Music Biz College Graduates Keep Their Heads up, Despite Grim Job Market

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTwo men and two teens have been charged with killing rapper Pop Smoke during a robbery in February, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday (July 13).Corey Walker, 19, and Keandre Rodgers, 18, were each charged with murder Monday, with the special circumstance allegation that the murder occurred during the commission of a robbery and a burglary, making them eligible for the death penalty, according to the announcement.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVeteran rapper and activist Talib Kweli announced today that he will be launching his new album, “Cultural Currency,” via the independent subscription service, Patreon. While artists like Kimbra and Ani DiFranco have released songs through the service, Kweli is the first major artist to use it for a full album.While details on the album itself were scant, the Patreon plans are spelled out in detail on https://www.patreon.com/TalibKweli.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorKhalid and Post Malone tied for Songwriter of the Year and Halsey’s 
“Without Me,” co-written with Delacey, won Song of the Year
 at the 2020 BMI Music Awards. Sony/ATV Music won awarded Publisher of The Year for the eighth time.BMI also celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the 50 most-performed Pop songs of the previous year.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAtlanta rapper Lil Marlo has died, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed to NBC News. While no cause of death had been confirmed, TMZ, which first reported the news, cites a police source as saying the MC, whose real name was Rudolph Johnson, was shot while driving.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA new photo and poster effort called Bring Music Home (BMH) has been launched, in an effort to document and raise funds for the hundreds of music venues across the U.S. that have been financially devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Steve Aoki has collaborated with a slew of Latin artists -- most notably Daddy Yankee, Maluma and Maná -- but he wants greater involvement in the Latin market that goes beyond his star-studded collabs. After launching his own record label, Dim Mak, 24 years ago, on Wedne

Universal Music Group is partnering with India’s Desi Melodies, a leader in the recent wave of Punjabi music, in a global distribution deal that underscores the rapid growth in consumption of regional-language content in the emerging market. The deal announced Tuesday (July 7) will solidify both Universal and Desi Melodies’ position at the forefront of India

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorASCAP has announced the winners of the most performed songs of the past year in Latin music via its @ASCAPLatino and @ASCAP social media platforms.

SANTA MONICA – Officials in Santa Monica and West Hollywood are cracking down on people ignoring the emergency orders requiring facial coverings in public both indoors and outside. In West Hollywood, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies will be citing people found in violation of the emergency order with a first time fine of $300.

DEALSConcord Music Publishing has signed Boz Scaggs to a new publishing deal, covering his full catalogue.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe organizers of the 20th annual BET Awards know all too well that 2020 is both different from past years and, sadly, not different enough — and the show kicked off on Sunday night in fiery fashion with a song that sums up both 31 years ago and now: an incendiary new version of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” that featured new verses from Nas, YG, the Roots’ Black Thought, Rapsody joining Chuck D and Flava Flav’s classic original lines, accompanied by guest DJ

to Mexico.”“Trump says Fourth of July celebrates American independence, ‘but most people don’t know that.'”“Lindsey Graham debuts one-man show ‘Lindsay with a Y.'”“Airport Sbarro reopens with the same two calzones from April.”“Trump shoots men on 5th Avenue, aides claim he was just joking.”“All musicians on Earth demand Trump stop playing their music at his rallies,” though Maher accidentally pronounced it like it rhymed with “allies,” before correcting himself.“Protesters demand Village People

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt has become abundantly clear over the past few years — not to mention the past few decades — that African-Americans and other people of color are not adequately represented in decision-making roles in the music business.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCASH Music, a Portland-based nonprofit designed to provide “open-source tools to artists looking to promote and sell their music online,” is shutting down after 12 years, it announced today.

Grammy and CMA Award-winning songwriter Hillary Lindsey has signed an exclusive, worldwide co-publishing deal with Concord Music Publishing.