songs went on to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Thomas Scherer, BMG’s president of repertoire & marketing, Los Angeles and New York, says of the deal, “In any list of the true greats, Paul Simon stands as one of the pillars of popular music history. We will play our part to ensure his music continues to be honored and respected.”

BMG CEO-designate Thomas Coesfeld adds, “We are delighted to have secured the agreement of Paul Simon for BMG to acquire his royalty interests in Simon & Garfunkel recordings and his neighboring rights income. This is a significant transaction. Our ability to secure this deal demonstrates once again that BMG provides the best home for the greatest artists.”

News of the deal arrives after a busy 2022 for BMG’s catalog acquisition division. Over that year, the company acquired more than 45 new catalogs. Some of their recent acquisitions include the rights and royalties for Tina Turner, John Legend, Mötley Crüe, ZZ Top, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, John Lee Hooker, Simple Minds, Primal Scream, and The Hollies — a few of which were acquired in partnership with KKR.

22 Jun 2023

Dr. Umar Johnson Checks Black Men & The Family Structure During Interview

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Dr. Umar Johnson Daily Rap Up Crew Black men women community podcast debate masculine

Dr. Umar Johnson has his fair share of critics and detractors and it appears recent comments he made during a podcast interview will add to those ranks. During the discussion, Dr. Umar Johnson expressed disappointment in the perception some men hold regarding the role of women in society despite getting pushback on his stances from the show’s hosts.

Dr. Umar Johnson was a guest on the Daily Rap Up Crew show and a series of clips from Dr. Johnson’s appearance have since gone viral. In one especially heated exchange, Johnson explains

“At the end of the day, if I’m a call myself a man, the ultimate responsibility for the reconstruction of the Black community rests with me,” Johnson said to the trio of hosts for the Daily Rap Up Crew. “Yes, they [Black Women] have a role. Yes, they have responsibility. But as a man, as a leader, to say ‘I can’t fix this sh*t unless she changes’ — that’s not the definition of a man.”

Johnson received pushback at this point when one of the hosts retorted by saying that the current pool of women to choose for a mate is, in the host’s words, “masculine” and does not want to raise the children of another man. The host added that too much of the onus has been put on Black men to conform to women, but Johnson fired back.

“Why is she masculine? Because she had to raise the kids alone,” Johnson fired back before getting cut off and returning the energy. I’m telling you, mistakes made by Black men systemically gave rise to the conditions that allowed her to be masculine and made her end up with a man that you consider to be less than he should be. And I’m telling you, Black men are responsible for her being masculine because we have not helped her raise them children.”

To view the portion of the discussion we reference above, hop to the 10:00-minute mark in the video below.



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Photo: Daily Rap Up Crew / YouTube screenshot

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