COAST2COAST

July 31, 2018

Latest Industry: UMG, SOCAN + SODRAC, iHeartRadio, Radar Radio, Apple Music, Paradigm, Cherry Glazerr, More…

UMG earns over $50 million a week from streaming.

Vivendi, Universal Music Group (UMG) parent company, has revealed Universal Music Group’s labels generated $1.44 billion in streaming revenue for the first half of 2018, or around $55 million a week. UMG labels also generated $447 million from physical formats, down 19.1% year-over-year. Downloads plummeted 25.9% to $287 million.

SOCAN and SODRAC agree to consolidate.

The Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has acquired the Society for Reproduction Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers in Canada (SODRAC) in a non-monetary deal. Designed to improve efficiency and streamline operations of both music rights agencies, the acquisition marks the first time in Canadian music history that a single organization can license, track, and distribute royalties for performing and mechanical rights.

Radar Radio reveals millions in losses following decision to stop broadcasting.

Radar Radio, a London urban station accused of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment, has published its financial accounts for 2017.

The station reported £1.3 million ($1.7 million) in losses. Radar Radio also has £4 million ($5.3 million) in debt, owed mostly to MASH Holdings Limited. In addition, the company’s filing reveals over £500,000 ($656,254) in closing costs, with £270,000 ($354,377) in redundancies as well as £230,000 ($301,878) in fees related to the decision to stop broadcasting. Radar Radio closed down last April following public accusations from DJs Pxssy Palace and Ashtart Al-Hurra, among many others.

Woman assaulted at Foo Fighters concert.

Chicago police have confirmed a man sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman at a Foo Fighters concert after following her into a port-a-potty. Police have yet to find the man, described between 40 and 50 years old and about 5’9”.

iHeartRadio flat-out copies a popular Spotify feature.

iHeartRadio has introduced Your Weekly Mixtape. Refreshed every Monday, and just like Spotify, the feature includes 30 to 75 songs based on the stations and artists users stream.

In an attempt to pass off the Spotify feature as ‘unique,’ Chris Williams, iHeartRadio’s Chief Product Officer, explained users will know and love the songs.

YouTube makes strong push for original programming outside the US.

In an attempt to boost subscriber numbers, YouTube will work on original programming for international markets. The company will develop shows for consumers in France, Germany, Mexico, and Japan. YouTube has already released original programming targeted at consumers in South Korea and India. Susanne Daniels, the company’s Global Head of Original Programming, explained the new shows will include music documentaries, reality series, talk shows, and scripted series.

July 31, 2018

Spotify Welcomes Alex Jones' InfoWars as Its Latest Podcast

YouTube is pulling down InfoWars videos and Facebook has suspended Alex Jones’ account. But it looks like Spotify has no problems hosting the right-wing radio show.

The podcast addition surfaced over the past 24-48 hours, apparently in the latest batch of new shows. Spotify has gone so far as to call Alex Jones a ‘seasoned radio broadcaster’ in their description of the Infowars podcast.

This move to host Alex Jones is baffling to many Spotify users, as the company has recently removed songs from rappers like R. Kelly and XXX Tentacion, citing their ‘Hateful Conduct Policy’ as the reason. Alex Jones has been at the forefront of massive right-wing conspiracies, with direct incidents of harm and violence resulting.

Spotify is best known as a music streaming service, but it also hosts podcasts and is aiming to broaden this area.

The move to allow Alex Jones a place on the platform has users up in arms, with many taking to social media to post screenshots of them canceling their accounts.

An internet campaign that aims to convince advertisers to stop supporting platforms that allow bigotry, racism and sexism has taken up the fight against Alex Jones’ presence on Spotify.

The campaign, called ‘Sleeping Giants,’ has been encouraging users to tell Spotify exactly why they are canceling their membership.

On the platform itself, Spotify users are petitioning to have the podcast removed on Spotify’s ‘Community’ forum.. At the time of publication, the effort has garnered more than 800 signatures.

Jones has been the subject of intense controversy because of his radio show, to the point that families of the Sandy Hook school shooting are suing him for calling them crisis actors who were paid to appear in distress. Jones has recently moved to dismiss that lawsuit, arguing that he was covering the tragedy from a new perspective.

Of course, Jones has a lot of fans, and controversy only fuels that popularity. That makes him an attractive addition for Spotify, which was probably betting that the show would slip into the stack unnoticed. But that attempt directly contradicts with earlier attempts to crack down on ‘Hateful Conduct,’ and raises questions of whether Spotify still supports that initiative.

July 31, 2018

Rich the Kid Calls 300 Entertainment 'The Worst, Worst Label Ever'

300 Entertainment took another hit to its image this week, thanks to harsh comments from Rich the Kid.

The rough commentary follows a high-profile dispute between 300 Entertainment and Migos, easily one of the biggest rap groups in the world. Rich the Kid inked with 300 back in mid-2016, and has since shifted to Interscope.

Apparently the two-year deal went seriously sour, with Rich the Kid unloading on the label on Instagram. “Fuck 300, y’all suck,” Rich blasted in a now-deleted IG video.

“Listen, y’all gotta let me out this damn contract. I don’t wanna be with y’all no fuckin’ more. I told y’all I get y’all this money back. I don’t wanna be with y’all label no more. Y’all suck. Y’all is trash.

“Listen, young independent artists, do not sign with 300 Ent. They’re the worst, worst label ever.”

The unfiltered attack presents another challenge for Lyor Cohen, one of the labels co-founders.

Cohen started 300 Entertainment with Kevin Liles, Roger Gold, and Todd Moscowitz back in 2012, before departing in late-2016 (shortly after Rich the Kid was signed). These days, Liles is running the show, while Cohen heads the latest iteration of YouTube Music.

300’s roster is deep, and heavily focused on rap. That makes attacks like these pretty damaging, though a lot of artist disputes are unfortunately one-sided. Part of the problem is that labels have already been judged as predatory and exploitative in the court of public opinion, a tag that often blurs disputes like this one.

Earlier, Cohen’s 300 was mired in a dispute with Migos, who angrily left the label this year. Among other issues, the group alleged that 300 forcibly withheld music from being released. “300 was the biggest hurdle,” Migos member Offset told Complex.

“They tried to hold us against our will. It wasn’t never no in-house hurdles we ever had, like where it had been a problem. With 300, that was the biggest thing, going through times and situations with them. And we still did them right. Left them a nice piece of work.”

July 31, 2018

SESAC Doubles Down On Its MMA Challenge — Here's Their Statement

Despite heavy pressure from the NMPA and songwriters, SESAC and its owner, Blackstone Group, and doubling down on their MMA protest.

Last week, SESAC and its parent company, Blackstone Group, issued a sharp counter-proposal to the Music Modernization Act, a challenge that could threaten the bill’s passage. The protest revolves around the MMA’s creation of a government-sanctioned entity known as the Mechanical Licensing Collective, or MLC, which Blackstone feels is extremely unfair to competing mechanical licensing organizations.

The Music Modernization Act Is In Serious Trouble — And I’m Not Surprised

That includes the Harry Fox Agency (HFA), which is now wholly-owned by Blackstone. Accordingly, the MMA would effectively wipe out HFA overnight, and probably force Blackstone to assume tens of millions in losses while firing more than 100 employees.

Ironically, HFA was sold to Blackstone by the National Music Publishers’ Association, or NMPA. That’s a bitter pill for Blackstone, given that the NMPA is playing ringleader in the efforts to pass the MMA in Congress. And that includes the creation of the competition-killing MLC.

But this gets worse. Prior to dumping the toxic company, the NMPA is accused of structuring a disastrous partnership between HFA and Spotify, one that ultimately contributed to a major crisis involving billions in potential damages. Apparently Blackstone felt it could resuscitate the troubled HFA, though the company now feels that the NMPA is effectively burying the company it sold just a few years ago.

That raises serious ethical questions, especially given the heavy revenues that the MLC would drive towards the NMPA and its top constituents.

SESAC (and Blackstone) have now issued a far broader statement clarifying their position on the Music Modernization Act.

July 31, 2018

Sony's Q1 2018 – 100% Stake in EMI, Spotify Payday, and Surging Streaming Revenue

Streaming revenue continues to climb, while Sony Music confirms hefty Spotify payday and a 100% stake in EMI Music Publishing.

Sony Corp. has released its fiscal Q1 / calendar Q2 2018 financial report.

Sony Music’s streaming revenue for the first half of 2018 reached $943.7 million, up 39.1% over the first half of 2018.

For its fiscal Q1 – the three months ended June 2018 – Sony Music reported ¥181.5 billion ($1.66 billion) in sales, up 12.9% over the same quarter last year. Operating income totaled ¥32.1 billion ($294.2 million), up 7.1%.

Recorded music revenue reached ¥99.7 billion ($914.2 million), up 1.7% over the same period last year. Yet, this number is down 10.7% over Sony’s Q4 2017 ($1.01 billion), and 24.1% over Q3 2017 ($1.13 billion). Sony attributed the decrease to a “new accounting standard.”

Streaming revenue hit ¥52.2 billion ($478.1 million), up 38.2% year-over-year, and made up 83% of Sony Music’s total digital revenue. Downloads continue to plummet, with revenue totaling ¥10.7 billion ($97.8 million), down 19.1% year-over-year.

Other revenue, including public performance, broadcast, sync, merchandising, and live performances, totaled ¥14.3 billion ($131.5 million). This number is down 1.9% year-over-year and notably less than the past three fiscal quarters.

Physical sales also continue to plummet, totaling ¥22.6 billion ($206.8 million) and down 45.3% year-over-year.

Nogizaka46’s synchronocity ranked as the top-selling recorded music project for the fiscal quarter ended June 30th, 2018. Utada Hikaru’s Hatsukoi, Keyakizaka46’s Hashiridasu Shunkan, Camila Cabello’s Camila, and Dave Matthews Band’s Come Tomorrow rounded out the top five. For the fiscal quarter ended June 30th, 2017, Harry Styles’ self-titled album ranked as the best-selling recorded music project.

In addition, confirming an earlier Digital Music News report, Sony sold 50% of its shares for ¥82.6 billion ($768 million). The sale resulted in a pre-tax gain of ¥53.9 billion ($501 million). Sony stated it shared some proceeds to “its artists and distributed labels.” Sony’s remaining shares in Spotify have a gross fair value of ¥95.3 billion ($862 million).

July 31, 2018

French Montana Calabasas Home Targeted In Home Invasion: Report

Most celebrities might move to the gated community Calabasas for safety but it’s not guaranteed. French Montana’s Calabasas home was reportedly targeted during a home invasion earlier this morning. TMZ reports that at least two armed robbers broke into French Montana’s Calabasas home. As now, details are relatively scarce but the publication reports that police were called to French’s home around 9 a.m. They said the crime was reported a few hours after it was allegedly committed.

French Montana and a few other people were at home when the two armed robbers attempted to break in. There isn’t anything that indicates whether anyone was injured during the incident but nobody needed to be hospitalized. It’s also unclear whether the robbers actually took anything. Police are currently on the scene and investigating. Unfortunately, there are no leads to possible suspects just yet.

French’s Calabasas home has a history unfortunate events. French bought the house from Selena Gomez who had some major issues while she owned the place. A few days after she moved in, a stalker made his way to the place. She called the police three times out fear an intruder.

This is also the same home where a woman claimed she was raped last year at French’s birthday party. Police ultimately found no evidence rape at the party.

July 31, 2018

Air Jordan 7 Low "Bordeaux" Coming Soon: Official Images

Air Jordan 7 Lows will reportedly make their retail debut later this year, joining the long line Air Jordan retros that have been fered in low-top form. According to sneaker source @Zsneakerheadz, the classic “Bordeaux” colorway will be one the Air Jordan 7 Lows heading to retailers.

It is being reported that at least three versions the Air Jordan 7 Low will release in 2018, including a “Bright Concord/Black/Midas Gold/Tourmaline” colorway and a “Taxi/Black/White/Taxi” rendition. Jordan Brand has not yet announced any ficial release dates but rumors suggest all three colorways will be launching in the coming weeks priced at $140.

The low-top Air Jordan 7 first surfaced over 10 years ago as an unreleased sample in a “Black/Chambray” colorway, but it’s unclear if that particular pair will be among those releasing in 2018.

Check out ficial images the “Bordeaux” Air Jordan 7 Low in the IG post embedded below and stay tuned for ficial release details.

July 31, 2018

50 Cent Says He Warned Gervonta Davis About Floyd Mayweather Jr.

50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are back at it again. In the most recent string insults exchanged between the two frenemies, Fif and Floyd have taken the allegations to new heights with 50 reigniting the beef earlier this month when he accused Floyd Mayweather (not Trey Songz) being the man behind the affair that led to the murder/suicide carried out by late rapper Earl Hayes against his wife and himself in 2014. Floyd’s own arsenal included a screenshot himself on FaceTime with 50 Cent’s estranged son Marquise.

Most recently, 50 Cent referred to Floyd as a “little brother” despite all the beef while still taking a shot at The Champ in the process. “Don’t tell him I said this, I know he can’t read this shit LOL,” he wrote.

As suspected, the gesture was far from an olive branch and now 50 has returned with more fuel for the fire. This time around, the rapper and Power star made reference to Mayweather’s strained relationship with boxer Gervonta Davis.

“There’s something about @gervontaa That reminds me Tyson he got that killer in him. If it wasn’t boxing, it would be armed robbery,” Fif wrote in an Instagram caption. “I told him be careful with Floyd. he get mad over little shit then start talking about putting him in dog fights all kinda foul shit. I know it sound crazy Champ is a winner, but he don’t like other winners around it take the light f him. get the strap.”

50 Cent’s new statement is in alignment with a series tweets that Davis uploaded back in May, in which he accused his former mentor not wanting to see him win.

Naturally, only time will tell where the latest iteration 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather JR.’s beef is headed.

July 31, 2018

Pizza Delivery Guy Goes Viral After Surprising Family With A Crazy Beethoven Rendition

There aren’t too many people in Detroit that would let their pizza delivery man enter their house. The Varchetti family got a pleasant surprise when they opened up their home to a Hungry Howie’s delivery man though. According to The Washington Post, The Varchettis ordered a pepperoni pizza from Hungry Howie’s and 18-year-old Bryce Dudal appeared at their door with everyone’s favorite cheezy delight.

Dudal noticed that the family had a baby grand piano in their home when they opened the door. “That’s a beautiful piano. Can I take look at it?” he asked the family. The Varchettis claimed to hardly use the piano, and invited the recent high school grad inside. They asked if he played, and course, Dudal asked if he could sit down and give them a sample. The teenage delivery guy then proceeded to perfectly lay down Beethoven’s “Moonlight” sonata.

Julie Varchetti posted a video the moment on Facebook, and speaking with The Post, she relayed her amazement. “He was just beyond good,” she declared. “A lot people sit down at the piano and play something slow and beautiful,” Dudal stated. “But when I play for someone, I like to go all out.”

July 31, 2018

Fabolous Hints At Feeling The Pressure To Marry Emily B

Fab and Emily B had a rough start to the year but it looks like they’ve patched things up. In late March, Fabolous was arrested on domestic violence charges after allegedly assaulting Emily B but the two them have been seen alongside each other at several events including Coachella, their son’s birthday party and more recently, Pusha T and Virginia Williams’ wedding. Fab and Emily B have been going on-and-f for roughly fifteen years at this point and it seems like Fab is feeling the pressure to follow in Pusha T’s footsteps.

Despite having a child and being together for over a decade, Fabolous and Emily B haven’t gotten married yet. Back in 2013, Emily B was seen wearing a ring on her engagement finger but we haven’t seen it on her since. However, it seems like Fab might be ready to take the big leap and lock down Emily B. The rapper shared a photo himself and Emily B in a photobooth with the caption, “Alexa play “Pressure” by 52 Savage” along with a ring emoji.

Last week it was reported that Fabolous turned down his plea deal in his Emily B assault case. The rapper was finalizing the plea deal in early June which would have put him in a program for first-time fenders. It’s still unclear why he decided to drop the plea deal but we’ll keep you updated.

July 31, 2018

DJ Khaled's "Overwatch League" Performance Majorly Perplexes Attendees

When DJ Khaled was announced as a performer for the “Overwatch League” Grand Finals, reactions were mixed. While some fans were excited to see the man play some his biggest hits, others were confused as to what his performance would entail. One HNHH user wrote, “You mean play it f a laptop?” Precisely, DJ Khaled performances don’t involve him singing much. He’s generally just ad-libbing and trying to hype up the crowd. You may remember when he performed at the Miami Marlins’ game and almost nobody showed up. Well, it definitely looked as though at least half the crowd didn’t want to be in attendance during his live set at “Overwatch.”

The producer and master curator played some his biggest songs and even still, the crowd just wasn’t feeling it. The visual may show a decent amount people waving their arms with Khaled but when he prompted the audience to sing along, they fell terribly quiet, leaving Khaled to enthusiastically and nonsensically yell, “Overwatch me!” It seems as though the crowd just wanted to get on with their evenings and enjoy “Overwatch” but DJ Khaled was in the way that.

Some people were pretty convinced that Khaled didn’t even know what the event was about, which is actually possible given his speech during the show. Also, “Overwatch me” kinda gave that away too. Check out some clips from the performance below and peep the best and worst reactions.

July 31, 2018

2 Chainz & Tim Westwood Talk Eminem's Staggering UK Popularity

2 Chainz has been on a tear lately. Not only did the rapper recently deliver one his best projects in Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, but he also secured a spot alongside Eminem on the European Revival tour. It seems crazy, but 2 Chainz is actually getting better with age; by that logic, his upcoming Rap Or Go To The League may be his strongest effort to date. Now, the Atlanta legend has taken the time to chop it up with Tim Westwood, discussing his new music, as well as “Chloraseptic” collaborator Eminem.

It’s interesting. The writers over at DJBooth (who originally pinpointed the story) have highlighted the Eminem section the interview, using the opportunity to take a few shots at Eminem and some his fans in the process. Perhaps if one were to examine the exchange exclusively through a racially charged lens, it could be reasoned that a predominately white population would indeed gravitate to a familiar face; Em himself even touched on this phenomenon on The Eminem Show’s “White America.”

Yet such a conclusion undersells the Aftermath impact circa 2000, when the tandem The Marshall Mathers LP and Dr. Dre’s 2001 dropped; lest we forget, in many ways, Eminem’s magnum opus belongs to Dr. Dre, who played a pivotal role in shaping Em’s sound. It feels safe to say that anybody currently in their late twenties can remember the impact MMLP, regardless race. A great album is simply a great album, especially to somebody consuming it during their formative years. Sure, there are doubtless a few dubious characters in every fan-base, but even hip-hop legends like Kendrick Lamar, Redman, Jay-Z have co-signed Eminem. It’s unwise to let a diminishing discography – or worse the idea mindless, amorphous fans – completely tarnish an artist’s legacy.

Digression aside, Tim Westwood seems to feel significantly impacted by Em, emphasizing his importance to the UK. “People really related to what he said. He just resonated in a way. He talked to people over here, just talked to them emotionally, man. And those fans? He’s kept for 10 years. “He just caught everyone’s imagination. It was also, like, a generational thing. That was their rite passage in hip-hop.”

Seeing as Eminem is a legacy act, it’s no wonder that fans still come forward to catch him live. It all bodes well for 2 Chainz, who announces his nefarious intentions on “stealing some his fans.” I don’t necessarily know if stealing is the right word; it’s likely that many will follow 2 Chainz willingly. As they should – the man makes great music.

Eminem talk starts around the 4:40 minute mark. Keep an eye out on that Rap Or Go To The League.

July 31, 2018

Apple's Market Value Is Approaching A Trillion Dollars: Report

Apple is one the most trusted companies in the world. From their iPhones and iPads, to their laptops and accessories, the electronic and technology giant is one the most successful American companies ever. Many Americans have at least one piece Apple tech in their household, and the same can be said for residents European and Asian countries. According to CNN, all those Apple products are adding up to some massive economic gains for the company.

At the moment, Apple is worth $935 billion. If the company can impress investors and continue to increase their value, they will surpass the trillion dollar mark. If it does, Apple will be the first US company to pass the trillion dollar milestone. The company’s stock is up 12% this year because high sales the iPhone 8 and X. Warren Buffett is one the top investors in Apple. Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway purchased almost 75 million shares Apple earlier this year.

Amazon, Google, and Microst all have a chance to beat Apple to the trillion dollar finish line. They are worth $870 billion, $845 billion, and $815 billion, respectively. Microst was expected to reach a trillion dollars in the late 90’s, before the tech bubble burst in 2000.

July 31, 2018

Florida Man Hit By Car While Attempting Drake's "In My Feelings" Challenge

On this week’s edition when doing it for the ‘gram goes terribly wrong, a Florida man got way more than he bargained for in his attempt to go viral.

While Jaylen Norwood originally planned to reach the top ranks the latest “In My Feelings” challenge with a stunt in which he would jump on the hood a moving car while performing the viral dance routine, the Boynton Beach native reached his goal in a much more painful manner when he was struck by the vehicle instead.

According to Norwood, things took a drastic turn when his slides slipped on a wet spot on the ground and the oncoming car hit him as a result.

“Sooo i was originally suppose sic] to jump on the hood the car but i slipped on that damn wet spot and this nigga ran me over,” he wrote. “Keke never loved me lmfaooooo.”

In the video, Norwood seemingly walks away with only a few scratches to tell the story. It’s a remarkable outcome considering the car was moving at a pretty decent speed, striking his upper body and quite possibly, his head.

“Why are you laughing?” his friend behind the camera asks afterwards.

The stunt landed Norwood an interview with Jimmy Kimmel on the late-night host’s show as he explained that his best friend was the one driving the car and that it wasn’t supposed to be going that fast in the first place.

Slipping on oil in the middle the street didn’t help much either.

July 31, 2018

XXXTENTACION's Murder Suspect On The Verge Of Losing Lawyer: Report

This police are still looking for a fourth suspect in XXXTENTACION’s murder. Last week, police apprehended a man by the name Robert Allen as the third suspect in the case. However, it turns out that Allen’s attorney has filed documents to get himself removed from the case due to a “conflict interest.”

Robert Allen is currently being represented by an attorney from the Public Defender’s fice but according to The Blast, his lawyer wants to be removed from the case. The Law Office the Public Defender in Robert Allen’s case has requested to be withdrawn as his attorney due to a conflict interest. Documents said Allen was indigent (can’t afford a lawyer) and he was assigned representation from the Public Defender’s Office. The fice said they already represent the first suspect that was apprehended, Dedrick Williams. They said they’ve had numerous conversation with Williams in regards to XXXTENTACION’s murder case.

The fice claims the “interests Mr. Williams are adverse to the interest Mr. Allen and this adverse interest should be the subject effective cross-examination.”

A hearing for the representation is scheduled for Wednesday, August 1st.

Robert Allen was the latest suspect to be found. Allen was arrested on July 25th after he was found hiding at his sister’s house in a rural part Georgia. Allen’s facing charges first degree murder and robbery with an firearm.