A few names will come up in conversations about musical GOATS. From Michael Jackson to Aretha Franklin to Beyoncé, music fans have decades of musical options to tap into. But one could argue that no list is complete without the musical variety of Prince. Prince Rogers Nelson, commonly known as Prince, displayed musical talents at an early age that defined his long career of creativity. Throughout his tenure, he recorded classic hits such as “When Doves Cry,” “1999,” and his biggest chart-topping single and album — “Purple Rain.” It is well documented that the artist was adamant about owning the music he produced. And when he was entrenched in a legal battle relating to ownership, he went to what some might consider extreme measures to get his point across and fight for the creative freedom he desired.
Jay-Z values his work relationships. . @kendricklamar thanks JAY-Z who was in attendance (white bucket hat) during an impromptu performance at Dumbo House in New York, for letting him sample his line, “I do this for my culture…” from his 2001 song “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” — free of charge pic.twitter.com/C6ICQAZ2K0 — JAY-Z Daily (@JAY_Z_Daily) August 7, 2022
It’s entirely possible that the lyrics to “Uptown Funk” can be heard as something else when singer Bruno Mars says, “Uptown Funk You Up” (you heard it, right?). The phonics there are similar to an explicit phrase known all too well to many. However, one person who’s not phonetically challenged is rapper and entertainer Trinidad James. In Mark Ronson’s 2014 Billboard hit, he used a famous line from James’ song, “All Gold Everything.” The line in question –”don’t believe me, just watch.” Due to its use, James receives a percentage of “Uptown Funk” every time it is played.
The title of “doctor” has been earned by one of the leading ladies of Afrobeats. Recently, Tiwa Savage received an honorary degree from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. “Some call me queen, but it’s Dr. Savage from now on,” Savage said in a speech while accepting the degree. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bankulli Osha (@bankulli)
We will be enjoying more tunes from artists thanks to TikTok’s newest platform SoundOn. The “all-in-one platform for marketing and distribution” will showcase the talents of rising artists by broadening their influence. SoundOn will allow artists to upload music directly through TikTok, Resso, CapCut, and streaming giants such as Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora, among others. “New artists and musical creators are a vibrant community within TikTok and SoundOn is designed to support them as they take the first steps in their career,” Ole Obermann, Global Head of Music at TikTok said, according to a press release. “Our SoundOn teams will guide creators on their journey to the big stage and bring the expertise and power of TikTok to life for the artist. We’re incredibly excited about how this will surface and propel new talent and how SoundOn will contribute to an increasingly diverse and growing global music industry.”
A new entertainment group is here, and it’s “the first group ever to be born on TikTok,” thanks to Simon Fuller. Fuller, the creative mind behind hit series “American Idol,” housed auditions using TikTok last fall. Fuller created the popular hashtag #NextInMusic to find the next rising stars , and now the anticipation is over. Three singers and four dancers have been chosen and will become Future X, Variety reports. “The Future X combines everything that is exciting about contemporary young artists: authenticity, confidence, empowerment and a unique balance between extraordinary dancers and iconic singers,” said Fuller, according to Variety.
Akon is merging the world of crypto with the music scene, announcing that his next album will be sold as a non-fungible token (NFT) , Esquire reports. “Throughout my career, I have always believed that artists never really got their fair share of the profits for the work they produced and people listen to,” Akon told Esquire. “So with the idea of owning a piece of digital art, via an NFT, it allows the creator to benefit more and actually get more of the pie.” While his plans further affirm cryptocurrency’s ability to allow artists to maximize earnings from their content, it appears profit is not the only interest to Akon as he cites the NFT drop will allow for transparency and access to information from album buyers. “ My next album is going to be an NFT album. With that, I’ll be able to monetize it from the day it drops on every platform that exists. What that means is that it opens the door to full transparency where your music is being played, who’s playing it, where they’re...