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Ryan Book, The Music Times

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ESPN Counts Every Jay Z Athlete Shout Out; Michael Easily Dominates Competition...As Always (Kudos to Bo Outlaw)

No genre incorporates pop culture as much as hip-hop and few genres of music embrace professional sports as much as hip-hop (shout out to '90s rockers representing Seattle and Los Angeles). Few rappers have catalogues as deep as Jay Z's, so ESPN decided to track down every reference made to an athlete across Jay's discography and graphed it out for viewers. No surprise that Michael Jordan is the most popular topic.
Grammys 2015: LL Cool J Hosting Again after Breaking Viewership Records for Last Three Years; Emcee's 10th Time as MC

Color us surprised: LL Cool J will be serving as the host for the Grammy Awards. In case you couldn't tell, that was in jest: The rapper and actor has served as the emcee for four consecutive years now, dating back to the 2012 rendition of the awards ceremony. This will mark the tenth time overall that Cool J takes hosting duties.
Meghan Trainor Just Short of 200,000 Albums with 'Title,' Mark Ronson and Jazmine Sullivan Both Debut High for RCA Records

It's that time again, where Music Times break down the difference between the Billboard 200 and who actually moved the albums. This week's crown belongs to Meghan Trainor of course, who came up just short of the 200,000 album mark with Title. As we mentioned yesterday with the 200 roundup, it's the biggest sales debut from a solo performer since Susan Boyle released her first album during 2009.
Ariana Grande Playing NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show; Will Big Sean, Iggy Azalea, Jessie J or Others Make Guest Appearance?

The NBA has announced at least part of the entertainment for its All Star Game weekend, naming Ariana Grande as the headliner for the halftime show of the big game. The game will take place on February 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York, just a week after the pop star is due to perform at the Grammys in Los Angeles.
Rihanna and Richard Pryor: Both Stars Involved in Lawsuits over Unlicensed Images on T-Shirts...Check Out Respective Cases

You can't just stick anyone's face on a T-shirt. Particularly if you want to sell that apparel later. Celebrity faces on tees are a trend this week thanks to two lawsuits, one involving the mug of vocalist Rihanna and the other featuring the face of deceased comedian Richard Pryor. The former came to a decision this week and the latter is just getting fired up. Check out the details.
Oscars 2015: "Glory," "Everything Is Awesome" and Other Best Original Song Nominees All Get Huge Sales Boost over Last Week

To the victor goes the spoils. Or, in the case of the nominees for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, to the nominees go the spoils. Every one of the five tracks nominated for the Oscar—"Glory" by John Legend and Common, "Everything Is Awesome" by The Lonely Island and Tegan & Sara, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" by Glen Campbell, "Grateful" performed by Rita Ora and "Lost Stars" performed by Adam Levine—all saw boosts in downloads following their nods last week, rising a total of 102 percent between them according to Billboard.
Meghan Trainor and 'Title' Interrupt Taylor Swift's '1989' Party on Billboard 200, While Kidz Bop and Mark Ronson Debut in Top 10

The rate at which Taylor Swift has been at the top of the Billboard 200 has been chopped down to 75 percent this week as Meghan Trainor takes the crown with Title. The album moved 238,000 equivalent albums, marking the highest debut for any solo performer since Susan Boyle during 2009. The "All About That Bass" vocalist joins One Direction and J. Cole as the only performers to interrupt Swift since 1989 came out 12 weeks ago. We'll see what happens next week with regard to that streak.
State of The Union Address: Music Times Helps President Obama Find Some Middle Class Music to Boost His Favorite Speech Theme

President Obama touched on plenty of themes during his State of The Union address but nothing was as popular as that of the middle class, and helping those in lower tax brackets reach it. Music Times found bands that specialize in the topic, including Middle Class Rut, The Middle Class and more.
The Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man" at 50: Ranking The Original (Bob Dylan) and Covers (Stevie Wonder, William Shatner, More)

On this date 50 years ago The Byrds recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man." That band wasn't the first to do it—Bob Dylan wrote the original version of the song and recorded it just five days prior to The Byrds entering the studio with it—but it would end up that the latter ended up more famous than the first. The song reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been cited as the birthplace of "folk rock" (fans of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and everything to follow are thankful). Many acts have gone on to cover the track (aside from The Byrds) so Music Times gathered a few of the more famous versions and ranked them accordingly.
Rocklahoma 2015 Lineup: Godsmack, Tesla and Linkin Park to Headline...No Indication Leg Injury to Prevent Chester Bennington from Appearing

Rocklahoma, one of the largest purely rock festivals in the United States, has announced its lineup for 2015, according to Loudwire. Headliners will include Linkin Park, Tesla and Godsmack.
Björk's New Album 'Vulnicura' Released Nearly Two Months Early after Weekend Leak; CD and Vinyl Release Will Still Accompany March MoMa Event

We just got done talking about how so many performers have opted to drop their albums by surprise rather than wait for an official release date, with the purpose of dodging leaks. We can't confirm why Björk opted to drop Vulnicura early but lo, the Icelandic alt musician has. BBC News reports that the album appeared on file-sharing websites over the weekend, forcing her to move the album up by nearly two months.
Madonna 'Rebel Heart' Leaker Arrested in Israel; FBI and Lahav 433 Reports Former Vocal Competition Contestant Hacked Multiple Stars' Computers

Album leaks are an unfortunate trend in music right now, perhaps the reason why so many performers are opting to release their albums by surprise for download rather than issue an official release date. Some performers you just can't screw with however: The outrage from the Madonna camp led the FBI and other international bodies to investigate the leak of demos from her forthcoming album Rebel Heart and led to the arrest of a former contestant on an Israeli television vocal competition.
Damon Albarn: 'Everyday Robots' Vocalist Writing Music to 'Alice in Wonderland'-Themed Musical for Manchester International Festival

Damon Albarn is traveling down the rabbit hole that is musical theatre for the upcoming Manchester International Festival. The Blur frontman is working on the instrumentals to a new musical adaptation of Alice in Wonderland titled wonder.land, which treats the magical world of Lewis Carrol's original novel to the digital treatment. The plot centers around a child named Aly who escapes to the internet to avoid her unhappy reality and encounters the famed characters of the original novel, including the Red Queen and Cheshire Cat.
Gwen Stefani Solo: No Doubt Vocalist Announces First Individual Show in Six Years at Los Angeles Orpheum...Is Full Tour Coming?

Everyone knew it had to be coming but that doesn't mean that the formal announcement is any less exciting for fans: Gwen Stefani has booked her first solo performance in six years, announcing a one-off gig at the Orpheum in Los Angeles on February 7. The pop vocalist had previously announced that she'll be looking to release a new album during 2015.
Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream Speech" and The Opening Acts: Mahalia Jackson, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and More

Go to any concert, any music festival, and there will be scores of opening acts. They serve to get the crowd warmed up, get the crowd ready to rock with the headliners at the end of the night. This same thing used to happen at political events: Sometimes other political figures aside from the "headliner" would give speeches of their own for the cause and often musicians with sympathizing views would perform as well. This same thing happened at the conclusion of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which culminated in Martin Luther King's famous "I Have A Dream" Speech. There was no doubt that King was the "headliner," but he had a heck of an opening set from a series of iconic musicians. Here's a list of the esteemed performers who played at the same podium as Dr. King that did.
Martin Luther King Speeches Sampled in Popular Music: Gwen Stefani, Andre 3000, Common, Will.i.am and More

No one was a better narrator or public speaker during the 20th Century than Martin Luther King Jr., and no speech was better than his landmark "I Have A Dream" speech, the work that best sums up the goals and ideals of the Civil Rights leader. Understandably, the hip-hop community and the rest of popular music respects the accomplishments of Dr. King and the impact he's had on the world, in entertainment and otherwise. Check out these six tracks that pay tribute to King as we celebrate martin Luther King Day at Music Times.
Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" Speech and More Included on Epic Spotify Playlist with Music by Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, John Legend and More

Spotify and the role it plays in the spread of music in the modern era will continue to inspire controversy and legal battles into the future. No one, listeners or musicians alike, can deny that the streaming service's playlist in honor of Martin Luther King on the Civil Rights leader's national holiday is spot-on. Spotify has assembled an epic playlist of King's most influential speeches and the music inspired by his actions, available for listening now.
A$AP Yams Death: A$AP Ant Denies Overdose Involved, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg Pay Tribute on Instagram

The world is still looking for answers in the death of A$AP Yams, one of the founders of the A$AP Mob who passed away at the age of 26 over the weekend. Many, including Music Times, wondered out loud if the death was tied to his admitted problems with Xanax and codeine. A$AP Ant, a member of the hip-hop collective, actively denied this allegation in an interview with Vlad.tv yesterday.
NFC Championship Halftime Show: Fan Video Captures Alice in Chains Concert that FOX Sports Blocked with Commentator Chatter

If you tuned into the NFC Championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers, hopefully you stuck around long enough to see the home team overcome its 16-0 halftime deficit and pull off one of the more shocking comebacks in NFL playoff history. If you left at halftime because FOX didn't broadcast Alice in Chains performance-instead giving us the pleasure of hearing Jimmy Johnson share remarkable insights like that Russell Wilson needed to play better-we don't blame you. Good news however: Although FOX opted to ruin the fun for everyone not actually at the game, fan video has emerged online of the band's performance.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Playing Tribute to Vienna's Music History—Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms and More—With Video Projections on Sydney Opera House

If you're a resident of Sydney, you may be in for one of the most exciting classical music performances of the year, as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will perform a massive tribute to the massive catalogue of the city of Vienna and its art as well, titled "Visions of Vienna." The program will involve live video of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra playing the music of Vienna's greatest composers (of which there are many), which will be broadcast onto the distinct "sails" of the Sydney Opera House. Viewers will be able to watch and listen to the performance from all around the harbor on February 4.
'Empire' and 'American Idol' Cross-Promotion? Can Terrence Howard and Co. Save Fox's Flagship Vocal Competition?

It's no secret that ratings are down over at American Idol. The folks at Fox realize this as well, and they ask realize they've got another music-centric show that's red hot: the hip-hop drama Empire. Promoters are considering a cross-promotional effort that would feature current competitors on Idol making guest appearances on the drama, which airs immediately following it on Wednesday night.
'Guardians of The Galaxy' Soundtrack and Mexican Songwriter Cuco Sánchez Dominate Underground World of Cassettes during 2014

Everyone knows that vinyl sales are growing at an absurd rate, making up an estimated 2 percent of total music sales during 2014 (it doesn't seem like much, but it's growth is remarkable considering the drop off in total album sales, physical or otherwise). So how about the other cult format? Cassette sales aren't quite seeing the same resurgence as vinyl (because, frankly, it's a crappy if romantic format). It's still seen a boost in interest during the last year however, led by the thematically appropriate Guardians of The Galaxy soundtrack and a release from Mexican songwriter Cuco Sánchez.
Grateful Dead 50th Anniversary Show: More Golden Anniversary Shows from the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and More

Grateful Dead fans got huge news this week as the remaining members of the band announced they'd be joined by Phish frontman Trey Anastasio for three shows at Chicago's Soldier Field to mark the band's 50th anniversary. Here are five other legendary acts that celebrated
Spotify's "Most Immortal" Playlist: Explaining How Tracks by Nirvana, Queen, Radiohead and More Remain So Popular Decades Later

Spotify tracked the most popular and most talked-about songs from prior to 2000 and composed its "Most Immortal" playlist. Music Times takes a shot at explaining how these songs—from performers such as Queen, Nirvana and Radiohead—remain so well-streamed.
Sonisphere Organizers Announce 2015 Event Cancelled; Blame Lackluster Lineup...Statement Suggests 2016 Return Likely

Rock fans in the UK will have to take their attendance elsewhere this year as Sonisphere formally announced this week that the music festival chain would not be bringing its act to England this year, citing the inability to land a lineup up to snuff.
'Guardians of The Galaxy' Soundtrack: 'Awesome Mix Vol. 1' Goes Platinum...Fans Looking Forward to Sequel, 'Vol. 2'

Something skipped the attention of both Billboard and ourselves when reporting the Billboard 200 and album sales totals this week: Guardians of The Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1 broke the million-albums sales mark last week with its 35,000 haul last week, bringing it to platinum status. Had it managed to sell just a tad faster in the last weeks of 2014, the mainstream soundtrack accompaniment to the film Guardians of The Galaxy would have been just the third album released during the year to attain platinum status, joining Taylor Swift and 1989 as well as Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour as albums reaching platinum. The soundtrack for Frozen was the second highest-selling album of 2014, being the last soundtrack album to reach the million-album mark (although it was technically released during 2013).
Nashville's Music Row Gets National Treasure-Status from National Trust for Historic Preservation; Planning for Sustainability to Continue

Music Row, the central point to Nashville's booming music industry centered around 16th and 17th Avenues, has received "National Treasure" status from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The push for the label has come in the wake of the near demolition of RCA Studio A during 2014, in hopes to counter other attempts to remove other buildings essential to the creation of the "Nashville sound" in the future (for the record, RCA Studio B was listed on the National Register of Historic Places during 2012).
Music Festival Drug Use May Have Dramatic Effect on Local Water Supply, According to Environmental Science & Technology Report

An interesting study from Environmental Science & Technology indicates that high drugs use at festivals may also impact local water supplies.
Whitney Houston Biopic: Lifetime's 'Whitney' Draws Warning from Family but Viewers Don't Take Offense

Last night's Lifetime premiere of 'Whitney,' a biopic of iconic vocalist Whitney Houston was bound to be a controversial event, based on the reactions to the same network's attempts at an Aaliyah biopic during 2014. The performer's estate weighed-in with a last minute warning to fans of the performer on Saturday, prior to the airing.
A$AP Yams Dead: A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg Pay Tribute to A$AP Mob Founder on Instagram...No Cause of Death Given Yet

Sad news for hip-hop fans the world over as social media reports indicate that Steven "A$AP Yams" Rodriguez of New York's A$AP Mob has died. Both of the group's best known stars, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg posted tributes to the performer on Instagram but a cause of death has yet to be provided.