Meek Mill and WME Strike Strategic Partnership

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer Robert Aramayo had no idea when he first auditioned for “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” that the role he was vying for was Elrond, one of the most revered and crucial characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga of Middle-earth. Hugo Weaving played Elrond in Peter Jackson’s trilogies of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit,” and as a kid, Aramayo had been captivated by the films. So when “The Rings of Power” co-showrunner J.D. Payne told him that he’d been cast to play Elrond as a (relatively) young man, the now 29-year-old actor couldn’t believe it. “I had one of those moments where everything in your body feels like you’re on electricity,” he tells Variety. “I was shocked and surprised and felt really, really honored that they will consider me for him.”

Heather Rae El Moussa is sticking up for herself and husband Tarek El Moussa.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Presented in its worst possible light, the FN Meka controversy — in which Capitol signed, and then quickly dropped, a virtual rapper that used the N-word in its songs and was depicted in racially stereotypical scenarios in videos — seems like an inconceivable blunder. But a closer look at the details, along with conversations with sources close to the situation, suggests that, while inexcusable and loaded with oversights, Capitol’s role in the FN Meka fiasco may not have been as insensitive as it might seem. However, above all, it is yet another glaring result of the lack of diversity throughout the music industry — not just at Capitol, not just at major companies, but everywhere.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor On the anniversary of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts’ death, Mick Jagger posted a video combining photos of the two over the years, with a brief spoken passage and the group’s 1974 song “Till the Next Goodbye.” “I miss Charlie… because he had a great sense of humor,” Jagger says. “Outside of the band, we used to hang out quite a lot and have interesting times.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA large fire erupted outside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Saturday night as fans were leaving the Weekend’s concert at the venue. Local firefighters responded to the blaze shortly before 11 p.m.

“The Best of Both Worlds.”“Hannah Montana” casting director Lisa London corrected a TikToker who wrongfully declared that the Spanish-Mexican singer Belinda — who had a starring role in “Cheetah Girls 2” — was among the final three candidates for the lead role in the hit Disney Channel series. “I wanted to let everybody know that Belinda — who’s lovely, by the way — was never in the top three for the role of Hannah,” London clarified after stating that she had “discovered” Cyrus.

Coldplay has a new music video out!

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorManchester rapper Aitch has apologized for painting over a mural of late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, apparently inadvertently, with an ad for his new album “Close to Home,” and promised to “get this [situation] fixed pronto.”As noted by Stereogum, the ad went up Wednesday in Manchester’s Northern Quarter on Port Street ahead of Aitch’s album’s release on Friday.“It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork,” Aitch tweeted. “This is the first time I’ve heard of this, me and my team are getting this fixed pronto.

Selena Gomez is back in the kitchen as she learns all-new recipes from a roster of renowned chefs in season 4 of. Ahead of the food series’ return on Aug.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWarner Recorded Music has announced a global joint venture with Lee Daniels Music, headed by the acclaimed director/writer/producer. Daniels was behind the films “Precious,” “The Butler” and “Monster’s Ball,” the long-running TV series “Empire” and many others.The agreement encompasses recorded music projects, including soundtracks, as well as artist signings. Its first project – the original motion picture soundtrack for “The United States vs.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMusically speaking, Norway is too often unfairly overshadowed by its neighbors, the overachieving Sweden — which has mastered the art of speaking modestly while flexing outrageously —  on the east, and the eccentric Iceland and Scotland to the west. But with a population of just under 5.5 million, the comparatively understated country punches far above its weight in both the world’s music scene and its economy, and its booming talent was on ample display at the latest installment of the long-running Oya Festival in Oslo last week.While there were plenty of Anglo and American acts — ranging from headliners Gorillaz, Florence + the Machine and Nick Cave to H.E.R., Little Simz, Freddie Gibbs, Remi Wolf and Perfume Genius — equally if not more compelling was the diverse array of home-grown talent.

Meek Mill and WME are forming a strategic partnership that will focus on the next wave of cultural leaders. The collaboration between the artist and the talent agency is part of Mill’s Cultural Currency initiative that looks to expand his business while identifying and supporting his network of artists, athletes, and entertainers to better take advantage of their influence on culture and open up more opportunities for them.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDespite some “headwinds” including an unusually strong dollar, a lighter-than-usual release schedule and several short-term expenses, Warner Music posted a solid third quarter of 2022, with a strong showing from its publishing division and 12% revenue growth that the company stressed would have been closer to 15% if not for the above factors. The company also announced a new deal with Meta (formerly Facebook) and several upcoming legal settlements that it says will bring in $25 million in OBITDA, both of which will have a strong impact on Q4.“We delivered solid double-digit growth on a constant-currency basis, even against the backdrop of a slowdown in the advertising market and some one-time items affecting year-over-year comparisons,” said Steve Cooper, CEO, Warner Music Group.

Home sweet home! Tarek El Moussa returned from his trip to Mexico, and pregnant Heather Rae El Moussa (née Young) couldn’t be more excited to have her husband back under the same roof.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMike Dean is a man of few words, letting his music do the talking on songs he’s produced for himself — such as his 2021 album “4:22” — and for others, including Beyonce, Kanye West the Weeknd — who he’s currently opening for on the “After Hours Til the Dawn” stadium tour — and his just-released compilation, “See You Next Year.”Oh, and the occasional social media post, like Wednesday night’s minor drama involving his apparent removal from Kid Cudi’s Moon Man Landing Festival in Cleveland next month. Dean wrote, “Looks like I won’t be playing moon man’s landing this year.

Matt Dillon is at Locarno this week where he will receive the festival’s lifetime achievement award, a prestigious honour that he joked comes with a unique balance of positives and negatives.

Heather Rae El Moussa is lying low and putting her health first. The pregnant 34-year-old star was noticeably absent from a group photo of husband Tarek El Moussa's family trip to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico this week. In the caption, Tarek wrote that his entire family and children were «having a blast,» but noted, «Just missing @heatherraeyoung like crazy but doctor's orders come first!!» Heather replied in the comments, writing: «Miss my family and love you so much baby.» A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa)Tarek and Heather are currently expecting their first child together, a baby boy, due in 2023. This will be the first child for Heather, and the third for Tarek, who shares Taylor and Brayden with his ex-wife, Christina Hall. While Heather has been open about undergoing IVF and her pregnancy journey, just last week, the reality TV star revealed that despite doing IVF, she ultimately ended up getting pregnant naturally.In an Instagram post, she opened up about taking the time to slow down and truly nurture her body during pregnancy. «I've always been a healthy person but I'm also ambitious so I love the busy busy go-go-go lifestyle,» she wrote.