(AllHipHop News) A copyright lawsuit against Ghostface Killah and Sony saw new life today, as the 2nd Circuit Court Of Appeals gave composer Jack Urbont another shot at proving his claims.
Urbont is the composer of the Iron Man theme for 60’s show The Marvel Super Heroes.
The origin of the lawsuit stems from two tracks from Ghostface’s classic 2000 album Supreme Clientele that samples the staple theme song.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the copyright lawsuit has been ongoing for five years with Sony initially coming out on top, as U.S. District Court judge Naomi Reice Buchwald determined that Urbont’s work constituted a “work made for hire.”
This “work for hire” classification was the central point of the ongoing legal controversy, as it claimed that Urbont does not own the rights to his work and can not claim the copyright to the song.
Under this classification Marvel would have the claim of copyright, and according to Buchwald the theme was “developed to Marvel’s specifications and for Marvel’s approval.”
Ultimately the 2nd Circuit Court Of Appeals found that the audiovisual work owned by Marvel would be the at the center of the copyright claim, since the theme was not released as an independent audio recording prior to Ghostface’s usage.
Check out Ghostface’s songs using the sample and the original recording below.
(AllHipHop News) Major Lazer and Justin Bieber have poured “Cold Water” on Drake’s bid to break records in the U.K. by ending his reign at the top of the pop charts.
Drake’s “One Dance” has been the nation’s number one since April, spending 15 weeks at the top.
It was narrowing in on Bryan Adams’ 16-week record when Major Lazer’s new tune ended the party on Friday.
“Cold Water” recorded 102,000 combined sales to reach the top, according to the Official Charts Company.
It’s the first U.K. number one single for Major Lazer and Bieber’s fourth.
“Perfect Strangers” by Jonas Blue featuring J.P. Cooper holds at two on the new chart, while Calum Scott’s “Dancing On My Own” rises to three.
Chainsmokers’ “Don’t Let Me Down” and Drake’s former number one round out the top five.
It was bad enough that Bow Wow was being relentlessly roasted across social media for denying his blackness, but the situation got even worse when BET Jams joined the petty party!
You have to love the great folks over at BET Jams for roasting our “fallen” black celebrities. First they got Stacey Dash, and their latest victim is Bow Wow.
BET Jams decided to show old music videos of a young Bow Wow with the hashtag #WeLostMoss. BET clearly stands for Black Entertainment Television, and we guess BET is displeased with Bow Wow now saying he isn’t black and he can’t relate to black issues because he’s mixed. Bow said he doesn’t know his black side and,
“My Moss side of the family is NOT BLACK. Heritage different.”
Bow Wow also stated that he doesn’t plan on voting in the election. When a fan told him that he should vote because his ancestors died so that he could have the right to vote, he responded by saying he didn’t know what his ancestors were actually doing because he isn’t fully black.
He was black when he hosted 106 & Park and when he wanted his black fans to buy those albums though. Carry on Lil’ Bow Wow; carry on.
While on the back is featured the hashtag #IMWITHHER.
All proceeds from the shirt’s sales will go towards prison reform and the rehab initiative Re- Imagine Justice.
Prison reform is a cause that Pusha T is currently putting in work for with his #SchoolsNotPrisons tour along with Ty Dolla $ign.
Push has shown support for Clinton in the past, as he recently FaceTimed with the presidential candidate and famed blogger Karen Civil in a call of action for voter registration.
Give Pusha’s tweets announcing the latest wears a look below and click here to purchase.
(AllHipHop News) The history of the relationship between The Game and 50 Cent includes classic collaborations as well as hard-hitting diss records.
It appears Game was feeling nostalgic yesterday because the Los Angeles native uploaded a picture of him and 50 to his Instagram page.
The #ThrowbackThursday post featured Game writing, “when nobody would dare f-ck wit us.”
Game also included #TheUnit and #Aftermath in the photo’s caption.
Prior to the IG pic, Game acknowledged he no longer has any ill will towards the G-Unit leader.
The Documentary 2 creator stated last year, “I haven’t seen 50 in like 10 years, and I don’t got no beef with him these days. I watch Power sometimes.”
50 later responded, “If he likes the TV show, cool.”
(AllHipHop News) Gucci Mane made his official return to the music world last week when he dropped his latest album Everybody Looking.
The Atlanta rap legend has not done many interviews since his release from prison, but he was featured in a new cover story for The Fader.
Gucci covered a lot of topics in the article. In particular, the “Guwop Home” rhymer spoke about his turn away from using narcotics.
“When I was on drugs so bad, I talked different. When I was smoking weed, a damn near pound of weed every day, I was congested. When I was drinking lean like crazy every day, I was out my mind,” said Gucci. “I was always sophisticated, but it ain’t even sophisticated now — it’s just a sober, a more conscious Gucci. And people probably ain’t used to it. It took a minute for me to get used to it. But they’re gonna have to get used to it because it’s here to stay.”
Despite that personal change, the man that helped sparked the Trap movement is not moving away from the type of music that led him to become one of the most popular southern rap stars over the last decade.
“I never really made music to make people try to feel sad. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I want them to feel powerful, I want them to feel aggressive, I want them to feel invincible,” stated Gucci. “I want to hear the f-ckery. I want to hear the sh-t that people probably think, ‘This ain’t good to be played around kids.’”
(AllHipHop News) Pittsburgh native Mac Miller recently announced that he will be releasing his next album The Divine Feminine September 16.
According to Billboard, the project will include features from artists such as,Kendrick Lamar, Cee-Lo, Anderson Paak, and jazz pianist Robert Glasper among others.
This will be Mac Miller’s fourth album release, following the release of his project GO:OD AM last September.
Mac also previewed Anderson Paak featuring lead single “Dang!” on Beats 1 Radio with Zane Lowe.
From the sounds of the track and the title of the project, it certainly seems that this album may have a bit of a softer, sentimental feel to it.
This was pretty much confirmed by Mac in his discussion with Zane, as he characterized his next album as a soundtrack to “the journey that is love.”
The Divine Feminine is currently available for pre-order. Also give lead single “Dang!” a listen below and take a peek at the album’s artwork.
(AllHipHop Features) “You don’t need a label to share your music with the world.” Those are the opening words of the description on TuneCore’s website.
The 11-year-old music distribution and publishing company is providing an outlet for thousands of independent musicians to get their products out to listeners around the globe. The service has a direct link to retailers like iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play, and Tidal.
A major selling point for the Brooklyn-based business is its insistence that the performers keep 100% of their rights and revenues. TuneCore artists have reportedly earned over $648 million from 2006 to 2015, and its Artist Services component features live showcases, SXSW activations, Facebook audio recognition, MerchLink, YouTube profit collection, and more.
While established artists such as Public Enemy, Nine Inch Nails, and Talib Kweli have endorsed TuneCore as a means to distribute their work, there has been some criticism of the company as well. Camper Van Beethoven songwriter David Lowery complained about the Spotify/National Music Publishers Association dealand its effect on TuneCore users.
TuneCore also suffered a security breach in late 2015 when hackers gained access to customers’ names, email addresses, mailing addresses, account numbers, and passwords. As a response, the company has since hired a cyber assessment firm in order to improve security measures.
Despite limited carping and setbacks, artists continue to turn to TuneCore for online delivery of their music and more. AllHipHop.com linked with six up-and-coming entertainers to learn about their respective experiences using TuneCore.
My friends were always fans of my raps and it inspired me to keep it going. I eventually started recording in multiple home studios and at the You Media studio located within Harold Washington Library in Downtown Chicago. I then uploaded my music onto the YouTube platform. The responses to the early releases were great and things just kept rolling, doors kept opening, and I began forming my team.
My manager, Cabey, found out about [TuneCore] and encouraged me to use it to make my music accessible to millions of people through multiple platforms they are partners with. Also because of the customer service, they were very attentive through the whole process. The user interface is also very attractive and easy to use. I can easily see how many plays I’m getting through Spotify and how many songs I’m selling through iTunes and much more.
TuneCore has the best tools for independent artists to reach their fans. It’s as simple as that. My fan base is ravenous – when I was with a major label it would be months between releases, sometimes longer. TuneCore helped me get my long-overdue album out this spring on all platforms, so the fans could get it any way they please.
You need to really have all your ducks in a row. I’m writing my own songs, putting my album together, coming up with videos, putting together my set list, and working day in and day out on my craft. The major labels put all these people around you – for better or for worse – but as an independent entity, it’s on you to sink or swim.
Recent Body Of Work:Coast 2 Coast with Devvon Terrell
TuneCore is super easy to use and gives me a detailed breakdown of everything that I could ever possibly want to see. They also have been hella responsive anytime we hit them up to make price changes on projects. They’ve connected me with other outlets and even got me featured on the front page of iTunes.
The main challenge of being an independent artist is the budget! It’s a much slower rise as an independent artist because you don’t have the money up front to make big things happen. Along with that, you don’t have the platform and resources to propel yourself right away either. I much rather be independent though and control my rise every step of the way.
I decided to connect with TuneCore, because at this point of my music career, I want 100% creative freedom to do what I want without major label pressure or commitment. I have had the freedom to decide the artwork, the release date, the music selection, etc.
The main challenge of being an independent artist is getting the right people to listen to your music and believe in you. Also, as an independent artist you will need to finance most projects yourself, so it is so important to find ways of having other revenue streams like performing at shows, festivals, merchandise – whatever works for your brand.
[TuneCore] offered everything I needed without having a middle man. I handle everything myself – producing, writing, performing, engineering, mixing, mastering – so I don’t have to break anyone off. The checks are nice.
It’s you versus you when you’re independent. You gotta really know what you’re doing and what you want. You have to have direction and passion/ambition. [I’m trying to be] the biggest artist ever in the world.
Recent Body Of Work: Currently working full-length project.
I felt that TuneCore had the best platform and pay scale for independent artists. I’ve been rocking with them for a long time now. Let’s just say, those sales are looking lovely! [laughs] Thank you TuneCore.
My work schedule is currently full… I’m currently exploring my options. But until my team and I make a decision, I will continue to create more music and tour as much as possible. My follow-up record to “Addicted To My Ex” is in the can and a mixtape or EP is in the works.
(AllHipHop News) Singer Mary J. Blige has put her faith in a “divine plan” after filing for divorce.
The 45-year-old “Real Love” hitmaker has filed court documents seeking to end her 12-year marriage to husband and business manager Kendu Isaacs, and hours after news of the break-up hit the headlines, a representative for the musician issued a touching statement.
“Ms. Blige is saddened to say it is true that she has filed for divorce, saying sometimes things don’t work how we hoped they would,” her spokesperson wrote in a press release obtained by People magazine. “But, there is a divine plan and a reason for everything.”
Mary is choosing to focus on new music as she comes to terms with the split, and she has turned friends, family members and fans for support.
“Mary will continue writing and working on her album, which is due out later this year along with her world tour,” the statement continued. “She thanks and appreciates her fans for their support and love through this very difficult emotional time.”
According to TMZ.com, the singer listed the date of separation on the court documents as “to be determined” for an unspecified reason.
She is also said to be seeking to block any potential request for spousal support from Isaacs, who has three kids from a previous relationship and no children with Blige.
Although they were ultimately unable to work out their marital issues, Mary revealed in a previous interview with Parade Kendu was instrumental in getting her life and career back on track when she was “spinning out of control” following years of drink and drug abuse.
“He was the first person to ever challenge what I did: ‘Why are you drinking? Why do you hate yourself? You don’t need to be around people who tear you down. You’re beautiful, Mary’,” she shared. “He was the first man to ever tell me that.”
(AllHipHop News) Queen Bey is reigning over the touring market. According to Billboard, Beyoncé’s “Formation World Tour” has grossed more than $123 million so far.
The North American leg of the trek saw 972,719 people attend the stadium shows with 23 sold out dates.
The last four performances of the U.S./Canada portion of the tour earned $26,178,090. That total puts Beyoncé at the top of the Hot Tours list.
The “Sorry” singer is followed by Justin Bieber with $17,803,002, Bruce Springsteen & The Street Band with $13,237,736, and Sting & Peter Gabriel with $7,558,373.
Beyoncé’s latest album Lemonade has sold over 1 million copies. The LP was certified platinum in June.
(AllHipHop News) Terence “Drama” Cook stomped onto the national rap landscape with the 1999 hit single “Left, Right, Left.” The Southern spitter could now land himself in prison.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionreports Drama was arrested on charges of terroristic threats and creating a false public alarm.
Police officers were sent to a building near Lenox Square mall after Drama attempted to locate The Parks Group office of Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks. He ended up in the lobby of another firm in the same building.
According to APD officer Kim Jones, employees at the Buckhead location said Drama stated he “was tired of being treated wrongly and that he had a bomb.”
Witnesses also claimed to have heard a man say, “I’m not leaving. I’ve got a bomb.”
Authorities – which included a SWAT team, Department of Homeland Security, and airport police dogs – conducted a sweep of the area and Drama’s vehicle. No explosive devices were found.
Drama did have a FedEx envelope and a book with him at the time of his arrest.
Watch Entertainment Tonight‘s report on Drama’s arrest below.
Bow Wow has to quickly be losing the few fans he probably has left with every ignorant comment that leaves his mouth or hits the net.
Remember folks were already pretty upset with Bow Wow as he refused to speak up and out about injustice and police brutality. When his fans urged him to do so, he replied by saying that he was choosing to mind his own business.
Mr. Shad Moss has now informed his fans that he doesn’t care about voting in this election because after he “learned what he learned” about politics, he chooses to stay away.
Once a fan told him that he should care about voting because his ancestors died so that he could have the right to vote, Bow Wow stated,
“Man I only believe what the eyes see. I’m mixed. I don’t know what my ancestors was doing. I only know what I see!”
“Yeah I seen Selma. Was I related to anyone no. I’m saying my moss side of family is NOT BLACK. Heritage different.”
So Bow believes that it’s not important to vote or to value his ancestors fight for equality because his non-black side of the family’s ancestors weren’t out there fighting. Got it. Bow Wow is a special kind of fool sometimes.
Man i only believe what the eyes see. Im mixed. I dont know what my ancestors was doing. I only know what i see! https://t.co/OdDO2pvtBS
(AllHipHop News) The documentary Freeway: Crack In The System chronicling the infamous War on Drugs and reformed drug kingping Rick “Freeway” Ross’ rise and fall in the drug game recently received an Emmy nomination.
The investigative documentary delves into the rise of the cocaine epidemic, its impact on the Black community and the U.S. government’s alleged involvement in it all through the Contra Scandal.
The film, which is nominated for “Outstanding Investigative Journalism: Long Form,” was produced by Marc Levin, Antonio Moore, Guy Logan, Neil Harrington and Mike Marangu.
“The nomination just let me know that hard work pays off and no matter what other people think about us we can be whatever we want to be. We are just as good as anybody living,” Freeway Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com.
The documentary also discusses the alleged identity theft of rapper Rick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II, as well as the impact it has had on “the real Rick Ross” and his current, anti-drug stance.
Freeway: Crack In The System features exclusive interviews with Ross, the late Gary Webb, former Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff Roberto Juarez, drug trafficker Julio Zavala and many more.
The famed documentary was released February 7, 2015 to much critical acclaim. Give the trailer and the powerful artwork for the documentary a look below.
Timothy Bloom is a 2x Grammy Award winning American soul singer and producer! The Cali-based talent is has released a new, funky jam that is sure to please his fans and should garner him some new ones.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Soulja Boy celebrated his 26th birthday with a bang – quite literally.
The rapper hosted a birthday dinner and small gathering at a recording studio, and had been posting about his big day on social media yesterday (July 28).
A number of associates came and went during the evening, including Soulja Boy’s close friend Sean Kingston. When one of the guests stepped outside, he was confronted in a hair-raising incident.
A male suspect in a mask rolled up on the guest, attempted to rob the unidentified man and shot him in the arm during the struggle.
According to reports, Sean Kingston had left prior to the incident, and Soulja Boy himself was gone by the time police responded to the incident.
The would-be robber got away, while his victim was treated for injuries sustained in the assault.
Earlier in the day, the rapper flashed cash on his social media, along with references to guns, drugs and some ammunition.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Ja Rule and his frequent collaborator Ashanti have renamed their joint Natural Born Killers tour so as not to offend anyone caught up in the recent spread of violence across the U.S.
The “Always On Time” hitmakers are set to hit the road together next month (August 16) for a series of shows, but the trek will now simply be called the “Natural Born Tour.”
Ja Rule told TMZ.com the stars feared the title would be “insensitive to the families of the victims” of senseless killings, so decided to scratch out the potentially-offensive word.
The rapper shared a photo of the new tour poster online, with the word “Killers” crossed out.
The original tour title was a nod to the pair’s chart domination at the height of their label Murder Inc. Records’ success in the early 2000s.
The Natural Born Tour will kick off on August 25th in New York City and wrap up in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 1oth.
The news emerges in light of the tragic Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando in June, and the deaths of African-African men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were shot and killed by police in separate incidents earlier this month.
The uproar over their deaths prompted multiple attacks on law enforcement, including a deadly ambush on cops in Dallas, Texas, where five officers were killed by a sniper during a Black Lives Matter rally.
(AllHipHop News) The popular ESPN2 talk show First Take invited Birdman to be a guest this week.
The head of Cash Money Records was asked about sports related topics including Dwyane Wade’s decision to leave the Miami Heat to join his hometown Chicago Bulls.
“It broke our hearts. I live in Miami. I’ve been there for the last ten plus years,” said Birdman. “I would have allowed him to finish his career [in Miami]… behind a few million dollars.”
The Music Moguls star added, “I think he deserved the respect. He did a lot for the city. It was called Wade County.”
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Game is launching a mobile app that allows players to become bosses on the street, vying for control of the black market.
According to the Compton MC, his mobile game “Block Wars” has twist – it aims to give players a realistic look at life, crime and violence on the streets.
“I’m loyal to Compton and will always shed light on my city,” Game told AllHipHop.com. “With that comes the trials and tribulations of life on the streets. We tried to educate people with my documentary ‘Streets of Compton,’ so they could walk away with a little more knowledge than they had before. Now, here’s another light in the form of a gaming app and some new music for your entertainment.”
The “Block Wars” app will drop later in the summer, as part of the push for Game’s 10-track album of the same name, which was released today (July 29).
The album is being released on Game’s indie label Blood Money Entertainment and features production by SAP, Jelly Roll, Goodguydez and Bongo.
The Block Wars album and app come as Game steps up his political activism and community engagement initiatives.
The rapper started calling for peace, after a deadly summer of confrontations with police in the United States.
Game began mobilizing shortly after the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and a total of eight police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, where killed in different incidents.
He led a peaceful march with Snoop Dogg down to LAPD headquarters and hosted a town hall style meeting in Los Angeles.
Game has also been working with Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck to make the city a safer place via a PSA to foster better relations between the cops and the community.
Game called out “armchair activists” within the Hip-Hop community to get off the couches, out of their houses and do more.
“No more just posting a hashtag or photo saying we gotta change. Our fans support us and we got to support them back,” Game said. “Use what you got to really help the next person. We gotta take real actions to make this a better world. These are our people and they need us. We got to give back. #YouGottaGiveAFuck #YouGottaCare.”
Next month, Game will release a new music video for his current Scott Storch produced single “All Eyez” featuring Jeremih.
“Block Wars” soundtrack tracklisting:
Block Wars – Produced by Bongo
Freeway – Produced by Goodguydez
Get High – Produced by Jelly Roll
Alameda – Produced by SAP
Gutter – Produced by Goodguydez
Uzis and Grenades ft. Lorrine Chia Produced by – Bongo
Lights Go Out – Produced by Goodguydez
Run It – Produced by Goodguydez
Bullet with Your Name On It- Produced by SAP
Murder – Produced by Goodguydez
Block Wars Tour dates:
8/26 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
8/31 Los Angeles, CA The Novo
9/1 San Diego, CA Observatory N. Park
9/2 Santa Ana, CA Observatory
9/4 Englewood, CO Fiddlers Dream Amp
9/6 Phoenix, AZ The Press Room
9/9 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey
9/10 Oklahoma City, OK Cox Convention Center
9/11 Miami, FL Club Liv
9/15 Miami, FL Club Story
9/16 Atlanta, GA Center Stage
9/17 Raleigh, NC Club Divas
9/18 Charlotte, NC Label
9/22 Reading, PA Reverb
9/23 Silver Springs, MD The Fillmore
9/25 Providence, RI Lupos
9/30 Minneapolis, MN The Venue
10/3 Salt Lake City, UT Complex
10/5 Boise, ID Revolution
10/6 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
Never get 50 Cent drunk! 50 Cent recently sat down with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN for their Drink Champs podcast, and let’s just say 50 still hasn’t found his chill!
50 already attacked Puffy earlier this week when he said Puff has no recent hits while making an appearance in Scottsdale, Arizona.
When 50 Cent was a guest on the Drink Champs podcast he says Diddy tried to take him shopping and even offered to pay for it when they both attended Chris Lighty’s wedding. 50 Cent even went as far as calling Puff a fruit pie.
“N-gga asked me could he take me shopping and it f-cked me up. I was like what the f-ck did this n-gga just say.”
50 claims that all that he says is true, but people won’t receive it because the truth hurts. Someone take the Effen vodka away!
(AllHipHop News) The President of the United States has the power of clemency which allows the office to pardon people in prison for federal crimes.
Convicted drug trafficker and gang leader Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff is asking President Barack Obama to allow him to at least face a new trial.
Global Grind posted a letter from the alleged head of the Queens-based Supreme Team.
The associate of Murder Inc’s Irv Gotti and the subject of 50 Cent’s controversial “Ghetto Qu’ran” song argued he was denied his constitutional rights because he was not allowed to testify at his own trial.
“I offered my life in exchange for my right to testify and was denied that right by my lawyer David Ruhnke, simply because he didn’t believe what I told him,” McGriff wrote.
He added, “Mr. President I implore you to correct this gross miscarriage of justice with a stroke of your pen. My true request is to be restored to my proper place in the legal process before my Constitutional right to testify was violated. To restore my guaranteed right to prove my innocence. My testimony is vital to my defense and only I can attest to the truth.”
McGriff is currently serving a life sentence for a $50,000 murder-for-hire plot. In 2001, Eric “E-Money Bags” Smith and Troy “Big Nose” Singleton were killed, and a New York jury convicted Supreme of being part of the murder conspiracy connected to their deaths.
To read Kenneth ‘Supreme’ McGriff’s full letter click here.
