Universal Music Group has yanked its musicvideos from MTV’s Web sites after licensing talks between Vevo, the musicvideo site operated by UMG, Sony Music Entertainment and Google, and Viacom’s MTV broke down.

A statement issued by UMG said bluntly that with the standoff, Vevo would become the primary Web outlet for its musicvideo output from superstar acts including the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Eminem and Justin Bieber.

“MTVN has been unwilling to negotiate a fair syndication deal with Vevo to carry our artists’ videos,” UMG said, “and consequently our videos will not be shown on their online properties. We believe that using Vevo as our online music video syndication platform is the best way to maximize revenue for our artists, our songwriters and ourselves, while bringing our videos to the widest possible audience.”

UMG’s videos have been scrubbed from MTV.com and sister sites VH1.com and CMT.com.

Warner/Chappell Music announced that it has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with two members of the Grammy nominated, LA-based production team The Stereotypes. As part of the agreement Warner/Chappell will co-publish and administer the worldwide publishing rights of Jonathan Yip and Jeremy Reeves of The Stereotypes.

The Los Angeles-based production team consists of Jon Yip (aka “Jon Street”), Jeremy Reeves (aka “JermBeats”) and Sony/ATV songwriter Ray Romulus (aka “RayRo”) who, in just a few years, has become one of the most sought-after producers in the business. They first attracted industry-wide attention in 2008 for producing Danity Kane’s smash hit, “Damaged,” from the album, Welcome to the Doll House.  Their success was quickly followed by two Grammy nominations for contributing “Why Does She Stay” to Ne-Yo’s Year of the Gentleman album. The trio has since worked with Natasha Bedingfield on her single, “Again,” Mary J. Blige on “Good Love” (featuring T.I.), Raheem Devaugh on “I Don’t Care,” Justin Bieber on both “Somebody to Love” and “Stuck in the Moment,” and Travie McCoy on the single, “We’ll Be Alright.”

The Stereotypes are currently working on projects with The Cab, Melanie Fiona, Sean Kingston, David Archuleta, Pleasure P, Fantasia, Ne-Yo, Alesha Dixon and Musiq Soulchild, as well as developing the group Far East Movement and producing the single, “Girls on the Dance Floor.”

Warner/Chappell Music announced that it has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with up-and-coming Hip-Hop and R&B producer Tyler Williams, professionally known as “T-Minus,” for all of his current and future works.

Only 21-years-old, T-Minus’ recent rise to industry notoriety was launched by Ludacris’ chart-topping single, “How Low,” which T-Minus produced. “How Low,” which now stands as Ludacris’ biggest hit in more than five years, has sold more than one million digital downloads in the U.S., achieved top 10 status on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and topped Billboard’s Rap Songs chart.

T-Minus is quickly following his success with his production on Asylum/Warner Bros.’ recording artist Lyfe Jennings’ new single “Success,” which is currently climbing both Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and Adult R&B chart.

Although most of his work over the past six years has been devoted to major hip-hop artists, T-Minus’ talent spans multiple genres and has led to his crafting pop rock tracks for Stereos, the winners of the MuchMusic’s reality TV competition, DisBAND. He continues to build his repertoire and is currently involved in collaborations with recording stars such as Donnis, Diggy Simmons and Gucci Mane.

Warner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Grammy-nominated, Washington D.C.-based R&B/Pop producer, Jay Fenix, for his current and future works.

Though he has a previous career as a performer that included recording collaborations with Stephanie Mills and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and a stint as keyboardist on the Melissa Etheridge/Rosey tour, Fenix is best known for producing Melanie Fiona’s 2009 hit, “It Kills Me,” which topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Billboard Charts for nine weeks and was in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Fenix’s soulful R&B lyrics combined with his work as producer earned Fiona a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and led Fenix to win a SESAC award.  Since then, Fenix has become a sought-after producer, and has produced tracks for Fantasia, Musiq Soulchild, Chrisette Michelle and Tamia.  He is currently developing his own all-girl group, Heiress, as well as his own act, Savage Mill.
(source)
- C.A.

JENESIS decided to combine July & August with a double cover. Don Cannon aka Mr Money Machine and Moola Gang grace the front and back covers this month along with interviews with Aloe Blacc, DJ Dimepiece, Kooley High, Skeme, Pistol Etiquette, Broccoli City, Shadow Lounge’s 10th Anniversary, Clique Vodka, and more!

CHECK IT OUT HERE

It’s amazing to me how STUPID celebrities, music artists, public figures, etc are when it comes to this ONE THING. Time and time again you heard about how so & so owes $500k in back taxes, etc etc. Hey rappers: Just because you flaunt your stacks of cash doesn’t mean the amount you make doesn’t get traced back to you.

Here’s the report from TMZ:

Young Buck‘s Tennessee home was just ransacked by several armed federal agents … TMZ has learned — and it was all over $300,000 in allegedly unpaid taxes.

According to Young’s rep, IRS agents rolled up to the platinum-selling rapper’s house in Nashville this morning to go on a repossession rampage over the alleged tax debt — seizing assets like recording equipment, jewelry, furniture, his platinum wall plaques … and even his kids’ PlayStation.

The rep tells us, the feds in question were packing heat — in the form of a shotgun — and warned Buck not to interfere with the raid.

As for how he fell so far behind in debt, the former G-Unit member tells us, “This IRS situation came about because I trusted accountants, lawyers, and managers to handle my business for me while I focused on making music. From now on, I am going to stay on top of my own business.”

I don’t even really know why I’m posting this garbage, but I guess I know some viewers are more in to mainstream stuff than I am. Think about MTV for a second and then think what nominations the kids would wanna see happen…………..yup. Almost every category contains a Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Beyonce, Eminem and/or Jay-Z. Who woulda guessed?? Click below if you wanna see the nominations:

Read the rest of this entry »

With Drake’s upcoming tour hitting all the major markets, this will create a great opportunity for new fans to come on board who’d might not be otherwise exposed to the Clipse. If you’re planning on coming to the show, be sure to get there early.

“Light Dreams and Nightmares” tour dates:

September 21 – Miami, FL – James L. Knight Center

September 24 – Tampa, FL – USF Sun Dome (new date added)

September 28 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall

September 29 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall

October 2 – Washington, DC – Dar Constitution Hall

October 6 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre Atlanta

October 12 – St. Louis – Fox Theatre (new date added)

October 13 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre

October 14 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre

October 19 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre Detroit

October 21 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre

October 29 – Houston, TX – Reliant Arena / Reliant Park (new date added)

November 2 – Denver, CO – Wells Fargo Theatre

November 4 – Universal City, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk

(source)

- C.A.

A Florida man says he was the victim of a racially motivated attack Monday, when he was punched by a black teenager for listening to rap music.David McKnight, 22, was playing the song “Wasted” by Gucci Mane when, he says, he was confronted by 14-year-old Joshua Lamb, WFTV.com reports.

“The argument involved the black male suspect saying, ‘You shouldn’t be listening to rap music because you’re white,’ ” said Palm Bay police spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez.

When McKnight, who is Caucasian, refused to turn off the music, Lamb and a group of friends assaulted him.

“I couldn’t get away fast enough,” McKnight told WFTV. “One of them spit on me, punched me, knocked me down … I got a couple of kicks in from a couple of them. I told him to drop it. I was like, ‘Just drop it, let’s go, there is eight of you and one of me. Just drop it,’ ” McKnight said. “And he says, ‘I’m not dropping anything.’ Bam! [He] punched me.”

McKnight did not retaliate and, according to the police report obtained by The Smoking Gun, he “fled before any further battery could take place.”

But WFTV reported that he suffered a swollen eye, broken toe, concussion and choke marks around his neck in the fight.

“I feel it’s a racial thing, really,” McKnight said.

Police officers who showed up shortly after the incident arrested Lamb on battery charges, and he is currently being held in a juvenile detention center. If state prosecutors decide to charge Lamb with a hate crime, the battery charge could turn into a felony.

Via NY Daily News

The NY Times posted a great feature on the upcoming music video from West. Here’s what they had to say:

In a coming video for his single “Power” that was created by the artist Marco Brambilla, Mr. West is seen standing imposingly with a heavy chain around his neck. As Mr. West raps the camera slowly zooms out in one continuous, unedited take to reveal him in a classical structure, surrounded by female attendants who are partly or entirely nude; some kneel before him on all fours, others wear devil horns and still others are suspended upside down from the ceiling. The Sword of Damocles hangs precariously over Mr. West’s head, and behind him an unseen executioner is preparing to strike him with a blade. (ArtsBeat was allowed to watch a portion of this video but was not permitted to post it.)

Marco Brambilla continues:

It’s kind of apocalyptic, in a very personal way. It had this very dark, personal conflict within it. Because of his own concept of celebrity and his own notoriety, he’s keenly self-aware of all these things. And it all came out in the music. It’s a very exaggerated hyper-sensational version of what the song is saying. But at the same time. It has this fallibility to it. Because built into the story is that there is an ultimate fallibility, in bringing someone back down to earth at the end of the piece. That kind of contradiction, hopefully, will create the tension within it.”

Over the weekend, M.I.A. had a show at HARD Fest here in NYC, which, apparently, wound up sucking horribly. A mix of rain and a terrible performance pretty much killed the show. Well, she tweeted that she would be throwing a free show to make up for the performance:

fuck it! im gonna do a free show in nyc when i get back, tho i dont have powers over rain! if u still have the hard ticket u free! if u do me a lil dance , ill let u in too! xxxo

If interested, I would stay tuned, because I’m sure if it actually goes down, there will be free tickets given out to a lot more people than just those who have HARD Fest stubs.

Ya know, if you wanna put a good twist on his constant convictions, at least he has something to rap about for the next like, two decades. Here’s what TMZ has to say about the newest stint in jail:

TMZ has learned X’s jail stint all stems from a 2002 reckless driving conviction. Turns out, DMX was placed on probation after he plead no contest to the crime … but has since violated his probation … and has been ordered to serve 90 days in a city jail facility.

P Diddy has been reported to owe New York City almost $1 million for illegally plastering promotional posters throughout Manhattan.

According to the New York Daily News, the mogul, who is facing a $996,000 bill, is among the thousands of “people and companies” that collectively owe $1.9 billion to the city of New York.

A graph makes everything a little bit easier to take in, doesn’t it? Billboard just posted a new article on how artists are not taking the initiative to create as much label-released music anymore.

The graph says a few things: album sales don’t necessarily correlate to people not buying music, but that actual label-signed music artists are being cut drastically – or are being signed and never dropping music via the label.

The trickle down effect extends to labels physically sending out albums to stores. The lack of shipment then affects CD stores, quality releases and actual artists putting out music then affects the stores, hence making them shut down.

But we already knew all that, right?

p.s. anyone remember The Wall cd store?

There was some intitial unfounded speculation about this, but the label’s founder has confirmed. Bizzy Bone’s upcoming album is a fusion of hip-hop and rock, featuring appearances from Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria, Devin Oliver of I See Stars, Jonny Craig of Emarosa and many more. I just can’t imagine Bizzy Bone’s vocals over rock-laced instrumentals…at all…

Here’s what Sumerian Records found Ash Avildsen had to say about the signing/album:

“It’s true and the album is incredible! Anyone who has closely followed the label knows that we have never been one dimensional in the bands we have signed and the records we have released. While we have been making a meaningful impact on the current state of heavy music, the true theme to Sumerian has always been about progressive music, not just metal. Bizzy Bone is one of the most progressive vocalists I have ever heard! Known in his genre for being the fastest yet the most melodic, the most technical yet the most harmonic, the marks Bizzy has left in music are something I will always love. The fact that Bizzy and Bone Thugs all booked one way Greyhound tickets to LA and lived on the streets until they were able to get discovered and signed is true artist dedication to their craft. This same spirit is something that has allowed many Sumerian bands to organically build their careers and achieve their dreams.”