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03 May 2023

Kate Bush Is Really Hoping There’s a ‘Secret Handshake’ for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame revealed its inductees for the Rock Hall’s Class of 2023, with Kate Bush making the list under the performer category.

The “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” singer shared her sweet reaction to the news on her website, writing in a statement, “I have to admit I’m completely shocked at the news of being inducted into the Hall of Fame! It’s something I just never thought would happen. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. It means a great deal that you would think of me. It’s such a huge honour.”

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She concluded by hilariously noting, “Now as part of the initiation ceremony I get to find out about the secret handshake… there is one, right?”

See her post here.

To be eligible for the Rock Hall, an artist’s first commercial release must have come out at least 25 years prior to the nomination year. Alongside Bush, performer category inductees this year include Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners.

The “musical influence award” sees DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray enter the Rock Hall, while the  “musical excellence award” honors Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 3. See our full breakdown of the Class of 2023 here.

03 May 2023

Jamie Foxx Thanks Friends & Fans for ‘All the Love’ in First Statement Since Hospitalization

After weeks of hospitalization and countless well-wishes from his famous friends and fans alike, Jamie Foxx took to Instagram on Wednesday (May 3) to say thanks for “all the love.”

“Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed,” the star wrote in a text post, shared to his Instagram feed. After the “Blame It” singer’s post went live, people took to the comments section to send messages for a speedy recovery.

Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean wrote, “Hey bro. Aj from Backstreet Boys my man your in my prayers day and night bro. Lets get you better and home.” Chika spoke for Foxx’s fans, writing, “We love you so much.”

The cause of Foxx’s hospitalization has not yet been disclosed by his family or team. Foxx’s daughter, Corinne, announced his hospitalization on April 12.

“We wanted to share that my father Jamie Foxx experienced a medical complication yesterday,” she wrote at the time. “Luckily due to quick action and great care he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.” 

In light of Foxx’s hospitalization, Nick Cannon will fill in for him on Beat Shazam, which is currently in its sixth season and is slated to premiere May 23 on Fox. Foxx has hosted the show since its inception in 2017, while his daughter Corrine served as the show’s DJ; Kelly Osbourne will take her place.

See Jamie Foxx’s message on Instagram below.

03 May 2023

Ed Sheeran Says He’ll Quit Music If He Loses ‘Insulting’ Infringement Suit

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Source: Variety / Getty

British pop star, Ed Sheeran, is taking the infringement lawsuit filed against him by one of the writers of Marvin Gaye’s hit, “Let’s Get It On,” as an insult.

The singer took the stand and threatened to quit music if the court ruled against him in the case which alleges that his hit “Thinking Out Loud” contains elements of Gaye’s hit. “If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping,” he told his lawyer Ilene Farkas while under oath, according to The Daily Mail. 

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‘I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it,’ the ‘Shape of You’ singer added.

Sheeran is being sued for $100 million by the heirs of Ed Townsend who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. 

The case has been quite a spectacle, with, at one point, Sheeran taking to the guitar to play an acoustic version of the song for the jury. In  Manhattan federal court last week, lawyers for Townsend’s heirs played a video of Sheeran transitioning seamlessly between ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and ‘Let’s Get it On’ during a live performance.

They likened the mash-up to a confession that he had ripped off the song.

But in court on Monday, Sheeran said he and many other artists frequently perform ‘mash ups,’ and that he had on other occasions combined ‘Thinking Out Loud’ with Van Morrison’s ‘Crazy in Love’ and Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You.’

‘I mash up songs at lots of gigs. Many songs have similar chords. You can go from “Let It Be” to “No Woman No Cry” and switch back,’ he said.

‘And quite frankly, if I’d done what you’re accusing me of doing, I’d be quite an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people and do that,’ he added.

Musicologist Alexander Stewart is an expert witness in the case and he argued last week that the first 24 seconds of ‘Thinking Out Loud’ were similar to the beginning of ‘Let’s Get it On.’  Stewart said in court that they ‘have the same harmonic rhythm’ while pointing out melodic similarities in the verse, chorus and interlude.

The British rocker has been combative on the stand pushing back as he explained the process of writing the song in 2014 as a collaboration with a songwriting partner named Amy Wadge. He maintained, “I draw inspiration a lot from things in my life and family.” 

The Townsend family is being represented by famed civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump. 

If Sheeran is found to have ripped off elements of the song, a second trial will likely be held to determine damages. 

It’s worth noting that when Sheeran’s hit, “Shape Of You” was released in January 2017, Sheeran, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac were as the song’s only songwriters. It was not until fans pointed out the similarities between the song and the TLC hit, “No Scrubs,” that producer Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs, Xscape stars and songwriters, Kandi Burruss and Tameka Cottle-Harris were added to the credits. 

03 May 2023

LL Cool J Jokes About Roc Nation Brunch, Laughing At Jay-Z In High School

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36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony - Inside

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While LL Cool J’s Rap legacy is undisputable he doesn’t get enough credit for his sense of humor. He recently discussed not getting an invite to the Roc Nation Brunch and it is pure comedy.

As spotted on Complex the Hollis, Queens native paid a visit to Big Boys Neighborhood to discuss the launch of his F.O.R.C.E. Live tour. During the near hour conversation he discussed a variety of topics including his Rock The Bells brand, his beef with Ice-T and more. To close out their sit down Big Boy asked Cool James to play ‘For Real For Real For False For False’, a game where he confirms or denies a story.

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Here he was asked if it is true he once laughed at Jay-Z trying rap back in high school. “I love everybody. I don’t have no problems with none of these guys, man. If I laughed, okay, so what” he said. “Laugh at me. How many people have you laughed at or snapped on in the lunch room? Come on, B. Give your man a pass on that nonsense, man. This is ridiculous. I don’t even remember it.” He then went to take hilarity even further when he added “I laughed at you so now I can’t have no brunch? I can’t have no finger food?”

Jokes aside LL Cool J also revealed that his former hype man E-Love is the silhouette in the iconic Public Enemy logo. You can see the “Hey Lover” discuss the Jay-Z interaction starting at the 43 minute mark below.



Photo: Rock The Bells

03 May 2023

EDC Las Vegas 2023: Where to Buy Tickets for Cheap

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Festival season heads to Sin City! EDC Las Vegas 2023, a three-day electronic music festival featuring more than 200 performers and DJs, returns to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from May 19 to 21.  

This year’s lineup will include Above & Beyond, Alison Wonderland, Kaskade, Kaytranada, Tiësto, David Guetta, GRIZ, Anabel Englund, Louie Vega, Marshmello, Duke Dumont, Fisher, Galantis, Afrojack, Chris Lake, Habstrakt, Michael Bibi, Spencer Brown, Nala, Ray Volpe, Armin van Buuren, DJ Minx, Martin Garrix, Kaleena Zanders and Zedd.

Taylor Swift

Biggest Music Tours & Festivals of 2023: How to Get Tickets to Taylor Swift, SZA, Ed Sheeran…

The Electric Daisy Carnival is one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, with more than 300,000 attendees last year. This year, hundreds of thousands of EDM fans are expected to hit Las Vegas for the three-day event.

Are EDC Las Vegas tickets sold out? General admission tickets have already sold out at Ticketmaster and the EDC Las Vegas website, but there are a select number of tickets that are still available. The GA tickets were priced at $389, while GA+ passes are available for $599 and $999 for VIP.

If you’re looking for general admission passes, you can find them on ticketing sites such as Vivid Seats, StubHub, and Seat Geek at an affordable price.

How much are tickets to EDC Las Vegas? Three-day, general admission passes are priced from approximately $428 at StubHub to around $500 at Vivid Seats and Seat Geek. Camping passes are priced at approximately $652, shuttle passes start at $232 and VIP passes start at $704.

EDC Las Vegas 2023 3-Day Passes

$500

Need a place to stay? According to Google, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is located 15 miles Northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, which means that you’ll have plenty of lodging options. For those who want to check-in to Hotel EDC, the package covers three nights at the Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World and starts at $1,369.98 per person (festival tickets not included).

For more affordable accommodations, you can hit up sites such as Expedia, Booking.com, Travelocity, AirBnb and Vrbo.

03 May 2023

Billie Eilish FaceTimes Cardi B’s Daughter Kulture During Met Gala

Cardi B let fans in on what really goes down inside the Met Gala with a new Instagram post on Wednesday (May 3), in which she shared a series of star-studded photos.

The photo carousel showed the “I Like It” rapper posing with Bad Bunny, Doja Cat, Halle Bailey and more, but the sweetest snap was a screenshot of a FaceTime between Billie Eilish and Cardi’s four-year-old daughter Kulture. In the picture, the two are both sweetly smiling into the camera.

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See Cardi’s post here.

The rapper encompassed the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” Met Gala theme by channeling the late German fashion designer on the red carpet in a sleek tuxedo gown, complete with massive black Chanel-inspired Camellia flowers and a Lagerfeld-inspired grey hairdo. “This skirt is giving Chanel Boy bag, and the flowers — when you get a Chanel purse, you always get white flowers but this one is black. Up top, it’s giving Karl,” Cardi told Vogue on the red carpet. “I’m representing the House of Chanel and Karl at the same time.”

Eilish, meanwhile, opted for a stunning black, see-through lace custom Simone Rocha gown, with her hair in a long black braid down her side.

The Met Gala’s new Lagerfeld-inspired exhibition will showcase more than 150 original looks designed by Lagerfeld, who died at 85 years old in 2019, delving into the former Chanel creative director’s expansive seven-decade career. Many of his original sketches are also set to appear alongside the objects on display.

03 May 2023

Soulja Boy Dropped April’s Biggest Music NFT — And Then It Got Pulled

As the tech hype shifts from crypto to AI, the Web3 space is left trying to figure out sustainable use cases for NFTs and blockchain technology. Progress is being made through shared streaming royalties, Web3 fan clubs that unlock exclusive content, and a new wave of independent artists finding their first supporters and early fans by releasing their music on-chain.

However, Web3 still attracts cash grabs and, sometimes, outright scams. This mix of good and bad was reflected in April as many independent artists stood shoulder to shoulder with Snoop Dogg in terms of sales — but the month was marred by a rushed Soulja Boy NFT that was delisted from major platforms.

Overall, April was the worst month for NFT volume (in ETH terms) on the popular sales platform OpenSea since July 2021 and that weakness was reflected in the music NFT market. Volume across the 10 biggest projects netted 278.4 ETH, down from 381 ETH in March. In dollar terms, it’s $509,714, compared to March’s $697,393. Based on analysis of sales data from 19 different NFT platforms, independent releases combined with secondary sales volume on OpenSea, here are the 10 biggest-selling music NFTs and collections in March 2023.

1/ Soulja Boy – 3D Game NFT (Delisted by OpenSea)
Monthly trading volume: 114 ETH ($208,734)
Primary sales (March): N/A
Secondary sales: 114 ETH ($208,734)
Drop date: April 6

After Soulja Boy was charged in March for promoting cryptocurrencies without disclosure by the SEC, the rapper dropped a series of NFTs, with one collection removed by OpenSea for copyright infringement. 

Soulja Boy launched a collection of 500 3D NFTs which promised to unlock exclusive extras in his upcoming video game. The NFTs sold out within hours, generating 68 ETH ($124,508), but the collection was later taken down by leading NFT platform OpenSea because the artwork featured the Ferrari logo — a copyright infringement. The NFTs still exist on the Ethereum blockchain but cannot be traded or sold by holders. A second collection followed (without the Ferrari logo) generating 10 ETH ($18,310) volume, and a third collection of pixel art generated 36 ETH ($65,916). 

The NFT community hit back at Soulja Boy, not only for the fumbled NFT projects but for pocketing as much as $730,000 over recent years for promoting crypto and NFTs — many of which turned out to be scams.

2/ Snoop Dogg – Various collections
Monthly trading volume: 39.896 ETH ($73,049)
Primary sales (March): 5.775 ETH
Secondary sales: 34.121 ETH
Drop date: various

A rare Snoop Dogg NFT — the “golden egg” from his XYZ track — sold for 20 ETH in April, the highest price paid for a single music NFT on Web3 music platform Sound.xyz. The “golden egg” is a unique 1/1 collectible associated with the song within the bigger collection of 10,000. Golden eggs are often valued highly by music collectors on the platform. Snoop Dogg also dropped another song, Let Me Hit That, on Sound.xyz last month, netting a further 5.74 ETH ($10,509), while his “Bacc on Death Row” NFT collection generated 14 ETH ($25,634) in trading volume on OpenSea.

View the collection on Sound.xyz.

3/ Deafbeef
Monthly trading volume: $61,314
Primary sales (March): $46,000
Secondary sales: $15,314
Drop date: March 2021

Deafbeef is a music project valued like fine art by many in the Web3 space. It’s a collection of generative music, created by an algorithm, and coded into existence on a 10-year old computer by musician Deafbeef. Minted straight to the Ethereum blockchain at the moment of creation, it represents an experimental art form only possible through Web3 and it’s considered one of the most important early NFT experiments. These rare items are often referred to as “grails” and thought of like art pieces. A single edition changed hands for $46,000 last month, while Deafbeef also sold a new piece at auction for $15,314.

View the collection on OpenSea.

4/ KINGSHIP – “Keycards”
Monthly trading volume: 23 ETH ($42,113)
Primary sales (March): N/A
Secondary sales: 23 ETH
Drop date: May 2022

The Bored Ape Supergroup has become a permanent fixture of the monthly roundup with another month of strong trading volume on OpenSea through April. KINGSHIP recently launched a way for holders to generate rewards called ‘Crowns’ by participating in the community, which they can use to buy exclusive items and NFTs via a new auction system.

View the collection on OpenSea.

5/ PLS&TY – “New Color”
Monthly trading volume: $37,229
Primary sales (March): $37,229
Secondary sales: N/A
Drop date: April 27

PLS&TY is a prolific EDM producer with hundreds of millions of streams across his music on YouTube and Spotify. He’s also an early adopter in the NFT space. The producer’s latest collection on GALA Music — a Web3 music platform that Snoop Dogg called his home for Death Row Records featuring several NFTs drops from artists on the label — generated $37,229 with a collection of 300 audiovisual NFTs.

View the collection on OpenSea.

6/ X Li – “think i’m in love with you”
Monthly trading volume: 20.121 ETH ($36,841)
Primary sales (March): 20.121 ETH
Secondary sales: N/A
Drop date: April 26

Independent LA singer X Li exploded onto the Web3 music scene in April with a heartbreak ballad — a departure from the typical EDM and hip- hop sounds that dominate the space. The track quickly rocketed to the top three3 most collected songs on Sound.xyz with over 4,000 mints. X Li has previously worked with Sony Music Entertainment China but is now embracing Web3 and building a music community called Liberal Mafias.

View the collection on Sound.xyz.

7/ Violetta Zironni – “Another Life”
Monthly trading volume: 11 ETH ($20,141)
Primary sales (March): N/A
Secondary sales: 11 ETH
Drop date: Feb. 20

Italian singer-songwriter Violetta Zironi launched an NFT collection, Another Life — an EP encompassing five tracks and 5,500 unique profile picture illustrations. Holders get access to virtual shows, live concerts and the ability to use the songs for their own projects. The project launched in February but continued to generate strong secondary sales through April.

View the collection on OpenSea.

8/ LNRZ – “Satellites”
Monthly trading volume: 6.3 ETH ($11,535)
Primary sales (March): 6.3 ETH
Secondary sales: N/A
Drop date: April 21

LNRZ is a music collective founded by Reo Cragun, a pioneering artist in the Web3 music space and vocalist on Flume’s EP “Quits.” The collective is known for releasing music NFTs every week through curated drops with select artists, but in April they released their first original body of work. Satellites is a six-track album featuring five emerging musicians that came together at a songcamp in Las Vegas. The LNRZ community voted on the price, supply and rarity structure of the NFT drop, which sold out 1,250 editions in 24 hours.

View the collection on Sound.xyz.

9/ Culture Code, Araya & RUNN – “After All”
Monthly trading volume: ~$9,697
Primary sales (March): ~$9,697
Secondary sales: N/A
Drop date: April 10

After All is a dreamy electronic track that racked up 800,000 streams since its release in February. DJ and producer duo Culture Code sold a percentage of streaming royalties in the track via music rights platform Royal. The pair sold approximately 100 gold tokens offering 0.1228% ownership each, and three diamond tokens at $899 each offering 1.6204%.

View the collection on Royal.

10/ Illenium – “Illenium Fire, Ice & Ash” digital deluxe albums
Monthly trading volume: $8,908
Primary sales (March): $8,908
Secondary sales: N/A
Drop date: April 27

DJ and producer Illenium entered the top 10 in March with a Web3 access pass that granted access to a fan club powered by tech company Medallion. He returned in April with the release of a digital deluxe album, available in three limited editions, only to the fan club. Fans that own the first two editions can unlock the ultra-exclusive third edition, or two fans can team up to unlock the third.

Only available to fan club members.

Methodology: The chart was compiled using data from primary music NFT sales across 19 different NFT platforms, independent releases and combined with secondary volume data from OpenSea. Data was captured between April 1 – April 30, 2023. Conversion rates from crypto to US dollars were calculated on April 30.
Disclaimer: The author owns NFTs from LNRZ and Snoop Dogg, however, the above list is based purely on sales data.

03 May 2023

Billie Eilish Took an Epic Met Gala Bathroom Selfie With Halle Bailey, Elle Fanning & Maya Hawke

Billie Eilish is showing off her time inside the Met Gala with one of the event’s famed bathroom selfies.

For those who may not know, phones and cameras aren’t technically allowed at inside the highly exclusive A-list soiree (per the rules of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour), so the only place one can safely whip out your smartphone for a cute photo with friends is in the restroom.

Wearing a sheer, lacy Simone Rocha dress over a corset by Agent Provocateur for the high-fashion occasion, the “Billie Bossa Nova” singer rounded up pals Halle Bailey, Elle Fanning and Maya Hawke for a high-fashion mirror selfie that she posted to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (May 2). Eilish even cheekily doubled down on the bright red “no smoking” sign posted on the mirror by adding two emojis of the same symbol to her caption-free post on her now-expired Story.

Bathroom selfies have become something of a tradition at the Met Gala over the years. One of the most memorable was back in 2017 when Kylie Jenner shared a veritably party-within-a-party happening in the lavatory featuring her sisters Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, A$AP Rocky, Brie Larson, Luka Sabbat, Paris Jackson, Sean Combs, Elizabeth Chambers, Ashton Sanders, Lily Aldridge and more.

This year’s gala theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, with guests asked to dress “in honor” of the late designer behind the likes of Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, a brief stint at Balmain and his own namesake label, Karl Lagerfeld.

Check out Eilish’s glamorously goth look on the Met Gala carpet before it expires.

03 May 2023

Foo Fighters Take Sole Possession of Alternative Airplay Top 10 Record With ‘Rescued’

Foo Fighters retake sole ownership of the most top 10s in the history of Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart as “Rescued” leaps from No. 18 to No. 5 on the May 6-dated tally.

“Rescued” launches into the top 10 in its second week on the list and after its first full tracking frame (April 21-27); it was released April 19 and its first two days of availability contributed toward the previous, April 29-dated chart.

The song is Foo Fighters’ 29th Alternative Airplay top 10, the most since the chart began in 1988. Previously, the band was tied with Red Hot Chili Peppers with 28 apiece after the latter scored a string of three top 10s from early 2022 through the No. 10-peaking “The Drummer” this February.

Most Top 10s, Alternative Airplay:

  • 29, Foo Fighters
  • 28, Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • 24, Green Day
  • 23, U2
  • 21, Weezer
  • 19, Pearl Jam
  • 18, Linkin Park
  • 18, The Offspring
  • 17, Muse
  • 17, The Smashing Pumpkins

Each of Foo Fighters’ last five charted singles on Alternative Airplay has hit the top 10, beginning with “Shame Shame,” which peaked at No. 10 in 2020. Prior to “Rescued,” the band last appeared with “Love Dies Young,” which reached No. 6 in March 2022.

By hitting No. 5, “Rescued” is Foo Fighters’ top-charting song on Alternative Airplay in eight years, matching the No. 5 peak of “Congregation” in May 2015. Their most recent No. 1 is “Something From Nothing,” which ruled for eight weeks beginning in December 2014.

Concurrently, “Rescued” shoots 20-11 on Mainstream Rock Airplay and debuts at No. 40 on Adult Alternative Airplay. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, the song lifts 3-2 with 7.9 million audience impressions, a 62% boost, according to Luminate.

The impact of “Rescued” is found on other Billboard charts, too. Most notably, it jumps 7-2 on the multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs survey, with 1.6 million official U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads sold, in addition to its radio audience.

“Rescued” is the lead single from But Here We Are, Foo Fighters’ 11th studio album and first since the March 2022 death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins. The set is due June 2.

03 May 2023

Diddy & Yung Miami Are the Sweetest Couple Goals in Met Gala Behind-the-Scenes Video

Diddy and City Girls‘ Yung Miami stepped onto the iconic Met Gala steps together on Monday night (May 1), and music’s new it couple shared a behind-the-scenes look of their getting ready process with Vogue.

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In the clip shared on Wednesday (May 3), Diddy is getting his hair done while he muses on his relationship with the “Act Up” rapper (real name Caresha Brownlee). “Me and Caresha, we’re dating and we’re just enjoying ourselves,” the hip-hop mogul explains. “This is what comes with dating me. Sometimes we gotta hit the red carpet. I’m just happy for her because it’s her first one. This night is really about her, and I’m there as her arm candy.”

The scene then goes to Miami picking up a FaceTime call from Diddy while getting glam. “What’s up, baby?” Diddy is heard sweetly saying when she picks up. “It’s game time! You getting ready?”

He continued, “I just wanted to thank you and tell you how excited I am as your date. I haven’t been on a red carpet with a woman in so long.”

Miami later says that she loves Diddy’s big personality. “He gon’ bring the energy,” she shared. “I love that for us. Just two Black, beautiful souls gracing the Met Gala. I felt like I can’t do it with nobody but him.”

Watch the duo get ready for the Met Gala below.