Kendrick Lamar continued to ramp up his increasingly personal musical battle with Drake by releasing “Not Like Us,” his third song in 36 hours, early Saturday evening. The song is posted on Lamar’s official YouTube channel — which essentially guarantees its authenticity in an era when an AI deepfake must always be considered — and […]

While the United States continues to debate how and when hip-hop lyrics can be used in court, dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death on April 24 for lyrics that criticized the Islamic Republic’s ruling regime. The sentence, handed down by the ruling Republic Court of the Islamic Republic, overturns a decree from […]

Rico Wade, a member of the pioneering Atlanta-based production trio Organized Noize and a key early Outkast collaborator, has died, according to an Instagram post by his close friend Killer Mike and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. No cause of death was cited; he was 52. “I don’t have the words to express my deep and profound […]

John Sinclair, the counterculture activist and former MC5 manager who helped define that proto-punk ensemble’s radical politics, died on Tuesday at 82. Sinclair’s death from congestive heart failure at the Detroit Receiving Hospital was first reported by the Detroit News and confirmed by a representative for his family. Long before social media’s instant impact, Sinclair […]

In the weeks since Beyonce announced her “Cowboy Carter” album, there’s been an enormous amount of commentary over the singer’s move into country music, and the long-overlooked contributions of Black artists to the genre since its very beginning. There’s also been more-humorous comments about the album’s title — which comes from Beyonce’s married surname and […]

Sean “Diddy” Combs — rapper, producer and entrepreneur — has fired back against the government’s raids on two of his properties in Miami and Los Angeles on Monday. In a statement, his attorney Aaron Dyer characterized the searches by investigators with the Department of Homeland Security as an “unprecedented ambush” and a “witch hunt.” “Yesterday, there […]

It’s been a very quiet three-and-a-half years for Ariana Grande — quiet for one of music’s biggest stars, anyway — and a bit of an adjustment for fans. She’d been almost ubiquitous, catapulting into her musical career at a superhuman velocity in 2013 and releasing six albums in just over seven years — a fierce clip […]

Jonathan Taplin is the Director Emeritus of the Annenberg Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California and the author of “The End of Reality: How Four Billionaires are Selling a Fantasy Future of the Metaverse, Mars and Crypto.” He was tour manager for Bob Dylan and The Band in 1969. He has written this […]

Mojo Nixon, the alternative musician, actor and DJ, known for the 1987 novelty hit “Elvis Is Everywhere” has died. He was 66. Nixon, whose real name is Neill Kirby McMillan Jr., was found dead today onboard the annual Outlaw Country Cruise, where he was regular presence both as a performer and co-host. He had performed […]

Contrary to popular online opinion, if The Last Dinner Party didn’t exist, it seems highly unlikely that the music industry would have the nerve to dream them up. The noise in the U.K. around the band has been getting louder in the run-up to its debut album, “Prelude to Ecstasy,” released just a few hours […]

Clive Davis has been holding one of the most legendary parties in entertainment history, the Pre-Grammy Gala — aka “The Clive Party” — the night before the ceremony, every year since 1976, complete with virtual editions during lockdown. It is truly fete like no other, a place where you can see Bey and Jay at one […]

At least three unreleased versions of Lady Gaga songs have surfaced on streaming services, listed under her real name, Stefani Germanotta, with no mention of her stage name. The three songs under that heading are purported different mixes or versions of two previously released songs, “Perfect Illusion” and “Fashion,” as well as an unreleased 2007 […]

Ariana Grande’s first single under her own name in more than three years arrives with a feel-good, bouncy lilt in the melody and rhythm, and a clear inspiration from Madonna’s “Vogue” (along with a splash of mid-‘90s Janet Jackson). But first impressions can be deceiving, because the lyrics bear a refreshingly positive I-am-who-I-am, be-yourself-and-keep-it-moving message […]

Nearly eight years after Prince’s death, his heirs have gone to court with two former associates of the artist in the latest round of the long, expensive and complex battle over control over his estate. The lawsuit, made public Wednesday in Delaware court, pits four of the artist’s heirs against two of his former business […]

Les McCann, the legendary jazz pianist who has been sampled countless times and is perhaps best known for the protest song “Compared to What,” died Friday at a Los Angeles area hospital, his manager confirmed. No cause of death was announced, although he had been hospitalized last week after contracting pneumonia; he was 88. The […]

A gold or platinum record doesn’t just happen: Even if an album, single or EP passed 500,000 (gold) or 1,000,000 (platinum) sales or their equivalent in the streaming age, it must be certified by the Recording Industry Association of America, which is a whole process that involves submissions and research and certification and other bureaucratic […]

The last “Saturday Night Live” of the year is always a special occasion, and 2023 was no exception: Billie Eilish performed the television debut of “What Was I Made For?,” written and recorded for Greta Gerwig’s summer blockbuster “Barbie,” as well as a torchy interpretation of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” She also appeared […]

As expected, Ariana Grande has signed with Brandon Creed and his new Good World Management firm, sources close to the situation confirm to Variety. The news comes four months after sources confirmed that the singer had parted ways with longtime manager Scooter Braun who, apart from a period of several months in 2017, had managed her since […]

Lex Borrero’s Ntertain is putting together a two-day event over the weekend called “The Art of Being Latin” for Miami Art Week. Taking place at the Builders Collective in Annex Wynwood, the presentation will include curated art exhibitions showcasing contemporary Latin artists and live musical performances from up-and-coming and established musicians. Borrero, Grammy-winning producer Tainy, […]