Motown Relaunches Iconic Black Forum Label With New and Archival Releases

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJade Bird is one of the more promising British singer-songwriters to emerge in the past few years, and Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb — who has helmed albums by Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, the Highwomen and many more — is one of Nashville’s reigning producers.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSouth by Southwest Conference and Festivals has announced that Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg; author and host of the New York Times podcast “Together Apart” Priya Parker in conversation with Anand Giridharadas; and writer and author Charles Yu as Keynote Speakers, along with a new round of Featured Speakers for SXSW Online.The virtual event takes place from March 16-20, 2021.Buttigieg, Parker, and Yu join the Keynote lineup that includes

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBillie Eilish revealed that she’s recorded a new album in lockdown during an interview with Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” Tuesday night. It’s the result of her first prolonged period of not touring since her career began in earnest in 2016.“I don’t think I would’ve made the same album, or even the album at all, if it weren’t for Covid,” she tells Colbert.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Black Music Collective (BMC), a newly launched initiative by the Recording Academy, will host its inaugural Grammy Week event in celebration of Black creators’ and professionals’ contributions to the music industry.The event will feature performances by H.E.R., Yolanda Adams, PJ Morton and rapper and producer duo Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBrooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda (real name: Ackquille Jean Pollard) has been released from prison, according to a statement from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. “At approximately 8:30 this morning,  Ackquille Pollard was conditionally released from Clinton Correctional Facility.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMark Anthony Morales, known as Prince Markie Dee of early rap group the Fat Boys and a hit songwriter and producer for Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and others, has died, according to his manager, Louie “Uncle Louie” Gregory.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRock and Roll Hall of Famers the Beach Boys have become the latest artists to sell their catalog and other assets: The group announced Thursday that Irving Azoff’s recently launched Iconic Artists Group has purchased a controlling interest in its intellectual property, including their sound recordings, the brand, select musical compositions, and memorabilia.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBig Hit Entertainment, the South Korean company that brought BTS to the world, and Universal Music Group today announced an expanded strategic partnership that will see the two companies working together to “increase opportunities for artists through innovation and technology, whilst expanding the global reach of K-pop music and culture around the world,” according the announcement.

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Lourdes “Lola” Leon is the spokesmodel for the newly-revealed Marc Jacobs Spring 2021 campaign.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMarisa Lauro-Norris, a 15-year veteran of Def Jam Recordings and its parent company, Universal Music, has been promoted to senior vice president of international marketing, it was announced today by interim chairman/CEO Jeff Harleston.  In her new role, Lauro-Norris will lead all inter­national marketing activities at the Def Jam label.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter news broke Wednesday that Bruce Springsteen was arrested in New Jersey on suspicion of drunken driving last November, uproar quickly ensued: Fans were baffled that such a thing would happen to the singer — who is not a teetotaler but has never been known to be a heavy drinker — and Jeep quickly removed the recent Super Bowl ad starring Springsteen from their YouTube page, stating “drinking and driving can never be condoned.”However, unconfirmed details emerged

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorR. Kelly’s New York jury trial has been delayed for a fourth time due to COVID-19 concerns, according to the Chicago Tribune.The singer had been scheduled to go on trial April 7 on racketeering charges — which allege he ran a criminal enterprise designed to recruit women for sexual misconduct — but at a status hearing Tuesday, U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCountry star Morgan Wallen, who found himself a pariah from the airwaves overnight after video circulated on Tuesday of him using a racial slur, has had his contract “suspended indefinitely” by his label, Big Loud Records, the company announced Wednesday.“In the wake of recent events, Big Loud Records has made the decision to suspend Morgan Wallen’s contract indefinitely,” the statement reads.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTo honor the first day of Black History month, on Monday the Weeknd — who is the headline halftime performer at Super Bowl LV — chose Mama’s Southern Soul Food a Black-owned restaurant in Tampa, Fla., to feed the frontline healthcare workers at AdventHealth Carrollwood.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn the wake of Evan Rachel Wood’s announcement that Marilyn Manson “horrifically abused” her for years when they were in a relationship, Loma Vista Recordings, which released Manson’s latest album, has parted ways with the singer.“In light of today’s disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their abuser, Loma Vista will cease to further promote his current album, effective immediately,” the statement reads.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAlong with the news that legendary singer Tony Bennett is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the singer’s team revealed that he and Lady Gaga recorded a follow-up to their chart-topping 2014 album, “Cheek to Cheek,” even as Bennett battled the disease.The news, confirmed by a rep for Bennett, was revealed in the AARP magazine article announcing Bennett’s illness, which he and his team manager to keep under wraps since he was diagnosed in 2016.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTwo years after he was named co-head of Columbia Records’ Urban Music division, Shawn Holiday will be joining Irving and Jeffrey Azoff to launch a new record label and publishing venture, a rep for Columbia confirmed to Variety.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Entertainment announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Kobalt Music Group to acquire Kobalt’s recorded-music operations, including AWAL, and Kobalt Neighboring Rights.AWAL and Neighbouring Rights will become a new division within SME’s suite of independent artist and label services offerings and will be enhanced by the technology and network of SME’s independent music distribution company, The Orchard, according to the announcement.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorArlo Parks is the kind of artist who almost could have been created in a test tube for a certain type of music fan. A 20-year-old singer-songwriter raised in London to Nigerian/Chadian-French parents (her real name is Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho).