Jem Aswad-Senior Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

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 Editor Former Cradle of Filth guitarist Stuart Anstis, who was a member of the group from 1995 through 1999, died on August 21, according to posts from his wife Antoinette and former bandmate Richard Walsh. No cause of death was cited; he was 48. Antoinette wrote on the guitarist’s Facebook page, “Rest in Peace, you were too beautiful for this world me Lover. “Nothing will ever be the same again, Love Always and ever your Antoinette Until we meet again…” Band founder Dani Filth wrote, also on Facebook: “It is with a deeply saddened heart that I have heard of the passing of my former guitarist Stuart Anstis at 48.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBMI, one of the two largest performing rights organizations in the United States, announced layoffs of “just under 10%” of its workforce last week, a rep has confirmed to Variety. The move comes shortly after plans to sell the PRO, which represents some of the world’s biggest artists in the U.S. and pulls in more than $1 billion in revenue annually, were abandoned after the organization did not meet its target price, according to a report in Bloomberg, although the BMI rep said the layoffs were unrelated to the sale cancelation.

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.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Red Hot Chili Peppers will receive the prestigious Global Icon Award and perform live at the 2022 MTV VMAs, which air Sunday, August 28 at 8. p.m.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHip-hop is getting a big look at the 2022 MTV VMAs as Video Vanguard Award recipients LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj, along with rising star Jack Harlow, are set to emcee the show which airs live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday, August 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.According to the announcement, the three MCs will announce the show’s star-studded lineup of performers, presenters and winners, “taking a more innovative and unique approach to the traditional ‘host’ gig seen in previous years.LL has a long history with the show, winning Best Rap Video in 1991 for “Mama Said Knock You Out”  and the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 1997.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorK-pop titans Blackpink have announced the #PinkVenomChallenge in partnership with YouTube, launching at midnight ET tonight (August 19) and 1 p.m. KST, following the debut of their new music video “Pink Venom.”There will be a special countdown livestream starting at 11 p.m.

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.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorExperiential media and immersive technology company Cosm will paunch its first public venue in Hollywood Park, it announced on Wednesday. The location will be the first venue of its kind to utilize Cosm’s domed and compound curved LED technology.As part of Hollywood Park’s retail district, the venue will showcase a 26.6-meter diameter LED dome in a 65,000 total square feet facility that can hold up to 1,700 guests.

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.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBlackpink, Jack Harlow, Lizzo and Måneskin are the latest round of performers announced for MTV’s VMAs, airing live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday, August 28th at 8 p.m. ET/PT.They join previously announced performers Anitta, J Balvin, Marshmello x Khalid and Panic! at the DiscoBlackpink will deliver the first U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn a cover story in the new edition of Elle, Adele speaks at length on her decision to postpone her Las Vegas residency on January 20 of this year, the day before it was to begin, reiterating in greater detail that it was purely an artistic decision — one that was painful, but that she does not regret.“It was the worst moment in my career, by far. By far,” she says. “I was so excited about those shows.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn a surprise move, Recording Academy co-president Valeisha Butterfield Jones will leave the organization to return to Google, taking a new vice president role on the internet giant’s diversity team.Butterfield Jones joined the Academy in 2020 as chief diversity officer and became co-president with Panos Panay almost exactly a year ago. She played a key role in CEO Harvey Mason jr.’s “modernized leadership team” and oversaw the organization’s people and culture, membership, awards and related initiatives.The Academy will continue to be led by Mason as CEO and Panay as president; the org will not name an additional co-president at this time.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVeteran rapper and activist Meek Mill and talent agency WME have formed a strategic partnership focusing on the next wave of cultural leaders, according to an announcement issued Thursday. The agency will also represent Mill in all areas.The relationship is part of Meek’s new initiative Culture Currency, “designed to expand Meek’s business while identifying and supporting his network of artists, athletes, and entertainers so that they can take better advantage of their influence on culture, and open up more opportunities for them within the entertainment, brand and business space,” the announcement states.WME will represent Mill in all areas while working together to identify talent to potentially represent or partner with, and in turn who can benefit from the resources and global reach of the agency that spans film, television, music, books, digital, endorsements and more.

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.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLamont Dozier, one-third of the legenday “Holland-Dozier-Holland” songwriting and production trio who wrote many of Motown Records’ biggest hits for the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas and others, has died at the age of 81. The news was confirmed by his son Lamont Dozier Jr on social media; no cause of death has been released as yet.Hits written and produced by Dozier with siblings Brian and Eddie Holland read like a greatest-hits of Motown’s early years: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Stop! in the Name of Love,” “How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You),” “Baby Love,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “You Keep Me Hanging On” and many others.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUTA announced today that  Robert Gibbs has joined the agency as a partner and co-head of its Atlanta office.In his new role, Gibbs will join UTA Atlanta co-heads Rich Paul, Arthur Lewis, and Steve Cohen to help grow the agency’s footprint across music, sports, film, fine arts, television, podcasts, and more, according to the announcement.“Robert’s experience in the industry, combined with his enthusiasm to help us build in Atlanta, made him the perfect choice to join UTA and our leadership team there,” said UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer. Last September UTA and its partner company Klutch Sports Group established an office in the city.“Over the past several years the momentum at UTA has been undeniable,” said Gibbs.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTwo weeks after Variety reported that Britney Spears and Elton John were working up a brand-new recording of John’s 1971 song, “Tiny Dancer,” the remake has been confirmed: Reps for both artists sent out an announcement Monday confirmed that the song, “Hold Me Closer,” is due in the coming days. There was little information in the announcement except single artwork, which consists of the title, a rose (Britney) and a rocket (Elton).According to reports last month, Spears met with John in mid-July in a Beverly Hills recording studio for a new version of the song.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVeteran Russian musical collective and  activists Pussy Riot will be joined by some high-profile guests for their forthcoming concert at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theater on Wednesday: comic Sarah Silverman will be performing a full set, while Big Freedia — fresh from her prominent guest spot on Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” —  Salem Ilese, Josiah, Boyfriend, Slayyyter and Eva Elfie will be making special guest appearances, along with previously announced artist Rei Ami.The appearance is a rare high-profile slot for Silverman, who has been keeping a relatively low profile in recent months. Big Freedia and Salem Ilese both appear on Pussy Riot’s “Matriarchy” mixtape, which dropped on Friday. Ilese also released the viral hit “Crypto Boy,” and for which the group’s Nadya Tolokonnikova created the single artwork.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe ongoing feud between former friends and collaborators Kanye West and Kid Cudi took another turn on Monday, when West took a shot at his erstwhile pal as part of an elaborate online dig at Pete Davidson, who reports say has ended his relationship with West’s estranged wife Kim Kardashian. (Read that sentence again: Such is the life of a virtuoso internet troll.)The dig actually came a subheadline in a mock New York Times cover that is just the latest in West’s arguably abusive public behavior toward Davidson and Kardashian, which has ranged from verbal threats to elaborate jokes, such as West burying a Davidson effigy in the video for his song with the Game, “Eazy.” His latest “prank” came in the form of a fake headline reading “Skete Davidson Dead at 28” (“Skete” being his nickname for Davidson, derived from vulgar Chicago slang), with the bottom reading: “Kid Cudi meant to play funeral but fearful of bottle throwers.” The Cudi mention refers to a July 22 incident during the elaborate drama around the Rolling Loud Festival, where West was originally scheduled to be a headliner but abruptly pulled out just days before the event.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs New York discovered in no uncertain terms last summer when the star-studded “We Love NYC” concert in Central Park was abruptly canceled less than halfway before it was over, the threat of lightning is no joke when it comes to outdoor events. And although thunderclouds and some serious lightning flashes were a backdrop for Khruangbin and Vieux Farka Touré concert at a BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn concert in the New York borough’s Prospect Park, they passed to the south without a drop of rain, and the completely sold-out concert went on without incident from Mother Nature — except for some characteristically brutal NYC summer humidity.Khruangbin, a trio from Houston that plays mostly instrumental music, is a band as unusual as their name, and what was perhaps most remarkable about the concert was the size of the densely packed crowd — there aren’t many bands like them who are popular enough to sell out New York’s 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall, which they did earlier this year.

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.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMTV has announced the first round of performers for the 2022 VMAs, taking place live from New Jersey’s Prudential Center on Sunday, August 28th at 8PM ET/PT.Anitta, J Balvin, Marshmello x Khalid and Panic! at the Disco are the first round of announced artists, with more to follow in the coming weeks.Brazilian singer Anitta, who played a vivid 45-minute set of her hits at Coachella in April, will make her VMA debut with the TV  performance of her new single, “Envolver.” She is also up for her first VMAs award in the Best Latin category, making her the first Brazilian artist to be nominated for a Moon Person.Veteran Colombia artist Balvin will return to the VMA state with the TV premiere of “Nivel de Perreo” with Ryan Castro, returning for the first time since his epic on-stage collaboration with Bad Bunny for “Que Pretendes” in 2019. The five-time VMA winner is also nominated for Best Latin (for “In Da Getto” with Skrillex), which would make him as the most awarded Latin artist in VMAs history.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLive Nation posted solid results in its second quarter earnings report, with a 40% increase in revenue over the same period in 2019 to $4.4 billion, an 86% increase in operating income to $319 million, and a 50% increase in adjusted operating income $480 million.Perhaps most significantly, “We have sold over 100 million tickets for our concerts this year — more than we sold for the entire year in 2019,” CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement, adding that the company is on track for a record year.Live Nation also posted what it said is its highest quarterly attendance ever, with more than 33 million fans across 12,500 events — up 20% over the same quarter in 2019.Rapino said, “With most of the world fully re-opened, it’s clear that concerts remain a high priority for fans. Consumers are seeking out and spending more on experiences, and the growing demand we are seeing for live music and events is driving our business to record levels, far outpacing any macro issues or cost increases.” However, while many blockbuster tours, such as Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo, are thriving, the high number of artists on the road, combined with recession fears and lingering apprehension about mass gatherings as Covid variants continue, has caused others to perform below expectations.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJohnny Depp and Jeff Beck have been accused of lifting lyrics for their song “Sad Motherfuckin’ Parade” from an obscure “toast” sung by an incarcerated man and documented and released by a folklorist in 1974, according to a report in Rolling Stone.A large number of lyrics of the Depp/Beck song “18” are strikingly similar to lines from a toast — an often-profane form of Black folk poetry from years past — called “Hobo Ben” and apparently written by a man named Slim Wilson who was serving an armed-robbery sentence at Missouri State Penitentiary and documented by Bruce Jackson in his 1974 book about toasts, “Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me,” and a companion album. Wilson — whose name is a pseudonym — is not listed in the song’s credits.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne of the wonders of music streaming is its borderlessness. Back in the day, a person might never hear, let alone purchase, music outside their country or comfort zone if they didn’t happen to wander into that area of a record store or radio dial.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWith hits from a wildly diverse array of artists including Halsey, the Weeknd, Camila Cabello, Jon Batiste, Leon Bridges, Twenty One Pilots, SZA, Maren Morris, Maggie Rogers, Maroon 5, Bomba Estereo and many more, Ricky Reed is one of the most successful and ubiquitous songwriters of the past 15-odd years.But it’s his work with Lizzo, both as a musical collaborator and the head of Nice Life, the label to which signed along with Atlantic Records, that has made him Variety’s Hitmaker of the Month for July. The singer’s “Special” album features five songs co-produced by Reed — including the smash single “About That Time” and the closer, “Coldplay.”Reed (real name: Eric Frederic) began working with Lizzo (real name: Melissa Jefferson) in 2016.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn the past 48 hours, the only noise louder than the Beyhive has been coming from R&B singer Kelis, who is outraged that Beyonce sampled her 2000 song “Get Along With You” without informing her. The sample appears in “Energy” from Beyonce’s just-released album “Renaissance”; the officially credited writers and producers of “Get Along With You” are the Neptunes, a.k.a.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Publishing has signed rising singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Em Beihold to a worldwide publishing agreement. Her gold-certified single “Numb Little Bug” has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for 24 weeks, and she released her debut EP “Egg in the Backseat: last week.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorApproximately 36 hours before its scheduled release at midnight ET on Thursday, Beyonce’s full album has apparently leaked.Social media was filled with comments on the leak and Variety was able to find high-quality flac files that certainly sound like the album within a matter of minutes. Some posts showed CD copies of the album for sale, apparently in Europe.Reps for Beyonce and the album’s distributor, Columbia Records, did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.The leak came as a shock, as Beyonce’s operation is famously among the most secure in the business, renowned for the surprise drop of her 2013 self-titled album — which required countless non-disclosure agreements —  and an overall air of secrecy. The singer revealed the tracklist for her forthcoming seventh album “Renaissance” last week.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThree weeks after postponing his “Wonder” world tour to focus on his mental health, Shawn Mendes announced on Wednesday that he’s canceling the tour altogether.“As you guys know, I had to postpone the past few weeks of shows since I wasn’t totally prepared for the toll that being back on the road would take on me,” he wrote in social media posts. “I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is I was not at all ready for how difficult touring would be after this time away.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Newark Museum of Art is presenting two stunning exhibits of photography featuring Billie Holiday and a selection of jazz legends. “Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection” and “Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill: Photographs by Jerry Dantzic” opened last month and will run through August 22, 2022.“Jazz Greats” includes 33 photographs by 15 photographers that date from the 1920s to the 1980s, including Miles Davis, John & Alice Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Eric Dolphy (pictured, top), Louis Armstrong, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie, along with photos of amateur musicians performing in their local communities, as well as their audiences.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFormer President Barack Obama has unveiled another of his summer playlists, and as in the past, it’s a combination of the expected — NPR-level but edgy rap and R&B, some old soul chestnuts, a smattering of alt-rock and country, a nod to his podcast-mate Bruce Springsteen, and some international gems — along with a couple of “woah!” surprises, particularly British upstarts Wet Leg. (We could give more examples, but just look below.)Like his past lists and his annual summer reading lists, it’s a combination of age-appropriate, adventurous (but not too adventurous) and family-friendly music that uniformly has a positive or socially relevant message — just like the man and the policies of his presidency, which feels so long ago.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHer most famous client only needs one name to be recognized, but legendary Madonna publicist Barbara Charone can go one better: she’s known throughout the music industry simply by her initials.BC’s remarkable 50-year career is now being celebrated in her new memoir, “Access All Areas,” which has been the talk of the U.K. industry since its publication at the end of last month.